Itadakimasu

Hello, everyone!

It has been a while since I have posted, and I warn you now that it is going to be a long one.  I have so much to tell you all about!

Sushi is delicious.

Last Saturday, Peter, Sarah, Nicole, Jeff, and I went with our boss and her son to Ise for their fireworks competition.  Each year, something like 50 firworks makers come together to show off their art and compete for who made the best fireworks.  These fireworks were INCREDIBLE!  I have never seen anything like them!  They are bigger, louder, and more beautiful than any fireworks in America.  We were at a friend-of-a-friend's house, and they live right on the river where they shoot the fireworks off.  We were super close to them, and before the fireworks started, we had a beautiful view of the sunset over the mountains.  The family whose home we visited has OBC teachers over every year to watch the fireworks, and they provided us with endless food and beer.  Octopus and squid were the two new foods I tasted (the octopus was excellent), but we also had many different kinds of meat, salad, and fish.  The great thing about Japanese culture is that the food never stops coming!  People don't want you to leave their home without feeling full and satisfied, so we had about three courses during the meal, but then the man who was grilling continued to do so during the entire fireworks display!  We had our shoes on and were ready to go at the end of the night and they were still offering us different kinds of melon for dessert!  Japanese hospitality is unparalleled.

Check out this view!

Check out this food!

On Sunday, I went to mass for the first time.  I connected with the sisters at the convent up the road from where I live earlier in the week and visited the convent, and then they offered to take me to mass with them.  It was your standard mass, only everything was in Japanese.  The sister who took me, S. Mary Nicholas, introduced me to just about everyone who came through the door.  All I could do was really smile and nod, because so few of the people I met speak English.  The craziest part of the mass though, was that at the end when they were making announcements, they made an announcement about me!  I had to stand up in front of the whole congregation and the all applauded me!  The announcement was in Japanese, so all I understood was "America" and "Angela," but I'm pretty sure the person announced that I'll be living in Tsu and going to mass there for the next year.  It was very kind of them to welcome me, but what a welcome!  That is why I am certainly going back tomorrow to see them all again!  The church is small, but very welcoming.  The sisters are all very nice and once my schedule is solidified, I'm sure I will spend more time with them.

Monday was a holiday, so Sarah, Peter, Jeff, Mike, and I went to Nagashima Spaland.  It is an amusement park about an hour away by train and bus.  It is almost EXACTLY like Valley Fair.  It was so weird!  Some of the rides are exactly the same.  They literally have a ride called the Cork Screw, and it really is the Cork Screw from Valley Fair!  They also have the mouse ride, the Power Tower, and the old rickety rollercoaster.  I think they work with an American company because at the top of the hill on the rickety rolleroaster is an American and a Japanese flag, which is kind of funny.  The biggest rollercoaster there is called the Steel Dragon, and it is bigger than Wild Thing.  I think it's the highest rollercoaster I've ever been on, and it was terrifying.  Of course, that didn't stop me from going on it three times.  One thing they do better in Japanese amusement parks, or at least Nagashima, is that on every ride they have a place for you to set down your purses, bags, glasses, caps, etc., so you never have to worry about holding onto anything while you ride.  Also, it is the cleanest amusement park I have ever seen!  Check it out or yourself:

Nagashima Spaland!

Cleanest. Amusement Park. Ever.

It's like the Okoboji Rollercoaster!

Representing Minnesota

Aside from getting sunburned, it was a really great day.

After the amusement park, we went out for dinner at an izakaya.  It is comparable to a tapas place.  Basically, it is a place to go and get a drink and order several small portions of different foods to share around the table.  I tried a lot of new foods (none of which I can remember the name of) and am always pleasantly surprised by the different flavors in Japanese food.  I have yet to try something I really don't like.  At this izakaya, we pushed a little button when we were ready for our waitress to come and take our order, which is actually pretty ingenious when you think about it.  That way, they always come when you want them to and they're not checking in on you when you don't need anything.  And for those of you who have heard anything about the toilets in Japan, the bathroom in this place was crazy.  The toilet was super fancy with way more buttons than I understand how to use, but in addition to that, the toilet seat automatically went up when I entered the stall!  Automatic toilet seats - can you imagine?  Of course, this is very different from the squat toilet that I experienced at the amusement park.  I'll let you read about that for yourself.

