I went out last night to Ebisu and Roppongi. These districts are known for rich neighborhoods and clubs that cater to foreigners.
While we were waiting to meet up with Kaz, Dan and I decided to wander around Ebisu. It started to just barely drizzle, and Dan said, "it's raining." I said, "no, it's not." We then continued to have a five-minute long debate about what "rain" is. Why do I mention this? Besides the sheer absurdity of the argument, there was a woman in front of us who kept looking back and smiling in that "oh, I know what they're saying because they're speaking in English and I'm smiling because I know their argument is ridiculous."
After we met up with Kaz, we went to a Lebanese restaurant in Ebisu for dinner. It was a pretty neat little restaurant that was depressingly empty. Our server spoke perfect English, the menu was in English (with Japanese translations below) and the other customers who showed up later also spoke English. It was a weird feeling to actually be able to understand 100% of what was going on. My Japanese is definitely improving, but I'm usually only able to get the general idea of what's going on.
Shane joined the group after dinner, and we headed out to Roppongi. This is where the night gets really strange. We met two of Kaz's friends near the station then headed toward's one of their friend's apartments. As I entered the apartment, I introduced myself to the host as the token female of the group. After walking in further, I noticed someone sitting on the couch, looking very much like a beatnik hipster complete with long hair and what seemed to be a black flower pinned to her head. Introductions flew around, and I learned that "her" name is Anthony. Whoops. Ultimately, we found ourselves at the apartment with a total group of 6 gay guys, 1 straight guy, and me. Badir, our host for the evening, kept apologizing profusely that he didn't call his friend because she was interested in hanging out, and he felt that I would be more comfortable if there was another girl present. I assured him many times that it was fine, and I was sure we'd meet up with her another time (by this point we were all having a lot of fun.)
So, we get to the club, and who do we see? The girl that Badir had been talking about all night. I'll leave out the long details of dancing in the club for 5ish hours, but I'll give you some highlights:
-best pole dancers i've seen in my life (although I have to admit I haven't seen very many). They wore shiny silver underwear and white, high-heel, knee-length boots
-a guy who looked like Boy George approached me to dance and then proceeded to spin me and dip me (imagine two people being silly at a wedding). I'm pretty sure he was drunk, since he dipped me right into someone else. My head still hurts from the collision.
-dancing between two guys, one of whom I know to be gay and the other who is presumably straight while the straight guy attempts to take off the gay guy's pants and touch him inappropriately. I believe straight guy's girlfriend found the situation hilarious.
-a number of featured dancers including a few cheerleaders, a chef, and a guy who just kept pouring water over himself.
-going to the bathroom and talking with a model from Jamaica, a Greenpeace worker from Ireland, and an Italian named Francesca. Then watching a guy and girl come into the bathroom, enter a stall, and stay there for about 5 minutes. Then he left, looking much happier, while she stuck around to beautify herself in the mirror.
-there were more guys then girls in the girls bathroom the second time I went. Enough said.
As a result of my debaucherous night, I now possess aching legs from dancing for a long time, a sore neck from sleeping on the train, a cigarette burn on my arm where a dumb drunk girl ran into me, cigarette first, and a head-full of odd memories. Now, 9:45am, is bedtime.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Internets arrived!
I finally have the internet in my apartment, and I am a happy happy panda. I posted an extensively detailed photo album on my facebook page, so if you have access to it, I strongly suggest that you check it out. If you read this and you do not have access to facebook, send me an email, and I'll send you a link.
The past two weeks or so have been fairly busy. Here's a quick recap:
On Saturday, the 22nd, my junior high school had their 体育祭(sports festival). For you Japanese scholars out there, I recently learned that the difference between 体育祭 and 運動会
is that the latter is for elementary school while the former is for everyone older than elementary school. Essentially, the students compete in relays and races by classroom against the other students in their grade. Some schools form teams that combine one class from every grade (my elementary school had three teams, since there are three classes per grade). My fellow 1styear student's teachers decided to participate in the 100m relay and coerced me to join them. After the race (we lost so the students wouldn't feel bad about themselves), my JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) came up to me and said, "Wow, I was surprised! You were so fast I couldn't see you!" I responded to this by hitting him with my towel and calling him "baka!" which means idiot. He laughed and walked away, then said the exact samething to another teacher, to which she responded in the exact same way I did.
After the festival (think 7:30-4 of standing outside in the hot sun), we had an "enkai." An enkai is essentially a work party that involves speeches, food, and all you can drink beer. I thought my speech was terrible, but I was assured that I did fine. I stumbled out some phrases about how the sports day was fun and we didn't have it in America, about how much I like Japan, and how my school is the best school in Hidaka (which they loved). Conversation during the night was amusing, as most Japanese people are restricted to talking about places they've been/want to go, food/drink, and the phrase "you have boyfriend?" when they speak in English. As a result, I talked a lot about Hawaii and places in Japan I want to go/have been to, whether I like sushi, wasabi, natto, and umeboshi, and if I had a boyfriend. I was also asked numerous times, "beer OK?" and my opinion of every alcoholic beverage known to Japanese people. Although it may sound contrary to my description of the night, I had a great time.
