J104 Saturday August 5th
I brought my AC remote to work with me, in the hopes that my Japanese co-workers could help me decode the mysterious runes etched onto its face. The heat is making sleep...difficult. Not impossible; I can get to sleep. But upon waking I am covered in a thin film of sweat, which is an unpleasant sensation, to say the least.
The day's work was enjoyable, as always. My Saturdays are usually front-heavy, with a large cluster of 4 classes in the beginning of the day, and then a group of two, and then a single class to end the day. Between these three groups are one-hour breaks. This time, it was reversed, with my day beginning easily, and ending with a massive 4-hour work-a-thon. Not the end of the world, especially given that one of my classes canceled.
My one-hour break became two hours, and one of my Japanese co-workers and I walked together to get lunch. A summer festival was going on in Hitachi Square, and there were lots of people. The heat is interesting here in Japan. It's oppressive, like a big hand pressing down on you. It's not the body-wrapped-in-hot-wet-towels sensation of Atlanta's heat. Hitachi has humidity, almost as much as Atlanta, but the difference is noticeable.
The heat just stays, until it's reduced by something cool. In Atlanta, winds rarely cooled you off. They'd move air over you, which was nice, but they brought no balm to the heat. It was just more warm, wet air moving over you. Here in Hitachi, the breeze is actually cool. It's almost like heat is a physical medium, rather than retained energy in the atmosphere.
Anyway. It was hot. My coworker and I grabbed lunch (well, I did. She just had a drink) at Dotour, a sandwich shop of good reputation. We found Greg, the ex-employee I replaced enjoying a drink there while reading his notes. He left the company after two years of work to pursue a Graduate degree in computer science here in Japan. He's a nice guy, really. When I first came here I was a bit of a ditz, though, and I worried that I'd upset him with my inexperience and habit of falling asleep at inopportune times. But, that was ages ago, and such things seem quite distant now.
I stopped by the 100 yen shop to buy more art supplies. I picked up a tiny white board, for the purpose of rough drafts. I like white board markers as a medium, but they can't stay forever. So, this will be useful to just break out a sketch when the mood strikes without going through tons of paper. I also picked up some pencils, erasers, and a sharpener.
The rest of the day was uneventful. It was hot. I taught a lot. After work I rode home on an obviously flat tire. My rear tire had a puncture, and it was all I could do to make it back. I parked the bike with a promise to get it fixed first thing the next day.
After a wonderfully cold shower and the successful activation of my air conditioner, I enjoyed a few hours' internet time before going to G-Bros. I journeyed there around 10:30 or so and had a nice evening. Lots of people where there, in part due to the fact that K's fiance, Sylvia, was visiting. She and K met while she was a teacher at another school here in Hitachi. She's since moved back to the States and works in the U.N. as a translator...or an aide...I'm not quite sure which. I'd seen her a few times the previous day, but hadn't had a chance to really meet her. She's a nice person; I can see why K likes her. She's from Mexico, and has a really cool accent. She's also got very good Japanese skills.
I wound up heading home around 2AM that night. There were plans for fireworks, but I felt the fatigue of the last week's poor sleep, not to mention the day's efforts, weighing on me. I bid everyone farewell and hiked back to my place, eager to start the next day and repair my bike.
Showing posts with label crafting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafting. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Brilliant!
J100 Tuesday July 31st
I have had a revelation! By making my blog as one of my homepages, and thus a web site that Firefox will bring up whenever I open the program, I am given incentive to make posts! It is that much harder for me to shirk my stenographic duties!
I just used the word 'stenographic'! That makes me happy!
Today was a good day. A beautiful, sunny day that was deliciously cool thanks to a constant, pleasant ocean breeze. I upped my morning exercise routine to new heights, and felt the burn of progress. Oh, how sweet it is. I bought a new belt yesterday, and tried it out today. It works like a charm! My weight loss has had unforeseen consequences, primarily those dealing with my wardrobe no longer being tight in places essential to overcome gravity's constant tug. In layman's terms, my pants are all now spectacularly loose.
My old belt was not doing the trick, so I invested in a Japanese model. There are very, very few fat Japanese men, and thus the belt selection is...not adequate for one such as I. Even though I am shedding weight, my overall size is greater than most Japanese people. The belt I have is tight, but serviceable. Huzzah.
Today was a nice day at work. I had only 3 classes in total, thanks to cancellations, and all of them were in the evening. I spent the day organizing materials for classes, eating lunch, and eking a few minutes of Pokemon out of my bone-dry DS battery. The little soldier is currently plugged into the wall. My school has the annoying tendency to collect and amplify the ambient heat of the day, so despite the pleasant outdoors, some of the school's rooms, mine in particular, were not conducive to a comfortable learning environment. Luckily, however, I was able to use one of the rooms that had no windows, which was a few degrees cooler, and thus survivable.
In all, today was like any other. Peaceful, enjoyable. Work is work, but it is not insufferably boring or monotonous. I have nice co-workers and good students. My lessons are fun and engaging. Honestly, it's more like running a game of Dungeons & Dragons than anything else. It's equal parts improv theater and education. You have to be very flexible and adaptive; if the student isn't getting the point you're trying to make, getting frustrated doesn't solve anything. You have to approach it from another angle. That's the part of my job I like.
Still, my summer holiday is coming up soon. Next week will be a half-week; Thursday the 9th is the first day of my week-long break. I'm contemplating going to Kyoto or Okinawa. Anywhere that isn't this part of Japan, really. Hitachi is wonderful and I love it, but I want to get out and enjoy the other bits of Japan, too. I'm only here for 8 more months, give or take a week or two, and I need to enjoy as much of it as I can. I don't plan on any breakneck tours or anything like that; I'll still be doing things at my own pace. Still, I want to get out of town and see this amazing country from a few different angles.
I think I like this new format. Forcing (inasmuch as I actually am) myself to write every day will be a good creative outlet.
Speaking of which...
*eyes newly-acquired paints and birthday brushes*
I have had a revelation! By making my blog as one of my homepages, and thus a web site that Firefox will bring up whenever I open the program, I am given incentive to make posts! It is that much harder for me to shirk my stenographic duties!
I just used the word 'stenographic'! That makes me happy!
Today was a good day. A beautiful, sunny day that was deliciously cool thanks to a constant, pleasant ocean breeze. I upped my morning exercise routine to new heights, and felt the burn of progress. Oh, how sweet it is. I bought a new belt yesterday, and tried it out today. It works like a charm! My weight loss has had unforeseen consequences, primarily those dealing with my wardrobe no longer being tight in places essential to overcome gravity's constant tug. In layman's terms, my pants are all now spectacularly loose.
My old belt was not doing the trick, so I invested in a Japanese model. There are very, very few fat Japanese men, and thus the belt selection is...not adequate for one such as I. Even though I am shedding weight, my overall size is greater than most Japanese people. The belt I have is tight, but serviceable. Huzzah.
Today was a nice day at work. I had only 3 classes in total, thanks to cancellations, and all of them were in the evening. I spent the day organizing materials for classes, eating lunch, and eking a few minutes of Pokemon out of my bone-dry DS battery. The little soldier is currently plugged into the wall. My school has the annoying tendency to collect and amplify the ambient heat of the day, so despite the pleasant outdoors, some of the school's rooms, mine in particular, were not conducive to a comfortable learning environment. Luckily, however, I was able to use one of the rooms that had no windows, which was a few degrees cooler, and thus survivable.
