tokyo tori

Wascal Wuvs Christmas

2009-11-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

Jeff's daughter Julia loved teaching Rascal songs on the piano when we were recording over at he and Kimiko's house the other day. Those paws are so dexterous!
Thanks to Jeff and Kimiko for the footage!

The Ultimate Cyber-Mooch

2009-11-04T03:53:00.000-08:00

Hey, have you ever been too exhausted from teaching that you find it hard to....well... blog well? Welcome to my world! This is very lame of me, but I officially concede the point: that occasionally my friends the Whites cover my own life better than I do. Chalk it up to youthful energy or nama-gaijin genkisa (life energy that only a fresh, un-jaded gaijin can have), either way, these two blogs are sweet as hell if you want to follow what Tokyo Tori is up to. They are also great places for insight on Japanese culture, food (I have to emphasize this because Rachel is a pro at food blogging) and politics (Brad is the man when it comes to analysis of US political issues).

Paste these into your browser and call me in the morning:

Brad: thewhitesintokyo.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/izu-camping-2009

Rachel: tokyoterrace.wordpress.com

Rainy Puppy: Has It Really Gotten to This Point?!

2009-11-04T03:18:00.000-08:00

Tatuskus in Japan!

2009-10-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here is our video of Tatuskus in Japan. Hope you enjoy!

RASCAL!!!

2009-10-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

Apologies Apologies!!!!
The reliably consistent blog you once new has been frozen in time for far too long. Lets just say that we have not been at Huyuman's Tomb for the past 3 months! We have been swamped with travelling and work. Our summer was busy but our new school year in Japan is even busier!!! Teacher's Association obligations and class prep take up a lot of our time, but the truth is that a small, white and brown mammal has entered our house and is changing our lives in so many ways, especially with regard to the budgeting of time....

.... Lets just say that Papa Tori has gotten very little sleep between 3am pee pee times and endless pee pee clean-ups. Mama Justyna has gotten very little relaxation time either, considering that this mammal's favorite behavior is to attach its mouth to her pant-legs while she is cooking, writing, and watching TV. Nonetheless, this small domesticate wolf is sometimes adorable and sweet (as long as you exhaust him through constant exercise and have treats handy). Words cannot do justice to the positive effects he has had on our lives.

Introducing: the Jack Russel who is more fearless and cute than even the pet-shop girls in Miyamadaera predicted: RASCARU!!!!!!!

Back in Delhi (By Justyna)

2009-06-25T23:03:00.001-07:00

Well, we have arrived back in extremely hot Delhi. The monsoon has definitely not come and the air is scalding hot, dusty, dirty, dry. there are water and electricity shortages and although we are this time placed in a better hotel than previously, with working air con, being back in crazy Delhi really hit us hard. the plan was to stay overnight and the next day take a night train to Udaipur in Rajastan and spend the remaining 5 days around the state of Rajastan (Udaipur, maybe Pushkar or Jaipur etc) then go to Agra on way back and finally fly home. However to our amazement, there are not trains available for the next week. everything has been sold out! (apart from the unseated classes). So our plans have fallen through. we looked at other options, including having a driver, but it all sounded like way too much of a headache, in this heat, worrying about having to feed and water the driver. we also looked at buses but neither of us were particularly happy at the prospect of 12 - 17 hour bus rides into the unexpected etc. So both very miserable, over a lovely dinner, we discussed other options. we only have 5 days, we could fly but again the flights were expensive; we could go somewhere else in India but were not sure about where etc. And having discussed the past three weeks, with all our adventures, we have decided to go home early. Both of us have really enjoyed our travels, but we are quite tired of moving around, the stress of it all etc and we were really pushing the boundaries, basically flying back to Tokyo for one night and then straight onto another flight to the US. So we changed our flight back and we are going home tomorrow, which will give us 4 days to relax in Shinchi. Although it is a shame to finish early, I think we have done so much and next time we will give just India the proper time she deserves, and plan ahead during busy holiday periods for trains and things. Enough adventures, homeward bound!

Impressions (By Justyna)

2009-06-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

The monsoon has not happened, all weather reports say it will probably not happen till July now, which although has been good for our climb, is not good for Nepal and India agriculturally but also heat wise. The temperatures are soaring and when we arrived back in Kathmandu to find the hotel we had booked had air con that was not working, we left and had to find another place. I know it sounds like we are spoiled, but honestly after almost 3 weeks of living in some rather rough places, heat, mosquitoes, rat droppings etc, both of us were looking for a bit of luxury. which was very opportune as I happened to have spotted a lovely boutique hotel in Kathmandu (the Ambassador Garden Home), which also happened to have a special deal on (stay 2 nights, one night free) so although it was far more expensive than the $5 per day we had been paying, having a clean, pleasantly furnished, and cool room as a sanctuary in the madness and intensity of Kathmandu, was a blessing in disguise. It even had satellite TV (which like everything in Nepal was temperamental) but kept Triston a very happy bunny being able to watch CNN and BBC news, and both of us reveled in old films on HBO like Wyatt Earp, which we watched whilst having a civilized drink, in bed.

Our last four days in Kathmandu were memorable. Apart from some excellent shopping / bartering on view which we have both now perfected, playing the good cop/bad cop routine and being able to buy a few choice items, we also did other touristy things. Triston really wanted to see Nepal's most important Hindu temple, Pashupatinath, which we decided to stupidly visit by bike. note to self, cycling in Kathmandu not recommended if you want to keep your sanity. Anyways, the temple itself we were only allowed to watch from across the putrid river, being non-Hindu. it was very disturbing, for both of us, even though T has already experienced some similar places. This, like Varanasi in India, is were people get cremated, on plinths just in front of the temple, depending on your caste, on how grand your cremation. all this then gets dumped in the river, where people also bathe as it is sacred. there was ntohign beautiful about it, although the temple complex is over 500 years old, and architecturally stunning, it was pretty grim to say the least. everyone at the sacred temple, it seems, has an angle; we were constantly touted, being offered goods, guides and what I also found horrible and neither of us can understand, is how even priests dressed in their sacred orange robes, come up to you to give you a blessing (put flowers on your head and a tika on your forehead) without you having a say in it and then demand money for it. I basically got cursed as we only had 100rupee bills (quite a lot for a blessing) and Triston gave the two priests who cornered us one bill to share, which they were not happy about.

We also went to the medieval world heritage city of Bhaktapur, perfectly preserved, no cars allowed, and this was truly stunning. Walking around the little higgledy piggledy houses, cobbled streets, amazing buildings like something our of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, we really imagined what it must have been like centuries ago. Apart from the tourist cafes, guest houses and some shops, everything else seemed like it had not changed for centuries. Although lots of poverty was very apparent and yet again one could not escape the begging children and adults (at least no lepers and limbless people this time) juxtaposed by the ticket and guide touts, it was a really amazing experience.

Speaking of begging, two pretty awful things happened to us which shocked me. In Kathmandu one morning when I was having a conversation with a fabric seller, this little boy appeared. although he was very dirty, he was obviously not starving, but was probably the most desperate beggar. Poking Triston constantly, even though both of us said 'sorry no money, no food' he suddenly lunged at my feet and started to kiss them. I was so shocked that I could not deal with it and almost ran away and just felt traumatized. The Nepali tourist office heavily discourages tourists to give into beggars, whether it be food, money or sweets (which the children often ask for) and although at times heartbreaking, T and I never gave into the protruding limbless stumps which are flexed for more effect, or just the doe eyed kids who walk up to me and immediately grab my purse asking for sweets, or the wily teenagers who ask where you are from and whichever country they tell you the capital and expect a reward for their efforts. but this one shocked me profusely. Triston also had his fair share of incidents, the worst being a mentally handicapped girl in Bhaktapur. She came up to him (in school uniform) and tried to have a conversation holding out these two deformed carrots, while dribbling saliva from her mouth. And suddenly grabbed Triston's hands and kissed them and then demanded rupees. For me, these have been the most difficult things to deal with and I feel so awful about the amount of either really desperate people we have seen (as some of them surely are) but others obviously live off the begging quite comfortably (cleanly dressed women in lovely saris, holding chubby babies, coming up to us to ask for money for milk - desperate with their gold jewelry hanging off their grabby hands? I think not).

Anyways, we had a few lovely evenings, listening to a couple of live bands, eating more Nepali food and having a few cocktails (I have become a total lightweight having not drunk at all during our trek). We both really loved our time in Nepal, a very beautiful, vibrant, interesting place. Would we live here? No, as it is just too crazy and at times unsettling. but it has been a wonderful experience. Back to Delhi tomorrow and onto other adventures, though both of us admitted we were getting quite home sick and miss out sanity in Shinchi.

(below) Justyna shopping in Bhaktapur

The Long Road to River Side Springs (By Triston)

2009-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

(below) J Takes Off

(below) T's Flight

MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING
Our time back in Pokhara was a much needed set of relaxing days after the extremes of trekking. Right when we got back, we were stopped in the street by some kids. Our first impulse was to avoid eye-contact and say "no thank you, not interested," as this is what you have to, for better or for worse, because of the huge amount of beggars, scheisters, impostors, and swindlers (young and old) one encounters all over this great land. This group of kids, though, was quite different. They were in school uniform and wanted us to come see their school's performance of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"! After a deep tissue massage that had both J and I in tears (they found our most painful points--usually in the calves after the trek--and dug into them with their elbows) we limped over to the bar where the performance was to be held. The accents were adorable, and the dance interlude where the entire caste danced to "I'm a Barbie Girl" was priceless. My favorite part was when they drank the poison and then laid there on the stage for 15 minutes because the other kids forgot what came next! Justyna and I were even persuaded to get up and dance with the kids at the end of the play. Very cool. TEAM TRISTYNA TAKES FLIGHT After a night of feel-good play-watching and a feast of grass carp (not haploid in case Bryce is wondering), Justyna and I decided we would do something chilled out and low-key, in light of the intensity of the previous week on the mountain. We decided to strap ourselves to insane men who were themselves strapped to parachutes, and then hurl ourselves off the tallest mountain in the Pokhara valley. Some people call this activity "paragliding." To be honest, it was a smooth ride and I had a great view of Justyna in her own paragliding harness, floating high above me as we both soared thousands of meters above Pokhara. The only negative side to the experience was when we had to land. The guy I was strapped to said that we were "going down"--which I took to mean something bad and undesirable. When I asked: "Is this supposed to happen," as we began what seemed like a death spiral downward and my stomach was sucked up into my larynx, he replied: "No....not good...." Strangely, although I was terrified, the adrenaline seemed to win over fear and I let out a "yoohoooooo!" with a big stupid smile on my face! Turned out the flyboy was just messing with whitey as he probably usually does. It made my day though. Oh, and the other negative thing was that I was sick as a dog for about two hours after the flight. Never though I would get motion sickness, but this thing was pretty different than plane turbulence or a trip down a winding road. Justyna flew seamlessly and calmly like a cool, collected veteran. THE BUS FROM HELL After our flight, we decided we hadn't had enough of putting our lives in the hands of risk-taking, testosteronized youths, so we decided to take a public bus to this famed resort (cue tabla drums and mystical sitar lick....."RIVER SIDE SPRINGS RESORT-SORT-SORT-sort-sort-sort.....")which was on the way back to Kathmandu. At first the bus ride was sweet. I bought a big coke that was frozen solid so it was a rare opportunity for ice cold drinking pleasure for the first few hours. We also bought some good food from a vendor outside the window at one of the thousand villages we stopped at. The boys come up to the bus, see you are foreign (a breathing, talking bag of rupees basically) and then press their food, drinks, veggies, on your bus window and pester you until you buy them. We usually say no to them (which in our minds means "no" to various bacteria and potential cultural incidents). This time, though, I decided to give it a shot. I bartered, haggled, hummed, hawed, tried to walk away (but I was in a bus so that didn't work) and finally acquired some mangoes and coconuts for a decent price.... and they were really good! As we were enjoying the bountiful fruit of Nepal, we started to realize three things: 1. There were already three times as many people as seats on the bus. 2. The bus was traveling at speeds and rates of acceleration/deceleration that we had never experienced before--especially atop the precarious river-side roads with nothing between you and the canyon but a garbage heap and (if lucky) a stubborn, urinating water buffalo. 3. Whenever the bus was not careening around blind corners atop the canyon of death, it was picking up entire Nepalese cricket teams and wedding parties who had now started to hang on to the sides of the bus (outside) and were sitting on top of each other in the isles. It is one thing to be terrified in a vehicle but to know that, if truly necessary, you can at least try and run to the front, yank the emergency break and wrestle the driver to the ground. It is quite another situation when there are 78 strangely calm Nepalis between you and that much-needed locus of control......After five hot hours of the insanity, the bus assistant assured us that we were at (cue choral "ahhhhs" and banjo breakdown....."RIVER SIDE SPRINGS RESORT-SORT-SORT-sort-sort-ort.....") In reality, we were 5KM from the riverside resort, so we got our back (which had miraculously not fallen off the top of the bus) and set our bodies into the familiar pattern of one-foot-in-front-o-the-other. RIVER SIDE SPRINGS RESORT-ORT-ORT-ort-ort-ort..... You know that feeling when you unwrap a McDonald's hamburger and think to yourself: "Man! This is not like the picture! The patty looks like clay. The bun is paper thin, the whole thing is hobbit-sized!"??? You know that feeling of injustice???....like you've been had by false advertising!? That is kind of how J and I felt when we got to the famed "outdoor, spring-fed swimming pool" of the River Side Springs Resort. It wasn't so much the pool itself, which was kind of shabby but not too bad. It was more the cheesy Indian dance music blasting out at us and the rude (most insanely rude people we've ever encountered) clients who were sitting on the bar, hawking loogies into the pool, smoking in the pool, discarding beer bottles in the pool, and generally being complete buffoons in the pool. It was so rude and obnoxious that J and I laughed hysterically...but that wasn't what made us feel ripped off. That happened later on, when Justyna opened a roti (kind of like naan bread) to find a giant bug seemingly baked inside. Right about then, the power went out and our quasi-romantic time at River Side Springs Resort came to an abrupt end. The next morning, instead of staying in town for one more day, we took an air-conditioned tourist bus straight to Kathmandu.

