Long Weekends and Snake Sake

It is the last day of November. The weather had a cold snap but quickly reverted back to abnormally warm weather. Yesterday it hit 18 on my run! It's been nice saving money because I don't have to use my heater and the school is even a little warmer than usual.
Last weekend was another long weekend and I went to Hokkaido.

 This was my fourth trip and I expected it would be wintery and freezing. Instead I was greeted by mild temperatures and the recent snowfall had completely melted. I was more than happy to wander the streets of Sapporo and Otaru without snowboots or a scarf, but it was definitely not what I had been expecting. Dan and I had the chance to go and see 'Interstellar', the new Christopher Nolan film. It was an interesting film, but at a staggering 180 minutes it dragged a little. It was fun to go and see a movie together tho. Dan and I don't get to go on dates because we are long distance, so being able to go see a movie together feels extra special.
On the Sunday Dan took me to a cute restaurant called Brooklyn's in downtown Sapporo. It is an american style restaurant featuring  a spacious design with books lining the walls, brightly lit chandeliers and some beautiful greenery. It is a beautiful restaurant and absolutely delicious!

 

One of our days was spent in Otaru, a small town about 1 hour drive from Iwamizawa. It was a chilly day but we enjoyed walking along the river, Christmas shopping and enjoying a coffee at the most romantic coffee house. It is in the back of a glass store and was completely illuminated in Christmas lights. We thought we would split the creampuff and when we got it we were so shocked, it was the size of the plate!! The coffee house was so romantic and wintery, a perfect date spot!

                         

I also had the chance to meet some of Dan's friends. We went to an izakaya for a nomihoudai and ended up eating and drinking until midnight. It was such a fun chance to meet the people that mean so much to Dan.

This weekend has been full of studying Japanese and hanging out with friends and general laziness that marks any good weekend. Last night I went out with Ryan and Sarah to the local Okinawan restaurant. It is a really fun place to go to because it truly feels like you are in Okinawa, from the music to the decor. Sarah noticed that there was snake alchohol for about 10$ a glass and decided to splurge and try it. The waiter brought over the glass of sake, and also the jar that held the alchohol and snake!! It was insane to see the snake fermented like that, and it caused me to scream when the waiter then came back with a stuffed snake and draped it around us! It was so much fun, and the small sip I had was some of the strongest alcohol I had ever tasted. Poor Sarah felt it after only a few sips!

                                   

sparkly walk home

Today was church, studying Japanese, skype dates and then later I will go to another bijinkai with Sarah, JM and three ladies from my school.
Time is passing so quickly here, but I am so looking forward to Christmas that I don't mind! First I just need to get the pressure of JLPT off my back. I forgot what it is like to cram for an exam and constantly have that nagging feeling that you should be studying or that you don't know enough. I forgot how hard it can be to be a student sometimes...

紅葉

The fall colours are amazing in Tottori! I have been running 5-6 days a week since I first arrived here and that means that over time I have discovered a lot of hidden trails and side streets and places off the beaten path. One of my favorite spots is Ochidani Park. It is a small shrine at the base of Kyuushozan, the mountain that is also touching the base of my school. Ochidani park was first introduced to me by the lovely lady who translates for me at church, and since then has often been my Saturday morning go to spot for a relaxing walk or jog. I decided to go there again this past weekend and was blown away by the 紅葉(autumn leaves). Autumn has always been my favorite season. The weather cools off and I can start wearing sweaters and sipping lattes. Autumn is less rainy here too, so even though the cold is more biting and intense, it is clear and crisp too in a different way here in Tottori.

美しい秋

November is here and winter is quickly coming. The average temperature has really dropped and I have started wearing winter gear for my night runs, and am still left a little cold the first few kms. It is a nice change from the sweltering and sticky summer but it is still a shock to see my breath in the morning.
Last weekend was Halloween which meant a party for English Club, and a party at the local bar, Shuvis. The English Club party was pretty fun, we listened to Halloween music, went "trick or treating" and played some games. I think the students enjoyed it, although none of them would wear the cat mask I brought in. I think they are scared of the whole costume idea, not sure why. I had fun being Hello Kitty anyways! Some of us ALTs were planning to try the Halloween black burger at Mcdonalds but it was not available on Halloween...Japan loves to offer seasonal foods, but they also take away said foods within very short periods of time, so even though it was Halloween our only seasonal option was the orange and black Mcflurry, which was good anyways!

Dan flew in for the long weekend and we spent a great deal of time at coffee shops, walking and watching movies. It was a really nice, relaxing visit. One of the highlights was taking the train to check out the Sunset Cafe. It is basically a weather worn beach shack from the outside, but the food and warmth inside is inviting, and the view is the ocean, so it was a complete reprieve from city life.

Last weekend I bought my first Manga. I was not a real anime/manga kind of girl before I came to Japan, but as I am now really pursuing the language I decided that reading a manga would be a fun study method. I bought しろくまカフェ。It is a super cute story about a lazy panda and the cafe he frequents. It is also a challenge to read. I am constantly looking up words and writing all over it. Studying Japanese is such a challenge for me. Sometimes I feel like I have taken a step forward, only to then be knocked down. I listened to a sermon from my home church this weekend and it was pretty on spot. It was talking about anxious feelings and how fear doesn't come from God. The JLPT is just a test, and I am just a girl and whatever happens in 39 days I will be drinking an eggnog latte with my family, so cheers to that!