stella was a diver

we didn't start the fire

2009-06-08T22:23:00.004+09:00

The other day I was nonchalantly searching some job websites when I concurrently started to smell smoke and hear the familiar wailing of sirens. Realizing the at times 'questionable' condition of my building, I opened the door to the hallway to make sure there was indeed no fire in our kitchen. No fire to be found, but there was smoke (I hear that where there is smoke there is fire, oh I guess the fire could be elsewhere) so my flatmates and I evacuated the building to find not one, not two, but three firetrucks outside of our door. Luckily it was not our flat ablaze, but rather the fried chicken shop which we live above. (You might find it odd that I live above a fried chicken shop but there is an overabundance of fried chicken shops in London so actually the chances of living above one are not all that minute.) And it wasn't so much ablaze, but there was an abundant amount of smoke billowing out of the front doors.

At the end of the day, no one was hurt and there wasn't too much damage--the worst our flat suffered was a little bit of an annoying smoky scent for the next day or two. It did make for an exciting morning, but actually more than the event itself it got me thinking about all those times I thought about the 'what if there is a fire scenario'. It wasn't until the four of us were sitting in a cafe while the smoke was clearing from our flat that we realized I was the only one who had grabbed my purse. The other three were empty handed, one hadn't even bothered to put a coat on. Perhaps this was not exactly an emergency situation, but it could have been. So maybe in the situation of your house being on fire in reality you would not really grab anything at all--this is probably a good thing. I, on the other hand, had grabbed my purse as well as put on some trousers and a sweater. I don't think this is a good thing. Then again the smoke alarm in our flat did not go off (this in itself is alarming), so maybe I never got that hit of adrenalin one needs to instigate that feeling of panic.

When I mentioned that no one else had grabbed anything from their rooms as they left, one flatmate expressed true concern. He would make a sign for his door: IN CASE OF FIRE, REMEMBER YOUR STUFF.

new car, caviar, four-star daydream

2008-11-26T05:51:00.004+09:00

Money, it's a drag.

With my recent banking issues, an increased rent (in more ways than one) due to moving to London, and some recent, extremely frustrating details of my last tenancy, I am getting increasingly annoyed with money. Not having much of it I can deal with. Live simply, don't eat out much, wear clothes from when you were in high school, not know how to turn the heating on, and traverse in shoes that have so many holes any amount of precipitation on the ground will soak them through almost instantly. I can deal with what many in America would consider fairly humble living.

I'm interning and volunteering now for some NGOs, of course this is unpaid. There are issues with that as it is and I understand that it is my choice to make this sacrifice in order to get into the development sector for my career. I do the odd job here and there and ends are met, but I do not see that happening past January. I don't want to focus my effort and what I do on money, but it seems to creep up all the time. It is beyond just the stress and hurt pride, it affects relationships as well as the size and number of hurdles to what you can achieve in life. It makes me angry and sometimes even hate people regardless of their true character. Ornateness and luxury I can do without, but money stands in the way of me seeing my close friends and family--those things are important, and certainly more important than money.

It is an enabler and an impediment, but I would rather focus on the goal rather than the means. Unfortunately it seems that it cannot be helped.

my favorite things

2008-08-12T22:39:00.003+09:00

Things I am looking forward to in New York/on my New York trip next week:

1. Being DONE with my dissertation (!)
2. Reunining with so many great people
3. Shopping
4. Relative cheapness
5. Food
6. Going on vaation somewhere where English is the primary language
7. Showing Jon (continental) America
8. Warmth
9. Re-re-re-visitng New York and seeing if my growing fondness of London will
translate to another giganta-city
10. My first experience as a bridesmaid

what the hey

2008-07-07T19:49:00.002+09:00

The last few weeks have just come and gone as one big blurry, nebulous blob. I feel like my dissertation is slowly killing me and my brain. I'm amazed at how much it has affected me. A couple of weeks ago I went to a Radiohead concert and I didn't really get that excited buzz that I think I normally would until just before the concert. On the day of the show I was pretty calm and collected--that's really saying something about the numbing affect of my dissertation. Length-wise, it isn't actually that bad, has to be between 8,000-12,000 words, but it has been going really, painfully slow. Long, drawn-out assignments...what a pain.

On top of that, it has had the additional effect of disillusioning me about statistical analysis within the social sciences. Do these number honestly really say anything?? I can see why my brother has so much faith in engineering/math, but seriously, the minute you try and apply those things to human behavior in the real world, I'm not sure it is all that helpful. Square peg in a round hole.

news since Popeye's: update on England

2008-04-09T05:23:00.003+09:00

I'm pretty terrible at blogging, it's a fact. The last post was about heading to England, so I'll try to do a brief roundup of what has been going on since then...

1) School's great, actually and I'm really happy about my decision to come to the UK for my studies. The professors and the classes are by-and-large really interesting and I have learned a whole lot about development (oh, I am studying international development...and that's not business, by the way). It has been insightful to learn about all these aspects of development, but at the same time scrutinizing your own field to the extent that most of my courses do really forces me to think about what it is I'm doing and if it really is the right thing to do. My intentions are good, I don't doubt that, but then again so have a lot of people who've worked in the field before me. It's hard to see the smaller accomplishments when the meta-level is so filled with disappointment. This is just the first round of questioning, I'm sure there will be a lot more in the future as red tape, bureaucracy, and a lot of other hurdles complicate things extensively.

On a purely academic level development is really intriguing. Since it is interdisciplinary, it touches on so many other facets of academia--anything from new public management to postmodernism. It certainly keeps things interesting and I can see how people get 'stuck' in the academic world, never wanting to get into the nitty-gritty groundwork where ideals are often bypassed for results. Then again, for a lot of people, results are more pressing.

