oh ojima
After another tiring bus trip back to Sanjo I showered and repacked for another trip with my favorite school, Ojima. The trip was to an area called Myoko Mountain and the place we visited is basically a outdoors facility that reminded me a lot of being back in Minnesota. Of course we had to take another bus but at least the students were really excited to be going on a trip for a couple days and so was I. Together with one of the other teachers, I rode on the first grade bus for the drive out there and joked around with the students. Once we got there, everyone got lunch at the cafeteria buffet. I was amazed that one of my students could out eat me, which is unbelievable for how small they are. Anyway they had team building games all afternoon and all the teachers walked around to watch the students. Later we had dinner and free time. We played a Japanese card game called hanafuda. Then later I taught them slap jack and Egyptian rat screw.
That evening we played, what can only be described as, dry curling. Take away the ice and the brooms to get a general picture of what we were doing. I was on a team but found out that I was really bad at it because of how tall I am. That was okay because my teammates were pretty good, we still took last though. Afterwards a teacher that switched schools in April came by and all the teachers had a little party. It was fun but between the translating I had been doing in Kyoto and the energy used up during the day, I was fried! Everyone seemed a bit tired so we headed to bed kind early at one in the morning.
In the morning I was awoken by the sounds of students who had apparently gotten up around 5:30. We cleaned out the rooms and got some breakfast before the mornings activities. It turned out that we were doing orienteering that morning, basically a map with numbers and trails. I wanted to partake so I asked one group if I could join and somehow ended up being with two groups that merged together. We had a good time trekking around the woods for a couple hours and managed to find everyone of the markers taking first place together. It was a blast! Everyone got one last lunch before the closing ceremony and the bus ride home. Most of the students slept a bit, myself included, and we got to see the third graders, who didn't go, when we returned. It was great to be with my students outside of class for a couple of days and it made me realize how much I am going to miss Ojima when I go home in less than a month.
temple treks
A few days later and I was back with my parents. It was also my last trip down to Southern Honshu before I head home. Since it was my parents first time to the region and my last the trip was packed with things to do. I arrived via the overnight bus into Kyoto at around six in the morning and checked myself into the hotel. In the process I accidentally woke up my parents but we had a long day so it was good get the head start. The first place we went together was Hiroshima. For those of you who skipped history throughout your schooling years, it is where the first atomic bomb was dropped during World War II. After reading through some of the materials there, I found out that Niigata was one of the cities chosen as a potential bomb site, which was a little eerie.
After spending all morning in the Peace Park and museum we headed to a small garden in Hiroshima called Shukkien. I had never been there before but it was amazingly serene and beautiful. We grabbed a quick lunch before taking the train and ferry to nearby Miyajima Island. There is a famous torii gate, a prominent symbol in Shintoism, along with Itsukushima Shrine, known as the floating shrine. Last time I visited the tide had been in so the shrine appeared to be floating. However, this time the shrine felt a little barren with the tide out. That still did not take away from the beauty of either the shrine or the torii gate. On our way back to Kyoto from a long day, my friend April emailed me so we could meet up in Kobe. The city seems like a cool place but it never really impresses me when I go there. We went to see some jazz and get a bite to eat only to find that they were done playing by the time we got there. Instead we got some dinner at an okonomiyaki restaurant and caught the last train to Kyoto.
The next morning was early again but this time we were off to Nara, the land of deer. First we went to the massive Todaiji Shrine to see one of the three biggest buddha's in all of Japan. Luckily we beat the rush of tourists and had a relatively peaceful stroll through the park and shrine. Inside the shrine is a pillar with a hole that people climb through for good luck. Naturally my mom and I tried it. Some high school kid saw me doing it so he helped me through, which was nice because getting stuck wouldn't have been very much fun. Afterwards it was to Kasuga Shrine which is famous for its abundance of stone lanterns. We also got some fortunes from the shrine which all turned out to be very good so we kept them.
For the afternoon it was back to Kyoto. To start off we headed to Ginkakuji, or Silver Pavillion. Apparently they were supposed to leaf the main building in silver but never quite got around to it. However, the surrounding garden was gorgeous and more the highlight of the shrine. Sadly it was pretty crowded and we had a couple more places to go so we didn't stay very long. Next we went to Sanjusangendo, which houses 1001 Buddhist statues. It was the great surprise of the trip because I had never been there and just happened to hear about it. Sadly we couldn't take pictures of the statues but it was amazing. Finally we headed to Kiyomizudera, translated into the temple of pure water. Once there my parents both walked safely between the two love stones with their eyes closed which means the person has a true love. I on the other hand opted against trying it this time around. Then we took a drink from the pure water that comes from a spring in the shrine and gives good health to those that drink it. The day was quite long so we called it an early night after grabbing some dinner in kiyamachi, the local restaurant and bar area.
