今週の土曜日は卒業式なので昨日は代休でした。朝列車に乗って防府に行きました。晴れだったけどブチ寒かった！！まず防府天満神社の有名梅の花を見に行きました。花はほとんど満開だったから本当に素晴らしい感じありました。さらに梅の甘い香もどこでもいっぱかった。満足けに散歩して写真を撮りました。
その後は昼ご飯食べに行ったり、買い物したり、映画を見に行ったり、自分でリラックスしました。結局帰って良く眠りました。楽しい一日でした。今日からまた仕事です。
日本語があまり良い表現ではなくて申し訳ありません。
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Snow!
Palm trees with snow?!! Something unimaginable to a Floridian such as myself.
Oranges with snow?!! Ditto.
I've really tried to make my mark here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
February Fast Lane
I know that in principle, February being the shortest month it should pass quickly. However, I've been moving around so fast that the month has gone by in an absolute blur!
At school, the semester is wrapping up (today is the first day of exams) and there was a rush to finish/ fit in all of the last lessons. Also, with many teachers helping entrance exam candidates, I've tried to help the teachers in turn by taking on extra paper-checking. With exams and writing class homework, I've found myself at school much later than usual - sometimes until 6:30 even! I am very glad to be able to help, though. I feel like I could take on more responsibilities at school still.
I've been having lots of fun, though, to be sure! I hardly stay put these days.
On the weekend of the 9th, 10th, and 11th I headed down with Mark and Saranne to the Nagasaki Lantern Festival for Chinese New Year. We met up with some other 'Guchi friends there, too. The city was decked out in colorful, brightly-lit lanterns. Chinatown was so packed with people you could barely walk down the street! After a requisite dinner of Chinese food, we headed over to watch the dragon dance. I will try to post some pictures later. It was amazing. The combination of the cold, the crowd, incense, rhythmic drums and tambourines, and shouting made it very surreal. It felt much more like a religious ritual than a performance. The next day we wandered about Nagasaki a bit before taking a lovely drive back north. The weather was perfect and we stopped for lots of pictures by the sea. We also made a detour at Ureshino onsen before reaching Hakata for dinner. Following a sumptuous curry feast we visited a couple of bars, including one where we sat outside on the freezing balcony (!) with a small heater, and finally settled on a club where we (and especially me!) danced until 5am. The night was not yet over, however, without a visit to a ramen bar. Around 7 we crashed in an internet cafe for a nap before making our way back to Yamaguchi. Overall, it was a superb outing!
The following weekend found me in Hagi on Saturday for a trip with the pottery club to the Urakami Museum and a peek at the Camellia Festival. On Sunday, I was back in Hakata with Phoebe. We met up with Kyoko for lunch before heading to the L'arc en Ciel concert. It was amazing!
Last weekend, I went out for sushi with a few friends on Friday. On Saturday, however, I missed what had promised to be a karaoke marathon due to not feeling so well. I did eventually make it out for nabe with another friend, but couldn't do much else besides. Sunday was a philharmonic concert in Ube.....and the pace of it all just keeps racing! This weekend is graduation, and I will likely find myself in Hakata on Sunday.
Sleep is overrated. I'm having too much fun.
At school, the semester is wrapping up (today is the first day of exams) and there was a rush to finish/ fit in all of the last lessons. Also, with many teachers helping entrance exam candidates, I've tried to help the teachers in turn by taking on extra paper-checking. With exams and writing class homework, I've found myself at school much later than usual - sometimes until 6:30 even! I am very glad to be able to help, though. I feel like I could take on more responsibilities at school still.
I've been having lots of fun, though, to be sure! I hardly stay put these days.
