J75 Friday, June 1st 2007
Sorry for the long delay in posting, but, honestly, not much happens during the week around here, except my normal routine. But, then again, since I don't think I've told you what my normal routine is, now's the time.
I work about 8~9 hours a day. I work Tuesday through Saturday, with my "weekend" being Sunday and Monday. Tuesday through Saturday, I'm usually into the office between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. This varies from day to day and week to week, because my schedule is always changing. Some students come in early for a week, others cancel or reschedule. If I'm prepared for the day, I usually can come in a little later, but if not then I have to be there when the doors open so I have enough time to make sure I've got everything I need.
I have, on average, three classes in the morning and three in the evening, with a 1 to 2 hour break between them. During this break I prepare for the next day's classes, eat lunch, and generally relax. My other Foreign teacher co-worker (Let's call him M-Sensei) usually goes home during his break time, but I prefer to stay at the school in case something comes up.
Evening classes come and go, and at the end of the day I help clean the school, finish any last minute prep work, report my student's attendance, and then come home
At night I usually cook dinner whilst catching up on the Internets. My usual supper is a bowl of rice and veggie stir-fry, with a bit of soy sauce and seaweed for flavor. It's terribly good, fortifying, healthy, and filling. Just what the doctor ordered :)
My Saturdays are a bit different, but I'll get to that tomorrow....or tonight. Now, I have to get ready for my day and dash on to work.
Time waits for no one :)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Piratica Codex
J74 Monday, May 28th 2007
I just got back from a day out. Went to the beach with K, had a grand old time kicking a soccer ball around. Then we had lunch/dinner at an awesome seaside restaurant. We did some math and figured out that in order to both see Pirates III *and* get back before the trains stopped we had to see a much earlier showing than we had planned with the rest of our group.
SO, Michael, myself, K, and Greg all hopped the train and hoofed it down to Mito. We saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in English, with Japanese subtitles.
It was, without a doubt, one of the better movies I've ever seen. As a sequel, it shines. As an action movie, it explodes. As a pirate movie, it makes all the others walk the plank. My only regret is that I didn't get to see it with you :)
Afterwards, Clive and Claire joined us in Mito for a bit of dinner, and then a quick train ride back. We met a JET teacher (the first I've seen since coming to Japan) on the train and had a nice chat with him. The group wanted to hang a little while longer, so we walked to JOYCOM, the local arcade. It was closed, so we talked for nearly an hour about.....well, nothing really. The topics ranged, mostly about movies and shows. Having dressed for the beach earlier in the day and lacking time to change before going to Mito, I was still in shorts. With flip-flops. And a t-shirt. I had my photographer's vest, but it wasn't much protection against the cold. Still, I cowboyed up and took it like a man, and it wasn't that bad. I'm back at home now, desperate for some shut-eye before my follow up training tomorrow.
On a related note, since I need to be getting to sleep, I won't be posting my regularly-scheduled old journal entry tonight. Normalcy to resume in the days to come.
I just got back from a day out. Went to the beach with K, had a grand old time kicking a soccer ball around. Then we had lunch/dinner at an awesome seaside restaurant. We did some math and figured out that in order to both see Pirates III *and* get back before the trains stopped we had to see a much earlier showing than we had planned with the rest of our group.
SO, Michael, myself, K, and Greg all hopped the train and hoofed it down to Mito. We saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in English, with Japanese subtitles.
It was, without a doubt, one of the better movies I've ever seen. As a sequel, it shines. As an action movie, it explodes. As a pirate movie, it makes all the others walk the plank. My only regret is that I didn't get to see it with you :)
Afterwards, Clive and Claire joined us in Mito for a bit of dinner, and then a quick train ride back. We met a JET teacher (the first I've seen since coming to Japan) on the train and had a nice chat with him. The group wanted to hang a little while longer, so we walked to JOYCOM, the local arcade. It was closed, so we talked for nearly an hour about.....well, nothing really. The topics ranged, mostly about movies and shows. Having dressed for the beach earlier in the day and lacking time to change before going to Mito, I was still in shorts. With flip-flops. And a t-shirt. I had my photographer's vest, but it wasn't much protection against the cold. Still, I cowboyed up and took it like a man, and it wasn't that bad. I'm back at home now, desperate for some shut-eye before my follow up training tomorrow.
