A double

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

To my brother John - happy 31st birthday!!

Part I, the good stuff.

Last Thursday was American Thanksgiving (and also a Labor/Thanksgiving holiday in Japan -go figure). So, as usual John did up the turkeys (what is it with Johns and turkeys??? -family joke), Josh sent out the invites, ordered the pies and brought the stickers, everyone cooked and/or bought something to share and we all met at Tanayama Familyland once again for a great feast.








Friday was the international Colare cooking night and I was in charge once again. I made Cuban spicy black bean soup -and it was SPICY!! Most of the ALTs liked it, but I think I scared off a lot of the Japanese people! They'll never order Cuban food now...

Saturday I went golfing with 3 of my teachers. A strange combination, me and 3 married guys...The whole golf thing started the day that I went on the 'safety neighborhood' walk with my Mikkaichi students and Hirata sensei. We walked past a house with golf clubs outside and he started making comments. I told him that I enjoy golf too and before I knew it, I had been invited to play a round sometime in the future. Well, the future caught up with me on Saturday and there I was, on a $120/round, tucked up in the mountains, 18 hole golf course. It was pretty deluxe, valet service, lounge, cart service and of course a bath for after the game! I was nervous, and had only been to the driving range 2 times before playing. But I wasn't the only beginner, and played a better game than one of the other teachers! It was a brilliant cloudless fall day. The conditions couldn't have been better. I really had a great time -sports is a great way to communicate when you don't speak each other's language.

Here are some photos from the day:












Sunday I went to Toyama to shop for snowboard gear with Omi -my snowboarding and golf sensei. We made a few decisions about what I should buy and then went for dinner at a cute little Indian restaurant.

I drove home, watched a movie and then the fun began...

Tanayama Family Land-o Thanksgiving 2006

I've been trying to post this for a week!! It's late, but enjoy. Thanks to Sista K for the link. The 3rd annual thanksgiving was in Tanayama again for the 2nd time. Before the meal got started, the Nyuzen crew got together to wish people back home a "Happy Thanksgiving!"

The Big Update

...is on it's way. I promise.

And it's a DOOZY!!

Lost in Translation

To all my Japanese and Japanese-studying friends please translate this into English:

目
愛
歯
ぴゅー
？

Budding Artists

I love elementary school for many reasons - here's one:

An ever-changing art gallery!

The Official Countdown Commences

OK, as of tomorrow I will be exactly one month away from my first Christmas vacation at home in 5 years. I've added a countdown indicator to my blog so you can count down the days with me. Perhaps when December hits I'll deck it with boughs of holly or something, but for now it's just simply red and green.

And just in case you think that I get to avoid the 2 month long commercial Christmas season because I'm in a country that doesn't 'celebrate' it...think again. The trees and lights and music have been in the stores since November 1. Ugh.

A Random Wednesday

My alarm didn't go off for the second day in a row.

I ate mashed banana on toast for breakfast.

Today was my little school day. Maezawa Elementary School has 98 students and I taught all of them except the 15 first graders.

2nd Grade: Vegetables.
I did a vegetable chant. One would think that eggplant and perhaps green pepper would be toughies, but no, carrot and radish were the enemy today.

3rd Grade: Restaurant.
"May I help you?" "Yes, orange juice and steak please." "Here you are." "Thank you."
Students made up their own menus and then took turns waiting on each other.

4th Grade: Let's go shopping!
"May I help you?" "Pencil please. How much is it?" "It's $1." "Here you are." "Thank you." "Here you are." "Thank you."
Students set up a stationary shop and we used Maezawa Money that I made using a bunch of clip art and that I must say, looks pretty darn cool.

5th Grade: Telephone
"Ring" "Hello." "Hello. May I speak to ---?" "Speaking. Who's calling please?" "This is ---."
We used cell phones that I got from my friend Aiko who works at a cell phone shop. They were old demo phones that were outdated. Kids loved'm. We threw in "When's your birthday?" at the end of the conversation just to make the phone call legit.

6th Grade: Where do you want to go?
"Where do you want to go?" "I want to go to [insert Japanese prefecture here]"
Original and best answer of the day: "I want to go to bed!" Gotta love it.

During the day I was given fresh, homemade whole wheat bread, an apple flavored Kit-Kat, a lemon drop, homemade walnut ice-cream, 4 cups of coffee and a persimmon. Oh, and while we watched a recording of the latest school choral concert on a pull down screen in the lunch room, we ate fried chicken, black sesame seed bread, cauliflower salad and 'candy' cheese (small candy sized and shaped, individually wrapped discs of white processed cheese) for lunch.

