ka-BOOM!!!!!

Kagoshima made national news again! twice in one year...that MUST be a record. first time was because a ship ran into a "whale-like object" and now...(drum roll)

Eruption warning in Kagoshima
KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) The Meteorological Agency issued a special bulletin Monday warning of the strong likelihood of an eruption at one of the vents on Sakurajima, an active volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The agency's Kagoshima bureau said volcanic activity around the Showa vent was intensifying and warned of the heightened possibility of an eruption similar to that at the Minamidake peak vent, which has been active for several years.

The agency raised the activity to level 3, or "active," from 2, or "relatively moderate," on its scale of 5.

There was a minor eruption at the Showa vent Wednesday, spewing volcanic gas around 1,000 meters high.

"It will probably not be a major explosion like the Taisho eruption (in 1914), but minor eruptions like the current ones could continue," a bureau official said.

The 1914 eruption released enough lava to close the strait between the volcanic island in Kagoshima Bay and a nearby peninsula.

The Showa vent is about 200 meters southeast of the peak on a slope of Minamidake, which has been active since 1955.

quick facts about sakurajima, one of japan's most active volcanos:
- About 7 thousand people live at the foot of the volcano, and Kagoshima city with a population of about half a million is located 10 km west.
- The area within 2 km from the summit is "off-limit zone".
- Maximum range of flight of volcanic bombs: 3 km (volcanic bombs?! sounds sexy)
- Maximum flow length of pyroclastic flows: 1.2 km (pyrocastic flows eh? this is turning into a porno)
- Ashfall: 3 to 30 million ton/year)

dont tuuuuuch me, i can do it! unghhhhhh

today i saw my first crazy person in japan. im sure ive seen others, but not so crazy as this one. i'm waiting at the bus stop this morning, when a high school boy comes along. he's wearing his school track suit, with the pants practically hiked up to his chest. and hes having a loud conversation...with himself! i'm checking his ears to look for a headset cuz maybe hes on his phone. NOPE. i'm checking for some earphones cuz maybe hes singing along to sum songs. NOPE. just bonafide crazy...but a snazzy dresser nonetheless.

anyhoo, my trip to ioujima actually was quite nice. the people were lovely as ever, my students so genki (lively) and the peacocks so skittish (i just wanna be your friend!!!). but five days on a small isolated island was pushing it a bit. i had brought 5 movies with me, and had watched all of them in three days. im a bit jealous of anna, who visited another island. she got to go fishing for flying fish! i wanna do that!!! *pout* im trying to be more "mature" these days. so no more tantrums...except maybe on the dancefloor ;-)

*sigh* how romantic!

so sweet. i want an australian man now ;-)

An Australian Love Poem

Of course I love ya darling
You're a bloody top notch bird
And when I say you're gorgeous
I mean every single word
So ya bum is on the big side
don't mind a bit of flab
It means that when I'm ready
There's something there to grab
So your belly isn't flat no more
I tell ya, I don't care
So long as when I cuddle ya
I can get my arms round there
No sheila who is your age
Has nice round perky breasts
They just gave in to gravity
But I know ya did ya best
I'm tellin ya the truth now
I never tell ya lies
I think its very sexy
That you've got dimples on ya thighs
I swear on me nanna's grave now
The moment that we met
I thought u was as good as
I Was ever gonna get
No matter wot u look like
I'll always love ya dear
Now shut up while the footy's on
And fetch another beer!!

bad dog

people are never happy with what they have. i live on both sides of the fence. the grass is always green.

in 12 hours, i will board a ferry to iohjima, my third and last visit...presumably. the new JET year will bring many changes, and im not foolish to believe i can predict anything of my future. i have been moving around so much, that i am actually sick of travelling. i just wanna sit still for a little bit. i dont wanna pack my bags. i dont wanna sit on a boat for 4 hours. by the end of my time on iohjima, i will have spent 26 of the past 45 days away from kagoshima city. i always feel im teetering on the edge of something. neither side is good or bad. muzukashi ne?