Sans Tache

Still not in the groove.

2008-03-11T08:45:00.002+09:00

I'm still trying to get used to blogging again. I have found this winter to be particularly long and have spent a majority of it curled up under a blanket watching TV on the internet...or in the bath. It's a sad existence and I am going a bit stir crazy. Yes, I have managed to escape on the weekends for snowboarding, but the weekdays have been very unproductive.

This is the end of the school year for students in Japan. Graduation ceremonies for High School were a couple of weeks ago -and this year was the last year of students that I taught at Nyuzen High School. And even though I didn't teach them for the full 3 years, they were a very unique and memorable group of kids and it was great to see them again.

The junior high school graduation ceremonies are on Monday and the elementary school ceremonies are on Tuesday. Each and every school in the city celebrates on the same day with the same kind of ceremony, the same speeches, the same performances by the students...I try to explain that in Canada these two events (elementary and jr high 'graduation) are not generally held with the same pomp and circumstance as they are here. Here the celebrations start about a month in advance. All the other grades prepare some kind of performance for the graduating class(es). Either a song, a recital, a short play or a dance -or a combination of all 4 in some cases. They make posters and banners and write letters for each of the students who are leaving. They have a big procession and lots and lots of speeches. And this isn't even the graduation ceremony...

However, the graduating class has the most amount of work. Not only do they have to prepare to leave (i.e. write entrance exams), they also have to perform at their own celebration assembly, and prepare a 'thank you tea' for all the teachers and staff (at which they also perform music and poem recitals). And then when the actual graduation day finally comes they are mentally and physically exhausted -yet they have to sit through another agonizingly long ceremony filled with performances and speeches.

Today is entrance examination day for all junior high school students. Students in Japan can apply to whichever high school they choose within their own prefecture. For some students, the high schools in their own area don't focus on the subject and/or sport that they want to pursue, so they look at schools in other cities and if they are successful at gaining a spot, they will commute, sometimes as much as 90minutes one way in order to attend their school of choice. In order to gain a spot in their chosen school, students must pass the entrance examination for that school. Some students write 2 or 3 exams just in case they don't get into their first choice. Besides the academic/athletic stature of the school, I have also heard of students choosing a school based on the style of uniform the school has - which, quite frankly, is probably how I would decide my future.

Snowboarding in Akakura

2008-02-26T09:38:00.003+09:00

This past weekend I went boarding with two of my good friends, Ai-chan and Kazunori. I have been friends with both of them for almost 6 years now. Kazz was a student of mine at Nova and Ai was a co-worker there (in charge of the Japanese staff). The two of them hooked up a few years ago and got married in Dec. 2006. They love boarding just as much as I do and we always want to go together, but our schedules usually conflict. Last Dec we made a pact, vowing that we would to a weekend trip to the mountains together come what may. Last weekend was THE weekend.

Saturday morning we left for the Akakura ski area in Niigata prefecture, about 150km from Unazuki. The wind was blowing hard, but the sun was shining. However, as we got nearer to the area, the weather changed drastically. Clouds hovered on the top of the mountains and snow started to blow in. We dropped our bags off at the hotel Korakuso, put on our gear and headed for the lifts. The snow was already coming down so hard that we couldn't see the mountain from the gondola entrance. By the time we got to the top it was a complete white out. We tried a few runs and then gave up and went for an early lunch.

By one o'clock the forecast called for 11cm within the hour. We took our time eating and then headed out again. We lasted for two more runs before we had to call it quits agai, our goggles so fogged up, in addition to the white out meant we were boarding blind -and frankly, that's just not fun.

So more cocoa and ice cream in the chalet...finally, around 3:30 we decided to get our butts down the mountain and into the onsen (bath) waiting for us at the hotel. But we had to dig the car out of the parking lot before we could go anywhere. We were exhausted and we had hardly done any boarding!

Dinner was a set meal at the hotel, lots of food, lots of wine. We stuffed ourselves silly and then went straight to bed. I think we were all asleep by ten!

In the morning we took our time getting up. Took our time at the buffet breakfast, took our time getting ready...got to the hill by 10:30, but the conditions were the same, if not worse than Saturday's.

We headed up the lift (not the gondola, because it was closed due to the windy weather) and attempted to board some of the more protected runs. The powder was amazing and it was great to be able to go down the expert slopes and not worry about injuring myself if I wiped out. We got two or three runs in before we couldn't take the cold anymore and sought shelter in a little ramen shop on the hill.

Another long lunch, another forecast check, another day finished. We packed it up by two o'clock and were heading home by three.

Out of the snow and back to Toyama where apparently the wind was so strong they were getting deadly sized waves.

Despite the weather, the weekend was great. It's nice to 'get out' once in a while and I always enjoy spending time with Ai and Kazz. I will miss them when I go home, but it looks like they might be on the same continent as I for the next year or two. Kazz is being transferred to Washington D.C. in October for work. I guess that means I have one more location to add to my list of places I need to visit when I get back to North America!

A crazy week at work.

2008-02-19T08:27:00.004+09:00

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind for me.
To start with, my Great Uncle Fred passes away last week. It's at these times that I wish I were closer to family.

On Wednesday I had a important demonstration lesson at one of my elementary schools on Wednesday. People came from as far away as Tokyo to watch me, the Japanese Assistant Teacher and the homeroom teacher teach a 6th grade class. We have been planning the class since October! I am so glad it's over and done with.

On Saturday I hosted a party for some friends who are all celebrating birthdays in February. I can't believe how many February birthdays there are! I know at least six people who were born on the 9th alone!

On Sunday I went snowboarding with friends. The weather was crazy, the clouds rolled in and you could hardly see the lift in front of you. Then they cleared up and it was a brilliant time in the powder, then the clouds rolled back in and it we were once again going down the hills blindly. Thank goodness for all the snow -it didn't hurt at all when we biffed it -but it took ages to dig ourselves out.

The school year is winding down so all the schools are preparing for graduation ceremonies -at all three levels: elementary, jr high and high school. It's hard to believe the first high school students I saw graduate will be 23 this year!

You gotta take the good with the bad.

2008-02-12T09:13:00.000+09:00

I pulled a double this weekend on the hills. Sunday I went to Myoko Kogen with 3 friends. We loaded up the car early in the morning and drove 2 hours into the mountains in Niigata, just north-east of here. I hadn't expected to go to a big resort, but I wasn't driving so I couldn't really protest. The reason why I try to avoid big resorts in Japan is ALL THE PEOPLE!! It was a long weekend -and we were in the middle of it -so there were people everywhere. I don't like crowds at the best of times, and being on the side of a mountain trying to weave my way through them is not my idea of a good time. At one point a boarder came out of nowhere and crash-landed right in front of my friend Asako-chan and she went flying over top of him, landing on her head. argh. If that weren't enough, the lines for the lifts were 10 to 15 minutes long. By noon I was already fed up with navigating around people and the the real fun began. A heavy fog rolled in and we couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of us. It was scary, I couldn't tell where I was going and I was getting nauseous because I had no bearings and couldn't tell which direction I was going. Needless to say, I was glad when the whole thing was over.

On Monday I made up for it by going to Seaside, my favorite little hill in the world. I went with Lee, and Chika joined us as well. It was sunshine and lollipops all day! Hardly anyone was on the hill, we never had to wait in line and although there was no fresh powder, I was much happier being there than at some big hill fighting crowds. The sun shone all day and I have the goggle lines to prove it.

The Resurrection

2008-02-09T19:56:00.000+09:00

It's time to finally start blogging again.

I will start this off with a slightly belated Happy Birthday to both my mother and father, and promise to make an effort to post at least once a week.

Facebook has taken over my life - or at least changed the way I communcate with friends and family - but I would like to keep this blog and my workout blog going at least until I finish my time here in Japan.

Thanks for your patience.

Linea

Finding Zen in Nyuzen

2007-10-17T18:19:00.000+09:00

Last Sunday Chikako and I climbed one of the mountains in our back yard.

Chikako is not only my friend but also my tea ceremony sensei. Being oh-so-wise, she packed her portable tea set and we enjoyed a little zen on a beautiful, clear, crisp Autumn day.

