Wondering While Wandering

Happy Fridays

2010-09-05T18:11:00.007+09:00

This Friday Kat and I decided to keep it cheap and go to a few happy hours. On Hardware Lane with in a block of each other we found 3 great spots.

Happiest Budget Happy Hour: La La Land, Hardware Lane
$3 wines, $5 beers. You can lounge around on leather couches or sit in the screened in smokers room. It's almost like smoking indoors is legal again. Busy after work vibe.

Happiest Budget Meal: Coconut House
Cheap and delicious, I had curry chicken and prawns with coconut rice for $8. Especially cheap since our meals were paid with a 20 I found on the ground.

Happiest After Dinner Drink: Horse Bazaar, Little Lonsdale
This bar has a great happy hour as well. Video images constantly scrolling along the wall, DJ blasting rather unfitting but fun late 90's early 2000 hip hop. Quite a cool place with nice bathrooms too!

Happiest Place I would have loved to spend more time: 1000 Bend, Little Lonsdale
Good lord was this place hip. Even though it is supposedly unpretentious I would have fit in a bit better wearing hipster, boho gear rather than my casual friday jeans. However this place was amazing, small little cafe with vintage furniture opens into a gallery serving beer and wine. Would have stayed longer if the bar wasn't 10 people deep. Oh to dream.

Lots of Eating Out!

2010-08-27T12:22:00.007+09:00

Unfortunately Kat's partner isn't so keen on going out for breakfast, but fortunately I am. Off to Hardware Societe located on Hardware Lane for poached eggs with smoked salmon and chorizo beans on toast. Cute decor using old English china and distressed wood table.

Breakfast on Saturday: Hardware Societe

One of my first meals here was with Ellen and Tomoko at an old favorite from the last time I was here. Our meal was eaten whilst photos were being taken for a new book called "Funky Melbourne" (or something like that). We ate suckling pork, eggplant in a coconut sauce, a delicious fish and all the accompaniments of a delicious Balinese meal.

Amazing Balinese: Warung Agus

Mid-week after work I try to meet up with Kat to just break up the week a bit. She suggested going to a spicy Sichuan restaurant but since there were only two of us we went to the high profile Mamasita Mexican Restaurant. It isn't your ordinary Mexican with a long queue out the door, intricately cooked traditional foods such as ceviches, tostitas, and tacos. Prices were mid-high, portions were comparatively small, but I ended up full and satisfied by the fresh flavors.

Exquisite Mexican, far from my home: Mamasita

After hauling my tap shoes from the US to the UK to Australia I found a street tap class at Jason Coleman's (judge of Australia's So You Think You Can Dance) Ministry of Dance. The timing was perfect, after work on a Thursday, and location even better, halfway between work and home. Though the setting was one of the most fun, cool and exciting I have seen (large prints on the wall, low lighting, warehouse-like, huge studios, leather sofa waiting area) the class left more to be desired. The famous teacher, who was a member of the cast of Tap Dogs was out injured, so one of his students taught the class (she was approx age 18). It was advertised as an adult open class but the mean age was about 15. I felt out of place and unhappy. So sadly I don't think I will be returning.

Initially exciting but ultimately disappointing dance class: Ministry of Dance
(Wish I had a proper image of the facilities)

First Week Dining Adventures

2010-08-27T12:13:00.003+09:00

Ellen has an inherent love of Japan that she just can't shake. Often days around the city with her involve having Japanese food, watching a Japanese film or looking at photos from Japan. It is no surprise that she was very excited to take me to her favorite Japanese restaurant located in the CBD in an alley between Myer Department Store. We had delicious, authentic Bento boxes. Not quite as cheap as my 500yen favorite in Hagi, but for $20 I was stuffed!

Favorite Japanese: Kenzan

Surprisingly Kat was the one to introduce me to Melbourne's own 100yen shop which sells a variety of goods for $3.50 each. Well, maybe not so surprising due to Kat's love of all things kitsch. I was able to get toilet cleaner, make-up pads, and a strainer for my new life here.

Not so 100yen shop: Tokuya

A New Start

2010-08-27T12:03:00.006+09:00

So I am back in Melbourne after finishing my Masters Degree in Intercultural Relations. I am doing an internship at a university here and wandering around the city with two old (blogger) friends from Japan. These two friends love showing my around to their favorite restaurants, bars and shops and I would love to show all of you places I have gone. If you are looking for a fantastic dining guide to the city of Melbourne, and you are a local, I am not sure this is the blog for you, as I am an amateur. It is mostly to show friends from around the world the little gems of this city.

First Stop: Section 8

Melbourne is known for it's hidden laneways full of trendy bars, cafes, and restaurants. This bar made out of old container supplies is hidden in Tattersol's Ln in Chinatown. Even in the winter, with the heaters on, it was a great place to get a pre-dinner drink.

Second Stop: Shanghai Dumpling House

After waiting in a queue for 20 minutes our party was seated at Shanghai Dumpling House. The menu lists about 30 different types of dumplings to try as well as other Chinese dishes. Long wait to sit, short to eat, we were gobbling dumplings within 5 minutes of ordering.

Boston- And another year has gone by

2009-05-02T08:04:00.007+09:00

Well all the travels of the last post have come and gone and seem like a distant memory. I have since settled in Boston as a grad student. I thought the day that I graduated undergrad would be my final day as a student. But here I am in the educational capital of the world taking on the the role I was so very happy to give up. Student and English teacher. My experience here is a lot less culturally obtuse as my previous experiences but it has still taken some adjusting. Living in the suburbs, having a car, a bed, possessions, more than a couple weeks of clothes. I'm doing this all in the name of international education. My travels have been reduced greatly, although I can't abandon my passport completely. My student loans and left over money from Australia will be taking me on a trip to Rio de Janeiro. I yearn to be on the road but feel comfort with making new friends for longer than a couple of weeks or a month. I am almost certain that after the 2.5 years this degree will take I will be on the road again but constrained by loans and financial obligation. So for now I will leave you with a few images of Boston in the spring.

Moving On

2008-04-24T08:24:00.006+09:00

In the event of struggling to find an apartment and interesting job, Ed and I have decided it is time to move on. I feel I have made the most of my time here but extending another month would only mean working admin and labour jobs. We wouldn't be travelling or experiencing anything too new. So on 15 May we are heading halfway around the world, stopping on 3 continents. First stop: Japan!

I will get a chance to visit old friends and students and see all my favourite spots.
Next we will head to Cleveland!

It's about time Ed has met the folks. Then we will head to New Hampshire to work at camp.

A quick stop over in Iceland:

And finally the UK to meet Ed's fam. Maybe I will even stop by my old school and flat while I am there.

Lot's of things to be excited about.

I would Root for you!

2008-04-24T08:14:00.003+09:00

First of all I would like to mention a big vocabulary difference. In Melbourne Aussie Rules Football is VERY popular. Matches are sold out and everyone has a team they support. Rather than asking someone what team the root for (as root means to have sex with someone) they say "barrack" for them. I guess rooting for Collingwood would be quite a painful event.

Also, the world bogan is similar to "hillbilly" or someone that isn't exactly politically correct. Let's see if we can spot a bogan...

Oh yeah, that'll do!

2008-03-13T13:39:00.007+09:00

Pictures from my birthday celebration a few weeks ago. (Thanks Noemie!)

New Camera, New Photos

2008-02-19T14:10:00.009+09:00

Stolen Generation

2008-02-13T08:04:00.000+09:00

Sometime being in a country so culturally similar to my own I just let cultural differences run over me like water. I have witnessed a few acts of history both big and small since coming to this part of the world. Before we left for NZ a new Prime Minister was elected in Australia. Kevin Rudd is his name and he seemed very popular amongst people of my generation. It reminds when Bush was relected almost 4 years ago and he seemed to be very unpopular, but I guess I was talking to the wrong people. That and I was in a foreign country around people from various countries and if they could vote I think that election would have turned out differently. When Rudd was elected he promised that he would make a speach apologizing to the Aboriginal people for the Stolen Generation. The Parliament would order people to go to the bush and collect children, separate them from their families and force them to live these alternate lives of Christian faith. Rudd's speach was very heartfelt and honest. Not full of excuses just apologies. I think it is safe to assume there are people in this country (and maybe even my country) thinking "Why does he have to apologize. He/this generation didn't commit the heinous acts, we should blame older generations". This process only perpetuates hate and unpeaceful acts. To this Rudd made a remark "We get to bear the blessings of our older generations so it is only fair that we should bear the burdens as well". It was a great speach and I commend him for doing this, as I don't think the leader of my home country would even think of making such an apology to anyone.

Various news articles of the apology.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudds-apology-revealed/2008/02/12/1202760286861.html
This one has a video clip.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23202607-12377,00.html

A few other things that we have go to see first hand are a few deaths. The death of Sir Edmund Hillary when we were in NZ. We woke up one morning, turned the radio on and every radio station was dedicated to making a tribute to this fine, honest man. I was grateful to get to hear about Sir Ed from his fellow countrymen. Another sad one was Heath Ledger. It is a shame being a celebrity and dying young, they media doesn't properly celebrate your life. They just want to dig out all the dirt and explanations. May they both rest in peace.

New Zealand

2008-01-30T06:45:00.001+09:00

Here is a picture summary of our NZ trip. Not many stories other than those that the pictures tell.

Best Deal of 2008

2008-01-04T14:06:00.000+09:00

Before we went to Melbourne for Christmas my camera took a flop. One day it worked and the next it looked like a bad TV with no reception. I have only had this camera for 3 years however I think it gets used a lot more than your average camera. Nearly everyday for the last 3 years it has captured countless cultural oddities, it's been in extreme hot and cold, up mountains on the beach and much more. I think it has served me well, however it would have been nicer if it lasted another 2 years.

After searching and searching I have found a camera that satisfies my needs. It's a Lumix FZ18. Due to price I was going to have to get the next model down (FZ8). We looked in various camera shops around Melbourne and the FZ18 was priced at AUD$799. I was looking up reviews on the camera and I found a deal with an American site for $334 including a 1GB memory card. Needless to say I was quite pleased and I purchased the camera on the spot. The only problem being I had the company send it to my parents in America first and I won't have it before we go to NZ. Hopefully it will be up and running for other adventures.

Christmas Time

2007-12-17T13:41:00.000+09:00

Not too many great stories to tell. After moving into our new place in Erskineville (quite close to where we were living before) we found out our street, Pleasant Ave, has a yearly Christmas block party. It reminded me of Northland Ave quite a bit, but Santa showed up at the block party rather than a bicycle parade.

In December I got a new boss who is a great person. During his first week he came around asking about the company Christmas party. I told him that all I know about that is I wasn't allowed to go, since I am just a temp here. Well he worked his executive magic and asked the General Manager of News if I could go and he said yes. So I was able to attend the Christmas party which had lovely views of the harbour.

Un Luck

2007-11-27T07:25:00.000+09:00

Thanksgiving week on Australia St. was a rocky one. Our Aussie flatmate, Aaron, went to America and his name was on the lease. Since he was moving out and we are unable to sign a new lease (because we are short term and foreigners) they decided we had to move out. This was not good news. In a strange city it is hard to set up a life and we were finally getting settled in Newtown only to find out we had to up and move again. At the moment in Sydney it is near impossible to find housing, and short term housing is even more difficult. So we were back on gumtree looking up share accomodation. I was coming up with nothing and getting really stressed out. One of the pluses of being forced to vacate the house has been we get to sell everything. So Saturday we had a yard sale. In the midst of that we met an old man who lived 3 doors down. He coincidentally had a room available. I was so desperate that I actually considered moving into his loft even though is 12 year old vegetarian daughter runs his life. But at the last minute Noemie's friend had 2 rooms available in her house so Ed and I went to check the place out yesterday and it is gorgeous. The room is a studio out the back with our own bathroom and it reminds me of an island holiday. I am very excited to move in. I truly believe that if you are a good person things will work out for you in the end.

I will post a few pics..There are some of our early Christmas. Ed's mom and dad sent us a Christmas package and it arrived on the day that we found out we needed to move out, so we decided to open them up to cheer ourselves up. Also, two weekends ago Noemie and I did a 10 k walk from Manly to the Spit bridge which was lovely as well. Hope everyone's holiday seasons are going well.

Lucky Me

2007-11-19T14:37:00.000+09:00

This photo is funny because Sydneysiders are often found walking around the city barefoot (even in the CBD). So in a city where people don't often where shoes this little dog was prancing around.

I have had a lucky streak since I have been in Sydney. I don't often enter contests or can be bothered with gambling but I have had a few strokes of luck. The first being Vodafone. I received an email from them saying I have won a customer appreciation prize so I got to choose a gift from 8 offerings. One was a 20% off phone upgrade, travel books, and other things. I chose a pocket knife (which I was about to buy before I came to Australia) so I was quite pleased with that. My second bit of luck was when I won money betting on the Melbourne cup. Finally, I entered one of my photos in a contest for Time Out Sydney Magazine (a guide to what is going on in Sydney). You are meant to send in a funny picture taken in Sydney. I just found out today that my photo will appear in 21 November addition and I will get a free subscription to the magazine. Shall I try my luck some more to see if it really is a lucky streak?

It helps to be Efficient

2007-11-07T14:32:00.000+09:00

Went to the aquarium last weekend with Noemie. I was pretty impressed with it however it is quite odd to go to an aquarium after you have been scuba diving. You feel a bit cheated since I have seen many of these fish in the wild and not in a glass box. I guess that would be similar to going on an African safari and then attempting to enjoy a zoo. But it was a decent thing to do on a rainy Saturday.

