Japanese J9

Engrish

2011-06-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

Overheard today on the playground...

In the rabbits cage as one begins to hump the second:

See? His leg is hurt so he is jumping on the other rabbit for exercise!

As I am preparing lessons in the teachers room:

kids: Janine Sensei, we made you a present. *hands me a bunch of clovers*
me: meep!

As I am leaving school:

kids: JANINE SENSEI!!!!! Are you going home?
me: Yes, I'll see you next week
kids: JANINE SENSEI!!! WHERE DO YOU LIVE??!
me: over by [insert bldg name]
kids: *turn to teacher* Isn't she from America?
me: Yes, but I live in Kitakata now.
kids: WHAT?! I THOUGH YOU LIVED IN AMERICA!
teacher: come back inside, let's have a look at the world map again.

Also, They are doing the annual teacher introductions for the parents packet.

My motto is evidently "Don't wary". Written BY the Japanese Teachers of English! Gaaaah.

and now I'm going to put my bunches of weed flowers in a vase...

Greg + Tokyo !!

2011-06-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

Day one in Tokyo:

Sightseeing in Asakusa at Sensoji Temple and seeing the Asahi Victory Flame, which looks waaaay too much like a Golden Poop.

And then navigating up for a drink overlooking the city and to Shinjuku for a green tea Starbucks coffee.

And out on the town that evening:

The next day we met up with Anna, an ALT who came about 3 months ago [just after the quake- kudos!] whom we know from Knoxville. We met up in Harajuku for lunch and shopping.

Lunch was okinomiyaki, a very difficult mix of veggies and meat that is cooked like a pancake. We failed at the first, but the second turned out pretty good!

That night we went to [sorry all you meat haters out there] the whale restaurant in Shibuya. Its famous, its not common and it was, frankly, delicious.

Post kujira-ya, we headed over to Lock-Up for some insane asylum/Jail inspired drinks:

We made it juuuuust in time for the show:

The next day, Greg was leaving. We got him all saddled up and then said goodbye.

See you in August! :D

Greg's Visit #2

2011-06-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Greg and I went to a taiko lesson on Monday night. Just think giant drums...

A short train ride later...

My friend Bela took us as she had been before:

Tuesday began Greg's middle school days. The kids were excited to have a boy to talk with...

One day at middle school there was an assembly to pump the school teams up for an upcoming area championship. They each came up and did their cheers.

Here is a short video of the kendo club's

I also took him to see the giant buddha temple in Kitakata. Its much prettier in Spring!

We took a train one evening to one of my Japanese friend's house. She made a HUGE spread and wouldn't let us stop eating for a minute!

And the head of my English Conversation class had us over for dinner! Her kids are wild but super cute. We had to let them dress us up to get them to calm down for a second:

After dinner we escaped to play some Rock Band at my place!

Our last night in Aizu we went to Aizuwakamatsu [45 minutes from me and much bigger] for garlic ramen and shopping:

And then we headed for Tokyo!

Shine!

2011-05-28T23:22:00.001-07:00

Last night was our annual party event for this area, Shine. It is the first since the organizer, Brian, moved back to Japan. It was sad without Brian, no one can throw a party quite like him. Anyways, it turned out really well and bonus that I got to bring Greg with me!

Here are some photos!

The event was held to raise money for the coast, and there was a charity raffle. Guess who won? Greg Simpson.

Here are his winnings [bottle of sake, shirt, cakes and stickers] :

Today is going to be a lazy Sunday. I love brunch!

Greg's First day in Kitakata:

2011-05-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

We got up on Saturday and went to my school's sports festival.

And then he tried Kitakata Ramen! [and saw a cool car he got excited about...]

It's a really pretty day. I am so excited about Shine tonight!

G Dinner and karaoke

2011-05-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Friday evening after school [after a nap- 6 classes wears you out!] we had some people over. After a brief Rock Band session we headed to G for dinner. It was delicious and fun to introduce Marie and Greg to my friends here.

Afterwards we did some karaoke:

This morning, bright and early, I took Marie to the train station. She should be in the air now. It was SO good having her here and I can't wait till the reunion in October! : )

Kitakata First Elementary School

2011-05-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday both Greg and Marie came to Issho, Kitakata First Elementary School. We taught 6 classes about American Football! Greg taught them to hold the ball and Marie threw it around with them. The kids adored both of them!

At recess we passed the football around and the little ones took turns showing Greg and Marie how well they could do flips on the monkey bars:

It was a really great day and I was so happy to share them with my school :)

Marie in Japan 2

2011-05-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

The rest of the week with Marie has been great!

We went to a fancy dinner with my kiwi friend, Cheryl:

And I showed her what a tanuki is:

On Thursday we took a train to Koriyama and met with Greg!

And on Friday she came to elementary school with me!

Marie in Japan

2011-05-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

While I admit that I am missing a ton of great photos from my mom's recent trip to Japan, I wanted to show some of the latest ones of Marie at my middle school.

Please give a round of applause for my friend, Marie!

Her self-introduction:

A 7th grade class about numbers and working in groups:

The game I led:

And some fun pictures at the end:

It's been great having her at middle school with me!

Earthquake alarms

2011-05-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

Just returned from my trip to Vietnam and let me tell ya, I did NOT miss these stupid earthquake alarms. Its a pre-warning on cell phones about an approaching earthquake. While it was quite helpful during the big earthquake [however, mine was still on silent from graduation so I didn't hear it] it has become a weekly annoyance that makes me sleepily jump out of bed... and then get back in bed grumpily when nothing happens.

I made this video in April near the height of them:

At this point there are so many that the initial ones have deleted themselves.

Come to Fukushima!

2011-05-17T01:13:00.000-07:00

I love this series of videos. The mayor is trying so hard to speak English well and it really is so safe here. The rumors about radiation are absolutely killing the economy here and that is really a travesty as I live in an absolutely gorgeous place.

Midnight Fri April 8th

2011-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

It just turned Friday, which means my mom will be here tomorrow!

There was a bigger aftershock just now but no worries, we are all OK :)

Goodnight!

California

2011-03-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

Now, on a completely different note...

I recently had my good friend Stefani ask me about recommendations for things to do in S. California. I've been asked several times before so I thought I could compile a list of 'Can't miss,' 'Top Ten' or perhaps simply, 'Janine's favourites'....

[Thanks to Ken Basin, Shane Reider, Eric Golding and Brigid Anderson for the ideas and inspiration]

First, a note of precaution for first time tourists to California. S. California is a driving state. Public transport sucks and you will find that not having a car will put you at a definite disadvantage unless you plan to stay in one walking area for your trip. The main thing everyone encouraged was HAVE A CAR, with GPS and keep plenty of change on hand for pesky meters
[that you will surely encounter, although not in a gold bikini]

Another major thing to remember is traffic. Don't go anywhere near the highways on weekdays between the hours of 7 and 9am or 5 to 8pm. Especially in LA. This may sound strange but with a little planning, you can avoid hours [literally] sitting in traffic. Just plan to stick to surface streets, wait or arrive a bit early. Weekends are a toss up.

You can check traffic reports online:
http://www.traffic.com/Los-Angeles-Traffic/Los-Angeles-Traffic-Reports.html

http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?Region=Greater+Los+Angeles#lat=34.11206&lon=-118.37072&z=2

Just... avoid this:

Now, On to the good stuff. In no particular order...:

1. Griffith Observatory at Griffith Park

A breathtaking building, this site serves as a planetarium [I don't really care for planetariums but this comes with a voice actor narrator, and a WILD show. HIGHLY recommended]

Me, Shane, Brigid and Emy in 2009:

One of the best things about Griffith Park is the view. From one side you can see all of LA [and on a clear day maybe to the ocean] and to the other sides you can see the Hollywood sign [for that elusive photo] and rolling green hills [probably the only place in LA you can do so].

And if you are into a hike... this is a great place to take one. There is also horseback riding available as well as restaurants and cafes along your way.

Free Admission [Show is $7]

Weekdays (Wednesday-Friday): Open 12:00 noon - 10:00 p.m.

Weekends (Saturday-Sunday): Open 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays: Closed

Free Telescope use available at night, Map available at: http://www.griffithobservatory.org/vshuttle.html

"Browse the wonders of science within the 1935 building, which reopened in 2006 after a dramatic addition, mostly underground, that added dozens of exhibits and a cafe. Though shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium cost $3-$7 a person, most of the building is free. Outside again, savor one of the city's best views. Check out the bust of James Dean. (His 1955 movie "Rebel Without a Cause" includes scenes here.) Then head back down the hill to the Trails Cafe and its outdoor picnic tables, avocado sandwiches, vegan chili and homemade baked goods."

I suggest going in the afternoon in order to catch the sunset from up there.

