Okay, to finish yesterday...we managed to get back on the train to Yamaguchi City with no problems. By that point, my feet were on fire. Yamaguchi has a famous legend about a fox who dipped his paws in a hot spring, and right behind the hotel was a hot spring area just for soaking one's feet. About six of us decided to hang out there. We had a blast! We talked to two Japanese teenagers and an older guy who was with them. We mainly talked about music. There was a definite language barrier. The real fun came when six Taiwanese came up to soak their feet. After deciding that we were cool because we had acknowledged that Taiwan was not part of China and was a country in their own right, they hung out with us. It was so much fun! They were on vacation, and somehow ended up in Yamaguchi. It's not real high on the travel radar in the US, so I am not sure what pulled them there. Still, it was nice to be able to talk to them and have fun. I am sure that we would have stayed there for hours, but at 10:00pm the hot spring closes so we had to go. I went back to my room, which wasn't near as nice as the New Otani in Tokyo. In fact, the whole place threw me off. I'm a little ashamed to admit that it took me a few hours to figure out how to flush the toilet. I am going to attribute that to being tired.
Fun stuff, though...on the way to the hotel from the train station, I passed a fugu restaurant. They even had a tank in the front window full of fugu swimming around. I wonder if it is like Red Lobster and you can pick out your fugu just as you would a lobster? Back in the room, there was a cracker wrapped in a sleeve decorated with a picture of fugu. Turns out it is fugu flavored. You could buy a whole box of fugu crackers in the gift shop, not to mention dried fugu and preserved fugu! I bought a fugu keychain and fugu shaped chocolates. I would have bought some crackers but they weren't that good!
Okay, today was our first full day out of Tokyo. We did all kinds of things, and as I am still exhausted and craving an early night in for once, I am going to move through this rather quickly. I probably won't even post pictures, so you will need to get over your disappointment pronto.
I got up and ate breakfast. Here's something I haven't talked about...scrambled eggs. I'm not exactly sure what is up with the scrambled eggs here. They lack shape and are a weird orangey-yellow color. It's not right, I am telling you. I haven't touched them yet, nor do I plan to. Breakfast was an international affair again, a combo of Western and Japanese. I did a little of both. Today was also the first day that I got a glimpse of natto. Natto is fermented soy beans. Okay, for one, I don't like beans. The fact that they are fermented makes me nauseous. And there aren't words to describe the smell...rest assured, I am not touching them. Sweet potato ice cream, yes...natto, no way.
We began our day at Yamaguchi University. It was a hot day, and the rooms are not air conditioned, so it was a little trying. We observed a music class and a physical education class. The cool part of the university visit was sitting down to talk with students at the university. The language barrier was pretty obvious at first, but after a while you don't notice it...you just find a way to communicate through other means. I drew a fantastic map of the US to point out where Indiana was. My student, Eriko, had never heard of Indiana but she knew about the Kentucky Derby, so I was able to explain where I lived by referencing that. We also got some gifts at the university. We received a tote bag and a little collection of cards that had paintings of famous landmarks in Yamaguchi City. Very nice.
After a BIG lunch, we got on the bus for an hour drive to Sanyo Onoda. I fell asleep. I was a bit disappointed that I did because I wanted to catch the scenery on the way in, but I was just wiped out. When I woke up we were about 15 minutes from Sanyo Onoda City Hall. We had a courtesy visit with the mayor. He was a very nice man, but he spoke for 45 minutes. It was very long. We did introduce ourselves to him in Japanese, and afterward he came up to me and shook my hand and told me that I spoke very nice Japanese. I only saw him shake a few hands, so that made me happy that he would single me out. For the record...Watatashi wa Indiana no Emily Micky desu. "I am from Indiana and my name is Micky Emily." Cool, eh?
We then toured a sake distillery. That was fun! They weren't actually making sake at the moment...they don't start until November...but we got to learn about the entire process. We were then invited into the owner's home to sample sake and relax! How cool is that? I had two types of sake (the first tasted like rubbing alcohol, no joke), but the second was good. They also served us wine that they had made, and that was good too. It was a fun experience, and before you ask, they were samples. They were not full drinks. I am fine.
After making it to the hotel, I joined a group that went out for dinner with two city officials. We went to a yakitori restaurant, and I ate a TON. There was food everywhere! Tempura, yakitori (grilled meat on skewers), edamame, this delightful fried rice and cheese thing...very very good. We ate in a tatami room, and we were there for several hours. It was so much fun! I am glad that I went. Several chose not to, and I think that they made a huge mistake.
Now, I am headed to bed. I am worn out!!! More to come tomorrow...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
There just aren't enough words...
So today was the day that we left Tokyo to go to our host cities. We had to pack a bag to have sent to our host cities and leave it at the hotel to be transferred by express courier, and in the case of those of us who aren't going straight to their host cities, pack another bag to contain professional clothes to be worn on Monday. My backpack, which once weighted as much as a toddler, now weighs about the size of a middle schooler. That sucker is heavy! I had to eat at the same restaurant at yesterday because it was the only one open that early. Same food, the only difference being that instead of corn today we had carrots. Mmm!
We took a chartered bus to Haneda Airport. It is south of Tokyo and is one of Japan's major domestic airports. It was a fair walk to get to the gate. I tried searching in vain for an ATM, but couldn't find one. My money is holding out, but I would rather be safe than sorry, and I don't know what is going to await me in Sanyo-Onoda as far as getting money. I decided I would just keep looking once we made it to our destination.
Our flight took us to Yamaguchi-Ube airport. We're staying in Yamaguchi tonight because Sanyo Onoda apparently does not have a university, so we're doing the university here tomorrow. Kyoko-san, our guide, told us we would be able to see Fuji-san (that's Mt Fuji to you) from the plane, so I had my camera out, with my forehead leaning against the window. Remember from an earlier post how I wrote that I was exhausted? Here's proof...I fell asleep with my head up against the window. I had a red spot on my forehead and everything. I looked like a complete dork.
This airport was really small. We're out in the "real" Japan now, and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo seems light years ago. Kyoko-san is from Yamaguchi, so she told us about all the things we could do there. We're staying in the Yudo-Onsen area. An onsen is a hot spring, and there are hot spring baths all over the city. I am sure that there were plenty of things that I could have done in Yamaguchi today, but I decided to go on a little field trip instead...
