I love my students. They make me feel like a pop star.
"HALLO!!"
"NATARI!!!"
"I LOVE YOU!!"
"OH! Kawaii!"
"You are beautiful."
That last one and the kawaii one, have been a little over done. I have one boy student about 17 years old, cheery, sweet, smiley... he looks to me like a little Asian Pop Star and I enjoy him to bits because he makes every attempt to speak English with me. BUT he also is also the biggest perpetrator of telling me how beautiful I am. He goes so far as to blow kisses to me in class!
So, I am on a mission. I want my students to be able to express more feeling than the one word expression. Which is hard to do coming from the Japanese language, which is often very vague on things that in English we can be specific on and vice versa.
So, anyone have a suggestion? What can I replace cute and beautiful with?
Thanks!
Monday, December 19, 2011
When its cold, wear a sweater.
"CUTE!!!"
"COOL!!!" squeal my students at the college prep school.
Today, is dreadfully cold inside the my college prep high school. I mean, freeze your toes off your feet, COLD! There is no central heating in my area of Japan. No insulation, either. Often when it is tolerable outside, its dreadful inside the hallways and a few of the classrooms. Its so cold, I hate to walk down the hallway to the restroom, as neither are heated. As I write this, I have the feeling I might explode...
So, how do you prepare for a winter in Japan? Layers. Lots and lots of layers. But, as I had very little room to spare coming to Japan, I did not pack an ample enough supply of underthings to help me survive this weather. So, what did I do? I asked my school if I could buy one of the school sweatshirts to keep in my desk as backup.
I figured it was a safe thing to do, as you are pretty limited on what is appropriate for the school. I often see the students wear these gym sweatshirts as an extra layer in the fall. So, when I asked the response was;
"Oookkkaaayyy. But why would you want to wear part of the students uniform?"
"Because it is cold and on occasion need a little extra."
"I wouldnt want to be seen wearing the students uniform"
"oh...huh. Well, I think it is ok. I will only wear it at school."
That was the conversation I had with my JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) and I have to admit, she had a little bit of a point. All day today, eyes turned and voices squealed as I walked the school hallways, donning my school pride.
A white sweatshirt with the school emblem on the left breast, with my name written in Kanji underneath.
Only in Japan would I unintentionally bring this much attention to chest.
(0.o")
"COOL!!!" squeal my students at the college prep school.
Today, is dreadfully cold inside the my college prep high school. I mean, freeze your toes off your feet, COLD! There is no central heating in my area of Japan. No insulation, either. Often when it is tolerable outside, its dreadful inside the hallways and a few of the classrooms. Its so cold, I hate to walk down the hallway to the restroom, as neither are heated. As I write this, I have the feeling I might explode...
So, how do you prepare for a winter in Japan? Layers. Lots and lots of layers. But, as I had very little room to spare coming to Japan, I did not pack an ample enough supply of underthings to help me survive this weather. So, what did I do? I asked my school if I could buy one of the school sweatshirts to keep in my desk as backup.
I figured it was a safe thing to do, as you are pretty limited on what is appropriate for the school. I often see the students wear these gym sweatshirts as an extra layer in the fall. So, when I asked the response was;
"Oookkkaaayyy. But why would you want to wear part of the students uniform?"
"Because it is cold and on occasion need a little extra."
"I wouldnt want to be seen wearing the students uniform"
"oh...huh. Well, I think it is ok. I will only wear it at school."
That was the conversation I had with my JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) and I have to admit, she had a little bit of a point. All day today, eyes turned and voices squealed as I walked the school hallways, donning my school pride.
A white sweatshirt with the school emblem on the left breast, with my name written in Kanji underneath.
Only in Japan would I unintentionally bring this much attention to chest.
(0.o")
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Holla, Winter!
The recipe for a Chicago winter:
1. Wind
2. slushy wanna be snow
3. freezing Wind
4. snow (whenever it decides to show up)
5. Blizzard (that causes a 15 minute commute to a 45)
6. Hot chocolate, marshmallows, good book, thermostat set to 69-70
7. Hot showers and a warm home to walk around
When my fellow apartment neighbors warned me that it gets cold here in the winter, I didn't take it lightly but I had all the essentials from back home. So, I thought I was pretty set and prepped.
Nope!
Most of us in America cant really understand what central heating is not until we experience it for ourselves. I will try to explain with the best of my ability what I am facing this winter season.
Imagine, your house is completely made up of cement, glass and wood. There is no insulation between these materials, there is a draft and heat never stays inside for very long. So far, the temperature hasnt dropped below 45. Which is good for the fact that very little to no snow will come this way. Hearty root veggies still grow and believe it or not, strawberries are in season, now. Sounds livable?
Well, home is ok. I keep the heater in my one room ON during the evening and sleep bundled to the nines in socks and a hoodie, but that means when I go to the kitchen or to take a shower, I walk into a room a good 30 degrees colder than the one I just left. (All I can say about that is DAMN! FFFFFUUUUUggghhhhhh!)
Its home though, so I only have to worry about evening and night time, right?
Nope. Japanese schools and buildings also don't have central heating, only the classrooms and staff rooms are heated when occupied. That means, the hallways are just like being outside! You need a coat just to walk to homeroom! (And they frown upon walking around "inside" with anything you would wear "outside." I sit at a desk nearest the door to the staff room entrance, I sit in draft central! Burrrrrr! I've stretched out my loafers wearing two and three pairs of socks!
Also, the bathrooms aren't heated, there is no hot water from the tap to wash your hands, and you have to bring your own towel to dry your hands. If you forget (and I often do) to bring a towel, then you walk around with wet hands and trust me... its brutal.
Anyway, short post to complain about the cold!
I miss all my friends back home and hope you are staying warm!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
There are days and there are moments.
We all have them. You know what I am talking about. Those times when something doesn't work out the way you planned, or when something is missing, gone without a trace its that time when the world feels like its crashing around you and you have no control in stopping it. I notice that this happens a lot to me. It can be the dramatic ear infection that has been going on for months or the dramatic decline of my computer's hard drive and loss of data from my backup, to simply a bad day at work.
Whatever that cause is for those bad days, its definitely the right moment to start thinking about all the awesome things in your life. Back home, for me, a bad day could turn into a bad month, then year, than life.. pretty quickly. I was quick to be down on myself for a lot of things that didn't go well/right. In college, some of my friends would comment on how I was too serious and needed to loosen up a bit. I know they meant well, but it hurt a lot when they said or teased me about this. I didn't know how else to react to things that didn't go perfectly when I should be in control of them. At some point last year, I realized that my inability to relax and let things happen as they do was effecting my life on a more holistic level.
Life wasn't happening the way it was supposed to.
Everywhere I turned, I wasn't living up to the standard of living that I believed was expected of me or that I believed my friends were living. Friends were getting married, having kids, graduating from Graduate School, traveling, working a job they liked/loved, going on adventures.... The list went on and on... No matter what I tried to do, I wasn't happy, I didn't feel accomplished... Even when I had/did things that I thought were on the list, the outcome didn't yield the results it should have.
And then, I did something crazy. I applied to teach English in Japan.
It wasn't something new, I'd done it before. Three times before, in fact. Every time I applied I was one step closer to making the cut, but not making it so many times when many of the people around me got in on the first or second try... Well... I felt like a loser. A judo friend encouraged me to try again. He reminded me, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain if I made another attempt. He was right. Albeit, I am still realizing how right he was in pushing me to apply to JET. I couldn't have imagined the people I would meet, or the experiences I would have. Moreover, I couldn't imagine what a step away from my life in America would do for my ability to accept that "shit just happens."
I don't want to sound like I am a new person. I am not. I still panic when things don't go well. Friday, I was brought to tears, when one of my lesson plans failed, at no fault of my own. It was simply one of the difficulties one faces when working with language barriers and a different personality. What I am learning is that there is so much potential for things to go right or for them to change that dwelling on that failed moment or day, is not seeing the whole picture clearly. There is still awesome in failure, its just a matter of perspective.
Whatever that cause is for those bad days, its definitely the right moment to start thinking about all the awesome things in your life. Back home, for me, a bad day could turn into a bad month, then year, than life.. pretty quickly. I was quick to be down on myself for a lot of things that didn't go well/right. In college, some of my friends would comment on how I was too serious and needed to loosen up a bit. I know they meant well, but it hurt a lot when they said or teased me about this. I didn't know how else to react to things that didn't go perfectly when I should be in control of them. At some point last year, I realized that my inability to relax and let things happen as they do was effecting my life on a more holistic level.
Life wasn't happening the way it was supposed to.
Everywhere I turned, I wasn't living up to the standard of living that I believed was expected of me or that I believed my friends were living. Friends were getting married, having kids, graduating from Graduate School, traveling, working a job they liked/loved, going on adventures.... The list went on and on... No matter what I tried to do, I wasn't happy, I didn't feel accomplished... Even when I had/did things that I thought were on the list, the outcome didn't yield the results it should have.
And then, I did something crazy. I applied to teach English in Japan.
It wasn't something new, I'd done it before. Three times before, in fact. Every time I applied I was one step closer to making the cut, but not making it so many times when many of the people around me got in on the first or second try... Well... I felt like a loser. A judo friend encouraged me to try again. He reminded me, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain if I made another attempt. He was right. Albeit, I am still realizing how right he was in pushing me to apply to JET. I couldn't have imagined the people I would meet, or the experiences I would have. Moreover, I couldn't imagine what a step away from my life in America would do for my ability to accept that "shit just happens."
I don't want to sound like I am a new person. I am not. I still panic when things don't go well. Friday, I was brought to tears, when one of my lesson plans failed, at no fault of my own. It was simply one of the difficulties one faces when working with language barriers and a different personality. What I am learning is that there is so much potential for things to go right or for them to change that dwelling on that failed moment or day, is not seeing the whole picture clearly. There is still awesome in failure, its just a matter of perspective.
To bathe or not to bathe.... Hey, a lil' dirt never hurt nobody!
Last weekend, my family challenged me to Onsen. I say challenge because my American self is not so excited about the idea of bathing naked among strangers nor friends and family.
Its just.... awkward...
But I did it. It was nice and relaxing. There werent that many people because the hotel with the Onsen in it only had 6 rooms for guests and was private to only those guests of the hotel.
The procedure for onsen is all about showering before you enter the bath. Then you sit in this really huge pool full of hot water for a while and yup... that's it.
I dont much get the excitement of onsen. I personally would rather my own glamorous bath tub in the comfort of my own home but Japanese people and foreigners alike have raved to me about doing this. Perhaps its because Japanese homes are too small for glamorous baths or if your a foreign language teacher (like me) at the mercy of your Board of Education, where you live is up to them and the status of your living accommodations is an accumulation of the years of ALTs before you, well then, a pretty bathtub might be an exciting event.
But still... Its not the bathing naked with other people that bothers me, its that to me, bathing is my own private relax time, where I can get lost in my thoughts and sink under the skin of the hot water, lying half vested into another world and where gravity is my friend.
Its just.... awkward...
But I did it. It was nice and relaxing. There werent that many people because the hotel with the Onsen in it only had 6 rooms for guests and was private to only those guests of the hotel.