2. In & Out

Not to be confused with the terrible Kevin Kline movie, this place is a must to get the true California experience... you will probably see one while driving around or you can check here: http://www.in-n-out.com/locations.asp

And because I love you, here is the guide to the secret menu:
http://www.badmouth.net/in-n-outs-secret-menu/

Get some animal style fries for me.

And just for Stef: Get a Wish Burger [Veggies on Bread] or Grilled Cheese and then animal style fries [refers to the famous thous island onion sauce, no actual animals involved!] and a shake [omg vanilla is my favourite!]

3. LIVE SHOWS

Some of my best memories are of live shows. The people watching alone can be fun!

You can find lists here: http://www.ohmyrockness.com/index.cfm
Or classical here: http://www.scfta.org/home/default.aspx
As kids, we spent one Sunday a month at the latter watching the Philharmonic. Amazing musicians.

*SEE STEEL PANTHER INFO BELOW*

The bigger the name, the earlier to book and arrive. Parking is always a pain at shows.

4. Pacific Coast Highway [PCH]
[Also known as Highway 1. Shane recommends listening to The Beach Boys]

The first thing I did when I got my license? Got Em and Jamal in the car and started driving down PCH. With the beach always to your side, the view is breathtaking and makes for an excellent beach picnic finder. The farther North you go the more the scenery changes. It may add 30 minutes to your journey, but its worth it. Freeways are lame anyways :)

5. Sports Game

I'm not even that big a sports fan but these games are super fun.

Football:
USC:http://www.gotickets.com/sports/college_football/pac_10/southern_cal_trojans.php
CAL: http://www.calbears.com/tickets/cal-tickets.html

Baseball:

Dodgers: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/ticketing/singlegame.jsp?c_id=la
Angels: http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/ticketing/singlegame.jsp?c_id=ana

Basketball:

Clippers: https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/pack_searchtix.htmI?l=EN&CNTX=7fb757366cc6baab812d999789b7203e
Lakers: http://www.stubhub.com/los-angeles-lakers-tickets/

Soccer:

Galaxy: http://www.galaxytickets.com/tickets.php?EID=2678

Hockey:

Mighty Ducks: http://tickets.anaheimducks.com/PromoPacks.aspx
LA Kings: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/2C0044FC9F0D1373?artistid=805961&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=9&brand=lakings&CAMEFROM=nhlkings_breakingnews

If you are interested in looking up more teams there is a complete list here:
http://www.sodahead.com/fun/california-sports-teams-what-are-your-favorites-from-your-state/question-993963/?link=ibaf&imgurl=http://www.sports-teams.us/la-lakers/la-lakers0.jpg&q=california%2Bsports

6. See a Live Show Recording

This can apply to so many shows [ie; Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Dr. Phil, Ellen, Jay Leno...].

I recommend Conan. It runs on a lottery so even if you are looking into it late in the game, you still can have a chance to go.

http://teamcoco.com/tickets

7. Go to the Beach, but not for swimming.

For Beaches, Malibu is going to be the best.

For Surfing, I recommend Surf City [My Hometown of Huntington Beach]

The US Open is held there every year. 2k11 is at the end of July.
http://www.usopenofsurfing.com/

8. Explore!

This section is dedicated to the quintessential California things that really are worth a look. Bring your camera and be prepared for cheesy.

-Hollywood

The Hollywood walk is full of the stars by actors and will lead you to Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

At Grauman's you can see a movie, maybe catch a premier, or simply see the famous handprints from stars.

R2D2 is there... enough said.

The pizza on the corner near there is amazing.

-Beverly Hills

Simply for the fanciness factor, or if you want to see crazy rich old ladies pushing chihuahuas around in strollers [yes, i have seen this before...]

Get lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel:

And although you may not be able to shop there, Rodeo Drive is fairly famous.

- Santa Monica and Venice Beach

The pier itself is full of cheesy fair rides and games and the area is just a nice place to hang out.

One great thing about Santa Monica is that it is mostly closed off from traffic so you can walk around and see street acts while shopping, eating and exploring.

Right next door is Venice Beach:

It is probably best know for the wild street acts and protesters. Be careful about taking pictures. Sometimes they ask for money.

-Silverlake and Los Feliz

Just East of Hollywood and Griffith Observatory, this is one of the only places I would recommend sticking around all day for. It has a definite hipster streak and the shopping is as good as the nightlife.

Fred 62
http://www.fred62.com/photos.html

Open 365 days a year, I love this diner. The street it is on has great vintage shopping too. There is a fun bookshop next door. Go here.

The Dresden
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dresden-room-restaurant-los-angeles
Same street as Fred 62 for easy navigation.

Remember the movie Swingers? Yea... thats this place. Go have a cocktail or 15. Piano player duo play tunes on request most nights.

-Los Angeles

Universal City Walk

Shopping mecca. Every possible movie playing, wild decor, concert and endless restaurants. Don't get pulled in and stay for an entire day [although you could!].

Metal Skool / Steel Panther
Want a guaranteed awesome night out in LA?

Go see a Steel Panther show.

Hair Metal with hilarious lyrics - its kinda like a stand-up/rock show.
But seriously, they are a Glam Metal Band that will keep you entertained.

Shows: http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/shows.aspx

9. Nightlife

I love Long Beach for cheap hipster nightlife. 2nd street could keep you entertained all night.
Downtown is a street with restaurants and bars lining either side:

Best recommendations are
Dinner at Le Creperie:

Get a bottle of wine. Get the 'Au Bon Curry''French Riviera' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. Live Music. Beautiful inside. Amazing crepes. Relax.

Dessert [maybe to go since you already had it at the creperie] at Frosted Cupcakes down the street.
The Red Velvet ones should be illegal.

Shane recommends Alegrias for spanish cuisine and salsa dancing:
http://alegriacocinalatina.com/p.php?id=1

Bar:
Detroit Bar
http://detroitbar.com/
My friend Eric spins here on Mondays.

[More to come]

10. Del Taco

Why else would it be open 24 hours than to provide late night snacks?
They are everywhere. Only eat it late at night.
I recommend the mex pizza, quesadilla, soft chx taco and fries.

Now that I am sufficiently hungry, I will leave you with this massive amount of info to sort thu.

If you have the time, 3 fantastic day trip ideas:

1. Wine Country
For a different side of California, rolling hills and delicious wine. Drive and buy or get a DD and go from vineyard to vineyard. Relax, eat.. savor

Knotts Berry Farm

Ever seen one of these in an IHOP?

Well, its from the first amusement park, Knotts. Snoopy and friends are the theme. Cheap fun and something you can only do in California [Unlike Disney, 6 Flags or Universal Studios]

6 Flags Magic Mountain
http://www.sixflags.com/magicMountain/index.aspx
If you love Roller Coasters, this is for you.

Be sure to do Goliath. I have never been more scared in my life. Maybe.

Slab City

Go see the desert. Go camping. Go see crazy GREAT art. You might remember it from Into The Wild with Chris McCandless:

Lots of people camp out there...

Anyways... Super jealous I won't be there but I hope this helps. :)

In other news: My mom will be here in 9 days!!!

2 weeks later

2011-03-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 weeks since the quake so I will take a short break from posting everyday as things seem pretty much normal here. [other than the evacuees in the gym, the sad stories on the news and the massive cleanup going on in Sendai].

My neighbor, Danny, went to get gas yesterday. He waited 15 minutes >< ! GAH!

Bread back in the stores, gas available, no rationing and Rich even got my wireless working again. yay.

Wondering about aftershocks since the quake?

Here's an illustration of every one since the quake:

Click me!

Thurs 3/24

2011-03-23T23:15:00.001-07:00

From Kay, a good article about what is happening over the next week in Japan:

Click Here

or put this in your URL: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704461304576216301249128570.html

3/23 and Graduation

2011-03-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

5 Earthquake alarms since last night. Bennett and I were skyping during one this weekend. Its essentially an alarm that sounds super loud from the phone. They are starting to get annoying as the aftershocks either don't happen or are fairly mild. I still jump out of bed every time but nothing is strong enough to even rattle anything. The news seems to be good, especially for my area where the fear of radiation has been reduced to almost nothing. The trains should be running again from this weekend and the grocery stores are almost back to normal... but still not a lot of bread. Thank goodness Japanese people don't know what to do with the tortillas! ;)

More gas is available too. I grumbled a bit when I talked to the parents at the elem graduation today and they said they only had to wait 3 hours at the gas station this morning. I waited 5! Gah!

So moving on... to Graduation!

Middle School Gym on 3/11:

The day of the earthquake was also my Middle School Graduation. Lots of bowing, lots of speeches and nearly 4 hours in a freezing cold gym [no really, it was snowing]. Even my 6 pocket heaters, 2 layers of pants, blanket, scarf and 3 shirts couldn't keep me warm thru the whole thing. It was nice to see my kids graduate though.

