An Autumn Update

     Hi friends! Winter is creeping in on Kanazawa, and while that means a drafty apartment, eternally damp clothing, and carrying two umbrellas to work to try and dodge the water streams gushing from the road sprinklers, it also means lots of hot spring visits, yummy winter foods, and New Year's--the one time of year when all Japanese people actually take a break and spend time with their families for a few days. So we don't mind winter, I guess.
     Oh, and as a bonus, we're headed to London this year for Christmas! Daniel and I decided that after two Japanese Christmases, we were ready to feel that yuletide spirit again, and what better place than London? Come December 23rd, we'll be sipping mulled wine, munching on mince pies, and reading CS Lewis by the fireplace in a pub where CS Lewis probably sat at some point. Happy Christmas indeed!
     As for now though, we are in peak English-teaching season (things just seem a little busier this time of year), so we're keeping busy. My (Jorden's) English club students participated in their annual drama festival a few weeks ago, and they happily took first place for their 30-minute (all English!) original drama, a title they've coveted for the last several years. Here's a picture from after their performance:

Smiles all around, and yes, there were even some tears shed.

     And speaking of English club, mine also managed to swing first place in the regional English debate contest back in September (I know!) so we are headed to Shizuoka Prefecture in a few weeks to take on nationals. Now, I can't say we have much of a chance against some of these preparatory schools whose students were quoting Tennyson in diapers, but I mean, I am real proud of my students for wanting to try this, for putting in the practice time, and for already coming as far as they have. This year's topic is nuclear energy, for heaven's sake! And they're trying their best to spout off phrases like "reactor-grade plutonium" with the finest pronunciation they can muster. I'm proud of them. They're a good bunch.
     What else? Daniel and I went to Seoul, Korea back in October, and had a blast! Turns out, Seoul is a really cool city. It's lively, modern, clean, friendly, and crazy international! We were impressed not just by the number of English-speakers we encountered, but all sorts of people. We toured the DMZ on our first day there, which was an experience I highly recommend if you ever have the chance. Our tour guide was incredible; she was fun and lively and made lots of inappropriate jokes. She took us to a down-to-earth traditional Korean restaurant where we had some really tasty grub before heading up to the border. The tour was really educational and also a little bit emotional. Afterward, I felt like I somehow had more understanding and also less about the conflict between the North and the South. We were allowed to enter the conference room that sits exactly on the border, and we even took some pictures with the very intimidating South Korean military there. It was cool. Anyway, if you have a chance to go to Korea, go! The people are super fun and friendly, and you can buy some killer egg pastries from street vendors for a buck. YUM! Okay, I think that's about all for now. How about some pictures?

Enjoying a Bibimbap feast in Seoul. So good!

And there's the lovely Seoul herself!

Touring the older side of the city.

More downtown.

Joint Security Area.

We took a trip to Tokyo for Daniel's birthday. Here's the man, enjoying the (amazing!) view over Shinjuku from our hotel room.

However, I think this was his favorite part. A park with turtles.

Of course, this wasn't bad either. Daniel is now a sword-wielding gent!

We sat at this riverside park a few weeks ago and read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It's become something of a tradition now.

Our Halloween costumes.

And speaking of Halloween, here's one last shot from my English club's Halloween party! They got really into the costumes this year. 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Nishiki Festival 2014

Well, it all went as planned - sorta.  I'd promised everyone pictures of the festival this year, but when I woke up on Thursday morning, I took an inventory of my cameras.  I had a digital camera we picked up two years ago, my iPhone, and my HD Canon video camera.  Which to use....

I decided that if a picture is worth a thousand words, think how many words a video would be worth! So I dusted off my equipment and set about filming the festival instead.  This morning, I'm proud to present a video summarizing what a Japanese school festival is like (more or less).

Unfortunately, the video was a bit too large for Blogger, so I had to upload it to Youtube.  You can see it using the link below (it's "unlisted," so following the link is the only way you'll be able to see it.)

Enjoy!

Link:  http://youtu.be/C5PNKGDI65Q

Nishiki School Festival: Setup Day

It's almost time for classes to start again here at Nishiki, and that can mean only one thing: School festival.  You've no doubt seen our posts from previous years about our schools' festivals.  They're unique, loud, intricate, and probably one of the easiest ways to see the differences in school culture between Japan and America.

This year I'm going to give you two looks at the festival - today I'll show you the behind-the-scenes setup photos, and this weekend you'll see the festival through the eyes of the visitors who come to enjoy the students' hard work.

As a refresher, at my school the first year high school students (US 1oth graders) put on a skit, usually a lip-synch or dance, for the other students to watch during the first day of the festival.  The second-year students decorate and in some cases transform their classrooms for visitors to tour through.  Finally, the third-year students set up food stalls and cook Japanese festival foods like fried noodles or grilled octopus dough balls.  I'm personally looking forward to the apple-custard filled fish-shaped pancakes this time.  Finally, classes are named according to year level and class number.  Thus, class 11 are first-year students, class one.  Class 23 are second-year students class three, and so on.

