Small adventures, nothing big yet.

Hmmm... I know I have to post more pictures. I'm just being lazy and I have no furniture yet. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I can't say I have been having crazy adventures in Japan. I would say that every day I have small adventures that amuse me. For example, on the weekend I went shopping at Gap. When I went to make my purchase, the cashier asked me something in Japanese. My first response is to freeze up and become panicked. After a moment of stuttering around (it seemed like eternity... I hope it wasn't) I finally realized I knew what she was saying. She asked me where I was from. I answered her back in Japanese, successfully, not perfectly but I was understood. Then she asked me if I was here for vacation and I answered her in very broken Japanese that I work at Kasukabe Girls' High School (Watashi wa Kasukabe joshikoko de hatarakimasu).

On Saturday my friend Natsumi and I went to Yoyogi Park in Harajuku for "B-boy Park", an annual event with lots of Bboy battles, MC battles, and sports court (I don't know how to describe this) battles. Luckily I didn't go to dance. Not yet. Too scary. When I first got there I got to see some cyphers (dancing circles) and they were intense - small, crowded and full of Japanese boys. The actual battles were intimidating too, it seemed like most crews concentrated on burning the other side more than dancing. Any way, that's another story - the difference between Canadian and Japanese break dancing. There I met Natsumi's crew and I also  met up with a dancer I met in Shinjuku. Surprisingly, I also caught up with a dancer I met in Vancouver. It was fun day. That night my new bboy friend Yuki took Natsumi and I to the fireworks at Tamagawa. Japanese hanabi (fireworks) are much more of a spectacle than Canadian ones. This was the last fireworks event of the summer for Tamagawa and there were many people. It seemed like the entire Tokyo police force was there too (I exaggerate). There were two sites for fireworks. That means double the fun. They were beautiful and the show lasted about an hour. I have pictures that don't adequately capture the beauty of the fireworks. I'll post them later.

On Sunday I bought my first piece of furniture. It's a kotatsu!


This is a kotatsu. Basically it's a coffee table with a heater attached. I have the electric version :) Unfortunately it's way tooooo hot to use one right now so it is just being a table for now.

On Sunday evening I practiced break dance with Natsumi's group again and we went out to eat afterwards. That was fun. One of the guys is an engineer for Honda, this is what he said to me: "I'm a very rich man, I have nothing to spend my money on. So... I would like to entertain you." Ha ha ha ha ha ha. What he meant is that he'd like to "treat me" or pay for my dinner. It was hilarious.

On Monday I went for my first run! Hurray. It was a boring route, approximately 5 km. It was nice to get out, but now my calves are sore. Since it gets so hot here, the only safe time to run is early in the morning or in the evening when it's dark. I got up at the crack of 6:30 to go for my run. It took over an hour for my skin to stop feeling like a furnace. This is even after a cold shower. So even at 6:30 am it is really warm. Perhaps I will try again tomorrow morning.

On Monday night I got lost in a giant mall. Apparently it used to be the biggest shopping mall in Asia. Sadly it no longer holds that title. I spent hours wandering around the mall looking for the way to Ikea. The sad thing is when I got off the train I knew it was the wrong stop, I just figured I was on a different side of the mall or something. WRONG. I was in a completely different mall. Lesson learned. I did have fun wandering around the mall though. And I finally ordered a coffee misto at Starbucks, in Japanese! I also had to ask for help in Japanese. Slowly I think I'm improving.

Well that's all for now. Sorry I haven't posted any pictures yet...

Love and miss you all!

A week in Japan

I have officially arrived in Japan. I havent' seen much of it yet due to the fact that I have been in seminars allllllllllll day. On the first day, we arrived at 7:30 pm at our hotel (Keio Plaza Hotel - SO SWANKY!) on August 5. This to me is a little inconceivable because I lost a day. It's weird how time goes like that. On the first night everyone was really tired however, I wasn't so I sought out some bboys at the SOMPO building. I found them and watched them practice until 11 pm. At which point it was bed time as I was practically falling asleep watching them.

On monday we had seminars and lectures to attend all day. I had the great pleasure of experiencing a sound princess for the first time. This phenomenon is unique to Japan (I think). Essentially, the sound princess plays sound (like rushing water) while you are going to the bathroom to cover up any sounds you may make. I also had the pleasure of sitting on a heated toilet seat. It wasn't so fun when you consider the fact that it felt like 40 C outside... After seminars/lectures there was a welcome reception with the first real food I had seen since I got there. Yummmm.


After the reception the Saitama Group B Jets went out to a 250 yen izakaya (japanese pub) for realllllllyyyy cheap food and drinks. It was nice to meet other Saitama area people, though none from the group were in my city. After the izakaya I went to practice some more. It's pretty hard to practice in japan because it is soooo hot. If you move a muscle, you'll probably sweat. Ugh.


Day 2 was much the same as day 1. I was a good JET and attended everything, I didn't skip out once. I did however develop an unhealthy dependence on Pepsi Nex (Like pepsi max in Canada) to keep me awake. In the evening we attended a Canadian Embassy event. I wish I would've skipped. It was all stuff I already knew and there was no food. Other embassies had receptions and dinners for their JETs. Oh well.


On Wednesday we moved. I hate moving and being in transit. The Saitama JETs had a private 45 minute bus ride to Saitama-chi. We were lucky compared to the other JETs that had to go to Hokkaido (up north) or Kyushu (down south). After our bus ride we went to the Saitama Board of Education for a welcoming ceremony. There were many speeches and then they called each JET up individually to meet their contracting organization or base school representative. I finally got to meet Takahashi-Sensei. After that we got to leave and go to our home cities.


Our first plan of action was to go to the school and meet the teachers and vice-principal. From there we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant and then dropped off my luggage at my apartment. After that we went to city hall to register me as a resident of Kasukabe. That took quite a while. After that I was pretty tuckered out so Takahashi-Sensei and I parted ways for the day. That night I met my neighbour, another ALT named Michelle. She showed me all the good spots to get groceries, she showed me the mall and we went to a store and got a new futon as well as sheets so I could sleep. I didn't buy any food because I had nowhere to keep it.


On day 2, Takahashi-Sensei and I went back to city hall to get a certificate of residence. With this certificate we opened a bank account for me at Mizuho bank. Then we went to the school to fill out the direct deposit forms so I can be paid directly. After that it was time to shop! We went to a second hand shop called Treasure Factory. Treasure Factory is amazing. You can get anything there. I bought all the appliances I needed there including: Fridge, gas stove, washing machine, light for my tatami room, microwave, kettle, and a pot. All for 41000 yen. Not bad. I only actually took home the kettle, the stove and the pot but I had to wait until friday night to get my other appliances.


On friday we had Saitama Orientation for new JETs. Another day fuuuuuuullllllllll of new (and old) information... Ugh. So much paper. On friday night I got my fridge!! The treasure factory people delivered and installed everything for me. To plug in the new light I bought, one of the delivery boys climbed on the other's back because I have no chairs. It was soooo cute (Kawaii).


On Saturday I got to see Natsumi! She dropped by and she brought some food. So sweet.

On Sunday I went to Japanese Costco!! It was much like Costco back home. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of samples. :) One notable difference is there is more Japanese people and words. Also they sell bags of 99% + Pure MSG.

There you have it. This wouldn't happen at our costco.

That's all for now :) Miss everyone!!