Waiter There is a Mosquito in my Rice! Week 13 November 30th-December 6th

Sunday I woke up as early as I have since arriving here to meet some of my new friends at the Nagoya station for a day trip to the seaside town of Toba.  After meeting the organizer, Adam at the station the group of 8 of us boarded the train at the Kintetsu station next door for the 2-hour train ride to Toba.  Although our plans were to go to an island off the coast we were unable as some people arrived too late for first train and thus the first ferry at Toba.  Either way we arrived in Toba and decided to pay about 10 dollars each for a cruise in the harbor with a drop off by the popular Toba Aquarium.  Toba was beautiful if a little windy and cold and the boat ride was great.  We spent a large portion of it feeding scores of seagulls shrimp chips that trailed us off the back of the boat.  After arriving at the Aquarium we balked at the expensive entry fee and instead walked around before heading to a local restaurant on the water for a popular set dish in Japan called EbiFry (fried shrimp).  The food was great although my friend Joel did find the aforementioned mosquito at the bottom of his rice bowl as we finished our meal (bummer Joel).  From Toba we traveled aboard a local train and then a bus to Ise Shima Shrine, which I am told, is one of the more popular and famous in Japan.  Even more cool was the recreated ancient Japanese village that surrounds the Shrine with food stalls, shops and the like. This being my second visit to a Japanese shrine the grounds are so beautiful words do not do it justice.  Ise Shima is situated next to a river bursting with wild koi as trees hundreds of years old mingle amongst the manicured grounds.  It was not surprising when my Japanese friend Hiro explained that much of the Shinto religion is based on the natural beauty of the world around us so it is clear why these places are seemingly so gorgeous.  As at the other shrine there was little to see other than the beauty of nature around you but it would seem while Westerners expect the religious beauty of Notre Dame in Paris or Westminster Abbey in London the Japanese experience “religion” in the beauty of the outside world.  After leaving the shrine we stopped in the makeshift village outside its gate for a traditional meal of a sweet red bean and mochi (chewy rice derivative) as well as some hot tea.  Although mochi and red bean are an acquired taste the setting was great as we sat on tatimi mats and warmed our hands over the open fires inside the pavilion.  Once we returned to Nagoya we headed to Sakae where Adam took us to a local Chinese restaurant where our large group enjoyed a delicious dinner of gyoza, cha han (fried rice), spring rolls and Yaki Soba noodles as well as some cold beers.  Even though from there the group was heading to a bar called Red Rock the early start and the long day had me saying my goodbyes and heading home at around 9PM.  In even more exciting news I hooked up my new cable TV box which had arrived earlier in the weekend and fell asleep watching the 40 Year Old Virgin in English on one of my new movie channels.

Stop Mocking Me

It seems my new students have quickly gotten used to me and many have taken to mimicking my speech patterns at various times at school.  On a recent Saturday I turned my back to grab a game when one of my wild younger boys decided this was a great time to stand up on his chair.  Upon seeing him I immediately motioned with my hand for him to get down while repeating “yo, yo, yo “.  Not at first understanding me he hopped down and then began repeating the phrase, “Yo, yo, yo, New York City”.  A second student as I was preparing a lesson grabbed a ball from a classroom and began throwing it at his sister as I approached I quietly held out my hand and said, “Ball please”.  Since saying that he enjoys mimicking my deep voice by saying, “Ball please” whenever I see him.  And as I may have said before we are forbidden from speaking Japanese at any time in or out of the classroom as they fear if the children know we understand this will lessen their need to speak English to us.  Unfortunately one of my rowdier groups of pre teens was being loud and raucous as I sat and checked their homework in class.  As all four  of them were shouting and laughing one kept badgering me as to whether I liked a local gyudon chain called Matsuya.  Wanting to finish up I without thinking shouted “Hai (yes)” as I finished marking their books.  Once they heard me respond to their questions in Japanese they began laughing and repeating me saying “Hai” over and over again.  From there one of the girls in the class told her mother at the funny development so I was forced to apologize for my oversight as I read out to her the lesson we had just completed.

Another Slice of Christmas Cake? Week 12 November 23rd-November 29th

After my night of excitement in Kasugai at the Kombah I took it easy on Sunday and did little but stay close to home with a stop up to the shopping center for some Starbucks as my big excitement of the day.  Monday I headed out again on the JR Train back to Gifu (this being my third trip) as I had missed the large Buddha statue that is housed at Gifu and I wanted to take some photos and check it out.  If I have not mentioned before the rain in this region of the world is amazing.  It rains hard as rain can come down for extended periods as it did on my trip to Gifu.  Although I was unable to go back up to the mountain to see Gifu Castle as well I did find my way to the Buddha which strangely enough is housed in a large warehouse at the base of the mountain.  After paying my 100 yen entrance fee I spent about a half hour taking photos as the only fool who seemingly made there way there in a torrential downpour.  After having my fill I walked back thru the park but finally gave in as I was now soaked to the bone and began the bus trip back to Gifu station.  The only other item of note on my way home was stopping at my new favorite fast food chain, Mos Burger for a cheeseburger for dinner.  The remainder of the week was quiet at school other than parent’s observations and my contracting some type of flu that nearly knocked me out of commission.  Fortunately having gotten a flu shot (nice work flu shot) the week before I headed back to the clinic owned by one of my students’ parents were they took pity on me and rushed my thru quickly to see the doctor and gave me some antibiotics to cure what was ailing me.  Not sure the ins and the outs of the system but it sure went smooth, the doctor saw me, quickly diagnosed my slight fever and sore throat that was making swallowing increasingly difficult and send me out with my medication in hand in about 30 minutes at the cost of about 14 dollars with my Japanese social insurance card.  Way to go Japan!  Saturday night my friend Akiko came to visit in Kasugai where we headed to the Backbeat for some dinner and got to check out a Japanese rock band Kazuhiko had booked.  The guys were great and really friendly and although I did not know any of the tunes they played they did do a kick ass instrumental version of the Eagles Hotel California.