Catch up time

2007-10-13T11:11:00.000+09:00

The last 3 weeks have flown by. Work has been busy and so has my free time.

Two weeks ago I drove to Saitama prefecture for a VW event. I left on a Saturday afternoon took the local roads (to avoid expressway fees). It was just over 300km to Kawagoe City. It took me 9 hours to get there...

Around 10:00 p.m. I finally hopped on the expressway, a.) because I only knew how to get to the event from the expressway interchange, and b.) because the expressway has excellent rest stops with huge parking lots so I knew I could park for the night, get a hot meal, 24 hour restroom service and an undisturbed sleep. I found a spot as far away as possible from the lights and buildings, covered up my windows, pulled out my sleeping bag and went to sleep. It's been a long time since I've slept in a VW. I must say, the beetle is not as comfortable nor as roomy as the thing. But it is less drafty.

I got up around 8:00 a.m. and headed into the city. I pulled in to the parking lot and there were already quite a few other Dubs rolling in. I spotted my friend's car and parked near him and then headed in to the event -and into the rain. It poured all day!

I had a great time despite the cold wet weather. It was nice to hang out with VW people again!

At 2:30 I said my goodbyes and started out for home. Knowing that I had work the next day, I opted for the expressway and managed to cut the time down to just under 5 hours -stopping twice for cool downs and pee breaks. I think the total cost for the tolls was about $100.

And now for the rest of the Story...

2007-10-02T09:21:00.000+09:00

Monday was supposed to be our scuba day, but Mike wasn't feeling so hot, so we just went over to Shikine Island and wandered around dipping ourselves in the outdoor hot springs instead. It was a mildly rainy day, but warm, and we were wet anyway! We had to take a small charter boat from Niijima to Shikine and back -it doesn't take too long - 20 minutes or less, but it is enough to make me seasick, surprise, surprise.

Monday night we did up some home made pizza and salad for din-din and lazed around watching a bazillion episodes of downloaded TV shows that I'd never seen before.

Tuesday we headed back over to Shikine Island - Mike had to work and I went as a guest teacher for a half a day! In the afternoon I went to the beach by myself. Read, swam, read, swam. Then I met Mike at the boat and we headed back to Niijima again.

Wednesday I went to school again. This time Niijima Junior High School. I taught lessons with Mike and the English teacher, and even had lunch with the students! We threw together a Greek masterpiece for dinner, complete with falafel and tsaziki and then on full, garlic-laden stomachs we went to badminton in the evening.

Thursday I had the day to myself. I wandered around the island, watched some surfing, went to the onsen, read my book, watched sumo...a very relaxing day. In the evening Mike took me to his Judo class and I tried Judo for the first time! It was really fun! I was petrified at first, but the senseis were so friendly, it was hard not to enjoy myself!

Friday was my last full day on the island. I went to the little museum up on the hill -of which the second floor is dedicated to surfing! After school we headed to the sand onsen and in the evening Mike and I went out to a local yakitori place with some of the teacher's that I'd met. We met a couple there who were visiting the island for the weekend. He was from Scotland and she was Japanese. They were very pregnant and very excited about the upcoming arrival of their first baby. A very nice couple!

Saturday it was back on the boat to Tokyo. This time we took the Jet Foil and it was a much shorter trip. We hung out in T-town for the afternoon, then went out for Mike's b-day in the evening. About 10 of Mike's friends came out. We rented a party room at a local 'sports bar'. It was called Billi-Bow and the main feature was billiards bowling!! Fun. Lots of fun, games and of course Karaoke! We then wandered over to a bar that's run by one of Mike's Aussie friends! We continued to imbibe for a while before finally taking a taxi back to our beds. It was a great time. On Sunday, Mike and I parted ways and I spent the day fighting Tokyo crowds. I had a quiet night, and wandered back to my hotel, ready to return home the next day.

Niijima - escaping one part of inaka Japan for another.

2007-09-27T14:45:00.000+09:00

Last week I finally took up my friend Mike's invitation to visit him on the island of Niijima. Mike is a private English teacher who works on two separate islands which are part of the Izu Island chain. We met before I came to Japan at a JET orientation event. We've been good friends ever since!!

I took the train to Tokyo on Saturday morning and hung out with my friend Kazz for the day. We went to Tokyo Tower and wandered around Shibuya for a while before heading to an English pub for a Strongbow (or two) before my ship departed at 11:00 p.m. We met some interesting characters at the bar. Entertaining and flirtatious!

Unfortunately I had to leave before the fun really got started (meaning karaoke). I said goodbye to Kazz and made my way to the ferry port.
I found my floor space, rented 2 blankets and made my 'bed' before heading up to the deck to watch the ferry leave Tokyo Bay. Rainbow Bridge was all lit up, the harbour was buzzing with party boats and a warm breeze carried us out to sea.

Back inside, a group of fishermen had taken over the floor space right at the bottom of the staircase and had finished a flat of beer before I had even brushed my teeth! People buzzed around emptying the vending machines and getting ready for the night long ride to the islands. I returned to my floor space, put my earplugs in, then curled up and slept until the morning announcement of our arrival at the first island stop.

Mike was there at 8:00 a.m. to greet me as I came off the boat. The day was already HOT and the sun was making an impressive show of the crystal clear ocean water. We hitched a ride to his apartment with a local and it wasn't long before the fun began! We took a bike ride around the island, stopped along the way to watch some surfing, drink some beer, soak our feet in one of the outdoor onsens, and do some glass blowing!! In the evening we went out to a local restaurant with one of Mike's friends and got the rumor mill going over 'the new girl with Mike-sensei'! A full day and it was only the first day of my vacation!

Photos from my summer holiday. Stories soon.

2007-09-24T21:01:00.000+09:00

Sports Day

2007-09-10T17:53:00.000+09:00

part of the cheer competition

one of my elementary students who came to watch
his brother

chicken fights!!

obstacle race

girls lined up for the relay

girls fighting over tires -they have to drag as many as
the tires back to their own lines as possible

3?? legged race

Back to School

2007-09-04T10:42:00.000+09:00

The second semester is just starting up here in Japan. The kids have been out of class since the end of July -that doesn't mean they haven't come to school, it just means there have been no classes. They come to school to use the pool and the baseball/soccer fields. They have been preparing for sports day which will be coming up on the 15th. And they have been cleaning the schools in preparation for the new semester.
I will be starting this semester at two new schools. Both are near my new apartment. The elementary school is a 3min walk from door to door. It's brand new with an open school concept - a very beautiful building. Unfortunately I only go there once a week. The junior high school is a 30 min walk (or 10 on my bike) and I'll be there one and a half days a week.
I have one other elementary school that I will continue teaching at -Taie. It's a tiny school, but is the 'model' school for the new English program the city has created.
Lessons start tomorrow. I thought I'd be more excited, but my summer just seemed to be picking up! Oh well. I'm giving myself a holiday starting on the 15th. Can't wait!

Okinawa comes to Toyama

2007-09-03T09:17:00.000+09:00

I like having friends!
I like having friends who have friends.
I like having friends who have friends that like it when their friends invite other friends to their parties!
Such is the case with my friend Shigako.
We have been friends for 5 years now and she belongs to a group that plays
sanshin -a traditional instrument from Okinawa. Every year they have a BBQ on the beach near Toyama city. Once again I was invited to join. As is the norm for Japanese BBQs, we ate our way through most of the afternoon. Stopping once in a while to play/listen to music, jump in the sea, smash watermelons...
The day started out with a light drizzle, but by midday it was sunny and hot. Perfect!

But the day was just getting started. After a quick bath at a sento we headed to Champuru, an Okinawan restaurant -which is run by some of the members of Shigako's sanshin group- for some live Okinawan music. The artist was Misako Ooshiro, who is quite famous for both her music and her movie career. I had honestly never heard of her before, but quickly became a fan -she has a glamorous presence with a mischievous smile and a voice that is amazing. We sat right up front -as usual- and had a great evening filled with music, food and lively friends!
Thanks again Shigako for a great day!

