Well On

Everything went well today with my presentation. Teachers seemed impressed, and i had the attention of most of my students, which is a good thing. I look forward to the rest of the classes this week. I also look forward to Thursday, which is a holiday here. I haven't looked into what the holiday is, but for me, it will most likely be just a day off in the middle of the week. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Yesterday i posted a photo of my eye that i took a few months ago. It is extremely difficult to take a photo of one's own eye. This was the best i could do on a first attempt, which wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a massive reflection of an umbrella in my iris.

 

Today's photo i took in Ueno park on the way to the National museum. I like it when things come together.

It all happens when it happens

I woke up several times last night in the midst of several dreams in which I found myself chasing something, or having left something behind. Many people believe that the emotions/feelings we go through in our dreams are often connected to what we are feeling in the real world. A common dream that many people share is to be standing in front of an audience only to realize that they aren’t wearing any pants. This dream is often associated with feelings of being unprepared for something.

I’ve been working on a PowerPoint presentation for my students this week. It’s going to be on Canada, Vancouver, and the Olympics. Not only is it a good opportunity to show the students a bit about my country and to give them some info on the coming Olympics, it’s also a good chance for me to learn more about how to use PowerPoint. Unfortunately, this has proved to be much more of an endeavour than I had previously anticipated. I’ve spent a great deal of time – I hope not to the detriment of my presentation, tweaking slides and layouts, and searching out photos on the Internet. I’ve also spent some time trying to figure out how I’m going to manage the hardware.

I think that I’ve got everything together for tomorrow, but I’ve still not been able to do a test run on all of this technology. It’s not such a comfortable place to be – hence all of the dreams. At least, that’s what I was thinking while I was riding my bike down Patterson st. in Vancouver through a swarm of bees, late for work, only to wake up in my bed at an hour that would be perfectly fine in Pacific Standard Time, yet ungodly here in Japan.

However, when I woke up in the morning, I realized that what my subconscious was stressing about was probably the fact that I forgot to set my alarm the night before.

Frantically, I caught my bus.

As for my presentation, the problem that I’m having in connecting my computer to the projector is that they use two different plugs. I managed to find a bag of adaptors in a room at school, but as it turned out, the type of plug that I use, happens to have two variants. As such, I have one of each – one that uses 24 pins and another that uses 29.

I went to the electronics store to see if I could find another adaptor, but I could only find the 29-pin adaptors, which were laid out on the bottom of the shelf. I had brought my DVI adaptor and the VGA cord that I wanted to connect it to, so I asked an employee about an adaptor that would work. With the help of a diagram on the shelf that showed the difference between the two DVI types, I showed him the problem that I had. He nodded to me like he understood me and then picked up one of the packages on the shelf that contained the wrong type. I said “no” and counted in Japanese the difference in number of pins for him and he nodded and said he understood. Then, he opened the package and tried to fit the adapter to mine while I tried to wait patiently. The piece would not fit and so the employee began to jimmy them together – and then he started to push them together with more force. I started to say “no, no,” but then just grabbed his hand and took my pieces back. I thought I better hold onto them for safe keeping. I then went back to the diagram and showed the two different types again. I pointed at the big 29 on the diagram, and the big 29 on the package and said “no, not good.” He nodded his head and said he understood and then picked up the next package on the shelf, which contained the same item. I told him “no, not good,” and he nodded and began to open the package. This went on a few more times before I left the store.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find an adaptor for my computer. The other option was to use another teacher’s computer at school, but this hadn’t yet been arranged and the compatibility is still in question. My last option was that if I could order an adapter, I could maybe postpone my presentation till it arrived.

I found the item I needed on Amazon.jp, which was also eligible for free expedited shipping; if I ordered within 2 hours, it would arrive at my school the next day, which should work because my presentation isn’t until the day after. In order to make sure that I qualified for the free shipping, I made sure to order a few more books as well (just in case).

The package was to arrive at noon today, so I thought I better give the school a call to see if it arrived. Making a phone call from school is a bit of an event in that I need to ask an English teacher for help in what to say and then we need to go to the vice principal’s desk to use his phone because it is the only one with a line that goes outside of the school. He’s very nice about letting us use the phone and so I went to work.

When the lady picked up on the other end, I told her that I was Bryce and she said that she knew me. Then I asked “Amazon kara no kozukumi wa todo ite imasuka?” which I think basically asks, is there a package for me that arrived from Amazon? She sounded a bit confused and said that there wasn’t one. I was a bit disappointed, but it was only just after noon, so I asked for one of the English teachers to make some arrangements for the next day. She said that he wasn’t there and then I was the one that was a bit confused. She kept talking though about computers and school and the teacher that I was looking for and how he wasn’t there. This went on for a while and I pretended like I was sorting it out in my brain while the two teachers beside me sat and watched me awkwardly standing at the desk in the middle of the staff room. Eventually I gave up and handed the phone to one of the teachers.