I'll post some pictures from the sayonara outside school [notice the snow!]:

Also, today [Wed] was the elementary school graduation. Less of a big deal for me, because I will see them in April for middle school. Such a great little school tho...

View from my seat:

The graduates [all 11 of them!]:

Students saying congratulations to the graduates. Graduates giving words of wisdom:

Short video of the 3rd and 4th graders saying Thank you and we will never forget you!

Photos with their parents afterwards:

After graduation I made some veggie soup [enough to freeze for next time I get sick!] and then went down to the evac center [with Danny my neighbor and Darren, from Yabuki- whose old apt still doesn't have water!] to play with the kids again. Most of the kids were listening to stories in the kids play room.

We played mostly with these two girls from Iwaki and MinamiSoma. They let me play with their PSP so I let them take pictures with my ktai [cell phone].

Tomorrow begins the Spring Break period of school. Danny and I have "break" written on our schedules [that we got today].... so I think we will keep going to the evac center to play with kids.

I'll leave you with a Japanese cartoon that came out right after the quake.
I saw some people post links, and wasn't sure - but it is actually pretty informative!
Nuclear Boy is OK now!
Click Here to See the Cartoon!

My favourite part is "No Dice."

Tuesday 3/22

2011-03-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

A week and a half since the quake.

I went to school as usual. Yesterday, Monday, was a holiday.
Had one class which was cancelled. Met Brian, Darren and his girlfriend Haruka for lunch at Hasegawa ramen. Delicious!

After that I asked my principal if I could leave early [no classes] to go to Oshikiri gym and play with the evacuee kids again. He said sure so I spent my afternoon there.

Also, Marie Pius sent me a great article on the admirable reactions of people in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami:
http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2011/03/21/voices-from-inside-japan%E2%80%94no-panic-simply-strength-and-kindness/

I keep thinking that I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here for post quake aftermath. Everyone is so giving, so quietly strong and no one seems to be taking advantage of the situation even though it would be so easy [ie: looting, stealing from quake stricken disorganized stores, overcharging for items they know people need].
Its amazing to see, really.

Tonight is laundry night. oy.

Mon 3/21 [post getting gasoline nap]

2011-03-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

Last night Brian, Rich and I went to our friend Julian's house for dinner.

Julian, his wife Junko and their son Taiyo were gracious enough to host and feed us from their garden. DELICIOUS food was had.

We brought over our Xbox game, Rock Band. We rocked for hours!

We played until Taiyo went to bed and then sat around talking for a while. It was nice to be around more calm collected people who also chose to remain in Aizu after the quake.

Super fun, too.

Brian translated that "radiation certificate" we got the other day when we were tested.
Here it is [click to enlarge]:

Translation:

STRICKEN AREA RESIDENT CHECK FORM

NAME [MALE/FEMALE]

DATE OF BIRTH

CURRENT ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER

LOCATION AT TIME OF DISASTER

INJURY OR ILLNESS?

CONTAMINATION LEVEL: ZERO DATE OF ISSUE:

In short, no radiation... no worries!

Gas

2011-03-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today, so far....

6AM Wake up

Drive to gas station

Wait in 200 car line for hours.

9:30AM Line begins to move

11:30AM I can see the gas station

12:00 I have a full tank and I am 1/2 way thru The Book Theif.

Video of the line of cars [from the gas station back to the spot I started at] still waiting when I left:

On the plus side, my tiny car gets such good gas mileage that the $30 I put in usually lasts me over a month :)

3/20

2011-03-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

Today was uneventful. Walked around the city, went to a coffee shop, got some stuff to donate to the evac center. Right now my tummy grumbling as we wait for the boys to get ready so we can go to dinner.

Skyped with Bennett for a long time. He was asking for more links to understand the situation here. Found the following...

An easy to understand guide to radiation:

3/19 Volunteering

2011-03-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up, had some breakfast and headed down to Oshikiri Gym in Kitakata. That is where the evacuees [read: Tsunami victims] are being housed.

There were lists up of missing and found persons and notes people could post if they were looking for someone.

We brought some clothes and games for the people there:

We spent our time there almost entirely in the children's playroom, playing board games and dodgeball with the kids until music and dinner time.

There were some pretty cute kids:

On our way out we saw the room where they scan people who are coming from Fukushima. We decided to get scanned too, for fun. They scan you with a device that has a radiation reader on it. Mine never moved off zero.

All four of us:

radiation level? ZERO. duh.

And now I have a certificate to prove it :)

ps. When we were walking back from the gym, it was raining. A man pulled over in his car and handed us not one, but two umbrellas. So nice!

3/18

2011-03-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty nice day, all things considered.

The main reason for this? Things are finally getting back to normal. The media is panicking because there's nothing to report so they keep repeating the same images and information from before. I tried to volunteer to help refugees but they were turning away tons of people because they already have too many volunteers. The same goes for ALL towns around me! The outreach is AMAZING.

The radiation levels are the same as yesterday [I would get more radiation from a plane ride than from standing outside for an hour]. Like I said, business as usual.

I had my favorite tiny elementary school, Kamisanmiya. I planned a party for the graduating 6th graders. I've had them since they were 3rd graders!

I made red velvet cupcakes for the kids [Thanks Mom!] with cream cheese frosting [Thanks Greg!]:

Since yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, I used the napkins and decorations my mom sent me:

I also got American style chips and drinks... well, not the tea but:

I showed the kids the duck face you can make with pringles:

And we played Pictionary, which they LOVED. It was pretty fun, even for me.

The teacher pulled "Michael Jackson" and started drawing. All the kids guessed "JANINE SENSEI!" uuuuugh!!!!

Pretty simple day but so fun.

Tonight was a pretty sunset:

and now me, danny, brian and our friend Darren [whose pics I posted last Saturday of the car falling off the cliff!] are about to sit down to some delicious Mexican food!

3/17

2011-03-17T02:25:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day

We had a big party planned in AizuWakamatsu tonight but the lack of gas has caused me to cancel [not for people there, just me because I can't get out due to gas rationing].

Aftershocks still happening although less frequent and much less intense.

The radiation coverage on the news is bordering on ridiculous.
Right now in Kitakata its only .41
In Fukushima city, where the reactor is, its 12.30.

Translated... if you stood outside in Fukushima city [near where the reactor is] for an entire year, you would only get the minimum amount needed for an increased cancer risk. Where I am [and in Tokyo], even if I stood outside for hours on end, I would not catch a thing.

And its currently -2. So I'm not outside or planning to go outside.

They evacuated some people from Fukushima city to Yamagata [just North of me] today.
All evacuees from Fukushima to Yamagata city were screened for radiation and NOT A SINGLE ONE was measured with unhealthy radiation levels. Not a one!

Even the embassy increased their evacuation zone to 50 miles [80km], and I am still not in that zone.

Long story short, I am not near the reactor. It's really OK.

I am, however, starting to get really fed up with the mass media coverage!!
I think the BBC said it best:

"This has all been greatly over-hyped by foreign media. The radiation rates in Tokyo are same as they were back in December. All the protections around the reactors are doing exactly what they have been designed to do. The health risks are low near the edge of the evacuation zone, and almost non-existent in Tokyo even considering the worst case scenarios. What people need to be concerned about are the 100,000s of Japanese without shelter, warm clothes, blankets with little water and food in the north part of Japan. There are still thousands waiting to be rescued. People are dying and suffering in those devastated areas, while the media continues to create panic around these reactors. This is a small problem, even in the worse case compared to the damage the tsunamis have caused."

We need to get media coverage back on the tsunami victims.

3/16

2011-03-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

Today I started off at 7am with a phone call from Yuuka.

Yuuka: "I have rice balls for you."

Me: "Oh, its OK... I have plenty of food."

Yuuka: "I made them for you. I sent them to Nichu."

Me: "Well... wow. Thank you so much!"

Yuuka: "No problem. Please talk to Miyu at work today. She will have them."

Soon enough I ran into Miyu... with a BAG full of onigiris!

I just delivered these to the Koriyama refugees upstairs. They told me that there was water, gas and power at their apartment...I was kind of confused.
Anyways - Kim and Mark are angels to host them.

Rich has come over here and we set his apartment up for a family of 3:

The day was a bit rough being that its snowing and I had to walk to and from school. Cold for sure, but nothing I couldnt handle!

At school we had the lights on in the teacher's room but dimmed in the hallways. The TV played updates on the reactors all day. I checked the news, talked to people back home and read up on the current situation.

The best info I found was current [7:50PM] radiation levels in AizuWakamatsu [even still, 30 minutes from me] and those were listed as: .43 micro grays.

That means if you are standing outside bathing in the air for an hour, you will be get a maximum of .44

Comparatively:
Health problems caused at 100
Employees of the plant are exposed to 20
Normal exposure is 2 a year.
An average banana has .098
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose]

So if I went on a banana binge, I would be equally exposed ;)

You can keep track of radiation levels at the KK website:
http://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/ [Click English at top right then Emergency Info]

The news is hyping up likeness to Chernobyl... but people werent informed then and it was the first disaster of its kind.

