I'm not sure if it's wise or lazy of me to exploit my friends for their storytelling skills... possibly wise in that i recognize they're more talented than i am, and their perspective is different and interesting. probably lazy in that i'll use them for their stories instead of working to make my writing more interesting. i feel like i used to be able to carry a good story. why have i gotten so lazy about it here? especially when i have so many stories, and all this internet space (and i'm sure a large mass of devoted readers) to tell them.
So here's the latest rip-off: Becca's account of the Tochigi soccer tournament.
Becca's cockroach addition was great, but why just steal one story when she tells them all better than I do...? So I hacked my way onto her blog site and decided to rip off the following description of the Tochigi tourney... Thanks Becca!
"Oishii mizu...clap...clap....clap clap clap...oishii mizu...clap clap...clap clap clap..." [sarah's editorial: oishi means delicous and mizu means water -- our team name and slogan, you know toyama's water is the best in japan... if you lived in toyama you'd understand]
If you told me 6 months ago that I was going to be on a championship winning JET soccer team, I wouldn't have believed you. But last weekend, there I was in Tochigi, playing soccer with some of the best playuers in the ken.
To be honest, getting on the field that day, I really had no idea what to expect, and nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. There were cheerleading girls and jig- dancing boys. There were bagpipes and beaver suits, wet t-shirts and fierce contests, muscle flexing and video taping and all this before the games had even started.
On the field was a hodge podge of players. Experienced atheletes played along side soccer fans and first time players. Regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, we were the team to beat. Dressed in green, the Toyama girls were quite a force to be tackled. We had runners, water polo drivers, chain smokers, beer drinkers, snowboarders, script writers, habitual shoppers, and jazz dancers. We were a great team, 15 strong, and we were giving them the "blue steel," which until that day I would've thought was some kind of metal. At one point, I overheard one of the other girls teams watching us finish up a game. "Are they getting tired?" she said. "It looks like they're wearing them out." This of course was not the case. We went on to beat Nagano, 4 to 1.
By the end of the first day we were 3 games played and 3 games won with our most challenging game behind us. Despite our victories, the tide had changed. After game three we had twisted ankles, swollen thumbs, grass burns, bruised shins, scraped knees [sarah's editorial: this was me!], and black and blue bleeding toes [sarah's editorial: this was me too!]. Yet with three wins and only one game to play, it was in the bag. The girls had won and it was time to party.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
I'm not sure if it's wise or lazy of me to exploit my friends for their storytelling skills... possibly wise in that i recognize they're more talented than i am, and their perspective is different and interesting. probably lazy in that i'll use them for their stories instead of working to make my writing more interesting. i feel like i used to be able to carry a good story. why have i gotten so lazy about it here? especially when i have so many stories, and all this internet space (and i'm sure a large mass of devoted readers) to tell them.
So here's the latest rip-off: Becca's account of the Tochigi soccer tournament.
Becca's cockroach addition was great, but why just steal one story when she tells them all better than I do...? So I hacked my way onto her blog site and decided to rip off the following description of the Tochigi tourney... Thanks Becca!
"Oishii mizu...clap...clap....clap clap clap...oishii mizu...clap clap...clap clap clap..." [sarah's editorial: oishi means delicous and mizu means water -- our team name and slogan, you know toyama's water is the best in japan... if you lived in toyama you'd understand]
If you told me 6 months ago that I was going to be on a championship winning JET soccer team, I wouldn't have believed you. But last weekend, there I was in Tochigi, playing soccer with some of the best playuers in the ken.
To be honest, getting on the field that day, I really had no idea what to expect, and nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. There were cheerleading girls and jig- dancing boys. There were bagpipes and beaver suits, wet t-shirts and fierce contests, muscle flexing and video taping and all this before the games had even started.
On the field was a hodge podge of players. Experienced atheletes played along side soccer fans and first time players. Regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, we were the team to beat. Dressed in green, the Toyama girls were quite a force to be tackled. We had runners, water polo drivers, chain smokers, beer drinkers, snowboarders, script writers, habitual shoppers, and jazz dancers. We were a great team, 15 strong, and we were giving them the "blue steel," which until that day I would've thought was some kind of metal. At one point, I overheard one of the other girls teams watching us finish up a game. "Are they getting tired?" she said. "It looks like they're wearing them out." This of course was not the case. We went on to beat Nagano, 4 to 1.
By the end of the first day we were 3 games played and 3 games won with our most challenging game behind us. Despite our victories, the tide had changed. After game three we had twisted ankles, swollen thumbs, grass burns, bruised shins, scraped knees [sarah's editorial: this was me!], and black and blue bleeding toes [sarah's editorial: this was me too!]. Yet with three wins and only one game to play, it was in the bag. The girls had won and it was time to party.
So here's the latest rip-off: Becca's account of the Tochigi soccer tournament.
Becca's cockroach addition was great, but why just steal one story when she tells them all better than I do...? So I hacked my way onto her blog site and decided to rip off the following description of the Tochigi tourney... Thanks Becca!
"Oishii mizu...clap...clap....clap clap clap...oishii mizu...clap clap...clap clap clap..." [sarah's editorial: oishi means delicous and mizu means water -- our team name and slogan, you know toyama's water is the best in japan... if you lived in toyama you'd understand]
If you told me 6 months ago that I was going to be on a championship winning JET soccer team, I wouldn't have believed you. But last weekend, there I was in Tochigi, playing soccer with some of the best playuers in the ken.
To be honest, getting on the field that day, I really had no idea what to expect, and nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. There were cheerleading girls and jig- dancing boys. There were bagpipes and beaver suits, wet t-shirts and fierce contests, muscle flexing and video taping and all this before the games had even started.
On the field was a hodge podge of players. Experienced atheletes played along side soccer fans and first time players. Regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, we were the team to beat. Dressed in green, the Toyama girls were quite a force to be tackled. We had runners, water polo drivers, chain smokers, beer drinkers, snowboarders, script writers, habitual shoppers, and jazz dancers. We were a great team, 15 strong, and we were giving them the "blue steel," which until that day I would've thought was some kind of metal. At one point, I overheard one of the other girls teams watching us finish up a game. "Are they getting tired?" she said. "It looks like they're wearing them out." This of course was not the case. We went on to beat Nagano, 4 to 1.
By the end of the first day we were 3 games played and 3 games won with our most challenging game behind us. Despite our victories, the tide had changed. After game three we had twisted ankles, swollen thumbs, grass burns, bruised shins, scraped knees [sarah's editorial: this was me!], and black and blue bleeding toes [sarah's editorial: this was me too!]. Yet with three wins and only one game to play, it was in the bag. The girls had won and it was time to party.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
I got into AFI!
Things are good, really good. I'm quite tired, but at least now the chronic stomach pain isn't due to AFI anxiety (now it's lack of sleep and cockroach anxiety). I was getting really stressed about it. My address isn't printed correctly on the envelope, so it may have delayed delivery a bit.
I had a great weekend playing soccer. You can see a few pictures of the tournament at http://members14.clubphoto.com/simon619630/1262445/guest.phtml
This weekend was a retreat from reality - in a bus with 30 native English speakers, then at a soccer tourney with several hundred native English speakers. Add in McDonalds and the Irish pub Saturday night (with pizza, fish and chips, black and tans, and Bass), we could have been in any semi-urban part of the world. We just happened to be in Tochigi, Japan, about an hour from Tokyo.
We spent Friday night on bus for the 7-hour drive to Tochigi - barely got any sleep due to lots of other people to talk with, frequent stops, and of course the incredibly cramped bus. We got to Tochigi at 6 am Saturday, so we had breakfast at a rest stop (rice and miso soup for me), and showed up at the pitch around 7:30... our first game was at 1:30. Saturday was a gorgeous day, and it was really fun to sit around in the grass talking, playing soccer, watching games. We played 3 games on Saturday and won all of them. Things were a little rough at first (I hadn't played since high school, and many girls had never played), but eventually we all got into a pretty good groove.
This groove was broken Sunday morning, in the cold rain, after a late night out. But anyways.
We were exhausted and starving after our 3 games - I hadn't eaten since my 6am breakfast. We checked into our hotel, which was great - everyone had a single room with private shower/bath. A long hot shower, and a few hours at the Irish pub. Luckily we went there for dinner and got seats - beat out the rest of the Jets from other teams who came for drinking later.
Sunday after hours of rain and cold (without proper clothing), we took the trophy home (girls won first place). Stopped at a sento for a too-quick but necessary bath, then another 7 or so hours home - got to Sunshine around 1am, to bed around 3... Still sleeping at Becca's, but the cockroaches are another story. Becca, care to jump in?
And Becca's contribution:
Cockroach Nightmare Came True
After the staring contest from hell, S had laid out several roach motels and after a weekend of soccer playing in Tochigi it was time to see if the mouse had taken the bait or in this case, the roach. S had been hearing sounds all last week and those sounds were confirmed to be the pesky little monsters when upon her arrival home last night, she saw a roach still moving and desperately trying to escape. This was when the craziness began.
Monday evening I received a phone call followed by an email to my cell phone - "I need serious help, when will you be home?" There was no mention of the roaches but I knew from the tone of her email that they were back! Trouble was, I was in the middle of an evening English lesson with the cutest English speaking 22 year old Japanese man I've ever seen (more on that later) and wouldn't be home until 9:00pm. And so, S made a smart move - "I'm going to leave and eat out..."
Later that night we made our way up to S's apartment to face our greatest fears - cockroaches, cockroaches and more cockroaches! There were three motels total, each of which had to be checked for roaches. Our first task, the motel behind the stove, which S had drenched with insecticide a few hours earlier.
"There's a roach in that one. I saw it moving earlier," S said.
"Where is it? I can't see it?"
"Its there,...look...."
A plastic bag shuffled at my feet.... "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
S grabbed my arm and both of us ran screaming into the other room. Shivers ran up my spine as both of us tried to catch our breath.
"Wait, wait, wait... I've got to get this on video!"
I chuckled, happy for the bit of comic relief, but the place still reaked of fumes and personally, the chemicals along with the idea of squirmy little roaches made me sick to my stomach. "I don't know if I can do this again," I said to S. I took a deep breath and tried to regain a bit of courage. "Do you have any rubber gloves?"
A few minutes later, rubber gloves on, hanger and shoe in hand, and a plastic bag ready to disgard the traps, I made my way to the motel.
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"WHAT WHAT WHAT!!!?!?"
"There are two of them in there!?!?!"
"No..no.. don't tell me, I don't want to know..........Wait maybe keep a silent count in your head and tell me later!"
More screaming, video taping and silent counting later I managed to get the first motel into a plastic bag. One down, two to go I thought to myself. Whew! I made my way to the second trap and saw an antenae peeking out through the motel window. Ugh! Even recalling the scene now is sending shivers down my spine. By this time, S was at the other end of the apartment with her back to me and the music blasting. But like the true film-maker, the camera was strategically positioned and zoomed in on the cardboard trap.
"This music may forever be remembered as roach killing music," I told her.
Perhaps it was the music and the video taping or maybe it was all the screaming and running around that had released my apprehensions because by the time I had reached motel 2, I was totally relaxed, and what had initially felt like my worst nightmare began to feel like a science experiment and a mission to recover the findings!
Here are the results:
Motel 1 - 2 cockroaches
Motel 2 - 2 cockroaches
Motel 3 - none
Then, with a tie of the plastic baggy, the roaches were secured and ready to be taken out with the trash. YATA! Another mission completed!
Things are good, really good. I'm quite tired, but at least now the chronic stomach pain isn't due to AFI anxiety (now it's lack of sleep and cockroach anxiety). I was getting really stressed about it. My address isn't printed correctly on the envelope, so it may have delayed delivery a bit.
I had a great weekend playing soccer. You can see a few pictures of the tournament at http://members14.clubphoto.com/simon619630/1262445/guest.phtml
This weekend was a retreat from reality - in a bus with 30 native English speakers, then at a soccer tourney with several hundred native English speakers. Add in McDonalds and the Irish pub Saturday night (with pizza, fish and chips, black and tans, and Bass), we could have been in any semi-urban part of the world. We just happened to be in Tochigi, Japan, about an hour from Tokyo.
We spent Friday night on bus for the 7-hour drive to Tochigi - barely got any sleep due to lots of other people to talk with, frequent stops, and of course the incredibly cramped bus. We got to Tochigi at 6 am Saturday, so we had breakfast at a rest stop (rice and miso soup for me), and showed up at the pitch around 7:30... our first game was at 1:30. Saturday was a gorgeous day, and it was really fun to sit around in the grass talking, playing soccer, watching games. We played 3 games on Saturday and won all of them. Things were a little rough at first (I hadn't played since high school, and many girls had never played), but eventually we all got into a pretty good groove.
This groove was broken Sunday morning, in the cold rain, after a late night out. But anyways.
We were exhausted and starving after our 3 games - I hadn't eaten since my 6am breakfast. We checked into our hotel, which was great - everyone had a single room with private shower/bath. A long hot shower, and a few hours at the Irish pub. Luckily we went there for dinner and got seats - beat out the rest of the Jets from other teams who came for drinking later.
Sunday after hours of rain and cold (without proper clothing), we took the trophy home (girls won first place). Stopped at a sento for a too-quick but necessary bath, then another 7 or so hours home - got to Sunshine around 1am, to bed around 3... Still sleeping at Becca's, but the cockroaches are another story. Becca, care to jump in?
And Becca's contribution:
Cockroach Nightmare Came True
After the staring contest from hell, S had laid out several roach motels and after a weekend of soccer playing in Tochigi it was time to see if the mouse had taken the bait or in this case, the roach. S had been hearing sounds all last week and those sounds were confirmed to be the pesky little monsters when upon her arrival home last night, she saw a roach still moving and desperately trying to escape. This was when the craziness began.
Monday evening I received a phone call followed by an email to my cell phone - "I need serious help, when will you be home?" There was no mention of the roaches but I knew from the tone of her email that they were back! Trouble was, I was in the middle of an evening English lesson with the cutest English speaking 22 year old Japanese man I've ever seen (more on that later) and wouldn't be home until 9:00pm. And so, S made a smart move - "I'm going to leave and eat out..."
Later that night we made our way up to S's apartment to face our greatest fears - cockroaches, cockroaches and more cockroaches! There were three motels total, each of which had to be checked for roaches. Our first task, the motel behind the stove, which S had drenched with insecticide a few hours earlier.
"There's a roach in that one. I saw it moving earlier," S said.
"Where is it? I can't see it?"
"Its there,...look...."
A plastic bag shuffled at my feet.... "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
S grabbed my arm and both of us ran screaming into the other room. Shivers ran up my spine as both of us tried to catch our breath.
"Wait, wait, wait... I've got to get this on video!"
I chuckled, happy for the bit of comic relief, but the place still reaked of fumes and personally, the chemicals along with the idea of squirmy little roaches made me sick to my stomach. "I don't know if I can do this again," I said to S. I took a deep breath and tried to regain a bit of courage. "Do you have any rubber gloves?"
A few minutes later, rubber gloves on, hanger and shoe in hand, and a plastic bag ready to disgard the traps, I made my way to the motel.
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"WHAT WHAT WHAT!!!?!?"
"There are two of them in there!?!?!"
"No..no.. don't tell me, I don't want to know..........Wait maybe keep a silent count in your head and tell me later!"
More screaming, video taping and silent counting later I managed to get the first motel into a plastic bag. One down, two to go I thought to myself. Whew! I made my way to the second trap and saw an antenae peeking out through the motel window. Ugh! Even recalling the scene now is sending shivers down my spine. By this time, S was at the other end of the apartment with her back to me and the music blasting. But like the true film-maker, the camera was strategically positioned and zoomed in on the cardboard trap.
"This music may forever be remembered as roach killing music," I told her.
Perhaps it was the music and the video taping or maybe it was all the screaming and running around that had released my apprehensions because by the time I had reached motel 2, I was totally relaxed, and what had initially felt like my worst nightmare began to feel like a science experiment and a mission to recover the findings!
