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2007-08-02T15:09:00.000-04:00

As usual, it's taken me longer to get around to writing this entry than I have any good excuse for. I've now been back in Canada for two weeks. The time has gone surprisingly fast, although time seems to be behaving oddly lately. In many ways, I feel as though I never left home, that my ten months in Japan were just an extended dream sequence like that awful season of Dallas. Everything here feels the same; the sense of reverse culture-shock I was anticipating has never come. I'm not entirely sure what this past year has taught me, what lessons I should be reflecting on. Instead I'm impatient, waiting for new adventures to take me out of my present boredom. Of course I've been delighted to reconnect with so many people I love but I remain struck by the sense that, although Ontario is my home, it's not where I'm supposed to be. So we'll see where the future takes me. As for this blog, it's future is certain: Jen has done Japan. Sayonara guys, thanks for keeping up with me while I've been away. I'll let you know what I'm up to next once I figure that out for myself.

So Long, Farewell

2007-07-13T06:07:00.000-04:00

Wow, look at this, two posts in the same week! I'm writing this during a no-show on my third-to-last day of work at Nova. Now, while there are certainly some things about this job that I've grown to loathe, on the whole, I've greatly enjoyed my go at being Jen-sensei. The best thing about my job so far has been the chance to teach so many incredible, interesting, hard-working, and just plain adorable students. There are now many favourites whom I have taught for the last time, and may infact never see again. The constant farewells have put me into a hyper-emotional state for the past week. Yesterday I said goodbye to Eri, a young, shy housewife whom I have been teaching every Thursday since I began working here in September. Though her English level is still quite low, I have learned about her love for Italy and U2's The Edge, as well as her plan to see the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji on the morning of her next birthday. Later in the day I had my last lesson with Rei, a university administrator in her mid-forties who frequently suffers from giggle attacks and with whom I share a love for all things pink.

First up today was Rieko, a bubbly doctor's wife who sings opera, gives free tours of Tokyo to foreign visitors, and loves to study amphibiens. I then taught my demons, the brother-sister pair of three year old Saki and five year old Ryota, who presented me with drawings of myself and a blue dragon (at least I hope it was a dragon and not me...). The hardest goodbye was with perhaps the most adorable six year old to ever live, Matsuri. For several months, Matsuri and I had one-on-one lessons every week. Although she has now aged out of my class and is taught by another teacher, we still chat before and after lessons. Today Matsuri presented me with a letter written by her and a request from her mum that I send her a letter from Canada. I'm now greatly looking forward to continuing my friendship with my six-year-old Japanese pen-pal.

My last two days will no doubt include more difficult goodbyes, including with Reina, a moody 13 year old who also happens to be my #1 favourite student. I'll be sure to bring along extra tissues.

The View from the Top

2007-07-10T04:26:00.000-04:00

I can’t quite believe it, but I now have only 8 days remaining in Japan. Although my time here is quickly dwindling, I did manage one last adventure this weekend, perhaps my grandest yet. On Monday morning, I watched the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji.

Climbing Mt. Fuji has been a goal of mine ever since I decided to come to Japan. However, I tend to underestimate my physical abilities and had great doubts as to whether I’d be able to complete the trek. Fortunately, I met Greg, who could make a living as a motivational speaker and never lets me get away with wussing out. Climbing Miharayama in Oshima in March also injected me with a good deal of confidence. Conquering Fuji-san seemed a fitting conclusion to my sojourn through Japan.

On Sunday night, I left work with a backpack of supplies (including headlamps, a rainsuit and toilet paper) and a head full of advice supplied by my co-worker, Kee, who trekked up Fuji last year. I arrived in Shinjuku, where I met Greg, along with his father, Alan, and little brother Patrick, who have been visiting for the past week. As we boarded our bus bound for Fuji’s 5th station (technically about half-way up the mountain- if you’re a sucker for punishment you can start at the very bottom, but most climbers start where the road ends), we realized that only two (!) of the people on board with us were Japanese. Everyone else was gaijin, clutching their Lonely Planet guidebooks and having speaking English. After ten months of living in Japan, I found it quite strange to be able to understand the random snippets of conversation around me.

Two hours later, at 10:00pm, we were greeted by the chilly night air of the 5th station. We put on our gear, got out our flashlights, and were on our way up the mountain at 10:30. The first stretch of the hike is quite easy, with very little actual climbing. Looking out over the edge of the path, we could see nothing but grey fog. Below us stretched an empty, cavernous abyss. After about a half hour we reached the 6^th station, where a guide handed us maps of the route up. From here the trail got much more difficult- it was like climbing up a sand dune. I found myself having to take frequent breaks and questioning whether I was capable of climbing this trail for five hours. After about forty minutes, we encountered a chain blocking our path with a sign reading “No Entry”- on the other side. It was here that we realized that we had been climbing up a supply road and not the actual trail, which had stairs. Ironically enough, on the descent we discovered that we had gone off the trail just steps from where we given the maps.

Feeling much relieved by the easier path that greeted us, we continued to the next station and the rest huts that dotted the path. Looking up, the night sky concealed everything but the next hut looming high in the distance. Soon the terrain became rocky, and I often found myself on all fours. Nonetheless, we kept our spirits up as the rest huts were frequent and our pace steady. The summit finally came into view as we reached the last station at around 2:30. I was pumped and eager to make the last stretch of the climb. What followed were perhaps the most grueling hour and half of my life. The rocks were replaced by slippery volcanic stones that gave way as I stepped on them. I could hardly walk twenty paces without feeling the need to stop and rest. With no rest huts breaking up the climb, the final leg felt interminable. Finally, as the night sky began to brighten with the first hints of twilight, I crossed under the Torii gate that marked the summit of Fuji.

While I was relieved to have made it to the top, I can’t say that the summit of Fuji was much fun. The weather was cold and the air was thin. After a few minutes at the top I began to feel sick and am told by Greg that my lips turned a strange shade of blue. While the boys hiked around the crater, I bundled up in all the clothes I’d packed and huddled into a little ball. I even left my own special mark on Mt Fuji, consisting mostly of the candy and coca-cola I’d eaten on the way up.

Nevertheless, I’ll never forget watching the sun peek out from behind the clouds at the top of Japan. The endless chasm of night gave way to views of a snowy, rocky mountainside that slowly turned green with trees as it extended downwards. The sky became a fierce blue and cloud moved in both above and below us. The beauty of the scene was heightened by my sense of accomplishment. Climbing Fuji, like living the past ten months in Japan, was often difficult and unpleasant. There were moments when I wanted to give up, when I wondered if it hadn’t been a big mistake to have started in the first place. But I made it, thanks in no small part to Greg’s encouragement, discovering my resiliency along the way and finding new inspiration for bigger and better adventures to come.

Comings and Goings

2007-06-15T01:06:00.000-04:00

I’m afraid I haven’t gotten up to much adventuring in the past few weeks. However, that isn’t to say that they’ve been entirely uneventful. At the end of May my delightful Kiwi roomie Alyce decided it was time to head back home to New Zealand. In her place, I was told to expect the arrival of a girl named Natalie, who would be coming two days after Alyce left. Alyce was a first-class roommate, introducing me to the joys of Scrabble, Michael Frenti, Suntory Premium Malts and the delicious little curry restaurant in Fuchu.

It was at that little curry restaurant that Greg and I had dinner with Alyce on her last night in Japan. Upon our arrival home, we set out to play one last round of Scrabble, a game that had become something of a tradition amongst the three of us. Whilst searching for a snack in my food cupboard, I discovered an extra loaf of bread and a can of pineapple. I assumed that Alyce had donated this food to me, seeing as she was leaving the next day, and thanked her for it. It was then that she informed me that she had done no such thing. Puzzled, we began looking around the apartment and noticed that there were a few other suspicious new items lying around- a DVD player amongst them. This seemed odd, as burglars are more likely to take electronics than to leave them behind. Apparently, my new roomie had arrived already, begun moving her things in, and left again, all during the course of our dinner in Fuchu.

I went to sleep that night with an uneasy feeling. Who was this mystery person who was slowly infiltrating my apartment, three days early, and then sneaking out again? I woke up early the next day so that I could have breakfast with Alyce before she went to the airport. As we were eating, she pointed out to me that the door to our spare bedroom was closed. The mystery roomie was lurking inside! As I tearfully bid goodbye to my stellar roommate, I was apprehensive about the new one, sleeping just meters away from me.

Two hours later, Nat emerged. I quickly discovered that I’d had nothing to fear. Transferring to Tokyo from another part of Japan, Nat had arranged with Nova to move a few days earlier than originally planned. Unfortunately, Nova’s foreign personnel department didn’t get around to telling me about that. Since her arrival, I’ve taken Nat to the little curry restaurant and we’ve played two games of Scrabble. I’m happy to have the chance to pass on the traditions of #202 Claire Fuchu I’ve inherited from Alyce to another stellar roommate.

