Chaning Seasons

10.1.07
As September becomes the month of October, Japan’s weather is changing before my eyes. The heat of the Japanese summer is quickly being replaced with the cooler weather of fall. In a sense, the weather hear reminds me of home. One day you’re wearing tank-tops, and the next, it’s time to get out your warm hat and sweatshirt. For example, this past Friday I felt rather hot by the time I peddled my way to work; I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. However, yesterday the rain brought along the wind and a dampness that seeped into my bones, chilling me from the inside out. Good thing for warm blankets sent from home, new hats, and water resistant jackets. I’m sure it was a lot warmer then it felt, but then again, the strong wind can easily befuddle our perception of our surroundings. I’ll have to have a chat with my hypothalamus (if that’s possible). I think my thick Buffalo, NY blood has thinned out since I got here. It’s supposed to be 68 degrees today with wind. We’ll see about that.

My Japanese lessons with Lauren are going well. I have learned all of my Hiragana characters and now have to learn the different rules concerning their combinations. After that it’s Katakana and then I’ll focus on conversation skills because right now that’s most important to me. I emailed a lady by the name of Ms. Ogina about free Japanese lessons; Lauren saw an advertisement offering lessons to foreigners in the post office. She quickly returned my email and was excited to meet me. Classes (taught by Japanese volunteers) will be from 11-12:30 on Monday mornings and I will start on October 15^th! The class is being held at the “International Friends Center”.

Lauren and I spent some time yesterday making party invitations for our “Hip Halloween Hoopla” on October 27^th at 6:30pm. Lauren’s birthday is the 27^th and we also wanted to invite friends and colleges to our apartment for some Halloweenie good times.

You know you’re turning Japanese when you eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Lauren and I decided to go exploring at 9:30pm on Friday night. We normally go through the park but there are huge spider webs. Lauren didn’t want to go that way and I was up for an adventure so we finished work at 9pm, got on our bikes around 9:30pm and were off. We took some new turns and ended up near a busy street sporting a McDonalds and, wait for it, a kaiten sushi place! By the time we would get home it would be close to 10pm and we would still have to make dinner. With that in mind, our stomachs told us that we had to go inside. It was delicious and I was a little daring; I tried natto. I didn’t really enjoy it, but at least I gave it a chance. On the way home we got a little lost, went in circles, and finally made it home by 11:15pm. I can’t complain, I was ready for bed, full, and to be honest, I had fun!

A few days ago, Lauren told me a story about something that happened in one of her classes. She was going over family in her classes. Each student drew their family members and pets and then was expected to explain (in English) who each member was. She showed me some of the pictures by her students, and I must say that the drawings were very good. Japanese children are very good artists. One student in particular drew her pets which included to green balls in a fish tank. Lauren really didn’t understand so asked Hiroko to come over and explain what exactly these pets were. Hiroko told her that they were “creatures” found in the Japanese sea. They are called marimo(s). When Lauren told me, we both were stumped so I took the initiative and looked up this “creature” of sorts on one of my favorite websites, Wikipedia. The green, fuzzy ball-like-pets are actually colonies of fibrous algae that are only found in a few countries; Japan is one of three. Lauren and I want to get one. Maybe we could name it Marvin (the marimo) or something.

Special Shout Outs: Thank you Mom Hensen (Mudder) for the marvelous package! It was full of so many goodies that will definitely be savored by Lauren and I. Also, thank you for informing me that my plant is an Anthurium from Hawaii. I will make sure it gets lots of warm sunshine. About the new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, it seems like most people are in favor of him because he is more experienced and “stable” (to quote Peggy). Peggy also may have briefly mentioned her and Hiroko’s love for the old Prime Minister (Shinzo Abe say Prime Minister "ah-bay") may or may not have been due to the fact that he was “good looking”.

Hiroki, thank you very much for informing me that the mathematical formulas I saw on TV were addressing the "Internal Structure [and] Evolution of a Star". That is so great! Yes, hopefully I will learn the kanji and be able to read what it says the next time.

Yuta, I made omurice (a fried rice omelet where the rice is hidden under a thin layer of scrambled egg) like you taught me while we were still at Binghamton! Lauren wouldn’t let me make her one because she didn’t trust me. When she tried my omu rice she smiled with satisfaction. I think she trusts me now. Seeing is believing, I suppose.

Dr. Ed and Margene, I was actually surprised but it seems as though many of the sailing terms are similar here, despite them sounding Japanese-a-fied. When Peggy was going over the sailing review sheet with me several words stood out including: "beam reach", "running", "tack", "jibe", "skipper", "crew". There were some others but I can't remember them off the top of my head. It seems like math isn't the only international language; sailing is too! Good thing I like both.

Random Notes: I need help! Lauren and I have a week of Halloween parties at school and we don’t know what to dress up as. Any suggestions? We wanted to try to have the same theme as far as costumes goes. Lauren thought of M&M’s, but in my opinion, that’s not very exciting. No offense Lauren :)

I was looking in the New York page of the World Atlas at school the other day and Binghamton was spelled “Binghamption”. It made me laugh.

Sights of Japan

9.pick a Sunday.07

Besides some of the sights that I see on my Sunday walk to church I would first like to address the “amazingness” of Japanese television. Personally, I must admit that I am not a big proponent of television, simply because I don’t usually have time to watch it. I would rather read a book, hang out with friends, go ride my bike, or do just about anything else including bake banana bread.

Despite my unwillingness to watch television in the United States, I am thoroughly surprised every time I happen to sit down and watch a few minutes of Japanese TV. Lauren usually has the television on while she is working, and since I’m usually working at the same time, I can’t help but watch along. On Sunday night (9.23) at 8pm we were working on some of our lesson plans for the following week. While doing this Lauren was flipping through the few public channels we have and I yelled for her to stop when something amazing caught my eye. At 8pm on a Sunday night, there was a man explaining complicated integrals that brought me back to my days in physics 132 at Binghamton University. Yes, he was explaining some physics law (Does anyone know the name of this law? I think it has something to do with either Gauss' Law or Maxwell's Equations but I can't remember.), thermal energy, and the following night the same station was talking about the diffusion of solutions across a membrane.

