I think we both forgot that I have a blog. If I haven't spoken to you lately I have created a representation of the events that have transpired in word/picture form and put it on this new thing called the internet. My Skype microphone has been on the fritz and I have been out of touch with reality more then normal, which can be a somewhat refreshing experience to be disconnected from happenings (not people). The new school year started for me and my students and in typical Japanese form there was an elaborate entrance ceremony for our new students to induct them into the world of school. I feel sad for them because most of them are letting go of their childhood at this point and will never get it back. From now until they are finished with college, grad school, whatever, they will go to school, then go to cram school after school, go to some more school on the weekend, get a side helping of school, and maybe squeeze in a piano lesson or something if possible. I still think it is strange when I see kids riding their bikes in their school uniforms late Sunday night. Prior to this extravaganza, my brother Ryan flew all the way from Seattle (and wasn't even jet lagged((so tough))!) and we saw enough temples and shrines to make our heads spin. Being the resourceful young man that he is, my dear brother picked up many tongue twisting words that even the Japanese find difficult to pronounce after a few Saporro's in the very brief 11 days or so he was on this volcanic island with me such as: "beeru", "sumimasen" ((which was my first word)) and other classics such as "Can I have the check please((the Japanese language often borrows heavily from English))". I'm not going to stop with these parenthesis just to give you fair warning. So as I was saying, my brother flew all the way from a small city full of hippies who are so close to Canada they act like it and I picked him up from the train station. That night I introduced him to his first all you can drink at a local favorite hangout simplistically called "Darts and Bar". My brother's visit coincided with Cherry Blossoms blooming so we biked the next day to Mochio Park to do some Sakura viewing, then we took a taxi to Sekino Waterfall. It was a pretty lovely day. My brother ate a corndog that he almost exploded in the microwave at the grocery store. I thought you should know. While in Miyakonojo we also went to Kirishima brewery, went to Miyakonojo's best and loudest rotating sushi bar, and attempted to buy a 2 liter beer out of a vending machine. Not wanting to develop a solid reputation in the city I choose to reside in, we decided to move on the day after. We headed to Kagoshima and I took Ryan to the areas only clothed outdoor volcanic hotspring (cause its part of a shrine). From Kagoshima we took a plane up to Osaka and stayed in a commendably small business hotel and walked around . There wasn't that much in Osaka that was that interesting, but then again I was exhausted and I didn't even make it to see their giant statue of liberty. It was kind of rainy and cold that day so we just relaxed. The next day we took the Shinkansen to Kyoto which is totally amazing. Kyoto is old school Japan minus all the excess hustle and bustle. Things are very metropolitan there and certainly in specific areas, but Kyoto retains the old feel of Japan and there is something to see on just about every corner. We ended up staying at this really relaxing guesthouse right by Gion (the area where all the geishas in Japan kick it). We went and some some famous sights like the Imperial Palace, Fushimi Inari, Toji Temple, and I even saw some Geishas scurrying to thier appointments in Gion late at night. There was a temple right by our hostel that was having its cherry blossom festival so that was really nice. Festivals are kind of like the fair but without the rides, no animal smells, and a lot of people in kimonos. Ryan and I even met a nice girl whose boyfriend is from Bakersfield and we dined at a Mexican Food place together and then had some after dinner refreshments at "Sheepz". After Kyoto we went to Nara to get an eyeful of the thousands of wild deer that are constantly pestering sightseers for cookies. Nara is pretty small and quiet so it was a nice change of pace. Ryan, if you are reading this, I'm not going to even tell the Shabu-Shabu story. After Nara we headed to Tokyo. All I can say about Tokyo is that if you try and walk from one subway stop to another it might take you close to an hour, the city is so spread out it is unbelievable. In Tokyo we did some more sightseeing, did a lot of eating, a little shopping and experienced a pretty scary earthquake. The highlight of Tokyo was having brunch at the Park Hyatt (the hotel where they filmed "Lost in Translation"). It was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done on the 52nd floor of a building. Anyway, I'm not going to get into crazy detail. We had a great time, I was sad to see him go back home but I am normally ready to return to work after a few weeks off. I have quite a few more days off at the beginning of May coming up so another vacation is just around the corner. I'm trying to figure out a time to visit California right now, I'll let you know when I have it figured out. I am possibly thinking of going to teach in Tokyo or Kyoto for awhile after my contract is up but am still undecided at this point. Lately I have been running outside a lot due to the amazing weather, studying Japanese rarely but enough to mention, going to yoga a little, and just trying to be a good teacher. My co-worker Sarah returned to the US and I really miss her but I think that I can stay sane without her as long as I have some books to read and the internet to keep in contact with everyone.Anyhow, bye.