let's be honest, I am still wishing I was at Hogwarts.

>

Hello all!! I am sitting on the bench at the world's tiniest train stop and thinking about how much I love Harry potter. Seriously. You would think that after 12 years I would be over it by now. I really loved the new movie and can't wait to see Part 2. Pretty sure I am gonna cry my face off.

Aside from Harry potter, I am thinking about how excited I am to see my family (and my cat) on Christmas!! I fly in on the 23rd! Besides seeing my family, I am super looking forward to some good old fashioned American pizza!! Yum yum. And bagels. And Mexican food! The list goes on

Oh, hey there.

Let me just apologize right off the bat. I never meant to neglect my blog for so long! I totally dropped the ball! My bad. I promise it won't happen again.

So, where should I start..... much that happened since the last blog entry. Ok, I'm going to just talk about today, and slowly update about all that other stuff over time. It's mostly pictures anyway.

Today I went to an elementary school that is very far away. I have to wake up at 5:30 to catch the 7:12 train (it takes about 20-25 minutes to bike to the station), then after a 45 minute train ride, I take a bus. Then I walk short distance more to the school and arrive after 8:30 sometime. But I don't mind the journey. Why? Because this school is magical.

Behind the school is basically woods, but the children are allowed to play back there. Once you get past the first few trees and shrubs, there are secret and magical worlds back there. I'm serious. The first time a group of adorable 8 year-olds grabbed my hand and shouted that we were headed for the "stage" I had no idea what was going on, much less why we were headed directly for the forest! I'm pretty outdoorsy though, so I kept my cool. HA. I couldn't even type that with a straight face! My first thought was of spiders, snakes, and ticks! I didn't even have bug spray! Good lord. But they led me with such enthusiasm that I couldn't disappoint them. I had to go in to the woods, and I'm so glad I did. The children led me to a beautiful moss covered outdoor stage/amphitheater. We played tag all over it (the rules to which the kids spent 10 minutes explaining, as if I didn't know how to play tag...heehee). The stage and the moss covered steps looked like they came straight out a movie. Particularly a Miyazaki movie.

Today, a youngster who looked like Russel from "Up" spotted me from across the jungle gym and decided that we should be best friends. He didn't care one bit that I suck at Japanese and that all he can say in English is "my name is..." He grabbed my hand and led me straight into those woods! He assembled quite a group to show me around. We climbed these old stairs that the kids said were a hundred years old, and we came across this cool rope and pulley ride. Russel kept insisting we press on, assuring that where he was taking me was really wonderful. All the while, the students went ahead of me, clearing a path for me. Once I freaked out over a spider, they all started yelling "SPIDER" in English every time we saw one! They kept using sticks to clear the webs so I could walk on. It was ADORABLE. Did I mention that these kids are 6 years old? Super cute. ^_^ I want to adopt all of them. Especially Russel. We didn't have enough time to reach the "super wonderful location" that was promised, but I told them I'd be back soon.

Going to that school makes me love my life.

The one with the round face in the center is Russel. This is the group I played with today.

The kids who killed me in Tag. You can kinda see the stage area behind them.

The little tan one peering over my right shoulder is adorable. She even tried speaking English with me. She's 8, and so are her friends.

I feel like I'm in My Neighbor Totoro when I play with these kids in the woods.

Good Morning, Class!