Of course I over slept the next morning so we ended up taking a taxi to Ryoanji, which has a famous rock garden. Somehow we managed to beat the rush again and got some peaceful minutes of meditation. Then the school kids came in and we decided to migrate around the surrounding gardens and pond. After we went to Kinkakuji, known as the Golden Pavillion. Thankfully the emperor at the time followed through with leafing this shrine in gold but it also started raining once we arrived. It was still as gorgeous as last time I was there and I am glad my parents got to see it. Despite the rain, the rest of the day was spent shopping, walking, and eating. Basically a laid back afternoon before I met up with Blaine for a couple hours that night to catch up. Our paths might not cross for a while so I am glad I got to see him for a while. Then I said goodbye to my parents and caught the night bus back to Niigata for a school trip the next morning. Things never seem to slow down around here.
the rents
Finally some visitors from home! My parents made the trek across the Pacific on Wednesday of last week. After 12 hours of flying to see me we got to take the hour long train into Tokyo and then the 2 hour shinkansen (bullet train) to Niigata. Makes me think of the trip home and how it is going to be one long ass day! Once we arrived in Sanjo I took them to their hotel and we grabbed some dinner before I let them get some sleep. Sadly the next couple of days I had work during the day so, with the help of some English maps and vague directions from me, my parents set off on their own. They only got lost a few times, from what they told me, but they managed fine without me. At night we had dinner and just caught up in general.
Friday afternoons I don't have work so I took them to one of my favorite ramen shops for lunch and then we headed to the Sanjo country side. Yes, there actually is nature in Sanjo. I was definitely surprised to learn this myself, ten months after I arrived here. In my defense, it is in the recently merged area of Shitada. There were some gorgeous cliffs and a cool damn but more just a scenic drive. The only mistake of the afternoon was trying to find this scenic outlook which turned out being just one big hike into the forest. After that we headed back to get ready for an enkai (drinking party) I had planned, with the help of my teachers, for my parents. Lots of my Japanese teachers and good friends came to drink, eat, and be merry. I sincerely doubt my parents were ready for the party, despite my explainations, but they took it in stride and it was a fantastic party.
Bright and early the next day we took the shinkansen to Shiozawa, where my homestay is located, so my parents could meet the family I have been staying with since when I studied abroad in Tokyo. It was quite the humbling experience for my parents who where not used to being bowed at so many times. Asuka, the daughter and good friend, and I played translators all afternoon while we ate lunch for about four hours. Again, my parents were shocked at how much food kept coming from the kitchen even though I warned them. My dad has taken a liking to sake (rice wine) so we went to Echigo-Yuzawa Station where there is a wall of sake for tasting. Sadly, shortly after we got there they closed but we still managed to all try about five different kinds of sake. After that my family walked away with three big bottles of sake, one from my homestay and two that were bought at the station. The afternoon of translating completely drained me so I headed back to my apartment to relax once we got back to Sanjo.
The following day we met Melissa for lunch at the Maki Winery. It was a set menu and the food was amazing. Afterwards we took a walk around the garden before doing some wine tasting. Luckily it was a gorgeous day, despite it being rainy season. Then it was off to Mount Yahiko to see the Yahiko shrine and the view from the top of the mountain. By the time we returned to the bottom it was time for dinner so we got some famous Komadori miso ramen back in Maki. After stuffing our faces with the huge gyoza (potstickers) and talking with some random Japanese people next to us, it was time to try out the onsen (hot springs). Sadly, I couldn't help my mom out much since the genders are seperate but she seemed to have survived. It was so relaxing but a little to hot for my parents.
Once Monday came around my parents were on their own again because of work. However, on Tuesday I got to take them to my favorite school with me, Ojima Junior High School. It was fun because my parents got to see what a good day at work was like. We had five classes and ate lunch with the students. One of my teachers from Ojima had mentioned that there would be someone from the Niigata newspaper at class but I honestly had thought he was joking. Well, he wasn't and a man came to the first years class to take pictures and did an interview with my family afterwards. The article was printed in Thurdays paper. One of the assignments for my students was to write letters to my parents and my principal gave them each a gift before leaving. My parents got a truely unique experience and I am glad they got to see what I have been doing all year. That school is one of the reasons I wanted to stay and if I could have been at that school everyday I wouldn't be going home next month.
Tuesday morning I sent them on their way to Kyoto and I will join them Friday morning. I am assuming that everything is okay since I have not gotten a call from them. It is kind of odd being the one to worry about how they are doing but I am sure they are having fun.
time warp
It was reunion time for my study abroad group in Tokyo this previous weekend. Our director Dave Bennetts, his daughter Courtney, Tom, Aaron, Dan, Katie, and I were all in Tokyo to spend the weekend in our old dormitory. We were also joined by some close friends from Bunkyo University, the college we attended in Japan, and friends from home. The reason for the reunion is that we are all teaching English in Japan, including Dave who is teaching his annual month long summer class at Bunkyo. We were the first group to do a semester at Bunkyo University through our college and the first guys to attend Bunkyo Univeristy before they turned co-ed so naturally we were the first group to return to Japan as English teachers.
