I went to Tokyo again! It was sweet. Before getting to the club, we went to Kamamura to see the world’s largest Buddha statue. We didn’t because we misread the map. We made it to Kamamura, but we saw a sweet Shinto shrine instead. Just as good, I’d say.
But, Gilles Peterson was sweet. We ate an Indian dinner before hand, and then went to seedy Roppongi. Club Yellow Space was there, and that’s the club where Gilles was playing. But, Roppongi was very dirty and dodgy. Full of character, Aroop said.
We stayed up all night - Gilles played till 7am. We got breakfast, went to the Tokyo Tower (a terrible copy of the Eiffel tower - painted ugly, built around, and very industrial). Nothing like the crown jewel of a central park in a capital city of Europe. And then shopped for music. Tower records is twice as expensive as US prices. But, we found a discount store next door, so everything was fine in the end. They had everything - Eels, the Lips, Belle & Sebastian, much and more.
I’m wrecked tired, so I’m gonna go off to bed now.
The weekdays are fairly come and go. I usually eat out with Aroop once (at a place in Fujieda). The Gato Rojo is some prime Mexican food. Sure, it’s no Colorado fare, but that guy’s burrito rocks. He uses real cheese, and not the stuff that the super markets sell, which is way over processed.
Lessee, dig back here. On last Thursday, I took my first iaido class - the art of Japanese swordsmanship. A la Last Samurai stylings, katana blades and all. I was drawing the sword, sheathing it, doing simple step swings, and learning how to do everything. It makes you really focus on your body - feet, knees, angles, wrists, arms, center. It’s very precise and incredibly relaxed when you do it properly. I think I may take it up.
Then, the weekend was absolute gold. First, Aroop anf I drop in on two new places in Fujieda. Cadillac Bar and Speakeasy. Yes, I’ve started to drink more leisurely now, but that’s what you get for hanging out with a PoM. Both places are of the ‘kitch’ influence. The Cadillac feels like the diner in Pulp Fiction (okay, so there isn’t a dance floor), but there’s heaps of American rock’n'roll memorbilia bolted to the walls. The Speakeasy goes back a bit more, mixing prohibition era with the Wild West (some windows have 2×4s nailed over them for the effect). So, Aroop liked it, but commented on the (nearly over the boarderline) obsession Japan has with American culture. Western culture in general, but American if you wanna start pointing fingers. Why say “I have a mac” when you can say “I have a powerbook G5″? I agree with him, and teach my students the other spellings, pronunciations, and vernacular differences between US, Aussie, and Kiwi English.
But, the Caddy looks like it can hold a swing dance, so if any dancers come out and visit, I’ll try and convince the bar man to let me play my music. Aroop and I found another bar in Yaizu where the guy said we could play whenever we wanted. The Speakeasy was a rip off. They set down a basket of potato chips (crisps), and charge us each (!) 400Y. We even refused it, knowing the hidden charge, but they persisted. Next time, we’ll sit at the bar.
We raced for the last train because I had a homestay the next day, and I needed to pack. Turns out I left my backpack at one of those places, but I couldn’t remember which one. That made packing fun. But, a plastic bag works just as well.
I went to Osuka-cho for their fall festival, and stayed with family who lived there. It was so much fun. The family was very friendly, and easy to talk to (even tho neither of us could speak the other’s language). My listening improved HEAPS those two days. But, the fesival was two days and one night. The children of the town make floats, dress up, and dance and play music while they walk down the street pulling the floats. At night, they hayd paper lanterns that lit up. It was beautiful.
And the host family rocked. We’re friends now and exchange letters (more practice for them and for me!). They took me to the festival during the first day and night. The second day, we went to the Kakegawa castle. It was an old stronghold from about 400 years ago. I sat in the room where Emporer lived, and saw another temple. The government building was huge. If they had to replace the tatami mats at once, it would prolly cost about US15,000 (each mat is about US$50).
Sunday I went home and back to Fujieda to try and retrieve my bag. Will, Peter, Nick, and Aroop joined me. We ate more Mexican, and cruised over to the other places. The Caddy was closed (nuts!), so we went to the rip-off Speakeasy. They were having a private party, but I managed to talk to the bar tender and told him that I left my bag on Friday night (and was it here?). He said no (so that meant it was at the closed Caddy). We were standing outside looking at the life inside the bar (my area tends to be quiet most of the time, but that night it was packed), and then another bar tender came out. He served us the night we got taken, and he also works at the Caddy. Turns out he had the key, and would go get it for me.
