Wassup from downtown Nagoya

Just a quick one, Im in Nagoya, at a bar called shooters, with my British workmates.

It is all good, just had Chibuku training (2-4 yr olds) After that we went out for dinner, and had a selection of Japanese cuisine, (and beer) now we are at shooters, which is a popular place, with free internet, and tonight Tacos are only 150yen each, will be having some more of those...

Don't start work tomorrow until 5pm, so will catch the last train home to Yokkaichi, hopefully allowing enough time to get some photos of all the Christmas lights here in Nagoya.

Laters

JT

Product of New Zealand / Mission accomplished

Just an additional note to today - however I have pretty much emailed anyone who would read this blog and told them anyway...

After feeling a little homesick today, While tidying my room, I came across the calendars with photos that Suzanne and Bevan had made for me. Made me a little sad. Later when I finally made it to the supermarket, I found some kiwifruit, and they had a sticker with "Product of New Zealand" on it. It brought a little tear to my eye.

Anyhow, it was a productive and successful day, I managed to wash my dirty clothes, iron the others, tidy my room, buy some groceries, buy a pad and an alarm clock that I needed, and ring my Japanese friend Nozomu. So all in all it was a productive day.

Glad I have finally got some groceries, now I can refrain from eating McDonalds so regularly. Unfortunately it is as cheap, if not cheaper than in NZ. I have been good though - I have attempted to eat the burgers that are unique to Japan, such as the burger with a patty with prawns or shrimps in it. Anyhow, I came here to lose weight, not put it on. Hopefully the fact that I am generally eating less (albeit not as healthy) will balance it out.

Tomorrow I have to go back into Nagoya, for kids training, with my english friends again too. Looking forward to it - it should be fun and interesting

1 week in Yokkaichi makes a hard man crumble...

1 week down, 51+ weeks to go...

No it hasn't made me crumble, but admittedly I am feeling a little homesick today, thinking of various things at home, such as my car (why?) and have dreamed the last couple of nights about several of you at home. I have also pondered what it will be like when I return in a years time. Something I realised when I left was that it will never be same as when I left. That is always the case with life - relationships are never the same - situations are never the same, etc.

Haven't been up to much. After work last night I went for a bit of a wander, and then later on went to a bar/restaurant with my Canadian flatmate and one of his British friends, had a beer, and some food, including raw fish. It tasted OK, but I think it gave me a guts ache later on.

Today will be a case of tidying up, sorting things out, washing, ironing, and attempt to do some shopping for food, and an alarm clock.

Going to Yokkaichi, gonna eat me a lot of sushi

Blog entry 25/11/05
Hey again from the land of the bright lights, short skirts, and sushi.
Im currently writing this sitting in my bed (should I say my futon – a Japanese style bed that really is just a thin mattress on the floor, with duvet-like sheets. Its actually quite comfortable).
Today I we finished our training. In terms of things going wrong in the lessons, today was the day- I lost track of the time in one lesson, in another I had prepared the wrong lesson, and in another I had students that couldn’t grasp some concepts. After work I went out with my fellow trainees to a restaurant and had some food and beer (a group of POMs). I left in time to catch the train back to Yokkaichi. When I got off the train I decided I would find my branch, in preparation for tomorrow. I found it OK, and then went for a bit of a explore to see what else there was. Lets just say I found the dodgy side of town, which I worked out fairly quickly when I was approached several times to have a massa-gee. Ah no thanks.
Last night I had gone to a place called Sakae (Sar-Kai) because the Brits wanted to get some cellphones, and at Sakae there is a vodafone shop that has an assistant that speaks English. I tagged along, as I thought it would be a good idea to find out where it was for future reference, and to find out more about what phone to get etc. After going to the Vodafone store, I had a bit of an explore. I saw a fountain, and then saw a Japanese punk band playing a song. Following that I went to a church that I saw was open, to see if they could tell me when and where I could find an English service. With a bit of effort I found out some information, so that was good. There is also a cool underground shopping center/bus station with a roof thing that has a fountain on top of it – totally mind blowing stuff. There was a lifesize dinosaur made out of fairy lights there as well. It seems the Japanese love using electricity to advertise anything from coke to vodafone, and Christmas. I saw there was also a tv tower. When I approached it I saw that it was free entry to the main floor, where there was band playing, and they were giving away free drink ( I could have had cups of red wine but settled on two 500ml bottles of soft drink, very similar to grape fanta.)

