"H" is for the Huelmans!

Mom and Dad came to visit and I was the happiest girl on earth. As I was waiting at Fukuoka airport for their delayed flight, I was thinking of all the things I wanted to show them in Japan, and all I wanted to tell them. I was thinking about how I couldn't wait to see them and how I was gonna run up to them and throw my arms around them and never let them leave Japan without me. I was beside myself with anticipation and I was grinning like a fool. And yet, when their plane finally arrived and I saw them walking towards me, I couldn't remember anything I had planned to say. I couldn't move my feet to run and jump on them as I planned to. I could hardly even open my mouth to speak. I just stood there, my eyes welling up with tears. Dad looked at me and said "Aww, Ella. Me, too," and I hugged him close, and then Mom planted kisses all over my face and I was so overwhelmed with happiness. I had missed them so much and it had been over a year since I had seen them last.

The 8 days that they were here were a bit of a whirlwind. I have written everything down in my planner/diary to keep it all straight. My parents were wonderful travelers. They tried new foods, learned how to use chopsticks, met so many new people, took many great pictures, and never complained. They both tried their best to speak the Japanese words they know (arigatou and such) and I was so proud of them. I loved to see what they found interesting in Japan. Mom made many observations about the fashion and the people; Dad took pictures of road signs. Ha ha. Some things never change. ^_^

After they left, people here said so many good things about them. More than one person told me that they could easily see the family resemblance physically, but also in our personalities. They all thought Dad's blue eyes were pretty, and that he was extremely tall. I had taken them to school to visit, and afterwards, some students came up to me to ask just how tall he is exactly. I was like "just wait until you see my little brother." Mom and Dad brought sweets for everyone, too, which were awesome. The Starburst, in particular, seemed popular. 

I hope my parents had as an amazing time as I did. I wish they could have stayed longer because I feel like there is so much more to show them. I am however, grateful that they even had the chance to come at all. I am so happy they could see my life here; the town I live in, some of my schools, my office, my dinky little apartment, my new Japanese language skills. Getting to share Japan with some of my family has made my experience here that much more real. Now when I go back home, I will be able to talk about Japan with them, and they will know what I am talking about. 

Their visit was the vacation of a lifetime, and I made so many wonderful memories. Most of the memories are heartwarming, others exciting, some of them downright hilarious (right, Mom?), and all of them priceless.

"G" is for "Gaman"

In Japanese there is this word "gaman" which basically means "to endure." The idea of gaman is so rooted in to the culture here that it is hard to explain, but has been so much a part my experience that I feel I must try my best to do so.
My first taste of the gaman mindset was biking to work in my first rainy season. I would show up to the office or to school looking like I just jumped ship and swam myself there. I was thinking "This is torture. I hate this." And yet, I did it. I had to do it because there just were no other options. I haven't quite mastered teleportation yet and taxis are too expensive to take every day. I had to gaman.
During the summers, Japan tries its best to conserve energy by turning off lights and air conditioning (even when it's 30 degrees Celsius outside). The other ALTs and I would bike to the office, sit in pools of our own sweat because they won't turn the air on before 10:00, while holding ice packs on our pressure points and sitting in front of the fan. Then they turn the air off again in the afternoon. Why do we have to suffer the heat when there is a perfectly good air conditioning system in place? Hard for my spoiled American self to understand, but it is perfectly normal for my Japanese co-workers. I think they feel that it's okay, as long as we are all gaman-ing together. It's just the way it is done.
I see this in so many places, in so many ways. I sometimes think to myself  "wouldn't it be easier/nicer if they did it a different way instead?" I have realized, though, that the daily struggles of Japanese lifestyle are part of the culture and Japan wouldn't be the same without it.
That said, I still believe hot water in the school bathrooms would drastically improve the winter experience here. ^_^

"F" is for Food

The food here in Japan is AMAZING. No exaggeration. I have some of the best food of my life here. In general, Japanese food is pretty healthy and simple. It incorporates a lot of seafood, which is something I had to get used to coming from the Midwest where my idea of seafood was canned tuna. This country knows how to do veggies right, and they also excel at making delicious sweets. They fail pretty bad when it comes to Mexican food, but I am willing to forgive that so long as they keep throwing their yummy traditional food my way. I think when it comes to food, showing you all is better than telling, so here are some of the pictures I have taken of good food that I've had here so far:

The biggest Omurice ever!! Omelet rice is exactly what it sounds like: and omelet stuffed with rice! so yum.

