Holiday Fun

Okay, so it has been a while since I've posted something.  Really, you shouldn't be all that surprised.  I'm the worst for keeping in contact with people and interneting isn't really my thing.  But, I started this and I'm not much for quitting something.  Plus, I have something to say and show you all.

Everyone is curious about Christmas in Japan; what do they do, how do they celebrate it?  I tell ya, Christmas in Japan is rather a non-event.  Most Japanese people do not get Christmas off, December 23rd is the National Holiday.  I've learned that most Japanese people do not even get National Holidays off.  What does happen on Christmas is shopping!  Lots and lots of shopping!  Christmas in Japan is like Boxing Day in Canada.  Everything goes on sale and the shopping is crazy!  I went out for turkey dinner with a bunch of other teachers, and as par for course, I was late.  Really late.  I thought we were meeting at 6pm and was already running behind, but it turns out we were to meet at 5:30pm, so you can just imagine how late I was.  I was busy taking pictures of myself getting ready to go out (no, I did not go out with my hair like this, it was prep to give some shape to my hair.)

Anyway, I wasn't prepared for the amount of people that were out.  At home, if you have to leave the house on Christmas day, you run into very few people.  Mostly last minute gravy runs and the like.  I thought, "Okay, I'm late.  But at least it isn't far from the subway to the pub, I can just boot it."  Well, Shinsaibashi is one of the big covered outdoor shopping streets in Osaka.  There was NO WAY, I could leg it.  It was really hard just walking it and staying headed in the right direction.  It was also very hard not to get distracted.  I've been wanting a new pair of boots, and we walked past many a shoe store that had amazing sales on gorgeous boots.  But I was already really late, and just couldn't justify stopping to buy boots.



  I eventually got to my destination and everybody was already on their 2-4 beer.  But we sat down, and exchanged gifts and ate great food.  Peter is a good cook.  There was turkey, veg, roast potato and sweet potato.  And gravy!  It was a bit runny, but still good.  There was even dessert, which for me was a lone two-bite brownie, because I cannot have ice cream or whipping cream.  But it was just enough to finish off the meal.

Later in the evening the pub began to get more and more crowded.  There was a band playing, not an Irish band, and not Christmas music, but they were good.  People danced, drank and were merry.  This is a picture of me with two of the girls I met during training.  Daisy is in the middle and she was sort of a surprise guest.  She lives in Nagoya, but is dating one of the teachers from Tokai North, which is close to Osaka.  And Danielle is on the end, and she works in the Himeji area.  We see each other often, as it is only 2 hrs to Fukuchiyama, where she lives.  It is nice to have someone close by.
 
I am going to Kyoto tomorrow, to meet up with other friends.  And I will be back in Osaka for New Year's Eve.  I will be celebrating with a different teacher and hopefully some of the same people from our Christmas night out.  I included a short video, such fun we had, well at least Konrad had fun.  Nah, we all had fun.  If you listen carefully, you will hear Peter giving his commentary on Konrad's dancing, in his sexy Irish accent.
  

merikurisumasu to shin'en akemashite omedetogozaimasu!

I was going to write about Japanese bathrooms, but I've had people asking about Christmas and the time seems right for it.  Only 10 days left till the big holiday.  Do they celebrate Christmas is Japan?  Well they certainly decorate for it.  As you can see.  This is just around my little city.  Once I go to Osaka and take some pictures, then you will see what a Japanese Christmas really looks like.  So they decorate, but do they celebrate?  I've been told that there is a lot of prep and hype before Christmas, but as the day comes along it just carries on as if nothing has happened.  People go to work, people shop.  Really it is supposedly business as usual.

I will have to let you know, once I've experienced it for myself.  Thankfully, I won't be alone this Christmas.  I have friends who are coming to stay for a couple of days before they head home for the holidays.  And one friend who will be here to celebrate Christmas with me.  Unfortunately, I  just caught a cold.  Yeah, so I'm pretty sick right now, but I have 10 days to get better, so I am going to try my best. I bought some more vit C dink.  Have been having lots of fluids, and trying to say as warm as is possible in my cold, drafty, no central heating little place.  Christmas day I am meeting up with other teachers for nomihoudai and tabehoudai, which is basically all you can drink and all you can eat respectively.  You have a 2 hrs window to gluttonize and drink as much as humanly possible for a set price.  This will be my first nomihoudai/tabehoudai, so I am looking forward to it, even if I don't drink.  Because, I sure do eat!

