This past weekend I went to visit Mt Fuji. I went with four other JETs. On saturday morning, we boarded a bus at Hamamatsucho train station. Then drove through Tokyo and out towards Mt Fuji. It is only meant to be an hour and a half drive but we drove for over three hours. Turns out that we were travelling with many Japanese who were out enjoying the last weekend before school goes back. Anyway, we finally made it to lunch. Which was at a hotel across from an amusement park. The view was really awesome. Behind the huge and i mean huge roller coaster was Mt Fuji. We couldnt see the summit all the time because there were clouds covering it. Our Japanese lunch was really good and just what we needed after so long in the bus.
4th Station of Mt Fuji
The first thing that we did was to drive in the bus up to the 4th station of Mt Fuji. There are 10 stations in total but the last one you can drive to is the 5th one. Then you have to climb. The best time to climb is overnight so you can see the famous fuji sunrise. The air was so nice and cool here and after the weather in Tokyo was very refreshing. It was really beautiful with the clouds and mist all around us. We couldn't see anything down below because we were up in the clouds.
Hakone Ropeway
Next we took a 20 min ride on the ropeway, also called a gondola ride. Bascially, a ride in a fairly big capsule. The view was really great. We couldn't see Mt Fuji but had a great view of Lake Ashi (one of the five fuji lakes) and the town of Hakone. Once at the top we could see many cracks in the mountain with steam coming out of them. And a place where they mine sulphur to put in the Onsen (hot spring/open air baths).
Boat Cruise on Lake Ashi
This was only a short cruise but it was really beautiful. The wind was blowing and was actually cool. We went past a red torii gate in the water that shows the entrance to a Shinto shrine. The mountains were surrounding the lake and it was a really relaxing time.
Saturday night
After that we were dropped off at our hotel and left to our own devices. Our hotel was nice and our room was right near the open air bath. We went out to dinner at a Japanese resturant in the shopping plaza in Hakone. We were definately in the country. Everything was basically closed which was nice because it was very quiet and peaceful. Just like in Alice Springs when everything slows at night. Where i live nothing slows down because we are so close to Tokyo. Also one of the nicest things about the whole trip was how quiet Hakone was at night. No noisy bugs other than some crickets. There are millions of ciacadas where i live which i am now used to but didn't realise how nice the quiet was. For dinner, I had a Japanese set dinner with grilled prawns, fish and scallops, rice, miso soup, veges and a salad. For dessert there was rockmelon/cantelope. It was a huge meal but very yummy.
Then we headed back to the hotel to go to the open air bath. I thought it was gonna be weird to be naked in front of strangers and my friends. But Megan, Kara and I went in giggling and then felt bad because these ladies looked at us funny. We stripped off and then went to wash our bodies. You have to wash yourself really well before going into an Onsen (hot spring/bath) or open air bath. Basically, you sit on a little stool in front of a shower head attached to a hose and wash yourself. There is body wash and shampoo/conditioner provided for you. I think we were supossed to bring a big towel from our room and use the little (hand towel size) towel to cover yourself. Cause all the other women had bigger towels. Then we also realised that we should have woren our yukata (summer kimono/robe) because it was yucky to put our sweaty clothes back on afterwards.
Kara, Megan and I got into the hot open air bath and it was wonderful. I almost forgot that i was naked. It was actually a really nice experience.
Sunday
I got up earlier than the others to have a good look around the hotel grounds. I went down to the private dock and had a look around and a feel of the water. It was humid already but at least abit cooler than here in Tokyo. Then I went and had a nice breaky in the hotel and then headed off to explore Hakone.
Komagatake Ropeway
This was the ropeway right near our hotel. I went up and found that there was a Shinto shrine up there with a torii gate. I also met a man and his parents who were visiting from the next prefecture over. He is a teacher as well and so is his mum. So they offered to show me around their town and he is going to take me on a hike up in the hills near Nikko. It was a short walk to the shrine but i am glad that i went. The walk is a loop which goes from the ropeway station to the shrine and then past the original ropeway station and then along the ridge. Couldnt see Mt Fuji but the view was really great. I could see Lake Ashi and the surrounding mountains. Then i headed back down the mountain.
Aquarium
Here i got to see lots of really great tropical fish. One of the areas had a huge ship in it that looked like a sunken pirate ship. The fish and rays etc all swan around it. There was a shark tank which was really cool. There was an area with Penguins and i mean big ones. Like the ones that they have on Antarctica. There there was a seal tank and one type looked really weird. There were also pirahna and an electric eel.
