I like my Wednesdays a lot, because there's not a lot of demands on me. I don't have any classes until 6pm, and my total number of students is 3, including Naofumi-san, who is always amusing. The kids are amusing too, especially since they usually want to spend the first five minutes sending my Obi-Wan doll on new adventures around the room.
There aren't any kids' classes because it's a "catch-up" week, when any classes missed due to GEOS holidays or teacher absences can be made up. I have no need to do this, so that ejects eight classes from my weekly schedule and leaves me with only Naofumi-san's classes today. I love it when I can show up at the school in jeans and know that I have ample time to do whatever the hell I want to most of the day.
Benni-sensei showed up with taco leftovers, so we all sat down for a taco fiesta for lunch, which was brilliant in so many ways. A delivery guy stopped by to drop off a package, and being the generous people we are, we forced him to eat a taco. Can't imagine what he thought of that - Mexican food isn't incredibly popular or available here (Shinobu-san had never eaten tacos before, and neither have Hitomi-san's parents) - but he seemed to enjoy it. He should have, because they were damn good tacos. Again, I ate way too many of them. We decided that we should do this more often, so our next theme will be a pizza party. No telling when we'll actually have it, but it's an idea.
After lunch, I went out to do something I've been putting off all month long: buying a set of weights. I stopped by Beisia first to get the ingredients to make peanut butter balls for this weekend and then went over to Cainz Home to get the weights. 3kg each, which is a little more than what I used in the States. We'll see if doing all this bike-riding has actually improved my endurance or not. I even brought my Biggest Loser DVD with me, so I'll be giving that a try this week. Good thing I don't have any kids to worry about, because I'll probably be in pain for a couple of days. Nice.
I dropped my stuff off at the apartment, changed into appropriate attire, and arrived back at the school in time to learn that Naofumi-san had called to say he would be absent, thus affording me my first day of 0 classes taught. Hitomi-san and I gave Benni-sensei her card and present (a small blanket and pillow for when she wants to nap in her classroom - seriously, she's done it a couple times, and she's slept there overnight too), and then I spent three hours studying Japanese.
Have I mentioned lately that I love my life? Because I do. Totally.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Benni-sensei's reverse birthday
Benni-sensei's birthday is this week, and Sunday, she had a little taco party to celebrate. She invited three of us over to her apartment for the afternoon (another GEOS teacher, her best friend, and me). As always with Benni-sensei, I had only a vague notion of what was planned, but that's okay. All I had to do was show up, and that was simple enough.
Kozue-sensei (from the Maebashi school) picked me up at the train station in Maebashi and told me that we needed to stop by the nearby mall to get some chicken from KFC. Apparently, Benni-sensei was afraid the tacos wouldn't be enough. So, off we went to Keyaki Walk, where we ordered a box of chicken and wandered around the mall for a while. There's a really nice bookstore in the mall, and it even has a small English section, so we browsed there for a bit. I finally bought a book to help me practice reading and writing both kana and kanji. I'm pretty solid on the hiragana, and the workbook I use in my lessons with Benni-sensei is helpful with conversation, but I want to work on my kanji recognition. Doubt I'll ever really be able to write kanji correctly, but I'd at least like to recognize some of it.
After picking up our chicken (note: Japanese KFC is merely "okay" in terms of fried chicken; I was not overly impressed), we drove over to Benni-sensei's apartment and immediately dug into the food. There were only four of us, so we had more food than we knew what to do with. We decided to wait on the tacos, instead focusing on the KFC and a couple bags of Doritos for lunch. We also decided that we needed a diversion between lunch and dinner, and because it was Benni-sensei's birthday after all, we asked what she wanted to do. She suggested karaoke, and off we went.
It was an amusing birthday party - Benni-sensei had asked us not to bring gifts (we did anyway), and she gave gifts to us. Granted, they were souveniers from her trip to Thailand, but it was still kinda funny. She also treated us for the karaoke, which we protested vehemently, to no avail. She insisted. I've never attended a reverse birthday party, and it was interesting switch. Reverse birthdays and un-birthdays deserve more attention.
Continuing with the party . . . Japanese karaoke is highly amusing, even without alcohol. We stayed for three hours, singing both Japanese and English songs (they tried to teach me one Japanese song - something about a bear, pretty simple, like a kids' song - but it didn't go all that great). Benni-sensei studied music in college in Los Angeles, and she has a beautiful, trained voice, so it's nice to listen to her sing, even if I don't understand exactly what's being said. Also, it was incredible fun singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" with her. Benni-sensei has seen "Wayne's World" and agrees that head-banging is necessary when singing this song. We startled Kozue-sensei and Shinobu-san with our exuberant head-banging.
We'd worked up an appetite with the karaoke, so we went back to the apartment and absolutely gorged ourselves on tacos. Benni-sensei had asked me to make guacamole, and we also had refried beans, Pace Picante salsa, and jalapenos to top off our tacos. The taco shells were small, and I have no idea how many I ate. They were absolutely delicious and messy and fun. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.
The awesomest thing about Benni-sensei's apartment? It's right next to a train bridge, so you can watch the trains go by. Every time one passed by, we all stopped what we were doing and waved at it. Benni-sensei says she does it all the time.
Definitely a very fantastic birthday party. Benni-sensei's presents from Thailand were matching purse bags for us - orange for Kozue-sensei, purple for Shinobu-san, and chocolate-brown for me. I'll have to take a picture of it, it's really pretty. It has flowers and an elephant stitched on it. I like it.
I've been having very entertaining weekends this month, and next weekend should also be entertaining: we're finally having our New Year's party at the school. Going to an izakaya with my students should be incredibly entertaining. Add in that I don't have any kids' classes this week (hurray for William's perfect attendance! there's no need for me to do any make-up classes), and January looks to be ending on a high note.
Thus far, 2009 hasn't given me too much to complain about.
Kozue-sensei (from the Maebashi school) picked me up at the train station in Maebashi and told me that we needed to stop by the nearby mall to get some chicken from KFC. Apparently, Benni-sensei was afraid the tacos wouldn't be enough. So, off we went to Keyaki Walk, where we ordered a box of chicken and wandered around the mall for a while. There's a really nice bookstore in the mall, and it even has a small English section, so we browsed there for a bit. I finally bought a book to help me practice reading and writing both kana and kanji. I'm pretty solid on the hiragana, and the workbook I use in my lessons with Benni-sensei is helpful with conversation, but I want to work on my kanji recognition. Doubt I'll ever really be able to write kanji correctly, but I'd at least like to recognize some of it.
After picking up our chicken (note: Japanese KFC is merely "okay" in terms of fried chicken; I was not overly impressed), we drove over to Benni-sensei's apartment and immediately dug into the food. There were only four of us, so we had more food than we knew what to do with. We decided to wait on the tacos, instead focusing on the KFC and a couple bags of Doritos for lunch. We also decided that we needed a diversion between lunch and dinner, and because it was Benni-sensei's birthday after all, we asked what she wanted to do. She suggested karaoke, and off we went.
It was an amusing birthday party - Benni-sensei had asked us not to bring gifts (we did anyway), and she gave gifts to us. Granted, they were souveniers from her trip to Thailand, but it was still kinda funny. She also treated us for the karaoke, which we protested vehemently, to no avail. She insisted. I've never attended a reverse birthday party, and it was interesting switch. Reverse birthdays and un-birthdays deserve more attention.
Continuing with the party . . . Japanese karaoke is highly amusing, even without alcohol. We stayed for three hours, singing both Japanese and English songs (they tried to teach me one Japanese song - something about a bear, pretty simple, like a kids' song - but it didn't go all that great). Benni-sensei studied music in college in Los Angeles, and she has a beautiful, trained voice, so it's nice to listen to her sing, even if I don't understand exactly what's being said. Also, it was incredible fun singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" with her. Benni-sensei has seen "Wayne's World" and agrees that head-banging is necessary when singing this song. We startled Kozue-sensei and Shinobu-san with our exuberant head-banging.
We'd worked up an appetite with the karaoke, so we went back to the apartment and absolutely gorged ourselves on tacos. Benni-sensei had asked me to make guacamole, and we also had refried beans, Pace Picante salsa, and jalapenos to top off our tacos. The taco shells were small, and I have no idea how many I ate. They were absolutely delicious and messy and fun. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.
