Coffee Break's Over!

Hello BIO fans! I needed to take a blogging mental break in order to refill my creative juices...ok I have just been too busy. Since my last entry I have joined an Orchestra, found a new apartment, signed up for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test level 4, made some new friends, and had my bicycle confiscated again. It's been a busy month. The next few months running all the way to Christmas will be one thing after the next. I will do my best to keep you all entertained! Wish me luck!

What's the Deal with Typhoons Anyway?

Was excited about the Typhoon coming. Work was cancelled, and we all prepared for the worst. After all the fuss, all we got was a light shower and later a downpour. No damage other than this Southern Californian's utter disappointment. I was hoping to see weather in it's natural habitat. I'm a little worried because we haven't had an earthquake in a month or so. I'm so used to them now that when they stop, I miss them.

A Hike, a Talker, and 27 Bug Bites.

Ok BIO(Blonde in Osaka) fans, here is what progressed in Kyoto.

For two days I and my counterpart discovered Kyoto.

We checked into our capsule hotel. I had been there previously and had so much fun that I told my friend that she had to experience it.

After locking our overnight bags in our designated cubby we headed to Kyoto station. Wile walking to the train that would take us to the Fushimi Inari shrine we were warmly accosted by one of the locals. An old Japanese man with a missing tooth proudly declared "Welcome to Japan" and then walked up and kissed my friend and I on both cheeks.

I must admit this was a shocker! Since coming to Japan it has been difficult to get a hand shake or hug out of any or the residence and for a local to come up and KISS us was the last thing either one of us expected.

Apparently the Old man was a little hard of hearing and thought that my friend said Austria when she actually said she was from Australia. This lead to a ten minute description of the mans days living in Austria. He was very interesting and frankly I liked him.

It's those wonderful surprises that remind me why traveling is so exciting.

After a quick train ride we arrived at the shrine. The Inari shrine is famous world wide for its thousand Tori gates. Thousands of bright orange and red pillars line a stone path which travels through a cool dense forest and up and down mountains. Throughout the hike there were many smaller shrines hidden away to explore. We stopped at a quaint wooden restaurant with a view of the forest for some shaved ice.

It was there that we picked up a  stray Canadian named Justin. He was traveling through Japan after finishing his year long teaching contract in Korea. To be honest, this was a mistake. Justin was a real grumpy-gus and  couldn't stop talking to take a breath. It kind of spoiled the quiet nature-filled atmosphere. We were able to shut him up for a good ten minutes though and enjoyed the sounds of the forest.

Word from the wise to the novice traveler, meeting new people is one of the best parts of exploration but, you must be willing to be patient with the annoying ones you come by.

Overall the hike was invigorating. It took us about three and a half hours and 27 bug bites but it was worth it.

Nara Lights on a Warm Summer Night.

The other night I had the most wonderful experience. I went to the To-Kae summber festival in Nara.

About 3:00 a couple friends and I darned our yukata or summer kimonos, did our hair and headed out. It about an hour to arrive at Nara Station.

The trip was uncomfortable in many ways at first. For one thing, the traditional yukata when tied properly was more like the Japanese version of a corset.  There are two strips of fabric that keep a kimono in place before the obi or large sash is tied around. The first strip is used to set the length of the yukata and is tied around the waist, very tightly I might add.

The second strip is used to keep the top section of the kimono in place. This strip allows for the neckline and back to be perfectly strait and flat. This strip is tied above the ribs just below the chest. It too was synched tighter than a noose.

Finally the obi wraps arournd the yukata and is carefully folded and managed into a bow.

Honestly, it looked so pretty that I didn't care how it felt. After my back went numb the rest of the night was fine.

After arriving at the festival area the sun had just begun to set. Hundreds of people began to light and place candles along the paths to the temples and lakes. Lanterns were lit and they hung in every direction.

As our stomechs growled, we decided that the first thing to do was investigate the local street food. Yaki soba (fried noodles), Karage (fried chiken), castella cakes (soft cakes filled with red beans or custard), takoyaki (octopus), yaki niku (grilled meat), shaved ice, and grilled squid were just some of the options.

We tried almost all of them. Fantastically delicious!

After refueling, we wandered in the direction of everyone else who seemed to know where the action was. We wandered through a small park with candle and lantern lit pathways. The path meandered around a small lake where a gazebo sat in the center and glowed with candle light. As we crossed the wooden bridge to the other side of the lake we stopped to enjoy the reflection that the hundreds of flames made in the water. Couples took small row boats out onto the water. They were each guided by two hanging lanterns. We all made a mental note to return here with boyfriends.

After the lake, we strolled slowly to Nara Park where thousands of candles sat shining. They all drew shapes in the cool grass. Shapes of flowers, deer, kanji symbols, and even the shape of a clock with working hands ticking away.

All the thousands of warm flames gave off a feeling of serenity and joy.

