Hey Peeps,
Thought I`d give you the scoop on what we`re up to. I know it`s not Friday yet but I thought I`d stop in anyway.
Today Melissa and I took a bit of a train ride outside of Osaka. We replied to an advertisement for a "Sayonara Sale" which is basically what happens when a foreigner decides to move back home and needs to sell all of their stuff. We picked up a pair of bicycles for $10 each and were slightly too late to scoop up a cheep computer printer. We went for a 3 hour leisurly bike ride back home and saw some of the Osaka outskirts. Overe here nobody rides their bike on the street. Pedestrians and bikers share the side walk, which is at best only a meter and a half wide (usually only about 1 meter). These sidewalks are usually lined with shops, schools and the odd park. There is usually a yellow line that bisects the sidewalk, but often it is not adhered to. People ride their bikes on the left right middle, and at varying speeds. We learned very quickly that we should always keep a distance between us and the next cyclist because something in the market may catch their eye, causing them to slam on their squeeky brakes and veer violently to the side you were just trying to pass them on. We decided from that point on to take it slow and be the ones other cyclists needed to pass. It was scorching hot today, and I adopted the Japanese "towel-tied-around-my-forhead" technique of keeping sweat out of my eyes. Yeah, I looked like a complete tool.
On Saturday Melissa and I went to a Canada day party at an Irish bar (Irish, English, Aussie, American... we`re all foreiners) called the Blarney Stone. We were on a mission to make some friends, and ended up being very outspoken and sociable. We met a few cool people (including the one other person in Japan that we already knew... our landlord) and were getting lots of tips on how to set up clients for private English tutoring classes. Towards the end of the night, I had had a few to drink and brazenly asked the bar owner to give me a night job tending bar. To my surprise, without flinching, he offered me a shift for the next night (Sunday). I took the opportunity gladly, and worked 10 hours streight, learning the ropes. There was another party at the bar that night, so it was no small feat memorizing the drink prices, menu items, and stretching my brain to remember if there should be "triple sec" in a Tequila Sunrise (there is not, by the way...Hayes). All in all it went well and I have been given 4 more Saturday night shifts. The pay is bad, and nobody tips in Japan... but I discovered this will be a GREAT way to meet potential clients for tutoring. I gave out my number a couple of times, and there are two regular customers who I`m sure I can convice to work with me.

Anyway, that is just about it for now.