First Visits to Kagoshima City

From a patio in Kagoshima City. Can you think of a better place for a city than right next to an active volacano?
Me and Clair. Who doesn't love the Irish?
Tenmonkan shopping plaza.... central Kagoshima City
Keith and Casey

Ei-Town Arrival

I arrived in Ei-Town August 9th... and was greeted at the airport in Kagoshima City by my new boss. He had a sweet sign, and even knew it was my birthday (see picture). We drove a few hours to my town, throwing down as many yes/no answers as possible. He had me over to his house for dinner with his family... they even brought out a chocolate cake with candles! I lit some firecrackers with his kids and played some japanese kids games with his kids... went home quite exhausted... and had to be at work early the next day!

Ei-Town is a really beautiful place... surrounded by green tea fields, a few mountains, and faces the South China Sea... some half decent surf too!

I live in the middle of the town in a decent sized japanese style house, right around the corner from the board of education office where I work out of, when I'm not teaching at various schools around the area. There is the town's central onsen ( japanese hot springs bath house) across the street from me, and all the shops I need for everyday life within close walking distance.... even a 24-hour conbini around the corner.

I was treated to an awsome sunset (see picture) on my second night here, when I went exploring in my new car for the first time and stopped at a little park on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

TOKYO!!

TOKYO was a blast. It went by so fast though... must go back at some point. The conference was a great chance to meet the other folks in Kagoshima Prefecture. All the new Kagoshima ALT's went out one night to an izakaya (japanese food/drink bar... see josh and random japanese man display proper sake drinking form). We indulged in a nomi-ho-dai (all you can drink) for a couple hours and hit up some KARAOKE.

The Keio Plaza Hotel was choice... for sure the nicest hotel that I've ever stayed in. My room was on approximately the 832nd floor giving a fantastic view of the city. about 1500 other new english teachers partook in the conference.

Sat through some boring and some interesting seminars and pretty much got herded around for 2 days.

On the last night we (all canadians) had a welcome reception at the Canadian Embassy... quite the building... thanks feds ;-) The supplied some "traditional canadain cuisine..." party sandwitches, potato chips, and molson canadain beer. ha ha

August 9th... my birthday! everyone left tokyo and travelled to their respective corner of Japan... in my case... barely hanging on to the bottom tip of Kyushu (southern-most of the main islands).

Pictures: Winnipeg crew enjoying a beer on the street on our first night, Navin standing out in the crowd in Shibuya (times square of Tokyo), another shot of Shibuya, subway map, showing some drinking jozu (skill)