Weekend Update Part Deux - Sasebo

I wasn't really planning on going anywhere this weekend, but when Suzie called and tempted me with a beach party, I had to say yes. We headed up to Isahaya Saturday by way of Maki. After Suzie got her keitai and I was green with envy, we took a train to Sasebo to meet up with Suzie's friends. We bought 3 bottles of shochu and headed up to her friend Jenny's flat, which is TINY compared to our apartments here (there are advantages to living in the inaka!). We spent the afternoon laughing at the Jehovah's witness propaganda that Jenny received and talking about scary right-wing news websites.


Jehovah's witness propaganda is funny

Later, we took a bumpy shuttle ride to Shirahama beach for the party. It was not quite what I had in mind - I expected a laid back event but it was actually quite the opposite. Within 5 minutes of our arrival, Suzie's purse went missing. We had heard that there were lots of Navy guys about and not to bring anything valuable, but it was still upsetting. We tried to have fun anyway - there were some really friendly drunk Japanese people who had the cutest puppy, and we talked to them for a while. They kept giving us food, and I'm not really sure what I ate, but just went with it anyway. I was pretty grossed out by the Navy guys grinding on skanky Japanese women...it reminded me of an MTV beach party. So Erich and I just enjoyed our time on the beach, but stayed far away from all of the action.

Later we lost Suzie, found her, she found her purse again, and Erich and I decided to leave. Jenny was really kind and let us go back to her flat, which we also shared with a Kiwi named Sena (pronounced Xena). The next morning we toured around the shopping mall with a poor hungover Suzie, and found an awesome used clothing store and a temple.

Weekend update part I - BOE BBQ

Friday night was the Board of Education barbeque.


Click here for gaijin dress up and more!

I tried some strange seafood, like scallops with all of the junk around them (which I later found out that I wasn't supposed to eat, nasty!), and fish cakes. But the most interesting thing about this party was the people. There was this guy named Gonzo who loved telling us about his rock band and kept refilling our already-full beer cups. We sang some Nirvana back and forth, and he loved it when Erich sang "Love in an Elevator." We now own a CD from Gonzo's band, which is wicked.

The children played a game that was sort of like a watermelon pinata. The men dragged Erich up there, and loved him so much that they made him try again. Then I went, but apparently they didn't like me as much because I only went once. Then, after the watermelon was busted, they asked Erich to head-butt it. He karate chopped it instead. Erich was definitely the life of the party, which is funny if you know him. He usually just sits in the corner at parties, but in Japan, they love him!

Many beers later, my supervisor's best friend plopped his 1-year-old daughter on my lap. I noticed that he was getting ripped while his wife was sweetly standing by...and their daughter was the cutest thing ever! I don't think women drink in Japan. I hope they don't think I'm a total nutcase for drinking with the men!

I'm sure much more happened, so I hope Erich elaborates on it in his journal. But I think in our many drunken conversations I may have roped myself and Erich into playing softball tonight...yikes!

Part Deux - Sasebo Excursion coming soon!

An international tidbit...

Last night at the dinner table, there were:
2 Americans
1 Canadian
1 Kiwi
1 British
1 Japanese

Anyway, I have a busy weekend planned: tonight, my supervisor invited me to a barbecue on the beach. Don't really know what to expect, except that I know there will be alcohol. It's not really an enkai, but close enough!

Tomorrow, there is a huge reggae beach party near Sasebo (about 2.5 hours away). Suzie found out about it through her British friends in the area, so we are going to get a ride up to Isahaya with Maki (her cute little Japanese friend who we ate dinner with last night). From there, we will take a bus to Sasebo. It will be tricky finding a place to crash that night; I hope we don't have to sleep on the beach. It's weird because I'm not usually the type to just go somewhere without a concrete plan, but this time I will try not to worry and just go with it. My personality will be saved from the planning police!

Will someone buy this guy a drink?

Beware the squatter!

I was really tired and run-down last night after going on a renegade restaurant investigation of my town. Couldn't figure out why, then I realized that I haven't been drinking any water! A closer self-investigation yielded a subconcious effort to avoid squat toilets.

They are everywhere public: at the beach, in restaurants, at my school. Their presence has made me weary of drinking too much, since I nearly fell over on my first attempt. I've had to wash several pairs of pants that got splashed on because I can't aim. This is the one situation in which I am glad that few people speak English so they don't understand my cussing...

I can definitely see why men have an easier time here...

Food

Sorry to constantly drivel away like this, but for once in my life, I actually have something to write about. I guess that's one of the reasons I wanted to come to Japan...

Now what was I going to say again? Oh yeah...food. My mother has been worrying about what the hell I am eating here. I'm sure my pictures of junk food and drunken nights at orientation have done nothing but add to her worries, so that is the point of this entry: I have been eating well!