In all, today was like any other. Peaceful, enjoyable. Work is work, but it is not insufferably boring or monotonous. I have nice co-workers and good students. My lessons are fun and engaging. Honestly, it's more like running a game of Dungeons & Dragons than anything else. It's equal parts improv theater and education. You have to be very flexible and adaptive; if the student isn't getting the point you're trying to make, getting frustrated doesn't solve anything. You have to approach it from another angle. That's the part of my job I like.
Still, my summer holiday is coming up soon. Next week will be a half-week; Thursday the 9th is the first day of my week-long break. I'm contemplating going to Kyoto or Okinawa. Anywhere that isn't this part of Japan, really. Hitachi is wonderful and I love it, but I want to get out and enjoy the other bits of Japan, too. I'm only here for 8 more months, give or take a week or two, and I need to enjoy as much of it as I can. I don't plan on any breakneck tours or anything like that; I'll still be doing things at my own pace. Still, I want to get out of town and see this amazing country from a few different angles.
I think I like this new format. Forcing (inasmuch as I actually am) myself to write every day will be a good creative outlet.
Speaking of which...
*eyes newly-acquired paints and birthday brushes*
Monday, July 23, 2007
Shake, rattle, and roll
J85 Monday July 16th
Monday was beautiful, despite the rain-soaked monotony of the previous day. All the pollutants had been swept from the sky by the wind and rain, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. It was gorgeous.
In the morning, whilst making my Internet rounds, I felt the first of the day's earthquakes. It wasn't much here in Hitachi, but elsewhere such was not the case. Several dead, hundreds wounded, and many, many houses leveled by the quake. My heart goes out to those struck by this earthquake, for to them it truly was a disaster.
However, uninformed as I was, I went about my day as normal. K and I met up around 2 to have Brush Club. Neither of us were too into it, given the beauty of the day, and we wound up shopping for the next few hours. We trundled up to Sakura City to investigate their 1000 yen shop, which had been closed down. Next to it, though, was a crafts store. For those of you who know me well, you know that crafting has been a favorite hobby of mine for quite some time. You may also imagine my poor Japanese skills making finding such a place difficult, if not impossible. So, sitting before me was a store filled with things that give me a tactile sense of joy.
I was a very happy boy.
After perusing there for a while, and hitting Sakura City's 100 yen store, we went back to the Ito Yokado food court for the Japanese Lesson. The crowd was small; only myself, K, Matt (the newish Nova teacher) and Bastion (A gentleman-researcher at Ibaraki University from...Slovania, I think? Awesome accent).
We pulled from a book I had brought with me, a grammar book that one can use to teach one's self Japanese. It was quite useful; we'd been running out of concrete linguistics to study in the Lesson as of late, and the group was starting to lose focus.
After the lesson we all parted ways. I myself headed back home to relax and play some Neverwinter Nights. I'd installed it the day before to help assuage my boredom, but repeated crashes and other frustrating bugs turned it into an unhappy experience. My intellect was stimulated, though, and I tackled the problem with renewed vigor. A few software upgrades and some quick prayers later, it seemed to work.
That evening, my Mom called to check up on me. She had heard about the quake, and wanted to make sure I wasn't under a building somewhere. I told her that I was fine, after which she informed me of the quake's damage. I told her I was ok, and that I loved her.
Then, not 10 minutes after I'd hung up, we felt two more earthquakes. These were stronger than the one this morning by a factor of two, easily. My entire apartment building wobbled, this time, and my toaster oven skidded off its perch atop my microwave (which is atop my minifridge, a perilous pile of potable preparation, I know, but space is at a premium here).
The first one was so strong I decided to pack a quick emergency kit. My backpack was hastily packed with some extra clothes, my journal, my lighter (always with me) my hankerchief, and a few other elements necessary should the world radically shift into a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland. The second quake came shortly thereafter, but was much smaller.
Nothing happened afterwards, to my relief, but my emergency kit was next to my bed all through the night.
I got to bed around 2AM, as is my custom.
This morning, there was an earthquake. Not big from where I was, just an extended wobble of my apartment, but enough to be felt. I heard that it caused quite a bit of damage elsewhere, though, which does make me sad.
Monday was beautiful
Monday was beautiful, despite the rain-soaked monotony of the previous day. All the pollutants had been swept from the sky by the wind and rain, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. It was gorgeous.
In the morning, whilst making my Internet rounds, I felt the first of the day's earthquakes. It wasn't much here in Hitachi, but elsewhere such was not the case. Several dead, hundreds wounded, and many, many houses leveled by the quake. My heart goes out to those struck by this earthquake, for to them it truly was a disaster.
However, uninformed as I was, I went about my day as normal. K and I met up around 2 to have Brush Club. Neither of us were too into it, given the beauty of the day, and we wound up shopping for the next few hours. We trundled up to Sakura City to investigate their 1000 yen shop, which had been closed down. Next to it, though, was a crafts store. For those of you who know me well, you know that crafting has been a favorite hobby of mine for quite some time. You may also imagine my poor Japanese skills making finding such a place difficult, if not impossible. So, sitting before me was a store filled with things that give me a tactile sense of joy.
I was a very happy boy.
After perusing there for a while, and hitting Sakura City's 100 yen store, we went back to the Ito Yokado food court for the Japanese Lesson. The crowd was small; only myself, K, Matt (the newish Nova teacher) and Bastion (A gentleman-researcher at Ibaraki University from...Slovania, I think? Awesome accent).
We pulled from a book I had brought with me, a grammar book that one can use to teach one's self Japanese. It was quite useful; we'd been running out of concrete linguistics to study in the Lesson as of late, and the group was starting to lose focus.
After the lesson we all parted ways. I myself headed back home to relax and play some Neverwinter Nights. I'd installed it the day before to help assuage my boredom, but repeated crashes and other frustrating bugs turned it into an unhappy experience. My intellect was stimulated, though, and I tackled the problem with renewed vigor. A few software upgrades and some quick prayers later, it seemed to work.
That evening, my Mom called to check up on me. She had heard about the quake, and wanted to make sure I wasn't under a building somewhere. I told her that I was fine, after which she informed me of the quake's damage. I told her I was ok, and that I loved her.
Then, not 10 minutes after I'd hung up, we felt two more earthquakes. These were stronger than the one this morning by a factor of two, easily. My entire apartment building wobbled, this time, and my toaster oven skidded off its perch atop my microwave (which is atop my minifridge, a perilous pile of potable preparation, I know, but space is at a premium here).
The first one was so strong I decided to pack a quick emergency kit. My backpack was hastily packed with some extra clothes, my journal, my lighter (always with me) my hankerchief, and a few other elements necessary should the world radically shift into a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland. The second quake came shortly thereafter, but was much smaller.
Nothing happened afterwards, to my relief, but my emergency kit was next to my bed all through the night.
I got to bed around 2AM, as is my custom.
This morning, there was an earthquake. Not big from where I was, just an extended wobble of my apartment, but enough to be felt. I heard that it caused quite a bit of damage elsewhere, though, which does make me sad.