The AST Part V: The Last Day (By: Justyna)

2009-06-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

It was definitely the right decision to stay at Jinhu last night rather than continue on to Kyumi. Fully rested, having enjoyed a more relaxing birthday feast with even a couple of cans of beer, we were both really rested and excited to face our last day down the valley. Having breakfasted on home-made bread and scrambled eggs, we set off down the steep stone staircase towards the bottom of the Khola valley. As predicted, I did find this incredibly taxing - even though I had invested in some knee supports back in Japan, my knees were killing me by the time we were half way down the 500m decent. We did meet en route our little Japanese friend, who has been in many ways a constant companion and a reminder of 'home'. Walking down the valley towards Kyumi (1300m) and then beyond, reminded us very much of the incredible journey we had both been on and how much we had actually achieved. On average we walked between 30km and 10km per day (depending on the climb), averaging 7hours trekking per day, climbed a vertical distance of over 3000m. the last two hours in the intense midday heat towards Birthanti and Naya Pul, was probably the most tiring as you finally allow your body to think of rest and suddenly the 13kg backpacks we had been carrying actually felt alien and heavy. With a final check-in at TIPS (trekkers safety management that we had actually got down the mountain) and a fond farewell to our walking sticks, we caught a bus back to Pokhara. The scary-ass bus ride from hell that is! the 'highway' (I use this term loosely) to Pokhara is full of ridges, pot-holes, and mad drivers (two buses going full speed trying to out-race one another, as a taxi, a goat and a motorbike are also trying to maneuver the same route). We were buried under our backpacks, in sticky seats, with a young girl vomiting in front of us out of the window (at least not me this time) which had to be kept closed in case the vomit hit us. We were both tired and agreed the course of action upon getting to the bus stop, get a cab to our hotel, shower, cold beer and then food (having not eaten since 6am and it was now close to 2pm). T almost got into a fight with some local dude who was very rude on the bus, and both of us got off the us at Pokhara as quickly as possible to escape any possible consequences (and get some fresh air). When to my intense anger and disappointment, instead of heading to the taxi ramp, T put on his backpack and starts walking. Now, we were dropped off in a part of Pokhara I did not recognize, but I knew it was far enough, and there was no way I wanted to walk further. So gently I showed my anger at not taking a cab. (T's response) - Well, we could either walk, or take an EXPENSIVE CAB RIDE HOME (emphasis on the expensive). The palpable venom rose up in me and although it was the last thing I wanted to do, I was determined to prove to the suddenly very frugal Triston that I could deal with another 5km walk, but I would make him sorry. so the entire route down to our hotel from upside Pokhara, was spent with a fuming Justyna walking at least 5m away from an equally fuming Triston. By the time we got to our hotel, and having dreamt of a clean shower, you can imagine my intense devastation when upon reaching our room, and walking into the bathroom, I notice it has recently been used by someone and in the corner of the shower is a HUGE BALL OF SOMEONES VERY BLACK HAIR! those of you who know my hair phobia, will not be surprised that I promptly marched down to the reception, and got the young Nepali boy who gave us our key to march up with me, show him the evidence and leave him to deal with it as I went to give our laundry to the washroom (4.5kg of stinky, ripe, trek gear!) Back in a now clean room and bathroom, T and I finally burst out laughing at our moments of anger, and after a few refreshments went to have a delicious meal in a local restaurant. There is so much we will take away from this awesome adventure, not just the sights, sounds and smells of the mountains; the laughter, tears and emotions from the top at ABC, frustrations and fear and a sense of achievement. Most of all I think we are just really pleased to be alive, well and able to do this together, and hopefully will one day share this route with our children.
(below) J walking with fellow travellers

The AST Part IV: MBC to Jinhu (By: Triston)

2009-06-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

MBC to Bamboo J and I woke up before sunrise on June 16th. I actually didn’t really sleep, as I was too hot wearing my fleeces (as Justyna demanded I do) and when I tore them off in a fit or rage…. I became cold….. The altitude was also getting to me a bit and I kept having the same dream that we were in a cave. Justyna, with the patience of Job, kept reassuring me over and over with her practical-sounding British accent: “No darling….you we are not in a cave.” I though that the hike from the Manchupuchre Base Camp to the Annapurna Base Camp would be easy, as we left our bags at MBC in our room which we hadn’t checked out of yet. The idea was to hike out to see the sanctuary, hike back, have breakfast at MBC, and then descend. In fact, the hike up to see the sanctuary—even without a bag—may have been the hardest. At 4300 meters, I was really struggling to get air in my lungs and I had to keep asking J to stop so I could catch my breath every twenty steps or so. I felt like I was having an aneurism too, my head was pounding and I felt lightheaded. I told Justyna what I was experiencing, and she was concerned, but she ruled out diabetes and heart attack (my first two hunches). Her final diagnosis was simply altitude sickness…. As we slowly climbed, we gradually saw the white-capped Himalayas rising around us like a crown of ice circumscribing a lush green interior full of flowers and mountain ferns glistening in the pre-dawn haze. We knew we had reached the finale when we were completely surrounded by the daunting 8000 meter peaks which were 4000 meters above us on all sides. Both J and I got emotional and our lives flashed before our eyes as the sun rose over Fishtail peak the east. With tears in our eyes we stood in silence and took in the full meaning of the insane panorama we were witnessing. After a religious 30 minutes or so, J and I congratulated each other and then headed back to MBC for a breakfast or veggie omelets and chapatti (Nepali flat bread). JJ’s Not-So-Decent Descent After loading up on our food, we reluctantly packed our backpacks and loaded them onto our backs…mmmm…that old familiar feeling, like piggybacking a sweaty hobbit. The reason I say this is because I sweat so much every day that the entire contents of my massive backpack were completely soaked and had to be air-dried every night! I was extremely happy at this point, as the altitude issues were sure to dissipate the further down we got and the thought of hiking downhill for three days sounded so much better than hiking uphill for four as we had just done. We quickly ran in to some issues though. While traversing the small glacier below MBC, Justyna fell and scratched her “bum and leg.” I must say I was scared when I saw her go down because if she had kept sliding, she’d have ended up in the most rapid-strewn part of the rushing river below. After that, there was a slight freak-out session when we came to the wobbly bridge featured in the video below. Justyna’s legs were so tired from going downhill that she was afraid she’d fall off the thing. We tried looking for a place to cross on the many boulders in the river, but the space between them was just to much to safely cross. After about 30 minutes of coaxing, Justyna valiantly faced her fears and crossed the rickety old bastard of a bridge. After she was safe, she unleashed the fury of hell on me for trying to video tape her in her darkest hour on the mountain. Hence, there is no footage documenting this event. After a days hiking we reached Bamboo, a set of lodges tucked into the side of the mountains at a place where the river was unusually calm. I was fine, but Justyna’s legs were shot. Her knees get jarred when going downhill and her shoes did not have enough grip to handle the gravelly stretches of the steep path. At Bamboo, we met a nice Australian couple and we also happened to run into Shin, a Japanese guy who owns a restaurant in Cambodia—we had crossed paths with Shin numerous times and he took a liking to us because we could talk to him in Japanese. In the room next to us, there were two other Japanese guys who were acting kind of squirrelly and giggling in the mess hall (more on that later). We chatted with the Aussies, who were about 55 years old and had a Nepali guide with them. They were taking it really slow on the way up and J and I kind of freaked them out with our stories about crossing the “glacier” and the “shaky bridge.” The Aussie guy and I commiserated about not being able to get an ice-cold beer and we tried to figure out a contraption that could lower the beer cans into the ice-cold river and then retrieve them upon request. We were getting tired so we left the mess-hall and headed to bed. Just as we had turned off the light, the familiar smell of marijuana smoke trickled into the room. The walls were pieces of plywood, loosely hung, that did not fully span the room so there were massive cracks through which anything (including ganja smoke) could pass. After smelling the herbaceous cloud, we soon heard impish laughter and uncontrolled coughing from the next door. I guess that explains why those two Japanese guys were acting so weird. Bamboo to Jinhu I woke up on my birthday in Bamboo to find that Justyna was already in the mess-hall. When I put my glasses on and made it out to join her, I was greeted by a “birthday apple pancake”. I had almost forgotten it was my birthday! J also had a present wrapped and everything: a Nepali cookbook. That day is hazy in my mind because I feel like it may actually have been the most exhausting. Expecting only downhill hiking, I was stunned to realize that I had forgotten Chomrong, the Gurung village on the hill where we had spent the night earlier. After 2500 upward steps (counting them was the only way to stay sane) and a call to Dad telling the world that we had made it back down, we were at the top. We had a delicious lunch of chapatti sandwiched with yak cheese and Tibetan momo dumplings and felt rejuvenated. After this, we headed down the steepest part of the journey, basically straight down a ridge to the village of Jinhu. On this stretch we ran into Shin again. He was sitting with a Gurung lady looking at pictures of Japanese travelers she had met during the 80’s. She was in the middle of threshing corn and had her threshing basket and the dried cornels laid out on her yard which was somehow carved into the impossibly steep ridge. This lady was a character. I asked her if she spoke Japanese and she listed every dirty word, private part, and sexual position in the Japanese dictionary. Shin’s glasses started to fog up as he was getting embarrassed by this very “un-Japanese” use of his mother tongue. After drinking a luke-warm sprite that she rustled out of her hut for us, we continued down to Jinhu where, tired and exhausted again, we decided to spend the night. Two girls from England were staying there two, so we chatted to them and went to bed early after a few birthday beers, luke-warm of course. Shin made it down later and ended up staying further down the ridge at the other end of the village.

(below) J Crosses the "worst Bridge Ever"

(below) J walking by the mighty Modi Khola River

The AST Part III: Chomrong to the Top (By Justyna)

2009-06-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Waking up in the morning at Chomrong with the first proper view of Annapurna I (8078m) and II (7938m) as well as the Nepali favorite Macchapucchare (a measly 6997m) , T and I almost broke the bed jumping up and down with glee like two little kids. a hearty trekkers breakfast, drew us on our way down the Chomrong Khola (endless staircase occupied by water buffalo performing their morning toilet routine). En route, we met schoolchildren on their way up to the local high school in Chomrong form the surrounding villages. I cannot believe that whole groups of kids as young as 4 every day trek over 2hours one way at times, to get to school, especially on the maddening staircase up to Chomrong (all 2440 steps or so)! glad I am not one of them. From the bottom of the valley, we needed to go up again to Sinuwa. this is where I think I was most annoyed about trekking in the region - the 'fake' villages. According to our maps and guide-books, you pass certain villages along the way and there are approximate timings in between. From Chomrong to Sinuwa, the time was about 2hours. T and I reached Sinuwa after 1h30 which we were so pleased about and continued onto what we thought the next village to be. Another arduous climb and 40 minutes later, we reach Sinuwa. confused? Well, sometimes en route some of the lodges call themselves something in Sinuwa, or Chomrong, or whatever village you are supposed to reach, in order to lull tourists into a false hope of resting / buying food at a designated place / staying the night. We were rather annoyed as this was about the third time it happened to us and you get very worried if what you have reached at the end of the day is the real deal or not. Anyway, our target today was a steep climb from 2330m, down to 2000m (Kuli) up again to Bamboo (2300m) and finally Dovan (2540m) just before we reached Dovan, we met some American chubbies, who put the fear of God into us (see conversation below):

(Male Chubby) - Hey dudes, Whass'up?
(T) - Nothing man, just on our way up to Dovan and then ABC tomorrow . You been?
(Male Chubby) - Hate to tell you this man, but you got a long way ahead to Dovan. At least another hour and a half And it is vertical at times. Really hard!
(Female Chubby) - Yeah, and there are glaciers you need to cross. He (pointing to male chubby) slipped and slid. You guys look like you have real heavy packs. It will be really hard.
(Justyna swallows hard)
(T) - Any avalanches?
(Male Chubby) - No man, but I tell ya, it is tough going. We almost did not make it. You still have a ways. Good luck man!
(Justyna and Triston shakily wave the chubbies goodbye)

10 minutes later as we have a little rest and prepare ourselves for the worse and at least another hour and a bit of climbing to reach our night time destination, we arrive at Dovan (no hard climb in site). Is this the real Dovan? Were we wickedly tricked by the chubbies? Or were they just real chubbies?