The awesomest thing about Benni-sensei's apartment? It's right next to a train bridge, so you can watch the trains go by. Every time one passed by, we all stopped what we were doing and waved at it. Benni-sensei says she does it all the time.
Definitely a very fantastic birthday party. Benni-sensei's presents from Thailand were matching purse bags for us - orange for Kozue-sensei, purple for Shinobu-san, and chocolate-brown for me. I'll have to take a picture of it, it's really pretty. It has flowers and an elephant stitched on it. I like it.
I've been having very entertaining weekends this month, and next weekend should also be entertaining: we're finally having our New Year's party at the school. Going to an izakaya with my students should be incredibly entertaining. Add in that I don't have any kids' classes this week (hurray for William's perfect attendance! there's no need for me to do any make-up classes), and January looks to be ending on a high note.
Thus far, 2009 hasn't given me too much to complain about.
Friday, January 23, 2009
and still more flavors of Kit Kats!
You can probably expect this to be a monthly thing. The awesomeness of Kit Kats was meant to be shared.
I'm not sure what flavor this is supposed to be (or if there is indeed a flavor intended), but you'll notice that they're in the form of cute little balls (tee hee). Cherry flavoring may have been involved, they tasted a little like that. Of course, they were yummy. I found them in a food mart at the Takasaki train station on my way to Takayama. I haven't seen them since, but maybe I haven't been looking hard enough.
I completely forgot to get a picture of these Kit Kats, which I must remember to do because they look pretty awesome. I also found these in the Takasaki train station, but they're fairly prevalent right now and can be found in many stores. Kozue-sensei even bought me a pack. These are sweet-potato-with-honey-and-sesame-seed-glaze Kit Kats. I should mention that such potatoes are available for purchase at Beisia, and I buy them whenever I got there, which is 2-3 times a week. These potatoes have become a large part of my diet, and so I find these Kit Kats particularly intriguing. It's hard to describe the exact taste, and they're actually not that bad. I like them. My only complaint is that they're white chocolate-based, and I'm not overly keen on white chocolate. But they're still tasty.
You want to talk yummy, let's talk about strawberry Kit Kats. And by strawberry, I MEAN strawberry. As you can see, they're strawberry pink, and the chocolate outside is strawberry-flavored. The wafers inside are also strawberry, so this little treat is like a strawberry explosion in the mouth. Not only is it pretty in all respects, it's delicious. Definitely my favorite pick from this month's choices.
I'm not sure what flavor this is supposed to be (or if there is indeed a flavor intended), but you'll notice that they're in the form of cute little balls (tee hee). Cherry flavoring may have been involved, they tasted a little like that. Of course, they were yummy. I found them in a food mart at the Takasaki train station on my way to Takayama. I haven't seen them since, but maybe I haven't been looking hard enough.
I completely forgot to get a picture of these Kit Kats, which I must remember to do because they look pretty awesome. I also found these in the Takasaki train station, but they're fairly prevalent right now and can be found in many stores. Kozue-sensei even bought me a pack. These are sweet-potato-with-honey-and-sesame-seed-glaze Kit Kats. I should mention that such potatoes are available for purchase at Beisia, and I buy them whenever I got there, which is 2-3 times a week. These potatoes have become a large part of my diet, and so I find these Kit Kats particularly intriguing. It's hard to describe the exact taste, and they're actually not that bad. I like them. My only complaint is that they're white chocolate-based, and I'm not overly keen on white chocolate. But they're still tasty.
You want to talk yummy, let's talk about strawberry Kit Kats. And by strawberry, I MEAN strawberry. As you can see, they're strawberry pink, and the chocolate outside is strawberry-flavored. The wafers inside are also strawberry, so this little treat is like a strawberry explosion in the mouth. Not only is it pretty in all respects, it's delicious. Definitely my favorite pick from this month's choices.Monday, January 19, 2009
Japanese Food Journal: gyoza
For the past week, my food of choice has been gyoza, a Chinese dumpling filled with meat and vegetables (usually cabbage). The dough is thicker and chewier than wonton dough, and overall, they are much better than wontons. I ate gyoza four times in the past week: twice at ramen shops and twice from 7-11 lunch boxes. The ramen shop gyoza is better (duh), but I'll take what I can get. I only noticed the gyoza at 7-11 this week, and since their items seem to be "limited-time only," I'll eat it as it pleases me.
Let us speak of gyoza. They're a fairly simple creation when you think about it: meat (usually pork) and vegetables (mostly garlic and cabbage) wrapped in dough and pan-fried. It's an interesting texture combination: one side is crispy from being pan-fried, while the top of the dumpling is softer from being steamed. Obviously, they're best served hot. You dip them in a tare sauce, which is soy-based, and depending on your tastes, you can add rice vinegar and a red-chili sauce to it as well. I usually just use the chili sauce, just a little bit. Soooooo yummy.
I had never had gyoza before coming to Japan, though a form of them is also popular in North American, where they're called potstickers. Being a Chinese food, they're often found in Chinese restaurants, and there's also a Korean version of them too. Fillings can be varied with them, while it appears that the Japanese versions are pretty standard. That doesn't mean that flavors don't change just a bit. Subtlety always intringues me.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
update: commercial love, part trois
So, I'm some kind of freak who is obsessed with American celebrities on Japanese tv. I accept this.
George Clooney Honda commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8yUbngqX98
http://www.dalealplay.com/informaciondecontenido.php?con=142697
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13WPQMVPcY (I really liked the soundtrack in this one, even if the rest of it isn't all that inspiring)
What I like so much about the TLJ commericals is that they've got that little bit of social commentary - there's something of the satirical about them, if only in the slightest and most innocent of ways. It's like fluffy satire (fluffire? saffy? er, pass) Filming 30 seconds of attractive people ostensibly doing nothing but look attractive is going to get people's attention, but it's probably not going to generate any kind of deep thought. Whereas, with the TLJ commericals, I've actually had discussions about them with some of my students, even beyond "wow, you really like them?"
What would a post about Japanese commercials be without a TLJ commercial? Here's the latest (#17 in the series):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNP90Lunvyg
and #16, which is my favorite after #9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZdMksVjzI8
Speaking of getting people's attention, here's my favorite non-foreigner celebrity commercial:
Gatsby Moving Rubber: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk2FBNlOmR8
This mesmerizes me every time. Every time.
George Clooney Honda commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8yUbngqX98
The advertising's in Japanese, but the language at the gas station is something else. Whatever. It's shown on Japanese TV, and that's what interests me. The music makes it for me. Without the Bee Gees, that commercial wouldn't be much at all.
I was talking to Naofumi-san about my obsession with Tommy Lee Jones commercials, and he asked me about the Brad Pitt commericals, if I liked them. I hadn't seen any of them, so he told me they're for SoftBank and it's kind of a phone thing. He also mentioned that they're a little weird (which is not saying much, most of what's on Japanese tv is a little weird). I finally saw one the other day, and yes, Brad Pitt in a bright yellow pantsuit, photographing a topless woman is a little strange. That's one of the newer ones; the older SoftBank commercials are just shots of him wandering around various places while talking on the phone. Definitely not as cool as Tommy Lee Jones. There are also some older ones (from circa 1996 - the "12 Monkeys" phase) that are for a brand of jeans. They're also slightly insane. Or incredibly boring. I found them unworthy of being posted here.
SoftBank commercials:http://www.dalealplay.com/informaciondecontenido.php?con=142697
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13WPQMVPcY (I really liked the soundtrack in this one, even if the rest of it isn't all that inspiring)
What I like so much about the TLJ commericals is that they've got that little bit of social commentary - there's something of the satirical about them, if only in the slightest and most innocent of ways. It's like fluffy satire (fluffire? saffy? er, pass) Filming 30 seconds of attractive people ostensibly doing nothing but look attractive is going to get people's attention, but it's probably not going to generate any kind of deep thought. Whereas, with the TLJ commericals, I've actually had discussions about them with some of my students, even beyond "wow, you really like them?"
What would a post about Japanese commercials be without a TLJ commercial? Here's the latest (#17 in the series):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNP90Lunvyg
and #16, which is my favorite after #9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZdMksVjzI8
Speaking of getting people's attention, here's my favorite non-foreigner celebrity commercial:
Gatsby Moving Rubber: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk2FBNlOmR8
This mesmerizes me every time. Every time.
Friday, January 16, 2009
"roam if you want to . . ."