On the weekend of the 9th, 10th, and 11th I headed down with Mark and Saranne to the Nagasaki Lantern Festival for Chinese New Year. We met up with some other 'Guchi friends there, too. The city was decked out in colorful, brightly-lit lanterns. Chinatown was so packed with people you could barely walk down the street! After a requisite dinner of Chinese food, we headed over to watch the dragon dance. I will try to post some pictures later. It was amazing. The combination of the cold, the crowd, incense, rhythmic drums and tambourines, and shouting made it very surreal. It felt much more like a religious ritual than a performance. The next day we wandered about Nagasaki a bit before taking a lovely drive back north. The weather was perfect and we stopped for lots of pictures by the sea. We also made a detour at Ureshino onsen before reaching Hakata for dinner. Following a sumptuous curry feast we visited a couple of bars, including one where we sat outside on the freezing balcony (!) with a small heater, and finally settled on a club where we (and especially me!) danced until 5am. The night was not yet over, however, without a visit to a ramen bar. Around 7 we crashed in an internet cafe for a nap before making our way back to Yamaguchi. Overall, it was a superb outing!
The following weekend found me in Hagi on Saturday for a trip with the pottery club to the Urakami Museum and a peek at the Camellia Festival. On Sunday, I was back in Hakata with Phoebe. We met up with Kyoko for lunch before heading to the L'arc en Ciel concert. It was amazing!
Last weekend, I went out for sushi with a few friends on Friday. On Saturday, however, I missed what had promised to be a karaoke marathon due to not feeling so well. I did eventually make it out for nabe with another friend, but couldn't do much else besides. Sunday was a philharmonic concert in Ube.....and the pace of it all just keeps racing! This weekend is graduation, and I will likely find myself in Hakata on Sunday.
Sleep is overrated. I'm having too much fun.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Recontracting
I've put off posting about recontracting because committing my decision to writing is finally admitting it myself. It's been a long, hard and sometimes tortuous decision to make. And, finally, last week I signed my paper:
Although I would absolutely love to, I will not be staying for a third year in Japan.
My reasons? Well, in the end, there were as many reasons to stay as to go home. It was only a few considerations that I think many ALTs have had that eventually won over.
I had to give my answer to the school last week. I spoke with my principal and vice-principals separately, and then told a few teachers with whom I am particularly close in private as well. They were all extraordinarily kind and tried to cheer me up. (Damn those allergies! They get me every time). Some got a little teary-eyed while expressing that they would have liked for me to stay. Another teacher pointed out that we still have six months in which we can party and sing karaoke together!
It's going to be so very hard to leave. I have made many wonderful friends here, and I've become rather involved at school and with my students. Asa and Yamaguchi have become a second home. I have seen some of the best of Japan and some of the worst, which has made my experience all the more wonderful. I've had the opportunity to enjoy so many things (especially pottery, shoudo, traveling) and learn so much. I would like to think my Japanese has improved considerably, and there is no doubt that I will perservere in my studies no matter where in the world I might find myself. In sum, I simply like living in Japan.
The good news is that I still have another six months. I plan to make the most of them. (Incidentally, if I appear a little sleepy, well, sleep is low on the list of priorities at the moment.) And, as I have been joking, all of the flying back and forth since I've been on JET has been training so that I can come back again soon to visit! And I will be back soon, for sure!
So, the plan for when I go back Stateside: I will take a test for my teaching license. My time on JET has made me realize how much I enjoy teaching, or rather confirmed it. I plan to teach French, although I would like to teach Japanese as well someday if I can level up my Nihongo to Level 1 proficiency.
So, that's the news, be it good or bad. I'm trying to think positively...but it's hard to muster up much genkiness.
Although I would absolutely love to, I will not be staying for a third year in Japan.
My reasons? Well, in the end, there were as many reasons to stay as to go home. It was only a few considerations that I think many ALTs have had that eventually won over.
I had to give my answer to the school last week. I spoke with my principal and vice-principals separately, and then told a few teachers with whom I am particularly close in private as well. They were all extraordinarily kind and tried to cheer me up. (Damn those allergies! They get me every time). Some got a little teary-eyed while expressing that they would have liked for me to stay. Another teacher pointed out that we still have six months in which we can party and sing karaoke together!
