English to Engrish

2009-12-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

My goodness I must have let you all down. I am terribly sorry for the absence. I just read the one and only blog I posted and had to chuckle to myself. But still, 3 months and nothing from me! Well for 1 month I was in Europe, more on that later, but now I am back and ready to write. So grab a cup coffee, tea, or vodka.

Life is still rolling merrily along and as always has stayed busy. September was filled with seeing friends and family, planning for Europe and dating. A big reason for coming home was because my love life was pathetic in Japan. It is NOT the place to go to find love for most ladies. I didn't go for that, but just saying. So I was excited to be home. Many of the dates were bad, it is the reality of dating. One guy even offered to give me "some American meat *wink, wink, hip thrust*" I kindly declined. I did meet one sweetie though, Mr. K, and we dated for nearly 2 months, but now that has cooled off for the moment. Mind you he is an AMAZING guy! Who knows what the future holds but I am back at it again.

I am working now too. I started at my job about a week after arriving home. I make kazoos now! You can check us out at www.kazoos.com. It is great and I have a lot of fun. I have a car now too, a Ford Focus that is awesome. I still live at home but mom and I are adjusting. It is just the two of us and grandma now and I will stay there for awhile longer as my current income does not afford me the chance to move out. Still it is better than nothing and I have heat unlike Japan.

The month of October took me on a whirl wind trip! I started by going to Boston and seeing my old college roommate get married in a fantastic ceremony. I also visited with an old friend from Japan, Rishi. We hung out one night and bar hopped. He even took me to the restaurant that created clam chowder. The "chowdah" is great, my favorite soup since childhood, but here is a secret....it tastes the same as Cambell's. I swear it is true! On another day I met with my dear old high school friend Bruce. We spent the day enjoying food and went whale watching. If you ever have the chance, do it! I loved Boston, it was my first visit, and I can't wait to go back. I did the historic walking tour, went to numerous museums and exhibits, and just spent a lot of time walking on my own. It is a very easy to walk city, and never once did I have to take the subway.

NYC as seen from my airplane. Brighton Beach and the pier

After Boston I headed on to the UK for a 3 week trip. I started with Brighton Beach where my friends Debra and Pigg lived together. All of the friends I visited were fellow teachers in Japan. Brighton Beach is great even in chilly weather. The beach is made of smooth pebbles and it has a great pier. The city has a very young vibe with many local shops that cater to fashion, vegitarians, and world issues. Pigg's mom came the second night and cooked us loads of yummy food and got us schnockered (drunk). Next up was my long train trip to the Northeast city of Newcastle to see Kat and James.

Kat & James in Newcastle. Alnich Castle

Alnich Botanical Gardens. Myself at Alnich Castle

York Cathedral. The wall around York

Kat lived in the next village over from me and we became close our first year. She left and I missed her a lot. The trip was GORGEOUS. I highly recommend taking a train around the UK. It is very affordable and nice. That evening we went to a pub with some of her friends and I enjoyed my first pint of strawberry beer. Yum! The next day they gave me the tour of Newcastle, which is a very old city with lots of wonderful shopping and historic buildings. We went to a modern museum, walked along the river front and I think James cooked for us that evening. On Sunday we took a road trip to Alnwich (Aa-nik) which is a tiny town but filled with things to do. It is home to the castle which was used in the first Harry Potter film. The castle is gorgeous. In the town there is also a botanical garden and a bookstore which is famous in its own right. It has thousands of books, some dating back before the 1600's! That evening we enjoyed Sunday roast at a nearby pub. On Monday I set off on my own to the nearby town of York. Truly a must-see if you are in Northern England. The town is still surrounded by the ancient wall which has been restored and you can walk along. I choose to utilize the free walking tour offered by Friends of York. It was great! VERY informative, small group, and it finished in the center of town just in time for lunch. The town has lots of little nooks to explore plus a huge cathedral which is home to the oldest stain glass in Europe. That evening I cooked for my hosts since it was Monday and I knew they would be tired. The next day I chilled at the house while they worked. I had laundry to do and was setting off for Scotland that Wednesday morning.

In Scotland I met with my old friend Megan in Glasgow. Megan lives in Beaufort and we are college chums. She visited me in Japan and wanted to continue traveling so I invited her along. We met up with my friend Madeline who just moved into her new flat. It is BEAUTIFUL! That evening we enjoyed a yummy meal and chit chatted. The following day Madeline took off of work for a 1/2 day and drove us to the highlands and Loch (lake) Lomond. It is stunning there and I am so happy we could do that. We saw wild pheasent, sheep, waterfalls, and the most stunning sunset. We even ate at the very old pub where the waiters wore kilts. I had steak a guiness pie. Their pie is like our pot pie. It is yummy! That Friday Megan and I went to Edinburgh to explore the capital city. I had been there 10 years before for the Fringe festival, but it is so packed then you can miss many things. We toured the castle and Scott's Monument, a cathedral, and ate whisky fudge which I didn't care for. It is a great city for shopping too! We headed back to Glasgow and joined Madeline and many of her friends at a bar for drinks. That evening on our way home we spotted a city fox! The next day we packed and headed for Manchester, England!

Scott's Monument & Megan and I at Loch Lomond

With that I shall leave you till the next update (in about a day or two) I don't want to write so much I bore you!

The move

2009-08-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well ladies and gents I am now writing from the good 'ol US of A! It has been a crazy three weeks and I apologize for not writing sooner but today was my first day to be lazy and I did it to excess. I left Japan on July 28th and arrived the same day at Atlanta. My flights went well although I hate LAX (Los Angeles) airport and swear I will avoid it at all cost from now on. Long story short, you will need at least a three hour layover there, DO NOT attempt to pass through with less than that.

The first thing I did was go visit my family in Alabama for four days and a great surprise was my cousin Dorann was there! The jetlag was horrible but my family helped me through it and we had a great time dining out, playing in the pool, shopping and talking. Then I came home to Beaufort, South Carolina.

Home. A lot has been said about this word, idea, feeling, location. I have moved my entire life and home has always been a loose concept to me. I think Japan taught me what home was and to treasure it. After three years in Saku I came to call it home but now I have returned to where my heart will always call home, the Sea Islands. My best college buddies came to visit me last weekend for a reunion and while I was driving around the islands with one of them, Rabyn, she asked me something I thought was interesting. "You and the people here really love where you come from don't you?" We have a mutual friend Katie who was born and raised in Beaufort and like me Katie is forever talking about our little town. I have spent the last three years talking about my home, my life here, our customs and odd quirks. I can say with a resounding yes that I do indeed love where I come from. I was not born and raised here but moved here when I was in Pre-K and we always came back over the years until we moved back when I was in 7th grade. I remember dreaming of the day I could leave and now all I wanted was to come back. Well I'm here and rediscovering the place I love.

