Ube happenings and Hiroshima Baseball

I think it’s time for an update!

To begin.  Here is a random picture I took from my apartment the other day.  You can see a Japanese house to the right, the supermarket called "Maruki" in the back, with the mountains in the background.  Yep, this is where I live.

Things in Ube have been pretty good.  Last weekend was the first full weekend I’ve had in Ube for a long time.  It consisted of karaoke with friends and lots of eating out… because that’s all there is to do here!  But it was really fun!  Since I last updated, I’ve met another ALT in Ube – Saranne from Australia.  She’s not a JET though.  She works for some other company at a private high school.  She’s been here for 3 years.   I’ve also been hanging out with this girl named Mayuko who Meng and I met from going to this Indian restaurant all the time because she’s a waitress there for her part time job.  We were actually going to head to Fukuoka that Saturday night for a fun night out, but the bus never came because it got into an accident or something.  But anyway.  I’ve also met another girl in Ube.  Her name is Mitsue and she’s really cool.  My friend Eric, who lives in Yamaguchi City, met her when he studied abroad here in college and introduced her to me because she lives in Ube.  We went to the Shimonoseki Aquarium one day – it was cool!  The dolphin show was awesome!

This past weekend I went to Hiroshima to watch a baseball game – The Hiroshima Carps.  It was an AJET event.  It was fun.  Saranne drove us from Ube so we didn’t have to take the train and it was way cheaper that way too!  We got there Saturday and had some awesome okonomiyaki for lunch.  Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki and it was really good!  Then we walked around the Peace Park for a little bit before the game.  I didn’t have any desire to check out the museum this weekend because I already did when I was there 5 years ago… and it is so depressing.  Really good though and I highly recommend it.  I just assume I’ll be back with my family when they come to visit next year – so I’ll wait until then to see it again.  Here are some pictures from the Peace Park and then some random shots of around Hiroshima City:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The game was a lot of fun!  I really like going to baseball games – and Japanese baseball games are especially fun.  The crowd has all these chants and songs and noise makers and it’s like that the entire game.  The food is so weird though!  It’s not hamburgers, pop corn, and hot dogs.  No – it’s all Japanese… it’s weird!  Here are some pictures from the game:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

On our way back home on Sunday, we stopped in Iwakuni which is in Yamaguchi.  There’s actually a military base there as well… but you have to know somebody in order to get on it… I really want to meet a marine so I can check it out… and I hear there’s a TACO BELL on the base as well.  I really want to go just for the taco bell.  But anyway.  We stopped to check out this really old, famous bridge.  It was cool.

So yeah.  Things are pretty good.  Last Tuesday was a national holiday for Autumnal Equinox Day – which means it was the first day of Autumn.  It’s really weird because ever since, the weather has been pretty nice.  The humidity is GONE.  Weird.  I’ve never experienced Japan without humidity.  I was actually cold today.  Apartments don’t have heaters here.  I have some sort of kerosene heater… I guess.  It’s under a sheet in the corner of my kitchen.  I’m not looking forward to figuring out how to use it.

Oh!  On Friday I had to go to Mine City to judge a middle school speech competition.  It was SO BORING – but the middle schoolers were so cute!  I hope I never have to judge one again though.  Sitting through 50 speeches, judging, is boring.  Not to mention, they all memorize the SAME speech.  Ok, well there were 3 different ones, basically.  So I sat through 50 speeches of the same thing being repeated over and over again.  Yeah.  Oh, and we have to give them comments and I totally wrote the word “enthusiasm” wrong on about half the papers.  I kept spelling it “enthusiasUM”… whoops.  I thought it looked funny…

So yeah.  I started Japanese class - FINALLY.  Last Wednesday was the first class.  It's held at Yamaguchi University (the Ube campus) in the engineering building.  There are 5 levels and I tested into level 4.  I was kinda surprised... considering I haven't studied Japanese for a good 2 years.  So yay!  I'll go to that from 6:30pm - 8:30pm every Wednesday up through December.  Wednesdays are a busy day because I don't leave work until after 5pm thanks to English club.  

