Homeward Bound

Things I am excited for.

1. Hugs and kisses from friends and family
2. Laying on the couch
3. Playing phase 10 with Gramma
4. Warmth when indoors
5. Speaking all English all the time
6. Talking to strangers
7. Peirogis
8. Manheim Steamroller Xmas music
9. The ancient holy feeling of a Catholic Mass
10. Ice Skating and Sledding
11. The chaos of shopping
12. Day after xmas sales
13. Dancing with Dad at the wedding
14. Getting my eyebrows waxed
15. Clothes smelling good, fresh out of the washer and dryer
16. Getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist
17. Meeting the Japanese women at the library
18. Shopping for omiyage for Japanese friends
19. Making the video diary
20. Meeting Erin
21. Talking to Vic on the phone at random jet-lagged hours
22. The smell of Dad's model train
23. Familiarity-no matter how foreign it will seem

Elephant in the Room

Did any of you see the Gus Van Sant film Elephant? I watched it last night and I don't know if I am lacking an artistic mindset or what, but I really didn't like it. It was dull. The first hour was an accurate representation of high school but it was boring. Just kids walking around the halls. The action started in the last 15 minutes where 2 kids decided to shoot everyone in the school, Columbine-style. It didn't really provoke many emotions in me, because I knew it was coming. What did you think of it?

Why is it called Elephant?

Nareta

Picture this.

Sitting under a kotatsu. Drinking ocha. Watching sumo. Practicing shodo. All at the same time.

Who did this?
Me

Who am I? a 65 year old Japanese obaasan?

Sumo

Yeah for sumo. What a great experience (despite the fact that we were sitting in just about the farthest place from the stage). We got the middle priced tickets, but I can't imagine where the cheap seats are. The only thing I can think of is outside the building.

So we arrived at the venue (not sure what it is technically called in Japanese). The tournament starts at 8:30 am for 14 days straight and ends at 6:00. Now is the Fukuoka tournament, I think there are about 6 tournaments a year. All the wrestlers fight once a day and that is how they determine who wins at the end of the tournament. Whoever wins the most out of 14 matches wins the tournament. The day starts off with the weakest wrestlers then ends with the strong one and the last being the Yokozuna (grand champion).

We arrived at about 3:00 when the strongest of the wrestlers would be going on. Poor Justin and Marko arrived at 10am! From about 4pm the place starts to fill up. It is really unique in the fact that the sumo wrestlers wander around amongst the fans. So you can meet anyone of them pretty easily if you want. We were actually able to wander 'backstage' and watch the famous wrestlers enter the ring. We got very close to them. And they are big guys, let me tell you! They weigh 200-300 pounds. There are weight and height requirements but I forget what they are. I think 179cm and 100kg. Something like that. We got to watch about 20 matches which only last about 2-4 minutes each. It was great to see them intimidating eachother and throwing the salt in the ring. A very unique experience. I was reading my program and about half of the wrestlers are foreign. From Mongolia, Bulgaria and Russia. The Yokozuna right now is called Asashoryu and is from Mongolia. I like him the best, he seems ruthless. The other girls I was with took a liking to the Bulgarian wrestler. Hannah even bought a keitai strap to remind her of him.

So after the sumo we headed to Tenjin and had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. We ate lots, dranks lots and talked lots. Then we headed to the Spanish bar for some Red Stripe (yeehaw) and some drinking games. After that we went to Fu bar- a big foreign party and danced a bit. It was a great night and it was wonderful to hang out with quality people! Thanks guys, hope you had as much fun as me.

The next day we went shopping. Louise, Chris and I all bought fabulous hats. So we put them on and strutted around town like it was nobodies business! (Even though Japanese city girls can out-dress us anyday!)

The Remedy

Apparently when you have a cold and a fever here you are supposed to stick green onions up your butt. They will reduce the fever. I double checked to see if people actually do this, and some do! Gross me out.

Sad fact: Of the last 4 Thanksgivings, I have only attended one in the US. I miss the turkey and stuffing!!!

Happenings

Went to Kyushu with the Watanabe's this weekend. Teru and Fusae picked Chris and I up at 4am on Saturday. It seems whenever Teru is driving I get car sick, so Chris and I popped some dramamine and passed out until 7. I NEVER sleep in the car so when I woke up and saw that it was already 7 I was shocked. I was convinced that it could only have been 5:30. So we drove the 5 hours to Aso-san only to learn that it was closed. For the first time it was closed because poisonous gases were rising out of the crater. No one could go up and visit it. I was quite bummed, I must say. So we got back in the car and headed to Yufuin, a little onsen village. We ate lunch, dunked our feet in the hottest foot onsen I have ever felt then went shopping. I was convinced I wouldn't buy anything, but I found a present for my brother's wedding, so I suppose that is OK. We went to a beautiful onsen in Yufuin, then had dinner and headed home. A true Japanese road trip. Fast and shoving in as much stuff as you can.

