Bonenkai 2010

Yes, it's that time of the year again.  Get drunk and naked with your coworkers on a school-sponsored trip, and don't even come in feeling awkward about it on Monday!  The Japanese do indeed have some good ideas.

This year we were back at the ryokan we went to for our first Bonenkai, so this post pretty much sums up our weekend.   Re-reading it, except for a different female roommate and not giving the toast (which was not plum wine this time), it was the same, down to the meal courses, karaoke, and snoring.  (Lee: I think there was one new course that was good, sort of a little seafood casserole thing.  But I might have forgotten it from the first time.)

We seem to have neglected to mention the entertainment the first time.  Every year we get three performances, either a traditional Japanese stringed instrument or that Taiwanese troupe from last year, the same couple singing the same Spanish songs, and a third one that actually changes.  The first year, it was Taiko, which is probably my favorite thing about Japan, and it hasn't been seen since.  Last year, it was karaoke.  This year, we had a group of three traditional stringed instruments played for us.

Another change was the karaoke venue.  Last year, we found that the preferred venue had closed, and I headed back to the hotel before a new venue was found.  This year, we went to the place they found last year, and let me tell you, it is the trashiest karaoke place I've ever been to and was totally awesome.  It looks like it's a motel that charges by the hour, except that it's for karaoke (and charges by the hour).  The price is also about on par with the atmosphere, so it works out well.  I certainly had a lot of fun.  Lee tried to sleep but was largely thwarted by ambient noise and various other people sleeping in that room coming and going.

The bus ride to the ryokan makes one rest stop along the way.  I got a couple of nice pictures of the beach at the rest stop; the day was overcast and the waves were appropriately waving:

So, Bonenkai proceeded very much as previous ones have but gets a little less exciting each year.  It wasn't a bad time, and we enjoyed hanging out with coworkers, but we might throw our own (better) party next year and sit it out.  If only there was a way to get back our portion of the faculty dues that fund it...as always, check out Flickr for some more pictures.