Coed Onsen camping trip and sumos

Yabara Camping Trip

I went camping for the first time in AGES, 2 weekends ago in Okayama which is about 3 hours south of Osaka. I went with Charrissa and Mary (new KIS teacher). We joined an organization that puts together camping trips. It was great! Lots of firsts on this trip... first camping trip in Japan, first coed onsen experience and first time I met Jacquie. (Jacquie taught at KIS the year before me, she left right before I arrived in Japan, but heard stories upon stories about her...also an aussie :)

It was just like your typical camping trip...tent, sleeping bag, gas stove and coed baths (oh wait maybe not typical). Ya, this camping trip was not exactly your typical camping trip considering you meet and 6 hours later you were nude with each other (but that Japan for ya). We meet Jacquie and her friends in Osaka and had the best Mexican food in Japan...sooooo good. Then meet Lawerence and the other camper for a 3 hour drive to Yabara in Okayama Prefecture. We arrived at the campsite around 9pm, set up camp, then went to onsen around 11.

This onsen is a traditional coed onsen were men and women, boys and girls bath together. It's a natural hotspring, right next to a river. The water directly below us and seeped into the baths that were made. You could literally sit in the bath until you got too hot, pop into the river to cool off then get back into the hot water (oh and there was a huge hotel right across the river-imagine eating breakfast and looking over and seeing a bunch of naked people-haha).

We were told peak season was over so there shouldn't be too many people there at 11pm at night. So I was thinking oh shouldn't be too bad maybe 5-10 people should be there. But, boy were we shocked when we saw the onsen was packed full of people. I definetly hesitated when I saw how packed it was.

All in all it was a great trip. It was nice to get out of Nagoya for a weekend and visit a prefecture I had never been to before. And experience my first coed onsen...my last?????

Our tents, the grass was tall=soft :)

Sumo visit to school!

Every year at KIS professional sumos visit and give us a sumo demonstration then wrestle with the kids. Its such an amazing experience, not a typical thing to happen in Japan, we have connections through parents :) It's so fun to watch the kids "push" around the sumos, they try try soo hard.

Sumo demonstration...boy, you could hear the thud :)

My boys were all bark and no bite...I love this picture :)

Gambatte Taiki!!! Go Taiki Go!

5 Year Class with the sumos!

We taught them the Macerana!

They came to our closing circle since we are oldest class in the school. They walked in and the class felt 1/2 the size. We voted as a class and decided to teach the sumos the Macerana dance and sing Skidarinky dinky dink. It was a very awesome day!!!

****Next weekend is Saori's wedding!!! I can't believe it. We will be going to Hamamastu for her wedding and stay the night. Jacquie and I will learn how to surf..hmmmm :) So expect a big post on that soon.

Weekend with the Takeyama Family and other little tidbits

Are you shocked??? Two postings in 2 weeks :) I have more time on my hands this year, wahoo no summer school for me, yes!

I guess I'll start off with my weekend with the Takeyama family. I had an amazing time last weekend. They picked me up at my apartment at 7pm Sat. night and I didn't get home till 5 the next night. I had Haruka in my summer school class at KIS last year (she is 4, her brother Kouhei is 3). Tomoko, Haruka's mom and I became good friends last summer. So when I told Tomoko I was coming back for 2 months she invited me to stay at their house for the weekend. It is very rare for Japanese to invited you to there home for any reason, so I felt very honored (Japanese would rather entertain in a restaurant because the houses are so small).

They picked me up at my apartment and took me back to their "mansion", mansion in Japan means luxury apartment, kinda like a penthouse in the States. It was very nice, their house even talks to you, which caught me a bit off guard the first time. For instance, when the bath is done it tells you the water is ready, then shuts it off automatically...how cool is that. Oh, right getting off track...they picked me up and when we got to their place they made Shabu Shabu, sooo oishi! Shabu shabu is a Japanese soup, you put vegetables into a boiling broth and then you have your own plate of beef and pork. You place a piece of meat in one at a time and swish it back and forth while saying shabu shabu (although they may have been pulling my leg on that one, haha).

