A Broad Abroad

Karaoke

2010-09-19T12:59:00.000+09:00

This list of songs frightened me.

Japanese Wedding - A Food Jackpot

2010-09-18T00:37:00.000+09:00

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend my first Japanese weddding as my colleague from the school was marrying a local. It was an amazing experience that was full of unique traditions, beautiful clothing and amazing food.

I thought you might like to see the bountiful dishes that were served at this wedding. I couldn't believe it when dish after dish after dish came and went. And yet...I kept on eating.

The entree (or starter) with lots of sushi. On the right is seaweed, egg and eel. The middle was fish and long necked crab and the pot was caviar kinda stuff. All yummy.

Had to show a close up of the beans. Aren't they to die for?

Sashimi - I dug everything on this plate bar the lighter white fish with the three stripes...ick

I am not exactly sure what this was but it was warm and it tasted good so who am I to argue?

Vegetable soup - my mum makes better :)

This was fantastically amazing. Japan has given me a renewed interest in the humble fish or 'sakana'.

Reeeeed Meeeeeat - I was in sheer heaven. Steak, how I have missed thee these past 9 months.

Celebration rice

Miso soup to finish off the meal.

Dessert - cheesecake and chocolate sponge (which some of the guests found a little hard to define. )

The Cake.

I Can Make Gyoza!

2010-09-05T23:36:00.000+09:00

I don't cook.

Well I cook a little but that meant nothing when I came to Japan. You see...the Japanese don't have ovens. So all the things I knew how to cook weren't possible here. I can't mix up a huge lasagna or bake a birthday cake and that's kinda soul destroying. Also, I can't distinguish between ingredients in the store as either 1) I can't read Japanese or 2) I've never seen that vegetable before to know what it is.

Anyway bechamel sauce is magical and I miss it dearly.

Last weekend a co-worker, a native to Japan and its yummy cooking ways taught me how to make gyoza. Originating in China, gyoza has been adopted by Japan, Korea and a multitude of other countries. And it is gooooood.

This Thursday I had a go on my own. Thankfully the previously mentioned co-worker helped me buy the right ingredients of which I can tell apart from the colour of their labels.

This mixture is a little pork (not much at all), some cabbage and some Chinese leek. Add in tablespoons of sesame oil, cooking sake, oyster sauce and soy sauce and you are good to go. I mix with my hands because I roll that way :)

You buy these little circular doughy pieces, spoon some of the pork mixture into the middle and coat 180 degrees of the edge with some oil. Smoosh the sides together and then periodically fold the edges back on themselves for a cool pleated effect. This is my favourite part of making them due to the fact that I was able to do it relatively well from the beginning. Success = joy.

And this is the final product!

This is the third attempt at cooking them as I couldn't get the timing or the water levels right. You basically fry one side for a bit and then add some water to cook them through. You don't turn them over so you are cooking them a little blind.

Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and soy sauce together and dip away.

I love gyoza.

I can cook gyoza.

Wow.

Times Square

2010-08-30T00:18:00.001+09:00

The first time I went to Times Square it was 10am. I stood there with people milling around me and thought 'huh'. I had officially gotten there but I swiftly realised that there wasn't really anything to do other than take a few snaps, look around and then move on.

It was a little anti-climatic.

The photo to the left was taken on the last occasion I went to Times Square. I went with my hostel friend, Tim and we were passing time until we had to head to the St. James Theatre to see the Broadway production of American Idiot. It was a fantastic people watching opportunity but the thing that surprised me the most sits squarely in the middle of this picture. There is a memorial for a guy that served as religious counsel in 2-3 wars. It seems weirdly at odds with its surrounds.

I took about 5 pictures in 12 days that have me in frame. This one is thanks to Tim as I took his photo in the same spot and he insisted I do the same despite my protests to the contrary. Within a day of being in NYC I dressed for comfort which meant ugly shoes, no make up and clothes I felt comfortable sweating in - it is NOT glam.

Hacing been in the Square on a normal day, I believe being there on the busiest night of the year would equate with being burned alive, trampled and shot three times. There is NO way you'd find me there on that night ball dropping or not.

The infamous ball that drops.

I couldn't take pictures of the fantastic production so the billboard will have to do. American Idiot is a production that threads Green Day songs together with little to no plot. I didn't care, the performances were great, the set AMAZING and it was a fantastically fun 90 minute show. Except for the seats. I am 5"11 and my legs were mashed almost into my chest. It hurt sitting in tiny seats with no leg room. Seriously, it made an aeroplane look spacious. Tim, at well over six foot looked like a giraffe trying to fit into a suitcase. It wasn't pretty. But we suffered happily to say we'd seen a Broadway show, a good one.

Billboard.

Natural History Museum of Awesomeness

2010-08-22T16:30:00.003+09:00

Over the next few weeks I will be posting about my time in NYC.

One of my favourite places to visit was the Natural History Museum where my not-so-inner geek was permitted to fly free and revel in awesomeness.
Isn't it a pretty building?

The ceiling is pretty flash too. Though this is all I could see of the dinosaur in the entrance area as it was undergoing some repairs.

The planetarium was amazing and I found myself becoming interested in space beyond the application of astrology in my daily life. It helped that my cohort, Steph, is a massive science nerd in the coolest way possible and her enthusiasm rubbed off.

But what really grabbed my attention?

The freaking dinosaurs.
C'mon? Like this wouldn't get you hopping up and down with glee like a three year old with a sugar rush. The funniest thing is there were many little kids geeking out but the worst offenders were the dads. They were master geeks and I loved watching them examining the displays and smiling like loons.

It's incredible that these creatures once tread the same paths we've sealed with asphalt.
I felt like I was in Jurassic Park 5: Bone Yard.
I can't remember for the life of me what this was but I would marry it....if it still existed. Equal parts cute and repulsive. Like a pug.
This shows how chuffed I was to be there. Excuse the self portrait cheesiness but it pretty accurately expresses my geek outs.

Grapes and Blue Bums

2010-07-27T18:35:00.006+09:00

This week has been a bit of an education. I've learned some things about my host country that would never have occurred to me in a million years.

The Japanese don't eat the skin of grapes.

Or the skin of peaches. They just don't like the texture. Interesting.

Lastly....don't judge me.

My class are swimming a lot of late and I have to help them change because they are tiny and have the spatial awareness of roller skate wearing giraffes.

Think I am kidding?

The kids have to lay their clothes on the ground before picking them up... Anyway. One of my kids had this blue spot on their butt. I immediately starting thinking about checking out the parents but then I realised other kids in the class had them too. Instead of wondering about the child rearing practises of my community I asked a colleague about it. Turns out it is a genetic thing called a 'Mongolian spot'. It's common amongst East Asians, Polynesians and Native Americans.

According to wikipedia -

"The blue colour is caused by melanocytes, melanin-containing cells, that are deep under the skin. Usually, as multiple spots or one large patch, it covers one or more of the lumbosacral area (lower back), the buttocks, flanks, and shoulders. It results from the entrapment of melanocytes in the dermis during their migration from the neural crest to the epidermis during embryonic development."

It usually goes away after 3-5 years or before puberty.

It has been the cause of many unfounded accusations of parental abuse. Having seen the colour and the resemblance to bruises I can't say I am surprised.

Now I am educated.

*Mongolian spot affected child photo provided by Wikipedia. Not anyone I know.

Pizza just ain't the same

2010-07-18T12:59:00.002+09:00

If I had to choose between sweet and savory I would choose the the latter every time. I knew that coming to Japan would drastically change my eating habits and what was available to me but it hasn't been that bad. I miss roasts to a degree that hurts and I am definitely iron deficient from the lack of red meat but there's fantastic miso soup, yummy sushi, delicious eel and a whole host of other weird but taste tingling variations on western food.

But pizza isn't the same.

It isn't even in the same universe.

I didn't eat that much pizza to begin with back home but the foods that I am yearning for are the ones I ate infrequently - roasts, steak, pizza, etc

They have pizza here but it's just not the same. It's good but not the same.

Here for instance is the margarita pizza that I ate at the soccer stadium. It was the best piece of pizza I've had since I got here and it really doesn't look like much at all.

This is the weirdest pizza I've had since coming to Japan - the salad pizza. And believe me when I say it was really, really good.
Bring it on NYC...hit me with your caloric, cheesy best!

You know you're not in Australia when ...

2010-06-27T11:34:00.001+09:00

...your teacher (or sensei) calls out Brown Eye for bingo and there's no reaction.

Winter / Summer

2010-06-16T23:35:00.003+09:00

I arrived in Japan on the morning of January 12th, 2010. It was freaking cold. I could feel the chill seep in through my snow jacket as I waited for the Shinkansen to arrive at the Shinagawa station.