The night ended there and we walked back to the station with happy hearts and pictures in our cameras. The pictures hardly did the beautiful scene justice.

Thought that a narrative would be fun.

“BEEP BEEP” the sound of the streets of Osaka rang like an alarm at seven o’clock Monday morning. Janelle rolled over and slid her window shut as if to hit the snooze button on the city. She groined and dug her head under the pillow.

Another day in this city so far from home she thought. Why do mornings always have to be so early?

With a yawn and a stretch she slowly rolled out of bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress she crinkled her toes and shook out her shoulders. After that late night she was extra stiff this morning. She made a mental note to swallow a couple ibuprofens with her morning coffee.

Just then their came a knock at the door and the voice of a Japanese man telling her he had a delivery.

Janelle told him to wait just a moment in the most plight Japanese she knew. She scrambled to find a sweatshirt or blanket to cover her pajamas with. Again their came a shout, I have a delivery! Finally Janelle just decided to go with a scarf on the coat rack.

“Yes one moment please” She yelled as she opened the door a crack. Seeing that she was in her pajamas the deliveryman turned a little red, looked away and then apologized for rushing her. She glared at the postman wile signing for the package. The postman quickly said thank you and goodbye.

After placing the box on her kitchen table Janelle put some water on to boil. She smiled a little when she thought about how back home she had a coffee pot that was on a timer. She could set it up the night before and the next morning awake to the rich scent of special dark Italian roast.

Janelle grabbed the scissors off the kitchen hook and moved over to the box. It was from her parents again. A big smile spread across her face when she thought about how many boxes had been delivered since arriving country. Inside were treats from home. Fruit loops, Easy Mac and Cheese and some soft flip flop slippers that were greatly coveted.

“Wow why did I ever leave home? “ She thought. Living alone in a little shoebox of an apartment a million miles from familiar. At that moment Janelle really couldn’t quite remember why she had gone so far away.

Suddenly the walls shook a little. Not like they did during an earthquake, she knew those all too well now. They shook real fast like someone was hitting the side of the building. She ran out onto her balcony to see what the heck was going on.

The sound of whistles and flutes could be heard from down the street. Suddenly, “boom! Ohiogozaimasu!” The loud booms and shaking were a line of large drums being pounded by five or six Japanese men. They banged and then yelled “good morning!”

What the heck is going on? She wondered. She changed quickly out of her pajamas and into an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Grabbed her camera and ran out the door just in time to see a parade of people in traditional costumes turn the corner. Bells and chanting, priests and dancers, even someone dressed as a Prince progressed up the street to the local temple. It was a festival parade, on a Monday morning, in the middle of summer.

Janelle laughed to herself, “Oh yah” she thought, “that’s why”. 

The Tennoji Market

Every 21st and 22nd of every month the Tennoji Market comes to life.

Shin Tennoji Temple is the oldest temple in all of Japan. It was created by Prince Shotoku who brought Buddhism over from China to Japan. Also, it just happens to be conveniently located just twenty minutes from my apartment.

On market days, hundreds of venders line the temple grounds. Anything from antique silk kimonos to dried fruits and okonomiyaki (a famous Osaka specialty) are sold in volumes.

Expect to find the deal of a lifetime. An ignorant shopper need not worry so much about getting hustled or conned because it is considered extremely bad to lie, cheat, or steel on temple grounds.

Personally, I enjoyed the kimono stands and antiques the most. They had rows and rows of silk kimonos from Kyoto. Because some of them were stained or slightly damaged I was able to purchase a full set, that is a kimono, and obi, and the ties for only 500 yen. That's less than ten dollars US for SILK!!!

Japan is also well known for its beautiful lacquer-ware. Artistic boxes and treys that have been painted with a design and covered in lacquer. I was able to find a beautiful music box still in working condition. The inside panel was slightly damaged but that's nothing a fresh lining can't fix. Total cost for the music box, 300 yen or about five dollars US.

The stands also carried modern brands such as coach, Louis Vetton, and even Tiffany's.

Food. There were all kinds of Japanese snacks and meals. Yaki soba, okonomiyaki, yaki niku, home made rice crackers, Japanese tea cakes, fresh sweet bread filled with custard and or red bean, and of course takoyaki.

There was also a man who lives out in the country and roasts his own coffee. He had a fascinating roasting process, however his free sample left much to be desired. I admire his fervor though.

The last thing worth mentioning is that on these two days access to the temple is free. So you can get a lot of culture and souvenirs for a low price.

What a great day, I think I will return next month as well.

This will explain the strange photo of me.

I saw Takarazuka theater today. 

Takarazuka is an all female acting group in Japan that has a huge fan following. It is most famous for the women who excel at playing male roles. 

The performance I saw was their  version of Phantom of the Opera. It was modeled after the book and included none of the Rogers and Hamerstien music. 

This was an original show in every sense of the word. It featured an original Japanese score and script. The music was one part broadway, one part Vegas, and a pinch or Opera thrown in. The costumes were flamboyant and beautiful. 

