January 2011




January 9th - On the way to Nagano prefecture, home of Winter Olympic Games in 1998 and 2005.

 


But that's not why Ben and I went there... :D 

 

We visited 'Jigokudani Yaen-Koen,' or as we like to call it, 'the monkey onsen.' Onsens are public baths that are popular in Japan, but this bath was unlike any other we've been to...



This bath is for monkeys only.




 





http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm





January 10th - Nekomise Cat Cafe in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Unfortunately, we weren't very impressed by this one.  



The first day of snow this year in my town, Hitachi. This is the view from the balcony of my apartment. The big tan colored van belongs to one of my teachers. He drives me to school every Tuesday. 



January 22nd - Strawberry picking in Hokota, Ibaraki. 



'Ichigo' or 'いちご' = 'strawberry' in Japanese





Ben, showing off his perfect strawberry.



Right before I surrendered to the strawberries.



My neighbor, Jen, and I.

 



Gunma prefecture

January 29th - Cake Shop in Gunma

Chocolate Mint Cake - BEST piece of cake I've ever had.

Free Talk

Today in one of my Oral Communication classes, there were a few extra minutes left at the end of class so I decided to do free talk with the students. I told them they could ask me questions or tell me anything they wanted, like about how they spent their winter vacation. I should have expected what came next.

After thinking for a few moments and then collaborating with each other about how to ask the questions, the students asked me if/why I lost weight and how I manage to apply my eyeliner so perfectly. I was hoping for something more like "Marie-sensei, how did you spend your winter vacation?" but I wasn't surprised when I didn't get it. Last time we did this, I was asked if I had a boyfriend. I'm pretty sure that when it comes to free talk with the ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) the students think, "enough with the small talk, let's get down to business!" Luckily, this time, I was saved by the bell.

Bonenkai...Beer and Bingo!

Last Friday, I accompanied my co-workers to our school’s Bonenkai (忘年会). The 'Bonenkai' is the 'Forget the Year Party.' It’s a chance for teachers to get drunk, chat, and forget about the year, which is why it is held in December.

Our party took place at a really fancy hotel in Hitachi. Last year we ate dinner and sang karaoke at the same hotel. The party agenda this year was a little different. The kampai (cheers) at dinner was followed by a Bingo game. Each teacher was given a blank Bingo sheet and a list of topics to choose from to write in the Bingo squares. All the topics had to do with our prefecture, Ibaraki. There were about 10 topics, and under each one was a list of items. For example, some topics were “Famous Ibaraki Onsens (public baths),” “Famous Mountains in Ibaraki,” “Good Date Spots in Ibaraki,” and “Famous People in Ibaraki.” The whole sheet was written in Japanese, so the teacher sitting next to me translated the topics for me and from there, I chose things I could 1) actually read 2) were easy to write. I guess that wasn’t a bad strategy. I ended up winning a 5lb box of hoshiimo (ほしいも), dried sweet potatoes, which I’m a huge fan of.

Later, I was asked to sing a song at karaoke. I ended up singing Celion Dion’s Because You Loved Me. After telling the lady sitting next to me how embarrassed I felt after singing, she comforted me by saying something like, “Marie’s song made me feel so nice.” I don’t know if she really meant it or was just trying to comfort me, but either way, I gladly accepted the compliment. Also, I was presented with a bottle of Umeshu, Japanese plum wine, for my karaoke efforts. Score!

And the party didn't end there. Japanese drinking parties are usually followed by nijikais (second parties), sanjikais (third parties), and so on. My night ended at the nijikai, at which I forgot my box of hoshiimo and bottle of Umeshu. I left the party with my kyoto sensei (vice principal) after singing White Christmas and Yesterday Once More (The Carpenters), in English, with another teacher.

I thought someone might bring my prizes to school for me on Monday, but I should have expected what actually happened: I found them sitting on my doorstep Sunday night. Overall, the party was exciting but a little exhausting. And now I have to figure out what to do with all this hoshiimo!

Dinner Last Night

Courtesy of my Japanese teacher.

