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.