Welcome Back the Dead

First, let me apologize for not having written in so long, but I've been at an intensive language course in Matsue, the "big city". When I say big city, please keep this in perspective. There are about 150 - 200 thousand people who live there. Firstly, this is nothing for Japan. Secondly, this only about a tenth of the size of Philadelphia. But, it's quite large compared the 700 people that live in my town.

The language course went well, but it fried me. Hundreds of vocabulary words and dozens of grammar rules in 10 days will do that to a guy! We even had to give a speech in Japanese yesterday. A sensei complimented me on my pronunciation and grammar, but said that I need to work on my rhythym. Yeah, tell me something I don't know!!! But, she was right, and I thanked her for the compliment.

During our stay in Matsue, they held an Obon festival. This is the Buddhist festival that welcomes the dead back to Earth. The festival in Matsue takes place at the mouth of a large lake called Lake Shinji. I rode my bike to a bridge that crosses the canal, locked it up and started to explore. At the base of the bridge, I heard a deep ominous chanting. Upon investigation, the sound was revealed to be a group of Buddhist priests chanting and performing the welcome ritual. They walked in a circle until they finished the chant. Then they sat down and finished the rites.

In the lake, several boats released lanterns with the names of loved ones written on the sides in kanji. Many of the lanterns turned over from the stiff breeze, but many more stayed lit for several hours. The sunset was breathtaking and the breeze was a welcome relief from the days opressive heat. Combined, the evening became an already cherished memory.

My mother is a cat...

This week and next week, I'm in an intensive Japanese language training. I thought it sounded like fun a few weeks ago, so I signed up. It's fun and interesting, but frankly, it's also very hard. Somehow, I tested out of the remedial Japanese for people who don't know any. Yesterday (the first day of class), we were administered a test for Japanese proficiency. It asked the basics, like "Translate Good afternoon" (Konnichiwa gozaimasu), "Write out 192" (hyaku kyuju ni), and "Before eating, you say..." (Itedakimasu). These are all things that I thought anyone could pick up in the first week if they just tried a little bit. Anyway, apparently my Japanese was good enough after 1 week of study to land me a choice spot in the advanced group. During the opening activites yesterday, we had to name our group. There are six of us, so I suggested "The Magnificent Seven"! When we had to explain our choice of names to the school, I said that we were six... with the samurai spirit as a ghost member. :-)

So, today, being the second day, and me, being the only person in class who hasn't studied Japanese before, I felt as though I was drowning in a sea of vocabulary. I suppose this is just what an 'intensive language course' is all about. But, it doesn't change the fact that I feel overwhelmed.

This afternoon, we had to bring pictures of our family and hometown to discuss (in Japanese of course) with the other students in class. When it was my turn, I stood somewhat sheepishly in front of the classroom. I held up a picture of Kristy and Trent at their wedding. Everyone asked me questions (in Japanese) and I answered with only a modicum of success (in Japanese). Next, I held up a picture of Emma, Kristy's dog. This also went well. Next, I held up a picture of Tigger, my Mother's cat. I said "Kore wa watashi no haha nekku desu." What I should have said was "Kore wa watashi no haha NO nekku desu." The difference is "My mother is a cat" versus "This is my mother's cat." Man, this language can be subtle! Of course, there are examples of doing the same kinds of things in English, but when your on this end trying to fit in to someone else's language/culture, it sure seems a lot harder than the way it looks from the other end.

For now, I will say "Arigato Gozaimasu to Oyasumi nasai," (Thank you and good night)
Much Love,
Maikeru
^_^

Japan is beautiful

I knew that rural Japan was going to be beautiful, but I didn’t really think about it too much before I left. Now that I am here, I’ve begun to notice things that I might not have noticed back home.

Firstly, behind my apartment is a rice paddy . Although this is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, it’s also quite lovely to look at every morning when I wake up. Today, we had a small rainstorm. While it was raining, the breeze began to blow. It’s not usually very breezy here – at least not since I arrived. But, I was sitting in my apartment, working out some difficult Sudoku puzzles, listening to the rain, when I looked up. What I saw were “waves” washing over the rice paddy. I imagine that anyone who has lived on or near a farm knows what I am talking about. But, since I am not a farm boy, this sight caught me. The wind was just blowing across the rice and making ripples, or undulations, in the stalks. Sometimes it looked like critters running through the field. Other times it looked like the wake of a boat in water. It took my breath away.

When the rain was over, the birds came out. The bugs start to fly around after the rain, and our local sparrow population came out in force. Perhaps 50 birds were zooming over the field, dive-bombing the insects. They fly at such astonishing speed that it’s a wonder they can even see the insects at all. They were such a flurry of activity.

Secondly, when I walk into town, no matter where I go, I can hear the rushing of water. Sometimes rivers sound like the din of a highway in the distance, but our river is different. It still makes a white noise, but less rushing and more trickling. It’s just a pleasant sound. The utter lack of truck noise, airplane noise, mechanical noise, is foreign to me. For the past 8 years, I’ve lived in the city. Now, I live in the most inaka (rural) place in Japan. It makes me wonder if I should move to South Dakota when I come back to the states!

