Grace in Japan

Design Festa!

2007-11-20T01:53:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday I went to the largest design festival in all of Asia - Design Festa. It was held in Tokyo at a huge exhibition center called 'Tokyo Big Sight". There was every kind of art you could imagine - fashion, painting, music, food, crafts, and a giant red robot! There must have been thousands of artists there. It took me about 5 hours to get even a glimpse of all the art being displayed. Here are some pics I took of all the wonderful madness.

Just on a walk

2007-11-08T04:14:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics I took when I went on a walk near my apartment.

Yamanashi produces the most wine of any prefecture in Japan. Here in Kofu, the harvest season for grapes is just ending. Near my apartment you can see the leaves on the grape vines slowly withering and dying.
Oh look, I found some grapes still left on the vines!
Because Yamanashi-ken is such a mountainous prefecture (i.e. so there is a limited amount of agriculturally suitable land) you'll find, even in the capital city, many green spaces nestled in wherever space is available.
birds-eye view over Kofu (my apartment is just a little bit to the left of this picture)

Oh and here's a little Japanese trivia for you.

Q: Why is this house (and many others in Japan) surrounded by plastic bottles full of water?

A: To keep away cats! Yes, really. It is said that cats don't like to look at their reflection (maybe because they associate it with puddles and other such bodies of water which they hate). So, when they see their reflection in these bottles of water they turn away.

Why such the concern about keeping the cats away? Well, because in Japan there are MANY stray cats. Unfortunately, there is no humane societies to help find homes for such cats. There are only a few grass-routes efforts made by small groups of citizens to care for and house strays (a friend of mine in Kyoto became heavily involved in such a group after she found 6 stray cats abandoned under a bridge. She took all these cats into her home and then realized how hard it is to find homes for strays.)

In other random Japanese trivia.

Q: How much do Japanese people like rice?

A: A LOT!

In evidence I bring you....

the baga raisu (rice burger) Look closely at the "bun" it is actually just a pressed rice paddy. mmm...oishi! (delicious!)

Oh and in related news, in Japan you have to be careful about how you order your haburgers.

If you ask for a ham baga

you will get a traditional burger that you would expect.

But,

if you ask for a ham bagu

you will get a burger paddy but no pan (bun).No, this is not an off-shoot of the Atkins diet craze. Many people in Japan just prefer there baga sans pan (but maybe with rice bun :)

As a final note, I leave you with some friendly graffiti near Kofu station.

yes, yes I do. :)

Koyo (Autumn Leaves)

2007-11-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday I was at Shizen Gakuen- a Christian, Private High school that I teach at (see previous post for pictures of this school). It is located in a very beautiful, mountainous area of Yamanashi-ken called Hokto (about 1 hour from Kofu). In the taxi on my journey to Hokto, my breath was taken away by all the beautiful Koyo (Autumn leaves). The mountains were a virtual rainbow of orange, red, yellow, and green. So, after I finished teaching my classes I wandered around near the school and took some pictures to share with you all (please click on the photos to get a larger, clearer view).

path leading to the schoolleaves on the pathway

bright red Japanese maple trees in front of the school

more bright red bushes
a lovely flame-coloured tree

maple leaves in a puddle

...then the taxi came to take me back to Kofu. But, on my way back I captured a few pictures of the mountains through my window.

I love how the mountains slowly disappear into the misty distance.
beautiful koyo-covered mountains
sorry this picture is fuzzy, but it just gives you sense of how there are some
farm houses nestled at the base of the mountains.
this truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been

Design Tide!

2007-11-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a design exhibition in Tokyo known as "Design Tide". It is like a huge playground for creatively-minded adults. Designer's work from around the world - in the fields of interior, products, graphics, fashion & art - are displayed in an interactive exhibit.

If you click on this link you can see some photos from the event.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend I jumped on the Shinkansen (bullet train) and headed to Osaka. A bunch of my friends and I met up for some good times. Various costumes were adorned (in particular by me), good Thai food was eaten, and fun was had on the dance floor.

Me in my circa 1890 costume (the hat was loaned by my friend Shara)
My friend Amy (aka Pixie) in hand made/destroyed pinstripe jacket. Pixie is an ALT, like myself, currently living in Kyoto (but from Australia).
my friend Pixie with Shara (who works in the American Navy and is currently in port near Tokyo).A shot of my full outfit in the hotel lobby (I'm surprised how classy the lobby looks in this photo, because really the hotel was the cheapest one in all of Osaka)another great shot of Shara in her fedora.
After going out for Thai food, we ran back to our hotel & I changed into my little rainbow fairy costume.

Shot of me inside a club in Osaka (kawaii!)I love snoopy!

Christmas-themed "love hotel" in Osaka (Santa looks a little confused, doesn't he? - as though he is thinking "How did I end up here?" :)me in my fairy costume

A bit of my Birthday

2007-11-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

Well on October 21st I turned 27 (good feelings all around about that). To mark the occasion I and some friends had a BBQ off the Tama river in Tokyo. Good friends, good food, and good times. Unfortunately, my camera battery died shortly after people started arriving. So, I was only able to capture a few pics. Here they are -

My friends Chu (Japanese) & Jackie (Canadian - from Vancouver, like myself) hanging out.

WIG SERIES:

My friend Hitomi (Japanese/American) poses with a pretty pink wig.
Jackie shows what being a laid-back Vancouverite is all about
Helen (British) looks all coy.This was my friend Liz's "Oh really" face. I had just "announced" I would be "beginning to take candid shots". I am so hopeless when it comes to being subtle. (Liz is a lovely Australian if your wondering)
awww...and yes we sure did have fun putting makeup on my sock...

Then, sadly, my camera died.

What you missed: me running around in a fairy costume on the beach, a neighboring group of Japanese guys flirting with us (they gave us a bag of raw meat), and some beautiful fireworks going off.

Good times.

Yamanashi Gakuin

2007-10-24T03:49:00.000-07:00

I teach every Friday at Yamanashi Gakuin Chugako (Junior High). It's one of the most elite private schools in Yamanashi-ken. The school actually has it's own preschool, elementary school, junior & senior highschool, and university. So, students could conceivably spend all their school years at this one institution. The standard of English instruction is very high (as are the students' abilities). I teach ichi & ni nensei (first & second year;12-13 year-old) students here. I have complete freedom to create my own English activities for these classes. I really enjoy working at this school.

the front of the campus

Student uniforms and award cabinets at the front entrance (& me in the reflection :)
Rows of student lockers (to store their shoes).
Note how everything is spotlessly clean.
hallway
Me playing "Spelling Baseball" with my studentsMe looking wonderfully surprised at a student's efforts to spell.

Nippon Koku Koko (Japanese Aviation Academy)

2007-10-18T05:15:00.002-07:00

Here are some pics of the school Nippon Koku Koko (JAA) where I teach English.
Here is the view of the school from across the airstrip where students learn about flying planes, aircraft mechanics, general auto mechanics, being a flight attendant, and many other such things (there is even a dance school here!).

Viewing tower from which to watch the planes take off and land

Me in front of the school (with some of my students clowning behind me:)

A Neko (cat) Bus!! For those of you who have seen the Japanese anime movie "My Neighbour Totoro" by the director Hayao Miyazaki this little cat bus will be very familiar to you. Well at the JAA they have created a REAL neko bus. Remember your childhood misadventures with papermache? Well, this is a papermache masterpiece over a real, working van. During the school festival you can go for a ride within this adorable neko bus. Kawaii!! (cute)

I really know nothing about old planes. But, for those who are interested, here are some pictures of some old Japanese planes that are displayed throughout the school campus.

I like how all the school buildings are painted up in the school colours - bright red and blue.

Between my classes I sometimes like to wander behind the school and walk across and old, rusted metal bridge...

To look out over the rice fields, stretching out into the distance.

Well, that's a little tour of the Japanese Aviation Academy. I hope you enjoyed peeking into my life into Japan. I will post some more pics from the other schools I teach at later.

Shizen Gakuen Koko (Highschool)

2007-10-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the above photo (and my title of this blog :P ) I got a new camera. It is a Canon IXY Digital 910 IS. It has 8 mega pixels, a fantastic wide zoom lens, lots of features, and I am tickled happy with it.

So I decided to take some pictures of my schools to show you just where I work.

The first set of pics are taken at my school "Shizen Gakuen". It is a private Christian High school, located in a mountainous, rural area about 1 hour from the capital city of Yamanashi-ken, Kofu. It is a special school, in that it takes in students who have have had trouble completing high school within the traditional school system. Some students have been bullied, others have learning difficulties, and others have fallen behind due to illness or injuries. The class size is very small (once class I teach has five students, while another only has one student). They have a philosophy of building studenets positive sense of self by providing them individual attention and encouragement. The school building is quite old and fairly run down, but the students and teachers are kind and happy.

Here is a little tour of the school:If you step outside the back door of the school and across a wooden boardwalk to a separate small building you will reach the washrooms. If you glance to your left while you are walking you will get this view of the hidden area, covered in bright green grasses, behind the main building.

After finishing in the washroom, if you walk across the boardwalk again, to your left you will find a large old washbasin to rinse your hands at.

To get back in the school you just step up a few steps and through an old blue, metal, sliding door.
After coming through the back door you will see the main entrance to the school in front of you. To the left of the entrance, are the shelves where all the students store their shoes. Once they enter the school they must remove their outdoor shoes and put on clean, white school sneakers.
If you look down on the floor beside the front entrance, you will see, spread out on some old tatami matting, a large pile of beans. Most of the beans are still in their dried twisted pods, while a small pile have been freed from their pods. You might see the "tea lady" walk over, squat down and begin to silently work pulling beans from their pods. These beans have been grown in the large green field stretching out in front of the school.
If you turn away from the main entrance and look to your right, you will see the long main hall of the school stretching out. It's lime green and yellow walls, which are peeling paint in some places, are lined with piles of old textbooks, teacher materials, and school records.

If you turn to your left and step through the first door you will find yourself in the staff room. In it are even more books, piled on the floors and all the desks. Even the window sill is framed by precarious looking piles of notebooks.And if you look to your left, just above where the tea lady has left the tea pot and china cups, you will see a dried, faded rose tacked to the wall. You might wonder when it was put there and by whom.

...I will post more pictures from my other schools soon.

I almost died in a thunderstorm and other unbelievably true tales

2007-09-16T01:40:00.000-07:00

because I haven't posted in forever I will give you all some short little snippits of what I have been up to...

I went to a hi matsuri ("fire festival") at the base of mount Fuji in the city of Fujioshida. As far as the eye could see there stretched great bonfires down the main street. In the side streets families gathered to build small towers of flame in front of their homes. Sparks flew, chanting was heard, people danced, drums were beaten, and there was magic in the air.

I went for a walk near my house and the most awesome thunderstorm struck over head. I had to duck under a neighbors carport. The thunder moved at a frightening speed from behind the mountains (from all sides) and until it was directly over my head. The thunder was deafening and the rain came down torrents. I was actually screaming with fright (I called up a friend in Kyoto, to tell her "if you don't hear from me again, I may have been struck by lightening").

I got stuck in Tokyo when a powerful Typhoon hit. All the buses, trains, and roads back to Yamanashi-ken were shut down. I hid inside my girlfriend's house. We had to pull metal shutters over the windows (in case something flew at the window and broke it), but we heard outside all the raging winds and ocassional crashing of things flying through the sky. The next morning we found laundry someone had hung to dry transported to the top of the hedges and some minor damage to the houses around the neighborhood. But the sky was surprisingly clear and the sun was bright (as if nature was fickle and had so soon forgot the angry storm that had raged the night before).

I went to a massive hanabi (fireworks) display in the town of Isawa (about 10 minutes by train from my city of Kofu). It is the same town that had the samurai battle along a river last spring. Now the river was lined with people - men & ladies in yukata (summer kimono) and children running about acting adorable. Many people had laid tarps by the river (I was scolded by an old Japanese man for not taking my shoes off before I walked across one of these...oops). The fireworks display was massive. The river was right near where I and my friends were sitting so I almost felt like I could reach out and touch the great colorful bursts of light that exploded above (the word hanabi ...literally means "fire flower").

I am back at teaching now at my 7 junior & senior highschools...after teaching many lessons on "how was my summer vacation" (the students made posters or drew pictures for me and then presented in front of the class) I am now moving on to more wacky lessons, like having an "alien invasion" in the class, writing up the diologue for a children's story book, having "sentence races", and playing "hungry shark". I love my kids :)

And I have also just been spending a lot of time in Tokyo hanging out with my girlfriend, going out to eat Thai food with my friends, exploring new neighborhoods (like the bohemian "Kichijoji" area where you can buy gelato, watch artists paint people's pet dogs, listen to bands play, watch lovers paddling boats on a lake, and go vintage clothes shopping) and dancing all night...

life is good
grace

Tokyo Pride Parade

2007-08-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was so proud to have marched last weekend in the Tokyo Pride Parade.

Here is an article about the event.

waves a rainbow flag

2007-08-12T21:51:00.001-07:00

(this is copied from an email I sent dad - cause I am too lazy to type a separate message)

Yes, I'm back in Japan now. It was a bit of a stress when I arrived at the airport...

First I was given the wrong form (for arriving into the country) to fill out so I had to stand in a long line twice. It took me so long, that when I went to claim my baggage I was told "everyone already collected their bags from that flight" and I should go over to a "bag information counter". Luckily my bag was there (the very last one to be claimed for my entire plane)

Then I went to buy my bus ticket to get to Shinjuku (where I would meet my girlfriend Sayuri). So I got a ticket and head outside to where the bus stops were. They stretched in a long numbered line along the side of the street. I check my ticket (which was all in Japanese) and saw the #2, so I headed to the #2 bus stop and asked a guy who is putting bags in the bus there if this is the right stop for my ticket. He took a glance at my ticket and said the "2" stood for "terminal 2" and pointed to another number (#30) written on my ticket, saying that was my bus stop.

So, (lugging my cart with my heavy bag) I made the long walk from #2-#30 bus (did I mention that it was SOOO HOT and MUGGY? I felt like I was walking in a sauna).

But, when I got to the #20 bus stop I noticed there were no more bus stops after that. So, I approached a lady who is loading bags into the #20 bus, and asked her "where is the #30 bus stop?". She took one look at my ticket and said "this is not a bus ticket, this is a train ticket" (keep in mind my ticket was all printed out in Japanese).

ARG.

They had given me the wrong ticket at the counter.

I don't want to take a train because I have my huge suitcase to lug with me. So, the lady tells me I have to go back to the counter I bought the ticket and get a refund and then buy a bus ticket.

So, I walked all the way back to the ticket counter. But, then I was told by the lady behind the counter that I have to go down one floor to the "train information counter" to refund the train ticket & THEN come back and buy a bus ticket from her counter.

OH MY GOD!!

I was near tears by this time.

So, I find an elevator and get down to the bottom floor. I am looking around but I don't see the "train information counter". So, again, I have to ask someone (while fighting back tears of frustration).

Finally, I find this counter but it is so crowded, so I have to take a number an wait (by this time I have been at the airport for an hour and a half and it feels like it is in the middle of the night to me because of the time difference).

Eventually, I do get my refund and the proper bus ticket and get on the bus to Shinjuku.

Okay, so I am on the bus and there are like a whole bunch of accidents. The traffic is barely moving. As a result, the trip which should have taken 1 1/2 hours, takes over 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to Shinjuku.

The only saving grace out of this whole fiasco was that Sayuri was waiting for me in Shinjuku and surprised me by booking us a room in the Tokyo Hyatt (we got a fantastic panoramic view of Shinjuku).

Needless to say, I was so jet lagged after getting to Tokyo; but, I still was determined to have a good time.

On Saturday was the Tokyo Pride Parade. It was so different from the Vancouver Pride Parade. While the Vancouver parade gets a lot of support and sponsorship from the city, the Tokyo parade feels more outside at the fringes of society. They didn't even shut down the road we were walking on, so we had to be careful to not getting hit by passing cars in other lanes.The floats weren't as big and as elaborate. I recognized many people marching, as our community is so small and close knit here. It felt really important to be out there and walking and being vocal and representing our community (more so than in Vancouver where the society acknowledges and is more accepting of the queer community). I waved my rainbow flag I got in Vancouver proudly as I walked. It was REALLY HOT and MUGGY. But we tried to keep our spirits high, dancing in the streets and spraying people around us with water guns. It was a good experience.

Love and Miss you all
grace

rain rain go away

2007-07-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

ya, so its raining. This is not just any rain, this is the "rainy season". You open any calendar in Japan and the picture for the month of June & July will inevidably be an image of a geisha with an umbrella or some such wet image. This is not like the kind of rain I am used to in Vancouver. It is more like a monsoon. The air is hot and sticky as the rain comes down in absolute torrents.

I was riding my bicycle today. I have just begun to feel proud of the fact that I have "mastered" the art of riding with one hand holding an umbrella while the other holds a handlebar for dear life. But, then the "rainy season starts" and here I am trying to balance 2 grocery bags on both handlebars, hold only one handlebar, not poke passers by with the edges of my yellow umbrella, while at the same time move in a straight line through a wall of rain. Don't even ask how I stop at red lights or navagate corners. I don't. I had two near collisions today with pedestrians who yelled "Abunai desu yo!!" (that is dangerous!) at me. Oh dear. Maybe I am not such a master of the one-handed-bike-riding thing, yet, afterall.

To make things worse, with the beginning of the "rainy season" also comes the beginning of the "bug season". Here is a lowdown on what I mean by the little (seemingly innocent word) "bug".

1. I have COCKROACHES!! *screams*

[warning: long-winded cockroach story ahead]

Yes, I saw my first one about a month ago. It was stairing up at me from, of all places, the BATHTUB! (arn't someplaces sacred??). I was actually on the phone with my friend Fred at the time and (after some hyperventalating...after all, this is only the SECOND cockroach I have EVER SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE!). I ran and got a large kitchen knife. I will spare you the details, but needless to say, that cockraoch would have no more baths in my tub again!

I saw the second cockroach in my apartment a few days ago. I opened up the cupboard below my sink in my kitchen and the little guy looked up at me innocently. Immediately I grabbed for the handy massive kitchen chopping knife, but the litter bugger had magicly scampered away into some unkown crack and vanashed. Bugger.