We were all getting in at kind of random times so I just took the bus down from Niigata before catching the subway to the dorm. On the way there I bought some welcome back beers at the nearby 7-eleven and found myself ringing the doorbell. It was possibly the first time I have walked past the windows of the dormitory when all the lights were off and that was going to change. Turns out I woke Lindsey up from her nap but that was alright because within minutes Katie, Dave, Courtney, Courtney's boyfriend Brad, and Mayu all came in. It was coincidence that we all ended up there at the same time but we cracked open the beers and let the festivities begin. Some of our old teachers were supposed to join us a little later so we got dinner at a nearby semi-fancy Chinese restaurant before hitting up our old liquor store. One of our old advisors came, Michiyo, as did some of our Japanese friends so we took some time to sit around and drink before heading out for the night. At that point Aaron had joined us so we walked to Ueno to catch a glance at the world cup. It was the first match of the tournament, Germany vs Costa Rica, at the Pub. We all got a pint and hit a wall while watching the match. Despite the amusing falling over drunk German we decided to call it a night.
The next day we got up with nothing in particular to do. First we went to Shinjuku so Lindsey could catch the amazing view from the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building before heading towards the Tokyo Hyatt to see if we could grab a drink at the bar. On the way up we realized that we were probably slightly under dressed for the occasion but decided to check it out anyway because we all had closed toe shoes on, I do learn eventually. Sadly the bar didn't open until five and the restaurant was booked for the day. Instead, there was a restaurant in Roppongi I was itching to try so we headed that way for the day. In the movie Kill Bill volume 1 there is a restaurant that a massive battle between Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu happens. Gonpachi, the restaurant we had our great lunch at, was used as a model for that fighting scene. The atmosphere was old Japan but the food was definitely more contemporary with a price that was worth every bite. After lunch we headed back to relax before a reunion party that night.
For the party the foreigners cooked the food, which consisted of lots of curry and rice. Our neighbors, one of which happens to be the president of our University, came over to eat and even brought some sushi. Along with plenty of Japanese and Americans the meal was a success. It was awesome to see all the old faces even though it felt a little strange being there again. That evening we all headed to an old watering hole of ours, Gas Panic. A couple drinks later we decided to split up. One group headed home, another to karaoke, and some of us went dancing. Lindsey, Aaron, and I all went dancing for a few hours before it got a little too crowded so we went to TGIFridays for a late night snack. We were drained afterwards so we caught a cab and headed back to the dorm.
Around noon the next day we all managed to crawl out of bed and get ready for the day. Some people wanted to see the crazy people at Harajuku so we went there before entering the Meiji Shrine. It was drizzling most of the day but we still managed to look around and take some pictures before one final meal at the dormitory. After eating some noodles, made by Dave, Lindsey and I had to catch the train and head home. The bus ride back to Niigata was kind of long but the weekend was definitely worth it. It is amazing experience going back to a place when people are at completely different points in their lives.
drunken octopus flying
One of the only things that my city, Sanjo, is known for kites. Once a year these massive kites, around 8 feet tall, battle by the river. Each kite represents a team and, from what I could gather, teams get points by cutting other teams ropes or causing another kite to fall. Either way there is lots of screaming and running around. Luckily it was a gorgeous day with plenty of wind to keep things interesting.
I went to the festival with my friend Makiko and who, despite being Japanese and living in Sanjo her whole life, had about as much of a clue as I did. That afternoon I decided to buy a smaller version of the same kites but you can see how well that went. Apparently this area is known for its hexagonal shaped kites and I don't know if anywhere else in the world has them. The name for kite is tako which also means octopus in Japanese but I have no idea why they call it that and neither did any of the Japanese people I asked. In any case, it was a relaxing and fun afternoon before the night out in Maki.
After the kite festival I caught a ride to Maki where a group of us were heading a local brewery, called Ichigo Beer. We all met at Maki station where a bus was waiting to take us to the brewery. It was a quaint place that ended up having a night light beer and good cuisine. Immediately we felt like home when the beer came out in pitchers and we wasted no time in beginning to drink. The beer kept flowing and the food kept coming. We ate everything from cheese and crackers to mountain vegetables to meatballs. Once our ninety minutes were up, everyone headed to karaoke where we sang and were happy until the night came to a close. I even got to sleep in my own bed thanks to a sober cab. Another low key weekend was just what I needed before the ensuing chaos of my time in Japan.