The entire performance was about three hours long with a thirty minute intermission in between. There was a cast of 70 people at least. Everyone had their part to play. The woman who played the Phantom had such an amazing voice and presence. Everyone in the performance had the triple threat down. They could all act, sing, and dance extremely well. 

While the talent was abundant, the scenery alone would have been worth the admissions price. Never have I seen such a technical stage. There were moving parts everywhere. Trap doors, hanging candles, hidden stairwells, and moving platforms all working together with the dancers, actors, and musicians. 

If I could sum up the acting style of this type of theater in three words they would be dramatic, disciplined, and cheesy( in the best way of course). 

The show did not end with Phantom; instead it continued with a line of chorus girls laden with feathers and sequins. They made a line along center stage and started kicking their legs like the Rockets at Radio City Music Hall. Las Vegas would be jealous. 

 Just when I thought the show had finally come to a close, the cast all came group by group to take a bow.

Feathers, lots and lots of feathers. Sequins, lots and lots of sequins. Yes, a disco ball as well. 

This aspect of Japanese culture was so fun to investigate and experience. I was intrigued by the original ideas and the dedication that the woman in this production demonstrated. 

After the show, their was a photo booth. The ladies dressed me up in the outfit of one of Takarazuka's most beloved characters. Oscar, a courageous gentleman and a solder. It was quite an ordeal and everyone including myself was giggling all the way through it. 

The costume was really heavy and being in front of the camera was nerve kicking but I would do it again in a heart beat. 

Japanese Gourmet Summer Treats.

Thought I would take a moment and share some of the delicious summer food options to experience here.

First, there is somen. This is a tasty way to fill your tummy and stay cool. Somen is a white noodle about the same thickness as ramen but the taste is lighter. It is served cold with lettuce, sliced ham, scrambled eggs, sliced carrots, cold cut cucumbers and then doused with the special light sauce. Cool, healthy, and refreshing. I am really addicted to this stuff.

Next there is the soba option. This is a dark buckwheat noodle that is also served cold. It is a lot less complicated then it's somen brother. Cold noodles, dried seaweed, and chopped green onions. The soba sauce is served on the side and one can have a playful time dipping it and slurping it up.

Finally there is the ever popular shaved ice treat. This is a far cry from your average snow cone. This summer delicacy is a mountain of snow lain in a platter or goblet of pure joy. The thinly shaved ice is then covered with a fruit dressing, fresh fruit, sweat red beans, bits of gelatin, and maybe some shaved coconut or macha tea. I dub this truly a summer masterpiece.

Apples and Oranges

They just do things a little differently here.

I would like to take a moment to share some of the strange and wonderful things that they do in Japan that are different from the states.

1. Packaging- It's an art here. I once bought a chocolate. One chocolate. It was a quick treat on the way to a school. Clearly when someone buys one chocolate it can be assumed that they mean to enjoy the chocolate themselves. Not in Japan, the woman behind the counter took the single chocolate, wrapped it in cellophane, then put it in a small gift bag, tied a ribbon around it, put the gift bag in a box, tied a ribbon around that, and then put the box in a bag and sealed it with a golden sticker. One chocolate. She did it all so fast that I never got the chance to explain that I was going to open it on the train and consume it immediately. Side note- it took me about ten minutes to open it.

2. Coffee- In the States trays in restaurants are used to transport food and beverages from one place to another. Usually when the food has arrived at it's final destination we abandon the tray and deposit the delicious substances on our table in preparation for consumption. In Japan, if you go to any coffee shop aside from Starbucks, they place your coffee, water, milk, sugar syrup (they rarely use table sugar only sweet syrup), and spoon on a tray. You take the tray to the table and if you take the items off the tray you are an untidy slob. I look around and all the locals keep their items on the trays at all times. I know it's a little funny to mention this but I feel like a Gypsy if I don't settle into my coffee and abandon the tray. I apologize if there are any Gypsies reading my blog, I only meant that I feel like they don't want me to stay and enjoy my beverage.

3. Benches and Trash cans- There aren't any.
About a decade ago there were trash can bombings in the London subways, well after that Japan got rid of most of it's public waist disposal facilities. Now the general public is usually expected to hang on to their trash until they reach their own personal disposal units.
Benches, why don't they have any place to just sit and people watch? During a nice sunny day off sometimes I get the urge to find a nice bench and sit and enjoy a snack and a good book. Out of luck. Maybe they don't want people loitering or maybe they have something against old men and ladies feeding pidgins but benches are an anomaly.

4. Vending machines- They are everywhere! This is super convenient. Serving up seasonal drinks both hot and cold.

5. Japanese Convenience stores- they are amazing! In one location one can pay their electric bill, mail a letter, make a copy, print pictures, pick up some lunch and an ice cold beverage. It's wonderful.
I do have one complaint though, no slurpies.