Just today I found out that I can expect yet another new roomie at the end of June. For the first time since January (save for that one night a couple of weeks ago), all the rooms at my apartment will be filled. Annie is arriving from Australia and will be working at my school, Sengawa. As I enter my last few days in Japan, Annie will be embarking on her first. And so the circle of Nova life continues.

In Praise of No-Shows and Wireless Internet

2007-05-21T07:32:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Hope everything is going well in all the corners of your lives. Right now I'm technically supposed to be working. However, as luck would have it, my student decided not to come to her English lesson tonight. Which means I get to spend this period sitting in the Sengawa teachers' room and blog, mooching free internet off some poor soul in the general vicinity. As even more luck would have it, this is my third such free period today. And to make things even better, I'm getting paid. I tell you, this English-teaching gig really isn't so bad. It almost makes me sad to think I'll be leaving it relatively soon.

Last week I put a deposit on a flight home. I'll be back on North American soil (after 20 some odd tortuous travel hours) on July 18th. While, on the whole, I'm definitely ready to be back in my home and native land, more and more I'm discovering that I may just not hate the land of the rising sun all that much. The vast majority of the people I've met here have been stellar, the transportation system is phenomenal, even the despicable English splayed on street signs, train ads and t-shirts is becoming less annoying. I've been making a mental checklist of the things about my life I would change were I to stay here longer (1. move out of Tokyo. 2. climb the corporate ladder. 3. buy a pink scooter). Nonetheless, I know that this land is not my land, and the siren call of home (and my sister) are impossible to resist. Still, life here has been good, especially when I'm earning my yen whilst simultaneously wasting my time blogging.

Kansai

2007-05-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know. My lack of posting and apologies for such at the beginning of each entry is becoming ridiculous. Nevertheless, gomen-nasai. Spring has most definitely sprung in Tokyo, the cherry blossoms have come and gone, replaced by fresh green leaves that I find equally as beautiful. Two weeks ago I went on my latest, and thus far lengthiest, adventure in Japan. For five days Greg and I explored the Kansai region, the historical heart (and tourist trap) of the country. First on our agenda was Nara, now a small city, but a thousand years ago an early capital of a united Japan. We arrived early, continuing our tradition of traveling through the night, and began ticking off the ruins of temples and castles that populate Nara’s sightseeing list. Throughout the day we were accosted by the mangy tame deer that roam Nara at will. Theoretically, the deer are symbols of good fortune sent by the gods (and excessively merchandisable); practically, they are slightly creepy and dirty. By 9:30 we’d arrived at the star attraction: Todai-ji, home to Daibutsu, the Great Buddha at Nara. Nara’s Buddha is the largest in Japan and is housed by the world’s largest wooden building. I have seen many impressive works of Buddhist art while in Japan but I think Todai-ji takes first place for sheer majesty. From its massive entrance gate to its lush grounds and intimidating guardian statues, Todai-ji radiates power. At the centre of it all is Daibutsu, seated in the lotus position, calm and serene, gladly accepting the prayers and supplications of his worshippers.

After some more exploring and a lunch of okinomiyaki (definitely my fave Japanese food, if you’re ever in the area, give it a try), we considered Nara complete and collapsed from exhaustion late in the afternoon.

Up early the next morning, we headed on a multi-leg journey (2 trains and a cable car) to Koya-San, a mountain top Buddhist temple complex that attracts many students (and even more tourists). Along the way, we met up with a couple of Norwegians who were traveling through Asia. They had arrived via the Trans-Siberian Railway, a journey that Greg and I had considered doing ourselves this summer. Definitely inspiring. We spent the afternoon exploring the many temples and enjoying the relative peace and quiet before checking into the temple where we were spending the night. Never having stayed in a temple before, I was a little uncertain of what to expect. We were met at the door by a tiny, hunch-backed monk with a paralyzed right leg who moved with an awkward waddling shuffle. We later found out that our monk had been an emergency rescue worker until ten years ago, when he suffered and aneurysm. Rather than undergoing medical rehabilitation, he chose instead to devote his life to meditation and now runs the temple as a guesthouse. For the most part, the temple was like any other traditional Japanese inn. We ate our meals with the other guests (a retired Japanese couple and a woman from Kobe and her friends from Germany and Switzerland) in a tatami-mat dining room and shared a scalding-hot communal bath (I’m getting more used to strangers seeing me naked now). However, we also got to observe the monks at morning prayers, ate only vegetarian food, and had to have our lights out by 10pm.

After breakfast the next day, we bid farewell to our monk and hiked to Koya-San’s holiest site, the tomb of Kobo Daishi, who founded Koya-San in 813AD. As a young monk, Kobo Daishi traveled to China and returned preaching a new brand of Buddhism. He is perhaps the closest thing to a Christ figure within Japanese religion. As such, his tomb is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Japan; the path leading up to it is surrounded by the graves of thousands of the devout, wishing to be buried near their spiritual leader. It was unlike any other cemetery I’ve ever seen. There were no rows of meticulous orderly gravestones. Instead, the granite markers were strewn about the surrounding hills haphazardly, green moss overtaking and reclaiming them back to the earth. It was truly hallowed ground.

Unfortunately, as we approached Daishi himself, we encountered swarms of bus-tour pilgrims who’d skipped the cemetery walk in favour of the nearby gift shop parking lot. Religious sites in Japan seem to attract an odd mix of spiritual seekers, foreign backpackers looking for enlightenment, and camera-happy Japanese tourists. At first I was taken aback by the apparent sacrilege of these would-be pilgrims. However, such religio-tourism seems perfectly normal to the Japanese.

After paying our respects to Kobo Daishi, Greg and I set out for our last destination, Kyoto. Unfortunately, multiple days of lugging around heavy packs and nights of little sleep were starting to take their toll. Add in a sprinkling of rain, a skipped lunch and train confusion and you get two very irritable travelers. When finally we reached our inn in Kyoto we were content to just turn in early.

Kyoto was Japan’s capital from 794 until the Meiji restoration of 1868 and has remained Japan’s cultural centre. This means that there is a heck of a lot of historical sites to see in the city, most of which are temples. Drawing upon our lessons from the previous day, we decided that, instead of trying to pack in as many sites as possible and stressing out, we would instead take a leisurely pace and thoroughly enjoy the buildings we did see. To help us in this effort, we rented bikes from our innkeeper (an odd man who possessed a vast amount of knowledge about Kyoto and was intent on sharing it). Let me suggest, if you’re ever in Kyoto, rent bikes. By far the easiest way to get around and also a great deal of fun.

Our first stop was Nijo-jo, a castle built by the Tokugawa Shoguns. Its most impressive feature was its “hummingbird” floors, which chirp when stepped on, an ancient security alarm. After Nijo-jo we rode up to Ginkaku-ji, which was perhaps my favourite of all the places we visited in Kyoto. A temple that had also served as a salon for artists and poets in the 16^th century, Ginkaku-ji’s main building is quite simple. The grounds, however, including a gorgeous raked Zen garden and flower-lined pathways were a breath of serenity. Our final site of the day was Kiyumizu-dera, a massive temple complex suspended off the side of a mountain. Kiyumizu was by far the most grandiose of the temples we saw. It was also reeming with tourist groups, causing us to longingly wonder what the place must have been like a few centuries back, when its magnificent views and architecture could have been admired free from the screams of school children and souvenir vendors. Thoroughly satisfied with our more relaxed day, Greg and I rested up and prepared for our final day in Kansai before heading back to Tokyo.

Originally, we had planned to take a shinkansen (Japanese for “bullet train”- FYI, no one in Japan calls them bullet trains) home on our last afternoon. However, being that neither of us had to work until 1:00 the following afternoon, we decided to take yet another night bus back home, saving a wad of yen and allowing us an extra afternoon of vacation. After buying our bus tickets and emptying our packs into lockers, we headed for Kinkaku-ji, (also known as the Golden Pavillion), a temple gilded in gold. Though located on the edge of the city, the temple’s grounds are densely wooded, so that you feel as though you have stepped into another world upon entering them. Or you would, except that the requisite bus loads of school children were there, snapping pictures and screaming at each other. No matter, even they couldn’t dampen Kinkaku-ji’s radiance. I had seen pictures of this building prior to coming to Japan and had put it on my list of must-see places. I was not disappointed. The temple itself is rather small but shines like a jewel.

We spent our extra afternoon in the city relaxing in the Imperial Palace gardens and exploring the Heian Shrine, then enjoyed dinner at a gorgeous Indonesian restaurant. Kyoto is famous for its delicious traditional food. I ate none of it. Instead, Greg and I gorged on Nepalese, Israeli and Indonesian fare. Not being much of a fan of the more traditional Japanese stuff (eel? octopus? this is supposed to be food???), I think we made the right call.

Finally, it was time to bid goodbye to the Buddhas and bustle of Kansai and board our bus back to big bad Bubaigawara.

Worlds!