So while I may not be able to give lots of stories about Japan any more have no fear you will get many stories about Southern life, reverse culture shock and of course I won't shut up about Japan that easily. I didn't get to tell you much so their will be some flashbacks.

So far reverse culture shock is starting to settle in. This past week was hard and the peak was on Thursday when my mother and I had a big blowout argument. Oh if you didn't hear, I'm living at home with my mom, her fiancé, their dog, my grandmother and her dog. Things are better now but it is still tough at times. I do love being back though so whenever the day is getting tough I just think about the good stuff and walk outside to enjoy the views. It is one thing Beaufort is known for...our scenery. Every commute you have whether it is to the grocery store or to work offers a spectacular view of something. If that doesn't work then I plan my trip to England which is happening in October. Nothing makes a traveler happier then planning the next trip.

One of the biggest challenges faced when moving home is learning about your own country/city/culture all over again. I have approached it like I have moved somewhere new and learning things for the first time. So here is a list of some things I have observed.

* Packaging here sucks. You can not open anything without having a knife or scissors.

* I am not sure their are real TV shows anymore. Just reality or game shows or talent shows are on.

* People talk a lot. I knew this and I am a talker but MAN there are never quiet moments. It always has to be filled with some noise.

* Hamburgers really are amazing in the USA. I had forgotten how good they could be.

* It is sooo easy to get organic stuff here now!

* Japanese kids act better in public but I like how American parents deal with an unruly child more.

* Restaurants have been my biggest challenge here. Funny how I always taught my students what to do in American restaurants and now I find it hard to function myself.

Okay so that is just a small portion of my mental list of things that are strange to me. Stay tuned to hear about my night out to a redneck bar....

2009-07-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Today I had my last private class with my friend Tomoko. She has been like a mother to me in so many ways, and at other times my biggest critic. She is an adorable, small, fierce woman around the age of 55. We have been meeting every 2-3 weeks for 2 years now and I adore the time I spend with her. Today she demonstrated possibly the the biggest thing I will miss most about Japan. She asked how my move was going and I mentioned that my gas would be cut off the night before my departure, leaving me without a hot shower the day I leave Japan. Immediately she pulled out her calendar and asked what time my private taxi would be picking me up to whisk me off to the airport. I said "well about 9Am but my supervisor is inspecting my apartment at 8Am". She then told me she would pick me up at 6:20Am, take me to her home and allow me to have a hot shower. I must go early because her son must also get ready for work in the morning after me. I was obviously grateful for their hospitality.

Then she called 5 minutes ago. She and her son who is currently living with her sat down and discussed the fact that I would be coming for a shower at her home on the 28th early in the morning. He has decided to get ready a little later and do his morning rituals in the kitchen sink so that I can sleep a little longer before my flight. It doesn't seem like much, of course you would alter your habit in the morning for someone else in need, but this is possibly the most amazing thing about Japan and their people. They would go out of their way to help you at the mere mention of discontent. No matter how small or big the issue may be it is as if they all have a magic wand to wave over any problem and POOF! it is solved. I choked back the tears as Tomoko then said she would cook a light breakfast for me before I set off. She didn't hear me sniffle because she was eagerly trying to download this new program I told her about called Skype and Gmail. Bless her.

Spring!

2009-06-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and it is a great time to be in Japan. Winter can be pretty tough up here in the Alps and it is bleak with the lack of color. This winter we had very little snow to cover the gray, leafless trees and rice paddy soil. Usually the dusting of white makes my valley a beautiful winter wonderland, but not this year. So after the cherry blossoms have come and gone, everything starts to come to life in Japan. The green starts creeping up the mountains, and the rice is planted make the terrain beautiful again. The flowers bloom in amazing colors and the sparrows nest everywhere, flying to and fro trying to provide for their screeching little ones. At night the frogs croak out a rhythm that is soothing to some and annoying to others while the wood pigeons wake you up at dawn with their hooting. It is pretty awesome for me because where I come from we have 2 seasons; warm and hot. We have green around us all year long and the flowers are amazing but there is little variety and is never seems as the magnificent. Below are some pictures I have taken over the past few weeks.

The garden just outside my apartment door.

Wild daisies and a funny bug they attracted. Japan has A

LOT of bugs I have never seen before. Little creepy.

A rice paddy recently planted.

My friend Charity poses in front of an old waterwheel we

found while on a road trip in the mountains.

Bugs! Japanese children like to keep them as pets!

My friend Tom found a frog while we were at a temple

This is an actual size photograph of the spider living near

my car. Spiders in Japan are not poisonous but they are big,

creepy and everywhere!

While on a random road trip we came upon this bug

chilling on a mushroom. That day in the woods we also

saw 2 tanuki's (Japanese raccoon-like animal), and 2 GIANT

scarlet colored birds that seemed to be in the finch family.

My friend Matt took this photo.

Things that suck in Japan

2009-06-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have had a great day but while driving this lovely, warm evening I accidently forgot my iPod and ended up listening to Japanese radio. On rare occasions this can be okay, but 90% of the time it sucks. Japanese radio sucks. The DJs talk most of the time, and about every 20 minutes they will play a song. Half way through they start talking about the song, while it plays in the background quietly. I turned off the radio because in my city of 100'000 people, we get 1 station, and began to ponder other things that suck in Japan. This is not meant to be a cold-hearted thing, just facts people. I will try to put a good spin on each.

- Home insulation. They don't have it. Your inside wall is often the outside one too. There is no stuffing in the middle. Often times it is hotter in my house than outside, or colder in my house than outside. I love A/C and heaters but I could do without them here if I had insulation. The good part - I know what the weather is like when I wake up and am still lying in bed.

-Garbage. I have thirteen categories of garbage. My friend who lives 10 minutes away has more and must sort his garbage with totally different categories. We live in the same city. I have 6 feet of wall and floor space dedicated to garbage cans in my small apartment. Throwing away anything requires a map (I am not joking) and the intelligence of James Bond. Good part - I am more likely to buy something with less packaging even if it costs me more. I am VERY aware of the waste involved with everything I buy. This however does not stop Japan from wrapping every cookie in a pack in its own packaging. I kid you not.

