Daily Commute/Random Ramblings

There was this adorable two year old little boy on the train yesterday. He sat across me and quietly sang the word `densha` (train) to himself for about 10 minutes until it was his stop. Today he was on the train again. It looks like he rides the train with his mother at about the same time every day. If I catch the early train (1:02), then we are on the same train.

When I ride the train, I ride in the second car back because that is the same train car that another member in my class (Michiyo) rides. We usually meet up at Takaishi eki (station) and talk on the way to and from class. Michiyo said that our walk together is my Japanese study time. I think I learn 5-10 new words every time I talk with her. She also teaches me Osaka-ben on purpose. She thinks that I should learn some of the dialectal words. I also learn a lot of onomatopoeia from her. We talk only in Japanese about various topics. It is very good practice for me to try explaining various things - what Utah is like, what I like about Japan, what is different in Japan, and various other things. She is the one member of my class who does not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It has given me some great opportunities to explain the church to her, both in class and out of class. Besides the topics in class we have discussed missions and the Word of Wisdom. I also invited her to come to church with me sometime, but she said she is busy - politely telling me `no.` That`s ok. Right now I am just glad that I can tell her a little bit about the church and that she is willing to listen.

Today I also got my commute pass for the next month. With this pass I can go between Kishiwada station and Suwanomori station as many times as I want for a month.

I really like the trains. I kind of wish there were trains like this in Utah. It is fun to sit on the benches and just let the scenery go by. I am more used to listening to the announcements (and I have the station order memorized), so now I don`t have to focus so much on getting off at the right station. Now I can nap, listen to music, or do homework. Speaking of the announcements, the other day the guy saying the train stops was hilarious. He said everything in a super low ominous voice. `ドアが閉まります。ご注意下さい。‘　(The doors are closing, please be careful). I didn`t know that this phrase could sound so intense. Basically everyone else on the train was asleep, but I was sitting there and laughing. It was great.

Conflict Resolution

Yesterday when I was teaching, I called on each of my students to explain pictures of their families. As usual, I corrected major errors they made. As one of my students presented, she made a mistake. I corrected her as usual. She then started crying and left the room. She came back for the next class, but it sure made things awkward, both for me and the other students. It was hard to finish that lesson and keep everyone going. During the break I talked to Atsuko. She said that English is too hard and she will never learn it. It also came out that she has always had lessons one on one - never with a group. She said she hates being corrected, and doesn`t want to come to my class anymore. At the end of the day she seemed to be feeling a bit better, but it is hard to tell. After class, all of the other members of the class came to me as I was cleaning up. They all discussed what had happened, what each member of the class could do to help Atsuko, and let me know that it was not my fault and they still want me correct them in class. Thank goodness for the Japanese group mentality! Everyone thinks of the group as a whole, and no one has to make decisions or worry about things alone. If it weren`t for that calm class discussion, I think I probably would have tried to take all the blame, and it would have been hard to face the class today. As it was, I was able to discuss everything that happened, and we were all able to work together to discuss solutions.

Today Atsuko did not come to class. I don`t know whether it would be better for her to come back to class, or pay for a private teacher and learn English on her own. I just want her to do what will be best for her, and for the class. If she cannot deal with using English in front of other students, it makes things hard on everyone. I guess I will have to see what happens over the next week.

Ryoanji

This was my favorite place that we visited. I looked over my pictures, and I don`t think they do this place justice. Ryoanji is focused around a rock garden with 15 stones in the middle of raked gravel. The garden is arranged so that no matter where you sit you can never see all 15 - only 14 at a time. If you stand up, there are one or two places where you can see them all. As I sat on the wooden porch, I looked at the carefully arranged rocks, and the trees outside the walls that framed the garden. The sound of rain against the rocks added to the soothing atmosphere. It was one of the most peaceful places I can remember being. After I finished at the rock garden, I walked around the corner to a plant garden. The ground was covered with soft green moss, and the trees and bushes seemed just as carefully arranged as the rock garden. I was amazed at how green everything seemed. I could never find anything that green in Utah. Just like the other places in Kyoto, the air was fresh and clean. I think I was one of the last interns to finish going through Ryoanji. I wanted to stay longer, but I didn`t want to keep everyone waiting. I would love to go back there sometime when I don`t have any sort of time limit.

On a completely unrelated note, I thought the sign on the gate at the parking place was really funny: It is not possible to go through it. Really? I would never have guessed without that sign.

Kinkakuji

Kinkakuji was really pretty, especially in the rain. It was in the middle of a lot of water - I would classify it as a small lake, but then again, I am from Utah. The trees and flowers around were beautiful, and even the air smelled fresh and clean. We took a bunch of pictures without umbrellas, then dashed back to grab our umbrellas and continue walking. Once again, this post will have to wait for pictures to be finished. Hopefully in the next few days I should be able to figure out pictures. I got one up, now just to work on the rest.

Kiyomizuderu

After seeing Sanjusangendo, we headed off to Kiyomizudera. My first reaction: Gah! it`s swarming with gakusei! (students). there were students in their uniforms everywhere. It was insane. The temple itself was pretty cool, and there was a great view. One thing that I thought was interesting was that the whole temple was made without using any nails. I also heard that if people wanted more courage, they would jump off the bridge. That bridge was high up. Would anyone survive that fall? Apparently some people did or they would not have that story.

While I was there, I slipped on the stone staircase while taking a picture and scraped my hand and my camera. The zoom part of the camera got slightly knocked, and for a few minutes I thought I would have a broken camera for the rest of the trip. James saved my camera for me, so it all turned out ok. Note to self: don`t move AT ALL while standing on slick stone staircases to take a picture.

