This was the google homepage today! Japan in moving up in the world, haha
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Driving School!
Yikes. Driving school. I know what that sounds like, but I would like to explain before I regale you with tales of my experience.
During your first year if carrying a driver`s license in Japan, you are allowed three traffic "points". One ticket can be anywhere between one and ten points. This was not made exactly clear to me at the time I obtained my license, but oh well... I was under the assumption that it was three tickets, not three points...
So I get a letter in the mail that said (after many reads from various friends that could decipher it) that I had to come on down for a refresher course in Japanese driving! (or else my license would be...suspended...canceled...who knows?)
I only got one ticket (going 8 miles over the speed limit...) and got pulled over one time during a safety awareness campaign for seat belts (but was not ticketed?)
After a few mishaps, phone calls and other miscommunications, I was lucky enough to have my friend Mami call and arrange a day that I was not working or anything and looked up how to get there and what I needed for the course. They told Mami I needed to bring a translator, so booked the premier bilingual of our prefecture, Mr. Caleb, a friend who works in the city office.
Off we went, 8 in the morning, bicycling in the rain, then hanging out on the train, then the bus stop, then a taxi (DMVs are never conveniently accessed, at least not for me) and at last we arrived.
The first translated sentence I heard was "There is a class today?"
-not inspiring-
Then everything got sorted. Waiting waiting waiting.
A man finally came out and took us and one other kid to a room. He introduced himself as Okie (aka Tom Cruise) and we were quickly won over by his friendly demeanor, love for 15 minute breaks and, of course, his multi-compartment fanny pack.
List of things that could have been in this fanny pack:
5 weeks food rations
a flint+kindling
folding chair
headlamp
water filtration system
easy-open tent
a gps system
a map of japan
Needless to say it was a loooong class. 9:30-5:30. Basically a work day. But it was fun! I got to drive a Toyota Prius for the first time (LOVE the push button start) and practiced some sweet manuevers on the driving course. They weren't exactly instructional, they were just to show us what COULD happen if we speed/drive recklessly. For one of the exercises I had to go full speed down a hosed down track of pavement and slam on my brakes. I had to do it a few times because it was "not fast enough" to truly demonstrate the damage and destruction I was capable of with my reckless 8 miles over the speed limit driving...
but it was fun, I spun out a few times and we were all entertained!
Before I knew it, the class was over and I was back to bicycling home in the rain. Oh the rain. It's cold, trucks splashed me as they passed, and I fell off my bicycle while trying to swing my leg over because my boot got caught and landed in a puddle in front of my house. But I didn't get hurt so it was kind of fun!
I hear a typhoon is coming, that might account for all the rain and other strange weather shifts of the past week.
Happy Almost Friday! Don't get a ticket in Japan, it's not the best!
I only got one ticket (going 8 miles over the speed limit...) and got pulled over one time during a safety awareness campaign for seat belts (but was not ticketed?)
After a few mishaps, phone calls and other miscommunications, I was lucky enough to have my friend Mami call and arrange a day that I was not working or anything and looked up how to get there and what I needed for the course. They told Mami I needed to bring a translator, so booked the premier bilingual of our prefecture, Mr. Caleb, a friend who works in the city office.
Off we went, 8 in the morning, bicycling in the rain, then hanging out on the train, then the bus stop, then a taxi (DMVs are never conveniently accessed, at least not for me) and at last we arrived.
The first translated sentence I heard was "There is a class today?"
-not inspiring-
Then everything got sorted. Waiting waiting waiting.
A man finally came out and took us and one other kid to a room. He introduced himself as Okie (aka Tom Cruise) and we were quickly won over by his friendly demeanor, love for 15 minute breaks and, of course, his multi-compartment fanny pack.
List of things that could have been in this fanny pack:
5 weeks food rations
a flint+kindling
folding chair
headlamp
water filtration system
easy-open tent
a gps system
a map of japan
Needless to say it was a loooong class. 9:30-5:30. Basically a work day. But it was fun! I got to drive a Toyota Prius for the first time (LOVE the push button start) and practiced some sweet manuevers on the driving course. They weren't exactly instructional, they were just to show us what COULD happen if we speed/drive recklessly. For one of the exercises I had to go full speed down a hosed down track of pavement and slam on my brakes. I had to do it a few times because it was "not fast enough" to truly demonstrate the damage and destruction I was capable of with my reckless 8 miles over the speed limit driving...
but it was fun, I spun out a few times and we were all entertained!