It was the real Dovan thankfully and we spent the night, again being the only guests, feasting on Triston's favourite Dal Bhat and my favorite, Yak Cheese chapatis. The two guys who ran the lodge were far more interested in their DVD player than us, but we still had a nice evening, playing poker, doing crosswords, and reading. Next morning, we set off early at 7am up towards Himalayan hotel (2840m). en route we met Diego, a southern Californian who was with us the day before our Trek registering at ACAP. He was however on his way down (for us day 4) putting us to shame (though looking at his incredibly chiseled rock-hard body, he obviously participates in the Sahara Desert marathon on a regular basis) who told us there was nothing to fear ahead, only the most spectacular scenery. He did say there was one wobbly bridge but we would be fine. A mountaineers handshake later, we continue our climb past the most gorgeous valley, full of the most amazing flora and fauna I think I had ever seen. We spent over an hour just taking pictures of flowers, trying to capture the most amazing birds including massive hummingbirds (too fast for us though). Apart from this we did reach the glacier that the chubbies were talking about (the end of an ice trail about 10metres across and if you trod carefully and not on the really steep bits, you were fine). We also reached the wobbly bridge, which I vowed never to cross again, as out of all the bamboo - log bridges en route, that one was really nasty. However, we finally reached Macchapucchare Base Camp 4130m, ran by an ex Gurka called Ram, which had the most disgusting rancid toilet ever. It is very difficult squatting to do your business when your thighs are screaming from the amount of exercise they have been getting at the best of times. Doing that in an environment which promotes projectile vomit, is really tough. So both T and I suppressed any toilet urges that night, and for the first time, really really cold, tried to sleep through a huge storm during the night, in a very cold room. I must say though that even in these conditions, I tried to remain civilized and forced Triston to take a hot water bucket wash with me before we went to bed. Splashing boiling water on our bodies, in a freezing room, and trying to wash our private parts, certainly brings two people even closer together! Today, MBC - tomorrow, the top of the world!

Justyna Crosses the "Glacier"

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek Part II (By: Justyna)

2009-06-18T20:31:00.001-07:00

Day 2: New Bridge to Chomrong

After the incredibly hellish, taxing, gruelling first day of almost 9 hours of trekking, we both got up with renewed fervor in New Bridge, otherwise known as the 'Rat-hole' (due to the rat droppings everywhere). This morning we discovered a wonderful delicacy called Gurung Bread. The ethnic group of people that predominantly lived in the Annapurna region in the mountains, are the Gurung people. The main gurung hub is in Gandruk (which we were supposed to be going towards on our first day, but got lost instead). They farm corn, rice, vegetables and produce lots of dairy products; have their own dialect and are often recognised by the distinctive clothes they wear, especially this wrap-around shawl which forms two pouches and is used to carry things on their backs. Gurung bread makes for a very tasty breakfast, served with honey and is a cross between a very flat doughnut and 'elephant ear'. Yummy!

We set off at about 7 up towards Jinhu and Chomrong. It was another incredibly hot and humid day, but we had learnt our lesson from yesterday, to take it easy, take small sips of water rather than massive gulps (Triston) and also not to take out frustrations on each other (Justyna). The road up to Jinhu was through woodland, rice paddies and then down into a valley, on some very steep stone stairs. We met again lots of children along the way who would be very cute and ask for sweets or just plain simple rupees (heavily discouraged by us) and some other interesting locals who offered us everything from photos with them (for money) to selling us some ganja (widely practiced as medicine in these here parts). Although we flatly refused the medicine, Triston did on occasion agree to take photos for a small donation, saying it was at least better than plain begging. From Jihnu (1750m) we took the most impossibly steep, stone staircase up to Chomrong, which is the second biggest Gurung hub at 2300m. During this ominous climb, Triston had varying symptoms of heart-attacks, brain aneurysms, asthma, heat and sun stroke, and by the end of it was again convinced he is suffering from diabetes. I stayed pretty quiet as I knew full well how I would cope in a few days time when we would be going down the same route, which I always find incredibly hard.
Chomrong could not come soon enough for us and we were elated and then perplexed to reach the top, only to find the ACAP office permanently closed. It was at Chomrong that we were supposed to have our last check-in for safety, and enquire about the route ahead. To be honest, I really was not worried as although we were now entering 'avalanche territory', I knew this was not avalanche season (no snow apart from the very peaks) but Triston as ever the gentleman, was massively concerned for our safety and still asked every passer by about the dangers of avalanches. We decided to stop at one of the three lodges we saw at the top of Chomrong for lunch and here discovered a new gurung delicacy - garlic soup! this little bowl-full of heaven is sipped by locals to help thin the blood and prevent any types of altitude sickness.

Although we only did about 5 hours of trekking, we still felt like we accomplished a huge amount and decided we would stay the night in chomrong. T felt a bit dead after the arduous climb, so as he was recovering I went a bit further down the chomrong valley to see other potential guest-houses (as the three at the very top looked like they were close cousins of the 'rat-hole'). I was very happy I did climb quite a bit further down as we realised that Chomrong is actually quite big and has a fresh bakery, doctors, the local high school and many lovely lodges to choose from. One such lodge was Chomrong Cottage, run by a lovely lady called Sushila and her husband, which was clean, had a hot shower, a sit down toilet (though still with the nasty basket for the 'used loo paper') and delicious food. Sushila even lent us soap to pound some of our dirty clothes for a wash, and even dried them in the kitchen for us overnight during the rain storm. this was much more civilised and after a lovely dinner of garlic soup and a tomato and yak-cheese chapati, we both snuggled into our sleeping bags on a double bed, ready to face the Annapuna massif tomorrow.

(below) The Many Terraced Fileds along the way.

(below) The Adventurers with Sushila in Chomrong

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek Part I (By: Triston)

2009-06-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

J and I were naively gungho about hiking up around the Himalayas. What we didn't realize was that what we were about to do would push us to the limits of our physical strength and sanity! OK, so it wasn't exactly that tough, but we were exhausted on a daily basis and occasionally terrified (see video of Justyna crossing a river on a very shaky bridge above) The first day we woke up bright and early and got in the taxi which we had ordered the night before. Expecting a nice, relaxing drive up to the start of the trek from Pokhara, we were mortified to learn that the guy who runs the Hotel we were staying at was coming with us and was going to use the deserted, winding, extremely dangerous mountain roads leading up to the starting point as his "driving lesson." Suraj (the hotel guy) was a very very bad driver and he did not reassure us when he told us (between stalling and jerking the car on the edges of cliffs) that he was "really really bad at turning!" After the two-hour terror ride, the real taxi driver finally took over and we ended up in Nayapul, at the bottom of the path up to the "Sanctuary." We had a little bight to eat with Suraj and the taxi driver and then headed out on the hot, dusty path.

After the first hour, we realized we had started hiking up the wrong valley (a detour that would've have added five hours to our trek) and had to return all the way down to the starting point again! After that mishap, we were constantly asking the men and women we passed (men and women who were usually carrying ridiculously heavy loads of corrugated steal and wood up and down the mountain) if we were going the right way, as the numerous meandering paths were not marked. There were also numerous "fake towns" which were designed to make you think you had reached your destination for the day, only to find that the real town you were looking for was much higher up the mountain! Well, we got lost again, accidentally choosing a path that followed the river instead of going straight up the mountain (duh....). So we had to make a choice: completely change our plan and follow the river to this mysterious town known as "New Bridge" or backtrack and go straight up the mountain to the mythical (and Tolkien-esque) "Gandruk" high above in the clouds. We chose to stay the course and hopefully hit "New Bridge" before dark.

At first the day was pleasant. We saw local village boys attacking monkeys with rocks. We had to step to the side of the path as numerous water buffalo and mules made their way down the path at full speed carrying goods from the upper villages. We saw gorgeous waterfalls and terraced fields of corn and rice that seemed to defy gravity. But then the sun started getting low in the sky and, after 8 hours of hiking up painfully steep mountains, we started to become exhausted and panicky. It got to the point where every time we took a step we yelped in pain. I have never dropped the "f-bomb" more times in my life. Every time we made it up another ridge, it seemed there was another, even steeper ridge to climb. "F--k!!!" Just when we were about to give up, I spotted a tiny bridge over the river which seemed like about a mile below us. Could this be "New Bridge"?.... After 30 minutes more hiking, we found that our dreams had come true. That night, as we snuggled in to our bed in New Bridge village, were so thankful to be safe and with shelter that we ignored the fact that the sheets were riddled with rat droppings and the floor and walls looked like a barn. We were safe, and we had learned some valuable trekking lessons about time management and map-reading. We were on the beginning of a new and amazing adventure.

(below) T on a typical trail near the bottom

Bartering and Barfing Amongst Buddhist Temples (By Justyna)

2009-06-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

Well, as you all know I am the one who got ill pretty much straight
away - 4 days into our trip. Though I am fine now, it was not pleasant
so thought would share my first two days in Kathmandu from my point of
view.

Started to feel very queasy in the middle of the night and ran to the
loo where the inevitable projectile vomiting occurred. Triston, being
the gallant gentleman that he is, rushed to my side to hold back my
hair, pass me tissues and rub my back (of course this has nothing to
do with the fact that I have thus cared for him on many an occasion).
Anyway, in the morning I thought I was better, so we went out for a
walk in Kathmandu to do some shopping. Saw an amazing temple, the
biggest / smallest traffic jam ever and made our way to Durbar
Square, which is where the 'Living Goddess' lives. In the middle as
with any good square worth its name, were some sellers, selling their
wares.

the usual sob stories come out - 'please ma’am, you are my first
customer in 3 weeks, bring me good luck, buy something' or 'I give you
best price, it is off season, no business, you tell me your price, I
tell you my price. Almost free'. As I was at this point not beginning
to feel so good, I was unfortunately accosted by one of these sellers,
and as I was on one hand keeping an eye on T (who was at the next
seller, talking excitedly about something he had found) this lady
gave me one of her sob stories and I was very weak and caved in buying
a 'singing-prayer bowl' from Tibet. Then this other guy came up and
desperately tried to get me to change his 'loonies' for him (3 Canadian
dollars) I was polite, then less polite, and then I knew I was going
to vomit so pushed him aside and ran across the road so as not to
projectile vomit all over the square, but in a corner of a building
instead. Unfortunately I happened to be vomiting on a sacred temple,
but never mind. At this point, 'loonie man' was bothering Triston, who
also pushed him away (although at this point 'loonie man' was telling
T his lady was very sick and needed help) so both of them rushed over
to me, again T being the gallant lad, 'loonie man' telling us that the
tourist toilet is just there, yet still asking us to change his
dollars. I stopped barfing and shakily thought it would be it fine as
I felt very empty so we both rushed off as I had desecrated a holy
place.

sitting, recovering in a restaurant (I didn’t eat) T then excitedly
told me about his amazing finds from his lady. An amazing smooth oval
rock which was cracked open to reveal a trilobite inside! And a heard
of elephants carved into real whale bone! All for just #### rupees!
Well within a second of inspecting his amazing finds we both realized
T had been had and his smooth rock was a mold and his heard of
elephants - resin. So we were both 'lighter' by the end of the
afternoon.

Although I had been quite ill, the wrath of dysentery did not escape
Triston, who kept on having to go to the loo for other purposes, where
I would hear from him "Baby, I got problems!" (so?! What’s new?) "No,
but you don’t understand, I have REAL problems!", which made me feel a
little better especially as later on that night, as we were bartering
(far more successfully) for some Mandalas, I thought I too had
PROBLEMS and needed a toilet really fast. We got very quickly to the
restaurant where we were going to have dinner, only to find that there
was no electricity, no working toilet, and the one they directed me
to, had no loo paper. Not a happy Justyna. thankfully, I did not have
PROBLEMS and after a good nights sleep we left for Pokhara on a bumpy
bus ride from Kathmandu at 7 in the morning. And I feel very ready to
climb to Annapurna Base Camp!

K-K-K-Kathmandu (By Triston)

2009-06-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Kathmandu is a breath of fresh clean air compared to Delhi, although I personally enjoy the rough-and-tumble, crazy atmosphere of India. Kathmandu is about 10 degrees cooler and it is also full of people who are much more courteous than our neighbors in Paharganj. There are hundreds of brilliantly-colored shops selling statues of Hindu gods and Nepalese furniture. There are also shrines to Ganesh, Vishnu, Buddha, etc. around every corner and the market women sit on the sides of them and sell fresh greens and mangos in their fluorescent saris. The whole scene is pervaded by wafting clouds of incense which smells like a sandalwood /jasmine match made in heaven. Justyna is sick as a dog back at the hotel right now, but we are hoping for a recovery by tomorrow when we are scheduled to head to Pokara to start our trek up to the Anapurna base camp. Today we will be checking trek prices and loading up on supplies for the big hike. I now know why my friend Heather loved it so much here. It is a peaceful paradise and each alley brings a new adventure.(See previous blogs for recently uploaded pics)

Death Defying Delhi (By Justyna)

2009-06-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say about today, especially following our very eventful first day and flight! Neither of us slept particularly well at the hotel Vivek - the heat is stifling and incredibly uncomfortable and even though our room has AC of sorts, it is very third world. But we wanted to make the most of our day here, so got up and went out at about 7AM. Triston needed a haircut so we decided to kill two birds and had breakfast next to a barber shop. Breakfast was great - chapatis with cauliflower and potato on the street, and as I sat and watched Triston being pummelled by the hairdressers, who with each new 'treatment' seemed to be raking in the cash (price of original haircut 50 rupees, price of haircut, blackhead removing face mask, rose water treatment, massage, creaming - 450 rupees - but how can you say no?!) We had decided to see Humayun's tomb which is the predecessor to the Taj Mahal and had to take a Tuk-Tuk there. Our driver pretty much as soon as we got in, started to tell us what we ought to see and that he would show us the 'creme de la creme' of Delhi. Politely we were able to decline everything bar from his insistence on taking us the the most prominent Sikh temple en route. We felt a bit weird, like VIP's but slightly out of place as we were taken by our guide through all the rituals in this beautiful, white marble building. No tourists ever go there but actually it was pretty cool - best of which was the visit to the voluntary kitchen which feeds about 20'000 people per day for free. I even got to roll a couple of chapatis with the locals. Following this diversion, the tomb was stunning, well worth the trip and it will be interesting comparing it to the Taj in afew weeks time. From here we took another death defying drive by Tuk-tuk to Chadni Chowk - the main bazaar area of Delhi, and having navigated 1000's of stalls, people, beggars, dogs in the intense 45 degree heat, we were both losing our cool. Thankfully our efforts were yet again rewarded by stumbling at the 11hour (prior to my biting off someone's, probably Triston's, head) upon a really lovely restauarant which had a very good punjabi menu. The frozen daiquiri and gin and tonic worked a treat as well, and even though on the way home we were witness to our 7th prodding beggar, a naked man with balls the size of a football, yet another impertinent indian man who somehow bumped into my breast, and a bag full of skinned rats, we got back to the hotel full of joie de vivre, though very very tired and in need of some calm. Delhi is mad: certainly the most manic, smelly, dodgy, weird city I have ever been to and I won't lie to say I am really looking forward to flying out to nepal tomorrow to a much more cool and calm environment. But it has been a huge adventure and I am truly blessed with the most perfect travelling companion, who is my protector when i need protection and my sense of humour, when i have none.