Math is a universal language!

Only in Japan do they show these types of programs at 8pm on a Sunday night. In America this time is reserved for prime time shows. How odd would it be to see WB showing calculus lessons at 8pm on a Sunday night? Sorry all you Grey’s Anatomy fans, but it’s time to learn how to solve integrals. Please put away your calculators. We’ll have none of that.

One more thing, I also wanted to say that I had the opportunity to watch SpongeBob’s Japanese cousin who is, strangely enough, also called SpongeBob. They have “Best Friends Day” in Japan too! You know what is even more amazing? The guy that does the voice of SpongeBob (American citizen SpongeBob) is from East Syracuse, NY! What a small world.

Now that I’ve explained what I mean by the “amazingness” of Japanese television, I would like to take this moment to present you with some of the things I see in Ochiai.

I really need to go and see what type of things one would find in a "happiness" museum.

Will I look like this too if I sing karaoke in Japan?!

Not from Ochiai, but I would like you to meet my new unnamed plant.

I would like to end this entry with a little clip from the Japanese SpongeBob episode called "Best Friends Day". In this episode, Patrick gives his best friend SpongeBob a present. The present happens to be a gigantic ball of bubble gum that Patrick has been saving for a very long time.

Unihotaru

9.26.07
Today’s Japanese adventure took place on Tokyo Bay. Lauren was still feeling under the weather, but I was all ready for Hiroko and Peggy when they came and picked me up at 9:45 this morning. Because it was supposed to be a beautiful day, Hiroko wanted to take Peggy to see Tokyo Bay from Umihotaru (“fireflies at the ocean”). Umihotaru is a man-made pier that juts out into Tokyo Bay. Connected to the pier there is an 9.6 km (5.96 mile) underground tunnel that ends in Yokohama, a city located across the bay. Peggy told me the tunnel and pier were celebrating their ten year anniversary this year, while Hiroko pointed out the actual blade that carved the 9.6 km long underwater tunnel.

If you fallow the line of sight out to the water and across the bay, the tunnel is right below.
The big white semi-circle in the middle is an emergency exit and air duct for the tunnel.

Above is the blade that carved out the tunnel.

A diagram of the pier and underwater tunnel.
Yokohama is on the left side and some city
to the south west of Chiba is on the right (where we were standing).

From the pier I saw some oil refineries, tankers, Chiba (a city south of where my apartment is located), Yokohama, and if it had been a little clearer than Peggy said I could’ve seen Mount Fuji. It was beautiful out on the water, and so peaceful. I forgot how much I love being close to the water.

Hiroko and treated us to a wonderful lunch on the pier. While we at we sat and enjoyed the calmness of Tokyo Bay that surrounded us. There were some really cute statues around the perimeter of the pier that you could sit on so I had to take a picture of Peggy being eaten by a fish chair.

On the way back to school we stopped at a little marina/yacht club and chatted with one of the workers in the little tower near the boats. Peggy and Hiroko asked her about renting a sailboat and how I could go about doing it. When we saw the price (it was expensive), I asked Hiroko and Peggy if they wouldn’t mind asking the women how I would go about volunteering to crew on a boat; this past summer I had the chance to volunteer as a crew member of a sailboat, called Salsa, captained by my neighbor Ed Weiss. Evidently, the best thing I could do was take a test for 1000 yen ($10) at the beginning of October. After hearing this, Peggy put in a good word for me, saying that I was a very nice girl with lots of experience. I didn’t know she was saying this until after she had said it. The lady game me the phone numbers of two people that are in charge of sailing classes for children. I could possibly help with these classes if I passed the test. The lady gave me a flyer for the test, which included what was on it and what would have to be completed to pass. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive at this point. Sure I have sailed and love sailing but I haven’t ever sailed a course before. It makes me nervous thinking about it. Although, Peggy did have a point when she mentioned that sailing would be a great place to make friends and improve my Japanese. For now, this topic is “to be continued”.

Teaching went well today. I had my two classes of girls and as time goes by they are becoming more and more comfortable with me being their teacher. They are beginning to listen to me and to participate more in class. I also had a lesson with Keigo today. SAT prep went very well and I think he learned a lot. At the end of the question he asked me my opinion on the difference between the phrase “Are you hungry?” and “Aren’t you hungry?”. Thinking he was the “omnipotent” master of everything English, his friends had asked him to explain the difference between the two; they did not understand the lesson that was covered in school. It was nice to explain my opinion of what they both meant. Written by themselves they may mean almost the same thing but in the context of a situation (along with intonation) they can take on a very different meaning.

I also studied my hiragana today. I will have a test on the entire chart this coming Sunday. Wish me luck! Lauren Sensei is a stickler and I think she just left the apartment to stop a cat fight outside. She just said, “There will be no cat fights in my neighborhood.” and then left. Now, two minutes later, she is back and has informed me that her mission was successful.

Special Shout Outs: I should also mention that a package filled with goodies arrived today so thanks Mom-o and Papa! The pilgrims from girl scouts were a random addition to our mantle, but they will come in handy when Lauren and I teach the students about different American holidays. I would like to thank everyone for commenting on my blog and keeping in touch with me over the past month I have been here. I can’t even begin to tell you how appreciative I am.

Leah thank you for this link. And yes, Lauren and I have decided to take it into deep consideration when we start planning for our lessons next month.

Last, but most certainly not least, congratulations Sonja on your wedding! What great news!

My Serene Saturday

9.22.07

My lessons went well today and was finished around 2pm. I stayed at school doing random things until about 3pm. I was going to explore around the train station, but I just wanted to go home to my nice quiet Sodegaura apartment. Lauren hasn't been feeling well so she had already gone home; she got a ride with Hiroko and left her bicycle at school. She has been using the spare bicycle since the one she owned disappeared without a trace. Yesterday on her way to work, Lauren figured out how to get to work another way and showed it to me on the way home last night. Even though it was dark out (it gets dark here around 6pm!), I was able to find my way back to our apartment building.

