BITE ME!

Begin rant:

            Today marks the day of the end of my patience with my students.  Since I have started working over a year ago I have been hit, touched inappropriately in no-no places (ALL of them), coughed on purposefully, spat on purposefully, pushed, pulled, and bitten. 

Throughout it all I have been firm in telling students that behaviour is NOT okay and have had my manager and other Japanese teachers speak with them so they know beyond a doubt not to do it.  In all these situations parents have not been spoken to.  The Japanese staff (or perhaps the culture) is afraid to address it with them because we are supposed to be happy, positive, and not piss people off because it’s a private school.  I cannot speak with the parents because a) there is an obvious language barrier and b) there is a chain of command and us lowly foreigners are on the bottom.

            I appreciate my manager speaking to the students and insisting I come get her when things get out of control but it should be told to the parents!  Otherwise how will these kids know?  And clearly the teachers’ words are not having an impact.

            Many times when a student doesn’t understand something or is misbehaving or anything at all, I’ll bring it to my manager’s attention just to talk about it or laugh about or whatever (we have a good relationship).  But many times she listens and says “That can happen.”  Which is what she said to me today.

            In today’s class of 3 yr olds I have one child in particular that likes to bite.  Since I started teaching her in April she has bitten me pretty much every week.  She’s buried her head in my crotch while I’m kneeling, bitten my butt, inner thighs, and jaw.  The jaw hurt for hours and left teeth marks.  The butt and inner thighs?  What the fuck are you going there for???  Last week she bit my left breast HARD.  Enough that I felt it for a while and had a mark.  I was tired of not speaking with the parents so I brought it up.  While we were talking the mom figured out it was her child in particular that was doing the biting and was not surprised.  She apologized profusely and even questioned her daughter while we were all still sitting there.  At least she recognized the problem.

            But today (one week later) I was bit HARD on the shoulder.  She left a bite mark of spit and an indent.  (I should tell you I have fibromyalgia and feel pain a little more strongly than others and the pain lingers for a while.)  Immediately I showed I was very upset, ordered them to sit, and called a Japanese teacher to speak with them.  She did and really tried to reinforce it several times with them.  Then towards the end of the class the little one was about a foot away and LUNGED for me and bit me right in the middle of the breast – on the nipple!!!  I WAS FUCKING FURIOUS!!!!!  Who the FUCK does that?  I lost it.  I grabbed her hands, held them in mine, wouldn’t let them go, and spoke very angrily to her nose-to-nose.  I kept telling her it wasn’t okay.  I mimed biting and said don’t do it, not okay, I kept pointing to the door telling her she could leave my classroom if it happened again (she understands the door because I’ve done it before).  Then class ended.

            I had a rant in the office with some teachers then I spoke with my manager about it later that day.  I was still incredibly upset.  No, not upset – LIVID!!!  When I spoke to my manager I told her I wasn’t going to tolerate it anymore.  If it doesn’t stop by September she can leave or get a new teacher or whatever.  I refuse to teach her.

            My manager was very supportive and listened and tried to come up with a solution.  She even called another manager to ask what to do.  They decided that she should sit in on my class and observe.  BUT she has class at that time so that’s useless.  She also said she hopes we get the new teacher by then.  SO WHAT?  She can pass that little brat on to someone else???  Are you kidding me?  Then she also said, “Yes, this happens…”

            So here’s my beef.  Well I suppose the above was the beef.  Let’s say this is the prime rib entrée with garlic mashed taters.  I KNOW THIS HAPPENS!!! Idiot!  I know kids are brats and uncontrollable and hell-raisers.  But just because it happens doesn’t mean it’s ok!  FOOL!  If this were Canada – 1^st offense: parent/teacher conference, 2^nd offense: suspension, 3^rd offense – expulsion.  Why?  Because this falls under the “abuse” category.  Damn right it’s abuse.  I am your teacher.  You do not bite me!  End of story.  But because I’m in Japan I have never felt comfortable addressing serious concerns with my manager.  Every time I do it’s like I’m the angry North American who has different expectations of students than they do in Japan and am overreacting.  They don’t understand why it’s such a problem and why I’m telling them these things.  It’s so it can be dealt with to avoid any further incidents.

            My manager is young and new to managing and is not yet comfortable being a hard-ass.  But when your staff is being abused by students, it’s time to step up and deal with it.  I don’t care if she is only 3 yrs old – she knows right from wrong because I’ve seen her recognize it.  And the other students too.  When they grab my breast and I reprimand them you can see they understand they shouldn’t.  A couple you know did it just to see what would happen.