On a related note, since I need to be getting to sleep, I won't be posting my regularly-scheduled old journal entry tonight. Normalcy to resume in the days to come.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
J73 Sunday, May 27th 200 10:39 AM
Ahhhh, what a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I got a good night's sleep...mostly.
See, it's a funny thing, but the sun rises at 4AM around here. 4 freaking AM. Last night, after a round at G-Bros and conversation with the Gaijin Gang, I packed it in for the night. I got home and bummed around the internet for a good hour or so more. All in all, I hit the sack around 3:30 AM. The night sky was already showing a pale navy blue as the sun prepared its inevitable rising. So, to sidestep that pesky, long-running nuclear explosion, I did what I always do when I need sleep: I use my blindfold.
Its actual name I cannot remember. In Japanese, the characters that make up its name translate to "something with which to wipe your hands". It's the best handkerchief in existence. Thin enough to dry quickly, yet super-absorbent. about 20cmx100cm, it's a sizable piece of cloth, but it compacts very well. You can use it as a short length of rope, tie off anything, use it as a bandanna, blindfold or headscarf. It has a neat design, too, so it looks stylish. I got it at the Phallus Festival my first month in Hitachi (I can't wait to tell you all about that) and its been my faithful companion ever since.
Anyway, to get back to my actual journal. Yesterday was Saturday, busiest day of my week. It wasn't that bad, all things considered. I've been having a bit of a tough week because I kept coming in almost-late every day. Something would come up in the morning that delayed my exodus from my apartment. I slept too late, had some bad food the night before, spent too long checking email, that sort of thing. This next week I'll remedy the problem with a hard deadline each morning.
Today is my only weekend for these two weeks. Tomorrow I go into Tokyo for follow up training at the Head Office of my company. It's not going to be too tough, but I really wish I didn't have to give up an off day to do it.
Today I'm going to the beach to bum around, and will probably do some grocery shopping. I really, really, need to clean up my apartment. It's a bit of a mess ever since E.J. was here. Two people living in this tiny space can really make the dust pile up.
Tonight, the Gang and I are going out to see Pirates III. It's out here, with English vocals and Japanese subtitles. Here's hoping we can get there and back without any difficulty :)
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J4.0
Not a lot to report today. Training is.....training. They're teaching us a basic lesson plan that we will follow for every lesson we will teach, save special or private lessons. It's kind of cool, though I worry about boredom.
Grabbed breakfast and lunch at Lawsons. The Japanese idea of hamburger is alien to my own. First, it's not made of ground chuck. It tastes like.....fish? Kinda? Also, they don't put hamburger patties on buns. Or bread of any sort, really. Just by itself, or on a bed of rice. Very different.
My jetlag is finally fading. I woke up at 6:30AM this morning, but I slept a lot better last night than I had been.
Tomorrow we have a big day. We teach actual students for the first time, to practice our recently-acquired skills, and the president is coming. Miyagi-san (not quite his name, but very, very close) will visit us in the morning and give us a rousing speech.
J4.1
To further make me wonder about my fellow trainee's overall exposure to the world, they don't know about the Jim Jones cult from the 70s. I admit, being fascinated by them from an abnormal/social psychology fanboy point of view, I probably am in a position to know a little more than the average person about cults. BUT: to not know about "the poisoned kool-aid" as a cultural phrase gives me pause.
To be honest, none of my fellow trainees strike me as people who are interested in Japan as I am. None of them watch anime or read manga. None of them are gamers. Only one can speak Japanese, and he's been here a year. I don't think I like him that much, to be honest. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. He's always, always correcting someone about Japan. Facts or rumors or information. I really want to get along with everyone here, but he's making it difficult by being such a douche.
Ahhhh, what a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I got a good night's sleep...mostly.
See, it's a funny thing, but the sun rises at 4AM around here. 4 freaking AM. Last night, after a round at G-Bros and conversation with the Gaijin Gang, I packed it in for the night. I got home and bummed around the internet for a good hour or so more. All in all, I hit the sack around 3:30 AM. The night sky was already showing a pale navy blue as the sun prepared its inevitable rising. So, to sidestep that pesky, long-running nuclear explosion, I did what I always do when I need sleep: I use my blindfold.