Rest of the arvo
I went and had a nice curry lunch then to a great craft place to make somethings. Can't say what they are because they are presents. And then i went to the Onsen at the other end of the hotel complex. This one was also open air but there was a great view of Lake Ashi and the mountains. Very relaxing. You also have to wash before you go in etc etc. There are lockers to put your stuff into and once you get out there are face washing lotions etc and hairdryers etc so that you can look good when you leave. I also had a really good massage. All i remember is thinking focus on the music and then the next thing was the lady saying that we were done. I fell asleep which was so good and my back and shoulders felt much better afterwards.
We took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo and then headed home.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Finally registered as an Alien in Japan.....and got a Keitai (mobile)
On the 21st, Mario and I went to meet our supervisor at city hall to collect our Gaijin card (alien rego). Then we headed to the bank to get an account and then to get a mobile. Gee, these things are really complicated in Japan. If your name isn't written in Katakana and English then you have to refill in the form at the bank. Also if your name isn't written EXACTLY the same as on your gaijin card or passport then you have to write it again. And i mean exactly, as in Tubbenhauer Laura Louise is what it says on my passport. And i wrote Laura Louise Tubbenhauer. NEW FORM!!!!!!!!!!
However, one interesting thing i did learn at the bank is that you have to write your bday in Japanese years. So i was born on the 15/8/1982 but in Japan i was born on the 15/8/57. I am so old. lol.
The mobiles took forever...we sat there for about one hour as Morita sensei talked in really fast Japanese to the sales lady. I had a sore head afterwards. Finally, we got all the forms signed and then we had to wait an hour for them to register the phones. So we went to get our internet worked out. Then to Starbucks to have a coffee.
Once Mario and i got our mobiles we couldn't stop opening them. So exciting.
Interestingly, they don't have sms here in Japan. We each have an email address on our mobile and that is how you message each other.
However, one interesting thing i did learn at the bank is that you have to write your bday in Japanese years. So i was born on the 15/8/1982 but in Japan i was born on the 15/8/57. I am so old. lol.
The mobiles took forever...we sat there for about one hour as Morita sensei talked in really fast Japanese to the sales lady. I had a sore head afterwards. Finally, we got all the forms signed and then we had to wait an hour for them to register the phones. So we went to get our internet worked out. Then to Starbucks to have a coffee.
Once Mario and i got our mobiles we couldn't stop opening them. So exciting.
Interestingly, they don't have sms here in Japan. We each have an email address on our mobile and that is how you message each other.
Australia makes the front of the Japanese newspaper.
I woke up on Thursday and went to my door to collect my newspapers and boy was i surprised to see that the main headline was "For Aborigines, law feels like a violation". It is all about the new laws that Federal Parliament passed a couple days ago. There is a photo of Papunya on the front and one of the 9 Aborgines that walked out of the desert in 1934 and saw white people for the first time.
It is actually a really good article. Good coverage of both sides and article isn't written for political gain. When i was talking to mum on Thursday, she said that the article was really up-to-date because some of the info in it was only made public on Thurs morning.
The photo made me abit homesick because of the beautiful hills in the background of the photo and the red dirt.
Anyone who wants a copy please let me know and i will photocopy it for you.
It is actually a really good article. Good coverage of both sides and article isn't written for political gain. When i was talking to mum on Thursday, she said that the article was really up-to-date because some of the info in it was only made public on Thurs morning.
The photo made me abit homesick because of the beautiful hills in the background of the photo and the red dirt.
Anyone who wants a copy please let me know and i will photocopy it for you.
Kamakura Walking Tour - stupid idea in August in Japan (way way way hot and humid)
On the 20th i went on a walking tour through one of the companies in Tokyo. The day didn't start out too well as i was late getting to my pick up point and missed my pick up. Luckily here in Japan, there are Koban or police boxes everywhere and so i went there and asked them to ring the company. I didn't have my Keitai (mobile) by then so i explained that to the police officer. But i obviously didnt do a very good job because he thought i meant my keitai and gaijin (alien rego) card were stolen on a tour yesterday. Anyway, with some broken English and Japanese we worked it out. I then had to take a $30 taxi ride to the next pick up place. Which i didn't mind because it was nice to be back in a car again. Strange how that feels different even though i have only been here just under a month.
The tour started when we boarded a train to Kamakura. We had to change a couple times but the longest ride was 50 mins. It was really nice to be around English speakers again. Once we got to Kamakura we went to Hase Kannon Temple. I learnt today that Temples are for Buddhism and Shrines are got Shintoism.
Hase Kannon Temple
There was a huge Kannon statue (9.18m) with one big head and eleven smaller ones. The Kannon is the goddess of Mercy in Buddhism. The eleven smaller ones have different facial experessions. These eleven heads signiy that the deity listens to the wishes of all different types of people and at all times of the year. There is a smaller statue at the bottom of it because before electricity was invented they lit candles around the smaller one so that worshippers who visited at night could see what the Kannon looks like. I also got a view of the Pacific Ocean. The first time i have seen the horizen since I arrived in Japan. Was standing out on my balcony the other day and thinking about the horizon and how i missed it. Never really thought about it in Alice Springs.