            But when it goes on week after week and only gets worse…fuck it.  Bite me again and I will knock your teeth out.  I will kick you out of my class, watch you cry in the hall, and call head office to tell them my decision not to teach that child again – or any child for that matter.  This happens way too often and is glossed over far too much.  Why should I tolerate it because everyone else is too scared to man up?  Why should I tolerate it because “these things happen?” Why should I tolerate it because I teach children that parents refuse to actually parent?

            I see it everyday – parents complain their children don’t listen or behave in class but they do ABOSUTELY NOTHING to stop them.  In mommy-and-me classes they laugh when their kids punch them, climb on them, spit on them, and don’t listen to me.  Then after they say, “Oh, I’m so sorry.  I can’t get them to listen or pay attention.  I don’t know what to do.”  And then they expect me to work miracles for their brats.  Seriously?

            Well I am done.  No more tolerating.  No more not speaking with parents.  No more, no more, no more.  I didn’t sign up to be felt-up and abused and if this isn’t taken seriously then they’re going to be scrambling to find a new teacher very fast.

End rant.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go rub cocoa butter on my nipple...

Okinawa - home of the Pineapple Park!

I went to Okinawa!!!  I met a couple friends from training and we got a triple occupancy hotel room.  Big comfy beds, clean sheets, clean shower, balcony I could actually use, great view, air conditioning.  It was great!

            It was also fucking HOT and humid!  I got off the plane and had to wait a little while for my friends and I had to wash my face and re-apply my makeup b/c my face had melted off.  I also discovered that there are A&W’s aplenty in Okinawa and they have THE BEST FRIES IN JAPAN!!! I was in heaven.  These are not the same fries back home.  I happily waited for my friends amidst potatoes and ketchup :)

            When they did show up, we took a short taxi to our hotel and set up camp.  It was nice and spacious and very comfy.  Then we planned our trip.  In the lobby was the usual help desk for tourists and we were able to book a tour for the next day.  It included the Churaumi Aquarium which EVERYONE recommends.  It also took us to a butterfly observatory, pineapple park, and glass-blowing house.  We started pretty early and spent a couple hours listening to an audio-guide about various Okinawa places and picking up people from different hotels.  Finally, we got to the butterfly place, had a small lunch of udon noodles, and saw the sights.  It was really pretty and very tropical.  The overcast, rainy season made it feel especially tropical – especially when your clothes stick to you and you feel like you’re inhaling a bucket of water every time you breathe.

            Anyway, the butterflies were pretty and we got come great pics.  My friend was also freaked out by them, which was pretty funny.  He high-tailed it outta the butterfly house quicktime! :)

            On to the aquarium.  It was nice, big, had a dolphin show, HUGE tank with 3 whale sharks, stingrays, various fish, etc.  Really it was like any other aquarium and I actually prefer the Yokohama Sea Paradise Aquarium better.  BUT this one was cool for a special reason.  You can go to the top level and look down on the ginormous tank.  It was very Deep Blue Sea (great movie, Samuel L. Jackson, sharks getting smarter.  Watch it – it’s on TBS every weekend).  When I got there one of the whale sharks was right under the surface of the water and you could see it so clearly.  They also have the plexiglass floor to stand on.  Freaked me out and I had to work up to it but it was great and so cool!  Then we spent hours buying souvenirs and were late for the tour bus… :)

            Then on to the Pineapple Park!!! This was the highlight of my trip!!!!!  The park offers a pineapple cart ride so we had to take it.  It’s this cute, yellow cart with a big pineapple on the top.  It’s automatic and had an English voiceover explaining the place.  The cart moved and we went through this very lush and tropical area with flowers, pineapples, and greenery.  It was very Jurassic Park!  No lie! Try it!

            And the pineapples!!! I had no idea they grew from the ground with little sticks in the bottom.  And they are sooo tiny.  Just perfect mini pineapples no bigger than your thumb along our entire route.  Toooo cute!  Eep!  They actually sell the little pineapples at the airport as souvenirs.  They last about 2 weeks and you can’t eat them.

            Then we got to eat fresh cut pineapple samples, try pineapple wine (yum), a pineapple/lime drink (YUM!), and try several pineapple cakes.  It was great.  I ended with soft-serve pineapple and mango ice cream.

