The first sign of madness?

I may have mentioned the mad lady who sits next to me here, I may have not. Either way, she's bonkers and talks to herself constantly. I don't mean the odd sentence, I mean a full-on running commentary alongside everything she does (at least I assume this is what she's saying - not really being able to understand it's entirely possible she's recounting the tale of her alien abduction in 1973). I just left the loo, where she was in another cubicle, peeing and muttering to herself...

Bottles of luxury

Got back from todays successful shopping trip with two glourious bottles of stuff I had previously put in the "luxury items" category, and one I was procrastinating buying in the hope the problem would go away.

From left to right they are:

Sweet chilli sauce. OM NOM NOM. How I missed you. Whilst I doubt you will have the kick of my favourite brand back home, I so hope you won't disappoint when I slather you over my just-fried chicken breast.

Body lotion. I'm not a big user of creams, lotions and all that crap so hadn't bothered buying any, but lordy is my skin ever dry now.

Bug spray. I have an infestation of small flies in the bathroom. Not evil flies I hasten to add (they don't bite, buzz, attack, burp, spit or otherwise act in an offensive manner) but annoying nonetheless. Having been using the chemical free method (spraying them with the shower) for the last few days, and finding it lacking, I figured I'd turn up the pressure, so to speak. Also, I like the name of it - "mushi" (虫) is insect and "bye bye" (バイバイ) speaks for itself. I will report back on effectiveness at a later date.

Yay weekend!

Finally, it's the weekend. I've been fighting off a cold all week, mainly in the form of a sore throat and general dizzy/tiredness, so it's good to have a few days of chill in front of me. Dinner was a celebratory TWO pieces of konbini fried chicken covered in tonkatsu sauce (like brown sauce but, dare I say it, nicer) plus a salad as the health-consciouness continues unabated (for the time being I won't bother calling it a diet). Yum. The fried chicken is THE SHIT, MAN, as the irritating American upstairs whose phone conversation I can currently hear would say.

Anyhow, plans are as follows:

Tomorrow morning is Shinden's sports day. Whilst not compulsory, and therefore not paid, I think it will be a good move to go (networking, dahling) and also I think it should be fun. The kids really are cute, and their sports day includes crazy things like paired racing in a giant pair of shorts and something involving large balls (?!).

That will finish at 2.30pm and after withdrawing some of my wages (wooooo) I'm gonna go do some food shopping. Specifically I will be
buying the ingredients to make umeshu, a super-sweet liquour made from green (young) apricots, sugar and shochu (a harsh white spirit). It's really good, although will need over three months to mature.

I'm also going to get some video and pics of the flat. The furniture situation is as sorted as it'll be for a while I think, plus I cleaned it the other day, so best strike whilst the iron's shiny.

Meeting Jacob in the evening for dinner and going for Mexican food which be a welcome change from Soyaproductsland, and it'll be good to catch up with him.

Sunday is nihongo lesson and then a trip to the net cafe for some coffee and video uploading. I also need to buy some clothes for work more suited to this weather. Specifically smart yet baggy clothes that won't make me look like a sweaty mong.

For now, though, it's a quick shower and an early night.

Meijokoen

Three weekends ago (I did warn you about the incoming back-posting...) a few of us met up in the Meijokoen park which is the park that surrounds the castle here in Nagoya. It's a nice big park with grass (something of a rarity here), fountains and a windmill.

Yes, an actual windmill.


The park is also a meeting place for dog owners, who seem happy to stand around chatting whilst their hairy little friends try and bugger the life out of their friends hairy little friends. Seriously - it's like a doggy gang bang. The boy doggies jump on the girls, who try to run away and hide. All the while the owners seem completely oblivious to the gross sexual misconduct happening at their feet. It was actually quite disturbing and upsetting for those of us from countries where animal welfare is a big deal. Here is one of the more innocent pics, although you can see the brown poodle is in mid-run, and the black one is rapidly approaching its backside...

Afterwards we went out for drinkies in Nagoya, and Laura stole Martins hat, in which I'm sure you'll agree she looks much better than he does.


