Spring Break (Woo!)

...I didn't actually do much.

The first week of spring break I wound up putting up a couple guests at my place--I've registered for a site through which you can find and connect with people who are willing to put up travelers for a night, show them local sights, etc. Being one of the few foreigners in my part of Japan (and perhaps the only one registered on this particular site), I've gotten a few requests but this was the first one I could answer affirmatively. They were a couple French travelers, who'd spent two months doing organic farming in New Zealand (for those of you familiar with the Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF) program, that was it) and were spending another in Japan traveling before returning back home. I was pretty hesitant at first--after all, I'm taking a couple strangers into my home--but they were very nice and I actually really enjoyed the chance to play the role of guide, showing off my local knowledge and putting my Japanese skills to good use (they couldn't speak any).

The ensuing week (+change) had me going to the aforementioned farewell banquet, but mostly doing a LOT of housekeeping. I did a quick bang-up job before my guests arrived and at one point one jokingly commented that my home was "very much a young man's house." Other exciting ventures: taxes, financial aid paperwork.

Unfortunately, my grand visions of plentiful travels with the other JETs were dashed by the realization that, unlike me, who gets to chill at home, most JETs are forced to show up to work by their BOE--with no students there, there's very little to do. Some will take vacation days then, but we only have so many so a lot choose to grin and bear it. Overall, though, I had a very restful spring break, and I've returned to school for the new year with a renewed energy, in part due to the gorgeous weather, in part due to the excitement of having new people around again.