DEC 2002NOV 2002AUG-OCT 2002JUL 2002JUN 2002MAY 2002APR 2002JAPAN


Sorry that I've been out of contact for awhile. I haven't been home much, spending time with a few families in Hiroshima. It was very nice to relax with several people over the long holiday break. I made mochi (gooey rice cake--read following entry), viewed Christmas "illuminations", went to temples and shrines in the New Years' tradition (I even prayed for happiness in the coming year), and I spent time just hanging out at my homes-away-from-home not doing very much. It was nice to meet some students and other townspeople I knew while ringing the bell at midnight on New Years in Etajima with Nathan. I didn't get around to seeing Harry Potter 2, but hopefully I'll be able to within the next couple weeks. I hope it's still there. In spending all this time away from home, I haven't had much time to clean my apartment before school starts up again on the 6th/7th, though I've set aside tomorrow to do just that.

Oh. Nen-ga-jo...I don't think I've mentioned that yet. In Japan, there is a similar tradition to sending out Christmas cards in the U.S. No Christmas cards, but everyone sends out special postcards with New Years greetings on them. Most people send the postcards from around December 15th to the 30th,

(nengajo)"> as the post office keeps them to deliver on Jan.1st. Itfs quite fun to wake up after sleeping in on the national holiday, slip out to the mailbox in your slippers to find a stack of mail from people you know and love! And Jan.1st isn't the only holiday. Banks and most stores close in Japan from Dec.31st through Jan. 3rd. That includes ATMs. There is even a New Years food called O-se-chi. It is a box of nicely arranged food chocked full of preservatives that your family can pick at for several days instead of cooking. (Similar to the American tradition of picking at the turkey for several days after Thanksgiving.)

Once again, THANK YOU to everyone who sent me a Christmas card. I hope to send you all a reply soon! Oh, and Cat--if you are reading this--Wow. Your card is great. (Do you have a beard that long now?) I don't know if you've thought about doing jaded greeting cards on the side, but I'm sure you could rake in some big bucks.

Also, Lee...thank you for the cut paper snowflake you sent. It was wonderful!

December 28

Thank you to everyone who sent me a Christmas card or present!!!!! You really helped to brighten the days of my students and I. A BIG Thank you to: Mom and Dad, Aimee-chan, Diane & Corey, Uncle Cary & Aunt Edna, Izzac (OIL), The Robinsons, Jenny, Lee, Katie, Grandma, Alvah & Delores, Coolman Holmes, and Rich, Melinda & Erich. Today I visited Mr. Hirasaki's family (north of Hiroshima City.) We made mochi which is loosely translated "rice cake"; however, my mother and I settled on a better translation while she was here in Japan: gooey rice ball.



How to make mochi:

1. Cook a heck of a lot of special mochi rice for about 20 minutes.
2. Put that cooked rice in a big unmovable stone "bowl".
3. Take turns pounding the rice with a big wooden sledgehammer.
4. When the rice looks like gooey play-dough, plop it on a table covered with rice flour.
5. Make small balls from the rice "dough". You can put anko, a sweet red bean paste, inside if you like.
6. You're done! Those rice balls are called mochi!


10 Forms of Transportation in Japan (most frequently used by me --> least frequently used):

1.    Walking *
2.    Bike *
3.    Bus *
4.    Ferry *
5.    Streetcar *
6.    Car *
7.    Taxi
8.    Train
9.    Shinkansen (bullet train)
10.   Plane

*   =   used on a weekly basis

December 24

I had a nice, relaxing day yeasterday. On my birthday, Hiroshi was planning to take me to the really expensive French(?) restaurant we went to on our anniversary, but I talked him into going to a place where I could have fried oysters and "cream soda" instead. He also drove through some pretty bad traffic out to Kure Port-O-Pier to let me see the Christmas lights display. New additions this year were pyramids made of lights that you could sit inside and trees made of fiber optic lights. Today I am going to my last Christmas party of the year. (Thank goodness!)


10 Cigarette Brands in Vending Machines:


1.    Peace
2.    Hope
3.    Cherry
4.    Seven Stars
5.    Parliament
6.    Cabin
7.    Frontier Lights
8.    Lark
9.    hi-lite
10.   Marlboro Lights

Nathan's J-Lists

December 18

Today in the news something unprecedented happened in Tokyo. A court ruling ordered a built apartment complex to remove its upper 7(?) floors due to violating a local building ordinance. The ordinance requires that no building along the street be higher than 20 meters (the height of the trees) so it would not interfere with the scenic view.

The judge ruled that the building company forgot its societal obligation. Residents have the right to protect the landscape of their neighborhood, and the new building gspoils the landscape.h Unfortunately there are many people already living in the building on upper and lower floors. (Of course, they aren't too happy with the ruling.) The builder says he did not expect the ruling and will consult his lawyers.

