aBRIDGEd

Sorry for the absence - once again having computer challenges...argh....
Anyway - funny pic of the monkey boys who went camping with us on the eve of my birthday. I'm in my super-sly "Sardines" coat of camouflage...(I guess I'll have to explain that - )

Nana...(nani?)

Some of my mates here came over on the night of my birthday to make sure I didn't eat dinner alone...it was quite lovely at Nana(nani? I can't remember the name of the restaurant...7 something...).

Exile & Koda - "Won't Be Long"

EXILE & Koda Kumi - WON'T BE LONG
Uploaded by dcbape

...it seems the the US influence here extends beyond the proliferation of McDonald's restaurants...but I can tell you the peeps around here don't look any thing like this. Might want to cover the kids' eyes - Koda seems to be allergic to clothes.
The reason I looked this up is because kids at the International Day danced this song for us last week. But because I, once again, didn't quite understand what we were supposed to be doing, I started dancing with the kids (which they liked), but it was really hard to keep up. I glanced at my friend who wasn't dancing and she said, "I think maybe we only have to watch, yo" ANYWAY...the kids were really cute.
So - douzo. K-sensei, I thought maybe the Ely peeps could use this as a diversion from FCAT...
For the record, Bump of Chicken's still got my vote.

Hina Matsuri

Happy Hina Matsuri!
Hina = dolls representing courtiers
Ningyou = dolls
Matsuri = festival
On the 3rd day of March, Japanese families celebrate their pride in their daughters by displaying dolls of the Emperor and Empress in a prominent place in the home. Some doll sets also include all of the Imperial court attendants, musicians, and possessions. The dolls are not to be played with. I think this is akin to the Christian tradition of setting up a Nativity scene at Christmas. The "hinaningyou" are usually gifts from the grandparents or inherited from the girl's mother, and are quite delicate and expensive! They are unwrapped in a ceremony, admired for a few weeks and then put back in their boxes. According to one superstition, if the dolls aren't returned to their boxes soon after the 3rd, the daughters will not get married. (How is it I'm still not married? I didn't even HAVE dolls to put away late... I think I just played with trucks!)

By the way, I'm officially moving my birthday to 3/3...maybe that will be an easier date to remember - "tres-tres" (wink, wink CHRIS), it gives people an extra day to prepare (more winking, DAD), and I like the idea of my birthday coinciding with a national holiday that celebrates daughters. Don't worry, boys, there's one for you in May - but you get fish and samurai helmets instead of dolls.

Bump of Chicken

Here's an experiment - well, it's two-fold, actually. One, I'm embedding a music video file in this post, let me know if it worked, ok? Secondly, I'm trying to study this foreign language through it's popular music. The problem I'd faced was I had NO idea where to start - remember - all the stuff in the music stores is IN said foreign language. Then I discovered the miracle of youtube.com and jpopasia.com, so now I can find at least ONE thing I like, and then use that as a point of departure to find other things I like. Then, of course, there are the kids. This week we're listening to songs they like and translating them into English. I'd actually started that task on my own with a new CD I got called "The Elephant Kashimashi" - then I thought, "Hmmm, why don't the KIDS do this?"

Here's one they chose. It's called "メーデー" ("mayday") by Bump of Chicken. I don't know what it's about yet, but the sound of it puts me in a good mood :)

one year later

Yes, you saw these cool cats last year, too. They are the "ouendan" team at school and they performed for our grad ceremony on Saturday (yes, already doing graduation). They are a big part of the reason I've decided to stay one more year - I really want to see my kids (that were 1st years my 1st year) graduate. I got really choked up this year at the ceremony and I didn't even know the graduates that well, nor did I really understand most of what was going on. But I think I'm really going to lose it next year when all these guys I know graduate (and I'll have improved my Japanese and be able to understand a bit more!). I've been having trouble uploading pics, but I do promise some funny ones from stuff that happened this weekend (not necessarily FOR my birthday, but ON my birthday, anyway!)

