Wondering While Wandering: November 2004

Paul and Elissa at the Jamaican restaurant on Oshima. Yes, we are eating outdoors when it is nearly December.

A Japanese Rastafarian, making jerk chicken at his Jamaican restaurant.

Yukito, our buddy for the night.

The genkan or area where you take off your shoes at Paul and Elissa's Thanksgiving party

Nabe party at John's

Martinis at the Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka

Dan at Costco showing off our nice foreign food and 'Look, a trash can!!!'

Christmas is in the air and Canal City in Fukuoka

A Very Thanksgiving Indeed

Although I haven't eaten turkey (yet) I did have a nice Thanksgiving day. Chris made dinner for Bren and I, an Italian feast of spaghetti pie, garlic bread and salada which was delicious. I didn't gorge myself as much as on Thanksgiving so that is a plus. We did talk about the fullest we have been since living in Japan. Bren paid about 50000 yen to go on a trip to Kobe with her fellow employees. She attempted to get her moneys worth by eating as much Chinese food on a boat cruise that she could. After eating she immediately had to go to bed. My time was not too long ago in Masuda. I pigged out on kaiten sushi, I think I had about 6 plates and then went for 2 desserts at the most delicious bakery in Masuda. I had to crouch on my kitchen floor to make myself feel better before going to the Tamagawa onsen. After dinner at Chris's we went to do some pottery in Susa. Our teacher was a husband of one of Chris's conversation ladies. He is super cool. We made a few bowls and a few cups. After that all 6 of us lined up according to height, just for the heck of it. Kind of bizarre but hilarious. We looked like the Von Trappe family from Sound of Music and when that was mentioned we all busted out in a chorus of Do a Deer. After a few pictures and lots of laughs I went home. I was also able to call a few friends from home on their Wednesday night. They had been out drinking and were tanked. Slurring words and saying ridiculous things were apparent in all conversations I had. Hilarious.

Today I was at Ogawa Sho. Before class I am picked up from the office by a few students and then escorted to class. One of the little first graders, Takumi, always climbs on me like a little monkey. When I picked him up I felt something wet on my cheek. I disregarded it thinking it was saliva or water. When I got to class I wiped my face and it turned out to by yellowish green slime. Yes, I had his boogers on my face. I looked at his sleeve and it was covered with this same slime. I wanted to upchuck! But like the professional that I am I carried on teaching them about Thanksgiving while strutting around the class saying "Gobble, Gobble".

What's in a name?

Throughout my life I have been lucky enough to have many nicknames. Some of them I have picked myself, others were bestowed upon me by others. Names such as Sally and Smac were popular in my high school and college years. I have tried to go back to Sarah, since that is my given name and I quite like it. I have had no problems being a full time Sarah with my western friends but Japanese people is another story.

I like being called Sara-san and Sara-sensei. Gives me the feeling of power and importance (none of which I truly deserve). After my students got used to me they mainly called me Sara. It is funny because in America you would never call your teacher by just their first name, well actually you wouldn't in Japan either. I guess I am just an exception to the rule (as usual). Sara actually means plate in Japanese. So technically I am a plate. Some elementary students then began to call me Sarada which is pronounced in Japanese 'Salada' which means Salad. So now I am a plate and a salad. My last name is also very interesting for a Japanese person to pronounce. In Japanese it is 'Makunamara' which is difficult for them to say and sounds like Makudonarudo which is McDonalds. So now I am called McDonalds as in the restaurant. Plate, Salad and McDonalds humm all of those are to do with food. Now my eighth grade boys can pronounce my last name fairly properly. This is bringing me back to my high school guy friends who just called me by my last name. So now the boys in class say, 'Hey Makunamara'. There are benefits to having many names. When a person knocks on your door at 3am asking for Sally and they get confused because your roommates tell them there is no Sally here, you are saved. An alias keeps a person mysterious.

Hard Rock, Leather Straps, and Shoes

Gotta love the Monday after an exhausting weekend. I layed in my bed at about 6:30am pressing snooze maybe 6 times. I was tired and warm and cozy in my bed. Who wants to get up when the house is the temperature of the outdoors? Don't worry, I was able to make it to school today and the games I planned went well, aside from a few criticisms given to me by Ito (baka) sensei. The reason for the exhaustion is shopping. I never realized how much it can take it out of you.

We went to Fukuoka this weekend to celebrate Selena and Louise's birthdays however shopping was the main agenda. We drove down on Saturday (it surprisingly only took about 2.5 hours to get there), parked our cars at the first available parking spot and set off to Tenjin, shopping mecca of Fukuoka. I was bewildered, lost and in awe at the sights and sounds around me. Imagine after 4 months of living in the country, the quiet little country, to be plopped down in the middle of one of Japan's largest city. I couldn't fathom all the people walking around and shops to visit. We shopped for about 3 hours leaving with a pair of pants (yea! I was able to find a pair that fit), a sweater, a poncho and a rather pricey, but sweet watch. We then met up at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and birthday celebrations. Talk about reverse culture shock, at its finest! The menu was so.....so American! I drank an appletini and cosmopolitan (which is just unheard of), I ate pulled pork, coleslaw and french fries (what? a proper bun?) and then danced to 'They Say it's Your Birthday' by the Beatles. Fabulous! After dinner we headed out to the Small Cock and Big Cock (technically the Happy and Crazy Cocks) which are bars and danced and drank a bit. It was a good time, many gaijin which is very weird for me. Then we went to Sam and Daves which is a club that apparently has excellent music and dancing. Tonight just happened to be bondage night. We walked in fairly unaware of what was going on and saw a few women in leather clothes slapping eachother. (sorry for the older/wiser readers, I'm just giving the facts) We immediately left (ah such good judgement was instilled in us, thanks Mom) and were fortunate enough to get our 1000 yen cover charge back. After that, we basically called it a night.