Well those are just five of the fun little differences in Japan. I have many many more to recount another time.

Thank you so much for tuning in.

Heat Wave

As the weather heats up in osaka, a new amusing culture begins to emerge. Because pale skin is beauty in this country, woman go to great lengths to shield themselves. 

For the minority cautious we have the wide brim hat and sunblock. Normal protection and many of the hats a super cute. 

For medium protection the ladies add sunglasses and a parasol. Also cute but a little 1940s pinup girl. 

Then finally we have the overly cautious. The vampires afraid of bursting into dust should one ray of sunshine hit their bodies. The UV phobic prefer to cover themselves like a leper. 

I've seen hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, full length gloves going from finger tips to shoulders, and finally long skirts and parasol all on the same person. 

Overly cautious???? It's a wonder. What good is beautiful pale skin if an already miserable 80% humidity and 90 degree weather becomes even more uncomfortable to bare? 

Well I suppose I can't judge them because the 80 year old woman still look 27. 

I, however am looming forward to a good day at the beach and a nice tan.        

Traditional Japanese Music Lessons. (HEADACHE)

This week I visited a place called The International House, looking for some information. This International House is a place for foreigners living in Japan to get anything from free Japanese lessons to legal advice.

I, myself was looking to find some Shamisen lessons. The Shamisen is a kind of traditional Japanese instrument that looks very much like a long-necked banjo. It has three strings and sounds just like a banjo too. I thought that learning to play it would be a fun way too pick up more language and experience the culture.

Thanks to the information I received, I was able to attend a sample lesson.

Here is what happened...

I was able to find the registration counter ok and even asked in Japanese where the classroom was and whether I could observe the class today. Then the lady behind the counter began to speak faster than the bullet train. I caught a few words here and there. Something about a signup pass and work sheets and 3:30. Needless to say I put on my, (I'm confused) face and we spent about 30 seconds just staring at each other. She wanted me to answer but I had no idea what the question was.

Lucky for me an elderly knight in shining armor slowly stepped in. He introduced himself in English and asked if i needed help. I told him I was too confused to know. The nice old man helped me get signed up and even escorted me to the classroom.

An old woman wearing a traditional Japanese Kimono greeted us at the door. She was very shocked to see me. My English interpreter introduced us and explained that I was interested in taking lessons. She asked if I spoke Japanese, to which I replied, only a little and I'm learning.

She invited me in, sat me down and placed a shamisen in my hands. I looked up at her and asked if I was to play today? She said no and a bunch of other things that I didn't catch.

She was telling me that there were three kinds of Shamisen music and that she teaches the kind that accompanies Enka singers.

Very slow and traditional music. I was more interested to play the more modern stuff. We strummed along but five minutes into the lesson she started using vocabulary that I had never heard of.

The entire experience was both fun and frustrating.

Long story short, I know too late, I thanked her for the lesson and told her that now might not be a good time for me to learn. To which she replied, you should learn more Japanese first and then come back.

I thanked her again and left.

Maybe in a few more months I will know enough Japanese to give it another shot. Until then I have decided that learning the Language must be priority one. The more Japanese I speak, the more options I will have.

A Modern Samurai Sport

The way of the Warrior

KENDO

Kendo is the Japanese style of sword fighting that the Samurai used back in the day. Now it is an Olympic sport and and a great challenge for any Martial Arts enthusiast.

I, myself have given it a go for four years back in California along with some of my closest friends.

The other week I was fortunate enough to see the best of the best in Kendo practice. My friend and I journeyed to Osaka Castle, a mere six stops away by the Tanimachi subway line, and found the dojo.

A dojo is the Japanese word for "a hall used for martial arts training". I was told about this place from a teacher of mine who originally came to Japan on a Kendo scholarship.

At the dojo in front of the castle we were able to watch advanced olympic champions practice. I was so impressed. They did all of the basic moves that I was taught in California but at a level I could never had imagined.

The class started with everyone putting on armor and loosening up. Then the assistant sensei pounded the huge drum in the back of the dojo. As soon as the drum sounded, everyone became serious and lined up at attention.

They all sat on their knees and meditated for a few minutes and then began warmups together.

I was surprised to find that there were just as many woman as men and that they were an equal match in most cases.

Later they practiced sparring and some strikes by the bamboo swords were strong enough to bend around the opponent's helmet.

Even the basic exercises were executed with such speed and accuracy that many of their strikes could not be seen by the naked eye.

These were truly skilled fighters and through it all they were relaxed and smiling. There was never a tense moment in the entire class. When mistakes were made they were addressed and not repeated.

There was an aura of joy in the room. These fighters were not there for any reason other than to improve their skills in the sport they love.

I plan on joining them in that class maybe a few months down the road when my Japanese and my wallet is up for the challenge. I know that I will certainly be the weakest link but the amount of respect I have for them all will ensure my enthusiasm for failing and growing.

The Theater, The Theater, How I Love The Theater!