More Flat photos

My Bathroom and laundry on the left - the left hand thing is the washing machine. To the right of the sink is the door into the shower and bath. Notice how the shower head is outside the bath - there is a plug hole thing outside it. (ie. we stand outside the bath)
Yes below is my bedroom. Yes it is untidy in this photo. Remember I have had very little time to do anything. The stuff in the bottom left corner is my bed (Futon).

The dining/living room/ kitchen. TV would be behind me to my right.

The Toilet. Notice how on top of it there is a thing that looks like a flower. That is actually a sink - when you flush the toilet, water flows through that, and then into the cistern. It is actually a really good idea environmentally. In our flats we have western toilets, however at train stations etc, the squat toilet is the norm. Its good to be a guy...

Kia Ora from Yokkaichi, Nihon

What a ride!

Got here 8.10am yesterday - then got a bus, then the train from Osaka to Yokkaichi. Last night went out with my flatmates to the leaving party of one of them, at a cafe just down the road, and met several other teachers. After that, I went home and had a well deserved sleep (I only managed some sleep on the plane between Singapore and Osaka - less than 6 hours, plus some on train.

Today had Orientation in Nagoya, that was a bit of a mission getting too, if it wasn't for one of my flatmates. After that finished I went out for a couple of beers with the other teachers on orientation - a group of 5 POMs. That was fun. However it meant I got home a little late, and had missed my luggage being delivered.

Its an interesting place, and so far I'm loving it. The novelty is still fresh. English isn't as well known as I thought it would be though. And not a lot of English signs either. Some of the english here doesn't make a lot of sense either. Japanese tv seems to consist of mainly game shows and the shopping network.

Anyway, leave it there for now.

Singapore airport shout out

Yo from Singapore Airport.

Its 10.34pm SP time, which is 3.35am NZ. I'm Jaded majorly, but hey, when have I written an entry without been Jaded (tired).

Im writting this now as they have free internet here (albeit slow as snails). U get 15min intervals so I thought I would use up my time.

Flight here was OK. Saw Charlie & Choc Factory, Wedding Crashers, and some of Batman Begins (hopefully get to finish it on way to Osaka). Hard to balance volume though, as if quiet can't make out the conversations, if louder, then the music deafens u. Making the most of it, apparently movies are really expensive to see in Japan, even videos.

Plane was hot. Singapore is hot too - didn't think that much about it being almost right on the Equator - made the dumb assumption it would be cold like Japan.

Talking about hot - Singapore airlines hostesses are not too shabby

Anyway, will leave it at that. Surprised how positive I am feeling about this right now.

Sweet as

Sayonara Aotearoa

Well, I guess this is it.
This time tomorrow, I will be on the plane, hopefully a little way out to sea above the Tasman.

I can't spend too much time writting this, as I still have to pack my bags. Hopefully I can do this justice nonetheless.

This week has pretty much been one of doing the little jobs, and saying bye to people. It has been much a case of awkward silences and awkward conversations.

I went and picked up my Passport/Working visa from Auckland on Wednesday. I had tea with our old friends in Howick. That was nice. I have gotten used to Auckland, to a degree - having been up there for various job hunting related excursions in the last 5 years. Basically it is just a big Hamilton, with higher parking prices.

I dropped in on my Nana on the way home. Needless to say that was hard. I then stopped at work to drop off my clothes.

I could go into every minor detail of what I have gotten up to this week, but there isn't much point.

Basically, this is my last stand, here in NZ.
This week has been a case of S#!t what did I get myself into - did I really think this one through?

What more can I say? I will miss you all.
At the same time I am glad to be getting out of this imbred city (Hamilton) where I know everyone - Im either related to them, went to school or tech with them, or worked with them.

I'm glad to be finally making some major progress with life.

Hopefully I will find myself overseas, come back happy and with a revitalised relationship with God and the world, and not further in the temptations and attitudes I am trying to escape from.

So then, my friends
Kia kaha, and Arohanui

JT

Do U really know me?