2007-03-30T02:59:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the chance to indulge in one of my favourite activities: watching live figure skating. I have to confess, one of the deciding factors in my decision to come to Japan was the fact that Tokyo was hosting the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships. Not only did I luck out in being assigned to Tokyo, the arena where the event was being held is literally a five minute walk from Greg’s house. Unfortunately, as I discovered in January, tickets were both prohibitively expensive and difficult to get, owing to Japan’s recent emergence as a singles skating powerhouse. Fortunately, Japan still sucks at pairs and ice dance, my two favourite disciplines, so I was able to procure tickets to the first day’s events, the compulsory dance and the pairs short program, with little effort or money.

I’ll spare you the details of the actual competition (if you cared, you were probably watching on TV). I spent the first half of the day sitting alongside the fiancé of Mexican ice dancer Laura Munana. He, like the entire Mexican skating team, is actually from California. Having just flown into Tokyo the night before, he was much more interested in asking for sight-seeing recommendations and useful Japanese phrases than watching the actual competition- he’s more of a fan of his fiancé than he is of ice dancing, but has by now been to enough competitions that he’s starting to understand the basics.

During the second half of the day my section of the arena attracted a great deal of attention when Brian Joubert, the French heartthrob and eventual winner of the Men’s competition, sat a few rows away from me. While attempting to cheer on his French teammates he garnered a decent mob of autograph-seeking fans. This being Japan, the mob was actually more of an orderly, polite line than a free-for-all scrum.

Okay, now I am going to talk a bit about the actual skating. This competition was especially exciting for me as it was the first ever world championships of one of my favourite teams, and the last worlds for another. The day was kicked off with the compulsory dance of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, a team of young ice dancers from Ilderton, Ontario. I first noticed them years ago, when they were still pre-novice skaters, because they were so incredibly smaller than their competitors. Three years ago they won the Canadian junior title. Through a crazy coincidence, I wound up meeting their coach in Halifax and getting the chance to watch Tessa and Scott train with her while they were on their way to the Jr. World Championships. More than their incredible skating, I was impressed by how personable and fun these kids were. They’ve been skyrocketing up the ice dance ranks ever since, and finished a shockingly good 6^th in Tokyo.

The day ended with the final short program that Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao of China will ever skate at a world championship. Over ten years of competition, they had won 5 world medals, including two golds, and two Olympic bronze medals. I fell in love with Shen and Zhao when I went to the 2001 worlds in Vancouver. The competition between Jaimie Sale and David Pelletier and the Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze dominated the news, but it was Shen and Zhao’s quiet grace determination that won me over. They’ve improved so much over the years and become my all-time favourite skaters. Last August, it looked like the skating days might have been over when Hongbo ruptured his Achilles’ tendon. Having been back on the ice training for only a month, they managed to win the bronze medal at the Olympics. They continued skating this year to prove that they could regain their old form after the injury, which they did in Tokyo, setting a new world record in their short program and easily winning their third world title. And to add to the fairy tale ending, Hongbo proposed to Xue at the end of their Long Program.

Now begins the long, 7 month off-season. Hopefully this latest skating fix will hold me through to October!

Oshima

2007-03-16T00:06:00.000-04:00

The idea of going to Oshima was first hatched back in December, when Greg and I were lamenting the fact that, although Japan is a nation made up of islands, neither of us had seen a proper beach since arriving. Consulting our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, we discovered that just south of Tokyo lay a chain of 7 volcanic, semi-tropical islands, Oshima being the closest. A seven-hour overnight ferry connected the island to the mainland. I happen to have a thing for ferry boats, and the island sounded like a nice escape from the soul-sucking, mind-numbing throttle of Tokyo. Janessa’s visit, pneumonia, and general laziness postponed our plans, but this weekend Greg and I finally made the trek to Oshima.

On Sunday night we embarked on our trip. Neither of us was quite sure what second-class passage on a Japanese overnight ferry would entail. We were directed down to one of the lower decks, where we discovered a large carpeted room, marked off into a grid of 6x2 foot rectangles with duct tape. Each section of floor was numbered, corresponding to numbers on our tickets. These were to be our beds for the night. It was eerily reminiscent of Jr. MYF retreats, with rows upon rows of snoring people stretched out on the floor, sleeping together. We ditched our things and headed up and outside to the main deck, happily watching the blinding neon of the city recede into the distance. From the deck we noticed a restaurant inside and, being cold and hungry, we headed back in for it. We wound up spending the vast majority of the night there, the sleeping conditions being less than optimal. Greg taught me to play poker, using crappy Japanese snack food as chips, and I promptly beat him.

5:30 am rolled around surprisingly quickly and dawn greeted our arrival at the island. The coast was rugged, populated by evergreens and black volcanic rock. The air was fresh and crisp with a strong, biting wind. The winds were so strong that our ferry had docked at Otaka port, on the opposite side of the island from the main port, Motomachi, which is less sheltered. Unfortunately, due to our lack of Japanese language skills, Greg and I missed this announcement. After wandering a bit, we noticed that the port seemed to have none of the landmarks mentioned in our Lonely Planet. We also (eventually) noticed that the port we landed at wasn’t called Motomachi. This little comedy of errors resulted in us walking the 7 km to the other side of the island. Finally we arrived at Motomachi, hungry, cold and weary. As we searched for a place to eat, fate intervened, taking the form of a middle aged Japanese hair stylist named Katsuyoshi Nishihama.

“Hello”, he called as we passed him the first time. As we turned around and headed back past his hair salon, he called to us again. “Do you have a map?” We did not have one. “Come in, please,” he insisted, “I will give you a map”.

Over the next hour, Mr. Nishihama gave us more than a map. Eager to practice the English skills he’d acquired during a dozen or so backpacking trips the world over, from Ireland to New Zealand to the American southwest, Vienna, and Alaska, Mr. Nishihama offered us a plethora of tourist pamphlets, cups of steaming coffee, his binoculars, and a ride to the base of Mt. Miharayama, a volcano which last erupted in 1986 and still spews steam into the air. Turning a corner on our drive to the start of the hike, we were suddenly greeted by the elusive Mt. Fuji, rising majestically out of the water on the distant mainland shore. I have to admit I’d been a little confused by the fuss over Fuji, but my confusion was erased upon seeing it myself, the day’s strong winds giving us a rare clear view. Its snow-capped solitary peak is one of the most striking sights I’ve ever seen.

Soon we arrived at Miharayama, said our goodbyes to Mr. Nishihama, and started out on our journey up the volcano through rivers of solidified lava. The further up we traveled the brisker the winds became, to the point that once, as we were circling the massive crater, I was actually pushed over by the force of the gale. The Japanese word for wind is kaze. The word kamikaze literally minds “divine winds”. I think I felt the kamikaze on the top of that mountain.

For someone who has a chronic oversleeping problem, the fact that I’d managed to walk across an island and climb a mountain before noon was quite the achievement. From the top of Miharayama we headed on another hour-ish long hike to an onsen (hot spring) hotel. The hike took us through rugged volcanic rock, tall yellow grasses and twisting green trees and left me both energized and aching. The prospect of a long hot soak was so inviting that I didn’t even mind so much that soaks in onsens are typically done stark naked. Onsens are extremely popular in Japan and the people think nothing of stripping down to participate. It’s sort of a social equalizer. I, however, am an uptight Canadian with body issues. Nonetheless, I nervously disrobed and tried to focus on the gorgeous view of the volcano that I had just hiked! that the outdoor bath afforded and not the other naked ladies sharing my (blessedly single-sex!) bathtub.

Monday afternoon continued with a bus ride with a bunch of friendly Japanese seniors, another decent walk back into Motomachi, and a visit to the hair salon to return Mr. Nishihama’s things. That’s when he gave us more coffee and invited us to join him and his wife on a sea-side hike the next day, their day off. “Do you like onigiri? Do you like ginger? My wife will make us ginger onigiri for lunch tomorrow. Is that okay?”

We spent the night at a minshuku, the Japanese equivalent of a bed and breakfast. Our hosts were very friendly and spoke little English, which allowed us to practice our Japanese skills. These skills were put further to the test at dinner (a veritable feast of Japanese food, the best I’ve ever had), when we had the chance to chat with a delightful old man who was also staying the night and spoke zero English. I managed to understand and get across a few basic sentences (Greg totally bested me, I must study!). After dinner, our hosts informed us that a community matsuri (festival) featuring traditional dancing would be happening at the port that evening. Intrigued, we headed down and found ourselves the only foreigners in a crowd of a couple dozen or so locals who all seemed to know each other. We certainly stood out, and were pointed out, but not in the typical, let’s-mock-the-gaijin Japanese way. We were invited to join in the arcade games and (admittedly forcibly) the traditional dance with yukata-clad women. For the first time since arriving in Japan, I was experiencing community, and I was being included.

