Dusk

I had a bit of an odd weekend. Spent both Friday and Saturday night out having a few drinks. Saturday I went into a bar that I can neither pronounce or spell in Kurashiki and caught up with some work people. I've turned into a bit of a whiskey drinker lately and this place is great cos they put the whiskey on a rock. Just one big sqaure chunk of ice. I'm easily amused. But not so great was how they ran out of whiskey right after my first drink. ??? So I reluctantly switched to umeshuu (sake with plum). I decided to stay the night at someone's house rather than catch the last train back since I had to be in Kurashiki the next day for Spanish class anyway. I was feeling heaps dodgy the next day since I had been wearing the same clothes for well past their useby date, and had had little sleep. But the Spanish class was fun. Mostly older Japanese ladies so we were well provided with refreshments and snacks. The teacher is actually Spanish which is a relief. I was sitting next to a bloke from California but we only spoke in Japanese and Spanish the whole time, it was quite amusing! It was interesting and kind of refreshing being unable to understand what was going on around me, I quite liked it. Mostly at work I think I would be better off if I didn't understand what was going on too :) The classes only run every 2 weeks though so I will only get in about 4 lessons before I leave. Still, something to do.

This week the next month's teaching schedule starts, for which I need to print heaps of materials, but the only printer that will fit the thick game card in it is broken. SO typical! Anything that seems simple, never is. Speaking of which, I am just looking out the window at the year 3s on the oval while they all attempt to skip. Are all kids this unco? There are only about 2 of them getting it right, the rest are just whipping themselves in the legs repeatedly! Some of them probably deserve it though ;)

Oh yeah, I put in a picture of the view out of my kitchen windows just a little after the sun went down. I bought a new camera. Finally relented on the Digital SLR issue and I am not sorry about it. I spent all yesterday arvo playing around taking pics and it is so great to just be able to stuff about and if the picture doesn't work out, you can see it straight away and try again. Previously I was developing rolls of film all the time only to get one or two good shots out of it and at $15 a roll, that's expensive. I have been thinking about it for a while and then my neighbour got himself one and I was all green about it and thought, well what the hell is the point of doing all this dull work if I can't get something I want with the money I earn? Took a fair amount of this kind of self-dialogue to get myself to part with the money though! It was heaps funny at the shop though. I had already done heaps of research on the net over the latest cameras so I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted. I was having a scroll through the menu of one camera when the salesgirl who had been stalking me for the last 5 minutes finally got up enough courage to talk to me and the first thing she said was "I wouldn't recommend that camera." Oh? "Why not?" I ask, already preparing to be amused. "It doesn't take good pictures." Oh yes, this is the camera that Canon produce simply as an example of what NOT to do - how silly of me. What a stupid thing for her to say! I raised my eyebrows at this in indication that she should perhaps expand a little on her claim, but all she did was say "These ones are better" and gesture in the direction of some $2000 cameras with a bazillion megapixels and functions that I would never need. Right-o love, whatever. I ended up buying the camera that she didn't recommend. And you know, I think it takes pictures just fine! Plus I ended up getting a tripod, case, 512MB card and a filter into the bargain. Can't go wrong. Suffice to say, if the photos I take are shit, it's because I am a crap photographer, not because the camera is crap :)