The pros and cons of my life here in Japan:
Pro: slipping on a pair of clippity-cloppity wooden 'geta' shoes and going down the street for a cold beer and Korean bbq after work
Con: Job duties include doing a voice recording of Hamlet's soliloquy. To bomb it and read it monotone, or to ham it up, that is the question!
Pro: weekend in the mountains soaking in the hotsprings and splashing in the river
Con: It was 39 degrees today. And humid to boot.
But summer is festival season here, and there is lots of fun to be had! The neighbourhood festival for the dead is practicing every other night, so we can go and listen to them sing and dance or just stay in our house and listen to the singing come in through the windows. That's not all. Quite a few of Japan's most famous festivals take place in this region, including the Gion Matsuri which I attended last weekend with a quarter million of my closest friends (really) and the Tennjin Matsuri which is happening this weekend and promises to be every bit as crowded. Photos will follow.
Sing it boys: Schooooool's out for summer!
I wasn't sure if I was going to survive the last couple of weeks, with the temperature at 35 degrees in my classroom and me feeling rather wobbly. But the kids and I made it. Hoorah.
Not only that, but lots of exciting changes are just hanging in the air. So kindly everyone please remind me that I am only young once. Will update when my vision of the future makes some sense.
Look at me go! Making a posting just about once a fortnight these days, and never saying a bloody thing. We all survived the typhoon and are just waiting to see if we will be able to get through the Stickiest Summer Ever. I don't know what the temperature would be here if they used the beloved Humidex (a Canadian invention to pretend it's hot even though it never really is) but I'm sure it would be somewhere in the region of 92. Celcius. My skin is just about popping and bubbling.
I am finally revamping a bit and have started a new site where all of my Japan pages will eventually find themselves.
Woo Hoo! Night out with my adult class was really great. They are a fantastic bunch of people and I really have fun talking with them. You know, when I first found out that a Friday night class was going to be part of my official duties, I was pretty bummed out about it. But after going to the class only once I realized what a blessing it really is. Ryota made it to the party, too, which was a pleasant surprise as he had been away the night before on a business trip and was not expected back. I think it's good for us to be around fluent English speakers.
I've posted a few photos from last month, when Julie, Sharon and Chad came to Osaka.
Jt's rainy season in Osaka. blah blah. Still, I'm feeling pretty upbeat. I'm getting used to the pace of work. Moreover, I'm finally getting satisfaction out of the work I'm doing, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to get up in the morning! Life feels good- stable reasonable peaceful. Off to a party with my advanced adult class tonight and I think it's going to be a lot of fun in spite of the typhoon that's brewing out there.
How quiet the house seems! No little monkeys sleeping in my bed! No tripping over bodies sleeping on the floor! Come back everyone!!!!!
Photos coming someday, but I will not promise soon.
I have been trying for a long time to find the proper way to address on this website the passing of our dear friend Kelly Duffy. I've concluded that there just isn't any good and easy way to go about it. Some of us had the good fortune to share an adventure or a laugh with Kelly, and those of us who have will certainly never forget her. Here in Japan, much as in many other corners of the world, we remember her fondly. And anyone who wants to share a trip down memory lane about the good times they had with Kelly, well, you know where to find me.
Sunshine after the rain: my first guests are due to arrive very soon. Funny how the droves of guests I got when I lived in Tokyo has slowed to a trickle now that I'm in Osaka. But I'm telling you all now, Osaka is where it's at, baby! And those of you who have been holding out on the secret wish that I would move to Australia, well, I know who you are and you are just going to have to get over it.
Where was I? Ah yes, guests. Two of them. The always lovely and entertaining Julie accompanied by my personal shopping assistant aka mom. Tim Horton's coffee and cheddar and maple syrup, oh my! I promise to devote an entire page to the mayhem that ensues. Also, a rumour has erupted that Chad might be dropping by, but it is starting to look like the Tokyo snare has caught him, too. Understandable, considering it is a business trip, but I am determined to catch up with him sometime when he is in this corner of the planet!