Monday was beautiful
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Stir craaaaazy
J84 Sunday, July 15th 2007
Immediate info: there's a typhoon knocking on my door right now. I'm fine, no worries about being hurt by the storm. The mountains are absorbing the brunt of the storm's force, so Hitachi will be fine.
I've been going a bit stir-crazy, though. I ventured out during a 'light' period to grab food and drink. I'm well-stocked now, but I don't think the storm will last more than a day or two. I want to do *something* and I'm driving myself up the walls thinking of what to do. What I wouldn't give for my workshop right about now :)
ANYWAY. Back to the update of my life! From, like, a week ago.
Sunday July 8th
I needed to do some shopping. After sleeping in (oh, what a treasure that is) I got cleaned up and headed out, but not before repairing my bike. For the past two or so weeks, the rear tire has been flat. I deflated it on accident due to my inexperience with its valve system, and the fact that I haven't owned or operated a bike in nearly 10 years. I've also had a lack of free time to sit down and puzzle out how the darn thing works. However, finding myself with not much to do and a beautiful, sunny day to do it on, I managed to fix it. I thought it was tricky, but in reality it's quite simple.
You unscrew the valve a little. You clamp the bike pump's nozzle onto the valve. You start pumping. It's an ingenious double valve system; unscrewing disengages an internal rubber seal just a wee bit, so as to allow air in, but not out. Clamping the pump's nozzle creates a *second* one-way seal. You pump air through these two one-way seals, and bam, the tire has air while nothing escapes. Disengaging the whole thing is a snap, and a quick twist re-seals the bike's inner valve. I topped off the front tire, too, figuring it best to be safe rather than sorry.
I then biked for the first time in half a month. It was so very, very smooth. Like butter, as it were. I had been having some suspension (such as it was) trouble with my bike before the deflation incident, and the improved performance thanks to my maintenance makes me believe it was due to low air pressure. In short, the bike drives a *lot* better now. Still a little rattly, but it should be okay for the next little while.
I dashed down toward the station, where lay my ATM. I ran into Josh on the way down, and we decided to hang together. We both needed to do some shopping in the department stores, so we teamed up. I had heard about a sale in Ito Yokado, so we sought items of discount. To my delight, they had a sale on summer shorts. I bought two pairs of Double Large (LL) shorts. They look like they're made out of nylon. Quite comfortable, but I haven't yet tried them on for a long period of time.
That bit done, Josh and I hoofed it to Sakura City, Hitachi's other big department store. Here we bought groceries, myself purchasing snack foods for the first time in months. Nothing extravagant, but a minor indulgence. Doritos. Taco flavor. Very...interesting.
Before we bought groceries, though, something I thought to be impossible happened. Walking into the entrance of Sakura City, I spied someone reading a D&D book. In broad daylight. In Japan. I was almost at a loss for words. I dashed over and struck up a conversation, pointing enthusiastically to my t-shirt, being a D&D shirt celebrating the release of 3rd Edition. He said that he ran a game in the nearby community center, but I couldn't get a time out of him. He said that his group got together and *talked* about the game on Saturdays from 1PM to 7PM. Toward the end of our conversation we were joined by another gamer, one who could speak English astonishingly well.
I was so floored by the whole experience, I almost forgot to give my contact info. I gave the first guy my email address, but as of this writing I have heard nothing from either of them. Even remembering the encounter now, I am amazed at the sheer randomness of it all. Quite the coincidence.
After shopping, Josh and I parted ways. I rode home, eager to drop off my groceries and meet up with K. He and I had planned on making his character for my own D&D game, to be run (hopefully) before too long. Alas, he was mired deep in a recent game purchase (The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, for the DS) and was lost to me. I enjoyed a quiet evening at home, relaxing and perusing the web.
Monday July 9th
K and I had determined that this day we would make his character. Around noon, I took my laptop from its perch, placed it reverently in its case, and took it to Dotour. This was the first time my laptop had been disconnected from its steadily-growing nest of cables and peripherals. It looked naked, somehow smaller, once freed from its extra appendages. It was an interesting sight, the big blank spot on my desk where it had rested for so long.
K and I got together, and we spent the next three or so hours making his character. It's interesting to talk to someone so relatively inexperienced with tabletop gaming. Teaching someone from the ground up what it is to play a pen-and-paper RPG. Having to vocalize assumptions I've been making for almost a decade. Describing the idea of narrating the actions of one's character. To see realization spark in his face was really rewarding, and I could tell K very much wants to play. It's quite nice to find a convert so far in the wastes :)
We dashed back to our homes briefly, so as to deposit our delicate electronics. We reconvened at the usual meeting place for our weekly Japanese Lesson. Until 8 or so we talked back and forth about translations and relationships. Interesting lesson, but kind of boring to recount. We just...talk about Japanese for 3 or 4 hours.
At the end of that, there was talk of going to a Spanish restaurant nearby. The group struck out in search of delicious Spanish food, but after half an hour of wandering, we were stumped. K, Clive, and I, using both my bike and K's, scouted ahead of the group in multiple directions, but we could find no trace of the place. We decided to wrap up the weekend at G-Bros, as we so often do. Drinks were had, conversations mumbled in the smoky intimacy of the bar's warm interior.
At the end of the evening I came home and relaxed. Became inspired to play more Pokemon Diamond, thanks to chats with one of my brothers (Chris) and played that until I slept.
Tuesday July 10th
My lessons have finally looped. Some of my lessons are on a 3(ish) month schedule, and I finally completed my first loop. Nealy 3/4 of the materials I've planned I can use again, and thus my work load has been greatly reduced. I prepared for the entire week in the space of one afternoon, to my undying delight.
Wednesday July 11th
6 lessons, but still prepped for everything. Yay!
Thursday July 12th
Slightly lighter than normal. Only 4 classes, thanks to a cancellation.
Friday July 13th
I just realized this was Friday the 13th. It makes sense, now. After work, which was nice and light again, I went to B.B.A. to hang with Josh for the evening. The plan was to play Guilty Gear and have a few adult beverages. Alas, Josh had forgotten the game at home, but there was plenty of beer to be had. Also, a Brazilian guy.
I met a gentleman, currently a middleman in the car parts business, named Scandalari. I couldn't make up a more fascinating character. He's 42 years old and has been everywhere. He claimed to have traveled all over Europe, and he routinely backpacks throughout Southeast Asia. He's got a vacation planned that will take him across Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand over the course of a month or so. He is also a licensed pilot. He speaks English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian (that I know of; he could speak more).
We talked for quite some time, comparing life experiences, talking of our respective travels. Sharing our love of Paris, a city we both had been to and both loved. Then he told me his parents were Italian, to which I responded with my own claim to Sicilian blood. It was as if I had offered him my first born son, who was made of gold. A big smile broke out over his face, and he shook my hand with renewed vigor, overjoyed to have found a distant Italian cousin, a thousand times removed, in this foreign land.
He bought me several drinks, to toast our mutual heritage. Much merriment was had, and much alcohol was consumed. Much. Like, far more than I usually have. Midnight rolled around, and I politely bowed out, citing my legitimate need for sleep, as I worked the next morning. I bid the gathered farewell, and biked, wobbly but competently, home. I took a few Ibuprofin and downed a tall glass of water, trusting my liver to process the alcohol in my system before work in the morning.
