before i go...

a few things before i set off for the jungle trek of a lifetime in papua new guinea. i know that when i return i’ll have bukoos to write about my adventure and i’d hate for these jewels of culture to get lost in the shuffle.

a twist
last weekend i went to sado island for the final performance of this year’s musical. i wiled away time on the ferry with a Japanese friend, takeshi, who will soon get married.

we were discussing his fiancé who is one of 3 three sisters. he told me of a common practice in this situation, when the woman’s father formally requests that the man assume his wife’s last name, therefore ensuring the lineage will continue. it turns out, his fiancé has only sisters, his fiance’s mother had only sisters so her father forfeited his name to take on her’s, and his fiance’s grandfather had also assumed his wife’s name. unfortunately takeshi is the only son in his family so he can’t oblige. now it is left to the other sisters to find a husband who can carry on their family name. i find this tradition interesting in a culture typically dominated by male interests.

role reversal
march 14 is white day, when men present women with chocolates and candy. it’s the answer to valentine’s day when only the women give gifts to men. my principal bought me a really nice box of flaky cocoa pastries dipped in chocolate. what a horrible employee i am, as i gave him nothing last month. oops.

medical marvels
part one
i’ve had several brushes with medical technology lately that warrant a recount. last week i was a coughing, sneezing, sniffling mess which blended right in with the symphony of sickness heard in the teachers’ room. many of the sniveling sounds are muffled by the ever-present surgical masks that aren’t just a fixture in sensational media. 2 of the other English teachers had come down with influenza A and they convinced me i should get checked. i bravely headed to a local doctor armed with a dictionary and phrase book. i was able to adequately explain my symptoms as the doc checked me over. he rapidly spoke in Japanese and i gathered i was in for a test of some sort. he uttered a single English word -- relax -- as he pulled what appeared to be an 8 inch coffee stirrer from a package. he inserted it into my right nostril, twisting and pushing as i felt the implement begin to thread thru my head. under my eye as it began to water uncontrollably, beside my ear canal as it began to itch, seemingly skirting my brain, inspiring the oddest internal, unidentifiable sensation. i let out a peep in a voice i had never heard my self make before. he finally arrived at the back of my throat and poked and scraped a bit before withdrawing the tool. i heard the slurping noise deep in my head as it retraced its path. i felt violated. the worst part was when he looked at the stick and in Japanese apologized and said ‘one more time.’ luckily it wasn’t influenza. i couldn’t understand exactly what the problem was, but it was treatable with no less than 5 medicines.
part two
i hadn’t had enough of the pleasant doctor experience so i decided to go back on monday night after a midnight kitchen mishap. i stood there in my apartment, with clenched fist, scared to look at my already throbbing hand. when i did, i saw what appeared to be my bone and other yellow-y things through a gash at the base of my thumb. i knew immediately that this spelled emergency room. think fast…jacket on, wallet into purse, form a mitten out of paper towels, heater off, out the door…wait a minute, where the hell does one go with a midnight emergency anyway? i knock on the neighbor’s door and explain in Japanese with a quivering voice [i’m feeling like i could faint or vomit at any minute…i’m not sure which] that i have a big cut, want to go to hospital, please tell me where is open. he says ‘oh’, hurries inside and returns with a band aid. i shook my head as he asked to see. i looked at his face as he looked at my thumb and got more worried. he told me the name of the hospital and said he would call for me. i said i would catch a cab outside and took off. [in my mind i’m thinking…jogging cannot be good for the bleeding as my heart is pumping faster, should i walk and take twice as long to find a cab? i settled on a brisk pace.] a couple blocks over i found a taxi and explained the situation. in the dark of the cab i hadn’t realized my hand was dripping blood all over my jeans and the backseat. i began apologizing between deliberate deep breaths. the driver found some tissues for me. it seemed like an eternity before we arrived. he accompanied me inside which was incredibly nice but he spoke no English so i wasn’t sure it would be much help. a rent-a-cop runs the check in counter at night; apparently Japanese people don’t have too many emergencies, as the place was deserted. he handed me the phone and a nurse on the other end began questioning me. i explained that i’m foreign, my Japanese is bad, and gave as many details as i could before the cab driver relieved me, explaining the problem. my teeth were chattering and i was shaking uncontrollably as the security guard shoved 3 forms at me and asked that i fill them out. my handwriting was nearly illegible so he began to help me as he caught sight of my bloody nub. he quickly ushered me on into the e.r. waiting room. eventually they led me to one of three beds in a sparsely equipped room. there were no supplies, beeping machines, hurried doctors, trays of implements or other patients. finally the doctor approached and told me to open my hand. as i strained to uncurl my fingers i saw chunks and strings of red gunk in a pool of blood in my palm. there was a beautiful gash at the base of my thumb. i almost lost it. no one would tell me what they were doing as they began to poke and prod while 2 nurses held my limbs which were trembling like crazy. i looked over to see the dr. spraying liquid out of a huge syringe, readying to jab me. uuugghhh. i struggled to ask questions and get info in Japanese. finally the doctor spoke in perfect English, ‘it’s a local anesthetic’. what? the whole time he could’ve been allaying my angst by simply talking to me, instead he watched me squirm, that buster. the nurses tried to obstruct my view as he stitched up the wound. bizarre to feel the pressure and tug of the sewing without really sensing the pain. later the nurse met me in the waiting room with some meds. nothing for the horrid pain of course, only antibiotics. i feverishly flipped thru my dictionary and made notes as she spoke. at one point i am miming showering but not getting my hand wet when the only other people in the e.r., a couple, begins to laugh and stare. i was in pain and frustrated and not in the mood and i chastised them, saying ‘this is not funny. i am trying very hard.’ as i prepared to leave i asked the rental cop to call a taxi, he pointed me to a pay phone and told me to use the phone book, which is a skill i have yet to acquire. i noticed the couple from earlier lingering, seemingly waiting to make sure i was ok. i decided to ask them to help me look for the number. the man offered to give me a lift home. in the car, his wife explained they were so interested because they too are foreigners. they are Chinese, moved here 2 years ago for his work. they asked how many years i’d lived here, when i told them, they praised my Japanese. i was so excited that i was able to hold conversation and understand what they were saying. after a follow up trip to the orthopedic, a crash course in treating wounds while in the wilderness and a lesson on how to deal with possible infection which includes Rambo-ette style removal of stitches and reopening of the wound, i was cleared to go to papua new guinea. i have my final pre-departure appt tomorrow morning. what excellent timing for a hand wound ne?
part three
it turns out my orthopedic was once a famous surgeon in japan, but now he has aged and is no longer in such demand. uchiyama sensei told me he had operated on her mother’s leg once. she recounted what is apparently a common occurrence here. prior to the surgery she presented him with an envelope containing 50,000 yen, about $500. this type of gift is always given prior to important surgery and, although it is commonplace, no one discusses it or admits to it really. the money is a sign of good faith and is meant to ensure success in the upcoming procedure. all doctors supplement their income this way. i wonder how the treatment varies with a $20 gift and a $500 present?