Here are the results:
Motel 1 - 2 cockroaches
Motel 2 - 2 cockroaches
Motel 3 - none
Then, with a tie of the plastic baggy, the roaches were secured and ready to be taken out with the trash. YATA! Another mission completed!
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
It's been a while. I've been reluctant to post until I finish the soon-to-be Taiwan masterpiece. But since it hasn't been finished, I'll write a few notes about the past few weeks.
Getting back from Taiwan was rough. I loved it. I loved the energy, the dirtiness (sp?), the food, and how the people were so down to earth. It was really easy to feel like another human being in that culture, I felt much more at ease than I often do in Japan. So coming back from 85, sunny weather to 40 degrees, ever-raining Toyama was hard. Especially since I've spent the past 2 weeks sitting in the office or through ceremonies rather than teaching.
But this past week's been much better. I'm sure the weather has something to do with it - it's been sunny and beautiful. I'm also back in the classroom at Oizumi, which is good. I'm playing in a soccer tournament this weekend, and have been getting up and running, and playing soccer a little in the afternoons. Despite an upsetting cockroach incident, I'm loving my apartment, and it is getting bigger (changed the bed to a couch) and is now very clean.
So a few updates taken from e-mails, etc.
First weekend post-Taiwan. miserable, cold, rainy:
***Friday- feeling sick, basically just hung out, went to bed. Saturday, went to Nagano with a few teachers. Really fun, but terrible weather (rain/snow/cold) and I wasn't dressed appropriately. I would have been, because I brought a bag of extra clothes including gloves and a hat, but the teacher who picked me up was dressed very cutely, and insisted I didn't need it. She froze the entire day too... why would I trust Japanese for sensible clothing advice??? But I was in for a treat, and the first stop was one of my favorite museums (small scale). It's the Chihiro museum, she was a famous children's illustrator. The museum is dedicated to children's picture books from around the world, and it was amazing. So great. They also had some statues, installations, I won't really go into it because I'm feeling particularly inexpressive. But it was a beautiful museum, wooden, wonderful smell, nice cafe, etc. I was happy and at peace with the world. art museum: http://www.chihiro.jp/english/azumino/main.htm
Then off to lunch - a soba restaurant, really nice. Then a wasabi farm - interesting but too cold. wasabi can only be grown in very clean water. did you know that? then a glass museum (which was really a store - the glass products were all for sale) and an herb store where i drank herbal coffee (made from dandelion and chicory, not a good idea), and other teachers got aromatherapy hand massages. from there we drove home, and i slept in the back of the car. a really interesting, relaxing day.
sunday i did brian's tax seminar, and i now understand how to claim my tax exemptions as a foreign resident (woo hoo!). from that I ran into shay and taeko at a festival at the castle, and i partook in some hanami, or flower viewing. (http://nytimes.com/2003/04/06/international/asia/06JAPA.html) basically, it means picninic - when the cherry blossoms bloom the japanese go for eating and drinking by the banks of a river. my first impressions of hanami were good, and i'm doing it again next weekend. but the japanese obsession with sakura (cherry blossoms) are a bit obsessive: the cherry blossom front is alwyas on the news, and any speech begins with comments on the blossoms (even in feburary.. the cherry blossoms are coming... and in june i'm sure we'll still be hearing about it: the cherry blossoms have fallen or something). but they're nice.
futzed around my apartment, went to gusto's for dinner with justin. gusto's is great i've decided. When I first came to Japan, I didn't really care for japanese family restaurants (equivalent of big boy, denny's, etc. in the us). but it might have been the chicken elbow thing that turned me off. lately i've been having some decent food, cheaply. i've always loved the drink bar, of course (hot chocolate, teas, sodas, juices, coffees, what more could you want???). Last night I had bibinbop - not as good as jim's grill in chicago, but not bad! I think the difference is that since i'm accustomed to eating japanese food, i can eat the bad versions of japanese dishes and find them satifying. strange.***
So coming back from Taiwan, my schools have changed a bit. New teachers, new systems. Here's a bit about the new Nanbu (which after all the enkais, is still a stifling place to spend 8 hours of near silence...
***My enkai last night was insane. Nanbu has been transformed! The new people here are so fun and great, and I'm getting along really well with everyone. They are outgoing, go out of their way to talk to me in Japanese and English, and like to smile and laugh and drink a lot. And the 2 new young female teachers (23ish) are total party animals - they were smashed last night and pretty funny - one was flamenco dancing on stage for everyone. One is an English teacher, and the other loves movies and really wants to speak English a lot. We've already made a pact to go drinking in the near future - near being the opperative word.
I think a big differenence is the new principal - he's younger, attractive (not like that) always has a broad smile, and walks around and talks to the teachers in the staff room. He's nice!***
I also had my interview for AFI last week. Wednesday morning, 7:15 am. I'm not sure how it went. I was a little out of it, woke up with a cold, but hopefully that wouldn't affect my chances. I just found out today that Anna (my roommate from NU) got into the directing program at AFI - congratulations Anna! I should hear anytime - they were supposed to mail the descisions on April 15th.
Last weekend was good, but busy. I hung out with Justin Friday night - we were going to have a movie theme night of Brian de Palma, since I'd never seen any of his films (apart from Mission Impossible), and just read some interviews with his two main editors. But that night, I knew I wasn't up for Carrie (had been having bad dreams, especially after seeing Vanilla Sky (yuck) Wednesday). So we got The Wild One, with Marlon Brando, and The Wild Bunch, with a lot of people. Unfortunately, didn't make it through the Wild Bunch yet.
Saturday was supposed to be Hanami (picinic under cherry blossoms) with Justin's Tateyama crowd, but it was pouring. Instead, we ate Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, which is hard to explain. Basically, two pancake type things of pork, egg, flour(?) sandwiching yakisoba - fried soba noodles with special sauce. I had mine with kimchee (korean red pepper spice that's used in Japan with cabbage). It was wonderful, but threw my digestion off track for the rest of the weekend (or maybe it was the alcohol).
Then to kareoke, which would have been fun if we had stopped after 2 hours. After 3 and a half, I was outside on the rainy sidewalk alone, in severe stomach pain (think kareoke, florescent lights, and a chain smoker in a cramped, unventilated room for that long), waiting for everyone to finish. They did, and we went back to Sunshine.
At this point, Becca and I weren't feeling like calling it a night (8pm) so we got sushi and a salad for dinner and went to Takaoka (Ann Arbor-sized city a half hour away) to join a small house party and visit a bar.
Next morning, we had proper hanami. It was a beautiful day, and the park in Takaoka is amazing. The sakura were in full bloom, and the park was full of families and friends having picinics (there was literally nowhere to sit, and the line for the bathroom took 30 minutes). But it was great. We hung out for a while and made it back to Toyama for girls soccer practice. Playing soccer again is fun!
Next is the cockroach incident that happened earlier this week. I'll let Rebecca explain this one (from her website)
***First off....HOLY COW was that cockroach big! Okay...here's what happened.
THE CALL FOR HELP:
After hitting the snooze button a few times my phone rang. "Are you awake?" she said. "Yeah...I'm awake," in my groggy morning voice. "There's a huge cockroach in my room. Can you come up?" Realizing the extent to which the cockroach had paralyzed poor S, I agreed to go upstairs, but not before brushing my teeth, or so I thought. As I got myself out of bed and into the bathroom, the phone rang again. "I think you should bring a book or something to hit it with....and hurry!" I could see things were getting intense upstairs. Oh well, I thought...morning breath can wait.
AN END TO THE STARING CONTEST
I came into a very very tense room. At that point, it was pretty much a stand off between S and the roach. The starring contest had left S petrified and standing by the door when I arrived. "It's under the tin," she said." Apparently the roach had made its way under an oven tray to take cover. I peeked into the kitchen to survey the scene. WHOA!!! I almost couldn't do it myself. *UGH* I thought, if I didn't hurry up and get it over with, I'll be exactly where that roach wants me...huddled in the corner calling for backup. I took a deep breath and signaled to S... "OKAY I'll just do it!" *SMACK*.....wiggle wiggle wiggle........ *SMACK* "Okay, its done." WHEW! That wasn't so bad, I thought to myself.
"Do you have something to sweep it up with?" I asked.
"Uhh...how bout some toilet paper??"
"No..no no..too thin!!!" I said, grossed out at even the idea of touching a juicy dead roach with a thin piece of toilet paper.
Sarah handed me a flyer. I had to do this without thinking and so, with one swift scoop, I swept the monster onto the flyer and into the trash it went.
Wow...can you imagine?? All this excitement and I hadn't even brushed my teeth! I don't think I was even fully awake. What a morning!***
And then yesterday (from my other site):
***This cockroach thing has scarred me. First, I should say that yesterday afternoon I gave my apartment a very thorough cleaning, disinfecting, vaccuming, etc. I also permanantly made my bed into a couch and am now sleeping on a futon on the floor. So last night, on my floor in my clean apartment, I woke up around 2,2:30 am, sat straight up in bed, and I think in my mind or dream I saw a cockroach. So. Lying wide awake on my floor, I heard these little noises. clicks, little thumps. I was convinced there was another cockroach in my kitchen, and it was flying around or something. I was terrified, had no idea what to do. I would have called Becca to call her up to search and destroy, but it was now near 3am, so I called my mother who told me to just go turn the light on, see if there was one, and kill it. Instead, I moved my futon into the tatami room, shut the sliding doors, turned on the music, and lay awake for another 30 minutes, dying to go the the bathroom and get a drink of water, but too scared of going near the kitchen.***
Cockroach update: in addition to the poison that's been out all year, I bought cockroach hotels and garbage fresheners yesterday (even though I mean to take out the trash daily, doesn't hurt if it smells lemony!)
Since I didn't want to listen to the cockroaches checking in last night, and couldn't close my sliding doors due to laundry day, I slept at Becca's place.
That's it for now. Taiwan stories are soon to come. Take care, Happy Easter,
Sarah
Getting back from Taiwan was rough. I loved it. I loved the energy, the dirtiness (sp?), the food, and how the people were so down to earth. It was really easy to feel like another human being in that culture, I felt much more at ease than I often do in Japan. So coming back from 85, sunny weather to 40 degrees, ever-raining Toyama was hard. Especially since I've spent the past 2 weeks sitting in the office or through ceremonies rather than teaching.
But this past week's been much better. I'm sure the weather has something to do with it - it's been sunny and beautiful. I'm also back in the classroom at Oizumi, which is good. I'm playing in a soccer tournament this weekend, and have been getting up and running, and playing soccer a little in the afternoons. Despite an upsetting cockroach incident, I'm loving my apartment, and it is getting bigger (changed the bed to a couch) and is now very clean.
So a few updates taken from e-mails, etc.
First weekend post-Taiwan. miserable, cold, rainy:
***Friday- feeling sick, basically just hung out, went to bed. Saturday, went to Nagano with a few teachers. Really fun, but terrible weather (rain/snow/cold) and I wasn't dressed appropriately. I would have been, because I brought a bag of extra clothes including gloves and a hat, but the teacher who picked me up was dressed very cutely, and insisted I didn't need it. She froze the entire day too... why would I trust Japanese for sensible clothing advice??? But I was in for a treat, and the first stop was one of my favorite museums (small scale). It's the Chihiro museum, she was a famous children's illustrator. The museum is dedicated to children's picture books from around the world, and it was amazing. So great. They also had some statues, installations, I won't really go into it because I'm feeling particularly inexpressive. But it was a beautiful museum, wooden, wonderful smell, nice cafe, etc. I was happy and at peace with the world. art museum: http://www.chihiro.jp/english/azumino/main.htm
Then off to lunch - a soba restaurant, really nice. Then a wasabi farm - interesting but too cold. wasabi can only be grown in very clean water. did you know that? then a glass museum (which was really a store - the glass products were all for sale) and an herb store where i drank herbal coffee (made from dandelion and chicory, not a good idea), and other teachers got aromatherapy hand massages. from there we drove home, and i slept in the back of the car. a really interesting, relaxing day.
sunday i did brian's tax seminar, and i now understand how to claim my tax exemptions as a foreign resident (woo hoo!). from that I ran into shay and taeko at a festival at the castle, and i partook in some hanami, or flower viewing. (http://nytimes.com/2003/04/06/international/asia/06JAPA.html) basically, it means picninic - when the cherry blossoms bloom the japanese go for eating and drinking by the banks of a river. my first impressions of hanami were good, and i'm doing it again next weekend. but the japanese obsession with sakura (cherry blossoms) are a bit obsessive: the cherry blossom front is alwyas on the news, and any speech begins with comments on the blossoms (even in feburary.. the cherry blossoms are coming... and in june i'm sure we'll still be hearing about it: the cherry blossoms have fallen or something). but they're nice.
futzed around my apartment, went to gusto's for dinner with justin. gusto's is great i've decided. When I first came to Japan, I didn't really care for japanese family restaurants (equivalent of big boy, denny's, etc. in the us). but it might have been the chicken elbow thing that turned me off. lately i've been having some decent food, cheaply. i've always loved the drink bar, of course (hot chocolate, teas, sodas, juices, coffees, what more could you want???). Last night I had bibinbop - not as good as jim's grill in chicago, but not bad! I think the difference is that since i'm accustomed to eating japanese food, i can eat the bad versions of japanese dishes and find them satifying. strange.***
So coming back from Taiwan, my schools have changed a bit. New teachers, new systems. Here's a bit about the new Nanbu (which after all the enkais, is still a stifling place to spend 8 hours of near silence...
***My enkai last night was insane. Nanbu has been transformed! The new people here are so fun and great, and I'm getting along really well with everyone. They are outgoing, go out of their way to talk to me in Japanese and English, and like to smile and laugh and drink a lot. And the 2 new young female teachers (23ish) are total party animals - they were smashed last night and pretty funny - one was flamenco dancing on stage for everyone. One is an English teacher, and the other loves movies and really wants to speak English a lot. We've already made a pact to go drinking in the near future - near being the opperative word.
I think a big differenence is the new principal - he's younger, attractive (not like that) always has a broad smile, and walks around and talks to the teachers in the staff room. He's nice!***
I also had my interview for AFI last week. Wednesday morning, 7:15 am. I'm not sure how it went. I was a little out of it, woke up with a cold, but hopefully that wouldn't affect my chances. I just found out today that Anna (my roommate from NU) got into the directing program at AFI - congratulations Anna! I should hear anytime - they were supposed to mail the descisions on April 15th.
Last weekend was good, but busy. I hung out with Justin Friday night - we were going to have a movie theme night of Brian de Palma, since I'd never seen any of his films (apart from Mission Impossible), and just read some interviews with his two main editors. But that night, I knew I wasn't up for Carrie (had been having bad dreams, especially after seeing Vanilla Sky (yuck) Wednesday). So we got The Wild One, with Marlon Brando, and The Wild Bunch, with a lot of people. Unfortunately, didn't make it through the Wild Bunch yet.
Saturday was supposed to be Hanami (picinic under cherry blossoms) with Justin's Tateyama crowd, but it was pouring. Instead, we ate Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, which is hard to explain. Basically, two pancake type things of pork, egg, flour(?) sandwiching yakisoba - fried soba noodles with special sauce. I had mine with kimchee (korean red pepper spice that's used in Japan with cabbage). It was wonderful, but threw my digestion off track for the rest of the weekend (or maybe it was the alcohol).
Then to kareoke, which would have been fun if we had stopped after 2 hours. After 3 and a half, I was outside on the rainy sidewalk alone, in severe stomach pain (think kareoke, florescent lights, and a chain smoker in a cramped, unventilated room for that long), waiting for everyone to finish. They did, and we went back to Sunshine.
At this point, Becca and I weren't feeling like calling it a night (8pm) so we got sushi and a salad for dinner and went to Takaoka (Ann Arbor-sized city a half hour away) to join a small house party and visit a bar.
Next morning, we had proper hanami. It was a beautiful day, and the park in Takaoka is amazing. The sakura were in full bloom, and the park was full of families and friends having picinics (there was literally nowhere to sit, and the line for the bathroom took 30 minutes). But it was great. We hung out for a while and made it back to Toyama for girls soccer practice. Playing soccer again is fun!
