Irasshai!

Welcome to my little apato! Here is the "genkan" or front entry way where you take off your shoes (they go on a shelf on the left). To the left is a hall that leads to the sink and toilet, to the right is the office/wardrobe, ahead and to the right is the kitchen, straight ahead is the lounge, and just before that on the left is my bath. The little red curtain thingys are called "noren" - you can see them at the entry way to many restaurants, too.


Here's the room where I keep my clothes (on the rack on the right) and have an "office" of sorts. When I'm wildly motivated, I even use that exercise ball for more than just a computer chair.



Here's another look at the wall behind the desk - picture of Mom, bus & train schedules, picture of my former school in Takaki, poster Chris sent me from Switzerland, necklaces, headphones, picture of Gabby Reece to encourage wild motivation to exercise (maybe it would work better if I'd printed it in color)...

"the bath"

Japanese "bathrooms" are generally different than the ones in the US. If you need to go to the bathroom, you say "Toire wa doko desu ka" because the toilet is usually in a little room by itself. Notice the little sink on top of the tank - many places use this as the sink (but I like to wash my hands in the one that's outside in the hall). On the toilet you'll also find that you have a choice between a　大 "big" and　小 "small" flush - just another indication of Japanese environmental awareness. (did you see the birthday dragonfly Dad made me? on the right are my pics of Paris buildings on the Seine)


When I first got to my apato last year (before the renovations, so I still had an old toilet), the river rocks in the top sink part above the toilet tank threw me, but I was so relieved to not have a "squatty potty"!


The actual bath area is much better than it was - now the washing machine has its own drain, and I don't have to dodge the tube in the shower. The only thing that's tricky is figuring out how to heat the water with the gas heater. Though the room is spacious, it's FREEZING in the winter! I now understand this concept of "taking a bath" - you shower off quickly to get clean, then soak in a hot tub to get warm. Sounds good on paper (so to speak), but for those of you who know how tall I am, you can imagine how that tub there is not the picture of relaxation for me. This is why I go to the onsens (hot springs) as often as possible. You'll also notice that I have a DRYER - the other reason why the other JETs are jealous - I usually just hang my clothes out on the verandah to dry, but on cold mornings, it's REALLY nice to pop my clothes in the dryer for a quick spin.

...my spacious and modern kitchen...

Have I mentioned that my apato is the envy of most of the other JETs around here? It's huge by comparison - I think the boys' apts could probably fit in my kitchen. It will be really strange going back to the States where everything is so BIG. But such as it is - here it is. This is the view from the door separating the kitchen and living room. On the right side you see sliding doors - the one good thing about my place is that I can open up or close off rooms, depending on the desired temperature. A student made the basket thing on the wall, and underneath it is the rice cooker that I never use. I bet I can use it for more than rice, but I honestly keep forgetting I have it! On the floor next to the fridge is my shopping bag. I live near the grocery store, and to help save the environment (and 'cuz I get to collect these little green stamps that are undoubtedly good for SOMEthing), I just use that when I go shopping (which is almost everyday). Assorted photos, cards, etc. posted on the fridge, next to that the sink, and "burnable" garbage can. But don't get me started on all the ways we have to separate garbage - we have to buy special bags and have different disposal days for each type. It's really easy once you can FIND a schedule and then READ the schedule. Everyone jokes about the hassle, but at the end of the day it's really not all that difficult.



Here is my china cabinet (don't laugh, Papasan), and next to it my microwave oven/oven. Notice my pet fish, "Men" (that's Japanese for "pasta/noodles") on top of the cabinet in one of the pasta jars. He recently won the lottery, sold the jar, and moved to a huge place on the verandah - pics of his new digs later.




Here's my gas stove. For several months I lived in the fear that I would set my place on fire. But now I rather enjoy having electric bills that hardly ever go above about 2000 yen.






And at last - my Japanese microwave "renji" ("range"?). It only took me 4 months to figure out how to use it. I was ecstatic when I figured out it was also a toaster and an oven. As long as I don't need to cook more than one piece of fish at a time, it's brilliant :)

Any questions?

...and the living room/lounge...

At long last! I finally got my art up and remembered to take photos of my little Japanese apato. This is my "living room/lounge" and frequently where I sleep. I either throw my futon on the tatami floor in one of these rooms or fold the couch down and sleep on it.