Tuesday morning we met the Nishihamas at their salon, picked up our carefully packed lunches (!!!) and piled into their van for our tour of the island. Our first stop was a traditional Japanese house that had been built about 200 years ago by one of Mr. Nishihama’s ancestors and was preserved as a historical site. Next we were taken to a tiny, simple shrine in the middle of a towering cedar forest. Finally we reached the start of our ocean-side hike. I spent the majority of our walk taking pictures of the crashing waves (Japan really is an island nation!) and attempting to chat with Mrs. Nishihama, a sweet and beautiful woman who spoke far less English than her husband. At the midpoint of our walk we stopped to eat lunch at a bluff overlooking the water. As we dug into our delicious lunches, Mr. Nishihama set up a portable cd player and we were serenaded by the strains of Mozart. Seriously.

After our hike the Nishihamas informed us that the traditional dancers of the night before would be putting on a repeat performance outside nearby. Having enjoyed them the first time, we decided to watch again. We should have known that we would be recognized and cajoled once more into joining the ladies in their dance once more. This time, however, they thought it’d be extremely kawaii! (“cute”, perhaps the most overused word in Japanese) to dress me up like them… and yes, there are pictures.

We had only an hour until we had to catch our ferry back to Tokyo but the Nishihamas still had one more place to take us. We drove to the home of a semi-famous ceramic artist whose name I have, criminally, forgotten. Anyhoo, we were invited into the artist’s workshop, where his latest works were being cooled in his kiln, and then into their home for tea (fulfilling Greg’s dream of seeing the inside of an actual Japanese home). It was just about time for us to head back when the artist’s wife offered us 35% off coupons for the ferry. She also let us know that, with the coupons, the first-class speed boat, which took only 2 hours to cross to the mainland, would be almost as cheap as normal ferry tickets and would give us another hour to chat and look around their house. So we went with speedboat. Finally, it was time to leave, and the Nishihamas drove us down to the port, where we sadly sped off from our island oasis of calm and back to the frenzy of the city.

This weekend was, by far, the best I’ve experienced in Japan. I got to see a side of the country that I’d always heard existed but that, living in Tokyo, I’d missed out on. Oshima has no fast food restaurants, no convenience store, and I don’t think I saw a single neon sign. While Tokyoites, despite living in impossibly close quarters with each other, rarely deign to look up at their fellow human beings on the train, the people of Oshima were shockingly friendly and hospitable. I discovered that I don’t hate Japan, I hate Tokyo. I also discovered that I’m more resilient than I’d thought- we hiked more than 20 kms in those two days and, for the most part, I kept up. What I’ll remember most about Oshima though is, undoubtedly, Mr. Nishihama. He was an interesting fellow, wise in his own folksy way. Returning from our first day’s hike, Greg and I told him that our trip up the volcano had been exhilarating but extremely windy. As the path wound up the mountain, the wind would first be at our backs, propelling us forward, then, as we turned a corner, would blow into our faces, pushing us back.

“Ah,” he replied, “just like life”.

2007-03-09T03:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am alive. I am, however, currently without internet access at home, which I realize isn't much of an excuse for my lack of blogging, being as there are cheap and plentiful (if smoky) internet cafes throughout Tokyo. My bad.

Anyhoo, in 3 days I will have been in Japan for 6 months. Half of a year. This impressive stat also means that I am now more than halfway my stint in Japan. I can't say I've fallen in love with the place, but I have to admit that there are many things I will miss about this place after I've left. However, I'm not leaving yet, and reaching this milestone has made me think about all things I still want to do while I'm stationed in the Land of the Rising Sun and Hello Kitty.

1. Climb Mt. Fuji. Alright, so I'm probably too much of a wuss to actually climb the thing. However, I definitely have to at least see it so I can say I've been there

2. Stay in a ryokan. Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns, where guests sleep on futons on tatami (straw) mat floors. This last bit isn't so novel since I sleep on a futon on a tatami mat floor every single night in my apartment, but I'd still like to give the ryokan thing a go, apparantly the service is first rate

3. See the Golden Pavillion in Kyoto. This is perhaps the most famous temple/shrine in Japan and if it's half as beautiful as the pictures, it'll be worth seeing. Fortunately, I'm planning a little holiday to Kyoto in the next month or so, so that one should get checked off.

4. Play pachinko. Pachinko is kinda like Japanese pinball and is extremely popular. Pretty much every neighbourhood has a Pachinko parlour, recognizable by its blinking lights and deafening beeps and buzzes coming from the machines.

5. Get off the beaten track. Living in a prefecture with 30 million people has its perks, however I'd definitely like to spend a bit of time somewhere a little sparser. Perhaps Shikoku, the smallest of the four principal islands in Japan, will be a vacation destination in the summer.

6. Improve my Japanese. This has been the area of my greatest laziness while in Japan. Aside from a couple dozen phrases and a vague concept of basic conjugation, I still am clueless when it comes to the language that I hear constantly (Kayo and Miyuki, two of my Japanese co-workers, are speaking it RIGHT NOW beside me and I haven't clue what's going on). I have started studying more at home, partly in an effort to show up Greg, who is relentlessly studious, and partly because I am truly ashamed of my inability to communicate with the people I see everyday.

So that's a short list of the goals for the next 5-ish months. Anyone have any other suggestions? Leave comments!

Pneumonia

2007-01-25T03:59:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

Today I went on an adventure. I walked all the way from my apartment to the grocery store, bought groceries, then returned home. Sadly, this is the biggest outing I've had in the past 5 days. As I think many of you have heard by now, I'm not feeling so great lately. What started as a nasty cough a month ago has seemingly evolved into pneumonia. Oy. Anyhoo, I'm working hard at getting better, drinking lots of water and laying in bed. I've been well looked after by my friends here, particularly Greg, whose limitless patience and kindness should put him in line for a sainthood. I've also really appreciated the emails from everyone at home, they certainly put a smile on my face. I'm off to the doc's again tomorrow and hoping for good news. I would love to be back at work, and my regularly-scheduled life, next week.

Janessa did Japan

2007-01-09T18:49:00.000-05:00

Ohayo gozaimasu!

Strangely enough, I am indeed blogging in the morning, a time of day I rarely see here. I have to be up this early (9 am!) because I must help Janessa pack up and take her to the airport. Sigh, our two-week reunion is drawing to a close, and while a rather substantial part of me would love to jump on the plane with her and see all the people and places I miss back home, having had Janessa here allowed me to catch up on much of the news I'd missed since being in Tokyo and gave my a lovely slice of familiarity to hold on to for the remainder of my stint in Japan.

Like the first week of Nez's trip here, the past week was full of fun and adventure (and-oops- one major disappointment). I have Nez here riding shotgun with me again, so I'll let her begin by telling you about her day in Sengawa.

Hello! To catch you up, Sengawa is the name of the part of Tokyo where Jen works. She had a short day so I rode into work with her and met her fellow Nova teachers (a nice bunch, our Jenny is the only girl!). After exploring around Sengawa a bit and sitting in the local Starbucks listening to Jen's iPod (how I will miss that thing again when I leave!) I went back to Nova. Since Jen had another hour of work left I figured I would be sitting by myself reading but fortunately no one in that branch was working particularly hard that day. I had Jen as well as her workmates Kee and John to entertain me. After the 'work' was done for the day, we headed out for a Sengawa branch party. After some curry, it was off to sing some karaoke! It was a definite hi-lite of my trip, some of the guys really got into it, and the Japanese staff were very cute singing their favourite J-Pop tunes. Jen insists that I didn't really sing but she's so lying! I gave it my all during the group numbers and she and I even teamed up for what can only be described as a haunting rendition of 'Desperado'.

The next afternoon Jen was working again but Greg wasn't so he took me to Asakasa to find a shrine. We never did. I think Greg's navigatory skills were off that day. We did find a Starbucks and after some rather comical ordering woes, we got to just sit around and drink coffee while dishing our respective dirt on Jen. Then we came home and made Jenny a lovely dinner of stir-fry and gyoza (A favourite of mine here).

Saturday was a wash. For real.... it rained all day and Jenny had to work so I scrapped my plans to go looking around parks and watched Tommy Boy instead. Jen's roommate Alyce returned from her vacation to Thailand and Cambodia to find a strange girl (me) sitting on her couch surfing you-tube. Anyway, Alyce is a winner and had some great stories and pictures from her travels. I made Jenny and Alyce some dinner and we watched 'Lost in Translation' which Jen made all the more entertaining by blurting out 'I know where that is' about every 5 minutes.

The best part of my trip was visiting Chris and Amanda in Chichibu. After spending the better part of 2 weeks in Tokyo it was refreshing to see forests and mountains and water. The train ride out to Chichibu is full of breath-taking views and I honestly would never have believed that so many trees could co-exist in a country with so many people. I really didn't get to properly catch up with Mands and Chris when they were home for Christmas so it was great to spend time with them in their element and see how much they really do love it here. We ate okinomiyaki, played some Trivial Pursuit (80's edition), and explored some of Chichibu's top attractions. Oh! We saw monkeys! For real monkeys! Jen and I saw one right beside a 'monkey crossing' sign on the way up some mountain and Amanda was all bummed out that she didn't see him (apparently she has seen no monkeys in her time here). So on the way back down we looked in the same spot and there was a family of monkeys (or at least a group... I suppose they could have just been friends). We stopped the car on a somewhat blind corner of the twisty mountain road and I jumped out to take pictures (Jen thought I would for sure by hit by a car... how would she explain that one to Sue? Run down while photographing monkeys). And then it was back onto the train to Tokyo... I'll let Jenny explain to you Tuesday's plans as well as its reality.