This past Tuesday was the Melbourne cup. I was quite excited about my first real cultural experience here in Sydney. The whole country shuts down from lunch time on. In Melbourne it is a state holiday. At my work it was mine and another girl's responsibility to organise the office sweepstake. We have a $1, $2 and $5 pot. You draw the horse's name out of a hat so it is a random chance to win. We all headed over to the pub for lunch and to watch the race. I didn't really think I had a chance so I enjoyed watching everyone place their bets at TAB but I didn't participate. The race started and one of the donkeys was leading the whole time, with a favorite in 3rd place. The last 10 seconds of the race they don't show you what the standings are and wouldn't you know my $5 bet Efficient won the race. I won the most money in our office sweeps than any one else at the table (it was $50). So beginners luck has struck again.

Birthday Boy

2007-10-29T07:54:00.000+09:00

Ed's birthday was last week. For his birthday he was granted a birthday week. So we started off last Saturday going to a market and then to a Spanish chocolate cafe (he loves chocolate). On Monday he (and sort of I) received a gift of food from a lady named Mary at my work. She is Lebanese and made us the most delicious garlic spread and hummous. On his birthday we had a candle light dinner in our back garden followed by cake. We finished off the week going to an art show and dinner at Yoshinoya (a Japanese restaurant) that he ate at when he lived in Hong Kong.

The other pictures are of paintings he has been working on for the last few weeks. Our bedroom walls needed some decoration.

Good Weekend

2007-10-15T11:32:00.000+09:00

This weekend was a good one, finally. Friday we went out for some karaoke at one of the local pubs. Saturday we introduced Noemie to Yum Cha (so delicious) then headed to Surry Hills festival. Each weekend there is some sort of festival going on in Sydney. It is quite fun. Sunday Ed and I went hiking in the Blue Mountains. Nice to get some fresh air.

I would also like to mention how at my jobs I am frequently retracing my steps. In a city so large and with so many businesses I have had a few odd coincidences happen. I started off working for Sunday Life, part of the Sydney Morning Herald. The guy that sat next to me, James, was the photo editor. The following week I was working for a company called Photolibrary that sells images. I was on reception so the phone rang one day and the person said "This is James from the SMH". I said "James it's Sarah!" and we had a bit of a chat. For the job at Photolibrary I sent out invoices. Now that I am working for the Finance Dept for News Limited (another newspaper company) I had to file invoices, and I filed one of the invoices that I actually folded up and sent out. It is amazing that I am able to leave little traces of me all around the city.

Sydneysider

2007-10-11T14:25:00.001+09:00

A view from Fairfax, my first job when I arrived. It's Darling Harbour

Here are a few of where we live, Newtown.

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This is our street.

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This is my house. 113 Australia St, Newtown.

A Year Ago

2007-10-04T15:29:00.000+09:00

Exactly a year ago today I arrived in Sydney. I have been neglecting this blog for a while because my friends are on facebook, but I couldn't pass up the chance to post on my one year anniversary in Sydney. (well with a little break)

I can't believe how different my attitude was a year ago. I was fresh from one of the best experiences in my life, Japan (and it was truly that after reading all of my blog entries today) and excited to embark on the next. This go around I am a little less enthusiastic. I have come to a strange city to be reunited with a very special someone only to find that I am starting an average life here. I have an apartment, a terribly boring job and very few friends halfway across the world. No fun trips to the Whitsundays to snorkle, no fun trips to Magnetic Island to see koalas. No plans to do any of this in the next 4 months. Camp was such a great experience that it made me want to stay in the US for a bit longer, rather than go down under.

But here I am, adjusting to becoming a temporary Sydneysider. If nothing else I will look at this as a saving period for the next adventure to come. Will it be Vanuatu?Nepal? India? I have already started looking up flights, though no money to fund them.

I can't complain about everything though. It is great to be around Ed, I like the area that I am living in, I have a nice new flatmate who is doing her best to ease my loneliness and Sydney is a decent city. I am looking forward to more money in my savings account so perhaps I can go to the Hunter Valley for a wine tour, and off to the Blue Mountains for a day hike.

Balanced Living

2007-07-25T02:27:00.000+09:00

Staff volleyball, team UG

Merrowvista and Dan Hole Pond from the Ledge

Dan Hole Pond

Gus doing Grapple

Corey and I

Crazy dinner

Spano, Sal and Nicky

The White mountains

Heather Kiley's Dream

Kayla and Hannah

Session A, MV Grand Production

the A team

The A-team

The Voyaguers, who just got back from a 14 day bike in Nova Scotia.

Grand Council
Sorry it has been ages (Dell, mom and the 2 people that might still read this). I am just going to post a few pics from camp so you can see what I am up to here in Center Tuftonboro,NH. I am the performance arts specialist, so I basically organize all the performance arts interest groups that go on each day and teach anything from hip hop to outdoor cooking to windsurfing. So enjoy the pics.

Does Anybody Still Read This?

2007-05-15T09:04:00.000+09:00

Thought I would give those of you blog readers a much needed update. But honestly, nothing much has happened since I landed in Ohio.

Most of you already know that I am home, working at a restaurant and waiting to go away to New Hampshire in the next month. That is it. I fill my days either working or excersizing. My friends have the exact opposite schedule as me, so I see them various week days and Saturday nights for a bit of rowdiness.

Other than that, nothing much is going on. I will leave you with a few pictures of my brother and sister in law's dog, Professor, and their little kittens.

Fiji Pics

2007-03-20T02:49:00.000+09:00

Fijian Bure

Coconut on our Island

Pola my dive instructor and Ed

Ed and I in front of Nananui-Ra

The boat to Nananui-Ra

Tavua Island in the Mamanucas

School kids waiting for the bus

Kava Ceremony

So I am quite pleased with the way my 5 month vacation has gone. I did everything I wanted to do. Went backpacking, sky diving, swimming, hiking, bought a car, visited friends and fell in love. Couldn't have asked for a better time.

Now I am in Cleveland and will hopefully have a job today (probably at a restaurant) then I am off to New Hampshire in the summer to work at a camp. And after that is a secret. Thanks to everyone who made my time away amazing, especially Ellen, Dell, Kat, Selene, John and Ed.

BULA Fiji!

2007-03-15T11:50:00.000+09:00

The last leg of my journey just had to be Fiji. Despite the fact that it has been in the news quite often with military coups and terrible flooding, I still ventured to this South Pacific island.

I will start with the current events. The only signs of the coup I have seen are road stops with military men and big guns on the side of the road. I honestly don't think that they would harm tourists because we are the country's livelyhood. As for the flooding, yes, it is the rainy season here and we have seen rain nearly everyday. But we were lucky enough to be a bit ahead of the floods. So no delays in our journey.

I headed to Nadi from Aukland after skydiving in Rotorua, man that was amazing and I really wish I would have done it sooner. I waited in Nadi for Ed to arrive for about 3 days. To control my excitement I tried to keep myself as busy as possible. My first day I headed into town and got picked up by a man that owns a tourist shop. He took me to his shop and we did the traditional kava ceremony. Kava is a drink made of the roots of a tree that they drive socially. Then I got ripped off buying a peice of paper made by village children. Then I had lunch in a Fijian eatery where I shared a table with a rather portly Fijian man. We got to talking and I mentioned that I wanted to see a Fijian village, well he invited me to his. I said I didn't have time but he suggested we take a bus ride by it. I knew it was against my better judgement but I went anyways. I figured we would be on public transport the whole time, so if anything did happen to me, tons of people would be around. It turned out to be fine and i got to see a bit of local culture.

The next day I took a boat trip to Tavua Island in the Mamanuca group. It is uninhabited and quite nice. We got meals and drinks included, so basically we just hung out and swam around the island. I actually ended up hanging out with a Fijian family that had 2 little boys that were so cute. Finally Ed came. Man, it was good to finally see him after 2 months.

The next day we headed out on the local bus to Rakiraki to get to a little island called Nananu-i-ra. Most tourists will take tourist buses around the island. Going all the way around Viti Levu costs them $300. But going on local buses only costs $30 for the whole way around. So we saved a chunk of change mixing with the locals. Nananu-i-ra was beautiful. Just amazing. We were nearly the only 2 people on the island the whole time. We stocked up on groceries and made a little home there. It rained pretty much everyday we were there so we spent a lot of time playing cards. The first day we walked around part of the island and were followed around by a really skanky dog.

The rest of the time I decided to get my open water scuba certification. It took about 4 days of reading, testing, doing skills in the water and then doing my open water dives. I got to dive with Ed which was just amazing. So now we have a little something more in common.

After 8 days on the island we went through Suva to Pacific Harbour which is a nice little tourist town. It was great to have some A/C because on the island the power generator shuts off at 10pm and doesn't come on again til 8:30am, so you sweat lots while sleeping. We bought some souveniers there and then headed back to Nadi.

I will post some Fijian photos soon.

Hey good lookin, whatcha got cookin?

2007-02-21T12:49:00.000+09:00

So it has been ages, and I am sure you are all wondering what I have been up to. While I was in Dunedin I got an urgent email from my mom saying that I am really low on funds. That got me all worried, because I want to have enough cash for Fiji, so I decided to hault my travels and start to work in Christchurch. I was worried about finding a job for only a few weeks, I hate lying to employers. So I stopped in Timaru (Selene's home town) and stayed with her folks for a few nights. They are great at making you feel like one of the fam. By doing that, as Selene puts it, I weaseled my way into an invite to her brother's wedding the following weekend. I was only going to go to the dance and the bbq the next day, but one of the guests just had heart surgery so I ended up being Noella's date. And boy did we have a marvelous time. The wedding was tons of fun the the hungover BBQ the next day was hilarious. A bouncy castle in the lawn and a lamb on the spit roasts makes any party great, eh?

Selene's brother's girlfriend, Tess, just started a catering business so I have been helping her out for the past few weeks. My dad was shocked to learn that I was doing lots of cooking. He apparently thinks I am a bad cook, which couldn't be more untrue. Ha ha. So I have been up to my elbows in meat for sausage rolls. We do a bun run to local businesses so I have been making friends with all the factory men. It is quite fun and Tess is awesome to work for. I had to clean, debeard and prepare 13 kilos (about 30lb) of mussels. Cooking hint: boil them in sea water for extra flavor.

Now Katsu (good buddy from high school) is in town so I have had a ball watching him and his buddies adjust from being down in Antarctica. Apparently they think it is perfectly normal to strip down to their tighty whities and go for a swim at the beach.

Milford Sound and Dunedin

2007-02-03T06:16:00.000+09:00

After the Routeburn, no sooner did I get off the trail, throw on some deoderant and change my clothes, then a bus came to pick me up to tour around the Milford Sound in Fiordland Nat'l park. Milford Sound isn't actually a sound (a valley cut by a river then filled up by the ocean) it is a fiord (a valley cut by a glacier then filled up by the ocean). It is one of the most scenic fiords in that area and many people go on boat tours for a couple of hours.

After going to Milford Sound I picked up my two new American friends and we headed to Dunedin. The only thing that we did in Dunedin was go to Otago Peninsula which was just nice. After days of rain it was sunny and we thought we would be able to see some penguins and albatross but unfortunately that costs $30 a pop so we skipped that. But we were lucky enough to get behind a farmer and his sheep. Most tourists pay to see the ins and outs of sheep hearding but we got a demo for free. One of those unique NZ experiences. Oh yeah, we also saw the steepest street in the world.

So now the money has run out and it is back to Christchurch for me to find a job. It will be a bummer not being able to see the North Island but I guess that is life.

The Routeburn

2007-02-02T14:48:00.000+09:00

In New Zealand there are many "Great Walks" you can go on. Before coming here I decided I wouldn't go on any of these tramps because I am a girl who is on my own. But the more I talked to people the more I started to regret not having gone on any of these walks. Then I realized it wasn't too late. So I went down to the DOC office and booked my spot on the trail. Essentially I was on my own but I took a bus out with about 20 people that would be hiking the trail and staying at the same huts as me. So I wasn't actually alone. The huts are nice, bunk beds, kitchens and bathrooms, so you don't have to rough it in tents. I met a girl called Sandra the first day so we decided we would be hiking buddies. The Routeburn track goes through Mt. Aspiring Nat'l Park as well as Fiordland Nat'l park. It rained and snowed most of the time on the trail with a bit of sun. So by the end all my gear was wet and I had swamp foot. Saw some nice views but I bet nothing compared to a sunny day. So after 34 km, 2 nights and 3 days I completed the track.

Glaciers, Blisters and Lakes

2007-01-26T07:46:00.000+09:00

First I would like to introduce you all to Tim. From the previous post I got an email from my mom saying "Who is this Tim? Are you sure it is safe to travel around with him for such a long period of time". I had a little chuckle at that. Tim has been a safe companion so far. Although I am starting to worry about my mental sanity. Naming inanimate objects and actually talking to them. But hey, Tim is the only thing that is with me day in and day out.

This is Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park where I did a few hikes.

Franz Josef Glacier

Attractive footwear to climb on Franz Josef

Crevasse

Ice Chunks from Fox Glacier

Blue Pools in Mt. Aspiring Nat'l Park and the last one is view from Mt. Iron of Lake Wanaka and Hawea

Recent Journeys

2007-01-22T13:29:00.000+09:00

I headed south from Nelson and now I am making my way along the west coast tourist track. First stop was Murchison and the Buller Gorge. I went on a nice hike there to the sight of the 1960's earthquake. It just ravaged the mountains leaving huge boulders scattered through the valley and a big bare spot on the side of the mountain.

