Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Pointless old video in the olde style
as above... we spent Christmas outside. We found a weird path through some fields surrounded by the city of Funabashi-higashi.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Hello Hillary
Ode to Hill
In order of appearance:
Phil
Jude
Ethan
Jason
Tomo
Keri
Sarah's finger
Also, Phil and I had the exact same score at the end of that game...
Monday, December 17, 2007
Paella/Tequilla
So passed our first day of what has been come to be known as 'Christmas Week.' A day filled with cardmaking and clockwatching, a desperate countdown to the start of our winter break beginning in less than a week. Which brings us to the paella/tequilla aspect of this entry. Uhmm. I decided to be reminiscent (sp.) and try to make paella like I had in Spain not too long ago (maybe....5 years?) Well, sans the seafood so Phil would partake, of course. I had a lot of fun cooking it but the process was most definately lubricated by a few shots of Tequila. Those who know me well are aware that I'm not what we call in Belize a 'rum-soak' aka a drinker. Phil and I are such cheap dates now that one tiny bottle of tequila reposada is way enough to make us forget the terrible and truelly scarring effects of the christmas songs we've been forced to listen to.
In other news, I got locked out of the apartment last night, mostly my fault. I always lose my keys anyway. Phil and I went different ways after Aikido. He went to play shogi and I studied at the coffee shop and then headed home. I realized I was locked out once I got back to our front door...promptly tried all the windows, jumped the fence in our backyard, jiggled locks, etc., to no avail. I ended up just hanging with another teacher, Ethan, who lives across the way - until Phil came back. I studied more Japanese there. I finally figured out what 'hentai' literally means. hen= strange and the suffix -tai means to want something. So, literally, 'to want the strange' makes sense I guess...
Okay, 'Ima, netai deshyo!' Now I wanna go to sleep. Oyasumi nasai....goodnight
In other news, I got locked out of the apartment last night, mostly my fault. I always lose my keys anyway. Phil and I went different ways after Aikido. He went to play shogi and I studied at the coffee shop and then headed home. I realized I was locked out once I got back to our front door...promptly tried all the windows, jumped the fence in our backyard, jiggled locks, etc., to no avail. I ended up just hanging with another teacher, Ethan, who lives across the way - until Phil came back. I studied more Japanese there. I finally figured out what 'hentai' literally means. hen= strange and the suffix -tai means to want something. So, literally, 'to want the strange' makes sense I guess...
Okay, 'Ima, netai deshyo!' Now I wanna go to sleep. Oyasumi nasai....goodnight
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Post Aikido, Post Indian Food, Post Coffee Shop
Phil and have been spending almost all our free time together. Our 'dayoff' schedules have been super synched since we got to Japan. Recently though, we've been spending a lot more 'not attached at the hip' time apart. For example, on Sunday night we have our regular Aikido practice together. Afterwards, instead of padding back to the train station together, heading home and watching a movie afterwards we've been going our own ways. Phil has been meeting up with his friend Masato to play Shogi and other such games of exotic endeavor, while I have been cramming some Japanese vocab in a coffee shop.
Last night, after Phil took off to meet with Masato, I decided to eat some Indian food at our usual restuarant before I hit the coffee shop. Business was slow that night, so I was one of three lone diners. The restaurant is run by a big Indian family: the uncle makes the naan, the father makes the curries, the niece is the waitress, the nephew is the cashier - you get the picture. The restaurant is called 'Gandhi' after you-know-who. There was a map of India, so I was inspired to strike up a conversation with the young girl who was gathering up my dishes after an yummyforthetummy bowl of saag paneer. Her English was very low level, her Japanese was a bit higher so we ended up having a short conversation about India in a combo of English/Japanese/Hindi - mostly her speaking the Hindi of course and me guessing and asking follow up questions in Japanese or English. She was a really nice girl but pretty shy. As I was paying up, the nephew asked me if I had ever been to India. We started talking and before I knew it, people started to come out of the woodwork of the little establishment. Phil and I had been there quiet a few times in the past to eat a delicious but eneventful meal. I had never seen any of these people. There were kids and mothers and well...the whole family came out to talk to me. We talked for about 30 minutes just standing around the tables, still using our potluck of languages. I asked them about India and what life in Japan is like for them. They are having a very hard time adjusting to the culture here since it is such a huge contrast with life in India. Japanese people are very friendly, wonderful people but are notoriously shy - even to the point of running away from foreigners(I've heard). So they miss their talkative neighbors and neighborhood gossip and feeling like a part of something they belong to. I guess you can say I could at least relate to them a little. I was most impressed by their kids who where being raised trilingual. Hindi, Japanese and English is a brainful for a five year old kid.