He ran both ways, while we stood waiting. How cool was that? I thanked him profusely and we went on our way. We found a place called the Ale House - and it was a true English pub. I had a 14-year Oban single malt (the last time I had that, my favorite, was over 3 years ago) and some fish and chips. We stayed there till half four and then got a cab back to my place.
I spent Monday just relaxing. It was a holiday (respect for the elderly day).
Wednesday, I went to a free Japanese language class. It was good, and now I get a chance to get the student’s perspective agian. It will be good to know how to teach a foreign language by learning from first hand experience as a student.
Yesterday was a holiday as well. Japan takes national holidays for the equinoxes. Yaizu had its Autumn Fest on that day, and hence the boat race. I raced twice - once with the teacher’s team, and once with the students katta club. Katta is the name of the old Japanese boat that we raced. The oars move completely differently than in western style rowing. Western rowing is like pulling the boat thru the water, Japanese rowing is more like pushing, or treading water. It’s difficult to explain. But, I met my predacessor’s predacessor. A decent guy named Jeff. He gave me some more places to check out in Yaizu.
Speaking of, after the fest, I went with Aroop, Mark, and Kjell to a placed called Cafe Booby. It was pretty good. It was a sit-down cafe. Amazing drinks and tempting deserts. The decor felt like the post-modern 50’s: they stayed true to the music as well. Easy listening charts!
And kocho sensei’s BBQ was sweet. I got a chance to practice more Japanese while eating sashimi caught that day by Yaizu’s ship. One of the teachers found a bottle of pure alcohol and started breathing fire. He was Godzilla! I brought up Godzilla in conversation because i went to see “Swing Girls” - a Mighty-Ducks-plot film about a group of high school girls picking up swing music. Outside, the playbills had two movies that I need to see while I’m here.
(1) Godzilla Final Wars. How can you not be in Japan and not see a Godzilla movie. It’s like going to America and not killing someone.
(2) Howl’s Moving Castle. Another film from Miyazaki! A la “Spirited Away” (known here as Sen to Chihiro) and “Princess Mononoke”. Amazing.
And thus Sato sensei started breathing fire.
Today, I had five classes (one extra because one was moved from Wednesday) and a coaching session for a junior high student taking part in a speech contest. He chose to write about King’s “I have a dream” speech. He had a copy of King’s speech on video tape, and used about 1/3 in his speech. He practiced so well, that he picked up King’s accent. When he was saying his own words, it was very different sounding. Crazy commited.
Tomorrow is another weekend in Tokyo. I’m gonna see Giles Peterson (creator of acid jazz, the reason why St. Germain is on the map).
I guess now is a good a time as any to talk about how my classes work.
Every class begins with me saying, “Hello, Everyone.” With the greeting. Japanese are very cermoniall. So I say, “Everyone, please stand up.” The students more or less stand up and then I say, “Hello, everyone.” and they half mumble, “Hello Joe and Mr./Ms. <who-ever-is-my-team-teacher>.” Then I say, “Thanks, please sit down.”
Then, it’s the Joe-show. I lead the class, and the JTE (team teacher) only jumps in to add clarification in Japanese or to quiet the class down. We do simple things using the vocabulary they have; I teach the Oral Communication class, so they’re supposed to get speaking practice. For example, I type the lyrics to a song, leave about 10 words out, and play the song for them twice. They listen and fill in the blanks. Or, the JTE and I act out a 10 line dialogue, and they fill in 7 missing words. Today, I played battleship with them. We also play bingo and do simple worksheets. Basically, my class is supposed to be the fun one that motivates them to want to study and learn English.
k bye
Okay, so its been way too long since I’ve written last. It’s just that personal time has nearly disappeared beneath me!
Hrm, since the 7th…. I’ve finished cleaning the bloody place. All garbage is gone, all disabled furniture taken away, all spiders killed.
I traded English conversation for a great dinner with one of the younger teachers at the school. He’s been doing kendo for at least 15 years and in high school he placed highly in the nation. It’s amazing, and he’s taken me under his wing as I embraced Fukushima-sensei’s invitation to study iaido. Do some google work, I’ll save your eyes and my fingers.