I spent my first night back in the hostels in Westport. Not much going on there, but it was great to meet new people. This isn't so bad as I thought it would be. The next morning I drove through Punakaiki which is famous for Pancake Rocks that immitate blowholes. Quite pretty and unique, although the weather here has been less than desirable. Lots of rain and clouds. I eventually made it to Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park which is in the Southern Alps. I did a few hikes around there, one through a gorge and another up to see a waterfall. Pretty magnificent around there. There is one thing I need to remember from Japan. The trails are marked well here, but in Japan they pave every trail so it is suitable for any obaasan (old lady) to walk through. Must remember to be more adventurous and go beyond the orange arrows, if it looks safe enough.

Today I am in Franz Josef, which is the little town right before Franz Josef Glacier. Tomorrow I will hike on the glacier. A little snow in the middle of summer.

So I have been lucky to get in a hike everyday recently. The only downside are the sandflies. Mosquitos have nothing on these little assholes. The itchiest bites come from the smallest little insects. Every morning I wake up with ichy ankles. ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH

Beverages

2007-01-22T13:23:00.000+09:00

I think it is quite possible that New Zealand has the best drinks in the world. This is coming from a person who really only drinks water, beer, wine and a little juice. The tap water is phenomenal. Tastes like it was dripping out of a mountain stream. This is consistant all over the south island. In cities and rurally it is delicious, and free!

Juice, with many organic varieties it is great. Today I had some apple and fegioa juice. Pretty good, man.

After being in Australia where I feel it is a huge disappointment in the beer departement, it is great to be here where there are tons of microbrews and locally brewed beer. Yum. Favorite so far is Macs, although I hear that Emerson from Dunedin is great.

Finally the wines. You know that you are having nice wine when you can drive up to one of the many wineries spread out through the country side and sample before you buy. The sav blanc from the Marlborough region is delicious.

Abel Tasman

2007-01-19T10:29:00.000+09:00

So here we are in the Abel Tasman Nat'l Park where John has spent about 6 summers of his life. In the background is his boat which I think should be appropriately named "Back-breaker". The sea was rough and his boat doesn't seem to be made for such journeys, so every time the boat came crashing down my tail bone would smash against the seat and I would feel each vertebrate being jammed into the next one.

Other than that it was a pleasent journey. We stopped by a seal colony and had a swim with the seals. You couldn't pay for better entertainment than that. John would swim down with his flippers on and one curious seal would follow him around and play hide and seek. We were able to stay in on of the lodges that he worked at as well as get free meals. Talk about excellent treatment.

Another day we fed some tame eels. They are slippery and slimey and greedy little buggers.

Drive to Nelson

2007-01-14T09:48:00.000+09:00

I am in Nelson now, spending a week or so with John and his folks. I had the greatest drive up with Tim. We stopped in Kaikoura and did a coastal hike and saw seals. I actually almost stepped on one while trying to take a picture of another. Then we drove through the Marlborough region which is famous for vineyards and stopped for a sampler at Forrest Winery. Perfect little pit stop. Now in Nelson where John is teaching me his fav hobbies, fishing, and tennis. Both I am rubbish at. But in exchange we have been on a nice hike and will go to the Abel Tasman Nat'l park.

Tasman Glacier (the other side)

Wine Tasting

Sleeping Seal

Clifftop Sheep

Whoa! Kite Surfing!!!

New Friend

2007-01-14T09:39:00.000+09:00

I have a new friend. His name is Tim. He is 21 years old. Born in Japan and raised in Timaru, NZ. He is a little rough in appearence, but what he lacks on the outside he makes up for on the inside. He is a great runner, reliable and I think will make a great travel companion for the next few months. We are going to be spending a lot of loooooong lonely drives on the road together. But luckily we have the same music taste. The only downside is, is he doesn't like waking up with morning. I have to choke him every time. I don't have any photos of him yet, he isn't very photogenic but I will try to snap a shot when he's not looking.

New Zealand- Christchurch

2007-01-08T11:50:00.000+09:00

Have arrived in NZ. It is gorgeous here and now I can understand why my friend Nicky loves it so much. Seems like an outdoor junky's playground. The scenery is nothing like Australia, which for some reason surprised me.

I am in Christchurch at the moment staying with Selene. My first full day here we did a loooong road trip (800km) to Mount Cook and back. It is the highest mountain in NZ. It was nice to just go for the ride and look out the window at the mountains and sheep.

One of the big things to figure out is how to get from place to place. There are many options, backpacker buses, inter city buses, renting cars, buying cars, hitching, etc. Well we put Selene's

parents to the test and I think her mom has found me a car for $500! That way I can sell it at the end and hopefully make some cash.

I am looking forward to getting on the road and doing some hikes and ocean sports. Maybe even crazy things like canyon jumping and sky diving.

Bye Melbourne

2007-01-08T11:31:00.000+09:00

My time in Melbourne has ended. I will leave you with some more pics of my time there. On my last day in Oz, Ellen drove Ed and I down Great Ocean Rd. The weather was great so we got to swim a bit and get a little sun. Thanks Ellen for taking care of me while I was in Melbourne.

My photograph taking friends

Misc Melbourne

2006-12-29T10:28:00.000+09:00

Christmas in Benalla

2006-12-29T10:04:00.000+09:00

Thanks to Ellen and her folks I had a wonderful Christmas away from home. Even though there was no snow or fire in the fire place, it was a cozy day filled with delicious food, Christmas music, presents, and Christmas crackers. No stories to tell so I will just fill in the blanks with photos.
Christmas Table

Roast turkey, pork and veg

Christmas UNO

Christmas presents and carols

The obnoxious one and Ed

Holiday Times

2006-12-18T11:43:00.000+09:00

Even though I am in a western country, Christmas just doesn't seem as Christmassy as at home. Maybe it is the snow, maybe it is that everyone is forced to be in the same place at the same time due to weather that makes it more nostalgic, maybe it is because I am not with my family.

Sure the streets are decorated, Myers (department store) has it's store front window decorated as "Wombat Divine", and I am spending time with good friends, but it just isn't the same. I am having a wonderful time in Melbourne despite that. It just feels more like I'm on holiday that celebrating one of the main ones during the year. Ellen and her family have graciously invited Ed and I to their house for xmas which I am really looking forward to. Will beat the unusual xmases in Japan.

I went to the JET alumni xmas party with Ellen a few weeks ago and made a new friend there. So it has been nice to spent time with her going to comedy shows and planning a trip to a goth club. So that is about it for my life here in Melbourne at the moment.

Happy Holidays to Everyone.

Melbourne Update

2006-11-27T15:35:00.000+09:00

So I have successfully started a mini life here in Melbourne. I am staying with Ellen at the moment in her new apartment in Kensington. Despite the lack of furniture it is a nice place and I am just thankful to not be staying in a backpackers.

I have a new job. I am working at a cafe called the Limebar where I wash dishes and help out in the kitchen. Take that! college degree. The people I work with are lovely and the manager has already given me a nickname...Sassafrass or Sass for short. Quite fitting, eh?

So during the week while Ellen is at work I explore the city a bit. I have even joined the Kensington Rec Center, so I can go swimming and take yoga. This past Saturday Ellen and I had quite a day. We started off at a photography exhibition called "The Earth from Above" and then to see the Astro Boy exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria and finally to the Sexpo where sex shops from all around tried to sell their various goods. It was quite a cultured day to say the least.

So, I am here until after the New Year and then off the New Zealand.

Culinary Delights

2006-11-27T15:17:00.000+09:00

Melbourne being the culturally rich city that it is has many options for pleasing your taste buds. I particularly enjoy the chocolate cafe that has a large array of hot chocolates and desserts.

Ellen has been kind enough to introduce me to her friends and their kids. I have begun the live this mini life as a soccer mom, going to dance class and the museum with all the moms and their kids. So on Thanksgiving I embraced this new role and cooked a Thanksgiving feast for them all. Seeing as this was my first time doing this I would say it was a great success. Thanks to the emails from home with recipes.
I also enjoy that Australia sticks to the old custom of having separate stores rather than one giant superstore. There are many fruit stands, delis, bottle shops, butchers and bakers lining the streets in most neighborhoods. This culture would make Super Wal-Mart go down the tubes. Not to mention the wonderful food and craft markets that go on during the weekend. This next one is of Queen Victoria Market.

Brisbane and new home

2006-11-16T08:46:00.000+09:00

Not much to report from Brisbane. I said goodbye to a few friends that I had been traveling down the coast with for a bit and off I flew to Melbourne. After seeing the beautiful beaches of the east coast I was welcomed to Melbourne beach by AJ and Milla. (see it? blue towel=water, yellow pillow= sand).

I get a good vibe from Melbourne and I think I will try and stay here a while with Ellen. Perhaps get a job, basically just take a break from hostel living and backpacking.

Noosa Heads

2006-11-16T08:36:00.000+09:00

After a whirlwind trip to Fraser I headed to Noosa where I was expecting some relaxation, not really expecting to make many friends. But I was wrong. A girl from my hostel in Hervey Bay was actually staying in the same room as me, so we made buddies with our roommate and there we had the start of our Noosa clan. The first night there was a huge hail storm which brought all the travelers together in the hall. This group also wanted new names. So Keren soon became LuLu, and Elysse became Jess, we had a Shaggy, Billy Bob and Spaz. No name spelling with hips though, which is a shame. Noosa is sort of a place where all the rich people come and have their holidays. They have gorgeous vacation homes on the river and ride up and down it with their house boats. There is a national park that surrounds it, where I was able to see a kookaburra, and the beach there is quite lush too. This is where many people learn to surf for the first time. So we went on some hikes and swims and even rented a pontoon boat for a day.

Fraser Island

2006-11-16T08:14:00.000+09:00

Fraser Island started off with an interview at my hostel. Little did I know this would be a crucial part of the fun times that lay ahead. As you can see, a group of 11 backpackers will all go in together and rent a 4 wheel drive jeep in order to navigate around this island made entirely of sand. So we loaded into Lucy and made our way to Fraser. Through out the trip we made many rules to enhance the fun on our trip. We started off making new names and nationalities for ourselves. We had Dirk from Holland (Dave, UK), Dara from Iceland (Julia, Germany), Michelle from Switzerland (Franzi, Germany), Claire from Ireland (Katrina, Germany), Rosita with her flamenco dancing feeta from Argentina (Pipien, Holland), Ramaramadingdong from Africa (Gaz, UK), Jesus from Israel (Jay, Ireland), Christ from Egypt (Kaur, Estonia), Moses (Audrus, Estonia), Mary (Merike, Estonia) and finally Sally from Canada. Many of these names I didn't know until the end. The second rule was that there was only English speaking and if they spoke in their language they got an "X", 5 "X"'s mean you have to spell your name with your hips. Also if the other English speakers were hard to understand, they too would get an "X". We also had another game going on where we had tasks we had to perform on other people which also made us act that much more crazy. The back of Lucy became our own karaoke booth with Jesus and I leading the songs.
We stopped by a crystal blue fresh water lake called Lake McKenzie and had a dip. We were able to run into a few dingos there. Now remember, they are very dangerous animals, should you come across one, cross your arms over your chest and stare them down. Or run up to them and take their picture. That night we set up camp on the beach and had dinner and drank away. It was great waking up next to the sea (at 5am) but not so great waiting until 10 in the boiling sun with sand flies biting you everywhere, until the tide goes down to get on with your day.
The following day we went to Indian head and looked out for dolphins and then to Eli Creek where we floated down the 2 foot deep creek. We ended our time on Fraser, completing all of our tasks and spelling "Dingo" with our hips and proclaiming how much we loved Lucy. Yep, we were the obnoxious people on the trip.

The Whitsundays

2006-11-16T08:02:00.000+09:00

In Queensland (North Eastern Oz) many backpackers follow the same trail. They start in Cairns and head south along the coast. First stop is usually Magnetic Island and then to Airlie Beach to experience the Whitsundays which is a group of islands off the coast. Most people will do a sailing adventure which is exactly what I did.

I went on a boat called Siska which was actually a racing sailboat in the past. We spent 2 days and one night sailing around this gorgeous group of islands. We were able to stop and snorkle 3 times, we had to wear stinger suits because it is stinger season in the north, and we stopped at a beach called Whitehaven which has the most beautiful white sand I have ever seen. When you step on it, it feels as though you are walking in flour.

Life as a Backpacker

2006-11-11T10:21:00.000+09:00

I want to post pics with the recent adventures I have had, so I will hold off for now writing about the Whitsundays and Fraser Island.

Diet: Breakfast: Sometimes hostels have free brekky which is usually toast or cereal

Lunch: Bread, tomatos, cheese, hummous or some other dip

Dinner: Soup or pasta, although some hostels will have a cheap evening meal.

This is day in and day out.

Sleeping: Sharing a room with 4 at the least and about 8 at the most. No privacy, which kills me at times. I have had only one semi bad experience, so I consider myself lucky. I miss privacy and just chilling out in front of the TV.

Friends: Everyday a new friend is to be made. If you are lucky you will find 5 or so people staying at the hostel the same time as you. Usually you cling onto eachother for things to do during the day and at night.

Partying: If you believe it or not, I have not been out a single night. Most nights I hang around the hostel drinking with above friends. Best way to save money because bars are expensive.

So backpacking is going well, although after only a month I am sort of getting sick of it!