Okonomiyaki!

This might have been the 4th meal we had in one day in Nagasaki.....

One of my favorite restaurants in Japan!

Sashimi! Raw fish, that is. So smooth and tasty.

LIVE SQUID! I just ate this today, in fact. It was still alive, as in its tentacles were moving...talk about fresh. :)

"E" is for Elementary School

Some of my most heart warming moments in Japan have happened at elementary schools. I visit 6 elementary schools, most of which are out in the countryside. Two of them are literally in the mountains so far away it takes like an hour and a half to get to them. Schools in the mountains have some unique qualities. For one, they tend to have very few students (22 kids in the entire school!). Another thing I like about them is that I have never experienced so much NATURE as when I have gone out to these schools. Once I was running up the mountain path to the playground can nearly stepped on a snake that was sunning itself. The kids were like "no big deal" so I forgot about it...but later when I was describing the snake to the teachers, they were horrified and told me that it was a poisonous viper! Whoa. The last time I saw a snake like that, I was safely on the other side of the glass in the STL Zoo.

Every time that I even think for a moment that I am tired of being an ALT, the little ones at elementary school make everything worth it again. Their smiling faces, their adorable little voices, and their determination to tell me everything about their lives despite our language barrier warm my heart every time. Plus, they are just so darn funny sometimes. I laugh all the time in class! My teacher sisters and cousins can understand this perfectly, I think. They ask such funny questions, too: "Ella sensei, what is the best way to get the center of a tornado?" and "How long does it take you to get to Japan from America every morning?"

I wish you could all meet each and every one of these cuties.

"D" is for Dorayaki.

Mmmmmm dorayaki......what can be better than two pancakes sandwiching sweet red bean paste? Seriously, so good I could eat it everyday. I have loved almost every single type of dorayaki that has crossed my path. Red beans, white beans, with a chestnut in the middle, with purin in the middle, I LIKE THEM ALL. Come visit me here, and I will take you to get some dorayaki. Actually, I might just bring some to the airport with me when I pick you up. ;)

In Japan, there is a famous cartoon character called Doraemon. He is a blue robot cat whose ears were nibbled off by mice. He is also quite magical and handy in a tight spot because he has this pocket in his tummy that can produce basically anything. Doraemon is absolutely crazy for dorayaki. I feel that this Doraemon and I could be friends...Notice the similarities between this picture of him and the one of me.

"C" is for Commuting

Yes, "C" is for Commuting, which is a big part of my work day. As you all know, I must ride my bike everyday--an activity which initially convinced me I would die an early death. My bike and I have had rocky relationship. I started off scared of it, then I got used to it, then I hated it in the winter, then I liked it again in the spring, now I'm annoyed with it because the chain and gears are all rusted and the sound of it grinding hurts my ears and freaks me out. There are so many great things about riding a bike. For example, it's eco friendly. It's fast. It's easy and it never runs out of gas!

There are bad points, too. My bike basket is only so big, so I can't do too much grocery shopping at one time. Also, the streets here are very narrow and often do not have sidewalks. The absolute worst part, though, is biking in any weather but sunshine. I hate biking in snow, rain, typhoon winds, or even when it is just way too hot outside. Too often have I been caught in the rain. Here is a picture of exactly that: Jamie and I were biking home when all of a sudden the heavens opened up on us. We took cover under and awning and waited it out. Jamie kindly snapped a shot of me looking like a hot mess. Please notice the rain droplets on my glasses:

