the weeks here fly by faster than i can keep up with them really. i am so very happy that life here is so easy... i keep hearing, especially recently, how very difficult it can be for people to adjust, especially girls. i'd like to think that i am the type of person who could adjust relatively easily to any place - well no, given that its a first world country- i'd like to think i can adjust easily to any first world country... given that i spent a whole lotta time in france and learned to like it, i am assuming so! ^_^ but i understand that japan is very different from what we are used to in the states and for some people, getting with the program is just not something they can easily do. so for everything i have now, i am grateful.
to that end, i feel like im finally on the other side of the looking glass... i am finally living what i studied... and i am actually using both majors and using them to the fullest of my potential. what a really freaking awesome realization that was. dream come true, check.
jennifer has been staying with me off an on for a couple of weeks now but shes finally leaving to her new life/job/residence in kyoto next week. its been so much fun having her here with me. i say this a lot but the period of time from losing my dad til my move to japan was a really difficult one for me. having all my close friends in one location is so much more comforting than i could have imagined really. if only i had my sister and chibi... im pretty sure if i had chibi with me id never leave japan. -.-
this saturday is the midland end of year party. i am pretty excited about it. i am really looking forward to hanging with some of the staff and friends that i have made here. next year i am going to be hanging out in a completely different part of town, so i am going to be saying goodbye to some really awesome newly made friends. thankfully most of these relationships are solid and i dont feel like its a goodbye... in preparation for the new year/end of the year, ive dyed my hair, cut it, new coats of nail polish, a new pair of shoes (heels), and a new skirt. the shoes i can wear to work and since all my pants are tailored for heels, this purchase is actually quite handy. have i mentioned that ive walked through *2* pairs of shoes already?! also, the skirt was on sale, so i dont have too much guilt about it. =) i am going with yosuke though the jury is still out on this part of the story. i will let you know in the follow blog. ^_^
last weekend was mandys birthday! it was so much fun shopping for a birthday present for her. i like shopping for presents for people... i think we all know this... its like a scavenger hunt for something you think the person will like the most... i dont always find exactly what i am looking for, but when i do, its a really great feeling. i initially wanted to get her a scarf, since i figured it would be small enough for her to keep when she leaves japan, but i couldnt find one that i thought suited her style well enough... so i ended up with english tea, some very tasty truffles, and some hand lotion from the place that i like. side note, hand lotion is expensive here! why?!!
so part of the birthday celebration was to go and see mars! thats right! me! mars! little people! it was a lot of fun. there were 7 telescopes set out. 6 were pointed at various stars and the last one was massive and was pointed at mars. mars looks like a circle. just like all the other stars... but its red and that somehow makes it cooler. ^_^ we looked at a few of the other stars as well. one telescope was pointed at the north star... and i have no idea where the others were... lol. also itd been raining off and on the whole day so we were really lucky that it cleared up just as we were starting the viewing!
then we went to dinner at this italian place nearby. they pretty fantastic food. in japan, its common for restaurants to change their menus with the season... spring is here so the italian restaurant changed all of the dishes on the menu. kinda through us a curve ball there but the dishes that we ordered were both equally fantastic to what we'd eaten before. =) then we went to a little cafe in osu and had dessert. have i mentioned how lucky i am to have mandy? i am so glad i have someone to hang out with who enjoys all these random things with me... =)
also, i had a special taiyaki today! ive inserted a link in case youve forgotten. it really is all goodness. since its spring, theyre offering strawberry and mochi filled taiyaki! omg! the best! if i remember, i will upload a picture. =)
also, if i am speaking in cliches lately, its because lately ive been helping various people with english idioms. knowing idioms really is the only way to be fluent in a language... and lately ive been helping people with them. so if i sound like a walking cliche, thats why.
i am still looking into moving. once i get the info on this place ive been looking at, i will probably put my notice in to move.... but i soooo dont want to leave my area! fushimi is the best location in nagoya! -.- alas, its expensive and i need to get a better handle on my finances.... *sad face*
also still trying to figure out golden week! eek! so much i want to do... so little time/money to do it all! my normal MUST DO IT ALL NOW isnt quite working in this situation... ive also included a link for golden week in case you're curious.
ok, ive got a couple of hours of studying ahead of me tonight... again i must ask WHY AM I NOT FLUENT ALREADY??? ugh. why is my brain so slow?! i will continue beating it into submission until it submits to my will. -.-
thanks for reading. =)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
besties at play
so its been a while since ive written (or maybe it just feels that way). i have been on a whirlwind the last few weeks. jennifer came to stay with me after she escaped the mountain. =) her job was absolutely terrible though and i am so glad she was able to leave that place... and so now she is with me.... at least until thursday. on thursday she is heading back to kyoto to start a new job at a macha cafe. macha is green tea, so a green tea cafe. =) i am super excited for her... and it looks like she has an apartment lined up when she gets there. things are finally looking up for her and i am really hopeful that she will finally get to experience the japan that i experience.
that brings me to another thought. i was slightly hesitant to move into a new apartment with very little knowledge of who i would be staying with, etc., but after having jennifer here with me the last ten days, i know i am going to be sooooo bored when she leaves. thus i have decided to move. i am going to put in my notice just as soon as she leaves. i am looking forward to the change. its time i had a roommate anyway. =)
like i said, the last ten days or so have been quite exciting! ive been all over random places in nagoya with mandy and jennifer! last tuesday i made kabocha soup and had mandy over for dinner. then i had a random knock at my door. seems bruce (the landlord) told one of the new girls that i lived in the same building and she came to say hello. of course we fed her and gave her some pointers about the city and such. it was really a nice dinner. my kabocha soup recipe is getting better too!
i also got a fantastic care package from my step sister christi! its my second care package to date and it was filled with all sorts of chips and crackers! i am soooo happy. hehe.
i also got a copy of the ultrasound showing my new nephews face. ^_^
otherwise, the end of the year is approaching and next year is just around the corner. i have my new schedule, new classes, and a whole slew of things on my to-do list for spring. i feel so lucky to have so many awesome things happening right now...
today was lunch date round two, with jennifer. we really had a lot of fun... dinner was about 2.5 hours again and we chatted and spent a lot of time discussing random finer points of language. after lunch jennifer and i went to take purikura.
i have some friends who really bring out the child in me. they allow me to relax and not be so uptight. i dont have many of these friends because i can only relax when i feel completely at peace with someone and if i feel completely assured of his/her competence. jennifer is one of those people. when i think about it, its probably one of the highest compliments i can give someone (because as everyone knows, i am a stress case usually!). =) this is the other shot:
after lunch, jennifer and i went to a PRINCESS CAFE! only in japan do they have such a thing... you go in, pay for lunch/dessert and dress up like a princess. ^_^ it was soooo much fun! of course, here are a couple of pictures for you to see!
and this one:
man, it really was the perfect way to spend the day... it was pretty much a fantastic day. =) oooooo! we also went and had pho! it was sooo good! slightly different from pho in america... which is still the best ive had, but it was good nonetheless. they didnt have siracha which was a bit annoying... but it was pho, and it was good... and it was cheap and relatively close by. ^_^
i also met the newest members of ecc, 7 guys. eeeek. it was funny because usually my friends are male... but upon walking into this training room filled with testosterone, i felt quite out of place. also, just being here for a while you start to blend in with japanese culture... these guys felt SO WESTERN! it was an initial bit of culture shock for me. but theyre all super nice guys and after the initial bit of shock, i was able to mingle a bit more and get comfortable with them. i think theyll all do well here. itll be interesting to see how much they "blend" with time.