I parked my bike and decided to walk to the supermarket around the corner to pick up some ice cream for Lauren. I figured that would make her feel better. I got some popsicles that are made of vanilla ice cream and have a Hershey's chocolate coating. They're like Klondike bars but in popsicle form. Delish! I also got some Japanese "pumpkin", which is known by a different name in the US of A.

When I was heading back to the apartment these two little boys were walking into my building at the same time. They saw me walk in and looked at me with very surprised faces. As they ran up the stairs to the apartments above mine, I looked one of them in the eye and smiled. His eyes widened and he and his brother ran for it up the stairs. I started to unlock my door and out of the corner of my eye I saw their little hats peaking over the staircase. I stepped inside and laughed. Yes, I live here. Lauren and I have been meaning to introduce ourselves to our neighbors. We're going to have to bake cookies and then knock on doors soon.

I was expecting Lauren to be home and when she wasn't I called her to find out that she went out to go to the same store that I had just left! Luckily we didn't pick up the same things! She got some grapes and some other necessities (milk, thick Japanese wheat bread, grape juice, and popsicles). We were on the same wavelength with the last one.

The grapes were the best part by far because they're really good here. I don't like grapes at home in America unless I'm in the mood but here they're so tasty! We don't buy them often because you have to pay for the taste. In most supermarkets they are 3000 yen for a small bunch. That's about 30 US dollars! Lauren is so savvy and got them for a steal; 400 yen or about 4 US dollars. Mmm good and almost as big as a plum!

Jumbo Japanese Grapes!

Lauren and I were going to go to a concert in Chiba tonight but she has a cold and Yuri couldn't make it so that would leave me to go by myself to the concert. Considering I only know a few words in Japanese and it was getting dark, I decided not to go on my own. Not to mention, I could hear my mother's and grandmother's voice in the back of my head saying "Now Sheila, don't go anywhere by yourself!". Lauren and I watched Memoirs of a Geisha instead while eating popcorn.

Random Extras:
I think it's really interesting that animals in different countries can have different sounds. For example, the sound for a frog in Japan isn't "ribbit ribbit". It is more like "geh-droh geh-droh". Mind you, I only know this because I work with little kids. When I mentioned this to friends, Alison Kincaid pointed out this really awesome website. For some reason the Japanese frog sound is listed under the snake sounds but it's all pretty similar; they are both cold-blooded.

Some pictures from this week that I forgot to post.

Jon the TV-dog shows you what it's like to live in Japan. His face turns into a TV screen that you watch real Japanese kids on. Watching Japanese kids TV shows is great.

The front door to my apartment.

Some pretty flowers by my front door.

This is my stellar bicycle complete with a lock and silver night light.

I got a really pretty plant/flower to spruce up my room the other day but I forgot to take a picture of it. I'll have to remember to post it later.

Good night!

"Fuji-san!"

9.20.07

Today was a long day. A very long day indeed. Since one of my students had a private make-up lesson, I had five, one hour lessons back to back. Normally, Thursdays are my hardest day because of the energetic children that often get out of hand. Today, the children were generally well behaved, but I still felt drained as I fought to constantly get their attention, stop them from chattering on in Japanese, and corrected their papers because they were not listening to my directions; they were doing things on their own accord. All that added up make one tuckered out Sheila at the end of the day (8pm). My last two lessons were a delight.

While teaching today there were a couple memorable events that occurred.
1. One of my students, who is supposed to come to my class on Mondays, came into class today. She has been on vacation since I arrived in Japan, and I haven’t really had the chance to judge her skill level. Anyways, we were going over adjectives like big/small, hot/cold, and up/down. On the “big” touch-and-feel adjective card there is a picture of a mountain. When I pointed to the picture of the mountain and asked, “What is this?”, most of the kids said “Fuji-san!” in their little Japanese voices. I corrected them and said “Yes, like Mt. Fuji. This is a mountain.” Well to my surprise one of my students, the one making-up her Monday lesson, goes “Do you know Mount Fuji?” in perfect English. Under any normal circumstance in the United States, I would not be surprised that this cute little girl was asking me a question, but here in Japan, I have become accustomed to my students both asking and answering me in incomplete sentences. To make a long story short. I was blown away by her question! I tried to compose my excitement while smiling and answering “Yes, I do know Mount Fuji!”.

Not only was I surprised, but other students became silent as if they were being graced with the last pinks, reds, and oranges of a beautiful sunset. They were just as speechless as I was. However, their speechlessness didn’t last more than a mere moment before their voices returned to their usual rowdiness.

2. One of my older students is studying to take the Pre Eiken 2 exam, which is an English proficiency exam for high school students. My student is in junior high school, but she lived in the United States for a few years, and as a result, her English level is higher than most Japanese children her age. Once a child passes the Pre Eiken 2 test they can take the Eiken 2 test and then on to Eiken 1. Eiken 1 is the most difficult of all the Eiken tests. Most Japanese tests are ranked like this; the lower the number the more difficult.

So we were going over review questions and I felt awfully self-conscious because there were several that I didn’t even know how to explain, and I’m an English speaker! I mean, who knows that the singular form of data was datum!? I knew data was plural, but I couldn’t think of a situation where you would talk about data as being singular. It was so odd. I also found that explaining idioms was very difficult. Which makes sense considering Wikipedia's definition of an idiom as "an expression, term, or phrase" that cannot be defined literally. How then do you explain to your student that the answer to a fill in the blank question should be “Anything will do.” and not “Something will do.”? Idioms must be memorized, but it is by no means satisfying for both teacher and student when the answer is “I'm sorry but that’s just the way it is.”

Besides teaching today, Lauren and I met her friend Yuriko (Yuri) for lunch. We went to the Indian lunch buffet and all of us really enjoyed spending the time together. Yuriko was very energetic and spoke English very well for not studying it.

Oh, I also wanted to mention that I made a comment in one of my lessons about a cat having nine lives, and my students looked at me like I was crazy. Evidently, Japanese cats do not have nine lives. Sorry Tom!

