Ebony was a blast. We drank free beer until 2 am, and danced all night! I also met a cute boy. Oddly enough, he is from Peru and his name is Cristian. I probably won't see him again, but that's ok. He didn't speak much English, and I don't speak much Spanish, and neither of us speak enough Japanese to converse, lol ^o^
Anyway, today I'd like to record a different subject - my equilibrium, or lack thereof. In America, I typically have pretty good balance. At least, I don't remember falling over all the time. In Japan, however, my stability has deserted me. I keep falling, or running into things, and not because I have been drinking! It began quite a few weeks ago, maybe sometime in September. I ran after my friend in a bar, tripped, and fell flat on my face. I've missed a couple chairs I tried to sit in. I've fallen while dancing. I've tripped going down stair, and up them! The worst, though, was today when I was going down the stairs of my apartment building. Somehow I slipped, and my right foot slid down the stairs upside down. It hurt immediately; one of those take your breath away pains. I gave it a minute before I stood on it, but it seemed ok. I walked all the way back to work and proceeded with the rest of my day as if nothing happened. I must have been walking on adrenalin or shock. After my last class, I noticed my foot kinda hurt when I stood. I went to salsa, dance a couple dances, then decided to go home cuz my foot was starting to hurt worse. When I got home and took my boot off, the pain increased rapidly though it hasn't swelled at all. I've currently taken 4 aspirin, elevated and iced my foot. I don't have a stretch bandage, but I've put 3 socks around my foot to try to keep it tight. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be helping. I can't put any weight on my foot without yelling out. I have to hop anywhere I want to go!
I only have a sample lesson tomorrow, no classes. But I hope my foot heals enough that I can walk to work. :(
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
There is a season - turn! turn! turn!
The past 2 weeks have been unbelievably busy!
2 Sundays ago was Jack's birthday. Of course we went out, but we stayed out really late because Monday the 13th was a holiday. Yay, no work! Staying out til 4 AM, however, makes me really tired, and my whole day is off when I sleep in til noon. It was kind of hard to sleep in though, because there was protest parade outside. We think they were protesting some kind of North Korean event, but they were speaking in Japanese so I don't know 100%. Instead of people walking, they were driving around in large tour buses yelling out of super amped mega phones. I went out to watch the protest buses from my balcony, and on the way back in I tripped over the door way ledge and bent my toenail back! Now the big tow on my right foot is missing a toenail.
I think this shock, and sudden stress on my immune system is what lead me to be sick. I wasn't feeling well Tuesday, and Wednesday it was like I had Mono all over again. I woke up with a fever, my throat was so swollen it hurt to talk. But I took a hot shower, and some Advil, and by time I needed to get to work I was ok. I'm really trying not to miss work because I only get 2 sick days, and I need my vacation days for when people come visit me. Thursday and Friday I was kind of out of it, but I was getting better.
Saturday the 18th I had to get up early for International day Xaviero Junior High School, a private Catholic school. I had a ton of fun with those kids, they were so smart and interested in talking! The school is really nice too, and it kind of reminded me of my own Catholic schooling. If a position opens up for teacher there I wouldn't mind looking into it. I also met a lot of other foreigners, and a few of us met up later that night to go our for dinner and drinks. I was going to make it an early night because I had orientation the next day. BUT, I got pretty drunk because I was upset over some silly drama with an equally silly boy, and I ended up staying out til 4 AM again, lol. On Sunday, I slept through my alarms and missed my bus.
I arrived an hour late in Sendai, where the headquarters for James English School is located. It's about 2 hours North of Koriyama. No one seemed to mind that I was so late, and I actually wasn't the last one there. I didn't learn a whole lot at orientation, but it was nice to meet some other new teachers. The girls, Becky and Christine, are very nice. The guys, as expected, are all a bit off. Not to be mean, but foreign men in Japan are not exactly the pick of the litter. The majority are very nice, well meaning guys, but generally they are a bit geeky or weird. There are only a couple that seem to have no social chance. Japan is a great place for these guys however, because Japanese women loooove foreign guys. As long as the guy doesn't come from Japan, he's likely to find some willing woman.
I didn't get back to Koriyama until Monday, but as soon as I did I met up with some other friend's for Paul's going away party. We started at God's, which is now called U-style, and then went to GAP, Kyoko's bar, for more drinks and karaoke. Singing (more like screaming off-pitch) wasn't a really good idea, and my throat is still recuperating! I'm not sick, my throat is just dry and hoarse.