This is Martin, who lives upstairs, and Sharifa, who lives downstairs. I'm not sure if I've introduced them yet ;) It's not the most flattering picture of either of them, but it sure is funny.

Nasu no hana

My aubergine (nasu) plants have started flowering (hana).

:)

Slackery

The downside of the iPhone is that I haven't gone to the internet cafe since I got it, and therefore haven't uploaded any new photos for a while. Boo. But rest assured I am on the case...

Last night I read back over some old posts as Lawrence is visiting Kanazawa and I was trying to find out the name of some places to recommend to him. I realised just how jumbled some of the posts are - like how I'd be snowboarding but still posting about somewhere I was a week prior. Oh well - at least these posts are all taking place in more or less the same place!

Feeling a bit "meh" today after suffering the most monumental hangover yesterday. Luckily, I only have fourth year classes which are pretty straightforward, and I'm doing a lesson plan I have already done many times before. I have installed uTorrent onto the schools computer so I can download the episodes of Lost I've not seen, but I don't feel cocky enough to leave it running when I'm not actually using the computer, so plan to spend some of the day catching up on blogging whilst it downloads. Nothing like a bit of slackery on a Monday ;)

Best day evar

Spent the day on the beach at Utsumi with Meaghan, Kaydian and Laura. Sun, sea, "the finest sand in Japan", beer, takoyaki and just rounding off the day at Mos Burger. All round WIN :)

THE best thing evar

If you're over 35, or not one of the kewl kids, you won't get this. Otherwise, enjoy.

Buggery

Why is it that before I can tweak my hastily written posts, bloody Feedblitz sends out the email to my subscribers?! That last one made me late for class and it was still bollocks.

(If you are wondering how I know about the email sending, it's because I am subscribed to it too. And the RSS feed).

Perfect timing

I get the same train to work every day, leaving my station at 7.23am. The trains here are very punctual and it arrives at the same time every day. On my way to work, about 50 metres from the station, I have to cross a road. As I wait at this crossing (for the lights always change from green just as I approach it), a cream Nissan 350Z passes me by, being driven by a shady looking character with a 'tache. This has happened every day so far this week (it's now Thursday). It's not so surprising that my train arrives at the same time every day, but it is amazing that, as a driver and therefore having a less rigid schedule, he passes the same point at the same time every day.

I used to see a charcoal grey 350Z closer to school, always at the same time and on the same stretch of road. I guess now he's either got a new car, leaves at a new time or goes a new route. It's not the same guy, unless he grew the 'tache at the same time as buying the new motor.

The 350Z is my favourite Japanese car. It's also the only one that isn't completely, utterly pig-butt, acne-faced f-ugly. Funnily enough, it was designed by Ajay Panchal of Nissan Design America. That doesn't surprise me - whilst it has the sleekness of some of its German and Italian counterparts (and that back-heaviness of the Porsche 911's), it still has that brash American thing going on. Still, in a country full of boxes on wheels, it looks pretty damn sexy.

Rain, rain go away...

...come back again another day!

Like when it's 40 degrees and you'll actually be appreciated.

An important lesson

Today, the 6th grade did the second part of their "Can you play X?" lesson. Last time it was sport, this time musical instruments and... video games. Above are the flash cards I made at lunch time.

Real discipline

I just left a 6th grade class at the end of which the teacher (male, young, track-suited and über chilled out) took one of the boys aside and literally held him up against the wall, hand around his jaw, and gave him a good talking to. He then cuffed him round the back of the head and pushed him back onto the floor (there are no desks on the English classroom, so that's not as harsh as it sounds).

At first I found the fact that there is so much touching (both affectionate and to instill fear) between pupil and teacher slightly alarming, but I've grown to like it. There is something very refreshing to see an unbridled command to "STFU and stop behaving like a dick" when it's all softly-softly in case of law-suits back home. And on the flip-side it's nice to see the kids getting some reassuring physicality once I'm a while, something that seems to be lacking more in the home than in school, weirdly.

Free oranges

In the last of todays organically themed posts, I was given these oranges (not really sure of the type - they are more satsuma-shaped than round) by the tea lady at work. They're a bit bitter, but still very tasty and, best of all, they come from a tree next to the school.