Schedule-wise, I've just got a dissertation to do this summer and then I will theoretically be done (results come a few months later). I've still got one paper to hand in next week and then I'll have to take an exam in May for my compulsory modules. Three months of intensive reading and writing...well, that's what it's supposed to be. Anyone want to visit this summer?!

2) I've been working as a waitress for this restaurant owned by a big name in England (at the Norwich City Football Club), Delia Smith and things are okay. The food is good and the hours are extremely flexible, but I am thinking of applying to some more challenging/different jobs for the summer. Then there's the whole issue of 'real' work once I graduate. I'm going to have to really get those applications in this summer. The job market's not so good, but we'll see how it goes. And no, I have no idea where I will be! Just depends on what's available and what will work. I can technically stay in England and work for a year after my student visa expires so that gives me some room to maneuver. Scary to be plan-less at this point, but it also means a lot of possibility.

3) Um, I went to Morocco recently, but I'll dedicate an entry to that...eventually.

Hope you are healthy and happy.

mid-transit to London

2007-09-18T00:01:00.000+09:00

Fact about Hong Kong Airport that I did not know: It has a Popeyes.

A mutha-f***ing Popeyes.

I am happy.

home.

2007-08-24T22:25:00.000+09:00

Back on Guam now and I’m re-re-adjusting after an onslaught of visitors from Japan. First came Heidi and Sara, two fellow JETs (one ex-JET) who stayed for a week to experience the unique place that is Guam, soak up the sun, get some shopping in, and eat a lot of good grub. About a week and a half after that came Makiko, a friend of mine who moved from the town where I worked to the bustling metropolis that is Osaka. She was only here for three days, but we certainly packed in the activities and she managed to outlast me—I have no idea where she got all that energy from! Must be the collagen drinks or the Shiseido makeup.

Also been occupying my time by working at an ice cream parlor. It’s pretty easy and laid back most of the time, great for a summer job. Only thing is the temptation of the ice cream—thank goodness we’re only ‘officially’ allowed to sample a little at a time. In between these big events I’ve been attending weddings (3 in two weeks!), taking pictures with (or being an assistant to) Lani (check out her new blog), and partaking in the usual social scene on Guam. Been nice to catch up and spend time with family and friends as it has been a whole year since I saw many of them.

So, what’s the next step? Well, England—Norwich to be exact. I’ll be attending the University of East Anglia in the fall to pursue my MA in International Development. It’s going to be weird being back at school, but I’m excited about the material. All those essays, so little time….

awaiting

2007-05-10T11:32:00.000+09:00

About a month ago, after the cherry blossoms had started blooming and a little bit after I handed in my intention to not re-contract for the next year, I started doubting my decision. My out-of-work life has always been good in Japan and with the coming of the new school year (April in Japan), it was refreshing to meet with new teachers and a batch of bright-eyed students. I was busy, planning activities for the new students and going to classes non-stop. What’s more, the other teachers looked to me for input and actually implemented some of my suggestions—in a word, I felt useful and appreciated, like I was making a bit of a difference.

I guess that has always been my biggest qualm with my JET experience. Busy comes in bouts—planning events for the school or during testing—but the inconsistency really bothered me. Going to two classes and just reading from the textbook can have severely detrimental effects on one’s self-worth. I’m getting all this money, but the output doesn’t nearly match the cost. I suppose there is an intrinsic value in the ‘internationalization’ aspect, living in a town that rarely has the opportunity to interact with foreigners, but it’s still not enough. Some people would get really annoyed with me since I’m complaining about having too much free time at work, but trust that I’m not the only JET that has complained about this—it’s just not for me.

So, now as I’m sitting here at my tiny school, bored out of my mind, I’m starting to remember why I chose to leave. That’s not to say I won’t miss Japan and that I won’t have a hard time leaving, but I guess I’m getting a bit more realistic about the situation and taking off the rose-colored glasses. It has been a good experience and I’ve met some great people, learned a lot, and experienced some fantastic and amazing things. I would definitely recommend living abroad to anyone. It gives you a really different perspective of other countries and your own.

So, now what?

Most likely, after a month or so on Guam, I’ll be going to grad school in England. London, Norwich, or Sussex; I haven’t decided yet. The choice to go to an English school rather than an American one was not easy to make, but I’m hoping it will be worthwhile. Come visit.

flashback

2007-03-23T15:05:00.000+09:00

So, in the spirit of trying to keep my posts semi-regular...

During lunch, break, and cleaning time (students and teachers clean the school everyday, yes it's true) there's music played over the school PA system. Unfortunately the number of songs in rotation leaves something to be desired. So now I've got a pretty strong mental association of my work days in Japan with a handful of songs. Made me think about my JHS days. I clearly remember Scott (my older brother) playing a lot of Greenday and Jimi Hendrix. I also remember Pearl Jam, Boys II Men (I didn't say I liked it), and Mariah Carey. I think Greenday sticks out the strongest though...

What songs remind you of middle school?

beach clean up

2007-03-20T11:44:00.000+09:00

I was thrilled when I read that a local town was looking for volunteers to do a beach clean up in one of our weekly bulletins. After signing up, I expected that the crew would primarily consist of old women from the town pitching together to clean up the beach. That presumption in my mind, I expected them to give me copious amounts of vegetables, the usual thank-you present given by old women in Shimane.

Of course I was wrong and the clean up turned out to consist of me, the one foreign 23-year-old girl, and about 20 men of various ages. I think they may have been as surprised as I was, but being that there was an absurd amount of trash to pick up, we didn’t have much time to chat. I wish I had taken a picture of what the beaches looked like beforehand, but suffice to say I’ve been to a lot of beach cleanups and the condition of this beach was the worst I’d ever seen—especially considering that they cleanup these beaches three times a year.