Next is the cockroach incident that happened earlier this week. I'll let Rebecca explain this one (from her website)
***First off....HOLY COW was that cockroach big! Okay...here's what happened.
THE CALL FOR HELP:
After hitting the snooze button a few times my phone rang. "Are you awake?" she said. "Yeah...I'm awake," in my groggy morning voice. "There's a huge cockroach in my room. Can you come up?" Realizing the extent to which the cockroach had paralyzed poor S, I agreed to go upstairs, but not before brushing my teeth, or so I thought. As I got myself out of bed and into the bathroom, the phone rang again. "I think you should bring a book or something to hit it with....and hurry!" I could see things were getting intense upstairs. Oh well, I thought...morning breath can wait.
AN END TO THE STARING CONTEST
I came into a very very tense room. At that point, it was pretty much a stand off between S and the roach. The starring contest had left S petrified and standing by the door when I arrived. "It's under the tin," she said." Apparently the roach had made its way under an oven tray to take cover. I peeked into the kitchen to survey the scene. WHOA!!! I almost couldn't do it myself. *UGH* I thought, if I didn't hurry up and get it over with, I'll be exactly where that roach wants me...huddled in the corner calling for backup. I took a deep breath and signaled to S... "OKAY I'll just do it!" *SMACK*.....wiggle wiggle wiggle........ *SMACK* "Okay, its done." WHEW! That wasn't so bad, I thought to myself.
"Do you have something to sweep it up with?" I asked.
"Uhh...how bout some toilet paper??"
"No..no no..too thin!!!" I said, grossed out at even the idea of touching a juicy dead roach with a thin piece of toilet paper.
Sarah handed me a flyer. I had to do this without thinking and so, with one swift scoop, I swept the monster onto the flyer and into the trash it went.
Wow...can you imagine?? All this excitement and I hadn't even brushed my teeth! I don't think I was even fully awake. What a morning!***
And then yesterday (from my other site):
***This cockroach thing has scarred me. First, I should say that yesterday afternoon I gave my apartment a very thorough cleaning, disinfecting, vaccuming, etc. I also permanantly made my bed into a couch and am now sleeping on a futon on the floor. So last night, on my floor in my clean apartment, I woke up around 2,2:30 am, sat straight up in bed, and I think in my mind or dream I saw a cockroach. So. Lying wide awake on my floor, I heard these little noises. clicks, little thumps. I was convinced there was another cockroach in my kitchen, and it was flying around or something. I was terrified, had no idea what to do. I would have called Becca to call her up to search and destroy, but it was now near 3am, so I called my mother who told me to just go turn the light on, see if there was one, and kill it. Instead, I moved my futon into the tatami room, shut the sliding doors, turned on the music, and lay awake for another 30 minutes, dying to go the the bathroom and get a drink of water, but too scared of going near the kitchen.***
Cockroach update: in addition to the poison that's been out all year, I bought cockroach hotels and garbage fresheners yesterday (even though I mean to take out the trash daily, doesn't hurt if it smells lemony!)
Since I didn't want to listen to the cockroaches checking in last night, and couldn't close my sliding doors due to laundry day, I slept at Becca's place.
That's it for now. Taiwan stories are soon to come. Take care, Happy Easter,
Sarah
Thursday, April 03, 2003
Sunday, March 23, 2003
So I have a bit of catching up to do. Last week was graduation. Wow. I can't really describe it now (actaully, I could, I just don't feel like it though), so you'll have to wait. Well, maybe I'll write a little. Basically, all the men in black suits with white shirts and white ties (western men should definetly pick up on this cusom - as usual, they look great!) The 3-nen teachers wore traditional Japanese kimono, had their hair all done up, looked really cool. Graduation ceremony wasn't too eventful. Lots of standing, sitting, standing, bowing, bowing, sitting, bowing. And like usual, the principal spoke for a long time (maybe 45 minutes?) while I daydreamed.
Last week was full of ceremony. Tuesday I went to an elementary school graduation, which was essnetially the same thing. More impressive, though, to sit through a 2 hour formal ceremony at an elementary school where grades 1-5 are sitting silently in rows with their hands neatly folded on their laps. I really don't know how they do it. (both the discipliners and the students!)
I think there was another ceremony Wednesday, but I forgot why. Thursday there was something for student government. And today, the students came to school for the morning to sit through a 'closing ceremony'. It's definetly a different system - students only have 2 weeks break before the new school year, and there are a ton of 1/2 days where nothing seems to happen. Why not give them a month? Japanese are definetly in school more days out of the year (a lot), but their time in class is probably about the same considering how many holidays, half days, and random ceremonies/assemblies they have. This is all just speculation.
I wonder if that goes along with the Japanese notion of time -- Victoria and I read an article last week about how westerners (Americans in particular) view time as a posession - let's get out of work so I can go home and live my life, people 'taking' someone's time with a long question, mistake, long line at a store, traffic, etc. The article points out that since Japan is such a group-oriented society, time here has more to do with group harmony - people will stay late at work, even if they're not busy. They'll work slowly so they can stay late. And many things in Japanese culture have to do with a patient, slow life. Onsens - first spending 15-20 minutes scrubbing every inch of your body, then soaking in different tubs. Ceremonies - things that really don't get anything done from my perspective are -so- important. even greetings and goodbyes take about a half-hour. Really. When leaving Japanese friends, we have to stand around, talk about how much fun we had, talk about doing it again. make little comments, and it's really hard to get out the door. Another example is that snowboarding trip to Nagano - really slow pace, lots of hanging around, talking, drinking, a little snowboarding, sleeping, bathing, etc. I would post a link to the article, but it's not well-written, and I think I've made its point, however incoherently.
I had a very Japanese weekend, both in sense of time and activity. Thursday night was a sento with Becca. After doing various tubs (the whirlpool-thereputic massage, the really hot tub, the green-apple medicated tub, the outdoor tub, and rotating the sauna and the ice cold tub), we hung out in the living room for an hour or so. This sento (public bath) is really close to Sunshine, maybe 5-10 minute walk. Doing a sento on a week night has a really local feeling, and it's lounge really was a community living room. A really cool thing. It's pretty small (maybe 10 feet wide, 20 feet long) and has a couch, television, tables, drink machine, massage chair, and a ton of manga (japanese comics) and other Japanese magazines. And people would just hang out. Some after bathing, some waiting for their friends. We read magazines, painted our nails, and watched a 3-year old girl play with some toys (we tried to talk to her, but she was having none of it). There was an old man in his pajamas in the massage chair the whole time, and some junior high - age kids reading comics, waiting for their friends. The sento itself is a bit different from an onsen; rather than luxery spa feeling it is a 'public bath', and stripping down in a small, brightly lit room with 20 old Japanese woman is a bit different. But still good.
Friday was also relaxed - it was a holiday. I can't even remember it very well. I know I went shopping. Oh yes, I spent the day in Toyama. Went around some stores with various people, had lunch, did a few more stores, went to a bar, went back to the indian restaurant for dinner (I couldn't eat again though), met up with Brian and Victoria there (I was with Justin/Becca in varrying combination all day), then went for kareoke - a great time.
Saturday was also slow. Went to kanazawa, walked around shops, coffee shop, becca got her hair cut, I found a great pair of summer jeans (baggy and just above the ankle), bought a CD at the store I loved from my last trip, ate italian, back to toyama for more kareoke, a movie, and soba sunday morning. somehow saturday and sunday just run into each other. Then more errands sunday (spent 1.5 hours with the travel agent working on my parents trip), pizza and salad for dinner, and a movie last night.
I can't really discribe it, just very spur of the moment, didn't do anything, but really busy the whole time.
Alright, I should get off the school computer - other teachers are busy.
Last week was full of ceremony. Tuesday I went to an elementary school graduation, which was essnetially the same thing. More impressive, though, to sit through a 2 hour formal ceremony at an elementary school where grades 1-5 are sitting silently in rows with their hands neatly folded on their laps. I really don't know how they do it. (both the discipliners and the students!)
I think there was another ceremony Wednesday, but I forgot why. Thursday there was something for student government. And today, the students came to school for the morning to sit through a 'closing ceremony'. It's definetly a different system - students only have 2 weeks break before the new school year, and there are a ton of 1/2 days where nothing seems to happen. Why not give them a month? Japanese are definetly in school more days out of the year (a lot), but their time in class is probably about the same considering how many holidays, half days, and random ceremonies/assemblies they have. This is all just speculation.
I wonder if that goes along with the Japanese notion of time -- Victoria and I read an article last week about how westerners (Americans in particular) view time as a posession - let's get out of work so I can go home and live my life, people 'taking' someone's time with a long question, mistake, long line at a store, traffic, etc. The article points out that since Japan is such a group-oriented society, time here has more to do with group harmony - people will stay late at work, even if they're not busy. They'll work slowly so they can stay late. And many things in Japanese culture have to do with a patient, slow life. Onsens - first spending 15-20 minutes scrubbing every inch of your body, then soaking in different tubs. Ceremonies - things that really don't get anything done from my perspective are -so- important. even greetings and goodbyes take about a half-hour. Really. When leaving Japanese friends, we have to stand around, talk about how much fun we had, talk about doing it again. make little comments, and it's really hard to get out the door. Another example is that snowboarding trip to Nagano - really slow pace, lots of hanging around, talking, drinking, a little snowboarding, sleeping, bathing, etc. I would post a link to the article, but it's not well-written, and I think I've made its point, however incoherently.
I had a very Japanese weekend, both in sense of time and activity. Thursday night was a sento with Becca. After doing various tubs (the whirlpool-thereputic massage, the really hot tub, the green-apple medicated tub, the outdoor tub, and rotating the sauna and the ice cold tub), we hung out in the living room for an hour or so. This sento (public bath) is really close to Sunshine, maybe 5-10 minute walk. Doing a sento on a week night has a really local feeling, and it's lounge really was a community living room. A really cool thing. It's pretty small (maybe 10 feet wide, 20 feet long) and has a couch, television, tables, drink machine, massage chair, and a ton of manga (japanese comics) and other Japanese magazines. And people would just hang out. Some after bathing, some waiting for their friends. We read magazines, painted our nails, and watched a 3-year old girl play with some toys (we tried to talk to her, but she was having none of it). There was an old man in his pajamas in the massage chair the whole time, and some junior high - age kids reading comics, waiting for their friends. The sento itself is a bit different from an onsen; rather than luxery spa feeling it is a 'public bath', and stripping down in a small, brightly lit room with 20 old Japanese woman is a bit different. But still good.
Friday was also relaxed - it was a holiday. I can't even remember it very well. I know I went shopping. Oh yes, I spent the day in Toyama. Went around some stores with various people, had lunch, did a few more stores, went to a bar, went back to the indian restaurant for dinner (I couldn't eat again though), met up with Brian and Victoria there (I was with Justin/Becca in varrying combination all day), then went for kareoke - a great time.
Saturday was also slow. Went to kanazawa, walked around shops, coffee shop, becca got her hair cut, I found a great pair of summer jeans (baggy and just above the ankle), bought a CD at the store I loved from my last trip, ate italian, back to toyama for more kareoke, a movie, and soba sunday morning. somehow saturday and sunday just run into each other. Then more errands sunday (spent 1.5 hours with the travel agent working on my parents trip), pizza and salad for dinner, and a movie last night.
I can't really discribe it, just very spur of the moment, didn't do anything, but really busy the whole time.
Alright, I should get off the school computer - other teachers are busy.
Woo hoo! So the teachers have had their private meetings with the principal, and my two permanant English teachers an Nanbu, whom I love, are both staying! This is pretty surprising - everyone thought my supervisor, a 3-nensei teacher in her 5th year at this school, would be switched. Teachers here are usually only at a school for 4-8 years, and since they move in progression with each grade, when they finish the 3rd years it is an easy time for them to leave. But she will stay! The 2-nen teacher wasn't a full time teacher (she hasn't gotten her certification yet- passed the test) so she only stays for 1 year at each school. Brian told me one of his male teachers will be coming to Nanbu. He apparantly has pretty bad English, but is goofy and from Osaka. That works. Brian also told me that his favorite teacher, the teacher with whom he travels, has dinner, etc., is being transfered to Oizumi. Yay!
I wish I had had my video camera today. I'm not sure how well it would have gone over, but it was really intense in here for the hour when the principal was giving the assignments. Some of the teachers had really funny reactions/expressions coming out of his office. So tense! Everyone (but my supervisor) is acting really busy. My supervisor just sat at her desk all day, wringing her hands, holding her stomach, and giving me worried looks.
I wish I had had my video camera today. I'm not sure how well it would have gone over, but it was really intense in here for the hour when the principal was giving the assignments. Some of the teachers had really funny reactions/expressions coming out of his office. So tense! Everyone (but my supervisor) is acting really busy. My supervisor just sat at her desk all day, wringing her hands, holding her stomach, and giving me worried looks.
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Hi all. Graduation is approaching, and we spent the day today preparing for the ceremony. In addition to the key points of yesterday's rehearsal (standing in unison, sitting in unison, and bowing in unison - with both feet and hands just so), today they sang the songs and practiced walking across the stage. After lunch, the 3rd years were let go early and the 1st and 2nd years spent the afternoon cleaning the school - scrubbing every corner, decorating, etc. I spent the day walking around, trying to have conversations with people. At one point, I looked out the window and saw someone about to throw away a U of M frisbee. What a find! I rescued it from the garbage, to the disgust of my supervisor. But now I have a frisbee, and a U of M frisbee, at my school in Japan!
This morning the 3-nensei's came into the teacher's room and presented us with flowers and books of thank-you messages. I also biked over to Oizumi for a similar thank-you ceremony. It was the last time to see the Oizumi 3rd years, since I won't be there for graduation Monday. They're my favorite kids! Very cute and genki, always trying to talk to me. I hope the 2-nen's at oizumi become more charming and less obnoxious (I really like them- they're a bit raunchy and fun, but they're just too much to handle now), and same with 1-nen there, or else I'm going to go crazy. But it's always a good change from the shy, more formal atmosphere at Nanbu.
My computer was fixed Wednesday. I haven't had time yet to try to restore my old software - cooked dinner and saw the Pianist Wednesday night, and cooked again and went to Aikido last night. But I have enjoyed having the DVD player back already. But going back to Wednesday, I loved the Pianist. Loved it. And it was 'ladies night', so the film was only 1000 yen (8.50 - a bargain from the 1800 yen, or 15 dollar standard). But, since it was after 8 it also qualified as a 'late show' for justin - late show price is 1200 (10 dollars).
The teacher's room is so quiet right now. I feel kind of guilty for being in here on the internet, but I don't have anything to do and I'm exhausted (well, actually bored) from walking around the school in circles.
So quiet.
Can you tell I'm bored?
I have plenty of things I could do - study Japanese, write letters (I've got some great stationary, and have been planning some letters, it's just taken me a while, sorry...), I even have a book I could probably get away reading. Maybe I'll plan my parents trip some more. That's a good idea!
So. They fly in Friday May 2, arrive in Tokyo at 4:20. They're scheduled for a 6:30 bus to Haneda (Tokyo's domestic airport), where they'll catch a free shuttle to their hotel and collapse after many many hours of traveling. Then they'll take an 8am domestic flight to Toyama Saturday morning. This won't be early at all, I'm thinking. When I flew in to Tokyo I was ready to collapse by 8-9pm, and woke up by 5 am. Plus, when we flew from Haneda, we were late because one of the JET's accidentally switched passports with her roomate, going to a different prefecture, but didn't realize it till the roomate had left and we were about to take off... got to the airport about 15 minutes before our plane left.
They'll take a very rickety, scarry small plane (with a live camera from the front window and one from the bottom of the plane - so they can see how scary and it really is) over the mountains and land in Toyama by 9am Saturday. I will be there to meet them, either by bus, taxi, or with a teacher. Then we'll hang out a bit. I'll show them my apartment, APA (the shopping mall across the street - the most essential stop on the Toyama tour I think), maybe Toyama castle, the cherry blossoms, etc. Dinner that night - yakiniku horse meat restaurant down the block (but we'll just get cow, I'm sure), maybe with friends.
