My Island

I have mentioned before in previous posts that I occasionally visit the island off Kunisaki Peninsula called Himeshima. I say occasionally, but up until recently that had only been 3 times. On two occasions it was to for the famous Fox Dance Festival. On my last trip I took a group of ALTs with me who at one point became convinced that I had lead them into a trap and they were about to have their livers stolen. Almost funny if the island didn’t make for such a great horror movie setting.

Anywho. In September the schools on Himeshima made a request to have an ALT assigned to them. The island only has an elementary school and junior high school and all the kids wishing to continue their education at high school have to come to the mainland. I am the high school ALT for the Kunisaki Peninsula and there are two other ALTs who teach at the elementary and junior high schools – which out number my two high schools quite substantially.  So the result was that I have been assigned to Himeshima.

Now, once or twice a month I get to take the ferry to the island to teach little kids. I love it.

My first day was just an introduction to the schools and the island. I felt like a rock star. After getting up an hour later than usual, I was met at the ferry by the teachers and the mayor of the island. I was then chauffeured around the island and taken to each school to meet my new teachers and principals.  This was followed by a lunch of the local speciality Kuruma ebi, or Tiger prawns. Which if you have read my previous posts will know are generally eaten by ripping the head off while they are still alive and eating them raw. Thankfully the two that I ate were cooked.

Lunch was followed by a tour of the island, which is a lot bigger than I had realised. And, as luck would have it, it coincided with the migration of the butterflies, which happens twice a year. I finally got to see this and it was amazing. I was taken to a special field of bushes that are grown specifically to attract the fluttering insects and there were hundreds of them – and this was just one small patch.

We were joined by a surprisingly large number of tourists. I really do love how the Japanese take so much pride in their own country by visiting all of the small, out of the way places – like a tiny island off the coast of nowhere. South Africans just don’t do that.

The following day was my first official day of work. My personal driver who was to drive me the half a kilometre to school, just in case I got lost, greeted me at Himeshima port. I taught my two classes in quick succession and then taken to my pre-ordered lunch at yet another restaurant where I had the best tonkatsu I have ever eaten. I was totally spoiled.

I am really glad to have been given this opportunity because I love the island and it is something out of the usual. Life has become a bit stale of late, and my visits are something to look forward to. The kids are also fantastic. They don’t see foreigners often, so on my first visit I was getting more stares than Lady Gaga in her meat dress. They little ones are totally adorable. They also have more confidence than my usual sullen, over worked teenagers.

Though while I do thoroughly enjoy getting to take 2 naps a day on my visits (one for each ferry ride), I keep getting warned that when winter finally gets here the boat is going to rock harder than a Rammstein concert. But until then I am just going to enjoy my new found popularity and star status.

Kunisaki sunset

My 3rd time round

My clock recently ticked over and I am now entering my 3^rd year in Japan. I still haven’t decided if I want to stay. I re-contracted for another year with the intention of pulling out if I changed my mind. This is not encouraged by JET but they prefer it to deciding to leave and then trying to change your mind. So, unless something goes terribly wrong I will be here are another year.

This is part of the reason I have not written and entry in so long – I am now pretty much on round 3 of the same thing. I don’t mean to sound bored or ungrateful but it is a job and it has become routine. So here are some of the things I have been up to in the last few weeks.

August has been a pretty busy month. I was a group leader at the English camp where my team were robbed of first place. They came second despite winning 3 out of the 6 activities. I had great kids though and it was nice to spend time with students who actually want to speak English.

A friend from Miyazaki came through to Oita with her friend and I played co-host in showing them the sites. The one night that they were here we went to a 6-story entertainment arcade in Oita called Round 1. It is beyond belief. The first floor is just arcade game machines. Floors 4 and 5 were an indoor sports centre with single player golf, tennis, soccer, darts, archery, bull riding, exercise equipment, billiards, rollerblading, shooting and a bunch of other things I can’t recall off hand. Though my personal favourite has to be the fishing pool. Actual fishing. You could rent a rod and sit by the indoor pool in the hopes of catching a fish. It was totally bizarre. Then on the 6^th floor roof they have the same selection of sports but big enough for team participation. We didn’t get that far. We spent nearly 4 hours on floors 4 and 5 alone. Somewhere in between is a spa and bowling. It is the ADHD sufferers dream. 

August has also been the month of summer festivals. I went to Himeshima again this year for the Fox Dance Festival or Bon Odori. I dragged along some of the other ALTs from my area and I was made to lament the lack of accessibility that my peninsula suffers from.