Air India and Paharganj (By Triston)

2009-06-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a few weeks. Blogging started feeling a bit too solipsistic and I got really busy with the end of the school year. The guys turned in all their Witness to War interviews and final papers and now I find myself on vacation with nothing to do but enjoy! Teaching does have its perks!

Justyna and I were worried about "Air India" being our carrier to Delhi, as my past experience with Indian airlines has been a bit crazy (see previous blog from 4 years back: ). But once on board, the free beers and tasty indian food gave us the impression that we were in good hands.....that is....until we went to the bathroom. Unlike most airplane toilets, Air India's were on a separate floor, you had to go down the stairs. Also, unlike any other airline, there was a constant line of at least 6-7 people at any given time on the 8-hour flight. But the kicker was not the structure of the bathrooms, it was the human excrement that was within (and without) them. Granted, I only went down there twice, but each time I did, the stalls that weren't overflowing with waste (which formed a thin layer on the floor outside the 6bathrooms) were covered in urine. Believe it or not, this was tolerable. I have been to some shady places and done my business in some derelict locations. What wasn't tolerable was what I saw the second time I went down into the pit. Justyna had just finished and had tip-toed up the stairs on the few remaining dry patches of floor outside the stalls. I came out and saw three piles of human feces just sitting there in the hall outside the bathroom! Someone one (or three someones?) had squatted right there and gone to the bathroom right outside the very place where it was supposed to be done! It was at that point that I knew our adventure to Nepal via India had truly begun.

Paharganj
There were many students of our on our flight. Actually, at times it seemed that the entire Indian community of St. Mary's was on our flight. It was funny because every time we told them where we were staying in Delhi, they gave us the same reaction. First disbelief, then concerned silence, and then a grave statement: "Take care....Please...Take Care...." J and I weren't sure what this meant, but after braving the blasting afternoon heat in our taxi from the airport, we knew why they had reacted this way. Paharganj makes Gary look like a philanthropist convention. Dogs, cows, lepers, human waste, potholes the size of a small car, every single person grabbing at you to try and get your business, a donation, your wallet, etc..... It was crazy! And the whole time we were walking towards our hotel, we were trying to dodge the constant insane traffic of the bicycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, mopeds, and cows. Strangely, though, we like our temporary neighborhood and are glad we chose this place. The incredible vividness of the colors, sounds, smells of the place make you feel very alive.

After taking our stuff up to the room, Justyna and I went out on the town to look at some sitars and get a bite to eat. Sitars are hard to judge when you can't play them. The last time I was in India, I thought I was getting a good deal on a wooden drum, but the drum disintegrated when I took it back to the States, it was made out of cardboard painted like wood. The sitars were the same. They all look the same and I'm not quite sure what they should sound like. After leaving the sitar shop empty handed, we grabbed some roti and various curries. At first it was tough trying to figure out to what extent you were allowed to use your left hand to tear the bread and spoon the curry, but it ended up working out and being quite delicious too.

There were some shady moments of course. There were a few allies where there seemed-all of a sudden- to no longer be any women around. Not sure why, but in these allies, the dudes were more aggressive in every way and would bump into J's boobs as so many times that it was obvious that it was an intentional "cop-a-feel" move. We left that alley pretty quick, as it was getting narrower and there were shadier and shadier characters appearing. After dodging some sacred cows and stopping to see a few fabric stalls, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep. Lets just say that after last night, temperature and discomfort for us are relative concepts. Now, a lukewarm shower feels like an ice-cold Andean waterfall and a kick in the pants feels like a nice, cool butt-massage. Outside the temperature feels like you are a human bun in an angry oven. In our room it felt like some nice person tossed us buns a few ice cubes just before turning on the oven. We survived though, although today I feel I have sun-stroke. (Pictures to come)

The New Apartment

2009-04-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

We have made the big move. We said goodbye to Futako Tamagawa and hello to Futako Shinchi. It was only a ten minute walk across the Tama River but things are very different in our new hood, all in a good way of course. One of the first things we noticed when we moved in was that there are many kinds of vending machines in Kawasaki that they don't have on the other side fo the river in Tokyo. The most popular vending machine in our neighborhood is the fresh egg machine. Every time we head to the station we see at least one or two people getting fresh eggs out of it. Local farmers keep it well-stocked and the fact that they are so fresh means that no refrigeration is required. We cooked some of them up the other day and we very impressed. The other type of vending machine on the Kawasaki side of the river is the beer machine. These used to be ubiquitous on the Tokyo side but naughty gaijin teens (guilty as charged) took advantage of this and soon the authorities got rid of them. The Kawasaki side did not get rid of theirs although they are a bit more complicated than the ones I remember. The machine takes a picture of you (can it tell how old you are that way? still not sure...) and then asks you to put your driver's license into a slot. At first I thought this might be so that they can compare you picture on the license with the picture it just took of you, but I was able to buy an ice-cold asahi with J's license even though the machine took a picture of my face and not her's!

River BBQ

2009-04-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

The baseball season is heating up. In fact, today I got hit in the mouth whilst I was pitching to a kid in the cage. I was stunned at first and brushed it off quite easily but it actually caused a pretty fat lip. Anyways, for all of the above reasons, I can't be bothered to write a blog entry right now. So tonight I will take the extreme low road in the blogosphere and mooch off of the not-so-lazily constructed blog of my friend Rachel White. Her and her husband Brad live across the river from us, (the river featured in the picture above and pictures you will soon see) and they actually live quite close to the house we are moving in to (which is also across the river).
http://tokyoterrace.blogspot.com/2009/04/bloody-marys-deviled-eggs-and-little.html

*A note to confused relatives: Enjoy this site by highlighting the text of the webpage above, copying it, and then pasting it in your browser window.

New School Sakura

2009-04-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last week was our first week in the new school. It is pristinely white and has lots of windows. It will be sad to see the old school go but this new building is very inspiring, kind of like a blank canvass full of possibilities. The administration couldn't have timed the move any better because the sakura were in bloom at the exact time of the move. I was jogging home from baseball practise later on in the week and I stumbled upon a pink river. The sakura blossoms down stream had started to fall into the river and by the time they reached our neighborhood they had become so concentrated that the river was pink! Now there are pink petals in all the gutters on the way to school. Very surreal.

In Search of Rafflesia...and other adventures

2009-03-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Malaysia was a true adventure. J and I really had the best of both worlds there. Gorgeous hotels and great food on one hand and some great experiences with the local people and wilderness on the other. Here are some of the highlights:

We inadvertently caught the bloody tail end of a cock fight on our way through the slums of Sandakan...Only one bird left the ring.....

searched fantastic mountains and valleys for the world's biggest/smelliest flower: (rafflesia)....It uses flies as pollinators so I guess it has to smell funky or it wouldn't be able to breed....

tasted "the hottest" flavor ever in the spicy papaya snack we bought from a street vendor (honestly this mixture of fresh papaya, soy sauce, hot pepper and fish flakes was the hottest thing either of us had ever experienced!)...

Snorkeled on a great beach, although the Chinese people who stood on the coral were really getting on our nerves! I mean, it is pretty obvious that the thing will die if you stand on its food-gathering apparatus guys! If you are reading this blog, 10,000 shames on you!

saw an orangutan in the wild. We had expected many more! At first we thought it was a small child in a suit, but when Justyna smelled it's rafflesia-esque musk she knew it was fo' real!

...and walked through some fabulous rain forest canopies!

The conference was also great. I met up with some history teachers who are compiling their students' interviews with people (mostly grandparents) who had experienced WWII. Most of the teachers I met taught in countries whose children were decendents of WWII victims, so I think that my students (having many Japanese and half-Japanese kids) could contribute to the other side of this compilation, namely the Japanese agressors. First I have to get to WWII in my syllabus, but once I do, I plan to have my kids contribute as their final project. It could be tricky, as many Japanese veterans don't want to "lose face" by admitting their actions, but I think that the reality of the "history" in the students lives could really make the whole concept of history seem much more practicle and real to them. The project also tries to get Universities interested in putting the oral histories we will create in their archives so that could be a real experience as well!

Overall it was wonderful to have a break and the time away really made us appreciate the life we have back in Japan.

The New School

2009-03-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

On our way to Malaysia!

Video From Our Fabulous Trip to Malaysia!

2009-03-14T17:44:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is truly a paradise! Justyna and I spent most of our time dancing and chiling on the beach. Check out our video from the trip!

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Banjo Debut

2009-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Banjo got its first debut yesterday when a group of teachers from various Tokyo schools got together and played at the opening gala for "Artscape," a high school artwork exhibit. We are called "The Arteests" and we are kind of like "The Talking Heads" meets "The Doobie Brothers." The show went well although I learned two valuable lessons: Lesson #1: I look like a hedgehog when I play the banjo sitting down. Lesson #2: I need a microphone to sing into that is separate from my banjo mic.... Here are the "Arteests" playing a Talking Heads song:

"The Tuks," (seen below): A Country Rock group made up of Brad, Rachel, Jeff, Justyna and I
We were the only group to really get the crowd going!

The Food Issue

2009-02-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

Justyna and I have been eating and making a lot of food recently. We've also realized that food can be very beautiful when you take pictures of it. Here are some pictures of the morsels we have been making and enjoying lately.

Sauteed squid and pork belly with asparagus!!
I made this for dinner last week.
One of my best attempts ever!

salmon sashimi with pureed cilantro yogurt!
We had this tonight.

Justyna's steak with foie gras/wine sauce, beet gnocchi, roasted shallots, and peas.

Lobster cake in clear fish broth with herbs.
We ate this in Gora last weak. Best thing I've had in ages.

Bye Bye Cipek!

2009-02-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

Justyna's Brother Cipek recently came to visit with his lovely girlfriend. We had a blast eating and drinking and karaoke-ing our way across the Tokyo area. We also went to THE BEST Japanese hot spring resort ever! I can't do it justice so I will just post what Justyna remembered from the trip (See pics at the bottom):

Greetings from a very sunny Tokyo! Weather has been a bit bizarre recently with 23 Celsius one weekend to 4 Celsius by Friday though today (Sunday) it is chilly but very sunny, so just been out for a 8km run down the river.

Anyhow, we were blessed this week with a visit from my lovely brother, Adam (aka Cipek) and his beautiful girlfriend Karolina. Although it was a short visit, we managed to fit in an awful lot including a guided tour of what Tokyo has to offer, an early morning visit to Tsukiji fish market (again!) though this time we did see the tuna auction, an expensive cocktail at the top of Park Hayat 'Lost in Translation' Bar and a trip to Gora and Hakone. Adam and Karolina were also very brave trying things like raw chicken at one of our favourite izekayas, a tofu feast on valentines day and lots of fried chicken with all you can drink beer and sake at karaoke.

However by far the best experience was Gora and here is why;
Adam's arrival happened to coincide with our 4 day weekend which meant that after a full 5 days for them spent being tourists in Tokyo, and us having to be perfect hosts in the evening, we could all go and enjoy 'rural' Japan for a couple of days. We left Thursday morning on the Romancecar (the Japanese love snazzy little names for trains) and made our way to Hakone, about 1 and a half hours from Tokyo. From Hakone it took another 50 minutes by little switchback train up the mountain to Gora. It was an absolutely stunning day with blue skies (to a point) and en route one could actually see Mt Fuji covered in snow - a rare sight indeed at this time of the year.