You know those things we call "potstickers" in America? Well they are all over the place here, known as "gyoza." Problem is, they are always made with meat. I love them too much to let that get me down, so I decided to make my own. There are these wonderful things in stores here that are like wonton wrappers, so all you have to do is prepare the filling. Tonight, I cut up shittake mushrooms (100 yen, unbelievable!) green onions, garlic, and ginger, then added spices. It was a little tricky to close some of the wontons and some of them fell apart, but for the most part, they turned out well.


The reason I cook for myself is because eating out has been a chore. Most places around here are noodle places, and I love noodles, but I'm afraid of finding meat in my food. That being said, people do understand vegetarianism here. In fact, last week my fellow teachers asked me if I could eat noodles. I said yes, then told them about my semi-vegetarianism. They showed me how to cook somen noodles, then told me to invite Erich for lunch. We then ate noodles while talking in broken English and Japanese about the Dewey Decimal system.

Man, I am going to get fat here.

Yesterday was the most beautiful day EVER. It was less humid, sunny, and cooler with a nice breeze. So what did we do with this beautiful day? Why, go to Target of course!

Well, it's not really Target, but the Japanese equivalent is called Jusco. It had everything our little foreign selves desired, including a donut shop of all things! We stumbled out of there carrying a coffee pot (YES!), blender, and other various items. People stared at us like we were movie stars while we waited for the bus. I can't wait to get a car - it cost us $20 each to get there and back. Having a car in rural Japan pays for itself...

So today I've been tasked with writing an article about myself in Japanese for the local paper, due on Wednesday. What is a girl with very limited Japanese vocabulary to do? I am going to need a miracle to pull this off...

Nagasaki city orientation

So I just got back from the Nagasaki prefecture orientation...I wanted to stay for another day of sightseeing, but wore myself out hanging out with 21-year-olds. But by car it only takes about an hour and a half, so I figured there will be plenty of opportunities to go back.

My worries about getting there were completely voided by Monica - I am so lucky to have her as a neighbor (she's in Minamikushiyama, the next town over to the west). She was helping out with orientation, so she ended up driving Erich and I there. I love listening to her talk about the hanto in her New Zealand accent - she's truly a fascinating individual.

Besides an unfortunate incident where the elevator door tried to chew on me, the orientation itself was uneventful. I did receive "The Hanto for Dummies," which the lovely hanto JETs made for us. The first day, I had lunch with Suzie (my other neighbor to the east) and her British friends (I adore the way they say, "tomato"). Then everyone at orientation went to a local beer garden - it was a great opportunity to meet more peeps, since I sadly missed out on many of those opportunities in Tokyo because of our late flight. I ended up chatting with this guy named Mario from Greensboro. Then there is George - he also went to NCSU, but lived in Hawaii before moving to Japan. Extremely interesting dude - he is also a little older but still immature like me. :) Then we gathered a group to go to karaoke - it ended up being me, Erich, Mario, Aaron (my island-dwelling friend from the DC disaster), George, and a bunch of British people. George told me that "Creep" is a good karaoke song, so we sang it (if you can call it "singing"). The British people (sorry to lump them all together, but I can't remember all of their names) were belting out some Oasis. I made Erich sing "Eye of the Tiger." (hehe) Then we stumbled out of there like jackasses...we wandered around for about half an hour with no true goal of where we were going but we eventually found the hotel.

So the next day of orientation was torture because of the plethora of hangovers present in the audience. It ended at noon, so Erich and I did some shopping and hopped on a train and then a bus. The bus driver regarded me with confusion when I asked for a receipt...

Now we are watching "The Nutty Professor" dubbed in Japanese. I am pooped!

New Galleries!

Check out these new galleries:

Engrish sightings:


Obon fireworks festival in Kazusa:


Isahaya excursion:


There are a few stories behind the pictures in the Isahaya gallery:
We went into a combini to buy some Band-Aids for my feet, and the clerk was really nice. He gave us two free ice coffees!

Erich's funny improv Japanese:
There is a river that runs through Isahaya. A father and his two daughters were fishing. We hopped across the stepping stones, and one of the little girls proudly held up a tiny fish she caught. Erich said, "Ahh, sakana chiisai!" I have no idea if it's correct Japanese, but the little girl understood!

I am so frustrated right now...

My prefectural orientation is this coming Thursday and Friday in Nagasaki city. My supervisor arranged accommodation for me, but the paper he gave me did not indicate what nights I am staying. So while I tried to ask over the phone, he decided to come over here in person. Well it turns out that he only arranged for Thursday night, which means that I would have to make the 2.5-hour bus ride early on Thursday morning. He then told me that if I leave at 7:52 from Kazusa, I can change buses in Obama and get to Nagasaki at 9:57. Orientation is at 10:00. Do you see the problem?

