Walking on Sunshine

And That's A Wrap

2009-12-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

November 9, 2009-November 26, 2009
GLORIOUS ADVENTURE TIME!!!! Now (finally!), I will try to sit down and form words.
We visited Morioka Chuo High School (Thursday, November 12), a private school that USED to be a boys school, but is now co-ed, so the population is a tad unbalanced. We ate lunch with students (Yuki, our trip coordinator here in Morioka, bought us all bento), observed classes like JUDO and AUTO SHOP. MY GOODNESS. SO INTERESTING. ANNNNNNNND their soccer field is turf. The education at Chuo is a bit different from other high schools-students have MANY options. They can choose a number of different paths (English vs. science, like Ichikoo High School), different levels of difficulty (it was something like A1, A2, A3), different foci (like auto shop, for instance), etc. Also, Chuo is known for creating good athletes, so the gym class, for instance, was judo. WOW. Tamara and I were so eager to join that we did cartwheels along with them as they warmed up…
Friday, (November 13) was an optional meeting with IVIS, the Iwate Volunteer Interpreters Society. The group had previously, and most notably, helped out with the alpine ski championships that were held in the area in 1993. 50+ members helped out at that time, but now around 20 members remained. Five members met with three of us, Yuki, and Kuriya Sensei and enlightened us as to the beauty of Morioka and their individual lives and interests. Twas a wonderful evening.
THEN at midnight:20 (after going home and eating and napping a little; man, napping at night just KILLS you), I got on the night bus to Tokyo. A Greyhound-like bus with pink interior, the comfiest seats you’ve ever sat in/tried to sleep in, and a lightguard/cover to pull over your head so as to block the light and though the bus was kept dark, that was mighty nice to have. AND the heat was cranked up, which made it even comfier. We stopped twice between Morioka and Tokyo at the same kind of highway rest stops that my host family had stopped at en route to Disneyland. Got back on the bus and slept more. Arrived in Tokyo a little before 8am.
Was going for the purpose of meeting up with my host sister and host mother (she had left in the morning, but I had host school and the IVIS meeting) and shopping with at H&M and Forever 21 in Harajuku (hip, trendy part of Tokyo). (Somehow, everything, even the American stores are BETTER in Japan.) H&M was having an event in coordination with Jimmy Choo shoes. SO this meant that a line formed quite early (we were there from ~9:15am) and we all weren’t let in until noon or so (and H&M usually opens at 11am). They DID give us umbrellas and hot coffee though, which was nice. Inside, it was like a MADHOUSE. Everyone was given a wristband that corresponded to a certain 10-minute window when they could go into the Jimmy Choo “booth” and pick out as many items as they could get their hands on. Me being the not-so shoe freak didn’t find the Jimmy Choos (three different styles) all that fascinating, but there were also jewelry and bags. Tsukie and Hanako were really excited and ended up getting some black gladiator-like heels and some very flashy red heels. A successful trip to be sure.
In Forever 21, right next door, I ended up behind a guy with a jacket that was like a varsity jacket, but really just a brand label, that had “DUFFERS” across the back. I couldn’t help but thinking of you, Meg.  And then, there was a t-shirt with two flags on the front, America on the left (with a cowboy hat on) and Britain on the right (with a bowler-like hat) and underneath, it said “BFF” as in Best Friends Forever. Liz and CE, it was BRILLIANT.
I also went to Tokyo that weekend to meet up with Yoko for lunch on Sunday. We ate at a favorite lunch spot of hers as her work building is the next building over. Has been SO good to see her.
The next week (November 16-22) was pretty normal, except for the juku (cram school) observation that took place on Thursday (the 19th). The Japanese education system is all about teaching to a test (sounds a little like International Baccalaureate (IB), right guys?) and competition is fierce for high schools and universities. Basically cram school is the leg up students can get in order to do well in junior high school and thus get in to a good high school and consequently a good university. There are the students who go to juku to better understand the material taught in class, though. And that is common sense in my mind. I find the strangest part to be that Japanese students work SO hard from junior high school on (or are supposed to work so hard from then on) and then they get to university and it is a BREEZE. No joke, they can skip class just fine, they may not have class on some days, they don’t have homework, they devote most of their time to clubs or sports. It’s QUITE interesting to observe.
It was a fellow SICEer’s birthday (Abhi’s) that day, but celebrations were from then through the weekend. Saturday (11/21) evening was a nomikai with Abhi’s host mother, two of her friends (she knows through the elementary school her children go to), Abhi, Tamara, and I. We met at 7pm on Oodoori (which means “main road”, but in Seattle terms, resembles Ballard’s Market Street (but narrower and more condensed) or something I would consider anywhere else a busy part of town but not the busiest. ANYWAY, we were at this great small, busy dining establishment, drinking and toasting Abhi on turning 21, then we hit karaoke and sang Michael Jackson like there was no tomorrow. BEFORE all the evening craziness, a few of us had gone together and bought our return shinkansen (bullet train) tickets to Narita Airport. THAT was a surreal experience to be sure.
On that Sunday (11/22), my host family and I (Hanako took the night bus Friday night from Yokohama and arrived early Saturday morning) went to an onsen. We stayed until Monday after breakfast (twas a holiday), so we took a bath shortly after arriving, again after Sunday night dinner, and before breakfast on Monday. Dinner was BEAUTIFUL, some 10-11 dishes served all at once on a tray, including a nabe (boiling water in which tofu, vegetable, translucent noodles, and meat is cooked). It resembled the Kyoto group dinner in a way as everything was in small portions and DELICIOUS. But that’s a Japan thing.  Watched sumo (15 day matches take place 4 times a year: September, November, I think April and maybe February…), which was the Kansai competition this time. Kansai being a region in Japan. Sleeping on a futon is SO comfortable, especially with the hard pillow. 
Drove back and then had a day I severely felt resembled Earlham in its chaotic brilliance. We arrived at home, then Hanako and I biked to our Aunt Maya’s house (by noon), had lunch with Aunt Maya (who teaches piano) and Aunt Mire. I had agreed to meet Abhi at 1pm at the city hall in order to lead him back to our house because he was a) coming to help Tsukie, me, and Otoosan gather wood in the forest and b) coming to eat some delicious Chinese food that evening. Ended up leaving my Aunt’s house, but Abhi was a little late too BUT there was a marathon or something being run, so we had to meet at a different place, but we got back to the house, left to the forest, and stacked wood already cut by Otoosan (apple trees) into a GINORMOUS pile. Snow on the ground hid some pieces. (We have a wood stove, so we always have to have wood; and there are STACKS at either end of the house; this was prep for next season) After about an hour and a half, we drove back home and then Hanako, Tsukie, and Otoosan cooked up a STORM. And in true “guest/sort of host” fashion, Abhi and I were to sit and we did. And we talked. And then we ate delicious food with wonderful people.
I have been moderately confused by, most notably, the supposed fact that Japanese people do not have many people over to their houses. However, since the families I am shocked by are either host families or the Kuratas (Yoko’s family), I think I need to find a better test pool.  Otoosan was SO ready to cook and cook and cook for Abhi. Perhaps Abhi’s interest in Chinese food and desire to eat it is what made Otoosan so ready to devote time and energy to a guest. Spring rolls, gyoza, the egg and greens dish, the chicken and greens dish, meatballs and greens dish, salad and fish…man…
On Wednesday (11/25, our last half day at host school), Sensei wanted to meet because I had written some questionable things in my weekly journal. Every week, we have read about 3 articles for each class (Mondays “Literacy in Japanese”, Thursdays “Cross-Cultural Educational Perspectives”, except when holidays occur, like that Monday, 11/23) and we write a summary and then add our own thoughts. Well, as happens towards the end of most semesters, I was so distracted trying to read the second and third articles for the previous Thursday’s class. I ended up writing in caps out of frustration (and when I do this, it looks a LOT worse than I usually intend it to be) and talking about how I “didn’t want to” and just “couldn’t” read the articles. In the FIRST one, I talked about how I thought teachers should know the backgrounds of their students and combined with my anger, Sensei thought I resented her. I can see where she was coming from, so we had a nice chat and we really connected. That is what I LOVE about people. Or rather, what I love about experiences that involve people (hmmm….they wouldn’t really be experiences without people, now would they…?). Connection. Sitting down and learning about one another. That will forever be the highlight of anything I do and anywhere I go. Unless it’s just me and a pack of emus and the sunset.
Friday, November 27th, was the last day at host school. Bonner paperwork was signed (The Bonner Program is a scholarship program at many colleges and universities throughout the United States. Involved students, 15 per class at Earlham, complete an average of 10 hours per week of volunteer service at a given site. Growth is expected to take place, so often students stay with the same site for two to three years sometimes all four years. The paperwork I am referring to are hour logs for August through November, an evaluation by my site supervisors (the three English teachers I worked with), and the Community Learning Agreement, which documents the goals I set forward at the start of the semester.) And my HDSR field study came to a close. 240 hours. Wow.
The day began with my addressing the school, speaking about the time I had spent at Senboku junior high school, and how the experience will always stay with me. And oh how it will. Some students make the day better by simply smiling at you. Some students you could wait eons for to answer a question just so they will know they can do it. It was a time that I will never forget, that I will constantly think about (I also have letters from every single student, all 393, as well as closer connections with a few girl students who kept up steady communication via letters with me).
That evening, coincidentally, Tsukie, Aunt Maya, Aunt Mire, and I went out to dinner. A girl’s night. It was wonderful to talk about life and love and dreams and hopes. Really. Honestly. That is the BEST time EVER. I have loved learning about other people and through them, learning about myself.
When Saturday (11/28) came, it was time for Noh drama (known for it’s slow pace and even tempo, known to put some people to sleep). Ethan LOVES Noh, so he printed out the stories from a book for us so we would understand what we were watching. That helps SO MUCH. Though it was soothing…and I felt warm and comfortable….like I was on a cloud….drifting off…I KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
I didn’t stay for the whole thing (1:30pm-4:30pm) because I caught the shinkansen to Saitama and stayed with Yoko and her family for the weekend. That was probably the best. Just as joyful as lunch was with her two weeks previously, being in her home and with her family was something truly special. It felt comfortable. It felt open and real. It was relaxed. It was easy. I was there for Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast (which was a delicious onion and chicken and egg dish over rice), and Sunday lunch (with her sister Naoko, her husband Shinya, and their 2 year old son, Tomo (Tomo-chan). Took the shinkansen back to Morioka.
THEN met up with the second year English teacher (Osawa Sensei) I have been helping and his son, three year old Kenyu (Ken-chan-“true friend”, I think), who LOVES shinkansen, drove back to his home, picked up his wife, eight month old daughter (Ichika-“one heart”-Ich-chan), and mother (Kiriko-san). We went to a restaurant where OH MY GOSH you sit at a table in a HIGE BOAT and “fish” off the side because it’s surrounded by water and there are fish swimming.    Ken-chan caught us some dinner and we also had delicious sashimi (raw fish), sushi, and other various fish dishes. Again, the company was superb. That seems to be a recurring pattern here in Japan.
This week began with wanko soba, served in little bowls, like a shot amount, with 15 “shots”/bowls equaling a regular bowl of soba noodles. It’s an eating contest for half an hour to see how many bowls you can eat. The norm is around 100. My goal was 100, but I ate too slow and paced myself, so I only got 80. (Imagine THAT. Me. PACING MYSELF. WHAAAAAAAA?!??!?!?!?) It’s a Morioka thing and we participated in it with Board of Education members and the ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in Morioka right now.
Other than that, this week is about packing. It’s about throwing things away. It’s about buying omiyage (souvenirs) and seeing people before leaving. It’s about finishing the 10-12 page reflective essay on our SICE experience for Sensei (Thursday), studying for a Japanese final (Thursday), and practicing a Japanese speech (Thursday). It’s about looking at Morioka and snow-covered Iwate-san and breathing in the air. And then stepping on the train bound for the airplane and some ten hours of flying back to home. Home. Wow. What a word.
It will be difficult to pack the last of my things, to sit at the Closing Reception (Saturday, 12/5), to try and say “Thank you” without having the language skill or the words to express the never ending gratitude I have inside. It will be difficult to hug my family goodbye (though I know I HAVE to see them again; Hanako went back to Yokohama on the night bus on 11/23). It will be difficult to be back in America. But MAN, do I miss you all. I can’t wait to yell in saga at Earlham, I can’t wait to see your smiling faces, I can’t wait to HUG you and NOT LET GO.
I turn in my cell phone right before boarding the shinkansen at 10:41am on Sunday, December 6th. That’s 8:41pm Saturday, December 5th for East Coast and Earlham; 5:41pm, Saturday, December 5th for West Coast and Seattle. If you’re emailing me now or plan to, sending me an email AFTER that time means that the person on SICE NEXT fall will read it. Just fyi.
Good luck in the last few weeks of the semester, Earlhamites.
See you all very soon!
Hannah

Fall Colors and Conversations

2009-11-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

November 2, 2009-November 8, 2009
Another week down. Wow. Hope the time is flying for you too, but in the best way possible.
This week, we continued registering for classes (ah, excitement) and I’m looking at a Japaneseful semester (Japanese 302, Japanese Linguistics, and Traditional Japan), with Counseling and Psychotherapy (Human Development and Social Relations) thrown in for good measure. Also rock climbing and Women’s Chorus I THINK. We’ll see what Bonita the Boss (Bonita Washington-Lacey, the Registrar) says, but Nelson B (Nelson Bingham, my advisor) says I’m good to go.
Monday night (11/2) was joyous-drinking with Abhi at a local bar (Monkey’s Kitchen) and talking about life. That’s basically what I want to do for the rest of my life, so it was time well spent. Rode home (alcohol and biking are NOT supposed to mix) and bumped into a construction cone. Ordinarily, in the not ingenious United States, the cone would have been moved a few inches. Here, it’s attached to the ground, so it just popped back into its original position (very Bobo Doll-like for you Psych majors). Got home safe though, but I never worry so there’s really no need for anyone else to. If you’re worried, it’s dangerous and you should call a cab.
Tuesday (11/3) was a Culture Day, so a holiday. We, as a group, took the train an hour and a half south to Hiraizumi, an old, historyful city that used to be on par with Kyoto in terms of power. Old castle site and temples and gardens galore. BEUATIFUL FALL COLORS. I actually took more pictures of the fall colors than I did of the sites... We met at the station at a shining 7:50 in the morning (some people rode their bikes, some were driven; Tsukie kindly chose the latter though the former is always good because, sing it with me now, “I want to ride my bicycle/I want to ride my bike…”) and many were tired on the train. The day was QUITE chilly…
Motsuji was the old temple, so the site included a few temples (a given) and a gorgeous pond (which was more like a small lake). Lots of iris plants and every tree was planted just so in order to create the beauty we were able to witness. AND THE FALL COLORS!!!!!! RHAHDINBFWNNMDKAMDADNKNFFJ!!!!! SO COOL!!!!! Some trees like fire, some like the color of pears or apples. Tamara, Mitchell, and Abhi made wishes and rang a large bell (by ceremoniously pulling an suspended log into it; you bow your head and think of your wish until the sound stops). Saw a type of spider we don’t see in Morioka with a fatter thorax, but it’s not called a thorax. Hey Bio majors and nature lovers, what’s the hind part of a spider?
Bussed to Chusonji, where we first ate lunch at a noodle (ramen and soba and udon)/donburi (noodles or rice and meat in a bowl)/gyuudon (meat and rice in a bowl) shop and then looked around a souvenir shop next door. Then we began the trek up a stone pathway to get to the main area of Chusonji. First, it was commented on the fact that my snowboarding parka (which is my winter jacket for the semester) makes me look pregnant-“So Hannah, didja get knocked up on the way here?” And I will agree with this because if I have ANYTHING in my pockets, it magically resembles a fetus. (Especially if I have my gloves and hat in there in order to cool off after climbing up the steep incline.)
Continued on, walking along stone pathways through GLORIOUS trees of orange, yellow, gold, red, crimson, cranberry, goldenrod; some trees all green with their tips JUST turning red…Past little “gift huts” selling charms, “rest areas” looking out on the towns and fields below and the mountains across the way. Light streaming through trees JUST so. Displayed close to the ACTUAL Chusonji temple were individually potted tall, leafy stemmed dahlia-like flowers. Also: small Bonsai flowering trees, draping blankets of a single color of flower, large circular and spherical metal frames housing multiple individual flowers (the same Dahlia-like type, or is it Zinnia…?) so it looked like an EXPLOSION of a flowering plant.
Moved on to watch kyogen (comedy) and noh (slow drama) being performed in succession on an outdoor stage. Large crowd, many photographs being taken. One guy in the front row taking pictures had a Yankees jacket with a Mariners baseball cap. Thought that was the BEST. Way to represent the teams with Japanese players. There’s one more team with a Japanese player (and here is where I fail in baseball knowledge) and perhaps the man had that player’s/team’s t-shirt on, but I never saw. 
Went to a museum with many artifacts from when Hiraizumi was at its prime. Hiraizumi’s location is near the center of old Mutsu. In the eleventh century, Hiraizumi was ruled by the powerful Abe family and in 1053, Yoriyoshi, a warrior-noble from the powerful Miramoto clan, was appointed peacekeeper and general of Mutsu and attempted to contain the Abe. Conflict erupted and the Abe leader stopped Yoriyoshi from extending his control. (This is known in history as the Former Nine Years’ War, though it lasted a dozen years, from 1051-1062.) The Abe were defeated. A local noble administrator, Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo had sided with the Abe family. He had married an Abe woman and their son, Kiyohira, would found the Oshu Fujiwara Dynasty. (Oshu was another name for Mutsu.) When Kiyohira grew up, he became the leader of Mutsu incidentally (moving to Hiraizumi later) and wished to spread Buddhism to the land. THIS is what I was trying to get at to describe the museum-MANY statues of Buddha all around.
To Konjikido (Hiraizumi’s Golden Temple), which was moved from inside one building (nearby) to inside another though I HAVE NO IDEA HOW. Enclosed behind glass in the “new location”, it stood QUITE IMPRESSIVELY. Gold leaf EVERYWHERE. MY GOSH. Trained back, many people fell asleep, and then we were given money for dinner. (We are told to go out because we should give our host families their own time without us. We’re not offended at all though…*sniff*…not even a little *tear*) Abhi, Nicole, Mitchell, and I found a gyoza (potstickers) place in the basement of the station, connected to Isetan department store. DELISH. THEN, while we stood wondering what to do next, we were happened upon by some Iwate University/Gandai exchange students and one Japanese guy who we met at our orientation in August and often stops to say hi to us at Gandai. They were off to grab a drink on Odoori and why didn’t we join them. Why not?! So we walked, Nicole and Abhi with their bikes, to Odoori. Mitchell parted ways with us to go to the bookstore before being picked up by his host mother. Went to the Moon Soon Café where we nomikai-ed it up for 150 minutes (The usual length is either 120 minutes or 150 minutes and the price was great: ¥1500 I think; however, it always ends up being more because they make you buy food. HOWEVER, it was different at the Moon Soon Café because they only made us buy one plate person, rather than two.). Good drinks, good company, good sharing of experiences/hopes/fears. Two Italians, two French, three Americans (actually two Americans and an Indian/Ugandan), and a Japanese. Wonderful beyond wonderful. And English is quickly becoming a universal language as we spoke mostly English that night THOUGH we also used Japanese in order to communicate across language barriers. THAT was even cooler. Made it home okay AGAIN.
Left a little earlier because walked home (about 30 minutes), but made it back home around 11pm. Had called my host mother when we got to the Café and she had said my curfew was 11:30pm, the same that it is for weekends. I never want to cut it close, so I always leave early. ALSO, when she realized that I come back on time and I’m not stumbling drunk and I always call to tell her my plans, she made the curfew later (it started out at 10pm) because there is faith in my abilities. This I love.
The next day, Wednesday (11/4), Abhi, Nicole, Tamara, Mitchell, and I met after our half days at our host schools and biked to a Moss Burger (like McDonald’s, but better) near Gandai (near where the uchiage party was after the Gandai Festival). There we ate fast food in order to complete an assignment for Sensei about the atmosphere/menu/experience of fast food dining in Japan. There is a May Term (Earlham College, for those who don’t know, offers an additional “class” for about a month during may, depending on the date of Commencement of course. There are about five or six offered per year and they are worth 3-4 credits. Students have gone to Mexico, Argentina, Yellowstone National Park, Germany, etc.) she is doing that is “Food Culture in Japan” and she has given us a taste of what will be on the docket through our food education (looking at school lunches) in a kindergarten, two elementary schools, and a high school (so far).
Thursday (it rained) was our visit to Morioka Ichikoo (Morioka’s #1 high school), which is conveniently across the street from Gandai and where my host brother and Nicole’s host sister go to school. We had to eat lunch quickly (ate there in the cafeteria, which is underused, but convenient if student’s forget their lunch or teachers want a bento) in ~5 minutes. Had a delicious Chinese dish of vegetables and shrimp in a gravy-like substance over rice. Then went into the school (it was lunchtime) and watched the students buying snacks (made in the cafeteria) such as yakisoba, pudding, onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed), mochi with azuki (red bean paste) and whipped cream, fried potato, etc. Some students apparently eat their bento during the morning break (school starts at 8am and some come without having eaten breakfast). Some students studied during lunch. Observed three different English classes: a third grade (10th grade) reading-focused one, a second grade (11th grade) intermediate one, and a second grade (11th grade) writing-focused one. We all helped with pronunciation in the last one, which was quite fun. Seating is not gendered. Classes are quiet. We had free time afterwards, so Elizabeth and I went to a second grade math class, third grade Classics class, and first grade English class. In the first grade English class, the teacher employed more technology than junior high school teachers do-using a PowerPoint and Paint to label parts of a sentence as well as to introduce new vocab.
Students learn 80-100 new English words a week and have English class everyday. It is more and more difficult to push students tough, one teacher said (the first English teacher we saw, of the third grade class; talked with us afterwards for Q & A time), because they are impatient and therefore “weak”. The third graders at Ichikoo use, apparently, one of the hardest English textbooks (which the teachers choose). In 2nd grade, the students have a choice-go on a literature track or a science track (less English classes). Ko is on the science track, though he still has a great deal of English work to do. 3rd graders are more focused on the coming exams, so they have less art, home economics, etc. classes. And though they love P.E., from January to March, they do not have P.E. in order to study more for the fast-approaching entrance exams for university. Like nearly every school, it seems, Ichikoo has received numerous awards for their clubs and student involvement in clubs is active, though I am sure it is even required. The English curriculum emphasizes reading and writing, in line with what the exam asks, so little opportunities exist to converse. The school has one Assistant Language Teacher/Native Speaker who works mainly with the first and second graders. Student government members plan school events like meetings and festivals, have good leadership skills, and are chosen via election process. Juku (cram school) is popular, but the teacher estimated that less than 50% of Ichikoo students go. It is NEVER encouraged because the schoolteachers want students to “trust [them]” to adequately prepare them for the exams. Juku attendance is high in junior high, but drops in high school because students become busy with club activities and homework. In the teacher’s opinion, class participation and homework is demanding enough and enough preparation for the exams. I once asked Ko why he didn’t go to juku and he said he didn’t need to.
Afterwards, attended English Café at Gandai. Basically the companion to the Hello Party we hosted back in (GAH!) early October. Talked only in English with many Japanese Gandai students, exchanged cell phone numbers and emails. What I find the most frustrating is how contact information is exchanged and WHY. In America, you often exchange numbers or emails because you KNOW you will see each other again (or you HAVE to), like you’re working together on a project and need to set up meeting times. BUT here, it’s more like “I’ll-call/mail-you-if-I-want-to-see-you-again.” And that has been a tough idea. Like always, I form plans in my mind and then vocalize them (“Let’s do lunch at Yoshinoya some time!”) and then don’t follow through (because I get busy or I’m tired, etc.), thus frustrating my soul. A habit I’m trying to break.
School on Friday (11/6) was good-helped in three first year (7th grade) English classes because the second years didn’t have English class that day. The first years are at that age and enthusiasm level where they are (a) easily amused and (b) easy to connect with. It was a BLAST. And Tohru Sensei and I just work well together in team teaching situations. He is also VERY energetic, so that helps. In the first class, the principal came in for thirty minutes, took some pictures, gave Tohru Sensei a great scare, and then left. Afterwards, Tohru Sensei said he was SO nervous. Once again, I have realized that something only scares me or makes me nervous if I am given time and context. The principal’s presence didn’t wrack me, but maybe since Tohru Sensei has a REAL job teaching, then he SHOULD be nervous. He, as always, did great. 
Was tired getting up for Friday and didn’t want to get any sicker than the sore throat (that always come and goes) and the sniffles, so came home and took a nap and didn’t go to volleyball with Yoriko (Abhi’s host mother). MAN, will ya LOOK at those priorities?!?! Will ya LOOK at that self-care?!?! I surprise myself sometimes. Ah logic, thank you for being with me this semester. W watched ‘Ponyo’ during dinner (the new Hayao Miyazaki film). I HIGHLY recommend it. Has a similar feel as ‘Wall-E’, but without the underlying criticism of the human beings’ treatment of the planet Earth.
Saturday (11/7) was a BEAUTIFUL day. It was Skype time with me madre following breakfast and homework. Having quiet Friday nights and quiet Saturdays (only what YOU make them sometimes) is such a gift. Elizabeth and I met up at 1:45pm and walked the 10-15 minutes to Sakanacho to (covered mall and starting point for the September 14th (ACK!!) mikoshi (shrine) carrying), then to look around. Then the additional 10 minutes to Odoori (SO EASY TO GET AROUND HERE!!!) to satisfy a craving for crepes. Saw a ton of local, non-chain restaurants I think it would be great if we tried. Rather than stick to the “downtown” of Odoori and the “favorite places of SICE students” and the nomikai culture, let’s think OUTSIDE the box and VENTURE around. Alas, Sakanacho is a bit of a stretch for some since its NOT familiar and it’s a WHOLE ‘NOTHER 5 MINUTES further than Odoori. Oh what WILL we EVER do? *sigh*
Got back home about 5pm and watched some more ‘Pure Love’. Then, surprise, sushi arrived at 6pm, a gift from Maya, Tsukie’s oldest sister. “Her treat.” Did SUCH a good job of not repeating the pain of the Kyoto Sushi Incident of 9/30. SO proud of myself. I think I’m cured, Nikki. Let’s eat sushi! Watched some anime during dinner (‘Naruto’, for those who know/care). It’s about a magical world (what TV show isn’t?) and people can transform and they fight and it gets pretty violent sometimes, but it was interesting. I am just about the most non-geeky person on this program and Elizabeth is set on getting me to watch anime when we get back to Earlham. There’s nothing wrong with anime in my opinion, it’s just that it’s never been something I have chosen to spend time/money/energy on.
Ah Sunday (11/8). Began by waking up (NO WAY!!!) and found I was VERY tired. Stayed up late Saturday finishing the second of three articles for Literacy in Japanese class on Monday. I realized earlier in the semester that the logical thing, when one has three articles due on a Monday, is to read one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Logical, RIGHT?!??! It surprised me too. Well school was busy on Friday (read some of the first one), so I read one Saturday morning (finished it, I mean) and then thought I should read the next one, just to stay on course. So went to bed around midnight, WHICH (I have discovered) is too late for me ESPECIALLY when I am tired BEFORE bed, but not tired when I ACTUALLY SHOULD sleep. Go FIGURE. So I was tired. But I woke up, did some Japanese homework, then went with Tsukie to sadoo (a tea ceremony).
Both her sisters studied tea ceremony about ten years ago and today, the oldest was helping to train a new pupil. (Late 20s, early 30s in age) The place was near Obaasan’s house (grandmother’s house), so we parked there and walked literally almost next door. We were directed to a tatami mat room away from the hustle and bustle of a main activity (looked like a bazaar) and next door to a large gathering of kimono-wearing women maybe doing tea ceremony as well, but it was quite lively. Both Tsukie’s sisters were dressed in kimono and we took our seats, kneeling to the point of, and for long enough to, cut off circulation to our legs. That was the only downside.
In the floor, a large teapot boiled hot water. A long wooden “ladle” was used to pour the water (later) and a small green “stand” was what the “ladle” rested on. A table to the right and rear (as we looked on) of the teapot had a large canister of cold water underneath it that resembled a decorated urn-white porcelain with blue and rust-colored designs decorating it. On top, at the moment, was a small cup (black and red, the top/cap flush with the rest, a little wider than the small cans of juice/coffee you find in supermarkets). Inside that, we saw later, was green tea (macha) powder.
There is a certain way to sit, how to fold one’s hands in one’s lap, when to bow to the person serving you, how to receive the tea (pick up with right hand, hold on palm of left hand), what to say when receiving the tea, how to pick up the sweet that is served with the tea from its plate and then place the chopsticks back on the side of the plate, how to pass the plate of sweets to the person next to you, how to eat the sweet, how to return the bowl when done drinking (wipe where you sipped from and dab that on the napkin that your sweet was on, turn it twice to the left (90 degrees), so that the picture on the bowl shows, hold it with the palm of your left hand and steadied by your right hand, etc). The person preparing the tea has the hardest time-how to pick up the bowls to serve the tea in and in what order, what angle to put the “ladle” at when it is on the “stand”, how to sit in relation to the tea and the people/guests, etc. We practiced entering the room too. All kneeling outside: the first person opens the sliding door, looks in to the right then to the left, puts their fan on the ground in front of them, scoots in, moves the fan further, scoots in further, turns to face the scroll and flower planter that are in their own recess in the room to the left (placing the fan in front of them), looks at the scroll, looks at the flower, bows, stands, moves towards the back corner of the room (diagonally away from where they entered), turns a sharp right to end up in front of the table with the cold water under it and cup of green tea powder above it, kneels, places fan in front, looks at the angles of the water container, looks at the angles of the green tea powder container, moves fan to in front of square cut in floor, turns body towards the square cut in the floor (as well as to the scroll and flowers and bows in unison with the person who has just entered (the second person in), then takes fan, stands, and moves back to the corner (that is diagonal from the entrance) and meets right shoulders with the second person. The first person then takes their seat (kneeling) against the sliding door thy entered through (near the square cut in the floor), places their fan to their right side, and once everyone has kneeled, they bow to the host. It was VERY interesting. VERY VERY VERY interesting. FASCINATING. BEAUTIFUL. INTRICATE.
Off to an E-Club (group of past host families) event out in the countryside/agricultural area (about 30 minutes away, at a house owned by one of the male members who has lived in that spot for 9 years) for imonoko (literally, “potato child” soup; a Morioka specialty), which E-Club members made for us, and relaxing time at a house with a backyard that looks straight out of a book or children’s bedtime story. (The event had started at 10am, but Tsukie and I arrived at about 12:40.) There was a small lake/pond in the backyard that a zipline with a T-bar seat flew over surrounded by trees and pieces of notched wood pieces as bridges across the water, a mossy area to run around on, and steep banks. Karaoke was inside the house and about ten minutes after we arrived, at a smaller house (one room) up the hill, Claire’s host mother (who had also done Kimono Time for us), another woman (I think of E-Club), and one of Samantha’s host sisters performed a tea ceremony. Tsukie and I sat and ate some soup (DELISH! Potatoes, carrots) while the rest of the SICE kids were called to the tea ceremony. I wanted to go check it out, but I had just come from one, so I wanted to also let the group be.
I walked up and past because, more than anything, I just wanted to stand and admire the beauty that was the towering mountains in the distance, the farm with black cows right across the dirt path, and the surrounding houses. It was SO quiet, you could hear the grasses waving in the wind. And the leaves fell with the breeze in such a beautiful way that I just stood and soaked in the tranquility. Shortly, a man (61 years old) who was walking down the road approached me (coffee cup and cigarette in hand) and we began talking. He opened with asking why there were so many cars gathered? So I told him about SICE and who we were and what we were doing. He wanted to practice his English so he began telling me of his days as an IBM computer engineer, how he used to work at a Morioka high school as a computer teacher and hated it, how he has a bone issue in his tailbone (I believe) and is always in pain, how he had a pen friend in America from the ages of 16-21, how his father died of a brain aneurysm (something in the brain), and how he is now retired and spends his days on the Internet and watching English movies without subtitles. Twice, we were approached by someone who wanted me to come to the tea ceremony. First, it was the woman who was from E-Club and helping Hirata-san out (Claire’s host mother) and then it was Samantha’s host father.
I loved just standing and talking and hearing his story. And I think that’s hard for people to grasp: why in the world would someone be talking to a total stranger? But I CAN’T COUNT the number of people I have been SO THANKFUL to converse with BY CHANCE, whose stories where NOT part of the scheduled activities, but whose words made the experience better, brighter, and more exciting. I cannot thank them enough.
So I eventually went back to the small room and tea ceremony that was practically over. It was joked that I knew everything since I had been that morning, but no. Not at all. Samantha’s legs were QUITE numb (I recalled the feeling) from kneeling for the duration (of twenty to thirty minutes probably). Others had changed to sitting cross-legged. Sat and talked with Elizabeth, Claire, Samantha’s host mother, Abhi, and Mitchell after finishing. Yasumi Sensei gave me some mail she had received-the infamous card from the Bonners on campus. (For those who do not know, I am part of the Bonner Program, which is a community service-oriented group of students, 15 per year, who apply for acceptance and receive scholarship money in exchange for performing about ten hours of service a week at a particular sites or sites. I have worked at a therapeutic riding center, a Boys and Girls Club (as a tutor and as a cooking class assistant), and the Mayor’s Office.) The card is infamous as, once a semester, cards for those Bonners off campus are passed around at the applicable monthly Bonner meeting. It brought me SUCH JOY, you all. YOU HAVE NO IDEA. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart-to those I know and those I don’t yet know, THANK YOU. I can’t wait to yell with you, Topher. I can’t wait to work with you, Kristin. I can’t wait to live it up Bonner style!!! BONNER WHAT?!??! BONNER LOVE!!!!!!
Headed out around 3pm and came home (stopped by a Book Off, which is a used bookstore, because Tsukie was looking for a book-I saw a case of the first season of ‘Bones’, CE, and almost bought it. AND saw ‘The Breakfast Club’ and almost bought THAT. Love to have those reminders. 
Tired when I got home, but an ice cream waffle, some episodes of ‘Pure Love’, and laundry perked me up. Dinner was good, delicious as ALWAYS, but afterwards my brain just shut off (maybe I should sleep…?) and I got so frustrated when I couldn’t speak in Japanese and form the opinions I wanted so badly to vocalize in response to questions from Tsukie and Otoosan. But I got through I because Tsukie is so patient. Really. That quality is underappreciated. LISTENING.
I realize I write little about my host school experience and even less about my Japanese class and Earlham classes. Japanese is mostly review, but I need it. The Earlham classes require summaries and thoughts on the articles I read and I’m getting 4/4 points on all of them. I also did REALLY well on my Arabic script paper and my Arabic presentation. So my GPA is getting help (not that is was oh-my-gosh low, but it could have been much better).
More next week! Off to Tokyo to visit Yoko next weekend and see Hanako too! Love to you all!