            Then on to the glass-blowing house.  They had a demo for us as we got there and it was amazing.  I love glass blowing and this took me over the top.  This guy came with a blob of glass and started rolling and pulling with pliers.  We were trying to guess what he was making b/c we really couldn’t tell.  He works so fast and seemed very arbitrary.  Then all of a sudden – BAM – it’s a fucking horse!!! Complete with mane, hooves, and teeth.  Seriously?   We were all flabbergasted.  Then he took a piece of paper and touched it to the horse and – POOF – up in flames.  That thing was still crazy hot.  And then we bought souvenirs :)

            The next day we went to the pool and did some shopping in Kokusai-Dori.  It’s the international area but really I didn’t like it.  The clothes were very outdated – even the high-end stores.  Everyone in Okinawa is more laidback and don’t worry so much about appearance (not like Tokyo).  But it was nice to walk around.  I was super-hungry so I bought a hamburger from McDonald’s and they are a little different.  The meat patty is REALLY flat.  It fit the bun circumference perfectly.  Strange…

And we had a great steak dinner.  It was a heavily nautical-themed restaurant.  Everyone had cute uniforms and the décor was dark wood with lots of “boating” stuffs.  And they cooked the dinner in front of us.  We ordered cool drinks and got to keep the cups.  I got Shishe (sp) – the guard dog, I think.  I love him.  Our chef was nice and kept us entertained.  He tried this neat little trick to flip the meat and pepper shakers and stuff.  It would have been so great if he hadn’t failed… hahaha!  Anyway, we ate waaaayyyyy too much, had a great time, and had to take a cab home b/c we were all waddling and couldn’t walk anymore.  Good times.

            My final day I spent in the airport.  My friends’ flight was earlier and I decided to go to the airport with them b/c I didn’t want to go back shopping anywhere in case I missed my flight.  Big mistake.  I had A&W and bought sooo many things.  Souvenirs mostly but still.  Stuff I did NOT need.  I could barely carry them.

            All-in-all it was a great time and I love spending time with those guys.  I’m so happy I went.  I definitely wanna go back when it’s it not rainy season to enjoy the beaches and explore some more.  Someday…

Korea - South Siiide!

So, it's been a while...again!!! Really I have no excuse :)

I've done a lot since then, tho!  I went to South Korea!!!  Seoul and Busan to be exact.  It was fun and and I got to spend time with my friends from training.  I prefer Busan and definitely wanna go back.  It was so bright and airy and full of AMAZING coffee shops!!!  Big places with 3-5 floors, big comfy chairs, and free wifi!!! I could live there, seriously.  I loves me some coffee shops.  I also had the best latte of my life there :)  

Busan really was beautiful with a pretty big beach BUT I saw pics of it in the summer and it gets CROWDED.  Ugh, I don’t think I could handle it.  My friend also tried a bug!! It looked like a cockroach without the shell.  She bought a cup from this woman on the pier.  In the fish market there were all these people selling them in boiling cast iron skillets.  Gross! So she scooped it into a cup and gave 3 toothpicks so we could share.  Needless to say, the extra toothpicks were a waste of space.  She put one in her mouth and it immediately came back out between her lips.  Then she chewed.  EEWWW!!! I feel gross thinking about it!! Anyway, she said it tasted like nothing and also kind of like a bean.  Whatever, I’ve tried some things in Japan but eating bugs is not on my bucketlist.  Anyway, we walked around with the cup and we asked a stranger what it was.  Their English was poor so we got “baby butterfly.”  I almost gagged!  Then later we were told it was silkworm!!! Oh man, I’m so glad I never ate it!! Would you?

We also got ridiculously lost in Busan and walked around for quite a while searching for our starting place and trying not to get angry at each other because we were hungry and lost.  But overall, it was a great place to visit.  I’ll be going back.

Seoul was pretty good.  I didn’t do a lot of shopping but my friends went nuts.  I did find some great cosmetics and jewelry.  In Myeong-dong it’s amazing to see how smoothly the shopkeepers transition from Korean to Japanese to English.  They would be rattling on in Korean, see my Japanese friends, and IMMEDITELY flip in to Japanese seamlessly.  It was an art :)

My beef with Korea (and I’ve said the same about Japan) is that there is nothing uniquely Korean that shows the culture.  And I looked!  But I feel that these places had some great things but others saw how popular they were and they set up shop with the same things offered so now everyone carries the same thing and nothing stands out.  We walked down any street and there was a twin or triplet of that same store 100 feet away (or less!).  Buying gifts was a tad difficult.  It’s not any easier here in Japan, however, and I’m worrying about what I’ll take back for others.

I also had my first experience in a hostel.  2 actually – one in Seoul and one in Busan.  Both were very clean and friendly but the toilets reeked!!!  Ugh – like backed up sewage!  Disgusting!  Otherwise, hostels aren’t bad and I’ll try them again. 