December 17

Christmas CakeChristmas CakeChicken and WatercressShumai (dumplings)
Tonight was the conversation group's Christmas party. It was pretty fun. We ate, watched my "Claymation Christmas" (Christmas songs on video), played a couple games, opened presents, and chatted:) I had brought decorations for the group to put up Engl. Conversation Group Engl. Conversation Group and materials from nearby mountain paths to make wreaths with. We had Christmas cake, tofu soup, a chicken and watercress dish, a jello-like food, fried chicken, Chinese dumplings with shrimp (my addition), sandwich rolls, and other things.

December 16

Ahh. My feet are all nice and cozy under the kotatsu. (gKoh-taht-sooh) A kotatsu is a low table with a heater attached underneath and a blanket over the top to keep my legs all nice and warm while I eat dinner/ grade student projects/write Christmas cards... I do need to take a break soon to get kerosene for my heater. Otherwise my chilly fingers won't let me type anymore!

This is a kotatsu. Thank you so much to the people who sent me Christmas cards. I'm going to share them with my English conversation group as well. I have 5 more auctions and Christmas lessons to do in the next couple days and then I'll pretty much be done with classes this year. I have an incentive program in my English classes. I give gWendy Dollarsh for correct answers (sometimes the students get a bit of help.) Then, 2 or 3 times a year we have auctions where the students can gbuyh things like pencils, American stamps, pennies, and candy. I think it works pretty well, but I probably shouldn't "bribe" them to participate in class.

Well, other than that, this weekend I put up my 8 drawings in the "joint" art show at the Exchange Students Center in Hiroshima. It was really Mr. Kawaoka's exhibition and my 9 drawings added, but, hey, it's my first show! Yea!

Tomorrow is a Christmas party for the local English conversation group, and Friday is the teachers' end-of-the-year (bonnenkai). Saturday or Sunday I'll be getting together with an English teacher I used to work with for an annual Christmas family party. Last year I played with his little boy and Mr. Buzz Lightyear, his favorite toy. I think there is also a Buddhist choir practice Saturday morning, and I need to take down my drawings as well. Next Monday is a national holiday: the emperor's birthday. Nifty, huh? One day after mine!

December 12

Yuki and meYuki and me Today was a school marathon. And it was really cold, but happily bearable with good company: a teacher and a student's mother. I even thought it would be fun to join the students in their 2.5 kilometer race...and then I thought better of it. Tomorrow is a 1-hour Christmas party for the 9th graders that I still need to prepare Christmas cookie dough for. I can't forget to give Christmas cards to one of the English teachers who claims to never have seen a Christmas card before. Also, I have to grade papers for the other middle school and try to fix the problem with a link on the school exchange site: www.oocities.org/etajimaurora. Not to mention that I have 3 more sketches to do before Sunday and Saturday's elementary kids' X-mas party to prepare for as well. Wish me luck. I might need it to get everything done!

December 11

Happy Birthday, Aimee-chan!!!

December 6

Wow. I just looked at what is planned for this month. It's a lot more than I expected, or wanted. I should be really busy!

Dec.12   9th graders Christmas party - Kirikushi JHS
Dec.14   elementary kids Christmas party - International Club
Dec.13-19   Holiday lessons Etajima/Kirikushi- all grades
Dec.13-20   "Wendy Dollars" auction Etajima/Kirikushi- all grades
Dec.15-21   My joint art show (portrait sketches) - Hiroshima Exchange Student Center
Dec.17   Christmas party - adult English conversation group
Dec.20   Teachers year-end party - Etajima JHS
Dec.21   Buddhist choir practice - Etajima shrine
Dec.24   friend's Christmas party - Hiroshima
Dec.25   Opening presents!!!- Etajima
Dec.25   Relaxing with Elisa's family- Christmas dinner ?
Dec.31   6:00? Fire Festival- Miyajima
Dec.31   12:00 New Years temple celebration- Etajima
Jan. 6   School Starts

Nathan's J-Lists

Top 10 Tidbits: GUM

I got this idea from Nathan's Website. He's creating lists of things in Japan to amuse readers on his site. I think it's a nifty idea. These are 10 gum names in Japan.

1. FRISK
2. NO TIME
3. Kiss Mint
4. GREEN GUM
5. BLACK BLACK (contains nicotine)
6. Free Zone
7. Flavono
8. Blue Berry
9. Sweetie
10. Xylish

10 Things People Carry into a Magritte Art Exhibition :

1. child
2. waterbottle (in hip-holder)
3. squirrel-fur(?) purse
4. Disney Store bag
5. red leather purse
6. red plaid purse
7. red fuzzy purse
8. pink coat with pink fur collar
9. Pooh backpack
10. newly bought cell phone package

10 Nearly-Impossible-to-Find Foods :

1. tacos
2. bread sliced thinner than an inch
3. molasses
4. celery
5. lunchmeat other than ham
6. ravioli
7. vegetable lasagna
8. soft, thick crust pizza
9. bagels
10. good cheesecake

Christmas Chicken

In Japan, I have seen people line up at KFC on Christmas Eve. The colonel even gets dressed up as Santa for the occasion. It has become a tradition in many households to have chicken on Christmas. I don't know why the Christmas chicken-buying tradition started, but I'll ask around and see if I can find out.