Summer is the time for fireworks and of course more festival food. The firework displays are really spectacular and go on for ages. I always expecting them to be short lived, as it would be in South Africa, but these last almost an hour. I managed to get to 2 this year. I would have tried a third but it would have meant 3 festivals in a row and my stomach can only handle so much delicious fried food. Of the two I attended, one in Kunisaki and one in Kamegawa in Beppu, Kunisaki’s was the best in terms of fireworks. At one point it felt like I was going to be showered with sparks when they exploded almost directly overhead. The only thing about that festival is that almost every student at my school attended it. So for the first hour I was bombarded with students and almost tackled at one point. It is great being popular but when you can hardly move 3 steps without being ambushed by underage paparazzi.

Otherwise life continues as normal and summer is spent sweating, complaining about the sweating, killing gianormous spiders and mukade, complaining about the insects and eating copious amounts of ice cream.

I suppose it could be worse :)

My Aparto

I finally got around to making my video of where I live. It is not a blockbuster and I had to use my phone camera as the one on my camera wasn't working. So I apologise for any sea sickness incurred.

My designs

I had some spare time at work so I have been playing around with some t-shirt designs for those how <3 Japan. These are them:

My First Natural Disaster

So as the entire world is aware, well except maybe for Charlie Sheen, the biggest earthquake in 100 years took place 300km from the coast of Japan. The result was 8.8-magnitude quake with repeated after shocks and tsunamis reaching heights of 10m.

The result has been the total devastation of Japan’s east coast. Too many people have lost their lives. More have lost family and not to mention their entire world has been swept away in debris.

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times wrote an article about the quake, which almost perfectly sums up my views on how Japan has handled the event. I am not going to quote the entire article; you can read it for yourself by clicking here.

The one quote that stood out for me was this: “Uncomplaining, collective resilience is steeped into the Japanese soul”. And it is exactly that which I admire in the Japanese people.

Life for me has continued as normal. Saturday I cleaned my windows. Yesterday I did my washing. Today I had work. I am continuing to think about and plan my next vacation. It is life as normal.

Don’t be fooled into thinking I am the insensitive foreigner that doesn’t take notice of things that don’t affect me. I had friends that were out of contact for hours and potentially missing (though all have, at this point, been accounted for).

I live on Kyushu, the most southern of the 4 big islands, and life on Kyushu has continued as normal, for both myself and those around me. We are all incredibly aware of the whole disaster but it is the Japanese way to deal with what nature gives you and get on with your life. Disasters here do not end the world they are just a part of it.

Schools have not been closed, people continue to do their shopping and buy new cars. The Japanese people have not allowed themselves to be overwhelmed or allowed their world to come to a grinding halt. One of my teachers told me today how he went shopping this weekend to prepare for his son entering university. His son is studying in Yokohama – which is right next to Tokyo. The tsunamis have not washed away the excitement he has for his child’s future.

And somehow all the hope around me is very calming. One of my students went to Shikoku this weekend and brought me back omiyagi. She will study nursing. This morning her thoughts are on her new university life, which like all teenagers she is really excited about. 

It is something that I admire but at the same time, as Nicholas Kristof mentions in his article, it is not without its problems. Though if I am going to be caught in the middle of huge natural disaster there is no other place that I would rather be. As they say the sun always rises in the east, and I will do so again tomorrow.

My Party of One

One does not come on a programme like JET and not expect to do things alone. It is not a buddy system. Though, I have been fortunate of late to have my best South African friends move within a 40 min drive of me. The point is that you are by yourself and have to learn to handle it.

As a result I have become quite used to doing things “一人で” (alone) though the one thing I have not quite overcome is sitting at restaurant alone – save for Starbucks etc when waiting for flights or trains.  Besides if you don’t do things by yourself you can end up on missing out on the world.

So when the opportunity came up to see one of my favourite bands, MGMT, in Osaka over the week I grabbed onto it like a shopping addict at a shoe sale. And although I could not rustle up a travelling companion I would not be deterred form my mission of seeing them perform live.

I have never been to see an international band before, and of course having left SA almost all of my favourite musicians descended upon the motherland. This was followed by the rest coming to Japan when I returned to SA for my holiday. So, thoroughly sick of everyone else enjoying themselves (Steve Hoffmeyer not included), I was not willing to waste this opportunity.

And I am not going to lie to you, it wasn’t the cheapest trip I have ever made but it was certainly the most worthwhile and I would spend every yen again.

It was cheapest in the end to fly, and for once I made use of the fact that I live 15 minutes from the airport. It was the most relaxed trip I have ever made and I still managed to sleep in on Saturday morning. 

Whenever I have to take the trains it is always a rush to get to the station, which is in the next town. And of course getting there is a pain. So it was really nice to fly. It only took 45 minutes and slept the entire way there and back.

The concert started rather early and honestly by the time I got to the venue I was feeling a bit alone, especially considering the large groups that were attending.

