Konnichiwa!!!: CHAMPIONS!!

The championship team! :)

I somehow have played in one ultimate frisbee tournament and have one championship! Trust me, it was my team that got us the win, but I had a really great time playing, and feel like I have improved a lot in the few weeks I've picked up this new sport. There were 24 teams at the tournament, and the Tokyo Ultimate Frisbee Club brought out three teams, all who finished in the top five! We played against both of the other Tokyo teams in the tournament-one went into overtime and the other down to the last second, so we represented well! :) Before the tournament, I had played "pick-up" ultimate twice, and thrown the frisbee with the guy who works at my school once, so I was a beginner to say the least. My goal for the weekend was to not drop the frisbee...because in the game any sort of drop is a turnover. Thankfully, due to good throws and the athleticism I've been blessed with, I was successful in attaining my goal, and even scored some points for my team! My teammates were great and really encouraging and want me to continue playing with them. It's awesome exercise, a team sport, and they are fun people to be around...a great combo if you ask me! Usually its not a beach game, its played on a big field, but this tournament was different and a good intro into the sport for sure. We had a BEAUTIFUL day along the beach and couldn't have asked for a better outcome!

Sleeping on the futon on the floor!

I also stayed in my first Japanese hotel, called a Ryokan, this weekend for the tournament...and it was definitely not your typical western hotel! The room was much different...there were no beds, only futon mattresses! There were four of us in each room, and we each had our own futon mattress. The floor was not a typical floor either. It was a tatami floor, which means the floor was made up of a series of tatami mats that were made out of straw, with the futon mattress directly on the mats. The straw has a distinct smell, and it is very typical for a Japanese house to have at least one tatami room. Besides the room, the cuisine was VERY different as well. Everyone said our place had a great breakfast...and I'm sure it did for the Japanese, or those accustomed to a typical Japanese breakfast. However, for me the thought of having rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tofu, vegetables, and pasta for breakfast didn't entertain my stomach at all. I was hoping for some cereal or yogurt, or at least some bread and cheese! Luckily there was a little western corner with a very dry roll and jam, and some runny scrambled eggs and french fried potatoes. I gladly ate that over the other choices. I was completely used to the European breakfast with meat and cheese and bread, but I'm not so sure I'll be able to convert to the Japanese style! Time will tell. :)

Me and a few 7th grade girls

I went bowling for the first time here in Japan, and it was completely the same as in the US, a huge bowling alley with over 20 lanes! It was much more organized though, and there were racks for each size ball, instead of all the balls just all being mixed together, AND there were boxes for shoes, so you just had t pick your size! I was a chaperone for the 7th and 8th graders, and we went bowling with two other schools, our brother boys-school and another all-girls school. The kids had a great time and of course me being able to bowl made it even more fun!

This is just a quick post in my attempt to "catch-up" a little bit as I always seem to fall behind because so much is going on! More to come soon! :)