Work in the brewery has started for me!! Horray! It's really strange but it feels like I never stopped working there, it's like I never left the kura. What's especially nice is to actually get some exercise at work again ;) The drawback to this as I have discovered, is that once again I am super weak, my body aches all over every morning, and I'm about ready to die 'round 4 o'clock. All the old guys are back, Oyaji-san (the master), Toji-san (the head brewer), Takahashi-san (Joker) and Ichigawa (Young trainee). The other two guys, Shinohara (the other young trainee) and Takezawa (super-man) are coming later I am told. Right now it's right back to cleaning everything, the whole deal again, wash the floors, wash the ceilings, boxes, rulers, buckets, wood blocks, spray it down, wash it and wash it again with your hands, dry it, and wash it again, it's a whole lotta fun. No, seriously it is a whole lotta fun, I'm taking a bunch of notes this time around to make sure that I remember everything. Just in case I start my own place in the future, right? Haha. The only really hard part is going back to being at work at 7:50 sharp. I've gotten used to this whole, ' show up at around 9am ' thing that offices seem to have, a rigid 'be here on time or you're in trouble' kind of schedule is difficult to go back to. Oh well at least work ends at 5 sharp rather than the office 'you live here' philosophy hehe. The only difference from last year is that the priest didn't come and bless everything... Maybe that happens later, I donno, I'll have to ask. Anyway, the real work, meaning the actual brewing of sake, won't begin until the 19th.

I won't be here again since, same as last year, gotta celebrate Christmas! Horry! Or at least I hope I will be, I had to apply for a one year extension on my visa but I haven't heard back from immigration for over two weeks now. Gah I have to get it before I leave on the 17th or I won't be able to come back to Japan. Or at least I won't be able to come back to work. That would suck. Ah we'll see how this all turns out. I haven't even bought any presents for my family! Christmas is always so stressful. Then after Christmas in Hawaii with the fam', I'll head off to Hong Kong, my gf's birthday is on the 22nd, our 5th year together anniversary is on the 11th ( @_@ 5 years with someone, can you imagaine??) so when I arrive I'll owe her back presents for those events plus Christmas @_@ I don't think I can take it.

Ah! And I made my first sucessful batch of homemade sake!! Chestnut flavored, it's pretty good, I can actually drink this one (unlike the last 5 batches that all turned out sour and undrinkable). I also managed to come up with some pretty good grape, pear, some japanese fruit liquer, and some awsome homemade ginger ale. Nice. I also found out that in the surrounding farms the farmers make homemade wine (brewing your own alcohol is illegal in Japan.. oop, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my bootleg previously :P) and one of the store workers here procured some of this 'country wine' for me. It's simple, grapey, and has a slight fizz to it, which means it's still alive with the yeast! haha I really like it, not complex or anything but it's fun to drink. Maybe I'll keep a small quantity and try to grow the yeast culture and use it for some mead or something ( the honey around here (that's what mead is made of) is really good too). Jeez I'm a total fermentation nerd. Well until next time, Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Sean.