I think I'll be heading back there next week since they said they would be happy to teach me a little Hindi - which I have the distinct impression will be useful to me...plus the food is oh sooooo good.
I jaunted off to the coffee shop feeling quiet high spirited as it were. (that sentence makes me feel like I'm writing a British romance novel or something.) My usual squishy couch seat was taken, so I sat at one of the long bars to hunker down and soak in some hirigana. There were five seats and I sat in the one second from the end. A family of four came in looking for a spot. I obliged them by scooting over to the end seat which I was avoiding because it had a burntout overhead light and made for some difficult reading. Right away, they started chatting to me - the grandmother and mother cooing at me because I was apparently so darn 'kawai' (cute). Once I overcame my fear that they would tie me to their cellphones and force me into dangly servitude, I had a fabulous conversation with them. (people here are crazzzzy about little cellphone decorations) Mostly with the daughter 'Kina' but with many interjections from Grandpa, Grandma and Mother. I had so much fun chatting it up with them and practicing my Japanese. I was pretty surprised that I didn't really need to resort to English...I can't say my grammar was GREAT but...I had a great time.
So, maybe this is a really boring post? I'm not sure but I had a really exciting night so here it is. After so much struggle communicating for so long, feeling like I was getting nowhere - last night is really what I needed. If there is any moral to this tale then it might be that if you think you are lonely in a sea of people it's only because it's the way you want to be.
Ja matta,
sarah.
Last night, after Phil took off to meet with Masato, I decided to eat some Indian food at our usual restuarant before I hit the coffee shop. Business was slow that night, so I was one of three lone diners. The restaurant is run by a big Indian family: the uncle makes the naan, the father makes the curries, the niece is the waitress, the nephew is the cashier - you get the picture. The restaurant is called 'Gandhi' after you-know-who. There was a map of India, so I was inspired to strike up a conversation with the young girl who was gathering up my dishes after an yummyforthetummy bowl of saag paneer. Her English was very low level, her Japanese was a bit higher so we ended up having a short conversation about India in a combo of English/Japanese/Hindi - mostly her speaking the Hindi of course and me guessing and asking follow up questions in Japanese or English. She was a really nice girl but pretty shy. As I was paying up, the nephew asked me if I had ever been to India. We started talking and before I knew it, people started to come out of the woodwork of the little establishment. Phil and I had been there quiet a few times in the past to eat a delicious but eneventful meal. I had never seen any of these people. There were kids and mothers and well...the whole family came out to talk to me. We talked for about 30 minutes just standing around the tables, still using our potluck of languages. I asked them about India and what life in Japan is like for them. They are having a very hard time adjusting to the culture here since it is such a huge contrast with life in India. Japanese people are very friendly, wonderful people but are notoriously shy - even to the point of running away from foreigners(I've heard). So they miss their talkative neighbors and neighborhood gossip and feeling like a part of something they belong to. I guess you can say I could at least relate to them a little. I was most impressed by their kids who where being raised trilingual. Hindi, Japanese and English is a brainful for a five year old kid.
I think I'll be heading back there next week since they said they would be happy to teach me a little Hindi - which I have the distinct impression will be useful to me...plus the food is oh sooooo good.
I jaunted off to the coffee shop feeling quiet high spirited as it were. (that sentence makes me feel like I'm writing a British romance novel or something.) My usual squishy couch seat was taken, so I sat at one of the long bars to hunker down and soak in some hirigana. There were five seats and I sat in the one second from the end. A family of four came in looking for a spot. I obliged them by scooting over to the end seat which I was avoiding because it had a burntout overhead light and made for some difficult reading. Right away, they started chatting to me - the grandmother and mother cooing at me because I was apparently so darn 'kawai' (cute). Once I overcame my fear that they would tie me to their cellphones and force me into dangly servitude, I had a fabulous conversation with them. (people here are crazzzzy about little cellphone decorations) Mostly with the daughter 'Kina' but with many interjections from Grandpa, Grandma and Mother. I had so much fun chatting it up with them and practicing my Japanese. I was pretty surprised that I didn't really need to resort to English...I can't say my grammar was GREAT but...I had a great time.
