Pushing the limits of Japan..

Hello everyone,

Today has been a weird one. I'm not probably going to get away from today without some sort of disciplinary action, but you know what I really don't care. I have been here close to 11 months now and excuse my language but I really don't give a fuck about how people view me. It all started yesterday. I got this weird e-mail from the Tokyo JET alumni association. I had no idea why I got the e-mail or who sent it to me. The fact the the alumni association has my e-mail to begin with is a little unnerving. Who is giving my personal e-mail out, I thought. Anyway, so I read the e-mail and found out its about a private screening of

The Cove

I have wanted to see the movie but it was not released in Japan for obvious reasons. If I thought getting the e-mail was weird, the part in it about 'this being a private invitation only event' told me I was in for a wild night. I was supposed to RSVP on some website but I forgot about the e-mail until the day of so I called the number posted to ask for directions. An older hippy lady answered and was very straight forward. She said she would put my name on the list and gave me the directions to the place. Though I didn't know it then the event had been moved 3 times! It was now in Yokohama and I would have to rush out of school to make the train. I did make it lucky and got there just as some other jets I know, Ben and Kendall, who actually live in the same area, got off the train too. We all walked up and talked about what we thought the event would be like tonight. It turned out Ben was the one who sent me the e-mail so that was a little reassuring. I was not expecting much of the event, but it turned out the man behind the movie Rick O' Barry was supposed to show up and give a open discussion after the movie. I had never heard of the guy but I guess he was behind the popular TV series Flipper! He started the whole Dolphin training movement! Unfortunaly he never showed up. He was giving a lecture at a local university while we watched the movie and was supposed to show up at 7:30. We all had our suspicions but i really think he got in some trouble with the police. I think they were following him or something. We kept getting reports about his were abouts but then they stopped at about 9:30. The other people at the event were all environmental activists so it was great anyway. It was bizarre but I felt like this was a special night and i was meant to be there.
After a short talk by another man involved in the movie they started the Cove. I guess Rick wanted us to watch the censored version because that was what was getting released in Japan next month(in select theaters). After watching the movie I realized why the e-mail was so specific about invitation only event. The people in the Dolphin killing business were serious and it was not uncommon for protesters to receive Death threats or even get killed. I was shocked! Not only were there 23,000 Dolphins being killed in this small town every year but everyone also seemed to be okay with eating it!! This was atrocious, brutal and every bit of it deservedly. I was outraged. I don't want this to sound as though I am some kind of Japan-basher, or that Japanese people are painfully ignorant. There are plenty of great Japanese people and I love many aspects of their culture. But this needs to stop!!
So today what did I do? Well as a souvenir last night I was given a promotional poster for the Japanese release of the movie. Some how in my sleep deprived long train ride back home I thought about disseminating this poster. I was going to become a radical activist, or at least not be an 'in-activist'. So this morning I got to school early and jumped to the copy machine. I made 20 color copies(already probably getting me in trouble) and 50 b&w copies. I immediately asked a teacher I trusted if I could hang the poster up outside the teachers offices of every classroom. I was given a harsh 'Japanese' NO! Then before classes started I made my rounds to every classroom I could and gave a short speech in my broken Japanese to the students. Telling them about the movie and to go see it. I was nervous and full of adrenaline. The response was just as shocking. I was given a round of applause and a standing ovation in one class! It will not stop here I am sure. I still have half my copies and I will use propaganda on the Japanese. HEll the gov't here does it why can't I?

Ch. 9 Visiting the Zen temple...

Hey Everyone,

I just had another pivital experience in of my time here in Japan. I was not expecting on a Wednesday of all days to take part in mind altering experience. It was the middle of the school week after all. But I know a guy who is an ex-JET living here and has spent the last year or so practicing Zen Buddhism in Japan. My friend Zack is also interested like me so we both talked to this guy, Ben and next thing we knew a date was set for the following week. If anything i knew I was getting into a very different meditation from any i have ever done before. Yet this barely touches the tip of the ice burg; the session I sat in on(a weekly mediation open to the public) was unlike anything i would have thought and this being Japan was about as intense as driving 100 mph down a narrow mountain road.

I guess I will start with how things are going lately. So have my high week of sports festival the next week was awful. I guess I wasn't prepared for real classes to start up again. That and work sucks after you've been on vacation. Other then that I was bidding my time until my birthday frantically trying to figure out what to do. I decided to just have a picnic dinner on my b-day and then go out to an Israeli restaurant on the weekend.

