i want more japan

めちゃ淋しいよ

2009-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

The first thing that I notice when I get to Japan is the smell. Not an overpowering smell. Just something ambient that floats in the air. It is very distinct, and it varies little between cities. Be it Tokyo, Hiroshima, or anywhere in between. It is a comforting smell. It makes me feel good. I can't detect it very often, now that I am accustomed to it. But I still catch it once in a while. It takes me by surprise as I am walking down the street, or when I go into a building. I think that the smell of Japan is one of the things I will miss the most.

Yesterday I joined Hara sensei at 舟坂小学校 (Funasaka Primary School) for my first English class in over a month. It was my first time at this particular school. Hara sensei often spoke of wanting to take me there, but my preschool schedule always conflicted with her teaching schedule. I was free yesterday, so I decided to join her. And I had a blast. All of my students have been great, but these kids stood out in one particular way. They were not shy. I emphasize this because almost all of the kids I have met, most especially elementary age kids, have been very shy to meet a foreigner. The majority of these students had never met a foreigner before, but they were as open and talkative and playful as kids I have known for months.

Hara sensei and I taught the kids about different countries, and we had a lot of fun. After the class, on our way out, we were invited to watch these kids during a practice 銭太鼓 (zeni-daiko) dance. Zeni-daiko is a variation of what is commonly known as Taiko drumming. In this particular dance, there are no drums. Zeni-daiko are wooden cylinders that contain 5 yen coins. The coins are significant. In Japanese, 五円 (5 yen) is pronounced go-en. Another meaning for the word go-en is something similar to "the destiny that brings two people together." That is written as ご縁 in Japan.

Here's a video of the practice session. The sound is not as good as I could hope.

*Note: This was written on Wednesday, but I've been sitting on it. I'll follow-up tomorrow.

Short post about stuff

2009-10-03T16:02:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone! I mean, anyone who may be left. It's been a while. I've had some rough times the last few months. I'll break it down for you.

Back in the beginning of August, Jen came out to visit for a week. That was a lot of fun. We went to Osaka, Nara and Himeji together. Plus, she got to go to work with me and meet all of my students. It was a good time. Then she left, and I was sad.

I was able to get it together, and things were looking up. Until September 5. I went for a bike ride to pick up a gift for a buddy. It was night time, so it was dark (as one might imagine). I thought I'd take what looked to be a shortcut between two streets. Not a shortcut. It was a parking lot that ended abruptly at a rice field. Normally, this wouldn't be too bad. This rice field, however, happened to be seven feet lower than the surface of the parking lot. So I fell.

I ended up in the hospital with a sternum broken in two places, and a fractured vertebra. Lame, right? The good news: I'm back at home and feeling a lot better. I just haven't been in the mood to write for a little while. I apologize.

I'll be returning to the US in a little under two weeks. Until then, I'll try to write a couple more times. I'd like to flesh this post out a bit with some details and photos. So come back if you want. I'll try not to be such a stranger.

Experiments and experience

2009-07-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have nearly finished packing my bags. I'll be leaving for America on Wednesday, so this will be the last entry until my triumphant return to Japan. Unless I get bored at the airport. I'm super excited. It will be great to be at home for a while. See Jen. See my friends. I can't wait.

I'll kick this off with a Preschool Kouto update. It actually hasn't been that exciting, but a few interesting things have happened. First, as it's the rainy season here in Japan, I'll show you what it looks like every day.

There's actually a little blue in that picture, which is unusual. It's dreary. It doesn't rain every day, but it always looks like it's going to. I'm not entirely against it. It would be even better, though, if it wasn't dreary and 80 degrees or more. And crazy humid. Gross.

A troupe of puppeteers came to the school to put on a show for the kids. That was fun. They even called me up to judge which side of the room sang the frog song louder. Also, all of the kids at the school like to collect bugs. They love it, in fact. It's kinda' weird to see four year-old girls running around picking up snails and beetles to add to their collection. But I dig it.

I think that I've mentioned the giant spiders that live around here. Regardless, here's a quick refresher. They are huge, they live in your house, and they don't make webs. They rely on their incredible speed to catch roaches. The good news is that they don't harm people. Now, I had never seen one of these things in person. Until a few days ago. I lifted a bag off of the floor near my desk, and was greeted by this sight:

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that this thing was as big as my open hand, including my fingers. Ridiculous. Then I proceeded to try and catch it. It was, by far, the fastest spider I'd ever witnessed. Took me ten minutes of running around to finally get it outside. I don't know what else to say about it. It was incredible.

A while ago I met a dude in Himeji named Shintaro. It was a chance meeting. I was a little intoxicated and happened by the Starbucks. Sitting outside was a guy wearing a Chelsea track jacket. I mentioned while passing that Chelsea was my favorite team. He offered me a seat, and we had a long talk about soccer. We exchanged numbers and I left for home. Well, last weekend I met up with him in Himeji again. We decided to go out for a drink. That's when I got to see the underside of Himeji. Not really the underside, I guess, because it's still safe and fairly clean. But the red light district. I have pictures of it in the daylight, so some of the drama is lost. It's definitely a sight to see at night. Like a mini Tokyo. The street was literally bumper to bumper with taxis.

That's about all I've got for now. Here's today's drink of the day (double team):

Matcha Coca-Cola & Shiso Pepsi

Drink makers in Japan are always trying to innovate. They have to keep an edge in a market that is more diverse and dynamic than any other. The big two from the US are no different. They try this kind of thing all the time, often with poor results. Here's the latest from both.

First up, Matcha Coca-Cola. This is Coke with green tea. I tasted this, and was instantly sure that I never wanted to taste it again. It's like drinking Diet Caffeine-Free Coke with a green tea aftertaste. Not good.

Pepsi's response? Shiso Pepsi. Shiso is an herb that has a taste somewhere between mint and anise. Shiso Pepsi has a taste somewhere between gross and disgusting. It's basically Pepsi with a hint of mint, and an aftertaste of ground up plant matter. Also not good.

Next time you're in Japan, avoid these. I will from now on.

Surprise, surprise. It's raining again...

Observations

2009-06-23T03:56:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post by saying that I feel better. I'm still a bit homesick, maybe, but I'm feeling good about being here. I'm not physically ill anymore. Except for the lack of sleep, I'm doing really well.

I know that I've only been in Japan for two and a half months, but I've been doing a lot of thinking. There is actually quite a large number of things that I've started to take for granted. Well, no. I don't think that's the case. I don't know that I would say I take them for granted. I think it could be better described as things that I've started to become accustomed to. Let's talk about this a little bit, and see if we can't figure out what I'm trying to say.