Kids, Kimonos, and Krispies

2009-11-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

ctober 20, 2009-November 1, 2009
Hope everyone had a great Halloween! It was a thoroughly entertaining experience as Japan does not celebrate the holiday  I’ll explain more a little later, for the sake of chronology.
Wednesday (10/21) was a visit to Hakubai Yochien (Hakubai kindergarten), which was BEAUTIFUL. Three, four, and five year old kind of beautiful. We came in and immediately spread out to different groups/classrooms/ages. There was also a camera crew there, taping our visit (it aired later that evening), and newspaper reporters who published a piece the next day. One class of kids had a carnival-like theme: pick up your wallet prior to entering (made of wrapping paper and streamer), pay about ¥100 (paper coins) to go in the haunted house (cardboard, construction paper, and tape), play a shooting game (shoot rubber bands attached to balled up tape from a large cardboard structure that resembled the Star Wars ‘Return of the Jedi’ I THINK big elephant-like machines at a cardboard/paper/tape “target board” with different areas meaning different points), and/or buy origami faces. All the girls in the class made the games because they weren’t getting along, so the teacher used the projects as a bonding activity.
Another class was creating a mural on the floor and selling ice cream (bits of construction paper in an ACTUAL plastic cup that used to hold pudding-LOVE the recycling!) and donuts (balled up paper and tape). They even put your purchase in a cute paper bag and taped it shut for you. Downstairs, the three year olds were playing outside in the sandbox or running around the playground equipment. Great energy. Great smiles. We all wanted to steal one and take one home. About half the students at Hakubai Yochien are only children, a growing trend in Japan. So part of the “education” they undergo is how to share-toys, turns on the slide, etc.
Then we were taken into a room where we had time scheduled with all students-we all sat in small chairs and faced all the students, who did various choreographed dances for us. Then we sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for them. We could have used an A… Then played “Don Jyan Ken” with the five year old class (whom we ate lunch with later). This game entails the two teams (us vs. them) standing at “x”s taped on the floor on opposite sides of the room. Then they run at each other and try to reach the other team’s “x” before meeting the other person and Jyan-Ken-Poning (rock-paper-scissoring). The winner (sometimes it had to be done more than once) would then progress further to the other team’s “x”. Took a while to get to the other team’s “x”/prevent them from getting to your “x”. They won three times, we won twice.
Lunch was adorable. The four and five year old “students” are served bento lunches (boxed lunches) created by a nutritionist (with the education system guidelines in mind) and made by a private company. We ate separately prepared bentos-pineapple slice, piece of salmon, rice, and two little salads. Three year olds (whom we saw after eating) have bentos made by their mothers (most likely). These mothers have SO MUCH time to devote to cubing apples and cutting carrots into shapes and skewering food on skewers with animals on them. AND the silverware and chopsticks set as well as the bento box as well as the handkerchief/bag that encloses the bento box are all decorated with some kind of cartoon/Disney character, though the three pieces don’t always match. The point is so that three year olds learn how much they can eat and have the chance to see what other students are bringing so that, if they want, they can ask their parents to bring such-and-such a food into the house for them to try (exchanging food at school is not allowed). When they reach four and five years of age and are eating the school lunch, they should be looking to other students who are maybe eating what they themselves don’t want to eat and then TRYING their food (“just try it”), thus expanding their palette. They do not have to finish all their food (unlike the students at Fuzoku Elementary School), but the wasted food is much less than what you would find in American schools of any kind.
Chat time with the principal (a member of Earlham Society; was at the party oh way back in September). Then off to Claire’s host family where we had KIMONO TIME with her host mother. Gosh. So fun. Abhi’s host mother and one of Claire’s host mother’s friends came to help. We females wore unmarried girls’ kimonos and some great pictures exist of us all standing outside in the sun.
Off to dinner at a local hotel, then to a kabuki (Japanese theater) “dance”. Well, the best part was the TAIKO DRUMMING that opened the show (and occurred throughout) done by some VERY strong men who had sleeveless “uniforms”. The main drummer had his back to us and decided to undo his top “shirt” so that his back was exposed. OH MY GOSH. I’m a sucker for backs and shoulders and arms and OH GOODNESS. It kept me awake, let’s say. (Not that it was boring at all. It was from 6:30-9:00pm and we were all pretty tired.)
The next day (Thursday, 10/22), we were off to another school visit: Higashi Matsuzono Elementary School. Arrived, ate lunch with individual classrooms (1 of us big kids with 1 classroom). I was with 4th year, 1st class. We had lunch (soup, sweet and sour chicken-like meat, salad), went outside (played freeze tag), I did a self-introduction, and we did origami in class. Paper airplanes! The whole idea of them being an instructed art form was AWESOME. We then left and went to Sensei’s apartment where we practiced Rice Krispy treat making for the coming Gandai festival (that weekend).
Friday (10/23) was workbook grading at Senboku. Tsukie left early that morning to go to Sendai for training in her, I think, summer job, as a park guide (she would return Saturday evening). I came home, took a nap, and then went to volleyball practice where it was a game! So much fun, as always, and there’s such an inborne order that things just FLOW. When I was waiting in the center to throw to the setter for a chance to practice hitting, I KNEW the line to hit from outside would go before me. That’s how it FELT.
Gandai Festival (Sat 10/24 and Sun 10/25), as a whole, was quite a haul. There from 8am on Saturday, making sure we knew where our tent was. But it was a little confusing as our location and materials were not blatantly labeled/stated. We were directed to the tent and set-up pipes pick-up area, but were not told that ryuugakusei (exchange student) tents #s1-8 were labeled with numbers so that all pieces could be conveniently picked up together. Guess we were supposed to know that. It is logical, which I respect.
Once we set-up, it was great fun yelling at passersby attempting to attract them to buy our ¥100 Rice Krispy treats. Red food coloring made them strawberry, blue made them blueberry. Our hours together in close quarters also gave us all a chance to learn more about each other, which is always fun in my opinion. Throughout the two days, we browsed other tents (other clubs/campus groups) for snacks and lunch-yakisoba, yakitori (skewered bits of chicken), aisu tempura (like deep-fried ice cream), crepes (France WAS right next to us ), takoyaki (octopus in balls of batter? I’m really not sure…), soba, gyoza… Saturday night, I helped Hanako with some English sentences via email since she was taking the TOEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) test the next day.
We made, the two days combined, ¥61700 total. Profit of about ¥43000. After clean-up on Sunday, (which was also confusing because no signs told us where specific parts of the tent went, BUT we followed the crowds of knowing Gandai-ites), we all went to Sensei’s apartment for our own uchiage (celebration party) of pizza. Then six of us headed back to Gandai, met up with some students, and headed to a previously planned uchiage planned by members of the planning committee of sorts. About 22 of us altogether, Japanese, American (and an Indian!), French, Italian, and Russian people chowing down and drinking.
With Monday (10/26), came more review in the Japanese class, but ALWAYS feels good to know an answer. (Hearing Pachelbel’s Canon on a TV ad during breakfast also perked me up, partly because it always reminds me of you, Mike.) In the textbook, we were doing giving/receiving and one example was from me to my roommate, a t-shirt with “London” written on it. Yup, that’s you, Liz, and you, CE. We had all planned to do spring registration that afternoon, but it wasn’t up yet SO what did we do? Yes, Facebook and email. We’re addicted.
Culture shock/“Homesickness”/Dissatisfaction came today with a vengeance (was bemoaning with Ethan) in the form of wanting familiarity, the freedom to watch movies on couches with friends, to stay out late and come home late, to HUG FRIENDS. MY GOD. But am still enjoying. Never question that.
Twas drying out from typhoon #2, which blew through Monday night. At school on Tuesday (10/27), the only thing to do was a take-home test for Literacy in Japanese (part of the reason why we were able to do Facebook and email on Monday-Sensei gave us the test and then set us free to register for spring classes, but we couldn’t). I was FREEZING at school because I thought, Hannah, don’t take another layer. You always take it and it’s just more weight/a burden. BUT Mom and Dad, let’s hear it: it’s better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. Precisely. So I felt a little sicky sicky after school: cold, achy, sniffly. Hoped it wasn’t the swine, so I took a little nap. HA. Can you EVER take a “little” nap? It’s a learned art, that’s for sure. Lied down at 4:45 and oh, two and a half hours later I woke up. Slept through the alarm I had set for 6pm. But man, was it GREAT.
We were at our host schools on Wednesday (10/28) until 3rd period, then we all met at Gandai and taxied to Shirayuri, a private, conservative, Catholic, all girls school (elementary, junior high, and high). It’s on a HILL no less. Observed second and third year English classes. Very advanced speaking abilities. There’s something to be said for the focus that comes with single sex education. One girl approached me and presented me with a letter and her email address and we have been emailing. She is BRILLIANT at English and plays the violin 3 hours a day. She actually, in another example of small worldliness, takes lessons from the same teacher as Yuki’s (our program coordinator) daughter.
We taxied back to Gandai and then some of us embarked on Halloween costume shopping at a store Tamara and I had found way back in September (then to various hyakuen/dollar stores, including Daiso). Didn’t quite know what I wanted to be yet (as is typical me), but conjured a general idea. At home, Tsukie had me CLEAN THE BATH!!!!!!!        That was something I had thought before that maybe if I were asked to do it, it would symbolize closeness between me and my family. It felt good. 
After class on Thursday (10/29), we all were invited to go to Sensei’s apartment to register for classes. Elizabeth and I stopped at a cool-looking dessert place on the way there (SO awesome to just walk down the street and stop-it frees you from the “woulda-coulda-shoulda” blues). After pseudo-registering (as I did not bring my Four Year Plan with me, along with pajamas), I lined up a few things (mostly Japanese classes, surprisingly) to maybe take next semester. And I emailed my advisor, so I’ll be all set soon. Went to ANOTHER Daiso on the way home and completed my costume. Yessssssss….
On Friday (10/30), I unveiled my “bad angel” costume to the students and staff of Senboku junior high school. It was a simple costume-black pants and black long sleeve top with small white wings and tinsel “halo” and black eyeliner-but it was new and different to the Japanese, so the school went wild. It was a great way to connect with students and staff alike and it helped lighten an already happy Friday.
Came home to Tea Time with Tsukie, which has probably been the most fun I’ve had this whole semester. If not THE most, then in the top three along with my failing to swallow sushi in Kyoto and looking at BEYOND ATTRACTIVE taiko drummers on stage. It was just us, sitting in the tatami room, with the kotatsu, a Japanese room heater covered with a quilt that you stick your feet under, a fashion shopping magazine, and sweets. Loads of new vocab. Great fun. Aunt Maya (piano extraordinaire), her husband, and Obaasan (grandmother) came over for dinner. Ko came back from a two day badminton game. What was interesting was the family members came over, bringing bentos and their dog and ate quickly with no real conversation (the television was on the whole time). Otoosan and Tsukie worked harder than usual, churning out three batches of gyoza while the guests and Ko sat and ate. I would be irate. It was so unequal. And no one acknowledged the inequality, which just made it more so.
Have come to realize, as we close in on the last few weeks, (back in Seattle December 6th), that it doesn’t matter if you’re prepared at the start of the school year or the start of the semester. It’s never about how many assignments you finish or your attendance record. It’s can you pull it out for the second half. Do you have the stamina? When the going gets tough, what do you do? I can do this.
Saturday, oh Saturday. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!! Woke up naturally at 7:15am NOT hating the world. Otoosan filled my bike tires with air after breakfast (made a HUGE difference MY GOODNESS). Skyped with a friend-which brings me to another point. I took voice for granted before, along with so many other things, but sometimes voice is SO vital. It really does make your day. I mean, when you think about it, the tone of someone’s voice really makes or breaks a comment of theirs. It can lift you up or drop you down. I can’t wait to hear so many of your voices. 
To Ueda Kominkan (where the Opening Ceremony is WAY BACK IN AUGUST) to help set-up for our Halloween party  Table of candy, treat bags, glowsticks, and face paint. Two tables for food (twas a potluck)-one for real food, one for desserts. Pumpkin carving and drawing in one corner. Walls covered with “Happy Halloween!” banners and paper decals of black cats, witches, and skeletons. Ghosts, glow-in-the-dark spiders and bats and spiderwebs, and pumpkin streamers hung from the ceiling. Plastic spiders and bats as well as Disney Halloween toys covered the tables.
From 4:45-7:15pm, we ate and played games with host family members with great music playing in the background. A Halloween mix had been made, but it ended up being a lot of Michael Jackson.  Pictionary/telephone was played (the first person is given a word and then draws, showing the next person, who must draw and show the next person, etc.). Pumpkins were carved. Doughnuts were dangled to blindfolded children who attempted to bite them. Abhi’s host brother kept taking my halo and running away with it.
After clean-up, which was a collective effort (WONDERFUL), seven of us headed to Wara-Wara for a nomikai (drinking party) with a friend from Gandai (who also happens to be the boyfriend of a SICE participant from last year) as well as two guys Mitchell and Ethan met at a music festival earlier in the semester. Lots of fun and good to be in a small group. They went to karaoke afterwards, but I headed home.
Sunday (11/1) was very similar to a typical college day-laundry and homework. However, did have some good conversation with Otoosan and Tsukie. Tsukie is going to visit Hanako the second weekend of November (and I want to go se Yoko again before I head back to the U.S.) and Hanako will be coming to visit the third weekend in November (she, Tsukie, and I will probably go to an onsen (hot springs)). Watched Japanese drama for new vocab, read some Japanese folktales for even MORE vocab. GREAT FUN. All in all, its going well. Learning a great deal just like I set out to do-about the culture, the language, and myself. This trip has fundamentally changed me. Hope you’re having the same experiences if those experiences are what you want. If not, then I hope each day is a gift. 
Love love love, Hannah

Hot springs, instruments, and friendship

2009-10-21T16:44:00.001-07:00

October 6, 2009-October 19.2009
Well, boys and girls, it’s been a LITTLE too long since I last wrote. And well, there was this report and presentation on a non-Roman script (mine was Arabic) and lack of Internet and etc. etc. BUT I’M BACK! And in line with on reader’s suggestion, I shall NOT force you to sit through “and then we stood here for 20 minutes and then we rode the bus and then we ate this and then we waited”. Or at least I will try to eliminate such language. 
The second host family meeting took place (no big problems exist) and afterwards, my host mother returned with ways to improve my Japanese-wants me to spend time watching Japanese TV and this drama, “Pure Love”, from which I gain TREMENDOUS new vocabulary and Tsukie kindly corrects my pronunciation and spelling. She also has me read along in a children’s folktale book while listening to the reading of it on a CD. More vocab and practice reading out loud.
At Senboku, as I may have mentioned before, I am completing my field study for the Human Development and Social Relations major (psychology and sociology). Its coming along great, as it is ALWAYS easy for me to be detailed and verbose (as is evident in this here blog) I almost have two notebooks full. WOW.
We had an Encouragement Party (6:30-8pm) held by the Morioka Board of Education on Wednesday, 10/7, with the current Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs; all Earlham ’08 and ’09 grads if I hadn’t already mentioned that) joining us. Great spread of food platters-sashimi and sushi roll, kara’age (fried food), pork with sauce, potato and mame (soybeans), sandwiches, chips, popcorn, and many soft drinks. Chocolate cookies for dessert. We did self introductions and heard the B of E introduce themselves (~10 people). Played elementary school-level games after. Cleaning up meant we could take leftover food, so I ended up with two HUGE bottles of ocha (tea) and orange soda.
Thursday, 10/8, was Typhoon Day, as in a typhoon came through. Tsukie would not let me or Ko ride to school, so she drove us. It was our first day of Japanese classes with other Gandai exchange students, so Elementary Japanese II was the four of us SICEers and Dian, from Indonesia, Jadan, from Bangladesh, and Kotan and Nin, from China. The next week, Suripon, from Thailand, would join us. The Intermediate class has ~20 people. With everyone back at school, the cafeteria was crowded, something we have grown to dislike since we all like sitting together and talking about our day thus far (and perhaps dreading Sensei’s class if the homework has not been finished ). After class was the Welcome Party-self introductions to the 40some Japanese students and English majors. Games (Pictionary and the human knot), talking for nearly half an hour, exchanging of phone numbers and emails. One girl, Masumi , likes Angelina Jolie, so we want to watch “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” at some point. Met Bethany, from North Central College outside of Chicago, who is there for the whole year.
On Friday (10/9), Ko made varsity badminton!!!! Previously he had been playing doubles, but he beat a number of other boys and is now in the elite seven (I think that’s how many)-cool warm-up suit and all.
Saturday (10/10) was the PTA bazaar at Senboku (all parents serve on the PTA). Bazaars are very popular and, like most others, many different foods were for sale (bought delicious soba). Was able to talk with my English teacher, Osawa Sensei, for a great deal of time as well as four first year girls and didn’t actually make it in to see the bazaar . The students had school that day until around noon. Helped clean up afterwards. Then, I met Keira (from the nomikai with Dan, a previous SICEer and current ALT) for “coffee” –heard a great deal about her life in Scotland and London. Back home, could joke around in Japanese. *sigh* WONDERFUL.
The family went to an onsen (hot springs) on Sunday (10/11) and this is an exceptional experience. We left around 3:45pm to pick Ko up at badminton practice and then drove about an hour out into the mountains. The site is old, but the building was relatively new. You enter, take off your shoes, then pay the entrance fee (¥500 for adults, ¥300 foe elementary students). Then you can buy some snacks (we brought our own) and sit on cushions at low tables in an open room, lit by natural light during the day, and rest before going in to bathe. We snacked on some chocolate and drank tea from the counter and I looked at the people sleeping on the floor. Relaxing.
In knowing very little about Japanese baths and being oh so very naïve in general (I hope…), I thought “Oh maybe this is a place where you keep a towel around you.” Ummmm no Hannah, sorry to burst your bubble. Tsukie and I visited the bathroom, then entered the female bath changing area, where valuables can be put in locked lockers (and the key is on a bracelet you wear while you bathe) and your clothes go n wicker baskets on shelves. The best thing though was that it was so comfortable of an atmosphere. Every body type was present, though most prevalent were mothers in their late 20s or early 30s with children (after about age 8, male children go to the male bath) and older women.
We entered the bath area through a sliding door. Along the wall to the right were seven seats with manual shower heads and spigots, both operated by a push button which ran for eight to ten seconds. Buckets and cups were everywhere in order to throw water on one’s back or over one’s head. To the left along the far wall were another six seats, shower heads, and spigots. Baths in homes have the same things-a plastic seat with a shallow bucket to make sure backs get washed. Above each spigot was a wall-mounted mirror and a ledge on which people put baskets containing their bathing things, like washcloths, loofahs, soap, shampoo, and rinse. ALSO on the shelf were bottles of soap, shampoo, and rinse/treatment akin to Mane and Tail hair care products. The next day, my hair was SO soft. I wanted to go back JUST to get me some of that sweetness.
Two baths existed-the main, larger indoor bath, and a smaller one outside in the chilly air. Such a good, calming experience. Nearly all of the women had towels they used to sweep their hair back or wore over their head as if to cool them OR keep the heat in (though I don’t know how or why). Tsukie and I both washed our hair (I at first didn’t want to because of all the hair that comes out when I wash-didn’t feel like being the gaijin who comes in and whose hair clogs up the drain or some tragedy like that. But we dried ourselves and met Ko and Otoosan back in the relax room, sitting a little while before heading out. Ko, the active adolescent male that he was, was a bit hungry so Otoosan bought him an ice cream. I said I was oaky, but he bought me one too.  We had an impromptu English lesson talking about Seattle and snow. It felt good to help Ko and all talk in two languages.
Ate dinner at Bikkuri Donkey (bikkuri means “surprise”), a hambagu place near Aeon Mall, about 20 minutes from home. Busy busy, so looked around at the “gift shop” of sorts, containing keitai charms with Hello Kitty and Bikkuri Donkey, little keychains, chopsticks, pins, etc. We waited about 20 minutes for a table, then fries came as an appetizer. Ending up having a regular: hambagu, rice, vegetables. Then we ate an ice cream dessert dusted with macha powder and containing mochi balls and a senbei cracker (usually accompany tea). Before and during dinner, songs from “Moulin Rouge” played, as did “Take On Me”, “Stop in the Name of Love”, “Like a Virgin”, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, and “Hotel California”. Ah memories.
Monday (10/12) was a break day (oyasumi) and Otoosan took me to a calligraphy showing in a local furniture store (where all pieces are made from a single piece of wood). A former colleague of his had some of is “art” in the gallery (to the rear of the store). Had gyuudon for lunch at home and then headed to a koto (an old Chinese instrument with many strings and bridges like that of a violin; it’s the size of a keyboard, but much wider) concert of nikoo (Morioka’s #2 high school) students (at a hall, much like any concert hall in the United States). Nicole, Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s host mother, Tamara, Mitchell, Ethan, and I enjoyed nearly two hours of beautiful music-according to Otoosan, the best koto high school program in Japan.
A buzzing announced the start of the concert (at 2pm), then another buzzing at 5 minutes past 2pm. Before every musical selection/”act”, two girls who were part of the following piece came into the spotlight in front of the curtain (which was a tapestry of Mt. Iwate), bowed (we clapped), then explained the following performance. First one would speak and tell half the explanation or one part of the explanation, then the other would finish. Then they would bow, we clapped, and they went behind the curtain, extinguishing the spotlight. The curtain would then lift to reveal anywhere from 7-40 girls seated (kneeling), facing the audience. They bowed in unison, we clapped, then they rose slowly and shifted their seated position to play, taking their cue from an individual or two near the center front.
No sheet music was present. Usually the performers were broken into three groups, playing different parts at different times. At the end of the song, they would turn back to facing the audience, bow, we would clap, and then they would rise, no one moving as the curtain lowered. In some pieces, the coach for that specific piece would be called to the stage by one of the girls and they would explain their method/discuss the meaning of the piece/commend the girls on a job well done. At the end of the last piece played (there were six total with a 15 break halfway through), some girls were crying. It was emotional to watch the result of hard work, to see the energy and time be made a reality. On our way out, female teachers/PTA members/mothers stood on one side of the flight of stairs, while the girls lined the other side, a way of saying thank you to us for listening.
On Tuesday, 10/13, I had another holiday due to the PTA bazaar on Saturday, so I went to Gandai and did Internet research on Arabic for Monday’s Non-Roman script paper and presentation. Did much work on Facebook and in email, which felt good. But also did some great research, ending up with around 25 pages of information (in addition to the 15 I had from an earlier Internet search)-too much for a 5-8 page paper. BUT I am getting much better at paring things down, I have noticed.
On Wednesday (10/14), we visited Fuzoku Elementary School. When we arrived, 6th graders were doing a hands on activity on the “playground”-building an open fire in order to make pottery the way Japanese people did AGES ago. We observed an English lesson (for 4th graders) in which students danced to English songs (“Five Little Monkeys”; “Yes We Can”, by Will.i.am, about Obama) and acted like animals in line with an Eric Carle book. We observed two Japanese classes (one 4th grade and one 3rd/4th grade split) and ate lunch with a 4th grade class. A new program has been implemented in elementary schools where no food is wasted and children must eat all foods on their plate. I thought it was delicious, but I am seven at heart -breaded meat put on bun, soup, kiwi, salad with apples and celery.
Prior to the visit, Yuki selected me to assist a fifth year English teacher as an ALT for a lesson. It was WONDERFUL. We met prior to the class so we could talk over how the lesson would go. Talked about where different international foods are from. Due to the short attention spans of children, teachers were very energetic and active, always asking the children their point of view, engaging them in the lesson very well.
The school is owned and operated by Iwate University, not the Morioka Board of Education, and is very much an experimental study in teaching. English is taught to the children all six years of their elementary school education and Fuzoku is very much an active model of how English can/should be taught. The Japanese education system is always thinking 10 years ahead, so Fuzoku attempts to always make the school better and contribute positively to the question of how Japanese students can be taught best. Teachers are trained, educational research is done, and the school contributes to the regional. Fuzoku teachers lecture at Iwate University and other elementary schools. Teachers from other schools visit Fuzoku classes.
Afterwards, we all went to McDonald’s to celebrate Elizabeth’s birthday (Was the day before, 10/13).
Thursday’s (10/14) Japanese class was very much review, as many have been and seem to continue to be, but I think it is good to continually lay a good, strong foundation. Ethan, Abhi, Tamara, Nicole, and I, the Gandai Festival crew (for the festival 10/24-10/25) attended a meeting of all involved groups. Corrected some 2nd year sentences (“I hope…”, “I know…”) Osawa Sensei had them write to me on Saturday (10/10) to me; when I read “I know Hannah is easy” and “I know Hannah’s golden hair is beautiful,” I loved the kids even more than I already did. Oh English…
Friday (10/16) at Senboku was BUSY. Some third year girls invited me to do origami with them after lunch-wow. Now I have iketori on my desk. (Ikebana is “flower arranging”, but I have an origami box filled with origami cranes (“tori” means bird), so I called it “iketori”.) Elizabeth and I did some more bicycle riding practice (she’s getting great!). I ran and then met Abhi, Nicole, Mitchell, and Tamara for dinner at a Thai restaurant ~10 minutes from my house. Suripon, in our Japanese class, recommended the place and it was AMAZING!
Friday night and Saturday night were great because I didn’t go to bed too late and thus was able to wake up at 8am the next days. On Saturday (10/19), Elizabeth and I explored the Morioka Train Station-the department store within it, had a Baskin & Robbins Halloween sundae, and went to Aiina for her to do research and me to pare down my Arabic research. We talked a lot about how surreal it will be to return, to talk to next year’s SICE students…
That day was also the Aiina Friendship Fest with the theme “the world is friends” and Otoosan and I had planned to meet around 1:30pm. Prior to us meeting (Otoosan became delayed, so he didn’t arrive until ~3pm), an older man (probably in his sixties) approached me while I watched a Philippine dance and then a Nepalese flute/drum/guitar group on one of the stages. He (Yamazaki san) knew of Earlham and had visited the United States many times due to his involvement with a Christian church in Morioka. He was with Amnesty International and later on, Otoosan and I visited the photography exhibit he was with. Unicef, Free Trade, and Amnesty International were prevalent at the festival. Also, Japan makes little things seem important where, in America, one may encounter an “Oh, it’s not enough! What are we going to do?!” or dissatisfied patrons who think something was not done well enough. The Japanese just do things WELL. When they do them, they do not do them halfway.
Met a number of people Otoosan knows through his current work or previous engagements, such as Miya Sensei, the general manager of the 5th floor plaza (where we had first met Sugiwara Sensei OH SO LONG AGO), and a couple who, I think, hosted a SICE student some 20 years ago AND the boss of the 5th floor plaza. Otoosan is very popular. While looking at a series of tables, we met the man Osawa Sensei went to Victoria with last year (as its sister city, Morioka sends students regularly), who also happens to be the director of the Gender Equality and International Relations Division of the Morioka Board of Education. Hmmmm. Otoosan had primarily come to see a concert of the same three individuals playing Nepalese music on flute/drum/guitar I had seen earlier-good group with good music; currently helping a Nepalese elementary school (a “charity concert”). Bussed home since Otoosan had ridden his bike and I had bussed with Elizabeth that morning.
Saturday evening and Sunday (10/18) all day (save for Skype time with my mother), was me working on the Arabic report. And it turned out well. I got the 40some pages I had collected down to nine. WOOHOO. And I thoroughly enjoyed making the Power Point, creating a somewhat silly presentation, but I got my point across. Had another Gandai festival meeting tonight (Monday, 10/19) and afterwards, craved daifuku (mochi balls with ice cream in the middle; two-bite size). SO adventure ensued. Ethan, Tamara, and I found a konbini close by that had a package of two large ones, so Ethan and split that. Then, I succumbed to the box of 21 mini daifuku in vanilla, macha (green tea) and azuki (red bean paste). OH BABY. They were individually packaged and everything. I’ve decided that’s what I just might miss the most.
Hope Early Semester Break went well for all you Earlhamites and I hope winter hasn’t come QUITE yet to the Midwest or to Seatown OR to wherever you are.
Love from the Orient,
Hannah (if you need anything: bananasmile@softbank.ne.jp)

Adventures in Kyoto and Tokyo! (2 of 2)

2009-10-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

September 28, 2009-October 5, 2009

So we got to Kyoto just fine on Monday afternoon (9/28). The shinkansen is a GREAT ride, I HIGHLY recommend it. Speeding along at, like, 120 miles an hour, you’ve got a smoking room if you need a cigarette (and there are windows in there too!), you’ve got a food and beverage cart that comes through with insane frequency, you’ve got comfortable chairs, and you’ve got power outlets. THIS is the life. (Also very cool was a shirt that read “JOURNALISTIC”; I think I saw it in Hiroshima, but nonetheless, I thought of you, M. Rice.)

When we got out at Kyoto Station, it was like déjà vu times a trillion. Again, hate to be a broken record, but it felt like I had JUST left. The underground restaurants right outside the station, Kyoto Tower standing pretty, Isaten department store…We taxied to another Toyoko Inn and then went out to get our own dinner (all of us, incidentally, ended up going to Sukiya, a gyuudon (meat on top of rice)/karee (curry) place across the street). In the restaurant, what comes on the radio, MOM<>J

We met back at the hotel at 7:30pm, joined by a friend of Mariko’s, to walk through Pontocho (narrow street/alley off the main drag, full of restaurants and bars) and Gion, if you wanted to (many geisha there). And this “main drag” is the street our hotel is on, so you literally walk thirty minutes in one direction (to get to Gion) and then turn around/cross the street (for a change of scenery) and walk thirty minutes back. Not too hard, which is good for the MALES in our group. Just kidding. J

Ethan wanted to go to a jazz club he had seen on our walk down the “street”, so we (Mitchell, Abhi, Tamara, Samantha, and I, flowing our fearless leader) end up at this tiny bar playing jazz over the stereo. Samantha left faking a phone call because she didn’t feel comfortable (doesn’t like small spaces) and we all paid too much money for beers, some ginger ales, some Coca-Colas, a rum and Coke, and popcorn. It is customary, when going to a Japanese bar, that all people must order a drink. Food is usually a given too. We were being stupid Americans, even with half Japanese Tamara on our side. It was good to get out of there…

Throughout the trip, starting Sunday or Monday, I got bit by SOMETHING on multiple places all over my calves. I still have scabs now, but they were itching like CRAZY. Maybe the bites were going to my head because I woke up Tuesday (9/29) and thought, “Wow. I will not have eaten black olives for nearly four months by the time I chow down on them next. Hmmm.” I don’t know if I was hungry when I woke up at 7am or what, but when I got downstairs, I found something better than black olives: croissant rolls filled with a creamy Danish-like substance. Delicious rice balls and miso soup too. I lost track of my carb intake, which I should start caring about.

All our cell phones died faster in the Toyoko Inns because we got no service in the rooms and, according to Intelligent Indian Abhi, when there is no service, the phone constantly SEARCHES for service, so the battery is drained quicker.

We taxied to Ryoanji, which is currently under construction (and will be closed January-March). I wanted to be alone because of the peacefulness that the garden represents (it is a garden of twelve, I think, rocks representing islands off of Japan) and it is possible to find peace within oneself amidst potential chaos, that I believe. And if there was chaos that day, it was the multitudes of middle school and high school students everywhere we went.

Mariko said that you should sit and think and when you contemplate hard enough, the answer you are searching for will come to you. I think we could always do with a little more quiet time in our lives, a little more time to sit and think, a little more time to just BE. I bought postcards (because post is a great thing) and wandered around for free time (we were to meet @ 10:30am). We walked the ~18 minutes to Kinkakuji (the Golden Temple) on the same road as Mom and I walked almost two and a half years ago.

Kinkakuji, as always, was a sight to behold (the weather stayed very nice for our stops in Hiroshima and Kyoto). Saw the carp in the pool that surrounds the Temple, bought some charms (easily found at any temple or shrine; students hang them on their knapsacks or purses, adults put them on key rings or on walls), there was much coin tossing at two offering places, (an upper one to the White Snake), and I bought more postcards. We walked towards a bus stop on a main road down the street from Kinkakuji and (it was the SAME street where Mom and I caught the bus, but we caught in on the opposite side, in front of a bicycle rental shop). We had 1.5 hours for lunch because we’re such speedy sightseeing demons like that and Abhi and Tamara and I ended up at this WICKED great place, eating gyuudon (beef on top of rice, Tamara) and tonkatsu (pork cutlet, Abhi) and unagidon (eel on top of rice, me). Good food and good drink for the two of them, though I did sip a little beer and some of Abhi’s tsumetai sake (cool sake).

On the way back to meet up with the group, I went into the bicycle rental shop and got myself a t-shirt. Dad, the kelly green t-shirt I brought back for you last time that has the bananas and water bottle on it and says “We are bike riders. These are our fuel” (I think) is from the same place.

So we then rode the bus to Ginkakuji (Silver Temple) and BOY am I glad it wasn’t 90 degrees out (like last time), because we were crammed in that bus for 15 minutes, maybe 20. I ended up sitting in the back on the floor because I didn’t want to be in the way (no I was NOT causing a hindrance because the back is 5 or 6 seats together and then two seats on each side lead the way to the front; I was at Tamara and Samantha’s feet and BEHIND the back of one of the pairs of seats). Abhi said I was embarrassing him, which was definitely entertaining, so he spent the better part of the latter half of the ride trying to convince me to get up/sit with Ethan when the seat opened/NOT sit on the floor. Too bad. At this point in time, he also commented on my strong calves (I was seated hugging my knees) and how he wishes his calves were as big as mine (he has Starving Indian Child calves). It was funny. SO funny. And if all y’all start looking at my calves when I get back, I’m going to laugh even harder. (Give me some time to make them stronger, yeah? Then we can race! :P)

Everyone had to switch to another bus (I know not why) to continue on the route (for us, the remaining 10 minutes to Ginkakuji). Listened to Tamara’s iPod with her, we all disembarked, walked around the corner, and up the shop and restaurant-lined street to Ginkakuji. Kyoto’s famous delicacy is triangles of folded mochi with pasts in the middle, so there were many vendors selling them.

