Retaking pictures you took on your last visit is always fun. Angles at Himeji.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Karaoke, castles and corn chips
Whew! What a busy 5 days. It's Wednesday, and I'm sat at school having found lots of things to occupy my time (and I'm inventing more as we speak!) Demonstrating the importance of keeping busy, one of the teachers has switched on the staff room TV and is watching a programme about Japanese showmen (many of whom seem to be dressed as women). Summer time is hard. I may have to do karaoke again soon to keep busy.
Karaoke has undoubtedly been the theme of the last two weeks: having attended last Tuesday with Nao chan, we went again on Friday, this time in a big group, to say our goodbyes to Phillip and ChoLyn (Carolyn) who have been very good friends this year, and who we will all miss greatly. Starting the night with a feast of burritos and Mexican cuisine at LeeJay's, she and I, Jeremy and Christine and Phillip and ChoLyn all headed to the Riverside hotel where ChoLyn pulled out all the songs that nobody but she and I liked (thanks to t.A.T.u for the high pitched frenzy that is "Not Gonna Get Us"), where Jeremy soldiered on in a state of sobriety and where LeeJay staked her claim on the rap of "Groove Is In The Heart" (Jeremy: "Can I do the rap?" LeeJay: "NOOOOO!" snatching the microphone). The leavers and I returned to LeeJay's where we drank more and completed Operation Free Miffy! and then watched Half-baked and episodes of the Golden Girls until we passed out. This was good as it meant we got to spend more time together, although it was bad because I, in my drunken state, had forgotten that I had vague plans to meet Busty in town the next day, and turned my phone to silent after an 8:30 text from Chad woke us up. So I missed Busty's calls and when we finally left LeeJay's we realised it was that Saturday of the month where there are no trains out of town for 5 hours. So the city was out. Sorry Busty! Saying good-bye to Phillip and ChoLyn was like the others- I'll see them again, although it will be wierd not seeing them when we're out drinking next year.
Tsuyama city was plan B. Each Sunday of July has seen a beer festival take place in Tsuyama, so LeeJay and I went, had some very nice beers, relaxed in the sun, had a great Chinese meal at a hotel which was nowhere near as expensive as we thought it would be (and had a very good looking waiter) and then went back to mine to watch the rest of the "Shameless" series. LeeJay stayed so that we could make a convenient escape the next day for our big trip to...
Himeji castle! I've been there before and taken way too many photos, but it's a place you can't not go back to. So I escorted LeeJay on her virgin trip as she drove us through 35 degree heat. (On the way we almost crashed the car due to shock when we set eyes on a Pizza Hut, although I doubt we'd find it again *sob sob*) The castle was great. We walked through a part I'd missed last time, talked a lot about concubines and weapons (as you do in such a setting) and took nice photos. And sweated. After all that culture we decided to go and look for food, and what with Himeji being a decent city we found some great options. The winner was SubWay sandwiches, which amazingly taste identical in the UK, America and Japan. Wonderful.
Our journey home wasn't so wonderful as we got pulled over by the Police for driving in the wrong lane, and LeeJay got a ticket (good job they didn't notice the speed we were doing...) To cheer ourselves up we went to Karaoke again, before returning to mine so LeeJay could pick up some bits and pieces, LeeJay then driving me to hers so I could collect my bike which I'd left on Friday. I have decided that driving along pitch black riverside pathways at night is not good for my personal safety, nor for the safety of those others whom I couldn't see that were using the road. I'll say no more.
Monday was another day of nothing to do at school but I managed to stumble on some interesting pages about Manchester and spent hours flicking through sites telling the history of a small park called Angel Meadow just outside the city centre. The evening saw LeeJay's last dance class (I have vague intentions to go again, but who knows what could happen). And it was special. While we almost managed to do the routine perfectly, long-term members weren't looking so graceful (perhaps Jazz- the weeks we hate- is their forte).
With dinner at Wakaba and 2 movies last night, LeeJay must be really feeling romanced (although in modern boyfriend style I insisted we go Dutch and split the bill). Only 6 more days till she leaves.
Goodbye Phillip and ChoLyn! I'll be seeing you again in Australia, America or wherever it will be!