"Happy Birthday Number 12"

I had to smile when I saw this birthday message on my Facebook wall from one of my foreigner friends living in Japan. Earlier in November, him and another friend and I went to Kashima Soccer Stadium in Ibaraki to watch the Kashima Antlers play the Nagoya Grampus. While I have seen Kashima Stadium from the outside several times since I moved to Ibaraki, I had never been inside until this day, and WOW.

About two minutes after getting off the train in front of Kashima stadium, my friends and I entered an endless sea of Kashima Antlers fans, decked out in red and navy blue jerseys, coats, scarves, and hats. If being a foreigner wasn't enough, not having a jersey (or any fan-related items) made us stick out even more. On the train, we had talked about buying a jersey when we got to stadium, so that was our first order of business.

We managed to squeeze our way to the front table of one booth to ask for a jersey. The lady asked me what number I wanted. I hesitated because at that point, I didn't really know any of the players. My friend randomly asked the lady for # 12, so I said I'd take the same. We had absolutely no idea who # 12 was. But we were hoping it was a star player, and seeing as how #12 was selected for a jersey, we thought we were in luck.

After this, we put on our new jerseys and took our seats. The seats in this stadium are built so that no matter where you sit, you have a good seat. I was surprised at how clean and modern it looked inside. We noticed that many other fans were wearing the same # 12 jersey, so we knew for sure # 12 was a good pick.

Finally, it was game time. The stadium was packed, and we had a perfect view of the Kashima fan zone. The huge flat screen TV mounted on one side of the stadium began introducing the members of the team. First the team players and then the substitutes. My friend and I anxiously waited for #12.

We were confused and disappointed when the introductions were over and #12 hadn't been introduced. Who was he?

Just then, our question was answered. The announcer said, "Aaaaaaaand finally, #12!!!!!" And a live view of the audience was broadcasted on the screen...



 



The blue and white flag is the official flag of Ibaraki Prefecture.



Just Another Saturday in Japan...

Not a day goes by in Japan when I'm not surprised by something I encounter. Here's a little taste of what my friends and I unexpectedly experienced this morning in Satomi, a small village in northern Ibaraki (please excuse the poor quality of the video:/ ). Today, I was invited by my friends to go to an "apple onsen" in Daigo, a place in Ibaraki famous for apples. On the way there, we decided to stop at the "Satomi Music Festival." I heard country music for the first time in Japan and loved it!

Next to the stage were a bunch of hay statues of various Japanese characters and some other unrecognizable figures. I think the hay was leftover from rice harvesting and used to make these neat displays. After the music festival, we had a delicious soba and tempura (soba = buck wheat noodles / tempura = an assortment of deep fried vegetables and shrimp) lunch.

 

After lunch, we made our way to the apple onsen. Onsens are public baths, like spas, that can be found all around Japan. In Daigo, we went to an apple onsen, where fresh apples float in the main bath! The apples looked, smelt, and felt completely fresh, which was surprising since they were floating in a hot bath. The apple bath was inside; the bath outside was filled with an assortment of colored flowers. We joked about feeling like we were in fairytale. It really looked and felt like it. The outside bath was nice because the air was cool, which made the hot bath more bearable. Also, it was nice to look at the mountain scenery, especially the red and orange leaves on the trees. And even better, the free body soap, shampoo and conditioner provided by the spa were apple scented! I came home relaxed and with the scent of fresh apples all over my body.

It was so refreshing, and the perfect way to spend a Fall afternoon here. The only downside was that Jen and I forgot to bring socks to change into after the bath, and it was really cold. Luckily, we found some in a little shop in the same building as the onsen. Not exactly what we were looking for, but they worked!

  

My Japanese Winter Survival Kit



In Japanese, "nabe" means "pot." Nabe is a popular winter dish in Japan - a boiling pot of meat and an assortment of vegetables. My grocery store recently started selling pre packaged nabe which is convenient and makes for an easy, wholesome dinner. The white, tube-like things are called "kiritanpo," cooked rice that has been mashed, formed into cylinders, and then toasted.



Nabe, after.



