This blogpost is one of a couple (maybe a few) daily life posts! I figured that's the most important, so you can see how I really roll in this far-off land!

Monday:

6:15AM: Go for a run. This crazy beast has decided to run a half-marathon in November, and a full-marathon in February. Why? Because I'm a sucker for punishment. Also, 17-year-old Colin once wrote a letter to 27-year-old Colin that he would do it someday. And if I cross one thing off that list, I'll feel at least slightly validated. Also I'm tired at night, and you'd wake up early too if your other option was running in 35C heat.

7:30AM: Shower with the shower it took me a week to figure out. And before you judge me.

Turn middle knob right to activate shower. Missing step: Forget you're standing fully clothed in the shower taking pictures and are now soaking wet.

8:30AM: School starts. I bask for 10 minutes in the teacher's room until I stop sweating like a pig after the 5 minute bike ride to school. There's nothing like constant 30C in the morning to keep you on your game.

8:45AM-12:30PM: Class and prep. Listen to people compliment me on my eight words of Japanese. Realize I've become known as "That Guy Who Sweats a Lot." Really, I'm the only anglo 6'1" white boy with size 13 feet and my tag-line is "He Sweats a Lot"? Thanks guys, thanks.

12:45PM-1:45PM: Eat lunch. Relax. Smile and nod when person #49 oohs and aahs at my chopstick skills. Silently curse when my co-teacher's giggle at my inability to pick up that last god-forsaken piece of corn.

2-4PM: More class. More sweat. 

4:30PM: Home-time! Consider putting in an IV for hydration. Decide washing day is every day instead.

I spend a half-day at the School Board Office, and 3 days a month I spend the mornings in Kindergarten, and the afternoons in Elementary school. Also, Every Wednesday night I have a two hour Adult English Class. It's a great variety: I've got really cool adults, which are a nice change from the kiddies, I get five-year-old's who never, ever get tired of jumping all over me, and don't feel shy about poking me in every part of my body I can imagine, and I get elementary school kids, who are super excited to see me and a load of fun!

Anyways, there's a bit of me for you!

Goodbye and goodnight!

Alright Japan, we've got a problem.
And this was a problem I was willing to ignore until it recently became two problems...

Problem 1: Pigeons on my front balcony. I tried to keep them out, but failed, so I figured I'd just let them have this balcony, as long as I had my bedroom-balcony....

Problem 2: I went out on my other balcony and found these little nightmares... I know, they're cute, adorable fledglings, but that won't make me love them... 

So new plan. Wait for these jerkadons to flee the nest, and then take back the night. Gonna bird proof the crap outta this place.


Aaaannnd in other news. A delightful adventure with my favourite Kiwi, Jessica Clarke, English teacher extraordinaire, fantastic company, and partner in crime.

There's nothing like a fuzzy navel

I am immediately drawn to anything comically small. This being Japan, it happens often. More on life as a 6'1" man in a 5'7" world soon. I may be growing a unicorn horn on the top of my head that I hit on at least 1/3 of the doorways.

It's either that or I'm going to come back to Canada with a stoop and a hunch-b

 Adventure Part 2: Colin and Jess go for a "Grape Hunt" and are slightly disappointed when they find out there are no guns involved.

They peel their grapes. Because Japan

"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID I THOUGHT WE SHOULD DOWNSIZE!"

We each came out of it with a bag of grapes, a stomach full of grape ice-cream, grape candy, frozen grapes, and enough regular grapes to start a winery, as well as having been serenaded by two farm workers on Japanese guitar