Tsugara Burning Horse Festival

Sunday was a great, great day. After a rocky Saturday, with the losing myself business, this Sunday took over the whole weekend and made it all happy! Just shows my new life will have ups and downs but the highs most definitely squash the lows.


I headed to watch the soccer team's match at Nishi Koko at mid day, to show some support thus earning great browny points and I also actually enjoy it so win win all round. They were more than delighted with my attendance, I got to sit at the side line with all the subs, on a chair even, which was great although very sweaty. They play on clay and it was really really hot and clammy so when they come close you get a cloud of clay in the face which then of course sticks to you. This made me fit in, no blazing white skin to be seen! I actually couldn’t stay for the whole match as I was worried I would die of sun, death by sun, it is possible.

Christy and a baba

So after half time I headed for a BBQ on the beach which was amazing. Great food, great people, great fun! Lot’s of crazy Japanese people who are endless entertainment, these people have a gift to make anyone smile. Little babas and fun lovin granpas mixed with foreign friends. We headed at about 4 on a road trip to the West of Aomori. A huge shrine (which I’m sorry I cannot remember the name of) was our first stop, which we eventually reached just in time to see it at sunset, this was actually an amazing time to experience it, the lighting really was fantastic. It was great apart from the bizarre looking spiders spinning their evening webs all over the gaff, ugh! memories of the monster tarantula from my apartment (shudder) and I also got some juicy juicy mozy bites.

Next we headed to Tsugara city for the burning horse festival, contrary to it’s name no of course they don’t burn horses but just paper floats of them. We missed the fire dancing unfortunately but got to hear some creepy tribal music which was cool. And of course you can’t have a festival in Japan without some fireworks. Boom Boom.

THE SHOWER

Here is the contraption I've been going on and on about. Seriously you'd think they'd get with the shower buzz and sort these clunks of stuff out! By the look of the image I'd say you think I simple turn some knobs, but no, you have to light a spark with the clicker and peek through the little glass square at same time. It's really tricky and took a long time to master. But with all the moaning and shower bashing it actually gives me a great ol chunk of water.

Mammy Help!

Silvo help!

Ikebana

Friday afternoon at 4pm I had my first Ikebana class. I am officially a member of the school club now and once or twice a month I go to do some ‘flower arranging’. It was deadly! This cool old Japanese woman was the teacher, her hair was so long and grey, all pulled back really tight in a bun and her lips were crazy red. Not many did the class which meant I was mothered by both the teacher and the students. You pay around 5 euro for the flowers and then the teacher will guide you how to organise the arrangement. Each class you get a hanko stamp from the teacher and your aim is to get a certificate at the end.


You have a shallow vase with water, a small bowl with water (which you clip the stems in), a clippers , and about five flower stems. You also need a triangular metal thing with spikes which you submerge in the water and stick the stems into, its seriously spiky nobody warned me and I creased my poor wee finger on it! So what I picked up (from some students' translations and pictures on the board) was that the arrangement is all based around the ‘subject’ this is the largest stem in the arrangement. The subject should measure twice the length of the vase + twice the height of the vase. It should be placed at the back centre of the spike thing and standing vertically. Next is your ‘anchor’, this is a stem with the most flowers I think, this should be 1/3 of the height of the subject placed in the same line as the subject but at the front, it should be at a 45degree angle. Then I kinda lost track but I know that all the stems must be placed in as straight a line as possible, no flowers or stems should dip obviously out of the arrangement. The other stems should be at alternative heights between the anchor and the subject, there are specific measurements but I couldn’t keep up at this stage with my lack of language! You should never cut the stems in open air but always submerged in the water bowl. I thought I did an ok job and the teacher was praising me a lot but she ended up sympathetically smiling and changing the whole thing! Live and Learn!

Lost

Sugar'd glazed strawberry's

Friday night I ventured across the city to meet up with the other guyjing (foreigners) I managed to grab a lift from the station to Jackie’s house and stayed over to save the trek home that evening. Saturday morning I woke at 6am to Baseball chants coming from the school that Jackie lives beside, having gone to bed very late this concluded my sleeping after maybe 4 hours. I am tired.


