These are pictures from Hakone.....there were sulfur mines in the background....it smelled like 100 people farted at the same time....that was an interesting trip....one lady passed out on the train, I took her pulse and then saw she was breathing.....the train backtracked and then paramedics came.....it was serious drama....I almost fell off the cable car.....I was like, "Dang, all of this falling has to end now!" I'm tired of it.....I forgot there was a big step when I got off of it.....above is another Nova Teacher....being silly....I got a chance to ride on a pirate ship and do the ropeway and see Mt Fuji at a little closer distance...but it was an overcast day, so it wasn't so clear.....well, I need to go to sleep, so until next blog........

K

January 4th, 2007-Thursday

Well vacation is officially over with....I go back to work manana....it's now 11:58pm and I have to be to work at 1:20pm on Friday.....My vacation went well. I do wish I would have had a chance, or the money to actually go away and travel, however I have plenty of time for that, and I still had a good time nevertheless. There were some lazy days however....let me recap....I worked on Christmas, but I think I shared in a previous blog what I did after work....if I didn't let me just say that the food was scrumpcious...yummy! My official vacation didn't start until the 27th....while on vacation I went to Ueno Park, unfortunately it was closed so I didn't get a chance to see the Pandas or the art exhibits, but maybe I'll get there next week....I went to Hakone with another Nova teacher, and I need to do an overnighter for that one because there were so many stops in between that had art exhibits and museums and other touristy places to see....Hakone is where there are a lot of onsens....Onsens are hot baths, public baths, but they do separate between men and women....I'm going to do it just for the experience....I'll share some pictures on the next blog...I went to Roppongi for New Years....It was crazy because for those of you who have known me for any length of time, you know my sense of direction is not the best and so....even though I've been to Roppongi numerous times, I got out of the train station and was lost....the folks I was going to meet were already at our destination, so all of this to say, I did a countdown on the streets of Roppongi on my way to my destination.....that wasn't fun...it's like New Years was a non-event for me.....what else....I went to China Town and Minato Mirai.....that was fun, I hung out in Yokohama, went to the beach at night, not on New Year's though.....that was just ridiculously cold.....thanks Roomy...all in all, there was rest, and closure in my eyes on certain things, and I'm looking forward to what 2007 has in store for me....I'm dabbling with another poem called Unspoken, when I've formulated something in my head, I'll put pen to paper and post it on the blog......so, until next blog

K

December 31st----I forgot this picture....China town is also in the mix.....

December 31st-Saturday

-Well, it's New Years Eve and I'm about to go out....it's 9:16pm here....I'll write tommorow, but for now here are some more pictures of

• views from Landmark Tower...the tallest building in Japan, it's 69 floors and you get to the top within 7 seconds
• Ueno Park...a picture of an egyptian art exhibit...when I went out there, it was closed until the New Year...boo hoo...I'll get back there though...another picture of scenery from Ueno Park
• An area in Yokohama called MM21...Minato Mirai....where the landmark tower is ...people doing street performances....