Jottings of Japan

A new life

2007-02-27T20:01:00.000+09:00

I've been staring at my keyboard for about 5 minutes now, wondering how to start this post. It's been so long since I've written something that it would be wrong to continue as if the posting-drought didn't exist.

But I've restarted this blog a number of times, and I don't want to rehash the "been a while" posts that I've written before.

You can tell by the flow - or lack thereof - of this post that I'm out of touch.

I was chatting to N the other day (so glad I have here with me here in Australia) and we both said that we miss our blogs. We missed sitting down and putting our thoughts, experiences, dreams and feelings into words for anyone and everyone to read.

So here I sit tonight, wondering whether I should get back into blogging.

But I'm really tired. So I think I will leave the wondering for another night.

Random post

2006-09-25T01:52:00.000+09:00

So, I haven't written in a long time, and now I am in Germany. I have been here for about 5 days I think. Before that I was in Ireland for a bit over a week.

And everything has been going so fast. Ireland was a lot of "old" with beautiful scenery. Germany has been a lot of beer (what else could you expect when you go to Oktoberfest?) and lots of expensive cars. Taxi drivers drive Benzs and Police drive BMWs. Prost!

Bought some Birkenstocks, went to see a mad man's castle (the inspiration for Cinderella's abode) and made friends with drunken locals. One guy knew three English phrases: good morning, good evening and happy hour.

Tonight I am off to Paris - only 10 hours by train. Will be there for a few days before moving onto London. Can't wait!

Right, that's the short of it.

Last night in Japan

2006-08-03T21:15:00.000+09:00

Well, it's come down to it. I can't believe it, I really can't. I still feel like I will see all these amazing people tomorrow; like I will walk into school on Monday morning with a cheery "ohayou"; like I will ride another crowded train into Shinjuku; like I will return to my mountain hamlet and hear the cicadas cheer... I can't believe this is my final night in Japan.

I had an awesome three years. I met some amazing people, had some amazing experiences, ate some amazingly weird food and overall had an absolutely amazing time.

I will try to keep this blog going once I'm back in Australia. I'll see how I go with that, considering my mum has dial-up internet.

Mata ne, Japan.

My desk

2006-07-14T15:40:00.000+09:00

It's Friday afternoon and everyone is off doing homeroom stuff. The tea lady and I were chatting for a while, and I said I should do something productive. I told her I might start cleaning out my desk (it needs to be cleaned). Straight away she said "mada mada mada!", meaning "not yet! not yet! not yet!" She told me I still have plenty of time to do that. Her desk is next to mine, and she said if I cleaned out my desk now, she would be sad everytime she looked at it. And it's too early to be sad.

She's so sweet, my Japanese mum.

Searching

2006-07-13T16:34:00.000+09:00

I don't get that many hits on my blog. Usually, it's only people who know me that read what I write.

But every now and then, people come across my page by chance. They type something into a search engine, and Jottings of Japan shows up in the results.

Here are some of the things people have searched for and found my blog:

1) Thorpedo
2) JHS Japanese Speech Contest
3) Yakiniku Tongue photo
4) "How to body rubbing"

I hope Jottings of Japan provided these people with the answers they needed.

Surprise

2006-07-10T14:58:00.000+09:00

On Saturday night, I went to a surprise birthday party for a friend. The party started at 8pm, but I was on my way back from Tokyo so ended up arriving fashionably late with N around 9:40ish.

About 11 people were there to celebrate. Food was ordered in from one of the best restaurants around (Hyakuzen) and the drinks were flowing.

The host of the party disappeared at one point, and returned wearing only his Y-fronts and sunglasses, and was yielding a bag full of stuff from the 100 yen store. We played a batsu game, which is where you play some sort of game, and the person who loses/makes a mistake has to partake in some sort of penalty. The game we played was "takenoko" or bamboo shoot. It's difficult to explain the rulese - one of those games you have to play to understand.

Anyway, N and I were a bit reserved at the beginning, but then N grew a bit bolder and decided to be more active in the game. She paid the price.

But a good night was had. Stayed the night, and woke up to a huge breakfast and great music.

Approved

2006-07-07T11:35:00.000+09:00

I have just found out that my CRV has been approved for import into Australia. Now, I just have to get it on a ship out of Yokohama.

Sweet!

Inspiration

2006-07-07T08:52:00.000+09:00

I went out for dinner with a friend the other night. She is taking over from me as the secretary for the Gunma JET Council. She doesn't have very big shoes to fill, I must say. I wasn't exactly the most productive secretary Gunma JETs have ever seen. Sure, the minutes were typed up and any correspondence dealt with. But above that, I didn't really do much else.

It had been a long time since I had hung out with K, and had a decent talk about, well, whatever we felt like talking about. I realised (again) as I was sitting there, eating my fried chicken and veges and having a conversation about Australia/American/Canadian polictics, just how amazing K is. She is knowledgeable, she is entertaining, she is sarcastic, she is beautiful, she is endearing, she is... awesome. She's the kind of person who inspires people. She's the kind of person who makes you want to be a better person. She's the kind of person who makes you want to do things that make you happy; things that you are passionate about.

I think it was the last time I will see K before I leave Japan. But I know that she is one person I will definitely keep in contact with post-JET. Thanks for the past year, K.

http://kristineinjapan.blogspot.com/

Four weekends to go!

2006-07-02T16:54:00.000+09:00

Yep, only four weekends to go til my time in Japan is done. And I have to go to Tokyo on every one of those weekends. So this weekend, I am making the most of being in my house by cleaning up and going through three year's of stuff. Actually, it's more than three year's worth of stuff, because my predecessor left stuff in the cupboards, and her predecessor left stuff in the cupboards. For some reason, people on JET think their successor is going to want a fax machine that doesn't work, or a set of purple fluffy ear muffs, or a plastic container that, well, I don't know what it's meant to do. I mean, when you move out of a house or apartment under normal circumstances, you don't usually think "Oh, maybe the next person living here who I have never met will want this stuff that I have never used before. Best if I leave it here for them rather than throw it out." But I'm not going to do that. I'm throwing all this crap out. (I hope you appreciate my efforts B!)

Yakiniku

2006-06-30T14:45:00.000+09:00

Today is the last day for the school nurse who has been here since April. To say thank you, all the teachers went out for yakiniku (Korean BBQ) last night. I realised that in the three years I have been here, I have never taken a photo in a yakiniku restaurant, so I took my camera with me and took a few photos.

For dessert, I had orange sorbet served in a frozen orange. Very cool, very tasty.

And yes, that is a plate of tongue in the second picture.

Meeting

2006-06-26T16:03:00.000+09:00

I am in a meeting at work at the moment. We have them every second Monday starting from 3:10pm. The first few meetings I tried to pay attention and tried to follow what was going on by reading through the agenda. After about 10 minutes I got tired/bored/distracted and ended up surfing the net for the remainder. Now, I know to prepare some "activity" for myself to do during the meeting. Today's activity: draw a fish for shougakkou class next week.

The other problem with these meetings is that they run past my finishing time. My day ends at 3:55pm. It's currently 4:05pm and the meeting shows no sign of coming to an end anytime soon. Sometimes Kyoutou-sensei sneaks up to me and tells me I can leave whenever I want. I might try to make eye contact with him soon and see if he gives me the "ok" to crawl out of the staffroom.

But I haven't finished my fish yet. Will work on that some more.

Congratulations!

2006-06-26T11:42:00.000+09:00

B and K are the proud parents of baby Lucas Alexander, born 25th June 2006.