A great FAQ at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12722435

So now that we have the radiation scares out of the way...

Remember how I said we were donating our lunches to evacuees?

I went to the store and got some cup of noodles for lunch this week:

And then I found THIS today waiting for me at lunchtime:

The outpouring support has been so much that the evacuees didnt even need the lunches!

Also, I went by the store today, just to grab some supplies...and found:

The store was so full and I was so surprised that I started taking pictures and messaging people.... yep, so surprised that I accidentally stole a loaf of bread:

OOPS!

Tonight we are having mac and cheese, salad and watching more of The Wire.
Keep emailing me with questions. Its no problem!

3/15

2011-03-15T02:59:00.000-07:00

Today, Tuesday, was again a normal work day.

The same somber feeling at work and the news still playing in the corner. We unplugged everything we could and only used minimal lighting and during sunny parts of the day, almost none at all. School lunch stops tomorrow. I have heard we are preparing the city gym for evacuees from Minami-Soma [with a lot of tsunami damage].

There were some new developments at Daiichi Power Plant as there was another explosion and more significant radiation levels were detected on-site.

The latest Power Plant update:

Reactors: 1 and 3 are stable, water is being supplied to 2. The radiation AT the front gate as of 3:30pm was 596.4 micro severts, which is no harm to humans. The fire has been put out at number 4. They are taking preventive measures for 5 and 6.

For those concerned about radiation, two graphs.

First, my location [45 min from AizuWakamatsu] :

Second, the radioactivity levels:

Keep in mind that the statistic of 400 is from the gates of the reactors... and I am 135km away. Also remember that the radioactivity at its highest only has a life of 8 days.

The only thing worrying me is the fact that the wind is blowing our direction now, instead of towards the sea [like it has been the past couple of days]. I have been careful to stay indoors and am using the food I have had in my house, as an extra precaution.

Wind directions: Wind directions for next 3 days in Fukushima:
English(by the hour): http://www.jma.go.jp/en/jikei/313.html

Evacuation Zone: Still listed as 20km from Power plants, but people within 30km have been told to stay indoors.

Travel Update:

Gas: Pretty much no gas/petrol anywhere in the entirety of Fukushima-ken. That includes my area. Some teachers haven't been able to make it in to work. Personally, I am on Empty. I was about to get gas when the initial earthquake hit, in fact. We have heard rumors that if you que up at 5:30AM that there is a chance of rations, so we may do that tomorrow and/or the next day. I would just feel better if I had enough gas to get around. Rich got half a tank on Saturday but since he has been driving out to Kitakata [about a 20 minute drive] he is running lower than we would like.

Roads: All roads seem to be ok at this point, the only hold-ups seem to be on the way to Tokyo.

Buses: Seems buses are running 4 a day to Niigata. Niigata has an airport and also runs the bullet train all over Japan. Niigata buses are also running to Kanto and Kansai [areas in the South].

Trains: None running from Kitakata or AizuWakamatsu. Niigata trains and Shinkansens running.

Gas Power etc Update:

Water: I have plenty with no notice / fear of any shortage. They are still out in Fukushima, Koriyama and anywhere east of that.

Power: I have plenty and the rolling blackouts over populated areas of Tokyo [instituted so power could be rerouted where its needed] have stopped because the Japanese population has done such a good job of conserving on their own [Let's take a minute to appreciate that wonder!]

Earthquake Update:

Still lots of aftershocks. Last night we were woken up by earthquake alarms and one aftershock. There was one at school another one a little while ago. While they said there is a chance of another larger quake, the chances drop significantly tomorrow.

Me Update:

Rich has been staying with me so that has helped a lot with my nerves over the aftershocks. He is calm and collected, as always. Danny and Brian have also been around with their optimism. Just in case, we have emergency bags packed and in the car. Also, my friends [especially Kay] have all been messaging and talking with me so thats been great. Lots of people have emailed from the states and that has made me feel so loved. Spirits are high, in Kitakata at least.

Hope that answers most of your questions. True, there are many ALTs leaving the area but I find that completely unnecessary and a waste of our precious holiday leave. My school is still up and operating so I will be going to work as usual. I am saving my holiday leave for travel with my Mom, Vietnam and Greg/Marie's visits! :)

3/14

2011-03-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

Today I had school again. Many ALTs chose to take holiday and/or evacuate but I felt no reason to. The nuclear reactor situation is all over TV but besides the immediate area [12 miles which have already been evacuated] there should be no reason to worry.

A map from BBC, outlining the quake area and reactor locations:

I am in Aizu area, which is right around the U in Fukushima.
Even Tokyo, which is highlighted as an area with strong shaking intensity, has almost no damage. They have, however, instituted predetermined black-outs for different parts of the Tokyo region in order to conserve energy for the areas that need it. I don't know what the international image being displayed on TV is, but it seems very organized to me. I understand that certain areas near the coast are highly effected, but just beware of the media frenzy taking place, both here and there.

From Rich, a great explanation of why you shouldn't be worried:
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3396817

This morning, about 9AM, all the teachers phones sounded an earthquake alert. The teachers all yelled "It's coming!!!" About 5 seconds later, an aftershock hit... some rattling and the blinds swayed but nothing major.

I found out during lunch that most of the teachers and family were OK. One teacher's friend lost his house and my main JTE, Arai sensei, had $700 worth of damage to his roof. Luckily, insurance will cover it. We were alerted to bring our lunches as of Wednesday because the school is donating our lunches to tsunami relief.

The lights were dimmed or turned off [it was a sunny and warm day!] to conserve energy as was the internet. The TV played the news softly in the corner of the teacher's room all day. There seemed to be a somber note in the air at Kitakata 2nd JHS [Nichu] which seemed indicative of the national tragedy at hand, but it proved to be a normal day otherwise.

There have been 2 larger aftershocks [but no warning] this afternoon.

With Japan being such an organized society, it seems so un-Japanese to have so much devastation. It is really intriguing to see the reactions to this crisis. For example, the people in Koriyama without water and gas each had people contact them to get water and brought them a bento [boxed] lunch today. How on earth did the [holy crap! huge aftershock just now!!! 6PM] city organize that?? They even brought each resident a chemical toilet to use until the water came back on [for most I know, at some point today].

A line for water near Sendai [where I went to see the Bodies exhibit this summer]:

And as far as people in Fukushima who were evacuated and went to stay in evacuation centers for the night; Every person had a clean and new futon, blanket and pillow and they had set up showers, restrooms, the whole 9 yards. Isn't that instant organization unbelievable? I just compare that to people after Katrina who were living in the Louisiana Superdome. Madness.

Things are still normal at Sunny Plaza. Tonight is another chill night in, cooking, playing video games and watching Mrs. Doubtfire.

3/13

2011-03-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday was spent running around looking for gas. Every gas station in a 20 mile radius is out with signs indicating so and ropes around the parking lot.

Rich and I finally found one with a line, which we waited in about 20 minutes. We were allowed 10 liters due to rationing, but at least we have half a tank now.

We also were in contact with many people heading out of Fukushima [I learned later that many of them were leaving out of choice, not because they had been evacuated] to possibly set people up at my house. It turns out that gas prices are steering many away from coming out farther than AizuWakamatsu anyways.

I am headed to school now [8AM Monday morning] so besides minor aftershocks it seems back to business as usual for us in Aizu.

3/12

2011-03-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

Update from Japan: We are still experiencing pretty strong aftershocks, but they are a little less frequent now. Our town is functioning as normal, with no gas, power, or water outages. Still no phone connection though. Many of our friends are not as lucky. It is kind of strange to look on the news as see all of the extremely severe damage that was caused to nearby parts of Japan, and yet we seem almost untouched. I want to thank everyone for all of their thoughts!

3.11.11 Earthquake

2011-03-11T02:57:00.000-08:00

I'm OK. Besides some broken glasses and stuff that fell around the apartment, not too bad of damage in Kitakata [or Aizu area]... Sendai [the nearest airport to me] is totally flooded and some areas are still experiencing tsunami after effects but no damage here.

I spent the majority of the initial 5 minute earthquake outside without shoes holding hands with my upstairs neighbor, whom I had rarely spoken to before. Kind of embarrassing! After that I waited in my neighbors car for a while until the majority subsided [over an hour!]

I couldnt believe the earthquake went on for over an hour and after-effects for now, over 9 hours. There are still some pretty strong aftershocks happening but no need to worry as my building withstood the violent shaking incredibly well.

A great recent article about Japan and earthquake prepared-nes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12codes.html?hp

Here are some pictures by my friend Darren, about 2 hours from me:

and a video from my friend Dan, in Fukushima, about 1.5 hours:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2vGp1lZhM8

I, on the other hand, had a few broken glasses, an upturned rice maker and a bunch of books scattered from my bookshelf:

but I cleaned up all the glass and all is well.