I have cycled to Jackie’s before so I believe I am well capable of walking to the station, no probs! Weirdly I am wearing jeans maybe I was delirious the night before when I was changing who knows but I damn regret it on Saturday morning, the sun is blazing again. I set out with my jeans rolled up as much as they will go, which really is not far at all, there jeggins that don't seem fond of being rolled. This frustrates me an awful lot and all I can think of is how great it would be just to walk in my knickers!

On what I estimated to be maybe a 40minute walk to the station I manage to walk two hours in the entire wrong direction, I still don't know where I was. I only realize after maybe an hour and a half that I am horrifically lost, why wasn't I arriving at anything familiar? at all, at all, at all. At this stage I need some shorts, real bad, I need a cap and a juice and a hug. I begin to think of how easy life was at home how well I have learnt my way from the guidance of my mammy and daddy. I can find whatever I want and I can ask if I need help. Here I am really lost and I am alone and I'm really sad. I cannot even find my way back to Jackie’s, my phone battery died the night before so it's really no help what so ever. I have a map but it’s a google print off, all it has is the city stuff and people’s houses which is really no use whatsoever right now. I fight back the tears constantly trying to pretend that this is an adventure, it’s kinda funny. But it wasn’t at the time I really wanted to go home, home to Ireland. I know if I ask a passer by for help they would probably carry me to the station on their backs but I can't, I don't know what stopped me really I was just all miserable. I sat down in my stupid sweaty jeans and let the tears just come, I didn’t have the energy to fight them.

Well it is actually really funny now, looking back. Silly girl! About ten minutes later I catch a taxi and get to the station for like ten euro. I was an awfully far way away but sure if I hit that hood again I’ll know it, I'm pathetic for the crying I know! At least it makes the story funny! When I get into the taxi my eyes are all red and my face is puffy. I start saying station to the taxi man which is Eki but I’m a bit delirious so instead I am actually saying Ebi to him. This means Prawn. He keeps giving me a very confused look which I can’t understand because everybody knows Eki?!! There I am chanting PRAWN, PRAAAAAAAWN, PR-AW-NNN, PRAWWWWWN, to the poor chap. He eventually says ‘you like go sushi?’No no I want to go to Aomroi PRAWWWWWWN! He eventually says Aomori Eki? after I am acting out train noises. The two of us roar laughing, yes yes please no prawn just take me away from this crazy place!

Photos are taken at a small market by the station (EBI not EKI), on Friday night

Blow Torch Dude

I come home from work everyday and look out my balcony window to see this man squatting in his back garden. Every evening while I am in the appartment I can hear the faint blowing of the fire from his machine until dusk arrives and the darkness settles him. He crawls around the patch of dirt burning the soil, hours and hours of dedication goes into this painful looking job. I have no idea why he does it but he is so meticulous about destroying anything living but so careful to avoid the trees. It is fascinating to watch and I find myself mesmerized by it for hours. He could be there all day doing this task but I am not home to see it so who knows. I wonder what he will do when winter comes and the snow covers the ground.

Japanese Bromance, Lesson One and Greetings day

Bromance

A strange and wonderful affection boys have for each in Japanese High schools. Today while teaching I watched two boys hold hands accross a desk. They stroked and pet'd each other throughout the entire lesson. When I saw it first my instant reaction was to laugh, thank god I held back, but I felt pretty awkward stumbling on such a situation. Something I've been told is quite normal here is boys showing love for each other. They cuddle, hug all the time, they also hold hands alot and sit on each others lap. It's very odd to think of any boys I know in Ireland sitting on each others laps. But it's quite lovely to see it.

They also wear clips in their hair, even the macho baseball players!