...I asked The Tour Guide of Hiroshima about the Christmas chicken tradition and he seems to think it started around 1945. Because it tastes good. No other reason.

Most Japanese seem to know Americans eat turkey and pumpkin pie, but are a little fuzzy on when, exactly. Many students thought pumpkin pie was for Halloween at first because the pumpkin is a recognized symbol of Halloween.

There is no snow here, and it probably won't snow until January. It is VERY cold some days, though, and I feel very sorry for the girl students here that have to wear a strictly enforced uniform skirt, with no tights or leg-warmers. There is no central heating (or cooling) in the school, as there are no outside walls to the majority of the school. There is a thin wall, which is in majority made up of windows and doors to separate the classroom from the "hallway". I think I'll have to take a few pictures so that you can understand more clearly. There are electric/kerosene heaters which are used in the classroom which make the classroom all nice and toasty, but the heaters are not allowed in the classroom until December 1st, no matter what the weather is. (This policy, I am guessing, is to cut costs on heating.) And, as of now, I have only been in 1 classroom that has used the heater this winter, though I'm sure they'll be used soon. The typical temperature inside the classroom now is about 15 degrees celcius...that's about 60 degrees. Outside the classroom doors it is colder and more windy. During gym class and for club practice, many students choose(?) to wear the uniform shorts instead of sweatpants. In addition, during club/sports, it is usual to practice without teachers. The students practice by themselves most of the time. And, all of the students have to be in a club or team.

10 Things I Watch on TV

1.    Providence, RI
2.    Friends
3.    Boy Meets World
4.    Due South
5.    ER
6.    Ally McBeal
7.    90210 (The post-college years)
8.    Headline / ABC / BBC / Hiroshima News
9.    Game shows
10.   Kids shows (Seasame St.-like / anime )

December 4

I burned the chicken I was going to bring to school for the students to eat with cranberry sauce. There is no cranberry anything in Japan, as far as I can tell. (However, I aquired a couple cans of cranberry sauce (in a game of chance). I miss cranberry-apple juice. I was simmering chicken in water for awhile and I went upstairs to watch X-Files with Nathan. I returned to a room full of smoke and a pan with a small pool of melted carbon. *sigh*

I've taken many things for granted, living in Japan. The people who help me, for instance. And I usually still am not comfortable using Japanese in a normal conversation. Because I rarely study most nights, my Japanese has not improved. I have learned a lot more vocabulary in Japan and very basic sentences, but...I haven't studied very much.

I miss houses with Christmas lights. The opportunity to have a big, warm Christmas tree. I'm losing my holiday spirit for all of the holidays. In class, I am enthusiastic about sharing every American holidays' customs with the students, but I've lost reason for celebrating it myself. I didn't try to make a Thanksgiving meal. It would've been with myself, anyway. I didn't consider going to a club in Halloween dress, as I did 2 years ago. On the 4th of July, I have a normal school day. I celebrate the holidays in school, I guess. Not in my personal time. The same pretty much goes for Japanese holidays. It's rare for me to experience home-cooked holiday foods or customs because I am not in a Japanese family. I live by myself. And I don't invite myself to anyone's house, though I think maybe someone would be happy to have me over. I am trying to get in the holiday spirit for Christmas. I just put up my little Christmas tree, and I should make and send some Christmas cards soon. Tomorrow the students will listen to me talk about all the foods I used to eat with all of my loved ones during Thanksgiving. I wish I would come home for Christmas. I am telling myself, no, it's my last Christmas and New Years in Japan. Experience it when I can. So I will. :)

As a matter of interest, I have watched flamenco, hula, and Irish tap dancing on TV this week. The programs are in Spanish, Hawaiian, and English with Japanese subtitles. There's also gHeadline Newsh from the U.S., and a variety of game shows, sports, and news that I watch. The history of baseball has been on as well. Do you know about a player named "Rube"? He was a little mentally out there, but the fans loved him. This was a bit before Ty Cobbs's time. Rube once changed into uniform from the stands to the pitcher's mound. Sometimes had to be forced not to leave the field during a game to follow the sound of a fire engine. His teammates never knew what he'd do next! I wish we had learned about those kind of things in history class once in awhile. And I wish the libraries here had more English books. My TV addiction is out of control.

Well, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed.

December 3

Oh my. It's December already. I sent a package to my Mom & Dad and Aimee, too. I'd like to send a couple more. When will I find time to make Christmas cards???


NOVEMBER 2002

AUGUST - OCTOBER 2002

JULY 2002

JUNE 2002

MAY 2002

APRIL 2002

Information on JAPAN.
Wendy Baldwin 2002

101-15-5-2 Washibe, Etajima-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima-ken 737-2133 JAPAN