Minty anty tea

I was just gonna upload (have set up blogging direct from the phone) a picture of the mint I picked to plant in my garden. Found a clump in Chita today and didn't think anyone would miss a stalk, plus a handful to make some tea with. What stopped me from taking the photo was that when I picked up the stalk to plant it outside I noticed it was covered in bugs and ants.

Up until just now, I was happily drinking the tea...

PaddyWatch(tm)

I'm pleased to announce an exciting new feature of GaiNinja - PaddyWatch(tm). It will be a bi-monthly affair, charting the growth and development of a field of rice in Chita. This morning a man in tabi boots and indigo work clothes finished putting the last few stalklings in place. This photo was taken at about 5pm, on my way home from school. It wasn't nearly as dark as it looks, but I guess the iPhones camera lens over-compensates in bright conditions.

Super hot sexy toy

Provocative post titles - ya gotta love 'em. But it's not a fallacy - I do have a new toy and it's in bed with me right now, lovingly nestled in my futon, teasing me with its sexy curves and shiny shininess. Yes folks, I have an iPhone.

It wasn't something I was really planning - it just, ahem, happened. Over here mobile contracts are for 24 months, but our visas are only for 12. Normally the networks spread the cost of the handsets over the course of the contract, so if your phone costs ¥48,000 then you pay back ¥2000 per month on top of your contract. However, what us lucky gaijin have to do is pay those costs upfront. The phone I was going to get was ¥23,000 (the third cheapest they had!) but on the way to get the cash out I thought to myself for an extra 7k "why not". Next thing I knew I had filled in a bunch of papers and was the proud owner of this sleek bundle of loveliness.

For about ¥4000 a month I get all-inclusive data - web browsing, YouTube, Google Map, weather forecast, podcasts, application and game downloads - the list is almost endless. If I spent enough time at the Internet cafe to actuallly read all my emails and blog posts I would definitely exceed this, and I wouldn't have the convenience of all the stuff I mentioned above. Oh,I forgot to say that it's an 8gb iPod too ;)

Much as I'd love to stay up all night with it, I'm going to have to go to sleep at the very early hour of 8.45. Here in Nagoya we are in the midst of a glimpse into mid-summer - it's insanely hot and as a result I barely slept last night. Today though I have prepared - cold shower, balcony doors open, clothes discarded and a sleeping pill taken for good measure. Need to be double genki tomorrow as was a bit of a monger today. If you want my number or phone email address (Japan don't do SMSin') then drop me a line.

Time's nearly up

Amazing how quickly you (ok, I) can squander a full three hours on the internet. The most constructive thing I've done is send an incredibly long email to my parents. Now I need to do two more important things (email to Lawrence, and find the location of some dojos, in case you were wondering, which of course you weren't) then I am off to the park.

To the park I will be taking a bucket. In the bucket will be some ice, and then when we get to the park we will add some beers. Woooo!　Meeting at 2.30pm so we will be able to while away a good long time getting pissed in the sun :) I cannot wait! Finally it is sunny again after four days of rain that was only fit to build an ark in.

Woo - three whole hours!

I have signed up for three whole hours at the internet cafe to do important things like emailing my family and friends. As well as meaning that I can drink enough coffee to cause my guts to fall out of my body, it also means I can post some random things on the blog, like this insane news story from China.

Appalling as this story is, it's not a lot better here. Japan Tobacco, which has a 65% market share was, until 1985, wholly owned by the government. It is still 50% owned by them. For a civilised country, it is truly amazing how many people smoke, and how acceptable it is. If you hate smoking and don't wish to sit in a crowded, hot, smokey bar, you best not come to Japan! Check out their Wikipedia page for more startling facts, including the high-profile brands they own.

