happy christmas!

While Christmas Day is not recognized as a national holiday in Japan, the month of December definitely does not shy away from Santa Claus, Christmas trees, light displays, and snowmen (though snowmen here are only made using 2 balls of snow which has brought up an excellent question about why we use 3). Anyway, "Happy Christmas" is written in many places around town, and every store sells Christmas cakes. These cakes are very popular, and they're not cheap. If anyone in Japan celebrates Christmas on the actual holiday, they probably buy some KFC and a Christmas cake and cozy up under their kotatsu.

I decked out my apartment with a 10-inch tree and lights for a total of 200yen (about $2.00). There's an illumination display in Tokyo that I got to see last weekend, and Tsuchiura has its own version of Christmas lights. They're more like Nightmare Before Christmas lights though ...and there's an equally scary display of lights strung every which way on a tree in front of Mister Donut.  Mister Donut is a very happy place. This is their holiday donut treat. I don't know what it is, but soon I'm going to eat it to resolve my curiosity. They have possibly the cutest advertising campaign ever. 

                                                               

I'm looking forward to winter break (from De

cember 28th to Jan 5th) so very much. I think it helps that I'll be working on Christmas Day so that I don't end up dwelling on how much I'd rather be home with family! Although the truth, of course, is that I would. Next week, I get to teach a class all about Christmas complete with American Christmas trivia, cookies, movie clips, and a craft of some sort. So I'm looking forward to teaching (but not planning) that. :D 

Did I mention how blessed I have been here the last 4 months? I have been so blessed by many friendships and lots of support here and back home. Happy Merry Christmas. Love you all!

new findings

Click here for more November pictures :)

This is the oatmeal that has recently arrived in stores for the winter in Japan. At first, I thought the mushrooms shown in the picture were included in the box so I didn't want anything to do with it, but I've just found out that the small box doesn't, in fact, include mushrooms. I can now enjoy my favorite food any time I want. Thank you to those who have spent your life savings in shipping to sustain me in the meantime. Now I know that I can just go to the rice section (duh) of the grocery store and find oatmeal without mushrooms.

I have a newfound love for downloading tv shows (especially The Office) and podcasts from itunes and putting them on my tiny ipod nano. These are especially handy when making long trips on trains. Also, you can also use itunes' (free!) podcasts to learn any language.

A couple weeks ago, I started a cooking class here. It will probably be for just a month unless I decide to continue, but I've already learned how to make some delicious things. We've made inari zushi and another sushi using kiku (edible flowers that are only ok to eat for a very limited time in the fall season). Last weekend was a special Christmas holiday meal, which was not actually so Christmas-y. It was, however, very tasty - a Chinese chicken salad, meatball soup, baguettes with different spreads, and pineapple cheesecake.

The cooking instructor speaks English well and used to work as a manager and head teacher at my school years ago. She and her husband were nice enough to drive Susan and me to Mount Tsukuba "Tsukuba San" last weekend. The weather was a little foggy and rainy, but we were still able to see some really pretty colors from the top. In the future, I'd like to hike it!

This is a picture from Tori no Ichi, a festival held in Tokyo every year. I went over the weekend and got to see all the rakes that are decorated and displayed for sale in hundreds of booths. They are supposed to bring good luck and good fortune (raking in big $), but ironically, they are too expensive for many to afford. They are really beautifully made though. They sort of remind me of the mums/garters we made in high school for homecoming. It was very crowded but well worth the crowds just to see what it was all about.

growing accustomed

"Bento Corner" is the name of a blog where a mom posts pictures of the bento lunches she makes for her kids. It must be kind of a common trend based on the number of seaweed cut-out/punch-out tools I see in stores. This might seem ridiculous, but you have to admit that it's the cutest thing you've ever seen. When I buy lunch in the grocery store, it's just as neatly made as these but unfortunately doesn't usually include faces. Also, I was never a huge rice fan before coming to Japan, but I now crave it at every meal.