Cape Tribulation and Magnetic Island

2006-10-30T11:18:00.000+09:00

Things seen in their natural habitat:

Wild Turkeys
Rainbow Lorikeets
Commerants
Various other birds
Crocodiles
Fruit Bats
Flying Fox
Koalas
Geccos
Reef Sharks
Napoleon Maori Wrasse
Various other tropical fish
Dolphins
Dingos
Manta rays
Kookaburra

Since writing about Cairns Kat and I embarked on a few other adventures. We rented a car for 3 days and headed up to the northern area in Queensland. Our first stop was Mossman Gorge for a rainforest hike. The we headed to Daintree National Park and took a cruise down the Daintree River which is known for its wildlife. We were able to see 3 crocs that day. Kat was a little scared, but seeing as they were only babies I was willing to risk my life to protect her! So we had a nice hour long cruise on the river.

After that we headed to Cape Tribulation for a few walks along the beach. It is stinger season up north, so there isn't much swimming to be done. But the coast is lovely. We spent a night at PK's Backpackers and then headed back to Cairns after a dip in a creek. The following day we drove around the Atherton Tablelands with our new buddies, Markus and Benedict. Twas nice to have new friends. We stopped by the Millaa Millaa falls and took a dip. That was what our day of driving consisted of, that and playing the animal alphabet game. Nonetheless it was a fun.

Kat unfortunately had to leave Cairns sooner than expected so I was left to fend for myself. Luckily I had a nice companion to spend my last week in Cairns with. After that I headed to Magnetic Island, which is where many Aussies go on holiday. It is a peaceful place surrounded by blue waters and unique bush. We (me and Paulina) swam and hiked and even saw Koalas in the wild.

Cairns

2006-10-17T10:39:00.000+09:00

We have been spending a lot of time in Cairns. I guess to start off a busy backpacking extravaganza we are starting off with a 2 week stay in the north, which I hear is the most beautiful area of this part of the coast. It's most famous attraction would be the Great Barrier Reef but it is surrounded by rainforests, waterfalls and lakes. So the first week has been fairly slow. Kat was able to find a job and we have just been hanging out in the little town that is Cairns. Very touristy and relaxed. One of the days we visited a village in the middle of the bush called Kuranda. We went on a nice hike and got caught in the rain. But that didn't ruin our mood until we were walking in it for more than 2 hours. So we successfully hitched a ride back, which was the first time I have ever hitch hiked a ride.

After many times snorkling in various oceans around the world I decided to try out diving. I didn't think it would be very scary but when you are loaded down with mask, regulator, air tank and wet suit you feel very confined. They teach you a series of skills and you practice them. We dove about 10 meters down and swam just a bit of the reef. I think it was mainly for us to get used to breathing underwater. After that we were able to snorkle the rest of the day, which is my preferred mode of ocean viewing. I overheard someone say that they weren't that impressed with the reef, but that person must live in a world with diamonds on the soles of their shoes because I was extremely impressed. It was an amazing experience. My favorite fish was the Napoleon Maori Wrass which is this big grumpy looking fish.

Another large chunk of our time in Cairns is spent at our lovely youth hostel. It is called JJ's Backpackers and is one of the smaller ones in here. Cairns is actually known for its party scene and we have actually not been out in town yet. Every day and night there are many people hanging our around the tables. I guess that is the key to saving money, drinking cheap booze and chatting with the friends you meet. I am actually the only American of the group so it is great being harassed by all the British. So typically all the travelers that are around are able to stay a year or two, so they buy cars and travel all around Australia. Makes me feel like 5 months is quite short (when I was leaving Cleveland I was worried that 5 months was too long... I guess it is all relative). So I have been searching for the perfect cheap beer since my friends at home spoiled me with microbrews and what not. I will settle now for Toohey's Super Dry. You will see on the table there are many boxes of wine. They call that stuff "goon" and they don't sell it until 4:00 because apparently that is what many aboriginals will get drunk on all day.

So we are doing well here and really enjoying our surroundings. Off for a night in the bush tomorrow.

Sydney

2006-10-09T08:38:00.000+09:00

Sydney is a wonderful city. So clean and inviting. The people here seem relaxed and not as uptight as other people in large cities of the world. I have been lucky enough to have a great tour guide in Kat and her buddies, so I have seen some unique areas of Sydney. My first full day I went to Taronga zoo which was fairly nice and had great views of the Harbour. The following day I did a coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Bay, which is where I am staying right now. We have spent lots of time with Kat's boyfriend (yep, Kat has a proper boyfriend) and his mates. They are kind enough to let us stay with them, and we are kind enough to force them to become more "cultured" by taking them to the Australian Museum. Last night Kat and I had a nice Japanese meal with her friend Nat and her boyfriend's Japanese mother and aunt. Newtown in also a lovely area with lots of vintage shops and an indie/alternative vibe. I think perhaps we will have a Thai curry there tonight, which you find all over the city. No more Ohio versions of curry.

A few days ago I was hopping on the train when I saw that everyone around me was extremely dressed up. Girls had on floral print dresses and hats with feathers, boys had on nice suits. I was informed that they were all going to the races. So that was my unique cultural tidbit for the day. So needless to say, I am having a lovely time here. We are off to Cairns tomorrow to snorkle the Great Barrier Reef.

I'm Here

2006-10-04T16:39:00.000+09:00

An extremely jet-lagged Sarah has arrived in Sydney. Kat was right where she said she would be with a smile on her face and new threads. It is awesome to see her, so far Sydney is lovely and super pumped to get things underway. Just thought I would let the worry warts of the crowd know I have arrived.

Off We go into the Wild Blue Yonder

2006-10-03T00:03:00.000+09:00

Heading out today for another hemisphere. Excited, a little nervous and wondering why the hell I am doing this again. But then I will land, be reunited with Kat and my past life of tramping and feel back at home once again. Living out of a backpack will be rough, sleeping at hostels will be interesting, but most importantly, seeing the sights of Australasia will be spectacular. Goodbye to the Clevelanders and hello to new friends. Peace.

Revamp

2006-09-23T03:18:00.000+09:00

With the new move I decided to change the blog up a little bit. Now that I have the time and my own computer I have finally figured out how to personalize this thing a little more. And I am also going to try and add a much needed photo to this post. I can't believe what an idiot I was that I didn't know how to do this...

So this is me and Bren hiking to the falls.

Three C's

2006-09-14T11:18:00.000+09:00

First I would like to write down two observations.

I drove down to Columbus (about 2 hours from Cleveland where my university is) and realized I can find my way around there way easier than Cleveland. I lived in Cleveland for my first 18 years (and still technically do) and I only lived in Columbus for 4 years, but for some reason my life there is more familiar.

On the drive home down some country roads you often see houses that are selling home grown produce. You can drive up, put some money in a can and buy fresh grown corn. This particular farm had an interesting marketing technique to entice future buyers. They had a sexy manaquin dressed in a bikini wearing an awful blonde wig attached to the sign that said "Fresh grown corn". I thought that was quite bizarre.

I should also add that I went to California for two weeks recently. It started off in LA with my cousins and it was a riot. I enjoy the fact that the older I become, the less embarrassed I am when for example my mom puts a pair of panties on her head and walks around an outlet mall. We had a good time dancing at the wedding, sitting by the pool and spending many hours hanging out with other family members. I will never forget Jimmy Connor with his signature dance move of stomping ants.

After that I spent a more days in LA hiking and visiting the beach. It is true, there are many surfer dudes in California. Next I headed up north to visit Bren. It was great seeing her and she lives in a unique world. Her college town is full of hippies but very quaint and cute. If you can imagine, her town, Happy Camp is more remote than any small town in Yamaguchi. Her driveway is 2 miles long. But is gorgeous and we were able to go rafting and hiking despite surrounding forest fires. She is the first friend from Japan I have seen outside of Japan and it was great.

So home has been good so far. Not too much longer until I head to Australasia.

Oh me oh my oh would you look at Miss Ohio

2006-08-17T01:10:00.000+09:00

I guess I will start off being a little natsukashii. Our final week in Tokyo was wonderful. Perfect way to say goodbye to good friends and Japan. We ate good food, saw crazy people, shopped and even had a few good nights out. But leaving the hostel on the very last day was nothing short of heart breaking.

Like many relationships, Japan and I have definately had our ups and downs. But through all the mishaps and good times Japan has taught me many things about myself and life. I would also like the think I have taught Japan a little something along the way. Sitting in the airport alone was probably the most lonely I have felt in a long time. Many people from home just don't understand that we have/had a life in Japan. Friends, a home, belongings, and a job. Unless they come to visit and see what you do there, they only partially understand what is going on in your head and heart.

I figured when I arrived home I would be an emotional mess. Fortunately the opposite of that seems to be true. I am reaquainting myself with my friends and home which it has been nearly 6 years since I have lived here (including university). My friends have welcomed me home with open arms and family with the same loving criticisms. Makes me wonder why I have bashed Ohio all these years. It is a good place, and being here only makes me think about wanting to stay.

I am excited to travel to Australia and New Zealand, but I will be sad and a little disappointed to have to say goodbye yet again. Always saying goodbye. I am looking forward to settling in a place, and making good friends and building a life somewhere. I am still young and will continue to be adventurous, but perhaps a little more close to home.

The travel bug is in my genes. I can not get rid of it. I don't plan on quitting my hobby of seeing the world and experiencing other cultures.

Last Sleepover Party

2006-07-24T14:46:00.000+09:00

One of the interesting things about living in Japan on the JET program is the ridiculously large amount of sleepover parties that occur.

Usually when you are a child you get a pink invitation with ballons on it saying something along the lines of "Genna is having a sleep over party. When, Where, Why etc". But here on the JET program you get geared up for a night out or a party and then it turns into a sleepover party by the end of the night. This of course is due to the fact that most of us live a good hour or 2 away from our friends and drinking and driving is prohibited.

I am always baffled by the fact that before a night out, myself and many other people in the ken get dolled up, buy new clothes and try to look fantastic. Why is this when you know that you are just going to end up waking up next to these same people, hungover and looking like hell the next day?

I am happy to say, that this weekend brought my last sleepless sleepover party in Japan. They are always a lot of fun, don't get me wrong. The most odd conversations usually occur, this weekend being no exception. Hannah looked over at me at one point and said "This is exactly like a sleepover when you were a kid except I don't think you ever said 'Steph, go back to your own futon'". One of my fav sleepover parties was at Bruce's apartment when all of his buddies stayed over that same night. Imagine a room with Tom, Lee, Kilby, John, Bruce and a few girls after a night out. Utterly hilarious.

The reason I am happy that these sleepovers are over is because I have never once, in two years, woken up hungover in my own bed at my own house. And to make matters worse, where ever I do wake up is at least a 2 hour drive to my house. That drive home the next day is horrible, and I do it weekend after weekend. So I would just like to say 'Sayonara' to JET sleepovers.

Owari

2006-07-20T11:57:00.000+09:00

I have eaten my last kyushoku, I have cleaned my last school, I have attended my last owakareshiki, I have made my last speech. School is officially over today. I feel that I should justify my time here with a more heartfelt 'final' blog. So until I can conjure up the emotions to write something worthwhile, consider this my final post for Japan.

Busy as a Bee

2006-07-13T11:02:00.000+09:00

Just when I think things are starting to wind down, the excitement never ends here in old Japan.

This morning I quickly went outside to take my trash out before going to school. I had on a white skimpy undershirt tank top on that showed my black bra, a skirt and bare feet (this is a scandelous outfit in Japan), but I figured I would only be out for a second. I went to put the garbage in the can when I noticed an unusual large amount of bees swarming around one of the trash cans. So much so that I was afraid to go back into my house because they were blocking the front door. So I did what I usually do in a case of emergency, I went across the street to the Arita's.

Her husband came out and sighed 'oh, no' and attempted to move the can more in the front yard. I was expecting about 30-40 bees to be inside the can, not too much of a problem. He lifted the lid and boy, was I wrong. I would say there were 500-1000 bees inside the garbage can. You know in elementary science class or on National Geographic when you watch a program about bees, well that is what this situation reminded me of. All the bees has formed a connical shape around the queen and were starting to make honey. At that moment Arita-san's husband had to go to work and he was replaced by a milkman who knew a ton about bees.

Mind you when I was taking the trash out I had to leave for work in about 5 minutes. Well 20 minutes later the real task was at hand. We had to get the queen off of the lid and into a box so the rest of the bees would follow her. The milkman dressed in long sleeves, a towel around his face and hat and gloves to deal with them. He gave the lid a hard shake and half the bees fell into the box. The other half formed a cloud of bees in the front yard prohibiting me from going in my house or my car. Guess I would be late for school today. They kept on wanting to go back inside the trash can because they had already started producing honey and they were following their own scent. So, if you can remember correctly, bees disperse when using smoke. So we smoked the bees out of the trash can. Then they started to form another nest on my house by the front door. So we had to smoke them off the stoop and then sprayed insecticide to mask their odor. Finally most of the bees were in the box in my front yard and I was able to get my stuff to go to school.

So as I was leaving for school, Arita and the milkman were trying to figure out what to do with a box of bees. Guess I will have to wait and see until I get home.

People about to come to Japan, MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS!!! You never know what might come up...

Suggestions Please

2006-07-07T10:30:00.000+09:00

My BOE told me they have 20,000円 to spend on me for a going away present. What should I ask for???

I already have kimono, geta and all that jazz. Plenty of Hagi Yaki....Help!

The flood gates are open

2006-07-06T10:57:00.000+09:00

I have been starting to say goodbye to many of my schools. The first two goodbyes were to schools that I don't go to often and don't know the kids well, so it wasn't too sad.

Yesterday however, I showed up at my very favorite school and was informed that it was my last day. I thought I had one more day there, but apparantly it has changed. I had no speeches prepared and I wanted to bring something to show my appreciation, but I missed out on that.

