The Changing Seasons of Toyama.

Another two weeks have passed and another two weekends with that. Last weekend was a boys weekend in Tokyo. Jake, Max and I, and our respective Tokyo friends had a blast in cool clubs and cheap bars. The weekend was such a whirlwind tour I didn't even take a single picture. So just imagine drunk, sweaty and grinning on a dance floor instead.

On Sunday we heard there was to be an international dance festival in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park in the afternoon. Yawn. International dance festival? I can see people doing traditional Japanese/Chinese/Mongolian dance in Toyama. In Toyama, I can do it. Was I in for a surprise. The problem is that the word 'international' has been corrupted by Toyama. This is because so many local events in Toyama add the moniker 'international' to drum up interest in boring events, that I usually end up being part of anyway. Well, we went to Yoyogi Park anyway because we didn't have anything better to do.

The first thing I noticed was the fat bass. It did not sound like the bass line of Japanese folk music. It sounded like the fat bass line of something I wanted to be part of. It was in fact, quite simply, international dance music and was absolutely incredible. On Sunday afternoon, completely sober and on a combined total weekend sleep time of about 4 hours, I danced like a maniac with several hundred people from all around the world. Quite a different experience from going to a bar or house party in Toyama.

Everyone was young, attractive and smiling. Happy people were living and enjoying their lives. This was Tokyo. This event showed me how much life and youth Toyama just doesn't have, and pretty much right then and there Max, Jake and I all decided to live in Tokyo forever. We very nearly didn't leave that day, but that was more to do with time management skills than spontaneously giving up our country side teaching lives.

Once I got back to Toyama, I continued to contemplate this move, while relaxing in a natural hot spring, after a couple of hours of exercise, at my local wellness resort that I could never afford to be a member of in Tokyo. I realised that actually, life here is pretty good too. Maybe it's slower and more sensible, but at least one can afford to be healthy and happy.

For example, the weekend just passed was a fun house party, a classy birthday party and a wild ultimate fighting event. Maybe it's not Tokyo, but there's still a lot going on. It definitely feels like the party season. And of course the snowboarding season is right around the corner. Get ready folks, if you thought the party season was fun, just wait until the snowboard season starts.

Anyway, I'm still thinking about next year. It's a big world. There are lots of challenges and fun things to do just about everywhere. Snowboard instructor in New Zealand or property hot shot in Hong Kong? There's always another year on JET..