This weekend was beyond satisfyingly busy. Looking back, I'm shocked at how little sleep I got and yet how awake I was the whole time.
Friday began the weekend's activities when I was picked up by Australia to be driven into the city for a "Farewell Beer-Garden Party" for the people who are packing up and going home next month (traffic was TERRIBLE, took us over an hour to get there). As usual, I wasn't thrilled to see all of THEM, but luckily I got to sit with my favorite people Sea, Juri, Brit, Canada, and Sash. It was rather 懐かしい (nostalgic) pulling up to the New Hankyu Hotel drop-off location. It reminded me about how approximately 1 year ago, I was dropped off in that same location, bright-eyed and not-yet-cynical about teaching English in the endless-ness that is 田舎. Oh how Japan ages a foreigner... haha. Of course, beer 飲み放題 and fried snacks can put a troubled mind at ease for at least one night~
I had planned to take the last train home (around 10:30, BLEH) before I was (easily) convinced to stay out at Hirome Ichiba until closing time, and then trek on over to Kapara for some Karaoke. I hate Karaoke in huge groups.... it gets noisy, hot, stinky, and drunk people stumbling up and down a small spiral staircase (while it can be funny) is not always entertaining. When I had first heard where we were going, I had flashbacks of people playing strip-janken on the second floor of our room (yes, this place was a two-floor karaoke room) and I wasn't thrilled about going back. However, although all I got to belt out was a sloppy version of "Bad Romance" with Juri and our four back-up dancers, I was able to sip some wine and enjoy some conversation with people I haven't hung out with much lately. :)
Next on my night's list (and by now it was about 2AM), me, Juri and Sash headed over to One Love again since we had heard that that night was NOT going to be reggae night (thank god). Upon entering, I was pleasantly surprised to see a TON of people on the dance floor. Foreigners, Japanese guys, even Japanese girls! I was actually in a rather good mood to dance and hadn't really been looking forward to making that awkward 3-person triangle you make on the dance floor in high school when no one else is dancing (plus, pressure is applied when you are the only foreigners in the place).
While dancing, I noticed a really rather tall and quite attractive Japanese guy in a striped shirt dancing in the back and just casually mentioned to Juri that I thought so. She proceeded to try and bully me into taking her "challenge" and go and dance with him. Apparently, when her and Sash go out, they challenge each other to do various things in order to seek out rejection from random people. Being new to the idea, I wasn't really up for the challenge yet (I also hadn't had enough to drink!) and failed. I know it's not a big deal to go and just dance with someone, but this past year has drilled into my mind the solid notion that "Foreign girls like you (tall, for one) aren't fit for Japan so just enjoy what you get and don't look for anything more." Which of course is horrid and wrong, but it will take me a little getting used to thinking the other way... so next time! Challenge accepted (HIMYM, anyone? haha).
Saturday and Sunday to follow...
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