Autumn Equinox festival

I am getting so behind on my blog, but it's not for a lack of things to write about! The past couple weeks have been so busy, that when I do get quiet time in my apartment, I am cleaning or sleeping.

September 23rd was a holiday for the Autumn Equinox. Equinox is a big deal in Japan, because it is when your ancestors are closer to the living world. Many people visit family graves to burn incense and pray. Since it's a calender holiday, James English school lets us have the day off. There was a big hip hop party at the Hip Shot club, but I decided not to go to that since I'd already agreed to go with Lisa and Bella to the Samurai festival in Aizu (a city about and hour NW). I would have been way to tired to go if I had been up drinking til 4AM, and I would have missed a great event.

Lisa and I got up early and took the 8AM bus so we would make it in time for the opening ceremonies. The bus took us from Koriyama Station all the way to the bus stop next to the castle where the opening was held. We made it just in time to see everyone walking in. There were hundreds of people, many of whom where dressed up with their group as samurai. The important characters (maybe a Lord or 2 and wives, famous guest actor, and a random western guy with a traditional Japanese bride) sat at the main stage. Each samurai group was told to come forward with a command (Otochin ?), and were announced. When they were all assembled some groups set off cannons, others danced, and still more gave mini battle preformances.

Bella and I were running around taking pictures, and of course surveying the groups for the hottest samurai. The coolest, hottest, most awesome guy was one of the leaders for the large blue group with the massive flag (see profile pic). His longish hair was brushed back, and his all black outfit with res trim was very intimidating. He was the kind of samurai you expected to see ina movie or comic book, even though he wasn't wearing amour. Just his precense was awesome, lol!

We followed all the groups off the castle grounds to downtown Aizu where there was a huge parade with all the samurai that lasted a few hours. I got lots of pictures and video. While we waited for the parade to make it's loop we bought some food from various booths set up along the side walk. I really love the festival food. It's probably all junk, but it usually is easy to eat and tastes good. I also got a shaved ice with stawberry flavor (when I pointed to it the man called it "straw" and his daughter said in Japanese, "No, Dad. Strawberry"), but it was basically all ice.

After the parade we went 'behind the scenes' where lots of samurai were changin back into modern people to meet one of Bella's friends/students. While we were back there we saw the man in black! It took a couple shoves, and a knock on the head with a coke bottle, but Bella and I built up our courage and ran over to ask for a picture with him. The first thing he said in Japanese was, "Aw, my stomach hurts." Bella was sooooooo mad because he seemed to be just mocking it. But he did agree to take a picture, and Bella stayed to take a picture because I still thought he was just the coolest looking Japanese guy ever. Bella still thinks he's a jerk, but maybe he did really have a stomach ache. Who knows!

Bus tour pics

Here are just a few pictures from the bus tour I went on 2 weeks ago. I've been pretty busy lately, so hopefully tomorrow I might have time in the morning to update and post pictures from other events.


Sake factory

Inside the the first part of making sake:
wash and steam rice
Where the rice is set to ferment for a bit

Lunch buffet at the Herb Garden

Abukuma Caves


Monster faces of Abukuma


Exploring on the adventurers route


Kabuki theater - yes these are all guys


Paper lantern illumination for the full moon


Tsukino Usgai - Rabbit of the moon. He makes mochi (sticky rice balls that taste pretty good)

Bus tour

Yesterday, Sunday, I went on my first bus tour with the Koriyama International Exchange Association. It was a full tour of 20 Japanese and 20 foreigners. I sat next to a woman named Bethany. Her husband and 4 year old daughter sat in front of us. Bethany is teaching English, while her husband works from home, and her daughter goes to early kindergarten with other Japanese children. I also met a lot people Bethany works with (Jared, Denise, Patti, Adam and Hannah, and Amy). Seems the whole crew was there. I met some of the Japanese people, but I have a hard time remembering their names!!

We started at the Sake factory. Our translator, Ken (from Kenichi. He's Japanese, and his translating was Ok) gave us short descriptions of what the tour guide was saying. Sake season is actually from October to March, so we didn't get to see the process, just the buildings. The company branch in Koriyama began in 1742, or so I am lead to believe. It's hard to dispute such a date when you see the buildings they make the sake in. I don't think the buildings have ever been renovated, or cleaned for that matter. The only thing similar to a winery we got was the free tasting, lol. They also gave us a free bottle (about .5 liters) of sake with a label that was our group picture (we took the pic as soon as we got there).

After the sake tour, we ate at the herb garden. There was a buffet covered end to end with Japanese food. I took a little of this and that, and I liked most of it! I also ate mochi and anko. Mochi is very chewy rice cake/dumpling. People pair it with almost anything and eat it for dessert. Anko is read bean, which I remembered having last time I came to Japan. It was exciting to eat a Japanese food and already be familiar with it!!!

The next stop was the Abukuma caves. They were awesome, though they look just the same as our caves. The part open to the public isn't too extensive, so we walked through it pretty quickly. I decided to go back and pay 200 yen ($2) to take the "explorer walk." Ken went with me to check it out. It was honestly the best time I've had in a cave! It would be hard for my dad to get through because most of the trail is short and narrow, and you even have to crawl through some places. Ken said he felt like Indiana Jones, and I totally agree.

We stopped at a local kabuki festival next. We saw a couple performances by some of the junior high kids, and no one understood any of it! We couldn't even follow body language because the actors hardly moved. Some of our new Japanese friends translated the basic story, but even they got confused a bit, lol.

Our last stop was to view paper lantern illuminations. This is where I realized that all of the festivals, and mochi stuff was in honor of the full moon. Moon gazing is an old tradition in Japan, but one that sadly is not moving much into the modern era. We are lucky that we live close to the country and see people still celebrating this pass time.