I've been here for two and a half months! I think I've gotten used to everything strange/different here. Things I once found really surprising are not so strange anymore. Here are some examples I can think of:

I might have mentioned that the vending machines are ubiquitous (not sure if I can use that word, but I'm going to), and they sell cigarettes and hot drinks in cans in the winter. And corn soup! And I forget whether I've said this, but corn is a common topping on pizza. And pizza is expensive (like $30 for a small one) but delicious.

I felt an earthquake the other day while talking to my momma on skype, but all was well, and I went to sleep soundly a few minutes later. 

I have come to the realization that I cannot buy shoes, and I can only buy certain types of clothes in this city because they only make things up to size M, and their size M is a Japanese person M (probably an American S). I've gotten used to getting stared at like a freak. It's as if I'm the only one dressed up for Halloween (which I was the other day) all the time. The fashion is more normal to me now - Flannel is really in right now for girls, and everyone has really cute boots; if not boots, then heels always. And they also wear knee high tights with skirts...I don't quite get that, but I do have some flannel and am looking for boots.

I'm completely used to the cars driving on the left side of the street now and the slurping of noodles in public. I can't say I'm an expert at this yet, but I'm slowly improving my slurping skills for fear of being perceived as rude for lack of slurping. Starbucks sizes are tall, short, and shorter or something like that. I've learned to order short to blend in.

A couple hours ago, after watching Obama's acceptance speech online (yay!), I turned on the TV and happened to catch a show where two men were playing a game. Someone put pantyhose on both of their heads and then tied them together and made them run away from each other, which made their faces smush up. And now "My baby takes the morning train" is playing in the background of a winery tour.

I miss you, friends. Xoxo.

nikko

click here to see more pictures 

Hello! I'll finally update beginning with my trip to Nikko this past weekend (Sunday and Monday for me). I wrote a post last week, but I accidentally deleted it so maybe I'll go back and re-write it at some point.

Nikko is a beautiful city to visit in the fall, and it's full of tourists so I guess everyone knows it's the place to be. The leaves on the trees have already started turning a million different shades of red, and the mountains looked amazing covered with them. I rode the train for 3.5 hrs there and met some friends (2 of the 3 strangers before the trip, friends now), two Aussie girls and one Canadian. They're sweet. One of the girls also lives in Tsuchiura and works at the other branch of my company which teaches kids. I'm so glad to know someone else in this city! It was really fun getting to spend time with them all. 

On the train ride there, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life when I left my backpack on the train, which continued on even after I got off...It took a couple extra hours and the help of a very nice man and some less than very nice people to find it. Many lessons were learned during the course of this trip with the main one being the following: prepare to make idiotic mistakes because you will, and keep practicing Japanese because you'll need it.

And yet, the trip was still amazing. We visited temples and shrines, a garden, the Kegon Waterfalls, Chuzenji Lake where I rode in my very first swan boat. I also had my first onsen (public bath) experience and slept in my first hostel where I shared a very tiny dorm room and bunkbeds with 3 guys from Germany because I booked late...probably one of the more awkward experiences of my life. The weather in Nikko was a little chilly during the day and of course more so at night, but I was prepared with a big jacket. 

I'm in awe of all the things I've seen and done here so far. More later. :)

no.2 - ishioka festival

my co-workers (teachers-Susan and Genki and manager-Yuriko) at the Ishioka Festival :D

these kids were trying to win tiny turtles by scooping them up in styrofome dishes, but the task seemed nearly impossible to all who watched. poor kids. poor turtles.

picture update no. 1

These are some pics from a couple weeks ago of my coworkers Emi and Susan (assistant manager and emergency teacher at my school). They have been my main sources of friendship, knowledge, and help since I've been here. We've done something fun every Sat. night since I've been in Tsuchiura. On this particular Sat. night, we went to an okonomiyake restaurant for Emi's birthday and made our own okonomiyake (like a big pancake made of a variety of different foods). 

