this morning i finally got the chance to revisit the picturesque oshino village hakkai (8 springs). this lovely place is full of pure clean mineral water from the underground water and lava tunnels formed by fuji's various eruptions. it's also got a lot of history with a couple of genuine old rambling country houses now turned into museums. we had a dreamy, slightly spooky time clambering around on the creaky floors, handmade steps/ladders (one house had 4 seperate levels) and musty old tatami in the dim light. heaps of lovely old bits and pieces all over the place. took a million photos which i will enjoy fiddling with in photo shop over the coming weeks.

work is finally starting to ease up, all the tests are marked now and most of the end of school year paperwork has been completed. bring on the sayonara parties! there have already been some tears from some of the kids. little tomoya (5 y.o.), my astoundingly brilliant private student opened his waterworks in a surreal sequence that gave some hint to his quiet intensity. by the time he got outside to the car he was really howling. next week will be our last class together, although i am still going to be teaching up till the 26th. i think i'm probably going to cry saying good-bye to tomoya next week. we have grown so very attached to each other.

i spent the night in my new room in tokyo on sunday night. got to meet the rest of my new flatties and they are all very cool, very nice people. it's going to be great to come home to a little community every day. the best part is that they are ALL into music. one is a music journalist, another a muso with his own home recording rig and is starting a band... i am so very happy.