what a bad homestayer

i finally got around to it

[i remember years ago someone in the family had a circular, bright yellow kitchen hot pad clearly labeled 'a round tuit.' the text went on to explain that after all these years, you'd finally got a round to it. i used to think that was the most clever joke. c'mon, i was like 6 years old. but, i digress...]

last week i finally mailed a letter to the family who so graciously hosted me during my first stay in japan back in 1996. i had been feeling increasingly guilty for not contacting the tokida's since arriving here, but the telephone is really difficult and writing a proper letter seemed impossible. with the help of a computer with japanese fonts and the copyediting skills of some teacher friends [thanks kodama sensei and asaoka sensei] i managed to do it. for your amusement and perusal, i'll include the letter. i really do feel quite a sense of accomplishment, although the letter lacks many of the deep sentiments i am feeling due to the difficulty in translating them with my limited skills. i didn't want to rely too much on japanese friends, as i felt it was important that the letter be from me. as i disappointedly explained the lack of interesting content to kodama sensei, he comforted me saying they will definitely understand the feeling behind the letter. now i'm waiting anxiously to hear from them. can't believe it's been nearly 10 years since they welcomed me into their home. i hope to make it to nagoya to visit them sometime soon. i hope, in light of my current situation, they will see what a wonderful opportunity they afforded me and how much of an impact their kindness had on my life.


17.10.18

ときだ家のみなさん、
こんにちは。わたしのなまえは Tiffany Jackson です。わたしたちは十年ぐらいまえにあいました。わたしはこうこうせいのときに日本にきました。それであなたのうちにとまりました。ひさしぶりですね。ほんとうにありがとうございました。それはたのしく、たいせつなけいけんでした。ホームステイしたあとでわたしは日本にもどりたいとおもいました。十五かげつまえわたしは日本にきました。いまわたしは新潟のじょうえつしにすんでいます。わたしは英語のきょうしです。三つのこうこうではたらいています。
わたしの日本語はまだへたですががんばりたいです。かくことはむずかしいのでこのてがみはたくさんのまちがいがあります。すみませんおねがいします。もしもじかんがありましたらわたしにてがみをおくってください。かんじはあまりよむことができません。でもひらがなとかたかなはだいじょうぶです。
さいきんわたしは日本でたくさんのりょこうをしました。とうきょうはなんかいも、あとはきょうと、わかやまけんのこうやさん、おおさか、ながのにいきました。またわたしはなごやにもどりたいです。もしなごやにいければ、たぶんわたしたちはあうことができるかもしれません。みなさんがけんこうでしあわせであればとおもいます。さようなら。

work life

i arrived at work one day recently to find a stack of papers on my desk. leafing through the packet, i realized it was terms and an offer for a third-year contract. i’m only four months into my current commitment and they are already looking ahead, which is so the japanese way to conduct business. it’s interesting food for thought… in the last 16 months i’ve invested countless hours and enormous amounts of energy in learning the language, adjusting to the daily routine, thrusting myself into situations, trying to learn as much as i can about the idiosyncrasies and nuances of this place i now call home. in the first few months here i was defeated by my lack of language skills. the curiosity i had that couldn’t be satisfied without the ability to communicate was a huge motivating factor. now that i can convey ideas, understand explanations, asks questions and imbibe responses, my life is so much more vibrant and rich…not to mention less frustrating. honestly i can’t imagine uprooting and terminating the momentum that now has me hurtling towards a deep understanding of somewhere once so foreign. the revelations and insights gained in a situation like this are invaluable in not only broadening my awareness of japan, but also in increasing my understanding of people and the human situation the world over. this experience is highlighting the basic drives of humanity for me; i’m seeing that human motivations work in strangely similar ways, regardless of political machines or geographical boundaries. at the same time, i’m coming to understand situational disparities and how individual histories and the confluence of centuries of cultural remnants influence people. i’ve worked hard to carve a path into this society and i’m not ready to turn back yet. weaving and craning my head, i can see through the obstacles in my path, there are so many interesting things lying ahead; i’m sure there are many more i can’t lay my eyes on from here. so the question remains, how to go about my future in japan…i’ve known for some time that i’d like to be a part of the thriving cultural scene in one of the country’s larger cities. i’ve always loved tokyo for it’s an entity unto itself; after two recent trips to kyoto i feel familiar with the infrastructure and invigorated by the arts and entertainment to be found there; osaka is a city with a charm all it’s own offering the live-ability of a medium size city in the heart of a huge metropolis… then there’s little ole joetsu, a comfortable home base from which to explore southeast asia, which affords a decent salary, ample vacation time, a chance to hone my japanese language skills daily as so few people around here speak english. i’ve spent some time researching job/living options recently online. the kansai area [encompassing kyoto, osaka and kobe] is do-able, although the cost of living is higher and the pay is lower. there are ample jobs and an endless amount of creative activities. now there is a kinetic riot in my head; the pros and cons list is swirling, opportunities are being batted around, options are churning, choices are weighed, but as of yet no decisions have firmly been made. deadline: 12/15/05.