-Zero tolerance drunk driving. Now I am an advocate that you should NEVER EVER EVER attempt to drive a car while intoxicated. BUT Japan has gone to the extreme. They have a 1 drop rule. If you have taken a sip of booze then you can not drive for the day. PERIOD. If you get caught, consider your self up a creek without a paddle. I have accidently eaten a chocolate with booze in it and had to walk home or call a taxi for fear of this rule. Good point - as a result of this rule there is a system which allows you to call a taxi service. 2 drivers come in the taxi. One drives your car home with you in it, the other follows and picks up the driver at the end. It is cheaper than a regular taxi!

- ATMs. This is the land of technology. My school toilet sings to me and washes my butt then air dries it afterwards. My microwave can bake, microwave, grill and toast to perfection. ATMs in Japan close at 8PM on weekdays and noon on Saturday. Do not even think about getting money on a Sunday or holiday. Also do not consider getting money out of an ATM if you are not in your state. This is a cash based society. Finding a place that accepts credit cards, or anyone with a credit card, is nearly unheard of. I frequently carry 2-400$ on me at all times and do not think twice about it. The reason, if the ATM is open that means there is someone waiting in an office just in case it breaks. They will rush over and fix it. If it is closed, the person has gone home. Good point - I have never encountered a broken ATM in Japan.

- Coffee. It sucks. I love little coffee shops with personality but if I want a good cup of jo then I head to Starbucks. Japanese coffee is like motor oil. They use Vietnamese strength but unlike Vietnamese they do not cut in with thick cream. It is pungent, bitter, tastes burnt always and smells awful. Good point - if I need a pick me up, 1/2 a cup of Japanese coffee will keep me going for a long time.

-Train ticket prices. You can take a train anywhere in this country. They are nice too. Comfy, sometimes even have snack carts on them. Bathrooms are usually clean and it is a great way to help the environment, meet people, and see new places. It is expensive though. REALLY expensive. Enough so that often I drive, especially if there is a second person in the car. Much cheaper that way. Good point - I never feel like the employees are working for less than they deserve.

Okay that is just a sampling. I am sure I have a lot more of these stored up. Here is a very cute picture I took while working the American booth at an International festival recently. We had a craft corner and were making pinwheels. First participants would color their paper, this girl later performed a cheer.

I Support Driving on Random Roads

2009-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my friend Tom and I decided to go driving in our local area after we had finished watching our schools play basketball and before we were due at a birthday party. My favorite activity in Japan is driving on their crazy tiny roads, turning when I feel the next road looks more interesting than the one I am on. The roads here tend to get windy through the mountains and can lead you to some amazing and surprising places. Even though I have been in my sleepy urban town for 3 years I still manage to find new hills to climb in my little car. 10 minutes after setting out we found the perfect road which led us to an intersection lined with English signs directing us to some new places. Of course I jumped at the chance and we found ourselves in a very old section of my town. The homes were HUGE and very traditional. Most of them guarded by high walls and inside those walls were amazing gardens. Japanese people enjoy a luxury of safety here so it is common to leave your gate open. We winded down the narrow brick street oohing and ahhing at this place which was giving us a glimpse of old Japan. I could easily picture the old rickshaws and kimono clad ladies bustling about with their daily duties. The paddy fields provided a lush green against the aged dark brown woods and dingy white stucco of the homes.

Soon we came to a temple. Few temples make me pull over anymore, they seem to run together after three years, but this one was special. For one, it was huge and that is rare in my small town. Unfortunately the temple is being renovated so we continued on our journey. A few minutes later we came to a shrine located in a cedar forest. I had no idea this was here! I knew my town had 3 pagodas in it, and I always wondered where the two I had yet to locate where, and now I only need to find 1 more! This was a beautiful and serene place. I will not describe it, just enjoy the pictures below. We left the temple and headed further up the road which led to a mountain pass. MY FAVORITE! Soon we were following a creek and enjoying the cooler temperatures. Then we came upon a lake, well resevoir for the dam, but it was beautiful and azure blue! We drove down to the shore and waded in the water, skipping rocks and admiring the late afternoon sun. A narrow road led up another hill and boasted warnings. I naturally thought it was a great idea...Tom gripped the dashboard and prayed my little car wouldn't fail me. It was a animal reservation area. An old road abandoned because of numerous landslides. We saw a deer that seemed more in shock of us than we were of it. We parked the car when the road no longer seemed safe and set off hiking. About 1/4 mile up the trail we saw why the road was less traveled. A VERY BIG landslide. Just as we were turning to go home we heard a rustling in the hill above us. Clearly an animal on 4 legs was watching us and moving about. Tom thought that was cool, I bolted. I have always said I know my position on the food chain when unarmed and fully believe a rabbit could take me if he wanted. This being black bear cub season though, I took no chances. It was the end of our trip, we hastily made are way to the party 4 villages away.

1st temple

1st temple 2nd temple

A creek we came upon

The lake A warning about flash floods

So as the title says, I support driving on random roads. My parents did this with my brother and I when we were children. We packed a cooler of snacks, some bottles of water and took off. The goal, get really lost. Back then I enjoyed the trips that were successful but frequently complained as any child would. I didn't like listening to my dad's music, my mom ALWAYS wanted to talk to us and we couldn't play with our Gameboys. Now of course I see the reason why my parents did this. Sometimes you need to unplug and put yourself in close proximity to your family in order to actually be a family. Those lazy Sundays taught me more than I realized. My parents did this in every country we lived in. We saw incredible stuff like a peacock farm, old bombed out shelters from WWII, amazing Thai temples no tourist had been too. If you get the chance to aimlessly drive around you town, do it. Turn off the cell phones, DVD players, and video games. Turn up the music and roll down the windows.

It ain't easy

2009-06-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's not always peaches and cream...wait scratch that, we don't have that in Hello-Kitty Land.

It's not always mochi and ice cream in Japan. I have bad days and weeks, but the good outweighs that most of the time. This week was one that has tested my strength. I am going through the motions these days for leaving this fair country and returning home. Officially I leave July 28th, arriving the same day in Atlanta, GA, USA. After my long week I can think of nothing better than saying sayonara to Japan and a big HEY Y'ALL to the US. What happened?

1. My school is choosing to quit using foreign English teachers from my company, JET. Instead they are going with another private company due to budget constraints. I'm not happy about this for a variety of reasons but I have accepted it understanding Japan is in a recession. Then Monday morning I walk into my school which is 3 years old to discover that every TV (about 25) and the mounting is was held into which is hanging from the ceiling, had been replaced. These TVs are average to slightly large, and new. What did we have instead. Brand new flat panel, HD, LARGE fancy TVs that have all kinds of plugs and even could get Internet if classrooms were equipped for such a thing. Where are they? Sitting on top of the bookshelves. Yeah....my jaw hit the ground and that set the tone for my week.

