Japan outings thus far

     Since I have been in Japan I have gone out a few times and all those times have been really special and just what I wanted in Japan.   I went on a driving tour of Tokyo and Daiba, ate Shabu Shabu and ate at an all-you-can-eat fry-your-own-food restaurant.  I've seen countless ferris wheels (very popular here), gone to Shibuya and checked out the busiest intersection in Japan (think Tokyo Drift :).  I've also visited a huge park with an eclectic gathering of friends and other park goers just showing off their juggling or musical or dancing talents.  I've done karaoke in a huge room that held at least 20 peeps, and I've climbed Mt. Takao and visited Chinatown!  All in 2 weeks!  Needless to say there is a lot to do here!
     The driving tour of Tokyo and Odaiba (in Tokyo) was splendid!  We saw some amazing skylines that twinkled in the night sky and drove over the Rainbow bridge.  We even got really close to Tokyo Tower - a huge red and white structure that can be seen from very far away.  Odaiba (like most places I've been to in Japan) is very wealthy and pretty looking.  We ate in the "peasant" mall as we named it b/c it had Forever 21 and H&M - those are NOT the nice stores here in Tokyo...but I still thought the mall was great!  We strolled around for a bit and ended up at an arcade where they have these incredible photo booths.  You get to take 5 pics and they all airbrush you and make your eyes bigger and LIGHTEN your skin! In Japan, people are scared to get their skin the slightest bit darker and will to great lengths to avoid it.  They wear long socks and long "opera glove" sleeves and even things akin to oven mitts to avoid the sun.  And they also walk around with umbrellas for portable shade.  JUST GIVE IN!!!  My co-worker was highly offended with the skin lightening effect (even though he's white :) but we all also thought it was pretty funny.  We opted for the normal setting.  After the pics were taken we can edit them and add emoticons, words, and props.  Let me tell you how BEAUTIFUL we all were.  I'm not photogenic so this must be magic!  It was great!
     We also went to the fry-your-own-food restaurant.  WOW!!! The food was pretty good and there was a nice amount of options.  Lots of meat and cheese filled yummies.  There was also a salad bar, hot food bar, dessert bar, AND a chocolate fountain!  Scrumptious!  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
     The next day we went to Shibuya and spent the day in the park for the teacher that was leaving.  There was a huge turnout and I made some new friends!  Success!  I also used a Japanese traditional toilet for the first time - the squatting one!  It was pretty funny b/c I avoided it as long as I could and even got pointers from my fellow picnickers on how to squat just right.  One girl offered to go with me :)  Too funny!  Eventually I did it and it was quite successful.  To be honest it's cleaner than wiping down, lining, and hovering over a gross western toilet.  At least with the squat you don't touch anything.  The only thing is there's no TP (we all brought tissues) and NO SOAP!!! Nobody else seemed to mind but I very much did.  I made sure I touched nothing and anti-baced after!!! A lot!  But overall - twas a success!
     Then on to Karaoke!   We had a huge amount of people and were shown into the biggest karaoke room I've ever seen.  There were black lights and dolphins spray painted on the walls.  It was a good night!  The first 2 weeks in Yokohama area were awesome.  And everyone I've met so far are all willing to check out new places and show me around!  Yay!
     Next - the hike up Mt. Takao...and the beer garden after :)