The festival lasts for two days, and it takes about a week to get ready.  Students begin hauling supplies - cardboard, paint, markers, etc - to school the week before.  Now, a mere 24 hours before the opening ceremonies, students are scrambling all over the school to put everything up.  Here's the scene:

Much like in the States, students can vote on who they think exemplifies a particular character trait.  Unlike in the States, categories include "cutest glasses," "most girly boy," "most boyish girl," and "darkest tan."



Students hang hand-made decorations for their food stalls out of the 2nd floor windows.

The students of class 21 are turning their room into a "Frozen" themed haunted house.  Here's this morning's progres...

...and this afternoon's.

There's the Olaf we know and love.

Other second-year students discuss plans for thier classroom decorations.  There are rumors of a small roller coaster for class 26.

Always rainy Kanazawa doesn't deter the students from setting up their food stalls in the central courtyard of the school.

Outdoor shoes aren't allowed indoors, but indoor slippers aren't allowed in the gym.  Class 14 ditches their slippers in the hallway so they can set up their chairs for the opening ceremony (Japanese school gyms don't have bleachers, so it's a bring-your-own-chair policy.)

Class 32 sets up decorations for their food stall.

The art club prepares for their open house, where they'll sell handmade postcards, stamps, and keychains.

Class 31 has decorated their garbage cans, and sits around waiting for more work.

Students from class 31 set up a face-in-the-hole facade for their grilled octopus dough balls food booth.

Class 11 practices the dance they'll perform tomorrow.

 

Girls from class 38 weigh out ingredients for their recipe.

A cook shows the students of class 33 how to make the fish-shaped pancakes.

The junior high school members of the band (percussion section) practice for the opening ceremonies.  The band members are some of the only junior highers who participate in the festival directly - it's primarily run by high schoolers.

The high school building with courtyard below.  You can see first-year students on the fifth floor resting between dance practice.  Below them on the fourth floor, the second-year students decorate their classrooms.  Underneath the building on the ground floor, the third-years practice cooking.

 

Class 22 hangs tinfoil balls from their classroom.  They insist that by tomorrow it'll be a movie theater.

 

 

 

With the day almost over, it's time for me to head home.  I'm sure the students will be here late into the night working to finish everything.  Then tomorrow, I'll get to see the completed product (and you'll see it in a few days when I post the second half of this blog.)

 

Thanks for reading!

 

American Dreams.

Well hey! To those of you still following, thank you! We've hit the two-year mark now living in Japan and it's an honor to know that you're still cheering us on.

We made it home for a whopping three weeks this summer. It was truly an incredible time; no doubt living abroad has bestowed upon us a deep appreciation for the little slices of America that we had never thought twice about before. (You know, public trash cans, root beer variety, and that sort of thing.) Our time was meaningful and busy with all the right preoccupations. Looking back over our trip, it's unbelievable all the things we managed to squeeze into a few short weeks, and we feel so grateful. Here are just a few:

-Freshly caught crab dinner
-Alpine hiking
-Pike Place Market & downtown Seattle
-Sailing/crabbing
-Zip-lining
-Homemade BBQ
-Rowboat rental
-Margaritas
-Lake-jumping
-Campfires
-Flea markets
-Retro car show
-Motorcycle rides (sorry Mom)
-Go-karting
-Lake Tahoe/Shakespeare

THANK YOU to the friends and family who cleared your schedules and emptied your guest rooms to welcome us. We couldn't have asked for a better reprieve--or for better company--during our summer. Now, how about some pictures?

Ah! A welcome sight.

Yep. This too.

Check!

Hiking Mt. Index in Washington

Stuntman.

Sweet home!

"Supeisunidoru"

Hello Seattle!

DK for Ralph Lauren.

Sailors!

Sparkly Camano Isle.

Enjoying the fruits of our labor (plus fresh-caught crab)!

Seeing these friends is always the BEST. Hello, Emmaus!

"Try to show how big the desert is! I want my students to see!"

We spotted some wild horses outside Carson City. Lucky us!

Our last night in America was spent here. Lake Tahoe=not bad.

Alas, now we're back in Kanazawa and gearing up for Year #3 in This Japanese Life. Plenty more adventures to come! As always, thanks for reading, friends! I'll do another post soon detailing my family's trip to Japan (!)
-Jorden

A Visit From Mom: Tokyo Disney and Takayama

At the end of March, we had a special guest come to visit us here in Kanazawa: my mom!  Jorden and I took advantage of the wonderful weather and our schools' spring breaks to slip off to Tokyo and meet Mom at the airport.  It was a great week full of Dinsey, sunshine, and lots of cheese.