I'm no longer at the Cafe because it interfered too much with my teaching job. The experience, however brief was worth it and I'm grateful for all of my new friends.

I saw my first movie in theaters the other day. The title was called Gantz II . The sequel to the ever popular Gantz I. Surprisingly enough, even though the entire movie was in Japanese I was able to follow it pretty well. This had nothing to do with my skill level and everything to do with the many actions scenes that required little or no dialogue.

The movie plot was simple. Kill the aliens and save your loved ones. It was a more gory and violent version of the Power Rangers with a typical Japanese twist ending. If anyone is curious, you can watch the dubbed or subbed version of Gantz I online.

After seeing the movie I did some research. Apparently Gantz was first a Manga or book series then it became and animated series, and then it graduated to the live action cinematic masterpiece that I beheld on the big screen.

Well enough about the movie itself, let me explain what a theater in Osaka is like. We went to a multiplex in Namba. It was on the eighth floor of a department store and it was huge! When you buy a ticket you also get to chose your seat. That's right, assigned seating. This in itself could be the main reason why Japanese movie theaters rock.

Because there is no need to fight for a good seat, one is allowed time for the purchasing of popcorn and to quote Sheldon, "the pre-show urination". Thus one can arrive mere seconds before the opening credits
with peace of mind knowing that the chair they had picked out especially for themselves would be waiting patiently for them unchallenged.

Lastly there is the concessions themselves. Not only do they have melon soda and carmel corn but draft beer, teriyaki chicken, some kind of wired hotdog/sandwich thing, and various kinds of potato substances but the prices themselves are a thing to behold.

Ladies and gentleman, I proudly present to you the two drink, two types or popcorn combo for the mere price of 800 yen. That's about $10.00. The price of two drinks and two kinds of popcorn back home is to high to mention.

The only downside I found to a night out at the Japanese Cinaplex is, the movie tickets are about 2000 yen. I won't even bother telling you all what that is in dollars.

Thus ends the account of my day at the theater.

First day on the job.

Today I was Japanese. I was treated like a Japanese employee, was spoken to in only Japanese, and even was ordered around by my shogun of a boss. It was one part awesome and one part terrifying. 
Today was my first day as a waitress at the Japanese cafe in the new shopping center by Tennoji station. 

Does anyone remember the show quantum leap? I totally quantum leaped into another persons body. That's what it felt like. Because I have a lot of experience working In restaurants so most of the time I could understand what they wanted me to do even if I didn't understand what they were saying. The more I worked the more words and phrases I could pick up. The most difficult part is keeping them strait. 

I speak to the customer using honorific language and phrases but they answer back however they want. They may use polite language or slang. Understanding is difficult. 

I cleared tables, brought out drinks and food, seated people and stood out front yelling welcome in Japanese and the daily special. Crazy! 

Most of the time I could understand what people were asking but I did not know the correct way to answer. 
I worked for seven hours and I never saw anyone take a break. 
I know that if I keep this job than I will learn Japanese super quickly but time will tell if having this job and my teaching job will be too much. 

A day at the ZOO

Yesterday I visited the Tennoji/Osaka Zoo. It was only 500 yen to get in, that's about $6.50.

Inside was a beautiful park with trees fountains, creeks, and flowers. An oasis of nature in the middle of down town.

There where hundreds of school kids running around the park and people sitting down eating their boxed lunches.

I made my way into the zoo. There were animals there that I had never even heard of and in the exotic animal section they had such critters as Coyotes, and Mountain Lions. It was nice to see a familiar predator.

Let's see, lions, tigers, monkeys, camels, hippopotamus, deer, giraffes, zebras, gorillas, chimps, koalas, eagles, owl, seals, snakes, crocodiles, exotic birds, and elephant rides.

Among some of the animals that were new to me was the Red Panda or in Japanese, Tanuki. This animal looked like a cross between a Koala and a raccoon. It didn't look anything like a panda.

Another strange animal was the Speckled Bear. It was like a black bear but with a different face. They were fun to watch. Very active animals, I even saw a bear fight. With growling and clawing and peeing and everything.

Then finally there was the Malaysian Bear. I can't even describe this strange thing. You all will just have to look if up on the internet.

The Japanese zoo was just like the San Diego Zoo except instead of burgers and funnel cakes for snacks,  there is ramen and takoyaki. They also had cotton candy, popcorn, and ice cream because let's face it... everyone loves ice cream.

I also checked out the local movie theater. It is 3 stories high and has foreign and Japanese films. The ticket prices range from like $15.00 to $17.00 but popcorn and snacks are really cheap and you can order beer and wine. I think if you went to the movies for two people with refreshments it would probably cost you about $35 to $40. Which now that I think about it, dinner and a movie for two back home is about the sam.

Long story short I never saw a movie. I decided to save that for another day.
Some movies that were playing thought were, That new Matt Daimon movie that I think is called the department or the inquisitors or something, Gantz 2 because Gantz 1 was such a big hit, some chinese kung fu movie, and some cutesy kids anime that I don't recognize.

