The last of my posts. Unless you want to hear about what I did on the farm, or the progress I'm making on getting my niece and nephews to love me more, I won't have anything good to say. Although compared with the excitement of Russia I'm sure this will pale in comparison. Alas, bear with me? Yes, do, Ireland was still good craic (craic being pronounced crack, and being Irish for fun).
I was in Ireland for 7 days and spent them all with Caoimhe, who is wonderful. We toured an old jail in Dublin, in which I learned a bit about how shit the British were to the Irish and that the jail design system we have now was basically what the Victorian's came up with (minus the orange jumpsuits) with the one person/cell, and the basic architecture. The next day we went on a PaddyWagon tour, as Caoimhe lives just outside of Dublin, on the East coast, which is lovely, but the West coast is the coast to see, and the PaddyWagon tours go there, provide you with a tackily painted van to ride in, Irish guide to tell you trivia and bad jokes, and a hand full of other tourists who, in our case, include loud Americans, one of whom did some Irish step dancing for us! We saw the Cliffs of Moher (which may or may not have been the Cliffs of Iinsanity from the Princess Bride) and the Burren (sp?), which is desolate and unfarmable land which have little walls going through them, made by hungry Irish whom the British decided needed to do something to earn soup during the famine, they weren't just going to give it to them!
The next day we toured the old Jameson distillery, which due to Caoimhe's quick volunteering skills, also included a comparison taste test of Scotch, Jameson Whiskey, and Bourbon, along with a shot of Jameson and whatever mix you wanted. After this rather nice start to the afternoon, we wandered the streets for a while and met up with Paul-- just back from a vacation in Spain and clearly in withdrawal from not spending nearly every waking moment with me. Once Paul had got his fill, he went home and we met up with some of Caoimhe's friends and her sister for dinner at Pizza Stop (a nice restaurant where Caoimhe's sister Niamh had seen U2 once, woooo?) and then to a bar near by. My body still confused about what time it was had me nearly sleeping by 1am, so we called it a night and headed home. The next day Paul had decided to show me around some sights of Dublin, which if I remember correctly were St.Stevens green and a restaurant that used to be run by the Harri Krishnas. Sadly the Harri Krishnas were not to be found at the restaurant, but were found on the street a few blocks away chanting. The best part of the chant being "Dali Llama, Llama Rama". Caoimhe's camogie team was playing the the championship game for Dublin, so the 2 of us headed there to cheer them on while Paul went home to pack for his move to England. The game was great to watch-- fast paced, easy to follow and Caoimhe's old team won! Which lead to going out to celebrate with them afterwards, and having a good number of people ask me if I was her sister. (Which in Japan I understood as all tall blond people must be related, but found surprising in Ireland). and of course stopping at Tamangos, the local club of fame/shame.
On Saturday we got up early and caught a bus to Cork, to meet with Niall. Niall being Maeve's friend who volunteered to show me around town along with his girlfriend Marie. We watched the Gaelic football match at a local pub, ate some great dinner and then pub hopped the night away. We visited Sober Lane, The Castle and The Slate. The highlight being at The Castle, where there was a group of (rather drunk) men singing Irish songs/ballads and "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling". People were surprised to learn that Canadians do not normally sing at bars, hence the novelty of this for me. Wanting to get some more Dublin time in, we left Cork early the next morning, saying goodbye to our wonderful hosts to spend an afternoon wandering Dublin one last time and then a relaxing night at Caoimhe's, mostly spent playing with her kitten named Ziggy.
Sadly my time in Ireland had come to and end, and after an early morning to get to the airport, 3 movies to get to JFK, 2 1/2 hours in JFK, and then another hour to Toronto, plus driving home, I finally made it back to my home sweet home. It feels good/strange/sad/exciting/everything to be back, and no one really believes that I'm here for good. It's the first time I've been in Ontario for the fall in 6 years (!) and I'm really looking forward to it. To pumpkin pie, fall fairs, changing leaves, Canadian Thanksgiving, working on the farm, just being with my family and so much more. And that's it. I have plans to see Metric in concert, a Margaret Atwood book reading and a film festival movie along with babysitting in the near future, but the late future remains a mystery. If anything good happens I'll let you know. Otherwise, so ends the blog of Joy in Japan.
2009年9月24日木曜日
2009年9月16日水曜日
Further Adventures
So this blog is no longer about Joy in Japan, and yet I keep posting. I'll stop, I promise as I will have no more exciting things to share because I am now in my last stop, Ireland. (maybe one more about Ireland though). I spent 6 days in Holland visiting some family and friends, after spending 7 hours wandering Copenhagen on my layover from St. Petersburg. I feel as though I've gone through a careful process of leaving Japan. I went to Russia, a country where I didn't stand out as much, but still couldn't read or speak. Then I went to Holland where I blended in perfectly, could read, but couldn't speak. And now I'm in a country where I can read and speak! Instead of working through all the details since I last wrote you, here is a short list of the highlights! (which is sure to be as verbose as always).
Copenhagen: It's full of beautiful people, Scandinavia lives up to its reputation. A place I think I'd like to live (if I had money).
Holland: Arrived on my 2nd cousin Rob's birthday, so went out all night, the next day went to a Coldplay concert. Spent 1 day touring around the city on bikes (of course!) and I think part of my brain was just confused about the amount of English I heard (so many tourists!). Spent one day up in Massdijke, where my mom's cousin lives (Rob's mom), walked along the shore of the North Sea and spent a relaxing evening playing rumikub. Sunday went to an Ajax game, where they destroyed the other team 6-0, and then went to Utrecht to visit my friend Sara-- a Canadian. 2 nights in Utrecht, enjoying cobblestone roads and canals, shopping and a few Heineken of course. I got mistaken for being Dutch twice by Rob's friends which was fun.
Ireland:Just arrived-- got picked up by my wonderful friend Caoimhe and her mother, had a cup of tea and some brown bread, went for a walk along the shore and am about to have dinner shortly. Looking forward to doing some sightseeing and enjoying great company.
And for good measure, more Russian details: roller-blades! Everywhere! Memo to Russia, it's not 1993 anymore. Also, at zebra crosswalks, cars would actually stop! Not fly by ignoring you. A further detail about Ana, who helped us out in Moscow-- she seemed like an average girl, but once we got near to Moscow she got out of her train clothes (a t-shirt and pair of track pants) and into super tight jeans, a belt buckle that read "open for business" (Paul and I debated if she knew what this mean, we think not?) and tight white tank top... with no bra. Still as lovely and wonderful, but quite the transformation!
Copenhagen: It's full of beautiful people, Scandinavia lives up to its reputation. A place I think I'd like to live (if I had money).
Holland: Arrived on my 2nd cousin Rob's birthday, so went out all night, the next day went to a Coldplay concert. Spent 1 day touring around the city on bikes (of course!) and I think part of my brain was just confused about the amount of English I heard (so many tourists!). Spent one day up in Massdijke, where my mom's cousin lives (Rob's mom), walked along the shore of the North Sea and spent a relaxing evening playing rumikub. Sunday went to an Ajax game, where they destroyed the other team 6-0, and then went to Utrecht to visit my friend Sara-- a Canadian. 2 nights in Utrecht, enjoying cobblestone roads and canals, shopping and a few Heineken of course. I got mistaken for being Dutch twice by Rob's friends which was fun.
Ireland:Just arrived-- got picked up by my wonderful friend Caoimhe and her mother, had a cup of tea and some brown bread, went for a walk along the shore and am about to have dinner shortly. Looking forward to doing some sightseeing and enjoying great company.
And for good measure, more Russian details: roller-blades! Everywhere! Memo to Russia, it's not 1993 anymore. Also, at zebra crosswalks, cars would actually stop! Not fly by ignoring you. A further detail about Ana, who helped us out in Moscow-- she seemed like an average girl, but once we got near to Moscow she got out of her train clothes (a t-shirt and pair of track pants) and into super tight jeans, a belt buckle that read "open for business" (Paul and I debated if she knew what this mean, we think not?) and tight white tank top... with no bra. Still as lovely and wonderful, but quite the transformation!
2009年9月9日水曜日
Ra Ra Rasputin
Russian thoughts, the final chapter.
Russia has also proved to evoke "Oh Russia" moments from me (similar to the Oh Japan, usually said at moments of the good and bad kinds of awesome). Some examples of this would be: the massive popularity of the mullet. the trend of wearing see-through clothing, the closing of Red Square for a week, the incredible Stalin Skyscrapers, the beautifully decorated --think chandeliers, and mosaics-- subway system of Moscow, the Orthodox Churches with the floor to top of dome images and icons, a woman singing opera outside a church (she was there at 1pm and still going when we came back that way at 4pm), drinking on the street, high heels galore, and more.
On our first day in St. Petersburg we walked and walked and walked some more. In the rain no less. It was soggy and cold, and it felt very good to finally sit down, once we found our hostel again. (Russia is better than Japan which abhors street signs, but the Russian ones are tiny and hidden, not ideal when ones shoes are pinching and the rain keeps coming down). St.Petersburg has proven to be a beautiful city-- it's fully of old buildings and wonderful architecture. I can easily picture my book characters hopping in carriages and rushing off to see their lovers-- it's great.
Our hostel here is nice-- it's what would happen if an old Russia apartment and Ikea had children. Crazy high ceilings, strange rooms, an old fashioned key, and more ikea furniture and housewares than you can shake a stick at. It just opened this past May, which makes it the 4th place we stayed at that has been open a year or less (Vladivostok was maybe 6 months, Omsk 2 weeks and Moscow maybe a year). Not sure if there is a sudden tourist boom or what, but it's working in our favour. The overnight trip here from Moscow was in itself a lesson in appreciating how lucky we were the rest of our journey. We were in a kupe with a young-ish couple and their 2 year old daughter. Their daughter who had a cough/infection of some manner, and who used her potty in the middle of the room. Crying, coughing, pooing, and a father figure who certainly didn't enjoy having to share the kupe made us quite happy to get off the train in the morning, and appreciative of kupe mates who could take themselves to the bathroom. And it sits in stark contrast to this morning, when I woke up to 6 boys sleeping in their underwear.
Yesterday we went to the old fort, in the rain, a pretty old cathedral, and enjoyed nice views of the city and met an Albertan and his family. First Canadians on the trip yet! Today was a visit to the Hermitage, one of the biggest/best(?) art museums/examples of why the Russians revolted against the aristocracy. Catherine the Great may have gotten her name from her great expenses rather than her love of the peasants. And more walking, some souvenir shopping and then a very nice Russian dinner at a restaurant we found while walking towards the famous theatres. Sadly they were closed by the time we made it there, so I guess next time I go to Russia I will have to get ballet tickets to appreciate the wonders that I hear the theatres are.