The day started off great. I had 4 classes which is average for me and I was excited to get them over with. Almost to much in fact because I kept looking the clock in class wishing it to go faster. I made it through the day without becoming a anxious wreck but i became very nervous at the end of the day because I needed to leave early in order to catch the train to Tokyo. I sat at my desk for awhile until things quited down after cleaning time and i hastily made my escape realizing the whole time that I forgot to change my block to red (a kind of Japanese time card). Oh well I thought I wasn't actually leaving that early i thought. I took the faster way home but on the way decided to stop at my local bakery. It is the best bakery Ive found but Ive constantly pondered how they stay in business offering only 10-20 baked good. Well today I found the answer. The place was filled with breads of all kinds, sweets and pastries. I was shocked and quacking grabbed a demi-baguette and a slice of pumpkin bread with walnuts and raisins. At least now I knew I would have some good eats on the long train ride. I rushed home to quickly changed opting for a v-neck sweater over my v-neck undershirt and some jeans. Not quite the most appropriate wear for a Zen meditation session but I was comfortable, if anything I was too hot. I then looked at the clock and rapidly turned my baguette into a cheese and butter sandwich. I also filled my water bottle and grabbed a book. I was ready. Once again speeding down the main street on my little biking pedaling my feet as fast as I could go. I made it down the the station in time again, in fact I was early but i am traumatized and extremely fearful of missing trains since I did it so often when i first arrived. I boarded the train to find it filled with the suits and some high school students. It was hot and I opened the window up a bit and through on some shades. I knew this was going to be a nice commute for once.
I made it to Chiba to change trains and met up with Zack. We ended up talking the rest of way and the hour seemed to fly by. We made it to the tiny subway station early and split the sandwich and pumpkin loaf. I was feeling ready to take on anything, naively flying high after a great day but I really didn't know what I was getting my self into. We met Ben and had a rice ball on the way. Walking to the temple we talked about what we were going to be be experiencing and how long it would be. Ben was under the misperception that there was a beginner class every Wednesday at 6:30 but unfortunately when we got there we found that was not the case. In fact if you are a beginner you are supposed to call ahead and make a reservation. The monks were kind enough to bring us in the entry way and we just had to fill out our names on a form. Then we were awkwardly carted around for awhile seeing if we would get instruction or not. Then we were told to change. You had to take off all jewelery and basically anything that would make noise. then you were supposed to change into anything that made you most comfortable. Not thinking of bringing extra cloths I stuck with what i was wearing at the time. Which was not bad but being nervous I was sweating like pig. Next we entered a kind of antechamber. People were already sitting and meditating. We stay there for about 5 minutes awkwardly trying to sit. Then our monk came and brought us back to the waiting room with our little pillows. We were given a short instruction on how to enter the meditation room, walk in the hallways, puff your pillows, bow before sitting and sit down. It was about enough to make my head start spinning but then another patron came over and started giving us tips about meditating for the first time. He spoke pretty good English and was very kind but in a rather annoying way since i was already nervous and hardly needed more stuff to remember and worry about doing correctly. Then the moment came. We were called out of the room and entered the meditation room. It was a big room that had a huge window facing a courtyard on one side and a shrine with a Buddha and ornaments on the other. We were put into the far corner away from the window facing a yellow painted wall. I guess you are supposed to stare at something with least distractions. The air in the room was thick almost like stepping out of a air conditioned house into a humid night. People told me i might be cold but the temperature was perfect. I immediately performed the said entry rituals and began trying to get comfortable sitting on this little pillow. My other great worry was trying to get perfect posture. It is something I had as a kid and now have lost my ability to ever sit straight. It was a back aching challenge. Sit for two 40 minute sessions with perfect posture. In between there would be a 10 minute walking meditation. After all that the head monk would do a reading and we would do some zen chanting. The most interesting part was actually the singing bowls and the gourd drum. It was much less rhythmic and more caotic then I thought.
Though all of it was intense, what had me on edge the whole time during the sitting meditation was the head monks' stick. Yes there is a stick that is carried around for the purpose of 'correcting' people, if they have incorrect posture or are falling asleep. As you would be just into the rhythmic breathing you would hear a Whack and I not sure but I think people were getting between the shoulder blades. It was not the most pleasant sound and I thought a few times I was in for a right smack between the shoulder blades. It didnt end up happening but the head monk did come by me and 'straighten' my back with his stick. The whole this was just bizarre. It was a whole other world experience. Though this is not uncommon in Japan.
The most surprising part was how laid back everyone was when the session ended. Some guy asked me to go drink some beers with him and the monk were all out chatting and laughing. I could understand why my friend Ben likes to go there so often. It has something frequently lacking in Japan.. Community. Not just a sense of it, Im talking the real thing. People getting together who are liked minded and sharing their experience. Once again i am humbled by Japan, a country that never ceases to awe me...

Undokai!!! the Sports festival to end all..

Hey everybody,

Its another month and summer is finally gracing its lovely touch on Japan. I recently came back to Japan from America, which is a weird feeling. Leaving your home for your other home in Japan. Although you would think I would have some reverse culture shock, it actually wasn't that bad. It was more like returning to my hermitage on Foreign World Island(that's my idea for a new Japanese theme park). Surprisingly my Japanese abilities didn't shrivel up and hide but in fact seem to have improved. It could be the weather too that is digging me out of my funk. But I'm not here to talk to you about my daily feelings i will leave that to my psychiatrist. I'm here to tell you about Sports Festival...

Yes as cheesy as it sounds my little JHS is having its annual sports festival. It is entirely foreign to me and like nothing I've seen before. Not only is it a week long (5 days of practice for the big show) it is the most exciting time of the year for many involved. It more closely resembles a cross between a Junior Olympics and a Barnum and Baily's circus. Students compete in games some involving real sports and others just weird objects; like a kind of tug-o-war but with a bamboo pole.

The first and most important part of Undokai is that all students and teachers are split into four teams; green team, yellow team, white team, and red team and all these teams are differentiated by colored headbands everyone wears. The reasons behind why students are placed in one team or another is beyond me. I imagine its divided for competitive fairness. I got placed on the YEllOW team!! Not that I will compete but i guess it's my job is to watch, keep students in line(in both senses of the word) and cheer them on.

Now as much as I would be bored by this day of competitive school pride when I was a kid, it is turning into my favorite week of the school year. Not only am I excited about all the games but I feel like I am helping out and working like everyone else at school. It is tiring but I get to be outside all day being a coach, watching students run around looking exhausted. Its great and not just because its a week off of classes for me. I have really enjoyed myself.

