What’s a Turkey?

Eeeeh?  Nani Sore? (Whaaa?  What’s that?)

This was the common sentence to come out of my students mouths each time I showed them a picture of a turkey.  This I had not expected this reaction at all.  In fact, I had hoped that the students might even know what I turkey was (This was very foolish since you have a better chance of finding an ice cube in hell than finding one slice of turkey meat in all of Japan).  The students actually thought it looked disgusting!  Now admittedly, a turkey does not look that good when it is a live and gobbling, but still, these are Japanese children who eat a whole shrimp (legs, eyes, eggs, and all) while swallowing raw eel or octopus.

But you ask, “Andrew, why are you showing them turkeys?”

Well my five readers (that’s right, I know who you are ) This is Thanksgiving week and I thought it would be fun to introduce this very important holiday to my students.  So after having them making a turkey out of construction paper using the outline of their hand as the body I proceeded to tell all my students about Thanksgiving.  Of course, since they are only children I chose to stay on the topic of eating way too much and then sleeping all day.  For the older students I actually told them about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I even had some pictures of all the giant blimps and bands.

To sum things up.  The kids were slightly interested but still had trouble understanding the idea.  The best part was that even after I showed the students what a turkey looks like cooked, the held strong to their original feelings and argued that it looked good but was still disgusting.

 

BUT! Enough about the lil’ ones.

Let’s talk about my Thanksgiving Day, or the lack there of.

I awoke – For that seems like the most straight forward way to beginning a story that spans and entire day – to find myself inside a hotel room.  Due to poor timing, I was at my hotel school, and therefore away from my own home in Akita.  Beginning the day like any other during this week, I crawled out of bed and squatted in front of my computer to check on the new TV shows and anime to watch – For there is nothing else to do in this small town besides reside upon one’s ass and watch TV/Movies.

Realizing the time was quickly approach 2pm I went out to get the closest thing possible to a Thanksgiving Day meal.  Mutton Curry, Nan, Salad, and Indo tea.

Upon finishing my feast I made my way to the bank.  Seeing as how Japan has no idea what a turkey is, let alone Thanksgiving, I leisurely strolled up to the ATM and paid a few bills along with withdrawing some money.  Turning around, I made my way back to the hotel where I would wait for the time to leave once again and head too work in the evening.

Walking into the classroom I was greeted by the PS (Performance Supervisor) from Aomori who was there to monitor a “challenging” class.  Hoping to find myself in front of a fellow American, his accent quickly gave him away as a Canadian.  Classes began and finished and I once again found myself alone, and walking back to my hotel to feast on a chicken bento and meat bun.

Thinking it best to call home on such an occasion I picked up my phone and put in the corresponding 500 digit number required for any such international call.  Quickly telling my parents to hop on to Skype so we could talk, I found myself dealing with a horrible connection that resulted any multiple glitches, hisses, squeals, and crashes (all from my family’s end since they have a computer that is now 6 years old and way past it’s prime).  The conversation continued for three hours, mostly revolving around my father and me debating who would be a good super hero to have in the next movie and my grandmothers 90th birthday.

Finishing my conversation at 4am, I quickly went to sleep realizing that I had failed to say “Happy Thanksgiving” even once whole the day.

All Wet...

I'm all wet -- And it's not just because of the three weeks of never-ending spitting/drizzles/showers/storms.

I'm all wet because I'm starting to feel the negative effects of living in a rural area like Akita. Loneliness. In all honesty, I think we can agree that I am different. In some cases this might even be a admirable attribute. Unfortunately, this is not one of those cases. I keep awakening to this rather depressing realization that people such as me need to be in big cities where the likelihood of encountering similar individuals is much higher. Akita is no such place. In fact, this city gives "carbon copy" a whole new meaning. There is little diversity within this city, even by Japanese standards. You are either a farmer, small time merchant, one of many high school drop outs, a drunk, or pregnant. This is not an intellectual center to say the least. In other words, I cannot find anyone I can really relate to. So far, all most people do is leave me mildly perturbed.

With all this in mind, I find myself becoming more and more lonely. With little means of entertainment outside of bars, pubs, lounges, izakayas, and clubs, I am at a loss for meeting new and interesting people who are capable of having a conversation without falling over or slurring their words.

I wish I was back in Sendai or Tokyo. Country-life just isn't for me.

In other news....Still disliking my job. It's not the kids that are the problem. Most of them are great and I love them. It's the company and a certain other teacher who makes me want jump off a bridge every time she speaks. I'd push her off, but I don't want to end up in a Japanese prison.

There are two bright sides to this small little rant, the colors of fall:

PRETTY TREES!

NEW SUIT!

Business or Pleasure? – Both

Well, it’s safe to say that I have been busy.  In the course of three weeks I will have made three different “trips” to see friends or for work.  Last week I was in Sendai to visit friends for a short while – That was a 3.5 hour bus ride both ways, yesterday I took a 2.5 hour Shinkansen ride to Morioka for a business meeting with all the other teachers in my region, and this coming week I will be make a 2 hour train ride up to Odate to teach at my “hotel school” for a week.  All in all, a fairly busy schedule with traveling.  In other words, in the course of three weeks I have/will only been/be in my apartment for 4 days.  As much as I like saving on electricity, I do miss being able to sleep in my own bed and cook some nice HOT meals that do no come prepare wrapped.

There is a silver lining to all my travels though.  I have had to opportunity to finally sleep (cue drum roll) in a capsule hotel!  That’s right, my bucket list of “must do’s” for Japan has had an item marked off.  Now all that is left is:

• Battle Godzilla to the death
• Become the true Last Samurai
• Kiss Mao Inoue
• Enjoy a Soap Palace
• Have a maiko fall hopelessly in love with me

In other news…I’m trying to find a place to go buy ice skates since there is a really nice skating rink here in town and I’d like to get back to skating around a lot.  So, for those of you who live in Japan please give me any ideas you might have for where I can buy said hockey skates.

In other, other news…I am a zombie!  And I’ve got the pictures to prove it!

Okonomiyaki, "Music," and The Golden Classroom!

Well, my one week of golden students came to and end on Saturday and I am now stuck waiting another four weeks before I get the chance to meet my favorite students. At this school I really do get to see the students that everyone dreams of having in their classes. They are smart, funny, motivated, and polite. The parents are great too.

It was a great way to cheer me up since I had just realized that I had been chasing a ghost for an entire month.

Since it was parent ops I was given the opportunity to meet the parents briefly along with the siblings. I had a lot of fun, to say the least.

During the lessons, the Japanese Teacher (Nami-sensei) would take the parents back and speak with them about their child and about the classes so that I could still work with the kids and give all the parents a chance to observe my lessons as well.

Apparently I impressed a great number of the parents since some of them even stated that they wanted to join the classes so that I would be their teacher. Talk about stroking my ego, right?

All in all, it was a great classroom.

After the week had finished I went out to dinner with Nami-sensei and she took me to a nice okonomiyaki place. It was wonderful. It meant a lot to me since it was my first time eating okonomiyaki again since I came back to Japan. I wish I had taken pictures for everyone to see, but oh well. I guess I can't always be dragging my camera everywhere, right?