I received a couple of copies of this recently, and decided it was best to stick it here, rather than email it around.
Enjoy!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
10am NZ time
2. Diamonds or pearls?
Pearls - I like snorkelling, and think the concept of diving for pearls is cool. They are also more renewable. It would be a bit like hunting for Cat's eyes (the sea snail that has a green and white door)
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Bride and Prejudice (which was the same week that I saw Star Wars III) that was in June - its either feast or famine. The price of movies has dicouraged me.
4. What is your favourite TV show?
The Apprentice / Lost.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Weet-bix, and a yoghurt.
6. Favourite cuisine?
Italian.
7. What is your middle name?
Bruce - born on my uncles birthday
8. What food do you dislike?
Baked beans
9. What is your favourite CD at the moment?
Elemeno P - Love and disrespect (Their first album)
10. What kind of car do you drive?
1992 Honda civic - The Tomahawk...
11. Favourite sandwich?
Ham, cheese tomato, gherkin
12. What characteristics do you despise?
Trashiness, lack of self respect, lack of respect for others
13. What characteristics do you admire?
Ambition, integrity, and compassion
14. Favourite item of clothing?
t-shirts, various
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?
Carribean
16. What colour is your bathroom?
Off-white - shade of aqua
17. Favourite brand of clothing?
Not a label guy. Planet 8, Hallensteins (That was a joke)
18. Where would you retire to?
Back to the farm
19. What was your most memorable birthday?
18th, 19th
20. Favourite sport to watch?
Rugby (must be a match I have an interest in, eg All Blacks or Waikato match)
21. Do you wish on stars? No
22. Which finger is your favorite?
My "trigger" finger(s) it looks the most "normal", and is the strongest and most used.
23. When is your birthday?
Sometime in November...
24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
NIGHT
25. What is your shoe size? 9.5 It depends on whether it is UK or USA or other measuring system.
26. Pets:
Family cat, know as "Little Pussy" (despite being huge - he was the littlest and youngest once upon a time) his (it's) real name is Smokey.
28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
I'm going to Japan on Saturday for a year.
29. What did you want to be when you were little?
an actor, Famous, and popular.
30. When did you last cry?
I almost cried last night saying bye to my Grandfather (for a year) see last nights entry.Other than that? Maybe at my sister's wedding in March, I know that I got cut up at my Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary in January 2004.
31. Do you like your handwriting?
Yes. I think it is nice considering I am left handed, and have broken my arm 4 times. When I put effort into it of course.
32. What is your favorite lunchmeat?
Corn beef. But ham is more the usual.
33. What are you looking forward to?
Marriage, and Heaven.
34. Are you married?
No, why, are you keen?
35. Any bad habits?
I struggle to say no to free things, especially food. I also get a bit obsessive/compulsive about things, namely whether the automatic garage door went down or not.
36. What is your most embarrassing CD on the shelf?
The Bird Dance, and other party tunes.
37. If you were another person, would you be you?
Not sure what this question is asking, but in terms of would I be exactly the same - no, a lot of my personality is because of things that have happened and the environment. Would I want to be me? probably not, I would want to have a better body health-wise, and a more charismatic personality. Would I change who I am? I am always seeking improvement, and dealing with things, overall, I am happy with who I am and what I do, minus a few issues.
38. Are you a dare devil?
No, I am quite risk adverse. I think that is because I have broken my arm too many times, and have seen enough of hospitals. However, I make sure I live outside my comfort zone, if I didn't I wouldn't be doing anything.
39. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell?
Yes. One of them was that me and a friend discovered that another friend was gay when we looked in his computer. We said that we wouldn't tell him we knew, nor the other guys (at the hostel and school). I managed not to tell anyone else, but the gay friend annoyed me so much one night I eventually told him I knew his secret.