 

Christmas in Japan

Several of you have asked about Christmas in Japan and it is a subject very interesting indeed.  Since the country is almost entirely either Shinto or Buddhist the religious aspects of the holiday aren’t recognized obviously but with that said the Japanese make up for that with all the secular trappings one could hope for.  As early as Halloween lights began popping up all over as did elaborate Christmas displays featuring Santa, Christmas trees, Rudolph as well the other usual suspects.  It is odd that on Christmas day I will be working so if they are embracing these aspects you would think they would take that day as a holiday but it seems they roll Christmas into the more popular New Year’s festivities.  The other funny thing is everyone here eats what they call “Christmas cake” and even funnier they seem to believe this also to be a popular American custom.  As Christmas gears up stores begin posting about what types of cakes they will have available.  These cakes are meticulously decorated and are expensive so it seems people try to get the most beautiful and elaborate one they can find.  When asked about the tradition I explained Americans do not eat “Christmas cake” per say and on several occasins that comment was met with surprise by Japanese friends as they believed it was part of our holiday tradition.

 

Other Interesting Note about it Here

Another odd thing of note in Japan is the prevalence of hip-hop culture amongst Japanese teenagers her in Japan.  Upon my arrival I began noticing large groups of teens gathering in public places to practice highly choreographed dance moves seen in American Hip Hop videos.  On one night out in Fushimi I exited the train station to find about 50 kids in groups practicing all manner of dancing with some even busting out some break dancing.  I felt like I stepped into a casting call for an Usher video.

"What Shirt Does One Wear to a Kombah"? Week 11 November 16th-November 22nd

After waking from my second night in a capsule hotel I spent the remainder of the day doing a little more touring around Nagoya.  I took the train from Kanayama to the area of Nagoya known as Sakae as rain and for the first time the cold seemed to have descended on central Honshu.  After an aborted attempt to find the international grocery store and the English bookstore (I still have yet to find either) I walked over to the Outback Steakhouse for some lunch.  Although I have railed against the prevalence of chain restaurants in foreign lands there is something to be said for and Outback burger and some cheese fries like you can get in the states from time to time.  Add to that a rebroadcast of the new Iverson led Pistons against the Golden State Warriors and it was nice for a time to feel like I was back home.  After finishing lunch I walked through the main shopping area of Sakae.  The string of shops is decidedly high end with the likes of Gucci, Prada as well as smaller western chains like Gap.  I did stop in and browse around the large Apple store where I fondled some of the new Ipods before heading on to the large PARCO store at the end of the shopping district.  After spending about an hour at the store browsing around I picked up my first Christmas present and then headed on to a coffee shop where I caught up on some blogs before closing out the day meeting my friend, Akiko at the Hub in Sakae for a couple of beers before heading home to Kasugai.  Monday I stayed close to home as finally my internet was to be hooked up.  Sure enough in Japanese precise fashion I received a knock at my door where the equipment was dropped off by courier with the installer arriving about 30 minutes later to finish the job.  Although the cable TV was not hooked up I was happy to finally have a fast connection from which to use my laptop at home for the first time in Japan.  I also heard from my friend Yoshi who invited me over to Hiro’s for a dinner party Saturday night after work.  According to Yoshi the party was to feature some new wines (not normally my thing) as well as a traditional “hot pot” Japanese dinner. With another week of school complete I again dropped in on the Backbeat with friends on Friday where my friend Ryan explained that my plans for Saturday evening were in fact a Kombah or a traditional party for Japanese singles.  Usually someone agrees to host the party, has food, drinks etc. and then invites both men and woman to the party to meet and socialize.  After finishing work I headed home to change before heading over to the party.  As the title of the post explained I fretted over what shirt might be most appropriate for a Japanese kombah before heading out to Hiro’s house a few blocks from my apartment.  Upon arriving any concerns or nervousness over the party were quickly put to rest as the party was similar to any small get together you might find at home.  My host Hiro in polite Japanese fashion had everyone wait for my arrival before starting the meal.  In a large pot Hiro had some chicken and haddock swimming in a delicious broth of Japanese vegetables.  Even better Yoshi’s mother gave him some fresh carrots from her garden and while usually carrots are one of my least favorite foods even they were good.  We spent the rest of the night enjoying some drinks.  The only interesting portion of the night was heading downstairs to use the bathroom facilities.  Hiro like many younger Japanese in their 20’s still lives at home with the rest of his family.  It seems most young people once they leave university stay at home until they marry unlike Americans who usually extend college in subpar apartments with friends upon graduation.  The house, which was large, has a separate portion Hiro lives in but the kitchen; bathrooms are shared by the rest of the family.  As I entered the bathroom I heard some quiet water tinkling through the smoked glass window in another portion of the large bathroom.  Immediately I could make out what appeared to be the shape of a man in a bath as the sound of water could be heard on the other side.  Not sure what to do I stuck my head out the door where Yoshi was waiting for me to take me back upstairs to the party.  When I inquired about what I had seen he told me not to worry, as it was Hiro’s older brother taking a bath.  As I went back in to finish up I was not sure what scared me more, using the bathroom with a middle aged Japanese guy on the other side or the fear he might enter and find me in his bathroom.  I am sure either would have made for an interesting story.  Fortunately his brother stayed put in his bath and I made my way back to join the party.