Luckily, my predessesor who lived in this apartment had left me a large arsenal of anti-bug remidies. One such thing was a package of little roach motels. So I popped one open and stuck it in the cupboard and hoped for the best.

That night, I had a horrible dream that a cockraoch was climbing over me in my sleep (I have a futon so I sleep right at cockroach level...).

The next day, I was at one of my schools and related my "tales of cockroach woe" to the english teacher I was working with, Shindo Sensei. She related the following tale to me...

"Your predessor Eric had a girlfriend. One day she was in his apartment (now yours) and she was brushing her teeth. She was sitting on their bed. She happened to look behind her and suddenly she saw a cockroach stairing back up at her from the pillow with beady eyes!! She threw her toothbrush down and started screaming. So, of course, Eric grabbed the kitchen knife and attacked the cockroach".

Oh dear. Of course this little tale did little calm my near-panic.

So, today, I saw my 3rd cockroach (maybe the same bug that got away last time). I had opened the cupboard below the sink and suddenly he jumped out and ran acroos the kitchen floor and under the fridge. So, what about my little roach motel? I peeked in and (woot!) a lil baby cockroach had checked in.

I feel like I should be keeping a running tally

ME vs Cockroach
2 - 2

(aka 2 escapes/2 catches)

I will beat these buggers if its last thing I do!!

2. There are mosquitos EVERYWHERE...i currently have about 5 bites. One got me right on the cheek and I have a huge swollen red bump now (it looks like I just got punched in the face...charming).

3. Ants. Yesterday I was at my computer and an ant just walked by me like it was totaly normal to be hanging out in my apartment. I always leave my sliding doors open, but with the screen doors shut. But, this lil guy must have found his way in through a crack. Later on, on the same day, i was in the kitchen and I saw a little black ant climbing up my counter trying to get at my stash of rasins. eeeek.

IM BEING INVADED by BUGS! *waves a little flag in an attempt to call a truce*

*The lil bugs have a collective laugh at my misery and continue on in their evil buggy ways*

Oh, in other less buggy news. I am tickled happy because I got a flapper costume today for my burlesque debut on July 14th in Tokyo.

Here is the details of my costume (do not read if you live anywhere near Tokyo and want to see me perform...its a surprise for you)

- buttercup yellow long sleevless top trimed in white lace.
- white lace trimed slip to go beneath
- flesh-toned, just past the knee stockings with black hem running up the back
- white flapper-style heels
- white boa
- long shimmery beaded necklace
- white lacy garter
- and other unmentionables ;)

I will be performing to the song "Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp

My new moto:

Be fabulous & fearless

Good times.

scattered on the ground

2007-07-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

On the night of July 6th 1945, 131 U.S. B-29's droped hot napalm (firebombed) Kofu, Japan (the city where I now live). It was estimated that about 1027 people were immediately killed durring this one night (and many more critically injured). Only four days later, on July 10th 1945, a second wave of attack came. 600 firebombing B-29s destroyed nearly two-thirds of Kofu. Waves of hot flames engulfed the city. By the end of the war, it is estimated that 78.6% of the city had been destroyed by firebombing.

B-29s. Image taken durring the earlier firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945

********

Just outside the apartment where I live now is the remains of a temple that was destoryed durring the firebombing of July 1945.

(remains of wall and entry stone of temple)

Small pieces of clay roof tile still lay scattered on the ground on the path I ride my bike on from my apartment everyday.
There is an old black-and-white photograph hanging beside the remains of the temple. In the faided photograph you see an image of the small, beautiful, former temple that once stood.
Now, only stone statues, huddled together in a cluster, are what remain of the temple. These statues are covered by a blue corrogated metal roof that was put up after the destruction of the war.

Near the remains of this temple there is a house. Often as I am leaving home on my bike I pass it and see an old obasan (grandmother) sitting with her back bent in the sun. (jizo bodhisattva's and old house behind)

I always smile and say "konichiwa" and she always looks up surprised and greets me too with a beaming face. I wonder now, where she was as a teenager durring the war. Was she living in Kofu then? Did she flee into the surrounding mountains when the warning pamphets were dropped by American troops before the napalm fell? Did she loose her family home? Did she loose any of her family or friends? Unfortunately, she knows no English and I know too little to ask her in Japanese (as well as, I feel it would be to personal a question to ask the sweet old lady). But, I still wonder.

I wonder what it was like for the many people living in Kofu durring the war. I see so few old buildings in the city and know it is because so few remain after the war. I go to Kofu Train Station and I see another black and white photo displayed. This one is a panoramic shot of the city after the July 6th firebombing. There is nothing but ash and rubble and a few people with lost looks in their eyes.

Its not guilt that I feel today, almost 62 years after the firebombing in my city, rather, it is empathy for all these many people that suffered through and died those many years ago. They whisper still to me from the broken tiles of the temple roof that still lay, all these many years later, scattered on the dusty ground.

********

But, as we all know no situation is ever black and white. There is never a simple good vs bad dicotomy in the world.

To illustrate this, take a look at this picture.

This is an image of crew K-65 "The city of Evanstan". This photo was taken just immediately before the crew boarded their planes and firebomb Kofu on July 6th 1945.

Do these look like horrible murderers to you? No, they look like a group of young twenty-something guys. But, indeed, they did fight in a battle that would result in the death of 1000 + civilians that very night.

"What is absurd and monstrous about war is that men who have no personal quarrel should be trained to murder one another in cold blood" - Aldous Huxley

********

The only conclusion I can come to, is that, simply put, war is a horrible, dispicable thing that societies MUST always seek to avoid. Always in wars there are no winners and loosers. All sides loose something precious - be it innocence, empathy, limbs or life.

"There never was a good war or a bad peace"
- Benjamin Franklin

"Today the real test of power is not capacity to make war
but capacity to prevent it" - Anne O'Hare McCormick

grave of the fireflies

A Brand New You

2007-07-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

There is a online forum for ALT's in my area of Japan. A few days ago one of the ALT's posted the question "what has changed about you since you've been in Japan". Her question created alot of responses from those in my area. This was my response:

I have realized the true value of...

friendship: which definetly takes precidence over any romantic relationships

living in the moment: because this is all temporary in Japan, I have come to treasure the experiences I have & people I meet that much more.

fearlessness: I am less afraid of being exuberant about who I am

patience: waiting through all the bloody red lights here and looong moments of silence before I can get an answer to a problem has taught me this.

gratitude: for all the kindness that I have been shown by my supervisor (he brought me medicine, yogurt, juice to my apartment when I was sick), co-workers (that have made me feel so welcomed in their schools), & friends (who make me so happy that I don't feel quiet so homesick).

adventurousness: I have had many EPIC adventures since I have come to Japan and seen so many beautiful places. I only want to continue my life (wherever I may be) living brilliantly; always seeking out new things and trying those things I am afraid of ( yay for facing my fear of heights and trying snowboarding!).

happiness: I have learned the true value of happiness after going through lonely, down times, durring my time here. I have learned that nomatter what, happiness will be there just waiting around the corner. All I need to do is keep walking and, eventually, I will stumble right over it.

I am blessed with so many things. It is a very humbling experience being here.

Dancing in Shinjuku

leaves

2007-06-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

My thoughts are scattered
leaves twisting in the sky.
I want to catch them
And press them down.
Lay a paper over them,
And trace, with a fat red crayon,
Their impression.
Then hang the colourful image,
With a shiny tack,
Against my white wall.

Matsumoto Castle!

2007-06-21T02:07:00.001-07:00

Last saturday I jumped on a train and headed over to the city of Matsumoto (about 1 1/2 hour by train west of Kofu). I heard there was a fantastic black & white castle there, so I had to see it for myself...here is some pictures I took, enjoy!

The main road was lined with traditional Japanese shops

I discovered a quaint side street lined with vegetable shops & small craft stores.
I sat down at a little coffee shop here that was playing 1930's swing music & had a cappaccino.

Continuing on towards the castle, I discovered,
tucked between two modern cement buildings,
an old temple that had been converted into an antique book shop.

As I approached the castle,
I saw two school girls eraptured by the golden carp ...
...and two beautiful swans basking in the afternoon sun.
Then I saw the castle!

I went inside the castle, climbed its five floors
and was presented with this stunning view from the top.

In my journey to the top of the castle I saw many ancient samurai swords, guns, & armor
as well as everyday items such as bowls, tea pots & hair combs displayed within.

I then walked from the castle, across a beautiful red bridge, to the
tree-covered park surrounding the castle.

Looking back on the castle,
I saw the two white swans, that I had seen before,
swimming gracefully by.

But, the sun was getting low and I had to return back on the train to Kofu...

...so, I took one last long glance at the beautiful
black & white castle & bid it goodnight.

:)

random rambling

2007-06-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

Ya, so for once I'm just going to use this blog as blogs are ment to be used - to ramble.

Okay, first off It is wickedly hot here right now. The heat is hanging in the air like this massive elephant hanging off a trapeze. Or some such thing. It just hangs there, big and mamoth and unignorable (if that is a word? - well it is now). Not only is it hot but it is moist and sticky. They actually sell pads for your underarms here to absorb all the excess sweat. I know, how charming.

Today it was actually 29 degrees celcius in the junior high classroom I was teaching in(they actually had a thermometer tacked to the wall. How thoughtfull of them).

I was starting to feel like a lobster. That is, that I had been stuck in a giant pot of tepid water upon coming to Japan, only to have some devious chef slowly crank the heat. It happened oh so slowly, that suddenly I was cooking and I didn't even have time to yelp (if lobsters can yelp that is?).

Ya, so I was in this classroom finding it hard to string a coherent sentence together (have you ever tried to talk to a room full of half alive sweating 13 year olds while you are also half alive, sweating, and feel about the mental age of a lobster? No, I didn't think so.). When, suddenly I hapened to notice: "Hey arn't those big vent looking-appliances on the ceiling AIRCONDITIONERS??!!"For a moment I felt a rising sense of excitment. Could there be some hidden switch that I could have the power of flicking and thus unleash a wave of cool blissful magic? (oh dear).

So, I turn to the JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) I am working with and point at the ceiling contraptions and ask expectantly: "are those airconditioners?". To which she replied: "Yes". To which I replied, "um, are they not on?" (dumb question of course as I stand there drenched in perspiration.) "No, they are not on". Oh dear. This conversation wasn't going anywhere, time for some direct questioning. "Can we turn them on?", I finally muster. "Oh no," she said, "only when it is very hot can we turn them on". "VERY HOT??!", I screamed in my head, "what like when my toes start MELTING???" Veigly she added, "I think when it is maybe over 30 degrees". Oh dear, that didn't sound very promising. I guess I'll just have to suck it up (that is until I run away to wonderfully mild vancouver for 3 weeks in July!!)

Well, on the upside I was kept a bit cooler today by the fact that I was wearing a wonderful new skirt I bought in Harajuku yesterday.

First off, for those who are not familiar with the manic-rainbow-punk-rock-bliss that is Harajuku I'll elaborate. It is an area of Tokyo where many of the young, and wanabe young come out from their suburban homes to dress like life-size strawberry shortcake dolls and naughty french maids. Its a place where overly taned 40 year olds can plug in some alternative "jazz" and do improviational dance. It is where groups of kids covered only in blackness and studs can huddle together on the cement and exchange mix cds. Its a place where you can trample through the nearby park and end up either at a shinto shrine where a Japanese couple is having a traditional wedding, or stumble across a group of guys dancing to "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" while dressed in leather and tight pants and hair straight out of Grease. Basicly its a freakshow (and I mean that in every possibly good way).

So, ya, I bought a skirt. Now, this is not just any skirt. Lets just say I discovered the shop that was selling it by following these two girls dressed like matching lolitas (complete with frilly dresses, knee socks and mary janes) up a rickety flight of steps. Inside this shop were the most fantstic costumes bathed under the glow of several HUGE chandeliers. There were "naughty" geisha kimonos, school girl uniforms, elizabethian (shortened) gowns; basicly every posible combination of lace, leather, ribbon, and plaid you could imagine.

I saw my skirt the moment I entered. It called to me - a poofy white 50's length skirt covered in bright red cherries. There was even a bow at the back and a bit of poofy crinolin peeping out. I nearly fainted. It was so me in a gaudy-sweet-charming way.

So, yes, I wore this skirt to my school today. And, yes, my students gave a loud corus of "kawaii!!" (cute) when I entered the classroom (of course I hammed it up and did a few spins around the room).

Speaking of which, this is definetly something I will miss when I do leave Japan - the constant ego stroking I get here from my students. Only a person with a heart of iron would not blush with glee upon being told on a daily basis that they are (one or more of the following): "so cute/pretty/have a small face (I really never thought about the diameter of my face until all these students started pointing it out, oh dear)/have long arms(a couple old ladies who were stairing at me - while I was naked - in the Onsen kept rattling on about the length of my arms...go figure) /have nice hair ("is it real??" - I am blond and therefore a constant source of curiousity to my students)/sing very well (of course I just burst out in song at any oportunity).

I seriously would recomend that anyone with a low self esteem spend a year teaching in junior highschools in Japan. I SWEAR you will be magically cured of all feelings of inadaquacy.

What is more, you will feel like a celebrity. I have students CHASING ME ON THEIR BIKES through the streets yelling: "GRACE SENSEI!!" All my neighbours say hello, gauranteed, everythime I pass (now, could you imagine that happening anywhere in Vancouver?)

Basicly, I spend alot of my time with a stupid grin on my face because "heck I'd have to be crazy not to be happy" (okay, now that sounded a bit crazy. Actually I do have down days, but don't tell anyone I told you ;)

Oh dear. Okay, I think thats enough for today. I hope you are all doing gleefully. And if not gleefully, atleast getting by and staying positive about better things to come.

*hugs*
grace

videos

2007-06-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

I posted a few videos on youtube that you guys might like to watch.

The first is a video of the really sweet goodbye spoken-word rendition of Rascal Flatt's "My Wish". Performed by my dad and brother, Chris. awwwww...

My Wish

The second is the first episode in a series I'm making called "Only in Japan". This one features a crazy fan dance performance at a club - "The Music Box" - in Kofu.

Fan Dance

The third is the second episode in that series "Only in Japan". This one features pictures and video of the beautiful plum blossoms (that were featured in my last post) of Misaka.

Peach Blossoms

Enjoy!
Grace

ps. don't expect too much as I only have windows movie maker to work with. cheers!

Peach blossoms in Misaka

2007-05-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Two good friends of mine, Olivia & Lynn, both live in a small town east of Kofu called Misaka. In this town there are many grape vines, cherry trees, and peach trees. About a month ago the peach blossoms were in full, radiant bloom. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Here are some pictures I took...enjoy.

Kofu Castle in spring

2007-05-28T19:48:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share with you all some really pretty pictures of Kofu Castle durring the hight of the Sakura (cherry blsoom) season.

(#1) A row of sakura trees lining a road leading to the enterance of Kofu Castle.

(#2) The southern edge of the castle wall and surrounding moat

(#3) Many people come and lay out tarps and drink and eat and revel under the trees for "hanami" (hana=flower; mi=to look at; so literally hanami=flower viewing).

(#4) within the castles main walls criss-crosses a low boundary wall. Small sakura trees bloom and in the distance beautiful mountains lay.

(#5) the northern wall of the castle and sakura trees in a sea of blossoms.

The many adventures of one girl in Japan...

2007-05-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ya, so sorry I have not updated for a LOOOONG time...far to busy doing far to many things....

Here is a really quick update of some adventures I have had...

1. SAMURAI FESTIVAL!!

I went to a massive samurai festival that is held every spring in Kofu at our local castle. It was EPIC. It is held in honor of Lord Takeda Shingen

He lived and ruled over the area that is now Yamanashi-ken back in the 1500's. He fought many battles against Uesugi Kenshin who ruled in the north (in what is now Nagano-ken). So, in honor of him locals (and fellow gaijin) dress in authentic samurai apparal and play the roles of Lord Shingen and his many generals and army as well as Uesugi Kenshin and his many generals and army.

Women are also welcome to play parts as samurai in the army of Lord Shingen or Kenshin or play one of Lord Shingen's many wives.

There is a great procession of all the samurai from Kofu castle towards Kofu station and down the main street (Hewa-dori). Some ride horses and others go on foot. Great fires are lit on either side of the street. Deafening guns are shot and many battle cries are heard (Hey hey Hoooohhhhh! Hey hey HOOOHHHH!). It is really quite an epic sight.

The next weekend in a neighbouring town of Isawa on a great grass field near a river there is an actual MASSIVE battle renactment between Lord Shingen and Lord Kenshin.

Bonfires are lit by the river and the opposing troops run at eachother with swords raised and battle it out. Some of the samurai even dive into the river and go at it there. Deep red blood (aka dye) streams through the water. Smoke from the fires and many guns clouds the field. You have to blink a few times because it all looks so real (or perhaps like a scene from The Last Samurai).
Good times.

2. The Nashi-500 (aka a MASSIVE SCAVENGER HUNT!!)

a bunch of JETS in my ken set up a HUGE scavanger hunt that took us all over Yamanashi-ken. We all formed groups and themes and drove all around our beautiful ken on a great adventure. I signed up at the last minute so I ended just with one other gal - Kat in her car. I dressed in flapper gear (complete with boa and flapper hat).

The first round of the game we were given a list of hints about places in the ken (like Onsen - hot springs), famous temples, etc that we had to solve. After solving the riddles of the places, we had to drive to them and take a digital photo as evidence of our journey.

The next round we were given a list of "challanges" that we had to perform. Such as "take a picture of you hugging an old lady, take a picture of you with atleast 3 students in school uniform, kiss a fast food mascot (!), take a picture with a police officer, play pachinko, etc" It was a crazy time.

After the whole adventure we met up at a restaurant in Minobu (a beautiful area of Yamanashi-ken south of Kofu) were we partied, set off fireworks, and awarded certificates to the winners of the scavenger hunt (Our group came in 4th place, oh dear!).

3. Many other crazy Adventures

I went to Saitama (the area North of Tokyo) for Golden week (a national 4 day holiday in spring) and spent the weekend at a women's retreat with a bunch of wonderful ladies. We had a bbq for two days along a river; played alot of live music together; played tennis, volleyball and soccer; bonded and partied...good times were had by all...