I really like hearing from anybody who reads this.  You can leave a comment here or as most of you have been doing, email me a note.  To answer a question or two posed in email; the photo in the background is one I took of a temple that I saw on my way to one of the schools.  It was in a narrow street and just down the road was a graveyard. And, Japanese mandarin oranges do taste better here, but they are also really expensive.

To answer some possible questions: the title of the blog is "Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year" in Japanese.  And the embedded video is my favorite Christmas song and some Naruto video, which actually is perfect, because it shows you where I am in the series. :p

Miscellany and Sundry

This is a mish-mash post full of random un-connected thoughts.

First and for most,  I saw my first ninja!  He might have been a samurai, but I think he was a ninja.  Either way, I swear he walked out of the pages of some manga!  I was waiting for my train, listening to music and generally paying little attention to anything.  I catch a swift movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to look.  There walking with a grace, and purpose I have never seen before is the most beautiful, tall Japanese man I have ever seen.  His face is half hidden by a scarlet scarf, that sits up of it's own accord.  Most of his suit is covered by a sleek black cape, that's right a cape, and all that you can see are his shiny black leather shoes.  He glides past me, all elegant and billowy and it takes every ounce of self control that I have to not turn and follow him.  He is like a character from a dream.  He strides up to the front of the train and perches himself next to the conductor.  His hand emerges from his cape and I image that he has a pocket watch, but it was likely a cell phone.  I need to catch my breath, even now as I am remembering him.  I wish I had enough cerebral power to take out my camera, or phone and get a picture.  But I was dumbstruck.  I'm somewhat surprised that I even made it onto the train!  The vision of that man, alone, has made by trip to Japan worth every second!

I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you all a little bit about why you should come and visit me, while I'm in Japan.  I'm sure a lot of you would like to see Japan, but are worried about the expense.  Well, now's the time to visit, because you know someone who lives there, and thus can cut accommodation costs out of your budget.  I live in a fairly central part of Japan, so everything is quite accessible from here.  Osaka is a smaller, edgier city than Tokyo, but should you need to visit Tokyo it is only 2 hours away by Shinkensen.  Kobe and Kyoto are less than 1 hour away and make for excellent day trips.  Hiroshima and Fukuoka are 2 hrs away and Hokkaido is about 3 hrs away.  Kansai airport has flights to Okinawa or if you are more sea inclined, there is also a ferry that can take you there.  You have seen my apartment and more or less understand the layout.  I have an extra set of keys and as of last week, an extra futon set that I purchased specifically for guests.  It is a full futon set, with blanket and pillow and was a pain to carry home.  As you can see from the picture.  Furthermore, if I know you are coming, I may be more inclined to really learn the language.  As, I will want to show you around and take you out for good eats.  There are a lot of good eats in the Osaka area.

  There are also interesting things to see right in Kawanishi City.  This is a picture of a mosaic mural that I walk past every day on my way to the city centre.  There are interesting buildings and a descent amount of shopping.  Although if you really want to shop we would go into Osaka.  On the left is a picture I took just the other day, so even in December there are beautiful flowers and sunny days.  Really, if you can, you should come and stay with me a while.  It will be fun. 

 

Ignorance and Bliss

So, it turns out that I actually have a lot to say.  I was going to regulate my posts to one a week; that way I wouldn't run out of content.  Silly me, thinking that I'd ever run out of stuff to say.  Therefore, from this point on, I am going to post whenever I have something I want to share.