After eating and talking to Nami-sensei about pretty much anything that popped into my head, we headed over to DonQuiote, which is the closest thing to Walmart Japan has, and I got myself some much needed pasta sauce and a wine bottle opener.

The next day I had planed to do errands, but of course it rained (since it has managed to rain almost every day I have off). Seriously weather gods? You gotta rag on me and my coworkers every time we are trying to relax on the weekend? I ended up just getting some hot chocolate at starbucks and heading back to my apartment.

Soon after though I got a call about a music party going on at a local bar so I thought I'd tag along. Of course, my friends was using the word "music" very loosely since it was all experimental crap which would have even made someone tripped out on E scratch their head in confusion. In other words, 1500 yen down the drain. Honestly, even the free drink I got was lousy. I have never heard sounds like I heard that night and I pray to God that I never do again. Maybe it was my classical training or the fact that they just screamed into the microphone while playing out of tune and rhythm on purpose.

I've still been feeling pretty down lately. I'm trying to raise my spirits up again, but it is not easy. I hope I find a nice girl soon. I mean, all this bad luck has got to add up to something, right?

There is obviously something wrong with me. Without a doubt. There is something in my brain -- Some chemical, nerve ending, or small troll which constantly per verses my thoughts and actions. I'm not all together sure as to why it seems like I can truly relate to no one. I don't know why my opinions always seem to be the ugly minority in a group. Maybe I was just born to be a contrary and always work against others.

I just don't seem to fit right. I'm not talking about fitting in with Americans or with Japanese. I'm focusing on humanity as a whole with this statement.

(By the way, if you are wondering. No, nothing awful has happened. I've just had a lot of downtime)

I highly doubt that there is anyone out there who can understand me the way I wish to be understood and who can accept me for who I am. Because it always turns into me being "too (insert adjective)." Too nice, too angry, too sad, too weak, too smart, too stupid, and too childish.

I don't know what has happened to me recently or in my past that has caused me to veer so significantly from the social highway everyone else seems to commute on everyday. While they are cruising by at seventy-five miles per hour, I am crawling down some back road with more than enough time to casually survey any condemned building I pass.

Some may argue that it is the human experience and that there is nothing strange about this. But I would disagree. I would say that it is the "true" human experience but that most people are too foolish or short sighted to ever realize what they are doing or how things are affecting themselves and those around them.

Anyway, this is just another small pondering on why I continue to ostracize myself from everyone else

Tales of a Boring Work Day

Got bored during work today and started having fun with philosophy and word play...

Life is full of it's little ups and downs. At one moment you may find yourself residing in a golden palace sipping delicately at a diamond encrusted goblet and the next you might just be poor innocent fly killed by a farmer protecting the grapes which created the fine wine upon which you were sipping. Of course the same can be said for the recently deceased parasite becoming a king. But then again, if we look at the British royal family, what is the difference between a monarch and a parasite in this modern world?

Semantics aside - if at all possible since it seems unlikely that I will find it near impossible to subjugate myself to writing in such a dull and straight forward tone- One's life is filled with missed opportunities, foolish mistakes, childlike naivety, good fortune, dumb luck, and thoroughly planned successes. If one were to ask why I continue with this string of thought that hardly seems worthy of a quick jump out of the bath shouting "eureka!" they would be adequately answered if I were cease my script at this point, but unfortunately for them, my prose does not come to a halt so soon.

I make mention of these frequent mortal turbulence for the purpose of asking a single, yet all be it slightly ambiguous, question:

Can these good times and bad times and all other juxtapositions found within poorly edited British literature truly be what they are? That is to say, are they good and bad? Are they grand and small? With proper thought and diligence one might witness something miraculous. They may observe that the these seemingly independent moments within one's life are no more separate and qualified than the poorly rolled, and useless, ball of yarn a cat finds such joy in. Since it may easily be agreed upon that missed opportunities and other forms of "misfortune" are present within one's life, it seems as though a curious mind is forced to ask "what makes them poor in comparison to other experiences?" Perhaps at the time of occurrence these circumstances may seem to carry with them a sense of ill fortune, yet does not any one of these inopportune situations lead us down a path towards happiness which would have remained unused if not for the previous fall from grace? It is true that falling from your horse in to a cave may seem utterly deplorable, yet when said cave is actually a mine filled with rare gems what is the verdict? Would that sudden fall still be considered a misery invoking scene of pain and indignation? Of course the same might be said for good fortune and its unwelcome effects on future venture since perhaps the previously imagined mine may be extremely rich but lost in a later, rather costly, divorce settlement brought on by the newfound greed of the wife and husband whom reveled in their fortune.

To better illuminate one's self to this idea let us look into the classic piece of literature "The Count of Monte Cristo.". In the case of Edmond Dantes, it is only through his wrongful imprisonment that he befriends an academic friar who teaches him language, science, math, and philosophy while providing him with the whereabouts of a grand treasure which aids him in making his want for vengeance a reality. That being said, does this misfortune of Edmond turn itself into a grand and lustrous opportunity? Possible, but we must also look into the reasoning for his wrongful imprisonment. It is true that he was betrayed by his friends and neighbor as a traitor to the state and brought to prison, but why did his comrades feel the need to act as such? Jealousy was the cause. Jealously of Edmonds good fortune of becoming a ship captain, of being financially stable, and of holding the heart of the most beautiful woman of Marseilles in his hand. That being said, do these fortunate occurrences then become the abysmal servants of fate and demise? Possibly, yet as stated before, such observations are only relative to the time they are given. The thoughts of the next hour are very likely to vary from those of he proceeding day.

So it would seem that Edmond is neither fortunate nor cursed, but merely the victim of the universal ailment known to all as "life."

Life is life. It cannot be altered or graded. As seem by these examples, life is nothing more than an incoherent compilation of events and circumstances which place one upon a path designated only for them to walk.

All in all, why worry about good and bad fortune as it is all relative to the eyes that witness the products of these events.

Just a little free writing. Was reading a short story by J.D. Salinger and felt a little inspired. Hope you enjoy it.

Chance. That’s all Henry could really call it; a chance encounter that resulted in a love unknown to him prior. Of course, just because it was love did not mean that it was fate or at all similar to the innocent openings of many a dime store novel. Having discovered Yukiko’s cell phone late at night, beside a sidewalk bordering a shoe store long past its golden years, Henry had brought the phone to the local police station and given his statement. Those this may seem like the typical setting for any romance fed to the popcorn fueled masses, I can assure you that this love is anything but typical.

With his address and phone number listed on the police form, and his consent to allow the owner to contact him, if they so chose, Henry was greeted by a phone call several days later. A rapid succession of Japanese from a young woman’s mouth fell onto his ear. Only able to capture key words explaining the caller’s thankfulness and want to reward him, Henry could only reply with vague agreement. Since the phone was decorated in fake diamonds and cute stickers, Henry was not surprised by the voice he heard. Youthful, sweet, and at a pitch slightly higher than average, the caller asked if she could meet him and personally give her thanks. Henry, being a young and single man, could hardly refuse such an offer and agreed to meet the caller the following day at a local café. Hanging up the phone, Henry couldn’t help to think that she should try to find more cell phones more often.