40. Do looks matter?
A bit. Personality is the deal-breaker. I wouldn't not be someones friend if they were ugly, and in terms of girls, I consider the overall package, personality being the most important. I ain't Brad Pitt so I can't demand anything looks-wise. Put it this way, I do tend to "shop up" ie am keen on girls that are "out of my league", but also have an open mind. I would rather marry a girl that is a little overweight, than one that is over-paranoid about her figure. Of course the effort is appreciated though.
41. Are you trendy?
I dance to my own beat. If people follow, thats up to them.
42. How do you release anger?
I guess I take it out on my parents or God, or let it well-up inside. None are good strategys. As they say, you always end up hurting those you love the most.
43. Where are your second homes?
Nana's in Huntly (she always feeds me if I drop in) & Suzanne and Bev's.
44. Do you trust others easily?
No. I was once a naive little country boy. City living and boarding school has made me cynical and wary about peoples motives.
45. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I sleep with my Golly until I was about 12.
46. What class in school do you think is totally useless?
None, I think they all had their uses.
47. Do you have a journal?
This is it.
48. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
No, hardly ever. I can't always pick up on it either, so I do unto others...
49. Have you ever been in a mosh pit?
No. I'm too laid back to mosh. I would rather sit down and relax
50. What do you look for in a girl?
Personality - kindness, integrity, self-discipline, a relationship with God. She also has to have a bit of brains, not so much educated, but not be trashy. I like girls with a bit of business acumen (well I am an accountant, it would be nice to be able to relate). Lookswise? I always find something I think is cute about a girl.
51. What are your nicknames?
JT is the main one. Suzanne (my sister) calls me J, and a friend of mine calls me Tommy, which is kind of cool. I want people to start calling me Tommy Gun...
52. Would u ever bungee jump?
Maybe. I would rather skydive. I am a risk adverse remember.
53. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Generally
54. Do you think that you are strong?
Yes. Physically I am, at least everyone perceives me to be, so I get the heavy-lifting jobs. Personality-wise I believe I am, I wouldn't be here otherwise, I would have given up long ago.
55. What's your favorite Ice Cream Flavor?
Hokey Pokey, Orange Chocolate chip, Lime or spearmint chocolate chip. Marshmellow Coconut ice. Cookies and cream...
56. What's your favorite color?
Tractor/Neon Blue. Or green.
57. How many wisdom teeth do you have?
I have all of them, but they haven't come through.
58. Are you in love with anyone?
How do you define love? I don't have a girlfriend. I'd be a bit of a prick if I was going to Japan and I did. I am keen on two girls at the moment, however one is taken, and the other is "taken with someone else". If they have bothered to read this far, good on them, they deserve to know. I'm sweet with it all, I've been around long enough to get used to unrequitted feelings. I know God will provide the right girl if he wants.
59. How many people have a crush on you right now?
Not many, if any. If they do they should step up to the plate.
60. Who do you miss most right now?
Right now? "the man I used to be..." (George Bernard Shaw)
61. Who will I miss most?
Suzanne. Nana and Popa. Mum and Dad.
62. What color pants are you wearing?
Dark blue denim shorts with the brown dye through them. What are you wearing?
63. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing but I will now turn on some music. Thanks for reminding me.
64. What was the last thing you ate?
Some beef jerky
65. How is the weather right now?
Overcast, with a bit of blue sky. It has been hot lately, but right now I am comfortable in a short sleeve rugby jumper.
66. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
Someone from our solicitors office, they wanted to speak to Mum or Dad. If it was our solicitors' PA, she is young and cute.
67. How are you today?
OK, in an unproductive mood.
68. Favorite drink?
Water, lime cordial, lime milkshake.
69. Favorite alcoholic drink?
Vodka, I like KGBs.
70. Favorite sports?
Basketball, Longball, rugby. I like explorative sports like snorkelling, walking, kayaking etc.
71. Hair color? Brown
72. Eye color? Blue
73. Do you wear contacts? No
74. Favourite month? November
75. Favorite food? Something with meat and pasta in it
76. Last movies you watched? Lost in Translation, Kombi Nation
77. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
I have asked someone before (at 16yo), via a Valentine's day card, but went over the top and scared her off, and semi-ruined the friendship. I almost asked a girl out via the phone (at 15yo) but chickened out right at the last minute as I didn't want to ruin her birthday (which was near then, and some of my excuse for ringing). I have been operating outside of my comfort zone girl-wise lately anyway, so if the right girl showed some interest I would attempt it.
78. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings. I don't like being scared. But happy endings do get a bit chessy
79. Summer or winter?
Summer. I'm a November baby. However I get hot easy, and don't get so cold so I don't know. I like summer because of the holidays, and activities that summer is good for (swimming, camping etc)
80. Hugs or kisses?
That would depend on the person. However generally hugs. I am a little cautious that I aren't too free with hugs - I don't like taking what I don't think I have earned (ie mainly hugs from girls, especially ones I like.) In terms of kissing - I saved my first kiss for almost ever, and had valued it more than most people put on their virginity. I don't go kissing anyone other than my mother or Nana.
81. Relationships or one-night stands?
Relationships. Sex by itself would just be empty. I have more self-worth than that. Sex should be a by-product of love, not a substitute, or a recreational activity. Basically I want to be a full-time father, not a sperm donor.
82. What books are you reading?
I have recently finished "Rich Dad's Prophecy" by Robert Kiyosaki. I will then start reading "The Geisha Memoirs", and then "What I wish I learnt at school", then "I've been thinking" by Richard Prebble.
83. Favorite board game?
Monopoly
84. What did you watch on TV last night? Nothing
85. Favorite smells? Food. Daffidols. Some perfumes are nice.
86. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? What do I have to do today?
87. Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over?
Yes, that way we would still learn from our mistakes.