Oh, folly! Oh, hubris! Oh, intestinal fortitude, how I beg your forgiveness! What was to begin with that night of enjoyment was to become a tragedy of truly Greek proportions.
Well, not *that* bad. Everyone's still alive and no gods had to step in and fix everything. Still, it wasn't very pleasant.
Saturday July 14th
I awoke, probably around 3AM or so, quite dizzy. I felt the cold sweat of nausea roil its way across my flesh, and knew what had to be done. Carefully, gingerly, I made my way to my bathroom, and knew the trauma/relief of regurgitation. I felt almost immediately better, thinking the worst was behind me. I brushed my teeth and was asleep almost instantly.
I awoke with my alarm at 8AM, on time. I leaped up, feeling pretty good about the day. I was slightly dizzy and without balance, but I thought little of it. I had a hearty breakfast of the last of my cheese and bread, believing the previous night's trauma to be the end of my woes.
I biked (boke?) to work, arriving early. Felt a little woozy, but pushed it away. There was class to teach! I gathered my materials, corralled my students, and began to teach. As I taught, I began to feel the unmistakable sensation of impending upchuck. I struggled, as Sisyphus does with his boulder, against the inevitable, but it was no use. At the bottom of the hour, I knew I could delay my illness no longer, and excused myself from my lesson, much to my shame. How I held it together so long I will not know; it was as if I saw myself from outside my body as it navigated the short hallway to the front desk. I informed my manager of my impending situation, and begged her to take over my lesson, which she promptly did.
I managed to get into the men's bathroom without incident, whence I proceeded to return my breakfast to the world in a manner similar to, but not quite that of, its consumption. After a few minutes I exited, and was met with the horrified stare of the assistant manager. She wished to know if I was okay. Apparently, my vocalizations were not as quiet as I had wished, and from the look on her face it was a miracle I had survived whatever trials I had undergone within the men's lavatory. I scrubbed my mouth with a dash of water from the sink in the back, along with my face. I assured her I was feeling better already, despite my pale visage and visibly shaking hands.
I sat down in the break room and tried not to move, my illness receding at a glacial pace, slow but steady. I remember my manager inquiring to my well-being. I was still unable to teach my next lesson. I felt like paper. I flopped in the breeze, and had no strength. My stomach had an unpleasantly weak feeling in it, and I knew if I tried to stand again it would not be pretty. Luckily, another teacher, a part-timer, was able to take over my next class, and I rested more. M-sensei heard of my plight, and was kind enough to buy me a soda from the vending machine in the lobby.
Rest, the open window supplying me with fresh air, and the soda (a generic un-cola) refreshed me more than I thought possible. After an hour and a half of misery, I was able to teach again. The rest of the day was somewhat touch-and-go, but in the end all was good. I kept some rice balls down for lunch and had no more difficulties for the rest of the day.
I was amazed at the kindness from my coworkers, though I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised. Teamwork and workplace harmony are number one in Japan, and this situation is something they are always prepared to handle.
At the end of the day, all was well. I bid everyone farewell after the school was cleaned and packed away for the weekend. I thanked all those involved with my rescue profusely, to their amusement, but I insisted. They had saved me big time, and I couldn't give them enough thanks.
At home, after a rain-soaked bike ride home, I rested. Dinner was rice and veggies again, always delicious and filling. I was somewhat worried of the sheer bulk of the meal, but my stomach accepted it with relish, and all was well. I made an appearance at G-Bros for a few hours, which was underscored by a call from my Mom. Yay Moms!
As an aside, before you continue reading, call your Mother. She worries about you, even if she doesn't say so. She loves you, no matter what you have done or what she's said. Unless you're a villain. Then all bets are off. But, still, tell your Mom you love her, 'cause it always makes her day.
Back on track. I had a nice evening at G-Bros, but called it in around 1AM. The day's events had left me quite drained, and I felt myself flagging before I had finished my food. My journey home was rain-soaked, but otherwise uneventful. Sleep was blissful.
Sunday July 15th
Today! It's been rainy and windy and stormy all day. A typhoon, the fourth of the year and well within the strongest category for such storms, has been moving super-slowly towards Hitachi. It's leading edge has been dumping rain and wind on the city since last night, and there's no signs of it letting up. I'm not quite sure where the actual storm is now, given my inability to find a good resource for recent satellite imagery for this side of the world, but I can safely assume it's going to be this way tomorrow.
I've spent almost the entire day in my apartment. I had plans of going out and doing stuff, but the elements outside were quite fierce, forcing me indoors. I braved the storm to procure drinks, being reduced to tap water (hydrating! but not a lot of variety for the palette) for drink choice. The winds were strong, but a resolute stance saw me to the nearest conbini and back without incident.
I got it in my head to do some computer cleaning, so I uninstalled a bunch of programs I haven't touched in months. I made some room for Neverwinter Nights, the original, hoping to get in on some old-school (wow, NWN is oldschool now...that's weird) D&D fun. I was pleased to find that my old account on Bioware's, the game's maker, website was still intact, which included my CD key. I have the disks with me, and the installation was a painless procedure. I seem to have no way to log into online games, which had been my original intention, which saddens me somewhat, but I haven't applied much brainpower to the problem yet.
I got a bit stir crazy toward the end of the daylight (such as it was). I wanted to DO something, but I was stuck indoors with access to no real materials to do with. I have no paints or markers, no wire or beads to craft with. No tools, no wood or metal. Just my computer, paper, and pens. So, I decided to write this.
And that is where you have found me. At my computer for the better part of the last two hours, writing this update.
I feel a lot better, having done something with all my energy. I think I'll do some exercises now, to add a physical component.
I don't know what I'll do tomorrow. I may study on my own, if the storm is bad. If it's light, I may go to the lesson. I may go out shopping, either here or elsewhere. I'd like to get out of the apartment, if I can.
Immediate info: there's a typhoon knocking on my door right now. I'm fine, no worries about being hurt by the storm. The mountains are absorbing the brunt of the storm's force, so Hitachi will be fine.
I've been going a bit stir-crazy, though. I ventured out during a 'light' period to grab food and drink. I'm well-stocked now, but I don't think the storm will last more than a day or two. I want to do *something* and I'm driving myself up the walls thinking of what to do. What I wouldn't give for my workshop right about now :)
ANYWAY. Back to the update of my life! From, like, a week ago.
Sunday July 8th
I needed to do some shopping. After sleeping in (oh, what a treasure that is) I got cleaned up and headed out, but not before repairing my bike. For the past two or so weeks, the rear tire has been flat. I deflated it on accident due to my inexperience with its valve system, and the fact that I haven't owned or operated a bike in nearly 10 years. I've also had a lack of free time to sit down and puzzle out how the darn thing works. However, finding myself with not much to do and a beautiful, sunny day to do it on, I managed to fix it. I thought it was tricky, but in reality it's quite simple.
You unscrew the valve a little. You clamp the bike pump's nozzle onto the valve. You start pumping. It's an ingenious double valve system; unscrewing disengages an internal rubber seal just a wee bit, so as to allow air in, but not out. Clamping the pump's nozzle creates a *second* one-way seal. You pump air through these two one-way seals, and bam, the tire has air while nothing escapes. Disengaging the whole thing is a snap, and a quick twist re-seals the bike's inner valve. I topped off the front tire, too, figuring it best to be safe rather than sorry.
