August has flown by.
This will surely be a long post.
I've been going to work most days. Monday to Friday, 9 - 4. I really have nothing to do during that time yet because I haven't started teaching yet, so I'm just sitting at my desk in the office trying to look busy. I usually end up studying Japanese until my brain hurts too much to continue. Two teachers that I sit beside (Hiroko) and across from (Azusa) really want me to pass the JLPT test so they are giving their full support and also helping me figure out grammar. On Thursday, Hiroko gave me a kanji puzzle she had and if I finished it within a certain time her and Azusa-san would make me okonomiyaki. . .but if I didn't make it I would have to make THEM okonomiyaki. I lost. Okonomiyaki party September 9th, my house!
My Kacho (kacho is like section chief. . .he's my most direct boss I guess after my supervisor) took me out with his family for Bon Odori (August 15th) which is a holiday in Japan for honouring ancestors. We went for lunch and then we went to Jusco (which is kind of a chain mall. . .?) because they wanted to buy my something Japanese. . .like a yukata, but unfortunately, I already have one. . .and had many of the things they suggested. They ended up deciding to get me a Fude which is a brush for Japanese calligraphy, which is very difficult for me. I didn't actually get the brush that day because they couldn't find one but now I have it and had a make-shift lesson with my Kacho's sister who is a shodo (japanese calligraphy) teacher! After our shopping we went to a museum to see the Maruki exhibit which was mostly comprised of the Hiroshima Panels
. I really enjoyed it although it was very sad. We then went to My Kacho's mother in law's house for sushi and finally cake at my Kacho's house. His family is really nice and one of his daughters studied for a year in the US so she was very interested in talking to me and hanging out with me again. We went out for dinner again last week which was also really fun. I figure that it's probably good to have a good relationship with my boss. . .could come in handy later.
For a while I didn't really know any of the JET people so i didn't have much to do, but 3 weeks ago we had Nagoya orientation and now I've had way too much to do! 2 weeks ago on Sunday I went to Shinmaiko with my new friend Dave from Toronto. There was kind of a hippy party there for people who are couch surfers and couch surf supporters. It was pretty fun. The beach was really nice, but apparently it's really dirty. . .I didn't go swimming because I didn't realize we were going to a beach but I put my legs in the water and it was warmer than an average swimming pool!! I expected the ocean to be much colder. . .but that could be due in part to my Polar bear dip in the Atlantic on New years day haha. I made a new friend at the beach, Sachiko, who I have now seen twice outside of the beach. . .once completely randomly which was kind of weird.
The following week we had a summer seminar for most of the week. The seminar involved about 9 ALTs (JET people) and 100 Japanese teachers of english. It was mostly an information sharing seminar. Long and boring, but actually kind of fun. We got to meet a lot of Japanese teachers and the JET people went out drinking or for dinner or something almost every day after the seminar. So I was able to get better acquainted with a bunch of JET people that way too.
I also went out with one of my new friends that week, Jun. He was the mover that came when I moved into my apartment. Turns out, he studied for a year in the US so he can speak pretty good english. He asked me if I needed any friends in Aichi so I was like sure! We went out for sushi and then coffee (I drank tea though, still haven't given up on my fairtrade diet). It was fun ! He's really busy with work so I don't know when I will hang out with him again.
That Saturday there was a big JET event. The annual Nagoya scavenger hunt. It started at 10 and lasted until 3. The JETs that were at my seminar wanted to be in a team together so 5 of us were on the team and then another girl joined us as our second year JET. The first step for the scavenger hunt was to go to a hyaku en shop (dollar store) and get a costume that you were required to wear all day and wear in every picture you took. We chose to be pigs and all day Japanese people kept laughing at us and calling us cute and wanting to take pictures with us. To save us from a bit of the embarrassment, there was a huge festival in Nagoya that weekend where tons of people were in costumes so we didn't really look that out of place. . .aside from when we had to do stupid things, like stuff 7 people into a phone booth. My camera wasn't used for the pictures so I still haven't gotten them, but when I do I will post them. There are some pretty awesome ones. . .So far I have only one.
After the scavenger hunt I went out for dinner with some JET people and then randomly saw Sachiko (as I mentioned) at the bar beside the place we ate. So I hung out with her until my last train (12-ish)
Which brings us to last week!
Monday I went out for dinner with my Kacho as I also previously mentioned.
Tuesday was the last day of our summer seminar and I had to be home to get a letter that was coming -__- so I offered to make dinner for my friends from the seminar. Emma, Stuart (pictured above, who are also married and from the UK) and Roy (Ajet president from the US), came for Saba! I also made Kabocha (pumpkin) and salad. . .so healthy! ^^ Apparently it was good too. I said I was always open to dinner parties because of course, I love to cook. . .hee hee.
