Mountains, Parks, and Creepy Crawlies

On Saturday, Joe, Rose, and I climbed Ariake, a mountain pretty much right behind their apartment. The weather was trying to decide between late summer and early autumn, and split the difference: it was mild at the bottom of the mountain, but pretty chilly by the time we got to the top. The summit isn't so much a craggy overlook as it is a meadow, and we had plenty of room to spread out for lunch. Thanks to Ariake's easy access, there were lots of Korean tourists on the mountain. Several of them talked to us in English, with vocabulary and accents rivaling our English teachers'. One guy gave us a drink box that turned out to be alcohol. A lady near him offered us a persimmon, which are in season now. We saw a couple of others start moving toward us at this point, so we politely declined, deciding to head off the awkwardness.

That night, a few of us got together at Gavin's apartment. Joey drove down from Hitakatsu and grilled hamburgers, and we all ended up playing Taboo until midnight.

Sunday, we went to a restaurant called G Cafe. Joey's been there several times, and recommended it to me, but I'd never gotten around to going. Joe, Rose, and I gave it a try, and absolutely loved it. They have what I consider to be the best pizzas on Tsushima, owing to their outdoor brick oven. They also make crepes, which pretty much wins them the title of best restaurant on Tsushima.

After that, Joe was feeling adventurous, so we all went to Ayumodoshi, the huge park set up by a river. The bugs, though fewer in number than July, are still around. We saw a drowned mukade, lots of spiders, and a huge praying mantis.

Oh, and Monday morning at school, a tiny gecko got into the staffroom. One of the science teachers was trying to catch it, and nobody else wanted to get near it. I'm almost positive geckos are among the least dangerous creatures in the world (to us, anyway), and if they aren't, I'm willing to learn otherwise the hard way. We teamed up and got the little dude. The science teacher, Ikezaki, seemed very happy to let me carry the thing outside.

I find it hard to believe how skittish folks here seem to be about bugs. I caused a stir when I had pictures of fuzzy caterpillars as my desktop wallpaper. Not just among my students, either--my teachers made jokes about how creepy the things were. Seriously? Caterpillars? They... they make butterflies and moths. Nobody here denies how pretty butterflies are, yet the sight of butterfly babies turns their stomach.

All things considered, though, I guess it's better to err on the side of caution when you share the countryside with fourteen-inch centipedes.