Arriving at the café, Henry checked his phone to see if he had arrived early. He had. By fifteen minutes. Now, it is safe to say that Henry enjoyed arriving early to any event, yet even he knew that his nerves had gotten the better of him and quickened his pace that morning. Sitting down at a steel table placed underneath a patio yawning, Henry waited. Though Henry did not know who he was looking for he felt certain that they would recognize him. Being one of only four foreigners in the city, it was beyond foolish to think he blended with any scene in a five hundred mile radius. Surely enough, as he was checking his messages, Henry was stirred by the soft and shy voice he had previous heard over the phone.

“Henry?”

Titling his head up slightly and peering over the rims of his sunglasses, Henry quickly evaluated the slender form which stood before him. Beginning the with torn “skinny” jeans and high heeled sneakers, his gazed continued to a vest-like, brown jacket draped over a yellow and black checkered button down, and finished with a small round face, centered around two high, protruding cheek bones and small narrow eyes resting above a thing and delicate mouth and below a curtain of slightly dyed, short hair.

“Hi. Hello. How are you?”

The woman greeted him with a quick look of confusion as she quickly attempted to recall seven years of English education that had culminated in a college entry test that made her no more prepared for a true conversation does teaching a blind man the importance of color harmony within a painting.

“Oh sorry,” Henry quickly said, quickly switching to Japanese. “It’s habit. Hard to stop answering in English when people say my name.”

“It’s ok. I’m glad you speak Japanese. I really don’t remember any English from when I was in school.”

“I hear that a lot. Please sit down. Would you like something to drink? To eat?”

“I’ll have a drink.”

“That’s good, I was about to order a cup of hot chocolate. What would you like?”

“I don’t know. Let me think about it for a while.”

“Sure. Do you mind if I order mine drink now?”

“No, not at all.”

Motion over the waiter, Henry ordered his hot chocolate. After turning around to face the new face he would be placing in his mental catalogue of acquaintances, friends, and family, Henry noticed that his companion seemed rather nervous. Holding tightly to her jeans and keeping her head low, as if reading the menu, Henry began analyzing and judging whether this girl was one of many Japanese who found themselves in a constant state of agitation around foreigners – Such being the case in any country where only four percent of the population is foreign.

“I just wanted to thank you personally for finding my phone. I was very worried about it. The strap that is on it is a was a gift from my boyfriend.”

Henry’s heart sank slightly at this revelation.

“You’re welcome. I was only doing what anyone would do in such a situation.”

“Still. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Wanting to expand the conversation beyond this pattern, Henry pushed forward and asked, “So, tell me about yourself. I am a teacher here in town and I teach younger children English. What about you?”

“Me? Well, I graduated a few years ago from college and have been working since.”

“What do you do?”

“Right now. I don’t really do anything. I don’t have a job.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s alright. I am looking for a job, but it has been very difficult.”

“That’s true. If you can find a job right out of college you practically become a leper to companies who wonder how you could not have been hired earlier.”

“Yes. It has been hard.” Rising from her seat, the girl took her bag and said her thanks once more before turning to head out of the café.

Standing up to stop her from leaving so soon, Henry violently collided with the waitress beside him placing his drink upon the table. Falling to the ground Henry asked once more to have the girl wait and admitted that he didn’t even know her name.

“My name is Nami. Thank you again for your help. Have a nice day.”

Since it's fall, and I'm in a bit of a romantic mood, I thought I might throw one of my little scribbles into this post for your reading pleasure ^_^

It was beautiful. “Deriku! Hayaku!” “I’m coming, I’m coming.” Awestruck by the golden trail he journeyed upon, Derek could not help but stand still and gaze at each bare branch that hung above his head. Having given their leaves so that the ground would create a walkway worthy of any girl from Kansas, the trees now stood entirely at odds with the photographic euphoria they had created. Fixed in the ground, and as unmoved as the snowcapped mountains flanking them, the black and brown timber only served to remind each observer that their suffering was responsible for the colors they ogled. Noting each twenty-four karat leaf upon the ground, Derek’s eyes worked tirelessly to engrain the scene into his mind. A deep blue, cloudless sky accompanied by leaves that would shame any New England autumn had brought him to the realization that no photo could ever evoke the peace he felt then. Only his mind could properly capture the moment in all its glory. He would not only be able to fall back on this tranquility later on, but it would also be his alone to be lost in. No one would have this but him. No one would ever see what he saw.

Everyone saw Mio though. Enthusiastically playing under a tree that refused to give up its few final vestiges of summer, Mio had gone to kicking and tossing the product of the oak’s failed enterprise. No less innocent than a child smothering themselves in a pile of leaves, Mio continued to enjoy the crisp crunch of each leaf as well as the dry, smoky smell that overpowered her senses with each new batch she pressed to her face. Derek could not help but smile. He loved this playful innocence. For Derek, there was nothing more breathtaking and wondrous as the innocence of a child. It’s what made Mio so radiant. Though twenty-five, she often allowed herself to give in to childish whims that left Derek standing to the side with a shy smile and folded arms. Swinging his messenger bag around, Derek pulled out his camera. Digital cameras had been created to capture images just like this. Taking picture after picture, he imagined the conversation he would have with friends and family afterwards. “Takumi, check this out.” “What is it?” “It’s Mio being Mio.” “What do you mean?” “Just look.” “Ok. What is she doing? Wow, she looks like a child.” “I know. Isn’t it great? She’s just so cute.”

The truth of the matter is that I am actually in a good mood. In fact, I'm in an amazing mood. Being in Japan has does just what I hoped and more. I am quickly becoming the man I want to be and it seems that I might have just found the icing for my cake. Her name is Aya. She is not the whole cake, far from it. She is the icing which finishes and perfect this delicate pastry.

The weather is finally changing here, and I couldn't be more happy. Being greeted by a cool breeze each time I walk out the door fills me with feelings that I just can't describe. I think of Halloweens spent freezing outside people's doors. The birthday Marathon my family has in November (Father, Brother, me) and the smell of leaves swimming through the continuous currents of wind which sweep through my city from the surrounding mountain passes.

If nature can be seen as any sign for future circumstances, I think that this Autumn and Winter will be memorable, to say the least.

Seasonal Realizations

With each passing day the sun rises in a vain attempt to maintain the dominance it inherits each Summer. Yet as it once more moves West to slumber the Moon rises and brings with it the soothing winds of Autumn, removing any recollection of the day's heat from the memory of the now dry and crisp night air.

Autumn will soon takes it place as the harbinger of the snows to come.

That's all I have for you today ^_^

DJ Status Quo!

Lo and Behold! Awakens a new DJ in the Akita bar scene! DJ Status Quo!