First was 3/4 nen sei. We played fun games and I recieved the usual cards from the kids. Then was 1/2 nensei. We met in the gym and I was told I would have 3 gifts. 1. A game 2. A song 3. A thing. First we played the game and I taught them Red Rover. Then came the song. They actually wrote it for me. 'Arigato, Sayonara Sara-senseI....' It was so sweet, I was shocked that they didn't sing me something simple like B-I-N-G-O. Then they all huddled around me and the told them to shake my hand. I have trained this class to give hugs (which is rarely, if never, done in Japan). So I grabbed them all one by one and gave them hugs. Then I saw two little girls crying which got me going. We were taking a group and I had tears streaming down my face. Then when all the rest of them saw me crying they all started. So we had a gym of 20 kids and 3 s all crying. It was really sad. These kids are really special to me. Then they gave me a large card with a of them they made for me.

During lunch they had me give a speech that I concocted as quick as I could before lunch. It turned out well, and I was able to say everything I wanted to, and they all seemed to understand it. They all applauded me and one of the s said it was the loudest applause he has ever heard at that school. It is really nice to know that they appreciate me. They also told me something that every ALT wants to hear. They said I was the best ALT they have had. You always want them to think you are the best but you never know what the previous ALTs have done. So it is nice to be reassured. Man, I am going to miss those kids.

Now only 4 more schools to say goodbye to. This sucks.

The time has come

2006-06-30T11:57:00.000+09:00

Swimming season has officially began. I went to my fav beach in Yamaguchi-ken yesterday which just happens to be in Tamagawa. The weather was clear, the water was clean and free of jellyfish, the tempurature is just right. I love that beach.

If you want to come and swim, dozo. Ellen? Kat? Lou? Pauline?

Yukata part I

2006-06-29T14:57:00.000+09:00

In the spirit of the yukata party on Saturday I wore my yukata to school today. I think every Thursday I am going to wow my school by wearing a silly outfit. I was surprised at the amount of compliments I got. I thought for sure they would ask my why and a million questions. But in the end, even the idiot boys, said it suited me and I looked nice. So if you are yearning for a compliment give it a try.

Sweetness

2006-06-26T10:50:00.000+09:00

In a race to become the best nation on Earth, did you ever notice how Japanese people always complain about how sweets from your home country, be it America, England, etc. are just too darn sweet?

This complaint eats at me like a tiny ant nibbling a huge wad of gum. Japanese pride themselves on having healthy cuisine, and they even feel that their sweets are healthier than ours. I am not talking about traditional Japanese desserts (that are really sweet if you ask me, sweet bean paste, sweet jelly etc) I am talking about cakes that were bought in a Japanese cake shop. For Christine's birthday we were devouring a strawberry shortcake bought from the bakery at the end of the road when our Japanese friends went on and on about how this cake was a little sweet but nothing compared to British or American cakes. All the while this conversation was taking place my teeth were aching because the cake was so sweet. This weekend I brought a trifle for dessert to my friends house which included Jell-o pudding. She said it was delicious and then of course threw in 'But it was so sweet!'.

First of all I would like to comment that, of course it is sweet, it is dessert. However our desserts are no sweeter than yours because certain recipes use a certain amount of ingredients to make them taste good. If we added more sugar to an American chocolate cake than a Japanese chocolate cake, it wouldn't taste good. I would also like to add that sugar is a key ingredient in most Japanese dishes, even savory ones. Hello sukiyaki?!?!

I am not sure why Japanese people comment on this. Are they just trying to prove to me that Japanese are healthier, skinnier and in better shape? Or maybe they are just stating the obvious like 'Atsui ne!' every five minutes on a hot day. Maybe eating dessert isn't for everyone. But I will tell you what, when I am eating a piece of cake, a cookie, or pudding, it damn well better be sweet because if it wasn't sweet than it would be salty and I think a salty piece of cake would be minge.

Epic Weekend

2006-06-20T11:02:00.000+09:00

First I would like to say Happy Birthday to Christine. She had a birthday on Thursday. We had a nice party at the Watanabes full of cake and Anpanman. Christine's real Japanese love.

Friday there was a party at Gotcha, probably the last one. Full of Kat's usual games that always get the party started. Ellen, Kat and Loz looked lovely in their yukata. Jerry attempting to give me a hug and kiss goodbye while slipping in a Really? every few seconds. Some love connections were made consisting of gaijin girls and j-boys. 2 Japanese girls who would laugh at any word that came out of our mouths. Yummy taco rice. A failed trip to karaoke. And a wonderful finale to end the night enjoyed by all.

The next day we went camping at jakuchikyo to celebrate McGuire's b-day. Despite hang overs we all trouped it out to the mountains which turned out to be gorgeous. We stopped at the wrong campground first, but then were directed to the proper one that was situated next to a lovely, looong waterfall. We had an evening hike with chu-hais to start it off. Then the dancing sensation Sparkle Motion Woods was formed during dinner preparations. Following the meal of spaghetti the dance troupe performed a dance that could only be described as monumental. Then a dip in the river and DJs live request hour began. The next day we had a good hike, onsen and meal and departed. Great weather, great friends, great times.

How sad! I'm very sad!

2006-06-14T10:41:00.000+09:00

I recieved this email from a 3 nensei girl the other day. I think it concerns me leaving in July.

You are kindness and beautiful.
It's like an angel.
Wishing I was a man...
Please come to Japan again!!

Should I be scared?

Amigos

2006-06-05T13:58:00.000+09:00

While in Japan one often finds themselves being friends with people they would never dream of if they stayed in their own country or comfort zone. For example, becoming good friends with a 60 year old woman, or a 50 year old man with a family. My most recent friends are Filipino. Chris and I went out to lunch with them the other day and learned a lot about their profession and culture.

To be precise these Filipinos work at a hostess bar in Hagi. It is shocking because most of them either have some college education or have graduated from college. They come to Japan looking for money to send to their families, keep for themselves, or in Jay's case to get world experience. It seems as though they sign up with a program, maybe similar to the JET program and get placed in various cities to work at different bars (there are 2 in Hagi and Tonga in Ube is also organized through this company).

Sadly their complaints about their job are a lot larger than ours. We complain that we are bored and don't work much and we only get 15 days of nenkyu a year. When we arrive welcome parties are planned for us and we end up on the news. These people are ignored and worked to the bone. They get 2 days off a month and on those days they are to call their customers to keep them happy. They really rely on eachother and help eachother out when in trouble. There are many tricks to the trade they use the keep themselves safe and customers happy. In one night a girl will drink about 20-25 beers. After drinking 10 beers they are allowed to have a glass of Oolong-cha and then have to go back to drinking again. They all have to pass a singing test in order to be accepted into the program so they perform during karaoke. Many of us know how old Japanese men get when they are drunk. Usually mean and touchy feely. If a man is starting to get fresh they say 'Sawaru, sawaru 1000en' (touch touch 1000 yen) and that usually works to keep the men away. They also try reverse psychology. They said they will become the sukebe (pervert) first to keep the men in place. If the men get too violent and rough they will pinch their nipples really hard or grab their dicks with force. Of course the same men come to the bar night after night and then call the girls during the day. Sometimes to play a joke on their customers if they see them out during the day they will yell HI to them and try to embarrass them. Of course the girls will get ignored because the men don't want to be known for going to the hostess bar. I am not sure if anything really fishy goes on, it didn't seem like it. They said if they see a man outside the club they will go with 2 girls in order to be safe.

So these are Chris and my new friends. I equate it as being friends with a stripper. It sounds quite suspicious but deep down they are just normal people trying to make a little money.

How much have you learned?

2006-06-01T10:20:00.000+09:00

Here is a list of items translated into English. My students had this as an activity in class today. Can you guess the Japanese?

1. rice ball
2. rice cracker
3. rice cake
4. carp streamer
5. sliced raw fish
6. Japanese chess
7. Chinese character
8. chopstick holder
9. rainy season
10. wind bell
11. flower arrangement
12. bean throwing ceremony
13. star festival
14. Japanese headband
15. portable shrine
16. outdoor hot spring
17. public bath
18. year end gift
19. New Years Eve
20. Indian summer
21. card show
22. Japanese wooden doll
23. cloth wrapper
24. Japanese badminton
25. red rice
26. Japanese cushion

Good Luck!

Movies

2006-05-25T15:18:00.000+09:00

Just discovered a pretty interesting site to help you stay up with the cinema aspect of pop culture.

www.rottentomatoes.com

I want to spend about 1293871297 hours in a movie theatre.

Sumo

2006-05-23T14:38:00.000+09:00

Good clean fun.

So paintballing was called off, so we headed to Hikari beach to hang out. The weather was beautiful so it made for a great day. There were about 10 of us there, hanging out, playing soccer when someone came up with the idea to have a sumo tournament. Everything we do turns japanese, eh?

So the sumo ring was drawn and we started the matches. First we started calling names at random then Kat wanted a less predictable system. We broke into 2 teams and decided the matches through the ever popular janken. Nate and Mark were the referees and the matches began. Louise beat Christine, Kilby beat me, Lee beat Louise, and Nate beat everyone!

Nate is a strong sucker. Towards the end we had a girls vs. Nate match. Jess and I were certain would could get him down, but no, one by one he shoved us out of the ring or threw us down. Amazing! At the end we had a battle royale with the last man standing. Kilby and I were going at it for a while until finally he got me to the ground, but I think Christine actually won it. (Nate was sitting that match out). I have to say, it is always more fun when you make your own fun.

Kancho

2006-05-23T14:30:00.000+09:00

I have been kancho-ed (kids jam their fingers up your butt) maybe 50 times by students. I have constantly thought what a unique, and grotesque thing to do as a prank. But while sitting at my desk the other day I was able to come up with a few pranks that we do that are certainly comparable to the Japanese kancho.

1. The closest one to kancho would be the wedgie. It doesn't actually involve you sticking part of your body into someone else, however you reach down their pants, grab their underwear and attempt to loop it around their heads. Just as invasive.

2. Wet Willy is similar to the kancho but in another part of the body. It is quite gross to lick your finger and stick it in someone's ear. Don't do this twice in a row or you will be tasting ear wax.

3. The painful Indian Rugburn. Probably called something else in other countries. This involves grabbing the other person's forearm with both hands (preferably damp) and twisting. Ouch!

4. Noogies are mainly given by big brothers. They put you in a head lock and rub your head with their fist. Get ready to have messy hair.

5. Last but not least, the swirly. Never had this done to me but I really don' think having your head put in a toilet then flush it is really that pleasent.

If you got a good prank, tell me about it.

J-Cut

2006-05-18T11:13:00.000+09:00

In my preparations to go home I promised myself I would get a J- haircut before I left.

I did just that, last night. It was wonderfully mullet-like, with a Farrah Faucet twist. Lots of layers and bangs.

Unfortunately I have become so used to Japanese style that I actually like it. My stylist just went to NY and I asked him what was in style in the US and basically he described the opposite to the haircut I just recieved. So I am either going to be so ahead of style in the US that it is cool, or I am just a nerd with a foreign haircut that looks like a mullet.

The End is Near

2006-05-18T11:01:00.000+09:00

Preparations for the journey home have commenced. My ticket has been booked. I am sending boxes home. My calendar is filling up rapidly. I am trying to pawn off my car.

Is it just me or has 2 years never passed by so quickly? Although, when I think back to the summer that I came it seems like ages ago. I could barely introduce myself in Japanese, I couldn't eat a whole bowl of rice, I didn't like tofu, I was optomistic about teaching my students English. I had come right out of university, and I feel like university was 100 years ago. So I guess if you look at it from another angle, 2 years has really changed me.

As for recent accomplishments that I didn't think I would achieve. I have stayed in a love hotel, but unfortunately not with Matt (sorry pal, we can find a really kooky one in the Yamaguchi inaka), I went on a j-date, I almost ate a live fish, I did a little homestay. So I am really Japaning myself out until the end.

I have to say, I am ready. I am excited to do what's next. When I recontracted last year, this was the feeling I hoped to have at this point in the game. So I guess I made the right decision.

The Most Beautiful Places in Japan

2006-05-09T10:37:00.000+09:00

Due to my lack of being able to post s on my blog, you can enjoy reading about my trip to Kyushu and use your creative imaginations to all of the places we went.

The plan: A 10 day trip around Kyushu. See as many sights as we could in that amount of time. Perhaps meeting some interesting people along the way. We were certain we would meet some crazy gaijin along the way. That we did, as well as many a crazy j-person.

Participants: Christine (Big Chuck) McGuire, Louise (Isabell, Gerome, Little John) Fennell, Nicky (a friend from Ohio), and Sally.

Beppu: The little Nissan March was cleaned, oiled, gased and pack with stuff for our trip. 3 large hiking packs, sleeping bags, various other bags and 4 girls piled in. Off we set for Beppu, land of onsens. I heard it described as the Las Vegas of onsen towns, but I didn't find it nearly like that at all. I actually thought it was quite charming. Our first stop was a little onsen on a hill which included a bath and bento for 1000yen. Our first gaijin sighting was in the parking lot. We were surprised when it turned out to be Justin and Belinda from Tokuyama. They were just heading off on their trip so we figured we would meet up with them a bunch. The onsen had a neat view of the city and the bento was delicious. After that we headed to the 'Hells'. They are pools of boiling water colored differently by minerals coming out of the Earth. Kyushu is quite interesting in the fact that it is chock full of hot springs. Driving around the island you will see gas emitting from the Earth. When you look around Beppu you will see steam and gas rising out of the ground in the most surprising of places. I have determined that Sulphur is the Earth's fart. That night we stayed in a cute little ryokan and had a delicious meal. We also visited a sex museum where I was surprised by the enormousness of an elephant's cock, and the smallness of a lion's.