Karaoke has undoubtedly been the theme of the last two weeks: having attended last Tuesday with Nao chan, we went again on Friday, this time in a big group, to say our goodbyes to Phillip and ChoLyn (Carolyn) who have been very good friends this year, and who we will all miss greatly. Starting the night with a feast of burritos and Mexican cuisine at LeeJay's, she and I, Jeremy and Christine and Phillip and ChoLyn all headed to the Riverside hotel where ChoLyn pulled out all the songs that nobody but she and I liked (thanks to t.A.T.u for the high pitched frenzy that is "Not Gonna Get Us"), where Jeremy soldiered on in a state of sobriety and where LeeJay staked her claim on the rap of "Groove Is In The Heart" (Jeremy: "Can I do the rap?" LeeJay: "NOOOOO!" snatching the microphone). The leavers and I returned to LeeJay's where we drank more and completed Operation Free Miffy! and then watched Half-baked and episodes of the Golden Girls until we passed out. This was good as it meant we got to spend more time together, although it was bad because I, in my drunken state, had forgotten that I had vague plans to meet Busty in town the next day, and turned my phone to silent after an 8:30 text from Chad woke us up. So I missed Busty's calls and when we finally left LeeJay's we realised it was that Saturday of the month where there are no trains out of town for 5 hours. So the city was out. Sorry Busty! Saying good-bye to Phillip and ChoLyn was like the others- I'll see them again, although it will be wierd not seeing them when we're out drinking next year.
Tsuyama city was plan B. Each Sunday of July has seen a beer festival take place in Tsuyama, so LeeJay and I went, had some very nice beers, relaxed in the sun, had a great Chinese meal at a hotel which was nowhere near as expensive as we thought it would be (and had a very good looking waiter) and then went back to mine to watch the rest of the "Shameless" series. LeeJay stayed so that we could make a convenient escape the next day for our big trip to...
Himeji castle! I've been there before and taken way too many photos, but it's a place you can't not go back to. So I escorted LeeJay on her virgin trip as she drove us through 35 degree heat. (On the way we almost crashed the car due to shock when we set eyes on a Pizza Hut, although I doubt we'd find it again *sob sob*) The castle was great. We walked through a part I'd missed last time, talked a lot about concubines and weapons (as you do in such a setting) and took nice photos. And sweated. After all that culture we decided to go and look for food, and what with Himeji being a decent city we found some great options. The winner was SubWay sandwiches, which amazingly taste identical in the UK, America and Japan. Wonderful.
Our journey home wasn't so wonderful as we got pulled over by the Police for driving in the wrong lane, and LeeJay got a ticket (good job they didn't notice the speed we were doing...) To cheer ourselves up we went to Karaoke again, before returning to mine so LeeJay could pick up some bits and pieces, LeeJay then driving me to hers so I could collect my bike which I'd left on Friday. I have decided that driving along pitch black riverside pathways at night is not good for my personal safety, nor for the safety of those others whom I couldn't see that were using the road. I'll say no more.
Monday was another day of nothing to do at school but I managed to stumble on some interesting pages about Manchester and spent hours flicking through sites telling the history of a small park called Angel Meadow just outside the city centre. The evening saw LeeJay's last dance class (I have vague intentions to go again, but who knows what could happen). And it was special. While we almost managed to do the routine perfectly, long-term members weren't looking so graceful (perhaps Jazz- the weeks we hate- is their forte).
With dinner at Wakaba and 2 movies last night, LeeJay must be really feeling romanced (although in modern boyfriend style I insisted we go Dutch and split the bill). Only 6 more days till she leaves.
Goodbye Phillip and ChoLyn! I'll be seeing you again in Australia, America or wherever it will be!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
And another one bites, and another one bites
Another one bites the dust.
As I type, the good ship RayVon is on her way to Kansai International airport to return to New Zealand. I am certain I will be seeing her again soon though- she is planning to move to London by January (fingers crossed), but will definitely be there at some point. And I will definitely head to New Zealand at some point too.
Having kept our spirits up in Tuesday by going for dinner and having a marathon karaoke session with Nao chan (2 and a half hours where we impressed her by demonstrating knowledge of which rooms had the most songs- room no. 11 and room 3 at the Riverside hotel have the most up to date systems), LeeJay and I prepared to see RayVon off as best we could.
We marked her leaving with a meal in the city, LeeJay and I driving down after school and it feeling odd that we were on the expressway other than at the weekend. We wandered through Okayama's underground shopping centre and bumped into Saddam and RayVon while on our way to meet them, and then headed to Saddam's favourite restaurant (an izakaya above "Hong Kong" pachinko in the city). We gorged ourselves on tofu and cheesy potatoes and other good dishes while RayVon recounted details of her final day of school and how, despite telling her they'd check that the house was spotless they in fact only looked at the previous October's typhoon damage rendering RayVon's cleaning frenzy pointless. The meal finished with lots of pictures being taken and we headed off for desert to a cafe where we had our final bitching session and I informed everyone that all the waiters were in fact gay. RayVon immediately agreed: "that one's got a gay walk". She was right. I'll be going back for pudding (fnar fnar).