Lesson One

Today was my very first lesson at Nishi KoKo. I had been nervously anticipating this day since I have arrived. I'd heard a lot from other JET's about preparring yourself for teaching a class of zombies, I had been told that when Japanese students don't know an answer they will simply freeze solid for as long as needed. To my surprise they were amazing. After some enthusiastic encouragement, ok ALOT of enthusiastic encouragement, they loosened up and started to respond a bit. I was delighted how well it went. Some of them are hillarious asking me did I kill and eat the chickens I had as pets. They loved the slide show especially a picture of an Irish wolf hound! And when it was question time they wanted to know all about my favourite food in Japan, my favourite place in Japan, my favourite word in Japanese and they were so delighted when I said I loved sushi. The girls are very giggly, which is far better than boring! I hope the rest of the introduction classes go as well as this one....who knows!

Making shamrocks for the classroom :)

Greetings

Today is 'Greeting day' in Nishi Koko. Twice a month (every month) all the teachers including the principle line the entire outside of the school building to greet the students arriving to school. What an amzingly nice tradition. The students cycle or walk passed and everyone exchanges 'Ohayou Gozaimasu', I could never imgaine the teachers in St Andrews lining the avenue to greet students like that. It was lashing rain aswell, but all the teachers and all the emplyees in the office put on their outdoor shoes, opened their umbrella's, stood out in the rain then greeted and smiled at every single student that passed.
It was amazing to see the wonderful relationship students have with there teachers here.

Generousity

I am begining to loose track of the endless presents I am given so this is an attempt to remeber!

August
1 Corn on the Cob from Head of the Office
3 Apples from a Lady in the train station
2 Tea bags from Noda
1 Lemon cake from Maeda Sensei
1 Bunch of Bay leaves from Librarian 1
1 Watermelon from staff room
1 Choc Muffin from a teacher
4 Art Magazines from Librarian 2
1 Home grown tomatow from Maeda Sensei

Train Lady Apples, biggest juiciest apples I've ever had! 

Towada Museum of Modern Art

Drive through Aomori Mountains to Towada

Another road trip through Aomori mountains brought us one saturday to Towada town. A small town about 2hours drive from Aormori City with a fantastic Museum of Modern Art. The entire viallge is sprinkled with sculptures which guides you to the main museum. It was so exciting to see so many wonderful Art pieces as we drove through the town. We had a great time exploring both inside and outside the museum. I was amazed by the standard and quantity of work for such a small town and it is a permanent collection so I would love to return!

Wishing Tree

Bread Baking

Bread in Japan is a little different than home, to say the least. It is hard to find, very white/ cardboard like, really never goes mouldy which can't be a good thing, it's expensive and awfully tasteless to be honest. I miss Moma's bread making talent. So another task is set. Home made bread!
I head to the supermarket with dictionary in hand and proceed to pointing words out like flour, sugar and yeast to the more than willing helpful staff . Lots of laughing along the way as I point and they guide me to an area, then point at a large stack of various options. I go for a lucky dip usually, hoping for the best. I should point out that the shop is half medication half groceries so saying yeast alot gets a bit worrying!!!
They don't have self rasing flour so bicarbonnate soda is another thing to add to the list, and a tricky one to find also. I have managed to find milk over the last few hundred trips so that I have already. Over an hour I manage to buy what I beleived to be flour, yeast, milk and sugar (no hope in finding caster sugar).
I return home rather happy with my shopping accomplishment. Now to find a simple recipe to put it all together. I find one online that looks seriously easy, nothing could go wrong really?
Well yes it could acctually. It says add 2 cups of flour which I did but its as runny as water so I can hardly kneed that?? I keep adding flour until the entire packet is used, but its still pretty damn runny. Feck it I throw it onto a board try my best to kneed it but end up with sticky dough stuff everywhere! I throw it in a bowl, let it supposedly rise for an hour then do another attempt of needing it. At this stage I know it will be a disaster so I just threw it into the oven and hoped if anything it would smell nice!!! After about an hour, it smelt amazing, what came out though was a solid rock hard loaf of bread! I had to taste it, would have been rude not too, almost broke a tooth but the crusty bit ontop resembled bread in some way. Well first attempt down plenty more to come!