This post is titled thus, because I had a stark reminder of the various responses my being can elicit from people.  I was covering for a teacher this week and my commute to the school took 2 1/2 hrs (one way).  That's right folks, 5 hrs of commute a day!  At least I don't have to pay for the commute, which was 2150 yen/day.  Half way through the week, I decided that I deserved a treat.  What with my diligence to education going relatively unnoticed and all.  So, on my way home Thursday night I stopped at the Irish pub (the Blarney Stone) to have a burger.  The cook there, Pete, is a really good cook and is actually Irish!  Well, half Irish, half French.  I'm not big on eating out by myself, but I really wanted the burger and I had a good book with me, so I went for it.  I ordered my burger and found a table and began to relax.  Pete came out to say hello.  I think here I should digress just a little.

The Blarney Stone is a new Irish Pub in Shinsaibashi, a lot of the Osaka teachers have a few drinks at the Blarney Stone in Umeda, which is the older pub.  When the new one opened, to show support, the teachers would sometimes stop for a drink at the Shinsaibashi pub.  This is how I was introduced to the place.  On Halloween, I took some friends there for dinner and when Pete came around offering sweets I noticed his accent right away.  Me being me, and him being Irish, I struck up a conversation right away.  He asked if we were teachers, and I said we all worked for the same company, and that I worked with one of his friends.  The first time I went to the pub I ordered the "Classic" burger, which came to me covered in cheese.  I had to explain to them that I am allergic to cheese and couldn't eat the burger.  At first, they were a little reluctant to understand why I ordered something I couldn't eat.  But I pointed out that they had on the menu both a "Classic" burger and a "Cheeseburger."  I asked why they had both, if both came with cheese?  I was told that the "Cheeseburger" had more cheese.  I apologized for not being able to eat the burger, but I simply couldn't do it.  They agreed to make me a burger without cheese.  This is how Pete came to know me.  Now, when I come in and order a "Classic" burger without cheese, Pete will come and see if it is me. 

Anyway, I ordered my burger and sat at a table.  The light was not good, so moved to the bar.  I was almost finished my burger and nearing the end of the chapter when I noticed the bartender ( a French guy) walk over to talk to some Japanese girls that were leaving.  I paid little mind, but I heard him say the word "Indian" and I looked up.  Sure enough he was pointing at me and making the typical war whoop noise.  Now, I don't know what he was saying as he was speaking Japanese and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but then he gestured some feathers coming out the top of his head with his hand and started laughing.  I noticed that the girls seemed unimpressed by him and one girl looked a little uncomfortable.  I surmised that he wasn't being altogether too kind in his comments about me.  I was more taken aback by his brashness, how could he be sure that I didn't speak Japanese?  And to be honest, I felt a little uncomfortable, because I am sure that all the other customers could hear him, and they all were Japanese.  I just chalked it up to an undesirable response to one's own ignorance and decided that I would leave right after my burger.

Just as I was on my last french fry, Pete came out of the kitchen to chat a bit.  We made polite small talk at first, but then he said "You must have some Indian background, right."  At first, I thought he was commenting on what the bartender said to the girls, but he was in the kitchen and I don't think he heard.  I told him that I was half Native.  He smiled and said "I thought so, you look like Pocahontas, with your hair."  I had it in two braids.  He was not being rude, rather I think in his mind, complimentary.  You see, Pete was just as ignorant as the bartender, but he had a different way of approaching his ignorance.  Because, he then proceeded to ask a bunch of questions about fishing and hunting and shared a bunch of information about hunting in Ireland.  I didn't even know that you could hunt in Ireland.  He taught me about "tickling a salmon," which is an Irish way to catch salmon.  And I ended up staying  a lot longer than my last fry. 

Ignorance isn't inherently bad.  I think  how we face our ignorance says a lot about who we are.  Some people mock things they don't understand, others fear it, and others hate.  And then there are those who are curious and ask questions and try to understand, thus reducing their ignorance.  I'm ignorant about a lot of things; Irish hunting, a lot of Japanese culture still eludes me, and many others.  But I am the curious, questioning type and I am sure am glad the cute Irish boy was too! I wish more people out there were as well. 

So It Begins

I figured that I better just start writing, or else I will end up just thinking about it and never actually writing this.  I chose this format because I feel somewhat guilty filling up your inboxes with mass emails that you then feel obliged to read.  I  didn't want to join facebook, for many reasons, but the two most legitimate are these: a) people have to join facebook to read anything I want to say and there are still people out there who don't have facebook; and b) facebook takes away your intellectual rights and any other rights to any material you have on facebook.  Here, everything is still mine, mwahahaha. 