Kurokawa and Aso: A beautiful drive through the mountains (looked similar to the UK more so than Japan) lead us to Kurokawa where I had spent my birthday the previous year. We had a nice soak in an onsen and ran into Justin and Belinda there as well. We had a nice local brew and headed off to Aso-san. The last time we attempted to visit Aso we weren't able to see the crater due to poisonous gases rising out. This time we took the cable car to the top and saw inside. I was amazed at how beautiful it was. I wasn't expecting much. The surrounding area looks similar to the Grand Canyon and the lava inside was nearly flourescent green. Truly a unique sight to see. After nearly being blown in the crater by strong winds we made our descent down to our youth hostel at the bottom of the mountain. (travel tip- even though we went during golden week, most of the places we stayed weren't took booked up...so look for youth hostels, you should be OK).

Takachiho and Ebino Koen: We moved from Oita-ken to Miyazaki and stopped at Takachiho gorge. Many natural sights in Kyushu were formed by eruptions of Aso-san which is the case for Takachiho gorge. The valley comes down gradually until you get close to the river which is a steep gorge of rocks with a beautiful blue river running through it. The lava created a stripey pattern on the rocks which was quite unique. We hiked down the gorge and then rented row boats where we rowed by one of Japan's 100 most beautiful water falls. The weather was gorgeous and Big Chuck and Little John even went under the falls. After Takachiho we headed to Ebino Koen which is a National Park and the main sight is the lake district that has been formed on the top of the mountains. We arrived in the evening and drove up in the clouds. We couldn't see our hands in front of us but we guided our car to the camp ground. That evening we stayed in a cute cabin on top of the mountain in the clouds surrounded by deer and wild life. It was so magical and creepy being up there in the mist. We all fell asleep to ghost stories being told. The next day we hiked around the park and saw the lakes that were all formed by Aso-san yet again. This was our first sighting of the sugi (cedar) trees.

Kagoshima and Ibusuki: This was one of our long haul drives. The poor March was being put through torture driving through the mountains. I think the drive on the sky way (a highway built in the mountains going to Ibusuki) nearly killed it. But we made it to the town which is famous for it's sand baths. Down by the shore there is an area of beach that contains black, hot, volcanic sand. This is the sight of a unique spa experience. You put on your yukata and head down to the beach. The old ladies wrap a towel around your head and start shoveling the hot, heavy sand on your body. It is a very unique feeling. The limit to lay there is 10 minutes so you don't pass out. It actually fell wonderful and we were all refreshed after washing the sand off of our bodies. That night we were meant to stay in Kagoshima in order to get the ferry the next day. This is where the one glitch of the trip arose. The car finally made it to the city and we needed directions. I am going to save the story for zenzen but I will summarize it by saying that it involved the meanest, fattest, most racist Japanese youth hostel owner, the police, a broken down March, and a very nice Japanese family that we met at a taxi stand. It all turned out OK which is the main part.

Yakushima: The main goal of the trip. Yakushima is the most beautiful place I have visited in Japan. This is where all the hikers and outdoorsmen of Japan can meet up and enjoy their hobbies. We hopped on the ferry which took about 4 hours and a lot more money than anticipated. We stayed at the charming Yakushima Youth Hostel, which I would recommend over and over again. The guy at the desk and in the kitchen provided us deprived girls with some eye candy so we were content. If you consider staying there you should have both breakfast and dinner at the hostel, the food is delicious and it is a nice social occasion to have a meal with everyone. The first evening we were there we visited a gorgeous waterfall and hung out on the beach for a while. The season is starting for the sea turtles to lay their eggs on the beach, but unfortunately nobody saw them. A little too early I suppose. The first full day we did the Yakusugi Land walk. Yakushima is famous for 'yakusugis' which is a Japanese cedar. Many of them are ancient 1000-2000 years old and covered in the most lush green moss. The walk was awesome. The island is also famous for yakuzaru which are monkeys and yakujika which are deer. They are in abundance around the island so you won't miss a chance seeing them. After the walk in the woods we headed back down to the beach to relax and then had a steamy hot onsen. The following day we did the famous hike to Jomon sugi or the most famous tree on the island. It is estimated either 2000-7000 years old. The walk took us nearly 10 hours (due to immense Golden Week traffic on the trails) and the tree is quite an anti climax because you only get to take a pic of it from a platform. But the walk is beautiful so it made it worth while. The first 5km are along old railroad tracks (that are surprisingly still being used today) and then you make the ascent up to the top. It was great to really give my body a work out. It is amazing how you can sit on your but for 8 hours a day at work, then turn around and do a 10 hour hike and not end up dead at the end. It's great to be young! Our last day was only a half a day so we went to a waterfall, got Louise her Kitty-chan (she was collecting them the whole trip) and head back to Kagoshima on the bus.

Kumamoto and Fukuoka: We arrived there late and found the hidden Kumamoto youth hostel which is a great place! We didn't do much in the city other than see the castle. I vow, that is the LAST castle I see in Japan. They are all the same and quite boring. After Kumamoto we headed up to Fukuoka for some familiarity. It was a great way to end our wilderness trip. In the city with good food, good shopping and more hot men! We all managed to make extremely J-fashion purchases so we were geared up for some Thai food and Karaoke. This was Nicky's first chance to sing it in Japan. We all belted out songs for 2 hours straight. One of my favorited times in karaoke. The next day we all had to say goodbye to Nicky which was really sad, lots of tears were shed. So needless to say it was an amazing trip. I really highly recommend it to people living in Japan. You will see some amazing stuff.

Give a holler if you want to see some pics and I will send you the webshots link.

Native Names

2006-04-25T10:46:00.000+09:00

In my special ed class Dai-chan and I have been translating prefectures names and names of teachers and students into English. It is amazing how much of these translations sound like Native American names from old folklore.

Oi sensei- Big Pump
Tanaka sensei- Middle of Rice Field
Kawamura sensei- River Town
Fukushima sensei- Good Luck Island
Kobayashi-kun- Little Tree
Ota san- Big Rice Field

Hokkaido-ken- North Ocean Road
Kochi-ken- Tall Knowing
Hiroshima-ken- Wide Island
Kumamoto-ken- Bear Book (or base)

And these aren't rough translations of the meanings. For example 'Sarah' means 'princess' but actually it doesn't. I wouldn't say 'The Sarah is waiting in the tower to be saved'. But in Japanese these are literally the words. Kawa actually means river. Hiro(i) is the actual word for wide. I noticed this a while ago but I never really thought about it.

Damn China

2006-04-21T13:49:00.000+09:00

Apparantly the yellow dust that has been thickly covering my car recently is coming from China. This same yellow dust is making poor Japanese people suffer from allegeries from here to Hokkaido. Can China do no good?

Anecdote

2006-04-18T13:30:00.000+09:00

This is a conversation with a bunch of 3rd graders (shogakko)

Mi-chan: Sarah, how old are you?

Sarah: I just told you a few minutes ago.

Kei: 20?

Masato: 22?

Shohei: 24?

Sarah: Ping Pong

Mi-chan: Nakano sensei is 23 (their new teacher). You should marry him.

Kei: No she can't. Girls aren't supposed to marry someone who is younger than them. It's only OK for boys.

Sorry mom. You actually weren't meant to marry dad. Better try next time.

Election Time

2006-04-18T13:21:00.000+09:00

The quiet of living in the inaka is now being littered with election propoganda. Starting last week politicians have been allowed to advertise their campaigns. I awoke to the sounds of cheering in the distance. There are billboards with slots of 32 people to put a poster of themselves up. Now there are cars and vans with speakers on the top driving around all the neighborhoods of Hagi announcing their plans.

Yesterday while cleaning my car I seemed to be an audience of one to Mr. Miyauchi Kintaro. Mr. Miyauchi and is brigade of followers parked right in front of my house and shouted into his loud speaker about his objectives. Was I supposed to stop what I was doing and listen to his jibber jabber? Nah. I continued what I was doing and gave them all a little wave. I actually personally know 3 of the people that are campaigning, all this comes with being a substantial figure in the community. That isn't actually true, it all comes with being a freak in the community. I was asked if I get to vote. I told the woman I don't think so, and she was surprised.

Why Kat is my friend

2006-04-10T10:56:00.000+09:00

She is up for anything. Usually if you ask people if they want to do something they check their calendars, wallets, and pockets to search for an excuse why they might not be able to come. Not Kat, at a drop of a hat she will go anywhere and do anything in the name of fun (well for the most part). I would like to take this moment to thank her for curing the boredom that I had last week.

After 3 days of sitting around my house watching the 11 DVDs that I bought in Malaysia, I decided I needed out. Tottori sand dunes would be the destination, now I just needed to find someone who would go with me. I emailed Kat expecting a reply of "well I shouldn't because i just was in Korea and Tokyo" but instead she said "Sure, when?". So off we headed on our journey up the north coast. The weather was gorgeous, ocean blue and sakura in blossom, so it made the 7 hour journey not so bad. We arrived, checked out the massive sand dunes (which were worth the drive to see), got our picture with a camel and an hour later we were finished. Was it worth it, sure thing!

The next day was Rosie's bday hanami/bbq. It was a beautiful night and I had a nice time seeing people and catching up. Bummed that I was going to miss the Ato camping, Kat and I set out for Hiroshima. A friend of mine was DJing at my favorite club in Japan, so we went to go see him. As always, we danced the night away at the club. Bonding with all the cool j-boys there. That night we found ourselves staying at a love hotel. It wasn't too tacky but was fully equipt with condoms on the night stand, porn on the TV and hearts on the wall paper. It was clean and cheap and I would definately recommend staying there.

Thus ends spring break, so now I sit here waiting for the hours to pass to go home after a day of nothing.

Malaysia: Truly Asia

2006-04-03T16:32:00.000+09:00

I would first like to say that Malaysia is an amazing country. It is in the running for favorite country. The people are kind, it is clean, there isn't much poverty, the food is delicious, the sights are beautiful. So I will make this the long version of my trip.

Day one: Start off in Kuala Lumpur. We visit Tembeling road market to check out the knock-off goods scene. T-shirts, bags, shoes, perfume and DVDs. Anything that you may need. I bought 11 DVDs for about $30. We had dinner at a chinese restaurant, the market is located in China town. We were supposed to stay at Pudu Hostel, which Lonely Planet, says is it's top pick. I am not sure who was writing the book but the room was terrible. Tiny, dirty sheets, windows don't close. Very reminiscent of the shelter we stayed at in Thailand after the tsunami. Needless to say, we were out of there, and found a nice hotel for not too much more money.

Day two: We headed to Taman Negara or one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It took about 5 hours to get to the jetty and after that a relaxing 3 hour ride up the river to Kuala Tahan, or the village next to Taman Negara. The boat ride was in a small wooden boat, just as I was hoping and we saw many monkeys on the way there. We arrived and were unloaded in the floating restaurant and taken to our chalets. They were quite nice considering they were in the jungle. That evening we took a night hike and saw many creatures including a poisonous snake, scorpions, spiders, loris, and stick bugs dancing on the trees. It was creepy but fun. We were sharing a chalet with 2 Canadian girls called Brittany and Allison who turned out to be quite funny.

Day three: The next day we got up and went for a hike in the jungle. Our first stop was the canopy walkway up in the trees. I thought it would be a short little bridge but it we ended up walking amongst the branches for at least a half an hour. It was really beautiful and we got great views of the surrounding jungle. Trees in the jungle are much taller than trees at home, so being up that high was great. After that we did a rather strenous hike to the top of a peak. Sweat dripping off our bodies we finally made it to the top. It was a nice view, but bugs and bees were disturbing us so we decided to make our decent down. We went back the long, and leech filled way. After a slight detour we realized we were right on track. After hiking for 3 hours we decided to check our shoes to see if leeches latched on. I had about 5 leeches in my shoes, but luckily they hadn't started sucking my blood yet. Christine wasn't as lucky, she had sprung a leak on each of her ankles. After a much deserved shower we had an early bird dinner at one of the restaurants and hung out with a few locals and travellers that night.

Day four: We got up early and hopped on the bus that would eventually take us to the jetty for Pulua Perhentian Islands. This journey took about 5 hours as well, but luckily we met a nice guy called Chris to help us pass the time in the bus. We hopped on the fast boat and Christine and I decided to stay on Perhentian Besar, the larger yet quieter of the two islands. Most backpackers stay on Kecil or Long Beach. After seeing Phuket Thailand we decided on the quieter of the two. It was beautiful and quaint. Our chalet was right on the beach. We actually stayed at the 5 star resort for only $30 a night! Can't beat that. We had a nice dinner- sea food was amazing and called it a night. People on Besar don't seem to stay up past 10 or 11 at night! Needless to say, this wasn't a partying holiday.

Day five: We hung out in the morning and caught the 2:00 boat to go snorkling around Besar. The island has the most beautiful coral reefs. We spotted reef sharks, all kinds of tropical fish-including Nemo, and sea turtles (which has turned into my new fav animal). There is a good reason that a movie was made about clown fish. They are the most curious fish I have met. The live in the anemone and when you swim down to see them they come out and check you out, and as soon as you leave they go right back in their home. Snorkling was by far the high light of the trip. That night we hung out with the workers on the island. Despite the fact that they were Muslims, they threw back a few whiskey and cokes. They were funny and friendly guys. Quite different to the Japanese.