It doesn't look so bad but beware looks aren't everything!

DIY Japan

Before

Little did I really consider this purchase. It looked nice on the shelf (pre-made) and it never dawned on me it was flat pack when I bought it. Daaaaaaaaam!

The challenge was upon me, with no hammer, a blunt screw driver and an instruction booklet all in kanji I was expecting a long night of stress.

Three hours later I was beyond delighted to actually see it standing, maybe a little wobbly after all the hammering with various objects it got, but standing none the less. I am very proud of this little fellow and will treasure his place in my home for many a month!

After :)

Big Buddha

A lit Lattern at Big  Buddha

It was Obon week last week, which is a week that the Japanese celebrate their deceased relatives. They all take the day off work to meet up with family, some travel very far to do so, they have meals together and visit and decorate the graves. One teacher described it as Japanese thanks-giving but I'm not really sure that's the best example! He was trying to emphasis how big and important it was I think.

alot of the temples around this time are lit by candles at night which creates beautiful settings in the woods.

Aomori has the biggest outdoor Buddha in Japan, so one evening during Obon week we went to explore it.

It was HUGE and nesttled into the mountain side. The whole area was lit with latterns, all along a pathway leading from the temple to the Buddha. To remember the deceased children the Japanese stick pin wheels around the area, so hundreds and hundreds of pin wheels whistle in the wind. Was actually very eery but a very captivating experince.

Pin wheels for the children

Eight Men to a window

The window men returned but brought some friends this time. So I was swamped by 8 of them in the tiny apartment to fix the 3 screens. They were very nervous about going in to my bedroom and kept profusely apologizing before and after. It was quite a bit of work having them all there as I did so much bowing to thank them, and so much smiling when they were explaning everything in Japanese to me. Such nice workmen, they noticed my bathroom door was jamming so took it off the hinges and put new rollers on it! One poor chap was determined to keep me update with everything they were doing in English, so had his head in a huge dictionary the whole time, he would be there for like 5minutes then shout out something like ‘screen magnet’. I was happy just to sit and observe but he was worried I wasn’t informed enough. I gave them all watermelon and water so they were very happy workmen. Took them most of the day so I got to stay home and sit infront of the fan all day, which was ideal to say the least. And I have lovely new screens to keep the bugs out. Happy.

10k Training

I have decided to sign up for two 10k Marathon’s, it’s great anything 5k or over is a marathon in Japan. So the first is September 12th in Misawa and another is the end of October in Tsugara. Doing the 10k race for both. Not really exactly sure what possessed me to sign up as training in 35 plus heat is seriously insane. Nonetheless it was a challenge I believed I needed! I have been cycling a lot so this meant I had some fitness to start off, always a bonus! I have found a lovely path down by the river, which has a teeny tiny teeny breeze, every little bit counts though. I try to run as close to sunset as possible so it’s not baking hot. It has been an interesting training, I am usually sweating before I begin so it’s pretty miserable, but at the same time enjoyable. The path along the river is stunning, with rice fields either side and the mountains in the background. I love it, especially after sitting a whole day in the office. It took a few runs to adjust to running in such hot/humid weather but I have stopped hallucinating and rather enjoy it now! The sweating still though is seriously amazing, I have to peel my clothes off afterwards and it takes a decent amount of time for my face to go to a normal colour.


The people I meet are a great distraction from the pain. Plenty of old women covered from head to toe in clothes which protect their skin from the sun, the only thing peeping out is their eyes. They always stop and bow as I run by which of course I return. Lots of dog’s mostly quite vicious though but the occasional puppy dressed in little outfits, with bows and hair clips, seriously kitted out lil queens.
Then there is my new friend, one lady I have seen every day since I started to run, she spots me from the kitchen window (I think) and comes out to cheer me. I do a loop of the river, crossing the bridges as the track becomes un-runable after a while. She waits by one of the bridges and when she sees me coming will clap and cheer me till I reach her. Such a hero! It’s very bizarre and funny to me so I’m always laughing and saying thank you, this seems to encourage her more. The excitement on her face is truly inspiring. She always tries to talk to me and it’s times like this I really wish I could answer her, but smiling and nodding will have to do for now.

