The Real Japan

So...yes, I'm still in Japan!

2007-02-15T21:44:00.000+09:00

Oh my god, has it really been 3 months since I posted on here? Holy crap. I'm terrible. But then, that's why you like me. Well, let me update you on a few of the broad details, then later on I'll have to flesh things out with pictures and short entries, as usual.

So, since November...hmmm...well, first of all, I spent Christmas in Japan, as well as New Years. That was a big first, and pretty fun. I only stayed, of course, because I was too poor from my car accident to go home, which broke my heart, but I was also pleasantly surprised at how things turned out. More on that later. After the holidays, I finally did end up paying the rest of that car nonsense off, so that's all done now, and my debts are starting to shrink to manageable levels for the first time in like...ever. Big plus there, and a major factor in my perky mood of late. (This is me being perky.)

Big News item #2 is that I DID decide to recontract for a third, that's right, A THIRD year in Japan. I signed my papers back in January, and now I officially will be here for another year and a half, meaning my time is officially half done. This was partly a financial decision, due to you-know-what, but it is also due, for the most part, to the fact that I have made some great friends here, had some amazing times, and do, when all is said and done, enjoy Japan very much. I will however be coming back to Canada (according to my plan) just after my third year begins but just before the school year does, around the end of August. So, to all my friends and family, this means clear your calendars, because I'm saving my days off, and plan to come back for 3 WHOLE WEEKS!!! I hope to start in Kingston, and then go up to Ottawa for a while, so I can see everybody, and really suck up as much of the homeland as possible. God knows I miss my Tim Hortons and, well, the English language.

Aside from that, the news from this month was my big Hiroshima trip. Now that I have money to travel, I plan to do so somewhat extravagantly for the next little while, and aside from Hiroshima last weekend, I'll be hitting Korea to visit Claire (my sister) and Bryan (my cousin) in March. Then, for Golden Week (end of April holiday here), some friends and I are planning a big trip outside of Japan, but so far the destination is in the air. Probably somewhere cheap, but Hawaii, China or even Thailand again are not out of the question. As for the details from Hiroshima, I'll once again give you those (and a delightful photo) in a later post. One thing at a time.

So, that's that for now...I will indeed try harder to post on here more often, I promise (and yes, I know I always say that).

SUMO!!!

2006-11-26T22:06:00.000+09:00

So yesterday was the big day, after much anticipation. When I came to Asia, there were 2 things I wanted to do, as a martial artist - see live Muay Thai kickboxing in Thailand, and see live Sumo in the J-dot. I can finally say I've scratched both off my list.
I actually went to Fukuoka early, on Friday, and kicked around the city a bit with my friend and neighbor Christine, who's from Tenessee (I hope I spelled that right). We took a bus in around noon, hooked up with another pair of JETs, Tori and Shawn, and spent the day mostly shopping and getting happily lost around the Tenjin/Hakata area, right in the downtown core. Fukuoka is the biggest city in Kyushu, and there's no shortage of shopping, although that seemed to be the only main attraction as far as I could tell. We went to Canal City, a massive shopping complex built around a series of artificial canals, then hooked up with my Japanese friend Tak, and hit up a local Irish bar for a pint of Kilkenny to round off the night. Christina and I almost didn't get a hotel room, due to the fact that everybody was in town for Sumo, but managed to snag a small room at the last minute, saving us from the pleasure of spending the evening in a Karaoke room.
The next morning we went out and walked around until the rest of our group arrived on the 1:00 bus. From there, we went to the Sumo stadium, and after snapping a few close-ups of the Sumo wrestlers as they came into the building, we found our seats. The photo is of Christine, some Sumo wrestlers, and some random Japanese lady who jumped into the picture.
Inside, we found our seats were kind of far back, but we had a great view anyway. We got to see the junior division bouts, had a few beers, and after a few hours the senior division began. Not knowing anything about Sumo before signing up for this, I actually learned a lot this weekend, and gained a definite appreciation for the skill and training involved in the sport. Most of these guys dedicate themselves to it from the age of 15, and when 2 massive guys go slamming into each other, trying to throw each other out of a ring, it's quite the sight. Bouts can last anywhere from a second to a few minutes, and you win when you either toss your opponent out, or make them touch something other than their feet to the ground.
The fight of the night was without a doubt when the reigning champion (or yokozuna), Asashoryu, defended his title against the popular up-and-comer, Kotooshu. Kotooshu is a foreign fighter from Bulgaria, and gets a lot of press, but to the dismay of his fans he was defeated rather soundly, in about 10 seconds. The crowd, who you would expect to be reserved (Japanese usually are elsewhere, even in rock concerts I've noticed) went wild, and threw their seat cushions all over the area. All in all, it was definitely exciting, so even though 2 fat guys in thongs beating each other up may not be everyone's cup of tea, I highly recommend it, if you're ever lucky enough to be around when one of these events is on. It's Japanese culture at its best.

Zen Gardens

2006-11-11T20:25:00.000+09:00

So this is a traditional Zen garden, just because I haven't shown one yet and no blog of Japan would be complete without one. This one is in Nakatsu, a city in the north of Oita prefecture. I went there to visit LeeSean one week last March and found this little gem in a Zen temple near his house. Japan is positively full of this type of garden, because, as many might already know, the Japanese take their gardening very seriously. It, like many aspects of life in Japan, has been raised to the level of a fine art. Many houses have intricate gardens in their front yard, and what they lack in space, they make up for in sheer beauty. The purpose behind this is twofold: firstly, the act of tending for the garden brings peace, tranquility and a connection to nature. Secondly, gazing upon such a garden can quickly bring calm and enhance one's experience during meditation. They truly do capture the essence of Japan - disciplined beauty. I only hope the picture can do it justice.

Accident Update

2006-10-28T14:45:00.000+09:00

For those of you who are interested, or who have been following the car drama, there have been some developments. Surprisingly, mostly for the good this time!
Last week, I was called into the office of the head of the Oita Board of Education, for a meeting over this whole debacle. I went with my vice-principal, who has been pretty helpful and patient throughout this whole thing, even though we have a pretty hard time chatting, what with her speaking no English and me speaking only elementary Japanese. Luckily, the BOE guy does speak English, and translated everything.
First, they had to give me a warning about driving in Japan. This was pretty much expected on my part, and despite the fact that I've already been through enough hassle about this, I was pretty good about not letting my annoyance show.
Then, they proceeded to casually mention the following stupendously amazing fact: the other woman, who was threatening to financially ruin me by making me cover her hospital payments up front, decided out of the blue, a week ago, to take care of them herself. No one had mentioned this to me, so I was flabbergasted for a second, and then had to really restrain myself from jumping up and down. This pretty much solves my financial problems, after December anyway. I still have a few payments to make on the car, but they're manageable.
The only other glitch that has arisen from this mess (like I needed another) is that I now have to go to driving school. Feel free to laugh, because it is completely ridiculous. Also, to someone who has driven for 11 years with a previously perfect driving record, and who has obviously learned his lesson from this ordeal, this is the most insulting thing they could have possibly pushed on me at this point. ESPECIALLY since I have to pay a pretty hefty sum just for the *priviledge* of wasting a day being lectured. Oh yes, and I have to use a vacation day for this as well. I am fighting the urge to kill. Afterwards, at least, the whole ordeal should be over and done with.
So anyway, despite the financial reprieve, I still won't be making it home for Christmas, which is really a bitch. My plans, as they stand now, are to go to Korea for Christmas instead. It's closer, cheaper, and both my cousin and sister will be there. Should be fun, even though I do miss the Canada crowd so, SO MUCH! I just hope between now and then there will be no invasions from the North, because lemme tell ya, nothing ruins Christmas faster than a lunatic with nukes and a million-man army.
The possibility of me coming home for Golden Week (late April) is now in the air too - I hold out hope my cash flow will allow for it. Otherwise, I'll probably hang around Asia a little while longer, and see you all next August, when I plan to say goodbye to Japan.

The Fab Four

2006-10-16T11:35:00.000+09:00

So I've mentioned my friends on here before, but since the last picture I posted of Victoria met with her disapproval, I have been ordered to post another. Also, this one has Mark in it, who I spoke about but have never shown. Here is a picture taken on the first leg of our tour in Thailand, as we wandered through Bangkok. From left to right it's Victoria, me, LeeSean and Mark. Vic is the crazy-fun girl from the UK, LeeSean (from Arizona) has been mentioned a thousand times on here and was my closest friend the first year of my stay, and Mark, a fellow Canadian, is also a fellow martial artist and a really nice guy. They've all left Japan now, but we'll always have Thailand! Soon I'll try to post a few pics of my new crop of friends, but these guys will always have a special place in my heart for helping to make my first year here one of the best I could have ever hoped for. (Cue sappy sentimental music, fade to black.)

Best Swimmin' Hole in Kyushu...

2006-10-10T14:15:00.000+09:00

Ok, so I admit it - I've been lazy lately. To make up for it I'm doing 3 posts today. This shot is from about two months ago, when LeeSean, Tash, a few other friends and I went to a waterfall near Ajimu. It's up in the mountains about a half-hour to the west, and under the waterfall (which falls a spectacular 150 feet, the highest in Kyushu) there's a pool, as you can see. Much to the amusement of the locals, we stripped down to our trunks and dove in to beat the heat, which in July and August is like Calcutta, with about 200% humidity. This was one of the prettiest spots I've seen around here.

Temples, Temples and more Temples

2006-10-10T13:57:00.000+09:00

Well, if you haven't heard enough about Nara already, let me fill in a bit more about my trip there in August. A while back I posted a picture with the giant Buddha, but wasn't able to show you the equally impressive temple (Todaiji) that it sits in. I just happened to have a spiffy shot of it that was begging to be published, so here it is. It was MASSIVE!