Then the big day came. I was anxious and nervous to see how it would all go down. I arrived at school on time, around 8am to find the school field completely transformed. There were cars parked along one edge of it and teachers quickly doing last minute preparations on the other side of the field. I actually felt like I was late and rushed in school to find everyone busy. I quickly tried to make myself useful and asked teachers if I could help. I made my way outside and it was looking like a beautiful day. I carried some stuff here and there under the spectator tents. On the other side of the field the students gathered at their respective team areas. The tension was mounting in anticipation for this momentous day to start. I found my place with the other yellow team teachers and the opening ceremonies began.

The students began to march team by team around the track like an army kicking out their legs and arms. They then lined up facing the tents and we began to sing the national anthem and school song. A few guest speakers and a presentation of the flags and trophies followed. Then the games began.

The games were varied and divided up by each grade. Most of them involved running but there were a hand full of weird games Ive never seen. I was fairly confident my team would do good because most of the older kids were really skinny and could run fast. I didn't understand the scoring at all though. There was a big scoreboard hanging on the school that would change 4 or 5 times during the day but the numbers kept getting bigger and bigger and ended at like 900. My favorite games were something called the Bamboo pole take-down. Human horse jousting, the Caterpillar and obstacle water slide. The first one is exactly like it sounds where two teams had a group of their third years(only the guys played) hold a bamboo pole with a big cushion around the bottom up in the air while 6 or 7 guys from the other team climbed up it to try and bring it down. My next favorite used 4 man groups to form a horse and a rider. So the three men would hold up another person and face off against other 4-man groups on the other teams by trying to knock the rider down. After a few minutes the team with the most riders still on their horses won. This was a pretty violent game but fun. The Caterpillar game involved four big cardboard boxes taped into a Circe. All the first graders lined up with half on one side of the field and half on the other. Then they raced in two man teams by crawling in the box like a tank wheel until everyone had gone.

My last and favorite, the water slide game was actually the most bizarre. It seemed like something right out of some Japanese game show. It started off with four people on the track (all the 3rd grade did this). They raced a quarter of the track and finished on the grass field. The first obstacle was a net that you had to crawl under, then futons were laid out and you had to somersault over them. At the turn from the track you had to janken (rock, paper, scissors) with a teach and win to move on. Right before the finish was a big blue trap in the middle of the field that was being hosed and held on all sides so there was a big pool of water in the middle. The kids could run along a narrow beam or dive through the water slide but most everyone chose to slide. Right before the last kids went a crazy teacher Okayasu-sensei challenged some teachers that were there helping. In the last second I was told to come over too.

It was all in fun but we were pretty competitive because we were on separate teams. As we ran the course we grabbed the janken teacher and made him get wet too. As I came around the curve to the tarp I was just behind a few teachers and sprinted into a face first slide. The cool water immediately was disorientating and I could hardly see. I jumped up at the end of the tarp and became aware I was squishy(my tennis shoes where filled with water) and soaked. I just started running immediately and ran past the others to finish first. Woooohooo! Yeah I won. Everyone was cheering and the student captain of my team ran out and gave me a big hug. That was the highlight of the day.

As the day went on I helped out even more and missed lunch. The afternoon sun was brutal and to make it worse i got a little burned on my face. It was actually funny though because I forgot I was wearing a headband and I have a huge tan line on my forehead! Everyone would look at me and laugh. I didn't care I just took part in a Japanese tradition few foreigners get to see. The day was packed with references to jap culture and mentality. Too many to think of now. One thing is for sure, I will not forget this day for a long time to come.

Living as a Vegetarian in Chiba

Hey I thought you all might be interested in hearing my experience living as a veggie in Japan. I originally wrote this for a forum that helps other English teachers as they come to Japan. It has been a challange but not one that i would say i havent enjoyed as just part of the journey...

For the most part its not difficult to be a vegetarian in Chiiba. There are plenty of daily foods eaten locally and access to foreign food that can supply the sustainence for any diet. Though there are always difficulties. The main inhibitors to this lifestyle are accessibility and information. Two things which I hope to inform you about with this post. There is also the problem of just plain communication. The most important part of living as a vegetarian in Japan is communicating that you are a vegetarian and being understood by everyone you interact with on a daily basis. I have had the most trouble with this aspect. Many times even people I have told many times will still offer me meat. This is also an issue if you get invited to any Japanese persons house. So be sure you tell everyone as soon as possible that you do not eat meat and explain exactly what you don’t eat. Once this comes across the Japanese are almost always understanding and supportive. The next difficulties you will face are going out to restaurants and eating school lunch. These challenges as well as communicating your diet can be the plague of your existence or the most enriching aspect of your life here in Japan. So the choice is yours to decide. How you will deal with this problem?
First I will run over the accessibility aspect of vegetarian life here. I recommend spending a little more time than most people and shopping around. The more ‘supas’ you go to, the more likely you are to find a variety of vegetarian foods. Every store is different here. If you don’t take the time to search around you will most likely be going to the Kobinis’ too often or relying on restaurants which can be expensive. I also recommend you find the local vegetable/fruit stands. If you live in a small town like me the chances are there are many(usually on the high trafficked roads) you just have to find them. Lastly, go to the big cities for international groceries and stock up on all the lentils, beans, spices that your heart desires.
Next is information which goes hand and hand with accessibility. To inform yourself, go through all the information you get at orientation and do a quick search online, chances are there are some vegetarian grocery stores you can order from and shipping is usually very economical. There is always a way to find the foods that aren’t usually found in ‘supas’. I even heard that amazon.co.jp has a English version where you can basically order anything. If you’re like me and don’t order stuff online, try to keep your ears open and ask around for the cheapest/most popular supa. These places always have more selection, even organic foods, more international foods, an abundance of produce.
So then comes the difficult part, how do I tell people I am a vegetarian? Well you will be told that just saying, ‘watashi wa bejitarian’ will be enough. I find that is not the case at all. First probably the most helpful saying is, ‘niku tabenai’ which means I don’t eat meat. It depends how strict you are of course and how much you want to limit your choices at a restaurant, saying ‘sakuna tabenai’ or I don’t eat fish might leave you with just a bowl of miso and some rice. Everyone should know their own limits and strictness of diet, so make that clear to yourself when you come here.
You will all have your own difficulties though when you are invited to someones house or given a steaming plate of meat and you don’t want to look disrespectful by not trying it. The only thing I can say that will help with this is tell as many people as you can about your diet. The more people you tell the easier it will be for you to explain your self in sticky situations.
The other challenges you will face are school lunches and Nomikais’. Being a teacher in a school means you take part in everything other teachers do. This does not mean that you have to force down a school lunch everyday, especially if you’re like me and your school is especially cheap with their lunches. I take my own lunch to school. I would recommend this because I tried to eat school lunches for a few months and picking out the meat in everything is extremely laborsome. Also the lunch I bring is healthier then the school lunches, not that they are exceptionally bad. Also Nomikais can be a problem because most of the time teachers order for you and if you don’t tell all of the them you are a vegetarian you will most likely end up with a plate of meat infront of you.
So with all this information might seem like a lot of work but it is your life so it is important to live the way you want to. I found telling people you’re a vegetarian adds to your appeal here and its always a conversation starter. In the end be prepared for some difficulties but if you remember to communicate effectively and inform yourself you will have a much easier and more enriching time here.

