No Reservations

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
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Sumo Memories

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'

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

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

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

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

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?!