Ginkakuji was under construction (scaffolding in place), not that it took anything away from its grandeur. Especially beautiful was the sand Mt. Fuji created near its base as well as a sand “sea” a little ways away. There was a convenient building “porch” located in front of the sand “sea” so I sat to admire it. Mariko said later that every time it rains, they have to remake the sand into something-now it was Mt. Fuji and the sea, but it often changes. Mitchell sits down next to me (we probably haven’t been in the actual temple grounds for more than 5 minutes) and saws “So what’s there to see?” Really? WHAT’S THERE TO SEE???? YOU’RE IN JAPAN!!!! EVERYTHING IS SOMETHING TO SEE!!! (But I didn’t say that.) He then asks “What’s the rippled sand supposed to be?” or “Why is there sand?” I just don’t have patience (and I especially didn’t have patience that day-temple #3 of 3) for people who (a) don’t read the brochure they’re given and who (b) appear to not respect the art of the shrine/temple. It doesn’t always have to MEAN something. You don’t always have to able to EXPLAIN something. I opened the brochure I was carrying and read the paragraph that explains it. Mind you, I didn’t know that that paragraph existed, but I didn’t have the same question as Mitchell. Mariko had come around seconds earlier and told me and Abhi, who was sitting nearby, that the sand represented the sea.

So I walked around, took some great pictures, (throughout the vacation), which are going to overload my computer and take an HOUR probably to turn to the left or to the right. J Bought more postcards when we got all the way through (still have a love for gift shops-that’ll never die). Then Ethan had to go to Morioka Station to buy his shinkansen ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo to Morioka (for 10/5), so we all separated into “taxi groups” and were given money to get back to the hotel whenever we wanted to return. I was carrying some of Abhi’s things in my backpack, so we were a package, and along with Tamara and Samantha, we wandered down the shop-lined road. Some Nagoya elementary schoolchildren stopped us to practice English (“What is your name?” “Where are you from?” “What is your favorite color?” That kind of thing. Then, like in 2007, Mom, they had us sign our names on the back of the paper they were carrying.)

Ended up buying a shirt (Abhi told me to) that is mocking Adidas-it has the symbol, but the three top flower-like parts (okay, they’re not REALLY flower-like, but you get what I’m saying, right), are flames instead. And underneath, it says kazides (kazi means fire; des is desu, which goes at the end of a sentence). I felt like such a tourist. In Miyajima, I saw aidesu (with hearts; ai means love) and azides (with fish; azi is fish). Before walking along a nearby little river to get back to the road the bus had come by, we walk past a table where the man whose bar we had gone to last night is sitting (he is somewhat of a silversmith and makes jewelry out of old coins). Very beautiful work. For example, he took an American quarter and cut out everything but Washington’s head and the “One quarter” letters along the top (if that is even what it says). Much precision. Along the river we saw three GINORMOUS carp-one orange and two dark grey ones. Abhi was SEVERELY tempted to jump in and grab one.

Before catching a taxi back, I wanted to go to the post office (I had seen one close on the ride over) and make sure that the ¥70 stamps that the Morioka post office had told me would work for international postcards, actually would work. ¥70 WAS enough, but I needed to write Air Mail on them/use some stickers that they gave me.

¥1620 later, we were at the hotel (cabs vary from ¥550-¥640 depending on place and time (maybe)). Sensei gave us ¥1000 for the cab ride and reimbursed us later the ¥620 we paid out of our own pockets. At around 4pm, when we got back to our room, Tamara and I set to napping. We had alarms for 5:30, but when they went off, we turned them off and kept sleeping. At 6:30pm, I woke up and she awoke shortly after me, saying it was 7:30pm (I’ve heard that excessive sleep inhibits clock-reading ability). We decided it was a good time to get dinner. Still tired and drowsy, we trudged across the street to Yoshinoya, a favorite eatery of hers (saw Abhi and Ethan there), which has much the same feel as Sukiya (both, INCIDENTALLY use red and yellow in their signage and inside, which McDonald’s uses because APPARENTLY the colors make you hungry or you associate the colors with the restaurant so you think of it more often and therefore want it more often; I’m probably getting it a little wrong, so Mike, if you care to help me out here with your accurate knowledge of the corruptive nature of corporations, please be my guest J) Had butadon (pork on rice) and tea, free of course.

After food, we were MUCH more awake, so we set out trucking-down to Takashimaya (famous department store) where Tam saw a ¥13600 ($136.00) Ralph Lauren t-shirt she wanted to buy (had big polo pony on the left front and a “3” on the back, like a jersey). Her mom wants her to change her wardrobe (hmmmm, sound familiar?). We walked to Gion and passed the same corner where Mom took a picture of me as I slumped down, hungry and tired. Took another photo for ya J

We walked around exploring in the dark (I felt like I was with Mike a little) and came back via a McDonald’s bathroom stop, a corner concert by a two-man band, and Baskin & Robbins. Had “Candyman”, the Halloween special flavor, chocolate ice cream with orange crispy candies (Mike) and “New York Cheesecake” (Eric). That night was the only night, thus far, that I didn’t drink since the trip started. Tamara and I talked a lot instead. And went to bed too late (3am), but hey, we napped, right?

Tuesday night, watching TV, Feist’s “One Two Three Four” music came on during a commercial and the “Upside Down” disco song that’s on one of your CDs, Dad, was on another commercial. Then “Take On Me” came on and I almost DIED, Eric. AND there was a commercial for an iPod nano with a built in CAMERA (pictures and video). *GASP*

I was up at 7am on Wednesday (9/30) and downstairs before 7:30am. I ate three plates of two rice balls, a roll, and the croissant filled with Danish-like cream. We left around 8:30am in taxis to Kiyomizudera (Kiyomizu Temple). Mom and I had walked from the bottom of the shop and restaurant-lined street that leads up to the temple last time, but the taxis took us about halfway up. There was a little bit of light rain, so I put my light rain jacket over my backpack and my towel around my neck. Rain for a Seattleite is nothing ;)

In 2007, there were so many people in the actual temple that we didn’t make it all the way inside. We, as a group, went in and it was BEAUTIFUL. There is a saying that to throw yourself fully into something, you must throw yourself like you would off Kiyomizu budai (the stage of Kiyomizu). The view looks out to the main part of the city a little ways away. Near the end, three streams of water come out and over a small platform. You reach out a long-handled cup and drink from each to gain intellectual wisdom, health, and longevity. Abhi, Claire, Mitchell, and I, who were walking through with or close to Sensei and Mariko, did just that.

We slowly regrouped-Abhi went off to find Samantha, Tamara, and Ethan, but when we were all together, Mariko led us (just seconds from the temple grounds) to the studio of a friend of hers who makes EXQUISITE ceramic pottery. He and his wife used to live in the house we were welcomed into, but now it is their gallery. We saw his studio around the corner (he has ~12 people working for him total in Kyoto and Tokyo combined) and saw some of his creations. Beautiful beautiful BEAUTIFUL.

We broke for lunch and I tried to go out on my own (I found the place Mom and I ate when we visited in 2007-YES!) and looked around at the shops. I ran into Samantha and we got karee (curry). Afterwards, we bought strawberry cheesecake crepes and I bought two boxes of the mochi triangles as omiyage (one box for Yoko, one box for my host family) AND I bought mitarashi dango (pieces of skewered mochi cooked over an open oven with this sauce I don’t know how to describe…it’s sweet, but also kind of like teriyaki sauce…).

We all met at 1pm and taxied to Fushimi-Inari shrine, the land of many, many torii gates. I believe there are said to be 1,000. I carried Abhi, Tamara, and Mariko’s paper bags of goods bought around Kiyomizudera (Abhi and Tam bought ceramic sake cups from Mariko’s friend), and we were given an hour to walk through. It was raining a little harder, but not bad.

When we came back together again, after many pictures among the torii and contemplative walking and cats and many alters, Sensei decided that taking the train from Inari eki (station) right across the street to Kyoto station and then taking a taxi from THERE would be better than taxiing from here. It was also cheaper. We got back to the hotel around 3:15pm and they were still cleaning our rooms, so we waited (they were hurrying, apparently).

That’s a cool thing-they tell you when they will be cleaning your room. AND cleaning is an important part of Japanese culture. Tam and I, the day before, had asked them not to clean our room because we could just use the same towels and could sleep in the same sheets. We didn’t care. BUT that was an American mistake on my part. I was thinking of being ecological when in fact, it might have appeared as dirty/unclean/unhealthy.

When we got to our room and I napped 4-5:30, then Tam fell asleep, so I woke her up at 6:10. At 6:15, we all met in the lobby to go to our group dinner at Bistro Nozomi. About 9 courses Kyoto style (small portions). DELICIOUS. We sat on the floor, on a ledge, with our feet under the table (as if we were sitting in chairs). There were two tables-it was me, Nicole, Samantha, Claire, and Elizabeth versus Ethan, Tamara, Sensei, Mariko, Abhi, and Mitchell. Tam and I ended up switching seats halfway through because she came over to tell a story (she had gone to a ski resort with her host family over Silver Week (9/19-9/23) and she had seen some diapers for older people (or something). She took a long time to explain the story, so I went over to the other table to see what was going on. I didn’t intend to stay, but I ended up sitting with them.

The last course prior to dessert is something I now fondly call The Death of Me: a plate of sushi with probably 12 pieces, mostly sashimi (raw fish on top of rice). Nix, I think you would have liked it. Well, there was this one big roll that was, NO JOKE, the width of a clenched fist. I was seriously wondering if I could eat it in one bite (like you’re supposed to do with sushi) and Abhi must have read my mind. He said if I could do I, he would buy me a drink. Now, the drink wasn’t so much the drive-it was the POSSIBILITY that I could get that whole thing in my mouth. BUT as anyone I have eaten lunch with in saga (at Earlham) knows, my mouth really isn’t as big as I think it is. I have SERIOUS delusions of grandeur. SO I tried. And I’m pretty sure I had already scarfed down half my plate and pieces from others. Long story short: I didn’t quite make it. It was hard to swallow/breathe when you have a sushi roll taking up your whole mouth (there’s a video of it somewhere…). Then Abhi tried, I held the same reward of a drink, and he BEASTED it. The secret, I think, (from extensive observation), is to chew looking UP. I tried again, TWICE and they both ended poorly. So after THAT debacle AND finishing 2.5 plates of sushi (because I am The Garbage Disposal) AND ice cream (which I will never say “No” to), I was in SEVERE amounts of pain. Fullness x 34. Because of that, I came out feeling bad juju towards sushi (but it’s all good now, Nix.) I really want to go to Ginza (area in Tokyo) and do dessert hoodai (all you can eat dessert for 1.5 hours) so maybe I will have that SAME reaction to sweets and not eat them.

I REALLY needed to walk so I took and hour and walked to Gion and back, but I still felt SO full. And in my walking realized that I cannot be responsible for others. My eating of their food in order to (in some twisted way) save the planet does not really help anyone. IF we could bring Tupperware everywhere we went, THAT might help. But my getting full for a “cause” doesn’t do good things to my health. Tamara had left the restaurant early because she didn’t feel well and when I got back around 11pm, we went and walked more because she felt full as well (she was feeling better health-wise though). (While walking, I saw a girl with an Utrecht shirt, Dad. Like from the school. It reminded me of the Utrecht art supplies store that was sort of near LeRoi when you lived in First Hill.) We both didn’t want to eat anything more. Ever. The next day, we embarked on our Tokyo adventure.

Ah Thursday. (10/1) Got down to the lobby a little early to send a fax to my mom (that would go my insurance company) regarding my insurance coverage not changing when hers does due to her NEW JOB. I kept pressing the copy button when I wanted to send because it said “start” next to it. Luckily, Sensei came down and she helped me THANK GOODNESS.

We all met at 9:30 (Abhi had left earlier; he was staying with his aunt in Chiba, outside of Tokyo) so Sensei could say goodbye. Samantha had to finish packing and some people wanted to eat more, so we got into our two taxis at around 10:15. When “my” taxi got to the station, I mistakenly didn’t specify south terminal SO our taxis became separated. The other taxi took them on a strange detour and they arrived SOMEWHERE after us. The shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo didn’t leave until 12:22, but Samantha still hadn’t bought her ticket. I called Ethan and they were just getting out of the taxi. I called him again and they were in the station, I told him to meet us outside the main entrance, he said okay. Turns out they went to go get the ticket FIRST and THEN come meet us. It would have been GREAT to hear THAT rather than be standing outside the main entrance for 20 minutes wondering if they were all okay.

Due to the Unfortunate Sushi Event of the previous night, I wanted to eat NOT AS MUCH, so when we got into the station and were buying our lunches, I chose bananas and a sandwich. Had a few tiny bites of Tam’s Godiva Chocolate Caramel ice cream because she enjoys tempting me. We got into the shinkansen terminal and still had time, so some of us visited the bookstore, etc. Got on and on our way-the two hour ride to Tokyo went great (read and dozed).

When we arrived in Tokyo and had to train to the Asakusa station (where our hostel was), it was confusing because we were already IN the station, but we needed to buy train tickets. We went out of the shinkansen terminal, bought tickets, and proceeded to the Ginza line. Tamara and her fluency helped. BUT, because I had no rolling luggage/didn’t want to take the escalator, I always took the stairs that a) got me to the same place first, but b) often diverged from the escalator path. I got to the platform for the Ginza line (to Ueno, Asakusa) and Ethan called me to tell me that I was at the wrong place. I read the platform and destinations to him (it was the right place) and everyone soon arrived. Probably shouldn’t have diverged from the group, but we all got to the right place in eight pieces and didn’t get lost.

We arrived at Asakusa (on a very full train) and left out of a different exit than the Sakura Hostel directions said to. Tamara then asked for directions. WHY we didn’t just follow the directions provided by the hostel I DON’T KNOW. This is an instance where some people in the group seem to not TRUST others or have FAITH in them or WANT to make them the leader (as in, relinquish the leadership). It’s a problem that needs to be addressed, in my opinion. So out the exit, down past multiple rickshaw drivers, past the HUGE lantern that marks the entrance to a shrine, past the am/pm konbini (convenience store). Then the road Ts with a busier road and we take a right (at the vending machine with the fighting demons on it), continue past Denny’s and 7-11, and take a right at the restaurant where there’s a pachinko (gambling) parlor down on the left and a porn theater on the right and take the left fork when the road splits at the entrance to the amusement park. We arrived about 4pm and checked into our rooms. Thanks to Elizabeth’s promptness in both ASKING us if we wanted to room with her and in RESERVING the rooms, she, Claire, Tamara, and I were settling in in no time (in a 4 bed room on the 2^nd floor). Samantha was in the mixed 6 bed room next door, Nicole was in a 6 bed room upstairs (on the third floor I think; 6 floors total I think), and Mitchell and Ethan were two floors up. For our four bed room, it was ¥12600/night, so essentially we (due to our four night stay) owed ¥12600 each. When I had taken money out of the Gandai ATM before leaving, I thought I was ROLLING in money. Like always, however, things take money. And I was humbled in the first few moments as we paid before “moving in.”

The rooms were clean, a window looked out on the street we had just entered from, 2 sets of bunk beds with 4 lockable cubbies (could get a lock from the front desk for ¥250), and there was a power outlet up by the top bunk! We made our beds with the sheets waiting for us on the beds (instructions were on the back of the door, as were rules like no eating or drinking in the room (do so in the lounge downstairs) and noise stops at 9pm (if you want to talk, use the lounge downstairs).

Elizabeth, Nicole, and Claire went to Mos Burger for dinner (on the way from the station to the hostel). Ethan, Mitchell, Samantha, Tam, and I went to Shibuya (30 minute train ride; Asakusa is one end of the Ginza line, Shibuya is the other) to meet up with a friend of Samantha Lynch’s (Ethan’s girlfriend), Amelia, and Amelia’s friend Anneliese. (Kelsey, it was Anneliese Irby, who went to NOMS and then to Ballard-WHAT a small world). Amelia goes to Temple University and is on a study abroad program, much like us. Anneliese is studying too and staying with her sister who is living in Tokyo currently. Meting them was relatively easy though Shibuya is the location of “Japan Times Square”, which is REALLY a sight to see, especially at night. We walked around for a great deal of time, in true Japanese fashion, wondering what to eat for dinner. After about 30 minutes and looking and asking the group and indecisiveness, Ethan saw a good spot. Bowls of raamen (noodles) or dinner sets of rice, miso soup, and noodles. I had rice and gyoza (potstickers)-small and good. AND cheap! (It has been interesting to hear people in our group talk about how much they need to save $, but order too much food and don’t finish all of it.

Ethan, Amelia, Tamara, and Anneliese craved bubble tea (at First Kitchen, a fast food-like place that was just a few feet away; in Tokyo, people call it “fuh-ki” for short; sounds like a swear word). In a moment of “What do we do now?” (it was 8:30pm) we discussed purikura (picture booths). Middle and high school students decorate their pencil cases, planners, cell phones, etc. with pictures of them and their friends in picture booths. A number of different backgrounds are available and then afterwards, you DECORATE the pictures with pen-wands and can put nearly everything imaginable on them. More background detail, stars, glitter, hearts, sparkles, cartoon characters, numbers, kanji characters, glasses, hats… So we did THAT for an hour. (The place we went was part of an arcade and the sign at the entrance to the purikura area had a message to all who wanted to enter: pictures of a girl, a girl and a boy together, and a boy (but with a red X through the picture). Boys cannot go in by themselves or in groups of JUST boys. It is more popular for many girls to go together or for a couple to go together or for a large group of mixed gender to go, but only boys is dame (bad).)

When we were done, Anneliese walked back to wherever she and her sister are (might have taken the train or a bus) and Amelia took the Ginza line with us and got off at her stop (she had to be home (host family curfew) by 10:30). We proceeded to Asakusa, I showered, and went to bed around midnight.

It rained on Friday (10/2). There was a breakfast at the hostel-¥315 all you can eat toast and soup. Didn’t seem worth it (Elizabeth and Claire said so after eating). I had set an alarm for 7am, but I slept through it and got up at 9am. Now that we didn’t have to be anywhere at a given time AND it was the tail end of our glorious adventure, I was much more fatigued, I think. I had set the alarm specifically to do laundry. The Toyoko Inns we stayed at had laundry too, but Tamara and I (at least) figured that we would do our laundry when we got to Tokyo. Well, it wasn’t getting done THAT morning.

I was ready to leave around 10. Nicole, Elizabeth, and Claire set out to the Edo museum and Akihabara (anime/geek central is what it’s known for). Tam and I waited for Ethan and Mitchell and then got a little breakfast (at a nearby Lawson, the BEST konbini ever, though I think my loyalty lies with Lawson because it was the first convenience store we all visited due to its close proximity to Kumagai Ryokan (where we stayed when we first arrived in Morioka)). I had eaten one of m leftover bananas, but I bought an onigiri (in a continued effort to eat less and NEVER feel like how I felt post-Sushi Experiment). Mitchell, Ethan, and Tamara all bought raamen or rice and shrimp tempura (in Mitchell’s case). Mitchell offered me his leftover rice, but I refused (and was SO proud of myself) and they all ended up MORE than satiated.

By 11, we made our way to the large lantern we passed en route to the hostel the previous afternoon and met up with Masaki (Ethan’s plans), a Waseda University student who came to Earlham two years ago, during our first year (07-08). Waseda is a VERY good school in Tokyo and Masaki and Ethan had been roommates during that year. Masaki helped us decide where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do, saying that a tower in Roppongi may offer a better view than Tokyo Tower (Mitchell’s suggestion) and Tamara added that the tower in Roppongi also had an aquarium. We ended up train-ing to Roppongi and up to the sky view floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Arts Center, which USUALLY offers a panorama of the city. BUT due to the rain, we were in the clouds on the 52^nd floor and thus all we saw was WHITE. Which was WICKED cool. The student ticket for the view, the aquarium, and the arts museum (3 attractions in one!) was a fabulous ¥1500. We did purikura at the top (though no decorating, just the city behind us) and hit the aquarium.

OH. MY. GOSH. Glass tanks like you wouldn’t believe. Use of color, of light, of darkness, of shapes. Wow. The art museum was doing a special exhibit on Ai Weiwei, (the architect of the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing), which was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I never knew I loved modern art so much. The audio tour was a great addition, too. The exhibit (and the art) was clean, uncluttered, and utilitarian but at the same time genius. For instance, “One Ton of Tea” is a three dimensional cube of compressed tea. Yup. GENIUS. I wanted to buy a t-shirt of a great piece-bicycle frames joined together in a ring, four high. But I bought a postcard instead. AND they let you take pictures, so that’s great. The exhibit was very much about past tradition vs. the present modern age. Interesting. CAPTIVATING.

For lunch, we headed back to the station and a plethora of choices. Decided on a raamen place with a great price-¥880 for noodles with vegetables and chicken. We then all took the train to Akihabara (Masaki left us to go to a meeting at Waseda) and went to Don Quixote, where Tamara got the Pikachu costume she has. It’s a full body zip up and it’s probably on of the greatest things I have EVER seen. So she bought an Elmo one. J Don Quixote (8+ floors) also has a maid café and the cheapest SoyJoys around (¥98) and lotion (YEAH! I was SO glad to see that because it was on my grocery list) and slutty Halloween costumes (you got about eight four different “student” outfits or “tutor” or “schoolgirl”, your “pirate”, “pirate captain”, “maid”, “nurse”, “bumblebee”, etc.).

We then got dinner before Ethan was to meet Amelia for drinks. Mitchell and Ethan chose McDonald’s (which Tamara gave them a hard time for) and Tamara and I stepped into a small place nearby and got noodles (Tam) and toridon (chicken on rice, me). We thought we should regroup, so we found them at McDonald’s and all took the Ginza line together back to Asakusa (Ethan then took the Asakusa line to Gotanda). Since he was a little unfamiliar with the area of Asakusa and then way back to our hostel, I said I would meet him at 11pm/11:15pm at the lantern so he could find his way back. I told him directions (akin to what I typed previously-the route we took from the station the first time), but I really didn’t want to risk losing him.

Tam had the idea to go to a public bath nearby, so I asked Mitchell (who was walking with us) Nicole and Elizabeth (and assumed Claire’s “no”) just to make sure everyone felt included. Everyone said no and frankly, I wasn’t so up to being naked PERSONALLY. Tamara was a little let down though, I think. I had one priority that night: laundry. And Tam seconded that. We got back to the hostel (to a BUSY lounge), Nicole lent us the remainder of the laundry soap she had purchased, we paid ¥200 each for a washer , then (when the time was up) put our laundry in together on HIGH for 30 minutes (¥100x2). The putting it on “HIGH” was a detail we learned from Nicole and Elizabeth-people who DO not do something first get to learn from others. Thank you Elizabeth and Nicole. ‘Wanted’ was on TV (yeah Liza, you Israeli street fighter, and Breanna, you mixed martial artist!)-so THAT was nice. And it was dubbed in Japanese, so that was even nicer. I got distracted from writing in my journal by Facebook (on Samantha’s computer) via the free wireless and by Tamara’s bottle of sake (she bought it in Kyoto station at the grocery store where most of us bought lunch), yuki (fragrant orange/lemon) flavor. We had a few cups of that and I also bought a ¥150 can of chuuhi, a type of sake…maybe….Went to the lantern at 11pm and Ethan’s phone had died previously in the day, so there was no way to communicate with him. He came at 11:30 and we walked back fine. (I sometimes wonder why I put myself at the mercy of others, abiding by their schedule-first trying to help Tamara get to yabusame (archery on horseback), now waiting for Ethan to make sure he gets home okay. It’s because people matter. That’s my conclusion, the only one I’ve got.) Showered and went to bed around 1am.

Oh (10/3) Saturday. Slept through my 7am alarm again; awoke at 10:45 moderately upset that I had just slept 1/3^rd of the day away. It was raining less and Tamara (who had ALSO slept late), Ethan, and Claire (who had been awake for hours WAITING for us to wake up) waited in the lobby for Mitchell to finish showering. Ate a banana. Then when the five of us were ready to go, Ethan, Mitchell, and Tam were hungry. So we stopped at an Indian restaurant on the way to the station. HUGE naan. No joke, the actual size of baby elephant ears. The menu pictures are a tad deceiving. I bought ¥250 turmeric rice (which the man/owner didn’t fully understand, I think, since restaurants are where you EAT; Japanese people don’t eat on the go usually and they don’t snack much) and felt great when others felt full from their curry sets.

Tamara took us to Ginza (via the Ginza line; about halfway to Shibuya), one of the most expensive areas of Tokyo. Up out of the station and into a gift shop kind of store (within the Sony building) with great pencil bags, stickers, bento boxes, planners, etc. Z, I think you would have loved it. A great place, I think, for middle schoolers and high schoolers. Plus, the Halloween display was very cute. We went up to the next floor and it was the headquarters, maybe, of the Miracle Project, a Sony driven photography project that I’ve seen on television commercials-a bunch of elementary school students create sea creatures with arts and crafts supplies in their classroom and a man with a Sony camera documents the project. Above that space were headphones/cameras/iPod-like mP3 players (all Sony) for people to test out. Picked up one set of headphones and what song is playing on the mP3 but “Beautiful Girls”. I’m glad you’re with me, EJ.

After a little while, we went outside and tried to decide what to do for the limited time we had since it was already around 1 (Ethan was going to meet up with Amelia and Anneliese at Shibuya station at 2:30). He chose the Asahi Shinbun (newspaper company-owned building I think) building across the street and looked around at the shops inside for about twenty minutes. Hello Kitty, lingerie, shoes. It’s like a totally magical world here, so I love to just LOOK.

We hopped the Ginza line to Ginza (~20 minutes) and Amelia found us before we left the station. We waited for Anneliese outside while Amelia complained about her friends who would rather write papers than come meet Ethan and his cool friends. I said I liked doing homework too. J

When Anneliese showed up, we walked in the direction of the karaoke place they wanted to go to. Amelia was hungry, so we stopped at a Sunkus (like “Thanks” perhaps; a konbini), but then Anneliese was thinking Wendy’s while she was inside, so then we went ACROSS THE STREET to Wendy’s. I didn’t get anything (had 2 fries, one from Tam and one from Anneliese, who both bought kid’s meals and received handkerchiefs! SO much better than toys.). It’s not really my thing…AND I wasn’t hungry. Tam had been so adamantly against Ethan and Mitchell going to McDonald’s the previous night, but now freely bought Wendy’s. That was a little strange in my mind. Yes, you’re in Japan and should eat Japanese food (or at least not “American” food). Yes, burgers are great when you need a reminder of home. Now I see why, when I agree with two viewpoints and DON’T have an opinion (CE), it’s frustrating. Sorry about that.

We continued walking in the direction of karaoke and had to ask a policeman for directions because Amelia and Anneliese couldn’t exactly remember where it was-after going in circles in Shibuya, many intersections/streets look the same, so I don’t blame them. We found it and went in and they were all planning to stay for two hours or so. I, however, had scheduled dinner with Yoko, an old exchange who came to stay (at the age of eighteen) with my mother and me when I was eight. Our original plan was to have dinner at her parent’s home in Saitama (about 40 minutes outside of the city; where she still lives) so that we would all be able to see each other-her mother, her father, her, and me. Then Naoko, her sister, was going to be available for dinner and we were going to go to her house in Iriya, about 20 minutes from Asakusa (on the Ginza Line then on the Hibiya Line). We were going to meet at 5pm at Ueno (the transfer/shared station) and then go on to Naoko’s together. THEN Yoko’s father said we were going to go out to a shabu-shabu (cooking meat in boiling water) and sukiyaki (thin noodles cooked in boiling water with lettuce and meat) restaurant in Ueda on him (only about 20 minutes from Ginza on the Ginza line). Yoko emailed me the final plan when we got into karaoke at around 3pm. Yoko and I would meet at 5:40 at the station and walk to the restaurant where we (Yoko, Naoko, Naoko’s 2 year old son Tomo-chan (chan is used after children’s names normally), Yoko’s mother, Yoko’s father, and I had reservations from 6pm). That meant I would leave Shibuya at ~5pm instead of the 4pm/4:30 I had previously thought. SO I joined Ethan, Amelia, Anneliese, Tamara, Mitchell, and Claire for karaoke. Sang ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Take On Me’, ‘Stronger’ (Kanye West), ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, ‘Glamorous’ (Fergie; wish it could have been more T-O-P-H-E-R-O-U-S). Ethan sang some Frank Sinatra, Mitchell sang some Queen, Amelia sang some Prince. Great variety.

I left at around 4:45pm to get back to Shibuya station (paid Tam back), bought my train ticket, got on the train (they DO come every 2-3 minutes) and got to Ueno with no problem and time to spare (in at 5:25pm). Was a little nervous because I wanted to make sure I was in the right place at the right time. Early is ALWAYS good, especially in Japan. Yoko arrived shortly (we were mailing each other to make sure we were in the right places) and she looked/looks as young as always. The restaurant was a short walk from the station and until around 8:30, we had a delicious dinner and great conversation. We had our own private room with the same table as was at our group dinner in Tokyo-we were seated on the floor with our feet under the table.

We (Mom and I) saw Tomo-chan as an infant-now he is 2 years and 4 months old, in his words. J Talking a great deal and likes to touch everything. Before her mother, father, Naoko, and Tomo-chan arrived, Yoko gave me omiyage (gifts) because she did not want Tomo-chan to destroy them: 2 sets of exquisite chopsticks (with one containing a rice scoop) and a beautiful handheld, hand painted mirror. Later on, Okaasan (Yoko’s mother) gave me a key clip with a mini fan on it. Tomo-chan was very well-behaved though, which is a constant with Japanese children. Though he was tired towards the end, the idea of pears (2 plates came: one with plain slices, one with slices toped with wine-like flavored jelly topping) and ice cream (we had macha (green tea), he had vanilla) kept him in good spirits. Tomo-chan had some bread from a bag decorated with Anpanman, a cartoon character. Yoko said that because it has Anpanman on the bag, children want to eat it though it is just regular bread. Naoko’s husband works late on Saturdays, so he was unable to join us.

Naoko talked about her visit to Seattle while Yoko stayed with us and a restaurant chain called Boston Market (that specialized in mashed potatoes, gravy, rotisserie chicken, etc.; don’t know WHY in the world it would shut down, not from lack of interest at least) and how much she LOVED it.

After dinner, Naoko and Tomo-chan got into a taxi to get home and Yoko, Okaasan, Otoosan, and I walked back to the station (I saw a Sweets Paradise-dessert hoodai (all you can eat dessert for an hour and a half)) via a narrow street marketplace of booths and garages (the kind of marketplace/back alley greatness that is so characteristically Japan to me). In the station, Okaasan bought me two boxes of different sweets omiyage (gifts), one for my host mother/family and one for my friends, if I wanted to share with them. Both sweets were small, roundish, and soft with soft filling. One was whitish and usagi (rabbit) shaped, the other was brown. The insides of both were matching in color to their exterior. Okaasan also bought me a pancake sandwich, two pancakes with azuki (red bean paste) between them to eat as a snack sometime later.

They walked me to where I could get a ticket and then I bought and proceeded through to where I would descend to the platform. BUT I almost went down the stairs to the wrong side of the tracks (I would have read the sign on the track and KNOW I was in the wrong place), but before I could go any further, they were calling to me, telling me to go to the other side. AS much as I LOVE Shibuya, I don’t think I wanted to go back there that night. J I was thankful. I walked towards the right stairwell and there was much smiling, waving, and “Jyaa ne”-ing (“See you later.”) I think I was also a little nervous-Yoko is a very important person to me and my mother and there is no way to say “Thank you for letting your eighteen-year-old daughter come stay with us, foreign people in a foreign country, for three years and for letting her stay in the United States for five. Thank you for having a daughter who loves adventure and who really made me love Japan, the language and culture. Thank you for all you have given me and my family, both tangible and otherwise. You and YOUR family have changed my life.” So I will attempt to say that IN Japanese. Also, in America, we hug goodbye (and sometimes hello too!) and in my vain attempt to thank them enough, I hugged them goodbye. They were caught a little off guard I think AND the Japanese way is not one of hugging. So it was funny. While on the train, I emailed Yoko a thank you and perhaps I will make it back to Tokyo to see them before I head out of this beautiful country. On the train, I saw a guy with combat boots, Eric.

Walked back to the hostel and thought everyone was asleep or no one was back (because from the outside, I didn’t quite know which room was ours). However, much to my glee, Elizabeth and Claire were in the room talking. It was such a déjà vu to last year-me and two of my very good friends (Liz and Clairellyn) roomed in a triple in the basement of one of the residence halls on Earlham’s campus. There were three windows that were right at ground level and often I would be coming back from a meeting or a friend’s room at 10 or 11 at night and I would usually be exhausted. I would look at the windows, which I could see when I came across the Wellness Center parking lot, and if the lights were off, I would think, sadly, that I was coming back to a room of sleeping roommates and I didn’t want to wake them up when I came in. HOWEVER, usually when I turned the key and opened the door, light greeted me (the shades had been pulled on the windows AND/OR the lamps were on and so the light wasn’t bright enough to be seen from outside) and my two smiling roommates (probably watching an episode of “Bones”, “Veronica Mars”, or “Gossip Girl”), and maybe an empty pizza box, were there, making me one of the happiest people on the face of the planet. And no matter how tired I was walking BACK, I woke up the minute I entered that room. And I loved that. And I told Elizabeth and Claire that and now writing this, I think I just might cry.

Elizabeth and Claire and I talked a lot about the program, the trip we were on, the people we were with…it was really good (it always is) to talk openly with people, to build trust with others, to hear the viewpoints of others. Borrowed Samantha’s laptop (she had said I could use it) from where it was plugged in in her room and was able to Skype with a friend while taking advantage of the wireless on a landing between the first and second floor. Talked for about an hour, Samantha and Tamara came back while I was talking, and I soon returned Sam’s computer.

In the lobby, I talked with Mitchell and Ethan while ‘Man on a Wire’ played on the TV (dubbed in Japanese). Once again, god to hear people’s points of view on the program, trip, and people. Went BACK to the room and Nicole had come in to visit, so the four of us (Elizabeth and Claire were still there) talked more. Showered around 12:15am, started writing in my journal around 1am (lights were mounted on each bunk; I used mine and covered it with my jacket to try and allow Elizabeth and Claire to sleep), and fell asleep around 2. Tamara came in around 1:30. AND I was getting up at 7 to go to Yokohama the next day…

Light rain continued to fall on Sunday (10/4) and FINALLY we were up at 7, though I did have to wake Tamara up. Left around 7:45am after calling Samantha to ask if she wanted to join, but she sleepily declined and said se would talk to us later. Apparently, we three were originally were going to go to Yokohama to meet Haruna (another Waseda University student who came to Earlham during our first year, 07-08). Got to Asakusa station around 8:15 (after Tam stopped to get an onigiri (rice ball) and an energy drink). Went on the Ginza line to Ginza (20 minutes), transferred to the Hibiya line to Naka-Meguro (15 minutes probably), then got on the JR (Japan Rail) Tokyuu Toyoko line (I think) to Minato Mirai (around 30 minutes). Minato Mirai is also the name used for the amusement park that sits on the Yokohama waterfront, which was our MAIN destination.

