Reveling in Space

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!