There are times in Japan when I quietly reflect on how surreal my life in Japan is, what it is that brought me here and what I hope to find or where I hope to find it.  But in the times like these sitting around a table laughing and sharing a meal with new friends on the other side of the world that I didn’t know existed three months ago I have to say the experience have been nothing but enjoyable and exciting with hopefully new things still yet to be discovered and just perhaps those questions still to be answered.

Denny's in Japan?

My friend, Marlow did and outstanding job of showing the culture shock any American finds when coming across Denny's in Japan.  Check out his beautifully shot and hilariously subtitled HD video on the phenomena.

http://marlowg.blogspot.com/2008/12/japanese-dennys.html

"Karaoke Twice in One Post?" Week 10 -November 9th-November 15th

We’ll two posts ago I told you of my worst decision in Japan thus far, my ill fated and ridiculously expensive cab ride to the Toyota Museum, this week finds my best decision to date.  Although tired from the night before I decided to join my friend Ryan, his girlfriend Alaynna as well as new friends Joseph and Gwen to a monthly event of football and grilling at a park in Nagoya held by a group of foreign teachers for my sister company AEON (the adult education arm of Amity/AEON).  After a JR ride to the Ozone station and a subway ride we arrived at a large park on the outskirts of Nagoya to find a large group of about 25 teachers consisting of mostly Americans, Canadians and Aussie’s and their friends, spouses, children etc.  From there we spend several hours drinking some beers, grilling store bought food and then engaging in a massive 8 on 8 touch football game.  I was even able to make myself valuable in the game as I drew the responsibility of blocking all 6’ 5” of my new friend Adam who played offensive line in both high school and college.  You know someone is big when I can be considered smaller and quicker and I was able to hold my own in the game, even catching a few passes against competition well often 10 years my junior or more.  One of the funnier parts of the game was a Japanese guy in glasses wandering sheepishly towards the field, as the game was about to get underway.  As I started over to him he asked if he could join and then asked how to play.  To truly appreciate the complexity of American football you really need to try and explain how to play to a Japanese guy 15 seconds prior to the first snap.  I believe my instructions for defense were to knock down anything that comes your way unless you can catch it and if you can do that, go for it.  The funniest part of the game occurred when this same guy actually jumped a route on a wide out and succeeded in knocking down a pass on a key 4^th down.  As the rest of our team began stalking over to his position for some celebrating and some high fives I could see the guy had real fear in his eyes.  He did not seem real sure we were not all approaching to attack him since I do not think he was clear if what he had done was in fact good or not.  Fortunately as all the guys began high fiving and slapping him on the back for his heads up defensive play a small smile crept across his face when he finally realized he had in fact “done good”.  From there after darkness fell the group headed back to the subway after a stop for some “subway beers” (drinking in public in Japan is perfectly fine) before heading to the Hub in Sakae for some post football socializing.  After the Hub a smaller group headed next door to Joy Joy Karaoke were we screamed our way through the cheesiest songs we could find before parting ways prior to midnight so everyone could make their trains before the midnight deadline.  As I headed back to the train I walked with some new Japanese friends, Hiro, Yoshi and Mami as we were all headed back to Kasugai.  Even better Yoshi decided he could not allow me to eat late night 7-11 so we walked well after midnight to a 24 hour Ramen shop where he introduced me to Tonkotsu Ramen (pork bone broth ramen) and while it is not yet ready to move cheese steak off my best foods to eat after midnight it was damn fine none the less.  Honestly being here is often exhilaratingly so different from anywhere else that it can excite you like nothing else.  But many times you do find yourself craving experiences more like your home, I suppose its just human nature.

After a rather uneventful week at work (we like those) I headed out Saturday to Nagoya to see three of my friends DJ at my other new hangout, Club Maverick.  Before getting to the club I smartly decided to save myself the hassle of worrying about what to do after the trains stop running and stopped at Kanayama to drop off my bags and secure a capsule hotel for the night.  Since this was now my second stay in a capsule hotel the process seemed to go much more smoothly than my initial visit.

 

I learned the following:

·      Before stepping up to check-in remove your shoes, this prevents the desk clerk from running after you and admonishing you about your kutsu (shoes) in Japanese in front of giggling Japanese men in pajamas.

·      The creepy guy with his hands down his pants asleep in the TV lounge is just that creepy, not dangerous.

·      The smell of the common areas, which resembles that old cooler you forgot to unpack from the summer trip to Sea Isle that you then found in November, is normal (the smell is not normal just that it always smells that way).