Convenience - There are more vending machines within a kilometer of my house than there are in all of Tujunga (where I live in LA). They are almost literally on every street corner. In Tokyo, they are definitely on every street corner. But consider the fact that I live in a town of about ten thousand people. That's small, where I come from. There's even a Seven Eleven in Kamigori, which was actually very surprising for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: within reason, it's easy to get what you want, when you want it. It's the "getting things you need when when you need them" part that can be a challenge.

Tidiness - This is something that one cannot easily describe. In Los Angeles (and San Diego, for that matter), there is an underlying grittiness to just about everything. That's how it feels, anyway. Not to say that everything is dirty, and there's litter everywhere. I think it's at least as much about the attitude of the people around you. In Japan, there are almost no public trash cans. There are lots of places to get rid of recycling, but this just goes hand-in-hand with the proliferation of vending machines. You can offload cans and bottles all over the place, but not trash. Despite this, there is virtually no litter. People just seem to care more, here. Which is a good segue into...

Tolerance and consideration - People in Japan are nice. Even if they are not really "nice," they are at least not obstructive. Most, however, are genuinely considerate of others. This is a great change from Los Angeles. I almost feel more welcome here than I do in LA. I'm not talking about my house and my family. I'm talking about the general public. There is a safety here that I've never felt anywhere else. I'm almost afraid of what being back in LA will feel like.

General awesomeness - This includes many things. Badass old Japanese castles are within a half-hour train ride. Arcades (called "game centers" here) are stocked with fully-working, non-vandalized cabinets. And the prizes to be won are incredibly cool. All Japanese snacks all the time. Some of the weirdest and most interesting television shows in the world. Plus commercials. Great restaurants. The list goes on.

As I've been here for almost three months, it will be time to return to the US soon. Two weeks from tomorrow, to be exact. I still don't know how long my stay will be before I'm back here. I'm definitely excited to go home for a while. I miss Jen. I miss my friends. I miss my family. It will be good.

Here's a quick rundown (with pictures!) of some of the things I've been up to lately.

field trips with the preschool

letting random kids wear my sunglasses

finding my way into the abandoned junior high school

lunches with the Imaoka Family

going to the driving range with Ikki

And I added a sweet new calendar to the sidebar. Check it out.

Confusion

2009-06-11T02:40:00.000-07:00

I've been experiencing some weird things, lately. I don't mean things that are happening in Japan, but things that are happening to me because of Japan. If that makes any sense. I think that I'm having a weird case of shock. I'm not going to call it culture shock, because I'm positive that's not what's happening. Maybe lifestyle shock? Daniel told me that it's pretty normal to be totally fine for a while, then suddenly feel messed up. Just about all of my normal habits have changed, and I think that my body is feeling it. I don't eat the same, I don't sleep the same. Man, I don't even think the same. That part might be culture shock, a little. Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon.

I have been hanging out with Daniel a bit since my last post. I went to his house and met his family, and that was really cool. He lives with his Japanese wife and her parents. He also has a new baby. So I met all of his family in Japan. We stayed up super late and played Wii games all night. In the morning I helped him mow the lawn and clean up the yard a bit while his family was at church. This is an interesting sentence to write about a Japanese household. His in-laws are Christian, and they live in a western style house out in Ishii. Which is near Sayo. Which is kinda' close to Kamigori, but takes a long time to get to. After mowing the lawn, his family came home and made me some delicious okonomiyaki. Overall, it was a good time.

Last weekend I went to Otsu with the Imaoka family. We went shopping, but I didn't really buy anything. I got something for myself, because it was cheap. But I was looking for souvenirs for people back home. There is just so much cool stuff here that I don't even really know where to start. I'll have to write a list or something. Otsu is near Himeji. We went to a bunch of game stores, too. Imaoka sensei even introduced me to a huge anime store in Himeji that I wasn't even aware of. And it's right next to the station. Guess I just missed it every time I went there.

Jen bought her tickets to come out in August. I'm very excited about that. I'll be back in LA for a short time in the beginning of July, but it will be fun for Jen to come to Japan again. I can show her a whole new side of Japan. We went to Tokyo last October, and that was awesome. But it will be cool to show her around the countryside, instead of the city. I can't wait.

There are no pictures today, because I'm having trouble with my Flickr account. I do have the option of uploading images directly to the blog, but I don't like the way they are handled here. Next time, I promise. And it won't be so long between posts.

Now, I have a private lesson to give. More soon.

I want more abandoned buildings

2009-05-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

It's been surreal here in Japan. Everything is achieving normalcy, now, but it's been weird.

The first case of swine flu broke out in Ibaraki, which is in the Osaka Prefecture, on May 16. That was a Saturday. By Sunday it was up to 39 people, and Japan was essentially freaking out. Cases were reported in Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures. The governor of Hyogo ordered that all public and private schools be closed for the next week. I live in Hyogo, and that was last week. It was like a long holiday, except that you couldn't go anywhere. Himeji, Kobe, Osaka, etc. were stricly off-limits. I managed to get out of Kamigori once or twice, but not far out. Face masks were sold out all over the prefecture. They're still in short supply. Every public facility has disinfectant right inside the door to clean your hands. It's definitely strange, compared to the States. The good news, though, is that the number of new cases peaked last Wednesday, and the fear is subsiding. Kinda'.

Two weeks ago (May 20), I met a dude named Daniel. He came to Kouto with another English teacher to help me with a class. He's cool. And he's an excellent English teacher. He hooked me up with a lot of good info about where to go for training. He's married to a Japanese woman and has a newborn. After talking for a while, we exchanged numbers and said goodbye. We ended up hanging out last Thursday. I met him in Sayo and we went to a coffee shop called Brick for dinner. We had pizza. Yes, they have pizza in Japan. No, it's not the same as pizza in America. But it was good. The only strange thing that I found on it was corn, but there was probably a few other things I'm forgetting. And cheese in Japan is weird. I don't know how exactly to describe it. Processed, I guess.

I saw him again at Kouto today, and he invited me out to his place this Saturday. That will be cool, because I'll get to meet his family. He's a gamer, so I'm naturally drawn into friendship with him. I hope to hang out with him more often while I'm here.

Last Saturday I went out to dinner with the Imaoka family and one of their friends. That was fun. We went to a place right down the road from my house. I don't recall the name, however. It's a yakiniku joint. You get a big plate of raw meat and veggies and cook it up at your table. Delicious. I mentioned to Matoko Imaoka that he is a master at this type of cooking. He responded with, "Everyone in Japan is." Here's a picture of Imaoka sensei, her son Otaro and their friend Chika.

On Sunday, I went to a BBQ with the Imaoka family. It was at their friends' house here in Kamigori. Is was a blast. We ate delicious food, I met a bunch of cool people, drank some beers, played some catch.