We took the cable car up the mountain further to do the 'black eggs' experience- basically, because the mountain is very much alive with sulphur and other hot volcanic type activity, at the top there are amazing smells of farts and the Japanese decided best way to disguise the smell would be to cook eggs in the sulphur for tourists (which turn black) and then sell them. Well, ok, its not quite how it happens as I know there is a lot of spiritual things guiding this miracle, but still, it was lots of fun. The best example of 'engrish' can be found on the mountain though - imagine this, as you walk up to the hut that sells the eggs, and you pass by lots of sprouting hot springs, gases coming out of the mountain and a distinct smell of fart in the air, you reach a sign that shows the following;

" A lot of injurious volcanic gas may be found in this area, don't stop and stay here long and especially the person with the following condition are forbidden to enter: a person who is asthmatic and has a dedicate bronchus, a person of a weak constitution,a person who doesn't feel well exept for the above...conjuctivitis may occur in both your eyes, breathing this gas can be FATAL" (these are not my spelling mistakes, and note, conjuctivitis can occur in not just one, but both your eyes!)

Well, as you can imagine after such a warning, having bought and eaten our smelly eggs we promptly went back down the mountain to relax at the Gora Tensui ryokan which I had booked. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by mama-san who took our shoes and socks and made us sit at the bar for a welcome drink on the house. But this was not any bar, oh no, this was a bar that had its very own little foot onsen, called an ashi-buro. As soon as we had finished our very realxing pedicure drinks, Karolina and I got to choose our own kimono's which we would wear for the next two days and we made our way to our room. The five of us (Brendan joined us on this trip) then relaxed in the various onsen baths (there were 5 to choose from at the hotel; indoor, outdoor, sulphuric, rock baths and private rotenburo's overlooking the mountains) and got to know one another a bit better. It was fun getting to know my brothers girlfriend at the female onsen (Karolina in her very European manner did not blink an eye at getting naked together), and I know the boys also let it all hang out (so to speak) very quickly. The evening Kaiseki meal (about 10 little courses of the best ingredients) was absolutely spectacular prepared by master chef Sigekatu-waki, finished off by another dip in the ashi-buro bar eating strawberries, drinking cognac and smoking cigars (the boys).

Onsen are great and they really do relax you, although maybe sometimes too much - Adam and Triston went for another onsen late at night and by the time they got back expecting all of us to 'play games', Brendan, Karolina and I were fast asleep! Party animals we were not. I did however wake up early and snuck off with Triston to watch the sunrise (or what what left of it) from one of the onsen on the roof overlooking the mountains - just splendid! Anyhow, we all did some more much needed r&r for the rest of the stay and then made our way back to Tokyo for last minute shopping for Adam and Karolina, and finished off their visit with a very merry night at karaoke.

It was sad to see them go on Saturday morning, still slightly wobbly from the night before, but much was learnt from this visit:

1. Karolina learnt not to pour soy sauce over her soba noodles but to dip them into the dish with the sauce (following a disastrous spill of sauce at a restaurant all over the table, as the noodles are placed on a bamboo sieved-plate, over which Karolina poured her sauce very freely)
2. Adam learnt the beauty of karaoke although some karaoke etiquette still needs a further master class ( Adam: "I can't sing in this key, Triston - can you flatten it for me?" [five seconds later] Adam: "my voice does not sound good in this key, Triston can you make it sharper?" [ten minutes later] Adam:"Triston - what happened to 'Space Oddity 'which I put on? Why is it not coming on? Can you sort it out?" [Triston whispering to me ]"Your brother is quite demanding, isn't he?"[Justyna for once feel better that she is not the only demanding one])
3. Adam learnt how to order in Japanese:example 1 [Adam at a bar]: "One Naked Lady please!" [bartender] "Eh?" [Triston translates] "Nay-keh-doh ray-dee" [bartender] "Aaaah, hai!" [bartender hurries off to get drink]. Example 2 [Adam at McDonalds {yes, he had to go}] "Big Mac and cheeseburger please" [server] "Eh?" [Adam has now learnt japanese] "sumimasen, bee-guh-macc-uh and chees-uh-buhr-gher-uh kudasai!" [server] "Aaaah, hai!" [scurries off to prepare the feast]
4. Adam and Karolina learnt that toilets in Japan are much more exciting than anywhere else
5. Karolina learnt how to use chopsticks!
6. Triston learnt that all Jasiewicz family members can be moody
7. Triston learnt that all Jasiewicz family members can change their minds very quickly and don't require a reason to do so
8. Triston learnt that Adam can be tripped very easily and fall flat on his face in the middle of the street
9. Justyna still has no sense of humour
10. Whats more, she doesn't care!
Yukata Have Fun

Cipek and Tokyo Tori

All of us up at the Sulfur Pits

Crock-Pot Cookin' Some Justyna Stew.....

Sulfur-born Blackies Taste Good!

Blackie Kiss

The Coveted Obama Mask

2009-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Justyna's brother Adam was visitng during the last week and while showing them around the big Buddhist temple in Asakusa, I stumbled upon the mask that so many Japanese people are apparently buying:"The Obama Mask." According to Japanese TV, citizens from Tokyo to Obama (the Japanese city which shares the President's name) are wild about this new mask. To be honest, the mask does not really bare any likeness to Obama. This is why I didn't buy one, but our friend Brad (an Obama fanatic) did happen to buy one and even made a video using it (here is the link http://thewhitesintokyo.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-birthday-maaa.html ). This all just goes to show that Obama is a charismatic guy whose message of change is inspiring even the remotest parts of Japan!

PICTURE OF THE DAY!!!!

2009-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

No one told me this, but apparently this tokyo website thought that my picture was the best picture around Japan on October 3rd 2008!!!! Isn't that cool!?

I remember sending it it to a magazine, but I didn't send it to this website....

Oh well, it is a pretty good picture I guess!

Check out my 15 megapixels of fame under the entry for Oct. 3, 2008: http://www.japantoday.com/archive/picture-of-the-day/page/7

Oh yeah, and the comments are cool too...

Nothin' Like Nagano

2009-02-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

J and I went to Nagano for a nice weekend of skiing. It was great to get away and the hotel we stayed at had the nice hot spring baths of course! Can't relax after a week of school without some onsen to soak in! The first day was quite rainy down in the village where we were, but up at the top of the mountain, the powder was sweet until you got about half the way down. Justyna and I had a ball. The second day it was snowing when we woke up so we knew that up on the mountain the conditions must be even better. It was! We got up to the top early and enjoyed amazing powder snow all day. For non-skiers who want to know "what is so cool about powder snow?": honestly, it is just smoother and softer than sticky slush or icy packed snow. You'll have to trust me on this one. Although it took three hours to get (bullet train for 2 and rickety country train for 1) it was totally worth it!!!! Now we kind of have ski fever and we are thinking about another shorter (cheaper) trip in March.....

Working Likes Dogs Grading Papers

2009-01-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

Tsukiji v. Gaijin

2009-01-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Recently, my buddies Brad and Rachel alerted me that our favorite fish market (see previous entry "Tsukijier Said Than Done") Tsukiji was closed to the public for a one month period in response to various incidents of gaijin being pests and getting in the way of the market employees. I noticed the last time I was there that the fish merchants and auctioneers were a bit wary of talking to us and occasionally rude. After all, there are an increasingly large amount of gaijin pointing cameras in their faces and generally getting in the way of their Star Wars-esque people movers. To make matters worse with this edgy band of fishmongers, a gaijin was recently caught kissing a prize tuna (10,000 dollars) and setting his camera on another prize tuna to get the perfect shot. I understand that occasionally the Japanese are a bit rigid and uptight, but gaijin really need to start showing more respect for this traditional way of life here in Tokyo. There is a reason gainjin flock to this fish market, it is something unique and remarkable that only happens at Tsukiji. When you run roughshod over the rules of the place, with no respect for tradition or culture, you spoil it for everyone.

Here is a link to another article:http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/22/1756719.aspx

Spare Me My Life

2009-01-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here is the Japanese English Aerobics lesson from the 80’s that inspired me to break Rachel and Brad’s lamp (sorry). It teaches young Japanese women what phrases to use when they are inevitably attacked by gaijin on their foreign vacations in English speaking countries. No wonder the Japanese think other countries are so dangerous!

Chef Doggy Teaches Us to Make ShabuShabu

2009-01-20T22:24:00.001-08:00

This is a must for winter in Japan and any place cold!

My New International Music Collaberation Project

2009-01-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

I have this awesome idea: All my friends from around the world record themselves all playing the same song on youtube or skype. Then, I splice them together on my recording equipment as though we are a band and post is on you-tube as the first ever internationally-playing, web-based band! Unfortunately this group of people from Japan, Canada, France, USA, Holland and Australia has beat me too it. The result of what they've done is really sweet, though occationally hokey...

...Nonethless...there is something truly heartwarming here.....

Goon Proves Engrish to be Arive and Werr in Japan

2009-01-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Browsing through a grocery store a few weeks back, I came across this amazing new diaper line for toddlers. "Goon" promises to keep your little goon "dry and active." Just the kind of tough-guy guarantee you'd expect from a nappy named after a type of thug or bully-like character. More "Engrish" to come in the future.

Mid-year Exam Shivers

2009-01-14T17:46:00.001-08:00

EXAMS
It is midyear exam time here and everyone is busy. The humanities department has our exams on the last of three exam days. Everyone is upset because (this is true) humanities teachers usually have more to grade because we (the good ones at least) try to improve our students' writing skills by having them write. This takes longer to grade of course. By putting us last for exams, it means that we can't spend the other exam days grading our writing-intensive stuff. I mean really, I've seen the science and math teachers "grade" their exams! They put the stack of scan tron papers in the machine and the smooth tray gently sends each one through. When they are all done gliding through the machine, the "grading" is over. These are the teachers who should have their exams last!
Enough Shop Talk

CORE TEMPS
And now for my theory of core temperature thermodynamics. Having lived in Japan without central heating two different times, I can now safely say that human core temperatures are greatly affected by the lack of central heating. The proof for me was last week when Justyna and I first arrived back from Mom and Dad's centrally-heated house in Carmel. I woke up and walked around the sub-zero house in my underwear without getting a chill at all, even though the heater on the wall was off (as it is every night). This was the case for the first few days. But then, all-of-a-sudden, I started scampering to the toilet in the middle of the night and bundling up as I watched TV after school. No, the actual temperature in the house did not decrease. It has always been jsut above freezing. What has happened (and I am now sure of this) is that my core temperature went down. Think of your core temperature as a little fire that burns inside of you and keeps you warm. The fire needs rejuvenation to keep its temperature up, and this is provided by living in centrally heated homes and working in centrally heated buildings. When those sources of rejuvenation are lost, like in Japan where both home and work are not centrally heated, then your core temp slowly decreases to the point where you are constantly chilly. In the age of environmental awareness, it seems excessive to constantly have the hot air blasting as we do back home in North America. The fossil fuels that are wasted, just so we don't feel chilly, can seem like they are being used for an unnecessary luxury. But having your core temp lowered may make you think twice about this. Perpetual chilliness is not a state I would recommend, but at least I think I know what the science is behind it all. Brrrrrrr.......

Bluegrass Jams, Russian Dances, Games Games Games!

2009-01-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

I was jogging yesterday, down the newly paved streets of Brighton Avenue, and it finally hit me that I was leaving, that this fabulous gathering of friends and relatives was over and Justyna and I were heading back to Tokyo. It was a very sad moment.

This has been one of the best Christmas times that I can remember. Jamming and then performing with Steve and Nancy on their newly mastered instruments, going to Lucas Oil with Mike and Curt, dancing to Katyusha with the entire McMillan clan + Luda and Justyna, watching the Colts with Dan, Anna and Keppler, singing the duet with Justyna at least 47 times, and of course the games, all the glorious games!

Justyna fit in right away and some of my best memories are serving the McMillan clan all of her amazing Polish yuletide treats, thanks to help from cousins Adman and Brad of course. And how could I forget Adam's Wii! It wouldn't have been the same without that. I was so glad the Clarks had one to play with on New Years Day. Mat and Nora, that was the best game of "Getting to Know You" that I have ever played! You are awesome! It was the perfect storm with Bryce, Lorna, Steve, and Nancy all contributing to the collective creativity. Lastly, thanks to Fart Machine for gracing us with your powerful presence whenever there was a pregnant silence to fill with your glory! It wouldn't have been the same without you either!

Now it is back to school and back to a new regimen of working out and eating tofu. I will let you know how that goes. In the mean time, here is something for you to look at. Our friend Brad White made his own version of the "Killers" music video for "Read my Mind." I make a few cameo appearances in it as the drummer. It was filmed in our hood, so it gives you an idea of where we live.

Here is Brad's version:

Here is the link to the original for comparison.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oec8RuwVVs&feature=PlayList&p=3072E8D5F47616BD&playnext=1&index=85

Brad is a pretty good cinematographer don't yo think?!

Farewell Reg-Meister

2008-12-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to Regis yesterday morning. It has been such a blast having him in Tokyo for the past four months or so. It truly won't be the same without him: His artistic eye for detail, his sense of humor (one of the few people in the world who agrees with me about what is funny), and his reaction to my jokes--the perfect barometer by which to measure my skills.

Regis has compiled a video of all his pictures and a lot of his video footage from his stay here in Japan. It is really a great window into Tokyo and Justyna and I are lucky enough to make a few cameo appearances too.

Goodbye Reg-meister!
See you in Lyon!