Sunday is Kanazawa - a cool city about an hour's train away. Monday is more local Toyama things (small town of Himi, maybe the Tonami tulip festival, the Uozu glow-in-the-dark squi|d), and Aikido Monday night. Tuesday, Wednesday - Kyoto. Thursday - Tateyma-kurobe Alpen route. Thursday night/friday night ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel - tatami rooms, including really good meals, onsens, etc.) Sat-Sun-Mon - Tokyo.
Sounds fun, right? I'm very willing and able to plan more exciting trips around Japan - geared towards your interests!
The principal (the strict one!) just gave me a present. Today's white day, the reverse of Valentine's day. Valentine's day, only girls give boys chocolate. White day, boys give girls boxes of cookies. How nice! Today's been a big present day with the various flowers, cookies, and book things.
Sayonara for now,
Sarah
This morning the 3-nensei's came into the teacher's room and presented us with flowers and books of thank-you messages. I also biked over to Oizumi for a similar thank-you ceremony. It was the last time to see the Oizumi 3rd years, since I won't be there for graduation Monday. They're my favorite kids! Very cute and genki, always trying to talk to me. I hope the 2-nen's at oizumi become more charming and less obnoxious (I really like them- they're a bit raunchy and fun, but they're just too much to handle now), and same with 1-nen there, or else I'm going to go crazy. But it's always a good change from the shy, more formal atmosphere at Nanbu.
My computer was fixed Wednesday. I haven't had time yet to try to restore my old software - cooked dinner and saw the Pianist Wednesday night, and cooked again and went to Aikido last night. But I have enjoyed having the DVD player back already. But going back to Wednesday, I loved the Pianist. Loved it. And it was 'ladies night', so the film was only 1000 yen (8.50 - a bargain from the 1800 yen, or 15 dollar standard). But, since it was after 8 it also qualified as a 'late show' for justin - late show price is 1200 (10 dollars).
The teacher's room is so quiet right now. I feel kind of guilty for being in here on the internet, but I don't have anything to do and I'm exhausted (well, actually bored) from walking around the school in circles.
So quiet.
Can you tell I'm bored?
I have plenty of things I could do - study Japanese, write letters (I've got some great stationary, and have been planning some letters, it's just taken me a while, sorry...), I even have a book I could probably get away reading. Maybe I'll plan my parents trip some more. That's a good idea!
So. They fly in Friday May 2, arrive in Tokyo at 4:20. They're scheduled for a 6:30 bus to Haneda (Tokyo's domestic airport), where they'll catch a free shuttle to their hotel and collapse after many many hours of traveling. Then they'll take an 8am domestic flight to Toyama Saturday morning. This won't be early at all, I'm thinking. When I flew in to Tokyo I was ready to collapse by 8-9pm, and woke up by 5 am. Plus, when we flew from Haneda, we were late because one of the JET's accidentally switched passports with her roomate, going to a different prefecture, but didn't realize it till the roomate had left and we were about to take off... got to the airport about 15 minutes before our plane left.
They'll take a very rickety, scarry small plane (with a live camera from the front window and one from the bottom of the plane - so they can see how scary and it really is) over the mountains and land in Toyama by 9am Saturday. I will be there to meet them, either by bus, taxi, or with a teacher. Then we'll hang out a bit. I'll show them my apartment, APA (the shopping mall across the street - the most essential stop on the Toyama tour I think), maybe Toyama castle, the cherry blossoms, etc. Dinner that night - yakiniku horse meat restaurant down the block (but we'll just get cow, I'm sure), maybe with friends.
Sunday is Kanazawa - a cool city about an hour's train away. Monday is more local Toyama things (small town of Himi, maybe the Tonami tulip festival, the Uozu glow-in-the-dark squi|d), and Aikido Monday night. Tuesday, Wednesday - Kyoto. Thursday - Tateyma-kurobe Alpen route. Thursday night/friday night ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel - tatami rooms, including really good meals, onsens, etc.) Sat-Sun-Mon - Tokyo.
Sounds fun, right? I'm very willing and able to plan more exciting trips around Japan - geared towards your interests!
The principal (the strict one!) just gave me a present. Today's white day, the reverse of Valentine's day. Valentine's day, only girls give boys chocolate. White day, boys give girls boxes of cookies. How nice! Today's been a big present day with the various flowers, cookies, and book things.
Sayonara for now,
Sarah
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Good news!
My computer will be fixed by 7pm today, and will only cost me 15,000 yen (around 120 dollars). I'm very happy. I brought it in to school today, and the computer teacher here, a mac fanatic, instantly took it apart and traded the hard drive from his powerbook... checked that it worked, everything was fine, and is going to go buy an identical drive from his friend at some store after school, and I'll pick it up from him at 7. Great. I would have spent at least 5 hours studying the instructions before I even unscrewed the case, and he did it in a matter of minutes. He also took the bottom case, bent it back into shape, (the edge had gotten pulled out), and it fits tightly again. Eventually I might consider replacing it, but I can't wait to have my computer back!
I think my new 6 am habit is killing me, or maybe I'm just a bit stressed... having a hard time sleeping, so if you only get 5 hours a sleep, getting up at 6 isn't going to give me much more energy. But I'll stick with it!
I'm seeing the Pianist tonight.
Hope all is well with the world (well, it's obviously not, but I hope all is well in the personal lives of the people who read this... )
I guess I have to bring this up, now. How are things in America? Are they scary? Is everyone terrified of Bush alienating the US from the rest of the world? Because I am... It's strange to be outside of the US right now. But I guess I'm lucky to be in Japan, maybe the only country whose citizens don't hate America or Americans yet.
Yikes, yikes, yikes.
Sarah
My computer will be fixed by 7pm today, and will only cost me 15,000 yen (around 120 dollars). I'm very happy. I brought it in to school today, and the computer teacher here, a mac fanatic, instantly took it apart and traded the hard drive from his powerbook... checked that it worked, everything was fine, and is going to go buy an identical drive from his friend at some store after school, and I'll pick it up from him at 7. Great. I would have spent at least 5 hours studying the instructions before I even unscrewed the case, and he did it in a matter of minutes. He also took the bottom case, bent it back into shape, (the edge had gotten pulled out), and it fits tightly again. Eventually I might consider replacing it, but I can't wait to have my computer back!
I think my new 6 am habit is killing me, or maybe I'm just a bit stressed... having a hard time sleeping, so if you only get 5 hours a sleep, getting up at 6 isn't going to give me much more energy. But I'll stick with it!
I'm seeing the Pianist tonight.
Hope all is well with the world (well, it's obviously not, but I hope all is well in the personal lives of the people who read this... )
I guess I have to bring this up, now. How are things in America? Are they scary? Is everyone terrified of Bush alienating the US from the rest of the world? Because I am... It's strange to be outside of the US right now. But I guess I'm lucky to be in Japan, maybe the only country whose citizens don't hate America or Americans yet.
Yikes, yikes, yikes.
Sarah
Monday, March 10, 2003
Hello,
Alright, I'm going to be really lazy. Here's my 2 weekends ago, (pasted from the contents of an e-mail, so the context might seem strange)
I had a great time snowboarding last weekend. Sooooo good. It was a little funny, definetly not
what I expected - we got to the departure point at 6:30 not so we could hit the slopes when it
opened, but so we (meaning the 7 Japanese guys) could all drink beer in the car on the way there
and make frequent bathroom stops (5 in a 1.5 hour journey). Then we went to the hotel and changed
before hitting the slopes. The weather was pretty bad Saturday (rain at the bottom of the
mountain, heavy snow on top - no visibility, very wet), and it was crowded, so we got pretty tired
pretty fast. We took the lifts up to the top (there are 4 lifts to get to the top) and did 1.5
runs before lunch.
Okay - good parts. Hotel - bed (an actual bed!!!), heat, an onsen (natural mineral bot) spring
bath in the hotel (open 24 hours), an awesome dinner/breakfast buffet. Skiing - Sunday was great.
Top half of the hill was closed in the morning due to heavy wind, so spent the first half of the
day exploring powder and having snowball fights with the 7 dwarfs (J-guys, also aptly described by
Becca as the Snatch guys - so kooky). Then I spent the afternoon by myself, adreneline running,
very intense Sarah mode, doing the top of the mountain that they opened up - several feet of
powder, steep, sooo fun! The first time was a little rough, so I kept doing it repeatedly, got
into a rhythm - 13 min. to do the lift at the top of the hill and ride back down. But it was
amazing.
Got back to the hotel pretty late - they had all quit earlier. Stopped for tonkatsu (fried pork
cutlets - it really is more Japanese and better than it sounds) which was great.
The bad thing about my weekend was that I didn't have lip protection (ie chapstick) and I got a
huge coldsore. Actually, the coldsore popped out of nowhere Tuesday. Huge. But I got medicine,
and it's no big deal now.
Planning a trip to Taiwan with Rebecca and Victoria for spring break... Becca's ABC (American
born chinese) which means her parents immigrated from Taiwan, and she still has all of her
extended family there. She also speaks mandrin, knows the island. It should be a really great
trip (5 days) - supposed to be a cool city, with beautiful mountains, ocean, etc. Plus good food,
and a real cultural experience, staying with her family.
Alright, the e-mail's over and I'll start writing about this past weekend.
Friday I got my first Japanese haircut - it was a great experience. Japanese attention to detail is wonderful when someone is giving you a 15 minute shampoo, very relaxing. plus a massage, etc. And the haircut was great! It was a pretty funny thing, though. There was my hairdresser (hip, young Japanese guy, what else would you expect?), and his 'aide' (also a hip young J. guy). Basically the aid was at the hairdressers side for everything - to bring him a different stool, to answer his cell phone, to get him necessary supplies, to hold the mirror at the right angle for me to see. the aide was also the one who did the washing and massage, pretty talented!
Sunday I had a 4-hour (no break) Aikido workshop. Fun, a bit sore, especially since I also had aikido last night, and have decided that running every morning at 6am is going to be the only way to give myself energy at school. But i love getting up and having time to drink coffee and listen to music in the am!
School's a bit slow now, classes are finishing and students are graduating soon. such a big deal here! there's been farewell assemblies, posters, dedications, etc., nearly every day. my god!
all for now,
sarah
oh, you can see pictures from toga and the formal if you go to brian's site (they're his pics) The ones that involve me start halfway down the list at Togafestival...
get to his pic. page from the link on his blog: http://brianirwin.blogspot.com
Alright, I'm going to be really lazy. Here's my 2 weekends ago, (pasted from the contents of an e-mail, so the context might seem strange)
I had a great time snowboarding last weekend. Sooooo good. It was a little funny, definetly not
what I expected - we got to the departure point at 6:30 not so we could hit the slopes when it
opened, but so we (meaning the 7 Japanese guys) could all drink beer in the car on the way there
and make frequent bathroom stops (5 in a 1.5 hour journey). Then we went to the hotel and changed
before hitting the slopes. The weather was pretty bad Saturday (rain at the bottom of the
mountain, heavy snow on top - no visibility, very wet), and it was crowded, so we got pretty tired
pretty fast. We took the lifts up to the top (there are 4 lifts to get to the top) and did 1.5
runs before lunch.
Okay - good parts. Hotel - bed (an actual bed!!!), heat, an onsen (natural mineral bot) spring
bath in the hotel (open 24 hours), an awesome dinner/breakfast buffet. Skiing - Sunday was great.
Top half of the hill was closed in the morning due to heavy wind, so spent the first half of the
day exploring powder and having snowball fights with the 7 dwarfs (J-guys, also aptly described by
Becca as the Snatch guys - so kooky). Then I spent the afternoon by myself, adreneline running,
very intense Sarah mode, doing the top of the mountain that they opened up - several feet of
powder, steep, sooo fun! The first time was a little rough, so I kept doing it repeatedly, got
into a rhythm - 13 min. to do the lift at the top of the hill and ride back down. But it was
amazing.
Got back to the hotel pretty late - they had all quit earlier. Stopped for tonkatsu (fried pork
cutlets - it really is more Japanese and better than it sounds) which was great.
The bad thing about my weekend was that I didn't have lip protection (ie chapstick) and I got a
huge coldsore. Actually, the coldsore popped out of nowhere Tuesday. Huge. But I got medicine,
and it's no big deal now.
Planning a trip to Taiwan with Rebecca and Victoria for spring break... Becca's ABC (American
born chinese) which means her parents immigrated from Taiwan, and she still has all of her
extended family there. She also speaks mandrin, knows the island. It should be a really great
trip (5 days) - supposed to be a cool city, with beautiful mountains, ocean, etc. Plus good food,
and a real cultural experience, staying with her family.
Alright, the e-mail's over and I'll start writing about this past weekend.
Friday I got my first Japanese haircut - it was a great experience. Japanese attention to detail is wonderful when someone is giving you a 15 minute shampoo, very relaxing. plus a massage, etc. And the haircut was great! It was a pretty funny thing, though. There was my hairdresser (hip, young Japanese guy, what else would you expect?), and his 'aide' (also a hip young J. guy). Basically the aid was at the hairdressers side for everything - to bring him a different stool, to answer his cell phone, to get him necessary supplies, to hold the mirror at the right angle for me to see. the aide was also the one who did the washing and massage, pretty talented!
Sunday I had a 4-hour (no break) Aikido workshop. Fun, a bit sore, especially since I also had aikido last night, and have decided that running every morning at 6am is going to be the only way to give myself energy at school. But i love getting up and having time to drink coffee and listen to music in the am!
School's a bit slow now, classes are finishing and students are graduating soon. such a big deal here! there's been farewell assemblies, posters, dedications, etc., nearly every day. my god!
all for now,
sarah
oh, you can see pictures from toga and the formal if you go to brian's site (they're his pics) The ones that involve me start halfway down the list at Togafestival...
get to his pic. page from the link on his blog: http://brianirwin.blogspot.com
Thursday, February 27, 2003
Hello!
I'm in a really good mood. Many interesting, fun, or rewarding things lately.
It's a beautiful day here - around 50 degrees, sunny, brilliant mountains and blue sky. I might go running in a bit when I go home. Need to start training - I'm playing in a Japan-wide soccer tourney for Jets this spring... the Toyama girls won the same tournament this fall, so I'm pretty excited.
Just spent the past few hours with the other teachers re-waxing the gym floor. I've known about this for a few days -- it's been on the schedule that the gym floor would be waxed, so I knew abou it, but I didn't know that I was supposed to brings scrubby floors because all the teachers would be doing it ourselves. A pretty funny experience, though, and after about 15 minutes I ran up and grabbed the school's digital camera to record the rest of the afternoon. The gym here is so pretty - lots of windows and wood panneled walls, high ceilings, etc. All natural light.
This morning we had interview tests with the 3-nensei (9th grade). Some of the students do well, some can't even look me in the eye. Before one student, my teacher warned me that she probably wouldn't say anything, because in her 3 years at Nanbu, only 2 teachers have ever heard her speak. She's capable, she just decided at some point that she wouldn't. But she came in, sat down, and answered all of my questions well. The teacher was amazed that she spoke to me- I have now become the third person at this school to hear her voice, which is a nice feeling.
I had a great enkai last night with the office staff of my smaller (and friendlier) school. We took a bus (a story in itself) to a famous Toyama fish restaurant near the beach. This restaurant is in a really old, really large Japanese house - beautiful gardens, tatami rooms, and the okami-san (head lady) and staff in kimono. Please remember that Toyama is known in Japan for having really good fish - the specialities include this glow-in-the dark (I think it's called firefly or something) squid, and some sort of pure white shrimp - these things can only be caught in the Toyama bay. But the real reason for the enkai there and then was because it's kani, or crab, season. So the main course were crab legs, and we also had crab in other dishes (this cool soup with a square of crab in the center, etc.) I took pictures of the food, it's too elaborate (and tedious for you I'm sure) for me to really go into.
