The pottery festival was nearly two miles of streets lined with stores. There was hand-painted porcelin, hand-thrown vases, and stacks of dishes and cups priced so cheaply it would put Pier One to shame. The town is called Arita, and if you Google it, you'd probably find out that it's one of the largest pottery festivals in the world.
I just returned from a few days of pottery heaven. It was a fun trip, and although I am a bit poorer for it, I came back with a few unique stare-worthy pieces to occupy the mind.

But I know people are probably wondering about that inigmatic phrase I left a couple of blogs ago. I said I was reconsidering my decision to stay. Here's the conclusion:
I told the Board of Education in a meeting last week that I wanted to return home in July, that I would not stay another year.
It was a great combination of things that changed my mind, including one very sincere phone call from my dad. Honestly, though, I was just driving my car to Aikido practice one day, a few weeks ago and I just decided. It sort of came to me. And since that time, I haven't waivered. I'm coming home in July.