Its actual name I cannot remember. In Japanese, the characters that make up its name translate to "something with which to wipe your hands". It's the best handkerchief in existence. Thin enough to dry quickly, yet super-absorbent. about 20cmx100cm, it's a sizable piece of cloth, but it compacts very well. You can use it as a short length of rope, tie off anything, use it as a bandanna, blindfold or headscarf. It has a neat design, too, so it looks stylish. I got it at the Phallus Festival my first month in Hitachi (I can't wait to tell you all about that) and its been my faithful companion ever since.
Anyway, to get back to my actual journal. Yesterday was Saturday, busiest day of my week. It wasn't that bad, all things considered. I've been having a bit of a tough week because I kept coming in almost-late every day. Something would come up in the morning that delayed my exodus from my apartment. I slept too late, had some bad food the night before, spent too long checking email, that sort of thing. This next week I'll remedy the problem with a hard deadline each morning.
Today is my only weekend for these two weeks. Tomorrow I go into Tokyo for follow up training at the Head Office of my company. It's not going to be too tough, but I really wish I didn't have to give up an off day to do it.
Today I'm going to the beach to bum around, and will probably do some grocery shopping. I really, really, need to clean up my apartment. It's a bit of a mess ever since E.J. was here. Two people living in this tiny space can really make the dust pile up.
Tonight, the Gang and I are going out to see Pirates III. It's out here, with English vocals and Japanese subtitles. Here's hoping we can get there and back without any difficulty :)
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J4.0
Not a lot to report today. Training is.....training. They're teaching us a basic lesson plan that we will follow for every lesson we will teach, save special or private lessons. It's kind of cool, though I worry about boredom.
Grabbed breakfast and lunch at Lawsons. The Japanese idea of hamburger is alien to my own. First, it's not made of ground chuck. It tastes like.....fish? Kinda? Also, they don't put hamburger patties on buns. Or bread of any sort, really. Just by itself, or on a bed of rice. Very different.
My jetlag is finally fading. I woke up at 6:30AM this morning, but I slept a lot better last night than I had been.
Tomorrow we have a big day. We teach actual students for the first time, to practice our recently-acquired skills, and the president is coming. Miyagi-san (not quite his name, but very, very close) will visit us in the morning and give us a rousing speech.
J4.1
To further make me wonder about my fellow trainee's overall exposure to the world, they don't know about the Jim Jones cult from the 70s. I admit, being fascinated by them from an abnormal/social psychology fanboy point of view, I probably am in a position to know a little more than the average person about cults. BUT: to not know about "the poisoned kool-aid" as a cultural phrase gives me pause.
To be honest, none of my fellow trainees strike me as people who are interested in Japan as I am. None of them watch anime or read manga. None of them are gamers. Only one can speak Japanese, and he's been here a year. I don't think I like him that much, to be honest. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. He's always, always correcting someone about Japan. Facts or rumors or information. I really want to get along with everyone here, but he's making it difficult by being such a douche.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Yesterday~
J72 Thursday, March 24th 2007
Thursdays are always a little tough. I usually don't have as much prep time as I normally do, thanks to a weekly meeting, and this morning I found myself getting in a tad later than I would have liked.
Nothing big to report, aside from the fact that two of my students had their last classes today. Both of them, Hiro-kun and Mo-chan, are amazing students. Mo-chan is in her last year of high school, and as such is starting to study in earnest for her college entrance exams. She won't have time enough for AEON and school. Hiro-kun is in a similar situation, only he has to study for tests that will let him become a Master's student at his university.
Both of them have good reasons, and I gave them nothing but encouraging words, but I was still a little sad to see them leave. Mo-chan even gave me a little goodbye card. It was terribly sweet.
Early morning tomorrow [EDITOR: So why are you still up, dingus?] at the university, handing out fliers and yelling at college students. Yay!
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J3.0
I'm in the Omiya train station (Omiya being the small city where the seminar house is). I walked from the seminar house to the station, taking lots of photos along the way. Snagged some LURVLY warm gloves, so now my hands are nice and toasty.