Happy April Fools! Japanese newspapers are (surprisingly) not at all funny-there was no clever April Fool's trick in my paper this morning, unless they were just joking about all of those corrupt politicians! I told Ryota that I was an alien. Then I realized that that wasn't funny, either, since I am in fact an alien. I even have an alien registration card to prove it. And since Japan is now cracking down on illegal aliens for causing all the crime in Japan and bascially being the source of all evil, ruthless aliens that we are, I susupect that from now on I will be asked to produce my alien registration card much more frequently.
I've started a new job as of today, so let's just see how long I can carry two jobs before total meltdown occurs. We aliens are not as sturdy as the local breed, and already I suspect I will not carry long working hours as gracefully as Ryota. Still, I'm up for the challenge, so we'll see how I hold up. Even with two jobs, I will be starting later than Ryota and getting home at about the same time!
Stealing free time where we can, we've been enjoying the fine spring weather and getting out and about as much as is possible. More photos on that very same temporary page that I mentioned last time.
One more thing- 'mentioned' has just one 'n' right? I originally wrote it 'mentionned'. Whatever boundary was keeping English and French spelling norms separated in my head has been corroded away. I would like to think that is the reason, at least, rather than admit that all of my English skills are simply deteriorating.
OK. I might be backpeddling on the promise of lots of new Thailand-related stuff, at least for the time being. I am quite absorbed with my life in Japan and I'm keeping busy with work and, well, life. At the moment I'm working part-time at a private English language school. I was going to supplement this by working part-time at an English language preschool, but I've changed my mind about that and will probably start working at a public elementary school, instead. Well, assuming that they want me! I've had a rather unsuccessful foray into the business world as I tried to start an English Event Play Club and only got two kids to join. I realize that my error was to try to introduce what I thought would be good for kids, ignoring what parents think would be good for kids. Alas I am a Canadian! I believe that kids will learn better if they are enjoying themselves. I believe in the power of fun! But I'm in Japan now, where play is considered detremental to a child's future. Time to refocus.
I haven't been carrying my camera too much these days, so my photos have been limited to the shoddy cell phone type.. I will try to stop being so lazy about it and start carrying a proper camera around more when I go exploring. In the meantime, I've put up a smattering of photos on a temporary page for your perusing enjoyment.
Oh yes, and I am settled in and ready for visitors.
Merry after Christmas and happy post Boxing Day! I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. My Christmas season has been filled with the gratifying feeling of beginning my own Christmas traditions. Ryota`s family was properly introduced to Christmas and we all celebrated together. I pulled off my first Christmas dinner, including a miniature turkey, homemade cranberry sauce and my very own handmade eggnog! I am pleased to announce that there was no salmonella poisoining and everyone celebrated in true Canadian style-eating until belts needed to be loosened.
I am still considering where to put up Japan photos, so stay tuned. For those of you who couldn`t give a hoot about Japan but are really hooked on the Thailand theme, fear not. In the new year I am going to begin some new, entirely Thailand-related stuff right here!
Did I mention that I live in Japan now? I do realize that this small fact completely destroys the whole raison d`etre of this website. Perhaps it`s time to branch out into other areas... Tamara in Japan has an original ring to it. I`ll let you know what I come up with. In the meantime, I will let you know that I am settling in somewhat and I`m almost finished unpacking the boxes and boxes of junk that we sent along by boat. For the time being I am just hanging out and waiting for my Japanese resident card, as there is little I can do without it. working, driving, joining the gym and renting videos are all banned activities, though I am not in need of pursuing any of those things just yet. I am still having a fabulous time wandering around Osaka. And adjusting to the traditional Japanese household, which is to say living with Ryota`s parents. They are actually not in the slightest traditional, but the living situation certainly is, what with Ryota being the oldest son and bringing his wife into the household. I can`t understand much of what his mother says, but I think we`re getting along ok I am so glad that we decided to live at Ryota`s home instead of getting our own place. Ryota has been working insane hours in the lead up to the end of the year, and I am pretty much helpless to do anything on my own just yet. Ryota`s family has been our saving grace. The `insane hours` aspect of things has been getting me down a bit, and I have almost regretted that we didn't head to Australia afterall. But no regrets because happiness is not a place on a map. As I am so terribly fond of repeating ad nauseum, 'Wherever you go, there you are.'