·      Lastly the red button in the capsule turns on the adult channel, not altogether a bad thing just be warned this may lead to a rather embarrassing following morning when as you go to turn your key in the desk clerk will begin trying to explain check-out is not yet complete.  You may persist in arguing that you paid last night only to have said clerk begin to speak more loudly so that it is overheard by many other people waiting around the front desk.  Finally when it is clear to the clerk you still do not understand he will be forced to use crude hand gestures to make you understand why you still owe 500 yen for last night’s stay.  The group milling around will begin to smile and then laugh as a Japanese man uses his hands and fingers to explain to you what an “adult channel” is.  Finally you will suffer the indignation of having to ride down to the ground floor with all these people as they explain to each other and any new people getting on the elevator just what this American was up to at the front desk.

Save yourself the trouble; do not touch the red button.  Not that the above story happened to me actually it happen to a friend of mine.

After dropping my bags I made my way to the club meeting up with my co teacher as well as one of our Japanese teachers from school who both decided to come out for the night.  The rest of the night was really fun as I spent the night talking with m new group of friends from earlier in the week and even joined them for a post club night finishing up again at karaoke.  Although I must say I was never a huge fan of it in the states it is quite fun here in Japan.  As I closed out the week heading back to the capsule in the wee hours of the morning I again felt euphoric that I was really starting to “get my feet under me in Japan. 

"One Can of Dr. Pepper Please" Week 9-November 2nd-November 8th

Week 9

After coming to about 10 minutes before check out at Nagoya Capsule Inn out I stumble out of my capsule and quickly determine these things are much easier to enter than exit. It also helps if the complimentary boxers are not so small that they work they way down when descending the ladder (my apologies to the elderly gentlemen that had to see me descending a ladder with no pants on).  After a search of the premises for the shower I then find that the showers were closed at 8AM after speaking to the front desk clerk.  Another great thing about Japan is you quickly learn to adapt to any situation.  At home you might question why you close the showers at 8AM when checkout is 10AM but as I have come to learn it is best to accept it and move on.  If someone tells me not to drink iced tea with pants on I just say Sumimasen and move on with my life, arguing is also not done here so just save your sanity and stop doing whatever you did to offend regardless of how innocuous it may appear to you.  I quickly grabbed my stuff and headed across the street to the Kanayama train station to grab my train one stop ahead to Nagoya where I could board the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto (although a 3-4 hour drive the bullet train makes this trip in a little over an hour).  Once aboard the train I settled in and listened to music as we sped towards Kyoto.  Upon arrival in Kyoto I met up with my friend Garnett at the station and from there we headed out to the Kiyomizudera Temple situated above the city. After touring around the grounds of the temple which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, snapping a few photos we walked back down and did some shopping at the trinket shops that line either side of the narrow streets as you descend from the temple area.  While leaving the temple we even were interviewed by KBS Kyoto who were soliciting American travelers about the upcoming American presidential election.   The funniest part of my interview is the reporter repeatedly asking why Americans hold signs and cheer at political rallies and parties.  He made it a point to say that Japanese do not do this and worded several questions to ask me if I did this as well.  I tried to explain that it comes along with political support for a candidate that if you go to a rally you would perhaps hold a sign or cheer but I think after the interview concluded he still believed it quite strange.  From the temple we headed off to the large shopping district in Kyoto where Garnett picked up a pair of all gold Puma’s.  After shopping we took a cab to find the jazz club Garnett wanted to go to and had dinner at a local Ramen shop.  Unfortunately when we did locate the club the admission was well over 50 dollars to see the jazz trio she wanted to see so instead we found an Irish pub were we decided to stop in for a few drinks to celebrate her birthday.  The nice thing was when the waitress heard it was her birthday she asked if we could wait about an hour while she baked a special cake in her honor.  We decided to stay and it was nice of the staff to make such a fuss over her birthday since I would imagine being so young and far from family and friends must be tough.  I think she really enjoyed the attention and it was nice for her when the special cake came out with candles to celebrate.  Since I was fading pretty badly from the previous nights festivities I decided to stay in Kusatsu with Garnett and literally was asleep as I hit the futon she provided for me.  In the morning we headed to a large shopping store in Kusatsu were I exhibited some behavior of someone slightly homesick as I had a Starbucks, ate some KFC then headed to the International Supermarket and picked up some instant oatmeal, Old El Paso taco mix and a cold can of Dr Pepper (those three things are not found in Japan).  After heading for home in the afternoon on the Shinkansen I stopped in Nagoya to meet with a new friend, Akiko who I had met through the language exchange board at the Nagoya International Center.  The funny thing about this initial meeting was us sharing text messages about first where to meet (the golden clock in Nagoya station) and then our physical characteristics.  After receiving Akiko’s text that she was 27, smallish, Asian, and had black hair I replied to look for someone American, large, wearing a bright red Phillies hoodie and shockingly she found me first.   Not wanting to appear lecherous I asked if she wanted to get something to eat or grab coffee to which she replied “Can’t we get a beer”.  Anyone meeting a strange American and then requesting a beer has my immediate respect so we headed across the street to an Irish Pub for a couple pints of Guinness and the agreement to meet again in the near future to talk and grab some drinks.