I'm at the Starbucks above the station, people watching and reading Perdido Street Station. What an amazing book! I read China Mieville's first novel, King Rat, in my Postmodernism class at GT. It was okay, but didn't find it jaw-dropping. Lisa and J.D. made mutterings that it was the best thing to happen to fiction since Scott Lynch and George R.R. Martin, but they were right twice, and thus I had to wait until I left the country before I started reading them ;)
I'm full of anpan [EDITOR: Red bean paste filled bread. Find some and eat it immediately, for it is delicious] and hot chocolate, waiting on Brain and Tara to appear from below, where the gates of the train station are in a constant state of flux. In and out, at all times, people are flowing from the turnstiles. I'm writing in this journal, which I just love to death. It's a grid-lined Moleskine that I bought at a Boarders in Atlanta for about $10. I wish I got a better pen, as the one I have now bleeds like a stuck pig, but it does alright for scratching down little notes. I'll make these better once I get the internet [EDITOR: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA GET THE INTERNET WHAT A JOKE].
There is so much art here: abstract designs and architecture is varied and constant. Tiles are laid everywhere. Everywhere there are signs of age. Some designs look to have been laid down yesterday, and not a dozen yards away is a building or a wall that dates back to the War.
J3.1
This Starbucks has played only American music. Sinatra and other 40s/50s stuff.
Every other group of young people could be a rock band. Style is EVERYTHING to the people I see. Hair in a variety of colors and styles, clothes with words, images, screens, and prints. Chains, zippers, leather, canvas, denim, laces. Everything is used, everything different.
Wish I had a "Bring Brack Brain" shirt. I wish I had another shirt, period. I've only got a grey sleeping shirt (not at all suitable for wear outside of the room) and a blue button-up short-sleeved shirt. I do laundry every day, sometimes twice a day, just to be sure I have enough clean stuff to wear. I have this Survivor/Curusoe thing going on, so that's one good thing I've got going for me.
Oh, hey, Brain!
And Tara!
J3.2
Oh, God, I am so tired. I'm at a restaurant in Harajuku [EDITOR: Cooler than you think, despite Gwen Steffani's best efforts] called the Elephant Cafe. I've been out with Brain and Tara ALL day. We ate lunch at a Hard Rock Cafe, after which we went to Akihabara [EDITOR: The first trip there of many!]. We trundled up and down the main street, going into and out of a dozen massive media stores. Every possible form of media you can think of. Books, movies, music, DVDs (T.V. shows, anime, etc.)
Tara bought a bunch of stuff (it was apparently payday yesterday for her), but I held back. I don't have a lot of money with me, so I'm waiting for my own payday and the Internet to satisfy my anime cravings [EDITOR: AHAHAHA AGAIN?] We went to Harajuku around 6 PM, where I bought a nifty scarf. It was getting a little colder, but thanks to my awesome flannel scarf my neck and face are as toasty as my gloves.
We waited for a long time for a table here at the Elephant Cafe, and even longer for service. I just want to sleep, I am so very, very tired. The other people at the table are other AEON teachers, foreigners, and.....I can't remember to write, I'm so tired. Oh, joy, we just ordered drinks.
J3.3
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thursdays are always a little tough. I usually don't have as much prep time as I normally do, thanks to a weekly meeting, and this morning I found myself getting in a tad later than I would have liked.
Nothing big to report, aside from the fact that two of my students had their last classes today. Both of them, Hiro-kun and Mo-chan, are amazing students. Mo-chan is in her last year of high school, and as such is starting to study in earnest for her college entrance exams. She won't have time enough for AEON and school. Hiro-kun is in a similar situation, only he has to study for tests that will let him become a Master's student at his university.
Both of them have good reasons, and I gave them nothing but encouraging words, but I was still a little sad to see them leave. Mo-chan even gave me a little goodbye card. It was terribly sweet.
Early morning tomorrow [EDITOR: So why are you still up, dingus?] at the university, handing out fliers and yelling at college students. Yay!
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J3.0
I'm in the Omiya train station (Omiya being the small city where the seminar house is). I walked from the seminar house to the station, taking lots of photos along the way. Snagged some LURVLY warm gloves, so now my hands are nice and toasty.