Is it too early to be thinking about where I want to go next? I mean travel-wise, not move-wise. I was checking out my school calendar the other day and found myself looking for periods of time that might be good for travel - weekend trips and extended trips. Hey, it's never too far ahead to plan!
weekend trips - These I can do at anytime, and I would like to do more of them. Just little trips to places to do a little sight-seeing and a little cultural expansion. I really want to go to Ise-shi in the Mie Prefecture to see the shrines there, as I'm told they're among the most sacred shrines in Japan. Also, one of my students suggested Kawagoe; she thinks I'd like it there. Also also, I once mentioned to Naofumi-san that I like horses and horse-back riding, and he took it upon himself to do some research on it. There are some places very close to Isesaki (up in the mountains) that offer horse-back riding, lessons and trails. Looks like a lot of fun, so I want to try that in the spring! Also also also, I want to go back to Tokyo and explore more there, and there is the obligatory trip to Tokyo Disney that must be made (but not without Sarah!).
September - There's a 4-day weekend, for holidays and de-facto holidays. I'm thinking this might be a good time for a trip back to Takayama; I bet it's beautiful there for the summer/autumn transition. If not Takayama, then Kyoto if I haven't managed to get there sooner.
November - I have a 3-day weekend early in the month, so it would make a good time for an extended weekend trip. Where I go depends on where I haven't been yet. And yes, I am thinking this far ahead because that's just the way I am.
New Year's - Undecided. Will probably travel, I just don't know where - shall I stay in Japan or shall I explore elsewhere? It would be cool to spend New Year's in Australia or New Zealand, though it'll likely be monstrously expensive. At least I've still got time to think about it.
weekend trips - These I can do at anytime, and I would like to do more of them. Just little trips to places to do a little sight-seeing and a little cultural expansion. I really want to go to Ise-shi in the Mie Prefecture to see the shrines there, as I'm told they're among the most sacred shrines in Japan. Also, one of my students suggested Kawagoe; she thinks I'd like it there. Also also, I once mentioned to Naofumi-san that I like horses and horse-back riding, and he took it upon himself to do some research on it. There are some places very close to Isesaki (up in the mountains) that offer horse-back riding, lessons and trails. Looks like a lot of fun, so I want to try that in the spring! Also also also, I want to go back to Tokyo and explore more there, and there is the obligatory trip to Tokyo Disney that must be made (but not without Sarah!).
early April - My parents are coming to visit me, so of course I want to take them to a couple of nice places in Japan. A hot spring resort is definitely on the itinerary, along with a daytrip to Nikko. As for the rest of it, I'm not sure. I was thinking about Kyoto, but that seems almost stereotypically touristy. But then, nearly everyone has said that I should take them to Kyoto. It'll probably require a bit more research before I finalize anything (along with a consultation with Benni-sensei).
Golden Week - I'm postive that I want to travel, I'm just not sure where I want to go. Probably not someplace in Japan, which is something I want to do anyway, travel to other countries while I'm here in Japan. Anybody want to go to Hong Kong for a couple of days with me? ;)
July - I'm taking five days off (for a nine day vacation) in July to fly back to the States for my high school reunion and the 7th Annual Birthday Fiesta O'Fun. Yay!September - There's a 4-day weekend, for holidays and de-facto holidays. I'm thinking this might be a good time for a trip back to Takayama; I bet it's beautiful there for the summer/autumn transition. If not Takayama, then Kyoto if I haven't managed to get there sooner.
November - I have a 3-day weekend early in the month, so it would make a good time for an extended weekend trip. Where I go depends on where I haven't been yet. And yes, I am thinking this far ahead because that's just the way I am.
New Year's - Undecided. Will probably travel, I just don't know where - shall I stay in Japan or shall I explore elsewhere? It would be cool to spend New Year's in Australia or New Zealand, though it'll likely be monstrously expensive. At least I've still got time to think about it.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
random pictures that I haven't posted yet
I'm doing clean-up with my picture files and half-written blog entries. I've had some of these pictures for a while, and it's about time I posted them. I was going to wait until I decided to write more about them, but who knows when that will be. I do have a couple of posts I want to put up (about the awesomeness of nabe, the latest Kit-Kat haul, and future travel plans), but I need to actually get around to writing them first. Until then, enjoy the pictures.
This is a fig. Until I came to Japan, there were certain fruits I'd only heard of and never seen but knew must exist somewhere in the world. Figs were such an example. Eating a fig is not like eating a fig newton. Figs are actually very tasty. This is an organic fig that was at its perfect moment of ripeness. It was therefore delicious. One of Benni-sensei's students gave them to us (I have no recollection of who it was, maybe Motosu-san? He's a farmer.)
This is yokan, which is basically jellified sweet red bean paste. Naofumi-san brought this back from a business trip, and because Benni-sensei doesn't like sweet things, she forced me to take it home. Not that I was complaining. It was very good with some plain butter cookies I found.
Of all the anko-filled sweets I've had, this remains my favorite. It's anko wrapped in mochi covered in sesame seeds. The first anko I ever had was at a buffet sushi place in Jacksonville, which served fried sesame balls filled with anko. These are actually more Vietnamese than Japanese, but it was close enough, and I've loved anko ever since. I LOVE these sesame balls and am somewhat sorry that they aren't around much anymore. Maybe they're a seasonal thing.
These are my hashi - my chopsticks. One of my students went on a trip to Shanghai and brought these back for me. I like them, they're pretty. And they were a gift, which is always nice. They even have a little storage bag! It's nice (even if it is pink).
This is a persimmon, another of those mythical fruits that I'd never seen, only heard of. I ended up getting about a dozen of these from various students. After I got my convectional toaster oven, I made persimmon bread, which was very yummy and enjoyed by everyone who tried it.
This is a fish cookie filled with custard that Hitomi-san gave me. She said it's called taiyaki. No surprise, it was yummy.
This is my homework from the holiday break. You probably can't read it, but it's my attempt to master the days of the week. My kanji sucks. My hiragana isn't much better. However, my pronunciation and memorization of the vocabulary is flawless. Or so I'm told. (By the way, today is suiyobi, in case you were wondering. You probably weren't; that's just me showing off a little.)
These are the cookies he helped make, the first batch. Notice how buttery, greasy, and generally sub-par they are. That's not Eddie's fault. Now that I have shortening (yay, thanks, parents!), I can make proper cookies. After I'm done with this whole being sick thing.
And these are the brownies he helped make. They were very easy and very good and everybody liked them (everybody liked the cookies too, but they don't know what I can really do).
This is the Christmas wall, just before I tore it down. The kids make almost all of those snowflakes, and they had a very happy time doing it. They also colored all of the pictures and made the Santa figures too. The adults also liked coming in and every week and seeing what new things had been put on the wall. I have a world map up there now, with arrows pointing to the GEOS schools worldwide. It's a homestay work-in-progress.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor."
Today is Coming of Age Day in Japan, during which everyone who turned 20 during the current school year becomes an official adult. It's a rite of passage that, like so many rites, involves gathering with friends and family during the day and going out drinking during the evening (the legal drinking age in Japan being 20). Ah, the responsibilities of maturation are nearly universal.
What does this holiday mean for me? Not a whole lot. Except that Hitomi-san has the day off and asked me if I wanted to join her family on a visit to the Japan Snake Center, which for some reason is located in Gunma-ken. It's the only snake zoo in Japan, and it also has a snake-bite treatment clinic where antivenom is made (the only such clinic in Japan, according to Hitomi-san). When she said family, I was under the impression that it would be her, her daughter, and her mother, since that's who she mentioned. As it turned out, it was pretty much her ENTIRE family: sister-in-law and two kids + sister, brother-in-law, and two kids. Of course, they were all very nice people, and the kids were shy at first with me, but got used to me after a while.
Hitomi-san asked me several times if I was okay with snakes, and I replied that I was. After all, a snake is just a snake, and I have no problem with that. Just don't invite me to a spider farm. I get why snakes freak people out, but there's something incredibly beautiful about them, the gracefulness of them, the quickness.
