Fire Drill

I am reliving many things Christine told me about last year (since I have taken over her schools). Today was the fire drill. You don't just run out of the school and stand there, this is a proactive drill.

Of course there is a fire truck with 2 fire fighters there as well as certain obastacles. The first one is to put out a blaze with fire extinguishers. 10 people got to do this (me being one of them). Although I have already used a fire extinguisher (an incident in the dorms as university). Then they kids have to go through a large box filled with smoke. They all came out hacking so when they asked if I wanted a go, I said no!

So that is the excitement that is my life. Sorry I have nothing better to report, maybe after the Halloween Party I will have something to report.

Hallelujah! I Still have it in Me!

First of all I would like to ask you fellow Yamaguchians...Is it just me or has it gotten pretty chilly all of a sudden?

Last night I had dance practice with my friend Emiko. We are performing at a few local festivals and we are doing a spoof of the theme song from a show called Pecory Nights. The song has the same tune as 'Saturday Night'. It is a funky little cheerleader routine that should be done full of energy. At first I followed the motions of my Japanese teachers. Very sloppy and lacking pep. But all of a sudden a switch was turned on in my brain. It was a switch that has been turned off for a very long time. I remembered that I could own that dance and put my own flavor in it. I was shaking my hips and acting crazy like the good old days. I thought I lost the spark for dancing, but alas, I haven't. I still love it, what a relief!

Last of all, yesterday my first grade students (7 year olds)came into the teachers office to get me for class. They walked in the office and said 'Hey baby, Let's go!'. It was the cutest thing I have heard in a while.

Susie and Jess's Visit

So after we went to Osaka I came back to Yamaguchi and the girls went to Kyoto for 2 days. Unfortunately they missed one of the most unique days I have had at an elementary school. My two smallest schools (one has 11 kids the other has 15) had a sumo competition. It was held at a temple and all the little boys wore traditional sumo gear. It was adorable, how they stomped around trying to throw eachother to the ground with their bums sticking out.

When Susie and Jess came back to Yamaguchi I tried my hardest to show them my normal life here. We went and bought Hagi-yaki, they did karaoke, they tried their hand at pottery and then even came to school and taught some lessons. Let's not forget trying all the delicious cuisine that Japan has to offer, teishoku, okonomiyaki, yakiniku and sashimi. I would have to say, it was rather successful.

Their final weekend they came to Hagi for a night out. We were joined by some other Hagi people as well as some folks from the south and had a rip roaring good time at the Bucket place. Good times are always had there. Then the next day we went camping in Ato with lots of Yamaguchians and some Shimane people. No sooner did we get there that I hit the wine bottle. People had been there all day so I figured I needed to catch up. After one bottle was finished, like and idiot, I scavenged around for more. This was my downfall. I hardly drink in Japan, so I should have called it quits there, but I kept going. A dance party pursued (thanks to a mix that Susie brought with her, and left for the enjoyment of other Yamaguchi parties) and we danced the night away. Tom Smith has some stellar dance moves, let me tell you! I suddenly realized that I was tanked and I allowed my friends to talk me into puking. Mind you, I have not puked in four years (the wonderful xmas party that my parents are so kind to remind me about and thoroughly embarrass me in front of whoever they can). So after I released my udon that I had for dinner I was off to bed in our Mongolian tents. Not before I gave Matt a hug (if that is what you like to call me sprawling my drunken self right on top of him) goodnight. I hear other things went on that evening but I am not one to spread gossip over the internet, so I will just tell you about my silliness. Hope everyone else had fun too!

Thanks for coming to Japan, Boozer and Bulldog!

Trying to Look Like a Local

So it is official, Susie and Jess are finally here. They are two friends from my days at OSU and AIU. I met them in Osaka on Friday night after a slight delay. It is always great to see some faces from home, especially ones that are excited to learn as much as they can about the Japanese culture. So Friday evening we went to Namba and after being lost in an area full of skanky snacks we made it to a nice izakaya.