I really am not good at saying goodbye. Not because I cry and wail, but rather the opposite. As I've said before I just kind of stand there, do the hugging thing and say "take care, see you soon". I really will miss RayVon, and Abby, and when she leaves, LeeJay, but these are really good friends, and I have no intention of not keeping in touch.
Bye bye Raewyn Muir! I'll miss you too!
As I type, the good ship RayVon is on her way to Kansai International airport to return to New Zealand. I am certain I will be seeing her again soon though- she is planning to move to London by January (fingers crossed), but will definitely be there at some point. And I will definitely head to New Zealand at some point too.
Having kept our spirits up in Tuesday by going for dinner and having a marathon karaoke session with Nao chan (2 and a half hours where we impressed her by demonstrating knowledge of which rooms had the most songs- room no. 11 and room 3 at the Riverside hotel have the most up to date systems), LeeJay and I prepared to see RayVon off as best we could.
We marked her leaving with a meal in the city, LeeJay and I driving down after school and it feeling odd that we were on the expressway other than at the weekend. We wandered through Okayama's underground shopping centre and bumped into Saddam and RayVon while on our way to meet them, and then headed to Saddam's favourite restaurant (an izakaya above "Hong Kong" pachinko in the city). We gorged ourselves on tofu and cheesy potatoes and other good dishes while RayVon recounted details of her final day of school and how, despite telling her they'd check that the house was spotless they in fact only looked at the previous October's typhoon damage rendering RayVon's cleaning frenzy pointless. The meal finished with lots of pictures being taken and we headed off for desert to a cafe where we had our final bitching session and I informed everyone that all the waiters were in fact gay. RayVon immediately agreed: "that one's got a gay walk". She was right. I'll be going back for pudding (fnar fnar).
I really am not good at saying goodbye. Not because I cry and wail, but rather the opposite. As I've said before I just kind of stand there, do the hugging thing and say "take care, see you soon". I really will miss RayVon, and Abby, and when she leaves, LeeJay, but these are really good friends, and I have no intention of not keeping in touch.
Bye bye Raewyn Muir! I'll miss you too!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Road Trip!
The weekend just past was a long weekend here in Japan, and it also coincided with the first departure from our group- AbSlance was leaving us. So we planned to make a trip of it and RayVon, LeeJay and I were headed to the beach for the rest of the sad weekend. Only as usual things went a little wrong.
For LeeJay and I the weekend started with a return trip to the okonomiyaki restaurant in Ochiai where the couple who owned the place proved very friendly asking us about where we were from and who we knew locally, and we headed onto karaoke (always our refuge after a frustrating day at work). She came back to mine and I introduced her to British chav culture by showing her the DVD of "Shameless" (UK tv series) that Saddam had lent me.
Saturday got off to a weepy start as Rayvon and AbSlance headed to Katsuyama to start the journey to Kansai Airport. As if we needed further proof of her kindness and loveliness, Nao chan came to see them both, give us food for the journey and say fond farewells, which had everyone in tears again. So we set off, and with only a couple of wrong turns along the way we made it to Kansai in good time. Our last hours together were spent drinking and laughing, taking photos and making videos (which pretty much sums up the previous year together). And we said our goodbyes and Abby walked through security with the bunch of flowers Nao chan had given her on Thursday night. We thought they'd take them away from her. They scanned them instead. Let's hope the little sachet of flower food wasn't mistaken for drugs. I really will miss Abby, although I don't think it will really hit any of us until everyone's gone and no-one's doing things together anymore.
From the airport we headed into Osaka for RayVon's last Saturday night out in Japan. This took longer than expected but we got there and found a car park , admiring the 24 hour sign and the sign that said "0:00 - 16:00 1500yen". The hotel, as usual, turned out to be right in the centre of the red light district, and our view consisted of girlie bars and snack bars and strip bars. Purdy. So we decided not to stay in those non-luxurious confines (despite the fact that attractive Western men were staying there) and headed out to the Thai restaurant LeeJay had spotted along the way. Only to find the doorway being blocked by a very interesting festival taking place (men on carts and Chinese dragons which were probably Japanese led the way). With gorgeous food and great service the Thai place was fantastic, as was the bar 20 yards down the road. We started drinking and as the music started, we started dancing . The music was excellent, starting with hip-hop and changing to Algerian and Egyptian music. We danced as late as we could- our hotel had a curfew (boo!)