So, maybe this is a really boring post? I'm not sure but I had a really exciting night so here it is. After so much struggle communicating for so long, feeling like I was getting nowhere - last night is really what I needed. If there is any moral to this tale then it might be that if you think you are lonely in a sea of people it's only because it's the way you want to be.
Ja matta,
sarah.
Okonomiyaki Part 1
disclaimer: Phil and I were really zoned out...super tired so if we seem like retards, well: we were sleepy retards.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
verbatum
We should talk about how you and I are finally making some (Japanese) friends here, that aren't freaky stalkers. And that I've been hanging out with a Japanese lady named Kyoko. And that I had a lesson with a young guy who spent some time in Canada and I found out that he liked shogi (Japanese chess) and took initiative to introduce you two. And being able to hang out with Japanese people is really helpfull for learning Japanese and in the last 3weeks mine has really improved and you can learn how to say usefull things like, Blood of a Pervert! (chikan no chi).
Are you seriously taking dictation? ok I'll continue for a little bit.
I have decided that Phil takes no, well very little intrest in my personal grooming choices, he refuses to tell me if I would make a good redhead he just says "it would be hard work to make you not look good" but hair dyeing is hard work so that is not a good answer, especially in Japan cuz they like wash your hair three times, and dry cut it, and wet cut it, anyway if you see the way the women are here you woulld feel a little intimidated by their high standards of grooming.
(makes fun of the typos as she checks over my shoulder)
what else was going on? the last couple of days of work have gone by really quickly. I have a couple of days that I really enjoy. I have classes that I really enjoy, the students are really pleasent and it's not like pulling teeth . We have a Christmas break coming up, we kinda suck at planning it's too bad that it's really cold everywhere except Belize and other tropical countries . There is a conflict between saving money, and just wanting to travel and go to India for two weeks. Thats what I hate about money, money's so ******* annoying, you can delete the explitives please. money takes the fun out of every thing if I didn't have to worry about *******money I would just jump on a plane and go. I wouldnt have to worry about that I can't get a job or a visa or pay my rent , you want these things; a nice couch that pleases you. Sometimes you feel you want a nice couch to sit your *** on rather than a plane ticket to take you somehwere.
I think the problem for me is I just have a Pilsbury Doughboy of fantasies rolling around in my head. Everytime I have this great idea that I want to live out, like moving to Mexico, I can just hear him going "whowho" tickling his fancy or whatever but it isn't practical. I feel guilty cuz I feel like I'm whining, whining about having to grow up and its not like I dont want to grow up and its not like the majority of the world hasn't had to make sacrifices and put their dreams on a back shelf but....
PS
(Also, I am a wicked good typist) "No you're not"
Are you seriously taking dictation? ok I'll continue for a little bit.
I have decided that Phil takes no, well very little intrest in my personal grooming choices, he refuses to tell me if I would make a good redhead he just says "it would be hard work to make you not look good" but hair dyeing is hard work so that is not a good answer, especially in Japan cuz they like wash your hair three times, and dry cut it, and wet cut it, anyway if you see the way the women are here you woulld feel a little intimidated by their high standards of grooming.
(makes fun of the typos as she checks over my shoulder)
what else was going on? the last couple of days of work have gone by really quickly. I have a couple of days that I really enjoy. I have classes that I really enjoy, the students are really pleasent and it's not like pulling teeth . We have a Christmas break coming up, we kinda suck at planning it's too bad that it's really cold everywhere except Belize and other tropical countries . There is a conflict between saving money, and just wanting to travel and go to India for two weeks. Thats what I hate about money, money's so ******* annoying, you can delete the explitives please. money takes the fun out of every thing if I didn't have to worry about *******money I would just jump on a plane and go. I wouldnt have to worry about that I can't get a job or a visa or pay my rent , you want these things; a nice couch that pleases you. Sometimes you feel you want a nice couch to sit your *** on rather than a plane ticket to take you somehwere.
I think the problem for me is I just have a Pilsbury Doughboy of fantasies rolling around in my head. Everytime I have this great idea that I want to live out, like moving to Mexico, I can just hear him going "whowho" tickling his fancy or whatever but it isn't practical. I feel guilty cuz I feel like I'm whining, whining about having to grow up and its not like I dont want to grow up and its not like the majority of the world hasn't had to make sacrifices and put their dreams on a back shelf but....
PS
(Also, I am a wicked good typist) "No you're not"
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