Kyoto

This is what happens when I don't update in a while. Things just pile and pile up. It was a whirlwind ten days last week. First a weekend trip to Kyoto, then Mid-Year Seminar in Kakegawa right after, one day at school, and then off to Korea for Thanksgiving.


Kyoto was nice. The weather wasn't on our side though.. It was cold and sometimes drizzly for most of the time we were there (which wasn't very long). And the place was crawling with tourists. Tons of them. Busloads of them. Wave upon wave of Japanese tour groups assaulted us on the bus and at the temples. It's peak autumn season and everyon in Japan has the same idea, which is to go on a pilgrimage see the leaves at the epicenter of Japanese history and culture. We were lucky to book a ryokan only a week in advance... I got about twenty "all booked" replies from most of the places I emailed. Anyway, I have to hand it to the Japanese. In Kyoto, I felt that I truly experienced suffering in silence. Shoulder to shoulder on the bus, squeezing through the crowded streets, getting pushed around by tourist obaa-san, I didn't hear anyone complaining (except me). If we were in America, there would have been a riot.


But the foliage was indeed beautiful, although just getting started really. The first place we went to was Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple. It's hard not to take a good photo of that place, but it's actually quite tacky up close. We visited Ryonji, which has a famous rock garden and clay wall. We saw geisha in bright, bustling Gion district, and we also went to Kiyomizu-dera, the big wooden temple, which has a great view of the hills. And I bought pickles at the famous Nishiki covered street market.


Our last sight was my favorite though, Fushimi Inari Taisha. If any of you have seen "Memoirs of a Geisha" (which we watched the night before going to Kyoto, and whose merits and de-merits I won't go into here) you might remember a scene of young Chiyo running through a corridor made of orange torii (gates). That's Fushimi Inari. Hundreds and hundreds of bright orange gates only inches apart from each other wind up a big hill to the temple at the top, dotted with little shrines and cemetaries on the way. "Inari" means "fox," which is a respected creature with special powers in Japanese culture. There were statues of foxes everywhere, and merchants were selling abura-age tofu, which they say is the fox's favorite food. It's about a 4km hike to the top (Chiyo-chan probably didn't know what she was getting into), so you can imagine how many gates that is. They're all donated too, and replaced every three years. Damn that's a lotta gates! Anyway, it was also the one place that wasn't packed with tourists. We got there early Sunday afternoon, and it was already drizzling. We saw families with young children all decked out in their best kimono for Shichi-Go-San, the holiday where families with children ages 7, 5, and 3 go pray at shrines. I love this about Japan... beautiful surprises when you least expect it.


The rain and silence and un-crowdedness about the gates really had an impression on me. It probably would be glorious at sunset, with dramatic shadows and blazing orange, but there was something about that drizzly, gray day, hearing nothing but birds and rain on the leaves high above our heads, the gentle swish of branches, and sparse footsteps. And those great orange torii, set against the green, green forest.

Our stay in Kyoto was so brief, it was impossible to see everything in that amazing city. I hope I can go back someday.


So, I'm too tired to write about Korea right now, so stay tuned for the next update.

In other news, it's been getting increasingly chilly in these parts. I should be thankful that autumn came late this year, and it's relatively mild for almost December. The colors of the trees are deepening, and it's nice biking to school with a backdrop of colorful hills. But my house tends to retain the cold, just like it retained the heat in summer. I read somewhere that Japanese houses are designed to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. To that, I say bullshit. Japanese houses aren't built to insulate anything (unless if it's in all the wrong ways). I'm starting a dangerous habit of sitting myself under my kotatsu and... not doing anything else for the rest of the night. : (

dust in the wind

Today was another windy day. I kept finding sand in my hair and on the back of my neck.

Despite the blusteriness, it was sunny and slightly warmer, and my house doesn't seem as cold, either. I'm dreading winter though; people have told me stories of how they practically never took off their long underwear for three whole months of winter, other than to wash them. A girl told me on Monday that last year, she stayed in japan for winter break but wished she hadn't because it was just way too cold all the time. I was thinking "um... great."

This morning I had to get an x-ray. All new teachers are required to have this health inspection, and many ALTs have to come to Numazu to get it. Really though, it was an RV parked out in front of the prefectural office, and it took all of two minutes. Still, I didn't have to go in to work until after I got it done, and I got to see a couple ALTs from Izu that I haven't seen in a while. I also got some sweet cards from the stationary store : ) I'm going to go broke on stationary and postcards because they are so adorable here. If you want to perpetuate my impulsive stationary binging and would like a postcard, please give me your address!

So I've decided not to go home for winter. It was a hard decision to make, but ultimately, probably the most practical one. I'm going to miss everyone terribly though, especially when I'm alone on Christmas day.

I've been feeling ambivalent towards the "group" here. I find myself deleting a lot of their emails without reading them, simply b/c I'm tired of the same old stuff. I really couldn't care less about how well their lesson went, or this or that about their school. I have no problem with them in person, but I think the email list gets pretty clique-y. And seeing a certain group of 2nd years at bowling on Friday (last year's ALTs were notorious for being clique-y) not really interacting with anyone else but their own little group, confirmed my distaste for this type of stupid exclusion.

I'm really excited about Kyoto.

So for the first time in... a while, I pulled an all-nighter. And what an all-nighter.


Friday night was dinner at Chukate, and then bowling with Papa-san, Mama-san, Yoshi, Rin, and a whole bunch of us ALTs. I had an all-time hi score of 42! And then an all-time record low of... 14. So I'm not a natural bowler, but that was just warming up. When everyone went home, Jeff and I got dropped off at Numazu station where we loitered around for 2 hours to catch the 2:56 (that's AM) Moonlight Nagara to Tokyo. The plan was to get to Tsukiji Fish Market by 5:30, which is when all the good action starts.

The train was very fast (too fast) and had real seats. We passed out of course, b/c we're getting too old for this staying up late business. An hour and a half later, we were in Tokyo, and by an incredible stroke of luck, I didn't have to pay for my ticket. CHEAPEST TRIP TO TOKYO EVER.

Tsukiji is amazing. At 5:30 in thhe morning, it's already busy busy. It's one of the most famous places in Japan, yet does not cater to tourists at all, b/c it is a real, live, functioning fish market and auction. It doesn't even have a main entrance (that we could make out) and it is not for the faint-hearted. We just had to weave our way through the maze of trucks, industrial buildings and crazy motor carts that the workers drive around. It's get out of the way or get run over; no exceptions, even for tourists. That's a lot to go through, especially if you've woken up/stayed up late and probably aren't at your sharpest.


Anyways, we saw where they auction off fresh and frozen tuna. Those are some big-uns! Lots of fast and spastic Japanese spoken, and oggling tourists. However, it is sad to see one of the worst examples overfishing in the world. They don't throw back the little ones to grow big, and thus there won't be any big ones (or little ones) in the future.


After walking around a little more, squeezing between motor carts, splashing through fishy puddles, we went around looking for breakfast. It was probably 6:30AM too. We found what we were looking for right around the corner in a little alley between buildings. It was called Daiwa, and already there was a line outside the door. Many people say Daiwa is the best sushi restaurant in Tokyo, and therefore quite possibly the world. Being practically in Tsukiji fish market, what more could you want? Jeff said it was the fourth best, but I say it was the best sushi I've ever eaten.