Friday I’ve got to go to Yamaguchi Orientation for our JET program fall orientation or something.  Then I’ve got to rush back to Ube for my enkai… or welcome party!  My base school is having a welcome party for me.  I hear all the teachers usually get hammered at these things… Should be interesting!

yay!

After work today I was feeling really tired, I had a headache, and I had to pee.

When I got to my apartment I found a package in my mailbox.

It was season 3 of The Office from my mom : )

Thank you very much!

It made me happy... and a little homesick.

... ok, not gonna lie, I cried.  I was happy and homesick all at the same time... and for some reason, it made me cry.  

Tonight I will watch the first episode.

On a different note - there's a typhoon coming tonight.  Supposed to hit in the middle of the night.  Hope it cancels school tomorrow : ) ... Then I'd stay home and watch The Office allll day.  It might completely miss Yamaguchi though... we shall wait and see.

Weekend Trip to Osaka via 12-hour Overnight Ferry

Yep, I went to Osaka this past weekend… and it was really fun!  Monday was a national holiday – Respect for the Aged Day – so it was a 3 day weekend.  Osaka is where I stayed in summer 2003.  It’s one of the largest cities in Japan and is one of the most expensive places to live in the world.  I took the overnight ferry from Moji (which is in Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu) with Meng, Cheryl, Nia, and Ian.  We all live in Yamaguchi Prefecture except for Ian – who is an ALT in Saga… which is where I did my homestay in 2002. 

Friday after work I hurried home, changed my clothes, and headed over to Ube Shinkawa Station to meet up with Meng.  One of my Japanese Teacher’s of English who I teach with on Thursdays at Ube Kogyo (the technical school) offered to give us a ride to Moji because that’s where she lives.  It’s pretty far away too, so that was really nice.  Here's a map of the route that the ferry took:

Once we got to Moji we hit up the KFC for dinner and bought some snacks for the ferry at the convenience store.  We were dropped off at Moji Station where the free shuttle to the port leaves from.  Nia and Cheryl met us there because they were coming from Shimonoseki city which is only about a 10 minute train ride to Moji.  We caught the free shuttle to the port, but Ian missed it, so he had to pay for a taxi.     

The ferry was pretty big.  On the way there we were in a Japanese style economy room… which meant that we were in a room with a bunch of strangers and given a mat and a really hard rectangle pillow to sleep with.  But it was the cheapest option, so that’s what we did.  It left at 7:50pm Friday and arrived at 8:20am Saturday (about 12 hours).  It wasn’t so bad.  There were a lot of motorcycle guys on board who entertained us.  They were nice… I really think they have some affiliation with the Japanese mafia because they had so many tattoos… and that’s an indicator of the mafia.  Haha, but that’s definitely stereotyping.  On our return trip we were in the "western style" economy room which meant we got to sleep on a bed with a pillow that wasn't a brick rectangle.  Here are some pictures from the ferry:  

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

When we arrived at the port in Osaka it was rainy and crappy, but by the time we got to the center of the city it was fine and sunny the rest of the weekend.  We found our hostel and then got food.  We found a Subway and I ate an entire foot long.  I miss turkey… I miss American food.  Osaka is known for really great food.  I had a lot of good food while I was there over the weekend.  It was also pretty neat to see how the city has changed in the 5 years since I was last there.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We eventually made our way over to Kishiwada.  The main reason I wanted to go to Osaka this particular weekend was because of the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri – which is a famous festival in Osaka.  It was really cool!  All weekend long people run around the city pulling these huge floats (danjiri) that weigh tons and tons.  It’s really cool to see.  Check out my pictures!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Saturday night I met up with Mina who is my friend from when I was there back in 2003.  We met at Matsubara High School 5 years ago and had kept in touch.  She still lives with her parents in Osaka City and goes to law school.  Some of her friends came to dinner with us too.  It was nice.  Then we went to Starbucks for some coffee.  