2. I have a new Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) who is fresh out of college. I have been patient since she arrived at the start of the school year this past April. Her tone of speaking is rather abrupt and rude. Since English is her 2nd language I have been forgiving and try to be a good example of proper speech patterns. She is a GOOD English speaker just her style sucks. Yeah well officially she is no longer someone I like. Turns out she is just rude and inconsiderate.

3. My passport expires in 2 weeks. I had to go to the post office to get a money order in US dollars in order to buy a new one. This is not an easy process anywhere, Japan is notorious for paperwork and the ridiculousness of it all. There is a paper and at least 3 people to go through to get ANYTHING done. I arrive with my fancy Japanese words all prepared, gestures practiced and a BIG smile on my face. 1.5 hours later, a call to the embassy, 5 forms re-filled out because of some mistake or another, fresh tears on my face, 2 calls to a translator, and one bitching out in Japanese care of me...I walked away with my money order. It wasn't pretty. In true Japanese form they offered me a box of tissues as a gift for making me wait.

4. As incentive in my school I do not give stickers or prizes but instead E-Bucks, my own currency. I buy small things that I value from 1-5 EBs and students get to go shopping after school for their own rewards. It is a great system! Over the last 2 years I have spent 300$ on this. Not much, I make a tidy sum here, but I was under the impression that I would be reimbursed for these items, or at least the bulk of them. I also have spent 70$ on supplies for classes that were pre-approved. I got my money back this week, all 100$ and was told that is all they could afford. I looked at the new TV that no one could reach, mumbled some words of hate under my breath and left school early.

How do I bounce back from this? I call an old friend, hop in my car and head to the lake for the weekend. With any luck by Tuesday ( I have Monday off) I'll be back to my happy place.

Next?

2009-06-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Okay so clearly I am a horrible updater. Sorry for that. I find it hard to know what is interesting to other people because I have been living it for 3 year now. Ahhh 3 years...not to sound cliché but it really does seem like a few days ago I stepped off the bus in my black non-breathable suit into the sweltering heat of Nagano prefecture. Now it is that time of year again when the next crop of new and excited English teachers descend upon Japan. They are seeking advice, trying to learn Japanese before coming, and eager for any information.

At the same time, a group of people who have come to call this country home are preparing to embark on the next chapter in their life. What I have found most interesting during this period of changeover is the questions I receive on a nearly daily basis. "What will you do after Japan?" There are more questions but ultimately this is the biggest one. It is a hard one to answer. It is not because I have not thought about it, I have been thinking since November when I had to decide whether to leave or stay a 4th year. What is life like after Japan? My life here was once described as "college but you have money and don't work weekends". This is fairly accurate. I sit in school all day doing a job that is really fun and on occasion it can be challenging to the mind. Afterwards I hang out with my friends, go out to eat, take special interest classes, or chill out at home. Weekends bring a variety of activities like hiking, camping, white water rafting, volunteering at English camps and international festivals, going to festivals, traveling, and of course partying. For holidays I travel even further and have been to a number of neighboring countries and traveled the bulk of Japan. So I leave all this, and a fat salary for.....

Home. It is hard to explain home to my friends here. Those who miss their home understand the yearning I have to go back, but still not the actual place I come from. I have lived around the world and never in one house more than 3 years. In fact the apartment I have now is the place which I have resided in the longest in my life. Again with clichés, home is where your heart is. My hometown is Beaufort, SC and it is an amazing town tucked away in the southern islands of South Carolina. After being away for 6 years, 3 in Japan and 3 in college, I can think of no other place to be right now. The smell of the ocean, the amazing sunsets undisturbed by mountains, the charming people and small shops lining a picturesque downtown area.

I am frustrated when people seemed shocked that I have no real plan once I get on the plane at Narita. I laugh and say "sit on the beach, hang out with family". I understand that I am the type of person who usually has a plan, stays to busy and there is always some next big thing coming. But if Japan has taught me anything, it is that taking your time to enjoy the beauty of the moment, and not having a plan is okay. I think people do not take enough time these days to stop and enjoy life. Sometimes life demands that you must work hard and have little time for yourself, but sometimes you are given the opportunity to slow down, and I intend on using mine.

So what's next? Playing at the beach with my two godsons and going to the local ice cream parlor. Learning how to cook from my grandmothers. Talking to my sister for hours about nothing to serious. Watching the dolphins play in the river and shrimping with my best friends. Traveling with friends and family. Volunteering and learning something new.

Fat Guys Wearing Thongs is a Sport in Hello Kitty Land

2009-04-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Before my friends and I went to Obama city (see previous post) we went to the famous city of Osaka. I had been once before but only to Universal Studios, which is very cool by the way. This trip was to experience more of the city. Osaka is known for being a little different than the rest of Japan. Of course every city in the world has its own flavor, but in Japan one city can seem the same as another. Osaka stands out among them all. The people tend to be younger, into fashion, and much more liberal. The natives even have a different way of talking that can throw off even the best Japanese speakers. Osaka is also known for its food. It has a wide variety and it is cheap, delicious and not all that healthy. YUM! The biggest reason we visited the city was for SUMO!! My favorite sport ever! Sumo tournaments take place every two months around the country. The sumo organization has a great website in English. I have chosen to explain the sport with a lot of photos.

This is the venue for sumo. Hanging over the stage area This guy comes out between each match and

is a mock temple roof. Sumo is a holy sport. There is a announces the competitors. The better the

a tassel on each corner that is a different color. They the players the fancier his outfit gets.

represent North, South, East, and West. There is

a judge sitting on each side of the stage area wearing

a black robe. The main referee is in the middle.

There are a lot of rituals a wrestler must do. This one is the famous slapping-the-legs-and-stomping. The tassels are for decoration only and are easily removed. They often fall off during the match. The uniform the wrestler wears is made of about 23 yards of fabric! It protects the wrestler while being very useful during the match. There are about 32 different tactics to win using the belt. The "wedgie" is not one

The wrestler who just finished his match offers water to the current wrestler, then he may leave. The person in the middle is the referee. Again as the match becomes more important the fancier his outfit gets. You can see that wrestlers wear their hair in a bun or knot as they call it. The style is based on the wrestlers ranking. It is held in place by a special hair wax and the knot is actually protective. It acts as a helmet for the back of the head.