It's going to be so very hard to leave. I have made many wonderful friends here, and I've become rather involved at school and with my students. Asa and Yamaguchi have become a second home. I have seen some of the best of Japan and some of the worst, which has made my experience all the more wonderful. I've had the opportunity to enjoy so many things (especially pottery, shoudo, traveling) and learn so much. I would like to think my Japanese has improved considerably, and there is no doubt that I will perservere in my studies no matter where in the world I might find myself. In sum, I simply like living in Japan.
The good news is that I still have another six months. I plan to make the most of them. (Incidentally, if I appear a little sleepy, well, sleep is low on the list of priorities at the moment.) And, as I have been joking, all of the flying back and forth since I've been on JET has been training so that I can come back again soon to visit! And I will be back soon, for sure!
So, the plan for when I go back Stateside: I will take a test for my teaching license. My time on JET has made me realize how much I enjoy teaching, or rather confirmed it. I plan to teach French, although I would like to teach Japanese as well someday if I can level up my Nihongo to Level 1 proficiency.
So, that's the news, be it good or bad. I'm trying to think positively...but it's hard to muster up much genkiness.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Carpe diem
The rush of events this weekend is one thing I enjoy about being here. There are always so many things to see and do, and cramming in as many things as possible is part of the fun.
On Friday, I went to an enkai (office party) with teachers from South Campus. They always have the most fun at these events. We had a quiz game during dinner, which my team lost (we had to identify teachers from their baby photos...it was hard!), so I had to wear an oni hat and explain why my team was the last to finish. ^_^ We had a second party at Buono, followed by a third party at karaoke. By karaoke time I was pleasantly toasty from the shochuu and wine of the previous parties and had a ton of fun singing and dancing with the other teachers. Enkais are great.
Saturday found me in Fukuoka with Tim and Tomoko to see the Stuttgart Orchestra from Germany. My fellow music aficiandos and I were treated to an impeccable performance of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony as well as a Mendehllson Violin Concerto. Superb. Afterwards we met up with Kyoko and her friend Tomo. For dinner we went to a fantastic sushi restaurant with some of the finest anago I have had to date.
At lunch time on Sunday I managed to steal a few moments to meet Zoe for lunch at Raiichi (having missed the party the previous night). Zoe was an ALT in Asa until 4 years ago (my predecessor's predecessor), and is an amazing person. We swapped stories about school and life in Asa while sampling the best of Raiichi's menu, including the gyoza.
I dashed off to the station after lunch to meet a teacher in Mine for Setsubun celebrations. Setsubun is a day to pray for good luck and health, principally by throwing beans. The word for beans, mame sounds like another mame, which means health -- a nice little play on words. Beans are thrown to scare away oni (ogres/demons) that bring bad luck. "Oni wa soto." Then, beans are thrown in the house to wish for good luck. "Fuku wa uchi." (good luck in the house). Or, as my teacher's children said, "Mame wa kuchi" (beans in my mouth) while eating them. It's also supposed to be good luck to eat the same number of beans as your age. After that, I helped to make futomaki, a thick rolled sushi with many ingredients. I can now roll 'em like a pro. Well, not yet, but they weren't too bad! We laughed in this year's "lucky direction" (SSE) and ate the rolls (about 8 inches long) in one go. Yum!
This was my first Setsubun, and a very interesting one!
And, still trying to squeeze in as much as possible, I topped off the evening by going to the last part of a jazz live in Asa. What a weekend!
On Friday, I went to an enkai (office party) with teachers from South Campus. They always have the most fun at these events. We had a quiz game during dinner, which my team lost (we had to identify teachers from their baby photos...it was hard!), so I had to wear an oni hat and explain why my team was the last to finish. ^_^ We had a second party at Buono, followed by a third party at karaoke. By karaoke time I was pleasantly toasty from the shochuu and wine of the previous parties and had a ton of fun singing and dancing with the other teachers. Enkais are great.