I bought a tasty snack at the store the other day. As I was looking up the name online because I couldn't figure out what I was eating, this is the closest description I found. And I liked the description so here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Taste: These snacks were shaped like pea pods, but they were actually not pea pods, but some sort of dough made primarily from peas, shaped to look like pea pods and baked. A first the taste was kind of salty, but it turned more and more into the taste of peas as we ate more. You definitely need a beverage with this snack. Our tasters like

d these.

Thanks for that, chip critics. Such insight.

This is the side of the huge store where I bought my bike and a variety of other things. Notice that it's called "Precious Outlet". I guess it's precious. Darling even!

 

a cute vw van/food stand outside the mall in tsukuba

MIShaps/adventures

The emergency teacher at my school whom I've had the pleasure of pal-ing around with told me in regards to each experience I have here that I'll "either have a good time or have a good story." I have a few good stories so far.

This is a list of the most awkward/ridiculous experiences I've had so far in no particular order:

I knocked down an entire row of bikes and had to pick them up one by one.

I thought I was on the right bus back from Tsukuba to my city, but after 30 minutes or more, it became crystal clear that I was not. Mostly because I had made a complete circle and was back where I started. This was a sad and costly mistake.

Yesterday, when I was meeting up with someone in Tokyo, I was supposed to meet them at this famous dog statue in Shibuya. I was in a hurry so instead of looking around a few extra minutes, I asked a window clerk, "Inu wa doko desu ka?" (Where is the dog??) Luckily, I was pointed in the right direction as if that's a common and not at all ridiculous question.

I left my keys at a convenience store in the middle of the night one night. I went there to pay a bill, which is how you pay bills in Japan strangely enough. Also, it's safe to walk around at night in Japan which I'm still not used to. However, this could have been dangerous considering that I have no cell phone (still), no friends in the area (on that particular night), and no spare key. 

I ordered food from a little outdoor stand/restaurant a few nights ago. I had a feeling I didn't want to eat tako (pronounced "taco" but NOT the same), but I soon found out this was all the little stand had to offer. The lady relaying my options (tako or tako ball) seemed so kind, and I could not bring myself to walk away. So I ordered tako. And like an idiot, I decided to eat there instead of taking my food to go. I saw a picture on the wall which confirmed my fear that tako was in fact some kind of octopus-looking creature chunked into tentacle-y pieces. So I ate octopus balls and grimaced . Horrific I tell you. But the only trash outside was for unburnable goods so I couldn't dispose of it and run away. Luckily, I think the nice lady could sense my pain and brought me a to-go box which I promptly disposed of as soon as I got home in the proper burnable and unburnable compartments.

tako ball. looks tasty enough, right? 

incorrect. the contents of a tako ball. this picture makes it look a little more appetizing than it actually is. 

On a scarier/more exciting note! I'm pretty sure I experienced my first earthquake a few days ago. It was early in the morning so I thought maybe I had dreamt it, but the earth was a-shaking, it was later confirmed. I have now been here over a month. How the time flies.

ring ring!

These pics were all taken while in motion on "Tsukuba Rin Rin ro do" (tsukuba ring ring road :)). It's SO pretty, and you can see the mountains in the distance as you get farther away from Tsuchiura.

i love this one

a fellow rider

i don't know what this stuff is, but there's an abundance of it

the beginning of the trail

my humble abode

my entire kitchen. it turns out a kitchen aid mixer is not essential after all, esp. when you don't have an oven :)

washing machine, bathroom sink, and kitchen (right), toilet room and shower/bathroom (left), trash with different compartments (left), and bedroom (straight) with a desk to the right and a closet and futon to the left that you can't see.

These are a couple pics of the shoebox I live in. I actually think it's kind of spacious for one person, although I've had to stretch my imagination to create storage space for certain things. For example, I have a small, 3 level shelf w/ wheels that goes in between my tiny fridge and my bathroom sink (which is only about 6 inches wide). That's where I keep all of my food. Also, keep in mind that everything I buy has to be either carried home or tied onto my bike w/ bungee cords. I'm not skilled at making things stay on the back of my bike so hopefully I will learn quickly. 

