The Peninsula of Dreams

So its official, I live on the ‘peninsula of dreams’, or so the merchandise that’s advertising the Chiba games states. Its funny because it was also this week that I had a conversation with a friend that was arguing that Chiba is the ugliest prefecture in Japan, and what with it being one of the flattest, most suburbanised and industrialised, one can see his point. Nonetheless I do live on the ‘peninsula of dreams’, so I’m not complaining, and we’re hosting the national games this year, and my town will be hosting the sumo contest. I’m currently trying to figure how and when I can go but fret not, if I do manage to get to a sumo contest, I’ll tell you on here. Watch this space.

I’m currently reading Orwell’s ‘Burmese Days’, which is a lot to do with struggling to cope with the stifling heat and alienation of living abroad, which all seems quite familiar. It really reminds me of Forster’s “A Passage to India” unsurprisingly; the old Victorian’s clinging onto what is to the younger generation, a crumbling empire. I’ve also been able to take up running again, since the heats began to subside, and was thinking about entering a half marathon, although the one I was thinking off appears to be full up now. It’s really nice to be getting decent exercise again (not that I don’t cycle to school several hours a week but its not really the same). Now all I need to do is find a good swimming pool.

There’ve been several trips that have emerged in the last week that I’m really looking forward to. I should be going camping with a fairly big group of ALTs in Chiba, many that I’ve not met, at the beginning of October. I’ll be heading back down to Kyoto for the third time with Lois and Alessi (who’s come to Japan to play a gig there). Even though it’s my third trip down there are still countless shrines and temples that I still haven’t seen. I’d love to tie it into a trip to Osaka, somewhere I’ve only changed trains at but I very much doubt I’ll have the time. And in November there’s a potential trip to Hokkaido that I’d really love to do but we’ll see. Yes indeed lots to look forward to.