Furthermore; this way, reading my rantings is completely by choice.  Freedom of choice, that's what I'm all about.  Rather like God, or Devo.  But I'm no where near as cool as either of those two.  Hmmm, I wonder if that is a good way to start a blog, you know, a little sacrilege.  Oh well, if you are still reading here are some pictures of my new pad.

 This is from the area between the bathroom and the shower/laundry room.  It is sort of all one room.  To the immediate left is the "kitchen."  Which sadly consists of one (literally only one) burner, a tiny multipurpose space and a sink.  Straight ahead you see my bed/futon, my table, and the doors to my balcony (which is not as swank as it sounds, it is very tiny and looks right into the apartment across the way).  In fact, the apartment across the way is so close that I could easily jump from my balcony to his front door.  So the day that I came out of the shower in nothing but my towel, and he came out of his apartment, and I left the curtains open...let's say everyone involved was quite surprised and slightly embarrassed!

Here you see my living area, as seen from the balcony, or from the front door across the way.  I bought that lovely red chair the other day!  Although, I'm not sure it can really be called a chair, what with it having no legs and all.  If we take away all the leggy looking letters (ooohh, amazing alliteration) then we can rightly call it a "ca."  So, this is my lovely red "ca," the requisite purple polka-dot blanket and the ever essential heater.  It makes sense for my "ca" to have no legs, because my table is only a foot off the ground.  Now before anyone gets too stropy, we will return to calling it a chair.  Is a man with no legs no longer a man?  Well, yes, because he has no leggy looking letters to take away.  (I really must stop this silliness, before I really offend somebody.)  This closet is one of two in the apartment, but the only one with a hanger pole, thingy.

 Here you see my "bathroom" sink and washing machine.  I say "bathroom" because all the traditional bathroom elements are divided.  The sink and washing machine are together in one room, that is to the right once you walk into my apartment.  The shower, pic below, is to the left of the sink, but it has it's own little room.  So, I guess this would be my washing up room, which sounds very British, but is an accurate description.

 This is my shower/bathing room.  The shower head seems really low, because it is.  However, there are two holders, one of which is higher up and I don't even have to crouch below it to shower.  Those of you who visit me and are any taller, may not have that luxury.  The bathtub is really short, but super deep.  I have yet to use it, it seems somewhat daunting to fill up.  Although, I can set my gas heater to exactly the temperature that I want, and the exact amount of water that I want and it will do the rest for me!  But here in Japan you pay for water twice.  Once coming in and again going out, so no bath for me.

And here we have my toilet room.  This little room is to the left once you walk in the front door.  I am so glad that I have a western toilet.  I plan on writing a post about the adventures with Japanese toilets, so I won't spoil anything here.  The more astute of you may have noticed that there appears to be a sink on top of the toilet tank.  I assure you, there is.  At least there is a faucet.  Supposedly you are meant to wash your hands with this water, fresh as it is coming in from the water main to fill up your tank, but I cannot yet bring myself to partake.  I know it is fresh water and my washing room sink is across the hall, I just haven't managed to be okay with it.  I am not concerned about the water being cold, because the water in my sink is cold too, it's just psychological.  Maybe after the next water bill, I will see the need to use this innovation of Japanese convenience.  

So, that's my place in a nutshell.  It is nicer than some, not as nice as others.  I think it's about average in size for a single person, if not a little larger than some.

For those of you who received my last email and are curious...no wallet.  But, it's okay.  I've replaced everything, or am in the process of replacing everything.  I guess that it was just my luck to have one of  the 0.01% of the Japanese population who would decided to keep my wallet, be the one to find it. 

There, now I've broken the ice.  So,  please if you are so inclined, check back and see how I'm doing.  I will try to update this at least once a week.  And feel free to ask me questions, tell me what's up with you, or pester me about my learning Japanese.  Really, I need someone to get on my case about that because I've been here for 3 months and still can't say anything.