I travelled to Kyoto and Osaka (I took the bullet train or Shinkansen for the first time!!) and hung out with a gal (Pixie) I met durring golden week...we danced all night in Osaka, ate wonderful food, went out for karaoke (where we sang show tunes), and basicly had a good wild time...

I've made many new friends near and around Tokyo who I now often go out dancing with in Tokyo.

So, basicly, I am living it up. Life is sweet and good and I am doing fabulous.

Sakura and Sweet Incense

2007-04-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

*happy sigh* hello all, I have just returned home from the vacation of a lifetime...I spent four-and-a-half days in Kyoto and completely fell inlove with the city.

As I said in my last post I don't want to be spending as much time on the internet, so I will sum up my experience briefly.

On thursday night I arrived in Kyoto with my friend Lynn (after a 7 hour train ride from Kofu, good god!). Our hostel was right near Nijo-jo castle in Kyoto so we decided to explore the inside of the castle right away.

The floors of the castle are called "nightengale floors" because they make chirping sounds as an ancient security measure as you walk along them. The walls throughout the castle were painted with beautiful images of cranes and tigers.

Later that evening after dinner we wandered back to the castle at night to see the grounds all lit up by lanters. Pink sakura trees were also illuminated with perfectly placed lighting. I took a picture of the moon shinning brightly through the branches heavy with blossom. After taking pictures, we watched three ladies give a koto (japanese harp) performance on the side of the castle. The music was hauntingly beautiful. Afterwords two young guys had a jam session using several taiko drums and a japanese flute. The night air was warm and sented with incense.

The next day, on friday, we headed out early from our hostel to see the most famous temple in Kyoto- Kinkaku-ji (aka "the Golden Pavilion"). I read a novel with the same name, by Yukio Mishima, based on the history of the temple.

Originally built in 1397 and covered in real gold leaf, the golden temple was eventually burned to the ground in 1950's by a young monk who was said to have developed a jelous obsession with the beautiful temple.

It was later rebuilt and covered in brilliant new layer of gold leaf.

Unfortunately it was a bit of a cloudy day when we went to see the temple, so we didn't get a chance to see the pavilion sparkling in all its glory and reflecting in the pond below it. Still, it was an awesome sight to behold.

Afterwords I took a traditional tea ceremony at a tea house overlooking the gardens surrounding the pavilion.

We wandered on to Ryoan-ji Temple neary by that is famous for its kare-sansui(dry landscape) zen garden. There are a collection of 15 rocks surrounded by raked sand. They are so placed that there is only one spot as to where you are able to see all rocks visible at the same time. We sat and meditated for a bit and then explored the surrounding moss covered gardens.

Then we took a bus to the western Kyoto outskirts to Ginkaku-ji ("Silver Pavilion"). This temple was built by the grandson of the golden pavilion creator, but he never got around to covering it in silver. Despite the temples lack of glitter it was really lovely all nestled at the base of a wonderful garden trailing up the side of a hill. We wandered beneath tree cloaked pathways, over moss and scattered blossoms.

Then we moved onto the most beautiful walk known as the "Path of Philosophy". The walk followed a canal blanketed on both sides with pink and white sakura trees. This is when I began to feel the first stirrings of the heart that I would later discover was love for this spectacular city of Kyoto.

At the end of the pathway we reached Nanzen-ji temple. At the enterance to it was a majestic, many pillared, wooden gateway. Past it there were winding gardens and a long stone aqueduct (built in the Meiji era). We ended up transversing to the top of this aqueduct and following it high above the ground as it led us in through a quieter forested area.

We were getting tired by this point, but we wanted to see the Kyoto Folk art History Museum that wasn't too far in the city center. So we wandered into the museum and were overwhelmed with all the styles of art that have been prefected in Kyoto - from special means of weaving and dying kimono to laquer wear stained a deep coal black then delicately painted with flowers.

As the sun was getting lower we entered Heian-Jingu temple. The buildings were all a blazing red colour, tall and dispirsed around us like parsimons scattered on the ground. I felt moved to take pictures in unique angles of the lanterns and pilars of the temple around me.

We wandered on and stoped for some chocolate cake and tea before heading back to our hostel.

The next day Lynn and I decided to go to see the most spectacular castle in all of Japan - Himeji. I am sure you have all see images of this castle, bright and white, rising like a crane from the sky. It is listed as a national treasure and a UNESCO world heratage sight. It remains in its original (nonconcreate) format as it was when built in 1580. We took a train from Kyoto station and 1 1/2 hours later arrived at Himeji castle station. They provided free bikes to rent there, so we drove them up the road to the castle on the horizon. It was gorgeous and glowing in the bright spring sun. The grounds were crowded with people coming to see the castle durring the peak of the sakura season. We wandered within the castle grounds and ascended many flights of wooden stairs to get to the uppermost view within the castle. Beautiful.

Oh dear oh dear, here I say I won't write too much and I find myself writing oh so much. But, I can't help myself. I am still trembling with glee now as I type this.

That afternoon I decided to explore a very popular temple as the sun set - Kiyomizu-dera. approaching this temple there is a street lined with many vendors selling everything from hand painted fans to hello kitty in kimono to hang off of your cell phone. As I moved through the throng of people and the sun got lower, i flet explectation rising. Then on the horizon I saw the many buildings of the temple scattered pink and red up the side of a mountain. Immediately I became enchanted. A few lanters had already been lit and gave little bits of warm light up the side of the mountain. I wandered from the great enterance gate, the a beautiful pink pagoda, and finally to a great old wooden viewing platform that gave me a view of all of Kyoto lying billow. As the sun got lower and more lanterns were lit and happy couples difted by hand in hand, and giggling friends dressed in kimono stoped to take a picture together. I was awash in the warmest blissful glow.

Later that evening I met up with a felow JET, Racheal, who I had met on my last snowboarding trip in Nagano we wandered through the modern city core and had a most delcious Nepalese dinner. It was nice having an evening out on the town and seeing how much life there still was bursting forth in such an ancient city.

Oh dear, now I really will condense the remainder of my journey....

I spent two blissful eveningings looking for the mysterious geisha, and several times was rewarded by a site of one hurrying in brilliant blue and red kimono through the streets of gion,

I revelled in the glow of the city lights as the pink sakura reflected in the Kama river,

I ate all I could eat from a revolving sushi restaurant (and even tried eel sushi!),

I climbed a mountain and hung out with wild monkeys,

I watched a special Maiko (Geisha apprentice) dance complete with singing, flute and sameshan playing,

I wandered through a dark bamboo forest,

I rode a "Romantic Train" ride along the Hozu river on the western edge of Kyoto,

I saw a 1000 golden, life-sized kannon statues lined within the longest wooden building in the world (and had a near-mystical experience when viewing them, finding myself suddenly awash in tears),

and, yes, as it was the season of hanami (drunken cherry blossom viewing) I celebrated with many happy revelers, beneath a HUGE brilliantly illuminated pink sakura tree, surrounded on all sides by small bonfires.

Brilliant. Just absolutely brilliant. From now to the rest of my life Kyoto will hold a special, warm space in my heart. For it is the only city that I have literally fallen in love with. It is all you would expect of it and so much more. It is magical and beautiful, it is ancient and modern, and, in my mind, it will always remain perfect and sweet, scented in icense and sakura.

I've decided...

2007-04-03T03:50:00.000-07:00

...to decrease my use of the internet, but not disconect it intirely. I do realize that being able to share pictures of my adventures with you all back home is really special. I just won't be posting as often, so I can have time to do other things.

I Need to Make a Change

2007-03-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

I really feel that I have to make a dramatic change in my life. Its almost if I have become someone I don't recognize. Now that I have this great situation and great job with great pay I have started to let go of some of the values I used to hold dear. I used to be proud of the fact that I didn't have techonology - no computer, internet, cable, or cell phone - and, yet, I was able to get so much joy out of life. Now I have all these things and, suddenly, I feel the joy sliping away.

Yes, I have had some amazing experiences here traveling. But, I have also come to be spending more and more time alone with my technology. In particular, the internet has become a problem for me. Basicly, I think I may have become addicted to it. I spend far too much time doing searches, blogging (yes I know you all love it, but it does take up my time) and watching videos on youtube.

I have so many goals that I have put on the back burner. For example, taking a yoga class, spending more time studying Japanese, keeping up with more people here, getting more excercise (dear oh dear, I have gained almost 10 pounds since coming to Japan), catching up on my reading, etc.

So I have decided to take a dramatic step (because I find that dramatic steps are the only thing that work for me). I am going to be cancelling my internet service at home. It is going to suck for me. I will feel really annoyed at first. But, I hope it will push me towards doing all those things I have been meaning to do while here.

What it will mean for all of you who I care about and love so much, is that I won't be able to keep in contact with you as frequently. I will have access to the internet at the Kencho (government office), but, unfortunately, they have a firewall there that prevents me from posting on my blog (I will be able to still use email there though).

I know many of you have come to love my little posts on here and I am really sorry about this. I can always send you little updates through email from the Kencho, every now and again. Please know that I am still thinking of you all very much and I am doing this so I can have more adventures and, just in general, be a healthier person.

Love to you all.

Grace

more pics

2007-03-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Check out the great pics taken by my friend Lynn from our trip to Kamakura and Yokohama

(full collection of pics here)

me feeling giddy at seeing the beach for the first time in five months.

Kire Hana (Beautiful Flowers)

Me at the Money Washing Shrine

Me infront of Hasedera (Kannon) Temple
Daibutsu (close-up)

"I Saw a Giant Buddha!" .... and other unbelievable tales.

2007-03-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I have had a lovely last few days.

Spaghetti & Unicycles

Last Thursday I helped out for the day at my friend Fred's Shogakko (elementary school). It was my first time at an elementary school in Japan and I was really amazed. The school had a lovely vegetable garden, a pond (which the students help to make), a beautiful bright building, many unicycles and stilts for the kids to play with (which, I hear are standard play equipment in Japanese Shogakkos), and an amazing Kocho Sensei (principle) who showed me all the handmade toys he makes for his students (he gave me a bamboo helicopter to keep for myself).

I helped Fred teach three classes - ichi, ni, and san nensei (first, second, and third year). We sang "Wheels on the Bus" and "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". We practiced the names of vegetables and the time in English. All the kids lined up at the end of class and shook both Fred and my hand.

At lunch Fred and I sat down at the ichi nensei table and we ate our spaghetti with the giggling little kids (I spilt a bunch of it on myself, so their classroom teacher offered me her apron to wear :).

Then after lunch we played outside with kids. I built a giant mt. Fuji out of sand with a group of girls, pushed some other children on the swings, and then played a version of tag in which I was the "oni" (demon) and had to catch the kids. It was exausting, but wonderfully fun. I am going to help out at another Shogakko that Fred teaches at this Friday (yay!)

Big Buddha, Beaches, and Bellydancing

On Sat Lynn and I headed out to spend the weekend in Kamakura and Yokohama. After several hours and several train transfers we arrived at Kamakura station. We checked out a few temples near the station. The plum blossoms were beautiful. Then we stoped for some soba (buckwheat noodles) and tempura.

After lunch we decided to go on a hike to the famous Diabutsu (Great Buddha). We followed a small cemented path, that slowly disapeared into earth as we got deeper and deeper into the forest. The trees were beautiful - their roots were twisted and raised out of the earth. It was a quiet, blissful escape from the crowds at the temples.

We came out to a clearing and there was a small japanese house and an old man. He smiled at us and beckoned us to follow him, saying only "Sakura". We followed him behind his house and there was a beautiful pink tree with new buds in bloom. Beautiful.

Then we continued on our trail. We came across a cave opening with a torii gate at the side of a hill. We stepped through and found a shinto shrine hidden in a cliff. We looked in my lonely planet we had brought and discovered it was a "money washing" shrine. The story goes, if you wash your money there in a natural mountain brook, it will multiply. So Lynn and I got little baskets and slipped into a little cave on the side of the shrine. There were thousands of colourful paper cranes hanging from the ceiling and many minuture torii gates. In a corner was a little open brook and we emptied our pockets and washed our yen clean.

Stepping out through the cliff opening of the shinto shrine, we continued on our journey to the Great Buddha. The sun was warm and cast a twinkling glow on us through the trees. Eventually the forest thinned and we saw a stone step way descending. So, we took the steps and saw a sign that directed us towards the Great Buddha.

From a good distance we saw its bronze head rising. At a total hight of 13.3 meters it was quite the sight. All around the buddha were crowds of tourists vieing for the best view of the buddha. Standing bellow him and looking up I felt like his eyes were cast down directly at me. He was beautiful. Off on the side were also a giant pair of woven sandles displayed. We walked around the buddha and saw two large windows open like wings at his back. People were lined up to enter him. We decided not to pay the fee to go inside (our friend Olivia had done it before and it was quite hot inside and not worth the fee). We took many pictures of him, though, from many angles.

Then we walked across the road to a the most beautiful temple grounds I have ever seen - Hasedera. Several temple structures are built trailing up the side of a hill. On the foot of the hill a bridge spans over a pond. Carp swim lazely within the water. A small waterfall washes down a cliff beside. Stepping stones cross from one flower-covered edge of the pond to the other.

There were thousands of jizo statues clustered together with the sweetest incense burning. Some of the jizo were wraped in silk scarves with glass necklaces around their throat, while others wore woolen red caps and bibs.

Following a stone step way up the side of the hill we reached the temple of the largest wooden Kannon (goddess of mercy) in Japan.

A little History: This Kannon statue was originally carved in 721 AD out of a camphor tree by Buddhist Priest Tokudo-Shonin. It was thrown in the sea with the prayer that it would reappear to save the people. Sixteen years later, durring the night of June 18th of the year 736, the statue drifted to Nagai beach off Miura in Sagami Province, sending out rays of light as it drifted ashore. The statue was then transported to Kamakura where its maker, Tokudo-Shonin constructed a temple with it as the central image - called the "Center of Bliss". In 1342 gold leaf was applied to it and in 1392 a halo was placed around its head.

Moving from the bright light of outside to the dim lighting of the temple of Kannon, my eyes slowly adjusted. I saw the great golden Kannon rising before me. Not quite woman and, yet, not quite man it rose infront of me crowned with buddha and many other small heads (symbolizing the diffrent stages of enlightenment).

I stepped closer and staired into its face and literally felt myself being hypnotized by its beauty. I was overcoming by a feeling of peace and gratitude. Like the great buddha, the kannon's eyes seemed to be peering down directly at me below. My heart felt felt warm in my chest and I felt so happy. I staired and staired at the kannon above me. I knew I had to move on to other things, but I could have stood there for hours. It was an amazing experience.

We wandered more through the temple grounds and saw a great view of the beaches of Kamakura below. There was also a real deep dark cave in one of the cliff sides. We crouched low and walked through the darkened winding tunnels and found many little statues of a goddess playing the koto (japanese harp) placed on the walls of the cave. Coming out into the sunshine again we decided to head down to the beach.

Hedged in by mountains on all sides in Kofu, I have started to long for the open expanse of the blue horizon over the ocean.

So we wandered through the surfing town of kamakura and came out to the open beach. I was overhwelmed with glee . I danced around feeling the crisp ocean breeze on my skin. I trailed my fingers in the cold ocean shore and found a perfect white shell to take with me.

Later that night we went out for Turkish food in Yokohama (yum yum), smoked a mint/apple hooka, and watched a japanese and a brazilian lady bellydance. It was the most lovely day.

The next day we woke up early to a rainy day. Undaunted, we got up and found some umbrellas at a combini and wandered through the deserted streets of an early morning china town. Yokohama has one of the biggest china towns in the world. There are street after street of bright red lanters, intericately decorated, gold-trimmed buildings, and a beautiful chinese temple. All the shops were still closed and with the rain sprinkling down there was a secret stillness as we wandered through street and alley.

All in all it was a lovely weekend. You can watch a slideshow of my trip here.

Here is a great Youtube video I found of Hasedera temple.

What not to do in Japan...

2007-03-05T03:34:00.000-08:00

Here is our really embarrassing video of me and my fellow WNKR colleagues stuck at mcdonalds in Shibuya at 4am.

WARNING: Contains foul language and lip balm action!!

er...enjoy (i think :)

video

"I Got Drunk in a Prison!"... and other confessions

2007-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello all...so sorry I have not posted in a while. I have been procrastinating which is bad. But on the upside in the last two weeks I have been out and doing a ton of stuff to write about now.

Two weekends back a bunch of the crazy jets from my prefecture and I decided to head to Tokyo and go drinkin and dancing...but this wasn't just any lil trip to tokyo...no....dear me no...

we decided to all dress in business suits and ties and magically transform ourselves into executives in the company WNKR (*tehe*). This company, WNKR, deals in sprockets and is based in Dallas, Texas. We also all decided to pick new names for ourselves. But all the names had to start with "W". Mine was Winona Wilde. Fred (aka "Winifred, aka "the best man in Yamanashi", aka "the guy with a biggest collection of women's wigs) printed up name tags for all of us and we created a storm in Shibuya.

But first 3 of us, Jessica (aka Wiechi Wong), Olivia (aka Willow Wing) and I, decided to get drunk in a prison....haha...they have this restaurant in a basement 3 blocks from Shibuya station that is called "The Lockup".

I had no idea what I was getting into.

We walked down these steps and through a heavy iron door.

Suddenly we were cast into near darkness. We stared walking and the floor started sinking in parts, so we screamed and ran forward. Then we saw a guy behind glass getting electricuted in a chair...dear oh dear!!

Eventually the hallway ended and we were presented a rather unapealing choice of three iron doors....the first two turned out to be closets full of strange things in jars...("dear god, this prison must be run by a mad scientist!", we thought).

Finally we went through the right door...We saw the prison "guard" waiting for us (a woman dressed in a hot red pleather short skirt and little cap.) She had a set of handcuffs on a chain and proceeded to cuff one end of it on me and lead me (followed by a shaking Willow and Weici) to our cell (#40).

Much insanity ensued...including drinking blood coloured (strawberry flavoured) alcohol (which had been injected from a giant needle into a glass beaker by our hostess) and having Freddie Krugar break into our cell (while house music was loudly playing over the speaker system)...dear oh dear...