I tried explaining to him over and over again that I am a scatterbrain and need more leeway in my travel schedule: Nagasaki is a big, scary city and I am unfamiliar with it; I cannot read kanji; I do not speak Japanese very well. Is there a bus that leaves earlier? He just laughed and looked confused. If it were a straight one-bus trip, I could definitely do it. But changing buses in yet another unfamiliar city? No way.

So while I was trying to explain all of this, the other 2 people in the staff room got involved. They even tried arranging to take me in their cars to Nagasaki! That's a nice offer, but all I need is an earlier bus. So finally, I just told my supervisor that I will go on Wednesday, find another hotel, and then stay in the one he arranged Thursday.

Oh, man.

PS - There is the most adorable little girl in the staff room right now. She took her little hat off and started pretending it was another person! So cute.

I just learned that North Carolina is roughly the size of Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku combined! (that's Japan's 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest islands, respectively. And in case you are unaware, I am on Kyushu.) And get this: North Carolina has a population of 8.5 million. Kyushu's population is 13 million...that is a major population density difference. The crazy things I learn when preparing to teach...

Erich is here as of yesterday...

...he was supposed to be here Saturday, but couldn't get a train because of Obon (an unofficial Japanese holiday when Japanese people go back to their old homes and remember loved ones who have passed on with various ceremonies).

So I rode the bus to Isahaya yesterday to get him. It was amazingly simple, but expensive - it cost 1500 yen each way (which is about $30 round trip). Yikes. But he is here! And the best thing was seeing his reactions to everything: the hanto, the town, the language barrier. We walked around Isahaya for a few hours, which has plenty of big department stores and restaurants. The department store in Isahaya is a goldmine of Engrish activity. Just wait for the pictures! While stopping at a combini, a really nice clerk gave us free coffee. :) We then took a picture with him. Then, I successfully ordered my first vegetarian meal at a restaurant. It was only pizza, but still! Language obstacle conquered.

We rode back into Kazusa armed with a pen and paper, to look for English conversation schools in the area. We didn't manage to find any along the way, but I'm sure if he asks around, Erich will find a job.

I can't wait to get my car so we can explore the hanto. Most of the other JETs on the hanto own cars, and I can see why. There are many onsens and parks to see here, and I feel like we are trapped at home because of the oppressive heat. And we also need furniture - we don't have anything to sit on, and the futon is twin-sized. Feels like college days all over again...

Pictures of Yodahama beach party

That was a blast - hopefully there will be many more! The Japanese sunburned guy was really cracking Suzie up. I still have mosquito bites all over me - including a nasty bite on the stomach (but I'm still not sure how it bit through my shirt!).

In other news, Erich is coming to the hanto tomorrow! He called last night after I went to bed, and told me that his flight from Raleigh to New York was 2 hours late. I was too tired and pissy to process that information then, but I hope he gets here safely. It will be really nice to see a familiar face, since I am so homesick out here. I also talked to Hilda the other night, who is another JET from Raleigh. She is stationed in Miyazaki, which is not too far from here. We hung out all throughout orientation, and plan to meet up in Fukuoka in September/October. She is awesome and I can't wait to see her again!

How come...

When an adult stares, it's just creepy. But when a child stares, it's cute. I came to this realization when shopping for groceries the other day...for some reason, five-year olds think I am the most interesting thing in the world. And I love it!

Yesterday, my school had a peace ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the atomic bomb. In the morning, I helped the children clean the school. Then, I had to stand up in front of the school and introduce myself in Japanese. Then the students did a presentation with slides and stories about the war. I couldn't really understand, but got the jist of it. Afterwards, a student asked me if I liked the ceremony...how nice!

My JTE told me that in a poll done in America, 99% of high school students believe the atomic bomb was necessary to stop the war. I didn't really know what to say, so I just asked her what she thought. She did not agree. It's a really sensitive issue here, so I am just going to try not to bring it up.

Pictures!

I wish I could post these directly, but it would take too long!

Pictures of our Minneapolis fiasco

Pictures of Tokyo

Pictures of my new home

Pictures of Shimabara

Here is an excerpt from my journal, written last week:
Pics coming soon!

August 5th

Seeing a child smile in Kazusa is the most beautiful thing in the world. I think that might be the only thing that gets me through this week, until Erich gets here. The isolation from English speakers is already starting to get to me, and I've only been here a day!