We also visited this shrine with two rocks. If you can walk the ten meters in a straight line between them with your eyes closed, it is said that you will have good luck in love. Well, a few of us tried it. Thanks to years in marching band, it was easy. I will even admit that I used the marching band glide step to make sure I was staying straight. I will say though, I was a little off on the distance. I ran into a person and stopped, and thought I had a little ways left to go. I took another step or two, and ran into the rock. Surprise!

After that we were interviewed by a group of students studying English. They were so cute. One or two of them could speak pretty well, but most of them were very shy. After they finished, one girl gave us some hand-drawn pictures of a Japanese comic character - Anpanman. I am keeping that. It is fun to talk to the students here (sometimes scaring them half to death) in English or Japanese. If I talk to them in English they freak out, and if I talk to them in Japanese they are way suprised. It`s kind of fun.

Also one thing that made me smile: I passed a group of junior high girls, and they all started chattering about me. They kept saying `kawai, kawai!`. That basically means cute. They didn`t know I could understand them.

After that we went shopping for an hour. I bought a few souveneirs plus some mochi. There was a mochi store with all kinds of flavors. They had samples of all of the different kinds. My favorite kind was Lychee, but that kind didn`t come in a small box, so I bought Peach and Ramune flavors. I figured I would share one in the car and save the other for later. They were actually pretty cheap - about 200 hundred yen for a small box. There were so many shops that I didn`t know where to start. There were all sorts of little things to look at. They were all the way up the hill, and we were supposed to meet at the bottom in an hour. I didn`t even make it half way down the hill in that time. I didn`t have time to look through all the shops, which is too bad. Apparently there was one that just had Totoro stuff (from My Neighbor Totoro). Sad. I would have bought something there.

By that time it was raining, so everyone brought out their umbrellas. It is a little hard to walk in those crowded narrow streets when everyone is holding an umbrella. I do wish that I had taken a picture of all of the colorful umbrellas. It is getting into the rainy season, so I`m sure I will have plenty of chances.

三十三間堂 （Sanjusangendo)

This was our first stop of the day. This was a Buddhist temple with a lot of statues inside. Because it is a Buddhist temple, the floors were made of wood and we had to take off our shoes before going in. I was wearing lace up rain boots, so it was a bit of a pain to take them off. Inside the temple was a long hallway with hundreds of statues. A lot of the statues were based off Hindu figures - like Vishnu. There was also a Storm God that looked cool. Even though the entire hall was filled with statues, each one had different clothes and a different face. The faces and inset crystal eyes that made their faces seem more real. At different places throughout the hallway you could pay to burn a large candle or incense to ask for blessings. I don`t really know how to describe the smell of the incense, but it was a very Japanese smell. It is the same kind of incense that obaachan burns every morning and night. Pictures were forbidden, so I won`t be putting up any pictures of the interior, but I have several nice pictures of the outside. After the hallway with the large Buddha and all of the other statues, there was another hall that you went down to return to the entrance where you stored your shoes. This hallway had information about the building, historical people, and events from this area. the one I thought was the coolest was an archery competition that was held here. There were several different events in the competition, including best shot with 100 arrows, best shot with 1000 arrows, and most arrows shot in 24 hours. There were also competitions for children. I thought the 24 hour competition sounded cool. The competition started at 6:00 pm and continued for 24 hours straight. During the night the targets were lit by giant bonfires. The record for the most arrows shot was a little over 13,000. That is a ton! There were also two other competitors who shot over 10,000 arrows during that time frame. The sign said how many arrows per minute, but I forget what it was.

After we exited the temple, me and two of the other interns bought fortunes, just for fun. Mine was `good`. I will try to post the picture I took of it later.

We walked around the gardens outside for a bit, and then headed off to our next destination: Kiyomizudera.

Kyoto!!!

Yesterday I finally got to go see Kyoto. I didn`t know this beforehand, but we met up with the 4 interns from Kobe for the day. It was great!

It was a bit of a rainy day, since we are expecting a typhoon in the next day or so, but I thought that the rain made some of the sites even more pretty. It was fun to see everyone lined up with their brightly colored umbrellas. Mine is blue and striped. When everyone followed Sister Sugimoto, it reminded me of little ducklings all in a row.

Here is a brief overview of my day:
left with Sister Sato and drove to Sakai
Met up with Sister Sugimoto in Sakai and drove to Kyoto
Met up with the Kobe interns. Yay!
Visited Sanjuusangendo - a Buddhist temple
Visited Kiyomizudera
Shopping for an hour - bought a few various souveneirs plus delicious peach mochi.
Dinner at `Makkudonarudo` aka McDonalds
Visited Kinkakuji
Visited Ryoanji - my favorite.
Car ride - listened to music with Taylor
Dinner at a buffet after James challenged a taiko drum game.
Car ride again - I fell asleep.
Startled awake by being tapped on the head (thanks, James)
Bed

I decided that I should dedicate a blog post to each of the sites we visited, or I wouldn`t do them justice. It might take a little time, but I am determmined to write all about them, and hopefully add my pictures when I can go use the Sato`s internet.