Or at least that is what is playing inside my head. Perhaps some exposition is required for you readers to understand where this sudden burst in DJ-ness has come from.

Last night (Saturday) I went to my favorite bar, Duke Room. A dark and grungy, small 2nd floor local watering hole. Imitating the image of an old western saloon converted to a surfer hang out in California, the bar was fully stocked with liquors and beers from around the world all presented before a long, tall mirror with "Duke Room" painted using Old English characters at the top. With a majority of light coming from the small TV hanging in a corner of the room and the random assortment of Christmas lights strewn over the bar giving the entire room a dim, yet color glow to it. Covered in old band, dj, concert, and event flyers kept in place by an assortment of staples, tape, and tacks the only portions of original wall left to be seen were filled with incoherent messages and notes from past patrons. At the reflective, midnight black bar itself was a line of old faux-leather stools that had obviously seen better days, yet managed to arrange a list of stories to provide anyone willing to listen with days of entertainment.

Invited by the co-owner, Makoto, I quickly found myself in a immersed in a monthly party wh ere several DJ's come in, stand in a corner and spin. What makes this more interesting that your standard guest DJ event, all the people in the bar, including the DJ's new each other, so an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie sedated the room with good feelings and smiling faces.

Entering on my own, since all my other friends had already made plans for other venues, I was quickly greeted by Makoto and ordered my usual (ramu koku -- Rum and Coke). Soon after I was introduced to Misao Sakuraba by Makoto and I quickly discovered that I was talking to a bit of a celebrity. Misao is actually a popular radio personality for FM Akita, a well known station here. Throughout the night I met several other radio personalities from the same station. This was my first time ever meeting this kind of person and it was so much fun to talk about music with them (well...try to talk about, they didn't speak any English, and I'm not exactly fluent yet).

About one hour into my foray I had a song sheet pushed in front of me and was asked to choose Four songs to be played on the bar's iPod. Of course, what I didn't pick up on was the fact that I WOULD BE THE NEW DJ! Given a quick tutorial on how to use the sound system and digital turn table I stepped up onto a crate and began "spinning." Soon, I was asked what my DJ name was and instinctively, as always is with any nom du plume I use, I said "Status Quo." After briefly helping them pronounce my name I turned back to my tables and began spinning like one of the greatest virgin spin jocks of all time. In other words, I sucked, but at least I didn't scratch anything. I chose to Play, Green Day's "Know your Enemy," Maroon 5's "This Love," "MC Hammers' "Can't Touch This," and some other song I don't remember right now.

After my brief attempt at being cool I returned to my seat and struck up a conversation with a man about why I was in Japan, why I didn't like how so many foreigners never really tried to understand Japan and why J-Pop girls are always cute and never sexy like K-Pop girls.

After holding several conversations (all in Japanese) with several different people, two from the radio station, and putting down three Rum and Cokes, two Screw Drivers, and one tall glass of Shochu, several people began to make their way home. I decided to stay, because I was having a lot of fun and still had several people to talk to.

Soon after the radio Disk Jockies left a women who was close friends with the bartenders brought in two small pizzas. She said these pizzas were famous in Akita, but I'd never heard of them. After being told that one of them had mayonnaise on it I was slightly hesitant, but tried the food anyway and was pleasantly surprised to find both pizzas delicious (one mayo topped, and the other with garlic, parsley, and chunks of tomato). Starting a conversation with the woman and having her offer order me a shot of spiced rum we ended up talking about what everyone all night wanted to talk about:

-How old are you? 22. Wow! So young! You look 27!

-Why did you come to Japan? (insert long explanation that mentions Waseda University) -- It should be said that even when I didn't mention Waseda, Makoto would also chime in and say that I studied Japanese at Waseda university. He was so helpful all night.

-You went to Waseda? You must be very smart! What do you think of Japanese Universities?

AND

-Do you have a girlfriend? No. Why not? You are so handsome! Do you not like Japanese girls? Do you prefer foreign girls? No, I like Japanese girls. Don't worry! You'll meet someone soon! You are so handsome and young!

Just as quickly as the woman appeared, she was gone and was replaced by a younger girl named Aya. Now it's safe to say that I was very happy to have stayed out so late because I was able to meet Aya. We didn't get a lot of time to talk, but she was cute and fun to talk to. She is an Assistant Cook, a bar waitress, and a student studying jewelry design. Our conversation really picked up when she noticed my rings and instantly wanted to take pictures of them. Exchange e-mails and pulling out my super sexy iPhone 4 for the 500th time, we exchanged e-mails and were soon told by Makoto that it was 4:00am and that we should probably get going.

So heading down the stairs together we walked toward Oodori Street (Major street in Akita) when she asked me where my apartment was. I told her and she was shocked by how far away it was and asked why I was still walking with her. Well, it didn't know what the word for gentleman was in Japanese, but luckily she knew what gentleman meant (very odd, is it a common word for Japanese to know?) Anyway, I made it clear that I was walking her to her apartment and she was thankful. After reaching her building she said goodbye and I reciprocated the courtesy. As she turned around a tripped over my words and pounding my forehead with the side of my fist, forced out:

mata aeru ka? (Can I meet you again?)

I was greeted by a kind smile and an affirmation of my request. Telling her that I would send the pictures of my rings she wanted she thanks me and said that she would reply in English and that I should send my message in Japanese. After this agreement we said good night once more and I headed home, turning on my iPod (in my iPhone 4) so that I could listen to "I've Just Seen a Face" by the Beatles.

BTW...I should probably mention that I only spent 1200 Yen last night on my drinks. Why would I pay so little for drinking so much? Because everyone loves to buy the foreign guys his drinks so that they can talk to him.

-----

So, now for just some minor updates. ROOM PHOTOS! That's right, I've finally posted them for your viewing pleasure.

Here is the entrance hallway to my apartment, with the bathroom/toilet/washing machine off to the left and the bedroom straight ahead.

Next we have my washing machine, which is momentarily housing the drying rack for my socks and underwear

Here we have the room meant just for my toilet. Please notice the handy faucet on the top of the water basin.

Shower Shower Shower! and bathroom sink

My entire kitchen space and prep area/stove

View from the doorway into my bedroom

The full length mirror beside the door and map of Akita Prefecture

My table (notice all the healthcare products) and a poster with a list of the special seasonal events here in Akita Prefecture

My Closet (With stored away TV)

My desk (Please be patient as I am still developing my manga collection here and only have 9 books to display on my shelf right now)

My med, with handy storage space beneath. If you can tell, the shelf above my bed is filled with gifts from my big sister Mu-chan

And the way leading to my door so....GET OUT!

And, as mentioned my iPhone 4 is made of awesome and had increased my sexiness quota by a good 20%!

At the Office

It is finally over. In the course of seven days, I spent five of them at the branch office for my company. Each day spending 5.5 hours sitting at a desk working hard on my manga skills. Why was I doing that? Well other than needing a heavy dose of manga cuteness from my favorite manga-ka Kou Futsuki (Ai Yori Aoshi & Umi no Misaki), I had no classes to teach. Since I go to a different classroom each week, I should have four classrooms to go to. But in this region, I only have three. Therefore, the one week that should be spent teaching little children the different between rally and lolly, was replaced by one week of sitting at a desk being extremely unproductive.