& Now a shout out to our listeners (readers)

I thought of that title on my way home from Huntly tonight, after being told last night by a friend (that I hadn't realised I had told about my site)that most of her floor at the Hamilton IRD knew about my site.

What a week.
It has been rather eventful. The last couple of days have been quite productive, and busy. Since Monday, I have been knocking jobs off slowly and catching up with friends. Monday night I found out that the Japanese Immigration had spelt my name wrong (how they managed that I don't know) therefore delaying my certificate of eligibility (COE) from coming through (which I need for my working visa). Anyway turned 26 this week. Seemed to be a non-event, usually it seems like a special occasion, this year it was almost just another day. I went out for tea with the folks and Suzanne and Bevan. That was OK. I tried baby Octopus and oysters for the fun of it, thought I should start being adventurous food-wise. The day was also made a bit more special by mum creating a treasure hunt for me around the house, with each clue was a pair of socks, and the prize at the end was... a 10-pack of undies.

One of the major jobs I achieved this week was applying for a credit card. I have never had one. I have gone with BNZ as Westpac apparently isn't as efficient, and would not have been able to get me one in time (unless of course if I paid an urgency fee of $25). I am thinking of dumping Westpac altogether as a bank, as their fees are stupid. In addition to that, made the olds signitories to my accounts, and ordered some yen. I also took my suits into the drycleaners. On Friday my COE actually came, ahead of schedule. Therefore I decided I would take it up to Auckland, and go to the Big Boys Toys expo. I had been thinking about going for several weeks, and almost decided against it, due to the ethical question of whether I was really going to see the toys, or the girls. I like cars and cool stuff like that, but only to a limited degree. Being a male-targeted event, of course there is plenty of attractive young promotion girls. I didn't want to be going simply for the girls, cos thats just sad and pathetic, and really is just treating them like objects (which is bad, and I'm not just saying that to impress my female readers). Anyway, the decision was made for me, or the ethical dilemma was removed to a degree, as I then had another reason to go to Auckland (to take my COE to the Consulate) and went to BBT since I was there anyway. Maybe I am just trying to justify myself, I don't know. I did think it was bad that some of the promotion girls looked like they were 15/16, which is just sad and not attractive, and sick if that was purposeful to attract certain males. Maybe they were 18, and just really thin. Still its a bit sad.

After gathering as much free stuff as I could possibly get, I went and visited some family friends.

Saturday night was the big leaving party. It was a good turnout - naturally not everyone showed, I was expecting that, all in all I was happy, those that I wanted to be there came, so it was all good. I felt good about it, I hadn't made it a popularity contest for myself this time around (or maybe it was just that the litmus test actually was positive this time). It was fun, we played some touch rugby in the park early on, and then it was a case of eating and talking. I hope I managed to get around to talking to everyone, and paying them enough attention, introducing them etc. Sorry if I didn't. In terms of parties, it was a tame social one, (except for the fireworks) ie not much drinking, and we didn't go to town afterwards. I was impressed (and grateful - thanks) at how many leaving presents I got, especially considering not many of them knew that it had been my B day earlier in the week.

It was weird saying a final bye to people, and I feel I didn't quite do it justice. I guess I wish I could say something deep and meaningful, rather than seeming aloof and blaise about it. Again, I don't know - I just felt that at crunch time I dropped the ball. I guess it is a conflict between wearing my heart on my sleeve, and trying to be scarce - a theory that seems to have worked - based on if you are always keen to do stuff or are too reliable/predictable, people start taking you for granted - (simple economic theory, really), therefore I have relaxed in that regard, and I guess moved on with my own life. However now of course I am getting paranoid that I give off the wrong signal (especially combined with my "quiet" or "reserved" nature,) ie that I'm not interested, when really I am etc. A related new Thomasism that I have wanted to publish lately is this:
"Don't hold a flame for someone for too long, as you just get burnt, or you end up with full hands"
I say its related, as in being able to let go, and go with the flow. I guess the overall diagnosis is I have matured, maybe got a little jaded as well, and am just a little tempted to revert back to past habits (of not letting go). I had thought about giving a speech, but again, I wondered if that would have been over the top and grandstanding - out of nowhere I would have been putting my heart on my sleeve.