The procedure for onsen is all about showering before you enter the bath. Then you sit in this really huge pool full of hot water for a while and yup... that's it.
I dont much get the excitement of onsen. I personally would rather my own glamorous bath tub in the comfort of my own home but Japanese people and foreigners alike have raved to me about doing this. Perhaps its because Japanese homes are too small for glamorous baths or if your a foreign language teacher (like me) at the mercy of your Board of Education, where you live is up to them and the status of your living accommodations is an accumulation of the years of ALTs before you, well then, a pretty bathtub might be an exciting event.
But still... Its not the bathing naked with other people that bothers me, its that to me, bathing is my own private relax time, where I can get lost in my thoughts and sink under the skin of the hot water, lying half vested into another world and where gravity is my friend.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Ok, lets play catch up! (or ketchup if you prefer)
Woah... Where has the time gone? How has it been so long since my last post?
Ok what have I been up too... Hummmm...
The thing about not being able to speak the same language as 98% of all the people around you is that you spend a lot of time in your brain, deciphering the conversations happening in the present and toying with the questions I will inevitably have to face when I decide to leave Japan.
The mess in my brain kinda sounds like this:
What are your long term goals? Do you have any? What about short term? What do you want in your life?
How is everyone doing back home?
Oh... I think Kyoto sensei just said something about university and 3rd years... there must be an exam coming up.
Ok.. now I dont know whats going on... it sounded like he/she said pizza ......
Shoot! did I turn off the stove this morning? Man, I really miss having an oven... I want to bake some bread... oh... Pumpkin bread....
Shoot, whats today? Oh.. that's gold.. its Friday... Ugh crud... what do I have to do at the other school on Monday?
hrm... maybe I can make pumpkin bread in the toaster oven.... What kind of job am I going to get when I go back to the States?
Damn, I miss apple picking....
Yeah.. my brain is kinda like that. One big mess of thoughts smooshed together into a messy 3 or 4 minutes while life around me is in gear.
Its amazing how I get by in this country, when I've no clue what is being said to me. I've convinced the people I work with that I am really good at understanding and terrible at speaking. This is not true. I have very little idea about the words being spoken to me. However, I am very good at observing the non-spoken part of the language and deciphering from there the topic at hand. Maybe we can call it mind reading. I'm really good at mind reading... ;)
ANYWAY, What have I been up too... lets see here.
Visit to Mt Aso, the active volcano on the island where I reside, again. This time I mostly hiked in national park nearby. It was gorgeous with all the waterfalls. I would recommend it. And dont worry, as soon as my computer has a brand new hard drive, I will post pictures in this blog. It will be easier to explain everything with a picture. After that little bit of exercise and the most awesome dango (mochi or pounded rice cake on a stick, trust me.. dEEElish!), my friend, her principal (he drove us to the area and treated us to lunch and dinner, pretty nice guy actually) and I toured around Kumamoto castle. It was rebuilt recently so, nothing of an ancient structure remains but it was beautiful none the less. I enjoyed the walk and the architecture, and the Japanese garden nearby. We finished the day with a ginormous traditional meal that I can't really describe. It was just a lot of little sample sized food, so that by the time your done nibbling at all that has been laid in front of you, you feel like you might explode out of your pants. I truely wonder how Japanese people are so skinny.
To be continued... (sorry, my brain is outta juice.)
Ok what have I been up too... Hummmm...
The thing about not being able to speak the same language as 98% of all the people around you is that you spend a lot of time in your brain, deciphering the conversations happening in the present and toying with the questions I will inevitably have to face when I decide to leave Japan.
The mess in my brain kinda sounds like this:
What are your long term goals? Do you have any? What about short term? What do you want in your life?
How is everyone doing back home?
Oh... I think Kyoto sensei just said something about university and 3rd years... there must be an exam coming up.
Ok.. now I dont know whats going on... it sounded like he/she said pizza ......
Shoot! did I turn off the stove this morning? Man, I really miss having an oven... I want to bake some bread... oh... Pumpkin bread....
Shoot, whats today? Oh.. that's gold.. its Friday... Ugh crud... what do I have to do at the other school on Monday?
hrm... maybe I can make pumpkin bread in the toaster oven.... What kind of job am I going to get when I go back to the States?
Damn, I miss apple picking....
Yeah.. my brain is kinda like that. One big mess of thoughts smooshed together into a messy 3 or 4 minutes while life around me is in gear.
Its amazing how I get by in this country, when I've no clue what is being said to me. I've convinced the people I work with that I am really good at understanding and terrible at speaking. This is not true. I have very little idea about the words being spoken to me. However, I am very good at observing the non-spoken part of the language and deciphering from there the topic at hand. Maybe we can call it mind reading. I'm really good at mind reading... ;)
ANYWAY, What have I been up too... lets see here.
Visit to Mt Aso, the active volcano on the island where I reside, again. This time I mostly hiked in national park nearby. It was gorgeous with all the waterfalls. I would recommend it. And dont worry, as soon as my computer has a brand new hard drive, I will post pictures in this blog. It will be easier to explain everything with a picture. After that little bit of exercise and the most awesome dango (mochi or pounded rice cake on a stick, trust me.. dEEElish!), my friend, her principal (he drove us to the area and treated us to lunch and dinner, pretty nice guy actually) and I toured around Kumamoto castle. It was rebuilt recently so, nothing of an ancient structure remains but it was beautiful none the less. I enjoyed the walk and the architecture, and the Japanese garden nearby. We finished the day with a ginormous traditional meal that I can't really describe. It was just a lot of little sample sized food, so that by the time your done nibbling at all that has been laid in front of you, you feel like you might explode out of your pants. I truely wonder how Japanese people are so skinny.
To be continued... (sorry, my brain is outta juice.)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
high school versus high school
So the other day, I had one of my classes go to my high school website and told them to search around and see what kind of things were different from their high school lives, here in Japan.
Some of the most obvious things were:
1. no uniforms
2. students can drive
3. different types of after school activities
4. different languages spoken or learned in school
5. school dances
6. football
7. school bus
Things I had to explain to them.
1. No eyebrow inspections
2. multicultural/ethnicities (we're not all white people in America)
3. no bowing/ greetings at the beginning and end of classes
4. auto shop class
5. ESL class
6. ear piercings, hair coloring, mohawks are okay in school
So, if you actually read this, your probably wondering what the heck an eyebrow inspection is. Yea.. I did. And then you see it. Students line up and the teachers check to see if they've over tweesed, colored their hair, have the correct length bangs, not clipped their fingernails and are appropriately wearing their uniform.
I'm grateful to not be a Japanese high school students, because the I would have failed the tweesing and ear peircing one, every month! And I probably have been scolded for my hair being messy. Some of my students looked so miserable for being repremanded for having holes in their ears or over tweezed eyebrows. (dont ask me what an over tweezed eyebrow looks like.. because I couldnt tell)
I suppose its a good thing, to try to emphasize to the students that they should take care of themselves well and not try to show off in school but I have to wonder if this actually works. At my other high school, despite inspections, I see girls roll up their skirts to the point were I wonder if its even worth wearing a skirt.
Some of the most obvious things were:
1. no uniforms
2. students can drive
3. different types of after school activities
4. different languages spoken or learned in school
5. school dances
6. football
7. school bus
Things I had to explain to them.
1. No eyebrow inspections
2. multicultural/ethnicities (we're not all white people in America)
3. no bowing/ greetings at the beginning and end of classes
4. auto shop class
5. ESL class
6. ear piercings, hair coloring, mohawks are okay in school
So, if you actually read this, your probably wondering what the heck an eyebrow inspection is. Yea.. I did. And then you see it. Students line up and the teachers check to see if they've over tweesed, colored their hair, have the correct length bangs, not clipped their fingernails and are appropriately wearing their uniform.
I'm grateful to not be a Japanese high school students, because the I would have failed the tweesing and ear peircing one, every month! And I probably have been scolded for my hair being messy. Some of my students looked so miserable for being repremanded for having holes in their ears or over tweezed eyebrows. (dont ask me what an over tweezed eyebrow looks like.. because I couldnt tell)
I suppose its a good thing, to try to emphasize to the students that they should take care of themselves well and not try to show off in school but I have to wonder if this actually works. At my other high school, despite inspections, I see girls roll up their skirts to the point were I wonder if its even worth wearing a skirt.
I went to see the grass on the other side and I believe the sun does shine brighter there.
Before coming to Japan, my life wasn't terribly different from what it is now. Except of course, my friends and family were closer and when I went to the store to buy household cleaner, it didn't take me 30 minutes to translate the kanji to figure out if I am buying actual cleaner or house perfume. Oh and I cant forget how much simpler things were when I had a dryer to fluff and un-wrinkle the clothes I left lying on the floor for a few days too long.
No, for the most part, my life is pretty much the same even when its not.
So, why is it that I don't feel half the stress I did when I was back home and things were 'simpler'?
I have faced some pretty nerve wrecking things in my first few months. There was the 3 visits to various doctors to have gunk vacuumed out of ears, the continuing gunk that built up afterward until I discovered the translation for peroxide in Japanese and was able to continually bubble out the weird stuff, along with my own infection remedy to reduce the swelling. It worked amazingly. Trust me, I am as surprised as you. Not to say Japanese doctors are incompetent or less qualified than the ones back home, I just became increasingly uncomfortable with the loud noise associated with vacuuming my ear canal.
I also lost all my photos when my computer crashed and thought I had backed up my data, only to find out that the backup also failed. Its nothing dramatic, just that I was really attached and proud of some of the work I did in creating some of those photos. Its a tragedy to lose the original pixels. And now, my computer is acting up again...
So what is greener?
I laugh. I feel free to laugh at my mistakes or my students mistakes. Mistakes don't rule my life like they do in America. I don't when I realized this but its weird. All those things would have bothered me in before, dont keep me up at night. My exhaustion at the end of the day, is just shear exhaustion from navigating in a world where I dont speak the language. And if people are talking about me... I dont know and I dont care. Well mostly, I dont care...
Hahahaha... For example. I have no clue about the conversation happening behind me but I keep hearing the teachers say, "Hasta la vista." And I am wondering what Arnold or Terminator has to do with their convo. I know that they dont teach Spanish in this school.
How can you not laugh at the oddity of only knowing 25% of the conversations around you? And reading even less?!?! In all my life I have struggled with school, work, judo, everything! Never being more than average at best. And here, here by all standards of language, literacy and dare I say it, fashion. I am a complete failure!!! And yet I still walk around with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. I hope that when I return home, I can keep this sense of self with me, more than any material thing I bring back. I want to walk through the rest of my life feeling that I'm walking on the greener side of life.
Sorry, I suppose this is really meant for my own personal journal but.. I havent had the time to write much lately. I took on extra classes... for fun. Can you believe that!
No, for the most part, my life is pretty much the same even when its not.
So, why is it that I don't feel half the stress I did when I was back home and things were 'simpler'?
I have faced some pretty nerve wrecking things in my first few months. There was the 3 visits to various doctors to have gunk vacuumed out of ears, the continuing gunk that built up afterward until I discovered the translation for peroxide in Japanese and was able to continually bubble out the weird stuff, along with my own infection remedy to reduce the swelling. It worked amazingly. Trust me, I am as surprised as you. Not to say Japanese doctors are incompetent or less qualified than the ones back home, I just became increasingly uncomfortable with the loud noise associated with vacuuming my ear canal.