I also almost missed my flight!!! The bus that takes you directly to the airport just stopped running.  We didn’t know it at the time but eventually we asked someone and they said it’s stopped for now.  I was already waiting 20 minutes.  So we hauled ass to the subway station and asked “information” how to get to the airport.  They told me to take this train, then this train, then this train, etc.  It was too much.  I was freaking out and one friend was trying to find directions and another was meeting a friend she should have met earlier but couldn’t b/c my bus was late.  Finally, after speaking with several unhelpful people, I hopped the train, barely said bye to my friends, and tried not to freak out as I urged the train to move faster to Seoul station.  Seoul station is huge so I had to go from one end to the other and JUST made it in time (3 minutes) to catch the express to the airport.  I made it to the airport, checked my luggage, grabbed food b/c there’s not food on the flight, and realized that my gate was the furthest away and included another train ride to that area.  UGH!!!  I made it to the place with 5 minutes to spare.  Freakout!! But I made it :)

South Korea was great and I will be going back!

Never can say goodbye...

     One of my favourite people and really good friend left a few weeks ago.  It’s really sad b/c there’s a good chance we won’t see each other again – at least for a long time.  We both have plans to travel and explore.  It just sucks that, as part of this job we chose, we lose a lot of friends.  It’s a constant turnover and some are not replaced by good people.  Another friend is leaving at the end of the month.  And my coworker and friend left only to be switched for a person I can’t stand!  Really terrible, arrogant condescending, rude, manipulative, loud, irritating, selfish, and the list goes on.  But I digress…

     The job requires a contract for a year or so and if you do well you can extend (which I did for a year).  Basically this job is something to fill the time before you move on to (hopefully) bigger and better things.  To save money, b/c we are the lucky few that have jobs, and travel or go back to school or do something other than what we do in Japan or Korea or China or whatever.  Maybe this job is good experience and will look good on your resume.  But in the grand scheme of things this is a “now” job and is seen as such by some other people.  I do have friends that have been doing this for years and years but still talk about what they will do next. 

     There’s nothing wrong with it.  It just makes me reflect that this life is temporary.  I might stay for a long time but others will leave and our friendships will maybe fade or end.  It may seem sad and depressing but it’s the truth.  You might maintain contact with those few special people back home but then more and more time passes and you know less and less about them and they you.  After a couple months I had already felt myself drifting from friends.  The time difference doesn’t help.  But there have been so many times when I think so-and-so would think this is funny.  But the time passes and you can’t connect with that person instantly like you could before.  So many times my sister says “I had something funny to tell you!  But I forgot!”  It happens so many times to everyone on both sides.

     I also miss out on so many things back home and have no idea what is going on.  My friend is getting married and I was supposed to be in the wedding but b/c I can’t take my vacation days I can’t come home for it and had to tell her I couldn’t be there for her.  I can’t be there for any of her events – engagement party, bachelorette, wedding shower, WEDDING! She understands of course but it doesn’t make it any less hard.

     I also have 2 parents going through a really hard time in their lives and a brother making a big life decision.  Of course they are missing big things here with me too.  I know they will be fine and do great but it doesn’t stop me from worrying and thinking I should be there for them.  I also think so often that my brother and sister should be here for this reason or another.  Like the Penis Festival! Good times all around!!! 

     Anyway, I’m not sad I’m here and don’t regret my decision and am doing 350% better than I was in Canada.  At home it was a bad situation and my life has improved since moving to Japan.  I just worry how things will be when I go home, for however long that is.  Will I still be able to talk to my friends the same way?  Will it be easy or strained?  Will they like my gifts?  So many questions!

     I am grateful I have a job and I enjoy it (most of the time).  But there are those days when I regret extending my contract but then I think, "If I quit, what else will I do?"  I'll be coming up on my one year anniversary in a couple months and then will be visiting Canada soon after.  It'll be time to reassess things and try to make a long-term goal and plan so I'm not just some wandering drifter with no plan in sight.  Any suggestions?

1, 2, 3! Three things to read!

It’s been a long while since I wrote last! Whew! Lots has happened.  Where to begin?

1) We started a new semester and I got some news kids – kids from the other teacher and new kids to the school.  On the plus side I was able to get rid of some, shall we say, spirited children :)  Most of my kids this year are great!  I do have some rude ones and difficult ones and kids that are way behind the others that shouldn’t have been moved up but did b/c of their age.  That’s kinda frustrating b/c I think they should have certain requirements to move on.  If you can’t read and handle the current lessons why move on?

     Some other kids are just getting out of mommy and me classes so they are really difficult.  Literally they just cry and cry and cry.  My first 4 classes with these couple of two years old was picking them up, hushing them, wiping their noses, and trying to stop them from screaming bloody murder and hitting me in frustration.  After a while one tired himself out he fell asleep on me and would cry every time I would try and put him down.  Finally when his mom came I found nose drippings all over my shoulder.  Lovely…but so darn cute!