We, thanks to my desire to be up and at ‘em (to sort of prove that YES I COULD use an alarm), got to Minato Mirai station at around 9:30, too early to shop at the shops. So we rode the escalator (one of Japan’s longest escalators; maybe 30 seconds) up and down and up to the sunshine. We hit the ATM and then sat at Starbucks so Tam could rink coffee and smoke and we could watch the time tick by via the GINORMOUS Ferris Wheel CLOCK. Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen, the wheel has a digital clock and it is PROBABLY one of the greatest ideas since hand sanitizer, but motion sensor lights are good too. We also were at a GREAT vantage point to witness child-parent relations on the plaza-like, park-like open space (you knows, you’ve got your planters and your benches and your wide open space where street performers can do their thang) in front of the station and across from the amusement park. FOR EXAMPLE, a boy (probably 8 or 9) fell on the ground and did not cry, but rather crawled on his stomach towards his mother who was continuing to walk, then got up and walked with her. LOGICAL young lad. A father and a young daughter (who later met the mother and came to sit outside Starbucks) were holding hands and walking down some nearby steps. When she slipped and became a little flustered, he just changed the way he was helping her: rather than walk next to her, he faced her and walked down the steps backwards, but if she fell, she fell into him and I’m sure she felt more secure. The important thing to notice here, class, is that he did not coddle her. He did not make her slipping a big deal. This is why the Japanese are the most successful people in the world.

We went back into the station around 11am and looked around the Snoopy Store and the Disney Store. I had called Hanako, my host sister, who goes to school in Yokohama and thus lives there now (went back after Disneyland trip) and she said she would come after washing her clothes, bussing to the train station, and training to Minato Mirai. After about 20 minutes, she called again and asked if we could meet her at Sakuragicho Station instead, a 5-10 minute walk away. The answer is ALWAYS “Yes” on Sundays, SO we met up with her around 11:15am. We did a little dance for getting together (HOORAY!) and headed for lunch with our capes rippling behind us. Found a soba restaurant in the building between the two stations. Tam and I had ocha (tea) soba (green noodles) (LOVE soba, just btdubs) and Hanako had the manager’s recommendation-soba with some hard boiled egg and radish in it. We all ate fast. We’re like a secret SOCIETY of Should Eat Slower-s. Went for Coldstone Creamery (YEAH. Seriously, with Starbucks, Krispy Kremes, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and COLDSTONE, HOW can you be homesick?) and all had Like Its (the smallest size, which I THINK is smaller in Japan, as is everything). Chocolate Decadence for Hanako, Romancing the Cheesecake for muah, and Very Berry Cheesecake in a waffle cone in a bowl for TamTam.

THEN we went to Sweet Factory, another way you are never left wanting in Japan. We had seen it en route from Minato Mirai to Hanako and we just HAD to go. Dried grapefruit, pineapple, and watermelon; chocolate-covered strawberries, Ramune hearts and stars; the small, spiky candy Claire loves so much (for her). So almost $10 LATER (for me; Tamara spent nearly double probably), we were off to the park! Tam spent ¥2800 worth of tickets which was actually worth ¥3500 (which maybe gives the illusion that you’re getting more for your money…) and we went on a spinning ride together-it went on a half-pipe like base, up and back down, and spun too. It was then suggested by Tam that we should each by our own tickets, though I don’t think it was ¥2800 worth. THEN we went into the Polar/Ice Room, literally FREEZING. MY GOODNESS. ICE and BREATH and PAIN and everything.

Went across the bridge to another section, the “big kid” rides, like the Ferris Wheel and roller coasters and a water log ride. Went on a sort of scary (it was attempting to be scary) ride where we were in a cage that went on tracks through various scary incidents (much dropping down and popping out, so if you’re scared by such things, go ahead). Then we went on a roller coaster that spun the seat as well (4 people total in a small round “car”; much back and forth movement). My head kind of hurt afterwards, which worried me. Haven’t had bad headaches here so far, but I’m thinking the kind of movements on roller coasters and jolting rides like that might adversely affect my brain case.

Went on the BIG rollercoaster that wove in an around the base of the Ferris wheel and the large arcade center there on that side of the bridge and THEN up in the gondola. WOW. 60 gondolas (reppin’ the 60 seconds of a clock)-it was quite warm with the sunshine and we could squint and look out onto the bay and the city. BEAUTIFUL. Afterwards, we killed the remaining ¥ left on our cards by going to the kiddie area and riding on this pedal car ride and a carousel.

We hit the Snoopy Store and the Disney Store on last time and received a call about dinner-meeting Machiko (another Waseda student who was at Earlham our first year, 07-08) in Shibuya. Hanako was invited, but the trouble was, Shibuya was the OPPOSITE direction Hanako needed to go (as we were in her ‘hood). I thought this kind of problematic, but she said she didn’t mind riding the train at night and had done it before from inner Tokyo. We called Machiko to explain this and she said, after much shuffling by us and ‘What would be better?” and Hanako saying Yokohama station was the most convenient for her, Machiko said she could meet us at Yokohama station, just a short ride from Minato Mirai and Sakuragicho. We all got there, met up with Machiko after looking around a little, and had okonomiyaki for dinner in one of the MANY restaurants to be found in the station. Like usual, I was given the pleasure of deciding since Hanako and Machiko (and Tamara too) could have this food whenever they wanted. We ordered three, and then cut each one into 1/4ths which was GENIUS (Thank you, Machiko!).

Afterwards (around 9:30pm), we said goodbye to Hanako (who bussed home), and Machiko, Tamara, and I took the Hibiya Line to Ginza, a very full train back. At Ginza, we parted ways-Machiko to home, Tamara and I to the Ginza Line to Asakusa. It was AWESOME. Got back to the hostel and did a little bit of packing in preparation for leaving the next day.

Monday (10/5) was relatively easy-we prepared enough ahead of time so that we weren’t rushing that morning. In other words, we left the hostel at 10:15am and got to Asakusa Station, then took the Ginza Line to Ginza I THINK and caught the shinkansen from there. We were in the waiting area at 11am and our train didn’t left until 12:59pm. We all had bento (boxed lunches) and went up to the platform around 12:45. There, like clockwork, was our train. We got on and it rolled. We were in Morioka around 3:15pm and we all got home in various ways. I took the bus with Elizabeth and Claire to the bus center, then got on another bus (with Elizabeth) that dropped me off 7 minutes from my house. Claire got on another one at the bus center. Some people took taxis, some called their families.

Walking out of the station into the afternoon sunshine and knowing that we were back in Morioka (which has 30,000 people, not the 300,000 I thought; you would think I would notice a big difference like that…), it was such a good feeling. Like being home.

Hope everyone at Earlham has a good Early-Semester Break and plans for Halloween are proceeding nicely. Love to all the students, parents, and family. May your days be rich in joy.

Adventure Time! Disneyland and Hiroshima-1 of 2

2009-10-10T01:41:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2009-September 28, 2009

Again, I have relegated myself to writing two weeks worth of experiences. My mother and father tell me my writing can be too detailed and confusing at times, so I shall (as I always, but half-heartedly do) strive for conciseness. I am quite sorry for the delay of this posting. SO much to say…

The end of Ethan’s family’s BBQ (Saturday, September 19) went well (or at least what had to be my end and Samantha’s end) and I biked home just fine (left at around 6pm), back at my house by 6:35pm. THEN, because Hanako wanted gyoza (potstickers), we MADE gyoza. Dinner was a little late (~8:30pm) because Otoosan made the inside and then went to buy the dough circles that are the outside and then we (Otoosan, Tsukie, and myself) dolloped the insides in the center of a circle, wetted the outer edge, folded the two sides together, then crimped the ends and folded one end back on itself. (This is confusing I’m sure, so if we ever make gyoza together, I can explain it better by doing it.) We probably had 60 gyoza; though Otoosan burnt one batch, we just ate the non-burnt parts and pitched the burnt bottoms. Watched the ‘Veronica Mars’ episode (season 2 opener) that came with Hanako’s favorite magazine. (LIZ AND CE-WE NEED TO WATCH THE SECOND SEASON or YOU GUYS ARE SO RIGHT-IT ROCKS!!!) I’m addicted basically. Afterwards, a hilariously violent Chinese (dubbed in Japanese) film was on. Did laundry and showered simultaneously.

On Sunday (9/20), Hanako and I got up at 7am and left by 7:20am to get ramen at the local morning market . I thought I had brought a ¥500 coin in my coin purse, but I neglected to remember that I had spent it on omiyage (gift) for Ethan’s host family. Rats! Ramen was ¥400 and Hanako was kind enough to spot me. I gave her ¥300 on the walk back home and ¥100 later. In the beautiful free time that came upon me that morning, I wrote letters and did the rest of my reading and summary for the next Thursday class (9/24). Hustle and bustle took place in preparation for Ko’s piano concert. Tsukie took Hanako (who would be announcing the players as well as turning pages for the adults who were performing) to her aunt’s house (whose concert it was) at around 10am and Otoosan was in and out. Then Tsukie took Ko at around 11:30am/noon. I was able to Skype with a friend before Otoosan, Tsukie, and I left at 1:10pm (after VERY QUICKLY eating a DELICIOUS lunch of rice, gyoza innards-stuffed tofu, and all sorts of yummy leftovers. My host family does a GREAT job of leftovers-a lot like my American family J We drove to Tsukie’s mother’s house to pick her up for the concert.

It was taking place at a hall near Morioka Station (train, shinkansen (bullet train)) in a medium-sized room with cathedral ceilings (very intimate and welcoming) with a large organ against the upstage wall, shining a brilliant gold. The concert was WONDERFUL. 16 pupils of Maya, Tsukie’s older sister and the middle child, ranging in age from 6 (pre-elementary school) to Ko’s 17 (and high school third year). 2 boys and 14 girls and two of the girls have been students of Maya’s for TEN YEARS. Hanako told me at breakfast that two other pupils had decided not to play in the concert-one had too much pressure on her and the other was a mentally disabled woman. Both had performed before though (concerts take place at various times during the year). All pieces were memorized. Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart… A visiting piano player, a middle-aged woman who was in a piano conservatory-like group with Maya, played. Maya did too. WOW. All involved posed for pictures following the concert, received cake in individual boxes as well as flowers.

Afterwards, we returned to the house to change clothes and then rode our bikes the ~18 minutes to the Italian restaurant to meet Maya, Mire (Tsukie’s oldest sister), Obaasan (their mother), Maya’s husband, Maya’s son, ad Maya’s son’s girlfriend. Great conversation. 95% in Japanese, which I prefer, which was AMAZING. IT FELT SOOOOO GOOD. Hanako always wants to practice English, so we talk in English.

Maya’s son’s girlfriend is from Nagano, but lives in Tokyo now. I asked her about the snow monkeys and the onsen (hot spring) I want to visit during our individual travel time, but she said that now there is no snow (duh!), so I might not go. She went to Michigan near Kalamazoo College as an exchange student when she was 17 for a short amount of time, so she speaks English well. It was great to be part of such a welcoming atmosphere, with delicious food, and to feel at home in a way. A growing experience to be sure.

We rode home and I stopped at Jois, a local grocery store, to make change for Hanako (to give her the last ¥100 from when she paid for ramen that morning) and bought bananas and aisu (ice cream) for the household. It is impossible to say thank you as many times as they deserve to hear it. J

Monday (9/21) was Respect for the Aged Day, and the formal (I suppose) start to Silver Week (shiruba uiku). I was up at 8, then at 8:30 thanks to another alarm. Breakfast was at 9, but it was a relaxed affair, with Hanako and Otoosan coming down slowly. Ko had badminton practice from 9-3 or so, so I had heard him leave. I was planning to join Sensei (and whoever else showed up) at her apartment at noon for lunch and a sightseeing tour by bicycle. I finished my homework (the summary part of the weekly journal assignment), then I asked Sensei via text message if I could come by her place a little early and be on the wireless Internet. She said around 11am would work well, so I left soon after (at around 10:20am), mailed some letters at the post office, and did my best gaijin impression when I nearly fell off my bike near some schoolgirls.

My main aim in using the Internet was to complete some loan information and I needed the FAFSA pin from my mom, so I texted her en route to Sensei’s to see if she could get it to me. She tried to call me when I reached Sensei’s, but making the call (presumably because it was an international dial) wasn’t in her “calling plan”. She emailed me the pin and then I burned the evidence. A faithful partner in crime she is. It worked-HOORAH!

Mitchell and Ethan joined us for hard-shell tacos and taco rice (DELICIOUS!!!!). I had brought some vanilla ice cream bars as omiyage (gift), so those were a great dessert. Abhi also came, but only to eat and use the Internet. There was much Ethan-Abhi-Ayano (Abhi’s Skype partner) banter which led to us all weighing ourselves and stretching out our spines on the floor (one person lies on their back and grabs the back of their neck; the next person pushes down their elbows into their chests). Ethan’s back cracked like fireworks.

Rode around to Hoonji Temple (the underground part has many statues), saw another Demon’s Handprint on the Rocks, went to a sweets store Sensei loves (she bought us each a special treat that is specific to this week-azuki (red bean paste) in the middle of a mochi ball dusted with green matcha-like powder (green tea)). We were right across the street, incidentally, from the taxi stop where Sensei, Tamara, and I caught a taxi back to our bikes after the dashi (float). We then biked down the street to a famous senbei shop (crackers to eat with tea-GREAT omiyage) that was RIGHT across the bridge from the shyakusho (city hall) and was on the dashi (float) route the previous week. THEN we continued to a shop where all the products were made from bamboo or some other grass-like natural resource. Baskets, hats, mats, shoes, etc. Will come back for omiyage. THEN we went down a street where the wanka soba shop lies (we will be eating this in late November-small bowls of soba noodles; Sugiwara Sensei of the Morioka Board of Education ate 125 bowls one time! Abhi will give her a run for her money…) Next door was our destination-a shop Sensei had talked about where the soy sauce, juice, ice cream is soy WITHOUT THE SOY. Magical, really. Omiyage ONCE AGAIN.

Mitchell wanted a happi (festival jacket), so we went into Sakanacho and looked around, No happi, but Ethan DID buy an umbrella-a HUGE paper one. J That shop has WONDERFUL tea they gave us. YUM. Sensei, lastly, wanted to take us to a nearby building (I ride past every Monday and Thursday) that is somewhat of a Morioka matsuri (festival) museum has, on the second floor, a LARGE display of a matsuri procession made entirely of PAPER. There were about eight dashi and one mikoshi displayed, with the people to accompany each. We parted ways because Sensei wanted to catch a bit of the sumo championships that are taking place until Sunday (9/27) and I came home to read and reword (to better understand) some of the Arabic research I had found and copied to Word.

I was full from lunch (that was probably the source of my fullness-taco rice really does you in) and the mochi sweet and the not soy ice cream and the tea (though I felt I had eaten more), but I ate dinner. I really want to feel hungry again (sorry for the quick magnifying of the personal here). I’ve become a garbage disposal, but am not nearly as active as I used to be or think I am.

Left at 2:30am (Tuesday, 9/22) for TOKYO DISNEYLAND!!!!! Went to bed around 10:45pm and woke at 2am. We left by 3am (Otoosan had wanted to leave by 2:30am) after much hurried car filling and a tired teenage boy. After being in a speeding car this morning as Otoosan rushed to get on the road and drove fast to save time (U-turns are also more accepted here, the red lights had no other cars around, lane change after lane change) and Tsukie was saying “stoppu, stoppu, stoppu” at red lights, I think about driving and it scares me. AND I received my license four days before leaving for Japan. These streets are SO narrow and bicycles and pedestrians are everywhere-it is a MIRACLE that more people and cars do not get injured/battered. I can’t imagine how tame American driving must appear to Japanese people, how WIDE our streets must be, how a “close call” in the U.S. is NOTHING. Didn’t get great sleep during the drive, but there were multiple rest stops to stretch and change drivers and seats. The “rest stops” are like American ones, but with less woods and more amenities-formal food (cafeterias, aisu, etc.) and good restrooms.

We arrived in Tokyo, the sprawling vastness that it is, at 8:30/9am, but sat in three hours of traffic. Cars pass on the right and slow cars travel on the left AND most backseat windows are tinted. AND nearly every car has a GPS system on the dash or near the radio. AND the cars have the coolest names: the Nissan March, the Mitsubishi Minica, the Daisatsu (I think that’s the brand) Move, etc. names we’ve never HEARD of. And NO, not all of them begin with M. When it’s Silver Week, what better way to celebrate the aged, the country, and the fall season then to go to DISNEYLAND?!?! Otoosan did a great job of trying to cheat the traffic and force the GPS system to find every possible way in that WASN’T blocked. Due to the busy-ness, the park shut down ticket sales until around 5pm (we arrived at around 12:30pm), so we couldn’t get in on Tuesday. While we were driving around though, I felt (finally) the feeling of OH WOW I COULD EASILY GET LOST HERE. Many places we drove through, intersections, areas, etc. have the same feel as places I went in 2007 and places I have been in Morioka. Places RESEMBLE each other. I found myself thinking I was in Shibuya (an area in Tokyo) or in Morioka though I knew I wasn’t. That’s why I’m a LANDMARK person, so I don’t get lost as easily…maybe.

We had trouble deciding where to eat (it’s not that the Japanese are indecisive, it is that they want to look at all options and make the best choice for the group OR allow all individuals involved to see the possibilities and then choose the best choice for THEMSELVES) and I was becoming that irritable beast I am when I’m either a) tired, b) hungry, or c) sick AND I was two out of three, becoming three out of three. We looked at the main area (the hotel right outside the entrance gate had a restaurant and there was another area up further near the train station, which included a konbini (convenience store), a coffee shop, and a burger place. (Disneyland has its own line that connects the hotels to the park as well as a normal station that has train lines going into and out of the city.) Up near the konbini, there was a magician/street performer doing two diabolos surrounded by HORDES of people. I IMMEDIATELY thought of you, Ben Okin. And then you, Liz. It was great to have reminders of Bundy and those beautiful summer and spring days when that diabolo would FLY outside of Bundy dormitory. And the best part, he was doing his act to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ music, Zeze. *sigh* It was beautiful.

We made our way back to the hotel, found out it had a konbini (because the line at the restaurant was so long and the maître d recommended we go there) and ate in the hotel courtyard. Ko and Otoosan, however, went back to the further konbini and then back to the car, where they slept and Ko studied. Tsukie, Hanako, and I visited the mercantile shop at the hotel (OH MAN. Those Disney princesses, Zeze!!!! And especially Belle reminds me of you, CE!! Saw Tinkerbell things and thought of you, Nix. J There were also Disney pocket notepads-one: “Gelato Mountain” was ALL Mike and another, Indiana Jones with Chip N’ Dale or some other characters SCREAMED Eric) and then returned to the previous area where there was a larger mercantile/gift shop. (I bought a tin of Chocolate Crunch, a candy they both suggested AND the same gift they bought. It was omiyage for my host school teachers and for the SICE group.)

We drove away around 2:30pm and went to Hanako’s apartment, which was about an hour away. En route, I saw a bus that said something like “Magic Dolphin” on it and I thought of Tim Anderson, who did this great dolphin impression during swim practice one day in high school. Out of the water, sounds, and everything-like he was performing. I was still sleepy and my sits bones hurt from sitting so long (yes, Dad, I did just use that word J because YOU use it-a butt pad would have been REALLY nice). Hanako’s apartment was small (probably less than a studio apartment), but Japanese small so it made sense. Bed, bookshelf, desk, closet, refrigerator, sink/kitchen, bathroom. Two windows. It’s up this STEEP hill, so she hates to walk up it, and she has to walk her bike up it too. In her pencil pouch on her desk, I saw the same Stabilo Bros. highlighter you have, Dad. It made me so happy. We all relaxed in our own ways- Ko studied; Hanako “moved” back in; Tsukie folded the laundry Hanako had left hanging up prior to summer vacation; Otoosan put the contents of some Tupperware-like containers into other containers, thereby restocking Hanako’s fridge; I tried to not be in the way. Ko saw something dart under the bookcase or bed, then Tsukie found a lizard while cleaning the floor, so Otoosan picks up a Kleenex and grabs the thing, killing it with his bare hand. I tried to protest for the “catch & release” method, but I was too late. The lizard scared Hanako and Ko and Tsukie VERY much.

For dinner, we planned to go to Yokohama Chinatown, so we left around 6:15pm from Hanako’s apartment. Were looking at parking prices (15 minutes for ¥200, etc.) and chose the six floor garage (30 minutes for ¥300), though I would have chosen it based on the HUGE DRAGON on the side in fluorescent lighting-reds and greens and oranges, accompanied by a few intermittent flashing white lights. The garage also had a deal with local businesses-patronize their establishment with more than ¥1000 (I think) and the parking fee was reduced (or free). There was much disagreement about where to go-the decision-making process of the Japanese-look everywhere and compare prices/quality/quantity/selection, then ask the group. Prior to going to dinner, I saw hum bow-like creations (called nikuman, niku meaning “meat”) being sold by many of the outdoor vendors. Steamed chestnuts were also a popular item. Ended up eating at a restaurant I thought was pricey, but included shark fin soup, fried rice, soba, dumplings. I thought of dim sum with you, Nix. J Afterwards, I bought one nikuman, as Tsukie and Ko did as well, and mango tapioca (BUBBLE TEA!) because Ko had talked about it earlier and I have ALWAYS wanted to try it (sorry I never gave it a chance on Aurora, Nix). It was SO good. After dinner, Otoosan gave us the night tour of Yokohama-saw minatomirai (the amusement park on the bayfront). Over in that general area was “Meet the Herbs”, a pasta place (and I immediately thought of Bill, Becky, Kristin, Liza, Patrick, and Matt-the greatest neighbors we ever never asked for. J Also, in Yokohama, is jonathan’s, a “Neighborhood Coffee & Restaurant”-saw three in our drive around after dinner.

Long day and we were all tired tired tired. We dropped Otoosan and Ko off at a hostel they were staying at and Tsukie, Hanako, and I returned to Hanako’s apartment. We all showered and they slept on a futon , giving me the bed. Because, they said, the futon sleeps two. We awoke at 5:30am so we could pick up Otoosan and Ko and eat some of the food we had brought with us as well as stop by Lawson, a konbini (convenience store), then hit the park by 8am and play until 4, then drive (what could be) the 9 hours back to Morioka.

On my last jaunt out here (in 2007), I bought a Hiroshima Carp (baseball team) jersey. And, pulling past Yokohama Stadium after dinner, I wanted to get a Yokohama Bay Stars t-shirt. ALSO really looking for some t-shirts with English on them that isn’t grammatically correct. That’s the beauty of so many products here as they sort of try to emulate American fashion, etc.

On Wednesday (9/23), we went to Disneyland. It was ¥2000 ($20) to park, ¥5800 ($58) for an adult ticket, and right when we entered, I saw the first and ONLY thing reminiscent of America: an outwardly disruptive crying, hysterical child (probably 6 or 7 years old) sitting down on the ground, lying down, needing the parent to cart him off… The park is run effectively, lines are long (like any major family-focused place), but they go quickly and smoothly (You wait 20-70 minutes to ride for 10 minutes, but people are not stressed or irritable. They are PATIENT.). My goodness they do American better than we do. Maybe it’s that Disney is not ordinary for the Japanese, like it is in America. The merchandise ere, at least, is cheaper. The food too. A mug I saw was ¥880. Ticket holders (necklace like things with a character’s face and a clear window in the back so your ticket can be seen are VERY LOVED) of Mickey and Minnie went for ¥1200. We had Fast Passes (we acquired RIGHT when we entered) for Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Otoosan waited in line for us at Splash Mountain for an hour while we went to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ (Ko’s choice and he studied while IN LINE-he is SERIOUS about his studying, or at least realizes that it is necessary to study BUT also knows breaks are important too (like when he watches TV at night); Zeze, the ‘Pirates’ ride was beautiful, much more detailed than the Disneyland ride in America), Western River Railroad (the Early West, basically, with Indians; they grouped many different tribes together though; had painted horses, Indians shooting with darts, Indians shooting with arrows, a railroad station, elk, fish drying racks; dinosaurs afterwards, in a cave; saw a Pteronodon and thought of you, Emily Frye) and the Jungle Cruise (hippos (cruise “guide” who drove the boat used a gun to ward them off), elephants (CE!), a rhino, crocodiles, toucans, alligators, zebras, pythons, lions, tigers, monkeys (they made semi-violent as they depicted them in a diorama ransacking a “field post”, one waving a pistol). The Cruise was very well done-movements were not robotic and animals were in the water, in trees, moving their tails, heads, eyes, etc.

After Splash Mountain, I ate a TORTILLA DOG. Yes. That’s right. A hot dog wrapped tightly in a TORTILLA. GREATEST INVENTION EVER!!!! And only ¥320!! Tsukie bought the photo of us coming down the steep waterfall. (It now sits on top of the television.)Then we took our seats for the HALLOWEEN PARADE. Yes. That’s right AGAIN. There was a PARADE for HALLOWEEN (Disneyland in Tokyo is the same as America in ONE respect-they try to make money and increase attendance at any opportunity). It had COSTUMES. It had CHOREOGRAPHY. It had FLOATS (one with the witch from Snow White was GREAT!) and each prominent Disney character, and some lesser known ones, were aboard the ten or so floats. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale, Pooh (maybe), Goofy, and SO MANY OTHERS were dressed in their Halloween best: capes, hats, purple, orange. There was GREAT music too and I WANT IT ON AN iPOD FOR A DANCE PARTY-“It’s Haaaalloween, a freaky, spooky frightening scream. We’re gonna have a party…You might just see a villain/dancing with a ghoul…” because the whole premise was that the villains might ruin Mickey’s Halloween bash. Would they? Find out when the Halloween Parade begins at 11:45! AND the villains appeared! In smoke even! And there was MORE choreography to try and fight the villains and make them NOT ruin Halloween. I was worried there for a little bit…

Then we were hungry apparently (I wasn’t and Tsukie and Otoosan had had chicken legs during the parade and shared them with us), so we went to the Blue Bayou restaurant near the ‘Pirates’ ride. It was decorated like an outside patio, night sky, the occasional comet, lanterns strung up, it was even COOLER inside…I had a salad and then Hanako gave me some of Ko’s chicken and Otoosan gave me some of his lamb (maybe) and Tsukie gave me some of her Cajun chicken (I actually don’t think it was Cajun) AND Otoosan and Hanako ordered rolls which were BOTTOMLESS (great and terrible idea), so I had three or so rolls (and really the bottomless roll idea is the best I’ve heard since motion sensor lights). BUT a downside of being part of the plans of others, more importantly a host family’s plans, more importantly a Japanese family’s plans, is that you can’t just say “I’m not hungry.” 1) It’s rude. 2) It’s rude. 3) It’s rude. (But you CAN explain after you return from the trip that you want to diet and go back to eating the portions you SHOULD be eating and WHEN you should eat.) We went to Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, then I wanted to go on a raceway (where Hanako drove for the first time!), then we rode Space Mountain. It was calming (like what you said skydiving felt like, Kyra-lin), though my head hurt afterwards, like it had been put under pressure. (Haven’t had many headaches here, but I’m starting to think Space Mountain-like rides are NOT good for my head.)

After all the joyous fun, we said goodbye to Hanako (~4:30pm) who would take the train from the station up the way (by the other gift shop and coffee shop and burger place and man on double diabolos) to Yokohama. Like the rest of Japanese culture the goodbyes were, while sweet, not emotional. Otoosan hugged her from the side, cheek to cheek and smiled, Tsukie hugged her and did the French cheek-to-cheek press on both cheeks, Hanako said “jyaa ne” (“See you later.”) to Ko, who responded with the same and a wave. It was very detached from what I know. There were no tears, no full on tight hugs (the lack of REAL hugs is one of the more difficult things to get used to in Japan). Bring me tearful goodbyes! Bring me spine-popping hugs! Nope. Just a “See you later. We’ll talk tomorrow,” attitude, which is probably healthier.

So we’re walking back to our car and a couple (male/female) walking in front of me caught my eye. They walked towards us and passed us, but I continued watching. The girl had a large silver purse and the guy took it from her and carried it, heaving it over his shoulder. It was at that very moment that I saw (and more clearly see now) that the girl didn’t lose any strength in that interaction. She let the guy help her or she asked for help and he kindly obliged. I had this epiphany that it’s OKAY to let people help me, it’s OKAY to ask for help if something is too heavy or too much. You lose no pride, no ability. You gain greater self-respect, in a small way. Somehow, I feel I must bear all burdens, all weight alone and I know not why. I am too used to lugging crap with me from house to house, I am used to carrying too much, but needing all of it (or feeling I need all of it) for some reason or another. I figured that was how it was, from childhood to now. Be prepared (which is always good) and be independent. I have scaled back while here, though. I have calmed a bit within. I took only a tiny purse to Disneyland because I did not want to be the person with the large backpack being a hindrance to others. Well Ko brought his backpack and Hanako and Tsukie had shoulder purses. Otoosan even pointed out that they should have brought less like me. Ha! No one is going to believe THAT.

Otoosan cares SO MUCH for his family. He loves to document the trip by having his children pose or offering to take my picture in front of places. I’m glad I took him up on a pose of us in front of the Disneyland sign before we departed. He asked me to take a picture of the family at lunch (Blue Bayou) because there are so few photos of all of them together (don’t know if that’s me being a part of the family OR me not being wanted as part of the family OR me being paranoid and them just wanting a family picture J).

We left at 4:50pm. And en route back, flew down a hill almost into a safety barrier and through a red light. Otoosan is a crazy driver, but I am not afraid (clarification: the idea of driving in a place where the cars go opposite than they do here scares me, not driving itself). I am not getting stressed out as often as I used to-maybe I have learned to become clam or at least not make big deals out of small things that don’t need to be given that much attention. I also think the change of scenery is good for my mental health. (As it will be for you, Liz, when you go to London J) We had dinner around 8:15pm at a rest stop place-the radio was playing parts of “The Wheels on the Bus”, “Since You’ve Benn Gone” (Kelly Clarkson?), and Pachelbel’s “Canon” (YES MIKE!!!) in a spliced fashion, so I heard little bits of them and stopped eating my toridon (meat on rice; in this case, tori chicken) and was severely confused, but glad to hear such familiar songs. Why those three I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. Also in the cafeteria-like place (which has a meal ticket vending machine-like contraption; you pay in the coin slot or bill slot and press the button of the dish you want, then take the ticket you receive to the counter ; they’ll keep one part of the perforated ticket and you’ll keep the other so you can pick up your food when they call your number) was an AED device with a safety video being shown on a screen. It had the poke poke “Are you okay?!” bit we learned in the CPR workshop (Thought of you, KB J). Not so much with the STOP of the stop-look-listen; the person in the video rushed to the victim lying unconscious. WHAT IF THERE WAS A FAULTY WIRE? OR A POISONOUS SNAKE?

I’m all about buying my own food. I tried to buy my own lunch at the hotel konbini and help with dinner in Chinatown and help with lunch at Blue Bayou, but I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD (when I didn’t have many coins left and Tsukie insisted I eat enough, so she bought dinner) that when they had kept saying “later” and I thought I would get to treat the whole family later, they actually meant that the trip total would be tallied later and then I would be told what I “owed” or could contribute. We got home around 1am, but I showered and didn’t get to bed until around 2am which is, yes, I know NOT THAT LATE in college world. We don’t have enough appendages to count the 2am pizza runs and ‘Gossip Girl’ sessions we had last semester, right Bundy?

Thursday (9/24) felt like a Monday. I was tired from getting back, but we had our Japanese placement test! When we returned from vacation, Gandai University would be starting up, SO we needed to find out, after this first month of classes, what level we would be going into (with other Gandai international students). The classes stayed the same (as Sensei told us in her class that afternoon) and though I am still in elementary level and it is wicked easy, I am glad (SO very glad) I am not going blindly into a level (A GREAT POSITIVE OF THIS SEMESTER). I finished early (as many others did) and I was able to get on Facebook for a little while, finished my host school diary and host family diary (for Cross-Cultural Educational Perspectives class), and received an email from Patrick Olson (Hope your visit to Earlham was AMAZING!!! J). Other people had not finished the readings for class. (We had a five day weekend too.) Lunch was yet another great meal of fish and rice and vegetables and the ATM was successful in giving me money for the upcoming SICE trip to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo.

We all owed Yuki around ¥10000 for our first month’s cell phone card (¥3000), the two “textbooks” (2 packets of photocopied articles, 1 for each Earlham class), and the festival tabi (socks) and zouri (shoes). I broke a ¥1000 bill in the co-op (buying a Soyjoy bar (dried fruit bar) and a waffle with ice cream inside that I THOUGHT was ¥105, but was ACTUALLY ¥85. OH. GOSH. SCORE!!!!! Many of us still had time to kill, so we went to get online on nearby computers in the gakusei sentaa (student center). Thus, I was able to give Yuki exact change. Others paid exact change, which is what she requested; others took out loans on their Earlham accounts to pay. I also felt MIGHTY good handing the money to Yuki in the envelope (she requested we put the money in an envelope) she had given us our August/September lunch money in (recycle!), as well as our homework (article summaries, host school experience diary, host family experience diary), and the mini diary we keep of the tasks we do at our host school. Others didn’t do the homework or the mini diary because they thought we didn’t have to and/or because we had only spent one day at our host schools. It feels good to be on top of things to say the least.

Watched a great movie about the bombing of Hiroshima. And by “great”, I mean well done. Nothing about our savagery was great. After class, Elizabeth, Nicole, Claire, Tamara, and I went to the travel agency behind the Gandai co-op and bought our shinkansen (bullet train) return tickets from Tokyo to Morioka. Yuki had given us the money in class and the tickets were EXACTLY that amount (even though Elizabeth had looked online and saw that the price was about $40 more). Biked home via the yuubinkyoku (post office) and bought ¥70 stamps for postcards. I have realized I could go broke just from buying cough drops and stamps since that’s all I ever REALLY want to buy. But I USE both of them, so that’s worth it, in my mind. That’s the life I want to lead.