My One Month Anniversary

9.18.07

A month ago, I was boarding my plane in the Chicago airport, buckling myself into an aisle seat, and trying to look somewhat calm as I prepared myself for the adventure I was about to embark on. It is amazing how we, as humans, are able to adapt to the different situations that life brings our way. I hardly feel any different, and yet, I know that I have learned so much over this past month; about myself and about Japanese culture. It is exciting to think that the next eleven months will be filled with even more learning and adapting. Japan is an amazing place filled with incredible things, and as much as I miss home, I am grateful for every passing moment that I spend here.

On a less nostalgic note, I would like to thank Lauren for the little surprise she presented to me today when she walked into work. Lauren, being the 100 yen store queen that she is, decided that she had to pick up some things at our local store branch, which isn’t too far from work. After stopping she headed to work about fifteen minutes before my first lesson. She walked in with a big, yellow plastic bag and a even bigger smile on her face. Then she exclaimed, “I have a surprise for you!” while pulling this out of the plastic bag.

It’s Moomin’s girlfriend! I think she is officially called "The Snork Maiden", but I'll have to get back to you with a more specific name. She had evidently just finished getting some things at the 100 yen store and was on her way out when she spotted this little cutie in the picture above. Knowing how much I love Moomin, she quickly picked her up, turned around, and headed back to the cashier. She said the cashier laughed as she told them she had one more thing to buy. I absolutely loved my surprise because it just makes me giggle to myself every time I look into those big brown eyes. Lauren and I were talking about keeping her at work just to cheer us up after a hard lesson and it actually worked because I got Lauren to smile after her class of crazy boys at 5pm.

My classes went well today. Cross your fingers for the rest of the week! Lauren got a ride home with Hiroko (Lauren’s bike was gone this morning when we woke up so send some good finding vibes our way if you have some spare time.) who mentioned she was very happy with the way our teaching has been going. She was happy we were getting along and trying to collaborate on our lesson plans. If two siblings, who are being taught by two different teachers, are learning the same thing because when they go home there is a better chance that they will want to use what they learned. To hear that from Hiroko was very encouraging because I worry about these things. I want the kids to have fun and learn something at the same time, which is very difficult to accomplish!

Lauren was watching the last episode of her Japanese drama tonight. The name of the drama is “Hanazakari No Kimitachi E” which means “Our Blossoming Men’s Paradise” (or something to that effect as translated by Lauren). It’s about this girl (Mizuki) posing as a boy at a Japanese all boys school in order to help this guy (Sano) that saved her life while he was in the United States. The girl is Japanese but her family lives in California. Even though I had to ask Lauren to translate, I thought the show was funny in a goofy sort of way. TV dramas here in Japan are a bit different from their American counterparts. Rather than going on for seasons and seasons (i.e. The Simpsons), Japanese shows only last one season. This was the last episode and it was two hours long! I’m sure you can guess what happens in the end. Let’s just say it involves a kiss.

The two of us are hanging out before going to bed, eating our American popcorn because Lauren picked up a box of 20 bags at Cost-Co the other day, listening to Big Band Era music like we always do at school, and enjoying life.

Go Fish!

9.17.07

Even though today was a national Japanese holiday, Hiroko asked Lauren and I to show up for work. We didn't really mind, but we were worried that many students wouldn't show. My first lesson was canceled because Ririka wasn't feeling well. I had an extra hour to plan out my lessons and also managed to get ready for tomorrow. For the months of September and October, Lauren and I are teaching adjectives and classroom vocabulary/expressions. This week I made a worksheet for my kids that covers cold/hot, small/big, and up/down.

Some of my classes have been a bit unruly and I have found it very difficult to be "the bad guy". I am in the process of implementing a class color change chart just like my first grade teacher, Mrs. Kehoe, to be used for classroom management. Basically the kids have three chances (warning, green changes to yellow, yellow changes to red). When the card turns to red they loose their class game at the end of the lesson. Hiroko helped me explain it to one of my classes today; I told them in English and she translated it into Japanese so they were to be sure to understand the rules. We had a productive lesson and I rewarded them with a game of alphabet 'Go Fish'. This is actually a really good game for learning English because they are forced to speak. Good stuff!

My last student, Sao, told me about her favorite website, neopets.com, where you can adopt a cyber creature to care for. I decided to check it out for myself. Lauren told me that I should adopt one but I am worried that I won't have time to care for it properly. I think my favorite is the Lutari. Which one do you like best?

Lauren and I wanted to stop at the 100 yen shop but it was closed. We'll have to go back tomorrow to pick up some odds and ends. Lauren wanted some ice cream so we stopped at "Rainbow Ice Cream" and got some mango ice cream. She even got a free complimentary taste of "pumpkin pudding". I didn't really want ice cream but I did notice one that was called "milk & milk". Typo maybe? I don't think so.

We headed back home and on our way Lauren and I agreed to take an alternative route. Rather than going over the bridge, we went along the river. The path was much more scenic and deposited us right by the park next to our apartment building. We were so proud of ourselves for finding it.

Lauren made dinner tonight because I had made spaghetti on Saturday. We had this nacho concoction complete with left over refried beans, cheese, spaghetti sauce, lettuce, and organic blue corn tortilla chips that Lauren bought at Cost-Co. Oh and Lauren forced me to eat some of the baguette that she had purchased the other day. It was pretty chewy.

Well I have a test on Hiragana words this Thursday and I need to study. Sayonara and ganbare (goodbye and good luck)!

Train Hopping

9.16.07

Phew! Today was definitely a day filled with excitement, fun, and new experiences. I woke up at 8am (9pm for all you United States East Coasters), and got ready to go to church. I placed a quick phone call to my good friend Jonathan Newman and was out the door by 9:45am. Lauren would not be joining me on my travels today because she had a prior commitment with her old host family. They would be taking a trip to Cost-Co (Yes, Japan has a Cost-Co, which is basically the same as Sam’s Club.) and then they would be heading to Shinjuku for dinner at the kaiten sushi restaurant Lauren and I visited not too long ago. By the way, Lauren and I have decided that we want to become “regulars” at that kaiten sushi place! We’re going to try our best.