Christmas in Tokyo

2008-12-09T05:08:00.000-08:00

The rosemary Christmas tree is trimmed and the Kagoshima driftwood tree has its lights on that we bought at the 100yen store! Its Christmas in Tokyo! I must say that, for a people who claim to be mostly Buddhist and partly Shintoist, the Japanese seem like they could have invented Christmas. As soon as Dec. 1st hit, there were Christmas songs in every store and lights all over the place. The Japanese word for Christmas light display is "irumineishyon!" and the locals are always flocking to this years best lights. Usually it involves a sub-par tree and a few pokemon dolls with very gimpy lights thrown in, but "irumineishyon!" never fails to enthrall the revelers. On the subway trains, there is even a Christmas tree contest showing various Christmas trees decorated from around Tokyo. It is aptly titled: "I love you! Tree" What can I say, its the most wonderful time of the year and I can't wait to be back in Indy! Only 9 more days!

Tsukijier Said than Done

2008-11-28T03:52:00.000-08:00

Waking up at 3:45am is always hard, especially after hanging out with the boys. But any gaijin is capable of doing it if they know that they get to go to Tsukiji fish market: largest fish market in the world, and supplier of sushi to most of central Japan. We went with Mike and Dan two weeks back and we decided to take Regis there this morning, as he is heading back to France in a few weeks.
You could say that Tsukiji is in my blood. My dad was probably the gaijin who visited the fish market most frequently in all of Tokyo during his five years working here. I am sure if he showed up there today all the old-timers would recognize him. I went with Bryce a few times and was not really in to it back in the late 90's, but now that I am an adult, I really can see why he was so excited by it. Acres upon acres of exotic fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and seaweed species you've never seen before...most of it is alive and crawling, squirming, and squirting. Giant tuna being auctioned in giant hangar-like rooms; one section for frozen tuna from the Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans, and the other for fresh tuna caught close to Japan. Most of the tuna are the size of deer and have their tails sliced off so the whole-salers can sample the meat with their picks and figure out what kind of a price they want to offer.
Regis, in his usual magical way, was able to capture the moments we all shared this morning. Brendan and his friend Julie (visiting from Korea) came along and we all had sushi for breakfast when we were done. Dan and Mike will want to watch the video, as we followed basically the same route that we did two weeks back.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tsukiji 4 AM
envoyé par cheribibiz

"Japanese Only"

2008-11-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

Japan is, for the most part, the land of opportunities if you happen to be a gaijin. The perks of being a foreigner far outweigh the cons. Where else in the world can a guy who looks like Harry Potter be considered a sex symbol or a guy with very limited acting and social skills make it to the pinnacle of Japanese show business simply because he is not Japanese?!

(Below: Patrick Harlan, an American celebrity here in Japan. He started out as an English teacher and has an entire show devoted to documenting his zany gaijin life!)

The "zeros-to-heroes" story is demonstrated to the casual observer everyday here in Tokyo. Television is full of goofy foreigners who wouldn't even dream of being on the tube back home where their skin color is not a novelty. A comic strip that is popular among expat teachers features a super hero named "Charisma Man" who has no powers of seduction and charm on his "...home planet of Canada."

(click to enlarge)

Rarely do people experience the dark underbelly of gaijin life in Japan. People are so polite and courteous that you don't seem to notice it at all. But every so often, you come across a sign like this:

Regis and I saw this sign when we were in Ikebukuro. Granted, it was in front of a porno/prostitution shop, so any gaijin who wanted to go in here is probably not the type of gaijin I would want to associate with. Nonetheless, in an age when politics in the USA has "transcended race," and discrimination issues seem to be associated exclusively with the third world, finding a sign that bars you from a business because of your race in a developed country like Japan is a bit disturbing.

Apparently these signs are not so uncommon. Scanning articles on the web and in periodicals over the years, many restaurants, bathhouses, adult video stores, prostitution venues and beauty salons in Japan have signs barring gaijin. Rowdy gaijin clientele with different drinking and eating habits most likely precipitated the restaurants to bar foreigners. The xenophobic association of foreigners with STDs on the part of the Japanese is probably the most likely cause of video stores and prostitution houses to hang the signs. Bathhouses are notorious for having the Japanese only rule because the foreign customers (usually military guys from the USA or Russia) show up drunk and do things in the "pure" water that quickly make it impure.

It is easy to dismiss these racist signs as just a part of the quirky "Japanese culture." Many foreigners often say: "Hey, we are guests in their country! Who are we to judge?" But shouldn't we have standards that we hold all countries to? Are human rights and human needs different when you cross an arbitrary border? I don't think so! Japan needs to get rid of these signs if it ever wants to be considered a true modern democracy! I am not saying we should organize a "bath-in" at the local bathhouse that prohibits gaijin from entering, but I am saying that we should be diligent watchdogs for these "Japanese Only" signs and criticize them publicly whenever we get a chance.

SHIBUYA!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-16T03:54:00.000-08:00

"Shibuya" is the name of one of the many downtowns of Tokyo and it is also an exclamation (Shi-boooooo-ya!!!")that was invented by Dan, Mike and I to describe the undescribable sights, sounds and tastes that have been the hallmark of this past week. From the largest fish market in the world to the sulfur-spewing mountains where Japan's shogun warlords once vacationed, we have covered a lot of ground and consumed many an Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Yebisu and....of course NOBU KUREEKU!!!

Dan and Mike surprised me with their fearless sampling of raw chicken sashimi, chicken skin with shiso leaf, boiled octopus, salty breakfast fish, cold fish cake, and many more exotic and texturally disconcerting foods. They have also impressed me with their interest in the customs and etiquette of this strange land I currently call home.

Here are some of the highlights from the extremely busy seven days:

Raw chicken gizzard (center) ringed by raw chicken breast.
(click the picture to enlarge and see the freshness of the meat!)

Dan uninhibitedly trying the raw chicken breast

Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo

Out at a Restaurant in Shinjuku

The "Romance Car" observation deck we sat in on our train ride to Hakone

Three samurai ready for a soak in the sulfur spring bath

Our feast at the hotel

Relaxing after our Ryokan feast

Mike, Dan and I became very close during their stay here in Japan.

After a walk, outside our ryokan in gora.

Mike at Hakone Shrine

Sacred Tree at Hakone Shrine (another sacred tree is pictured up at the top of the page)

One of the guardian lions at Hakone Shrine

Return to Kagoshima

2008-11-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

No, we haven't joined a cult! We are wearing white because we are bathing in a shinto shrine hot spring!

Justyna and I took advantage of our 4-day weekend and flew down to Kagoshima, where I taught english for 2 years. We climbed volcanoes in Kirishima, stayed on the active volcano island of Sakurajima (see title picture), returned to the village of Hiwaki where my post-adolescent Japanese adventures began five years ago, and went to the beach where I spent most of my afternoons with Nick, Karen, and Liz back when I was a layed-back, semi-employed JET.

Seeing the gorgeous sea and mountains of Kag made me remember why it felt so magical to live there. Hidden valleys, tiny villages cut off from the hustle and bustle of modern Japan, sulfurous gases bursting from volcanic vents, other-wordly crators, gorgeous coves and bays, piping hot onsen where you can spend the afternoon relaxing in the remedial water, and delicious regional food like raw chicken with ginger (torisashi), stewed pork, and Satsuma fish cakes.

Aside from a flat tire (which we had to change and pay for according to Japanese rental ettiquette), a general bloated feeling from all the food, and an excursion to a neighboring village that was tainted by a slight hangover, the trip was absolutely wonderful!

Too much food!

Furusato Onsen @ Night!

Late Night Ramen: A Must in Hiwaki

My Taiko Drumming friends sure know how to wlecome back a former member!

My Old House (center)
No one has lived there since I left three years ago!
My garbage and posters were still visible through the windows....

Kirishima Crater Lake (as seen from the top of Mt. karakuni)

The Day Celio Joined the Band

2008-10-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to put a faculty band together for the past few weeks. There are many talented teachers at the school and I think it would be neat to get together and perform at some school functions or at some of the many venues around Tokyo. Last night was our third practice and we got a lot done. Celio (the school's Brazilian soccer coach) brought over his recording equipment and drum machine and we were able to record one of Brad's songs (Brad is a 2nd grade teacher) and also record a take of a song Brad Rachel, Justyna and I sing called "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once" (I recommend the movie to anyone who likes music and movies). Hopefully, with a little hard work and luck, we will be able to perform many shows in the spring once we get our repoitoire down.

Really getting into it!

The drum machine

Drinkable Signs of Atumn

2008-10-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Japan, the country with the most vending machines per-capita in the world, does something very unique every year when fall arrives. In addition to the official "start wearing long-sleeves" day, and the official "close the window day" (every office has one), Japan has an official day when all the vending machines begin to offer hot drinks instead of just the cold drinks that are offered during the summer and spring. Just like everything else in this country which prizes uniformity above all, the switch from cold aloe ball drink to hot corn soup beverage happens virtually over night! So, when I went to get a coke during my break today, oblivious to the changing leaves and cool bite in the air, I was unaware of the arrival of the fall until I saw the red strip underneasth the bottow row of drinks in the vending machine. Usually blue (signifying "cold"), the switch to a red strip meant that now hot milk tea, canned coffee, barley tea, and corn soup beverage are now available! Fall has officially arrived in Japan!

The Story of Oden

2008-10-19T23:51:00.001-07:00

Now that the air has become crisp in the mornings here in Tokyo, I am starting to see the steaming cauldrons of Oden at every konbini (convienience store) I go to. Oden is a very simple stew that Japanese people eat in the fall and winter. It consists of a varied assortment of items that float in a fish broth and stew there for days. The way to eat Oden involved grabbing the floating thingy with chopsticks and dipping in in hot mustard. Oden really refers to the floating things, but there are many many types. Cabbage rolls, fish cakes, sausages, eggs, tofu chunks, fried tofu puffs, konyaku (gelatinized root vegetable), there are literally hundreds of kinds of Oden. My favorite is the cabbage roll one.

So far this year I have made Oden 4 times already. I usually make a fish broth by going to our local fish store (a guy and his elderly parents) who give me bunch of fish heads and scrap pieces for very cheap. I make a broth by cooking those fish parts with onions, soy sauce, mirin (cooking sake), sugar and a dash of sesame oil. After the broth is done, I put in the floaty guys (whichever oden I can get my hands on). Most come pre-made at the supermarket accross the street, but others--like the cabbage rolls and "treasure bags" (tofu pouches stuffed with pork), take some time to make.

Here is my Oden that I made last night!

Most ingredients are available in the States at your local asian food store, especially during this time of year, so I encourage you all to try and make some. Justyna says it reminds her of polish stews, which of course have cabbage rolls that are quite similar. If you would like a tutorial on how to make Oden, check out this amazing online cooking show! Despite what the title may suggest, this is not a show about how to cook dog! The dog is the host of the cooking show!
Check it out!

NEW FOOTAGE OF TRIP TO THE BEACH

2008-10-08T23:42:00.003-07:00

See New Footage of the Teachers' Trip to the Beach Below!

My New Gaijin Hero

2008-10-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

Being a Gaijin in Japan is a very strange experience. Some days you feel like Leonardo DeCaprio must feel when he walks into the Cannes film festival: popular, sexually objectified, uber-cool. Japanese women want you and Japanese men want to drink with you. Other days you feel like Sammy Davis Jr. must have felt when he entertained down in the Mississippi clubs: unsure if the good-ol'-boys are laughing with you or at you. Children stare at you in a way that is normally reserved for zoo animals or pets.

As exotic members of the fringe, gaijin can get away with many things that normal Japanese can't, but gaijin can be discriminated against and talked down to in subtle ways as well. For example, although I love my dry-cleaning lady to death, she always addresses me as though I am a 12-year-old boy. When I ask her what time I can pick up my cloths, she always says: "Oh my, you can speak Japanese so well, aren't you a clever boy!" This type of patronizing treatment wears on you after a while. After 7 years of attempting to perfect my Japanese, the kind of recognition someone like me really wants is no recognition. Blending in means I have achieved my goal. But Gaijin will always be recognized in one way or another. For me I am content with this arrangement. I can play along and endure the occasional condescension or discrimination if it means I can camp for free, get special treatment at bars/restaurants, summon all the firemen from the entire ward without any repercussions, etc. Nonetheless, like all gaijin, I have some resentment in the back of my mind.

It is because of this latent disgruntlement that gaijin always love it when they hear about one of their kind "sticking it to the man" in Japan. "Did you hear about John's scam where he photo-copied his friend's train pass and used the subway free of charge for a year?! What a concept!" "Hey, did you hear about Mary? She puts all five categories of garbage in the same unofficial bag and just throws it in the neighborhood bin! She never gets caught, its so cool!"...These types of comments are often heard at gaijin gatherings. Entire mythologies are built around gaijin heroes who beat the Japanese system through their own gaijin cunning. I remember a story that was circulating back in Kagoshima when I was teaching down there. Apparently this British English teacher a few years earlier was stopped for speeding (50 kmph over speed limit) and he avoided getting a ticket by telling the officer: "Nihon wo taberu..." which means: "I eat Japan...." I guess the officer thought that, judging by this bizarre statement, the British guy was so bad at Japanese that it wasn't worth the headache of going through the paperwork to write him a ticket! That British teacher, for beating the system in such a charming way, was immortalized as a local hero for years after that within the Kagoshima gaijin community.