I then biked for the first time in half a month. It was so very, very smooth. Like butter, as it were. I had been having some suspension (such as it was) trouble with my bike before the deflation incident, and the improved performance thanks to my maintenance makes me believe it was due to low air pressure. In short, the bike drives a *lot* better now. Still a little rattly, but it should be okay for the next little while.
I dashed down toward the station, where lay my ATM. I ran into Josh on the way down, and we decided to hang together. We both needed to do some shopping in the department stores, so we teamed up. I had heard about a sale in Ito Yokado, so we sought items of discount. To my delight, they had a sale on summer shorts. I bought two pairs of Double Large (LL) shorts. They look like they're made out of nylon. Quite comfortable, but I haven't yet tried them on for a long period of time.
That bit done, Josh and I hoofed it to Sakura City, Hitachi's other big department store. Here we bought groceries, myself purchasing snack foods for the first time in months. Nothing extravagant, but a minor indulgence. Doritos. Taco flavor. Very...interesting.
Before we bought groceries, though, something I thought to be impossible happened. Walking into the entrance of Sakura City, I spied someone reading a D&D book. In broad daylight. In Japan. I was almost at a loss for words. I dashed over and struck up a conversation, pointing enthusiastically to my t-shirt, being a D&D shirt celebrating the release of 3rd Edition. He said that he ran a game in the nearby community center, but I couldn't get a time out of him. He said that his group got together and *talked* about the game on Saturdays from 1PM to 7PM. Toward the end of our conversation we were joined by another gamer, one who could speak English astonishingly well.
I was so floored by the whole experience, I almost forgot to give my contact info. I gave the first guy my email address, but as of this writing I have heard nothing from either of them. Even remembering the encounter now, I am amazed at the sheer randomness of it all. Quite the coincidence.
After shopping, Josh and I parted ways. I rode home, eager to drop off my groceries and meet up with K. He and I had planned on making his character for my own D&D game, to be run (hopefully) before too long. Alas, he was mired deep in a recent game purchase (The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, for the DS) and was lost to me. I enjoyed a quiet evening at home, relaxing and perusing the web.
Monday July 9th
K and I had determined that this day we would make his character. Around noon, I took my laptop from its perch, placed it reverently in its case, and took it to Dotour. This was the first time my laptop had been disconnected from its steadily-growing nest of cables and peripherals. It looked naked, somehow smaller, once freed from its extra appendages. It was an interesting sight, the big blank spot on my desk where it had rested for so long.
K and I got together, and we spent the next three or so hours making his character. It's interesting to talk to someone so relatively inexperienced with tabletop gaming. Teaching someone from the ground up what it is to play a pen-and-paper RPG. Having to vocalize assumptions I've been making for almost a decade. Describing the idea of narrating the actions of one's character. To see realization spark in his face was really rewarding, and I could tell K very much wants to play. It's quite nice to find a convert so far in the wastes :)
We dashed back to our homes briefly, so as to deposit our delicate electronics. We reconvened at the usual meeting place for our weekly Japanese Lesson. Until 8 or so we talked back and forth about translations and relationships. Interesting lesson, but kind of boring to recount. We just...talk about Japanese for 3 or 4 hours.
At the end of that, there was talk of going to a Spanish restaurant nearby. The group struck out in search of delicious Spanish food, but after half an hour of wandering, we were stumped. K, Clive, and I, using both my bike and K's, scouted ahead of the group in multiple directions, but we could find no trace of the place. We decided to wrap up the weekend at G-Bros, as we so often do. Drinks were had, conversations mumbled in the smoky intimacy of the bar's warm interior.
At the end of the evening I came home and relaxed. Became inspired to play more Pokemon Diamond, thanks to chats with one of my brothers (Chris) and played that until I slept.
Tuesday July 10th
My lessons have finally looped. Some of my lessons are on a 3(ish) month schedule, and I finally completed my first loop. Nealy 3/4 of the materials I've planned I can use again, and thus my work load has been greatly reduced. I prepared for the entire week in the space of one afternoon, to my undying delight.
Wednesday July 11th
6 lessons, but still prepped for everything. Yay!
Thursday July 12th
Slightly lighter than normal. Only 4 classes, thanks to a cancellation.
Friday July 13th
I just realized this was Friday the 13th. It makes sense, now. After work, which was nice and light again, I went to B.B.A. to hang with Josh for the evening. The plan was to play Guilty Gear and have a few adult beverages. Alas, Josh had forgotten the game at home, but there was plenty of beer to be had. Also, a Brazilian guy.
I met a gentleman, currently a middleman in the car parts business, named Scandalari. I couldn't make up a more fascinating character. He's 42 years old and has been everywhere. He claimed to have traveled all over Europe, and he routinely backpacks throughout Southeast Asia. He's got a vacation planned that will take him across Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand over the course of a month or so. He is also a licensed pilot. He speaks English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian (that I know of; he could speak more).
We talked for quite some time, comparing life experiences, talking of our respective travels. Sharing our love of Paris, a city we both had been to and both loved. Then he told me his parents were Italian, to which I responded with my own claim to Sicilian blood. It was as if I had offered him my first born son, who was made of gold. A big smile broke out over his face, and he shook my hand with renewed vigor, overjoyed to have found a distant Italian cousin, a thousand times removed, in this foreign land.
He bought me several drinks, to toast our mutual heritage. Much merriment was had, and much alcohol was consumed. Much. Like, far more than I usually have. Midnight rolled around, and I politely bowed out, citing my legitimate need for sleep, as I worked the next morning. I bid the gathered farewell, and biked, wobbly but competently, home. I took a few Ibuprofin and downed a tall glass of water, trusting my liver to process the alcohol in my system before work in the morning.
Oh, folly! Oh, hubris! Oh, intestinal fortitude, how I beg your forgiveness! What was to begin with that night of enjoyment was to become a tragedy of truly Greek proportions.
Well, not *that* bad. Everyone's still alive and no gods had to step in and fix everything. Still, it wasn't very pleasant.
Saturday July 14th
I awoke, probably around 3AM or so, quite dizzy. I felt the cold sweat of nausea roil its way across my flesh, and knew what had to be done. Carefully, gingerly, I made my way to my bathroom, and knew the trauma/relief of regurgitation. I felt almost immediately better, thinking the worst was behind me. I brushed my teeth and was asleep almost instantly.
I awoke with my alarm at 8AM, on time. I leaped up, feeling pretty good about the day. I was slightly dizzy and without balance, but I thought little of it. I had a hearty breakfast of the last of my cheese and bread, believing the previous night's trauma to be the end of my woes.
I biked (boke?) to work, arriving early. Felt a little woozy, but pushed it away. There was class to teach! I gathered my materials, corralled my students, and began to teach. As I taught, I began to feel the unmistakable sensation of impending upchuck. I struggled, as Sisyphus does with his boulder, against the inevitable, but it was no use. At the bottom of the hour, I knew I could delay my illness no longer, and excused myself from my lesson, much to my shame. How I held it together so long I will not know; it was as if I saw myself from outside my body as it navigated the short hallway to the front desk. I informed my manager of my impending situation, and begged her to take over my lesson, which she promptly did.