Here are two pictures of the trash we collected in about 3 hours.

What you see there is the beach after we finished. It looks fairly clean, but if you zoom in, you’ll see a lot of debris still in the sand. I took a picture of a nearby beach area that we didn’t clean so you can get an idea of how much trash they get in this town. Actually, that pales in comparison to the second beach we worked on.

The reason for all that trash? Well some would say it’s all trash from Korea. Others would blame the locals or passing fishermen.

Looking at the town’s location on the west coast of Shimane, right next to the Japan Sea, I’d put my money on the fishermen. Going through the garbage, there were some items with Korean writing and some distinctly Japanese wrappers, but primarily there was a lot of fishing material: nylon rope, plastic containers, nets, buoys, and fuel containers. The Japan Sea suffers from some heavy traffic, so both local and commercial fishermen—whatever nationalities—are probably to blame.

While we were cleaning, I also noticed something very strange. I saw these fist-sized grey and white things on the ground. At first I thought they were toys, but upon closer inspection, I realized they were puffer fish! As many of you probably know, puffer fish, or fugu in Japanese, is quite the delicacy here. I am not a fan of life-risking delicacies, but I guess it does add a bit of excitement to a Saturday night! Anyway, I was surprised to see them just laying there on the beach, all dead and semi-puffed up. We had a lot of garbage to deal with though, so I just kind of ignored it since no one else seemed to be reacting. However, a few steps later I start to realize that there were a ton of dead puffer fish on the beach just scattered everywhere. Over the course of the cleanup, I’m certain that I saw somewhere between 75 and 150 of them. Later I asked one of the volunteers, but his answer was almost totally incomprehensible (So in case you were wondering, no, I’m not fluent—not even close). Can you think of any possible solutions to this puffer-graveyard mystery?

It’s unfortunate that the town has so much garbage coming in from the sea. The people were really nice and the town itself is quite gorgeous—cute houses on mountainsides dotting the inlet of a bay. I’ll be sure to return for the summer festival.

Oh and in the end, I didn’t get vegetables as a thank-you present; I got beer.

for Sara

2007-03-04T11:30:00.000+09:00

Booya!

a cautionary tale?

2007-01-12T15:38:00.000+09:00

So I've just been reading through my old e-mails on my W&M account. It's bizarre to think how many things one goes through in the course of the formative--or rather hormonal, over-dramatic, and alcohol-fueled--college years. In a way I can remember being in those situations and the intensity of those moments but come on, how did I have the time to deal with so much over-the-top drama? I always thought I studied quite a lot at school, but now I'm wondering how I ever found the time to do so--my plate being so full of a seemingly non-stop sequence of bizarrely intense emotional experiences. I feel the same after reading old AOL messages.

I suppose we are in the unique position these days of being able to so carefully catalogue our thoughts and experiences through written means. Sure journals and letters have always served that purpose but now we're documenting things everyday, often without the intent to do so. With 'conversation' saving options on messaging programs it goes even a step further. I know that there is a big population of college graduates in the US who have had their share of biting, flirtatious, or even cathartic conversations via online messenger. How many conversations do you think your parents can recall word for word? Some might brush off this type of thing as secondary to face-to-face interaction, but with today's increasingly internet-dependent world, who's to say it's not making its way to the forefront?

Nostalgia, elation, and even regret: it's all at your fingertips.

Have you checked your email lately?

Away in a manger...

2006-12-25T17:41:00.000+09:00

So it has been ages and ages since my last post. I remember in the days of yore when I used to post once, maybe even twice a month! Now it's more sparse, but isn't it a wonderful surprise to see me post again? Even if it is just to talk about how I don't post? In that sense, isn't it like a surprise Christmas really? No?

Anyway. Speaking of yore, I'm in England right now, experiencing my first ever cold Christmas. It's a little weird, but bizarrely appropriate. I've had lots of tea and even a crumpet. Jolly good, jolly good.

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm going to post more next year....

treading

2006-09-08T18:47:00.001+09:00

Best props ever.

sumatra tiger

2006-07-27T16:49:00.000+09:00

We've been asked to play in Hiroshima City at this bar called Sumatra Tiger this Saturday. Not knowing much about the Hiroshima bar-scene, Leif sent over the bar's website. We still don't really know much about it, but I provide this website picture up for evidence.

This breeds much excitement in my heart.

gone but not forgotten.

2006-07-25T09:48:00.000+09:00

The UC alumni moving on with their lives….

Kate
This former Kisuki girl came to us from Norwich with a writer’s quill (yeah they use those in England, like everyday) and a reckless abandon regarding the use of the c-word. She has unfortunately left us for a better life in Britain which I’m sure will involve lots of reading and research papers, but we are optimistic (right) that she will visit us in the UC again one day soon.

Matt
Extremely knowledgeable about salt and a myriad of other topics, this Deluthian (?) represented the last in a long line of Kakeya ALTs. This avid biker hopes to one day marry a Lithuanian girl and move to Holland after his travels on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Unfortunately this would put him pretty far from the UC, but he’s got a time capsule and a promise, so this won’t be the last of his travels to Shimane.

Kirsten
This English CIR has sadly left
for the bigger and brighter (in the literal sense, Tokyo’s not smarter than the UC) city of Tokyo. In Tokyo she will utilize her savvy Japanese skills to take on the business district and spread the word about the UC, further developing the UC’s already stellar reputation. Happily this won’t be our last meeting with Kirsten, we expect her to visit us sometime or to at least let us sleep on her couch.

introducing...

2006-07-14T15:05:00.000+09:00

It has come to my attention that my fellow JETs in the Unnan City area (affectionately know as the UC or the U-Shi depending on who you ask) have yet to be introduced to the rest of this bloggy-thingy’s readers, whoever they may be. Thus, let me begin with the introductions of the UC crew. You’ll have to imagine the Real World intro running in the background.