A good website for more info is
http://www.hasedera.jp/words/english/e1-kannon-dou.htm
Next we walked to
Kotokuin Temple and the Big Buddha.
The temple is actually not there anymore because a tsunami washed it away in 1498. The statue was made in around 1252. It weighes around 93 tons. It is 13.35m tall. You can go inside the statue. There are stairs inside it leading almost all the way up to the head. When i was there you can only go up as high as the belly and it only costs 20 yen (so basically 20 cents AU). It was the middle of the day by this time so it was really hot walking around the Buddha but it was really great. I didn't think it was that big when i looked at it from a distance but once i was standing right in front of the statue, it looked huge.
Next we went to lunch, which was a traditional Japanese set lunch. There was a bowl of rice with a dumpling on it, some really nice marinated chicken pieces, Japanese veges and a soba noodle soup. It was really nice. I especially liked the Japanese veges. It is hard to describe how they prepare them. There was a slice of carrot, a mushroom and i think it must have been tofu (awful). They are cold and must be steamed or boiled in a broth. They are so good.
After lunch we headed back to the local train station and took a train back to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
To reach the Shrine you walk down an elevated avenue down the middle of the main street called Wakamiya-oji or Young Prince Avenue. Dankazura is the name for the approach to the shrine. It is lined with Cherry trees which blossom in March and April. The avenue was commissioned by the first Shogun of Kamakura. He and his wife had two daughters and this meant that there wasn't any one to become Shogun after the present one died. Until the Shogun's wife became pregnant again. The baby was a boy and the avenue was made in his honour. There are also three red torii gates. There were also examples of the huge sake barrels at this temple, a whole wall of them. Also, there are actually 61 steps up to the shrine so i opted to stay and just look around the grounds. The others on the tour were only here for a couple days so they were enthusiastic about seeing ANOTHER shrine or temple. I am getting abit shrined and templed out. Plus it was too hot. I am gonna go back when it is cooler. Perhaps with my parents in winter.
Then we walked back through the shopping street. No one wanted to shop though because we were tired and hot and just wanted to go home.
It was a really good tour but i think i would recommend it in cooler weather. Sunrise tours is a really great company and i have actually booked a couple other tours with them too. Our guide spoke very good English and was very helpful. It was really a nice day.
The tour started when we boarded a train to Kamakura. We had to change a couple times but the longest ride was 50 mins. It was really nice to be around English speakers again. Once we got to Kamakura we went to Hase Kannon Temple. I learnt today that Temples are for Buddhism and Shrines are got Shintoism.
Hase Kannon Temple
There was a huge Kannon statue (9.18m) with one big head and eleven smaller ones. The Kannon is the goddess of Mercy in Buddhism. The eleven smaller ones have different facial experessions. These eleven heads signiy that the deity listens to the wishes of all different types of people and at all times of the year. There is a smaller statue at the bottom of it because before electricity was invented they lit candles around the smaller one so that worshippers who visited at night could see what the Kannon looks like. I also got a view of the Pacific Ocean. The first time i have seen the horizen since I arrived in Japan. Was standing out on my balcony the other day and thinking about the horizon and how i missed it. Never really thought about it in Alice Springs.A good website for more info is
http://www.hasedera.jp/words/english/e1-kannon-dou.htm
Next we walked to
Kotokuin Temple and the Big Buddha.
The temple is actually not there anymore because a tsunami washed it away in 1498. The statue was made in around 1252. It weighes around 93 tons. It is 13.35m tall. You can go inside the statue. There are stairs inside it leading almost all the way up to the head. When i was there you can only go up as high as the belly and it only costs 20 yen (so basically 20 cents AU). It was the middle of the day by this time so it was really hot walking around the Buddha but it was really great. I didn't think it was that big when i looked at it from a distance but once i was standing right in front of the statue, it looked huge.Next we went to lunch, which was a traditional Japanese set lunch. There was a bowl of rice with a dumpling on it, some really nice marinated chicken pieces, Japanese veges and a soba noodle soup. It was really nice. I especially liked the Japanese veges. It is hard to describe how they prepare them. There was a slice of carrot, a mushroom and i think it must have been tofu (awful). They are cold and must be steamed or boiled in a broth. They are so good.
