Discovery #1: The Japanese don't like getting wet

Yesterday, I went to Oze with the 8th graders from my school. It was a rainy morning but by the time we got to the national park it was only sprinkling a bit. However, as we wait to start our hike, one of the teacher announces something to the students. Immediately all of the students (who are already wearing thick hiking boots, warm up suits, and toting umbrellas) begin take out of their bags (which all have a rain covering on them) full on rainsuits. I'm talking rainpants, rainjackets, some with jackets on top of that, hats, umbrellas.. seriously the works. I'm sitting there with
my chaco sandals (hiking sandals), capris, and a long sleeve shirt on. Although I was feeling fine, I decided to put on my rainjacket to placate them and stifle their continual appall that I do not have the full get-up they do. It sprinkled on an off the rest of the day as we hiked through the beautiful forest and breathtaking marshlands, all covered with a misty fog. Discovery #1: the Japanese do not like getting wet.

The beginning of this week marked the first days at school for me. The first day I spoke in front of the whole school. I decided to do part of it in Japanese, which means I probably called them all ducks or said my pants are cupcakes given my inability to speak Japanese. The first two days were fairly boring for me because the students were taking tests the whole day. But when I would run into them in the halls they immediately would break into a huge smile and say "hello!" I would say "how are you?" they replied (in unison) "I'm fine and you?". Now at this point, I would try asking a simple question, like "do you like English?" or "I like you shirt" and they would stare at me with a slight giggle on their face but completely unable to reply. My first classes went well except I got a little bored of introducing myself in super slow speed class after class. I like the students, and I think they like me. It is just a matter of cornering them and keeping them there until they answer my questions. This weekend I'll be off to the city to meet up with other JETs. Although I will be sad to miss out on village events, I am looking forward to speaking at regular speed.

Me at the Fukiware Taki Falls

My group at OZE!
Oze on a foggy day...

my first day.

I woke up at 3 am, still reeling from the day before. After some reassurance and pep talks from home, I got outside and took a walk around my new home. I came back to an empty kitchen incredibly hungry so I decided to knock on my neighbor's door, a Japanese woman who spoke French. After taking me to the only food store in town (a local convenient store) she invited me to see the yuris, the flowers that grew on a mountain. We drove to a nearby ski mountain which they cover with flowers and walked around taking pictures with the rest of the Japanese tourists. After a nap at home, I went to the elementary school next to my house for the Sports Day the village was having. For the rest of the day I threw balls into baskets, raced with legs tied to five other women, played tug of war, and watched games I didn't even understand. After winning tissues, rubber gloves, trashbags and other exciting prizes, everyone packed up to return home. My neighbor, Naoko, cooked me a delicious dinner and we talked and looked at pictures of France. Who would have thought that I would improve my French while being in Japan?!? Monday is the first day of school and I am expected to speak at the opening ceremony. With any luck I won't trip up to the podium, offend the whole village, and teach classes that I am completely not prepared for!! Shikataga nai!


my first friend!!!
pretty katashina
tug of war
thats me at the back!

Let's do its best together happily!

As I headed to Katashina with my supervisor I couldn't help but think... what the hell did I get myself into. We spoke only through my Japanese dictionary and hand gestures and drove further and further away from the city. He showed me my room- a small apartment, already filled with the stuff and clutter from the previous JETs. On the table was a paper saying, "Let's do its best together happily! Than all the Board of Education". We went back to the main office to have an "opening ceremony" (they have ceremonies for absolutely EVERYTHING) and then out to dinner with my supervisor, principal, superintendent and an English teacher (who spoke little English and kept telling me that he was fat). Where do we go to dinner my first night in my Japanese village? The local Italian restaurant. It was a silly dinner- the superintendent telling me facts about Ben Franklin and asking me to sing an American song, the English professor telling me he was fat and later on that he was drunk, and all of then bending over backwards to impress the superintendent. Only afterwards did I find out that these were some of the most important people in the village (which means I probably offended them continually and drank too much beer in front of them). I crashed early, bewildered, overwhelmed, confused, jet lagged and, yes, extremely homesick.

morning walk.. flowers everywhere!
my roooom
bathroom.. sweet bathtub
tatami room and my bed/futon
view from my balcony.. mountain village

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

I awoke early Friday morning to meet up with my family's good family friends, the Narui's, in the lobby of our hotel. From there we sped off to the Tsuiji Fish Market; the fish market that supplies the whole of Japan with it's fish. Mrs. Narui, an incredibly spry and dynamic woman, nearly jogged through the market in order to get to the auctions that happen in the early morning for the freshest catches from around the world. We passed fish larger than a small child, smaller ones in a variety of colors, fish alive and dead, cut up and whole, eels, shellfish, fish from New Zealand, Iceland, and Europe-- literally fish as far as the eye could see. We arrived at the auction a bit late but there was still a few fish being looked over and bought. One fisherman asked where I was from. When I said Boston he said he knew of Glouster. Literally these fishermen had been all over the world to fish. We left in a slower pace back to the small restaurants on the outside of the market. At 7am we had a delicious sushi breakfast-- by far the best sushi I have ever had. We took the train back to my hotel at which point I quickly took a shower, checked out and headed for Katashina-- village life.

sushi shrine










here fishyfishy...










my tour guides..

Tokyo Shinjuky Flashback Mix.. cont.

soo many lights....








i was trying to find a hello kitty to pose with..

Tokyo Shinjuky Flashback Mix

Tokyo is INSANE!!!
After spending 11 hours between a sweet and tiny Thai old lady and a English professor in Korea (and behind 3 of the most Jersey boy-ish meat heads), I landed in Tokyo safe and tired three days ago. Since then it has been .. uh... crazy. We stayed in a posh hotel in the Shinjuku area; a fun, neon-lighted neighborhood with bars, restaurants, and convenient shops. Our first full day in Tokyo was sadly filled with lectures lasting from early morning to the evenings. JET kids are a bit interesting. They kind of fall into two categories. The first are those who come to Japan because, frankly, what else are they supposed to do with their lives. Especially since the JETs during this orientation were alternates, backups. Some were told two or three weeks ago to drop whatever they were doing in their home countries because there was a spot open to come to Japan. The other type are those obsessed with Japan, study it, love it, and will do anything to live it. (and for the most part fairly socially uncomfortable?) There are those in the middle too, those who love Japan but can hold a convo too, but the orientation and reception became pretty entertaining maybe just for the people watching. The second night me, my roomie, some others, and a couple of PA's (prefectural advisors.. think collge RA's but for the prefecture) went to a nearby tower to look down upon the miles and miles of lights and buildings of Tokyo. After, we utlized the no-open container law and tryed out some of Japan's convenient store alcoholic beverages in the gardens next to our hotel (with a Aussie, Irishman, and Brit.. trouble much?). Overall... i like tokyo.
so i would post pictures but this page is in japanese.. so i have no idea how.. they will come soon (be patient dre)

the beginning

so here it starts.. actually not until tuesday.. so really this is a test. be patient.. technology is not my strength.