Apparently, back in September, a man in Tokyo was found to have ~50 snakes (most of them poisonous) in his condo. This was discovered when he was bitten by one - a green mamba, easily one of the most poisonous snakes in the world - and had to go to the hospital for treatment. The snakes were confiscated and brought to the Center, because it isn't done to destroy them. According to Hitomi-san, snakes are seen as gods - I'm not sure if this is part of a nature as kami thing or if it's something more specific, with snakes holding an important role in the belief system. One of my students did tell me that putting a piece of snakeskin in your wallet is said to bring you more money, so maybe snakes have something to do with wealth? Either way, the snakes had to be found and home, and the Center is where they went. Of course, the Center had plenty of snakes already, but apparently, this added to their collection, particularly in the area of cobras.
This is the statue of the Goddess of Mercy (who may or may not be the Benzuiten of the Seven Lucky Gods, I haven't figured that all out yet). She has a snake coiled up at her feet. From what little information I can find, Benzuiten may be able to turn into a snake; at the least, she's often associated with serpents. Women and snakes are often seen as related in Shinto, and as with many other aspects of the religion, this does not mean that they are all evil or all good. Shinto is pretty gray about things, which is maybe why I like it so much. I'm still doing some research into this, but what I've found is interesting, just scanty.
What does this holiday mean for me? Not a whole lot. Except that Hitomi-san has the day off and asked me if I wanted to join her family on a visit to the Japan Snake Center, which for some reason is located in Gunma-ken. It's the only snake zoo in Japan, and it also has a snake-bite treatment clinic where antivenom is made (the only such clinic in Japan, according to Hitomi-san). When she said family, I was under the impression that it would be her, her daughter, and her mother, since that's who she mentioned. As it turned out, it was pretty much her ENTIRE family: sister-in-law and two kids + sister, brother-in-law, and two kids. Of course, they were all very nice people, and the kids were shy at first with me, but got used to me after a while.
Hitomi-san asked me several times if I was okay with snakes, and I replied that I was. After all, a snake is just a snake, and I have no problem with that. Just don't invite me to a spider farm. I get why snakes freak people out, but there's something incredibly beautiful about them, the gracefulness of them, the quickness.
Apparently, back in September, a man in Tokyo was found to have ~50 snakes (most of them poisonous) in his condo. This was discovered when he was bitten by one - a green mamba, easily one of the most poisonous snakes in the world - and had to go to the hospital for treatment. The snakes were confiscated and brought to the Center, because it isn't done to destroy them. According to Hitomi-san, snakes are seen as gods - I'm not sure if this is part of a nature as kami thing or if it's something more specific, with snakes holding an important role in the belief system. One of my students did tell me that putting a piece of snakeskin in your wallet is said to bring you more money, so maybe snakes have something to do with wealth? Either way, the snakes had to be found and home, and the Center is where they went. Of course, the Center had plenty of snakes already, but apparently, this added to their collection, particularly in the area of cobras.
This is the statue of the Goddess of Mercy (who may or may not be the Benzuiten of the Seven Lucky Gods, I haven't figured that all out yet). She has a snake coiled up at her feet. From what little information I can find, Benzuiten may be able to turn into a snake; at the least, she's often associated with serpents. Women and snakes are often seen as related in Shinto, and as with many other aspects of the religion, this does not mean that they are all evil or all good. Shinto is pretty gray about things, which is maybe why I like it so much. I'm still doing some research into this, but what I've found is interesting, just scanty. The highlight of this trip was really the opportunity to hold a snake and get your picture taken with it, whichis pretty mundane when you think about it. Off the top of my head, I can count on both hands enough places in Florida where you can do this. Nobody in Hitomi-san's family wanted to do it, and when she asked me if I wanted to, I said, "If you do it with me." I enjoy making life amusing for Japanese people, which is fairly easy to do - all you have to do is agree to do anything that most people won't do. I'm pretty sure some of the other Japanese visitors there also took pictures of me holding this snake.
I hope I don't look nervous in this picture, because I wasn't really. I was in some pain because the snake was laying on my hair and pulled at it whenever it moved, and I'm fairly sensitive about hair-pulling. Also, the snake guy kept telling me not to touch the snake - which makes perfect sense - but instinct kept telling me otherwise. Besides, snakes are nice to touch. This one kept climbing back up my shoulder toward Hitomi-san, which was hilarious because she truly was terrified of it. She wouldn't even touch it.
After that, we watched a noon feeding (mmm, mice), which prompted one of Hitomi-san's nephews to be physically ill. That kind of brought the mood down some. There wasn't much left to do anyway - the zoo consisted of three reptile houses, three empty reptile pens, and a small gift shop. I ate lunch with Hitomi-san and her daughter (mmm, ramen and gyoza - much better than mice), and then she drove me back to Isesaki and dropped me off at Beisia, the grocery store, so I could pick up a couple of things.
And thus came the last interesting thing that happened to me today: it snowed on me on the way home from Beisia. Not a lot, and certainly not enough to cover the ground, especially considering that each flake melted upon impact. But it flurried a little bit.
That was my holiday Monday. I'm still a little sickly, but I feel much better than I did yesterday, when I was all nasty and congested. Should be back to normal soon, with any luck.
(with thanks to Shel Silverstein: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein/19765)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
sara-sensei has a sexy voice
I came into work this morning, greeted my co-workers, and Benni-sensei said, "Ooh, Sara-sensei has a sexy voice this morning!" And I said, "Yes, because I'm sick!" And, of course, we all laughed, because I did have a very hoarse, throaty voice this morning, and it's too bad I don't sound like that ALL the time.
Fortunately, it's only a cold. I know this because it started out as a sore throat, and my colds always start as sore throats. Yesterday, I was light-headed and had a bit of congestion. Today, I'm starting to sneeze. Tomorrow will probably involve more sneezing and some coughing. If all goes well, I should be back to normal by Wednesday. It hasn't been too bad at all, especially now that my throat is feeling better. Swallowing without pain is so nice.
But, yeah, I'm sick. Yesterday and today, I had moments of light-headedness, and there were a couple times in the middle of class when I completely lost track of what I was doing and my students were staring at me like I was crazy. I know I'm sick when I can't think straight. But, I also know I'm not too sick, because I slept fine (only woke up a couple times in need of water) and I still have my appetite.
That doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down. Flu season has only just begun, and I know I can't stay 100% healthy forever. I'll just keep doing the best that I can. Which includes drinking lemon tea with awesome levels of Vitamin C. I found one with 3000mg of V-C per serving, which I felt was okay when I was drinking only one cup of it. Because of the cold, I've been keeping myself more hydrated than usual, so I switched over to a 1000mg V-C/serving instead. If I drink it really hot, it also helps clear up the congestion!
The only medicine I agreed to buy was throat lozenges, though Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san both offered to help me find something stronger. As Benni-sensei pointed out, Japanese medicine isn't as strong as American medicine, and even that wouldn't cure me, just mask my symptoms, and they really aren't as bad as that. Benni-sensei's assessment of American medicine was interesting, though. She said that she tried Thera-Flu once and that it knocked her out completely. My reply: "Well, Americans like medicine that's going to make you unconscious so you don't have to deal with being sick." Medicine being one of the things that Benni-sensei misses about living in the States. If I get sick enough, I'll probably end up agreeing with her.
I'm just glad the week is over and I can sleep as much as I want for the next two days. I've allowed myself extra sleeping hours the past two days (nine on Thursday and eight on Friday), and I think that's been a big part in not getting worse. Of all things, I believe that rest is the most important thing when trying to get healthy. And though I can normally survive on about 6 hours of sleep, I know better than to try it when I'm sick.
Anyway, I hope everyone else is feeling okay and staying healthy, regardless of where they are. Take care of yourselves! As Benni-sensei continuously reminds me (after spraining and re-spraining her ankle), "Health is the most important thing!"
Fortunately, it's only a cold. I know this because it started out as a sore throat, and my colds always start as sore throats. Yesterday, I was light-headed and had a bit of congestion. Today, I'm starting to sneeze. Tomorrow will probably involve more sneezing and some coughing. If all goes well, I should be back to normal by Wednesday. It hasn't been too bad at all, especially now that my throat is feeling better. Swallowing without pain is so nice.
But, yeah, I'm sick. Yesterday and today, I had moments of light-headedness, and there were a couple times in the middle of class when I completely lost track of what I was doing and my students were staring at me like I was crazy. I know I'm sick when I can't think straight. But, I also know I'm not too sick, because I slept fine (only woke up a couple times in need of water) and I still have my appetite.
That doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down. Flu season has only just begun, and I know I can't stay 100% healthy forever. I'll just keep doing the best that I can. Which includes drinking lemon tea with awesome levels of Vitamin C. I found one with 3000mg of V-C per serving, which I felt was okay when I was drinking only one cup of it. Because of the cold, I've been keeping myself more hydrated than usual, so I switched over to a 1000mg V-C/serving instead. If I drink it really hot, it also helps clear up the congestion!
The only medicine I agreed to buy was throat lozenges, though Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san both offered to help me find something stronger. As Benni-sensei pointed out, Japanese medicine isn't as strong as American medicine, and even that wouldn't cure me, just mask my symptoms, and they really aren't as bad as that. Benni-sensei's assessment of American medicine was interesting, though. She said that she tried Thera-Flu once and that it knocked her out completely. My reply: "Well, Americans like medicine that's going to make you unconscious so you don't have to deal with being sick." Medicine being one of the things that Benni-sensei misses about living in the States. If I get sick enough, I'll probably end up agreeing with her.
I'm just glad the week is over and I can sleep as much as I want for the next two days. I've allowed myself extra sleeping hours the past two days (nine on Thursday and eight on Friday), and I think that's been a big part in not getting worse. Of all things, I believe that rest is the most important thing when trying to get healthy. And though I can normally survive on about 6 hours of sleep, I know better than to try it when I'm sick.
Anyway, I hope everyone else is feeling okay and staying healthy, regardless of where they are. Take care of yourselves! As Benni-sensei continuously reminds me (after spraining and re-spraining her ankle), "Health is the most important thing!"
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wednesdays are amusing.
Wednesdays are now officially my easy days. I had one class moved to Saturday, so now I only have a kids' class and my two-hour block with Naofumi. Easy-peasy.
The kids' class is a small Intermediate class, with two boys who are between 10-12. One of them is really quiet, and the other one is really bright, and they get along well together. They're nice boys, and I've gotten to the point where I can mess with their heads a bit.
For Christmas, my BFF Heather sent me a ginormous box of goodies, including an action figure-type thing of Obi-Wan Kenobi, my favorite Star Wars character. I have it sitting on my side table in my classroom, and the boys noticed it immediately when they came into the room. They were enthralled, and once I explained how I got it, I'm not sure what they found funnier: the fact that my friend gave it to me as a Christmas present, or the fact that I like Star Wars. In any case, they joked about it quite a bit before settling down for class.
One of today's vocabulary words was "bike," which was partially confusing to them because they identified the picture as a "bicycle." Sometimes the vocab in the GEOS books is a little weird (a track suit is considered a jersey? okay, that's a new one on me, but hey, I'm not paid to publish this stuff ). My quiet boy grinned and started humming and then quite clearly sang out, "Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle!" well enough for me to recognize it as a small snippet of the Queen song. Then they both started chanting it and grinning like maniacs.
I'm fairly astounded at how popular Queen sometimes seems here. I watched a program a couple weeks ago that was solely dedicated to the awesomeness of Queen. There was even a Japanese guy who did a fairly astounding impersonation of Freddie Mercury (the pronunciation was a little off, but he looked JUST LIKE him and the mannerisms were insanely accurate). Also, at the local Cainz Home, Queen is heard quite often over the radio system. I don't complain about this. However, I now have "Bicycle Race" stuck in my head.
Fast forward to my class with Naofumi, which started with a discussion on what we did during the holiday break. (Oddly enough, he participated in a bicycle marathon. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.) Also, he watched movies. We discussed "Dark Knight" a bit before I made him tell me the plot of "Million Dollar Baby," which I have not seen.
This was surprisingly difficult for him and not because of a language issue. He was genuinely concerned about offending me by talking about "sad" and "nasty" plot points. I'm not sure how paralysis from the neck-down is considered "nasty," but that's how he referred to it while describing the fight. He kept pausing and asking me if it was okay to continue. To be fair, I probably should have let it pass and spared him some discomfort, but really, he should have known better. After all, I had just told him how much I liked "Dark Knight," and I've mentioned before that I love westerns and war movies. Paraplegia, welfare fraud, and euthanasia aren't difficult topics for me, but that's not saying a lot. I'll generally discuss anything and everything without much embarrassment. Besides, I'm not sure anything can top the catheter and prostate exam discussion I had with one of Benni-sensei's students.
Still, I found it interesting. He has no problems discussing politics with me, but he felt uncomfortable bringing up sensitive plot points in a movie. He kept saying how sad it was. Which prompted me to say that I love movies with sad endings, and he looked at me like I was a little crazy.
I dunno, maybe I am. All I know is, after putting up with me for three months, he'd know better by now. Oh, well, just goes to show that nothing is as it seems. Life is full of little surprises.
In other news, during my second hour with Naofumi, my throat started to clench up and it became hard to swallow. And now, I feel the makings of a full-bore sore throat starting. Which tells me that I have a cold and will probably not be in the best of health tomorrow. It had to happen eventually. Personally, I'm surprised that I've managed to avoid illness thus far. And I was actually getting a little worried. After all, if I don't get sick, my immune system doesn't get the chance to strengthen itself. Not that I'm excited about getting a cold. It's just nice to put an end to the anticipation. It was only a matter of time.
I don't feel like total crap yet. If Murphy's Law is truly in effect, my worst day will be on Friday, when I need to be at 100% to deal with my three kids' classes in a row. Or on Saturday, when I deal with the 2yo twins for the first time. With any luck, I'll survive to spend Sunday in bed.
The kids' class is a small Intermediate class, with two boys who are between 10-12. One of them is really quiet, and the other one is really bright, and they get along well together. They're nice boys, and I've gotten to the point where I can mess with their heads a bit.
For Christmas, my BFF Heather sent me a ginormous box of goodies, including an action figure-type thing of Obi-Wan Kenobi, my favorite Star Wars character. I have it sitting on my side table in my classroom, and the boys noticed it immediately when they came into the room. They were enthralled, and once I explained how I got it, I'm not sure what they found funnier: the fact that my friend gave it to me as a Christmas present, or the fact that I like Star Wars. In any case, they joked about it quite a bit before settling down for class.
One of today's vocabulary words was "bike," which was partially confusing to them because they identified the picture as a "bicycle." Sometimes the vocab in the GEOS books is a little weird (a track suit is considered a jersey? okay, that's a new one on me, but hey, I'm not paid to publish this stuff ). My quiet boy grinned and started humming and then quite clearly sang out, "Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle!" well enough for me to recognize it as a small snippet of the Queen song. Then they both started chanting it and grinning like maniacs.
I'm fairly astounded at how popular Queen sometimes seems here. I watched a program a couple weeks ago that was solely dedicated to the awesomeness of Queen. There was even a Japanese guy who did a fairly astounding impersonation of Freddie Mercury (the pronunciation was a little off, but he looked JUST LIKE him and the mannerisms were insanely accurate). Also, at the local Cainz Home, Queen is heard quite often over the radio system. I don't complain about this. However, I now have "Bicycle Race" stuck in my head.
Fast forward to my class with Naofumi, which started with a discussion on what we did during the holiday break. (Oddly enough, he participated in a bicycle marathon. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.) Also, he watched movies. We discussed "Dark Knight" a bit before I made him tell me the plot of "Million Dollar Baby," which I have not seen.
This was surprisingly difficult for him and not because of a language issue. He was genuinely concerned about offending me by talking about "sad" and "nasty" plot points. I'm not sure how paralysis from the neck-down is considered "nasty," but that's how he referred to it while describing the fight. He kept pausing and asking me if it was okay to continue. To be fair, I probably should have let it pass and spared him some discomfort, but really, he should have known better. After all, I had just told him how much I liked "Dark Knight," and I've mentioned before that I love westerns and war movies. Paraplegia, welfare fraud, and euthanasia aren't difficult topics for me, but that's not saying a lot. I'll generally discuss anything and everything without much embarrassment. Besides, I'm not sure anything can top the catheter and prostate exam discussion I had with one of Benni-sensei's students.
Still, I found it interesting. He has no problems discussing politics with me, but he felt uncomfortable bringing up sensitive plot points in a movie. He kept saying how sad it was. Which prompted me to say that I love movies with sad endings, and he looked at me like I was a little crazy.
I dunno, maybe I am. All I know is, after putting up with me for three months, he'd know better by now. Oh, well, just goes to show that nothing is as it seems. Life is full of little surprises.