Heattech is like Under Armour, except you can wear it on a daily basis. At Uniqlo, it comes in a variety of styles and colors. There are even heattech socks. It's super warm, fashionable, and can be worn under just about anything. I'm definitely going to miss this stuff when I go home! 

 

My kotatsu - a "kotatsu" is a small table with an electric heater attached to the underside. During the winter, you throw a heavy blanket over the table and use it as a heat source. Most families in Japan use a kotatsu since central heating is not as common here. While it's pretty cool and can be addicting, nothing compares to central heating!

Apple crisp...Halloween style!

The English Club members at Hitachi Second High School and I usually celebrate the holidays by cooking. This Halloween was no different. We gathered in the school kitchen after school today (since Halloween is on Sunday) for our celebration. I wore my Rilakkuma costume and students wore various Halloween headbands. We made apple crisp, quesadillas, guacamole, and pumpkin pie (made by the mother of one of the students)! The food was great! And a few students decided to decorate the apple crisp with gummy bats when it came out of the oven. Not a bad idea!

The result:

The Way of the Sword

October 16, 2010

Today was another one of those days when I feel so lucky to live in Japan. This morning, an English teacher from Tokai High School (one of the schools where I work) picked me up around 9:30am and we went up to Kitaibaraki (Kita = north, Ibaraki = my prefecture). Her Google map led us to a narrow street in the middle of a rice field. We were looking for a dojo, a martial arts practice room, where another teacher would be waiting for us. We finally found him and he directed us to a parking spot right outside his house, next to the dojo. I was really excited because I had never experienced firsthand any kind of martial art until today.

In the dojo, the two other English teachers and I watched Shinohara sensei as he demonstrated how to properly use a sword. The precision and ease with which he worked was unreal. The sword was always perfectly in line with his body. I could tell that he was in an entirely different state of mind when he was using the sword. Mind strength is much more important than body strength when it comes to kendo, and most martial arts. And women often excel faster than men in martial arts because they lack body strength. He said that in order to be successful, you have to be able to completely let go of all your thoughts.

After the demonstration, the teacher handed me his very expensive sword. I got to try using it a few times. The first time I succeeded because I wasn't thinking. I knew I did well because he told me that it's important to hear the sword cut the air when you strike. If you don't, you're thinking too much.

Honoruru Adventures

On September 18th, I returned to America to spend a week with mom and dad. But I didn’t go to California this time. To make things easier for all of us we met in Oahu, HI - a “middle point” between Japan and California. Our travels took us all around the island, from the Polynesian Cultural Center in the northern part to Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, and various other scenic spots along Oahu's southern shores.

We ate really good shaved ice at "Matsumoto's Shave Ice," a famous little store in the town of "Haleiwa" on Oahu's north shore. Away from the Waikiki crowds and shops, we stayed in a nice condo on the north eastern side of the island. The location was perfect for us: quiet, scenic, and breezy. We even had a private beach in the backyard of our condo, which quickly turned into a hunting ground for Portuguese Man o' War once a girl pointed one out to dad and I one day. We even spotted a gigantic sea turtle (probably about 150lbs!) on our walk along the beach one night. But we didn't spend all of our time at the condo. We did go to Waikiki for some important shopping on one of the days. I loaded up on Mac and Cheese and my favorite makeup items on our Target trip, spending a lot more money than I should have...and not caring one bit.

 Dole Pineapple Plantation:

Welcome Aboard the Pineapple Express!



A pineapple won't ripen any further after it's picked.

Mmm...Pineapple ice cream adorned with fresh pineapple bits

Pineapple ice cream float - that was mine:)

One of many Portuguese Man o' War dad encountered (and insisted on examining) as we walked along the beach near our condo.

The view from the top of Diamond Head

We got our daily dose of "dairy" each morning.

Hawaii's state flower: Hibiscus 

The trip was really relaxing, yet productive at the same time. It was nice for mom, dad, and I to reunite after not having seen each other in about nine months. And it was the perfect getaway for me after a busy summer in Japan. The worst part of the trip was getting my Target taco sauce and barbecue sauce confiscated at the security check in the Honolulu Airport when I was getting ready to return to Japan. I guess there are some things I'll just have to live without until I return to America for good next year.