Saturday found me in Fukuoka with Tim and Tomoko to see the Stuttgart Orchestra from Germany. My fellow music aficiandos and I were treated to an impeccable performance of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony as well as a Mendehllson Violin Concerto. Superb. Afterwards we met up with Kyoko and her friend Tomo. For dinner we went to a fantastic sushi restaurant with some of the finest anago I have had to date.
At lunch time on Sunday I managed to steal a few moments to meet Zoe for lunch at Raiichi (having missed the party the previous night). Zoe was an ALT in Asa until 4 years ago (my predecessor's predecessor), and is an amazing person. We swapped stories about school and life in Asa while sampling the best of Raiichi's menu, including the gyoza.
I dashed off to the station after lunch to meet a teacher in Mine for Setsubun celebrations. Setsubun is a day to pray for good luck and health, principally by throwing beans. The word for beans, mame sounds like another mame, which means health -- a nice little play on words. Beans are thrown to scare away oni (ogres/demons) that bring bad luck. "Oni wa soto." Then, beans are thrown in the house to wish for good luck. "Fuku wa uchi." (good luck in the house). Or, as my teacher's children said, "Mame wa kuchi" (beans in my mouth) while eating them. It's also supposed to be good luck to eat the same number of beans as your age. After that, I helped to make futomaki, a thick rolled sushi with many ingredients. I can now roll 'em like a pro. Well, not yet, but they weren't too bad! We laughed in this year's "lucky direction" (SSE) and ate the rolls (about 8 inches long) in one go. Yum!
This was my first Setsubun, and a very interesting one!
And, still trying to squeeze in as much as possible, I topped off the evening by going to the last part of a jazz live in Asa. What a weekend!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
New Year Update
Happy New Year!
I'm sorry for the long hiatus! It's my resolution this year, too, to maintain this blog and to post more regularly. I don't have any pictures on hand to upload, but here's what's been going on:
I went home for the holidays and spent two lovely weeks in the Florida sunshine. Coming from icy weather, it was a welcome change! I arrived in time for Christmas Eve, and the next day my sister Rae flew in. (That was my big suprise for my parents -- I bought her ticket and brought her home secretly!) We had a fantastic Christmas, with lots of feasting and fun. I also caught up with all of my friends that are still in Daytona. I was really happy to see them for the first time in nearly a year! Two friends are even engaged now!! Wow!
Just before New Year's, two Japanese friends flew in for a couple of days. I really enjoyed showing them around my town and introducing them to my family. My parents and my grandmother especially pulled out all the stops to make their visit memorable. They celebrated New Year's with us, and we also went to St. Augustine and Disney World. That was really the first time that I've been able to act as a guide/ ambassador for my own home. Living away from the States, I am always more acutely aware of things upon my return. I was even more aware about things I would normally not notice while showing my friends around.
I enjoyed it, but I was exhausted by the time they left! I spent the last few days catching up with everyone and then finally headed back to Japan....
...where the jet lag set it! In my great wisdom, I didn't allow for a day to recover from the travel and went to work the following day.
The following week, I came down with an unfortunate case of stomach flu, which had me confined to bed for about a week. I only left the house to see the doctor and to finally go to the grocery store. A few teachers at school were really kind and brought me some provisions at my apartment. Finally, a week later, I'm feeling genki enough to go run a marathon! Whoo-hoo! I even managed to get in a 5 hour run of karaoke the other night, which I think raised my spirits a lot! That, and the fact that someone at the karaoke place asked if I was born in Japan. (!)
I'm planning to go out again tomorrow night with my karaoke partner in crime and fellow foodie. Good times.
So, that's the story thus far.
Except for the cold weather, I am very happy to back in Japan once more. I have a lot of plans and hopes for this year. I'd like to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008.