I'm at the Starbucks above the station, people watching and reading Perdido Street Station. What an amazing book! I read China Mieville's first novel, King Rat, in my Postmodernism class at GT. It was okay, but didn't find it jaw-dropping. Lisa and J.D. made mutterings that it was the best thing to happen to fiction since Scott Lynch and George R.R. Martin, but they were right twice, and thus I had to wait until I left the country before I started reading them ;)
I'm full of anpan [EDITOR: Red bean paste filled bread. Find some and eat it immediately, for it is delicious] and hot chocolate, waiting on Brain and Tara to appear from below, where the gates of the train station are in a constant state of flux. In and out, at all times, people are flowing from the turnstiles. I'm writing in this journal, which I just love to death. It's a grid-lined Moleskine that I bought at a Boarders in Atlanta for about $10. I wish I got a better pen, as the one I have now bleeds like a stuck pig, but it does alright for scratching down little notes. I'll make these better once I get the internet [EDITOR: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA GET THE INTERNET WHAT A JOKE].
There is so much art here: abstract designs and architecture is varied and constant. Tiles are laid everywhere. Everywhere there are signs of age. Some designs look to have been laid down yesterday, and not a dozen yards away is a building or a wall that dates back to the War.
J3.1
This Starbucks has played only American music. Sinatra and other 40s/50s stuff.
Every other group of young people could be a rock band. Style is EVERYTHING to the people I see. Hair in a variety of colors and styles, clothes with words, images, screens, and prints. Chains, zippers, leather, canvas, denim, laces. Everything is used, everything different.
Wish I had a "Bring Brack Brain" shirt. I wish I had another shirt, period. I've only got a grey sleeping shirt (not at all suitable for wear outside of the room) and a blue button-up short-sleeved shirt. I do laundry every day, sometimes twice a day, just to be sure I have enough clean stuff to wear. I have this Survivor/Curusoe thing going on, so that's one good thing I've got going for me.
Oh, hey, Brain!
And Tara!
J3.2
Oh, God, I am so tired. I'm at a restaurant in Harajuku [EDITOR: Cooler than you think, despite Gwen Steffani's best efforts] called the Elephant Cafe. I've been out with Brain and Tara ALL day. We ate lunch at a Hard Rock Cafe, after which we went to Akihabara [EDITOR: The first trip there of many!]. We trundled up and down the main street, going into and out of a dozen massive media stores. Every possible form of media you can think of. Books, movies, music, DVDs (T.V. shows, anime, etc.)
Tara bought a bunch of stuff (it was apparently payday yesterday for her), but I held back. I don't have a lot of money with me, so I'm waiting for my own payday and the Internet to satisfy my anime cravings [EDITOR: AHAHAHA AGAIN?] We went to Harajuku around 6 PM, where I bought a nifty scarf. It was getting a little colder, but thanks to my awesome flannel scarf my neck and face are as toasty as my gloves.
We waited for a long time for a table here at the Elephant Cafe, and even longer for service. I just want to sleep, I am so very, very tired. The other people at the table are other AEON teachers, foreigners, and.....I can't remember to write, I'm so tired. Oh, joy, we just ordered drinks.
J3.3
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Time to start posting again! Woo!
J71 Thursday, May 24th 2007
A few rules, now that life has settled somewhat:
I can't post personal information about my students or my coworkers. The contract I signed forbids it. So, I'll just be using nicknames and initials. Don't worry, there will be plenty of consistency, but I do apologize.
That being said, let's begin.
K-sensei is finally back! She's been on extended leave for a stay in the hospital. She went in the last day of Golden Week, had a procedure done, and only just now came back, nearly 3 weeks later. She's lost some weight, which is impressive because she was skinny to begin with. That combined with a new haircut made her return today a little interesting. She seems to be very energetic, though, which is good. I was beginning to miss her cheery disposition.
Speaking of weight loss, she commented that I appeared to have lost weight, as well. I must say that I agree with her. Monday, when E.J. and I went to Tokyo and met up with Tom and Brain, Tom commented on the same thing. It had only been 2 weeks since I had seen him, which really kind of shocked me. But every morning I look in the mirror and I can't help but think I'm slowly slimming. I didn't realize just how big I had gotten back in the States, but now that I think back on it I was leading an alarmingly sedentary lifestyle, filled with unhealthy food. I'm going to start biking in the morning, which will both let me explore Hitachi some more and lose even more weight. Go slimness!