it's time for another installment of real engrish...

from a menu on display in kyoto...
[photo credit: patty]




on the bathroom door in hag, our local cheap draught beer hangout [a whopping 250 yen]. their name is also a laugh. they wanted to call themselves 'hug' but when the sign came, there was quite a typo. eager to open they just went with it...hag was born.


two of the many hilarious signs at my favorite yaki tori [grilled chicken on a stick] restaurant. the master's english is good and they don't mind serving foreigners. guess they attempt to put us at ease with good ole english.

this one hangs above the japanese style toilet.


sewing machines with spell check...the next big thing?


yummy rib loast, an osaka specialty...

another saga comes to a close.

as i sat, waiting, i pondered the possibility. could this be my last morning spent among the throngs of sicklies, in the sea of chairs all facing the tv playing the same loop of that elderly person exercise show? as i waited in line to see the orthopedic surgeon, i looked around the familiar space, smiled at the nurses i knew and even chatted with a couple of older men i've come to befriend; they were both incarcerated in my ward back in april. i heard my name, changed into slippers, took a seat in another waiting room, got the signal, repeatedly bowed and said the `shitsurei shimasu` [multi-purpose excuse me] phrase all the way into the exam room. koizumi sensei [they use the same suffix for doctors and teachers which speaks to the way they are viewed in this hierarchical society] always giggles his way through my exams; half out of nervousness and i think half because i amuse him with my rotten japanese skills. he gives me the thumbs up, that's my cue to reciprocate with the same action. he lets out a relieved sigh...`yokunata ne`...`it became better huh?` although my thumb`s ability, appearance and pain level are not normal, it has become much more human-like in the last six months. the doctor confides in me that he was a little worried after i returned from korea with `extreme flexor tendon contraction` that he wasn't sure could be corrected without another surgery. i remember clearly the day he wrote `trouble` in huge letters across a page in my file and began circling it feverishly. last week he closed that same file and turned to me, `you're finished`. i let out a `woohoo!` they all died laughing. my adrenaline was through the roof. i patted him on the back while thanking him, a move that made him giggle and shy away as the japanese aren't used to touching each other. interesting considering their concept of personal space is so minute, but moving another inch closer and actually physically contacting someone is fairly taboo. i knew it, but didn't care. i consider that part of my mission here; spreading culture and ideas, like handshakes and back pats are acceptable, among other things. i beamed all the way upstairs to rehabiriteshion, where i sat for my last thumb bath. [photos courtesy of sissy patty who accompanied me on one of my frequent visits here.]

i got my last massage, my last ultrasound, my last thumb bend angle measurements. i got a little nostalgic saying goodbyes...the nurses said it`d be lonely and they'd miss me. the other patients congratulated me. i've been coming to this too-familiar space 4 times almost every week for the last six months. quizzing my nurse about new japanese words i`d heard and getting her explanations on local happenings has become part of my weekly routine. she speaks no english but always makes a tremendous effort to communicate with me in easy to understand chunks of japanese. in this way we have discussed topics running the gamut from her recent marriage, to myths and fairytales, to international politics.
noguchi sachiko san, patty and i.

i will in some ways miss the days of madness that ensue when you hang out in a hospital ward with so many head injury patients...like this cute but nutty man. also pictured, abe san who is always upbeat, sometimes almost annoyingly so.