Well that's not all true. I was slightly productive for the five hours out of the 27.5 I did prepare my lesson plans for the month and even wrote down every welcome activity I will do for the next seven months.

So, why did the company have me in the office tittling my thumbs? Because they feel its' better for me to be doing nothing in the office and getting paid than be at home getting paid.

I'm not complaining. I like it. It's a nice week-long vacation that allows me to unwind and prepare for three weeks of kids.

I will also admit that it was nice getting to wear a suit. I love wearing suits...I would be perfect office worker. If only I would be able to sit still at a desk for more than two hours.

In other news. Starcraft II. I controls me. Calls to me. Even though I suck at it.

iPhone 4...You will be mine soon!

The room is pretty much clean now. I guess I'd better start posting pics, huh?

And last but not least. I'm SO BORED! I cant' play Starcraft II all day. When I'm not playing with it, there is not much to do. I go in between reading, talking to friends online, and staring at my wall. I like the staring part.

Serenity at 5,000 Feet

On Monday I took a marvelous journey to a distant mountain in Akita Prefecture known as Mt. Komagatake. Solitary and strong, this mountain, covered in greens from an abundant amount of foliage, carried me to the heavens and allowed me to glance down at the Earth in all her beauty.

Yet, before I get to that, I'd best start at the beginning.

Hopping inside a van with Iva, Jack, Wade, Ritsuko, and Go, I took part in a three hour drive from Akita City to Semboku City to the east. It was a ride filled with frustration since half the van was smokers (one of them practically a chain smoker). Forced to roll down the window and stick my head out so as to give my asthma a chance to not slowly kill me. Continue with this vehicular journey, I was also awstruck by the number of stops we made along the way. For a three hour ride, we stopped no less than four times!

Though the trip was arduous my thanks still goes out to Go who was willing to drive everyone. Go, Go, Go!

Upon arriving at the base of the mountain our van was greeted a narrow, hairpin turn laden, mountain road. Go through over forty-five different "curves," as the Japanese call them, we managed to narrow avoid a head on collision four times. Because of the dense brush and sharp narrow turns it was near impossible to see anyone coming toward you minus the poorly maintained mirrors set up at each "curve." Deciding it was best to give fair warning to cars coming towards us, Go began honking his horn at every curve so as to warn oncoming traffic that he was coming.

Finally reaching the parking lot after fifteen to twenty minutes of driving, we all quickly jumped out of the car and began taking pictures and stretching.

As we were about to being our climb, we happened across an elderly couple who told us that it would take about one hour to go all the way around. Iva was throughly surprised, but not by the time. She was astonished at the fact than an elderly couple obviously over the age of sixty has just gone hiking up a mountain.

Beginning our trek, we were quickly made aware of the handicap smokers have when it comes to hiking. With the three heaviest smokers almost always in the rear, trying to keep up, I made frequent stops since they could not maintain the pace I was setting. These stops though gave us a chance for some wonderful group pictures looking over the entire mountain range.

Continuing on we came across a small rest area that looked over a giant valley and provided us with an unobstructed view of Lake Tazawa; the largest lake in Japan. It's deep blue waters turned silver by the mist resting between us, the Lake seemed to on the appearance of a perfectly crafted sheet of polished metal. Beside this like lied a small town which basked in the light of the sun as its razed barreled through the clouds to spotlight this small village within a sea of ancient Japanese Cedar Trees.

Gazing off along the trail I was greeted by a seen sooner found in the Scottish Highlands. Mist. Ever moving, ever swirling mist, drifting over a green so rich that even a leprechaun would have to take notice.

Stepping on rusted, iron rich soil we proceeded to a small timber path meant to keep our feet above the moist, soggy, ground surrounding the peak. Only until we turned the corner of the mountain did we realize the reason for the sudden change in the earth. A pond. A secluded, still, mirror-like pond which rested right below the summit.

Reaching the pond I was amazed by the scent. The fresh breeze racing over the surface transported every wondrous scent and placed right before me. I was momentarily held captive by the beauty of the darkening sky and the deep hues of the pond.

Moving along the wooden path further we came upon the narrow path leading to the summit. Though I eagerly yearned for the chance to see the world from its peak, I had to turn back due to the ever fading light of the evening sky.

As we decided the path to go down, Ritsuko read a warning on a rock. Stating that the following trail was difficult, Ristuko faltered and gave pause. Eager to continue forward though, we pressed ahead unaware of the challenge awaiting us.

Breaking through the thick brush we came upon a cliff. On the cliff, staked into the rock was a rope. This was our "oh damn" moment. Knowing that the light was fading and the way back to long, we decided to move on, hoping this would be the only instance. We were wrong, followed up by small rock scrambles and even more steep, roped cliffs, we proceeding along one hundred feet above a small mountain stream. With each step in time with the water as it washed over the rocks, we came to a small cliff overlooking the entire range. I can honestly say that no picture can do justice to this scene as it was not only the sight, but the smell, sound, and feelings that surrounded me as I gazed over these long dormant volcanoes.

Finding our way back to the parking lot we came across and couple camping in an RV in the parking lot. Worried for us, they decided to remain until they saw us return. With the sun just falling behind the mountains, we began our long drive back down the narrow, winding road and to an onsen for a much need rest.

My first onsen since I returned to Japan. I was pleased to say the least.

After cleansing ourselves, we returned to the tobacco filled van and proceeded home where I immediately crashed upon my bed and slept peaceful slumber brought on by a day of natural beauty.

That Which Blossoms from a Queezy Stomach

The only reason I'm a writing right now is because I can't sleep due to an upset stomach (mostly likely brought on by the soda and bag of chips I ate).

That being said. While lying in bed, resting with this nuisance, a thought crossed my mind. I realized that I was at peace. I realized that nothing over the past month has surprised me about Japan. There has been no culture shock, or reverse culture shock for that matter. Every day seems to flow with a purpose that I have yet to grasp. I feel at peace. I feel at home.

Honestly, I'm here on a business trip, in a city I know nothing about, in a prefecture I know just as little about, in an area of Japan I only know a small amount about, yet my biggest concern is an upset stomach. I'm not worried, as I have been in the past, about women or life. I still have a general distaste for human beings of course, but I think that my here in Japan has made me a little more forgiving. Maybe.

While in the US, everyday felt like a struggle with loneliness and an unquenchable thirst for purpose, yet in Japan I relax and let loose. I find little to be worried about, and far less to panic about.

It just seems that while I'm here in this country, nothing and no one can touch me or harm me in any way.

The views I have from my hotel are awe inspiring. There is an entire town before me. Surrounding by row upon row of ever rising mountains, each portraying a different hew of blue as they vanish into the distance. Yet these mountains do no even come close to looking like those found within the US. Soft and gentle, their slopes covered in trees, these mountains courteously rise into the clouds as if asking for permission to enter the heavens. Much to the contrary of the jagged and aggressive peaks found in the US, especially in the west.