There`s Music in the Air

One thing that I really like here is the smaller cobblestone streets with shops on them. Most of them have music playing in the streets. At first it kind of made me think of Disneyland - because the first street had the genki engergetic march that they always play when you first go into Disneyland. When I went shopping with the other interns the other day, I heard the most awesome song. One of the streets was actually playing Organ Fugue. You`d think the shops would go for something a bit more cheery. I actually loved it though. That is one of my favorite classical songs (depending on the day), so it was fun to sing one of the parts as I walked. Yes, I can sing along to a fugue.

A lot of places actually play music here. And a lot of it is the type of music I like. The mall where we go grocery shopping is always playing jazz, and I know that I know one of the songs. I hear it every time I go, but I still can`t place it. Maybe next time I should dictate it and ask my friends. Needless to say, it is kind of fun to go shopping with okaasan, both to see new things, learn new Japanese words, and feel like my life is a movie complete with soundtrack.

*Soundtrack to Sarah`s Life - on sale now! Only ２２８０￥!*

I have even heard from the other interns that there is a place they shop where they play Indiana Jones music. That is epic. Epic shopping=success.

Afternoon walking and going to the mall

Today started out a little rough, but the afternoon was much better. This morning there were a lot less students than usual for some reason, and all of the energetic students were gone. Needless to say, I felt like I was dragging my class along all day. I managed to do two activities that made them a little more genki, but even that didn`t last long. When I got back to the Yukimoto`s, they were having an argument, so I grabbed some onigiri and left. I brought my kasa (umbrella) since it was supposed to rain, but nothing else. At first I was just wandering around the city, but then I decided to go back to Kishiwada Jo (castle) since the gardens were pretty. I walked around the outside of the moat, but didn`t end up actually going into the inner enclosure. The moat had a bunch of water lilies (and a duck!) and looked pretty. I love looking at water, and the water was pretty to look at. It helped me calm down a bit.

Afterward, I was walking around the streets near the castle, and I ran into Sister Sato. She was very surprised to see me. she invited me to go back to her house and do something with the other interns. It was perfect! It gave me a chance to get away and do something fun for an afternoon - homework was put on the back shelf and I actually took a break! James and Taylor are real lifesavers. We all went out and looked at this street where there were a bunch of really old houses. They looked so cool. There was also one fairly new looking temple that we looked at - it still seemed under construction, so we didn`t actually go in. The area near the temple smelled like wet concrete, asphalt, and wood - just like home.

As we were walking, we met several groups of elementary school children. It was fun to say hello to them and watch them freak out because a gaijin talked to them. There was one group on bikes that waited at a light with us. They kept shouting out any random bits of English they remembered. It was funny.

Next we went to a nearby mall - Bayside Mall. We walked around for a while, and I ended up getting a yellow shirt with a phoenix on it - for $10. It is so easy for me to find clothes I like here. It is really nice. I will have to buy some stuff before I go back to America. There was also a cool fountain/waterfall thing in front of the mall.

Oh, time to mention another weird Japanese thing I found! In the bathroom, there was actually a stand in the stall where you could put your child while you used the restroom. It looked a little like a car seat, and there were all sorts of warnings about how to make sure your child did not fall out - with funny pictures.

When I went back to the Yukimoto`s they took me to Joshin - an electronic store so I could get a microphone for the main computer to use on skype. My first impression of the store: pastel. I had no idea that there were that many electronics that could come in pastel. It was a pretty big store, so later if I have more time I might go back and wander around. It looks like there might be some pretty cool things there.

Awesome class

I just have to say that my students are super super awesome. Today they went along with me and made a movie of Joseph in Egypt. We basically did a series of skits all class. It isn`t something I would do very often, but they loved it, and I guarantee that every one of them will remember that bible story! Plus I have a great video of my students. Bless their hearts for working so hard - they even came up with most of the lines together.

Japanese Aesthetics

Today when okaasan was talking about dinner, she mentioned that she wasn`t going to be around in the evening, so she would have to prepare something ahead of time. Otousan immediately said that he could prepare dinner tonight. He was firmly rejected. After he left the room, okaasan said that he can`t cook. Of course, I immediately thought that he was not able to cook. Then I remembered that he made the delicious curry last night. Just when I was about to ask, okaasan clarified. `He is ok making things like curry or okonomiyaki, but if I leave him on his own, his meals won`t have much color in them.` Her objection to his cooking was not the taste of the food. She objected to his cooking because the colors were not balanced and the meal would not look as appealing.

From what I have observed here, appearances are very important. This obviously applies to food - both as demonstrated in the home, and also for restaurants. Most of the restaurants and places to eat (including most fast food) have either 3D models of their dishes, or a photograph. There is never just a written description of the food, as far as I have seen. That would be unthinkable.

Appearances also matter for people. People almost always look their best when they go out (with the exception of rebellious school age students). This means most of the time they don`t wear jeans. Yes, as weird as it sounds to someone who loves to wear jeans, most people wear nicer pants when they go out.

Appearances matter in other areas too. They have the prettiest manhole covers I have every seen. Each city has their own design. I especially like the one in Sakai. I will have to try to remember to take a picture and put it up later. The cover has all of these birds on it. It makes the drains in Utah seem so boring. The gardens here are also very well designed. I don`t know that I can explain such a visual thing very well, but they are all visually balanced. They manage to fit gardens into tiny areas, making the streets look much better.

I don`t know exactly what goes in to these different aesthetically appealing presentations, but it is interesting to think about the mindset that must provoke these presentations. No matter how small the area, or how unimportant the material (drain covers), they all are all decorated to draw attention rather than detract from the surroundings. I wish my computer would let me upload photos, or at least that I could explain better, but this will have to do.

Train Wreck!