I also lost all my photos when my computer crashed and thought I had backed up my data, only to find out that the backup also failed. Its nothing dramatic, just that I was really attached and proud of some of the work I did in creating some of those photos. Its a tragedy to lose the original pixels. And now, my computer is acting up again...
So what is greener?
I laugh. I feel free to laugh at my mistakes or my students mistakes. Mistakes don't rule my life like they do in America. I don't when I realized this but its weird. All those things would have bothered me in before, dont keep me up at night. My exhaustion at the end of the day, is just shear exhaustion from navigating in a world where I dont speak the language. And if people are talking about me... I dont know and I dont care. Well mostly, I dont care...
Hahahaha... For example. I have no clue about the conversation happening behind me but I keep hearing the teachers say, "Hasta la vista." And I am wondering what Arnold or Terminator has to do with their convo. I know that they dont teach Spanish in this school.
How can you not laugh at the oddity of only knowing 25% of the conversations around you? And reading even less?!?! In all my life I have struggled with school, work, judo, everything! Never being more than average at best. And here, here by all standards of language, literacy and dare I say it, fashion. I am a complete failure!!! And yet I still walk around with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. I hope that when I return home, I can keep this sense of self with me, more than any material thing I bring back. I want to walk through the rest of my life feeling that I'm walking on the greener side of life.
Sorry, I suppose this is really meant for my own personal journal but.. I havent had the time to write much lately. I took on extra classes... for fun. Can you believe that!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I will not be defeated Ajinomoto man!
I have a slight "aruugi" (aka allergy) to MSG. Lovingly called Ajinomoto (more tasty) here in Japan. It means that I cant eat at most restaurants without some sort of reaction because they sneak it into everything. Don't get me started on ramen. Forget about it. Went out with a few of the apartment mates for ramen one night and left feeling slightly swollen and incredibly sleepy. Later that night, I passed out upon returning home, I found it painful to close my fingers into a fist. gah.. no fun.
So... needless to say, I seldom eat out and am usually stuck cooking most of my meals. Which is fine. I love cooking. And here is the meat of my post! I made Japanese curry (カリー) from scratch! BOO YEA!
Ok, so maybe your not as excited as I am. I grew up on curry rice but I always had a slight reaction to the MSG and while living in Japan, curry is every where but I cant eat it! they add MSG ontop of the MSG! Its even in their pickles! Frrrrrrruuuuuuuhhhhhhh!!!!!
So last night, in a fit to get things cooked in my fridge, I went to work scraping together most of the ingredients found in curry and making the roux with spices I have picked up here and there. It wasnt perfect but it was delicious and far less greasy than the roux blocks you get at the store or the dishes they serve in the restaurants. I'll probably give the recipe a quick touch up before I post and this time, I wont be so hungry as to eat it all before taking a pic.
So keep a heads up for a recipe post.
Oh.... and maybe a fig picking post! and then... a fig jam post.... oh the possiblities....
So... needless to say, I seldom eat out and am usually stuck cooking most of my meals. Which is fine. I love cooking. And here is the meat of my post! I made Japanese curry (カリー) from scratch! BOO YEA!
Ok, so maybe your not as excited as I am. I grew up on curry rice but I always had a slight reaction to the MSG and while living in Japan, curry is every where but I cant eat it! they add MSG ontop of the MSG! Its even in their pickles! Frrrrrrruuuuuuuhhhhhhh!!!!!
So last night, in a fit to get things cooked in my fridge, I went to work scraping together most of the ingredients found in curry and making the roux with spices I have picked up here and there. It wasnt perfect but it was delicious and far less greasy than the roux blocks you get at the store or the dishes they serve in the restaurants. I'll probably give the recipe a quick touch up before I post and this time, I wont be so hungry as to eat it all before taking a pic.
So keep a heads up for a recipe post.
Oh.... and maybe a fig picking post! and then... a fig jam post.... oh the possiblities....
Monday, October 3, 2011
Persimmon Ice Cream any one?
Fall! You came out of no where!
I feel like I woke up one morning and there you were freezing me out of my bed! There was no warning, the leaves haven't started changing colours. The cicadas still sing, the mosquitoes still bite. What the heck?
And where are all the pumpkins? I want those large orange bulbous masses to erupt from the ground!
Alas, Japan... you tease me. pumpkins are green, here. Only maple leaves change colours and they aren't ready to do that yet... BUT man oh, MAN is it cold in the morning and to top it off... I have to bike to the train station... frick n' frack. burr!
There is this whole weird thing Japan does, too. All the vending machines dispense hot cans of coffee. No joke. Went to the grocery store the other night and was waiting in line and typically where the cooler to buy a bottle of Coke is, there was hot cans of coffee! heat was emanating out of the "cooler" and at the train station... out of curiosity sake I bought a can of coffee late and it was hot!
Would that work in the States? Probably not. Some idiot would try to sue the vending company for their coffee can being too hot. Which isnt the case here.. its pleasantly warm even when you are taken aback by the concept of a warmed can in your hand.
Back home, friends are picking apples and canning delicious recipes... I am sooo jealous! BUT guess what I can pick in Japan? Persimmons! Figs! Kiwi! Oranges! So... maybe I can't have apple cider... which sucks big time, but I can make persimmon ice cream... and fig jam and... and stuff my face full of oranges and kiwi! So.. I will report on how all that goes but in the mean time, I had better get back to work.
Ciao!
I feel like I woke up one morning and there you were freezing me out of my bed! There was no warning, the leaves haven't started changing colours. The cicadas still sing, the mosquitoes still bite. What the heck?
And where are all the pumpkins? I want those large orange bulbous masses to erupt from the ground!
Alas, Japan... you tease me. pumpkins are green, here. Only maple leaves change colours and they aren't ready to do that yet... BUT man oh, MAN is it cold in the morning and to top it off... I have to bike to the train station... frick n' frack. burr!
There is this whole weird thing Japan does, too. All the vending machines dispense hot cans of coffee. No joke. Went to the grocery store the other night and was waiting in line and typically where the cooler to buy a bottle of Coke is, there was hot cans of coffee! heat was emanating out of the "cooler" and at the train station... out of curiosity sake I bought a can of coffee late and it was hot!
Would that work in the States? Probably not. Some idiot would try to sue the vending company for their coffee can being too hot. Which isnt the case here.. its pleasantly warm even when you are taken aback by the concept of a warmed can in your hand.
Back home, friends are picking apples and canning delicious recipes... I am sooo jealous! BUT guess what I can pick in Japan? Persimmons! Figs! Kiwi! Oranges! So... maybe I can't have apple cider... which sucks big time, but I can make persimmon ice cream... and fig jam and... and stuff my face full of oranges and kiwi! So.. I will report on how all that goes but in the mean time, I had better get back to work.
Ciao!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Funny things my students say....
Exercise was ~ in order to () so that I can/could ()
I walk around my house everyday so that I can look for handsome men.
I decided to become Superman so that I could fly the sky
I decided to propose to my girlfriend so that I could eat the miso soup she made every day. (This student made it a point to introduce himself to me once he heard how smitten I was by his statement. I wonder if his gf knows he's a flirt...)
In self-introduction questionaire:
How many boy friend do you have?
(my reply; Many, many.)
I make my mistakes too, some of the teachers help me study Japanese and I think often times, the homework I hand them to look at sends them into fits of laughter. My misspelling of words or adding extra vowels were they need not be is a regular occurrence. I will try to up date this list as funny things are passed my way to grade.
Sorry for the short note but I am just kinda tired today.
I walk around my house everyday so that I can look for handsome men.
I decided to become Superman so that I could fly the sky
I decided to propose to my girlfriend so that I could eat the miso soup she made every day. (This student made it a point to introduce himself to me once he heard how smitten I was by his statement. I wonder if his gf knows he's a flirt...)
In self-introduction questionaire:
How many boy friend do you have?
(my reply; Many, many.)
I make my mistakes too, some of the teachers help me study Japanese and I think often times, the homework I hand them to look at sends them into fits of laughter. My misspelling of words or adding extra vowels were they need not be is a regular occurrence. I will try to up date this list as funny things are passed my way to grade.
Sorry for the short note but I am just kinda tired today.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Help! I'm trapped in the Super Market!
I don't know a better way to explain what living in Japan feels like other than the above title.
In the neighborhood where I grew up there are quite a few foreign grocery stores and in particular there are a few Japanese ones. As a kid I remember my mom often taking my grandmother to one called Mitsuwa. It is super huge with a book store, a place to buy Japanese dishes, video rentals, food court, bakery, cosmetics counter, and, of course, groceries. It was great for my grandmother because she could buy groceries that reminded her of home hear her native language and pick up a Japanese newspaper or magazine. After she passed away, the rest of my family would still go to pick up a few goodies or to have sushi or something Japanese for lunch.
Visiting that store always felt like I had been transported to Japan. The Asian (primarily Japanese) customers, picking up essentials, the families speaking in a foreign tongue, the food that looked a bit unusual compared to the American staples like hamburgers, fries, Coca Cola.
And that is how I feel here...
Except, at home, I could walk out the front of the grocery store and re-enter the familiar suburban world I knew so well. So, tell me, can anyone tell me where the exit is? Or even what the word "exit" looks like? Because I feel as if I am trapped in the grocery store and its sprouting up rice paddies. I also cant find my car but even worse, people are driving on the wrong side of the street! And this foreign language... well its rather isolating to be illiterate and without much language ability.....
In a place where the tables are turned, I have a new found appreciation for the wonderful skill that is language learning, a supreme envy of those who are able to communicate effectively and with ease. I`m not unhappy with where I am but I do miss the comfort of being able to do things without depending upon another person for help. And sometimes, just sometimes I want so desperately to talk in English and eavesdrop on random conversations.
Now, I don't mean eavesdrop in the manner of juicy gossipy secrets, I mean.. the kind of eavesdropping one does when waiting to cross the street at the crosswalk and you happen to hear the loud person behind you telling some boring/funny/scary story to their friend. There something about that simple routine in daily life, that I miss.
I also miss hugs and having a friend pat me on the back. Its an odd sense of personal space the Japanese have. They are so forth right about so many things, for example I've had people comment about my acne or ask me straight out what my religion is, but personal space that bubble is sacred and to get passed that... to give someone a hug or pat them on the back, its a total no, no. (I fear I may have crossed a boundary at my school when I patted a coworker on the back, simply out of habit... awkward moment...)
I haven't a clue if this is culture shock, stage two or simple culture awareness going on. I want to leave this grocery store for just a little fresh, familiar air. I want to chuckle as the ladies behind me waiting to cross the street gossip about so and so doing such and such. I miss my friends hugging me hello or goodbye but I wouldn't have learned to appreciate these little things if I hadn't walked into the grocery store with no exit, in the first place.
In the neighborhood where I grew up there are quite a few foreign grocery stores and in particular there are a few Japanese ones. As a kid I remember my mom often taking my grandmother to one called Mitsuwa. It is super huge with a book store, a place to buy Japanese dishes, video rentals, food court, bakery, cosmetics counter, and, of course, groceries. It was great for my grandmother because she could buy groceries that reminded her of home hear her native language and pick up a Japanese newspaper or magazine. After she passed away, the rest of my family would still go to pick up a few goodies or to have sushi or something Japanese for lunch.