Having driven across America in 2004 with Marty and Meredith, I realize that the United States is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We have such amazing natural beauty, and most people don’t even know it. But, Japan is beautiful too. The mountains are dramatic and the weather can go from oppressive, to ominous, to refreshing in a very short period of time. Everything is so green and alive. Sometimes I just can’t believe how lucky I am to be here.

Oyasumi nasai,
Maikeru
:-)

We should all meet new people when we're naked

Two nights ago, I went to my first Onsen. This is a like a spa in America, but a little different. First of all, Onsens come from the days when people didn't have running water in their homes, and many people in rural Japan still don't have hot water. So, the japanese developed the tradition of bathing at a central location, like a spa. They don't typically have massages or special treatments or anything. It is just a big shower area with connected pools or varying temperatured water. Sometimes the pools have jets, or little waterfalls, or even suspension platforms so that you can “float” in the pool. Sometimes there are cold pools, as well, that are co-ed and you wear a bathing suit.

Anyway, back to my original point. I think we should use Onsens as a place to have first introductions. All of the barriers and pretense of clothing are gone. You get to see each other’s flaws, and you realize that everyone is just there to feel good. I suppose naked group bathing is the great equalizer.

So, here is how my first experience went. Remember – things work differently here than they do in America, so some aspects are a little strange.

When I walked into the Onsen, there was a counter staffed by two women. They were taking tickets. Where do you buy the tickets? Next to the counter was a vending machine. You pay the machine to get a ticket. Then, I took the ticket and handed it to one of the women, who then threw it away and gave me permission to continue on to the changing room. Why the ladies didn’t just take my money is a mystery. Anyway, the changing room isn’t really a changing room, because I didn’t change into anything. I just got naked. There was another guy who went with me. His name is Hugh, and his is from Melbourne, Australia. Hugh and I had never met, and after meeting him, I can tell that he is a really nice, genuine guy. But, I was a little nervous meeting a guy, and then bathing in front of him. Well, we walked into the changing room, and he just dropped trou. So, I did the same. We were talking and laughing, and trying to ignore the fact that we were the center of attention (being gaijin and all).

Then we proceeded to the shower area. This is where we sat on a tiny bucket and washed ourselves. It’s pretty cool, because each guy gets his own “station”. The station consists of a bucket for sitting, a shallow pan for filling with water and pouring over oneself, a mirror, some body wash and shampoo, and a dual shower hose/faucet thingy. We washed for a good 15 minutes, getting really squeaky clean. You are not supposed to enter the bathing pools without first removing every stitch of dirt/impurity from you body. The showers are for washing, the pools are for soaking – strictly!

We proceeded to the pools to relax. The water was hot, and there were a half dozen dudes just sitting around naked. Most people weren’t talking, but a few were. Hugh and I got to know each other really well. Then, we ran into another guy, Roger, who is a JET in Mitoya. We all ended up going to the hot bath and the roof. We talked about Japan and home and girls and teaching. I must say, it was fun. I believe that I will be making the Onsen a regular stop in my weekly routine.

Well, I’m off. If I get a chance tonight. I’ll post another story or two. We’ll see. Until then, please take care, and may you all remain healthy and happy.

Oyasumi nasai,
Maikeru
:-)

It's like squeezing a size 12 foot into a size 8 shoe

I received my car today. It's not a gift, but more like a company car. I may take it home, which is about a 5 minute walk from work, but I can't drive it outside of Shimane-ken (like a state). On the upside, they pay for all of the maintenance/upkeep and I can use it unlimitedly for personal use. What's the real problem you ask? The car is about as big one of my hiking shoes. Many of you remember my MINI Cooper. It was a small car but everyone thought it was pretty cute. My new car makes the Cooper look like an SUV. I go in and when I look to my right I have to look out of the BACK window - no joke! Getting in and out requires a shoe horn or a crane lift or a team of Japanese martial artists. I mean, if I didn't mind banging my head, my knee, my foot, and my elbow each time I get in, then I really wouldn't have anything to complain about, would I?

A few things are going to take some getting used to. First, I sit on the right side, not the left. Weird, but OK. The pedals are square in the center in front of my seat. It's like that WANT you to drive with both feet. This leaves virtually no room for my relatively gigantic left foot. So, I drive with it tucked under the other. This is probably better, since if I were to have an accident, my left shin would instantly be crushed by the dashboard. If it were a head-on collision, then I could expect the front bumper (about 18 inches in front of the windshield) to meet me in a fiery mess. Finally, we drive on the left side of the road, and it can get confusing when things get harried. Today, I turned left at a light and went for the right lane... There was oncoming traffic... It was embarrassing.

So as not to worry my mother, nearly ALL the cars here are this small too, so I could probably just stick my arm out the window and hold back the other car. Also, the speed limit is less than 40 mph everywhere up here in the mountains. Finally, the Japanese are obsessed with security, so the car probably turns into a giant ball of protective argon if I get into an accident.