     Other kids are just rude.  One 10 year was so rude and difficult I opened the door and told him he could leave.  He said he didn’t want to leave but I insisted.  He kept saying no so I let him stay and after that he’s been an angel :)

     I also have this class of 3 year olds that are just to cute for words.  They are very high-energy, sweet, and affectionate.  If I pretend to eat their toes they ALL shoe their toes in front of me to pretend to eat them too.  If I tickle one they ALL want to be tickled!  Besides the usual behaviour problem of not sitting down, listening, or repeating I have another problem that needs to be dealt with ASAP - touchers and biters.  Like last year, these little girls are curious and like to touch their teachers b/c it's just something they feel the need the need to do.  But these girls!  Oh man!  One little girl keeps putting her head in my lap and I always have to lift her up.  But last week she did it again and then started biting my inner thighs!! Seriously?  I immediately stopped her and told her not to do it again very firmly but she did it again a few minutes later.  Then another little girl went said, "Boom boom" as she patted each of my boobs!  I stopped and scolded her but, of course, she did it again.  I know they're curious and mean no harm but this has to be nipped in the bud...before I am nipped in the bud... :)

     I miss my other kids and get to hang with them between classes which is nice but I still wanted to teach them and watch their progress b/c they were doing so well.  It’s a little sad when you can’t teach them anymore.  Unfortunately, I lost a bunch of kids when the new semester started b/c they have club commitments and a lot of them move to other countries.  This year, one moved to Germany and others will move to India and Europe.

     It’s weird that I got so attached to my kids.  This was supposed to be a “limbo” job until I decided more about my life.  It still is but now I’m more involved with my kids.  I keep pestering my boss to get my kids to do extra lessons so they can learn to read and gain confidence.  I worry about the little ones that cry and the others that try so hard but just can’t hack it. 

     I’m also spending more time planning lessons to make them better and more personalized.  The adult students are particularly difficult b/c they need Japanese to English translation but the company doesn’t understand that.  Kids are easier b/c they don’t have as many rules, etc. ingrained in them.  But the adults – so hard to get through a lesson sometimes.  I’m constantly using translation apps.  They would be better suited with a Japanese teacher.

     I have another student who is physically disabled and so I design the class around her limitations.  She’s super-smart and so sweet.  She painstakingly made me origami wreaths as a present.  Her hands tire easily and shake constantly.  It was amazing and I was so touched.  The only word I can use to describe her is “lovely.”

2) Sakura was AMAZING!!!! I saw the pictures and I was told several times how beautiful it was but I still wasn’t prepared.  They came early this year b/c the weather was warmer this winter.  All of a sudden there were a couple blossoms then BAM! Blossoms everywhere!!!  Shades of pink and white, falling down from trees  and blanketing  the ground like snow.  These delicate little petals that just made you feel so warm and happy.  I was able to enjoy 3 whole weekends of them.

     We went to Shinjukugoen and the grounds were magnificent.  They had blossoms hanging from trees like waterfalls.  There was a huge open space, a green house, a French garden, and an English garden.  It looked like the garden from Alice in Wonderland :)  I also wanted to keep a blossom but I wanted a whole one, not just the petals.  So I picked one off the branch and my two friends audibly gasped like I had shot someone.  Then the other friend showed up, I told her what I did, and GASP!  Oops!  Oh well, I asked another friend if it was so terrible and she said it’s not really done…but she does it so it’s ok. Hahaha!!! Good enough for me!

     It was really great enjoying the sun and strolling along the river watching the petals fall.  It was truly a Japanese experience and I’m so grateful I was in Japan for it.

3) I went to the Penis Festival in Kawasaki!!! Technically it’s the “Fertility Festival” but everyone calls it the Penis Festival :)  It’s like a rite of passage for foreigners to attend this event.  There were SO MANY none Japanese peeps there!!! I’ve never seen so many at one place in J-land.  Seriously.  It was a frightening amount of people crushed into this small space trying to buy merchandise and take pics of the giant pink penis, Elizabeth.  He is pink for HIV awareness.  Anyway, there was a person carving penises out of various vegetables, there were penis pops of all colours and flavours.  There was a parade where cross dressers carried the different penis statues to the temple.  AND there were children with penis pops!!!  I tried taking a pic of one little girl with a small blue one but there were people that kept passing – so the dad had her pose for me! He wanted his kid to have the pic taken.  The same happened with a little boy – he had a large, pink one.  Him and his mom said pics were ok!!!

     I know, I know – this is controversial and terrible and exploitation and blah blah blah!!!! This would never fly in North America but this was harmless fun and everybody was enjoying themselves.  Let’s leave it at that :)  Needless to say, lots of fun was had when we went to Yoyogi park after and tasted the penis pops!  Good times!