I can't quite believe my time in Russia is over, 19 days, gone! but it's been great and I'd love to come back and take my time in the cities I feel I rushed through. Tomorrow to the Netherlands and then to Ireland and then home. So I think this is my last mass email. I would heartily recommends the trans Siberian to anyone. While most Russian people have responded with shock about our taking it without speaking Russian, it is more or less hopping on public transport and carrying on. I certainly appreciated having Paul on this trip with me, for the conversation, and the male presence of protection and hope to one day do it all again but in the winter.
Russia has also proved to evoke "Oh Russia" moments from me (similar to the Oh Japan, usually said at moments of the good and bad kinds of awesome). Some examples of this would be: the massive popularity of the mullet. the trend of wearing see-through clothing, the closing of Red Square for a week, the incredible Stalin Skyscrapers, the beautifully decorated --think chandeliers, and mosaics-- subway system of Moscow, the Orthodox Churches with the floor to top of dome images and icons, a woman singing opera outside a church (she was there at 1pm and still going when we came back that way at 4pm), drinking on the street, high heels galore, and more.
On our first day in St. Petersburg we walked and walked and walked some more. In the rain no less. It was soggy and cold, and it felt very good to finally sit down, once we found our hostel again. (Russia is better than Japan which abhors street signs, but the Russian ones are tiny and hidden, not ideal when ones shoes are pinching and the rain keeps coming down). St.Petersburg has proven to be a beautiful city-- it's fully of old buildings and wonderful architecture. I can easily picture my book characters hopping in carriages and rushing off to see their lovers-- it's great.
Our hostel here is nice-- it's what would happen if an old Russia apartment and Ikea had children. Crazy high ceilings, strange rooms, an old fashioned key, and more ikea furniture and housewares than you can shake a stick at. It just opened this past May, which makes it the 4th place we stayed at that has been open a year or less (Vladivostok was maybe 6 months, Omsk 2 weeks and Moscow maybe a year). Not sure if there is a sudden tourist boom or what, but it's working in our favour. The overnight trip here from Moscow was in itself a lesson in appreciating how lucky we were the rest of our journey. We were in a kupe with a young-ish couple and their 2 year old daughter. Their daughter who had a cough/infection of some manner, and who used her potty in the middle of the room. Crying, coughing, pooing, and a father figure who certainly didn't enjoy having to share the kupe made us quite happy to get off the train in the morning, and appreciative of kupe mates who could take themselves to the bathroom. And it sits in stark contrast to this morning, when I woke up to 6 boys sleeping in their underwear.
Yesterday we went to the old fort, in the rain, a pretty old cathedral, and enjoyed nice views of the city and met an Albertan and his family. First Canadians on the trip yet! Today was a visit to the Hermitage, one of the biggest/best(?) art museums/examples of why the Russians revolted against the aristocracy. Catherine the Great may have gotten her name from her great expenses rather than her love of the peasants. And more walking, some souvenir shopping and then a very nice Russian dinner at a restaurant we found while walking towards the famous theatres. Sadly they were closed by the time we made it there, so I guess next time I go to Russia I will have to get ballet tickets to appreciate the wonders that I hear the theatres are.
I can't quite believe my time in Russia is over, 19 days, gone! but it's been great and I'd love to come back and take my time in the cities I feel I rushed through. Tomorrow to the Netherlands and then to Ireland and then home. So I think this is my last mass email. I would heartily recommends the trans Siberian to anyone. While most Russian people have responded with shock about our taking it without speaking Russian, it is more or less hopping on public transport and carrying on. I certainly appreciated having Paul on this trip with me, for the conversation, and the male presence of protection and hope to one day do it all again but in the winter.
2009年9月6日日曜日
Mosc-woot
It is Saturday night here in Moscow, although my body isnt really sure where it is or what time it is there. I suppose I am suffering from train lag, but hopefully once I stay in the same one for longer than 3 days my body can adjust.
Getting to Moscow from Omsk worked out well, as our kupe mate, a 26 year old girl named Ana, proved to not only not be a smelly big Russian man, but also drank vodka with us, used her basic English readily, helped us book tickets to St.Petersburg from Moscow and put us on the right subway to get to our hostel. She was incredibly kind and we felt lucky to have met her. We got to the hostel, showered and wandered the streets, realizing that our hostel is in a nice and wealthy neighbourhood, making Moscow seem much safer than we thought it would be. The next day we went to a park full of old soviet statues (hello many Lennins, a Stalin (!) and a Marx to an art museum that had and exhibit of Soviet art, and then through Gorky Park and wandered around the riverside, till we went up to Moscow University (which is an incredibly impressive and imposing building, google it!) for a great view of the city. Spent the night wandering the streets trying to not get too lost and enjoying the nice drinking in public laws of Russia.
Today was our 2nd full day in Moscow, and we hoped to gaze upon Lenin's corpse. Once we got ourselves organized we realized it was getting late (viewing hours are only between 10am and 1pm) so we rushed down to the main street, only to find out that it is student day, and the streets were PACKED with university students, soldiers, and with various gates and metal detectors. No good side street in sight, we steadily worked our way to the mausoleum via metro only to find out that Red Square and it's accouterments are all closed to the public, for about a week. And that it's Moscow's birthday so the whole main street would be blocked off all day, and in fact, all weekend. Meaning to get around it or just wander around meant being gated off from other streets, and needing to walk through a metal detector everytime we wanted to go back to a main street. Safety and soldiers first.
A bit frustrated by this information, we learned that we could get into Red Square, if we bought tickets to an international military marching band concert/competition. So we did. Yes, I know you're jealous-- 2 hours of marching bands! but in fairness China didn't send their band, just their special dance/tai-chi/faux fighting team they had perform at the Olympics. And there was a Russian dance troupe that did all the cool Russian dances with the spinning and the whatnot. I'd say just wait for the photos, but alas, I read "no cameras" on the English sign for the concert and didn't bring mine, only to realize that this is Russia and that means nothing. So use your imagination? youtube? Sorry. It was amazing and a bit surreal. (In case you are wondering, the competing bands were: Russia, the UK, France, India, Finland, China, Kazikstan, Israel and Italy. Israel played "if I were a rich man" and Kazikstan was a close 2nd to Russia with the size and marching, the rest were clearly in a lower league).
Tomorrow we will go the Arabat and wander around the armory, maybe stopping at a small town outside the city with a nice old feel to it and a monestary, and then get on a night train to St. Petersburg. Good times await I'm sure.
It's now much later than I hoped to go to bed, so I shall stop typing and get some sleep, hopefully not waking up in a few hours due to a confused body clock.
Getting to Moscow from Omsk worked out well, as our kupe mate, a 26 year old girl named Ana, proved to not only not be a smelly big Russian man, but also drank vodka with us, used her basic English readily, helped us book tickets to St.Petersburg from Moscow and put us on the right subway to get to our hostel. She was incredibly kind and we felt lucky to have met her. We got to the hostel, showered and wandered the streets, realizing that our hostel is in a nice and wealthy neighbourhood, making Moscow seem much safer than we thought it would be. The next day we went to a park full of old soviet statues (hello many Lennins, a Stalin (!) and a Marx to an art museum that had and exhibit of Soviet art, and then through Gorky Park and wandered around the riverside, till we went up to Moscow University (which is an incredibly impressive and imposing building, google it!) for a great view of the city. Spent the night wandering the streets trying to not get too lost and enjoying the nice drinking in public laws of Russia.
Today was our 2nd full day in Moscow, and we hoped to gaze upon Lenin's corpse. Once we got ourselves organized we realized it was getting late (viewing hours are only between 10am and 1pm) so we rushed down to the main street, only to find out that it is student day, and the streets were PACKED with university students, soldiers, and with various gates and metal detectors. No good side street in sight, we steadily worked our way to the mausoleum via metro only to find out that Red Square and it's accouterments are all closed to the public, for about a week. And that it's Moscow's birthday so the whole main street would be blocked off all day, and in fact, all weekend. Meaning to get around it or just wander around meant being gated off from other streets, and needing to walk through a metal detector everytime we wanted to go back to a main street. Safety and soldiers first.
A bit frustrated by this information, we learned that we could get into Red Square, if we bought tickets to an international military marching band concert/competition. So we did. Yes, I know you're jealous-- 2 hours of marching bands! but in fairness China didn't send their band, just their special dance/tai-chi/faux fighting team they had perform at the Olympics. And there was a Russian dance troupe that did all the cool Russian dances with the spinning and the whatnot. I'd say just wait for the photos, but alas, I read "no cameras" on the English sign for the concert and didn't bring mine, only to realize that this is Russia and that means nothing. So use your imagination? youtube? Sorry. It was amazing and a bit surreal. (In case you are wondering, the competing bands were: Russia, the UK, France, India, Finland, China, Kazikstan, Israel and Italy. Israel played "if I were a rich man" and Kazikstan was a close 2nd to Russia with the size and marching, the rest were clearly in a lower league).
Tomorrow we will go the Arabat and wander around the armory, maybe stopping at a small town outside the city with a nice old feel to it and a monestary, and then get on a night train to St. Petersburg. Good times await I'm sure.
It's now much later than I hoped to go to bed, so I shall stop typing and get some sleep, hopefully not waking up in a few hours due to a confused body clock.
2009年9月1日火曜日
With love from Russia
Hello hello, or should I say, privyet! drasvutche! (or spelled something like that)
Paul and I are currently in a town called Omsk, which is a bit before Russia stops being Asia and becomes Europe. We have a day here (got off the train at 830 this morning) and then back on to Moscow tonight at 10:30, arriving in Moscow on the 3rd.
We have had a great adventure so far. Our first few nights on the train went really well-- we were on the Rossia, which is the nicest train of the trans-sib, it was very modern feeling and we had a kupe to ourselves. We took "train showers" bought food from vendors on the platforms during 20 minute stops, and I put a good dent into Dr. Zhivago while Paul studied Japanese. The only hiccough was when we left, and our cabin-lady person charged us money for a pillowcase and towel that we never got. Frustrating not to be able to explain ourselves, but in the end we just paid and hoped our luck would change. and it did! we had a great tour of Ulan Ude, by a guy named Sayan who is Buriyat (aka the Russia Mongolian) who was 18 and interested to learn as much as he could about foreigners while telling us random things about what we were seeing. We also sampled fermented males (yes, horse!) milk alcohol, which was kind of like drinking milky looking, cheese flavoured boooze. It was served out of a jerry can, for extra authenticity.