Beppu's Famous Hot Springs

2006-10-10T13:46:00.000+09:00

So I live in a town called Beppu, which is in Oita prefecture, on the eastern side of the southern island of Kyushu. It's claim to fame is its many hot springs (or onsen). It has so many, in fact, that I believe it holds the worldwide record for the most in one place. There's some you can take a dip in (usually one in every neighborhood here) and then there are some that are too hot to go bathing in but are still damned impressive, like the one in the picture. This was taken last year at about this time, and this particular hot spring is just up the hill from my house. It's called Umijigoku, or the "Sea Hell", because of it's color.

Nara and the Deer

2006-09-30T18:32:00.000+09:00

To jump back to August, I mentioned that I went to Nara after Summer Sonic in Osaka. There, we saw a ton of deer just wandering around the city, and since I didn't get to show you before, I thought it was a cute shot and blog-worthy. I also haven't included myself in the blog lately, and of course we have to feature the star of the show.

Monkey Mountain

2006-09-25T19:36:00.000+09:00

Well, I just posted one photo, but since it's been forever and since I have a tonne of pictures, why not one more?
Near Beppu there's a big mountain, and on that mountain live a colony of monkeys. They're really cute, and last year during September LeeSean and I went to check them out. There's hundreds of them, swarming all over the place, so it's a bit intimidating. There's also lots of signs saying not to feed the monkeys, make sudden movements toward the monkeys, look directly at the monkeys, or pretty much think about monkeys in any way. You wonder what the monkeys have done to warrant this level of caution. They didn't bug us though, and we got lots of good pictures. Although they did make several children cry by stealing their ice cream cones...always funny!!

Aoyama Senior High

2006-09-25T18:52:00.000+09:00

My apologies for the long time between entries, but it's been a busy month, with the accident, and with school being back in and all. I've been slowly starting to figure a way through this car mess, and I've been trying my best to get out and enjoy myself with friends, or risk going psycho from the stress. Throughout the past month, my friends have been unbelievably supportive, and should get a large part of the credit for the fact that my sanity is still (relatively) intact.
Anyway, to make up for the lack of posts recently, I'm going to start doing something new. I'm an avid photographer, and it's been mentioned that I have taken hundreds of photos in my time here. I've only been able to share a fraction of them on here so far, so from now on I'll do my best to post a new one every other day or so, along with a brief caption. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which makes sense, because most of us prefer pretty (or occasionally scandalous) pictures to big, complicated words. I'll still write the occasional full entry of course, but what I've written so far should give you a good outline of what life is like here. The pictures, I'm hoping, will help to add some color in between the lines and show you in a little more depth what an incredibly beautiful country Japan is.
Firstly, I want to show you (or at least those of you who haven't seen it already) the school I work at, Aoyama Senior High. It's got a decent view of palm trees and a carefully tended collection of other sub-tropical trees from the window of the third floor, which is where I sit. I spend about 35 hours a week here on average, when I'm not at my junior high school, which is usually Tuesday of every week. My junior high rotates every semester, but I've been at Aoyama (Blue Mountain) for over a year now, and (barring any disasters) I'll be there for another year to come.

Japlish, Part 2

2006-09-09T18:25:00.000+09:00

Ok, so here it is, the long awaited second addition. I'm happy to announce that the last article I did on this subject made my father laugh so hard he was in tears, and nearly made several of my friends wet themselves. Always gratifying. Also, god knows at this point in my life I could use a good laugh more than anyone. Enjoy!

Signs found on various Tokyo businesses:
"Venom Food and Bar" (Yum yum.)
"Liquor by the Grass or in Cooktail"
"Jive Coffee"
"Fashion vs. Hair" (In Japan, this is just as big as Godzilla vs. Mothra.)

On various stationary:
"My romance. I wish you to taste this woman. A dream makes evolution."
"You can dance the dream with your body on."
"My heart's bouching like a rubber ball."
"Happy Frog - as I come close to dream, my heart throbs."
"Sex, ecstasy, and psychadelic drugs." (I don't know about you, but that's what I think of when buying a notepad.)

On cards:
"European dogs are living freely. It is open and elegantly." (Couldn't tell you the occasion this is for.)
"For you - I always think of your thing." (There's a Hallmark sentiment if I ever heard one.)
"Happy Wedding on your marriage."
"I'll sticky about my favourite things. Very wonderfully and more pleasantly." (There's so much wrong with this one I don't know where to begin.)

A beer company's motto: "Let's beer, anytime, anywhere, all friends come together to drink beer with fun. It's excellent to drink beer with all the people!" (Well they have the right idea anyway.)

On a snack: "Sugar Tits - we present you a special and beautiful stuff for honey man and woman. Tasty...Sugar Tits!" (Not a typo - actual name of snack.)

On a box of cookies: "Made from used apple juice." (Hey, wait a minute, I though those tasted funny...)

In a Tokyo hotel: "It is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing please do not read notice."

Another hotel: "You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid." (I tell you, the service here stops at nothing.)

In a Tokyo bar: "Special cocktail for the ladies with nuts." (I think we're all curious about what kind of bar this is.)

A drycleaner's: "Drop your trousers here for best results." (Wink, wink.)
Another: "Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time."

A dentist's: "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists." (Religion and dentistry should never mix.)
Another dentist's actual name: "Ouchi Dental Clinic." (I'm guessing not a lot of English-speaking clientele there.)

Actual name of a shop: "Colon Booth." (I didn't ask to see what service they provided.)

Name of a dive shop in Okinawa: "Yellow Dick." (I'd have someone take a look at that, it sounds serious.)

Name of a band: "King Fucker Chicken." (I wonder...did they mean King chicken fucker?)

Above a door: "Emergency Trap." (Maybe I'll try door #2, Bob.)

On a bag: "Sneep Dip" (Any ideas about this one?)
On underwear: "We'll advise you about your stickiness about your daily life."
On a baseball cap: "Aim! We are Superhero for 21th century!" (Whose super-power is clearly not language-related.)
Another cap: "You look like chimp." (I'd wear this.)
On a woman's shirt, in really big letters: "GAY." (LeeSean would wear this.)
On various other T-shirts: "I am plump Mary."
"Snot House."
"Circuit Beaver."
"We're Bone Nob. We're Happy our Original Dance."
"Nurse Mentality."
"We hope to always have an open."
"Naughty power give me many courage."
"Is it a dear cat? Is it a kind called what?" (What indeed.)
"You are not alone. Blow a big future dream." (It started out OK...)
"Spread Beaver."
"Boneractive Wear." (I'd wear this too.)

The Accident - My Side of Things

2006-09-05T18:06:00.000+09:00

Well in case the title didn't tip you off, or if you haven't heard it through the grapevine, I was in a car accident. It was luckily minor, and I'm fine, physically. As you might expect though, my stress level has shot through the roof. I decided that venting a little here would help, so I'll give you a blow-by-blow of the night in question, as well as the results to date. I know I promised you more Japlish last time, but this has gotta take precedence, sorry.
So this all began when I promised to do a favor for LeeSean. When he left, he was unable to sell his car and so I agreed to do it for him. Since he left it in Nakatsu, I had to take the train there and drive it back to Beppu so I could show it to potential buyers. That night (Friday September 1st), I was also taking Tash with me to Beppu so that we could go to Miyazaki the following morning. My friend Sophie is leaving Japan, and I wanted to say goodbye, but needless to say we didn't make it there. As we were driving through Usa on the way to Beppu, we were going through a stoplight and came up to some traffic. I stopped my car just past the light, about 2 meters behind the next car. Then, it looked as though traffic was beginning to move, so I let my foot off the brake and tapped the gas. At the same time, Tash said something to me and I turned my head for a moment to respond. At that moment, the van ahead of me stopped rather suddenly, and before I had time to apply the brake we had crunched into her rear. Not the smartest move ever, I know, but these things do happen.
I'll try to abbreviate what happened next, but it was a long, long evening. First, the lady in the van got out and started yelling at us, so I nodded, not understanding anything of course. I understood her shock, so I didn't mind so much that she was angry, and I was actually relieved that she seemed unhurt. Then, we looked at the damage, and thankfully it was minor to both cars, so naturally I assumed that the issue would be resolved quickly. I realize now what a silly mistake that was. In the picture you'll see the back of her car, and although it doesn't look like much, her rear tail-light was broken and there was a dent in the rear panel. I have since discovered that the repairs to this will cost me about $2,600 Canadian. ?#*^!! I REALLY think I'm geting screwed on this one.
After the accident, the police were called, and after 15 minutes or so they arrived. I had, in the meantime, called my supervisor, Kato-sensei, who informed me she was coming with the school's vice-principal, Kyoto-sensei, but that it would take half an hour to arrive from Beppu. In the meantime, Tash and I were trying to explain things to the police in broken Japanese, but in the end were unable to give much more than our names. Luckily, one of Tash's co-workers was driving by, who saw Tash, and stopped to help. This was a lifesaver until Kato-sensei and Kyoto-sensei arrived. When they got there, we had given a rough version of events to the first set of police, but a second set soon arrived and we had to tell it all again. Even with Kato-sensei translating, it took about an hour to tell them what I just described above. Then, another set of police arrived, and it took another 45 minutes or so to tell them what happened.
The reason for this, I feel, is twofold: when trying to explain things as I remembered, I was frequently interrupted by the lady from the other car, who naturally wanted to ensure that she was blameless, and that it was clearly understood that I was driving like a raving lunatic. This I understood without knowing much Japanese. Secondly, the police needed frequent pauses to question everything I said, which were usually followed by lengthy explanations as to why what I said couldn't possibly be true, most of which I couldn't understand.
Then, after the police left, there was about a half-hour where the other woman grilled my colleagues about whether or not I could pay for everything. They assured her very politely that I could (which remains to be seen, probably not) and then we all made our separate ways. I was informed the woman would check into the hospital the next morning, and that my colleagues and I would meet her there to discuss things further.
The next day, at my school, there was a meeting in which my colleagues assured me they would help me with the process (thank GOD), and then off to the hospital we went. There, I presented my new friend with some candies, and apologized as sincerely as could be managed through a translator. This took roughly another 4-5 hours, as we had to drive an hour there and back. I slept most of the drive, because the night before, due to stress, I had slept for perhaps 30 minutes.
On Monday, you can imagine how delighted I was to discover that despite my efforts to explain things to the police, they had ignored the fact that the other woman stopped too quickly, and assigned me 100% of the blame. Bad. However, I also learned that the mandatory insurance was still good on the car, which will cover her medical costs and time lost from work. Good. Unfortunately, LeeSean had let the optional insurance on his car lapse, meaning that I have to pay for all the damages to both cars. Bad. Further, although her health is covered, there is a chance I have to pay these costs up front and will get paid back eventually. Worse. In total, the estimate is that I will have to pay about 1,000,000 yen. For those of you joining us back in Canada that's roughly 10,000 dollars. Bloody hell.
To be blunt, there is no way I could even afford a third of this up front, as it would represent more than my monthly salary. I am hoping some kind of compromise can be reached, or I may be completely, utterly and royally ruined by what amounts to a minor traffic accident. This certainly says a lot for the insurance system in Japan.
Personally, I would rather commit ritual suicide than take on more debt, not that anyone would lend me any money. Right now I'm waiting, and hoping against hope, that the country I have served happily for over a year now doesn't end up ruining my life for years to come. I'd love to end on a positive note here, but unless someone calls in the next few minutes telling me I won the lottery, I think we'll just have to wait and see.