It was tough for the system. I had left Adelaide somewhere in the mid-40s and arrived in a place where the weather had bottomed out the options.

This was the view from the park in January. It was in the middle of winter only five months ago.
Now here I am in the middle of summer. At home the temperatures are the same but the heat is totally different. I've always lived in places that were all about dry heat. Here, it is all about being wet...and the wet season hasn't even begun yet. It should be an adventure. The humidity is already completely taking control (if going haywire is control) of my hair. Even back in a ponytail, I have a certain height of fuzz and curl that isn't so hot.

Today I found a curl so intent on curling and frizzing simultaneously that it was almost dreading itself. I have to admit, it frightened me.

But then I see what my beloved park view looks like and I feel better.

Japan is beyond beautiful. And hot's hot wherever you may go.

Easy to Please

2010-06-13T13:00:00.003+09:00

These two things brightened my day.

Snyder's Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Pieces - OMG deliciousness. Also, my thong tan. I can tan, people! Who would have thought? Japan is magical. I love looking down and seeing my previous white (and slightly axolotl-ish skin) peering back at me from skin showing slightly more pigment.

What can I say? I am easy to please.

Five Months

2010-06-12T22:29:00.001+09:00

Hores to Horses Of Courses

2010-06-08T19:08:00.001+09:00

It is amazing what a single letter omission can do to a piece of writing. My mother sent this to me today via email as I am a teacher and apparently this made her think of me.

I had a bit of a chuckle.

Sushi Punch

2010-06-07T20:42:00.004+09:00

I had a very interesting weekend in that we had a staff function for the second time since I've been here in Japan. We celebrated one colleague's engagement, another's arrival and a mishmash of other things.

The food was great. We were asked to bring a plate of food to share. My inability to cook resulted in a lovely cheese plate. A cheese plate that my Japanese co-workers seemed to avoid so the Australians/Brits chowed down hard. There was some great sushi....omg, the tuna was sooooo fresh that I just about died.

We drank too and here's where the interesting part starts.

My boss got completely toasted. She asked me on several occasions whether or not I was staying in 2011. (Found out from a trusted source that she thinks I am great but she rarely speaks to me so there was no way I knew this.) I just changed the topic as I really don't know at this point. (It's so tempting but it depends on getting a permanent job back home).

I posed for a picture with her later in the night. She asked me again about staying while we stood there for the photo to be taken. I pretended not to hear. Then out of nowhere her arm came from nowhere and backhanded me on the face. Now 1) she was VERY drunk and 2) she didn't mean to do it. I was so shocked you could have told me that Elmo was a dinosaur and I would have nodded.

I've only been hit once in my life before this. My sister accidentally jabbed me on the jaw as I was avoiding her fist connecting to my shoulder (I'm spatially challenged).

Let me tell you, it hurts. It fricking hurt a lot.

That being said I had a fabulous time eating good food and hanging out with friends from work. It's always great to let your hair down and take in some fun.

Picture: Left is me.

Dreams versus Goals

2010-06-03T21:12:00.004+09:00

I think it is interesting that people use dreams and goals interchangeable. I never have. I don’t think I have anyway.

Dreams are curious beasts.

I haven’t ever really had them. I am one of those people that wakes up never remembering them with an odd exception every few years. But from the time I was three I had a reoccurring nightmare that would strike 1-2 times a year until I was into my late teens.

The nightmare?

I would run and run and run around the Young Talent Time set never getting anywhere until a wave of sand swept through. I would still be running of course. Then the wave would pause as it came over me, its shadow swallowing me up in darkness. The crest would solidify and then whole thing would drop. I would wake up just as it was about to hit me.

I don’t know what is scarier – the sand wave or that it featured a teen variety evening show set that went off the air when I was eight.

Tonight I decided to decipher what this dream meant. There is no way I can look up something as specific as YTT but sand, running and darkness are up for grabs.

According to dreammoods.com sand represents “...a shift in perspective or a change in your attitude.” I must have been a slide puzzle of perspective back in the day. In terms of the running – “if you are running away from ... any danger, then it suggests that you are not facing and confronting your fears.” I was three the first time I had this dream, I was scared of the Humphrey B Bear poster on the back of my bedroom door, the dark, and a whole host of other things.

I think this dream/nightmare represents a lack of creativity if anything. Come on, repeating a dream for 15 years...it smacks of a lacking personality.

Goals are a completely different kettle of fish.

My goal have always been pretty simple –
• Be happy.

I’ve been around dissatisfied adults my entire childhood and it’s a soul sucker.

It’s made me the person I am today. A chick who would need to be secure in everything and cynical in everything else. It also was making me fail at my singular goal. I should have learned from them instead of copying them.

Japan changed that a little. Twenty eight years of doing what I thought I should be doing and never really enjoying much. Blogging changed that too. I started for altruistic reasons and it ended up being a lot more selfish and rewarding than I anticipated. I don’t regret it.

My goals have started changing with my role in blogging. They’ve become more specific –

• Be happy
• Start writing already!
• Travel
• Reduce my Diet Coke consumption
• Be nicer
• Listen better

I’ve done the first three. Number four has only occurred because I am drinking Coke Zero in Japan – a technical win. The last two are firm fails. Number one required much bigger life changes that I am already pondering namely a career change. One that I have been offered lots of advice on but I still have no clue. The crux of it is...I need to work where my passion is – books. The question is how and when. But moving across the world and taking a risk is a precursor to a bigger risk I am contemplating.

If I wanted to be really honest I would say that love was there too. Firmly on the list.

But it hasn’t happened yet.

I keep waiting.

Nothing.

The first question I am asked when I see people is...do you have a boyfriend (now altering to husband) and it allows people to make assumptions when I say no. I’ve had a neighbour think I was gay for an entire year based on one girlfriend coming around one night to drink wine and watch 40 Year Old Virgin...I can’t win.

If I am snarky I say that ‘I haven’t met anyone I can tolerate long.” Which is true but also implies I don’t try hard enough, also true. But I have an exceedingly low bullshit tolerance and most guys I met are full of it. Seriously, where are the nerds?

If I am being honest, all the guys I have things in common with are 12 or spend their weekends at home like I do on the internet. I like nerd boys. But like me, they are closeted socialisers.

Being 29 doesn’t bother me. I don’t fell old because it is not old. It’s sad in that I am not accomplishing what I would like (yet) and I haven’t found love (yet) but hitting 30 doesn’t mean I have to retire into the back paddock.

2010 is the first year I have pursued my goal (I don’t say dream as that would mean I would be dead until a huge pile of sand in a 1980s TV set). I am starting fresh. I am writing after years of talking about writing. I am travelling after years of talking about travelling. I have become a do-er instead of a say-er.

My dream can go die.

Goals are meant to be flexible.

29 is not old.

It is time to embrace being me :)

Experiencing Oz Again

2010-05-22T16:24:00.002+09:00

I bought The Wizard of Oz over the weekend as the students have been watching the same English videos (yes, I mean VHS)over and over again. The Parents Club gifted a DVD player to each classroom at the end of the previous school year but not one DVD has been purchased so they are gathering dust. I decided to buy three - The Wizard of Oz, Enchanted and Hook.

Guess which one has gone down the best?

You guessed it...the eighty year old with more bounce in its step than Betty White.

Watched these kids watch this movie for the first time was amazing. It was like seeing it for the first time. I took many pictures and a little video of their reactions but privacy won't allow me to post them.

My class is a talkative bunch. They make noise doing everything and yet when Glinda floating down to Munchkinland, the room was silent. More interesting? The boys dug it more than the girls.

Their favourite?

Tinman.

Largely because of the dance where he pats his knees, then his chest and then toots his hat. I have been seeing their interpretation of this for days now and it never gets old.

Other observations:

Black and white film did not phase them one bit.
When the tornado swept up the Gale's house there were audible gasps and one 'wheeeeeeee'.
The Wicked Witch of the West needs "...to go to the thinking chair".
They tapped the beat for the Tinman's dance on their knees without realising they were doing it.
They were terrified of the Lion until he came into a close shot and then they thought he was hysterical.
The Lion's tears were discussion worthy.
They love the red smoke.

What did I get out of this little exercise:

It's much more preferable getting rained in when you have DVDs you can tolerate.
The Tinman was more camp than a row of tents but I adore him.
I keep forgetting that Judy Garland was sixteen when she made this movie.
The Scarecrow's dance was funnier when I was a kid.
Glinda's bubble kinda rocks.
Teaching Japanese kids to say 'munchkin' and also introducing them to the Lollypop Guild (my fave part of the movie) is priceless.
Flying monkeys rock my world.
It's the music of The Wizard of Oz that initially pulls the kids in. I don't meant the songs, though they are fantastic. The compositions for this movie are so memorable and catchy that kids hug them with ferocity.