feedback
everybody loves a little affirmation. i was sitting at home recently when i got an email on my keitai [cell phone]. to my surprise it was from a bloke i’d never met before [doug, hope you don’t mind this retelling…] the message went ‘i first heard you referenced on dr. edgar’s journal a year or two ago, then again last week.’ he was alluding to a short interview i had recorded with s.c. educational radio about being in Thailand during the tsunami. i’ll paraphrase…he’d been reading the blog and growing a bit ‘envious’. he thanked me for sharing my stories and letting him vicariously enjoy japan. i damn near cried. my family and friends are required to wade through the superfluous details and rambling narratives to see what i’m up to, but the fact that a stranger would find any of my musings that interesting and would bother to read them on their own volition was a huge compliment. thanks doug for making my day. and thanks steve for writing and even offering to send a care package. [don’t joke, i may take you up on it. i’ve been craving country ham and pop tarts. not for the same meal of course.] i’m glad the things i truly enjoy doing…exploring, meeting people, learning, writing…can also bring entertainment and insight to others. and now on to you slackers…i get a bit bummed at times when i spend hours writing and constructing the pages of my blog, but have no idea if anyone has laid eyes on my words. if you’ve got a minute, post a comment or drop me a line. there’s a link to my email on the left side of the page. and if you have two minutes, check out some super interesting contemporary sculpture on doug’s homepage
by clicking here.
t-minus 2 days until lift-off for PNG

