It's Golden Week!
I'm still not exactly clear as to what that means. I'm pretty sure it's a week off for a slew of public holidays that happen to fall in succession celebrating either nature or people like citizens and boys. The important thing is that I have a week off despite not being a tree or a citizen or a boy.
During the holiday I've accomplished many things so far such as:
-sleeping in
-repeatedly cluttering up my apartment
-tidying up my apartment subsequent to aforementioned cluttering of
-ending my sentences with prepositions
-standing on my balcony and holding my hand out to check if it's raining
The last point is necessary because I can't ever tell. It's normally overcast so that's no indicator. I'm not on the top floor so I have no roof with which to hear raindrops and similarly don't live near the ground so I can't hear there either. My balcony is covered so it's dry and it rains on and off a lot so I probably just shouldn't care but I like to be in the know about these things. It's times like these I wish I had an old battle wound on my forehead that acted up whenever a storm was a-brewin'.
On Saturday I got a cell phone. Shamefully I did NOT follow through on my repeated proclamations of getting the most obnoxious one I could find, glo-colored, dripping with charms, with an insufferable j-pop influenced ring tone. Instead it is sleek and black but I WILL get at least one charm. And I'll make it annoying. Happy? Damn right.
Sunday was spent with very good people and a melange of activities. First an international festival near the bluebells at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park (which means nothing, I just think the name is impressive). Then learned card games (including one with tricks and trumps -- family members, I think I might once again be ready to try to learn pinochle if my previous failures have been forgiven yet). Then to bowling where they were playing the entire NIN video catalog which isn't exactly hooray happy fun bowling time imagery but I liked anyway. The evening ended with my first jaunt into karaoke which is fun and addicting Japanese-style compared to annoying and anxiety-inducing American-style.
Also a drunk Japanese (natch) guy bought us all a bar snack that looked like sea slugs and while I've been very open to trying various foods (intestine soup included) this was just a little too much for the moment so I named the one that I didn't hide in my napkin Harold and thanked him (the guy, not Harold -- if anything, Harold should have been thanking me.)
Yesterday was more low-key. I lounged and read, journaled and didn't do my dishes. The most notable thing I did was go grocery shopping at last. (Why, why do I hate it SO MUCH?) Things to note:
-jelly of any variety costs about 450 (over four dollars) yen for a tiny tiny (like gourmet-sized) jar
-bread is sold in slices of five and it's so thick and glutenous and doesn't agree with my insides -- I found wheat bread that seemed thinner finally but it is three slices for 105 yen (about a dollar)
-apples, while about twice the size of ours, are sold in ones or threes at over 200 yen a piece
-actually all produce is crazy expensive.
I'm not really complaining, I'm sure everywhere has price differences and the produce is likely seasonal, etc. etc. Just logging some differences.
Wait I changed my mind. I AM complaining about the jelly thing. I love jelly. CHEAP, CHEAP, AMERICAN JELLY, THAT IS. God bless FMV. My country 'tis of thee...
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Today I got lost.
Well not like hopelessly baffled get mauled in a smoky back alley sort of lost. I just went a station too far on my train and had to find my way back which sounds easy but isn't when one can't remember the kanji for one's station now is't? Nay, t'isn't.
I was supposed to spend time going over my first lesson for the day during the time I was lost, so it was a little rough. The remaining three went really well though.
Hmmm the crazy pigeon man that lives next to me is talking loudly on his balcony. Probably a pigeon meeting of some sort.
OH! And the best part of the day is that I found out that I'm scheduled to give Chu private lessons! Today he was in a group lesson and he had written out a little note to give me condolences on the Virginia Tech. massacre. His lessons will be the highlight of my weeks to come.
Well not like hopelessly baffled get mauled in a smoky back alley sort of lost. I just went a station too far on my train and had to find my way back which sounds easy but isn't when one can't remember the kanji for one's station now is't? Nay, t'isn't.
I was supposed to spend time going over my first lesson for the day during the time I was lost, so it was a little rough. The remaining three went really well though.
Hmmm the crazy pigeon man that lives next to me is talking loudly on his balcony. Probably a pigeon meeting of some sort.
OH! And the best part of the day is that I found out that I'm scheduled to give Chu private lessons! Today he was in a group lesson and he had written out a little note to give me condolences on the Virginia Tech. massacre. His lessons will be the highlight of my weeks to come.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Attempting to write about all that’s happened thus far seems too overwhelming to undertake so I’ll focus on a few small things.
I’m constantly in a state of amusement (though perhaps just because I’m easily amused). The observances of Japanese popular culture cultivates this, yes, as does my Australian co-trainee Shaun who, upon hearing of my fuzzy-teeth feeling after I drank my coffee, replied “just like the inside of a motorist’s glove.”
Training is going well enough, though a bit on the slow side. Less than a week and all shall be well. Tomorrow we teach our first observed lesson with Japanese students (real live ones!)
Today our trainer Gerry did a model lesson with two students, one including one of my own future students from Hakata school, Chu. Chu can also be referred to as the most adorable man on the face of the planet, yodaesque and 79 years old. I think I love him already, if for nothing more than the spirit of him coming out in rays and knocking me down with the feeling of not wanting to waste a moment of my life. He, in under ten seconds, solidified the rightness of my time here with his presence. It seems he could live a thousand more years and not squander any of it with fallow thought or action.