Kobe - Beef, and Gaggles of Gaijin

2006-08-29T14:08:00.000+09:00

Another one of my favourite cities in Japan is Kobe. As a JET Programme participant, we have the choice of re-contracting for up to 2 additional years, and if we choose to, we get sent to Kobe for the re-contracting conference. I am sticking around, and so I got sent there in May. I thought originally: "Ho hum, boring business conference, yawn," but I was pleasantly surprised. We still had to sit through a bunch of presentations, but many were useful, and even entertaining, like my friend Natalie's on how to learn kanji. Others were like sitting through a root canal, but not many.
The evenings were ours however, and we made the most of them. I went out the first night with Raph, a guy I had met on the Shinkansen on the way up. He is from Oita city, and when we met I kicked myself for not talking to him earlier because he's a really cool guy. We and a group of others went to Kobe's Chinatown for dinner, and had a spectacular meal. The buildings were as incredible as the food too. After, we wandered through the colorful electric cityscape and had some very good beer at a Belgian beer bar (say that 3 times fast). I was surprised however that I still couldn't get Stella Artois there, which in my opinion is one of the best beers made by man.
The next day was more workshops, and after that it was time to really get down to business, as it was our last big night. We went out and found a cozy little restaurant that served the world-famous Kobe beef, and as I've said many times since, it was one of the top 5 best meals I have ever had. Not only is the beef itself tender, juicy and perfectly marbled with the ideal amount of fat, but you sit directly in front of the grill as a master chef cooks it to perfection, piece by piece, before your eyes. This way each mouthful is warm and fresh from the grill as you bite into it. Sea salt, cracked black pepper, and roasted garlic are given to season, and the result is an A-list party in your mouth, with everyone invited. Kobe beef is to regular steak what regular steak is to week-old cow poop. Or MacDonald's.
Anyway, after this we went out for a few more drinks at a pretty authentic Brit-style pub, chatted to the wee hours and called it a night. The next morning there was some free time, so naturally it was dedicated to some souvenir shopping. I discovered that Raph is a raging manga fan, and for the first time I got a proper introduction to it in the many, many manga stores around Kobe. It truly boggled my mind there was so much, but when you consider that Japanese people read about 57 a day, largely in lieu of actual novels, you begin to understand why every convenience store has at least one shelf devoted to it. Then I went shopping for clothes, and managed to snag some very nice jeans in Kobe's trendy fashion district, before finally catching the Shink back to home sweet Beppu. I'll end by saying that if you are a visitor to Japan, or live here and plan to travel, the top cities to see in my books are as follows: Kobe (for the beef), Kyoto (for the culture), Tokyo (the beating heart of Japan), Osaka (for nightlife) and Miyazaki (for beaches, surfing and natural beauty). This is it so far, but if I find any others, you'll be the first to know. Next time: Japlish Part II.

Nara - Deer, and The Big Bronze Buddha

2006-08-20T15:10:00.000+09:00

So, after Summer Sonic in Osaka, we were a bit burned out, but still had some time to kill on Monday. We all had the day off, and since we're always eager to see more of Japan, we decided to use the time to see Nara City in Nara Prefecture, the next one down from Osaka. Nara's claims to fame are the largest bronze Buddha statue in all of Japan, the beautiful and enormous temple housing it (Todai-ji), a spectacular set of 3- and 4-story pogodas, and the many tame deer that wander free through the city. The deer can be hand-fed, and have been declared a national treasure...they really love their deer.
We hopped on a train from Osaka monday morning, and 45 minutes later we were in Nara station. From there, we walked south through a covered shopping arcade full of variety, but since I was broke I had to curb my shopping addiction until I found the perfect souvenir.
We turned onto another street to find the pair of famous pogodas rising above an adjascent park, and went to investigate. The beauty of the multi-level temples and the park was uniquely Japanese, and it was made more amazing when we stumbled across our first deer. I've seen plenty in Canada, but only in petting zoos or fleetingly when camping or driving through the country, so you can imagine my surprise to see them lazing in the park, accepting "deer biscuits" and having their pictures taken with tourists. We stopped to feed them, snap a photo or two and even pet them, then we started making our way to Todai-ji and the Big Buddha. Not that you could get away from the deer, they were everywhere; on the sidewalks, standing casually about, like they were waiting for a bus.
We went east to the temple, but as in most tourist areas of Japan, we had to pass a gauntlet of stalls and souvenir shops. This is where my willpower broke down of course. It was worth it though - as we passed one store, Tash pointed out they were selling samurai swords (katana), or at least very good replicas, and that was it for me. I proceeded to buy one, as did Tash, and it was so awesome I didn't even mind lugging it around all day.
After that, finally, the temple. This was exciting for me, as a Buddhist, and as a fan of Japanese culture. I'd been looking forward to it for a long time. The temple itself cost about $5 (500 yen) to get into but I would have gladly paid double. The temple is truly astounding in its size and architecture, as are the immaculate grounds, but nothing prepares you for the moment you walk inside and are confronted with that massive, massive statue. It's a unique and monumental work of art, originally created as a talisman against plague hundreds of years ago. It's accompanied by several other statues, all fine examples of ancient Japanese artistry, but the Buddha is the showstopper. While there, we had our fortunes read (I have the best luck possible and am fated to travel, imagine that), and then we wandered off to find lunch. After being briefly assaulted by a deer who wanted to eat through the box carrying my sword, we managed to find a great udon place.
From there, having pretty much seen what we wanted to see, we wandered the park a bit more, taking in a bunch of other spectacular temples, then began to make our way back to the train station. We planned to take the local train back to Osaka, and had booked a shinkansen from there to Oita.
Our plans for the day almost went off without a hitch, but for one tiny detail. When we had first arrived at Nara station, Christine had put her backpack in a locker, a sensible precaution considering we had been walking all day. Unfortunately, neither Chris nor anyone else remembered this until we were halfway back to Osaka. Needless to say, she had to get off the train, go back and get it, missing her ride home, while the rest of us guiltily went back. She got her pack and made it back later that night though, no worries. She took it well too, and I quote: "Oh well - stupidity costs some people their lives. It only cost me 8000 yen." Ha. Don't worry Chris, if it hadn't been you it probably would have been me.

Usuki and the Stone Buddhas

2006-08-19T15:18:00.000+09:00

Ok, since in the last few entries you got a taste of the big cities here, this time here's a peek at more rural Japan. Mr. Lee and I, bored in Beppu one weekend, decided that a drive in the countryside was in order. When we went to the map to figure out where, I mentioned that I'd heard about some big-ass stone Buddhas that had been carved into a cliff somewhere, and LeeSean just happened to know they were in Usuki, a small town about 45 minutes south-east of Beppu, so off we went. It was a picture-perfect day in early spring through largely unspoiled countryside, so the drive was a treat.
We got there early and it was quiet. A river flowed gently past stands of tall bamboo, and nearby an orchard of plum trees blossomed as we made our way in. Inside, we found a whole gaggle - nay, a plethora of Buddhas, some big, some small, some worn and ancient, some in showroom condition, and one that bore a striking resemblance to an older Marlon Brando. If you read the coming article about the giant bronze Buddha too, I won't need to tell you that he's a bigger deal than Elvis over here. It was indeed impressive, especially as the golden morning light shone down through the surrounding bamboo forest. Some of these, if you can imagine, were 30 or 40 feet tall - not bad for a glorified kind of grass.
The overall effect, with the big Buddhas and the big bamboo, was to make one feel like an ant inside a very pretty ant-farm. I think it's healthy though, sometimes, to just let go of your ego and stand in awe of something greater than yourself. I find it's an experience more common in Japan than in other places. The Japanese certainly love monuments, and never shy away from monumental undertakings. You should see some of the casinos!