Visiting that store always felt like I had been transported to Japan. The Asian (primarily Japanese) customers, picking up essentials, the families speaking in a foreign tongue, the food that looked a bit unusual compared to the American staples like hamburgers, fries, Coca Cola.
And that is how I feel here...
Except, at home, I could walk out the front of the grocery store and re-enter the familiar suburban world I knew so well. So, tell me, can anyone tell me where the exit is? Or even what the word "exit" looks like? Because I feel as if I am trapped in the grocery store and its sprouting up rice paddies. I also cant find my car but even worse, people are driving on the wrong side of the street! And this foreign language... well its rather isolating to be illiterate and without much language ability.....
In a place where the tables are turned, I have a new found appreciation for the wonderful skill that is language learning, a supreme envy of those who are able to communicate effectively and with ease. I`m not unhappy with where I am but I do miss the comfort of being able to do things without depending upon another person for help. And sometimes, just sometimes I want so desperately to talk in English and eavesdrop on random conversations.
Now, I don't mean eavesdrop in the manner of juicy gossipy secrets, I mean.. the kind of eavesdropping one does when waiting to cross the street at the crosswalk and you happen to hear the loud person behind you telling some boring/funny/scary story to their friend. There something about that simple routine in daily life, that I miss.
I also miss hugs and having a friend pat me on the back. Its an odd sense of personal space the Japanese have. They are so forth right about so many things, for example I've had people comment about my acne or ask me straight out what my religion is, but personal space that bubble is sacred and to get passed that... to give someone a hug or pat them on the back, its a total no, no. (I fear I may have crossed a boundary at my school when I patted a coworker on the back, simply out of habit... awkward moment...)
I haven't a clue if this is culture shock, stage two or simple culture awareness going on. I want to leave this grocery store for just a little fresh, familiar air. I want to chuckle as the ladies behind me waiting to cross the street gossip about so and so doing such and such. I miss my friends hugging me hello or goodbye but I wouldn't have learned to appreciate these little things if I hadn't walked into the grocery store with no exit, in the first place.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Just call me .... disaster.
So, today was my first day making up my own lesson. I had been planning it for about a week. In my head it played out as FUN! Exciting! COOL!
Today, it was... huh? what? Wakarimasen..... 40 faces giving me the "deer in headlights" look.
The lesson was... To review directions, giving and receiving them as someone lost in Chicago and trying to find their way to Millennium Park. My problem was, I choose to large of a challenge, I assumed more than the students could comprehend and even though I felt the lesson was easy, I needed to make it even more simple.
So, my goal is to somehow repair the disappointed outcome with an interactive game. I have rearranged the desks to resemble the streets and buildings of Chicago (as best as a desk can do that...) I hope Japanese kids have as colourful an imagination as I do, otherwise this lesson is down the crapper.
What other failures have happened?
Hrm... Ah! Hiked Mt. Aso this weekend. Mt. Aso is an active volcano on Kyushu Island, about an hour and a half drive from where I live. It should have been pretty great, except that Kyushu is on the radar for a typhoon and the rain and moisture meant that the volcano was barely visible. Did that stop me from trying to hike this unpaved mountain in my brand new penny loafers that have no treads on the bottom? HELLZ NO! I did, it was exhausting, so much so.. my hosts dutifully pointed out in English and Japanese, how much I slept in the car ride. Young, you say? Sure I can climb a mountain like I am young... but boy does it poop me out! Guess I wasn't much fun to the 50+ year old chaperons who wanted to take me on this adventure. (Not an FML or anything... it wasnt THAT dramatic..just noteworthy)
On a happy note! Found an international food store to get my nutella, pasta sauce, and mac n'cheese fix. Also found that when randomly deciding to go bike around willy nilly during typhoon season, to bring aponcho. to come decked to the nines in rain gear.
Well, that's it for today. Gotta work on that lesson!
P.S. I hate typhoon season.... I mean wtf? Its like the sky is laughing its ass off at me... it rains for the 10 minutes I need to be outside to bike to work and once I enter the building it freak'n stops raining!!!! Gahhhh!!!
Today, it was... huh? what? Wakarimasen..... 40 faces giving me the "deer in headlights" look.
The lesson was... To review directions, giving and receiving them as someone lost in Chicago and trying to find their way to Millennium Park. My problem was, I choose to large of a challenge, I assumed more than the students could comprehend and even though I felt the lesson was easy, I needed to make it even more simple.
So, my goal is to somehow repair the disappointed outcome with an interactive game. I have rearranged the desks to resemble the streets and buildings of Chicago (as best as a desk can do that...) I hope Japanese kids have as colourful an imagination as I do, otherwise this lesson is down the crapper.
What other failures have happened?
Hrm... Ah! Hiked Mt. Aso this weekend. Mt. Aso is an active volcano on Kyushu Island, about an hour and a half drive from where I live. It should have been pretty great, except that Kyushu is on the radar for a typhoon and the rain and moisture meant that the volcano was barely visible. Did that stop me from trying to hike this unpaved mountain in my brand new penny loafers that have no treads on the bottom? HELLZ NO! I did, it was exhausting, so much so.. my hosts dutifully pointed out in English and Japanese, how much I slept in the car ride. Young, you say? Sure I can climb a mountain like I am young... but boy does it poop me out! Guess I wasn't much fun to the 50+ year old chaperons who wanted to take me on this adventure. (Not an FML or anything... it wasnt THAT dramatic..just noteworthy)
On a happy note! Found an international food store to get my nutella, pasta sauce, and mac n'cheese fix. Also found that when randomly deciding to go bike around willy nilly during typhoon season, to bring a
Well, that's it for today. Gotta work on that lesson!
P.S. I hate typhoon season.... I mean wtf? Its like the sky is laughing its ass off at me... it rains for the 10 minutes I need to be outside to bike to work and once I enter the building it freak'n stops raining!!!! Gahhhh!!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mother's Milk Shrine!
(I cant wait until I get internet at home. It will be much easier to whine, complain and chatter about things and edit them in the quiet of my own thoughts. And add pictures. Oh so many pictures!)
This weekend, I was pretty busy. Biked then climbed to a nearby mountain temple, Kiyoumizuyama-san. Which was beautiful, exhausting and for a brief moment... perturbing. Along the path there are many stone Buddha; some have been dressed in little napkin dresses, some have offerings of tea, sake or money and some... some sadly have lost their heads or had new heads attached to bodies weathered away by time. Its a calming and peaceful hike and I think I may wander that way pretty often. (there is also a delightful chocolate shop....)
At the top of the climb is a temple. Its a steep climb but if little old ladies and old men smoking cigarettes can make it to the top, than dang it if you'll see me panting! (.... oh... my... lord.... I was dying... how do those old people do it???)
The temple is not unlike many of the temples in Japan. Old-ish, wooden/bamboo-ish, pond with brightly colored fish, good luck trinkets to buy, Japanese lady to give the strange foreigner sweets and talk to them in speedy Japanese... it was pleasant and not in the least bit crowded. Which is great. If there is one thing about visiting places I dislike, its crowds. Not far from the main temple is a smaller shrine. Local ALTs (people like me, teach'n anglais) call this the Boobie Shrine. That's right you didn't misread anything.... Boobie Shrine. It is meant as a place to honor and pray for productive lactating.
Not so foreign of a concept if you think about it. I mean where would we be without the nutrition originally feed to us from our mother's breast? In this context its really a pretty neat thing but to the left of the little shrine building is a bulletin wall where.... thousands of pillows shaped like breasts are hung. Some of them have gone so far as to have red painted nipples! Its kinda a funny concept until you see that the red color has run from its original location... Thus producing bleeding nipples. Somehow, all I could think of was OOOOUUUCCHHHHH!!!!!! Ow ow ow ow owwwww.....
Once you get past the shrine of .... ouch! The return hike is filled with a peony farm and more hidden buildings. Its pretty cool. And on the ride home... there's a chocolate shop. :)
Do you have many boy friend?
So today was the start of classes at my base high school. The school I just made a speech to in Japanese. Only one class today but it was a good class. The students, while shy, do speak better English than at my second high school.
AND I only recieved one boyfriend question. "Do you have many boy friends?"
And my response was "Yea, I have many boy friends."
Yup.. I am embracing the foreign goddess mentality. Yup I have many boyfriends. Yup, I am a berri beautiful. Yup. Yup... I wish sarcasm was as easy to get across in Japanese as it is in English. Amerika no joudan desu! (American joke!)
Anyway, I have a lot to be grateful about having this school as my base school. My predessesor left me notes for everything I would need to do/learn/get used too. She was great and left comfortable shoes to fill. My supervisors are helpful and fun, they speak English well, understand my slightly dry humor and assist me in my Japanese study. Of course there is gossip in the staff room and those moments that, because I spoke in relatively good Japanese at opening ceremony, some teachers approach me speaking entirely in Japanese and I have to sit there and try to understand whats going on. Its pretty nice here. I wish there was a bit more work for me to do but I suppose that is when I can study Japanese.
The other school, with the predecessor who left me homework to grade and a fish tank full of fish to deal with, is a good school too. I have been welcomed and assisted through many things. At times I feel quite content with the way things have worked out this far....
I hope that last phrase doesn't bite me in the a$$ later.
AND I only recieved one boyfriend question. "Do you have many boy friends?"
And my response was "Yea, I have many boy friends."
Yup.. I am embracing the foreign goddess mentality. Yup I have many boyfriends. Yup, I am a berri beautiful. Yup. Yup... I wish sarcasm was as easy to get across in Japanese as it is in English. Amerika no joudan desu! (American joke!)
Anyway, I have a lot to be grateful about having this school as my base school. My predessesor left me notes for everything I would need to do/learn/get used too. She was great and left comfortable shoes to fill. My supervisors are helpful and fun, they speak English well, understand my slightly dry humor and assist me in my Japanese study. Of course there is gossip in the staff room and those moments that, because I spoke in relatively good Japanese at opening ceremony, some teachers approach me speaking entirely in Japanese and I have to sit there and try to understand whats going on. Its pretty nice here. I wish there was a bit more work for me to do but I suppose that is when I can study Japanese.
The other school, with the predecessor who left me homework to grade and a fish tank full of fish to deal with, is a good school too. I have been welcomed and assisted through many things. At times I feel quite content with the way things have worked out this far....
I hope that last phrase doesn't bite me in the a$$ later.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
All the world is a stage... in Japan.
So.. While I`m waiting for the news of my computer.. (its still on the Apple screen of death) I will accept that many personal things such as photos will be forever lost to the computer God. I`m convinced that there must be a shrine to this Deity somewhere in Japan BUT its got to be on another island because Kyushu, with all its great shrines (theres one for students, one with the largest rope, one for old people... you get it) doesn't have one.
So, there will be downs in life, what can I tell you about the ups?
Today, I had to make a speech in front of my primary senior high school. IN JAPANESE! Ah it was a glorious mess of vowels and consonants squished together and spit out of my mouth. But it must have been semi decent because the parts that the teachers didnt understand was where when I inserted my `Amerika no jodan desu` (American joke) in English. It was glorious.