The people at this school are very friendly, and even though they don't speak a lot of English, they really try to include me. They're very curious about my impressions/opinions, and my background, so I seem to frequently become the topic of conversation. And after a few beers, my body always becomes the point of scrutiny. Not in a bad way - they're very complimentary. But the Japanese certainly have strange standards of beauty. The fact that they have standards are even strange.
For the past few months, people (random students, teachers, others) have been commenting on my 'small face'. Apparently, it's a very desirable thing to have a small face/small head in Japan, and students who have larger heads are often teased for it. But last night I found out that they have a term for face-to-height ratio. (I forgot what the term is, but it has the Japanese word for 8 somehow incorporated). Basically, they measured the height of my face and told me that there are eight of those heights in the rest of my body, therefore I am well-porportioned. They don't know how tall I am, they could just tell I'm an 8 with their eyes. How bizarre!!!
The bus ride was funny because a huge bus (25 passenger) came to pick up 6 people. The six of us were all sitting in the back of the bus (a little awkwardly, can you imagine sitting in a huge bus with an assortment of random people from you office? Maybe the language barrier makes it more strange), and my principle asked me (in Japanese) what kani is in English. I told him crab, and the bus driver piped in and asked for it again. This started banter back and forth between the prinicpal and the bus driver about foreigners, I could only understand bits of it, but I also heard a bit about russians and bicycles. The reason this was so funny though is something I can't really explain. It was the prinicpal asking me about crab, and the bus driver piping in over a sea of empty seats maybe.
Some good news: I won a free lift ticket to a pretty well-known resort in Niigata. Another excuse to go skiing! I'm going to Nagano this weekend, and have to leave tomorrow at 5:30 am to make it to the lifts by 8/8:30. Crazy!
But for tonight I'm going to try to organize a bit, get things in order since I'll be dead Sunday night when I get home.
Hope you all have a good weekend,
Sarah
ps - I've heard that there's a monkey on the loose in Toga, and the town hall has gotten some sort of monkey cage and device to try and capture it. Isn't that place so exciting?!
I'm in a really good mood. Many interesting, fun, or rewarding things lately.
It's a beautiful day here - around 50 degrees, sunny, brilliant mountains and blue sky. I might go running in a bit when I go home. Need to start training - I'm playing in a Japan-wide soccer tourney for Jets this spring... the Toyama girls won the same tournament this fall, so I'm pretty excited.
Just spent the past few hours with the other teachers re-waxing the gym floor. I've known about this for a few days -- it's been on the schedule that the gym floor would be waxed, so I knew abou it, but I didn't know that I was supposed to brings scrubby floors because all the teachers would be doing it ourselves. A pretty funny experience, though, and after about 15 minutes I ran up and grabbed the school's digital camera to record the rest of the afternoon. The gym here is so pretty - lots of windows and wood panneled walls, high ceilings, etc. All natural light.
This morning we had interview tests with the 3-nensei (9th grade). Some of the students do well, some can't even look me in the eye. Before one student, my teacher warned me that she probably wouldn't say anything, because in her 3 years at Nanbu, only 2 teachers have ever heard her speak. She's capable, she just decided at some point that she wouldn't. But she came in, sat down, and answered all of my questions well. The teacher was amazed that she spoke to me- I have now become the third person at this school to hear her voice, which is a nice feeling.
I had a great enkai last night with the office staff of my smaller (and friendlier) school. We took a bus (a story in itself) to a famous Toyama fish restaurant near the beach. This restaurant is in a really old, really large Japanese house - beautiful gardens, tatami rooms, and the okami-san (head lady) and staff in kimono. Please remember that Toyama is known in Japan for having really good fish - the specialities include this glow-in-the dark (I think it's called firefly or something) squid, and some sort of pure white shrimp - these things can only be caught in the Toyama bay. But the real reason for the enkai there and then was because it's kani, or crab, season. So the main course were crab legs, and we also had crab in other dishes (this cool soup with a square of crab in the center, etc.) I took pictures of the food, it's too elaborate (and tedious for you I'm sure) for me to really go into.
The people at this school are very friendly, and even though they don't speak a lot of English, they really try to include me. They're very curious about my impressions/opinions, and my background, so I seem to frequently become the topic of conversation. And after a few beers, my body always becomes the point of scrutiny. Not in a bad way - they're very complimentary. But the Japanese certainly have strange standards of beauty. The fact that they have standards are even strange.
For the past few months, people (random students, teachers, others) have been commenting on my 'small face'. Apparently, it's a very desirable thing to have a small face/small head in Japan, and students who have larger heads are often teased for it. But last night I found out that they have a term for face-to-height ratio. (I forgot what the term is, but it has the Japanese word for 8 somehow incorporated). Basically, they measured the height of my face and told me that there are eight of those heights in the rest of my body, therefore I am well-porportioned. They don't know how tall I am, they could just tell I'm an 8 with their eyes. How bizarre!!!
The bus ride was funny because a huge bus (25 passenger) came to pick up 6 people. The six of us were all sitting in the back of the bus (a little awkwardly, can you imagine sitting in a huge bus with an assortment of random people from you office? Maybe the language barrier makes it more strange), and my principle asked me (in Japanese) what kani is in English. I told him crab, and the bus driver piped in and asked for it again. This started banter back and forth between the prinicpal and the bus driver about foreigners, I could only understand bits of it, but I also heard a bit about russians and bicycles. The reason this was so funny though is something I can't really explain. It was the prinicpal asking me about crab, and the bus driver piping in over a sea of empty seats maybe.
Some good news: I won a free lift ticket to a pretty well-known resort in Niigata. Another excuse to go skiing! I'm going to Nagano this weekend, and have to leave tomorrow at 5:30 am to make it to the lifts by 8/8:30. Crazy!
But for tonight I'm going to try to organize a bit, get things in order since I'll be dead Sunday night when I get home.
Hope you all have a good weekend,
Sarah
ps - I've heard that there's a monkey on the loose in Toga, and the town hall has gotten some sort of monkey cage and device to try and capture it. Isn't that place so exciting?!
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Alright.
So, I believe I was at Saturday afternoon. We watched I shot Andy Warhol (a little boring) and made sushi in a giant Japanese house. Didn’t get back home until 4:30-ish, and Justin and some of the Tateyama (Japanese) gang were coming to meet us at 6. Only an hour and a half at home! This seems to be the story of my last week – only in and out.
We all went out to dinner at a good Aisian/european fusion type place – really stylish restaurant with good food, pretty cheap, too. I think eating out in Japan is relatively inexpensive. Groceries can often be worse. Afterwards we went to Toyama’s one nightclub, where there was a special ska night. Toyama youth were out in full force, all dressed for ska. The bands were great, and the place was packed. A really good atmosphere, a lot of dancing, Japanese ska is fun!
It was kind of interesting to see how the Japanese are so strict about some laws and lax about others; one of my friend’s high school students were at the club, drinking beer along wth everyone. I’ve never been carded here, never seen anyone been carded, and they sell beer from vending machines in the street. So they obviously don’t care. Same with smoking – many teachers smoke in the teacher’s office during school in plain sight and smell of students.
But the high school boys were very ‘genki’ and fun, and they were pretty excited to use their English combined with alcohol to hit on me while I was sitting at the bar. They even demonstrated their musical skills by serenading me with ‘Stand by me’!
Sunday I was up at 5:15 to catch a train back to Kurobe, to catch a bus to Nagano. A Japanese international group had a day trip planned – all inclusive for around 50 dollars (so cheap!). We had a bus chartered 2 hours to a Nagano resort, where we skiied, ate, and bathed. First the skiing. Really good snow, not the most challenging of resorts, but still interesting. Japanese are very into the group thing, so we were with people of various levels. People seemed surprised that Becca and I were so good – I think we both grew up with frequent ski trips and competitive parents J.
At lunch time (11, but I was starving), we had this enormous buffet – Japanese food, Chinese food, western food. I had curry rice, which is classic Japanese ski fare, and also a tuna sandwich, coffe jelly (jello) with cream sauce, orange juice, and some Chinese dim sum. Everyone but Becca and I had the 1000 yen nomihoudai – all you can drink… I still don’t understand drinking beer while skiing, but it’s very popular here. Actually, they’ll drink beer anytime. Half the people on the trip weren’t skiing, either, they were old Japanese women who came to just stay at the hotel for the afternoon, eating, drinking beer, and going to the onsen.
So after dinner (which was an hour-and-a-half affair), we hit the slopes again. Found and interesting snowboarding park that wasn’t too hard, and nobody was very good, so I wasn’t too intimidated to do it a few times.
After ski – onsen. The onsen is where you take off all your clothes with your friends, people you just met, and complete strangers (this was divided by sexes, but there are some co-ed ones). Then you go into a room with mirrors and stools and shower heads, and you bathe yourself (have I already explained this?). Then, you have fun! This onsen was great – there were maybe 7 or 8 different bathes. An onsen is different froma sento because it is mineral water pumped from the mountains (sento is a public bath – tap water). The first bath I did was really shallow (ankles deep) with arm-chair things built in. So you lay down, and there are arm rests in the pool even, and there are bubble coming from under you. Very relaxing! There’s also a tub that’s very similar to a traditional hot-tub. One was purple-colored, and scented with some sort of lavender. There were also balls and rubber ducks in this one. One was in a ceder tub. There was also an outdoor bath – you could watch the skiiers on the hill throug a window – sit on your knees in the bath and stick your face out the window (there was a loose wooden roof and walls to protect your privacy).
Also an ice-cold tub – my favorite. We alternated this with the sauna a few times. Also a steam room.
Can’t you see how wonderful this would be after skiing? The naked thing really doesn’t bother me. Some people get nervous, but I just didn’t care. Noone else does here, they do it their whole lives.
Took the bus/train home and ordered pizza. I love pizza! The pizza delivery boy had the biggest afro I’ve ever scene, and I’m still wondering if this was real or a wig. A Japanese afro?
Now I’m back in the school/rest/clean/bake routine. I’ve been pretty tired lately, I’m not sure why.
More later!
Sarah
So, I believe I was at Saturday afternoon. We watched I shot Andy Warhol (a little boring) and made sushi in a giant Japanese house. Didn’t get back home until 4:30-ish, and Justin and some of the Tateyama (Japanese) gang were coming to meet us at 6. Only an hour and a half at home! This seems to be the story of my last week – only in and out.
We all went out to dinner at a good Aisian/european fusion type place – really stylish restaurant with good food, pretty cheap, too. I think eating out in Japan is relatively inexpensive. Groceries can often be worse. Afterwards we went to Toyama’s one nightclub, where there was a special ska night. Toyama youth were out in full force, all dressed for ska. The bands were great, and the place was packed. A really good atmosphere, a lot of dancing, Japanese ska is fun!
It was kind of interesting to see how the Japanese are so strict about some laws and lax about others; one of my friend’s high school students were at the club, drinking beer along wth everyone. I’ve never been carded here, never seen anyone been carded, and they sell beer from vending machines in the street. So they obviously don’t care. Same with smoking – many teachers smoke in the teacher’s office during school in plain sight and smell of students.
But the high school boys were very ‘genki’ and fun, and they were pretty excited to use their English combined with alcohol to hit on me while I was sitting at the bar. They even demonstrated their musical skills by serenading me with ‘Stand by me’!
Sunday I was up at 5:15 to catch a train back to Kurobe, to catch a bus to Nagano. A Japanese international group had a day trip planned – all inclusive for around 50 dollars (so cheap!). We had a bus chartered 2 hours to a Nagano resort, where we skiied, ate, and bathed. First the skiing. Really good snow, not the most challenging of resorts, but still interesting. Japanese are very into the group thing, so we were with people of various levels. People seemed surprised that Becca and I were so good – I think we both grew up with frequent ski trips and competitive parents J.
At lunch time (11, but I was starving), we had this enormous buffet – Japanese food, Chinese food, western food. I had curry rice, which is classic Japanese ski fare, and also a tuna sandwich, coffe jelly (jello) with cream sauce, orange juice, and some Chinese dim sum. Everyone but Becca and I had the 1000 yen nomihoudai – all you can drink… I still don’t understand drinking beer while skiing, but it’s very popular here. Actually, they’ll drink beer anytime. Half the people on the trip weren’t skiing, either, they were old Japanese women who came to just stay at the hotel for the afternoon, eating, drinking beer, and going to the onsen.
So after dinner (which was an hour-and-a-half affair), we hit the slopes again. Found and interesting snowboarding park that wasn’t too hard, and nobody was very good, so I wasn’t too intimidated to do it a few times.
After ski – onsen. The onsen is where you take off all your clothes with your friends, people you just met, and complete strangers (this was divided by sexes, but there are some co-ed ones). Then you go into a room with mirrors and stools and shower heads, and you bathe yourself (have I already explained this?). Then, you have fun! This onsen was great – there were maybe 7 or 8 different bathes. An onsen is different froma sento because it is mineral water pumped from the mountains (sento is a public bath – tap water). The first bath I did was really shallow (ankles deep) with arm-chair things built in. So you lay down, and there are arm rests in the pool even, and there are bubble coming from under you. Very relaxing! There’s also a tub that’s very similar to a traditional hot-tub. One was purple-colored, and scented with some sort of lavender. There were also balls and rubber ducks in this one. One was in a ceder tub. There was also an outdoor bath – you could watch the skiiers on the hill throug a window – sit on your knees in the bath and stick your face out the window (there was a loose wooden roof and walls to protect your privacy).
Also an ice-cold tub – my favorite. We alternated this with the sauna a few times. Also a steam room.
Can’t you see how wonderful this would be after skiing? The naked thing really doesn’t bother me. Some people get nervous, but I just didn’t care. Noone else does here, they do it their whole lives.
Took the bus/train home and ordered pizza. I love pizza! The pizza delivery boy had the biggest afro I’ve ever scene, and I’m still wondering if this was real or a wig. A Japanese afro?
Now I’m back in the school/rest/clean/bake routine. I’ve been pretty tired lately, I’m not sure why.
More later!
Sarah
Monday, February 24, 2003
Hi.
My computer's still not back. Actually, it's causing me much grief. But I won't go into that for now, there are much more interesting and exciting things in my life the past few weeks.
Last time I posted was a Monday, I believe. The next day was a holiday, and I headed to Kanazawa, the closest cooler, bigger city (50 minute train ride for about $7.50 - not bad!) Kanazawa wasn't bombed in the war (like Toyama was) and there is a famous garden (top 3 in Japan), castle, marketplace, and geisha and samurai districts. But unfortunetly, it was freezing and raining. And I didn't have a clue where I was going.
I got on the tourist - city loop bus and started getting off where I thought I could sightsee. But the maps were confusing (every map had north pointing a different direction), and in the pouring rain I didn't have much patience. I did make it inside the castle, but was so wet and cold I cared more about being inside than in a castle.
So I took the bus to the shopping/urban area, and the bus stop was right in front of a starbucks. Sitting inside with a book, coffee, and a western-style sandwich was a lovely way to pass my time, and I met some interesting Australians, too. Then I decided to give sightseeing another go, and headed to the samurai district nearby. Again, too cold and wet so I ducked into a book-music store.
This place was really cool - small, but everything it sold was fascinating. There was really good music playing (from the 2 turntables built into the counter) and there was a really cool selection of film/art books, postcards, music, and and childrens' books that were more about the design than the children. I spent an hour or so browsing before I bought a children's book about winter and some postcards. As I was checking out, I asked the guy behind the counter about the music, and he offered to play a bunch of CD's for me. So I spent more time, just hanging out and listening to music. This guy was also interested in learning English (it was the kind of store with a lot of French/German/American style design things, in addition to Japanese), so we talked for a bit. He was also looking for a female native English speaker to sing for his next album (he's a DJ and producer in addition to soley owning and running the store), so I told him I was interested in trying. What an exciting trip/person to meet!
That night I met Victoria at a Japanese-style pub for food and beer, which was nice. A busy day, but worth it.
That weekend was the Valentine's dance. Nothing too exciting happened. Saturday I bought a hat. Sat. night I got dressed up and went dancing. Rebecca and I weren't having too much fun in the bar after, so we called it an early night and took a cab back to sunshine.
