birthday bash!

After a horridly long day at work (elementary seminar day), I was greeted at home by wonderful friends who were ready to throw me a fantastic birthday bash!

We went to this beautiful Italian restaurant near my apartment and had a delicious dinner. After dinner I also got this BEAUTIFUL cake as everyone sang "Happy Birthday."


yummy...


blowing out the candles...


Naomi's artistic photo of the cake...


Everyone...


take two...


cute mini-fan present from Ruu and Futoshi...


and Naomi provided the musical entertainment...


and my going away present for Naomi (I'll miss you!)...

where everybody knows your name...

There is a local bar about a block from my apartment that we visit quiet frequently called Rugoos. They have a 1000 yen nomihodai (all you can drink for an hour and a half) so we love to enjoy our Friday nights there!

Rugoos does a birthday service where they provide a cake, a horrid English song and pop noise makers for you! I made a reservation for us and requested the birthday service. The young woman who took the reservation asked, "whose birthday is it? what name should I put on the cake?" and when I said, "It's my birthday." She responded with, "oh, so we will put "Colleen" on the cake." I was very taken back that she knew my name but felt special at the same time!

We ordered some delicious food and toasted good-bye to Laura and Sarah (who would be leaving Japan next day) and to my birthday.


After a while they brought us the birthday cake and played the birthday song.


"Happy Birthday Korin!"


Then they took a picture of all of us.


me and my cake!


Then they took the cake away and cut it for us.


And when they brought the cake pieces back they also brought
this awesome card they made for me!

Drivers License

My International Drivers Permit expires after one year which means it was time to get my Japanese license.

Getting your license here was a HUGE ordeal, well, it is a huge ordeal if you are an American!

Here is the process...

1. Translate the American license into Japanese
2. Go to license center and fill out lots of paper work (no...I have no been pulled over by a cop. No, have not gotten a ticket...and so on...)
3. Take a written test (which was a joke...10 true or false questions)
4. Take the driving test
5. Get license

Now...the process seems simple enough right?

The first 3 steps are pretty simple. The written test was a huge joke. Each question had a picture a horridly worded English question. For example, one question had a picture of two cars in an accident. The written question said something like: "If, therefore, an accident has happened then that it would be a good idea if you left your car scene with no police having arrived." By the way...the answer is false.

The driving test is horrible. My first test was with Frankenstein (really-he does look like Frankenstein!). I felt that I drove wonderfully but my first attempt was a fail. I took two lessons to learn the secrets of the driving test. I learned you should be 50 cm away from the white line on the left side, foot NOT over the brake around a turn, two (forceful, nauseating) pumps on the brake when stopping, hands at 10 and 2...and many other lovely tips. I was ready after my two lessons and practicing on the course.

Attempt number 2 proved to be a success and I got my license! I now have keep a little yellow and green symbol in my front and back windows to indicate that I am a "new driver." I have to keep them in for one year.

Here is my license...

FUTBOL!

Before Laura left she wanted to enjoy one more Alberix soccer game. We got the group together and were ready to cheer!

Here Laura and I are with our tickets...


Jon and I cheering at the game...


All of us in front of the field...


and Laura and I enjoying her last game...


The Alberix are in 3rd place right now and they tied Yamagata (11th place) 1 to 1.

Fuji--san

Hikers ready! Fuji-san here we come...

I was totally ready with enough trail mix for everyone...YUMMY!


Here we are at the bottom. We started at station 5. (The top is station 10)


We started hiking around 11pm. About 30 minutes later was a beautiful scene of the lights of the city below. This picture really isn't that wonderful but I tried...


At station 6 there is a sign pointing to the summit...Laura and I searched for it..."Fuji-san summit, where are you?"


We made it to station 8 by sunrise (our group spit into two...those who could make it to the top and then us...those who wanted to die from altitude sickness!) We found some comfy rocks to sit on to watch the sunrise. It was still mostly dark when we sat down but here is the start of the sunrise...


And the sun continued to rise...



Then we actually made it to station 8 (our seats were about 10 feet below the station)


Station 8 is 3,100 meters up!


Then it was time to slide down. There was a long line both going up and going down...


The scene only got more beautiful as the sun rose...



but AHHHHH....be careful...don't fall down Fuji!


Overall it was a pretty miserable hike. The winds were hurricane level (ok, maybe not but I swear it was close.). The trail was like a pile of rocks dumped up the mountain in which you have to climb over. Here is a picture of part of the trail...


Pretty sure, with that wind, this was one of the most dangerous things I have ever done. To support my statement...2 people died on the mountain the same night as we climbed it! But the sunrise was beautiful and I am glad I did it! :)