Since yesterday was Janessa's final full day in Japan, we wanted to give her a taste of authentic Japanese culture. Of course, nothing in Japan is more culturally stimulating than Sumo. Fortunately for us, the January grand sumo tournament had just gotten underway. Sumo tournaments are run round-robin style by division. On each of the tournament's 16 days, each wrestler has one fight against another wrestler in his division. The lower level sumos square off first; the highest level wrestlers don't begin fighting until late afternoon. With this in mind, I decided that we could hold off on getting to the stadium until later in the day.

We started our day by heading out to Odaiba, a new-ish land-reclamation development in Tokyo Bay. Its buildings are oddly-shaped and futuristic, their concrete and glass still bright and shiny, but foreshadowing their looming datedness. Odaiba will look like crap in 20 years. However, yesterday, with its bright blue sky and sunshine, was the perfect day for getting a great view of the whole thing by riding the Tokyo Giant Sky Wheel, a ferris wheel that was the tallest in the world until the London Eye openned. Nez has a bit of a fear of heights, but with encouragement she managed to climb that rainbow and get through the ride without any form of panic attack. After the ferris wheel, we headed to another of Odaiba's more famous attractions, Venus Fort, a shopping mall "designed for women" (because most malls are designed for men?). Upon entering Venus Fort, one is meant to feel as though they have been taken away to the streets of an Italian village. There are renaissance statues and fountains aplenty. However, the mall's most striking feature is its ceiling, accross which the "sun" sets and rises every 2 hours, giving the feel of perpetual twilight.

After buying candy at the creepy mall, it was time to cross the city to Ryogoku, where we would be just in time to catch the major sumo action. But when we approached the ticket gate, we made a terrible discovery. All of the unreserved (read: cheap) seats had already been sold out. This being only the 3rd day of the tournament, and a regular working day, I'd not figured on that happenning. Alas, at the very end of Nez's stay, my tour guide credentials were shattered. We did still manage to see a few of the earlier fighters hanging outside of the stadium but that was about it. Although disappointed, we salvaged our evening with a quick trip to Shibuya for some people watching and then headed back to Bubai for our last night of sisterly bonding until the summer.

Twins attack Tokyo! Run for your lives!!!

2007-01-03T06:07:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Today I have a very special guest blogging with me. It's my sister Janessa! She's here visiting me for a couple of weeks in between her midwifery placements. First I'll catch you up on my last, gulp, few weeks, then I'll let Nez tell you what we've been doing since she invaded Tokyo (not unlike Godzilla).

Although Christmas in Japan is enough to make anyone into a humbug, I have to say that it didn't actually suck as much as I'd anticipated. I still managed to open presents on Christmas morning and have a Christmas dinner (albeit spaghetti) with the people that I'm closest to in Tokyo. I also got to go to church for the first time in months! St. Alban's is a lovely Anglican church right in the heart of Tokyo that used a liturgy very similar to the one I'm used to from my chapel days in Halifax, so I felt right at home. We arrived at the church early, prepared for big Christmas Eve crowds. As we approached, we noticed literally thousands of people lining the streets surrounding the church. This seemed slightly odd for non-Christian Japan. The myriads, however, were not there for baby Jesus. They were there to stare slack-jawed at one of Tokyo's gaudiest tourist attractions, Tokyo Tower. Tokyo Tower is a near-perfect replica of the Eifel Tower, although ten feet taller (and, therefore, better). Christmas Eve being the traditional couples' night in Japan (think Valentine's Day), the Tower lights up with little pink hearts and blares j-pop romance ballads. This is apparantly enough to keep the Japanese entranced for hours. Anyhoo, the service was lovely, we sang all the traditional carols, the Christ candle was lit, and I was happily reminded that, even in Tokyo, there's more to Christmas than rampant commercialism.

My greatest Christmas present arrived on December 28th. After an extremely pleasant 13 hour flight, Janessa arrived ready to greet Tokyo with a smile. I'll pass Lappy over to her and let her tell you about her initial impressions of Japan.

Wow... yes, hello to all you fellow fans of Jen out there. I am very fortunate to be doing what I'm sure all of you wish you could, that of course being visiting Jen in Japan. So yes, 13 hours is definitely longer than God ever intended anyone to fly. It's why birds get tired and take rests. When I first got to the airport Jen and I ate dinner at the McDonalds which I suppose was not a very authentically Japanese thing to do but I did have a Chicken McGrill with some sort of dill sauce on it so that's got to count for some roaming outside of my comfort zones. The first full day in Japan Jen and I met up with Greg for a trip to the fish market. That was fun, I don't remember much about the market itself, it was crowded. We ate ramen which was very good. My first attempt with the chopsticks was not so successful but I'm improving.

Day 2 was a lazy Saturday. Jen was a very poor hostess and only managed to show me the Starbucks in Fuchu. Actually our poor Jenny is feeling a bit under the weather so it was good for her to rest. Sunday was a very good day. Jen and I went to the aforementioned St Alban's and I agree, it is a simply lovely little church dwelling. Very cool to encounter other friends o' Jesus in new places. Then Jen and Greg and I had lunch and went to Harajuku and the Meji shrine. I'll show you all pictures (well, the ones of you that I know). I like Harajuku, it's full of so many crazy people and things but sometimes crazy is the best kind.

Sunday night was New Year's Eve. I'm told that it was a great night in Fuchu.... a real festival, a true community event. I wouldn't actually know. I slept through midnight as the jetlag finally caught up to me. Jen and Greg seemed to have a great time (this is what their pictures suggest to me) and New Year's day was loads of fun in Fuchu. I'll turn things back over to Jen for her play-by-play.

Yes, Janessa did bail on us for the countdown to midnight and she missed a pretty darn good show. While I've made my firey contempt of Japanese Christmas quite known, I have to hand it to them, they certainly know how to ring in the New Year. New Year is actually the big winter holiday here in Japan. Offices close, Nova teachers get a week off, and families gather from accross the country to make prayers at their local shrines for health and happiness in the year to come. New Year's Eve we headed for the shrine in Fuchu, which is considerably big and usually a place of respite from the bustle of suburban life. However, that night the place was bumpin'. The long walkway that stretches from the Torii Gate to the main hall of the shrine was packed with stalls selling everything from traditional food like octopus balls to your more western carnival fare (I enjoyed some delicious Hello Kitty cotton candy). There was a banana stand, people hawking Disney merchandise, Nintendo Wiis, and small carved boars (2007 is the year of the boar in the Chinese Zodiac). As midnight approached, thousands of city residents lined up to enter the shrine and pray. There was no audible countdown, no ball dropping, everyone just stood looking at their cell phone screens waiting for 12:00 to strike. When it did, firecrackers went off, a few people cheered, and Greg and I headed out on the road back to Bubai, where an old man passed us on his bicycle and shouted "Happy New Year!".

Twin A again. Jenny and I spent Monday at the shrine and then walked around the Imperial palace grouds and tried to spot the emperor. We took pictures of loads of random Japanese guys so one of them is bound to be him. Tuesday we headed out of the city and went to Kamakura. There we saw Daibutsu, the Great Buddha statue. For any of you who think that Jen and I get along waaaayyy too well, you must spend some time travelling with us. Somehow we kept walking and walking and big Buddha remained 1.3 km away. I can't blame my dear sister, she's probably a better navigator than I, but things got a little testy as she got us lost. So eventually we found him, quite the sight to see. Today Jenny took me to the zoo and the science museum. Many of you appreciate what a dork I am and how exciting these middle school field trip type outings are to me. That's a quick rundown of the first half of my trip. Back to Jen to sign off.

So that's a bit of an update on us. As of tomorrow I'm back to work, but Nez will still be here for another week, so we'll see if we can get up to anything else interesting. So far there are plans to sing Karaoke, watch Sumo, and visit Chichibu in the works, we'll let you know how those turn out!

Happy X-Mas!

2006-12-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

In case I don't get around to writing something substantial in the next few days (I know, I suck!), I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! It's definitely a little strange being so far away from home this time of year, especially since the Japanese take on Christmas is decidedly different from what I'm used to (no snow, no turkey, no Jesus, no holiday!!!). Nonetheless, I've got some plans with some friends to go to church, eat a lot of candy, open presents under a 2 1/2 foot fake plastic tree, and generally make the most of the day.

As my Christmas gift to any of you who love great music (come on, who doesn't love great music?), I'd invite you to navigate over to http://www.asthmatickitty.com/suf_xmas/suf_xmas.php . One of my greatest joys this year was discovering the work of Sufjan Stevens, a crazily talented independent singer-songwriter from the States. This Christmas he's released a set of 5 Christmas EP's he's recorded over the past few years and they're quite simply astonishing. Check out especially O Holy Night on disc 3 and Holy, Holy, Holy on disc 5.