I had another evaluation today, as my follow up training is this weekend, and I did much better than last time. Though she had to go home right after she observed my lesson, K-sensei said I did great. Coming from her, that was a really big complement.
Aside from that, nothing much today.
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Thursday, February 24th 2007 at 8:30AM]
J2.0
My first morning in Japan. Mike, the New Yorker-via-Hawaii, is my roommate, and he's a decent fellow. We're in a small room, maybe the size of a modest single bedroom in an apartment. Two short beds, a long desk, a small rack for hanging clothes, two closets, and a bath suite (toilet, tub, shower, and sink) are all crammed into a space that is maybe 15 feet by 10. Maybe. The bath unit is amazing. One faucet services both the sink and the tub, with a flexible metal tube transmitting water for bathing.
Mike and I walked to the nearby convenience store, Lawson's. Lawson's is a chain that is everywhere in Japan. They sell everything. Toilet products? Check. Food? Check. Snacks? Check. Drinks? Manga and magazines? DVD Rentals? More food? Booze? Check check check check check. Everything. They even sell clothes; button up shirts, underwear and socks, for the businessman who missed the last train. We snagged breakfast and walked back to the seminar house. Training starts at 9:30, goes 'till 6.
J2.1
Wherein I see just how many pictures this thing can hold.
Me in my suit. [EDITOR: This is the only suit I pulled from my stuff before I shipped it to Hitachi. It will be the only suitable garment I wear for the week I am here, aside from a single change of street clothes and a sleeping shirt.]
Crows. The crows here are the size of men. [EDITOR: Trust me. I've got a great picture with a size comparison. These things are massive.]
Holographic 500 yen coins. Neat!
Vending machine in the lobby. Delicious Coke!
J2.2
Are they all luddites? None of my fellow trainees know what a 'blog' is. Also, it is very windy here. [EDITOR: This is the understatement of the year. The wind actively hates you and wants you to die.]
J2.3
We went out on the town after training, eager to take in out new surroundings. I had my trusty leather jacket with me, but the cold bit right through to my painfully thin shirt. We went to a restaurant....Wabi Wabi, maybe? I can't remember. It was like a tapas place; lots of cheap, small dishes, which is a great way to sample Japanese cuisine. We sat down at a low Japanese-style table, after locking out shoes in little wooden boxes at the front door, and proceeded to dig in. Across from us were these dudes...these.....dudes....
So, they were having a great time. Eating, drinking, smoking, laughing and joking; these guys were out on the town and having a good time. One of them had a bottle of....something. I couldn't see it, but it was green. The bottle wasn't interesting, though. It cap was...or should I say caps. See, they obviously loved this brand of alcohol, because they had glued, taped, and stapled every cap from every bottle of it they had ever drunk into a Seussian tower that wobbled dangerously any time someone unscrewed it for a pull. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, it was just so cool.
Eventually, one of them said hi in the little English he knew. We struck up a conversation, our table and theirs. One's nickname was Potato. Another was Dinosaur (he was loud and awesome). They asked us what we were doing, to which one of our number blurted "Greenpeace". They laughed and winked and got the idea that we didn't want our occupations known, for fear of discovery by our omnipotent superiors...well, some of my group didn't. I didn't think it mattered all that much that a group of fun-loving drunks knew we were English teachers, but I was the silent minority.
Potato regaled us with his love and respect for the West, saying he held in his heart both emotions for America and Canada, the lands of our group's births. The smokers of my training group marveled at the packs of Lucky Strikes our Oriental counterparts were enjoying. Lucky Strikes are not sold in America, and have become somewhat legendary there, or so I was led to believe. I find it hard to swallow that America has banned a cigarette brand that is sold elsewhere in the first world, but then again I'm not a smoker [EDITOR: Not yet! Haha, foreshadowing!]
Finally, we packed it in for the night. Tomorrow, Sunday the 25th, is to be our first off day. An entire day that I will spend checking out Japan. Plans are afoot to contact Brain and Tara and gallivant around the nation with them tomorrow. Moo hoo ha ha.
A few rules, now that life has settled somewhat:
I can't post personal information about my students or my coworkers. The contract I signed forbids it. So, I'll just be using nicknames and initials. Don't worry, there will be plenty of consistency, but I do apologize.
