Busy busy!

The month of March flew by! Three weeks since my last entry...Gosh!

Well, if you're still at the edge of your seats wondering about the "natto experiment"- I guess it was a success...though I didn't really set any parameters to indicate a failure or a success. Natto is basically my primary source of protein now- I've taken to using it at dinner instead of breakfast because that's my last meal before going to work out usually. So I guess I'm taking it back to feudal Japan...natto and miso being vital sources of nutrition. Haha.

I am currently on はるやすみ ("haruyasumi" = spring break) though I have had to teach a few special spring break classes at Blueberry. Those were especially fun because I was able to meet the older students who usually come for after school English lessons. They are around 9-10 years old and their English is pretty astounding- I felt like I was in an American classroom, almost. The students also had はっぴょうかい ("happyoukai" = recital) and graduation this month. I was so proud of the kids, especially the little ones, for performing so well!

March brings the end of the school year here and for students, teachers and some other public workers it's a pretty emotional month. I know we had a few tears at Blueberry. It's pretty heartwrenching to see a pretty well-adjusted child start to cry because they are scared of しょうがっこう ("shougakkou" = primary school) and so heartwarming when the child's classmates comfort and assure them that they will make good friends in their new school!

For teachers and public workers, March is the month that they get transfer notices. Our two favorite teachers in Ryan's office are actually getting transferred! (Actually most of the teachers we know are our favorites. Haha.) A transfer can mean something small like moving to another desk or floor or something huge like a different school clear across the prefecture. And it's a very short notice since classes start up again in April. It's a strange system here.

However, because of this upheaval and probably also because winter is ending, the calendar has been full of drinking/dinner parties. It's been tiring and fun.

Speaking about winter ending...we are still in the single digits (in celsius...aka low 40s in fahrenheit) with the temperatures dropping below 0 in the evenings and fresh snow coating the streets in the mornings. We don't anticipate cherry blossoms until late April/May (most likely May) but we're considering a trip to southern Hokkaido in late April so maybe we'll enjoy some はなみ(hanami" = flower viewing; usually cherry blossoms) a little earlier than in Sapporo.

Well, that's its, folks...now all I have to do is put up the ゆきまつり ("yuki matsuri" = snow festival) pictures...

では また! ("dewa, mata!" = see you!; usually pronounced more like "ja mata!")

P.S. Had an earthquake this morning- the longest and shakiest I've experienced so far! Don't worry- it's still just a baby quake.