Ok…translation…yesterday, I went to Karato.  🙂  Another one: to no shi mi ma sh’da.  Translation…I liked it.  🙂

Yes…I learned some Japanese tonight!!!  And I learned it from my Chinese friend, Sakura.  I, personally, like her Chinese name better than her self-given Japanese name, but what can I say about it.  Her name in Chinese means, Golden Swallow…like the bird.  Isn’t it pretty?  I think so.  We went to Karato tonight…but first, let me start earlier in the day.

It was gorgeous today!  Absolutely lovely…a little on the chilled side…but that’s ok.  I had a letter to mail out, so after doing my lesson plans for the day, I walked over to the post office and dropped it off.  The girl at the counter kind of laughed at me wearing short sleeves.  I just smiled at her and said, “yeah…”  heh.  I think I defy their conventions at times…with my short sleeves and flip-flops.  They all point them out whenever I’m out.  It’s kind of funny…I’m known for it here…makes me feel at home.  Hah.

After going to the post office..I just kept walking…and walking…and walking…and I eventually crossed the little waterway to Hikoshima.  It’s not far…maybe a mile from the Center, but I kept walking…taking a right once I crossed over, and then I decided I was hungry, being that it was 12:15p.  So…I grabbed my handy dandy phrasebook which the Davis’ were soooo kind to give me.  I started skimming through some of the phrases I could use to find food.  I found one I thought was pretty good, and I passed a man and a woman standing on the sidewalk.  I turned about and said, “watashi wa yu don ga i dess.”  which means, I would like rice noodles and soup.  I had no idea how to ask where I could eat yu don…but that didn’t matter  The man understood and motioned right to the building next to us.  He said, very good.  So, I walked in, to a four-table restaurant…maybe 10 ft x 8 ft as the room dimensions.  It was tiny, and four people were already crammed into the space.  I soon realized that the man outside was eating there as well and knew the owners personally.  He ordered my noodles for me.  I was much obliged.  I looooove hole-in-the-wall restaurants…and Samantha is kind of frightened by them.  So, with my extremely limited Japanese, I began to eat my $5 yu don with chicken…and loved every minute.  The man’s wife (introduced to me as, “My wife!”) gave me a rice ball with nori on it…it was yummy as well.  After a while, the man and his wife left, and wished me the best…well, i think that’s what they said…I’m not sure, but I did catch sayonara.  Three women came in and sat at the table across from me.  After eating for a little bit, I felt something.  I looked over and discovered that they were all three staring intently at me.  One made the motion for chopsticks and said something, and I said I didn’t understand.  Another said, “very good”.  Since I only have a handle on a few nouns, that’s all I could tell them.  “watashi eigo sensai” “I english teacher”.  I said where I taught and they knew what it was…making the shape of the cross with their hands.  It was fun.  They all waved goodbye to me as I left.  I was thoroughly pleased with my experience.  And the noodles were extremely yummy…and a good price.  i’ll have to go back again sometime soon. 

This afternoon, I had my super demon class.  I told them I’d bring potato chips next week if they were good.  They weren’t, so they got a mark on the board…and if they had three marks by the end of class, they wouldn’t get any chips.  They ended with two marks…and were so glad that they would still get potato chips.  I’m going to give them chips, but only one each…since that’s all they earned really.  One each.  I hope they take me seriously.  They’re third grade and such.  I wanted to strangle each one.  I hope their parents don’t read this. 

Tonight, Sakura dropped into the Center and sat with me as I finished dinner.  Then, we decided to go get puri-kuri done (photobooth pictures).  Then, she surprised me and asked if I wanted to go to Karato, which had an amazing view, especially at night with all the lights.  I said, sure…and 25 minutes later, we were down by the aquarium and Shimonoseki Bridge, looking at the Kamon Strait.  It was so much fun.  I got a picture of the largest plate in the world, according to Guinness.  Yep…I saw the world’s largest plate.  Feeds 500 people.  Weighs 250 kg.  In 2.5m in radius.  Pretty amazing.  Ok..I think that’s it for my day.  It was very neat.  I have to do a lesson plan.  Later!!