Another part of commuting is riding the train. Most of my schools are out in the countryside and I must take a train to reach most of them. I enjoy riding the trains most of the time. My longest train ride is a whopping 45 minutes, and as it's early in the morning, I often find myself nodding off. Some of my funniest moments as a foreigner in Japan come from riding the train. Sometimes, when I board a train full of students (not even my students, but high schoolers!), they take one look at me and whip out their English homework. Not even joking. They never ask me for help or anything, but they often glance over to see if I notice them studying English. Or they will suddenly start using random English words to see if they can get my attention. Sorry, kids, your shouting of the words "I have a pencil" is not going to entice any conversation out of me. :)

"B" is for Budou

"Budou" (ぶどう）means "grapes" in Japanese. When I first arrived, my supervisor and some teachers took us ALTs to pick grapes. One of the teacher's parents own a vineyard so we were able to do it for free, plus we got to sample all the different kinds of grapes they grow there. It was so delicious and fun! I had never picked grapes before in my life, so it was interesting to me. Here in Japan they grow them on trellises and you walk underneath it to pick. It was so enchanting being under the canopy of grape vines. Plus, one of the teachers brought his super adorable son, so it was really enjoyable to watch him run around laughing. I hope we can go grape picking again this year!!

"A" is for Arrival.

Yesterday was the official one-year mark for my time in Fukuoka! I honestly cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It seems just yesterday that I was frantically running around St. Louis trying to accomplish last minute errands. These days I have been answering questions for the new ALTs (arriving next week!!) and I can remember so clearly what it felt like to be packing up and heading off to orientation. I am back in the office again for summer break, so to kill time I was looking ahead to when I might take my paid holidays and where I might go visit. It was very thrilling to think of all the possibilities. I made a list of some of the places in Japan I want to see before I leave. I cannot believe I only have 12 more months here. I must make the most of it while I'm here.

To commemorate what has certainly been one of the most exciting years of my life, I am going to pick something important to me for each letter of the alphabet.

So, A is for Arrival.

This time last year, I arrived in the place that would be home for the following 2 years. I had some hardships in the beginning (aaahhh riding a bike!!) but I was able to nestle in comfortably. My arrival in Fukuoka prefecture was a very nice one, though I was nervous at first. I will never forget getting my bag from the baggage claim and wheeling it out to the lobby where Jamie, Chris, Rich

ard, and Ide sensei were waiting for me holding signs with my name on them. What a rush. I still have those red "fukuoka" baggage claim tags! And yeah, Dad, the abbreviation for Fukuoka Airport is FUK. Something I know you find very funny

(^_^)

This is me, on arrival day, with Kurume's cityscape behind me. You can see the whole city from Kurume's City Hall building that is super tall.

Later I discovered that shirt is too low and "sexy" for the Japanese workplace. Whoops. My bad. ;)

Summertime

As an ALT there are a few set English phrases that I am required to say about one million times a day, every single day. For example, every single class, in every school, starts like this:

Ella: Good morning! Hello! How are you?

Students: Fine thanks, and you? (or if I'm in elementary school they say if they are hungry/sleepy/whatever)

Ella: Oh, I'm fine, thanks! So...what is the date today?

Students: .......

Ella: Okay, well, what day of the week is it? Saturday? Sunday?

One good student who likes English: It's Wednesday.

Ella: Great! It's Wednesday. And what month is it now?

Students: ........

Ella: Well, last month is was May....

One good student and his loud-mouth friend: It's June!

Ella: Right! It's June. June what? 1st? 10th?

Students who have previously remained silent but who can count in English: It's the 22nd!!!

Ella: That's right!! Today is Wednesday, June 22nd. Aaaand how is the weather today? (I always gesture to the window at this point)

Finally, all the students respond: IT'S SUNNY!
(Unfortunately, many of them say this, even when it is pouring down rain outside...)

The elementary school kids are great, and they respond to every single question I ask, but the Junior high kids are so shy sometimes. It's like pulling teeth just to get them to say 'good morning!' For some reason, though, they always respond to how the weather is. Which, by the way, has been horrible lately.

