Wednesday- December 19, 2007

Bonenkai-Farewell party and Karaoke
It’s the end of the year, and end of the year party’s are the tradition. Our lab decided to go out on a Wednesday night to celebrate the closing of this year. Because I’m going home in less than a week they also decided to combine it with my farewell party. We went out to eat a nice restaurant and everyone in the lab was there. There were even old post docs and professors that came. The food was pretty good but it wasn’t that filling because we knew we were going to another restaurant later on that evening.
During the first restaurant dinner, I gave a speech thanking the students and the professors for all the help they have given me. I also teased some of the students in the lab because I got to know their funny characteristics. But, I also thanked them for their wonderful friendship. I didn’t know it, but they prepared some presents for me. I received chopsticks, a fan, a tea cup set, a funny lamp, and my most favorite a calendar of my favorite actress Itoh Misaki. I was really happy when I got the calendar. I was just so touched by their generosity. I only got to know them for such a short time, but they bought me such nice gifts.
After the first restaurant about half of the people went home and half continued on to the second restaurant which was more like a person’s house. The food was good there and we just talked and ate some more. After the second restaurant there was a third restaurant, well a wine bar option. I didn’t want to go there so some of us went home and some of us continued on to karaoke. It was my second time to karaoke. It was so fun!!! Even though I didn’t think that Japanese people could sing really well, they are really all pros at karaoke. They’re the ones who invented it.
We got back to school around 3 in the morning. I was beat, but some of the other guys continued on with their experiments. Crazy!!! Meet or fish or duck (I forget) from the first restaurant. It was pretty good. Some of the lab members in the group after the first restaurant for the end of the year party. The structure group is all in there as well as some other goofballs. I had such a good time with all these guys.
Rocking out with some of the guys in the lab. All of them are pros at karaoke. They even know many American songs. I was impressed because even though their normal conversation is not that good their singing in English was very good.