Feeling better...

Thank you everyone for the encouraging emails I got after yesterdays post. I am feeling much better today. Last night I went to Moriya, which is a bigger city close to me. I had dinner with some other JET's. I actually met some people, so I am happy about that.

This weekend I am going to Nikko which is a big tourist area. The weekend after is my birthday. I am still not sure what I am doing. I found out another ALT, David has a birthday September 6th. He invited me to go to Tokyo with him. But here is the catch, David will be going as Michelle. Yes, that's right, David is a transvesite (did I spell that right?). I am not sure how I feel about it. David, I mean Michelle is really and there is no reason for me not to go with him.....er......her. She is going with some other ALT's that are gay, but not trannies. So many thoughts are racing through my head........do I want to go?.......what would people think?.........what would Jesus do?..........In the end I feel Jesus would hang out with him and love him, so that is my plan.

So, I will let you know how my birthday weekend, in Tokyo's gay district goes. Oh and they are bringing straight guys too, so maybe I will met someone nice?

Feeling a little down...

Hello everyone. I am sorry I haven't updated in a while. The problem is, I was getting internet for free at my apartment. It was wireless. Well, last Thursday there was a thunderstorm and since then the free wireless is gone. I still get the signal, but the server doesn't connect. I don't know if I will ever get it back. In the meantime I am trying to get internet myself, but it can take three to six weeks! It is, like everything here, way too complicated than it should be. I can connect to the internet at school, but it is hard because they block the proxy settings. Basically things I need to sign into (like my email, facebook, this blog) can not happen. So I have to go to this website that allows me to sign in, but it is very basic. Basically it is like viewing my email from a mobile phone. I can't see attachments or anything. It sucks!

I am feeling a little down today and I don't know why. I am going to Nikko this weekend and I am excited. I guess I am a little home sick. I am bummed out about this internet thing because I was using it to stay connected to home. Now I am not connected at all. At first I felt I should have signed up for internet right when I am came instead of stealing the free one. Then I would have internet now. I felt like I was greedy for leeching someone's internet in my apartment. I felt bad. However, Emily pointed out to me that without my alien card, and my mobile phone, it would have been impossible for me to apply for internet. That made me feel better. I think I have a bit of culture shock too...surprised? I went to dinner at one of the teachers houses and it was so, so..Japanese. I liked it, but I can't explain it but I think if I lived there it would depress me. I mean, they sleep on the floor on futons. I couldn't stand that. The house was huge though. Then I realized that the teacher is older (actually she is the same one that I complained about before ;) ) and of course it would be decorated for an older taste. Hell, I would probably get depressed living in an old persons house in the US. So then I felt better.

Tonight I am meeting some people for dinner. Maybe then I will cheer up. I hope so. School starts next week. I am nervous!!!!! I have been really tired lately too. I have no idea why, but to me a perfect day would just be able to sleep all day and not feel bad about it. On weekends I am usually busy, so maybe that is why. This weekend I am going to Nikko with some people from Yokosuka. Maybe that will cheer me up too.

That is all for now. I miss everybody and everything. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be here, I just need something familiar right now. This too shall pass....

This week

Hi everyone!  This week is going well, I have been rather bored though.  I usually just go to school for about an hour, "stamp" in and leave.  Yesterday I tried going to the beach, but I got lost (I left my map at school :(  ).  It started to rain on the way back, so it was probably a good thing.  It seems whenever I have a day off and can go to the beach it rains, oh well, maybe next month.

This past weekend was fun.  As you know I went to Mito and saw other JET's.  After the scavenger hunt I noticed someone wearing a Ghana football team jersey.  I was too scared to say anything to him, but after a few drinks I wasn't.  His name is Brian and he is from the US (can't remember where).  He spent a semester in Ghana (Kumasi to be exact) about two years ago.  I told him about my time there.  He said he misses it, I do too.  I told him about my PC experience, he said he has heard that PC doesn't treat their volunteers very well.  I am not sure about that because I can only go off of how they handled me, but it was nice to talk to someone who understands.  We spoke a little Twi to each other, it was fun.  I left after that, so I didn't see him.  On the 5th we all have to go to Mito again, so I am sure I will talk to soon.  I think he lives in Mito as well.