We waited for about half an hour in line with Japanese and foreigners alike. There were some jerks in the front who were holding spaces for their friends who would cut in every now and then, and I had to hold back Jeff from telling them off. We were eventually let in to one half of the restaurant... Imagine two sushi counters on opposite sides of a narrow room, with probably an arms' length of space between. Then split it in half with a wall, and you've got Daiwa. There was literally one foot between the stools and the wall, and you eat your sushi straight off the counter where the sushi chef puts it.



We ordered the omakase, or chef's recommendation, and gobbled up whatever he gave us. 12 pieces of the best fish of my life, I tell you. I can still taste the fatty o-toro (tuna), the creamy-sweet but not fishy uni (sea urchin), and my favorite, the melt-in-your-mouth anago (conger eel), which I later learned is a specialty of that restaurant. They also gave us this crispy, smoky, sweet morsel of what I think was crawfish, still in the shell. God bless Daiwa.

So, I don't remember when we left, but after eating the best sushi in the world, we found ourselves at the Starbucks in Shibuya (the most profitable branch in the world) at 8 in the morning, sipping coffee and watching the umbrella-filled interssection (the busiest one in the world) below us. In the same building, one floor down, was a Tsutaya, where people were already lining up for the release of the PS3. Not a bad day to be in Tokyo.

Needless to say, with our main goal accomplished, I was a zombie for the rest of the morning, and we went home soon around 2PM. Today wasn't too exciting. I bought a ceramic knife, which I'm very impressed with, after nearly slicing off my thumb.

I can see Fuji from my house! Yesterday, after a typhoon-like morning and sunny but incredibly blustery afternoon, the mountain unveiled itself. Covered in snow, and larger than I expected, it is truly breathtaking. Majestic. Stunning. I can't adequately describe it. Riding home from school yesterday, I was pedalling behind some little kids who were yammering away "Ii, ne! Ii, ne!" and when I rounded the corner, the view literally took my breath away. It was like the first snow, I was so excited! It made me feel so lucky to be in Japan and living so close to a postcard-like view of one of the most beautiful icons of the country. You really have to see it for yourself.


This has been a good week. It started off with going to Tokyo on Sat-Sun for Tokyo Design Week. I met up with Jimi and Melissa and Aya, all from CMU School of Design. It made me so happy to see them, and I can honestly say it was one of the most fun times I've had in Japan. After so many months of feeling very different from the people around me, I finally felt like I was in my own skin again. It was very comforting to be in good company even on the other side of the globe, but it made me miss Pittsburgh [and the old days] a lot. So much so that I'm seriously considering going back for winter break. I don't know though.. Should I do it? Anyway, Design Week was good, and a welcome dose of inspiration. Saw some great things at Design Tide, and even explored a new neighborhood of Tokyo that is what I imagine Harajuku was once like. I came home very happy and filled with good thoughts, albeit a little lonesome.

On Monday, just as I was about to leave school, Mimi-chan (girl who works in the office) came to my desk with a big bouquet of flowers. Mike had sent them for our one year anniversary. What a surprise! I was blushing like mad, and the teachers around my desk were like "Wooh! Lomantiku!"

Last night I finally booked a ryokan in Kyoto. Hooray! It's so busy this time of year that I was stressed that we wouldn't be able to find a place to stay. This place isn't luxurious by any means, but I think it'll be an authentic Japanese experience nonetheless. So weekend after next, my two friends and I will be on our way to beautiful Kyoto!


Today, the first year students visited the local kindergarten and played with the little kids in the morning. I tagged along, obviously. Each student was oniisan or oneesan (big brother, big sister) for a little kid. It was funny to see my students, who I usually have to treat like children, be the "grown-ups" for a little while. My god. I want to steal a Japanese three-year-old, bless their round-cheeked, yellow-capped, adorable little hearts. It was a little sad though, that I couldn't communicate with any of them.

And let's now forget, perhaps one of the most important things that happened this week, besides elections back at home. Finally!

Just got back from a 2 hour Harroween party with my Business English students. I got a call from my teacher last night around 7, saying we were to have a party and could I think of something to make? A little last minute, but easy peasy, I thought, until I got to the grocery store and realized how impossible it is to make Halloween themed food here. Not only is there a whole world of unfamiliar candy, I can't even get cinnamon, much less something like chocolate cake mix or pumpkin shaped sprinkles. I decided to make Rice Krispy Treats, or a bastardization of it, rather. Who wants to guess if I found Rice Krispies? Silly you. I bought bags of what looked like puffy grains of rice (but didn't look a thing like Rice Krispies). Actually what I almost bought at first was tempura flakes. Also, Japanese marshmallows are strawberry flavored, which I didn't realized until I opened the bag and caught the unexpected wiff of jam. The end result was... Kind of different. Still interesting for the kids, but I was dismayed that they couldn't experience the true American snack of childhood dreams. Anyway, we cooked pancakes and okonomiyaki, and one of the girls brought some cakes she'd made. So much food. Bleh. I feel a little disgusted with myself, to tell you the truth. But I like being around these great kids, and I felt ever the slightest warm fuzzy feeling inside, the kind that only a teacher of foreign kids (actually, I guess I'm the foreign one) can feel, the kind in every vomit-inducing essay in every JET publication. It's wonderful. Oh yes.


Yesterday a group of ALTs and I took a train to Takyo (not Tokyo) to find the mikan picking farm. Mikan are dangerously addictive little mandarin oranges, and Shizuoka is famous for them. Lucky us! For 400¥, you're let loose on the farm and can basically stuff your face with all you can eat. But, like a buffet, you can't take any home. It was a Willy Wonka-esque experience for me, as I've never been to a place where I can just pluck whatever I want off the tree and eat it. And it was a really breathtaking farm too... Whereas I was imagining a vast plain of trees, the farm was actually in a sort of valley, and the orange trees were staggered up the hills. We climbed (and ate) our way to the top of one of the hills, which commanded an impressive view of the orchard and the big cemetary next to it. Which probably contained the bodies of careless gaijin tourists. Or girls who go mikan picking wearing stiletto boots and pumps (which we saw). Anyways, I probably ate enough Vitamin C to last me a month. And we probably could have smuggled out some oranges, b/c they didn't even check for them. Sigh. Sometimes it blows my mind how trusting the Japanese are. Like, if they saw us taking oranges, their heads would blow up b/c they can't even comprehend why you'd steal.

So tonight starts the web-based research study I'm participating in. A grad student from the School of Design is conducting a study of how couples communicate when living at a distance. I'm actually kind of excited to be a part of it, since it is actually an important part of my life right now, and I would be very interested in the results. In a way, it's also nice to be at least contributing to something design-related, as I haven't been doing much for myself lately. Sometimes I get into such a routine that I forget that teaching English isn't my REAL career path. I'm also excited to be going to Tokyo Design Week this coming weekend, where I will meet up with Melissa and Jimi from CMU. It's time I get back to my roots.

Happy Harroween!

