navigating nihon
| Navigating Nihon # 8 - Turn your water taps on, have some maple sugar candy and don't forget the kotatsu!
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2.02.2003 |
Mina San wa genki desu ka? (Are you all well?)
So here is the much much overdue Japan update that I'm sure you have all been awaiting with baited breath! I must start by saying that I had a wonderful time over Christmas! I was lucky to see so many of you! The rest of you will just have to find your way out to Asia one of these days!
My flight back went quite well. It was much less eventful than the trip to Canada! Due to the flight schedules, I had to stay over in Osaka. The hotel that I stayed at was quite nice and convenient - but I only mention this because they were particularly effecient and polite! I don't know if this observation was tinted by my trip to North America, but man they just went overboard. As the hotel bus was leaving for the airport in the morning every last one of the staff was bowing. This is quite common here - but when I saw the man INSIDE the hotel - at the reception desk!! - bowing to the bus, I was in a state of utter disbelief!! Nuts! Oh, and if that wasen't enough - - at the same hotel they had these crazy sensors that recognized when a vehicle was leaving the car park - the sensor triggered a flashing light (silent police siren if you like) that warns oncoming traffic!
My return to Mikame was surprisingly smooth, given that I had 2 bags both bigger than myself to lug around. I am also happy to report that I was not nearly as home sick as I expected. I was not very homesick in the summer when I arrived so I thought it might hit me in January - not the case! To the contrary, I am quite content to be back here and it is really feeling like home! School is going well and I am full of motivation following the mid-year conference that I attended last week. I have decided to recontract - a relatively easy decision thank goodness. Everyone here is so kind and there are many more things that I still want to see and do! However, the decision has not been so easy for many of my friends. From what I hear, many people have yet to make up their minds.......It all depends on what kind of 'Japan' day everyone has on the deadline!!
Things have been relatively quite around here for the last few weeks. But this past weekend was just one drawn-out social event. On Thursday and Friday the mid-year teaching conference took place in Matsuyama. Its main purpose is to motivate teachers and give them ideas to improve their classroom methods. Some of the presentation were stellar and very useful. Others were unfortunatly less so. Anyways, I did get some good ideas from the get together so I am happy with the outcome. On the Thursday night, we ventured out on the town for some good food and dancing. It was great to catch up with everyone. On Friday night there was a party just south of the city at Mel's house (I went on that Volcano trip with her). That was fun but very laid back, we were all pooped. Saturday was the exact opposite however........ Saturday was January the 25th - which is the birthday of Robert Burns - a famous Scotish poet. All of the Scotish JETs got together and threw a Burns Night! It was fabulous! There are many events at such a party - including Haggis (sp?), poetry readings, Highland dancing and Guniness of course! It was great! The night started out with a famous Robbie Burns poem, followed by an ode to the Lassies and the Lassies' reply! It was hilarilous! These poems are traditionally full of all sorts of gossip and funny stories - it was great! Next came the ode to the Haggis! Ahhhhahhaa you have to read it a poem before you can eat it! The rest of the night was characterized buy lots of merry food and drink! It was a great evening and my first taste of Haggis - which I quite liked!
Yesterday Mikame got its second snowfall of the year! The first happened while I was gone, sniff sniff! Anyways, it was much more than I expected! The roads were a bit slippy - especially since my car as never known snow tires.....and no, they don't plow the road here! Anyways, slow and stead wins the race, and avoids the ocean! I was at one of my elementary schools yesterday - the furthest of them all. The drive there is all the way along the coast! Let me tell you, it's quite strange to be snowed on while dodging squalls that are coming in over the barriers! I was no worse the wear though - it was actually quite a beautiful site to see! The ocean was still bright blue with a backdrop of white snow! The picture at the bottom was taken during lunch - the kids went nuts playing in the snow, it was great!
Today I woke up to a very cold house - my down sleeping bag is the best thing that has happened to my since ice cream! I LOVE it! In fact, I wear it while on the computer, while on the phone even while doing the dishes! Ok, I'm joking about the last one - - you get the point! It snowed considerably overnight - so much so (about 8 cm) that I was not allowed to drive to work - my car does not have chains!!! The students did not arrive until about 11pm - before then we were out cleaning the paths etc. of snow! We even made a "Canadian" snowman! In Japan, snowmen ("people") are often only 2 balls high - we made one that was three! It was a lot of fun! After that, I made everyone maple taffy! I think that they all really enjoyed it! It was great! It has been a very 'Canadian' day! I'll miss the snow soon, especially when it's 35 degrees here.................