In no particular order…

Roger, Duke of D-town.

Here we have fellow Daito-nier and my neighbor. Mystery boy originates from Canberra, the capital of Australia. His position as a CIR means that he translates rather than teaches, proving useful in many situations. He has a sports car, an uncanny ability to keep our English Conversation classes interesting, and is what some would call a ‘smooth operator’.

Robert, Mitoyaboy

This English gent lives about 15 minutes away and, with fellow ALT Kate (who has sadly returned to England), holds down the Mitoya part of UShi. Rob has amazing memory, skillfully showing off his ability with numerous (and I mean numerous) Simpsons quotes and random lines from movies, especially Swingers and Top Gun, that the majority of us can’t seem to accurately place. Rob also has an acute desire to explain the game of Cricket to the entirety of Japan and wants the winter to come as quickly as possible to optimize his skiing experience. A very sweet boy with good karma, I’m happy to call Rob one of the bedrock members of the UC (U-Shi as he says).

Sara, Hobo-hotness

This Connecticut gal lives across the bridge from Mitoya, in the town ‘known’ for its Cherry Blossoms, Kisuki. She teaches at a few high schools, some more ghetto than others. Known for her sass and sharp wit, Sara keeps the UC folks on our toes. She lived in Philly while attending UPenn, so she might cut you too. The police in her neighborhood seem to be watching her very closely and we all fear getting arrested when we’re around her, but she’s so cool, we hang out with her anyway.

Leslie, Ohayo Bitches.

The last of the three that make up the D-town rollers, this girl hails from the rural state of Ohio. She has recently been found trying to pawn off her litter of kittens on unsuspecting foreigners and Japanese people. Her hobbies include history, all of it (especially US Presidents) and playing soccer. Recently Leslie and fellow Unnan-er Rob have been selected as the editors for a local JET publication. Will the represent Unnan with the pride and glory that it deserves? Only time will tell.

Himene, The Iron Curtain

Raised in Indiana but educated at USC, Himene adds a West-coast influenced spice to the UC. She is known to be fond of fast cars, central heating (but hey who isn’t? oh wait Japan.), and miniature plastic food (really). Aside from the central heating bit, her interests are quite congruent with living in Japan. Her position is the same as Roger’s, meaning she works at the Japanese International Relations Department, translating the Unnan website (yeah, it really exists, but right now it’s still mostly in Japanese, Himene what’s up with that) and wondering why her coworkers are always asking her if she’s cold. She recently participated in a regatta with her co-workers and realized that no matter where you are, guys are still pretty much the same.

Jon, that’s MR. DJ to you.

Bringing the ‘hot English men in the UC’ total up to 2, Jon resides in the mountainous village of Yoshida where the iron is hot (aspects of Princess Mononoke were inspired by his town) and the winters are freaking ridiculous. He has spent numerous hours playing Football Manager so it is no wonder that he took the top honors in the JET World Cup Prediction Game. He loves DJ Shadow, Ghostbusters, and reading about the Pitcairn Islands. He thought Guam was in South America, hates snakes, spiders, and can’t swim, but I’m sure he’ll love the tropics.

There you have it, the lovely gentlemen and women of the UC.

psycho killer

2006-05-17T15:42:00.000+09:00

There was an 80s party and people came. The costumes were phenomenal and we all felt (and saw) the effects of ‘living in excess’.

Some of the highlights of the evening:

Lip-sync competition: Bitchin’! “Turning Japanese” and “Save Paula” gave particularly memorable performances.

Air-guitar competition: Melting my face was, as always Leif with a drop-to-your-knees rendition of Metallica’s Master of Puppets. That’s him in the pictures looking like a cross between Flock of Segulls and a Good Charloette video. Though severely lacking in actual ‘guitar playing’, the “we’re sober” group was also notable, a video of which will not be shown here. Suffice to say that will remain on my computer or Lena’s.

Best-dressed winners: Like I said earlier, the costumes were awesome, I’ll give a particular note to Maddy’s outfit and her gravity-defying hair. Mr. Perfect's Ghost Busters costume, wicked!

Electric Limozine: Consisting of Manic Maddy on guitar/bass/vocals, Ecto1 AKA Jon B. on the Beat-box, that’s MR LEIF to you on keyboard/vocals, and yours truly "JEM" on guitar/bass/vocals, we had a good time.

We would start touring but we just broke up cause of artistic differences, i.e. Leif’s drug addiction.

oh deer, what would Buddha do.

2006-04-27T11:57:00.000+09:00

So I’m going to do one of those things that people who don’t regularly update enough do, just throw a bunch of past events together and write one semi-long entry. To make it more bearable, I'll put a lot of pictures in, yay.

1. For Spring Break, I went to Kyoto and Nara

Just so I feel like I’m filling your head with a little information instead of pure mindless chatter, Nara and Kyoto are located in the Kansai region of Japan. This means they are not close to Tokyo (I’m saying this because people often seem to think Japan=Tokyo), and for the record I am also nowhere near close to Tokyo. I’m slightly closer to the Kansai region, but it’s still a ways away. Anyway, both Kyoto and Nara were once capitals of Japan. The Kansai area is a really nice area to visit and I would recommend visiting Kansai over Tokyo any day.

Kyoto is famed for its Geisha and indeed, we did manage to see a gaggle of them near Kyoto Station. Didn’t manage to get a great picture or anything, but the quality will be made up for in quantity (of Geisha that is).

I think I actually prefer Nara to Kyoto a little bit. It’s smaller, but a very pretty area. The main attraction in Nara is the Big Buddha.
It’s enclosed in the largest wooden structure in the world (I think). The other big attraction in Nara is the deer. There are ‘sacred' deer wandering around all over. As you can see, the deer and I quickly became good friends. They even gave me a little souvenir.