I managed to get into the men's bathroom without incident, whence I proceeded to return my breakfast to the world in a manner similar to, but not quite that of, its consumption. After a few minutes I exited, and was met with the horrified stare of the assistant manager. She wished to know if I was okay. Apparently, my vocalizations were not as quiet as I had wished, and from the look on her face it was a miracle I had survived whatever trials I had undergone within the men's lavatory. I scrubbed my mouth with a dash of water from the sink in the back, along with my face. I assured her I was feeling better already, despite my pale visage and visibly shaking hands.
I sat down in the break room and tried not to move, my illness receding at a glacial pace, slow but steady. I remember my manager inquiring to my well-being. I was still unable to teach my next lesson. I felt like paper. I flopped in the breeze, and had no strength. My stomach had an unpleasantly weak feeling in it, and I knew if I tried to stand again it would not be pretty. Luckily, another teacher, a part-timer, was able to take over my next class, and I rested more. M-sensei heard of my plight, and was kind enough to buy me a soda from the vending machine in the lobby.
Rest, the open window supplying me with fresh air, and the soda (a generic un-cola) refreshed me more than I thought possible. After an hour and a half of misery, I was able to teach again. The rest of the day was somewhat touch-and-go, but in the end all was good. I kept some rice balls down for lunch and had no more difficulties for the rest of the day.
I was amazed at the kindness from my coworkers, though I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised. Teamwork and workplace harmony are number one in Japan, and this situation is something they are always prepared to handle.
At the end of the day, all was well. I bid everyone farewell after the school was cleaned and packed away for the weekend. I thanked all those involved with my rescue profusely, to their amusement, but I insisted. They had saved me big time, and I couldn't give them enough thanks.
At home, after a rain-soaked bike ride home, I rested. Dinner was rice and veggies again, always delicious and filling. I was somewhat worried of the sheer bulk of the meal, but my stomach accepted it with relish, and all was well. I made an appearance at G-Bros for a few hours, which was underscored by a call from my Mom. Yay Moms!
As an aside, before you continue reading, call your Mother. She worries about you, even if she doesn't say so. She loves you, no matter what you have done or what she's said. Unless you're a villain. Then all bets are off. But, still, tell your Mom you love her, 'cause it always makes her day.
Back on track. I had a nice evening at G-Bros, but called it in around 1AM. The day's events had left me quite drained, and I felt myself flagging before I had finished my food. My journey home was rain-soaked, but otherwise uneventful. Sleep was blissful.
Sunday July 15th
Today! It's been rainy and windy and stormy all day. A typhoon, the fourth of the year and well within the strongest category for such storms, has been moving super-slowly towards Hitachi. It's leading edge has been dumping rain and wind on the city since last night, and there's no signs of it letting up. I'm not quite sure where the actual storm is now, given my inability to find a good resource for recent satellite imagery for this side of the world, but I can safely assume it's going to be this way tomorrow.
I've spent almost the entire day in my apartment. I had plans of going out and doing stuff, but the elements outside were quite fierce, forcing me indoors. I braved the storm to procure drinks, being reduced to tap water (hydrating! but not a lot of variety for the palette) for drink choice. The winds were strong, but a resolute stance saw me to the nearest conbini and back without incident.
I got it in my head to do some computer cleaning, so I uninstalled a bunch of programs I haven't touched in months. I made some room for Neverwinter Nights, the original, hoping to get in on some old-school (wow, NWN is oldschool now...that's weird) D&D fun. I was pleased to find that my old account on Bioware's, the game's maker, website was still intact, which included my CD key. I have the disks with me, and the installation was a painless procedure. I seem to have no way to log into online games, which had been my original intention, which saddens me somewhat, but I haven't applied much brainpower to the problem yet.
I got a bit stir crazy toward the end of the daylight (such as it was). I wanted to DO something, but I was stuck indoors with access to no real materials to do with. I have no paints or markers, no wire or beads to craft with. No tools, no wood or metal. Just my computer, paper, and pens. So, I decided to write this.
And that is where you have found me. At my computer for the better part of the last two hours, writing this update.
I feel a lot better, having done something with all my energy. I think I'll do some exercises now, to add a physical component.
I don't know what I'll do tomorrow. I may study on my own, if the storm is bad. If it's light, I may go to the lesson. I may go out shopping, either here or elsewhere. I'd like to get out of the apartment, if I can.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
*rumble* hehe
J76 Sunday, June 3rd 2007
Wee earthquakes! Yesterday and the day before Hitachi was subject to three little earthquakes, though the last one was by far the strongest I've felt since I've come to Japan. I've experienced about 7 earthquakes, that I remember, though my students have claimed to feel some that I haven't.
Earthquakes are different in Japan than in California. Japanese earthquakes are slightly more gentle, with a side-to-side motion rather than an up-down motion. Of course, this is being 'gentle' on a geolithic scale, so they can still feel pretty violent. No worries, though; all the ones I've been through have been quite calm.
So, yesterday was Saturday, the day of Doom. I'll tell you about them, now.
Saturdays are the busy day. The final push. They're for all the people that don't have time during the working week to come in to class. People who miss classes during the week can usually make them up on Saturdays, too. What results is an early, super-busy day. I had 7 classes yesterday, starting at 10 AM. Remember how I normally get into work between 11:30 and 12:30? Yeah, not on Saturday.
My day starts off with 4 classes in a row. Then I get an hour break. Then another two classes back-to-back, and finally my last class. Everything ends at 7, at which point we do our cleaning and prep-for-tomorrow stuff again, and then dash off to enjoy Saturday night. My weekends are Sunday/Monday, but my weekend truly begins after work on Saturday. Imagine the excitement of both Friday and Saturday night, crammed into one.
What do I do on my weekends? I'm glad you asked! Saturday night is usually spent at the local gyoza bar, G-Bros. Gyoza are Japanese dumplings; filled with any number of delicious meats and/or veggies, they can be steamed, boiled, grilled, or fried. G-Bros. is run by two brothers, Hiro and Tomo, who are both bikers. Hiro speaks pretty good English, and Tomo is learning thanks in part to the number of foreigners that hang out there. It's our go-to spot, our fall back. It's the place all we foreigners know and love and can meet at, come rain or shine. The hosts are friendly and welcoming.
It took me a few weeks to haul my butt down to G-Bros., mostly due to exhaustion. But once I had recuperated from my lessons, I took a trip with M-sensei there, and was blown away. It was just so awesome. They have a great big plasma TV, usually tuned to an international MTV-like channel with no VJs, just music videos. You can order all sorts of American, European, and Japanese beverages. I've embraced Japanese beer (a variety of alcohol I thought I would never like) and I've even come to like Guinness. They serve a mean caesar salad (my usual dish) but the gyoza is what I really love.
I have many favorites. Chicken and onion is tasty. Super garlic is amazing. Pork and kim-chee is rapidly becoming my favorite. But the king that sits upon the throne has to be their Apple Pie Gyoza. I swear to God. They stuff little gyoza skins with home-made apple pie filling, fry them so the skins become like pie crust, then serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, a side of apple goo, and the whole thing is sprinkled with cinnamon. Indescribable in its deliciousness.