moms

So I turned 36 yesterday. I think I'll try to take my friend's advice and from now on just think of my birthday as a "celebration of the day the world was blessed with my arrival" because when I think of being 36, unmarried (heck, I don't even remember the last time I had a proper DATE), and without kids, I get so depressed I can't get up off the floor (which, at the moment, IS very comfortable, since I just bought a "hot carpet" - but nonetheless - ).
And, I miss Mom.
She always made the day special for me, and now I'm really feeling the loss again.
BUT I seem to have some 'new moms' who've stepped up to the plate and I really appreciate it. Though the language and culture barrier is ever-challenging, some of the ladies I've met here have provided a nice maternal-like presence on occasion. And Cathy, Cara ("mom-in-training"!), and Aunt Barbara, your care packages are life savers. Really. Thank you. txo

Formalwear

I'll be out with it already. Most of the time I can be pretty genki, and I've almost gotten used to the fact that I'm simply not EVER going to fit in here.
BUT
SOMETIMES
I feel like it's a conspiracy against me.

Case in point: today. Graduation. I'm told to wear "formal wear" for the ceremony, but, no, 'of course you don't need to wear a kimono'... I come in this morning, and, of course they're wearing kimonos. Everyone not in a kimono has a black velvet suit and pearls (well, the guys aren't wearing pearls). OH, that's "formal wear" Well, shikatta ganai, yo - all I have is an ill-fitting brown suit thingy that I must have washed when it should have been dry cleaned (suits? what are suits?) My plan is to distract them all with my curly hair and I even put on a little makeup. We'll see how it goes.

I know in a few hours this uneasiness will be forgotten (because I'll be freezing said curly hair off in the unheated gym) - no really - in a few hours all the graduates (senpai) and their kohai (the undergrads) will all be having their little celebrations in their club groups around the school. It's very cute to see how happy they all are, and it's evident that they are all really close friends.

And, once again, I'm sitting alone in a suddenly empty staff room - let me go see where everyone's gotten to -

Kujaku 孔雀

Here's a photo of one of the pieces I saw at the Lantern Festival. You'll be happy to know I chose not to post the picture of the scary pig heads (real - NOT lanterns) that were on display directly across from this peacock. ??? pigheads??? They were all around this shrine-looking thing. Almost like all the pigs were at a drive-in movie, but facing the wrong way... Never could get a straight answer/explanation about that one!

Bagel & Bagel

Funny how I can see or taste something I haven't had in a while, and suddenly I really miss it. Perhaps it's good that these bagels are unattainable in my area. They're way too good. As I've probably mentioned before, many people here go on trips and bring back "omiyage" for everyone at school. Omiyage is usually some kind of indigenous food that comes conveniently wrapped for individual "distribution". It's really easy to find at tourist shops and even the bus/train stations as you're on your way out. Well, bagels aren't your typical "omiyage" fare, (but then again, I'm not so typical, either) but since we did a lesson in class on food ordering that involved a bagel shop, I figured I'd pick up some real bagels for the teachers to try. Since I have to work Saturday for our graduation ceremony (yes, already), I had yesterday off. I went to Fukuoka for the day to get a hair cut, to continue the "Starbuck's Project" (ask Chris), to eat Mexican food, and to just generally soak in the diversity of city life for a few minutes.
Well, seems that the bagels - and the rum raisin cream cheese - are a big hit. :) I keep getting a lot of "gochisosama deshitas" (roughly translates to "thanks for the food").

Drummer boy

I know I promised the Snow Festival pics (I'll get to them - honest), but I just had to post these from last night at the Nagasaki Lantern Festival. I was right up front for this performance of Okinawan drumming (drumming + crisp movements + excited whistling + exuberant faces!).
There was so much joy in the kids' expressions...I can still hear and feel the delightful beats inside me this morning!

The white sock-looking things they are wearing are called "tabi"

Can you see the large lanterns in the shape of people in the background?