Before I knew it, the class was over and I was back to bicycling home in the rain. Oh the rain. It's cold, trucks splashed me as they passed, and I fell off my bicycle while trying to swing my leg over because my boot got caught and landed in a puddle in front of my house. But I didn't get hurt so it was kind of fun!
I hear a typhoon is coming, that might account for all the rain and other strange weather shifts of the past week.
Happy Almost Friday! Don't get a ticket in Japan, it's not the best!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Hiking!
An Alice in Wonderland caterpillar! So cute!
This picture isn't edited, but I used a weird setting on my camera
The misty mountains!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Updates
Bret has a staff training day in Takamatsu (alll the way over on the other side of the island) so I have a whole day to do nothing.
I've been painting a bunch, but it takes a long time with all the drying and waiting, so I'm going to the gym with my friend Michael (he replaced Bret as a teacher at my old company, so he lives in our old apartment and we worked together a lot) and then....who knows.
My last work day was yesterday and it wasn't that sad. It's really difficult to communicate with students/answer their questions, so I just told them in Japanese, "next week! NEW teacher!" and that was that. I had tons of sad goodbye's this past week (different students each weekday) but I'm glad it's all over.
It feels nice, but I'll be busy again soon, and this past year will slowly fade into a blurry speck in my memory :)
Some days it feels like all I want out of life is a cup of sleepy time tea and Harry Potter. This is one of those days.
I've been painting a bunch, but it takes a long time with all the drying and waiting, so I'm going to the gym with my friend Michael (he replaced Bret as a teacher at my old company, so he lives in our old apartment and we worked together a lot) and then....who knows.
My last work day was yesterday and it wasn't that sad. It's really difficult to communicate with students/answer their questions, so I just told them in Japanese, "next week! NEW teacher!" and that was that. I had tons of sad goodbye's this past week (different students each weekday) but I'm glad it's all over.
It feels nice, but I'll be busy again soon, and this past year will slowly fade into a blurry speck in my memory :)
Some days it feels like all I want out of life is a cup of sleepy time tea and Harry Potter. This is one of those days.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Travel Updates!
Bret will be back in Seattle from December 24th to January 3rd. Regrettably, I am unable to come, but if you want to see Bret shoot him an email or something around that time!
Some works in progress!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
2nd to last day of preschool class
This is my cute little preschool class that I visit twice a month. I took this picture so I could print out 18 copies and hand them out on my last day with a little card or something. Good thing the one on the right felt the need to pay attention on my almost-last day :D
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Our Landlord
He's basically the coolest old Japanese guy I've met. For an example, I was supposed to drive to this landmark by his house and then call him for the rest of the directions. Instead, he tells me to wait there and just shows up on this little (they are like BMX bikes but with small tires, they are super popular but are exhausting) bike with a mini flashlight tied to the front. And he's like, let's go! And I followed him to his house.
The first time I met this guy was my first viewing of the house. He had his sweat towel and big floppy hat, staples of Japanese old folk, and showed me around the house. He's got a funny limp, and he tells me his hobby is being a farmer. Anyway so he gives me this super confusing phone call the other night, telling me he's got some real cheap rice he'll sell to me. Something like, 8000 yen for 30 kilos. Which is a great deal actually, and I didn't want to be rude, so I was like alright you can come over tomorrow night. But then I called back and he was like, come over to my house. So I scoot out there after work, and i come in to his crazy home.
Basically, it's a half modern, half old SUPER traditional house. Its too old and well kept for words, full of all kinds of knicknacks,and an empty Japanese garden pond that is massive when compared with the original house. Attached to the back is a what looks like a small apartment building. So when we go to the kitchen, its basically a different building although from the inside I didn't notice.
Anyway they sat me down and started feeding me. It was like, 'am I here for dinner? no one else is eating, and they keep talking to me..' Their son was skyping from tokyo the whole time, like they didn't want to kick him off once I got over or maybe they just wanted him to try and speak english. He was of middling ability for the average Japanese citizen, but his parents basically don't speak and English and the mom doesn't know how to speak 'special japanese.' (speaking simply, like no jokes, puns, sayings, phrases, idioms, slang words, olde tyme slang words; speaking like to a four year old with a good vocabulary). Anywhoo, so it was pretty confusing in general. He didn't sell me any rice, he just told me about his family. Apparently his son inherited the house I rent from his great grandmother, and its actually his house and his mom is the manager.
