Never really thought of myself as a blogger before... but it seems to be the trend of late, so I thought I'd give it a go. Apologies in advance for the boring content you will endure as I capture my life in size 10 Arial font (for the most part, anyway).
So without further ado, Let's blogging!
On Wednesday, I headed to Yabuzuka (sorry, Ota) and joined 14 other people crammed into an 8-tatami room where we dined on fine yakisoba and expertly made guacamole. (When in doubt, use a glass to mash avocado). I arrived early to erm, help supervise the making of the yakisoba which turned out to be delish. And once the main was over, out came a plethora of desserts - chocolate and banana coated in honey, doughnuts and the best rollcake in the world. We all ate too much but man it was good. Thanks for a good night guys!
Finally, Azuma JHS has upgraded to ADSL Internet. No more waiting 5 minutes for my yahoo mail to open, no more waiting 3 minutes for the MSN messages to pop up, no more waiting 8 minutes for...erm... genki english to load....
So, after having two sports festivals two days in a row, it was decided the best way to recover was to go to Disneyland. Stayed at a friend's house in Meiwa Saturday night, got up at 6am and we were on the road at 7am. Somehow, we managed to arrive by around 8:30 and spent the entire day there. We only managed to ride Space Mountain 6 times (young J only managed 5 times, poor guy) and Splash Mountain twice, and Big Thunder Mountain 3 times... It was a crazy crazy day. Left around 10pm and made it back to Azuma at 2am. Thanks for an awesome day guys.
Despite being a public holiday, Azuma JHS had its annual sports festival last Friday. So I was up at sparrow fart and made it to school by 7am. Now, the past two years it has rained on the day of the festival, and all the teachers, students and their parents have sponged the field dry so the festivities could get underway. I did not want to do that again this year. So imagine the smile on my face when I got to school and the field was dry (a typhoon was supposed to arrive that morning) and the sun was shining. Finally, a sports day that didn't involve sponging!
And the day was great. It rained a bit, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the kids - or the teachers.
Just before lunch, we had the relay. Because the school is small, everyone runs in the relay, and this year - for the first time - we had a teachers team. And we kicked arse! The kids had nothing on us. But my team - the blue team - came in after us and actually ended up winning the point tally on the day. Yay to us!
So I had a blast - the best sports festival I've had here. But sadly, it was also my last.
Wow, it's been over a week since I let my fingers do the talking.
Last Thursday was the Seta Region English Speech and Spelling Contest. Each school in the region (all 5 of 'em) select students to represent the school in both competitions; 2 kids from 2nensei and 2 kids from 3nensei for the spelling test and 1 from either or both for the speech contest. Azuma JHS is the smallest school in the region (I asked one other ALT how big her school is at the contest, and she said "Oh, not very big...only about 500 students." She nearly died when I said I had 80.) so we only had one kid go in the speech contest. And he gave it his all, he really did, but didn't manage to get an award. Also the kids in the spelling contest didn't manage to come away with any prizes either, but I'm still proud of them all for actually having a go.
So, after the speech contest, I jumped into my car and drove to Isesaki, left my car there and headed into Tokyo. Arrived at the hotel at about 9:30, grabbed some yakisoba from the 7-11 down the road, and then tried to get as much sleep as possible. Friday was my much anticipated (or should that be dreaded?) Electone Concours. I had to be up at 7am in order to meet my teacher at 8:30am. We met at the station and walked to the hall for my rehearsal, which was at 9:12:45am. I kid you not. Twelve minutes and forty-five seconds past 9 was my rehearsal time. And it lasted 2 minutes and 15 seconds. There was a lady on the microphone announcing when each person's rehearsal was over.
I was done by 9:15:00 and, being number 20 on the programme, had a wait of about four and a half hours until my actual performance. I was so tired, thanks to the speech contest the previous day and waking up 5 times during the night, and didn't feel like eating. And I was incredibly nervous because all the other competitors are students at music universities in Tokyo, and I was the lone foreigner, the English Teacher from the mountains.Everyone had to play their two pieces in a row, and when I was playing the set piece, I managed to forget some of the left hand part in the middle. But instead of making me more nervous, it helped me relax enough to be able to enjoy playing my own choice piece. The results for the competition aren't released until 20th October (a whole month) but I know I won't be selected, so I can relax again now, and not have to rush home every day after school to practice. Phew.
So it was an early night that night, and then up at 9:30 to meet old and new friends in Ginza. We wandered around, went to the Nissan Gallery, took a new Nissan Murano for a test drive (I drove), went to Meiji-jingu, out for dinner, and then to the ryokan in Ikebukuro.
Sunday was sumo. I had never seen sumo live before, and it was hilarious. We had awesome seats (2 booths worth about A$1200 each) with all you can eat and drink, plus we got presents on the way out. Had an absolute blast.That night was an all-night dance party in Shin Kiba. Met up with a few friends first at a bar in Tokyo, made some new ones and then headed to the party. The venue for these parties is crazy! There is a pool, a beach, a tent, a huge dance floor, a smaller dance floor, VIP rooms, dark rooms.... so much fun. Thanks to the gang for making it a great night.Got the first train back to the ryokan at 5:30am, went to bed at 6:30, got up at 10, showered and then we were out of there and on our way back home to Gunma. Ended up getting back to my house at 6:30pm and managed to find the energy to play the Electone for fun for the first time in a long time. Felt sooo good!!