...after "escaping" from the prison Weici, Willow, and I met up with the rest of the WNKR team and talked a little business over drinks...here is a copy of our "minutes":

1) Phil (Watson Wells II) announced that he had lost the Roth account (and we sure reminded him of it throughout the course of the night)
2) JD (William Wilson) discussed at length how he he wanted to move to compnay headcourters to Nova Scotia (which he claimed was in Eastern Europe or....was it South America?)
3) I announced that our company would soon be launching a Sprocket Jewlery Line!!

After drinking we moved the festivities to the LOVE HOTEL and bar region of Shibuya...

For those who are not familiar with these "lovely" (pun intended) estabilishments I shall give a short description. Basicly, they are hotels with "themed rooms" (aka think of a Hello Kitty pink room or a school room complete with chalk board and desk). You select a room by pushing a button below a selection of illuminated pictures at the front check-in and you can stay by the hour or by the night. Yes, classy, I know.

Anyway...so our WNKR team danced up a storm to Japanese Raggae music ("I am the rasta man of Japan!!") at a club called Club Asi a. We befriended this little japanese gal who looked like mini mouse and went by the name "Mew Mew" (see the pic on the right). She gave me a card and told me to go visit her in Osaka (she owns a bar that is actually named Mew Mew after her :).

...we had no accomodation set up for the evening so after leaving the club we tried, unsucessfuly, to score a room at one of the many love hotels (they were fully booked by 3 am). So a bunch of us wandered down to the second floor starbucks at Shibuya station. We told stories of our childhood until 4am when the place shut down for the night. Then we moved it all to a 24 hour mcdonalds...where we...well I will let Willow (aka Oliva) tell you...

"we laughed at Japanese orange girls (editor: aka japanese girls with BIG hair and tiny skirts/shorts and big boots. Two of them were in the bathroom with their curling iron plugged into a socket IN the toilet stall so no one could use the bathroom in mcdonalds for an hour), took random pictures of sleep deprived people, and shot a You-Tube worthy video (editor: this was on Fred's camera. I will try and get a copy made for all to see). Even though, we as a team, feel bummed out because SOMEONE lost the Roth account, we don't regret spending our last night on the streets of Shibuya, which by the way, are WAY too shady (editor: indeed. I saw graffiti for the first time in Japan.)"

So, yes, all in all it was an "experience".

As for this past weekend, I jumped on a train and headed to Nozawa Onsen in Nagano. I met up with a bunch of JETS who are part of STONEWALL (the gay, lesbian, bisexual and what-not JET's) group. We had a crazy time. Nozawa Onsen is a beautiful lil village tucked between a bunch of mountains. Many of the buildings look like English cottages and there were TONS of free Onsens (hot baths) to try. We stayed at the Lodge Nagano run by an australian, Luke, that was located right at the bottom of the slopes. Some highlights of the trip were...

1) going boarding down the best slopes I have been on!!
2) building a drunken "salary man" snowman (who was passed out sideways in the snow with empty cans of ChuHi (a fruity cooler drink) lying beside him.
3) going to a bar called "The Foot" and singing karaoke with a bunch of australians after.
4) finding "The Source" (hehe...sounds so important...really it was the hotspring that fed into the many onsens in the village) and watching an old japanese man with a walking stick cooking corn in it.

good times. unfortunately, I forgot my camera on the trip. But, the other Jets said they would upload their pics to the internet so I will post some later.

next weekend I will be going on a trip to Kamakura with my friend Lynn. Kamakura is in Kanagawa Prefecture, about an hour from Tokyo. It is famous for having the second largest buddha in Japan (it is shown in many movies), having many temples, and being a surfer's paradise. Should be fun.

Then on the last weekend of this month I will be heading down with Lynn to Kyoto for 4 days of sightseeing!! We will be staying in the Cheapest Hostel in Kyoto (the actual name). We have booked tickets to see a special Geisha dance that happens every spring. So, yes, again, I am tickled pink and doing well.

love and miss you all,
gracie

First Signs of Spring

2007-02-20T00:50:00.000-08:00

Happiness to you all. Life is beautiful. It really is. I am in Japan at the cusp of the season of pink sakura blossoms and sake-fueled hiakus.

Today I heard the first lusty sigh of spring. So, after teaching and buying my ticket to go to Hiroshima (i will be stoping in Kyoto & Nara as well, to check out the sakura in April), I decided to go out and look for spring.

I wandered past a local zen temple and the famous zenkoji temple near my home. i saw daffodils, heather, and plum blossoms. The sun was low and cast a warm glow over everything.

click here to enjoy a slide show.

Drawing Japan

2007-02-18T01:27:00.000-08:00

I did a fantastic english lesson on friday with my 1st and 2nd year students at Yamanashi Gakuin Junior Highschool.

I handed each student in the class a piece of paper and then gave them specific instructions for drawing a picture (eg "Draw a sun in the top left corner. Draw a face in the sun. Beside the sun, on the right, draw a butterfly. Across the whole page, below the sun and butterfly draw Mt. Fuji. In the bottom, right, corner draw a city that has five tall buildings etc"). Then I asked them to answer questions on the back of their picture about it in full sentences (eg "how is the sun feeling?").

I was really surprised when they turned in their papers. They had drawn some of the most imaginative pictures! I was so impressed I decided to take some pictures of some of them and, eventually, decided to put the pictures together into a short movie.

I have uploaded the movie to youtube for all of you to see how creative my students are!

Click here and enjoy!

( if that doesn't work you can also see the video through mydeo )

more photos

2007-02-15T05:47:00.000-08:00

i finally got hooked up with a flickr account and I have uploaded a few more picks from sapporo.
but, I, um, kinda uploaded them in the wrong order. So, you can watch a slideshow of my trip to sapporo in reverse order by clicking here .

Happy Love Day!

2007-02-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hello all - I am not a big fan of Valentines day (too commercialized and such), but I AM a big fan of LOVE.

So i just want to say that I LOVE all you guys, today and everyday! I hope you all are happy and I can't wait to visit you all in August!

*hugs*
gracie

Sapporo Snow Festival!

2007-02-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all - I just got back from the most amazing weekend in Sapporo!

I'll tell you a bit about my adventures...

Six Jets from my prefecture and I headed off from Kofu in a lovely bus to Shinjuku in Tokyo. Then we jumped on a train for the Haneda airport.

Lucky us we got to take a special Pikachu train to Sapporo. It was painted on the outside with Pikachu and his friends and inside the flight attendants wore pikachu aprons and we used pikachu cups
and we rested our heads on pikachu headrests. Too cute!

The flight was quite lovely and only one hour. Luckily, I got a window seat so I was able to watch the sun set as we were approaching Sapporo. It was the first time I have ever seen the sun glow so amazingly crimson red as it disapeared below the horizon (this being being a country with a red sun on its flag, it was quite apropriate). The city of Sapporo twinkled like a jewel below us with many colourful lights and sparkling snow.

We were met at the airport by this nice fellow, Bailey, who had organized the whole trip for all us jets across Japan. There were so many of us staying in Sapporo that our group from Kofu, along with a few others, were staying in a seperate hotel from the rest for friday and sat nights. Luckily, this seperate hotel happened to the Sheraton in Sapporo (a 4 star hotel). From the outside the hotel looked like a cathedral and inside there was a massive cupid fountain and church-like area complete with stained glass (many weddings are held there).

I got to share my room with very nice Jets from outside of my prefecture of Yamanashi - Kristine from just North of Tokyo and Janet from near Osaka.

That evening of Friday, I and several other Jets from Yamanashi headed out for some good eatings and drinking at two local izakayas (a japanese style restuarant/bar where you ordered lots of meat on sticks and alcohol to share). We had some great laughs and good times.

The next morning we got up and some of the Yamanashi jets, my roomate Janet, and I headed out to Teine, a ski/snowboard slope only about an hour from Sapporo city. It was a beautiful sunny day. Janet and I (both beginners to snowboarding) decided to be fools together on the slopes.

We took the ski lift to the very top of the mountain and got up the courage to go all the way down the biginners route. It took some time before i rembered how to balance on the board and turn properly. It was a beautiful route down the mountain on a tree lined trail, with some parts right at the edge of a steep cliff. We took a wrong turn and ended up on a more difficult stretch of the slopes, but we made it down with our bums a little sorer but very happy. Then we took a little lift up only part way on the mountain and practiced going down again and again. I was starting to get the hang of the whole boarding thing and just loving the rush of it all. We had a glorious day on the slopes.

That afternoon we headed back to our hotel. After a nice long soak in the bath, I headed up to the top floor of the hotel where there was a bar with a fantastic view of Sapporo city twinkling below. It was rediculously expensive but I ordered a Mojito and felt absolutely blissful. There was was the beauty of the city below and the warmth of my friends - Renee and Kat - beside me.

That evening Renee, JD (another Yamanshi Jet) and I decided to go check out the snow sculptures. We jumped on the subway and headed to sapporo station. The night was lovely, crisp, and clear. The snowsculptures were illuminated by many coloured lights and looked quite lovely. The smaller ones did look to be melting some, but the larger ones looked quite perfect and majestic. There was a large snow palace where a japanese rock band was performing infront of. There was a huge japanese style castle. There was a huge Disneyland themed sculpture, complete with a castle and mickey mouse. It was a beautiful night.

The next day I decided to head off on my own to see a placewith a snow maze called Sato Land. It was about a half hour by bus from Sapporo station. On the bus I met two gals named Eddah (originaly from Kenya) and Mahum (originaly from Pakistan) who live in Hiroshima prefecture. They invited me to come stay with them any time and they will show me around their area (yay!). Sato Land was really fun. There were little kids building hundreds of snowman all around. There were many slides of snow that children could slide down with inner tubes. Also there was a huge snow maze that we pretended to get lost in :)

I got quite cold, though, and ended up steping in some melted snow and getting my right foot all wet. So, I said goodbye to Eddah and Mahum and headed back to my hotel (we were staying in a cheaper hotel called the Mets for the last night).

I relaxed a bit and then headed out to sapporo station to go exploring and get omeyagi (a souvenier gift of food you buy for your coworkers when you go traveling in Japan). I left the station and wandered through the city until sunset.

I discovered a great brick building which was the Sapporo government building. It was surrounded with trees, many of which were bundled up with straw to protect them from the snow or tided with ropes to prevent the branches from braking. Everything looked so beautiful covered in snow.

That evening a whole bunch of us JETS headed out to a beer garden for an enkai (drinking party). We got to cook our own lamb and vegis at little cookers at our tables and we had nomeihodi (unlimited drinking) for the evening. I enjoyed walking around and just meeting Jets from all over Japan. I especially enjoyed meeting a really fun group of jets from Nara Prefecture (just near Kyoto). They were really layed back and fun and artsy people. They all invited me to go visit them in the spring and I could stay with any of them and they would give me a tour of their area. I am planning to go when the sakura are blooming the first weekend of April.

It was a late night and the next morning all of us from yamanashi had to wake up really early to catch our 8:30 flight back to Tokyo. After arriving in Tokyo we decided to head to Shinjuku to try some ramen that is notorious for being the most spiciest in Japan. They provide all patrons with a package of tissues and tons of water. I got my bowl of ramen and, dear oh dear, it was definetly really spicey. All the japanese patrons kept looking at me with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. My sinuses just became like a fountain, but I actually really enjoyed the ramen.

After our lips were pretty numb so we decided to get some icecream at the local 7-11. We were eating icecream infront of the combini when this older japanese guy came up and started dancing in the puddle of icecream we were making. He was so random and funny. He started talking with us and asking where we were all from. He then proceeded to pull out a banana for each of us (to go with our icecream). He then pulled out a half dozen carton of eggs from the same bag as the bananas. We had no clue what he was going to do next. He pulled out a single egg and proceeded to crack it dead center on his forehead, slirp up some of the raw egg and rub the rest all over his face!! omg! We just cracked up. He then told us, proudly, how this what people in japan used to wash their face with in the "old days". oh dear. He then cracked another egg on his head and started rubbing it all over his face. When it dried he proudly showed us how soft his skin was. dear oh dear. Then he passed us all out one of those japanese face masks you wear when you are sick. So we all put them on a posed for a picture with the wonderful old guy. He then said fairwell and disapeared.

We took the bus back to Kofu and the sun set just as we got into our little city. I was really tired, but happy. It was a crazy, memorable time way up in the cold north of Japan.

good times.

Mystery in a Box and Shabu Shabu on a Plate

2007-02-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Sorry for not writing for a little while. Its just that there is not much eventfullness in my life.

On friday I was teaching at the school Yamanashi Gakuin. I created a game I call "The Mystery Box". Basicly I collected as many little everyday items I could find in my apartment (eg. a sock, a spoon, a toothbrush, chopsticks, a box of matches etc) and put them into a big cardoard box. I decorated the box with big question marks and wrote "MYSTERY BOX" on one side.

I then brought this box into the classroom and told the kids we were going to play a game called "Mystery Box". I explained to them what a mystery was and then told them that they had to "solve" the mystery of what was inside the box. I divided the class into two teams. I told them that if someone in their team could guess what the item was after only 1 guess their team would get 3 points. If they could guess the item after 2 clues, their team would get 2 points. And, yes, if they guessed the item after 3 clues their team would get 1 point. Their team could also get a bonus point if the person who guessed the item could make a sentence using the name of the item (eg "I wear a sock on my foot").

Here are some examples of clues I gave...

You use them when you go camping
They are kept in a small box
You use them to light a fire

MATCHES!

You keep it in the bathroom
It is made of plastic
You use it to clean your teeth

TOOTHBRUSH!!

The kids got really excited playing the game and I was tickled pink.

Although I was having fun playing Mystery Box with my kids, I started to notice I was feeling a head cold come on throughout the day. I was really bummed because I had plans to go out for dinner and karaoke. Unfortunately, by the time I was finished teaching I was feeling utterly woozy with the cold. Oh dear. So I stayed at home Friday night and rested up.

On Saturday I went over to my friend Fred's house and my friends Lynn, Olivia and Adam joined us to make Shabu Shabu. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese dish that is comprised of tons of vegis (peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, cabbage, spinach etc) and thin strips of beef. You have a big pot of water and you add all the vegis. You then cook the strips of beef seperately. When everything is cooked you put a pile of rice on your plate and scoop the vegis and beef ontop. Then you dip the strips of beef into little bowls of soy sauce or sesame sauce and eat them with the vegis. Yum yum!

It all turned out delicious. Then we all played a little bit of x-box and then watched Life of Brian (classic!). We all ended up staying so late that we crashed at Fred's. The next morning I helped Fred clean up his apartment then I headed home and cleaned up mine own (*yawn*, yes I know how exciting!).

Today I taught at a junior highschool called Sundai. The classes I taught were English Conversation, so I spent them telling the story of my misadventures snowboarding in Nagano and about the holiday Valentines coming up. In Japan on Valentines only girls/women buy chocolates for the boys/men. The men don't have to buy anything until one month later, on March 14th, known as White Day. On White Day, boys/men who got chocolates from ladies, return the favour by buying the girls/women candies or cookies (but not chocolates).

When I asked each of my classes whether they liked Valentines day not a SINGLE student raised their hand. It seems that the students don't like feeling obligated to spend so much money for other people. Despite this general feeling of dislike for Valentines, it seems that most female students will continue with the tradition of buying excess amounts of chocolates for the boys in the class....go figure.

I am getting excited about this coming weekend. I will be flying off to Sapporo, way up north, on friday afternoon and spending the weekend there. I'll be checking out the Snow Festival and, hopefully, doing some snowboarding. So, I will try and take some good pictures to share with you all.

Well , I better go. I hope you all are doing well. I miss you all so much.

Snowboarding in Nagano!

2007-01-29T00:25:00.000-08:00

I had the most FANTASTIC weekend in Nagano.

A whole bunch of us JETS packed into 3 rented vans and drove up to Nagano on friday night. It took 3 hours (including many pit-stops for alcohol, food, and playing in the snow). Yes, it started snowing when we were about half-way to Nagano. The snowflakes were so pretty we had to get out and dance with our tongues out :)

We were staying at a beautiful tudor-style hotel near the slopes in Hakuba. The hotel looked cosy and homey and was decorated up with christmas lights. Everyone gathered in the large loft (party) room at the hotel and stayed up late into the night.

The next morning we all woke up and had a nice little breakfast in the hotel dinning room. Then it was time to hit the slopes!!

I got on my butt pads, knee pads, rented snow pants, new jacket, my friend Renee had given me, and big snowboard boots. Then me and my friend Kat headed walked towards the slopes.

All the houses near were surrounded in a beautiful layer of snow. All around the tree covered mountains were dusted in white. It was breathtaking.

We walked up to the little bunny hill and Kat showed me how to strap my snowboard to my feet. Then she spent a good little while just teaching me how to stand up (while I learned how to fall down on my own:) I was so glad I invested in those butt pads. My ankles and my calves ached from the strain of trying to balance. At some points I was laughing and at some points I was near tears from it all.

After a few hours we were exausted from it all and went and grabbed some Subway (yum) near the bottom of the slopes. I noticed many Australians were working in and around the ski slopes (most of them working in Japan durring their summer holidays). I really had the feeling that I was not in Japan. Atleast, not in the Japan I had become familiar with. Most of the buildings near looked like English cottages and there was a crepe shop and a bar that sold australian food and a Haugen Daus icecream shop.

After our late lunch we headed back to our hotel. Near the enterance I noticed another Jet - Jacob - deep in snow builidng a snowman. So I offered to help him finish it up. It was wonderful because I was completely dressed in waterproof attire - so I could jump deep in the snow and still be nice and warm and dry. I got to rolling a big ball of snow and we heaved it up and then added another ontop as a head. Then I just lay down in a untouched bed of snow and just sighed with bliss. I felt I was in the middle of the most beautiful snow globe.

After playing in the snow I headed into the hotel and decided to join some of my friends in the sento (communal bath). The water was deliciously warm (like a hot tub) and all my muscles thanked me. It was a leasurely, beautiful evening. Hanging out with friends, a lovely dinner at the hotel, and a late night party.

The next morning I decided to give snowboarding one more try. This time I took the ski lift to a higher point on the slopes. I almost screamed the whole way on the ski lift because it was so high up. As well, when I was trying to get off at the end, I fell on my face in the snow (oh dear, how embaracing).