Last night Lauren briefly explained the route that I would be taking to get to church but now it was time for me to actually brave the train network by myself. As I said before I had to get on the bus to the Tsudanuma train station, got to Nishi-Funabashi, switch to the metro in Nishi-Funabashi, and make my way to the #3 exit where Joe would be waiting to walk with me to church. To my amazement, the trip went smoothly except for one minor issue. While in Tsudanuma, I wasn’t really sure which train to take to get to Nishi-Funabash, but just as I was staring at the train schedule in confusion, Joe called me to ask if I was on my way. He told me the best way to go and I was off!

Church was good and so was my Korean lunch. I met a Japanese girl studying English at the university in Makuhari where I teach. Her name is Kozue (Koh-zoo-eh) and she was very nice and very excited about everything. Much like someone else I know – me! I think I will be meeting up with her and Haeji for lunch in the coming weeks.

Haeji pointed Kozue and I towards the train and Kozue let me know when it was about time to get off at Shinjuku. I had to go there to get the second “A Series of Unfortunate Events” book for my student Sao. Normally, we would order them on Amazon.com but she had finished her previous book unexpectedly and I had to be prepared with something for the next lesson. Since the Shinjuku station is humungous, Lauren warned me to only leave by the Kabukicho exit. Not seeing any signs of that nature and being as smart as I am, I headed for the West exit only to find it was not the right one! I had to re-enter the station with the help of a guard and I felt like a jerk asking for him to show me how to get to the Kabukicho exit. This is how it went:

Me: Excuse me. I don’t understand Japanese. Kabukicho please? (in Japanese)
Guard: Blah blah blah… (in Japanese)
Me: Staring in confusion and saying “I don’t understand.” again in Japanese.
Guard: Saying something in Japanese and then using very dramatic hand signals to point the way. Straight and to the right.
Me: Yes, thank you. (in Japanese)

Then I gave him my card to reset so I could go through the turn style. Because I was flustered, I walked through without swiping my card and was reminded by the guard’s booming voice. I turned quickly and walked back around and through the turn style. After all that I finally found a sign pointing towards the Kabukicho exit. I tried to get out and had to get my card reset again. Luckily, the second guard didn’t ask me anything in Japanese. Finally, I was home free!

On my way to the bookstore I passed a man with a painted face, mohawk, and lack of a shirt. He was playing the saxophone in an odd drum-like manner. As he played, a second man with a mask danced interpretively in the middle of the street. I watched for a good five minutes and spent a while in the bookstore looking in the Foreign books section.

I found Sao’s book and left to get some fruit on a stick. On the way I saw a group of men carrying a shrine on their shoulders. The shrine decorated with gold represents a small city. These men were carrying it through the streets of Shinjuku; this is usually done once a year. I was getting ready to head home and found my way back into the Shinjuku station and onto a train. As I passed Akihabara and Motoyawata, I decided that I would have to try and visit these two places when I had extra time.

Lost Crusades & Lost Popcorn

This week (9.11.07 to 9.15.07)

Since this week has been super busy, it’s been hard to find time to post. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this past week.

On Monday night Lauren and I went to Peacock to do our weekly shopping. She had a hankerin’ for some pork and I decided to pick out some salmon. I’m not joking either because I literally picked out my own piece of fresh salmon. It was just sitting in a box full of ice in the middle of the meat section. They even have little baggies for your fishy steak. I should also mention that you can get a piece of dry ice to take with you on your long walk home; it helps the fish stay cold. I can just imagine Wegman’s handing out chucks of dry ice. I don’t think it would work so well. Lauren also bought this seasoning that you put on your rice. I felt so awesome pouring Pokemon seasoning on my rice. Wait until the kids at school see my Pokemon seasoning!

Tuesday was the day before Christmas. We went to Leah’s old apartment to pick out some extra items for our apartment. Since we only had two plates, we thought it might be a good idea to grab some of the extra dishes; especially if we have guests!

On Wednesday, Lauren and I went to Inspiri, which is located on the outskirts of Tokyo Disney. There is a shopping center there and several popular American restaurants including Planet Hollywood and The Rainforest Café. We decided to go to the latter restaurant for lunch. We also went to the Disney store and check out some of the little shops. I gave in and purchased a really awesome scarf.

My mushroom spaghetti wasn't all that great but the real waffle fries made up for it. I couldn't help but think of Sarah Jane while using the packets of ketchup.

"Christmas" actually occurred on Thursday when Hiroko showed up with our goodies from Leah’s apartment. We got rid of some things that we didn’t need or were broken and accepted the new items with open and loving arms. Our apartment is looking better and better as the days go by. Merry Christmas! Hiroko surprised me with a kids game to help me learn my Japanese characters. The character is An-Pan Man (Bread with Anko or Red Bean inside). Both Lauren and I couldn’t stop laughing as we played with it.

On Friday, Lauren and I became official official aliens as we were presented with our Gaijin Cards. Basically, we have to bring this id card with us wherever we go. We also got our post office savings account cards, which are sort of like limited ATM cards.

It was only until we wanted popcorn on Saturday night (We watched Indian Jones and the Last Crusade while doing work.) that Lauren and I realized we had thrown out 26 packages of popcorn on Thursday along with our broken cabinet. Duh!

Christmas in September!

9.11.07

I finally had a chance to pick up the ten pound package that my mother sent me today it was filled with clothes that I forgot and my t-shirt blanket. Oh, I can't forget the goldfish crackers! I can't wait to eat them. Lauren and I thought they would actually be really good for teaching colors. We have teaching on the brain 24/7 now.

Today was basically like Christmas. Besides my package, Hiroko took us to Leah's old apartment where we rummaged around and claimed things that Hiroko would otherwise be trowing away. Our apartment is looking more and more "homey" as the days go by.

I should also mention that teaching went well today despite some challenges. Two of the girls in one of my classes were stealing sickers (Lauren told me this later)! During my last class with two older students, we talked about Mr. Bean and they told me how to get to two of their favorite restaurants. They said my homework was to go visit one before next week.

Special Notes: Thank you for your reading my blog! Kate, I would love some prezels, but only if you want to send them. I like the nibblers the best. Margene, I took a picture of a lady in a ukata (cotton version of a kimono). She was on the train. I will post it soon. Mark, you were there with me last night, silly goose!