Oh, forgot Valentine's day - nothing too exciting - but I did visit my English teacher in the women's pregnancy hospital. Her husband and son were there, and she showed me the videos of all her ultra-sounds. She's very excited, as she's had many miscarraiges in the past 8 years since her first child. She looked great - very young and healthy. I think her rest is doing her good. That night I played Jenga and sequence with Becca in my apartment. Jenga has become quite the popular thing.
Sunday was Brian’s birthday – very low key dinner at the Nepalese restaurant. We were going to go bowling, but were tired and it was late, so we played Jenga in my apartment.
The next Monday was pretty rough – I got a call from Apple. They told me my warranty was invalid since they found physical damage on the computer, and that the repairs would total 125,000 yen, which is over 1000 dollars. No Good! No good at all. So I’ve been playing phone tag with the English translator at Apple Japan, and e-mailing various people for advice. I’ve decided to fix the computer myself – a teacher told me he can order the correct parts at 15,000 yen for a hard drive and 10,000 yen for the bottom case.
That Wednesday I took half the day off and went back to Kanazawa. The guy from the store had offered to give me a personal tour of Kanazawa. Luckily, it was sunny and gorgeous – very warm and beautiful. We walked around the gardens, shrines, castles, markets, and districts, and did the whole city in about 4 hours – stopping once at the cooooolest café I’ve ever seen. It was in the Geisha district (which looks like a nicer version of the small town in Yojimbo – the houses are all connected with the vertical wood paneling). The café was all tatami, and each table was a kotatsu, which means there was a well for your feet, and the floor and under table area was heated. Really dark wood, with a bar in the back. Behind the bar was an indoor garden with bamboo. They had a really great selection of herbal teas, and they came in unique, cool tea cups, beautiful. It was really fun.
That night I met up with Victoria again for dinner and drinks at our favorite Italian restaurant – the pizza there is sooo good. So is the red wine and ceasar salad.
Returned that night and whipped up a pumpkin pie for desert. Or maybe that was Tuesday. Regardless, who doesn’t love pumpkin pie? (besides Justin)
Friday night was a charity show meeting (somehow I’m set designer and videographer which is a little too involved for my tastes, especially if Chris is coming in June). Then went with Becca and Yoko to a small town on the outskirts of Toyama Pref., about an hour away. There was a house party at a Japanese friend’s house (the biggest house I’ve seen in Japan – maybe twice as big as mine, and all traditional Japanese style, so cool!). I hadn’t really met anyone there yet, so it was interesting and fun to make a few more friends. One girl I met is Mahiko, a travel agent with a good sense of humor and great English. This next weekend I’m going to Nagano with her, Becca, and 9 of her Japanese guy friends. Two days, with travel/hotel/dinner/breakfast/ski tickets/onsen all at about 160 dollars. Great! We’ll ski at the place the Olympics were held – it’s supposed to be pretty tough.
But going back. Friday night was a late night, and we had a leisurely afternoon on Saturday at this guy’s house. His mother brought up stuff for sushi, and we sat around watching a movie and making temakizushi – or hand-rolled sushi with the fresh tuna this guy had just caught in the pacific (they have a family fishing company).
I’ll continue this later. I’ve got to get going.
Sarah
My computer's still not back. Actually, it's causing me much grief. But I won't go into that for now, there are much more interesting and exciting things in my life the past few weeks.
Last time I posted was a Monday, I believe. The next day was a holiday, and I headed to Kanazawa, the closest cooler, bigger city (50 minute train ride for about $7.50 - not bad!) Kanazawa wasn't bombed in the war (like Toyama was) and there is a famous garden (top 3 in Japan), castle, marketplace, and geisha and samurai districts. But unfortunetly, it was freezing and raining. And I didn't have a clue where I was going.
I got on the tourist - city loop bus and started getting off where I thought I could sightsee. But the maps were confusing (every map had north pointing a different direction), and in the pouring rain I didn't have much patience. I did make it inside the castle, but was so wet and cold I cared more about being inside than in a castle.
So I took the bus to the shopping/urban area, and the bus stop was right in front of a starbucks. Sitting inside with a book, coffee, and a western-style sandwich was a lovely way to pass my time, and I met some interesting Australians, too. Then I decided to give sightseeing another go, and headed to the samurai district nearby. Again, too cold and wet so I ducked into a book-music store.
This place was really cool - small, but everything it sold was fascinating. There was really good music playing (from the 2 turntables built into the counter) and there was a really cool selection of film/art books, postcards, music, and and childrens' books that were more about the design than the children. I spent an hour or so browsing before I bought a children's book about winter and some postcards. As I was checking out, I asked the guy behind the counter about the music, and he offered to play a bunch of CD's for me. So I spent more time, just hanging out and listening to music. This guy was also interested in learning English (it was the kind of store with a lot of French/German/American style design things, in addition to Japanese), so we talked for a bit. He was also looking for a female native English speaker to sing for his next album (he's a DJ and producer in addition to soley owning and running the store), so I told him I was interested in trying. What an exciting trip/person to meet!
That night I met Victoria at a Japanese-style pub for food and beer, which was nice. A busy day, but worth it.
That weekend was the Valentine's dance. Nothing too exciting happened. Saturday I bought a hat. Sat. night I got dressed up and went dancing. Rebecca and I weren't having too much fun in the bar after, so we called it an early night and took a cab back to sunshine.
Oh, forgot Valentine's day - nothing too exciting - but I did visit my English teacher in the women's pregnancy hospital. Her husband and son were there, and she showed me the videos of all her ultra-sounds. She's very excited, as she's had many miscarraiges in the past 8 years since her first child. She looked great - very young and healthy. I think her rest is doing her good. That night I played Jenga and sequence with Becca in my apartment. Jenga has become quite the popular thing.
Sunday was Brian’s birthday – very low key dinner at the Nepalese restaurant. We were going to go bowling, but were tired and it was late, so we played Jenga in my apartment.
The next Monday was pretty rough – I got a call from Apple. They told me my warranty was invalid since they found physical damage on the computer, and that the repairs would total 125,000 yen, which is over 1000 dollars. No Good! No good at all. So I’ve been playing phone tag with the English translator at Apple Japan, and e-mailing various people for advice. I’ve decided to fix the computer myself – a teacher told me he can order the correct parts at 15,000 yen for a hard drive and 10,000 yen for the bottom case.
That Wednesday I took half the day off and went back to Kanazawa. The guy from the store had offered to give me a personal tour of Kanazawa. Luckily, it was sunny and gorgeous – very warm and beautiful. We walked around the gardens, shrines, castles, markets, and districts, and did the whole city in about 4 hours – stopping once at the cooooolest café I’ve ever seen. It was in the Geisha district (which looks like a nicer version of the small town in Yojimbo – the houses are all connected with the vertical wood paneling). The café was all tatami, and each table was a kotatsu, which means there was a well for your feet, and the floor and under table area was heated. Really dark wood, with a bar in the back. Behind the bar was an indoor garden with bamboo. They had a really great selection of herbal teas, and they came in unique, cool tea cups, beautiful. It was really fun.
That night I met up with Victoria again for dinner and drinks at our favorite Italian restaurant – the pizza there is sooo good. So is the red wine and ceasar salad.
Returned that night and whipped up a pumpkin pie for desert. Or maybe that was Tuesday. Regardless, who doesn’t love pumpkin pie? (besides Justin)
Friday night was a charity show meeting (somehow I’m set designer and videographer which is a little too involved for my tastes, especially if Chris is coming in June). Then went with Becca and Yoko to a small town on the outskirts of Toyama Pref., about an hour away. There was a house party at a Japanese friend’s house (the biggest house I’ve seen in Japan – maybe twice as big as mine, and all traditional Japanese style, so cool!). I hadn’t really met anyone there yet, so it was interesting and fun to make a few more friends. One girl I met is Mahiko, a travel agent with a good sense of humor and great English. This next weekend I’m going to Nagano with her, Becca, and 9 of her Japanese guy friends. Two days, with travel/hotel/dinner/breakfast/ski tickets/onsen all at about 160 dollars. Great! We’ll ski at the place the Olympics were held – it’s supposed to be pretty tough.
But going back. Friday night was a late night, and we had a leisurely afternoon on Saturday at this guy’s house. His mother brought up stuff for sushi, and we sat around watching a movie and making temakizushi – or hand-rolled sushi with the fresh tuna this guy had just caught in the pacific (they have a family fishing company).
I’ll continue this later. I’ve got to get going.
Sarah
Sunday, February 09, 2003
Hello!
Ouch - I'm in pain. But in a good way. Between Aikido twice a week and snowboarding on the weekends, I think my body will be constantly bruised, pulled, and strained. But I'm having fun!
Aikido was really really cool. Basically I threw myself down on the tatami mat repeatedly for an hour and a half. Aikido's about doing and receiving (actually, I'm sure I'll explain this wrong since I've only had one lesson in broken English and Japanese). But basically the attacker grabs someone's wrist, and then becomes the receiver because the person whose wrist is grabbed basically uses the attackers force and balance against him and gives him a flick or twist to send him flying accross the room. It's amazing and looks effortless - they look like they're gliding accross the floor, and they don't seem to break a sweat (unless they're getting thrown around). Apparently it will hurt less once I learn to fall correctly, but for the first few weeks, when I'm repeatedly falling and often not doing it right, I think it will hurt. Both my shoulders are large round brusies (yellow at this point). I think the Monday-Thursday interval is just enough time, though, for the bruises to get better before I genereate new ones.
Tonight I'm going to buy my dogi (cool pajama-like white suit) before Aikido.
Had a great weekend in Toga - another festival in the mountains. Saturday we caught a train and a bus to the snow festival (total of 2 hours travel time). We walked around a bit and saw huge life-size castles and buildings intricately carved of snow. and bridges, igloos, a police box (koban) you could go into, large walrus with stairs up the front and a slide down the body, etc. There were games, dances, a performance of King Lear at the ampitheater, some good music (from Brazil), etc. We had 3 large chunks of snow to carve - 2 were maybe 12 ft. square, one was 12 x 12 x 20 feet long. The two smaller ones became Jaws and an armchair, and the large one became a shinkansen, or bullet train. When it became night, someone went around and put candles in all the sculptures, including one in each window of the shinkansen. It looked great. All the snow sculptures were lit with colored lights at night, and the colored lights of the castle changed with each performance, then were synchronized with the amazing fireworks show which was set off from behind the castle. Did videotape a lot of the day (mostly the parents who made their kids participate in this tube-pusing snow competition, very cute). Also ate soba (it was the soba festival), and have a new appreciation for warm sake (it was freezing rain during the fireworks). That night about 25-30 JETs went back to the local JET's place and camped out, amuzing ourselves with ALT-teaching games such as hangman, pictionary, and charades. Next morning, woke up early and went to the nearby ski-jo, snow valley. Unfortunately, weather hadn't turned colder and it was _raining_. Only mist/cloud/fog on the mountain, but it was so warm that the snow was pretty slushy and gross. Also was really tired. But the resort was good, and I'd like to go back when there's colder weather (I'm sure it will come - it's in the 50's here today, for February!)
Last night I was sound asleep by 9pm, and it was very nice. Time for lunch!
Sarah
Ouch - I'm in pain. But in a good way. Between Aikido twice a week and snowboarding on the weekends, I think my body will be constantly bruised, pulled, and strained. But I'm having fun!
Aikido was really really cool. Basically I threw myself down on the tatami mat repeatedly for an hour and a half. Aikido's about doing and receiving (actually, I'm sure I'll explain this wrong since I've only had one lesson in broken English and Japanese). But basically the attacker grabs someone's wrist, and then becomes the receiver because the person whose wrist is grabbed basically uses the attackers force and balance against him and gives him a flick or twist to send him flying accross the room. It's amazing and looks effortless - they look like they're gliding accross the floor, and they don't seem to break a sweat (unless they're getting thrown around). Apparently it will hurt less once I learn to fall correctly, but for the first few weeks, when I'm repeatedly falling and often not doing it right, I think it will hurt. Both my shoulders are large round brusies (yellow at this point). I think the Monday-Thursday interval is just enough time, though, for the bruises to get better before I genereate new ones.
Tonight I'm going to buy my dogi (cool pajama-like white suit) before Aikido.
Had a great weekend in Toga - another festival in the mountains. Saturday we caught a train and a bus to the snow festival (total of 2 hours travel time). We walked around a bit and saw huge life-size castles and buildings intricately carved of snow. and bridges, igloos, a police box (koban) you could go into, large walrus with stairs up the front and a slide down the body, etc. There were games, dances, a performance of King Lear at the ampitheater, some good music (from Brazil), etc. We had 3 large chunks of snow to carve - 2 were maybe 12 ft. square, one was 12 x 12 x 20 feet long. The two smaller ones became Jaws and an armchair, and the large one became a shinkansen, or bullet train. When it became night, someone went around and put candles in all the sculptures, including one in each window of the shinkansen. It looked great. All the snow sculptures were lit with colored lights at night, and the colored lights of the castle changed with each performance, then were synchronized with the amazing fireworks show which was set off from behind the castle. Did videotape a lot of the day (mostly the parents who made their kids participate in this tube-pusing snow competition, very cute). Also ate soba (it was the soba festival), and have a new appreciation for warm sake (it was freezing rain during the fireworks). That night about 25-30 JETs went back to the local JET's place and camped out, amuzing ourselves with ALT-teaching games such as hangman, pictionary, and charades. Next morning, woke up early and went to the nearby ski-jo, snow valley. Unfortunately, weather hadn't turned colder and it was _raining_. Only mist/cloud/fog on the mountain, but it was so warm that the snow was pretty slushy and gross. Also was really tired. But the resort was good, and I'd like to go back when there's colder weather (I'm sure it will come - it's in the 50's here today, for February!)
Last night I was sound asleep by 9pm, and it was very nice. Time for lunch!
Sarah
Thursday, February 06, 2003
Great! Haven't been able to get onto this site at my other school for some reason. Only have a few minutes to write now before I catch a train home.
A few new things -- First, I'm going to start learning Aikido. I hope this lasts longer than the Brazillian break-dance-fighting, but I think it will. It's at a gym downtown, twice a week, and all adults who've been doing it for like over 20 years. And who speak Japanese. So I'm sure I'll fit right in. Actually there is another JET who goes - she was new last year so she should be able to help me out a bit.
Had the flu last week so I didn't get to go to Nagano. If you read Brian's site you might have seen that the snow wasn't great, but I think from other reports I've heard that only the beginner stuff was icey and the rest of the mountain was _amazing_, but that's okay, because I'm doing a cheap day trip to nagano in a week or two.
This weekend is Toga, please meditate for my life as I brave these crazy mountain roads. Luckily I'm taking a bus, rather than dealing with a foreign city driver and a city car. Saturday is the snow/soba festival -- I'll make a huge snow sculpture with other JETs, eat soba (japanese wheat noodles), and watch some awesome fireworks at night. Then Sunday I'll try to snowboard a bit before heading back -- have heard very mixed reviews about Toga's hill, but I think it will be very small.
Time to run for the bus, I hope I can write some of the entertaining things I'm experiencing soon!!!
Sarah
A few new things -- First, I'm going to start learning Aikido. I hope this lasts longer than the Brazillian break-dance-fighting, but I think it will. It's at a gym downtown, twice a week, and all adults who've been doing it for like over 20 years. And who speak Japanese. So I'm sure I'll fit right in. Actually there is another JET who goes - she was new last year so she should be able to help me out a bit.
Had the flu last week so I didn't get to go to Nagano. If you read Brian's site you might have seen that the snow wasn't great, but I think from other reports I've heard that only the beginner stuff was icey and the rest of the mountain was _amazing_, but that's okay, because I'm doing a cheap day trip to nagano in a week or two.
This weekend is Toga, please meditate for my life as I brave these crazy mountain roads. Luckily I'm taking a bus, rather than dealing with a foreign city driver and a city car. Saturday is the snow/soba festival -- I'll make a huge snow sculpture with other JETs, eat soba (japanese wheat noodles), and watch some awesome fireworks at night. Then Sunday I'll try to snowboard a bit before heading back -- have heard very mixed reviews about Toga's hill, but I think it will be very small.