After lunch we headed back to the local train station and took a train back to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
To reach the Shrine you walk down an elevated avenue down the middle of the main street called Wakamiya-oji or Young Prince Avenue. Dankazura is the name for the approach to the shrine. It is lined with Cherry trees which blossom in March and April. The avenue was commissioned by the first Shogun of Kamakura. He and his wife had two daughters and this meant that there wasn't any one to become Shogun after the present one died. Until the Shogun's wife became pregnant again. The baby was a boy and the avenue was made in his honour. There are also three red torii gates. There were also examples of the huge sake barrels at this temple, a whole wall of them. Also, there are actually 61 steps up to the shrine so i opted to stay and just look around the grounds. The others on the tour were only here for a couple days so they were enthusiastic about seeing ANOTHER shrine or temple. I am getting abit shrined and templed out. Plus it was too hot. I am gonna go back when it is cooler. Perhaps with my parents in winter.Then we walked back through the shopping street. No one wanted to shop though because we were tired and hot and just wanted to go home.
It was a really good tour but i think i would recommend it in cooler weather. Sunrise tours is a really great company and i have actually booked a couple other tours with them too. Our guide spoke very good English and was very helpful. It was really a nice day.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
My Bday
My bday started off kinda dull and i was abit depressed. No presents to unwrap or close family and friends to spend it with. Then my friend Mario came over and gave me the cutest panda toy. Then Kara arrived and we all headed to the Ueno Zoo. The main point of going to the zoo was so that i wasn't at home dwelling on being away from family and friends. AND also to see the Pandas and Polar Bears. We got there about three thirty....so missed the Panda feeding and i guess it was abit too stressful for the little guy (actually he was not so little) cause by the time we got there he was fast asleep. I am going to go back when it is cooler and see if i can see him awake.
The Polar Bears were awesome. Although i felt bad for them because unlike in Queensland they are in the open air. So it must have been really hot for them. The ones in Queensland are behind glass so that the area stays nice and cool for them. Here in Japan, it wasn't cooler at all near the Polar Bears and all they seemed to do was pace. The zoo does shoot ice cubes out of the walls for them though.
Then we went on to see a range of animals, including Kangaroos, Saltwater Crocs and Gorillas. After that we headed to TGI Fridays (Thank god its Friday), an American resturant. I had the yummiest Fajitas and then i was surprised by a huge sundae with sparklers on it. I was just thinking that they were taking a long time to clear the table and bring the dessert menu. The whole section of the resturant sang happy bday to me. It was a really nice night. Plus they come back and take a polariod of you and your friends. Then put it into a special card and one of the attendents drew me and wrote happy bday.
All in all my 25th was a good bday.
The Polar Bears were awesome. Although i felt bad for them because unlike in Queensland they are in the open air. So it must have been really hot for them. The ones in Queensland are behind glass so that the area stays nice and cool for them. Here in Japan, it wasn't cooler at all near the Polar Bears and all they seemed to do was pace. The zoo does shoot ice cubes out of the walls for them though.
Then we went on to see a range of animals, including Kangaroos, Saltwater Crocs and Gorillas. After that we headed to TGI Fridays (Thank god its Friday), an American resturant. I had the yummiest Fajitas and then i was surprised by a huge sundae with sparklers on it. I was just thinking that they were taking a long time to clear the table and bring the dessert menu. The whole section of the resturant sang happy bday to me. It was a really nice night. Plus they come back and take a polariod of you and your friends. Then put it into a special card and one of the attendents drew me and wrote happy bday.
All in all my 25th was a good bday.
Friday, August 17, 2007
What is with this country and natural disasters and conditions.........
So yesterday was the hottest day in Gifu and Saitama (where i live, right near Tokyo) in 74 years.
Temperature max was 40.9 (plus humidity - which i think is what is driving me crazy)
When Kara and i left to go to orientation (2 train stops away) we walked outside to the hottest day i have ever felt in my life. And i'm from the desert. The newspaper reported that the temperature was 36.9 by 7am. In my prefecture alone, eight people died just yesterday from the heat. One was a 13yr old boy at basketball practice.
Temperature max was 40.9 (plus humidity - which i think is what is driving me crazy)
When Kara and i left to go to orientation (2 train stops away) we walked outside to the hottest day i have ever felt in my life. And i'm from the desert. The newspaper reported that the temperature was 36.9 by 7am. In my prefecture alone, eight people died just yesterday from the heat. One was a 13yr old boy at basketball practice.
My first Earthquake...........
At 4:16am on the 16th of August, I woke up cause everything was shaking. I stupidly opened my eyes and watched as the whole building shook. It was actually quite scary. I didn't think it would be such a big deal but it was. I kinda felt like my house had been invaded...not sure why but thats just how i felt. I didn't sleep well for the rest of the night because i felt quite unsettled.
