This image of the village and Maehama (hama means beach) is from Daijinko, this lovely coffeeshop on the hill. The road to it is steep and littered with snakes, cicadas, and godzilla bugs.
Even though it's a fully paved road, it still feels like you're hiking through the jungle, with all sorts of fantastic jungle sounds emanating out from the trees. Along the way, I find shrines that have tea cups filled with water, incense, and Fanta grape soda bottles.
I found the coffeeshop, and alas, it was closed. But the proprietress, the lovely Miyako-san, told me to go around the back and enjoy the view.
I also found Miyako-san's husband and his cronies, who invited me for beer. I stayed for a second and third beer, a shot of the local liquor, yakitori, and eel. What? They practically forced it down my throat. Who am I to say no to Japanese hospitality. (hic!)
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I live thirty seconds away from Maehama beach, where tiny children scurry up and over you in their hurry to get to the beach.
After a typhoon, there's crazy sea life that washes up on shore. I see the locals collect sea slugs (sea cucumbers? sea penises?) and I wonder if they use them for cooking. I don't want to know.
I work as an Assistant Language Teacher at Kouzu High School, helping the two English teachers there. School is out till September, so I haven't met my students, but I do see them around. They work at the local market and they hang out on the beach on the weekends till the police make them go home.
When I do see them, they are very enthusiastic about using their three phrases:
"Hi!!!!!"
"How are you?!!!!"
"I am fine!!!!"
I spend my mornings studying hiragana and katakana and staring at pastry packages to see which characters I recognize. After lunch, the other teachers and I goof off by playing badminton, napping, swapping insect stories. (one of the teachers got bit by a centipede! IN HIS BED! I now go to bed wrapped up like a mummy.) Because the staff room a/c is broken and Japanese have yet to learn that a hand-held fan doesn't do shit, we eventually head to the swimming pool.
It's a very laidback school and the teachers are always willing to show me around. I feel very lucky for having been randomly placed on this island. Everyone should come over for badminton and sunbathing. Afterwards, we'll hit the vending machine by my apartment for cans of Kirin beer. Woo!
Tommorrow's blog: Bonodori festival and traditional Japanese dance. I'm a bad dancer, no matter what country.
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