On Sunday night, we met up with Shane and his significant other for drinks in Kawagoe. We all had a great time (again, photos are on facebook). However, it seemed to be a bittersweet night, as Shane's bf and Kaz's gf (both of whom are awesome people) returned to their respective homes far far away a few days later.
I celebrated my holiday on Monday (Autumnal Equinox Day was on Sunday, so we got a substitute holiday on Monday) by sleeping in. Can't remember what else I did.
Tuesday was my substitute holiday for working on Saturday at sports day, so I decided to wander around Kawagoe. I lost BookOff, so if you're reading this and you remember how to get there, let me know! I bought myself some fabric to decorate my bathroom (which has been described as Martha Stewart-esque and oddly prompted someone to call me "Krystle Stewart"). I also got myself an icepack (which, if you know me, is no surprise).
Wednesday was speech contest day. My students' speeches were good, but not spectacular. Overall I had a good time. It was interesting to meet the Hanno AETs and the students and teachers that my friends worked with.
Wednesday night was drama-filled. I won't go into detail, but I will say that there was a point in which I was scared for the safety of my friend and that I haven't been so thoroughly insulted in a very long time (email me if you want more details).
Also, the internets arrived on Wednesday. Woohoo!
On Thursday, I met up with Chikako, a floating JTE who rotates around the Elementary schools in Hidaka. We taught 1st graders body parts and "head, shoulders, knees, and toes." The kids were super 元気 (genki, meaning lively and excited). It was a great change from the emo-ness of the junior high kids. However, I didn't properly stretch before teaching, and 18 verses of "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" later, I find myself feeling old. Luckily, I have my brand-new icepack. Chikako is super awesome, and she invited me to join a yoga class with her for a few weeks.
Speaking of new Japanese friends, next week Sunday, I'm meeting up with a lady who teaches English to kids. She's looking for native English speakers to practice with so she doesn't lose her skills. I'll keep you posted about how that goes.
Which brings us to today. I believe the plan is shopping in Omiya during the day, and hitting a huge club party tonight. We'll see how it goes.
The past two weeks or so have been fairly busy. Here's a quick recap:
On Saturday, the 22nd, my junior high school had their 体育祭(sports festival). For you Japanese scholars out there, I recently learned that the difference between 体育祭 and 運動会
is that the latter is for elementary school while the former is for everyone older than elementary school. Essentially, the students compete in relays and races by classroom against the other students in their grade. Some schools form teams that combine one class from every grade (my elementary school had three teams, since there are three classes per grade). My fellow 1styear student's teachers decided to participate in the 100m relay and coerced me to join them. After the race (we lost so the students wouldn't feel bad about themselves), my JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) came up to me and said, "Wow, I was surprised! You were so fast I couldn't see you!" I responded to this by hitting him with my towel and calling him "baka!" which means idiot. He laughed and walked away, then said the exact samething to another teacher, to which she responded in the exact same way I did.
After the festival (think 7:30-4 of standing outside in the hot sun), we had an "enkai." An enkai is essentially a work party that involves speeches, food, and all you can drink beer. I thought my speech was terrible, but I was assured that I did fine. I stumbled out some phrases about how the sports day was fun and we didn't have it in America, about how much I like Japan, and how my school is the best school in Hidaka (which they loved). Conversation during the night was amusing, as most Japanese people are restricted to talking about places they've been/want to go, food/drink, and the phrase "you have boyfriend?" when they speak in English. As a result, I talked a lot about Hawaii and places in Japan I want to go/have been to, whether I like sushi, wasabi, natto, and umeboshi, and if I had a boyfriend. I was also asked numerous times, "beer OK?" and my opinion of every alcoholic beverage known to Japanese people. Although it may sound contrary to my description of the night, I had a great time.
On Sunday night, we met up with Shane and his significant other for drinks in Kawagoe. We all had a great time (again, photos are on facebook). However, it seemed to be a bittersweet night, as Shane's bf and Kaz's gf (both of whom are awesome people) returned to their respective homes far far away a few days later.
I celebrated my holiday on Monday (Autumnal Equinox Day was on Sunday, so we got a substitute holiday on Monday) by sleeping in. Can't remember what else I did.
Tuesday was my substitute holiday for working on Saturday at sports day, so I decided to wander around Kawagoe. I lost BookOff, so if you're reading this and you remember how to get there, let me know! I bought myself some fabric to decorate my bathroom (which has been described as Martha Stewart-esque and oddly prompted someone to call me "Krystle Stewart"). I also got myself an icepack (which, if you know me, is no surprise).
Wednesday was speech contest day. My students' speeches were good, but not spectacular. Overall I had a good time. It was interesting to meet the Hanno AETs and the students and teachers that my friends worked with.