But, then the glory of JET is that you end up meeting a bunch of awesome people who are spread out over the entire country and the chances of running into any of them is rather high, particularly at such a high profile event. So sure enough, before the main act had even started, I found two of the guys that I had come over with from SA. There really is a great unity between South African JETs.

On Japanese crowds: I had this impression that they would be rather relaxed and subdued - and they were to start with. I was able (in true gaijin style) to push my way rather close to the front by manipulating the personal space rules – which is great on trains if you want more space. The closer you get the more they move away. Yes it was evil but I wasn’t about to miss out by playing polite. Anyway, back on topic. They were pretty calm and relaxed, the nosiest people being the group on my left, which contained a rather loud and drunk Scot. However, by the time the show ended with the band’s most popular song I had been closer to sweaty Japanese people than I had ever intended. I was nearly crushed in the chaos that reigned and actually barely got to enjoy the song what with trying to survive the mob. But it is like anything in Japan, when they let go of the conservative they go bos and it all comes pouring out and you don’t really want to be caught in the wave of crazy.

The concert was spectacular. The band was fantastic – and just as good, if not better, live. I was very tempted to do a Saffer and mug the tiny Japanese girls for the stuff they had caught during the show. I am still suffering from the disappointment of it being over.

Leaving the show, the three of us were stopped by two girls for photos – and I don’t mean we took them. We were in them. This happens on occasion and it does make you feel like a complete rock star when random strangers want a photo with you.

After the concert I latched onto Paul and David and joined them in saying farewell to a friend of theirs at the most fantastic gay bar in Osaka. Well it must be if Lady Gaga frequents it. It was this tiny hole in the wall down an obscure ally in some random building. The décor looked as though it hadn’t made it out the era of tie-dye – like a rainbow had sneezed. Trolls (the toys popular in the 90’s) lined the walls and because the disco balls weren’t sparkly enough, they had had tinsel added to them. And the ultraviolet night made me, in my white top, stand out even more than I already did. It was awesome.

I really love Osaka. Tokyo is crazy and bizarre but Osaka’s crazy is gritty and stuck in the 80’s. Shinsaibashi is still living the glory of the punk trend and the area around Umeda is full of “girl’s bars” and male hosts fill the allies trying to attract customers in their fancy black suits. The atmosphere is electric and on the whole much more interesting than Shibuya in Tokyo.

I made my way home with impeccable timing (again) and got back to my flat with the rest of the day to enjoy the afternoon working my way through my remaining Valentine’s Day stash.

It really could not have been a better experience, even if it did start out as a party of one.  

My Doodle

Although I seem to have diverted from my intended career path, I still try to do some design in my spare time. Lately I have been putting together blog headers for friends and I thought I would just advertise what I have been up to (I am somewhat proud of them). And, I am not going to lie to you, truth be told I have enjoyed designing for the web.  

Let's Enjoy Together

Big Red Dots & Squiggly Inkblots

My Morning Maple

My Valentine's Day Haul

I really love Valentine's Day here in Japan. This year I got more gifts than I have ever received (a little sad but one tends not to notice when you are full of chocolate and cake). Below is some of what is left i.e. what i haven't got around to eating.

My Valentine's Day

Aaah VD (as termed by my students). That joyous infection of a popular holiday that spreads like a virus turning everything itchy shades of pink and red. and then any attempts to remedy the infection by use of the guaranteed love potion sold to you by the vendor (who swears it is the best possible remedy to your heart ailments), does nothing except for taste really good while simultaneously emptying your pockets.  Eventually you just have to wait until the itch goes away. 

My Valentine’s Day preparations consisted of an afternoon spent in collaboration with Furiida (see http://squggly-inkblots.blogspot.com/) baking over 100 sugar cookies for our respective colleagues. This would be as joyous as it sounds if we weren’t baking 6 biscuits at a time due to the limited baking space in my microwave oven. 

We decorated them in true South African sugar cookie style – with icing and Smarties (well Smarties substitute, a recent discovery). Most of these were individually bagged, as is the Japanese style, for distribution at school. 

Valentine’s day here is very different. The “special date night” in Japan is Christmas Eve.  In Japan, on the 14 February, girls are expected to do the giving – usually chocolates or home baked cookies and cakes.  But before you complain at the complete lack of expectations placed on the boys it must be noted that they have to return gifts received on the 14 March, which is called White Day. These return gifts are expected to be of a value 2 to 3 times higher than the original gift. So Valentine’s Day here is really an investment in future returns. 

However, the giving of chocolates on Valentine’s Day is not as simple as just giving gifts. For Japanese woman there are a variety of kinds of gifts that depend on a variety of social hierarchy structures. Tomo-choko is exchanged between friends. Honmei-choko is Favourite chocolate and given to loved ones or those you wish to empress. Many women feel they have to provide gifts to ALL their male colleagues resulting in the distribution of much giri-choko or obligation chocolate. Though my personal favourite is the chocolate reserved for the unpopular co-workers: ultra-obligation chocolate or chõ-giri choko.