Tomorrow I will be going to Minami...the area around Tokyo Disney for lunch with Lauren, Hiroko, and Harumi. I promise to take lots of pictures.

Pancakes and Rainbows

9.8.07
If you’re being observant, you’ll notice the posting date on this journal entry. I just wanted to apologize that it has taken me so long to post. Lately, I’ve been quite a busy bee. Speaking of bees, I was reading an article in the Japan times about the Israeli bee virus that scientists believe to be the main cause behind the disappearance of honeybees, not cell phone towers as many of us believed, including myself. I couldn’t help but thinking of some friends from school; especially Steve Kingsley the bee keeper! Anyways, let’s get down to business!

After work on Saturday, Lauren and I finished decorating the classroom for fall and punched out for the weekend. We headed right to the train station because we were going to meet Lauren’s friend Sarah (from Jacksonville, FL and teaching for NOVA) and her Japanese boyfriend Rogi for dinner. At the station, we passed a band called The Strange Drama playing in the plaza and couldn’t help but stop and have a listen. The songs were in Japanese and the singer had a very smooth voice; a crucial trait for a super band, in my opinion. They have a concert coming up on September 22^nd. Lauren and I decided that we have to go.

We got to Shibuya where we were going for dinner and we walked around for a while checking out the scenery. About a million other people had the same idea as us. From the window of a Starbucks café we watched the crowds and crowds of people crossing the street in a diagonal fashion while enjoying our iced herbal tea (me), Japan exclusive green tea frappacino with blackberry sauce (Lauren), and our banana and soymilk muffin. We also went to Loft, a huge store with amazing stationary, supplies, and other “necessities” that aren’t “necessities” until you see them.

View from Starbucks

Man purses are very popular here. I think the pink one on the far right is especially interesting.

Fuzzy pencil cases.

Alex zee German...what does this mean?

Around 6pm we met Sarah and Rogi at Hachiko. Hachiko is just outside the Shibuya station. There is a statue of a dog commemorating this legend. If you’re ever meeting anyone in Shibuya, you meet them here. When we finally found Sarah, we decided to go find a restaurant that served okonomiaki. Okonomiaki is basically a Japanese pancake made of nappa cabbage, other vegetables, whatever meat you want, and egg, which holds everything together. They give you a bowl to mix all the ingredients together and then you pat in onto a large hot skillet in the middle of the table. It was fun and Rogi was a professional okonomiaki maker so we just sat back and watched. The restaurant even provides sand timers for you to make sure that you cook your pancake for 4 minutes on each side. The final product with special sauce and fish flakes was absolutely delish.

Rogi making okonomiaki.

The finished product.

Lauren and I walked around Shibuya after saying goodbye to her friends. As it the clock struck 10pm and the fear of turning into pumpkins overwhelmed us, we headed home for Sodegaura.

9.9.07

Lauren and I stayed to eat the "bee bee bop" at church. That isn't the precise name, but I prefer to call it by that name. Lauren and I thought it would be even funnier if we called it "baby bop" the next time we went to church. I would ask, "Can I please have some 'baby bop'?" Then they would say, "Um, sorry Sheila we don't serve purple dinosaur meat here. And wait...aren't you a vegetarian?"

When I got my baby bop, I decided that I needed a lot of sauce, which is spicy and a tad bit sweet, so I put on three scoops. Boy, was I feeling it by the end. I couldn't eat the humungous bowl so I asked my friend Min Soo to eat it. He looked up at me and sighed because he had just been given a bowl to finish by another friend named Jenny.

After church, Lauren and I were going to home to plan for next week but we decided to use our day off wisely by saving planning for after dinner. It was Lauren’s idea to go to Odaiba, a city on Tokyo Bay. We took this monorail like tram on wheels over the Rainbow bridge and explored Odaiba. Our first stop was Cats Living, a shop for cat lovers. You can actually pay to play with cats in a little confined area. We didn’t want to pay but we did walk around the shop. The cats/kittens were cute; very expensive but cute. Our next stop was another shopping plaza where we stopped for a few minutes to watch these breakdancer/acrobats performing in the middle of the two story shopping plaza. I must also point out that the first floor of the plaza was open to dogs. Dog owners could walk into stores with their best friend in toe. It took some getting used to but it was cute. They had a NHK character shop with favorites such as Moomin (my favorite), Totoro, Kiki (from the film Kiki’s Delivery Service), and many more. In the plaza there was a Toyta show room too.

The Rainbow Bridge across Tokyo Bay! Not to be confused with the Rainbow Bridge going into Canada.

We sat in the front seat!

Me at Cats Living.

Dogs are allowed in this mall.

Me hangin' with some crazy creatures.

The Toyota show room. Dad, I'll have to take you here.

We went back home because it was starting to get late but overall it had been a fun day! Please note the complicated nature of our day which is outlined below:

To church:
Bus to Tsudanuma
Tsudanuma train to Nishi-Funabashi
Metro to Ochii
Occhi is where church is

Leaving church and going to Odiaba:
Shin-Okobo train to Shinbashi
Switched in Shinbashi to the monorail on wheels (Yurikamome)
Shinbashi to Odiaba

From Odiaba back home:
Tokyo Teleport to Shinkiba
Shinkiba to Nishi-Funabashi
Nishi-Funabashi to Tsudanuma
Bus back home

Lots of transfers eh? Yes, I took the Tokyo Teleport and even though I tried really hard to beam myself up, it didn’t happen. I guess it was broken. Either that or I just have to try harder.

I should also mention that we had a visit by a second cockroach. We, and by "we" I mean me, got rid of the first one (we named him Mr. Tom Gross) the previous night. The second one, however, was much faster and much more daring. Lauren and I were screaming and laughing as I ran around the house trying to catch him under a glass cup. When he zoomed out of the kitchen towards my bedroom, I was even more determined to catch him! I cased him into the waiting area by the front door, caught him in a shoe, threw the shoe out the door and slammed the front door. We just left the shoes in the hallway for a while. My sides hurt from laughing and we were screaming so much that the neighbors probably think we're insane. Oh well!