Spring is here and with it gloomy days..

Hey everyone,

Its been a month so its time for an update. I assume there are still people reading this so I'll try my best to fill you in on last months escapades. I was thinking about it and my time here is really almost up. There is not a lot to do but try and take advantage of every opportunity available and see, taste, experience everything out there. I will of course have to come back down to reality at some point and deal with finding a place to live, a job and paying off all the debt I have accrued over the years. This still hasnt sunk in yet so I wont give it any more thought here.

So I have some bad news and some good news to tell from the whirlwind of last month. I will start with the bad news since most, given the choice, want to hear that first.

The culminating point of last month was during my spring break here. It is actually the end of the school year here. You would think that means there is a big vacation for schools. Of course being Japan that is hardly the case. I barely had 10 days off of work! I decided to take advantage of it though and went to Hiroshima! I have some friends there I met in Nicaragua and we had been planning on and off, for what seems like forever to meet up and have a little reunion. This does not sound like bad news at all I know. The bad news came on my third day while visiting them.
I met Dorinne online at Nick and Kims house as usual and we skyped. After only 20 minutes we had broken up. We were together over a year and half but this just happened to be the moment when it was all over. If you think that is bad timing. The next day I got a message from my mom that my grandma died. Even though she was really sick I was hoping to see her this summer. Needless to say it was a big shock hearing this string of bad news. I was very grateful to be with friends at the time and it made it a lot easier having a new city to explore and fun things to do. I actually stayed for 3 more days and really enjoyed myself. It wasnt until the long train ride back that things started to sink in.

Well on to the good news. First I will go over my Hiroshima trip.
I started off being reluctant to spend any money on my short break since I was planing on visiting Dorinne a couple weeks later. This trip is of course canceled now. But at the time I decided to take the local trains all the way to Hiroshima. To anyone living in Japan for more than a year this sounds completely crazy. The only reason I did it of course was because the only discount offered(only in holiday season) is a thing called the juuhachi kippu, which means 18 year old ticket. This ticket offers 5 days of unlimited train travel for only the equivalent of $25 a day. I know this sounds like a great deal but there are all sorts of restrictions basically limiting travel to only local trains(yeah, the ones that stop in every shithole little town). So needless to say it took me 21 hours and 15 trains to get to Hiroshima. It wasnt non-stop though. On the way down I stopped in Kyoto for the day. It was terrible weather, kind of patchy clouds, misting and cold but I managed to traverse much of the city. I got in in the afternoon and decided to try and see some of the famous temples that I missed last time i was there. I threw my bag in a storage locker and was off. My plan being that I would find a nice onsen as soon as I felt tired. The problem ended up being that I couldnt really find my way around the city. It seemed so much smaller last time when I rented bikes and had a hotel. I did make it to Kinkakuji, the famous gold temple and it was well worth the steap entry. I then walked down the road(what looked on my map like a short distance) to Ryoanji, the beautiful Zen buddhist rock garden. This was much more impressive then the pictures I had seen. The immaculate sand following in perfect lines led the eye to inexpressible solitude. The small garden can only be described as a vast ocean in the middle nowhere that removed the viewer from the packed tourist platform to a peaceful state. I could have stayed there for hours but I was cold, hungry and wet. So as I made my way back I was a little annoyed that i couldn't navigate the city and find an onsen. Then out of nowhere i saw a Sento(a japanese public bath) down a little street and decided to take it as a sign. The sento in japan is basically a small onsen in the city. Most times it doesnt have the mineral water or different heated pools but it gets the job done. This one in particular was really small so the old curmudgen patron lady was right there in the mens changing room! I know this is pretty common in Japan but i still found it very odd that it old lady watches naked men all day as a job. The local sumo compitition was on the tv and the onsen and bath were much needed after so many hours on trains.
I made it to Hiroshima the next evening. I thought I was going to arrive earlier in the afternoon but I made a quick pit stop in Himeji to see the most famous castle in Japan. In only an hour i actually made it all the way inside the castle and back to the train station. It was just one of those crazy days but that is another story.
On my last train into Hiroshima I started a conversation with another foriegner(which almost never happens in Japan) and ended up talking to him for the next two hours. If this wasnt strange enough we bonded over discussing such topics as bad roommates, government corruption and the strange side of japanese culture. If anything I thought this was a great sign that the rest of my trip would be amazing. I ended up meeting Nick and Kim only a couple hours later then expected and they immediatly took me to their favorite Indian restaurant. We were definitly thinking on the same page. It was really nice to see some familar faces since Dorinne has been my only visitor, up until then I hadn't seen any friends in 7 months.
The rest of my time in Hiroshima was relaxing. It wasnt so much of a vacation to a new exotic place as just visiting some friends and crashing on their couch for a few nights. I had met Nick and Kim while volunteering in Nicaragua only a year and a half earlier, they are English teachers too but work for a private company called David English house. We spent our days making huge meals, including a Nica-style gallo pinto and Cuban crab omelet, I played endless games on Nic's new PS3, and went to the bars at night. I had a great time hanging out in Hiroshima especially because there was such a foriegn presence I think. I feel kind of bad saying this but I am sick of being the token white person everywhere I go. Sometimes I crave feeling outside of japan even when in it.