Surfing

2007-08-29T19:25:00.001+09:00

I tried surfing for the first time today. I have had so many 'first times' in Japan.
This one was just as surreal as the others. I've been here 5 years and Japan still blows me away.
Most of it has be done in my own backyard.
The place where we went today was just up the coast.
I didn't take any photos since there were just two of us and we were both in the water the whole time, and I couldn't be bothered to stop and take shots.
An amazing day.

My Weekend

2007-08-27T18:01:00.000+09:00

Finally! A summer holiday. Albeit a short one.
Mihoko-chan, Lee-san, Yuko-chan and about 12 others headed into the mountains of Toyama this weekend for some R&R. We loaded up 3 cars from Kurobe and met the others in Gokayama - a mountain village area that holds gassho houses (traditional thatch-roof houses). The area has been deemed a world heritage site where people are allowed to actually rent some of the houses (summer cottage-style). That's exactly what we did.

We arrived around 2 and immediately started up the barbeques. Food was ready by 3:30 and we didn't stop eating for the rest of the night.

We ate, drank, talked, laughed and danced around the campfire before moving the fun indoors for a few more late night hours of fun.

First thing in the morning we started the cooking/eating process all over again.

After breakfast and clean up, we said goodbye to our cottage and went to an onsen to soak our weary bodies. After we were all scrubbed clean we headed for lunch! More eating. This time a set menu of the local cuisine.

Then it was off the the dam to paddle around in kayaks and play some frisbee to dry off.

Finally, we took in a few of the local shops, including tofu ice cream -yes, more eating!

By 5 it was time to say goodbye and head back to Kurobe. It was only 2 days, but it was a great escape from the work week. I'd love to do it again next year!

From "Japan Today" online news

2007-08-25T07:44:00.000+09:00

"More and more young teachers can't stand firm when parents confront them. Such teachers tend to be vulnerable to mental breakdowns. "
Kazunori Nakajima, head of the psychoneurotic department at Sanraku Hospital in Tokyo, commenting on the threefold increase in the number of teachers taking sick leave due to depression and other mental illnesses over the past decade. (Yomiuri Shimbun)

Nothing like a little shopping to get rid of the blues.

2007-08-23T00:07:00.001+09:00

I've let a lot of things pile up this summer, just little errands that had to be done but were being put off because I had to do them in Japanese -like open up a new account for paying bills and changing the address over on my drivers license. Well, I got through 99% of them today and to reward myself I went to Takaoka for a bit of a shopping spree.

Takaoka has a big shopping centre with a movie theatre. It might not sound exciting to you, but I live an hour's drive from the nearest movie theatre. I happened to arrive just as Ocean's 13 was starting, so I took advantage of the 1000yen matinee ticket price (it's usually around 1700 -about 17 bucks) an went in. After a couple of hours in the comfort of an air conditioned theatre, I headed straight to the English section of the adjacent book store and managed to use up the rest of the coupons I had acquired a couple of years ago as 'thank you' money at an English camp.

I then slunk through the shoe stores (didn't buy a single pair!!!) and wandered down to the Body Shop for a few goodies (needed goodies of course, a girl has to have her moisturizer!). I splurged on some bath mats and a few other home decorating treats in two of my favorite 'home' stores before filling up my cup at Starbucks and filling up my belly with a Dutour's bagel sandwich. Sufficiently suffoncified, as my father would put it, I hauled my packages to my car and set off for home -listening to NPR podcasts (I've already caught up on all the CBC ones...) -in one of the best light shows I've seen in a while! It's been thundering and flashing all day, clear across the prefecture. I stopped only once to restock my alcohol and chocolate supply at yamaya - I've been out of Bailey's and red wine for a while and I found some Honey Ale that I'm looking forward to enjoying on this weekend's trip into the mountains.

A happy and relaxing time all by me-self, a great way to spend a summer evening.

Happy B-day Johnny P.

2007-08-19T16:17:00.000+09:00

Good thing you got out of Japan when you did - it really aged you!!
Miss you, wish we were heading to Sakura Sweets for some eats, but I'm sure Sista K is lookin' after you just fine.

Fantasia at the Water's Edge （水辺のファンタジア）

2007-08-19T11:20:00.000+09:00

On Saturday, Ichiro and I went to Oyama to watch a performance that my friend Lee was taking part in.
We didn't quite know what to expect, but we knew there would be live music, dancing, and a shadow show.
We arrived early enough to get pretty good seats, directly in front of the "stage".
The stage was on the river's edge, just under a (man made) waterfall.

We watched WAYNO -one of our favorite bands -most of the members are from South America and they play an awesome blend of music which is great to sit and listen to on a muggy summer afternoon.

There was a great assortment of music and dance performances which are hard to describe in words. Needless to say, it was a little surreal to be sitting in a riverside in Japan watching images being projected onto the mountain side and dancers and singer interacting with the 'natural' surroundings.

Ooyama is famous for glass blowing, and in amongst the performances you could see hundreds of hand made creations, holding candles that were lit at dusk.

More pics from the evening.

We finished off the night at an Okinawan restaurant before Ichiro took my back to Kurobe.
A great time!

Tragic

2007-08-17T14:22:00.000+09:00

I just read in the Daily Herald Tribune online news that a guy has gone missing and is presumed drowned in B.C. after going out in his boat ALONE, and (it's believed) WITHOUT a PFD. The article goes on to describe what a great guy he was and how dedicated he was to his family -his wife and his children.
I'm going to take a harsh point of view and argue that this guy couldn't have thought his family that important if he was willing to go out in a personal watercraft without wearing a PFD. I seems to me to be a very selfish thing to do. I can't prove that his wearing a PFD would have saved him, but I would be willing to argue that his odds of survival would have been greatly increased.
Most accidental drownings are preventable when proper safety precautions and rules are followed. I know that boating deaths have dramatically decreased in the last 10 years, but still we have people who refuse to follow or ignore simple safety standards. Why? I don't know the answer. Perhaps plain ignorance (but I find that hard to believe in this day and age), or perhaps it's an expression of freedom. I would say however, that if someone was truly devoted to his family that he would not take such unnecessary risks and would definitely educate himself with regards to boating safety.
Would you agree or disagree?

I told you it was hot

2007-08-14T16:01:00.001+09:00

Toyama makes national news.

WHAT?!?!

2007-08-14T15:56:00.000+09:00

bizarre

Photos

2007-08-07T18:29:00.000+09:00

One of many.

At our farewell weekend, Yuusuke asked Rob to design something on some skate decks.
Below is the final product. Pretty talented young man...plays a mean shamisen too.

Going somewhere???

ANOTHER Goodbye party.

K faking it on the ferry. She's panicking on the inside.

This is more like it.

No, Mihoko-chan you can't go!!

J, K and M in their cabin on the ferry.

We were finally booted off the ferry -can you see Johnny waving goodbye from the ship??

Sunset from my apartment -kind of makes up for the spiders...

English camp!!

Dont' worry, he's dead!!!

And so is he!!

But not him...

I'm alive.

2007-08-04T17:39:00.000+09:00

I hate to say it, but so far the move has not been a good one. For one thing, because it was handed over from one ALT to another, there was no inspection for cleanliness before I moved in. And even though the guy before me tried to 'clean', it's not clean. The biggest issue right now is the mold and mustiness. I've been airing the place out for two weeks now, but I still can't get the humidity down and the smell is still really strong.

I think I have the cockroach problem under control, but the spiders are KILLING me. One literally landed on my arm in the middle of the night, scurried down my blanket and into the corner. At first I didn't know what it was, but when I turned on the light (stupid move) what I saw was NOT PLEASANT. It was about 2 inches in diameter, brown and UGLY. I tried to kill it -bad mistake. I should have trapped it like I did the last one and let it go outside, but instead I chased it and it scurried under some clothes and then disappeared into a closet. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much last night.

And since I'm on a rant, my starter died in my car and it's in the shop again.

I will have internet by the end of the week and I'll post some photos and some happy/sad stories about K, J and M's adventures to Russia.