On Sunday we went to Toyota to made some traditional Japanese paper fans and then went to the onsen (ohhh, the onsen how I have missed thee-we need them in the US, on second thought hmmm maybe not). Over all, it was a wonderful weekend, and it's amazing how big Haruka and Kouhei have grown in a year. They are just as cheeky and crazy as they were last year, but now just bigger and louder :) I feel lucky to be able to get an inside peek at how a Japanese family lives, and for the Anthropologist in me that was interesting. But it was also really fun to have a girls night and hang out with Tomoko (when the kids and her husband went to bed) drink some sake and talk about our cultures and lives.

The Takeyama family and me

So... what other news is there to tell y'all

*it's rainy season and its raining every freakin day, and I can feel the humidity starting to creep it's way in, grrr-that also means typhoon season is coming....

*We had a minor earthquake the other night around midnight, I was about to go to bed when my computer started shaking, I Aimed Char and she felt it too. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy, but I definitely did not get a good nights sleep that night expecting the real earthquake at any moment... (FYI, the BIG one is supposed to hit Nagoya at any moment-so that didn't help me fall asleep that night-it even has a name-Tokai Earthquake if your interested)

*I did another Brenda :) involving a broken glass bottle of Alfredo sauce (miraculously none ended up in my backpack) and bikes falling over left and right in front of the cheap shop...oops, I never learn

I'm back......in Japan that is!

So here is the short version of why I'm back...I'm still in a bit of shock, I got a call on Mother's day from my old boss in Japan saying they would like me to finish up the school year with my class from last year. And because of the budget crisis (look up on cali budget crisis education) schools are not hiring at the moment-unlucky for me (lucky for me-either way you want to look at it:) So, I gave up Phantom of the Opera (sorry Beth) and packed my bags for two months in Japan. CRAZY-this would only happen to me!!
So now, I've been in Japan for 5 days and this is the first day I can sit and relax. It is sooo crazy to be back (I've been saying that all week-think char's getting annoyed) Nothing has changed!! Smells and sounds are the same, Nagakute-cho hasn't changed, and Nagoya is as big and crazy as ever.
I feel like I went on a small vacation and just returned back to work (while I was home Japan felt like a dream). It feels so natural to return to school, be with my kids and catch up with my friends at our local hangouts.
The kids are all soo big. It's amazing how much the 5 yr class has grown, I had them when they were the 2nd youngest class in the school and now they are the oldest. They are so independent now, I can actually relax during the day.
I am looking forward to a hot, sweaty summer in Japan and will be back in cali mid July. I am already planning my big trip before I leave. Not sure where to yet, but if anyone wants to come out and climb mt Fuji let me know :) and of course Kyoto will be in there somewhere.
I promise I will update this periodically, and pics will come up soon (when I take some)

*** Grams, you got your update :) (only took 8 months-oops)

Ok, I admit..I'm a slacker...

Yessss, yes yes, I'm back after a two month hiatus, I am finally blogging again. There is sooo much to tell that I will just stick to the important changes. I AM STILL IN JAPAN!!! I know I was supposed to leave in August, but I decided to extend my contract for another month and half until the school finds another teacher. SO, now instead of teaching 4 year olds (who are now 5) I am teaching 3 year olds (who are actually 2) and I have to change poopie diapers. They are soooo cute but sooooo little and don't speak a word of English. Here is the cutest picture of them-EVER:

The past three months have been extremely busy to the point of absolute exhaustion. School ended in July, so June was filled with writing reports, teacher-parent conferences and getting the year wrapped up. You may think then I had the summer off....but NOOOO, I'm in Japan and in Japan vacation is non-existent. The next month was focused on summer school. So I spend a week preparing for summer school, then taught 3 weeks of summer school.

Some major changes that have occurred, both Naomi and Lizzie left. Naomi is in Honduras teaching 3rd graders and Lizzie went back to London to sub. And there are 2 new male teachers, and boy (pardon the pun) have the dynamics changed-but not in a bad way.

BUT..it has not been all work, I have been able to find time to do a bit of play also. In the past 3 months I have been to Hiroshima, Kyoto (yes..again :) Tokyo, and Kamakura. Before Naomi left all the KIS teachers went up to Saori's cabin in the mountain and had a nice weekend chillin out in the mountains eating yummy food, doing some fireworks and enjoying nature.