Then I had to cut out early. I made plans at one with a couple friends, Miyazaki and Shuu chan. Miyazaki picked me up, and we went to grab Shuu chan. They are both Gundam fans, like me, so we headed out to an arcade in Tatsuno. Our main goal was to play a game called Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna, or Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield. It consists of eight networked pods, each with one player. You basically sit in this chair, and you have a 180 degree view of the battlefield as you shoot and smash your way through giant robots with your giant robot. There are two joysticks for the controls, each with four buttons. It's ridiculously awesome. I have an ID card for the game, and am currently ranked as a second-class pilot. That's not bad for only three games. I also ended up playing some Street Fighter IV, and now have around 1500 Battle Points. We also hit up this sweet shop in Himeji. It was like a big warehouse filled with cool stuff that I want to own. Toys, videogames, models, manga, anime and more. It was great.

This week has actually been mellow. I haven't done anything other than teach. On Monday I went to a local elementary school to teach an English class. That was fun, but the class was larger than I'm accustomed to. On Tuesday, I had my first parent English class. This is for the parents of kids at Kouto. Only one parent actually came, so it was easy. It will be a weekly class, and I'm really hoping that more parents show up.

Being a native English speaker in a small Japanese town, I've been asked by a bunch of people to teach classes at various locations. I haven't turned anyone down yet, because I appreciate the experience I'm gaining. But I might need to soon. My schedule is filling up fast. I also do some private tutoring at night, now. On top of that, everyone knows that I'm a graphic designer. So I'm going to redesign the Kouto web page. Which will be fun. Then I'm going to paint Imaoka sensei's fence. Then, who knows. Something else. I'm not complaining. I'm just busy. And tired.

I haven't prepared any drink photos for today, so I'll leave you with a picture of a replica Ainu house from a thousand years ago. And an abandoned gas station in Ako. Sweet dreams.

Sunglasses

2009-05-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have long known of the Japanese aversion to wearing sunglasses. I have thought it strange that when it's glaringly bright outside, no one here protects their eyes from the flaming ball of death known as the Sun. I had heard that this was due to the almost antiquated idea that only the Yakuza, and those who associate themselves with the Yakuza, wear sunglasses. The Yakuza is like the Mafia, but more organized and stylish. And not nearly as violent. Anyway, I know that this is the case. I still choose to wear sunglasses in Japan, however, because there's no way I would be confused for Yakuza. Besides which, I had never heard anyone in Japan actually mention this phenomenon. Until a few days ago.

Hara-sensei and I were preparing for our English class at Koto, and I still had my sunglasses on. She said to me, "Maybe take off your sunglasses. You maybe scare the kids." I felt that I knew where this was going, but I had to hear it for myself, first hand. "Why?" I asked. To which she replied, "Do you know about Yakuza?" This was a bit of a surprise for me. As I mentioned, I'd never heard anyone in or from Japan actually say this to me. I was kind of happy, too, in a weird way. I felt as though this was another confirmation that I actually do know something about this country, and that my passion for it is not misplaced. And yes, I still wear my sunglasses. It gets really bright here.

I have been super busy lately. I don't see it not being busy, either. Which is really a good thing. I have all of the classes that I mentioned before, plus a new tutoring gig. I met with a woman called Yumi on Thursday evening. She has had my number for a long time, and called me to ask about tutoring. I guess she had the volunteers before me help her with English, and she wanted me to help too. And I'm happy to. We will be meeting up on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Not really formal tutoring. She just wants to have normal conversation in English to build her vocabulary, so it won't be difficult. It's just another thing to put down on my schedule.

The weekends are definitely not so busy. I go to Himeji just about every week, because it's awesome. I was thinking of going back to Ako today, but it's been raining all day. And I don't feel like being out in the rain. Particularly now, because it's 70 degrees and raining, and it's kinda' gross. Muggy.

Everyone who knows me is aware of a few important facts; I love video games (called TV games in Japan) and I love zombies. And I really like it when these two things are put together. Like in the new House of the Dead game that may never actually see a release in the States. It's called House of the Dead EX, and I played it yesterday. It's incredible.

Most zombie shooting games involve just what you might imagine. An onslaught of zombies shambles towards the screen, and you shoot them. This doesn't vary much. This game, however, is amazingly different. There is a gun, and zombies, and even shambling. In this edition, though, you actually play as a zombie. Player one is a hulking undead dude with a sexy zombie lady-friend that all the other zombies want for themselves. So it's a love story. Of trying to get away from the horde that wants to steal your girlfriend. It's essentially a bunch of minigames that involve everything from boarding up windows to collecting apples to driving a car to escape a busload of zombie pursuers. It's fun, and different. in a good way.

I know that I posted some pictures of figures I've won in the arcades in Himeji, but here's one shot of most of my winnings so far.

Yes, that is a Playstation 3 you see there. I won it in the arcade. For ¥200. That's around $2. I would count it as the best item I've ever won from an arcade. The other items pictured are: a Doraemon plush head, a collection of Evangelion pins, a Rei Ayanami zippo, Rei and Misato from Evangelion, Nel Tu from Bleach, and a Pinky Monkey tin that was full of candy. There are probably some other little things sitting around that I've forgotten. Arcades in Japan are pretty cool. Good games and cool toys. Just another reason I love it here.

Today's drink of the day:

W Black Coffee - Rookies Edition

Canned coffee. Or, an aluminum bottle of coffee. Whatever. This one is delicious. It's just black coffee. Pretty straightforward. This can is printed with the Rookies logo. Rookies is a really popular baseball show in Japan, right now. I've never seen it, though, because it doesn't air in Kamigori.

Japan and I

2009-05-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

My Golden Week was pretty mellow. I did a lot of hanging out around Kamigori, and stayed pretty local. Went to Himeji a couple of times. So, instead of detailing my week, I'm going to make known some insights I've had since arriving in Japan.

First, foreigners. Myself in particular. I have encountered nothing but kindness here in Kamigori. As a fairly weird looking guy (red hair and freckles are not even a recessive trait in Japan), I thought that I would have felt more alienated than I do. Sure, everyone looks at me longer than they do at other people, but not with the xenophobia I was ready for. That's not to say that I held the belief that Japanese people are racist. I just stand out in a crowd, here, so I thought people might be taken aback. But they're not.

The only instances of my feeling different are with kids. My preschool students were shy upon meeting me, but they're kids; they adapt fast. I never really felt awkward with them. When I say "kids" I mean elementary and junior high school age kids. And this is a new revelation for me. Very young kids don't care what people look like. It's the kids that have grown up with so much commonality that find differences strange. For example: I taught my first class at Harima Kogen Higashi Primary School (the elementary school near Kouto) on Friday. As I rolled up my sleeves and the students saw my orange arm hair, they were shocked. One boy even reached out to pet my arm and said "Sugoi!" Which basically means "cool".

