Best Big City
Sapporo/ Hiroshima
Best Small City
Morioka
Best Country Town
Takko
Best "traditional" Japan
Shikoku
Best "Modern Japan"
Osaka
Best temple
Nikko
Best ramen
Spicy Miso Ramen
Best Fruit
Aomori Apples, Yamagata Cherries, Okinawa Passionfruit
Best "American" food
Bikkuri Donkey- Also places first for the best name in Japan
Best place to be when the sun is shining
In the car, on a long drive past rice fields and seeing hazy mountains in the distance.
Best place to spend a rainy day
Round One, Namja Town
Best summer
BBQ in the Akita Beach
Best Winter
Hakkoda Mountain, Sapporo Yuki Matsuri
Best Fall
Onsen in the middle of Kouyo (fall leaves)
Best Spring
Hirosaki Castle surrounded by cherry blossoms sipping a beer
Best amusement
Odaiba
Best chill place
Oirase River in Aomori
Best festival
Hmmm... Nebuta Festival in Aomori, Tuna Festival in Aomori, Sansa in Morioka
Best beer
Enjuku
Best snack
Rice burger from my school's cafeteria
Best sushi
Su no Ya Kaiten Sushi- cold, good quality fish and only 103 yen a plate!
Best thing to eat on a hot day
Dole Fruit popsicles, they do them right in Japan
Best thing to eat on a cold day
Nabe
Best onsen
Name Unknown in Iya Valley, cable car to the top and the valley below as you lie naked in the bath.
Best people
Okinawa people- Trusting complete strangers to drive your car while you are drugged in the back is TRUST!
Best random tourist trap
Tarabune in Sado ga Shima
Worse tourist trap
Chi no Ike in Beppu
Best place to go for "The Japan Experience"
Local festivals with yukata, food stalls, and the goldfish game
Best place for the "Food Traveler"
Kyushu- in it's entirety
Place I could go to again and again
Hokkaido
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tomorrow is the Last Day!
I am really going to miss this school, everything about it. Today, I had three classes with my first years. It was fun even though I realized early this week that these students will not have much sentiment over someone they met only four months ago, but I am really feeling the love from my second and third year students. Enough love to let myself know that I did what I wanted to do. I wanted to give these students a good experience with America and English and I think I've accomplished that. In between my classes, I had some great memories. I was going to the bank when I saw students from the blind school that I had just said "goodbye" to yesterday. They were having an exchange with one of my 2nd year classes. THey all gathered and I watched them play すいかわり (breaking the watermelon). I got to talk with a whole bunch of students and got to even play myself, breaking the watermelon. There was cherring and good things everywhere. Then a group of boys, some that I thought didn't have a care about me wanted to take pictures with me. Then in the office, a 3rd year student gave me a letter. I had trapped her into conversation earlier and she wanted to say her own goodbye. Then one of my 3rd year students that always comes to talk to me came and we had a great reminiscent talk. Tomorrow is my last day, but I feel like I can properly leave this school with my head up high, saying that I have done what an ALT is suppose to do.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Silver Dreams
In the past couple of weeks I have had two creepy dreams with silver in them. Strangely, these did not scare me like most bad dreams do and the story in the dream made a lot of sense rather than just clips of odd things that still makes a choppy story.
The first dream, I was living in an all-girl apartment with my friend Allison. The building and area wasn't very clean, but we didn't seem to mind. One day, we are walking together on the street and a taxi cab pulls up in front of us asking for a ride, we tell him we don't need one although he insists. He then tells us how beautiful he thinks we are and asks us if he can take us out to a big dinner. We imagined a very big buffet with a lot of expensive food, but we say no to him, many times. We returned to our building. A couple dream days later, we realized (in some weird way) that there were many taxi drivers out around the area, all asking for the girls to come in. We further realized that their ploy was to pick up the girls, take them to a really nice meal, drop them off at home and kill them. We did not know how. But then we heard a sound. We looked outside our apartment and saw men in black trench coats and silver masks walking around the apartment. We manage to find a very hot rock that we put on the floor and burned a hole through the next five floors. We looked and all our downstairs neighbors are dead. We realize though, that we are safe because we did not accept the offer to eat with them, but these men we around the halls trying to find the women in the apartment who ate with them.