Cute Kid Story #248  I have gotten some feedback requesting I go easy on the “Oh these kids are so cute” stories but I am afraid much like miso soup, cooked rice and fish heads they are in abundance here in Japan.  This week my manager notified me that my 3-year-old private lesson student’s mother wanted me to do the Halloween lesson this week for her since her little girl was sick the week I delivered it to my students.  This student always makes me laugh because at only three she talks to me non-stop in Japanese with the intensity of an insurance salesman.  Even with me kneeling next to her nodding but never replying it never seems to her I do not understand and often will talk at me for 5-10 minutes never once stopping.  She also is addicted to Minnie Mouse and often brings two with her to class.  During the class she will only participate if I treat each Minnie as though each is an actual student.  Even funnier one Minnie is inexplicably retrofitted with a foot long tiger tail one might find hanging from the antennae of a 69 El Dorado.  Also while she is always happy to see me in the lobby when we enter the classroom and I take my seat on the floor across from her for the first few weeks she would always take refuge behind her mom with her arms gently around her neck.  This week was no different as I began teaching her pumpkin, black cat and the like.  Only during the lesson as I turned away to get my cards she came from behind Mom and completely unannounced sat down in my lap, quietly looking up at me as I prepared to go through the cards with her.  As I looked at her Mom she seemed to be as surprised as I was.  The amazing thing about kids is their quick ability to take you from stranger to someone they know and trust and that is perhaps the best part of this job.  While I have always liked kids my participation with them usually ends with throwing a ball for them to go fetch or making a funny face at them to try and make them laugh.  I didn’t realize I might have needed to come all the way to Japan to appreciate what all the fuss is about with them

"Inglwood Up to No Good" Week 8-October 26th-November 1rst

My 8th week (has it already been that long) in Japan began with me sleeping in a bit Sunday before heading off to Nagoya and the Toyota Museum of Cars.  This day was also my first real mulligan of the trip when after consulting my Japan guide book I believed the museum was located in one of Nagoya’s suburbs, namely Sakae.  Believing it was fairly close from the train station I decided to take a cab and save some time and trouble since by the time I arrived in Nagoya it was raining as well pushing 3PM and the museum was closing at 5PM.  Once we set off and began the slow ride through Nagoya after 20 minutes I began to see the outskirts of the city.  My cabbie who was very friendly spoke no English but seemed clear where we were headed even if I was not.  As we began to leave Nagoya I realized that actually there are two museums belonging to the Toyota company and although I was headed to the one I wanted it was actually several miles north of Nagoya.  After the 30 minute trip we pulled up to the museum and I not so happily handed over 6800 yen ($65) for the cab’s services.  Although I was still mad at myself for screwing up the directions the museum was great and housed roughly 300 cars from all nations from FDR’s presidential sedan to a limited edition Lamborghini Countach as well as many early Japanese models.  I also learned something new about Japan as I began to depart the museum near the closing time and had yet not had any lunch.  At the modern silver and glass cafeteria in the museum I saw they were advertising “chili dogs” which was quite surprising and something I had not seen since arriving in Japan.  Being enticed by the thought of a chili dog (all the car viewing had me in an all American mood maybe) I plunked down my 300 yen and waited.  The clerk took a seemingly average hot dog popped it into the microwave, waited the requisite 12 seconds and handed it to me with a polite bow.  When I asked where the chili was he pointed to a red picnic style ketchup container sitting quietly on the counter next to me.  Although the Japanese are nothing if honest and low key in their advertising calling a microwaved hot dog with ketchup on it a “chili dog” is a true affront to chili dogs the world over.  After leaving the museum this time I located the proper subway, which was ultra modern and by far the nicest I have seen yet in Japan.  As I made the 40 minute ride back to Nagoya, I paused and angered myself again as I paid about 5 dollars for the trip as opposed to the expensive route I took there earlier in the day.  Once returning to Nagoya I spent the remainder of my Sunday touring around the streets of Sakae and even located the Outback Steakhouse which I promise to use as Break In Case of Emergency location either for myself or an visitors should they make it to Japan and are in need of a good American chain restaurant.  I then headed home near midnight and called it an early night.  The following day was one of those lazy days that at times give me trouble here in Japan.   Other than a trip to the department store for a Starbucks, some food shopping as well as picking up my weekly dry cleaning I did little else to report.  For some reason doing absolutely nothing at home in the US seemed fine but doing that here in Japan feels completely wrong even though it is often what is most needed after the long workweek.

