Send-Off

Today started at ten-thirty for three people. I was one of them. I woke up, ate breakfast, unlike the other two, dressed, grabbed my stuff and headed to the station. It was a decent walk until I started a jog to make it on time. TJ was already there and Brie showed up just as we were going to try her house (only a two minute walk). Like I said, I had breakfast, but they were hungry so we headed out for lunch. We decided on a Japanese food something like meat-and-vegetable-non-sweet-pancakes. Then the smell of popcorn from the theatre upstairs caught their addict noses and they went to buy overpriced popcorn. To top it off we added crepes from a place that seems like a better bar than restaurant. A good one, enough that were I more able, I would go back one night. After bring dragged to a Japanese photo booth we walked Brie home. Then I walked with TJ to his place, since I have generally empty days. He invited me in and a computer game, Empires at War, I think, was played. In his campaigne he had the United States of America slowly taking over Canada, but it was only Quebec, and really, Canada didn't exist, not even as a dominion in 1792 so I don't mind (he even had Loserburg... err ahem, Lousiburg). He even had and won a war (status quo is winning for a defensive side) while I was there. He's a history teacher too and surprised me by knowing facts about the war of eighteen-twelve and guerrilla warfare and trenches being invented in what is now Canada. We had a good conversation, cetera and said goodbye.
And that was our send-off from my ALT friend.
I also found out a few things of minor interest. For example, that you don't need to have studied English to be a JET, being native is enough. Also, while I speak to the Japanese in Japanese alone, forgoing English to avoid boring less-than-small-talk conversations and agreeing to statements I occasionally don't understand (because if you do, regardless of how much Japanese you do understand, how much you have already spoken with them or anything else, they will think you know nothing and not both with you), he speaks to students in English only, never a word of Japanese, not even greetings probably mostly because it's his job (a damn near hopeless one, for which I applaud him all the more). I'll keep up reading his blog, which shouldn't be too hard.

And now, tonight I just got back from supper. A little late, but meh. My host mother took me to a restaurant where she works right in front of here. They were closing up, but agreed to make one last meal for the night. It was good, but I won't bother explaining it. Sorry, I already hear too much about food from the Japanese. We also got a good conversation (guess what my favourite pass-time is). I talked about Boston Pizza, my host mother talked about hosting me, and the usual subjects. The chef, resting after a hard day, joined in. I found out why my host mother is so lenient. It's because she's been told about what social lives are like in Canada so she understands that staying out late is common for a Western teenager. Also, her crazy work schedule means that it would be hard to enforce a schedule she's not there for (which is not something she said, just my observation).

I had a good talk (err, has anyone made the word "type" to mean a typed conversation yet?) with JJ recently. It's always refreshing, and somehow I don't get homesick, though I do get flashes of home. Though I haven't had any since the last time I posted about them. Also a nice e-mail and more welcome comments from my sister.

And... nothing. I'm going to listen to podcasts and sleep.