Day 2 on the slopes: Fellow JET - Michelle- and I

But things got better when I tried to go down the mountain. I managed to stand and eventually go down straight for a bit (before falling on my ass). Every journey up the slope on the lift I got a bit more confident with snowboarding. By the end I was able to go down and even turn right and left to pass the boarders below me (yay for not crashing in them!). I got a little taste of what a rush snowboarding can be. As well, I fear I may have just become hooked on it. I will definetly be doing some more boarding this winter. Most likely my next stint will be when I am in Sapporo for the snow festival in Feb.

After another day on the slopes and another delicious soak in the sento, we all had to bid our lovely bit of paradise goodbye and head back to kofu in our vans. Atleast on the way back the sun was still up, so I got to take in the beautiful view around me. Then there was a fantastic crimson sunset.

When we all got back to Kofu we went out for the most delicious Indian Curry dinner (I got a plate of yummy Sag Chicken). All in all it was such a beautiful weekend. I really needed the vacation. I felt so refreshed and renewed.

Today my entire body was in pain from all the boarding on the weekend. But, I was still so very very happy. Being in Japan is so fantastic and I am so very lucky.

Off to Nagano

2007-01-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

just a little note to say Im heading off to go snowboarding in Nagano for the weekend. Promises to be one crazy time. I shall post a note to let you all know if I'm on crutches when I get back.

*hugs*

Moist Futons and Re-contracting

2007-01-24T01:07:00.000-08:00

<----Here is a pic of my favorite silent film star Louise Brooks (isn't she lovely?)

<---- This is a pic by my favorite children's illustrator Arthur Rackham

This is a link to my favorite singer on Youtube Ysabella Brave. You must listen to her rendition of Cabaret.

here is an update on what ive been up to the last few days...

1) i had the most delicious "kitchen sink quesadillas" at my friend Lynn's. Her neighbour Olivia (a sweet girl from california, originally from Panama and of chinese anscestory) actually came over and wipped up the dinner. We hung out together along with Fred. Fred is this fanatastic, hillarious, sweet guy originally from England (but his ancestory is Indian). He is basicly the best guy in yamanashi (which I have told him :). He is friends with everyone and is always helping people out and treats all the women totally respectfully. Anyway, ya, so we had a great time just chatting and sharing our experiences teaching at our various schools.

2) I had disasteriously bad luck. I accidently left my two futons hanging outside (to air out) when I went out shopping on sunday. It was only when I was heading to bed later that night that I remembered they were outside. I went out to get them and saw that it had started to rain!!! My futons were getting soaked!! OH NO! Needless to say, I couldn't sleep on my futons that night and had to sleep straight on my tatami floor! Luckily, the next day was sunny so my futons were able to dry outside.

I had an earlier mishap with my futons a month ago. I had hung them outside to air. It was an especially windy day. Suddenly i looked outside and saw one of them flying off the balcony. I jumped to the balcony and watched as the futon floated down, through the trees below and into my neighbours yard. I ran outside (in my pj's) screaming "Oh no! MY FUTON!". I ran into my neighbours yard and retrieved my futon. It was only when I got back in my apartment that I realized i had been attacked by this horrible weed that leaves thorny burrs all over your clothes. I spent 1/2 an hour picking off the burrs from my pajama pants. Oh dear!

3) I accidently left a tea kettle on my gas burner in the evening. I didn't realize it until 3 hours later. The central gas had automaticly shut off. I wasn't able to use the stove or the hot water. I told my neighbour - Yi Mae - and she tried to figure out the central switch outside, to no avail. I was left without hot water or a stove until 9:30 when my supervisor Tanabe San showed up on my door step. Yi Mae had called him to let him know of the problem. He went outside and fiddled with the main gas switch. Finally he lucked out and the gas was working again. But, I had to run out right then to my school. So I didn't get to have a shower this morning. ugh. I am looking forward to a nice hot bath tonight.

4) I signed the papers. It is official - I am recontracting for another year in Japan!!! It was really hard to actually finish signing the paper with the pen. But finally I just took a breath and did it. I hope i made the right decision. Atleast I know I really love teaching in my schools and I will get the oportunity to save alot of money.

But, I am definetly coming to visit you all in vancouver at the end of July until mid August (not sure of exact days). I also want to take some video clips when I am in Vancouver to show my students what it is like. Today I spent most of the class explaining how many people drink starbucks coffee in Vancouver and want to live in condos downtown. I also told them all about 99cent pizza and hotdog stands (which are unheard of in Japan because it is considered rude to walk and eat at the same time). I couldn't believe how fascinated they were with things that I just think of as "everyday". It makes me realize how far away I am from you guys and all that is familiar.

*hugs* and happiness to you all.

Chocolate Sundaes and Synchronized Dancing

2007-01-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

Last night Lynn, Adam (the fellow we hung out ice skating with before) and I went out for a night on the town. Kofu town that is. hehe.

Our first stop with "Four Hearts" which is like a hip little cafe where english teachers love to gather. I had a very drippy taco salad (that turned out to be more of a wrap), Lynn had a grilled Vegi sandwhich. Then I had the most decadent brownie sundae with layers of choclate and vanilla icecream and whipped cream and chocolote and brownies and mmmmmm.... Lynn had a piece of yummy cheese cake. That is when Adam showed up and ate a brownie sundae himself *drools*. Then we decided to head to a combini and get a wee bit of alcohol.

I was apprehensive because of my last horrible hangover I had. So, i just got this one drink that I discovered. It was like 75% real juice (lemon and orange) and 4% vodka. Yummy! So, we had our drinks and proceeded to act like a bunch of fools in the streets (at one point we were skipping arm-and-arm down the side walk singing "we're off to see the wizard the wonderfull wizard of oz" :)

We decided to play a wee bit of arcade games before we headed out dancing. Lynn and Adam did this insane tyco drumming game (you each get a big tyco drum and drum sticks and have to beat it to the speed of the music - fun:), while I played a crazy shoot-em-up game (I am very much a peace-loving person, so I know it is out of character for me - but it was just that it was so easy to play and I have very low arcade skills).

Then it was time for purikura (picture club)!!

What is that you ask? Well, you choose one of many colourfull booths and cram as many people in as possible.

Then you choose coloured backgrounds, lighting, etc and get a whole bunch of sticker pictures made.

The best part is that you also get to decorate the stickers (digitally) afterwords with stars, hearts, and even *ehem* poop :) It was a scream.

Okay, so, by then we were pumped to go dancing. We wandered around Kofu and poked in a few clubs, being indecisive about where to go.

Finally we decided on a little place that was called "THE MUSIC BOX" and seemed to be playing house music. So we payed our cover (a horrible expensive amount that I dare not repeat) and we were in. It seemed to be populated by what, we in the west, call "metrosexuals" (but here in japan they just call "guys") and girls wearing teeny tiny shorts, high heels or tall black boots, extreme teased big hair, and giant gold bags. hmmm..

um, ladies do you know it's winter?---->

they seemed to have one room with a couple couches, a bar, and a few african masks hanging on the wall for good measure. In another room off to the side was where the dancing seemed to be at. So we grabed our one drink that came with our cover and headed into the other room.

Lynn and I started dancing (a little half heartedly). Adam sorta leaned against the wall and watched. There are only a few people in the room, as it is still early.

THIS IS WHERE THINGS STARTED TO GET A LITTLE STRANGE.

I started to notice something funny about the way people were dancing around us.

"Is it just me Lynn, or does everyone seem to be trying to move their arms in exactly the same way in some kind of pattern?"

We looked around and noticed that more and more people were facing the DJ and doing these really fast spinning hand movements in intricate patterns, but in a particular set sequence to the beat.

As more and more people entered the room, we started to feel like we had stumbled across some strange dancing cult. Oh dear! Me and Lynn shrugged it off, determined to just "do our own thing" - aka dance like mad badgers.

But, soon, we started to feel pressed out of the room by all the others doing their wavy synchronized dance.

It was like they were doing aerobics to house music.

Finally Lynn, Adam and I had to escape that little room of dancers and get a breath. So we went to the other room where the bar was.

We couldn't believe how strange the dancing was. It was such a culture shock. I was so used to seeing people just doing their own thing, that seeing everyone moving excatly the same way in a crowd just freaked me out.

We got chatting with the bar tender and sharing our views (he thought we were amusing) and then we all decided to create our own dance right there. So Lynn, Adam, and I (to the amusement of the bar tender and several other people sitting about) created the most hillarious dance that involved a mixture of michael jackson, much pelvic thrusting, and spinning. Good times.

Adam showing Lynn and I his mad dance skills ------>

The suddenly there was a excited rush and everyone around us were hurrying back into the dance hall. I got dragged in by some guy who said "the show is starting". Oh dear, what now.

I get in the room and I see 3 guys on stage all in black with great big glam rock hair. Then the three started performing the same synchronized dance but at an extreemly fast speed.

All the girls in the audience had out their phones and they were recording videos of the performance, so they could practice it later(I recorded a video too, but silly blogger won't let me show it to you).

I must admit these guys had some mad skills on stage. At one point the lead dancer pulled out this huge fan and proceeded to spin it all around his head at an insane speed.

Japan is so crazy. I love it.

Today I went out with my friend kat and bought ass pads.

*long pause*

for snowboarding.

hehe.

Next weekend a big group of us JETS and assorted others our heading to Nagano for some mad boarding and other craziness. It will be my first time so I got some pads for my fanny and my knees today and some gloves and socks. yay! A friend of mine - Renee - is GIVING me a snowboarding coat (woot!). The rest of my gear I will rent there. Shall be quite the time I'm sure.

Happiness and hugs to you all!

Beware the Combini Fish!

2007-01-17T02:54:00.001-08:00

oh dear oh dear...the drama continues.

Yesterday, I worked at the Kencho late planning my art lesson. So, it was past six when I started peddaling my bicycle home. Feeling hungry, I decided to pick up some dinner from the local combini (japanese version of "convenience store"). The pickings were slim, as it was so late in the day. But, I found myself a plastic container that looked like brown rice, various vegitables, and fish. So i bought it.

Oh dear.

Later that evening, I had settled down for a nice sleep, when I noticed that my stomach was getting large and bloated. "Maybe I just ate too much", I thought to myself and settled down to sleep. Suddenly I woke up in the middle of the night to lightening/thunder-like waves of nausia followed by horrible painfull stomach spasims.

Suffice is to say, I spent almost the entire night in the bathroom bringing my dinner back up. ugh! The next morning, I didn't feel like I could scrape myself out of bed again, so I gave a call to my supervisor Mr. Tanabe. Even with his low-english skills he knew what I ment right away when I said "bad fish". He told me to stay home for the day and rest. So I did. I had so little energy it took literally all my mental strength to get up (and I didn't even achieve this untill like 1pm).

All of today, all i have been able to eat is one piece of toast and a little bite of oatmeal. Luckily, a small miracle happened - the teacher I am working with tomorow called to say I don't have to come in as the students have an assembly. Yay! So i can recover my energy tomorow.

Horrible fish! Now I fear I may have developed a phobia of combini food. I suppose, it had to happen eventually. *shudders*

Soy-bean Throwers and Eggplant Cows!

2007-01-16T02:09:00.000-08:00

oh happy day, my toe is not broken - only slightly sprained! So, no, I am not bound to a wheelchair; no, I am not a morphine addict, yet; and, most certainly no, I have not stopped doing my crazy dancing. haha. so yes, blah.

I have been kept quite busy what being back at my schools and all.

Yesterday, I was at a school call Sundai. It is a lovely, really happy school, full of sunshine and bright smiles (no, again, I am not a morphine addict, yet). Really, it is a great school. I spent the day telling kids about how christmas and new years is spent in Vancouver.

Okay, more like "How the Hiebert's spend their Christmas Vacation" (i.e "before we were aloud to open our presents on Christmas morning, us kids were forced to eat a most elaborate breakfast. After which, we all had to wait and watch while each gift was opened one-at-a-time. Suffice is to say, It usually took 2 hours to finish opening all our gifts." :)

Good times.

Then we had a class discussion on how the students spent their winter holiday. Supposedly the thing to do on new years is eat as many rice cakes as possible (1 cake = 1 bowl of rice), watch TV (they throw this crazy singing competition = think american idol) until midnight, and then, if they were especially good, they got to visit a shrine or temple the next day. Crazy eh? I told them how I spent new years (i.e. dancing all night in Tokyo) They thought that was a bit odd.

Well, then our little discussion moved onto other holidays that are celebrated in Japan throughout the year. Here is a run-down:

Bean-throwing Festival! (Februrary 3rd) Like it sounds it is a festival where you get to throw roasted soy-beans. You don't get to hit people with them, just toss them on the ground. But the cool thing is, while your throwing them you get to wear the scariest mask you can find and yell loudly "demons out! Good luck in!". what a trip.

naughty kids throwing beans at eachother! ---------------->

Girl's Festival (March, 3rd): Families display these cute (hina) dolls wearing kimono and wish for their daughter's healthy growth.

Boy's Festival (May, 5th): Yup, the boys don't get left out of the fun. They have their own festival where samurai dolls are displayed in their house. They also put out these massive (2 meter long) colourful carp streamers in their garden.
All this is supposed to bring good health to their boys.

Bon's Festival (Augsust 13-16th): My personal favorite. Here is the premise: this festival is held to remember the spirits of dead ancestors.

The cool thing is, the dead ancestors need something to "ride" on to make a visit from the "spirit world". So, what do people do? - make animals out of vegitables - thats what! Basicly, kids here take eggplants and cucumbers and put chopstick legs on them, therefore, stransforming them into "cows" and "horses''. They display these lovely animals in a little space in the house that is set up as a shrine for the ancestors.

Also, just incase the ancestors are hungry when they come riding home, families leave the best new fruit that is harvested (think grapes in Yamanashi). Pretty cool, eh?

Seven-Five-Three Festival (November, 15th): aka the Kodak moment festival. This is when all the three-year-old boys and girls, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls, dress in their best Japanese duds and visit their local shrine. I totally missed this one in november, but next time you know I'll be hitting my local shrine to get some absolutely adorable snap shots. kawaii(cute!).

So, ya, that was a fun culturaly-informative lesson for me.

Today I was out at a school called Shizen Gazuen. Which is an alternative school, where there is only one-teacher per student (in my case, there were two teachers to one student). I work with a special needs boy. He was really excited today, because it was my first day back with him after the holidays. It was a little hard gaining his attention, but he tried his best. He is great.

After class, the JTE (Japanese teacher of english), Shindo Sensei and I went out for lunch. We went to this great little italian restaurant on the 5th floor above Yamako department store near Kofu station. This place is CRAZY cheap. I got a salad, a soup, a big piece of garlic bread, and unlimited drinks for 500yen (around $5)!!

Then, Shindo Sensei and I went to a small art gallery called "Gallery Innocent". A friend of her's, Utsumi Hitomi, was exibiting her work. Utsumi's work are these amazing abstract screen prints in really soothing pastel shades.

Many of them gave me the feeling I was on an alien planet surrounded by strange, beautiful flowers.

I loved walking around with Shindo Sensei and taking in the art. We walked paintings - pastel colours of blue, green, and orange - and shared our immediate feelings for them.

Shindo Sensei, is an amazing person. She is like a bright orange painting - full of life and passion for all she does. I am so lucky to work with her.

All of the art inspired me to creat my next lesson. I'm printing out famous works by various artists and the students, in groups, will describe and give their impressions of the works. Should be a lesson full of much fun and creativity. Wish me luck.

what's black and blue and red all over?....

2007-01-13T00:48:00.000-08:00

my baby toe!! Ouch!!

Yesterday evening I was over at my friend Lynn's house watching a sweedish movie (she lived in sweeden for two years before coming to japan), drinking some wine, and eating some gouda on crackers. I got up to use the bathroom and accidently walked into the metal foot of Lynn's bed. OHHAWWWGGG!!! After a lil screetching, I convinced myself I was fine.

Soon after, though, my left pinky toe started aching and turning purple and swelling up. Oh dear! Lynn got me a bag of ice and some whisky and slowly the pain was nummed. However, this morning not only did I have a massive hangover (having whisky and wine together in my tummy, don't mix) but my toe was still really sore and swollen. I left lynn's place and managed to hobble to the bus stop. I got home and did a bit of research on line and discovered that my toe is most likely broken. Supposedly, there is nothing i can do for it other than putting ice on it, taping it to the toe beside it, and consuming large amounts of pain killers. It seems there is not much point going to the doctor, as they are unable to do anything for it (they don't have a cast small enough for my lil baby toe). So, now my little toe has a constant painfull achey feeling. Suppoedly, it can take about 6 weeks for the toe to heal.

Oh dear, and Im planning on learning to snowboard for the first time in Nagano next weekend (a huge amount of JETs are heading down and spending the weekend there together). I hope my toe will be able to take the abuse. *cries*

sorry for the boring email, but what with my hangover and my disability I am sort of holled up inside tonight.

Hope all of you are in better spirits than me!

We wish your happy Romance Season!

2007-01-11T01:04:00.000-08:00

Today I tought at the Japanese Aviation Academy. It is a beautiful place to approach on foot. You must walk across a massive airfield surrounded by wild grass fields, and beyond, on the horrizon, mountains laced with ice. It was a fantasticly clear day so I could see Fuji, more awesome in size than I had ever seen it before.

Today my lesson involved a mix of poetry and reptiles....

See, I teach four classes but the students vary greatly in their English ability.In one class the students are nearly fluent, while in another, most of the students do not even know what I mean by "stand up". All students are tested when entering highschool and then placed together with students who have similar abilities to themselves. As a result, I must design a lesson which is flexible enough to work with all levels of students.

So, in comes the wonderful children's game "snakes and ladders". I created a giant version of this game on a piece of paper that could easily be stuck to the board. I amped-up the educational component of the game by making some spaces display a colour (the students have to name something that is that colour), a letter (they have to say an english word that starts with it), the word opposite (I say a word and they say the opposite), a clock (they have to read the time in english), or an amount of money (again, they must say it in english). Here, is my handywork...

So, ya, this lil' game was more directed at the lower level english classes.

For the more advanced classes I did a wee lesson on

...ACROSTIC POEMS!!

acrosto-what-the-poems??!

haha! yes, they are a lovely magical variety of poetry. You think up a word like....

SNOW

and write it on a piece of paper this way....

S

N

O

W

then you add phrases after each letter and "bata bing bata boom" you have a poem...