...now yoke it, into shape, shape it up, go forward, move ahead...yoke it, yoke it good...

it’s 2:30 in the afternoon on a remarkably sunny day. i returned from lunch a bit ago; en route i noticed an undeniable sign of the approaching spring, 3 motorcyclists out for what could possibly be their first ride of the year. classes are out for haru yasumi, spring vacation, so the office is quiet and calm. i’m enjoying a piece of chocolate cake and a fresh cup of coffee, which i know will come as a huge surprise to you all. my tastes have continued to evolve here and it seems lately i can’t keep sweets of my mouth. it could be because everyday someone is bringing in omiyage, obligatory gifts given to everyone upon your return from a trip or holiday, or homemade baked goods. i joke that it is no wonder all japanese have horrible teeth considering all the sweets they eat, although the trouble is probably more grounded in their lack of preventative healthcare. every thursday i enjoy some preventative treatment in the form of yoga. it's a welcome dose of mind and body stretching. we recently talked about concentration in a very interesting way and i thought i would share. at different increments throughout the class we do shavasana, where we lie supine and focus on our bodies. it’s a dim light, quiet experience that should allow us to assess how we are truly feeling and what our body’s needs are, but all too often an overactive mind makes it difficult to concentrate on kinesthesia. thoughts like i had a rough class earlier in the day, i’ve got to do laundry tonight, what am i having for dinner, i haven’t finished tomorrow’s lesson yet, i need to pack for this weekend, etc. are swirling in my head; a kinetic riot that steals my attention. yuriko asked if we knew the word ‘yoke’. i explained the term as i knew it, as a collar of sorts used to connect an ox or a horse to a plow or wagon. it turns out the word simply refers to something that connects or joins. it’s related to the word yoga, which is hindi, from sanskrit, for ‘union’. yuriko likened the mind to a wild horse, bucking in many directions, untamed and wandering. she explained that in order to control this wild horse you put a yoke on him and connect him to a post or stable structure. we can harness our minds in the same way, by yoking them to a single thought we can keep them from wandering. it’s one of the basic points of meditation, concentrating on something pleasant to induce relaxation. in yoga, i make an effort to yoke my thoughts, sometimes in a practical way, perhaps to my breathing, feeling it carry out exhausted energy, or to my tired muscles, feeling their cells replenish with oxygen. sometimes i yoke my mind to a pleasant sensation, the most beautiful field i can imagine or the energizing golden sunshine. it’s a chance to escape from the daily thoughts that fatigue our spirit. i am amazed how well this works at night when i can’t sleep because thoughts are running through my head. next time your mind is going a thousand miles an hour, yoke it to a single thought. i find its great exercise.

The wildness continues...

after returning late from minamishiro's graduation festivities, i crashed, only to rise again monday morning and head for yoshikawa koko, my satellite school which is about an hour commute into the country, for graduation. to my surprise, the gym looked identical in both schools, chair arrangement and tall red and white striped wall hangings circling the huge room. and it was also a bow fest. i noticed that everyone who spoke had their speeches written on a white paper fan similar to the ones we made as children. as they stood behind the podium, they ceremoniously unfolded the four sides of another white piece of paper that enveloped it. after finshing, they repeated the process in reverse order. i also noticed the lack of expression on the students' faces; no upturned corners of mouths, no wet eyes. one teacher told me the japanese don't like to share their feelings. after the ceremony, i made the rounds congratulating the students...

sacchi chan, on the right, has really good english and would help me out when i was conducting class solo. the girl to the left of me rode the bus and the train with me every morning and afternoon before i got my car so we had a lot of time to talk.

the girl on the left is valedictorian and head of the tea ceremony club to which i would accompany her regularly.
i passed kimura san, my maintenance man friend [not the flirty one], who told me to go to the sake making room, wink, nudge. after i wound my way thru the maze that is yoshikawa's hallways, i found several of the male staffers gathered around a table on which were 3 large cups of sake, each labeled with their name, brewing dates and specs on their alcohol content and ingredients. they explained to me which was which and urged me to try. we all stood around chatting and sipping from the same big ole cups. there was sweet, normal and spicy, which was my favorite. later the teacher gave me a tour of the equipment.

the best i could understand...the rice starts here where it is mashed. then it is piped to a large vat where sugar and other things are added. then it is piped into tubs like this:

where it is labeled and allowed to ferment. they only make one batch, consisting of three big tubs, each year.
later some of the graduates' bands were playing in the music room. note the misspelling of 'welcome' on the sign in the background.

