Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Found It!!!

On my latest bike adventure I found out I`m only minutes from the countryside. Turns out those first fields I found weren`t just a fluke, they indicate the southern end of the city! It was so lovely to go for a country ride! And to think I was looking for Jusco (Japan`s Walmart)

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Have you ever...

...bought a meal at McDonald's with a $100 bill? I did, just this morning. And as I did it I thought how silly it would seem back home. But the guy in front of me did it too. Over here, everything lower than $10 is a coin, and the common bills are $10 and $100. I don't think any other bills exist under $100. Haven't seen any. It makes spending money way too easy for me, 'cause I haven't quite gotten over treating a $100 with the casual-ness of $20. Yikes.

Friday, May 26, 2006

I Love Japan

The rain finally stopped on Wednesday, though it returned Friday, and I went for a walk in my neighbourhood. I was curious about where I live. I went for a bike ride the following night. The walk was beautiful. I started out as the sun was going down, and as I walked in the dusk I was joined by several flitting bats. I love the bats. They're harmless, and to me that's one of the things that makes Japan Japan. Not that there aren't bats at home, just that I never see them there. So the bats entertained me as I ogled my neighbors' homes. Most of them look to be quite new. Some of them also have very nice yards. The neighborhood is quite eclectic. Houses of all ages, apartments, gardens, fields, and shrines all meshed together. The shrines are surrounded by trees, and therefore add spots of nature to the area. The gardens had corn, pumpkins, onions, potatoes, and other things I didn't recognize. There were a few places with corn in them. The shortest corn was a foot tall, and the tallest maybe 4 feet, so that'll give you gardeners some idea of when they plant around here.

As I walked, I came to some rice fields. I was so glad. I love rice fields. Now I feel not so "trapped" in the city. I heard a couple of bullfrogs. They have the neatest voices, and I haven't heard them since last in Japan. When I lived here before, I had rice fields off my balcony, and I would often enjoy listening to the choruses of the bullfrogs and other frogs. So the sound took me back a bit. When I headed home, I tried a different route and managed to find the road my closest supermarket is on. So now I know my neighborhood a bit better.

On my bike ride, I started following the same little river I'd been following during my walk, but decided to go farther. I was sure I had to be close to the bay, and figured the river would lead me to it. I was right. The little river (more of a stream) led to a huge river which I followed to the port. Apparently that port is the one where most of the imported cars arrive. It's very industrial, at least the part I found. But if I keep looking I might find a beach. However, I'm not sure I'll have time since I need to use my weekends to visit the various friends I want to see around the country, and between rainy days and a 7:30pm sundown, I won't have much time to explore during the week. I should have come in fall.

Anyway, as I walked and rode, I totally reconnected with my love for this place. I love the natural beauty of this place. It's a little harder to find here than where I was before, but it's here. I wondered what it is about the nature that captivates me so. And then this thought came to me. Maybe it's because nature here is singing, even screaming, out God's praises. That's what always got me growing up in the Canadian prairie, maybe that's what's attracting me to nature here. And perhaps, since when man is silent the rocks will cry out to praise the Creator, nature is singing God's praises even more loudly in this country than in my own. There aren't many people here who will even acknowledge the Creator, nevermind praise him. Perhaps nature is stepping in to fill the gap.

Whatever the case, this place is beautiful. I love it.

Karma

As seen on a student's sweater:

KARMA Knowledge And Recognition My Ass


Eeee?

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

The Wonders of Technology

I bought a bike yesterday. $50. Now I can get to work in 10 min, the supermarket in 5, and the theatre in 10-15. Ya gotta love technology!!!

It`s raining. It`s not even rainy season yet and it`s raining. Do me a favor and join me in praying for the coolest and most comfortable summer in Japan`s recorded history.

My nephew had chicken pox. I`m praying I don`t get them.

What else.... I`d love to be able to regale you with fabulous stories of life in Japan, but life is life. Japan`s cool, but it`s not constantly amusing. But then, neither am I.

I turned 33 on the weekend. Got an Ipod Shuffle for my birthday. Gotta love siblings!! Thanks again, guys.

Later

Friday, May 19, 2006

The Other Side of It

After my last blog, I thought I can't just present the bizarre or annoying aspects of this place. That would be to misrepresent. All in all, it's a great place, for so many reasons.