On Saturday morning we left the hotel and prepared to start our 1 hour and 40 minute journey to Wakayama. We collected the car from the car park speculating how much it would cost, thinking we may have to pay 1000 yen each. LeeJay slid the ticket into the slot. And waited. We all turned to look at the screen. In my mind I was thinking, "ooh, maybe it'll be 1,500 each", and because of this I had to do a double take. LeeJay looked at me and burst out laughing, shrieking, "I'm gonna pee my pants". Parking overnight had cost us 9,300 yen. $100! 50 UK pounds. We looked at each other laughing hysterically and I thrust a 10,000 yen note into LeeJay's hand. We should have seen it as a sign of things to come, but we were too busy laughing.
The journey to Wakayama took 4 and a half hours as traffic jams and road markings led us on and off expressways numerous times and we got lost in the small town where our hotel was. But on arrival we were thoroughly impressed. We had a room on the highest floor of the hotel (the 8th floor) with tv, laptop (with DVD player), fridge, massive windows with a view of the town, the sea and later the sunset and not one, but 2 (!!) air conditioning units. Hotel Altier in Tanabe is well recommended. The staff are great (thanks Kumiko!) And it's right near the beach, boooy! So we wandered round to find food, eating delicious Chinese cuisine in a small local restaurant and returned to the hotel with drinks from Lawson's (the world's best convenience store), only to discover some more disturbing things. The hotel had a free adult channel. And as we soon found out, watching "adult tv" is like watching a car-crash. Despite the hideousness of what's going on, you can't tear your eyes away. And we struggled to, fortunately succumbing to the gorgeous sunset which drew us to our balcony. Next was more karaoke (we haven't had many opportunities to Karaoke with RayVon) and back to the hotel to chat, laugh and sleep.
Having bought a breakfast of baked goods from one of Tanabe's many bakeries (Okayama could learn a thing or two) we popped back to the beach for a half hour and then started the journey back to RayVon's. This took less time than the journey from Osaka to Wakayama despite the fact that we travelled across four prefectures. And with my hand hanging out of the car window for much of the journey I managed to get a suntan on half of one arm. I look quite special right about now.
We had our last dinner at JoyFull (cheap restaurant) and LeeJay and I headed home. As we suspected it would, our weekend of sunshine ended as soon as we hit the last stretch of the way home into Maniwa shi. It started to pour.
Goodbye Abby Lance! I will miss you!
For LeeJay and I the weekend started with a return trip to the okonomiyaki restaurant in Ochiai where the couple who owned the place proved very friendly asking us about where we were from and who we knew locally, and we headed onto karaoke (always our refuge after a frustrating day at work). She came back to mine and I introduced her to British chav culture by showing her the DVD of "Shameless" (UK tv series) that Saddam had lent me.
Saturday got off to a weepy start as Rayvon and AbSlance headed to Katsuyama to start the journey to Kansai Airport. As if we needed further proof of her kindness and loveliness, Nao chan came to see them both, give us food for the journey and say fond farewells, which had everyone in tears again. So we set off, and with only a couple of wrong turns along the way we made it to Kansai in good time. Our last hours together were spent drinking and laughing, taking photos and making videos (which pretty much sums up the previous year together). And we said our goodbyes and Abby walked through security with the bunch of flowers Nao chan had given her on Thursday night. We thought they'd take them away from her. They scanned them instead. Let's hope the little sachet of flower food wasn't mistaken for drugs. I really will miss Abby, although I don't think it will really hit any of us until everyone's gone and no-one's doing things together anymore.
From the airport we headed into Osaka for RayVon's last Saturday night out in Japan. This took longer than expected but we got there and found a car park , admiring the 24 hour sign and the sign that said "0:00 - 16:00 1500yen". The hotel, as usual, turned out to be right in the centre of the red light district, and our view consisted of girlie bars and snack bars and strip bars. Purdy. So we decided not to stay in those non-luxurious confines (despite the fact that attractive Western men were staying there) and headed out to the Thai restaurant LeeJay had spotted along the way. Only to find the doorway being blocked by a very interesting festival taking place (men on carts and Chinese dragons which were probably Japanese led the way). With gorgeous food and great service the Thai place was fantastic, as was the bar 20 yards down the road. We started drinking and as the music started, we started dancing . The music was excellent, starting with hip-hop and changing to Algerian and Egyptian music. We danced as late as we could- our hotel had a curfew (boo!)