Congratulations!!

Omedetou!

2006-06-23T11:52:00.000+09:00

That is what I have heard from every teacher here at school from the moment I arrived this morning. I didn't even know the score of the Aust v Croatia game, so I assumed we had beaten them. I just said "thank you", though and came straight to my desk, turned on my computer and logged into the SMH.

Ok, so we didn't beat Croatia, but we drew with them, which was enough to put us through to the final 16. Woah. Good on you boys! And it was enough to cause the teachers to congratulate me.

Australia hasn't played in the world cup for 32 years, and now we are down to the final 16. Australia never ceases to amaze me how it can always rise to the occasion, and achieve what some people may consider to be the impossible.

At the Olympic Games, Australia was strong in the baseball, Japan's adopted national sport. We managed something there that wasn't really expected. And now we are in the knock-outs of the World Cup, preparing to face Italy.

Ah, it makes ya proud to be an Aussie.

Little guy

2006-06-20T18:35:00.000+09:00

An ex-student came to visit the school yesterday. She had just gotten back from a 10 day school trip to New Zealand. It was cool to see her. She has changed so much since I taught her two years ago. Very much a grown-up high school student.

I still teach her younger sister at the Junior High. She said she heard from her sister that I was leaving in August, and that she bought me a farewell present in NZ: a little sheep key ring.

It really is going to be hard to say goodbye to all these amazingly wonderful people.

*sigh*

ソーピード Thorpedo

2006-06-19T10:05:00.000+09:00

The latest in sports drinks here in Japan - Thorpedo. Ian even makes an appearance in the TVCM, showing off not only his swimming ability, but also his ability to talk underwater.

Japanese people seem to love him. I was at a dinner last night when a lady I had met earlier in the week approached me. She told me that her daughter, who was sitting a few tables away, heard that I was from Australia and wanted to know if I knew Ian Thorpe. I told her to tell her daughter that yes, we are quite good friends. She called her daughter over, and told her that Ian and I go way back. She was so excited! I pulled out my mobile phone and said "Shall we call him?" That was when she realised something was up.

Check out the official Thorepdo website at www.thorpedo.jp

I THINK Viv can, I THINK Viv can...

2006-06-16T08:36:00.000+09:00

I decided the little purple car I'm buzzing around in at the moment needed a name. The sounds of "V" and "B" are difficult for Japanese people to distinguish between, and therefore some people hear Vivio as Bibio. I told my friend I was on a quest to come up with a name for the car. She thought long and hard about it, and then told me: In Japanese, "bi" means beautiful, and "o" means man. So "beautiful beautiful man". Not bad, not bad. But it's a bit long. The whole idea of a nickname is to shorten the original name. So I decided on Viv.

Anyway, I was driving Viv home on Tuesday at about 10pm when suddenly, the blinkers stopped working. They were working fine before, but when I went to indicate at one intersection - nothing. Not even a hint of trying to indicate my intended direction. Checked to see if they worked using the hazards - yep, hazarding was an option. (Is hazarding a word? I have been using it ever since I have been driving in Japan, because drivers here use their hazard lights all the time. So much so, there needs to be a verb for it.) But the poor drivers behind me; if I did hazarding at every intersection, they'd have no idea where I was going.

Also, it was a rainy night... and the wipers started doing some funky business on the windscreen too. It took them 3 attempts to get across the windscreen each time. "I can't see! I can't see! I can't see! Oh, I can see!"

So I took Viv to the doctor on Wednesday morning. They fixed the blinkers, but the wipers... Now, I only have high speed wipers. Well, no that's not true. I can use all the speeds of the wipers, it's just that I have to put them on high speed first, let them do their thing for one cycle, then take them down a notch, let them do their thing again for one cycle, then take them down a notch until I get to the desired speed.

Ah, Viv. I'm not going to miss you.

Music weekend

2006-06-12T14:28:00.000+09:00

For the first time in a long time, I slept in my house onFriday night. Had an awesome dinner with J-kun at Danbeena in Kasakake before retiring home for some much needed rest.

On Saturday, I had the welcome party for the students from Arizona who are doing homestay with families in the city. The reception was ok; good food and drinks. But the highlight was the taiko performance at the ends. The kids got a go at banging the drums afterwards - I'm sure the performers regretted letting them do so straight away.

Once the festivities were over, it was straight to Tokyo for a rehearsal with my Oneesan for our duet. The rehearsal went well, and we were pretty confident we would be ok for the real thing.

Went and checked into my hotel, and then jumped back onto the train to head into Shinjuku to meet up with some boys for a few drinks. Only problem was - the train I needed for the last two stops had stopped moving. Someone jumped in front of it and halted the entire line. So I took a taxi to Shinjuku and met up with my friends there.

Stayed there for a few hours, chatted to people who have lived in Australia before and who know people I know, and then went home to the hotel.

Up at 9:30 and back into Shinjuku for a lesson with a Yamaha Electone Demonstrator. She was awesome, and gave me some really good tips for my upcoming concert on 29th July.

Then I met Oneesan in Ginza and we went to the competition hall. We were number 29 out of 43. It was the ensemble section of the Electone Stage, so 330 people partipated in total. Was huge!

We played pretty well. Ok, so I made some mistakes, but even the best guys do, right? We had fun, and people seemed happy with our performance.

Then I came back to Gunma, and got back to my place around midnight.

Those pregnant fish

2006-06-08T13:16:00.000+09:00

I mentioned in a recent post that I don't eat pregnant fish. Well, today, we had pregnant fish for lunch. And because some of the staff are away today on business trips, there was more to go around. I had 3 of these battered whole fish (yep, heads and tails too) filled with their little eggs inside.

I ate with the Year 5 students and they asked me why I wasn't eating the fish. I explained that I don't eat pregnant fish. So one girl decided to show me how much she loves them by biting off the head and crunching away. She smiled while doing so, and showed all these little yellow eggs all around her mouth and on her lips... If she was trying to show how good it tastes, she was going the wrong way about it. All she did was make me want to vomit and confirmed my dislike for pregnant fish.

Hopefully tomorrow's lunch is much more edible.

Goodbye CRV, hello Vivio!

2006-06-06T08:25:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was a sad, sad day. I drove my CRV for the last time in Japan. It is currently being deregistered so I can prepare to send it to Australia.

So for the next two months, I am driving a rental. It's a yellow plate car which means it has the engine of a lawn mower. And it's two doors. And it's purple.

It is manual, however, which is kind of fun. Though when you do 80km/h, it doesn't feel very safe. The whole thing shakes and buzzes like it's about to blow.

I think I'd prefer safety over the fun of a manual. Ah well, I guess it's only 2 months...

From a friend

2006-06-05T15:49:00.000+09:00

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round,
or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow."
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch? Just call to say "Hi"? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...Thrown away... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Introducing lunch

2006-06-05T13:07:00.000+09:00

I don't think I have ever posted pics of the school lunch I eat every day, so today I took a photo. And here it is.

Today we had rice, miso soup, some kind of vegetable salad and two pieces of squid. Oh, and two apricot-halves.

I'm not a fan of squid, but because I eat with the students, I try to eat whatever is put in front of me. I actually managed the two pieces today.

However, I draw the line at a few things that turn up in school lunch every now and then. I don't eat fish with heads, I don't eat pregnant fish, and I don't eat natto.

My fridge is working, but...