To put me even more at peace is the thought that in only a few days I will be at an onsen in the mountains. And to make this thought even better is the promise of snow in the coming months and the beautiful scenery I will be provided as I relax in new onsens shrouded in the mountains which encircle my little piece of heaven known as Akita-shi.

Going Up?

Before I begin my schpeel about my life in Japan, I would first like to introduce you all to a little story. I call it "Thirteen High School Girls and One Foreigner in an Elevator." That's right. Going up to my room after work I'm greeted by an elevator filled with high school girls (in uniform, no less) with just enough space for me. I take the plunge and before I know it I can hear the little whispers as I quickly become the center of all conversations. Of course, they had no idea that I spoke Japanese, so it was quite a shock for them when I got off at my floor and told them "Gaijin ga chotto shitsurei ne. Gaikokujin da." (Translated, *Rude Form* Foreigner is a little rude. You should say *Polite Form* Foreigner.)

Gave me a good chuckle. I love surprising the Japanese with my language skills. Always makes my day.

Today, what I really want to talk about is something that has been on my mind for about two weeks now. This little mental bookmark revolves around a movie I saw recently called "Tokyo Sonata." Without giving away too much of the plot I will just say that it revolves around a father/husband who gets laid off and proceeds to hide the fact from his family.

This is a good movie when it comes to warning society about the dangers of the world's ever crashing economy, but for me the movie is nothing more than a horror story meant to inspire fools to do what fools do best and act foolishly.

The movie pretty much takes the worst case scenario possible and gives it a lethal injection of Steroids. I'm talking about kidnapping, rape, theft, suicide, child abuse, etc. It is obvious that the movie is trying to make a point about the dangers of our current economic/business systems but I cannot support something that refuses to give reality even the slightest hint of an homage.

I truly appreciated the movie and its commentary until it truly did being to "jump the shark" after the home was ransacked and the wife kidnapped by a man who was also laid off. From that point on, I lost a lot of respect for the movie since it was obvious that the writer ran out of good ideas.

The last qualm I have with this movie is it's title and advertisement. It portrays itself as being mostly about the son learning the piano through all of the hardships, yet the subject vanishes 1/3 of the way into the film and only reappears at the end briefly for, what I will admit as, a heart wrenching song. I would have thought the piano would play a stronger role. Instead a good 1.5 hours of this 2 hour movie was focused on the mother and father.

If you wish to see a good Japanese movie that has a powerful, and true, commentary on society, I suggest you see "Departures." It may take a little bit of a learning curve to understand the subtleties, but it is a much stronger and accurate depiction of Japanese society as a whole.

Looking Down One's Nose

So, I don't know about you guys, but I hate it when people speak down to me.

In fact, just the idea of it fills me with quite the contemptible feeling.

That being said, I'm tired of being checked on by my company and spoken down to by the "higher-ups." They feel the need to lecture me for far longer than necessary about any small mistake. I will admit to my mistakes of course, but that does not mean that I am open to being over criticized and spoken to as if I were a child.

The more and more I think about it, the more I realize that it seems that the only way to get ahead in this company is to be a giant ass and most likely snitch on others. I don't think I will be spending a great deal of time at this company. I will most likely be looking for work once my contracts nears its end.

I love working with the kids and meeting the parents, but this company is honestly sucking the life from me and it's only been four weeks!

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

Japanese people are awesome and extremely reliable. Don't believe me? Here are two great examples.

1) The other day the cap to my bike tire went flying off while I was pumping air and I spent the next morning searching for the cap (since it is a metal nozzle that keeps all the air in). The old lady next door saw me doing this and helped me look. After a short while, a young man (maybe 26) showed up and also helped look. He quickly offered to go to the nearby store and buy me a new cap. I had to leave then to prepare for my trip to Odate. As I came back downt he stairs on my way to the station I saw that not only was there a new cap on my tire, but that the tire had been filled with air!

Now honestly...can you see a perfect stranger doing that for you? Especially in the US.

2) Tonight, I left my room key in the keyhole for my door and forgot about it. It was not until four hours later that I heard a knock on my door. Upon opening the door I am greeted by someone on the hotel staff who politely tells me about my key. Now lets review this. That key was in the lock for four hours, and no one touched it. To top it off, someone on the hotel staff was just wandering the hall and saw it and took it upon themself to tell me.

So yea...Japanese people = extremely reliable.

Business Trip (That's right, moving up in the world)

Well....here I am in Odate, about two hours away from Akita-shi. I will be staying here until Saturday as the school I am teaching at here is too far away for me to make the journey too everyday for a week.

Of course that means I also get a chance to save on electricity and gas since there is nothing on in my room minus my fridge.

At the same time, Odate is kind of boring, minus the shrines and such. I love shrines, but I'm sure that after a few days or visits I will have nothing left to do in the city. Maybe there is a good Onsen (hot spring) nearby.

Well, I'll take pictures of anything that seems interesting. Since this is Northwestern Japan, the city is completely surrounded by mountains.

Anyway, I best get used to making this trip once a month. ^_^

久し振り笑って顔 (Long Time No See Happy Face)

It's strange. In the matter of one month my mind and thoughts are changing. Though I am stressed with my money situation and with my job I find myself waking up happy and eager to begin the day. This is a side of me I have not seen for a very long time. It is an aspect that I have long wished to once more be present within my life. Each day begins with the same routine and I follow the same path to the train station on my bicycle, yet each day feels brand new and the cool afternoon breeze uplifts my spirits and makes the upcoming hour long train ride seem inconsequential. Though I spend almost everyday on my own with no human interaction (minus my students and the random old ladies who like talking to me) I don't feel lonely. I don't feel sad. I just spent all day in my room watching TV shows I had to catch up on and not for one moment did I wish that there was someone beside me. Where is the loneliness and soul crushing sadness that has dogged me for the past two years?

Could my hopes and theories possible be true? Is Japan really healing my soul and building me back into the person I wish to be? Perhaps I could equate this feeling to the everlasting thirst felt by a desert wanderer as he comes across a cool glass of water after an arduous journey dotted with infrequent droplets of dew found upon the needles of each cactus scattered before him.

My prior rhetoric had always referred to America as poison, yet I never honestly believed those words to be so true. Yet with each day I spend here in Akita my soul seems to filter out any toxin once present. With each moment I become stronger and more resolute. I become more confident and driven. I come home to an empty apartment everyday and it's not a punishment. It's a haven. I can feel my wounds healing far more quickly than I ever imagined.

Last night I went to the beach. Beside witnessing a night sky that would have calmed even the most enraged beast (minus the heavy club music in the background) I took part in a small conversation with a man from New Jersey and a woman from South Africa who couldn't understand why I don't miss America and why I feel so at home in Japan. They were stunned by the fact that I don't go through times when I wish I was in the states or even in a McDonald's. Is it so strange for my "home" to not be the country within which I was born and raised? Isn't this fact a prime example of my shadowing the actions of Hemingway and other American expatriates who sought refuge in Paris?

