hey all,
Finally, a nice relaxed weekend. I got to touch base with Bri for the first time since coming back to Japan, made something half way between a chicken chili and a normal soup together with Michi, and watched The Holiday. Yes, it is a chick flick, but I thought it was watchable.
Today, we went over to a gym in Yokohama called Pinnacle rock Climbing. Not a bad place, but very small. It was inside a shopping mall, so actually most of the "customers" were kids who their parents were indulging or keeping busy for an hour of two so mommy and daddy could get some shopping done. Again, not a bad place, but a far cry from the climbing gyms that we usually go to. They also had a lot of gear all by Millet, which seems like a decent company, but everything was so expensive that I couldn't bring myself to even be interested in it. Clothes, most of which were 30% off, were still over $80, and they weren't that amazing. (Their backpacks, on the other hand, seemed nice, but I now have 3 Osprey backpacks: an 18L, 46L, and my new massive 70L. So, I'm kinda set in terms of backpacks. Although, the 46L is getting old, and something in between 18 and 46 would be handy, say, a 28L or 30L, especially something geared towards climbing needs...See what a problem I have when it comes to this? Outdoor gear has definitely replaced my past obsessively collected items of books, CDs, and movies.)
Anyway, we stopped by Yokohama station, which was convenient for Michi, since she had to return to Tokyo, and convenient for me since I live in that general area. I took her to a ramen/tsukemen restaurant, but alas, she was not too impressed. Their ramen is so-so, but their tsukemen is really quite nice: the soup is served boiling hot (literally still bubbling when they set it in front of you), and once it cools, has a thick meaty flavor and consistency which goes well with the noodles. She ordered the ramen.
Tomorrow, I go back to the grindstone. This week will be a long one, as will the next one: Monday through Saturday. One of our Saturday teachers has left, and myself and another teacher have agreed to divide each month's Satudays between us until we can get a replacement. For next month, it looks like I'm actually supposed to be in charge to supervising the new teacher for a few Saturdays, which is kinda a hoot because I still consider myself a new teacher.
Cheers,