...see, if I were were with them it would have been J, K, L and M!!!

back to scrubbing...

An old photo, but you get the point...right?

2007-07-22T20:18:00.000+09:00

note the children's play area right beside the smoking area...
ahhh Japan.

4 more sleeps

2007-07-19T17:25:00.001+09:00

in my apartment

6 days

2007-07-18T07:14:00.000+09:00

I have six days left before I begin living in my new apartment.
Lots to do til then, including saying goodbye to people who are leaving soon.
Will try to post more soon.

You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top...

2007-07-14T09:59:00.000+09:00

Omi, Shu and I sat up until 2:30 playing Jenga last night.
We were getting pretty good!
I walked away undefeated. Yay.

Wow.

2007-07-13T07:23:00.000+09:00

warning, not for the faint at heart:

Man decapitates himself

Ironic or Tragic?

2007-07-11T19:44:00.000+09:00

The Grade 7s at my JHS had a guest speaker today. He spoke to them about the dangers of smoking. Just before the seminar, 3 teachers grabbed a quick smoke in the smoking corner of our staffroom.

Yes, they are allowed to smoke in the staffroom -even when there are students present.

Wow, and actual post!!

2007-07-09T19:08:00.000+09:00

Here are some photos of my trip to Gunma prefecture.

A friend and I left Saturday morning, took in the Gunma flower park, hit up a driving range, had yakiniku, and went for a drive in Akagi City. On Sunday we golfed all day and then went to a great soba restaurant before heading back home.

A lovely drive, great food, interesting conversation and a not so good golf score. A pretty good weekend overall.

You just can't make this stuff up!!

2007-07-05T21:54:00.000+09:00

ick

Happy Birthday Canada

2007-07-01T21:55:00.001+09:00

June has come and gone!

2007-06-30T14:56:00.000+09:00

The highlight was my semi-birthday surprise. K organized a great get together at a cabin near the mountains. I was blindfolded and taken to 'the secret place' on a Sunday afternoon. When I got there everyone was waiting. K and Cheeks had been up late and rose early to make huge preparations. There was so much food, including lots of Greek cuisine - my fave. I had friends come from all over the prefecture to celebrate with me. We ate, went for a hike up to Funami castle, played frisbee, ate, sat in the sun, ate. And then after the clean up we went down the road to the onsen and soaked our bones before heading home to bed.

Thanks to everyone who came and a special thanks to Sista K for going over the top to create a happy day for me - right down to the 'Cars' place settings!!

Photos

2007-06-30T02:03:00.000+09:00

Go Granny!!

2007-06-28T07:35:00.000+09:00

Click here!

30 days

2007-06-26T21:13:00.000+09:00

Lots has happened since the last post. I hope to have photos and stories soon!!

The next countdown

2007-06-06T21:55:00.000+09:00

54 days left in my shoebox.
It may seem like a lot, but I know it will come before I'm totally ready.
I think this is possibly the longest I've stayed in one place since leaving home after college...4 years exactly.

Happy Birthday Wendi!!

2007-06-05T21:35:00.000+09:00

I hope you are getting lots of sleep and lots of cuddle time!

I hate for it to be this way, but I told you so.

2007-06-04T21:41:00.000+09:00

This is my number 1 pet peeve in this country: Children don't sit in child seats or even wear seat belts. I've seen children pretty much everywhere in a vehicle but sitting and strapped in. I've seen them standing on the back seat leaning over the driver to see out the window. I've seen them hanging out of side windows. I've seen them on the driver's lap and even standing behind the driver in the driver's seat! And I see it DAILY. I've asked parents that I know why they don't strap their children in. I have been told that in the city it's not mandatory to wear a seat belt in the back seat...so???? They also can't move around when they are strapped in....so???? In a country that is FULL of cars driven bumper to bumper, the last thing I would do is not secure my children in the car for fear of a fender bender.

Perhaps this latest incident will snap some people back to their senses:
4 year old girl dies after being thrown from a car...

Not everything comes in Threes...

2007-06-02T19:17:00.000+09:00

...and the ghost in my apartment is still hanging around -hm.

Kurobe Road Race

2007-06-01T23:54:00.000+09:00

Thanks for the photo and and encouragement K!!

In dire need of an update

2007-05-30T18:14:00.000+09:00

After a Relay Marathon in Kanazawa on the 13th, I packed my bags and headed home for a few days. I danced and made merry with family and friends. I got lots'o'lovin from Shea, my perfect nephew. And I totally avoided jet lag!! Yahoo. I got home on the 23rd, went to work for a couple of days, and then ran 10k in the Jimmy Carter Road Race on Sunday! The road race was really fun, except for the running part! My new motto is "What was I thinking??".

I'm back into the swing of things and the rainy season is just around the corner. Yuck.

I have a small request if you're reading this: I need more stickers!! Yes they have stickers in this country, but they're just not as cool as the ones from home and they don't come in bulk! Anything and everything -sports, music, English...

here's the address:

Linea
H-22 Sun Heights Nyuzen
Aoki 2519-6
Nyuzen
Shimoniikawa
Toyama
Japan 939-0643

2007-05-26T21:14:00.001+09:00

Partying with the Grandparents

Partying with the Boyz

The big Boyz

A Scandinavian Wedding Cake

Me and Shea

Snow in May?

The Groom and Shea

Whirlwind Trip

2007-05-26T09:03:00.000+09:00

I'm back from my 3 day trip home (6 if you include travel time). My computer is dying a slow death so I will post photos if and when I can.

All I have to say is my family is wonderful and my nephew is perfect in every way!

Here he is!

2007-05-15T06:53:00.000+09:00

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T16:04:00.000+09:00

It's a BOY!

2007-05-12T21:13:00.000+09:00

Congratulations to my brother and his wife on the birth of their first baby boy.
Can't wait to see the new addition while I'm home next week.
Photos to come!!!

This is the country I live in...

2007-05-09T17:44:00.000+09:00

Picture Of The Day
A model shows Triumph's new "Voter Turnout Lift-Up Bra" in Tokyo on Wednesday. The lingerie manufacturer introduced the ballot box-shaped bra to "lift the interest of Japanese people in elections and politics," it said in a statement. The characters read "ballot box."
(Japan Today)

Colare Flea Market

2007-05-06T11:10:00.000+09:00

I'm afraid to upload photos on my laptop at the moment for fear of it crashing -so please go to Sista K's blog to see what we got up to yesterday.

Thanks K for a great post- and a great day!

K's BLOG

Firefly squid, a once in a lifetime thing -kinda like Mt. Fuji

2007-04-28T16:03:00.000+09:00

Sounded fun at the time, but getting up at 1:30 is not something I'd make a habit of. On Tuesday K, Johnny, Chika and I packed in the Chika's car and drove to Namerikawa to catch a glimpse at the firefly squid that come to the surface to lay their eggs at this time of year. We boarded a boat that took us out to where the fisherman were taking in their catch and watched as they pulled in thousands of glowing squid about the size of a man's thumb. It was fun, but I would have rather been in bed...

Early birds.

See the blue glow? No?

Too early for breakfast!!

Wedding fun in Kanazawa

2007-04-28T15:35:00.000+09:00

Last weekend 11 of us boarded a bus to Kanazawa and helped our friend Yuko celebrate her wedding. It's not very often you see all of us so spiffed up so it was a real treat for everyone to spend the day in our Sunday best.

K and I looking fab!!

Naomi and Mihoko waiting for the bride.

Hanging out before the second party.

K and I with the bride.

Nothing but love.

Lee and I taking one for the team.
(thanks for the pic K)

The bus ride home.

Tulip tragedy

2007-04-28T14:43:00.000+09:00

It's tulip season in Nyuzen - the bulbs are harvested and sold but the flowers are just picked and tossed into the fields for compost.

They still make for a nice pic in the setting sun.

Counting Down Again

2007-04-26T07:43:00.000+09:00

I'm going home in 3 weeks, can hardly wait even though it will only be for 3 days. The best part about weddings is that you can see so many people all at one time!