Silently falling

Nice and cold

On the rooftops

White snowflakes

...I got the students to break in groups and, since it was my first day back from winter holiday, they wrote acrostic poems using the word "WINTER"

oddly enough in my most geinki (hyper) class most of the boys saw the word winter and thought: "erotic encounter"....

here was one of their gems:

What a cold night
I flirt with cute boy
Nice erotic feeling
To much memories
Erotic
Really erotic

oh dear!

SIDE NOTE: I have discovered that in Japan, christmas is, oddly enough, really associated with romance.

See the following framed wall-hanging displayed in Tully's Coffee Shop near Kofu station...

[yes, it served as inspiration for today's blog title]

and *ahem* this sign spotted as I was going up the escalators to Kofu station...

[it actually refers to the fact that there is going to be a huge sale and everything is going to be greatly/ "climax" reduced/"off" ...really...]

In my final class, I actually got some rather beautiful (G-rated :) poems from my students...here are two of my favorite...

Winter changed to spring
Ice melts into water
Night comes early in the winter
The winter was ushered in by the first snowfall.
Everyone has a snowball fight
Really beautiful snow

White beautiful snow is
In the yard.
Night
Time is silent.
Early in the morning the sun
Rose high in the sky.

Happiness to you all! - grace

I saw a zamboni in Japan!

2007-01-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely little weekend. On sat Lynn and I met-up and, after eating some delicious maple skones, we headed out on a bus to Kose sports park. Getting off the bus, we were not quite sure where the iceskating rink was. After trapesing through a field of mud and finally asking 2 giggling japanese girls "Ice Skatu doko desu ka?" (haha) we found the place.

We laced up our skates and wobbled (well, more me than Lynn) onto the Ice. There we saw Kelsey (my other friend, who is not a JET, but teaches for a private company) racing around like a pro. Oh dear. Lynn, braced me (0kay I grabbed her for dear life) and gave me some pointers on staying upright. Oh dear.

Well, after a few really slow turns around the rink I started to relax a bit (it helped my confidence that every few
seconds a small japanese child would fall on their bum beside me) . Eventually we caught up with Kelsey and she introduced us to two guys she worked with, Lance (an almost 7-foot-tall guy from Kentucky, i think) and Adam (a friendly looking guy with a short beard and equally short hair on the top of his head). We all had a great time just skating about. I felt totally freed, floating across the ice.

Me, Lynn, and Adam making a crazy face.

Well, after about 2 hours Lynn and I felt totally exausted (and my tight-laced feet were cramping up), so we decided to head out. Having worked up great appetite, we had some of the most delicious indian curry at a restaurant north of Kofu station. Then we met-up with Kelsey and Adam again and headed-over to Adam's place to watch a few movies (one of which was the incredibly disturbing japanese movie "Battle Royal"). All in all it was a nice day of hanging-out and making new friends.

The next day, Lynn and I bumed around some temples (we were hoping to see many girls dressed in kimono for coming-of-age-day - when they are 20 years old girls dress up and visit temples and have parties with friends and family - but it turned out that everyone had celebrated the holiday a day early. go figure.)

Jizo with baby in his left hand and prayer beads and staff in his right hand.

Oh well, we went grocery shopping at this great international grocery near Lynn's place ( i found soft taco shells, peanut butter, and lentils there - score!).

Stone flute player near Isawa onsen station (where lynn and I were exploring temples).

Twilight from my balcony on sunday (note mt. fuji on the left horizon).

Today was my first day back teaching after the holiday. I went to this school Tokai, which is a very sports-focused high school. The students were actually pretty good today (i.e. only four were text messaging on their cell phones and only three students were sleeping...hehe). I did have a lil awkward moment with a teacher. The teacher wrote the Japanese kanji for "tuxedo" on the board and then proceeded to explain that you would say it in english as "swallow's tail" (I, guess, because of the "tail" in the back of the tuxedo). He was adament that this was, infact, the proper english term for this type of clothing, not the all familiar term "tuxedo". Oh dear. I was forced to say the following silly sentence to the students: "He was wearing a swallow's tail". Then, later, while I was saying the word "thermometer" aloud to the students, the same teacher adamently accused me of pronouncing it wrong - he claimed it should be pronounced "thermo - meter". Oh dear, I let it pass.

I got of early at lunchtime, because the students were having an assembly in the afternoon. I grabbed an o-bento lunch and headed to the top of Kofu castle for a beautiful view.

Fuji-san

After, I decided to go grocery shopping for the rest of what i'd need for tacos at this great grocery store that is located on the bottom floor of a huge department store known as Okajima.

scary geneticly-modified identical strawberries

horrendously over-packaged fruit

Oh, what a deal! Two mellons for only 16,800 yen ($168)!!! and they come with a bonus wooden display case!

...."oh, and honey, don't forget to pick-up some edible flowers on your way home"....

cheers!

Gracie

shivers

2007-01-06T03:19:00.000-08:00

"Snow!! Woot!" ...after the initial happy-jumping-and-childish-hooting that occurs on the first day of snow in winter, I realized..."hey, that snow is pretty wet"...and soon after..."hey, thats not wet snow, thats freezing rain!!!" oh dear....and, so, my planned day of hiking was off...

So, another cold day in Kofu began. I started feeling cabin feaver in my cold apartment by 2pm, so I headed out (with umbrella, leg warmers, arm warmers, gloves, thick socks, hat, scarf, and rubber boots, in addition to my regular attire).

I must, grudgingly admit, there was a kind of beauty to the quiet stillness of the deserted streets (everyone else was cuddling up next to their warm, working, heaters...grrrr).

Oh dear, I trapsed through various temples and saw a huge statue of the goddess Kannon...she is another Bodhisattva like Jizu, but she helps people more on the earthly realm, not after death. She was massive in size and her loose dress exposed more than a little of her ample boosum (sorry guys, I didn't have a camera with me :). On the top of her pretty head there was a little buddha hanging out in lotus position.

At another temple, where you are to wash your hands, there was this awesome stone dragon with his mouth gaping open over the cistern. Because of the rain falling down from above, the dragon was soaking wet. Every few moments, a little drop of water would splash down from his sharp jaws to the water below. Awesome.

Eventually I made my way into Kofu city and had a cup of Tiramasu Latte (seriously, one of the most delicious drinks I have ever had the pleasure of consuming) at Tully's Coffee (a little japanese-version of starbucks near Kofu station). I also discovered that all the shops around Kofu station were having mad sales. Oh dear, so I did a bit of shopping (what, they had necklaces for only 100 yen!! / 1$). Yes, and I got some really warm mittens with strawberries knitted on them (my thin little gloves were just not cutting it). I have actually been really good about not spending money recently. All since I have made up little goals about things I actually want to do with it (go to Thailand next winter and save up to go back to school, being high on my list).

Later this evening I was planning on going over to visit my friend Lynn (she lives about 15 min by bus from me). But, due to a series of missadventures (including missing a bus, getting soaking wet, and forgetting my cellphone at home) I have ended up staying in tonight. Oh well, things are look brighter for tomorow; Lynn and I, as well as Kelsey (who I was going to go hiking with today), are heading out to iceskating at a place called Kose sports park. That should be interesting...seeing I haven't laced up skates since i was 10 years old! Oh dear. It shall be amusing, if nothing else. We may just head out for karaoke after, which i luv, so it is all good.

Sorry for the lack of excitiment...oh dear, oh dear...on the upside, my cold is on the mend. I shall promise to report back to you all only when I have some real news, instead of just blather...okay that is enough, I will go....take care, happiness to you all....

Jizu - a buddhist hero!

2007-01-05T02:04:00.000-08:00

You know how I was fascinated by the sweet baby-faced stone statues that I discovered all over the graveyard at Chozenji temple? Well, I did a bit of research and came up with some interesting discoveries about the little fellow.

Supposedly his name is Jizo/Jizu Bodhisattva (a Bodhisattva is someone who has become enlightened but decided, unlike Buddha, to remain in a lower state-of-being inorder to help others whose souls need to be saved).

Yes, so this little guy Jizo is supposed to be the protector of many things including travellers, pregnant mothers, and, in particular, very young children who have died prematurely.

The story goes like this.... if a young child dies, she/he is sent to Sai no Kawara, the river of souls in purgatory. Not only is he/she in this horrible place, but the child is also totally naked and cold. So, in desperation, this poor child, tries to pile up stones into towers so that he/she may get high enough to escape. However, before the tower can be built high enough, evil demons come buy and kick the poor child's tower down.

Just when all hope seems to be lost, out steps our hero - Jizu - who gathers the children beneath his long, warm, flowing robes to protect them. The littlest of all, who can't yet walk, Jizo picks up and carries tucked-up inside the sleaves of his robe. Brave Jizu then helps these children escape out of purgatory.

As a result of his reputation for being a really nice guardian of the lost children, Jizu has become one of the top-three buddhist figures in Japan (along with Buddha, himself, and a sexual ambiguous god/goddess Kannon).n

Many mothers who have lost children or who are seeking help for their sick children, dress-up the little Jizu statues in bibs and hats and other warm apparel; the hope being, that if they clothe Jizu, so too will Jizu clothe their little babes in his warm robe of kindness. Also, you often see little piles of stones placed around the Jizu statues which are placed there to help the little children who are trying to get out of purgatory.

The story is really sad, but, so full of evocative images. I think Jizu is quite an amazing hero.

You can read more about Jizu and other Budhist gods and godesses reveared in Japan on this site. The writer is Mark Schumacher who has a B.A. in Chinese studies and an M.A. in Japanese studies. He also lives in Kamakura (a place one-hour from Tokyo, famous for having the biggest and oldest buddha statue in Japan). He gives tours of the temples in his city, explaining the meaning behind many of statues (eg. "what's with all the monkeys?","what's with that lady (Kannon) with the many arms?", and "is that a phallic symbol i see there?" etc). I am thinking of trying to organize a group who would like to go in the spring for a tour. All very fascinating stuff.

flash-back 2

2007-01-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

Because I'm feeling all sniffly and want to think of happy things, I thought I'd show you another flash-back to earlier days in Japan.

Last fall, soon after I got here, four of us JETS - John, Kat, Chelsea, and myself - went on a hike north of Kofu in an area known as Shosekyo.

Yes, most of it was on a paved path, so it was more of a "walk" than a "hike", but, nevertheless, it was georgous.

The leaves were just beginning to turn deep orange and crimson.

Our walk took us to the edge of steep cliff faces over a stream, and a beautiful waterfall.

After the hike we stoped for a wine tasting (at a shop that was built just overlooking the waterfall). I ended up buying a sweet red wine called "ruby" designed by the Yamanashi wine club (Yamanashi-Ken is famous for its grapes, and, so too, for its wine).

All in all, it was one of my happiest days here in Japan.

sniffles

2007-01-04T02:59:00.000-08:00

Today I had to head to my little desk at the Kencho (Yamanashi gov't office) because it was the official end of holiday time (*grumbles*).

I woke today with a really groggy drugged-up feeling in the head.

Ugh...a cold.

I scraped myself off my futon and jumped in my shower. My apartment was freezing. My kerosene heater decided to die on me yesterday, so i am stuck with using an emergency back-up tiny electric heater (which, is actually really dangurous - it burned a hole thro my kotatsu blanket last night when I wasn't looking). So ya, my place was freezing this morning. But, somehow I managed to get dressed and out the door. I rode my bike, stoping at a vending machine for canned coffee (in the hopes it would help clear my head).

I got to the Kencho and noticed everyone had these piles of new years postcards they were handing out to eachother. Oh dear, I didn't have anything to give out. Not to fret - I mustered all the creativity my clogged-head could muster and got to work. I grabbed some thick paper and pencil crayons and proceeded to make a bunch of really cute cards. One pictured a monkey jumping rope, another a little bunny trying to hide a giant carrot behind its back..hehe... all the work was worth it. After I greeted each with "akemashite omedetou goziamasu" (happy new year) and handed each of them a card, I got the chance to see the brightest, rarerest, smiles spark-up on their faces.

But, then i started feeling slightly dizzy from the cold in my head. I leaned over and told my coworker - Hiroko - beside me. She consulted another coworker and prestened me with various medicines ("take 3 of this and one of these..."). Not sure at all what I was taking, I followed instructions and downed the medicine.

Just then it was time for lunch. In light of it being the first day back in the office, we all got a special sushi lunch. I ate up my raw fish. Soon after lunch the medicine hit...I became really drowsy and could bairly keep my eyes open. After much flutterings and paperwork, I was able to go home early. So I spent most of the rest of my day, curled up (where, at least, it was warm) under my covers on my futon.

I hope i shall be feeling bright and chipper again by sat. I am planning on going hiking in the mountains around kofu with my friend Kelsey. Then, that evening, I may hit up an onsen and then go karaoking with my friend Lynn, who just got back from Thailand.

I love you all and hope you are in better health than myself. *hugs*

How a Shinto Priest Cleansed My Soul...

2007-01-02T04:04:00.000-08:00

I decided to leave my bike infront of Chozenji-Temple and continue on foot.

I headed down a road that should more rightfully be called a minor alley (it could not have been more than two meters wide). I wandered behind wooden houses, small vegetable patches, and laundry hung up to dry. The cement under my feet was cracked and broken, poored there long before you or I had ever been born.

I wandered down various side streets until I looked behind me and saw that downtown Kofu was now spread far below me. After stoping a moment for a quick snap-shot, I continued on, wandering past more houses. A small dog angrily barked at me as I passed (I may have been the first geijin his little eyes had ever seen).

Then I saw the enterance to a shinto shrine. My map said it was known as Atagojinja-shrine. Crossing under a shinto wooden enterance way, i assended up a some steep stone steps.

At the top I saw two young boys stoking a large bonfire just infront of the temple. Fascinated I came closer and noticed they were burning old fruit and paper and various other things. Perhaps, this was an act of purification, to bringing in the new year ("out with the old in with the new", so to speak).

Past the bonfire I noticed a large wooden stone that had a striking resemblence to the male sexual organ. It was covered by a wooden roof and seemed to be given a place of honor near the shrine enterance. (I can hear all the men reading this thinking - "finally my didgit gets the rightful respect it deserves! I always knew it was a God!" haha!)

Getting closer to the shrine I noticed several people leaving and putting on their shoes. There seemed to be an excited buzz in the air. Then I saw a Japanese lady dressed in formal kimono appear at the shrine enterance. She seemed to be welcoming me in. A bit nervous about what was happening, I proceeded to take off my shoes and enter the shrine.

I saw two priests dressed in colourful robes. There was an altar at one end of the room covered in delicious looking fruit. On the floor there was a group of red pillows facing the altar and to the left of them were rows of blue pillows. One of the priests motioned for me to place my name in a large black book and then kneel on a blue pillow to the side. A family of four proceeded to sit down in a row of red pillows that faced the ripe fruit.

Wow, I was going to get to be a part of a real shinto ceremony! One of the ladies in Kimono brought me a steaming cup of sake and I warmed my cold hands on it as I watched the family take part in the ceremony. One of the priests faced the alter of fruit and knelt down. He began chanting. All the family bowed as well.

Then the priest clapped twice and stood up.

He approached the family with a long stick that had white papers in strips hanging from one end. Silently he swept the papers around the bowed heads of the family. Next, the priest picked up, what appeared to be, sleigh bells on a wooden stick and proceeded to ring them around the families heads. After which a lady in kimono offered them each to drink sake from small china saucers.

Then the family got up and the priest presented the oldest son with a leafy branch. The son in the family proceeded to turn the stem of the plant to face the alter and placed it infront of the pile of fruit. Then all the family bowed twice, clapped twice, and bent their head with their hands pressed in a prayer position. The priest then gave them a white bag filled with gifts.

Then it was my turn.

After inquiring whether I could speak japanese (i replied "Chotto" - a little) The priest explained in a mixture of Japanese and English that I was taking part in an annual ceremony, known as the "soul cleansing" ceremony, that happened every January.

He then began the ceremony.

I tried my best to bow when I was ment to and stop bowing when I was ment to, but, slowly, I let-go and a felt my whole body relax and a warm, happy, glow come over me. I found that I was smiling and wasn't able to stop. By the end I had the greatest smile on my face and I said "arigato" over and over again. The priest presented me with a bag of gifts (which included , what apeared to be, a feathered arrow with no sharp tip, a small, decorated, wooden rake, and a bottle of sake). I humbly left the shrine and put on my shoes.

Outside, there was a large wooden box where you drop money in and bow. I was so greatful I droped in a good deal of change and then did the proper amount of clapping and bowing (bow 2x, clap 2x, and then pray 1x). I felt calm and giddy all at once, if that is possible.

A Japense lady, who was leaving the temple ,offered to take a picture of me with the welcoming lady in kimono. I smiled (okay, I admit, I hadn't stop smiling yet :) as she said "Cheesu". I felt like a new woman. Again I had one of those awe-inspiring moments when I realize "Wow, I'm in Japan, I can't believe it - but I love it".

So, the rest of the day, I wandered to various other temples in Kofu. But I remained in a bit of a happy daize. I couldn't shake my positive feeling.

Later I met up with a fellow JET - J.D. who was heading back in from Tokyo and we had some delicious food at an Izakaya (a cool japanese-style bar with lots of finger foods you share) and a great conversation. Finally I felt more at peace with being here in Japan. Being in Japan will not only be a great way to save money, make new friends, and have lots of fun.

It will also be a great spiritual experience.

Quest for the Pagoda

2007-01-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

Today I went on a quest for a pagoda.

Heading back on the train from Tokyo on New Years, I spoted it. Near Kofu station it towered high and staitly and called to me.

So this morning I got up, grabbed a map of kofu, my bike, and my camera and went on a quest.

Riding along the side of the train tracks, I suddenly saw its tip in the distance. According to my map it was at a buddhist temple - Chozenji-Temple.

I parked my bike and saw a huge wooden framed structure, like a temple with no walls. I walked through this skelton of a building and came to a pathway.

The pathway led through an opening in a wall and I came into a tree filled japanese garden. I heard a family in the distance. They were chatting happily as they picked a wooden bucket from a pile of many and filled it with water. Then they appeared to disapear down a path that wound through a line of bushes on the right.

I followed.

The path led to a graveyard filled with tombstones that ran up the side of a hill. I soon found myself tranfixed. I wandered through worn steps past various families headstones. I soon found myself drawn to these small statues that would often be placed near the headstones.