After another week at the office, and when I say office I mean 100 Japanese kids screaming and begging for me to throw them in the air on Saturday I headed to Fushimi to check out Ryan’s DJ gig at Club Maverick with some other English teachers.  The true fun part was I decided to take my first trip to a Japanese capsule hotel as a place to stay after my night out in Nagoya.  As I may have said before the only bad part at all thus far regarding public transport in the Japan is the lack of late night service.  Therefore rather than spending for the near 70 dollar cab ride home if you miss the last train (12:08AM) the 2800 yen ($26.50) price for a night in a capsule hotel is a much more economical and easy way to enjoy a night out without worry.  After stopping in Kanayama to drop off my bags at the hotel I headed to the club and had a fun night listening to some music and meeting some friends over some (OK many) drinks before returning to Nagoya Inn Capsule at about 4:30AM.  The hotel is located in a rather plain looking office building in the area of Nagoya known as Kanayama.  Kanayama is one of those typical Japanese locations, crowds, bright lights and tons of traffic, it sort of reminded me of the town on Mars from the Schwarzenegger movie, Total Recall where he meets the chick with three boobs.  After reaching the 7^th floor and removing my shoes I headed thru the large TV room where several Japanese men were sleeping off hangovers on weathered couches before reaching my capsule.  I climbed the ladder and hopped in and immediately was taken at how spacious and comfortable the space was.  Although the unit would never be called “big” it is certainly a more than adequate place to sleep after a night out.   The unit which is about as wide as a double bed even allowed me to sit up without my head touching the top of the capsule so it certainly is not “underwear-drawer like” small either.  On the side are controls for the built in TV as well as a panel containing a small shelf for belongings, a built in alarm clock, personal air conditioning control as well as a radio. 

     So this is where Week 8 comes to a close, where I always hoped it would falling asleep in a capsule hotel in my new city in the wee hours of the morning, rain falling in buckets outside with Kyoto and clear skies on the agenda for tomorrow.  As I have often spoke of before there are things about traveling that can be frustrating but the high one can get from not only surviving but surviving well in a completely foreign place is unmatched.

Japanese Baseball Update  After winning the championship last season after years of futility (sound familiar) my home team, the Chunichi Dragons from Nagoya had a rough off-season as their best and most popular player, Fukodome took off for the greener pastures of Wrigley Field in Chicago.  This year after a somewhat lackluster regular season they played well down the stretch and made it to the playoffs as a wild card ultimately knocking off the heavily favored, Hanshin Tigers (Red Sox of Japan, years of futility, recent success, rabid fan base) of Osaka in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the hated Yomuiri Giants (NY Yankees of Japan, deep pockets, insufferable fan base) of Tokyo.

One interesting thing to note about baseball in Japan is the ability to tie in a post season game (if the game if still tied after 12 innings it is called a draw as the Dragons/Giants Game 3 was) as well as the top team having all playoff games at their stadium, as a wild card team the Dragons never played another home game at Nagoya Dome once the regular season ended.  I’m sure someone could do a much better job of summing it up but baseball is a good social barometer for the differences between Japan and the US.  I can never envision a situation in a tooth and nail playoff series two teams playing to a tie and the fans being satisfied with that in the States.

Inglewood Up to No Good  One of the best parts of this week was hearing California Love by 2PAC at Maverick as Japanese club patrons bounced happily on the dance floor.

"The Festival is Here, Let's Go for Soup" Week 7-October 19th-October 25th

Week 7 begins with me rising early to take in the festival that began yesterday in Kasugai.  From side show wrestling matches to small rides for kids as well as a bevy of food and beer it looks, smells and feels a lot like a fair in the States.  After talking a walk around, having a hot dog on a stick as well as a very good, cold Kirin draft beer I decided to hop on my bike and head to Nagoya for the remainder of the sunny, warm day.  Before leaving I headed to Kazuhiko’s for an Asahi and a few misokatsu sticks outside the restaurant as he was hosting some friends to celebrate.  One interesting thing of note is how in the States most “fair food” consists of junk food most of it eaten from a cone, cup or on a stick (hence my choice).  One of the more popular food stalls at the Kasugai festival was ramen soup.  It was almost comical as men and woman, many with children in tow carried huge bowls of soup through the crowded fairgrounds looking for a place to eat.  Something about boiling soup being carried around at a fair seemed strangely out of place, it just does not seem to be ideal to be eating and carrying scalding hot soup in Styrofoam bowls with kids flying around everywhere.  No kid is going to need a skin graft if I bounce a corn dog of his noggin but damn I was actually scared watching some of these people go by.  After catching a 3PM train I hit the Nagoya International Center where I leisurely read the past Friday’s USA Today as well as a recent Sports Illustrated crowing about how Manny had made the Dodgers relevant again (Phil’s put an end to that noise).  After also checking in on a Japanese school where I may be able to take some lessons weekly on my day off on Mondays I then headed to Dotour Coffee to use the Internet for a few hours before catching a train back home.  The only stop I made was one stop from home where a student of mine told me I could find my new favorite place, Mos Burger.  The Japanese burger chain is awesome and their smallish burgers (ok I had two) with onions and tomato sauce are pretty splendid indeed.   As I said I would I finished the night watching Mission Impossible 2 (my favorite of the series, 1 was a little too Eastern European drab, Phillip Seymour Hoffman made 3 a little cartoonish) on my TV where I happily set my TV to English and fell asleep soon after the movie ended. 

     Mondy had me realizing how much I am missing football (I cannot even talk about the Phillies right now) when as I ate my toast and had some coffee I flipped by a scrambled channel on my TV and heard a familiar voice.  That voice was Al Michaels broadcasting the Live Sunday night NBC NFL matchup pitting the Seahawks against the Tampa Bay Bucs.  I felt like I was in one of those traps from the Saw movie series being forced to watch real American football through the scrambled signal.  It was then I realized how deep my addiction to American sports was that I was actually frothing at the mouth to watch a Bucs/Seahawks game.  Hopefully I have rectified that situation or will on November 17^th when they come to install my DSL rate Internet connection as well as Yahoo TV (they hit me at the right time), which will give me several English channels (I cannot wait for CNN International).  It may sound crazy but I cannot deny I will think I am in heaven to get ready for work and be able to see some American news.  It is so bad my mother had to tell me about Tina Fey’s awesome Sarah Palin sketches.