In the spirit of Halloween, and because I'm in Japan (and because real pumpkins are outrageously priced and exist solely to empty your pockets for Halloween) I decided to carve a jack-o-lantern out of a daikon radish. I had to do unspeakable things to it with a butterknife and a tablespoon, but what resulted is probably one of the more interesting lanterns I've ever made. The radish's shape resembles that of a ghost (which is what inspired me in the first place), and with the insides carved out, has a nice soft luminosity. If I had better tools I'd carve out more of the inside though. When I was finished, I lit a teeny votive candle inside for tradition's sake, even though it was kind of a lonely "carving party." But it was a hit at school, until the candle started cooking the radish. Kids thought it smelled, but it actually reminded me of soup... Still, nothing compares the scent of burning pumpkin, and that is one thing I will miss about autumn this year.

So apparently "Boo!" in Japan isn't what ghosts say. Ghosts say "Wah!" "Boo" is the sound of a fart. No wonder kids merely looked confused when I said that it to them.

Teaching about Halloween in class is a little interesting for me, since that was the question they asked me in my interview for JET. I had to ad-lib a holiday lesson in front of my judges, and I chose Halloween. I did a good job at the time, but it's funny that I didn't use that approach at all in my real classes.

So, I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. Do some laundry, make some scones, real domestic stuff. To everyone one else in the states enjoying Halloween in full force, party hardy.

Oleeee Olé Olé Oleeeee!

So this weekend I went to my first soccer game! On the top of a hill in Shimizu city, amid rice paddies and not much else, the stadium was a sea of orange, the color of the home team, Shimizu S-Pulse. I think Japanese love to be fans. Everyone was decked out in orange jerseys, and they all knew the chants and dances for each player. We were standing at the end of the stadium, where all the hardcore fans are. We didn't even notice when the game started, b/c everyone around us was so busy chanting and singing. The most memoral moment: when the team scored a goal, they rolled down a huuuge orange tarp over the entire bleachers (that included me too!), partied under it for about ten seconds, then the tarp was rolled back up as quickly as it came. Talk about efficiency.

On Sunday I painted my kitchen. From buying supplies to finish, it all fit quite nicely in one afternoon. It took me awhile to buy the paint, as I tried to explain to the saleswoman what "primer" was, but apparently it doesn't exist here. The paint job came out well without it anyway. I have to give myself a pat on the shoulder here. The kitchen looks a lot brighter; with the wood panels gone, it feels a lot less like a cave.

Monday night as I was walking up to my front door from a birthday dinner in Numazu, I ran into Kawashima-sensei, my JTE! She said she was running out ot get some drinks and snacks, and that my neighbor, Mr. Miyagi was having a drinking party at his house. House party??? Sweet. I ended up hanging out with my teachers for an hour or so, drinking beer and eating food they kept insisting I try (even though I'd just eaten dinner... errr...). It was nice to see the teachers so relaxed and friendly, as I was starting to think they all never wanted to see each other after work. And, as per the unwritten rule, no mention of the goings on the next morning. ;)

So following my kitchen improvement, I decided to get my hair cut today. A little place near the Tokura Bridge, called Crunch Hair. I know that sounds like a terrible name, and I shudder to think of the days when I had a perm and actually heard that sound from my own hair. But the place is actually very cute and very recently renovated. It also tickles me that after the girl washed my hair (twice), or had me move from the chair, everyone in the salon said "Otsukaresama deshita!" ("Good job!") to me. Oh Japanese service... Anyways, I'm not crazy about the cut, but that's been the trend for the past two years anyway. It's not bad though, and a lot better than the grown-out remains of the butchering my hair received three months ago. It was time for a change.

And I guess that is the whole theme of this past week. Change in my immediate surroundings, my appearance, the weather, and in part, my attitude. It must be the season... Though most of the week it's been grey and cool, today the temperature really plummeted and turned from sweater weather to coat and scarf weather (at least for a wimp like me). So soon? : ( I hope not. It's not even November yet! Always at this time of the year, I wrestle with the inevitable cold weather and my own stubborn denial. As if not wearing a winter coat would delay winter itself. Still, I am not ready to have my feet frozen to the shower floor, or wake up in the morning and see my breath.

PS- I watched "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" tonight. It was the new version, and it was terrible.

PPS- Japanese children either possess no fear or are very slow to catch on to traffic rules. It was proven today when I saw a little girl walking close to the road barely flinch (or notice) when a huge truck barreled by not two feet from her. And she merely meandered to the side right before I nervously passed by on my bike. Seriously. Zombie children of Japan! Wake the hell up!

Adventures in the Big City Pt.2

"Candy, kudasai!" The Japanese answer to "Trick or Treat." Kind of has a nice ethnic ring to it, ne? Sometimes even highschool kids can be too cute. This week I've been having em draw their own jack-o-lanterns, and I need to really document some! Especially the names they give them... My favorites so far have been: Yakuza, Uproarious Pumpkin, Kabo-chan, and Three-Eyed Gentleman (guess what this one looked like?). There's some inspiration for you guys at home. Carve a lantern befitting the name "Yakuza" and you've got a winner.

Anyways, back to part two of my Tokyo adventure.


So Sunday morning, I stumbled to the bathroom and was greeted by a giant golden turd outside the window. In fact, it was the famous La Flamme d'Or, the Philippe Starck designed sculpture atop the Asakusa Super Dry Hall across the river.


Around nine, we headed out to see Senso-ji, the big temple of Asakusa, which was a little anticlimactic due to some structure they're building in front of it, which, in addition to being unsightly, totally ruins the view. The temple itself is very nice though. Lining the walkway to the temple are lots of little vendors selling trinkets, rice crackers, and souvenirs, as well as festival food (like I want yakisoba first thing in the morning). We saw a giant rice cracker the size of a dinner plate, but the lady wouldn't let us take a picture. Then on our way out, we passed by a Totoro shop, but weren't let in! What's going on? That's not how you get on my good side, Asakusa. So just out of spite, I'm going to build a mega franchise out of giant rice crackers, make a fortune, and send a million photos to the vendor lady. >D


After that we took a train to Electric Town Akihabara. Many people who think of Tokyo conjure up images of this neighborhood with alleyways jammed packed with stores selling every electronic device imaginable. And there are also stores selling floors upon floors of manga, DVDs, videogames, and "hobbies" (yes, those include the over-18 kinds...). To tell the truth, it's not that interesting, unless you've got something in mind to buy. We did get lots of free tissues though, from AU workers advertising a new campaign/phone/whatever.

For lunch we headed back to Shinjuku for some kaiten sushi (at last!), otherwise known as conveyor belt sushi. It's very to the point, which I like. You just find an empty stool, sit down, grab what you want, eat, and go. The plates of sushi are color/design coordinated so that you can know the price of the sushi with just a quick glance. The sushi wasn't top notch by any means, but it was an experience. And you definitely want to sit at the end of the belt nearest the kitchen to get the first pick (make sure the sushi is coming out of the kitchen, and not going in). After lunch, a nice leisurely browse in the Kinokuniya (one of two in Shinjuku!). It would have been nicer if there were places to sit down though; my shoes were killing me!

At 2:30 we boarded the train out of Tokyo. But our adventure wasn't over yet! After some begging and jumping up and down in my seat, I had convinced my friend the day before to go to the Ramen Museum with me in Shin-Yokohama. Yes, RAMEN MUSEUM! The very same one I'd stumbled across on a website years ago, before I ever dreamed I'd go to Japan. It's hard to describe how excited I was when 40 minutes later, we pulled into Shin-Yokohama station. Even more excited than when I saw the shuttle buses for the only IKEA in Japan in front of the station.

