In which the Travel has a Night Out

A lot of things have been happening in the last few weeks.

My washing machine started spewing water across my floor whenever I did laundry. Turns out it's been doing that since I got here, but my mop, in the corner behind the washer (I still haven't put pictures of my apartment up here or on facebook, have I?), got most of it, as did my bathmat. Well.

My cell phone began to receive about 80 spam emails a day, which led ultimately to me turning off my email tone and dread looking at the phone.

I started driving my car, which makes terrifying noises. I'm learning to back into parking spaces. It takes some time sometimes, but I'm getting better. Ish.

I got hooked on The Lorax.

I started watching Sailor Moon again. (I'm currently just starting Sailor Moon S, the third season of the series, episode 90.)

I started reading The Hobbit.

Then a lot more happened this week.

My coworkers fixed my washing machine. And bought me a new dish drainer.

Another coworker figured out the filter on my phone, so no more spam.

I made some friends my own age and am having a takoyaki party with them tomorrow evening. They're in my 英会話, English conversation, classes.

I went to my first Japanese festival tonight.

I went with Yko-san (right), her friend Yooka-san (I call her Sensei because I didn't get her name when we had dinner at her place last week, and everyone else calls her Sensei. She can do everything. I shit you not. She does stained glass, she can cook well, she even made the cheese for the pizza she served Yko-san and me. She painted a lovely picture that she has in her bathroom. There's nothing she can't do. Except fly. And you know what, I wouldn't discount it.), and one of their friends who I just met tonight (left, with her youngest child). 

It's the 秋まつり、the fall festival! Even tho it's still hot here! There was dancing, and singing, and shamisen playing, and then karaoke.

 And booths! And food!

Yooka-sensei knew the guy working at the beer booth, so we got free beer. And then another lady who was at my welcome party (the dentist, who I accidentally told I have tooth pain occasionally and that I didn't go to the dentist at all between the ages of 8 and 21) bought me a beer. The first person who buys me a drink who isn't my ex is a nice Japanese lady. xD

 And I did the goldfish scoop game! I won two goldfish on my own, and then the lady at the booth gave me two goldfish for free.

Of course, two of them were already dead by the time I got home, so here are the other two.

The festival was really fun, but it was also a resounding chorus of 「アシュリーだ！アシュリー！アシュリー先生だ！アシュリー先生！」 "Ashli! It's Ashli! It's Ashli-sensei!" My students were everywhere! Then again, I have a lot of students, and I'm pretty recognizable. Most of them seemed pretty excited that I was there. Nobody went so far as to introduce me to their parents, but I think I may have been confessed to by one shy little girl. o.O She and her group of friends came over and were all, "Ashli, Ashli, Ashli-sensei!" and giggling. I asked what was so funny, and they said nothing. Then the little girl (I say little, she was probably about 12) took a step closer to me and said 「好き」, "suki," which we all know means "I like/love you." Which doesn't necessarily mean uber emotional overtones, mind. It was cute.

And a student, possibly the same girl, gave me a goldfish as I was leaving! He's still alive. I don't know if I want to keep him separated because he's special, or put him in with the others so he has friends. If they survive tonight, I'll go to the home shop and get a goldfish bowl and food tomorrow.

One male student, the only one over the age of 12 or so who talked to me tonight, caught me on my way out.

「アシュリー先生！祭り楽しんだ？」 Ashli-sensei! Did you have fun at the festival?
「うん、楽しかった！これは祭りの初めてだ！」 Yeah, it was fun! It's my first festival!
「よかった！またね！」 That's good! See you later!
"Bye-bye!" Bye-bye!
"Bye-bye!" Bye-bye!

Then I came home, slightly woozy from the beer, and put my fish in a bowl and a cup. ^-^ And spent three hours updating this blog. I think I'll make a point of posting at least once a week now. よろしくおねがいします！