Japanese Randomness #1

Some products here are just too strange for words.  One of the oddest is a new scent being peddled in Japan by AXE body spray; the spray is called Dark Expressions and actually smells of all things, chocolate!  The spray sports a commercial with a guy spraying himself and then turning into a “chocolate rabbit” version of himself and having woman wildly chasing after him.  The climax has the woman so enamored with the man they start breaking off pieces of his body from his torso and “devouring” him.

One word, nightmares.  Let’s leave it at that.

Japanese Randomness #2

Recently two Monday’s ago was another holiday in Japan but due to it falling on Monday it was just my normal day off.  When reconvening at school on Tuesday I asked my students what they did for the holiday, many had answers similar to what you might find at home, had dinner with family, visited relatives etc.  Only one student spoke of a family tradition which she said was popular in Japan in which the patriarch climbs a ladder and drops rice balls down for the family, mostly children to catch.  When I asked why this was done, perhaps believing it had some religious significance she deadpanned “For fun”.  I then followed up and asked if it was messy since I assumed the rice balls would break being dropped from such a height, again matter of factly she replied as if a silly question, “Of course not the rice balls are in a bag”.  It was at that moment I just stopped asking questions.

Japanese Randomness #3 

While stopping at FamilyMart to make a few calls home and grab a cold BOSS coffee coming home from work I walked to the cold drink case and noticed a new product had been “cut in”.  I did a double take as I saw new gleaming bottles of Pepsi White with Yogurt.  Wow that is two things I was never demanding be put together, it doesn’t strike me like chocolate and peanut butter “slam dunk” match-up.

Japanese Randomness #4

For some reason there seems to exist a Japanese guy who is known for slapping people across the face.  On at least three occasions I have seen this mid fiftyish, square jawed Japanese guy slapping people across the face on TV, be it a game show or the like.  On the news the other day I saw him walking into a press conference for Japan’s World Cup soccer team and to the delight of the people on hand slapping Japan’s striker across the face.  The really odd thing is not that he does this but he wails them so hard it must make there head rattle.  Each and every time he slaps them people start laughing like I do when I watch Dave Chappelle do stand up.

Wow I am in Trouble

Since I arrived in Japan I have been fortunate to have dropped a few more pounds most likely do to the fact that you reconsider going for junk food at night when you have to hop on your bike a ride a quarter mile for it.  I have noticed that a lot has been under construction since I arrived in Kasugai right next to my apartment.  My questions about it were answered tonight as the sign was finally erected, the green and red of 7-11 proudly displayed on the soon to be ready plot.  If I get to know the night clerk well enough I could actually drop some yen down to the parking lot from my balcony and have him toss me a container of “spicy chicken” that is popular at convenience stores here in Japan.  The odd thing about the chicken, which is delicious, is that it is not the least bit spicy (actually greasy chicken would better sum it up) but I keep forgetting this is Japan.  Anyway the point being I better keep myself if check because distance will no longer be an issue.

  Well enough of my musings on Japan please check in with me soon as I hope to get more pictures up as well as have more pointless stories and worthless opinions and views on my home here in Japan.