After the teacher introduced herself, I could tell that the person on the other line knew her. We managed to figure out that I had not actually called my school, but the computer lab down the hall.

Japan is so strange.

Amazon.jp however, is awesome. My package has arrived and I’m going to remember to set my alarm tonight so that I can wake up extra early tomorrow and get to school and put everything I’ve prepared to the test. It should fit together beautifully, or fall apart disastrously. Once the day takes its course, either way I’ll be happy.

Hot Pot!

Just a quick one before bed. I made a poor man's nabe for dinner tonight. Nabe is a Japanese hot pot dish that is often eaten in the cold winter months, and that i've never tried to make before. I don't know why, as hot pot is one of my favorite things to eat.

You can buy pre-made broth for your hotpot at virtually any supermarket in Japan -- at least during the winter months. They're not that expensive, but I'm putting myself on a budget this month, so i thought i'd try to make my own. This is what i did:

In a bowl, i chopped up carrot, daikon, cabbage, spinach, and negi -- basically whatever vegetables i had sitting in the fridge.

Then, i boiled some water with some dashi in it. I added just enough soy sauce, mirin, sake, and some of this kimchi flavoured hot sauce that i've had in my fridge for a while.

I threw the vegetables into the boiling broth, added some tofu, and i splurged for some sliced pork as well (i was pretty hungry on this cold winter evening). Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes or so, and it was ready to eat.

After eating all of the solid foods, i added some udon noodles and re-boiled the broth. Then i ate the udon noodles.

I think that without the pork, the dish probably cost me about 200-250 yen. With the pork, it was an extra 200 yen. It was a good meal. Sorry, i was too hungry to take any photos.

The Lucky Ones

Today, Janice left me, and now I’m sad. Somehow it was much harder saying goodbye this time than it was in the summer.

I think that now I know a little bit more about what Janice might have went through when I left for Japan. For me, as soon as I stepped into Vancouver airport and said goodbye to her and my parents, everything was new and stimulating. I was meeting people from all over the world, I was exploring Tokyo, and then Iwaki, I was settling into my new apartment, discovering my new job; I was on a high and nothing could bring me down.

But now it’s Janice who gets to leave me behind for the excitement of returning home. I know that she’s going home to good friends and family, delicious foods that I never new were such a part of me, and the comforts of being immersed in one’s own native language. I can see her getting picked up at the Vancouver airport, driving home along Marine Dr. and walking across the front yard to our basement door. The lock will probably be a bit sticky as usual, and the hinges will creak slightly, and it will be dark and cool inside. If it were me, I would throw my shoes into a pile of other shoes, but Janice will probably put them back properly on the rack beneath the window that has a sheet of plywood for a window. From there, she will walk through the laundry room and open the door to our place. The air will be a bit stale from not being down there for a while and the carpet will feel both cool and soft. It will also have that “home” smell, which would be impossible for me to explain here in any amount of words.

On the walls will be a couple of my guitars, with a small bookshelf in between with my practice amp, books, and an aloe plant on top – unless she’s moved it. Luggage will be set down, maybe in the living room, or maybe in the bedroom. Maybe she’ll go into the kitchen, onto the hard linoleum, and open the fridge door, which must seem impossibly huge compared to what she’s been used to in Japan. Then she’ll probably find a glass from the strainer by the sink or in the cupboards above the toaster and the George Foreman grill, and pour a glass of water.

If she’s feeling up to it, she’ll turn on the computer that sits on the kitchen table; it sits here because the reception for the wireless internet signal is sometimes slightly better here than in the living room – although often it is not. Then she’ll go into her email to write me an email letting me know that she got home okay and that she’s going to lay down and that she’ll talk to me in a few hours when I wake up for work – short and sweet. Although, now that I think about it, she’ll probably get an email in her inbox telling her that I wrote this blog and she might decide to check this first – and comment on it later.

Then she’ll walk into the bedroom – if it were me I’d lie down on the covers, but she’ll probably get changed first and curl up under her comforter that she brought over from her dad’s place several years ago, and under the brown blanket that her mom gave me for Christmas a while back. She might look up to see a poster of Metallica – or the Red Hot Chili Peppers (I can’t seem to remember which one is where), which sit beneath the wall shelf that I built and that has books sitting precariously above where our heads lie in bed at night – something that, after living in an earthquake prone country, I will definitely consider remedying when I get home. She won’t look for long though, because it will be about 3 in the morning Japan time, and in minutes, she will be asleep. I think that in Vancouver tomorrow, it will be about 10 in the morning – today.