After dinner with Mina she went home and the people who I came to Osaka with headed out.  We all went out and enjoyed Osaka night life.   I had an interesting start to the nightlife though.  See, my friend Nathan, who I met at Chicago orientation and who is from Indianapolis met up with us in Osaka.  He’s an ALT in Shiga which isn’t TOO far from Osaka.  He never booked himself a hotel or hostel because he thought it wouldn’t be a problem finding one once he was there.  But no, he couldn’t find one because they were all booked due to the 3 day weekend and the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri.  I walked around with him forever trying to find a place before he decided to just rent a room in a love hotel just to take a shower and get ready.  Love hotels are hotels that people go to… to hook up.  There isn’t any VISIBLE staff because they don’t want people to be embarrassed or ashamed.  So you use a machine to check in.  Once you’re in, you’re in for the night because you don’t get a key.  So you can’t leave and come back.  So he drops about $100 for this room to take a shower.  I have to go with him because you have to have 2 people in order to get a room – and they know because they monitor who comes and goes on cameras.  So we get in, he showers, and then it’s time to go.  You have to check out using this computer screen in the room.  Well, I just hit the red button not knowing what it did and we get LOCKED IN.  Oh my gosh.  I was pissed.  Our door locked and we couldn’t get out for a good 10 minutes.  I was so pissed.  I thought we were going to be stuck in there ALL night and I just wanted to go out and have fun.  Eventually I kept hitting buttons and it let us out.  It was very traumatic.  But anyway, after that experience, it turned out to be a really fun night.

Sunday we checked out of our hostel, went to lunch and then me, Cheryl, and Nia went over to Osaka Castle to check it out.  It's in a nice park and that day there were some bands performing.  It was a nice afternoon.  Here are some pictures:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We all met back up Sunday evening and then headed back to Osaka port to catch the ferry back to Moji.  Again, it left at 7:50pm Sunday and arrived at 8:20am Monday morning.  It was a wonderful weekend and I hope to make it back to Osaka sometime in November  : )

As for work, teaching is going a lot better!

Got it.

The cockroach dared to show his face yet again.  I was prepared.  Although, I think I ingested more cockroach poison spray than he did...

Whatever.  There is now a dead cockroach behind my tv stand.

COCKROACH #2 :-(

So it's 7:37pm, Wednesday night. I'm sitting here in my living room. Eating some edamae and watching the season finale of "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" on youtube. Something keeps making me glance towards the tv. I'm not sure why. Something just makes me look over there every now and then. Once more I glance up and what do I see?!?!?

I BIG FREAKING COCKROACH POKING HIS HEAD AROUND THE CORNER OF THE TV.

So I jump up and almost throw my computer off my lap, but manage to set it on the table.

This action scares the nasty creature and he ducks back behind the tv stand.

I run to the kitchen and grab my can of cockroach killer spray, but there is no way of getting to this thing.

WHYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I almost want to cry.

I HATE bugs. Especially cockroaches.

I am now going to clean all of my dirty dishes and keep an eye on the tv stand. Spray in hand.

Survived the 1st Week of Teaching...

So week 1 of teaching came and went. Teaching is a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Monday I was at Ube Nishi (my base school). The opening ceremony took a few hours and I gave a short speech in Japanese to introduce myself to the entire school. The ceremony took place in the gym - which is not air conditioned. The only room in the school that has air conditioning is the teacher's room - and even then, they don't turn it on all the time. Needless to say, the gym was hot and a surprising number of students passed out... but I guess they were all used to that. The students had to stand the entire time too. After the ceremony, all the students had to line up and one by one their hair was checked - to make sure it was straight and black and not any other color - , their ears were checked - to make sure they weren't pierced - , and their nails were checked - to make sure they weren't too long. If their nails were too long then they had to cut them right there in the gym... ew... all the clipping noises was kinda gross. Other than the opening ceremony, I didn't do anything else that day.