My next discovery about Japan is the excessive use of onomatopoeia. Not only am I a huge fan of the word "onomatopoeia", but also of the actual practice. It's an incredible thing to hear whole songs that contain an equal number of sound effects and actual Japanese words. I was asking Hara-sensei about one in particular that I heard at the preschool. Zarazara. This is the sound of running your hand over something with a rough texture. Also, it is the Japanese word for "rough". See where I'm going with this? So I said what I thought to be the opposite of zarazara, which I heard as zuruzuru. Hara-sensei laughed and said "No... It's tsurutsuru. Smooth or slippery." I gave her a slightly confused look and asked what zuruzuru was. She explained that to me, and it was my turn to laugh. With the utmost delight, I might add. "Zuruzuru is rotting skin." Like a zombie? Yes, indeed, like a zombie. I was at once amazed and completely enthused. Sure, the word also works for rotten fruit, but who cares? Zombies!

She went on to explain to me that onomatopoeia are used more in the west of Japan than the east (in the west they speak a dialect called Kansai-ben). This, she told me, is because Osaka is known as a very big theater city in Japan. Many gestures and sound effects are used by people in the west. When she told me about this, it reminded me of the story of silent film actors when "talkies" were introduced in America. None of them could get acting jobs because they used over-elaborate gestures and over-enunciated everything they said.

Now, let me touch on some Japanese words I've learned since arriving. These are all things I am now using with regularity. On the one hand, it is because they are very useful words. On the other, they are all words I really like.

sugoi: This means "awesome". I mean that in the literal sense, and not in the way I use it too often. "Awe-inspiring" might be a more appropriate definition. It can also be used for "terrible".
majide: "Really?" This is a super useful word that I find myself saying at very convenient times very accidentally.
yabai: A word used to show frustration (like your favorite four-letter word in English, but without the social stigma).
ganbare: "Fight!" Not like an actual fight. More like "Don't give up!" A superb use of this word would be when someone mentions that they are tired. Or when someone feels like they cannot accomplish something. Also a very useful word that I love a lot.
naruhodo: "So it is", or "That's true". This is a newly-acquired word for me, but I like the way it makes my mouth feel when I say it. (On a side note: Uncle Ron, I'm usually good with punctuation, but I left my style manual at home. How's it looking up there? Comma before or after the end quote when it's not an actual quote?)

There are actually quite a number of other things that I have come across here that I should mention, but I'll save them for later. You probably wanna see some photographs, eh? The first is a photo of dinner at Suzusho, the yakitori restaurant that Yamamoto-sensei owns. Now with 100 percent more asparabeikon, or one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten ever.

Here are some pictures of Harima Kogen Higashi Primary School. I teach English here on Fridays. This entire complex was designed by the fairly well-known architect Tadao Ando. It's gorgeous.

Some shots of things I've won in the arcades in Himeji:

And finally, your drink of the day:

Georia Max Coffee

This is just one of many many bottled coffees in Japan. This one is coffee with milk and sugar. I suppose this is for when you don't have enough coffee in your regular coffee. I have to say, however, that after tasting this coffee it's one of my least favorites. I like Kirin's offering better, and it's cheaper. So I guess I win.

Golden Week

2009-05-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, well. Hot on the heels of my getting sick (and subsequently better) Golden Week is upon us. Let me give you a breakdown:

April 29: Shouwa Day

This was a holiday made to celebrate Emperor Shouwa's birthday. When Emperor Shouwa died in 1989, this day was renamed to Greenery Day. Then Greenery Day was moved in 1997 and this became Shouwa Day.

May 3: Constitution Memorial Day

To celebrate the 1947 constitution of Japan.

May 4: Greenery Day

Before 1997, this was just known as kokumin no kyūjitsu (citizen's holiday). In Japan, law states that any day that falls between two national holidays shall be declared a holiday. Then Greenery Day was moved to this day from April 29.

May 5: Children's Day (also known as Boy's Day)

This is a day to celebrate the growth and happiness of children. If there is a boy in your house, you fly carp flags and display samurai dolls as symbols of raising a strong and healthy boy. This usually marks the end of Golden Week. Except this year...

May 6: furikae kyūjitsu (transfer holiday)

A second Japanese law states that if a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day (in this case a Wednesday) shall be a holiday.

All of this basically just means that the entirety of Japan shuts down for a week. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about a 5-day weekend. But so is everyone else. Time to take some sightseeing trips.

Speaking of which, I took a nice trip today. Rokuda-san invited me and a few others to his vacation house in Hinase. I rode from my place to Hinase with Yamauchi-sensei and her sister. That was fun, because her sister doesn't speak great English and kept repeating things I said. We met at the Hinase Marina and set out. The day was especially awesome because we spent the majority of the day on Rokuda-san's sweet boat.

We went to the house for a delicious lunch. Rokuda-san fired up the grill and made some chicken, hot dogs, corn, and a bunch of other stuff. I wandered the beach in front of the house for a while and found a cool old oyster farming processing plant. Hinase is pretty well known for it's oysters, and the bamboo fishing rafts were all over the place.

After lunch we set out again. I had no idea where we were headed, but I knew we were getting back in the boat. Of course I wasn't going to complain. All of us went out. This included Yamauchi-sensei and her sister, Encho-sensei and her husband, a couple who's names I can't remember, Rokuda-san and his wife, and three of their kids and their niece. And me. It was great. We took an hour ride to Ushimado and the Limani Hotel for dessert and coffee. The hotel was cool because it was quite literally on the water. Boats just docked and went up the steps into the hotel. I ate some kind of chocolate thing. I don't remember the name, but it was good. And coffee was a welcome addition to the afternoon, as beers from lunch were making me sleepy.

After the hotel, we went back to Hinase and home. It was fun. I don't really have any plans for the remainder of the holiday week, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Teaching

2009-04-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

I think I now know the full breadth of my responsibilities here. The first thing that I was asked to do was translate the calendar and activities handout into English. Two of the students at the school are from non-Japanese speaking families, so they needed English calendars. That was not easy. Someone once said that translating is not just a=a and b=b. It's also creative interpretive writing. So that took me a while. It was not a small calendar. But it was fun, and that's the first bit of official translating I've done.

In the afternoon, I had my normal English lesson with Hara-sensei. She helps me teach on Thursdays. Before the class, she approached me with a question. She wanted to know if I might be able to assist with teaching the students at the elementary school near my house. I said yes, because it's only one Monday per month. No problem. She's a super nice woman, and I like teaching with her. She's like the motherly teacher that you had as a kid. Kinda' wacky and fun.