The next day was Hagi Samurai Matsuri. It was quite a fun time. They dressed Dan, Pete and Chris is Samurai gear and put them in the parade. Chris was the first woman to ever be dressed as a samurai in the parade, I laughed so hard, then felt a little bad for her! Poor Kurisu! While they were walking the 1.2 km, Pauline, Cho Rong and I wandered around the festival. We made bamboo helicopters, ate manju, searched for sweet potato fries and watched yosakoi, which was the coolest part of the day. Yosakoi is a type of dance where they hold noise makers and dance to pretty cool Japanese music. Of all the performance art forms in Japan, this is by far my favorite. I would love to try it out, but you know when you join a hobby in Japan you are commiting yourself to at least 2 practices a week plus performances. The number 1 yosakoi group in Japan performed and I mentioned to one of my students that one of the guy dancers was cool. (ie. good looking) Well she jumped at the chance to embarrass me and ask if I could have my picture with him (in true middle school/high school fashion). I was amazed at how many people I knew at the festival. They weren't all my students (as usual) but people from all areas of my Hagi life. It made me feel like a real person living here, rather than just a temporary foreigner on parade. After that we went to okonomiyaki where Cho Rong, Pauline and Chris shapped their pancakes into echi shapes (heart, boobs and penis). It was a good weekend.

Silly Thought

Scene: Me and 2 first graders on the playground.

Yuki: I saw Sarah sensei at the Kinuya (supermarket) yesterday.
Hiroko: What?! Why wasn't she in America?
Yuki: She is always in Japan. She doesn't come from American everyday.
Hiroto: REALLY?!?!? What?!?!?!

Apparently Hiroto thought I commute from American to Japan everyday. I told him that it takes 13 hours on an airplane to get here and that would be impossible.

Eating Machine

This weekend I performed in the Fukuga Matsuri (in Abu). It was the cheerleader dance that is a spoof of a TV show here called Pecori Nights. Put on my costume and the rain started to pour. It was very natsukashii because when I was a Rangerette in high school it would rain at every football game and we would still perform. Luckily the rain didn't stop my wonderful friends from coming (thanks Chris, Matt, the Watanabe's and Satoshi). It's a lot more fun to perform when you know your friends are cheering you on. In our group were also Power Rangers, which added an odd twist to it. Only afterwards did I find out it was a contest. My group came in 2nd (1st was the kids taiko group) and we won 20000 yen! There were 2 other weird acts, one was a girl that stripped and the other was 2 guys with faucets for penises- I think they were only in it for the money!

After that my friends forced me on stage only to find out that I was entered in an eating contest. It was a race, who ever ate the fastest would win. I had to eat a croquet, roastbeef, yakisoba, a box of milk, a bowl of udon, 2 onigiri and mochi. It was freaking impossible. I gave up at the onigiri and shoved them in my pockets. I was amazed that these women were able to finish all this food in record time. I came in a very slow second to last place and as I ran to the stage I was spitting out food all the way there.

Other than that, did some sea kayaking and hiking this weekend. This is my new lazy life.

Japanese Sub-Culture

Check out what Japanese subculture you are!!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourjapanesesubculturequiz/

I forget the name but i was one of those freakishly tan girls! yikes!

Cynnical

For those of you 2nd years with blogs, go back about a year ago and read what you wrote. I just did it and I am amazed at how enthusiastic and surprised I was at things. How can I regain that, almost, child-like reaction to new experiences? I am disappointed in myself now. I need an attitude adjustment.

Happy Halloween

I will write my account of the weekend before I read everyone else's blogs, so sorry if this is a repeat for many of you.

Friday: Dave's enkai. Due to dance practice I arrived at the party late, only to be welcomed to the party by a game of spin the bottle. Since I wasn't drinking, I was just a bystander. It was actually quite an innocent game, but I yelled and tried to get things a little more racey. Unfortunately my efforts were wasted. I was shocked to see 2 drunk Japanese men taking part, although not that surprised because most drunk J-men become sukebe (letchy) when drunk. I was captured by the kiss between Dan and one of the Japanese men. Yes, there was no sexual descrimination in this game. So after that a dance party ensued. I actually spent the night talking with Victoria and Carl. I learned that Carl doesn't have an alarm clock, or any clock for that matter. Apparently he rises with the sun and makes it to all his commitments on time!??!

Saturday: Headed down to Yanai. Met up with Kat and Lee and got dressed in my Velma costume. I spent the week making a red skirt and trying to find orange turtle neck and socks. We got there early, had hot dogs for dinner, and started drinking. Some of the costume highlights of the evening were 7/11 employees, Strawberry Shortcake, Anpanman, Tom (Neal dressed as Tom-not him as himself), Steven Hawking, Matsu Ken, Jackie O, and an Arab. The costumes were great, good job everyone. People really put the effort in to look their best. After a few games were played (which I gave up on quite easily), we danced, talked and drank. I was at the party from 7-3am and really, I have no clue where all that time went. There was one hilarious event of the evening. The 7/11 troup (who were constantly yelling 'irashiamase!!' as people walked through the door) made a trip to an actual 7/11. They barged in and went right to the counter and said 'Sorry we are late. May we start work now?' then went around the counter and started working. People came to their counter and tried to buy things while they attempted to scan them. After a few minutes, the very confused Japanese people told them to stop. They thought it was funny but the scared looks on their faces meant that we should probably go. It was hilarious. Thanks for that entertainment guys! So that was the party. The usual good times. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that someone told me to die that night (because I am American). I got all bent out of shape about it that night, but I suppose I am over it. Take note: If you really want to piss me off, tell me to die. That will get my blood boiling.

Sunday: Had a lovely lunch at Sanzoku (despite a hangover-which wasn't as bad as usual since I drank Heineken vs. Japanese beer). Then headed home. Happy Halloween, y'all.