9.10 and 9.11.07
Yesterday (9.10) was like any normal day for me. Lauren and I decided to take the train into school and my classes went relatively despite my rowdy students. I had to teach a lesson with one of the mother's watching me. I was nervous but I kept on her son's as the acted up several times. She was watching them in order to decide whether or not they should continue to have private lessons. Personally, I feel that it isn't such a great idea to have two brothers, who are not the same age, in a lesson together. They should be split up. Lauren and I got home pretty late (about 9:30pm), made dinner, planned, and went to bed.

Today (9.11) is the same as yesterday and I'm going to pick up the 10lb (4.5 kilos) that Mom sent me. Oh and thank you Mom Hensen for the card! I love it!

Bath Bubbles?

9.5.07
“There is a typhoon coming.” Hiroko said to Lauren and I as she took us home from the Shin-Narashino train station last night. We had to make sure our bikes were ok, and because of the rain, we were forced to leave them at the station rather than riding them home at 9pm in the pouring rain. We were unable to lock them up in the bike parking lot so we had to risk leaving them under the cover of a store in the same plaza as the station. The typhoon is due to hit us this Friday and last until next Tuesday. For you in “The States”, that’s your Thursday night. But please don’t worry! All that means is lots of rain for the little plants on my porch. They will be happy; therefore, I will be happy too.

After all that commotion last night, Lauren and I got up early (about 7:15am) to fetch our dear little bikes from the train station. Hiroko picked us up at 8:30am and we were off to the onsen (Japanese bathhouse) near the ocean. It is somewhere in Tokyo Bay on the opposite side as Yokohama. We weren’t really sure of the cities exact name.

I was a little apprehensive about going to a bathhouse. In America, society places a very different standard on showing your bear body. However, the bath was hot and very relaxing. The water in the bath was from a hot spring and due to mineral deposits, it was iodine in color. There were actually two baths. One inside and one outside with tinted windows that allowed you to look out onto the ocean. Afterwards, we met back up with Peggy and her mother and ate some lunch.

We went out to the farmers market next to the bath house and talked to the locals. Lauren acted as my translator, but I could pick up “America” and nodded my head because from clues like that it was easy for me to figure out what they were asking. Lauren ate some momo kakigori (peach slushy) while I drank my bottle of ramune. The man who sold it to us explained to Lauren that he had lived in New York City for six months and wanted to go back. The workers were all so kind and welcoming! Lauren and I bought some Asian pears (nashi) and some peanuts because they were a really good price. Cold nashi is so good!

Hiroko almost fell asleep as we drove home because she was so relaxed from the bath. We had to stop at ma-ku-dal-na-nu-do (MacDonalds) to get some coke so she wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel. We made it home safely and had about two hours before our 4pm lessons started.

Lauren and I both realized that we share a mutual love for the comic Mutts. Who would’ve thought!?

9.6.07

Today was much windier and tomorrow morning the typhoon is due to be right over our little city. Rain is coming down in sheets and I don’t have a raincoat! Eep! Yesterday at school Lauren asked her kids “What do you mix?” and one student replied “I mix Japan!”. Haha…

Lauren is making lime Jello that she sent herself from America. The Japanese are crazy about jelly-like substances but they do not have Jello. I haven’t had “jello” here, but Lauren says that it’s harder and has less flavor. Speaking of Jello,

Lauren (L) and I (S) miss (mostly food):
Gushers (both)
Pull and Peel Twizlers (both)
Cheez-its (both)
Ruffles (L)
tortilla chips (both)
fountain Coke (L)
Hoho’s (L)
Snyder’s Pretzels (S)
linoleum floors (L)
Shower heads (S)
doors with handles (both)
central air (both…we’re spoiled)
tall fridges (both)
root beer (S)
butter knives (both)
skim milk (both)
high fructose corn syrup (L - they don’t have this in Japan!)
the silence when walking into a store (both)
having one choice of green tea (“there’s a green tea for your every mood” – Lauren)

Lauren and I don’t miss:
tipping in restaurants (both)
manual doors (both – they’re all automatic here)
driving/paying for gas (both)
To be continued…

While watching the news today Lauren and I learned about some eco-friendly building solutions. In Chikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four islands, goya plants were placed along the windows of an office building in order to reduce the cost of cooling the structure. A goya plant looks like a bumpy cucumber and it grows on a vine. The vine grew and quickly covered the window; saving the business about $4,000 USD over three months. Many of the offices customers have also admitted a reduction of stress because of the green colored windows; the color green is not as hard on the eyes.

For some laughs check out The Human Tetris Game Show on Youtube. Hilarious! There was also another Japanese game show that Lauren showed me. The contestants dress up as bugs, in tight spandex costumes, and have to jump with a pogo stick onto a big stump. The height of the stump increases as they complete each jump. When they don’t make it, a lady dressed as a spider comes out on stage, eats some natto (fermented soy bean that is the consistency of a “snail’s trail”), and blows the disgusting smelling stuff in the loser’s face using a clear plastic tube. So weird!

Check these:
1. Japanese Drinks
2. Japanese Gadgets

Special notes:
Margene, to answer your question about how often I see people wearing kimonos here in Japan. To be honest, I have only seen a few people wearing kimonos. I once saw a 50 year old woman wearing one on the train and I have also seen people (all ages) wearing them because they are going to or are already at a festival. Other than that, they are reserved for special occasions like weddings.

Stephanie, I’ll try my best to post my pictures on Pisca too. I’m sorry!

Harajuku and Shinjuku

9.2.07

Ready for a day filled with adventure, Lauren and I left our apartment at 9:45am and headed to the Tsudanuma train station to take the metro, since it’s cheaper than the train, to Lauren’s church in Nakano (10 minutes from the Shinjuku station). The Korean church happened to be five stores tall with services in Korean, Japanese, and English. I had the chance to meet some new friends like Jenny, Haeji (say “Hedgie”), Alison, Amber, Ai, Min Soo, Joe, Jisoo (say “Chi-so”) and lots more. Many of the people there were actually from America and it was nice to have the opportunity to talk to them. Alison for example, was from New Jersey. She told me that her sister had gone to Binghamton University for economics and business, and we both laughed when I explained that I had gone there too! I can’t forget to add the bit about Lauren’s performance during the service. Decked out with a pink cut-out heart on her chest, she sang and danced with four other church members. Lauren will probably kill me if she knows that I posted this, but honestly, they did a super job!