And that was the weekend.
Another long weekend coming up this one too. The JHS sports festival is this Friday with a drinking party afterwards, Saturday is the Nursery School sports festival and then, weather permitting, Sunday is Disneyland. Yay! And Monday is a holiday where I plan on catching up on all the sleep I haven't had these past few weeks. Finally.
This morning, there was no morning meeting at school like usual. Instead, it was marching practice. At school sports festivals here in Japan, the students do a march-past while the Principal stands on a podium. As the students march in front of the Principal, they "salute" him, in a manner not unlike Hitler's men used to. The students also get to make up their own salute, which have been hilarious in the past. Last year, one of the teams had Doraemon as their mascot, and when they marched past the Principal, they all whipped little yellow propellors out of nowhere and stuck them on their heads.
So today, the brass band were out there providing a steady beat for the rest of the students to march around the oval to. And we get to do it all again on Thursday.
This past Sunday, N made the trip up to Azuma with the intention of making the best yakisoba two gaijins have ever made. Two words for you: Tas ty. You could not fault it. Well, except for the lack of black pepper - my fault.
So after stuffing our tummies with yakisoba and ice-cream we decided to go for a refreshing wander around Azuma. The slight drizzle made it even more refreshing, with the fog gathering around the mountain tops creating the perfect backdrop.
Here are a few photos from our walk. And yep, that stone is shaped like a ... well, you can figure it out.
At the moment, we are learning about barrier-free societies in 2nensei class. The little crappy dictionary on my desk doesn't actually define the term "barrier-free" (nor does dictionary.com), but it does define "barrier" as:
n.1. an obstruction, as a fence 2. anything that hinders or blocks
The textbook focuses on Ototake Hirotada, a Japanese guy who has no arms or legs. He explains that things like slopes and elevators are what makes the world a barrier-free society for him, as they allow him to move around freely in his wheelchair.
During class, M-sensei asked the students if they knew of other examples of things that help create a barrier-free society. No-one said anything, so she asked them to imagine they are in the shower. They are washing themselves and have their eyes closed so the water doesn't get in them. They want to shampoo their hair so they reach out for the shampoo bottle. They think they have found the shampoo bottle, but their hand brushes against another bottle. The conditioner bottle. Hmmm. Which is which? The kids said they would open their eyes to find out. So she asked them "But what if you couldn't open your eyes? What if you were blind? How would you know which is the shampoo and which is the conditioner?" I didn't even know the answer.
All shampoo bottles have what the Japanese call bokoboko (small indents or ridges) on them, while conditioner bottles are smooth. This is an international requirement apparently, and is just one other thing that is helping create a barrier-free society. You learn something new every day, huh?
So next time you've got water in your eyes and want the shampoo, just feel for the bokoboko.
During my two years here, I have constantly been in search of the best way to get to Tokyo. And when I say "best" I mean the quickest. Not the cheapest, but the quickest. Yes, I know, Tokyo is only 3 hours away by normal train but that's three hours I could be doing something else. And I make this trip regularly, so I just want to get there now. I've tried the normal trains (which a friend, who joins me in this pursuit, and I have dubbed the "slow train"), I have taken the Ryomo Express train from TuttyB (not bad) and - without shame - I have even taken the Shinkansen. And while the last two were good (gotta love a good shink), they weren't entirely convenient. (Ok so I lied. The "best" way to Tokyo means "fastest and most convenient".) So yesterday, I thought I would try the Kusatsu Express which runs from Takasaki to Akabane. Needed to take the "slow train" from Maebashi to Takasaki, and then two more "slow trains" from Akabane to Mitaka, but I thought riding the express train would be worth it.
Being mid-Saturday morning, I didn't worry about getting a reserved seat. Big mistake. I ended up having to sit in a smoking car. Not nice. But I thought that because it was the express train, I'd be off it in an hour. And I should have been, had it not broken down. I have never been on a train that broke down, and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. Couldn't get out for fresh air or anything. The service lady was doing her best to keep us all happy, pushing her drinks and food trolley up and down the aisle but it just wasn't helping. 90 minutes we were stranded. And for those 90 minutes, the guy in front chain smoked. One after the other. Grossness at its finest.
90 minutes and a new engine later, we were back on course. I got to my lesson about 40 minutes late in the end, which wasn't so bad.
So, on the way home, I decided to treat myself to the Green Car on the Akagi express, all the way to Maebashi. And it was L-U-S-H. I think I have found the way to travel to Tokyo. Just shy of two hours from Maebashi to Shinjuku. Quick. Convenient. Perfect.
Azuma Junior High's annual sports festival is coming up on the 23rd of this month, and preparations are already underway. The students have been divided into 3 teams and have been creating dances and costumes as well as preparing for the actual events of the festival. And this year, to speed up the process of pulling out the weeds on the field, the school borrowed a truck and dragged a few steel poles around behind it. Interesting method. Effective results.