After all of this I stayed for 2 more hours and planned next week's classes while it thundered and lighteninged outside.

Home by six, I made a concoction of rice, corn, refried beans and taco mix for dinner and sat down at my computer to play solitaire in order to flush my mind of the days events. In a move that is rare these days, I turned on the TV and the programme that was on was about 2 Canadian unicyclists who rode their bikes through Bhutan in the Himalayas. I can't make this stuff up...

And if that wasn't enough randomness for one day, I got a phone call from some teachers from Nyuzen High School who were out drinking tonight, asking me to come and join them. So, I did. 2 hours of drinking hot calpis and singing karaoke...the highlight was 'Let it Be' a debut song for me with help from a senior teacher.

Oh, Oh, Oh, just wait. One more thing. I got a text message as I was leaving for home from Sista K telling me a huge earthquake hit somewhere in Russia and there was a tsunami warning in efffect for Western Japan -I was shocked and a bit panicked -but she really meant Eastern Japan -which doesn't lessen the shock, but I don't have to panic quite yet...

I'm going to bed now in hopes of a normal Thursday (whatever that is....)

Thar's snow in them thar mount'ns

It's coming, creeping slowly down one peak at a time, spreading it's pure white goodness...

Soon it will be on our doorsteps. OK, it'll be another month, but I can see it coming!!!

I went for dinner with my friends Kaz and Ai last night -we were discussing their upcoming wedding and my role in it. I get to do the KAMPAI (toast)! Yay. I'm not sure what I'm going to say yet, but what ever it is, it'll be mostly in Japanese.

But I digress -the point is that Ai-chan (being the great friend that she is) was kind enough to tell me that she and another friend are going snowboarding THIS WEEK!!!!!!!

GAH! Nice friend, ne? She had to rub it in by telling me that Kaz bought her all new boarding gear for her b-day. GAH!

Nice friend indeed, she told me she model the new duds from ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.

I told her this wasn't something she should be rubbing in - I haven't written the speech yet....


Have fun Ai-chan, but be careful. You have to walk down the aisle in 4 weeks time!

Life Is Good

I've found Bernard Callebaut Choclate in Toyama!!!














Bernard Callebaut
I met Mr. Callebaut a few years ago when I was doing swim camps in Calgary. He gave us personal tours of his shop on McLeod Trail. Yay, a new store of omiyage!!


Temiyage and Omiyage:
In order to thank somebody, e.g. for an invitation, one often presents a gift (temiyage) such as a cake, Japanese sweets or sake. Similarly, when a Japanese person returns from a trip, he or she bring home souvenirs (omiyage) to friends, co-workers and relatives.
the source for Japanese gift giving (click)

Rememberance Day

I went to Colare with Johnny P and Sista K last night and watched a movie about a POW camp in Tokushima, Japan called Camp Bando, where German POWs were kept during WWI. The movie, called "Baruto no Gakuen", was in Japanese (and German, with Japanese subtitles) and it had a lot of famous Japanese actors in it. It portrayed the lives of the German prisoners, the Japanese soldiers, and the local people who interacted in and around this camp. I haven't found a lot of information on the movie, so I don't know if the stories are actually true or just based on the events that happended there. At any rate, it was a good movie and opened my eyes to yet another piece of Japanese history.

It seemed fitting that we watched it last night on the eve of Rememberance Day. However, this timing only had significace to me, not my American friends. I hadn't realized that they didn't share the same date as we Canadians for remembering those who have served their country in times of war.

I recall Rememberance Day as always being a day to be regarded in my family. Both my parents have family members who were injured or lost during the second world war. My grandfather enlisted as a young man, but fortunately was not ever sent overseas -he is now a long standing member of the Royal Canadian Legion. And belonging to Girl Guides and Boy Scouts and Air Cadets meant that for years my family, in rain, sleet or snow, made the annual march to the cenotaph in Jubilee Park in GP to pay our respects to those who lost their lives for our country's freedom.

Our schools always held Rememberance Day poster contests -which I never won. We could also write poems and essays at this time of year, the best of which would be chosen to be published in the local newspaper. I think I have always respected this day- even as a child not fully understanding it's significance. Symbols such as the Poppy still conjure sentiment when I see people wearing them. I certainly feel a twinge of patriotism and longing for Canada on this day.

Click to read more about the Poppy



















My Grandfather is the handsome one on the right.