So I am doing alright now. The gloomy days part of this post is mostly because winter is still dragging his heals and won't leave us alone here. Everything isn't all bad as they say. I will make it through this time, hopefully. If there is anything that can come of this time(and I kindof mean my whole time in japan) it is that sometimes we need to go through hard difficult periods in life. For if we didnt pass these bumps in the road how would we ever grow...

Things, things and stuff

Hey y'all,

I thought I should finally let you in on the little details of my daily life. I will let you in on the funniest thing I have seen in my classes. One day during class I got everyone to clap along to the Bill Withers song "Lean on me". The kids didn't even know the song or have any idea of what it was about. Yet everyone was all smiles laughing along while clapping to the melody. Another humorous thing about students in my school (but I think might be related to all students in Japan)is that in every class there are two or more students with Marijuana pen cases! The kids can be the nerdiest looking boys or the sweetest looking girls and the only thing that differentiates them from everyone else is a metal case with Cannabis written all over, lots of pot leaves and rasta colors. Obviously these kids have no idea what their little trendy cases mean. But I often laugh out loud to think that 11 year old kids are allowed to have cannabis pen cases in a country where marijuana get years in prison.

Today is the day before the JHS graduation. I can say with all honesty this is the biggest deal of the year. Not only has everyone been preparing for weeks but The whole school has transformed in both energy and appearance. I thought I should try to document what this celebration entails before I forget everything. First you should know the Japanese take their celebrations very seriously. The amount of practice and training that goes into this one day is astounding. I have been watching from the sidelines so to speak. It feels as if you were sent back in time 500 years and watched some coming of age celebration. I have no idea whats going on half the time but what I can tell you is the whole ordeal involves a lot of song, dance and even a few skits. I have not been asked to participate in any of this which is both disappointing and relieving. I don:t think I would be able to participate at this level of pressure.
The most elaborate part of the whole ordeal though is the militaristic entry and exit of the students. As well as their walking, sitting and standing in unison. I have never really seen anything like it before. So you can imagine that the whole is pretty eye-opening for me. The video the third grade teachers made was also hilarious. I don't even know what they are saying and i was laughing out loud. It is pretty much a bunch of slap-stick. I also heard that it gets pretty emotional with lots of teachers and students crying. Other than that i don't see how it could be more unlike any JHS graduation in America. I am excited to take part in my first official Japanese ceremony. It is really strict though and I had to go out and buy my first suit and lay down a bit of money. It sucks but hopefully i will be able to use it again..
As for buying the suit that is a story in itself. On Monday I had bike 30 minutes out of town to go buy the thing, only to find out they have to hem and fit the suit which takes a day or two. So I was given a time and yesterday I took the long bike ride again after work. Of course this time it was pouring rain and freezing cold. So as you can imagine I am decked out in water proof gear(seeing as how an umbrella is useless in this weather) battling the wind and rain in my eyes. I finally made it there in an hour. On the way back I had my suit on a hanger in a plastic bag and still almost getting blown into the street. I had to stop at the local pizza place to warm up and slam a few beers. It wasn't the best night i had but i did manage to get a suit for the big day tomorrow and that's all that matters.
So today is the day after graduation. I am feeling a bit hungover but otherwise pretty unaffected by the big day. As i write this now i realize yesterday kinda felt like i was going through graduation. All the emotion and energy of the day surely carried me on an emotional rollarcoaster. I was almost in tears as the third graders proceeded to say their goodbyes to the first graders. All the first graders and teachers lined up along the long hallway and waited for the graduates to come. They cam in a wave not unlike football players emerging into a stadium. There were a lot of hugs and even more tears. Then the craziest part of the day, the Knomikai!! All the teachers went to a huge restaurant right after school and proceeded to get wasted(well everyone except the drivers). I was the token white guy so I was passed along seats with everyone pouring drinks down my throat(not literally but close). I was stuck with the funny lanky volleyball coach(who is actually crazy, at least i think). I thought i was never going to get out of there. Luckily one of my English teachers rescued me(offered me a ride and we both snuck out while everyone was distracted with Karoke). Overall it was not such a bad day, a day filled with emotion, excitement and debauchery; and one that i will surely remember for the rest of mine.

Ch. 8 Winding down to the end..

Konnichiwa mina-san,

So its been a few weeks and its time for another report. You would think that this time I wouldn't fill you with such drastic news as the previous post but for better or worse once again my life has taken an 180 turn. I had originally planned on moving back to the states after this. Possibly looking to resettle in some warm climate out west but now I will be moving to Europe. Yes, I will be getting a visa and hopefully finding a job teaching English there. At least that is the plan anyway. Dorinne and I figured out that it is almost impossible for her to get a visa to work in the US so we looked into Belgium and it is possible though not easy. We have wanted to live together for awhile now and it seems like the perfect opportunity..