No time for Swedish goods though, as we had ramen to investigate. 300¥ is all that stands between you and admission to the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum and Amusement Park (sic). The website calls it "Ramusement". Really, it's just a giant shop to sink your money into, but it was wonderful. On the first floor is an exhibit on how they make ramen (which I unfortunately couldn't read) and a very extensive gift shop selling all sorts of ramen and supplies and trinkets. The guide book explained the bottom two floors as a place where you could relax with a beer and enjoy a stunning virtual sunset. Virtual sunset???


What greets you after you descend the nondescript, industrial staircase to the basement (I kept thinking of 1984) is a sight to behold! The entire bottom floor of the museum has been transformed into an accurate replica of a working class Tokyo neighborhood circa 1958, complete with a spectacular changing sunset on the ceiling. There's even laundry hanging from the faux-weathered eaves of the buildings. Scattered throughout are 8 different ramen restaurants serving specialty ramen from various localities around Japan. Being true glut--er, gourmands, Jeff and I shared a big bowl of Kyushu ramen as well as a small bowl each of Shanghai spicy miso ramen. We weren't even hungry... but you can't go to a ramen museum and not try more than one ramen! While the garlic flavored Kyushu ramen broth was smooth and rich, my favorite was the spicy miso one. The broth had a delicate hint of fish, which is unusual since most broths are made with pork. A generous dollop of spicy red karamiso on top added a fiery kick. By the end, I was sweating bullets. Unfortunately, there isn't too much to do at the museum, so it's not like you can spend a whole day there, getting your appetite back to try more ramen. : ( All in all, I had lots of fun, and checked off another destination of top places to go in Japan!

One downside to going to Tokyo is, of course, coming back. From Shinjuku to Shimizo-cho, the transition can seem surreal. But that's when you write lengthy blog updates in an attempt to relive the magic.

Adventures in the Big City Pt.1

Yes, I can't get enough of Tokyo. My Tokyo experience is getting better and better with each trip. This weekend I accomplished many "firsts" as well.

Saturday morning, I actually had to go to work, as the school was having an open house for junior highschool students. Fortunately I used my extra hours to get the afternoon off, and after fourth period I raced out of school to catch a bus to Numazu, then a train to Tokyo. My friend Jeff from Fuji accompanied me this weekend.

The main reason for the trip was the Nagisa Music Festival, held in the Daiba neighborhood (district? area? whatever) of Tokyo. It lasted all weekend, but we were there only on Saturday. For only 3000¥ per day, it's not a bad deal at all. Daiba itself is near the Rainbow Bridge, and lots of big futuristic buildings and malls, all probably unreachable by foot. It's an area reserved for businesses and events (like said festival), and not very residential or pedestrian-friendly. That's just my initial impression though. We got there by a Disney World-esque monorail from Tokyo station, which, based on the surroundings, seemed very appropriate. We could see the festival from the train, a largish parking lot collection of tents, flags, and a big Ferris Wheel. Not to mention the bizarre Fuji TV building right across the street. In the light of the setting sun, it was all very impressive.

The festival had multiple small stages, mostly commanded by various DJs, most of whom I didn't know. I came to see the "Experimental" bands, like Metalchicks and Mono. We only caught the tail end of Metalchicks, but it was my first sight of Japanese people dancing. Yes! They dance! I was actually kind of taken off guard... Most of the crowd there was 20-30 somethings, all interestingly dressed and mostly good looking. And then there were some that made it look like Harajuku decided to come out to play. It was an interesting mix of hipsters, new wave hippies and urbanites. Thankfully the hippies and the stalls selling hippie merchandise weren't overwhelming, and wiffs of weed were minimal, at least where I was standing (sorry, I don't have much patience for that new age shit). But to their credit, the food stalls looked (and smelled) really good. Sri Lankan curry, Mongolian kebabs... Hippies do have an interesting taste palette. And wafts of a certain garlic shrimp dish (which, despite our hound-dog efforts, we never found) distracted us multiple times from Mono's performance.

Which was amazing. You could compare them to Mogwai and Explosions In the Sky and other bands of that ilk, but of course they bring their own style to the table. We were standing quite close to the speakers, though, which got a little intense at times. It was also great just being at a show again; can't even remember that last one I've been to.

After the set, we wandered a bit around the grounds again, before deciding to head back to the city for dinner, after resisting all the enticing festival foods. And boy, was it worth it. We went to the 8th floor of a building in the heart of Kabuki cho in Shinjuku for all you can eat sukiyaki. Oh yes. My first sukiyaki in Japan! For a mere 1620¥ you can eat all the delicious beef/vegetables/noodles you can cram into your gaping maw for 90 minutes. And believe me, 90 minutes is enough. We even got hooked up with a free drink from one of the waitresses who recognized Jeff!

At the end of the night, exhausted and straining in our pants, we stumbled out of the restaurant and took the Yamanote Loop to Asakusa where our capsule hotel was. My first capsule hotel! This particular one actually allows women, which is uncommon for capsule hotels. It was kind of a sad building though. Not really dingy or dirty, just lonely and a little forgotten. I guess that's the feeling I get from Asakusa though, which used to be the center of activity in Tokyo until Shibuya and Shinjuku were "born". However, the view from the shower, overlooking the neighborhood was quite nice.

Another great thing about staying at places in Japan is that they provide everything for you-- towels, slippers, pajamas, toiletries. Which means I didn't have to bring anything with me to Tokyo. Unfortunately, I also discovered that I'd left my contact solution and case at home, which meant I had to sleep in my contact lenses. A lot scarier to think about than actually doing. Oops.


Sleeping in a capsule isn't as claustrophobic as you'd think. You walk into the room and see a lot of separate berths, kind of like on trains in old movies (I'm reminded of Some Like It Hot). Inside your capsule is a little TV, a light, a mirror, and a shelf with knobs and dials to control all that, plus alarm clock and radio. A pull down screen covers the opening of your "room," not a dryer-like door, like I originally thought. Heh, which would actually be a terrible idea, unless there was some sophisticated ventilation system in the capsules... But of course the flap is far from sound-proof and I was woken up in the morning by someone's annoying alarm clock that they must have forgotten about. Jesus. The only other gripe I have is that the cushion in the capsule is about an inch thick, so it doesn't take long before you're tossing and turning and trying to cram the blanket under you so you don't wake up with bruises all over.

Part 2 of my Tokyo trip coming soon!

PS- There was an earthquake in my area on Saturday night! I was, of course, in Tokyo when it happen, so there goes another quake opportunity missed. It happened at 6 in the morning actually, and people have told me they woke up to their beds a'shaking. Around a 6 on the Richter scale I've been told? Which might explain why, when I got home, my kitchen light wouldn't turn on, as it had slid around in its socket. Inexplicable at the time, but now, the mystery is explained. Thankfully nothing else got shifted.

Another day, another update. I've been in Japan long enough to recognize all of the instrumental Jpop they play at the grocery store.

Today was the school's choir contest.. Yes, contest. Apparently it's kind of an old-fashioned event, and few schools do it anymore. But we got the afternoon off, and went to the Numazu Cultural Center, where each group of homeroom students performed a song. What impressed me was that the students organized their performances themselves, meaning students played the piano, conducted, worked out all the harmonies, and led practices. And they only had two weeks of 45 minute sessions after lunch time to do it all! Granted, not all the songs were great, but after learning this, the good ones seemed all that much better. Homeroom 3-4 won, which I knew the moment their song started. They actually sent chills through my spine, they were so good. At the end, the teachers got on stage and sang their as well, and received a roar of applause and cries of "SENSEI! SEEENSEEEI!!" from the audience. It was silly and touching at the same time.