When they were renovating my house last year I came in to find a huge hole in my floor - the workers had taken a section of the tatami out, and were underneath my house fixing pipes...well, no WONDER I froze last year...underneath the straw tatami mat is maybe a 1/4" piece of plywood, and then 3 feet of AIR and then soil! BUT I LOVE the tatami anyway. You can see I have a TV set, but since NHK charges you for just HAVING one, I disconnected the cable and never watch Japanese TV. Not that I watched much in the US anyway - the TV is now mostly just a stand for my year-round Christmas tree. On the right side of the top photo is a sliding glass door to a verandah, and out the window in the back is a hill up to an elementary school playground.

One piece of furniture of interest is that square table in the middle of the back room. It's a "kotatsu" and it's your best friend in winter! Underneath is a framework holding a heater, and you put a blanket between that and the top of the table (it really IS safe-). Many a night I sat and read there - getting as much of my body underneath it as possible! Please post questions - I'm beginning to forget what's "foreign" about my place!

acess denied :(

Of course now that I FINALLY got my act together and finished "fixing up" my apato, photographed it, and downloaded pics, Blogger seems to be having technical difficulties...hopefully it will be resolved soon... gomenasai :(

Deodeo darling?

So since Dad isn't here with his shotgun and I'm having a hard time getting the Surinak filter to work overseas, I wonder if you all could tell me what you think about this nice fella I met on the bike ride from Hiroshima to Miyajima last week. Certainly the tallest guy I've seen, he's a snappy dresser, and oh, what a nice smile, desho?
(This one is definitely a candidate for the BG All Stars Roadside Attractions rag, eh, T?)

...where the tide ebbs and flows...

Just letting you all know that I'm back home safe from my "pilgrimage" to Hiroshima. I actually spent more time on Miyajima (island), home of this famous gate, because I found it to be a much more peaceful place than Hiroshima City.
I'm told the torii (gate) and shrine are "floating" because the island itself was (is?) considered sacred ground, and so people couldn't set foot on land.
Somehow I don't think Mom would have ever chosen to come here, but I somehow felt a bit of peace as I sat on the stones here watching the tide come in...and go out again...

一周忌- "Isshuuki" - the first anniversary

The first anniversary of someone's death is called いっしゅうき.
Today is my mom's.
(I can't believe it's been a year, either)
Since I can't be with my family, I've taken off of work and am making a pilgrimage of sorts to Hiroshima. I'm taking my bike and tent with me and my goal today is to camp out on Miyajima - the island that has the famous "floating" red torii. Where these's a torii, there's a shrine, so I'm taking this photo with me and some chocolate that I got for Mom in Korea. In the Japanese homes I've visited, they've set up little shrines in their homes dedicated to loved ones lost, and they frequently place food and drink (sake, beer) in front of them.
Well, with a heavy heart, I'm off. Mom always did say that 'that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger' -

...just a random shot from the boardwalk area over in front of Fukuoka Tower...

Nakamura Biyoshi

A couple of months back, desperate for a decent hair cut and more natural color, I went to this place recommended to me in Fukuoka. Yasu, the owner, is the first Japanese man I've met who actually has curly hair, so I trusted that he'd set things straight - well, you know what I mean. He worked in NYC for about 8 years, and so his English was really good, and his shop was filled with antique-y things like I used to have in my places back home. They even serve me tea and have funky 40's music or jazz. So if you're ever stuck in Kyushu in need of a trim, kochira wa watashi no osusume desu, yo

holding auditions for a new roommate

For about a month I've been trying to put together a little container water garden to I can enjoy a few plants and maybe even some fish thrown in for bonus entertainment. Considering my restriction in transportation and the lack of Home Depot stores around here, garden progress has been a little slow. I did finally find and get a big pot, but of course I picked one that needed repair because it was neat looking and significantly cheaper. Still not sure what the Japanese is for "epoxy", but I think I fixed the "hibi" in my "toki" (sp?) so now it won't keep "moremasu"-ing.

So, since I was impatient for my real garden to begin, I started holding auditions for the role of my new tenant. So far this little guy is doing alright. He's even finally figured out that he's allowed to eat the plants there.

And yes, of course that's a pasta jar :)

のんのこまつり

This past weekend my town celebrated the annual "Nonnoko Matsuri." I have yet to get any straight answers: Who/what/where is a nonnoko? Why do we do the nonnoko dance? It's apparently a mystery to the Japanese as well.
These are the people from the city hall here on stage with the taiko drummers in front there that were keeping the beat.