Next time maybe.

Kids Classes!

Ok, the first two weeks of kids classes are over. Man I am tired. All of my classes are great but there are two that I have a lot of trouble with. The first is an AK level class or Mini Kids. This is a class with parents and their young young young offspring, usually about ages 1 to 4. They are so much fun but one of those classes is having a failure to launch situation.

Here is how the first class went...
Kadade a little angle of a one-year-old came strolling in with his mother. This kid is Gods gift to teachers. He was happy the entire time, he did all the games and giggled like a babydoll. I wanted to take him home. Then came the other two.

The first was Yuuta. He was about three years old. If anyone has ever heard my mother describe what I was like as a child, then just envision a male, Japanese version of that. This kid was running all over the classroom. He kept turning the tv on and off and playing with the toys. And whenever he would find something interesting he would hand it to me and say "teacher here". It was cute but I need him to learn with the rest of the class. Then there was Yuki. A little boy about four years old. He is timid. I approached him as I would a wounded animal. I walked up slowly, smiled and said in a whisper, "hello Yuki".He looked at me and immediately started crying and screaming. He did that for the entire class.

Can't wait until next week.

New friends

So the last couple of days have been great. I was invited on Thursday morning to a yoga class by a co-worker. It had been years since I had done a class like that but I figured it would be relaxing. The class was great! It was held in someones home and their cute little Japanese offspring were running all over the place.

That was a great distraction to help ignore the sweat and pain pouring off my muscles. After that workout I felt so good that I am defiantly going back for more next week!

The rest of the day was filled with shopping and hot pot lunch. As we were all talking, I found out that they were both Japanese rock fans. In particularly, TM Revolution. I saw him in concert back home at the House of Blues. Next thing you know I'm headed to the Ze Ze train station.

For those of you who have no idea who or what TM Rev is, let me explain...
TM Revolution stands for Takanori makes a Revolution. Takanori is the singer. Anyway he was broadcasting an interview at this radio station and there were rumors that he would sing his new single.

Well he ended up Not singing but watching all of those screaming Japanese highschool girls chasing his car was worth the entire trip! We even joined in. When in Rome etc.

Now today I have my first group of kids classes. Me and many many little screaming children.

Please pray for my life. Lol

The Update.

So there really hasn't been much to blog about lately. I have been teaching nearly everyday and traveling to different parts of the city.

The other day I went to teach in a new city however. I went to the Toumyoike School in Nara. The are was as beautiful as I remembered it. There were rolling hills of grass and fields. Bamboo forests three stories high and farms scattered everywhere. I'm really glad to travel there twice a week.

Tomorrow I start my first round of regular classes. For the moment I only do FTLs but starting on the 12th I get to start teaching my kids and minikids classes as well as the Jr High classes too. I'm pretty nervous about those. The FTLs are strait forward but the kids classes will require me to establish rules and to act like an adult. I really hope the little ones don't eat me alive.

Today I journeyed to Osaka Castle. It was built  by the great Shogun Toyatomi Hideyoshi in the 1500's. It was impressive. The museum inside the castle had the very sword that Hideyoshi's Vessel used to cut off Toyatomi's head during the Seppuku ritual. SWEET!!!!

Also I was able to witness the first cherry blossoms of the season in Osaka. Even though there were hundreds or cherry blossom trees around the castle, only about five of them were in bloom. The others will all blossom in the next couple of weeks. The trees I did see were beautiful. they even had a light fragrance to them. Plus the blossoms with the historic castle in the background was almost too much for my nerdy brain to handle.

I am making reservations at a capsule Ryokan in Kyoto for next thursday night. My hope is that on thursday I will be able to see the cherry blossoms at Himeji Castle. This Castle is said to me the best and the most impressive in Japan. I'm so excited to see it!! I hope that everything works out.

!!!!!!Look for the pictures of Osaka Castle on Facebook!!!!!!

Glico Man

Konichiwa everyone!

So much has happened in the last few days.

My first day of teaching went well. It was by all definition not perfect but I really enjoyed myself. I had six different classes scheduled and one of them canceled.

The free time lessons went ok. I had one adult businessman, two university giggling girls, and one high school student who was way too smart to be in high school.

I also had two kids classes. The first one was more like being a zoo keeper than an actual teacher. They threw me into a room with 6 five to seven year olds. Half were boys and the other half were girls. Just imagine what you were like at that age and how much you got away with when there was a substitute teacher.

Ya it was that scary. No not really. I did have troublemakers but everyone was having fun anyway, they were all acting like wild animals but they played the review games and everyone had fun. I have to say that the clowns that were goofing off were actually my favorite.

I will have to learn how to maintain order in the classroom though.

My second kids class were only two students. A brother and a sister. They were Gods gift to teaching. They did everything I asked, calmly. They were smart and smiled. They had fun and we got through the lesson.