I loves me my students!

     Even though there are those days that you can't stand some students and they make you question why you do this job at all (I mean, let's be honest here!) there are other times when your students make you feel awesome and feel that you're doing your job right and that extending your contract is a good thing.  
     I teach 2 grandmas, both in their mid-60s.  They are very low-level and one  is just terrible.  She tries really hard but she's so flustered and disorganized and can't remember what I teach her.  She spazzes out and rambles on and I have no idea if she's using English or Japanese.  The other one, however, is organized and a little better and tries so much harder to add to the language pattern.  I suggested they take lessons with the Japanese teachers but they really like me (obviously ;) and want the experience of speaking with a foreign person.  I get that but they have to understand that they need translations so their nervous ramblings are understood and can be answered and corrected in English. But I'm off topic!
     Anyway, one day the worse student was on vacation and the other came prepared.  I walk in, put my supplies on the table and ask how she's doing.  She answers and asks me.  I told her I'm a little hungry b/c my breakfast was really small and she asks if I've eaten lunch.  I told her no and she pulls out this Starbucks bag!  Then she takes out a tea and coffee, hot sandwiches, and a box of chocolates and tells me to choose 2 sandwiches and a drink.  Then we ate lunch.  She also came prepared with questions to ask me about living in Japan so far and so on.  She was worried about me after my anaphylactic attack and asked if I had friends in Japan (hahaha!) so that I had someone to help me - I assured her I did.  And we just chatted - or tried to...She did pretty well and gave me the box of chocolates at the end.  It was so sweet and I was so touched.  The rest of my day was awesome.
     Another time we were talking about foods and movies that we liked.  I said there was this amazing mochi filled with red bean and different flavours of mousse downstairs beside the grocery story.  After class she came back 10 minutes later with a variety pack of them!!! I was ecstatic!  And last week, the other student was on vacation again and the other one brought me lunch again!!!  Such a sweet lady!  
     Another day, a baby mama came in and we chatted for about 15 minutes b/c the other was absent before realizing the time.  Then we ended talking for the rest of the class (while doing some activities for the kid :).  The poor mom was so stressed and just needed some adult talk time and I was more than happy to oblige.  Since then we've talked some more and she really enjoys coming to the class b/c her daughter is really improving and we get to talk and she can practice her English.  Win-win!
     For Christmas I got postcards from some of my kids with their pics or family pics on it.  They're pretty popular to give to people around the holidays.  I was so happy b/c they all looked so cute in them.  Although, I did wonder how the hell the mom got my 2 rowdiest students to sit still for a perfect picture.  She said it was a split second shot the photographer got while dangling something from the ceiling. Hahaha!
    Today I got a little bag of YUMMY chocohip cookies for Valentine's day from one of my teen students. She gave them to all the girls in the class.  I was so happy b/c these are my emo teens!  But they do seem to be enjoying themselves more so score!
     And yesterday was the BEST!!! I started class for my 5 year olds and one of them came in late.  He's been my fave literally since day 1.  No lies!  He came in, started rummaging in his bag for what I thought were some cards we use and I told him to put the bag down.  He persisted and finally pulled out a drawing he made.  I was almost certain it was me but didn't want to jump to conclusions.  He handed it to me and I asked who it was.  "Kalai sensei!" Aaahhhh!!! Love it!  Then he chattered away in Japanese and then pointed to my glasses.  He wanted me to see he had even drawn my glasses - as if I could miss every detail of that awesome portrait!  Later, when I went to high five him he started to then stopped and kissed my palm instead!  I LOVE HIM!!!   Hahahah!!!! He's so cute!
     BUT I think I might have some competition though because one of the little girls seems to have taken a shine to him too.  She used to be really quiet and rarely smiled but recently the little boy has been doing funny actions during the drilling and she's been laughing more.  Now she looks over to him to see what he'll do next.  Uh oh!  I better keep my distance ;)  Oh, young love...
     So yes, sometimes I want to kick something...or someone...but then I think of my adorable kids that are so funny, so unique, so happy, and who try to teach me Japanese and it only makes me wanna kick something a little.

Food for thought?

            And so I ate Fugu!!! Blah! No great shakes.  I was hoping for a waiver to sign, some tingles, or SOMETHING!  I might as well have just had something that said, “May contain nuts!” 

