Sham-ROCK!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I love holidays. I absolutely do. It doesn’t really matter what I’m celebrating, it’s just that the day is a little out of the ordinary. And, seeing as how I’m a sucker for anything sociological, (that should be a bumper sticker) I find that celebrating holidays is a great way to learn about different people and cultures. And, as long as I’m with other revelers, any “hip-hip-hooray” will put a smile on my face. My favorite fun holiday, of course, is Halloween and My favorite serious holiday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but then again I’m an American and was raised Lutheran. I think I’d really like Boxing Day if I were English or Canadian, and I’d truly dig Ramadan if I were Muslim. Don’t even get me started on the sweet Japanese holidays. I’d like to celebrate Yom Kippur again the way I did one year with one of my former student’s family. The kids had a scavenger hunt after dinner and before dinner they threw props at my co-worker while she read to them the story of Yom Kippur. That was a rockin’ good time.

I think another reason I love holidays so much is I like to reminisce about the holiday’s of year’s past. I feel accomplished, for whatever misguided reason, when I lean back in my comfy, rolling, staff room chair, stretch my arms out, tuck them behind my neck and day dream about what city I was in, and which year; who I was with and what we did on any given day of celebration.

Last year, on this day, I was in Osaka with my friend Amelia. We went to an “Irish” bar dressed in green, where we were awarded with shot-sized bottles of Baileys. We were promptly chatted up by two young men from the States who were traveling though Japan. We went joined them for karaoke, where I’d like to believe we sang, “Oh Danny Boy” although I don’t remember now. We stayed out until almost 5 in the morning. It was a great night.

I’m afraid next year, on March 17th, I won’t be able to giggle as such raucous memories seeing as how I’m stuck in the office on a hum-drum Japanese Friday. Or maybe I will. After all, it’s probably the only time I’ll ever get a chance to pinch my Japanese co-workers, and I’ve already got some of them running around clutching green pencil cases, or balancing green bottle tops on their heads.

So, happy St. Patrick’s Day! Happy day to those of you who donned your green, braided your hair and stuck a pipe in your corned beef and hash hole. (That sounds bad.)

And remember St. Paddy’s Day well known demand of, “Kiss me, I’m Irish!.” You may just be able to get smooches from that lucky lad or lass you’ve had your eye on. But, beware of the leprechaun’s ugly brother, Troll, on this day. They’re deceptive little creatures and are out for kisses today too. But, hey, if you’ve had enough green-tinted beer, you might not mind lip-locking your pipe-hole (Still doesn’t sound good.) with a knobby-kneed, warty old man who lives under a bridge.