On Saturday morning we left the hotel and prepared to start our 1 hour and 40 minute journey to Wakayama. We collected the car from the car park speculating how much it would cost, thinking we may have to pay 1000 yen each. LeeJay slid the ticket into the slot. And waited. We all turned to look at the screen. In my mind I was thinking, "ooh, maybe it'll be 1,500 each", and because of this I had to do a double take. LeeJay looked at me and burst out laughing, shrieking, "I'm gonna pee my pants". Parking overnight had cost us 9,300 yen. $100! 50 UK pounds. We looked at each other laughing hysterically and I thrust a 10,000 yen note into LeeJay's hand. We should have seen it as a sign of things to come, but we were too busy laughing.
The journey to Wakayama took 4 and a half hours as traffic jams and road markings led us on and off expressways numerous times and we got lost in the small town where our hotel was. But on arrival we were thoroughly impressed. We had a room on the highest floor of the hotel (the 8th floor) with tv, laptop (with DVD player), fridge, massive windows with a view of the town, the sea and later the sunset and not one, but 2 (!!) air conditioning units. Hotel Altier in Tanabe is well recommended. The staff are great (thanks Kumiko!) And it's right near the beach, boooy! So we wandered round to find food, eating delicious Chinese cuisine in a small local restaurant and returned to the hotel with drinks from Lawson's (the world's best convenience store), only to discover some more disturbing things. The hotel had a free adult channel. And as we soon found out, watching "adult tv" is like watching a car-crash. Despite the hideousness of what's going on, you can't tear your eyes away. And we struggled to, fortunately succumbing to the gorgeous sunset which drew us to our balcony. Next was more karaoke (we haven't had many opportunities to Karaoke with RayVon) and back to the hotel to chat, laugh and sleep.
Having bought a breakfast of baked goods from one of Tanabe's many bakeries (Okayama could learn a thing or two) we popped back to the beach for a half hour and then started the journey back to RayVon's. This took less time than the journey from Osaka to Wakayama despite the fact that we travelled across four prefectures. And with my hand hanging out of the car window for much of the journey I managed to get a suntan on half of one arm. I look quite special right about now.
We had our last dinner at JoyFull (cheap restaurant) and LeeJay and I headed home. As we suspected it would, our weekend of sunshine ended as soon as we hit the last stretch of the way home into Maniwa shi. It started to pour.
Goodbye Abby Lance! I will miss you!
Friday, July 15, 2005
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da
Today I feel like Madonna at the end of "Borderline". You know, the bit where she's sung all the words, can't be bothered anymore and just goes "da-da-da-da" a couple of times before it ends. I am hoping to fall into a coma on August 1st, to wake up on August 16th and then fall back into it for the August 22nd-28th period. Why? Because I have to sit at school all summer. All my teachers will have 6 days special leave away from school. Not me though. I will have to sit there. Every day. Wooh. And they've also gone back on their promise of giving me 15 days leave next year so now I'm only going to get twelve. So I can't even take a holiday over summer if I want to come home at Christmas for more than three days. Bum.
The good news is I will be teaching at 2 more schools from September (total= 6), and what's even funnier is that one of them will have only 6 students. I think that'll be fun. They'll be the stars of the English class.
Last night we had a fairwell party for Johanna and Abby at Nao chan's, and it was a slightly forlorn do. Abby and Johanna gave goodbye gifts to Papa-san, Nao-chan and Oji-san and vice versa. Nao chan laid on proper Japanese cuisine- maki sushi, sashimi, buta-jaga (pork and potatoes which I didn't eat), salads, eel and a whole lot more. We all had a good time, but they will all miss each other so much. By the end of the night the tears were flowing, although I think they'd have happened with or without the booze. And Johanna and I called each other racist names on the way home in an effort to cheer each other up. Maybe I should try that at the Board of Education...
The good news is I will be teaching at 2 more schools from September (total= 6), and what's even funnier is that one of them will have only 6 students. I think that'll be fun. They'll be the stars of the English class.
Last night we had a fairwell party for Johanna and Abby at Nao chan's, and it was a slightly forlorn do. Abby and Johanna gave goodbye gifts to Papa-san, Nao-chan and Oji-san and vice versa. Nao chan laid on proper Japanese cuisine- maki sushi, sashimi, buta-jaga (pork and potatoes which I didn't eat), salads, eel and a whole lot more. We all had a good time, but they will all miss each other so much. By the end of the night the tears were flowing, although I think they'd have happened with or without the booze. And Johanna and I called each other racist names on the way home in an effort to cheer each other up. Maybe I should try that at the Board of Education...