Quick run down of the speech:
Hi, my name is.... I am from.... I am excited to teach you this year... for those who dont have class with me, I still want to talk with you so feel free to shout out, `Hey!` and I will respond, `Hay is for horses!`
Lame? Maybe but I enjoyed it.
AND a few students laughed... Maybe they were qued by the teachers (who saw me practicing nonstop for a week, talking to myself in the court yard) but I`d like to think that they got it. Dont shatter my dreams in the comment section, ok!
Good things happen everyday, here. Even when tragically bad things happen. Like when you go to the grocery store and actually hear the vocabulary words you were studying! Or when heaven forbid, you speak a little Nihongo and BAM! Something small got accomplished, like finding out where the freak`n zipties are at the hardware store.
Ah.....
Step by step. baby step. little little baby steps.
things are going to be ok.
On a side note, I really like my primary school, its equivalent to a college prep and 98% of attendees go to University, so the students behave themselves a little better than at my secondary school which is open to any students of all aims in life. High school boys still scare me, only this time around... I have ultimate power. I am a foreign goddess who studied their own martial arts. Oooohhhh scary. Nevermind, I spent the majority of this year not doing any of it.
So, there will be downs in life, what can I tell you about the ups?
Today, I had to make a speech in front of my primary senior high school. IN JAPANESE! Ah it was a glorious mess of vowels and consonants squished together and spit out of my mouth. But it must have been semi decent because the parts that the teachers didnt understand was where when I inserted my `Amerika no jodan desu` (American joke) in English. It was glorious.
Quick run down of the speech:
Hi, my name is.... I am from.... I am excited to teach you this year... for those who dont have class with me, I still want to talk with you so feel free to shout out, `Hey!` and I will respond, `Hay is for horses!`
Lame? Maybe but I enjoyed it.
AND a few students laughed... Maybe they were qued by the teachers (who saw me practicing nonstop for a week, talking to myself in the court yard) but I`d like to think that they got it. Dont shatter my dreams in the comment section, ok!
Good things happen everyday, here. Even when tragically bad things happen. Like when you go to the grocery store and actually hear the vocabulary words you were studying! Or when heaven forbid, you speak a little Nihongo and BAM! Something small got accomplished, like finding out where the freak`n zipties are at the hardware store.
Ah.....
Step by step. baby step. little little baby steps.
things are going to be ok.
On a side note, I really like my primary school, its equivalent to a college prep and 98% of attendees go to University, so the students behave themselves a little better than at my secondary school which is open to any students of all aims in life. High school boys still scare me, only this time around... I have ultimate power. I am a foreign goddess who studied their own martial arts. Oooohhhh scary. Nevermind, I spent the majority of this year not doing any of it.
Monday, August 29, 2011
When things go wrong...
So, it was one of those weekends.
Everything was going great, saw Wicked, got some shopping done (let me say, I didn't realize how much I missed being close to a mall till I stepped into Hakata city on Saturday). Yea, I was pretty content with things even the language barrier. Then Sunday happened and I had one of those moments.
Sunday, trying to clean up the apartment, making a list groceries and necessities, jamming to music belting out of my computer.... then ... nothing. Maybe the battery had died, I thought. It had been playing for a while. I plugged in the adapter, pressed the start up button and... gray screen... gray screen with apple icon... do not enter sign... flashing icons... do not enter and folder with question mark....
Oh.. s***!!!!!!!
My heart sank. All my data wasn't backed up b/c I have no internet. My external died and I was waiting to buy a new one with the next paycheck.... ``just need to go to the Genius bar`` I thought.
``In JAPAN! AND I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE!!!!``
I threw myself onto my bed (thankfully its western so I can say it and mean on a piece of furniture a foot and a half off the ground, instead of on the floor)
Is that a dramatic enough scene for you? I don't have to go into detail about how I sorta wandered a bit not knowing what to do... randomly breaking into tears? Ok. good. I wont go there. Sunday ended with me calling another JET I had met during Tokyo Orientation and chatting about other things like cooking, school and students. He threw in a few jokes and I ended the night with the newest episode of Dr. Who. Things would be better in the morning. I thought.
Monday
Monday meant someone was coming to my house to take away the huge fish tank left in my apartment by my predecessor. I had cleaned up the apartment while in a daze from the computer mishap...so... I got to school pulled out my wallet and realized my foreigners card was missing! Ok. No problem. I had taken it out the day before to prepare for my internet service order. Its got to be on the table.
Fast forward to the end of the day. (it was boring, there`s not much to say about it anyway. Kids are on vacation) Step off the train, go to the bike parking and..... where`s my bike?
No bike.. No bike... bike is nowhere to be seen....
Walk home, someone will be by at 5:30 for the fish tank.. walked home and made it there at 5. Open the door, look on the table... no foreigners card..
NO FOREIGNER CARD!!!
Ok... Ok... its somewhere. Got to be. Scrabble through papers, purse, backpack...
BUZZZzz.
Fish tank collector is here!
``No English.``
Uh..``Nihongo.. sukoshi...``
``blah. blah. blah...``
`` oh.. god... Chotto matte kudasai.`` Run to get my neighbor (Pollyanna) who knows much more Japanese than she lets on at first.
Ok, things were settled, fish tank was taken. I got paid 10 bucks or so which is great because that thing with fish and a running generator made my electricity bill exorbitant. that 1000 yen covered a big portion of the expense. (I threw the fish into the river, Thursday. I had that blog on the now deceased computer)
``Ok... (Pollyanna), I cant find my Gajin card.``
Luckily, after a bit of searching.. we found it... You know where it was? In my rubbish. Yes, I had, in my cleaning, thrown away my card into the slimy refuse of food scraps. Gross you say? Yes, it was gross... and smelly.... and now, even after washing it, my purse smells.
ok... Now, try to find the bike. Walk back to the station and low and behold... there in a spot I never am in.. is my bike. Yay! On my way home.. I passed the drug store (Walgreen's-ish) and you know what I did? I went in bought a bottle of pop and a bag of chocolate covered biscuits and rode home.
I ate a whole bag of chocolate biscuits (10 nibble size cookies) and soda for dinner...
And fell asleep with the wrappers littered all over my bed.
So, there you have it. My moment.
And no, the world did not end and while I wait to see the final conclusion to what is wrong with my computer... things really aren't THAT bad. But that doesn't stop me from feeling a bit on the negative side. So, I do my thing, rant, rave and complain and now I feel better. And you all had to read about it, so there.
Sorry. Promise for better notes another day.
Everything was going great, saw Wicked, got some shopping done (let me say, I didn't realize how much I missed being close to a mall till I stepped into Hakata city on Saturday). Yea, I was pretty content with things even the language barrier. Then Sunday happened and I had one of those moments.
Sunday, trying to clean up the apartment, making a list groceries and necessities, jamming to music belting out of my computer.... then ... nothing. Maybe the battery had died, I thought. It had been playing for a while. I plugged in the adapter, pressed the start up button and... gray screen... gray screen with apple icon... do not enter sign... flashing icons... do not enter and folder with question mark....
Oh.. s***!!!!!!!
My heart sank. All my data wasn't backed up b/c I have no internet. My external died and I was waiting to buy a new one with the next paycheck.... ``just need to go to the Genius bar`` I thought.
``In JAPAN! AND I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE!!!!``
I threw myself onto my bed (thankfully its western so I can say it and mean on a piece of furniture a foot and a half off the ground, instead of on the floor)
Is that a dramatic enough scene for you? I don't have to go into detail about how I sorta wandered a bit not knowing what to do... randomly breaking into tears? Ok. good. I wont go there. Sunday ended with me calling another JET I had met during Tokyo Orientation and chatting about other things like cooking, school and students. He threw in a few jokes and I ended the night with the newest episode of Dr. Who. Things would be better in the morning. I thought.
Monday
Monday meant someone was coming to my house to take away the huge fish tank left in my apartment by my predecessor. I had cleaned up the apartment while in a daze from the computer mishap...so... I got to school pulled out my wallet and realized my foreigners card was missing! Ok. No problem. I had taken it out the day before to prepare for my internet service order. Its got to be on the table.
Fast forward to the end of the day. (it was boring, there`s not much to say about it anyway. Kids are on vacation) Step off the train, go to the bike parking and..... where`s my bike?
No bike.. No bike... bike is nowhere to be seen....
Walk home, someone will be by at 5:30 for the fish tank.. walked home and made it there at 5. Open the door, look on the table... no foreigners card..
NO FOREIGNER CARD!!!
Ok... Ok... its somewhere. Got to be. Scrabble through papers, purse, backpack...
BUZZZzz.
Fish tank collector is here!
``No English.``
Uh..``Nihongo.. sukoshi...``
``blah. blah. blah...``
`` oh.. god... Chotto matte kudasai.`` Run to get my neighbor (Pollyanna) who knows much more Japanese than she lets on at first.
Ok, things were settled, fish tank was taken. I got paid 10 bucks or so which is great because that thing with fish and a running generator made my electricity bill exorbitant. that 1000 yen covered a big portion of the expense. (I threw the fish into the river, Thursday. I had that blog on the now deceased computer)
``Ok... (Pollyanna), I cant find my Gajin card.``
Luckily, after a bit of searching.. we found it... You know where it was? In my rubbish. Yes, I had, in my cleaning, thrown away my card into the slimy refuse of food scraps. Gross you say? Yes, it was gross... and smelly.... and now, even after washing it, my purse smells.
ok... Now, try to find the bike. Walk back to the station and low and behold... there in a spot I never am in.. is my bike. Yay! On my way home.. I passed the drug store (Walgreen's-ish) and you know what I did? I went in bought a bottle of pop and a bag of chocolate covered biscuits and rode home.
I ate a whole bag of chocolate biscuits (10 nibble size cookies) and soda for dinner...
And fell asleep with the wrappers littered all over my bed.
So, there you have it. My moment.
And no, the world did not end and while I wait to see the final conclusion to what is wrong with my computer... things really aren't THAT bad. But that doesn't stop me from feeling a bit on the negative side. So, I do my thing, rant, rave and complain and now I feel better. And you all had to read about it, so there.
Sorry. Promise for better notes another day.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Go Cubs, Go!
Hurry up and go!
After my long weekend, coming back to an empty school was the last thing I wanted to do. There are no teachers here, no students… it's the vice principal, a handful of teachers who are coaching sports and me… Me and the cicadas….
Thursday can’t come soon enough.
Yay! Thursday! Today I get to be a judge for a senior high school “Recitation Contest.”
I didn’t know what to expect but it was very exciting. It reminded me a lot of Speech team in high school. The kids were given the choice to pick from either a segment of Hellen Keller or Obama speeches or to read a passage from the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I was super excited for the Harry Potter speeches! Unfortunately there weren’t many, maybe Japanese students think Harry Potter isn’t good speech contest material. There were some excellent speeches and hard dedication by all the students and I can only hope that I have more experiences like this one in the future. I was impressed.
The rest of the week has been preparations for my first class introduction. I cheated a little and made a video. I hate talking about myself it makes me self conscious, so instead I let a video do most of my talking for me. After showing it to some of the English teachers, I am hopeful that the students will like it. It seems that the teachers enjoyed it. I also have to make a mini intro and am thinking about ending it with, teaching the students how to sing the chant, “Go Cubs, Go!” We’ll see what happens.