One being, taxi drivers who wear white gloves and keep their cabs immaculate. Comfortable and safe. At least, it feels safe.

I know my watch is fast because every train I've gotten on lately has been a minute or two late. Back home, if that happened I'd assume the problem was with the public transport. Here, I know my watch is wrong. Reliable public transport is such a wonderful (and novel) thing.

There are escalators that only move when someone is actually on them. Such an energy saver! These guys are really committed to the Kyoto accord. We could learn from them.

Amazing green vegetation. The humidity may be uncomfortable, but it makes for a lot of beauty.

Bank machines that print a perfectly neat line in your bank book, even if it slips and goes in crooked. Drink machines that never keep your change or rip you off at all. Machines in general that seem to be better than ours. If the technology is available, and we're such a rich country, why don't we have it?

I am absolutely in love with the nature in this country. It captivates me, when I can find it.

The history and all of the relics still around to represent it is amazing.

Internet cafes that are cheaper than any I've seen back home, and serve all-you-can-drink free drinks. But no alcohol (no where is perfect)

Well, that's a start. I'm sure I'll think of more.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Japanisms

But first, before I get to Japan, I must direct you to this video. You can thank me when you`re done laughing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg%20


A few things unique to Japan:

I don`t find myself rehearsing what I`m going to say to the clerk before entering stores at home. At least, not as much as here:)

Camouflage trees. At least, I`ve never seen them anywhere else. There are these trees here that shed their bark in such a way that they look exactly like army camouflage, in green. And with the varied shades. I wondered where the idea for that pattern came from. (sorry I don`t have a digicam)

Twenty-two year old men who giggle. Well, I`ve only met one here (a student), but a giggling guy in Canada would surprise me.

Shortening words to make new words. We come up with slang and nicknames sometimes, but we wouldn`t change "personal computer" to "pasocon" or "convenience store" to "combini", would we?

Bicycle parking lots. (very common)

Car parks that rotate like ferris wheels so your car is up in the air as it waits for you. Probably deters thieves.

UMM, shrines. Pretty boring to me by now, they`re so common and I saw so many last time. Their like churches in Canada, I guess. Once you`ve seen one, you`ve seen one. But the worship would be totally different.

Shinkansen. Pretty freakin` cool train.

Postal money accounts. Same as bank accounts, but at the post office. I don`t know if there is any difference. Easier to send money home from, maybe.

Japanese English. A constant source of amusement and bewilderment. For example, I copied this off a vending machine:

COFFEE and SOFT DRINK Freshly brewed coffee and delightful fresh our mind and soften our heart. They are indispensible to us

Yeah, coffee and soft drinks are indispensable. A good grammar text apparently is not.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

J and A

I'm at John and Andrea's home right now. It's a lovely day, a nice breeze, cool by Japan standards, and warm by Canadian ones. Either way, very comfortable. J&A live in a very residential area, not close to a convenience store or anything. Apparently it was developed 30 years ago or so, so all the houses are modern. John and Andrea have a lovely back yard, a rarity in Japan. It's a nice size for the kids to play in, and not really small as Winnipeg yards go either. They have a beautiful Japanese garden, and even a corner where they "make vegetables", as Simon says.

I had a great first week at work. All of my students are very interested and self-motivated. Maybe I said that in my last entry. Anyway, yesterday A and the boys and I went to an aquarium. It was my first time to one. I loved it. Never seen sea animals so close up. They're beautiful. Would love to go back without the kids and just sit and stare for a while. Maybe I'll check Vancouver's out some time.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

A Little Price Comparing

Last time I was in Japan, everything seemed so expensive. When I did calculations in my head to price compare, I added 30-40% because of where the Canadian dollar was at. Now the difference is only about 10%, so I actually don`t bother to calculate exchange. And some things really aren`t so horribly expensive at current exchange rates. My apartment is expensive ($800), considering it`s only a bachelor pad. But my sister is paying the same as me for a place with 3 bedrooms. I don`t know if that includes utilities, but it`s a nice place and if it were in Fort Garry place or some other nice Winnipeg location you could probably expect to pay $700 for it. So, it`s not that over priced, I think. I was talking to a guy who lived in Sendai, way up north, for a while. He said he could get a room for $250. It was nothing special, but you can`t get much more than a room for that in Winnipeg. So if you know where to look, I guess you can find affordable living here.