I have been trying to be more active and eat better.  A year ago I was in pretty good shape, well for me anyway.  Now I am not.  I ran up an escalator the other day and was out of breath by the time I got to the top.  I HATE that.  However, when I went down the same escalator later I noticed it was longer and steeper than most.  I felt a little better.  Plus it is so humid here, it isn't easy running in humidity.  I went for a walk/run today.  I feel good!  I need to do it everyday.  Next time I will leave earlier because it was too hot and humid by the time I went (around 8:30), but when the sun comes up at 4am, it gets hot early.  I have an exercise ball, some dumb bells and some bands I can work out with.  My only problem is usable space.  I have plenty of room the work out in, but I have the tamomi mats to worry about.  I am not sure if i spelled that right, but they are woven mats that are common in Japanese homes.  They can be a problem if they are not taken care of.  I have to make sure I vacuum them often and make sure things don't get spilled on them.  I am not sure how I am going to work out on them.  I doubt putting a hot, wet body is good for them.  I don't want to get bugs in them.  I think I can put a futon down and work out on that.  I will try that later.  

I have been eating fairly well too.  I have a good rice cooker and I have been using it often.  I usually make up a stir fry of some sort of meat (beef or chicken) and veggies with the rice.  It is soooooo good!  I have been eating pasta too.  On the other hand, McDonald's :(  I need to stop that, but it is sooooooo good too!  I have been eating too much ice cream too.  Luckily my freezer sucks, so I go and buy these little ice creams at the store and I have to eat them right away.  I will stop that soon, but for now, yum yum give me some!

That is all for now.  I will update when I do something interesting.

More from the weekend...

In Japan you can go into a lot of restaurants and pay for an all you can eat/drink party for two hours.  I am not sure what that is called, but that is what we did this weekend.......over 30 of us.  Basically the food comes out in different courses and in meantime you can order whatever you want to drink.  Generally it costs between....maybe $20 to $50 per person depending on what type of "package" you get.  Then we went to karaoke.....over 30 of us.  In Japan stand up karaoke is not so common, renting a room and singing with your friends is the way to go.  Last, more at the park.  

Video

 It is fun to hear the Japanese react to the dolphin

An afternoon at the park

I saw this big statue from the road and we had to have a look

A day at the Aquarium Continued...

A day at the Aquarium

Update

Hey everyone, I just want to do a quick update.  Not really much going on with me.  I went to Yokosuka last weekend and I stayed at the Lighthouse.  It was WONDERFUL to be back there.  I met the new directors and they are amazing!  I met some new people, but I mostly hung out with Kate.  It was great fun.  On Tuesday I had a meeting with all the new JET's in Ibaraki in the prefecture capital Mito (Meato).  It was nice to meet them.  This weekend I am returning to Mito for a welcome party.  I am spending the night at the Holiday Inn (oh the irony) and then going to the beach on Sunday.  I am looking forward to it.  It is supposed to rain this weekend, so maybe I will not go.  I hope it is sunny though.  God knows I have sat through sunny days at work wishing I could go to the beach!

Work has been boring because the kids are still on break.  They return September 1st.  I am finished with my first lesson, so I have nothing to do.  My supervisor is going to Korea next week.  Wouldn't it be nice to just say, "oh, I am going to Korea next week..."?  Actually, I might try to go sometime.  Anyway, I really don't have anything to do at work.  When I am at home I usually rest or try to get things done.  I usually have a load of laundry to do, or something to clean up.  I am slowing going through all the things that were left in my apartment and getting rid of them.  No on has lived here for a year and a half, so it is really dusty!  I haven't really unpacked yet because the room I am going to use to store clothes is dusty.  Currently, I use my "living room" as my bedroom because the air conditioner is in there.  I really don't have a good closet in there, so I will use the "bedroom" to store my clothes.  I have been enjoying cooking.  I don't have an oven, but I do have two gas burners.  I have to remember to turn off the gas after I am finished in case of an earthquake.  In my bathroom I have a traditional Japanese tub that I will never use.  It is nice, but old.  The Japanese clean off completely in a shower before soaking in the tub.  Traditionally, a whole family shared bath water (think old west times) but I am not sure about today.  Regardless, I am happy with my shower.  I have to turn on the gas to get hot water, but the flow is nice.  Again, I have to remember to turn off the gas!