To the Doctor's Surgery I Go

2010-05-10T18:01:00.002+09:00

The entire time I've been in Japan I've been getting cold after cold after cold and then some major hayfever to top it off. Last night I was on skype with my mother and sneezing every thirty seconds - a great Mother's Day conversation. Today I was like the walking dead at school. Completely zombified.

Time to see a doctor. With my trusty Japanese speaking colleague in tow we went to the local doctor where you just show up. Since I've met so many hypochondriac's here I assumed the wait would be long. Not the case. I got seen immediately.

At home, doctor's have offices with a little gurney and things in the corner. The back of this doctor's surgery was very emergency room-like. I was lead to a chair, pretty much a dentist's chair with so many silver implements next to it that I briefly wondering if he might do surgery on me there.

Anyway. I had a silver metal thing shoved up my nostrils which wasn't great by tolerable. Then another thing was shoved back further than my nostrils to check my mucus (lovely I know). This hurt. A lot. In fact I think I left indentations on the arm of the chair...or torturers ensnarement. I am also finding that my sinus' or something are bleeding now...probably why it hurt. Ugh.

Turns out I have sinusitis. This doesn't surprise me. But here are some things that do - I have been prescribed 4 different medications which came to the grand total of sixteen dollars. That also included the consultancy fee. I nearly fell over.

The doctor said that a blood test wasn't necessary but if I felt one should be done I could. He apologised that it was very expensive at $50. I laughed. Which is rude but that's less that the consultancy fee in Australia.

So here's what my money got me - two sets of month long antihistamines and antibiotics and two sets of nasal sprays.
Then they made me do this before I left by sticking these weird rubber things in my nose.
Inhale medicine. It's weird. Very weird. But weirdly works in clearly out your nasal cavities.

Laugh My @ss Off

2010-04-24T23:30:00.003+09:00

I walked into my colleague's classroom to spot this.
Needless to say, I sprinted to my bag (with tears of laughter streaming down my face) to catch it on camera.
I didn't stop laughing for five minutes.

Turns out B1 and Doggy wanted him to play!

Oh Buddha!

2010-04-20T22:57:00.002+09:00

This is by far my favourite photo taken so far here in Japan. I was in Kamakura to see the Buddha on Saturday and the sun was beginning to set. At 13.5 metres tall, he's a big one but he's magnificent.

My New Love - Gertie

2010-04-16T20:48:00.004+09:00

I'm in love. Her name is Gertie.
I was given a bike when I moved to Japan. It's a hand-me-down that goes from teacher to teacher and was purchased by my real-life friend H when she taught in Shizuoka years ago. As you can see from the picture above, she is terribly cute. It's totally the basket...the equivalent of putting a ribbon on a baby's single tuffet of hair. Unnecessary but helps round out the look.

I couldn't use her at first. Goodness knows I tried. The bike lock wouldn't snap open and I tried muscles I didn't know I had. Many people tried...and failed.

My new colleague speaks Japanese fluently. She was provided with the alternative hand-me-down bike that is bright pink and has a functional lock. Seeing her ride to school when I walk drove me crazy with jealousy. Especially as we live in the same building and she could leave later for work than I did. I also got rained on longer. It's not pleasant. However, this new colleague decided to take the bike to the bike shop and get my lock replaced. For eighteen bucks, I am now able to ride to school...like I did when I was in year 8. It's been THAT long. Half my lifetime ago.

Here's the tweet that graced my first ride on Gertie - I am what I like to consider 'spatially challenged'. I can fall over nothing. I fall over often. I once believed that I may have a vision problem and while I do have glasses now, the diagnosis has no link to my struggle to keep upright. And that fall I speak of in the tweet? It was in front of witnesses, many witnesses. I am officially that 'crazy foreigner' that every town seems to have.

Since having Gertie for the past few days I have fallen back in love with bike riding...despite the constant abrasions I seem to be earning. I was grinning like a loon the first few times, enjoying the wind in my hair and the slippery whirring sound of the tyres running over bitumen. It is such a simple pleasure and I am so glad I have re-discovered it.

However...despite the layering I have on my hide, the seat hurts. You'd think there would be a benefit of being not skinny but no, I apparently still have a bony arse. Sigh. Or perhaps the seat is too high or something? Being the paranoid type, I am also terrified that I will get hit. There are many blind corners in the side streets of Shizuoka and I am worried driving, let alone riding a bike. And they don't wear helmets here. So I don't either. That in itself is a weird sensation as it's the law in Australia.

Regardless, I shall cherish my Gertie while I can. Just don't ask where I got that name from. I have no idea but it suits her, doesn't it?

Three Months...some things to ponder

2010-04-12T01:04:00.004+09:00

Today I celebrate my third month here in Japan. That means I am 25% through my stay here and four months away from my two week stay in New York. It also means that I am nine months away from seeing my family and friends in the flesh instead of via skype, facebook or emails. It has gone by so fast that my head could be spinning like a top.

I am not homesick. I don't really get homesick. Perhaps it is due to the largely independant nature of my family. We love each other to bits but we are very comfortable doing our own thing without being in each other's pockets. I am glad or this could be really hard.

That doesn't mean to say that I don't miss them. About two weeks into my stay I found myself writing a very long post about my siblings. It got an amazing response from Persnickety Snark readers. But even now, only a short time later, the information on that post is old. What my sister and brother have done to change the course of their lives in that time is HUGE. And I haven't been there for that. That...really sucks.

I spent my first Easter out of contact with my family. In Australia, Easter falls squarely into the school holidays so no matter how far away I lived, I would see my family for Easter. This year I didn't even know it was Easter, that's how out of it I was. I am used to seeing Easter eggs and Hot Cross Buns in stores for weeks leading up to the Easter weekend but this year...it passed me by. Easter, understandably, isn't a big deal in Japan.

This thinking about Easter (and the realisation that it was April) made me realise something else swiftly approaching. My birthday. Something else that it sure to pass by with a whimper (if I am lucky). I have to admit that most of my birthdays limp past. I haven't ever had a blow out party, usually sticking to small gatherings in restaurants or avoiding it altogether. This isn't because I am ashamed of my age. It is because I hate advertising my birthday to remind people. I feel like I am whoring myself. Weird, but that's how I feel.

Moving on.

List of achievements:

I have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.
I have made friends with people from Korea, the USA, Ireland, Mexico and the UK.
I have traveled solo in a foreign country where I haven't got a clue about the language.
I think I understand the subway now.
I went naked in an onsen...twice.
I saw cherry blossoms bloom
I have saved up enough of my paltry salary to purchase a return flight to US.
I am considering dropping by the UK before I get home.
I picked up an American family and toured Kyoto for the day. I got out just as they were preparing to fix me up with their son.
I ate eel.
I ate okonomiyaki.
I have been inside Zen, Buddhist and Shinto temples.
I successfully dyed my hair without being able to read the instructions.
My review blog got mentioned on Go Fug Yourself.
I spent my entire first phone card on one conversation with my sister. I don't regret it.

This approaching weekend I am doing something else new. I am going to Tokyo to meet people I have never met before. One is the mother of a podcasting friend (of whom I have never left). I might also be meeting up with a fellow blogger and an Australian teacher. It kinda blows the mind.

I am breaking free and becoming brave. I never thought this would happen but it's all due to Japan. I am a lucky gal.

To close out here's what I miss:

my family
my friends
peanut butter
Australian Diet Coke
clothes shopping
Australian accents

I think I am doing okay :)

Care Package Palooza

2010-04-09T01:16:00.000+09:00

Even More Kyoto

2010-04-07T20:53:00.001+09:00

The Philosopher's Walk
The Kyoto Station, while it is pretty it is also pretty darned chilly.
My Shinkansen arriving to whisk me home to Shizuoka.
The most beautiful tree (have you seen one with more character?) at the Imperial Park.
The entrance of Nijo Castle.
The outer wall and moat of Nijo Castle.
Inside Kenninjo Temple.
The outside of Kenninjo Temple which is of the Zen persuasion. It is also my favourite temple of all the ones I saw over the week. I wanted to move into the monk's quarters.

More Kyoto -

2010-04-05T20:46:00.000+09:00

Some more happy snaps from my Kyoto trip...which coincidentally coincided with cherry blossom blooming time.
The famous Ryoanji Temple...and it's Zen rock garden.
The Golden Pavilion in all it's sparkly magnificence.
The Maruyama Park cherry blossom tree - which I would love to marry.
People eating under the cherry blossoms and lights at Maruyama Park.
Wouldn't you like to take a stroll down this lane in Gion (aka Geisha-ville).
Two gentlemen that won my heart.
Beautiful blossoms.