"Tonkatsu to Gohan" Week 6-October 12th-18th

Well to answer the cliffhanger from last week, yes I did make it home on the 6:08AM train to Kasugai, after a brief bike ride to my apartment I actually fell asleep as I was falling towards my bed (the floor) and slept until 1PM when I was awakened by my cell phone.  My fellow English teacher and I had plans to head to Gifu to take in some cormorant fishing on the Nagawa River, after cleaning up and changing I was back on the bike to the station and we were on our way to Nagoya (again!) and then Gifu by 3:00PM.  After a stop at the Nagoya Foreign International Visitor’s Center and dinner at the Hard Rock (that’s 2 meals there now) we boarded the train to Gifu to meet our 7:15PM boat.  Now that I set it up, to explain cormorant fishing is an ancient tradition that dates back nearly 700 years ago in which fisherman use 6 or 7 cormorant (sea birds) attached to the boat via rope lines to fish for small sweet trout or ayu as they are known in Japan.  The highly trained birds are fitted with neck rings so they cannot swallow the trout and when they catch them they return to the boat to drop the fish into the basket.  Now since some of you reading may have concerns about the bird’s treatment as I did but I can assuage any fears you may have.  Not that I am a person known for championing the rights of animals and their plight but that does not mean I wanna pay $39.50 on a Sunday night to see them mistreated.  First off a wild cormorant’s life span is usually 6-8 years but the birds that are trained to work in this ancient art will often live to double that due to their treatment by the master fisherman.  Secondly since most of the current trade is done merely for adoring hordes of Japanese and Western tourists the “catch” is no longer going to feed a family or the like so most of it is given back to the birds for their dinner after the night is over.  Lastly the boat operator explained that the birds will only “work” if they are treated properly meaning if the are not well fed or cared for they will stop performing the function they are so trained for.  The spectacle of watching this ancient form of fishing was really amazing and the dichotomy of Japan was again in full view as a nearly centuries old tradition took place in front of us all the while modern Japan’s office buildings and boutique hotels shone on the shores nearby.  Two things came to mind after I had left, one was who was the first guy to come up with this idea and what did people think of it?  Also too I could not help but wonder if people ever had an issue with eating something a large water bird swallowed ¾ of the way.  I am guessing if you were living in rural Japan in 1408 and someone drops 10 pounds of sweet trout on your table you are not gonna make a big deal that it was obtained from a bird’s esophagus.  Lastly even though they are attached to the boat by a rope at no point were the birds ever pulled hard back to the boat or was the rope even necessary really to corral them in any way.  If I am honest with myself though and some one asked me to dive in the river shallows for like steak and cheese burritos with out the rope around my neck I would probably just swim away to shore and eat the thing by myself so there does need to be control of the birds to some degree.  After returning late from Gifu I slept in Monday and spent the rest of the day running some errands in town and doing some food shopping.  The week at work began with an interesting turn of events as I try to realize why the Japanese work so hard to feed me (their hospitality I assume).  After stopping in to a new Bento lunch eatery I attempted to order Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and rice to go.  The owner responded with the Japanese word “ni” meaning two.  Assuming since I was ordering off the menu I thought he was confirming that I wanted two things, Tonkatsu and rice.  Of course as he set off to the kitchen to rally the staff I knew I was getting two full lunches, which I happily paid for not wanting to make him feel bad for misunderstanding my order after all the care he took to prepare it for me.  One of the most difficult things is to voice any displeasure in Japan over anything.  When you go to a Bento place for a $6.00 lunch and the entire staff comes out from the kitchen to bow and laud you with “domo arigato goyzimas” or “Thank You so very much” its hard to then say they got it wrong.  This has been one of many times the Japanese seem to have self confidence issues over the size and amount of food they eat.  Certainly in some cases things are significantly smaller but in almost all cases the size (even for me) is perfectly adequate.  On more than several occasions though the Japanese have seen me and assumed I did not want just want one muffin but five or like in Okayama I noticed I was served four rice balls when other people were given two.  There is no doubt that it is the Japanese nature to be accommodating that this occurs since they know I am a much larger American but it is funny sometimes.  I know soon I am going to order some spicy chicken and the owner is going to actually hand me a rope with four live chickens attached to the end thinking there is no possible way I could just want the sandwich.

The children at school and my interaction with them continues to get better so much so that I look forward to seeing my regular group every week.  Teaching is a truly difficult job with the parental conferences, the scheduling and planning but there are so many moments with the kids that make you smile I really look forward to it.  The kids have no filters for their actions like much of the other people here in Japan do so they don’t just view you as different but like a friend they can’t wait to see.  You walk down the street as middle age businessmen stare at you like you landed from Mars only to step into school and have a 4 year old come running up to you for a hug before they go to class.  This week I had a 5-year-old boy push me from behind towards a classroom at school as I was in mid conversation with another teacher, fearing he needed some type of real help I followed him to find he wanted to show me some new Pokemon characters he had carefully lined on the windowsill for my viewing.  From my preteen group who will not let me begin class until I have wrote on the whiteboard all the “inside jokes” that have occurred during class to today when a 9 year-old female student came running up to talk to me and say hello and while talking to me gently took my hand to hold the kids always have me smiling at sweet they are.  I have taken many lumps thus far in the teaching game with both peers and the like but as soon as I feel this is not a long-term career I am touched or put in awe by how great the kids are and how I look forward to seeing them.

     Friday excitement is building as the Kasugai annual late summer festival is beginning to rev up.  As I arrived at work Friday already large tents and platforms were being erected directly across the street from school in the City Hall Plaza.  Although I work through the fair all day Saturday I should be able to get over their Sunday to check it out.  I closed out the week like several others by stopping in to the Backbeat with my co net and again our fellow Japanese teacher who usually joins us.  I know I talk about this place quite a bit but I have to say my regular stop after work on Friday is one of the things I look forward to the most here in Japan.  While international travel is intoxicatingly exciting at times and the prospect of happening upon a centuries old shrine at any moment can be amazing but I am beginning to believe that there is something inherent in all of us that craves things we know and people who know us from time to time.  What is so special about this place is from the owners and some of the regulars (one particularly comical one) it feels like a group that knows me and happily looks for me each week.   Upon entering I get some assorted handshakes, bows and loud shouts, which feels good, to know someone is happy to see you coming through the door.  This week I did meet Mikka’s friend, Eriko who just returned from Australia.  She seemed real nice and we spent a few hours talking with Kazuhiko and Mikka, which was great.  We talked about maybe getting together and going to the Hub in Nagoya sometime soon.

They Are Still Interested During school this week I was briefing my most advanced group of pre teen students' parents on what had been covered during class.  One student's mother who is always there but never asks a question listened intently as I gave a read out of the lesson all the while looking like she had something to say to me.  Once I finished and the group began to head out she paused and held up her finger for a question, as I moved in expecting a detailed question on her son's English she asked me quietly "You no buy your shirts in Nihon (Japan), too big"?  As I began to laugh I explained that no I can not buy dress shirts in Japan because of the size.  With that she smiled, thanked me and headed out the door.