Next the wrestlers enter the ring which is 18meters in Another ritual movement.

diameter. They throw salt to purify it.

Then they stare each other down. This is all part of the ritual. They size each other up and try to intimidate the opponent.

At this point the men can choose to fight right away or stand up if they are not ready. Once someone stands up they both go back to their corners and gather their thoughts, get pumped up, drink more water. The higher up their ranking the more dramatic their pumping up ritual gets. They sometimes even start slapping their arms, legs and head. The audience loves it! Then the two go back to the center of the ring, again they can choose to stand up at this point. It sometimes happens 3-4 times. Usually by the same guy, and I put my figurative money on the guy who isn't standing up.

Finally they are ready. Both hands on the ground. It is a split second before they class.

The initial attack! These guys have a lot of muscle! Most of the time they fight it out for about 10 seconds. But sometimes one of the guys just steps to the side and the opponent falls. Of the 30 or so matches we watched this move was used 2-3 times.

These pictures are from a few different matches. In order to win your opponent must touch the ground with some other body part than his feet OR be knocked out of the ring. Even a small finger on the ground or outside the ring will cost you the game. There are about 50 matches a day starting at 8AM and finishing at 6PM. Every wrestler fights once a day for 15 days straight. Your opponents change based on your ranking. So if you are a little guy and you are doing well, you could be fighting a really big guy! Typically though the little guys (lowest ranking) go at the beginning of the day. Each match can not take longer than 4-7 minutes. If you are high ranking then you have more time. This is used to get the audience excited. The low ranking guys though must fight when they get to the middle, no time to gather your thoughts.

At the end of each match the winner collects money from the referee that is in an envelope. Sponsors pay for advertising during the match. The better you are the more sponsors thus more money.

The wrestlers are divided into sections. you have 3 sections (I think). The REALLY low guys are in the morning, the middle guys in the afternoon, and then these guys. Before they start the matches, all wrestlers in that section walk out and form this circle, then perform ritual movements. They wear these aprons over their belts at this ceremony only. The apron is purchased by their sponsors and can cost upwards of $30'000. Some are encrusted with jewels!

There is ranking among the wrestlers that is separate from the daily rankings. Wrestlers can work their way up to earn titles. Once they have earned a title it can not be taken away unless they break a MAJOR rule. If a title holder performs badly at a few tournaments then he is expected to do the honorable thing and step down or retire. Pictured here, in the middle, is one of the ozekis. Kotoshu is from Bulgaria and nicknamed the "David Beckham" of sumo wrestling. Pretty hot isn't he?!? There are many non-Japanese wrestlers and there is some controversy over that. An ozeki is the second highest ranking. Yokozuna is the highest ranking and their are currently two and they are both Mongolian.

At the end of the day a yokozuna performs the traditional bow dance. The special belt he wears is reserved only for the yokozunas and features the white fabric that looks like lightning. You can find this same white fabric on anything that is holy in Japan. Although many people choose to make their escape from the venue at this time, I think it is worth watching. At the end of the tournament the person with the most wins gets the Emperor's Cup.

So that is sumo. It is a lot of fun and if you are ever in Japan during a tournament I think it is worth going to check it out.

The "Obama for Obama" tour

2009-04-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

This spring break I took a small trip with two very cool friends of mine. We went to Osaka (about that later) and to a city called Obama. Yes ladies and gents Japan has two of those cities. One WAY down south near Nagasaki with a neighboring town of Usa (I kid you not, pronounced oo-sah) and one on the west coast of the main island Honshu. Obama means "little beach" and it is just that, a tiny seaside town famous for squid, blowfish, and crabs. We found an amazing hostel run by the cutest woman ever. Unfortunately I have just learned that Nima Guesthouse has permanently closed in the last month.

Squid boats docked for the day. They go out at night and use the glass lanterns you see hanging to illuminate the clear ocean creatures.

This hotel is on a bluff and since we were there in the off season we were able to have the entire place to ourselves! The first night there we went into the center of town, which consists of about 8 city blocks, for some much anticipated seafood at the best restaurant in town. Mind you the other competition is a ramen place and cheap sushi joint, but it really was an amazing place. One of the family members who runs the place immediately introduced herself and helped us decipher the menu. We asked for what she recommended and she gave us a feast! Fried blowfish, blowfish & vegetable hot pot, grilled whole bass, raw squid, marinated tiny fish, and the list goes on. All washed down with amazing warm sake.

It is hard to see the detail because this photo was taken on my cell phone. It is a raw squid. The raw edible part of the body is draped in slivers over a Japanese radish cut in half. The head is put on the end and it actually looks as if the squid is alive. They offered to fry up the head later for us but we kindly declined.

Next to our table in a more private room was another foreigner. Because a friend of ours had recently traveled to the area we were aware that cool foreigners could be found, but imagine our luck running into them our first night! After stuffing ourselves we were introduced to Al and her Japanese friends, and elderly couple who travel frequently. Turns out the couple has visited my hometown and enjoyed golfing! Such a small world! We agreed to meet with Al the following day for lunch and took off to the only onsen (public bath) in town.

The weather was pretty bad so we asked for a taxi. Instead though the woman who helped us order and introduced us to Al decided to drive us to the onsen. This is one of the great things about Japan, people are genuinely nice and trusting. The onsen was great! It was on the top floor and overlooked the port. There were three baths to choose from, all filled with different minerals and varying in colors. I loved the Chinese teabath that made my skin look orange in the water. Afterwards we went back to the hostel and slept in our traditional Japanese beds and listened to the ocean below.

My friend Amanda enjoying the sea and scenery of Obama

The next day we had lunch at the sushi place with Al and also visited the famous Obama shop. Dedicated to all things Barack and Obama city. They have a their own promotion with his picture on it and I bought my fair share of memorbilia. Check it out!

That evening walked around the various piers, talked to fisherman, visited the outlying beaches and islands and admired the scenery. It is a great area that is very chill with people who are incredibly nice. We decided to save some money and cook dinner that night at the hostel. Crab was so cheap that we could buy two!

A hawk scavenging for scraps left by the fishermen on the dock. In the background you can see just how small Obama is.

Our third day we hit the long road home. Road trips in Japan can offer some unexpected twists and turns. I love road tripping in Japan, but there is a cardinal rule. Leave yourself twice as much time as you think you need. To start with, maps in Japan are not really to any particular scale. Even the road signs have their own system. If the sign says you are 21 kilometers from your destination, then it is best to assume you are closer to 40. Thing is, when they measure those kilometers, they are saying "If you stretched a straight line from here to ___city, then it is 21 km." That is not how roads work though, especially in Japan when the majority of the country is mountainous. The road sign people do not account for the twists and turns you encounter.