Even though his son technically owns the house I deal with Shigenori (the old guy) exclusively. Kind of funny. They thought it was pretty hilarious that they have someone from Seattle living in the house of Watanabe. They gave me a massive bowl of curry rice with vegetables, two trays of pickled vegetables, two bowls of fruit, an entire fish (for those not living in Japan eating a fish means eating the meat and scales, while the whole skeleton/fins/head is attached. some people might think that's weird, right? I forget how we eat fish in America) and a bowl full of chicken livers. Honestly I would have been psyched and just eaten the whole time if I hadn't had a massive dinner like 3 hours before. And they kept talking to me, so it was kind of difficult to eat. Anyhow, he ended up giving me two dvds for the Niihama Taiko (drum) festival and invited me during any matsuri or new years to come over and make mochi with him.
I think his son said he was a Professor of Japanese History and Culture, which is probably why he has these 30 or so person mochi making sessions three times a year. Anyhow, when it was time to go he just rolled out on his bicycle with me to the highway. He has cars and scooters, he's well off, but he seems to prefer that bicycle.
They told me to come back soon and bring Angelina next time, haha.
The first time I met this guy was my first viewing of the house. He had his sweat towel and big floppy hat, staples of Japanese old folk, and showed me around the house. He's got a funny limp, and he tells me his hobby is being a farmer. Anyway so he gives me this super confusing phone call the other night, telling me he's got some real cheap rice he'll sell to me. Something like, 8000 yen for 30 kilos. Which is a great deal actually, and I didn't want to be rude, so I was like alright you can come over tomorrow night. But then I called back and he was like, come over to my house. So I scoot out there after work, and i come in to his crazy home.
Basically, it's a half modern, half old SUPER traditional house. Its too old and well kept for words, full of all kinds of knicknacks,and an empty Japanese garden pond that is massive when compared with the original house. Attached to the back is a what looks like a small apartment building. So when we go to the kitchen, its basically a different building although from the inside I didn't notice.
Anyway they sat me down and started feeding me. It was like, 'am I here for dinner? no one else is eating, and they keep talking to me..' Their son was skyping from tokyo the whole time, like they didn't want to kick him off once I got over or maybe they just wanted him to try and speak english. He was of middling ability for the average Japanese citizen, but his parents basically don't speak and English and the mom doesn't know how to speak 'special japanese.' (speaking simply, like no jokes, puns, sayings, phrases, idioms, slang words, olde tyme slang words; speaking like to a four year old with a good vocabulary). Anywhoo, so it was pretty confusing in general. He didn't sell me any rice, he just told me about his family. Apparently his son inherited the house I rent from his great grandmother, and its actually his house and his mom is the manager.
Even though his son technically owns the house I deal with Shigenori (the old guy) exclusively. Kind of funny. They thought it was pretty hilarious that they have someone from Seattle living in the house of Watanabe. They gave me a massive bowl of curry rice with vegetables, two trays of pickled vegetables, two bowls of fruit, an entire fish (for those not living in Japan eating a fish means eating the meat and scales, while the whole skeleton/fins/head is attached. some people might think that's weird, right? I forget how we eat fish in America) and a bowl full of chicken livers. Honestly I would have been psyched and just eaten the whole time if I hadn't had a massive dinner like 3 hours before. And they kept talking to me, so it was kind of difficult to eat. Anyhow, he ended up giving me two dvds for the Niihama Taiko (drum) festival and invited me during any matsuri or new years to come over and make mochi with him.
I think his son said he was a Professor of Japanese History and Culture, which is probably why he has these 30 or so person mochi making sessions three times a year. Anyhow, when it was time to go he just rolled out on his bicycle with me to the highway. He has cars and scooters, he's well off, but he seems to prefer that bicycle.
They told me to come back soon and bring Angelina next time, haha.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A big fluffy problem
This is the nicest cutest dog I have seen in Japan and someone DUMPED him at the Niihama train station. I WANT TO TAKE HIM HOME!!! I am currently looking for anyone who is interested on my facebook page but if there's anyone who reads my blog in Japan that can help please let me know. My housing contract doesn't allow pets, and I don't want to hide the poor dog in my garage until I am eventually found out and evicted. I am really sad about this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)