The Lucky One, Hiroshima (Part Deux)
Its been a crazy hectic week this week. So, I’ll do my best to catch up on the trip to Hiroshima and all that’s been going on. But first, a bit of odd Japanese culture observance. Of the fashion trends in Japan, the obsession by women to maintain the whitest skin possible is one that astonishes me in little ways all the time. When I first arrived it was the number of women carrying around parasols and wearing arm coverings in the HOT and HUMID weather! It's a faux pas to wear sleeveless here, so on top of their short sleeved outfits they wear another sleeve to cover their arms completely! If that wasn't funny enough, when I went to the drug store to look at buying some sunblock, low and behold, 50+ is the most common. But wait, there’s more! Its 50+ and whitening! So… I think Japanese women are aiming to become transparent.
Ok so now on to Hiroshima. The four hour drive was nothing but beautiful while I was awake. Mountains, Mountains, Mountains! I love it here with all the mountains! To get to Hiroshima by car, you have to drive over a bridge that will take you to the Mainland, Honshu (I live on Kyshu). It's a gorgeous bridge and we stopped to take pictures in front of it. As we drove through Honshu.. I’m sorry but I passed out. I have no idea how the scenery changed. Car rides=Nap time for me.
Miyajima is the most popular tourist destination outside of Tokyo and that is exactly where my family took me. I admit I would have liked to just wander on my own accord a bit but they wanted to hit as many of the tourists spots as possible. So, I took a picture in front of the giant orange gateway, walked around the floating temple (its on stilts, don't worry its not really floating) gazed at the 5-tier Pagoda from the meditation building, and ate oysters, the most popular dish on the island.
It was great but I was plum tuckered out after all that excitement, we went to our hotel, cleaned up and had Hiroshima’s signature dish. Okonomiyaki. To describe it is hard. Some Japanese explain it as Japanese pizza but its not like pizza in the sense of food you can eat with your hands, has a crust and is loaded with cheese and tomato sauce. Perhaps it is more like if pizza met a pancake and had a baby.
Weird? Well, than I successfully eliminated the idea of pizza out of your mind. Ok, its like pancake in that it has a batter, you top it off with sauce and usually eat it with a fork. Its like pizza in that you can put many types of savory ingredients in it. Hiroshima is known for putting soba (noodles much like ramen but thick like spaghetti) inside. As for the ingredients, its usually filled with squid, shrimp, cabbage and topped off with a special sauce and mayonnaise. The Japanese obsession with mayo is a rant for another time.
The next day was my last day in Hiroshima and while I didn't get to climb Mt. Misen, (a popular scenic trail up a mountain) We did go to one of the most famous gardens, which was lovely and filled with lots of hungry carp and turtles! It was lush and green and full of cicadas. The next stop was The Peace Museum. While I was prepared for it to be an emotional experience, I was relieved that it while it outlined that America dropped two nuclear bombs, it focused more on the tragedies and the importance of not repeating history, rather than blame. Peace Park just outside the Museum is beautifully designed with a gateway that lines up the Peace Flame (that burns eternally) and the empty shell of the Hospital that became a monument and testament to those who survived.
We happened to visit on August 16th, which is the symbolic day that Japan recognizes as the end of the war. So while everything was crowded, there is just something about Japanese culture that makes being in a crowd a lot less unnerving than it would in the states. So, I enjoyed my visit to this legendary place and was very happy to see the Monument to Sadako and the thousands of cranes people all over Japan and the world send here.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Lucky One (part 1)
Ok.. I cant wait to show pictures but until internet is installed in my apartment, you all will just have to use your imaginations.
Between the various moments of down time, I have been trying to figure out what to write for this next post. Obviously, I have been doing a lot and there is a lot I want to tell everyone but... its just exhausting to type out one story and think.. wait..what was the other thing I wanted to talk about?
So, maybe I should warn you.. this one will be a long one. I`m going to try to describe my adventures in Japan with my newly realized, gigantic family.
There are three families I have in Japan. My jutaku family, which is the group of native English speakers that live in my apartment building. They are great because some have been here for a year or two and know how to get around, everyone has varying levels of Japanese so, theres always someone you can drag to the store, bank, post office, and today to get my cell phone! Then, there is the school family. The cute bunch of teachers who wont really talk to you b/c their nervous about their English but they want to drag you places and see you eat Japanese food. Lastly, there is my real Japanese family. The ones who are related to me by blood. These are the people who show me off to their friends, pamper me with compliments and guide me through all my social blunders. (after laughing for a good long time about it, first)
The jutaku is a great place to live, even if it is a very old building and my apartment needs daily cleaning. Everyone who lives there is friendly and helpful. My neighbor is a new ALT, like me and is from Singapore. She`s great for so many reasons but mostly, because she is like my own personal PollyAnna. Everytime I complain about something not working out the way I think it should, she comes up with something to be glad about. For example, I came home in a dither the other day because my predessesor left homework for me to grade from May!!! I was frustrated and confused as to how I was supposed to grade something like this. As I complained to my neighbor about this, she said, `You know, I envy you. Your school teachers will be so happy to have a teacher who will be more on top of things this year.` I had to stop for a moment mid-rant, she had made a very good point and I couldnt really continue to complain after that.
No one is really in school right now, its vacation but on days when there is someone more than the Kyoto-sensei (vice principal). Someone always is there to say hello. Ask me a question or two about my adjustment to living in Japan or offer me some sort of sweet confection. I need to get a toothbrush.
My Japanese family.. is huge. This past weekend was Obon (where you honor those that have passed). I took the train from my apartment to Fukuma, about a hour and half train ride. My cousin Koichi, his wife Kazuko, and their son, Mitsuki met me at the station. After a large bowl of cold ramen, (there are a million names for ramen, sooo.. I dont remember what it was called), we visited a temple with the largest rope in Japan. And let me tell you, it was LARGE. Next the house of Itoh Denemon. A coal mine financier, who built an elaborate tea garden and home for his second wife, a famous poet. The house is elaborate, with the first known indoor plumbing and some western influences. It was built... in the late 19th early 20th century. ( The translations were sparse so that`s all I have on that) Anyway, it was beautiful.
It was nearly dinner time then, so we drove over to Koichi`s father, Mitsuo`s, house. He is the patriarch of the family and well... EVERYONE came over to his house for Obon and to see the American cousin. It was a lot of people.... Dinner was HUGE! With Sushi, sashimi, Fried Chicken, a variety of veggies.. ooh... my tummy just grumbled thinking about it. At 8pm, it was time for Obon. A the house of the next door neighbor a bunch of people had gathered, some were dancing in a circle around a taiko drum. There was traditional music being played and someone periodically beating on the drum. I dont know many of the dances but my Grandmother`s was the tankobushi so, when it came on... I got thrown into the circle of dancing people. Mmmm... yea... It was a fun night but those crazy people dance till the crack of dawn and I had to be up early. Koichi and family were taking me to Hiroshima to go sightseeing.
End Part 1
Between the various moments of down time, I have been trying to figure out what to write for this next post. Obviously, I have been doing a lot and there is a lot I want to tell everyone but... its just exhausting to type out one story and think.. wait..what was the other thing I wanted to talk about?
So, maybe I should warn you.. this one will be a long one. I`m going to try to describe my adventures in Japan with my newly realized, gigantic family.
There are three families I have in Japan. My jutaku family, which is the group of native English speakers that live in my apartment building. They are great because some have been here for a year or two and know how to get around, everyone has varying levels of Japanese so, theres always someone you can drag to the store, bank, post office, and today to get my cell phone! Then, there is the school family. The cute bunch of teachers who wont really talk to you b/c their nervous about their English but they want to drag you places and see you eat Japanese food. Lastly, there is my real Japanese family. The ones who are related to me by blood. These are the people who show me off to their friends, pamper me with compliments and guide me through all my social blunders. (after laughing for a good long time about it, first)
The jutaku is a great place to live, even if it is a very old building and my apartment needs daily cleaning. Everyone who lives there is friendly and helpful. My neighbor is a new ALT, like me and is from Singapore. She`s great for so many reasons but mostly, because she is like my own personal PollyAnna. Everytime I complain about something not working out the way I think it should, she comes up with something to be glad about. For example, I came home in a dither the other day because my predessesor left homework for me to grade from May!!! I was frustrated and confused as to how I was supposed to grade something like this. As I complained to my neighbor about this, she said, `You know, I envy you. Your school teachers will be so happy to have a teacher who will be more on top of things this year.` I had to stop for a moment mid-rant, she had made a very good point and I couldnt really continue to complain after that.
No one is really in school right now, its vacation but on days when there is someone more than the Kyoto-sensei (vice principal). Someone always is there to say hello. Ask me a question or two about my adjustment to living in Japan or offer me some sort of sweet confection. I need to get a toothbrush.
My Japanese family.. is huge. This past weekend was Obon (where you honor those that have passed). I took the train from my apartment to Fukuma, about a hour and half train ride. My cousin Koichi, his wife Kazuko, and their son, Mitsuki met me at the station. After a large bowl of cold ramen, (there are a million names for ramen, sooo.. I dont remember what it was called), we visited a temple with the largest rope in Japan. And let me tell you, it was LARGE. Next the house of Itoh Denemon. A coal mine financier, who built an elaborate tea garden and home for his second wife, a famous poet. The house is elaborate, with the first known indoor plumbing and some western influences. It was built... in the late 19th early 20th century. ( The translations were sparse so that`s all I have on that) Anyway, it was beautiful.
It was nearly dinner time then, so we drove over to Koichi`s father, Mitsuo`s, house. He is the patriarch of the family and well... EVERYONE came over to his house for Obon and to see the American cousin. It was a lot of people.... Dinner was HUGE! With Sushi, sashimi, Fried Chicken, a variety of veggies.. ooh... my tummy just grumbled thinking about it. At 8pm, it was time for Obon. A the house of the next door neighbor a bunch of people had gathered, some were dancing in a circle around a taiko drum. There was traditional music being played and someone periodically beating on the drum. I dont know many of the dances but my Grandmother`s was the tankobushi so, when it came on... I got thrown into the circle of dancing people. Mmmm... yea... It was a fun night but those crazy people dance till the crack of dawn and I had to be up early. Koichi and family were taking me to Hiroshima to go sightseeing.
End Part 1
Friday, August 12, 2011
Godzilla LIVES!
So everything in Japan is small.
Well.... Not really. The size of the country is small, its crowded, homes can be small or at least the ceilings are low. The roads are small, a two way street is called the highway, in my town. If a car is coming your way, pull to the side and let it pass.
So what is big? For starters lets talk about the bugs. Yesterday, there was a spider as big as my hand crawling in front of my apartment door. (this is where my best friend would probably have screamed her head off and my last roommate will never visit this country, now) Spiders come in many sizes here and big is one of them. Secadas are big too.. like, wha-o! Big. Now, I know why some places eat them. (not in Japan,though..at least no where I`ve been) But the spiders are a good thing, trust me. Just like in the states, the spiders eat the annoying bugs, like the vicious mosquitos or the semi poisonous mukade which are large centiped-like bugs that make ME scream my head off.