This time of the year in Japan is rainy season. We were rained on every single day last week. My hair was frizzy, my face was shiny, and my socks were almost never dry. So rough. Even when I wear my rain coat, I manage to arrive at school looking like a hot mess, with my hair plastered to my face and my clothes dripping. I don't even bother putting mascara on these days....can you imagine how black streaks running down my face might add to my look-what-the-cat-dragged-in image? On top of the incessant rain is the HEAT. It is so so so humid right now. I feel like everything is constantly a little damp. I have finally put together a little 'summer survival kit' that I keep in my purse. It contains deodorant, Sea Breeze (which is a fast evaporating powdery water concoction that smells good and cools us off), and wipes. I also carry a handkerchief for mopping up sweat! Ew. I think it is safe to say that while the winter was a little brutal, I cannot wait for summer to cool down a little......pretty sure that won't happen until September but I am already anticipating the day when I don't have to reapply deodorant halfway through.

Some great things about summer are the iced teas, the flowers, the sunshine. The summer also holds a different meaning for us JETs because it marks the end and beginning of another JET Year. Everyone who is leaving JET to return to their home countries will be leaving at the end of July/early August. Firstly, I would like to mention that it absolutely does not seem possible that I have been in Japan for almost an entire year. Secondly, I am very sad that basically all my closest friends here in Japan are leaving this year. I don't want them to leave, and I cannot imagine Fukuoka without them. Jamie and Chris in my office are both leaving, so 2 new JETs are coming in to replace them. I am looking forward to meeting them, but mostly I am sad to say goodbye to my friends. I am also a little nervous about being the senior one, the one to show them around and stuff. I feel like there is so much still that I don't know, so how much help can I really be to them? We'll see. For now, I plan to get the most out of the summer and spend as much time as I can with my friends before they go! I think I see more beach visits in my future.... :)

O K I N A W A

O K I N A W A--- my number one Golden Week destination! Both times that I have been in Japan for Golden Week, I have headed to Okinawa. "Why?" you ask? There are so many reasons, but the main attractions for me are the many beautiful beaches. So when Eileen asked me if I would like to Okinawa with her and John K., I jumped at the chance.

Having been to Okinawa before, I had already seen many of the island's major attractions: Shuri Castle and Churaumi Aquarium . I didn't really expect to remember as much about these places as I did. Walking around Shuri Castle actually made me feel nostalgic for the fabulous people I studied abroad with. It felt very familiar even though I hadn't been there in 3 years. John, Eileen, and I made it to the castle with perfect timing, and we were able to catch a show of traditional Okinawan dancing.

The aquarium was absolutely gorgeous, and it didn't matter that I'd been there before because it was all so interesting. Coming from the dead center of the U.S. about a million hours away from any coast means that I am not all that familiar with the ocean and its many strange inhabitants. Some of the things we saw were legitimately some of the craziest animals I have ever seen. In the deep sea section (were they keeps the lights very very low) we saw fish that have these patches under their eyes that glow! LIKE DEMONS. So creepy. Churaumi is world renown for the 3 massive whale sharks that they house in the largest fish tank I have ever seen. There is a section of the tank called "the Aqua room" where you can go sit under it and see all the manta rays and sharks swim over you. My words could never do it justice-- so I took a video! Please enjoy:

Another awesome thing that I did was staying on Zamami Island. Eileen and I got to Okinawa on Monday then took a ferry to a smaller island about 45 minutes away. It has a small village of just 500 people, and some of the top ranked beautiful beaches in Japan. We stayed at this small guest house that was sweet and quaint, and only 5 minutes from the port. The owner of the guest house was so nice and his English was very good. He gave us a hand-drawn map of all the best stuff on the island which we used to find a BBQ restaurant (which was really just someone's backyard...and where Eileen made me try gizzard!!) and the most beautiful beach my eyes have ever seen. The water was so clear and the color so amazing. Unfortunately, it was raining during our ENTIRE Okinawan trip, and the excursion to the beach was no exception. Luckily, it was only drizzling on and off throughout the day as we lounged under our beach umbrella and snacked on traditional Okinawan doughnuts. We got to relax and enjoy the view. When the time came for us to leave Zamami, Eileen and I didn't want to go! If I ever go back to Okinawa, I will make sure I stay on Zamami a bit longer.

