a Round One birthday

my awesome banana birthday cake made by Karen
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My 26th Birthday kind of snuck up on me this year.  I guess I had quite a bit of other, more important, stuff to distract me from the depressing realization that I was on the downward slide to my 30's.

Like last year, the big day was another nice low key affair, as it fell in the middle of the week and I had to work.  Karen kept me well fed throughout the day with a great breakfast and lunch and a delicious banana cake.  For dinner we went to our favourite restaurant in town, a small tenpura place.  As always the food was amazing and we were happy to be in the warm atmosphere provided by the cute old hunched over grandma and her tall friendly son.  We normally converse in broken Japanese about small, random things.  However, this time we took the wedding albums much to their obvious delight.  In the restaurant were just two other ladies (the place is often empty except for us), one of which we soon found out was the husband of the tall chef.  Everyone was very interested in the New Zealand style wedding, and in particular the idea of 'bridesmaids' and 'groomsmen'.

Round One is a "games hall" with a difference

what do you do if its drizzling outside when you want to hold cross country practice? Make the whole school run around the gym, thats what!
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That evening Karen gave me my present, a surprise as I had been super difficult this year and told her not to get me anything as I didn't know what I wanted myself.  She had got me a ticket to go and see Muse in Fukuoka in March!  I'm going with Tan and Matt and I have to say expectations are sky high after the amazing things I have read about their live shows, and how good their latest album is!  Bring on March 16th.  I'm also very impressed that she managed to keep the tickets such a secret for so long.  I had been planning on going to the convert since last November when it was announced, but recently had been deterred by Matt, who had promised to go, but then pulled out cause he had heard they were "crap live".  Needless to say, it was all just a ploy to prevent me buying my own ticket, and such a review has probably never been given in the history of Muse!

some LA love from Tan
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After a fairly quite week, in which we were treated the first, and last, of our new years snow (the US are certainly doing their bit with global warming to make sure winters are mild!), Saturday finally reared its head and brought with it a night of drinks and fun at Round One in Saga city.

Round One is a "games hall" with a difference.  Firstly, it's not just a hall, the place is multistory and massive.  Secondly, the games are far more extensive and wide ranging than anyone might guess.  There's karaoke rooms, baseball batting cages, archery, mini-golf, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, mini tennis, a futsal court, mini ten pin bowling, a roller skating rink, mini motor bikes, and a massive range of arcade games.  Oh yeah, and the deal is that you pay about $20 for three hours of unlimited play on any of the sports/games you like!  Not a bad little deal they've got going.

Jon flexing... I think?!...
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So, in order to enhance any experience, and the fact it was my birthday, what do you do?  Drink first, that's what!  We had the pre-drinks at Nick's apartment before all jumping in some taxi's and making our short way there.  PM (Party Matt) came out to play in a big way.  He flew straight over the bucking bull upon arrival, instantly fell off his motorbike later on, and finished the futsal game in just his "party" undies.  The whole night was a classic performance by him, and I can't wait till I have a night drinking with the PM again in the future.

my birthday party pre-round one drinks at Nicks place
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All in all I had a great birthday party, a perfect one in fact.  I got to run around like a kid on speed trying new event after event, each time having a few hits/swings/strikes, before rushing off to try something else.  Round One is certainly the perfect birthday venue for anyone who's slightly competitive, loves drinking, playing sports, and hanging out with their mates.

The morning after Round One, Karen and I had to get up super early, jump in the car and make our way back home for a quick shower before continuing on to Yamauchi.  Yamauchi is a small town with a sister town in California.  Next month a bunch of kids and adults are heading over on an exchange.  In order to boost internationalism and sort of "spread the word" about exchanges and how cool some of us foreigners can be (?!) Yamauchi held an International Event.  We, the resident foreigners, were asked to go and help out and hang out with the kids.

Kaza taming the beast
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So there we were on the Sunday morning, all spread out in a large kitchen making different western snacks.  Tan was frying up some banana fritters, Karen was making hokey pokey, Badsha and Eric were melting chocolate in a fondue, Lisa and Sarah were making "birds nests" and I was walking around pestering everyone, especially the kids.

It turned out to be quite a fun morning and our efforts seemed to be well received by the organisers and kids alike.  Afterwards we took our tired selves home feeling satisfied with our Sunday work.  What good little foreigners we are!