Summer Sonic (Osaka Revisited)

2006-08-18T10:59:00.000+09:00

I'm writing this just 2 days after returning from Osaka for the third time, to see the massive rock/punk/metal/techno-fest that is Summer Sonic. This was in the works for weeks, and it lived up to every expectation. There were four of us - Christine from Geos, Tash from Nakatsu, and at the last minute we were joined by one of the new girls in Beppu, Rachel. She just came in from New Zealand, and you'll surely hear more about her.
We left on the 11th, and took the ferry from Beppu to Osaka overnight, which was a first for me. It was massive, and had all sorts of comforts. We drank some beers on the deck as the sun went down, then went down to the restaurant, where we played cards till bedtime with some random Japanese guys who chatted us up and bought us drinks and ice cream. They spoke no English, but by practicing my broken Japanese I figured out they were truck drivers based in Osaka, and we managed to teach them to play Asshole just fine.
The next morning (shamefully early, I might add) we left the ferry and found our way to the apartment of a local English teacher who was putting us up (or putting up with us) for the weekend. After grabbing some more sleep we woke up around noon and began making our way to day 1 of Summer Sonic. When we arrived there by train we could hear the music thumping from 2 stops away, and after getting inside we wasted no time in sorting out what we wanted to see. Rachel ended up meeting another friend of hers and doing her own thing, which was more or less metal and punk. Chris was basically the same. That left Tash and I to see the rock and techno, so of we went.
First came the Kooks, and despite having heard almost nothing of them before, they were a really nice surprise. Then came the big one for me for that day, the Arctic Monkeys. My friend James from home had turned me onto them a while ago, and I like them a lot. Apparently so did half the people in Osaka though, because the line was enormous. It was worth it though, and I ended up hearing so much amazing new material that I went out and got the CD right after.
After that we changed stages, going outside to see Muse. They were good, but I'm not a huge fan - I pretty much knew them only for the cover they did of "Too Good to Be True". The picture is from that, only because the indoor ones didn't turn out very well. Then it was back inside for DJ Shadow, and I enjoyed him. He kept bringing out guests to sing with him, but I think they were expecting more of a reaction from the crowd. They probably didn't realize that the Japanese are a bit more reserved - they tend to sit at the edges of concerts sometimes, rarely jump or scream, and mosh pits are typically a no-no. I noticed this can bruise North American egos, but try not to take it personally guys.
To round out the evening we saw Massive Attack, and although I was never a huge fan before, they won me over. We were exhausted by then and were sitting on the floor ourselves at this point, but the music was chill enough to warrant it. After leaving we were swept up in the rush for the train, as thousands of people choked off the streets. We got lucky though and beat the rush, ending up back in downtown Osaka just 45 minutes later. We dined on some exquisite sushi, had a few drinks, and staggered off to bed.
The next day we decided to start late, because there was not so much we liked going on in the morning. Christine left early to go see some metal band, while Tash and I did some shopping and had a leisurely lunch before making our way there.
For us, there were only 2 bands on the books for that day - The Charlatans, and the BIG ONE, one of my favourites from university, Daft Punk. The Charlatans were great, another pleasant surprise, but I do have one criticism. Like the Kooks and Arctic Monkeys, these guys were from the UK, and as such the accent got laid on pretty thick. You guys should keep in mind that most Japanese kids have trouble getting regular English, and when you're talking in Cockney slang at 95 miles an hour, they're not going to have a fucking clue.
With Daft Punk though, not a problem. The language of crazy beats and laser lights is pretty universal, and they were usually good enough to flash the words on a 30-foot screen behind them as they went. The crowd went INSANE. The auditorium was packed with thousands of bodies, all sweating, cheering and dancing, despite the fact that we were crammed in tighter than Dolly Parton in a B-cup. Tash and I had an amazing time, and managed to snag Chris on the way out just in time to beat the rush again.
We got back downtown still charged up from the show, and decided to go for dinner and all-you-can-drink. It was the perfect cap to a perfect day - dinner was delicious, and we did indeed drink all we could. After, we actually tried to hit the same Absynthe bar I had been to before with LeeSean, but it wasn't meant to be. They were closing just as we arrived, and we got chased back to our friend's apartment by the rain. Sometimes you just have to take a hint, so we went to bed, to rest up for our excursion to Nara in the morning. That's a whole other story of course, so I'll save it for next time.

Yufuin, and the Amazing Summer Seminar Spectacular

2006-08-17T22:34:00.000+09:00

I begin this article at least as I sit in Yufuin, a picturesque little mountain town in the centre of Oita prefecture. I'm here to participate in the annual English Summer Seminar, an event held for the benefit of about 150 Japanese kids from around Oita. The idea, basically, is that these kids are looking to improve their English by (in theory) speaking nothing but for 3 days. Meanwhile, we fabulous ALTs keep the party rolling by devising games, activities, skits and by basically making roaring asses of ourselves. I actually got a pretty cool activity, the English Olympics, in which I put the kids through their paces with a number of English-based sporty-type activities. It's kind of cool to think that I'm actually the sportiest in our group (a.k.a. Sporty Spice), but then again that's not saying much. You know I kid because I love, guys.
Anyway, the camp has been running for 30 years, and I had the pleasure of participating for this big anniversary. I'd say it went off smashingly, and the kids seemed to agree. It was a great experience and we all enjoyed it immensely. In addition to the sports, I also sat in on a dance class where, if I do say so, I showed the kids a thing or two about shaking one's groove thang. We also threw the kids a party where we all did the "Time Warp" (again), put on a play, and held a talent show in which yours truly wowed them with the poi (remember those?). I also found time to improve my juggling and met a whole lot of smashing new ALTs, so all in all it was a productive week.
The whole idea is a brilliant one, and was organized very well by Rhoda Marshall and Tom Collins (yes, like the drink), two local ALTs. It's really helpful for the kids, it's a great way to form friendships, it gives the ALTS who are fresh off the plane a taste of teaching, and it gives us old ones a break from the routine. It's really refreshing to have fun with kids who understand you and who like English, as opposed to regular classes where unconsciousness and blank stares are the norm...
I'm definitely going again next year, and to be honest I dread going back to the routine in the meantime. In the next little while though, there will be lots to do, like welcoming parties for new ALTs, my long-awaited trip to Korea to visit my cousin Bryan and my sister Claire, and a road trip back down to Miyazaki. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted!

Osaka/Kyoto - Castles, Monkeys and Temples, oh my.

2006-08-10T23:50:00.000+09:00

I've decided I want to jot down a few more of my travels in Japan. I figure that by doing so I'll be giving everyone else a fuller picture of this diverse, beautiful, and yes, often strange country. As an added bonus, it will keep me from forgetting any of the good stuff later. Wise man once say: "Memories are precious, especially in country where alcohol flows like river." I'll try to do these places in chronological order from now on, but no promises.
So today let's take a look at Osaka. I went there with LeeSean just after Thailand, and it was one of my first major cities aside from Tokyo. Osaka is the third largest city in Japan, with a population of 2.7 million. I've been there twice since, having just returned after being there August 11-14 for the massive Summer Sonic rock festival. I think I'll start by giving you the details of the first trip now, and maybe next time I'll have the photos from Summer Sonic ready to do a piece on that.
So first, LeeSean and I went downtown and found a hotel, then wandered aound a bit checking out the many, many clothing shops. Osaka is renowned for fashion, and it's many tragic fashion victims. We then went to Osaka castle, or "Osaka-jo" to the locals. It's a reconstruction, because in the feudal period and in the transition to the modern era, most castles got burned to the ground in "aggressive negotiations" between the shoguns (regional warlords) and the central government. It's still damn impressive though, as the picture shows, and you do feel like you're stepping back in time when you walk onto the vast grounds. The elevator outside the castle kind of gives away the illusion though. There was a museum inside as well, with lots of neat-o samurai artifacts. Much to my disappointment however, they frown on people trying out the swords.
Later that night, we went to an Absynthe bar, the first time for me to try this famous drink. It was good, very sweet, but contrary to popular belief it didn't make me go crazy. Or not crazier, anyway. This was followed by some fantastic Thai food, and we called it a night.
The next day we had set aside for seeing more of downtown, and so we went to the Osaka Zoo. This was pretty good, but the monkey exhibit was a bit sad. These poor animals were stuck inside small concrete cages, did not look very happy, and the whole thing made me want to come back later and stage a jail-break. The elephants and bears didn't look much better. Allow me a bit of a rant here, as an animal lover, because I feel that this exemplifies how animals can be mistreated in Japan (although this problem certainly isn't limited to Japan). Places like the Osaka Zoo and some of the "Hells" right here in Beppu tend to cram animals into small, bland, artificial spaces where the animals have severely restricted movement. Due to lack of stimulation they often develop repetitive movements like swaying or pacing, and their misery is palpable. I also have a neighbor who keeps his dog on a two-foot leash for sometimes six hours a day or more, and it makes me want to pull out my hair. Granted, there are some places that get it right, like African Safari in Beppu. They have a huge space set aside so animals can wander around, feel like they're in a natural habitat and get sufficient exercise. This is how animals deserve to be treated when in captivity, and the message here is, if you can't provide this, DON'T KEEP THE ANIMALS TO BEGIN WITH!!! But I digress. At any rate, after leaving the zoo, a little depressed, we decided to drown our sorrows in some of Osaka's bars, and ended up having a very memorable evening. Further details available upon request through email only, due to PG-13 rating of this blog.
The next day was my last, and since we'd seen a fair chunk of Osaka already, we decided to take a short local train ride to Kyoto. Kyoto is a very old, very beautiful city, and one typically goes for the temples, because there are lots of them. If I remember correctly we saw three: Sanjusangendo, a hall containing 1001 Buddhist statues, Kiyomizu-dera, which displays a spectacular 4-story pagoda, and is a prime location for cherry blossom viewing in the spring, and finally Higashi-Honganji, which was...really big. They were all very unique and impressive, and I took about a hundred pictures. Also, there are still supposedly about 100 geisha left in Kyoto, but they were unfortunately not out that day.
After the last temple, I left Lee, who had to stay for a conference, and took the Shinkansen back to Beppu. Incidentally, the Shinkansen, or bullet train, is a great way to travel...I took it back from Osaka last night actually. Smooth, fast, comfortable, and there's even a lady that comes by with a cart full of snacks and beer. What more could you ask for?
So that's it for now, but I have like a dozen new pieces written that I've just been too busy to publish. I will get them done as soon as the heat and humidity stops sucking the life out of me. Cheers!