Not literally. I just mean that riding the train by myself for the first time could have gone much better. Let me see....where should I start.....

This morning okaasan went somewhere and was not back by the time I had to leave to go to class. Little did I know that she was talking to some of the other ladies from my class. Usually Sister Sato calls about ten minutes before she comes to pick me up. She was running late today and just called okaasan to let her know. Neither of them were around to talk to me, so I had no clue what was going on.

A quarter after 9 came, and there was still no sign of Sister Sato. We usually have left by that time. I figured that they probably wanted me to ride the train since they had me practice it yesterday. So, I grabbed my stuff, walked to the train station and got on the train. I even managed the switch between the express and the regular train okay, although I was really nervous. Then came the fun part - I misheard the operator and got off several stops too early. By the time I realized, the doors were already closing. Shoot. I wandered around for a minute and panicked, and then stood and waited for the next train. I could not find a schedule, and I am not quite familiar enough with the trains to know which one to get one. Luck smiled on me and the next train was a regular train that would take me to my destination - suwanomori eki. I got on the train and made it to my station about 10 minutes late. From there to the church where I teach it was fine. I had to run most of the way in the rain, so I arrived tired and out of breath.

When I walked in the door I was still slightly flustered from my train experience and from running late. I was immediately swarmed by old ladies who were so worried about me. I apologized for about 5 minutes before they stopped fretting and trying to apologize to me for not watching out for me. I also had to apologize to my class for being late. Apparently I was NOT supposed to ride the train today. They intended me to get rides to class until the end of May and then gradually get used to the trains. Guess that didn`t happen. I managed ok on my own - definitely will be more careful next time. Now I just have to deal with okaasan continually apologizing for not being around, letting me know, or having someone come with me. It seems like everyone is taking responsibility for the misunderstanding (including me), so there is a lot of apologizing any time it comes up. *sigh* I`m fine. This morning I was panicking, but now I am ok. Now I just want them to let it go. That and realize that I would be fine taking the train myself from now on. When I am not panicking the trains are actually really fun.

A Few of my Favorite Things

I am a little behind on some of the things I wanted to write, but today is Sunday, so I will hopefully have some time to catch up. This blog is a mixture of a journal for me, and a way to let everyone else know what I`m up to, so there are probably a lot of things that other people won`t really care about. That`s OK. You`re not obligated to read everything.

Anyways, this morning I was thinking how much I love living in Japan, and I thought I would write some of the things I like. Some are Japan - specific, and some are things that I also liked in the United States.

The sound and smell of rain. I love to listen to rain falling outside. The rain here is a lot heavier than in Utah, so the sound of rain is also louder. Yay! I love to listen to the rain beating on the roof, or the quieter sounds of raindrops dripping off the roof. I`m lucky that I get to be here during the whole rainy season! The rain is also warmer here. It is not the sort of cold miserable winter Utah rain that just makes me grumpy. The smell of the rain is also good. It doesn`t smell quite like the rain at my house - a mixture of wood, asphalt, grass, and wet cement smells. I can`t place the smells yet, but it smells amazing. After it rains it is still humid (like always), but it somehow feels more fresh.

I love the weather. The weather is perfect. I love love the humidity, I love the warm weather, and I love that I am teaching when it is really hot, so I just get to enjoy the best parts of the day.

I love being close to the train station, and not just because it is convenient. I like to listen to the trains passing by on the overhead pass right next to my house. I also like hearing the slightly muffled announcements from the nearby station. I really wish we had more trains in America.

I love the food. My host mother has asked me once or twice what my favorite dishes have been. I can never answer because they are all so good. I`m even used to the breakfasts now - eggs, some kind of meat (usually fish or ham), salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions), and mushrooms. I thought it was weird to have salad for breakfast at first, but now I like it. Salad is a good breakfast food.

I love to do things with the other interns. I speak Japanese almost all of the time, so it is kind of nice to see James and Taylor once or twice a week and be able to speak English. Starting next week I get to go out and see different places with them. Next Saturday is Kyoto. I am so excited! When I am with James and Taylor I almost feel like I am with some of my high school friends - which is great since it usually takes me a long time to feel comfortable around people. Yesterday we went shopping at a mall together, and then spent the rest of the afternoon doing various things. It was so much fun! This first week has been so busy that I haven`t really had time to do fun stuff. It is great to do something fun with the interns and try new foods - like the collon snacks. Haha.
`Hey, do you guys want to try some of my colon?`
`sure!`
Followed by laughter and jokes for five or ten minutes. It`s great.

I love that things I liked in the United States are actually popular here. It is a little weird to realize that I actually like popular stuff now. Like music. Most of the groups I listen to are not popular in the United States (partially because they are japanese), but I see various advertisements and hear music I like everywhere. For example, Ikimonogakari and Arashi. It is also funny that I recognize more of the actors on TV than I would in the United States. In the mornings I sometimes watch part of a drama about a teacher starring Inoue Mao. I almost never watched TV in the United States, but it is easy to find stuff that I would like to watch here. Most of the time I am busy with other stuff, but it is fun to sit down with okaasan, drink some cold mugicha, and watch a show. Not only music, but also clothes. When I went to a clothes store yesterday, it was easy to find cute stuff that I liked.

Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ａｌｍｏｓｔ　ｔｏｏ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｔｏ　ｌｉｓｔ，　ｓｏ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ｉｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｎｏｗ！

Always Indebted

One thing that I still can`t get used to here is how much people insist on doing for me. They do so much for me, and I can`t do much to repay them since I am here for such a short time. It is very difficult to repay favors, especially since I am a gaijin (foreigner). At first it was hard for me to even get my host family to let me do my own dishes. One of my students kept me after class for an hour, so she insisted on taking me to lunch. In my mind, staying after class is part of my responsibilities as a teacher. In her mind, she owed me something for making me stay. She paid for everything. I expected that since in Japan they usually don`t split the bill, but I still felt awkward. I almost haven`t used any money since I came because people do so much for me. Even when I go to the grocery store it is hard to buy my own stuff. `Oh, do you want that? Here put it in the do you want that? Here put it in the basket.` By that point it is too late to try to buy it on my own. I feel so spoiled. I mention I would like to try something, and I can`t even use my own money to buy it. Another example is the trains. I have been here over a week, and I still haven`t been able to ride the trains. My host family asked if I was nervous to learn to use the trains here. I told them I was a little nervous, thinking that it was no big deal. Well, they decided that one of my students would drive me to class every day for the first week (45 minute car ride), and then other students would accompany me on the trains for the next week so I can get used to it. It is very kind of them, but I don`t think it is completely necessary. Honestly I think I would be find after riding the train once or twice, but they insist on doing everything they can for me. It is really sweet of them, but at the same time, I wish I weren`t always having to accept these favors that I can`t really repay. It is awkward. I can see why Japanese people seem to have a strong sense of responsibility and obligations.

The Most Bizarre Pets

The pets at my house are weird. I mean really weird. There is one cute little black dog named Toto - looks just like Toto from the Wizard of Oz, except fatter, and one little black cat named Yu or Yu-chan.

This is Toto. He looks so innocent just sitting there.

Just watch, I'll get a picture of you in action later.

Toto is fairly famous in our neighborhood. He loves people, and starts running crazily in circles any time someone new comes in the house. Toto is always very excited to go on walks. When he goes on his morning and evening walk, he pulls against the leash so hard that he ends up just walking on his two hind legs so the leash will not choke him. Have you ever seen a dog going on a walk on just his hind legs. It looks odd. Toto almost never sits still, except when someone sits down at the table. Any time I sit down to eat, he suddenly appears at my feet and sits there quietly looking up at me with these huge eyes. I don`t give him anything, but almost everyone else does, so he continues to expect food. When he eats food, he opens his mouth ALL THE WAY every time he chews. It looks so funny.

Yu-chan is a lot more mellow. One thing that I find funny is that Toto will never come when you call, but Yu-chan will. Why will a cat come running when you call when a dog won`t? That cat loves people to pet her. However, she also has her strange points. She can appear anywhere at any time, just like magic. Yesterday morning when I got out of the shower, Yu chan was sitting right in front of the door. I almost stepped on her. The room outside the shower was locked, and the windows were shut. I am fairly certain that Yu was not in there before I showered, since the room is small enough to notice a cat in there. How did that cat get into a locked room during the time I showered? It is still a mystery to me.

Nikujaga and Eggplant

Today`s dinner: Nikujaga with eggplant soaked in soy sauce.

To prepare the eggplant:
Heat the eggplant. We did it in the toaster over, but I think any way would probably work. When it is hot, peel the skin off with your fingers. It comes off easier when it is hot. Cut the eggplant in strips about 3-4 inches long. Put the eggplant in soy sauce with ice cubes in it. Leave it to chill for a few hours. It makes a very refreshing summer snack.

Nikujaga
2-3 carrots (or one if it is as massive as the one we used - 3 inches wide!)
6-7 small (bite sized) potatoes
2-3 round onions (I really like a lot of these in my Nikujaga)
Any other vegetables you want
thinly sliced beef.
Soy sauce
Sugar
Dashi

Slice the vegetables. Put in a pot of water, cover, and simmer until tender. Add soy sauce, sugar, and dashi (soup stock) to taste. The mixture should be slightly sweet. Add the meat and let it cook until the meat is done - a lot of the water will be absorbed. Eat while hot, preferably with mugicha (barley tea), eggplant, and a bowl of rice and furikake (stuff you put on rice - like sesame or fish flakes, or seeweed) to the side. Enjoy!

Awesome students

I have a little time today, so I thought I would write a little about my students. First of all, funny story. I was reminding my students not to speak Japanese in class, and five minutes later one student said something in Japanese. My first reaction `dame!` . Only one student realized that I spoke in Japanese, and he started cracking up. I started laughing too, but no one else realized what was going on. It was really funny.

I have about 9 students, if everyone comes. They come most of the time, but occasionally one or two can`t come. Here is a little bit about some of my students:

One of my students, Hiroshi is this little old ojiichan (grandpa) that is very outgoing. He will try everything and anything I ask him to do. The other students follow his lead, so I can usually get them to do any sort of activity I want.

His wife is the exact opposite. She is very quiet and shy, and she doesn`t say anything on her own without being asked, but she is actually very good at English. Her name is Setsuko.

One of my students is the homestay mom for the other interns, Taylor and James. Hitomi is very good at English, so I can always rely on her to demonstrate anything for the class. She also can be very funny. I have a great video of her being Satan in a skit about the Garden of Eden. Priceless!

Another student, Naoto, is the only teenager in the group. He graduated from high school, but hasn`t made it into college yet. He is taking an English test in a month, but he is still a beginner, so sometimes he doesn`t understand. He is definitely one of the most energetic in the group (and about 40-50 years younger!), so he helps me a lot.