I've kept this one under wraps, but I wasn't 100% certain that I would go. Our first day, Kyoko-san asked how many in my host city group would be interested in going to Hiroshima. None of us knew that was an option, so we were pretty dumbfounded. I didn't know how I could pass it up, but I wasn't sure about it. Well, I went. I got on the second bullet train in my life (the Shinkansen again...as with yesterday, this was the Nozumi, the fastest and most advanced of the Shinkansen) and made it to Hiroshima. To be perfectly honest with you, I am still in a bit of denial about the fact that I was there. It doesn't seem real. I've studied the history of the atomic bombing of the city so many times, but I am here to tell you, it means so much more when you can experience it. I'm not sure if you will all have the opportunity to come here. Most of you won't. But remember this: history is best learned when it is experienced, and I learned so much today. For the record, it doesn't have to be some huge historical place or event. Find something local...how many of you have been in the First State Capitol building downtown? You have to go in there and think of the fact that in that very building, on that floor, walked those men who first shaped our State. Seriously, you need to go check it out.
Anyway, back to Hiroshima. The first thing I saw when we got off the city line was the Atomic Dome. And that is when it hit. I was standing in a place that knew great destruction and tragedy, horrible things that I hope to never experience for myself or those anywhere. The day was beautiful, nice and sunny, and to see the contrast between the sunny day and the twisted frame of the dome was pretty remarkable. It was about 3:30, and the Peace Museum closed at 6, so I hurried through the park so that I could fully experience the museum. It was spectacular, horrifying, educational, insightful, heartbreaking...oh, you name it, you felt it. I would feel tears welling up from time to time. It was unbelievable what was housed in that museum. Clothing, lunch boxes, human skin (yes, that's right), rubble, fused glass...I could go on and on and on about it. Let me tell you the hardest part: being there. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the bomb is what ended the war. I think that our country made the best decision that it could. The loss to the Japanese was heart breaking, and the great loss of humanity can never be atoned for. But, it ended the war. So there is this conflict going on in your head, right? You don't know how to feel. As I posted earlier, had we not done it, it only would have been a matter of time before someone else did it. But standing there, tears in your eyes...I was floored. Again, I really felt no hostility. There was one gentleman who was there who would often get between me and the exhibits, and he stared at me, but he was the only one who made me feel uncomfotable. I am not sure if he was doing it deliberately. I like to think that he wasn't and I am just being hyper-sensitive to where I was. Seriously, there aren't enough words to describe Hiroshima and what it meant to be there. I have a lot more to post about today, but to talk about anything else right now would cheapen the experience, so I am going to post some pictures and let them do the talking...
The Atomic Dome
Memorial cenotaph and eternal flame, with the Dome in the background
Memorial to Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes
Close-up shot of some strings of cranes
We took a chartered bus to Haneda Airport. It is south of Tokyo and is one of Japan's major domestic airports. It was a fair walk to get to the gate. I tried searching in vain for an ATM, but couldn't find one. My money is holding out, but I would rather be safe than sorry, and I don't know what is going to await me in Sanyo-Onoda as far as getting money. I decided I would just keep looking once we made it to our destination.
Our flight took us to Yamaguchi-Ube airport. We're staying in Yamaguchi tonight because Sanyo Onoda apparently does not have a university, so we're doing the university here tomorrow. Kyoko-san, our guide, told us we would be able to see Fuji-san (that's Mt Fuji to you) from the plane, so I had my camera out, with my forehead leaning against the window. Remember from an earlier post how I wrote that I was exhausted? Here's proof...I fell asleep with my head up against the window. I had a red spot on my forehead and everything. I looked like a complete dork.
This airport was really small. We're out in the "real" Japan now, and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo seems light years ago. Kyoko-san is from Yamaguchi, so she told us about all the things we could do there. We're staying in the Yudo-Onsen area. An onsen is a hot spring, and there are hot spring baths all over the city. I am sure that there were plenty of things that I could have done in Yamaguchi today, but I decided to go on a little field trip instead...
I've kept this one under wraps, but I wasn't 100% certain that I would go. Our first day, Kyoko-san asked how many in my host city group would be interested in going to Hiroshima. None of us knew that was an option, so we were pretty dumbfounded. I didn't know how I could pass it up, but I wasn't sure about it. Well, I went. I got on the second bullet train in my life (the Shinkansen again...as with yesterday, this was the Nozumi, the fastest and most advanced of the Shinkansen) and made it to Hiroshima. To be perfectly honest with you, I am still in a bit of denial about the fact that I was there. It doesn't seem real. I've studied the history of the atomic bombing of the city so many times, but I am here to tell you, it means so much more when you can experience it. I'm not sure if you will all have the opportunity to come here. Most of you won't. But remember this: history is best learned when it is experienced, and I learned so much today. For the record, it doesn't have to be some huge historical place or event. Find something local...how many of you have been in the First State Capitol building downtown? You have to go in there and think of the fact that in that very building, on that floor, walked those men who first shaped our State. Seriously, you need to go check it out.
Anyway, back to Hiroshima. The first thing I saw when we got off the city line was the Atomic Dome. And that is when it hit. I was standing in a place that knew great destruction and tragedy, horrible things that I hope to never experience for myself or those anywhere. The day was beautiful, nice and sunny, and to see the contrast between the sunny day and the twisted frame of the dome was pretty remarkable. It was about 3:30, and the Peace Museum closed at 6, so I hurried through the park so that I could fully experience the museum. It was spectacular, horrifying, educational, insightful, heartbreaking...oh, you name it, you felt it. I would feel tears welling up from time to time. It was unbelievable what was housed in that museum. Clothing, lunch boxes, human skin (yes, that's right), rubble, fused glass...I could go on and on and on about it. Let me tell you the hardest part: being there. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the bomb is what ended the war. I think that our country made the best decision that it could. The loss to the Japanese was heart breaking, and the great loss of humanity can never be atoned for. But, it ended the war. So there is this conflict going on in your head, right? You don't know how to feel. As I posted earlier, had we not done it, it only would have been a matter of time before someone else did it. But standing there, tears in your eyes...I was floored. Again, I really felt no hostility. There was one gentleman who was there who would often get between me and the exhibits, and he stared at me, but he was the only one who made me feel uncomfotable. I am not sure if he was doing it deliberately. I like to think that he wasn't and I am just being hyper-sensitive to where I was. Seriously, there aren't enough words to describe Hiroshima and what it meant to be there. I have a lot more to post about today, but to talk about anything else right now would cheapen the experience, so I am going to post some pictures and let them do the talking...