When we got back to the main island, and to the city of Naha, we found our hostel and waited for John to arrive. I was worried about staying in a hostel, but Eileen booked us a private room, so it was better than I thought. The bathroom was nasty, but other than that it was fine. It was in a good location, very close to the famous Kokusai Dori. During our stay in Japan, we ate some of the best food I have eaten since coming to Japan! We even managed to find some TACOS! Oh my god, now I want more tacos just thinking about them. :)

The vacation was really nice, despite the rain's best efforts to ruin it. I love being in Japan and getting to travel around, really seeing all the different aspects of this country. Okinawa has a completely different vibe than the rest of Japan (owing to its very colorful history, especially the fact that it wasn't always part of Japan). I wish I could spend even more time there, but getting to go twice is more than I can really ask for.

m9.0

As you all already know, on March 11th there was a massive earthquake in Japan that triggered an enormous tsunami. Somehow, unbelievably, the area I live in was absolutely unaffected. Sometimes I look at the map and am astonished that in such a small country, something so horrible can be happening just 1000 km from me and I can still be safe.

About half an hour after it happened, some of the sensei in my office turned on a small TV. From where we were sitting, Jamie and I could really only make out the word "tsunami" and since tsunamis are common in Japan, we didn't really think anything of it right away. It wasn't until someone on our side of the office turned on another TV behind us that we saw what was really going on. As I watched the screen, I heard the announcer say "Sendai" and my blood froze. All I could think about was my friend Leah who was living in Iwate, just 2 hours from Sendai. I immediately left the office to call her. I tried 4 or 5 times, each time getting a "call failed" message. My heart was beating so fast and my chest got really tight. She finally picked up on my 6th try. She said they lost electricity, but everything seemed to by fine.

After hearing that Leah was alright, and after I could breathe again, I went back to my desk. I saw on TV that there were fires and stuff, so I quickly wrote an email to Jen and Dad that IF they heard of an earthquake in Japan, not to worry because I was okay. At that time, I still didn't comprehend the total reality of the tsunami. It wasn't until Lisieux called me in a panic that night that I even turned on the news. For the rest of my life, I will never forget the image those black waters rushing over the land, or the way it took my breath away to see whole houses being carried away. The faces of the old people as they watched their town being destroyed. The people, the babies, that had little to no food to eat. Even the poor stranded animals they keep showing on the news will stay in my head forever. As each day passed, the damage seemed to get worse and worse. Every day the number of total dead or missing increased. I honestly couldn't sleep for a week, not only fearing that the earthquake would trigger one here in Fukuoka, but thinking of all the people who lost everything they had. I had chest pains from being so anxious, and I was so exhausted from crying/not sleeping/not eating well/worrying that I even cancelled my Japanese lesson for the week. I am not sure you can truly grasp how much I wished I could be near my family. When my Japanese teacher said "you can email or call me anytime you feel anxiety" she had no idea how much better she made me feel. After a few days, I realized that I would continue to be perfectly safe, but I still watched the news coverage every single night.

More than my own safety, I couldn't get over the tragedy of it all. On the news, I saw an elementary school that held a small graduation for the 6th graders that was very informal and somber, as most of the kids had lost their parents in the tsunami. One of the surviving mothers gave a small speech to the teachers, thanking them for getting their children to safety during the tsunami, the whole time there were tears streaming down her face. The kids look just like my students, and the idea of something hurting them or destroying their families is too much for me. I couldn't even watch the news without crying for 2 whole weeks. I'm tearing up now, just remembering it.

Even though life continues on as normal here on Kyushu, we do things every day to pay respects to those who have been suffering. Our office cancelled our bosses retirement party, and some of our schools cancelled our Graduation parties. Many Cherry Blossom festivals have been cancelled (which is a very big deal to the Japanese, as they love the cherry blossom here), and the general feeling is that no one should be celebrating when so many people are suffering. This country has such a strong sense of unity and national community. It's amazing. I know that Japan is strong, and that it will get through all this. Even though I still find myself quite literally sobbing over the tragedy sometimes, I know that the worst is behind us. I was so happy to hear that the U.S. was helping in very big ways. Some of my favorite musicians even raised money for Japan.