2006-05-31T11:21:00.000+09:00

I usually leave my computer on at night, especially when I'm, er, "getting stuff" from the internet. So, when I woke up this morning and found that my computer was using battery and not power, I was a little surprised. I looked at the modem - all the lights were off. Flicked on the light switch - still in darkness. Hmm. I walked out of my room and into the kitchen. That's weird. The fridge and microwave are still working. Maybe it's just the circuit in the other room. Flicked the switch for the kitchen light. Nothing.

I went to the breaker and had a look. Everything seemed normal. I flicked the main switch, waited a few seconds and then switched it back on. I heard the fridge whir up again, so I checked the lights again. Nothing.

I called my neighbour to see if she was having any problems. She was already at school, but said that only the powerpoint where her washing machine is plugged in is working. She went to work early and took everything from her fridge with her.

I got to school and asked the other teacher who lives in the same apartment block as me if she had power. Only the powerpoint where her TV is plugged in is working.

There is something weird going on here.

I called T at the BOE, and he asked me to meet him at my place. So I drove home and let him in. He also tried the breaker - still nothing. So he called an electrician. Apparently the guy is working on it now.

I hope I have power when I get home. Though at least my fridge is working.

Weird...

ちょっと分からない・・・ I don't quite understand...

2006-05-30T12:19:00.000+09:00

I was marking tests yesterday, and I noticed that even on the second trial, one student didn't manage more than 4 out of 20. This student isn't the best student in the class, but usually she does better than that. I mentioned my concerns about her to the English teacher.

Me: Did you see K's score on the test?
T: Yes.
Me: I was a little surprised. Is she ok?
T: Yes, she's ok. She goes to juku (cram school) so she is busy with that.
Me: Ok...
T: Yeh, so she doesn't have enough time to do her school work.
Me: ...

That doesn't make sense to me. Especially the fact that it seems acceptable for a student to not do his or her school work and subsequently fall behind, all because he/she is too busy with cram school work. Hmmm.

Even after three years, Japan surprises me sometimes.

Hisashiburi Gunma

2006-05-29T14:51:00.000+09:00

For the first time in a while, I spent the entire weekend in Gunma. No Tokyo this weekend, which really was a nice change.

On Friday after work, I hopped in my awesome CRV (I really love my car) and headed down to N's territory - The Bash. She was patiently waiting for the NTT guy to come and set up her phone line for internet (for the second day in a row), and when I arrived he still hadn't shown up. After fiddling around with the wireless adapter and trying to guess the neighbour's internet password for a while, we ended up walking to the train station and going to Takasaki to the beer garden.

The beer garden is open from 6:00 - 9:00pm with last orders at 8:45pm. We arrived at 8:30pm and the lady on the door wasn't going to let us in. We told her our friends are waiting. No. She said it's a waste of money (which it would have been - about $30 each). N suggested 2 for the price of 1. No. But our friends are waiting. Ok, 2 for the price of 1. Get a pitcher and drink fast.

After getting kicked out at 9:10, our friends headed to karaoke, but N and I decided Starbucks was more our scene. A yummy chai tea latte and 2 cookies later, we were back on the train to Maebashi. Watched a bit of telly before calling it a night.

Up at 10:30 Saturday morning, and off to AEON shopping mall in Ota. There was a grand purchase to be made that day. My new bicycle. Rover brand. Folds in half. Blue. Cool. Very exciting. When it came time to put it in the car, though, I couldn't work out how to fold it up. And it was raining so I didn't want to stand outside trying to do something that seemed completely impossible. So with a few encouraging words from the Aussie vernacular, I got the bike in the back of my CRV. Phew.

Then it was off to M's house for a weekend of nothingness. I always go there when I go to Tokyo, and I only have time to scoff down the awesome breakfast her mum makes me. So this weekend was going to be a slow, relaxing weekend there.

The evening was spent watching tv, and then we went to the local okonomiyaki restaurant for some awesome food. M's mum, dad, another friend F and I all drank 3, 1L bottles of beer each before sharing another 2 between us. Feeling very happy (and a little sore after some kids in the restaurant decided to use me as their jungle gym) we headed back to M's house for some more tv and sleep.

Sunday was a lazy morning, with breakfast at 11am. Then at 1pm, we decided to go to Costco in Chiba. Took just over an hour to get there, then about 2.5 hours shopping, and then just over an hour to get home.

When we got back, the weather had cleared so M and I went riding - my bike's debut. (I think I need to name my bike. Suggestions are welcome). Went over to D's house to drop off cookies from Costco and to invite him over for dinner.

D and E both came over for dinner and chats, and then I left for home around 10pm.

It was a great weekend - and I love my bike.

The countdown

2006-05-15T17:26:00.000+09:00

So, it's 2.5 months til my stint in Japan comes to end. I can't believe it. (You will hear me say that many many times over the next 10 weeks, I'm sure.)

I have been incredibly busy lately. My sister and her beau came to visit a couple of weeks ago. They were only in Tokyo for three days in transit to their new lives in Dublin. It was awesome to see them and have them in "my territory". Next time I see them, they will be playing tour guide for me in Europe I hope. Can't wait!

Also been a bit under the weather of late. Had to have a camera put down my throat last Friday to check out my insides. Apparently I'm all clean. But I NEVER want to do that again! It hurt so badly. And even before I went in, I was over it. From the waiting area you could hear other patients gagging as the camera went down. EWW.

This coming Sunday I have my Electone Grade 5 exam. I'm nowhere near ready for it, so I feel a fail coming on. But the good thing is if I do fail, I only have to resit the sections I failed, not the whole thing again. Hopefully it doesn't come to that though.

Have also been on a huge centipede-killing crusade this week. Have had seven of them so far - in 7 days. Not happy. Hopefully they are all gone now. They should be after the amount of poison I've put out. The last one I found (about 30 minutes ago) was already dead. So that's a good sign.

Ok, going to post some pics from Tokyo and leave it at that.

Japanese Graffiti

2006-04-19T14:43:00.000+09:00

On Sunday, I had my Electone competition at Yamano Gaki in Ginza. The competition was held in the Jam Spot, on the 7th floor of the store.

At one point, I needed to use the bathroom (you know what nerves can do to you) and was instantly amused by the graffiti. I'm sure this is "only in Japan".

(It's a little hard to read: Ayers Rock)

Tone it down, but dress it up

2006-04-17T13:52:00.000+09:00

That's the message that is being taught to Americans before they travel overseas now, apparently. The US Government is concerned about the perceived image of Americans in other countries, and have decided it's not a cruel stereotype, but rather a "worringly accurate" image.

Big companies will issue a "world citizen's guide" to employees travelling overseas as of next month. The booklet contains 16 etiquette tips for the uneducated American traveller. Talks have also commenced about including the guide with every newly issued passport.

Here are some samples from the guide, thanks to SMH: (not too sure about the soccer one though...)

* Think as big as you like but talk and act smaller: In many countries, any form of boasting is considered very rude. Talking about wealth, power or status - corporate or personal - can create resentment.
* Listen at least as much as you talk: By all means, talk about America and your life in our country. But also ask people you're visiting about themselves and their way of life.
* Save the lectures for your kids: Whatever your subject of discussion, let it be a discussion not a lecture. Justified or not, the US is seen as imposing its will on the world.
* Think a little locally: Try to find a few topics that are important in the local popular culture. Remember, most people in the world have little or no interest in the World Series or the Super Bowl. What we call "soccer" is football everywhere else. And it's the most popular sport on the planet.
* Slow down: We talk fast, eat fast, move fast, live fast. Many cultures do not.
* Speak lower and slower: A loud voice is often perceived as bragging. A fast talker can be seen as aggressive.
* Your religion is your religion and not necessarily theirs: Religion is usually considered deeply personal, not a subject for public discussions.
* If you talk politics, talk - don't argue: Steer clear of arguments about American politics, even if someone is attacking US politicians or policies. Agree to disagree.