The bottom of it

So, I cornered my principle and did the whole dumb "I didn't understand" thing. Turns out he was talking about himself, having spent Golden Week (the name given to this holiday period) eating lots with his matsuri team mates! Mad. But then he walked past me later when I was eating a rice cracker at my desk, and made eating gestures at me. The man is like a completely barking version of someone's Dad. Well, he is someone's dad - I met two of his three kids at the weekend, and they were really nice. The son was kinda cute, but being 24 and the son of my principle really rule him out for any further action to be taken ;)

Hmmmm

My principal (the one I was at the festival with) just came up to me, covered half his face with a piece of paper (as if he was going to say something secret) and then said "heavy weight" and pointed at his ample belly. I'm not sure what he means by this - it seems unlikley that he would be referring to himself as being fat, or me as being a "heavyweight" as in "heavyweight drinker" as I didn't exactly drink a lot on Sunday, which can only leave one option - that he's trying to tell me I'm fat! I will have to get to the bottom of this...

Still a bit grumpy

I was in a bad mood for the whole day yesterday, something you may have guessed from the rant. I'm guessing it's hormone-related moodiness, as it's accompanied by the overwhelming urge to eat as much rice as I can stuff into my belly. Also, it's been raining for ages now, which doesn't help.

I did sweet FA yesterday, apart from buying some cool stuff at the 100yen store, including some drawing paper. Today I went to the Aichi Prefectural Museum which was good - Western and Japanese art. And tomorrow Laura and I, and possibly Jacob, are off to Ise. Finally! Laura is at the beach today having BBQ :o

Kamezaki Shiohimatsuri

A few pics of the festival for you (the rest are here:

[Bit of a rant incoming...]

It was quite good fun, although I ended up spending most of the day with one of my teachers who I don't really know that well and who doesn't speak much english. My principle, who does, spent the day hanging out with his float team members, which was rather annoying given that he invited me! It also involved an extended amount of time standing around in the sun watching the floats being dragged around, and then these puppet shows which are put on at the back of each of the five floats with moving marionette-type dolls. I have to say these were boring as I didn't really understand what was going on, and by that time I was hot and hungry. Luckily a big lunch and a few beers followed, at my principles house-cum-gallery. I was pretty much the only gaijin there, and had to endure people repeatedly pointing at my slightly red (hot, rather than burnt - I was good with the factor 15 for once) face and arms, and commenting in Japanese about it.

I do love the Japanese, but I wish they weren't quite so ignorant of foreigners. I mean jesus people, we're white and come from cold countries - standing in the sun for four hours on a really hot day is not going to agree with our pasty constitutions. Get over it! And quit with the annoying comments! Also, it's rude to make no attempt to involve, and indeed largely ignore, people who are on their own and have no idea what the conversation is about. Gah! I think I was spoilt by Kousei and his family - they were so hospitable, and the fact that we have the same outlook on things (chilling out with a beer is the main priority, rather than standing around looking at the same thing) helped considerably.

Anyhow, I think the fact that the principle and teacher were old didn't help - I need to meet some younger people who are more into drinking and socialising than doing what old people do ;) I am getting more seriously on the dojo-finding case now, so that should help. And next weekend I am having an interview to place me in a Japanese class (to determine my level, rather than my suitability) which will be good to meet some more foreigners. Hopefully there will be some girls there, instead of the mainly hen na (strange) male population, who only come here for the girls.

OK, I'm gonna get out of here as I need to check my emails again later today anyway. Plus I need some food to soak up all this caffeine...

Fan-fucking-tastic news!

I went to the International Centre in Nagoya today to register for their cheap Japanese lessons, and whilst looking for the right form wandered into a large room full of books. English books. I asked the girl at the counter (very slowly and clearly, of course, because that's how I speak to everyone that isn't white and has slightly slitty eyes) "Is this a library?"... and she said "yes" and continued to speak perfect English, making me feel like a twat. Embarrasment aside, I am over the moon at this find. It was the highlight of my day, beating even the trip to Arimatsu and the sunbathing in the park. I now have three books, and since I am done with this quick cafe visit to sort out the trip to Ise, I'm going to go home and read them. Woo! But not for too long, because tomorrow I must rise at 6am and catch a train.