My friend Kara was staying with me at the time and was on a futon on the floor. She said that when she started shaking, she was mad cause she thought it was me trying to wake up. Then i said to her that it was an earthquake and she was amazed cause she had only been talking about being in an earthquake about 6 hours before.
They have about 10 earthquakes a month here so i guess i will have to get used to them. And this one was only really an aftershock from the earthquake in the next prefecture.
My friend Kara was staying with me at the time and was on a futon on the floor. She said that when she started shaking, she was mad cause she thought it was me trying to wake up. Then i said to her that it was an earthquake and she was amazed cause she had only been talking about being in an earthquake about 6 hours before.
They have about 10 earthquakes a month here so i guess i will have to get used to them. And this one was only really an aftershock from the earthquake in the next prefecture.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My schedule for the rest of the August.....and start of September
15th - my bday, Ueno Zoo to see Pandas and Polar Bears
16th Saitama Orientation
17th Siatama Orientation
18th Festival in the Danchi (apartment block)
19th Festival in the Danchi
20th Going to Kamakura Day Tour - Great Buddha, lake and rainforest
21st Work at home - BOE to collect Alien Registration card and get Mobile phone
22nd Tokyo Tour - Tokyo Bay cruise, Imperial Palace, Asakusa Temple, Tokyo Tower
23rd Work at home
24th Work at home
25th Mt Fuji trip
26th Mt Fuji trip
27th Meet our school supervisors
28th Work at home
29th Helping students with their speeches for the English speaking contest
30th Work at home
31st Work at home
September
1st Nikko Tour
3rd School starts
16th Saitama Orientation
17th Siatama Orientation
18th Festival in the Danchi (apartment block)
19th Festival in the Danchi
20th Going to Kamakura Day Tour - Great Buddha, lake and rainforest
21st Work at home - BOE to collect Alien Registration card and get Mobile phone
22nd Tokyo Tour - Tokyo Bay cruise, Imperial Palace, Asakusa Temple, Tokyo Tower
23rd Work at home
24th Work at home
25th Mt Fuji trip
26th Mt Fuji trip
27th Meet our school supervisors
28th Work at home
29th Helping students with their speeches for the English speaking contest
30th Work at home
31st Work at home
September
1st Nikko Tour
3rd School starts
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I love beef and potatoes
Isn't it strange how when you don't have access to certain things...that is all you crave.....I just cooked the nicest curry with beef and potatoes. In Australia, i was not really a big beef eater. But the other day at the supermarket i found Australian beef and even though it was hugely expensive i just had to get it. And i finally got around to cooking it. It was like heaven on a plate. Don't get me wrong, I like Japanese food. Just not all the time. Plus i can't read most of the stuff in the supermarket so it is hard to know what it is. Mostly it has Kanji on it which is the writing that originated in China and uses one symbols for full words. You need over 10,000 of them to read the newspaper here. Anyway, I have been trying all sorts of different things. But today was just awesome.
Another Jet in my area has been eating all the Japanese food he can fit in since we arrived. But yesterday we had a discussion about how we long for some western food. He said that this sounds about right. We have been here for about two weeks and the newness is starting to wear off. Still really enjoying Japan, just craving some comfort food. Like strawberries....can't seem to find them anywhere.....maybe they are only a winter fruit...i can't remember.
I have asked mum to send me a care package from home with some food in it. Can't wait to get it.
Well hope this hasn't bored you too much
Laura
Another Jet in my area has been eating all the Japanese food he can fit in since we arrived. But yesterday we had a discussion about how we long for some western food. He said that this sounds about right. We have been here for about two weeks and the newness is starting to wear off. Still really enjoying Japan, just craving some comfort food. Like strawberries....can't seem to find them anywhere.....maybe they are only a winter fruit...i can't remember.
I have asked mum to send me a care package from home with some food in it. Can't wait to get it.
Well hope this hasn't bored you too much
Laura
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Links to photos......
Hi all,
If you have a facebook account then you can access these by looking at my profile. However, if not..... here is a public link to my photos of life in Japan. Once you have clicked on the link, a photo album will appear. You can click on the photos to enlarge them and see the comments i have made about them.
Food in Japan:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17561&l=db250&id=684506290
My apartment (The Danchi)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16882&l=ebd39&id=684506290
Cool things I've found in Japan
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17567&l=4e8b1&id=684506290
If you have a facebook account then you can access these by looking at my profile. However, if not..... here is a public link to my photos of life in Japan. Once you have clicked on the link, a photo album will appear. You can click on the photos to enlarge them and see the comments i have made about them.
Food in Japan:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17561&l=db250&id=684506290
My apartment (The Danchi)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16882&l=ebd39&id=684506290
Cool things I've found in Japan
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17567&l=4e8b1&id=684506290
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
What does Kawaguchi mean you ask?