More to come....

Kyoto - Cherry Blossoms and Wrongly Named Pavilions

2010-04-03T20:27:00.004+09:00

As some of you know, I spent the last week traveling to Osaka and Kyoto for my one week break. I saw some amazing sights while there and wanted to show them to you.

Here are some of the Kyoto highlights:
To the right you will see the Silver Pavilion which isn't in fact silver. It was never fully completed but it is still amazing regardless. It's also much smaller than I anticipated. The rock gardens were purely something amazing.
Bad self portrait (perils of traveling solo) with Silver Pavilion in top left corner.
Me and the famous Maruyama Park cherry blossom tree at night. One of the most photographed cherry blossoms in all of Japan...and for good reason.
At the conclusion of a path called The Philosopher's Walk we came to the Silver Pavilion and a stand that served Potatorndaoes. It was thoroughly unremarkable but visually amazing.
Me and Toji Temple....all 187 feet of the thing. Worth getting rained on as it's big, dark and ornate.
The Golden Pavilion from the walking path. Incredibly shiny and gold. Also surrounded by a beautiful garden featuring a wonderful lake.
And more cherry blossom trees at night.

Come back for some more in a couple of days!

Hiroshima - Peace Memorial & Museum

2010-03-26T01:13:00.001+09:00

Peace Memorial Museum from Persnickety on Vimeo.

Some of the images you see in the video ...ordinary household items warped or partially destroyed by the impact, black rain, iron door warped by the heat rays and blast,the tricycle of a three year old boy who died while riding it in his backyard, the Children's Peace Memorial and lastly, the A-Bomb Dome.

The A-Bomb Dome was the Industry Prefecture Centre in 1945 and it lies very near the impact point. Upon detonation, the heat of the bomb (approximately 2000-3000 degrees) melted the cooper roofing. Every person in the building was killed. The structure remains as a testament to those who died and as a symbol of peace and renewal.

Okonomiyaki...my new best friend

2010-03-23T00:48:00.001+09:00

Untitled from Persnickety on Vimeo.

Anyone else wanna join with me...?

2010-03-22T00:05:00.000+09:00

Making Paper Cranes

2010-03-20T00:01:00.003+09:00

I made an offer to Persnickety Snark readers to leave paper cranes with their names on them at the Hiroshima Peace Park. What I soon realised was that I had forgotten how to fold paper cranes.

I ended up (pathetically) watching this video.

How To Fold An Origami Paper Crane (Orizuru) - Awesome video clips here

Two Months

2010-03-15T17:33:00.006+09:00

Over the weekend I celebrated living in Japan for two months. I can't really wrap my head around it as it has all happened so quickly.

It's hard to imagine that three months ago I was sitting in a hospital bed recovering from surgery and a month after that I was adjusting to a temperature change of 43 degrees to 1 degree centigrade.

I can remember waiting for hours at the Narita airport for my boss to arrive. The drabness of the airport combined with the language barrier made the reality of my situation sink in. The ride on the bullet train showed that Japan can be both beautiful and ramshackle in one hit. The supermarket that night scared the living daylights out of me. I have to admit...that first two weeks was really hard. I had a video of me at a low ebb questioning my choice to come here.

And now I am here...

Happy.

Healthy.

Adjusting.

It's incredible. I might only know a small amount of vocab but my charade skills are professional level...no, I am not kidding. I have mad skillz.

In two months I have been to Tokyo for two weekends. I have been into Shizuoka city many times, finally driving in solo this past fortnight. I've been strawberry picking, shrine visiting, and attended countless dinners with parents. I have eaten things that I never would have considered at home. I have gotten depressed when I realise that my assumption, that clothes were beyond me here, was correct. I got depressed again when I realised the same thing about shoes. I have sung karaoke twice, once in a room and once in front of a band. Beyonce can no longer be voiced by yours truly. I got even more bummed out when one of my kids cut my fave hat. I have booked trips to Hiroshima (next weekend), Osaka and Kyoto (the week after that). I have also started squirreling away cash for my trip to New York in August.

I have the bug. The travel bug. It bit me hard and now I am carrying a big ass scar.

The thought of seeing Hiroshima next weekend thrills me. I know it is going to completely bum me out but that's the point of the experience. I really want to leave a paper crane at the monument in Peace Park.. My colleague and I are also planning on seeing the torii gate at Miyajima Island - that famous orange gate in the middle of the ocean. Apparently there are monkeys there...I don't know whether to be excited or scared. Unfortunately there is no home game for the Hiroshima Carp baseball team that weekend so I won't get that particular pleasure, though I am determined to see one live.

I have plans to visit Kamakura soonish as well as Okinawa. Some of you know of my fascination with all things war related. Okinawa was a key point in the Pacific-side of WW2, it is also one beautiful place. Having met a resident recently and really thinking about where I want to go, this was one of the places. It still houses an American base and (apparently) reminds people of Hawaii.

The NY trip is making me particularly excited. I have accommodation already set up and tickets are the next thing to secure. After hearing about it since I was a kid (for some reason I equate it with Sesame Street - go figure), the thought of actually being in NY is beyond exciting. I've had a few people ask me why NY since they know I am nuts to visit Europe. I have some great mates in the US, bloggers and authors alike. NY is the perfect combination of people and places so I can achieve a lot in a very little small of time. There might be a detour to Washington though as someone has expressed interest in meeting up. I am more excited about having coffee with people I email with constantly than seeing Central Park....though Sharon might get commandeered to give me a tour of The Strand! Sharon doesn't know about this yet but she will, either through twitter or her Google alerts :) The lovely Mitali is also someone I hope to meet up with a gush over books and FNL. Dream come true.

Give me some suggestions people...

What are some of the memories (good and bad) so far:

supermarket meltdown
discovering the joy of Denny's
eating a raw squid
being complimented on my excellent Japanese pronunciation...though typically on my use of 'arigato' lol
my Koala class...they are my sweet peas
My colleague...she's my training wheels and unfortunately leaving in 2 weeks
Seeing The Lion King in Japanese
Askusa
Shibuya intersections...just as nuts as you would think
Hanging out with Yae and meeting her folks
Ramen
Cassis - lovely berry alcoholic drink
Strawberry picking
Learning how to make guacamole and therefore initiating a Shizuoka fad
Driving manual in a foreign city solo
Paying bills when I have no idea what they are
Catching the Shinkansen for the first time
Tokyo subway
Dying my hair with a translator on standby for directions
Still not understanding why the Japanese insist on reversing into parks
Realising my kids are learning words like 'lovely' from me alone.
Emails
Skype...my lifeline
Having a chorus of 'Adele Sensei cute' said to me
And my favourite request/demand ever....'Adele Sensei, hug please!'

The big revelation is that teaching might not be for me much longer. I can only see myself teaching in a literature capacity these days. I am weighing my options and trying to figure out what I am actually qualified for outside of teaching. Books are my passion, specifically YA. Maybe this means studying to be a librarian or pursing publishing...who knows? Though both sounds like careers that would plug into my passions and allow me more contact with people that share those same interests. I seem to inadvertently surround myself with non-readers, it's time to switch that up!

Kissing Turds

2010-03-10T22:08:00.007+09:00

Today I went to the aquarium as part of my school's excursion program. It was an interesting experience as I was told to schmooze. You know, circulate and chat everyone (parent) up...which isn't my style at all. I can't even chat boys up that I think are cute and there's a lot less motivation in sweet talking parents.It was a pretty magical day though. The kids were mesmerised by all the awesome fish and other sea creatures. That being said, my flash couldn't really adequately photograph them. Everything ended up looking slightly psychedelic.
This is an oarfish...named so for pretty obvious reasons. I think it looks like the fish cousin of Falcor from The Neverending Story but more scary. Am I right, or am I right-er?

As a previous post of mine states, I am not a fish person. I am not a spider person, snake person or rat person (apparently not a camera person either according to the picture above).

And yet I found myself reaching into the kiddie pool and picking up this sea sponge. It felt like a balloon full of that silly gooey stuff you throw at walls. It really wasn't all that pleasant. I got to hold the starfish too but they felt like plastic. It also horrified me that the kids were using them as building blocks, grabbing them and putting them on top of one another.

So why I felt the need to pose kissing this ugly, turd looking thing is beyond me. Thankfully I didn't actually kiss it. This is about as close as I got. If I had of smooched it, I imagined it would have closely resembled my slobbery and somewhat slimy first kiss.

At least in this scenario I didn't go through with it.