Encho-sensei (the manager of Kouto) had scheduled a meeting with a different elementary school in the afternoon. This one is just down the street from the pre-school. We went and met the Principal, Vice Principal, and three of the teachers at the school. The meeting itself was mildly overwhelming, if only because I didn't understand a lot of it. We went over when I would be teaching there, which students I would be instructing, the curriculum, etc. The text that they want me to teach is written for native Japanese speakers to teach English. The textbook is written in Japanese, naturally. Encho-sensei informed me that two teachers will be assisting me. She also pointed out that they really just want me there to pronounce words and speak to the students in English as I would speak to any students. It shouldn't be too bad.

So my schedule for the next six months will be as follows:

Monday - English lessons at the elementary school once per month
Tuesday - At Kouto all day with an English lesson in the afternoon
Wednesday - At Kouto all day with an English lesson in the afternoon for the pre-schoolers, and an English lesson after school for 2nd grade students
Thursday - At Kouto all day with an English lesson in the afternoon
Friday - At Kouto until 1:30, then two English lessons in the afternoon the elementary school, an English lesson after school for 1st grade students, and another for the 3rd & 4th grade students.

It will be busy. Most of the time I get three-day weekends, though. And I just like being here in general. I think I will survive.

Today's drink of the day:

Lucky Cider

Lucky Cider is, as far as I can tell, not cider at all. It tastes more like Ramune (like a Japanese cream soda) than anything else. But it is delicious. The dolphin at the top says, "Fruity Smell, carbonated heart, Lucky Cider." And the added benefits can be seen in this video:

"Have a lucky morning, my friend is unlucky,
Sun is shining for me, handsome guys want me,
Big money hit me, I am a lucky girl,
Because I drink Lucky Cider!"

Which probably explains why it is sold out so often at the vending machine around the corner. But I totally got one! And I'm already feeling more lucky... Not really.

On another note, I realized that for some reason I had disabled comments. I have remedied that situation, so now anyone can comment on the blog. Just click on the link that says comments. Easy.

Sick in Japan

2009-04-29T04:38:00.000-07:00

I have been terribly ill the last few days. Okay, maybe not that bad. But I haven't been feeling well. I had a fever a couple days ago, along with a nasty cough and congestion. It was the fever I was most worried about. So, needless to say, I have confined myself to the interior of my house. Lots of water and sleep. And today I felt much better, so I thought I'd venture out. It is a holiday, after all.

I heard that there was a flea market happening in Tatsuno, so I thought I would check it out. Tatsuno is only a few stops away on the good ole' JR line. I hopped on the train and arrived in no time. I failed to realize previously, however, that I had no idea where the flea market would be. So I looked around. For a while. And I did not find it. But I did take a very pleasing stroll by the river.

It was nice. There was a cool breeze and almost no clouds. Eventually, though, I gave up on the flea market and decided to head back to the station. On the way I hit up a Lawson's. There, I grabbed a Pocari Sweat and a Wiener Katsu. Now, eating a Wiener Katsu was a brand new experience for me. For those of you who know what tonkatsu is, you may already get what this is. For those that don't, allow me to explain. Katsu means fried, but there's a bit more to it than that. You take your meat (or whatever) of choice, and dip it in salt and pepper, then in flour, then in egg, and finally in panko bread crumbs. Then you fry it for a few minutes on a side, and eat it. So, yes, a Wiener Katsu is basically a breaded and fried hot dog in a bun. It was delicious. I'll try to capture it's essence in photographic form on the next occasion.

It was still a little early, and I didn't really want to head home yet. So I went to Himeji. It's close. I think part of me just wanted to play a couple of arcade games. Anyway, I made my way up to the castle to see if maybe there was a flea market going on there, too. No flea market. But a farmer's market, yes. And a Doraemon Stage Show!

At this point, I just wanted to sit down. I headed behind the stage and found an interesting thing happening. A trio of dudes practicing their flatland BMX skills.

After all of my running around, I decided I'd had enough of the outside world for the day. So I went home. And walking home from the station, this:

A good day out after two days quarantine, I reckon. Back to school tomorrow, then more vacation. Golden Week! I'll explain that tomorrow.

Takoyaki

2009-04-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

What a busy week it's been. I began doing after school tutoring for elementary school students. I mean, I've only done one class so far, but I can see how I'll be in for long days in the next few months. But I like the kids, and teaching English isn't very difficult. Mostly it involves just speaking in English to the children all day.

I went to Himeji yesterday to pick up a birthday gift for Ikki. He told me shortly after we met that he likes the puzzle game Puyo Puyo. In America it was released as Puyo Pop Fever. It's a fun game. I was in Uniqlo a week ago, and I spotted a new spring/summer line of t-shirts called Japan>Game. They are shirt designs based on Japanese video games (most of which are also in the US). So I picked up a Puyo Puyo shirt for Ikki, and a Mega Man shirt for myself.

After getting back home and wrapping Ikki's gift, I went shopping with Nakamura, Miyazaki and Shon-kun in preparation of the takoyaki party. We bought a bunch of stuff, then came back to the house and made some takoyaki. A bunch of people showed up. And, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit, I forget some of their names.

Joe is another teacher from the US that lives in Kamigori. He teaches at the Junior High School. He took this shot for me. If I look a bit drunk, well, it's because I was totally drunk. Everyone brought stuff, which was very cool of them. Shuu-chan (in the blue jacket) brought me a bottle of wine and a 12 year-old bottle of Scotch. He's super nice, but quiet. I have to say, my Japanese was tested last night. I had to ask people to slow down, but I was able to get along for most of the evening. I had to ask Joe for help a few times, though.

Joe actually gave me a lot of insight about Kamigori. He told me about the giant spiders, poisonous snakes and amphetamine-inducing effects of centipede infused sake. He also gave me a bit of local history, and posited some interesting opinions about Japanese culture in general. For example, when you say to a Japanese person that you like Japanese culture, they almost always mention the seasons. As if this is the only country with all four. Interesting.

Today is just cleaning and relaxing. I did get out to take a shot of Kamigori after the rain. It's really pretty here. This is a couple blocks from my house.

Today's drink of the day is to address concerns that I may not be getting a sufficient amount of vitamin C in my diet:

Dekavita C

It's another "power drink" from Suntory. That's how everyone here refers to energy drinks. This one is mostly vitamins, and it tastes pretty good. Better than a lot of energy drinks in the US, anyway.

Osaka and Pre-School Kouto

2009-04-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the brief lapse in activity. It's been a busy few nights.

On Monday I went to Osaka. Finally. I have always wanted to check it out, and I finally had the chance. I rather enjoyed it. Took me almost two hour to get there by train. While passing through Kobe on the train, I went beneath Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. Unfortunately I was unable to get any pictures of it. Next time I pass by, I'll be sure to sit on the right side of the train.