That being said, let's begin.
K-sensei is finally back! She's been on extended leave for a stay in the hospital. She went in the last day of Golden Week, had a procedure done, and only just now came back, nearly 3 weeks later. She's lost some weight, which is impressive because she was skinny to begin with. That combined with a new haircut made her return today a little interesting. She seems to be very energetic, though, which is good. I was beginning to miss her cheery disposition.
Speaking of weight loss, she commented that I appeared to have lost weight, as well. I must say that I agree with her. Monday, when E.J. and I went to Tokyo and met up with Tom and Brain, Tom commented on the same thing. It had only been 2 weeks since I had seen him, which really kind of shocked me. But every morning I look in the mirror and I can't help but think I'm slowly slimming. I didn't realize just how big I had gotten back in the States, but now that I think back on it I was leading an alarmingly sedentary lifestyle, filled with unhealthy food. I'm going to start biking in the morning, which will both let me explore Hitachi some more and lose even more weight. Go slimness!
I had another evaluation today, as my follow up training is this weekend, and I did much better than last time. Though she had to go home right after she observed my lesson, K-sensei said I did great. Coming from her, that was a really big complement.
Aside from that, nothing much today.
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Thursday, February 24th 2007 at 8:30AM]
J2.0
My first morning in Japan. Mike, the New Yorker-via-Hawaii, is my roommate, and he's a decent fellow. We're in a small room, maybe the size of a modest single bedroom in an apartment. Two short beds, a long desk, a small rack for hanging clothes, two closets, and a bath suite (toilet, tub, shower, and sink) are all crammed into a space that is maybe 15 feet by 10. Maybe. The bath unit is amazing. One faucet services both the sink and the tub, with a flexible metal tube transmitting water for bathing.
Mike and I walked to the nearby convenience store, Lawson's. Lawson's is a chain that is everywhere in Japan. They sell everything. Toilet products? Check. Food? Check. Snacks? Check. Drinks? Manga and magazines? DVD Rentals? More food? Booze? Check check check check check. Everything. They even sell clothes; button up shirts, underwear and socks, for the businessman who missed the last train. We snagged breakfast and walked back to the seminar house. Training starts at 9:30, goes 'till 6.
J2.1
Wherein I see just how many pictures this thing can hold.
Me in my suit. [EDITOR: This is the only suit I pulled from my stuff before I shipped it to Hitachi. It will be the only suitable garment I wear for the week I am here, aside from a single change of street clothes and a sleeping shirt.]
Crows. The crows here are the size of men. [EDITOR: Trust me. I've got a great picture with a size comparison. These things are massive.]
Holographic 500 yen coins. Neat!
Vending machine in the lobby. Delicious Coke!
J2.2
Are they all luddites? None of my fellow trainees know what a 'blog' is. Also, it is very windy here. [EDITOR: This is the understatement of the year. The wind actively hates you and wants you to die.]
J2.3
We went out on the town after training, eager to take in out new surroundings. I had my trusty leather jacket with me, but the cold bit right through to my painfully thin shirt. We went to a restaurant....Wabi Wabi, maybe? I can't remember. It was like a tapas place; lots of cheap, small dishes, which is a great way to sample Japanese cuisine. We sat down at a low Japanese-style table, after locking out shoes in little wooden boxes at the front door, and proceeded to dig in. Across from us were these dudes...these.....dudes....
So, they were having a great time. Eating, drinking, smoking, laughing and joking; these guys were out on the town and having a good time. One of them had a bottle of....something. I couldn't see it, but it was green. The bottle wasn't interesting, though. It cap was...or should I say caps. See, they obviously loved this brand of alcohol, because they had glued, taped, and stapled every cap from every bottle of it they had ever drunk into a Seussian tower that wobbled dangerously any time someone unscrewed it for a pull. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, it was just so cool.
Eventually, one of them said hi in the little English he knew. We struck up a conversation, our table and theirs. One's nickname was Potato. Another was Dinosaur (he was loud and awesome). They asked us what we were doing, to which one of our number blurted "Greenpeace". They laughed and winked and got the idea that we didn't want our occupations known, for fear of discovery by our omnipotent superiors...well, some of my group didn't. I didn't think it mattered all that much that a group of fun-loving drunks knew we were English teachers, but I was the silent minority.