Second dream, I was at an ALT party with a LOT of people. It was a big park with a fancy restaurant at the end. I was with Ron and an unknown person. As we are walking around, it felt like something was wrong with some of the people. We didn't know what , but it was creepy enough to try and leave the party. We went to the restaurant and managed to hide in the back storage area. During the time of waiting, people would come into the storage shed, in hopes to talk to a talent agent or such and many of them would not come out. Some of them did, but when they came out they had silver coming out of their eyes and nose. After less people started to come, we decided we had to leave since it really didn't feel safe. We left the restaurant and started to run through the park, but when we got to the park it was COMPLETELY empty. There was no one. We wondered where everyone went. Then, the silver people started to come out. They didn't seem to notice us and kept on socializing and BBQ-ing. More of them started to come around us and they knew that we weren't like them but didn't seem to care. We were in this really big group and finally when we knew it was safe to ask, we asked them,
"What happened to everyone?"
The silver people said, "Oh, we ate them. We need them to keep the silver in our bodies."
We asked, "But why don't you want to eat us?"
"Because it's already past our feeding time. We don't need to eat anymore. You're safe."
And we continued to BBQ.
The first dream, I was living in an all-girl apartment with my friend Allison. The building and area wasn't very clean, but we didn't seem to mind. One day, we are walking together on the street and a taxi cab pulls up in front of us asking for a ride, we tell him we don't need one although he insists. He then tells us how beautiful he thinks we are and asks us if he can take us out to a big dinner. We imagined a very big buffet with a lot of expensive food, but we say no to him, many times. We returned to our building. A couple dream days later, we realized (in some weird way) that there were many taxi drivers out around the area, all asking for the girls to come in. We further realized that their ploy was to pick up the girls, take them to a really nice meal, drop them off at home and kill them. We did not know how. But then we heard a sound. We looked outside our apartment and saw men in black trench coats and silver masks walking around the apartment. We manage to find a very hot rock that we put on the floor and burned a hole through the next five floors. We looked and all our downstairs neighbors are dead. We realize though, that we are safe because we did not accept the offer to eat with them, but these men we around the halls trying to find the women in the apartment who ate with them.
Second dream, I was at an ALT party with a LOT of people. It was a big park with a fancy restaurant at the end. I was with Ron and an unknown person. As we are walking around, it felt like something was wrong with some of the people. We didn't know what , but it was creepy enough to try and leave the party. We went to the restaurant and managed to hide in the back storage area. During the time of waiting, people would come into the storage shed, in hopes to talk to a talent agent or such and many of them would not come out. Some of them did, but when they came out they had silver coming out of their eyes and nose. After less people started to come, we decided we had to leave since it really didn't feel safe. We left the restaurant and started to run through the park, but when we got to the park it was COMPLETELY empty. There was no one. We wondered where everyone went. Then, the silver people started to come out. They didn't seem to notice us and kept on socializing and BBQ-ing. More of them started to come around us and they knew that we weren't like them but didn't seem to care. We were in this really big group and finally when we knew it was safe to ask, we asked them,
"What happened to everyone?"
The silver people said, "Oh, we ate them. We need them to keep the silver in our bodies."
We asked, "But why don't you want to eat us?"
"Because it's already past our feeding time. We don't need to eat anymore. You're safe."
And we continued to BBQ.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
School is starting to suck now.
This week has been painful. Now that I had my Farwell party with my English teachers, which was painful enough, they have started to make me say "goodbye" to my students. I realize that this is the best, saying goodbye to them personally, but it makes the days so much more depressing. Then I can't really read their reactions. Did they know? Do they care? Do they want me out of here? Are they like me and will start crying two weeks after I leave? I'm sure they wonder the same things. Why am I leaving? Why would I leave them? Who will replace me? amongst other questions. I feel like such a cheat going to China when I had planned to stay for three years. I really fear that they'll find out and think I don't care. I have tried to think of good reasons why going to China is better and that makes a perfectly legitimate reason why I HAVE to leave, but it hurts and sucks just the same. The closest I've gotten is that Ron found a job in China as well as me and we both haven't had a job in a while. I know I may not have reached all the students, but I sure hope I got through most. Even half, I'm cool with. Ugh! This is going to be a long, guilt-ridden, suicide-watching week (just kidding on the suicide).
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
I am the most popular ALT!