Yesterday I moved! Not far, just up 2 floors. Ken, a new teacher from Ireland, has come to replace Melissa. He took my apartment, and I am living with Melissa until she leaves (about a month). After she goes, I will be taking over her place. It's nicer than my old place - bigger, but cozier. The only difference in the address is on the first line. If you mail me a letter, change "202' to "403"
Tomorrow we are going to a dance club called Ebony. We have to drive 2 hours to get there, but it'll be nice to go to a real dance club to party! But, I can't wait to sleep tonight!!!
2 Sundays ago was Jack's birthday. Of course we went out, but we stayed out really late because Monday the 13th was a holiday. Yay, no work! Staying out til 4 AM, however, makes me really tired, and my whole day is off when I sleep in til noon. It was kind of hard to sleep in though, because there was protest parade outside. We think they were protesting some kind of North Korean event, but they were speaking in Japanese so I don't know 100%. Instead of people walking, they were driving around in large tour buses yelling out of super amped mega phones. I went out to watch the protest buses from my balcony, and on the way back in I tripped over the door way ledge and bent my toenail back! Now the big tow on my right foot is missing a toenail.
I think this shock, and sudden stress on my immune system is what lead me to be sick. I wasn't feeling well Tuesday, and Wednesday it was like I had Mono all over again. I woke up with a fever, my throat was so swollen it hurt to talk. But I took a hot shower, and some Advil, and by time I needed to get to work I was ok. I'm really trying not to miss work because I only get 2 sick days, and I need my vacation days for when people come visit me. Thursday and Friday I was kind of out of it, but I was getting better.
Saturday the 18th I had to get up early for International day Xaviero Junior High School, a private Catholic school. I had a ton of fun with those kids, they were so smart and interested in talking! The school is really nice too, and it kind of reminded me of my own Catholic schooling. If a position opens up for teacher there I wouldn't mind looking into it. I also met a lot of other foreigners, and a few of us met up later that night to go our for dinner and drinks. I was going to make it an early night because I had orientation the next day. BUT, I got pretty drunk because I was upset over some silly drama with an equally silly boy, and I ended up staying out til 4 AM again, lol. On Sunday, I slept through my alarms and missed my bus.
I arrived an hour late in Sendai, where the headquarters for James English School is located. It's about 2 hours North of Koriyama. No one seemed to mind that I was so late, and I actually wasn't the last one there. I didn't learn a whole lot at orientation, but it was nice to meet some other new teachers. The girls, Becky and Christine, are very nice. The guys, as expected, are all a bit off. Not to be mean, but foreign men in Japan are not exactly the pick of the litter. The majority are very nice, well meaning guys, but generally they are a bit geeky or weird. There are only a couple that seem to have no social chance. Japan is a great place for these guys however, because Japanese women loooove foreign guys. As long as the guy doesn't come from Japan, he's likely to find some willing woman.
I didn't get back to Koriyama until Monday, but as soon as I did I met up with some other friend's for Paul's going away party. We started at God's, which is now called U-style, and then went to GAP, Kyoko's bar, for more drinks and karaoke. Singing (more like screaming off-pitch) wasn't a really good idea, and my throat is still recuperating! I'm not sick, my throat is just dry and hoarse.
Yesterday I moved! Not far, just up 2 floors. Ken, a new teacher from Ireland, has come to replace Melissa. He took my apartment, and I am living with Melissa until she leaves (about a month). After she goes, I will be taking over her place. It's nicer than my old place - bigger, but cozier. The only difference in the address is on the first line. If you mail me a letter, change "202' to "403"
Tomorrow we are going to a dance club called Ebony. We have to drive 2 hours to get there, but it'll be nice to go to a real dance club to party! But, I can't wait to sleep tonight!!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Shrine and Undokai videos
Carrying the shrine in Koriyama
Nihomatsu Lantern festival - Washoi!
Pop the teacher
Dancing routine
Domino kids (it starts in the back right corner)
Dad- can you use this race at the picnic?
Nihomatsu Lantern festival - Washoi!
Pop the teacher
Dancing routine
Domino kids (it starts in the back right corner)
Dad- can you use this race at the picnic?
Undokai
Grandparents' race
Olympic theme
Aren't they cute in their sailor hats?!
2-year olds' race
The kids are such good dancers, and so daring!
Jimmy and Kayla in the 3-year olds' race
Parachutes were my favorite PE thing when I was a kid!
Part of the gymnastic routine
Parent/Teacher tray balance race
Parent/Teacher pass off race
Funehiki after school care gets awesome toys!
Olympic theme
Aren't they cute in their sailor hats?!
2-year olds' race
The kids are such good dancers, and so daring!
Jimmy and Kayla in the 3-year olds' race
Parachutes were my favorite PE thing when I was a kid!
Part of the gymnastic routine
Parent/Teacher tray balance race
Parent/Teacher pass off race
Funehiki after school care gets awesome toys!