This past weekend, after eating breakfast, the waitress came up to me and my friends and asked where we are from. After I replied that we were American, she remarked that we were still here even though Japan was in a terrible state, and thanked us for our support in being there, and she thanked America for helping Japan during these hard times. She had tears in her eyes by the time she was finished. We didn't really know what to say. We all just kinda nodded and said thank you. I teared up later, when I thought about her words. I only wish I could do more to help.

Even though it has been very stressful, at the end of the day I am still safe and happy. I have nothing to complain about, and I am more than grateful for having been spared from this disaster. Lately, now that a little timed has passed and things are settling down, I have been watching some videos that were taken during the quake. Japanese news doesn't really show dead bodies or anything like that (out of respect), but on the internet I have seen some awful stuff. Some is too horrible to post here (like the footage of someone stuck in a car as it gets swept under the waves). But here are some of the videos that were shown on the news here in Japan:

End of the year...

The school year in Japan ends in March and begins in April, and as the school draws to a close, I can't help but to marvel in how fast the time has flown. I have already been in Japan for 7 months now. Yesterday I watched a program on TV and I could actually understand what they were saying---not 100% all the time, but way more than before. Also, I can finally understand more of the Kurume accent and slang. Winter is passing and the plum blossoms have already begun to bloom. It's amazing that at this time last year I had just found out that I'd been selected for a JET interview, and it's amazing how much has happened between then and now. This week is my last week at Ryozan. I am teaching the 3rd years for the last time before they graduate and leave for various high schools in the area. I have to admit, it makes me sad to think of the school without them. So many of them are such wonderful kids whose smiling faces and enthusiasm for English make each day worth it for me. I have also already had my last day at my other JHS and 3 of my elementary schools. The last day at Mada elementary was so touching. Since the 6th graders are graduating, they wanted to do something special to say goodbye to me. So they made me an adorable card and they learned a song to sing me in English! Their homeroom teacher told me they had been practicing since around November to get the English words right! How sweet is that. So as our last lesson was finishing up, the teacher told me to sit down as the students all rushed to the front of the room. I was curious as to what song they would choose to sing, not knowing that they had practicing a song in English. And guess what song they sang me?? Country Road. Of course, OF COURSE they would pick a song that reminds me so much of home (and particularly of a certain soon-to-be-60 year old whose nose I inherited). I was so touched, so homesick, so sad to see them graduate and leave, yet so happy all at the same time that I almost teared up! It was so sweet of them, and I'll never forget it. So here is the video I took on my iPhone. The first part is done by recorder (apparently the junior high school musical instrument of choice in this country too!), and the second half is sung. Please watch all the way through! Also note: their English is JAPANESE English. So maybe it's a little hard to understand, but I didn't mind one bit. Enjoy ^_^

Can I attach a snow plow to my bicycle?

After a week of being the feverish, sickly mess that I was, I made it a personal mission to enjoy the heck out of the weekend. Starting with moving from the couch back to my bed! I put all my sheets and blankets and pillows back where they belong, and picked up the floor of my room so I could actually see it again. I cleared my couch of all things I'd put there to be within an arm's reach should I have needed it (books, computer games, cookies!) and returned my living room to its normal state.

After talking with Ze and doing the dishes, I met my friend Eileen at the station. The problem with meeting at the station is that our meeting point was Mister Donuts......so, naturally, we had to have some donuts before we even left for the mall. Before we even checked to see what time the bus leaves for the mall! (^_^) One of the things I love most about Eileen is that she loves food. I don't have any friends who start a conversation with "eat anything good today?" besides her. It's nice when someone has a real love for something, and when I hang out with her I find that I appreciate good food more, too. At the mall, Youme Town, we both realized we wanted to buy home goods more than clothes. While I think this might have been a relatively new feeling for my friend, anyone who knows me knows that I would almost always rather be in the home goods section! So we went to store called Nitori that was instantly my favorite non-clothing store in Kurume when I arrived here. I bought two new mugs ( because I had just bought some yummy tea at Muji)!!
After shopping we ate out at an Italian chain restaurant called Pietro. After Eileen left, I rounded out the evening with some Sims 3.