Jorden and I left Kanazawa on a night bus bound for Tokyo Station.  Although not the most comfortable or quickest option, it certainly is the cheapest way to get around - one-way tickets are usually $50, compared to $130 for a train ride, or $230 for a plane.  Keep in mind, that's for a one-way fare for a single person, traveling roughly the same distance as from Reno to San Francisco, or from Seattle to Salem...sometimes Japan is really annoying..  At any rate, we hopped on the bus, fell asleep(ish), and woke up the next morning at Tokyo Station.

If you ever get a chance to visit Tokyo Station before 7am, I highly recommend you do it.  Trains in Japan don't run 24 hours, so there's a time, usually from 2am or so until about 7am, where even the biggest transportation hubs like Tokyo Station are relatively deserted and quiet.  Jorden and I even arrived before the Stabucks opened, which I suppose isn't too much of a feat, since baristas roll out of bed and open up shop at 7am here.  We hung out in the quiet station until the Starbucks opened, I purchased a Tokyo Starbucks Card, and we had something to drink after a restless night on the bus.

Now I get street cred when I use it here in Kanazawa...

Next on our list of traditional activities to do in the capital of Japan was to visit Krispy Kreme.  We went searching for the elusive doughnut shop, (whose posted opening hours are 8am, by the way.  For a doughnut shop.)  And found it after about fifteen minutes.  Jorden and I ordered up a half-dozen doughnuts, picking a few familiar favorites (plain and chocolate) but also spicing it up with some Japanese specialties (Sakura Creme and Cookies n' Vanilla).  Now, with coffee in our blood and doughnuts in out stomachs, we were ready to... kill time until the Mexican restaurant we wanted to visit opened.  As you can see, or schedule while in Tokyo mainly revolves around foods you can't find in Kanazawa.

Documenting the moment...

We walked around the city some more, then hopped on the subway and took off for the neighborhood of Disneyland.  After a delicious authentic Mexican lunch and checking into our hotel room, I went to meet Mom at the airport.

There she is!

Mom's flight arrived no problem and we set off to meet Jorden for dinner, then promptly fell asleep after a busy day.

On Sunday, we took a bus to Tokyo Disneyland!  It was quite the experience - last time, Jorden and I were able to skirt the crowds by going over a random weekend in May, far from any holidays or special events.  This time, however, we weren't so lucky.  It was spring break, which also means graduation season here in Japan (remember, the new school year starts in April here.)  In addition, we were there over a three-day weekend.  Let's just say there weren't many walk-on rides available...

The approach.

Ta-da!

Staff member:　ようこそ　デイスにーランド へ!
Mom: " ... "

Mom texting while driving.

                             
The shortest wait times we found during both days in the parks were around 45 minutes.  And that was for stuff like the .  For the more popular rides like Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Indiana Jones, etc., the wait times jumped to 200 minutes within an hour of the park opening, and never got below the 120-minute mark the entire day.  That's a 2 to 3 hour wait for a single ride!  Fastpasses usually sold out before 11am.  I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or if it's just an "oh well," attitude or whatever, but somehow people weren't rioting through Adventureland over that.  In fact, people were hopping right in line for the 200-minute wait!  I didn't get any pictures of the lines for some reason... probably because I didn't want to remember them.

All in all, though, it was a fun trip.  We had great weather and we got to show Mom around Tokyo Disney Sea, which is a park unique to Japan.  Oh, and we were able to get Fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh and Journey to the Center of the Earth, both the rides Jorden and I couldn't do last time.

On Monday night, we packed up and hopped on another night bus for Kanazawa.  The next five days were spent touring around the cool stuff right in our own backyard (no waits here, I assure you.)  We saw Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle, the Samurai and Tea districts, the station, Omicho Fish Market, and of course all of our favorite restaurants.  It's always fun to play tourist in the city where you live, and although we've seen all the stuff a few times, it's interesting to see it through someone else's eyes.

Putting on our shoes after having tea in Kenrokuen.

Mom eating like a local.  A local eating like himself.

Mmmm... fresh.

We did add a little extra trip in to Takayama, a city about an hour and half from Kanazawa.  It's a medium sized city up in the mountains, and acts as a sort-of central shipping hub, connecting a bunch of cities on Japan's west coast to those on the east coast.  Takayama boasts one of the biggest morning markets in the country, so we arrived around 9am to peruse the booths full of crafts, foods, textiles, and other nick knacks.  We took a stroll through the historical districts in town, popping in and out of stationary, sweets, and sake shops.  Finally, we ate at a famous ramen shop before heading back down the hill to Kanazawa.

Now, Mom's back safe and sound in the States, and Jorden and I are gearing up for the school year.  This week we met our new coworkers, and next week our new students will report for their first day of school.  Oh, and the cherry blossoms are blooming!  Not a bad time, all things considered.

Thanks for reading.

-The Adventurers