I, of course, just gave everyone the same and stashed a box of cookies in the staff kitchen. I like to think it was in promotion of ubuntu and spreading equality through international exchange.

The one joyous thing about all this is that my 7/11 has been stocking Godiva chocolates for the last month, which is like finding Godiva chocolates at the Engine 1-Stop in Brakpan. That and of course my reputation has increased to “honourable”, now that my teachers think I am not entirely as useless as previously thought.

New Kitkat day 2.0

Blueberry Cheesecake

Cheese

 Almond something or other

My Winter Wonderland Episode II

“It’s too cold to snow” is one of those wretched lies that parents tell their children in an attempt to get them to stop whinging whilst simultaneously destroying their tiny dreams. It’s right up there with “it’s around then next bend” and “just one more bite then you can have ice cream”. It is never too cold to snow. I know this for two reasons: it is currently snowing and it is indeed too cold. Secondly, Antarctica. The penguins told me*.

I have also discovered through extensive research and self study that one does loses the most heat from ones arse. No matter how large and padded it may be.

This morning I awoke to one of the most beautiful sites ever. My world was white. As I have mentioned before we don’t get this often in Kunisaki so when it does happen I devolve into the small snow deprived small child.

We must have had about 5-6cm of snow overnight, which is miraculous in that it was and still is around this morning. I had to walk to school as my driveway is too steep and slippery and also because I chose to stay in bed for an extra 10 minutes rather than dig my car out.

Half the teachers were missing by the time I got to school. I was late because my inner child insisted on leaving no patch of pavement snow undisturbed. As a result first period was joyously canceled and I was free to roam the grounds and take photos.

Some are pretty similar to last years snow day collection but you can find them here: clicky clicky

*and by penguins I mean Stephen Fry and QI

My ice planet Hoth 2.0

It is that time of year again where I complain about the cold. As a Samu garai (person who is always cold) who grew up in Africa I am not particularly used to wearing 5 layers of clothing just to get cold.

This year seems to be worse than the last. There has certainly been more snow, and twice already it has actually stuck around to be turned into mushy missiles.
This weekend, and up until this Monday morning, has been the coldest ever for me in Kunisaki. I am just grateful to my harassers for forcing me to move out and into a flat that is on the warmer side of freezing.

On Friday it was so cold that I was forced to get up 20 minutes later than usual. The clothing I had left outside overnight to dry was frozen stiff. Literally stiff.
When I finally made it into my car and attempted to defrost the windscreen by spraying water on it (which in my defence usually works) the water immediately froze to the windscreen.

Puddles on the way to work were frozen over. Not even the birds were out. According to one teacher it was roughly 3 that morning and could probably be attributed to the lack of cloud cover the night before. Usually it rains puffs snow at this time of the year. So when the weather is clear the temperatures suddenly drop. This morning was even worse. With the snow residue left over from the weekend the roads had iced over and my rather steep drive way was made even more perilous. I had to dodge ice all the way into the school building and the school corridors are unbearably cold. I feel sorry for the students, because, like Hudson Park, the school values uniform aesthetiques over acceptable student body temperature. Though most depressing was the kitty paw prints in the snow that had iced over.

I don't mind the cold if there is something to enjoy about it. Like snow or movies or diabetes inducing amounts of chocolate. At least over the weekend it was blizzardy enough to justify the frostbite. I had visitors this weekend and it was challenging enough trying to entertain them as Kunisaki is devoid of everything except gambling, drinking and bugs. When only place for surly, rebellious teenagers to lurk about is the discount supermarket then you know it's time to move on up to Springs. 

Anywho. My guests and I drove into the mountains to try and find some ancient culture. As we left “the city” it started to snow. And it started to blow.

Usually the snow just gets spurted out and gently falls to the ground where it melts before making contact. Saturday it was getting blasted about. When we got into the mountains everything was wonderfully white – not deep but enough to be covered in snow.

As could have been predicted we took a wrong turn up a narrow road that only just took the width of the car, complete with serious gaijin (foot deep ditches) on either side. It was, as my adopted little brother put it “epic” even though my best friend was panicking like a crazy person in the background. The kind of thing that you don’t forget, that makes an adventure really memorable. That and the snowball fight that took place around the vehicle as it was slowly reversed back down the scary mountain mini road.

From then on it was blur of exploding snowballs and constant snow for the rest of the day and night. We managed to find the shrine and eventually navigate our way through the blizzard into Bungo Takada and back round the peninsula. Though it was icy and I think our driver was a bit nervous at times.

Sunday morning saw the whole of Kunisaki covered in snow. Which melted by lunchtime despite the fact that it did continue to snow for the rest of the day.

I just wish it would stick.