navigating nihon
| Navigating Nihon #7 - What do you mean there's no central heating???
|
11.25.2002 |
Hello everyone! I hope that this edition of NN finds you healthy and happy!
As usual I have been up to many shinagens over the past few weeks. I am sorry that I have not written sooner but I have not had much time to myself!
I have never seen such a mess in my entire life! That was my feeling after about 500 kids attended (and trashed) a Halloween party put on by 25 ALTs in one of the neighbouring towns! It was nuts! Every year this town puts on a huge Halloween party for the children in the area (they do not usually celebrate Halloween in Japan). This year it was a huge success and about 500 kids attended (in two groups). It was sooooo much fun! There were numerous stations set up around the gym and the kids could go to each one, having their pass-book stamped as they went. I was stationed at the apple-bobbing table which supplied me with my fair share of laughs. It was quite a site, watching children with 3 or less teeth try to pick up a huge apple! Fruit in Japan is very expensive but it is also very very large! I don't even think the kids had enough neck muscles to pick the silly thing up once they got a hold of it! There was also a cookie decorating table, a haunted house, face painting, throw the wet sponge as fast and as hard as you can at the ALT (not a personal favourite....), pumpkin carving, pin the face on the pumpkin. But perhaps the messiest of all was the ALT Mummy Wrap! The kids got to dress up their ALT like a Mummy by wrapping them in toilet paper!! The kids loved it, especially the mess of TP that they got to jump in afterwards!!! That took a while to clean up!! After the party and after we cleaned up, the town arranged a Enkai (party) of thanks. Everyone had a great time and the next day we headed out to pick some mikans (oranges). Mikan season is in full swing in this part of Japan. Yumm yumm! It is safe to say that I will likely NEVER get a cold here (despite the lack of central heating) simply due to the amount of vitamin C I am consuming!!
The following weekend was yet another long one, so I headed back to Kyushu Island with three other friends. Paula (CDN), Cathie (CDN) Mel (Brit) and I left late on Friday night via the Yawatahama midnight ferry! We arrive in Beppu at about 3 am but were allowed to stay on the ferry until 5 to get some sleep. It was then off on a road trip towards southern Kyushu to Kirishima-san (mtn). We arrived mid afternoon, just in time to climb up the mountain before dark. We were already at quite an elevation so we bundled up and started on the climb. I hadn�t gotten much sleep on the ferry and was navigating all day in the car so about 1/2 way up I stopped for a break as the others continued (those lucky ducks got to sleep in the car!!). I felt awful and really didn't think I would make it to the top. But I persevered and finally got there! The further up we climbed the more miserable the weather got. As we climbed up (and up and up) it started to get wetter and colder! Yuck! Finally, at the top it started to snow and all of the bushes were covered in ice! (I'll send a pic) We smiled for a few pictures then headed down as quick as we could! I can only imagine what the view would have been if the weather had of cooperated! Oh, well. Let me just say I would have KILLED for a Gortex jacket and some gaiters...... That night we camped at the bottom of the hill after a long visit to an onsen. It was a little cold and damp but we made it - character building I think is the operative term!
The next day we went on a shorter (not any less wet or cold, unfortunately) hike in the same area. We the headed off to Sakuragima-san, which was about a 3 hr drive south. The mtn (like many on Kyushu Island) is volcanic, having most recently erupted in 1995. The volcano was previously an island but a large eruption during the last century had joined it with the main land. While on route we stopped at a lava field (yes Kathy, I got you a lava rock!) and also saw a buried Torii (traditional Japanese gate - see picture). We arrived quite late in the day and we were still quite wet so we headed off to the youth hostel to get cleaned up - and warm! That night we nipped over on the ferry (15 min) to Kagoshima City for dinner. Yummy Indian food! Unfortunately the youth hostel had a 10pm curfew so we couldn't check much out in town. Kagoshima is apparently a fun city that is quite international; I would like to return if I am ever in the area again.
The next morning we headed on a hike up the volcano to the observation deck. It took us quite a while but we were (finally) treated with a good view! All of the vegetation in the area is very very lush as one might expect from the volcanic soil. It would have been great to go further but depending on the wind, you are not allowed to climb for fear of sulphur poisoning. Oh, as a funny side note - - throughout town there are a number of 'volcano shelters'. Ok, so I'm not a lava expert but I do know a thing or two and I don't think a three-sided shelter of cement is going to do you much good in the middle of a lava flow! I'd just as soon run to the water??? Anyways, it appears that they do have some warning when it is going to 'blow' and most people leave. Though there are always the stubborn one's who won't > > "My great great grandfather built this house (then it was rebuilt after the war.....) and I am not leaving!" Sadly, there are very few original building left in Japan and between the war and this volcano the area is full of modern buildings and homes.