Shrine Festivals
An Omikoshi - Portable shrine. Check out that detail!
Festival food - fried squid on a stick. I didn't eat it, would you?
That random blond girl is my friend Donna.
Each group had a priest looking guy lead the way
Some of the people from our friend's shrine, including Bella and Donna
In Nihomatsu, getting ready to pop a sticky anko ball - red bean dessert.
It's a giant dino bounce house!!
Dave in front of the steps leading to Nihomatsu's city temple. We called it the tic tac toe temple, can you tell why?
One of the lantern shrines(for lack of a better word)
Relighting some of the lanterns
Festival food - fried squid on a stick. I didn't eat it, would you?
That random blond girl is my friend Donna.
Each group had a priest looking guy lead the way
Some of the people from our friend's shrine, including Bella and Donna
In Nihomatsu, getting ready to pop a sticky anko ball - red bean dessert.
It's a giant dino bounce house!!
Dave in front of the steps leading to Nihomatsu's city temple. We called it the tic tac toe temple, can you tell why?
One of the lantern shrines(for lack of a better word)
Relighting some of the lanterns
Autumn = Festivals
Autumn is just chock-full of events! Part of it, I think, harks back to the more feudal days when the whims of the gods decided the productivity of one's crops. There shrine festivals in just about every city throughout Japan, or so I am told. They vary a little bit, but follow the same pattern. The city is divided into sections, and each section is represented with a portable shrine, where the honored deity of that section lives. The shrines are carried on top of poles around part of the city in a processional line to the main city temple to give thanks and get a blessing. Usually the participants, and even observers, shout washoi, washoi, washoi to keep up the momentum and moral becuase the shrines are pretty heavy. If the shrines are too close to each other, espcially around the main temple, there might be a "fight" (they kind chase eachother, or see who can hold the shrine in the air longer).
I went with dave to Nihomatsu for their shrine festival, which was also the Lantern festival. Each shine that was pulled was actually hundreds of lanterns. That festival had so much energy!
The other popular Autumn event is Undokai, what we'd call a field day or sports day, excpet it with the elementary and younger age kids it is a family event. I was invited to a little town called Funehiki by some friends to see their school's Undokai. Bethany's whole family (her, her husband Jimmy, and their daughter Kayla) live here. Kayla is 3 and attends the 3-year old kindergarten with Japanese students. She has picked up some Japanese, but Bethany says Kayla will only talk to her school mates in Japanese.
At the Undokai there were relays races for each grade level, as well as for parents, teachers, and grandparents. The kids also did dances and some did a gymnastic routine. It was a lot of fun, and the kids were so adorable! I'd love to see something like that in America. I had field day in Elementary school, but it was just for the students. In Japan, it's for the whole community.
Undokais are held in autumn, cuz they are supposed to be a reminder of when the Olympics where in Japan. Sometimes there is a Olympic themed race
I went with dave to Nihomatsu for their shrine festival, which was also the Lantern festival. Each shine that was pulled was actually hundreds of lanterns. That festival had so much energy!
The other popular Autumn event is Undokai, what we'd call a field day or sports day, excpet it with the elementary and younger age kids it is a family event. I was invited to a little town called Funehiki by some friends to see their school's Undokai. Bethany's whole family (her, her husband Jimmy, and their daughter Kayla) live here. Kayla is 3 and attends the 3-year old kindergarten with Japanese students. She has picked up some Japanese, but Bethany says Kayla will only talk to her school mates in Japanese.
At the Undokai there were relays races for each grade level, as well as for parents, teachers, and grandparents. The kids also did dances and some did a gymnastic routine. It was a lot of fun, and the kids were so adorable! I'd love to see something like that in America. I had field day in Elementary school, but it was just for the students. In Japan, it's for the whole community.
Undokais are held in autumn, cuz they are supposed to be a reminder of when the Olympics where in Japan. Sometimes there is a Olympic themed race
Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Pics from the Samurai festival
The Aizu Castle with everyone gathering.
The random Westerner (I later learned he is supposed to be German) and his Japanese bride.
A mock battle with demons and Samurai in front of the main stage.
Living up to the Samurai name.
The big blue flag group:
See the man in black.
See the man in black run.
The famous actor guest.
On a horse, of course.
They made Spiderman the clean up crew! Poor Spidey!
The random Westerner (I later learned he is supposed to be German) and his Japanese bride.
A mock battle with demons and Samurai in front of the main stage.
Living up to the Samurai name.
The big blue flag group:
See the man in black.
See the man in black run.
The famous actor guest.
On a horse, of course.
They made Spiderman the clean up crew! Poor Spidey!
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