As for other news i have talked to my BOE again and they have apologized for the way they handled the situation with me.

To not get off to a negative depressing start I will begin by telling you the positive things in my life right now, and there are many. Instead of just laboriously writing all the details i will just give you a list...

-Talking to Dorinne

-Warmer days

-Hiking in the woods

-Discovering the cheapest grocery store(Leo's Super Family Center) and going there every week

-Biking to said grocery store and riding the train back with bike and all

-Hoffman's Pizza( literally the only contact I have with other foreigners during the week)

-BBC world service radio

-Democracy Now

-The Daily Show(these last three being the only media I watch/listen too)

-Re-writing my CV

-Getting help from other foreigners here

-Talking to old professors for recommendations

-Applying for jobs

-Cooking yummy food

-Reading whatever books I have on my tiny shelf

Without these daily joys my life would surely be miserable. I have been saving money too. Unfortunately that means i have no Tokyo adventures to tell. I did see some amazing live Jazz! I met this sax player at a discussion series i have been attending called 3D. A bunch of foreigners meet from all different backgrounds living around Tokyo and get to together to have Dinner, Discussion, and Dessert. There is an underlying connection though. Everyone is either invited by or is a Bah Hai'. I know very little about this religion so I can:t really elaborate. The meetings however aren:t religious so much as about issues every com temporary person in the world must tackle. The last one I went to was about what we eat and its affects on our lives. I enjoy living a simple life, though i haven:t really been doing this. I revel in the opportunity this experience lends me to really reflect on the world, our condition, and my role in it.

The turmoils of my relations with my boss have finally seen some closure as well. They are even considering offering me a re contract again. But once i heard their real reasons for not wanting me to stay I didn't think it is worth going through all the hassle of working for them for another year. Plus once I got my head around leaving and doing something I am passionate about I really cant be held down to a job which has no future to begin with. On Monday I was called and I met my super in my front yard for an improntu meeting. We went over the difficulties of balancing my life and job over the coming year and I decided to reject their offer to re-contract me. I have been considering everything going on in my life and it is more important to me to live with my girlfriend then keep this job. My boss had been trying to arrange housing for my girlfriend and I if I stayed another year and it was just to difficult. Instead of fighting them on this I just ended it. Plus having to deal with all this job stress has actually been a good thing in a way. I have spent a lot of time building my CV(which is on this blog if you look hard enough). I have also been applying to jobs like crazy and looking at grad school. It has been a productive time.
Dorinne and I have also been feverently figuring out the bureaucratic loop holes to get me a visa. Its been rather stressful but we have hope. Wish us the best.

Other than that I am looking forward to the coming of spring. The weather has shown hints of warming and I am starting to see the cherry blossoms everywhere. It is beautiful and the smell of the woods lingers in the air. It is almost like welcoming back an old friend. I hope you all are also witnessing this turning of the planet and its subtle changes...

Be sure to look at my flickr too. I will be adding some stuff.

News From Chiba...

Konichiwa mina-san,

I have had a whirl wind of events just come to pass this last week. One of which, the biggest news, is that I will not be staying here another year as I previously planned. I will be branching out and trying something new next year. Though I have no idea what that may be! One part of my life is decided though, Dorinne and I are going to move in with each other. She will be graduating in July and after that we will find some place to live and work...

There is so much going on in my head these past few days. I guess getting this sudden notice (in my mailbox) that told me why I was a liability to my Board of Ed. put me in a bad mood. Also finding out that I will be leaving the country and my job in five months is hard to take. I will just have to pick myself up from my boot straps like I have done many times before but it just seems like my time here has gone by too fast. There is so much more I want to see and experience around Asia. But also I was using this time to start to plan my future and figure what to do. Unfortunatly none of that has happened so now I am back to square one.

Wish me luck!

Sayonara

Rio

Ch. 7 part 2

Konnichiwa mina-san,

So life in Japan has been busier than ever. Since being back its kinda like I've been playing catch up. There is still too much to do and long to-do-lists gathering dust. I did buy a computer though; so that is a plus(even though it left me broke for a week). I also did the typical Japanese tradition and visited Temples, gave money(supposedly why the Buddhist are so rich in this country) and made prayers for the new year. I went to Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan. It was very beautiful and I spending a day walking around there can leave you in a whirlwind with so many amazing temples and Buddha shrines all so close together.

The other new thing in my life is Ive discovered a laundry mat close to my house!!! For some this would not be such a big deal but it has been a little bi-weekly joy in my life. Hanging wet clothes to dry in your cold house is not the funnest thing to do, and waiting a week for things to dry is even worse! There are many things i keep discovering by my house that I am shocked to find. After six monthes here i am still a stranger in a strange land...

Well I will get back to my Christmas vacation because I left out half my trip and some of the funnest parts too!

So Dorinne and I packed a light bag and started out on the first mini trip within our vacation. We had planned on arriving in Amsterdam in style but since it was the holidays or just too short notice the trains where crazy expensive. So instead we headed by bus and my first experience on the infamous Eurolines. The amazing thing was how similar the bus was to all my Greyhound experiences. Instead of what I imagined, a roomy, full reclining, nicely decorated comfy bus, Dorinne and I stepped onto a damp, cold rigid bus. That wasn't even the worse part! Since the buses only leave at night we had a full day to waste waiting. We decided to spend the time wondering Antwerp the second biggest city in Flanders and full of medieval charm. Our troubles started when we realized we only had an hour to get to the train station where we stored our bags and then find the bus stop a few blocks away all in the pouring rain. So to say the least we barely made it and when we got on we couldn't even sit together. So overall the bus was not worth it but it didn't matter because we were heading to Amsterdam for a Nicaragua Reunion!!