This week has gone pretty smoothly for me. Not only has the weather let up gorgeously, class has been easy. I had my first years smell several covered bowls and guess what the contents were, in English of course. Lots of fun for the students, and I didn't have to do much at all.

This past weekend was another long holiday. Bless the Japanese for having a public holiday at least once every month! My friend Sonja came to visit me from way down near Kakegawa. On Saturday we had a lovely lunch at Blue Water. Not only does it have great food, but the fantastic view alone makes it one of my favorite restaurants here. It is actually in the back of a rather bourgie retail store, but the entire back wall is a window/balcony that faces the river. The decor is sort of boathouse-meets-hip-loft-apartment with a clientele of hip, well dressed 20-somethings. It's a very "take-a-friend-for-lunch" or "bring-a-date-for-dinner" kind of place. Come visit me, and I'll take you there. :)

After lunch we tried out an onsen in Numazu called Manyu no Yu. It is run by the same establishment that owns Hyaku Warai (100 Smiles) in Ohito. Not as big as the latter, but still very relaxing and enjoyable, especially the outdoor wooden bath that made me feel as if I was floating in a giant rice bowl.


The next day, after the disappointment of finding out Kamakura is a lot farther away than we thought, we decided to explore Shuzenji. Shuzenji is a town in the middle of the Izu Penninsula, well known for hot springs and lovely scenery, but not without some historical clout. In the central tourist village, you can conveniently walk to two impressive shrines, the Grave of the Thirteen Loyal Vassals, the graves of a shogun family with a tumultuous history, and a little bamboo forest. We didn't stay long, and were kind of uninformed about the area, but I might return. The river is lined with Japanese maple, which will no doubt be very beautiful in the next month or so.

And while we're on the subject of trips, I am officially going to Seoul over Thanksgiving weekend! Booked my ticket last week. Let's hope all this nuclear weapons business doesn't interfere...

And before you go thinking my life is all fun and trips... I spent three hours tonight reading synopses of "Lost" because I didn't have anything better to do. Actually, scratch that, I did have something better--actually watching the episodes-- but blasted abc.com only lets you view them if you are within the United States! How ridiculous is that? Everybody knows that the people who most desperately need to watch their shows are all located outside the US where the shows don't air.

So today I recalled good ol' Andrew Carnegie and his famous motto: "My heart is in the work." Lately, my life has been the opposite. It's as if my heart left my body somewhere along the way, and I have been a robot the past few days. Mechanically performing daily tasks, going through the day without feeling. My head is there, but my spirit is not.

Even today, the second year fitness test wasn't as hilarious as I would normally find something like that. (The photo above is actually of opening ceremony, not fitness tests. But that's the gym.) Oh, it was still amusing, but I just seemed more detached than usual. Either way, it brought back a lot of horrifying memories of middle school PE. Imagine kind of a ridiculous mix between military drills and a circus, with the PE teacher barking out instructions on a megaphone. Two hundred kids performed warm up exercises where they jumped over their doubled-over partner back and forth, leap frog style, and bent over backward on their partner's back. It was also funny just seeing the boys, who have such badass haircuts, have no problem with getting "physical" with the other boys. Seriously, there is no such thing as homophobia here. I've seen boys hold hands, sit on each others' laps, and engage in other light-hearted physical contact. I guess it's a beautiful thing.

So yeah, back to the weird daze I've been in. Maybe it's because I'm a little bit sick. I've had a sore throat since Saturday and I'm sure biking in the rain hasn't helped. Or maybe it's because it's been a slow week for once, and I'm bored most of the time at school. Even the anxiety of planning lessons isn't there (I still have to make them though). However, I don't think this one is a case of cabin fever...

Last night I went to ramen again. It's a tradition among JETs in the area, that every Monday night they congregate at a small ramen-ya in Nirayama, a town a few stops down the Izu-Hakone line. The mom-and-pop restaurant not only has great ramen, but it's run by the nicest people in the world, Yumiko and Tomo, who treat JETs as if we were their own children. For instance, last week, Tomo and Yumiko drove me all the way to Mishima where my bike was parked, and then drove me home, b/c they didn't want me biking by myself at night. Tomo drove me home again last night, this time accompanied by daughter Momoko. So there is usually a fairly large group of us crowding up the tiny restaurant, and it gets pretty lively. Still, I don't yet feel like a part of the Fuji/Numazu/Mishima/Izu crew. Don't know why that is.

Today I bought a tripod from a second hand store very close to my house. I had forgotten I was even looking for one until I walked in and spotted a cupboard containing cameras and equipment. Mostly cheap old polaroids and a couple SLRs that looked like they may or may not have been in working condition. But I snagged a brand new Slik travel tripod for ¥1200. Many silly self portraits ensued when I got it home.

I'm really glad I sit by the door in the teacher's room, aside from it being a quick escape. The little garden area outside is truly a world of mystery and splendour. For instance, I always hear loud splashes in the pond, but whenever I turn around, there's nothing there. But the other day I finally caught sight of what the fish are actually doing: freaking out. The gigantic koi actually leap out of the water! Why? I don't know! But it's great. There are also tiny lobsters (or big shrimp, if you look at it that way) who live in the gutters along the sidewalk. Lobsters walk backwards! Yes, folks, we live in a mad world.

Right now, I'm enjoying the breeze and silence. All the teachers are in the gymnasium, listening to gory stories about bike accidents from the life insurance company (which I'm spared from because it's all in Japanese). It's a little bit like being a child, and exempt from real-world, grown up things. Every now and then we get life insurance saleswomen, or textbook saleswomen who make the rounds of the teachers' room, and by now, they know not to bother with me---just smile and give me candy. : )

So, another week has ended, finally, and I have a whole weekend to look forward to wasting. I decided to take it easy this time, not travel very far, and cut back on the spending. I haven't spent an entire weekend at home in a couple weeks, and I'm looking forward to buying a new light for my kitchen and studying Japanese.

So, last weekend I spent the Saturday in Tokyo! It was wonderful. I caught the 8:02 train with my lovely Irish friends, Amir and Louise. Louise had been working nonstop on a dissertation that was due the day before and still not finished, so there was much napping and passing out on her part. We arrived in Tokyo two hours later and had to take another 30 minute train to get to the convention center that was hosting the Tokyo Game Show. Easy peasy right?

Wrong. We got to the station and it was PACKED with nerds of all shapes and sizes heading for the show. Ok, they weren't nerds, but we knew where they were going! We had to stand in massive lines to get our fare adjustments in order to leave the station, which probably took half an hour. Miraculously, I spotted a friend from Hamamatsu in the crowd! Anyways, after fixing our tickets, we walked to the center, which was almost too easy to get into. Just wait in line for two minutes, pay, get your ticket and waltz right in.