2. That whole band thing.

So we had another show and this time we had a full band, drums and all. Very exciting. The show went well and we even took one of those ‘band taking a picture in a random outdoor setting’ type shots. It was fun and we’ll do it again soon. Leif wrote a little something about it here. (That's Leif in the picture under the ladder, fearless in the face of bad luck.) You can see some pictures over yonder and if you’re really interested, you can watch a bit of the show (or at least listen as the lighting isn’t so favorable) here.

3. I went to a cool festival and all I got was this crappy shirt.

I lied, I didn't get a shirt. This festival was seriously cool. It’s a horseback-archery-festival held in the southern part of Shimane in a really pretty town called Tsuwano. Basically there are a few guys (and one girl actually) that ride on horseback under some cherry blossoms trying to hit three targets via bow and arrow. Very cool.

4. Cherry Blossoms

As you may have inferred from the above section, the cherry blossoms are finally out in Japan. Well actually, it's more accurate to say that they were out since I'm putting this up quite late. It's refreshing to see the flowers after a long, long winter.

letter from an American kid

2006-04-06T13:58:00.000+09:00

Hanging on the wall of my elective English class.

tanner influence

2006-03-22T15:46:00.000+09:00

This morning I was accosted by four students as I entered the school grounds. Seeing their eager faces, waving hands, and high pitched squeals, I knew that the issue had to be of earth-shattering importance. As it turns out, the students wanted to get to the very spine of American society. That is to say, they wanted to know if I had ever seen Full House.

I still haven't been able to fathom why this particular slice of Americana has become so popular in Japan. From what I've seen, the more than slightly delayed airing of this program is not such a peculiarity. Other shows that can currently be found on Japanese TV include: Dawson's Creek and Melrose Place. I find my knowledge of what is happening on Melrose Place justifiable because of the lack English television program options in Japan. It does not, however, overtake all of the embarrassmentent. I feel further shame in knowing that I would, in a split second, watch Dawson's Creek readily if it was on.

So this is shameful, yes, but it did provide me with an important link to my understanding of fashion in Japan.

Previously:

1980s--> 1990s--> 2000s: Japanese fashion revamps the 1980s/early 90s style, incorporating legwarmers, big hair up top, and a strange perception of what colors "go" together-->The fashion world is amazed and looks to Japan as a muse for fashion-forward thinking

This is pretty close, but it misses a crucial step:

1980s--> 1990s--> 2000s--> FULL HOUSE airs in Japan--> Japanese fashion revamps the 1980s/early 90s style, incorporating legwarmers, big hair up top, and a strange perception of what colors "go" together--> The fashion world is amazed and looks to Japan as a muse for fashion-forward thinking

poker face

2006-03-03T14:00:00.000+09:00

So it’s a new year and (being that I haven’t had the time or motivation to write for a long long time) I am also coincidentally at the crux of spring in Japan. My kotatsu has been fairly abandoned, though I would not in any case say that it is quite Spring yet. Still got the heater on and today it snowed a little. Some of you may think that I am a bit delusional in my description of what constitutes ‘the crux’ of Spring, but it’s coming, I can feel it. Literally I mean, it hasn’t gone below 0 (30 F) for a while now, even gotten past the 10s (50 F) a few times. Once it was actually hot outside, well at least from the perspective of a person wearing 3 layers of clothing and an overcoat. Change is upon us and I’m looking forward to what a Shimane Spring is like, I’ve heard good things.

So what exactly (more or less) has been happening over here?

Well it has come to my attention that I have yet to write about Japanese office parties, the enkai, as it were. Let me explain that there is an important difference between American office parties and Japanese office parties. For one, I haven’t seen any cake over here, which, coming from my movie-watching experience, is fairly essential to most American office parties. Secondly, and more notably, there is a point of difference concerning the after-math of said parties. In both countries, people make fools of themselves in front of their coworkers, understandable given the tendency for copious amounts of liquor to be available at these events. The day after the tomfoolery has occurred, many witnesses to such actions will vividly (or hazily) remember the previous night’s activities. The difference is here; come Monday, Americans will discuss those events repeatedly, preferably in the presence of the actor so as to cause dire embarrassment to the person, to rub it in. In Japan though, what happens at the enkai stays at the enkai. It’s not like people don’t remember, it’s just that people ignore it.

Some of you may be thinking that there may be a lack of actual rowdiness at Japanese office parties. In that respect, you would be wrong, my good sir. Take my New Year enkai for my town government office for example. Enter John Doe, fellow public servant on the first floor and apartment neighbor on the third floor. With all the politeness and professionalism that one may come to expect in Japan, John Doe took my census information from me. This was done outside of his typical work hours, I doubt he got overtime pay for it, he's a dedicated employee I'm sure. At the enkai he was, well let’s say, a bit inebriated. He seemed to be doing a lot of rolling on the floor that night, sometimes rolling into tables and the occassional person. Once or twice he did a roll in tandem, don’t even really know how that worked, but I was impressed. Through the course of the evening he managed to rearrange his pants in a very 90s, Criss-cross (or is it Kriss Kross?) fashion. He jumped on one of the boss once or twice, and I swear the facial expressions in those instances were priceless. I can recall three distinct occasions when I almost saw, well, um, too much of anybody I wasn’t dating or, if I was a doctor, examining for health reasons. Come Monday though, it’s business as usual. The next week, I see John Doe rushing in as I’m leaving the parking lot and all I get is a business nod.

He’d be good at poker.

theatrics

2006-01-13T15:43:00.000+09:00

Lines 3 and 4.

how's the weather?