I'll try to get pics up soon!

Hanging out

Lisa, my personally adopted Onee-san ( means big sister, sounds like O-nay-san), went out with me to an izakaiya (traditional Japanese restaurant/bar). Lisa has been super fabulous. We are totally different - she's a San Franciscan hippie liberal, and I hate politics - but she has taken me under her wing. Lisa has helped me understand teaching, driving, shopping, eating, and drinking. She has introduced me to people. She has helped me kill super evil looking spiders (yogata, ne?)

Tonight we talked about everything from politics, to boys, to the "pledge" system for gaijins of other gaijins (basically, how other English speakers accept or not new English speakers). Lisa really helps keep me calm, and distressed, even when she is stressed herself.

I <3 Lisa!




Lisa and her boyfriend, Isamu.
Lisa speaks as much Japanese as Isamu speaks English. You'd think that would be a difficult relationship, but Lisa says it makes it better because they communicate exactly what they need to.

Driving sights

I was driving along the mountain roads today, minding my own business and enjoying the scenery. I was coasting around a curve when blinking hazard lights on a parked car caught my eye. I couldn't slow down much because there was a car behind me, but I needed to go around the parked car and there was some oncoming traffic. Now, I've already complained about how small the roads are, but they are big enough for passing. The car was pulled off the road just enough that if I tapped the breaks and really focused all around me, I could make it. So I went for it, and I was doing really well and so proud of myself!

But, I was so focused I almost missed one of the most random sights. On the side of of the road, maybe 10 feet from the park car was a bright, white bum. Yes, a human bum. Luckily I only got a glance, not a full on look, yuck! I guess this guy just really felt the call of nature. I mean, he couldn't even make it to the bushes that were just another 5 feet behind him.
Nope, no sir. He just popped a squat over a dirt pile and let loose, not caring who saw whatever.

All I could do was shake my head, and continue around the bend.

My first day at Kindergarten: part 2

In the politest words I can muster: that freaking sucked!!!

Seriously, when those kids look back on their early English years, it will be filled with feelings of frustration and confusion.
I guess first off, it would have helped to be more prepared. Granted I did everything I could with the information I had. Aussie Mel went to the kindergartens most often, so no one could really let me know about what to expect. Even though I kept them moving, I repeated some stuff way too many times. This all just reinforces my thoughts on teaching really young kids: leave it to my mother!

I think I can do better next time, but there are some things I really want.
I want an quick evaluation, but the Japanese don't give feed back.
I want someone to tell me I did ok, but the Japanese don't give individual praise.
I want some critical critique, but the Japanese don't tell you if you do bad.
I want a hug, but the Japanese don't even touch!!!

Last night at Lisa's going away party I met another new girl, Julie. She just arrived last week, so we are in the same boat. So maybe I vent to her over coffee this afternoon, and I won't have to worry about translating the intention in whatever she says.

My first day at Kindergarten

I woke up when I realized that my alarms had stopped sounding off. My eyes focused on the clock and I shot up. Today I have to drive to Sugama Kindergarten, and it takes an hour to get there. The clock said I only had an hour. I ran around the apartment, brushing my teeth, picking out clothes. and fabreezing my hair for 5 minutes before I realized my brain was working. I actually have 2 hours, one hour to get ready before I have to leave! Yogata, ne?? = (Thank God, right??)

So know I am just waiting for my pulse to slow down from being so scared. Here's some more Engrish:


I don't think it's the name of the street

.
Check out that tag line! I've always wanted a tasty life. Think I can choose the flavor?


No, it's not Engrish, but you can't go wrong with Yoda!
This one is for Uncle Lew. This is a high school student, one of many dressed up for a parade that was advertising the school festival. Each class had a different theme.

Longest week yet

Schools are back in session, which means I'm doing a lot of traveling. It's a good thing that I was told that it would be a good idea to get my international driver's license. And that was from James, mind you it.

They said, "It might be a good idea for you get your I.D.L. You might have to drive a bit.

What would have been helpful is," You need to get your I.D.L. and practice driving on the left. Yeah, just set up a real curvy course in the church parking lot. And make the road parameters real narrow.
Oh, don't forget to add large refrigerator boxes to stand in as company trucks. Of course when you practice, keep in mind the speed limit is always around 25-30 miles an hour. Always. And no one accelerates going up hill, there are a lot of those, and you'll often find yourself on someones tail when you come around a bend, and there are a lot of those too.
Also, forget everything you know about driving on American roads, because Japanese roads are all small in size and residential in appearance, even if it is a major highway.
One more thing, build up your driving stamina. You'll be driving 3-4 days a week, for at least an hour and half every day."

Good thing I like driving. Good thing I can do stuff, like drive across the USA and back, and still feel great about cars. Good thing I even have an American license.

I have been told, however, that even though the license expires in a year, I really shouldn't be driving for more than a month without a Japanese license. But those are supposed to be really hard and expensive to aquire.

Honestly, it isn't too bad. I just have to really focus right now so I don't screw up and drive through someone's rice field. The drive is spectacularly gorgeous. The road snakes around the mountains; everything a stunning new picture. The trees and rice fields are lush and bright green, with the occasional old style Japanese house, or a stone Torii (sound :toree-ee) marking the beginning of a path up the mountain to a shrine. When I'm not stuck behind someone, or worrying about running off the left side of the road into some ravine, it 's a peaceful, enjoyable drive.

Today I am really feeling it because I've driven Monday, Tuesday, and this morning, and I still have to go back out on Friday. Today was the longest day out of the whole week though, and I got lost to top it off. I don't have to be at work until noon tomorrow (Yata! I get the morning off!), but I've been falling asleep since 7!