Later that afternoon we started to head back towards Beppu to catch the ferry back. On the way we stopped at Aso-san which is one of the worlds largest volcano craters! The crater itself is 80km in diameter! It was really cool to be inside � in fact, there even is a town inside the crater! Of course, this is no longer the active mouth of the volcano. There are numerous smaller craters within the larger one some of which are still active. Apparently, in an area that was not thought to be active 5 hikers were killed from a sudden, unexpected eruption (5 years ago)! That area has since been closed off and numerous tests followed (we were told�.J). We visited one of the 'smaller' volcanoes inside the larger crater - it was unbelievable. The picture of us (as the bottom of this email) with a snow-covered mtn is of this area. Man, and we thought we were cold in the tent! It was SOOO cold here - it rivaled Canadian winters...... Needless to say, we drove up and weren't hiking, thank goodness!
That evening we headed back to Beppu and the 12 am ferry, arriving in Yawatahama just in time to get to school on Tuesday morning! It was a jam-packed weekend that was a little wet but it was nice to get out and spend time with friends and see more of Japan!
More recently, I have started to teach an adult conversation class once a week. Otherwise known as an Eikaiwa, a group of ~22 individuals of varying degrees of English comprehension arrive that the cultural centre wondering what this crazy foreigner is going to teach them this week! I must admit, I was a little worried about teaching people of such different levels (some know NOTHING while others I can have detailed political discussions with!) at first. However, after two weeks I don't think it will be as much of a challenge as I thought (knock on wood, quick!). Dare I even say - I enjoy it?!!! It is nice to teach to such a captive audience who is there out of their own will (contrary to 3rd year JHS students at 2.30 on a Friday afternoon....). I have students from the age of 25 to 65, which makes for interesting discussion! I am looking forward to having a big holiday cooking and baking session! It should be great fun!
Yesterday I had my first teaching demonstration. The first year teacher and I gave a normal class (but with extra preparation) and other teachers and ALTs from the area came to watch. There was a meeting afterwards to discuss what went well and what didn't. I was very happy with the class and actually enjoyed myself! I got lots of positive feedback, which was good! I didn't get much (if any) criticism, which was too bad because I don't know if there is anything that what I can work on or improve. Needless to say, I felt like a million bucks and my head grew a few sizes! There was a party afterwards but I could not attend because I had my Eikaiwa.
Oh, in reference to the title of this email >>> there is NO central heating in Japan! Even my friends in Northern Hokkaido (Same Latitude as Ottawa!!) don't have central heating! Today however, I experienced for the joys of kerosene heaters! Haaa! In the teachers rooms the fired up two of these puppies - man do they give off a lot of heat....and FUMES!! You know the fumes that come off your BBQ in the summer - that's what the office looked like! I had to speak through such a mirage with the principle - it was all I could do to make out his face!!! Not an open window in site! Can't be too healthy but everyone else seems fine with it......while in Japan..... You will all be glad to know that clumsy Emma is not in charge of running the heaters and I have a nice, safe electrical heater at my home. No worries as I'm nice an toasty!
This weekend coming I will be going to a Taiko (Japanese Drum) Festival that I am looking forward to. I am in the minority amongst my friends as I have seen little Taiko since I have arrived. The weekend following there is a Sumo tournament in one of the nearby towns. A group of us are getting together and staying in an old hospital!! hahaaa The ALT in that town, Nicole, has arranged the weekend and I think it will be quite fun! Oh, also on the weekend before I come home, a group of us are going to an Orphanage to visit the children there. I am very excited to go! 3 of the guys are going to dress up as Santa and give out gifts - it's going to be a blast! Between these events, my weekly Japanese class, my Eikaiwa, the gym and getting ready to come home for Christmas (Yeahhhhhh) I will be quite busy!
I hope that everyone is well! I am looking forward to seeing many of you! I will be in Ottawa from December 21st, Mtrl January 2/3, New Hampshire Jan3-5 and then back to Ottawa on the 6th until I leave for Japan on the 12th.
Please write and let me know how you are doing!