The gang I hang with is a diverse group. K is sort of the leader, having been here nearly the longest. He's from Manchester, UK, and works for an English school called Geos. Dan, an ex-restaurant owner-now-surfer is from Australia, also in Geos. Clive, who got to Hitachi my third week here, is from South London, and works at Nova. There's Pura and Gina, Nova teacher roomies from the States (Florida and somewhere else, I think). Ginie and Claire, also Nova teacher roomies (from somewhere and Glasgow, Scottland). Claire is almost the newest teacher, just barely being beaten by Clive's new roomie Matt, from Canada (also a Nova teacher). And, of course, M-sensei, my co worker, from Detroit, then Arizona, and finally Seattle.
After we have a grand old time drinking and talking and relaxing, I usually head home around 1 or 2 AM. Some nights we've done things as a group. We played Capture the Flag when E.J. was here one Saturday night. Last night the gang went to Mito to go clubbing, but I had other plans, plus a burning need to actually get 8 hours of sleep. I relaxed at home by myself for the first time in nearly a month last night, and I feel about 10 times better for it.
It's 11:30 AM now, and I want to get out of the apartment. There's a martial arts gym to the north of town that I want to check out, and I'm feeling up and at-em for a good bike ride. I am a bit hungry, though, so I'll probably grab a small breakfast at a convenience store (shortened to conbini in Japanese slang).
I've gotten to missing a lot of my old life. Nothing too weepy or soul-crushing, but I'll remember something I used to do and miss it a little, from time to time. I wish I could find some good crafting materials, just to keep my skills up. What I wouldn't give for my craft boxes; my yards of leather and nylon line, my beads and trinkets and clasps.
And now, an Old Journal post! Amazing!
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Tuesday, February 27th 2007 at 11:50AM]
J5.0
Miyagi-taicho (taicho = captain/boss) is here. The president of my company, the founder. On the rare occasion that I would see a Japanese business man in Atlanta, I would always get an odd vibe from them. One almost of serenity, of inscrutability. I guess that's a cultural aspect the Japanese have cultivated through the ages, because I certainly feel that now. Miyagi-taicho is very...present. When he's in the room all eyes fall to him. He gave a speech about our duties as teachers and what was important in our jobs. Mostly a lot of boring corp-speak, but some of it was interesting. Especially the time when he demonstrated his chi flow.
Chi (pronounced "ki" or "key") is an Asian metaphysical concept, namely that within us flows energy that can be manipulated. It can influence our mood, and vice versa. Crazy martial artists claim they can leap tall buildings and punch through walls using chi, but mostly the theories and practices are about mental and physical balance and health. Miyagi-taicho demonstrated how his chi flow changed his body, and he claimed, both his attitude and the attitude of anyone he was teaching. It was...different. He would say a phrase that was either negative or positive, and then have one of the trainees push him. If he said something negative ("I hate you.") his body became easy to push. If he said something positive ("I love you.") his body became resilient and immobile. The trainee who pushed him swore he didn't feel Miyagi-taicho's body change in any way during the demonstration.
Spoooooooooooky.
I teach tonight...
J5.1
My first teaching assignment is a success! I instructed 5 Japanese women through a basic lesson. I was amazed that they were actually learning what I taught them, even though I only had them for less than an hour. Amazing!
[EDITOR: I'm putting a few days in this post 'cause these entries were a little small. Training was kind of boring....until the last weekend ;) MORE FORESHADOWING!]
[Original day written: Wednesday, February 28th 2007 at 12:00AM]
J6.0
Went to McDonald's for the first time in Japan. Had a Whopper. Same as an American Whopper. Tried to get online, but the wireless...didn't work. Or something; the staff wasn't able to help me. Jeff tried the MegaMac, a burger that is literally two Whoppers stacked on top of one another:
Later, we went to a Japanese Starbucks and had coffee (I had hot chocolate) while we did our homework. We all got back at different times. I had some free time, so I finished reading Perdido Street Station. [EDITOR: I'll have a book review on this sometime in the future.]
[Original day written: Thursday, March 1st 2007]
J7.0
[EDITOR: This entry was just lots of training notes. I hadn't settled on a format that I liked for my entries, yet. Included for temporal consistency.]
[Original day written: Friday, March 2nd 2007]
J8.0
Today is my final day in training. It's the ultimate test: I will teach a full lesson to actual students. I've studied, I've memorized, I've tried to do my best to remember everything I've been taught this past week. I think I'm ready. I just need to remember to go with the flow and just teach. It's not hard.
J8.1
Success! My lesson is taught! I totally kicked butt! It was an intermediate level lesson about food. I followed the steps and tried to remember to smile. The students had a great time, and they learned something, too. I feel great!
The other trainees want to go out to Roppongi. Roppongi is the night club area of Tokyo. I'm not one for clubbing, and both Brain and Tara gagged when I mentioned the name; neither of them like it very much. I've been thinking of getting in touch with Tom Culpepper and hanging out with him for a while.
J8.2
They're gone to parts unknown. Time to make calls!
J8.3
This is taking a while...
J8.4
Plans are made! I grab a taxi to the train station! I barely make my train! I take it to the middle of no where and wait for a bus! The bus takes me further out into nowhere, perhaps on the other side of it! I get off at the place I was instructed, and wait in the cold for Tom. He says he's walking to me. 45 minutes later I see him, decked out in his aloha shirt and leather jacket and khakis and hat, like I'd seen him the day he left (minus the jacket).
[EDITOR: This is from the next day, but I like the shot and it's essentially what he was wearing. Plus is was cold.]
We hiked back to his place, grabbing some dinner for me at the nearby (and I use the term loosely) conbini. I chowed down and we hit the hay. Tomorrow we will take a tour of Ota, the town where Tom has lived for the past year, and then go into Tokyo to see Harajuku.
Wee earthquakes! Yesterday and the day before Hitachi was subject to three little earthquakes, though the last one was by far the strongest I've felt since I've come to Japan. I've experienced about 7 earthquakes, that I remember, though my students have claimed to feel some that I haven't.
Earthquakes are different in Japan than in California. Japanese earthquakes are slightly more gentle, with a side-to-side motion rather than an up-down motion. Of course, this is being 'gentle' on a geolithic scale, so they can still feel pretty violent. No worries, though; all the ones I've been through have been quite calm.
So, yesterday was Saturday, the day of Doom. I'll tell you about them, now.
Saturdays are the busy day. The final push. They're for all the people that don't have time during the working week to come in to class. People who miss classes during the week can usually make them up on Saturdays, too. What results is an early, super-busy day. I had 7 classes yesterday, starting at 10 AM. Remember how I normally get into work between 11:30 and 12:30? Yeah, not on Saturday.
My day starts off with 4 classes in a row. Then I get an hour break. Then another two classes back-to-back, and finally my last class. Everything ends at 7, at which point we do our cleaning and prep-for-tomorrow stuff again, and then dash off to enjoy Saturday night. My weekends are Sunday/Monday, but my weekend truly begins after work on Saturday. Imagine the excitement of both Friday and Saturday night, crammed into one.