Cherry Blossom Fun

2007-04-24T19:28:00.000+09:00

Pictures of Deslyn

2007-04-23T08:43:00.000+09:00

She's perfect! Congrats again to Thip and Lambert!

More Easter Fun

2007-04-22T21:24:00.000+09:00

The Easter weekend was pretty miserable in terms of weather...we tried to enjoy the cherry blossoms near Funagawa -had a potluck picnic near the river, but it quickly turned to rain, so we ran to the nearest public bath for a soak and then went to my soon-to-be apartment for some easter coloring fun!

I had boiled eggs and brought dye not knowing whether or not anyone would like to join me -I have yet to miss a year of egg coloring. But once the dyes were out, the creative minds of Toyama shone through. I had only prepared 10 eggs, thinking I would have do color most of them myself, but I think we could have had fun had there been more!

Fav Aunt in Toyama

2007-04-22T20:57:00.000+09:00

Makin' okonomiyaki

Enjoying tea in my adult English class

Sumo dinner

Unazuki foot hotspring

The big Buddha in Takaoka

Tea ceremony at Chika-chan's

Easter Class!

2007-04-22T20:38:00.000+09:00

This is the third year I've don't an Easter lesson for my friend in Kamiichi town. She runs private English Conversation Classes from her home on the weekends and often asks me to come and do special holiday classes with her. Here are some photos from this year.

The posts are coming, I promise

2007-04-22T13:10:00.000+09:00

In the mean time:

A belated Happy Birthday to my Grandmother. She turned 80 this year and it sounds like I missed out on a great party.

Congratulations to Thip and Lambert on the birth of their baby girl Deslyn, I will post pics as soon as I get permission.

And also congratulations to my friend Yuko on her marriage. The wedding was yesterday in Kanazawa - details and photos to come.

Train adventures

2007-04-12T18:23:00.000+09:00

The Fav Aunt and I got up Sunday morning and turned on the TV as we got ready to start our last day in Tokyo. The first thing that we saw was that a big earthquake had JUST hit Ishikawa prefecture (just west of Toyama). We watched the video clips over and over and it seemed pretty serious. Text messages were sent to Sista K and others to make sure things were OK at home. Just a lot of rattling in Toyamam according to most.

We stayed in Ueno that morning and went to the ticket office to get our tickets home. During an encounter with possibly the rudest JR worker I've dealt with in Japan we were told that we couldn't get seats together (I already had a reserved seat and M had a rail pass) so we decided we'd have to ride unreserved. No problem I thought, I've done it before. I wasn't until we got on the train that I realized 3 big mistakes that I should have know better not to make. Oh, and we had tons of luggage to take back with us and that did nothing to help our situation -most of it was stuff for me from home.

OK, the first mistake was that we should have gotten on at Tokyo station, not Ueno (the second stop) because by the time we got on it was already packed, and we had so much with us we hardly got everything on before the train whistle blew. There was no room to stand, let alone sit. We decided that I should go to my seat to check it out, and M would stay with the bags.

That's when I realized my second and 3rd mistakes - I was in car 8 and M was in car 1 (the unreserved car). It took me 10 minutes just to walk the length of the train to get to my seat, there were people standing in the aisle of all the unreserved cars so I had to jostle me way through with the bags that I had. We should have BOTH gotten on car 8 first...BECAUSE when I got to my seat I realized that there were plenty of seats available -just not the seat beside my reserved one. GAH. @#^$#! I was so ticked both at the JR guy for not suggesting to change my ticket or to just put M in a seat near to me, but also at me for not getting us both on car 8 first. So even though I got to sit for the train ride, I was fuming the whole time because I couldn't go back to get M -just simply too much luggage and too many people to get through.

So at our final stop I was praying that she could get off by herself. I jumped off the train as fast a possible and rushed down to the other end of the platform to see her calmly standing with all of our bags. Seems she had some help -not at all unusual in this country.

On to the next train...when we got to our transfer spot we were told that our train had been canceled due to the earthquake and we'd have to take the local train which could only take us half way to our destination. We'd then have to change trains once again and take another local train.

So we followed the crowd and were squeezed onto an already too crowed train. I had found a small niche right near the door and was hoping M would be able to get in beside me but I turned around for just a moment and before we knew it, a group of women were forcing themselves into the train and the just kept pushing M further and further into the train! She ended up about a third of the way into the train before it started to move. I was hoping that being a local train, people would be getting off and we'd get more space, but instead, more people just got on at each stop. A couple of times people DID want to get off, but the train was so crowded that they couldn't get to the doors in time! We rode like sardines for about 90 minutes. At every stop, we would crane our necks to see each other and I'd nod "no, not our stop".

Finally at our last transfer station we found our last train without any problems. But there was a problem...they didn't know what time the train would be leaving! We waited for about an hour before it finally rolled out. Another 2 hour ride to Nyuzen, a five minute car ride to my apartment and we were home safe, sound and exhausted.

A Visit from my Fav Aunt

2007-04-03T14:03:00.000+09:00

I can't believe she's come and gone already. The week went by so quickly. Too quickly (well for me at least -I know that she was missing her babies!)

Let's start from the beginning shall we?

On the 21st I caught the train to Tokyo and hung out with my friend Kazz for the day. We went to Odaiba and went for a tour of Fuji TV and then caught a movie -yes, a real theatre movie!! It was called "Dejavu" with Denzel Washington -it wasn't half bad. Then we watched the sunset before heading back to Ueno where I was staying, and where he lives. We found an Engish pub that serves Strongbow cider and proceeded to enjoy the evening surrounded by die-hard soccer fans.

Thursday Morning we hooked up again and went Shibuya for Starbucks and a trip to Tower Records. I then caught the train to Narita to pick up my Favorite Aunt. I was plenty early for her flight so I took to people watching -it's a great way to pass the time, especially at airports!

She finally emerged from customs and we headed for Ueno. The train was crowded, but we managed. Our hotel was right across the street from Ueno Park -fantastic, well worth the money -thanks Mihoko for the hook-up!

We had a small meal near the hotel and went to bed nice and early. The next morning we took our time getting up, then we explored Tokyo! We went to the National Museum to see Da Vinci's The Annunciation
, then took in the few cherry blossoms that were blooming in the park.

Then it was off to Shinjuku for a view of the city from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. There we picked up a brochure for Mount Fuji Tours and settled on a package deal for the next day! After Shinjuku we went to Shibuya (I can never get enough Shibuya) for Starbucks and Tower Records. Let me just explain what's so special about this place -it has a whole floor dedicated to English literature -everything and anything. It's one of the best selections of books I've ever come across -beats out Chapters any day. As with the visit with Kathy, this turned out to be our afternoon indulgence. We spent a good while perusing and we spent a good amount at the till. It was double points day, so with our combined purchases I managed to fill an entire point card in two days! Yay for me!

Saturday morning we hopped on a tour bus bound for Mount Fuji. The weather was cloudy and cool and unfortunately we only got to see Fuji-san from the bus. By the time we got to the viewing station it was encased in clouds, so we enjoyed a picture of it instead. Then we went for lunch, had a boat ride across a lake in a pirate ship mock-up, and went to some sulphur springs where we were supposed to have a gondola ride -but it was canceled due to high winds.

We took a bullet train back and met up with Kazz and Owen, and his friend Ben who was also here visiting. Beer and izakaya food -yum!

more to come!

The Aunt is here

2007-03-27T16:23:00.000+09:00

Having fun, will post pics and stories soon.

xox

Cause for Concern on so many levels...

2007-03-14T21:37:00.000+09:00

From the CBC

Romance

2007-03-12T22:20:00.000+09:00

Main Entry: ²romance
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): ro·manced; ro·manc·ing
intransitive verb
1 : to exaggerate or invent detail or incident
2 : to entertain romantic thoughts or ideas

Merriam-Webster Online

A week of ups and downs

2007-03-09T20:00:00.000+09:00

After the great news about my cracked rib on Monday, the week seemed to flow on this strange path of ups and downs. It seemed like an excruciating long week and I just wanted Friday night to grab hold of me. But now I'm sitting in my apartment, bathed, fed and in my cozy clothes wondering how I got here.