i'll miss the amusement, the kindness, the grandparent-like talking to, the grocery bags of vegetables from the garden, the adult conversation, the time to relax. i'd learned a new phrase in anticipation of this day, osewa ni narimasu, or thank you for all your help and kindness. i bowed deeply to my friends and left rehabiri.
all told, i've spent about 600 hours at chuo hospital in the last 6 months, including the three weeks i lived there. what a bizarre thought. i was ecstatic that i didn't have to schedule follow-ups this time, but i was also a bit sad. partly because i finally got around to learning the words and methods that are necessary to `do` the hospital, partly because i won't be seeing my friends anymore, partly because i won't be bumping into that hot doctor again, partly because my hand is still a bit grotesque.

the doctor said it takes time and determination, although he wasn't able to definitively tell me how much better it would get. it's definitely come a long way...i'm buttoning my own pants and shaving my own armpits at this point. it's bizarre. i'll wait and see.

physics and astronomy

are you familiar with the first law of thermodynamics? it states that energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. it explains that the total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant, merely changing from one form to another. i've always been fascinated by this idea. i believe that everything in our world is interconnected on levels that are obvious to us and others that are much more obscure. to learn as much as i can about the things and people that surround me and make up my world is a part of my personal mission and a part of the larger reason for humanity i feel. for a long time i've found comfort in coming to learn about the true nature of the world and the body, how they work and exist, sociology and psychology, human nature and the human condition. i have an issue with completely faith-based existence. i've always wanted empirical evidence, concrete proof, results, data and certifiable outcomes to be a part of the process that helps me define the world around me. i am naturally, but i believe healthily, skeptical and thus rely on such evidence to confirm my suspicions. my decision making processes have long been based on ideas that are tried and tested. i also don't discount hypotheses and theories, as these are the beginnings of further understanding, and, if they deserve merit, they will be tested countless times and their results recreated often.
after my mother died i struggled to cope with the idea of what's next. having been raised in a christian family, i was in my teens before i formed a firm opinion about the fictitiousness of an omnipotent god. the fairy tale stories are interesting, but not plausible, especially in such bulk, and to swallow them requires making leaps in logic within a paradigm plagued with holes. i couldn't bare the thought of my mother's existence coming to an end and i could find no solace in typical religious avenues. but i did take comfort in the first law of thermodynamics...energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes forms. mom was so full of vitality, life, energy, laughter...all of this potential and kinetic energy couldn't just vaporize...it had to be reinvested back into our world in some other form. i think this cycle is very well represented by stars, which are born, burn brightly, shine, emit warmth and light, and then fade and fizzle out. their energy is then reborn elsewhere in our sky as a new star whose life will be somewhat unpredictable but whose fate we all know. and like the most massive stars, often the brightest and truly impacting people also tend to have the shortest lifespan, like in mom’s case. all of this does have a point…
so i've long wanted to commemorate this idea of my mother's, and all other living things, eternal contribution to our world and universe in the form of valuable energy. i decided a star was a fitting symbol of this idea.
so recently carrie, liz and i journeyed to osaka. we got into a lot of trouble there. we also discovered a lot, including this tattoo parlor.

i've known for a while my next tattoo would be a star. we decided to go for it.

taiyou, the artist, and i post tattoo

gimme some money

so for over a year you have all heard me wench about and rail against the atms in this country. cash machines are at the top of the 'most frustrating things about japan' list. take a look at the screen to understand why...

recently i've done much better about keeping my blood pressure down while withdrawing money. it also helps that in the last couple of months my bank, daishi, has agreed to work with all 7-11 convenience stores so now i can withdraw at any obscene hour as long as the conbini is open.


conbini- [n] a shortened version of the word 'convenience' substituting a 'b' for the original 'v' since there is no 'v' in the japanese alphabet referring to any convenience store.

cashing corner- [n] the area in any given conbini containing atm machines.

and as if the whole system isn't screwy enough...check out my mother goose atm card...