Saturday we trekked out to Universal Studios Japan. It was great because I haven't been artificially entertained like that in ages. I have to find my own fun around this Hagi area, but this place is built so all you have to do it walk through the gates and they will entertain you. Through out the American themed park there are various shows going on as well as rides. We rode ET which was very cute. It took you through ET's planet while riding bikes. I must say, it is a very pleasant place, indeed, full of bright flowers. Imagine OZ minus the munchkins but plus many ETs. Then we road Spiderman which was my favorite ride. You put on your 3D glasses and are taken through his world. When you encounter various villians (such as a man made of fire and water) they spit water at you and heat you up. 3D is an amazing technology that had me screaming in my seat. I usually don't fall for such artificial hoaxes, but it got me. Then we went on a few more rides, last being Jurassic Park in the rain. Jess really enjoyed it and Susie and I tried to avoid being soaked. That night we met up with my friend Kon-chan from Fukuoka (who coincidentally happened to be in Osaka that night). So we went for dinner then to an American bar. I attempted to explain the going out culture in Japan (how people don't really go to bars to mingle with strangers) but it is hard to take in when you are used to things a certain way.

The next day we went to Shinsaibashi which is a really hip shopping area. We walked around the basement of Daimaru, the girls WOWed at the price of produce. Then we shopped around the Loft and took pericura and played the taiko arcade game. Quite a full afternoon. After a lunch of Osaka okonomiyaki we met up with Aiko (daughter of my pottery teacher) and spent the rest of the day with her. She is such a cool chick who listens to punk music, works for a really good band and has lots of guy friends. I wish she was around here, or I lived in Osaka so we could hang out tons. She took us to a cool vintage shop then helped us pick out some J-pop. After that we went to a venue to hear some music. There was a gig going on that included 7 bands. Many of them were heavy metal-ish, but Aiko's band Lymram was sweet and what Japanese call 'mix' music. It was quite heavy but included piano and a DJ, they were really good. So during the concert we hung out with the band members (who were really cool) and Aiko's two other dude friends called Kaz (same name). It was great hanging out with Japanese guys, that doesn't often happen. Usually friends stick with the same sex. We went for donburi then back to the show.

The next day we headed to Osakajo (the castle) which was over-rated in my opinion. But luckily we stumbled upon a happi festival (that is why I love Japan), so the girls got to see some traditional dancing. After a walk through a big croquet tournament we made it to the castle which is gorgeous from the outside but inside is a museum. The artifacts aren't too impressive, I feel in terms of artifacts, Hagi Museum is better. After that we went for dim sum for lunch (my favorite chinese meal) then I headed home and the girls went to Kyoto. They will come to Yamaguchi on Wednesday and I am quite excited to show them my little world.

Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend!

School Things to Report

Item #1:

Yesterday many of the 2 and 3 nenseis did an intern day. They go and try to do different jobs and see what they like. Two girls went to the elementary school, some kids worked at a restaurant etc.

So I am sitting at my computer minding my own business when one of my students came up to me. He said, 'Sarah, you can't throw away pens in your thin plastics'. I thought he was referring to something I did at school, but I couldn't remember an instance recently where I threw away some pens. Then it occurred to me, he was a garbage man for a day, and it just so happens that was my day (only happens twice a month) to throw away thin plastics. I was quite embarrassed, but more annoyed, because nearly everytime I throw away any sort of trash there is always someone from my town going through it and commenting how I did it wrong. Mendokusai!

Item #2:

I acted quite childishly today. These kids here think I am an ignorant fool because I can't speak fluent Japanese. They like to make fun of me nearly everyday. Usually I take it in stride but today it got to me. One of the students told me 'Sarah, everything on you is big'. Referring to my body size, weight, nose, head, eyes, you name it. So I rebuked with 'Well Kenta, everything about you is small' then I held up my fingers and showed him just how small he is. Deep down I was referring to his manhood (assuming not yet developed seeing as he is only 14). Well he got the joke and punched me in the arm. It was more or less all in good fun, but I shouldn't have stooped to the level of a middle school student. For that, I am a baka.