I go home and did some preliminary packing, compiled a list of people to send post to and my dream life of going broke buying stamps becomes a desired reality. Helped with dinner (didn’t realize I was hungry until I started eating; BUT clarification: wasn’t NOTICEABLY hungry)-hambagu (hamburger), salad, vegetables. TV before dinner had a commercial playing an Eric Clapton song (just for you, Eric). IF ONLY I COULD WRITE DOWN WHENEVER I THINK OF SOMEONE, MY GOODNESS!!! Laundry and shower. Hanako called and I thought that hopefully we would see each other while I would be in Tokyo. I also talked with Otoosan and Tsukie about the Gandai pool and wanting to use it, but being told that because we are not full time students, it is not for our use. Otoosan suggested talking to the Board of Education. That seems a bit extreme, but perhaps.

Friday (9/25) was a great day-I gave out my omiyage (Disneyland Chocolate Crunch) and received another letter from a third year student (right before our vacation). I left three candies for the two janitors and the senior clerical worker who were not present when I left at the end of the day (I really hope I am not becoming a hindrance in my desire to include everyone. I got home after school and washed my running shoes in the spigot outside because I was going to volleyball practice with Abhi’s host mother!!!!! And shoes that have never touched ground are worn in the gym. (Man, look at how much they care about their buildings.) I talked with Tsukie as she prepared dinner early for me, Yoriko picked me up at 6:45pm, and we drove to the elementary school gym (about 20 minutes away) with Tamo (her son; 8 years old?) and Ako (her daughter; 6 years old?). They played basketball (and, when other women arrived, ran around with the other women’s children) while we set up the net and jogged around (each person did their own jogging warm-up) and warmed up our arms (overhead throwing to each other, overhead bouncing to stretch out our arms, setting to each other, passing, then pass-set-hit). Yoriko said she wasn’t young, but I beg to differ. The women ranged from 20 years old (me) to late twenties and early 30s to 40s to a woman whose daughter was older than me (and whose age, after open discussion, was close to 60). It was greta to see people active and waning to continue to be active.

There were nine of us-eight women and one man and maybe seven children. In the gymnasium, like most other schools I have seen, the auditorium and gym are the same place (GREAT idea) so there was a stage and curtains, but courts on the floor. It was, literally the BEST practice ever. I wish that my middle school and high schools coaches could have seen me (but I am DEFINITELY glad they weren’t there, because they would have made us run more or do sit ups or do push ups)-it was SO MUCH FUN. I was, like I’ve never been before-constantly moving, constantly ready (especially in the squeaky Mizuno shoes Yoriko lent me) and my platform was good and I did the triangle push away from my forehead when I set (middle school volleyball, anyone?) and I moved TO the ball. And, Rams, I only did the one armed pass (very traditional Hannah move-sticking one arm out to pass the ball rather than moving to the ball and passing more accurately) ONCE. Wow. The best thing was that I was reminded of all the great people with whom I’ve played volleyball with and Kelsey, Katherine, Erica, Nikki, Tashayla (TaShayShay), LaToya (LaToyToy), Sabo, Kristin & Sydney, April (AP), Nina (partner), James Malcolm Hood: THAT rocked. J The best thing was that it was JUST structured enough to provide support, but loose and fun enough to encourage the players to keep going. That particular group practices there on Tuesday and Friday nights from around 7-9pm (I think the boy’s basketball team of the school practices beforehand), but Yoriko only goes on Fridays.

On Saturday (9/26), at 8:15am, we all met at Morioka Station’s south shinkansen (bullet train) terminal. Tsukie took me and hugged me goodbye (yay!) and Ko wished me a good trip before he left for badminton practice that morning. Tamara bought her HUGE suitcase, but had very little in it (that DEFINITELY changed on the return trip and she had planned just so). Claire and I had the least. I explicitly did NOT want to bring luggage. I had my backpack and a bag with thread handles (like from a department store). And that was more than enough.

Tamara (who got home a LITTLE too late the night before from a former SICEer’s birthday party), Mitchell, Samantha, Samantha’s host mother, Ethan, Nicole, and I went up (2 trips up) and met up with Sensei, Sensei’s friend, Mariko (who would be helping us in Hiroshima and Kyoto), Yuki (Program Contact in Japan), Claire, and Elizabeth. When Abhi finally joined us, we took the escalator up to the platform and in the middle (between the up and down escalators), there was an ad for “Creamy Cheesey Cake” and MAN did that fluffy, creamy desert look appetizing. Eric, Rebecca, Alisa/Liza-you know what I’m talking about. (The Cheesecake Factory takes a lot of our money…and we should really only EVER get two entrees with three people…) It felt great to be off to some of the same places Yoko and Mom and I visited in 2007. I didn’t know I would be back so soon, so that really rocked my socks.

On the train to Hiroshima, I was between Tamara and Samantha. Tam spit on me while she was talking and I thought of (and mentioned) the ‘Friends’ episode where Phoebe meets Paul Rudd’s characters parents for the first time and she talks about her life and says “…then I was homeless and this pimp spit in my mouth and I got Hepatitis C…” and this just HORRIFIES them. Well, I though of you, Zeze. And if any of you have NOT seen that episode or that TV how, it’s worth a shot. I didn’t mean to make light of Hepatitis C, however.

Out the window of the train at one station (when riding, I can write down my thoughts more easily because my journal is open and RIGHT THERE), sat another bullet train, a yellow and blue double decker one called “Max”, like the Portland transportation system and Maximillian Alexander Dun Thayer, someone we already miss (an Earlham friend who transferred to U of Oregon to be a duck, if I am correct, and who visited Earlham earlier in the semester while we weren’t there! Alas!). Samantha offered me an ear bud of her iPod, so I listened to a number of Japanese and Korean groups and Kanye West (YES, Liz and Stoeve), Ne-Yo’s ‘Miss Independent’ (Stoeve!), Regina Spektor (CE), Beyonce’s ‘You Had Me At Hello’ and ‘Single Ladies’ (Liz and Stoeve, again!), the Plain White Tees (again you, Liz), Tegan and Sara (LP and E Frye), Jack Johnson’s ‘Go On’ (which reminded me of 103.7 The Mountain and sitting at work at Elliott Bay Marina over the summer and hearing that-thought of you all Kat, Logan, Carolyn, Dwight; Logan, there’s a great pastry shop in Morioka called Michel and when I first saw it, I thought it said Micheel (her last name) and I FREAKED) and Train (Mom). There was also Immortal Technique’s ‘Point of No Return’ (which just got me thinking of Dance Alloy, Earlham’s end-of-the-semester performance of pieces choreographed and danced by students; this song was done last year) as well as Imogen Heap’s ‘Hide and Seek’ (which got me thinking of the New Measures, Earlham’s female a cappella group; they did this song last year too).

I also had time on the train to ruminate on the ways this semester has, so far, gone smoother than any previous ones. 1.) EC provided leather wallets for all of us and so I always put the lunch money SICE gives us (in it’s envelope) in the same pocket and so I always know where it is. No digging through a cluttered purse; stress decreased. 2.) I packed small and live simply. I have nothing on my walls, I keep most anything I can stored away in my drawers to avoid clutter, I went on the “vacation” with a backpack and a ‘carry-on’ bag. That way, I am not forced to roll a suitcase behind me in the melee that is Tokyo and I can move quickly in crowds. It feels good to not have too many attachments. Maybe when I get back, this simplicity will continue. GOSH I HOPE SO. The minimalism in my room really calms the human spirit.

I am continuing to have flash forwards, to sitting on my couch at home, to going to Husky Deli in West Seattle, (which is on my top ten list of places to go when I get back), to walking on the Heart at Earlham, to walking into saga (the dining hall at Earlham), etc. It is surreal and it is because I feel like so much of myself is back at Earlham so I feel like I should be there, living my life there. But Earlham will still be there. The people will still be there (unless they’re off on their own adventures to London (Clairellyn, Liz, Pablo), New Zealand (Meg), or transferring to another school). There are experiences that will be had. I am SO ready for spring, but not so much that I do not enjoy Japan.

I also fell that, upon returning, culture shock will hit me as it did last time. I have a sneaking suspicion that for the first week, I am going to HATE America and that fact that it is NOT Japan. I’m not going to want to do anything, but I WILL want to see people (hopefully!) and do work and keep busy and get healthy. I miss all of you PEOPLE. That’s part of why recording when I am reminded of you is so important. You MATTER. I want to get back to you, Wendy (lunch!). And you, Judi (journalism talk!). And you, Mary (lunch!). And you, Stacy (Chipotle?). And you, Jana (BONNER!!). And you, Derric (Miles is about to be SO OLD isn’t he?). And you, Liz (to talk about internships!). And you, Sonia (to talk about the field study!). And you, Susanne (to talk in the BCSV!). And you, Nelson (to talk about Japan and the next *gasp* one and half years). And you, Rich (to loiter at Runyan Desk). And you, Brad (to ruminate on narcissism). And you, Bill (OH NO, MISTER BILL!!!). And YOU, ZAVIER!!!!! LET’S GO SWIMMING!!!!

When we reached Hiroshima Station and were walking out of the shinkansen terminal, I saw the Starbucks Mom and I ate breakfast and drank coffee in while waiting for a train (it had glass windows for walls and you had to walk up steps to get in). THAT was trippy. When we got to Hiroshima station, we piled into taxis to get to the hotel and on the dash of ours was a small peel away calendar. The partner day with 9/26 was 8/8 Mom (her birthday), that was cool. Got to the Toyoko Inn we were staying at. We were all in double rooms: Tamara & I, Samantha & Elizabeth, Claire & Nicole, Ethan & Mitchell, and Abhi was the lucky guy who got a single. We had free time from 4:30-6, so Mitchell, Ethan, Tamara, and I went to 7-11 across the street. BUT it’s Hiroshima, so we had to cross the street in front of the hotel (small side street) to get to a park, which ran down for a long way. From the park we then crossed one lane to get to an island of sorts. Then we had to cross two more times in marked crosswalks across 4+ lanes of traffic each time. BUT it wasn’t all that busy, so it didn’t seem like a lot. It just wasn’t the normal across-the-street jaunt I think we had been used to in Morioka. Nicole and Claire met us there by accident. Gaijin (foreigners) are like MAGNETS. Got more money out of the ATM there. Larger cities have ATMs in their konbini, but smaller cities, like Morioka, do not. Actually, I bet we have them in Morioka, but they’re just not the konbini we go to. It was warm out, so we all bought ice cream or soda of some kind or both. Inside, the music to ‘Momma Mia’ was playing as was another popular pop-like song.

Prior to leaving, we thought we didn’t have power, but we learned from the front desk (when we returned from 7-11), that we had to insert the long plastic piece our key was attached to into a little switch-like thing by the door. We did so when we got up to our room and the lights came on, I could charge my phone, we could watch TV (sumo!). Abhi, of course, figured this out on his own. When we met downstairs at 6pm for our group dinner of okonomiyaki and we mentioned our power epiphany (thanks to the front desk), he nonchalantly said “Oh, you guy didn’t know that?”

The restaurant was across the street, but to the side, so we only had to walk 50 meters MAYBE (WE could see the restaurant from our window). We had a round of beer for those who wanted to drink or any other drink (any subsequent beverages were our own ¥). Also, they provided plates of cabbage with Worchester sauce and sesame seeds. A good food to partner with beer, apparently. Most people had the supessharu okonomiyaki-you could choose from three different interiors: nanamame (raw ramen noodles), udon (think noodles), and one other. Okonomiyaki, a dish native to the Hiroshima region is two thin pancakes with lettuce, ham, green onions, noodles, squid, shrimp, and fish flakes inside. On top is then a special sauce and mayonnaise. After my beer, I ordered a yuzu sawaa (a yuzu sour), a fragrant orange-like concoction on ice. (¥400→SICE). In addition to my okonomiyaki, which is the size of a small pizza (think 8 slices), I ate ¾ of Claire’s and 1 slice of Sensei’s. So, CLASS, ¾ of 8=6+1=7 PLUS the 8 of my own and I ate ALMOST two whole okonomiyaki. MY goodness. Macha (green tea) ice cream to follow up the glory.

Afterwards, Tamara, Samantha, and I went bowling at a multi-floored alley another MAYBE 50 meters away. Tam had seen coupons in the hotel lobby for “two games for ¥1000!” We played three games, the last one with bumpers. The shoes were VELCRO and very skater boy. Tamara wanted to get a coffee, so we went to McDonald’s (behind 7-11) and Samantha and I got McShakes.

On Sunday was the start of Sightseeing Whirlwind Adventure. Up at 7, hotel complimentary breakfast in lobby until 8:30am. We were down by 7:30/7:40am, ready to eat miso soup, rice, biscuits with sausage inside (like pigs in a blanket!), pickles, radishes, a dish of egg and spinach. BEFORE we got down, there were noodles and AFTER we were done, there were rolls. Computers in the lobby allowed me to feel mildly connected to the other world via Facebook and email.

Our whole group met at 9am, but Ethan and I were done and ready to go at 8:45, so Sensei took us (early) to Hiroshima Station via taxi to buy the train tickets for everyone. Mariko brought everyone else shortly. We all received a ticket. Much Hiroshima Carp paraphernalia (the local baseball team) in the station-wanted to buy a towel.

Took the train to Miyajima guchi, walked out, then under the street (so you don’t have to cross traffic), back up, and into lin for the ferry to Miyajima (saw Madre Padre aisu kurimu, a place I laughed at and took a picture of in 2007). On the ferry there was a young boy with a Brown University t-shirt, which made me think of Dominique (Is Emma Watson there yet? Does everyone stop to take pictures of the girl who played Hermione Granger in the ‘Harry potter’ movies?). When we disembarked and walked up the ramp and into the main station of Miyajima, where people could sit and wait for the ferry, it was a memory rush. I felt like I had JUST left.

Miyajima is known for four things: 1.) deer; 2.) momiji manjyuu (momiji is the shape of the Canadian maple leaf and manjyuu is sweet filling; it is a soft leaf-shaped dessert/snack that has a filling of cream, azuki (red bean paste), chocolate, etc.; 3.) torii, the large red gate marking the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine (the largest shrine on the island); and 4.) okonomiyaki, easily found in the region. This time, there were noticeably less deer near the station, but they have no predators, so overpopulation and lack of fear is a bit of a problem. We got there around 10am and had free time until 1pm. I looked around at shops with Tamara and Samantha. Many keitai (cell phone) charms. Bought MANY postcards and stamps and a keitai charm.

Like in 2007, street vendors along the main “route” (gift shops and little food shops) sell anything from nikuman (dough ball with meat inside, like hum bow) to momiji manjyuu (different gift sets and sizes and types) to okonomiyaki restaurants to sticks of deep fried squid or shrimp or fish or vegetables to sofuto kurimu (ice cream soft serve). One place had a display of all sorts of Ramune (soda-has been made into gum, candy, alcoholic drinks, etc.) flavors. We ran into Abhi, Mitchell, and Ethan there and they had Tamara buy the kimuchi (Korean spicy cabbage) bottle. Had a bite to it, but it was good.

After having a deep fried kurimu (cream) momiji manjyuu (like the experience that I had with Yoko and Mom-I saw the place where Mom and Yoko and I ate our deep fried ones!!! AND the place where we had mitarashi dango, mochi balls on a skewer warmed on an open burner) and an eel nikuman (where the lady treated me like a total gaijin (“Pork?” “Eel?” “Hot.”)), we met up with the group at 1pm.

Sensei gave us ¥300 so we could go in the shrine (for 30 minutes). The tide was coming in, so it was especially wonderful. When the water is up high, the entire place looks like it is floating. It was SO good to see the shrine entrance where there are white flags attached to sticks that you wave to purify the space (a small alter sits there as well). I took a picture of Yoko and Mom waving them in 2007, so it was like a flashback… A Japanese man who spoke English (and was decked out in New York Yankees gear) asked me where I was from and if I was a Cubs fan. I said I was from Seattle. Some loyalties NEVER die.

When we met at 1:30pm, we walked behind the shrine and caught a bus to go up further to the roppu uee (ropeway), a gondola-like contraption that takes visitors (8 people max) up to another station where they move into larger gondolas (that hold 30 people max) that take them to the top station, from which visitors can go to the highest point on Miyajima, Mount Misen. OR you can stay at the top station, in the coffee shop, or go to the observatory (a flat part from which you can look around at the islands around Miyajima, which we saw on the ride up). AND there were MONKEYS. This way, I sort of got the Nagano Snow Monkey and onsen (hot spring spa) experience… These monkeys (sandy colored with pink butts!) are the type that DO NOT like to be looked at directly. We should not feed, touch, or look at their eyes, a sign directed. Up the trail to the top, there is a fire that has been burning for 1200 years (about 15 minutes from the top station) and then on to a three-leveled lookout kind of building with no roof, (another 7 minutes) from which you can see 360 degrees. Mariko, Sensei, and I went all the way to the top (and ran into the same New York Yankees fan on the way down-I joked that I was STILL a fan of Ichiro and the Mariners), whereas us and Nicole, Tamara, Samantha, and Claire made it to the ever burning fire (as did Mitchell). Abhi and Ethan preferred to stay and eat inside and smoke outside the top station. Sensei, Mariko, and I RAN down in order to meet the group at 3:30 (a time Sensei had set), we passed a girl in high heels, which didn’t make any sense to us. We made it back and caught the 3:30 gondola down the mountain. (There were these wide steps leading down to the “docking” area and a man coming off the gondola we were going into had a shirt that said “never under estimate the power of a woman”-I was looking at it SO intently and loving it that I nearly tripped down the step. It was so worth it though.)

It started to rain, we caught two buses, and we reached the ferry terminal at varied intervals. I tired to relax on the ferry so my shoulder would loosen (it tends to tighten up into sharp pain after I carry my pack for a while). Sensei and Mariko said that we wanted to catch the 5:02pm train from Miyajima Station. I led the way, not so much out of a decision, but rather due to the fact that I walk quickly and I recognized the need to get to the station quickly in order to catch the desired train. We had to cross the tracks to get to the other side to catch the train we wanted, but we made it with minutes to spare.

Many people, thirsty, spent (often spend) money at vending machines, which is A) what companies want them to do and B) a waste of money. I find carrying a water bottle and filling it up at the start of the day works well. But that’s just me. I introduced that idea to someone and they said “Yeah, I should do that.” We were all tired from the day, but we got back to Hiroshima, taxied back to our Toyoko inn and were free to find dinner on our own.

Tam and I watched TV (one show played the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ theme song in the background-YES!), I journaled (which isn’t a word apparently), and we decided to go out and find food at around 6:30pm. The night before, Sensei had handed out coupons to the okonomiyaki place (“10% a meal”, “one free drink”), so we went there. Had a butaniku kumuchi plate (which I can’t even remember the appearance of now; butaniku is pork though) and a free drink of a Ramune sour. Nicole was there, but we left her to be by herself because we thought she probably didn’t want to see any SICE people after spending the whole day with them. Had another sour, then water. Tam ordered some kara’age (fried food, in this case, chicken I think). Nicole joined us at our prompting and she and I both had choko aisu (chocolate ice cream) and watched Tam eat and drink more. It was ¥1860 for each of us, even with the one free drink and the 10% off. In Japan, restaurants usually total the check, all dishes and drinks ordered, and then split it evenly between the people paying. Often you are paying for someone else’s drinks or food.

We parted ways when Nicole wanted to go back to the hotel and Tam wanted more cigarettes and I wanted more aisu. So we went to the one logical place: 7-11. I ended up getting the same bar I had gotten the previous day: ¥62 vanilla ice cream with chocolate shell. Bought a can of Suntory horoyoi momo (peach) and a can of Karupisu (Calpis) sawaa (sour). All of this together was LESS than ¥400 MY GOODNESS. Only in Japan, ladies and gentlemen.

We returned to our room (it was 8:30pm) and turned on the TV to Sasuke, which is the EPITOME of Japanese game shows: a grueling obstacle course (what was being shown was the first of FOUR stages; the fourth is free climbing four stories up a rope). During this particular episode, 95 people attempted the 2 minute (maximum time given) course and nine made it under the time limit or AT ALL. This is much akin to the Olympics or firefighter preparation in my mind-some people TRAIN for this show (and I only, sadly, saw male competitors). Around 9:15pm, we went out for more. I bought a can of grapefruit Kirin chuhi and a bag of chocolate cookies and a bag of crispy mame (edamame, soybeans, but made into cheese/rice puff consistency). Ethan texted/e-mailed us prior to us leaving letting us know they were watching The Chappelle Show. We checked Ethan and Mitchell’s room, then to what I THOUGHT was Abhi’s room (but was really Nicole and Claire’s). They told us to go to Samantha and Elizabeth’s room and low and behold, there they all were watching downloaded episodes on Samantha’s computer.

We joined them, shared the crispy mame, tried Abhi’s whiskey and sake and stayed for about an hour. Tam, Abhi, and Ethan went to smoke and I went back to the room. Pretty soon, we were watching TV again (some anime cartoon was on that took place in a marina with boats-thought of my own floating home back in Seattle, Mom). The TV channels are great here-during TV shows, commercials, the news, etc. when music plays, they show the music title and artist. A special on Bothwell, Scotland came on (hope your year is going well, Kate!)

Again, we were up at 7am on Monday (9/28), had breakfast at 7:30 (rice, rice balls with flecks of seaweed, plain rolls, sausage and pasta dish, egg and spinach dish), and met at 8am in the lobby (SO EARLY :P), in order to go to the Hiroshima Peace Park. Tamara said she didn’t want to eat breakfast, so I got ready, did the last minute bit of packing of toiletries (we would leave for Kyoto that day), and turned the TV and lights on to help her wake up. I made sure she was awake before taking me and my stuff down to the lobby. Breakfast at the hotel is busy, so I went on the computer while waiting for an empty table. It’s not that I am afraid of sitting with strangers; it is that I do not want to impose. Elizabeth, Ethan, and Nicole soon came down, just in time to snag an empty table. Mitchell and Samantha cut it close time-wise and Sensei gave them time to eat a little (though Samantha, at least, hadn’t planned on having breakfast). We were all expected to have brought our luggage down and were able to leave it in the lobby (under a net with bells attached to it).

We walked straight down the road, along heiwa no michi (Peace Path), for 15-20 minutes. We came in from the opposite side Mom and I had come to the park by previously, so we first came to the Peace Clock-some 23,000 days since the bombing of Hiroshima; 126 days since the last nuclear test. ARE YOU &#$¥©@% KIDDING ME?! This is where I got pretty angry. It just doesn’t make ANY sense to me-why we would let such an atrocity happen and not LEARN from it. Sometimes I hate being American: I hate being tied to enslaving another culture, killing off a few others, dropping a nuclear weapon on an ENTIRE city. I don’t care if it ended the war faster. I KNOW other peoples have caused similar destruction, but Hiroshima is a LESSON. And it is a HUMBLING place. Nagasaki was a on a MOUNTAIN for GOODNESS SAKE.

We had free time from 8:30-9:20 and I just went off on my own. I was just SO angry, fuming mad, to the point of being speechless. Death affects me. And common sense deserves to be observed. Sometimes I really don’t enjoy people coming with me simply because they do not have their own idea/opinion of what to do during unstructured time. And I just don’t see how people can’t be OUTRAGED. (Here am speaking from my PERSONAL frame of reference again, so I realize that others will not feel the same, but I WANT them to.) I walked to the memorial to the survivors, but didn’t go inside, though I think it was free. “Those who have not experienced the past are doomed to repeat it.” When I saw people from the group, I just walked the other way. If I wanted to see something and they were nearby, I waited for them to disperse.

When I walked up to the memorial (the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, a.k.a. the Memorial Monument fir Hiroshima, City of Peace) and saw what I didn’t think I would see for years and years, it felt oddly like I had just been there. I looked in the pool and where there were tadpoles before, there were none now. Saw a water strider/spider though. Some sign of life is good. Walked to Sadako’s cranes (Sadako, a young girl, became ill with leukemia due to her exposure to radiation from the blast; she set upon folding paper cranes because, as the legend goes, your wish will come true if you fold 1,000; sadly, she died after a four month battle and did not complete her folding), where there were, as there were before, thousands upon thousands of paper cranes in all different forms imaginable-strings of them, different colored cranes glued or tacked onto a board to create a picture, posters with them hanging off, etc. To a tour group who came towards me, I tried to look sorry. Because I am. I can’t stand being related to people who created such an atrocity. You may say I’m foolish and that I don’t need to think that way and it’s a waste of effort and I KNOW THAT. But sometimes I just feel humbled and need to try and convey some of what I feel as an American, as an individual, as a single person. One single person CAN change things.

I headed towards the A-Bomb Dome and t occurred to me, Mom, that I don’t think we went up close to it and read the signs out in front of it. I know we walked over the bridge, but then we went into the city…So me and my sullen self approached the Dome and I saw some SICE people so I kept my distance. At this point, however, once I am given time to cool off, I was growing more contemplative rather than angry. You just gotta let me be a little angry sometimes because injustice makes my blood boil (and I put “injustice” as the WIDEST umbrella imaginable; don’t try and quiet me, don’t try and tell me that what I FEEL is insignificant or not worth worrying about. No. Just let me BE. (Luckily the SICE people did that, though later on, Sensei tried to reason with me.)

So I’m standing there, reading a sign on a pole across from the Dome and a man approaches me and asks, in English, where I’m from. I explain about how I’m with a group who is from a college in Indiana and we’re on vacation from our stay in Morioka. He THEN asked if I wanted to hear a survivor’s story. I said “Yes! Of course!” (He should be around (practically) 64, but he looks 40 (such is the Japanese skin and lifestyle). ) He sat me down at a nearby bench and began to tell me the story of Hiroshima, aided by a folder of pictures (photographs and drawings, some famous). He was in his mother’s womb (4 months along; born the 21^st year of that ruling Emperor, January 22-he showed me his classification card from the government). His grandfather was in the basement of the rest house (located right next to the bridge we all walked over, just a few hundred meters from the Dome AND one of the only buildings in that area left standing after the blast) and he was thus protected from the majority of the damage. When his grandfather emerged however, he did receive some blasts of radiation.

The survivor’s, the man who was speaking, house was very close to the hypocenter (which was just a little bit away from the Dome) and both of his parents were burned. On his classification card, it says what class he belonged to. There were four, in descending order of importance/severity. His mother belonged to class one, his grandfather to two, his father and aunt to three, and him to four. His father was burned a great deal, if I remember correctly, and has died since the bombing, but his mother is currently living with leukemia (at age 93) or some other complication from her exposure. His whole premise, he wore a badge that said “Free Guide” was to tell a true story, a story we probably would not hear in the museum. He talked about censorship and melting skin and a river flooded with bodies. He gave us (by the end, Mariko, Sensei, Samantha, Mitchell, Nicole, and Tamara had stopped, though I do not know for how long; they came in at different points of his story and stayed for varied periods of time) a great perspective and sadly, we could only listen for a little while before we had to get back to the place near the Peace Clock we had dispersed from. Before we left, he gave us all a piece of paper with a web address where we could read his mother’s testimony. It also had his, Mito Kosei’s, email. I could not thank him enough for his time. It was some of the best ten minutes I have ever been given. Check it out if you feel inclined: it is on Dona Sauerburger’s website, a woman from Maryland who he knows somehow: http://www.sauerburger.org/dona/mito.

While he was talking two presumably American women came to listen. They spoke VERY LITTLE Japanese-“What is it you say? Oh-ha-yo go-zai-mas?” I feel like straight up tourists who know very little about the culture and the language and are on some HUGE group tour bus or something are the kind of people who we have to work to not be aligned with. I’m sorry for the blatant rudeness, but it was severely irritating, probably also because I had just come off being angry very shortly before. Please don’t forgive me. The women were probably in their 50s and kept interrupting him (SO AMERICAN) and using these strange slang words (watch, I bet they were from Indiana :P) like “Where was the fall point?” as in HYPOCENTER or EPICENTER (‘cept that’s more with earthquakes, right?). I was thinking Midwest or Florida retirement community or something, but they were pretty pale. They also acted like he didn’t speak the wonderful English that he did, like he HADN’T just told his early life story in a language foreign to him and done it to the point where we could all understand him. I really didn’t want to have to leave.

We got back together by 9:30am. Nicole and Claire were already there, Ethan and Abhi were at the same bench I had passed by earlier, Tamara and Elizabeth came from far off one side. Nicole asked how the guy was as “Was it interesting?” and I said “Yes” in probably a too obviously angry and disrespectful tone. The she said “That’s cool.” What kind of question was that? It was so flippant, so casual. And “That’s COOL”?????? Um YEAH it was kind of AWESOME to have someone who was NOT YET BORN at the time to come up FREELY and ask if I wanted to hear about his FAMILY and their EXPERIENCE in one of the WORST manmade disasters this world has seen. It ROCKED. But in the worst, most devastating way possible. I had no ACTUAL words to respond to her statement of “That’s cool,” so I just shook my head and distanced myself more.

We were to meet with a hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) and hear her speak on her experiences. It was beyond amazing to have such real stories as part of our trip. It was great to connect a broad tragedy to real struggle. Like I said before, I am angry at our atrocities. She had much to say (in English)-how the blast looked and felt was especially made real for me. She was burned on her arms and legs and had to have surgery on her eyelid and hands. She had been working in the field (she was around 8 years old) at the time of the blast. Blown to the ground, she called out to friends who had been working nearby, but they were all killed instantly. She went to the river, which was full of dead bodies and injured individuals trying to cool themselves, then went home to look for her parents. She was lucky enough to find them. When school time came around (the blast was in August), school proceeded like normal and classes were held anywhere they could be. Orphans (from the blast) and surviving children who had NOT been sent to the country when the air raids began (8-11 year olds were still in the city) ended up at shrines, eating, sleeping, and studying in the same place. Until 10:35, we were privy to her sharing of a real and terrible tragedy of her past.

At the end, we asked questions. Ethan asked if she thought humans would able to, essentially, uninvent something as powerful as the A bomb. She answered that the bomb takes money and she would love to see the money go to better things and places. She is working (and has been her whole life) to raise awareness about, and fight against, the use of nuclear weapons. She had a stroke six months prior and has had great difficulty regaining her speech. She is every bit a hero to me.

Tamara asked how Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as bombing locations, differed. Nagasaki was a mountainside apparently whereas Hiroshima was a full fledged city. Hiroshima was August 6, 1945. Nagasaki was bombed August 9, 1945. (I REALLY hope those dates are correct, because I am going to feel like SUCH an idiot if they’re wrong, kind of like how I said the time difference between the East Coast and Japan was 19 hours. Yeah…)

My question was about the healing or pseudo-healing that she underwent post-bombing. She was one of 25 women who received treatment in the U.S. and was teaching Americans about the violence of nuclear weapons. She then returned to Japan and taught Japanese people the same thing. She began going to church and through talking with the pastor and fellow survivors, she has healed greatly. She was very angry at the Japanese government initially for not doing more to support the survivors of the bombing. (Many people were.) She said how, on the train, she felt so isolated because of her scars and how she was seen as contaminated. People did not want to touch her; no one wanted to marry her. Often, survivors of the bombing have a great deal of guilt.

It was a very eye-opening, very enjoyable experience. Due to her stroke, her English was sometimes hard to understand, but she was a great individual to listen to and learn from. Before we had gone down to the separate meeting room (in the basement, under the museum) to hear Ms. Matsubara, Sensei bought us all tickets to get into the museum after her presentation (she had an accompanying slideshow that was a wonderful addition to her talk). We then were free to stay at the museum, get lunch on our own, and meet at the hotel at 1:30pm in order to taxi to the station and get on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto.

The Japanese like Obama. In the middle of the museum, at the gift shop (between the museum and the hall of artifacts), there was a t-shirt for sale that read “Obamajority”. Yeahhhhh!

At the end of the museum, where all the declarations of peace sit from all the world leaders who have visited or who have written to the museum pledging peace, there was a letter from the mayor of Hiroshima that read “We are part of the Obamajority. Yes we can” in relation to ridding the world of nuclear weapons and bringing peace to all nations and peoples.

I didn’t think I would see the museum ever again, let alone this soon. On the first floor is a scale model of Hiroshima, more specifically the area of the city that was the most destroyed by the bomb due to its close proximity to the hypocenter. Two models exist-a before and an after. A woman standing next to the models has a tour guide look about her and I’m sure she was wearing something that identified her as someone who could answer questions. She approached me as if I didn’t understand the signs written in English and didn’t understand what the models signified. I was kinder to her than I was to Nicole-I answered that I thought I understood. She started to tell me, with relation to the “after” model, that one man survived from the rest house and in an elementary school two rivers from the A-Bomb Dome, a female teacher and one female student survived. In both cases, the people were in the basement of the building at the time of the blast. The man in the rest house, I think, was the survivor’s (Mito Kosei’s) grandfather. Walked upstairs and across into the artifacts section (past the gift shop and “Obamajority” tee). Good as always, in the worst possible way of course. I had been close to Abhi and Ethan at certain points in the museum, but as I went at my own pace, I was often alone, left (pleasantly) to ruminate and be sullen at times.

I walked back to the hotel via 7-11 for lunch (not really “via” because of the Red Sea I had to part to GET to 7-11). I bought two onigiri (literally THE BEST and THE EASIEST lunch food EVER-rice balls wrapped in seaweed with innards of either salmon or tuna or roe or seaweed or egg or…) and a squeeze bag/bottle of aloe yogurt. I went into the lobby of the hotel to eat my second onigiri (ate my first and drank the yogurt en route back, but while I was STOPPED; it is uncommon to eat and walk simultaneously, though nowadays it is more often seen; BUT I try to blend in as much as possible) and wait. I got on AOL and deleted the mass craziness that comes in the form of the American Jewish World Service, ONE, Move On, and other groups I want to be part of, but just aren’t yet.

Many others arrived and we waited a little longer. Mariko, due to her having a Rail Pass (very handy for traveling around the country-gets you through train stations fast), was catching an earlier train to Kyoto. We taxied to the station a little while later, I bought myself a Hiroshima Carp towel (I have YET to see a game/be in Hiroshima for long enough to see a game BUT I am a fan nonetheless). On the shinkansen platform, I witnessed another act of “couple chivalry”-a girl and guy walking together (sorry for all the hetero couples, but it gets better later) and he took her bag from her and carried it…

Kyoto and Tokyo to come…

My family is great-I love them. And they love each other. No one tells another to “get out” or “go away”. They are close and caring and they have let me part way into their lives. For that, I am so grateful. I was talking with Otoosan once about Hanako-she went to the number one high school in Morioka, but he said she “failed” because she is now at Yokohama rather than some other prestigious school most Ichikoo (ichi number one, koo high school) students set their sights on. It is interesting that he used the word “failed”…

I love how the lights in the house DON’T turn on automatically after pushing the switch or pulling the cord. It makes you patient.