patty and tiffany do japan: part one

the train from the airport…

so aunt sissy patty has come and gone. our time together seemed so short, as time always does when you are staying busy and enjoying yourself. i’ve experienced and seen and felt so many things here that i really want my family and friends to understand. i was so anxious for her to arrive so that i could see her reaction to the oddities that have become part of my life, so she could more easily understand what my existence is like these days. her company was really comfortable in a lot of good ways. like us collapsing in the hotel room, popping open a nice bottle of petite sirah she’d brought from home, and launching into conversation. afterwards we jumped into the ocean of neon that is the shinjuku area of tokyo.

we detoured through yakitori alley…a narrow walkway packed with closet size restaurants, most with barely room for a row of stools, many require you to sit in the alleyway. they all serve pretty much the same fare, meat and vegetables seared on blazing grills atop the counters.

although it’s delish, i couldn’t resist the urge to take patty to the fry-daddy restaurant that has a special place in my heart.

we were talking, not tending the deep fry, and i slightly overcooked my piman. oops. luckily it’s all you can eat…back to the buffet.

afterwards we wandered into a pub where i had the first pint of bass ale that i’ve tasted in 15 months. fabulous. that’s where we met these nice fellas. the asian john lennon had pretty darn good english.

they dragged us to the nearest karaoke box. ok, that’s slightly mischaracterizing what happened…i love karaoke and recognized it as a perfect opportunity for patty’s first time since we’d been chugging the liquid courage. can you believe it?!! her first time?!?! she loved it!! this is one of the less embarrassing pics...

the next morning we were a little foggy. sissy admitted she’s outta practice drinking and partying, something that happened after my departure. she also said her mouth isn’t as dirty, she eats healthier, doesn’t stay up as late… what exactly is she trying to say about my lifestyle?! we headed towards the buddhist/tourist mecca that is asakusa temple.

patty tried her luck with the mikuji, where you shake a wooden straw from a tin, match up the kanji letter written on it with a drawer and in the drawer you’ll find morsels of psychic wisdom. here’s patty’s prediction. let’s hope it’s all a load of…

we braved the rain to wander some in the northeastern part of the city. through a ching-ching-blang-flash-flash-woo-woo-clang-kadoing-kadoing lively gamecenter. there were cute couples on dates, housewives with their sleeping children strapped to their backs, grandmas, and men who appeared to have been there for days.

we were corralled into a cute little open-air, old-timey restaurant by english cries of “welcome!” in retrospect, we both regret not getting any photos of the place, the delicious food [their specialty was a tender pork roast stew] or the handsome traditional tattoo artist whose english was good enough to have beckoned us. he treated us to some food and chatted with us a bit. we called it an early night [as much as it killed me to be in the hotel room by 10 while in tokyo] because we were rising early to hit the fish market.

tsukiji is a port in the southeastern part of town famous for it’s weekday tuna auctions. i couldn’t believe how fresh and huge some of these fish were.

guess i’m just used to the bream that granny catches in the river. sorry granny, no comparison.

the workers wielded knives with unbelievable deftness as they quickly carved the quality meat from around the gills and bones. each person appearing to have a specific role to play in the preparation process, each wielding their own specialized tools; from samurai-like swords, to huge hooks, to glistening filet knives.

the place was hopping; a loud marketplace with prices and orders being barked across the expansive warehouse. fish forklifts [?] zipped around creating a din of electric whirrs, making wandering feel sorta like a game of frogger. i felt as if i was constantly in the way, although most workers and patrons seemed gracious. as patty and i eyed one stand, where they were making an assortment of salads from the fresh catch and other ingredients, the proprietor urged us to help ourselves to some of the samples. we lifted bites of some of the unidentifiable but attractive food onto our palms with chopsticks before tentatively eating them. the worker was pleased at the looks on our faces and he came over to explain what everything was. a really friendly gesture considering we were obviously tourists not equipped to buy anything that needed refrigeration…we were only nosing around. he suggested a few more things, including a jellyfish and pig ear salad. i swallowed hard and lopped some into my hand. he stared as i tasted the colorful mess…a sweet porkrind flavor with a strong hint of sesame. the texture was a bit odd, both the ear cartilage and the jellyfish were firm and semi-crunchy. patty liked it too. to our surprise, we saw only about 6 other tourists, most of who were asian. we also wandered through the vegetable department and watched them auction off what must have been delicious mushrooms considering the price and the care with which they were handled. around the tsukiji neighborhood are tons of other markets.