On a map your roads are color coded. Red roads are major. They are supposedly big and important, and it is best to stick to those. Yellow roads are a bit more local but still substantial. Green roads are small but still paved and marked. White are....well...you are lucky to see them over the rice paddy grass. Then sometimes you are thrown for a loop. Here is the RED road we encountered on our way home.

That sign basically says if you are not driving a major construction vehicle then it is very dangerous to continue this road. The railing you see up ahead is made of simple timber from the side of the road. This road is nothing but mud. We decided to turn around because it was rainy that day and seemed a bit dangerous. This is what we saw on the way back down.

Too Much Sapporo Beer Got Me Crabs In Hokkaido

2009-04-13T22:24:00.001-07:00

As promised

One of my goals is to travel as much of Japan as possible, including hitting up the 5 main islands. I live on the biggest and best, Honshu. North of me is Hokkaido. Southeast is Shikoku and southwest, sitting on top of Shikoku like shrimp on sushi is Kyushu. Then WAY down south there are some little islands that make up Okinawa. This past February I hit up my fourth island, Hokkaido. It is a place known for being cold most of the year, producing good beer, crab fishing, having lots of cows and unpaved land for said cows, and producing 80% of Japan's cannabis. So I figured at the least it was going to be fun. Crab, beer and cheese for everyone!

I went to the northern territory during the coldest month of the year for a specific reason, the Sapporo Snow Festival. It is a HUGE annual festival which draws hundreds of thousands of people to the small city for two weeks every year. Ice blocks are brought in a week or two ahead of time and groups carve out a new creation each year. You walk through the cities central park and admire these gargantuan sculptures. Some are as high as 40 feet, all have a different theme. Enjoy the pictures

Throughout the city there are other small events happening like smaller ice sculptures. In the neighboring port town, Otaru, the citizens make lanterns out of ice everyday and light the city up by candlelight each night. It is spectacular! There we enjoyed the freshest sushi, glass blowing demonstrations and international beers. I highly recommend banana beer.

Sapporo beer is one of the top 3 brands here in Japan. So naturally we had to take the ummm cultural tour? If you breeze past the displays on the history and cultivation then you soon arrive to the bar where we enjoyed 3 half pints of beer for 6$! Ooh and we got some of that famous cheese too. It was great. This facility also sports one of my favorite activities in Japan. BBQ!!! It is carried over from Korea and what you do is sit at your table and cook your own meal over the open grill in the center of your table. The unique thing about this place is the meat is all lamb. Yes glorious baby sheep. I am salivating at the thought. It was great! For a set price per person we could eat as much as we liked for 2 hours, and drink as much of their beer as we could get down. Just beer and lamb. Doesn't get much better.

So what else is there to do up there? Well not much else besides eat, drink and be merry. I did find the best English bookstore I have ever seen in Japan! This is like finding oil in your backyard. Usually the best you get at a shop is 2 shelves of titles you have already seen a million times. This store, located near the main station, had an entire section, floor to ceiling, multiple shelves! I spent hours looking around and picked up two great titles; "I Am A Pencil" which is about a teacher and his class doing a creative project (really good if you are a teacher, otherwise probably bore the pants off of you), and " 'Tis" the sequel to "Angela's Ashes". Both great books if you are interested in Irish American immigrant stories.

So that is my trip. A few of the more magical moments. I fell and gave myself a concussion, my flight did not land the first night due to a snow storm so I spent it in a airport hotel on the southern coast of Japan, and I learned that beer flavored caramel is about as gross as you can imagine.

Random van we came upon. I think she is making a statement

My deepest apologies

2009-04-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

I got so busy living in Japan that I forgot about telling you all about it. These past 2 months have taken me on some great journeys that I will be updating about shortly. A sneak peak...

* To much Sapporo beer got me crabs in northern Japan

* The "Obama for Obama" tour

*Fat guys in thongs is a sport in Hello Kitty Land

* School graduation had 46'900 bows

But for now I am going to publish an article that I recently wrote about HIV and AIDS in Japan. It is a little long for a blog but I think it has a lot of information and one person even told me it was good. Hey!!!!! Don't feel like reading about HIV/AIDS? Then here is the moral of the story....get tested even if you are in a monogamous relationship, wear a condom for the love of baklava, and NEVER think you in the clear for not contracting the disease. It is a world wide problem so get yourself educated and tested. Okay enough preaching. Read the article.

AIDS and HIV in Japan is a topic, which is not brought up much. Few conversations are being had about it, and even fewer articles are written about this topic, which is increasingly becoming a major problem for Japan. I have spent the better part of six months researching the epidemic and I feel as if I have only scratched the surface. About once a year an article or two pop up and they state the same thing with more current facts. Even the 2008 UNAIDS report, the most comprehensive and definitive voice on the world’s state concerning AIDS and HIV is filled with blanks and old information on Japan’s statistics. Starting up a conversation about the illusive topic is met with a lot of sucking teeth, clearing throats and blank, puzzled looks, the same reaction you get for asking for vacation time. What is most surprising is that the world’s second largest economic contributor has a rising rate of infection comparable to Sub-Saharan Africa. Japan has a problem y’all.

Before I get ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning. Maybe you have heard about the blood tainting scandal that rocked Japan’s Ministry of Health. Here is what happened in a nutshell. In 1983 Japan imported 3.14 million litres of blood plasma and 46 million units of prepared blood products from the U.S, which were distributed and used throughout this country until 1986. Japan used these products to make their own blood supply. These supplies were said to be uncontaminated but unfortunately they were not. At that time though a company called BTL had begun manufacturing heat-treated blood products. This product was licensed by the U.S. FDA and proved to kill HIV in blood supplies. They offered this product to Japan but Japan refused for a variety of reasons like a "lack of evidence pointing to links between infection with HIV and the use of unheated blood products."(Japan Ministry of Health) And that Japan was not capable of competing with this product because it was "not prepared to make heat-treated agents itself". (Green Cross Corporation) So basically for fiscal reasons the product, which would have taken the first shipment of tainted blood off the shelf and replaced it with guaranteed HIV negative products, was rejected. Tainted blood was made and distributed and patients were never warned of the risk. Around 2’000 patients had become infected with HIV by 1990.