We had a 3 day stop in Ulan-Ude and so we decided to use our time to go to Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake... in the world! we arranged a stay at a mini-resort, and as we were doing so another Russia booked the same trip for her and her mother, and wouldn't you know it, she is a tour guide who speaks Japanese and some English. Paul's innate nerdiness paid off and Polina turned out to be an amazing asset for our trip to the lake. We had 2 days there with set meals (think meat. and potatoes. and meat.) and were just a 10 minute walk from the lake. Sadly the famed clarity of the lake was to be believed but not seen, as it was pretty wavy and there were no boat tours. We did however brave the icy cold water on the 2nd day and went for a 2 minute dip (That was how long it took for our feet to go numb). Another Russia family who was staying at the mini-resort decided they wanted to show us around, so they took me, Paul, Polina and her mother on a car trip to a very scenic river and bridge, to the lake (but at a nicer spot where the men jumped in to prove their manliness) and then to a hot spring. Polina came in great help when we found out that we didn't have a ride BACK to town to catch our train, and she negotiated a deal with the mini-resort owner to drive the 4 of us back for the same price as the bus.
Equipped with supplies for the 2 day journey ahead of us, (nice cheese, classic brown bread, instant noodles, fruit) we hopped on our train, this time a less classy version, but more authentic, authentically gross bathroom, but still with down pillows.I finished Dr. Zhivago and started Anna Karenina. We had the kupe to ourselves again until about 1am this morning when 2 Russians joined us, but I didn't realize this until about 4 am and realized something different was happening in the room, namely the 2 upper bunks were now occupied.
Now in Omsk we will wander the streets, after staying at an ibis hotel that just opened last Monday, for a quick shower and nap in a bed that was particularly wonderful, due to it's king size nature and wonderful down duvet. (other beds have been of squeakier, smaller and usually included a wool blanket). It's been quite nice and warm weather, until we got here and walked off the train to 5degrees. Brrrr. It is Siberia I guess.
So far Paul and I are getting along well, and sometimes he's nice enough to leave the room to fart (it happens a lot). I'm excited for Moscow, and an end to the days and nights spent on a train-- it's nice, but so is showering.
Alright, time to find a cafeteria (they being cheap, and require no Russian, just pointing!) some Lenin statues and some grocery shopping for the last leg of the train times.
Paul and I are currently in a town called Omsk, which is a bit before Russia stops being Asia and becomes Europe. We have a day here (got off the train at 830 this morning) and then back on to Moscow tonight at 10:30, arriving in Moscow on the 3rd.
We have had a great adventure so far. Our first few nights on the train went really well-- we were on the Rossia, which is the nicest train of the trans-sib, it was very modern feeling and we had a kupe to ourselves. We took "train showers" bought food from vendors on the platforms during 20 minute stops, and I put a good dent into Dr. Zhivago while Paul studied Japanese. The only hiccough was when we left, and our cabin-lady person charged us money for a pillowcase and towel that we never got. Frustrating not to be able to explain ourselves, but in the end we just paid and hoped our luck would change. and it did! we had a great tour of Ulan Ude, by a guy named Sayan who is Buriyat (aka the Russia Mongolian) who was 18 and interested to learn as much as he could about foreigners while telling us random things about what we were seeing. We also sampled fermented males (yes, horse!) milk alcohol, which was kind of like drinking milky looking, cheese flavoured boooze. It was served out of a jerry can, for extra authenticity.
We had a 3 day stop in Ulan-Ude and so we decided to use our time to go to Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake... in the world! we arranged a stay at a mini-resort, and as we were doing so another Russia booked the same trip for her and her mother, and wouldn't you know it, she is a tour guide who speaks Japanese and some English. Paul's innate nerdiness paid off and Polina turned out to be an amazing asset for our trip to the lake. We had 2 days there with set meals (think meat. and potatoes. and meat.) and were just a 10 minute walk from the lake. Sadly the famed clarity of the lake was to be believed but not seen, as it was pretty wavy and there were no boat tours. We did however brave the icy cold water on the 2nd day and went for a 2 minute dip (That was how long it took for our feet to go numb). Another Russia family who was staying at the mini-resort decided they wanted to show us around, so they took me, Paul, Polina and her mother on a car trip to a very scenic river and bridge, to the lake (but at a nicer spot where the men jumped in to prove their manliness) and then to a hot spring. Polina came in great help when we found out that we didn't have a ride BACK to town to catch our train, and she negotiated a deal with the mini-resort owner to drive the 4 of us back for the same price as the bus.
Equipped with supplies for the 2 day journey ahead of us, (nice cheese, classic brown bread, instant noodles, fruit) we hopped on our train, this time a less classy version, but more authentic, authentically gross bathroom, but still with down pillows.I finished Dr. Zhivago and started Anna Karenina. We had the kupe to ourselves again until about 1am this morning when 2 Russians joined us, but I didn't realize this until about 4 am and realized something different was happening in the room, namely the 2 upper bunks were now occupied.
Now in Omsk we will wander the streets, after staying at an ibis hotel that just opened last Monday, for a quick shower and nap in a bed that was particularly wonderful, due to it's king size nature and wonderful down duvet. (other beds have been of squeakier, smaller and usually included a wool blanket). It's been quite nice and warm weather, until we got here and walked off the train to 5degrees. Brrrr. It is Siberia I guess.
So far Paul and I are getting along well, and sometimes he's nice enough to leave the room to fart (it happens a lot). I'm excited for Moscow, and an end to the days and nights spent on a train-- it's nice, but so is showering.
Alright, time to find a cafeteria (they being cheap, and require no Russian, just pointing!) some Lenin statues and some grocery shopping for the last leg of the train times.
2009年8月23日日曜日
Joy in Russia: Day 2
I went out and about in Vladivostock today. Saw a nice Lenon statue (one of many I'm sure), walked along the sea side (where a random carnival was happening), took the senic route back to the main streets (read: got vaugly lost), climbed through a submarine (making many Sean Connery jokes to myself), chatted with a Japanese student on tour, saw a famous arch, wandered through a famous shopping centre where everything is behind glass and you point at what you want (well, i guess usually you would tell the person behind the counter), ate some wonderful cake and coffee (oh Japan, you have so much to learn from Russia!), read more Dr. Zhivago while sitting on the pier, and then to a restaurnt for dinner (some chicken dish, 2 crepes, boullion soup with 1/2 a boiled egg and dill (dill!~ it's been so long since I had you!). Did some groceries (real bread! real cheese!) and wandered my way back to the hostel to wash my grimy feet and wait for Paul to show up. Also, am unsure about wandering the streets at night, so I am choosing to stay safer (and admitedly more boring) and relax at the hostel. (Unlike the group of Italian/German tourist guys who showed up at 11 last night, got changed and went out night clubbing).
While I do blend into the Russian population quite well (maybe too well? I need to wear a sign so they are less surprised when I look confused when I dont respond to the Russian). I'm pretty sure the very nice women who sold me coffee and cake were sure that I was and were surprised when I busted out my tried and true method of communication; pointing), there is a definate Russian style. (holy run on sentance batman!). To enrich your life, I have come up with a short list of things to consider when trying to look Russian.
Male: shirts are optional, just wear shorts and show off your hot bod.
Female: the shortest shorts of your life/practically underwear is alright for regular daytime wear. As is very tight clothing, hella cleavage and anything sparkly. Shoes can be any style but generally wear dress shoes. (Unlike Japan, heels are optional)
Children: under the age of 7 must be blond. No exceptions.
General rules: be tall, skinny (if female, musclar if male), have nice cheekbones and be atractive if you are under the age of 30. Over 30 means more cleavage (female, clearly) and a paunch.
I'm excited for Paul to show up, at the very least to save me from talking to myself (I'm doing it as I type!). And to hop on a train for three days (mm greasy hair awaits me) and tour Ulan-Ude, the next city on our adventure.
While I do blend into the Russian population quite well (maybe too well? I need to wear a sign so they are less surprised when I look confused when I dont respond to the Russian). I'm pretty sure the very nice women who sold me coffee and cake were sure that I was and were surprised when I busted out my tried and true method of communication; pointing), there is a definate Russian style. (holy run on sentance batman!). To enrich your life, I have come up with a short list of things to consider when trying to look Russian.
Male: shirts are optional, just wear shorts and show off your hot bod.
Female: the shortest shorts of your life/practically underwear is alright for regular daytime wear. As is very tight clothing, hella cleavage and anything sparkly. Shoes can be any style but generally wear dress shoes. (Unlike Japan, heels are optional)
Children: under the age of 7 must be blond. No exceptions.
General rules: be tall, skinny (if female, musclar if male), have nice cheekbones and be atractive if you are under the age of 30. Over 30 means more cleavage (female, clearly) and a paunch.
I'm excited for Paul to show up, at the very least to save me from talking to myself (I'm doing it as I type!). And to hop on a train for three days (mm greasy hair awaits me) and tour Ulan-Ude, the next city on our adventure.
2009年8月17日月曜日
Going home the long way around...
August
18: Leave Japan via Shinkansen and overnight ferryboat
19: Arriving in Pusan, South Korea. Take KTX (Korean Shinkansen) to Seoul.
19-22: Stay with wonderful friend Myrie in Seoul, finally tour the DMZed
22: Depart for Vladivostok, Russia!
22-24: Stay in Vladivostok, meet partner in Trans Siberian adventure, Paul, on the 23rd
24: Depart on Trans Siberian railway
27: Arrive in Ulan-Ude,
27-30 tour the city, find our way to Lake Baikal, see a “village of Old Believers”
30: Depart Ulan-Ude
September
1: Stop for the day in Omsk
3: Arrive in Moscow
3-6: Tour Moscow
6: Depart Moscow, arrive St. Petersburg
6-9: St. Petersburg
9: Out of Russia!
Then hopefully Amsterdam to see my Dutch cousin, Hamburg to see Roger who I have just missed being in the same time zone by hours 3 times, and for sure Dublin to see my wonderful friend Caoimhe.
21st-ish: Back in Canada
I’m excited/nervous/can’t believe it. I know it will be great, but want to get going. Last night in Japan tonight (!!!) And so one adventure ends and another will begin…
18: Leave Japan via Shinkansen and overnight ferryboat
19: Arriving in Pusan, South Korea. Take KTX (Korean Shinkansen) to Seoul.
19-22: Stay with wonderful friend Myrie in Seoul, finally tour the DMZed
22: Depart for Vladivostok, Russia!
22-24: Stay in Vladivostok, meet partner in Trans Siberian adventure, Paul, on the 23rd
24: Depart on Trans Siberian railway
27: Arrive in Ulan-Ude,
27-30 tour the city, find our way to Lake Baikal, see a “village of Old Believers”
30: Depart Ulan-Ude
September
1: Stop for the day in Omsk
3: Arrive in Moscow
3-6: Tour Moscow
6: Depart Moscow, arrive St. Petersburg
6-9: St. Petersburg
9: Out of Russia!