I'm sorry for the long hiatus! It's my resolution this year, too, to maintain this blog and to post more regularly. I don't have any pictures on hand to upload, but here's what's been going on:
I went home for the holidays and spent two lovely weeks in the Florida sunshine. Coming from icy weather, it was a welcome change! I arrived in time for Christmas Eve, and the next day my sister Rae flew in. (That was my big suprise for my parents -- I bought her ticket and brought her home secretly!) We had a fantastic Christmas, with lots of feasting and fun. I also caught up with all of my friends that are still in Daytona. I was really happy to see them for the first time in nearly a year! Two friends are even engaged now!! Wow!
Just before New Year's, two Japanese friends flew in for a couple of days. I really enjoyed showing them around my town and introducing them to my family. My parents and my grandmother especially pulled out all the stops to make their visit memorable. They celebrated New Year's with us, and we also went to St. Augustine and Disney World. That was really the first time that I've been able to act as a guide/ ambassador for my own home. Living away from the States, I am always more acutely aware of things upon my return. I was even more aware about things I would normally not notice while showing my friends around.
I enjoyed it, but I was exhausted by the time they left! I spent the last few days catching up with everyone and then finally headed back to Japan....
...where the jet lag set it! In my great wisdom, I didn't allow for a day to recover from the travel and went to work the following day.
The following week, I came down with an unfortunate case of stomach flu, which had me confined to bed for about a week. I only left the house to see the doctor and to finally go to the grocery store. A few teachers at school were really kind and brought me some provisions at my apartment. Finally, a week later, I'm feeling genki enough to go run a marathon! Whoo-hoo! I even managed to get in a 5 hour run of karaoke the other night, which I think raised my spirits a lot! That, and the fact that someone at the karaoke place asked if I was born in Japan. (!)
I'm planning to go out again tomorrow night with my karaoke partner in crime and fellow foodie. Good times.
So, that's the story thus far.
Except for the cold weather, I am very happy to back in Japan once more. I have a lot of plans and hopes for this year. I'd like to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."
Wow, is it cold! There is nothing quite like waking up in the morning to a brisk 6 degrees celsius -inside- of my apartment. Still, it's better than last year now when I had never experienced a true winter before. I don't like to admit that I may be getting used to the cold.
As always, things have been busy, busy, busy. It's the last week of classes and I'm preparing to head back Stateside for the holidays. I've also had a few small Christmas parties and managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done. It seems like I've been baking a batch of cookies, cream puffs, pie or something every night for a week. Except that I was under the weather for a (long) while, I've been enjoying the pace. There is only one thing I will be missing: the English camp at school, which was unfortunately cancelled. I was really looking forward to that after all the fun we had doing it last year.
Today is the last day of classes, and I am at South Campus. The students are really energetic today, perhaps because they are excited about vacation. After 2nd period I recieved a lovely suprise. All of the students in Fuku2 (2nd year fashion class) made a get well/ Christmas card for me! They are really great. It's little things like this that really make your day and reinforce the reasons for staying on JET. みんなありがとう！
In many ways I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas. I can't wait to share my big surprise gift!
As always, things have been busy, busy, busy. It's the last week of classes and I'm preparing to head back Stateside for the holidays. I've also had a few small Christmas parties and managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done. It seems like I've been baking a batch of cookies, cream puffs, pie or something every night for a week. Except that I was under the weather for a (long) while, I've been enjoying the pace. There is only one thing I will be missing: the English camp at school, which was unfortunately cancelled. I was really looking forward to that after all the fun we had doing it last year.
Today is the last day of classes, and I am at South Campus. The students are really energetic today, perhaps because they are excited about vacation. After 2nd period I recieved a lovely suprise. All of the students in Fuku2 (2nd year fashion class) made a get well/ Christmas card for me! They are really great. It's little things like this that really make your day and reinforce the reasons for staying on JET. みんなありがとう！
In many ways I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas. I can't wait to share my big surprise gift!
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