I think that what we have here is an example of the two ways a class can go. Crazy and loud or quiet and  calm.

The staff at this school was fantastic! The other English teachers introduced themselves and showed me around. I had some great conversations with the Japanese staff as well.

Later on that night I met up with the other teachers from my training group for a victory beer at Torikizoku by Higashi Umeda station. There was a middle age foreigner waiting outside so I walked up to make small talk.

His name was Steve and he was from Australia. He has been going back and forth between Osaka and Sydney for the last 25 years. He was real nice and so we got to talking. Apparently he owns his own company. He owns a racing company with over thirty race cars and motorcycles.

The conversation was good and so I invited him to join my friends and I for a beer. Long story short, it turned out that this guy was a millionaire, like a real one, and he treated all of us to whatever we wanted. He paid for the food, the beer, everything!

Sometimes it does pay to talk to strangers.

I just called Personnel and got my schedule for the day. I will be at Tennoji Station School subbing for the free time lessons there. Basically I go to the school at 3:45 and do administrative work (that's a fancy way or saying handing out fliers and making photocopies). I am basically on call there until 5:20 after that, if they don't call me to work someplace else then I stay at that school and teach until my shift ends at 9:35.

A long day ahead, and my second day of teaching.

Here we go again!

My schedule

Yay so I signed my contract today. I get Thursday and Friday off work every week.
The schools that I'm teaching at are in Nara, Wakayama, A sub day (that means they can send me anywhere to sub) Nd some other rural citythat I can never seem to remember the name of.

I'm so excited because half of my students are little kids and the other hLf are split between teenagers and adults so I get to teach everyone!

Also Nara is one of my favorite cities and I work two days there a week.

I Am a little nervous about Wakayama though because they Re still on tsunami watch. It's only for the next two weeks though.

I guess I just have to get used to that kind of thing.

I will be teaching over 25 classes a week so I will be busy.

Sorry about the typos I'm on my phone.

What's shakin' in Osaka?

Sorry it took so long to update this but it took me a wile to gather all the information.

So here is what happened in my neck of the bamboo woods...

I was training on the 9th floor of my building with about eight other foreigners. We were being entertained by the window washers repelling  down the side of the building and looking at all the nice Gaijin in the Gaijin tank.

I took their picture thinking that it would be one of my best Facebook updates yet.

Just as we went back into our lesson, I felt dizzy and a strange thought went into my head. I thought why is that window washer pulling the building back and forth.

It took me and the other two native Californians about two seconds to recognize that it was an earthquake.

This one was different somehow though. In Cali I'm used to the short and violent type quake that gives everyone a good jostle. This quake was a slow roll.

About thirty seconds into it, the Lois Lane in me thought, I should be updating this as it happens. As I was Facebooking, the teachers from other parts of the world who had never experienced and earthquake before were trying to stay calm.

 Quakes are common place for me, but they were in a different country, 3000 miles from home, swaying back and forth like a palm tree for the first time in their lives and they were able to keep their cool. RESPECT.

After about three to five minutes the rolling slowed and then stopped.

We had no idea how massive the quake was until later.

A Japanese woman came on the loud speaker and an alarm went off. They told everyone to stay away from the windows and to remain calm and in the building.

Throughout the day we got word on tsunamis and other warnings. My heart aches for those hurt by this disaster. I am not to ashamed to mention that I feel completely relieved that Osaka did not have any great damage.

Throughout the rest of the day we continued training and tried our best to deal with the aftershocks.

Thank you everyone for your concern. Please don't feel worried any longer, for now everything is fine.

If you have any questions please ask me and I will try my best to find an answer for you here.

Just a side note, we all went out for beers together after it was all over, best beer of my life.

Round Two, FIGHT!!!

Today is round two of the demonstrations.

This time it's the upper levels.

I need to remember all of the steps and do them with confidence and in the correct order.

I don't feel prepared at all but sink or swim, I'm jumpin' in.

Stand by for the results.

Victory Dance! Cha Cha Cha

All that prep work and help from my fellow teachers in training paid off.

I passed the lesson and quite nicely if I do say so myself. I can't tell you how good it feels to make a someone who insulted me, EAT THEIR WORDS!

To be honest the lesson was kind of a blur and I messed up a small section at the end but...I am free to move forward.

I think that now that I have a better idea of what they are looking for, I will have no huge problem jumping through more of their hoops, even if they light them on fire.

After that terribly terrifying experience I just wanted to crawl into a corner, curl up into a ball and rock slowly back and forth singing 'rock a by baby'. But instead was given two new textbooks to review and homework to fill out.

This is quickly becoming the longest two weeks of my life.

On a lighter note, I got a taste of Osaka rush hour on the way home.

Imagine a can of sardines. Now dress the fish in suits, add an overcoat, umbrella, and handsome atachet case and hire a man in white gloves to push more fish into the can every time the door opens and you have Osaka rush hour.