When we made it off the bus and into the city, another half hour trek, we immediately talked to Mara who lives in the city. We got instructions and headed towards her house which was very close to Amsterdam Centraal. We stepped off the tram and there she was. It was great to see her. As we walked to her place I was taken by the charm of the residential area she lived in. It felt much different from the tourist areas I had been to. When we got to her place Charley another volunteer was cooking Papas, a street food speciality in Nicaragua. Soon Silvia arrived, the last to make it to our small gathering, and we started to feast. Meat balls, Greek salad along with the Papas were on the menu. Mara also surprised us and opened up some Flor de Cana Rum. The best in Nicaragua!!! It was a great night. We headed to a Cuban club and danced all night to Salsa, Marangue, Bachata and Reggaeton.

The next day we went out and explored for ourselves. Mara was still recovering from an operation so we had to figure it out ourselves. We made it to the Red light district which I have to say was kind of a let down. It was much smaller then I thought and nobody seemed to be out. The best part was seeing the outside of the Banana Bar. We met Mara for lunch at a bagel place because I have been missing them and Mara loves them too. The rest of the day was relaxed since we were still recovering from the night before. We went to a cafe not far from Mara's place and played a few games there soaking in the atmosphere of this local place. Afterwards Dorinne and I, the only ones able to make it out of the house, went and bought food for dinner. We made a feast and it was nice to just catch up chatting the rest of the night. Unfortunately Dorinne and I had to leave the next day as we were off on another trip.

When we made it back, almost a full day wasted from the bus ride, we barely unloaded because we were headed to Brugges the next day. Dorinnes brother and his girlfriend offered to take us so we couldn't refuse. It was a beautiful place even with the foggy weather. I enjoyed the medieval castle feeling of the town. Dorinne and I were just exhausted from all our traveling though so it was a bit rushed. After a night we had a busy day planned with WWI ruins. Philip being the history buff took us all over for my benefit. By that point we just wanted to be finished traveling and it didn't help that it was the coldest day yet. It never felt so good to get home. The ruins and museum in Ieper were cool to see though.

The next day was New Years Eve and we had plans to meet her brother, Philip in Lueven for the big party. I had no idea what to expect. We had decided to skip our big dinner reservation so we could make it to Lueven on time. We got on the train and slowly as we made our way there the train filled up with drunk people mostly our age. It was starting to seem like a wild night. We got to Philips friends house we barely had a couple hours before the ball dropped. We played an a drinking game I thought was American but apparently it has its versions all over the world. The game was kings cup and luckily we didn't get to finish because it was looking like a dreadful. Next Dorinne and I followed her friend Roxanna to the center of town to meet more people but that is where it got to crazy. We ended up losing Roxanna and making our way to the center square. It was my first outside New Years and it was not looking to disappoint. There were hundreds of people, a giant disco ball hanging in the center and even a dorky guy in shiny spandex pumping up the crowd. We randomly met up with her brother who was very drunk and I managed to get a bottle of champagne in my hands. The countdown started and I realized I had to pop the cork at the same time. Trying not to injure anyone I managed to pop the cork albeit a little late. The champagne was flowing all over with even a drunk idiot spraying the crowd with a bottle of 7up! It was actually really fun even though it was freezing. I later found out that we were on a famous street in Lueven litterly wall to wall with bars. We started to make the circuit running into people and losing others. We finally managed to track down the guy whose house we were staying at. We had been dying to get back and sleep it was somewhere near 4am!! However after splendid hours tracking people down half our group slipped into a bar on the way home. We managed to get a few hours of sleep on a small couch but the next morning was rough!

The next day did not get better either because Dorinnes grandma held a annual New Years day brunch. Needless to say I did not want to be there and Philip who we didn't even see until the gathering was even more pissed about it.

The rest of the time I spent with Dorinne we relished our time alone since we had been so busy. There was such beautiful times together. We just made food together and watched some movies. I reluctantly stepped on the airplane on the third of January thinking my vacation was over. This was not to be the case..

My flight was once again delayed. As I paced the Belgian airport looking for my escape. I knew I wasn't going to make my transfer but the receptionist said they might hold my plane. So I boarded the plane anyway. And of course halfway thru the short flight to Rome i was notified that my connection had taken off and I was stuck in Rome for a night.

As was the first layover in Rome I couldn't get my bag so i had no clothes a few things. This was actually nice because by this time I was sick of traveling. I checked into my familiar airport hotel, this time with no problems and realized it was 1pm. I immediately tried to call Dorinne and tell her what happened. I was really lonely and sad after just saying goodbye but I decided to venture out anyway. The prospect of spending all say cooped up in my drafty hotel room was to horrid. I went to the reception and ordered a taxi having no idea where I was in Rome and what there was to do. I got into the cab and somehow managed to hold a conversation speaking Spanish and listening to Italian. At least enough to get dropped off in more central Rome. We drove past the afternoon commuters on a two-lane highway, it was reckless crazy driving and I feared for my life at a couple moments. The driver seemed used to it though so i tried to distract myself from the road with the beautiful scenery. I saw ruined villas, ancient farms and decaying temples only visible from a view columns. I was shocked at how much there was. I thought if all of Rome was like this where did the people live? I finally made it to the center of town a hour later. I it was approaching dusk and I had just enough light to walk around snapping pictures every second. As the sun set and night approached they turned a beautiful pinkish red and I was blown away by the antiquity and aliveness that both inhabited this place symbiotically. This was all i needed to see so i spent the rest of the night figuring out how to cheaply get home. I found out that the train went right by my hotel and I got back for only a euro.