Coke prices can vary between vending machines, but you can get 300ml for about $1.20 and 500ml for $1.50

Parking in one lot I saw in Tokyo was $2 for 15min from 8am to 10pm and $1 an hour overnight. Don`t buy a car if you plan to live in Tokyo. Gas went up to $1.35/l this week, a 15 year high for Japan. What bugs me is 7 years ago the Japanese were paying twice as much as us for gas. Now we`re only a few cents behind.

So that`s a little bit about prices for those who are curious. Overall Japan is probably still more expensive, but it ain`t as bad it was. (Good time to visit)

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

AAAHH! Even blogger is in Japanese!

Good thing the buttons all look the same, or I`d be screwed.
Well, I`m not so homesick as I was. My first 2 days of work have gone well, my students are nice, interested, and self-motivated, which makes my life easier and more fun. And I don`t feel so alone as I had a good conversation with some of the office workers today, a good laugh and some fun. I just have to find things to keep me busy so I don`t spend all my evenings alone cooped up in the rabbit hutch. I`m looking for a Japanese teacher or 2. I figure that`s a good way to spend a couple of evenings. And I expect to fill my weekends visiting various friends and family around the country. So here I go, the adventure begins!

Saturday, May 06, 2006

In Japan

Today is my sixth day in Japan. I arrived on Monday after an uneventful but relaxing flight. It was nice to have nothing to do after days of madly packing. I got to my apartment around 10pm Japan time. The next day I had to open a bank account and run other errands, Wednesday I spent with Andrea and the boys, Thursday and Friday I was in Tokyo at orientation, and today I'm back at John and Andrea's place. It's been a busy week. I start work on Monday.

I've been placed in a city called Toyohashi. It's about 60 minutes from John and Diana's places by train if I catch the express trains. It can take longer to get there. I live about a 30 minute walk from where I work. My apartment is one of the infamous Japanese rabbit hutches, although some people live in smaller ones than mine.
It is probably the size of an average Canadian living room. It's definitely smaller than the Comfy Couch room at WCV. {I know that means nothing to some of you}

I wasn't really excited about this trip until I got on the train that runs from the airport to Tokyo. I've taken it a few times, so to see the familiar sites was great. As I rode I became more and more excited. Through the week I was at first surprised but pleased to find that I feel much more relaxed here than I did 10 years ago. I was happy to realize on Wednesday night that I'd completely forgotten about my dictionary: last time I was scared to go anywhere without it. It seems I remember much more Japanese than I thought I would, although my communication level is still very basic. Wandering around Tokyo on Thursday and Friday {still without a dictionary} was fun. I saw a couple of the places, book stores, I used to head to when I spent a weekend in the city. It was nice to feel confident in my ability to navigate and communicate, but as I wandered I realized that Japan has lost its glamour for me. Years ago one of the things I loved most about the place was the incredible sense of adventure I had in being here. Now familiarity has bred, well, not contempt, but it has made Japan less "sexy". I laughed at myself when I thought about how I used to tell people Japan, for me, is like a first boyfriend, even when it's over you never forget, and it's always extra special because it's the first. This week I find myself wondering if perhaps my relationship with Japan is not over, it's just moving into a stage where the "spark" is wearing off. Anyway, it is still a very interesting place, I'm just not so fascinated with every little aspect of it as I used to be.

In fact, this morning I found myself thinking "OK, that's enough. I could go home now". I think that's more about me not being excited about the teaching part of my time here, and I miss the place where I lived before. I'm in a city now, and I'm not particularly fond of cities. My first Japan experience was in a lovely, rural environment, which I will visit before I leave.

Enough for now. I'll try to get to a computer again soon.

I'm Here

I'm here. I do have internet at my house, but somehow it comes over the tv and doesn't fit the screen properly, and I don't have a keyboard, and the "type with the remote" method is tedious, so I'll be trying to find an internet cafe, or use my sister's computer, as I presently am. Will blog more later. We're going to her church's barbecue.