Speech day

Minsan Konichiwa
Watashino nama ee wa hannah leggetto desu

Minasan ni aete ureshi I desu

Watashi Airulando kara kimashite

Kigaruni hanahshika kete kudasai

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu

(It looks small but its impossible to pronounce!)

So THE SPEECH

August 30th was the day I was partially dreading, but still excited for. Noda Sensei had helped me translate my introduction speech into Japanese a while ago, but we had to chop it quite significantly as I was finding it near impossible to read. Should have practiced the ol alphabet a bit in advance, wouldn’t have gone amiss, but sure no worries just so long as I attempted something I’d get some points hopefully.  I practiced all weekend and had the speech hung everywhere in my house with red underline on most of it to help me with the trickier words. I was determined to give it a good shot.

I woke up on Monday with a ridiculous cough, one of the spluttery kind, perfect for a speech. This didn’t really help my nerves at all and then having to climb into a full two piece suit in 35degrees just topped it off, usually I get away with a shirt and a skirt but speech day is formal.

We end up being late for it as Noda Sensei got distracted and forgot what time it was after the morning meetings, running down the hallway is not good prep for a speech in this heat. I arrive into a hall jammered with the entire school, both teachers and students, all waiting for me, oops. I’m seriously sweaty at this stage, can feel the drips rolling down the back of my legs, my hair is wet, as for the page I’m holding it’s actually falling apart in my hand. I know that is horrible information for anyone to read but I’ve never quite experienced such an uncomfortable feeling and I think it’s seriously vital for you to know about it ;)

I walk onto the stage with the vice principal who is rather a good bit shorter than me, this encourages lots of laughing, but nothing unexpected there! He introduced me a bit in Japanese and then it was my turn. Suddenly the entire place goes creepy quiet, I can’t hear them even breathing, I almost got a fright, the fans stopped in a split second and even the giggles…. WOW

Off I go launching into my best of best attempts of this Japanese speech, I hit the second word and the silence is split by a serious amount of laughing, I obviously didn’t do a good job at ‘Minasan Konnichiwa’, no worries I power through it with the occasional laughing splutter but generally have their attention. Then, oh then, it’s the English version, which I personally was looking forward to reaching but thought otherwise after I reached it. The laughing and talking just got louder and louder as I continued through it. I realized after a few words how little they were understanding and how little they were listening so had to emergency cut bits out mid speech. It was just too much and I didn’t want them to drown me out with their giggles, that would be just horrific, me standing there desperately trying to shout over them. I was well aware that I had to speak at a snail’s pace for anyone to understand, so it was pretty hard as I was trying to get it done before they got way too bored of hearing absolute nonsense to their ears! Well I successfully made it through, lots more bowing and I jumped off the stage pronto.

I know of course that when they laugh it is not malicious what so ever but more a nervous giggle, I wasn’t offended at all and as I was walking through the crowd they were even waving and smiling at me.


At the ceremony they sing a lovely song which they tried to make me sing and then I reminded them I can’t for life of me read kanji　お日よご寒ズ　てぃざう　 this is the kind of thing I was looking at. Scary stuff, so I watch from the back as a huge mass of them sing together. I realize how very different I am right there. I look so very different. I am probably the tallest person in the room, at least top three tallest including the boys, and I’m not just a bit taller I’m seriously taller. In front of me about 800 students every single one with straight jet black hair, reading this magical script. No wonder they stare at me, here I am doing the exact same. Generally speaking there is an unwritten rule that Japanese and foreigners can stare at each other, it is never intended as rude or offensive, it is merely an exchange of wonder and interest.

The PTA then present money donations to the principal for the school, lots more bowing and then its all done. Thank the lord I can remove my blazer before I hit the floor.