Tuesday was a great day of lessons followed by an observation of a Jr. High English conversation class. The Kurobe City ALTs have monthly observations of each others' classes followed by an evaluation/discussion meeting. I really enjoyed watching these 'older' kids using English, since I could very well be teaching Jr. High within the next month. Which leads me to other topics discussed at this meeting. It seems that the board of education, in their infinite wisdom, thinks that we should be shuffled around for the next school year (it starts in April). There are 5 of us and there are a lot of issues surrounding this particular move. I won't go into them here, but I certainly wasn't happy with the way they are dealing with us as employees.

I know that in Japan teachers rarely stay in the same school for more than 3 or 4 years. They are shuffled within their own district which sometimes means working in other cities or at schools they don't necessarily want to teach at. They don't really have a choice. The idea is that it keeps things fresh...I don't know. What I do know is that I've only been in my position for 7 months and I'm definitely not ready to move to other schools. The kicker here is that we won't know which schools we'll be moved to until the week before school starts. This goes for all teachers everywhere in Japan. The announce all the changes on one particular day and teachers have a week to pack up and go. It's a brutal way to do things if you ask me. Not to mention the mind blowing idea that you have a week to prepare for the upcoming year. My UofL education didn't cover this...

Ok, where was I? Oh yeah, Tuesday's low point. After the meeting things looked up again. I went for sushi with Rob and Lee and we started to hash out what might happen, should happen, will probably happen in the upcoming year. These guys are great, they listen to all my bitching and actually agree with me sometimes. After dinner I met up with Mihoko for cocoa and chit chat. We are really trying to get together more often -she's one of my longest standing friends here and one of my most supportive. We are trying to squeeze in some Japanese along the way, but once we start gossiping...

So I went to bed on a high note only to wake up to freezing temps, a dead car, a co-worker who had forgotten her cell phone at home, and no contact number on hand for my school (due to my own stupidity). Of course the school finally called me and they managed to change the schedule around for me and my co-worker came and picked me up. When my car dies last week the sun was shining and I just rode my bike to school. But on this day it was snowing (what the???).

I had a minor melt down, but K managed to console me before my co-worker picked me up. Of course my school was great about it. In fact I still got to teach all the classes I was supposed to AND the first grade students had prepared thank you cards and presents for me. Back on a high...

Wednesday night...the night before K's b-day!! Panic, no car and no prep done yet...I actually had to borrow HER car so I could go and pick stuff up for her party. I was up until midnight trying to get my ducks in a row -went to bed on a stressful low.

Thursday morning I was boosted -both my car and my spirits by my ever-caring and giving neighbor Johnny P. He came over before work and patiently waited for my car to charge off his little yellow plate. Seriously, what am I going to do when these two leave me!??

Thursday continued to go well with fun classes and the grade 6 students giving me farewell/thank you speeches. All in Japanese, and I understood every part of it. It was great.

I rushed home from work to finish prepping for K's party. Johnny came over and picked up the goodies and then Chika-chan came and picked K and I up to 'go out for dinner'. We failed miserably at giving her a real 'surprise' party. But it was a party nonetheless. Yay, more ups!! Thank you to everyone who brought food and photos to share.

Finally, Friday arrived. The only down was that I was still tired from the day before, but my car started on it's own and I wasn't late for work! I had my last lessons with the grade 3s at my big school. There are 3 classes of them. Two are full of angels and the other is the class from Hades. We have been prepping for self introductions for the past two lessons and today was the amalgamation of our efforts. Each and every student stood up with confidence and gave it their best effort.

My name is Linea
I like pink.
I like cats.
I can play baseball.

The looks on their faces when they had completed their introductions was priceless. I can't wait to see their progression over the next year (even though I probably won't be their teacher). The most rewarding part was that even the terror class did a great job!

The day just got better after that. While waiting for lunch to be served one of the 2nd grade students came into the staff room for something. As he was leaving we caught each other's eye and he paused before closing the door, pulled down his little white face mask (the students where them for serving lunch) and boldly said, "Hello!". So of course he got other teachers' attention with this. 'Kawaii" (cute) and "Sugoii" (great) were flying around the staff room. But then it got better. He didn't stop there. He then asked in the same bold voice, "How are you?" -keeping eye contact the whole time...I said "I'm fine, thank you, and you?" (I'm sorry, but this was the most appropriate answer). Without any hesitation or thought, he replied with, "I'm hungry! See you!!" and excused himself from the room. The staff was in an uproar!! They loved it! Yay, my job has been done! Up up up.

And finally, to top off the week I was invited along with all the other teachers to a thank you luncheon party hosted by the graduating grade 6 students. We gathered in the music room and played games, ate food and had fun! It ended with students giving each teacher a flower and a book of hand-written thank yous. It was an excellent way to end the week.

So now I'm home on a Friday night exhausted from the lows slowly coming down from the highs...I'm looking around my apartment and realizing that I've got a week's worth of cleaning to do...and tomorrow my car goes in to the shop for an undetermined amount of time. I'm hoping the concert I've been invited to by my Nyuzen High School students makes up for it. If not, maybe the pro soccer game on Sunday will help!!

It hurts to sneeze and reverse is a bitch.

2007-03-07T07:44:00.000+09:00

Since my last post it has been confirmed that I have cracked one of my ribs as a result of my stellar boarding practices.

Sneezing is absolutely not an option. Neither is coughing.

If you've ever driven a standard VW you will understand what the title of this post means. Down and down is nearly impossible (the rib that's cracked is on the right side, in the back, near my spine).

People keep telling me that this will probably be the end of my boarding for the season. That's great considering it finally snowed and STAYED yesterday. I bit of a change from the 19 degrees we had on Sunday and Monday. What is going on here??

I don't deserve any sympathy for this particular injury since it was my own idiocy that led to this condition, but a few "awww"s and "poor you"s might help me recover quicker...just no hugs please.

A busy week that ended with a bang... a ka-pow? OK, a crash.

2007-03-03T19:38:00.000+09:00

Monday I got to watch my ni-neseis (grade twos) rehearse a Japanese folk tale IN ENGLISH. It was great!!

Tuesday I was filmed again for TV!

Wednesday was nice and mild.

Thursday I went to Nyuzen High School's Graduation Ceremony. I had planned on attending regardless, but the school sent me a formal invitation which I thought was nice. Much to my surprise I was treated as one of the 'honored' guests! I got to sit with all the city officials and big wigs! Fun. It was bitter sweet to hear all of my students names read and then to see them off as they left the school for the last time. These are the students that started their high school experience with me. I have known them for a full three years and it made me so happy to know that they wanted to share their day with me.

And to make me feel even better I was invited by the teachers to join the enkai (staff party) afterwards. It was a great night chatting it up with the teachers.

Between the Graduation Ceremony and the party I went back to work for the afternoon and cooked Nanaimo bars with my Grade Sixes. Minor chaos to say the least, but a good experience for all.

Friday I was on TV.

And FINALLY Saturday arrived! Boarding day!! Everything was going pretty well - a great group of people, as usual and lots of sunshine -and then, thinking this might be one of the last days on the hill, K and I decided to take some video. To say the least, it was a big hit!!

Attraction

2007-02-26T17:13:00.000+09:00

Main Entry: at·trac·tion
Pronunciation: &-'trak-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : the act, process, or power of attracting b : personal charm
2 : the action or power of drawing forth a response : an attractive quality

from Webster's online

Cure for the winter blues

2007-02-23T21:09:00.000+09:00

Even though it's not really winter, it's definitely not spring or summer. February is a tough month to get through over here. Work is busy (it's the end of the school year) and when the rain comes it's just plain dreary. So I've splurged (not unusual) and got myself some sure-fire pick-me-up!!

Clear as mud

2007-02-21T23:22:00.000+09:00

Am I missing something or is this totally contradictory??

Here are the instructions on the Aeroplan website for redeeming points:

For other airline partners, send the original boarding pass(es) and a legible copy of your ticket or your electronic ticket receipt by mail to:

Aeroplan Centre
P.O. Box 7737, Station Terminal
Vancouver, BC
V6B 5W9
Canada

Please include your name, address, telephone numbers and Aeroplan number.