For the weekend of Sep 11, I was in Tokyo. Aroop and I went to Shibuya (the ‘burrow’ of Tokyo where Lost in Translation was filimed - with the animated building) for a long night out. We ate amazing Thai food, went to a jazz crossover club, slept an hour at an internet cafe, then got breakfast at a Dutch bakery, went to the Bunkamura museum to see some Guggenheim works on tour, and finished with a 3 course meal at the French restaurant attached to the museum. Amazing food for so cheap. Much cheaper than a NY museum meat. I also got to ride on the bullet train, which was pretty fun.
More later, I’m in a boat race for a Yaizu festival.
Earthquake madness!
I felt both earthquakes yesterday. The news said the magnitudes were 6.9 and 7.4 (the last larger than the Kobe quake). Luckily, both were out at sea, and by the time the shaking hit land, the magnitudes had dissipated to 5 or less (Shizuoka ken felt a high 3 or low 4). I was eating dinner with Aroop during the first one and the whole restaurant swayed a bit. It was like a train was going by, I guess. But I didn’t know what to expect, so I was spooked pretty bad at first. I didn’t know how quakes worked, and thot what was happening was the pre-tremor for something more disasterous (ie the Tokai quake that will flatten my region sometime in the next two years).
But, the small quakes mean that some of the pressure was released, right? So it will take time for it to build up agian. Here’s hoping.
I’m tying this from my home, now. ADSL has arrived, finally.and I’ll be able to add all the photos I’ve been meaning to. And, since I’m using linux and a permaent connection, I’ll be able to set up my own web server and page. More shameless self promotion in the name of inquistive learning!
I encountered a spider that spanned a 20cm cinder block the other day in my storage shed. No wonder Japan has so many horror films about ginormous insect monsters. They’re real! So, in reaction, I bought bug bomb. A bug bomb is a spray can that you can’t turn off. You start it and close all the windows and doors (and leave your house for a few hours). You then air the space out and look for dead things. Luckily for me, my infestation was a shed and not a living space. I was able to hot box those buggers for a whole weekend, while I played some soccer and sand karaoke.
Today, Hayashi-sensei brought his minivan over to take away my rotting foam sofa and weathered wooden desk. My predacessor couldn’t be bothered to organize that and left me with that junk. However, he did leave me with the best indoor furniture I’ve seen so far. I have the only full sized couch, and some nice looking tables for the TV and eating. So, I’d say a small abount of sadai gomi is worth it.
Classes have started, and that’s why I haven’t been around recently. I’m dancing the shim sham and teaching it as well. It”s unbearably hot when you’re wearing a long sleeved dress shirt, suspenders, and a tie while moving to jazz music in a room that’s 30C and 80% water vapor. But, the students smile (prolly cos they can’t believe someone would do that - and I mean not only in the heat, but just anyway). Some really like it, tho, and they pick it up really fast (ie in 25 mins or less). I’ve almost settled into the pattern of when to plan and when to prepare. Lessons only take a few hours to pound out, and then a few hours on top to make worksheets or a game. Since I’m only teaching half of the time, I will eventually have a lot of free time once I figure out when to do what.
I had my welcome party over the weekend (enkai). About 20 teachers came, and Hayashi-sensi organized it all. He hired half of a sushi restaurant. We had a large tatami room to ourselves, and they broght 1m wood boats filled with sashimi out (at least 4), and longneck Sapporo by the 6-crate, and trad sushi to finish. Hayashi-senseii asked me to perform the Shim sham for the teachers, and I was more than willing to oblige him. Afterward, about a 1/4 of the people (mainly the English department, and Sato-sensei who sits next to me at school) went to another bar. I drank more, and ended up sining a Beatles song. The only English song of the night. It was a good laugh.
And I’ve finally purchased one of my dream machines: a folding bike! It’s so mini, and I look like a circus bear riding the thing. But, when it’s folded, I can take it on the train, and it makes meeting others a lot easier and shopping heaps faster.
Oh, and on a footnote, I didn’t climb Fuji. A typhoon was scheduled to hit the summit at midnight (a few hours befor ethe hikers were set to arrive), and Aroop and I decided to forgo that wet and cold experience. In speaking with some of the hikers at the last pick-up soccer game I went to, I made the good call. Of 20 hikers, 3 made it to the summit, half turned around and stayed in a mountian hut, and the remainder went all the way back and shared taxis home! So, next year it is.