saturday is mandys birthday. we have tickets to go and see MARS from the observatory on saturday! i really hope the sky is clear... the weather is so bi-polar here! today it was nice and sunny... and warm even... but the forecast calls for heavy rain tomorrow. lame. i guess this is what the rest of the world calls "spring." i wonder if i will ever not miss california weather... its sooooo beautifu1! lol. side note, you know the song "save me san francisco" from train? i used to think that song would make me feel homesick or nostalgic while i was here... and it does a little, but not in the way i thought it would. i am finally at peace with things. that is such a good/refreshing/new feeling and a relief.
alright, time to study some more japanese. i study every night now... uuugh. why am i not fluent already?! *grumbles*
also, must decide on golden week at some point... i am running out of time! only 5 weeks to go! eeeek!
that brings me to another thought. i was slightly hesitant to move into a new apartment with very little knowledge of who i would be staying with, etc., but after having jennifer here with me the last ten days, i know i am going to be sooooo bored when she leaves. thus i have decided to move. i am going to put in my notice just as soon as she leaves. i am looking forward to the change. its time i had a roommate anyway. =)
like i said, the last ten days or so have been quite exciting! ive been all over random places in nagoya with mandy and jennifer! last tuesday i made kabocha soup and had mandy over for dinner. then i had a random knock at my door. seems bruce (the landlord) told one of the new girls that i lived in the same building and she came to say hello. of course we fed her and gave her some pointers about the city and such. it was really a nice dinner. my kabocha soup recipe is getting better too!
i also got a fantastic care package from my step sister christi! its my second care package to date and it was filled with all sorts of chips and crackers! i am soooo happy. hehe.
i also got a copy of the ultrasound showing my new nephews face. ^_^
otherwise, the end of the year is approaching and next year is just around the corner. i have my new schedule, new classes, and a whole slew of things on my to-do list for spring. i feel so lucky to have so many awesome things happening right now...
today was lunch date round two, with jennifer. we really had a lot of fun... dinner was about 2.5 hours again and we chatted and spent a lot of time discussing random finer points of language. after lunch jennifer and i went to take purikura.
i have some friends who really bring out the child in me. they allow me to relax and not be so uptight. i dont have many of these friends because i can only relax when i feel completely at peace with someone and if i feel completely assured of his/her competence. jennifer is one of those people. when i think about it, its probably one of the highest compliments i can give someone (because as everyone knows, i am a stress case usually!). =) this is the other shot:
after lunch, jennifer and i went to a PRINCESS CAFE! only in japan do they have such a thing... you go in, pay for lunch/dessert and dress up like a princess. ^_^ it was soooo much fun! of course, here are a couple of pictures for you to see!
and this one:
man, it really was the perfect way to spend the day... it was pretty much a fantastic day. =) oooooo! we also went and had pho! it was sooo good! slightly different from pho in america... which is still the best ive had, but it was good nonetheless. they didnt have siracha which was a bit annoying... but it was pho, and it was good... and it was cheap and relatively close by. ^_^
i also met the newest members of ecc, 7 guys. eeeek. it was funny because usually my friends are male... but upon walking into this training room filled with testosterone, i felt quite out of place. also, just being here for a while you start to blend in with japanese culture... these guys felt SO WESTERN! it was an initial bit of culture shock for me. but theyre all super nice guys and after the initial bit of shock, i was able to mingle a bit more and get comfortable with them. i think theyll all do well here. itll be interesting to see how much they "blend" with time.
saturday is mandys birthday. we have tickets to go and see MARS from the observatory on saturday! i really hope the sky is clear... the weather is so bi-polar here! today it was nice and sunny... and warm even... but the forecast calls for heavy rain tomorrow. lame. i guess this is what the rest of the world calls "spring." i wonder if i will ever not miss california weather... its sooooo beautifu1! lol. side note, you know the song "save me san francisco" from train? i used to think that song would make me feel homesick or nostalgic while i was here... and it does a little, but not in the way i thought it would. i am finally at peace with things. that is such a good/refreshing/new feeling and a relief.
alright, time to study some more japanese. i study every night now... uuugh. why am i not fluent already?! *grumbles*
also, must decide on golden week at some point... i am running out of time! only 5 weeks to go! eeeek!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
春(haru): spring
i cant believe its finally spring!!! i felt like the cold weather was never ever ever going to end! the last couple of days have been slightly cool (about low 50's) but NOT FREEZING! i hear this is a bit early for spring weather as warm as this... and that hay fever is particularly bad this year but i am lucky that i dont suffer from allergies really. spring spring spring spring... aaaaah. *breathes*
so if you have a facebook, you know i went strawberry picking last week. mandy and i had a fantastic time with akemi! she was such a great host! we met at the station in handa, then went to a little farm just outside the city. strawberries were planted in a greenhouse in double decker rows. it was all very neatly organized. also the raised flowerbeds meant that i didnt have to bend down to pick any strawberries... nope! they were all there perfectly positioned for me to eat them. all of them. for like 2 hours. i might have strawberried myself out a bit... but we got these little plastic containers and condensed milk/chocolate sauce to dip them in... and im not gonna lie, it was a little slice of heaven. ^_^
that day i got a call from jennifer and she hopped on a train and came to nagoya to spend the night with me! it was sooooo great seeing her again! i missed her soooo much! i havent seen her since she popped in at my dads funeral to give me flowers and a hug. that was easily one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. i am in awe sometimes of the kindness of my friends. i often have no clue how i survive without them... unfortunately, it seems as though her job really really sucks... which is horrible, but it also means that i might gain a roommate. ^_^ shes supposed to quit this week and come stay with me! yay! its gonna be sooo exciting! ^_^ thats jennifer below. ^_^
i also got my first private student! he is really cool and our plan is to meet every other week for 1.5 hours. i am really looking forward to some conversation and cultural learning. we met last sunday and the interview was a bit intimidating. you can tell he is a well educated man with a lot of life/work experience. he is very smart and asked me a lot of very direct questions. he said he chose me for my education... wow! my education actually means something!
that night we met some of the new teachers to celebrate a birthday. we went to a small restaurant across from my building. the owner was sooo nice! seriously guys, ive never had such freaking amazing hospitality as i have had in japan. if youre nice, try hard, and play by the rules, life is so easy going. of course those things arent always easy... some of the rules are *interesting* but nonetheless, i have met some really really nice people here and have had some unmatched life experiences.
after dinner we went to karaoke! its the first time ive actually gone since ive been in japan. omg... first, it was funny cause we sang only english songs. second, we had two australians... and they sang all the stereotypical australian songs... like men at work. it was fantastic! lol!
last week i also went into a used clothing store and found this really old, really awesome english grammar book from about 1905! it was 2000Y (about $20) but i had to get it. it has two dedications in it! one from about 1915 and one from about 1958! its sooooo cool! this little book is all mine now...
while i was there, i met this guy. we have a lunch date on tuesday... lol. hrm... i really dont understand japanese guys though... they are a complete and utter mystery to me. i have a really hard time playing any sort of game and dating for me... is such a pain. this is why i am single. i want a relationship but i really dont want to have to go out and date anyone. what happened to the good old days of high school when a guy says he likes you and then done!? yea. i need more of that. OH! and one more thing. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND GUY JAPANESE TO SAVE MY LIFE! ive been hanging around too many girls... and really guys use different slang... and slur their words differently... its like a whole different language. WTF?! i feel like im on the short bus every time i talk to a guy. i have to ask them to slow down and speak clearly... ugh. it adds a layer of complexity my feeble little mind continues to struggle with...