One of my students is a really funny older lady: Atsuko. She loves to hear herself talk, so sometimes I have to have her let others talk. She also loves missionaries, and since Naoto is practically a missionary, she loves him to death too. I feel a little bad for the guy. He doesn`t seem to know what to do about a little old lady flirting with him. Still, she is great. She is a hard worker, and she adds flavor to the class.

I don`t know the other students quite as well yet, so I will (hopefully) remember and write about them later. They are all so different, but they all work so hard. I love my students!!!

Shopping

I went shopping with okaasan again last night. We usually go to a mall called Bayside Mall that is about 5 minutes away by car. When you go into the shopping area, there are tiny shopping carts that you can rent for 100 yen. The top of the cart fits one shopping basket on it. You take this cart around to the many different stores, and then leave it near the exit to the parking lot. There are lots of different stores in the mall - a crepe store, Mister Donuts, about 3 fish stores, a beef store, an all-purpose grocery store, a movie theater, and much more. The fish is very fresh here. One package of shrimp was so fresh that we put it back - they were still crawling around inside.

I am gradually starting to recognize things here, but the first time I went shopping I couldn`t recognize anything. I was so overwhelmed by the many things that I had never seen before. Now it doesn`t seem so weird, and I can recognize most things, although some are packaged differently from the US.

Another thing - when you pay, you don`t hand the money to the cashier. You put it in a little tray, and then the cashier takes the tray and puts your change on it. My first time buying something I handed the money to the cashier, and she looked very surprised. Now I know a little better. Put the money on the tray. Got it.

While we were shopping okaasan also bought me a crepe. I don`t know if I`m just getting used to Japanese treats not being as sweet, but I almost couln`t stand to eat it. The crepe was filled with strawberries and whipped cream, so nothing unusual, but it was way WAY sweet. I think I will go back to eating senbei, red bean jelly, and other Japanese snacks. Purin (pudding - like flan) if I want something sweet - heaven knows we have enough of it.

Bad Day Became Better

Had a headache, burned my toast for breakfast, and had mosquitos in the shower. Fortunately my day got much better after I went to class. It made me happy to teach my students, and my headache went away after I had more to drink - I`ll need to be careful about getting dehydrated here.

In the evening I went on a nice long walk - down the street to the park, back to the house, and then around the block the other way. I wasn`t going around the block the other way. I wasn`t going anywhere in particular, just enjoying the beautiful weather. The weather here really suits me so far. I feel a bit like a lizard. Come out in the early morning and enjoy the sun, hide away during the hottest hours of the day (during my morning class/lunch) and then emerge to enjoy the warmth again. It is kind of funny, but a couple times I have been walking with Japanese people, and they comment on how hot it is just as I am thinking how the weather is perfect. I also like the humidity. We`ll see if I still like it when humidity. We`ll see if I still like it when it gets to the hot part of the summer, but for now it is amazing. The air even has a different smell here, although I don`t think I could describe it very well.

Ｎｏｔ ｔｈｅ ｂｅｓｔ ｄａｙ

Today I woke up with a headache. It was miserable. Class time cheered me up a bit, but it was a little hard to teach for 3 hours. I know I have a lot that I need to do, but I don`t think I`m going to do any of it today. Except maybe laundry. Now is when I wish that I could team-teach with someone. It would make things so much easier. I think I am going to go take a nap. This is it for today.

Okonomiyaki Recipe

Yukimoto style okonomiyaki (most measurements are not exact)

2 cups potato starch (used instead of flour)
1 package soft tofu
6-7 eggs
ａ　ｗｈｏｌｅ　ｂｕｎｃｈ　ｏｆ　ｃａｂｂａｇｅ，　ｄｉｃｅｄ
1 package chikuwa, diced (fish paste tubes)
A bunch of green onions, cut into about 1 inch pieces
Another unidentifyable green vegetable - I will have to taste it and ask what it is later
Ebi (shrimp) and gyuuniku (beef) set to the side - you put these in right as you fry it

Mix together the potato starch and tofu. Add eggs. Then add cabbage, chikuwa and green onions one at a time.
Basically mix it all together. It should be really thick.
Put meat on.
fry like a pancake.

Eat with okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayonaise, fish flakes, and shredded seaweed.
おいしい！

Teaching Time

The past day or two I have learned how to extend and build on my planned activities in English class. Yesterday I didn`t have quite as much as I thought I did - or rather, I had plenty to do, but it wasn`t as well thought out as I thought. Today I was more prepared mentally, but I ran into another problem. Watabe sensei scheduled our daily devotional to take 30 minutes. Tuesday through Friday we just have a song, prayer, and short thought. It took all of five minutes, and we started early today. That meant that we were finished with the devotional when we were supposed to be starting the devotional. Problem? Yes. I decided to make the classes slightly longer today, and consult with the students after class. I had plenty of ideas for ways to extend drills, so that was no problem. however, the majority of my class is old grandmas and grandpas, and they almost didn`t make it through the first class. The first class (English 101 - conversation) ended up being about 20 minutes longer, and then I extended their break time. Near the end, I thought that some of the older students wouldn`t be able to make it. They aren`t used to focusing for such a long time.

After a slight break for the students (and no break for me - consulting with various students), we started the second class. The 201 class is a reading class using the Bible. Today we talked about the story of Adam and Eve. We had a really good discussion, especially since all of the students except one are Latter-Day Saints. They all took turns explaining the story, practicing the useful skill of summarizing, so by the end, the non-member understood the story as well. Success! We also did a skit of the story of Adam and Eve. It was hilarious. I told the students they had to volunteer for the acting roles. Different roles had different amounts to do. It was so great. All of the other students divided up the story and read it aloud as 5 people acted it out. I think I will have to do more skits for this class. They really seemed to enjoy it.