Looking forward to the actual day - my last undoukai at Azuma JHS.
For those of you who don't know, I'm a Mac user. But I would be lying if I said I was true blue Mac user, through and through. I made the conversion last February, and while I have had some teething problems (ie making documents compatible with my Toshiba notebook and Mac having no decent voice recording programme) on the whole I have really enjoyed my toy.
And today, Apple released a new toy. Well, not so much new as revamped. The iPod Nano. I have been considering getting an iPod for a while; something to keep me company on my 6 hour round trips to my music lessons. But I just haven't made the purchase. I don't know why. Something just wasn't quite right for me about the range, I guess. Until today. I saw the skinny iPod Nano and instantly knew that I had to have it. So, I'm going to buy it for myself as an otsukaresama present. But what colour? White or black? I like black, but white matches my iBook. Black is cool and sophisticated. White is pure and simple. Like I said, it's not a question of whether to buy, but a question of which one to buy?
These days, most of my "free time" is spent practising Electone for the upcoming YEC. After being at school from 8am until 4:15pm, I come home and usually practice for anywhere between 2 to 4 hours. But it has started to take its toll on me. So, a week before the competition, I'm trying a different approach. Instead of practising through the stress and frustation like I was, I have decided that when it feels like too much I will get up and walk away. Relax and let the tension subside before trying again. So far it seems to be working.
So to relax myself, I have been reading "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon for the second time. I love this book. I don't usually read books twice. The author does an amazing job of getting into the head of a child with autism and shows us a side we rarely get the chance to see. The first time I read this book it had been a while since I had read a book, and it revived my love of reading. It really is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. Especially as a de-stressor.
One of my friends, Y, is leaving Japan in 10 days. She's taking a HUGE step and moving to London to study Art for 6 months at least. It really makes me happy when people pursue things that they want to do, rather than do what they are expected to do. It's not easy to pack up your life and head off somewhere completely different and do something completely different - especially here in Japan where your "life plan" is a standard topic of conversation and where everyone is expected to do what everyone else does.
Tonight, a group of us had dinner at a local restaurant to farewell Y. We dressed up in Yukata and feasted on some fine food and had a greeat time.
So while I'm sad to see her leave, I'm so happy that Y is doing something for herself. Congratulations! And Ganbatte ne! Sayonara ja nakute, mata ne!
My friend J leaves Japan tomorrow on Peace Boat for three months. She will get to see some amazing places, meet some amazing people and have some amazing experiences. We will miss you babe!
There had been talk of having a BBQ at mine for a long time, but due to busy schedules, crappy weather and the like, it never eventuated. Until the 21st of last month. N was in charge of organising it and I was to provide the venue. I was in Tokyo til late the day before, so the morning of saw me running around my house like a madman cleaning every nook and cranny, killing every insect and vacuuming every square centimetre of tatami. Despite N not being able to come in the end, about 10 people came and spent the late morning, afternoon and evening at mine. Once we got the BBQ started (why do they still use coal BBQs here?) we ate ridiculously well, thanks to the cooking expertise of M, M and Y1. And Y1 was kind enough to bring a dirty big watermelon to share. We ended up taking it down to the river where it was bathed in the cool river water before being smashed against a rock by J to "cut" it into pieces.
After a bit at the river, it was back to mine for some yakisoba and fireworks. The first few fireworks were cool - hand held ones, kind of like sparklers back home I guess. Then M lit a different type of firework and placed it on the ground. It was one of those that gushes bright lights and shoots up about 2 metres. Once we saw the sparks hitting the tree just outside my house, we realised it was probably best that we headed back down to the bridge over the river to set off the remaining fireworks.
Thanks for organising it N! Wish you could have been there. And thanks to G for the pics - look at Gunma's latest Hot Couple ;-)
Summer vacation was nothing like what it implies. I had to come into school every day, and when I wasn't at my desk, I was at a meeting for the new ALT Orientation or I was actually at Orientation.
So the week it all finished, G and I decided to take a drive to Nagano-ken. We stopped at Matsumoto Castle, and then went and met up with her friend. Stayed the night there after 3 hours of karaoke, and then headed home the next day via Nagano-city. We drove past the Olympic Stadium and went to Zenkou-ji. Apparently if you go inside that temple, there is an area that has no light whatsoever; you are in pure darkness. I found this out after I got back to school. Ah well, you've gotta leave something undone, right?
Yep, it's a new year on the JET Programme. Today was opening ceremony for 2nd semester, and while watching the ceremony, I realised that two years ago, I was up on stage giving my self-introduction speech in my best Japanese. Man how time flies.
And so, to mark the occaision, and to inspire myself to keep blogging, I have changed the look of this site. I think brown suits me better anyway.
A friend told me that it is now much easier to put photos into blogs here, so that's also the reason I'm keen to get back into blogging. Before, it was tough to maintain with just text. A picture tells a thousand words, and that means I can think less and post more. I like that. Very much my work ethic.