on sunday i went to dinner with my friend. shes moving to santa barbara next month... im sooo excited for her. shes the sweetest girl... and has such potential. shes also sooo pretty... and really innocent... i have a feeling the guys are going to be all over her. thankfully, shes got a fairly good head on her shoulders and i think she will be ok. dinner was fun though. we went to a bookstore and i helped her pick out a book that she would be able to read in english. ^_^
also, i ran into a friend on my day off tuesday! it was quite serendipitous! she was coming out of a cooking class nearby and also had the day off... so she took me to her cooking school and i got a brochure! i am going to start cooking classes in may! once a month... on tuesday morning. its going to be sooo much fun! i have always wanted to take a cooking class... and theres no better place to do it than japan! we also went by a jewelry making school... we are going to take a short 3 hour class on the 27th.. im going to learn to make a new type of necklace! im sure there will be pics to follow!
i love school.... i love learning.... if only i had more money and more free time... i go to school forever... and ever... and ever...
finally, i am really stoked about this weekend! mandy and i are going to see a live show! its going to be fantastic! i have all my rocker chick clothes ready! Nagoya Mag. has all the info for the show online! and its in english! lol. im soooo excited...
ive been slowly plugging away at the japanese.... studying it more and more now. sooo... much... work.... uuuugh....
anyway... i guess this blog ended up longer than i had intended... but i think they always do... lol.
"be excellent to each other"
so if you have a facebook, you know i went strawberry picking last week. mandy and i had a fantastic time with akemi! she was such a great host! we met at the station in handa, then went to a little farm just outside the city. strawberries were planted in a greenhouse in double decker rows. it was all very neatly organized. also the raised flowerbeds meant that i didnt have to bend down to pick any strawberries... nope! they were all there perfectly positioned for me to eat them. all of them. for like 2 hours. i might have strawberried myself out a bit... but we got these little plastic containers and condensed milk/chocolate sauce to dip them in... and im not gonna lie, it was a little slice of heaven. ^_^
that day i got a call from jennifer and she hopped on a train and came to nagoya to spend the night with me! it was sooooo great seeing her again! i missed her soooo much! i havent seen her since she popped in at my dads funeral to give me flowers and a hug. that was easily one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. i am in awe sometimes of the kindness of my friends. i often have no clue how i survive without them... unfortunately, it seems as though her job really really sucks... which is horrible, but it also means that i might gain a roommate. ^_^ shes supposed to quit this week and come stay with me! yay! its gonna be sooo exciting! ^_^ thats jennifer below. ^_^
i also got my first private student! he is really cool and our plan is to meet every other week for 1.5 hours. i am really looking forward to some conversation and cultural learning. we met last sunday and the interview was a bit intimidating. you can tell he is a well educated man with a lot of life/work experience. he is very smart and asked me a lot of very direct questions. he said he chose me for my education... wow! my education actually means something!
that night we met some of the new teachers to celebrate a birthday. we went to a small restaurant across from my building. the owner was sooo nice! seriously guys, ive never had such freaking amazing hospitality as i have had in japan. if youre nice, try hard, and play by the rules, life is so easy going. of course those things arent always easy... some of the rules are *interesting* but nonetheless, i have met some really really nice people here and have had some unmatched life experiences.
after dinner we went to karaoke! its the first time ive actually gone since ive been in japan. omg... first, it was funny cause we sang only english songs. second, we had two australians... and they sang all the stereotypical australian songs... like men at work. it was fantastic! lol!
last week i also went into a used clothing store and found this really old, really awesome english grammar book from about 1905! it was 2000Y (about $20) but i had to get it. it has two dedications in it! one from about 1915 and one from about 1958! its sooooo cool! this little book is all mine now...
while i was there, i met this guy. we have a lunch date on tuesday... lol. hrm... i really dont understand japanese guys though... they are a complete and utter mystery to me. i have a really hard time playing any sort of game and dating for me... is such a pain. this is why i am single. i want a relationship but i really dont want to have to go out and date anyone. what happened to the good old days of high school when a guy says he likes you and then done!? yea. i need more of that. OH! and one more thing. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND GUY JAPANESE TO SAVE MY LIFE! ive been hanging around too many girls... and really guys use different slang... and slur their words differently... its like a whole different language. WTF?! i feel like im on the short bus every time i talk to a guy. i have to ask them to slow down and speak clearly... ugh. it adds a layer of complexity my feeble little mind continues to struggle with...
on sunday i went to dinner with my friend. shes moving to santa barbara next month... im sooo excited for her. shes the sweetest girl... and has such potential. shes also sooo pretty... and really innocent... i have a feeling the guys are going to be all over her. thankfully, shes got a fairly good head on her shoulders and i think she will be ok. dinner was fun though. we went to a bookstore and i helped her pick out a book that she would be able to read in english. ^_^
also, i ran into a friend on my day off tuesday! it was quite serendipitous! she was coming out of a cooking class nearby and also had the day off... so she took me to her cooking school and i got a brochure! i am going to start cooking classes in may! once a month... on tuesday morning. its going to be sooo much fun! i have always wanted to take a cooking class... and theres no better place to do it than japan! we also went by a jewelry making school... we are going to take a short 3 hour class on the 27th.. im going to learn to make a new type of necklace! im sure there will be pics to follow!
i love school.... i love learning.... if only i had more money and more free time... i go to school forever... and ever... and ever...
finally, i am really stoked about this weekend! mandy and i are going to see a live show! its going to be fantastic! i have all my rocker chick clothes ready! Nagoya Mag. has all the info for the show online! and its in english! lol. im soooo excited...
ive been slowly plugging away at the japanese.... studying it more and more now. sooo... much... work.... uuuugh....
anyway... i guess this blog ended up longer than i had intended... but i think they always do... lol.
"be excellent to each other"
Sunday, February 26, 2012
チビ (chibi): 1. small child; pipsqueak; small fry; small, cute. 2. small animal; runt;
I wonder if I feel homesick. Last night I had a hard time sleeping because I missed my dog. :/ Whenever I walk by animal stores or see people walking their pets, I feel a sense of longing for my own animals. It's strange because I certainly don't feel the same way about people. The people I know are rational, logical beings (for the most part) and have the ability to understand why I am away and how to communicate with me while I am gone. The same cannot be true of my pets though. While Princess seems fairly happy in her new surroundings (as I am sure Chibi is too), I feel really terrible that they are not here with me.
Last night while looking for a certain picture of my dad and I, I was looking through all the really beautiful pictures I have of my niece. She really is one gorgeous child. She's also incredibly smart. Whenever I speak to her on the computer, she reminds me that when she is 6, I have promised her a trip to Japan. She wants to see where Hello Kitty lives. Of course she has no real concept of how far away I am but the child does not forget anything, ever, so I am honestly planning away at a trip for her next year. Probably some time next year during Golden Week. I figure I can head home and on my return flight bring her here. Still a 12 hour flight is a long time for a little girl, but a promise is a promise, and as long as I keep reminding her how far away I actually am, it should be ok. She still reminds me that when shes a big girl, we are supposed to go to France. I made that promise when she was 2. -.-
Yesterday I went to the Tokugawa Art Museum with Mandy and Yoshiko. OMG! It was so much fun! I love history and yesterday they were having the Hina Matsuri display. Everything was so grand! Yoshiko wanted to practice her English, so she took us around the garden and museum and explained everything as we went along. We must've been there for about 6 hours. It's quite a big museum and with the garden, it takes a long while to soak it all in. There was also a Tale of Genji display *swoons*. Be still my heart! I will be posting pictures of my trip in a while. =)
Tomorrow I am going strawberry picking! I have a feeling its going to be freezing. -.- It's been slightly warmer, but only slightly. It's really cloudy outside and it always looks like rain. It warms up for like... 2 hours then goes back to really cold. I blame the fact that I was raised in Los Angeles for my lack of tolerance for the cold weather but I am learning to tough it out. lol. I wonder if I will ever be called hearty. Probably not. LA 4 life. :D Getting back to strawberry picking though, I have been looking forward to this since early January! I am so excited! Also, I took the nail polish off my fingers because I figured my hands would get messed up during the picking... so I am also excited to polish my nails again! eee! Yes, I am actually that LA.