This week has been crazy busy at work.  We taught the first 20-30 minutes of each of our classes this week, so I actually had to make lesson plans and kind of be a real teacher.  It was nerve-racking and kind of stressful to plan for so many different classes and age levels, but I had so much fun in the classroom and really enjoyed meeting all of my future students.  I have 3 elementary classes, 1 junior high class, 2 senior high classes, and numerous adult classes at every level.  Each class brings with it its own challenges, but the students are great, eager to learn (mostly) and super, super interesting.  I can't wait to learn more about them and then share that with all of you!

Aside from all of those things, I am still just slowly adjusting to life in Japan.  I'm experimenting each day with new food (my favorite bento is the ozeki, or sumo wrestler, option), new beverages (Aquarias is kind of like PowerAde and the Ginger Ale here is delicious), and new words (this week's blog title is what you say before beginning your meal).  Tomorrow, we are going to see "Inception" at the movie theatre and meet Aki, who I guess is a very good friend of OBC teachers and a great help each year in helping the new teachers learn about life in Tsu.

Oh yeah, the heat here is unbearable!  It feels like I literally have to push my way through the air when I walk outside.  I have never sweated so much in my entire life!  And apparently it only gets hotter in August!  I love winter, so you can imagine how much I am enjoying this weather.  Good thing I work all day!

Takoyaki and Asahi (both delicious!)

A neighborhood festival Peter and I stumbled upon.  The shaved ice was delicious!

And I woke up to an earthquake on Monday morning.  That was kind of exciting!

How are you all doing?

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Onegaishimas

The title of this blog entry is about the only word of Japanese I know.  It means "please," and you use it after ordering or requesting something.  Since I have eaten out a lot this week, I have used this each time I've ordered.  Of course, I always have to ask Sarah how to say the food I want to order, but I have got "onegaishimas" figured out!

Work this week is going well.  In the morning, we have 2 hours of lecture followed by a one hour break for lunch.  We'll always have a lunch break from 12-1pm during the work day, which is nice.  In the afternoon, we have 2 more hours of lecture followed by an assortment of class observations that stretch into the evening hours of 7, 8, and 9pm.  This past year's teachers are still here and have been very helpful in answering all of our questions about living in Japan, learning our way around Tsu, and figuring out how things are done at OBC.  Sarah, Peter and I have already learned so much from the three of them and the Japanese staff at the school.

I've been keeping a list of differences I've noticed between the US and Japan.  I figured some of you would be interested to know a few of them:

1. They don't have garbage cans in public/on the street.
2. The recycling system is INTENSE.  Everything is separated and divided, mostly by what is flammable and what is plastic.  That's why they don't have garbage cans - they want you to recycle.  You always have to think about your waste before you throw it away, which I think is a good thing.
3. For being so into recycling, it's suprising how much packaging is used here.  My spaghetti, for instance, is bundled into serving sizes.  I guess it's convenient because I don't have to guess how much pasta to put in, but what a waste of materials!
4. They drive on the other side of the road here, but they don't turn left on red (the equivalent of our right on red).
5. In some public places like supermarkets, they offer plastic bags next to umbrella stands that you can put your umbrella in if it is wet.  No dripping while you shop!
6. They have umbrella stands everywhere!  During the rainy season, everyone carries one!
7. You have to have lived in Japan for a certain number of years or be a Japanese citizen to drive here.  That means no rental car, mom and dad!
8. The one thing that I like more about living in Japan than Ireland: hot showers every day!
9. The yogurt is unsweetened, but some packages come with a little packet of sugar that you can use to flavor it to taste.  I didn't like it at first, but it is growing on me.
10. Vending machines are everywhere - even more so than in the US!
11. Bread is sold in half loaves, so you can buy 5, 6, or 8 pieces at a time.
12. They have remotes for their air conditioners, and there is usually a different air conditioner in each room.