I'm a head case aren't I? Just as well I intend hiding this entry between photos and light reading...

Today things got a bit more real.
We went to church, and they had a bit of a leaving thing for me. I had to say a few words about why I was going overseas, and we had a morning tea etc. Just as we were heading home, Graham said to me "that will be your last service here for a while" and then it struck me, how real it was all becoming. It is no longer hypothetical, and all these "lasts" are coming at once. We had the youth group lads around for lunch (which was tea's leftovers - I told mum we didn't need that much, but of course she doesn't listen to me...) and we played Pictionary, and just yakked.

For tea we went to my Grandparents in Huntly, to have a final family gathering with them and my cousins before I left. It was fun, I entertained my cousins with a bit of toilet humour (much to Nana's annoyance) which of course worked, due to their age. My cousin Natasha (6yo) kept the pace up, going and telling the jokes to the adults, and then telling me jokes that she made up there and then, that made no sense at all (but because it contained a toilet word, it was funny to her). Again I wish I could have been a bit more serious about it, and spent a bit more time with the adults. When I got there I was a bit tired so I had gone and laid down.

Leaving was the hardest. My Grandfather (who has mild/moderate altziemers) said bye to me, and to make sure I looked out for myself etc. I think he was aware of what was happening, and after that seemed to be sniffing a lot, so I was wondering if he was crying. I almost cried too, knowing that when I come back he may not be here, or he may not remember me.

A word for our sponsors...

Just over a week to go. I'm a little nervous, some of it is worry about not getting everything done in time, the other half is the fact that it is now so real - it is no longer an idea or a dream. It is a full-blown reality.

I guess you could say it has been a long (yet enjoyable) week. On Thursday I went to the dentist. I had decided I should invest in a visit, considering I was heading overseas, and I hadn't been for about 6 years. I had prepared by getting quotes from most of the dentists in Hamilton. The cheapest all up (check up, x-ray, and scale & polish) was Southcity Dental on Kihikatea Drive - therefore I went with them. I found the dentist was professional and thorough, and didn't charge me any extra (despite the fact I needed them to give a prescription for anti-biotics, because of my heart operation when I was six). Hence why I am telling you this - I feel they deserve the credit. I also appreciated the fact I didn't require any work. I would have questioned their diagnosis (and ethics) if they had tried to tell me that, as my teeth are freakishly good (no fillings). If only the rest of my body followed suit.

That night I finished work. I provided afternoon tea/supper for the three shifts. I think that was quite appreciated. Some people were surprised I bothered with the day shift, however I figured I had worked with most of them longer than the others, and got on with them, so it was only fair. That and the fact I get annoyed when people only consider the day staff, and not the night staff. Do unto others that which you want done to you I say. (Can't claim that one as a Thomasism unfortunatly).

On Friday night I went back in, as work had invited me for a BBQ tea, as a bit of a send-off. I was quite stoked with the fantastic feed and box of goodies they gave me. As organised I met up with some of them later on for drinks. All in all it was a good night. Another good word goes out to the Bryant Road Bar (formerly the Red Gables) as their courtesy van picked us up for $4 a person, and later dropped us off in town for free. I think that was awesome, and an example of being responsible hosts.

Saturday I was extracted untimely from my bed to help my sister and brother-in-law move into their recently purchased house. At about 4.30pm I got picked up by my mate Graham, and we went down to Rotorua for a Guy Fawkes evening. We stayed with our friend Rebecca, who again won wide-spread approval in the morning for her ability to cook bacon and eggs, and extra points for consuming them with us. We went to church, and also had a bit more of an attempt to dampen the embers of the previous nights bonfire. Following the service we went and had a picnic lunch on the lake front. After consuming lunch I caught up with an old school mate, who I hadn't seen since leaving high school. That was cool, catching up, and stuff.

After a coffee at Bec's, we came back to Hamilton, and went to another church service at Nawton Baptist. It was quite good, I got stuff out of both services today, relating to my trip mainly.

Anyway, to conclude the day I went home and had some tea, and then went out for a drink with another friend. Its little wonder I'm so tired, looking back, especially taking into consideration that in the last 2 days I haven't had a sleep in to make up for it, or an early night (earliest night was 1.30am).