Finally, I am super excited to see Jennifer. I feel terrible that things have been rough for her in Japan but hopefully once she arrives things will turn around. I am looking forward to a potential roommate and taking lots of pikura. :D Also, I think she will really enjoy this area. It's not super fun fantastically exciting (like Tokyo is for me) but its a very easy place to live and enjoy. Also, we will both be close to Ariel and Nicky, which always makes me soooo happy! Also, Miaka said she might be applying to work here! That means the 4 of us could likely have a reunion here in Japan after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes life just gets better and better. :D I am keeping my fingers crossed for this new life.
Conclusion: I miss my animals. I need more pictures of chibi and princess... but I am still really happy with things here.
Last night while looking for a certain picture of my dad and I, I was looking through all the really beautiful pictures I have of my niece. She really is one gorgeous child. She's also incredibly smart. Whenever I speak to her on the computer, she reminds me that when she is 6, I have promised her a trip to Japan. She wants to see where Hello Kitty lives. Of course she has no real concept of how far away I am but the child does not forget anything, ever, so I am honestly planning away at a trip for her next year. Probably some time next year during Golden Week. I figure I can head home and on my return flight bring her here. Still a 12 hour flight is a long time for a little girl, but a promise is a promise, and as long as I keep reminding her how far away I actually am, it should be ok. She still reminds me that when shes a big girl, we are supposed to go to France. I made that promise when she was 2. -.-
Yesterday I went to the Tokugawa Art Museum with Mandy and Yoshiko. OMG! It was so much fun! I love history and yesterday they were having the Hina Matsuri display. Everything was so grand! Yoshiko wanted to practice her English, so she took us around the garden and museum and explained everything as we went along. We must've been there for about 6 hours. It's quite a big museum and with the garden, it takes a long while to soak it all in. There was also a Tale of Genji display *swoons*. Be still my heart! I will be posting pictures of my trip in a while. =)
Tomorrow I am going strawberry picking! I have a feeling its going to be freezing. -.- It's been slightly warmer, but only slightly. It's really cloudy outside and it always looks like rain. It warms up for like... 2 hours then goes back to really cold. I blame the fact that I was raised in Los Angeles for my lack of tolerance for the cold weather but I am learning to tough it out. lol. I wonder if I will ever be called hearty. Probably not. LA 4 life. :D Getting back to strawberry picking though, I have been looking forward to this since early January! I am so excited! Also, I took the nail polish off my fingers because I figured my hands would get messed up during the picking... so I am also excited to polish my nails again! eee! Yes, I am actually that LA.
Finally, I am super excited to see Jennifer. I feel terrible that things have been rough for her in Japan but hopefully once she arrives things will turn around. I am looking forward to a potential roommate and taking lots of pikura. :D Also, I think she will really enjoy this area. It's not super fun fantastically exciting (like Tokyo is for me) but its a very easy place to live and enjoy. Also, we will both be close to Ariel and Nicky, which always makes me soooo happy! Also, Miaka said she might be applying to work here! That means the 4 of us could likely have a reunion here in Japan after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes life just gets better and better. :D I am keeping my fingers crossed for this new life.
Conclusion: I miss my animals. I need more pictures of chibi and princess... but I am still really happy with things here.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
learning to breathe
Recently, I've really been enjoying life. My routine is becoming more regular (every blog is say this) and I am learning the city at a decent pace. I am starting to be a familiar face at some shops and restaurants. It makes the city feel like home.
I feel like I've neglected my blog over the last couple of weeks... Mainly it's due to the pretty bad flu I had and follow up migraine. I had the flu for about 5 solid days. I thought you weren't supposed to get the flu if you've gotten a flu shot! Sah... also, the migraine that followed was the worst I've had in almost a year. It was really really really bad... It started about 6pm and lasted until about 1pm the next day... T_T I was exhausted by the end of it all. Thankfully its done and over with and I am back to my normal self- though few would probably call me normal.
It's been warmer here the last few days!!!! It's been soooo nice outside. Quite lovely actually. I obsessively check the weather here. It changes so often! Today it was raining and tomorrow its supposed to pour but Monday and Tuesday were divine! I used to wonder why the Japanese always talked about the weather... now I know!
I've started making a list of all the things I actually miss about home. They are (in no particular order): slurpees, beautiful weather all the time, my sister, my niece, my grandpa, my grandma, my dog (probably chibi the most T_T), princess, cheez-it, flavour blasted goldfish, laws against smoking inside establishments, my fancy smancy shoe collection, sephora, jocelyn- the lady who does my hair. I am sure there's more, but thats all I can think of as of now.
The question then becomes, should I decide to stay here longer, can I survive without those things in my life?? Not without Chibi... he would have to come here. No questions asked. I've promised little miss Beka a trip to Japan sometime when she's about 6 (which she reminds me of every time we speak). I've found a way to talk to my grandparents fairly regularly... And really, it comes down to slurpees and cheez-its. It really is a hard life without them...
Speaking of which, have I mentioned that my grandma is the absolute BEST PENPAL!??! She sent me a care package (my first!) and almost every week we exchange letters. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy checking my mail now. I never used to check my mail... ever. But I check it every week now to see if I have a letter from her. It makes me soooo happy to read them! I've also gotten into the habit of writing letters every Sunday night when I do laundry. =) People nowadays are really into electronic everything, and I totally understand it, but there really is nothing like a nice, handwritten letter. It makes my heart melt with joy. =)
Spring starts here on March 1. March 3rd is the doll festival. If you don't know what it is, you should read the link. Its kind of an interesting festival. All the little girls in my life should be getting something soon. =)
I got to meet the new group of recruits the other week! *5* guys. UUUUGH. lol. They seem like nice guys. One of them quit half way through training though... I think he's already back in the states. He said he thought the job was going to be more lecturing... I think he missed the point that they're JAPANESE and don't speak english as their native tongue... @_@ So there are 4 left.
I also got to hang out with one of the japanese girls who works with me at a local school. She grew up close by. It was really fun. We had some pretty tasty pizza and then I took her to the local pub with the really good ice cream. I swear I eat soooo much ice cream... check that, I EAT SO MUCH FOOD!
I also met up with another teacher who was an English major like meeee! She's super sweet and friendly... and low key! I think she may be joining us for some Saturday night dinner and dessert outings. We ate at a cafe/restaurant in Osu, which seems to be the place to hang out around here. I had the BEST avocado sandwich! Easily the best I've had in Japan. It tasted like one I'd eat at home. Then we had some pretty cool parfaits for dessert. Mandy was there of course. I am so glad I have Mandy! I would be so bored without her here! She's great company.