It was very entertaining but I think that I was the only one on the subway amused.

By the way, thank you so much everyone for cheering me on! I am not out of the woods yet but I will continue to do my best. I love and miss you all.

A long way to go.

Training yesterday was a disaster. They have an entire script to memorize word for word and that is how you are to teach every class.

I am more of the free willed type so even though I tried my best to conform to their lesson plans word for word, I failed miserably.

I was the only one out of the 6 people training who was asked to meet on the eighth floor for a meeting. Will, my trainer respectfully told me that I was falling behind and that I need to do a great lecture tomorrow or he does not know if I will be able to complete the course.

Needless to say, I was floored!!!!!

I had no idea I was doing so poorly. It is only the third day of training and they told me I was the weakest link.

Everyone has been real supportive about it and my new friends bought me dinner last night.  They are all going to help me prepare for the lesson today so I can rock the demo tomorrow.

Man after Prague I thought that anything ECC could throw at me would be nothing in comparison. Maybe that's where I went wrong. This is an entirely different country with entirely different expectations. 

Oh well, not much to do now but to work hard and continue to do my best. 

God got me to come here for a reason, and even though I am not quite sure anymore what that reason might be, I trust him. 

Please pray for me because today and tomorrow will be difficult. 

I've had a shot to my pride and a sucker punch to my self esteem but fight the good fight!!!

To Arms Everyone!!!!!

Don't text and bike.

Well, today ha been nice.

Woke up late, ate some Japanese corn flake type things, put my laundry in my washing machine and then left to run some errands.

I left the apartment with two objectives in mind, the first was to purchase a case for my iphone, and the second was to buy milk and bread at the market.

Here is what actually happened...

Walked down the street and decided to call my Mom via skype. Talked to her on the phone wile dodging several bicycles screaming passed. Three out of the 6 bikes that tried to take me out had a teenager texting and cycling.

I know, same drenn different country.

I safely made it to the downtown area when I hung up with Mom and remembered that there was a magical land under the street in this area. This magical land is called Tennoji station and has an underground market with mystical and spectacular treats.

Naturally, I turned away from the department store that sold the iphone case I needed and proceeded to get pulled like Odysseus by the Sirens of tasty magical treats near by.

I walked out the opposite side of the station with two homemade pork buns for my dinner and a small order of shu mai.

When I emerged from Tennoji station my stomach began to growl. Just then I remembered there was a cafe I wanted to try in the building in front of me. Ok I will have lunch there I thought.

Delicious sandwiches and a slice of strawberry cake later I started heading home.

On the way home I remembered that I needed milk and bread so I stopped into the market.

Long story short I walked out with everything but the milk and bread and returned to the apartment.

Now I write this blog having done nothing I set out to do.

I guess that's something I have to work on.

...The pork buns were delicious.

Day one... complete.

Like any new job there is always orientation. Yesterday was so much sign this and fill out that, we need another password and a four digit code, here is your manual and your homework.

I expected as much.

The next two weeks are going to be a rat race to the finish and then after that, I am a substitute teacher for the first couple of weeks.

I wonder if they through spit balls in Japan.

Anyway still having fun but not looking forward to the hard work ahead.

Let the training begin, and what was that I ate last night?

Good morning adventure seekers!

Do I have a tale for you. I have discovered, with the help of Mike the Softbank cellphone guy, the whereabouts of none other than the Billy Banks. Or the late night infomercial Tae Bo kickboxing super star. He has a school near my end of the city.

You can imagine my sheer joy at this find. As soon as training for ECC is over, I will do some snooping to see if I have what it takes to be an ultimate Tae Bo kickboxing master, and maybe find those abs I lost in college.

On another note, dinner last night was about $7 and was fantastic. Good old fashioned Japanese comfort food. The Omelerice. All one word meaning an omelet filled with fried rice and then covered in mild curry with raisins. So good and a great price for dinner here.

Training today begins, and I have lost 2 kilos. Whatever that amounts to.

Love you all!!

For all to see.

A blog is a new experience for me. I suppose everything is lately. I hope that everyone enjoys this and I would love any suggestions to make it more exciting.

Today I am going to make a run to find my schools headquarters because I can't be late for training tomorrow.

I have learned that here in Japan "on time" is thirty minutes early, "late" is when you arrive at the time they tell you to be there, and any form or late is unacceptable.

I have to navigate the subway and Japanese Rail system today. I don't have the best sense of direction and have gotten lost nearly every day so far.

I will ask if one of my neighbors want to go with me today. They seem to know what there doing.

I think that the first two weeks that you move to any new place it is required that you spend at least two hours a day absolutely lost.

Recommendation for travelers, always learn the language enough to understand and ask directions. Or bring a lot of Advil because your feet, knees, and muscles will be hurting hard from your hours or walking aimlessly.

Really cold today. Time to embrace my inner polar bear.