We had a set menu and had fugu in all shapes and ways.  We started with fugu skin in a green onion salad with a spicy puree.  Not bad but very chewy.  Then we had sashimi and THAT was really chewy.  But the fried fugu was delicious.  Anything fried is delicious to be fair :)

The shabushabu was also tasty and there was so much of it.  Cooked fugu is very good.  It’s softer and has a mild taste and not chewy at all.  I quite enjoyed it.  The cooked fugu skin is disgusting though.  I gave it a try twice but I’ve done my part.  At first it just has a slimy texture but then it coats your mouth and throat with the slime and you need some serious carbonation to cut it.  Ugh! Not for me.  Then they made porridge out of the left over fish stock with rice, soy sauce, salt, and egg.  It was good but not great.  We finished with tea and yuzu sorbet.  It was a lemon/lime sorbet and really helped get rid of the slime.

Overall, the experience was...okay.  Not great, not bad.  It was different and another thing to cross off my list.  The staff was AWESOME though.  They were so sweet and tried to speak English and so polite and patient.  I would go back just for that reason.  It’s a good thing tipping is not done here b/c I would have dropped $50 on them!  Cute!!!!

I also ate a whole fish.  I was at an izakaya (as per usual) and there were these small fish about the length of your middle finger.   It was fried and still had the head on.  My friend and I had never eaten it so we decided we would try it together.  It took a lot of fucking nerve b/c the gross eyeballs were still on it.  Of course this was caught on camera as one of our friends was shoving the teeny little head, eyeballs and all, in my mouth.  I bit it and chewed and felt the individual eyes crunch between my teeth. AAAGGGHHHH!!!! And the fish was a little dry to boot.  I finished the whole thing and then discovered my jerk friend ate everything EXCEPT the damn head! What a jerk! LOL!

That same friend and I also ate raw horse meat at an izakaya (surprise surprise!) just to try it.  Meh.  It was flavourless (of course) and just tasted like a really chewy piece of raw steak.  I think thinner slices would have been better OR if it were fried or grilled or at least seasoned with something.  Nope - raw horse meat is nothing great.  But at least I did it!

Before I came to Japan I never would have tried a fish head with eyes or raw horse meat.  Not to toot my own horn but I’m pretty proud of myself!  What’s next? Dog in Korea?

Sumo Sumo Sumo!!!

            My friend asked if I wanted to go a sumo tournament on January.  Her friend had gotten the little 4 person tatami mat seating area and of course I said yes! Sumo is not really my thing, I see nothing great about it but it’s supposed to be an amazing experience and is very Japanese.  And I actually ended up really liking it!

We started off with the traditional soup the wrestlers eat daily that was being sold in the stadium.  It was realy good but tasted the exact same as this soup both my parents make with the leftover turkey carcass and all the fixings.  It brought back some good memories.  Then we went to our little area. It really was tiny and we barely fit.  We shoved our shoes and coats into this little hole under the tatami mat behind us. I sat in the front with my friend so we were able to lean our legs over the railing when our legs fell asleep.

I was really surprised about how many non-Japanese wrestlers there are.  Many from Eastern Europe - men from Bulgaria, Czech, Russia, and more.  We were trying to figure out how they came to be.  Did they watch sumo at home as kids and think – yes, I will do that?  Anyway, they were all really good.  The Czech guy was actually pretty good looking and was thin compared to the others.  More muscled than fat.   He stood like he thought he was a Greek god and had a nice butt! Both my friend and I were very impressed ;) Hahaha!!!

The bouts themselves are really interesting.  They spend all this time getting ready, crouching down, throwing salt, walking around in a huff, and the fight lasts less than 1 minute – some less than 30 seconds.  Some just go down. Some are thrown off the mat onto the audience members with the closest seats beside the judges.  One wrestler just stepped back and the one that lunged at him face-planted! HAH!

The higher up their status and skill the longer it takes between bouts.  They crouch, put their fists down and then one gets up in a huff and they both go to their corners, towel themselves off (from what, I don’t know), throw salt, and do it again 3 more times until they finally lunge.  It’s pretty awesome and funny to see how they act and how they fight.  It’s not just fat guys pushing each other around.  There is skill to it (more than I obviously know) but it was entertaining and very interesting. 

I was surprised I liked it so much and will probably go again next time it comes around.  Totally worth it!  Maybe next time the cute butt Czech guy will be there… *wink wink*

Organize that Shit!

The day after I got back from my trip I spent it rearranging and organizing my tiny apartment.  I had been complaining for a while that it was too dark and small and just not flowing properly.  So I moved the furniture around, wrapped my suitcases in big bags and put them on the small balcony and bought some 100 yen shelves to organize clothes, foods, and randoms. It feels SO MUCH BETTER.  I picked up a little rug for beside my bed hung some things on my wall. 

Whew! Done and I feel more comfortable and happier.  The hideous brown and beige colour scheme still pisses me right off but I can’t change that.  Otherwise, it’s better, more open, and less depressing.  The bright purple throw my sister bought me for my bed also helps.