Wednesday I went to Mikawashiatsu for boat races after work. I guess it's like horse races, but in boats! There were some creepy old men but also my friends, Emma, Stuart, Andrew and Weija so it was fun! It was kind of cool to watch the boats too. . .but I didn't bet any money.
Thursday after work I went to Nagoya to hand out with a different set of JET people. We had dinner at a soy restaurant (my suggestion!) after I foiled their plans of going to eat meat. . .muahaha. . .actually I felt really bad about it. After dinner we just hung around outside of the train station drinking beer. . .until aroun 11:30 oh yeah, some interesting points about japan. 1. Public drunkenness is A-ok. 2. Drinking on the street is also A-ok. . .
Yesterday I went to Nagoya again for a kind of party thing that was planned. . .I met up with the same group from the previous day for drinking after they had already been to a nomihoudai (all you can eat and drink for a certain amount of time). We went to the same bar that I met Sachiko at the previous week. . .and she was there again! Then we went to all night karaoke. In Japan, if you miss your last train, there's lots of places you can stay all night for pretty cheap until the trains start again at 5. Karaoke is one (there are also love hotels, manga cafes. . .). Since I only got to Nagoya around 9 I decided to stay all night.
So after a whole night of drinking and karaoke-ing I got on my train home. . .have no idea how I managed to get off at the right stop as I fell asleep for most of the train ride and finally arrived home around 8am. Turns out I also drank way too much. . .or just a really bad combination of alcohol so I spent most of today just sleeping.
Tomorrow the some of the same group from karaoke and I are going to Ise in Mie-ken (the next prefecture over). Ise is the most holy temple in Japan apparently so it should be fun!
From now on, I will try to post more frequently so I don't have to post gigantic posts such as this one. Now that I'm able to steal internet it should be a bit easier. . .hee hee. I feel bad posting at work as I have to use the only communal computer in the office to do it.
Here is a pic of me and my Tokyo friends:
This will surely be a long post.
I've been going to work most days. Monday to Friday, 9 - 4. I really have nothing to do during that time yet because I haven't started teaching yet, so I'm just sitting at my desk in the office trying to look busy. I usually end up studying Japanese until my brain hurts too much to continue. Two teachers that I sit beside (Hiroko) and across from (Azusa) really want me to pass the JLPT test so they are giving their full support and also helping me figure out grammar. On Thursday, Hiroko gave me a kanji puzzle she had and if I finished it within a certain time her and Azusa-san would make me okonomiyaki. . .but if I didn't make it I would have to make THEM okonomiyaki. I lost. Okonomiyaki party September 9th, my house!
My Kacho (kacho is like section chief. . .he's my most direct boss I guess after my supervisor) took me out with his family for Bon Odori (August 15th) which is a holiday in Japan for honouring ancestors. We went for lunch and then we went to Jusco (which is kind of a chain mall. . .?) because they wanted to buy my something Japanese. . .like a yukata, but unfortunately, I already have one. . .and had many of the things they suggested. They ended up deciding to get me a Fude which is a brush for Japanese calligraphy, which is very difficult for me. I didn't actually get the brush that day because they couldn't find one but now I have it and had a make-shift lesson with my Kacho's sister who is a shodo (japanese calligraphy) teacher! After our shopping we went to a museum to see the Maruki exhibit which was mostly comprised of the Hiroshima Panels
. I really enjoyed it although it was very sad. We then went to My Kacho's mother in law's house for sushi and finally cake at my Kacho's house. His family is really nice and one of his daughters studied for a year in the US so she was very interested in talking to me and hanging out with me again. We went out for dinner again last week which was also really fun. I figure that it's probably good to have a good relationship with my boss. . .could come in handy later.
For a while I didn't really know any of the JET people so i didn't have much to do, but 3 weeks ago we had Nagoya orientation and now I've had way too much to do! 2 weeks ago on Sunday I went to Shinmaiko with my new friend Dave from Toronto. There was kind of a hippy party there for people who are couch surfers and couch surf supporters. It was pretty fun. The beach was really nice, but apparently it's really dirty. . .I didn't go swimming because I didn't realize we were going to a beach but I put my legs in the water and it was warmer than an average swimming pool!! I expected the ocean to be much colder. . .but that could be due in part to my Polar bear dip in the Atlantic on New years day haha. I made a new friend at the beach, Sachiko, who I have now seen twice outside of the beach. . .once completely randomly which was kind of weird. 