Two (Mild) Tragedies

2010-03-08T16:41:00.001+09:00

Family Dolls

2010-03-06T08:17:00.004+09:00

We've been learning about the family this week. So I thought we would make family dolls and bring in family photos to make connections between the words (mum, dad, sister, brother, baby, family) and their meaning.

It ended up being a considerable amount of prep. Three years olds have problems cutting paper so cutting out clothing in felt was impossible. So guess what I did for a couple of nights last week?I could totally outfit Thumbellina now though!
I had a department store of looks and options. It's all about the separates! I used paper doll templates from the internet and then scaled them down. I then made a cardboard template and traced the outline onto felt. It was a busy few days. Especially as I needed enough for sixteen families, many with five members.
They did such a good job with the glueing and the fussiness of it. Attaching the felt head and clothing to the paired chopsticks was easy for them but the hair was the real challenge.
But they managed well.
Before the dolls had a chance to get their faces on. This was on day one when they had mostly completed their mum and dad dolls. I love looking at the different methods the kids used with attaching the wool for the hair.
My prototype that the kids saw at the beginning of the journey. They didn't believe it was Adele Sensei and to be honest, I don't either :)
And ta-da...me at the end of a very long week!

This is why we teach...

2010-03-04T01:11:00.001+09:00

The awww moment...

The strawberry keychain was great but the notes were lovely. I have already laminated them and they reside in my wallet. Yes, I am a sap.

Outside the Comfort Zone

2010-03-02T15:50:00.003+09:00

...by a whole lot.

Ask my family what I am like with fish, they will tell you that I am a big, fat sookie-la-la. I don't eat it. I've had barramundi but I have an completely illogical dislike for the things in most cases. My grandmother's throat was once pierced by a fish bone while she was eating and it's given me the heeby-jeebies ever since. Surgery for something that doesn't taste all that good to me doesn't seem to be a real win-win.

I like shellfish but everything else is a no-go.

But here in Japan...fish (or sakana) is a staple. I went out for dinner over the weekend with parents from my school. I didn't know I was walking into a multiple course meal of raw and cooked fish.

This is what I ate...yes, I ate all of it (in varying amounts). This is one time I have no problem calling myself brave here in Japan.
Raw fish, raw squid and horseradish...
Sure it looked nice but....
It's RAW SQUID!!! I ate one whole and it was mushy and salty (not in a good way) and the tentacles creeped me out.
Raw tuna and another kind of fish with radish flowers and gold. Didn't mind the raw tuna, the light pink stuff - not so much.
Cooked fish (don't ask me what kind)...and it was delightful.
Some kind of fishy patty thing that was really yummy (and blessedly cooked).
Octopus salad. Cooked. Not too bad. The 'pus wasn't too chewy and it was a 'go back for more' dish.
Soba (I think I spelt that wrong) noodles. Cold. Yummy. I found out that chicks are allowed to slurp (not just the dudes), so I slurped. It was fun to make as much noise as humanly possible while eating. One mum took a picture of me doing so, I am hopeful that it will never surface.
Apple icecream with green tea jelly. Ice cream was to die for, jelly hmm. I am not a fan of green tea but it complemented the ice cream well.

And here's me at the end after eating all that (plus unlimited alcoholic beverages).

What's in My Handbag?

2010-02-27T17:19:00.006+09:00

Simmone Howell, Aussie YA author, posed this question to her blog's readers.
Here's what's in mine....

Weirdly I had no pens. That's something new to me but there was plenty of lint, grit and other unidentifiable dust like substances. ALSO the mobile missed the vlog as I forgot it was charging ...quite typical for me, never have it on my actual persons.

On the weekend...

2010-02-24T22:48:00.003+09:00

I went strawberry picking.and got my fortune read at a shrine.
For those interested it said...my health will be okay, I should live south, travel west, give birth easily, marry eventually and have so-so luck. I am tying my fortune onto this rope so that hopefully comes true, instead of the alternative.

And then I saw all this...

I LOVE Japan.

Come here...

2010-02-22T22:58:00.002+09:00

I want to give you all a hug for dropping by here, leaving comments and sending me emails. It's much appreciated.

Mwah.

Lateral Thinking

2010-02-20T23:02:00.003+09:00

This little darling got sick of me repeatedly nagging him to clean up after he cut tasks out. Whereas most kids have scraps left over, he'd always have confetti.

This was his genius (and unprompted) means of tackling this dilemma. I have to give the little man major props.Not often a male impresses me and makes me laugh in one breath.

Tour of My Village

2010-02-19T18:51:00.003+09:00

Asabata Kita in all its Adele vlogged glory.

Classroom Tour

2010-02-19T17:32:00.003+09:00

Most of the people who visit this site know me primarily as a blogger (or obsessive twitterer) but I am also a teacher. The core reason for coming to Japan was to teach.

Currently I am teaching sixteen three and four year old Japanese students. My class is called the Koala Class and they are beyond precious. I thought I'd show you what my classroom looks like (without children).

Classroom Tour from Persnickety on Vimeo.

Vacay time...what to do?

2010-02-18T22:47:00.003+09:00

I have two sets of holidays thorughout my time here in Japan. A week at the end of March and three weeks in August. In terms of being a teacher, it's not that much annual leave. That being said, I want to make the most of it.

My plan from the beginning was the fly to New York during the longer break. I would see the sites, wander around the MOMA and hopefully met some authors and bloggers that I know quite well. I would still love to but cash wise it seems a little bit of a stretch. Fingers crossed that an exceedingly cheap flight pops up and a clean but affordable hostel is free. Who knows?

I have also flirted with the idea of flying to China or another nearby Asian country and doing a tour. All ideas at this point.

However, it is the March break that is giving me fruit for thought. It will be a solo trip as both colleagues are out of commission so I will be on my lonesome navigating foreign cities and even foreigner transportation. I have decided that Kyoto will be the destination, thinking that a week there might be nice. But I have been assured that a week would be too long and that I could do it well in three days.

Okay then, what to do with the rest of the week?

Osaka isn't that far away from Kyoto and I was planning on visiting it anyway. This just saves me from paying for the Shinkansen (bullet train with expensive fare) an additional time. So I am currently checking out Shinkansen, train (normal) and bus times/fares for my week. It's all coming together quite well.

Kyoto is lots of walking, temples and other cultural marvels. Osaka's considerably more cosmopolitan in terms of tourism. I do want to visit Osaka Castle and the History Museum but Universal Studios (yes I know I am lame) is calling my name. I will be visiting Osaka again later in the year with a colleague who's very culturally tuned so I could reason that a visit to US won't be an option with her so I should go in March. Who knows?

I also yearn to visit Disneyland in Tokyo.

I am currently compiling a list of places I want to visit before my time here is over. I am five weeks in and haven't done that much. Tokyo to a small degree but that's about it.

The Hiroshima trip is three weeks away and is costing me a bundle. The transport alone is well into the hundreds and then there's accommodation, etc. Ugh.

But it's all worth it. I am stretching my wings and becoming a global citizen. I am expanding my outlook and learning to say penis in different languages. How cool am I? :)

Can I Get Fries With That?

2010-02-18T03:52:00.000+09:00

Isn't this a sign of the times...and kinda sad? Macca's can be found anywhere...even in a place rich with tradition and well dressed beggar dudes.

*Note the beggar collects for his spiritual house...I think.

Pretty

2010-02-17T15:39:00.003+09:00

This kind of incline surrounds my village. It's beautiful. All you can see is luscious green mountains covered in green tea rows and orange trees.
I think I want to marry a green tea plantation.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T23:46:00.000+09:00

A Snapshot of Tokyo

2010-02-15T21:25:00.005+09:00

Good food...I ate pork (rarely happens). It was beyond delicious on such a cold day. Bad case of hat hair but at least I could take all the layers off temporary. This was breakfast :)
A little ole Adelaide girl on the Tokyo subway. Insane. Beyond insane and yet I think I kind of understand it now.
We stayed in Asakusa which has a busy tourist area due to the sheer number of temples / shrines. I have many other pics but here's one for you.

The Lion King was fantastic. The costumes, the music, everything. Yes the whole performance was in Japanese but you pretty much knew what was happening if you'd seen the animated movie. Though I haven't seen it since I was a kid.

I also found a bookstore with a good range of English books (in the Foreign Books section). I bought quite a few and they individually wrapped each book in paper cover to protect it...lovely.

I discovered the American franchise, Denny's. We stopped there for desert and I order a chocolate fondant that was moan worthy.
Oh yeah...there was some snow on the way there (three hour bus ride one way).

I Won't Be Eating That Again

2010-02-14T06:58:00.000+09:00

Above it the counter for Mos Burger (Japanese Burger Place) where the burgers were plentiful in variety. Why did I pick what I did then?
Shrimp burger is obviously an acquired taste like red wine, beer and cigarettes. I don't have the willpower (or tastebuds) to nurse a like for them.