Time to run for the bus, I hope I can write some of the entertaining things I'm experiencing soon!!!
Sarah
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Hello! Spent the weekend snowboarding and lounging in Tateyama. There was great powder on Saturday - after 3 days of constant snowing, and temperatures finally below freezing, conditions were perfect. Rebecca (friend who also lives in Sunshine) and I went to Tateyama Fri. night to have a Nabae party with Justin and some of his Japanese friends. They are a fun group of people, and also amazing cooks. Nabae is a huge soup-like thing with mushrooms, cabbage, chicken, and the other day it was flavored with kimchee (korean spicy hot pepper stuff). Really nice, and there was plenty for breakfast the next day and to add some noodles for apres-ski. The also made yakisoba (stir fried noodles with a special sauce) and there was a ton of chips, snacks, alcohol, etc. It was pretty fun. Met up with them a bit on Saturday, and Becca and I are cooking for them tomorrow night.
Skiing Saturday was fun. Becca's good, and it"s fun to have a partner to go all over the mountain with. Also brought Justin up to the top of the mountain at the end of the day -- he's improving so fast! His second day snowboarding he was connecting his turns and following my lead pretty well. He followed us down a few black diamond mogul trails, which at this point we took him on for the humor of it -- when we first got to the top of the gondola after lunch, we hadn't spent any time with Justin at all and weren't quite sure of his level. we also misjudged the easiest hill end ended up taking him on something pretty steep. but soon enough, he learned how to edge, and eventually stop, and after some of the really steep stuff, the medium stuff seemed doable, and if he took things slowly he could manage some turns. so presto! good thing he's good natured and adventurous.
were going to go out saturday night but were so tired and sore from snowboarding (the powder was so soft it was really fun to wipe out and do somersaults, today my neck's a bit stiff, though) we ended up watching movies at justin's.
all for now, have to clean tonight and plan menu for tomorrow's feast.
later,
sarah
Skiing Saturday was fun. Becca's good, and it"s fun to have a partner to go all over the mountain with. Also brought Justin up to the top of the mountain at the end of the day -- he's improving so fast! His second day snowboarding he was connecting his turns and following my lead pretty well. He followed us down a few black diamond mogul trails, which at this point we took him on for the humor of it -- when we first got to the top of the gondola after lunch, we hadn't spent any time with Justin at all and weren't quite sure of his level. we also misjudged the easiest hill end ended up taking him on something pretty steep. but soon enough, he learned how to edge, and eventually stop, and after some of the really steep stuff, the medium stuff seemed doable, and if he took things slowly he could manage some turns. so presto! good thing he's good natured and adventurous.
were going to go out saturday night but were so tired and sore from snowboarding (the powder was so soft it was really fun to wipe out and do somersaults, today my neck's a bit stiff, though) we ended up watching movies at justin's.
all for now, have to clean tonight and plan menu for tomorrow's feast.
later,
sarah
Thursday, January 23, 2003
alright, something weird is happening, and it's not been publishing my stuff!!! I've been writing, really!
Here's what I wrote yesterday:
[1/23/2003 4:03:07 PM | Sarah Broshar]
I have so much to write, and there's been no time to write it. And by the time I do have time (like now) my brain's a little too fried to make coherent thoughts.
But I'll start with the funny things, in backwards order.
Most recent - a moment ago my principal (the one I really like) was walking around the staff room, and I asked him if he wanted to use the computer, he said no, but walked over, and I proceded to show him my blog site and how I write about Japan and people read it. He was looking closely , and I realize the first comments are about my principal (spelled wrong, though) at my other school shoveling snow. I don't think he noticed, but I jumped and scrolled down to the bit about skiing.
Last night I took my wet clothes to a laundrymat (a wonderful thing - more later), and as I was dumping my clothes in the huge driers, I saw a pair of underwear I didn't want to ruin. I stuck them in my coat pocket and forgot about them. This morning, as usually, I spent about 5 minutes after I got off the train searching my pockets for the train ticket. I couldn't find it, and couldn't figure out what was in my pocket, so naturally I emptied my pockets in front of the station attendent and pulled out a thong. I never found the ticket but I got through okay.
Other funny things: about skiing.
Definetly interesting in Japan. Two things were particularly odd - first, that little children are allowed to take sleds up the lifts of the beginner slopes. And I mean little children. They actually have sleds you can rent. Most people don't take them up the lifts, but walk up a bit from the bottom of the hill where the rental shops and restaurants are, and send their 3-5 year olds out of control into a crowd of beginners. I've gotten hit before, and I've seen maybe a dozen other serious wipe-outs. I think it's very strange.
The second was just a random sighting - A middle aged woman, an older woman, and a young man were all wearing plain clothes (jeans, rubber boots, etc.) and walking down the main stretch of mountain carrying umbrellas. This is above the begginer slopes, maybe halfway up the main lift, and far from the gondola. Yet no one else seemed to be paying any attention to them.
As for my computer complaining - it's practically died. I have to send it in, and possibly get the hard drive repaired/replaced. I'm not sure the exact problem - it begins to click and the spinning disc icon happens, can still move the mouse but can't do anything with it. If I shut it down and leave it for a day, it will work for about 20 minutes until it freezes up again. I had thought I fixed it last week by resetting the power manager, and it worked for several days - long enough for me to set up the wireless router (which doesn't reach my room anyways - only Victoria's). But as soon as I had it set up, it crashed, and I haven't wanted to move it again since it's acting so wierd.
On a positive note, I bought a new stereo Saturday. Justin, who has a much better idea of a good stereo, took me shopping and explained that the more features for the same price means worse quality. So he helped me pick out an Onkyo micro system for just a tiny bit more than the one I was looking at - it has a cd player and mini disc, and it sounds really good. really really good. After school, while I'm still sitting in the teacher's room, I dream about going home and listening to my stereo. Only small problem is I brought about 10 CD's with me - the rest of my music is on MP3's on my computer.
Teaching and life is going really well (except for this afternoon, which I won't go into, it's just impossible). I've been working with the teachers and planning some good lessons, and I like being in the classroom (except for Oizumi's 1-nensei). But my apartment is finally clean, and I have several loads of laundry properly dried (rather than hanging around my tiny apartment in the unheated winter - doesn't work and adds to the mess) and in my drawers.
Snowboarding's wonderful, I'm going Sat. and Sunday. Then next weekend I'm snowboarding in Nagano, at the same time and place as hundreds of other JET's in Japan (fun foreign invasion!). Then the next weekend it's Toga - the same secluded small town that did the theater festival, for the winter soba festival. Basically I go eat hot soba noodles, make large snowsculptures with the other JET's, then go snowboarding the next day!
I saw a few of my students on the slopes last Saturday, and it was a great topic of conversation for 10 minutes before class today. I find the better I know them, the easier it is to make small conversations. Lately I've been having good lunches with them, too. We still mostly talk about food, but if we all spoke the same language the same could be true.
All for now, maybe I'll update later.
Sarah
Here's what I wrote yesterday:
[1/23/2003 4:03:07 PM | Sarah Broshar]
I have so much to write, and there's been no time to write it. And by the time I do have time (like now) my brain's a little too fried to make coherent thoughts.
But I'll start with the funny things, in backwards order.
Most recent - a moment ago my principal (the one I really like) was walking around the staff room, and I asked him if he wanted to use the computer, he said no, but walked over, and I proceded to show him my blog site and how I write about Japan and people read it. He was looking closely , and I realize the first comments are about my principal (spelled wrong, though) at my other school shoveling snow. I don't think he noticed, but I jumped and scrolled down to the bit about skiing.
Last night I took my wet clothes to a laundrymat (a wonderful thing - more later), and as I was dumping my clothes in the huge driers, I saw a pair of underwear I didn't want to ruin. I stuck them in my coat pocket and forgot about them. This morning, as usually, I spent about 5 minutes after I got off the train searching my pockets for the train ticket. I couldn't find it, and couldn't figure out what was in my pocket, so naturally I emptied my pockets in front of the station attendent and pulled out a thong. I never found the ticket but I got through okay.
Other funny things: about skiing.
Definetly interesting in Japan. Two things were particularly odd - first, that little children are allowed to take sleds up the lifts of the beginner slopes. And I mean little children. They actually have sleds you can rent. Most people don't take them up the lifts, but walk up a bit from the bottom of the hill where the rental shops and restaurants are, and send their 3-5 year olds out of control into a crowd of beginners. I've gotten hit before, and I've seen maybe a dozen other serious wipe-outs. I think it's very strange.
The second was just a random sighting - A middle aged woman, an older woman, and a young man were all wearing plain clothes (jeans, rubber boots, etc.) and walking down the main stretch of mountain carrying umbrellas. This is above the begginer slopes, maybe halfway up the main lift, and far from the gondola. Yet no one else seemed to be paying any attention to them.
As for my computer complaining - it's practically died. I have to send it in, and possibly get the hard drive repaired/replaced. I'm not sure the exact problem - it begins to click and the spinning disc icon happens, can still move the mouse but can't do anything with it. If I shut it down and leave it for a day, it will work for about 20 minutes until it freezes up again. I had thought I fixed it last week by resetting the power manager, and it worked for several days - long enough for me to set up the wireless router (which doesn't reach my room anyways - only Victoria's). But as soon as I had it set up, it crashed, and I haven't wanted to move it again since it's acting so wierd.
On a positive note, I bought a new stereo Saturday. Justin, who has a much better idea of a good stereo, took me shopping and explained that the more features for the same price means worse quality. So he helped me pick out an Onkyo micro system for just a tiny bit more than the one I was looking at - it has a cd player and mini disc, and it sounds really good. really really good. After school, while I'm still sitting in the teacher's room, I dream about going home and listening to my stereo. Only small problem is I brought about 10 CD's with me - the rest of my music is on MP3's on my computer.
Teaching and life is going really well (except for this afternoon, which I won't go into, it's just impossible). I've been working with the teachers and planning some good lessons, and I like being in the classroom (except for Oizumi's 1-nensei). But my apartment is finally clean, and I have several loads of laundry properly dried (rather than hanging around my tiny apartment in the unheated winter - doesn't work and adds to the mess) and in my drawers.
Snowboarding's wonderful, I'm going Sat. and Sunday. Then next weekend I'm snowboarding in Nagano, at the same time and place as hundreds of other JET's in Japan (fun foreign invasion!). Then the next weekend it's Toga - the same secluded small town that did the theater festival, for the winter soba festival. Basically I go eat hot soba noodles, make large snowsculptures with the other JET's, then go snowboarding the next day!
I saw a few of my students on the slopes last Saturday, and it was a great topic of conversation for 10 minutes before class today. I find the better I know them, the easier it is to make small conversations. Lately I've been having good lunches with them, too. We still mostly talk about food, but if we all spoke the same language the same could be true.
All for now, maybe I'll update later.
Sarah
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
I have so much to write, and there's been no time to write it. And by the time I do have time (like now) my brain's a little too fried to make coherent thoughts.
But I'll start with the funny things, in backwards order.
Most recent - a moment ago my principal (the one I really like) was walking around the staff room, and I asked him if he wanted to use the computer, he said no, but walked over, and I proceded to show him my blog site and how I write about Japan and people read it. He was looking closely , and I realize the first comments are about my principal (spelled wrong, though) at my other school shoveling snow. I don't think he noticed, but I jumped and scrolled down to the bit about skiing.
Last night I took my wet clothes to a laundrymat (a wonderful thing - more later), and as I was dumping my clothes in the huge driers, I saw a pair of underwear I didn't want to ruin. I stuck them in my coat pocket and forgot about them. This morning, as usually, I spent about 5 minutes after I got off the train searching my pockets for the train ticket. I couldn't find it, and couldn't figure out what was in my pocket, so naturally I emptied my pockets in front of the station attendent and pulled out a thong. I never found the ticket but I got through okay.
Other funny things: about skiing.
Definetly interesting in Japan. Two things were particularly odd - first, that little children are allowed to take sleds up the lifts of the beginner slopes. And I mean little children. They actually have sleds you can rent. Most people don't take them up the lifts, but walk up a bit from the bottom of the hill where the rental shops and restaurants are, and send their 3-5 year olds out of control into a crowd of beginners. I've gotten hit before, and I've seen maybe a dozen other serious wipe-outs. I think it's very strange.
The second was just a random sighting - A middle aged woman, an older woman, and a young man were all wearing plain clothes (jeans, rubber boots, etc.) and walking down the main stretch of mountain carrying umbrellas. This is above the begginer slopes, maybe halfway up the main lift, and far from the gondola. Yet no one else seemed to be paying any attention to them.
As for my computer complaining - it's practically died. I have to send it in, and possibly get the hard drive repaired/replaced. I'm not sure the exact problem - it begins to click and the spinning disc icon happens, can still move the mouse but can't do anything with it. If I shut it down and leave it for a day, it will work for about 20 minutes until it freezes up again. I had thought I fixed it last week by resetting the power manager, and it worked for several days - long enough for me to set up the wireless router (which doesn't reach my room anyways - only Victoria's). But as soon as I had it set up, it crashed, and I haven't wanted to move it again since it's acting so wierd.
On a positive note, I bought a new stereo Saturday. Justin, who has a much better idea of a good stereo, took me shopping and explained that the more features for the same price means worse quality. So he helped me pick out an Onkyo micro system for just a tiny bit more than the one I was looking at - it has a cd player and mini disc, and it sounds really good. really really good. After school, while I'm still sitting in the teacher's room, I dream about going home and listening to my stereo. Only small problem is I brought about 10 CD's with me - the rest of my music is on MP3's on my computer.
Teaching and life is going really well (except for this afternoon, which I won't go into, it's just impossible). I've been working with the teachers and planning some good lessons, and I like being in the classroom (except for Oizumi's 1-nensei). But my apartment is finally clean, and I have several loads of laundry properly dried (rather than hanging around my tiny apartment in the unheated winter - doesn't work and adds to the mess) and in my drawers.
Snowboarding's wonderful, I'm going Sat. and Sunday. Then next weekend I'm snowboarding in Nagano, at the same time and place as hundreds of other JET's in Japan (fun foreign invasion!). Then the next weekend it's Toga - the same secluded small town that did the theater festival, for the winter soba festival. Basically I go eat hot soba noodles, make large snowsculptures with the other JET's, then go snowboarding the next day!
I saw a few of my students on the slopes last Saturday, and it was a great topic of conversation for 10 minutes before class today. I find the better I know them, the easier it is to make small conversations. Lately I've been having good lunches with them, too. We still mostly talk about food, but if we all spoke the same language the same could be true.
All for now, maybe I'll update later.
Sarah
But I'll start with the funny things, in backwards order.
Most recent - a moment ago my principal (the one I really like) was walking around the staff room, and I asked him if he wanted to use the computer, he said no, but walked over, and I proceded to show him my blog site and how I write about Japan and people read it. He was looking closely , and I realize the first comments are about my principal (spelled wrong, though) at my other school shoveling snow. I don't think he noticed, but I jumped and scrolled down to the bit about skiing.
Last night I took my wet clothes to a laundrymat (a wonderful thing - more later), and as I was dumping my clothes in the huge driers, I saw a pair of underwear I didn't want to ruin. I stuck them in my coat pocket and forgot about them. This morning, as usually, I spent about 5 minutes after I got off the train searching my pockets for the train ticket. I couldn't find it, and couldn't figure out what was in my pocket, so naturally I emptied my pockets in front of the station attendent and pulled out a thong. I never found the ticket but I got through okay.
Other funny things: about skiing.
Definetly interesting in Japan. Two things were particularly odd - first, that little children are allowed to take sleds up the lifts of the beginner slopes. And I mean little children. They actually have sleds you can rent. Most people don't take them up the lifts, but walk up a bit from the bottom of the hill where the rental shops and restaurants are, and send their 3-5 year olds out of control into a crowd of beginners. I've gotten hit before, and I've seen maybe a dozen other serious wipe-outs. I think it's very strange.
