Day 116 in Japan - Okonomnomnomiyaki

Today was a seriously good day.

At school, in the "Talking About the Future" lessons, we had some hilarious races with the 1-9 (first year high school science course students). They had to race to the board and point to the correct Japanese translation of the English occupations that I read out. I honestly thought that some of them would pound through the wall - they got so into it! And the girls were fighting just as hard as the boys, and ended up winning.! Yeah, go 1-9 girls! I also had a very cute class with 1-4 girls as well - about 4 of them from this class come in to check with me every Wednesday lunchtime whether today is their class, and then jump up and down yelling "Yatta!" in the staffroom when it is. It makes me happy that they are actually happy to be coming along to my classes.

 I had marking at lunch time and most of the afternoon between classes - the students had to write a few sentences about which occupation they would like in the future, and why. There were some awesome answers in today's lot - 2 or 3 of the boys want to be politicians, and one used his practise conversation in front of the class to start his campaign (he was convincing too - I'd vote for him!). About 1 or 2 students in every class decide that they want to be fishermen as well. I have no idea why this is, but today two boys told me that they wanted to be fishermen so taht they could "catch the phantom fish" and "get a perfect power". HA! Someone's been playing too many videogames (yeah, me, for getting the reference). ESS club was really amusing too - we made stories writing one sentence each and then passing them around.

After school, as soon as Mum and Dad got home, I shuttled them straight back out the door to our local Okonomiyaki restaurant. I think they enjoyed the process of watching the okonomiyaki (actually, I ordered modanyaki) being made in front of us, watching it cook, and then smother the beast with Arai sauce and mayonnaise. Dad got a beef gristle and spring onion okonomiyaki, which I foolishly advise him probably wouldn't really be gristle, but that it was probably just a misltranslation. WRONG! It was gristle. It wasn't too bad, but it was a bit chewy. Showed them around the Vivre supermarket (including the real Australian cheeses that they have!), and then headed home to watch the news about Prince William's engagement on every Japanese television channel ("We interrupt this popstar eating cake to bring you important news...").

Food Highlight of the Day: Actually, a cake that a student at Sam's school had cooked for her teachers - it was this absolutely wonderful-smelling caramel and coconut and nut thing that had maybe a bit of cinnamon and chocolate too? Really delicious and the first thing like it I have ever had.