To make sure you receive the miles to which you’re entitled, please retain all original boarding passes, as well as copies of all tickets or electronic ticket receipts, until you see that the Aeroplan Miles you’ve earned are credited to your account.

for your viewing pleasure

2007-02-21T19:16:00.000+09:00

Infatuation

2007-02-17T16:34:00.000+09:00

From Wiktionary

English

Noun

infatuation

1. An unreasoning love or attraction.

Double Whammy

2007-02-16T20:27:00.000+09:00

Or was it killing two birds with one stone?

For school lunch today I finally had NATTO which, I admit in all my time here I've never had a full serving of before. I did let one co-worker in on my secret that I'd never really eaten it before and she didn't hesitate to share this with the others who were sitting within earshot. Thankfully they didn't make a big deal out of it. The beans were small, as was the packet size, so I managed to consume all of it without bringing too much attention to myself -but it's hard not to get slimy, stringy goo all over.

So that in itself was enough of an ordeal for me today, however someone in the kitchen decided that Okonomiyaki laced with octopus would be a great accompaniment for natto. Normally I love okonomiyaki, but I can usually get it without octopus -which I don't love.

I finished everything on my tray and savored my 200ml of milk at the end to wash it all down.

If I have to get these two foods for lunch it's probably best that they serve them at the same time so I can be done with it, no sense ruining two lunches. Now all they have to do is serve surimi with it to get all the bad stuff over with at once. On second thought...

HaPPy LOve DAy

2007-02-14T20:15:00.000+09:00

Guess what I did this weekend

2007-02-11T18:45:00.001+09:00

First we packed up.

Then we scouted out a place to camp.

Then we sought shelter.

Then we had lunch.

Then we went for a drive to the onsen.

Then we had dinner.

Then we had a campfire

Then we had visitors.

Then we went for a walk in the rain.

Then we went to bed.

Then we got up and went for another walk.

Then we had breakfast.

Then we went home.
(with a dead battery, so no more photos!)

Obsession

2007-02-05T22:50:00.000+09:00

Main Entry: ob·ses·sion
Pronunciation: äb-'se-sh&n, &b-
Function: noun
1 : a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling;
broadly : compelling motivation

(Merriam-Webster Online)

More Okinawan Goodness

2007-02-04T11:22:00.000+09:00

the embedded thingy isn't working: click here

Which is worse

2007-02-04T09:33:00.000+09:00

being homesick, or being home sick?

Perfect Timing

2007-02-04T00:34:00.000+09:00

Total of 81 gas leaks found across Japan

An alarming day

2007-02-01T22:25:00.000+09:00

Today was fire drill day at one of my schools. The last time we had a fire drill it was summer and my co-worker told me I didn't have to do anything. So we watched all the students and other staff members run out to the play ground area while we sat and sipped coffee. Today I decided I should probably know what to do if a fire really did break out. I asked the principal what I should do (he speaks English, but I have a difficult time figuring out what he's trying to say most of the time because he starts most of his sentences with 'probably'). Anyway, instead of just telling me to go to the gym (it snowed today so we weren't going outside) like I was expecting him to do, he went and talked to the fire marshal, and before I knew it, they were giving me directions on how to press the buttons to put down the fire wall which separates the hall from the gymnasium. I didn't quite understand what he meant for me to do, so I tried to clear it up, but didn't manage to get anywhere. So when the alarm went off, he and the vice principal pointed to the hall and said, 'Let's go!'. So I entered the hall (which was filled with fake smoke) and proceeded to the button, but there was a fireman there already and he had already closed the fire door. The VP went flittering by me through a side door and all the special-ed students and teachers followed. As I was about to go through the door myself more classes started to arrive and they didn't know where to go, so I ended up holding the door for 400 students and teachers as they streamed through a single width door into the gymnasium. We then sat in an unheated gym and listened to speaches by the principal and the fire marshal. Keep in mind that the students are still wearing SHORTS to school. I was in long pants, two undershirts and a cardigan and I didn't have to sit on the floor and I was FROZEN!! After the speeches, the students were allowed to walk through the science room which was set up to simulate a smoke filled room -however, the smoke was vanilla scented and really didn't provide any sense of panic or need to get out -it was kind of cool actually.

Ok, so that was the first alarm of the day. The second alarm occurred in my apartment, when my gas alarm went off! It's the first time it's happened. I didn't know what to do so I went to my first voice of reason -Sista K. She gave me the 'danger danger' sign so I called my supervisor, who called the gas company who gave him directions on how to reset the gas meter. But this didn't work. My alarm still went off after all of the resetting. So my supervisor came to my apartment -but only after I wouldn't accept his suggestion to just unplug my alarm! What the??? So he once again called the gas company and it's now 10:45 p.m. and I am waiting for them to come from Toyama to figure out what's wrong. So basically I've been sitting in my potentially 'danger danger' apartment for around 4 or 5 hours.

In the mean time, some other alarm went off in the neighborhood tonight along with some public announcement over loud speakers which I didn't catch because I was on the phone with my supervisor...

2 more sleeps...

2007-01-31T16:19:00.000+09:00

now where did I put those re-contracting papers???

It's old but...

2007-01-29T15:31:00.000+09:00

This video was brought to my attention this week.

It's old and you've probably all seen it already, but it's FUNNY and I had to share.

They've done more since this one. Google 'asian backstreet boys' and check'm out on Youtube.

In the news

2007-01-29T14:55:00.000+09:00

Speaking of whales...

click here

This Week in Pictures

2007-01-28T19:04:00.000+09:00

Kendama

2007-01-28T18:55:00.000+09:00

Kendama (click here)

I love English!!!

2007-01-26T17:23:00.000+09:00

This is a headline from CBC.ca

Rare gladiator marbles discovered in major Italian art bust

I ate whale for lunch today.

2007-01-24T23:17:00.000+09:00

For real and for true.

My question is: What kind of whale was it???????

This alone could be the deciding factor.

2007-01-24T07:32:00.000+09:00

"Japan is the most unique place to buy shoes. It offers the most variety for sure. It's unparalleled. "
Woody, creator and editor of Melbourne-based Sneaker Freaker, a cult-status magazine whose back issues are traded on eBay.

Alberta Skies

2007-01-23T16:44:00.000+09:00

A double

2007-01-22T21:37:00.000+09:00

I went snowboarding again this weekend. I hadn't planned on two days in the mountains but it turned out that way.

Saturday was spent at Charmant and Sunday at Seaside.

The snow is not great yet. It's hardly snowed at all since this year -very very rare for this area. But as you can tell, it hasn't stopped me from going out.

On Sunday, Yuusuke was very patient with me and we rode together all day. He was trying to teach me how to do tail presses and ollies. I think I'm getting the hang of it, but I definitely need more snow to gain confidence 'cuz landing in this packed stuff it hard on the body! Thank goodness for my new helmet or I'm sure I would have had to be carried off the hill at one point. My teeth literally rattled in my head and I can't sit down comfortably yet.

in the backyard

2007-01-18T22:02:00.000+09:00

Here's how I spent some of my time at home.
My Uncle built a rink in his backyard and we went out -grandpa too- and played a little shinny on the ice under a blue Alberta sky.

Decision Time

2007-01-17T20:08:00.000+09:00

Every year at this time we ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) have to make a decision to stay and re-contract for one more year, or to move on to (hopefully) greener pastures. This is the 4th time I've had the deadline looming over me.

In the past I have had mixed feelings about this process. I've signed the official document "NO" and had intentions of leaving, only to change my mind and basically beg to stay in my job for another year. The year after that, the decision was easier as I was in love with my job and my life. Then I had the option to stay another year but I in order to do it I had to switch positions -change is good~ (in moderation). Now I have to decide whether or not to finish the full 5 years as JET ALT or get outta dodge.

Part of the issue is that I'm not sure what I want to do IF is don't stay. Staying is the easy part! I know what I'll be doing, what I can do and what I want to do here. If I go...well, of course there are options, but making a commitment to any of them is not appealing at the moment.