The second was just a random sighting - A middle aged woman, an older woman, and a young man were all wearing plain clothes (jeans, rubber boots, etc.) and walking down the main stretch of mountain carrying umbrellas. This is above the begginer slopes, maybe halfway up the main lift, and far from the gondola. Yet no one else seemed to be paying any attention to them.
As for my computer complaining - it's practically died. I have to send it in, and possibly get the hard drive repaired/replaced. I'm not sure the exact problem - it begins to click and the spinning disc icon happens, can still move the mouse but can't do anything with it. If I shut it down and leave it for a day, it will work for about 20 minutes until it freezes up again. I had thought I fixed it last week by resetting the power manager, and it worked for several days - long enough for me to set up the wireless router (which doesn't reach my room anyways - only Victoria's). But as soon as I had it set up, it crashed, and I haven't wanted to move it again since it's acting so wierd.
On a positive note, I bought a new stereo Saturday. Justin, who has a much better idea of a good stereo, took me shopping and explained that the more features for the same price means worse quality. So he helped me pick out an Onkyo micro system for just a tiny bit more than the one I was looking at - it has a cd player and mini disc, and it sounds really good. really really good. After school, while I'm still sitting in the teacher's room, I dream about going home and listening to my stereo. Only small problem is I brought about 10 CD's with me - the rest of my music is on MP3's on my computer.
Teaching and life is going really well (except for this afternoon, which I won't go into, it's just impossible). I've been working with the teachers and planning some good lessons, and I like being in the classroom (except for Oizumi's 1-nensei). But my apartment is finally clean, and I have several loads of laundry properly dried (rather than hanging around my tiny apartment in the unheated winter - doesn't work and adds to the mess) and in my drawers.
Snowboarding's wonderful, I'm going Sat. and Sunday. Then next weekend I'm snowboarding in Nagano, at the same time and place as hundreds of other JET's in Japan (fun foreign invasion!). Then the next weekend it's Toga - the same secluded small town that did the theater festival, for the winter soba festival. Basically I go eat hot soba noodles, make large snowsculptures with the other JET's, then go snowboarding the next day!
I saw a few of my students on the slopes last Saturday, and it was a great topic of conversation for 10 minutes before class today. I find the better I know them, the easier it is to make small conversations. Lately I've been having good lunches with them, too. We still mostly talk about food, but if we all spoke the same language the same could be true.
All for now, maybe I'll update later.
Sarah
Monday, January 13, 2003
Hello,
I posted last week, but I think I either didn't delete, or I forgot to publish.
My main point last Friday was that on my way into school, I saw the principle outside in his shirttails shovelling the driveway alone. That's what I get for being judgemental.
Sorry if my spelling, typing, or English are a bit off in this post -- I slept terribly last night and am a little uncomfortable in the blazing heat of the staff room. This room is maybe 1/3 of the size of my other school, and it has the same number of heaters (2), each set to 3 degrees higher than my other school (21 degrees c).
I'm also using a Japanese keyboard now. My computer is starting to complain about its overuse (for silly things like watching DVD's and listening to music) so I think I might invest in a stereo (that I would bring home). I'm also in Japan - definetly the place for that kind of purchase. I already have one picked out, just waiting till a friend with a car will take me to get it. Pioneer, and it has 5 CD, minidisc, tape, radio (which wouldn't work in the US) and I think a USB in so I could maybe burn the MP3s from my computer to minidisc, but I'm not sure about that. I could at least make CD's out of them. My computer's getting very cranky - as in making loud clicking noises and randomly not working, so tonight I'm going home and backing up my hard drive, and this weekend I'll probably send it off to get it looked at. It's still under warranty, but I'm not sure how that will work in Japan. I am sad to part with it for several reasons -- I brought back a modem so I should soon be able to hook it up and get internet in my apartment, but more importantly, I am working on some English videos for classes on it.
Anyways, spring skiing conditions on the slopes this weekend. It's been really nice here -- I was only wearing a long underwear shirt and the shell of my coat, no hat, sunglasses. The powder was great, not fresh on Sunday, but still smooth, not at all icey. It's only an hour to the closest resort, and I can go to the train station by my apartment, pay 5000 yen (43 dollars-ish) and get a return train/bus plus lift ticket for the day. The mountain is pretty small, but definetly better than anything in the midwest. I didn't explore too much, but it didn't seem to have a lot of variety, and the runs were pretty narrow. But there was some steeper stuff, and some moguls.
I was surprised at the lifts - there were a couple incredibly slow chairs and then a gondola to the top. Otherwise you could take 3 chairs. The gondola was also slow, though. And some of the chairs were just a single pad for a seat, and a bar, no back or arm rest, no sort of restraining device. And you were 30 ft in the air. Strange.
I like the convenience of snowboarding every weekend (I'm going next weekend too!) but am very curious to travel into Niigata or Nagano for weekend trips to the larger resorts.
Time for class,
Sarah
I posted last week, but I think I either didn't delete, or I forgot to publish.
My main point last Friday was that on my way into school, I saw the principle outside in his shirttails shovelling the driveway alone. That's what I get for being judgemental.
Sorry if my spelling, typing, or English are a bit off in this post -- I slept terribly last night and am a little uncomfortable in the blazing heat of the staff room. This room is maybe 1/3 of the size of my other school, and it has the same number of heaters (2), each set to 3 degrees higher than my other school (21 degrees c).
I'm also using a Japanese keyboard now. My computer is starting to complain about its overuse (for silly things like watching DVD's and listening to music) so I think I might invest in a stereo (that I would bring home). I'm also in Japan - definetly the place for that kind of purchase. I already have one picked out, just waiting till a friend with a car will take me to get it. Pioneer, and it has 5 CD, minidisc, tape, radio (which wouldn't work in the US) and I think a USB in so I could maybe burn the MP3s from my computer to minidisc, but I'm not sure about that. I could at least make CD's out of them. My computer's getting very cranky - as in making loud clicking noises and randomly not working, so tonight I'm going home and backing up my hard drive, and this weekend I'll probably send it off to get it looked at. It's still under warranty, but I'm not sure how that will work in Japan. I am sad to part with it for several reasons -- I brought back a modem so I should soon be able to hook it up and get internet in my apartment, but more importantly, I am working on some English videos for classes on it.
Anyways, spring skiing conditions on the slopes this weekend. It's been really nice here -- I was only wearing a long underwear shirt and the shell of my coat, no hat, sunglasses. The powder was great, not fresh on Sunday, but still smooth, not at all icey. It's only an hour to the closest resort, and I can go to the train station by my apartment, pay 5000 yen (43 dollars-ish) and get a return train/bus plus lift ticket for the day. The mountain is pretty small, but definetly better than anything in the midwest. I didn't explore too much, but it didn't seem to have a lot of variety, and the runs were pretty narrow. But there was some steeper stuff, and some moguls.
I was surprised at the lifts - there were a couple incredibly slow chairs and then a gondola to the top. Otherwise you could take 3 chairs. The gondola was also slow, though. And some of the chairs were just a single pad for a seat, and a bar, no back or arm rest, no sort of restraining device. And you were 30 ft in the air. Strange.
I like the convenience of snowboarding every weekend (I'm going next weekend too!) but am very curious to travel into Niigata or Nagano for weekend trips to the larger resorts.
Time for class,
Sarah
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
Hello!
I'm back in Japan, and things are good.
I went home for Christmas and New Year's. I spent the first week lying around the house, shopping a bit with my sister, and attending various family parties. I had jet lag pretty bad -- the first few days I was tired and had little energy, and the next few days I woke up really early in the morning and crashed around 8pm.
Then, Thursday night, I made a sudden decision to go to New York for the weekend. I hung out with Eric and had a really good time being in the city. NY has such a great atmosphere, and I've definetly been craving for big city life after living in Toyama (which isn't so small, I think I just like cities). We saw Adaptations, which blew my mind. I now take back every time I've said that I can't stand Nicholas Cage. Well, actually, I still can't stand him in most other films I've seen him in, but this performance was amazing. Along with other aspects of the film.
It was also good to hang out with Eric for the weekend because I got a sense of what he's been doing with his career, and how much I miss film-related work. Being in Japan is great, but there's no reason to stay for too long when it's not what I really want to be doing. By the time I was back in Michigan, I'd pretty much decided to not recontract with JET, and to apply to grad school for editing at AFI. I'll probably move to LA in September whether or not I'm accepted.
So the second week of my vacation was pretty stressful - the actual decision to apply to AFI came around Tuesday afternoon, and New Year's plans, packing, and flying back to Japan made the application process pretty stressful - the application had to be postmarked January 6 (which it was!)
I had a great time seeing Claire and her boyfriend, Ben, and Annika and her friend Damien. Monday night Claire, Ben and Annika came over and we stayed up really late catching up (it had been a year since I've seen Claire, and years since Claire and Annika have seen each other). Tuesday night we went to Connor O'Neil's, an Irish pub in Ann Arbor, for dinner/party, where a few other people joined us.
New Year's day, my friends had spent the night again so we spent the morning lounging and talking, then I worked on my application while my family watched football. We also had a nice traditional-holiday type dinner, as kind of a special treat since I was returning to Japan.
Saturday night, as I pulled into Toyama, it started snowing. It continued snowing all day Sunday (50 centimeters) and a little through Monday. Insane amounts of snow, and totally gorgeous. It is melting fast, though, because it's well above freezing, the sun is shining, and warm water is continuously squirting from the roads and sidewalks.
So in order to venture out on Sunday, I stopped at APA and bought some rubber boots (Victoria calls them Wellington's, or "Wellies" affectionately - is this a British word?). They are like moon boots - knee high, and a lovely grey and blue. The style is to tuck the pants in, so they don't get wet or dirty. These boots were great, the snow was at least knee-high, nothing was plowed (I haven't seen snowplows here at all!), and my feet stayed dry.
Today was the school-opening ceremony, where the entire school sat silently in the gym to listen to the principal ramble for about 45 minutes about nothing. You might say "Sarah, he might have been saying something important - you just can't understand him!"
But no. I've had my suspicions confirmed today by one of the English teachers that he is a total moron (of course my teacher didn't say this). Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to stumble through a longer-than-necessary monologue... I first noticed this when he introduced me to give my speech at the first day of school - I had no idea how he could be talking about me for nearly 10 minutes when he'd never spoken to me -- of course he did have my JET application for notes. Then, at one of the schools firedrills he talked for about a half hour.
Today I asked my teacher what he says for so long. She said that he never prepares for his speeches, so he usually just gets up and talks. I asked her for specifically the kinds of things he says, and she said "I don't pay attention. I remember him saying something to the students about not being noisy, because he doesn't like it when it's noisy."
Today at the staff meeting he went into an opening speech, and literally half of the teachers were _sleeping_. The system of hierarchy and respect here is pretty strange... I'm sure this man does something (and this middle school has a great academic reputation), but he spends much of his time in his office watching television, smoking, and eating. He rarely comes to school early or stays late, and he barely speaks to the other teachers. When he tells one of my English teacher he's concerned for my safety, and to look after me (after that strange man in my apartment incident), I'm prompted to go bow to him and thank him for acknowledging my existence.
This man entertains me very much, as you can tell. It's just very interesting that he's obviously in a fairly powerful, prestigous position in the Japanese educational system (or at least he thinks so) and his social skills are so awkward. He actually fell asleep at the enkai, or teacher's dinner party.
Changing the subject, I feel my Japanese has really slipped. I'll need to study quite a bit to get back to conversaitional around the office -- my teacher was asking me about my vacation and I had a rough time telling her the basics of what I did, as in I couldn't think of the word for 'weekend'... bad, sarah, bad.
goodbye for now.
sarah
I'm back in Japan, and things are good.
I went home for Christmas and New Year's. I spent the first week lying around the house, shopping a bit with my sister, and attending various family parties. I had jet lag pretty bad -- the first few days I was tired and had little energy, and the next few days I woke up really early in the morning and crashed around 8pm.
Then, Thursday night, I made a sudden decision to go to New York for the weekend. I hung out with Eric and had a really good time being in the city. NY has such a great atmosphere, and I've definetly been craving for big city life after living in Toyama (which isn't so small, I think I just like cities). We saw Adaptations, which blew my mind. I now take back every time I've said that I can't stand Nicholas Cage. Well, actually, I still can't stand him in most other films I've seen him in, but this performance was amazing. Along with other aspects of the film.
It was also good to hang out with Eric for the weekend because I got a sense of what he's been doing with his career, and how much I miss film-related work. Being in Japan is great, but there's no reason to stay for too long when it's not what I really want to be doing. By the time I was back in Michigan, I'd pretty much decided to not recontract with JET, and to apply to grad school for editing at AFI. I'll probably move to LA in September whether or not I'm accepted.
So the second week of my vacation was pretty stressful - the actual decision to apply to AFI came around Tuesday afternoon, and New Year's plans, packing, and flying back to Japan made the application process pretty stressful - the application had to be postmarked January 6 (which it was!)
I had a great time seeing Claire and her boyfriend, Ben, and Annika and her friend Damien. Monday night Claire, Ben and Annika came over and we stayed up really late catching up (it had been a year since I've seen Claire, and years since Claire and Annika have seen each other). Tuesday night we went to Connor O'Neil's, an Irish pub in Ann Arbor, for dinner/party, where a few other people joined us.
New Year's day, my friends had spent the night again so we spent the morning lounging and talking, then I worked on my application while my family watched football. We also had a nice traditional-holiday type dinner, as kind of a special treat since I was returning to Japan.
Saturday night, as I pulled into Toyama, it started snowing. It continued snowing all day Sunday (50 centimeters) and a little through Monday. Insane amounts of snow, and totally gorgeous. It is melting fast, though, because it's well above freezing, the sun is shining, and warm water is continuously squirting from the roads and sidewalks.
So in order to venture out on Sunday, I stopped at APA and bought some rubber boots (Victoria calls them Wellington's, or "Wellies" affectionately - is this a British word?). They are like moon boots - knee high, and a lovely grey and blue. The style is to tuck the pants in, so they don't get wet or dirty. These boots were great, the snow was at least knee-high, nothing was plowed (I haven't seen snowplows here at all!), and my feet stayed dry.
Today was the school-opening ceremony, where the entire school sat silently in the gym to listen to the principal ramble for about 45 minutes about nothing. You might say "Sarah, he might have been saying something important - you just can't understand him!"
But no. I've had my suspicions confirmed today by one of the English teachers that he is a total moron (of course my teacher didn't say this). Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to stumble through a longer-than-necessary monologue... I first noticed this when he introduced me to give my speech at the first day of school - I had no idea how he could be talking about me for nearly 10 minutes when he'd never spoken to me -- of course he did have my JET application for notes. Then, at one of the schools firedrills he talked for about a half hour.
Today I asked my teacher what he says for so long. She said that he never prepares for his speeches, so he usually just gets up and talks. I asked her for specifically the kinds of things he says, and she said "I don't pay attention. I remember him saying something to the students about not being noisy, because he doesn't like it when it's noisy."
Today at the staff meeting he went into an opening speech, and literally half of the teachers were _sleeping_. The system of hierarchy and respect here is pretty strange... I'm sure this man does something (and this middle school has a great academic reputation), but he spends much of his time in his office watching television, smoking, and eating. He rarely comes to school early or stays late, and he barely speaks to the other teachers. When he tells one of my English teacher he's concerned for my safety, and to look after me (after that strange man in my apartment incident), I'm prompted to go bow to him and thank him for acknowledging my existence.
This man entertains me very much, as you can tell. It's just very interesting that he's obviously in a fairly powerful, prestigous position in the Japanese educational system (or at least he thinks so) and his social skills are so awkward. He actually fell asleep at the enkai, or teacher's dinner party.
Changing the subject, I feel my Japanese has really slipped. I'll need to study quite a bit to get back to conversaitional around the office -- my teacher was asking me about my vacation and I had a rough time telling her the basics of what I did, as in I couldn't think of the word for 'weekend'... bad, sarah, bad.
goodbye for now.
sarah
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