Then hopefully Amsterdam to see my Dutch cousin, Hamburg to see Roger who I have just missed being in the same time zone by hours 3 times, and for sure Dublin to see my wonderful friend Caoimhe.
21st-ish: Back in Canada
I’m excited/nervous/can’t believe it. I know it will be great, but want to get going. Last night in Japan tonight (!!!) And so one adventure ends and another will begin…
2009年8月10日月曜日
No work, all play, aka, "funderployment" (part 1)
Between the last day of work and my departure for the homeland, I have been filling my time with a variety of activities. Most activities are not very interesting, (sleeping! going out with friends! Internet TV!) but there have been some definite highlights so far, namely last weekend.
On Friday I went with my friend Tu to Summer Sonic . We got there early to get some free stuff (ooh, sweat towels!) and see The Veronicas. Another friend of mine went to high school with them, and I'm pretty sure they recognized him (as he is over 6ft and blond, was in the front in a sea of Japanese people). After the Veronicas we went to check out Solange (aka Beyonce's little sister), because no one else we knew was playing, and she was playing in an air conditioned building. We were entertained by her, surprised to hear her call out her sound guy, and the eye rolling at her getting the crowd to sing "hey Mr. Sound guy, get your shit together". Sorry Solange, you are not good enough to be that much of a diva! We said "Solange you later." (Solange as you don't tell anyone that we went to see her at all...) and went to find some delicious festival food.
Full, and wandering, we stopped by The Vaselines, who were performing in air conditioned beauty, and then went to go check out Maximum the Hormone-- a hilarious Japanese metal band, and they opened with the one song I know-- "Koi no Mega Lover". I head banged for the first time in my life, and after a few songs had enough, and went to find some other JETs and then together went to see Lady Gaga. She put on an unsurprisingly rude and entertaining show-- lots of "I love Japan!"s and we also saw Perez Hilton there, shouted his name and got him to wave at us. Gaga was followed by more festival food and then Ne-Yo, followed by no other than Beyonce.
Beyonce put on a serious show-- complete with 3 drummers, 2 pianists, 2 guitarists, a basisit, a 3 person horn section, and 3 back up singers (all female). Her set took about 30 minutes to assemble, and she had 4 female and 4 male back up dancers. She opened well, and closed well, but the middle was some sort of "ode to marriage/Canadian singers and crazy Robo Beyonce". She had a crazy song where she sang Ave Maria, and back up dancers frolicked up and put her in a sort of wedding gown? And then another when she was wearing some sort of robot costume, and the background was snow leopard/robot Beyonce? But the close was amazing, and she left the main stage to go to a smaller one in the middle for some impressive dancing, and where I wound up being crushed but within mere inches of her. Later Tu and I were discussing that Beyonce is impressive, but she's been doing this for ages, and is so polished and it's almost creepy.
Exhausted after a full day in the sun, dancing, headbanging, sweating etc, we finally made it to Tu's place around 1:30, and then were up the next day, Tu for more Summer Sonic, and me to head up to Fukui with a Japanese friend of mine (which I shall describe in Part 2).
On Friday I went with my friend Tu to Summer Sonic . We got there early to get some free stuff (ooh, sweat towels!) and see The Veronicas. Another friend of mine went to high school with them, and I'm pretty sure they recognized him (as he is over 6ft and blond, was in the front in a sea of Japanese people). After the Veronicas we went to check out Solange (aka Beyonce's little sister), because no one else we knew was playing, and she was playing in an air conditioned building. We were entertained by her, surprised to hear her call out her sound guy, and the eye rolling at her getting the crowd to sing "hey Mr. Sound guy, get your shit together". Sorry Solange, you are not good enough to be that much of a diva! We said "Solange you later." (Solange as you don't tell anyone that we went to see her at all...) and went to find some delicious festival food.
Full, and wandering, we stopped by The Vaselines, who were performing in air conditioned beauty, and then went to go check out Maximum the Hormone-- a hilarious Japanese metal band, and they opened with the one song I know-- "Koi no Mega Lover". I head banged for the first time in my life, and after a few songs had enough, and went to find some other JETs and then together went to see Lady Gaga. She put on an unsurprisingly rude and entertaining show-- lots of "I love Japan!"s and we also saw Perez Hilton there, shouted his name and got him to wave at us. Gaga was followed by more festival food and then Ne-Yo, followed by no other than Beyonce.
Beyonce put on a serious show-- complete with 3 drummers, 2 pianists, 2 guitarists, a basisit, a 3 person horn section, and 3 back up singers (all female). Her set took about 30 minutes to assemble, and she had 4 female and 4 male back up dancers. She opened well, and closed well, but the middle was some sort of "ode to marriage/Canadian singers and crazy Robo Beyonce". She had a crazy song where she sang Ave Maria, and back up dancers frolicked up and put her in a sort of wedding gown? And then another when she was wearing some sort of robot costume, and the background was snow leopard/robot Beyonce? But the close was amazing, and she left the main stage to go to a smaller one in the middle for some impressive dancing, and where I wound up being crushed but within mere inches of her. Later Tu and I were discussing that Beyonce is impressive, but she's been doing this for ages, and is so polished and it's almost creepy.
Exhausted after a full day in the sun, dancing, headbanging, sweating etc, we finally made it to Tu's place around 1:30, and then were up the next day, Tu for more Summer Sonic, and me to head up to Fukui with a Japanese friend of mine (which I shall describe in Part 2).
2009年7月17日金曜日
More lists, written on my last day at school
I've just said my last goodbye speech. Soon I'll have lunch with the staff here, and then home. And that's it. I have taken the next week off to pack, clean, and sleep in. I've cleaned my desk, written a helpful guide to my schools, and poorly pronounced Japanese words to 300 students. However, I have yet to sit through a staff meeting before lunch happens, which gives me time to come up with a few lists.
I'm going to miss:
-goodbye music (aka auld lang syne) that they play when stores close
-bowing! its great, no touching and spreading of germs, being polite to old people, what's not to love?
-the love of flowers everywhere
-the covered shopping street-- better than a mall, available in nearly every Japanese city
-seasonally flavoured everything. Apple vinegar, sweet potato, cherry etc flavoured Kitkats, never mind the changing flavours of icecream, candies and drinks
-not relying on cars to get places-- just my bike and the trains. (with occasional help from friends with cars)
-the view from my balcony. Setting sun over mountains = pretty excellent
-the view from my mountains. Valley stretching out, nestled between mountains = pretty excellent
-the Japanese love of uniforms. Sometimes it's ridiculous, but it adds a bit of professionalism to jobs, and keeps people modest, which I've come to appreciate
-konbinis, or convince stores. These places are truly convenient. Usually have a nice clean bathroom to use, great selection of snacks and msc items, drinks etc. Also a place to buy concert tickets and pay bills.
I'm looking forward to:
-seeing my family on a regular basis, not through a computer screen
-seeing my niece and nephews grow up
-buying hummus, sharp cheddar, raspberry yogurt, pie...
-coffee time at home, with whipped cream
-ok, food
-driving and singing along to the radio
-not being overly aware of English conversations of strangers. You hear English on a train, and you can't help but listen. It makes things a bit awkward sometimes.
-easy access to English books
-not watching TV or movies via crappy internet streaming sites
-having garbage cans placed in convenient places on streets
I'm going to miss:
-goodbye music (aka auld lang syne) that they play when stores close
-bowing! its great, no touching and spreading of germs, being polite to old people, what's not to love?
-the love of flowers everywhere
-the covered shopping street-- better than a mall, available in nearly every Japanese city
-seasonally flavoured everything. Apple vinegar, sweet potato, cherry etc flavoured Kitkats, never mind the changing flavours of icecream, candies and drinks
-not relying on cars to get places-- just my bike and the trains. (with occasional help from friends with cars)
-the view from my balcony. Setting sun over mountains = pretty excellent
-the view from my mountains. Valley stretching out, nestled between mountains = pretty excellent
-the Japanese love of uniforms. Sometimes it's ridiculous, but it adds a bit of professionalism to jobs, and keeps people modest, which I've come to appreciate
-konbinis, or convince stores. These places are truly convenient. Usually have a nice clean bathroom to use, great selection of snacks and msc items, drinks etc. Also a place to buy concert tickets and pay bills.
I'm looking forward to:
-seeing my family on a regular basis, not through a computer screen
-seeing my niece and nephews grow up
-buying hummus, sharp cheddar, raspberry yogurt, pie...
-coffee time at home, with whipped cream
-ok, food
-driving and singing along to the radio
-not being overly aware of English conversations of strangers. You hear English on a train, and you can't help but listen. It makes things a bit awkward sometimes.
-easy access to English books
-not watching TV or movies via crappy internet streaming sites
-having garbage cans placed in convenient places on streets
2009年6月22日月曜日
I’m going to miss: my students
-students in class who have no idea what they are saying, but say it very enthusiastically
-students in class who are clearly not interested in English, because I can identify with them with my relationship with French
-students who yell “good morning” to me from the 3rd floor balcony of the Junior high when I bike into school in the morning
- the students who yell “good morning” to me from the 3rd floor balcony of the Junior high when I bike into school after lunch
-the boys that have decided they love me
-the girls who are fascinated by what I wear and my accessories
-students who surprise you by using the English you’ve taught them and they’ve actually retained
-seeing the look of learning. When you see that light bulb go off, it’s magical, truly.
-students who smile at me when I smile at them in class.
-making faces at students to make them smile when the JTE is droning on about grammatical points
-students in class who are clearly not interested in English, because I can identify with them with my relationship with French
-students who yell “good morning” to me from the 3rd floor balcony of the Junior high when I bike into school in the morning
- the students who yell “good morning” to me from the 3rd floor balcony of the Junior high when I bike into school after lunch
-the boys that have decided they love me
-the girls who are fascinated by what I wear and my accessories
-students who surprise you by using the English you’ve taught them and they’ve actually retained
-seeing the look of learning. When you see that light bulb go off, it’s magical, truly.
-students who smile at me when I smile at them in class.
-making faces at students to make them smile when the JTE is droning on about grammatical points
Seasons
1. The season for Japanese kids who live in the USA to come to Kamikawa and go to school. They finish up in the states, and then attend Japanese elementary/junior high for a month. It gets their Japanese back into shape, and I guess is a good dose of culture. For me it means there is a kid in class who knows exactly what’s going on, and is pretty much bored. I can bring the fun in a game, but there is still 20 minutes of learning that they have to suffer through. English class for English speakers = painful. I have 1 kid at junior high and 2 at elementary school.
2. Rainy season. Out of nowhere humidity came and gave me a big sweaty hug. Thanks humidity! Mmmmm. It rained for about 10 straight hours (starting last night around 1am) and now there is a nice fug in the air. There is a bit of a breeze, so that’s helping… but mostly I’m very shiny and want to wash my face all the time.