The show itself was chaotic, loud, crazy, and packed. It filled three huge halls of the center, and there were booths for games as well as consoles and brands. It was a little like the state fair, only instead of petting zoos and milking stations, there were games and scantily clad Japanese booth girls. I didn't end up playing any of the games (the lines were too long) but one. It was Dragon Quest Monsters for the cellphone, and I waited about ten minutes in line, mindlessly pressed buttons on a cell phone for the length of one battle (all in Japanese), so I could get the cute slime keychain. : ) And it was the only free thing I got... Anyone expecting lots of free gifts was sorely disappointed, although you could shell out the big bucks for game merchandise, sure to set you back and arm and a leg and grant you Numero Uno Nerd Bragging Rights until the next TGS.

However, I wasn't really there for the games.. There was still plenty to see. Cosplayers primped and preened for the cameras in the pathway connecting halls, I think this was my favorite part of the whole show... Kids must have spent countless hours and yen on their costumes, and it showed. Plus, they really hammed it up for the cameramen, which was entertaining in itself. I probably saw a dozen Clouds, in every permutation of the character. There were even people cosplaying for games that haven't yet been released.

But like all good things, TGS ended, and we had to fight more lines for the train ride back to Tokyo. We ate tenpura in beautiful Ginza, and then it was time for me to go home, exhausted and happy.

Friday

So, it seems like all material objects in my life are breaking right now. My bike light has been on the fritz (and I never say "on the fritz" so it must be bad). It's fritzing like I can only imagine fritzing goes... Turning itself on an off when I haven't even touched it, blinking by itself, etc. etc. The wireless internet in my house stopped working. I had a flat the other day, after trying to inflate it with a bad bike pump. Irony, anyone? And today, mid bike ride, my zen micro earplugs started zoning in and out, probably from a loose wire. It was actually pretty terrifying, trying to ride home in the dark with no bike light (remember, it was fritzing at home), feeling every bump and dip in the road for the possibility of another flat, and listening to MUsic thAt sOuNDEd LiKE thIS..

I guess I had a bad Thursday too... I have to say, I hate English Club. Absolutely dread it every week. Being the new English teacher, I, by default, have to conduct English Club on Thursday afternoons. Basically, the only reason anyone is in the club is because it only meets once a week, and the only penalty you get for not attending is a scolding. A better, more experienced teacher could probably feel out the situation and come up with another activity on the spot if the one they planned bombs terribly. Ha, no such luck for me though. On my way out of the building, thoroughly defeated by Thursdsay, I also knocked my bike over and the bike next to it, in front of a group of my students. Sigh.

But finally, it's Friday, blessed Friday. Somehow, four day weeks always feel longer than normal weeks. But for my last class of the day, all we did was watch a movie. And during the afternoon, I took a breather out in the sunshine, watched the tiny lobsters in the gutter along the sidewalk, and found one of the mangy cats that live on campus. : )

And tomorrow, it's off to Tokyo I go for Tokyo Game Show! Oh, nerdiness galore. For those of you not in the know, TGS is THE videogame showcase in Japan, due in part because they open the doors to the public for the last two days. This year also happens to be its 10th anniversary. It's probably even the biggest game showcase of them all, now that E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in LA is being downsized, and sure to be my first real geekfest since being in Japan (I haven't even been to Akihabara). I shall report my experience of the pasty, acne-prone underbelly of Japan's biggest gaming showcase when I return!

OK, so I thought I'd post a real update about what I'm really doing in Japan. So it's just the facts for today!

My job
I teach English at Numasho (short for Numazu Shogyo Koko) High School. In Japan, highschools fall into a couple denominations: there are normal highschools and then there are trade schools for business (my school), agriculture, fishing, etc. Students who attend the latter generally do not go on to higher level education, instead finding a job right after graduation and living in that town for the rest of their lives. It's probably not as depressing as it looks, that's just my take on it. As such, the English level of these students isn't particularly high. My school was put under "intermediate" level, but in reality, it's closer to the "beginner" end of it. This makes teaching English and putting together lessons a lot more challenging. I often struggle with the idea of forcing English into these students, when they realistically will not use it and thus have no motivation to learn it.

So on to my classes: I teach 14 classes a week... Yes, that's a lot in JET standards. 8 Oral Communication 1 classes for first years, 3 OC2 classes for second years, and 3 Business English classes for a handful of motivated second years. Altogether around 400 students. No, I haven't learned all their names, so I feel kind of bad when over half the school knows me and will wave or shout "HARRO!" to me on my way to/from school and I can't call them by their names. I don't go a day without teaching classes, and it's a juggling act sometimes to keep on top of things and plan in advance. And when an activity bombs... well, I have to keep doing it anyway, so each class gets the same education. Lessons get boring for me fairly quickly too, b/c it's the same thing over and over again, but every class needs to be new and exciting. It reminds me of a documentary I watched about a certain band going on tour... Night after night it's the same crowd and the same songs, but you can't be bored b/c people are paying to see you, and it may be their first/only time ever seeing you perform. Not that I feel that kind of pressure when I'm staring out the window at the old dude pruning trees outside, but it does put a new spin on why I'm here. I can't bend over backwards for everybody, but if I can motivate some kids and make English interesting for them, then I've done my job.

Also, nothing would be possible without my JTEs, or Japanese Teachers of English. I teach with one (sometimes two) every class. I feel very fortunate to have such capable and helpful people to work along with, and so far no problems have risen with them. I actually quite like all of them. In fact, one of them is one of the vice principals. My school is unusual in this respect, also for the fact that she's a woman.


My town
I live in Shimizu-cho, which is a suburb of Numazu City. The train station is a 20 minute bike ride from my house, which is a tad inconvenient. I live in constant fear of being run over by cars, or losing my balance on the sidewalk and falling into a rice field. The town itself actually sprawls out across the river, where there is more civilization than my immediate neighborhood. If I ride 10-20 minutes southwest, I'll hit the ocean. It's not that impressive a beach, but the view of Izu rising in the distance is fantastic.

Numazu City is a modest town, with most things that you'd need if you lived here: a couple good department stores, a shopping arcade, new movie theater complex, cooking school, train station. It is also fortunate in that it has a train that runs from the city straight to Tokyo! And it's one stop away from Mishima, where you can catch the bullet train to wherever your heart desires, so long as your wallet is fat enough.

My house
I live in a 2 storey jutaku, or teacher's housing, a 5 minute bike ride from school. It's pretty spacious for one person, and I have a whole tatami room upstairs that's empty and unused. The building is pretty old, as is the case with most ALTs' housing, but not bad, especially for $130 a month. I have a toilet downstairs, in a separate room from my shower, which leads into the kitchen (yes, it's different). The rooms have tatami floors and sliding doors. My washing machine is outside. And dryer.. What dryer?

Anyways, I've managed to rearrange enough furniture to make it pretty comfortable. Although I feel like I'm a teeny bit obsessed with re-vamping the place. I acquired a free couch last week, keep an eye out for cheap shelving (A Japanese house with shelves? Dream on.), and fool myself into thinking I can replace the lighting in my kitchen. Who knows whether my dream paint job will ever get done, but a girl can dream...

Recreation
What fun things have I done since I've been in Japan? I've gone to an onsen and sat in hot water with a bunch of other naked strangers. I've been to Hamamatsu and Shizuoka City (the capitol of Shizuoka), the two largest cities in the prefecture. I rode the bullet train once, and it was divine. I ate natto twice, which was not so great. I went to a matsuri (summer festival) in Mishima. And this weekend, in Tokyo, I witnessed 5 weddings and 3 funerals. 3 of the weddings were traditional Shinto ceremonies at the biggest shrine in Tokyo, the Meiji Jingu shrine, all within 20 minutes of each other! Bizarre and wonderful.