Fuss Fuss Fuss

2006-04-07T12:05:00.000+09:00

Today, I went to use my Alien Registration Card as ID for something, and realised that it still has my address as the old one before the merger. So I asked the school secretary what I should do. After a quick phonecall, she told me that I just needed to go to the Azuma branch of City Hall (aka the old Village Office) and they would fix it for me.

So I went down there, expecting to hand over my old card in exchange for a new one. M-san, who used to work with me at the BOE uptil this month, is now the head of the Life Section of the office (that doesn't translate well, does it) so I gave her my card. She passed it onto another lady while we chatted.

After a few minutes I looked over to see how things were progressing, only to see three ladies fussing over my card. After about 5 minutes of fussing, they came over and presented me with my old card, with my new address written in felt pen on the back. So what was all the fuss over? Trying to get the hanko (official stamp) to print clearly on the back.

Ah well, at least I know where I live again now :-)

Clever Nuts!

2006-04-05T09:17:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was the Induction Ceremony at the Nursery School. Azuma has a brand new Nursery School, and it's amazing. Spacious, cute, comfortable... It's called Chienomi, and when I asked someone if it had meaning, they said not really, but translated it roughly for me. It translates as "clever nuts". When I told them that was the perfect name and explained the meaning it has in English, they all laughed at the appropriateness of it.

The nursery school bought a grand piano from Yamaha, and so two teachers from the local Yamaha school came and performed yesterday. They also brought STAGEA with them, so we were treated to a small performance.

The kids were so cute, and they seem to love the new building. It should be fun to teach there.

Midori? Or is that Pinku?

2006-04-03T14:35:00.000+09:00

Just got back from a week in Australia last night (will blog about the actual trip later). Before I left, the name of my village was Seta-Azuma. While I was away, it changed to Azuma-machi, Midori-shi. So when I got to work today, the art teacher told me she was making new business cards for all the teachers. She had 12 designs to choose from. I chose the blue one, and she said that was the most popular. Then she thought for a bit and said "No-one has chosen pink yet, and I think that suits you better; trendy and cute. I'll make yours pink." ?!

So now, I have pink business cards.

Scare

2006-03-19T15:40:00.000+09:00

Phew! Had a bit of a scare on Friday. I couldn't access my blog. At all. Kept saying access was forbidden. I could still access all my friends' blogs on blogspot but not mine. Was really worried my blog was gone forever. But it's not. It's back. :-)

Having a chilled Sunday in today. Had a work party on Friday night, went to Tokyo yesterday and met up with some mates I haven't seen in ages, and then got home around midnight. Slept until 11am today - can't remember the last time I did that. Was awesome.

Only one week of school left before Spring Vacation. Man it's gone fast.

Graduation

2006-03-15T23:22:00.000+09:00

Yep, it's that time of year again. My 3nensei kids graduated on Monday.

This was my third time to sit through a Japanese JHS Graduation Ceremony. And to be honest, I'm glad it was my last. They are so long and drawn out, so solemn, so serious. Nothing like my graduation in Australia back in 1999.

But this year was special. I have taught these kids the entire time. They were 1nensei when I arrived. And over the three years, I have gotten to know these 20 kids pretty well.

Tuesday last week, we had the final English class. It was tough to say good bye, but I managed. We took a few photos at the end of class.

Now, even though there were only 20 of them, the school seems so empty and quiet. But life goes on.

Fashion

2006-02-28T11:42:00.000+09:00

Forgot to mention in the post about Nagoya that while Y and I were walking around the city, we were stopped by a couple of guys working for a local fashion magazine. They asked if they could interview us and take our photo for the next issue. We weren't really dressed up at all so it was a bit weird and embarrassing. We had to list everything we were wearing; the brand name and where we bought it from. We were both very international though. Between the two of us, I think we covered Japan, Australia, Singapore, UK, Korea...

After the interview, we went on our way and laughed about it for a while. Then we thought we should go to a bookstore and find the current issue. We couldn't find it. No shop had it, so we started to think we had been done. But this month's edition was to be released the next day, so we went back to the bookstores and searched again. We found it, and went to the "fashion on the street" pages. Everyone was dressed up, and were really fashionable. We're going to look so daggy haha. We probably won't even make the cut. Ah well. It was fun.

100th Post and Nagoya

2006-02-27T19:16:00.000+09:00

Well this is apparently my 100th post. Pretty exciting stuff huh?

I went to Nagoya on the weekend to see a friend. J-kun drove me to Kiryu station on Thursday night so I could take the night bus to Nagoya. I had taken a night bus once before in Japan, so I knew they are a pretty good deal. Single seats that recline further than normal seats, foot rest, leg rest, blanket. However, the last time I took the night bus, I didn't take a pillow. Big mistake. So this time I took my little pillow and boy was I one happy camper. What made me an even happier camper was that I got the back seat, which is the only double seat on the bus. They only sell one ticket for the two seats it seems, so I was able to spread out and managed to get about 3 hours sleep. The reasons I didn't sleep more was because they kept turning on the lights at every stop along the way, and the bus also stopped at 2 rest areas within 3 hours. A little too much resting for my liking, but anyway.

But yeh, had a good couple of days in Nagoya and Inuyama. Didn't really do much touristy stuff; it was more like a "chill" holiday which was what I wanted. Came home on the night bus last night, took the train from Kiryu to Azuma, saw my students on the train, and then came home and slept. A nice sunny day today - perfect day to take paid leave and rest.

Walking in a winter wonderland

2006-02-23T00:03:00.000+09:00

I was cleaning up my apartment tonight in anticipation of guests and found something that I was given in Sapporo. People were handing out pamphlets in the streets on how to walk safely on icy roads. It's pretty comprehensive. And the pictures make it interesting. Check out the guy in (1) in the Safe Walking in Winter section.

Kakkoii

2006-02-21T08:38:00.000+09:00

This morning we had a seitokai (student-body assembly), and I was running late. These are held in the gym so I was on my way over there at fast-pace when I caught up to two 3nensei girls. They started to go upstairs towards the music room. I asked them where they were going. After looking at each other, they said they had singing practice this morning. I asked about the seitokai and they said "Yeh, Mr Grant, just go to the gym." So I started heading towards the gym. Next thing, through fits of giggles, they're calling me back saying it's not in the gym today but in the multipurpose room next to the music room. Man, I love my kids. hehe (These two girls are the same two who stare at me constantly during class trying to catch me hiding a yawn. It's become a big joke between the three of us.)

The topic of today's seitokai was "How to wear school uniform correctly". There are three different types of uniform here - formal, sports and then the wind-breaker. Pairs of students modelled each type of uniform, but were breaking cardinal rules. Things like skirt was too short, collar was up, belt was hanging down... you know, things that I always do (well, except the skirt bit). Anyway, when the two students modelling the sports uniform walked out, the entire school - including some teachers - started saying "kakkoii!!! kakkoii!!!", which means 'cool'. The boy did look cool, I have to admit. He had his collar up. The zipper in the neck was unzipped. His sleeves were rolled up. His pants were a little low. (Again, these are all things I do. Does that make me kakkoii?)