Shadow Week

     So much happened my first week at my school but it was all pretty great!  The first day I got there the teacher I was replacing invited me out with him to meet my American coworker and other people that worked for the same company in the area. We went to Futako Tamagawa and had drinks by the river under the moon watching the trains go by.  It was the first time I was able to enjoy the evening/night in Japan.  The people I met were really great and we've hung out several times since then.
    The first day of shadowing was pretty intense.  It was a busy week and most of the kids are very high energy.  There are those (teens) who are very teen-like and trying to get them to speak at a normal volume (higher than a mumble) is like pulling teeth!  But the young ones are awesome and so cute and fun!  It's even cuter when they call me Sensei :)  Gotta love that!  I know I shouldn't but I already have favourites!  Oops!
     Thankfully the one I'm replacing is a really good teacher and set me up pretty good for what I have to do with all my students and I've been doing pretty well so far.  The lessons are easier to plan now that i have time to process what I need to do and am no longer sleep deprived.  Training week was all a blur but now I'm getting into the swing of things.  There's still a lot to learn and lots to improve on but I've survived so far and it can only get better...I hope!
     My first week alone (last week) went better than I thought.  I honestly thought I was gonna mess it up so bad I'd have a stern talking to at the LEAST but not so much.  I have been told several times about  several things I need to do and not do.  My co-worker says they are trying to make sure there are NO bad habits and nip them in the bud.  I'm not a bad person or messy person or whatever but I don't think like the average Japanese person in a work environment.  A lot of what they say I implement (if it's needed) otherwise I just smile, nod, agree and go about my day.  I'm sure things will settle down in a few weeks after they are no longer on edge from getting a new North American English teacher who doesn't know the Japanese customs.
     My fellow Japanese co-workers are nice so far and outside of the work place are much nicer and easier to get along with.  They are not constantly kissing ass and running around like chickens with their heads cut off.  Alone they can relax and be open and funny. Contrary to what I was told about my work place and Japan in general...things are not done on time.  Yes they want you at work 15 minutes early (but I had to do that in Canada anyway) and the trains are never late but my co-workers are constantly starting and ending class late and even my students are late more often than not.  I'm not ragging on them or judging I just think it's funny that before I started (in training) they drilled it into our heads that things run like clockwork...not the case :)
     Otherwise, my job is not so bad.  There are those bad moments when I question why I'm here and teaching bratty kids that I just want to tie up with ropes so they'll pay attention and shut up...(calm down!) but I'm in a new country with new friends and I'm close to so many fun and interesting places to visit.  And I live RIGHT ACROSS from my work so it takes 5 minutes to get there and it's only that long because the elevator has to make it up to the 6th floor.
     I've seen and done some fun things so far in Japan and so far I'm happy with my choice of packing up and moving to Japan.

Okoyama Gardens!

     So I'm way behind on my blogging but that's ok - things have been really hectic and there's just no time to catch up and do what needs to get done! 
     Okoyama Gardens were incredible! First we went to the Okayama Castle - a large black castle with real gold trim.  The inside was not so good though - it was gutted a while ago and they filled it with display cases and an elevator.  But 2 minutes away were the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen.
     The gardens were just acres of sprawling, lush green grasses, hills, and small buildings.  There was a koi pond where we fed the fish.  The koi fish are actually really big and make a disgusting sucking noise when they are feeding which kinda ruined the mood :)  There were also turtles vying for our food who really fought to claim their share.  They came right up to us and even ate from our hands.  A couple times we got nipped but you could barely notice.  The turtles are aggressive little things, too!  One turtle was getting ready for his helping when his friend came rolling up.  The first turtle wasn't having any of that and just SHOVED his hand in the other turtle's face and PUSHED!  Hilarious!!! I never knew they could do that :)
     The gardens, as I've said, are beyond beautiful.  It wasn't very busy at the time and so it was nice and serene and so peaceful.  I noticed some business men still with their briefcases and suit jackets strolling around the park.  I thought that was such a good idea to go there and relax after a hard day's work.  I wish those gardens were close to me!
     There was this long hut structure with a very shallow stream running through it and benches on either side.  We were able to take off our shoes and just dip our feet in and enjoy the cool stream.  It was just what we needed after walking in the blistering and humid heat.
     That had to be the highlight of my first week.  I loved how deep green and peaceful it all was.  And sitting by the fish having a popsicle wasn't too shabby either :)

The first week!