So there you have my life so far in a nutshell. It's difficult to explain it all, and I'm leaving out a lot, especially the difficult times when I missed home like crazy and realized what incredible people I left behind in America. I still haven't gotten past the language barrier here, and it would help if I studied Japanese more... I still haven't found my niche either. But it's only been less than two months since I came here. Sometimes I still wake up from a nap or early in the morning, and wonder what the hell I'm doing in Japan...

Let’s Learn Japanese, OK?!!

Here’s a crash course primer in survival Japanese that anyone should know before coming to this strange and wonderful country. Mind you, I’m still learning too, so this is by no means a comprehensive list. Let’s begin, shall we?

Atsui
If you come to Japan in the summertime, like I did, this will be one of the first words you’ll learn. It means: “Jesus, it’s hot!” I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard this at school alone. It is pronounced “ATS-ui,” “swi,” or— when it’s just too damn hot to say the whole thing— a “tss” that sounds like letting air out of a tire. In the teacher’s room, which is air conditioned, teachers will moan it. In the (un-air conditioned) classroom, fanning themselves and wiping the sweat off their glowing faces, students will sigh it. Use it to initiate conversation. It’s like socially acceptable cursing. Everybody agrees with you, and we’re all united in our damp, sticky misery.

Doko
This word is indispensable! It means “where.” It’s helped me many times. And if I understood half of what I got as an answer, it’d probably be even more helpful. But you can ask something like: “To-i-re wa doko desu ka? (Where is the toilet?)” or “Ba-su wa doko? (Where’s the bus?)” or just point to something and say: “Doko? (Where is this?)” The great thing about that last one is they’ll automatically know you’re a dummy, and hopefully dumb down their Japanese.

E, to…
OK, this technically isn’t a real word and has no literal meaning. But it’s an often-used phrase, kind of like the Japanese version of “uuuh…” or “let’s see…” If you ask a question, it’s always “Eeeh, tooooh…” before the other person answers. Or, “Eh, to, ne…” (The ne is like adding “eh?” or “isn’t that so?” So, “hmm.. eh?”). An easy phrase to master, and one you’ll use if you’ve been here long enough; I’ve heard 2nd and 3rd year JETs say it like it’s second nature.

Irasshaimase
You probably won’t ever have to say this, but you’ll be greeted by it in every store you walk into, from the high end de-pa-to (department stores) to tiny ramen-ya. Basically it’s a super polite welcoming that only shopkeepers use to greet customers. They use a special voice for it, too (no doubt to get your attention), a loud, nasally tone, rising in volume at the end: “Irasshaimaseeeeeeeh!” Sometimes they’ll say it even if no one has walked in the store, as it to confirm their own existence.

Kawaii
“KA-WA-I-I-I!!!” Means “cute,” “very cute,” or “pretty pretty cute cute!” I don’t know if people think everything is cute, or, as we have seen before, just don’t have other words to describe things. But to their credit, many things in Japan are indeed very cute… I hear this word an awful lot from young girls, especially when they’re talking about their new ALT. ; ) Just make sure you pronounce the “ka,” otherwise the word can sound like kowai, which means “scary”!

Nihonjin janai yo
Alright, I learned this from a silly video at Tokyo Orientation about being a JET of Asian descent. Pretty much 99% of the time, people will think you’re Japanese, so whip out this phrase when things get out of hand. It means: “Look, I’m not Japanese, ok?!” Other non-Asian looking foreigners out there need not bother memorizing this phrase…

Oishii
The Japanese have very few words for describing the tastiness of food. Whereas in English, we have delicious, tasty, scrumptious, delectable, etc., the Japanese just have oishii* (and that’s probably why they use it so much). An elegant kaiseki ryori meal, a piece of fine sashimi, instant ramen, a bowl of rice… it’s all oishii. Or, “Oishiii!!” accompanied by a revelatory expression on the face, as if to say: “What is this marvelous taste I have never before tasted in my life?! Help! It is so delicious, AAAAAH!!!”

It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve never been to a place that is so discriminating about their rice. I’ve never really considered the deliciousness of my rice before, just as long as it wasn’t mushy or too hard or gone bad. But apparently, the taste of rice is a very serious concern for the people of Japan. Commercials for rice cookers usually involve a pretty lady taking a bite of pearly rice, still steaming from its 1000W womb, and sighing: “oishii….” into thin air. Of course, so much depends on the type of rice you use, but they say the more expensive your rice cooker, the more delicious your rice. I don’t have a rice cooker (yet), so I can’t really support/refute that statement. Rice cookers here cost more than microwaves, and even the toy-sized ones run about 4000+yen. I told my vice principal I was thinking of getting one of the cheap ones, and she gave me a strange “ Oh, dear...” kind of smile. Apparently those are only fit for making rice porridge. Good thing I’m not picky about microwaveable rice.

*There are other words for delicious, which are umai, or the popular backwards-slang-version, mai-u. But you only say this if you’re a man or a young person. The rest of us genteel folks say oishii.

Sugoi
“S-goi!” This means “Awesome! Great!!” It will often be heard coming from the mouths of high school kids and screaming television game show hosts, especially if something extraordinary is happening before their eyes, like flipping an omelet or opening the lid of a rice cooker or a foreigner speaking Japanese. “SGO-I SGO-I SGO-I!!!”

+ + +

Of course, there are many, many more words to learn. Japanese is made up of many words, most of which I will never learn. But I’m getting sleepy, and I can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow morning. I hope you’ve learned something today. Until next time, from the land of rising suns and squatting toilets, I bid you O-yasuminasai (good night)!

I wrote a big, long update the other day, only to delete it by accident b/c my browser is all in Japanese. Huge updates are exhausting to read and even more exhausting to type anyways. The more you write, the more risk there is to delete it by accident because all the buttons on Blogger are in kanji. So maybe it's better to start with the small things, then work my way up.

I've decided to talk about my bicycle. I remember I paid $100 for it way back in July, and it was a hassle actually getting my hands on it, but it's worth every penny. A mountain bike, 21 gears (although I don't even know what that really means), an insanely uncomfortable seat that's meant only for people who lack bones in their butt, and a basket in the back. Ah, the basket. Quite possibly my favorite thing about it. Unfortunately, since mine is a boy's bike (meaning it has a horizontal bar running from the seat to the handlebars), it means that I have to go through extra trouble to dismount by swinging my leg over the front, coasting side-saddle for a moment, and then hopping off without completely losing balance. It's fabulous.

I've also made myself a nuisance to a nearby bike shop. Well, I don't really know if they think I'm a nuisance, but if I was an old Japanese man and a retarded girl came by and tried to talk to me in English, I'd be annoyed. The first time I went there, I wanted to register my bike (you actually do this with the police, but I didn't know). I also didn't know how to say "register" in Japanese, so after ten minutes of confusion with this old dude and his wife, they just told me I had to go to the police. They were probably convinced that I stole the bike and wanted to take the name sticker off of it to erase my trail.

In my Japanese: "This (points to sticker) Mariko! I not Mariko. I Tammy. Mariko from, bicycle I bought. Yes. Yes. I do not understand."