That being said, the onion rings and melon fanta were tremendously good.

Nice Wheels...

2010-02-13T06:49:00.000+09:00

This could have been a one off at the park ... but it wasn't. There were several Thomas the Tank Engine bike/trolley/thingymegigs. The thing between the handlebars housed little trains that ran around a track as the bike moved. Very cool.

At Least Something on My Body is Model Sized

2010-02-12T06:42:00.000+09:00

Size eight-nine feet are considered LL here. I have model sized feet.

Why does that make me feel better about myself :P

Lunch Today

2010-02-11T18:35:00.003+09:00

This is rice topped with a meat pattie, covered with an egg. It is then surrounded by curry. It was unbelievably delish!
This is what my colleague ate and it looked freaking delicious...even with the purple shredded radish on the top.

It was so filling on this freaking cold day and only nine bucks a piece!

ShabbyGeek Teases Me With American Food That I Can't Have

2010-02-10T00:04:00.004+09:00

Yesterday you were presented with the uncomfortable footage of myself eating peanut butter. Today you get to see the lovely package packer introduce me to more American food that makes me salivate as well as talk about Suzanne Collins.

Enjoy...and now I present ShabbyGeek in all her luminous glory!

ShabbyGeek...I LOVE YOU

2010-02-08T14:39:00.000+09:00

If You Like Pina Coladas

2010-02-06T13:48:00.005+09:00

Last night I went to a parent's house for dinner. It was delicious AND we drank a lot. Pina Colada's and Apple Juice Sake (as above) were consumed, I was a newbie to both. It's made by some firm called Kirin....so obviously my colleague and I immediately started calling it 'Perkins'. It comes in a carton and can be bought at supermarkets. It was much tastier than the straight sake I tried last weekend.

Good thing about Japan - alcohol isn't taxed. It's cheap. A bottle of Vodka....1000 yen ($10-$11).

Village People with Rupert Homes (Escape - Pina Colada Song)

I also learned how to say 'oh really?' in Japanese. That's seven words now :)

Setsuban

2010-02-04T07:19:00.000+09:00

Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is the day before the beginning of each season in Japan. The name literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival.

The bean throwing (or in this case - peanut throwing) is usually performed by the toshiotoko of the household (i.e., the male who was born on the corresponding animal year on the Chinese zodiac), or me in this situation. I threw peanuts out the door of the classroom and at a co-worker wearing an Oni (demon) mask, while chanting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (translates to "Demons out! Luck in!") The peanuts symbolise the driving away of the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary to eat the peanuts, one for each year of one's life.

And here's how it went down....

Oh my.
Scrabbling for peanuts...literally.
Oh what a haul!
Little Miss S. did rather well for herself, didn't know she had it in her.
A parent gifted me these two origami boxes filled with candied and salted peanuts. She'd made the boxes herself and I was just blown away. How lovely of her. Didn't see this in Australia!

Outdoor Ed.

2010-02-02T06:00:00.000+09:00

Once a week my students have music lessons. Half of the class goes inside my boss' house for 45 minutes and I teach the other half outside...in this building (if you can call it that). The thing is ... I didn't really know the circumstances of this classroom and so I was unprepared for some of the issues with the lesson I had planned for.
This was right next door.
We made paper flowers which involved colouring in, cutting out, sticking and pipe cleaner manipulation. All relatively challenging when your fine motor skills aren't great but even more so when the wind blows everything away time and time again. Sigh. They looks great though.
And they worked well despite my minor panic attack every time a paper went flying into the next door rice paddy.

How's your classroom equipped?

Snuggle Bunnies

2010-02-01T08:53:00.000+09:00

It's amazing how quickly I have adapted to teaching youngins again. I haven't taught five year olds (mind you, mine are three and four) since 2004. I am impervious to snot and tears now, I figure that children spilling bodily fluids on you is their way of bonding. Argue if you will, but don't ruin this for me :)

We are allowed to hug the students. When a three year old is crying because they miss their mummy or someone stole their sword made out of blocks then sometimes only a hug does the trick.

I have found myself in this position most days.
You notice I never show pictures of the kid's faces, I am sure you understand. This little one is the baby of the class. He's a snuggle bunny and cuteness incarnate. He also happens to closely resemble the son of one of my lovely Adelaidean friends, if said child was a little older.

That being said, of late the hand has been raised in a stop motion (like a traffic cop) and 'STOP CRYING' said firmly. I have no problem with tears over missing mummy or being sick but if it's a toy, I have no patience.

I am a bitch.

Adele's First Night Out

2010-01-31T17:37:00.007+09:00

Last night was my first official outing in Shizuoka. Several of the student's mothers invited myself and two of my colleagues out for dinner and drinking. Drinking being the operative reason. Yes, these Japanese mums can hold their alcohol. The speed in which they were putting away the drinks put me to shame (and I captained the St. Marks College winning skolling teams (1999-2003).

I had a great time and met some lovely people, both parents and other Shizuokan locals.
One of my co-workers handed this can to be on the bus. I love that it's called Cocktail Partner and tastes nothing like oranges. It's sweet, fizzy and was ultimately tarnished by the residue toothpaste in my mouth. Regardless, it was a help :)
The street in which the restaurant was on in Shizuoka. There are so many trees covered in lovely lights. Of course I had to be the embarrassing tourist and whip my camera out. This was taken at 5pm, it's getting dark pretty early.
I don't know what this was but it was tasty. It was the first dish of the banquet at Asian King and then heaps more came. Needless to say I got distracted by the yummy food and neglected my camera.
Check the beehive! I think it's more fabulous close up and I got her to promise to do it to my hair.
I have been mocking my students for their automatic peace fingers every time a camera surfaces. It only took me less than three weeks to break.
Later that night at the pub, Our Boozer (yes that's it's real name). I shared a bottle of Cafe de Paris (a sparkling, sickeningly sweet white) with a fellow teacher. It was 3500 yen ($35) which is ridiculous as it was probably only worth 1500 yen ($15) if that. It went down a treat though.

At the end of the night, another teacher and I found ourselves at one of the mum's houses eating marinated carrot/squid and another octopus dish. We meet the whole family including the masseuse Grandmother, drank sake (not a fan) and talked about how European cheese was better than Asian cheese. Mind you, this was at 2am!

The funniest part of the night...I have used chopsticks a grand total of three times before coming here. I was in this family's lovely house using chopsticks, fairly well considering, and the Japanese speaking grandmother shuffled off and came back silently placing a fork next to my dish. I swallowed down the giggles.

The people here are so delightful. So lovely. I am very fortunate.

Vlog: Foreign Foods Episode 1

2010-01-29T00:34:00.006+09:00

Foreign Foods - Episode 1 from Persnickety on Vimeo.

Note that I am fully fledged sick and thus puffy and paler than normal. I also apologise for the volume of the slurp-age...it surprised me as much as it surprised you. Mind you that second bite was a vegetable of much liquid so normally I am not that loud when eating.
Yakitori -

... grilled chicken, is a Japanese type of skewered chicken.

It is made from several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat, or chicken offal, skewered on a bamboo skewer and barbecued, usually over charcoal. One of the most popular kind which is prepared with chicken thighs and leek.

Gyoza -

...typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together or by crimping.

I Can't Believe I Wore One!

2010-01-27T08:39:00.001+09:00

Guess who needed to wear one of these to protect the little ones?

It's horrific. Not only is your speech muffled, your ears achy and you're facing getting a rush of heated breath but it's not attractive either!

The Playground

2010-01-26T07:22:00.000+09:00

Simple pleasures.

Future engineers clearing roadways.

The sandpit...or tarpit...maybe gravelpit?

Tell Me This Wouldn't Have Freaked You Out...

2010-01-25T19:19:00.001+09:00

As a teacher this is one of the things you never want to see on the floor of your classroom.

When Chocolate Gets Down

2010-01-25T11:31:00.000+09:00

Get your crunk on!

My Writing Spot...

2010-01-24T19:29:00.002+09:00

Some of you know that I have begun working on something that I am really excited about (see gushy vlog). This is where I have been writing when it's not abominally cold.

Perfection.

Beautiful Lunches continued....

2010-01-22T06:11:00.000+09:00

This is torturous. Having children eat this in front of me is a new form of torture. That and they laugh (not kidding) at what I bring in for lunch. Four year olds mock my lunch!

I've met someone...

2010-01-21T06:19:00.001+09:00

Look...I didn't think it would happen but I've met someone.