Speaking of Mandy, yesterday we went to Inuyama Castle. It's the oldest castle in Japan because it hasn't been bombed, earthquaked, or otherwise rebuilt. It's really cool. I took a CRAPTON of pictures. I will probably upload those a bit later and if I remember, Ill add a link here. lol. After the castle we went to the Jo-an Teahouse and had tea and Japanese dessert. I am not a fan of green tea or red bean... but I did it for the sake of cultural knowledge. -.- It was really a lot of fun and VERY BEAUTIFUL!! Like I said, the weather has been sooooo nice the last couple of days, it was a really awesome day trip. Also, when we got there, they offered to send us with a volunteer guide who spoke to us in English! She was so sweet. She gave us little origami samurai hats as a keepsake. I wish I could remember her name... -.-
OOOO! One last thing, we ate at the neko (neko - cat) bistro and had the BEST LUNCH! It was your basic Italian restaurant with a cat theme. I said I was vegetarian and they made my pasta without meat but added a ton of veggies. For 1300 yen (about $13.00) we had salad, bread, pasta, dessert and drinks. It was soooo good! and again, I ATE SO MUCH! do you see a pattern here?? The dessert came with little tiny cat shaped cookies, ice cream, this really awesome-i-dont-know-what-it-was bread with cream on top, and fruit. I am using this blog as a mental note to remember this place. ^_^
Work has also been going well. Since my mishap, I am working harder to improve my tarnished reputation... I got to sub a senka class. Senka is an intensive class that we teach which lasts 2 hours. It's a lot of fun but requires a lot of prep. I also did a bunch of demo lessons for the new school that just opened and the school director sent compliments to personnel about them. ^_^ Today the school director joked that he hopes someone gets a disease so I can sub for him again... though I don't actually think he wishes a disease.. perhaps just minor illness. ^_^
2 students of note: I met this guy who is 60-? now. He works for Mitsubishi building ships, though mostly his job was engineering the inside electronic equipment. He's lived in 6 countries: Russia, USA, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. He's tried to learn the local dialect of each country, so he knows so many languages! I didn't teach him at all. Instead, I asked him about his job and he stood up and went to the white board and explained all about ship building! It was totally fascinating! I learned that liquid natural gas needs to be kept at -153 c. The other gas, needs to be kept at roughly -50c. and thats the same temperature that salmon needs to be kept at... so they'd transport gas one way, pick up salmon, and bring it back on the return trip. Totally randomly useless knowledge that I can store away and use for some trivia game later!
The other guy is 32 and hes a physics professor at a local university. Already!!! A professor! Physics!! I'm jealous. -.- His hobby is making pasta, which he has done now for about a year. He's made almost every type of pasta... when I told him that my sister and I have made the actual pasta from scratch, he said he was going to try it and let me know how it turns out. ^_^ He is also into heavy metal! He said in Japan there are the big 4: Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Pantera. They have a name for it but I forgot what it was... I think they are the big 4 in the USA too though. He was totally cool. But in the not-so-much-cool-as-geeky kinda way. ^_^
Finally, last week I went and saw my first movie (with Mandy)!!! We went on Valentines day. ^_^ We saw "shiawase no pan" or "bread of happiness." It was a totally cute movie about a woman in Okinawa who runs a bread shop. She's looking for true love. There weren't any subtitles!!!!! eeeeeee!!!! I think I understood about 80% of the movie... I think. It was really a great movie to have as my first movie here.
It's so strange to feel alive again. The last 5-6 years have been so tough. But like every winter, the clouds eventually dissipate and the sun begins to shine again... I am happy.
I feel like I've neglected my blog over the last couple of weeks... Mainly it's due to the pretty bad flu I had and follow up migraine. I had the flu for about 5 solid days. I thought you weren't supposed to get the flu if you've gotten a flu shot! Sah... also, the migraine that followed was the worst I've had in almost a year. It was really really really bad... It started about 6pm and lasted until about 1pm the next day... T_T I was exhausted by the end of it all. Thankfully its done and over with and I am back to my normal self- though few would probably call me normal.
It's been warmer here the last few days!!!! It's been soooo nice outside. Quite lovely actually. I obsessively check the weather here. It changes so often! Today it was raining and tomorrow its supposed to pour but Monday and Tuesday were divine! I used to wonder why the Japanese always talked about the weather... now I know!
I've started making a list of all the things I actually miss about home. They are (in no particular order): slurpees, beautiful weather all the time, my sister, my niece, my grandpa, my grandma, my dog (probably chibi the most T_T), princess, cheez-it, flavour blasted goldfish, laws against smoking inside establishments, my fancy smancy shoe collection, sephora, jocelyn- the lady who does my hair. I am sure there's more, but thats all I can think of as of now.
The question then becomes, should I decide to stay here longer, can I survive without those things in my life?? Not without Chibi... he would have to come here. No questions asked. I've promised little miss Beka a trip to Japan sometime when she's about 6 (which she reminds me of every time we speak). I've found a way to talk to my grandparents fairly regularly... And really, it comes down to slurpees and cheez-its. It really is a hard life without them...
Speaking of which, have I mentioned that my grandma is the absolute BEST PENPAL!??! She sent me a care package (my first!) and almost every week we exchange letters. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy checking my mail now. I never used to check my mail... ever. But I check it every week now to see if I have a letter from her. It makes me soooo happy to read them! I've also gotten into the habit of writing letters every Sunday night when I do laundry. =) People nowadays are really into electronic everything, and I totally understand it, but there really is nothing like a nice, handwritten letter. It makes my heart melt with joy. =)
Spring starts here on March 1. March 3rd is the doll festival. If you don't know what it is, you should read the link. Its kind of an interesting festival. All the little girls in my life should be getting something soon. =)
I got to meet the new group of recruits the other week! *5* guys. UUUUGH. lol. They seem like nice guys. One of them quit half way through training though... I think he's already back in the states. He said he thought the job was going to be more lecturing... I think he missed the point that they're JAPANESE and don't speak english as their native tongue... @_@ So there are 4 left.
I also got to hang out with one of the japanese girls who works with me at a local school. She grew up close by. It was really fun. We had some pretty tasty pizza and then I took her to the local pub with the really good ice cream. I swear I eat soooo much ice cream... check that, I EAT SO MUCH FOOD!
I also met up with another teacher who was an English major like meeee! She's super sweet and friendly... and low key! I think she may be joining us for some Saturday night dinner and dessert outings. We ate at a cafe/restaurant in Osu, which seems to be the place to hang out around here. I had the BEST avocado sandwich! Easily the best I've had in Japan. It tasted like one I'd eat at home. Then we had some pretty cool parfaits for dessert. Mandy was there of course. I am so glad I have Mandy! I would be so bored without her here! She's great company.