I don`t know why, but the gospel class is a lot easier to teach. Inspiration has a lot to do with it, but I am always able to think of fun games or activities to include. Yesterday was pictionary, today was a skit, and I think I will do another game tomorrow.

Random thought: I have always loved watching teachers draw pictures on the board. Now, as a teacher, I have tried my hand at drawing my situations on the board. I don`t feel like I am good at drawing, but my students seem to like my drawings. Several of them start smiling as soon as I start drawing a picture. I don`t know whether that means my drawings are good or bad, but as long as they help the students, I will continue to draw. I just need to try not to be embarassed about my pictures.

I really love teaching. Once I start on materials, I feel like I could keep going forever. That doesn`t mean that I am going to turn into one of those annoying professors that don`t know when to stop talking, but I do love to teach. I love seeing their faces light up when they finally understand - like today when we talked about the pronunciation difference between won`t and want. Some of the students really struggled with it, but near the end they improved a lot. I think that is the best part of being a teacher - being able to help your students.

Fun in the Car

Recently there is a game I have been playing with okaasan in the car. We look for unusual license plates. In Japan, the license places have up to 4 numbers. We look for cars that have only one number, cars that have all of the same number, cars that have numbers in numerical order, and cars with alternating numbers. We see a lot of them, so it makes car rides more fun.

Speaking of car rides, I still am not used to people driving on the left side of the road. Every time we turn left without pausing I cringe inside. When we wait to turn right, I wonder why before realizing that I am thinking like an American again.

The streets here are incredibly narrow. I am astounded that two cars and a bike can all fit side by side, but that`s what happened today when I was in the car. There was a lot of bowing and silent apologies as everyone figured out how to pass each other without killing someone.

Compared to Utah, the streets are much more busy. Everyone I have talked to says that this is really inaka (countryside) and the big cities actually have busy streets and shops everywhere. If this is inaka, then Utah is practically uninhabited. Despite what everyone says, it seems like a fairly big city to me.

Gradual Improvement

Today I realized that I can already see improvements in my Japanese. I can do things that I couldn`t do before. For example, last night when I went shopping with okaasan, I was able to tell her about the trouble I had at the airport because I didn`t have her address. I was able to explain that that was why I was so late, and tell her how glad I was to have another one of the interns with me. This morning I was able to explain to otousan that we had so much pudding because okaasan bought any one that she thought I should try. I wasn`t being decisive,　so she just bought all of them and would not take no for an answer. It made him laugh.

I also feel more comfortable with normal everyday conversation. As I get to know the people around me better, I don`t have to worry so much about what I say. As a result, I am able to use more of the grammar I have learned. When I first arrived, I spoke in very simple, short sentences. I rarely spoke unless someone else spoke to me first. Now I am starting to initiate conversations, although I still don`t feel quite as comfortable doing that.

A funny side-note: I think that the Kansai ben (Kansai dialect) around me is starting to influence my language. I never had any problem understanding it, unless people spoke really fast, but now there are a few phrases that I find myself thinking. For example, seya na. This is a slurred version of sou da yo ne. Everyone thinks that my language is pretty because I speak Tokyo dialect, so they would scold me if I ever said anything in Kansai ben. They even refer to their own dialect as the dirty dialect. I think it is kind of fun to listen to. It is definitely distinctive. The two main differences I have noticed are negative conjugations and replacing da with ya. Normal negative conjugations have the suffix -nai or -masen. Here most of the negative conjugations have the suffix -hen. So, instead of tabenai or tabemasen (to eat), they would say tabehen. Desu or da is often replaced with ya. For example, nan da would become nan ya. Also desyou often becomes yarou. Okaasan and Otousan are usually careful about not using Kansai ben when they talk to me, but if we are having a longer conversation, they gradually slip into it. Otousan doesn`t use it as much in normal conversation because he went to school in Tokyo, so he lost some of his accent. Okaasan says he has `hen na nihongo` (weird Japanese) because he doesn`t stick to one dialect, but he just says that he is not the one who is weird.

It is exciting for me to realize that I am gradually able to understand more and do more on my own. It hasn`t even been a week yet! I can`t wait to see how much I improve over the course of the next 12 weeks.

I think one of the hardest things for me has been trying to limit the input I receive. That might sound a little strange, but at BYU I was used to absorbing all of the limited input I got. I can`t do that here. If I try to pay attention to everything, I feel like my brain will explode. For example, the second day here, I went on a 30 minute car ride. I was trying to talk in Japanese with okaasan while trying to read all of the signs, many of which were in kanji. Result: headache. Now I am doing a little better. I can take in a lot of material, but I also take time to sit back and take a break. I should mention though - English is starting to sound weird to me when I hear the other interns speaking it. They speak English together all the time, but I don`t have that luxury. When we are together I switch back to English (mostly), but it always takes a few minutes. I guess it is a good thing I am teaching English classes every day, or I might come back with really weird English.

First Class

I think after this post I will be basically caught up on the main things that have happened so far. Today I had my first class. It is a three hour class, so preparation takes a fair bit of time. I have eight students ranging from absolute beginner to advanced. I try to help all of them learn, but it is hard to know where to focus. The names of my students are: Atsuko, Setsuko, Hiroshi, Noriko, Michiko, Naoto, Michiyo, and one more. They all work hard, and I think it will be a good class.