...Which brings me to my most recent gaijin hero: "The Naked Briton"
Yesterday, a British tourist stuck it to the man in a very creative way: He swam naked in the moat of the the Japanese Imperial Palace!!! (see article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1071811/Pictured-Naked-Briton-arrested-going-swim-Tokyos-sacred-Imperial-Palace-moat.html )

I have often thought what it would be like to swim in that dark, cold moat, but I never thought I would see a gaijin actually doing it! The authorities reported that they were "checking the mental status" of the Naked Briton, but every gaijin knows that he is probably just a stable, healthy gaijin who wanted to go for a dip. Needless to say, he will no doubt be immortalized as a hero of the gaijin community for years to come. Gaijin need these kinds of heroes to remind them that they are not alone in feeling the urge to throw a wrench into the "efficient system" of Japan, a system that both elevates and belittles us foreigners simultaneously. Way to go "Naked Briton"!

No Reservations

2008-10-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago the new teachers and Regis ventured out into the unknown. We rented the school's van and headed south to the Izu peninsula. We had no reservations at a hotel and no real plan. Our only goal was to find a beach. I had been to the southern part of the the Izu peninsula (Shimoda) as a kid and I remembered how beautiful it was. So this time we headed for the western part of the peninsula where there aren't many roads or train lines, expecting the beaches there to be even more spectacular and untouched.

The day started off rainy as Justyna and I traveled around suburban Tokyo picking up Regis (at the station), Brenden, Brad, Rachel, and Trisha (an elementary teacher who was new last year). By the time we were all loaded up, it was still only 8:30 or so. After a confusing stop at Starbucks during which a caramel frapuccino (grande size) was somehow lost in translation, we finally got on the road. Justyna turned out to be one of the fastest drivers the TOmei expressway has ever seen. I was trying to tune into the presidential debates on my I-phone and I lost track of the road. We missed our exit.

The sky was still overcast when we pulled into McDonald's at around 10:45. We were all a bit peckish and many of us wanted to try the "moon-viewing burger" which is this new, limited-edition burger from McDonalds (September is "moon-viewing" season in Japan). The burger consists of a hamburger paddie with an egg on top of it, cheese, bacon, and special sauce. It kind of tastes like those lazy Sunday evenings when you decide to cook breakfast at night.

After that pitstop we made good time down the peninsula. It was chilly and cold as we ascended the central mountains of the Izu, but when we got to the west side it became warm and sunny. We quickly found a nice cove with a sandy beach and went for a swim. I invented what I call a "Kentuckiana Cooler" (cardboard box lined with two trashbags, filled with ice) and so cold beverages were plentiful as we swam.

We notices that there was an expensive campsite beside the beach so we set up our tents a few meters outside the campsite and it magically became free! Gaijin know these things. It was probably "against the rules" to swim after the close of swimming season and the campfire we created was probably also not kosher, but the rule of thumb here is: Do it and play dumb if the authorities show up (see articles entitled: "Kajiiiiiii!").

Well, the authorities did show up, during the middle of our inebriated rendition of "Hey Jude." Everyone was singing at the top of their' lungs, Brad was on his African drum, and many people were percussing with sticks and bottles. Two bashful police officers suddenly became visible in the firelight. We all played dumb with impressive skill. It was almost as though playing dumb was second nature to us all. No one let on that any of us spoke Japanese, and we peppered them with positive comments about Japan and life as a gaijin--classic strategy. "We love Japan!,".... "We are teachers in Tokyo!" .... "We love Tokyo!".... "Japanese beaches are so nice!," we were working the cops like a squad of veteran gypsies! At the end of our crescendo of English positivity, the police told us that the fire was a "bit bright" (bright fires are apparently a big problem in this part of Japan), they told us to be careful and left (the typical response of the authorities to this kind of play-dumb strategy).

The next day was wonderful. I woke up early and started a fire. The ocean was still misty and everyone on the beach was still asleep. Justyna woke up soon after and we boiled some water for my french press. The coffee that morning was one of the best cups I've had in a long time.

The drive home was an adventure. We took these narrow roads up some of the highest mountains on the peninsula. There were also some interesting engineering marvels to behold. For example, there was a corkscrew-shaped highway connector that took you straight up a sheer cliff! Regis was fascinated by this and it is the only video he has posted of the entire trip!

Loupy Loupla
Uploaded by cheribibiz

NEW FOOTAGE OF THE TRIP BY REGIS!!

TEACHERS
Uploaded by cheribibiz

Sumo Memories

2008-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I went to sumo yesterday with Regis. It was so exciting to see the giant men during the intimidation round where they grunt, posture and throw sacred shinto clarifying salt in order to intimidate their opponents.
Then the real battle begins....and ends in a few seconds. The train station was filled with giant pictures of old sumo yokozunas and the surrounding neighborhood sported various restaurants that specialize in "chanko nabe" a rich soup that the sumo wrestlers eat daily in order to maintain their girth. Why aren't these guys being checked for "metabo"?

A Gaijin face?

Yes......

.....and what a good wedgy-giver this gaijin is! Many foreigners are getting good at sumo and are rising through the ranks of sumodom by executing moves just like this:

"Hey guys, be nice!"

Being back at a sumo tournament really brought the memories of fighting the frail 60-year-olds of my village during the numerous sumo tournaments down in Kagoshima when I was teaching english. I bet those geriatric farmers haven't eaten dirt in quite the same way since then! I am planning a trip back to Kagoshima for fall break. Is there a chance it could coincide with the Hiwaki fall sumo tournament?! Could the former Yokozuna of Hiwaki village (a gaijin no less--que the village elders huffing and saying "eeeehhhhh?" in disbelief) come back to town and reclaim his title? We'll see!

Their only crime is being old!

Old!!!!

Guess what happened when I fought this young guy from a different village...
You are right, I lost!

Tokyo Honky Tonkin'

2008-09-22T15:18:00.001-07:00

Wow, talk about surreal! This past Saturday I went to a "country saloon" located in the suburbs, just two stops from my train station in Todoroki. They had swinging doors, a juke box and a bar stool. They also had ashtrays with spurs on 'em! The goal of the night was to play a few songs for their open mic night, but I ended up befriending the house band and playing songs with them and other performers! What really got the ball rolling was when I started out the night with "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" by Willie Nelson. From that moment on, everything ran quite smoothly. The house band specializes in bluegrass and their harmonies and pickin' skills amazed me. They have played together since high school so I guess that's why the are so darn tight! Here's Regis's video

Country Desho
Uploaded by cheribibiz

but you can also check it out on his website: http://rapdp.free.fr/projet204/
It is called "Projet 204" because that is his room number in the gaijin house where he lives. Three years ago, when we lived together, I was 201 or 203 (can't remember) and he was 202, so if you want to check out that blog, you have to look up "Projet 202."

The Yodeling Queen

2008-09-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

On Friday the German Embassy put on an Oktoberfest celebration. Though it was raining heavily outside (Typhoon), inside the bountiful tent there was ritual toasting, dancing, sausage-eating, and yodeling. The "Yodeling Queen" even came from Germany and during her last number she came right into the crowd and yodeled in front of us! I was stunned at how flawlessly she was able to yodel despite the throngs of Japanese fans who kept swarming her. Again, with characteristic artistry, Regis captured the moment perfectly!!!

Oktober Fest
Uploaded by cheribibiz

Valley of the Nightingales

2008-09-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Regis (with whom I lived in 2005 when I was working at the Canadian Embassy) is back in town and boy did we have a good reunion experience! He lives in this neighborhood called Uguisudani (Valley of the Nightingales) where there are a lot of love hotels (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel ) and a lot of good little restaurants. Regis is a great film maker and he is constantly documenting everything that happens around him. I was surprised to find that he put together a short film using the footage he took of our reunion night. It was a great little yakitori restaurant with only six seats and the owner asked if I would sing them a karaoke song. The movie really captures the moment. I should get Regis to document my life more often!

KROK
Uploaded by cheribibiz

McMetabo

2008-09-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

The new problem here in Japan, aside from "chikan" or "perverts" who harass women on the train system, is "metabo." There are articles every week in the local and international newspapers complaining about how the rate of "metabo" is increasing throughout Japan. (see article: http://news.scotsman.com/world/Metabo-tightens-belts-in-land.4186840.jp) The term "metabo" comes from the English word "metabolism." Japanese doctors measure "metabo" (and I know this because I was tested for it) by putting a special measuring tape around your waist and calculating your waste-to-height ratio. If your food-baby is too corpulent (like mine is) you are deemed "metabo" which I guess means that you are metabolically deficient or are eating more calories than your "metabo" can handle.

"Metabo" is the new buzz word, but the problem of obesity in Japan goes back decades. A few years ago, doctors and journalists noticed something alarming. Okinawa, Japan's southern-most prefecture, had the world's highest rate of people over 100-years-old but its youngsters were the fattest in all of Japan. (see article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2006/09/04/wjapan04.xml) The finger was quickly pointed at the US army and naval bases that are all over that island. The bases sport large numbers of American fast food joints that lure local Japanese kids in for a belly bomb and some grease rockets after school and on the weekends. Although I agree that American-style fast food is bad for you, I noticed something at my local McDonald's that caused everything to be illuminated. Japan has an item on its McDonald's menu that the USA does not: the "Mega Maku," a Big Mac with twice the hamburger patties!

Japan's youth has been gorging itself silly with twice the fake meat of a normal Big Mac for....who knows how long. I predict that future nutritionists will look back at the advent of the "Mega Maku" in Japan as the beginning of the end for Japan's once-coveted status as the world's largest producer of healthy centenarians!

Digital Chicken Soup for the Gaijin Soul

2008-09-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been a bit homesick so I have taken up the strange habit of using google maps to go to places I miss and using the "street view" feature to have a gander at the surroundings. I am not sure how google gets these panorama pics but it is very impressive and comforting. Here is the picture they have of my parent's house in Carmel. What year was this taken? You can tell based on Dad's famous flower arrangement by the mailbox!
View Larger MapTry clicking the image and moving it around. Pretty cool eh?!

Shinto Thin Air

2008-09-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

"only Fuji knows,
how hard breathing has become.
slowed feet crunch pumice...."

--Haiku by: Tori Maku, Early 21st Century, Japan

I was jogging along the Tama River a few days ago when I noticed a mushroom-like shape jutting up out of a mountain chain in the distance. After staring at it for a while, I realized that it was the perfectly conical top of Mount Fuji. It is rare to see Fuji in the summer, as it is so hazy most of the time, so I felt quite lucky to see my favorite mountain peaking out as I ran.

Just a few days earlier I never wanted to see Fuji again. We started climbing at around 8pm on last Friday night. Most normal teachers at 8pm in Tokyo were probably about to relax for a post-school-week cocktail or head off to bed after an exhausting five days. Bucking convention like a malnourished rodeo clown, Tokyo Tori and friends decided to embark on a 12-hour journey that would take us to the top of Japan's tallest mountain, into sub-zero temperatures and low oxygen zones, and back again with no sleep whatsoever!

The climb was exhilarating and, at times, grueling (for me and Brendan...not necessarily for the Sherpa-woman Justyna who was always way ahead of us). We drove up to the 5th station (9 total) and hiked the rest. There were huts along the way that sold hot drinks and beer. We chose beer (still jovial) at the first hut and hot drinks (no longer jovial, very cold) at the second one we stopped at.

The mountain was completely deserted until 2am when all the huts became Japanese clown cars with hundreds of hikers spewing out of them in record time. It was almost as if there were tunnels beneath the huts that held more and more people. There was potential for a WW2 joke about the Japanese and their tendency to spring en mass from hidden tunnels ("banzai!") but the air had become so thin at this point that I had no energy left for creative thinking! Honestly, the lack of air feels like you have a water-soaked cloth over your head and no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get a satisfying breath.

We finally reached the top and passed through the Shinto Tori (sacred gate to mark a beautiful natural spot in the Shinto religion) at around 4:30, which gave us a chance to find a good spot to view the sunrise at 5:15. It was a gorgeous sunrise and we were enthralled to see some form of light after almost 8 hours of climbing through the dark. Because it was -3 or so at the top and the vendors up there do not sell hot soup past the end of August, we stayed for just a short while and then began our descent (see title picture at top). It was a great trip and I will take anyone who's interested back to the top....as long as you pay for the oxygen tank and the donkey.

Food Find #1: Best School Lunch....In The World!

2008-09-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Many of my fellow teachers don't agree with me, but I would argue that our school has one of the best school lunches out there. Various entrees that mix Asian and Western cuisine in ways you could never imagine. My brothers and I (having attended St. Mary's) loved the school lunch and our favorite was the school chef's unique take on lasagna. Delicately baked noodles and meat sauce with crispy cheese ladled over top of piping hot saffron rice. When you visit me in Tokyo, the school cafeteria is a must for anyone wishing to taste heaven on a plate.

Semi no Koe (The Voice of the Cicadas)

2008-09-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

"So still . . . into the rocks it pierces, the cicada-shrill"
-Haiku by Basho (late 1600's)

I wish this was the case here in Tokyo, but the cicada situation outside my classroom is much more intense. Sometimes it is so loud I can barely lecture over it!

Kaji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-31T23:35:00.001-07:00

Justyna and I both live in the same apartment building and--being new teachers--we decided to throw a housewarming party and invite a lot of our teachers and administrators. I was very excited at the opportunity to cook and decided I would make various kinds of yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) on my balcony. I couldn't find a proper BBQ so I bought a grill (just the top part) and lit some coals on fire in a wok. The idea was to put the grill over the wok and use it like a little hibachi (I had seen some Japanese guy do a similar thing on Iron Chef). I went out to my balcony, lit the coals (self-igniting), and let the initial fire burn down as I busied myself inside putting the chicken on the skewers. Ten minutes later, Justyna came up to my place (4th floor) from her's (2nd floor) and said that something was going on outside. I went out to the balcony and was stunned to see a horrified crowd of at least 30 people who had assembled outside my apartment building. The frantic way they were pointing at the sky and shouting hysterically conjured up images of the frenzied crowd in "Godzilla," horrified in the streets of Tokyo, pointing and yelling "GOJIRAAA!!!!" The only difference was that these people were yelling "Kaji!!!!!"