Wednesday night was drama-filled. I won't go into detail, but I will say that there was a point in which I was scared for the safety of my friend and that I haven't been so thoroughly insulted in a very long time (email me if you want more details).
Also, the internets arrived on Wednesday. Woohoo!
On Thursday, I met up with Chikako, a floating JTE who rotates around the Elementary schools in Hidaka. We taught 1st graders body parts and "head, shoulders, knees, and toes." The kids were super 元気 (genki, meaning lively and excited). It was a great change from the emo-ness of the junior high kids. However, I didn't properly stretch before teaching, and 18 verses of "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" later, I find myself feeling old. Luckily, I have my brand-new icepack. Chikako is super awesome, and she invited me to join a yoga class with her for a few weeks.
Speaking of new Japanese friends, next week Sunday, I'm meeting up with a lady who teaches English to kids. She's looking for native English speakers to practice with so she doesn't lose her skills. I'll keep you posted about how that goes.
Which brings us to today. I believe the plan is shopping in Omiya during the day, and hitting a huge club party tonight. We'll see how it goes.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Substitute Holiday
I`m pretty sure I didn`t write what I wanted to write for last post`s title, but I`m too lazy to figure out the Japanese to fix it right now.
Anyway, I spent last Saturday watching elementary school kids run around and dance and such. My job was to help with いろいろのこと (various things), but realistically, I did nothing except watch the competition, put a broom away, and hold some papers down so they wouldn`t blow away. As a result of this "work," I have a substitute holiday today. I chose to spend today wandering around Tokyo. Perhaps getting my hair cut. (Not sure yet).
I had dinner at La Pausa with a friend from Willamette/JSP on Sunday. ちょ懐かしい(super nostalgic)！
Anyway, I spent last Saturday watching elementary school kids run around and dance and such. My job was to help with いろいろのこと (various things), but realistically, I did nothing except watch the competition, put a broom away, and hold some papers down so they wouldn`t blow away. As a result of this "work," I have a substitute holiday today. I chose to spend today wandering around Tokyo. Perhaps getting my hair cut. (Not sure yet).
I had dinner at La Pausa with a friend from Willamette/JSP on Sunday. ちょ懐かしい(super nostalgic)！
Monday, September 10, 2007
自校紹介
If I wrote what I think I wrote, then the title for this post is "self-introduction."
"Yes, I like Japanese food."
"I want to go to Hokkaido when I am in Japan."
"No, I do not speak Japanese with my family."
"Yes, I can use chopsticks."
"No, I don`t have a boyfriend."
Think of that except stretched out into a 50 minute lesson. Now, think of that times 8.
And so goes my first week of school.
Today I`m teaching Elementary school 3rd graders about the weather. We`ll play a game, they`ll repeat the words (but they won`t remember them tomorrow). My entire purpose is to get them excited about English.
On a completely unrelated note, this past weekend was perhaps the best weekend of my time here in Japan. Friday night, Dan, Zac, Shane, and I went out clubbing somewhere in Shinjuku (if you have access to facebook, there are photos there). After a night of general debauchery, we returned to Shane`s apartment and slept from 7am-2:30ishpm. Without incriminating myself or others, I`ll just say we had a lot of fun. I returned to my apartment and watched "Thank you for Smoking" (a great movie, btw). Sunday`s plans included returning to Wakaba Walk and Kawagoe to buy new shoes, curtains, a dishrack, and other semi-necessary stuff. I ended up spending a fair amount of money (shoes are expensive!), however, my search for new curtains continues. I hate my current curtains. The creamsicle orange with green stripes doesn`t really match anything else in my apartment, and that makes me sad.
"Yes, I like Japanese food."
"I want to go to Hokkaido when I am in Japan."
"No, I do not speak Japanese with my family."
"Yes, I can use chopsticks."
"No, I don`t have a boyfriend."
Think of that except stretched out into a 50 minute lesson. Now, think of that times 8.
And so goes my first week of school.
Today I`m teaching Elementary school 3rd graders about the weather. We`ll play a game, they`ll repeat the words (but they won`t remember them tomorrow). My entire purpose is to get them excited about English.
On a completely unrelated note, this past weekend was perhaps the best weekend of my time here in Japan. Friday night, Dan, Zac, Shane, and I went out clubbing somewhere in Shinjuku (if you have access to facebook, there are photos there). After a night of general debauchery, we returned to Shane`s apartment and slept from 7am-2:30ishpm. Without incriminating myself or others, I`ll just say we had a lot of fun. I returned to my apartment and watched "Thank you for Smoking" (a great movie, btw). Sunday`s plans included returning to Wakaba Walk and Kawagoe to buy new shoes, curtains, a dishrack, and other semi-necessary stuff. I ended up spending a fair amount of money (shoes are expensive!), however, my search for new curtains continues. I hate my current curtains. The creamsicle orange with green stripes doesn`t really match anything else in my apartment, and that makes me sad.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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