[video to come soon...cut and paste this link to see it: http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/japanbystorm]

this is kaneko kun, my boyfriend, uh...i mean student, who asked me to marry him on the last day of class.




everyday at yoshikawa i find myself examining sato and kobayashi senseis lunches; they are always beautifully arranged pieces of meat and vegetables prepared by their dutiful wife and mother respectively. on this day, sato sensei's wife had also made lunch for me...a bowl of rice topped with strips of egg, seaweed, shrimp, lotus root, green vegetable and sesame seeds, aka chirashi zushi. it was great. it took me about 10 minutes to write her a simple thank you note in japanese script which i tucked back into the container.


i returned to takada, the part of town where i live, early to drop off my car and catch the train back to yoshikawa. this way i could drink at the enkai. at this point, i'm running on 7 hours of cumulative sleep over the previous 2 nights. sato sensei picked me up at the station and we headed to mitsu nagame, or 3 views, inn for the party. this time i drew the number 3 which meant i was seated at the head table with the 2 guests of honor [the seniors' homeroom teachers], a man i didn't know and 1 man i had met at a party 5 months ago [he continuously complemented my japanese, saying how much it had improved since we were introduced. yeah.]. 3 teachers did a hilarious comedy skit [body language goes a long way]

another sang a roast of some teachers

it was an absolute laught fest. i was so busy making the rounds, talking with the vice principal i adore and other teachers that i had seen and was curious to meet, that i didn't get the chance to schmooze with any of the english teachers. afterwards, about 10 of us walked to another inn nearby for the ni ji kai.

we took the last train as far into town as it would go and then torishima sensei, back left corner of above pic, had his wife drive several of us home.
for working on sunday, i was given tuesday off, which i spent in a coma. good thing my sleep feels somewhat back to normal because i'm fighting off sickness and the weekend is approaching...not just any weekend, but the last weekend we'll have to perform the musical! i am damn excited. the show is on sado island, which is a bit of a hassle to get to. after that...PNG, here i come. ****9 days to go*****

holy video clips batman

i'm up way too late. been fiddling on a hundred different websites trying to figure out how to post some of my camera movies. can't believe i did it!
cut and paste the link below into your address bar. it'll take you to a webpage where you can check out some short clips!

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/japanbystorm

It's been a wild few days...

carrie, tj, melanie, esmy, jo and chuck
last thursday mel's friends were in town from england so carrie, chuck and i joined them for a little dinner party. this is at funaei, an izakaya style restaurant where you order many small servings of different foods and you each pay 1750 yen, about $17.50, for 2 hours of all-you-can-drink. since each beverage, alcoholic or not, usually costs about 500 yen, this arrangement is really fiscally responsible.

then on to kareoke at our favorite little spot, PTA. they all called a daikon home, which is a taxi that arrives with an extra driver so they take you to your home in your own vehicle. it's only slightly more expensive than a regular cab and they're super popular. i had another drink with the master and a nice young fellow who i'd met in there previously before walking home, which only takes about 7 minutes.