He's perfect for me. He makes me look petite. He lets me dominate the conversation as he's the strong, silent type. He's bright and bubbly. Kids love him. He's just perfection really.

Here's me and my new man.
A bright yellow Rhinoceros play statue...I call him Boris.

Boris the Rhinoceros.

On a slightly more serous note, I've conquered a fear. Some of you have called me courageous for moving to a country where I don't know the language, working at a school I was unfamiliar with when I had never travelled before. This is patently untrue.

Courage is picking up a frog.

Courage is taking a photo with said frog.

The only thing worse than a frog would be a) a rat or b) a snake.

Kermit is pretty cute though.

Have a good day.

Notice the smile isn't entirely genuine...and also not a great angle :)

Feetacular!

2010-01-20T07:25:00.000+09:00

Point 1: I don't have clown feet, they just look that way in these awesome slippers.

Point 2: Staff and students at my school remove their shoes and don slippers or other soft shoes inside. I have size 8 feet (small for my height) and they still look giant compared to this four year old's little footsies!

A Surprising Activity

2010-01-19T04:55:00.001+09:00

Early in the year I was sent Surprise! (Karen Andrews / Kim Fleming - Miscellaneous Press) to review and I thought it was a great book to inspire children to do something nice for another person. Intrinsic rewards and all that jazz!

Today I read that book to my class of Japanese kids and you can see what they drew and how they responded to the book. The class has 15 students (three and four years old) with very little grasp English, there was a big focus on the pictures and what was happening for them. I had some visiting kids from the older classes as well.

They all wouldn't have been able to put their pictures in the back of my book so I made a Surprise Envelope.

Hard at work.

One of the younger student's work.

A starry concept.

Awwww.

Looking back over the story.

A Japanese spin (and no I have no idea what those characters mean).

Putting their surprises into the envelope.

A great self-portrait. Isn't it fantastic!

Whoa Lunches...What My Non-Existent Children Will Never Get For School Lunches!

2010-01-18T22:46:00.001+09:00

So it turns out that lunch doesn't get delivered to my students every day. Some days, parents make their kids lunches in the cute little bento boxes.

Except nothing about them looks homemade. Apparently the parents at my school are very competitive...it's the only thing that makes what these lunches (FOR KIDS) look like make any sense!
That's a soccer ball sushi. Inside that rice and seaweed is a ball of tuna.
Um....why can't I have a lunch that looks like this? Ahh yeah right, I am lazy.
My vegemite sandwich (and apple) memories so don't measure up!

How to mangle an English phrase...

2010-01-17T19:58:00.001+09:00

Above is another view of the town in which I am living, Kita. It's part of the Shizuoka province (gosh I hope I got that right).
This notebook was a must buy simply due to the lovely phrases on it. Phrases I have yet to hear in Australia. Maybe 'Life is Cute Style' is a New South Wales expression?

Some other unique phrases you might not be able to read...

...many dreams that we cannot talk about them all.
Just moment.
The dream has grown up a size larger than before.
I hope a big dream.
A pleasant story.
It's our hope.

Book Hunting in Shizuoka

2010-01-16T17:08:00.000+09:00

Day 5 - Book Hunting in Shizuoka from Persnickety on Vimeo.

English books shelf at bookstore - everything together but you might spot some Cabot and Rowling. There are two more columns but you get the picture.

The Lady Bits Shower

2010-01-15T17:42:00.000+09:00

Needless to say the shower isn't the selling point of my new dwelling...but moving on. As you can see the mirror is curiously placed. While it's perfect should you choose to stare at your reflection while showering in a sitting position, it's not much more useful that that. Although should my lady bits want to stare at themselves, they can.
And no, none of those products are my attempts at buying shampoo and conditioner. (Although I did bugger that up by buying the same product in different packaging types sigh - I am working the greasy look with aplomb.) The teacher who's going home temporarily is coming back and I am nicely NOT using her stuff :) The shower is cleaner that it seemed to come up in the photo and the adjustable arm has been great as I am tall and the shower head socket thingy isn't. I out-measure it by at least 10 cms.

How was your day?

(Cheetos packets consumed....5)

My school

2010-01-14T19:52:00.000+09:00

I won't lie. I am utterly and completely exhausted. I've also seemed to have caught a cold at some point. The weekend is looking very nice. Perhaps one where I spend a lot of time in my futon bed. Japan will have to wait as Adele's back is screwed (thanks to planes and cold weather).

Additional note...I wimped out and bought gloves. It was too cold and I like to feel that my hands are attached to my body.

I made my first meal in the kitchen here. Burnt myself. The very exciting eggs on bread (there's no grill or toaster). It was okay but still not sure they were chicken eggs, the yolks were full on orange. The Cheetos fixation is well and truly hitting me hard, my mother (a diehard Twisties fanatic) would be in love.

Toilet is finally fixed and I no longer have to hold until I get to school. It was nice to be able to pee in the comfort of my own place...don't ask me how I managed, I still don't know.

Now onto my school...

The view from my classroom. Big lush, green mountains that rise out of nowhere. You can also see the school's playground to the right. Unfortunately you can't see the snow crystals falling but that's what captured this little piggytailed lovely's interest.
The school. It has three classrooms catering to four year olds to six year olds. Each class has roughly fifteen students. At night and after school, language classes take place on premise - three nights of which I teach English to other kids.
Just to the left of the picture above. These are the lovely mountains I was telling you about.

LUNCH

It's too hard to explain. Lunches are provided to the kids through an outside provider...insanely good, sweet smelling lovely lunches. The kids have these little cutlery sets (fork, spoon and chopsticks) as well as a place mat, cup and thermos. It's insane, I didn't even eat this well at boarding school. And no, we don't get to partake.

Here's a glimpse...

Wednesday.
Thursday.
Cheers.

Day 2: Vlog and Gallery

2010-01-13T17:13:00.000+09:00

This is upon arrival in Shizuoka by train. The quietest, cleanest train ever. Also the crappiest day compared to the 42 degree (108 F) I left in Adelaide.
The view of my street as I walked home from the supermarket a nervous wreck brandishing only Pringles and what I thought were rolls...they weren't. This was at 5.20pm. Luckily my second expedition to the supermarket went better as described in the vlog. I now have more healthy fare + Cheetos! (Also ...Mum its perfectly safe and I felt very safe...it's 200m max!*)
The lighted up, LSD trip isn't a casino. It's the chemist that doesn't seem to fit in the sleepy town atmosphere of Shizuoka. I talk about it in the vlog. It's name? Wunderland.
The view from my poor-excuse-for-a-driveway. Awesomely makes up for the horrid exterior of my abode. This was at 8.50am this morning. How's that for a wake up call? The mountains here are breathtaking and they surround our jam packed hamlet.
Hungry? Thirsty? Need of a ciggie? Have no fear, just head to your nearest intersection. And this wasn't a main intersection either.
The Boss lead us down the wrong platform for our train from Tokyo to Shizuoka, can you blame her?

Vlog:
Apologies for the double chin but the laptop was on my lap hence the flattering low angle view!

Day 2 from Persnickety on Vimeo.

*Mum I will be shocked if you read this. Comment if you have!

Day 1

2010-01-12T18:40:00.000+09:00

It’s been over twelve hours since my last post and I am currently waiting in the Narita Airport. The Boss is going to get here and then take me back to Shizuoka. All I want to do is sleep. The four hours on Sunday night plus my seven hours accumulated on the flight from Singapore = pitiful. I can’t get on the internet service so I am just typing away in a waiting room that would give the Royal Adelaide Hospital a run for its money.

Things I am getting used to:

Toilets that automatically flush. It scares me. I always think someone is in the cubicle with me.
The airport has this gritty 1970's aesthetic to it (it needs an overhaul now) so it's always surprising to note the awesome tap and hand dryer automation.
Bidets...I haven’t been game.
Everyone says sorry. Even if an Australian is wielding a wild baggage trolley, they will apologise to me for me accidentally blocking them in.
For the first time in my life, I am the cultural minority. I think everyone needs to do this at some point.
The hacking. Everyone seems to have colds and they loudly hack up phlegm as if it’s no deal. My skin crawls. Cultural difference or "interesting" co-passengers?
Airplane food. It’s yummy but there’s so much of it. I slept right through one of the meals last night, can’t say I am sorry.
Airplane entertainment. The first leg of the journey I was on my screen the entire time watching Lymelife (weird, character based movie with Alec Baldwin), Big Bang Theory episodes, the final performance in the Fame remake (not any of the other trashy scenes), and two episodes of this show called The Good Wife. It stars Juliana Margulies who was Carol Hathaway on ER as the wife of a politician who did the dirty on her and everyone else. It’s about her rebuilding her life and returning to work after fifteen years (and two teenagers) away from law. LOVED it. Was pissed off that they only had the first two episodes on offer...way to lead a girl on!