Now if I could only do something about the insane condensation on my windows.  Sometimes they are just dripping with moisture.  I picked up a humidifier b/c I desperately needed it but of course that made it worse.  Eep! I hope I don’t get molde! 

So I leave the windows open during the day, run the fans, and am praying for best.  Any suggestions?

KKO – Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka

This year-end we got 10 days off work! It was great! My friends came to visit me from Kobe and Okayama. They stayed a few days and we checked out Sakuragicho, we rode the Cosmo Clock ferris wheel, and had melt-in-your-mouth malasadas from Leonard’s. YUMMY!!!!

We took it easy for the most part because we were all so drained from working.  Late nights, late mornings, and just hanging out was great.  My friend got pretty sick so we stayed in for NYE and went to Shibuya on NY day.  I have NEVER seen that city so empty before!  It was unbelievable.  The busiest intersection in the world with tumbleweeds rolling through it. Who’d have thought?  The bonus? We were able to go shopping without being mobbed by people. And the Disney Store was having a crazy sale so we went nuts :)  Great New Year’s!

After that we made our way to Kobe and on to Kyoto.  It was magnificent.  We didn’t see a lot but we did see some amazing places.  Kinkakuji was gorgeous. It’s a golden temple surrounded by a lake and lush trees.  It was a sight to see for sure.  I’m so happy I was able experience that place. It was so picturesque and somewhere I’d like to visit again.  Next we went to Sanjusangendo – the temple with 1001 figures (almost life size).  It was huge.  The grounds were plain, save for a small pond area surrounded by plants and greenery.  The statues, however, were wonderful.  Just row upon row of these figures that all looked unique in their armour and adornments in a looong hall. In front of every 10 across or so there were other statues representing the gods and those worshipped for various reasons.  It was interesting to see that all the Buddhist gods derived from Hinduism.  Maybe I should have known that but I’m okay learning about it in such a phenomenal place. 

After that, we went on to Gion – home of the Geisha and Maiko. The area was packed and there were lots of shops and beautiful things to buy that were out of my price range…next time.  Anyway, in Gion, we saw an actual geisha walking down the street.  It so cool, it was like a celebrity sighting.  No pics were taken as that would probably be rude but we got pics later at a show!  We went to Gion Corner for a show that showcases many of the traditional Japanese entertainments.  We saw flower arranging, women playing the koto, a pretty funny comedy show with 3 men. Even with the language barrier the simple plot was easy to understand.  The show ended with a beautiful maiko dance.

BUT the beginning of the show began with a traditional tea ceremony. I had only been to a little high school one where the tea maker messed up and it was a little embarrassing.  This time, however, I had been saying to my friends that I wanted to do a tea ceremony but we never found one.  THEN the announcer at the beginning asked for 2 volunteers and I was chosen from the audience!!!! AMAZING!!! I was so excited! It was so intricate and beyond my understanding of following each move of the napkin, spoon, bowl, etc.  It was a great experience and I was left feeling ecstatic.  Then we got to take pics with the maiko after the show, which was fantastic!

Kyoto also has a ginormous triain station.  It’s an architectural work of art and such a spectacular place to see.  I won’t do it justice by explaining it so I suggest you look up “Kyoto Train Station” and see what you get.  You won’t be disappointed.  The stairs on one side light up with different images that can be seen from the other side of the station. We got some great photos.  We also went for waffles in the station mall.  The BEST Belgian waffles I’ve had.  Mine had crème caramel, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.  The menu also had some cute misspells.  “Calamel” – caramel, “plane” – plain, and “Lemon Squash.”  We spent a long time trying to figure what that meant.  Finally, my friend was like, “SQUEEZED!!!!”  It was for a fresh lemon squeezed drink! HAHAHA!!! Too funny :)

We headed back to Kobe and checked out Osaka.  Nothing big happened there because Osaka is just another Tokyo.  There was the big Osaka tower but we didn’t get there.  I did find a delicious omiage in Kobe, however.  We walked into the shop and didn’t see anything we liked.  Just as we were leaving the clerk brought a little tray with tea and a sample of this sweet for us.  So we were, "Well we can't leave now..." and grudgingly tried the sweet.  I'm glad I did!  It looked really strange.  It was whole red bean encased in a sugar mold. The texture throws you right off but then you’re like “Yeah. Yeah. This is good!”  You bite into it and you get this sweet, almost crystallized sugar texture but a little jelly at the same time.  Then you get the starchiness of the bean.  Sounds strange but it’s wicked!

Anyway, that was the end of my trip.  I took the shinkansen back home and back to work I went.  Overall, it was a great week and I was so happy I got to see my friends and experience so many new things.  Hmm…what’s next?