I have one more room.  I suppose it is another bedroom, but it doesn't have a light.  It doesn't get much sunlight during the day either.  I think I am just going to use that room for storage.  I have a lot of junk in here because of all the JET's that have lived here throughout the years.  I plan on going through it and giving it to the recycle shop.  The recycle shop is kind of like a thrift shop I suppose.  I haven't been to one so I am not sure.  Now, I know what you are thinking.  Why should I get rid of things other JET's collected when I should leave them for the person that replaces me.  Well, I suppose I could, but I have been told my building will be turn down in two years.  I really don't want to bring a bunch of old dusty things to a brand new apartment.  I would rather give them things I know they can use at the new apartment and get rid of the old.

Two seems to be the magic number for me.  When I was in Chicago they told us that statistically,  most of us will stay two years.  At the time I thought I would stay longer.  However, I have since changed my mind.  It seems the universe is telling me two years is enough.  I have to pay into the teachers pension, but I can get up to two years worth paid back to me when I am finished.  Currently, I do not have to pay taxes in the US or in Japan.   However, after two years I will have to start paying taxes in Japan.  Finally, the apartment being torn down in two years.  I suppose I don't mind moving, and if the other people here leave I will too so they can tear down the apartment earlier.  However, it is expensive to move in Japan.  I would have to pay a key deposit (3 to 6 months back rent) and maybe even pay a relator.  Emily, the closest JET to me had to pay a key deposit that was around $2,000 USD.  If I move I might have to pay something like that.  However, after that the school district helps with rent.  Emily only had to pay around $240 USD a month and the district pays about $230.  I guess they will pay up to $270 a month to help with rent.  For now, I am staying in my old place where rent is about $80 a month ;)

Hummmmm, that is about all for now.  Basically, right now work is boring, but my free time is busy.  It seems like I have something going on every weekend and many week nights.  I have enjoying Japan and I am really happy I came back.

