Partying the "Japanese way": Enkais and Silver Week

Enkais = PARTY!!!

The coolest cats of Suo-oshima's Board of Education! (I had them do shaka's!)

In Japan, it’s customary for your new workplace to take you out to a fancy dinner and drink with you well into the night, a custom known as an “enkai.” I went with my coworkers at the Board of Education to a nice all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink Japanese restaurant. It was excellent; the food was AMAZING and the drinks kept coming and coming! It was fun to see people in my workplace, usually quiet as a fish (?), getting all crazy and talkative. Even my supervisor was a bit tipsy! Empty sake and beer bottles filled the tables and my coworkers’ laughter could be heard throughout the restaurant. I learned a lot of new Japanese words…words that can’t be mentioned here :P Nicknames were made for everyone…I can’t actually remember mine ;) Someone was called “Buso baba” and another guy was called “sukebe”…I’ll let you all look up those in the dictionary!

Beer, sake, shochu...you name it, we drank it! (Well, I only drank some sake...)

Culture note:

In Japan, there is a zero-tolerance alcohol law for driving. If they find even 0.01% of alcohol in you when they pull you over, your license is revoked. For JETs, this means getting kicked out of the program. Not only do you feel the hit, but people who may have been around you that night are also subject to a penalty, such as the bartender serving you and even your friends drinking with you. Accountability is key here in Japan. If you see your friend about to drive home drunk, it is your responsibility to stop them or else you yourself may be in trouble. With this in mind, my coworkers arranged for a bus to pick us up from work and take us to the restaurant. Then a family member would pick them up, drunk, after the party. So awesome I tell ya!

Silver Week = SHOPPING + MONKEYS + DEER

Silver Week is a string of holidays in September, which happened to fall consecutively this year (Sept 19-23). It was an awesome break to a busy month.

 

The Kamikubo's were the greatest EVER! (L to R: Mika, Shinji, Mina, Uncle Shoji, and Me!)

The Kamikubos are the most hospitable, friendly people EVER!!!!

Some friends and I stayed over at a family friend’s house, the Kamikubos, in Hiroshima from Saturday to Monday. They were so welcoming and hospitable! My father once did a home stay with the YMCA program back when he was in college. He stayed with the Kamikubos and became friends with their son, Shoji. My father and Shoji have been friends ever since, and it was Shoji (now Mr. Kamikubo) who let us stay at his house. He has three children: Mika (29), Shinji (27), and Mina (24). His wife made the best food EVER! We had such a great time seeing all the sights of Hiroshima, including the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and even Miyajima Island!!! We ate at an enormous kaitenzushi (rotating sushi bar), went futon shopping (hooray!), and did a lot of sightseeing.

By folding 1,000 paper cranes, it is said that one wish of yours will come true. Sadako Sasaki was a little girl who suffered from cancer following the A-bomb. She began folding 1,000 paper cranes in hopes for a full recovery. She did not reach her goal, and passed away on Oct. 25, 1955. Her classmates persisted and finished folding all 1,000 cranes.

The Peace Memorial Park was an amazing experience. I think everyone should go to it at least once in their lifetime. When we were walking in, a kid was running out screaming; the images can be quite traumatizing--especially for little kids. It was really crowded, it being Silver Week and all, but I managed to see a majority of the exhibits and displays. I thought it was incredible that they were able to salvage things from that dreadful day. The walls were lined with stories, stories that gave life to the antiques encased with glass. Looking at a tiny worn-down shoe, I had to remind myself that a little girl or boy was wearing that shoe when the bomb hit. Thousands of people died instantly, some suffered from unimaginable burns and wounds, others suffered with the pain of searching for lost loved ones, and many suffered from diseases decades after that faithful day. It was a true blessing to go and pay respect to the life of Hiroshima.

 

In low tide, you can actually walk to the torii gate!

In high tide, it's a little harder to get to on foot.

We also went to Miyajima, a small island off the coast of Hiroshima, which is known for it's famous torii gate (it's built amongst the ocean!). It was AWESOME fun, complete with wild deer and MONKEYS! We took the rope ways up to the top of Mt. Misen, where the monkeys were waiting! Apparently you're not suppose to look directly into their eyes, or else they'll charge! There were so many! Seb and I hiked it 0.7km up to the top and when we came back down the monkeys had disappeared! I still don't know where they went to this day...

I caught this guy giving his friend a massage :)

This was my first time seeing a deer in person! This guy was munching on a pack of cigz...hope he's not addicted.

The Kamikubo family is amazing! They took really good care of us and were really generous. THANK YOU SO MUCH KAMIKUBO FAMILY! I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN SOON! :)

 

My cool travel buddies: Sebastien (Canada) and Daryl (England)!

On Monday, Daryl, Seb, and I REGULAR-trained it to Kawatana, Shimonoseki (Daryl’s part of town), instead of Shinkansen-ing it, which was a BIG mistake because it was about a 5 hour transit! We all passed out on the train after a “deep bonding conversation.” Once we got to Kawatana, we ate at Joyfun (kinda like a Denny’s) and then went to a nearby snack bar (which meant alcohol, karaoke, and snacks!) It was a great night full of Green Day, shochu, and “Barbie Girl.” Daryl and Seb can truly “rock the mike” so to speak. Green Day watch out!

 

We were cruising it in Hakata and saw another haole guy! He was standing outside this chicken restaurant...odd?

On Tuesday, we trained it to Kokura for some shopping with Rachel and Ryan! We ate at an Indian restaurant (they even had an Indian guy making Indian bread in a glass room!) and explored the enormous department stores near the station. Kokura has this super cool monorail system stretching out of the train station, making the town look like something in Back to the Future or the Jetsons. Hawaii is so behind the times man!

 

Wednesday was used for recuperation and laundry ;) It was a great Silver Week, which yielded 2 coats (one of which I bought for 990 yen—about $10!), an uber comfortable futon, a hairdryer, and some omiyage for home and work. Now it’s time for me to save money for the next big vacation: Thailand! :)

Living it up in FUKUOKA

It's Tuesday night and I'm still recovering from this past weekend! My legs are sore from clubbing and I've lost my voice from screaming on the roller coasters in Spaceworld. Worth it? I would redo it all in a heartbeat ;)

So on Sat, Sept 12, 2009 I hopped on a train to Fukuoka (a prefecture on the north tip of Kyushu). 3.5 hours later, I arrived at Hakata station only to be met by my BEAUTIFUL friend Lena (2nd year JET from Hawaii). We went shopping all across town, stopping off to have some DELICIOUS ramen, and checking out every mall we came across. It was every shoppers dream :) We had dinner at an Italian restaurant and topped off an entire bottle of white wine with another Fukuoka JET, Jon. It was the beginning of an unforgettable evening.

The amazing team of Jon, Tiff, and Lena that took Fukuoka by storm!

We met up with a great band of Yamaguchi JETs at the "hottest club in town" called HAPPY COCK. (No worries Mom, the mascot is a chicken...) It's located on the 9th floor of downtown Tenjin. And get this: 2000 yen (about $20) for women ALL-YOU-CAN-DRINK. It was $30 for guys...but again, ALL-YOU-CAN-DRINK!!! That covers drinks, cover, and a souvenir towel! Hilarious :) Why can't Hawaii have deals like that?! We partied the night away with local Japanese kids and foreigners alike. It was packed! I thought I was gonna get swallowed whole by the crowd. Cyndi, Callie, and I joined some other local Japanese girls on this raised platform and danced our little hearts out, while hyping up the crowd. We should have got paid...I hate to admit it...but we were a hit :)

Cyndi, Me, Jamie, and Callie (and Christina's in the corner!) celebrating Happy Cock's 14th anniversary!

5 hours and one-too-many-drinks later, we left the club...tipsy...but with the taste of sweet victory on our lips. We had conquered the club.

One of the cool roller coasters. You can see this huge replica of a NASA spaceship from the train!

The next day Lena, Jon, Caitlyn (yet another cool Fukuoka JET!), and I hit up Spaceworld--a slightly lower equivalent to Knott's Berry Farm in California. Their version of Mickey and Minnie Mouse are these two rabbits dressed in astronaut suits. Don't believe me? Check out their website at www.spaceworld.co.jp/english/ The overall feel was pretty tacky/corny, but it was a lot of fun! We rode a couple of fun coasters and had some ramen (surprised?) There was even a mini Splash Mountain (which was about 1/4 the size of Disneyland's!) that yielded an interesting photo op. (I'll try to post that on my facebook later!) The loss of my voice is evidence that it was an awesome day!

Lena, Caitlyn, Jon, and Me about to embark on our Spaceworld adventure.

I LOVE Fukuoka! Everyone I met was super nice and fun to hang out with. THANK YOU LENA FOR EVERYTHING!!! You are the coolest ever!!! I will definitely be back for another great time in Fukuoka :)

Stopping to Smell the Mocha

A reflection on where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going...

The orange juice in my cup is almost gone. I turn to the fridge and realize that I just finished off my 2nd carton. Then it hits. I'm on my own. I can't just add 'orange juice' to the grocery list for Mom to get on her next trip to Foodland. I need to go to the market by myself. Realization sinks in. Whoa...I really am on my own.

Not only do I need to go to the grocery store on my own, but I've also had to cook for myself, clean the apartment, take out the trash, wash the dishes, and do laundry; luxuries that I easily took for granted back at home. (Yes, I suppose you could say I was spoiled.) I've learned to fend for myself in the presence of large, black, Japanese roaches and have learned how to tell when milk in the fridge is bad. (If I have to rush to the bathroom 15 minutes after drinking a glass, then I know it's time to throw the milk out.) Living on my own, I have come to appreciate this new stage of my life...a transition towards adulthood.

Me, Mom, Dad, Luke, Grandpa, and Grandma at my college graduation :)

The JET Program has introduced me to so many new experiences, sights, smells, personalities, and lessons. 3 months ago I was sitting in a library at 12 am, reading over some powerpoints and notes that I had taken in my biochemistry class. Between chapters I would sip on some coffee, joke around with friends (who were also in the same boat as me), and gaze off into the distance wondering what new adventure life was going to throw at me next. My main concern was passing my final exams. My logic was: pass final exams --> graduate from college --> JET Program. For me, the JET Program was a long ways away because without a diploma JET would not even be an option (ie. fail an exam = fail a class = be shy 3 credits of graduating). I was so relieved to have made it this far...finally bringing my GPA up to a level worthy of graduate school, passing the interview stage with JET, finding a job with the ACE Program at UH that offered exciting challenges and experiences...little did I know that I would be embarking on an adventure of a lifetime.

Coming to Japan has opened my eyes to exactly how big this world really is. Hawaii's diversity, in all its beauty and excellence, cannot compare with the diversity on an international level. This may seem obvious to most, but I was blown away at the representation of countries at the JET orientation in Tokyo. I had never been in a room with so many people of different cultural backgrounds. Just to initiate a conversation with people of varying accents and dialects was a milestone in itself. (I may be coming across as an uneducated, ignorant "islander"...but just know that I am extremely sheltered, and most people from Hawaii are not as naive as I am.)

Yamaguchi JETs hanging out at Oshima Beach

(L 2 R: Al, Whit, Kris, Michael, Isaac, Erin, Sarah, Sarah, Me, Chris, Cyndi)

I have met the greatest group of JETs here in Yamaguchi. Everyone has their own backgrounds and stories; experiences and friends back home. This is what makes each and every one of them unique. I love learning about their traditions and cultures, as well as their interests and hobbies. I think we all get along well because we acknowledge that everyone is different; everyone brings something special to the table. Maybe it's the fact that we're thousands of miles away from our loved ones and loneliness is what's keeping us together. Maybe JET has a good system of finding exciting and personable people to participate in the program that our personalities just mesh well. Maybe it's because we've only been here for a month and a couple more months down the line we're all going to engage in 'Battle Royale'. Whatever the reason is, I can truly say that I appreciate the relationships and friendships that have been established thus far here in Japan. I learn new things everyday, and my perspective of the world continues to grow.

Yamaguchi JETs watching the Shimonoseki fireworks

(L 2 R: Al, Dustin, Chris, Tom, Amy, Tiff, Zile, Sarah, Erin, Me, Chris, Isaac, Callie, Rachel)

I know that it is going to be an amazing ride, despite where this new perspective takes me. Whether I end up going to film school in New York, getting my Master of Science degree in Educational Technology in Arizona or California, or backpacking in Europe after my stay here in Japan, I know that I will be that much stronger of an individual. There may not be any orange juice left in my fridge, but I know I'll be okay. I'll just get some in the morning ;)

Welcome to my Crib ;)

All right, so here is the long-awaited post! Now you get to see where I be living at!!!

Yamaguchi is located on the western-most tip of Honshu, the main island of Japan. You see that little island off the east coast of Yamaguchi? The one that looks like a goldfish? That's Suo-oshima island...my island home :) I live on the base of the "tail" of the goldfish. The island is connected to mainland Yamaguchi by a land-bridge (thank goodness! I get super seasick!) It's about a 30 min drive from my house to the bridge. I usually drive to Yanai city, which is another 10-15 min drive west towards Tokuyama. Just up past Iwakuni, more up north, is Hiroshima...so I'm actually pretty close!

Suo-oshima is a merger of 4 towns (Oshima, Kuka, Tachibana, and Towa) as of October 2004. I live in Towa! There are a lot of old people on the island...lots. But they are all really friendly. When I go running, they will acknowledge me by bowing and yell out "Gambatte!" which means "Do your best!". So cute :) As of 2008 there was an estimated 20,163 people living on the island. Towa, where I live, used to hold the Guiness Book of World Records title for most old people living together. Yeah, my town sure knows how to party!!! :)

The island is known for its production of oranges and sashimi. It also has a bunch of cool stuff including a Jamaican restaurant, hand gliding center, Hawaii Visitors Center (lots of people immigrated from Suo-oshima to Hawaii to work in the sugarcane fields), Ryuzaki onsen, and good camping grounds and beaches. Haven't gotten to explore all of it yet, but I am definitely going to try out that hand gliding! There are 2 supermarkets (that close at 7pm I think...), 3 7-11s (the closest one to me is a 10 min drive!), and 1 little store for shopping (it's really small!). 

Me and Erin at the Jamaican 'rhasta'raunt! (The jerk chicken was excellent)

So now, onto the crib...

My apartment is pretty nice, thanks to the countless female JETs who preceded me. I was happy to find lots of blankets, towels, soap, toilet paper, pads, etc. in the closet. I was also provided a printer, TV, washing machine, iron, hair dryer, and heater, and nabe table (!!!) which was excellent. I only pay $150 per month for rent, so that's not too shabby either! I'm on the 2nd floor which is great because I hear there are a lot of centipedes on the ground floor! EEK! I also have a BED! Some of the other JETs that have let me crash don't have beds, they have to sleep on the tatami floors. I'm still looking for a super soft comforter and pillow (Japanese pillows are made of ROCKS I tell you!) but I have a couple more months before it starts getting super cold.

So yeah, take a look at my place...hope you enjoy!

This is my living room! Notice the new speakers on my desk? Hehe, yeah, that was a gift from me to me :)

My bedroom...yup, my stuffed animals are there too! A spider lives in the closet by the mirror there on the right, but we have an agreement: If he stays in the closet, then he gets to eat all the bugs and I won't kill him.

This is my mini hallway. Once you enter the apartment, take a left, and this is what you will see! The shower is straight ahead, while the toilet room is on the right, as well as the sink room. Why are they separate anyway?

Oh yeah, TOP CHEF baby! So no oven, but I do have a mini toaster-type thing sitting on top of my microwave on the right side of the picture. Tiny fridge (which I accidentally unplugged one night and had to buy everything all over again!), gas stove, sink...yup, this is where I make my masterpieces!

And this is my toilet room. It's one of those super cool Japanese toilets! There's a little electronic box above the toilet paper that controls it. It can spray your butt with water, blow dry it, massage it, and of course...flush the toilet, all at the touch of a button! I love technology :)

Can't forget the Japanese-style bathtub. It's tiny, but at least there's hot water!

And lastly, onto the wheels...

This is Koji, my 1997 Suzuki Alto. He may be old...and not too fast...but he's super small and cute. The muffler light goes on and off occasionally and the CD deck is always on repeat and only plays when it wants to, but the AC works and I get to wear one of those cool JDM driver stickers :P Yeah, I top off at 80 km/h...sweet? I know ;) I got him for $1100 and had to pay an extra $700 for insurance (2x year). Gas up here is around $6.36 per gallon. We'll save my driving adventures for another post!

This is Koji. I named him after this really cute little boy from English camp. Koji was smaller than all the other boys there, but he was one of the coolest and had a big heart. Good comparison eh?

Yeah, I'm all JDM out...I know ;)

This place may seem small and in the middle of no where, but the sunsets are to die for. I love to just drive towards the setting sun on my way to Yanai and admire the beautiful scenery and beautiful people of Suo-oshima. I am happy with my placement here! :) 

Oshima Camp!!!

The staff and kids of Oshima English Camp 2009!!!

So I was given an incredible privilege to help out at a summer English camp from Sunday, Aug 23 - Tuesday, Aug 25 at Tachibana Wind Park. 13 students from middle and high schools all across Suo-oshima Island (where I live!) came for a time of fun, games, food, beach, and...English! The purpose of the camp was to immerse the kids with English conversation. A whole bunch of other ALTs came too, making the camp lots of fun!

Sunday, Aug 23, 2009

We got to meet all the kids and played a whole bunch of fun games. There was a scavenger hunt game, as well as an obstacle course game. We also broke up into "families" to prepare a skit that would be performed on the last day of camp. The theme was centered around Disney stories. My family was awesome! Except we only had one kid...Keiju! He's the best! Poor thing though...I'm sure he wanted to be with his friends. We also had this kinda creepy Japanese English teacher, Makoto, but I guess he was ok. Heh.

Me, Keiju, Kota, and Yuki

Monday, Aug 24, 2009

The next day was awesome! We made posters about different questions that the kids had to ask each other in English. We also had to give speeches (kids in English, staff in Japanese) to the other campers. My speech partner was Ibuki, a super smart and sweet girl from Kuka Jr. High School. She was so great, and her English is super good! We talked about all kinds of stuff and she taught me some cool games and Japanese phrases.

Ibuki was by far the coolest kid EVER!!!!

We also played a whole bunch of rounds of DODGEBALL. Odd, no one here calls it 'shambattle'. Isn't that strange??

For lunch we all worked together to cook some grilled chicken enchiladas...or were they quesadillas? A real Mexican treat for the kids, complete with guacamole and tortilla chips. Delicious. Hehe, some of the kids didn't even touch the guacamole. I don't blame them...if someone offered me green Japanese mush, I'd probably pass as well ;)

We then headed for the BEACH! It was so much fun! The water was nice and clear and there was a wall that you could jump off of. Only junk thing was that you had to use the rope to climb back up...and the wall was full of sharp barnacles. So worth it though ;)

Mitsuko, Al, Yumi, Me, and Ibuki hanging out at the beach

Me getting ready to launch myself off the wall! (Thanks Cyndi for the awesome pic!)

For dinner we had Korean style BBQ...yakiniku! That was my most favorite meal! There was chicken, beef, pumpkin, cabbage, hot dog (it was actually fish though...weird stuff), and so much more! For dessert, we made smores with the smallest marshmallows in the world...and ritz crackers as a substitute for graham crackers (which was freaking DELICIOUS by the way!)

Our camp "family"...Makoto, Me, Al (Well, Al wasn't in our family...he wanted to be w/us though..hehe), Isaac, Keiju, and Kris

We worked on our skits for the rest of the night before going to sleep. We also got a chance to write letters to the kids of our families and game groups. So cute!

Tuesday, Aug 25, 2009

We had fish for breakfast...but it actually tasted pretty good! Then we went about exchanging our letters. 4 kids wrote to me! Awww I felt so special! I was only suppose to get 1...from Keiju! After, each group performed their skit. Ours was about Aladdin (played by Keiju) trying to get away from Jasmine (played by Isaac) by asking the Genie (played by Makoto) to send him to different places around the world, including Indiana, Hawaii, and Japan. Jasmine follows him everywhere...but Aladdin is over her because she just let herself go after the real movie. Aladdin ends up staying in Japan since Jasmine is scared of "mukade," which is Japanese for centipedes. (I played the centipede..hehe) Kris was the narrator. We did an awesome job! Too bad we didn't get 1st place :(

After, we played...you guessed it...MORE DODGEBALL! Some of the kids were really good! I was impressed :) Then there was a closing ceremony with the vice principal of Oshima High School. They also handed out prizes to the different groups that won certain challenges. Our group won the relay race prize! Whoo hoo Elmo bandaids rock! Then it was the end of the camp :( So much fun...to bad it ended so soon. The kids were the greatest EVER. I really hope I get to see and work with them again!

Kayo (a Japanese English teacher) and Me at campfire