Arriving in Osaka, I was immediately struck by how different it is than Tokyo. I mean, aside from the size. Tokyo is this gleaming metropolis, full of tall buildings and charming side streets. Osaka was more like a gritty, older city. Like the New York that I imagine (I've never been). There are definitely some interesting things, though. Take the HEP 5 Building, right outside of Osaka Station.

It's like a ten-story department store with a giant ferris wheel sticking out of the top. I went inside, but it was a bit upscale for me. Like a vertical version of The Grove in Beverly Hills. As I ventured further afield, I didn't find too much that was very interesting. I didn't look that hard. But I eventually arrived at Osaka Castle.

That was awesome. Given a choice, though, I prefer Himeji Castle. I didn't go into the castle this time. I want to do that with Jen when she comes out to visit.

After Osaka Castle, I went across the city to Shinsaibashi, the shopping district. Basically one long-ass shopping street. I had to find some shoes for school. And I did! I'll try to remember to take a picture of them when I get back to school. Anyway, I found some shoes and tried to win a toy or two. I did not win any toys. After Shinsaibashi, I went to Den Den Town (Osaka's answer to Akihabara in Tokyo). It was a small area, but I saw some interesting things.

After that I came home. And I got soaked in the rain. And I'm fine with that.

No drink of the day, today. Here are some pictures of my school, instead!

More to come.

Manju and Penguins

2009-04-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't end up going to Himeji today. I woke up early and talked to Jennifer. While I was watching Dragonball Z, I heard some noise outside. I put on my shoes and went to check it out. Turns out there was a baseball game starting soon at Kamigori High School, which is almost literally behind my house. As I stood watching the warm-up, a player from Kamigori High waved and said, "Good morning." I waved back. He then said, "Today baseball game. Please look." I said okay, and went to the nearby vending machine to grab a bottle of green tea. I watched the game for an hour or so, then went home to meet Imaoka-sensei and her family.

They showed up right on time at 11. Which I totally expected. Everyone in Japan is very punctual. I jumped in the car and off we went. First, to pick up Otaro from his grandmother's house. Then lunch. I don't know the name of the place we went, but it was good. This is Imaoka-san and I:

He loves early Americana. He even showed me his oil can collection. American oil cans from the 50's and earlier. It was pretty cool. After lunch, we went to Ako to find me a pair of shoes for school. Slippers are no good for running around with kids all day, and I can't wear my outside shoes inside. We went to a shoe shop, and there were all kinds of awesome shoes. I saw a pair of Onitsuka Tigers (which I wear now) that I really wanted. They are way cheaper here than in the States. The shop did not have any shoes in my size. I have giant feet. Size 12US is a 28.5cm, and that's big for Japan. Maybe I'll find some shoes tomorrow.

We then made our way to Ako Castle. Or rather, the remnants of Ako Castle. The main castle is gone, but the walls are still there. It was pretty.

Ako Castle is home to the legend of the 47 Ronin, or 47 Samurai. An old tale of loyalty that is very famous in Japan. Read about it here.

After leaving the castle, we went across the street to a shop that sells manju. Manju is a Japanese sweet that is made with wheat flour, salt and sugar, wrapped around sweet red bean paste. Ako is famous for their manju. It was delicious. Imaoka-sensei asked if I'd like to try some traditional green tea, but she warned that it is very bitter. I said yes, because I want to try everything here. I found it to be quite tasty and refreshing. We left the manju shop and walked down the street to a Japanese antique shop. Antique toys. It was sweet.

It reminded me of my dad's office, except everything was Japanese. There, I tried a kendama for the first time. And I totally won!

Imaoka-sensei wanted to show me her English school, so we came back to Kamigori. She has a small school near my house. I dig it. Then we went back to the Imaoka house and drank a few beers and ate some delicious food. Imaoka-sensei wanted to see some of my art, so I showed her an old website with some of my spraypaint art and drawings. She saw a picture of penguins that I painted and asked me to paint them on her front step. So I did.

After playing with Otaro a lot, I taught Imaoka-san how to juggle. If he practices he'll be good at it. He's a natural. Then I came home. It was an awesome day.

And the drink of the day is:

Kirin Chu Hai Strong

It's like Sparks, but better. This happens to be grapefruit flavor, but it also comes in lemon. I like both.

Aioi

2009-04-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty mellow. I slept in after a late night of sushi and drinking. No hangover, though. I win! I got to talk with Jen, which was awesome. Then I spoke with Mike and Dana, who offered some useful tips for this blog. Then I decided to get out of the house. Which I've been doing a lot.

I didn't want to go to Himeji, because I'm going tomorrow. I definitely considered Osaka, but it's not super close, and I got a late start. So I figured I'd go check out Aioi. Aioi is two stops away on the train, but it's much larger than Kamigori. That being said, there's not a whole lot to look at. I wandered around for a while, then stopped by Lawson's to pick up something to eat for lunch. Lawson's is like 7-11. I ended up down by the river, and it was very nice. Not the river itself, just sitting by it with my tonkatsu sandwich and Chu Hai.

I then made my way back to the station to return to Kamigori. On the way, I stumbled upon Aioi Sky Lanes, the local bowling alley. I had very little interest in bowling, but I happen to know that bowling alleys usually have an arcade. This was no exception. But the arcade here was small. The only real standout was a machine called Densha de Go! 3, or Let's Go by Train! 3. It's a train simulator.

After that I went home and watched Howl's Moving Castle, and an awesome show with a ton of stand-up comedians.

Today's drink of the day is:

Real Gold

Real Gold is an energy drink that tastes like gummy bears. It's delicious. There's nothing super special about this drink. It's just that every time I see it, it instantly reminds me of Jennifer. When we were in Tokyo in October, we found an arcade just so we could smoke a cigarette. We ended up in the back by the vending machines, and we bought a couple cans of Real Gold and played Taiko Drummer. Except the cans we got had an angry looking dude on them.

Valuable Lessons

2009-04-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Things I learned today:

- Being from California, I slur my words. This makes speaking Japanese difficult (for example, kawaii = cute, kowai = scary)

- Despite the above fact, I've been told that my Japanese pronunciation is excellent

- Numerous people have told me that I use chopsticks like a Japanese person

- The eye is the best part of a broiled fish head

- Japanese pre-schoolers learn way more than American pre-schools teach, like piano, Go and Kendo

I also learned a few new useful words, thanks to Ikki. Also, while at sushi tonight, I was introduced to a bunch of people from all over town. Shon-kun, Miyazaki, Nakamura and Ikki are coming over next Friday for a takoyaki party. And tomorrow I may go to Osaka to check it out, as I've never been. I'll let you know how it goes.