First of all, I have to try to describe this place. Imagine a rural town of about 9,000 people crammed into a shoebox. The Japanese people are not mountain people, and this area is full of mountains. So they pack themselves into the only low-level land available. The results are narrow roads and people practically living on top of each other. It's kind of cool that I live on top of a restaurant, and a store is only about 10 steps away. I never could have guessed it would be like this!

The scenery here is amazing. I have never been anywhere this beautiful – lots of lush greenery, palm trees, and butterflies surrounded by the bluest water. It almost makes the hotter-than-the deepest-pits-of-hell weather worth it. Almost. (because you all know that I hate the heat! Blech!)

Now let me talk about the food. Erase everything you know about Japanese food in the United States - it just isn't the same. Imagine noodles drowned in mayonnaise with some meat on top. I would be practically starving right now if it weren't for these yummy tofu rice balls. Provided I don't stuff my gut with too much Pocky, I might actually lose some weight here!

Now when I say that there are no English speakers here, I mean it. The only "jouzu" English speakers are my supervisor, Sumimoto-san, and my JTE, Miro-sensei. But they probably only understand 30% of what I say. I have learned that if I have a question and they don't respond and take action immediately, they didn't understand. But when they do, they are so helpful. When I got here, I asked Sumimoto-san how to hook up the Internet in my apartment (my only connection to the outside world; it's kind of important). He just kind of looked at me and nodded to indicate that he understood the word "Internet." So later, I showed him my DSL modem and then pointed to my apartment wall. It's now going to be hooked up on the 16th!

On to my apartment. Mine is big by Japanese standards – 3 tatami rooms, genkan (hallway/entrance), a kitchen, and a bath. I have 2 air conditioners which operate by remote control (I would die without this, but I’m kind of afraid of my electric bill!). It's pretty old – there are stains on the walls, and the kitchen is anything but modern. The bathroom is kind of weird – there is a room for just the toilet (oteirai), a room for the tub (which is a Japanese style heated tub) and shower (I'd die without this!). The washing machine and sink are between those two "rooms." There is a drain in the middle of this area for the washer to drain into (old school!). Yesterday, my landlord came a-knocking to tell me about trash collection, all in Japanese. Now I have to decipher the sheet he gave me. Then, after looking at my massive shoe collection in surprise, he gave me a block to put my shoes on in the genkan that says, "Studying Joy." Speaking of Engrish, my supervisor's boss was wearing a shirt yesterday that said, "Dolce Margarita." Anyway, besides the obvious lack of décor, the apartment is nice. And I haven't seen a bug yet! *knocking on a big old block of wood*

So let me talk about being the only gaijin (foreigner) in town. This town has had ALTs, but there was a one-year gap between the last ALT and me. The last one they had was an Australian girl, and she was on her second year when she had to go home due to illness. So this area hasn't seen any Americans for quite a while. Yesterday, the local paper took my picture. My JTE introduced me to some children yesterday (who, quite remarkably, are out of school for the summer, but still come here to practice music) who were ecstatic that I am American. I guess I'm living the stereotypical "celebrity" JET experience. By the way, the "Can you use chopsticks?" thing is so true!

I am at my school. There are only 2 computers hooked up to the Internet here, so I am going to have my home wired on the 16th. Until then, updates will be few and far between.

Sorry I haven't had time to email everybody - it has been a busy couple of days. I didn't really elaborate on the last post much because of time, so here goes:

On Saturday night when our flight was cancelled and there was mass confusion in a group of over 100 JETs, the airline put us up in the Holiday Inn. We ended up having a blast, because there was karaoke in the hotel that night. I will post some more pictures later after I am on my own computer again. Some highlights were our rendition of "Dancing Queen" and "Baby Got Back."

So after partying until midnight, we had to be up at 4:00 to catch the shuttle. Luckily, my roomie Hilda woke me up, or I would have been screwed. Then we were on an airplane for 11 hours.

Tokyo! I am still in awe of that place. Everyone should see it at least once. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves later.

Orientation. So we walked into the middle of orientation, known as "that group whose flight was cancelled." The Keio Plaza hotel rocked. Hilda and I swam in the pool, which also had a great view of the tallest buildings in Tokyo. I can't wait to show the pictures! I didn't get much of a chance to walk around Tokyo, but walking around the Shinjuku area was probably the most fun I've ever had. Everywhere you look, there is something to see. Our last night in Tokyo, I went with a group of people to sing karaoke. We drank and sang and had a great time. Can't wait to do karaoke again!

So then I went with the Nagasaki group to our prefecture. Will post this story later, as I have already written it but it's on my computer.

Damn it! The cord to my camera has been sent to the airport along with my bag. So I stole some photos from Hilda instead!









I'll post more of Tokyo later...these were all taken at the airport!