I love and miss everyone in New Hamburg, Waterloo and Halifax very much. Although I'm very happy here in Tokyo, I'm certainly looking forward to being back home for a Canadian Christmas next year!

Nagano

2006-12-02T09:10:00.000-05:00

Alrighty guys, here's your eagerly-awaited Jen-in-Japan update (although my lack of posting has led you some of you to FINALLY start making comments... it's nice to know that I'm not typing into empty cyber space) . Last Thursday marked my first real venture out of the never-ending urban sprawl that is Tokyo (Chichibu and Takosanguchi don't really count as they are both still listed on my Greater Tokyo train map) as I ventured to Nagano. As most of you are painfully aware, I'm a bit of a rabid figure skating fan and as such I've been eagerly anticipating the Japanese leg of the fall Grand Prix series in Nagano since I arrived in Japan. Anticipating, but not so much planning. After briefly toying with the idea of staying for all four days of the competition, I eventually concluded that I would only go for the first day, which featured the compulsory dance and pairs' short program. Finally, as of Thursday morning, I'd managed to book a hotel room for the night, although I still hadn't bothered to buy a bus ticket or tickets to the actual event. So I struck out bright and early to Shinjuku without much of a plan on where to go from there. Fortunately, my ability to think on my feet has been improving since I've been in Japan, and within half an hour I'd found the bus station, bought my ticket and boarded my ride to Nagano.

Since being in Japan, I've travelled almost exclusively by train, so taking a trip on an actual paved road was a bit of a treat. After the expected early morning congestion of Tokyo, we were soon winding our way through the passes and tunnels of the Japanese Alps. While not excessively tall, the tree covered mountains were impressive nonetheless, as the end of November is the prime season for viewing Autumn leaves in Japan (which happens to be a very popular activity among housewives, particularly those whom I teach).

After a little more than three hours I'd arrived in Nagano. The city itself is relatively small and reminded me much more of Kitchener than Tokyo in its layout. While the town centre was charming and bustling, the outer edges were lined with subdivisions and strip malls. Nagano also emitted a strong feeling of being stuck in perpetual letdown; its international glory as an Olympic host city is relegated to the past. The medals plaza has been converted into a parking lot. While the stage remains, it's streaked with rust, and the number 3 has falled off the bronze-medal place on the podium.

After checking into my hotel (it was my first time staying in a hotel by myself- I felt quite luxurious!) and exploring the downtown a bit, I caught a shuttle bus to Big Hat arena and waited outside in the cold for an hour to buy my ticket. Not fun. I probably should have done that in advance. Anyhoo, we were finally let in and I got ready to enjoy my first live skating competition outside of Canada. The first thing that struck me was how small the venue was- it couldn't have held more than 4000 people. As the skaters performed their routines I was also a little surprised by the comparatively quiet applause. There was nary a cheer to be heard. Except from me. I screamed especially for my favourites, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in ice dance and Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao in pairs. Happily, both were in the lead in their respective disciplines by the end of the night.

Arena food being universally crap, after the event I headed to some vaguely Italian late night restaurant for dinner before heading back to my hotel and taking a nice long bath in my Japanese (very deep) bath-tub and then sprawling in my queen-size bed. Luxurious indeed.

The next morning I was planning to do some more sight-seeing before heading back to Tokyo in the afternoon. With the Olympics having come and gone, the Zenkoji Temple has regained its former position as Nagano's greatest tourist attraction. The temple sits prominently at the top of a hill in the very centre of town. Happily, as I headed out on the 2km walk from my hotel to the temple, the sun was shining overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue, and there was a slight chill in the air. Perfect weather for exploring. I stopped on my way for my morning coffee in a local, side-street coffee shop, where the owner was incredibly friendly (she made me sit at the table closest to the heater) but the coffee was exorbitantly expensive (400 yen!?!?!?). Properly caffeinated, I continued my trek uphill and into the temple compound. While the Olympic venues in Nagano feel a little worn and faded, the ancient temple was teeming with life and energy. Pilgrims and tourists alike hunched over maps and snapped pictures. Shop stalls lined the street selling snacks, chopsticks, kitschy souvenirs and Nagano's famous soba (buckwheat noodles- quite tasty!). Plumes of incense shot up and filled the air. Statues, smaller buildings and gardens surrounded the temple itself, a massive, black and gold painted wooden building, which is said to hold one of the holiest images in Japan, although no one is allowed to see it (in fact, visitors can only see a copy of the image once every 7 years). Japan is so full of shrines and temples that many of them start to look the same after a while, but Zenkoji certainly stands out from the rest. Definitely one of the most impressive and beautiful things I've seen so far in Japan.

After thoroughly enjoying my morning as a tourist, it was time to head back onto the bus and back into my Tokyo life. Nagano was a great time; I'm happy to have ever so slightly widened the radius of my Japanese experience beyond the routine of teaching and the insanity of the Big City.

Hurry... HARD!

2006-11-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

So owning a computer hasn't helped my blogging habits any... gomen nasai (that means I'm sorry, one of about 10 phrases I've mastered in over two months living in Japan). Anyhoo, life is continuing to buzz by at an alarming rate here. I passed my probation period at work, which means I can now request shift swaps (and I also get paid an extra $200 a month!). I've been continuing to explore the massive conglomerate that is Tokyo and finding many interesting locales. Inokashira Park in Kichijoji is one of my favourites, it envelopes a large pond/small lake, is home to many swans, and reminds me greatly of the park in Stratford. Yesterday I wandered around Asakusa, a neighbourhood which has rather more pornographic billboards than I expected for a place that is widely renowned for its temples and children's amusement park.

My greatest adventure of the past 10 days or so was the one I took on Thursday. The previous Monday I had discovered that the Pacific Curling Championships were being held this week in Tokyo. Curling! In Tokyo! So Thursday morning I headed out for Higashi-Fushimi, a city that had the distinct feel of a North American suburb. It could have been Thornhill. Anyway, the rink was easy to spot from the train station and I revelled in breathing in the fresh, articifically chilly air and the smell of the ice as I entered. I joined about 200 Japanese curling fans, who, though considerably less rowdy than the typical Canadian curling crowd, seemed nevertheless quite knowledgable about the sport (at least they knew to applaud the achievement of a blank end). Teams from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China and Taipei competed for the chance to enter the World Championships later this year. The level of play certainly wasn't that of the Brier, and I think that even I might have been a useful addition to the Taipei team (who lost 10-1 to China in only 6 ends- ouch), but some decent shots were made, especially by the Kiwis and the Aussies, who actually aren't Kiwis or Aussies at all, but rather ex-pat Canadians and Scots. Figures. However, the greatest part of the day was the discovery that, like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, the phrase "hurry... HARD!!!!" has crossed the chasms that separate cultures and achieved universality. Regardless of whether they spoke Japanese, Korean or Mandarin, every one of the players on the ice had mastered the language of Curling.

Fuji-queue

2006-11-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hi Guys!

I feel like I'm saying this rather too often, but I'm sorry it's been a while since I posted anything. Anyhoo, I *should* be posting more often now as I've recently acquired a computer (yay!). Just in time too, I think I was starting to come down with emphysema from all the smoke in the internet cafe.

I actually did spend an hour last week writing about my trip to Fujikyu Highlands, but it somehow got lost in the Blogosphere as I tried to post it. Curses. Long story short, although I certainly had fun, I think I'll always remember Fujikyu as a bit of a disappointment. After all I'd heard about its rollercoasters, I was a bit surprised to discover that the park only has 4 of them. Granted, 3 of those 4 are pretty spectacular, but in terms of quantity, Canada's Wonderland has this place beat all the way. After its rollercoasters, Fujikyu's second-greatest claim to fame is that it sits at the base of Mt. Fuji (hence the name Fujikyu). Unfortunately, Fuji-San is notoriously shy, usually preferring to remain shrouded in mist and cloud rather than to show itself. The day I went was no exception. However, the grand champion of disappointments was the crazy long lines (or queues, as the hoarde of Brit and Aussie Nova teachers I was with called them). Due to some rather poor planning on our part, we wound up going on Culture Day, the last national holiday before the weather starts to get chilly (I would blame Scott since he organized the trip, but he's also my boss). Anyway, apparantly the Japanese like to celebrate their culture by going to amusement parks. I spent the vast majority of my day standing around waiting. Crushingly, I never even got to ride Fujikyu's newest coaster, which holds the world record for the most upside-down flips. I did, however, manage to ride on Fujiyama, which until last year was the highest rollercoaster in the world, boasting an initial drop of 79m. This was the one they rode last year on the Amazing Race. So I may have sat my bum in the same seat as Phil Koeghan (a girl can dream). I also went on what I believe is still the world's fastest rollercoaster, which uses some sort of jet propulsion to blast you from 0-177 km/h in under 3 seconds, so the day wasn't a complete write-off. Nevertheless, I went home that night with a queasy feeling in my stomach and a throbbing headache and wound up crawling immediately into bed to sleep off my rollercoaster hangover.

