An interesting day

So today was an interesting day. Its Tuesday here, the first day of the work week this week. Had yesterday off, it was a national Japanese holiday, Respect for the Aged Day. I really enjoyed the extra day off, it gave me more time to finish the errands that I didnt get done over the weekend because I was busy trying to figure out how to hook up my American washing machine to a Japanese system, which I managed to do by the way thank you very much! =)

Anyways so I get to school today thinking it was going to be a boring day. I was told last week, and I even have it written down "no classes 16th-19th, preparation for school festival." So I figured Id work on my poster for the school festival and then leave school around 2:00 because my company was having a meeting I had to attend at 3:00. As I was reminding one of the teachers that I was leaving early today for my company meeting, she says "Well you dont have a class 5th period today right?" And Im thinking um, no... there arent any classes today (even if there were I still didnt have one 5th period). So Im sitting at my desk trying to figure out whats going on when the same teacher who told me last week "no classes 16th-19th" and even watched me write it down, and confirmed with me a thousand times that I understood this weeks schedule is different because of the school festival says to me, "Today in my class, period 3 is on lesson 2 and period 4 is on lesson 3." So Im thinkin sweet, classes today that I had no idea about, good thing I planned ahead a few lessons so I was prepared!

So I get back to my desk after one of my classes and there is a cookie sitting on my desk. The teachers do that a lot, they leave little treats for everyone on their desk, but half the time I am skeptical about what it is because it is usually some funny looking foreign treat in a Japanese wrapper, so I can never tell what it is or what the ingredients are. Well today the treat looked edible. It looked like one of those cookies that you dip in coffee or tea. I decided to try it. I opened up my wrapper and took a bite of my cookie, it was really good!!! I said mmmm and the teacher next to me says is it good? And I said Yes! And he says Unagi. Ok right away I think of the friends episode where Ross tries teaching Rachel and Phoebe about how only by achieving "true Unagi" can you be prepared for any danger that may befall you, he calls it a state of total awareness. Rachel and Phoebe make fun of Ross and tell him that Unagi is fresh water eel. Anyways so Im trying to put two and two together here as Im sitting here making sounds about how delicious my cookie is and the man next to me says something about an eel. He goes on to tell me that the cookie I am eating is made out of eel powder and is pointing to the Japanese wrapper, as if I can understand what he is showing me as he reads me the ingredients and says eel powder while pointing to some strange Japanese characters. Im thinking no way am I eating eel, these guys no how much I hate fish and are just messing with me. So I decide to do a little research on the internet and this is what I find.... Unagi (うなぎ) is the Japanese word for freshwater eels, especially the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica ...... A kind of sweet biscuit called unagi pie made with powdered unagi also exists. Unagi has a distinct taste and is quite expensive. (wikipedia.org) That sweet little unagi pie eel powdered biscuit is what I was eating!!! So now Im thinking great I have to finish this thing because I already said how good it was and that would be rude to throw it away, not to mention the internet article mentioned something about Unagi being expensive. I just couldnt believe it. I am keeping the wrapper for my scrapbook, and decided that I really need to start learning Japanese!

Well after my little cultural exerience, I had a few more classes and then my stupid company meeting which was a waste of my time. As of tomorrow, I can officially say that Justin gets here one week from tomorrow! Yay I cant wait! Alright well I have some chores to do before bed. That sounds so funny, me? Chores? Ha! Who knew!