And a Happy New Year to You!

My kids all know how to say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year", which is no small accomplishment, since they sure didn't hear the latter from me. We did Christmas when we made stars and pinned them on the wall in the open-space area. But I didn't think the teachers would go for the sharing of a traditional New Year's drinking bash with my ten-year-olds. Too bad. Everybody's foreign language skills improve after drinking a couple flutes of champagne.

For my New Year's Day celebrations back in good-ol-U.S.-of-Assault-Weapons, I dragged my family to Half Moon Bay, where we watched the whales migrate down the coast (and up the coast for a bit - there must have been a school of fish just beneath the surface) and almost froze our asses off cooking breakfast.

My brother, trying to protect the fire from being quenched

by the wind (can the wind quench?)

See those tiny black things on the left-center side? Those

are whales or porpoises or something! Not sharks.

It was all worth the potential pneumonia, as was the trip to Disneyland, although I could have sworn the dark lord was gathering his Ringwraiths unto himself behind Sleeping Beauty's castle. We weren't fazed; it would take more than the armies of Sauron and Saruman put together to discourage the Farray family from supporting Disneyland and Downtown Disney and California Adventure. We have our priorities straight.

One ring to rule them all and, in the 56degree 

Fahrenheit weather, bind them.

When I was home, I sent my students holiday cards from California so they could see that there really is a world outside of Japan, even one with a semi-reliable postal service.. Some of the kids have already received them and thought it was awesome. Some of them haven't received them and were very confused (to which a few of their friends asked them, "are you sure you wrote down the right address?" You'd be surprised how often the answer was "eto, ne.... I dunno!") and a few of them didn't know if they'd got them or not. (Seriously, Moto. How could you not know if you got mail? Go ask your dad.)

So it's a Happy New Year for most of us, including my sixth-graders, some of whom grew half a foot in height (not on their foot) over the holiday. I am no longer the tallest person in the classroom excepting the teacher. It is so sad to have been supplanted by a juvenile, but oh well. We are back to the daily grind. Classes, masses (not the Catholic ones), and Akiriho and Kouki who think they're bad-asses, await the next few months. Graduation is coming up, which will mean a frigidly cold ceremony attended by funeral-attired teachers and weepy kimono-clad moms. After which another series of parties will be expected, as we say good-bye to staff and students and start all over again. At the last year-end party, I gave a speech before the formal "Kanpai!" and explained that my Japanese isn't very good until I start drinking. In the interest of internationalization and communication, I've already got my bottle of champagne.