In other news, during my second hour with Naofumi, my throat started to clench up and it became hard to swallow. And now, I feel the makings of a full-bore sore throat starting. Which tells me that I have a cold and will probably not be in the best of health tomorrow. It had to happen eventually. Personally, I'm surprised that I've managed to avoid illness thus far. And I was actually getting a little worried. After all, if I don't get sick, my immune system doesn't get the chance to strengthen itself. Not that I'm excited about getting a cold. It's just nice to put an end to the anticipation. It was only a matter of time.
I don't feel like total crap yet. If Murphy's Law is truly in effect, my worst day will be on Friday, when I need to be at 100% to deal with my three kids' classes in a row. Or on Saturday, when I deal with the 2yo twins for the first time. With any luck, I'll survive to spend Sunday in bed.
Monday, January 5, 2009
further evidence of winter in Gunma-ken
Yes, it was snowy in Takayama. But you know what Takayama doesn't have? Incredible, frigid Siberian wind. If I had to choose between heavy snow and this ridiculous dry wind, I think I'd choose the snow. There have been a couple of days when the wind was steady at 10mph, with much more powerful gusts that make it incredibly difficult to ride a bike without suddenly veering into stone walls or curbs. A couple of days, I've chosen to walk instead of ride simply because I knew it'd be a struggle to actually get anywhere.
Further, it's a very dry wind. Winters in Gunma are typically very dry - there's currently an advisory out warning about the dangers of dehydration. We haven't seen any precipitation in about two weeks, but it feels like longer. Everything's all brown and dry. Benni-sensei's hands are all cracked from the lack of moisture in the air (and there are more commercials for healing ointments and lotions than I can count). It certainly explains why my hair has been considerably less frizzy lately. I'm surprised my hands aren't cracked and peeling too, as they usually are that way during winter. It's been warmer the past couple days, though, with temperatures in the higher single digits. It'd be quite pleasant out if not for this ridonkulous wind.
Here are some pictures I took on the 24th, just to give you an idea of the view I sometimes I have of the mountains north of Isesaki. I had to climb onto a skywalk to get them, but it's nice to know that there's a view to see. This is Mount Akagi, which is the largest mountain in Gunma. It doesn't come to one tall peak, but as you can see, is spread out a bit. One of my students told me that Akagi-san is famous for its silhouette: because it has many small peaks, it resembles a woman lying on her side. You can't really see that from the angle of these pictures, but in other places in Isesaki, that's exactly what it looks like. The best such view is near the Isesaki bus station, which I pass on the way to the train station. Next time I'm walking that way, I'll try to remember to take a picture of it.
Further, it's a very dry wind. Winters in Gunma are typically very dry - there's currently an advisory out warning about the dangers of dehydration. We haven't seen any precipitation in about two weeks, but it feels like longer. Everything's all brown and dry. Benni-sensei's hands are all cracked from the lack of moisture in the air (and there are more commercials for healing ointments and lotions than I can count). It certainly explains why my hair has been considerably less frizzy lately. I'm surprised my hands aren't cracked and peeling too, as they usually are that way during winter. It's been warmer the past couple days, though, with temperatures in the higher single digits. It'd be quite pleasant out if not for this ridonkulous wind.
Here are some pictures I took on the 24th, just to give you an idea of the view I sometimes I have of the mountains north of Isesaki. I had to climb onto a skywalk to get them, but it's nice to know that there's a view to see. This is Mount Akagi, which is the largest mountain in Gunma. It doesn't come to one tall peak, but as you can see, is spread out a bit. One of my students told me that Akagi-san is famous for its silhouette: because it has many small peaks, it resembles a woman lying on her side. You can't really see that from the angle of these pictures, but in other places in Isesaki, that's exactly what it looks like. The best such view is near the Isesaki bus station, which I pass on the way to the train station. Next time I'm walking that way, I'll try to remember to take a picture of it.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Japanese Travel Journal: Nikko
My original New Year's plans ended with my trip to Takayama, but as I previously mentioned, I went to Nikko today. Benni-sensei and I teach two sisters, and we had dinner with their family last week. Their father (whose English is rudimentary but enthusiastic) asked if I had been to Nikko yet. When I said I hadn't, he insisted that we all go after the start of the new year. He suggested the 4th, we agreed, and so the plan was set.
He had mentioned skiing at first, but fortunately, that was not possible given weather conditions and time constraints. Instead, we had a lovely drive through the mountains, a fascinating walk through a series of shrines and temples, and a delicious late lunch. Benni-sensei was worried about the weather - she called me the night before to remind to wear "lots of warm clothing! Hats, gloves, scarf!" I checked the weather and decided it wouldn't be as cold as it was in Takayama and dressed appropriately. It was enough.
The family is a very nice one. Hiroe-chan recently passed the Eichen (Grade 2) to get into a university program for studying English. She wants to be a translator in the future. She's Benni-sensei's student. Her younger sister Ayuka-chan is my student. Their parents (henceforth known as oto-san - father - and oka-san - mother - because I can't remember their names) are very supportive of their studies and are intelligent people themselves. It was an enjoyable day.
The mountains north of Isesaki didn't have the snow accumulation of the Japanese Alps, but they were pretty enough just the same. It was a pleasant ride (no motion sickness! yay!), and it wasn't a long trip to Nikko.
At the rest-stop where I took the above picture, there was a small shrine for warding off motion sickness. You hit a tree stump three times with a bat, then you kick it three times, and then you scream. Interesting.
I'm sure it's no surprise, but I would like to go back to Nikko someday and see more of the little town. There are a number of other shrines there, as well as a wall of clay figures that sounds very interesting. As it was, we saw a temple and a shrine that were quite impressive.
First, we went through the Rinno-ji temple, which is famous for two things: its beautiful Shoyo-en Garden and the three large Buddha figures in the main building (which did not permit photographs). Both sights are worth seeing. Oto-san is very interested in Buddhist iconography, and through Benni-sensei, was able to explain much of what we were seeing. Which helped Benni-sensei too, who seems to have only the slightest grasp of Buddhist and Shinto traditions. This isn't unusual, I've found.
The next stop was the very extensive Toshogu shrine, which was built to house the body of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the peaceful Edo period. It's truly beautiful, even though it's currently under a great deal of reconstruction. Inside the buildings, photographs are not permitted, but the outside is open to cameras of all kinds. There are a number of famous carvings found in the Toshogu shrine, and you can find them by watching all the people who are gathered around them. They're all quite small in comparison to the rest of the shrine's sights.
These are the three wise monkeys: Hear No Evil (Kikazaru), Speak No Evil (Iwazaru), and See No Evil (Mizaru). Although this is not where they originated, this is perhaps the most famous depiction of them. They're a series of carvings describing the life cycle of the monkey from giddy childhood to more austere adulthood. Of course, that is in itself an allegory of the life of man.
And this is nemuri-neko, the sleeping cat. Small as it is, it's considered a national treasure in Japan, crafted by a famous carver named Hidari Jingoro. Its detail is astounding, which is what makes it so popular. Nemuri-neko is said to embody the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who himself was considered the manifestation of a Buddha of Healing, who comforts the sick and heals illnesses. This little carving is over the doorway that leads to the 200 steps that go up to the shogun's surprisingly simplistic burial site.
Considering Ieyasu is said to embody a healing Buddha, it relates to the Yakushi-do Hall, the Hall of the Medicine Buddha (no pictures, please). This hall is known for a dragon painting on the ceiling (very impressive), and a monk is on hand to strike a pair of blocks that release a sharp, piercing sound that echoes throughout the room. It's said to resemble the cry of a Japanese dragon. Eerie. But the best part was watching the expression on Benni-sensei's face. I had bowed to my writer's nature and done my research - but Benni-sensei was as innocent as a child. It was cute.
After leaving Toshogu, we were starving, so we headed out of the temple area to look for a place to eat a late lunch. One of the things that Nikko is also famous for is yuba, which is basically tofu skin. Sounds gross, right? Which of course means that it's delicious. I had it with hot soba noodles (which I adore anyway). Yummy. Or, as the family said, Oishii!
And then it was time to go home. The kids and oka-san fell asleep on the way home, while Benni-sensei and I talked travel talk. She wants to move back to the States (she's actually waiting for a Green Card approval), and she was fairly surprised when I told her that I'm not interested in moving back to the States any time soon. She loves the States, really misses L.A. The grass is always greener, isn't it?