The Atomic Dome
Memorial cenotaph and eternal flame, with the Dome in the background
Memorial to Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes
Close-up shot of some strings of cranes
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!
Okay, so Friday night I was exhausted. I blogged and went to bed early so that I could get up and be ready to go at 6:30 Saturday morning (I'm writing this on Sunday). I actually woke up at 5:15...I had asked for a wake-up call the night before, and I did something rude. It was an accident. You know how most hotel wake-up calls are now automatic? I assumed this one was as well...turns out that it was a live person. I hung up on her thinking it was a recording, so they called back. What's more, they apologized for disturbing me, but I had asked for a wake-up call and they wanted to make sure that I was up, if that was okay. I love Japan.
I ate breakfast...this time at another resturant that served both Western and Japanese breakfast. It was bizarre to have omelets, miso soup, and corn at the same breakfast (yes, I said corn), but I made it. A group of us met up at 7:20 to go to Kamakura. Kamakura was an ancient capital of Japan, is located on the coast, and is known for the giant statue of Buddha (the Daibutsu). It was kind of touristy in places, but overall it was a really nice trip. I was a little bummed at times because I was on a tour, and that didn't allow for a lot of flexibility. But, you win some, you lose some. The views were stunning, the temples and shrines were amazing, and I felt that it was nice to be out in the countryside. I am going to post a group of pictures here for you to see what I was up to. I like to include them in as I write, but I am tired and want to make sure that I get in as much as possible!
First tea ceremony...it was informal, but was still pretty cool. They gave us cookies in the shapes of pigeons to eat before we drank the tea to offset the bitterness. Wasn't bad, wasn't bad... I look pretty terrible here. There seriously isn't a good one of me from this day. I essentially look drugged, but really it is the fact that I was EXHAUSTED. I am sleeping around 5-6 hours per night, which isn't enough.
This little girl and boy were celebrating their third and fifth birthdays at a temple in Kamakura. Girls celebrate their third and seventh birthdays, and boys their fifth and seventh. There were MANY kids dressed in traditional Japanese clothing at the temple. Very cute. The little girl looks unhappy, but understand that there were about a thousand American teachers pointing cameras at her. She's flashing the peace sign, so all is well. The little boy was completely unimpressed with us.
The group at the Daibutsu.
That's right...I finally had a bottle of the infamous Pocari Sweat. It was really quite good despite its unfortunate name. It kind of tasted like it had a grapefruit flavor.
On the Shinkansen (bullet train) with Tammy and Cindy. This sucker was fast! We made it from Shin-Yokohama to Tokyo in about 18 minutes.
More about Kamakura and Saturday:
1. Lunch was huge. I can't begin to identify all that we ate, but let's just say it was a lot, and since I walked over 7 miles on Saturday, I don't feel so guilty about it. Salads (two types), soba noodles (extremely good...I could have sat there all day and ate them), pizza, edumame (steamed soybeans), breaded chicken cutlets stuffed with some kind of fish eggs (MUCH tastier than it sounds)...seriously, it was disgusting how much food we all packed away, and it only cost us around $15. I also bypassed a fork in lieu of using chopsticks. Go me.
2. I saw a cat at the Hasedera Temple that made me miss George and Oscar. I stuck around to pet him for a while. Cute cat, pretty fat, and became quite popular after people started to notice that he was there. That cat knew what he was doing.
3. After making it back to the hotel around 6 or so, I finished packing the suitcase that I was leaving in Tokyo. Seems that packing is becoming a serious issue. I'm pulling a Scarlett O'Hara on this one and will think about how I am going to get everything home tomorrow.
4. Finally went to a conveyor belt sushi place. It wasn't that good. Surprising? Not really...sushi is prepared and stuck on plates, and then it rotates on a belt throughout the restaurant. You take what you want, and you pay according to the color of your plates that you have when you are finished. I spent around $5. Not bad!
I ate breakfast...this time at another resturant that served both Western and Japanese breakfast. It was bizarre to have omelets, miso soup, and corn at the same breakfast (yes, I said corn), but I made it. A group of us met up at 7:20 to go to Kamakura. Kamakura was an ancient capital of Japan, is located on the coast, and is known for the giant statue of Buddha (the Daibutsu). It was kind of touristy in places, but overall it was a really nice trip. I was a little bummed at times because I was on a tour, and that didn't allow for a lot of flexibility. But, you win some, you lose some. The views were stunning, the temples and shrines were amazing, and I felt that it was nice to be out in the countryside. I am going to post a group of pictures here for you to see what I was up to. I like to include them in as I write, but I am tired and want to make sure that I get in as much as possible!
First tea ceremony...it was informal, but was still pretty cool. They gave us cookies in the shapes of pigeons to eat before we drank the tea to offset the bitterness. Wasn't bad, wasn't bad... I look pretty terrible here. There seriously isn't a good one of me from this day. I essentially look drugged, but really it is the fact that I was EXHAUSTED. I am sleeping around 5-6 hours per night, which isn't enough.
This little girl and boy were celebrating their third and fifth birthdays at a temple in Kamakura. Girls celebrate their third and seventh birthdays, and boys their fifth and seventh. There were MANY kids dressed in traditional Japanese clothing at the temple. Very cute. The little girl looks unhappy, but understand that there were about a thousand American teachers pointing cameras at her. She's flashing the peace sign, so all is well. The little boy was completely unimpressed with us.
The group at the Daibutsu.
That's right...I finally had a bottle of the infamous Pocari Sweat. It was really quite good despite its unfortunate name. It kind of tasted like it had a grapefruit flavor.