What else is big? The people. I came to this country thinking, these people will all be my size-ish. Standing 5 foot tall, I was met by students standing nearly a foot or so taller... I mean... really? What the heck, Japan?
My schools are big, they have 3-5 buildings each and a soccer, baseball, and tennis field. One has a whole agriculture section and the other a large pool. If the homes are small its because the schools eat up all the space and spit out giant giggling Japanese students who want nothing more than scream; HADDO, at you.
And lastly, the Japanese appetite is HUGE. I mean... I eat a lot but.. these skinny as a rail people eat large quantities of food....Where do they put it all? And how do they not want to pass out in the middle of dinner? I havent figured out how to consume the amount of food they do here.. its amazing!
Well.... Not really. The size of the country is small, its crowded, homes can be small or at least the ceilings are low. The roads are small, a two way street is called the highway, in my town. If a car is coming your way, pull to the side and let it pass.
So what is big? For starters lets talk about the bugs. Yesterday, there was a spider as big as my hand crawling in front of my apartment door. (this is where my best friend would probably have screamed her head off and my last roommate will never visit this country, now) Spiders come in many sizes here and big is one of them. Secadas are big too.. like, wha-o! Big. Now, I know why some places eat them. (not in Japan,though..at least no where I`ve been) But the spiders are a good thing, trust me. Just like in the states, the spiders eat the annoying bugs, like the vicious mosquitos or the semi poisonous mukade which are large centiped-like bugs that make ME scream my head off.
What else is big? The people. I came to this country thinking, these people will all be my size-ish. Standing 5 foot tall, I was met by students standing nearly a foot or so taller... I mean... really? What the heck, Japan?
My schools are big, they have 3-5 buildings each and a soccer, baseball, and tennis field. One has a whole agriculture section and the other a large pool. If the homes are small its because the schools eat up all the space and spit out giant giggling Japanese students who want nothing more than scream; HADDO, at you.
And lastly, the Japanese appetite is HUGE. I mean... I eat a lot but.. these skinny as a rail people eat large quantities of food....Where do they put it all? And how do they not want to pass out in the middle of dinner? I havent figured out how to consume the amount of food they do here.. its amazing!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Whats in YOUR purse?
In the States, many women carry huge purses. They fill it with crazy non essentials like extra makeup, pens, receipts from a department store three years ago, or a crazy amount of extra just in case the world ends, weigh you down crap. My purse is not like that. At home, I carried my wallet, cell phone, swiss army knife, mini flashlight, chapstick and the occasional pen. I felt that a large purse was just a nuisance and an obnoxious thing to carry around.
I am kicking myself, now.
The need for certain essentials grows exponentially every day here. Even men carry bags here. What could you possibly need to carry in Japan, you wonder?
Ah... the essentials of the purse or man bag must include:
So, As soon as I get paid I`m off to Kurume to buy a purse the size of a beachbag. Oh how I wish I hadn`t criticized those women back home for their large purses... There truely is a need for them.
Ah... the essentials of the purse or man bag must include:
- large wallet for money (Japan is a cash based society, you seldom come across places that accept credit or debit cards and they use equal amount of coins and paper money and the average shape of paper money is larger than in the States. Also a coin purse is essential for average monetary transactions)
- Cell phone: heaven forbid you don't have a cell phone in this country! You spend a crazy amount of time trying to figure things out without one..(trust me, I know)
- large sweat towel. ACon (A/C) is not as readily available in Japan and its humid hot weather has you dripping excessively. Think.. 20 minutes and you need to rehydrate. Also, Seldom are there paper towels or hand dryers in the bathroom, so this is nice to keep on hand unless you like a wet handshake.
- on that note.. maybe a cloth napkin, too those are rather rare in some restaurants as well
- Clean white socks for the occasional entering of someone`s house. You don't want to enter with dirty feet. (they take off their shoes upon entering most upscale restaurants, doctors offices, homes, and offices)
- Spare hashi. Sometimes you find it necessary to bring your own chopsticks somewhere.
- I still like to carry around my swiss army knife and I am looking into buying a new flashlight because Japan is on a conserve energy campaign... often times in rural areas.. all the lights are out, streetlights included.
- Chap stick. Cause OMG, it hot and you can dehydrate quickly.
- can you get a water bottle into your bag? You might want too. There are vending machines but it gets quite expensive. Also, there are not as many trash bins in Japan and litering is quite frowned upon.
- for the quintessential traveler, phrase book/translator/electronic dictionary (this maybe your phone if you are lucky...)
- sunscreen if you don't want to wear a hat or use a parasol. Trust me though. Wear a hat or you`ll be applying SPF every ten minutes.
Monday, August 8, 2011
So it totally made it to Yahoo News which made my heart leap and I thought I would repost it here. Some of you know how much judo has been a part of my life and some know how hard it is to be a woman in a male dominated sport. This woman is more than a role model, icon, or celebrity to me.. I dont know if there is a word to describe how important she is to women, judoka, Japan.... Anyway, read the article if you have time. You`ll see why she is so cool.
Cheers!
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/98-year-old-woman-becomes-first-woman-ever-to-earn-judos-highest-degree-black-belt-2523297/
Cheers!
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/98-year-old-woman-becomes-first-woman-ever-to-earn-judos-highest-degree-black-belt-2523297/
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Get a little sun, a little lost, a million bug bites but s`all good.
Ok, maybe its because its summer break and no one, including teachers, is in the office that its so great to be in the office! Sure its kinda boring and its only Monday... but its only Monday and no one is in the office! The quiet is nice here when I have access to the Internet.
I probably will do more Japanese study the rest of the week but today, I just read up on world news, wrote my intro speech. Studied some Nihongo. Talked with the few teachers here who are around and have the courage to practice their English skills. One even brought me three melons from his garden. ``No chemicals`` was his introduction to them. It was really sweet to have a light hearted conversation with someone about gardens and possibly going to visit Mt. Asahi (?) Japan`s slightly active volcano... I`ll have to take a picture of these tiny little melons, they are too cute!
This weekend wasn`t terribly eventful, just cleaning up the apartment and my first attempt at cooking in the newly cleaned kitchen. It wasnt too bad but nothing turned out exactly right... The genmai (brown rice) was a little too mushy and the kinpira (carrots, burdock root, sesame seeds) was also slightly off. When grub starts to look good, I will take pictures and post recipes, until then, trust me.. it was just a bit off.
I also went exploring around my neighborhood. I must have sweated off the sunscreen in a matter of minutes because I am sunburned! The nice thing about Chikugo, where I live, is that its sorta a suburb in a rice patty. Every block is a mixture of house, home vegetable garden, and wafty green rice paddy.Which also means, I got a bit lost wandering from rice paddy to house. Musta been out for 2 hours or so. It happens when one gets distracted by the number of butterflies visiting flowers everywhere and amongst the shallow waters of the rice paddy, tons of snails just swimming/crawling about. It was pleasantly relaxing, even if I got the worst sunburn in my adult memory.
Oh.. and because we are surrounded by rice paddys, here in Chikugo, I have a million mosquito bites, all of which, I have scratched raw... mmm... yea.
Mental note* bring sweatproof sunblock and bug spray
I probably will do more Japanese study the rest of the week but today, I just read up on world news, wrote my intro speech. Studied some Nihongo. Talked with the few teachers here who are around and have the courage to practice their English skills. One even brought me three melons from his garden. ``No chemicals`` was his introduction to them. It was really sweet to have a light hearted conversation with someone about gardens and possibly going to visit Mt. Asahi (?) Japan`s slightly active volcano... I`ll have to take a picture of these tiny little melons, they are too cute!
This weekend wasn`t terribly eventful, just cleaning up the apartment and my first attempt at cooking in the newly cleaned kitchen. It wasnt too bad but nothing turned out exactly right... The genmai (brown rice) was a little too mushy and the kinpira (carrots, burdock root, sesame seeds) was also slightly off. When grub starts to look good, I will take pictures and post recipes, until then, trust me.. it was just a bit off.
I also went exploring around my neighborhood. I must have sweated off the sunscreen in a matter of minutes because I am sunburned! The nice thing about Chikugo, where I live, is that its sorta a suburb in a rice patty. Every block is a mixture of house, home vegetable garden, and wafty green rice paddy.Which also means, I got a bit lost wandering from rice paddy to house. Musta been out for 2 hours or so. It happens when one gets distracted by the number of butterflies visiting flowers everywhere and amongst the shallow waters of the rice paddy, tons of snails just swimming/crawling about. It was pleasantly relaxing, even if I got the worst sunburn in my adult memory.
Oh.. and because we are surrounded by rice paddys, here in Chikugo, I have a million mosquito bites, all of which, I have scratched raw... mmm... yea.
Mental note* bring sweatproof sunblock and bug spray
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Uhh... this is my apartment?
I guess I am a little crabby today, my new apartment was quite the BIKUISHITA! (Surprise) Its so grimmy. The previous ALTs who lived in this place obviously thought the next ALT should inherit their useless crap. Old spices, moldy books, thousands of tools, several sets of weights (as in Hulk Out barbell kind) and then I heard that it gets cockroaches and tatami bugs. shiver!
On a positive note, both my schools have been extremely helpful in the last two days. They came in, scrubbed clean sinks and counters, moved out useless broken furniture, vacuumed. Whew. I might have felt overwhelmed, angry, ready to run back home but I definitely have to appreciate all that the staff members at both school put in to helping me make this apartment my home. I'm not so happy about the weird bathtub/shower with no hot water or the Asian toilet but it will be home.
Many of you have asked about Asian toilets. So, I think maybe I ought to clarify what I mean.
There are two types of toilets in Japan, the western kind that we all know. Its maybe a little more elaborate with bidet functions and the ability to make a running water noise to hid the sound of you peeing. (apparently, its really bad that we make those sounds naturally). And then the more common Asian toilet. Which I always forget that most foreigners aren't aware of. This toilet can most accurately be described as a urinal shaped porcelain hole in the ground. You squat to pee and number 2.
Coming to Japan I was aware of this and thought I could handle it, as in archaeology, there are no toilets in the wilderness... but mmm... this is still taking some getting used too. As are many other things. Challenges, challenges.
On a positive note, both my schools have been extremely helpful in the last two days. They came in, scrubbed clean sinks and counters, moved out useless broken furniture, vacuumed. Whew. I might have felt overwhelmed, angry, ready to run back home but I definitely have to appreciate all that the staff members at both school put in to helping me make this apartment my home. I'm not so happy about the weird bathtub/shower with no hot water or the Asian toilet but it will be home.
Many of you have asked about Asian toilets. So, I think maybe I ought to clarify what I mean.
There are two types of toilets in Japan, the western kind that we all know. Its maybe a little more elaborate with bidet functions and the ability to make a running water noise to hid the sound of you peeing. (apparently, its really bad that we make those sounds naturally). And then the more common Asian toilet. Which I always forget that most foreigners aren't aware of. This toilet can most accurately be described as a urinal shaped porcelain hole in the ground. You squat to pee and number 2.
Coming to Japan I was aware of this and thought I could handle it, as in archaeology, there are no toilets in the wilderness... but mmm... this is still taking some getting used too. As are many other things. Challenges, challenges.
