The Bon-Enkai

Every year, each Japanese organisation will hold a bon-enkai. This is the equivalent of a staff Christmas party. However, I have been told that the contention of this event is to forget everything that has happened in the past year. So I suppose I should forget that I came to Japan and that I graduated from university.... Noooooooo!!!!!!!!

It all began with us entering the very big room laid with tatami mats and selecting a number. The number determined where we would sit. I drew lucky number 21. I also drew number 41 for the present, which turned out to be three pens. Unfortunately I left them at the restaurant.

This is a view from spot 21. In the foreground is Ono-sensei, who I teach 3 classes with each week. Her English is really great and she is a really lovely person.

Although we are assigned to a seat, the co-workers all move around the inside of the circle. They begin their interaction by filling up a person's glass. I didn't move from my seat all night, I had enough people wanting to come up to me and get me drunk. Most of them confessed that they were scared to speak to me because they didn't know English. Sure enough, with the right amount of alcohol in me, I spoke my somewhat incoherent Japanese. It was a real laugh!

This is one of the guys I was seated next to, Konta-sensei (I think...) He's a sports teacher and he kept on getting up to go for a smoke. Funny huh? This is Kubota-sensei. I teach two classes with him each week. He is the coolest teacher because he is always pushing to do something different from the textbook. I tell him he looks like the guy in the first year's English textbook, Manabu.This is Kyoto-sensei (meaning vice-principal). I don't know his real name though. He's funny when he is drunk.This picture is of the Kochi-sensei (meaning principal). His real name is Mr. Ohashi. I didn't manage to get a real photo of him at the party tonight because he was busy. Instead I thought I would haul this photo out of the files from when we went on an excursion to Ise back in August. He's sleeping on the bus... But he's an awesome guy. Very down to earth, and he speaks great English!After the enkai, I went along with a few of the "party-hard" teachers to a karaoke bar. I was the only female! I sang crappy stupid songs with a crappy stupid voice and drank whiskey watered down with water. It may not seem like it, but I reckon these blokes were pretty drunk.So after the rock 'n roll of karaoke, I was escorted home by the two guys on my left. They live pretty close to me. It was fun walking home. The snow was once again up to my knees, and I had absolutely no idea where I was. I think that was perhaps due to the combination of enough alcohol and the snow covering all of the familiar landmarks. I was lucky to have such gentlemen take me home!

Anyway, I don't want to ramble on anymore. I'm sure I'll check this in the morning and wonder what I was on tonight. I'm also in a great mood because I don't have to go to school until 4th January!! Whoohoo!!!!!!!!

Cya later! Suz