on saturday morning i picked liz up at 9 am heading for niigata city. what is usually a 1.5 hour trip on the hokuriku expressway took 4 hours due to a wreck. i arrived at my doctor's appt. slightly late which is a cardinal sin in japan although i'd phoned and she had heard about the accident which made it a little better. i was there to get malaria pills for the trip to papua new guinea and i'd opted to visit this dr. because he speaks english [see story on previous trip for vaccinations to non-english speaking hospital, "it came outta nowhere", at the bottom of this page. uugghh.] so the meds may cause diarrhea, vomitting, extreme gas, sunburn and yeast infections but at least i won't get malaria. i was incredibly surprised at how professional this dr. was. most japanese men won't even talk to foreign women, much less refer to their vaginas. previously at the hospital, i had a hard time getting the medical professionals to explain some questions about the female body to me even. interestingly, you must continue to take the vibromycin 4 weeks after you return from the trip in order for malaria's incubation period to expire. ***10 days and counting...***
then it was onto niigata kaikan center for our musical performance. afterwards we adjourned to immigrant's cafe for a dance party to benefit our cause. the owner is a super pleasant hawaiin who donated 500 yen from every cover charge. the place got packed, everyone was grooving and i was super envious. i don't think of my town as being back-country by any stretch; it's the 3rd most populous in the prefecture, but there is nothing like the energetic, social nightlife that is found in niigata. when i do happen upon a pocket of youthful, stylish locals i wonder where they spend their free-time, why do i not run into them around town more often? we wrapped up the night at another dance club that was hopping. it gave me big-city envy big-time. it was incredibly late by this point and i had to be back in joetsu for my school's graduation ceremony on sunday morning at 9:30 [i was supposed to show at 8:30 but took one hour of paid vacation because i knew saturday would be a latenight affair.] i had stopped drinking hours before, when we'd left the first bar so i decided to go ahead and drive home...rolling into town about 7:30 am. i slept until 8:30 and then reported to school.
Minamishiro's graduation
the school was absolutely bustling. as we filed into the gym [which was freezing, a huge cavernous space with no heat] i saw many students who i did not recognize. i am constantly surprised when discovering the ages of some of my students and at graduation i noticed a couple who were well into their 50s i'm sure. the ceremony began with everyone standing for the singing of the school song followed by the national anthem. for the anthem, many of the teachers sat down again, crossed their hands on their laps and stared straight ahead; an extreme sign of defiance which is unusual in japan. i watched as the vice principal tried to coax them up with hand signals and eye motions to no avail. the national anthem is Kimigayo and the lyrics are translated as "May the reign of the Emperor continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations and for the eternity that it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss." i've heard of the teacher's union before and that it is apparently very strong in my base school, which is an alternative high school, where there is quite a bit of contention over the rights and treatment of the students and teachers. apparently the union disapproves of the anthem because of its allusions to emperialism. from what i can gather, that somehow ties in with america's treatment of japan after world war II and the unions want to recognize japan's law makers as the final voice on the education system, not remnants of emperialism in the form of laws created by the u.s. when we wrote their constitution. really bizarre. the whole ceremony was a bow-fest. principal bows, left, right, straight, bows before and after ascending the stairs, then the students approach, following the same bowing guidelines. anytime anyone bows in your general direction you must oblige with a return bow...enough to make you dizzy. the top student in each course [day, night and correspondence] gave speeches that i really wanted to understand, but all i caught were phrases here, words there.

this is uchiyama sensei, my best teacher friend, and i. unfortunately she couldn't translate for me as we were seated in different sections. after the ceremony, i milled around, congratulating the students.
some of the girls wore beautiful kimonos for the ceremony. i was told these are probably rentals but still cost about 5 man en, or $500.

this girl is not my student but i do run into her everywhere. she works at one of my favorite sushi spots and, in an awkward twist, she loves to dance so we end up at some of the same clubs and parties.
previously i mentioned the 2 brothers that taught me to snowboard. this is the oldest, daichi kun [-kun is attached to the names of younger boys, similar to -san]. he's also in a cover band i went to see a while back. his pronunciation of english songs, especially the beatles, is great [he says his mom coaches him].