I talked to Mum today too on the phone and it was wonderful. I feel bad for not having called earlier.
I love everything right now, though I miss everyone heaps.
I’m constantly in a state of amusement (though perhaps just because I’m easily amused). The observances of Japanese popular culture cultivates this, yes, as does my Australian co-trainee Shaun who, upon hearing of my fuzzy-teeth feeling after I drank my coffee, replied “just like the inside of a motorist’s glove.”
Training is going well enough, though a bit on the slow side. Less than a week and all shall be well. Tomorrow we teach our first observed lesson with Japanese students (real live ones!)
Today our trainer Gerry did a model lesson with two students, one including one of my own future students from Hakata school, Chu. Chu can also be referred to as the most adorable man on the face of the planet, yodaesque and 79 years old. I think I love him already, if for nothing more than the spirit of him coming out in rays and knocking me down with the feeling of not wanting to waste a moment of my life. He, in under ten seconds, solidified the rightness of my time here with his presence. It seems he could live a thousand more years and not squander any of it with fallow thought or action.
I talked to Mum today too on the phone and it was wonderful. I feel bad for not having called earlier.
I love everything right now, though I miss everyone heaps.
Friday, April 6, 2007
I have arrived in Fukuoka! !! !!!!!!!!! !!!
It is 8:53 p.m. here and 5:53 a.m. at home.
And I don’t know where to begin.
Everything has been dazelike and dreamyish.
The ride to DIA was the quickest anyone has gotten to any airport ever. The last view I had of my parents was them crouched under the escalator banging on the glass and making funny faces at me and I love them. I was distracted on the flight to San Francisco by a go-getter type of a gal that reminded me greatly of my grandma and I was happy to let her talk my ear off. Connected smoother than smoothly.
The flight to Nagoya was…something. I got emotional at times. But that subsided temporarily as I witnessed an evangelical cornerning. This lady actually followed a teen (with his malleable little mind) back to his seat (presumably after meeting him in the bathroom line question mark?) whilst talking about Jay-sus and then said a prayer for him at his seat so that everyone around could hear and then RETURNED later to give him a Christ book but he was sleeping. Cuckoo crazy woman. And the 7up can that I got was in Spanish and featured that really old “cool” guy logo from the 90’s. I only zonked out for about 20 minutes the whole time.
ANYWAY as soon as I got off the plane in Nagoya I knew things were going to be fine. I’m not sure why. I would have expected myself to be freaking. Absolutely no hint of panic attacks, minor or major, whatsoever, which is most surprising and delightful. Actually, maybe I do know why.
Maybe it’s because the Japanese were like HEY Lauren we’re the Japanese airport workers and we’re the most helpful and non-intimidating and pleasant people ever and we wear cute neck bows and help you pick up your suitcase because it’s off balance and falls all the time and welcome welcome everything is clean here and the bathrooms are cool and we have Pokemon on our planes and and and…I was like THANKS, JAPAN!
A smooth connection to Fukuoka. (I can’t believe I’m here and figured everything out by my lonesome and everything was perfectly fine and now I don’t have to fly again for at least several long months even though I was barely anxious on the plane at all!) Luggage made it here.
Everything reeks of humble perfection and efficiency.
It is 8:53 p.m. here and 5:53 a.m. at home.
And I don’t know where to begin.
Everything has been dazelike and dreamyish.
The ride to DIA was the quickest anyone has gotten to any airport ever. The last view I had of my parents was them crouched under the escalator banging on the glass and making funny faces at me and I love them. I was distracted on the flight to San Francisco by a go-getter type of a gal that reminded me greatly of my grandma and I was happy to let her talk my ear off. Connected smoother than smoothly.
The flight to Nagoya was…something. I got emotional at times. But that subsided temporarily as I witnessed an evangelical cornerning. This lady actually followed a teen (with his malleable little mind) back to his seat (presumably after meeting him in the bathroom line question mark?) whilst talking about Jay-sus and then said a prayer for him at his seat so that everyone around could hear and then RETURNED later to give him a Christ book but he was sleeping. Cuckoo crazy woman. And the 7up can that I got was in Spanish and featured that really old “cool” guy logo from the 90’s. I only zonked out for about 20 minutes the whole time.
ANYWAY as soon as I got off the plane in Nagoya I knew things were going to be fine. I’m not sure why. I would have expected myself to be freaking. Absolutely no hint of panic attacks, minor or major, whatsoever, which is most surprising and delightful. Actually, maybe I do know why.
Maybe it’s because the Japanese were like HEY Lauren we’re the Japanese airport workers and we’re the most helpful and non-intimidating and pleasant people ever and we wear cute neck bows and help you pick up your suitcase because it’s off balance and falls all the time and welcome welcome everything is clean here and the bathrooms are cool and we have Pokemon on our planes and and and…I was like THANKS, JAPAN!
A smooth connection to Fukuoka. (I can’t believe I’m here and figured everything out by my lonesome and everything was perfectly fine and now I don’t have to fly again for at least several long months even though I was barely anxious on the plane at all!) Luggage made it here.
Everything reeks of humble perfection and efficiency.
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