On the Shinkansen (bullet train) with Tammy and Cindy. This sucker was fast! We made it from Shin-Yokohama to Tokyo in about 18 minutes.
More about Kamakura and Saturday:
1. Lunch was huge. I can't begin to identify all that we ate, but let's just say it was a lot, and since I walked over 7 miles on Saturday, I don't feel so guilty about it. Salads (two types), soba noodles (extremely good...I could have sat there all day and ate them), pizza, edumame (steamed soybeans), breaded chicken cutlets stuffed with some kind of fish eggs (MUCH tastier than it sounds)...seriously, it was disgusting how much food we all packed away, and it only cost us around $15. I also bypassed a fork in lieu of using chopsticks. Go me.
2. I saw a cat at the Hasedera Temple that made me miss George and Oscar. I stuck around to pet him for a while. Cute cat, pretty fat, and became quite popular after people started to notice that he was there. That cat knew what he was doing.
3. After making it back to the hotel around 6 or so, I finished packing the suitcase that I was leaving in Tokyo. Seems that packing is becoming a serious issue. I'm pulling a Scarlett O'Hara on this one and will think about how I am going to get everything home tomorrow.
4. Finally went to a conveyor belt sushi place. It wasn't that good. Surprising? Not really...sushi is prepared and stuck on plates, and then it rotates on a belt throughout the restaurant. You take what you want, and you pay according to the color of your plates that you have when you are finished. I spent around $5. Not bad!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Laid-back Friday
Today I decided to just lay low and not get stressed out. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I didn't see the point in trying to do a lot today. I guess I acted very American today, even down to my choice of food. Let me explain...
I decided to not eat Japanese breakfast today for two reasons: one, I need a break from rice (that bloated feeling is not fun) and two, my hand is starting to cramp up from using chopsticks. It's making me crazy. Besides, there is a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel (on the 40th floor) that has a fine view of Tokyo all around the room (circular room with continuous windows). Someone else told me that Fuji is visible from the restaurant, but it was much too foggy this morning to see anything. I ate my very weird take on American breakfast, which included seafood chowder for some reason as well as two preparations of bacon, and then went shopping for postcards.
At 9:30 this morning, I had the amazing opportunity to listen to a first- and second-generation survivor of the bombings at Hiroshima. I know that my blog has been rather light, which shouldn't come as a surprise, but I would definitely be doing these two people a massive disservice if I did not approach this with a fair degree of seriousness. For two hours I sat silently and in awe as they told of their experiences. What surprised me most was that they felt no ill will toward the United States. Rather, they felt anger at the bomb. Isn't that interesting? One even said that had the US not done it, it only would have been a matter of time before Japan developed her own atomic weapon and used it. I am telling you, it was a heartbreaking session, and one that made you feel quite badly. No matter what your opinions are concerning the use of the atomic bomb (and there are serious academic discussions that constantly debate sides), one cannot deny that its effects were massive and of serious consequence, no matter who they were used on. I wonder if we would have been so forgiving? I am amazed at how close our relationship is with Japan today, even with bombings done against each other by both parties. I have heard many people here in Japan refer to the US as a strong friend and ally, and as the world leader among countries today. Our market has directly impacted the Japanese market, and I sit here in Japan watching the dollar fall against the yen bit by bit from day to day. Our countries, once such strong enemies, have overcome so much to be as close as we are today. I see this manifested in the JFMF program itself, a program through which the Japanese government invites and truly pampers the teachers of its once greatest enemy to come into their country and learn about their culture. That bombing was 63 years ago...look at how far we have come! True, yes, we did do a lot to help Japan rebuild after the war, and maybe this program is done in part to help repay that, but my goodness! Could we, would we, be able to do the same if our roles had been reversed? It's an interesting question, I think. I know I have kind of rambled on about this, but has been something I have thought about a lot today.
We broke for lunch after that. I had some pumpkin and sweet potato soup today, which was quite tasty (Mom, we need to make some of this kind of soup...I think you would like it). For some reason, they aren't serving us Japanese food for lunch. A bit disappointing, but I suppose I will get over it! After we lunch we had a good break. I kind of milled around for a bit and then settled in for the next session, which was on kabuki theater, complete with a performance of kabuki dance accompanied by two kabuki singers and a shamisen player (the shamisen is a stringed instument). It was pretty cool, and I really did enjoy it. You might find it weird. I'll get the videos posted as soon as I can!
We then had our prefectural city-group meetings. For the next hour, I did get a little stressed. It seems as if everyone was trying to get things done at the same time, and it turned into a giant cluster of doom. The worst news was that we would only have 5 rooms with internet access in Sanyo Onoda. We seriously played paper-rock-scissors to determine who would get a room with internet. I managed to win a room, but am still not sure how as the judging was pretty arbitrary. The only thing to complain about is that the internet rooms are smoking rooms, but I am not complaining too loudly because there were plenty of people who wanted internet but who will not be able to use it in their rooms. I offered to share because that is what nice people do.
After that, I met up with a small group to go to Harajuku. It's quite a happening place, let me tell you. I went to Oriental Bazaar, a huge store that sold all matters of things Japanese, including some fabulous kimono that sported equally fabulous prices. I was a little tired of being in a large group (no offense to anyone in the group, but I was starting to feel like part of a herd), so Judy from Philly and I split off. We decided we needed comfort food for dinner, but with a twist, so we went for pizza. Judy doesn't eat meat on her pizza so we had a mushroom and tomato pizza that was tasty, and then a potato pizza. Sounds weird, but was quite good. We then headed to the 100-yen store. It is exactly like our dollar stores at home. I bought some origami paper among other things that I probably didn't need, but bought anyway! We then decided that we needed dessert, so we bought some crepes. That's right, we were Americans eating French food in Japan. It seemed right at the time. I got back to the room around 9:30pm, and have been working on e-mails and this blog since then. I have an early day out tomorrow morning, so I will be crawling into bed soon. You more than likely will not hear from me tomorrow. My internet time expires around 4:00pm, and I don't expect to get back from Kamakura before 6:00. I don't want to buy another day's time because we are leaving Sunday morning to go to our host cities. I'll be able to write then.