As for me, as I walked into the supermarket after work (by myself), I couldn’t help but think back to almost 6 months ago when I first stepped into the Maruto by my house. I didn’t know where to find anything and I didn’t know what anything was – and I couldn’t read or speak. I would walk aimlessly down the aisles looking for something that might be nourishing, taste good, and that I might know how to cook. I would walk down one aisle to find noodles of some sort, and then walk down another aisle to find noodles of a different sort – and sauces, always sauces everywhere. Then I would just stand in the middle of everything, make a move for the meats and seafood, only to see something colourful and shiny that would grab my attention for a few moments.

I would eventually end up back at my apartment with a couple bags full of heavy groceries. I would fumble around with the light switches trying to find out which ones turn on the kitchen. Then I would attempt the process of packing all that I had bought into my tiny fridge. I would then begin to prepare for dinner, but I would ask questions like, why don’t any of my pots have lids? Why don’t I have a good knife? Why is there Winnie the Poo on almost every dish that I own? And why did I forget to buy garlic?

Today, there were no bright and shiny objects to distract me in the supermarket. I bought vegetables and meat like a pro. Everything fit in my fridge as planned. I even remembered to buy ginger. There weren’t many surprises waiting for me today – until I opened up my computer this evening:

Another Day

Here's a few photos of some friends of ours here in Iwaki. The daughter is eight years old and speaks amazing Enlgish. She lived in London for 2 years with her mom, who is an English teacher at my school. They are real nice people who have had us over for dinner a few weeks ago, and then a couple of days ago, took us to a museum in Ibaraki where we saw some amazing paintings of an artist who's name i can't quite remember. I have his name on a couple of postcards that i bought from the museum, and when i learn how to read the kanji, I will be able to share his name.

The photos were actually taken at a location close to the museum where an artist used to live and paint, and later became the namesake of the museum that we visited. Again, when i learn how to read the Japanese, I'll be able to share his name.

I took the day off today so that i could be with Janice on her last day in Iwaki. She leaves tomorrow morning for Narita airmport, where she'll catch a flight to Vancouver. Today's been about errands, packing, and now figuring out what to do for dinner tonight. I also borrowed some new music off a friend, so we've got some cool new tunes playing in the apartment to go with the sunshine shining through the windows.

In an Instant we were there

Living in Japan for the last 6 weeks has been an amazing experience for Janice. She’s met lots of people, traveled across most of the country to some of its biggest cities, and eaten almost every style of food that Japan has to offer. What’s good for her has also been great for me. I’ve basically been able to do everything (and then some) that I did in my first month here, but with the added wisdom that being here for 6 months has brought me. Also, it is Janice that has taken over the role of wide-eyed astonishment, while I get to be her somewhat seasoned guide.

Also, because she is new to Japan, all of the Japanese people that I know and that have grown bored of my particular breed of foreigner, treat Janice with the same great hospitality that I received when I first arrived. Not only does she offer a fresh perspective on where we come from, but she also has such fresh enthusiasm for everything Japanese. It probably doesn’t hurt that she has light hair and blue-green eyes. I sometimes imagine that the Japanese people around me feel partially ripped off by the fact that their foreign Assistant Language Teacher doesn’t look quite like the North Americans that they are used to seeing in the movies. As such, the two of us have been invited to many dinners and have been afforded great hospitality over the last few weeks.

One teacher I work with offered to take us for sushi in Onahama the other night. I had been in the area a few times before where there is a massive building on the water that sells fresh seafood. One of the Japanese people that I was there with mentioned that this is the market where many people will shop at when they come to Onahama; the locals that live in the area however, know that the fish is usually cheaper and fresher at a smaller location just off the water across the street. I was delighted when we found out that the sushi place we were going to was just above this market.

Not only was the fish delicious – I had a tuna sushi donburi, while the other two had a sushi sampler with many kinds of sea foods over rice – but the teacher we were with also brought her new Fujifilm Instax camera. A year or so ago, Polaroid discontinued all production of their instant film cameras and film and now, in reaction to this massive hole in the instant photo market, Fujifilm is filling the void. I’ve never owned an instant film camera – and neither has anyone close to me. In fact, the only film camera that I owned was one that I bought about 6 years ago, which I replaced with my first digital camera about a year or two later. Now in the year 2010, I’m seriously considering buying my first instant film camera, which seem reasonably cheap.

We took a few photos of each of us as we ate, and we ended up with four of them by the end of the night. I think they look great. I’ve included some images that I took of the photos while they’re still here in Japan. The two photos with each of Janice and I are my favorites and I think they look great together on my kitchen table. Unfortunately, one of the photos will be leaving on a plane in the next few days and they won’t have a chance to be seen beside each other for another 6 months.

Lazy as per usual

Just a quick one today. I get home a bit late on Thursdays, so we're just going to stay in and watch a movie i think tonight. We've got a nice bottle of wine here that cost us all of 400 yen. We were going to head out to an Iwakians social gathering, but the strong winds kind of scared us inside.

On another note, i owe a lot of people some emails that i'll probably get into writing sometime next week after Janice leaves.

Here are a couple more photos of the tori gate at Miyajima.