I fear that I have become emotionally attached to my kotatsu - my heated coffee table! It's great! There is a little heater in the top that spits out wonderfully warm air! You place a special blanket underneath the table and another one between the frame and the table top - creating a convenient tent that keeps all that warm air in! Perhaps I'll send you all a picture one of these days - it is simply a wonderful invention!
School has been going very very well! I am really feeling like a 'regular' teacher with the students. They are more confortable with me and speak with me more freely! This is great news! On Tuesday I will be going on a 13km walk from the next town (Uwa) to Mikame with the 2nd year students. Should be a fun day with the kids - I hope that the weather cooperates!
All this cold weather has spurred some strange phenomenon - aside from the chains on the tires and a substance which magically disolves 1" thick ice in < 1 second (don't even want to think of what it would do if it got on your skin...) there was a warning over the town announcement system telling everyone to leave their taps on ALL NIGHT!! To avoid freezing no doubt - but come on! Also, the children were still wearning sandals! (with socks mind you). It's winter alright, Japanese style!
Ohhh, one piece of very exciting news - at least for me - I have finally given in to the world of keitai (cell phones). They are too cool here! You can send email, surf the web and even take pictures! I am going to get one this weekend so i'll give you my number when it's all sorted out!
Next weekend there is an African Drum concert in Uchiko. It is taking place in a beautiful (and famous) traditional Japanese Opera house. Sounds like it is going to be great, I can't wait! On Saturday there is an outing to the biggest teliscope in Western Japan. If we are lucky and the stars are out it should be a great sight. The man who runs it attends an ALTs adult English class so the entire presentation will be in English - bonus!
Oh, I have also attached my newest ikebana below, enjoy!
Surprisingly, this is not as long as it I might have expected! Ali is giving me a run for my money with his 'Traversing India' blurbs............
Much love to each of you! I hope you are all genki and warm!
-Emma
emma found her way @ 9:49 a.m. | 0 comments
So here is the much much overdue Japan update that I'm sure you have all been awaiting with baited breath! I must start by saying that I had a wonderful time over Christmas! I was lucky to see so many of you! The rest of you will just have to find your way out to Asia one of these days!
My flight back went quite well. It was much less eventful than the trip to Canada! Due to the flight schedules, I had to stay over in Osaka. The hotel that I stayed at was quite nice and convenient - but I only mention this because they were particularly effecient and polite! I don't know if this observation was tinted by my trip to North America, but man they just went overboard. As the hotel bus was leaving for the airport in the morning every last one of the staff was bowing. This is quite common here - but when I saw the man INSIDE the hotel - at the reception desk!! - bowing to the bus, I was in a state of utter disbelief!! Nuts! Oh, and if that wasen't enough - - at the same hotel they had these crazy sensors that recognized when a vehicle was leaving the car park - the sensor triggered a flashing light (silent police siren if you like) that warns oncoming traffic!
My return to Mikame was surprisingly smooth, given that I had 2 bags both bigger than myself to lug around. I am also happy to report that I was not nearly as home sick as I expected. I was not very homesick in the summer when I arrived so I thought it might hit me in January - not the case! To the contrary, I am quite content to be back here and it is really feeling like home! School is going well and I am full of motivation following the mid-year conference that I attended last week. I have decided to recontract - a relatively easy decision thank goodness. Everyone here is so kind and there are many more things that I still want to see and do! However, the decision has not been so easy for many of my friends. From what I hear, many people have yet to make up their minds.......It all depends on what kind of 'Japan' day everyone has on the deadline!!
