Surreal

Well, it's been almost two weeks since I last updated, and fall has officially reached Tsu City.  The leaves are changing, the air is always chilly, and Sarah and I have been drinking countless cups of hot tea.  But, as many of you know, I absolutely love cold weather, so bundling up each day before I get on my bike and head to work is actually really great for me. 

The Sunday before last, Sarah and I went to Ise for a kimono festival.  It was my third time in the city, so I didn't do any of the usual temple sightseeing.  Instead, we headed right for the kimono shop where we were able to rent and wear real kimonos all day.  Some of you might remember that in August, Sarah, Peter and I went to a bon dance with one of Sarah's students, and she dressed us up in yukatas, or summer kimonos.  Well, the kimonos that Sarah and I wore that Sunday were the real, traditional kimonos that women used to wear every day.  It took about a half an hour for another woman to put them on us, and they were as tight as corsets.  We had to take very small steps as we walked around the city, and we couldn't do much more than move our heads.  I can't tell you how many times we had our picture taken.  Everyone wanted a picture of (and with!) the foreign girls in kimono!  One guy seriously snapped at least fifty shots of us standing outside the kimono shop.  We decided that that's as close as we'll ever get to feeling like celebrities. 

We also got to watch a demonstration of a woman being dressed in the traditional 12-piece kimono.  I believe this is a kimono worn by royalty in Japan, and I can only imagine how heavy it would be to wear.  Apparently, near Ise there is a museum where we can go to get dressed in this type of kimono and get our picture taken.  We might have to look into that for later this year.  We both had a lot of fun wearing kimono, and it was so great to experience that part of Japanese culture.  But it felt really good to take the kimono off, put on jeans, and feast on some Ise udon after a day dressed up in kimono.

Great moments from class:
1. My male junior high school student using the word "surreal" to describe a film.
2. One of my Tuesday mornng women telling me about how she has heard two phrases we learned in class while watching her favorite American dramas.
3. My giggly high school girl student telling me that she went to Mie University's festival to check out college men.
4. My elementary students cracking up when I taught them the word "motorcycle" because they thought it sounded like "monster-cycle."
5. The majority of my students asking me to take them with me when I tell them that I will be going home for Christmas.

...That's right!  I'm coming home for Christmas!  It was a decision I made shortly after my last blog post, and after a quick trip to Yokkaichi yesterday afternoon to purchase a re-entry visa, I am officially ready to come home!  I'm so excited to spend Christmas with my family, see the snow, watch my sister play basketball, and eat Chipotle for my first meal off the plane.  I'll be home December 23-31, and when I fly back to Japan, my boyfriend Andy will join me for a 10-day visit.  It is turning into a very merry Christmas season!

Before Christmas, though, comes fall leaves, and yesterday afternoon, I walked through Tsu park to get some shots of the changing leaves.  The light was great yesterday, and the blue sky was the perfect backdrop.  I really like a few of these shots, so enjoy.

Tsu Castle

I've nver actually seen the fountain turned on before!

I hope the snow back in the Midwest is treating all of you well!

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3 Teachers, 2 Parties, 1 Weekend: Halloween, Japan-style

I can't believe it is already November!  I remember thinking way back in July when I first arrived that November seemed lightyears away.  I couldn't imagine establishing a life here to the extent that I have or loving the culture as much as I do.  It is still very challenging at times.  I mean, there are some days when my classes are neither good or bad and I would really like to come home at the end of the day to a heated apartment, an American kitchen, and hearty, mid-West food.  But more often than not, I really love the way I have been able to adapt to this place and appreciate the small differences - all hardwood floors, no central heating, oven-less kitchens, and an endless cup of green tea.  I have wonderful students, awesome Japanese bosses, and great friends here.  Case in point: Halloween.

As you know, Sarah, Peter, the OBC staff, and I have all been working hard to prepare for Halloween since August.  Well, the weekend has come and gone, and the party was a huge success!  Last week on Wednesday I was able to start decorating my classroom, and by Friday night all three of our rooms were decorated and ready for the party.  On Saturday afternoon, about 50 OBC students and their friends and siblings arrived to play games in our classrooms and experience a little bit of American Halloween.  They don't really celebrate Halloween in Japan; if they do, it's because they know American people or want to celebrate like an American.  Anyway, we each had a room to decorate and a game to create.  Peter hosted the Haunted Video Game Mansion and was a Pokemon trainer, Sarah was Donald Duck in her Disney World room, and I was a giant box of popcorn in my OBC Movie Theater room.  Here are some photos:

Seeing stars!

Like a real, old-time movie theater!

Complete with a red carpet!

Sarah's Disney Castle!

The OBC Lobby

"Do not enter before 3:40pm!"

OBC is on the 3rd floor of the Orden Building, so on the way up, this is what the kids saw.

Peter's Haunted Video Game Mansion

OBC staff and Halloween helpers

In my room, students had to use their American money that they got when they walked in the door and "order" their movie tickets and snacks at the box office.  Then, they walked forward, back, left, and right across the stars according to my command to either Toy Story in Theater #1 or Spider-Man in Theater #2 and open the "screen" doors to reveal their movies.  It was really fun, and it was great too see the little kids' faces when they opened the doors to see Buzz and Woody, but the party absolutely flew by.  It was over before we knew it!

Ready to play!

I've learned to exaggerate excitement with this job.  For the little kids, it's fun.  For the girls standing right in front of me, it's ridiculous.

Looks like the little princess is wishing she went to "Spider-Man"!

We finished all the games in record time, so we read a story!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Later that night, Sarah, Peter, and I headed to "our" bar, the melting pOt, for their 6th annual Halloween Bash.  It was a ton of fun.  We went as a trio: JFK, Jackie O, and Marilyn Monroe.  Peter changed his costume halfway through because he wanted to be a Pokemon trainer again, but our costumes were a hit among all our foreign friends!  Sarah even won the costume contest!  I was a finalist, and it came down to Jackie and Marilyn, but I guess Marilyn won out...like in real life?  But we had a great time relaxing after all that hard work at OBC and hanging out with the friends we've made the past few months in Tsu.

Ash, Jackie O, and Marilyn

"My husband" gave me the button.  It's a nice touch, isn't it?

With Patrick, an American military man from the same era.

On Wednesday this week, there was another random national holiday, which meant no work for us.  Wednesdays are the days that I teach 6 classes, so they're my very busy and stressful days, and it was nice to have that day off this week.  Of course, it's also the day I make the most money, but I digress.  Sarah, Peter and I decided to head to Akame to see the 48 waterfalls.  It's a fairly famous site in Mie prefecture, and we hiked up to the very top and saw all 48.  It took a few hours, but the landscape was absolutely gorgeous.  One of the things I really wanted to experience in coming to Japan is the beautiful, natural areas that this country is so famous for and I haven't gotten a chance to do that much.  Well, the leaves are just now starting to change here, so I got to see the waterfalls and a bit of autumn.  It was a really refreshing fall day, and while the hiking was definitely more effort than I'd ever put forth in America, it was absolutely worthwhile.

We made it!

Proud at the 48th of 48 waterfalls.

Happy Halloween and post-Election Day to all of you!  Oh, yeah...Happy Birthday, Dad!

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