Speaking of Mandy, yesterday we went to Inuyama Castle. It's the oldest castle in Japan because it hasn't been bombed, earthquaked, or otherwise rebuilt. It's really cool. I took a CRAPTON of pictures. I will probably upload those a bit later and if I remember, Ill add a link here. lol. After the castle we went to the Jo-an Teahouse and had tea and Japanese dessert. I am not a fan of green tea or red bean... but I did it for the sake of cultural knowledge. -.- It was really a lot of fun and VERY BEAUTIFUL!! Like I said, the weather has been sooooo nice the last couple of days, it was a really awesome day trip. Also, when we got there, they offered to send us with a volunteer guide who spoke to us in English! She was so sweet. She gave us little origami samurai hats as a keepsake. I wish I could remember her name... -.-
OOOO! One last thing, we ate at the neko (neko - cat) bistro and had the BEST LUNCH! It was your basic Italian restaurant with a cat theme. I said I was vegetarian and they made my pasta without meat but added a ton of veggies. For 1300 yen (about $13.00) we had salad, bread, pasta, dessert and drinks. It was soooo good! and again, I ATE SO MUCH! do you see a pattern here?? The dessert came with little tiny cat shaped cookies, ice cream, this really awesome-i-dont-know-what-it-was bread with cream on top, and fruit. I am using this blog as a mental note to remember this place. ^_^
Work has also been going well. Since my mishap, I am working harder to improve my tarnished reputation... I got to sub a senka class. Senka is an intensive class that we teach which lasts 2 hours. It's a lot of fun but requires a lot of prep. I also did a bunch of demo lessons for the new school that just opened and the school director sent compliments to personnel about them. ^_^ Today the school director joked that he hopes someone gets a disease so I can sub for him again... though I don't actually think he wishes a disease.. perhaps just minor illness. ^_^
2 students of note: I met this guy who is 60-? now. He works for Mitsubishi building ships, though mostly his job was engineering the inside electronic equipment. He's lived in 6 countries: Russia, USA, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. He's tried to learn the local dialect of each country, so he knows so many languages! I didn't teach him at all. Instead, I asked him about his job and he stood up and went to the white board and explained all about ship building! It was totally fascinating! I learned that liquid natural gas needs to be kept at -153 c. The other gas, needs to be kept at roughly -50c. and thats the same temperature that salmon needs to be kept at... so they'd transport gas one way, pick up salmon, and bring it back on the return trip. Totally randomly useless knowledge that I can store away and use for some trivia game later!
The other guy is 32 and hes a physics professor at a local university. Already!!! A professor! Physics!! I'm jealous. -.- His hobby is making pasta, which he has done now for about a year. He's made almost every type of pasta... when I told him that my sister and I have made the actual pasta from scratch, he said he was going to try it and let me know how it turns out. ^_^ He is also into heavy metal! He said in Japan there are the big 4: Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Pantera. They have a name for it but I forgot what it was... I think they are the big 4 in the USA too though. He was totally cool. But in the not-so-much-cool-as-geeky kinda way. ^_^
Finally, last week I went and saw my first movie (with Mandy)!!! We went on Valentines day. ^_^ We saw "shiawase no pan" or "bread of happiness." It was a totally cute movie about a woman in Okinawa who runs a bread shop. She's looking for true love. There weren't any subtitles!!!!! eeeeeee!!!! I think I understood about 80% of the movie... I think. It was really a great movie to have as my first movie here.
It's so strange to feel alive again. The last 5-6 years have been so tough. But like every winter, the clouds eventually dissipate and the sun begins to shine again... I am happy.
Monday, February 6, 2012
snow flurries
Sooooo! its been an interesting couple of weeks here... i feel like i need to make a list so i dont forget to write about all the things on my mind!
last week i made a hugeeee error and got lost getting to work. even though i thought i could make it to work on time, i didnt and i ended up being late. uuugh. it was pretty awful. i am still kinda kicking myself for it, but i learned and i wont make the same errors again. :/
to that end, i feel like i finally got a taste of the ugly side of japan. its certainly not anything i am going to blog about here but its something for me to be more cautious of in the future. i am lucky things worked out though... and i can move forward.
anyway, it was a pretty big deal but on to good news!
i went to the food faire at nagoya dome this past weekend!!! omg. omg. o.m.g. the food was soooo good!!! just the smell... just walking towards the door! lol. it was food from all over japan and around the world! i had okonomiyaki which was soooooooo good!!!! i cant believe ive waited this long to have some.... ive been in japan like what? 3 months now?! anyway... soooooooo good!!! also, we had shaved snow for dessert! mandy and i are on the same wavelength when it comes to food, so we are having some excellent culinary adventures!!! i took plenty of pictures, on fb... unfortunately, you cant taste them though. -.-
also, major language breakthrough! i have been forcing myself to watch japanese television for 30 minutes every day so that i can improve my listening skills! its hard with my general dislike of television, but its working! a few days ago i saw an entire program and understood EVERYTHING! eeee!!!! ok, so the subject was easy; dieting, but i understood it nonetheless! lol. it was pretty amusing. =D now that i am watching it more, i am certainly upping my listening skills. this makes me really happy. ^_^
in 2 weeks i am going strawberry picking!!! i am so excited!!! i hope the weather is nice... the weather is soooo all over the place here. i actually have to look at the weather every day to know what to wear!
speaking of weather, we had snooooooow!!! eeeeeeeeeek! it was freaking coooold! well, once it snowed, it wasnt that cold but every day leading up to the snow was freezing! how do people live like this all the time?!?! lol. im such a california girl... or l.a. girl really. i shiver at anything below 70. thankfully it doesnt really snow much in nagoya and i think the 3 days of snow per year are over! yay! *does happy dance*
teaching-wise, ive have some really awesome students lately! i taught the word "convoluted," "t.g.i.f.," and what it means to keep your fingers crossed! today was really awesome. i subbed for the teacher i shadowed during training. i met his adult students and we had some pretty great conversations. we had a chapter on medicine/getting well and we all talked about times we've been to the emergency (ive never been). lol. but one guy broke his elbow and made the grossest popping sound during his recreation... one guy fell out of a tree (hehehehe) and one guy broke his arm snowboarding. still, kalchik has him beat with a broken back... but it was pretty amusing when the guy drew a picture of what his arm looked like. lol. after we talked about illness, we went around the table and i had everyone tell me some good news! especially after talking about all that illness! lol. so, one guy said he goes to the hospital every month. when i asked him how that was "good" news, he said that his doctor keeps telling him he doesnt need to be there, nor does he need medicine, so hes in good health. lol. that was good news. ^_^ then one guy told me that his daughter spoke for the first time and said "mama" which was really cute.... and one guy told me that he bought this cheap white shirt from a thrift store and tried to dye it with coffee beans but it failed so the shirt still looks like an off-white color but he likes it anyway. lol. also, the shirt wasnt that cheap... it was like $20... which isnt cheap IMO. lol. but he was soooo happy telling the story that i gave him a pass for good news. ^_^
some guy was asking me about the places ive been and so we got to talking... and when i told him my least favorite place on earth was china, i think he was slightly offended. lol. he wasnt chinese or anything but has big love for the place. i tried explaining that it wasnt a big deal... but he got kinda defensive and kept explaining why he thought it was wonderful.... uh... yea, i could do without going to china again... but different strokes!
cindy le arrived in korea on friday!!!! yay!!! i got my invite for steves wedding in thailand!!! AAAAAND JENNIFER IS GOING TO BE HERE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURSSSSSSS!!!!
so... in the end, working hard, working on establishing new relationships and meeting old/good friends. i also put my buddha necklace back on... after years and years of hiatus. good luck is on the way. so far, i love living in japan... even the bad parts are like little potholes that you learn to avoid. ^_^ happy!
last week i made a hugeeee error and got lost getting to work. even though i thought i could make it to work on time, i didnt and i ended up being late. uuugh. it was pretty awful. i am still kinda kicking myself for it, but i learned and i wont make the same errors again. :/
to that end, i feel like i finally got a taste of the ugly side of japan. its certainly not anything i am going to blog about here but its something for me to be more cautious of in the future. i am lucky things worked out though... and i can move forward.
anyway, it was a pretty big deal but on to good news!