By the way, it would be nice to have some e-mails or some blog comments to read. Quit slacking, people.
I decided to not eat Japanese breakfast today for two reasons: one, I need a break from rice (that bloated feeling is not fun) and two, my hand is starting to cramp up from using chopsticks. It's making me crazy. Besides, there is a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel (on the 40th floor) that has a fine view of Tokyo all around the room (circular room with continuous windows). Someone else told me that Fuji is visible from the restaurant, but it was much too foggy this morning to see anything. I ate my very weird take on American breakfast, which included seafood chowder for some reason as well as two preparations of bacon, and then went shopping for postcards.
At 9:30 this morning, I had the amazing opportunity to listen to a first- and second-generation survivor of the bombings at Hiroshima. I know that my blog has been rather light, which shouldn't come as a surprise, but I would definitely be doing these two people a massive disservice if I did not approach this with a fair degree of seriousness. For two hours I sat silently and in awe as they told of their experiences. What surprised me most was that they felt no ill will toward the United States. Rather, they felt anger at the bomb. Isn't that interesting? One even said that had the US not done it, it only would have been a matter of time before Japan developed her own atomic weapon and used it. I am telling you, it was a heartbreaking session, and one that made you feel quite badly. No matter what your opinions are concerning the use of the atomic bomb (and there are serious academic discussions that constantly debate sides), one cannot deny that its effects were massive and of serious consequence, no matter who they were used on. I wonder if we would have been so forgiving? I am amazed at how close our relationship is with Japan today, even with bombings done against each other by both parties. I have heard many people here in Japan refer to the US as a strong friend and ally, and as the world leader among countries today. Our market has directly impacted the Japanese market, and I sit here in Japan watching the dollar fall against the yen bit by bit from day to day. Our countries, once such strong enemies, have overcome so much to be as close as we are today. I see this manifested in the JFMF program itself, a program through which the Japanese government invites and truly pampers the teachers of its once greatest enemy to come into their country and learn about their culture. That bombing was 63 years ago...look at how far we have come! True, yes, we did do a lot to help Japan rebuild after the war, and maybe this program is done in part to help repay that, but my goodness! Could we, would we, be able to do the same if our roles had been reversed? It's an interesting question, I think. I know I have kind of rambled on about this, but has been something I have thought about a lot today.
We broke for lunch after that. I had some pumpkin and sweet potato soup today, which was quite tasty (Mom, we need to make some of this kind of soup...I think you would like it). For some reason, they aren't serving us Japanese food for lunch. A bit disappointing, but I suppose I will get over it! After we lunch we had a good break. I kind of milled around for a bit and then settled in for the next session, which was on kabuki theater, complete with a performance of kabuki dance accompanied by two kabuki singers and a shamisen player (the shamisen is a stringed instument). It was pretty cool, and I really did enjoy it. You might find it weird. I'll get the videos posted as soon as I can!
We then had our prefectural city-group meetings. For the next hour, I did get a little stressed. It seems as if everyone was trying to get things done at the same time, and it turned into a giant cluster of doom. The worst news was that we would only have 5 rooms with internet access in Sanyo Onoda. We seriously played paper-rock-scissors to determine who would get a room with internet. I managed to win a room, but am still not sure how as the judging was pretty arbitrary. The only thing to complain about is that the internet rooms are smoking rooms, but I am not complaining too loudly because there were plenty of people who wanted internet but who will not be able to use it in their rooms. I offered to share because that is what nice people do.
After that, I met up with a small group to go to Harajuku. It's quite a happening place, let me tell you. I went to Oriental Bazaar, a huge store that sold all matters of things Japanese, including some fabulous kimono that sported equally fabulous prices. I was a little tired of being in a large group (no offense to anyone in the group, but I was starting to feel like part of a herd), so Judy from Philly and I split off. We decided we needed comfort food for dinner, but with a twist, so we went for pizza. Judy doesn't eat meat on her pizza so we had a mushroom and tomato pizza that was tasty, and then a potato pizza. Sounds weird, but was quite good. We then headed to the 100-yen store. It is exactly like our dollar stores at home. I bought some origami paper among other things that I probably didn't need, but bought anyway! We then decided that we needed dessert, so we bought some crepes. That's right, we were Americans eating French food in Japan. It seemed right at the time. I got back to the room around 9:30pm, and have been working on e-mails and this blog since then. I have an early day out tomorrow morning, so I will be crawling into bed soon. You more than likely will not hear from me tomorrow. My internet time expires around 4:00pm, and I don't expect to get back from Kamakura before 6:00. I don't want to buy another day's time because we are leaving Sunday morning to go to our host cities. I'll be able to write then.
By the way, it would be nice to have some e-mails or some blog comments to read. Quit slacking, people.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
More about yesterday...
It was such a long day...I really don't know where to begin. I'll start with the fish market since that is where I first began this really long day.
We took a taxi from the hotel to the fish market. It was around 5:00am, so the subway wasn't running yet, so a taxi was the only option. Taxis here are pretty neat. When they pull up to let you in, the driver opens the door automatically using a lever inside the car. It felt very Night Rider-ish. The cabbie didnt' speak any English (apparently this is universal), so the bellman at the hotel told him where we wanted to go. From that point, we were at the mercy of the cab driver. It took us about 15 minutes and 1700 yen total to get there...that's around $17 or so. He was pretty reckless, so it was nice to get there. However, we had a slight crisis when we arrived because the cabbie dropped us off at the Tsukiji metro stop (the subway) and not the actual market. We had a 10-15 minute walk. It wasn't bad, but it was very busy and very crowded.