Well that is all my trip. I hope to write more about life here in japan but for the time being I am weathering out this dead of winter. I hope you are getting through the hard winter. Enjoy the snow for some of you. I actually might get snow tonight! Which I guess is pretty rare. Keep in touch.

Ch. 7 Belgium Christmas and New Year!! part 1

Hello Everyone,


Its been a long time again since i have posted up here and for that i am sorry. I do have lots to tell you, almost too much to fit into a chapter. I guess the holidays wear you out. I seem to still be tired from them.. I did have an amazing time though. Better then I ever could have expected and far and away a much needed break from Japan. There are few things I can remember about the first weeks of December besides longing for them to be over so I could see Dorinne again. I was finally mobile again without the reliance of crutches or a big brace and it couldn't have come at a better time. It was such a relief and I celebrated by devoting all my time to preparing for my first Belgian Christmas!





I ended up packing the night before the flight as I typically tend to do but i soon realized that leaving a house load of stuff behind was a much bigger task then I had thought. By the time I finished cleaning and searching for my clothes it was nearly three and my biggest suit case was completely full. I couldn't sleep at that point so I caught the first train to the airport. Wired on my excitement and anxious nerves to get there; I spent he better part of half a day in the super complex known as Narita airport(seriously its a mall, supermarket, train station...). I was all set for my 14 hours of flying to be over and be in Dorinne's arms again. Unfortunately starting the day early in anticipation for my trip did not help me. I soon discovered, mid-flight, that Brussels Airport had closed down. There was a Blizzard and heavy snow falling all day and it was just my luck the airport stopped accepting flights after 7 that night (I was on the runway ready to go). So I was stuck in Rome. The worst part was Dorinne was stuck waiting for me in Brussels. There are no trains after 11 so I thought she would spend the night in the airport. We had booked a hotel near the airport however and she luckily got a ride there by a nice traveler. I was supposed to just spend an hour in transit there but the gods would not have it and i was put up in an Airport hotel with the hundreds of other stranded passengers (there were snow storms hitting all of northern Europe). Of course by the time i got checked in and had dinner it was almost 1 am!! So i just made it to my room before passing into soundless sleep.
The next day i got on what was supposed to be the early flight but it finally left after nine. This time I was pretty sure i was going to make it but I was still worried they might cancel the flight at the last minute again. I made it to Belgium though and entered into a true winter season. Luckily Dorinne brought a winter jacket for me because I was definitely unprepared. The funny thing was that as we made it east on the train the snow started to gradually disappear, and in Genk where Dorinne lives there wasn't any snow at all. It was great to be back in Europe! We snuck into a cozy cafe by the train station and had tea and hot coco to warm up. I was excited to be celebrating the holiday here and the sights and sounds of Christmas were all around me.
That night Dorinne and I had planned a small welcoming party for me. I brought some food from Japan and we started making Sushi. It turned out pretty good. I met a lot of Dorinnes friends and saw others again. Even though the Sushi wasn't a big hit with everyone it was a fun night! Jet lag soon hit me though and I missed most of the party.
The next few days were busy. Dorinne and I went shopping and relaxed around Genk. On Sunday we had brunch with her parents and brother and his girlfriend (the first of many champagne gatherings). It was a nice place over looking the town plaza. We had quite the view too because it started snowing that morning and everything was covered in white. It was nice to see the big flakes again, gently floating down from above. Afterwards we went to the apartment of a friend of Dorinne's Dad. It was on the top floor and we went for the view but you couldn't see a thing with the heavy snow falling. It was a great day! Later Dorinne and I went for a walk in the park behind her house. It was unbelievably warm with the fresh fallen snow.
The next day Dorinne and I went to her university town of Maastricht, Holland. We were supposed to meet some of her school friends but they ended up backing out. So we just had a nice lunch and saw some of the city by going up in the Ferris wheel. It was so nice just to explore the city together and finish up some Christmas shopping.
The next day was xmas eve and since i really wanted to see a real Christmas market we decided to go to Aachen, Germany. It was only a couple hours drive and I was excited to see Germany for the first time. It is also the place where Charles the Great is said to have died and been buried in the main church. In this giant cathedral there is also one of the oldest thrones in Europe. Unfortunately when we arrived in Aachen we found out that Christmas is a two day holiday there and nothing was open. It was almost like a ghost town. We headed back disappointed. On the way we decided to stop in Liege another ancient city, this time in Belgium, and I finally got to see a Christmas market. Everyone was tired at this point though as we were running late to Christmas eve dinner!! When we got home we barely had time to change clothes before we were at the dinner table with more Champagne. Dorinnes family usually opens Christmas presents at this time but one of her dads friends had finagled his way into the picture. It ended up being a long night but the food was good!
The next day was Christmas and once again everyone was busy preparing for the big dinner. Dorinne and I had to go out on errands, buy flowers for grandma, pick up other grandma, etc.. We finally made it back by lunch time just in time for the relatives to start visiting. It was little bit over my head what was all happening but I was glad to finally meet Dorinnes cousins, whom she grew up with and is really close to. Finally after eating way too much again we started opening presents. It was nice to finally be done with the holidays (or so we thought). We rested the rest of the night and most of the next day. Though it was nice to just enjoy the slow relaxing day, we were egar for the next few days because we were heading to Amsterdam!! This time not only to see the sights but also to have a Nicaragua reunion!

I will have to delve into more later as i am at work and very busy this week.
Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you had a great holiday.
Check out my pictures on flikr!!!