This photo is in Green Park, one the places we visited on our Kawaguchi tour. The Kanji behind me means Kawaguchi (which is the city i live in). Literally, it means river mouth. The first symbol means river and the second means mouth. This was done using flowers, pretty isn't it.
This week in Japan, I got up to the following things.
Where to start.....well i already wrote to you about the 3 hours on the train. It wasn't too bad actually cause now i know how to get to Kara's place and got to know the train system abit better. Plus her place is so different to mine. It is smaller but in a nice way. She has a nice bathroom compared to mine. BUt the biggest difference is she has one tatami room and then her bedroom is a little loft above that room. So she uses the tatami room as her lounge room and then climbs the ladder up to bed. It is really cosy and i liked it alot. It is really nice to have all of the room that i have (two tatami rooms plus a big kitchen) but one person really doesn't need this much space. I will post some photos of my place and Kara's place on facebook.
Kara and I have planned a visit to Mt Fuji on the 25th and 26th of August. We will be going on a cruise of Lake Ashi and up in the cable car to see the view. THere are 8 levels that you can go up to on Fuji. We will be going up to the 5th. Then we are staying in a hotel with onsen (hot springs). It is going to be awesome.
I also booked a day tour to see a sumo match in September. Which is going to be really great. This weekend Kara and I are going into Tokyo. We are going to go up Tokyo Tower. Something alot of people won't be able to do in a couple of years because they are tearing it down. And then building an even bigger one. Then i think we are going to go to Asakusa Kannon Temple. Then hopefully we can find a capsule hotel to stay in.
Today, I had my employment ceremony at the Kawaguchi Board of Education. We were given our special employment certificates. Which you have to take from the superintendent by putting your left hand on the sheet first and then your right. Then bow while you both hold the certificate and then he lets go and you bow again. Very formal. He gave a speech and then we had to each give a speech about ourselves. I was very nervous but it went really well and even got a few laughs. They liked when i told them about our two dogs and that Alice Springs is near Uluru.
Then we went and saw the Mayor of Kawaguchi. Had a short ceremony in his board room and he asked questions about Australia. Like what sports are the most popular. I told him Cricket and Aussie Rules. The BOE superintendent suggested that rugby was one too. And then the mayor asked me the difference between Aussie Rules and Rugby. I had no idea how to tell him but tried anyway.
Then Morita Sensei (my supervisor at BOE) took Mario and me on a tour of Kawaguchi. She took up to Skip City, which is where the Science Museum and Visual Arts Gallery are. We had the best Ra-men for lunch. Mine was called Barikimen. Which was only 600 yen ($5.50 approximately in AU$) The name of my dish basically translates to Power of horse. So the point of it is that you get lots of energy from it and become strong so you can work hard.
Then we went to Green Park. This is a really nice park. Here we went into the greenhouse and had some photos taken. BUt it was too hot to stay too long. Morita Sensei said it is a good place to come and see the Cherry Blossoms in April.
And then we went to the oldest house in Kawaguchi. Morita Sensei had to get a special permit to show us the house. It was made at the end of the Edo period and there was lots of hand carving. There was also a beautiful traditional Japanese garden.
Mishaps of the day: Morita Sensei hit a metal pole with the car and almost ripped the bumper off the car. AND Mario hit his head in the old house cause he is so much taller than Morita Sensei and me.
Now i am just enjoying the cool inside my house. I won't venture out again till it gets dark and cools down. Today was only 34 degress but it is so still here so there is no air movement. Plus it is really humid.
Cheers,
Tubby
Kara and I have planned a visit to Mt Fuji on the 25th and 26th of August. We will be going on a cruise of Lake Ashi and up in the cable car to see the view. THere are 8 levels that you can go up to on Fuji. We will be going up to the 5th. Then we are staying in a hotel with onsen (hot springs). It is going to be awesome.
I also booked a day tour to see a sumo match in September. Which is going to be really great. This weekend Kara and I are going into Tokyo. We are going to go up Tokyo Tower. Something alot of people won't be able to do in a couple of years because they are tearing it down. And then building an even bigger one. Then i think we are going to go to Asakusa Kannon Temple. Then hopefully we can find a capsule hotel to stay in.
Today, I had my employment ceremony at the Kawaguchi Board of Education. We were given our special employment certificates. Which you have to take from the superintendent by putting your left hand on the sheet first and then your right. Then bow while you both hold the certificate and then he lets go and you bow again. Very formal. He gave a speech and then we had to each give a speech about ourselves. I was very nervous but it went really well and even got a few laughs. They liked when i told them about our two dogs and that Alice Springs is near Uluru.