They had the sweetest expressions, like babies that just learned to smile. I started taking pictures of them.

Then I saw the family again up ahead. Quietly I watched from a distance as they poored water from their wooden bucket over a grave sight and proceeded to wash the stone clean. They were happily chatting among themselves. Two young boys and their mother. Then they placed flowers they had with them beside the grave and lit a cluster of inscense sticks. Quietly I left , without them noticing.

I wandered back out of the graveyard and back out infront of a large wooden temple. Then I saw the pagoda in all its glory. It was on the left of a low wooden temple. It rose grandly above everything bellow. I drew closer. Then I noticed there was a smaller, pink pagoda near it. They reminded me of a big brother and little sister hanging out together.

Circling around the large pagoda, i came across more gravestones farther on. Then I saw this stone stepway that led into an area surrounded by a high stone wall. It was overgrown with weeds and reminded me of the enterance to the secret garden.

I ascended the steps and saw two statues of lions with their cubs on either side of the enterance. Walking past them I saw, what appeared to be, 5 very large grave stones and many various stone lanterns scattered about. There was a real quiet beauty to the whole place. I felt my whole body growing calm.

Walking back past the pagoda near to where I entered the temple grounds I noticed a pond surrounded by trees.

I approached the pond and remembered how I had seen something similar at Nitobe gardens (at UBC in Vancouver). I had gone on a tour there with a Japanese literature class I was in. We were told that the island, which had a bridge attaching it to the main garden, symbolized the afterlife. I noticed a small wooden plank leading from the garden to the island. Although part of me feared falling off into the murky water bellow, i braved the plank and crossed to the center of the island. Looking around at the trees and the pagoda and temple beyond. I felt like I was really looking back on my life and saying, "gee that wasnt so bad". It was a quiet amazing moment.

Leaving Chozenji-Temple I decided to continue on a explore more hidden wonders in the temples around Kofu....

posting comments

2007-01-01T00:35:00.000-08:00

I know there was a bit of trouble with posting comments on my blog before. I didn realize it, but I had this setting on that made me have to "moderate" (aka check that your not being mean!) the comments before they would show up on the blog. Well, now I have changed that setting so that when you post a comment it should appear immediately on the blog. Woot! So if you feel like it - post away to your hearts content.

Happy New Year!!

2006-12-31T23:35:00.000-08:00

Its 2007, crazy eh?

Well this new year was really wild because I welcomed it in at one of the biggest parties in Japan.

Me and a friend, Julia, headed over to this massive club called Ageha near Shinkiba station (about a half hour from Shinjuku station on the Rinkei line). I'll tell you all about it...

We headed out to Shinjuku Station from Kofu on this posh bus (yay for reclining seats!) and arrived around 8:30pm.

Shinjuku is a crazy land of neon lights and a constant buzz of activity. After I grabbed a chicken Donair (yum!) and a can of chuhai (which is a mixed alcholic drink that comes in various fruit flavors - i got grapefruit). we headed out to Shinkiba station.

Soon after exiting the station we saw "THE" line...people stretched as far as we could see- down a street and over a bridge until finallythey reached the distant club.

Oh dear, we ended up hanging out for over an hour in that line. I tried my best to entertain (aka annoy) those around me by singing songs from The Sound of Music (what, they are so damn catchy!) and doing random dances.

Finally we got into the club at 11am. The first room we got in was packed with people and on a stage there were various Japanese girls wearing nothing but victorian corsets, fishnets and a few tutus thrown in for good measure. In the next room (which was big enough to park the airplane I arrived to Japan in) was filled with people dancing away to house music.

Me and Julia got our booties shaking. At some point I had a group of really friendly Japanese people surround me, dancing in a circle and cheering me on with loud cries of - "her name is Grace! She's from Vancouver!" woot - blonde hair gives me instant celebrity status!!

Then a giant countodown clock apeared projected on a screen above us dancers....only 30 minutes! Then it was 20..10...5...finally 1!! The place was so packed and the energy so high! I was so giddy - here i was in Tokyo (one of the coolest cities in the world, I must say) bringing in new years in the biggest club in the city! Crazy!

So, ya, the final countdown came, which was really wild, because everyone was counting down in Japanese - Shi, Ni, Ichi - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Confetti and balloons falling , people screaming, taking pictures, hugging random people!!

So ya, it was a great night. From there various highlight were:-

a. eating yummy piping hot miso soup outside the club at 3am (they had wonderful stands of food outside to energize us dancers).
b. me yelling (after I was grabbed, one too many times, by various Japanese men): "STOP TOUCHING ME! JUST MAKE LOVE TO THE MUSIC!!" haha
c. standing in line for 30 minutes to use the bathroom and for the first time looking around and realizing how Tokyo truly at the forefront of fashion (i watched as a group of guys and girls passed by dressed like mod teens from the 60s and soon after watched a girl pass by in a short black dress that balooned out of her like a giant compfy pillow).
d. watching at 4am as a Dj by the name of Dr. Shingo (which means "Dr Traffic light" in Japanese...go figure) got on the stage and with a voice like Bob Marley started singing this song called "Be the Love Generation". The whole place just lit up with positive energy.
e. Totally letting go at 5:30 AM and dancing a wild crazy dance on a balcony positioned high above a sea of dancers.

good times! I hope you all had a great New Years as well. I send you lots of my love and good vibes as we start another crazy year *hugs*

Minobu san

2006-12-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places i teach is in a city known as Minobu. The city is named after the mountain of minobu, which is really famous because there are tons of old buddhist temples clustered at the top of it. The school i teach at is also at the top of the mountain, near the temples. It is a highschool whose students, primarily, plan to become buddhist monks when they graduate. They learn chanting, drumming, and meditation, in addition to reg subjects like english (which I teach them). The first day I attended the school I got the chance to witness a monthly ceremony they do in one of the temples. All of the students chant from these books printed with sacred text, while drums are beaten at a increasingly rappid speed. Around them incense burns and those watching have the oportunity to approach these little tables and place a bit of ash on their forheads and bow. I got to go up to the front and participate in this part of the ceremony. It was all so beautiful and tranquil.

Kofu Castle

2006-12-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

Just near Kofu station there is this pretty cool old Castle (parts of it are up to 400 years old). It is also known as Maizuru "dancing crane" Castle, because it is said to look like a dancing crane from above (they must have discovered this after the invention of the airplane). Its pretty much also the only green space in kofu city (parks are really hard to come by, because there is a limited amount of space for housing here). I often grab a lunch at a combini when im downtown and climb up all the steps to the top of the castle and sit and eat my lunch and take in the view of the surounding mountains. Its just a really pretty spot.

flash back!

2006-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Since I wasnt able to post on the blog with pics for so long I thought Id give you all a little flash back to....

HALLOWEEN!!

Right after i got here I went to Morgan's (the JET in the orange monkey costume bellow) halloween party. This guy lives in a HUGE house that he was just given by his local town (he doesnt even need to pay rent). So, ya, it was a fun time and everyone ended up crashing on the many futons strewn throughout his place.

Pictured below (from top left to right): "Big Adam" as a cowboy, Morgan as a monkey, Dana as a cop, Kat as a repair girl, Megan as Dahlia, and me as a fairy!

my sweet pad

2006-12-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

In case your all wondering what my place looks like, here is a wee toor. I have a two tatami room apartment, a large kitchen area, bathroom, seperate toilet room, and long balcony between the kitchen and one tatami room. I use only one of the rooms right now as both a livingroom and a bedroom, as I dont want to have to heat two rooms. You can see my lovely warm kotatsu table heater surrounded by the kotatsu blanket. I scored on getting two couches really cheep at this store called Trial (it is like the wallmart of japan). Moving on to the kitchen, I just got the 50's red velvet and chrome chairs second hand at a big antique mall. It was a beautiful day when I shot the view outside the balcony; but, unfortunately, there was a bit too many little clouds to see Mt. Fuji.

ooo...all the pretty pictures

2006-12-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

just an fyi - i have added pics to some of the old posts (yay for having internet at home now!). So check them out and see what a cool place japan is :)

woot! I LOVE JAPAN!

2006-12-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

haha...sometimes i just want to get a reversable t-shirt with one side that says I "heart" japan and then the other side (you flip it inside out) would say I hate japan..haha so it is living in this wonderful and yet horribly confusing country.

so, I FINALLY got hooked up to the internet in my apartment (i had to get a provider other than Yahoo and pay an arm and a leg, but its done!). So I will be able to post reg now (that is when I have something remotely interesting happening in my life...its the holidays now and almost all the other JETS have fled Kofu).

To begin things off...I thought I would post the long overdue companion to my I hate Japan post...

I LOVE JAPAN!

1. There are tons of funny engrish and just amusing signs all over. For example in Kofu there is a hair salon known as the "hair mode gorilla" salon (as you see above it has a lovely pic of, what looks to be a cross between an alien and a creature from planet of the apes). And there is another hair salon that is called "Papa Doo" (oh dear!) They always use cute pictures of animals when they have signs asking you to do or not do something. For example, on the side of the road they have a sign that says "do not litter' (in japanese) and a pic of a poor little cat getting hit on the head by a flying tin can...oh dear! They also have a pic of a penguin on the steps when you leave the train station with the kanji for walk to the left. Im not sure what the penguin signfies other than its damn cute! haha.

2. THE ONSENS!!! Woot for non-sexualized nudity! You walk into an onsen and proceed to strip off all your clothes and put them in a locker (you keep a face-cloth sized "modesty towel" which you can, if you wish, drape pathetically over your "naughty bits"...later you will wear this cloth folded up on your head while you bathe). Then you get to a room where they have these detachable shower heads and you get all lathered up and shampoo and what not and get squeeky clean. Then you get to go into the onsen!! Most places have various outdoor pools and saunas, in addition to indoor pools. You just kick back and relax and let all your stresses disapear. Other than some old japanese ladies sizing you up (they have no shame to blatanly stare at us gaijin) you can just totally forget the rest of the world. It is total bliss.

3. You can drink in public...walking down the road or on the trains!!
I had the coolest encounter with a bunch of japanese businessmen who jumped on the train when a bunch of us alt were out together. These four guys proceeded to pull out a bottle of wine and sake and a bunch of plastic cups and all of us kompiied eacother (cheered). You also can buy alcohol at conbinis (short for convinence stores) and then just walk out and drink them down the street. I just remember how in Vancouver there is such a big fuss durring the fireworks in the summer when all these people are drinking down the street. I think Vancouver should take a cue from Japan and just chill out.

4. Teaching my kids!!
I love coming up with lessons for my kids. I get really genki (hyper/full of engergy) when I teach and yell random things like "I LOVE ENGLISH!!" and give a big thumbs up. To which all the guys in the back cheer! haha. Here is an example of a lesson I tought...

Describing People

First i got the students to do a word search with tons of words that describe a person's appearance (eg blonde, beard, mustache, short etc). Then I drew a big pic of this guy on the board and labeled him to make sure that they got the vocabulary (he had a large mustache and huge beard :). Then I devided the students into groups and each group got this funny photograph of a weird looking person (eg one was of a guy dressed like mario and one was of a midget dressed like a punk :). In groups they came up with sentences to describe the person and a name for them. Then one person from each group came to the front of the class and introduced their person to the rest of the class. This got great laughs, as the pics were really funny. After this I asked the students to grab a blank piece of paper. I told them that, "when I was in the bank on the weekend a man came in with a big gun and stole all the money!" I hamed it up and asked them to help me draw a wanted poster of the guy (this helps to test their listening skills). So, I described the guy I saw ("he had short hair and a mustache and beard...") and they each drew a pic of him. After about 1 minute everyone was laughing so hard because they were looking at their pic and their neighbour's pics and they were so funny! After they were done drawing, a I made a big show of saying "thankyou for helping to catch the thief. Do you want to see what the guy really looked like?". They all yell "YES!!" so I presented them with a photo of the guy I was describing and they crack up again because their pics were so bizzre compared to the photo of the guy. It was a really fun lesson :)

5. My japanese apartment!
My place is newely floored with fresh tatami matting and fusuma sliding doors. I love that i don't have to just get into a room by one door, but i can slide the walls and get in from any angle. I love the smell of my tatami (now It no longer reminds me of hamster bedding!) and it is really easy to clean...i can just sweep it and it doesnt collect dust like a carpet does. I have even got used to sleeping with my futon on the floor (i use 2 futons layed ontop of eachother for extra comfort). I dont even mind hanging my bedding outside to air so much (it always smells nice and fresh when I crawl into bed). I have a lovely toasty warm kotatsu to sit under (like a coffee table but with a heater beneath to warm your feet) and nice low light couches (it almost seems weird now to me to have a couch that would have legs to raise it above the floor). My place is finally starting to feel like home :)

6. How nice people are here. People really do try to avoid conflict here. So you here alot of sumimasen (excuse me/sorry) here alot. When you are in need of assistance, people really go out of their way to help you. The people in my office at the Kencho have been amazing. In particular my supervisor Tanabe San has helped me with everything - getting my alien card, helping me get a new washing machine, picking out a cellphone, helping me patch my bike tire. Another guy in my office - who I call Tanaka Sensei because he has offered to help me with learning japanese. He just came over to my desk one day and offered to teach me. So we went on a little walk around the Kencho and he pointed out the "nijhongo dewa" (japanese word) for something and I would tell him the "eigo dewa" (english word). It was a sweet little exchange between two people who almost new nothing of eachothers languages.

7. House socks, leg warms, and arm warmers!!! At this big clothing store called "Paseo" (its a hip place where alot of my students shop in Kofu) you can find the cutest sellection of things called "house socks". Basicly they are really thick socks with the cutest things on them like knitted flowers and bees or they are made up to look like a dog with ears and eyes and what not. So cute! They also have tons of leg warmers and arm warmers which are essential for the winter here. Not only do they keep you warm but they are pretty sexy too! hehe!

8. The JETS here are crazy and wonderful! They all welcomed me in right away like I was part of a big disfunctional family. We are all sort of in this together...alone in a foreign country so we immediately reach out and help eachother. SO many people have gone out of their way to help me out since I got here. This chick Kat drove on a school night from Minobu (which is like an hour from Kofu) to help me find furniture for my place. She ended up piling the back of her car with a futon for me and a couch and what not and didnt get home to her place until after midnight. Other people like Lynn and Olivia have made delicious food for me when I was sick of raw fish. There is a great group here....yes many of them do have the reputation for being excessive with their alcohol on many occasion, but when you get down to it they are really amazing people.

9. Karaoke!!! What can I say, I love to sing and this is the place for me! You can rent a room with a bunch of friends have a few drinks and sing your heart out. The best is when we got a group of about 12 of us together and all the guys took one mike and the girls took the other and we sang the song "a whole new world" like a duet between us all....hehe! goodtimes!

10. Mt FUJI! I never get tired of seeing mt fuji on clear days from my balcony. It is so perfectly beautiful. I also still pull out my camera when I am out and get to see a new angle of it. I will scale it next summer (despite the stories of other jets who claim they nearly died climbing it...).

Oh dear I better run now. You all take care and peace, love, lollypops, and rainbows to all of you back home in vancouver.

a little rant and rave

2006-12-03T16:13:00.001-08:00

To give you a better idea of what its like living here I will give you a little list of my rants

1. The Cold. It is soooo freezin cold in my apartment you can see your breath. There is no glass covering my bathroom windows and the term *hot*water is such false advertising. Today I was literally shivering the whole time I took a shower.

2. Not being able to find good pizza. I really miss this shop called Uncle Fatti's on commerical drive. The best spinach and fetta pizza for 1.50!. Here pizza is like sooo expensive and really thin crusted and not much topings and really oily. Yuck!

3. How narrow and dark the roads are. Most of the roads here wouldn:t even be called back alleys in Vancouver. They almost don't have room for even one car (you have to retract your mirrors). Also they are really dark at night (every time i ride my bike i take my life in my own hands).

4. the early morning announcments. They have this big P.A. system across japan where they like to make early morning annoucments especially on the weekends. I have no clue what they are saying (i think sometimes it is such things as *warning there is a wild boar on the loose* etc), but it is so not useful to me! Please just let everyone sleep in peace.

5. The lack of ovens in Japanese apartments. I have been really craving lasagnia, but there are no OVENS IN JAPAN!! they have these litte broilers that can fit two pieces of bread and that is it! I also wont be able to make christmas cookies grrrr.

6. The train system! A big personal growl from me on this one. So many times i have got on the wrong train or gone on the wrong tracks. It is really confusing because I can't read kanji. Mostly I run around and look like a goof. I actually missed meeting up with my friend Megan for brazilian food once because i took an express train by accident and ended up 1/2 hour out of the way. I was stuck at a station for another 1/2 before i could get back to kofu. arg!

7. How much packaging there is everywhere. If you come to japan you will really see how everything is not only wraped in plastic once, but twice and then always baged. ug! So much garbage accumulates here.

8. Speaking of garbage OH MY - taking out garbage here is an absolute joke! You have to divide everying up into inumerable catagories. eg. burnable, non burnable, plastic bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, stuff like furniture, shoes. All of these things go out on different days of the month! (they actually give everyone these huge illustrated calendars to help you figure out when to take out your garbage.). You can only take out the garbage the morning of the day it is to be picked up (so, yes, I store garbage on my balcony, yuck!). You must have everything in clear plastic bags and you are supposed to label everything with your name (which i don't do. muhaha! they cant track me down!).

9. taking off my shoes all the time. At all but one school (an aviation school) I have to take off my shoes (which arn't even dirty, gosh!) and change into *inside shoes*. When i have classes in other buildings I have to reverse the process and put my oustide shoes on, carry my inside shoes with me and change back into them again later. Ugh! Its sorta obsessive compulsive if you ask me! Also in the changing rooms at stores you have to take off your shoes (i didn't discover this until i had a shop clerk yelling at me in japanese for putting one foot in the changing room).

10. having students runnign around screaming kawaii! (cute!). I seriously have kids coming up to me everywhere in kofu and screaming at me. oh dear oh dear. it was kinda cool at first, now its just getting scary (which, coincidentaly, is actually `kowaii` in japanese, almost the same as cute). I also had a group of 18 year old guys on their bikes chacing me through the streets of kofu. I had to duck in a 711 and hide behind the magazines to evaide them (a lady was looking at me strange as I hid behind some japanese porno. hehe)

Okay, thats enough ranting. Really I love japan. I will post all my raves soon to even things out.

love you all
gracie

Design Festa

2006-12-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the looooong delay with posting. I am still sadly stuck in a neoludite state with technology at my place. Right now I am posting at one of my highschools.

