Entertainment

So what do you do for entertainment when you’re a newly arrived foreigner with almost no Japanese. Go out with the other newly arrived foreigners with almost no Japanese of course! We had our prefectural (county) orientation last Thursday and Friday. We went out to a club on Thursday night and I was just getting into the swing of the night – up for a few dances, had some shots etc when everybody started to drift home. It was 11.30pm and they were all going home. I ended up with a British guy, two American girls, some Japanese guys and me being the only ones who made it past midnight – it had been a long day but still…

The next day was not a good one for a hang over so it was good I didn’t have one. We were treated to a boat trip up the coast and then we headed to the sand dunes. For those of you who didn’t hear about the sand dunes before I left I have to give a brief sketch. The sand dunes are what Tottori is famous for – 16km of 300 foot high sand dunes – a small taste of the Sahara complete with specially imported camels. We crossed the dunes which in the heat is a nightmare – I recommend that everybody avoids getting stranded in a desert. And if you do don’t wear flipflops – think burning feet. But of course the sea at the other end is the nicest stretch of beach for miles – crystal clear water. I rolled down the dune to go for a swim knowing it would make going back twice as bad – I had to swim out really deep to get any water that was even approaching cool enough (the lake has spoiled me for comfortable stretches of open water).

Now I’m really going to make anyone still reading really jealous. We went out on Friday night again to a beer garden – there was actually very little garden to speak of but plenty of beer. It was an all you can eat and drink in four hours deal for the more than fair sum of €20. I felt that national pride was at stake and so took advantage and ended up teaching a group of Japanese engineering students how to say cheers in Irish. Slainte everyone!

After the beer garden those of us still standing headed to a karaoke place. It is so much fun, I can’t believe how much better it is here - €10 got us another all you can drink deal and an hours karaoke in our own booth. Myself and a guy called Reed sang Hey Jude and Take me out. I sang Girls Just Wanna have fun (admittedly with every girl and several of the boys in the room) and did Californication with a girl from Brazil. I’m going to have to come up with some signature song while I’m here. So yeah … entertainment.