Things have been relatively quite around here for the last few weeks. But this past weekend was just one drawn-out social event. On Thursday and Friday the mid-year teaching conference took place in Matsuyama. Its main purpose is to motivate teachers and give them ideas to improve their classroom methods. Some of the presentation were stellar and very useful. Others were unfortunatly less so. Anyways, I did get some good ideas from the get together so I am happy with the outcome. On the Thursday night, we ventured out on the town for some good food and dancing. It was great to catch up with everyone. On Friday night there was a party just south of the city at Mel's house (I went on that Volcano trip with her). That was fun but very laid back, we were all pooped. Saturday was the exact opposite however........ Saturday was January the 25th - which is the birthday of Robert Burns - a famous Scotish poet. All of the Scotish JETs got together and threw a Burns Night! It was fabulous! There are many events at such a party - including Haggis (sp?), poetry readings, Highland dancing and Guniness of course! It was great! The night started out with a famous Robbie Burns poem, followed by an ode to the Lassies and the Lassies' reply! It was hilarilous! These poems are traditionally full of all sorts of gossip and funny stories - it was great! Next came the ode to the Haggis! Ahhhhahhaa you have to read it a poem before you can eat it! The rest of the night was characterized buy lots of merry food and drink! It was a great evening and my first taste of Haggis - which I quite liked!
Yesterday Mikame got its second snowfall of the year! The first happened while I was gone, sniff sniff! Anyways, it was much more than I expected! The roads were a bit slippy - especially since my car as never known snow tires.....and no, they don't plow the road here! Anyways, slow and stead wins the race, and avoids the ocean! I was at one of my elementary schools yesterday - the furthest of them all. The drive there is all the way along the coast! Let me tell you, it's quite strange to be snowed on while dodging squalls that are coming in over the barriers! I was no worse the wear though - it was actually quite a beautiful site to see! The ocean was still bright blue with a backdrop of white snow! The picture at the bottom was taken during lunch - the kids went nuts playing in the snow, it was great!
Today I woke up to a very cold house - my down sleeping bag is the best thing that has happened to my since ice cream! I LOVE it! In fact, I wear it while on the computer, while on the phone even while doing the dishes! Ok, I'm joking about the last one - - you get the point! It snowed considerably overnight - so much so (about 8 cm) that I was not allowed to drive to work - my car does not have chains!!! The students did not arrive until about 11pm - before then we were out cleaning the paths etc. of snow! We even made a "Canadian" snowman! In Japan, snowmen ("people") are often only 2 balls high - we made one that was three! It was a lot of fun! After that, I made everyone maple taffy! I think that they all really enjoyed it! It was great! It has been a very 'Canadian' day! I'll miss the snow soon, especially when it's 35 degrees here.................
I fear that I have become emotionally attached to my kotatsu - my heated coffee table! It's great! There is a little heater in the top that spits out wonderfully warm air! You place a special blanket underneath the table and another one between the frame and the table top - creating a convenient tent that keeps all that warm air in! Perhaps I'll send you all a picture one of these days - it is simply a wonderful invention!
School has been going very very well! I am really feeling like a 'regular' teacher with the students. They are more confortable with me and speak with me more freely! This is great news! On Tuesday I will be going on a 13km walk from the next town (Uwa) to Mikame with the 2nd year students. Should be a fun day with the kids - I hope that the weather cooperates!
All this cold weather has spurred some strange phenomenon - aside from the chains on the tires and a substance which magically disolves 1" thick ice in < 1 second (don't even want to think of what it would do if it got on your skin...) there was a warning over the town announcement system telling everyone to leave their taps on ALL NIGHT!! To avoid freezing no doubt - but come on! Also, the children were still wearning sandals! (with socks mind you). It's winter alright, Japanese style!
Ohhh, one piece of very exciting news - at least for me - I have finally given in to the world of keitai (cell phones). They are too cool here! You can send email, surf the web and even take pictures! I am going to get one this weekend so i'll give you my number when it's all sorted out!
Next weekend there is an African Drum concert in Uchiko. It is taking place in a beautiful (and famous) traditional Japanese Opera house. Sounds like it is going to be great, I can't wait! On Saturday there is an outing to the biggest teliscope in Western Japan. If we are lucky and the stars are out it should be a great sight. The man who runs it attends an ALTs adult English class so the entire presentation will be in English - bonus!
Oh, I have also attached my newest ikebana below, enjoy!
Surprisingly, this is not as long as it I might have expected! Ali is giving me a run for my money with his 'Traversing India' blurbs............
Much love to each of you! I hope you are all genki and warm!
-Emma
emma found her way @ 9:49 a.m. | 0 comments