Danny, Rich and I spent the night cooking burgers and playing rock band!

Picture from tonight:

There are still a bunch of aftershocks that are pretty intense, but I'm not too worried. My net and phone are still down so dont worry if I havent been around to answer.

I hope they will be up again tomorrow morning so I can make my phone date with Marie Walsh Pius - who recently bought her ticket to Japan 5/20 -5/28!!!!

Thanks for all your concern... it meant a lot. : )

1 week till graduation

2011-03-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

Only 1 more week until my Junior High School students graduate.

That means no students, at least 3 weeks of no classes and nothing but sitting at my desk for me. :p

Serenaded by Shaners!

2011-03-06T23:29:00.001-08:00

Did you know Shane Reider can play the guitar? He's great!

Sapporo Snow Festival 2k11

2011-03-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

The snow festival was fantastic.

Day one consisted of traveltraveltravel [bus, train, plane, train, walking, hotel].
At Haneda airport we had avocado burgers!!

In order to get to Niseko for snowboarding the next day:

Luckily I got to meet up with Kay and Phil for a mini reunion at the Sapporo Beer Factory:

The next day, bright and early we went snowmobiling:

And afterwards, a fancy crab lunch:

The Snow Festival consists of snow and ice sculptures:

Near our station, Susukino, すすきの, was the ice sculpture portion:

We also made a stop at the Beer Inn, a really unique place:

The last day of our trip, Valentine's Day... Rich and I went to Nijo Fish Market, a famous landmark in Sapporo. We wandered for a long time, looking for a place to eat lunch. In fact, we wandered too long as shops started to close up! We were invited in by this nice Japanese family. Upon understanding that Rich had excellent Japanese skills, we were invited to eat a $50 crab for merely $10 and they fed us tea and soup for free while we chatted about foreigners, Japan etc...

The best part was they let us hold the biggest crab in the shop- live!

OK, i might have been a little scared at first:

but if you hold the crab under the bend in their legs, they relax...

I'm really glad I got the chance to go back!

Mamemaki

2011-03-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

To keep the devils out in the new year, the Japanese people throw peanuts in their homes and workplaces on a specific day in mid-february.

This little origami box of peanuts was on my desk:

In other years, a teacher put on a red devil mask and ran thru the room while we pelted him with peanuts. While fun for us, it kind of sucked for the poor guy.

Side note: The person to do this is usually the youngest teacher, but seeing as that person is me, and pelting the young foreign girl with peanuts might not be looked upon too kindly... they usually choose another teacher.

This year, however, the art teacher got creative and made a samurai robe [complete with bunny rabbits] for a teacher to wear.

He then magestically threw peanuts around the teachers room while telling the demons [oni] to go away:

We then got to eat the peanuts and got extra little treats to eat.
Here is my desk, complete with Vietnam research on my screen in the background:

Another side note: Can you see the DIGITAL TV written across the oni masks this year? They were all like that, to remind people that Japan is going digital as of March of this year. Clever, yet also very untraditional :p

January 2011

2011-02-17T04:41:00.000-08:00

This deserves a post all in itself.

For Christmas this year, Rich said I would be getting my present upon my return. He told me to dress warmly and gave me the location.

I arrived to find this:

What is it?

....A giant igloo, that Rich made:

Inside you can see there is a table. The table is a kotatsu, or heated table and is connected to an extension wire that runs into the house. That made it quite cozy, despite the cold temperature.

I was so incredibly surprised. From inside the snow he pulled out a bottle of champagne:

And then gave me my first gift, which is the framed picture in the background by all the candles. Its one I saw in a shop in a nearby town, which he convinced the owner to give him!

Rich recruited his friend Brian to help out by delivering the food [a hot japanese veggie soup called nabe, which was incredibly delicious] and presents at key times:

I had mentioned that jewelery was a great idea for a gift... and I got hand-made light saber earrings! There is a set of blue and a set of red, for days when I feel like the dark side.

All-in-all, a fantastic present and so sweet.

Next up, Sapporo Snow Festival 2011 [2/11 to 2/15] :

Siem Reap

2011-02-17T04:04:00.001-08:00

Siem Reap is divided into the city portion, which is quite touristy, and the outlying wats [like Angkor Wat] which are different temples from different time periods in history.

After some much-needed showers we took a night to see the town:

And woke up at 4AM to get our 3 day temple pass:

...and watch the sunrise over Sras Srang:

This is not a popular spot to see the temples but I loved it because for nearly an hour, we were the only ones there!

Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider temple:

Some pictures out in the city:

If you know how much I love avocado, then you know how happy I was to find this:

We ended up with cheese, croissants, salami and olives for lunch [eaten on the tuktuk to angkor wat] and I couldnt have been happier!

We went out for grilled exotic meat [ostrich, snake, alligator etc...] one night:

Watched the sunset at a super touristy place, Pre Rup:

Angkor Wat:

New Years Eve dinner / night was spent in the city. The main street plays music so everyone just stays there and dances together. We went to a nice dinner and had a very fun night!

Best trip yet!

Cambodia Homestay

2011-02-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

3 days of no electricity, running water or access to English.

We slept in a thatched hut with a porch, and in the hut were beds with mosquito nets, which we had to tuck in to keep scorpions out [err... well, the boys tucked me and kay into our bed]

Our hut:

Each night a town villager came and spoke to us. A grandmother told us about the Pol Pot regime and treatment of women and the town schoolmaster came and told us about the education system.

The journey began from Phenom Penh, where we boarded a small van, then a bus and when that broke- a tuktuk we hired.

The family we stayed with had two children, Raa and Naa. They were cute but feisty. They [and their amazing mother Keh-ang] took us around the town and translated while we talked to local people:

We walked thru rice fields. The green reminded me of Japan in the summertime.

At night we had the speakers. So incredible to hear their stories by lantern light with the AMAZING [seriously, some of the best food I have had in my life] food KeAng made.

There were big surprises in the outdoor bathroom toilet. We learned not to leave the lid up quite quickly.

The second day we biked 25 km! It was tough at points but so fun and we learned a bunch.

This temple shows an average monk meal. The monk eats, then the older people in town all the way down the line to the children.

Some more temples:

We visited a nearby rubber tree plantation. The white stuff oozes from the tree and is collected and then hardens into rubber. Wild.

Truly a magnificent time was had, scorpions and all... and I couldn't have had better company...

Cambodia

2011-02-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

Where is Cambodia?

First stop for Winter break was Phenom Penh, next we went went to a homestay in a town off the map and finally to Siem Reap.

We flew thru Korea:

Met with Bennett and immediately jumped in a tuktuk to our hotel.

First day we took a tuktuk out to see the Killing Fields [where the mass graves of some 17,000 Cambodians were found in 1979]

Then we went on ATVs thru the countryside:

Which, unfortunately led me to fall off an 8 foot cliff. After a day or two of ice packs, I was able to move like less of a 90 year old grandma.

Bennett's luggage never arrived so he had to go shopping in the market for a whole new wardrobe. [It actually didnt show up until the day we were leaving- he was such a good sport about it tho!]

Lots of places around Cambodia are based around trying to improve the lives of victims of the Pol Pot regime in the late 1970's. For example, Friends restaurant is staffed by street children who are educated and given jobs in the restaurant:

The tail end of my ATV tumbles:

We explored some temples, had dinner on the riverfront and ran into an elephant in the park:

The next day we went to a cooking class. They took us to the markets to buy the food:

The cooking class was super fun and some really fun people came:

Brad got chili powder in his eye which led to some comical waterbottle use:

We hit up the Golden Palace then went for Christmas dinner and dancing after:

Next up, Homestay:

6 months!

2011-02-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

Brad in Japan

2011-01-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends from high school, Brad Curl, visited me in Japan during December. We had a fantastic time.

He visited me at my small elementary school in the countryside and its neighboring temples:

I hosted a White Elephant [yankee swap, dirty santa] gift exchange dinner and Brad was able to join this year! : )

Special thanks to him for bringing the Rock Band drum set!
Otsukare, Brad!
[thanks for your hard work!]

The time he was here coincided with the annual Christmas Shine. Brad was the winner of one of the reindeer games, which got him a red Shine shirt:

I also took him for some traditional Japanese experiences; dinner at a kaiten [conveyor belt] sushi restaurant, Kitakata ramen, weird japanese shopping and making laquerware:

We also had dinner with my ekaiwa class and went for karaoke afterwards. It was a really lovely time and they showered us with gifts. They all really enjoyed getting to know another foreigner:

He also visited my middle school and taught classes with me for two days. The kids loved him. Some of the local grandmothers were running a traditional Aizu cooking class and they asked him to take part!