The Japanese have no written rules about riding bikes, or at least none that I've seen anyone follow. No one locks their bikes; if they do it's not actually locked to anything. People will carry umbrellas, eat an ice cream cone, and even send texts on their mobile phone while peddling away on a mami chari (ie. cheap, WW2 era scrap of metal and rubber). If you ride on the street, no matter which side it is, cars might as well pretend you're not there. If you ride on the sidewalk, there's no official side to pass people on. If you're walking and someone on a bike is behind you, they will creep up without a word, and would rather trail behind you at a snail's pace than work their way around or say something.

Sometimes if you encounter another bike going towards you, you kind of have to waver to the right or the left and get a feel of which direction that person feels like going. It's like if you're about to walk into someone on the sidewalk, only you're going much faster and are prone to fall over on your side. Unfortunately, that wavering results in a lot of near misses, slamming on the brakes, or in the worst case, crashing into the other bike, which is what happened to me yesterday. The guy didn't even stop! I tend to shut my eyes in the face of peril, so I didn't see his reaction upon impact. By the time I "emergency dismounted" and was hopping on one leg, the victim of a bike-tire-knee-sandwich, he was already halfway down the block. He said "Gomennasai!" over his shoulder, but I'd say his face showed only slight worry. I was wincing a lot at the time, so I could be wrong.

There's also bugs that will hit you. Gigantic Japanese bugs, the kind which answer any questions of how this country came up with Mothra and Godzilla. I've already been hit twice by massive cicadas, once on the arm, and once squarely on my left cheek.

Massive update

So... it's a bit difficult juggling emails and updates and such, so I realize, massive as this entry might end up being, writing on this blog is necessary to keep the most people updated.

So yesterday I came back to Numazu after surviving a 2 and a half day prefectural orientation in a teaching center in Kakegawa, a city about an hour and half train ride south. Actually it is just near Kakegawa, in the middle of nowhere. It was work too.... sitting in rooms all day, listening to people, never going outside... At times, it was really hard. There was a point where I felt so out of place, and that I didn't connect with anyone there. But it did get better.... I met a handful of cool people, who unfortunately live far away from me, but what matters is that there are actually sane people in JET. I met a lot of people with the same problems and adjustment issues as me, but who also had funny stories about it. I experienced communal showering. I even finally used the Japanese squat toilet on the last day. By that afternoon, I felt a lot better about being in Japan, and on the long train ride back to Numazu, I even saw Mt. Fuji poking out from among the clouds at sunset.

Needless to say, every day has had some challenge in store for me. Most often it is battling homesickness and the feeling that I won't be able to do this JET thing as well as my predecessor or any of the other ALTs. There is also difficulty in looking like everybody else, so I don't get any special treatment bestowed on those who actually look like foreigners. Not being able to read anything in the grocery store make shopping about three times slower. Since I dont have any cooking supplies yet, my meals at home have consisted of rice balls or bento from the supermarket. It's amazing how a discount sticker can make you feel so... loser. Especially when the only other people buying them are old men who probably live alone. Or with a rabbit.

However, there are good points. I'm getting adjusted to my apartment and the smells within. I don't have it as bad as some other people. No gokiburi (cockroaches) or tatami bugs to speak of. And I managed to take the burnable trash out properly (now there is the matter of UNburnable rubbish, three types of plastic recycling, metal recycling, paper recycling, and large items, which all may or may not have different pick up areas).

I finally got my bike, which I am taking full advantage of when I can. When I got home last night, I just rode around the neighborhood in the dark... it was cool and quiet, with not too much traffic, and very refreshing. Best of all, this area is really flat, so riding's not much of a challenge. I got alittle lost on the school campus this morning, as they've started construction on some of the buildings to reinforce them in case of an earthquake. And by earthquake, I mean the BIG ONE, aka the Tokai Earthquake that is overdue by 2 or 3 years and lies right under Shizuoka. Meaning it could strike any minute. In which case, it is expected to be one level higher on the Richter scale than the 95 quake in Kobe (one level means ten times the magnittude). Not only that, it could trigger massive tsunamis within minutes, and possibly even set off old Fuji. If you check a map of Japan, you will notice that Numazu is perched right between Suruga Bay and Mt. Fuji. So a little reinforcement on the school might not help us very much after all. They told us all this at orientation, and stressed that we prepare earthquake kits now... cheerful, ne?

I've been writing down the funny Engrish I've seen, since taking photos is more challenging, especially impromptu shots. Like the grocery store called Potato, which has a sign out front that reads: "Welcome friends. I am Potato." Or a Mickey Mouse shirt that said "Crispy Rider" on the back. Unfortunately I accidentally erased all the photos on my camera last night, including some shots of a very strange display at the drug store. I'll venture in again though. A lot of my recreation in Shimizu involves daily trips to the drugstore or hyaku yen store (ie dollar store). And admiring rice paddies. There are many many rice paddies here. Despite the aforementioned stores and many houses here, Japanese people consider my neighborhood to be countryside.

Today I may try my luck at a summer festival in Mishima, the next town to the northeast. Is there a bus there? Can I get a bus back? Who knows. Otherwise it's hyaku yen time.

New Purpose

After nearly a year of having this blog and not using it, I've found a new reason to revisit it. This blog will chronicle my adventures in Japan, which will begin at the end of this week. At the moment, I am about to embark on my new job as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) for the JET Programme. I'm going to teach English to Japanese high school kids in Numazu City in Shizuoka Prefecture. Shizuoka is a coastal prefecture, an hour's bullet train ride from Tokyo, and known for it's mild weather, natural beauty, tea fields, Mt. Fuji, and of course, it's situation right on a major fault line, meaning it (and I) could be wiped out by an earthquake any minute. From what I hear, it's nice. :)

Up to this point, I've been corresponding with my lovely predecessor Emily, who's helped me prepare for this trip in more ways than I can count. I've gotten the booklets, the forms, the schedules, the "survival guides," the contract, the rules, more pieces of paper than I care to keep track of. And the gifts. Oh, the gifts. Not for me, unfortunately. As Emily put it, I suspect Japan's entire economy is kept afloat by the sheer amount of gifts, or "omiyage," that foreigners and English teachers bring for their hosts, co-workers, bosses, and anyone who helps them along the way. I've heard the most loved gifts are the ones that are indigenous to your locale, a little bit of home, so to speak. Keychains and teatowels with the picture of your state on it, local edibles and crafts, etc.... Pretty much anything so tacky and useless that no one in the state actually owns it and you CANNOT find in the suburbs of a small city, like Henrico County. I'd have better luck if I lived in a theme park or a rest stop on the side of the interstate (Actually, that's probably not a bad place to look). The principal and vice principals of my school will be receiving nice tins of Virginia peanuts. Everyone else is going to have to make do with the hodgepodge of items I've managed to scrounge together, including candles, calendars that have nothing to do with Virginia, potpourri, and teeny bottles of Texas hotsauce that are actually pretty cute if you ask me.

The rest of the week will be devoted to fitting my belongings into two suitcases not to exceed 50 lbs each, and soaking up as much American culture as I can, so I get good and sick of it before I leave.

No. 1

I want to have a blog devoted to a more notable cause than my bitching and ranting on livejournal. Currently I am not an uber-aware designer, so this blog probably won't be as interesting as Vincent or Purin's, but I guess I'd like to put some more design-related things up here. We'll see, I guess.