Tuesday I was once again at my base school - Ube Nishi. I didn't have any classes until the last two periods of the day - 5th and 6th. They were both with my supervisor and I had to give a little self-introduction. I gave my self-introduction for about 5-10 minutes and then I gave them a little worksheet about me with pictures and everything in order to see how much they understood of what I said. The students were really quiet and nobody wanted to participate. THAT IS SO ANNOYING. I know that Japanese students are shy, but come on. After all that was said and done there was some time left so we got right to the text book. My supervisor made it clear that he wants to be strict in his classes and that we will follow out of the text book and there will be no fun or games. Ok. He explained to me that Ube Nishi is a lower level school... as in the students aren't very smart. See, in Japan, high school isn't compulsory.... though about 95% of students go on to high school. Maybe more. Anyway, they have to take entrance exams in order to determine whether or not they can go to a high school. Turns out Ube Nishi isn't hard to get into. Students aren't motivated and not much is expected of them. That's kind of sad, I think. My supervisor told me that he really wants his students to understand English - so that's why he's so strict with them. I think that's good and bad. But he's been teaching for a long time... so I'm not about to argue. He is, actually, very good at the whole idea of "team teaching" though. So props to him for that.

Wednesday I was at Ube Shogyo - the commercial high school. This school is famous throughout Japan for their baseball and volleyball teams. There's even a boy who came from China just to play volleyball at this school. I didn't have to do anything when I was there on Wednesday because they were getting ready for bunkasai - or, sports day. One of the English teachers was explaining to me that having a sports day in a high school is rare because usually only elementary schools and junior high schools have sports days. So since they were busy preparing for their sports day (which was this past Saturday), I didn't have to do anything. I did get to watch though, and that was pretty cool. I didn't go to the actual sports day on Saturday though because I really didn't think it'd be any different than watching them practice...

Anyway. At this school they made it clear to me that it was my job to think of entire lesson plans for every Wednesday that I'm there - completely different than what is expected of me when working with my supervisor at Ube Nishi. Thinking up, finding, and then implementing lesson plans is a lot of work.

Thursday I was at Ube Kogyo - yet another school. This is by far my favorite school out of the three. All of the teachers - English teachers and teachers in general - were so friendly and helpful. This is the technical school and out of the entire school there are only 8 girls... the rest are boys. My introduction went much better this time around. I wrote ten words on the board that had something to do with me, where I'm from, my country, my family, etc. and then they had to guess what they referred to. The boys were very outgoing and willing to participate - it made for an enjoyable class. I didn't have any girls in the classes, but I did eat lunch with the 8 girls in the cafeteria. This is the only school I go to that actually has a cafeteria. Like I said already, the English teachers at this school are so friendly. Not that the English teachers at my other schools aren't friendly - there's just something else about them and the entire atmosphere of the school that I really enjoy. One English teacher just started in June. She had been studying to get her masters in Melbourne, Australia for 2 years so her English is actually fluent. AND, she's gotta be at least under 30 which is SO NICE.

One of the male English teachers was talking with me and he said something like "so, you go to Ube Nishi. There is a bridge that you have to cross on your bike. Have you stopped your bike and peered into the river and thought to yourself 'what am I doing here in Japan... away from my friends... away from my family... missing out on everything down to the current events of the world'?" In which I responded "yes, I have thought that actually." No, I haven't actually stopped my bike on the bridge and peered into the water, but yeah, I have totally thought that since I've been here. Whatever the reason though... whatever brought me to Japan... in particularly to the middle of nowhere Japan... I'm sure it's for a reason... a reason in which I'm yet to find out... but I'm sure I'll realize it eventually.

This school is actually in the center of Ube, near where the other ALT in Ube lives... so after work I met up with her and we went shopping for rain boots. I also bought a pair of old school high-top converse shoes because I've always wanted a pair... but anyway. Then we went to dinner. Thursday was a really enjoyable day.

Friday I was pretty exhausted. I had four classes and by the end of them I was totally burnt out. Two of them were self-introduction classes with some other English teachers and the last two were with my supervisor - not self intro though. We were teaching how to give directions. I think I said "excuse me, where is the post office" 100 times. But anyway.

So that was my first week of teaching. I don't have any pictures to post because I didn't take any. Sorry. BUT, you can check out the previous post because I finally have the pictures from Shrimp Catching up!