After the service, we were invited to a little room on the first floor of the building for a traditional Korean lunch called “bee bee bop”. It was delicious for how simple it was: rice with bean sprouts, carrots, some sort of Japanese mushroom/root, spicy-sweet sauce, greens (I don’t know what kind), and some other vegetables. I also had some good American Teddy Grahams! Mmm! Friends and food, what more could you ask for!?

Lauren and I said our goodbyes and headed out to accomplish the remainder of our mission. On the way down the street we stopped at a 100 yen ($1) vending machine and tried some peach (momo) juice. We walked down a few very narrow streets in order to get back to the train station. Our first stop: Harakuju.

Two random side notes: Firstly, it was Sunday. And secondly, the stores in Japan remain open because it is the one day during the week that just about everyone is off (they work on Saturdays too). This is very different from Sundays in America where most businesses close early or are not open at all. By combining these two “rules”, guess what you get? That’s right. Humongous crowds of people, especially in popular shopping areas such as Harajuku and Shinjuku!

Me getting a "free hug" in Harajuku.

We got off at the Harajuku stop and I had my camera all ready for some shots of oddly dressed Harajuku fashion-ites. After my free hug, Lauren and I decide to visit the Meiji Shrine. You know it's a shrine because of the bright architectural colors. Temples are generally very plain; earth tones are most common. It is a very popular shrine that was constructed in honor of the emperor during the Meji Restoration in the early 1900's. There were quite a few tourists. Let’s just say I heard lots of British accents. Lauren and I washed our hands before entering the original shrine arches, walked past the "couple trees", threw our 5 yen coins into the offering basket while clapping three times, and even saw a Shinto wedding procession! Lauren told me that because this shrine is so popular, a very large donation must be made in order to have a wedding at this location. She also explained that the bride wears five layers with white on the outside and red closet to the skin. White symbolizing the purity of the male and red representing the female.

Even though the peacefulness of the shrine drew me in, Lauren and I decided we were ready to head out into Harajuku. We went into the Snoopy store which was all decorated for Halloween (The Great Pumpkin) and then moved onto the main street of Harajuku. We walked around a few shops and also stopped into a three floor 100 yen shop, which is the Japanese version of a $1 store. I took some silly pictures of toilet ash trays, bras (What $1 store sells bras!?), and detailed erasers. I have noticed how important “cool” school supplies are for the children here in Japan. Many of my students have erasers and pencils that smell like candy or flowers. By the time we got out of the 100 yen store it was about 6pm and we were both hungry. We wanted to see the rest of Harakuju, but we decided that the rest could wait for a full day.

We got back on the metro and got off at the Shinjuku stop. We took the east exit to Lauren’s favorite kai-ten sushi place. In a place like this you sit down at the counter, fill your mug up with delicious (oishii) green tea, pour some soy sauce into your little dish, break a pair of chopsticks in half and try to find your favorite type of sushi as it revolves around the conveyor belt. It reminded me of finding your luggage in the airport but about a million times better, mostly because you’re eating! I had salmon (my favorite), some sort of white fish, sweet eggs, and tuna salad sushi. Lauren made fun of me for how I ate and cheered when I fit an entire piece of tuna salad sushi into my mouth. I had been eating it “wrong”; I had been dissecting it like the sciencey person that I am. We laughed and cried as the wasabi sauce burned in our throats and went up into our sinuses. When we finished the waitress/waiter counted our plates (each plate pattern corresponds to a different price) and gives us a receipt to bring up to the cashier. The guy next to me must have had about 20 plates! I only had 4. :)

Tuna salad sushi. I fit that whole piece in my little mouth!

Lauren and I stopped to get some dessert: fruit on a chopstick. We wanted to walk around so that we didn’t fall asleep on the train on account of our full stomachs. Lauren went into the Coach store and asked me if I wanted to go into Louis Vaton. I just laughed and said “Oh no, that’s ok!”. We also visited a bookstore called Books Kinokuniya that was nine stories tall; there were elevator hostesses to help you find your destination. We went to the foreign books section on the seventh floor where I was excited to see an entire section of books by Peter Drucker. Professor McLeod would have been ecstatic.

Engrish alert: While in the bookstore, I saw a guy with a shirt that said “Let’s rock into hysteric”. I couldn’t help but think of Mark Turley and how that would make a great slogan for his new band called Red5.

It was about 8:30pm and Lauren and I were getting tired. We still had to do our planning for class on Monday afternoon so we decided to head home just after seeing a castle on top of a 30 story building advertising the Karaoke place inside.

9.3.07
Today was a great day for classes because I’m finally getting into the swing of things. Lauren and I have decided to come up with a weekly theme together. This makes planning much easier because you have something to work around. I had a make-up lesson today with a 14 year old boy named Jun. He was very funny. I hope he learned from and enjoyed the lesson. We played 3 truths and 1 lie. His lie was that he had a girlfriend. He also told me that his favorite American snacks were Cheetos.

Hiroko announced that she would take Lauren, Peggy, and I to the ocean on Wednesday! We will be going to an inside onsen, which is basically a huge bath. I can’t wait.

When I was taking the garbage out this morning I "met" an older Japanese lady. She said good morning to me in Japanese and then started chatting away. I really wanted to say that I didn't understand but I was too flustered to remember how. She was pointing and I just kept nodding. I tried to tell her that I didn't know Japanese but I don't know if that worked. We nodded our separate ways. Next time I see her I will introduce myself and say:

Se mi ma sen. Nihhon go wa ka ri ma sen. (Please be kind to me I don't understand Japanese) You live and learn right!?

9.4.07
Yay for Tuesdays! Just a normal day today. We’re having a good ‘ol American dinner of mac ‘n cheese thanks to Lauren’s mom; she sent us a package or non-perishable food. Oh and we’re having edaemame too. By the way, I got some letters today! Thanks Hu, Edel, and Mudder! Evidently they've been holding our mail at the post office because we have to register our names at this address. Oopsy!