Suffice to say, I can once more have faith in my actions and confidence in my decisions.

No matter what happens with my job, I am remaining in Japan however I can. I belong here. My Soul belongs here.

To be the Monkey Wrench

Over the past few days I have found myself becoming more and more uncertain about my position at Peppy Kids Club. After the incident with the child breaking her toe, I also managed to misread my lesson time and arrived 25 minutes past my check in time. I had enough time to prepare for class, and great the kids, but I doubt the company will be very pleased with my recent performance. This adds a lot of stress to me since the company can fire me at any time for the first three months of my employment.

The odd things is that even if I do survive this, I'm not sure if I fit in with this company. Like any large company (be it western or Japanese) it really seems like every person must become a cog in the machine. At this moment it is unclear to me whether I am capable of becoming a cog. With faxing paperwork, filling out forms, and calling in to head office for my personal "attendance check" I am quickly seeing how incapable I am at such things. I don't know if I'm like this because I'm a free spirit or because I'm just lazy/stupid.

That being said, it's not that I don't want boundaries put on me. I would appreciate having them since I tend to forget my own. Its more like I don't want to be told what to do within those boundaries. I do things my way. I don't refuse to do things other people's way because I don't agree with them. I am just incapable because they are hard for me to wrap my head around and practice. Perhaps it would be better if I transfered to a smaller company or eikaiwa. Perhaps later in life I should strive to own a small business and be my own boss. These are all questions for a later time of course.

As promised, here is a picture of my awesome bike. And before you ask; no, it is not a girl's bike (almost all bikes are unisex here).

...And All for Spite

So....I'm kind of fucked....

I found out today that one of my students during training broke her toe in one of my classes. Of course when it happened the girl told me she was fine and proceeded to walk over to another teacher to talk to them. For the rest of class she seemed fine to me -- and she even walked and went down stairs!

But nope...now I'm kind of fucked because I didn't inform the company (since I thought she had just fallen) and didn't tell the parent either...So, I might get fired pretty soon....joy....

If that happens, I will head over to Sendai and crash with friends until I get back on my feet. Wish me luck...

On a lighter note...I GOT A BIKE! It's a cool bike that I am very proud of ^_^ Pictures to come when the sun comes back up :P

I also opened my bank account today as well and finally cashed in all my travelers' checks.

I even met a nice old woman named "Ohashi-san" She used to be a Japanese Teacher. She said she would be my teacher since my Japanese was good enough for me to insult her by using the wrong form >_<>

You see...there is a certain buffer zone against insulting people when you are learning a language. If they can tell that you are just starting and struggling, they look the other way. But the moment they believe you have a grasp of the language....well....you better brush up on your p's and q's.

So....I'm here in Akita, finally. The trip here wasn't half bad (besides missing my train and having to sit in non-reserved seats, which are no different from the reserved ones). The apartment is awesome. I'll make sure to attach pics of it real soon, in the coming blogs.

But, what I really want to go over now are two things. My first night in Akita, and my first class.

-- My First Night --

After arriving in Akita and getting everything figured out with my apartment, my PS (Performance Supervisor...aka boss) had me meet up with a few other teachers. The night culminated in meeting with a Japanese salary-man named Sona, though we all call him Elvis. We went out drinking to commemorate the death of Elvis Presley and spent the entire night drinking and singing Elvis' greatest hits. In the course of our drinking we went to two very different bars. One was called "The Duke Room" and the other was called (Insert Name Here...i forgot). In both places I quickly made friends with the bartenders and now feel very comfortable just showing up on my own whenever I feel like it. I was served a lot of Nihon-shu (sake) -- It apparently surprised the Japanese that I liked Nihon-shu and that I could drink so much of it and be completely fine ^_^

-- My First Day of Teaching --

This day did not go as well. Though I managed to get all my errands done in a timely manner (while walking two miles in a typhoon to city hall) the class itself was kind of tough. Both my classes today were filled with "Problem Children." Almost as if the gods were helping my parents get pay back for the hand full that I was....am.....

Suffice to say that both classes left me exhausted. Thought it was nice to go so far out int he countryside and get on and off at a pretty nifty rural station (pics provided).

Anyway, I'll be sure to invest more time in describing my apartment and Akita when I feel like it...since right now I just don't feel like it....so there :P

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate westerners? Honestly, half the reason for my departure to Japan was to get away from westerners and surround myself with Japanese people. That being said, I am very glad to be leaving for Akita-Shi in Akita Prefecture on Monday. There is only a very small amount of westerners there, and a large amount of rural Japanese who tend to be very kind, polite, and interested in people like me. I don’t plan on spending a lot of time with foreigners. I’ve had my fill after 22 years in the US.

Anyway, on another note…TRAINING IS OVER!!! I am finally getting the hell out of Nagoya. I’m pretty much done with Nagoya. After living in Tokyo, this city is just boring. There is not much interesting history or entertainment here. It’s pretty dull for such a large city.

So training. It was tough. Not mentally challenging – Just physically and emotionally draining.　Waking up around 6:30am every morning has been pretty tough for me. I can get up and all, but my body aches and my eyes have been swollen for two weeks. Continuing with the soul draining qualities of training. During the middle of this week I found out that my training and another higher up in the company though I would not be able to do the job as if I was some sort of fool. I even had to wake up early on a day I should have been able to sleep in so that I could do demo lesson for my trainer. I hate it when people doubt me like that. Well, I showed him anyway. Got the 2^nd highest score in my training group for the company aptitude test and have received pretty good reviews from the other teachers who have observed me dealing with children.

I got my new inkan (stamp) today….it’s made of awesome, per usual. The character is “Kishi.” It means “Shogi Player.” I think that fits rather well with me since my last name meaning “Chess Player.” I’ll make sure to attach a picture to this blog.

I don’t really have too much to say about the past two weeks. I trained hard…Have swollen eyes and had a kid continuously pull my arm hair. I hope at some point to have pictures of some of the kids I will be working with, but I have to wait for the parents to take the pictures and for them to give them to me due to company policy.

I’ll make sure to write lots about the awesomeness/lameness of Akita (won’t know until I get there, right?)

Nagoya-ing It Up!

Well…it was fun but it all had to come to an end at some point I guess. I can’t keep going to karaoke and riding back and forth on the subways with some kind of income to sustain my “exorbitant” tendencies. At this moment, while I write this (obviously not while you are reading this two weeks from now), I sit inside an eerily familiar McDonalds in the Iisha area of Nagoya which looks like a model replica of any McDonalds you might find in the US. Creepy. The only difference is that the food and service is purely Japanese – In other words, better. The reason for sitting in the restaurant stems from the fact that I am supposed to show up at an allotted time to meet with Peppy Kids Club and get myself a nice, cozy, well-used room for training. I arrived in Nagoya at around 7:50am after sleeping on a night bus for about 10 hours from Sendai.