When we returned from the Cambodia part of our vacation, we spent another 2 days exploring Tokyo together. Ikebukuro for video games, Harajuku for Tokyo fashion and VERY crowded shopping and a night in a capsule hotel!

It was so wonderful having him here! Soon I will post pictures from our trip to Cambodia!

Snow

2011-01-21T22:00:00.001-08:00

A photo from outside of Rich's house, just to give you an idea of how much snow is out there. My apartment is even farther out/snowier:

This is the most snow since I moved here, by far.

Friday mornings mean two things:

2010-12-10T00:33:00.000-08:00

1. Elementary crazy work days
2. AM skype date with Greg Simpson

Btw, I cut my hair.

2010-12-09T01:43:00.001-08:00

Christmas Lessons at the middle school:

2010-12-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

Skype Video is the Best

2010-12-08T00:05:00.000-08:00

November 2k10 Cooking Classes

2010-11-14T23:57:00.000-08:00

This past week I spearheaded two local events.

One was a Mexican cooking class with my ekaiwa. Rich and I taught them how to make tacos, bean dip, guacamole, tortilla chips and taco shells.

A lot of the ingredients are available, if you spend 3 years looking for them. Here is whats available at the foreign food store [much more expanded in the last 2 years!]

It went incredible well and everyone really enjoyed it! A very delicious meal!

The second was a Thanksgiving cooking lesson with the 3rd and 4th graders at my local teeny elementary school. I had come the month before and did a lesson on Thanksgiving, where we made pilgrim and Indian hats to wear the day of. So cute!

Together we made sweet potato casserole [from scratch], Mash potatoes [also from scratch], gravy [from a packet] and creamed corn [simply heated up]. Separately I made 2 pumpkin pies and a Roast Ham [made the southern way with yellow mustard and baked in a coca-cola!].

I came early to set up with all the decorations my mom sent me.

Some other teachers came in to eat with us.

The kids were so great about trying everything, just a little bit.... and tended to like everything, especially the marshmallow top of the yams and except the cranberry sauce!

After the big Thanksgiving lesson, I still had to teach 2 classes!!

Most recently:
This past weekend was my friend Julian's going away party. He is moving to Northern Spain to finish his doctoral research. His farewell fiesta was a salsa party. So much fun and everyone was dancing;

This Tuesday and Wednesday mark the annual ALT [assistant language teacher] Mid Year Conference. Lots of boring lectures and workshops to get ideas out... it will be a nice break to my week...

Also, I am really looking forward to the Annual ALT Thanksgiving dinner/Quiz night on Friday!
Have a great turkey day, everyone :)

Of Recent...

2010-11-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

I have had requests for more pictures of things I have been doing recently... but I am hesitant to put up even more pictures simply of my classes and Kitakata, however those are what my pictures are of... day-to-day life.

I find that the longer I live here, the less I am intrigued by area festivals or going out with the ALT crowd for the usual [and inevitable] festival - karaoke pairing. I find myself sticking to saving money and staying in. To quiet nights in Kitakata rather than even venturing into neighboring Aizuwakamatsu. This is not to be taken as I am not having fun or enjoying myself. I assuredly am doing both. I am lucky to have fun people in my town and Rich living very close-by.

When I first arrived in Japan I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. The allure of a new country, culture, and chapter in my life elevated me to endless optimism. As the winter begins to settle in again and the days become shorter the sense of vertigo is dwindling...again. That is not to say that I am in anyway NOT enjoying Japan because I really am; this is where I need to be in my life, especially monetarily and I’m sticking to that...The difference is that my time here in Japan is becoming less like a vacation and more like…my life.

It is now November of my third year and there are less surprises and things are more of a routine. This might seem bad, however, it has given me the opportunity to maximize my involvement in the community and feel more like a resident rather than a guest. I am trying to take value in all of that and do what I can locally. I am feeling that combined with my feelings of being a resident, I am also wary of travel in and around Japan. The price tag can be steep... an average weekend in Tokyo [with its inevitable feelings of I'm on vacation! I should live it up!] can easily run me upwards of $200. [I compare this to living in Orange County and having a night out in LA...] so I am trying to keep my spending low and read more, cook more, bargain shop and generally SAVE.

In more of a true mistake than purposefully, come Friday I will have gone an entire month spending only $350. This includes EVERYTHING [besides rent, phone and electricity] gas, lunches, food.... It was certainly a challenge but one well worth it.

So for now I am looking very forward to 12/16 when Brad will be in Japan and our upcoming trip to Cambodia. Until then, I will keep trying to stay entertained with the new camera, planning for December and generally playing the saving game.

A recent picture of Brian, Rich and Julian playing the game Rock Band in my living room:

School Festivals...

2010-11-10T02:24:00.000-08:00

Every year my students perform in their school festival. It is the equivalent of the annual school-wide Christmas musical, except there is no theme. Each class is responsible for a skit [ranging anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on school size] and the skits can be anything at all the desire to do. This years highlights included an eating / drinking contest, The story of the whale clouds, a story about school bullies and the samurai who defeats them and mini rendition of Broadway's The Lion King [holy crap! Amazing!!!] Each of my 4 schools has one, although this video is a compilation of the 3 I was invited to....

I compiled a video of the highlights.
I usually encourage you to watch all of the videos, but I feel free to skip thru this if you want... the Lion King bit is a must see.

Untitled from Janine Al-Aseer on Vimeo.

In other news, they turned the heaters on at school.... which is fortunate because it started flurrying at one point today.

Perfect weather for a Fall bike ride....

2010-11-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

!

2010-10-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Rich cut my hair tonight the shortest it has ever been:

Good and Bad

2010-09-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

Today was an elementary day. Usually very hectic, those days are prone to frustrations and overwhelming attacks of cuteness.

Here are two examples from my day which stood out;

BAD:

The principal walks out of his office for the first time that day and says hello to me. He then tells me that I look so young! After saying "Thank You" politely, I hear his side comment to a teacher that I am not wearing a jacket. I explain that I just came from running around with the 2nd graders [playing the game King Elephant, if you know it] and its very warm. He then comments that its no matter, that I should put on my jacket, that I will get sick. The health teacher then jumps in and says yes! she was sick 2 weeks ago! And he the teachers room rumbles with agreements that I should put on my jacket. He asks if I want to get sick again? I smolder and comply. For the record, I was wearing knee high socks, long pants, a tank top with a short sleeved sweater, before I put the jacket back on. The Teachers room thermostat read: 26 [About 79 F] Pfft! His compliment was a negative comment in disguise, not uncommon. Grrr... Sometimes I hate Japan!

GOOD:

I was driving home and realized I couldn't remember the last time I took the car in for an oil change. I drove to the place in my town that I took it to last year and they installed a new CD player for free. I walked in and said "Oil change please" [oi-ru ko-kan... my new word today] and they said they understood, took my keys, brought me coffee, told me how pretty I was and returned the car liquids refilled, vacuumed and washed with air in the tires to boot. Sometimes I LOVE Japan.

Update on the last post: Its now Tues 9/28... I am finally feeling normal and although still coughing... the final count for food involves enough lasagna and enchiladas to freeze another 4 servings in the freezer and a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting! And winter isnt even here yet.

Sick Days

2010-09-22T01:45:00.001-07:00

I have been sick for the past 4 days now, since Sunday night. Even though I have successfully slept for 12 hours at a time every day, [mostly more] I still have mopped and vacuumed the apartment, made enough vodka sauce to feeze half in a mason jar and made a fresh apple crisp.

From the school's homepage, my speech contest champions;

2010-09-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

From top Left; JTE Arai Sensei, Ryoma [honorable mention in Original Works], me, Miki [3rd place in recitation, although she was good enough to get first!], Kana [2nd place in Original works], Chihiro [Did not win anything but to be honest, I am glad she got thru the speech, she has a slight lisp!], JTE Usuki Sensei, JTE Tanaka Sensei and the front row is my first year boys who won 3rd place for their english skit.

　9/2（木）耶麻地区中学校英語弁論大会　

　今日は、喜多方プラザにおいて、上記大会が行われました。夏休みから練習してきた成果をしっかり出すことができました。

創作の部　銀賞　庄司　
　　　　　入賞　坂内　

暗唱の部　入賞　穴澤　

1年生の部　銅賞　飯野・三留・唐橋

※　写真は表彰式後の様子
Ｆｒｏｍ：　http://www.kitakata2-j.fks.ed.jp/seikatu.html

Overworked

2010-09-08T00:27:00.001-07:00

I recently came across the article below on BBC.

To compare, Japan is #4 on the suicide rates of the world, the US is #41.
It surprised me how NOT surprised I was to hear this figure. In Japan there seems to be an ideal of honor coming before everything and if you can't live honorably, then why live at all?

Mental health is a strange concern in Japan. It seems to be an embarrassment that is either ignored or treated very lightly and I have had several examples of this since I came here.

