Hakone

On Saturday, we had a staff dinner after work. It was a combination farewell dinner (for Shu), welcome dinner (for Ken and Akiko), and a birthday dinner (for myself). I taught all day, which was kind of a drag being my birthday and all, but the nice dinner made up for it. In celebratory fashion, I ate way too much and then topped it off with a chocolate parfait for dessert.

On Sunday I went to Hakone, which is a touristy/resort area in the mountains (about 1.5 hours away from Tokyo by train). It was windy and drizzly/overcast for most of the day. Even though the cable car up to the sulphur vents and hot springs was closed due to wind, we still managed to find things to do. We spent a few hours at the Hakone Open Air Museum, which was awesome! They had a large sculpture garden and a permanent Picasso exhibit. Since Hakone is in the mountains and near a large national park, the sculptures and views made for a beautiful afternoon. Plus, some of the art was interactive, as you can see me jumping on an "egg yolk".

After walking around the museum, we went to an onsen (hot spring spa); it was my first trip to an onsen. It was very relaxing, and I think I need to get one of these (or I guess I could just settle for a whirlpool bathtub when I return to the States...). Here is a picture of me at the onsen.

Now after a relaxing weekend, I find myself gearing up for one last week of teaching before I leave for vacation in Bangkok. Stay tuned for a Bangkok post.