Teaching

Colleen isn't the only teacher around here. Breaking my new year's resolution, I accepted a part-time job offer and started teaching at Yamano Gakkou, the local forestry school, this week. I feel completely unqualified (College degree? Nope. People skills? Certainly not. Work with kids? Never.) but I guess speaking english is enough around these parts. The kids are cool and the job gets bonus points because I get to use on my graphic design skills to design worksheets and handouts. This week's lesson: basic colors & simple introduction phrases. Up next: common nature terms (tree, grass, leaf, etc.) and whatever else I can conjure up by then.

Mike

JDL :: Japanese Driver's License

Yesterday Colleen and I (along with Haga resident Grace) took the first part of the Japanese Driver's Exam. We only got to take the writing part, but we all passed. (Mike: 9/10, Colleen: 7/10.) The driving part is notoriously difficult, horrible, and according to most xenophobic. Word is it is nearly impossible to pass the first or even second time - a friend of a friend had to take it 17 times - but we coughed up for a practice session last weekend, so I'm thinking of that as my first failure. More on/about May 9th when we get behind the wheel.



EDIT: in response to the excellent question posed, Japan requires almost all vehicle-operating foreigners to get a JDL after one year of residency. We are just taking it now because we heard the process can be long and obnoxious so we wanted to get it out of the way. Citizens of some countries (England and Australia, for example) are exempt from this for various reasons: they have stricter driving tests/already drive on the left side of the road/their governments have worked out a deal on their behalf. The US government is supposedly working on some such deal for folks like us, but something tells me its not a high priority.

Enkyoji

Last weekend I visited Enkyoji with friends Shinsuke and Bill (Colleen was hiking with some fellow ALTs). Enkyoji is one of those things that's really close (NW side of Himeji) but tucked away & so I hadn't made my way there yet. The temple's recent claim to fame is that some scenes from "The Last Samurai" were filmed there. Tuesday Tamako told me that while they were doing so one of her friends got up at 4am to go to the watch them film & catch a glimpse of the scientologist.

Beyond it's Hollywood connection though, the temple is really amazing. It's high up Mt. Shosa, so far up your choices to get there are either hike up or ride the ropeway, a ski-lift-meets-cable-car contraption. We opted for the lift. This year is the 1000th anniversary of the temple's founder's death, so there were several special statues on display & we were given access to rooms that are usually off-limits. Very cool. It was on par with anything Kyoto or Nara has to offer. Glad it's so close. If I end up going back with Colleen I might even hike it.

Japaense Economic Divide

An interesting read:
New York Times Article on The Japanese Economy

Silly Japanese government, you're rich may be getting richer and your poor poorer, but you'll never match the awesome division of wealth in the United States. NEVER. As the great socio-economic theorist M.C. Hammer so eloquantly once said, "U Can't Touch This."

Slugs

We have slugs. A lot of them. Indoors. It is not fun. At first we weren't going to write about our little slug problem, but it's gotten to the point where not posting it would be a glaring omission. It's really gotten out of control. Every night we find at least one downstairs, pick it up with some paper or cardboard and toss it outside. One night last week I evicted a record five. We think they are coming from behind the kitchen sink (there is a 1" gap between the sink/counter & the wall) but how exactly they are getting in remains a mystery. I can't tell if we're slowly eliminating some rouge faction that made its way inside or if they just keep coming in night after night. Either way, it's getting old fast.

Mike

Bon Jovi

Long story short: We were given some tickets to see Bon Jovi in Osaka on Friday. We sold them.

The Universal BBQ

Sunday night was a going away cookout for a fellow gaijin (UK) Mike. He's a cool kid who's been working here through an exchange program and is now setting off on a lengthy bike trip to Tokyo. The send-off was amazing. I never realized how universal beer and fire really are. It was easily the closest to feeling at home I've been here, despite the fact we vegetarians were eating pizzas and salad (and not the stomach lining i'm holding up in that pic). The barbeque vibe truly extends beyond all borders. It was a really awesome time. I hope we get to hang around the grill a few more times this summer - and that I get to do it with some you when I'm home in June.

Mike

J-Rides

About twice a week, I'll be driving, see a car, and think "I need to do a post about how funny the car names are here...and about our car..." and I've finally gotten around to it.

Much like Americans, the Japanese like exotic names for their vehicles, the only difference is that here "exotic" usually means very plain English. Some of my favorites:

Honda That's
Honda Life
Nissan Fair Lady
Toyota Wish

The list goes on and on. Of course, our K-Car is no exception: the wonderful (and due to it's low price, ridiculously popular) Daihatsu Move.

I finally got around to taking some pictures of it this afternoon. Downside, I'm not sure they accurately convey how small it actually is - looking at the tires helps put it in perspective. Upside, I made sure to get a picture of the reflective window tint.





Wish I had a picture of a Honda That's to share.
Mike

Big American Shop

It is what it is.

Cherry blossoms ("sakura")

My spirits are lifted again and again by the natural beauty surrounding us. This morning I went on a long walk around town, and found this tree at the corner of a farm road. Spring is here ;)
A popular way to celebrate spring is to get together at a spot famous for cherry blossoms, and have a picnic. It's simply called "hanami" flower viewing. Next week we're getting together with the English conversation club/cooking exchange club. Quick!!; Please post any ideas you have for yummy American picnic food I could bring for the event.

Here's a picture of my lovely workplace, Iwa koko, which is lonely at the moment because of spring break. In a week or so, classes should be back in full swing, so this courtyard won't be so emply anymore...



-Colleen

The Dentist's Office

So six years, six apartments, two cars, one marriage and one trip across the International Date Line later, I finally made it back to the dentist. Colleen and I both got checkups this week & were both given a clean bill on dental health. I was a little nervous before going in as the Japanese dental system isn't known for being the greatest- and I've seen no shortage of outright frightening teeth here - but the office was extremely modernized (at least on compare to the one I was in half a decade ago...) and everything went really smooth, even with the language difference. We owe a lot of that to Rima Tanida, Iwa Koko school nurse, who helped us translate forms and communicate with the staff there.

Mike

Medical Condition

Over the past few months, I've come to realize that my nose has started running whenever I eat. Anything. As an example of how extreme it's become, this morning my nose ran as I ate cereal. It's not cool. I've had to start carrying a handkerchief around, something I never thought I'd do. No idea if this is connected to the climate or overall diet change or what, but I'm not particularly enjoying it. Just wanted to vent.

Mike