So let me break it down for ya: I have 6 schools, 2 junior high, and 4 elementary. My first week I taught at Mutayama Junior High School for 3 days and then Mada Elementary on Friday, and last week I taught at Ryozan JHS on Tues-Thursday and went to Asakura-Higashi Elementary on Friday. Next week I'll be at Ryozan again for 3 days. It's a busy schedule, but I like it. :)
Teaching is, how can I say it.....INTERESTING. Despite the occasional "bad" kid and awkward question, it's really fun. The kids are very energetic and they ask me tons of questions. Anytime I'm in the hallways, kids say "DANIELLA, HELLO! HELLO!" I always ask "how are you" and they always say "I'm fine thank you, and you?" without fail. Every time. I guess it's something they learn right away in English class. I remember once when I was at Hosei, I was with some friends in the bookstore, and when I saw someone I knew, I asked them "How are you" and he said "I'm fine thank you, and you?" and I said "I'm fine, thank you" my other Japanese friends laughed said I sounded like an English teacher. Now I see why. It's only fitting really.
At Ryozan, it's basically impossible for me to walk from a classroom to the teacher's office without being stopped by students (there are like 750 students at Ryozan and 600 at Mutayama)! I have had kids ask me the basic questions like "are you from Canada?" "What Japanese food do you like?" and their favorite question: "Do you have a boyfriend?" Haha. You can tell who's gonna ask it before class even starts. Then you can him surrounded by his friends, working up the courage to ask, and then his hand goes up and you know it's coming. Boyfriend is "kareshi" in Japanese, so when I start to hear the word whispered, I know they're trying to find someone in the room that knows how to say in English. I think it's funny. :) A couple times when I say no, a boy will be like "CHANCE!!" um, as if! Once a boy even blew a kiss at me! When did 12 year boys get so forward? hahahaha. I've also been asked not-so-typical questions like: "Do they have banks in America?" um, yes. lots. "When people shoot and kill other people in America, do they get arrested?" um, yes? what? hahahaha They are always surprised when I say I like sushi or Studio Ghibli, or when they find out that I loved pokemon when I was their age. They can't believe when I say that "Satoshi" is called "Ash" in America, so then they start asking about all the other characters. I think they get disappointed when I say that Pikachu is still Pikachu. :)

But in all honesty, the classes are mostly really fun. I am exhausted when I get home though. My bike ride to Ryozan takes me 45 mintues! and it's all up hill! This whole week I passed out at like 8:30 on my (lovely) couch.

This past Friday, at an elementary school, the Vice Principal took a bunch of pictures of me while I was teaching. Here are some of them:

Dazaifu.

Last weekend Chris invited me to go spend time with him and his friend Yukiji. We met up with Yukiji's sister and her fiance for some delicious soba (noodles). They were served cold because it was a hot day. The restaurant was really nice, and everything I ate was seriously yummy.

Yukiji's sister Ayumi and her Fiance

Chris

tempura veggies and rice

Soba

During lunch it came to Yukiji's attention that Chris and I hadn't been to Dazaifu yet, so she took it upon herself to remedy that. I didn't know much about it, but I was eager to go do some sightseeing. There is a famous shrine there that students go to to pray for luck passing exams. I just prayed for luck that my students would be good! It was really beautiful there, as I find most of Japan to be.

Yukiji and Chris under the torii

Like White on Rice.

Here in Kurume, there are random rice fields scattered about the city. They are so pretty, and I've been meaning to take pictures this whole time, but I kept forgetting to bring my camera with me. Now that it is almost time for the rice to be harvested, I made a point to go get some pictures before it's too late! I think they really add to the charm of Kurume. I love biking past them, it makes me feel like I'm in a Studio Ghibli movie...... :)

Cheating on Bloo.

I recently encountered two words that changed my life: Cat Cafe.
Oh yes. Japan has read my mind and supplied a place to get a cute kitty fix! Basically, you pay about $10 to go into a super cute Ikea-like cafe and get to play with cats! Included is a drink and dessert. I personally selected hot chocolate and creme brulee, but there were other delicious options available including tiramisu and sesame ice cream.
The whole setup of the cafe is centered around the cats, so there are cool cats-only walkways on the walls and such. There was also a raised platform/lofty section that houses their cages for sleeping and toys. Underneath it is the litterbox area that can be reached by the cats through a small hole. It was a small space, but the design is pretty creative and comfortable.
The cafe takes in strays and rescues cats, so some of them had a few oddities...there was one cat that looked more like a bushbaby than a cat. And it had these weird flat ears and broken/crooked tail. It kept falling from great heights (without landing on its feet), and smacking straight into stuff! :( Poor kitty. but it was kinda funny.....
There were so many cats, and plenty of itty bitty kitties to go around. I managed to snuggle up with one that was super adorable!! I seriously wanted to take them all home with me.
Needless to say, I'll be going back there. Here is the website (click on "cats" to see adorable profiles of the cats...in Japanese, but with cute pics): Tenjin Cat Loft.

sleepy kitty!!