But everything was wrong. The students aren't allowed to have their sleeves rolled up. Long sleeves are either on or off - there's no in between. The zipper in the neck must be half zipped up with the collar folded down.

I learnt something today. And I guess I should try to follow these rules too. Well, when I'm at work anyway.

Nah.

The weekend

2006-02-20T15:10:00.000+09:00

Slept 14 hours on Saturday night. And ate some really good doughnuts.

That's all.

You know you're a Japanese teacher when...

2006-02-17T08:33:00.000+09:00

...you wear a piece of sports clothing with a shirt, tie and suit-pants.

Yuki Matsuri

2006-02-16T16:32:00.000+09:00

Last week I joined a huge group of ALTs on the HAJET Snow Festival trip to Hokkaido. Had an awesome time. After waiting til the last minute to board the plane in Tokyo (thanks Erika), and after experiencing a little turbulence on the decent, we arrived in Sapporo around 5:30pm on Thursday.

Checked into the Hotel Mets and then N, J and I went in search of some dinner. Stumbled across a Chinese Restaurant hidden behind the 2 metre-high pile of snow on the footpath. Good food, good Chinese wine and cheap.

On Friday the three of us went to the Historical Village just outside of Sapporo. It was cold and snowy, so not many people were there. We managed to pass the time pretty quickly there, and possibly broke a few rules along the way, but it was good fun.

Then we went back into the city and went to the “Third most disappointing tourist spot in Japan” – the Sapporo Clock Tower. And disappoint, it did. We were there for about 5 minutes before moving on to the TV Tower. Sapporo’s attempt at copying the Eiffel Tower.

After that we took the street car to the ropeway and went up a mountain for the night view. But the ropeway doesn’t take you all the way up. You then have to go in a bus-type vehicle with snow tractors on it. Or, you can ride in the open sleigh-type thing behind the bus. Which is what we did. BIG MISTAKE. I have never been so cold in my entire life. It was already –11 degrees up there, but when you get coated in snow from the bus’ snow tractors and drenched in the fine mist it also creates, it feels much colder than –11. Needless to say, we rode inside the bus on the way back. Amazing views of Sapporo from there though.

Then it was back onto the street car and into Susukino for some much anticipated miso-ramen. Man it was good! After we ate and embarrassed the chef by taking his photo, we went to look at the ice sculptures. Some were amazing. Some, well, I couldn’t quite grasp what they were going for. But the Karaoke ice room with free hot whiskey and hot baileys was pretty cool.

And that was Friday.

Saturday we went and looked at the snow sculptures on Odori. They were cool! And so big. This year is the Year of Friendship between Japan and Australia (or something along those lines anyway) so two of the main sculptures were Aussie buildings. The Opera House and the Harbour Bride, right? Nope. Melbourne’s Exhibition Building and Flinders Street Station. They were amazing.

We spent about 4 or 5 hours there – even saw an Electone performance. Then we did our souvenir shopping and went back to the hotel. Dinner was at the Kirin Beer Garden. All you can eat and all you can drink for 100 minutes for 3700 yen. And eat and drink we did. J and I decided it would be nice to go and offer other patrons beer, but we were stopped by staff after only pouring two beers. Ah well, we tried.

Sunday was departure day. Left Sapporo at 11:30am (no rush for the gates this time) and got back to Tokyo around 1pm. Spent the afternoon in Tokyo shopping and then got home around midnight. A great weekend. Thanks guys!

Babies

2006-02-06T18:47:00.000+09:00

Japanese babies are so cute. Little G-kun and big G-kun here on Saturday night. Kawaii jan?

The Month of Lerve

2006-02-06T11:51:00.000+09:00

Yep, 'tis February. The signs are up and the sales are on - all in the name of Love. In Japan, Valentine's Day is spread over two days - the typical February 14th and also March 14th. On February 14th, girls give boys chocolates. Apparently, many girls feel that chocolates bought from a store don't convey true love, so they make them themselves. Sugoi ne. Then, on March 14 - called White Day - boys return the notion by giving girls candy. Apparently White Day was started by a marshmallow company back in the 1960s. It's said the candy company was jealous of the sales of chocolate companies around Valentine's Day, so as compensation - and to further commercialisation - they created White Day.

I am making an English poster at the moment about Valentine's Day to hang up in school. Was doing some research and googled "Valentine's around the world", which brought me to this website. Pretty interesting.

http://www.novareinna.com/festive/valworld.html

Hot

2006-01-31T23:07:00.000+09:00

Up until September 2004, my dad owned his own business. Second hand furniture and antiques. After 12 or so years, he had had enough and decided to shut up shop, but still kept the building and now rents it out.

This morning at 5 o'clock, he got a phone call to say that the old cordial factory - the building next to our property - was ablaze. It was gutted, and needs to be demolished. Seems there was no damage to the exterior of our building, but when they emailed me to tell me about it, they hadn't had a chance to check the inside for fire or water damage. On the other side of the burnt-out building is a service station - petrol and gas cylinders everywhere. Could have become quite a show if they caught on fire too. But they didn't - it was contained within the cordial factory.

Dad is feeling very lucky tonight, I think.

My latest read

2006-01-26T21:46:00.000+09:00

Here is what I am reading at the moment. It was a birthday present from my sis and her beau. Really easy read. And a good story - so far.

Pick yourself up a copy if you can.

Birthday

2006-01-23T19:13:00.000+09:00

Last Friday saw G and me having a joint birthday dinner with a small group of friends. Pizza was on the menu, with drinks and cake afterwards at Y's aparto. We also played Cranium, which the "happy couple" absolutely kicked arse in. Thank you dear ;-)

A few photos that capture the evening well follow.

Did you know　・・・?

2006-01-13T10:14:00.000+09:00

Was catching up on my trivia the other night, and two pieces of randomness stuck with me.

1) If you write the hiragana for "pu" and put a Japanese period after it, it looks like a person bowling.

ぷ。

2) The statue of Colonel Sanders out front of every KFC wears glasses and they have prescription lenses in them. Why? Who knows. But they do.

Got food?

2006-01-11T19:53:00.000+09:00

Was in Tokyo yet again this past weekend. And was at Muji yet again this past weekend. But this time it was a Muji I had never been too. Y and I decided to check out the one in Yurakucho, and we were not disappointed. Muji house anyone? And after perusing the goods spread over three huge levels, what better way to unwind than at Muji Meal?

I think I'm going to have to open one of these in Sydney just so I don't go through withdrawl symptoms.

New Year

2006-01-06T13:13:00.000+09:00

Boring title, huh?

Spent New Year's Eve in Tokyo at Meiji-jingu. Freezing weather, thousands of people. We stood in line for the countdown, and then finally made it to the shrine to throw our money and pray at about 12:40am.

Apparently it's a bad year for me, but for the barry bargain price of 880yen, I bought a little material envelope that makes all my problems go away. Not bad huh?

Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel and crashed. My last New Year in Japan.

Winter Vacation

2006-01-05T15:02:00.000+09:00

Went to Vietnam over winter vacation to catch up with a mate who moved there last April. Had a really good time - saw lots, chilled lots, shopped lots, ate lots. I will save you all the details and just give you the highlights of each day from my diary.