3. The season of replacements. I am prepping myself to leave in less than 2 months, and my successor for the glories of my job. I will get to meet her as I’m kicking around Japan till mid August, so she can glean all the wisdom I’ve amassed about my town/job, although considering I write massive emails telling her most things, I’m not sure how much I have left to say. Everyone is waiting to find out who will attempt to fill the void they leave.
4. The season of leaving. It’s both a relief and sad-- whether or not my brain knows it, Japan does unconsciously stress me out and my body will welcome being in the homeland. It will also be good to be home again. I've lived away from home for 6 years now (well, 4 of those had 4 month intervals at home during the summer, but still, a long time), and I miss my family. At the same time, I’m leaving some excellent friends, who live in corners of the world that are not in Canada, let alone Ontario. An excuse to travel more? I think so.
2. Rainy season. Out of nowhere humidity came and gave me a big sweaty hug. Thanks humidity! Mmmmm. It rained for about 10 straight hours (starting last night around 1am) and now there is a nice fug in the air. There is a bit of a breeze, so that’s helping… but mostly I’m very shiny and want to wash my face all the time.
3. The season of replacements. I am prepping myself to leave in less than 2 months, and my successor for the glories of my job. I will get to meet her as I’m kicking around Japan till mid August, so she can glean all the wisdom I’ve amassed about my town/job, although considering I write massive emails telling her most things, I’m not sure how much I have left to say. Everyone is waiting to find out who will attempt to fill the void they leave.
4. The season of leaving. It’s both a relief and sad-- whether or not my brain knows it, Japan does unconsciously stress me out and my body will welcome being in the homeland. It will also be good to be home again. I've lived away from home for 6 years now (well, 4 of those had 4 month intervals at home during the summer, but still, a long time), and I miss my family. At the same time, I’m leaving some excellent friends, who live in corners of the world that are not in Canada, let alone Ontario. An excuse to travel more? I think so.
2009年6月10日水曜日
Top dogs and underdogs
Below are some photos of a Hanshin Tigers game I went to a while back. It was a great time—and I don’t know anything about the team. I’ve since been to 2 more Tigers games and one set of tickets was free. I was talking in my adult class about baseball which lead to a conversation about top dogs (the Tokyo Giants) and underdogs (the Hanshin Tigers, although they seem to have no chance this season) I asked my students what team they supported. In the end, the I said I liked the Tigers “of course!” because they are the local team, and a woman who is the biggest Tigers fan I’ve met (her car is yellow... because it’s a tigers colour) said she had 3 tickets to a game that she couldn’t go to, would I like them? Yes!
Before coming to Japan, I think the last professional sports event I went to was an NBA game my dad got free tickets to, when I was in high school, and maybe a game during the 1990s BlueJays heyday. I would not call myself a sports fan. However, Japan has changed me. In Japan, I have seen 2 sumo games, 3 Hanshin Tigers games and 1 soccer game in Seoul. Why the change of heart?
1. You can bring your own everything. No fear of extortionist vendor prices, just bring your own. The only rule is at the baseball games, you can’t take glass bottles or cans in, so you have to pour them into big cups (and they have a cupholder for you to use).
2. The cheering. At all 3 of the Tigers games I’ve been to, the Tigers have lost. Did that stop the fans? Oh no. Just as enthusiastic at the bottom of the 8th, loosing 8-1 as they were at the start. In the fan section (cheap seats) there are organized cheer-leaders, and everyone knows the cheers and sings along (or in my case, fakes it). Even at sumo you find yourself getting caught up in the moment (literally), feeding off the atmosphere.
Anyway, here are some photos for your enjoyment.
The fan-section at the end of the 7th inning. Instead of a "stretch," everyone blows up a rather phallic looking balloon and lets go at the same time. It's nice and dramatic, if not environmentally friendly. (Although at my last game they didn't do this due to H1N1 paranoia).
The game! If you can be bothered to watch it. I spent most of my first one just trying to learn the cheers. Tigers fan's only cheer when they are up to bat (and maybe sometimes for the pitcher?) so until the cheers are second nature, you need to follow the leaders to get the rhythm right.
2009年6月9日火曜日
I'm going to miss: trains
-they are everywhere, (even if they are slow)
-they can go incredibly fast, as long as you don't mind paying for it
-looking outside the window on a route I always take and seeing something new
-groups of high school students, full of awkwardness, checking each other out
-the different "the train is arriving" songs with different train lines (the best being the Hanshin Railway's "I've been working on the railroad" tune)
-the old man who I see semi-regularly, who smiles at me and I smile at him
-checking out the other foreigners on the train and wondering who they are and what they are doing in your corner of Japan
-they can go incredibly fast, as long as you don't mind paying for it
-looking outside the window on a route I always take and seeing something new
-groups of high school students, full of awkwardness, checking each other out
-the different "the train is arriving" songs with different train lines (the best being the Hanshin Railway's "I've been working on the railroad" tune)
-the old man who I see semi-regularly, who smiles at me and I smile at him
-checking out the other foreigners on the train and wondering who they are and what they are doing in your corner of Japan
2009年5月29日金曜日
Some thoughts on Japanese culture
Last night at my ikebana (flower arranging) class, I was enjoying, and marveling at the complexity of, tea ceremony and my teacher asked me what I thought about Japanese culture. Upon thinking about it my own experiences in Japan, I said that my answer is two things: organized beauty and the beauty of organization.
Tea ceremony is meticulously done, all for beauty’s sake. The handle is held like so, the dishes put here, moved there and served carefully. The bowl you drink out of, the sweets you eat, everything has been carefully organized to be beautiful. The same goes for ikebana. The flowers are organized to be beautiful, put into their correct places for the right meaning. You are presented with uncluttered and intentional beauty. This also applies to nature. There is an entire mountainside in my town that has been deforested of the natural cedars and planted with cherry trees, because cherry trees are beautiful. Neatly organized by type and blooming time, it is.
I think this also applies to what is considered beautiful in Japan—the organized things. Simply think of the stereotypical Japanese tour group. People capable of going on their own choose to go with a bus full of strangers. A ride in Japanese person’s car gives me even more organization: everything in its place, each place specific. Perhaps this isn’t the most straightforward definition of beauty, but rather one that also includes desirability. Organization is desired, and thus when things are organized, it serves to act as a thing of beauty. You are presented with uncomplicated and intentional organization, it is deemed beautiful.
Conversely, my first instinct to describe Canadian culture it is to say “multiculturalism”—which only broadens the mix. I grew up in my own subset of multiculturalism in a community made of largely of Dutch immigrants. We have our own traditions: ollie bollen on New Year’s Day, chocolate letters on Christmas. The traditions seem to be mostly food orientated… certainly not anything on par with the Japanese celebration of beauty and organization. Leaving Japan this summer will be also be bringing bits of Japanese culture with me and it’s somehow reassuring to know that when I come back to Japan, these things will still be here. Only 2 months left, I better soak it in while I can.
Tea ceremony is meticulously done, all for beauty’s sake. The handle is held like so, the dishes put here, moved there and served carefully. The bowl you drink out of, the sweets you eat, everything has been carefully organized to be beautiful. The same goes for ikebana. The flowers are organized to be beautiful, put into their correct places for the right meaning. You are presented with uncluttered and intentional beauty. This also applies to nature. There is an entire mountainside in my town that has been deforested of the natural cedars and planted with cherry trees, because cherry trees are beautiful. Neatly organized by type and blooming time, it is.
I think this also applies to what is considered beautiful in Japan—the organized things. Simply think of the stereotypical Japanese tour group. People capable of going on their own choose to go with a bus full of strangers. A ride in Japanese person’s car gives me even more organization: everything in its place, each place specific. Perhaps this isn’t the most straightforward definition of beauty, but rather one that also includes desirability. Organization is desired, and thus when things are organized, it serves to act as a thing of beauty. You are presented with uncomplicated and intentional organization, it is deemed beautiful.
Conversely, my first instinct to describe Canadian culture it is to say “multiculturalism”—which only broadens the mix. I grew up in my own subset of multiculturalism in a community made of largely of Dutch immigrants. We have our own traditions: ollie bollen on New Year’s Day, chocolate letters on Christmas. The traditions seem to be mostly food orientated… certainly not anything on par with the Japanese celebration of beauty and organization. Leaving Japan this summer will be also be bringing bits of Japanese culture with me and it’s somehow reassuring to know that when I come back to Japan, these things will still be here. Only 2 months left, I better soak it in while I can.
2009年5月25日月曜日
Sharing
1. Today school is back in session. I taught 1st period, and my following 3 periods of 1st year classes have been cancelled (for a moment, realize that this means on regular Monday mornings I teach 4 classes in a row, and 3 of them are identical, who came up with this plan?), so I have the rest of the day to make sure my desk chair doesn't escape. I will do this by sitting on it for long periods of time, with breaks to: make bad tasting instant coffee, pick things up from the printer, maybe a bathroom break, lunch, and the usual "avoid the funny looks about not cleaning during cleaning time because no one gave me a job" walk around the school. So far it's only been an hour of not being in class and I feel like my week long house arrest broke all my skills at sitting and patiently doing nothing.
2. On school days I always wake up at 6:20. My alarm doesn't go off till 7:17 (well, a little earlier than that because my alarm is set to an indeterminate amount of fast), but I always wake up at 6:20, look at the clock, roll over and keep sleeping. I wonder if this is because
a) There is an alarm clock going off somewhere in my building that I can hear?
b) The sun reaches a certain amount of brightness and that wakes me up?
c) My body is done sleeping and by sleeping more I am really just going to be sleepier?
I can't decide.
3. I enjoy reading blogs, but oddly 2 of the ones I follow are written by young mothers and I have no interest in being a mother anytime soon. I justify these blogs because these young mothers are sassy and witty, which is what draws me to them. Right?
4. I just spellchecked this blog (I can hear your laughter from here, I know there are errors aplenty in the general content of this blog), and no misspellings were found! This delights me! I almost failed spelling in the 4th grade (I was maybe 8?). I've come a long way (sort of?)
5. The smell of fresh cut grass combined with the smell of paint made me think of home. What smells will make me think of Japan next year? Seaweed.
2. On school days I always wake up at 6:20. My alarm doesn't go off till 7:17 (well, a little earlier than that because my alarm is set to an indeterminate amount of fast), but I always wake up at 6:20, look at the clock, roll over and keep sleeping. I wonder if this is because
a) There is an alarm clock going off somewhere in my building that I can hear?
b) The sun reaches a certain amount of brightness and that wakes me up?
c) My body is done sleeping and by sleeping more I am really just going to be sleepier?
I can't decide.