I thought the lady was a lovely dancer, but I'm not sure why she was accompanied by - what are those guys, PowerRangers?

Dancingu wo shimashou!

So, ok. They're known for having beautiful women in gorgeous kimonos dancing around here in Japan, but I should warn you they also sometimes have other random creatures, such as tarako (which I believe is a character having something to do with fish eggs - like caviar) sharing the stage, too. One thing I've learned here is simply smiling and waving. Even after a year I still usually don't REally know what's going on, but I strive to maintain an attitude where I can just take a deep, contamplative breath and think..."hmmm...yes..well, THIS is interesting, now isn't?"






I am apparently a Japanese dancing fiend. Actually, they'll use any excuse to dress up the foreigner and make her dance around. One of my friends from school roped me into dancing with the inakajin (country folks) in her town for the "Keiro no hi" (Respect for the Aged Day) party they were having. After about 1.2 practices, I donned my yukatta and set foot on stage and did my best not to drop the sticks or boink someone over the head with them (I have NO idea what they symbolize - or are supposed to MATCH for that matter!).
Miraculously, I did quite well...but I'm definitely not quitting the day job. After the "beautiful" ladies danced, we held up paper "onigiri" (rice balls) while the "tarako" fish egg people danced a silly dance. You can see all of us at the end of the dance holding up a sign that basically says "Happy Old People's Day". The organizers even gave each of us a box of cookies to thank us for our efforts. I gave mine to the boys here - they're always hungry.

The other photo here is of me with my students as we prepared to dance in the parade for the Nonnoko Festival here in Isahaya. Kyoto sensei roped me into doing this one. Lovely lavander "happi" coats, obi, and kakkoii matching bandanas. Somehow the look really works for Japanese people, but despite my best efforts to make my hair play nicely, it just kept escaping. The kids told me the headband thingy was "a good match" for me however...that's just another one of those phrases that kinda gets lost in the translation. I once again had almost no practice, but the kids had fun teaching me the dance as we went along. (and yes, those are little white ceramic plates - think along the lines of Japanese castanets)

Kujukushima Matsuri (99 Islands Summer Festival)

Sorry for the absence, but I just got my heart started again after hearing about Dad's surgery last week. If everyone's telling me everything, then it sounds like he'll be OK, but we'll just say it brought up scary memories of what we went through this time last year...so this blog was the least of my worries the past week. Thanks for the prayers, everyone :)

So - even though I had to miss the fireworks on the 4th of July, I must say all the summer festivals and their "hanabi" shows have been worthwhile. Here's a bit of the show at the Saikai Pearl Sea Resort's 99 Island Festival. I am continually delighted to see all the young ladies dressed up in yukatta, since I thought that many girls that age would think such traditional dress was outdated. Apparently not! Whenever I see them at the festivals, they remind me of bright little flowers.

Here's a photo I took from an overlook of some of the 99 Islands...as you can see, Sam's appetite is never satisfied, and the Japansese tourists were even game for a little improv. And here's photographic evidence that I got to the bridge on my bike. After I took a nap underneath the cherry trees at the park by the bridge, I went down to the water to get a better look. The water here is aMAZing. The Saikai Bridge area is famous for its whirlpools caused by the extreme tidal currents.
Mesmerizing.

Sam's Summer Holiday

I think that my わに ("wani" - alligator) friend Sam here was sulking for several months because I've moved him to a place that is REALLY cold for a REALLY long time. He came out of hiding, though, when I mentioned the trip up to Sasebo for なつやすみ ("natsuyasumi" - summer holiday). We were away only 2 days ("summer vacation" being a bit of an oxymoron here at Kanko!), but you can see Sam had a blast.

As you can see, he made fast friends with the locals! (yes, that IS the famous Totoro!)

I took my bike on the train to Sasebo and rode around (photos to follow), then went to Huis Ten Bosch eki (station) and rode my bike from there to the Saikai Bridge shown here. Afterwards, Sam told me, "Onaka ga suita!" (I'm hungry!) So I treated him to one of the world-famous (?) Sasebo burgers.

English Camp

Mmmm...what's cookin'? I need to go visit the States soon, as I'm beginning to forget what is "foreign" to this foreigner. Here's my breakfast at the Siebold University English Intensive that I did last month. Note I had to cook my own "bacon" and eggs, but it was fun. I also had miso, tofu, cabbage (and shrimp?), salted fish, tsukemono (pickled veggies - they're really big on that here), rice (of course), various kinds of nori (seaweed). The intensive was for university students to practice their English communication skills. They not only interacted with several foreigners like me, but they also went to the Nagasaki Peace Park and did interviews with visitors to discuss various aspects of peace.