Drink of the Day (abridged)

2009-04-16T03:48:00.001-07:00

As I had a bit of a rough, uneventful hangover day, I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. Today's drink of the day is:

Lipovitan D

Lipovitan D is not new, if you've heard me talk about Japan. I love this stuff. It's a "nutrient drink" produced by Taisho Pharmaceutical Company. It's basically an energy drink that tastes a little like medicine. Other products by Taisho Pharma include RiUP hair-growth treatment, the hangover remedy Balancer Ichoyaku, and a laxative called Colac. They're big in Japan. You can get Lipovitan in the States, but it is not the same as the Japanese formula. Here are some ingredients from the bottle:

taurine - 1000mg
nicotine acid extract - 20mg
vitamin B1 - 5mg
vitamin B2 - 5mg
vitamin B6 - 5mg
caffeine - 50mg

Yeah. Lipovitan is great. It warns on the side, however, not to consume more that one bottle (100mL) per day. So I haven't. Yet.

On a side note, Rokuda-san told me that he is good friends with the Vice President of Capcom Japan, and that we three should go golfing together. Capcom, for those who are unaware, make some of the best games in the world. Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil... Awesome.

Suzusho to Sakura e ikimashita

2009-04-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a blast. I got to school and started welcoming the kids. When everyone arrived, we had clean-up time. Then followed basically the same schedule as yesterday. But today there was a bonus! I went with Tachibana-sensei, Ryo-sensei and 19 of the kids to the tulip garden that is down the hill from the school. It was awesome!

That, plus nap time (these are the younger students), took a couple of hours. Then Ryo-sensei drove me to Ukaiya, the local bookstore. I told her that I had to get a Japanese-English dictionary. She asked the clerk, but they did not have an English section. It's Kamigori. I told her that it was no problem, as I have to go to Himeji this weekend for a few things anyway. The list includes a dictionary, a hat (for going on walks with the kids) and inside shoes for Koto School. I told Imaoka-sensei, the volunteer English teacher, that I needed to go to Himeji this weekend, and she invited me to go along with her family. Which is totally rad.

After school I walked down to Suzusho. That's a yakitori shop near the train station. One of the other volunteer teachers, Yamamoto-sensei, and her husband own the shop. She gave me her number and told me to come down, so I did. It was freaking delicious. I got there earlier than I had planned, and saw a parent of one of the Koto School kids outside. We said hello to each other. I didn't know exactly where Suzusho was, as I'd never been before. She showed me. Right before walking in I met Ikki. Ikki is one of the coolest people I've met, so far. He took me inside and directed me to Yamamoto-sensei. She sat me at a table that had a "Reserved" sign. She was expecting me. A few minutes after I sat down, Yamamoto-sensei told me to sit at the bar. Now, this shop seats 25 people *maybe*. It's tiny. But I moved and ended up next to Nakamura. Nakamura owns the local kimono shop. He's awesome, too. Ikki came back from elsewhere and sat down between us, as I had taken his seat. Then the night really started.

I was handed all kinds of Yakitori. Liver, throat muscles and some others. It was all very good. Throughout the meal Ikki and I talked to each other, with Nakamura jumping in occasionally. Ikki speaks pretty good English, and Nakamura speaks a little English. Ikki and I taught each other some words and drank a few beers.

Then it came out that I like karaoke. They thought that was great. And they decided that we should go immediately. We got up to leave, and I asked for the check. Yamamoto-sensei said no, and that I don't need to pay because I am a Koto School volunteer. She's very nice. We left and walked down the street a couple blocks to Sakura. Sakura is a tiny little bar that has karaoke. We drank more beer, sang a bunch of songs, and had a great time.

Nakamura introduced me to the owner of the sushi shop, and gave me his phone number. He said I should call him so we can go out for sushi soon. Then he and Ikki basically kicked me out. "Promise time!" they kept saying. They told Yamamoto-sensei that they would have me home by ten, because she was worried that I'd get too drunk. So I walked home.

The whole night was awesome.

Himeji-yaki and children

2009-04-14T03:37:00.000-07:00

So, I went to Himeji on Sunday. But it took way longer than it should have. Let me explain. After wandering around Kamigori, I finally made it to the train station. I approached the attendant at the window to buy a ticket because the machine was not on. "Himeji e ikimasu (I'm going to Himeji)," I said. ¥570 was the ticket price. He directed me to platform two. There's only two in Kamigori Station. The first train that arrived was going to Aioi. Turns out, that is the way I wanted to go. I did not board that train. I got on the next train, bound for Tottori. I had no idea where Tottori was, but I figured it must be going in the right direction.

It was not.

I got off the train in a town called Sayo. Then I waited two hours at the station until the train going the right direction appeared. Keep in mind these are tiny towns in the middle of nowhere. Trains do not frequent these stations. And it was Sunday. I finally got on the correct train, and ended up in Himeji 35 minutes later. Finally. I made my way towards the castle. When I got near the castle grounds, I saw this:

A flea market! Which was pretty cool. I walked around and looked at all of the goodies that people had to offer. A flea market in Japan is a lot like a swap meet in California, except everything is clean, and all of the people selling things are nice and like to bargain. I didn't end up buying anything. I'm going to make it a point to return for the next one, though.

As I walked closer to the castle, I realized what was different about it this time. Last time I saw Himeji was in the middle of winter, on a weekday. This was Sunday. Which is like Japan's national "Go Check Out Famous Stuff" day. It was a zoo. There were so many people there. So, rather than fight my way through the masses, I took some photos from outside the castle and promised myself I'd return soon. Aside from all of the people, it was stunning.

The cherry blossoms were still blooming, and it was absolutely beautiful. I won't post all of the pictures here, but you can check out the others (or bigger versions of these) by clicking on any picture. I ended up coming home not long after that, and went to bed fairly early.

Yesterday, Rokuda-san picked me up and took me up to Pre-School Koto to introduce me to the staff. They were all very nice. Then he took me out for lunch at Nanpuu, the local okonomiyaki shop. I wasn't sure what to order, so he ordered for me. We both had the Himeji-yaki. If you don't know what okonomiyaki is, I am so sorry. It is ridiculously good. Imagine a crepe with cabbage, meat, noodles, egg and spicy mayonnaise piled on top. Now add another crepe, some yaki sauce (almost like barbecue sauce), nori flakes (seaweed) and fish flakes. It's so good. Himeji-yaki was a whole new experience for me. It was just like the above, but remove the noodles. Now add milk, shrimp, octopus, some kind of flavorless clear gelatin cubes, pork and pieces of roast beef. It was amazing.