Saori's Cabin

In July, Lizzie, Charrissa, Saori and I went down to Hiroshima. We decided to have the school try to make 1000 cranes so we can hang them up at Peace Park, and we actually... achieved it! So the 4 of us Shinked it down to Hiroshima with 2 massive bags full of paper cranes. Hiroshima was amazing.

KIS peace cranes

The history is shocking but the way they have rebuilt the city is absolutely amazing. We spent a while walking around Peace Park and then went into the Museum and spend a good 3 hours walking through reading everything. The museum was so well down. And afterwards Saori said to me "It was nice going through there with an American."

A-Bomb Dome-the the left (the atomic bomb exploded right above, the only building left standing within a few miles)

We also spent a day in Miyajima-one of the three most scenic places in Japan.

After summer school ended we had a week of vacation (our first week since Golden Week), so I decided as my last hurrah in Japan I would go on a trek across Japan solo. First headed down to Kyoto then WAY up to Tokyo since I had not been there yet. I spent three days in Kyoto and went to Himeji and Arayashima.

Himeji Castle-One of only a handful of original castles in Japan-beautiful castle, you can smell the oldness :)

Sorry, I will finish up this epic story soon (possible tomorrow...) but its midnight and I have to change diapers tomorrow sooo, I'm off to bed.

Typhoons and Earthquakes...oh my

Ok, I am still alive. I've been given the third degree from grams and mom so here i am blogging to let everyone know I have survived the nature disasters that have hit Japan in the past week. I slept through the Earthquake (not a shocker for those who know me) and the Typhoon just missed Nagoya so we got lots of rain and wind but not the excitement I was waiting for. I promise I will blog soon about everything that has been going on. It has been quite an exciting few weeks, with sumo practices and lunches, Saori's cabin, spontaneous overnight trip across country to watch the sun rise over the clouds (did we actually see the sun-its a shocker), and Naomi leaving-the beginning of the end. But you must wait. I am absolutely exhausted and sick and want to go to bed. I am off to Hiroshima with Lizzie, Charrissa and Saori. When I get back I will do a proper update. Till then...

Where has the time gone??

I can't believe it has almost been a month since I last blogged. Spring has left and with it so has my sanity. It is now full-fledge summer and I am sweating like a pig. It is sooo hot and humid and it is only June. I am not looking forward to August. Also with this weather is rainy season and the bugs. Oh how I hate bugs, especially cockroaches and I have found 3 in my apartment in the past week-eghhhh.

Time sure flies by when your having fun. So I guess I shall start with the company trip.

Goaishio-Company Trip

The company I work for (Education Network) decided to have thier first company trip ever this spring. We all climbed into a tiny bus and drove off to the mountians in the Mie prefecture The next prefecture over-I'm in Aichi, (sort of like states) We went to this cute little town way up in the mountians and stayed in a beautiful ryokan (Japanese style hotel) that looked like a castle. Lizzie, Charrissa, Kimiko and I stayed in the Royal Suite-because we are princess :)

View from our suite-BEAUTIFUL!!!

Our dinner-sooo much food-presented Japanese style

The food was very Japanese and interesting, You will be absolutely shocked to hear what I tried. I had...ready...squid, sushi, octopus, salmon, sea urchin, fish eggs. I am very proud of myself but I can honestly say it is not something I will start eating on a regular basis. There was also all you can drink which contributed to the games were played during dinner. We were split up into four teams, each team lead by one of the foreigners. My team got 2nd place-go Snow White (in Japanese)

Eating dinner in our ryoken issued yukatas

One of the many games-coworkers trying to be monkeys

Our hotel from the ropeway

The next day we took the ropeway to the top of the mountians to see the gorgeous view. And this is what we got...

Yep thats right, it was sooo foggy and rainy couldn't see a thing. Grrrrr-spoiled again, thats twice I've been duped a beautiful view (other time was in the Swiss Alps)

All in all it was a great trip. We really got to know each other very well, maybe a bit too well-haha. All I can say is Japanese company trips are sooo funny and much different then American company trips (not that i would know-but I'm guessing).