Speaking of Sendai, perhaps I should fill everyone in on my ridiculous exploits. When I first arrived in Sendai, I met Kevin at the station. Kevin was late – He’s always let. But I have to love him anyway because he has such pretty blue eyes. After walking about 15 minutes to his apartment as the morning was just beginning to feel the effects of the Summer Sun we got to his apartment where he and I both fell to the ground and partook in a small cat nap. Of course, Kevin slept much longer than me since he hadn’t really planned ahead and stayed up far too late the night before meeting someone at 7am. After reading through most of “Darling ha Gaikokujin da!” (My Darling is a Foreigner) I got a little antsy and headed out into the bustling streets of Sendai on my own, telling Kevin to call me when he was awake. First Stop: Tsutsujigoaka Park (Try saying that three times fast). There I just relaxed for a shot while and enjoyed watching the little kids play out in the field briefly before retreating to the trees to cool down. Afterwards I headed towards one of the main streets of Sendai where I finally found some Chocolate Chip Melon Bread! *Cue Angelic Singing* Along the way I also came across and bakery called “Pi-ta- Pan” (Peter Pan) I even took a picture of the sign since I thought the word play was wonderful. After walking up and down the road a few times and watching little kids play in the artificial streams along the sidewalks I finally met up with Kevin.

Kevin decided that we should go see Sendai Castle. It’s rubble now, but it is still a very amazing place. Of course, this adventure turned into an endless quest very quickly. Forgetting which bus stop to get off at, Kevin had us get off way up the mountain (past the castle). This would have been fine if Kevin had not seen a “giant Buddha statue” on a nearby mountain. So after a brief rest at Tohoko University we headed further up the mountain towards this mythical statue. After about 20 minutes of walking, Kevin decided to ask for directions from a local construction work. Kevin’s questions was greeted by a “You’re on the wrong mountain.” Yea…Wrong Mountain. So we walked back down the mountain all the way to the castle. Of course this was an adventure in itself since we now had to walk down winding mountain roads with no sidewalks while cars buzzed around the corners.

After about 30-40 minutes of walking we finally got to the castle site and I enjoyed some delicious little Sendai treats and received a wonderful fortune (FOR A CHANGE!). It said that everything will go well for me this year. I hope so. I would really like things to. Kevin and I proceeded to do the tourist thing and pray at the nearby shrine before going to take 1000 pictures of the statue of Date Matsumune (Daimyo of the Sendai area during the Warring States Period) and the beautiful view of Sendai from the base of the castle grounds. While taking pictures we bumped into a large group of Koreans who were part of some very large Universalist Church group. They began singing and praying that it would rain or thunder too much. Well… I think their singing angered the gods more than anything else and as Kevin and I began our return trip to the nearest bus stop it started raining.

Seeking shelter in the local International Center, Kevin and I looked at all the gifts given to Sendai by her sister cities. This experience serves as a great example for how much the US sucks. One of the sister cities was Dallas, Texas and it had given gifts just like everyone else. With all the states given colorful dolls, pots, antiquities, and exquisitely crafted items the Dallas gifts seemed slightly out of place since they obviously came from any of the numerous tourist shops present in the city (They gave them a freaking Souvenir PEN!) I don’t know about you, but if I was Sendai, I would be greatly insulted by this. I mean, it’s just unbelievable that they thought that would be ok. For God’s sake, give them a nice horse shoe or something! Anyway, everyone already knows that the US pisses me off.

Finally getting on the bus for Central Sendai, it starts pouring bathtubs. That’s right, bathtubs. Not buckets. Not cats and dogs. Big Victorian Bath Tubs! Of course we have no umbrellas (along with the rest of Sendai) and got sufficiently drenched before we found shelter.

Going to meet up with Kevin’s new lady-friend Marika we were confronted with a serious Moses like problem. The streets had flooded and turned into rivers! But since we are not Moses (no matter how Kevin’s beard may suggest otherwise) we had to wade through the water. It’s a good thing I was wearing flip-flops.

Meeting up with Marika at a star bucks in Sendai Station, we proceeded to take care of a few errands while I helped Marika figure out a kind of word problem for her English phonetics class. Here was the problem. Please provide an example of word that uses only soft syllables and ends in a soft vowel. I’ll post the answer at the bottom of this note for those of you who want to try and figure out for themselves.

Proceeding to a game center, after meeting with Marika, Kevin and I were surprised to find Marika looking for us at the game center later on. Apparently the subway had flooded a little and she couldn’t get home. Due to these rather unfortunate events we headed over to Saizerya (a very cheap Italian restaurant) and chilaxed. I sang many love songs for the two love-birds (hoping to get Kevin to join in – He didn’t). With the subways in working order again we parted ways and Kevin and I headed home.

While trying to sleep in Kevin’s apartment I realized that I was highly allergic to whatever was in it. Sleeping through it all I decided to stay with Mu-chan and her family. There I was treated to delicious meals and warm company. It was a wonderful family. Of course, Mu-chan made me carry all my heavy stuff through the heat to her house from the train station (even though her father could have come and picked us up!) Silly Mu-chan.

My day with Mu-chan included going to a beautiful shrine called Shiogama and meeting up with another friend. We all walked around and relaxed for a while and then headed off to meet with Kevin and go to dinner with him, Marika, and a few other friends.

Little did I know that this was a surprise party and was very worried when they brought me into an apartment complex. At this party there was even more delicious food and the great company of my two new friends Yuna and Mao. After dinner we headed out for all night karaoke where I destroyed my voice by singing Foo Fighters with authentic screaming. It was great fun. I got to sing Jero!

Returning to Kevin’s apartment to relax a little after the all nighter I headed over to the apartment of some more new friends (Sei and William). Enjoying a nice dinner and small bottle of sake with them I raced to catch the bus that brought me to Nagoya (we kind of lost track of time with all the drinking).

And that is pretty much my story for now I believe. I’m sure my friends who were present for these adventures could mention some other stuff too if they wanted.

So yea…. Party on Wayne


Party on Garth…

Eh eh….all right….ok


Add-age!

Place: Web Café in Fujigaoka
Time: 8/1/10 -- 10:45pm
Mood: MY FEET HURT!

I’ve got an apartment here in Nagoya! Just a small two bedroom deal that I share with my new, short term roommate Nigel. It be cool. I gots a futon to sleeps on!

So far Nagoya is awesome. I’ve looked around a lot and spent a lot of time with all the other trainees… A few nights ago I went with a few of the guys out to a yakitori grill and it was great. One of the waiters just kinda sat down and spoke with us (me) about where we came from and who we were. I love that celebrity aspect of foreigners in Japan ^_^

I bought new shorts! Because my other pair tore when I bent down to pick up my gigantic bag for the 5000th time…..yea…ouch

Nagoya city is pretty relaxed. There is no big hustle or bustle like Tokyo, but it’s still pretty nice. Been to one or two little restaurants…they were great! Even got a glimpse into the World Cosplay Summit being held here this weekend!

I start training tomorrow! I’m kinda excited…but you guys know how I don’t really get excited about anything except really cute things :P

Can’t wait to get going to Akita!