Much love,
Emma
xox
emma found her way @ 8:45 p.m. | 0 comments
As usual I have been up to many shinagens over the past few weeks. I am sorry that I have not written sooner but I have not had much time to myself!
I have never seen such a mess in my entire life! That was my feeling after about 500 kids attended (and trashed) a Halloween party put on by 25 ALTs in one of the neighbouring towns! It was nuts! Every year this town puts on a huge Halloween party for the children in the area (they do not usually celebrate Halloween in Japan). This year it was a huge success and about 500 kids attended (in two groups). It was sooooo much fun! There were numerous stations set up around the gym and the kids could go to each one, having their pass-book stamped as they went. I was stationed at the apple-bobbing table which supplied me with my fair share of laughs. It was quite a site, watching children with 3 or less teeth try to pick up a huge apple! Fruit in Japan is very expensive but it is also very very large! I don't even think the kids had enough neck muscles to pick the silly thing up once they got a hold of it! There was also a cookie decorating table, a haunted house, face painting, throw the wet sponge as fast and as hard as you can at the ALT (not a personal favourite....), pumpkin carving, pin the face on the pumpkin. But perhaps the messiest of all was the ALT Mummy Wrap! The kids got to dress up their ALT like a Mummy by wrapping them in toilet paper!! The kids loved it, especially the mess of TP that they got to jump in afterwards!!! That took a while to clean up!! After the party and after we cleaned up, the town arranged a Enkai (party) of thanks. Everyone had a great time and the next day we headed out to pick some mikans (oranges). Mikan season is in full swing in this part of Japan. Yumm yumm! It is safe to say that I will likely NEVER get a cold here (despite the lack of central heating) simply due to the amount of vitamin C I am consuming!!
The following weekend was yet another long one, so I headed back to Kyushu Island with three other friends. Paula (CDN), Cathie (CDN) Mel (Brit) and I left late on Friday night via the Yawatahama midnight ferry! We arrive in Beppu at about 3 am but were allowed to stay on the ferry until 5 to get some sleep. It was then off on a road trip towards southern Kyushu to Kirishima-san (mtn). We arrived mid afternoon, just in time to climb up the mountain before dark. We were already at quite an elevation so we bundled up and started on the climb. I hadn�t gotten much sleep on the ferry and was navigating all day in the car so about 1/2 way up I stopped for a break as the others continued (those lucky ducks got to sleep in the car!!). I felt awful and really didn't think I would make it to the top. But I persevered and finally got there! The further up we climbed the more miserable the weather got. As we climbed up (and up and up) it started to get wetter and colder! Yuck! Finally, at the top it started to snow and all of the bushes were covered in ice! (I'll send a pic) We smiled for a few pictures then headed down as quick as we could! I can only imagine what the view would have been if the weather had of cooperated! Oh, well. Let me just say I would have KILLED for a Gortex jacket and some gaiters...... That night we camped at the bottom of the hill after a long visit to an onsen. It was a little cold and damp but we made it - character building I think is the operative term!
The next day we went on a shorter (not any less wet or cold, unfortunately) hike in the same area. We the headed off to Sakuragima-san, which was about a 3 hr drive south. The mtn (like many on Kyushu Island) is volcanic, having most recently erupted in 1995. The volcano was previously an island but a large eruption during the last century had joined it with the main land. While on route we stopped at a lava field (yes Kathy, I got you a lava rock!) and also saw a buried Torii (traditional Japanese gate - see picture). We arrived quite late in the day and we were still quite wet so we headed off to the youth hostel to get cleaned up - and warm! That night we nipped over on the ferry (15 min) to Kagoshima City for dinner. Yummy Indian food! Unfortunately the youth hostel had a 10pm curfew so we couldn't check much out in town. Kagoshima is apparently a fun city that is quite international; I would like to return if I am ever in the area again.
The next morning we headed on a hike up the volcano to the observation deck. It took us quite a while but we were (finally) treated with a good view! All of the vegetation in the area is very very lush as one might expect from the volcanic soil. It would have been great to go further but depending on the wind, you are not allowed to climb for fear of sulphur poisoning. Oh, as a funny side note - - throughout town there are a number of 'volcano shelters'. Ok, so I'm not a lava expert but I do know a thing or two and I don't think a three-sided shelter of cement is going to do you much good in the middle of a lava flow! I'd just as soon run to the water??? Anyways, it appears that they do have some warning when it is going to 'blow' and most people leave. Though there are always the stubborn one's who won't > > "My great great grandfather built this house (then it was rebuilt after the war.....) and I am not leaving!" Sadly, there are very few original building left in Japan and between the war and this volcano the area is full of modern buildings and homes.