2005-12-12T12:31:00.000+09:00

So the part of Japan where I live is at about the same latitude as Virginia, maybe even a little bit closer to the equator. When I found this out, I thought “Oh, good news for me, I can handle that.” If I could go back in time and talk to myself when this thought crossed my mind, I’d say one thing:

HA!

Though my prior statement would seemingly be ‘factual’ and ‘true’, I neglected to take into account the heating practices that are in existence in Japan. First off, let’s start with two implements I incorrectly assumed to be commonly utilized in Japan:

1. Central Heating. Remember being out in the snow and hail, bundled up in your winter best, walking quickly in anticipation of the relief that you would feel the moment you stepped into your classroom/office/house, relishing in the idea of walking around sans the multi-layered barricade that is necessary outside?

Yeah, well tough beans. If you’re walking into a Japanese classroom/office/house and it’s not currently occupied, you will be able to experience the enormous relief that comes with a two-degree heating. Ain’t got too much of that whole central heating business outside of Hokkaido, the northernmost (read: freezing) island of Japan.

Of course, there are ways to heat your house and office, one room at a time. Most commonly, for economic reasons, this consists of a kerosene heater, a small device which I believe will look and feel much like heaven to me once the dead of winter hits. I do have one, but I’m not going to lie, I’m was a bit nervous about using it. Kerosene spills, possible carbon monoxide poisoning, and my tendency to gravitate toward accidents doesn’t add up too well.

Moving on:

2. Insulation. The lack of this nifty application in most Japanese buildings contributes very much to the insubstantial difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. I can kind of understand that resources are expensive, hence the lack of central heating, but insulation? Insulation saves both money and heat in the long-er run. Even if houses weren’t initially built with insulation in mind, why hasn’t it been utilized since its discovery? I’m going to put that question in the pile with “Why do school lunch chefs feel the need to add mini-fish to an overwhelming majority of vegetable dishes?”

Japan’s got some things going for it though. Since necessity was the mother of invention, I’m figuring that the shortage of the above listed items was surely the source of these wonderful, almost magical creations.

1. Kotatsu. At first glance you might think that this is just a small table that somehow got a blanket stuck in it, but in reality it is a genius’s gift to Japan. It’s got a blanket in it but it also has a heater on the underside of the flat part of the table. A kotatsu set comes with a bottom part as well, something like a carpet to put under so that you can sit comfortably with your legs under the table. By comfortably I mean very comfortably. With the lack of cheap and easily-done (as in, easy for me, me being lazy, see prior post) heating available in Japan, the kotatsu has won over the hearts of Japanese people and foreigners alike. Already I’ve heard of entire evenings of potential socializing ambushed by the heated allure of the kotatsu. Fortunately for our social lives, the kotatsu can accommodate upwards of four people so, if you don’t mind a little coziness, there are ways to maintain real-live (not messenger) human contact during the winter season.

2. I think it’s called a Kaero. These things are both useful and fascinating. It comes inconspicuously enough, a package you can get at your local convenience store or supermarket. With the look and feel of a small bean bag, upon shaking, this magical device gets warm. That part may not be so amazing, but when you realize that this device stays heated for hours, is quite cheap, and is small enough to be stored in prime locations like pockets and hands, it becomes the invention to top all others—well, except maybe fire and central heating.

basically, i'm lazy

2005-11-29T10:10:00.000+09:00

Due to the fact that Leif writes awesomely, those blurry pictures up there are from my camera, and for several other reasons (see heading), I'm linking ya'll over to Leif's site. Check under November 28th for today's update.

Got a few things to add:

1. Leif was, as usual, spectacular. He did an amazing job and I'm in awe of his ability to rock like no other in spite of having a cold.
2. I messed up a lot, but it was still fun and awesome.
3. Can't stress enough how much we appreciated the supporters and the long drive they took upon themselves (well most of them anyway), enduring winding mountain roads and a few detours that extended their trips late into the night.
4. We were really, really nervous.
5. The wine you see in the last picture was quickly consumed after the show, leading to two semi-drunk JETs at 11 in the morning. (This is becoming quite a habit)
4. Ditto.

love,
jen

plus size

2005-11-01T16:00:00.000+09:00

Let me just say that sumo wrestling is Awesome. I never thought I would be calling a ritualized, flesh-abundant, jiggly exhibition of male wrestling awesome, but it’s just so true. The sumo wrestling part isn’t as enthralling as the whole day’s events I’d say. It’s a little hard to get excited about a 30-second match, especially when you don’t know much or anything about either of the wrestlers challenging each other. Of course, I’m not what anyone would call ‘knowledgeable’ or very ‘aware’ of the sport that is sumo, so don’t take my word for it. We were, after all, betting on the winner via groin-cloth color. I must say though, some of those sumo wrestlers had a good eye for color.

So, since the wrestling match lasts for about 30 seconds, for the rest of the time those sumo wrestlers are really just ‘hanging out’. They wandered around the venue’s grounds freely, buying food from vendors (translates to happy vendors), using the restrooms that the audience used (you ever think of how the they go to the restroom and then redress themselves?), and just watching the other wrestlers. They’d get ready in the arena too and let me emphasize, there is nothing like seeing a sumo wrestler in sumo-loin-cloth doing the splits with his stomach to the floor. They’re more flexible than you might think.

In the spirit of any good sporting event, there was a lot of drinking involved. Considering it was an almost day-long event (8am-3pm), you can bet we were pretty drunk by the end there. I really didn’t think I’d be reliving the early morning cocktails that dotted W&M’s campus (hello blowout and KD golf), but you know, when in Rome, something something. Actually the drinking was more a necessity rather than an option--I’d like to see you handle seeing that much flesh sober at 10 in the morning.