I have still more pictures (no surprise there), but I haven't uploaded them to Facebook yet. I must give kudos to my camera, which has put up with plenty the past two weeks. Just as we entered the Toshogu shrine, it began to warn me that the batteries were almost kaput. I used it sparingly (ha ha, as in about another 40 pictures), and it's still going. Although it's still very insistent about getting new batteries.
Thus ends my New Year's vacation. I'm left with more taste for traveling, and maybe this is an auspicious start to the year. I'm already doing research into where I want to go next. Benni-sensei suggested Ise, which is home to some of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Japanese Travel Journal: Takayama
So . . . about Takayama.
A lot of people I talked to were a little surprised that I wanted to visit Takayama. Maybe it's because it's a good distance away (total traveling time: 6-7 hours, I'm not sure). Maybe it's because it's winter and rather cold and snowy here in the Japanese Alps. Maybe it's because I went by myself. Maybe it's all of the above. Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san were very supportive though (after Benni-sensei got over her "it'll be freezing" tirade). They were both a bit shocked when they offered to help me make reservations and arrangements and I told them that I'd already taken care of it.
Not that it was difficult to do. I got the trains figured out, and the hostel I chose - the Zenkoji Temple Hostel - is cared for by an American and an old Japanese guy who speaks very good English, so that was no problem at all.
Let's start with the trains. I enjoy riding on trains. This again may simply because it's a new experience for me and is therefore easy for me to enjoy, but I like to think it's because it's fun and entertaining. The important to remember while traveling is not to hurry. Hurrying just makes you worry, and worrying is no fun at all no matter what you're doing. This is true even when you miss one of your train transfers. The nice thing about traveling during the day in Japan is that another train will be along eventually; you might have to wait a little while, but that generally doesn't bother me. It gave me the chance to use the restroom and grab some lunch.
The downside was that I didn't get into Takayama until late. Here is my first glimpse at Takayama:
Not exactly thrilling, is it? Oh, well, that's life. Still, there's something nice about a snowy evening. And I got to take the same train back two mornings later, so I was able to see the absolutely gorgeous views of our trip through the Japanese Alps. (More on that in a future post about trains.)
I had no trouble locating the hostel (it's a freaking Buddhist temple, after all), and quickly checked in, ate dinner, and retired to my semi-private room for the evening. Even though I was put into a private room, because I had originally asked for the dormitory, they only charged me the dorm rate. There weren't any other single women staying in the female dorm, so Woody (the American caretaker) decided to make that change. No complaints from me.
The Italians arrived soon after I did and almost immediately left again to have dinner at an izakaya. They came back around 11, in time to party like it was 2009 in the kitchen. They actually weren't that loud. Fireworks went off at midnight, and afterwards, I crawled into my futon bed and fell asleep. I've never been one to celebrate New Year's Eve with a party.
On a side note, around 10pm, I heard sticks clanking together, followed by the call of the hi no youjin. It sounded like there was just one guy doing the work, so it was definitely not as frightening as Nick's encounter. It seemed more like a necessary (and rather unpleasant, considering the weather) public duty.
(nota bene: I found this website explaining a bit about the hi no youjin thing, in case you didn't read Nick's blog - http://kappanohe.blogspot.com/2007/11/beware-of-firehi-no-youjin.html)
The next morning, I got up around 9am and went downstairs for breakfast, which I had with Angelo, the Italian head honcho, and a German guy passing through Takayama in the midst of his three-week journey around Japan. We had an interesting discussion about which Asian countries to visit (the Italian - who has done much traveling - suggested western China, India, and the Himalayas). This was followed by a discussion on American politics; I'm always amused when people ask my opinion on Obama, mostly because I don't have much of one at the moment. I usually don't care to make predictions on how well a person will do as a president; only time will tell that.
Besides, I was inifintely more interested in the atmosphere of the room. Even with the heater on, it was a bit chilly in the room, and the only light came from natural sunlight through the windows. The German had hard-boiled eggs that he was peeling and eating, and everytime he started a new one, great puffs of steam would rise up from it, seen clearly in the golden morning light. The Italian's tea had the same effect, steam rising up from it in rolling whorls and spirals. It was mesmerizing.
I knew I didn't have a lot of daylight to spare, so by 10am, I was setting out to explore Takayama, armed with a map I had taken from the hostel's common room. I decided to head first toward the Hida Folk Village, but I took my time getting there, mainly so I could snap some pictures of the snowy landscape.
Because there are a couple of ways to climb the LARGE hill up to Hida no Sato, I decided to take a more meandering path through some backstreets and up to a Shinto shrine, which I'm glad I did. I like Buddhist temples just fine, but overall, I prefer the simplicity of a Shinto shrine. They feel more connected and grounded in nature - sometimes, temples feel a bit overcrowded to me, and I don't mean with people. Shrines feel more open to me, perhaps because they aren't as enclosed. They're exposed to the elements, with fewer buildings and covering a larger expanse of land, sometimes going up instead of just spreading out.
This shrine is the Tosyogu shrine, and there seemed to be some New Year's Day ceremonies going on (which didn't stop a family with FIVE obnoxious children from running amok and screeching at the top of their lungs). When I arrived, something was going on in the main hall involving drums and flutes and singing. As I was washing at the purification trough, a firetruck drove up to the shrine, followed by what was probably the entire brigade, and they all assembled under a canopy to receive a New Year's blessing from a priest. I had a good vantage point of it from further up the mountainside, but I decided it would be incredibly rude to take pictures of it. It was nice to watch, though, especially when they first arrived, because the firefighters were all in good spirits and laughing amongst themselves. Snow kept falling from the trees, and when it landed on one of them, the others found this incredibly amusing, and even he couldn't help but laugh. It was a very nice visit.
After finishing at Tosyogu, I continued on my way to Hida no Sato. I passed a number of other things I'd like to see on my next trip to Takayama: the Hida Takayama Museum of Art, Matsukura Castle Ruins and Walking Course, and the Forest of the Seven Lucky Gods. If I'd had a decent pair of winter boots and if it hadn't looked like it was about to start snowing, I probably would have explored the Forest. Instead, I walked on up to Hida no Sato.
After finishing at Tosyogu, I continued on my way to Hida no Sato. I passed a number of other things I'd like to see on my next trip to Takayama: the Hida Takayama Museum of Art, Matsukura Castle Ruins and Walking Course, and the Forest of the Seven Lucky Gods. If I'd had a decent pair of winter boots and if it hadn't looked like it was about to start snowing, I probably would have explored the Forest. Instead, I walked on up to Hida no Sato.The Hida Folk Village is what most people mentioned when I told them I was going to Takayama. It's a World Heritage site and is apparently very important in preserving certain aspects of Japanese history. Much of the information at the site is about the architectural importance of the houses, most of which were built between the 1600's and the 1700's. Many of the houses could be walked through and were filled with interesting items from the village's history. I'd like to come back in warmer weather, because many different tours and demonstrations are given when the weather permits. Also, visitors can make their own crafts and such at each demonstration. Still, despite the relative quietness of the village (there were no demonstrations or additional tours that day), it was a rather active place and quite beautiful to see. Very peaceful.
As I left Hida no Sato, it began to snow a bit heavily, so I stopped at the Little Bear Cafe & Shop to warm myself and have some lunch. A nice, cozy place, and not too cute for my taste, though it was a bit cloying at times. I had some fairly greasy pizza (but with lots of yummy tomatoes) and a delicious green tea latte that did a wonderful job of warming me. I browsed the gift shop a while, bought a little bear and some sweet nuts for Kozue-sensei, and headed back down to Takayama.
Unfortunately, it was still snowing steadily, but this bothered me less than I expected. Maybe because it was such a novelty to me. I stopped in a Circle K to buy some soba noodles for dinner (and to look at the Kit Kat selection, but nothing new there), and when I came back out, the snow had slowed down considerably and it was quite pleasant out. So, instead of going back to the hostel, I decided I had plenty of daylight left to explore some of downtown Takayama.
To the north of Takayama is a longish trail with a number of shrines and temples, but I knew I wouldn't have time to do all that (another thing to save for later!), so I settled on just staying close to the JR station. I visited another Buddhist temple, which had a stone sarubobo figure to rub for good luck.