In other news, work is going fairly well. I'm learning to go in early and stay late sometimes so I can make sure I'm ready to teach my classes. During the day, I teach small classes/private lessons with mainly women. A couple of the ladies are really advanced and take discussion classes, which I find enjoyable. In the evening, which makes up most of the classes, I've been teaching lots of business men and a few sweet high schoolers. So far, I love the students. Sometimes they seem really nervous or scared of me (and of speaking English) at first, but mostly they're really fun to teach and very easy to talk to. I have many different levels of students and about 10 different textbooks, but most of the classes have the same basic structure. There are just a couple books that are more ridiculous than you could possibly imagine. I'm not sure what the writers were thinking. No kids come to our school, which I've realized I'm really grateful for! I don't think I'd have the energy to run around and sing all day on top of everything else. 

I've spent my mornings shopping, venturing out, sitting in Starbucks, and prepping for classes. I get home from work at 9:30 or 10 most nights. This weekend, I'm making it my goal to get to Tokyo!

a few pics

these are some houses in my neighborhood this is a little waterway 5 mins from me

my beautiful, pink bike. love it with all my <3.

i'm still trying to get the hang of this. everything is in japanese. eventually i'll put some more pics up :)

first impressions

Hi friends and family :D. I'm starting a blog because I know I probably won't be able to talk with you as often as I'd like. Hopefully, this one won't be as disheartening in content as xanga 2000.

I've made it through training and a week of work in Japan.  My initial impressions can be summed up best with the following words and phrases:

humidity. bad hair (mine only). tiny people. tiny cars! small apartments. hot. narrow roads. good food. bikes w/ baskets! lots of walking. rain. futons. 100 yen stores. good bread. fabulous convenient stores. friendly folks. compact buildings. escalators galore. no english. crunchy clothes (no dryers). no dishwashers. no garbage disposals. clotheslines. balconies. weird tv. tea. drink bars w/ ice cream. karaoke regularly. sitting on floors. cute shoes for tiny feet. izakayas. delicious, expensive fruit. bike parking garages. suits. high school uniforms-britney spears style. fried foods. temples. bike trails. lack of cereal variety. iced coffee in a can. little storage space. separated trash (burnable and non). amazing service. 

So far, I am loving it - much more than I thought I might! I feel challenged but also at peace. I can hardly understand anything that goes on around me. Maybe later on, I'll feel frustrated by this, but right now I'm intrigued because I feel like there's a greater chance that I'll eventually be able to communicate in another language. I now have a better understanding of how foreigners in America must feel. I have searched for things at the store and have not been able to find them because I don't know what the package looks like or because I don't know how to ask. My proudest moment of the week was finding and buying a bike. I found it at a "home center"- kind of like Home Depot/Wal Mart- that's about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. A cute, old man set it up for me. It came equipped with a basket, a bell, a light!, a lock attached to the bike, and a hardcore kickstand/back fender. Bikes in Japan come with a minimum of all these things. I'm not gonna lie, I am definitely having to re-learn how to ride a bike, and I feel like an idiot. An idiot in danger. I probably need to invest in a helmet and knee/elbow pads. Luckily, I'm not in Tokyo so I don't think I'll be killed :D.

I work with mostly sweet, sweet people. We karaoke'd the first night I was here, and my coworkers are planning a welcome party in a couple weeks. Teaching is a little intense, and I feel disorganized. I'm sure this will get better in time.

Sundays and Mondays are my days off. Yesterday, I ventured out into all that is Tsuchiura. Today, I did the same. I found a bike trail that goes on for 25km or something ridiculous. It goes through fields and past temple-like buildings (possibly temples?). I also found a park nearby that used to have a castle in it. Now there's a big empty spot where I assume the castle used to be. I explored the Ito Yokado (shopping center/mall) and exhausted the 100 yen and grocery stores. I don't think there's much of the city left to explore. Next, I plan to venture to Tsukuba, the neighboring and slightly larger city. I want to shop there and hike Mt. Tsukuba!!

My feet are scraped, blistered, and tired of heels and overuse. But I haven't paid a CENT for fuel! :)