23rd: Flight was an hour late. Met I-sensei at Hanoi airport and his driver drove us home.
24th: Chilled in the morning, saw a dog's head on a table at a market, met up with other teachers from school, went out for dinner and went to the biggest church in Hanoi.
25th: Gave Christmas presents, had breakfast in the apartment restaurant with I-sensei and R-kun, went to disgusting restaurant (dirty), had a foot massage, dinner in the outdoor restaurant, drinks and chats with I-sensei on the roof.
26th: Met up with the other teachers, went to Bat Trung to look at pottery, went shopping, dinner, tried Vietnamese wine (gross), read a book to R-kun then slept.
27th: Went shopping with I-sensei again, argued with Vietnam post, went to the one pillar pagoda (small!), said goodbye to the driver, went to Bounenkai.
28th: Said goodbye to I-sensei and his family, met up with D and J, checked into our hotel, went to the turtle temple, more shopping, dinner, drinks on the hotel roof.
29th: Went to the wedding cake pagoda, an old lady showed us around, went to the big markets but didn't buy anything, dinner, water puppet theatre.
30th: D and J went on a 2 day trip, I slept in, watched TV, walked into town, went to the department store, walked back to the hotel, read my book in the lobby, went to the airport, flew back to Japan.

And that's my trip in a nutshell.

The Case of the Missing Mechanical Pencil

2005-12-22T10:00:00.000+09:00

I love Muji. There is no question about it. Whenever I go (I try to go as often as possible) I always buy something. And it's usually something I don't need. I can't help it. I love Muji.

So when the mechanical pencil (sharp pen/pacer/whatever you want to call it) I bought at Muji went missing, I was, well, distraught.

I have an orange mechanical pencil that's not from Muji. One of my 3nensei girls is in love with my orange mechanical pencil. She always tries to steal it from me - even going as far as tackling me in the hallway after class just to try to score the goods. But I have always managed to fend her off.

Then I bought my wonderful Muji mechanical pencil, and when I used it in class one day, she asked me where my orange one was. I told her it was in my pencil case. She asked if I don't want it anymore. I said I still do - as a back up, you know. She reached for my pencil case to try and get the orange mechanical pencil, but I snatched it up first. Then, when class was finishing, I went to put my Muji mechanical pencil in my pencil case. As I was doing so, I let my guard down, and WHOMP! The mechanical pencil from Muji was snatched from my hand. It was a hostage. She said she would keep it until I gave her the orange mechanical pencil. I laughed, pretended not to care, and walked out of the room. On the surface, I was cool as could be. Underneath, all I could think about was my Muji mechanical pencil.

A few days later when I opened my pencil case to get my Muji mechanical pencil, it wasn't there! Then I remembered the events a few days before. So when I saw her next, I questioned her on the whereabouts of my mechanical pencil. She denied having it. She said she gave the hostage back. Hmmm. I was perplexed.

Over the course of a week, I kept questioning her, and she kept asking me if I had found it. I hadn't. My Muji mechanical pencil was somewhere. But where, I didn't know.

Then yesterday, in class a boy asked me to describe my Muji mechanical pencil. I gave the best description I could. When I finished, he said "Oh, it's in the meeting room. You must have left it there after Selection English Class". My heart skipped a beat. Could it be true?

After class I went straight to the meeting room. And there, covered in chalk dust, was my Muji mechanical pencil. The case was solved. She didn't steal it (and I knew that all along). I left it behind. I left my Muji mechanical pencil behind. I made a pact to never do such a thing again.

Achi Kochi

2005-12-19T09:59:00.000+09:00

Lately, I haven't been doing so well at this blogging thing. I have been pretty busy lately. So, this is going to be an entry of randomness from the past few weeks. Complete with photos. A picture diary, if you will.

On the last Sunday in November, friends and I hit Disney Sea for a bit of Christmas-ness. There were so many people, and lines were ridiculous (a 90 minute wait for a short Journey To the Centre of the Earth) but Christmas was in the air, so we managed to survive the crowds.

The past week saw me sitting at my kotatsu every night for about 3 hours making a paper Electone. It was bloody hard work (I managed to stick my fingers together on the first night) but I think the results were worth it.

And this weekend was really achi kochi. Friday night I drove to Maebashi to see J for the last time in a long time. So sad. She just got back from 3 months on Peace Boat and is heading back to NZ on Wednesday. Love you girl!

Stayed in the Bash that night, then took the train into Mitaka for my Electone lesson. Had some time to kill so I went shopping in Mitaka, then went to Ginza, Ueno and on to Narita to meet up with a friend. Then it was back to Ginza via Ueno Sunday morning for my Electone Teacher's Christmas Concert. M, M and N made the trip in from Tatebayashi - thank you!!! Went out for an expensive Chinese lunch with the other performers, then headed home. Picked up my brand new futon (yay!) from M's house then drove back to Maebashi with N. Got my car and then headed back through SNOW to my house.

It's still snowing here now and doesn't look like letting up for a while yet. Hayaku kaeritai~~!

So, yeh, random stuff ne.

What's going on?

2005-12-14T09:03:00.000+09:00

Things aren't good in either Australia or Japan at the moment. What's with the violent raids in Sydney that prompted the government to dispatch 450 police for night patrol? And what about the separate murders of the primary school children here in Japan? I don't understand it.

One of the killings took place in the neighbouring prefecture, Tochigi. But it happened in a town that is located on the same national highway as Azuma. So, beginning Monday this week, the school bus has a police escort, all parents have been asked to wait at bus stops and walk their children home, and mountains of paper have been placed on desks to keep staff updated on the situation. It really is quite scary.

My today

2005-12-13T15:48:00.000+09:00

I think these two pictures pretty much explain how my day was today.

Studless

2005-12-06T14:55:00.000+09:00

Nope, not referring to single ladies. I'm talking about tyres. Winter is here, which means it's time to put the studless tyres on the car. I was a day late this year - had to drive to school yesterday on normal tyres on icy roads. Only slid around once or twice. So after school yesterday, it was straight to the gas stand to get them changed. I sipped hot ocha while the guys worked their magic.

Omiyage

2005-12-01T21:54:00.000+09:00

Here are some pictures of omiyage I have received recently. The giraffe is from Africa, the beauty kit from QANTAS Business Class, the Santa Walrus, candle and stickers from Fukushima. The Lilo and Stitch Lunch Box is omiyage I accidently bought myself at Disney Sea last Sunday. Whoops. Oh, I also got an apron from Italy... just imagine BIG David.

Eh?

2005-11-18T08:15:00.000+09:00

So, a few posts ago I was chirping how it was autumn, and how the leaves are changing colour and how everything is beautiful. Love me some autumn.

Then this morning, I turned on my car to come to school around 7:55. The outside temperature reader flashed to get my attention.

Wednesday night in

2005-11-17T16:25:00.000+09:00

Last night was a night in, which involved cleaning my house thoroughly, talking to friends and watching Japanese TV.

One of my favourite shows here in Japan is Toribia (Trivia) no Iizumi. A group of celebrities sit in the studio and are read pieces of trivia by the two hosts. Each celeb has a button they can hit to show how surprised they are by the trivia. Now, when Japanese people are surprised by something, they say "he~~~" (pronounced "hair" but in a drawn-out fashion) with rising intonation. So when the celebs hit their buzzer, it makes a "he~~~" sound, and they can hit the "he~~~" button up to 20 times per piece of trivia.

Last night, one of the first pieces of trivia was about "kurashikku pantsu" (classic pants, or underwear). The celebs were told that Mitsukoshi, a big posh department store found in places like Ginza, sells these classic pants. But what are classic pants in Japan? Y-fronts? Boxers? Tightie-whities? Nope. They are fundoshi - undies similar to what sumo wrestlers wear. Loin-cloth at the front, g-string at the back. So, if you're ever in need of some kurashikku pantsu, just head to your local Mitsukoshi.