Equally awesome was the part of the tournament that allowed tiny elementary school boys to try and wrestle one of the sumo wrestlers. Mind you, they challenged them one at a time, not all at once. It was probably the most absurd and adorable thing I’ve seen in a long while.

The sumo wrestlers didn’t stick around after it was over really, that was a bit disappointing. It might have been for the best, though.

Young foreign dudes + copious amounts of alcohol + sumo wrester = bad idea.

they do exist!

2005-10-20T22:45:00.000+09:00

Gotta love it. Translated cost: $5.

[Roughly translated, that yellow sheet says 'Wine, World No. 1 Brand, Fresh & Fruity}

i love road trip.

2005-10-19T13:58:00.000+09:00

We were hyped. Four people, one small kei car, and some expendable income. We started off well enough, anticipating that beyond Shimane’s borders, Kobe and Osaka held some excitement for us, the inaka folk who lived predominantly next to rice paddies and vending machines.

[Roger, my Australian neighbor, in classic Roger Pose. Chris is in the background]

Can’t honestly say that we did all that much in the city. We ate, shopped, looked at one shrine in Kyoto, got lost a lot, rode a hell of a lot of trains (they should have train point cards), hit up a few bars, and spent a lot of time wandering the streets looking for a love hotel with vacancies. It was a great trip overall, I’m sure it’ll be happening again...though maybe not in my kei car anytime
soon. She was a trooper for that trip, but it might be wise to give her some time to recover.

It was good to meet up with the visiting Guamanians (Mike, Guada, hope you had a good rest of the trip) and to meet one local who I didn’t even know I knew, a relic from the senior-year, underage Gameworks outings.

The Love Hotels were the best part, aside from the difficulty of trying to sneak more than two people in (sorry, I don’t know the word for four-some in Japanese) and the surprising lack of anonymity in a would be anonymous-pastime. Unfortunately we weren’t lucky enough to hit up the themed rooms (clam-bed anyone?), but our accommodations were still really cool. Big beds, karaoke, a huge red-lit bath and shower, and free bad (very, very bad) porn. What more can you want?

After three days of living it up in the city, though, we were eager to head back to Shimane. Turns out the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and there is something to good ol’ country living.

how do you spell spirit

2005-09-22T11:28:00.000+09:00

So classes have finally kind of started to settle in a bit. I’ve almost finished doing my self introductions for each class I will be teaching, I think I’m going to end up doing it 19 times. At about 15 minutes each, let me tell you, that’s a lot of time to be talking about yourself to people who probably only have the vaguest clue of what you are saying, mostly due to pictures and gestures that could only mean ‘white-water rafting’. In each class the dynamic is quite different. There’s usually a pretty clear distinction between the 7th graders and the 9th graders in terms of boisterous-ness, the 7th graders taking the cake. Today it was quite refreshing though, to see one particular class of 9th graders stepping up to the plate. They were ‘lively’ (I’m not using the Japanese word for this, though it is fitting), but this class had a strange obsession with chickens for some reason. They asked if I saw chickens on Guam and if we eat chicken on Guam. They also squealed with delight when I mentioned that my favorite Guamanian dish, kelaguen, could be made with chicken. Am I missing something here? I feel like compared to the US, chicken is served up less frequently here. More commonly you’d get (you guessed it) fish or, for my budget at least, low-grade beef. But the squealing? I thought that was reserved primarily for the boyfriend question. Hmm.

There have been some interesting questions though. Amongst the ‘do you like [insert any topic relating to food or Japanese popular culture]?’ a kid asked me ‘Who is your favorite man?’. It took me aback for a second. It just reminded me of one of those Time magazine covers that feature ‘The Greatest Man Alive’ or something. It was a big, loaded question, but maybe I’m reading too much into a question from a 9th grader. In that same class, though, I got my favorite question by far. (Clearly, this is my most advanced class) This student asked me a question that I think we all should ponder regularly in our lives because one day it may be important to know. He asked me ‘What would you do if the Earth turned cold?’. I haven’t the faintest clue what this kid was watching or reading when he thought that up, but I was pleasantly surprised by the inquiry. I guess I hadn’t thought about it before, but it’s good to know.

My days haven’t been entirely filled with talking about myself for excruciating amounts of time and answering off-the-wall (and very standard) questions though. This Saturday I went to work (yeah, ain’t that something?). I remember at W&M the one time we had to make up classes we missed during hurrication the weekend before finals, I swear the student body was about ready to riot. Going to school on Saturday was, oddly enough, actually fun because it was Sports Day (read=no actual classes). The students challenged other teams of students in a variety of athletic events, there were relay races and tugs of war, games that are common in the US and others games which would have a high likelihood of being illegal in the US. Being at this event, I now understand where the inspiration comes from on those Japanese game shows. All in all it was good fun and no kids were sent to the hospital (at my schools anyway).

I was a bit disappointed at the cheering though. Mostly this consisted of yells of ‘Gambarre’, perhaps the second most over-used word in Japanese. It means anything from ‘good luck!’, ‘do your best!’, or ‘though your leg is broken, persevere and finish the race!’. (I like the versatility of the Japanese language) Essentially during the races, the cheers would be some variation of ‘Gambarre’, like ‘Gambarre so-and-so’, or ‘Gambarre blue-team’, or just plain, trusty old ‘Gambarre’. At the end of the races, there was a severe shortage of plain old yelling and general rowdiness. They’ve left out the best part of sports! So next time my plan is to rally up a big crowd of people who know how to cheer properly. Sure, they’ve got color-coordination, but we’ll be spelling G-A-M-B-A-R-R-E on our stomachs. Now That’s spirit.

a-team

2005-09-20T10:11:00.000+09:00

It's always good to know how you'd do in the event of a zombie attack, courtesy of Marian.

