Big City Livin'

How to begin? I had the most amazing weekend! I guess I will start from Friday...

 

Met up with K to go for a nice long run (by long I of course mean a little over half an hour but it was a vast improvement from only the week before) ending at around 4K. After running I picked up B from the train station and we all got pretty`d up to go out in Beppu where there was a meet and greet hosted by AJET at the Beppu tower. Everyone got a free drink to loosen up and although the party started out pretty slow things began to pick up later in the evening. I didn`t really notice though because even without alcohol all I wanted to do was dance and even though most of the time it was only with one or two other people it was still a nice way to let loose a little. The DJ I had met a few days ealier in Beppu with B at a starbucks so we chatted with him for a while and got him on the dance floor off and on as well. One guy was particularly interested in American dancing (bootie dancing) so me and some of the other girls taught him a few things ;-).

 

Went back to Kitsuki that night with K and B stayed at my place. I honestly just passed out because I was so tired and I think she followed me shortly thereafter. Saturday morning we work up to a cool breeze and nice weather around 7AM and lazed around for a few hours watching Hercules. I made omlettes as has become tradition for Saturday morning fare and around 11 we joined K and her friend at the onsen for a bath. They were upgrading my internet when we got home so as soon as they finished we bought a map and some sandwiches and were off to the beach. Knowing only which city the beach is in, we started off down the freeway at a whooping 50Km/H (like 35... it`s the speed on pretty much any road here) and made decent time since traffic was moving at twice that speed. It wasn`t until we passed Oita that we ran into any trouble (B is a great navigator!) and even then it was pleasant trouble. We decided to take the more scenic, albeit longer, route up a mountain instead of hopping on the highway. It turned out it was about an hour out of the way but it was the most beautiful and challenging route we could have taken. I was literally crazy taxi-ing up and down a damn mountain trying to keep my speed below 60Km/h while narrowly avoiding peril down the side of the altogether too close-by cliffs. It was pretty epic and we caught most of the bottom half on video which will be uploaded as soon as we install amazing background music.

 

Once with finished our amazing journey down the mountain we found the beach with minor error and enjoyed a beautiful day for about an hour before the rain found us. I swam with about 4 other people down to these WWII remnants mooring stones out about 2Km from shore and hung out there just staring out into the surrounding smaller islands awe. It was once of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and perhaps the most beautiful I have seen in person. What I wouldn`t have given for a waterproof camera. The sea was altogether too rough to chance brining my nice camera out there and considering how much water I got in my eyes I would say it was a stroke of luck I wasn`t wearing any jelwery or anything because I would have likely lost that as well. I honestly can`t even begin to describe the beauty I wistnessed out there but I can cap it off by saying if you are ever invited to a small beach in rural Japan - go! Me and B pencil dove off the concrete mounds and made our swim back to shore all the while watching the 5 others behind us to make sure they made it back safe. I even swam back in when one was taking too long to check and make sure she was OK (both out of concern for her and because the water felt amazing and I wanted nothing more than to swim again), I even got back in about 20 mins later to race someone because it was just that nice - plus I wasn't feeling tired! 

We left the beach around 5 when the rain stopped and drove back to Usuki where we went straight to the festival site at the famous stone Buddha shrine. There were lots of tourists there and even some other foreigners who weren't with our rather large group. It is really incredibly beautiful there too (I sound like a damn parrot when I keep repeating this but I don't feel like I can say enough just how breathtaking it is out here, come visit me and I will prove it)! I took a ton of pictures, even when it continued to rain on both me and the camera while watching a Taiko dance with some Noh mixed in. The dancers were really into it and they even jumped out into the crowd. I probably would have continued enjoying it if the film crew hadn't shown up half-way through the show and plopped down right in front me (c'est la vie). I recorded a lot of it and will try to add it to this entry despite how long it is already going to be :-X. There was also another bon dance here which I jumped right into with another JET or two and we danced despite the rain for a while until stomaches got the better of us and we were forced to quit on account of hunger. Found food, enjoyed the company of others then started the drive back to Oita. 

Despite having a long day at the beach, an even longer day at the festival and a longer still drive in the dark, pouring rain back to Oita, we still managed to have the energy to grab a taxi into town to go to the bar. After B buys me a drink (I was a little cranky from the drive and I think she didn't want me hanging on her all night) I begin to feel better so I start to talk to the people around me. Considering how tightly the bar is packed in this wasn't exactly difficult and so of course I find a cute boy and we start talking and it turns into 5 guys or so buying me drinks which is of course always nice. :-P. It is all fun and games until two of them pulled me aside and were like "seriously, which one of us do you like better?" Luckily I was saved from answering by B who showed up shortly thereafter asking if I was ready to go. Thank goodness!

Sunday I woke up to the amazing smell of pancakes and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. We stayed at another JETs place where she lives with her husband and toddler. I still can't believe they made pancakes - even without syrup (it's stupid expensive here) they tasted almost as amazing as they smelled. Even with a killer hangover it was awesome! 

Drove home uneventfully after that except for a short detour to McDonalds (which didn't hardly get touched because of our hangovers) and slept for most of the day and night. Did manage to get a load of laundry done, although it got rained on so has been drying now for two days. Still wet. :-(. 

Work was also uneventful today but luckily I am still running on high from the weekend. I am even still messaging one of the boys off and on - maybe I will get a date? Hope so! Went running this evening but I might have pulled a muscle in my leg so it didn't go so well but I look forward to a nice slow jog on Wednesday after a few days of rest. I also found out I can make free calls to the US using google! I called my Grandma and Great Grandma both of whom flipped out! 

Well, I should be off to sleep, tomorrow there is an enkai for me and S and so we will be out very late with our co-workers, all of whom will be making drunken fools of themselves. Love!!