3. I enjoy reading blogs, but oddly 2 of the ones I follow are written by young mothers and I have no interest in being a mother anytime soon. I justify these blogs because these young mothers are sassy and witty, which is what draws me to them. Right?
4. I just spellchecked this blog (I can hear your laughter from here, I know there are errors aplenty in the general content of this blog), and no misspellings were found! This delights me! I almost failed spelling in the 4th grade (I was maybe 8?). I've come a long way (sort of?)
5. The smell of fresh cut grass combined with the smell of paint made me think of home. What smells will make me think of Japan next year? Seaweed.
2009年5月18日月曜日
Japan is amazing (2)
Hyogo Prefecture has closed all prefectural schools until the 22nd due to the "outbreak" of H1N1. This affects 1440 schools and 640,000 students. But no teachers, who are expected to still go to school. I had 3 classes this morning, but the afternoon off. So students who got infected over the weekend could pass it to their classmates?
Yesterday in Kobe I saw more face masks than you would expect in a hospital.
Calm down Japan, please.
Update: I am now under house arrest, meaning I am not supposed to leave my town, but I don't have to go to school. A friend of mine is in Japan, visiting from Korea, so I emailed my supervisor saying that I was going to visit her in a city. He wrote back saying that, Ok, I could go, but I have to wear a mask, wash my hands a lot, and gargle. He also mentioned if I do get H1N1, I have to go to a special hospital.
Yesterday in Kobe I saw more face masks than you would expect in a hospital.
Calm down Japan, please.
Update: I am now under house arrest, meaning I am not supposed to leave my town, but I don't have to go to school. A friend of mine is in Japan, visiting from Korea, so I emailed my supervisor saying that I was going to visit her in a city. He wrote back saying that, Ok, I could go, but I have to wear a mask, wash my hands a lot, and gargle. He also mentioned if I do get H1N1, I have to go to a special hospital.
2009年5月10日日曜日
Cambodia in photos
This is Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, in Phnom Penh. We arrived in Cambodia in the morning of the 29th, and then spent the day learning about Cambodia's depressing history.
It was sad to think that everyone we met over the age of 30 lived under the Khmer Rouge's opression, and likely knew someone who died. Added to this were the many crippled people and beggars. 
The next day we took a 6 hour bus to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat to soak in some ancient history, less depressing. This is Ankor Wat at sunrise, shortly after we toured, we went back to bed to resume our tour 2 hours later.
And here is Ankor Wat at sunset, complete with monk. There were monks all over the place, checking things out, taking photos, doing the tourist thing.
A closer look at the detail of the walls. This is at Bayon, but nearly all of the temples have the same amount of meticulous detailing.
Me at Ta Phrom-- this shows how much work has been done to restore the temples, and this is also home of some scenes from Lara Croft.
Our last stop of the day was the floating village on Tonle Sap- the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia. In this photo you can see some of the fishing set up, and in the back ground is a gym. It was really interesting to visit, but it also fell on the trap of scamming tourists. We were guilted into spending over $15 USD on notebooks and pencils (worth a max of maybe $5) for students-- and once we got to the school we saw that they weren't even using them. Frustrating.The next morning we caught another 6 hour bus ride back to Phnom Penh (this time we were lucky enough to enjoy 3 straight hours of traditional Cambodian music videos!), and then caught a flight to Bangkok.
2009年4月27日月曜日
Be jealous of me
Tomorrow I leave for a 10 day tour of Thailand, with a short stop in Cambodia. This trip will mean I've been in a different country every month from December to May. I plan to take it easy in Japan for a while before I head home, hopefully via the Trans Siberian Railroad.
Why am I not renewing my contract again?
Why am I not renewing my contract again?
2009年4月21日火曜日
Cherry Blossoms Galore!
Due to my cousin Rachel's visit to Japan during cherry blossom season, I saw more cherry blossoms than usual. Here is a sampling, enjoy!
These are the trees lining the street up to a temple in my town.
Rachel, biking under the blossom lined canal in Kyoto.
In Gion in Kyoto, on what the Lonely Planet calls one of the most beautiful streets, ever (when the trees are in bloom).
At Kyoto Botanical gardens, almost more blossom than branch.
A "weeping" cherry blossom tree at Nijo castle in Kyoto.
These are the trees lining the street up to a temple in my town.
Rachel, biking under the blossom lined canal in Kyoto.
In Gion in Kyoto, on what the Lonely Planet calls one of the most beautiful streets, ever (when the trees are in bloom).
At Kyoto Botanical gardens, almost more blossom than branch.
A "weeping" cherry blossom tree at Nijo castle in Kyoto.
2009年4月16日木曜日
First Day Back
After more than 3 weeks of not teaching, and only sporadically showing up at school to sit at my desk, I had a full day with 4 classes at my Junior High. And it was a good day. Not in any ground-breaking "my students are so smart!" moments of glory but simply for the following reasons:
-I was asked to make a short listening test for the 3rd grade and then have questions to test them on it afterwards. I quickly typed something up about my recent adventures, and the teacher loved it! He asked me to do one every week, and do one for the 2nd graders too.
-The students yelled "Joy Feddes" at me as I biked back from lunch. Not sure why they suddenly love my full name, but I'll take it
-My new desk placement is away from the fish vendor. Yes, my school has a man who comes about 1x/month and sets up his fishy wares in the staff room for teachers to buy. I am now mercifully farther away from this man.
-The new cleaning time music makes me feel like I am in a video game.
-I was asked to make a short listening test for the 3rd grade and then have questions to test them on it afterwards. I quickly typed something up about my recent adventures, and the teacher loved it! He asked me to do one every week, and do one for the 2nd graders too.
-The students yelled "Joy Feddes" at me as I biked back from lunch. Not sure why they suddenly love my full name, but I'll take it
-My new desk placement is away from the fish vendor. Yes, my school has a man who comes about 1x/month and sets up his fishy wares in the staff room for teachers to buy. I am now mercifully farther away from this man.
-The new cleaning time music makes me feel like I am in a video game.
2009年4月4日土曜日
Why Japan is Amazing (1)
Last night, while waiting for my cousin Rachel to arrive from Tokyo, I was walking around the Himeji castle grounds with two friends. It's cherry blossom viewing season and there was a plethora of picnickers sitting on tarps and enjoying a nice spring evening. As we walked by a group of men they called out "Hello!" to us so we said "Hi!" back, and they they invited us to sit with them. As we didn't have anything else to do, and in the name of cultural exchange (and free drinks), we agreed. They promptly gave us food, beer and sake. Asked us random questions (What is your name, what do you do, where do you work, where are you from), were impressed with our meager Japanese and occasionally broke into song. After a while it was time to pick up Rachel so we said thank you and goodbye, and then left them to their merry making.
Fast forward to Rachel and me, on the train to my stop. I told Rachel that we would see if anyone would offere to give us a ride before I called for a cab because the past few times I've been offered rides by people, but had already called a cab. Sure enough, just as I'm about to get out my cell phone and call I hear "Joy?!?". It is one of the guys that we met at the castle-- his wife is waiting at the train station to pick him up and take him home. So he offers to give us a ride and even helps put the suitcase in the back. His wife says she's seen me before on my bike.
A man that I randomly met in a park, whose friends inivited me and my friends to join their party due to our novelty of our being foregin, lives in my town, and offers me a ride home.
People offer me rides in my town because I am the only foreigner, and they know who I am, often because they've seen me biking.
These are some of the reasons Japan is amazing.
Fast forward to Rachel and me, on the train to my stop. I told Rachel that we would see if anyone would offere to give us a ride before I called for a cab because the past few times I've been offered rides by people, but had already called a cab. Sure enough, just as I'm about to get out my cell phone and call I hear "Joy?!?". It is one of the guys that we met at the castle-- his wife is waiting at the train station to pick him up and take him home. So he offers to give us a ride and even helps put the suitcase in the back. His wife says she's seen me before on my bike.
A man that I randomly met in a park, whose friends inivited me and my friends to join their party due to our novelty of our being foregin, lives in my town, and offers me a ride home.
People offer me rides in my town because I am the only foreigner, and they know who I am, often because they've seen me biking.
These are some of the reasons Japan is amazing.
2009年4月2日木曜日
USJ
When my dad and Henry came for a visit, they said they’d like to visit USJ—Universal Studios Japan. While I was more than willing, it did strike me as an odd way to spend time in Japan when there are temples to visit, and all that cultural jazz. But while the history and culture of Japan is rich and rewarding in its depth, there are limits. And if you just want to relax and have fun, a theme park is designed to do just that (well, that and to take your money). There is no pressure to understand what you are looking at, or to contemplate its history. USJ is nearly identical to its cousin in Florida. A bit smaller, but basics remain the same: rides, salty/sweet/deep-fried foods, line ups, thrills, people in character costumes.
There are a few Japanese touches to keep you aware of the fact that you are, actually, on a slice of Osaka real-estate and not in the USA. The usual reams of women in high heels, an unusually high number of people in cute novelty hats, and of course, the entire preamble to the rides is done in Japanese. But it doesn’t matter, because you’ve seen the movies—even if you are a bit rusty on all the details (Oh ET, it’s been ages).
Here are some photos for your enjoyment.
The main entrance of the park
The spider man ride = amazing
The Jurassic Park themed hats were quite excellent
Henry, post Jurassic park ride-- he got a little wet
The end.
There are a few Japanese touches to keep you aware of the fact that you are, actually, on a slice of Osaka real-estate and not in the USA. The usual reams of women in high heels, an unusually high number of people in cute novelty hats, and of course, the entire preamble to the rides is done in Japanese. But it doesn’t matter, because you’ve seen the movies—even if you are a bit rusty on all the details (Oh ET, it’s been ages).
Here are some photos for your enjoyment.
The main entrance of the park
The spider man ride = amazing
The Jurassic Park themed hats were quite excellent
Henry, post Jurassic park ride-- he got a little wet
The end.
2009年3月24日火曜日
Out and About
-I went to South Korea and I uploaded my photos here, so check them out.
-My dad and his friend Henry came to Japan. Highlights include: astonished school children, plum blossoms, and Universal Studios Japan.
-My penpal came to visit for 2 weeks. Highlights include: sumo, Nagasaki, natural hot springs/"the hells", and climbing a volcano!
-Today I am off to the Philippines for a week, with trips to Bohol's chocolate hills and Boracay.
-3 days after I come back, it's off to Tokyo to pick up my cousin Rachel for a 2 week adventure
photos and proper commentary will follow, once I am home and sans visitors. Honest.
-My dad and his friend Henry came to Japan. Highlights include: astonished school children, plum blossoms, and Universal Studios Japan.
-My penpal came to visit for 2 weeks. Highlights include: sumo, Nagasaki, natural hot springs/"the hells", and climbing a volcano!