Since Fujikyu things have been pretty normal and uneventful here in Tokyo. On Saturday I was treated to a lovely birthday dinner by Alyce and Adelle (curry, my favourite!) but it still felt more than a little strange to have a birthday without Janessa. I'm hoping to go to Nagano at the end of the month, until then I'll try to get myself up to some more adventures!

2006-10-30T01:26:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I've been working on a research proposal for grad school which has unfortunately co-opted all of my computer time. Hopefully it will be done tonight and I'll be back to my weekly blogging schedule :)

Rest assured that things in Tokyo are going swimmingly. It remains mostly sunny (if hazy) and warm. Although I love Canada's seasons, I gotta admit that wearing t-shirts outside at the end of October is a pretty sweet deal. Since last I wrote I've done a little more exploring, checking out more of central Tokyo and the Harajuku and Shibuya neighbourhoods. Very crazy, very bright, very cool. I've also had a few more training days for work and have started teaching kids, which has thus far been a total blast. Basically I get to just read story books and sing songs and jump up and down like an idiot. It's great fun. On Friday I ventured back up to Chichibu and had a lovely visit with Amanda and Chris. This Friday I'll be heading to Fujiku Highlands, an amusement part near the base of Mt. Fuji that was featured in last season's Amazing Race. All very exciting.

Anyhoo, I gotta jet. I promise I'll write something more substantial soon!

Trekking on Takao

2006-10-13T07:27:00.000-04:00

Konbanwa!

Today marks one month since I've arrived in Japan. While my first two weeks here seemed to drag a bit, the past two have flown by. I'm settling into my rhythm at work, getting to know my frequent students, and becoming a regular patron of several coffee shops. However, there are still so many parts of Tokyo I haven't even ventured into yet that every day (or day off, at least) remains an adventure.

I worked overtime yesterday, so today was my one and only day off this week and I certainly didn't want it to go to waste. I had initially been thinking of heading into Harajuku or Shibuya, two very famous areas of Tokyo that I still haven't managed to hit up. However, my friend Adelle needed a break from the lights, people, beer, and money that define Tokyo. Instead of heading into the city, we took the train the opposite direction, to Takaosanguchi, the end of the line.

I'd heard from several students and teachers that Takaosanguchi was a very pleasant little town with a mildly famous mountain that we could climb or take a cable car up. Despite being less than an hour from Tokyo, Mt. Takao feels like being a world away (kind of like Chichibu). It's rather heavily forested and home several touristy trinket shops and myriads of Buddhist statues and temples. Having arrived at the base, Adelle and I decided to take the main path up to the top. However, after only a few hundred feet, the trail started to get a little more rugged and considerably steeper. After about a half hour of walking we reached a bend in the path where the way up became steeper yet. Admitting defeat, we cut our losses and headed back down to the base to pick up the cable car.

While considerably faster, the cable car was definitely the scarier way of getting up the mountain. It moves at quite the incline. Anyhoo, we got to the top safely. Or at least what we thought was the top. Turns out, the cable car only takes you part way. So we set out for summit on foot.

Along the way we discovered several of the temples I mentioned earlier. I really need to learn more about the Buddhist tradition. The buildings and figures were so beautiful, yet I'm clueless as to what they symbolize. There was one that reminded me very much of the Madonna and Child (only there were three babies).

After a couple of hours of wandering along trails and over suspension bridges (eek!), we decided that today might not be the day we make it all the way to the top of Mt. Takao. We had planned on at least hiking down, but the sun was starting to set and the sky ominously cloudy, so we took the treacherous cable car back to the base as well. Good thing too, as it started raining as soon as we got down. We were both starving, but the restaurants in Takao are nastily expensive, so we headed back to Fuchu for some ramen and gyoza. Mmmm.

So now my legs are tired, but the memory card on my camera phone is filled with good stuff (as is my tummy).

Working for the Weekend

2006-10-07T08:41:00.000-04:00

It may be the weekend for the rest of the world, but Saturday is my Monday. I was back to work today after a fab, jam-packed weekend (aka Thursday and Friday). So jam-packed, in fact, I'm going to write this blog in two parts.

Part I: Roger and Me

My weekend plans actually began to form last Saturday, during an English lesson with a student named Toomu. Toomu is a massive tennis fan (and not a bad player). He told me that the tennis community in Japan was abuzz since this week Roger Federer, the reigning king of tennis, was playing in Japan for the very first time. I happen to be a very big Federlover, so the opportunity to see him play in Tokyo sounded too good to miss. Using my super handy keitai (cell phone), I managed to figure out how to get to the stadium. I was set; Thursday morning I would head out in search of Roger.

Unfortunately, when I woke up on Thursday it was drizzling. From what I could make out of the Japanese weather forecast, the rain would only get worse throughout the day. Nevertheless, I decided to press onto the stadium, figuring that, should the tennis be rained out, I'd find some other place to explore.

By the time I got to the stadium, the drizzle had turned into a stead pour and nothing was going on on the outer courts. However, the grounds were still open. I wanted to ask whether there was a chance that the matches might still go on before I shelled out 2500 yen for my ticket, but seeing as my Japanese isn't quite that advanced yet, I decided to just go for it. To my great joy, when I walked into main stadium, I discovered that Center Court had a roof! I would get to see my Roger!

First up though was a match between Japan's number 1 tennis player, Ai Sugiyama, and American Vania King. It was an extremely close (and extremely long) match, with Sugiyama finally winning 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on a miss by King that she (and I) thought was good. Vania spent about 30 seconds arguing with the chair before grudgingly accepting her loss. So after three hours of waiting, it was finally Roger time. The man has to be seen in person to be believed. He plays with such finesse and power and grace (can you see the drool running down my face?). Unfortunately, Roger's match was a bit of a let down after the competitiveness of the previous one. Fed's opponent was a South African with a big serve and not much else. It took Roger less than an hour to demolish him 6-2, 6-1. After the match, Roger was his usual classy self, first giving an interview to a space cadet Japanese reporter, than playing 1-on-2 with a couple of young girls (who are obviously aspiring tennis players, they were quite impressive) and then two middle-aged men, who I think must have been contest winners. It was all very charming.

Part II: Hello, Dahli!

On Friday it was time for another adventure. One of the great things about living in a city like Tokyo is that you not only get to explore the city itself, but major cultural events are always rolling through. Having lived here for almost a year, my Kiwi roommate Alyce is pretty tired of all the typical Tokyo sights. However, she was very excited about a retrospective coming to the city celebrating the surrealist painter Salvador Dahli. He's the guy that painted all those melting clocks and had a funny moustache. Anyhoo, Alyce organized a small posse consisting of Dahli expert Scott (who also happens to be my immediate supervisor, although since he works at another Nova branch I'd only ever spoken to him on the phone), Japanese Nova staff and extraordinarily sweet Wotaru, and myself, to head up to Ueno to see the exhibit. I'm not much of a Dahli afficienado, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless. It's crazy to see such famous works in person.

After the exhibit, Scott and Alyce took us to a Hare Krishna restaurant in Nakano. The place was tiny hole in the wall, no larger than your average kitchen, with only 2 tables. The food, however, was unbelievably delicious. Roasted vegetables and rice and curry. Mmmmm.

I'd only just gotten home Friday night when I got a call from Adelle asking if I wanted to join her for free Japanese lessons in Fuchu. Being that it is rather annoying not being able to read any signs or understand anything that's said to me, this sounded like a good idea. So Adelle and I headed back out into the rain (which continued my entire weekend, sigh) and to the city office, where random Japanese volunteers teach their language to foreigners. I learned how to say a few more basic phrases (none of which I seem to remember now...) and was inspired to pull out my hiragana and katakana sheets and start seriously memorizing those symbols. After class, Adelle joined Alyce and I in our apartment for a movie (the very funny "Election") and a bottle of vino. Good times.

So that, in a very large nutshell, was my weekend. Only five days to go until the next one!

Back in the 'Bu

2006-09-29T01:47:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Chichibu for the day, using Chris and Amanda's laptop which thankfully defaults its web settings to English. I'm thoroughly enjoying my 'weekend' after my first full week teaching. Work has been going really well so far. I teach in a small Nova school in a neighbourhood called Sengawa (which literally translates as "hermit river", although I've yet to see a hermit or a river). Sengawa is a rather swanky neighbourhood with multiple cafes, tea shops, an organic food store, a crepe stand and, to my great delight, a Starbucks. I'm one of only 4 teachers at my school and my classes are usually one-on-one, which I really like. I basically get paid to just chat with some really kind and interesting people. My favourite class to teach is called Voice, which is really just a conversation lounge for students of all levels of ability. My job is to introduce a topic for discussion and to keep the conversation going. It's very fun and I get to learn so much about Japan.