i went to the food faire at nagoya dome this past weekend!!! omg. omg. o.m.g. the food was soooo good!!! just the smell... just walking towards the door! lol. it was food from all over japan and around the world! i had okonomiyaki which was soooooooo good!!!! i cant believe ive waited this long to have some.... ive been in japan like what? 3 months now?! anyway... soooooooo good!!! also, we had shaved snow for dessert! mandy and i are on the same wavelength when it comes to food, so we are having some excellent culinary adventures!!! i took plenty of pictures, on fb... unfortunately, you cant taste them though. -.-
also, major language breakthrough! i have been forcing myself to watch japanese television for 30 minutes every day so that i can improve my listening skills! its hard with my general dislike of television, but its working! a few days ago i saw an entire program and understood EVERYTHING! eeee!!!! ok, so the subject was easy; dieting, but i understood it nonetheless! lol. it was pretty amusing. =D now that i am watching it more, i am certainly upping my listening skills. this makes me really happy. ^_^
in 2 weeks i am going strawberry picking!!! i am so excited!!! i hope the weather is nice... the weather is soooo all over the place here. i actually have to look at the weather every day to know what to wear!
speaking of weather, we had snooooooow!!! eeeeeeeeeek! it was freaking coooold! well, once it snowed, it wasnt that cold but every day leading up to the snow was freezing! how do people live like this all the time?!?! lol. im such a california girl... or l.a. girl really. i shiver at anything below 70. thankfully it doesnt really snow much in nagoya and i think the 3 days of snow per year are over! yay! *does happy dance*
teaching-wise, ive have some really awesome students lately! i taught the word "convoluted," "t.g.i.f.," and what it means to keep your fingers crossed! today was really awesome. i subbed for the teacher i shadowed during training. i met his adult students and we had some pretty great conversations. we had a chapter on medicine/getting well and we all talked about times we've been to the emergency (ive never been). lol. but one guy broke his elbow and made the grossest popping sound during his recreation... one guy fell out of a tree (hehehehe) and one guy broke his arm snowboarding. still, kalchik has him beat with a broken back... but it was pretty amusing when the guy drew a picture of what his arm looked like. lol. after we talked about illness, we went around the table and i had everyone tell me some good news! especially after talking about all that illness! lol. so, one guy said he goes to the hospital every month. when i asked him how that was "good" news, he said that his doctor keeps telling him he doesnt need to be there, nor does he need medicine, so hes in good health. lol. that was good news. ^_^ then one guy told me that his daughter spoke for the first time and said "mama" which was really cute.... and one guy told me that he bought this cheap white shirt from a thrift store and tried to dye it with coffee beans but it failed so the shirt still looks like an off-white color but he likes it anyway. lol. also, the shirt wasnt that cheap... it was like $20... which isnt cheap IMO. lol. but he was soooo happy telling the story that i gave him a pass for good news. ^_^
some guy was asking me about the places ive been and so we got to talking... and when i told him my least favorite place on earth was china, i think he was slightly offended. lol. he wasnt chinese or anything but has big love for the place. i tried explaining that it wasnt a big deal... but he got kinda defensive and kept explaining why he thought it was wonderful.... uh... yea, i could do without going to china again... but different strokes!
cindy le arrived in korea on friday!!!! yay!!! i got my invite for steves wedding in thailand!!! AAAAAND JENNIFER IS GOING TO BE HERE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURSSSSSSS!!!!
so... in the end, working hard, working on establishing new relationships and meeting old/good friends. i also put my buddha necklace back on... after years and years of hiatus. good luck is on the way. so far, i love living in japan... even the bad parts are like little potholes that you learn to avoid. ^_^ happy!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
bring on the year of the dragon!
hello!!!!
seems the time here is going by sooo quickly! today was little miss beka's birthday and it was the first time i wasn't there to celebrate it with her! it was a bit sad for me but i look forward to many more birthdays with her. =)
as for life here, i am settling in fairly easily. i guess i should say "settled". i know where to buy everything i need now. i know which stores have the lowest priced items and im starting to recognize more easily prices in terms of yen, instead of trying to convert things to dollar. today i switched my phone bill to my new japanese bank account, finally registered for the national health insurance, and signed up for online banking. i also bought hair dye and cleaned my house for the new year. being able to accomplish the big things and little things around here feels great.
like ive mentioned, ive yet to really have a bad experience here. even my bad days arent really that bad. im starting to make a list of my likes/dislikes about living in japan. i love so many things about this place, but like any place, there are some drawbacks. like slurpees. there are no slurpees here and theres pretty much no way anyone back home can mail them to me... thankfully its still freezing cold here... so i havent felt the pain of slurpee withdrawals yet. also, i dont like that you can smoke in most restaurants. i dont go out that often, so it doesnt really get to bother me that much... but when i do, i notice it quite quickly. also, flaming hot cheetos. i guess its a good thing i dont have access to them because i can never eat just one anyway... as soon as i open the bag, i eat the whole thing... sah!
this week i had a conversation with a fairly high level student about the difference between nationalism and patriotism. he asked me if we stood during the national anthem. i told him that i did, and that from a young age, we are taught to do so. mostly at sporting events and such, but its fairly common. he said that the older people in japan dont stand for the national anthem because its a reminder of the war. he said his friend told him that when he hears the national anthem, he sees the faces of all of his friends that died during the war... and is reminded of the dangers of nationalism. japan was quite a nationalistic country pre wwii... and now, he says, japanese people try to pay more attention to the difference between nationalism and patriotism- both of which can lead you down the wrong path... its interesting to hear the japanese speak about the war. ive only heard it from a few older people and i almost never ask questions... as my family was obviously fighting on the other side of that war... but the loss is deep, especially among the older generation. it makes me uncomfortable really. so his point was that now, schools are starting to teach children to stand during the national anthem and some of the other generation is still very uncomfortable with the whole idea. it was an interesting conversation. its left me thinking about it since last week... i can definitely see the difference and the problem within people i know... *shrug*
also, its FREEZING HERE! currently, its 32 degrees. tomorrow its supposed to snow. the thought of me in a place that snows sounds like some sort of cruel, sick, joke... but seeing as how every other place in japan already has snow... i cant complain too much. id look forward to the next season... but the next season is rain... haha... so i think ill stick with this for now... at least im experiencing all the seasons? ive never had to do this before so its interesting! lol. having my face freeze... my earrings painfully freeze my ear... all new experiences!
honestly though... ive been staying warm in most places (as most places have the heat on 85 degrees - which coincidently smacks you in the face when you walk in that cold...). the trains all have heat and the underground subways are super awesome so... i dont have to be above ground in the elements too much.
i finally purchased a digital converter for the tv in my apartment. i am not a huge fan of tv but i figure at this point its actually studying/helping my japanese... so i keep it on for background noise. who knows! maybe when i get back ill even be a fan of television? ok, thats probably a stretch. what watching japanese television has taught me thus far: the japanese loveeee love love love food. yep. almost every channel has something on about food ALL THE TIME. lol. once in a while, you have news... in the evening there are a fair share of dramas... and there are a lot of game shows. funny, amusing, crazy, very japanese, game shows. today i was watching this show with a guy in a hamster ball rolling around in a safari trying to get near big, scary wildlife. an elephant poked him with his tusk and the guy went rolling around. it was rather amusing... lol. there was also a segment about robots... there was a robot that looked like r2d2 pulling a rickshaw. how cool would that be? id totally give up my car. well, i dont really have a car right now... lol. hrm...
what else... oh! i had my date with yousuke! i had a really good time. his english is better than he lets on, as he lived in australia for 2 years... hes also been to 30 countries! im sooo jealous! he's a music teacher... and also composes music... from mie prefecture, the next town over. hes about 6 ft... and way cooler than me. lol. we have tentative plans for dinner at some point this week... we'll see!