Continuing to learn with each passing day, but clearly NOT learning how to be succinct. Oh well, I’m sharing experiences with you and THEY matter to me and YOU matter to me. J

Always just an email away, Hannah

Reveling in Space

2009-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 7-Friday, September 18, 2009

Sorry ELIZABETH ANNE BURMAN that I haven’t written more often J , but I first write in my diary/journal, then write it out on my computer in Word, then either save it to a zip drive OR load it online from my host family’s home (which I have done once). Yes, it isn’t efficient. I haven’t become Japanese QUITE yet.

So I’m going to try and be concise when I don’t really want to be concise because I want to share my experiences as realistically as possible. I shall try to keep it short so I don’t TOTALLY write your eyes out.

Bought tabi and zouri on Monday 9/7, festival socks and shoes respectively, for Hachimangu Matsuri the next week. Hachimangu is the shrine near my home, matsuri means festival. Have loved getting emails from the people who have emailed me. Really. They have made my day. Mom, Dad, Eric, and of course my fellow SICEers. Where phone calls from Japan are EXTREMELY expensive, emails (can) go straight to one’s phone. You can send me a note at bananasmile@softbank.ne.jp. (My American cell phone can receive texts and calls, but I can’t respond to texts and the calls show a “No ID” as the identification and I won’t be checking my voicemail until I land back in Seattle, BUT please don’t hesitate to do either if you want to. J) Don’t worry about waking me up because of the 17 hour time difference with the West Coast or the 14 hour time difference with the Mid West and the multitudes of differences between them-it’s usually on silent.

P.S. if we had to gut our own fish for dinner on a regular basis, we would be VERY different people. Otoosan bought a fish (8-12 inches long, slim) for ¥100. Yeah. That’s right. A whole fish for A DOLLAR. He cut it and gutted it over the sink. It’s very like China and Japan to have the people do the work and be accustomed to doing the work.

This was the Monday following climbing Mt. Iwate (6 people) and Mt. Himekami (2 people), so people were DEFINITELY hurting. PLUS, we had class in the library, up two flights of stairs. That was fun. And actually, it was. By Monday, I didn’t hurt all that much anymore. The key is just to keep moving (thanks, Dad!) after vigorous activity such as that AND for the duration of your life. My host brother was hurting too. When he came home, his walk was PRICELESS. Like he was walking over a fire hydrant…

Tuesday (9/8) was a great day at Senboku-I was called on to make, by the 2^nd year English teacher, some handheld markers that showed a green circle on one side (maru, correct) and a red circle on the other side with a black “X” through it (batsu, wrong). They would be given to the students and I would ask “yes” and “no” questions about how American life at school and home differs from life in Japan that the students would hold up the markers to answer. 3 first year girls came in during their recess time (post lunch) and we talked in Japanese about our favorites-colors, seasons, animals, teachers. They wanted to make more questions and come back the next day.

We, Tsukie, Hanako, and I, usually have “break time” around 4:30 or 5-eat some sweets and drink tea and speak in Japanese. AWESOME. :D Tuesday nights are dubbed “Full House” nights-it’s quite enjoyable. Tsukie loves the show and I, fortunately, have seen most of them, so I can follow them. I’m trying to read lips, but I’m not very good at that. I still find it remarkable that I’m HERE, speaking, learning, and writing in a foreign language. AND teaching a foreign language to junior high school students. Love desserts here, too. Usually, we have lots of fruit-apples (ringo), pears (nashi), peaches (momo), grapes (budou). However, it is characteristic of Japanese people to not eat the skin. Then again, the grapes are different here-the come right out of their skin! So I, being the weird American, will often eat the skin that Otoosan, Tsukie, or Hanako cuts off of the fruit. Otoosan actually likes eating the skin, but didn’t eat the skin because the rest of the family didn’t eat the skin. Sometimes, however, he will eat the skin now. We skineaters have strength in numbers. He has even gone so far as to leave the skin on some pieces of fruit and the pieces are thus designated as mine. Not like I have to fight people for them though…

On Wednesday (9/9), the girls came back to me at lunch. Only 2 of the 3 though. They gave me very cute papers from notebooks (notepads here, like pocket notebooks are SO CUTE as are pencil cases as are folders as are writing surfaces as are EVERYTHING-the English translations usually don’t make sense, which adds to the charm). I began making my board of information (About Ms. Hannah) and my mailbox at school today. I wish I had brought more pictures, but I used a postcard of Seattle and it was good. Did doodles too. Wrote lots, like always. Yeah Hannah, overwhelm the kids why dontcha? In the second year English class, there was a great deal of Japanese spoken. This surprised me, but it is characteristic of the teacher and that kind of teaching style is aimed towards certain results and the students learn differently at each level and we’ll see how it pans out in the long run.

Hanako has taken to knocking on my doorframe when she is already in the room, which I like. It is HER room after all. She once wanted to read while I took a shower, so she asked to sit in the room, which I LOVED. Sometimes we will talk about singers or actors and she will then take me up to her room and into her glass-doored three-shelved bookcase and bring out magazine after magazine to point a certain person out. We have sat on the floor and looked through them. It felt like we were both welcome in the room then. And I don’t mind EVER. I mean, I have never had to live in a home with someone else in my room, just at school. And this is so much different. It is nice to have the constant chatter of four other people (soon three when Hanako returns to Yokohama), but it is not the rambunctious laughter and yelling that can sometimes be found in the dormitory. I find myself focusing easier, more calm, and able to breathe. But I do like rowdiness every once in a while-don’t you worry. J This having my own room, have-to-go-out-of-the-house/make-an-effort-to-be-distracted thing is something I could definitely get used to.

Went to see “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” with Hanako IN Japanese. Rode there by bike and on the way, saw a van that was “E.J. something or other”, cleaning maybe. Thought of you, Erica. It had been so long since I read the book, so I was at a loss at some places as to WHY this mysterious object was part of the plot or what this stern conversation entailed. BUT I pulled out my pocket notebook and jotted down some new vocab. Clairellyn, I thought of you like MAD. Now all I have to do is read the 7^th book…

Something I didn’t mention before is the plethora of dragonflies. It is the hobby of children to catch dragonflies-you twirl your finger in front of them while simultaneously trying to grab their tail, then they hop onto your finger, then you grab their wings so they can’t escape. It’s a great way to captivate the attention of children. Better than candy.

There has been a great deal of discussion when I help prepare dinner or clean up because in Japan, schoolchildren often use studying as an excuse to get out of helping (especially as they get older). Yes, studying is important and yes, parents tell their children to study, but parents simultaneously want help or at least an offering of help. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making me into someone who likes helping/forcing me to help.

During and after dinner on Thursday (9/10), there were many stern words exchanged between Hanako and Otoosan because after Ko’s piano concert, Tsukie, Hanako, and Ko want to go to the Italian restaurant that Otoosan refuses to go to. He says the owner/manager is not a good person and does not want the rest of the family to patronize the restaurant either.

That evening, I listened to Ko read English sentences over and over. He asked Hanako, who asked me, what the difference was between “as far as” and “as long as”. He is definitely more comfortable expressing himself in Japanese and t Hanako. Sometimes he is difficult to understand when he speaks Japanese and he often becomes shy (I think) when I ask him to repeat something or say something in English. High schools have a test season and he had Physics on Thursday the 10^th, then English on Friday the 11^th, and the next week he had modern Japanese and History/Social Studies. Otoosan has the test season now too, as he teaches Chinese at a high school 45 minutes away.

All students or students of Ko’s same grade at Ichikoo, the number one high school in Morioka, had these tests. Afterwards, many came to Gandai and ate lunch, then studied in the library. It was GREAT to see so many students quietly doing their work, focused. I realize it is the environment I do best in, though I already knew that. How to construct that at Earlham, I do not know. There needs to be scheduled distress time. Maybe there is too much of that… BUT I do not want to change what Earlham is because I honestly LOVE it.

Received my dad’s package of my swim stuff today. It cost $25 to send it here-two suits, a cap and two pairs of goggles, and a long thin zippered bag in which I put said cap and goggles.

Have taken to running Monday and Thursday mornings with Hanako. This morning, she did not wake up to her alarm, so I ran on my own. Will continue after she returns to Yokohama. Can go further and faster on my own, in that I do not have to have a speed that is predictable for the other person. Walking or running with another person or other people is great! Like around Green Lake, Zeze. J

Friday (9/11) was dinner with Tsukie’s mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Tsukie’s oldest sister brought her over. (Tsukie’s other older sister, the middle child I think, is the one who can play cello and offered to lend me a cello for the duration of my stay. I said no because I didn’t think I could give it the attention/time that it deserved. Look at me being mature and saying “No”. WOOHOO!) Tsukie’s oldest sister hosted a SICE student many many years ago, but has good memories from it. Their mother lives close, so it didn’t appear that the family thought this visit anything special.

Rugby was on TV before dinner and we had octopus at dinner, ERIC. Yeah, it did feel a little bit like it was trying to climb out of my stomach.

During Senboku, Morioka Board of Education members came to observe 5^th period classes. This happen every 5 or 6 years and I am the only SICE member to experience this. It was great for my Field Study and for life in general. Seeing even MORE how the education system works here is a GIFT. All teachers were exceptionally presentable and nervous. Because I had no conception of what it would be like, I felt no nervousness. And when the 15 people were standing around the classroom observing, I still didn’t feel much. I have realized that if you give me time to get worked up about something, I get worked up, I stress, I fret, I feel nervous when the moment is upon me. However, if you do not tell me that something monumental is occurring, I ill treat it like anything else and be calm and do fine. THAT is something I need to take away from this experience.

Trauma from climbing Mt. Iwate, holding onto the ski poles, began showing up on my fingers. They peeled a little bit for a few days. The same thing happened after my Washington Trails Association week this past summer-rock scrambling and such caused my hands to peel.

Saturday (9/12) was a run with Hanako-we went a little faster and a little further, doing the route I did on Thursday. When we came back, we all ate breakfast together, except for Ko who watched TV while he ate. Then, Hanako and Tsukie and I went to bazaar inside a church near the Kumagai Ryokan-bought a zip-up Descents jacket and two sweaters (grey and yellow) for a total of ¥450. That’s right. We also bought food in the “food court”-tables had all different food from all around the world. Two tacos to go.

Picked up some skin cream at a beauty place across the street from the Italian restaurant, where it has been decided we are going after Ko’s piano concert on the 20^th. We ate in the car-VERY messy. Then went to Aeon mall (“Eon”) (1 of 3 malls in Morioka). Shops are more open, more inviting. Less glass windows and doors you have to walk through. I had said I wanted to go to Saty because it is a large part of the mall and Hanako had said it has everything. Hanako (whose spiritual age is 3; Tsukie’s is 33; Ko and I are 86) loves the 3^rd floor of the mall, which is lots of kid’s shops.

Lunch was an affair of multiple lack-of-opinions. There is a “Restaurant Street” on part of the first floor and a food court on the 3^rd floor. We decided to go to St. Mark’s-a chocolate croissant place-and al of us had one of the specials, a shrimp burger. It was just enough substance so you didn’t feel overly inundated by food and you didn’t feel empty. The Japanese are very good at this. They had coffee and I had iced tea. Japanese drinks, usually tea or coffee, come with this optional packaged shot of sweetener. I forgot how much I missed that. Ate chocolate croissants for dessert. Then Hanako and I walked around the third floor and met up with Tsukie 15-20 minutes later and we all went to a photo booth and got pictures!!! THEN WE DECORATED THEM THERE AT THE BOOTH!!! J Only ¥400 for a sheet of 25 small stickers-8 different images. Walked around more and decided to get aisu (ice cream). We went to one of the three aisu places/counters and I wanted to buy all three of ours, but Tsukie wouldn’t let me. So I bought my own (she let me do that). It’s a start. Ate our aisu on the way back to the car and had a conversation about eating and walking in Japan, which isn’t seen very often.

Did a little homework when we got home, did laundry too. Had to leave at 4pm to get to the Earlham Society Party (at a hotel near Aiina and Morioka Station). Around the station there is little sidewalk, so bike travel was difficult. Also, live music outside the station (and all around Morioka that day, outside malls, on sidewalks as part of a local music festival) so I didn’t want to get in the way of that. Began to rain lightly. Late to the 4:40 meeting time because I stopped by the pot office and bought more ¥80 stamps, but others were later. Meeting spot was difficult to find for some, so we ended up congregating at the hotel (Sensei and Yuki recognized the difficulty).

Party was excellent. Composed of past JTEs-Japanese Teachers of English (our obaasan and ojiisan-grandmothers and grandfathers-elders). We all introduced ourselves and our host schools and I had some AWESOME conversation with Hirata sensei, who plays lots of tennis and is crazy about baseball. Delicious, not heavy food, beer (as is the cultural custom) and specialty beverages or cocktails we could order.

Afterwards, Ethan, Tamara, Abhi, Samantha, Mitchell, and I went to Mister Donut on Odoori, where we met up with Dan, a current ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) and past SICEer and his friends (most of whom fit both descriptions) for drinks and some food. Nicole also came with us, but she went home (just needed to get to Odoori to get her bearings) while Claire took a taxi there. Elizabeth was picked up at Morioka Station by her okaasan (mother).

The sours in Japan are delicious, as is anything with Ramune as is anything with cassias as is anything with Calpis. I don’t know if there are any American equivalents of these drinks because the drinking age in America is 21 and the alcohol that seems to find its way near me is either beer or vodka. Japan is just SO much more inventive. Met a great girl, Kiera, from Scotland, teaching in a senior high school, came to Japan not knowing very much Japanese. She’s around 24 or so I think and was a great new friend. *sigh*

My curfew is 11pm, so I was the 2^nd to leave (one of the ALTs had to get home or wanted to go home or something). People complained WHY was I leaving? Well, luckily I live 10 minutes from Odoori and personally, I like to sleep. I heard that other people got home around 2am or so-righteous! But I’ll take the pillow, thanks.

Sunday (9/13) was a good breakfast with a relaxed atmosphere indicative of the one true weekend day. There isn’t the Sunday=Day of Rest thing in Japan because there isn’t much rest here, BUT a weekend is a weekend and it is always good to have one day to do one’s own things. I was up at 8am and did homework until going down to eat at 9am.

When I came home from the night, I felt like I was slipping off my bike seat. Turns out I had my bike seat post out too far. The Japanese people, besides being shorter than myself (though not by as much as you’d think), ride their bikes with the seats as low as possible. This is not what I am used to and was told by my father to have the seat up to an appropriate height or I will experience uncomfortable knee pain. Well, I had pulled the bike seat post up so high that my weight had bent the very little bit that was still inside the tube into a slant. And because of that bend, I could not reinsert the post back into the tube and fix the problem. SO I brought this up at breakfast and Otoosan offered to drive me and my bike to the bike shop (there is one assigned to service Earlham students). There are three and the one chosen was close to Oodoori and therefore not far from home. This is true Japanese fashion-“let’s take care of this now.”

It started to lightly rain while we put the bike in the back of the car (a Honda Fit by the way, Zeze), but we got there and unloaded (in mildly heavier rain), and wheeled it in. The guy, a Japanese bike mechanic if I ever saw one (though that phrase “Japanese bike mechanic” never crossed my mind before that moment), said I had brought the seat post out too far. Yes. He even showed me the seat post notches that indicate when to STOP. Yeah…didn’t think about that. So he takes that post out of the seat and goes elsewhere, bringing back the longest seat post he has. Shows it to me, I say “Wow” and he puts it in where the last post had been, nut and bolting it to the seat. He put the old post in a scrap metal pile (Japan has a place for EVERYTHING). He sticks the post in the tube and tightens it at what he thinks seems a good height and then I test it. It’s a bit high, but I like it and it feels good. My host father helped tell him that I was an Earlham student “Hanna” and my options were to pay the ¥1920 up front and have Yuki reimburse me OR just tell Yuki and she would come by and pay, perhaps in bulk at the end when other people’s bike maintenance had been taken care of there too. I chose the latter and told Yuki the next day. This all took no more than 15 minutes. It was Sunday though and if there were other customers, they were being helped by someone else because, after all, the customer comes first and is always right.

Got back home and did homework, exchanging emails with a friend who was going to be on Skype a little later. I asked after lunch if I could possible get online to do some research for a project in which we research a non-Roman script, its origins, and its spread (I chose Arabic) AND maybe talk with a friend. Hanako’s computer was a little sick at the time, so Otoosan was working on it (as he usually does when it becomes ill) and afterwards Hanako and he talked on Skype with his mother (her grandmother) who lives in China and only speaks Chinese. After that, they let me use the internet.

This is the comical part. I sat down with my computer and plugged in and unplugged numerous times the internet cord. I had been online before and it was markedly easier then. J It said “poor connection”. I, saddened, got off and walked back to my room, but ran into Otoosan. He asked if I was done and I said it didn’t work. Then HE took me back and had me hook it up again and it worked right off the bat. I really hate when that happens BUT I am thankful for magical people like him. Did some Arabic research, emptied my Earlham email (which is CRAZY because I only check it once every two weeks now-EEK. Opening it up to the multitude of emails makes me feel mildly important until I realize that half of them are listserv announcements and then other half are Bonner announcements, Frisbee stuff, and Earlham Student Government emails).

Played Frisbee with Hanako and Ko when Tsukie and Hanako returned from wherever they had been. She gave me some good pointers on throwing straight and accurately. I am to teach her long distance throws later, but she’s got her thang down, so I’m kind of intimidated. Rain began, so we quit playing. Relaxed, watched some television, and waited until we would leave for dinner at a local sushi restaurant-with, what they call, a sushi train.

J ¥98/plate. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Nikki, can you BELIEVE that?!?!?!?! Mom, can you even COMPREHEND that?!?!??!?! J J J It certainly pays to have Tsukiji fish market a few hours away (if you’re eating seafood anywhere in the world, there’s a good chance it came from Tsukiji, in Tokyo). Tsukie is a sushi PRO. They told me to take whatever I wanted and she also ordered things for her and Hanako and would order an extra plate for me. Every plate has 2 pieces of sashimi (raw fish on top of rice) OR 6 sushi rolls, but mostly sashimi. We were eating roe, white fish, unagi (eel), maguro (tuna), tako (octopus), flounder, other things I didn’t even understand, etc. It was a great small place, so we waited 20 minutes or so for a booth (there were five of us after all). Ko brought his history homework to study from and had Hanako quiz him at one point-ah high school test time…

Had pears and ice cream for dessert at home, a ice cream bar called shirokuma (white bear). Talked with Tsukie and Hanako. Did some homework and went to bed around 11-the norm these days. To bed at 11 (though not asleep usually) and up at 6:30. Usually take a shower at around 9pm because dinner usually lasts from 7pm-8:30pm.

On Monday (9/14), I had to go to Senboku before going to Gandai because on Friday, after the Morioka Board of Education members observed, the teachers went into debrief meetings. I was unable to get my teacher to write his comments on my “Mini Diary”, a required part of “Cross Cultural Educational Perspectives”. (You write any special events that took place during the days you went to your host school, what you did as an ALT, and your own comments on the week. Then you get your teacher to write their comments on your performance and sign their name.)

Gandai had many individuals in suits, there for an economics conference. My bike ride was a bit harrowing-squeezing between people, hoping to GOODNESS that they maintained their path and they saw me and were planning on me maintaining mine. This one man was on an iPod and I had to cautiously go between him and a bus stop bench. Ack. What’s worse is that traffic goes on the left and comes on the right so MY logic (once again, stupidly acting from my own frame of reference rather than considering the Japanese frame of reference) is to go on the left and have everyone come on the right BUT there is a designated, somewhat separated sidewalk “lane” that seems to be for bikes, so then I travel in that lane, but people walk in it so I don’t know WHERE to ride so I usually weave which is (a) dangerous sometimes, (b) confusing, and (c) not helping promote a responsible image of Americans if they can’t follow bike/pedestrian rules.

During lunch, I stupidly called a friend in the US-it’s ¥9/6 seconds and we “talked” for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. 210 seconds x ¥6=¥1260, almost $13.00. Wow. In class, Sensei gave us a few copies of ‘The Earlham Word’, which she received. I SHRIEKED in joy and a man who was part of a lecture that was going on next door came over and asked us to be quiet, but I can’t rightly explain what it means to see a picture from PC skits (MICAH! I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE WRITING FOR ‘THE WORD’-THAT’S AWESOME!!!!), to see an article by and picture taken by Mandi (GREAT WORK!), to read the ‘Cheers and Sneers’, to feel close to somewhere so familiar yet so faraway. It is an amazing thing to receive the paper, Word staff, if any of you are reading or if any of you readers want to tell Judi and any members of the Word staff. It is a blessing and a true joy to see that paper in front of you.

Monday, for us, was mikoshi (shrine carrying). After class, I thought we needed to by our own dinner, so I went to Gandai’s Co-op and bought two onigiri (rice with a center of fish or meat, wrapped in seaweed) and some cookies. Then Tamara wanted to go to Lawson, near Gandai, so Samantha, Ethan, Tamara, and I went there. Got some ice cream bon-bon things, ate them while waiting for Tamara. We had to get to Sensei’s apartment where we were going to snack on some inari zushi (rice wrapped in fried tofu blanket) and then bike to the meeting place for the shrine carrying. I led the pack to Sakanacho (an arcade-like covered mall near where I live; passed Tsukie and Hanako while biking through-they came down to see us off, see the mikoshi, etc). We stashed our bikes outside and our stuff inside of Yuki’s parents’ house, which was SO amazing and convenient (nearby-a block away). We met some of the individuals who were involved with the festival and the mikoshi more specifically. Hung out and chatted with each other, received our parade jackets (we were wearing regular clothes, tennis shoes) which were golden, I think, with a large kanji on the back and kanji spelling “Morioka” down either side of the front edges (where a zipper of buttons would be). Talked with Hanako and Tsukie (who were standing of to the side) about their favorite part of the festival-Hanako likes ichigoame, strawberry candy.

The shrine was BEAUTIFUL-gold phoenix on top and tassels of purple and gold hanging around the four post/corners (thought of Garfield, Erica). The phoenix had some metal parts that clinked together when we rocked the shrine an especially large amount and they created this wonderful metallic ringing. The shrine sat on two long pieces of wood which were perpendicular to four long wooden pieces. These wooden pieces were thick and you can fit 5 people easily in each “section”-the four front sections and the four back sections. Usually, and to the end especially, there were 7 people in each section, but I definitely think that there were more than 56 people carrying the shrine. At the festival, there are certain men in certain lack-of-pants so you can see their behinds and the special underwear concealing their front area from view. Their legs aren’t bad, but sometimes the fact that you’re looking at a man who is nearly naked from the waist down brings you back to reality. To start out, Ethan, Mitchell, and I were all on the same section and the group of SICEers was like, “What?! The three strongest all on the same beam??” Haha… I think you could have the strongest people in the world carrying the shrine and it still would take a toll on them. It’s tough work and it’s great fun.

All the way up, food vendors were on either side and the smells were UNBELIEVABLE!!! Takoyaki (squid inside balls of batter maybe, no that’s not right), yakitori (pieces of chicken on skewers), yakisoba (noodles) all cooked RIGHT THERE on the street…

Sakanacho to Hachimangu shrine is a straight shot up the street-3 or 4 city blocks maybe (but I am a terrible judge of distance). The shrine sits on one shoulder (usually with that arm wrapped around the top of it, if you want to fit in) until the group takes a rest (decided by the main man who stands atop the front wooden sawhorse and guides the shrine towards him with taiko-like drumsticks in the same manner as the workers on the tarmac do with planes). Going towards him, we would pick up the pace a little more and do this stepping dance (kind of like the Lipizzaner stallions in Vienna, if you know them) that made the top clink and the wooden beams crash down on your shoulder if you didn’t squat enough. Often, we overshot the sawhorse and so we would go backwards and try again. After we put it down and before we picked it up to start, we would do a clap together, led by the main man who clapped his taiko drumsticks together. Four time fast, four times fast, four times fast, once, HEAVE. While we walked, also, we would repeat the chant that the men and women walking with us would chant. I know I’m going to butcher this, but it sounded like hisa. We said it in this straight-from-the-gut kind of way.

Often, while walking with the shrine, we would drift one way or the other and the many men and women walking with us would push it back into proper position. Took probably an hour to get up the street (takes 2 minutes TOPS by bicycle every morning I go to Gandai) and it was like nothing I have ever experienced. When we got to the shrine grounds, the three mikoshi and the three dashi (floats) lined up for the ceremony. A man spoke from a lectern above the crowd and the children seated at the front of the floats (5 in each) performed their drumming, led by a man who stood on top of a stand/platform in the middle of the parking lot we were all crowded into. We were all drenched like we had just gone swimming, except Elizabeth and Yuki who walked alongside and photographed our efforts. Sensei, who is shorter than nearly all of us, had sore arms the next day, but never had the shrine sit on her shoulders like the rest of us. J It is held at a certain height-the height of most of the men carrying it (strapping men in their late 20s and 30s and 40s I would say). I learned on the way BACK that bending one’s knees helps to reduce the pounding from the beams.

I tried to switch my placement around to give equal time to both shoulders (loved being close to the middle, close to the shrine), but while I was up with the front section, the leader let me lead at some points because he would rotate the front people through-perhaps the front part is harder. Was great to see the main man look at shorter people and not let them lead.

About a block away from Sakanacho, they turned it around and came back half a block to put the shrine away in its home-behind a steel door (reminiscent of the doors that cover restaurant and shop fronts at night). Once it was in, all participants said Otsukaresamadeshita (Good job! Well done!), we went to Yuki’s parents’ house and picked up our bikes and stuff, and biked up to the shrine for the “after party”.

Elizabeth and Claire left to get home, but the rest of us headed up to a main building right next to where we had pulled the mikoshi in. Inside, we were given 6 packs of beer (Asahi and one other kind), as well as a GINORMOUS PET (plastic) bottle of other beer, tea, evening tea with milk, and juice. The food was a platter of yakisoba, some dumpling like things, egg/pasta something, some vegetables, edamame (Japanese soybeans). For 9 people, it was not enough food, but it was GOOD. We were formally welcomed and witnessed one of the important man nonde (chug beer). We talked with people who came over to introduce themselves, notably a woman and her young daughter who joined us. Yakuza (Japanese mafia) were on our mikoshi and at the party-their tattoos peek out from their sleeves and the neckline of their festival jackets. It’s good to see that even gangsters respect tradition. J

When it was over, we decided we were still hungry, so we went to a ramen shop near Yuki’s parents’ house. I was leading and I ran into this vertical sign (“kusuri” medicine), held in place with a cinder block at its base, outside a shop. I had looked behind to me to see if people were weaving through the cars stopped at the red light okay AND my reaction time wasn’t the greatest after being tired and joining in the festivities. The sign wasn’t damaged. I apologized to the shopkeeper profusely when he came out and we continued on our way.

My curfew had been 11pm and it was 10:25pm, so I called home to explain that we were stopping to get a bite to eat and said 11:15pm was the latest I would be home. Got gyoza that came with rice and soup on the SICE budget. Yuki insists that the SICE budget pay for all communal meals and does SUCH a good job budgeting for us, especially when it comes to food. I ate fast to get home early, (but I AM getting better Mom), and got home just fine. The next day was sore shoulders with some red spot forming at the pressure points.

On Tuesday (9/15), we went to our host schools until 10:45am (when second period ended), then we all followed the map that Yuki had given us the previous day in class to Sakuragai Elementary School at the end of Odoori, near Morioka Station. I stopped at Daiso (hyakuin ¥100 shop) and bought a red pen for correcting homework at school, then continued on. I got caught behind a float proceeding down Odoori, the same one I would alter help with incidentally. J So I wove my way from Odoori to Chudoori, the next busiest road and the road I go down in my commute to Gandai and got ahead of the float.

Was making my way up the sidewalk and saw Tamara outside a VERY interesting store (which has GREAT Halloween costumes…). She was putting on her tabi (socks) and zouri (shoes). We made it to the back of the elementary school and I put mine on and I wanted to pin up my black pants because they are a bit long and I forgot to get them altered before I left America (or it just didn’t make it to the A list of things to do), so Tamara recommended we go to 7-11, just on the last corner. Here, it is 7-11 but ALSO 7&iHoldings. Hmmmm… Tam found ‘em and we were out and I was pinning my pants up and we decided to try the other side of the school because where we were at first didn’t seem like a meeting place.

Saw Claire in full festival garb and she motioned us to join Yuki and her car and nearly EVERYONE ELE across the street. Parked our bikes and joined them. Sensei helped with our festival headwear (tenubui) and pinning it in place (females use pins, men have to have it sown a certain way). Yuki had bought small bags (we cinched and tied on our belts or held on our wrists) in which we could put some money/camera/tissues/handkerchief/etc.) and ponchos (which we put in our small bags).

All participants had a bento box inside the elementary school-inari zushi, sushi, eggs, tofu, soba noodles. YUM. And cold drink-I chose tea. I also helped eat other people’s food. Any surprise there? We ended up having to move our bikes from where we had parked them at the elementary school bike rack-needed to put them elsewhere because the school would be closed when we would come back. Moved them to near the hotel on a close corner BUT I had put my key for the lock in my backpack and my backpack in Yuki’s car and Yuki’s car had driven away. So I carried the hefty thing around the block.

We were then greeted by the man who had helped make the float and he gave our group three handmade keitai charms (cell phone charms), which we all jyan-ken-poned (rock-paper-scissored) for. The man also gave Sensei some stickers with his name and the festival association on them-so cool. He ALSO broke in our shoes (they are actually sandals) for us by bending the shoe itself, bending the front/toe part back towards the body of the shoe.

We were moved into formation as the dashi started moving. It was slow going because every few minutes we would stop and the children would drum and an elder would sing into a microphone (portable-yeah they’re that good). We learned that they were singing the praises of a businesses who had donated a great deal of money to the celebration/festival/dashi creating. P.S. this is the 300^th year that the fall festival has occurred. Yes. Since 1709. THAT’s history.

While we moved, a young child (usually) was singing a song into the mic that we would all echo-“a yada yada yada yada e…” Took about an hour and a half to do a loop that took us down the center lane of Chudoori. We waved to pedestrians and bus riders, etc. When we completed the loop and ended up back at the elementary school, we then kept going for another hour and a half about, on the OTHER side of Odoori towards the park (Iwate Koen). We continued to stop and sing the praises of businesses. People along the sidewalk took pictures or simply stood outside businesses and watched us go by. The woman who carried the mikoshi with us the previous day and sat with us (with her young daughter) was outside a salon (I assume she works at) and she ran over to Tamara and grasped her hand, talking to her and smiling. It’s great to think that even though Morioka is 300,000 people (I found out from Hirata Sensei at the Earlham Society Party; thought it was smaller than Seattle…), it has the feeling of a smaller city. Multiple times during mikoshi and dashi, participants saw friends walking on the sidewalk or friends saw them, to their surprise. It was wonderful.

Right before we turned into the park, it began to sprinkle slightly. We dropped the rope and the festival experts “taxied” the float in, covering it with a plastic raincoat of its own. Very carefully they would push poles with softened ends from the inside to move the rain sheath over the float-the flowers, tree branches, dragons, and samurai/famous brave man figure. Exquisite. We put on our ponchos and for our break, before starting the parade, we went to Mister Donut. Donuts in Japan-lighter, more varied kinds, more professional and cleaner atmosphere. We all enjoyed 2, 3, or 6 (in Tamara’s case). Some had drinks too-melon soda (always) for Claire, coffee for Tamara.

We had to be back by 5:30 for the 6pm start. We had about an hour. When we got back, we all stood around (like we could blend in) and it was raining a little, but it was still joyous-sang American rap songs and did little rap dancing (think “Thriller” mixed with “Umbrella” mixed with the snap from “Superman”, mixed with soranbushi, which is an energetic dance junior high schoolers dance when they graduate; think Hukilau (spelling?) but faster). When we sung “Umbrella” (by Rhianna, if you want to look it up) though, it began to POUR. No joke. A man from our float came up to us and danced with us a little, but most of our gaijin (foreigner) tribe huddled under a very minimally sheltered park map sign. I’m sure we conveyed a great image of Americans to observers…

All these young children came up to talk with us and I ended up talking to one 4^th grader for 10 or 15 minutes about Tokyo Disneyland and America and the festival and school (goes to Senboku Elementary School). Though it was dusky, parents were not watching their children to any great extent. They are not as coddled, protected, watched, overseen here. They play together most of the time, so it is safe I suppose. Also, there is an immense trust between all the festival participants I think. Every individual plays an important role.

Walking in the parade was amazing. We were in pretty much the same places on the right rope (as you look at the float) (the float is led by two ropes carried by about 50 people each). There are the people leading each float, carrying lanterns, the people walking amidst the ropes, the people “pulling”. We walked much faster for the parade which was nice. I had the image that we would be exerting great strength and was PUMPED by that idea-there are five men who are the front of the float, literally pulling like oxen. I thought we were doing that. Down Odoori we went-sidewalks were LINED with people, much the same way as for any parade anywhere else. Taking lots of pictures, waving, smiling, congregated despite the falling rain. Mayor was leaning out of an upper window at one point, waving. Turned at the end and headed to Chudoori the opposite direction as we had when we FIRST set out from the middle school some five hours ago. Down Chudoori as the last float. Went towards the city hall, hung a left, right, left and down a quiet street to the covered area where they kept that particular float (close to the park where we had set out from). Without our noticing, the other floats had disappeared to their respective resting places for the evening (the same places where they had been constructed). The festival personnel had us stop pulling and backed the float in to it’s “parking spot”, which is in a parking lot next to a community center-like place. We got there around 7:30pm and soon after, Yuki took some students back to the bikes while Sensei took Tamara and I by taxi. Claire’s home was close, so she walked home. Used the poncho to cover my backpack and pulled my raincoat and rain pants out of backpack to keep myself dry. Felt good to be prepared, especially since the emphasis is on not getting sick. It was POURING.

Tamara wanted to go to the festival at Hachimangu-booths of food at the shrine during the entire three day bout of goodness that was mikoshi (Monday), dashi (Tuesday), and yabusame (Wednesday, I’m getting to that). BUT by the time we got back to our bikes and it was pouring and she realized she would have to go all the way to the shrine and then all the way back to that same spot again (which was very close to home), she decided against it, but we decided we would go to yabusame and the festival the next day.