Although I really like my job, I was still very happy to have yesterday off. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day, absolutely perfect as I was looking forward to exploring more around Tokyo and my new home town of Fuchu. In the morning I went in search of the forest in Fuchu that a student had told me about. The forest turned out to be more of an arboretum, but it was beautiful nonetheless, with walking trails, fountains and sports fields full of kindergarteners. I'm very happy to have found it, I think I'll be going back often. It's a nice respite from the bustle of city.

In the afternoon I ventured into Tokyo and decided to check out Ueno Park. Ueno Park is a massive area that's home to a half dozen museums, a seventeenth century Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple, an amusement park, fountains, a boating pond and a zoo. It's also home to a sizeable proportion of Tokyo's homeless population. Japan is, overall, a very prosperous country and I really haven't seen much poverty since I've been here. It was a jarring contrast to see people sleeping on benches amongst the tourists and upwardly mobile Tokyoites, to see tarps draped in the bushes just feet from beautifully preserved shrines and museums. Unlike at home, the homeless people didn't beg; they just sat, seemingly unnoticed by the passers by.

I spent the better part of the afternoon at the Tokyo National Museum. While my education has exposed me to a lot of Western history and art, I have to admit I'm rather clueless about Asia in general. After visiting the museum, I'm inspired to change that. I saw many beautiful paintings and artefacts and got just the slightest introduction to the long and rocky relationship between Chinese and Japanese culture, particularly in regards to religion. I've got lots more to learn!

Sumo!

2006-09-21T07:16:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

So I finally found an internet cafe! Unfortunately, it defaults all websites to their japanese versions and I can't figure out how to change it to English, so I hope this works!

Today was very fun and exciting. I went along with 4 other new Nova teachers to watch sumo. There are 6 15-day long sumo tournaments every year in Japan, three of which are in Tokyo. Luckily,Tokyo's in the middle of the September tournament now. We got to the stadium at around 11:30 and were surprised to find it practically empty. Checking the schedule, we found out that the lower level matches happen in the morning, with the big show starting around 4pm. Fortunately, at around that time they opened the Chanko lunch hall up. According to my nifty guidebook, Chanko is "the tasty stable boiled potpourri for sumo wrestlers". Basically, it's chicken soup with a bunch of odd vegetables in it too. So I ate like a sumo wrestler :)

After lunch we took a sumo break and explored the streets around the stadium. We happened upon a little shrine and cemetery nestled in amongst the buildings (something that's quite common here). Japanese often leave little gifts, incense, food, etc for their relatives at their grave markers. It's all very reverent. I noticed a little building set apart from the other graves, so I thought I'd check it out. I was a little nervous that this might be a private area and not a proper place for me to visit, but I thought I'd check it out anyway, making sure I was extra cautious. Inside appeared to be small stacked compartments, which I assumed at first were for cremated ashes. Looking closer, I noticed that many of the compartments had pictures of dogs and cats on them. Apparantly Japanese pets are well taken care of in the afterlife, as well as this one.

Anyway, back to Sumo. By the afternoon things really started going. The stadium was full of people, including the most foreigners that I've seen in one place since being in Japan. We met one very high-class woman from New York City who apparantly flies to Tokyo every year for the tournament. We also saw many of the earlier, lower ranked wrestlers hanging out in the stadium after their bouts, still wearing the ceremonial dress (the robes, not the little loin cloth thingys) and smelling oddly of baby powder. More than one was rocking out to his ipod.

The last match of the day featured Asasyoryu, the only wrestler to currently hold the sports highest rank, yokozuna (which basically means grand champion). Asasyoryu has won 17 tournaments. No other active wrestler has won more than one. He didn't disappoint either, winning his bout, although his challenger put up a good battle. I didn't really realize until I saw them up close just how strong and muscular the sumo are. These guys are crazy built, as well as very flexible. The tournament runs until Sunday, I'll let you know who wins it all. My money's on the yokozuna.

School's In

2006-09-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,

I'm back in Fuchu after my awesome weekend in Chichibu. Monday I began training for my new job as an English teacher. It's been going pretty well so far, although as with any new job it's a bit intimidating at times. I have one more day of training left, then two days off, then I begin teaching in my regular branch on Saturday.

My training is taking place at a large school in Shinjuku. As I mentioned before, Shinjuku is sort of the Western edge of Tokyo proper. So far, it's the furthest I've been into the city. While I've seen a glimpse of the Japanese countryside and am settling into life in the suburbs (which are very different from suburbs at home- no subdivisions, no SUVs, lots of little local shops), today was my first experience navigating the big city. I went with Adelle, who I'm training with, to find a 100 yen shop (dollar store) so that she could get a watch while waiting for hers to be fixed. It wasn't a very difficult task but I found it odd that the store was located on the 8th floor of a building. I'm so used to sprawling strip malls, but they don't make very much sense in a city with a population density of 5500/km2. Crazy, eh?

Over all I'm still doing very well. I'm surrounded by english speakers at home and at work so I always have someone to talk to. The most difficult thing right now is being without a phone or internet (I'm using Karen's computer now, but it's not the same as having my own). I'm feeling a little disconnected from the outside world, seeing as I can't understand the news on TV or just pick up a news paper. I'm still on the lookout for a good internet cafe. Once I find one of those, you should be hearing from me more often :)

Hello from Chichibu!

2006-09-15T05:32:00.000-04:00

So I'm actually in Japan. Craziness. Anyhoo, I'm very sorry that it's taken so long for me to post here. The past three days have been perhaps the most hectic of my life, there's been so much to take in. Here's a quick rundown of what I've been up to so far.

My 13 hour flight to Tokyo got a little longer by being delayed an hour and a half. Once we were finally in the air, however, the flight was surprisingly enjoyable. My beautiful new iPod kept me company, the food wasn't half bad, and I finally got to see Strictly Ballroom. When we landed, the 7 other Canadian nova teachers on my flight and I were thankfully met by a rep from the company. In addition to the 8 of us, another 50 teachers from around the world flew into Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to our delay, the timing was a bit tight for us to get our connecting planes, trains, and buses to our apartments. I was sent running with Sean from England and Adelle from North Carolina to catch our bus to Chofu, where we were met by more Nova staff and caught the train to Fuchu.

My apartment building is about a 10 minute walk from Bubaigawara station. The first thing I saw coming out of the station was the ubiquitous Golden Arches of McDonalds. However, everything else about the walk from Bubai to my new home seemed distinctly japanese. The streets are narrow and filled with tiny shops selling mostly food, flowers and electronics. I was relieved to discover that my neighbourhood seems much more like a suburb than a massive city. I could even hear crickets.

My apartment was likewise a pleasant surprise. Although it is smaller than most in Canada, it's certainly not as small as I'd feared. My bedroom is actually bigger here than back home. I'm sharing my apartment with 2 roommates, Alyce from New Zealand and Karen from Toronto. After dropping off some of my stuff, the three of us, along with Adelle (who lives in the same building as me) and her two roommates Stephanie and Amber went to the restaurant next door for sushi (actual raw fish sushi, my first ever!).

Thursday morning Karen took me to the grocery store. I avoided everything in boxes, seeing as I had no idea what anything was. I'm planning on buying one every week though so that I can find out.

In the afternoon Amber took Adelle and I into downtown Fuchu to register at the city office. Although part of greater Tokyo, fuchu is considered a city itself with about 300,000 residents. The downtown has beautiful wide tree-lined boulevards and a large Shinto shrine. It also has 2 Starbucks. A grande caramel cappuccino tastes the same in Fuchu as in Waterloo.

This morning I set out from Fuchu to visit Amanda and Chris in Chichibu. The first leg of my trip took me to Shinjuku train station. Shinjuku is one of the largest shopping and business centres of Tokyo proper. Very much the stereotypical bright lights and skyscrapers image of Tokyo. More people pass through Shinjuku station every day than any other station in the world. If you've ever seen pictures of the people pushers cramming commuters into trains in Japan, that's at Shinjuku. I was definitely scared, seeing as I had to change trains there, but it actually went surprisingly smoothly. 2 hours and 3 trains later, I was winding through the mountains Northwest of Tokyo. I don't know if I've ever experienced as big a contrast in scenery in such a short time. The countryside around Chichibu is breathtakingly beautiful. Rushing rivers cutting through mountains capped in clouds and covered in evergreen trees. However the best part of Chichibu was definitely seeing Amanda and Chris. I'm so lucky to have such great friends so close. In the afternoon Amanda had to teach a Kindergarten English class, which I got to sit in on. Kindergartens in Japan are like Canadian preschools combined with kindergarten, so the kids range from 3-6 years old. Amanda's class were 4 years olds, and perhaps the cutest 4 year olds I've ever seen. So funny.

And that pretty much takes us up to now. The past few days have been a little overwhelming at times but overall, life in Japan has treated me well. I'm looking forward to exploring more!

2006-08-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my first ever attempt at Blogging. There's not much to see here yet but this is the place where I'll be posting (hopefully regularly) about my experiences in Japan. Check back soon!