oh, i emailed a bunch of people offering classes in the area. im super excited! the classes i emailed about are: ikebana (flower arranging), calligraphy, japanese cooking, spanish cooking, japanese conversation, tea ceremony, french conversation, yoga, and the local social Klub. yep, klub with a k "cause its cool that way." soooo cheesy i had to email them too! hehe.
also, i am going strawberry picking with mandy in a couple of weeks! strawberries are sooooo expensive here.... they come in packs of 12 and cost maybe... $13? yea. f* that! strawberry picking is like $20 and all you can eat strawberries for one hour... plus you can bring some home! i am excited about this! ^__^!!!
i am eating way too much taiyaki...
theyre so freaking good! basically, its like a waffle filled with custard inside, served hot! soooooo tasty! i think theyd taste better with vanilla ice cream, but its currently waaaayyy too cold to eat them with ice cream... but when the time comes...!!
and lastly, when i move back i will have no real belongings, so i can actually work on getting the things i really want in a place... like a kohatsu. after getting to use ariels... i am in love. (although i am also in love with her bathroom...)
things to look forward to this year of the dragon: cindy le will be in korea starting feb. 2, which pretty much assures my near future trip to korea, steve is getting married in june, in thailand... and nancy in taiwan.
things to look forward to now: JENNIFER IS MOVING TO JAPAN!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! SHE WILL BE HERE SOON EVEN!!!!!!!!!! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!! i was soooo happy i teared up when i heard! ok, not big tears, but a slight water for sure! ^________^ ureshiiiiiiii!!!!! with ariel and jennifer close by... how could life ever be bad??? if only my sister lived in japan.... lol.
ok. long blog. tired of writing. by the time ya'll read this itll be morning... so have a great day minna (everyone)!
seems the time here is going by sooo quickly! today was little miss beka's birthday and it was the first time i wasn't there to celebrate it with her! it was a bit sad for me but i look forward to many more birthdays with her. =)
as for life here, i am settling in fairly easily. i guess i should say "settled". i know where to buy everything i need now. i know which stores have the lowest priced items and im starting to recognize more easily prices in terms of yen, instead of trying to convert things to dollar. today i switched my phone bill to my new japanese bank account, finally registered for the national health insurance, and signed up for online banking. i also bought hair dye and cleaned my house for the new year. being able to accomplish the big things and little things around here feels great.
like ive mentioned, ive yet to really have a bad experience here. even my bad days arent really that bad. im starting to make a list of my likes/dislikes about living in japan. i love so many things about this place, but like any place, there are some drawbacks. like slurpees. there are no slurpees here and theres pretty much no way anyone back home can mail them to me... thankfully its still freezing cold here... so i havent felt the pain of slurpee withdrawals yet. also, i dont like that you can smoke in most restaurants. i dont go out that often, so it doesnt really get to bother me that much... but when i do, i notice it quite quickly. also, flaming hot cheetos. i guess its a good thing i dont have access to them because i can never eat just one anyway... as soon as i open the bag, i eat the whole thing... sah!
this week i had a conversation with a fairly high level student about the difference between nationalism and patriotism. he asked me if we stood during the national anthem. i told him that i did, and that from a young age, we are taught to do so. mostly at sporting events and such, but its fairly common. he said that the older people in japan dont stand for the national anthem because its a reminder of the war. he said his friend told him that when he hears the national anthem, he sees the faces of all of his friends that died during the war... and is reminded of the dangers of nationalism. japan was quite a nationalistic country pre wwii... and now, he says, japanese people try to pay more attention to the difference between nationalism and patriotism- both of which can lead you down the wrong path... its interesting to hear the japanese speak about the war. ive only heard it from a few older people and i almost never ask questions... as my family was obviously fighting on the other side of that war... but the loss is deep, especially among the older generation. it makes me uncomfortable really. so his point was that now, schools are starting to teach children to stand during the national anthem and some of the other generation is still very uncomfortable with the whole idea. it was an interesting conversation. its left me thinking about it since last week... i can definitely see the difference and the problem within people i know... *shrug*
also, its FREEZING HERE! currently, its 32 degrees. tomorrow its supposed to snow. the thought of me in a place that snows sounds like some sort of cruel, sick, joke... but seeing as how every other place in japan already has snow... i cant complain too much. id look forward to the next season... but the next season is rain... haha... so i think ill stick with this for now... at least im experiencing all the seasons? ive never had to do this before so its interesting! lol. having my face freeze... my earrings painfully freeze my ear... all new experiences!
honestly though... ive been staying warm in most places (as most places have the heat on 85 degrees - which coincidently smacks you in the face when you walk in that cold...). the trains all have heat and the underground subways are super awesome so... i dont have to be above ground in the elements too much.
i finally purchased a digital converter for the tv in my apartment. i am not a huge fan of tv but i figure at this point its actually studying/helping my japanese... so i keep it on for background noise. who knows! maybe when i get back ill even be a fan of television? ok, thats probably a stretch. what watching japanese television has taught me thus far: the japanese loveeee love love love food. yep. almost every channel has something on about food ALL THE TIME. lol. once in a while, you have news... in the evening there are a fair share of dramas... and there are a lot of game shows. funny, amusing, crazy, very japanese, game shows. today i was watching this show with a guy in a hamster ball rolling around in a safari trying to get near big, scary wildlife. an elephant poked him with his tusk and the guy went rolling around. it was rather amusing... lol. there was also a segment about robots... there was a robot that looked like r2d2 pulling a rickshaw. how cool would that be? id totally give up my car. well, i dont really have a car right now... lol. hrm...
what else... oh! i had my date with yousuke! i had a really good time. his english is better than he lets on, as he lived in australia for 2 years... hes also been to 30 countries! im sooo jealous! he's a music teacher... and also composes music... from mie prefecture, the next town over. hes about 6 ft... and way cooler than me. lol. we have tentative plans for dinner at some point this week... we'll see!
oh, i emailed a bunch of people offering classes in the area. im super excited! the classes i emailed about are: ikebana (flower arranging), calligraphy, japanese cooking, spanish cooking, japanese conversation, tea ceremony, french conversation, yoga, and the local social Klub. yep, klub with a k "cause its cool that way." soooo cheesy i had to email them too! hehe.
also, i am going strawberry picking with mandy in a couple of weeks! strawberries are sooooo expensive here.... they come in packs of 12 and cost maybe... $13? yea. f* that! strawberry picking is like $20 and all you can eat strawberries for one hour... plus you can bring some home! i am excited about this! ^__^!!!
i am eating way too much taiyaki...
and lastly, when i move back i will have no real belongings, so i can actually work on getting the things i really want in a place... like a kohatsu. after getting to use ariels... i am in love. (although i am also in love with her bathroom...)
things to look forward to this year of the dragon: cindy le will be in korea starting feb. 2, which pretty much assures my near future trip to korea, steve is getting married in june, in thailand... and nancy in taiwan.
things to look forward to now: JENNIFER IS MOVING TO JAPAN!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! SHE WILL BE HERE SOON EVEN!!!!!!!!!! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!! i was soooo happy i teared up when i heard! ok, not big tears, but a slight water for sure! ^________^ ureshiiiiiiii!!!!! with ariel and jennifer close by... how could life ever be bad??? if only my sister lived in japan.... lol.
ok. long blog. tired of writing. by the time ya'll read this itll be morning... so have a great day minna (everyone)!
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