Wednesday (9/16). Yabusame is archery on horseback. Pretty much the coolest thing ever. That’s at least what it sounded like. After my half day at Senboku (as every Wednesday is), I opened my phone to a message from Elizabeth asking if I was going (as we had also planned) and from Tamara asking me to meet her somewhere as she wasn’t completely sure how to get to Hachimangu. I told Elizabeth, yes I was coming, I just had to pick up Tamara first. I told Tamara I would meet her at Daiso on Odoori in 15 minutes. Now Daiso takes 15 minutes from my home, but longer from Senboku, but like usual, I underestimate my travel time because apparently I think I can fly. When I realize that I won’t get there in 15 minutes (which is when I am near Sakanacho, down the street from the shrine-I saw some yabusame taking place while riding past-great costumes, great speed, great crowd cheering), I ask Tamara if she can get to Iwate Koen and I’ll meet her there. I get to Iwate Koen in 5 more minutes and wait 5 minutes, then continue to Daiso (run into Tsukie and Hanako who are on their way to a movie) and wait for five more minutes. I call her twice. No answer. No response emails. I go back to Iwate Koen and wait 5 minutes. Then I get a message from Elizabeth saying she thinks yabusame is over. Now, this was an optional event. We didn’t go together as a group, but the idea of ARCHERY on HORSEBACK is just to good an opportunity to pass up in my opinion. So I was excited.

Hoping that Elizabeth was somehow wrong and they were just taking a break, I sent Tamara a message that I was heading back to the shrine and I tried calling her one more time. Then I booked it back. When I parked my bike on the sidewalk outside, I noticed a blue Earlham bike nearby. In the basket was a drink Tamara likes, but I thought “No WAY. It can’t be…”

Oh yes it can. I message Elizabeth that I was at the shrine (she had gone to a nearby grocery on the way home), but she came back and we met and while we were eating some dango (mochi ball) she had bought earlier from a vendor, I spotted Tamara as she spotted us.

I was pretty upset too and if you know me, I don’t let on that I am upset very easily because often, it’s a waste of energy and time. But I had REALLY wanted to see yabusame and it had started at 1 and I leave Senboku at 1:15 on Wednesdays and I would have LOVED to have gone straight to it rather than WAIT for someone else. I am more than happy to wait, but I don’t appreciate being made to wait when that person has already made their way and does not NEED me to wait any longer.

It turns out her cell phone had died. It was charging using her portable charger in her bicycle basket as we spoke. That I didn’t understand. Why she couldn’t send me a simple message telling me she had arrived was beyond me. It still is. But I don’t know how her phone or portable charger works. Maybe you can’t do that.

So we moved on and enjoyed the festival together and it was great-bought round crispy thin wafers stuck together with honey, strawberry dippin’ dots, , rang the shrine gongs after throwing in money (¥10), looked at protective charms, made our ¥1 float (the secret, thanks to Tamara, is to put it in the water slowly-it means we are lucky), bought ¥100 fortunes (all three of us had good ones; then tied them as we were supposed to do to a string/pole/tree nearby). We prayed tot eh gods of leisure and hard work and to our respective zodiac signs (and this is where I found out that Tamara and Elizabeth are my senpai (superiors) and I am their koohai (subordinate)). We bought hiroshimayaki, like okonomiyaki, but more burrito shaped and less pancake. Sat down further down the row and had great conversation with an older gentleman and another man who came by later. Had some sake (bought it for the tulip-decorated bottle). After 20 minutes, we all left and I bought ice cream for my senpai, Elizabeth, and Tamara bought abe, candied fruit. I saw cream puffs and thought of you, Mike. Wish I could put one in my pocket and bring it back for you.

Took about an hour nap after I got home. We watched an episode of dubbed ‘Gossip Girl’ (Yeah, that’s right Liz.) that came as part of a 3-episode set with ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Veronica Mars’ with Hanako’s favorite magazine, ElleGirl-(it’s like the Blue Dolphin all over again, right CE? The afternoons! The evenings! The 2:30 in the mornings! How I MISS you guys!). It was the pilot of ‘Gossip Girl’ (which we STILL have to watch, Katherine!) and it felt good to see it-just a little bit of familiarity is always nice.

Thursday (9/17) (almost done, I promise!) I ran with Hanako in the morning and then we went to the nearby morning market to buy apples. We were able to try two different kinds and the community was great-like a farmer’s market. Every day except Monday from around 5am (maybe) to 8:30am. There is also an evening market, but it is not as popular. I left a little later than I would have like for Gandai, so I was going to go to the post office and exchange money, but I did not have enough time. AND 15 minutes in, I realized I forgot my Japanese folder, which contained some homework that was due for the day. Grr. I thought about how I could let I ruin my day and for a little while, I was very grrrrr about it. But I also knew that a more productive way to deal was to tell Matsubayashi Sensei the situation, let her know I completed it, and contribute positively to whatever class discussion occurred. So that’s what I did. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who forgot. The worksheet was assigned nearly a month ago and you know what happens sometimes when you assign something with a far off deadline…

During our break (class lasts from 9-10:20am, then 10:40am-noon; afternoon Earlham class is 1pm-2:20, then 2:40-4pm but we usually go from 1-2:30, take 5-10 minutes, and go until 4pm. Oh slave driver Kuriya Sensei), I went down to the library floor and looked around at the magazines, to get a change in scenery. Ended up right in front of a special edition focusing on Eric Clapton. What a coincidence, right Eric?

During lunch, I tried the ATM and HOORAH withdrawal with no additional fees for using an overseas debit card. SCORE!!!!!!!!! Money was needed for the upcoming trip with my host family to Tokyo Disneyland (more on that later later). It had a limit, which I hope is just a per person per day limit, because I will need to take out more prior to the Hiroshima/Kyoto/Tokyo trip of September 26-October 5.

Earlham class included Sugawara Sensei (who is from the Board of Education and who gave us the lecture at Aiina, the library/community center/office building) who had some very interesting things to say about the Japanese education system. (During class, Nicole had The Time Traveler’s Wife out on top of her books (she probably read it during break) and I thought of you, CE J). Sugawara Sensei talked about how education/school is really at the center where discipline is concerned-the police call the homeroom teacher first, they call the principal, and THEN the parents are called. Having that external support system outside of the home is SO very practical. Watching teachers interact with students at Senboku has been a daily gift. They care. And they take their (multiple) job(s) very seriously.

So far, I have done a great job prioritizing my time (I feel a lot of things have come together on this trip), realizing that something small and miniscule CAN be done later and I can do more important things at the moment, like sleeping. J In Japanese class, an important point was talked about a great deal-the idea of silence and how it is characteristically American to try to fill it unnecessarily. In Japan, space is valued. Empty space is valued. It is a luxury. I realize that I was, in the past, trying to pack too many words, pictures, and THINGS into my life. Wat I really needed was space, a place to pause.

Tonight was a night of dinner and the “Gilmore Girls” episode (ah, Zeze, sweet memories). We ordered pizza (took Hanako, Tsukie, and I a GREAT deal of time to decide. We tried to call Ko for his opinion, but his phone was off. When we were all home, however, I made the call (with Tsukie’s help, Italian Special) and felt accomplished, though I thought they would talk faster and I would feel more inept. They had a coupon, so we got it a little cheaper, which is always nice.

Friday (9/18) was the day of observation at Senboku by Kuriya Sensei, Yuki, and Sugiwara Sensei. In addition, Emiko Sensei (the third year English teacher I have been working with) led them to the class and stayed to watch and the vice principal stopped by. It went very well. I have realized (another realization!) that I do best when I either a) do not know something monumental or important is coming or b) am NOT told weeks and weeks in advance. That time is used to psyche myself up and that’s just never good. No stress. It only kills you faster, right Sean? They were pleased with my performance (I was assisting in a first year class-a lesson I was helping with for the fourth time). They even joked I had a job waiting for me after graduation.

Thinking about WHAT I want to do in the future has been something I have thought about minimally while I have been here. I never thought I would want to teach in the future, but I do love kids (of all ages) and I love helping people. But I was (and still am) wanting to travel and go into social work.

One student (a third year) wrote me a letter on Wednesday and I wrote back, giving her the letter on Friday. She is going to take part in the Morioka-Indiana exchange and will be visiting Indiana and Earlham College in October. She wants to be a cabin attendant, so she must learn English. She has danced classical ballet since age 5 and she can play the piano and electronic organ. WOW. I told her that when she goes to Indiana, she should take many pictures and write about her experiences. Reading diary entries and seeing pictures from the past have always been helpful in remembering life moments and memories more clearly.

I came home to Lady Borden chocolate ice cream for break time. Tsukie’s mother came again for dinner (her name is Yukiko) and we had hot plate for dinner-a tabletop grill-like contraption. During dinner, there was television on at one point and a commercial was for Lotte, these chocolates that Dad had at one point-made me think of you and that sweets shelf. J I talked with Hanako and Tsukie about sleeping in because I didn’t want to get sick and I was tired (I still am, but less so), so I slept until 9, which was WONDERFUL though I woke up naturally at 7:30am (grrr), but I went back to sleep (YAY!). For the first time, at Hanako and Tsukie’s insistence, I tried out the bath. Wow. Nice. Very nice. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Today (Saturday, September 19, 2009), as I finish this up, this undertaking of all undertakings…Threw a Frisbee around with Hanako and Tsukie-more practice with straight throws by me and then we practiced long throws for Hanako. Tsukie was the target. J The wind posed a problem rarely, though it was quite strong at first. Warm outside though, so could have played for MUCH longer. Lunch was soba noodles. Then Hanako and Tsukie and I left, by bike, to go to KARAOKE!!!! It’s a cheap place between Senboku and the mall, pretty much just around the corner and then ten minutes straight. 2 Senboku girls saw me from across the street, called to me, waved, and smiled. I returned their good nature-they really are a joyous people, the Japanese.

I sang “Mamma Mia!” (yes mother, I did think of you J), Sorafune (“sky ship”-a song I sang as part of senior year Japanese class in high school), Coldplay’s “Yellow” (Mike, I have told Hanako and Tsukie a great deal about Coldplay and how it’s your favorite band and how because my brother loves it and we went to a RAUCOUSAWESOME concert, it has become a favorite of mine too-it always brings me warmth to talk about you J), Timbaland featuring One Republic’s “Apologize” (YEAH CE!!! I can’t wait to watch the video with you again soon J), Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and “Skater Boi” because my host sister likes her, and Abba’s “Dancing Queen”. I looked for Tegan and Sara (E Frye, that’s for you), Old Crow Medicine Show (Go Micah!), and saw Bloc Party (LP-that’s all you and your ROCKIN’ car and those ROCKIN’ nights J).

Then I biked to Ethan’s host family’s house for a BBQ-DELICIOUS food and drink (practically chugged a can of grape cider after getting there I was so parched), Mitchell, Samantha, Tamara, plus Ethan’s host uncle and his daughter (8 year old Runa). I left karaoke at about 3:45 and tried to follow the simple map Otoosan had shown me to get from the Aeon area to Odoori. I could then get to Gandai and the soba shop past Gandai where we had stopped after the junior high school track meet on 9/1 and then Ethan had given me directions from there. Well I somehow didn’t go the right way and ended up on Odoori by the bus center (15 minutes from home), so I had to go a little further than I had planned. I checked my phone at around 4:20 and Ethan had sent me two messages asking where I was and why I didn’t pick up my phone when he called. So I called him back telling him I was okay and I was on my own (I was almost to the corner where I turn to go to Gandai so I was only 15 or 20 minutes away). I stopped at Yamazaki, a convenience store, to pick up some ice cream as an omiyage (gift), so I told that to Ethan and FINALLY I made it to his house. I was later than everyone else (it had originally started at 2:30pm and I got there around 4:40pm), but his host parents were very hospitable and I said “I’m sorry” and “Thank you” a great deal and I definitely meant it. Yakitori and hot plate BBQ meat and rice and apples and grapefruit was the spread. Delicious. Subarashiii has been my favorite word for some time now-it means “wonderful”.

Had good conversation with Ethan’s Otoosan and headed out around 6pm in order to get back before dinner. It was growing dark, but it was a good commute back, home by 6:35pm. J Dinner was a little late (~8:30pm) because WE MADE GYOZA (POTSTICKERS). OH MY GOODNESS. SO AWESOME. Watched the “Veronica Mars” episode (The first episode of season 2, CE. I am HOOKED. Now all I need is you and your computer and Saturday afternoons. And Liz, you too most definitely!). The family also began watching this hilariously violent movie from Hong Kong-a RIOT. Shower and laundry. Blog writing. Sleep. Tomorrow is Sunday (9/20) and ramen for breakfast at the morning market with Hanako and Ko’s piano concert in the afternoon.

Sorry about the lateness of this blog. It will get busier in the future and I fear I will be apologizing more. The break coming up prior to the Kyoto/Hiroshima/Tokyo trip is Monday (9/21-Respect for the Aged Day), Tuesday (9/22-I think a day to celebrate country), and Wednesday (9/23-I think a day to celebrate fall). On Tuesday and Wednesday, we are going to Tokyo Disneyland. Thursday (9/24) is a regular day at Gandai and Friday (9/25) is a regular day at our host schools. Then we are off to Hiroshima September 26-27, Kyoto September 28-30, and independent travel (the majority of us are going to Tokyo and staying in a hostel together in Asakusa) October 1-5. I will be meeting up with Yoko, an exchange student who came to live with my mom and me when she was 18 and I was around 8 and stayed with us for around 3/3.5 years. I will also be trying to go to Nagano to see the snow monkeys near the hot springs and meeting up with a friend who graduated from Earlham in 2008 (was a Japanese Studies major) and has recently moved to Japan (August). It should be a good chance for further bonding, sightseeing, and exploration.

Hope things are going well! Love and safety to all of you! Wow. 16 pages in Word in 11 point font. Wish I could do this with every subject, EVERY paper. Y’all are just special and important. J Take care!

Humdiddly Scrumptious

2009-09-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

So I’m writing this as I sit and listen to my host brother play the piano AND I’ve finished all my homework which feels TERRIFICALLY ODD. It’s great to be in a house of music and a musician who knows he must practice and does and sounds great. I remember what it was like to practice and practice for a concert. Actually it was more of prac for a concert. J He must perform on September 20^th completely from memory a piece that sounds a little Bach. But I forget the name. A serenade I think…

I am writing these entries a week behind basically. So Sunday seems to work well to write and I sit at my computer and type away in Word. Then at some point, I find internet (at Gandai or at Sensei’s apartment) and post it up. AND the internet often is squirrely so you get things like what happened with my last entry (“BBQ and BANZAI”) and I think it hasn’t posted because it doesn’t look like it has posted, so I post it again and blogspot ends up with two of the EXACT SAME ENTRIES and then I can’t figure out how to delete it or I don’t have time to or SOMETHING. Overall, Japan internet doesn’t do too well with blogs. I apologize because you’re probably like “WOW. SHE WROTE SO MUCH! YAY! But why did she title it the same…” Sorry, folks.

This past week, it was time for all of us to get excited about the junior high school track meet (Tuesday, 9/1). It was POURING Monday 8/31, so the meet was maybe going to be cancelled. But it wasn’t because the rain stopped!! HOORAH!!! 20 junior high schools, (all in Morioka-and we teach at nine of them! YEAHHHH!), come together once a school year for THE community even to end all community events. It takes place at this stadium some 15 minutes from Gandai (so we all met at Gandai at 12:40pm; didn’t go to host school because of the meet all classes are cancelled and the ENTIRE school is expected to show up; more on this soon…) and rode together to the track meet (with the directions Yuki gave us on Monday in class). Elizabeth and Claire were driven by Yuki and we ALMOST beat them there (not really), but we DID look like a mighty fine biker gang (7 of us plus Sensei cruising down the sidewalk).

The stadium isn’t like the two sided ones you usually find in America (there are SOME exceptions), but this stadium struck me because it was SO inclusive of everyone participating and watching. We, first of all, parked our bikes a little ways away (there were MANY bikes, so I figured it was a good spot to put all of ours) and walked a few minutes to the stadium. It had the energy and volume and feel of a professional track meet/sporting event/concert/you name it. These students had been there since 8am (and it was now 1:20pm) and they were going like they had JUST arrived. The spectators (as in, not from the junior high schools) sit on bleacher-like seats that face the track and field. And completing the rest of the circle, if you will, are bleachers seating the 20 junior high schools (19 because my host school was out with influenza; but our runners still ran!). School size varies from 200something to 600something. So figure the average times 19. WOW. Every student had on their school uniforms (which vary from light and dark green to yellow to crimson to navy blue to teal, etc.); boys were seated on the right half of the student body, girls on the left; all runners were cheered on, supported, showed appreciation.

So we sit down in the spectator bleachers and watch the beauty unfold. 100m dash, long jump, 100m hurdles (WOW). The great thing about any organized activity in Japan is that it is ORGANIZED. When the Japanese do anything, they do it RIGHT. I was watching the students line up to test their marks for the long jump. Girls in one line on one long jump pit, boys in the other. They came out from underneath the bleachers, from a room or gathering area, in a single file line. Each student had a marker they placed down prior tot heir test run/jump. And everyone in line was ALREADY in the order of jumping. That is, the students were lined up closet jumper to furthest jumper. It was BEAUTIFUL. No one needed to ask an adult questions. No one held up the line. No one forgot where to put their marker. No one balked. No one strayed. No one LOST FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND. The Japanese could WRITE A BOOK on concentration, on efficiency, on doing what is the quickest/fastest/most logical. And it is a SHOW to be sure.

Everyone gets to go sit with their host schools and watch with their students and fellow teachers. I sat with Yuki and Kuriya Sensei and Sugiwara Sensei (the woman from the Board of Education who had presented to us at Aiina (library/community center/office building) August 19th). Then, before the 200m started, Yuki wanted me to go back and get our SICE students, so I did (they times me, but I never knew how long it took; probably 8 minutes if that; walked around the top of the stadium as we had done to “drop off” people). We then watched the mile run and the two mile run and the 200m and 100m relays. And this is where the show REALLY began. You don’t know cheering until you’ve seen schools yell in unison (and these are JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS), move in unison, cheer the same thing at the same time, hold up colored cards to make DESIGNS within the group (akin to the Opening Ceremony for the Beijing Olympics 2008)… One school, Fuzoku, had SCROLLING LETTERS (2-3 at a time) spelling “FUZOKU FIGHT WIN” “WINNER” and then a big “F” that changed color because the students would flip their colored cards upside down OR would remove their jackets to have a different colored shirt underneath to create contrast. Schools displayed their kanji (the Chinese symbols that symbolize words), “GO”, “V” for victory, etc. IT. WAS. PHENOMENAL. JAW-DROPPING. SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR.

So needless to say, we were on a high from THAT when we left at 4pm or so. People were hungry, so we decided to stop at a soba (noodle) place on the way “home”. Yuki said we could get a plate of gyoza (potstickers) and ramen (noodle soup) on the SICE budget. Some people, like Starving Indian Child Abhi, got two meals (gyoza and fried rice), then we mistakenly were given ANOTHER meal so he ate that too (he tried to pay Yuki extra and she took it, I think). I had gyoza and ice cream (aisu) because you can never go wrong with some good dairy. Gots to get my pyramid requirement you know. We split ways there-some went back to Gandai because they knew how to get home from there (some 5 minutes more), some went home from the soba place because home was close, others went elsewhere and then went home…

Wednesday (9/2) was “Let’s Get Our Alien Registration Card” Day, much like National Chocolate Milkshake Day, but that’s not until September 12^th. Elizabeth and I decided to go together a while ago and we stuck to our plans even though the rest of the group had said they would go on Thursday after class. So after our half days, we met (her host school is right behind my house and she lives a 20-minute walk away) and took the bus together to the shyakusho (city hall), where we had gone on August 18^th and applied for le registracion card. She wanted to stop for a McDonald’s burger, so we did. J Some familiarity is sometimes necessary, though I feel McD’s here is very different.

That’s another thing I like about this place. We take the bus three quarters of the way, walk one third, walk into the office, present our documents that told us to go there (and had other information about us) and they handed them right over, taking them out of a nearby file cabinet. We checked the information against our passports, found no errors, thanked the man who had assisted us, and walked out. No joke, it was less than two minutes. We didn’t wait, we weren’t told to hang on because some woman named Mildred knew where the papers were and she was on her lunch break, we weren’t looked at rudely, not that any of these things happen with any glaring regularity in America. We were treated with respect, efficiency, and thoroughness. It’s all protocol.

We had walked past JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) en route to city hall, so we walked back because Elizabeth wanted to inquire about a train pass for her time in Tokyo (during our independent travel time October 1-5 following our group trip to Kyoto and Hiroshima September 26-30). I then asked about the monkey spa, which confused the woman who was helping us. There is a hot spring where baboons are found, in the mountains, beautiful when covered in snow. Turns out it’s in Nagano, to the west of Tokyo, so I want to go there during the break as well as see Yoko (who is outside of Tokyo in Saitama). It should be doable, I just have to work out the train and bus logistics. Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Ueda, from Ueda to Nagano. Train from Nagano to a small town where the hot springs are. Bus to the hot springs. Yay!

While we were asking about all of our curiosities, Claire saw us from outside, came in to join us, sat with us while we asked about train passes and monkey spas, and then we went to Daiso (hyaku en shoppu) and then through Iwate koen because Elizabeth wanted to take some more pictures, like of this huge boulder with a rope around it that apparently shows a demon’s hand when it rains…

On Thursday (9/3) morning, I ran with Hanako for the first time. Good, but could have gone faster. But was a little sore from it. Spent the majority of my transit time and “free” time this summer biking, not running.

In class, we received feedback from Yuki regarding the host family meetings she and Kuriya Sensei had Wednesday night. Doing well so far. Haven’t done too much wrong. J Before Yuki met with us individually, the two of them gave some broad statements. Many families worried about the picky eating habits of their students, messy rooms, laundry, etc. I have so far LOVED trying new things, keep a very tight ship, and do my laundry once a week. No problems there I think. Tsukie (my host mother) had mentioned food (apparently I was eating a lot or she was wondering if I ate like I do ALWAYS) and me being reserved/quiet sometimes. So when I returned home that night (after dinner at Sensei’s-see below), I talked to Tsukie and Otoosan (father) about the fact that I could do with less food and that when I am tired, I become quiet.

We had all decided to have dinner at Sensei’s apartment after class, so she told us to bring our computers if we wanted to use her wireless (which Abhi set up when we arrived there). The group was going to go get their Alien Registration Cards, but when class finished at 4, Ethan and Mitchell needed to go home and get the sheets of paper one needs if one wants to pick up their Card. So they were going to meet Abhi at Sensei’s apartment. Because Elizabeth and I had already gone and Claire didn’t want to take the bus down there and have to bus back to Sensei’s, the two of them walked and I rode to Sensei’s apartment. Nicole and Tamara and Samantha were going to go to city hall because Tamara knew the way and could lead. I don’t know if they made it in time before city hall closed (at 5pm).

We had a wonderful dinner of okonomiyaki (pancake-like concoction; has noodles, egg, ham, onions, shrimp, etc, at least this version did). WONDERFUL. I checked email and Facebook (a little) and posted my blog and we listened to Kanye West (R&B, hip-hop, rapper) on YouTube. We’re so silly.

On Friday (9/4), I helped Itoh Sensei, the third year teacher whom I will be working with in November, with two English classes, sat in on her homeroom and her 5^th period (with her homeroom class), and helped clean. Cleaning involves moving all the desks back, sweeping, moving all the desks forward, and dusting and washing the blackboard. Every school has designated cleaning time at the end of the day and today was an extra special day because once a year, they wax the floors of the classrooms. So all the desks, bookshelves, etc. were moved out and the students washed and scrubbed and then waxing took place, done by three student volunteers (girls). Itoh Sensei and I talked extensively about the differences between American schools and Japanese schools-the education system in general. Homeroom teachers are very close with their students, closer even than parents sometimes. Police call the homeroom teacher when a child is in trouble, for instance. Also, teachers enter the student’s domain (classroom) and respect the students. Then the students enter the teacher’s domain (teacher’s room) and show respect to them there. They are respectful of the teachers and listen to them and don’t fell ruled by them, in my opinion.

This whole week, we were getting excited about MOUNTAIN CLIMBING because we were set to climb 2000km high Mount Iwate (Iwate san) on Saturday (yesterday, 9/5). Kuriya Sensei and 6 of us climbed Iwate san (Tamara, Samantha, Elizabeth, Ethan, Claire, and myself). The other option, Himekami san, was the choice of Mitchell and Nicole. Abhi chose to not participate and spent his day doing other recreational activities). We were told Iwate san would take about 9 or 10 hours round trip and Himekami san would be 4 or 5 hours. For reference, Mount Fuji (Fuji san) is about 3500km, but my conversion tool on my phone shows that 2000km equals some 65,000 feet and I just don’t think that’s right. Tsukie was to drive Ko (my host brother) and I to Iwate san because he wanted to climb it too (host family members were more than welcome). We woke at 4:30am, left by 5:30am, and arrived at the parking lot/trailhead at a little before 6. The guides (6 of them) introduced themselves and talked a little about how they wanted the climb to go (slowly; if you feel sick/injured, tell them immediately), then we introduced ourselves, we took a bathroom break, and then we set out. I AM SO GLAD KO AND I BROUGHT POLES (called “stock”-sutokku). It became steep and became steeper. When we reached the first rest stop, the leader informed us that there were 10 such stops. This was the first of ten. Tsukie and Otoosan had given us candy (sweets were recommended to keep up energy) and Tsukie had packed 2 onigiri (rice balls with a center of fish or meat, wrapped in seaweed) for each of us as well as an egg. I also took a banana and an apple.

It was tough going. Upwards and upwards. Rocky and unstable sometimes. But the speed was great. The guides did a wonderful job (this company has led SICE students on the Iwate climb and Himekami climb for a number of years) and we arrived at stage 8 at 11:30am, where bathrooms existed and a glacier-fed tap flowed freely. From there, we could see the top, only two more stages away. Food was good to eat here, though at every stage, we had taken drinks of water and sweets were passed around. Good energy, good humor.

The top was an AMAZING sight. In the process of going up, from stage 1 upwards, we went into the clouds. We breathed in cloud. At the top, we could see Morioka in the distance and the greenness that is so strikingly beautiful of the not-so-urban landscape. While climbing, around stages 4 and 5, we could see the parking lot (and cars) and bathroom facilities oh so far down behind us. THAT was cool.

Going down was harder. Controlling oneself on rocks that gave easily was treacherous sometimes. It makes sense why Kuriya Sensei and Erin (Program Associate at Earlham) and Yuki said that it is a difficult climb, that it tests you, that it is one of the more difficult things you will do on SICE. Some people had a great deal of trouble. There were tears at times. There was pure courage at others. The two definitely went together on multiple occasions. To be afraid but keep going, to fear falling but keep trekking, to have your heart pound, but keep putting one foot in front of the other-that is pure inspiration. THAT is SICE 2009. People had aching body parts, sore feet, bugs buzzing around their heads, hungry stomachs, but we all kept going.

We emerged into the parking lot in the gathering darkness (used flashlights for the last 15 minutes) at around 6:30pm. 12 hours later, we had seen clouds and the moon. We saw bright flowers and new growth and changing leaves and we saw ground by flashlight.

My host brother said it was easy, but it was not a walk in the park. I was drenched with sweat, but it felt good to know one has exerted effort. We are both sore today, as I write this. Quads and calves. We both have sunburned faces and my neck is pink too. I also have a great farmer’s tan going on from climbing in a t-shirt.

Today, Sunday 9/6, was a day of homework mostly, with breaks for laundry and an art museum visit with Tsukie and Hanako. It was not draining, time-consuming homework. It is reading and analysis and summarizing and question-forming. Tamara, Claire, and myself “present” tomorrow in “Literacy in Japanese”. We each read one part of a three segmented assignment (various readings in a packet that was made for us for the semester), orally summarize it, and create questions to prompt discussion in class. In addition to it being “our day”, we also had to summarize each reading and write our own comments in a journal that we turn into Kuriya Sensei after class. We have the same kind of packet thing for “Cross-Cultural Education Perspectives”.

I wish I could read all about YOUR lives. I hope they are going well. And if they are not, please do not hesitate to write me an email if you need someone to talk to. J You all keep me going and inspire me and many others on a daily basis. Thank you. May you continue to shine bright and reach high.

BBQs and BANZAI!

2009-09-03T01:58:00.000-07:00

School at Senboku Junior High School (a 5 minute bike ride away) is going well-all 1.5 days of it so far. Gandai University will be tough, but manageable. Our Literacy in Japanese class is JAPN431. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. Numbers that start with 4 SCARE ME. Especially if they are three digits and taught by Yasumi Kuriya (Kuriya sensei). BUT both Literacy in Education class (Literacy) and Cross Cultural Educational Perspectives class (Education) require immense reading (well not YET) and will require us to lead discussions in class, etc. Not too big of projects though. I am hoping that this means they want us to focus on the host school experience and host family experience. That would be logic to me. But I also think that you should wear brightly colored shoes, plaid shorts, and a striped top, with a rainbow-colored headband to top it off and we know that THAT’S not logical, now is it? J But it sure is fun.

That’s something I can’t quite get used to. We can’t wear jewelry at our host schools, so I brought no necklaces or earrings or bracelets. No adornment basically. Others brought some because we can wear things at Gandai, but I didn’t want to have to remember “Oh, today I can’t wear anything.” One more thing to remember, one more thing to juggle, one more thing (or many things) to bring on the plane/remember to pack, on more thing to potentially lose. All that jazz. So I am running very simply. I brought only what I needed, literally. Nothing is on my walls. I don’t have clutter. And I feel very calm. I feel like I can handle the world. Maybe this is what life could be like if I only bought from Crate & Barrel and IKEA…

Perhaps what I was missing those past four semesters was a sense of place. A recognition that where I sleep and study should be as productive as possible and as conducive to living as I can make it. I also have made my bed my sleeping area and my desk my studying area (another way to distress and compartmentalize, which is a GOOD THING sometimesJ). I also have found myself being more logical in doing homework so far. I read the whole assigned chapter, for instance, making notes in the margin like always. If there are questions I must answer for the chapter, key words to define, etc, I look at those BEFORE starting to read. In this way, I familiarize myself with what is expected of me. And if I need to find a word I forgot to circle/mark (in order to remember its placement in the text), I start skimming the chapter FROM THE BEGINNING. It really is more efficient that way, for me at least, thus far. It has kept frustration at bay and homework time down…

I bought tennis shoes and shorts (The tennis shoes are 8s in the US and 28s here. Quite large. I think they might be a man’s size…The shorts go down just past my knees AND THEY HAVE POCKETS and look VERY much like Japanese school shorts-maybe I’ll fit in now J) on our day off (Tuesday (8/25), so we could ease into the university and host school madness). My host sister and I want to go running. She plays Ultimate (YEAHHHHYERRRR!!!) at her university in Yokohama and wants to stay in shape over her summer vacation, though it’s so short I don’t see how anyone could get out of shape ESPECIALLY when biking is such a popular form of transportation. Like Nicole said, “We’re biking so much, we’ve got to lose something SOMEWHERE.” So I got me some tennis shoes (adidas) and some sweet shorts. And now it’s turning cooler, so bully for me.

Came home in the pouring rain on Friday (8/28) after going to a hyaku en shop, like a dollar store, (hyakin), and buying some folders with translucent pockets for class and some notebooks and a bento (lunchbox) and some lime green hashi (chopsticks) with a carrying case (SCORE!) and a lime green canteen (because students cannot carry PET bottles in school (plastic drink bottles from the vending machines, mentioned later). All for under ¥1000 ($10). School club activities were cancelled due to influenza. It has broken out in Japan and in Morioka (more of our primary concern due to our location). One student at Senboku has it, so alcohol is everywhere in order to sterilize hands and kill any germs. After we get home, we must wash our hands and gargle. Yes, let’s not get pig flu shall we?

While I was biking, while I am biking, while I bike in the future, I turn heads. We all turn heads. Or rather, we keep heads fixed in our direction. When we all return, it will be strange to not be stared at, ESPECIALLY by younger kids. (The itty bitty ones walking around with their HUGE knapsacks, everyone has the same one, and their hats, sometimes yellow.) Middle school-aged students generally try to talk in English and high school students do too, even more enthusiastically. They also wave. And smile. It is all very sweet. And it is good to be in the minority.

Saturday (8/29) was a barbecue, hosted by E-Club (Earlham Club, composed of past and present host families) at a park that was outside the city. The barbecue was not the American BBQ idea, which most of us thought and most of us weren’t that excited about. In true Japanese fashion, it was better. Over charcoal (lit on fire by a vacuum of some kind), was a metal plate-like flat surface. On top of which, we put all sorts of different meats (niku) and vegetables (yasai) like sprouts, peppers, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots…and yakisoba noodles. And we cooked it all and we ate it and it was AMAZING. SO VERY GOOD. Some people brought their own drinks, omusubi/onigiri (rice balls wrapped up in seaweed with, usually, some kind of meat or vegetable at the center of the rice), chocolate (especially a crispy waffle-like concoction with chocolate in the center-sometimes found cold in vending machines, with ice cream in the middle, like in the Narita train station)…Then, after we were all so full we couldn’t move, we played some team games like one person blows up a balloon, they run to a bench and their partner pops it, then they run back and tag the next pair, hoping to win before the other team of pairs; a plastic-egg-carrying-on-a-spoon race, etc. A wooden child’s toy with a ball on the end of a string provided great balance and coordination practice.

We played on some wooden and rope structures-rediscovered my love of bouldering and maneuvering and balance. Then the SICE students pow-wowed and we decided we would go out and to karaoke that evening, anyone who didn’t have plans with their host family. Claire did and Elizabeth wanted to get reading done for Monday, so Abhi, Tamara, Samantha, Mitchell, Ethan, Nicole, and I agreed to meet at Gandai at 7pm and go to kureyon (Crayon, a favorite of Earlham SICE students). We were meeting there because of its moderate centrality and the desire to not have anyone get lost trying to get to kureyon from their home. I live 15 minutes from kureyon and 30 minutes from Gandai and I knew where kureyon was, but I loved that we were all being a happy group/pack/gaijin (foreigner) tribe. So we met at Gandai and our fearless leader, Starving Indian Child Abhi, led the way to kureyon, but he took quite a roundabout route, so we arrived on Oodoori, the main road of karaoke and restaurants (near Kumagai Ryokan, where we started our wonderful Morioka adventure) at around 7:45pm.

Being the fabulous Earlhamites we are, we don’t want to have an opinion of what we want to do lest someone else not want to do that thing. In other words, when Abhi asked “So do we want to do karaoke?”, many of us shrugged and said we were good with anything. This is frustrating and I think we all can understand why. You ask a question. You want an answer. But really, we just want to do anything. One philosophy is it’s not what you are doing, but who you are with. So Tamara made a reservation at kureyon and we proceeded to Lawson (pharmacy/food mart) so Tamara could get money. She decided not to do so there, so when we were all outside again, we decided that since the majority of us had not eaten, we should eat dinner of some kind. AWESOME. A semi-plan!

