Aussie Day/phone/Ohh the pain...what a weekend

Most of you probably know that I am surrounded by Austrailans in Japan. And I am getting a quick lesson about Australia. If you did not know this (which I am guessing most of you do not), Friday January 26th was Australia Day. Aussie Day basically celebrates some guy sailing into the Sydney Harbor (the American version of the significance of that day :). Anyways, it is this HUGE celebration in Australia where they have a barbie (I am picking up the aussie lingo) at the beach and get very drunk (sounds a lot like Fourth of July :) It also just happened to be the day we celebrated Charissa's birthday at Outback Steakhouse (the best hamburger in Nagoya) with all the KIS coworkers-which always is a good time. After Outback we went to the Australian Bar in Nagoya called Red Rock, and because it was Australia Day was filled with Aussies. I felt like a major outcast :) They were playing Aussie music and movies all night.
But I have to say I have never seen a bar just completly stop everything that was going on because a song came up. It was incredible. One moment there was lots of chatting, dancing and drinking and the next moment all I could hear were a hundred voices shouting out "Waltzing Matlida" Who knew a song about a homeless man commiting suicide because he stole a sheep could be sooo popular-those crazy Aussies :)-I have to say I love that song-especially after that night. Whenever I hear "Waltzing Matilda" Japan will always pop into my head.

Aussies Singing "Waltzing Matilda"

I went downhill skiing on Sunday. The first time I have skied in 10 years, and boy am I in pain. I can't lift my arms above my shoulders, my bum is very sore, there is a nice shiny bruise on my knee and my nose hurts because I slammed my pole into it as I was falling down the mountian. But, no pain, no gain...right??

I went with my roomate Lizzie, her boyfriend and got a lift from one of Lizzie's students parents to this really nice ski resort in Gifu Prefecture called Dynaland Ski Resort about 2 hours away from Nagoya. It was the perfect ski day, and absolutely beautiful. It was snowing, the first snowfall in a month.

Dynaland at 7:30 am (meaning 5am wake up call)

The first two runs were a bit rusty-I was basically sliding down the mountian sideways, but after a couple hundred falls on my butt I was starting to get my ski legs back. It reminded me of how much i used to love downhill skiing. They are pro skiers so there was no gradual entry, I was flung full force into it from the begining. I even went down a black diamond, although about 3/4 of it was on my butt or stomach and they did it two times in the amount of time it took me to do it once. I had some great crashes that I wished I could have seen-especially down that black diamond :)

The infamous black diamond-sure it doesn't look too bad in this picture but when you are up there looking down, its not soo pretty

Dyland Ski resort-Black Diamond in background

Some of the beautiful scenery on the way home

Ok, I am off to soak my muscles in a nice Japanese bath-sure feels like the first week of rowing practice-ugh Next weekend I am going to a snow festival and ski again. So stay tuned for that report, I will get back to y'all soon :)

P.S. I finally got my cell phone-only took 6 months. If you want the number email me, I can recieve and call internationally from it.

It's Been a Long Time

I'm back! Sorry it has been so long since I posted a blog but I am alive and well. I am finally getting back into the routine of things, school started last week. I haven't blogged in a while due to my laziness and the fact that I haven't done anything too interesting since I returned to Japan after Christmas.

Christmas was nice, I was as sick as a dog and spent most of the time in bed and on the couch, but it was nice to be that sick and at home in my own bed. It was really great to see my friends and family, and it was fun playing Santa and giving everyone gifts.

I honestly have not done much since I've been back. Last weekend I went karoaking with Lizzie and Naomi (Lizzie and I did an awesome rendition of Yellow Submarine), then on Sunday went to the Atsuta Shrine all by myself (I was quite proud of finding it with no help-the furthest I have traveled by myself-about 45 minutes away :) not exactly a journey but I was proud of myself).

Atsuta Shrine was fascinating. Here is a mini-lesson on Japanese shrines :) Atusta Shrine is considered one of the most important shrines in Japan. It is huge and very popular to visit by the Japanese for New Years. I went to the shrine on Jan. 14, and there was still quite a large crowd.

Going to the shrine (especially at this time of year) is surrounded by ritual. The Anthropologist in me wanted to know about everything I was seeing. I wish I had someone there to explain to me what was going on, but Yasuko my coworker was kind enough to explain to me from the pictures I took. She goes to Atsuta Shrine every year with her family on Jan. 1st.


The Torii Gate Leading to the shrine-marks entrance to any shrine
















People going to the shrine to pray




The Purification fountain-People purifying their hands and mouth with water.



People tying their fortunes for the new year on trees to either keep the good fortune or forget the bad fortune


I'm not exactly sure what the significance behind this ritual is, but it was very fascinating. The men in the white robes took turns releasing a arrow towards a target, after each turn the men in the blue would fix their robes.

I promise to not wait so long to write next time :) I am hoping to go skiing very soon. Japan is known to have some of the best skiing in the world so I am very excited. I will keep you posted.

AKEMASHIE OMEDETO GOZAIMASU-Happy New Year!!!