Potato regaled us with his love and respect for the West, saying he held in his heart both emotions for America and Canada, the lands of our group's births. The smokers of my training group marveled at the packs of Lucky Strikes our Oriental counterparts were enjoying. Lucky Strikes are not sold in America, and have become somewhat legendary there, or so I was led to believe. I find it hard to swallow that America has banned a cigarette brand that is sold elsewhere in the first world, but then again I'm not a smoker [EDITOR: Not yet! Haha, foreshadowing!]
Finally, we packed it in for the night. Tomorrow, Sunday the 25th, is to be our first off day. An entire day that I will spend checking out Japan. Plans are afoot to contact Brain and Tara and gallivant around the nation with them tomorrow. Moo hoo ha ha.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Aaaaaand....he's gone
J70 Tuesday, May 22nd 2007
Damn. Just when I was getting used to having E.J. around, he up and leaves :)
My brother is now on a bus trundling its way south. By now he is probably past Mito. In 30 or 40 minutes, he'll probably see my favorite site in all of Japan; a massive range of mountains that juts up from the rocky flatland like a wall of green stone. These mountains are both huge and close to the roads and rails. They rear up like ponderous giants, and it is these mountains that finally make me understand the anthropomorphisms so commonly attributed to the bones of the world; patience, wisdom, and a sense of life far beyond mortal reckoning.
But, those are the mountains. This post is about E.J. He came two Fridays ago to Hitachi, taking a flight route similar to the one that brought me here. He then took a bus from the airport in Narita to Hitachi, where I met him after work. I walked him home, and we both crashed. The next day was Saturday, the busiest day of my week, and I had to leave him at the apartment with my keys.
I will edit this post with further information about our adventures and times in Japan together, but I have to get ready for work now. I think I will try to post both in the evenings and in the mornings, given the large gulfs of time available to me in the former. Or is it the latter? I can never keep those straight. I have lots of time in the mornings.
E.J. and I lived in the same house for most of our lives. When I left for college, he was always close by. I even moved back home for a year, and lived with he and my mom while I went to school. After graduating, I would still see him usually at least once a week. I didn't realize how much I had missed his presence in my life until he came here.
I got the bus driver to take a picture of us just before he got on.
This is me trying very hard not to cry.
Damn. Just when I was getting used to having E.J. around, he up and leaves :)
My brother is now on a bus trundling its way south. By now he is probably past Mito. In 30 or 40 minutes, he'll probably see my favorite site in all of Japan; a massive range of mountains that juts up from the rocky flatland like a wall of green stone. These mountains are both huge and close to the roads and rails. They rear up like ponderous giants, and it is these mountains that finally make me understand the anthropomorphisms so commonly attributed to the bones of the world; patience, wisdom, and a sense of life far beyond mortal reckoning.
But, those are the mountains. This post is about E.J. He came two Fridays ago to Hitachi, taking a flight route similar to the one that brought me here. He then took a bus from the airport in Narita to Hitachi, where I met him after work. I walked him home, and we both crashed. The next day was Saturday, the busiest day of my week, and I had to leave him at the apartment with my keys.
I will edit this post with further information about our adventures and times in Japan together, but I have to get ready for work now. I think I will try to post both in the evenings and in the mornings, given the large gulfs of time available to me in the former. Or is it the latter? I can never keep those straight. I have lots of time in the mornings.
E.J. and I lived in the same house for most of our lives. When I left for college, he was always close by. I even moved back home for a year, and lived with he and my mom while I went to school. After graduating, I would still see him usually at least once a week. I didn't realize how much I had missed his presence in my life until he came here.
I got the bus driver to take a picture of us just before he got on.
This is me trying very hard not to cry.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Yet another fast post
J60 Wednesday, May 11th 2007
I've been a bit busier than I thought I would be, which is why I don't have too many posts here now. I promise I'll update this more often; I've got lots of things to share with everyone.
But, for now, I must be off!
Away!
I've been a bit busier than I thought I would be, which is why I don't have too many posts here now. I promise I'll update this more often; I've got lots of things to share with everyone.
But, for now, I must be off!
Away!
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