     Wow!!! So I have been here a week and have gone thru so many emotions and craziness! But I loved every moment of it!  My first week was the most intense week of my life.  Training is quite literally insane and many of us thought were going nuts - but at least I wasn't alone.  Because training is so intense and busy I didn't sleep and ate only crap food from convenience stores for lunch and dinner.  There just wasn't enough time especially with other people using the same kitchen at the same time with only 2 burners.  I also got really dehydrated b/c we're not allowed to drink in the class and there's no time to escape and get a drink.  That has to be one of the worst things in Japan.  My eyeballs were actually shaking!
     Aside from training I made some amazing friends and we've all made plans to climb Mt. Fuji in August! Can't wait.  Karaoke was so much more fun than I thought it was going to be especially with unlimited alcoholic drinks and beef consomme :)
     One of the highlights of my time here in Japan was on the second day when  we all went to Kurashiki to see the feudal town with white buildings and and Shinto shrine.  The building and houses were so pretty and characteristic.  It seemed strange to see something so old and full of history with a sign for wifi in the window and a car driving down the street.  But that's the way it is in a lot of Japan which makes it such a unique experience to have.  The Shinto shrine was wonderful and I got to take part in a couple of rituals.  One was cleansing the hands and mouth with the water at the front.  You use the ladle to pour it into one hand then the other then you put some in your mouth and spit onto the stone.  This was a new purification experience.  I also made an offering and got a fortune which I couldn't read then tied it onto a string under my zodiac.  Then I made another offering, clapped my hands and bowed in front of a shrine then got to ring a bell.  I'm not sure what all these things mean but it was very special to take part in it and hopefully when I have more time I'll research it!
     The most spectacular part of my trip was the next day when we all went to the Okoyama castle and gardens.  The castle itself is very pretty from the outside and is in fact black.  The statues on the roof are made from gold.  Pretty sweet!  The inside however was gutted and had to be rebuilt after the war and so the inside was rather boring with displays.
     The gardens, however, were breathtaking!!! I've never seen such beautiful shades of green.  But I'll write about that in the next blog - no time now!  See ya!

The Landing!

     Konichiwa from Japan!  It’s amazing to be here and it seems so surreal.  It hasn’t even hit me yet that I’m in Japan for the long haul.  I’ll bypass the flight and all things associated – I’m sure everyone has experiences of terrible food, terrible seats, and bumpy rides.  After landing, however, it was great.  The other teachers on the flight with me met up with our fellows in the airport and waited for our trainers to arrive to escort us to our training facility.  We wasted time playing an epic and highly dangerous game of spoons with 3D cat cards!  Great way to get to know your fellows.

     Finally our escort arrived and we made our long and uneventful way to our facility and set up camp.  It was so great exploring the city that night and eating our first Japanese meal of rice with thin strips of beef and a sweet sauce.  The only downfall is, unlike Chinese food bowls, Japanese bowls don’t come with sautéed greens.  Proooobabaly not a big deal for some people but I like my greens, people, and damnit I need them! :)

     Jet lag is a bitch and even after 3 days it hasn’t abated.  Sore muscles, upset stomach, obvious sleep disruption is common I’m sure but still not easy to accept.  But knowing I’m not the only one suffering is a little comfort – sorry to my fellows :) Another pain in the ass is the heat!  The dorms have a/c but they don’t kick in fully at night and we’ve only got these super-thick down-filled comforters.  So it’s a delicate balance between throwing off the covers in the middle of the night after waking up drenched in sweat and huddling under the covers to get warm.  It definitely keeps you on your toes!  Japan is really hot and even more humid and it takes some getting used to.

     The dorms are not bad and not as small as you’d think.  There’s also a common room where we can all chill and cook and play drinking – so multifunctional :)  We’ve been stealing internet from the international centre down the street as our company decided internet was unimportant in our dorms and there has been some serious withdrawal!

     The group is awesome and everybody has something good to add to the group.  There’s quite a bit of proficiency in the Japanese language so that helps when we all go out and can’t communicate with the locals.  Makes me feel a little inadequate but I’m here to learn and in a year I’ll be on my way to speaking with the locals!  Everyone is fun and ready to get out and see our area.  We’ve already had a day and half of great exploration of a feudal town, Shinto shrine, karaoke, and buying lots of yummy food…but that’s for another post – coming soon! (That will be in a new blog entitled Home in Japan! - check it out!)