Are you Zombie A-team material? See if you'd get eaten then let me know how you did, a-team's always recruiting.

Official Survivor
Congratulations! You scored 77%!

Whether through ferocity or quickness, you made it out. You made the right choice most of the time, but you probably screwed up somewhere. Nobody's perfect, at least you're alive.

les franzia

2005-09-14T15:06:00.000+09:00

So classes have started and all that. I’ve taught a little bit too, but it just doesn’t feel like things have really started yet. I have yet to shake the feeling that this is either 1) A study abroad program where they really don’t expect you to do anything much or 2) An internship with pretty much the same premise. It feels like I’m interning for Bordallo again—I spend my days checking my email repeatedly and reading about random topics that I never knew I always wanted to know about. Scientology for example. I’d write more, but I think they’d sue me or raid my house. Really, it’s a concern.

Evenings and weekends have been fairly busy though. We JETs in the area tend to hang out together in our free time a lot, like marathon-style a lot. Especially during weekends. I’d imagine it’s something reminiscent of the Nicholas 207 folk, but we don’t actually live together. Also there’s less Franzia-pong and far fewer nights end with Lauren streaking the living room solo.

And speaking of Franzia, I saw some a few weeks ago. I really didn’t think that Japan would have Franzia, but oh yes, it was there, sitting on the shelf of a big convenience store chain. I almost didn’t see it though because, unlike the Franzia I’m familiar with, this Franzia was in a BOTTLE. Amazing, yes I know.

conversion

2005-09-05T14:39:00.000+09:00

So I just heard from a student that classes might be canceled tomorrow because of the typhoon that’s in the area. Griffin’s already got classes canceled tomorrow because the typhoon is heading straight for Kyushu (Southern island of Japan), or so I have gathered from trying to read Japanese weather websites. Of course after I tried to read the Japanese websites, I resorted to looking at pictures, skillfully figuring out the typhoon’s general vicinity by the presence of the big circle over Kyushu. Thankfully, typhoons and hurricanes on maps look exactly the same in any language.

I don’t think the typhoon is too strong, but of course my knowledge of this is dependant on my skills at converting kilometers per hour to miles per hour accurately. It’s been a bit of a challenge for us American JETs to convert the measurements here. I’ve resorted to thinking that anything above 30 degrees Celsius qualifies as ‘hot’ and 27 degrees Celsius and below is ‘cool’. Being that it is the summer and my town is nestled between mountains though, I haven’t had much use for my knowledge of ‘cool’ weather. If it does get cool if you are in Japan though, do not be afraid of not knowing what the weather is like since everyone and their mother will tell you about the weather. Repeatedly. I believe this is particularly poignant during the summer months when greetings of ‘atsui ne?’ (hot, isn’t it?), atsui (it’s hot.), and atsui yo (it’s hot!) will be awaiting you at every corner. I must admit I’ve fallen into the habit a little bit though, makes me feel more local.

I’ve also had to utilize my conversion skills while driving. I just got my car on Friday. It’s red and small, but it’s got a CD player and it was very cheap so I love it. My general rule for converting speed limits:
40km = slow.
50km= still pretty slow.
60km= lucky me!
80km= probably as good as it’s going to get.

Converted, 40km is about 25miles. 60km is about 35miles. 80km is about 50miles.
Honestly, most of my town (maybe all) is 40-50km/hr. I didn’t think I could find a place with a lower average speed limit than Guam, but here I am.

Of course, there is some logic behind the low speed limit. Roads in Japan tend to be narrower. Oh and if you are driving in rural areas (read: my town and most of Japan), there tend to be little gutters that occasionally pop up (frequently), servicing as wonderful little ditches for your car tires. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of such an experience, but I have been warned repeatedly and it does not sound like an easy situation to absolve.

saloon

2005-09-02T14:26:00.000+09:00

9.1.05

How is it that after being at the school for only two days, I have already heard the word ‘kinky’ twice? Where are these kids learning such words and when did 9th grade boys in Japan start getting the gall to ask their new teachers questions concerning said words on the first day of class? True, at least it’s an English word, but of course it was spelled as k-i-n-k-i. At least spell it right.

A few days ago I discovered that there is a pool hall in my town. This may not sound that amazing to those of you in the DC or Guam area, but seriously, it’s quite a profound discovery. From my apartment window, I can literally see not one, but Two sizable rice paddies. A look to the right heeds only a handful of houses, apartments, a lot of mountains, and, for some reason, a small Subaru dealership. What my town, Daito lacks in pleasantries, though, we make up for with an abundance of dry cleaners. A 2-5 minute leisurely bike ride in either direction from my apartment would provide no fewer than 3 dry cleaners.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love my town. Being as rural as it is, it only makes discoveries like this gem of a pool hall all the more wonderful. This isn’t your typical ‘Magic Styx’ pool hall—it’s not smoky or loud or crowded. “Billiards” consists of two full-sized pool tables, two air conditioners, a few chairs, a CD player, and it’s accompanying sizable collection of classical music, a common staple at pool halls across the globe. These items are all housed in a small wooden building with décor reminiscent of an old western saloon (nope, I don’t get it either). Upon entering “Billiards” (BIRIADUSU in Japanese), one will find that there are no employees and the lights, at least so far in my experience, are off. One may venture to think that “Billiards” is closed but upon more careful inspection, one would discover the secret to playing at “Billiards”—you must go next door to the convenience store (like 7-11 but cooler) to get the billiard balls and make payment. If that’s not awesome, I don’t know what is. You can play pool and if you get thirsty or hungry, you can go next door and buy beer, a cocktail in a can, sake in a cup, or choose from a huge assortment of slightly off-the wall snacks. A typically private pool hall without overpriced alcohol in a town overrun with rice paddies and dry cleaners? Priceless.