So…..Brendan`s making me write this because　he`s mad for internet stuff but I suppose it`s an easy way of telling everyone how I`ve been getting on.

We`ve done a lot since we arrived in Japan almost a month ago. Tokyo Orientation was hell we were jetlagged and sweaty and we had to listen to hours upon hours of polite speeches about absoluitely nothing. But in the evening we got to go exploring for ourselves and try out a couple of the karaoke bars and izakaya which was great fun. We also sang the night away with Yuka and some other Japanese friedns from DCU and it was all great craic- especially when a urinal started singing at poor Yan in a restaurant when he went for a wee!

After a few days we travelled to Okayama where it was EVEN HOTTER! It was great to finally be in our own place and we explored the city and were very impressed. It has everything we need, and even the odd weird shaped building and plenty of neon lights but it`s still rural enough to be very friendly and give us a bit of celebrity status as `gaijin` (foreign people in Japan).

On our first day in Okayama the so-called Land of sunshine we were informed that there was a typhoon on the way and were given a load of literature about how to hide under desks and all that lark. But when it finally arrived it was very anti-climactic. There was a bit of rain and wind- basically like a good summer`s day in Ireland!!

Seeing as we were expecting a typhoon my supervisor brought myself and Brendan to an electronic store so we would have a mobile phone to contact her with just in case we got blown away or something. We spent three hours filling out forms only to be told that we were uneligible for phones and to come back the next day, grrrrr! And typically in Japan, when we came back the next day there was a different guy there and we ahd to go through the whole thing again!! BUT at the end of it all we both came out with very impressive phones . Mine`s pink and I can go onto the internet with it and send emails etc. It even has infared- whatever that is. Bren`s has tv and everything on it, he had to go for the most expensive of course.　I alos got a reeeeeally cute pink digital camera so I`m as a reeeeeally cute pink digital camera so I`m a happy camper

A few days after this we were cycling through the paddy fields to the cinema which is very fancy (and they have yummy caramel popcorn) when we came across a local festival being held in a field. We peeked in a little to see what was going on, even though we weren`t invited. We were looking aroundat all the singing and dancing、the guys playing the taiko drums and the women in their kimono when some guy with a microphone came over to us and started shouting at everyone to pay attention. SCARLEH!! Brendan had to make a little speech in Japanese, it was gas. He was very embarrassed. Then we were invited to join the circle and do some of the traditional dancing, which wasn`t very easy to get the hang of with everyone staring and the guy with the mike giving a running commentary of us in Japanese. it was really great fun and everyone was so friendly. we had heard about things like this happening to other people but we really didn`t believe it. We were stuffed with beer and bbq by the people in kimono by the firelight and then went on our way to the super futuristic cinema. I love Japan

Just when we wree beginning to relaz into Okayman life we had to go back and di three more days of feckin orientation. Brendan was asked to make a speech to the Vice Chancellor of Okayama and we were all on the TV and in the newspaper (again). Okayaman Orientation was slightly less painful than Tokyo and the last day we went on a really great trip and I got to dress up in a kimono- Yay!!!!!!

So you may have noticed I haven`t actually mentioned anything about work The reason is I am reeeally lucky and have a very easy going Vice Principal who lets me stay at home while the students are off school so i only start tomorrow. I`m actually looking forward to meeting all the other teachers and practising my little self-introduction speech in Japanese.

There was a national week of holidays last week so myself and Bren headed to Kyoto for a few days. it was unbeleievably hot there but we ahd a really great time. we stayed in Love Hotels which were hilarious with pole dancing poles on the end of the bed and mirrors on the ceiling etc. We also saw a load of temples and I bought lots of jewellery-woohoo!

Well that`s all the time I`ve got left in Media cafe Popeye (I don`t know why it`s called that) so I better leggeh. Here is a link with some photos of what myself and bren have been up to so far: http://picasaweb.google.com/brendan.tinnelly