Cherry Blossom Season

2006-08-05T18:17:00.000+09:00

So for Cherry Blossom season, we have to jump back to April. Around this time, the last chill of winter had disappeared, and a period of high winds ushered in a tide of warm air from the south that will flow over Japan for seven months or so.
This triggers the beginning of one of the most sacred and celebrated events in Japan, the blossoming of the cherry trees. Beginning in the southern island of Okinawa and slowly spreading north to Hokkaido, the many, many cherry trees that line the streets and dot the hillsides in Japan burst into flower. Some are white, some with a faint green hue, but the majority are a soft, beautiful shade of pink. Without seeing it in person, it's hard to convey the delicate, breathtaking and ethereal beauty of a stand of trees swaying in a gentle wind, as their petals drift lazily through the air to brush your cheek before coating the ground in a soft blanket of pink...this being one of those FEW occasions where the color pink is actually OK in my book. Its beauty rivals the autumn leaves in Ontario, as well as the lush, golden jungles of Thailand, but it is a fleeting beauty.
The Japanese revere the cherry blossom so much because its lifespan, only a few short weeks, echoes the passionate but often short lives of the samurai, and reminds us of the temporary and transitory nature of our own existence. Personally, I just thought they were pretty.
The 'hanami" is a great little tradition that goes with the season - the cherry blossom viewing party. While it may sound a bit dry (as the blossoms don't do tricks or anything) it's really more like 50% viewing and 50% drinking. Maybe 40-60, I can't remember. Anyway, since it's quite ok to drink in public in Japan (a fact I was tickled pink to learn of), people break out the sake, shochu, wine, beer, or all of the above and proceed to a nearby park. There, under the shade of the cherry trees, the Japanese proceed to drink like Canadians during "Hockey Night in Canada".
I went to one of these at a castle in Oita city, and it was more fun than a barrel of drunken monkeys. Victoria was there, and Christine, the Geos teacher in Beppu. This was one of the first times I really hung out with Chris, and she would later become a great friend. Also there were a bunch of Japanese English students who looked as if they had just ransacked a distillery. We sat on a tarp, under some trees at the edge of the castle's moat, and here is where it starts to get a bit fuzzy. We went to eat after, possibly for Yaki-niku, but don't hold me to that, because the Emperor could have asked us to dine at his palace and I probably wouldn't remember.
At any rate, I consider my first hanami a roaring success, as I got a tonne of good pictures, had a blast, and only drank away one or two I.Q. points. The picture is pretty self-explanatory; me, under the trees, by the castle. So till next year, kampai! (Cheers.)

Japlish (a.k.a. Fractured English)

2006-08-04T12:57:00.000+09:00

So now that I've spent a year living in Japan as an English speaker, I feel I can say with some confidence that the average Japanese person has a heartwarming enthusiasm for English culture, and consequently the English language. However, as touched as I am by such enthusiasm, it does not, unfortunately, always translate into ability.
While many businesses have goods and slogans in English, and many teenagers wear clothes branded with English phrases, I have serious doubts about whether any of these have been subjected to editing of any kind. In fact, if some of these phrases came from a native English speaker, I would deeply suspect some kind of substance abuse. Now, I am certainly not saying that Japan is bereft of any skilled English speakers - I happen to be friends with several. Not to mention the fact that their English beats the hell out of my Japanese. That being said, however, I have seen some mangling of the language here that is so ridiculously funny I decided I had to share it. I'm sure there's a Japanese guy out there somewhere with a blog showing just how badly foreigners mangle Japanese, too. At any rate, I only poke fun because I think it's cute, so let's enjoying together, OK?!

From a goldfish peddler's cart: "Guaranteed Pure Gold Fish."
From an Osaka pediatrician's office: "Specialist for the Decease of Children." (I'm guessing he doesn't get many return customers.)
From a store selling eggs: "Extract of fowl." (Could sound more appetizing.)
From a petshop in Osaka: "Fondle Dogs." (I wonder, is that considered animal abuse?)
From an airport in Haneda: "We Take Your Bags and Send Them in All Directions." (Hey, points for honesty.)
From a Niigata hostel: "The elevator is fixed for the next day. During that time you will be unbearable."
From a gift left in a hotel room at Tokyo's Dai-Ichi Hotel: "Room-boy is a present." (Really? How generous.)
From a bridge near Fukuoka: "Cars will not have intercourse on this bridge." (Quite a shame, I'd like to see that.)
A street sign in front of the Teito Hotel in Tokyo: "Vertical parking only."
Signs erected by the thousands across the country: "Quietly!"
A sign at a Ropongi intersection: "Have many accidents here!" (Well, if you insist.)
On a medicine bottle: "Take three tablets a day until passing away." (Actually, could I get a refund?)
Headline in the Asahi Evening News: "Solution to Loatian Crisis Remains Unsolved."
From a fur shop on Namiki-dori, Tokyo: "We make fur out of your skin." (Hannibal Lector, CEO.)
From a dressmaker's shop in Kamakura: "Ladies have fits upstairs."
From a ladies sportswear store in Shinjuku: "Unthinkable Color Combinations!" (Methinks there's a grain of truth to this one, but more for Japanese teenagers.)
On a menu: "Rogue Fart Cheese." (Sure, slap that on a cracker for me.)
In a Shinjuku bar's bathroom: "To stop drip, turn cock to the right." (Most of us shake, but who am I to argue?)
A commercial establishment advertising its new business activity: "No more whorehouse. Now Number One Laundry. You come all same please."
In a brochure for a bus company: "Tour the backside of Japan." (I think this may have something to do with that last one.)
The widely publicized motto for the Japan Toilet Society: "Clean, Fresh, I am Toilet." (Yeah I know...Japan Toilet Society?!)
On a teenager's sweatshirt: "Many things un-understandable, a chicken-hearted seems slim usually." (Sorry, shirt also un-understandable.)
Another sweatshirt: "Mr.Zog's original sex wax. Never spoils. It's best for your stick." (Can I order this online? Do they take Visa?)
At a barber: "Heads cutting only 1500 yen. For bald men 900 yen."
A hairdresser's sign: "Parm - in shampoo cut blow." (...Ouch?)
On a fish tank in Okinawa: "No smorking in building." (Smoking? Or Snorkeling?)
On a Mos Burger parking space: "Stuff only." (Vague...)
On a T-shirt: "Dick Swiveller." (She probably didn't know her T-shirt essentially said "I like to rotate penises.")
On a pencilcase: "CATS KNOW VARIOUS THINGS." (Made more ominous by the capitals.)
On a sweatshirt: "This is not Secret Service. This is Secret Force." (Not so secret now, hmm?)
An actual brand name for a clothing line: "Wanky."
A sports drink: "Pocari Sweat." (I'll stick with Gatorade, thanks.)
On a pencilcase: "Spanking! By the sea." (What this has to do with pencils I really don't know.)
A sign for a bridal store: "Let's Wedding."
A kind of liquid soap for the shower: "Body Soup."
On a T-shirt whose onwer almost certainly had no clue what it said: "I'm a bitch so suck my titties!" (I kid you not.)
On a T-shirt worn by an 8-year old boy: "Future F.A.G." (So much for 'Don't ask, Don't tell'. I hope his clasmates can't read that.)
Another T-shirt: "Hippies are made to keep assholes." (And where do they keep them exactly?)
Several actual Japanese bands: "Sound Masturbation", "Bathtub Shitters", "Flying Testicles". (In fairness, North America has produced the Butthole Surfers, Rainbow Butt Monkeys...and hey, where does this butt fascination come from?)
The following are traffic instructions distributed by a police station in Osaka:

1. At the rise of hand policeman, stop rapidly. Do not pass him by or other wise disrespect him.
2. When a passenger of the foot have in view, tottle the horn, trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, tootle him with vigor and express by word of mouth warning "hi, hi".
3. Beware of the wandering horse, cow or pig that shall not take fright as you pass them. Do not explode the exhaust box at them. Go soothingly by.
4. Give space to the festive dog that shall sport in the roadway.
5. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes.
6. Go soothingly on the grease road, as there lurks the skid demon.
7. Press the brake of the foot as you roll around corner to save collapse and tie-up.

Gold, pure gold I tell you. Next, we have a classic example that comes from the post-war era when Douglas MacArthur was directing the occupying forces in Tokyo. He was a possible candidate for the U.S. presidential elections for a time, and a group of Japanese supporters hoisted this banner over busy downtown Tokyo: "We Pray for MacArthur's Erection."
This is just a small sample of the many titillatingly twisted uses of English I see all the time. There are times when I see something, just walking down the street, and burst out laughing so hard people probably think the weird foreign guy is having some kind of episode. I'll do my best do bring you more, as there is never a short supply - my own students are a vast, vast, goldmine.