the girl kneeling, in the white coat, is tanaka chan, an absolute nut. she and i spend a lot of time goofing around and chatting. she is loud and unruly in class and everyone is impressed that i can get her to pay attention usually. the boy on the far left is one of the few who are friendly with me. he helps me study quite a bit. the girl below me has incredibly good english although she is painfully shy and below her is manami chan, who is always lively and talkative.
graduation, or sotsugyoshiki, is the season for enkais, the work parties that i absolutely love. about 50 of minamishiro's staffmembers headed to hachi man restaurant at 5:30 for the celebration. the cost was 5500 yen, $55, for about 8 courses and all you can drink. at parties this large, you draw numbers to determine seating arrangements. i was pleased to see i was at a table with no english teachers and a few people i had seen around, but never spoken to. i find these events so interesting because they are traditional in their detailed preparation and structure, with an opening greeting and formal speech before the kanpai, but everyone who goes knows what to expect and is waiting for the moment when it begins the spiral into full-blown party. after the seniors' homeroom teachers were presented with gifts and made speeches, the formalities began to melt. the teachers at my table quizzed me about american customs, and i am proud to say that i held my own speaking only japanese. perhaps the beer helps. the japanese do have a word 'nomunication' which is a hybrid of their word for drink, 'nomu', and 'communication'. they are much more gregarious and brave after a couple drinks. as an interesting ice breaker, people at these parties always mingle and carry with them alcohol of some sort, a large bottle of beer or nihon shu, and they relocate to different tables, kneeling and offering to refill your glass. here i take off with the nihon shu to talk with a third floor teacher and an office worker whose english is surprisingly good.

even if your cup is full to the brim, you must sip some and allow them to refill. as there are never any chairs at these events, only floor pillows, it allows many people to gather around and socialize.

here is the maintenance man and i. i really like his attitude, kinda smart ass. he jokes with me quite a bit in a sarcastic way that is uncommon for japan. this could explain why he is not married. at this enkai, he confided in me that he loves me. he'd hug on me as i explained in japanese that it was impossible because we work together. some of the other teachers looked a bit concerned so i explained to them that i thought he was funny and his antics didn't bother me. he suggested that i do a homestay, like a cultural exchange, at his house. wink, wink. i thought it was hilarious and i realized that it's been since i left home that i've been jokingly harassed like this. the teachers were amazed that i didn't find it offensive. it reminded me of a sign that used to hang in b&m roadhouse, "sexual harassment will not only be tolerated, it will be graded."

the enkai concluded with some lively song that i didn't understand in which everyone stumbled around, dancing and clapping.
[you should check out the video. cut and paste this link: http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/japanbystorm and look for 'crazy enkai']
this is sato sensei, my supervisor at minamishiro.
.
after these enkais, there are always ni ji kais and san ji kais, 2nd and 3rd parties respectively. about 10 of us headed to another restaurant for plates of fried snacks, salad and lots of beer. en route, i talked with a man who i rarely see but who has great english. turns out he teaches history on the 3rd floor. by this point people are passing out, getting loud and rowdy, spilling things. i was chatting with ai, a young woman who used to teach here and now works at another local high school. uchiyama, a young english teacher, was pretty wrecked. another teacher continuously loomed over her with a bottle, forcing her to drink more so the woman could refill her glass. i wanted to take the moment to discuss peer pressure with them but didn't, no one seemed in the mood for philosophy. shortly there after, uchiyama took a taxi home. one of the young male science teachers, onno sensei, sat and explained slang to me as i took notes. this party cost about $25 each. then the youngest 4 of us headed on to kareoke.

me, onno sensei, ai sensei
i sang a bunch of 80s classics that they happened to know which was fun. bonnie tyler's 'i need a hero' is apparently the theme song of some japanese drama show.

PNG or Bust

Papua New Guinea is the eastern part of Indonesia's main island. It's close to the northern coast of Australia.
We'll be flying into Port Moresby and then to Lae. From there we'll boat to Bau village.

[lonely planet's remarks with a little of my synthesis]
PNG is a raw land, remarkably untamed and as variegated as swamp and jagged limestone; mud and moss forest; suffocating heat and Highland chill; plumed, pearl-shelled villagers and prosaic hill people; tiny tree kangaroos and enormous Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterflies.

The country attracts bad press, and although much of it is scare-mongering, it is wise to remember that PNG is subject to the same problems - urban unemployment, a rising crime rate and environmental exploitation - facing many emerging nations.

Remember also that the tourist infrastructure of PNG is only in its infancy and that accommodation can be expensive, transportation limited and the food uninspiring. This is a destination for travellers who care more for the untramelled adventure than for home comforts.