It wasn't all serious, though. This other photo shows us in one of the rooms the second night playing "Bippity Bop" - a game that I think one of the guys was making up as we went along. I think in this photo the Trinibagonian had to become a tree and the people on either side had to be monkeys. Ah, no, wait - that looks more like "airplane" - where the Trini was the pilot and the folks on either side were wings. Internationalism at its best, yo.

Fukuoka Tower

The last time I was in Fukuoka (just before I went to Korea), I finally got to the top of the Fukuoka Tower. Took myself out for a little cocktail up there and this was the view at sunset. Afterwards I went down and borrowed a random kid for the photo op. Her family got quite a charge out of it! (ps - can you find the big ferris wheel in the sunset photo?)

Dog Daze

You should have seen HOW EXCITED this little guy was when I ate my Sasebo Burger in front of him. Rude, I know, not to offer him any - not even a little nibble - when he was shaking with anticipation. I'm so mean. He was at the festival in Sasebo and I had to sit right behind him on the dock during the concert. As for the Sasebo Burger, it was born in this city thanks to the American base here, and is famous for being - well, I'm not really sure, actually. They just seem to be like the good hamburgers you get in places like TGIF, but burger joints aren't really common in this country. You can get a "hanbaga suteki" - but it sits closer to meatloaf than McDonald's. Anyway - this guy really cracks me up every time I see him. Hope you enjoy :)

Samurai class!

Whew! And everyone thought that Japanese students were perfectly docile and never gave the teacher trouble.
Well, I've been so busy lately (and still don't have an internet connection at home - MAN I wish I could read my mail!), I'm going to have to play catch up here. One Sunday some of my Japanese friends took me to a samurai village (recreation of one, anyway) in Saga prefecture. I included this photo to break the stereotype that Japanese students are always perfect. Actually, my Kanko students are :) but I've heard stories that not all teachers are so lucky.

Hello, P/Busan!

No, I didn't visit a place famous for Peanut Butter, but it seems that the city hasn't decided whether or not it's Pusan or Busan. I saw/heard both. Well, here I am at the top of the moutain in Geumgang Park. I rode the cable car up and walked around, then hiked back down. I think being out of the big city like this was the part I liked best about the city.
Anyway - still no internet at home, which means I'm at school on a Saturday...which means I need to get outta here.
Good luck to all you teachers out there with a brand spankin' new school year! See you when I negotiate a deal to get my internet back!

I'm back!

Just wanted to let you know I'm back "home" - that's weird. As foreign as Japan and Japanese is, I was still glad to get back to the foreign that I 'knew'. So I've done Korea. It was interesting, and I am glad I went - if nothing else it was a personal accomplishment to get there and around and back! But I don't think I'll be rushing back. I've got tons of photos from my little trips piled up, but my internet's not working at home, and I've got to finish planning for a conference I'm doing next week in Nagasaki for the new ALTs. So - yep, back, and I'll write again next week!

Natsu Yasumi

Hey! I'm catching a train to Sasebo in a little bit, trying to catch one of the "natsu matsuri" (summer festivals). I'm also taking my bike to ride up there and some of the way back to Isahaya. Then I'm off to an island music festival near Fukuoka, and since I'll be close, I might also catch the ferry over to Pusan, Korea. So - not sure when I'll be back online - but I'm off to enjoy a little bit of my "natsu yasumi" (summer break)! Mata! tx

Kakigouri and the question of the moment, 'Do semi sleep?'