HIV infections were being reported as early as 1984 but nothing was documented until 1985, and still not until 1987 was any public knowledge made about HIV or AIDS. Hemophiliacs were the primarily infected people but Japan’s government created hysteria that the disease came via promiscuous foreigners and transmitted to sex workers. In 1989 a lawsuit was brought against the Ministry of Health and Welfare along with Japanese drug companies. A long investigation into multiple agencies and involving a number of officials facing murder charges dragged on until 2005 when a verdict of “guilty of professional negligence” was given to one individual who was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

The one thing Japan has got right when it comes to HIV/AIDS is the medical treatment. It may have taken them a little while to acknowledge the virus was here but once they did they put in place a system for those living with the disease to have support. At least financially there is little burden because of their universal health care. The government offers medicine at a very low rate, counseling and the latest treatments. There is just one little hitch, you cannot receive these benefits and remain anonymous. Privacy has gotten better recently but it is still not 100%. Going public means you face losing your job, friends, family, and being shunned by your own community. An opinion poll was taken a couple years ago and 45% of those surveyed said they would not work with an infected person. This idea that the disease should be kept hidden is one of the reasons the infection rat is rising so rapidly.
In addition to HIV/AIDS being a taboo topic, there is a lack of information being given to the public. This is the root of the problem. Currently there are over 14’000 people living with AIDS/HIV in Japan and that number is increasing by 13% each year. These are the reported cases. Experts believe it is closer to 35’000 people. The public is not being informed about testing and using condoms. Japan provides free and anonymous testing but many choose not to find out. Doctors estimate only 6-25% of sexually active people use condoms and that is usually only to prevent pregnancy. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are “perceived to be someone else’s problem” says Shizuko Tominaga, a former health minister. The health ministry does have plenty of accurate information, and even offers it in five additional languages, all free and available at public health centers. Once a year there is even a “kenkou matsuri” or free HIV screening. In Nagano prefecture it coincides with a full check-up with interpreters on hand.
But educating the public needs to start early. Schools typically dedicate a class period year to sex education. It starts in junior high. The first year they learn about puberty, the second about pregnancy and the third about STIs. I asked why they do not dedicate more time to this subject and I was told that parents often don’t want their child exposed to the material for fear it will make them more sexually active. The education student’s get is more of an abstinence-only model versus promoting condom use and smart choices. The kids grow up to adults and still safe sex is not discussed. On top of this there is the belief that asking your partner to wear a condom is like calling them dirty. I discussed this with a lot of friends and once we got pass the uncomfortable giggles they opened up some. They confirmed all these things saying that they don’t really bring up condom use ever. One friend had never even heard about HIV and AIDS in Japan until a tiny article was printed in a local shopping magazine. None of them had ever considered being tested, stating that “it was someone else’s problem”. Those people they talk of are homosexuals and sex workers. A comment like this shows a lack of understanding about HIV/AIDS and safe sex, but I can see some of their reasoning. Sixty-three percent of new HIV infections happened because of homosexual relations. Another 23% come from heterosexual, 1% from drug use, and the remaining amount is unknown. The largest age range affected is 30-39 year olds, but among the heterosexual community it is 40 year olds and above and mainly men. Although in the foreign community it is women under the age of 30. So what experts say is that men are having unprotected sex at those special clubs we all know about, then they bring it home to their wives.

The main thing here is that while no country has figured out the best way to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Japan seems to be further behind than most people. They have access to the latest technologies and information. In spite of all of their social achievements, the problem lies in the mindset of its people. Acknowledging a problem can be hard to do, and changing minds can be even harder. A country who is facing a serious decline in population, staying quiet and uneducated is killing them.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2009-01-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

I originally thought I would keep this blog really informative and not to personal. Well after a couple post, ummm it is kinda boring. I'm not boring, I don't have a boring life, and Japan is usually not boring. I'm still gonna have the informative stuff of course, but I think you need to see the hard side too.

Living overseas is not easy. SURPRISE! Okay, even if you haven't done the expat thing, you probably can understand that facing a world you are not used to, in a language you do not know, with customs you can't get right no matter how much you try, is going to be hard.

So things are going to get a little more personal and hopefully a little more interesting.

Dosojin Fire Festival

2009-01-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

In a little town 90 minutes north of mine, there is an annual event that is a site to behold. On January 15th every year, in rain, sleet or snow, hundreds of tourist flood the town as they hold the Dosojin Fire Festival. It dates back to 1863 and is held as a prayer for good luck, health, and plentiful harvest.Two days before the festival all the men in the village who are 25 and 42 construct an 18 meter tall shrine from birch wood. Twenty-five and 42 are thought to be unlucky ages in this town. Then the priest blesses it. On the evening of the 15th the sake starts flowing as the tourist pour into the town. As my friends and I drove the narrow streets scanning for a parking spot, we could see the festivities had already started. A small fire is started up in the center of town and the villagers, followed by tourist, make their way to the shrine which is in an open field at the bottom of a hill.

Left: Men of the village in charge of giving out free sake to anyone who will drink it.
Right: My friends Nina and Charlie who joined me on the journey. We are wearing about 4 layers each!

We parked just below this hill and arrived to the shrine before the procession had. Free sake was being passed out in jugs by the locals, and clearly the 42 year old men had already had their fair share. Granted they were seated on top of this enormous shrine which later was to be set afire. It would take a lot of sake for me to get up there too. Some HUGE poles with lots of decoration were being erected and we spent the first 20 minutes trying to avoid being in their way, and running from village person who was swinging a giant torch into the audience.

Left: Hundreds of papers filled with kanji fly in the cold wind over the spectators.
Right: Raising the shrines. The guy with the torch is in the background.

Around 8:30 my feet had started the first stage of frostbite, I had located all of my foreign friends who had made the journey and the fun really got started. As if on cue the crowd became a mob pushing to be closest to the rope line which was the only protection we had from the fire. At the top of this small hill was a huge fire used to light the bundled bamboo torches on fire. At the bottom, the shrine. Men dressed as police were on one side of the rope, and the spectators on the other. Then CHAOS! The villagers lite their torches and began charging the shrine. In front of the shrine, under the drunk signing men who were perched on top, were the 25 year olds who, in their drunken state, were given the duty of protecting the shrine with their own torches. There was a fierce battle.

Left: The 25 year old men face the first onslaught of torches
Right: The 42 year old men enjoying the view

The charging villagers dramatically waved their lit torches over the audience as they headed back for battle. Sometimes they were kind enough to stop and shake it over us, sending embers and small flames into the mosh pit. At one point three people had to extinguish all the fire on my jacket. When a torch came into the audience, everyone pushed and pulled to get out of harms way. Two old ladies fell at my feet, practically being trampled. Australians were shouting for more fire and sake. All of this lasted about 1 hour.