Sunday we arose to the sounds of children screaming at Bren's friend's apartment. We got ready for yet another day of money spending. We went to Canal City, which in my opinion is much better than Tenjin. Easier to navigate, not as intense and overall nicer shops. I bought a skirt, PJ's, and 3 pairs of shoes. Yes, 3! Why 3? Because a) they fit and b) they were cheap! Even more fabulous! After eating some Indian curry we drove to Costco, yet another culture shock. Most of the stuff is straight from America. Some highlights of that shopping trip were brownie mix, Tostitos chips, Campbells soup, waffles, bagels and refried beans. Ah, simple pleasures.

Tea Time

Just an average day at the Board of Ed? No, there is never just an average day. After yesterday being left out in the blue I have been cheered up. Apparently my two English teachers were away on business. Could they have told me? Of course not. I was sitting at my desk reading everyone's blogs, checking my email for the 25th time when my signature was suddenly needed. What was it needed for? My amazon package. Amazon.co.jp Might I add. Last time I ordered from Amazon.com, very takai (expensive) shipping and took forever. This time no shipping charges and a lot quicker, although I am nervous to order DVDs. So 3 new CDs and two books later, I am a happy camper. I was then asked by an officer worker if I like to drink tea at home. I said yes (because I am getting sick of the green tea they drink here). He hands over a box of 96 bags of flavored Bigelow tea, Jackpot. They received this as a gift from one of the past ALTs and they don't like it so I took advantage of that. I tried to ask why they dislike it by asking if they didn't like it sweet. They asked me if I like sweet, sugar in my tea and I said sugar, dame (bad). She had just made me a cup with sugar in it, what an insult. So, now I sit here with three cups of tea in front of me. Which to drink, cold Japanese green tea, earl grey with sugar or Chinese tea (made in the USA)? I was just serenaded by Mukunoki-san. I proclaimed that it is Christmas for me and he busted out singing "Zingle bells, Zingle bells, Zingle all za way".

Gold Pillar, in the cave

Akiyoshido, cave entrance

Akiyoshidai

Akiyoshidai, limestone plateau

Kagura, Japanese theater. Students performing at Bunkasai, or culture day

Selling christmas trees and veggies to raise money for the school dog, ha!

Aozora, Special Ed students selling sweet potatos

Not Positive I'm O

First let me just mention that I know a lot of JETs read my blog and some of the things I am going to point out you already know. But the main reason I started this blog was for the sake of the readers at home, so bare with me while I fill them in.

I have been asked about 10 times by people of all ages what my blood type is. At first I just brushed it off thinking there was an up and coming blood drive. A few weeks passed before I was asked the same question again and I started to get curious. I am not actually sure what my blood type is, I did give blood just last year so I gave them the vague answer of, "Maybe, O-something". I have now been informed that they use blood types like we use the stars to determine our personalities and futures.

Japanese fall: Quite possibly the most pleasant season I have experienced. The weather is a lot milder than in Cleveland so I have been enjoying the warmth of the fall sun and the slight changing of the leaves. The trees don't get as colorful but the few that do change are beautiful. I have gone on many hikes and walks on the beach to enjoy the comfortable tempuratures. It is now starting to become cold. Not quite as cold as home, however there is no central heating. Something I am going to have to tough out through the long dark winter. In school my nose is starting to run, my feet under my desk are constantly cold. Japanese elementary students continue to wear short sleeves, shorts and barefeet while I bundle up with 3 layers. Unlike American parents, who tell us to bundle up because we might catch a cold; Japanese parents believe the less a child wears the more healthy or the tougher they will be. Interesting how exactly opposite those theories are. The fact being, you can't catch a cold from the tempurature outside, it is all bacteria and viruses floating around.

Speaking of my recent hikes...While my friends and I strap on our hiking shoes, comfortable clothes, and day packs; Japanese women are so skillful at hiking that they are able to wear stilletto heals, nylons and skirts on these very same trails. This isn't just a few Japanese women, this is all of them at all ages. Show-offs!

Last week my school had their Bunka sai or culture day. I was shocked that no one asked me to contribute anything to this day. I could have volunteered but I wasn't sure how the whole bunkasai worked so I guess everyone missed out on the talents of Sara-sensei. Bunkasai lasted from a boring 9am-4pm. The students' art was on display for everyone to see. It was quite impressive, many of them did their own versions of famous paintings. Through out the day each grade put on a play that lasted about an hour, there were speaches and some students performed Kagura (which is a Japanese play/dance where they dress up in elaborate costumes and dance around on stage). Unfortunately, I couldn't understand most of what was going on, so it made for a long day. The few highlights were: One of the 3 nensei's mothers knew that I can make my tongue into a flower and roll it like waves. She asked if she could see this, pointing to her tongue whilest saying "hana" which means flower. I was very confused but I stuck out my tongue like any other strange foreigner would and showed her my stuff. It was pretty hilarious. After lunch the students had a flea market. I bought a few ceramic cups for 200 yen. What-a-deal! So after 2 weeks of planning (and 0 english classes) the students pulled off a successful bunkasai.

That same weekend Hagi had a festival. People dress up in clothes from the Edo period and celebrate Japanese culture. My flamenco group was able to perform that day. It felt wonderful to be on stage again and part of a dancing group. The women in my group dressed me up in my flamenco costume, and did my hair and makeup. The performance really went well, and I even saw the mayor in the audience.