Konbonwa!! May I write this blog on you with reading pleasure! To the brain will come with happiness from reading! Yes, I am aware that Julie asked me to write an entry about turning thirty, and I intend to. In fact, I have already started. Despite this auspicious beginning, however, my work has been interrupted by a trip to Japan to visit Julie herself. In fact (a different fact), I am typing this from her computer in Arao, Kyushu, Japan.
We have had a busy schedule so far, not to mention jeto lago, and I don't have much time to write. We are leaving early tomorrow morning for the "traveling" part of the trip, to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I will offer more thoughts when I return to the good old USA, where the jeans don't fit and we don't even know it. And we don't seem to care. At least our unenergetic English makes dreary sense. Now, If I have to eat one more package of Hello Kitty cracker-cookies...I'm sticking to my ol' standbys, favorites like Watering Kissmints and Pocky Men's Chocolate. I prefer to munch on my Crunky Chocolate Walking Bar (Apple flavor) and then freshen up with Xylitol gum (sugarless and "extremely competent for healthy teeth". They also make the ever-popular Colorful-Ru Mint Assort Gum.) Ok, time to go pack before I get inexplicably tired at another inexplicable hour...
the other JT
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
he goes by 'Jay'
He is not the 'Jason' from all the 'Friday the 13th' movies, even though that's the only Jason anyone around here has heard of!
Well, my brother, after a long journey across the ocean, an overnight stay at the Hotel Chisun in Osaka by himself(Lost in Translation??), and two long train rides, finally made it to Arao. It's his first time in Japan. He speaks (almost) no Japanese.
We ate dinner last night with Etsuko, her son Yuji, and Hiro. It was an assortment of take-out--some sashimi, a shrimp, tuna and squid pizza, barbecued drumsticks, stuffed peppers, potato salad, etc. I enjoyed the evening with them, and I believe Jay did too. I had asked him to talk a little more slowly than usual, and to try not to use slang too much. I think he found trying to do this difficult at first, but soon we found ourselves all together comfortably chatting about this and that. A good time was had by all. : )
Today we've got tickets for the opener game of the Fukuoka Hawks baseball team. I think they're playing the Something Fighters, but the ticket's in kanji, so I can't be 100% sure. We're both looking forward to that experience. After the game, we will potentially visit Sushi Den in Fukuoka for dinner, whose sister restaurant is in Denver, where my brother is from.
Next week we want to go to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. It's a lot to see and do in a week, but 頑張ってましょ! Ganbattemasho--We can do it!
I'm feeling sort of delighted to see him. Something about being reunited with your own blood, or something like that. A sense of care and joy. : )
Oh yeah, and he assures me, his 'guest blog' is forthcoming.
Well, my brother, after a long journey across the ocean, an overnight stay at the Hotel Chisun in Osaka by himself(Lost in Translation??), and two long train rides, finally made it to Arao. It's his first time in Japan. He speaks (almost) no Japanese.
We ate dinner last night with Etsuko, her son Yuji, and Hiro. It was an assortment of take-out--some sashimi, a shrimp, tuna and squid pizza, barbecued drumsticks, stuffed peppers, potato salad, etc. I enjoyed the evening with them, and I believe Jay did too. I had asked him to talk a little more slowly than usual, and to try not to use slang too much. I think he found trying to do this difficult at first, but soon we found ourselves all together comfortably chatting about this and that. A good time was had by all. : )
Today we've got tickets for the opener game of the Fukuoka Hawks baseball team. I think they're playing the Something Fighters, but the ticket's in kanji, so I can't be 100% sure. We're both looking forward to that experience. After the game, we will potentially visit Sushi Den in Fukuoka for dinner, whose sister restaurant is in Denver, where my brother is from.
Next week we want to go to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. It's a lot to see and do in a week, but 頑張ってましょ! Ganbattemasho--We can do it!
I'm feeling sort of delighted to see him. Something about being reunited with your own blood, or something like that. A sense of care and joy. : )
Oh yeah, and he assures me, his 'guest blog' is forthcoming.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
An earthquake, a ghost, cookies and Wellness Part II, condensed
There was a pretty sizeable earthquake here on Sunday. I'm reminded by my friends to sit down and write about it...
Actually, the earthquake was a 6 on the Richter Scale about two hours north of here in Fukuoka Prefecture. I saw footage on TV of knocked-over office shelves, cracked streets and separated building seams. I didn't hear about any casualties, or, maybe I heard, I just didn't understand.
But down here, in little ol' Arao, it was a just a delightful shudder that lasted about 20 seconds. I was eating lunch at my house with my friend Hiro, and we both looked at each other and then at the book shelves. We had our legs under the kotatsu(knee-high table with a heat-resistant blanket on top and a heater underneath), and he stuck his head under the blanket and started to climb under! I was scared for one moment of the 20 seconds(which I think is really long for an earthquake); it was either going to become very bad, or go away. Poof. It went away. There were 2 long tremors afterward. I was, once again, amazed, and my friend and I, afterwards, laughed and laughed.
The ghost is a good story. Yesterday, I had off because it was Substitute Holiday Day. You may be thinking this is a time when we might show our affections to those dear, hard-working teachers called 'substitutes.' You would be wrong. Substitute Holiday is a day off of work prescribed by the government to fulfill the required 'holidays off per year quota'. I think the timing has something to do with the vernal equinox. There are many things I do not know, but I know I had off yesterday.
After I told Etskuo last month that I would have to move to Kumamoto, she got some bigger news that shadowed mine. Her husband entered the hospital in pain and was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. In the month since, he has had a couple of operations. He is relatively stable, but it is a very uncertain time for him and the family. As a result, I have been able to meet Etsuko's relatives. Her sons and daughter-in-law came in, as did her brother and sister and their significant others. It seems a shame to meet under such circumstances, but it's been nice to see how we all get along so well.
So, all that being said, Etsuko's son Yuji and daughter-in-law Yoshimi asked me along to Yame Village, the place of Etsuko's birth, to visit the tomb of their ancestors. On the equinox in Japan, it is tradition to pay respects to one's dead ancestors.
We drove an hour and a half, and arrived at Etsuko's eldest brother's house. He's the oldest of eight; she's the youngest. He's also a retired school principal/english teacher. He's also also a potter and a gardener and a tea farmer. I met Etsuko's mother then too, 92, tiny as a 7 year-old, and indefatiguable in her recititation of Buddhist texts. When she finally halted, she took us into her room and told us stories and fed us cookies. Those aren't the cookies from the title, though. There's more...
We headed to the Shinto shrine and Etsuko's brother told us about Yame's legend. Three hundred years ago, a woman met a priest and fell madly in love. He fell in love with her too, and she became pregnant. Their relationship was never meant to be, however, because he was a priest and could not marry. She became torn and killed herself in despair. On the night of her death, she appeared to the priest as a ghost, and asked him to recite a text to set her free from the human world. He couldn't believe it was her and asked her to appear again on the following night at midnight. If she came back, he would do as she said. When she did reappear, he painted a picture of her on a scroll, and read the text, and her spirit ascended to the heavens. The scroll is hung in the shrine only on the equinoxes. I saw it. Unpretentious, but damned spooky. It's main colors were blue and white, so her whispy black hair drew attention. It hung like fog, softly around her chest. Her tiny black eyes were mere dots, and her mouth appeared as if a three hundred year-old jack-o-lantern. The painted scroll looked fresh as yesterday, but, we were assured it was painted on that night three hundred years ago. Didn't want to take my eyes off it.
We went into the modern tomb, off to the side of the shrine and Etsuko's brother showed me the bones of his father.
On the way back to the car we stopped to admire the tea trees. Ten minutes later, Etsuko's brother mentions that they are his...
Back at his house, he shows us his pottery studio, and tells me, "You can have anything you want. Just take something you like." I was definitely overwhelmed, and took as much as I was able with suffering from guilt-stroke. He invited us to dine with him, traditional Japanese, of course. All produce came from his garden! Then, he gave me tea to take home, and Etsuko's mom gave me two little hand-sewn owls.
That was yesterday. Finally, there was White Day, Valentine Day's nemesis. In Japan, on February 14th, women give chocolate and other treats to the significant men in their life. On March 14th(happy birthday Jay!), men are required to return the favor in the form of cookies, flowers or other meaningless meaningfuls. I just wanted to say that I got a box of cookies, and silk handkerchief, a bouquet of gorgeous (don't know what they are) white flowers, a scented charm, and a letter. And I don't even have any friends!!! ; ) Just joking, I gave things to my supervisor and my boss and my friend Hiro, and they all did their jobs and gave me some goodies in return.
And as for Wellness, I am almost there. My lungs are still feeling weak, and the cough is there, but the rest this weekend helped in every way. Thanks for all those inquiries about my condition, everyone. Getting better sure is easier with a lot of support. I gotta remember that for Etsuko and her husband's sake too.
Actually, the earthquake was a 6 on the Richter Scale about two hours north of here in Fukuoka Prefecture. I saw footage on TV of knocked-over office shelves, cracked streets and separated building seams. I didn't hear about any casualties, or, maybe I heard, I just didn't understand.
But down here, in little ol' Arao, it was a just a delightful shudder that lasted about 20 seconds. I was eating lunch at my house with my friend Hiro, and we both looked at each other and then at the book shelves. We had our legs under the kotatsu(knee-high table with a heat-resistant blanket on top and a heater underneath), and he stuck his head under the blanket and started to climb under! I was scared for one moment of the 20 seconds(which I think is really long for an earthquake); it was either going to become very bad, or go away. Poof. It went away. There were 2 long tremors afterward. I was, once again, amazed, and my friend and I, afterwards, laughed and laughed.
The ghost is a good story. Yesterday, I had off because it was Substitute Holiday Day. You may be thinking this is a time when we might show our affections to those dear, hard-working teachers called 'substitutes.' You would be wrong. Substitute Holiday is a day off of work prescribed by the government to fulfill the required 'holidays off per year quota'. I think the timing has something to do with the vernal equinox. There are many things I do not know, but I know I had off yesterday.
After I told Etskuo last month that I would have to move to Kumamoto, she got some bigger news that shadowed mine. Her husband entered the hospital in pain and was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. In the month since, he has had a couple of operations. He is relatively stable, but it is a very uncertain time for him and the family. As a result, I have been able to meet Etsuko's relatives. Her sons and daughter-in-law came in, as did her brother and sister and their significant others. It seems a shame to meet under such circumstances, but it's been nice to see how we all get along so well.
So, all that being said, Etsuko's son Yuji and daughter-in-law Yoshimi asked me along to Yame Village, the place of Etsuko's birth, to visit the tomb of their ancestors. On the equinox in Japan, it is tradition to pay respects to one's dead ancestors.
We drove an hour and a half, and arrived at Etsuko's eldest brother's house. He's the oldest of eight; she's the youngest. He's also a retired school principal/english teacher. He's also also a potter and a gardener and a tea farmer. I met Etsuko's mother then too, 92, tiny as a 7 year-old, and indefatiguable in her recititation of Buddhist texts. When she finally halted, she took us into her room and told us stories and fed us cookies. Those aren't the cookies from the title, though. There's more...
We headed to the Shinto shrine and Etsuko's brother told us about Yame's legend. Three hundred years ago, a woman met a priest and fell madly in love. He fell in love with her too, and she became pregnant. Their relationship was never meant to be, however, because he was a priest and could not marry. She became torn and killed herself in despair. On the night of her death, she appeared to the priest as a ghost, and asked him to recite a text to set her free from the human world. He couldn't believe it was her and asked her to appear again on the following night at midnight. If she came back, he would do as she said. When she did reappear, he painted a picture of her on a scroll, and read the text, and her spirit ascended to the heavens. The scroll is hung in the shrine only on the equinoxes. I saw it. Unpretentious, but damned spooky. It's main colors were blue and white, so her whispy black hair drew attention. It hung like fog, softly around her chest. Her tiny black eyes were mere dots, and her mouth appeared as if a three hundred year-old jack-o-lantern. The painted scroll looked fresh as yesterday, but, we were assured it was painted on that night three hundred years ago. Didn't want to take my eyes off it.
We went into the modern tomb, off to the side of the shrine and Etsuko's brother showed me the bones of his father.
On the way back to the car we stopped to admire the tea trees. Ten minutes later, Etsuko's brother mentions that they are his...
Back at his house, he shows us his pottery studio, and tells me, "You can have anything you want. Just take something you like." I was definitely overwhelmed, and took as much as I was able with suffering from guilt-stroke. He invited us to dine with him, traditional Japanese, of course. All produce came from his garden! Then, he gave me tea to take home, and Etsuko's mom gave me two little hand-sewn owls.
That was yesterday. Finally, there was White Day, Valentine Day's nemesis. In Japan, on February 14th, women give chocolate and other treats to the significant men in their life. On March 14th(happy birthday Jay!), men are required to return the favor in the form of cookies, flowers or other meaningless meaningfuls. I just wanted to say that I got a box of cookies, and silk handkerchief, a bouquet of gorgeous (don't know what they are) white flowers, a scented charm, and a letter. And I don't even have any friends!!! ; ) Just joking, I gave things to my supervisor and my boss and my friend Hiro, and they all did their jobs and gave me some goodies in return.
And as for Wellness, I am almost there. My lungs are still feeling weak, and the cough is there, but the rest this weekend helped in every way. Thanks for all those inquiries about my condition, everyone. Getting better sure is easier with a lot of support. I gotta remember that for Etsuko and her husband's sake too.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Wellness
While we anxiously await the wise words of my brother, I'll write a short 'filler piece'.
It's entitled: "Wellness"
I don't know what I have anymore. I was sure it was a cold. Then, I was sure it was hayfever. Then, I got worried because the cough wouldn't go away. It was accompanied by a gasping for air, almost a 'whooping' if I may. But I don't want to jump to any alarmingly false conclusions because for the past week or so I've suspected some sort of pneumonia. I was slightly bothered to notice the more frequent, if not mild headaches, and the bright green mucus oozing incessantly from my nose. The earache was almost assuredly from once blowing my nose too hard, but it made playing the violin nearly unbearably loud. Sunday's concert at Tsunoda Sensei's was a challenge because of that problem. All in all, that concert went well, but I was bitter about having to miss the fire-throwing festival in Aso, the town with the volcano, the 'land of fire'. Maybe wouldn't have been able to make the two-hour drive anyway. I thought the cough was getting better, but last Sunday I was coughing again, and the force of it caused me to vomit. I was surprised; I had to throw up right into my hands.
I went to the doctor's twice. The first time, he gave me some cough pills and some other pills to liquify the mucus. They didn't do anything, as far as I could tell. So I went back on Wednesday, having taken a sick day. This time, he prescribed five different pills, to be taken after every meal. I don't think he knew what was wrong with me, actually. So I've been taking the pills, but I don't think it's a good sign that I've gotten a fever twice after taking them! I'm tired, and weary of being slightly ill for nearly a month. So much effort just to get well! I gotta pull it together again and see a new doctor. Everything is good, but I'm sick. Blah. Wellness. Thank you.
It's entitled: "Wellness"
I don't know what I have anymore. I was sure it was a cold. Then, I was sure it was hayfever. Then, I got worried because the cough wouldn't go away. It was accompanied by a gasping for air, almost a 'whooping' if I may. But I don't want to jump to any alarmingly false conclusions because for the past week or so I've suspected some sort of pneumonia. I was slightly bothered to notice the more frequent, if not mild headaches, and the bright green mucus oozing incessantly from my nose. The earache was almost assuredly from once blowing my nose too hard, but it made playing the violin nearly unbearably loud. Sunday's concert at Tsunoda Sensei's was a challenge because of that problem. All in all, that concert went well, but I was bitter about having to miss the fire-throwing festival in Aso, the town with the volcano, the 'land of fire'. Maybe wouldn't have been able to make the two-hour drive anyway. I thought the cough was getting better, but last Sunday I was coughing again, and the force of it caused me to vomit. I was surprised; I had to throw up right into my hands.
I went to the doctor's twice. The first time, he gave me some cough pills and some other pills to liquify the mucus. They didn't do anything, as far as I could tell. So I went back on Wednesday, having taken a sick day. This time, he prescribed five different pills, to be taken after every meal. I don't think he knew what was wrong with me, actually. So I've been taking the pills, but I don't think it's a good sign that I've gotten a fever twice after taking them! I'm tired, and weary of being slightly ill for nearly a month. So much effort just to get well! I gotta pull it together again and see a new doctor. Everything is good, but I'm sick. Blah. Wellness. Thank you.
Monday, March 14, 2005
on turning 30(tentatively)
Tomorrow, my brother Jason turns 30.
Guess the cat's out of the bag now, Jay. May as well 'fess up, since it's not like there was a big, huge party with tondreds of people for you today or anything.
Oh, wait--there was, I think you said? :-O
So I guess everyone knows exactly how long you've been walking this planet. What do you suppose it all means?
I invite you to be a 'guest' writer on my blog. Would you please write some thoughts on turning thirty? I'll post it for you. You can send something to my email address. From there, we'll just take out all the curse words and make the jokes funny and then I'll post it here, as if I had written something of such blinding genius.
(There's no pressure if you don't want to. This request can magically disappear. ; ) )
Happy 30th birthday Jay. Wishing you even more love and joy this year. I can't wait to see you when you come to visit.
(P.S. If you'd like to be a 'guest' writer on Julie's blog, please send an email request accompanied by a check for $49.95, a chocolate bar or a jar of natural peanut butter, and she'll definitely consider it. hee hee hee!)
Guess the cat's out of the bag now, Jay. May as well 'fess up, since it's not like there was a big, huge party with tondreds of people for you today or anything.
Oh, wait--there was, I think you said? :-O
So I guess everyone knows exactly how long you've been walking this planet. What do you suppose it all means?
I invite you to be a 'guest' writer on my blog. Would you please write some thoughts on turning thirty? I'll post it for you. You can send something to my email address. From there, we'll just take out all the curse words and make the jokes funny and then I'll post it here, as if I had written something of such blinding genius.
(There's no pressure if you don't want to. This request can magically disappear. ; ) )
Happy 30th birthday Jay. Wishing you even more love and joy this year. I can't wait to see you when you come to visit.
(P.S. If you'd like to be a 'guest' writer on Julie's blog, please send an email request accompanied by a check for $49.95, a chocolate bar or a jar of natural peanut butter, and she'll definitely consider it. hee hee hee!)
Friday, March 11, 2005
Shostakovich 5 after good friends
I bet it's not too healthy to write a blog when you're feeling very lonely.
So I'll summarize by saying that I had a wonderful time with the friends who came to stay with me. We did lots of things together. We went out to eat 'special' tofu with my tutor and a good friend. We went to Kumamoto by train and saw the castle and ate strawberries and honey. We enjoyed okonomiyaki(that pancake-type thing), supermarket shopping, etc. We went to Nagasaki by ferry and saw the A-bomb music, peace park, Chinatown, and so on. I was impressed and quite frightened that they wanted to come with me to elementary Wednesday, especially with me being sick. However, I think they had an entertaining time and can now fully appreciate the strangeness of my situation here. One friend took over 200 pictures that day(it's really a lot of cuteness to bear, even for three people)!
Unfortunately for them, I was really under the weather and cranky for most of the time, so I wouldn't say I was the bestest hostess possible. But I'd say we had fun, and they got to experience a bit of Kyushu.
(Actually, the best part for me was just talking to them. It wasn't just 'having someone to share things with', though. It was really them, who they are as people, that I enjoyed. I feel super lucky to know that they will be there, and other people like them, when I go back to Colorado!)
I hope you guys are enjoying whatever the rest of Japan might have to offer you!! I was so happy to have you here!!! : )
So I'll summarize by saying that I had a wonderful time with the friends who came to stay with me. We did lots of things together. We went out to eat 'special' tofu with my tutor and a good friend. We went to Kumamoto by train and saw the castle and ate strawberries and honey. We enjoyed okonomiyaki(that pancake-type thing), supermarket shopping, etc. We went to Nagasaki by ferry and saw the A-bomb music, peace park, Chinatown, and so on. I was impressed and quite frightened that they wanted to come with me to elementary Wednesday, especially with me being sick. However, I think they had an entertaining time and can now fully appreciate the strangeness of my situation here. One friend took over 200 pictures that day(it's really a lot of cuteness to bear, even for three people)!
Unfortunately for them, I was really under the weather and cranky for most of the time, so I wouldn't say I was the bestest hostess possible. But I'd say we had fun, and they got to experience a bit of Kyushu.
(Actually, the best part for me was just talking to them. It wasn't just 'having someone to share things with', though. It was really them, who they are as people, that I enjoyed. I feel super lucky to know that they will be there, and other people like them, when I go back to Colorado!)
I hope you guys are enjoying whatever the rest of Japan might have to offer you!! I was so happy to have you here!!! : )
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
thinking too much in an already weakened state
thinking things over a bit more, I'm going to play my own devil's advocate for a minute.
What if I were to come home in July?
I think in a lot of ways, I feel like I've started something here that will take more time to really finish. I've only just started to understand some of the language. I've only just started feeling comfortable in these surroundings, and I've only just got my feet on the ground. I feel like one year would be too short to really incorporate all I've been learning.
On the other hand, I did note that all the people who responded(with the exception of 'anonymous', who I can't say for sure) are music people. They've surely noticed the painful lack of music references in my blog. I feel stifled and starved musically. Looking at things through that perspective, I can see why so many of you might see coming home as the better option. When I look at things that way, I see coming home as the better option too. Bringing this to my attention, I realize why my friends are saying what they are saying. This will take more time, but I want to completely (re)consider all these aspects of my decision to stay.
As a spontaneous, yet seemingly related side note to coming home, I've just been informed that I have to make up the two elementary school days that I missed throughout the past year NEXT WEEK. So, I have three elementary school days next week at three different schools. That's probably more than 500 students i to see. I already know that one school wants me to teach six classes during the day.
this is craziness.
do motivational speakers sometimes have to do something like this? teach 15-18 classes of all different students in three days? some profession must do something like this that i can reference? makes me feel like going AWOL
What if I were to come home in July?
I think in a lot of ways, I feel like I've started something here that will take more time to really finish. I've only just started to understand some of the language. I've only just started feeling comfortable in these surroundings, and I've only just got my feet on the ground. I feel like one year would be too short to really incorporate all I've been learning.
On the other hand, I did note that all the people who responded(with the exception of 'anonymous', who I can't say for sure) are music people. They've surely noticed the painful lack of music references in my blog. I feel stifled and starved musically. Looking at things through that perspective, I can see why so many of you might see coming home as the better option. When I look at things that way, I see coming home as the better option too. Bringing this to my attention, I realize why my friends are saying what they are saying. This will take more time, but I want to completely (re)consider all these aspects of my decision to stay.
As a spontaneous, yet seemingly related side note to coming home, I've just been informed that I have to make up the two elementary school days that I missed throughout the past year NEXT WEEK. So, I have three elementary school days next week at three different schools. That's probably more than 500 students i to see. I already know that one school wants me to teach six classes during the day.
this is craziness.
do motivational speakers sometimes have to do something like this? teach 15-18 classes of all different students in three days? some profession must do something like this that i can reference? makes me feel like going AWOL
Monday, March 07, 2005
all the thoughts i can get together
The funny thing is, I don't really want to come home yet.
I'm so alone here, yet I feel like this time is so valuable for me. I'm learning how to make actual decisions. I've had to create my own life here. I think my blogs have shown more joy and acceptance through time.
Does it all read so terribly?
I'm joining a gym. It's called 'To-reemu Pahku'--that's Japanesified pronunciation for the actual spelling 'Trim Park'. It's to supplement my Aikido practice. It's about a five-minute drive(or ten-minute bike, or 20-minute walk) from my house. It's a modern gym with many of the machines imported from America. The staff is friendly, and the introductory private training session was a complete workout and very fun. Actually, I just got some spiffy new sneakers too, which will make training *extra* exciting. :) Maybe I can attach a picture soon.(!)
Lately in Aikido, students have been preparing for upcoming tests. So, the teachers have been pairing off higher ranks with lower ranks during class to help them get ready. I was surprised to get paired at all, but last week, I taught three 5th level white belts for one class period, and this past Saturday I was paired with a 4th level white belt for the class.
I think Aikido here has offered me exactly what I need. That is, good, solid foundation. The teachers' forms are consistent and it's steady and reliable practice. The atmosphere is joyful. I rarely miss class.
Quite excited to meet up with two friends from Colorado today after work. We've got some exciting plans lined-up; I think it's going to be a fun-filled week.
Unfortunately, I caught something and was sweating really badly last night all night long. Had a headache yesterday and still today. It started with a bad stomach ache on Friday night, and I have this cough that won't go away...
I'm so alone here, yet I feel like this time is so valuable for me. I'm learning how to make actual decisions. I've had to create my own life here. I think my blogs have shown more joy and acceptance through time.
Does it all read so terribly?
I'm joining a gym. It's called 'To-reemu Pahku'--that's Japanesified pronunciation for the actual spelling 'Trim Park'. It's to supplement my Aikido practice. It's about a five-minute drive(or ten-minute bike, or 20-minute walk) from my house. It's a modern gym with many of the machines imported from America. The staff is friendly, and the introductory private training session was a complete workout and very fun. Actually, I just got some spiffy new sneakers too, which will make training *extra* exciting. :) Maybe I can attach a picture soon.(!)
Lately in Aikido, students have been preparing for upcoming tests. So, the teachers have been pairing off higher ranks with lower ranks during class to help them get ready. I was surprised to get paired at all, but last week, I taught three 5th level white belts for one class period, and this past Saturday I was paired with a 4th level white belt for the class.
I think Aikido here has offered me exactly what I need. That is, good, solid foundation. The teachers' forms are consistent and it's steady and reliable practice. The atmosphere is joyful. I rarely miss class.
Quite excited to meet up with two friends from Colorado today after work. We've got some exciting plans lined-up; I think it's going to be a fun-filled week.
Unfortunately, I caught something and was sweating really badly last night all night long. Had a headache yesterday and still today. It started with a bad stomach ache on Friday night, and I have this cough that won't go away...
Thursday, March 03, 2005
lemonade
I guess I've been here over 8 months?
I'm going to stay for another year, I decided. I'll move to Kumamoto City and work there. I'm looking forward to living in a different kind of place, although I have to say that I really enjoy the relaxed pace of the suburbs here in Arao.
I don't have too much info on my new location, but I got my new supervisor's name and number.
Things have been picking up here because the students are about to graduate in two weeks.
I don't know why not many people comment on this blog: maybe it's not so interesting or no one actually reads it. Maybe it's still difficult to figure out how to leave a comment, or maybe everyone is too busy.
Whatever it is, it's okay with me. I'm going to keep writing. I'm going to stop asking people to leave comments.
I'm going to stay for another year, I decided. I'll move to Kumamoto City and work there. I'm looking forward to living in a different kind of place, although I have to say that I really enjoy the relaxed pace of the suburbs here in Arao.
I don't have too much info on my new location, but I got my new supervisor's name and number.
Things have been picking up here because the students are about to graduate in two weeks.
I don't know why not many people comment on this blog: maybe it's not so interesting or no one actually reads it. Maybe it's still difficult to figure out how to leave a comment, or maybe everyone is too busy.
Whatever it is, it's okay with me. I'm going to keep writing. I'm going to stop asking people to leave comments.
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