Then, not long after Trivia no Iizumi, there was a programme where people were sitting around talking about their emotions; discussing things that had happened to them and how they dealt with them. Sounds like your standard Oprah-type show, doesn't it? Well, it would be, had not all the people been men. And had one not been a drag queen. Yep, 4 guys and one Queen sitting around opening their hearts to each other and the world. Touching stuff.

Ah, love a quiet night in.

Aki Aki Aki

2005-11-14T14:57:00.000+09:00

So it's been autumn here for a while now. And I have hardly taken any pictures of the trees. Today, the tree in the middle of the car park is a brilliant red, so I ran out to take a few pics. I'm no photographer, so just imagine how good the pictures would be if I was.

Or something like that.

What's in a name?

2005-11-14T14:47:00.000+09:00

News just in - the top 10 weird names celebs have named their kids.

1 Moon Unit - Frank Zappa
2 Apple - Chris Martin/Gwyneth Paltrow
3 Misty Kyd - Sharleen Spiteri
4 Geronimo - Alex James
5 Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily - Michael Hutchence/Paula Yates
6 Dandelion - Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)
7 Dweezil - Frank Zappa
8 Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q - Bono (U2)
9 Zowie Bowie - David Bowie
10 Rufus Tiger - Roger Taylor (Queen)

(Thanks to the SMH)

Killing time on a train

2005-11-09T08:41:00.000+09:00

Played around with a few of the "special effects" on my mobile phone's camera. Here are the results.

Look mum!

2005-11-02T11:18:00.000+09:00

I cleaned my house. It needed it. But, as always, it wasn't because I felt like doing it. It was because the music teacher was coming over to practice for our duet on Saturday. But I am going to do my bestest to keep it looking like this. Minus the laundry of course.

I always seem...

2005-11-02T10:56:00.000+09:00

... to write about my weekend. It always seems to take the same format. "I did this on Saturday. Ooo then I did this on Sunday. Thanks for reading." And this entry is going to be no different.

On Friday night I went to a mate's place for dinner. I haven't caught up with him properly for ages. We work together at the BOE, but I only go there one afternoon a week so we don't catch up much then either. And it was the first time I'd seen his wife since their wedding in July. She is an amazing chef - we ate some of the best food I have eaten in ages. And I showed them my blog, which was quickly translated into Japanese via yahoo translator. Hope you're reading this guys!

Saturday and Sunday was the bunkasai (Cultural Festival) in Azuma, and the Nursery School kids sang in the concert on Saturday morning. Like last year, I accompanied them on the piano, which was good fun. They sang 6 songs all up; three Japanese and three English. Nothing like belting out the ABC song, Do Re Mi and Under the spreading chestnut tree with 20-or-so five- and six-year-old kids on a Saturday morning.

Afterwards, I went over to the baseball ground where all the small stalls were set up. One of my student's fathers talked me into buying a stone keychain which he made. He told me I had to buy one, and that I could choose between a dog or a rabbit. I went for the dog, seeing how I was born in the year of the dog.

Had a lazy afternoon at home before going to Maebashi for a Halloween Party. OMG - good times good times. While we lost a few team members along the way (had nothing to do with alcohol consumption, I'm sure) the majority of us managed to dance the entire night away.

Sunday was a lazy Sunday, with a trip to Tonya coffee for the best coffee in the world, then onto Martown for the best pizza, then a spot of shopping at Muji (the best shop ever) and then home.

Ok, yep so that was my weekend. I promise I will try to make a more exciting entry next time...

Smeh

2005-10-27T16:24:00.000+09:00

I'm lacking the energy to write heaps today. Might have something to do with staying up chatting to a friend until 1am. Hmm. Anyway, here are two pics from my adventures on the weekend. Went out in Shibuya, and took two of our random roommates with us. Good times, apart from the smoke.

More purchases

2005-10-25T16:46:00.000+09:00

I never actually blogged to say that my ipod Nano arrived. Well, it did. And here it is. Isn't it slick?

I don't like the little white earphones that come with the ipods - who wants to be like everyone else, really? So I went and bought some old-skool headphones on the weekend. And a case for the little guy.

Now, just have to wait for the next time I go to Tokyo to use him...

Don't we love Muji?

2005-10-25T16:29:00.000+09:00

My new pillow. In brown, of course. Might have to go back for matching sheets soon...

Grrr

2005-10-19T09:10:00.000+09:00

I'm annoyed. I wrote a huge posting about the weekend (and it wasn't even called "The Weekend") and blogger crapped its pants and lost the lot on me.

So because I'm all bitter and twisted, you are going to get an abridged version of Grant's weekend.

Friday: straight after school I jumped in my car, met D in Kiryu and, after some organising of pants for him, we set off on our road trip to Nakagawa-machi. We stayed the night with our host family from last time, and then got up bright and early on Saturday.

Why?

Saturday: Rice harvesting. In May this year, I went to Nakagawa-machi (then known as Ogawa-machi, silly gappeis) and did taue (rice planting) so this time we got to cut the rice we planted. It was good fun, and we managed to find a few frogs, grasshoppers and even a praying mantis egg along the way.

Afterwards we painted pumpkins with shougakkou kids for Halloween (no carving this time - too many injuries last time apparently) and then made mochi, which are pounded rice cakes.

After that we went back to our host family's house for a bit before going to a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This was the second time for me to see the ceremony, but unlike last time, we sat in western chairs this time. I don't mind doing the Japanese pose, but chairs are never turned down when available. You can take the boy out of the Western Culture, but you can't take the Western Culture out of the boy...

We made tempura for dinner that night, then D and I left for home.

Why didn't we stay Saturday too?

Sunday: International Festival in Maebashi. It was awesome! We sold t-shirts, made S'mores, painted faces, sang, ate, were merry... A very good day was fully much enjoyed by attending people. We all went out for some shabu shabu afterwards (thin strips of meat dragged through boiling water then dipped in a variety of sauces) and I managed to get home around 9pm.

Anyway, that's the abridged version.

Festival pics to come later.

A bit of Sunday and Monday

2005-10-13T10:13:00.000+09:00

On Sunday I met up with a friend from Gunma in Tokyo and we went to watch my friend play Electone in concert. It was AMAZING! My friend was awesome, and so was the performance called "Go!Go! Boys!"

Afterwards was beers at the Lion Beer Hall in Ginza, then a long train ride back to Isesaki (though it was the Ryomo all the way) where D and I jumped in my car and drove to Minakami. Got there at about midnight, after stopping once to err experience adult vending machines, and celebrated with a few Zimas and slept in the car on the side of a mountain road. Luckily the next day was overcast so the sun didn't really wake us up. Eventually got motivated by 10am, found some food in a quaint little cafe near Minakami Eki and then went in search of onsen.

We found a huge one, though I was a little apprehensive. You could see everything from the footpath - everything. And men and women were together. So instead we went and found a men only one (though D did get to see boobies once by mistake). It was a weird place though. Bears in cages, old furniture everywhere, old toothless men demanding your ticket so you can partake in a lucky dip and receive old/used goods... hmmm.

Afterwards we went and found more food, and then drove home. Only took us about 15 hours to get from Minakami to Maebashi. Silly 3 day weekend traffic.

Being Yuma-chan (2005)

2005-10-11T08:30:00.000+09:00

A hotel in Maebashi. 30 Thai guests. 100 guests in total. Good food. Amazing traditional dresses. Faultless dances.