Today was mostly a review day. The first class seemed to drag a bit because I was still adjusting to the class. The second class flew by. We ended the class by playing pictionary with the vocab words, which the students absolutely loved. The lesson was on the creation, so there were a lot of things that were easy to draw like trees, the sun, etc.

I think it almost might be harder tomorrow because I am focusing more in depth. I have to think of a lot more activities to use to practice the patterns we learn. I also have to catch up on my homework for Japanese 301. I got a little behind this last weekend, so I need to finish up two chapters today. I am basically done with both, but there are a few questions that I need to ask my host mother.

Just a little lonely

I will try not to go on too much in this post, but it does get a little lonely here. It has been a few days, and it still seems too quiet. I am used to always having brothers or roommates around, but here it is just me and my host family. We speak in Japanese all the time, so I am a lot more quiet than I usually am. It is hard to express the things I want to say, even though I work hard. Not only that, but I will be teaching on my own, so I am on a different schedule from the other English teachers. Even at church there is no one my age. I was hoping that I would be able to make friends my age here, but I don`t think that will happen. I hope I can get to know some of the adults well so that I have more people to talk to. Fortunately I think things will get easier when I start my class and don`t have quite as much time on my hands.

Travel to Japan

Right now I am sitting in the Seattle airport and waiting for my next flight to Osaka. There is still about two hours left, so I have time to burn. This morning I woke up late and almost thought I wouldn't make it in time. I originally intended to get up at 5:00 so I could shower and get breakfast before I left. Well, my mom came and woke my up at around 5:40 - twenty minutes before I had to be out the door. It actually was a little miracle. I thought I had my alarm set, but maybe I didn't. My mom just woke up on her own and thought that she should probably check to see if I was up and going. Thanks to that I was able to make it. I had to really hurry, but I managed to get a shower and breakfast to eat in the car.

After I went through security and got my bad checked, I had about an hour, so I basically just slept. I slept for a lot of the plane ride too. I was actually really lucky, because my plane seat was changed as I was boarding, so I got to meet a really nice girl named Yuna - who was on her way home to Osaka. We talked for a while, and ended up going through the Seattle airport together. We got lost, but it was actually fun because we had time and were together. Well, that's it so far. I might add some more later, if I am not to tired when I arrive.

Later...
When I arrived, I had a really hard time at the airport. I couldn`t remember my host family`s first names or address, so they wouldn`t let me through. After about 45 minutes of broken Japanese and English (it was about 3 in the morning) I finally was able to explain where my family`s house was located, so they let me through. The worst part was that they let Taylor through with no problem, even though he had the exact same thing written on his paper. I was so frustrated and tired, and I just wanted to leave. Thank goodness I made it through!

After Taylor and I met with our host families, we went to his house (the Satos) for curry rice and sashimi. It was my first time eating sashimi. I especially liked tai, which is apparently some kind of sea bream. After, I went with Sister Yukimoto to her house. I will be staying here for the next three months. When I walked in the door, I was astounded to see VS Arashi playing on TV. No way! Sister Yukimoto said they could turn it off, but I said I liked to watch VS Arashi, so we all sat down and watched it together.

My host family is small. It is just Sister Yukimoto, her husband, and their grandma. Sister Yukimoto speaks really fast even for a Japanese person, so sometimes I get lost. I bet I will learn a lot while I am here. They all speak Kansai ben, although they say that Brother Yukimoto doesn`t speak as much in Kansai ban because he went to school in Tokyo. They all comment on how pretty my Japanese is. It makes me smile every time. When I went to church with the Yukimoto`s, she warned everyone not to corrupt my language.

While I am talking about church, I should mention that church is very hard to understand. I can understand most of normal conversation, but I could barely understand anything at church. I got the main idea of the lessons in sunday school and relief society (tithing and the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son), but it gave me a real headache.

Introduction to Me

Well, here it goes again. I have tried to do a blog before, but I didn't have much to write about and it basically fell apart. Now, however, I am starting this blog with the intent of recording my progress, problems, and anecdotes about learning the wonderful language of Japanese. To start, let me introduce myself. I just finished my second year of college. I started studying Japanese to fulfill general requirements, but I loved learning a language so much that I have declared Japanese as my major. After an internship at an international school last summer, I decided to minor in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (hereafter referred to as TESOL). As a combination of these interests, I am going to be living in Sakai, Japan for the next three months while I teach English classes every day and study Japanese. I have to work really hard at Japanese, but usually I can do ok if I try my best. My attitude for Japanese is to try my best and learn the material and progress in the language will naturally result. It takes more time than cramming the material in all at once, but I think I remember the material longer.

Right now it is the night before I leave for Japan. I am both excited and nervous for the challenge of living in a foreign country. I know that there are a lot of great experiences waiting for me, and I will get to meet lots of people and try new things. On the other hand, I am uncertain about my ability to communicate in Japanese to the people around me and a little nervous to teach a class by myself for the first time. I think the hardest thing at this point is that I really have no idea what to expect.

Let's see...I guess I should mention my travel plans. I am leaving my house tomorrow between 5:30 and 6:00 and heading up to the Salt Lake Airport. From there I will make a connection in Seattle with a few hours for a lay-over (and lunch). I will also meet up with Taylor, another intern going to the Osaka area. We will be taking the same flight to Osaka, where we will be picked up by his host family.

I hope that I will be able to keep this blog updated on a regular basis, but I am not sure yet whether my host family has internet, so I might end up posting everything for the week all at once. I guess I will just have to see.