Inuyama

Naomi and I decided to do a day trip to Inuyama a few weekends ago. It is this beautiful, traditional Japanese town with the oldest standing castle in Japan. It was veyr cute with its old Japanese style charm

Inuyama Castle-one of the best castles I have visited in Japan

Look its me!!! On the top level of Inuyama castle

Nagashima Spalands

The following day Lizzie, Charrissa, Naomi and I went to the Amusement Park in Nagashima. It is notorious for the 3rd tallest rollar coaster in the world: Steal Dragon. And the only word that comes to mind is AWESOME!!!! Such a fun, crazy, fast, high. The view was beautiful from the top, as Charrissa was freaking out next to me I was enjoying the beautiful view of the ocean on one side and Nagoya, the river and the mountians on the other-haha and all I could say to Charrissa to comfort her was "look at the pretty view"

The Steal Dragon

View of Nagashima Spaland from the Ferris Wheel

Look!!! Japan and USA flying high next to each other

P.S. All the rumors are true. I am coming home in August. Mark your calendar: August 23rd. If anyone knows any Elementary teaching jobs; keep me posted :)

P.S.S NOW I'm finally all caught up-arn't you proud

Golden Week (a month ago)

End of April/beginning of May marks the one time of the year the Japanese are given more then one day off from work at a time through the whole year. While many people get off the whole week we only had monday, thursday and friday off. And you can only imagine the craziness that becomes the public transportation and touristy sites. Well since all my friends were off traveling around the world I decided to skip on down to Osaka, Kyoto and Nara for 3 days. I stayed in the same hostel I was in with Charrissa during our Osaka trip and just local trained it to Kyoto and Nara everyday.

Oh Kyoto, how I love thee-let me count thy ways. 1) absolutely beautiful, 2) very ancient amazing history, 3) many of the original architecture is still standing (Kyoto was left alone during WWII to preserve its history)..............I spent 2 days in Kyoto, one day I went to the Geisha show in Pontocho Geisha district and the next day I went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and climbed up a hill through thousands of torii gates.

Day 1: Pontocho/Gion Districts-Geisha Performance

The Geisha were absolutely gorgeous, elegant graceful dancers that made you forget everything and feel like you were in a different world. The music was eerie and beautiful. In all the performance was an hour long but felt like it was only 10 minutes.

Infamous Gion Geisha district-Kyoto

Crazy Foreign Story Time

The more time I spend here the more time I realize how small the world really is. And that really, really hit home as I was wondering the streets of Gion. I was at a crosswalk with someone I meet at the hostel when this random girl turns around and asks me if I am from California. A bit freaked out-I said yes (seceretly wondering what on earth gave me away as a cali girl), then she asks if I am from Folsom-WHAT WHAT!!! are you serious. Well it turns out I went to school with her and her friend since elementary school. They were a year younger then me in school and I kind of recognized them after talking to them for a minute. But It was a bit weird considering the fact that I don't remember them at all and it would have been at least 7 years since I last saw them anywhere. As it turns out the girl has a strange memory and can remember faces even in foreign counties. Needless to say I walked away with a very eerie feeling.

Day 2: Fushimi Inari Shrine-Kyoto
Fushimi Inari is the major shrine in Japan dedicated to farmers and small businesses, so I automatically had a special bond with this Shrine. But it is one of the most amazing places I have been in Japan. An entire mountian side is covered in torii gates dedicated to this shrine. There is a very spiritual feeling in the as you walk up the mountian through a tunnel of orange gates. P.S. If you saw Memoirs of a Giesha you will recognize this shrine

Day 3-Nara and the big Buddha

On my last day away I decided to visit Nara. It is very famous for its giant Buddha-largest in Japan and the bowing deer. Yes, you read that right-they have deer that bow to you when you feed them. It is a very cute old historic town and I wish I had more time to spend walking around but it was off to the train back to Nagoya.

Buddha's House-Todai-Ji Temple

The great Buddha-massive thing

Another cool shrine-beautiful view of Kyoto from the balcony

The infamous bowing deer

I promise to soon blog about the company trip we had last weekend, then I will be all caught up on my blogging-YEAH!!!! only took 3 months :)