What do I do on my weekends? I'm glad you asked! Saturday night is usually spent at the local gyoza bar, G-Bros. Gyoza are Japanese dumplings; filled with any number of delicious meats and/or veggies, they can be steamed, boiled, grilled, or fried. G-Bros. is run by two brothers, Hiro and Tomo, who are both bikers. Hiro speaks pretty good English, and Tomo is learning thanks in part to the number of foreigners that hang out there. It's our go-to spot, our fall back. It's the place all we foreigners know and love and can meet at, come rain or shine. The hosts are friendly and welcoming.
It took me a few weeks to haul my butt down to G-Bros., mostly due to exhaustion. But once I had recuperated from my lessons, I took a trip with M-sensei there, and was blown away. It was just so awesome. They have a great big plasma TV, usually tuned to an international MTV-like channel with no VJs, just music videos. You can order all sorts of American, European, and Japanese beverages. I've embraced Japanese beer (a variety of alcohol I thought I would never like) and I've even come to like Guinness. They serve a mean caesar salad (my usual dish) but the gyoza is what I really love.
I have many favorites. Chicken and onion is tasty. Super garlic is amazing. Pork and kim-chee is rapidly becoming my favorite. But the king that sits upon the throne has to be their Apple Pie Gyoza. I swear to God. They stuff little gyoza skins with home-made apple pie filling, fry them so the skins become like pie crust, then serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, a side of apple goo, and the whole thing is sprinkled with cinnamon. Indescribable in its deliciousness.
The gang I hang with is a diverse group. K is sort of the leader, having been here nearly the longest. He's from Manchester, UK, and works for an English school called Geos. Dan, an ex-restaurant owner-now-surfer is from Australia, also in Geos. Clive, who got to Hitachi my third week here, is from South London, and works at Nova. There's Pura and Gina, Nova teacher roomies from the States (Florida and somewhere else, I think). Ginie and Claire, also Nova teacher roomies (from somewhere and Glasgow, Scottland). Claire is almost the newest teacher, just barely being beaten by Clive's new roomie Matt, from Canada (also a Nova teacher). And, of course, M-sensei, my co worker, from Detroit, then Arizona, and finally Seattle.
After we have a grand old time drinking and talking and relaxing, I usually head home around 1 or 2 AM. Some nights we've done things as a group. We played Capture the Flag when E.J. was here one Saturday night. Last night the gang went to Mito to go clubbing, but I had other plans, plus a burning need to actually get 8 hours of sleep. I relaxed at home by myself for the first time in nearly a month last night, and I feel about 10 times better for it.
It's 11:30 AM now, and I want to get out of the apartment. There's a martial arts gym to the north of town that I want to check out, and I'm feeling up and at-em for a good bike ride. I am a bit hungry, though, so I'll probably grab a small breakfast at a convenience store (shortened to conbini in Japanese slang).
I've gotten to missing a lot of my old life. Nothing too weepy or soul-crushing, but I'll remember something I used to do and miss it a little, from time to time. I wish I could find some good crafting materials, just to keep my skills up. What I wouldn't give for my craft boxes; my yards of leather and nylon line, my beads and trinkets and clasps.
And now, an Old Journal post! Amazing!
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Tuesday, February 27th 2007 at 11:50AM]
J5.0
Miyagi-taicho (taicho = captain/boss) is here. The president of my company, the founder. On the rare occasion that I would see a Japanese business man in Atlanta, I would always get an odd vibe from them. One almost of serenity, of inscrutability. I guess that's a cultural aspect the Japanese have cultivated through the ages, because I certainly feel that now. Miyagi-taicho is very...present. When he's in the room all eyes fall to him. He gave a speech about our duties as teachers and what was important in our jobs. Mostly a lot of boring corp-speak, but some of it was interesting. Especially the time when he demonstrated his chi flow.
Chi (pronounced "ki" or "key") is an Asian metaphysical concept, namely that within us flows energy that can be manipulated. It can influence our mood, and vice versa. Crazy martial artists claim they can leap tall buildings and punch through walls using chi, but mostly the theories and practices are about mental and physical balance and health. Miyagi-taicho demonstrated how his chi flow changed his body, and he claimed, both his attitude and the attitude of anyone he was teaching. It was...different. He would say a phrase that was either negative or positive, and then have one of the trainees push him. If he said something negative ("I hate you.") his body became easy to push. If he said something positive ("I love you.") his body became resilient and immobile. The trainee who pushed him swore he didn't feel Miyagi-taicho's body change in any way during the demonstration.
Spoooooooooooky.
I teach tonight...
J5.1
My first teaching assignment is a success! I instructed 5 Japanese women through a basic lesson. I was amazed that they were actually learning what I taught them, even though I only had them for less than an hour. Amazing!
[EDITOR: I'm putting a few days in this post 'cause these entries were a little small. Training was kind of boring....until the last weekend ;) MORE FORESHADOWING!]
[Original day written: Wednesday, February 28th 2007 at 12:00AM]
J6.0
Went to McDonald's for the first time in Japan. Had a Whopper. Same as an American Whopper. Tried to get online, but the wireless...didn't work. Or something; the staff wasn't able to help me. Jeff tried the MegaMac, a burger that is literally two Whoppers stacked on top of one another:
Later, we went to a Japanese Starbucks and had coffee (I had hot chocolate) while we did our homework. We all got back at different times. I had some free time, so I finished reading Perdido Street Station. [EDITOR: I'll have a book review on this sometime in the future.]
[Original day written: Thursday, March 1st 2007]
J7.0
[EDITOR: This entry was just lots of training notes. I hadn't settled on a format that I liked for my entries, yet. Included for temporal consistency.]
[Original day written: Friday, March 2nd 2007]
J8.0
Today is my final day in training. It's the ultimate test: I will teach a full lesson to actual students. I've studied, I've memorized, I've tried to do my best to remember everything I've been taught this past week. I think I'm ready. I just need to remember to go with the flow and just teach. It's not hard.
J8.1
Success! My lesson is taught! I totally kicked butt! It was an intermediate level lesson about food. I followed the steps and tried to remember to smile. The students had a great time, and they learned something, too. I feel great!
The other trainees want to go out to Roppongi. Roppongi is the night club area of Tokyo. I'm not one for clubbing, and both Brain and Tara gagged when I mentioned the name; neither of them like it very much. I've been thinking of getting in touch with Tom Culpepper and hanging out with him for a while.
J8.2
They're gone to parts unknown. Time to make calls!
J8.3
This is taking a while...
J8.4
Plans are made! I grab a taxi to the train station! I barely make my train! I take it to the middle of no where and wait for a bus! The bus takes me further out into nowhere, perhaps on the other side of it! I get off at the place I was instructed, and wait in the cold for Tom. He says he's walking to me. 45 minutes later I see him, decked out in his aloha shirt and leather jacket and khakis and hat, like I'd seen him the day he left (minus the jacket).
[EDITOR: This is from the next day, but I like the shot and it's essentially what he was wearing. Plus is was cold.]We hiked back to his place, grabbing some dinner for me at the nearby (and I use the term loosely) conbini. I chowed down and we hit the hay. Tomorrow we will take a tour of Ota, the town where Tom has lived for the past year, and then go into Tokyo to see Harajuku.
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