The machine that goes 'ping'!

It finally happened today. After a year-and-a-half of avoidance, I visited a Japanese physio-equivalent. I have been a little naughty lately you see - I have been stretching and carrying on as usual, but I have also snowboarded and taken part in a snowball-throwing competition (albeit in a gym with bean-bags for snowballs) and have somehow managed to anger my temperamental neck.

After not sleeping so very much for a few nights and a few days of headache, the inability to rotate today drove me to consult the school nurse on where best to get myself seen to. She recommended a wee chiropractic-type clinic (where I ran into my JTE - it is obviously oft-recommended) and so I trotted off with Nori (without whom I would have been lost in the scary maze of stretching contraptions and needles, dear Nori) to get chiropratored.

I wanted some neck-work done, but as soon as the man started prodding my back I knew all was lost. My back is just too bung to resist and he had a lot of fun popping and realigning bits (no girl can be told too many times that she has the back of a 60 year old) and then it was was time for ye olde acupuncture... or so I thought. Ye olde it was not. In Japan, ancient Chinese medicine has met bit shiny machines that go 'ping!' - each needle was hooked up to an electrical current and I spent 20 minutes twitching involuntarily from hair-line to knickers-line. There is no sensation quite like having quivering needles electrocuting one in the neck - and I am quite convinced this is a good thing. Then to calm my twitching I was given an a full body hot-pack... which would have been quite pleasant were it not for a few strategic needles placed to keep me awake. Throughout, I was told to let them know if any of the needles were hurting, unfortunately when I complained at a few of the particularly achy spikes, the fellow would pinch one of my belly rolls and say "That hurts, the needles are just a bit uncomfortable" (Or something to that effect, it is hard to concentrate on Japanese when you are concentrating on keeping still). I felt vindicated when all the ouchy ones bled when they took them out.

But the end result... I can almost see over my left shoulder, something I haven't been able to do for quite some time. I also have wee aches where there were no aches before though. I will see if I have nightmares about vibrating electric needles, and then decide if I shall return.

Not scary needles

Scary needles

My poor bottom

Thanks for all the lovely birthday wishes and belated birthday greetings and such. I had a very nice day, even if I was reminded by several of my students how very old I was now. My ratty second years even sang happy birthday for my in class and some of my adorable wee first years made me appallingly-spelled card. Much love.
Gemma and I had a preemptive birthday celebration last Saturday after the English camp at which I played some mean JENGA with Leif, Barbara and Darrell and then we karaoked the night away.

On the actual day I made me a birthday carrot cake which we decorated with terrifyingly sweet marshmallow (don't worry Rebecca, I did appreciate it, really) and then more karaoke ensued.

This first weekend of my next quarter century I decided to try something new and exciting.
After years of being too stingy and convinced of my own innate uncoordination to join expeditions to Ruapehu, I bit the bullet and snowboarded.
And yes, I do believe it is accurate to say I snowboarded. There was a lot of falling and bruising and tumbling and swearing and falling involved, but I don't think I sucked completely.
We got there bright and early on Saturday to discover there was no snow, or at least no natural snow, and only two runs were open. This may have worked to my advantage though because in the morning there was lots of room to practise. My friend Darrell was an excellent teacher and after a few goes I could make it down the mountain without falling... as long as I didn't turn around - that took a lot longer to begin mastering.
I very enjoyed, and even think I will go again.
But oh, oh my, it hurts.

Scraps

That nifty little video of David's trackies the other day was to be accompanied by an detailed post about where I'm at and why. Unfortunately, where I was was my flat and in the grand tradition of multi-tasking, I was attempting to keep warm, update my blog, and bake a cake all at once (note THREE appliances (4 with fridge)) and my fuse blew. Deary. I spent a good half an hour with an umbrella, a collapsible table and taped-together milk cartons remedying this situation and as a result the cake was tough, the house was chilly, my cell phone light was dead... and my insightful post was lost.

Well.

Since December...
I went home. It was many things. It was lovely, confusing, comforting, COLD, tiring and refreshing. For details of what I did and who I saw and where we went, please wade through the uberfluss of photos on my flickr.

ALSO...
A few of you know that I have been toying with the idea of another year here, but (don't worry family) I have come to the conclusion that that was just an ongoing "Rarrgh! What next?" panic reaction. While I was home, (odd, in NZ, Japan was 'home') Japan barely existed in my headspace, I talked about it, I thought about it, but I didn't feel it the way I did last time. Though I missed Japan, I know it was the people here that I missed and I'll miss them just as much no matter when I leave. I realised that I missed my kids, but not my job and I think I've gotten as much as I 'm gonna out of this gig. So it is definitely time to move on.
I located and signed the papers this morning.

Gracious. I will honestly endeavor to keep this thing up to date better. These random condensed posts are all a bit heavy. I will leave you with the story of Shinya.

Shinya hates English. I like to think he hates it no more than any other class in school but I can't prove that. He claims to have destroyed his text book, he comes to about half the classes and never, ever faces the front or stops talking and glowers at me in the corridor. Yesterday however, Shinya learnt a word of English. Suddenly English was the shizzle, it made him funny, it made everyone look at him and it was the perfect vehicle for his creepy stare (most kids don't look you in the eye - at least not for long). Unfortunately, Shinya's new word is DIE and all class he randomly called out classmates names and told them to DIE.
He got clever...

Me: Could you tell me how to get to the hospital?
Shinya: DIE?

Today he was all about English, he bellowed relevant sounding syllables during repeat after me and came up with an extensive list of fast food restaurants and electronic stores that we don't have in Hamada. But at the end of the class it was time to return to the old favourite. He told me to die. But! when I pretended to choke and fall down, the dear boy changed his mind, shrugged, said "Eh, sensei. Die, no." and walked away. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Trousers in the wind

We took our togs. Oh dear.