Today, I started class at Koto. I have to say, I forgot how tiring it is to run around with small children all day. They wore me out. My work day consists, basically, of playing with the kids, reading stories in English, singing and dancing, running around, carrying children, reading stories, helping with snack time, eating lunch, playing with the kids, etc. It's a lot of work, but it's fun and I love it. There are 42 kids at the school, and I think I remember the names of four of them. You'd think that remembering names would be easy. It's not. Remember, these kids have Japanese names. The only ones I remember are Hana, Midori, Yuriko and Oliver. Oh, and Siddartha. He's from India. I have to memorize, at the very least, 22 names. These are the 22 kids that have regular, organized English lessons in the afternoon. They are five and six years old. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

The drink of the day is:

Lifeguard Jungleman Calorie Off

How could I not buy a drink with a name like that? This is an energy drink with a ton of vitamins and a bit of caffeine. ¥100 at the vending machine down the street.

LA to Kamigori takes a long time

2009-04-12T01:47:00.000-07:00

I made it! I'm in Japan! I'm so tired!

I arrived with a lot of time at LAX, but it still managed to take an hour to get through security. No surprise, I suppose. Leaving Jennifer was really hard. But we are going to talk a lot, and six months is not a long time. In the whole scheme of things, I mean. Teed stopped by to say hello (goodbye?) once more before I left. She's a TSA agent, so she goes where she wants at that zoo. The flight was fairly unremarkable. There were only a couple of things that really stood out for me. First, sitting to my left was this incredibly cute baby. She must have been six months old. She was awesome. And, you know, when you sit next to someone for twelve hours, you tend to make friends. The two seats to my right were unoccupied. Second, this:

This is the Magic I controller. For JEN - Japan Airlines Entertainment Network. This is a controller with a retractable cord that comes out of the armrest. Look at this thing! It has shoulder buttons! It's like a bad approximation of a Super Nintendo controller. It controlled the films, music and games that were available. The film selection was decent, and I didn't really check out the music much. And the games. Wow. The list included Tetrix (Tetris clone), Alien Blaster (very bad Space Invaders clone), Solitaire (like one-player Chinese Checkers), and Aces (what we call Solitaire in the US). There were a few more, but they were not worth remembering. All of the games I briefly attempted to play were horrible. Each game used exactly one button, and the directional pad. Why so many buttons then, you ask? Just in case, I guess. It was like someone hooked a Nintendo up to a 5-inch monitor, then smashed the Nintendo with a hammer. They almost played that well and looked that good. Never mind. That's not true.

I landed in Narita after the seemingly drunk pilot decided to land by smashing the airplane into the ground as hard as he could. For real. Someone near me almost fell out of their seat. Then I headed though Customs to get my bag. That went fine. Got my bag, checked into my next flight, and got on the plane to Itami in Osaka. That flight was only about an hour and thirty minutes, so it was easy. Rokuda-san picked me up from Itami, then drove me to Kamigori. That was a two hour drive. We hit up the supermarket so he could buy me some supplies for the next few days. I won't get my monthly food allowance until Tuesday. Then he dropped me off at my house. Which is enormous. I'll take some photos tomorrow.

Finally, I was able to sleep. I did not sleep at all during the trip, and I was totally wrecked last night. I went to bed around midnight. That would be 8am on Saturday morning for you Californians. That means I was up for 26 hours, and 15 of them were spent traveling. That's a lot, man.

I woke up early this morning with the intention of exploring the town and checking everything out. There were some flaws in this plan, however. It's Sunday, first of all. In Japan, not much is happening on Sunday. Especially in Kamigori. I wandered around for a while. Then I thought to myself, "Hey, Jonathan. Why don't you take a train to Himeji? it is your favorite place in Japan, and you live just 30 minutes away." Great! I'll do that. Then I realized that I had a wallet full of US Dollars. I didn't have time to exchange my money in Narita. So I happened across the local 7&i Holdings, which is just 7-11 with a different name. And, bonus, they have an ATM that accepts international cards. Minimum withdrawal: ¥10,000. That's about $100. I had no choice. Then I bought coffee and a delicious custard-filled bun for breakfast. Next stop: Himeji.

The Kamigori train station is only about ten minutes from my house, but I was not at my house. I was at 7&i. Took me nearly an hour to get there from the store. To be honest, though, I was not in a rush. And I was wandering off of the main streets quite a bit. This is what Kamigori looks like by the river:

Yes, the cherry blossoms are still out. Which is incredible. I love it. I finally made it to the train station, and Himeji. I'm tired, so I'll tell you about that tomorrow. If you want to cheat and look at the photos before I post about it, hit up my Flickr link over on the side somewhere. I'm having fun already. More to come.

Time to pack

2009-04-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've got my ticket. My return ticket, too. I'll be leaving Friday, April 10 at around 1pm. This is all very exciting. Especially when I think about the extreme, fast-paced action of flying through the well-oiled machine that is security at LAX. Oh, and if my suitcase weighs over 3.5 stone, I get to pay 50 dollars for the convenience of having all of my stuff in Japan with me. It's only three months, right? I guess I don't need that much stuff...

I had a party at my mom's house on Saturday. It was fun. It would have been nice to see a few people that were unable to make it, but I am pleased that I saw who I did. Some surprises, even. Zandra showing up was an eye-opener. No JR, however. Captain D, John Vitro and Mike were a blasty-blast from the way back. Yeah. All around, it was cool. And seeing my mom and Tom and Rhiana and Amanda was awesome.

I received and subsequently looked up the address of the place I will be living. The street address, that is. No results. Apparently Google Maps will have nothing to do with labeling street names of tiny towns in central rural Japan. At least I know the area. I think. I did manage to see some photographs of the town, however. Lots of rice. And a mushroom farm nearby. That's exciting.

I hear that the cherry blossoms are blowing up right now. The blooms usually only last a few days, so maybe I'll miss the show. That would be a damn shame. I suppose I'll find out when I get there.

Productive under pressure (sometimes)

2009-03-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Here it is, ten days from departure, and I'm watching Swedes build an ice hotel on the Science Channel. It's really very interesting. But not what I should be doing.

My list of feats to accomplish is actually fairly short. Some bills to pay. A car to drop off. A few loose ends to be tied up. All told, not a huge mound of stuff. I got a huge amount of shopping done this weekend, with Jen's help. I've ordered a few things on the internets that (hopefully) will arrive soon... Excitement is helping me along, but I'm beginning to get nervous. Even a little overwhelmed, I think. Just need to take a deep breath and get it sorted.

I haven't even really thought about the situation I'll be in when I arrive. When I met with Uchida-san on Friday, he told me that I'd be flying into Osaka. I know I'll be teaching English to kids. I know I'll have a place to live, and money to buy food. And that's about as far as I've gone in my head. Of course I've thought about being away from everyone I know, most especially Jennifer. But I'm not dwelling on that, because I need to stay focused.

Okay. Time to get stuff done.