Feeding time

BLUEBERRIES!

Today I went blueberry picking with some other JETs. It was sooo nice. We went to this farm about half an hour away where you can pay about $5.00 to go in and pick/eat as many blueberries as you want for as long as you want! If you want to bring blueberries home with you, you have to pay by weight. It was really fun. They had many different kinds of blueberries with different tastes, so we went around eating from as many blueberry shrubs as we could. YUM. ^_^

There was a time when it started raining so we had to go to the blueberry "house" (which was really just a covered section) so we could pick while it rained. All of those shrubs were totally picked over, though, and it took some effort to find some tasty ones. After a bit of that, we decided to have some Blueberry Soft Cream and other blueberry flavored treats that are available at this farm. I had a blueberry smoothie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They sell a ton of stuff there: wine, blueberry pasta (whoa), jams, and whatnot.


After the rain, we were able to go back out and pick some more. I tried to fill my basket, but let's be honest, most of blueberries went straight into my mouth. ^_^

My apartment.

Hellooooo. Welcome to my little Japanese apartment! It boasts a long balcony, a bomb shelter door (for when the soviets invade???), and Japanese style floors and doors.

I spend nearly all of my time cleaning this place, and disinfecting, and killing bugs. Like, HUGE AND NASTY bugs!
I had tatami mites in my tatami floors that were biting me, and I have had 3 big roaches that fly, and 3 baby roaches... 2 huge spiders, and countless gnat-looking things. Not to mention the pigeon problem on my balcony. And the bugs here are bold. They fly straight for your face on purpose. Just last night, when I was originally making this post, a roach sauntered out from behind my curtain like he owned the place. We dueled for a good 15 minutes or more. I would spray, he would hide, I would move the curtain, he would run. His little legs made the grossest sound ever when he shuffled across the tatami!!! EW EW EW. He was writhing in misery beneath my little sofa (which I moved to the living room area) and I could hear him thrashing around...he ended up dying right next to my sofa. But he had as many false endings as The Return of the King...every time I thought it was over, he thrashed around or tried to turn over. SICK. And to think, I used to sleep on that very same floor! What if there wer roaches crawling over me in my sleep and I had no idea?! Jamie had an extra bed frame, so now I sleep in the small room with the desk. I actually moved the desk to the small room, so my apartment looks a little different than these pictures.

Besides the bugs, there is a lot of mold and grime. Jamie helped me buy a serious mold killer that works really well. And I've bought a ton of dehumidifiers and such.
Still, this place is a work in progress. It won't feel like a home until it's bug free and has some real furniture. I've been pricing sofas and curtains, but it seems like every time I find something I really like, it's expensive. Dad once said that I have champagne tastes on a beer budget, and that certainly seems like it's true. Is $600 too much for a sectional sofa? I really really really like it...... :)

SUSHI.

Fresh out of the ocean. God, I love living so near the sea.

Ha, well, closer than when I'm in Missouri, anyway. ^_^

Hanabi!

So, the city I live in, Kurume, is famous for this huge annual fireworks festival! I think I heard it's been going on for over 350 years. Whoa. You might recall a similar post I had on my last Japan blog, but that one was in Asakusa, and this one is in Kurume. Kurume's is the biggest one in western Japan, and I'm lucky enough to have it right here in town. I didn't have to travel at all. Thousands of people were there. It was incredible.
I went with Jamie and some of her friends. We ate yummy festival food, and looked at all the pretty yukata (a light-weight summer kimono style Japanese dress) that Japanese women wear to festivals. The fireworks were splendid. :)