I Meant to go to the beach today . . .

but I never got there. I was working at Sunagawa today, which is the school that I only teach 3-6th grades, so I actually see them every week, which is awesome, but they are my test school for all of my lesson plans, as I will teach them first no matter what. So yeah, today's lesson didn't go extremely well. Not that it went badly, just that it could have gone better. And tomorrow, when I teach last weeks lesson at Seijo it will go better. Not that the kids noticed, I don't think.

But yeah, frustrating day, followed by not being about to do the things I needed to do in the post office because I went to the one in Sunagawa when apparently I needed to go to the one in Hirara, which might not happen until Friday (due to the time it takes me to get back from school and when they close and whatnot. Grrr.

So yeah, I'm on the way to the beach, the back roads that I found last weekend after the Undoukai, and I get a feeling. The feeling, which I've used in Atlanta a bunch, was this: "I wonder where that road goes? Let's find out." And I did.

It apparently goes to the ocean, the ocean on the south part of the island where they get the Big Waves. It was beautiful.

After following that road for a bit, and coming back, I headed once again for the beautiful white sandy beaches of Maehama, and got distracted by the sign to the German Cultural Village, because I've been here a month and haven't been yet. So there you go.

While walking around, listening to German music, I found a path that goes all the way to the water around the big German-type castle thingy. There, I found more of the huge spiders. And I found a perfect picture. I'm really proud of this one. I mean, just look at it. It's beautiful. You can even see the babies. I also found a really interesting sign.

But yeah. Finished my walk, and decided to come home. The sun was getting kinda low, and I didn't want to go all the way out to Maehama after walking around for a few hours. And I'd have to change into my "bathers" and put on sunscreen, and I didn't have a towel. Just a bunch of grump, really. So home and the food (left over stew, was very tasty) it was.

I feel much better. I'm glad.

1. The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.	20

Robert Frost (1874–1963)