Firstly is the idea of 過労死 [hiragana かろうし], pronouned　ka-roe-shi, which can be translated literally from Japanese as "death from overwork."

One would think that this concept would be limited to workaholics or extremely dedicated persons... but being overworked is simply the norm. I once heard that the average worker in Japan does an average of 2 hours of overtime per day...and it must be noted that all of this work is unpaid. There is even a word for this, サービス残業, pronounced sah-bee-su zan-gi-yo, the practice of "voluntary" undocumented unpaid overtime.

For a personal example, take my middle school staff. Although classes do not begin until 8am, most teachers are here around 7am. To compare, my official work day doesn't begin until 8:30.

The end of the school day is technically 3:30. My official work day ends at 4:15. I have needed to stay until 6:30 or 7 a couple of times.... and the scary thing is that when I do leave... most of the teachers are still here. I once forgot my computer charger and came at 8:30pm and there were still 4 or 5 teachers around! True, a few have after-school clubs to coach, but this is an everyday occurrence. These are middle-aged men and women, sometimes with an hour commute ahead of them and families that are waiting.

Another example I had was of a teacher who is no longer at my school. He was the social studies teacher for the 2nd years. He had big glasses and loved the mandatory drinking parties that are held a few times a year. There have been a couple of pictures of him on my blog, even. Last Fall he had a heart attack. With a 5 year old daughter and a newborn, one would think that he would have taken the time to recover and then proceeded to take it easy... but that isn't the Japanese way. You have to 'Ganbarre' or 'Try your best' through whatever is happening.

He was back at school after his medical leave had worn off [only 3 weeks!] and again I saw him arrive early and stay very late. He got thin, he started wearing masks to school even when he wasnt 'sick'. Eventually he stopped coming altogether. A Japanese Teacher of English [JTE] told me that his problem was 'in his head.' No one seemed to think about the fact that he might be overworked or needed more time off. He just wasn't 'ganbarre-ing'.

Another example I have is of kids at middle school, ages 11 to 15. While Japanese kids continually test better than American kids [and despite the fact that I feel that American kids really DO have it too easy], it must also be said that they are worked to death from middle school onward. The average kid arrives at school around 6 to 7:30am and their day does not end until they have had 6 classes, cleaning time and then their club activity, which will let them out anywhere from 6:30pm until 8pm. That's a 12 hour workday, and they still have to go home and do homework. So you can see that this work ethic begins very young.

I noticed as the school year has gone on that there are a few children who have either

A. Started eating lunch in the nurse's office instead of with their class

or

B. Stopped coming altogether

This leads me to another concept, ひきこもり、 hikikomori, which translates as "withdrawal" and refers to a person sequestered in his room for six months or longer with no social life beyond his home. (The word is a noun that describes both the problem and the person suffering from it and is also an adjective, like "alcoholic.")

Last week my JTE Tanaka sensei was leaving school early because he had to visit a student in her home to 'try and convince her to come back to school.' I am not sure if this existed in American jr. high schools, but I do not remember students being allowed to stay at home indefinitely, without some type of either sectioning to a mental facility at least home- schooling in place.

The slack ways in which students with obvious mental and social difficulties are treated was really eye-opening for me. One student who eats in the nurse's office [there are about 8 kids who eat there now, in silence together, some reading] I talk to regularly during English class. He has excellent learning skills and is quite creative. Why is he allowed to simply fall off the grid because he doesnt feel like being sociable?

If you want to learn more about hikikomori, I found a good article on the NY Times; http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magazine/15japanese.html?pagewanted=all

My last example is personal;
Below you can see my annual schedule for my elementary school, Kitakata 1st Elementary.

To answer your question, yes, that means that from 8:15 [this school begins earlier] until 4pm, I will have nonstop classes. Each class is over 30 students and I must plan and teach almost entirely by myself. It has been a source of extreme irritation for me, as obviously no other teachers could possibly have so many classes during the day, without a break. I had a big meeting regarding this in May, only to be told that I need to 'Ganbarre' and that the schedule had been made, so that was the way it was. In the states, I could fairly easily have negotiated a way to make them see how ridiculous a schedule it was, but in the Japanese outlook, my request was taken as I simply was lazy and not trying my best. It may be the most frustrating thing that has happened to me since I came to Japan.

[Besides being asked if I can use chopsticks]

Alright, that seems long enough, its almost 4:15, time for us western teachers to go home.

_______________________________________________________________________

7 September 2010 Last updated at 15:43 GMT
Suicides cost Japan economy $32bn

Mr Kan sees the figures as proof of an economic and emotional downturn
The government in Japan says suicides and depression cost its economy almost 2.7tn yen ($32bn; £21bn) last year.

The figures refer to lost incomes and the cost of treatment. It is the first time Japan has released such figures.

Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, with more than 32,000 people killing themselves last year. PM Naoto Kan sees it as proof of an economic and emotional downturn.

The government is setting up a task force to try to reduce the rate.

From Friday, it will run a video clip of a footballer from the J-league on its website, urging people to be more aware of the problem.

Decreasing suicides would be one way to build a society with a minimum level of unhappiness”

End Quote Naoto Kan Prime Minister of Japan
"Given that the number of suicides in Japan has been over 30,000 for 12 straight years, this is a problem that needs to be addressed by the entire nation," a health, labour and welfare ministry official said.

"We hope this study triggers stronger prevention measures."

The study showed that those who took their lives last year - 26,500 people in 2009 - when they were aged 15 to 69 would have earned 1.9tn yen had they worked until retirement.

Mr Kan has pointed to the suicide numbers as proof of what he believes is wrong with the country, with too many people suffering economically and emotionally.

"There are many causes of suicides. Decreasing them would be one way to build a society with a minimum level of unhappiness," he said.

But attitudes to depression in Japan arguably demand equally urgent scrutiny, correspondents say.

In a country in which stoicism and consensus are highly valued, many older people in particular view mental illness as a stigma that can be overcome simply by trying harder, they say.

The use of psychotherapy to treat depression has lagged behind North America and Europe, with Japanese doctors often viewing medication as the sole answer, they add.

Singapore and Malaysia

2010-09-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Singapore and Malaysia 2010 from Janine Al-Aseer on Vimeo.

It was very very very very very hot today.

2010-08-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

I hate anyone who has AC at work. : p

Workin on my Malaysia video, i swear.

Bought tickets for S. Korea today. Me, Tiff, Danny and R3 in Oct. w00t.

4/12/2010

2010-04-12T01:05:00.001-07:00

3:55pm

20 min till i leave.

Today I have taught two great classes, organized my Malaysia trip tickets [We leave in 12 days!], researched graduate school at CofC [Masters of Arts in Elementary Education], taken GRE practice tests and researched new recipes online.

Now gym, making guacamole and enchiladas with Rich and watching Caprica.

I am really glad I signed on for another year.

jet lag

2010-04-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Ahhh jet lag. Everyone hates it.

What is jet lag?

Jet lag results when the body’s internal clock is out of sync with daily life, making people sleepy when they want to be awake and wakeful when they want to sleep.

For those of us who travel, jet lag becomes part of the adaptation process to new surroundings... and sometimes we simply don't have time to get over that gap.

I have found that as I have reached my mid-twenties, jet lag has become somewhat of an issue. With an upcoming trip, I have been reading loads of articles regarding jet lag and how to stop it.

Thought it might be nice to share!

On 'The Cure for Jet Lag' by Scanlon and Ehret,
The book suggests resetting the body clock so that it will be in sync with the time at the destination. One to three days before a trip, the authors suggest low-calorie meals. In flight, avoid or strictly limit alcohol, and use coffee or tea to persuade the body clock that it’s daytime. If it’s morning after flying all night, resist sleep and “flood your eyes with daylight,” they suggest.

While all long-haul travel can cause normal fatigue, travel across time zones causes the body to react with the most pronounced effects of jet lag, including disorientation and a general sense of malaise.

On drinking and traveling....
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/business/12flier.html?fta=y

Which basically says that you should plan an extra day into your travels in order to 'adapt' for jet lag.

Many others suggested drugs to combat jet lag...

A jet-lag antidote might seem to be the latest lifestyle drug, a further step in the “medicalization” of something that is not an illness. But sleep specialists, who call the affliction “jet lag disorder,” say that while not exactly a disease, it is a condition that can be dangerous — as when someone tries to drive a car right after arriving in a distant time zone.

That drug, Nuvigil [a slight modification of Provigil, an older stimulant that will face generic competition in 2012] from Cephalon, could become the first medicine specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration to combat jet lag.

I even read an article suggesting Viagra to combat jet lag!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10344668

For those of us without access to jet lag medication...some more simple solutions:

If you're travelling east, try going to bed earlier for a couple of nights. If you're travelling west, go to bed later.