Then we went and saw the Mayor of Kawaguchi. Had a short ceremony in his board room and he asked questions about Australia. Like what sports are the most popular. I told him Cricket and Aussie Rules. The BOE superintendent suggested that rugby was one too. And then the mayor asked me the difference between Aussie Rules and Rugby. I had no idea how to tell him but tried anyway.
Then Morita Sensei (my supervisor at BOE) took Mario and me on a tour of Kawaguchi. She took up to Skip City, which is where the Science Museum and Visual Arts Gallery are. We had the best Ra-men for lunch. Mine was called Barikimen. Which was only 600 yen ($5.50 approximately in AU$) The name of my dish basically translates to Power of horse. So the point of it is that you get lots of energy from it and become strong so you can work hard.
Then we went to Green Park. This is a really nice park. Here we went into the greenhouse and had some photos taken. BUt it was too hot to stay too long. Morita Sensei said it is a good place to come and see the Cherry Blossoms in April.
And then we went to the oldest house in Kawaguchi. Morita Sensei had to get a special permit to show us the house. It was made at the end of the Edo period and there was lots of hand carving. There was also a beautiful traditional Japanese garden.
Mishaps of the day: Morita Sensei hit a metal pole with the car and almost ripped the bumper off the car. AND Mario hit his head in the old house cause he is so much taller than Morita Sensei and me.
Now i am just enjoying the cool inside my house. I won't venture out again till it gets dark and cools down. Today was only 34 degress but it is so still here so there is no air movement. Plus it is really humid.
Cheers,
Tubby
What did you do yesterday Laura? I rode the trains for 3 hours......
At Tokyo orientation i met Kara who is from the USA. She came over to stay and spend some girly time together. She had to take three different train lines to get here and it took nearly 1 and half hours. Then we went to Diamond City for dinner and just to have a look around. Then we came back for a break from the hot weather. So the next morning, i took the train with her back to her house. So i basically rode the train for three hours. Not something i would do in Alice.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
General stuff on Japan...having a great time....
Firstly, Happy Bday to my mum for the 6th. I am sitting here in my apartment with the fan on the highest setting. It is so humid here. I can totally understand why the people here wait till night time to do stuff. The shops are mostly open till 9 or 10pm.
Well how to start....so much has happened since we landed on the 29th of July. Firstly, we went to Shinjuku for Orientation. It was really great. I stayed in a room with a girl from Adelaide, Natalia. Alot of the sessions were either really boring or really useful. Like life i guess. I admit my first meal in Japan was actually italian because that was the first place we found. But then the Adelaide group went to a really nice noddle place. I had tenpura and udon noodles. It was very nice.
FYI - Shinjuku is the busiest station in Japan....trying to cross from one track to another is really hard cause there are so many people to get through.
Then all the participants who are going to Saitama Prefecture got on a bus and we went to the meet our supervisors. This was on Wednesday last week. My supervisor is really nice. Her name is Morita Sensei. She took us out to lunch and then we went to our apartments. There is an American guy who is here in the same area as me. His name is Mario and he is from Texas. It is nice to have another person here to talk to.
On our first night in the Danchi (apartment block) Mario and I went shopping. We had to take the trolleys cause we bought so much stuff. Anyway, we returned them later but people kept giving us strange looks. Turns out you are supossed to ask to take them home with you.
Then the next couple of days were spent doing admin stuff. We went with Morita Sensei to get our Alien Registration cards. Only to find out that it takes two weeks to get it. And that means we have to wait that long to get our mobile phones and internet.
There is one other ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) here in the Danchi. He is called George and he is from Canada but is married to a Japanese girl. He took us to Diamond City to get some essentials. He has been really good about sorting things out for Mario and me.
On Friday, I went to the festival. Then on Saturday night i went back to Diamond City and did some more shopping. I got lots of stuff from Laura Ashley for my apartment. It is so cheap here. I decided to have dinner there so i went and ordered a meal of udon noodles and seafood. It was only $6 aussie. And it was so good. Not sure what all the seafood was but guess what this is all about.
Then today i spent relaxing and reading my newspaper. For lunch Mario and I went to a resturant near Warabi station (our closest one). What you do is pick a meal on the vending machine and put your money in. Then it prints out a ticket and you go inside and collect your meal. I guess it cuts down on lines etc. They are all about efficiency here in this country. I had the curry rice and it comes with soba noodles. It was very nice. Although, you have to carry your tray upstairs and they are so cramped. I nearly dropped my meal....it was funny at the time.
Other interesting things that i have found include a glue stick that is used to stick your socks to your legs. So that your socks don't come down. A face massager I think and a neck one as well. But they aren't like anything i have ever seen before. You can buy a huge sticker to stick on your window so that it looks like you have a blue sky and clouds all day long. Umbrella vending machines are also something new that i saw.
