Category: Japan (Page 10 of 11)

Today marks a week that I’ve been in Koriyama, and I love it here.

I have done so many things that would normally sound mundane (like go to the grocery store), but it’s all so amazing because it feels very different. Now I know where the super market is, two or three convenience stores, the 100 yen store (which is Amazing), a couple department stores, entertainment, etc etc etc.

This weekend was the Unete Festival. It was beautiful. There were so many Ukata/Kimono at the festival. There were also so many people. It’s nothing like festivals in Tulsa. It went on for two days, and was packed pretty much the whole time. Below is a brief history:

“The backward-facing Uneme shrine is located on the northwest edge of Sarusawa pond, against the backdrop of a torii or gateway. The emperor’s lover Uneme drowned herself because she had lost the favori of the emperor, and this shrine was built to console her spirit. But it is said it was so painful to look at the water into which she had cast her body that the shrine turned around in one night. From 5:00pm, women wearing traditional 12-layered kimono and children pulling Hana Ougi decorated with the seven plants of autumn, parade through the streets of Nara. Miss Uneme from Nara’s sister city of Koriyama, Fusushimas Prefecture, and Miss Nara also parade through the city. Later, from 7:00pm, a Ryutosen, or dragon-head boat, carrying the flower fan and the flower fan carriers crosses Sarusawa pond, and the flower fan is placed into the water.” From here

After the festival we went to a restaurant where they have an all you can drink for one low price. It was pretty amazing. I also got some AMAZING sashimi, a Gengis Khan (that’s not the real name, but they started singing a Gengis Khan song when ordering it, so that’s how I remember it). It’s composed of bacon thin lamb slices with lots of vegetables, served with some type of sauce. I also had octopus balls (no, not like rocky mountain oysters). These balls are composed of a small chunk of octopus meat that has been placed in a sweet bread ball covered in a sweet mayo sauce and fish flakes. It was pretty good. I met a few Japanese people there, three of which could not speak much English.

I was supposed to be going to Lake Inawashiro for camping this weekend, but my digestive system decided against it. So, while everyone else is out and about having fun, I’m getting to explore the places close to home. It’s okay though. It needed to happen. Perhaps later this week I can go to Iwaki for some fun on the beach and maybe some surfing =)

Pics to come. I am having trouble with the photo importer again, so I may need to come up with a new method for my photo gallery. If you’ve got it, check facebook as I will be keeping the photos there fairly updated as I take them.

[EDIT for Words of the Days]

いってきます – Ittekimasu – I’m going
いってらっしゃい – Itterasshai – See you later

[/EDIT]

Yesterday was a really crazy day.

It all started out at noon when I walked to the office. It was pretty warm outside (around 90 degrees) and extremely humid. It was the first day here that I have seen clear skies, so the sun was beating down on me. By the time I made it to the office, I was pretty much drenched.

Yuri, our office staff, was using yesterday to help me get all my legal documents. First she took me to the city hall, where she filled out all my paperwork to get my Gaijin Card (alien registration). I can understand how other Americans would have problems if they didn’t have someone there to hold their hand through the process. The clerk couldn’t speak any English, and the forms all have to be filled out in Hiragana (one of three Japanese writing styles). After we did my alien registration, we waited to collect my insurance forms. So, I have insurance now!!!

I then went to check out cell phones, because everyone has a cell phone here. I think I have been spoiled with my iPhone, because none of the phones looked very interesting until I found a Sony Erickson phone running Android (Linky). It will probably be the one that I get. I’m going to ask around about price plans and see if it is something I really want to invest in.

Then, I got my bank account setup. So their banks are in the post office, and you can do all your banking from the ATM’s. It was pretty funny though, because while we were waiting in the Post Office for all the banking paperwork to be completed, she was teaching me how to say different colors by pointing to things on the counter. So, I try very hard to make sure that I pronounce the words exactly as I hear them, but I apparently can’t pronounce Pink. It’s really easy too, which frustrates me to no end. It’s just pinku, but the trick is to not use a hard U (oo) sound. So for thirty minutes she was pointing at different colors, then coming back to pink, and then her and the clerk at the counter would laugh because the way I was saying it was very kawaii (cute). Well, I guess if that’s the worst I’m doing, then I’m doing alright…

So now, all the official stuff is done. They showed me how to use the ATM and then it was off for lunch.