Kaji means many things in Japanese, but the most obvious one is "fire." I looked up at the top of my building and then over at the surrounding apartments and I didn't see any fire. Then I realized that they must be talking about my little wok and the decent amount of smoke the coals were creating. I quickly held up the wok and told the crowd not to worry. "No fire here," I said in Japanese. "Just burnt a hamburger..." I had to lie, as barbecuing is frowned upon in Japan because the smoke can bother people in the apartments above you. I live on the top floor, so I never thought this would be an issue. Nonetheless, I thought I should project the image of a helpless victim of cooking circumstance rather than that of a blatant illegal-griller.

The crowd continued to grow and, despite my physically showing them the extent of their "fire" by hold my wok aloft for them to see from four floors up, they continued to shout "Kaji!!!!!!" in almost a mindless chant. Seeing that this situation (people yelling "fire!" in a crowded metropolis) was a bad one, I doused the wok with a cup of water and ran downstairs to have a face-to-face with the frenzied fire-fearers. That proved to be equally pointless. By the time I got down to the main floor, the water I had poured on the flames had created a bellow of steam which, from far a way (and if you happened to be a frenzied old lady in my neighborhood) looked like even more smoke. So as I am trying to make eye contact with these neighbors, they are looking above me and continuing their cries: "KAJIIIIIII!" Straight out of "Godzilla." At that point I started to see the futility in using reason with these folks so I said good night and went up to my apartment to put the rest of the coals out.

About ten minutes after I extinguished all the coals is when I started to hear the sirens. I thought it must have something to do with the flooding that has been going on in our area (lots of rain lately). The sirens got louder and louder and seemed to be coming from every direction. It didn't occur to me that they might all be coming to my house until a neighbor came over and told me that, because she didn't know me and had not been formally introduced, she decided to call three different local fire stations and two police departments when she heard there was a fire on my balcony. I told her that next time she should just ring my doorbell and I was glad she could now call them back and tell them it was a false-alarm. Unfortunately, she informed me, in Japan once an emergency number is called, an "all clear" is not possible until the situation is "totally analyzed."

The first fire department arrived in full gear, masks, wielding axes, at exactly the same time as the head of the social-studies department (my boss), her husband, and the middle school principle and his wife. They were pushed aside by the second wave of firemen as I tried to explain what was happening. Sometime between the second and third waves of firemen, the police showed up. I am not sure how I was keen enough to think it through, but by that point I had gotten rid of all the evidence of a BBQ, including the coals and lighter fluid. In Japan, if the false-alarm is deemed your fault, you often have to pay for the gas money and other "I'm Sorry" money so I wanted to be sure and avoid that. I stashed the wet coals in my suitcase under my pinstriped suit. I was sticking with my hamburger story. After an hour of interrogation about the hamburger (size, type of meat, sauce...honestly they asked me) the firemen and the cops finally left.....only to be replaced by a troop of detectives. These guys had a huge spotlight, a video camera and a bag for what I assumed was evidence. Oh and the owner of my building and the realtor who rented my apartment to me showed up at this point as well.

Meanwhile, two floors down, my colleagues and friends were having a hell of a laugh at my expense I'm sure. After a fire-safety lesson from the fire chief of my neighborhood (he came last of all and checked my nose hairs to see if I had suffered from smoke-inhalation.....don't ask), a formal apology from me to my landlord, and a rearrangement of my kitchen to make it "less flammable," (1.5 hours total) I was able to join the party downstairs and have some fun. I am still waiting for my principal to call me up and ask me about the whole fiasco, as the detectives and the fire units demanded my employer's number so that they could verify my information. Needless to say I won't be barbecuing again in this country any time soon. That is... not unless I want to hear the shrill cries of the obasans (old ladies) screaming "KAJIIIIII!" again!
The first arrival...

First wave of firemen

Secret cameras are hard to operate....

The "Inspectors..."

Two floors down...

My Classes

2008-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

My classes have been wonderful so far. We are learning about the Renaissance this week. I have already been surprised by both the diversity of the students (30 countries or so represented) and their extreme enthusiasm. I mean, just look at how excited they get during my simple renaissance lesson!

I am used to teaching jaded 12th-graders so it is a breath of fresh air to have 9th-grade students who are excited about life. It is also cool to have students who are as unashamed of being a dork as I am! I tell them stories about playing my nerdy roll-playing games when I was a student at St. Mary's and they love it. I love my job!

Azabu Juban Matsuri

2008-08-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the Azabu Juban Summer Festival (Matsuri). There were so many delicious things to eat that you can only find at festivals, so I went a bit overboard. There were also many activities as well. It is like Japan's version of the state fair, where elephant ears and ring toss only come once a year....except the food is better and the games aren't rigged. Aparently, the theme this year was oni (Japanese devil). This year it was raining, but that didn't stop the vendors or the revellers....
You may want to cover your keyboard with saliva-proof plastic before viewing these octopus ball morsels:
Salty Little Devils!

Best part of a festival is always the drumming

For the trip home, I took the route that my bros. and I used to take to school.
You no longer need to use paper tickets (although they are available). There is a new pass that you refill with money. You can buy drinks with it too!

Hen na Gomi: Episode #3

2008-08-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

I have moved in to my new apartment and it is a nice little spot. It is only a ten minute walk from school. Yesterday I left my building to go hang out with friends and right there, standing in front of me in front of my building, was some of the best gomi I have seen in a while. A relatively new love seat! I quickly took the garbage stickers off it and tucked it in to my new house. I played guitar on it all morning. Pretty comfy! School has started too. I have four classes of about twenty 9th grade boys every day and one class of 22 journalism students of all ages every other day. My students are great and we have already had some fun times. I am being as stern as possible for this first week or so. Here is a tour of my house:

Tonight I am meeting some of my fellow students from the St. Mary's class of '98. We are going to the Azabu Juban summer matsuri (festival). It is in my old neighborhood and the summer festival-- with all its smokey stalls, manic parading, and partying Japanese locals-- is my first memory of Japan from when we first came here back in 1992, so this will be a special night.

Other Gaijin Impressions

2008-08-16T23:20:00.001-07:00

Don't take my word for it, there are other gaijin bloggers and artists whose impressions of japan are equally interesting.

Here is the blog of Brad and Rachel White: thewhitesintokyo.blogspot.com He is a new teacher at St. Mary's and she will be subbing and hopefully getting a fulltime position soon.

My friend Regis (who is coming to Japan by the way in september) is a film maker and compiled his last experience (when we lived together in 2005 in TOkyo) into this amazing video. I make a few cameo appearances.....

Futako Fireworks Festival

2008-08-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the fireworks summer festival! I took everyone to get some Japanese summer kimono, as it is customary to wear them during the summer festival. We all had a blast and then went to eat Yakitori (chicken on skewers).

The owner of the Yakitori place liked us so much that he and two other customers joined us to sing karaoke. Only in Japan!

Hen na Gomi: Episode #2

2008-08-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

So I took my new teacher friends over to my old neighborhood of Hiro-o. I led them down an alley that always had the best gomi (garbage) because its residents are so darn rich! Every gomi (garbage) day, my family would cruise the street and look for gomi. Sometimes dad would bring us in the van. Yeah, I know, pretty red-necky of us, but who could resist the gomi? My late Aunt Jean even joined in with Grandma when they visited. One time she was reaching out to grab a tanatalizing piece of gomi and the resident of the house popped their head out. She was so startled that she jumped in to our van without ducking her head and got a nasty bump!

Anyways, I took my new friends up the hill to my old house (which is gone by the way, but more on that later) and over to the gomi alley. Sure enough, within five minutes, we had some A-class gomi, this time in the form of Kabuki (Japanese comic opera) promotional ornaments! We caused quite a fuss as we walked around the Juban (the neighborhood down the hill from there). No one could believe we got such wonderful--and expensive--items in the trash! The shop ladies and the oriental bazaar couldn't believe it either and they kept prodding and studying the gomi to make sure it was the real thing.

They estimated that each ornament would bring in more than 1000 dollars at a flea market. Too bad. These gaijins are not selling. Justyna (my neighbor) and Brad and Rachel (married) are happy with their gomi-house-warming gifts!

On a sad note, our old apartment "Homat Rex" has been torn down and replaced with a stunning new white building. I preferred good old Homat Rex. I have played many road hockey games in this alley with my brothers and I remember building a snow fort here with dad one winter when it snowed a lot. We will miss you Homat Rex!

Bye for now. Double chin=must start jogging again and stop eating so much delicious food....

Hen na Gomi: Episode #1

2008-08-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Because of Japan's lack of space and the Japanese obsession with all things new, when garbage day comes around you can always find some interesting objects just laying there for the taking. Yesterday was the first in what will no doubt be a long line of hen na (strange) gomi (garbage) episodes.

I was walking out of the internet cafe when I saw what looked like some very high-quality ramen bowls. There were about eight so I thought, 'hey, this is perfect for my new house!!' I made sure no one was looking, scrambled over to the gomi pile and tore open the side of the bag. I was shocked to find that each ramen bowl was full.....

.....of fake ramen!!!! Yes, as with most restaurants in Japan, the one that produced this gomi was upgrading its food displays and was purging the old models. Japanese restaurants pride themselves on how fresh and life-like they can make the food models in front of their shops. This one truly goes down in the annals of surprise gomi experiences. Stay tuned for many more "Hen na Gomi" Episodes.

Last night I bought a male yukata (Japanese summer kimono) at a shop my mom used to go to called the oriental bazaar. Only 60 bucks for the thing. I plan on wearing it to the summer festival in my new neighborhood tonight. I will take lots of pictures.

Too Many Restaurants

2008-08-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Justyna (my colleague in the history department and fellow new teacher) and I went on a hike around our new neighborhood. We both found apartments in the same building a few blocks from Futako. One thing that we noticed as we walked around was that there were a ridiculous amount of restaurants in the area. I would estimate it at between 50 and 100 or so. All of them specialize in special things: ramen noodles, tapas-like small entrees to be eaten while you drink alcohol, sushi, pork cutlet, etc. I am still planning on dieting this year, but it is going to be much harder. There is also this nice green walking path that goes between the station and my house, so that should be a relaxing walk every day. The school is about 20 minutes by foot and 10 by bike from the apartment. Yesterday I also got a nice futon so I will have something to sleep on until my mattress arrives. 100 dollars for the futon, covers, two pillows, and sheets. Today at school we have a lesson on Japanese etiquette and discuss our insurance plans. Can't wait for the Obon (summer) festival in my new neighborhood on Saturday. I will be sure to take lots of picture.

The restaurant we went to last night specialized in various types of roasted fish. (below is one of the restaurant's specialties: tiny fish fried into a "tatami" mat and served with Japanese mayonnaise) The coolest part of the restaurant was its "Fresh Beer Machine" which tilts the beer glass as it pours to insure a "perfect head."

Hallelujah

2008-08-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah is such a great song and there are so many versions. I realized the other day that I actually never have heard the origianl. This is weird because Leonard Cohen is my favorite! I looked it up, and I was surprised by what I found!

Aparently they like this song in Scandanavia. Here is one version on Swedish Idol:

In Klans in Klins, in Meina Bliks!!!!!
Dont Kvit Yoor Dee Jawb Jan!

Ok, now I know why the Fins, Swedes, and Norweigans like Hallelujah so much. Scandanavian children are forced to play this song before they are old enough to do nordic skiing.

This former member of the Velvet Underground likes it:

Bon Jovuliah!

Tokyo Dreams

2008-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

What a surreal feeling it is, walking down the corridors of my old high school, seeing all my old teachers and administators. This is going to be a good year, and my　cohort of new teachers is going to make it even better. There are five or six new teachers coming in and we are all around the same age. We have been tramping around together, getting to know our new environment, searching for apartments, and celebrating. I am exhausted from translating everything for everyone (apartment details, menus, ingredients for the vegetarians, etc.) but I love translating so there are no complaints here.

My new apartment has been decided upon. It was a toss-up between a two-story thing that was a 15-minute bike-ride from both school and the nearest train station and a relatively spacious one-story right beside Futako station and a 10-minute bike-ride from the school. I chose the latter, and I move in to it on Monday. It is one the fourth floor and has a central kitchen, two bedrooms, and two small balconies. There is a supermarket across the street and a nice gym within five blocks.

Today is the start of Obon, the Japanese summer festival, so I am glad I got my apartment hooked up before the five-day vacation started. Our plans in the next few days are to go to some local festivals and maybe take a day trip to Mount Fuji.

I am missing everyone back home and I can`t wait to have you all as guests over here!

Preparing for Japan

2008-07-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm in that hectic, limbo phase again. It is a feeling I know all too well. My mind is not in the moment as I pack things and tie up loose ends. All thoughts are on an unknown future and a nostalgically-framed past. Nonetheless, I am so excited to start my life in Tokyo and meet my students and colleagues. I am also excited to house-hunt and then find all the good restaurants in my new neighborhood.

For those of you who couldn't make it, here is some footage of the misprints. Sorry about the audio: