Shrimp HO!!!!!

So I was able to experience something very different and unique here in Japan...the 19th Annual World Shrimp Catching Championships at Chudo Beach in Aio of Yamaguchi!

The whole team ready to catch some SHRIMP!

On Sat, Aug 22, 2009 a whole group of us went down to an amazing beach just south of Yamaguchi City to participate. It's an amazing event with hundreds of shrimp-catching enthusiasts lining the beach, ready to catch as many shrimp as possible within 30 minutes.

First, everyone lines up and helps carry crates full of shrimp to the ocean, which is netted off so that the little guys can't escape.

It's a team effort getting all 100,000+ shrimp into the water

Then, everyone makes a line and gets ready for the fun! When the alarm sounds, everyone does a mad dash to the ocean! 

Whoever catches the most shrimp wins! The average person can catch 7-10 shrimp. If you catch 60+ shrimp, you're advised to count them all so that you can enter in for a chance to win some SWEET prizes. The record is around 118 or so I believe.

Me and Daryl looking for shrimp in the murkiest of waters!

These little critters are HUGE! At least 6 inches long. And they have a little horn sticking out from their head...like a unicorn shrimp :) Apparently, they use this horn to burrow under the sand. All you have to do is run your hand through the bottom of the sand bed and pull 'em out (kinda like weeds!) and place them in your bag. We got plastic bags, bandanas, and gloves for the event. Some people had snorkel masks, nets...all kinds of stuff!

It was such an amazing experience! AND we got interviewed by TV crews! So cool! Didn't see the segment air but I'm sure it was excellent. 

So how many did I end up catching? 10? 50? ...lOl, no, I just caught one. And here he is!

I named him Willy...but sadly, I did not free him...he was delicious tho :)

And they said we could eat whatever we caught. So yup, I got to eat...one :) Delicious though! They just washed 'em and hopped 'em on the grill! It was soooo much fun! I definitely want to do it again! So glad I went! :)

Gloves...check...bandanas...check...plastic bag...check...LET'S GO!

live from japan...it's WEDNESDAY NIGHT!!! (Lame? Maybe just a bit...)

ALOHA FROM YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN!!!

Me, Erin, and Isaac goofing off at karaoke

It has been one crazy month here in Japan! I just recently got internet, so now I can tell you all about it! And I have the pictures and videos to prove it! I'm so grateful for this opportunity to see the world and get in touch with my "Japanese" side...heh.

TOKYO ORIENTATION

Aug 2 - Aug 5, 2009

Matt, Me, and Travis snacking outside of Lawsons     

The Hawaii JETs at breakfast at Keio Plaza

The greatest roommates EVER!!! Nicole, Robyn, and Me :)

My airplane buddy Jenna and Me snacking before our tiny Keio dinner

The JET Orientation in Shinjuku, Tokyo was INCREDIBLE! I got to meet people from all over the world. The Keio Plaza where we stayed was beautiful and surrounded by incredible restaurants and shops. We went to various workshops and lectures designed to help us with our transition to life in Japan. We were given the option of choosing which workshops we attended to personalize the orientation to our own needs. I attended workshops like 'Driving in Japan', 'Independent Japanese Study', 'JETs Teaching at Multiple Schools', 'Elementary School Visits for ALTs', and 'Travel as a JET'. Some were great...some were...uh...zzzzzzz.

I met so many great people there! I had the greatest roommates EVER! Both Robyn and Nicole are from Hawaii. I also met a whole bunch of other JETs from Hawaii, Canada, the States, 

England, Antigua, New Zealand, ...everywhere really! Did you know England is on an island?! Yeah...so did I...yeeeeah.

 

The workshops ended by 8pm, so we were free to do whatever we wanted after. On the 1st night, I went with my roommate Robyn and some friends to eat dinner at this cool joint where you put your order in a machine and wait like 4 min before they bring out your food. It was EXCELLENT! Plus, no tip to worry about!

Robyn and Me eating our $5 donburi!!!

The greatest prefecture EVER!! LOL...this is us sober before the haunted house event.

(L to R front: Me, Monica, and Rachel)

(L to R back: Michael, Isaac, Amy, Daryl, Chris, and Sarah)

On the 2nd night, I got to hang out with the people who would be living in Yamaguchi...with me! They are incredible people with diverse backgrounds! We went to a "haunted house" themed bar/lounge. There's this thing called "nomihodai" which is pretty much all you can eat/drink for $40. Every hour or so, the lights will turn off and people dressed up as monsters come in and try to scare you. The drinks were served in test tubes, medicine bottles, beakers, ...a scientists dream come true! It was corny but lots of fun. The service was a tad bit slow...but again, it was lots of fun!

Test tube shots!!! :)

Rachel, Me, and Daryl at the haunted house bar/lounge

The last night I went out with my roommates and a friend from the Yamaguchi prefecture, as well as his roommate. We walked around looking for places to shop and eat. It was lots of fun! I wish we could have stayed in Tokyo longer! Guess I just have to go back when everyone comes to visit me from Hawaii *wink*

Alejandro, Robyn, and Nicole pausing for a picture

Me and Sunny having a chopstick battle (we got kicked out of the restaurant for doing this btw...j/k! No but seriously...)

WELCOME TO THE GUCH!

Aug 5, 2009

We left for Haneda airport SUPER early in the morning...like at 7:30am I think. We flew from Haneda airport to Ube airport in Yamaguchi. It was like an hour plane ride, not too bad. My supervisor, Okamura-sensei, picked me up from the airport and drove me 2.5 hours to my island home...Suo-oshima! (I'll have another post about my home later!)

Okamura-sensei and Me at the airport! Our 1st meeting! How special!!

YAMAGUCHI JETS ARE THE GREATEST BUNCH OF KIDS EVER

Aug 6 - Aug 7, 2009

I only had one day to settle in before I was rushed back to the main Yamaguchi City for Yamaguchi JET Orientation, geared specifically toward living and working in Yamaguchi. It was a 2 day, 1 night event. A lot of what was covered in Tokyo was covered again here. I got to meet a lot of the repeating JETs living in Yamaguchi. That night, we all went to a nomihodai event and then on to KARAOKE! Lots of fun...lots of drinks...good times ;)

Dustin, Daryl, and Sherese...some of the coolest JETs out there representing 3 different countries (Canada, England, and Antigua!)

The Suo-Oshima team: Whitney and Me! Whit does high school and I do elem/middle school

Christina, Rachel, and Me...y'know how some ppl just click when they meet? Exactly so.

Group B representing!!! I love my group :)

The following day, I got to hang out with some of the repeating JETs. Whitney, another JET living on "the Island" picked me up and we all road tripped it to Iwakuni...about a 30 min drive from the island's bridge. We went to a castle in Iwakuni, had curry flavored ice cream, and skipped rocks along the river tops. It was a great day and the water was beautiful.

Skipping rocks and having a blast

Me, Whit, and Zile posing in front of a very historic bridge

SHIMONOSEKI VS MOJI...ROUND 1!

Aug 13, 2009

The following week a bunch of us met up in Shimonoseki to watch the big fireworks show (one of the biggest in Japan I hear!) Every year apparently Shimonoseki competes with Moji (in Fukuoka on the other side of the waterway) to see who has the bigger, better fireworks show. I think Shimonoseki won ;) 

Zile, Amy, and Me w/our authentic yukatas. Amy ties bows very well (u just can't see it in this pic tho)

The whole Yamaguchi JET gang at the Shimonoseki Fireworks Festival

We went to a karaoke place afterwards and then a bunch of us slept over a fellow JET's (Dustin's) house. The next day, a couple of us took the train to Hakata, Fukuoka for a day of udon, shopping, and temples. We took the Shinkansen back home...it was SOOOO FAST! A 3 hour ride easily turned into a 30 min ride. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It really is like riding an airplane...except it's on the ground.

Erin and Me outside of a very historic temple in Fukuoka...we hungry in this pic...and HOT!

Me and Alejandro riding the SHINKANSEN!! I wanna go fast! :)

Stay tuned for more of Tiff's incredible Japanese adventures! I'll have a post about my island and the Aido Beach Shrimp Catching Festival real soon.

Challenge: The average person catches around 7-10 shrimp. Guess how much Tiff caught! The answer when we return! :)