-Today I am off to the Philippines for a week, with trips to Bohol's chocolate hills and Boracay.
-3 days after I come back, it's off to Tokyo to pick up my cousin Rachel for a 2 week adventure
photos and proper commentary will follow, once I am home and sans visitors. Honest.
2009年3月11日水曜日
nananana Nagano!
In January I went skiing in Nagano for a weekend. It was nice to see the Japanese Alps, and ski where Olympians have skied. But I did so with considerably less skill.
You can see the switch backs here in the middle--they were the easiest way down the mountain, and fun.
It felt a bit like playing Mario cart.
Downhill starts! Wooo! Eeek!
None of the people I went skiing with were the same ability as me(I was pretty much in the middle), so I spent a good amount of time on my own.
Home of the 1998 Olympics, booya! And that yellow building was our hotel.Great location, but not great customer service
(1000Yen for early check in, and if we could please check in the 7 person room... I don't think so)
Overall a great, but very tiring weekend. We took the nightbus there and back-- I opted for the more expensive and more comfortable one, however the flu that I had caught made just about everything feel miserable. I booked the morning off on Monday, (to recover from the nightbus) but when I got to school, I was quickly ushered to the hospital, diagnosed with "influeza B" (which is the kind of flu that is a terrible cold, terrible terrible) and ordered 5 days of house arrest. Bleh. I am now better! And imunized against that one particular kind of flu. Yea? But Nagano, Yea! for sure.
2009年2月20日金曜日
The questions from this month's lesson and my answers
What time do you get up?
I get up at:
7:00 when I go to Ohyama, 6:45 when I bike to Ohyama.
7:30 when I go to Ochidani, Awaga and the Junior High. Except on Fridays when I sleep till 7:45.
9-12 on weekends.
Student's answers: between 5:45 and 7:00
What time do you eat breakfast?
I eat breakfast only if you count eating something when I get up at 10:30 or later on weekends. I know I know, most important meal of the day, but when you sit at your desk for the first 4 hours of a day, it's almost sleeping, you just have to blink, breakfast is not needed.
Student's answers: between 6:00-7:10
What time do you go to school?
I go to school at:
7:30 when I go to Ohyama, or 7:15 when I bike to Ohyama.
7:55 when I go to all of my other schools.
Student's answers: on average 7:00
What time do you go home?
I go home at:
4:00 when I am bored and cold at Awaga and the Junior High.
4:30 when I am warm and reading at Awaga and the Junior High.
4:35 when I am at Ohyama to catch the bus.
3:30 when I bike to Ohyama.
4:16 when I am at Ochidani.
End of July-Mid August when I am done teaching in Japan and my contract ends.
Student's answers: 2:30-4:00
A teacher's answer: 6:00
What time do you eat dinner?
I eat dinner when I am hungry and ambitious enough to make dinner (read: when I have talked myself into leaving my kotatsu)
Student's answers: 5:00-8:30 (a large number in the 7:00 range)
What time do you go to bed?
I go to bed at:
11:00 when I manage to convince myself my bed is more comfortable than my kotatsu
12:00 when I planned on going to bed at 11:30 and it took me 1/2 hour to get there
1:00 when I am mid-conversation with someone on Skype, if I have a good book that has sucked me in, or if I manage to convince myself that I have to finish some show online
2:00 when my kotatsu convinces me I want to sleep there, and I sleep for an hour wake up and realize I should have just gone to bed.
Student's answers: average of 9:00 for grades 4-6
I get up at:
7:00 when I go to Ohyama, 6:45 when I bike to Ohyama.
7:30 when I go to Ochidani, Awaga and the Junior High. Except on Fridays when I sleep till 7:45.
9-12 on weekends.
Student's answers: between 5:45 and 7:00
What time do you eat breakfast?
I eat breakfast only if you count eating something when I get up at 10:30 or later on weekends. I know I know, most important meal of the day, but when you sit at your desk for the first 4 hours of a day, it's almost sleeping, you just have to blink, breakfast is not needed.
Student's answers: between 6:00-7:10
What time do you go to school?
I go to school at:
7:30 when I go to Ohyama, or 7:15 when I bike to Ohyama.
7:55 when I go to all of my other schools.
Student's answers: on average 7:00
What time do you go home?
I go home at:
4:00 when I am bored and cold at Awaga and the Junior High.
4:30 when I am warm and reading at Awaga and the Junior High.
4:35 when I am at Ohyama to catch the bus.
3:30 when I bike to Ohyama.
4:16 when I am at Ochidani.
End of July-Mid August when I am done teaching in Japan and my contract ends.
Student's answers: 2:30-4:00
A teacher's answer: 6:00
What time do you eat dinner?
I eat dinner when I am hungry and ambitious enough to make dinner (read: when I have talked myself into leaving my kotatsu)
Student's answers: 5:00-8:30 (a large number in the 7:00 range)
What time do you go to bed?
I go to bed at:
11:00 when I manage to convince myself my bed is more comfortable than my kotatsu
12:00 when I planned on going to bed at 11:30 and it took me 1/2 hour to get there
1:00 when I am mid-conversation with someone on Skype, if I have a good book that has sucked me in, or if I manage to convince myself that I have to finish some show online
2:00 when my kotatsu convinces me I want to sleep there, and I sleep for an hour wake up and realize I should have just gone to bed.
Student's answers: average of 9:00 for grades 4-6
[Creature of habit? Hmmm, maybe not.]
2009年2月7日土曜日
Economically Speaking
I read this New York Times article, and thought it was very interesting. I've noticed the big public works projects-- tunnels aplenty and roadwork on roads that don't really need work. Here is a sampling from the article to tempt you.
"Japan’s rural areas have been paved over and filled in with roads, dams and other big infrastructure projects, the legacy of trillions of dollars spent to lift the economy from a severe downturn caused by the bursting of a real estate bubble in the late 1980s. During those nearly two decades, Japan accumulated the largest public debt in the developed world — totaling 180 percent of its $5.5 trillion economy — while failing to generate a convincing recovery.
....
Moreover, it matters what gets built: Japan spent too much on increasingly wasteful roads and bridges, and not enough in areas like education and social services, which studies show deliver more bang for the buck than infrastructure spending."
"Japan’s rural areas have been paved over and filled in with roads, dams and other big infrastructure projects, the legacy of trillions of dollars spent to lift the economy from a severe downturn caused by the bursting of a real estate bubble in the late 1980s. During those nearly two decades, Japan accumulated the largest public debt in the developed world — totaling 180 percent of its $5.5 trillion economy — while failing to generate a convincing recovery.
....
Moreover, it matters what gets built: Japan spent too much on increasingly wasteful roads and bridges, and not enough in areas like education and social services, which studies show deliver more bang for the buck than infrastructure spending."
2009年2月5日木曜日
Demons, sushi, sardines, holly and faux spring! Oh My!
Japan recently celebrated the first day of spring. But not regular spring, lunar new year spring. Which is to say, not spring at all. Setsubun kind of passes under the radar with a few exceptions. (This list is an adaptation of the Wikipedia article and what I learned at my adult class.)
1. Demons! According to an ancient story, a demon (or ogre, depending on how you want to interpret the word) showed up at a small town in the countryside, demanding a bride. The most beautiful girl had to go, but she was obviously not impressed. Her parents told her to scatter soybeans on her way to the demon/ogre’s house and to trust them. Sure enough, the soybeans grew the next year and she followed them home. But, the demon/ogre was not keen on his runaway bride, so he demanded she return. The parents cleverly gave the ogre roasted soybeans and told him they could take their daughter back if he could make the beans grow. Having seen what the soybeans did when the girl scattered him, he agreed. Alas, the roasted beans did not grow, and hence he did not get his beautiful lady back.
The modern interpretation of this is that they have someone (in my case, the principal) dress up as a demon/ogre and children throw soybeans at him while shouting “Demons out! Luck in!”. Some shrines will also toss soybeans as a purification-type ritual.
2. It is customary to eat uncut maki-zushi (巻き寿司) called Eho-Maki (恵方巻) (Lit. "lucky direction roll") on Setsubun while facing the yearly lucky compass direction, determined by the zodiac symbol of that year. Charts are published and occasionally packaged with uncut maki-zushi during February. In my adult class, they brought a flyer from a grocery store advertising the uncut sushi, but only 2 out of 10 people actually had maki-zushi that night.
3. Sardines and holly. But the Japanese versions of both, which are similar, but slightly different. Some families will also put up small decorations of sardines and holly leaves on their house entrances so that bad spirits will not enter.
And so faux spring is welcomed. I can’t wait till real spring.
1. Demons! According to an ancient story, a demon (or ogre, depending on how you want to interpret the word) showed up at a small town in the countryside, demanding a bride. The most beautiful girl had to go, but she was obviously not impressed. Her parents told her to scatter soybeans on her way to the demon/ogre’s house and to trust them. Sure enough, the soybeans grew the next year and she followed them home. But, the demon/ogre was not keen on his runaway bride, so he demanded she return. The parents cleverly gave the ogre roasted soybeans and told him they could take their daughter back if he could make the beans grow. Having seen what the soybeans did when the girl scattered him, he agreed. Alas, the roasted beans did not grow, and hence he did not get his beautiful lady back.
The modern interpretation of this is that they have someone (in my case, the principal) dress up as a demon/ogre and children throw soybeans at him while shouting “Demons out! Luck in!”. Some shrines will also toss soybeans as a purification-type ritual.
2. It is customary to eat uncut maki-zushi (巻き寿司) called Eho-Maki (恵方巻) (Lit. "lucky direction roll") on Setsubun while facing the yearly lucky compass direction, determined by the zodiac symbol of that year. Charts are published and occasionally packaged with uncut maki-zushi during February. In my adult class, they brought a flyer from a grocery store advertising the uncut sushi, but only 2 out of 10 people actually had maki-zushi that night.
3. Sardines and holly. But the Japanese versions of both, which are similar, but slightly different. Some families will also put up small decorations of sardines and holly leaves on their house entrances so that bad spirits will not enter.
And so faux spring is welcomed. I can’t wait till real spring.
2009年2月1日日曜日
Two Questions:
For the sake of the above poster, Hamilton, Ontario = Canada and Himeji, Hyogo = Japan.
Granted, Canada is colder than Japan. However there is no season or temperature in Japan that justifies the existence of these, to which I ask the question: WHY?
Faux-fur trimmed short shorts. They are EVERYWHERE. and awful. NOT an acceptable version of winter wear. Why do they torture common sense so aggressively? Why?
2009年1月19日月曜日
Winter Blues
It is fully winter in my little corner of Japan now. I left my cozy Canadian abode and arrived in my chilly Japanese apartment, and a little part of me died (my little toe, from frostbite, well...not actually). It tis the season to complain about the weather, and trying to out-do fellow JETs on how much cold we have to suffer, or rubbing their noses in the warmth we have, so I thought I'd try to get it all out at the beginning. Here we go.