Day six: We rented a kayak and paddled across to check out Long Beach. It isn't at all like Phuket. Smaller, nicer, quieter, but you can still tell it is the backpackers haunt. Many young people out tanning, versus all the old people and couples on our island. We spent the day swimming and snorkling and getting sunburnt. We were about to get ready to paddle home when we ran into Kenny and Ki (two Malay guys we met the night before) so we had a drink with them and then ran into Chris and a few other travelers we met in the jungle. So we made plans to meet up the next day and paddled our exhausted bodies back to Coral View.

Day seven: Like a good girl I wore a shirt all day due to bad sunburnt. My mom would be proud. I spend the day in the shade and when I went in the water to snorkle I even wore a T-shirt. How pathetic. Later on that day we took a water taxi (there are no cars on these islands) back to Long Beach to meet up with Chris, Tom and Jasmine. We swam for a bit then got cleaned up for dinner. We met up with a few other travellers and went to a bar as well. We were all kind of tired so we didn't get too crazy. Just a few friendly beers. 12:00 was coming around and we decided we needed to work out a water taxi to get home. I talked to a man and he said there was no way he could get us home. All his drivers were drinking. He offered us hammocks above his bar. No way, we had already paid to stay at our hotel. So I went searching for someone to take us back. Luckily we were able to get a taxi back.

Day eight: After a quick snorkle in the morning we got a boat to Kota Bharu, or the town with an airport to get back to Kuala Lumpur. We sort of miscalculated time and ended up spending ages there. There was a food market and a craft market. Other than that we went cafe hopping. 3 restaurants in about 5 hours. We also checked out the local super market and dept store. On this day I looked down at my feet. They were swollen and red and looked terrible. It must have been from the bug bites and sunburn. After arriving back to Japan I counted my bug bites and discovered that I had 113 from my knees to my toes alone. That's a lot of poison in a small area! So we finally arrived in KL at about 1:30. This is when the only glitch of the trip arose. The taxi driver charged us an arm and a leg for a really short journey. I was so off that he scammed us that I left my backpack in the cab. So goodbye to my gortex jacket, souveniers and notebook with a lot of important stuff written in it. It could have been a lot worse though.

Day nine: Our last day spend in KL. We woke up and went to the Chinese market to pick up some DVDs. Then we headed to Little India for a curry. It was amazing. We literally crossed the road and we were surrounded by Indians. Where before we were surrounded by Muslim Malays. Very odd. So we had a nice curry buffet, Chris had a drink called 'Kickapoo Joy Juice' and set off for the craft market. We got some nice batik fabric and other malay items. Then we went to the Islamic Arts Museum which was amazing and I really recommend. It is gorgeous, very interesting and full of artifacts. After that Chris was set on going to the movies so we headed to Mid Valley Megamall, the largest mall in SE Asia and saw Yours, Mine and Ours. I was getting nervous because we were running low on funds and time. But luckily we made it to the airport in time for our 1:00am flight.

So that is the vacation. If you want to see pics let me know and I will email you some.

Tagged again.

2006-03-15T11:37:00.000+09:00

ok, ive been "tagged". the rules are that once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with "6 wierd things/habits/secrets about urself". In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. (although "weird" is subject to opinion, I'll just share this with you today ^_-)

1. i have to blow my nose every time i wash my face
2. sometimes i swear at my students (not terrible words) and laugh because they can't understand
3. in the past i never thought i would be able to comfortably work with handicapped children, but i have proven myself wrong. i enjoy the special ed kids
4. when i was a kid i used to have to eat immediately after i woke up
5. i have seen nsync in concert
6 . my brother and i used to fight over the front seat (in the car), the couch and the TV so much that we had to work out a system. On even days of the month i got it all and on odd days he got it all. then to following year we would switch because there are more odd days than even.
*^_^*People i'm tagging;
1. Lou
2. Nicci
3. Perez
4. Spiller
5. Kermit the Frog
6. Santa Claus

Weekends

2006-03-15T11:25:00.000+09:00

It has been a while and I have had two fairly substantial weekends.

The first was 2 weeks ago. I did a little homestay at my friend Keiko's parent's house in Shimonoseki. We arrived late on Friday night and were greated with the most delicious dangos (nama chocolate, strawberry, and mikan). Her dog really took a shining to me and my fuzzy sweater, so much that it humped me for a long time, despite my efforts to politely throw it off me. The next day we woke up early and had a traditional japanese breakfast, full of things I wouldn't dream of eating at all, let alone in the morning. Small little fish and shaved daikon, eggs and salad, rice and miso soup. Then we headed around Shimono to see the sights. The weather was beautiful so it made touring around nice. We stumbled upon a wedding where they were delighted to take pictures with foreigners. No matter how embarrassed we were. Then we went to Kokura and saw the castle (which I would recommend going it. I liked it better than Osaka-jo). and to some shops. On the way home we stopped by her sisters house where she has the most adorable daughters and we saw the hinamatsuri stuff. So the purpose of us staying there was to learn Japanese cooking. We made tons of delicious food. Soba, sushi rice, renkon salad, gobo salad, fried saba, and a beef dish. We learned a lot. There was a small little party for us where I played with little Saki a ton. She is 1 and a half and is not the slightest bit shy. She would mimick me and by the end of the night I had her speaking perapera. Her family was so giving, just like most people I have met. I hope to return the favor to Keiko one day.

So the next weekend Kat, Marko and I decided to go to Hiroshima, again. After having to be coaxed into it a little we had a ball. The reason for going was to check out an indie club, but it turned out to be dead so we headed to a few other bars. We went to the local gaijin palace, Mac where Marko first pouted then started dancing away. I attempted to dance with an old Japanese man, but then he turned into a stalker! Kat and I had to run away from him all over the dance floor. Then we headed to a 'mod club' recommended by Marko called Slim Chance. It ended up being super cool. The music was great and it was filled with hip j-people. We were the only foreigners cutting a rug. The DJs all took their shirts off at one point and this provoked someone else to do it as well. We met some really cool J-folks. Glad I went in the end. Then the next day was Kat and I's hungover attempt to go to Ellen's b-day party. Sorry we missed the curry Ellen.

Two Transvestites

2006-03-02T10:50:00.000+09:00

In Hiroshima we stumbled upon a transvestite. From the neck up he looked like your average ojiisan, but after scanning his body up and down we saw his true colors. He had on a jacket of some sort, short leather skirt (so short that when he bent over we actually saw his panties), fishnets and red platform spiked heels. Classy. Keith wanted to stop and take a picture, I got embarrassed but then he said, 'He's begging for attention', which indeed, anyone who is dressed like that is. Unfortunately he took off on his motorbike so that was the end of that.

Second sighting. I go swimming every Wednesday in Hagi. There was a man chillin on the deck in his speedos and glasses. Didn't think much of it and continued on swimming. Mind you, he was wearing normal mens speedos. His swimming habits were odd. He would jump in the pool and swim two laps in the time it took me to swim one and get out and wipe his face. Then he disappeared in the corner for a few minutes. I continued on swimming and the next thing I saw was a woman. Or let me correct myself, a person wearing a women's swimsuit. Apparently that same man had decided to change into women's apparell. He continued on with his routine of jumping in, swimming two laps and getting out. But this time, when he got out he would go and wade in the baby pool. As far as I know the baby pool is the same tempurature as the regular pool so I had no clue why he chose to sit in the baby pool. Every once in a while he would get out and strut around the deck with his butt cheeks clenched and masculine bulge in view.

Now Keith, had you been there, I would have encouraged you to take a photo of this silly man.

Birthdays

2006-02-27T14:38:00.000+09:00

From about February 20-25 I know about a million people with a birthday. I don't know if I notice it because my birthday is in that bracket or if it is true that many people have birthdays between those dates. So if your birthday is in the vicinity, Happy Birthday.

At any rate, thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes. It was one of my more enjoyable birthdays. I had 5 birthday cakes.

Cake #1: Made by Rosie. Choco cake with choco frosting and cream. Eaten on wednesday night with the people from the Hagi area. Skipped Japanese class and treated myself to an onsen instead. Recieved an ugly ceramic doll from Dan, which I gave right back to him.

Cake #2: Made by Christine. Choco cheesecake. Eaten on my b-day with the Watanabes. Skipped pottery and had a b-day party with the Watanabes and Esturo. Had makizushi which I love. Recieved an inkan with my name in Kanji, a poem and an earring (to replace the one I lost).

Cake #3: Made by Teru Watanabe. Shortcake with peaches. Eaten on the same night as the cheesecake.

Cake #4: Recieved on my b-day from Fujii-san. A lady in my town. It was a fruit/pound cake. Eaten for breakfast.

Cake #5: Recieved from Kat and other JETs that came to my little b-day celebration in Yanai. Choco cake with fruit on top. My hair caught on fire when trying to blow out the candles. (Kat has an excellent picture of that happening. Maybe she will post it on her blog). Got a wide range of stuff including flowers, 'spunky pants', slippers for a kitchen table, and a head band.

Then off to hiroshima we went. Ate well, drank well, danced well. Had a great time.
So it was a good b-day indeed.

J Date

2006-02-20T14:27:00.000+09:00

No, not the website for Jewish singles.

Had my first official date with a j-boy yesterday. We hung out in Tamagawa because he grew up here but lives in a different city. He suggested coming round to pick me up at 3, I pushed it back to 4, 3 was a little too early for me. It was actually a pleasant time. He showed me a secret beach in Tamagawa, we walked around the mountains then came dinner time. I offered to make dinner at my house, seeing as restaurants in Tamagawa are limited, and I didn't want to be spotted by any students. So I made pizza while he watched TV. We talked for a while, not much flirting because I'm not that attracted to him. Note: in Japan it is illegal to take a sip of beer and drive. But considering the circumstances- A) He had 2 beers over a 4 hour period B) We were in Tamagawa where the police are rarely seen C) His house is literally a 2 minute drive from mine, I found it odd that he asked to spend the night. I tried to think of how to concoct a sentence in Japanese to tell him NO with out sounding too mean. I said 'I think it is better if you go home.' He said 'but I drank beer'. I said ' You are OK, but if not I can take you'. To which he said 'Ok, I will wait until 10 and then go home' then under his breath said 'I don't know why I can't stay'. Yosh. I got out of that one!

Hoikuen

2006-02-20T14:23:00.001+09:00

I drove up to the hoikuen (pre-school) and I can see directly in the windows. All of the little kids were prancing around in only their underpants. I did a double take. Was this really happening?

Then I realized they were getting some sort of physical so I dismissed it as Japanese oddness.

Comparatives Lesson

2006-02-17T12:11:00.000+09:00

" Sarah-sensei is more beautiful than an angel" -Miyuki, 2 nensei

Thank you Miyuki, glad someone other than my mother thinks that!

You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

2006-02-13T14:55:00.000+09:00

In class today the 3 nenseis are making greeting cards because they will be graduating soon. I realized that this is the first time that most of these people will be saying goodbye. I know I could be optomistic and mention that they will be saying 'see you later' or 'until we meet again'. But the fact of the matter is they will be saying goodbye.

Then I thought about how many times I have had to say goodbye. Many of the friends I have made during these experiences I have, in fact, seen again. However about a third of them have been lost from my life.

High School. My first real goodbye. Most of my friends would be going to college in Ohio so I was certain I would see them again. Many of these friends I have retained fairly well even though one is off in Antarctica and others are setting up lives elsewhere and getting married (y'all know who you are). What I didn't know was that I would lose Katie and Becca. Two friends I became very close with and even threw my 'surprise' 18th birthday. Goodbye Katie and Becca.

Study Abroad. My junior year in college I went to London to study abroad. I said a temporary bye to my parents and then hopped on a plane. I made friends from different universities all over the states. Unfortunately no Brits were interested in a bunch of crazy American college kids. I did manage to make a best friend, Abbey and two gals from Wisconsin Kerry and Jess (one of whom came to see me in Japan). With every gain there is a loss. Ryan was like a brother to me. We made many trips to the theatres and just talked. Gerry introduced us to London's gay scene and fashion. Goodbye Gerry and Ryan.

College. 4 long years where I feel you do the most growing up. First I made friends in my dorm then I moved onto friends in my major. Abbey, Susie and my other people in my fraternity became my good friends. We went on vacations together, played spin the bottle and attempted to become business professionals together (most of them are doing better at that than I am). I know I am fresh out of college (although it has been 2 years but I did jet off to Japan right away) but I have already lost 2 substantial people from my college days. My roommates of 4 years Jenny and Nicole. We had a falling out and I haven't seen or heard from them since. Goodbye Jenny and Nicole.

JET. Another stage in life. So many mezurashii (i forget the english word) experiences with people from all over the world. I have 2 theories. We are either going to remain in good contact because we want to visit eachother in our different areas of the world or we will drift even quicker because the extreme distance. I know I will be saying goodbye to some of you and others I will see again, it's just a matter of who will be in which group. Looking back I can see now that the results are shocking.

I know with every goodbye there is an equally emotional stimulating event. A new hello.

Hello Future.

Like Riding a Bike?

2006-02-06T14:39:00.000+09:00

Do you think is say 10 years time, if I don't actively study Japanese, will I forget how to read katakana and hiragana?

A List

2006-02-02T14:38:00.000+09:00

I was gonna make of list of things that I want to do with my last half a year in Japan.

Much to my dismay/surprise, I really don't have much a list to make.

I have seen what I have wanted to see- I wanted to visit the main islands of Japan, don't think I will make it to Okinawa or Hokkaido, but shockingly not too disappointed about it.

I've visited both rural and urban areas. No real desire to go back to Tokyo.