Tricksy groceries

So I bought 4 blocks of cheese before I found butter, bought cream instead of yogurt, poured cartons of yogurt on my cereal, bought chicken in a can instead of tuna, cannot for the life of me tell if stuff is meat or fish or veg and had a general stressful time while shopping. Most of the time I laugh at myself so it's all a learning curve! But I am gradually finding stuff by trial and error.

See how you do!

True or False Quiz

A) Butter?

B) Cream?

C) Chicken?

D) Cheese?

E) Yogurt?

A) Butter fourth attemp was succesful B) Yogurt C)Infact is Tuna after some close chicken encounters! D) Blok of cheese E) MILK :)

Then it's all worth while when you find fesh Edamamen beans, boil and salt em then enjoy with a big bowl of ramen noodles! This was a grrrrrrrreat dinner :)

YUUUUUUUUUM

YUMMMMMMMMM

Nebuta Festival AaaaaaaaRastaRaaaaaaa

So my first week in Aomori I arrived bang into the Nebuta festival. The people of Aomori city and prefecture come out of winter hibernation early summer to prepare for this amazing event. The city buzz’s for weeks in anticipation, they are joined by people from all over Japan and the world who travel to experience this wonderful week of parades, dancing, jumping and drinking! And oh my they jump like no other jumpers I have ever met. Every night for a solid week, huge paper lantern floats are pushed, pulled and dragged down the streets of Aomori followed by a sea of flutes, drums and symbols, which are then followed by hundreds of jumping maniacs! There are tons of floats so therefor tons of musicians and crazy jumpers. All ages participate in the parade, both young and old, local and foreign, once you are dressed in your best Yukata (summer Kimono) you have a free entry! It was kind of like a late night, very loud St.Patricks day parade with jumpers! I was lucky enough to borrow a Yukata from Chrsity’s friend and participated in the parade, jumping like a mad bean, on the Thursday night. I brought it to school the day of the festival and two teachers dressed me up. It very very tricky to put it on so I stripped down, they twirled me back and forth and before I knew it I was all kitted out!
It was quite the experience, for a solid 2hours the parade travels around the city and you literally jump the entire time! The cycle home that night was quite a struggle but the night was well worth the insane body pain I felt the next day. The atmosphere is so electric you get lost in this world with the drums ringing in your ears and the colours flashing in your eye. Along with jumping you also chant, so a leader will say something which I think is ah-rasta-ra ah-rasta-ra and the crowd respond, I picked up ah-rasta-rasta-rsta-raa as the response and stuck with that. It is a special sort of jump which takes a few seconds to master. Basicly you jump on each leg twice and you can spice it up by lifting your knees higher or with more enthusiasm. Having the festival at night means the floats look alive and also means you can head for well needed beers afterwards which is ideal. I’ll never forget my first Nebuta festival and I hope it is the first of many….

Nebuta Dancers jumping on Shin Machi street

Drummers awaiting the signals

The beat

Kids playing the symbols

The calm after

Nebutta float

Tachi Nebuta Festival

Nebuta takes two….just as you think it's all done (which is very sad) you get a bonus trip to the next town, which is very happy, to check out another Nebuta festival! So there was a huge firworks display to end Aomori’s Nebuta which was amazing as we got in on a great spot to view all the sparkly bangs. People lay out huge sheets of plastic (tarp) which you sit on, some go down at about 10pm the previous night to book the spots and check it 2 or 3times during the night! Thankfully we just knew someone who had done this tedious job, her name is Rumiko and she’s great!

Anways back to Tachi Nebuta, so it’s the same idea but the floats are huge in height instead of width, seriously tall floats! The roads are actually built for the floats so no electricity wires are ever built over the road ways. The town literally works aroud the Nebuta festival. They are far crazier people in this festival parade, crazy as in more drunk and they wear far less clothing! Their hair I could not get over, it was extremely impressive, sculptured up high with feathers and bows everywhere, you should see the height some of them managed to get to. Ate lots of Edamame (green beans), had some lovely beer whilst sitting on the road side with the sunset waiting for the parade to start!

THE hair

Pulling the float