And one hot sweaty gaijin in a horse costume.

(Photos thanks to N. Also thanks to N for holding the horse's hoof so little kids were not trampled on during proceedings.)

I love...

2005-10-09T09:29:00.000+09:00

...staying in hotels. Especially when someone in the area doesn't password their wireless internet and I can use it. hehe

Out my kitchen window

2005-10-07T19:12:00.000+09:00

When I was at uni, I used to be able to look out the kitchen window on ressies and watch the kangaroos grazing while I was washing my dishes.

Here in Azuma, I still get to see the local wildlife out the window while doing the washing up. But the scene is a little different...

Yesterday

2005-10-07T14:24:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was Thursday, and that means Primary School. I think I have it tough at Primary School. Up until this April, I was in charge of my classes: I could teach what I wanted, how I wanted, when I wanted. It was great. Well, as great as teaching little kids could be. But since April, I have been made to work with a lady from an NPO. She comes in most weeks and she says what I teach, how I teach it and when I teach it. Nothing is left up to me. And everything has to be sung. I kid you not. Think you can't sing "hello"? Done to the tune of Mexican Hat Dance, thank you very much. And how does one sing "My name's Grant, what's your name?" How else, than to the tune of Skip To My Lou.

Sheesh.

Anyway, since I don't get to play with the kids during class anymore (if they fall over, the "game is over"; if they speak Japanese, the "game is over") I have taken to playing with them and speaking Japanese to them during lunch break. Here are some pics.

I want my normal classes back!

Let's Safety Driving

2005-10-07T11:00:00.000+09:00

Today the local police came to the Primary School to give a demonstration about safe driving. It's the third time I've seen it as they do the same thing each year. They bring a dummy and then one guy gets into a car and hits the dummy at different speeds to show how much damage can be done. It really is quite scary. It can take more than 15 metres to stop the car when you are doing only 40km/h.

I was watching it with the science teacher and we both agreed to reduce our speed. For now, anyway.

Just like Christmas

2005-10-05T11:06:00.000+09:00

Thanks to those of you who helped me make my decision on which coloured ipod Nano to buy. The order was placed last week, and the payment clearance email came through yesterday. A black, 4GB ipod Nano will soon be mine. オーライ！

New Friends, New Treats

2005-10-04T17:58:00.001+09:00

Best way to taste the local produce? Make friends with the locals! Hand made desserts. Hmm...

My 2pm shot

2005-10-04T15:22:00.000+09:00

The Saviour of ALTs. Don't we love our genki drinks. Complete with nicotine.

My twin?

2005-10-04T11:43:00.000+09:00

So apparently I look like this guy. Or he looks like me. Either one. Don't see it myself...

Photo thanks to CTV

THAT's an eki??

2005-10-04T08:34:00.000+09:00

When I tell people about the train here in Azuma and about the size of the five stations scattered throughout the village (yes, five), they don't seem to be able to fathom exactly what I'm talking about. So here, in all their glory: my local train, my local station and the uniquely-shaped toilet building.

Mush-mush-room-room

2005-10-02T22:36:00.000+09:00

This specimen was rescued from being fried on the BBQ today. Don't you think it slightly resembles, erm...well... yeah.

A days with friends

2005-10-02T21:59:00.000+09:00

Today, I had another BBQ at mine. It's always nice to have people over. It makes me clean my house for starters, but it just feels good to have a full house. Human noise, laughter and cheer can't be beat. Especially while eating awesome food and drinking beers. Kind of makes me feel like I'm back in Australia.

This time, two new friends joined us - don't we love new faces.

Hopefully we can squeeze another BBQ in before it gets too cold up here in the mountains.

Sports Festival Take 3

2005-10-02T21:43:00.000+09:00

And so on Saturday, it was the Primary School's turn to have a sports festival. The weather was awesome, the kids were genki, the teachers enthusiastic, the parents supportive. I had a really good day despite being sleep deprived - still. I entered the spoon race with the ojiichans and also ran in the teachers' relay. Man, that was tough. Seriously. The track is 150m round, so the curves are bloody tight. Had the slam the breaks on halfway through the bend, and am still carrying the consequences in my right thigh. But like I said, I had a fun!

Just not too sure about the slogan on the back of the teachers' t-shirts...

Din-dins - The Sweet Feast

2005-09-30T12:29:00.000+09:00

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!

ADSL a Go-go!

2005-09-28T09:00:00.000+09:00

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....

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

2005-09-27T23:10:00.000+09:00

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.

And then the Nursery school did it too....

2005-09-27T22:57:00.000+09:00

JHS Sports Festival

2005-09-26T17:41:00.000+09:00

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.

A long weekend

2005-09-21T16:23:00.000+09:00

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.

For more pictures, check out my Photo Homepage.

Let's Marching

2005-09-13T11:40:00.000+09:00

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.

Sunday

2005-09-12T19:11:00.000+09:00

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.

Barrier Free

2005-09-12T09:38:00.000+09:00

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.

Train Train Hashittenai!

2005-09-11T12:25:00.000+09:00

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.

Sweeping the field

2005-09-09T13:27:00.000+09:00

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.

It's not a question of WHETHER to buy...

2005-09-08T23:08:00.000+09:00

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?

Time Out

2005-09-07T08:20:00.000+09:00

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.

Enjoy.

Sayonara ja nakute, mata ne!

2005-09-04T23:17:00.000+09:00

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!

Peace Boat

2005-09-02T10:04:00.000+09:00

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!

気を付けて行って帰ってね！

BBQ in Azuma

2005-09-02T08:54:00.000+09:00

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 ;-)

Nagano

2005-09-01T11:18:00.000+09:00

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?

A new look

2005-09-01T10:48:00.000+09:00

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.

Yukata Yokatta!

2005-08-31T23:35:00.000+09:00

Last Saturday night saw the skies above Isesaki light up with 30000 fireworks over the space of one and a half hours. Summer festivals are a big thing in Japan, and many of the locals get all dressed up in Yukata and wander around the many stalls which sell everything from fried squid to crushed ice. Young J and I decided we would try to blend in as much as possible and wear our newly purchased yukatas to the festivities. A fun night was had by all. Thanks M for the photo.

Argh!

2005-08-29T12:14:00.000+09:00

Yes yes! It's been ages since I've written here... and well, I'm going to say it again - I will DO MY BEST to keep this little ol' blog afloat. I promise. Though I seem to make that promise quite often...

Ok, so I am flat out at the moment preparing for YEC - Yamaha Electone Concours. The Tokyo Area Audition is on the 15th and 16th of September. 60 performers, and I'm number 20 on Day 2. The only foreigner in the list. Should be fun?! I hear that most of the other contestants are University students studying Electone... and then there is me, the ALT who plays Electone for fun. What a great contrast!

Anyway, I have today off so I should get back to practising.

Maybe see you all soon?!

GB.

Japan Hai!

2005-06-08T10:43:00.000+09:00

For some reason or another, I'm on a Japan high. Most of my friends here will tell you that I am NEVER on a Japan low, but recently I have been loving this country more than usual. I don't know what it is. Maybe it was the walk I took the other day through the rice fields, around the temple and along the river. Maybe it's the kids at school are suddenly realising speaking English ain't so bad afterall. Maybe it's my friends. (But they are always awesome) Maybe it's the people I work with. Maybe because my best Japanese friend is getting married and asked me to play at his wedding. I have no idea. But I'm loving every minute of every day. It's the best feeling in the world.

How are you all doing?