I have eaten everything that is of any interest. Live-sushi really isn't up my alley, and Kobe beef is too expensive.

I have been to more onsens than you can count (both single and mixed sex).

I have become a surrogate daughter to a Japanese family, so I have no need to do a homestay.

I have tried doing many hobbies including taiko, pottery, welding, and flamenco.

I have studied the language almost everyday since I have been here. Sensei-tachi, you can't ask more than that.

I have kissed a J-boy, but not really dated one, so I could improve in that area.

I have gotten to know my students as well as I could. For goodness sake, they pop by my house.

I have been skinny dipping in the sea of Japan. And been stung by jellyfish for the first time in my life too. It sucks-but doesn't kill you unless you swim into one of those big red ones (right ellen?!?!).

If you can think of any 'must-dos', 'must-sees' or 'must-eats' and you don't think I have, please challenge me.

(I have sucessfully changed my English from perapera English, to the Japanese translations of English. Previously I wrote 'please teach me' rather than 'please challenge me'-which is still remarkably Japanese-like)

Mame Maki

2006-01-31T13:59:00.000+09:00

I feel the need for a cultural post. I am writing this on my blog more so that I remember it in the future than anything.

So February is the time for mamemaki. I knew of it last year, but couldn't grasp the meaning. With my 2 nensei class we did mamemaki (throw beans). I think Japanese people believe that there are many devils of evil things (just like they think there are gods for good things). So you write down your resolution, or what you believe your devil is on the face of a devil. For example, I said 'my devil is saying bad things' some of my students said that 'their devil is laziness'. So then after you write your devil on the paper you throw beans (usually soy) or nuts at it. This will apparently make it stop. While throwing the beans you sing a song. So that is the purpose of mamemaki. Much like a New Years resolution.

I've been Tagged (Too!)

2006-01-27T12:13:00.000+09:00

4 Jobs I've Had in My Life
Cashier at a grocery store
Premium Seating at Jacobs Field (Cleveland Indians Stadium)
Marketing Intern at a radio station
Swimming teacher

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again, and
Notting Hill
Possession
Napoleon Dynamite
Empire Records

4 Places I Have
Lakewood, Oh
Columbus, Oh
London
Japan

4 TV Shows I Love To Watch (The only 4 TV shows I can watch in Japan)
Sex and the City
The OC
Seinfeld
Little Britain

4 Websites I visit daily
yahoo
excite
blogs of yamaguchians
google

4 Places I have Been on Vacaction
Elgin, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Bathesda, Maryland
Wisconsin

4 Favourite Foods
Avocados
Shio Yaki Saba (grilled, salted makeral)
soup
and bitter dark choco for dessert

4 Places I would rather Be
On the ocean in a kayak
at the cottage
in the bathroom (I have to pee)
Malaysia

4 Bands I Can Listen to over and over again
G. Love and Special Sauce
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Kanye West
Pink Floyd

4 People I am Tagging
Louise
Goongirl
Victoria
Lee Marqueses

Riddle

2006-01-26T14:33:00.000+09:00

1. It exposes what it should be covering.

2. It is used everyday all year round

3. It has a zipper.

What is it?

2006-01-26T14:32:00.000+09:00

Most day my students say mean things to me, as you all should know. But today one of the boys said 'Hey Sarah, You are my Sunshine!'

Question is: Am I really his sunshine or is he just pulling my leg?

Tamagawa Epidemic

2006-01-26T14:29:00.000+09:00

I am afraid for my life (well at least, my health). Tuesday and Wednesday the whole 1 nensei was off sick. All 19 of them. They had the flu. I was back at school with all the sickies today and I couldn't help but worry walking around the classroom. I already had the flu once this year, and I'll be damned if I get it again. Not only the 1 nensei but the 2 and 3 nensei aren't in better shape. At least 2-3 people are absent each day and then another 2-3 go home sick in the middle of the day. They are dropping like flies around here.

Child's Play

2006-01-17T15:01:00.000+09:00

During my 1 nensei lesson I looked up and saw Ko-chan had his shirt off and was walking around the class room. I thought odd, but not too crazy for this strange boy.

During hiruyasumi (recess) I looked up from my soccer game and saw Ko-chan running around the sandbox in only his anime printed tighty whities. It is winter here and cold. I stood and watched for a while. He ran around the sandbox about 30 times while another student (or his psuedo mother) chased him around with his clothes trying to coax them on.

All in a days work.

You're so Vain

2006-01-16T14:20:00.000+09:00

What do you think of Japanese men?

On average they are obsessed with themselves. They spend more hours preening themselves than they do talking to women. They shave their eyebrows, do their hair nice and pick out a fabulously trendy outfit to prowl around in. In general they look really cool. I am not all about looks, but if a guy has a cool unique sense of style, usually they are either cool or unique. Not these guys here. Or if they are, they sure don't like to show off their personality assets. They shop, play video games and basically don't do anything too interesting. You rarely see a guy engaged in a deep converstation with a women. They are usually hanging out in a group with their friends, giggling and laughing or tickling eachother.

As a matter of fact, just this weekend at Susie Wongs, there were many a 'cool' looking J-boy there as well as many single western (and might I add HOT) women there. Did any of them attempt to speak to any of us (well apart from the two Atsushis)? NO! They were too busy dancing. I know you are thinking, 'what's wrong with that?'. Well I will tell you. They were dancing into the mirrors. Their backs were to everyone else and they were doing their cool moves to themselves. They must spend hours practicing dance moves (because some of them are quite impressive) only to show off to themselves in a bar. You would think they would want to use that kind of talent to pick up women. Or at least have a good time with everyone else in the bar. But nope, they would rather hang out with themselves.

And last but not least, they are shy. Shy, shy, shy. Sometimes the shy thing can be innocently cute, but not so introverted that you get a mumbly and jumbly when talking to a woman. I know a lot of us western women probably feel that Japanese men have no interest in us, but mainly I think it is because they are so damn shy. Think about it, ALL men, no matter what, are deep down kinky bastards. Who wouldn't want to try their hand at something different and, dare I say, exotic??? I actually feel bad for them. Because what is more fun than innocently flirting with the opposite sex. Even if it leads to nothing, at least you have had a stimulating conversation.

But of course there are the extroverted, sukebe*, old men. Instead of being a victim of their play I decided to do as they do and hit on a guy at the ramen stand. I sat down next to him and started talking. I was being insanely silly and I can't exactly remember what was said. But I know by the end of it I had my arm around him and was aggressively giving him hugs. Then I put my hand on his thigh and told him I was only 17. (they have a thing for young girls here) Christine and I grabbed his chest and then his crotch. (i know, extremely inappropriate-but i feel this is cultural research) We wanted to see how he would react. His comment was 'amai' or sweet, meaning he wanted more. I told him that I really liked him and his old friend with no teeth. I really don't know how things ended up. I think I just said my fond farewell but felt accomplished that I was a sukebe for one night too.

*sukebe= dirty old man, or pervert

American Wedding

2006-01-12T12:11:00.000+09:00

First I would like to say, now that I am sitting in my cold school back in Japan, that I am so happy I went home. I know the previous post was a bit melancholoy, but at the time, that is how I was feeling. Now that I am looking back on it, if I wasn't so busy I probably would have been complaining of boredom. I had a great time seeing everyone and talking with everyone.

Ok, so the wedding. It was on January 7 and luckily for the bride and the groom (Erin and Colin-my brother) there was snow on the ground and in the air. What's the point of having a winter wedding with no snow. Emily came over in the morning did my hair and make-up and then off I went to Erin's house to finish getting ready. We walked in and everyone was in their finest. Erin looked beautiful, like a winter princess. She did a good job choosing that dress. The girls loaded in the limo, we had our chauffer, Gene, stop at the nearest convenient store to get some beers and off we went to the church. It was at St. Patrick's on Bridge, a very old catholic church. Perfect setting for a wedding. They said their vows and then they were married. Only during communion did I realize how cold it was in the church. People were coming up wearing their winter coats and I was sitting there in my spaghetti strap dress. The ceremony didn't stop me from making faces at Melissa, the maid of honor.

After the church we went to 806 which is a victorian wine and martini bar. Just the bridal party went there. It was an elegant little spot. The perfect setting for their wedding photos. After a few glasses of champagne and hors d'ourves we were well on our way for the reception. The reception was held at Cleveland Athletic Club and was a beautiful venue. There were curtains hiding the main dining area. So we all gathered at the bar and had drinks and hors d'ourves and watched the cutting of the cake. They were polite to eachother, not smashing it in faces. The the curtains were opened to a dimmed, candle lit room. It was gorgeous. Speeches were said, food was eaten, and the bride and groom kissed to the clinking of glasses. Then the motown band came on and we danced the night away.

Funny parts of the night. My partner was so wasted! We sat next to eachother at dinner and we talked shit the whole meal long. Not very polite. Then during the bridal dance he ditched me for drinks at the bar. In which case I had to dance with my cousin Ben. So we shared a cigar and danced away. Due to Justin's drunkeness-he fell down the stairs, only to earn himself a gash in the forehead. Ha ha, serves you right. The dance floor was always packed. There were many dancing circles going on. My mom's dress was quite revealing so we dubbed her Cleave McNamara. So all the girls stuck roses down their tops to show of their cleavage too. Later in the evening at the hotel bar, the best man got in a fist fight, over who knows what. How classy. By the end of the night I had on my black converse all-stars and one of my dress straps was broken. I looked like the hillbilly cousin from Kentucky.

All in all it was a great event. Congratulations to Colin and Erin. My brother and sister-in-law. Have fun on your honeymoon to Puerta Vallarta.

From the States

2006-01-04T03:28:00.000+09:00

Sitting in the library, getting ready to meet my mom's Japanese friends. I wonder if I still know the language. That's a lie. I spoke it the other night at a sushi restaurant. The rice tasted weird.

I'm not gonna lie. Home has been interesting at the least. Busy at the most. Extremely familiar at the worst, but comforting at best. I have seen friends and family. Mainly once each. You give people a taste of you and they want more and more. Sometimes they get mad at you if you can't be with them all the time. Most of the time I feel like a disappointment.

I am trying my hardest to see people. But there are things that I have wanted to do that I haven't been able to. I wanted to ice skate. I wanted to sled (I guess we would need snow for that). I have been to a few movies and rented some as well, so I guess I am doing well in that department. I wanted to sit around with all my friends, doing and talking about nothing. I haven't been able to do much of that either.

Don't get me wrong, I am having a lovely time. But my mind is working a mile a minute.

I have gotten sick. The wedding is soon. More excitement to add to my plate. Then I will be back in Japan. Back at my home. Otsukaresama.

And so this is Christmas

2005-12-15T10:32:00.000+09:00

The beloved xmas post.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Happy New Year and most importantly Happy Holidays.

Be Safe and Warm and Careful during this awesome season.

To my Japan friends- It was great seeing you at the xmas party (you all looked fabulous-fabulously drunk that is) hope seminar park was useful.

To my Ohio friends- See you soon. Beware of terrible English speaking skills and weird Japanese quirks that will come out at inopportune times. If I bow at you, just bow back and pretend it never happened.

To my friends in other interesting places- Hope to meet you sometime soon.

Sitting Seiza

2005-12-08T14:44:00.000+09:00

At a traditional tea ceremony with my fellow teachers.

First 5 minutes- People get to their positions and kneel down. I look around and see everyone is sitting seiza. I can do this. Piece of cake. 10 minute mark- People are still content around me. I am soooo Japanese. No worries. But the sensei is still talking about the cereomony and not performing it. 15 minute mark- First sign of pain. Start to think how much longer this will go on. Sweets are being passed out. Tea is being prepared. 20 minute mark- Pain is now unbearable. People are starting to look uncomfortable. Can't wait until I drink my tea because then this is OVER. 30 minute mark- The guy next to me starts to squirm. I start to squirm. I can't take the pain. I ask the guy next to me how long is the longest he has sat seiza, he said 1 hour 30 minutes. I am amazed, there is NO WAY on this Earth that I would be able to do it for that long. 40 minute mark- The last few people have had their tea. My legs have that numb cold then hot feeling. I can't decide whether to overlap my feet or keep them parallel. I am starting to sweat. But the end is in view. 50 minute mark- We are still sitting here. I feel like I am going to vomit or pass out. I saw stars. The guy next to me keeps hunching over and making crying sounds. The guy on my other side tickles my feet, I don't feel it. The kocho sensei gets poured another cup of tea. We are starting the ceremony all over again. 60 minute mark- I lean over to get some blood to my toes. I am impressed that I have lasted a whole hour. I usually only last 5 minutes. The end is in view. One of the teachers stands up and actually falls over while trying to walk. He is unable to walk to the door with out making a mockery of himself so he resumes his seiza seat. 1 hour and 20 minutes later- FINALLY we are able to stand up. I am afraid. I attempt it once and it is almost more painful to stand than remain sitting in seiza. My ankles are permanently bent into a pointed toe. If I bend my ankles I am afraid they will break like brittle ice. Finally I get to my feet. I can't walk normal. I shuffle my feet to walk down the hall. Climbing stairs brings tears to my eyes. I try to shake off the pain. The rest of the day my legs were sore. NEVER AGAIN.

This blog is dedicated to Sean Ellsworth who sits seiza often and for long periods of time while he is training to learn tea ceremony.

December has come

2005-12-01T10:39:00.000+09:00

So it's December. Turn on the damn heaters!

My lungs are fully prepared to be filled with kerosene if my fingers and toes get to be warm!

Homeward Bound

2005-11-29T12:05:00.000+09:00

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