It's HOT. But at least it's not raining. One night we all met at the local Joyfull (think Japanese Denny's), and I ordered this essential summer treat, kakigouri. It's basically a pile of snow with syrup and cream (sweetened condensed milk?). Reminded me of the snowballs in New Orleans. The one in the photo is actually some kind of matcha flavor with azuki beans. Yum. AND it was actually as big as it was in the super-sized menu there.
I have to wrap it up here, since a semi (cicada - one of the giant ones) followed me inside and seemed to promptly fall asleep on the dried flowers I have in the entry way. Seriously, I tried to gently move him to encourage him to sleep outside, but he wouldn't budge. Now that my computer light is the only light on in the house, I hear him rustling around behind me, and before he dive bombs the screen I'm going to sign off :) Oyasuminasai おやすみなさい
(ps - if anyone's seen or heard from my dad, tell him to send up a signal flare please :) )

Next stop, Goto-machi

Well, my godson, Berns, celebrated a big birthday this week (your gifts will hopefully get there before Christmas, B), and so here's another picture for my little man who loves things that GO. These are two of the 5 trolleys that run in downtown Nagasaki. This spot is just outside of the main train station and AMU plaza, where the movie theater is. Make sure to click on the photo to get a better look at the street cars and signage. B, if you come over, I'll give you 100 yen and you and Gilli can ride the trams with me all day long. Mom can go to the onsen and get a massage :)

Moshi Moshi...

Just wanted to show you a photo of my new keitai/cell phone...it's the HOTTEST thing out there at the moment...
OK, bad joke - I had an ear infection and went to the doctor last week. After swabbing some stuff around in my ear, the doctor had me spend some quality time with this apparatus, to dry out my ear. Interesting. I've noticed that Japanese is much easier to understand after my time at the ear sauna.

Everyone needs a little magic...

OK, I'll admit it, I am a little hooked on Harry Potter these days. English things in general are a bit scarce in these parts, so I watched some of the earlier HP movies when I first got here (thanks to our library - "toshokan" 図書館) and then got a hold of book 4. I wasn't immediately impressed with the level of writing - but then, of course reminded myself it was, technically, written for a younger audience (and I'm for anything that gets young people fired up about reading!). But now - oh, dear, now I'm done for. I have to read all the books now, but at least I don't have to wait in any long lines at midnight for Book 7 here in Japan :) I'm not going to give a book or movie review here, but let me just say that I've thoroughly enjoyed exploring the world JK Rowling has created.
Here's a photo of me and one of my eikaiwa students posing with Harry and friends at the theater. (Harry's wand was a little broken, so I had to help in with it there-) We caught the show in Nagasaki because Wednesday is Ladies' Night and tickets are only 1000 yen (woohoo!)

You know, it's funny. I had a teacher once who was reading several books at one time. I didn't quite understand how she kept them straight. Now, however, this life affords me more reading time (or I just seize it when I can), and I just realized at school I'm reading Life of Pi, at home I'm reading a book about an Indian woman in South Africa, and on the trains I'm reading a book about Japanese culture. Funny the things we suddenly realize we're able to do -

sayonara party time

Ironically, this sayonara ("goodbye") party was the first time I'd been to Amber's apartment (whose layout was almost EXACTLY like mine - I kept feeling like I was in a parallel universe). This is the time of year that new people are coming in and the ones who've finished their contracts are leaving for travel or home. Sad and exciting at the same time I guess. We had a good time at the party, some of the guys had a fun playing their instruments, and for a while it sounded more like an Irish party than a Japanese one. I spent most of my time talking with the two ladies to my left in the photo - and hopefully one of them will be able to give me Japanese lessons. I'm really excited because on Sunday I'm going to Ureshino (with AWESOME hot springs) with them and the lady who took me to the volcano museum.
Well, I know the group pic is a little odd, but that's what happens when you've got a room full of hot party people and I give my camera to people who are chotto yopparai - the other photo is one I took of the guys who took the photo...madness is starting to break out here in the inaka, ne -

ps - I think I've mentioned this before, but I still can't get over it - no one can drink and drive. It's actually kind of a relief for the rest of us. If you have ANY alcohol, you can't drive, and I don't think you're supposed to ride a bike either. So it was really cute at the end of the night, because the slightly yopparai peeps kept asking if I was alright to ride home - funny, since I only drank apple juice and water...
Maybe this is why it's so common to sleep on the futons here - people are always having parties and then everyone just crashes on the floor :)

yukatta, ringo ame, and usagi-chan

As I was walking around during the Kawamatsuri in my jaunty little jimbei (like "Jim-Bay", though unrelated to Michael Bay), I kept running into my students. Actually, they kept spotting me and calling me to jump into the photo ops. Here are some of the volleyball girls donning their yukatta. The little red things on sticks are like candy apples ("ringo ame"), and for the record, despite usagi-chan's popularity, it seems like I'm usually the only one who does bunny ears in the photos. (うさぎ "usagi" = rabbit. So, yes, the typhoon that we just had was "Typhoon Rabbit"???)