Later that afternoon we started to head back towards Beppu to catch the ferry back. On the way we stopped at Aso-san which is one of the worlds largest volcano craters! The crater itself is 80km in diameter! It was really cool to be inside � in fact, there even is a town inside the crater! Of course, this is no longer the active mouth of the volcano. There are numerous smaller craters within the larger one some of which are still active. Apparently, in an area that was not thought to be active 5 hikers were killed from a sudden, unexpected eruption (5 years ago)! That area has since been closed off and numerous tests followed (we were told�.J). We visited one of the 'smaller' volcanoes inside the larger crater - it was unbelievable. The picture of us (as the bottom of this email) with a snow-covered mtn is of this area. Man, and we thought we were cold in the tent! It was SOOO cold here - it rivaled Canadian winters...... Needless to say, we drove up and weren't hiking, thank goodness!
That evening we headed back to Beppu and the 12 am ferry, arriving in Yawatahama just in time to get to school on Tuesday morning! It was a jam-packed weekend that was a little wet but it was nice to get out and spend time with friends and see more of Japan!
More recently, I have started to teach an adult conversation class once a week. Otherwise known as an Eikaiwa, a group of ~22 individuals of varying degrees of English comprehension arrive that the cultural centre wondering what this crazy foreigner is going to teach them this week! I must admit, I was a little worried about teaching people of such different levels (some know NOTHING while others I can have detailed political discussions with!) at first. However, after two weeks I don't think it will be as much of a challenge as I thought (knock on wood, quick!). Dare I even say - I enjoy it?!!! It is nice to teach to such a captive audience who is there out of their own will (contrary to 3rd year JHS students at 2.30 on a Friday afternoon....). I have students from the age of 25 to 65, which makes for interesting discussion! I am looking forward to having a big holiday cooking and baking session! It should be great fun!
Yesterday I had my first teaching demonstration. The first year teacher and I gave a normal class (but with extra preparation) and other teachers and ALTs from the area came to watch. There was a meeting afterwards to discuss what went well and what didn't. I was very happy with the class and actually enjoyed myself! I got lots of positive feedback, which was good! I didn't get much (if any) criticism, which was too bad because I don't know if there is anything that what I can work on or improve. Needless to say, I felt like a million bucks and my head grew a few sizes! There was a party afterwards but I could not attend because I had my Eikaiwa.
Oh, in reference to the title of this email >>> there is NO central heating in Japan! Even my friends in Northern Hokkaido (Same Latitude as Ottawa!!) don't have central heating! Today however, I experienced for the joys of kerosene heaters! Haaa! In the teachers rooms the fired up two of these puppies - man do they give off a lot of heat....and FUMES!! You know the fumes that come off your BBQ in the summer - that's what the office looked like! I had to speak through such a mirage with the principle - it was all I could do to make out his face!!! Not an open window in site! Can't be too healthy but everyone else seems fine with it......while in Japan..... You will all be glad to know that clumsy Emma is not in charge of running the heaters and I have a nice, safe electrical heater at my home. No worries as I'm nice an toasty!
This weekend coming I will be going to a Taiko (Japanese Drum) Festival that I am looking forward to. I am in the minority amongst my friends as I have seen little Taiko since I have arrived. The weekend following there is a Sumo tournament in one of the nearby towns. A group of us are getting together and staying in an old hospital!! hahaaa The ALT in that town, Nicole, has arranged the weekend and I think it will be quite fun! Oh, also on the weekend before I come home, a group of us are going to an Orphanage to visit the children there. I am very excited to go! 3 of the guys are going to dress up as Santa and give out gifts - it's going to be a blast! Between these events, my weekly Japanese class, my Eikaiwa, the gym and getting ready to come home for Christmas (Yeahhhhhh) I will be quite busy!
I hope that everyone is well! I am looking forward to seeing many of you! I will be in Ottawa from December 21st, Mtrl January 2/3, New Hampshire Jan3-5 and then back to Ottawa on the 6th until I leave for Japan on the 12th.
Please write and let me know how you are doing!
Much love,
Emma
xox
emma found her way @ 8:45 p.m. | 0 comments