Ry - I really think you should come over and try this!


***Don't foget to click on the photos to see the larger versions!

you can say that again....?

This killed me. Walking around what I can only think must be the red light district of Nagasaki, I saw another example of the fine use of English in this country. It's probably a "snack bar" - but not the kind where they serve chips and dips.

hey, there, puddin' -

I think I've passed the point of no return...I think I've now really made some ties that I will be sad to 'break' when I finally leave this place.
It's a common joke among the gaijin (foreigners) that the Japanese people are always asking us when we're LEAVING (like they can't get rid of us fast enough!). But the other night, when I was out to dinner with a nice couple whom I see each week to help them practice English (more "enkaiwa"), they asked how long I was staying in Japan. When I told them I'd probably leave in August, 2009, they said how sad they would be when I left! It's nice to feel wanted :)
At the end of our dinner, the shop owner brought over some special desserts for us - this pudding in these very uniquely-shaped cups. Mmmm...oishikatta, yo!

treats...

Thanks, Cathy! The Valentine care package got here and most of the cookies were even in one piece! (just remember, when cookies are broken, all the calories fall out - so, no worries!) I also liked the styrofoam snacks you sent :) Very filling, they go with everything, and no calories! And who knew that Bounce scented dryer sheets could say "I love you" like that? Thanks so much! txo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some of the cuties in front of our "e-space" English board. They are the winners of the Valentine's Day word search, and in the other photo you see another student doing a different word search on the board.
And here's a little bit of Japanese culture trivia I might have mentioned last year - Feb. 14 is a day when the ladies give men chocolates...then the men get to wait a month and give something to the ladies on "Howaito Day" (white day), March 14. I'm trying not to get depressed that it's been several years since I've had a Valentine...it would be nice to feel endeared to someone again. But I did get a very cute Valentine card from my aunt - if you look closely, you can see it on the "e-space" board there.
Thanks, Aunt B!
Oh - and good luck (?) to Dad today (he's getting married at his new house in Georgia).

Ice Lion

I've returned from the Great White North (Sapporo, Hokkaido), fairly unfrostbitten. Believe it or not, I've been much colder here than I was at the Snow Festival. More photos to follow, but here's one from my keitai. In this area of the festival there were several large ice sculptures around a huge "tree" made of lights.
(and here's a photo tip - to get that super-cool starry effect with the lights, just engage in some heavy breathing on your lens first! ;O !)

Hip Hoppin' Blossoms

Well...not exactly. The hip hopping was after I saw the blossoms. Saturday I met two former students in Fukuoka and went to see the ume (plum) blossoms in Dazaifu. The shrine should look familiar, since I went last year, but this year I got to see the flowers (they're only around a short time at the beginning of February). They were just starting to peek out, but they were worth the trip. Click on the link in the title to go to see other photos from Dazaifu and the hip hop class. You can read about that in the comments under the photos - I've got to catch a train now to Fukuoka - again - because I fly out of there tomorrow to go to the snow festival in Sapporo. ja, ne!

Ryokan

Here's the lovely ryokan (traditional Japanese style inn) where I stayed one night I was in Beppu. (more photos of it in the slideshow - click on the "monkey see, monkey do" post title)

monkey see, monkey do?

They really remind me of my students...(because they're so cute, yo!)
I'll let you guys fill in the thought bubbles for these characters.
If you missed it on the other post, click on the title of this post to see the other photos from my trip to Beppu on my picassa webpage. You can see them in thumbnail or slide show format. (please let me know if you can see the oh-so-clever captions, on the slide show, onegai!)

pesto!

The other night when the girls were over for our "enkaiwa" Mihoko saw this in my fridge and asked, "Is this toothpaste?"
(because in Japanese the pronunciation of this product would be like "paste-oh")
(I can just see the ad now - "Ever have a FABulous Italian meal you didn't want to end? Then brush with PESTO!...")