What will one more year here be for me? After next year I will HAVE to end my time as a JET. Will I want to stay longer? Will I finally want to go home or anywhere else for that matter.

Ugh. Where is my crystal ball?

Far From Home

2007-01-16T18:34:00.000+09:00

Being here means I can't be there.

At times of happiness it's a struggle.

At times of sadness and grief it's unbearable.

I wish I could be there right now.

Back home

2007-01-14T10:35:00.000+09:00

My computer is sick and I have limited internet access so updates will be sporadic at best.

I'm back home in Nyuzen, happy to be in my own space again after a wonderful trip home for the holidays.

Will try to have pictures up soon.

Just wanted everyone to know I'm safe and sound and have already been to the mountains on my new board.

Photos to come.

trains are done, 3 planes and an atomobile to go.

2006-12-20T17:45:00.000+09:00

I'm at Narita airport. Logged on for one final post from Japan before heading back home for 2 weeks.

Hope to see many of you soon.

For those left in Japan...Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

One week

2006-12-13T19:34:00.000+09:00

In exactly a week's time I will be settling into my aisle seat, headphones plugged into some movie that I've never heard of, waiting for the gravol to kick in...and then 24 hours later (but still at 8:00 on Wednesday night) I will be walking into my parent's house, dropping my bags in the porch and snuggling in for a long winter's nap.

Waiting for Christmas day will be nothing compared to the anticipation of next Wednesday.

Sorry for the no posting regularly lately, but December is always a crazy month, add to that a trip to the hospital, a wedding, and no internet connection at home and I think I've got grands for forgiveness.

So, a quick update if you don't mind.

Last Thursday I managed to do something that I've been wanting to do in Japan for a long time but up until now have not been able to. I can now add bouldering to my list of things done in Japan. And the best part about it is that it's right in my backyard! About a 10 minute drive from my apartment! Yay. As a New Year's resolution I will being making this a once a month thing (at least).

Friday after work I caught the train to Kyoto for Ai and Kazz's wedding. Kazz met me at Kyoto station, which is now lit up with Christmas lights and a huge tree for the season. I checked into my hotel and we headed out on the town. Ai-chan was staying with her parents that night so Kazz was all by himself. I couldn't have that!! We found a classy bar, had some great food and even better wine and spent the night talking about life and his new future. It was great.

I slept in Saturday morning and then walked over to the wedding 'place'. In Japan the have establishments set up to fully accommodate a whole wedding; from getting dressed to the ceremony (chapel or shrine), to dinner and anything beyond. The River Oriental
was just around the corner from the hotel -a 5 minute walk. I had to be there at 1:00 to have my kimono put on. I went over my speech a kazillion times in the morning and felt pretty confident. But once I was in my kimono and the ceremony was over, and the photos had been taken, I knew my time was coming...

We sat down in the dinner room (guests and co-workers sit nearest to the couple, family sits farthest). I was at the table right in front of the head table, trying to inconspicuously consume enough beer to calm me down before 'the speech'. I got up, wowed the crowd, and that was that.

The rest of the night was wonderful.

Full of speeches, tears, kimono changes (bride and groom). And then it was off to the second party- a bar downtown. I changed out of my kimono of course. I felt a bit ridiculous walking back to my hotel in it...but then I started to think, "Wow, I'm walking down a quiet, fall-colored street in Kyoto in Kimono, it doesn't get much better than this!"

The weekend was over much too quickly, but as much as I was looking forward to it, I was also looking forward to it ending so that I could move on to the next big countdown.

So here it is, one week until I depart. I have something to do every night until I leave -and I haven't even begun to think about packing yet! I will do my best to fulfill requests, but no promises. It might be just my tickets, passport and my frantic self (as a friend suggested) on the flight home. If only it were that easy!

So there's the latest.

I'll try to post photos of my Christmas classes this weekend if I can find the time.

Thanks

2006-12-08T07:03:00.000+09:00

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. I'm feeling 100% better now!
Thank goodness because I have a wedding to attend this weekend in Kyoto!
Ai and Kazz are finally tying the knot and I'll be there in full kimono to witness the big event.

In other news, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUSIN IN CRIME -she knows who she is...

...and the bad stuff

2006-12-03T22:21:00.000+09:00

I ended up on an IV drip for 4 days last week.

Like I said, it started Sunday, after a great weekend. I didn't sleep through the night, just tossed and turned and ended up 'resting' with my head on my comforter folded up at the end of my bed - feet where my pillows are. Finally, as dawn broke and I realized I hadn't slept and the pain was not getting any better, I used a lifeline and called Sista K and asked her if she could drive me to the hospital before she went to work. Of course she did.

Sadly, now whenever I have stomach pains I instantly think I'm having a gall stone attack. One might think, "A strange reaction for someone without a gall bladder." But not for me. After having this nastily named organ removed some years ago I had a terrible attack 3 years later. The doctor said that either one had been left in my bile duct (which I still tote) or that my liver had started to produce them (oh joy).

It seems my body does not take kindly to having bits of it removed. When I was seven I had my tonsils taken out and for years afterward I had terrible sore throats that my doctor just treated as strep throat. Then I went to another doctor who told me my tonsils were swollen. My mother and I looked at each other, and then at the doctor. "But I don't have tonsils. I had them taken out when I was seven." (I still remember the pre-op talk in the play room, the screaming baby with the broken arm whom I shared a room with, the shots I endured, the trips to the popsicle freezer and the Everly Brothers record I was given as a get well gift). How could I possibly have had swollen tonsils? Her answer, "They can grow back." Good to know.

But back to the latest trip. I had to also call my co-worker from the hospital to tell her I couldn't come in to work. After she finished teaching our class on her own, she came right to the hospital and filled out all the forms and translated as much as possible for me and the doctors. I had endless tests done and they ruled out gall stones. Great! So then what the heck was this pain caused by. Seems there's a nasty virus going around, I just happed to get it good!!

The stuck me on an IV, found a room for me and said that I'd most likely be out the next morning.

...3 days later, I was still hooked up to an IV, begging to go home. Honestly, I'm glad they kept me in and were thorough about the treatment -having a fever for 3 days isn't fun and not being able to eat or drink anything for 3 days was less fun.

BUT the LEAST fun was sitting there, in a hospital room all day, and all night. They gave me a single room because apparently this bug is pretty contagious so I had no distractions besides the cleaning lady who came in everyday to wash my floors.

I was saved from boredom Tuesday by my wonderful neighbors who brought me goodies to play with and read. Johhny P brought me "Young Years", my absolute favorite children's book that he brought to Japan with him. When he unpacked that from his bag the day he arrived, I knew we would be friends forever! Well, I read it cover to cover (over 350 pages of nursery rhymes, poems, fables, children's stories and poems) in about a half a day. The second best thing he brought me was a deck of cards. Yay to my grandmother for teaching how to play a thousand different versions of solitaire.

But by Wednesday I was done with being in the hospital -but my doctors didn't agree. My co-workers came to see how I was, but that was a whole 10 minute visit and then it was back to me, myself and I. I was finally allowed to take a shower Wed night (they freed me from the IV for the night too) and I ate a bit that day, but all I wanted to do was be home. Thursday morning came and I convinced them I could eat solid food on my own (I ate just enough of the disgusting hospital food to do this and not a bite more). They gave me one last giant IV drip which took forever to finish, and then Sista K came and rescued me!

I was home Thursday afternoon, took Friday off just to be sure, and was feeling pretty normal by Saturday. It's now Sunday, exactly one week later, and I have two full weeks of work left before my holidays start. I think I can handle it!

So thanks to Sista K, Johnny P and Rob for coming to see me while I was 'incarcerated'. I'm sure I was a big ray of sunshine for you the first day you came!! What would I do without you guys? And thanks to all who sent me text messages and e-mails this past week, they were very much appreciated.

Back to work!

Happy Birthday Johnny P

2006-12-01T23:17:00.000+09:00

There are two Johnny Ps in my life -lucky me.

To my brother John - happy 31st birthday!!