My eyes are beginning to burn but sleep really isn’t an option. Hoping The Boss arrives soon, gets an announcement put out over the intercom and we can keep travelling. Bed is sounding great, school tomorrow morning not so much. Hmmm sleep.

later that day....will be posted soon-ish complete with pictures

Vlog: First Day in Japan

2010-01-12T17:24:00.001+09:00

First Day from Persnickety on Vimeo.

Changi Airport

2010-01-11T20:19:00.000+09:00

I am half way to Japan. I am currently exploring the wonders of Changi International Airport in Singapore. Flying in was wonderful as it's this weird mix of Survivor looking inlet's and gritty, junky boats. It's so green and so lush that it hits home even more how much Australia is missing sufficient rainfall.

The airport is a city unto itself. You catch skyrails between the different terminals. It's THAT big. Walking from one end of Terminal 3 (where I arrived) to the other end (checking out my departure gate) took at least 20 mins walking. Unfortunately....they changed my departure gate once I arrived there....to the one I had arrived in. That's life!

I have another four hours or so to kill so you get an uber fast post. Thanks to my new camera and it's fantastic USB/card reader...I am in love.

The best thing I have ever drunk in my life....Coffee Bean's Pure Double Chocolate Ice Blended. We don't have Coffee Bean's in Adelaide and I am not sure about the rest of Australia. I think I could possible pay to have it imported it was THAT good.

This shows that bad television can follow you anywhere. The Nanny in Singapore complete with subtitles, my whole body rankled as that horrid nasal sound emitted from a wonderfully BIG television screen.

Leopard print was never a great look.

There's a free cinema here. At 6pm was some movie called Set Smart starring Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell...hmmmm.

I was laughing way too much when I saw that.

The films on offer? Set Smart then Slumdog Millionaire. That's a no on both counts. Unfortunately this YA book blogger didn't bring a book with her....and all airports sell are Bit Lit.

The Butterfly Zoo is a curious little corner of paradise. It's hot, sticky and kinda fantastic. I thought I took a picture of a butterfly but I must not have the hang of the new camera yet.

The waterfall was purdy though.

Maybe time to track down the mammoth koi?

Thanks to all those people that took the time to post comments...me love you heaps.

Lastly, I was waiting at the Information Booth for my wireless password and there was this family taking their sweet time with the attendant. I was getting annoyed, twitter was waiting for me! But then I overheard what was happening. Their son had finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on their flight and was desperate to read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but they couldn't find it in any of the bookstores in Terminal 3. What happened? The attendant rang several bookstores in other terminals until she found a store with a copy and the family took the rail to go and pick a copy up. Now that's customer service and this chickie has no problem waiting!

Reading is alive and well...just not with me. Airport bookstores need to have a vampire intervention.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2010-01-11T05:30:00.000+09:00

At the exact moment this post is posted on this blog, I will be departing Adelaide on my way to Japan (via Singapore). Fingers crossed that the sky doesn't look anything like what is in the picture and also that I haven't died of dehydration or spontaneous combustion. It was forty two degrees (108 for you Fahrenheiters) last night in my city and our air conditioner broke at lunchtime.

What's worse? I have to get on the plane with warm weather clothing on when all I want to do is walk around a cool house in my underwear. Jeans and Doc Martins are not summer clothing but Japan has a top of ten degrees Celsius (50 degrees F) all week and I need to be prepared.

On that note, know that I am assuming that I will be off Twitter for the next few days (with an exception to the layover in Singapore). To tide you over, here's my favourite scene in 1998's Armageddon...

It's a schmaltzy movie but I kinda dig it.

(Trivia - JJ Abrams, creator of Lost, Felicity, Alias, etc wrote the screenplay.)

Sur-reality

2010-01-09T22:12:00.000+09:00

All week I have been getting ready for my trip for Japan. I was pretty much ready to go on Monday but it's been more about saying goodbye. Whether contacting friends to have dinner, arranging a time that suits family members or just allowing myself to get excited, it's all been toward one goal.

It doesn't feel real yet. I am not feeling all that excited. It doesn't even feel like that big of a change. I know that that will alter once I step onto (perhaps off of) the plane but it felt a little more real when my little sister gave me this going away present.

Aren't they fabulous? Australian flag thongs, so I can step all over my country while on foreign soil :)

Tonight I spent time with a handful of friends that were able to catch up last minute. My sister asked me 'do you feel sad?' as I hugged the last one and the honest answer is no. Perhaps that makes me unsentimental, unfeeling or cold but it's still not sinking in that I won't see these people for another year. I am the one that snorts skeptically when people sob as fellow contestants leave reality shows. They haven't died. They've just changed locations. I am happy for me, they are happy for me so tears don't feel right in my mind. It's a beginning, not an end.

Skype was a word mentioned many times over the evening. It will be getting a lot of business from friends and family. I wish I had a better sign on name...

Two more sleeps. Wow.

About Adele...

2009-12-18T18:25:00.000+09:00

My name is Adele.

I teach kids.

I am an Australian but alas I don't like cricket or Vegemite. I also fail to recognise John Farnham as someone to be idolised.

I am a big reader. I review young adult literature for fun at Persnickety Snark.

I am trying my hand at writing. I don't think I am horrible but I am not all that great either. It's a work in progress but being ensconced in the actually process is exciting enough!

I speak no other language other than English. I don't think year one level French really counts...does it?

Until December 2009, I did not own a passport and as such had not been overseas. Are you scared for me? (I know my mother is.)

The Japan Hit List

2009-12-18T17:10:00.000+09:00

This list will swell as I read about or am told of different places I must go in Japan. Feel free to make suggestions!

I will post on each of the places I see and mark them as done.

Shizuoka

Cherry Blossom Festival (April)
Hamamatsu Festival (May)
Hamamatsu Castle (right)
The Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art
Hattasan Son-eiji Temple

Tokyo
Kyoto
Yakushima
Hiroshima

Today is the start of everything...

2009-12-18T16:47:00.000+09:00

I resigned from my Australian school today.... it didn't go well. But to be truthful, they knew it was coming but for some reason it still came to them as a surprise.

This means I can be open about my intentions for 2010. I am going to be teaching in an English pre-school in the Japanese city of Shizuoka. I have only just applied for my passport (the picture ain't pretty), I still don't own a suitcase and I don't know one syllable of Japanese. I am a complete travel newbie and it's my debut onto the international realm of possibilities.

The excitement hasn't exactly hit me yet as there is so much to do here at home. Packing the house, cancelling all my accounts, getting a small package of light teaching resources together, repeatedly telling my father the details, getting information to and fro Japan and concerns about my own coping capabilities in a foreign country.

Where am I going?

Shikuoka which is in the centre of Japan on the Pacific Coast. Temperature is very like Adelaide's except it rains more, no snow. It's known for it's green tea production, responsible for half of that coming from Japan. Population is approximately 700,000.

Why Japan?

Why not? Japan has always interested me but was never the number one on my 'must do' list. Two of my co-workers, the lovely H. and R., have taught in Japan through the schools I am teaching for so there's a certain level of comfort. I am getting lots of advice and H is already hooking me up (via Facebook) with some of her friends still in Shizuoka. I wouldn't be brave enough had H not continued to tell me stories about her time at the school and in Japan.

Why I am going?

Well two months ago I was a 28 year old with no passport. Question answered. The last two years have stressful professionally and had begun to take it's toll on my health and sanity. After surgery this month, I figure why not? I want to see the world.

Teaching

I will be teaching a class of fifteen five year olds. They will be getting taught the fantastic tradition of ABCs and mathematics in English. I am unbelievably excited as I have been teaching upper primary/lower secondary (10-13 year olds) for the past few years and I look forward to teaching little ones like in my first year teaching.

How long?

I leave in January 2010 and will be there for the year. If I like it, I may stay longer.

What about your blogging?

I will still be reviewing YA (Young Adult) literature over at Persnickety Snark but obviously publishers will no longer send me review copies. I will be relying on authors sending me ARCs, any English YA in the local library, bookdepository.com and the kindness of strangers. It won't be as busy but it will still be happening.

In terms of this blog I have no boundaries. I will be posting my preparation for Japan, my trips, teaching ideas (and failures), cultural revelations and everything in between.

What about your writing?

I am sitting on my NaNo novel so that I can edit it with fresh eyes.

As for novel deux, I am planning something at the moment and will use my time in Japan to write and be inspired. I am already so much more organised than I was for NaNo and knowing that publishers would already like to read it is exciting.

Contact?

Email - p.snark AT gmail DOT com

Twitter - SnarkyWench