I woke up earlier on Sunday than I wanted (7:30) but oh, man, was I happy that I did. Can you even guess what was on TV at 7:30 in the morning? If you guessed Pokemon, you were right!! When I read on the TV guide thingy that Pokemon was on, I thought it would be some new episode with Pokemon I've never heard of that my elementary school students talk about all the time, but it wasn't! It was actually an episode that I saw when I was in elementary school!! This was from over 10 years ago. I couldn't believe it. Just in case you know what I'm talking about or are Jonathan, it was the episode where that girl with turquoise hair has a Ditto that can't replicate properly, and Jesse & James steal it to try to make it replicate a Dratini. It was so weird, of course, to hear them all speaking Japanese. Misty's Japanese voice was wretched--too high and squeaky. But Japanese Ash actually sounded like a boy, so that was a nice change. :) Anyway, what a blast from the past! It made me feel nostalgic.

After calling home and chatting with mom for an hour, I actually fell back asleep. I spent the rest of Sunday drinking delicious almond hazelnut tea and eating strawberries with honey. I played the Sims 3 some more, and watched a little Japanese TV (there was a program on about Japanese houses!) There was a little snowfall throughout the day, but nothing that really stuck...

Which is why I was surprised to walk out my door this morning and find inches of snow on the ground! I have never biked in snow before, but let me just say that it 100% sucks. I fishtailed and lost my balance, and when the snow was deep, it was HARD to pedal. I was so scared of losing my balance and falling into the road (in places where there is no sidewalk) that I got off my bike and walked the rest of the way to the station. So actually, I missed my train. A train that I wake up at 5:45 to give myself enough time to get ready and bike to the station to catch. After calling my supervisor and having her call the school and finding out that someone would be picking me up at Amagi station instead of me taking the bus (due to weather), I caught the next train. I waited for more than half an hour at the station while the heavens snowed down on me. The principal himself came to pick me up, but when I got in his car, he told me that the drive there from the school had been terrible and dangerous, and that since it was going to keep snowing, it would be almost impossible for me to leave the school later. He told me to go back to the office instead. Besides being disappointed because I love that school, it was a little awful that I went through all that snow, missed my train and waited half an hour until the next one arrived , took a 40 minute train ride, and waited another half hour in the snow to have to turn around and go back. I didn't even get to the office until almost 11:00! Why doesn't Japan have snow days? Being at the B.O.E. I heard of soooo many teachers and students that had to go late to school and such because of the snow. Why not cancel school?

I had an easy day after that though. I mostly read and decorated my planner (yes, I decorate my planner). You know that feeling you get when you are reading an amazing book and you don't want to stop reading but you just don't want it to end? I had that today. When I noticed I was halfway through I actually felt sad! I know that I have personally felt that way through each book of a certain famous 7 book saga...and a few other times, as well. I had a delicious sandwich at the bakery for lunch, too, which was nice.

All in all, a very successful weekend. Even though the week started with snow, the forecast for the rest of the week is a sunny 50 degrees! Yay! It'll be nice to not have my laundry freeze out there on the line.

sukiyaki and snow flurries.

