An Update...FINALLY!

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted anything on here…Gomen!  I could literally write a book about my adventures backpacking solo through Japan, hiking up Mt. Fuji, meeting and spending time with people from all over the world and trying some amazing food from street vendors and tiny Ramen shops tucked into back alleyways.  I will eventually, I promise!  At the moment, though, I find myself entrenched in my work.

It’s been just over a month since I started teaching at the kindergarten, and I can say that I am falling into the rhythm of things quite well.  The work is challenging but rewarding, time-consuming but fulfilling.  Since I live in the ‘big city,’ I find that everything I need is within biking distance of my apartment.  The biggest challenge so far with transportation has been shopping and trying to strategically balance all of my bags on the bike while still weaving my way through the busy city streets.

The language barrier continues to be a hurdle for me in terms of daily life.  My survival Japanese is slowly growing and expanding, but I've found that not being able to have meaningful conversations with people is tough.  Hopefully, the more and more I settle into a normal routine, the more time I'll find to study Japanese and interact with people.

The weekends are the time that I can explore the city and hang out with friends that I have in a small town about an hour’s train ride away.  Because Japan has such a rich cultural history, there is no lack of Matsuri (festivals) that we can go to, each one impressive in its own way.  Last weekend another teacher and I went to the Morioka Music Festival.  It was epic!  There were stages set up throughout the city, each one with different bands and performers.  We watched everything from traditional Taiko drumming to Heavy Metal and Punk.  It was super fun and interesting!

This weekend in Oshu there is a huge Cast Iron festival that I’m going to with some friends.  Rumor has it that you can buy really pretty cast iron tea kettles and frying pans really inexpensively.  I really want some, so fingers crossed!!

I'll upload some pictures soon as well as write about my actual life as a super genki sensei.  I don't have an internet connection at my apartment, so finding the place and time to properly update everything on here has been difficult.

Well, I'm off to get some cast iron cookware.  Ja matta!

Day One In Japan!

I've not written anything on here in a while, sumimasen! prior to my flight to Japan yesterday I was on a road trip across the US, visiting family and friends while scrambling to work out some last-minute details that always have a way of cropping up.  I covered just over 4000 miles in less than two weeks--beginning in my home town of Kalamazoo, Michigan and eventually making my way to Los Angeles to catch my flight here to Japan.

Getting here has been interesting to say the least.  After I made the long flight over the Pacific, I got a crash course in being a foreigner.  I arrived in the airport a bit earlier than scheduled, then went through customs and immigration.  I got an awesome Alien Residency Card, which will come in handy as I'm trying to get settled, and I handled the currency exchange with (relative) ease.  The only hang up in the airport was getting my luggage because the airport lost one of my bags.  It was interesting trying to work with the airport staff (blame my lack of Kanji reading skills on the paperwork) to figure out what was going on.  I will say, though, that they were friendly, polite, and didn't seem to mind helping me at all (take that US airport staff!).  And--as an added bonus--they will be shipping my lost bag to Iwate for me, free of charge. I can't argue with that!

Here are some things I've learned/found handy my first day:

1. If you have a smartphone or kindle, send yourself PDFs with maps of the train system, airport terminal, or whatever else you may need.  That way you carry less paper and you have an easy offline way to show someone (at a train ticket counter for example) where exactly you need to go.
2. Use baggage delivery at the airport.  Its VERY inexpensive (less than 2000 yen) to have your luggage shipped anywhere in the country, on any date you specify up to a week after arrival.  Perfect if you plan on sight-seeing a bit before settling in, and you don't want to lug heavy bags everywhere.
3. There aren't street names! In fact finding buildings is a bit tricky...
4. The train system can be a bit confusing if you've never used public transit, but I've realized that staring at the ticket machine looking absolutely confused is a GREAT way to get help.  Or I suppose you could just ask...lol.
5. Even though the Airport staff speak English, know enough Japanese to get around.  Being able to ask where something is, what times trains depart, and basic 'politeness phrases' will get you far in the Tokyo area!