They have treats that are in the shape of a hamburger. The bun is made out of biscuit and the pattie is made out of chocolate. They also have chocolate mushrooms. I liked the hamburgers but not the mushrooms. Oh and did i mention that they are both mini sized.
Well i think that is about it. I am catching up with a girl from the states tomorrow. Her name is Kara and it will be nice to have some female company.
Love me
Well how to start....so much has happened since we landed on the 29th of July. Firstly, we went to Shinjuku for Orientation. It was really great. I stayed in a room with a girl from Adelaide, Natalia. Alot of the sessions were either really boring or really useful. Like life i guess. I admit my first meal in Japan was actually italian because that was the first place we found. But then the Adelaide group went to a really nice noddle place. I had tenpura and udon noodles. It was very nice.
FYI - Shinjuku is the busiest station in Japan....trying to cross from one track to another is really hard cause there are so many people to get through.
Then all the participants who are going to Saitama Prefecture got on a bus and we went to the meet our supervisors. This was on Wednesday last week. My supervisor is really nice. Her name is Morita Sensei. She took us out to lunch and then we went to our apartments. There is an American guy who is here in the same area as me. His name is Mario and he is from Texas. It is nice to have another person here to talk to.
On our first night in the Danchi (apartment block) Mario and I went shopping. We had to take the trolleys cause we bought so much stuff. Anyway, we returned them later but people kept giving us strange looks. Turns out you are supossed to ask to take them home with you.
Then the next couple of days were spent doing admin stuff. We went with Morita Sensei to get our Alien Registration cards. Only to find out that it takes two weeks to get it. And that means we have to wait that long to get our mobile phones and internet.
There is one other ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) here in the Danchi. He is called George and he is from Canada but is married to a Japanese girl. He took us to Diamond City to get some essentials. He has been really good about sorting things out for Mario and me.
On Friday, I went to the festival. Then on Saturday night i went back to Diamond City and did some more shopping. I got lots of stuff from Laura Ashley for my apartment. It is so cheap here. I decided to have dinner there so i went and ordered a meal of udon noodles and seafood. It was only $6 aussie. And it was so good. Not sure what all the seafood was but guess what this is all about.
Then today i spent relaxing and reading my newspaper. For lunch Mario and I went to a resturant near Warabi station (our closest one). What you do is pick a meal on the vending machine and put your money in. Then it prints out a ticket and you go inside and collect your meal. I guess it cuts down on lines etc. They are all about efficiency here in this country. I had the curry rice and it comes with soba noodles. It was very nice. Although, you have to carry your tray upstairs and they are so cramped. I nearly dropped my meal....it was funny at the time.
Other interesting things that i have found include a glue stick that is used to stick your socks to your legs. So that your socks don't come down. A face massager I think and a neck one as well. But they aren't like anything i have ever seen before. You can buy a huge sticker to stick on your window so that it looks like you have a blue sky and clouds all day long. Umbrella vending machines are also something new that i saw.
They have treats that are in the shape of a hamburger. The bun is made out of biscuit and the pattie is made out of chocolate. They also have chocolate mushrooms. I liked the hamburgers but not the mushrooms. Oh and did i mention that they are both mini sized.
Well i think that is about it. I am catching up with a girl from the states tomorrow. Her name is Kara and it will be nice to have some female company.
Love me
Friday, August 3, 2007
My first festival in Japan
I just had to come and write about this straight away. Right near my home there is a festival on from the 3rd to 6th of August. It was so awesome. It is friday night here and also the school holidays. So it was packed. There are stalls lining the streets and loads of decorations hanging from the lights and outside shops. I had an interesting dinner of these octupus balls....no not what you are thinking. There were bits of octupus inside this soft layer of kinda like wet bread. Sounds awful but it wasnt. Then I had a sweet toffee thing that wasnt so nice. Some of the activites that the kids were doing were catching little goldfish with these nets that break if you arent careful. It is a game. Many of the kids were dressed up in Jinbay (the shorts and top set) and many kids and adults were in yukata (summer kimono). Even men were wearing jinbay and yukata. It was really great. I took lots of photos and will post them on facebook later.
I was the only westerner there as far as I could see. When I got to the end of the street, I saw two western guys but that was it.
It was really awesome. Am going to go again tomorrow night and try some different food this time. Not sure when there is a parade but there is one near my work so i think i will go to that one tomorrow.
All very exciting.
I was the only westerner there as far as I could see. When I got to the end of the street, I saw two western guys but that was it.
It was really awesome. Am going to go again tomorrow night and try some different food this time. Not sure when there is a parade but there is one near my work so i think i will go to that one tomorrow.
All very exciting.
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