The Highlands were thought to be uninhabited until gold miners ventured up from the coast in the 1930s and discovered 100,000 people living Stone Age-style and unaware of the outside world. The countryside is dramatic with wide, fertile valleys, numerous rivers and craggy mountains. Many communities in PNG evolved simutaneously, but due to the rugged terrain remained isolated from one another.

This is one reason why there are over 750 languages in PNG (representing about one third of the world's indigenous languages). This dizzying array has brought about the need for a lingua franca, and Pidgin (or Neo-Melanesian) has gained in importance and prestige in recent years and is great fun to learn.

Just stumbled upon a popular son of papua new guinea online. he's a famous musician. you should listen to the story which has some really interesting music and strange anecdotes. To listen, click here.
To read, click here.

Look at me go...changing colors, making links, screwing with fonts. i'm actually learning a whole bunch about HTML code and web design by keeping up with this journal. Score.

weekend escapades

last weekend there were actually events to speak of going on in lil' ole joetsu.
friday i went snowboarding with my school. the day included a much needed lesson. i was assigned to the intermediate group since it was my 4th trip. [our instructor was super cute. we were on the lift together when i asked where he worked, to which he replied minamishiro koko, which is my school. i was super embarrassed. although apparently he stays on the 3rd floor with the coaches and a few of the other teachers, who i attempted to prod for info about him, didn’t know him either.] of course, this group was all the too-cool boys which turned out to not be a bad thing. one of the popular but bratty boys was a first timer but refused to be relegated to the beginner group because it was all girls and he was too embarrassed. so our instructor had to spend the entire morning holding his hand basically. at home, we would simply have told the boy to go with the appropriate group, he would not have the option to stay with his friends, thus ruining 7 other people's lessons, but the japanese have no discipline. i'm reading a book about the difference in thought processes between asians and westerners. it asserts that the perceived and actual pressure to follow the rules and conform comes from different places in different societies. some places, the authority figures apply the most pressure whereas in japan, the role of keeping people in line falls to the peers. this is evidenced in the classroom, in the tattle-telling and prevalent gossip and in a recent news story i saw where the police in japan were caught on video actually running away from a criminal wielding a stick. about 30 minutes into the non-lesson, most of the group was plopped down in a snow bank chatting, throwing snowballs, waiting. they decided to screw it and just board some. there are 2 brothers, one of whom i teach, that i chat with often. they are half filipino so their mother has taught them a little english in addition to tagalog and japanese. days before they had offered to teach me, so i decided to take them up on it. it was awesome. they were patient, stopping to tell me and mime what i’d done wrong each time i spilled face-first or veered off into a waist deep snow bank. they lollygagged around while i baby-stepped down the mountain and, with their fab help, i finally got it. lightbulb! before, i could only manage go straight and turn left which made it difficult. now i am carving ‘s’ shapes down the mountain, even on the steep parts which is a huge accomplishment. i was so excited i kept hopping back on the lift for another run. at one point, i realized the mountain seemed empty. when i skidded into the landing i saw the cute instructor, waiting in plain clothes. everyone had already cleaned up, boarded the bus and headed back to school. 4 of the male gym teachers were waiting for me with silly smiles. there was even a cookie on my pile of stuff to show they weren’t upset. i was so embarrassed but i did get to ride back with the hot instructor.
friday night was an open mic show, to which a surprising number of performers showed up. a japanese jazz songstress, a few foreigner bands [not THE foreigner band...no 'cold as ice'], some japanese bands and a university student we know played the shamisen, a traditional japanese instrument that has a whiney, pluckey voice.

saturday, a few friends came into town so we did an all-you-can-drink dinner extravaganza at the local lively bar food kinda restaurant.
the obligatory bathroom shot...

then we headed to a tsunami benefit party at the town’s only dance club. mostly foreigners, some japanese, decent music. i found out the older man always hanging out there [possibly the owner] is a decent couple’s dancer. he showed marked maturity over the other japanese men who liz and i tend to scare.

i could make a hilarious montage from ‘freaked out japanese man’ pictures.
COUNTDOWN: 16 days until papua new guinea!
if anyone's at a computer, with a little time on their hands, you all should feel free to keep me amused by sending email to my keitai [cellphone]. the address is sugarspicenails@docomo.ne.jp
awesome.