Well, I'm off to go hike up Mt. Fuji. I promise to upload some pictures sometime...I didn't take many in the airport because I was busy trying to find where I needed to go.

Ja matta!  Catch ya later!

My Attempt at Poetry

A Funny Thing about Moving

A funny thing about moving--

It’s always bittersweet.

We laugh, we cry, we celebrate

With people that we meet.

We share our fondest memories,

Confess our greatest fears,

Reliving all our moments spent

With people we hold dear.

Looking forward to the future,

While clinging to the past,

Trying to remember how

The time flew by so fast.

Embarking on new adventures,

Stepping into the unknown,

Creating brand new memories,

While not forgetting home.

You are my closest friends

And though I’ll miss you all a ton,

I can’t wait to start my journey in

The Land of the Rising Sun.

A funny thing about moving--

Even though we say ‘farewell’

We’re always a quick call away

With great new stories to tell.

After the end of a really fun going away party I'm left with packing, last minute meetings, then finally hitting the road.  I found a bit of time to scribble down a poem that expressed in a very cheesy way how I’m feeling about leaving Kalamazoo tomorrow.  I’ll certainly miss everyone that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know in Kalamazoo, Indiana, and where ever else in the world you may be.  You people are truly great and life wouldn’t have been the same without you. I won’t say good-bye, mostly because it’s not like we won’t be able to keep in touch with the internet at our fingertips lol.  Instead, I’ll say “Catch ya later!”  

I've Got a Golden Ticket!! Or a Visa lol

Filled with anticipation, I grabbed the envelope from the mailbox, tearing it open before I had even managed to walk back inside.  My heart soared.  Inside was the thing that I had been waiting so many months for:  My visa!

As ridiculous as this may sound, I’ve never been so happy to see a little piece of paper in my life.  My college acceptance letter, my diploma, even my teaching license…this one beats them all!  I was so thrilled, in fact, that I’ve had the song “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from the musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory stuck in my head for the past four hours.  In case you’ve never heard the song, here you go:

Now we can all have it stuck in our heads together!  (Yes I am a geek when it comes to musicals. I blame it on the theatre upbringing).

The Visa, with my CoE and passport, combine to form Captain Plan—I mean, combined give me clearance to enter the country. I can live and work in Japan for the next three years.  I also got one other bit of useful information:  My Japanese address.  Somehow, having a physical apartment number with all of my documents in order makes this adventure finally seem real.   And with my leave date less than a month away, I can safely say that I have never been more excited, terrified and ecstatic to start this new chapter of my life.  Stay tuned, more crazy antics soon to come! 

Drag Race

Down-shifting, I powered up the final hill towards my home.  The sun was dipping below the horizon and I figured it was time to end my ride.  I checked my bike’s computer and let out an exasperated sigh.  19.5 miles? Too short, I need at least 20!  I turned onto my street, resolved to keep going.  After all, I was wearing neon and I had my lights on.  Certainly, people could still see me.  Allowing my mind to wander, I continued on, enjoying the cool breeze and watching as a young boy rode in tight circles on the street opposite of what must’ve been his house. 

I heard, faintly in the distance, what sounded like a speeding car.  Living close to the highway, I dismissed it and continued for a brief moment, until I realized it was approaching.  Fast.  And there was more than one.  With thick trees blocking my sight at the next intersection I couldn’t tell what was coming. Slowing my pace, I knew I didn’t want to be in its path, right-of-way or not!  Suddenly, two cars exploded out from the sidestreet in front of me.  I pulled my brakes hard, skidding sideways to a stop.  One car peeled right, one left, continuing to thunder down the road at least 20 over the speed limit.  I quickly glanced up to the boy.  Head down, he was still pedaling on the road, oblivious to how close he’d been to getting hit.  Whew, he’s safe, I thought to myself.  I laughed humorlessly as I started back down the road.  Not 30 minutes ago I had wished I’d had a helmet cam to capture the sunset rays beaming through the woods on the bike trail.  Now, I wished I had one so that I could’ve recorded those guy’s license plate numbers.  The moral of the story?  Not sure…maybe that they put stop signs and speed limits in residential areas because the kids playing there deserve not to have their lives put in danger by reckless idiots. *shrugs*

Ok, from now on I'll try to stick to posts about more Japan-related stuff other than cycling.  Even though it is fun, awesome, and everyone should do it...

