the annual mid-year alt conference
another mid-year conference come and gone. another day to niigata. another day off of work. a holiday in disguise in the form of a 2-day meeting.
not too intelligently and ill-advised by our supervisors, tiffany, carrie, and i decided to make the 2 – 2 ½ drive to niigata in mid-winter and peak-snow. we needed to be signed in and settled with our supervisors by 10:45 to hear the opening speech with the 100 odd other alts from niigata, fresh faced and looking our best. being that it was snowy snowy outside, we left at 7:00 to ensure our safe travels to the capital city. after all, we didn’t want to reflect badly on our supervisors or schools, which we would surely do if we walked in late, appearing careless.
we almost immediately got grid-locked on the streets in our very city. this was not a good omen. we need to make haste and get on the pay-expressway, after a stop at mcdonalds for a hot breakfast of course. almost immediately, it was made apparent that we would not be making it to the drive thru for our hashbrowns and bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. alas. . .
carrie called and informed us to please go ahead, she was grid-locked further down the street. we aborted our plan to meet carrie at the 7-11 and passed it right on by. passed it is a slight exaggeration; we crawled on by slower than a snail’s pace. watching the minutes creep by, our time shortened and shortened; our tension, anxiety, and fear of being late grew with each passing minute. we eventually found out that both expressway entrances in our city were closed due to the exceptionally bad weather of the day – or at least of the morning – key for us.
we traveled on, now having wasted almost 2 hours in our own city – trapped by the barricades of snow walls and bumper to bumper traffic. we made the executive decision to take the slow and winding back roads – definite disaster and doom – inescapably unavoidable. calling our supervisors, our schools, our contacts at the niigata education center – our destination, and our vice principals, we enlightened everyone of our ill-advised decision to drive. everyone chanted the same thing: just get to the meeting when you can and make it safely.
the hours crept by. the feeling of anxiousness gave way to surrender – either feel guilty allowing our moods to dip low, or surrender thereby creating a false bubble of calm.
meanwhile, my accompanying teacher and carrie simultaneously weren’t faring so well. i couldn’t reach my accompanying teacher - coincidentally my japanese mother as well - nishikata sensei, despite my countless attempts. first curious and then worried, i finally got a call from my school letting me know that nishikata sensei was forced to turn back. smartly taking the train, she was held up about half way. the train ahead of hers had hit a car, and the trains lines were down. this conference was drifting faster and faster into a headfirst downward spiral. carrie was on the same train, but braved the day and foraged on. she miraculously made the meeting - at the end of the afternoon – missing the first day completely, only after taking about 3 or 4 different methods to make it: car, train, taxi, and finally bus. or something equally painstaking.
tiffany and i pulled into the parking lot, just in time for lunch. literally. almost to the minute. feeling guilty and quite unfashionably late, we tiptoed in, only to met by one of the niigata education center supervisors. repeating a chorus of apologies and making countless bows, we snuck into the back of the running-behind morning ceremony.
and off to lunch!
so, after a first half-day, supervisor-less and much more relaxed, it was time to get down and boogey at the annual mid-year conference party that night. after all, it just wouldn’t seem the same to be hungoverless for the second day. everyone is aware of the fact the alt’s stay out till the wee hours of the first night. on the second day, trying to hold our attention and keep it alive, even the key note japanese speakers almost always joke about the plain sight of our hungover-ness. the jokes always garner a few chuckles.
and here we go! pictures from the party . . .
tiffany and i
seemingly a little tipsy already: tiff, mary, and myself
troy, giving his best face yet
nuria and jp
……. and meanwhile, alt’s had already made the annual trip onto the bar. lopaka and mary
eric, ben, ryan, and martin
martin
yes, ladies, work it work it
me, eric, martin, and kate
andddd, the taxi ride home. what a night.
not too intelligently and ill-advised by our supervisors, tiffany, carrie, and i decided to make the 2 – 2 ½ drive to niigata in mid-winter and peak-snow. we needed to be signed in and settled with our supervisors by 10:45 to hear the opening speech with the 100 odd other alts from niigata, fresh faced and looking our best. being that it was snowy snowy outside, we left at 7:00 to ensure our safe travels to the capital city. after all, we didn’t want to reflect badly on our supervisors or schools, which we would surely do if we walked in late, appearing careless.
we almost immediately got grid-locked on the streets in our very city. this was not a good omen. we need to make haste and get on the pay-expressway, after a stop at mcdonalds for a hot breakfast of course. almost immediately, it was made apparent that we would not be making it to the drive thru for our hashbrowns and bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. alas. . .
carrie called and informed us to please go ahead, she was grid-locked further down the street. we aborted our plan to meet carrie at the 7-11 and passed it right on by. passed it is a slight exaggeration; we crawled on by slower than a snail’s pace. watching the minutes creep by, our time shortened and shortened; our tension, anxiety, and fear of being late grew with each passing minute. we eventually found out that both expressway entrances in our city were closed due to the exceptionally bad weather of the day – or at least of the morning – key for us.
we traveled on, now having wasted almost 2 hours in our own city – trapped by the barricades of snow walls and bumper to bumper traffic. we made the executive decision to take the slow and winding back roads – definite disaster and doom – inescapably unavoidable. calling our supervisors, our schools, our contacts at the niigata education center – our destination, and our vice principals, we enlightened everyone of our ill-advised decision to drive. everyone chanted the same thing: just get to the meeting when you can and make it safely.
the hours crept by. the feeling of anxiousness gave way to surrender – either feel guilty allowing our moods to dip low, or surrender thereby creating a false bubble of calm.
meanwhile, my accompanying teacher and carrie simultaneously weren’t faring so well. i couldn’t reach my accompanying teacher - coincidentally my japanese mother as well - nishikata sensei, despite my countless attempts. first curious and then worried, i finally got a call from my school letting me know that nishikata sensei was forced to turn back. smartly taking the train, she was held up about half way. the train ahead of hers had hit a car, and the trains lines were down. this conference was drifting faster and faster into a headfirst downward spiral. carrie was on the same train, but braved the day and foraged on. she miraculously made the meeting - at the end of the afternoon – missing the first day completely, only after taking about 3 or 4 different methods to make it: car, train, taxi, and finally bus. or something equally painstaking.
tiffany and i pulled into the parking lot, just in time for lunch. literally. almost to the minute. feeling guilty and quite unfashionably late, we tiptoed in, only to met by one of the niigata education center supervisors. repeating a chorus of apologies and making countless bows, we snuck into the back of the running-behind morning ceremony.
and off to lunch!
so, after a first half-day, supervisor-less and much more relaxed, it was time to get down and boogey at the annual mid-year conference party that night. after all, it just wouldn’t seem the same to be hungoverless for the second day. everyone is aware of the fact the alt’s stay out till the wee hours of the first night. on the second day, trying to hold our attention and keep it alive, even the key note japanese speakers almost always joke about the plain sight of our hungover-ness. the jokes always garner a few chuckles.
and here we go! pictures from the party . . .
tiffany and i
seemingly a little tipsy already: tiff, mary, and myself
troy, giving his best face yet
nuria and jp
……. and meanwhile, alt’s had already made the annual trip onto the bar. lopaka and mary
eric, ben, ryan, and martin
martin
yes, ladies, work it work it
me, eric, martin, and kate
andddd, the taxi ride home. what a night.
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