You would think that a fish market would smell fishy, but there was none of that. This is an extremely fresh market, and fresh fish doesn't stink. Fish are flown in here or shipped in from all over the world, and there were many varieties. We strolled through the market vending areas first. If you don't like the sight of blood, this would not have been the place for you. Eel was especially bloddy and nasty. To tell you the truth, the market is a bit disgusting. Everywhere you look someone is hacking into some piece of fish, and it was scary. There were knives everywhere! On top of that, there are motorized carts all over the place. I also got to see a live tuna auction, which was definitely entertaining and pretty cool. What you have to remember is that the fish market is a work environment; it is definitely not for tourists. As such, the guys driving the carts or pulling handcarts will run over/into you, and not care. And that is their right...this is there place of employment! They daily have to deal with a bunch of gawking tourists. I felt really bad about it, and was aware the entire time that maybe I shouldn't be there. It seems that most tourists are pretty inconsiderate too. I think the whole thing kind of made me sad and a little frustrated at how most of us don't think about what is going on around us. Anyway, here's a shot of some interesting stuff I found:
We took the subway back (my navigation skills were right on, but I did double check and ask if I had it right...we were pretty far from the hotel and I didn't want to mess things up). I came up and changed, and tried not to think about the fishy nastiness on the soles of my shoes. Sick. I had Japanese breakfast again. I am getting reaaly good at chopsticks, and can even pick up single grains of rice now. We had a series of sessions today on the Japanese education system, economy, and government. Most of you would have been bored beyond belief. It wasn't bad, but got a little tedious after a while. We've been moving so much that it was hard to sit still all day. The feet were happy though.
We have a bulletin board set up near our meeting rooms so that we can post notes on where we are going/would like to go and see if anyone else is interested. So far I am getting to do all that I want to do, so life is pretty good. There are 158 of us, after all...someone has to be interested in what is going on! I know I need to get to Yokohama at some point, but think that if I go, it won't be until the last week and that is if I have enough money. Tokyo is pretty expensive. I did manage to score two JFMF t-shirts today for 200 yen ($2), so that was cool. I asked for one but they gave me two. I love a good bargain. We were also presented with two Japanese storybooks today (in English, with Japanese translation). Very cool.
After the seminars ended, I came upstairs and changed quickly and headed back down to meet up with the crew interested in going to Disney. Since I had been on the subway, and since Disney was my idea, I was elected unofficial group leader and had the responsibility of getting everyone to the park. That meant teaching others how to buy tickets, read subway maps, figure out the right line to get on, how to transfer to other lines, and where to get tickets at the park. It got a little frustrating, but I managed. There were 15 of us, so it was a good crowd to watch over, plus we were at the beginning of rush hour, so it was crowded. My whole idea was that I would get you there, but you were responsible for getting back home. You just reverse the directions. However, once we made it to the park, it was decided that we would wait and go together. Ehh. Whatever. It didn't really matter because I was now at Disney and I was happy (a common occurrence). We walked around DisneySea for around 4 hours. It wasn't crowded at all...in fact, we never waited more than 5 minutes to get on a ride. The only problem was that there is not a lot of signage in the park, unlike at Disney World, so we kept getting turned around. Luckily we were a smaller group by that point, and my group was pretty cool about getting confused a lot (thanks to Mariellen, Rebecca, Kathy, and Kathy!). The Indiana Jones ride was fantastic! He spoke Japanese though, which was weird. In fact, all the rides were narrated in Japanese, so we never really knew what was going on. It was an interesting lesson of things being lost in translation!
We did some shopping, and I was a little disappointed to not find Minnie Mouse in a kimono. In fact, the souvenirs there were a little strange. Lots of washcloths (huge gift in Japan), cell phone charms (you clip them on your phone), and boxes of candy. Want a magnet? You're out of luck. Just randomness in the gift shops. I did get a souvenir popcorn bucket...popcorn there was in all kinds of flavors...strawberry, chocolate, sea salt, etc...I had the black pepper and it was pretty tasty. By this point, I was pretty cranky and tired, and my feet were in serious bad shape. We hopped back on the train and settled in for our one-hour trip back to the hotel. Some of us decided to go to McDonald's when we got back. We hadn't eaten dinner, and we were honestly craving some good American food, and only McDonald's could satisfy that. Unfortunately, the stupid sign outside said that they were open 24 hours, but they just happened to be closed. It truly was not good. I could have cried! I was starving, in pain, and I really wanted a double cheeseburger (by the way, no sweet tea here...and my close second, the Diet Coke, is also hard to find). We ended up stopping in the 7-11, where I bought some weird sandwich and thankfully, the first Diet Coke I have seen here. I came back to the room and crashed immediately. My feet still hurt this morning, but it isn't anything a few ibuprofen won't help. I'll write about today later on tonight (it's 7:00am Friday as I write this...you guys are probably watching the evening news for Thursday right about now, or at least you should be). Talk to you later!
We took a taxi from the hotel to the fish market. It was around 5:00am, so the subway wasn't running yet, so a taxi was the only option. Taxis here are pretty neat. When they pull up to let you in, the driver opens the door automatically using a lever inside the car. It felt very Night Rider-ish. The cabbie didnt' speak any English (apparently this is universal), so the bellman at the hotel told him where we wanted to go. From that point, we were at the mercy of the cab driver. It took us about 15 minutes and 1700 yen total to get there...that's around $17 or so. He was pretty reckless, so it was nice to get there. However, we had a slight crisis when we arrived because the cabbie dropped us off at the Tsukiji metro stop (the subway) and not the actual market. We had a 10-15 minute walk. It wasn't bad, but it was very busy and very crowded.
You would think that a fish market would smell fishy, but there was none of that. This is an extremely fresh market, and fresh fish doesn't stink. Fish are flown in here or shipped in from all over the world, and there were many varieties. We strolled through the market vending areas first. If you don't like the sight of blood, this would not have been the place for you. Eel was especially bloddy and nasty. To tell you the truth, the market is a bit disgusting. Everywhere you look someone is hacking into some piece of fish, and it was scary. There were knives everywhere! On top of that, there are motorized carts all over the place. I also got to see a live tuna auction, which was definitely entertaining and pretty cool. What you have to remember is that the fish market is a work environment; it is definitely not for tourists. As such, the guys driving the carts or pulling handcarts will run over/into you, and not care. And that is their right...this is there place of employment! They daily have to deal with a bunch of gawking tourists. I felt really bad about it, and was aware the entire time that maybe I shouldn't be there. It seems that most tourists are pretty inconsiderate too. I think the whole thing kind of made me sad and a little frustrated at how most of us don't think about what is going on around us. Anyway, here's a shot of some interesting stuff I found:
We took the subway back (my navigation skills were right on, but I did double check and ask if I had it right...we were pretty far from the hotel and I didn't want to mess things up). I came up and changed, and tried not to think about the fishy nastiness on the soles of my shoes. Sick. I had Japanese breakfast again. I am getting reaaly good at chopsticks, and can even pick up single grains of rice now. We had a series of sessions today on the Japanese education system, economy, and government. Most of you would have been bored beyond belief. It wasn't bad, but got a little tedious after a while. We've been moving so much that it was hard to sit still all day. The feet were happy though.