patty and i travel well together for many reasons, one of which is that we are both fascinated by gastronomy; food and drink, its origins, methods of preparation, presentation, taste, potential. we weaved through the alleyways in search of breakfast.

we’d arrived at the market about 6:45 and by 8:30 we were ready for sushi. i was stunned to find that we had to wait for seats at a sushi bar this early in the morning, but considering this area's reputation for the delicacy, we didn’t mind. we took a seat at the counter, promptly ordered an assortment of fresh-as-can-be fish and some nihon-shu [a.k.a. sake…yes, for breakfast…what?!].

i’ve never put a more delicious chunk of fish in my mouth. the tuna simply melted on my tongue. the unagi was flamed right in front of us and had a delectable smoky flavor. the salmon and scallops were also excellent. we left full and happy.
we picked up our luggage from the hotel and headed for the shinkansen. it took us about three hours to make it back to my little slice of japan. we were heading out that night for a yakiniku [grill your own meats and veggies at the table] dinner with some of my friends. carrie met us at the train station and we headed to mine. daniel joined us for a beer and chatting before we headed out to eat. afterwards, it was on to sleeping sheep to help the master celebrate his birthday.

patty retired a bit early and carrie and i partied it up proper style all night long. although they are really for cleaning your hands and face, we even learned how to make penises from the oshibori cloths presented upon arrival in all bars and restaurants in japan. great party trick, huh?

post script: these adventures will be sans liz, as she was all mumpy and under quarantine at the time. i really thought mumps had been eradicated along with the black plague and small pox. guess not.

danger, danger.

i'm backed up again. not like i need ex-lax. i mean on updating my blog. well, don't expect anything anytime soon. tonight liz, carrie and i are hopping a train and a bus bound for osaka. it has a reputation as a party haven and promises to present even more opportunities for trouble than we could possibly capitalize on. how exciting. details to follow...if they're suitable for public viewing. wooooo!!!

roadtrip!

last friday was a national holiday in honor of the autumnal equinox. instead of celebrating the day when the sun crosses the celestial equator and the length of day and night are equal, we decided to make it an art day. carrie, liz and i piled in the car and headed to niigata city. first on the agenda was "jintai plastomic - mysteries of the human body", a traveling exhibit that uses actual bodies to present anatomy as art. there are individual organs on display, some whole and some dissected, including livers, hearts, penises, brains, intestines, etc. then there are intact bodies with varying degrees of organs stripped away to reveal the human body as an incredibly complicated system that we really know so little about.

some of the bodies are presented in cross-sliced sections and some are artistically posed and displayed so the audience can get a 360 degree view.






























































there were also fetuses and a body that you could touch. i fingered the inside of the stomach, heart, blood vessels, sinews, flaps of muscle. i even held a brain. the event wasn't disturbing, as i thought it might be. although the bodies retained some characteristics that reminded you they were human, like chin stubble and fingernails, the bodies were presented in a responsible, enlightening manner. the event was absolutely packed and all the posted explanations were only in japanese which was a source of some frustration. i kept asking people to read the kanji and i was able to discern quite a bit that way. another good thing to come from my stay in the hospital; i know a whole bunch of anatomy words. if you want to see some more pictures click here.


after that we were off to see a local friend's work at a handmade furniture exhibition. the woods and craftsmanship were amazing. unfortunately i could save for decades and not be able to afford any of my favorite pieces. i wasn't offended by the prices though. one look at the works and you knew how much time, energy and care was put into constructing the piece. it was truly art.


then we whiled away the afternoon shopping. we'd planned on heading home that evening but the rumor of a dance party convinced us it was a good idea to buy something to wear to the club and resign ourselves to sleeping in the car. we primped in some parking lot...

then we hit an izakaya for dinner and one of those all you can drink deals. carrie, liz and i with a friend who lives in niigata, katsushi.

surprisingly, we ran into a bunch of other jets there. us with justine.

the party was packed and i could noticably tell we were in the city, as a lot of the people were interested in talking with us, a departure from our small town. after arriving home the next day, i promptly went into a coma.