Last weekend I had a fantastic time in tokyo at the Tokyo Design Festa. It is the biggest art fest in all of asia supposedly and it was an amazing sight. IT is held at this big exibition center called Tokyo Big Sight. There were HUNDREDS of artists with booths displaying their work, lots of crazy bands, girls in the wildest dresses, a robot you could ride in, dancing etc. I had like saucer shaped eyes for two hours walking around the place. I also got TONS of art to cover my walls. I am going to send some postcards from the event home to you guys in vancouver when I get off my ass and over to the post office (im also collecting a bunch of random japanese gifts for you, which might not get there till after christmas). Basicly it was quite the spectacle and i kept yelling out at random moments ''I love JAPAN!!''. I also got a few photographers over wanting to take pictures of me for some reason (work it girl work it!). Unfortunately I missed the last train home from kofu (normally this wouldn:t be that unfortunate, but I was riding on almost no sleep for the last few nights...but thats another story). I ended up crashing at my friend Marissa:s house (she reminds me of you carissa, she LOVES animals and is really giddy around kids).

As for the rest of my life it is going great. I am settling into runnign around to 7 schools. I am exploring all the local temples (there is one just near me called zenkoji that i have been told has a huge labryinth in the basement that you can wander through in near total darkness). I am busy running around with all the other crazy jets around here (Last thurs I bunch of us got together at my friend Lynn's house for mexican food - yum yum!). I'm looking forward to a big christmas fancy dinner party we are having this coming weekend on sat. I have to find a dress to wear (I am so not used to looking fancy, so this will be an adventure). I am starting to get japanese lessons from this really funny coworker at the Kencho (Yamanashi gov't office), where I'm based. Basicly, this guy Tanaka San just walked me all over the Kencho and I would point things out and say *nihongo dewa* (japanese word for) and he would tell me the japanese word and then he would say *eigo dewa* (english word) and I would tell him the english. IT was actually a pretty effective teaching technique.

Well I best be off and actually do some teaching. Take care everyone and know that im thinking about you all so much.

love
grace

Settling In

2006-10-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all -

Today I had the day off (because of yesterdays illness) so I got time to settle into my place. I unpacked all my suitcases and then decided to find the local grocery store.

I went down this back alley behind my house and stumbled across a shrine to several ancestors. There were several stone figures all in a cluster wearing what looked like bibs with Japanese writing on them. I then kept wandering down the alley and past what looked like a temple. I didn't want to enter it as I saw a large group of individuals on a tour and didn't want to disturb them. So, I kept walking. I came to a long row of vending machines with all differnt japanese teas, canned coffee, and, oddly enough, flip flops in them.

Finally I came across the grocery store and grabbed a basket. Its kind of like a guessing game when you don't know how to read Japanese. I wanted to get stuff for a stir fry. The vegis were fairly straight forward. But I couldn't identify whether a jar of dark liquid was sake, fish oil, or cooking alcohol. I took the risk and bought it anyway. I then looked for bread. It is IMPOSSIBLE to find brown bread in Japan. The only bread you can really find is very thickly sliced white bread, so I got some. (I have to mention that beside the bread was a big display of bottled water that went by the brand name "Sweat"!) Then I was looking for eggs. I didn't want to get the kind with little baby chicks in them. I found a clear package of what appeared to be chicken eggs, but I wasn't sure (included with the eggs were little packages of oil and what appeared to be bread crumbs). I couldn't just ask for clarification because I didn't remotely know how. So pretty much my shopping trip was a big leap of faith :)

Now I plan to head back to my place and give it a thorough cleaning. Altho I'm not really sure what each of the bottles of cleaning fluid do, as, yes once again, they all just have Japanese writing on them. Oh dear.

wish me luck
grace

I'm alive and in japan!

2006-10-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

You are probably wondering "what's going on with grace". Well here i am to reasure you that right now everything is settling in and great. However, it was a bumpy road getting here. I'll start at the beginning.

The flight was soooo long. 10 hours and I couldn't sleep durring it, because the lady infront of me wanted to keep her window open with the bright sun shinning in. Oh well, atleast I had my cd player and I took way too many pictures of the view out the window. Finally I got to Narita airport. I grabbed my carry on (waying 20 pounds!), my coat, sweater, umbrella, pillow, and laptop (my arms were going to fall off) and headed out the plane. After I went all the way across the airport sweating like hell and dragging all my goods I got lost. I started wandering all confused, surrounded by signs in Japanese. Well my daized look payed off as a friendly Japanese airline employee started waving at me desperately to show me the right way. So I got to where my suitcases were and waited (I wanted to fall asleep by this point on my pillow).

I waited and waited at the conveyor belt and finally my HUGE heavy suitcase came around. I looked quite silly in my flapper hat, long pearl neclace and pink top trying to lug this bag. Luckily a friendly Japanese man jumped to my aid and loaded my suitcase on my cart. So, finally i had my stuff (by this time it was like 12 in the morning vancouver time). I headed for the exit and there was a woman waving a sign that said Ms. Grace Hiebert. "That is me, that is me!!" I yelled out. She passed me off to a friendly Japanese man who took me to send one of my bags to my apartment. He then escorted me outside and waited with me for my bus. I tried to practice my 4 Japanese phrases I knew with the him. He laughed and said i was "very good". ha! Then the bus came. A old Japanese lady was infront of me and was having a hard time stepping up the one foot onto the bus. So immediately I reached out and hefted her up onto the bus. She was so thankfull ("Domo, domo!"). So I'm on the bus and I walk towards the seats. Immediately the bus driver starts yelling "Chotto, chotto!" I turn around, cofused, and say "Oh, I guess these seats are resurved" and moved farther back in the bus. He, meanwhile kept yelling "chotto!". Finally I realized that I was supposed to have given him the bus ticket I was clutching in my hand. So I turn around and meakly said "I don't speak Japanese, sorry". This response is met with much laughter and applause from the passangers on the bus. So, I turned around to find a seat and the lady who i helped get on the bus is gesturing for me to sit accross from her. She then turned to her husband and in Japanese explained how i helped her. It turned out that she and her husband were also just arriving to Japan from Vancouver (the only English word she seemed to know as "Vancouver, Vancouver!"). She was so sweet. She reached over and gave me two Halls out of a package, saying "Vancouver!" while pointing to them. I just smiled and nodded dumbly. I was so tired by this point and my bus ride was 3 hours.

Finally I got to Kofu stop and I got off the bus and looked around not seeing anyone. Suddenly a man by the name of Sukuki san appeared out of nowhere and his first question was "Is Japanese okay". To which i responded "no, english". Oh dear, i felt like such a dunce by this point unable to speak their language. So he proceeded to use a mixture of hand gentures and his electronic dictionary to tell me a car was coming soon to pick me up. Soon another man Tsutomu San (whose name was pronounced Ss-tom San) arrived with a lady named Hiroko San. They also new almost no english but eagerly looked in their dictionary to say a car would be coming soon. The lady Hiroko was quite cute with a sweet little round face with dimples and a pink cardigan on. She looked wide eyed at me and totally seemed in awe that I was from Vancouver (yes, I was an instant celeberity in her eyes :). Suddenly I heard singing and I saw this teenage Japanese guy on his guitar singing away near the busstop. I took a video clip (which i will have to show you later as i am using this internet at my neighbour Li-Mei's house).

Finally a car arrived and another Japanese man with an utterly unprouncable name (it had a lot of s's and t's in it) got out and helped load my (insanely heavy) bags into the trunk. I got in and Hiroko sat beside me, and began stairing at me totally in awe. I looked over and smiled uncomfortably. She said "Vancouver very different?" and I say "Yes, everything is bigger". [I have to mention at this point the first things I noticed about Japan with my half asleep eyes were that the cars were mainly very small and boxy (sorta like smart cars but more shaped like a a box), the houses were in general small and squarish, and most of the roads were very narrow.]

So, we were driving in the car towards my apartment. Suddenly we stopped at what looked much like a 7-11 on the outside (they actually do have the 7-11 brand here too), but inside all the food was Japanese. I was lead in by my small enterage and told they would get me breakfast food. I looked around half awake (by this time it was probably 3am Vancouver time) and had no clue what most of the food was. I really felt like an alien in an alien land. Confused I went down an aisle where I saw some noodles packaged in bowls. I asked Tsutomu San "which is good". He didnt seem to understand what i ment so i just randomly grabbed some...in the end my "breakfast consised of some kind of unidentifiable canned drink, some kind of pudding with fruit in it, and a bowl of noodles. hehe, welcome to Japan!

So, finally we get to my apartment and the first thing i noticed was the beautiful tatami matting on the floor and the sliding doors throughout. But, when I got to the kitchen all the contraptions looked so ancient. I asked how to turn on the hotwater and thus began a half hour adventure of turning nobs and pressing buttons. Eventually my neighbour Li-Mei appeared (hearing our racket im sure) and offered assistance. Luckily she spoke fluent Japanese so she was abble to act as translater between me and the others. Then we got to the bathroom! Oh my goodness! My bathtub was the shape of a deep cardboard box and there was a daunting contraption full of nobs beside it. Li-Mei proceeded to show me how to turn the hotwater on for a shower ("turn this nob on the bottom to "on", then this nob up here turn it to 90 degrees and hold for 10 seconds then turn it all the way around the left one full time"). Oh dear!

Hiroko san kindly showed me how to lay out my futon on the floor and I just wanted to collapse right on it. Finally after many references to how tired I was I was left alone to sleep. Stom san said he would pick me up at 8:15am the next day for work. So I set my alarm and crashed in bed. However it was a fitfull night. I woke at 12am and got up and poored myself some water from the tap in the kitchen (which I would later find out was a horrible mistake) and went back to bed. I woke again at 2pm and was kept up by the strong smell of tatami beside me (which, not being used to it reminded me of the smell of hamster bedding) and the army of crickets chirping outside. I tossed and turned.

Suddenly I heard my door bell buzzing. I looked over at my clock which said only 5am and stumbled to the door. It turned out it was my neighbour Li-Mei who waid it was 7:30! Obviously my alarm clock didn't work with the Japanese power. I thanked Li-Mei profusely and went into the bathroom to have a shower. After struggling with the assorted nobs I finally gave up and had to have a cold shower. Not only was a SOOO tired I was also noticing that I was feeling a rising nausea in my stomach. However, I knew I was going to be picked up so I ran around madly looking for clothes. I stuffed a box of cookies in my bag I had brought to give to my office workers. Li-Mei then rung and invited me to have coffee and breakfast at her place. I went in and she introduced me to Erica who also lived in our building and worked with LI-Mei and the "International center". My nausea was getting worse and all i could manage was to sip some coffee. Suddenly Stom san appeared at their door and asked if was ready. I made a mad dash for my shoes and had to turn off my lights in my apartment. I know he was irratated that I was making him wait, but he didn't say anything directly about it.

I got in his car and he drove me accross town to the Yamanashi Prefecture Gov't building. I weakly tried to tell him i was feeling sick, however he seemed in a hurry to get us to the office. We finally arrived at this imposing looking building and went up the elevator to the office. I entered a rather small room crammed with two rows of long desks filled with office workers and at the opposite end of the room was a stern fellow at a desk, facing everyone, who I assumed was my boss. I was feeling dizzy by this point, but I noticed everyone getting up out of their seats. I was guided to the boss's desk and introduced to him. Then all the office workers were looking at me in anticipation. A fellow by the name of Masaru San (who was fluent in english) prompted me with "This is Grace, she is from Canada". It then hit me that they wanted me to make a speach. Feel a growing nausia I attempted something lame like "I am from Vancouver. I am very honored to work with you. I will try and work hard. I have brought cookies for everyone (which was met by applause). Thankyou". Everyone was still standing and stairing at me so i decided I'll make my way to my desk. It wasn't untill I sat down that they all sat down.

I then staired at my computer screen unsure what I should do. The nice lady who had picked me up from the busstop last night, Hiroko san was sitting beside me on my left. Suddenly my growing feeling that i was sick couldn't be ignored, so I weakly said "I'm sick and made a gesture at my stomach". She looked very concerned and grabbed her japanese-english dictionary to help figure out what was wrong. She then told several office wokers to her left and that set off a rush of individuals coming over to me and asking again and again what was wrong with me. Finally it got too much and I asked weakly "where is the bathroom?" I was directed to a room that was lined with stalls. I picked a stall and inside was a low toilet (like a urinal except right on the floor), I leaned over it and thought I would be sick in it. Hiroko came in the bathroom to see if I was okay. I told her how sick I felt and then started crying. She was very sweet and patted me on the shoulder and in broken english said "New move, big change, big change". I grabbed some toilet paper to wipe my eyes and headed back to the office. Somehow I was driven home and I (after throwing up) I just collapsed on my futon and went to sleep.

I didn't wake untill i heard my door buzzing. It was my neighbours Li-Mei and Erica who had brought me some special water and an o-bento lunch. There was also several bags on the floor and a note from my co-worker Hiroko san "Eat, drink and rest". It was all very sweet of everyone.

I went back to bed and rested untill 6pm. I felt alot better by then. Erica came over and buzzed my door to ask if i'd like to go over to Li-Mei's for supper. I said sure (now I had my appetite back after all the nausia). I got dressed and went over to Li-Mei's. Erica who is a Japanese descendent from Brazil had cooked this great Japanese curry and Miso soup. Everything was delicious. We then got to talking about halloween (they are organizing a big evernt for the local kids through the international center). I told them about carving pumpkins with my family so I was assigned to create the pumpkin decorations for the event. I also got to talking about working at kidsbooks and showed them the children's books i had brought, along with all the finger puppets and a large squirel puppet. Erica was very very thrilled and insisted that I throw a puppet show for the local kids. Erica also talked about the trip a bunch of them are going on to Thailand durring Christmas to bring toys to an orphanage. I told her I would really love to go. She said she would ask Courtney, who is planning the trip, if there is still space for me. All in all, it was just such a nice dinner and made me really realize how I am going to be okay here in Japan. I had gotten through this horrible bit of jet lag and stomach illness and I knew I would be taken care of.

So now we get to today. I had a GREAT nights sleep after the dinner was done and I woke up today to the sound of this Japanese announcement being projected over the city at 7am. I felt like a new person. I don't have to work today (they told me i should be off untill monday), tomorow is when we are preparing for the halloween event, and sunday is the event. It is great because I'll get to meet a bunch of Jets at the event. Also, on monday and tuesday there is a big conference for all the english language teachers in the area - so i'll meet every jet in the area then. Today I am going to go explore my area. There is a mountain directly behind my apartment that I might explore and I will look for the local grocery store and the 1oo yen shop (like a dollar store in Canada).

So all in all everything is so new and different. I really want to learn Japanese now, because it really is a "language barrier" not knowing it. I am kinda glad I got the nasty part of being sick over right away, so now I can get through anything.

Love you all and really miss everyone back home

Take care :)
grace

Where's Waldo?

2006-10-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to my sweet friends Krystal (right) and her twin sister Shannon (left) at the "Suicide Girl's" burlesque show.

Me and Theresa at Neins Circa and Parlour Steps (local Vancouver indie bands) show
*chug chug*

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-10-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

My Family's

Fantastic

Little

Birthday/

Goodbye

Party For Me.

Much sushi, sapporo, and sake was had by all. My dad also made the most fantastic carrot cake featuring my plane flying over mt. Fuji. Later in the evening my dad and brother Chris did a touching spoken-word rendition of Rascal Flatt's song "My Wish". All in all it was a sweet night with a group of really sweet people.

Goodbye from Kidsbooks

2006-10-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

The staff at Kidsbooks invited me out to a wonderful goodbye dinner. Much chatting and bonding and (hehe) drinking was had by all. Kidsbooks was truly the best place I have ever worked and the staff was the sweetest. If anyone reading this is planning to come to Vancouver you must stop in and see this store. There is also the most fantastic puppets all over the walls of the store (I stuffed a big bag of the finger puppets in my suitcase to take to Japan).

Free Day!!

2006-10-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

How I was Freed of my Worldy Possessions....

I threw a free day in the backyard of my basement suite before I packed up to leave for Japan. I taped the cardboard sign (right) at a big intersection near my place and waited. Soon came the most excentric and wonderful mix of people into my back alley. They poked through my junk and waxed poetical about the treasures they found. One neighbour brought me 2 cucumbers from his garden. In exchange I gave him a happy birthday sign and candles for his grand-daughter who was turning 3 the next day. The good karma flowed as I was freed of many of my worldly possessions.
Towards the end of the day I decided to grab a bucket of chalk and
decorate the back alley. I felt a warm glow of neighbourly kindness
spark up. It was a blissfull day.

Countdown to Japan

2006-10-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

A month ago I recieved a message on my answering machine from the JET programme, offering me a job in Japan teaching english! After I finished jumping up and down and screaming: "Im going to JAPAN, im going to JAPAN!!", I gave notice at my (much loved) job as a bookseller at Kidsbooks, told my landlords I would be moving, gave away most of my possessions, packed up what I had left, and got ready to leave for Japan. On the 24th of this month I will be moving to Kofu, a city in the Yamanashi prefector. It is a medium size city (about 200,000 people), 1 hr 1/2 from Tokyo, with a view of Mt. Fuji. I will be paying only 60$ (canadian) a month to live in a townhome near other JET participants. What could be better?

I am so blessed right now to have such a great family and really great friends who are giving me lots of farewell love. Thanks to my mom who bought me some amazing luggage, my sister Angelina who was kind enough to give me some of her clothes, my brother Victor who has given me his laptop to take with me, and my brother Chris who, last night, threw the best drunkin' pumpkin carving night ever! Special thanks to my dad who has invited me into his home for the last 12 days I'm in Canada. Also thanks to all the awesome staff at Kidsbooks who invited me out for such a nice goodbye dinner; you guys treated me like family, even though I had worked at the store for two months only. I will miss everyone so much when I am in Japan.

I will post pictures soon of all the things I have been up to in this crazy, but wonderful, period in my life.