Monday, August 1, 2011
eh wha?.. eh... Nani?
Before coming to Japan, I wasnt aware of how early the sun rises. I awoke at 4AM to a sun hanging high in the sky! All I can say to that is what the heck?!?!
Today, Ogata sensei took me to city hall to get my alien registration card. Pretty uneventful but exciting. Things are coming together, here. Now, I can get a bank account and cell phone! Yay!
Today, Tuesday is move into the apartment day. I am looking forward to moving into a place of my own but I am not excited about asian toilets. Let me tell you, its an experience. Mostly though, things are going well. I cant get used to not being able to read labels. I find that extremely challenging.
Today, Ogata sensei took me to city hall to get my alien registration card. Pretty uneventful but exciting. Things are coming together, here. Now, I can get a bank account and cell phone! Yay!
Today, Tuesday is move into the apartment day. I am looking forward to moving into a place of my own but I am not excited about asian toilets. Let me tell you, its an experience. Mostly though, things are going well. I cant get used to not being able to read labels. I find that extremely challenging.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Released from Tokyo!
So all I can say about Tokyo Orientation is that its an over done affair that is designed to freak you out more than `ease` you into your current living situation. I mean, Keio Plaza is a hotel I couldn`t afford as a lone traveler and is NOTHING like my current town. It is much less stressful away from the hodge podge of crazy city living and `you have to attend EVERY lecture`threats. Oofh. Not cool.
I have made it into Fukuoka and will reside in Chikogu, once my apt is ready for me to move in. Until then, I have been put up in another hotel. Its not a bad place but I am itching to have a place called home. Wandering around a bit, things seem familiar and strange at the same time. I walked to a grocery store only to discover it is a Walmart in disguise! I find that I am usually laughing to myself when I see labels or signs on items that I recognize. At the Sunny (Walmart) there was cranberry cocktail a `Great Value` line of product or like last night, there was a sign for Bed Bath and Beyond... but no store associated with it!
School here is different, of course. Where in the States, we jail ourselves into our buildings, Japan is a bit more open air. Windows arent covered by screens (your expected to have common sense not to fall out of them and bugs are everywhere, so deal with it.) Students walk or take a train to school. Teachers share one office room, they have their own bathroom (we have that in the States, too but the teachers would usually get the nicer bathrooms over the students, it the opposite here). I change slippers to go into different rooms around the building but all in all, its a high school. Its not so different in many respects to school anywhere else.
I have made it into Fukuoka and will reside in Chikogu, once my apt is ready for me to move in. Until then, I have been put up in another hotel. Its not a bad place but I am itching to have a place called home. Wandering around a bit, things seem familiar and strange at the same time. I walked to a grocery store only to discover it is a Walmart in disguise! I find that I am usually laughing to myself when I see labels or signs on items that I recognize. At the Sunny (Walmart) there was cranberry cocktail a `Great Value` line of product or like last night, there was a sign for Bed Bath and Beyond... but no store associated with it!
School here is different, of course. Where in the States, we jail ourselves into our buildings, Japan is a bit more open air. Windows arent covered by screens (your expected to have common sense not to fall out of them and bugs are everywhere, so deal with it.) Students walk or take a train to school. Teachers share one office room, they have their own bathroom (we have that in the States, too but the teachers would usually get the nicer bathrooms over the students, it the opposite here). I change slippers to go into different rooms around the building but all in all, its a high school. Its not so different in many respects to school anywhere else.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Some after thoughts
So, I've been trying to keep in mind that the Orientation here in Tokyo is something of a glamourous affair and not how my life in Japan will actually be. I mean first off, there is air conditioning in this hotel, The toilet is similar to that Simpson's episode, you know the one, the fountain bidet with the jumping dolphins? (someone confirm this, b/c I could just be losing it) and there is a Denny's down the street. Not in anyway, the one you think of in the States but yea... Denny's.
Our guest speaker at opening ceremony was a former JET ALT and CIR and a great speaker by all accounts. The part of his speech I most related to was that there was those in the audience who weren't at stage one of the JET experience. Instead of euphoria, we put on a face while secretly being miserable. (Ok, maybe miserable is a bit of an exaggeration but I'm definitely not one of those riding high, socializing, and pepping it up. I know why it is, too.) There is hope for me yet, though. and my mission is to find a quiet place to be alone so that I can finally cry it out. The first day was a day loaded with speakers and crowds, speeches in Japanese, fancy food, warnings of this and that, running to lecture to lecture. I feel apprehensive, TIRED, excited... I need a quiet place all to myself, to absorb everything that has happened and is happening.
I wanted to come to Japan, visit my family, be a teacher, and right now... I just need the quiet me time to absorb that it is actually happening. It is not going to be an easy journey ahead, until I find a bit more balance. One more day in Tokyo, tomorrow I fly to Kyushu.
Our guest speaker at opening ceremony was a former JET ALT and CIR and a great speaker by all accounts. The part of his speech I most related to was that there was those in the audience who weren't at stage one of the JET experience. Instead of euphoria, we put on a face while secretly being miserable. (Ok, maybe miserable is a bit of an exaggeration but I'm definitely not one of those riding high, socializing, and pepping it up. I know why it is, too.) There is hope for me yet, though. and my mission is to find a quiet place to be alone so that I can finally cry it out. The first day was a day loaded with speakers and crowds, speeches in Japanese, fancy food, warnings of this and that, running to lecture to lecture. I feel apprehensive, TIRED, excited... I need a quiet place all to myself, to absorb everything that has happened and is happening.
I wanted to come to Japan, visit my family, be a teacher, and right now... I just need the quiet me time to absorb that it is actually happening. It is not going to be an easy journey ahead, until I find a bit more balance. One more day in Tokyo, tomorrow I fly to Kyushu.
Tokyo Night
I have arrived! That was a killer flight, 12 hours of closely confined spaces, food that does nothing to satisfy the pallet and everything bumpy on the ride here was a promotion to my gag reflexes. If the flight to Japan left much to be desired, actually being in Japan, walking around Tokyo by myself was invigorating.
After we received our welcome bags with stacks of information, carted upstairs with the luggage we weren’t sending on and exchanged money it was well past 8 PM and though exhausted, I was impatient to buy my first meal in Japan. Jasmine tea, a tiny choco, 1 curry and 1 kimchee onigiri, the excursion was influenced by Laurel my Tokyo tourist expert. On the way to finding the 7-11, I was helped by Shu, my first conversation with someone from Japan in Japan! Whew.. thankfully, he spoke really good English and could direct me to a closer 7-11 than was on my map and he even gave me the name to a restaurant in my prefecture of his friend who entertains the ambassadors from Australia and America!
Unfortunately, I have begun to express excitement with, "How cool is that?" and I think he caught on to this expression after only 5 minutes of a conversation. Dun dun dun! I think I have begun to influence this country, already.
O'hare post
Ok, so. I’m sitting in the airport, with an hour and a half till the stewardesses start loading us onto the plane. It’s been a hectic last few days, one with lots of running around and moving stuff. I’ve said goodbye to friends one last time and stuffed my suitcase to the brim. Speaking of… I’m a little panicked right now because one of my suitcases is sans the TSA lock… it went missing en-route to the baggage drop off. So, my mind keeps wandering to the fear that my suitcase is going to explode, my clothes will be everywhere between Chicago and the Pacific Ocean and I will have nothing but 4 pairs of underwear, pants and blouse to survive Japan until reinforcements arrive. Other than that, everything I own that isn’t in those suitcases are packed and stored away and I am left wondering, when did I accumulate so much stuff?
Stuff is sort of the bane of our existence isn’t it? We tend to think that we need some of this stuff to make our lives easier but I can’t help but wonder how much happier I’d be if I didn’t have to heft this large and heavy backpack, or two large suitcases halfway around the world. On the other hand, it will be nice to return from Japan knowing I have things to prep me for my next adventure instead of having to re-buy everything. I suppose life is just a balance of minimalism and extravagance.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
That left a mark...
I think the biggest task was saying goodbye to everyone. Who'da thunk I was popular? Despite the what FB tells you, I don't have THAT many but it's been a pleasant surprise with the number of people who have managed to bid me adieu this month. However, next time, I'm going to ban saying goodbye over food. I can't fit into my jeans anymore....
Incase I've forgotten you and you're reading this. Thank you. To my family that is probably reading this. Sorry for being a pain in the butt, thanks for loving me anyway.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~Maya Angelou
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Getting Ready
It feels as though time has been pouring out like cold molasses and suddenly the molasses turned into water... There's so much to get done before I step foot on a plane.
Packing up my things is a dreaded chore that is taking eons to accomplish. Not even referring to what I need to pack for Japan, this is just to move out of my apartment! Why is it that so many of us cling to all our stuff? Weeding through my belongings is a chore and I have come to the conclusion that I really like books, clothes, and soap; in that order too.
Here's the running list of items to pack for Japan:
- Pants
- jeans
- skirts
- tops (blouses, t-shirts)
- dresses
- shoes... (dress, casual, running, rain, snow, flip flops)
- toiletries, particularly deodorant and feminine products
- omiyage
- computer
- ipod
- camera
- Japanese dictionary, map, travel book
- few reading books
- knitting project (?)
- money... (hopefully enough)
This is what the list looks like thus far.. Now if only what I pack can actually look as small as this list... Hopefully.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
I made the short list!
Ha! Pun not intended. However, appropriate for my stature.
Actually, shortlisted means I will be an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. Let me tell you, it has been a journey to finally reach this moment. After 3 attempts, finally the program I most wanted to get into has accepted me. I'M GOING TO JAPAN!!!
Excited but nervous, studying Japanese is a bit difficult at the moment. Not sure if it is because I am still in shock about getting in or nerves about everything(moving, closing up shop, flying..) Not being able to get more studying in is making me feel terribly undisciplined. Perhaps, I will just focus on a few phrases and let myself get slammed once I reach the new homestead.
I've also noticed that whenever I conjure up ideas I want to make into sentences in Japanese, French vocab keeps popping up into my head... AAARRRGGGuuuuh! (and apparently, Pirate)
There is so much to do to get ready! But alas, I am tired...
I will now set out the goals for this blog:
1. To be a place for friends and family to keep tabs on me.
2. To track my journey and adventures in Japan
3. To reach out when I can't remember proper English
Actually, shortlisted means I will be an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. Let me tell you, it has been a journey to finally reach this moment. After 3 attempts, finally the program I most wanted to get into has accepted me. I'M GOING TO JAPAN!!!
Excited but nervous, studying Japanese is a bit difficult at the moment. Not sure if it is because I am still in shock about getting in or nerves about everything(moving, closing up shop, flying..) Not being able to get more studying in is making me feel terribly undisciplined. Perhaps, I will just focus on a few phrases and let myself get slammed once I reach the new homestead.
I've also noticed that whenever I conjure up ideas I want to make into sentences in Japanese, French vocab keeps popping up into my head... AAARRRGGGuuuuh! (and apparently, Pirate)
There is so much to do to get ready! But alas, I am tired...
I will now set out the goals for this blog:
1. To be a place for friends and family to keep tabs on me.
2. To track my journey and adventures in Japan
3. To reach out when I can't remember proper English
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