The villagers and their torches marching into battle.

I was exhausted and ready to see the end of the festival. Eventually the shrine does catch on fire, the men on top stop singing, take a bow, and get down as fast as possible. The defenders wander off with their soot covered bodies and the giant shrines erected earlier go into the bonfire. The shrine collapsed after about 15 minutes, which sent the crowd scrambling to get out of harms way. If only I had some marshmallows.
The bonfire at the end. The platform that the 42 year olds were sitting on eventually collapses.

My Toy Car

2009-01-12T05:23:00.001-08:00

I received a question from students at my cousins school in Georgia (USA)! They are interested in my car. So here it is. This is my car!

It's very typical for Japan and especially for native English teachers.

It measures 127 inches long, 55 inches high, and 51 inches wide.

Needless to say, it is tiny. I have the ability to sit in the front seat

and reach things in the trunk. I have fit 7 people in this car once.

I do not recommend it and in fact, it is illegal in Japan to have

more than 4 people in my car because it is a yellow license plate

car. See the license plate is yellow. That means it has a small

engine. It is beneficial to to have a yellow plate in Japan where

toll roads can be costly. Yellow plate cars pay less. If you don't

have a yellow plate car, then you have a white plate car. You pay

more taxes and tolls, but you have a bigger engine and a more

spacious car.

Not all cars are this small in Japan, most are a bit bigger to full size Toyota Camrys and so on. The roads can get pretty small in Japan though, and these little toy cars are great for that. It is not uncommon for me to approach another car going in the opposite direction, on a small road and we both must slow down to a turtle crawl and inch past each other until we have safely passed. If you get good enough, you don't slow down and just learn to say a small prayer. On top of this, almost all roads in Japan have small ditches, about a tire's width, on either side of the road for water drainage. Rarely is there a grate or cover over them. Soooo if you scoot to far off the side of the road trying to avoid a car passing, you could find yourself lifting your car out of a ditch. Another perk to having the little cars.

I once asked why the roads were so small here. The answer: "In Japan we only used horses for travel before cars. So the roads were narrow. When cars came, we paved over the same roads and did not widen them." Here is a great example of a residential road. It is a 2 way road. How would you pass an oncoming car? The light pole in the street makes it that much more fun.

The great thing about cars in Japan is the price. CHEAP! A new yellow plate car may only run you about $10'000 - $14'000. I paid $2'000 for my car and it had low miles, great condition, and fairly new. Plus a set of winter tires, a must in Japan, was included. Gasoline is higher priced that in the USA, I currently am paying $4.35 a gallon of gas. And that is a great price right now!!!! My car holds about 6.5 gallons and that will last me about 1 to 1.5 weeks.

So that is the low down on Japanese cars. Any questions, just ask!

Spending New Years With the Mafia

2009-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

New Years in Japan is a bit different than what I am used to in the USA. First it is a time for people to go back to their hometown and spend time with family. Starting around December 27 everyone goes on vacation and the entire country seems to close down. This lasts until January 3rd. Doors are adorned with large grass ornaments covered in sparkly bits of paper, knots and the new animal which represents the incoming year. This year the cow is center stage. Everyone works to give their home a thorough cleaning for days. Then on the 31st family and friends visit each others homes and bring small gifts of food or money and hang out for a while. There are traditional foods eaten, and later that night people go to their local shrine to give their first prayers of the year. While their people pick up their traditional daruma doll. The storey is that this doll is sleeping, hence you see no eyes. You make a wish and color in one eye of the doll. Later, when that wish comes true you color in the other eye. Then the doll is awake and has seen the wish. You can burn the doll when you are through.

A couple friends of mine came over for an American style New Years party. I wanted to pick up some of these daruma dolls and so we set off for my local shrine at about 8:30 PM, WAY before anybody would be there. While browsing over the doll stand a local vendor came over to talk to us. He invited us to a makeshift reception room. This was a tent open to the shrine street heated by a kerosene heater. Since it's walls were susceptible to the wind, it was still rather chilly, and his offer of warm sake took the chill off. So we chatted for awhile and I noticed other people sitting in this tent seemed to stand out from your typical Japanese look. One man had a pencil thin mustached and wore an all white outfit complete with a white hat. The flashy jewelry made him look pimp-like. Another rather large gentleman wore an all silver jumpsuit, sported a cane and large gold pinky ring. He simply clapped to times and a woman who was serving us was at his beckon call.

Soon the silver man left and our host for the past hour spoke to us in a hushed tone. He was explaining that the silver man was "boss". Boss in Japan refers to a yakuza or mafia boss. I thought this man must surely be pulling our leg. Soon the silver man rejoined our small party and decided to join the conversation. He asked which of us foreigners was the teacher at a local high school. One of my friends raised his hand and the gentleman pulled out a picture of his grand daughter. My friend being a very smart man quickly acknowledged that he recognized the girl and proclaimed she was a great student! Then the "boss" started to tell us that he was INDEED a mafia boss. To prove it he pulled off his glove and said "Do you understand?" while waving his hand in our face. The pinky was missing the first 2 digits. A sign of dedication for the yakuza. All of our eyes widened and I stuttered "yes, I understand, you are a boss of the yakuza". He seemed satisfied, chuckled a bit and then told us he was like Al Capone.

After a few more words, i chugged down my sake, did my clapping ritual at the temple, bought some daruma dolls and we headed back to my apartment. What a way to ring in the New Year!

In the beginning...skip to 2.5 years later

2009-01-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Japan on July 27th, 2006 on a hot night, wearing a three piece suit, and carrying my world in a couple suitcases. I had about 5 Japanese words perfected and practiced my bow till I was dizzy. I had very little knowledge of the culture and from that day on I was immersed into a world like any other. Or so I thought...

Turns out Japan is like most other countries, just with a little twist.

I have always intended on having some sort of blog to keep my friends and family updated. I tried a couple out, lost interest, blah blah blah, and now I'm here. I get a lot of questions about what life is like here. I also talk to a lot of people who have some strange ideas about what Japan must be like. Many seem to think I'm in a kind of 3rd world country, teaching under bamboo trees in a rice paddy field. It's not like that.

So if you have questions, comments, or queries ASK! That is what this is here for. I'll post the question with answer as soon as possible.

While I wait for the questions to come pouring in I'll amuse you with stories of the far east...

Me modeling traditional Japanese bridal attire