This post will shock you. Get mentally prepared.

I sometimes forget that people (family members, mainly) read this blog and wonder if a long period of no posting means I have fallen off the face of Japan, presumably into the sea.

Well, no, I have not fallen into the sea. All is well, in short.

Since the new year's activities, I have not done anything I consider very noteworthy. Just the routine stuff. Meeting friends, going to the bar, going to work, etc.

We did have our mid-year ALT seminar on Thursday and Friday. This took place in Tsu, Mie's capital city but not its largest, less than an hour away by train. Unlike the welcome seminar back in August, which was geared toward getting used to living here, this set of presentations was focused on our role in school as ALTs and improving our skills yadda yadda yadda. Some good material here and there, but mostly a lot of stuff we have heard or read before.

It is a good chance to see all the other ALTs from outside of Ise. This year I acted as a moderator for one discussion, but the role is easier than it sounds. I simply introduced the discussion topic and let the presenters present. If something had needed moderating, I would have been there at the ready. Fortunately, my most difficult task was taking the microphone around to people who wished to make comments.

So yes. Seeing as how that rates as my most exciting story, you may understand why blogging has been light. Maybe I should aim to mix up the posts and include more commentary on news items here in Japan and back home. Who knows.

Oh! I re-arranged my main room in the apartment. I have been cooking a lot of omelets (is that spelled right?). These two things are un-related but they both occurred to me at the same moment.

That is all for now.

Sorry about the post title, which you hopefully did not believe.