Myths About Sushi, and Other Japanese Foods

2006-08-02T18:43:00.000+09:00

So I'm a bit of a "foodie", in case you couldn't tell. Coming to Japan, I admit that initially I was a bit worried, since raw fish hadn't really been on the menu in Canada. Plus, I'd heard horror stories about ALTs being given foods at parties that normally you couldn't pay them to eat, but who had to choke it down anyway or risk offending the host.
When I arrived, I kind of had to dive in, and I knew it. I swallowed my pride along with my gag reflex, but lo and behold I was (mostly) pleasantly surprised. There are, of course, some items that I discreetly push to the side of my plate or scrape into a flowerpot, but not that many. In fact, the traditional Japanese diet is much healthier than most in North America, which certainly helps explain why they live longer here, and why there are only like three fat people in my whole city.
As for sushi, let me just say that if you have never eaten raw fish, you are indeed missing something good. There's a heap of reasons that people here eat it like North Americans eat pizza. Firstly, don't worry about bacteria, because the stuff you eat is always really fresh. Most places have fish tanks, and often they dispatch your dinner about a minute before you eat it. Sometimes, as in the case of my friend in the picture, the fish is still twitching when it comes. I do admit though, it's weird to eat a meal while it's staring back at you. Secondly, hygiene standards here are really high, better than anything you'll find in North America. I've worked in kitchens before, trust me on this one. There have been many times that Taco Bell has made me run for the toilet, but not once with the food here. Thirdly, no cooking means less waiting! It's the ultimate fast food. Fourth, sushi is rediculously good for you. Rice, meat, a few veggies - high protein, nutrient dense, and little fat. It certainly won't go to your ass as fast as McDonald's will. Finally, and most importantly, you must realize that by cooking fish you change the flavour and texture completely, not always for the better. When combined with a piece of warm, sticky Japanese rice, dipped in soy sauce and dabbed with a bit of wasabi (Japanese horseradish), a chunk of raw tuna melts in your mouth and has a rich flavour like nothing else. I also recommend octopus, bream, shrimp, crab, salmon, sea urchin, sea eel, mackerel, and of course, blowfish. Each has a unique taste and texture, and because portions are small, you can try them all through the course of a single meal.
Moving on from sushi, I should mention also that the Japanese have a great fondness for noodles, which coincidentally so do I! Usually very healthy, they come in a lot of varieties. My favourite is Udon, which are thick white wheat noodles, great to slurp and typically served in a fish-based broth. I even invented my own variation. Also popular are Soba, thin buckwheat noodles sometimes served cold, and which are sometimes eaten on special occasions like New Years to represent a long life. A dish borrowed from China, immensely popular but horribly fattening is Ramen, thin noodles served in a hot pork broth, often seasoned with sesame, black bean paste, chili or chopped onion. The pork broth is tasty, but basically it's like liquid bacon...great hangover food though!
Some other popular foods borrowed from China are Gyooza, fried pork and vegetable dumplings, and Shuumai, steamed meatball dumplings. Another fixture in any city, borrowed from Korea, is the Yaki-niku restaurant, which literally means grilled meat. This is like a big indoor barbeque, with a grill at each table. Sometimes gas, sometimes hot coals, and the smoke is pumped outside to lure in passersby. You can buy strips of beef, pork, chicken, squid, scallops, shrimp or veggies, all of which frequently come in special marinades. This is great for a night out with friends.
Some other popular and more traditional Japanese foods include Tempura, or deep-fried, lightly battered fish and veggies, Yakitori, or grilled chicken on sticks (anything tastes good on a stick, right?), Tako-yaki, or fried octopus dumplings, and Okonomi-yaki, a kind of pizza cooked with batter, meat and tons of veggies on a hotplate. My adopted Japanese family made this for me last week, and it was so good I'm definitely thinking of buying my own hotplate.
Also surprisingly popular, in a land where food is traditionally low-octane, is Indian-style curry and rice. Some places serve it so hot it will singe your nose-hairs and bring tears to your eyes. However, I should note that Thai curry is hotter - you could use that to strip furniture.
I could go on - the Japanese love to eat almost as much as they love to drink - but I'm starving now. Next time, my topic will be "Japlish", or "Fractured English", which is always good for a laugh. Here's a sample:

From an Osaka pediatrician's office: "Specialist for the Decease of Children."

Thailand, part 4 - Camping, giant lizards and Bangkok revisited

2006-08-01T16:48:00.000+09:00

Next in Thailand came the final leg of our journey, camping on an island in the Andaman Sea. We got up early, and by longboat (of course) we were ferried to another island. This place was actually a national park, and during the day it's quite a tourist hotspot, with fleets of boats lining the shores. By night however, we would have the park almost to ourselves, and we were scheduled to stay for 2 nights.
At first we set up camp, and then took swim after swim in the crystal blue waters, because DAMN it was hot. And this, remember, was in January; previous years would find me in a parka, chiseling an inch of ice from my car windows. So after loafing about a bit, our guides conspired to once again cram us onto a boat, but what came next was worth it. We were taken to the mouth of a sea-cave, again shoved into the sea, and all of us proceeded to feel our way through this cave in pitch blackness. This wasn't the good part, in case you were wondering. When we got through the cave however, we were dumbstruck. The sea had carved out a huge column in the rock, and the sheer walls encircling us climbed a hundred feet above our heads. Below, the small sandy lagoon was bordered by a small patch of lush plant life, where birds chirped and butterflies flitted through shafts of golden sunlight. This was the definition of paradise.
After reluctantly leaving this place, it was back to camp for a demanding afternoon of frisbee in the surf, and lying in a hammock. It was a special evening though, because it happened to be Victoria's birthday, and she demanded to be spoiled rotten. Happy to have any excuse for a party, the rest of us were happy to comply.
After getting dressed to kill in the sarongs we had picked up on Khao Sun Road, we first had an amazing fish dinner, giant barracuda I believe, courtesy of our hosts. The picture shows all of us, just about that time, as the sun set on our party. Then, as Vic sat in her freshly woven crown of wildflowers, the drinking games began. This was followed by a serenade from one of our hosts who had brought a guitar, and then Vic's birthday cake, which was actually a stack of pancakes, but we won't split hairs. We would later stumble to our respective tents, stuffed, flushed and happy.
The next morning began with me stumbing to the bathroom, only to be confronted with a 4-foot long monitor lizard blocking my path. The island was crawling with these guys, and I'm only marginally more fond of lizards than I am of sharks, so I peed in a bush. Later that day, Lee, Mark and I went on a trek through the jungle on the island (no lizard encounters, thankfully) to a hilltop overlooking the island and the ocean for miles around. Then, joy of joys, it was to be more snorkeling. I got roped into this because everyone else was going, and at first I resisted, but with no fat Germans in sight, I finally went in. It was neat, and there was a lot to see, I admit - hundreds of kinds of fish and coral, but the whole time, in the back of my head, I swear I could hear the scary music from Jaws. Fish look better as sushi anyway, in my opinion. Later we played cards, drank beer and called it a night.
We left the next morning for the mainland, and then spent an hour in a van on our way to our next destination, Trang. This place was supposed to be great for local coffee and food, but it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. It was hot, crowded, the local market smelled like cat pee for some reason, and the coffee gave me the runs. I was happy to leave and get on the train back to Bangkok. Once again this was a sleeper train, and we arrived in Bangkok the next morning after we spent the night - you guessed it - playing cards and drinking beer.
So as the official tour wrapped up, we had a final night in the Vieng Thai on Khao Sun Road. There was a goodbye dinner, followed by a night out, the details of which are so fuzzy I won't even hazard a guess. Then the next day, we had another stay at the Asha Guest House before our flight out in the morning. We went out to the downtown core of Bangkok, and tried to drink in as much of it as we could, pardon the pun. A sumptuous dinner, dancing, some new friends, and aside from saying that I barely made it back from downtown in time to get the plane, I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
I have a passion for this country now, and would go there again in a heartbeat. The people were warm and generous, the land was like something from a fantasy, and the great company made it truly complete. Except for Bob, of course. Wherever I go from now on, it will be measured against Thailand.

Thailand, part 3 - New Years Eve in Ao Nang

2006-07-31T22:44:00.000+09:00

So, after very little sleep at the Muslim homestay, we were trucked back into town and left our things at the hotel where we would be staying. After a proper shower that felt like pure heaven, we got ready for a day of island hopping, beach-bumming, sightseeing and skin-diving aboard the hotel's private yacht. The picture you see is of the beaches at Ao Nang, and they were spectacular. The waters offshore are dotted with literally hundreds of small islands, and at the risk of sounding like a trave brochure, each is more beautiful than the last. Those are the longboats I keep mentioning, incidentally. We first went to the lagoon where they filmed "The Beach", then saw a pirates cove, and did some work on our tans. Then, they took us out into the middle of the ocean, and threw us off the boat. To go diving, ha.
Now, I should note here that while I am a capable swimmer, I am not a big fan of swimming in the ocean. Perhaps due to seeing Jaws or Open Water one too many times, I was immensely reluctant to join this activity, but after some prodding (and chicken noises) from my friends, I finally went in. I was actually paddling around and enjoying myself for all of three minutes when it happened. It seems that rather than worrying about sharks, I should have been worried about fat German tourists jumping on my head. A group of them had come on the boat with us, and after nearly being drowned by this ignorant piece of human flotsam, I was pretty much done with diving for the day.
After that, and slightly sunburned, we went back to dry land and began our New Years festivities. First came a banquet dinner, after which I hazily remember a great deal of bar-hopping. Everyone wanted to do something different, so in the end we tried to do everything; Irish bar, Sports bar (yuck), and finally the Luna Bar, a beach-front dance bar. This is where Lee, Vic, Mark, Angela and I ended up ringing in the New Year, and it turned out to be great - fireworks, a live DJ, fire dancers and people from every corner of the world, just wanting to have a good time. We stayed there for a while, but the night was still young, and the music we had heard coming from the jungle the night before was calling us back, infectious and irresistible.
So, all of us ended up piling into tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxis) and we just followed the music. The party turned out to be massive, a rave right smack in the heart of darkness to end all raves. Banners flew everywhere, lights lit up the night and throngs of us danced in the red Thai mud to a fantastic mix of house, jungle and techno. We stayed for hours, lost in the music, and made our way back just before dawn, completely exhausted. I went to sleep with a smile on my face, my only regret that I hadn't been able to share the experience with my friends from Ottawa and Kingston. That, and we somehow lost Victoria, but she found her way back...she's like a cat that way.
The next day was, thankfully, pretty low-key. From Ao Nang we packed ourselves into a longboat and made our way to an island resort in the Andaman Sea. This was all, incidentally, the same area that had been hit by the tsunami in 2005, but you could hardly tell. Thailand depends so much on its tourism industry that everything had been repaired in record time, and only a few bent trees told the tale. Our next resort was on a rubber plantation (lots of those around) which had great beaches, a fantastic outdoor restaurant, and little huts where they did Thai massage right beside the beach. I thought they did great work, award-worthy even, but Bob didn't agree. Remember Bob? Well, he thought his massage was below his exacting standards, so like the bitter old fart that he was, he yelled at the girl, and paid her half before storming away. See why we liked him so much?
Anyway, we basically just sat on the beach all of that day and recovered from the night before. At night, we sat on the beach some more, chatting with the Aussies in our group - Paul and Brie, Stu and Kim, Josh and Laura - while listening to the waves rolling gently onto the shore. Luckily for us there were no more tsunami - with the amount of time we spent on the beach during that week, we would have been screwed.
Next time - camping with giant lizards! Don't miss that one.