Exercise while on the plane. Don't just walk around the cabin - stretch in your chair as well. This will help your blood circulation and reduce swelling of the feet and legs.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after the flight to avoid dehydration.

According to the destination time, wear sunglasses to reduce light to the eyes during "nighttime" hours.

In a study of hamsters and circadian rhythm, the presence of low-level light at night also accelerates recovery rate in both east- and west-travelling hamsters of all ages by 50%; this is thought to be related to simulation of moonlight.

My problem is that I am usually really excited and thus can't sleep the night before. Then I get on the plane and become enticed by movies, not falling asleep before the food comes and the cramped environment [read: no room to sleep] that embodies steerage, I mean... economy class.

My recent plan [worked to my 20 hour travel times to India in December, Russia in September and the states last June] is to try and eat a little something in the morning during travel time, then take advantage of the free wine available on most SE Asia flights... drink till the food comes and then allow the wine to relax me into a dreamless sleep. I am usually woken up by the next meal/ noises of people around me eating and then there is enough time left on the flight to read a bit and wake up.

The only problem with my plan is when I arrive during the evening. I try to plan accordingly but sometimes it simply doesnt work out.

What are your travel tips?

OMIYAGE

2010-04-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned before the ridiculous amounts of OMIYAGE that are given and received at my school.

For those of you who don't know, omiyage are the small "presents" that are given and received when someone travels.

For some of my teachers, this means a small cookies or crackers from a city 30 minutes away.

And to me, that means bracelets from the Philippines, Hibiscus tea from Russia and chocolates from Hokkaido.

Ideally, its individually wrapped and there must be enough for all my teachers [including the health teacher, principal, Vp and office workers].

When I went back to the states, I brought back small packets of CA raisins:

Fun Addition

Main Jr High: 35 teachers
+ Large Elem: 40 teachers
+ Medium Elem: 20 teachers
+ Small Elem: 12 teachers
+ Board of Education: 50 [I never see them but technically they're the ones who pay me!]
-------------------------
157 small treats or trinkets.

I'll be honest. This has turned into really cool treats for my small school, a decent gift for my middle school and something passable [ie; pieces of dried mango] for my BOE. It just got to be too expensive and honestly, too much to carry!

It is also customary to bring omiyage when you first come to a new work place.
As the school year ended in February, and with Japan's interesting 5 year max on teachers being in the same school, we have 8 new staff members.

I walked into THIS pile on my desk:

With the intake of the new teachers, we also have a new internet system, new computers and new printers.

OOPS.
By "we" I meant the JAPANESE teachers. I got someone's old laptop, a DINKY [Ree, that word is for you] 1970s printer and finally, a seperate internet line.

[read: went without internet for 1.5 months and read 8 books!]

My desk is surrounded by these new printers.

And this is what I look at while I am chatting away to you on Gchat:

Yes, that is an open chat to Gregory Simpson, as I write an email to his sister, Becca. I just love that family!

Well... time for bed. I will leave you with two shots from my japanese cellphone of the recycle pile in my city. Pretty cool....

Oh... and I'm coming home for 2 weeks in late July to visit Emily.
Fancy a trip to the South to meet me?

Kitakata is famous for...

2010-04-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

ramen.

My friend Brian translated and voiced over this great representation of the ramen. I have been to nearly every restaurant shown- honto. [really]

Here's the link:

http://www.inishienomichi.jp/en/area/detail.php?id=4

Also- the ramen festival is a fantastic event held every year.... but who can eat THAT much ramen in one day. Note, they also dont show the ridiculous lines!

check it out if you have a minute.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day.

2010-04-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Interesting

2010-03-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

There has been international outcry over the release of the game "RapeLay".... a video game that originated in Japan and depicts the main character raping women of their choosing.

The CNN article can be found here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/30/japan.video.game.rape/index.html?hpt=C1

One of the main points of the article mentions Japan's lax laws [some even nonexistant] in video game control and laws protecting against child pornography.

I myself have seen the stores in Tokyo with extremely graphic sexual material available. Some of it is downright disturbing.

I naturally compared the case to the US, where such a thing would never be allowed and has incredibly harsh retribution for breaking the law.

It's "interesting" because the rape statistics between Japan and the USA, per capita, are so varied.

USA [9th in the world*] is 0.301318 per 1,000 people

Japan [54th in the world*] is 0.017737 per 1,000 people

The US has over 18 times as many cases of rape.

* the countries where statistics were available
Found at: http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph/cri_rap_percap-crime-rapes-per-capita&b_map=1

Wow

2010-03-29T01:27:00.001-07:00

PETA is literally insane:

http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/book.asp

enjoy.

Saint Patricks Day 2010 etc.

2010-03-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Recently we celebrated my friend Johnny's birthday and St. Patricks Day.... here are some photos:

We went for nomihodai [all you can drink] and tabehodai [all you can eat] of beer and grilled meat and veggies

The birthday boy himself...

At the end of the night we thought it would be funny to give the cashier japanese monopoly money- he was not amused and recognized it instantly.

I called some people together for St. Pattys to the only Irish bar in town.

It was a good night.

The weather has been steadily warming up, although I did go snowboarding just last weekend....

Here are some recent pictures.

On Wednesday an icelandic couchsurfer stayed with me. He brought Brennevin from Iceland. I made stew.

Lastly, My friend Brian invited me to be on his radio show... I took some pictures and made a flyer for my students. Please let me know if you would like me to send you a cd of the 1/2 hour show.

You can hear the radio show here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/729442195886f152/

Thats right, just scroll down and hit the play button!

Leavers Enkai

2010-03-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had my goodbye enkai.

Enkai means drinking party.

Teachers are switched to a new school every 3 to 6 years. This year we had 6 teachers leaving [either for a new school or for retirement]. This includes my favourite secretary who I go to dinner with [white coat at the end] and my principal [seated with arms crossed], who studied in England and speaks absolutley perfect English.

This is the lineup of teachers leaving:

A view around the room...

It was one of the most "traditional japanese style" enkais I have ever attended. Mostly seafood, tempura, raw squid and shrimp... good but certainly traditional.

The leaving staff faced the rest of the teachers.

Each teacher wrote a going away speech. One teacher is chosen to read on their behalf in front of the whole staff. Most of this resulted in really funny impersonations of the teacher themselves.

The enkai usually kicks off with everyone seated around tables set low to the ground. You sit on your knees, because it's a sign of respect. (It hurts after a while!) We listen to various speeches. Then, everyone raises a glass to do the "kanpai!"(cheers). For about $40, you get about two hours for eating unlimited amounts of food and drink.... all while developing lasting work relationships.

At my school, about 20% of the people people end up drinking oolong tea. The rest of us [20 teachers] drink a mix of beer [asahi/kirin/sapporo], wine [my teachers know that the red wine goes to my table] and nihonshu [hot and cold sake]. Interestingly enough at enkais, it is rude to pour your own drink. To show respect, you're supposed to pour for your fellow co-workers. In return, they should top off your glass. It's a win-win situation, really.

The whole thing ends in a farewell yell. There is usually one for the whole school, but during the goodbye and welcome enkais for teachers, each of the teachers names are yelled. The person who does this yelling is usually the youngest of the staff... which they realized recently, was me.

[Probably moreso that my japanese wasnt good enough to do it before.]

After an initial attempt where I yelled the principal's name wrong [hiroSHI, not Hiroki!] I have successfully done 3 now. *takes a bow*

A video of an old enkai:

Now, just imagine if he had yelled the name wrong.... yes... very very VERY embarassing.

Being my school, we obviously had a second party... Tiffany, Brian, Rich and Danny all joined me for some karaoke.

aw.

very typical night in Kitakata...

January/February 2010

2010-03-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

This winter has put last winter, and it's meager snowfall... to absolute shame. Here are some pics from last month:

Digging the car out of the parking area was a serious task!

Riding my bike was impossible.

This picture is an example of the ice-melting tactics of a rice growing town. Due to the amt of rice fields, salting the roads is not an option... therefore they build tiny fountains into the side of the road, which they pump water out of, in order to melt the ice. This results more in icy, wet roads than melted snow.

An average day walking to my closest elementary...

Earthquake

2010-03-14T07:25:00.001-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fgw-japan-quake15-2010mar15,0,7833390.story

I live in Kitakata, in central Fukushima.

In the past two days, I have felt two of the strongest earthquakes I have felt in my life.

The first: I was sitting in my apartment and suddenly realized the apartment was gradually shaking

The second: I was sitting in Pronto having a coffee with my friend Faye and the earthquake alarm on my phone started sounding. I immediately started to go toward the entrance-way... realized no one else in the restaurant even cared and proceeded to watch the light fixtures sway for another 15 seconds. The televisions in the cafe immediately started reporting on the [non existant] damage.

I'm OK. Don't worry... even if it made the LA Times.

Ah, Japan.