Soft Bank

Today I had my first day in Japan where I became really frustrated.  I had a pretty good weekend, but I woke up today tired.  I went to Yokosuka over the weekend.  Then after I returned I went to visit Emily.  Needless to say, I was tired all day today.  It doesn't help that tomorrow I have to wake up early and go to Mito, then this weekend I go back to Mito.  I still have to unpack and wash some clothes.  But anyway, I went out to lunch with some teachers when me getting a cell phone came up.  Now, I really don't care to have one and I am only getting one for safety reasons and to keep in touch with people.  Otherwise I am not really excited to get one.  I had problems getting my first week because they said I had to wait until my alien registration card comes.  It doesn't come until the 15th, and that is fine with me.  So one of the teachers (whom shall remain nameless) said I could get my phone today.  She said I just had to get my paperwork showing I am a resident of Bando City.  Armed with all my paperwork (temporary alien papers, my health insurance card, my passport, my stamp, and the Bando City papers) we went to Soft Bank.  Soft Bank is the biggest and cheapest company in Japan.  I picked a phone I can get for free and a plan.  My bill was to be around $21.00 a month, not too shabby.  My phone would have been free, but I am not exactly sure how it works.  I know the phone sells for around $400, but it is discounted every month and by the end of the contract it is free.  After filling out paperwork for over an hour and going back to school and waiting, I couldn't get my phone today.  Apparently Soft Bank has gotten strict.  Instead of paying every month for the actual phone, I have to buy it today.  I really don't have that money right now, and even if I did I can not buy it today.  I don't get paid until the 21st and I have that business trip tomorrow, and the fun trip this weekend.  I need my money for that.  I told teacher about it and she seemed confused and said she would look into it.  I went home tired and hungry.  I began to eat some ice cream when someone knocked on my door.  It was teacher saying I could get my phone.  I was confused, but she wanted me to go with her back to Soft Bank.  I had told her earlier I was not paying for the phone today.  She didn't seem to get it because we went there and same problem, had to buy the phone.  However, if I pay for it right away my bill will only be around $3.00 a month, but like I said before, I am not getting it today.  I am a little irritated that teacher did not listen to me about this.  This is not the first time this has happened.  Before I got my car I told her my budget was 100,000 yen.  She took me to car dealers and showed me cars that were 300,000 yen.  I got my car for half that from a former JET.  I decided that day to not let her meddle in my business, but here I am today at Soft Bank with her.  Plus, she had me get the paperwork showing I live in Bando City.  I guess they are temporary papers, so I have to get new papers after I get my alien registration card.  The papers only cost 300 yen, but if she would have listened to me and waited until Friday like I wanted, I wouldn't have to pay twice.  So Friday I will go to Soft Bank with my real alien registration form (sans teacher) to see if I can get phone on credit.  If not I will purchase a cheaper phone and only pay the $3.oo a month.   I want to say that I really do appreciate the teacher helping me, but I think sometimes she is just a little too much!   She is only trying to help though....

Japan: a mix of old and new

While I was driving my NEW CAR, I noticed two homes next to each other and it got me thinking about Japan.  One house is an older, traditional Japanese house, the other is much more modern.  In a way it is a metaphor for Japan, a mix of old and new.  An example of this is in clothes.  It is not uncommon to see girls wearing the traditional kimono walking next to girls in modern clothes.  There are many restaurants in Japan.  Traditionally, the Japanese would sit on the floor with their shoes off and enjoy their meal.  There are still many restaurants like that.  However, there are many where people sit in chairs with their shoes on and that is ok too.  I am sure there are many more examples of traditional Japanese culture in modern Japan.  I have plenty of time to discover them.

New car!

Hey everyone!  I finally got my new car!  It is a 1994 Toyota Rav4.  A former JET named Carly sold it to me.  She is from Australia and is moving to Tokyo.  It is way to expensive to have a car in Tokyo, that is why she sold it.  Her handsome husband drove it up.  His name is David and he is a golfer.  He coaches people around Japan and he caddies for a professional Japanese golfer.  His work allows him to travel around the world.  Interesting....

Things are going pretty well.  I am a little bored at school because the kids are still on summer break, but they will be back soon enough.  My supervisor told me I can take vacation if I want to!  Um, I just got here.  So maybe I will take off a Friday or a Monday.   My supervisor and other teachers seem to like me and the principal, whom I met once, does too.  So, I guess I just have to worry about the students now.

The weather here has been really hot and humid.  My closest neighbor, Emily is from California and is having a hard time adjusting to it.  She said it feels like she is walking through a cloud all the time.  I am ok with it.  I keep my air on when I am home, but when I leave I turn it off.  It doesn't seem to be too hot in my apartment when I return.  

My apartment is ok, it is old.  Today at lunch the teachers pretty much told me they think my apartment is a hell hole!  I do not think it is that bad.  I was told yesterday if I stay more than two years I will have to move because they are destroying the building!  Right now I only pay around $80 USD for rent.  If I move I will have to pay more, plus deposit, plus up to 6 months back rent!  Last week, Emily dropped about $2,000 USD for her place.  When she moves she can get most of it back, but still.....it is outrageous!  Maybe I will stay here for a while and if the other teachers that live here I will too, but for now I am staying put.  Besides, I think I will only stay two years anyway.  After two years I have to start paying Japanese taxes.  Right now I have to pay into teachers pension, but I can take out up to two years worth when I leave.  If I stay longer, I can still only take out two years.   It is still something I am thinking about, though I think I will stay longer than a year.  Well, that is all for now.  I hope you like my car.  