Thailand, part 2 - Tattoos, Elephants and Rainforest

2006-07-28T17:54:00.000+09:00

Firstly, let me continue from where I left off by saying every meal aboard the rafthouses was an event. Thai food is so amazing, and authentic, home-cooked Thai food is even better. Spicy as hell though - never EVER ask for it as hot as they eat themselves, or you'll be the proud owner of a new ulcer. From coconut with green curry to fried rice with prawns, they fed us so much I'm amazed we could waddle back to our huts each night. To pass the days we alternated between swimming in or kayaking on the lake, to drowsing at the floating bar in a hammock, to playing cards or (strangely enough) Connect 4. I beat the pants off of our tour guide. At night there was drinking (oh, was there drinking), fireworks, music, dancing, a whiff or two of some special tobacco, and poi.
What are poi, you ask? Don't be impatient, I was just getting to that. Poi are basically a set of weights (like tennis balls) on chains, that loop around your fingers. These are twirled around yourself at high speed, and occasionally are set on fire to wow the gawking tourists. One of our hosts, Mr. Bao (the guy I whupped at Connect 4) was even nice enough to teach me how to use these, and Victoria helped teach as well, as she's a bit of a virtuoso with them herself. This has rapidly become one of my favourite useless skills, and the kids have a shit-fit when I bring them to school.
So anyway, we left our rafthouses after a few days of boat rides and jungle treks, saying goodbye to all our new friends, and we made our way back to a tourist town just outside of park headquarters. This was a cool spot too, with a Rastafarian bar, a fantastic restaurant and a great staff. From our base here, we went out to ride elephants through a local rubber tree plantation, which took us to a tropical waterfall, where we went swimming in the pool below. Later, we went tubing down another river, through some amazing rainforest, and spent that night drinking with the locals and some other tourists at the Rasta Bar.
The next day, Vicoria and I would return to the same place, owned by this really intense guy named Phillipe. His friend was a tattoo artist, and he proceeded to talk us into getting tattoos, but we really didn't need much convincing, as we both wanted Thailand to leave some mark on us. Now these were not just any tattoos either - they were traditional tattoos done with bamboo, the most excruciating thing I've ever exprienced aside from country music. His friend did great work though, and in the end we were all happy. In the picture you'll see me, getting my ink done on my ankle...what you don't see is me wincing and begging for him to be done.
I got a symbol that represents, in the Buddhist faith, connection to the universe. It is read as "ohm", and is what Buddhist monks tend to chant when they meditate. Victoria got this gigantic star design on her foot, and it still amazes me that she didn't pass out from the pain...I was three sheets to the wind and could barely stand it. But then I'm a huge pussy.
The next day, we gathered our belongings and once again stuffed ourselves into a van as we made our way to our next destination, Ao Nang. Our time at Ao Nang was to be split - the first night at a Muslim homestay on a rubber plantation, the second at a hotel near the beach.
After arriving in town, we were given some time to wander around and have lunch (a fantastic roadside Pad Thai, if you're curious). Then we were driven outside of town, into the jungle, and finally onto the plantation. There, we were introduced to our host, a very nice man with a wonderful family, and whose name was far too long for me to have any chance of remembering. Anyway, we got the tour, and watched as his wife and mother cooked us a fantastic meal (sans alcohol, due to the Muslim thing, much to our distress). After dinner we were offered a real treat - our host was going to a Muay Thai boxing match, and the second he asked us along, I was all over that like a fat kid on a Smartie.
The stadium was packed, the fighters were in great shape, and their technique was amazing. The fighters ranged in age from about 8 years old (child protection laws, what are they?!) to about 30. I won't bore you with a blow-by-blow, but as a martial artist I was impressed, and at least one guy had to be dragged from the ring. Unfortunate, but still kind of neat.
Then, it was back to sleep in our bungalow. Sleep however, was not in the cards, due to the rave going on in the jungle next door. The music was good enough, but after lying there all night, wide-eyed and listening to rats scurrying past my bed, I was in what you might call a "murdering mood". As we left our homestay behind I heard the music fade into the distance, but not for the last time...Victoria and I had learned that it as still going on the next night, which just happened to be New Year's Eve...
Stay tuned (again). This was almost three weeks folks, trying to compress it into easy-to-digest chapters takes a bit of time. And yes, the memories are a bit fuzzy. If beer was a dollar a glass, you'd drink too.

Why Everyone Needs to go to Thailand

2006-07-26T16:59:00.000+09:00

OK, so I gave you a teaser about this last time, and I figured I should just go ahead and give you the definitive, complete and unabridged version. (Alright, so it's slightly abridged because my kids could read this).
The trip took place over Christmas holidays, and luckily too. I had been told that spending your holidays in Japan as a foreigner is about as depressing as it gets, and I didn't want to stick around to test the theory. On the Thursday school let out, Victoria, Mark, LeeSean and I gathered at Lee's place in Nakatsu, and slept fitfully through a snowstorm as we dreamt of tropical beaches. The next morning (if you could call it that - the sun wasn't up yet) we trudged through snowbanks to the train station, where we got on a train bound for Fukuoka, largest city in Kyushu, and our departure point for flying to Thailand.
A few hours later, after a short flight punctuated by a brief stopover in Taipei, we touched down in Bangkok. We had booked a hostel, the Asha Guest House, and made our way there from the airport. Bangkok, at first glance, was big, bustling, hazy, humid, a blend of tropical green and colorful buildings. I loved it immediately. The Asha was quaint, with a pool, on the upside, and communal bathrooms, on the downside, along with a swarm of cute little geckoes everywhere, leaving cute little gecko turds in their wake.
From there, we got Thai massages, and went drinking, shopping and exploring for 2 days until our tour began. Then we moved shop to the Vieng Thai, a fantastic hotel right near Khao Sun Road, Bangkok's famous entertainment and nightlife hotspot, where Leonardo DiCaprio drinks snake blood in "The Beach". There we met our tour leader Noot, along with the other members of our group. Among them were three fun Australian couples, a lovely British lady named Angela, and Bob, an older man, also British, but who would prove to be a pain in our collective asses the whole trip with his incessant bitching.
That day, our adgenda included a trip by longboat down the river on which Bangkok is built, a trip to the Royal Palace, home of Thailand's king, and the adjoining Grand Palace, the biggest and most famous Buddhist temple in all of Thailand. The picture is of The Grand Palace, with the same view you would see on Thai coins. It's even niftier inside. After that, it was dinner and drinks on Khao Sun Road to celebrate Christmas, since it happened to be the 25th.
The next day we had free, and so we proceeded to shop some more, taking in the neverending circus of Khao Sun, as well as other parts of downtown Bangkok, including the biggest bazaar I have ever seen in my life - literally hundreds upon hundreds of stalls. We capped the evening off with a sumptuous 4-course meal atop one of Bangkok's highest buildings. Then, along with the group we boarded a sleeper train to our next destination, Khao Sok National Park. The next morning we left the train, climbed into a van, and drove to Khao Sok, a lush tropical junglescape blanketing ancient mountains, surrounding a set of pristine lakes. From the park's headquarters we were ferried by longboat across one of these lakes, Chaiw Lan, to a set of floating raft-houses, which was to be our home for the next 3 days.
Stay tuned for next time, there's a lot more to tell, but alas, my fingers are tired.