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Sayonara!
The end of a strange week saw the Sayonara party in Okayama city, a big bash held in Okayama's Club Jam to mark the end of our year together as JETs. With so many good friends leaving, it was bound to be an emotional night as we said goodbye to people we've partied with and dined with over the last year. I'm lucky that some good friends are staying- Fiona, Saddam and Busty to name but 3, but many friends are going- Leejay, RayVon, AbSlance, Phil and ChoLyn, Kathleen and many more. We said our goodbyes in style and in smart dress, keeping on until we could stand no longer...
Do you wanna be in our gang? LeeJay, RayVon, Fiona, Saddam, me! and AbSlance
Do you wanna be in our gang? LeeJay, RayVon, Fiona, Saddam, me! and AbSlance
Thanks
Thanks to everyone who has emailed to say they're ok and well. I'm relieved that I've heard from almost everyone and that they're well, although some had near misses. I wish I could be at home to see you all (I guess, selfishly, I just want to put my own mind at ease).
Also thanks to those friends who aren't from the UK who have sent messages of support. I've found that being away from home when something happens is hard in that it's harder to find out what's going on, although from what I'm hearing, people at home were having the same problems, unable to reach loved ones, with many still unawares of their whereabouts.
My thoughts are with you.
Please take care of yourselves.
Also thanks to those friends who aren't from the UK who have sent messages of support. I've found that being away from home when something happens is hard in that it's harder to find out what's going on, although from what I'm hearing, people at home were having the same problems, unable to reach loved ones, with many still unawares of their whereabouts.
My thoughts are with you.
Please take care of yourselves.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
London bombing
I am listening to the news on the radio and worrying about my home city, London. I used to travel the London Underground through Liverpool Street Station every day and cannot imagine the horror that hundreds of people have had to endure this morning. I pray for those injured and killed and for their families.
I do not understand such an attack. Almost two million people marched through the streets of London to take a stand against the war in Iraq, wishing instead for peace, and these are the people who are now being attacked by people who do not want peace anywhere.
I do not understand such an attack. Almost two million people marched through the streets of London to take a stand against the war in Iraq, wishing instead for peace, and these are the people who are now being attacked by people who do not want peace anywhere.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Small town living...
Certain things can only happen when you're a gaijin (foreigner) in a small town.
Yesterday I took some photos to be developed, and I went to the place I usually go to. The lady who runs the shop is really nice. She likes to practice her English and talks to me in English and Japanese and I do the same and we correct each other. Last time she told me her name, which I remember because it sounded very like Tsunami. I told her mine, and she remembered it. Until yesterday where she apologised profusely and had me write my name on the receipt slip. I wrote Cooper in English and also in Japanese characters (クーパー). My photos would be ready at six.
At six o'clock I returned and she greeted me happily, "Kurisu-san!". As has previously happened, I assume she phoned someone to find out my name. Being the only foreign male in the town must make it really easy to clarify who I am in conversation- "you know the foreign guy, the only person in town with gray eyes" (and I think even the second detail is unnecessary).
It's not a problem though. It's not like they're saying bad things about me when they talk. I think. I hope. Well, it wouldn't matter anyway, it's not as if I'd understand, is it? D'oh...
Yesterday I took some photos to be developed, and I went to the place I usually go to. The lady who runs the shop is really nice. She likes to practice her English and talks to me in English and Japanese and I do the same and we correct each other. Last time she told me her name, which I remember because it sounded very like Tsunami. I told her mine, and she remembered it. Until yesterday where she apologised profusely and had me write my name on the receipt slip. I wrote Cooper in English and also in Japanese characters (クーパー). My photos would be ready at six.
At six o'clock I returned and she greeted me happily, "Kurisu-san!". As has previously happened, I assume she phoned someone to find out my name. Being the only foreign male in the town must make it really easy to clarify who I am in conversation- "you know the foreign guy, the only person in town with gray eyes" (and I think even the second detail is unnecessary).
It's not a problem though. It's not like they're saying bad things about me when they talk. I think. I hope. Well, it wouldn't matter anyway, it's not as if I'd understand, is it? D'oh...
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Dark times are coming.
Something's changed. I can feel it. A sense of doom, of departure. Things seem strange. The air is different. Darker. Closer. There's a tension and a spark. There's a moistness. A definite feeling of wetness.