Tamara and Abhi come up with the idea of nomihoodai , the concept of drinking without a drink limit for a set amount of time. In Japan, the drinking age is 20 and we are all 20, though not all of us drink. So we went to a restaurant off Oodoori and had our own room with, if we wanted, karaoke (we did not partake) and drank and ate for about two hours. Sake, beer, Ramune sours, gin and tonics, iced tea, ginger ale, and peach Calpis’ (Carupisu) were the favorites of the seven of us.

We all had different curfews (I had said I would be home before 10pm, but I called and my host mother allowed me to stay out until “before 11”, in my words) and all lived different distances from Oodoori. After leaving the restaurant (around 10:15), Abhi and Ethan wanted McDonald’s (not much food at the restaurant, or at least not enough to fill 7 college students) and then Tamara and I split a McFlurry. Then I had to jet, as I live about 10 minutes from Oodoori (not 15, which I found out because I BLAZED home and it was like riding the wind).

Went to a high school matsuri (festival) today (Sunday, 8/30) at my host brother’s high school, a 4 floor beauty housing some 1,000 students. It was AMAZING. Well orchestrated, vibrant, fun, creative, bustling. In America, I feel it would not have been pulled off with quite as much enthusiasm and not as efficient. There was information as to where different food was, different activities, different musical performances. There was yelling, there was singing, there was just plain Japanese good fun. I was trying to find Ko and the badminton club and the hamburgers and popcorn they were selling, but when I got to their “restaurant” (a classroom), he was nowhere to be found. When I ran into my host mother and she asked about him, they didn’t seem to know where he was either. So we ate burgers and she bought me a grape soda that had little bits of jelly/Jello in the bottom and fizzed like CRAZY. Wow. So different from America. Maybe that’s the best part-electrically carbonated fizzy beverages.

It’s funny to think of all the things that are different between America and Japan (America and anywhere else, really). The vending machines here sell SO MANY DIFFERENT drinks. You literally have a PLETHORA of choices, not just Coca-Cola, Sprite, 7-Up, Fanta, Coke, Diet Coke, water, root beer (though that is a lot J). You’ve got water, Aquarius, Pocari Sweat, Fanta, Mitsuya Cider, coffee, tea, cocoa, Coca-Cola, fruit juice, milk, Calpis, etc. And sometimes you don’t know what you’re drinking until you get it…WHICH IS THE BEST. And then there are the ice cream vending machines. And in major cities: the ties, batteries, cigarettes, beer, disposable cameras, and other handy things you may have forgotten on your way to the office.

Have made American salad for dinner for my host family, often help to prepare dinner, and always help afterwards. I feel it is important and necessary to lend a hand and I guess I have been doing it to the extent that I have made my host siblings look bad. Ko is expected to study, so he is an eat-and-dash kind of person, which is appropriate for this time in his life-a high school student with a busy club schedule and workload. Hanako does many other chores around the house and it IS her summer vacation. But her mother commented about how I was helping and how it was such a welcome change. She appears to help more in the kitchen now. Kind of makes me feel bad…

I’m listening to this very repetitive song that sounds kind of like Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”)-very disco and upbeat-because it’s the soundtrack to the exercise my host mother is doing downstairs. She and Hanako are aware of food and weight and their figures and sometimes comment about dieting and losing weight, though neither of them need to AND they bicycle so much and Hanako plays Ultimate. But the Japanese culture is quite fashion/appearance/impression conscious.

Great place, this Land of the Rising Sun. Looking forward to more bicycle experiences, more group outings, and more memories. Love to all of you!

BBQs and BANZAI!

2009-09-03T01:16:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking, WOW. Where did I leave off…? How do I relate to the MASSIVE following I have (just joshing; you all are GREAT!) exactly what I have been experiencing thus far…? How do I explain it all…

School at Senboku Junior High School (a 5 minute bike ride away) is going well-all 1.5 days of it so far. Gandai University will be tough, but manageable. Our Literacy in Japanese class is JAPN431. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. Numbers that start with 4 SCARE ME. Especially if they are three digits and taught by Yasumi Kuriya (Kuriya sensei). BUT both Literacy in Education class (Literacy) and Cross Cultural Educational Perspectives class (Education) require immense reading (well not YET) and will require us to lead discussions in class, etc. Not too big of projects though. I am hoping that this means they want us to focus on the host school experience and host family experience. That would be logic to me. But I also think that you should wear brightly colored shoes, plaid shorts, and a striped top, with a rainbow-colored headband to top it off and we know that THAT’S not logical, now is it?  But it sure is fun.

That’s something I can’t quite get used to. We can’t wear jewelry at our host schools, so I brought no necklaces or earrings or bracelets. No adornment basically. Others brought some because we can wear things at Gandai, but I didn’t want to have to remember “Oh, today I can’t wear anything.” One more thing to remember, one more thing to juggle, one more thing (or many things) to bring on the plane/remember to pack, on more thing to potentially lose. All that jazz. So I am running very simply. I brought only what I needed, literally. Nothing is on my walls. I don’t have clutter. And I feel very calm. I feel like I can handle the world. Maybe this is what life could be like if I only bought from Crate & Barrel and IKEA…

Perhaps what I was missing those past four semesters was a sense of place. A recognition that where I sleep and study should be as productive as possible and as conducive to living as I can make it. I also have made my bed my sleeping area and my desk my studying area (another way to distress and compartmentalize, which is a GOOD THING sometimes). I also have found myself being more logical in doing homework so far. I read the whole assigned chapter, for instance, making notes in the margin like always. If there are questions I must answer for the chapter, key words to define, etc, I look at those BEFORE starting to read. In this way, I familiarize myself with what is expected of me. And if I need to find a word I forgot to circle/mark (in order to remember its placement in the text), I start skimming the chapter FROM THE BEGINNING. It really is more efficient that way, for me at least, thus far. It has kept frustration at bay and homework time down…

I bought tennis shoes and shorts (The tennis shoes are 8s in the US and 28s here. Quite large. I think they might be a man’s size…The shorts go down just past my knees AND THEY HAVE POCKETS and look VERY much like Japanese school shorts-maybe I’ll fit in now ) on our day off (Tuesday (8/25), so we could ease into the university and host school madness). My host sister and I want to go running. She plays Ultimate (YEAHHHHYERRRR!!!) at her university in Yokohama and wants to stay in shape over her summer vacation, though it’s so short I don’t see how anyone could get out of shape ESPECIALLY when biking is such a popular form of transportation. Like Nicole said, “We’re biking so much, we’ve got to lose something SOMEWHERE.” So I got me some tennis shoes (adidas) and some sweet shorts. And now it’s turning cooler, so bully for me.

Came home in the pouring rain on Friday (8/28) after going to a hyaku en shop, like a dollar store, (hyakin), and buying some folders with translucent pockets for class and some notebooks and a bento (lunchbox) and some lime green hashi (chopsticks) with a carrying case (SCORE!) and a lime green canteen (because students cannot carry PET bottles in school (plastic drink bottles from the vending machines, mentioned later). All for under ¥1000 ($10). School club activities were cancelled due to influenza. It has broken out in Japan and in Morioka (more of our primary concern due to our location). One student at Senboku has it, so alcohol is everywhere in order to sterilize hands and kill any germs. After we get home, we must wash our hands and gargle. Yes, let’s not get pig flu shall we?

While I was biking, while I am biking, while I bike in the future, I turn heads. We all turn heads. Or rather, we keep heads fixed in our direction. When we all return, it will be strange to not be stared at, ESPECIALLY by younger kids. (The itty bitty ones walking around with their HUGE knapsacks, everyone has the same one, and their hats, sometimes yellow.) Middle school-aged students generally try to talk in English and high school students do too, even more enthusiastically. They also wave. And smile. It is all very sweet. And it is good to be in the minority.

Saturday (8/29) was a barbecue, hosted by E-Club (Earlham Club, composed of past and present host families) at a park that was outside the city. The barbecue was not the American BBQ idea, which most of us thought and most of us weren’t that excited about. In true Japanese fashion, it was better. Over charcoal (lit on fire by a vacuum of some kind), was a metal plate-like flat surface. On top of which, we put all sorts of different meats (niku) and vegetables (yasai) like sprouts, peppers, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots…and yakisoba noodles. And we cooked it all and we ate it and it was AMAZING. SO VERY GOOD. Some people brought their own drinks, omusubi/onigiri (rice balls wrapped up in seaweed with, usually, some kind of meat or vegetable at the center of the rice), chocolate (especially a crispy waffle-like concoction with chocolate in the center-sometimes found cold in vending machines, with ice cream in the middle, like in the Narita train station)…Then, after we were all so full we couldn’t move, we played some team games like one person blows up a balloon, they run to a bench and their partner pops it, then they run back and tag the next pair, hoping to win before the other team of pairs; a plastic-egg-carrying-on-a-spoon race, etc. A wooden child’s toy with a ball on the end of a string provided great balance and coordination practice.

We played on some wooden and rope structures-rediscovered my love of bouldering and maneuvering and balance. Then the SICE students pow-wowed and we decided we would go out and to karaoke that evening, anyone who didn’t have plans with their host family. Claire did and Elizabeth wanted to get reading done for Monday, so Abhi, Tamara, Samantha, Mitchell, Ethan, Nicole, and I agreed to meet at Gandai at 7pm and go to kureyon (Crayon, a favorite of Earlham SICE students). We were meeting there because of its moderate centrality and the desire to not have anyone get lost trying to get to kureyon from their home. I live 15 minutes from kureyon and 30 minutes from Gandai and I knew where kureyon was, but I loved that we were all being a happy group/pack/gaijin (foreigner) tribe. So we met at Gandai and our fearless leader, Starving Indian Child Abhi, led the way to kureyon, but he took quite a roundabout route, so we arrived on Oodoori, the main road of karaoke and restaurants (near Kumagai Ryokan, where we started our wonderful Morioka adventure) at around 7:45pm.

Being the fabulous Earlhamites we are, we don’t want to have an opinion of what we want to do lest someone else not want to do that thing. In other words, when Abhi asked “So do we want to do karaoke?”, many of us shrugged and said we were good with anything. This is frustrating and I think we all can understand why. You ask a question. You want an answer. But really, we just want to do anything. One philosophy is it’s not what you are doing, but who you are with. So Tamara made a reservation at kureyon and we proceeded to Lawson (pharmacy/food mart) so Tamara could get money. She decided not to do so there, so when we were all outside again, we decided that since the majority of us had not eaten, we should eat dinner of some kind. AWESOME. A semi-plan!

Tamara and Abhi come up with the idea of nomihoodai , the concept of drinking without a drink limit for a set amount of time. In Japan, the drinking age is 20 and we are all 20, though not all of us drink. So we went to a restaurant off Oodoori and had our own room with, if we wanted, karaoke (we did not partake) and drank and ate for about two hours. Sake, beer, Ramune sours, gin and tonics, iced tea, ginger ale, and peach Calpis’ (Carupisu) were the favorites of the seven of us.

We all had different curfews (I had said I would be home before 10pm, but I called and my host mother allowed me to stay out until “before 11”, in my words) and all lived different distances from Oodoori. After leaving the restaurant (around 10:15), Abhi and Ethan wanted McDonald’s (not much food at the restaurant, or at least not enough to fill 7 college students) and then Tamara and I split a McFlurry. Then I had to jet, as I live about 10 minutes from Oodoori (not 15, which I found out because I BLAZED home and it was like riding the wind).

Went to a high school matsuri (festival) today (Sunday, 8/30) at my host brother’s high school, a 4 floor beauty housing some 1,000 students. It was AMAZING. Well orchestrated, vibrant, fun, creative, bustling. In America, I feel it would not have been pulled off with quite as much enthusiasm and not as efficient. There was information as to where different food was, different activities, different musical performances. There was yelling, there was singing, there was just plain Japanese good fun. I was trying to find Ko and the badminton club and the hamburgers and popcorn they were selling, but when I got to their “restaurant” (a classroom), he was nowhere to be found. When I ran into my host mother and she asked about him, they didn’t seem to know where he was either. So we ate burgers and she bought me a grape soda that had little bits of jelly/Jello in the bottom and fizzed like CRAZY. Wow. So different from America. Maybe that’s the best part-electrically carbonated fizzy beverages.

It’s funny to think of all the things that are different between America and Japan (America and anywhere else, really). The vending machines here sell SO MANY DIFFERENT drinks. You literally have a PLETHORA of choices, not just Coca-Cola, Sprite, 7-Up, Fanta, Coke, Diet Coke, water, root beer (though that is a lot ). You’ve got water, Aquarius, Pocari Sweat, Fanta, Mitsuya Cider, coffee, tea, cocoa, Coca-Cola, fruit juice, milk, Calpis, etc. And sometimes you don’t know what you’re drinking until you get it…WHICH IS THE BEST. And then there are the ice cream vending machines. And in major cities: the ties, batteries, cigarettes, beer, disposable cameras, and other handy things you may have forgotten on your way to the office.

Have made American salad for dinner for my host family, often help to prepare dinner, and always help afterwards. I feel it is important and necessary to lend a hand and I guess I have been doing it to the extent that I have made my host siblings look bad. Ko is expected to study, so he is an eat-and-dash kind of person, which is appropriate for this time in his life-a high school student with a busy club schedule and workload. Hanako does many other chores around the house and it IS her summer vacation. But her mother commented about how I was helping and how it was such a welcome change. She appears to help more in the kitchen now. Kind of makes me feel bad…

I’m listening to this very repetitive song that sounds kind of like Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”)-very disco and upbeat-because it’s the soundtrack to the exercise my host mother is doing downstairs. She and Hanako are aware of food and weight and their figures and sometimes comment about dieting and losing weight, though neither of them need to AND they bicycle so much and Hanako plays Ultimate. But the Japanese culture is quite fashion/appearance/impression conscious.

Great place, this Land of the Rising Sun. Looking forward to more bicycle experiences, more group outings, and more memories. Love to all of you!

Hitting The Ground Running...

2009-08-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!
I tried writing on Tuesday, but where we were (Aiina, I talk about it later), the blogs and Facebook did not work very well. Now I finish this up at 11pm Japan time, listening to the crickets outside my window.
Leaving Seattle was blissful. As in, at 6 in the morning, lines were long, but went fast, TSA was friendly (SERIOUSLY. They were JOKING around. The passport checker was smiling, asking why I didn’t smile in my photo, another guy read the stickers on my laptop, and a woman commented on how pretty the cherry blossom wrapping paper was sticking out of my 2nd carry on bag. &@#%$!), and flights were on time kind of blissful. Not blissful as in “GET ME OUT FO HERE!” No, not at all. To San Francisco was a breeze. There, in the international terminal, I chatted for a little while with Mom, Dad, Mandi, and Eric, and tried to not burst into tears. I left a message for you Mike, and I hope you like the fact that I am VERY angry that you beat me at my own game. J But I am so very thankful to have the picture of us at Coldplay-it is in my backpack with me ALWAYS. Thank you SO VERY MUCH. And all the fabulous tidbits and your ADDRESS. YES. On the plane, I watched ‘Duplicity’, ‘The Great Buck Howard’, ’17 Again’, and ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ while traveling 5,111 miles in an arc hugging Alaska en route to Narita.
Arriving at Narita was relatively painless. Customs was, like all good things, worth the wait. I arrived around 2:30 and the meeting time was 2-6pm. However, the orientation booklet map of the meeting place is somewhat rudimentary, so I took the escalator down to the baggage claim floor and found my bags super fast. Then I stood awkwardly on the baggage claim floor, looking around for other gaikokujin (foreigners). Many existed and I had the distinct impression some did not speak Japanese. However, others greatly surprised me in their one-word utterances of the native language. I waited a little while longer, then asked a man if I was in the right terminal. I was, so that boosted my confidence. If you know me, you know how I can make small things into huge problems. As in, I can become VERY stressed VERY easily. I am sure all or most of you have at one point told me to “calm down” or “relax” or “chill out”. Well, this time I told myself. And I was fine. J I decided to go back up to the balcony outside of customs and look down onto the floor. It was an amazing feat of strength-carrying my duffel bag in my left hand, holding my 2nd carry on bag under my left arm, and carrying my suitcase in my right hand. Again, I was very proud of my accomplishment because we were told that we should be able to carry our luggage by ourselves. Especially because air conditioning is not very prevalent. Most places have a somewhat cooler feeling when inside, but not the ice box that the dormitories are at Earlham or how the shopping malls are in Texas during summer or how Seattle businesses were the past month. Since four months is a while, I can see why it is not feasible for some to be able to carry their own luggage. In addition, some of our group members were in Japan before the rest of us-visiting friends, family, or simply showing up early to make us all look bad. J
I quickly noticed that a girl who had just come out of Customs was a fellow group member, Nicole. I went up to her and started going on and on in my crazy nervous talk about how cool it was that we were finally here! It seemed like just YESTERDAY we were in LBC 211 TALKING about going to Japan. But now it was HERE! She told me Mitchell, another soon-to-be best friend, was close behind as they had flown in on the same flight (unplanned). Nicole is from Brookfield, Connecticut and Mitchell hails from Ithaca, New York. Claire, from Ossining, New York, was close behind, and together we escalatored down to baggage. It took a little while to get Claire’s bags, but then we had the gargantuan task of finding Sensei (‘teacher’ in Japanese and trip leader) and Yuki (program coordinator). We looked at the cryptic map and wasted a few more minutes before Nicole brought her BRILLIANCE and suggested we exit baggage towards the street because (a) the meeting place was close to the street on the map and (b) Sensei and Yuki would not be able to enter from outside. So we did. Mitchell had to fill out a customs form we all already had, so we all exited and he came out later, but when we exited into the light, THERE THEY WERE! Elizabeth, from Melbourne, Florida, was exchanging money, so we had to wait for her, but after she joined us, we went to the desk where we could send a bag ahead to our host family rather than keep it with us and have it be a burden while we stayed at the Narita Airport Rest House for one night and then in Morioka for three nights at the Kumagai Ryokan.
Samantha, from Glenwood, Indiana, and Tamara, from Chicago, Illinois, and Abhishek (Abhi) Nanavati, from Mumbai, India (now Uganda) had already arrived. Tamara has family in Japan and had been there since June. Samantha had been visiting friends for a week and Abhi had arrived a few days early and stayed in Tokyo. He had been at an internship in Yemen for Coca-Cola all summer. Wow.
That first night was great. Ethan, from Fairmount, Indiana finally joined us when we were all dining on the fourth floor of the airport. His plane was majorly delayed. But it all worked out. Going to the airport (minus Ethan) was fine. We all stayed together and there were no problems. We were given 2000¥ (= to about $20.00) for dinner that night in Narita and for a bento for lunch the next day when we would take the train from Narita to Tokyo and stop at the train station en route to Morioka. For dinner, there was much deliberation. Some people had enough of their own money to splurge on dinner. Others saw it necessary (and money conscious) to stick to the allotted money we had been given to buy meals with. After dinner, the smokers (Abhi and Tamara and Ethan, but Ethan did not join them this time) went off to smoke. The rest of us began walking back to the Rest House. On the way, Mitchell and Ethan went to check out a stand, so the rest of us kept going. We checked to see if Abhi and Tamara were where they might be, but they weren’t. We backtracked to check for Ethan and Mitchell, but to no avail. So we five continued back. There were three rooms-Claire, Elizabeth, and Nicole in one. Abhi, Mitchell, and Ethan on their left. Tamara, Samantha, and me on their right. Tamara had our key, so Samantha and I could not get into the room. Instead, we spent time with Elizabeth, Claire, and Nicole. VERY TIRED, I wove in and out of consciousness for a half hour. Then spent another 20 minutes weaving in and out on my bed once Tamara came back and we were able to get back into our room. This was worse than that time in the hallway, Anne. This was PAST slap happy. This was straight up FATIGUE. And it just doesn’t feel good when fatigue hits. At 9pm however, we had a team meeting. We’re a team in my mind, so it wasn’t called a team meeting, but for all intensive purposes, that is what I shall call it. We took a picture together, talked about breakfast and the schedule for the next day, and then we all went to bed. I’m pretty sure I fell asleep while Samantha and Tamara were having a conversation…Felt good to sleep though!
The next day (Tuesday, August 18th), we had a GREAT breakfast of eggs and toast and fruit salad with plain yogurt and rice, etc. Oh buffets, how you KILL me. All in all, we were well satisfied for our train ride from Narita to Tokyo Station. Great ride in. We all get along very well in whichever formation you put us in. No hard feelings. No grudges. No snide remarks. Except that when I am in a new situation, I tend to be a bit snappy, a tad short, and somewhat harsh. Pretty arrogant too. And it’s a defense mechanism. But I do not know what I am defending against. Sometimes I become quiet, rather than arrogant, but on this trip I became arrogant. It was NOT me and I did NOT like it. I say “did NOT” because I think the worst is over and I do not feel I am acting in that way now, six days in.
After arriving at Kumagai Ryokan (Japanese inn) by taxi from airport, (I am considered “oukii” by Sensei. “Big”.) we had a little meeting where we were given our cellular phones and cold tea as it was still quite warm outside. We then taxied to alien registration at city hall where it was like any governmental office in the United States but SO MUCH BETTER. People wait patiently. Things are done in an orderly manner. People understand and appreciate that things take time and are okay with that. Where Americans, or people at American offices, might notice disrespect, restlessness, impatience or act disrespectfully, restlessly, or impatiently, there is NONE of that here. Therefore, gaikokujin like ourselves (or at least myself) feel comfortable and not stressed or upset. There was paperwork-very thorough and kind. We eventually went to more paperwork upstairs and while we were waiting, began plugging each other’s numbers into our phones. Before, we did not have the proper cards or account numbers to activate the phones, but Yuki went out and got the information so we could set up our accounts. We had to dial a number and press some more numbers and save for one person, all the directions were in English without us having to press 2 to change the language.
When we were done, we walked past the river (where salmon swim up in fall), into Iwate Park (where we will be participating in a parade in September), and then out down Oodori (main street with lots of karaoke places) and into Daiso (a hyaku-en shop or $1.00 store), where anything in there would DEFINITELY cost more than a dollar in America. SO WONDERFUL. We made our way down Cinema Row, past the post office and largest bank in Morioka, and wound up at dinner at a restaurant owned by a high school friend of Yuki’s. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Rice, okra-like sticky food with caper-like toppings (great with soy sauce!), fried chicken, salad, miso soup, yakisoba with green onions and wasabi, and watermelon for dessert. Japanese individuals eat in a triangle, Sensei said-bite of chicken, bite of rice, wash it down with miso, repeat. Abhi, the starving Indian child, ate anyone’s rice or chicken that they didn’t want. The Human Garbage Disposal.
After finishing and while we let our food digest, we all set up email accounts, which is basically text messaging. We returned, via foot, to the Ryokan and were told to be back by 9pm (we left the restaurant at about 7pm and were back at the Ryokan at ~7:20pm) as a curfew. Tamara, Samantha, Ethan, Mitchell, Abhi, and I walked towards Oodori, stopping at Cat and Dog, the liquor store down the road. We all bought different drinks. I had a “Sparkling Yogurito”-delicious sake for 210¥ (~$2.10). However, being the always-up-to-digest-anything person that I am, I opened it outside, which is bad form, Abhi reminded me. Usually, there is no eating while walking and no drinking while walking. Traditionally, people buy drinks at vending machines and finish them there, throwing them away in the trash cans nearby. So I put the bottle in my back pocket and walked around that way. Like it was any better. *shakes head*
The next day, (Wednesday, August 19th), we began our orientation on general culture and host family. Then we went to Aiina, a local library/community center/office building (so much of Japan is multipurpose), where we heard Fumie Sugawara (Sugawara Sensei) talk to us about how to teach English and the Japanese education system in general. She is from the Morioka Board of Education. The building itself is quite contemporary-glass, open, natural light. When we returned to the Ryokan, we were told what time our host families would come to pick us up for dinner (we were to wrap and take our omiyage, gifts, and have dinner with them that night). My host mother and host sister arrived around 5:45pm. I gave my host mother Chukar Cherries and a Seattle mug AND my mother knitted a scarf for her and enclosed a card (which was SO well written and SO touching) which she and my host sister pretty much understood, so I didn’t need to translate, my host sister cards of Seattle scenes (many different skyline shots), my host father salmon, my host brother a t-shirt, which I think is SO cool (it has a street map of Seattle behind the word “Seattle” written diagonally across the chest and a small Space Needle where it would be on the map), and the family a Seattle 2010 calendar. Hopefully that makes up a little bit for the fact that I keep stepping in the wrong place when I take my shoes off. But it never could make up for that error, so I’ll do better. I returned to the Ryokan at around 10pm. One small thing-I forgot to take the price tag off the salmon, which was TERRIBLE. TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD THING. *sigh* I did take it off soon after, but that kind of faux pas just knocked me off my feet. I was able to talk a lot with Hanako, my host sister, which was great! My host mother prepared dinner and when I asked if I could help, she said not now, but next time. Ko, my host brother, came home around 7pm from badminton practice. It is usual for him to come home around this time and we eat soon after he arrives. He is a high school student, wants to be a doctor, and will take his university entrance exams in March of 2011. We had curry, which is popular here, and a beautiful salad with shrimp. For dessert, there were Chukar Cherries, melon, and pears. There was a great deal of conversation and it was wonderful! That night/early the next morning at 4am, I woke up, my mind RACING in Japanese. WHAT. A. RUSH.
When I began writing this at 2:25pm Japan Time on Saturday, August 22, 2009, (10:24pm in Seattle (Friday August 21, 2009) and 1:24am in Indiana (Friday August 21, 2009)), I was listening to birds chirp outside my window and some kind of saw doing something. It sounded oddly American and very out of place. After all, I am in a neighborhood…I moved into my host family’s house last night and love my room. It is my host sister’s (Hanako’s) room and while she is home on summer vacation from economics university in Yokohama (break only lasts from August 19th until October 1st; she is in her first year), she graciously sleeps with my host mother. It is small and so manageable: a large dresser (I am very proud I do not fill the seven available drawers), closet (there is a hanging rod as well as a large storage space underneath), desk (Hanako likes Minnie Mouse, so a seat pad of her is on the chair), and bed (long enough, which is wonderful and has never been a problem, though you would think so…). My host brother (Ko) has his room next door. He is a second year high school student (school here is age 3-5 kindergarten; grades 1-6/ages 6-12 for elementary school; grades 1-3/ages 12-15 for junior high school; and ages 15-18 for senior high school; university is from age 18 on). My host father, so far, sleeps downstairs in a tatami mat room off the main living room. It was still warm enough last night to have only one sheet (in my case, a bath towel), but this afternoon, it was noticeable cooler. People are beginning to talk about it becoming fall, which I think is a good thing. I get tired of sweating sometimes. But only sometimes. And it is Japan, so I’m not THAT tired. J
We start school on Monday, at Gandai University (6,000 students, many internationals) where we will be taking classes on Mondays and Thursdays. I tested into a level of Japanese that is “elementary”, which I hope will help me in my need to know more of the foundation of the language in order to speak better, write better, read better, be better… Japanese classes are 9am-noon Mondays and Thursdays. The classes taught by our leader (Yasumi Kuriya), are an education course and a culture course and are from 1-4pm on Mondays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings, and Fridays, we will teach at our host schools (mine is Senboku). I am fortunate to have a school that is a five minute bike ride away, but not so fortunate as well because I enjoy biking. (Gandai is a 30-minute bike ride now, but a straightforward, easy, long route, according to my host father. My host brother and sister want to show me a shorter way once I feel comfortable with the route.)
The bicycles in Japan, as my mother and others who are reading this may know, are much heavier than American ones. Their tubes are wider, many have baskets on the front, are more relaxed, have a total of 3 gears (if you’re lucky), the lock is built in as a mechanism that blocks the back or front wheel’s spokes from moving, and they can coast much easier (I think). They don’t go very fast unless you exert a great deal of effort. If I were just learning to ride, these bikes would be optimal to learn on because they take things slow. I saw a Bianchi and Specialized locked up at Morioka Station and my jaw dropped. It dropped again when I saw a young man riding such a bike in Lycra shorts. They stand out SO MUCH. Those bikes have handlebars, for those who may not follow because my English is dying, that are indicative of racing, and are found on most road/touring bikes (are they called wraparound handlebars?). Mountain bikes usually have handlebars that stick straight out, relaxed bikes have the handlebars that kind of curve in the signature “cruiser” style, etc. Japanese bikes are much like cruisers. Also rare are helmets. Like Indiana, there seems to be no law. Then again, cars here show bicyclists great respect. Not head-bowing, please-go-ahead-of-me-I-am-not-worthy-with-my-gas-tank, but a general opinion that an accident isn’t worth it. I like that.
It’s strange to see BMWs, 4 door Isuzu Trooper-like cars, Volvo station wagons (Saw my first one today! YAHOO!), etc. Usually, cars pass you and the names don’t even ring a bell because the Japan market is just THAT special. A Prius went by and I balked. That thing is HUGE, I thought. Here, Honda Fits RULE, (Mackenzie, I am glad you have one! And every time I pass one I think of you!) as do any cars with only two doors. SMART cars would look out of place though because they are not practical. To succeed in Japan, you must marry logic, practicality, applicability, and ingenuity. That’s one huge ceremony! Baka nee…
The greatest thing about Japan is that all traffic goes the opposite way as America. Cars go on the left side of the street and bicycles do too, though proper bike lanes are absent. I think driving is safer here because the driver’s seat is on the right, therefore allowing drivers to see how close they are driving to oncoming traffic. It’s much more personal in my opinion. Like Takayama, where my mom and I first noticed this, there is VERY LITTLE ORDER to how pedestrians and bicycles navigate the sidewalks (often bicycles will travel on sidewalks when buses block the two feet of bike lane they call home or when traffic is heavy, etc.). For instance, today, my host father and I picked up my bike from where I locked it at Gandai on Thursday, and rode back home. At one point, a group of women had disembarked from a tour bus. After getting off, they stood in one place. However, one woman walked a little bit away from the group and my host father chose to ride between her and her two (perhaps travel companions). If that woman would have turned around and been more startled (she actually seemed to be generally unfazed), it could have been terrible. I could see that DEFINITELY happening in America. But bicycles on sidewalks are a problem anywhere where pedestrians do not expect them to be there, areas of high congestion especially. And luckily, this is NOT Tokyo.
I don’t know if I will be able to EVER do such a time-intensive entry again, but I hope I can put the same kind of love into future ones. Please know that I wish each and every one of you were able to share this experience-that is why I am including you. I hope that wherever you are, it is comfortable, full of joy, and looking sunny in one way or another. I do not want to detract from the Japan experience, so I will not be glued to my email or Facebook. But knowing me, I will be glued enough, just to get by. I miss every single one of you. I saw dinosaurs in a hyaku en shop and thought of you, E Frye. I saw ‘Tarzan’ magazine (for male fitness and health) and thought of you, Eric. I saw a Croc bag (I KNOW, right?!?!??!) and thought of you, Mom. I see bikes and think of you, Dad. I can get texts on my regular American cell phone, but I cannot send them. Email (AOL and Earlham) is the best way to get a hold of me, and I can be on Skype. If you want to chat sometime, send me your username and it could work. Minnasan, ganbarimasu ne! (Good luck everyone!)

Hitting the Ground Running...

2009-08-18T23:43:00.001-07:00

Hitting the Ground Running...

2009-08-18T23:43:00.000-07:00

And here we go...

2009-08-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Alas, the time has come. Tis Saturday, August 15th. And OH MY GOODNESS it was JUST May!!!!! And we were PACKING!!!! And we were all bidding each other farewell after Commencement!!!! Seriously. Mind BLOWN.

I have a t-shirt for Ko, my brother in high school,
And chocolate for teachers because they simply rule.
There's a mug for the principal, the head of all things-
And salmon for Jigi, my father who's king.
My Mom hand-knitted my host mother a scarf,
Hanako, my sister, gets cards on which to make art.
I bought the Rice Crispies for when we make Treats
And the black pants and shirt to perform parade feats.
My hair is all cut, but I'm not quite all packed,
And there's little time to make up for what I lack.
I have wrapping paper, tape, and supplies,
I might have to check TWO bags-no lies.
I'm up at 4am and flying by 7-
In San Fran at 9 and off to Japan at 11.
It's been pretty trying to think I'll be gone,
But nearly four months doesn't last long.
Good luck to all students, family, and friends,
Love to all followers, high fives to all hands.

Love to you all! I'll check in and give a weather report (should be upper 70s and 80s for the next week, says my meteorologist mother) and report on the first few days when I can.
Yahoo!

Alrighty then...

2009-08-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lovely mother and a GREAT Volvo convertible, more things have been added to the ever-growing suitcase...
REI had great rain pants and SUPER absorbent towels for rain pants-both of which will be put to good use AFTER this trip (always good to have things that can be used AGAIN)
Uwajimaya had my textbook waiting for me and 40some dollars later, I am a few pounds closer to having TSA hate me...
Thanks to my FOUR viewers/followers. Does this mean this is kind of like Twitter?? Am I tweeting?? Hmmm....
Family friends may have webcams my mumzy and I can borrow in order to Skype, so that would save us a Radio Shack trip BUT they do have some snazzy ones...
STILL NEED to hit Simply Seattle/Made in Washington/Chukar Cherries/Portlock for giftastic goodies. AND the grocery store for Rice Crispies...
Oh and there's the haircut that would be nice AND the Space Needle gift store for a WICKED cool t-shirt for my badminton-playing high school senior of a hostbrother.
Happy Monday, y'all!

Planning ahead

2009-08-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

T minus NINE days and COUNTING. DOWN.
Though a "To Do" list has existed for some time now, a few stops remain...
REI for rain pants and perhaps a SHAM-WOW lookalike...
Uwajimaya to pick up the ONE textbook needed for the semester (don't get TOO excited-there are two packets of MANY pages that we have to buy from our trip leader once we get there...)
creating this blog! (YAY! Check!)
Radio Shack or other place to pick up a webcam to participate in the Skype culture...
Simplay Seattle/Made in Washington for more Seattle things to bring to the country of Japan...
Chukar Cherries for CHUKAR CHERRIES!!! GOODNESS!!!!
Portlock for salmon (to take as gift)...
Grocery store for a box of Rice Crispy cereal for a festival booth we will be at...
Wow. I can't believe I won't be at Earlham.
Hope all are well!!!