The following week we had a summer seminar for most of the week. The seminar involved about 9 ALTs (JET people) and 100 Japanese teachers of english. It was mostly an information sharing seminar. Long and boring, but actually kind of fun. We got to meet a lot of Japanese teachers and the JET people went out drinking or for dinner or something almost every day after the seminar. So I was able to get better acquainted with a bunch of JET people that way too.
I also went out with one of my new friends that week, Jun. He was the mover that came when I moved into my apartment. Turns out, he studied for a year in the US so he can speak pretty good english. He asked me if I needed any friends in Aichi so I was like sure! We went out for sushi and then coffee (I drank tea though, still haven't given up on my fairtrade diet). It was fun ! He's really busy with work so I don't know when I will hang out with him again.
That Saturday there was a big JET event. The annual Nagoya scavenger hunt. It started at 10 and lasted until 3. The JETs that were at my seminar wanted to be in a team together so 5 of us were on the team and then another girl joined us as our second year JET. The first step for the scavenger hunt was to go to a hyaku en shop (dollar store) and get a costume that you were required to wear all day and wear in every picture you took. We chose to be pigs and all day Japanese people kept laughing at us and calling us cute and wanting to take pictures with us. To save us from a bit of the embarrassment, there was a huge festival in Nagoya that weekend where tons of people were in costumes so we didn't really look that out of place. . .aside from when we had to do stupid things, like stuff 7 people into a phone booth. My camera wasn't used for the pictures so I still haven't gotten them, but when I do I will post them. There are some pretty awesome ones. . .So far I have only one.After the scavenger hunt I went out for dinner with some JET people and then randomly saw Sachiko (as I mentioned) at the bar beside the place we ate. So I hung out with her until my last train (12-ish)
Which brings us to last week!
Monday I went out for dinner with my Kacho as I also previously mentioned.
Tuesday was the last day of our summer seminar and I had to be home to get a letter that was coming -__- so I offered to make dinner for my friends from the seminar. Emma, Stuart (pictured above, who are also married and from the UK) and Roy (Ajet president from the US), came for Saba! I also made Kabocha (pumpkin) and salad. . .so healthy! ^^ Apparently it was good too. I said I was always open to dinner parties because of course, I love to cook. . .hee hee.
Wednesday I went to Mikawashiatsu for boat races after work. I guess it's like horse races, but in boats! There were some creepy old men but also my friends, Emma, Stuart, Andrew and Weija so it was fun! It was kind of cool to watch the boats too. . .but I didn't bet any money.
Thursday after work I went to Nagoya to hand out with a different set of JET people. We had dinner at a soy restaurant (my suggestion!) after I foiled their plans of going to eat meat. . .muahaha. . .actually I felt really bad about it. After dinner we just hung around outside of the train station drinking beer. . .until aroun 11:30 oh yeah, some interesting points about japan. 1. Public drunkenness is A-ok. 2. Drinking on the street is also A-ok. . .
Yesterday I went to Nagoya again for a kind of party thing that was planned. . .I met up with the same group from the previous day for drinking after they had already been to a nomihoudai (all you can eat and drink for a certain amount of time). We went to the same bar that I met Sachiko at the previous week. . .and she was there again! Then we went to all night karaoke. In Japan, if you miss your last train, there's lots of places you can stay all night for pretty cheap until the trains start again at 5. Karaoke is one (there are also love hotels, manga cafes. . .). Since I only got to Nagoya around 9 I decided to stay all night.
So after a whole night of drinking and karaoke-ing I got on my train home. . .have no idea how I managed to get off at the right stop as I fell asleep for most of the train ride and finally arrived home around 8am. Turns out I also drank way too much. . .or just a really bad combination of alcohol so I spent most of today just sleeping.
Tomorrow the some of the same group from karaoke and I are going to Ise in Mie-ken (the next prefecture over). Ise is the most holy temple in Japan apparently so it should be fun!
From now on, I will try to post more frequently so I don't have to post gigantic posts such as this one. Now that I'm able to steal internet it should be a bit easier. . .hee hee. I feel bad posting at work as I have to use the only communal computer in the office to do it.
Here is a pic of me and my Tokyo friends:
1 comment:
LindsEy,
Your post about the boat racing reminded me about crazy Japanese people and the sport of Kierin racing. It's a track race in a velodrome where you bet on a cyclist you think will win the race. You can read more about it on this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keirin or go to one of the velodromes in your area to watch one (and bet on a rider?) http://www.tokyocycle.com/bbs/showthread.php?p=1062
let me know if you go and take lots of pictures!
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