*Coke tastes the same here!

I hope you all are doing well!  I love hearing from you!

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Tsu City so far

Hello!

First, thank you all for the kind thoughts and well wishes as I left the US on Thursday morning and arrived in Tsu on Friday night.  I figured that today would be a good day to post since we started touring the city for the first time this afternoon, so I finally have something to tell all of you!

The flight, by the way, went very well - nothing like my adventure trying to get to Ireland!  I didn't miss any planes and had no trouble at immigration.  Aside from a little queasiness on the 12 hour flight (I thought it was 17 - good thing I was wrong!), I got off the plane, onto a ferry, and into Tsu Harbor without any trouble.

The ferry (on the right) that I took from Nagoya to Tsu.

Peter, Sarah and I went to the grocery store yesterday with Mike, Jeff, and Nicole, the three teachers who are currently teaching at OBC.  They helped us figure out what food we could eat and how to buy it in yen.  The yen conversion is pretty easy, but shopping and not being able to read any of the labels is going to take some getting used to.  Rest assured, though, that I did find pasta, so I won't starve.  Yesterday afternoon, the six of us just hung out and played cards and talked a lot about Tsu, OBC, and what to expect in the upcoming year.  Sarah and I both fell asleep at 6:30 last night (hello, jet lag!).  I woke up at 10:30 and decided to put my pajamas on and just keep sleeping.

I tried to get up and go to mass today, but I was unsuccessful.  I was told that mass is at 6:30am (whoa!), and I actually did get up and walk there, but when I arrived no one was around and all the doors I tried were locked.  It's located at a Catholic school, so I tried to contact someone at the school so I can hopefully figure out a way to get involved and get to mass in the future.  I couldn't fall back asleep, so I am very tired, but I am forcing myself to stay awake until at least 8 tonight so that I can get on a normal sleep schedule.

A view of Tsu from the church.

This afternoon, we finally started exploring Tsu.  Mike took Peter, Sarah and me on a walk to OBC, so we learned the path that we'll take on our bikes every day after the other teachers leave.  We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant (I still haven't had any authentic Japanese food!) and then went to a samurai armor club.  Mike had heard about it from one of our bosses, and it turned out to be this group of men and women who get together twice a month to make samurai armor out of paper.  They were very excited to have us stop by.  They took pictures and even let us try some on!  It was fun to taste a little bit of normal life for residents of Tsu, and I realize now that they really do just love having the opportunity to speak English.

Just call me samurai Angela.

After that, we walked over to a park in the middle of the city.  It is where Tsu castle was located hundreds of years ago, and it's a nice little break from the hustle of the city. 

A replica of the original Tsu castle (I think).

Tonight, we're all laying low.  I have a busy day of work tomorrow - 10am-8pm.  I'll be learning about OBC and observing some classes.  I'm excited to have something to do and get acquainted with the school and my future students.  I'll post later in the week and let you all know how the actual job part of my trip is going.

Edited to add:  I finally got some pictures up!  Enjoy!

I hope you all are doing well!  I'd love to hear from you!

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I'm baaaaccckkkk!

Hello, all!

I have returned to this blog for my second round of travels abroad.  This time: Japan!

I will be teaching at Orden Bunka Center in Tsu City, Japan for the next year.  It is a language and culture school, so I will work with students to help them improve their English and learn about life in the United States.  I will be teaching students of all ages and look forward to how much I will be able to learn from all of them about the Japanese culture.  I also hope to take some classes of my own while I'm over there.

I'll be living in an apartment and riding a bike to get around Tsu.  I'm living and working with two other students from St. Ben's|St. John's.  I also plan to travel around Japan on the weekends and during my breaks from school.  My family is planning to visit me throughout the year, and anyone else is welcome to as well!

I will update this blog as often as I can and give you details about teaching, living, and traveling in Japan.  Please keep in touch!  I want to know what is going on back home. 

I will arrive in Tsu on Friday, July 9.  In the mean time, have a wonderful rest of your summer!  Until Japan...

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