Total coffees consumed:

3. Go me.

Funny stories

Sadly, these aren't mine. They happened to a friend, who shall remain nameless (in part because I haven't asked her permission to re-post bits of her email, but also because they have some private information abouit someone else). Nothing very funny has happened to me recently, apart from having to hide behind my monitor at the schools computers when I read these, lest the important Suit (every school has four Suits that sit at the front of the staffroom) sitting opposite caught me giggling like a loon.

"I finally asked him if he was gay - a confirmed yes. I had to ask after we spent an entire evening watching Will and Grace clips on YouTube"
Cliched, but funny. I have to say it never crossed my mind that the person concerned would be gay, but now I can see that it fits. He's such a lovely guy that really it isn't surprising at all.

"...Other than the day in/day out routine, everything is quite normal. I've only been properly drunk here once, and that was last weekend in the middle of the day when I drank a whole bottle of wine, and then fell off my bike into a bakery shops flower bed on my way home. I'm still kinda achy from that, but [name redacted!] had a good chuckle."
Awesome.

Yayz holidaze!

We had Wednesday off last week, and have Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday off this week. Splendid. The sun is shining (shorts and a vest top at 8am, darlings) and things are looking mighty fine.

Wednesday was whiled away with a friend called Jacob, who I met at the Asakusa hotel. He has already worked two years with The Company, went back to the US for a year to do a grad course (I think that's a post graduate degree), then realised that the fucked economy meant he'd make more money and have a better lifestyle out here.

We had lunch (burgers and chips) in a Hawaian place - our first Westernm food for ages as we both go fully in for the Japanese way of life at home. We wandered up to the castle via some cool small streets lined with old-fashioned single-story houses, eating an ice-cream. Although we didn't go in (it's a modern reconstruction with a museum inside) we did walk through the park that encompasses it, and Jacob pointed out the outdoor public pool which should be open soon. At 300yen it's a good way to spend a summers afternoon. He also showed me where the International Centre is - lots of tourist information as well as a free advice service for gaijin, from legal advice to what to do when if they cut your gas off - a useful place to know. He accompanied me back down to Dotoku as he's got a patch of land out the back of his apartment and wanted to buy some tomato plants, which our local shopping centre sells. We hung out with some of the other Dotoku-kru and got dinner, which was a new discovery for me - chanpon. It's basically a pork-based stock with thick (spaghetti sized) noodles on which has been chucked a random selection of wok-fried stuff - beansprouts, cabbage, pork, oden ingredients etc. Ooooooiiiiiiiiiishi! The word chanpon actually means "a mix" and the term is also used for when you mix drinks.

Today I am going to Arimatsu, a part of Nagoya famous for tie-dying fabrics. It's quite old so will hopefully have some nice buildings. Watch this space for photos...

After that it's back into Nagoya for the undoubtably stressful task of getting a mobile phone.

Tomorrow I am going to the Kamezaki Shiohimatsuri festival with my principal and a bunch of other teachers. I am hoping it involves sitting round and drinking sake, rather than a load of walking ;) It's on the coast in Chita, South of Nagoya, so should be fun to get out of town. Also it will be good to show them normal Fi, instead of smart-clothed sensible Fi. I imagine they feel the same way - the Japanese are generally very different in and out of work.

Monday I think I am going to Ise with Laura and possibly a few other ALT's.

Tuesday, depending on how much cash I cane on the Monday and on getting a phone, I may head out of town and do some hiking somewhere. Being in the city for too long makes Fi a crazy grrrrrl.

Wednesday, I might be meeting someone to get some furniture - they are selling a coffee table, floor sofa (low sofa on which you sit at floor level) and bookshelf for 2000yen all-in. Since I want to give back the appliances and furniture we pay 8500yen a month for, I need to start getting my own stuff. Just trying to figure out the logistics of getting it back to my place at minimal cost!

OK, time for another coffee. Consumed so far: 2

The early bird catches... the free coffee

It's a Saturday morning at 8.30am and yours truly, breakfasted, showered and out the house, is sitting in the internet cafe. I woke up at ten to seven, presumably as a result of going to bed about 10pm. I really need to get a dojo sorted out as all these early nights will probably do me no good in the long-term, although the early rising is pretty good for this holiday period (see next post).

Coffees consumed so far: 1