Weird....

Ok, so last night, actually early this morning I had this really strange dream. My dad was in it and a big bomb was coming. Actually, it was an atomic bomb. I remember just barely making it to the lake. I saw the "mushroom cloud" as I went under water. Then I woke up. Here is the weird part, so later that day I was at school and I had my laptop. I was trying to get online to do some research for my first lesson. Well, the internet wasn't working, so I opened up my build in encyclopedia on my computer. The home page of the program is always a timeline of things that happened in history during the current month. I quickly scanned over August when something caught my eye. Apparently, the US bombed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. I dreamt about an atomic bomb while I was sleeping in Japan on the anniversary of a real atomic bomb destroying Japan. Weird. I suppose subconsciously I may have known the date because I have been to Hiroshima. I swear to God that I didn't see any news about it here, nor have I read or even thought of Hiroshima lately. It is just odd. Another thing that is strange, many people after the bomb jumped into the many rivers that run through Hiroshima to cool off. Many of them died, and others that lived....well lets just say their skin fell off. I do want to point out that the people didn't know an atomic bomb was coming like I did in my dream. Regardless, I just think it is so strange I dreamt about that on the annivesary.

No car, yet :(

I was supposed to get my car today, but it didn't happen.  The girl I am buying it from lives in Chiba (next to Tokyo) but is moving to Tokyo.  It is too expensive to have a car there, so she is selling it.  It is a 1994 Toyota Rav4.  It is dark blue and has 4WD.  I am so excited about it.  Everyone keeps commenting on what a nice car it is.  I am getting it for a good price too.  The taxes on it are paid through May and the shakken (expensive emissions check) is not due until June.  All in all I am think I am getting a really good deal.

Nothing else is new.  My life is pretty boring.  The kids are on summer break, so I have NOTHING to do until September.  In fact, my supervisor told me I can take vacation!  I get 20 a year, but I am not sure if  I want to take any now.  Maybe a Monday or a Friday.  My predecessor, Fil, told me JETs often use vacation around 3 or 4 day weekends.  He said sometimes they take small trips around Japan, or even neighboring countries.  I think that sounds really fun!  After this break the next big one is around the New Year.  Then in March, then in May, then August again.  However, like I said above there are many holiday weekends.  I guess I should carefully plan my vacation.  I signed up to be a part of a JET group that travels during school breaks to countries and helps in orphanage and schools.  They go to Thailand and India.  I am extremely interested in that.  

More when I get my car.

Chinese influence on Japan

It is obvious to anyone visiting Japan that China was and is a huge influence.  But just how huge?  I have never been to China (well, I have been to Hong Kong, but that is different) so I can not compare and contrast how Japan and China are similar and different.  Instead I have to look at what's around me and figure it out for myself.  One noticeable similarity is the kanji.  Hundreds of years ago Japan "borrowed" Chinese characters to use for the Japanese language.  Speaking Japanese and Chinese are completely different, but their written language is similar.  When I was here before I never heard any Japanese person refer to kanji as Chinese.  This time I have.  Just yesterday my supervisor said she wanted to show me how to spell my name in Chinese characters.  They thought about making me stamp in the characters, but instead chose to do in in Hiragana.  Hiragana is usually used when their is no kanji.  Many times I will see kanji and hiragana used at the same time.  For me, I think it will be easier to learn Japanese using hiragana, then trying to memorize kanji.  Another Chinese influence is the food.  There is definitely some food that is strictly known to be Japanese, sushi comes to mind.  However, many other dishes that are popular in Japan are strictly Chinese.  Ramen and dumplings are an example.  Japan and China have a love/hate relationship.  I have never heard a Japanese person say anything bad about China, in fact they like to travel there.  However, when I had a friend visit me that was living in China, she said people asked her why she would want to visit Japan.  On the other hand, I had a professor from China who said she  visited Japan while she was still living in China.  She didn't say anything bad about the Japanese.  Author P. Sean Bramble(a former JET!) describes the relationship like this, "Chinese influence on Japan is momentous, and is still undoubtedly greater than many Japanese might care to admit.  It's not just the enduring capacity of Chinese lettering (kanji), or which Japan is the only non-Chinese country to have continued with this system.  It's also felt in the cuisine, arts and sorrowful history shared by two countries.  Even today, in the technology-charged 21 century, there remains, at the same time, a strong sense of mutual admiration and simultaneous mistrust between the two countries, an unpleasant dynamic that may never be resolved.  The story goes that China feels it taught Japan everything it ever learned; Japan retorts that that was hundreds of years ago, and China hasn't learned anything new since.  That symbiosis, of the proud teacher and the impatient student makes itself felt in this corner of the world time and again."  My question is, in today's world who is the proud teacher and who is the impatient student?  The BBC describes modern Japan this way, "Japan is the world's second-biggest economy, achieving an economic miracle in the second half of the 2oth century that was the envy of the rest of the world."  Perhaps in today's world, China is a bit jealous?  Regardless, this love/hate relationship is probably not going away anytime soon.