On a drowsy feeling Saturday, I went shopping with a friend and our plan was to meet a bunch of other ALTs for a 4th of July BBQ and fireworks. We made it to the park and the day seemed to get more and more tiring and awkward since there was no food or fireworks, something we were promised. Eventually, we started playing frisbee. I was in the middle of a horrible frisbee toss when I hear a group of people scream "JUNI!!!". I turned around and it was one of my Ichiko classes. 40 students coming right at me. It seems that they were all together to celebrate their victory in the Sports Festival and came to the park to light fireworks. This was luckily one of my favorite classes. Any other class would have been much more quiet and awkward. It started to downpour on everyone so the big group of drinking foreigners were mixed in with my students. I got to have so much fun talking with my students and so many of them were saying how much they would miss me and how they don't want me to leave. I felt so lucky with a little too much pride as the other ALTs saw how my students gush over me and how freakin' brilliant they are with their English. Even after the rain stopped, the kids stuck around to light their fireworks so I know that they weren't haging out because they were stuck. I was light on my feet the entire evening knowing that I would be missed in my school.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Our Old Man Part II
Remember our old man? He's a funny guy. He will randomly call or just knock on the door at home with bags of "heart presents." He is usually about 5 beers in at this time and wants to drink more at our house. Ron and I don't really drink on the weekdays anymore, but we let him sit and sip on some sochu while we eat what he's brought for us. He prides himself on being "nonbe" (strong drinker) and that his heart is pure and he continuously reminds us that he doesn't want to be an annoyance. Slowly, but surely though he is becoming one. Not only are we not ready for two hours of his intoxicated repetition, but it always ends up with him lecturing me with how to be a good Japanese wife and playing his game of:
Old Man: OK OK. I'm being a bother. I'm going now.
Us: No, no. Stay. You haven't finished your drink. (fueled by guilt)
Old Man: OK. Ten more minutes.
(Ten minutes later)
Old Man: OK OK. I'm being a bother. I'm going now.
Us: No, no. Stay. (Saying it to say it)
Old Man: OK. Ten more minutes.
etc...
Usually he is tipsy and after a while he heads home, but last night was interesting. Yesterday we had a small birthday party with our old man, and our friends Casey. This is a party mainly because our old man insisted that he wanted to buy me a cake. We are all together while we eat cake and he drinks whatever we got. He's pretty toasty before drinking, but with his NONBE NONBE attitude, we think nothing of it. Pretty soon, we are tired and want to close the party and when our old man realizes this he starts getting really hissy and drinking more, refusing to leave. Finally we get him to stand up and he can barely stand. We try to walk him home and he refuses to move, ending up lying down on our little road. We don't know where he lives and don't want to hurt him by picking him up, so we do what we have to do...we call the police and 10 minutes later they try to take him home but our old man is getting angrier and angrier, swinging his arms and not saying where he lives. I go in the house since his yelling will cause attention to our surrounding neighbors, namely my supervisor and students. Eventually, Ron finds out where he lives and the police are able to take him home. That evening got out of hand really quick. I understand that he is lonely and that's why we don't mind him around, but a line of our own threshold was crossed, no matter what he tries to buy for us. I'm in the middle of feeling really guilty, wanting to comfort this man and give him company, but secretly hoping that he will be giving us a "heart present" rest for a little while.
Old Man: OK OK. I'm being a bother. I'm going now.
Us: No, no. Stay. You haven't finished your drink. (fueled by guilt)
Old Man: OK. Ten more minutes.
(Ten minutes later)
Old Man: OK OK. I'm being a bother. I'm going now.
Us: No, no. Stay. (Saying it to say it)
Old Man: OK. Ten more minutes.
etc...
Usually he is tipsy and after a while he heads home, but last night was interesting. Yesterday we had a small birthday party with our old man, and our friends Casey. This is a party mainly because our old man insisted that he wanted to buy me a cake. We are all together while we eat cake and he drinks whatever we got. He's pretty toasty before drinking, but with his NONBE NONBE attitude, we think nothing of it. Pretty soon, we are tired and want to close the party and when our old man realizes this he starts getting really hissy and drinking more, refusing to leave. Finally we get him to stand up and he can barely stand. We try to walk him home and he refuses to move, ending up lying down on our little road. We don't know where he lives and don't want to hurt him by picking him up, so we do what we have to do...we call the police and 10 minutes later they try to take him home but our old man is getting angrier and angrier, swinging his arms and not saying where he lives. I go in the house since his yelling will cause attention to our surrounding neighbors, namely my supervisor and students. Eventually, Ron finds out where he lives and the police are able to take him home. That evening got out of hand really quick. I understand that he is lonely and that's why we don't mind him around, but a line of our own threshold was crossed, no matter what he tries to buy for us. I'm in the middle of feeling really guilty, wanting to comfort this man and give him company, but secretly hoping that he will be giving us a "heart present" rest for a little while.
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