So, today I am on sick leave. (>_<) I called in early this morning when I woke up. I have been sick since Friday, and I just needed to rest a bit and fully heal up. I think I was pushing myself a little too hard. Yesterday I taught 5 elementary school classes, and those kids take a lot of energy to keep up with. I should have called in sick, but I thought I could just do it and it would be fine. It was, however, quite exhausting. My nose was so stuffed up that the kids could hardly understand what I was saying!! I was trying to say "salmon" and they kept repeating back "Seven??" Hahaha. (^_^) After school, I was invited to go to my friend Akemi's house to have dinner with her family. It was sooo nice! Her little sister is taking English in high school and was really good, even though she was really shy at first. I took a look at her English homework and saw that it was super intense. They were reading an essay about Westward Expansion in the States (so, naturally, I threw in a bit of info about Lewis and Clark and St. Louis!!) and Native Americans. The vocab was insane. It wasn't just some article written for ESL courses, it was a full-on essay. I couldn't believe what a high level of English they teach at her school. I think she goes to really nice school, though. My friend John K. teaches there, and I have gone to his English Speaking Society meetings there a couple times. I was impressed by his students' English skills, and now I see that they have to work really hard. Anyway, we had sukiyaki for dinner which was unbelievably delicious. Sukiyaki is like a hot pot dish. You spread a little fat over the surface of the hot pot and cook meat and veggies on it. My friend's family used soy sauce, cooking sake, and brown sugar to add flavor. We each had our own bowl of raw egg that we dipped the food into before eating (apparently raw eggs are safe to eat in Japan---something about how they raise the chickens). Akemi's family owns a rice shop, so the rice we had with dinner was truly excellent. Waaaay better than the rice during school lunch. I regret that I didn't take any pictures of dinner, but here is a pic I found on the internet that comes close to what I had last night:


This morning, after I called in sick, Jamie called to say she was sick, too, and that we could go to the doctor's office together. The doctor said I have a regular cold, but if I develop a fever, then actually it's the Flu and I should go see him again. But only if I get a fever....weird, huh? Jamie, on the other hand, definitely has the flu. She had to be put on an IV for an hour. I waited in her room with her, laying on the opposite bed, and we both fell asleep in the end. Luckily the pharmacy is right next door so we were able to fill our prescriptions in like 10 minutes, and the doctors office called the taxi for us.

I plan to spend the rest of the day resting/sleeping/maybe playing a little Sims 3/watching Gilmore Girls. For some reason, the doctor ordered that I cannot take a shower today....I don't really understand, but maybe it has something to do with it being freezing outside and having wet hair while it's cold is awful? Who knows, but I guess I'll do as he says.

Yesterday it snowed, and the little flurries were very cute. I tried to take a picture but you just cannot see the snow at all. I know little flurries are nothing compared to the madness back home, but it was pretty all the same.

A long awaited return

After the harrowing journey back to Kurume, I have finally settled back into my life in Japan. My luggage arrived from Chicago and Washington and words cannot express just how happy I am to have clothes to wear!!!

Today I am back at the wonderful school with the magic forest, but as there is snow on the ground, I have no intentions of venturing out there. I woke up with a bad cold and it's all I can do to not drip snot everywhere...gross. I just want to get through today and get to the weekend. These past two weeks I have talked about my Christmas break over 20 times to different classes, and guess what they asked the most questions about?? Forget Santa, these kids just wanted to know about the tornado!!! After they realized I wasn't joking, I got asked so many questions. For example: "what is the best way to get to the middle of a tornado? Parachute?" Hahaha, um, I guess so? I should keep a notebook of all the best stuff I hear in class.

During break, Lisieux and I hit up Borders where I bought a few magazines to bring back to Japan with me for my students to look at. They went nuts! I can't believe it, but I have sung Justin Beiber's "Baby" so many times now to explain whose face is all over Tiger Beat!! The awful part is that I only know the "baby baby baby" part....so it has been in my head for a solid 2 weeks (minus the few blissful moments when Bruno Mars' "Grenade" was on repeat in my head). The anime magazine I bought in the States was a huge hit!! They could not believe that some of the stuff they love and obsess over was featured. They kept saying some if it was so old, so I had to explain that it takes a while to translate everything to English. I told them how movies from the U.S. take about 6 months to get to Japan. It was really fun to talk about the things in the magazines. They totally enjoyed it! :) I did, too.

The following picture is at the school... Notice how it is in the mountains... Can you see the snow on the mountain where the forest is? No way I am playing out there today.

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: