resolutions and days gone by

as each new year begins i start a new list of resolutions and to-dos as most do. after ten months, this past week i finally accomplished one of my resolutions- baking in the rice cooker. it started with cake. four hours of cooking and still gooey, but oh so delicious! then tuesday evening, the brownies began to bake...three days later, in the rice cooker, they were still baking. thursday evening the baking stopped. they are now gooey centered goodness. yum. and now, the latest batch. this evening i put the blueberry muffin mix into the cooker...and while the first round is still going, I have a great feeling that this may be the only cycle! another new years resolution complete!

time in japan is flying by this year. school is consistently busy with preparations for speech contests, cultural festivals, and testing. and the 27 classes, at just one school, plus four other schools keep me running around.

this weekend there is a wonderful bamboo festival at kumamoto castle. i went last night with jessica. we met one of my elementary school JTEs, Naomi, for dinner at chill then met toshi and kat at the festival. the lanterns were amazing. bamboo and paper lanterns lined the streets. lanterns in trees, lanterns in bags, any type of lantern you can imagine, it was there!

delayed photos

pushing pavement

exploration is different for everyone. for me, its the only way to live. journeys and sights are how I learn and how I grow. it is how I fully experience this world. not everyone is a "do'er," not everyone constantly wants to roam, but I do. luckily, there are others who feel this way. they make for great company while on the road. these last two weekends, after extremely busy weeks at school, nicole, shannon and I have loaded the car and headed out. one of my to do's in japan is to visit every prefecture on kyushu. there are seven; fukuoka, kagoshima, miyazaki, kumamoto, oita, saga, and nagasaki. after a year I have visited all but one, saga. I will get there.

two weekends ago we set out for kagoshima. it is four hours on local roads, the 3 and about two hours on the ic. we left late friday evening and drove to kagoshima city, where we found a nice combini/joyfull parking lot and slept. we awoke throughout the night drenched in sweat, but we were determined to make the trip as cheap as possible, and in japan that is really difficult. we started early saturday morning. we made an hour longer drive down to ibusuki to start the day with sand baths and sweet potato ice cream. kagoshima city is home to one of the worlds most active volcanoes, sakurajima, which supplies the surrounding areas with plenty of warm water and ash. hints, the popular volcanic sand baths. in nothing but a yukata, a japanese style rob, we set off to the black sands. we were then buried alive with shovels, at a very rapid pace. a strange experience, to say the least. our heads were left out and the "bath" began. all the information I read said that most people dont make the recommended ten minutes in the sand, which for the record was hotttt, extremely hottttt! after about 15 minutes we began to wonder when they would be freeing us...being the only gaijin made it a bit awkward. then at almost the 20 mark we decided we maybe we not given instructions because there were none and we broke free. it was for sure a once and a lifetime experience, as in i am not sure i could withstand that amount of heat every again in my life. but it was relaxing. we showered, had an ice cream break and then again loaded in the car to find a perfect picnic spot. we found it at a cute tourist stop with a beautiful overlook of the ocean. we enjoyed our picnic and went to catch the ferry to the volcano! we made the ferry and drove around the smoking volcano in search for a famed onsen we read about. we found it by chance and moaned over the Y1050, about $16, entrance fee. it was worth it. furosato onsen is in a hotel but the onsen itself is a shrine to a local dragon god. it sits under a beautiful camphor tree and overlooks the ocean with the volcano behind. because it is a shrine everyone wears a white yukata, which is nice since it is a mixed onsen. it was the mot beautiful onsen i have been to and one of my favorite memories in japan. after indulging ourself in a long relaxing soak we headed back to the ferry to go into kagoshima city in search of the famous local black pork. we found it at dolphin port. it was delicious! then it was back on the road! kagoshima, check.

this past saturday morning we (nicole, shannon, miyu, and i) set out to hitoyoshi, in southern kumamoto, for some much anticipated white water rafting. it is a few hours away, but the drive on the local 219 is breathtaking. it was the perfect day to be on the river. the sun was shining, the water was cool and spirits were high. it was a day full of cliff jumping, rope swinging, 4 degree waterfalls, rafts turned into water-slides, japanese jokes, splashing, and admiring the beautiful nature that is everywhere in japan. we stopped in yatsushiro on the way home for dinner and ended the night with parikura and karaoke in uki shi!

and yesterday. sunday we woke early to venture to the beaches of miyazaki. after confusion over directions we began the journey. we had surfing and sleeping in mind, but as any great adventure would have it neither of those came to be. we found our way to aoishima by recommendation of shannon. it is a nice shrine seating on a island surrounded by volcanic rocks set in parallel rows, shaped from years of waves beating on them, known as the devils washboard. it is said that the devils comes out to do his laundry there. we did some exploring which included a major photo shoot. we had the famous chicken namba for lunch, lunch was an adventure of its own. we of course sampled more ice cream, i had mango and then went back for grape. we then explored the botanical garden, and wished we could stay for the beer festival that was taking place later in the evening. but back to the car it was!

this morning I awoke at 5:45am to meet my friend, javier, to go fishing in yatsushiro. I met him at 7am at santa karaoke, a christmas themed karaoke joint, close to his house, about 30 minutes from me. I was fishing pole less but made due with surrounding sticks, 5yen and fishing line. javier was kind enough to let me borrow his pole too. we spent the best hours of the morning casting and laughing but were not successful in our endeavor--fish less after three hours.

wednesday morning nicole and I will be heading to taipei, taiwan until sunday. i am looking forward to visiting the national museum and taipei 101- the tallest tower in the world. stories to come!

arkansas, you are missed.

festival season

each night the sky is graced with hanabe, fireworks, and the air smells of tayaki, takoyaki and kakigori. i love it. shannon and i are currently shopping for a yukata, or summer kimono, to wear to all the festival fun. we have "dance" practice tomorrow night because on september 7 we will be a part of shiranuhi's, our local town, matsuri. tonight friends of ours will be dancing in the uto matsuri. so we will venture to the next city to take part in the fun.

with help i have finally learned to play around on blogger, my next goal is to conquer the photos. more to come...

today i had another tea ceremony class. this time shannon joined in on the fun! when we arrived the ladies had yukatas ready. they dressed us and class began.they love hearing about our lives in japan and we enjoy the genuine interest they have in hearing our stories. we hope to get to visit more.

off to pick up shanade at the station!

all my arkansas love! im missing the natural state these days!

cultural captian

this summer i decided with my "free" time i would take on a few japanese traditional classes. i have taken shuji for a year now and i have really enjoyed my time spent with my teacher and learning a bit of the heart of japan through the lessons. however, i though it was time to branch out and see/learn more about this country i am currently residing in. i enrolled in tea ceremony and ikebana (flower arranging) classes. i was a little frightened to go. after a year i speak little japanese. i showed up to the matsubase community center last tuesday afternoon with a note asking for the class in japanese to find the cute old front desk worker waiting to show me to the room. i walk into a traditional tatami room with two women in full kimono gear and three other women. after being at school everyday where my reality and existence is often all together ignored (apparently the gaijin before have left bad impressions, and unfortunately for me and my staff all foreigners are the same, or are they? my teachers will never know, or care)so sadly, i was not expecting the wonderfully warm welcome i received. each women, 62-75, was overjoyed to see me. it took them over a half hour to figure out i truly did not speak japanese. they were over loading me with maccha and sweets and even allowed me to serve them, teaching me the traditions and rules (all with out words- see actions are important!). a true smile did not leave my face the entire two hours. the entire two hours, that i thought i would be sitting seiza! luckily, the allowed me to sit on normally, and when i began to shift my weight they continually offered a chair and eventually gave me a floor pad. i hope to soon be able to write more on the beauty and history of the japanese tea ceremony, but before this gets too long I want to get to my point. when drinking the maccha it is very important to admire the cup/bowl that it is served in. we were using two exquisite bowls, one from the cultural capital of japan, kyoto. after admiring it i asked where the other was from, one of the lady's face began to shine as the others explained that her husband was a local potter and had made it and many of the other supplies they often used during class. they disappeared for a few minutes and returned with samples, and ultimately giving me a beautiful beautiful bowl! I was so touched by their kindness and genuine happiness in spending time with me. I hope to return in a few weeks, where they want to help me dress in traditional clothing!

recently i have been inspired by a few blogs i have stumbled upon. while being away, somewhat isolated in rural japan, i have found that exploration of thought has been a large part of my time here. although i am busy with school and the challenges of living abroad i find that often my mind drifts to deep questions i spend little time contemplating while in my comforts at home. actions have always been a very central part of my being and i truly believe the cliche saying that "actions speak louder than words," but how can i here make my actions speak? i have few words to communicate with those around me and little contact with those i can communicate with...its a question i am struggling with every day. i want to encourage and love those around me.

joy is a lesson i am learning. isn't it true when we become proud we are tested? man, am i realizing the truth in those words. a challenge for me this past year has been finding true joy. challenging my faith and trust in the one who can give me true and everlasting joy. joy in ALL circumstances. i am so blessed to have a true rock, a castle not built on the sand but an ever so deep belief in my creator and the belief that all things come together for good. there is a lesson to be learned from my time here, i am here for a reason, to be used and to be challenged, to show love and accept love, to better myself and those around me. life is so surprising.

misumi visit

this morning was my first visit to kindergarten. i walked in to see the precious children all wet and with swim caps. it quite possibly was one of the cutest things i have ever seen. then i met with the kind principal who was overly concerned with me being able to experience, see and eat my way across japan- why cant my junior high have that same mindset? then it was time to start, in the back classroom were seven very nervous children sitting in a straight line. i was told one child was hyperventilating with the thought of my coming and could not calm down all morning. i am still trying to process exactly how i feel about that, regardless she was smiley by the end of our eigo hour. we practiced colors, numbers 1-7, danced, danced, danced, danced, danced, danced, danced, and i sang. after class the students went to "shower" before lunch. the "shower" consisted of the teacher spraying them with the water hose. at lunch the students were seated ever so cutely. the youngest at one to the oldest at four. the three two year olds were extremely distracted by my being there and could not stop staring and making strange noises. they did however ask me back! most of the students who were not in eigo hour were still weary of my presence and couldnt bring themselves to come close to me. it was really interesting. i cant imagine how strange it really must be for them to encounter a gaijin for the first time. it is something as an american i can not fathom. we are exposed to so much diversity that it seems almost wrong for them to be afraid of me, but it is all they know-- which hopefully will change in the future and from being here i can say there is a large chance they may always dislike foreigners. that is why i am here, to internationalize and broaden views and mine in exchange are broadening. there is so much to learn about japan.

tomorrow i will visit another kindergarten. this time with forty students in eigo hour. i think it will be a bit overwhelming but nonetheless fun! then it is off to tokyo for the summer sonic music festival and back to kumamoto on monday.

japanniversary

august 1, 2009 i left my brother, haynes, and my mom at an airport in san francisco. a large pink suitcase and my trusty blue backpack were stuffed to full capacity- what's a girl to do with weight limits and a year abroad ahead of her? upon arrival to kumamoto i quickly learned that packing could have been more simple, but hindsight does lead to 20-20 vision, no? my, how time has flown by this year. i have been so lucky to experience so much in my time here already and i look forward to my last year of adventure in japan. happy first japanniversary to me! and with this "new year" i do hope to become a more frequent and committed (pictures would be nice?) blogger. with new passport stamps, drinking habits (GREEN TEA- I CANT GET ENOUGH!) and a language to conquer i start another year of my japan journey.

I want to extended my cute uki city apartment to anyone who wants to experience a little japan adventure of their own! My current resume includes two southern visitors under my belt (thanks kelsey and katie leigh!), a planned rendezvous in thailand with a sweet brother (haynes), another great rendezvous in china (with miss paige), a random run-in with an arkansan (mitchell), and skype dates galore!

oh japan. here we go again!

Beginnings

Thursday, April 8, marked the beginning of a new school year here in Uki. It was a day filled with ceremonies and speeches. The newly second and third grade students gathered in the gym and were lectured on the importance of becoming sempais to the incoming first graders (7th graders). The following day, Friday, there was an opening ceremony where the first graders were welcomed to Matsubase Junior High and were given their homeroom assignments. In most cases I am unaware of what is really happening at the ceremonies/assemblies, but on this day I was asked to remain in the teachers room. I was alone. I was a bit confused as to why my Kyoto Sensei (vice principal) who speaks no English, knew enough to say “stay here.” Nonetheless, it was nice to be still without all the hustle and bustle that accompanies and work place in Japan. I am often found sitting and waiting for instruction in this environment, which although easy is sometimes a bit stressful, so given a solid instruction to stay was a new experience. I was able to read an entire book, which helped to prepare me for my upcoming trip to China, one can only organize a desk so much! With the new school year I was told internet was being installed for each desk…I spent time today trying to connect to a network….but nothing. If internet really is installed that could change my work life tremendously. Right now there are three computers for about 100 staff members and because I don’t really need the computer it is very badly received when I check email or read the news, whether anyone else needs the computer or not. I can’t imagine the amount of productive things I could do with internet at my desk, ie BLOG. Ill try again tomorrow.

blog backup

a bit late, but nonetheless...

Happy (late) St. Patrick's Day yall! Don't forget to eat your corned beef and cabbage.

" We don't just have one language and one history. We sleep in German and dream in Irish. We laugh in Irish and we cry in German. We are silent in German and we speak in English. We are the speckled people."

A friend that sticks

Life is made up of many people who come and go. I once had trouble understanding that, but now I take it as one of life's many beauties. With all those people coming and going you get a little lost sometimes and think you're in this life alone. That's when those loved ones come in right where they left and without a word bring the world right back in grasp. For me those friends who stick are my family. It is my family who is my constant. They are there no matter what. The week of March 6-14 I was lucky enough to have my little sister visit. She and a friend were able to join me for three days at school- two days at elementary and a day of junior high graduation. We spent time delving into Japanese culture through puri kura, karaoke, sushi, and an onsen trip, but most of the time spent, unknowingly, was providing me with an overwhelming comfort in my life here. I am learning to be thankful for family at all stages in life.

Laughter

Much has been said about laughter. But reality and laughter here are one in the same. Lucky for me, laughter seems to be one of the few things that truly is universal. In the modern globalized world we may share the same clothes and food, but culture is not easily assimilated. One can blend in (unless you are a southern girl in japan. you wont blend) but one can never lose their culture. We can learn language and speak the words of the people but communication is still not natural. Each country has its differences, but through travel I have found one constant in communication: laughter. Thanks to laughter I can communicate with my students here. True, they could easily be making fun of me and laughing at me...but chances are even if I did understand them I would think it was funny too!

all my arkansas love

sakura!

wow. its been a while. due to my lack of computer suave and an active school life...but I am back now...hello again blogger world! I have written many mock entries during my days at school these past few weeks but then I forgot my password to log in. but regardless, I am back--really!

life in japan is revitalizing itself with spring. the sakura (cherry blossoms) are arriving! I couldnt be happier! this means hanami season has arrived! hanami is what the japanese people live for during the spring. it is a nice picnic under the cherry blossoms. life doesnt get better than that. I brought flat stanley along for a short hanami today. shannon is in the hospital so I went to pick a few cherry blossoms to bring spring fever into the hospital.

all my arkansas love...

Setsubun? or a Birthday? both.

first I would like to wish my wonderful brothers, Hunter and Haynes, a happy happy birthday! I guess even if I were in America I wouldn't be celebrating with them, so just as if I were home...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HUNTER AND HAYNES, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! for those of you who know how terrible my singing truly is, just think at how much I have improved through karaoke. scary, I know.

today in japan we are celebrating setsuban. while at shuji this afternoon I learned the story. there was a farmer who was praying for rain (praying- more like asking in japan). he promised to whomever made it rain that they could marry his beautiful daughter. this awful devil fulfilled his wishes for rain and the farmer stood by his word, giving his daughter away. the daughter despised the devil she was wed to (who wouldnt?) and was always on the look out for an opportunity to run. once she escaped, but the devil followed and captured her. After he returned her to "their" home, her mother came to the rescue, as any good mother would. she fought off the devil by throwing "flying beans" at him! this surprising worked...and still works today to ward off evil and bring luck upon a household. way to go super mom!

setsubun is celebrated yearly in coordination with hunter and haynes riley's birthday. february third marks the beginning of spring here, although I have heard weather wise this isn't true. sadly. it is meant to cleanse evil from the previous year and drive away evil for the coming year. the act of throwing beans (roasted soybeans), mamemaki, at a member of the household wearing a devil mask is how the ritual is performed. or in the matsubabies case, we set the mask on the table. you are meant to chant "oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi!" which says, "demons out! luck in!" simple enough. following this you are to eat the number of roasted soybeans for your number of years...and depending on who you talk to maybe an extra to bring luck for the coming year.

last friday, I went to a math demonstration class at school. while there I write...

the woman on my left motions me to sit. I choose a desk along the back, next to the open window--but close to the sun. throughout the hour I struggle to recognize a single word. the students, who I ate lunch with a mere twenty minutes before, have completely transformed. masked and silent they sit. this is the first demonstration class I have attended that I was not an active part of. from what I can gather, the teacher's lesson is on probability, but do realize that this is an educated guess deducted after an hour of a language I can not understand. from what I understand these demonstration are a large part of the japanese education system. I myself have already participated in ten, one of which was solely focused on me. nerve-racking, you would think. the entire staff crowds the room frantically evaluating both the teacher and students. our math class today began with a special announcement of our "sensei" becoming a father this very morning--I found this our from a fellow english teacher who was kind enough to translate. this whole afternoon displays perfectly one of the cultural aspects of japan that I just cannot wrap my mind around...this man's wife had their first son, 10 am this very morning and he is at work? and if I was brave enough to stay late at work I am almost positive he will still be here! I like to think of myself as a hard worker, but being here, in this country, pry the question so prevalent in society-- quality vs quantity. It seems the mindset here is dedication with no wavering. there is no worth in quantity...or at least in my work environment at the junior high. it is all about the face time...and lets face it I can't but in more than 9 hours a day...nor do I want to sit any longer mindless at my desk...maybe I will put the other hours in the day towards changing the world...not changing the way japanese view a work environment. that is grounded firm in hundreds and hundreds of years in the beautiful culture.

" Me, I've seen forty-five years, and I've only figured out one thing. That's this: if a person would just make the effort, there's something to be learned from everything. From even the most ordinary, commonplace things, there's always something you can learn." Haruki Murakami, Pinball, 1973

all my arkansas love...

matsubabies

check out our collaborative blog spot for all things japan...

http://matsubabies.blogspot.com/

first update, january 27 2010--today!

"The water tastes funny when you're far from your home, but it's only the thirsty that hunger to roam." - j. prine

the speckled people

"Maybe your country is only a place you make up in your own mind. Something you dream about and sing about. Maybe it's not a place on the map at all, but just a story full of people you meet and places you visit, full of books and films you've been to. I'm not afraid of being homesick and having no language to live in. I don't have to be like anyone else. I'm walking on the wall and nobody can stop me." -hugo hamilton- -the speckled people-

so much blogging. so little time...

trips in the works:

nagasaki in feb

korea? possibly in march

china in april/may

haynes and i had a wonderful time in cambodia and thailand over the holidays. we were able to see and do a lot. we started in siem riep where we visited angkor wat. this is a spot i highly recommend. it was incredible. we spent a day in a tuk-tuk seeing the many temples. it was a adventure filled day and included haynes extending his clinton global initiative world wide...he picked up trash along the main temple sights- I have photo documentation. we were able to watch the sunset in the distance while sitting among one of the ancient temples. haynes took some great photos--see his flickr. we then made our way to chiang mai. while in chiang mai we visited many temples and of coursed managed to accomplish many listed "weird" activities. these included a "monk chat" and a traditional thai massage at the women's correctional facility. we ate great--khoasoi was one of our favorites. I enjoyed the fresh fruit while haynes favored the smoothies and array of curry. on christmas eve we found ourselves on a "tour" which brought us to many of the hot spots. my favorite being the awful renditions of a local village? they have two or three huts set up where where travelers visit to see indigenous tribe life...hmmmm. tribe life not so much. but we did get to see an elephant show! they danced, they played soccer, and one even painted! we followed this with an elephant ride, an ox and carriage ride, and duh a bamboo -adventure- raft ride. it was a long day. we arrived back at the hostel in time for a gift exchange. caught a christmas service and hang out with a group from the hostel. christmas day was spent with travel from chiang mai to pai. pai might be my favorite spot in thailand. it is a popular spot for locals to vacation. it is small and quaint with a hippie vibe. we were able to relax at our beautiful accommodations, the darling view house. it had a great porch which overlooked the rivers, town and mountains in the distance. haynes and I made sure to catch the sunset each night we were there. we rented a scooter see the terrain around. this included waterfalls, rice fields, elephants, the great land crack, the canyon, hot springs, over looks, and the list goes on. after pai we trekked down to phuket. we met my friends from japan, shannon and matt. we spent one day beach hopping on scooters...and sadly almost ended the amazing day in a tourist trap--sketchy sketch bike rentals--there was a call made to the american embassy and the tourist police. we island hopped, snorkeled, tanned, ate, laughed, and laughed. new years eve was spent with new friends on patong beach where we let lanterns go and saw thousands over the water. our last stop was bangkok. we were lucky to have an incredible guide, aim. we explored more temples, markets, food, avatar 3d/imax, palaces, maybe a little bit of food poisoning, and met up with another of my friends, nicole.

all that just to give a little over view of an incredible three weeks. details details...they have always been hard to write. I apologize for the run down. bottom line- it was great seeing haynes. im thankful for the time I got to spend with him. family, it just doesnt get better.

this week was busy busy at school. today I updated the english board, taught four classes and caught up on paper work for the boe. tomorrow we are celebrating australia day (which is tuesday) with our local aussie, Jessica.

arkansas love yall!

everyone look at your calendar and meet me for an asian adventure!