That'll be rainy season then.
Having asked almost daily for the past month when rainy season is coming, and having been given answers ranging from "the beginning of June" to "it's not", I was beginning to feel cheated that I wasn't going to see it. And also I worried that none of the kids and teachers were going to be able to shower through summer (and thus Katsuyama would stink) due to water shortages. Well, I needn't have worried. I should have just planned a trip away sooner. It started maybe last Wednesday. It's barely stopped since. The rain, the mists, the fog. And a general dampness. And all because LeeJay and I dropped all other plans and headed for a last trip together to Hiroshima.
LeeJay surprised me by sticking to our plan of driving to RayVon's on Friday night, taking the expressway but for once driving at the suggested speed limit. And for the first time ever, people actually were overtaking LeeJay. I have identified 'safety on the roads in rainy conditions' as a training need for the people of Okayama. Well, we arrived at RayVon's, dined at JoyFull (our favourite cheap chain restaurant) and picked up a video to watch later. We chose "Starsky and Hutch" which we had all seen before, but we laughed like junkies at a crack party anyway. Except I laughed until I realised I was the only one in the room actually old enough to have actually watched it when it was first on (well, nearly)...
We set off later than planned on Saturday because weather outside was frightful, RayVon doesn't have a fire that is sooo delightful (her house would burn down in moments), the rain was showing no signs of stopping and no-one had brought any corn for popping. And I laughed until I realised I wasn't Dean Martin and I wasn't singing "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!" in a Las Vegas showbar. So we left, got the shinkansen to Hiroshima and immediately abandoned plans to go to Miyajima as the weather was getting worse. There was only one thing we could do- shop! So, having dumped our bags at the hotel we made our way to the second hand district so that I could get my outfit for this coming weekend's Sayonara party.
Searching wasn't without its rewards- we 'fell' into the Kate Spade counter at Sogo where LeeJay's credit card fell out of her purse and into the store assistant's hands, the store assistant having accidentally handed Leejay a lovely blue and green leather purse. Then while in the doorway of a second hand shop we heard the magic beat of "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd coming from the shoe-shop across the way, and what else can you do but enter said shoe-shop and sing and dance like that same junkie at an even bigger crack party.
That evening took us to the best Indian restaurant I've been to in Japan- called Nanak and in the second hand shopping district- and we gorged ourselves. And then we went a-drinking. Gin and tequila for me please! (No, not together.) As could only happen with us, it would be the sound of roaring thunder that signalled our departure and we headed back to the hotel through torrents of rain, only to watch the wimbledon women's final on the telly. Wenus Villiams won it seems. We passed out before the end.
Sunday saw more shopping and an early return to RayVon's for more second hand shopping, the experience of seeing the largest dead frog in the world, ever, and eating big burritos (despite a wopping great okonomiyaki lunch).
Monday night was another wet, murky one, with mists rising from the river, but we did our best anti-rain dances and cries at the Ochiai Riverside hotel karaoke parlour. To no effect. LeeJay's friend Naoko joined, and even with her help we were too weak and the rain continued. Although it did stop long enough for us to light fireworks in celebration of Tom-Cruise-with-long-hair-in-a-wheelchair day.
It's all left me pondering the important questions- how do I dry clothes when it's raining and I have no radiators, will it be hotter when the rain has stopped, and would a junkie really dance and sing at a crack party?
That'll be rainy season then.
Having asked almost daily for the past month when rainy season is coming, and having been given answers ranging from "the beginning of June" to "it's not", I was beginning to feel cheated that I wasn't going to see it. And also I worried that none of the kids and teachers were going to be able to shower through summer (and thus Katsuyama would stink) due to water shortages. Well, I needn't have worried. I should have just planned a trip away sooner. It started maybe last Wednesday. It's barely stopped since. The rain, the mists, the fog. And a general dampness. And all because LeeJay and I dropped all other plans and headed for a last trip together to Hiroshima.
LeeJay surprised me by sticking to our plan of driving to RayVon's on Friday night, taking the expressway but for once driving at the suggested speed limit. And for the first time ever, people actually were overtaking LeeJay. I have identified 'safety on the roads in rainy conditions' as a training need for the people of Okayama. Well, we arrived at RayVon's, dined at JoyFull (our favourite cheap chain restaurant) and picked up a video to watch later. We chose "Starsky and Hutch" which we had all seen before, but we laughed like junkies at a crack party anyway. Except I laughed until I realised I was the only one in the room actually old enough to have actually watched it when it was first on (well, nearly)...