For more information on sarubobo figures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarubobo
Then I went off to try to find the Kusakabe Folk Museum, but I never did find it. Instead, I found some neat Edo-period houses, and more importantly, food! I had a sweet potato manju (steamed bun) that was delicious, as well as a a stick of grilled mochi. Mmm, yummy. I also found a glass-encased steer, which I at first thought had something to do with the New Year (2009 being the Year of the Ox and all). Then, I realized I was standing in front of a steak restaurant. Apparently, Hida beef is purported to be REALLY GOOD beef, and there are lots of steak restaurants in that area of the city. Another thing to do the next time I visit!
By this time, it was starting to get dark and snowing harder again, and I decided it was time to head back to the hostel. Plus, my feet were tired and cold and more than a little bit wet. I took my stuff up to my room and decided not to turn the heater on yet to save on the gas, so I went back downstairs to the kitchen for a snack. There I met Angelo, and he told me a little more about his travels. He's been traveling for a long time - the last time he came to Japan was 35 years ago! A bunch of his traveling companions came in to use the computers, and I hung around a while drinking tea and just listening to them talk. Then they left to have dinner.
I decided to bring my Kindle down to the kitchen and read some, which I'm glad I did, because I got to meet some new arrivals to the hostel, including a mother and daughter from Australia. The daughter is a university student, double-majoring in Japanese and Ancient History. While we had dinner (they had Cup of Noodles, while I had my soba), we talked about what it was like to live and travel in Japan - they'd already been to Kyoto and Nara and were heading to Tokyo after their stay in Takayama. Finally, they went off to bed, and I read a little while more before heading up to my room to turn on the heater and get ready for bed.
The next morning, I heard the Italians leaving as I packed my things. I had breakfast with a Swiss couple and got to have a short conversation with Tommy, the hostel's Japanese owner as he did laundry. I asked him and Woody when the best time to visit Takayama would be, and they both suggested coming during the summer. There are festivals in spring and autumn that are really great to see, but the city is more crowded. And Woody said the summer weather was still nice enough to explore in. So, I'm thinking about maybe going back sometime in late spring/early summer or in late summer/early autumn. I'm not entirely sure yet, but I'm definitely going back.
I had a great time in Takayama, and though I think it's more fun to travel with friends, it's also nice to have some alone time and do things by myself. Especially around the New Year, when I like to take time to just sit and think about all the stuff that's happened the previous year and what new wonders await me in the new one. I got the chance to do that at Hida no Sato, sitting by one of the gas heaters and watching the steady snow. I'm very glad I decided to take the trip, and I'm looking forward to going again.
And, I've already stuck to one of my New Year's resolutions: to do more traveling! And also to improve my Japanese, but I think that's true any day of the week.
I've got more traveling to do before my vacation is over. Tomorrow, I'm going with Benni-sensei and Ayuka-chan's family to Nikko, and who knows what we'll end up doing there! I'm sure I'll come back with still more pictures.
Which reminds me. I took about 140 pictures in Takayama, so I have way more than I posted here. To see them all:
Album 1: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=9344&id=1515469097
Album 2: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=9425&id=1515469097
Album 3: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=9429&id=1515469097
Thursday, January 1, 2009
あけましておめでとうございます!
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! Happy New Year!
Greetings from Takayama!
I arrived here last night, and I have one more night to go of my stay. The hostel I'm at has several computers to use, so I'm here in the common room with the mad mob of Italians who are also staying here for the holiday.
Today was my day for sight-seeing, and I am wholly and completely impressed with Takayama. There is so much to see and do here, and there's no way I could fit it all in to one brief day (considering I didn't leave the hostel until 10am and the sun sets around 4:30pm). Guess that just means I'll have to come back again later! I'm already trying to decide when I want to come back - maybe in the spring or autumn. I'm sure it'll be pretty crowded during those times of the year, considering that Takayama has seasonal festivals, but it'd be worth it. Maybe I'll come back at the end of the year again too.
I was warned that it would be cold, and it is. I was warned that there would be snow, and there is. This concerned me very little. I know I've made it clear to my students that I'm not used to the cold weather (and I'm not, not really), but I also realize that surviving any type of weather merely requires a certain amount of preparation. So, I prepared myself. I still don't have an appropriate pair of winter-weather boots, but the ones I do have are faring much better than my tennis shoes would. From Uni-Qlo (easily my most favorite store in Japan, even outdoing any grocery store I've been to), I have the HeatTech under-shirts, my down waterproof hooded jacket, and two pairs of men's ski pants. Doesn't matter to me that they're men's pants; they keep me warm, and that's all I care about. They also fit me, which is why I bought them and not the women's pants. Even Uni-Qlo couldn't help me there (though maybe if I could have found a pair of LL size . . .)
Anyway, I'm not only surviving, I'm really enjoying the winter weather. So far, it's snowed nearly continuously here in Takayama, and I'm fairly mesmerized by it. Of course, it's been 9 years since I last saw snow, but I'm not sure that makes much of a difference. I guess we'll find out over the next few months.
I took plenty of pictures today, and I'll be posting them as soon as I get home. I'll have the 3rd to rest and maybe work on cleaning my classroom and finishing up my lesson plans. Then I'm off on a day-trip to Nikko with Benni-sensei and the family of two of our students. Nikko is full of temples and shrines, and there's one in particular I'm interested in seeing, but I'm also under the impression that there will be skiing. Considering that my last attempt at skiing didn't go all that wonderfully, this should definitely be entertaining.
And off I go to relax a little. I wondered around Takayama for seven hours today, and I'm pretty tuckered out. I bought some soba to eat tonight, and I'll probably hang out in the common room and watch tv or read or something. Tomorrow, it's up early to find some omiyage for my students (already got Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san their gifts) and catch my train for home.
So, that's the start of my new year! If I wasn't already in love with Japan, I certainly am now. The more I see of it, the more I love it. I can't think of a better way to start off 2009.
Greetings from Takayama!
I arrived here last night, and I have one more night to go of my stay. The hostel I'm at has several computers to use, so I'm here in the common room with the mad mob of Italians who are also staying here for the holiday.
Today was my day for sight-seeing, and I am wholly and completely impressed with Takayama. There is so much to see and do here, and there's no way I could fit it all in to one brief day (considering I didn't leave the hostel until 10am and the sun sets around 4:30pm). Guess that just means I'll have to come back again later! I'm already trying to decide when I want to come back - maybe in the spring or autumn. I'm sure it'll be pretty crowded during those times of the year, considering that Takayama has seasonal festivals, but it'd be worth it. Maybe I'll come back at the end of the year again too.
I was warned that it would be cold, and it is. I was warned that there would be snow, and there is. This concerned me very little. I know I've made it clear to my students that I'm not used to the cold weather (and I'm not, not really), but I also realize that surviving any type of weather merely requires a certain amount of preparation. So, I prepared myself. I still don't have an appropriate pair of winter-weather boots, but the ones I do have are faring much better than my tennis shoes would. From Uni-Qlo (easily my most favorite store in Japan, even outdoing any grocery store I've been to), I have the HeatTech under-shirts, my down waterproof hooded jacket, and two pairs of men's ski pants. Doesn't matter to me that they're men's pants; they keep me warm, and that's all I care about. They also fit me, which is why I bought them and not the women's pants. Even Uni-Qlo couldn't help me there (though maybe if I could have found a pair of LL size . . .)
Anyway, I'm not only surviving, I'm really enjoying the winter weather. So far, it's snowed nearly continuously here in Takayama, and I'm fairly mesmerized by it. Of course, it's been 9 years since I last saw snow, but I'm not sure that makes much of a difference. I guess we'll find out over the next few months.
I took plenty of pictures today, and I'll be posting them as soon as I get home. I'll have the 3rd to rest and maybe work on cleaning my classroom and finishing up my lesson plans. Then I'm off on a day-trip to Nikko with Benni-sensei and the family of two of our students. Nikko is full of temples and shrines, and there's one in particular I'm interested in seeing, but I'm also under the impression that there will be skiing. Considering that my last attempt at skiing didn't go all that wonderfully, this should definitely be entertaining.
And off I go to relax a little. I wondered around Takayama for seven hours today, and I'm pretty tuckered out. I bought some soba to eat tonight, and I'll probably hang out in the common room and watch tv or read or something. Tomorrow, it's up early to find some omiyage for my students (already got Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san their gifts) and catch my train for home.
So, that's the start of my new year! If I wasn't already in love with Japan, I certainly am now. The more I see of it, the more I love it. I can't think of a better way to start off 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)