My Friends

2006-07-23T22:40:00.000+09:00

When I first got into Oita, there were welcoming parties, everyone got introduced (read: drunk together) and numbers were exchanged. Nonetheless, once I got settled in, I found myself a bit bored, and while I had many acquaintances, I had very few friends. Cue the tiny violin.
Well after about a week or two of this, I got a phonecall from an existing ALT, LeeSean Huang, the fabulous gentlemen in the photo. He was trying to be friendly, and asked if I wanted some company for another welcoming party taking place the next weekend. Thankful someone would remember my name, let alone call, I of course said yes, and we became immediate friends.
Through Lee, I was able to meet two other wonderful people - Victoria Ryder, the dazzling beauty in the picture, and Mark Mathiessen, who I'll have to show you a picture of later. Both were teachers with a company called Geos, both lived in Oita city, and both would later end up accompanying me to Thailand. More on that story later. Firstly, I should mention that Lee hails from Arizona, Victoria comes from the UK, and Mark is from Canada, like myself, but further west (Calgary). Sadly, both Vic and Mark have since left here to pursue other things, but while they were here I was happy to know them and we had SHIT-loads of fun. I will say one thing for Geos folk - you may be overworked and underpaid, but you know how to party!
So in regards to Thailand, this was a thing that Lee, Vic and Mark had been planning for a while. They had been hanging out for ages, and I kind of crashed the party, but when LeeSean asked me to come along and escape winter in Japan for a few weeks, who was I to say no? Gift horse, mouth. 'Nuff said. So we made our preparations, got to know each other better (read: more drinking), and when it finally came down to it, I wouldn't have had my dream-vacation-of-a-lifetime any other way. Except, of course, for LeeSean's snoring...it really sounds like the boy swallowed a chainsaw.
LeeSean leaves to go back to the U.S. this week, marking the last of my 3 "Thailand buddies" to flee the country. He is a great cook, insanely funny and has accompanied me on many other adventures throughout Japan. He will certainly be missed, despite the fact that his wardrobe contains hazardous levels of pink.
Victoria, a fellow writer, a lusty drunk, a firecracker and heartbreaker, I hope to see in Amsterdam next year. Mark, always cheerful (bordering on perky), great with kids, and as idealistic as myself, is now living in Montreal, and when I move home I definitely hope to see more of him. I am never good with goodbyes, so I'll just say that every time I "kompai" now, part of it will go out to you guys. If only we had had more time. Cue cheesy music, fade to black.

Tokyo, Orientation, and being Lost in Translation

2006-07-20T16:50:00.000+09:00

This goes out to all the new folks who will be flying into Japan next month. First, rewind a year or so to August 15 of 2005, and you would find me just touching down in Tokyo after a gruelling 14-hour flight from Ottawa via Detroit. Jet-lagged and culture-shocked, lugging 2 overstuffed suitcases carrying all my worldly possessions, I am herded from the airport along with several other busloads of ALTs into Shinjuku, the heart of Tokyo. Since the biggest city I'd been in before was Toronto (sadly), it's a lot to take in.
We're all put up in the Keio Plaza Hotel, very posh, and I'm pretty impressed, even if they don't have the free bar and in-room masseuse that I was hoping for. We each get a roomate, either to help us bond with our fellow ALTs, make us feel more at home, or save a few bucks. I'm thinking option C. Mine is a very nice Australian named Todd Grant or Grant Todd, I'm never quite sure which.
The next day we have to endure some orientation and training type stuff, some is which is useful; the rest is relatively self-evident and lulls me into a blissful slumber. We are, however, made to feel like honoured guests, and I get the feeling I'll be digging this whole Japan thing, especially when they bring on the free drinks.
Later that evening we're cut loose, and proceed to roam in packs through one of the busiest, brightest, loudest, occasionally smelliest, and most interesting places in all of Japan. The photo above is of Shinjuku at night that second day, and it only gives a modest hint of the craziness...the blurriness is to simulate the pitcher of beer I drank in karaoke just previously. I should also add that said karaoke spot was the same one Bill Murray visited in "Lost in Translation". It was neat - they offered "nomihodai", which roughly translates into "drink until you think you're Elvis", and some Japanese guys crashed our party to deliver their rendition of "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. Later still, (and despite my slurred protests) we grabbed some McDonald's, and yes, it is pretty much the same here, except it's pronounced "Makudonarudo".
This was followed by a few precious hours of sleep, before I was crammed into a plane yet again, which took me here, to Oita. This was followed by more ceremonies, speeches, bowing, slideshows, dancing, drinking and even a little swordplay, not necessarily in that order. But that's another story.

Miyazaki: Surfer's Paradise

2006-07-18T17:06:00.000+09:00

So last night I just got back from my trip to Miyazaki with my friend LeeSean, and it was incredible. Miyazaki, for those of you who don't live here or just suck at geography, is the prefecture in Japan located just south of mine in Kyushu, famous for good beaches and laid back people. Definitely true on both counts! Lee and I had been planning this trip for months, because he's leaving Japan this month and we needed a last big hurrah. The weather was not playing along, however, until the holiday weekend that just passed here, and MAN, did it ever play along then! We left on Friday night, just to get a head start, and I drove most of the way out of Oita and into Miyazaki. It was a long drive through the moutntains, but beaufitul in the extreme. Up in the mountains nothing is overdeveloped and spoiled like in many other places here, and you can drive for hours with just the sub-tropical jungle to keep you company, whizzing by on either side. It's lush, thick, coated in mist as the sun sets, and like reminded me a bit of Thailand. We managed to get into Miyazaki city just after 10, and found a cheap hotel to crash in for the night.
The next morning we awoke to a dazzling sun and a cloudless sky, and after all the rain we've been getting here this month, I was doing a little dance of joy. We pushed on to try and hit a beach, and ended up in Aoshima, a place with a long dark sand beach, lined by plam trees, and an island surrounded by the unique rock formations you see in the picture here. They look like waves of stone rising up from the ocean, and I've never seen anything like them before. Called "The Devil's Washboard" by locals, I assume they're a product of some volcanic activity or another, since Japan is positively infested with volcanoes. Anyway, after that we drove around for a bit, took in the countryside, and made our way to our crash-pad for the night. We stayed with another ALT, one who lives deep in the mountains of Miyazaki, and enjoyed a nice Italian dinner with him that night before polishing off a bottle of champagne and drifting off.
The next day (Sunday) it was off to rendezvous with our friend Sophie in Huga, near Miyazaki City again. Sophie was singing at a music festival that day, so we tried to catch her performance, but unfortunately missed it, as it was just too bloody early. So, as she slept, recovering from a bender the night before, we checked out the festival (mostly hip-hop, meh), had lunch, and decided to hit another local beach. This beach, Okuragohama (sp?) had some MASSIVE waves, which we splashed around in for a while, until we got bored and decided to wake Sophie up. Sophie, good sport that she is, took us back to hang out at her place for a bit, where we met Kat, another ALT. Later, the four of us plus two other ALTS down for the weekend went out to a really fantastic little restaurant by the ocean, just outside of Huga. It had a Hawaiian theme, and the sunset from its patio was spectacular, giving us a view of the mountains on either side as they plunged into the ocean. Afterwards, stuffed and satisfied, we dropped off to sleep at Sophie's for a good 12 hours.
The next day was our last day, and seeing as it was another spectacular day weather-wise, we wanted to surf. Sophie is a pro surfer, and had some extra boards for us, so we went back to down to Okuragohama and decided to give it a try. Mind you, I had never done this before, so I decided to stick with body-boarding as a first step toward full-out surfing, and it came to me pretty easily. I had fully expected to make an ass of myself, but it was fun, and since the waves were pretty big I caught a few and really enjoyed myself, without getting too much seawater launched up my nose. I also managed to get a pretty fantastic sunburn, so that now my ass is more tender than Kobe beef. At least I'll get a good base for the summer though.
All in all, it was an amazing weekend, and I definitely have the surfing bug now. I'm thinking of going back down sometime later in the summer, because Miyazaki is the best place in Japan for it, and the people are so much more chilled out than in other places here...it's kind of like the California of Japan. Oita, being the Idaho of Japan, seems a little less exciting by comparison now...

So this is what I do

2006-07-13T19:36:00.000+09:00

Well I thought to kick things off for my second entry, those of you back in Canada might be interested in seeing yours truly in action. While some of you previously knew me as a Startek phone jockey, activating cellphones for T-Mobile 8 hours a day, I want to show you how VASTLY my career prospects have improved. This is me teaching at my junior high school from last semester, Hamawaki. I'm doing an introductory lesson, and let me tell you folks, they're riveted to their seats. I love the fact that I have a captive audience, but I do try and make it interesting for them at any rate. How it works is that I have a base school, a senior high, namely Aoyama or "Blue Moutain" SH. I have been at this school since day 1, and will be there until I leave, as they're my main employer. However, once a week (Tuesdays, if you really care) they ship me off to a junior high, where it is my job to dance around and try to get the kids (who have like, next to NO English ability) to try and give the English language a chance. I've been lucky so far in that MOST of my Japanese colleagues have had pretty good attitudes and good English ability, but this is by no means always the case. I've heard of some ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) who get stuck in a classroom with unruly kids, a teacher that can't help them out at all, and as they walk in the door are told "OK, they're all yours" in somewhat broken English.
So far, it's been quite the opposite for me, which I completely attribute to my charm and good looks. Usually the kids at my schools squeal in delight as I pull up on my bike or moped (they REALLY get a kick out of the moped), and the celebrity status...well let's say it's better than a kick in the pants. I think the reason they like me is largely due to the fact that I like playing games as much as they do, to be honest. Trying to get through a "serious lesson" is bloody murder, frankly, and I gave up on it after maybe 2 attempts. I realize now that teaching is more about imparting interest in the subject matter than it is about conveying information, and maybe, just maybe, if I trick them into paying attention long enough, they might just learn something anyway.

First post on the new Blog!

2006-07-12T23:32:00.000+09:00

Well, here I am trying a blog for the second time since coming to Japan about a year ago. I hope this effort turns out better than the first...after setting up the first as a "Myspace" on MSN, the regional settings changed the whole bloody thing to Japanese, so I couldn't even add to it or figure out how to change it back. I'm not bitter though, I only spent about 4 HOURS setting that one up.
THIS, on the other hand, promises to be easier, better, and more fun, so here goes nothing. I plan to add, slowly but surely, an complete photo-journal and written account of the past 12 months here for all my friends and family, as well as the details of my trip to Thailand over Christmas. I have a lot of photos too...like 1000 or so! I'm a camera nut. For now, however, things are just coming together, so keep checking in and hopefully there should be something new every week. Thanks for taking an interest!