We set off later than planned on Saturday because weather outside was frightful, RayVon doesn't have a fire that is sooo delightful (her house would burn down in moments), the rain was showing no signs of stopping and no-one had brought any corn for popping. And I laughed until I realised I wasn't Dean Martin and I wasn't singing "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!" in a Las Vegas showbar. So we left, got the shinkansen to Hiroshima and immediately abandoned plans to go to Miyajima as the weather was getting worse. There was only one thing we could do- shop! So, having dumped our bags at the hotel we made our way to the second hand district so that I could get my outfit for this coming weekend's Sayonara party.
Searching wasn't without its rewards- we 'fell' into the Kate Spade counter at Sogo where LeeJay's credit card fell out of her purse and into the store assistant's hands, the store assistant having accidentally handed Leejay a lovely blue and green leather purse. Then while in the doorway of a second hand shop we heard the magic beat of "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd coming from the shoe-shop across the way, and what else can you do but enter said shoe-shop and sing and dance like that same junkie at an even bigger crack party.
That evening took us to the best Indian restaurant I've been to in Japan- called Nanak and in the second hand shopping district- and we gorged ourselves. And then we went a-drinking. Gin and tequila for me please! (No, not together.) As could only happen with us, it would be the sound of roaring thunder that signalled our departure and we headed back to the hotel through torrents of rain, only to watch the wimbledon women's final on the telly. Wenus Villiams won it seems. We passed out before the end.
Sunday saw more shopping and an early return to RayVon's for more second hand shopping, the experience of seeing the largest dead frog in the world, ever, and eating big burritos (despite a wopping great okonomiyaki lunch).
Monday night was another wet, murky one, with mists rising from the river, but we did our best anti-rain dances and cries at the Ochiai Riverside hotel karaoke parlour. To no effect. LeeJay's friend Naoko joined, and even with her help we were too weak and the rain continued. Although it did stop long enough for us to light fireworks in celebration of Tom-Cruise-with-long-hair-in-a-wheelchair day.
It's all left me pondering the important questions- how do I dry clothes when it's raining and I have no radiators, will it be hotter when the rain has stopped, and would a junkie really dance and sing at a crack party?
Friday, July 01, 2005
Yesterday morning...
It wasn't even 9am and I'd already got it wrong. My predecessor asked me to email her details of how to get the pension sum/ tax refund all of which is in the General Handbook and rather then type it out, I thought I'd scan it and email it to her. So I'm sat there with the handbook and have connected the school scanner up to the school computer. And I click on what I think is the button to start the software (it's all in Japanese, so I'm guessing). Except it isn't. It's the wrong button and instead I uninstalled the scanner software.
D'oh!
I am going to have to pretend it wasn't there and tell the teachers it's not working and hope they've kept the disc somewhere...
And so goes another typical week- monday night dance, tuesday night conversation class, wednesday night sushi with Kathleen, LeeJay, Christine and Jeremy and thursday night tidying up and Japanese class with Kapo-chan and Chie-chan. All smattered with a healthy dusting of mistakes and summery-sweat. This morning I momentarily sparked a health alert when I told the caretaker lady that the water tasted funny. She said something back to me which I didn't understand, so I nodded anyway (d'oh!- again) and then she and the school principal spent 10 minutes examining the pipework. I'll just have to drink stronger coffee.
Tonight Johanna and I are heading for Tamashima so we can stop at RayVon's and get an early start to Hiroshima tomorrow. It's our last chance to go together. I learnt last night that the Japanese for last chance is "lasuto chansu" (say it fast). I love this language. Sometimes.
D'oh!
I am going to have to pretend it wasn't there and tell the teachers it's not working and hope they've kept the disc somewhere...
And so goes another typical week- monday night dance, tuesday night conversation class, wednesday night sushi with Kathleen, LeeJay, Christine and Jeremy and thursday night tidying up and Japanese class with Kapo-chan and Chie-chan. All smattered with a healthy dusting of mistakes and summery-sweat. This morning I momentarily sparked a health alert when I told the caretaker lady that the water tasted funny. She said something back to me which I didn't understand, so I nodded anyway (d'oh!- again) and then she and the school principal spent 10 minutes examining the pipework. I'll just have to drink stronger coffee.
Tonight Johanna and I are heading for Tamashima so we can stop at RayVon's and get an early start to Hiroshima tomorrow. It's our last chance to go together. I learnt last night that the Japanese for last chance is "lasuto chansu" (say it fast). I love this language. Sometimes.
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