We have a bulletin board set up near our meeting rooms so that we can post notes on where we are going/would like to go and see if anyone else is interested. So far I am getting to do all that I want to do, so life is pretty good. There are 158 of us, after all...someone has to be interested in what is going on! I know I need to get to Yokohama at some point, but think that if I go, it won't be until the last week and that is if I have enough money. Tokyo is pretty expensive. I did manage to score two JFMF t-shirts today for 200 yen ($2), so that was cool. I asked for one but they gave me two. I love a good bargain. We were also presented with two Japanese storybooks today (in English, with Japanese translation). Very cool.
After the seminars ended, I came upstairs and changed quickly and headed back down to meet up with the crew interested in going to Disney. Since I had been on the subway, and since Disney was my idea, I was elected unofficial group leader and had the responsibility of getting everyone to the park. That meant teaching others how to buy tickets, read subway maps, figure out the right line to get on, how to transfer to other lines, and where to get tickets at the park. It got a little frustrating, but I managed. There were 15 of us, so it was a good crowd to watch over, plus we were at the beginning of rush hour, so it was crowded. My whole idea was that I would get you there, but you were responsible for getting back home. You just reverse the directions. However, once we made it to the park, it was decided that we would wait and go together. Ehh. Whatever. It didn't really matter because I was now at Disney and I was happy (a common occurrence). We walked around DisneySea for around 4 hours. It wasn't crowded at all...in fact, we never waited more than 5 minutes to get on a ride. The only problem was that there is not a lot of signage in the park, unlike at Disney World, so we kept getting turned around. Luckily we were a smaller group by that point, and my group was pretty cool about getting confused a lot (thanks to Mariellen, Rebecca, Kathy, and Kathy!). The Indiana Jones ride was fantastic! He spoke Japanese though, which was weird. In fact, all the rides were narrated in Japanese, so we never really knew what was going on. It was an interesting lesson of things being lost in translation!
We did some shopping, and I was a little disappointed to not find Minnie Mouse in a kimono. In fact, the souvenirs there were a little strange. Lots of washcloths (huge gift in Japan), cell phone charms (you clip them on your phone), and boxes of candy. Want a magnet? You're out of luck. Just randomness in the gift shops. I did get a souvenir popcorn bucket...popcorn there was in all kinds of flavors...strawberry, chocolate, sea salt, etc...I had the black pepper and it was pretty tasty. By this point, I was pretty cranky and tired, and my feet were in serious bad shape. We hopped back on the train and settled in for our one-hour trip back to the hotel. Some of us decided to go to McDonald's when we got back. We hadn't eaten dinner, and we were honestly craving some good American food, and only McDonald's could satisfy that. Unfortunately, the stupid sign outside said that they were open 24 hours, but they just happened to be closed. It truly was not good. I could have cried! I was starving, in pain, and I really wanted a double cheeseburger (by the way, no sweet tea here...and my close second, the Diet Coke, is also hard to find). We ended up stopping in the 7-11, where I bought some weird sandwich and thankfully, the first Diet Coke I have seen here. I came back to the room and crashed immediately. My feet still hurt this morning, but it isn't anything a few ibuprofen won't help. I'll write about today later on tonight (it's 7:00am Friday as I write this...you guys are probably watching the evening news for Thursday right about now, or at least you should be). Talk to you later!
Beaten down by Mickey D's
Long long long long day. It's 11:46pm Thursday here and I am exhausted, but wanted to post a quick update. I will fill it in later with my witty words and thoughts.
What I Did Today
1. At 5:00 am, went to the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market. Came close to death too many times. There were mean looking men wielding knives.
2. Ate Japanese breakfast again. Just as tasty as yesterday.
3. Sat through three lectures on education in Japan, the economy in Japan, and the government in Japan. Pretty interesting, but long to sit through.
4. Managed to lead 15 people through the subways of Tokyo to get to Disneyland. Without getting lost. Most excellent.
5. Spent 4 hours wandering around DisneySea. I ate black pepper popcorn and drank green tea. Very strange.
6. After getting off subway near hotel, a group of us decided to go to McDonald's. There is one a few blocks from our hotel that is open 24 hours. It was closed. Closed. 24 hours my rear end.
7. Considered taking a nice long soak in the bathtub, but the probabillity of me dying by drowning due to falling asleep in the tub is 98%.
I'm going to bed. My body is pretty ticked off at me right now.
What I Did Today
1. At 5:00 am, went to the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market. Came close to death too many times. There were mean looking men wielding knives.
2. Ate Japanese breakfast again. Just as tasty as yesterday.
3. Sat through three lectures on education in Japan, the economy in Japan, and the government in Japan. Pretty interesting, but long to sit through.
4. Managed to lead 15 people through the subways of Tokyo to get to Disneyland. Without getting lost. Most excellent.
5. Spent 4 hours wandering around DisneySea. I ate black pepper popcorn and drank green tea. Very strange.
6. After getting off subway near hotel, a group of us decided to go to McDonald's. There is one a few blocks from our hotel that is open 24 hours. It was closed. Closed. 24 hours my rear end.
7. Considered taking a nice long soak in the bathtub, but the probabillity of me dying by drowning due to falling asleep in the tub is 98%.
I'm going to bed. My body is pretty ticked off at me right now.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
No, really, I like walking...
First off: today, it was hot. I mean, hot. I wore a sweater. I am a moron.
I woke up this morning at 5:00, even though they told us our bodies would naturally wake us up at 3:30 or so. My body was being non-compliant again, as per usual, so I got to sleep in. I worked on the webpage some. Loading pictures there is taking a while, and is frustrating, so I am going to have to ask you to be patient with that. There must be an easier way to do it, but I haven't figured it out yet. Same with the videos...I'll get to it, but that may have to wait until I get to Sanyo-Onoda and have free internet.