Stamp

One thing that I have learned in the past week is how the Japanese sign documents.  Instead of just signing their name in hiragana or in Chinese characters, the Japanese do all their business with a rubber stamp.  The stamp is very important.  I had to get mine to open a bank account and I even had to get it registered at City Hall.  I don't know the exact reason for the stamp, I just know that since there are many of the same surnames in Japan, the registered stamp is a way to protect ones identity.  Now, don't think of the stamp as a signature in terms of how we sign things in America.  If a Japanese person uses a credit card, it is not likely they will just take out their stamp to sign the document.  Instead it is used in more of a business way.  I had to use mine to sign up for insurance, get my car (more on that later), heck I even have to "stamp in" at work to show I am there!  The stamp is a very important part of Japanese culture.  The stamp is always done in red ink and on important documents there is always a place to stamp your signature.   The pictures show my stamp case, the stamp inside the case with the red ink, and my stamp.  Mine says "Anna."

First Weekend in Japan

I am currently in my first weekend in Japan.  It has been pretty uneventful.  I contacted my closest JET neighbor and we spent the weekend together.  On Friday night I took the bus to her city and it was quick.  Emily is really close.  We went out to eat and then went to sleep.  We slept from 10:30pm to 11:30am the next day!  We were both so tired!  Last week I was falling asleep at 5pm and waking up really early in the morning.  Part of it is jet lag, but part of it is just being tired from all the traveling I have done.  I arrived in Tokyo only a week ago today.

Last night we stayed up until 11pm!  I woke up early, but Emily slept in.  Right now I am trying to figure out what to do about the flood on my balcony.  My washing machine is on it and I washed some clothes this morning.  When I went out to check on them there was water every where.  I don't know what to do about it.  

Otherwise, there isn't really anything new here.  Last week I did my paperwork for my alien registration card, opened a bank account and got my stamp.  In Japan people get a stamp they register it.  The stamp is used as their signature.  I have to use the stamp to "clock in" at school.  It is really neat!  I tried to get a cell phone, but I have to have my permanent alien registration card, I will get that in a few weeks.  The biggest news is I found a car!  A former JET from Australia is selling her car because she is moving to Tokyo and she can't find a place to park it.  She really doesn't want to sell it, but she has to.  The price is around 1500 USD and the shakken doesn't have to be done until next summer.  The car is really nice, I guess I am getting a good car for the price.  I am excited about it.  

That is all for now.  Take care.

My first day at work

I had my first day at work yesterday.  Actually, it wasn't work at all.  The children are on summer break until September.  I basically just got some technical things done, like get my alien registration card, open a bank account, etc.  Today I am going to get a cell phone :)  I can't wait!  Then I can make plans to see my friends.  Well, I better get ready for the new day.  More later...

Some more pics that didn't load when I was in Chicago...