Car-less in Japan

I realized pretty early into my planning for Japan that I wouldn’t own a car.  Living in an area of the USA with towns spaced miles apart, I currently use mine every day.  Heck, I even named it (ok, as a joke between friends but still…) Surprisingly though, I don’t think I’ll mind being car-less in Japan.  I know I won’t miss the gas prices, the inconvenient repair costs, paying parking meters, riding out traffic jams…you name it!

With a car-less future in mind, I set out at the start of this spring to gain some bike experience.  I still remember pulling my old bike out of the shed without having ridden it in at least 8 years.  Dusting it off, I half wheeled, half carried it to a gas station to put air in the tires.  I remember the first teetering moments back in the saddle, hoping after all these years that the brakes still worked and the gears would shift.  Thinking back on that day, I have to smile. Now, I love cycling.  There’s no better feeling than racing downhill, drafting off of cars in the city and leaning into tight curves.  The feeling of success when my bike odometer ticks over another hundred miles is priceless.  I’ve come a long way!

Cycling is almost a kind of therapy for me.  After a crazy last semester at the University, I enjoy having a couple hours a day all to myself, where I can admire the landscape, breathe in fresh air, and reflect.  This past week, I started reflecting on some of the things I have learned as a beginning cyclist.

Top Things I’ve learned about cycling:

1. Wearing a helmet—not optional! Cycling is full of unpredictable things and even the most careful cyclist is in danger of things outside of their immediate control.
2. There are a lot more bugs at dusk than there are at dawn. This is important to consider when you are riding downhill at 25+mph and do NOT want extra protein in your diet.
3. Surprisingly, some smaller dogs can run faster than bigger ones.  The most important thing, though, is that you ride faster than all of them.
4. Small children on bikes are one of the most unpredictable road hazards.  The only thing worse are young children on small bikes accompanied by moms with double wide strollers that insist on taking up the entire lane…you get the picture!
5. The scariest things on the road are drag racing cars, especially ones that careen out of side streets and aren’t watching for, well anything.
6. There’s a lot of natural beauty out there wherever you go if you know where to look, or if you are adventurous enough to explore.  I love riding the bike trails here at dawn where I can frequently see deer, rabbits and other cute things roaming the forest. 
7. There is a huge network of cyclists out there online and in local bike shops.  If you need help, just ask, and people tend to be happy to share what they know.
8. There's no better time to start cycling than right now.  You don't have to have the most fancy, expensive gear.  Just find an old bike and start riding.  You won't regret it!

I hope that cycling continues to be a helpful, refreshing, fun activity when I begin my life in Japan!

CoE Facepalm

After waiting for what seemed like ages, I finally received my Certificate of Eligibility in the mail yesterday!  (Actually the wait was pretty short, but I’m not terribly patient lol).  That document is the last thing I need to get my official Work Visa.  I realized that with my work schedule and the holiday, yesterday would be the only day this week I would be able to take the CoE over to the consulate (a 2.5 hour drive from me).  I gathered the documents, filled out the forms, got more passport-style pictures of myself and was heading out the door with just enough time to get there before it closed.  After paranoia checking to make sure I had everything, I remembered that it'd be smart to copy the docs for myself 'just in case'.  I quickly fed them through my scanner/copier and rushed out the door.  I arrived at the consulate with a few minutes to spare, took out my 'stuff folder' and realized to my horror that yes, the CoE was sitting on the copier at home.  I'd forgotten to re-check everything :(  Needless to say I will be mailing in the paperwork instead of making the drive again.  It wasn't a total loss though.  I had a great conversation with the people in the consulate about how they worked, and learned quite a bit.  I’d also discovered a REI store (they don’t exist close to my house) where I was able to stock up on some last minute hiking supplies for my upcoming adventure.