One of the most common questions I get from Japanese people is if it is colder in Canada. To which I reply "Yes, but in Canada we have central heating." You can correctly assume from that statement that Japan does not have central heating. I am told that in the far north of Japan, they do! But here.. they don't.
My heating options for my apartment are as follows:
1. Reverse air conditioning. I have 3 air conditioners in my apartment that have the ability to put out lukewarm air. This is what I did last year.
2. Space heater. I have one, and I can run on either 1200volts or 600volts. It does an alright job of keeping the edge out of the air.
3. Kerosene heater. I have one, I've never used it. They do put out a decent amount of heat, but it involved smelly kerosene, me buying some and figuring out how to put it in, and opening a window as to prevent death by fumes. The idea of opening a window when I'm trying to heat just seems foolish. More on that later.
4. Kotatsu. Imagine a coffee table, with a heater under the table top, and a blanket all around. This idea is great, until of course you want to use your hands and or leave your kotatsu to do something in your otherwise very cold apartment. I hide under this most nights, with warm legs and sometimes with gloves on. I have (and many others as well) fallen asleep under a kotatsu
Alas.
My apartment has little/no insulation. Which means the heat does not stay. That my outside walls are cold to the touch and my windows are single paned. To remedy the window situation, I have put bubble wrap on the windows to act as a second layer. (I'm not alone in this idea-- there is a whole bubble wrap section of the homestore that emerges in the winter for this very reason. I do have neighbours above and below me, but none beside, but even so my floors don't feel even a little bit of that heat. All attempts at heating are never ending. I can run the reverse air conditioning, but it will never stop, even if I set it at 15 degrees.That's my home situation. Now on to schools!
My schools' general policy is that once it is colder than 8 degrees Celsius, they turn on the heaters. While you might think that Japan is a bastion of futuristic awesomeness, while they seem to have a solid grasp on the robots... they can't quite wrap their minds around the "hot air rises" concept. It's a tricky one, but the general idea that if you have a heater in a classroom, opening the window that is closest to the ceiling means that the HOT AIR DOES NOT STAY AND WARM UP THE ROOM! SO the kid sitting right next to the heater is melting, while the kid at the back of the classroom is freezing. I usually hover near the heater during class. In the staff room at the junior high, we have a kerosene stove, with a chimney running to a hole in the ceiling for ventilation. It's usually pretty warm in the staff room, and sad to leave it. Except of course when they refuel the stove, which is right next to me. At elementary schools the classrooms are usually somewhat warm. Which is to say wearing a long sleeve shirt, heavy sweater, long johns and pants, and slippers, usually leaves me feeling OK. Thankfully by mid-March things start warming up, and thankfully I don't live any farther north than I do. Friends of mine who live about 1hour away are blanketed in snow for 2 1/2 months, while the snow only shows up once or twice in my neighbourhood.
One of the most common questions I get from Japanese people is if it is colder in Canada. To which I reply "Yes, but in Canada we have central heating." You can correctly assume from that statement that Japan does not have central heating. I am told that in the far north of Japan, they do! But here.. they don't.
My heating options for my apartment are as follows:
1. Reverse air conditioning. I have 3 air conditioners in my apartment that have the ability to put out lukewarm air. This is what I did last year.
2. Space heater. I have one, and I can run on either 1200volts or 600volts. It does an alright job of keeping the edge out of the air.
3. Kerosene heater. I have one, I've never used it. They do put out a decent amount of heat, but it involved smelly kerosene, me buying some and figuring out how to put it in, and opening a window as to prevent death by fumes. The idea of opening a window when I'm trying to heat just seems foolish. More on that later.
4. Kotatsu. Imagine a coffee table, with a heater under the table top, and a blanket all around. This idea is great, until of course you want to use your hands and or leave your kotatsu to do something in your otherwise very cold apartment. I hide under this most nights, with warm legs and sometimes with gloves on. I have (and many others as well) fallen asleep under a kotatsu
Alas.
My apartment has little/no insulation. Which means the heat does not stay. That my outside walls are cold to the touch and my windows are single paned. To remedy the window situation, I have put bubble wrap on the windows to act as a second layer. (I'm not alone in this idea-- there is a whole bubble wrap section of the homestore that emerges in the winter for this very reason. I do have neighbours above and below me, but none beside, but even so my floors don't feel even a little bit of that heat. All attempts at heating are never ending. I can run the reverse air conditioning, but it will never stop, even if I set it at 15 degrees.That's my home situation. Now on to schools!
My schools' general policy is that once it is colder than 8 degrees Celsius, they turn on the heaters. While you might think that Japan is a bastion of futuristic awesomeness, while they seem to have a solid grasp on the robots... they can't quite wrap their minds around the "hot air rises" concept. It's a tricky one, but the general idea that if you have a heater in a classroom, opening the window that is closest to the ceiling means that the HOT AIR DOES NOT STAY AND WARM UP THE ROOM! SO the kid sitting right next to the heater is melting, while the kid at the back of the classroom is freezing. I usually hover near the heater during class. In the staff room at the junior high, we have a kerosene stove, with a chimney running to a hole in the ceiling for ventilation. It's usually pretty warm in the staff room, and sad to leave it. Except of course when they refuel the stove, which is right next to me. At elementary schools the classrooms are usually somewhat warm. Which is to say wearing a long sleeve shirt, heavy sweater, long johns and pants, and slippers, usually leaves me feeling OK. Thankfully by mid-March things start warming up, and thankfully I don't live any farther north than I do. Friends of mine who live about 1hour away are blanketed in snow for 2 1/2 months, while the snow only shows up once or twice in my neighbourhood.
2009年1月7日水曜日
Here there and everywhere!
Here is the facebook album re: my holidays. Highlights include my newest nephew Johannes (but nicknames Yo-ee) and his cousins Dylan and Margot and Costa Rican adventures.
Oh Facebook, you are so nice to upload photos onto.
I'm finally back in Japan, in my rather cold apartment trying to find drive to go to the grocery store, although I don't really need to because I brought back cheese and (whole grain) bread from home. Hope your holidays were excellent.
Oh Facebook, you are so nice to upload photos onto.
I'm finally back in Japan, in my rather cold apartment trying to find drive to go to the grocery store, although I don't really need to because I brought back cheese and (whole grain) bread from home. Hope your holidays were excellent.
Thoughts from the girl at the McNamara Terminal at the Detroit Airport. From 10:45-5:42 after a 12 hour flight from Osaka.
(My laptop wouldn't connect to the internet in Canada, hence the delay in this post)
-lack of appetite despite many wonderful “foreign” food options.
-inability to read because I can’t focus enough to remember what I just read
and most notably:
-talking to myself out loud, often
However, I have seen at least 3 people talking on bluetooth chips crammed in their ears, including one woman who got, and answered a call mid-question to a sales clerk. Confusion ensued. Funny, but perhaps a little rude. Also into this category is the woman who walked into the bathroom, chatting on her phone, and talked while peeing. This is certainly not Japan anymore.
I had been chatting with myself for a good hour or so when I became desperate to befriend someone, and have them to talk to for as witty as I can be, I’d hate to not share my wit with others. Hence the conversation with the guy in front of me, while I was in line to buy a bagel (bagel! with hummus!). However, this guy, while a welcome relief as I was getting a little tired of myself, took off asap once he found out I was in a relationship. Really? was his thought process “Hey, this girl is friendly, maybe we will fall in love and make beautiful children?” or “Hey, maybe this girl will hook up with me in the airport?” and not anything like “Hey, this random girl is funny and clever in her zombie like state, lets chat a while for the sake of filling time” ? Whatever. that bagel was delicious, and I’m not sad at all that I didn’t get the weird hot-dog wrapped in a bagel that he was recommending.
BUT that guy was just a guy. He had nothing on the late-40s guy who I met on the moving sidewalk. What was his friendly, normal conversation starter? “Where are you off to?” “Heading home?” no... it was “Those are nice earrings. Did you get them in the Detroit airport?”. This is weird, isn’t it? I was desperate for company again so I talked to him for one ride on the moving sidewalk, and then declined his invitation to have lunch together and browsed a chocolate shop instead.
- Signs that I’m sleep deprived:
-lack of appetite despite many wonderful “foreign” food options.
-inability to read because I can’t focus enough to remember what I just read
and most notably:
-talking to myself out loud, often
However, I have seen at least 3 people talking on bluetooth chips crammed in their ears, including one woman who got, and answered a call mid-question to a sales clerk. Confusion ensued. Funny, but perhaps a little rude. Also into this category is the woman who walked into the bathroom, chatting on her phone, and talked while peeing. This is certainly not Japan anymore.
I had been chatting with myself for a good hour or so when I became desperate to befriend someone, and have them to talk to for as witty as I can be, I’d hate to not share my wit with others. Hence the conversation with the guy in front of me, while I was in line to buy a bagel (bagel! with hummus!). However, this guy, while a welcome relief as I was getting a little tired of myself, took off asap once he found out I was in a relationship. Really? was his thought process “Hey, this girl is friendly, maybe we will fall in love and make beautiful children?” or “Hey, maybe this girl will hook up with me in the airport?” and not anything like “Hey, this random girl is funny and clever in her zombie like state, lets chat a while for the sake of filling time” ? Whatever. that bagel was delicious, and I’m not sad at all that I didn’t get the weird hot-dog wrapped in a bagel that he was recommending.
BUT that guy was just a guy. He had nothing on the late-40s guy who I met on the moving sidewalk. What was his friendly, normal conversation starter? “Where are you off to?” “Heading home?” no... it was “Those are nice earrings. Did you get them in the Detroit airport?”. This is weird, isn’t it? I was desperate for company again so I talked to him for one ride on the moving sidewalk, and then declined his invitation to have lunch together and browsed a chocolate shop instead.
- I thought coming back to North America was supposed to make me feel skinny and svelte. Who are all these girls in leggings as pants who look better than me? I miss Japan where I feel special.
- I wish smiling wasn’t some sort of creepy thing. Half the time my smile is returned with a smile, and the other half the person clearly thinks I’m nuts. I like Japan, where people are always smiling at me because I’m exciting and foreign! Stupid reverse culture shock.
- All of the store clerks are BORED! So bored. So eager to talk to. I love them.
- I wish I could legitimately say y’all. It sounds so good. It’s friendly and welcoming. Unless I suppose it’s being used in the phrase “y’all are jerks!” but even then, that still sounds nicer to me than “You are all jerks”.
- Is it ironic that the first oxygen bar I ever saw was at this airport, and not in Japan. Kelly Osborne clearly sought out the weirdest things to do in Tokyo.
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