I decided to try the Japanese breakfast this morning, and have decided that American breakfasts may not pass through my lists while I am here. It was fantastic. Now, not by any means would I call this a usual breakfast. Here is what I had:
1. Rice
2. Miso soup
3. Stir fried wild mushrooms
4. Pickled vegetables
5. Steamed dumpling
6. A meat/protein plate containing salmon, egg, meatball, some slimy stuff I didn't eat but did try (nasty)
7. Green tea
It truly was remarkable. We then had a short seminar (one hour) that served as a brief orientation to the program and also answered some lingering questions. We then boarded our busses and went sightseeing.
Our first stop was the House of Representatives of Japan's Parliament. Very neat building, but we mainly walked through it without much description. We climbed a LOT of stairs. A LOT. Back to the busses and off to Akasaka, where Japan's oldest Buddhist temple is located. We ate a tempura lunch, which was pretty tasty as well (it seems that all of the food has been great so far...a few oddities every now and then, but good overall). We had:
1. Tempura of shrimp, whitefish, green pepper, and a vegetable omelet tempura
2. Rice (of course)
3. Pickled plums (words can't describe how good this was)
4. A tangerine-like fruit
5. Miso soup
6. Green tea
7. Salad with tomato and cucumbers, but oddly no dressing
We were then set free for some shopping in the area surrounding the temple. It was crazy packed! This temple was originally built around 600 years ago when an image of the goddess Kannon appeared in that area. This image is normally kept under wraps to protect it, but this year (or this day - not sure which) it can be seen by the public. I didn't take a picture of it because people were there worshipping and I think that it is a little disrespectful to take pictures of them as they are praying. I had my fortune read, and it was bad, so I followed protocol and tied it on a rack near the fortunes and got another one, which was an average fortune. I bought some souvenirs, ate sweet potato ice cream (tastes like pumpkin), got mad at a vending machine when no matter what I did, it would not give me a Coke (a Japanese guy sitting nearby found this hilarious and he kept laughing...I finally gave up and bought a water), and took lots of pictures. We headed back to the hotel, and had to immediately change into professional attire for a presentation on kyogen theater. I took a video, so will hopefully be able to get that uploaded soon. It was a little bizarre, but after you got used to the voices, it was fine (not the ones in my head, the actors' voices). I then strolled around the garden at the hotel, and came up here to blog a little. We have our welcome reception in about an hour, so I need to get ready for that now! It has been a fun day so far, but I am BEAT!
With the sweet potato ice cream!
Shaking the can for my fortune
You get a little stick that has a number on it, then you find the corresponding number on a drawer, open it, and pull out your fortune. Mine was the worst, a Bad Fortune!
To get rid of the bad luck, you tie it to a wire and go back for another! I got a Regular Fortune the second time!
I'll get more pictures posted as soon as I can!
I woke up this morning at 5:00, even though they told us our bodies would naturally wake us up at 3:30 or so. My body was being non-compliant again, as per usual, so I got to sleep in. I worked on the webpage some. Loading pictures there is taking a while, and is frustrating, so I am going to have to ask you to be patient with that. There must be an easier way to do it, but I haven't figured it out yet. Same with the videos...I'll get to it, but that may have to wait until I get to Sanyo-Onoda and have free internet.
I decided to try the Japanese breakfast this morning, and have decided that American breakfasts may not pass through my lists while I am here. It was fantastic. Now, not by any means would I call this a usual breakfast. Here is what I had:
1. Rice
2. Miso soup
3. Stir fried wild mushrooms
4. Pickled vegetables
5. Steamed dumpling
6. A meat/protein plate containing salmon, egg, meatball, some slimy stuff I didn't eat but did try (nasty)
7. Green tea
It truly was remarkable. We then had a short seminar (one hour) that served as a brief orientation to the program and also answered some lingering questions. We then boarded our busses and went sightseeing.
Our first stop was the House of Representatives of Japan's Parliament. Very neat building, but we mainly walked through it without much description. We climbed a LOT of stairs. A LOT. Back to the busses and off to Akasaka, where Japan's oldest Buddhist temple is located. We ate a tempura lunch, which was pretty tasty as well (it seems that all of the food has been great so far...a few oddities every now and then, but good overall). We had:
1. Tempura of shrimp, whitefish, green pepper, and a vegetable omelet tempura
2. Rice (of course)
3. Pickled plums (words can't describe how good this was)
4. A tangerine-like fruit
5. Miso soup
6. Green tea
7. Salad with tomato and cucumbers, but oddly no dressing
We were then set free for some shopping in the area surrounding the temple. It was crazy packed! This temple was originally built around 600 years ago when an image of the goddess Kannon appeared in that area. This image is normally kept under wraps to protect it, but this year (or this day - not sure which) it can be seen by the public. I didn't take a picture of it because people were there worshipping and I think that it is a little disrespectful to take pictures of them as they are praying. I had my fortune read, and it was bad, so I followed protocol and tied it on a rack near the fortunes and got another one, which was an average fortune. I bought some souvenirs, ate sweet potato ice cream (tastes like pumpkin), got mad at a vending machine when no matter what I did, it would not give me a Coke (a Japanese guy sitting nearby found this hilarious and he kept laughing...I finally gave up and bought a water), and took lots of pictures. We headed back to the hotel, and had to immediately change into professional attire for a presentation on kyogen theater. I took a video, so will hopefully be able to get that uploaded soon. It was a little bizarre, but after you got used to the voices, it was fine (not the ones in my head, the actors' voices). I then strolled around the garden at the hotel, and came up here to blog a little. We have our welcome reception in about an hour, so I need to get ready for that now! It has been a fun day so far, but I am BEAT!
With the sweet potato ice cream!
Shaking the can for my fortune
You get a little stick that has a number on it, then you find the corresponding number on a drawer, open it, and pull out your fortune. Mine was the worst, a Bad Fortune!
To get rid of the bad luck, you tie it to a wire and go back for another! I got a Regular Fortune the second time!
I'll get more pictures posted as soon as I can!
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