Once I got back to the office, I wanted to prepare for my first class. There is a CD that I use for listening exercises. I pulled out the CD so that I could listen to it, and studied my lesson plans a bit. Yuri came to get me because she needed something from me, so I listened and took care of that business. Then came back, packed up, and got ready for the train ride. About half way through the train ride, with my regional manager sitting next to me, I realized that I had left the CD in the stereo in the office. Great… I think I did a pretty good job though in the class. I know I spoke too quickly and overcomplicated some of my explanations, but I think it was an overall success.

We got back to the Koriyama station at around 8:15, and upon walking out, there was an awesome traditional drum show. We watched for one of the groups and then left, because we had to get back to the office and it was getting late. I dropped all the books off and met my Sempai (a title meaning senior, so he’s the head teacher) downstairs. He showed me where the super market is and took me out for some really amazing curry. *Sidenote, if you like spicy foods, and there is a 1-10 scale for spice, pick 1 first so that you know what spicy means here. I got a 2, and it was not at all what I expected a 2 on a scale from 1-10 to be… I’d hate to try 10.

It was a full day, packed with new experiences. I was beat when I got home. I hit the futon and passed out immediately.

My word for the day
Pinku – ピンク – Pink

Still jet-lagged.

I woke up at 5:00 am and experienced my first earthquake a couple hours later. It was pretty small. It felt like my apartment hit a speed bump, then it was all over. It wasn’t even until a few hours later that I checked Google for earthquakes that I even realized that it actually was a quake.

I had my first day at work today. It started at 3:00 and ended at about 9:00. I started out with a brief orientation where I was shown the office and was given my work notebook. I then got to go to my first observation. The client was a very big tech firm. I’d say which one it is, but I’m not sure if that would be breaking the confidentiality agreement. Just know this… it’s one of the biggest tech companies in the world… you’ve heard of them. We serve this particular company in many different locations within Japan.

I was also informed that I would be teaching an advanced class by myself tomorrow evening. This was not supposed to happen until I had at least 3-5 days of observation, but the person that was teaching this class is no longer with the company, and they had already been planning on me taking over the class since I was supposed to be here on August 1. That didn’t change even though I started two days late.

I’m not too worried. I have already set up my lesson plans, and feel pretty confident with what I am going to be doing.

I know I’m not really fully explaining anything. I’m pretty beat. I didn’t get much sleep since I’m still on “Tulsa time,” so I’m just going to go ahead an eat, then go to sleep.

Night everyone!

Word of the day
daijobu (dIee-jo-boo) – 大丈夫 – だいじょうぶ – Alright or OK

Well, I’m here in my apartment in Koriyama jet-lagged and awake =(

I have added some photos of my apartment here. You can get to them by going to my photos section It is much bigger than I would have ever expected. It is also already furnished, although I will have to pay a small fee to keep the furnishings, which was expected. I am extremely satisfied with my living arrangements.

Koriyama is the biggest city in the Fukushima Prefecture with a whopping population of 339,000 people. It’s less than half the size of Tulsa. Even being the “biggest” city in the Fukushima Prefecture, I have been told that it is viewed as a “country” town by the big city folk in cities like Tokyo.

I don’t have a cell phone yet, but I do have a house phone. When I figure out my address and phone number, I will send an email out to everyone with my contact info. If you would like it, and want to make sure to get the email, please let me know in a comment or email.

Last night, I met a few couple of the people with whom I will be working. They are very nice. One is my housing manager. She is a Japanese girl named Urie (not sure if the spelling is correct). The other, and the person that I will be answering to is an Australian man named Matty. Matty has been here teaching English in Japan for 6 years, 5 of those with my school.

Today, I start at 3:30. My first day is supposed to be sitting in on a couple classes so that I can get the feel of what is going on. I don’t have an actual schedule yet, but I am looking forward to getting started.

Well, here’s to the first full day in Japan.

~O~

After more than 20 hours in airplanes or airports, I finally made it to my new apartment in Koriyama, Japan.

I am beat though, so you will have to wait until later to get any info. It’s almost midnight here, and I’m going to sleep.