Driving on the roads is also a bit fun. There are very few guard rails and all of the small streets have 12 inch wide and 18 inch deep street gutters. We call them "gaijin traps" here, because mostly it is foreigners that fall into them and have to get neighbors to help push the car out. Hopefully this will not happen to me.

Here is a link to the picture of my car...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemangos/209607205/

Enjoy!

Love you all,
Maikeru Mangosu
:-)

First Week

Well, I'm finally settled and in my school. Of course, the school is virtually closed because none of the teachers are here today. The headmaster is here, along with the school secretary and the music teacher. But, the other 10 teachers and school employees are out. So, I'm sitting at my desk, writing emails, and learning Japanese.

Although I haven't been super lonely, it's a little hard to get used to things. Yesterday, I didn't leave my apartment. Firstly, I don't speak any Japanese yet, I have no telephone (until tomorrow), I have no Internet (until next week), and I have no TV. Well, I have some TV, the only show I could follow was some kind of game show about ice cream. So, after about 3 seconds, I turned the thing off. Secondly, it was HOT. Not as hot as back home, but hot. Probably about 31.C, which is 88.F. But, the humidity is so high that you can barely see the mountains across the way. They just look like big dark blobs sometimes. The humidity aside, and Japan is absolutely beautiful. My town is beautiful and the countryside is amazing. I've already done so many wonderful things that I can't possibly write them all down in one email. I've try and write a few things down.

After orientation, Signe, the JET in the other part of town, drove me to Iinan-cho (the name of our town). She has been living here for 3 years and teaching privately. Now, she is going to be teaching in Iinan-cho through the JET program. I can't express enough how reassuring it is to have someone who speaks English and enough Japanese to make things easy. She has already driven me around the countryside, taken me to Miyoshi city, invited me to a BBQ at her friend's house, and let me use her phone to call the states. And, she laughs at my dumb jokes. She's really amazing. I suspect that her husband and I will also become good friends when he returns from Thailand/Cambodia. He's kind of nerdy, like me, so I might have a "Poker" (for wizards) friend here after all.

So, I live in Tonbara - this is the name of my part of town. It's really it's own town, but for administrative purposes, they merged Yakuba's, or town hall's, with the Akagi, the town just over the next mountain. Akagi is Signe's town. In fact, I'm leaving soon to have lunch with here there. :-)

My first night in Tonbara, and Alicia, my predecessor, took me to Ishikawa-san's house for dinner. He live's in a traditional Japanese-style house, so it had low ceilings, short doors, and we sat on the floor in the kitchen to eat. Ishikawa's wife cooked for hours both to celebrate my arrival and to bid farewell to Alicia. I don't know if it was just humility or if good food is common in Japan, but the dinner was just delightful! We had kimchi (spicy Korean cabbage), nato-maki (rice/seaweed rolls filled with fermented soybeans), sliced mackerel over rice, umeboshi (big rice balls filled with dried salty plums), stewed/spicy arrowroot, salted salmon, and about ten other things I can't think of at the moment. To enhance the meal, we finished off nearly a half-gallon cold sake with the meal. I wasn't drunk, but my heaviness had certainly lifted by the end of the night. We probably ate for 4 hours. We talked about life in America, life in the countryside, the ancient Greeks and their mythology, astronomy, woodsmanship, and a whole host of other things. Perhaps I have just made my first Japanese friend.

I'll write more later today. For now, I have to run off to lunch. Look for me online through AIM at 'atlas571'.

Love you all,
Maikeru Mangosu
:-)

Day 1 (or perhaps Day 0.5)

Well, there were a few complications with the flight to Japan. Syntheia made sure I got to JFK successfully. We arrived at the airport around 9:15 AM, and the flight was scheduled to leave JFK at 11:33 AM. Now, more than 2 hours is usually plenty of time to make an international flight. But, not this day. First of all, there were some bad thunderstorms in NY the night before, so several Northwest flights had been cancelled and postponed until the following morning. Secondly, there were a couple of hundred people that showed up about the same time to make the flight to Minneapolis. How did Northwest deal with the situation? They put 2 - yes, 2 - Check-In attendants on the job. Way to go Northwest! So I stood in line for over 2 and half hours just to check in. Of course, they were kind enough to hold the plane for me and the last few JET participants that were checking in last. Oh yeah, even though I was there 2:20 minutes before the flight, I was the last person on the plane.

Now, we didn't have it as bad as the people that left from LaGuardia, like Shina. Her plane took off but had to land again. Apparently, someone checked there bags but forgot to get on the plane. By federal law, the plane had to land and remove the offending baggage or find the person. So, the connecting flight had to wait in Minneapolis for an additional hour and half until the other 90 JET participants arrived and boarded.

So, even though they held the planes for all these people and made sure that we got to Tokyo, they didn't have the same consideration for our luggage. About 30 of us were missing some luggage. I, along with about 10 others are missing ALL of our luggage! Way to go Northwest! So, I'm in Tokyo, in the heat, without any changes of socks/underwear/undershirts, etc. Also, I have no deodorant, shaving kit, toothbrush, or anything else that might aid in making me presentable to the general public. Just so you know, we arrived so late to the hotel because of the whole baggage debacle that the currency exchange ran out of money. I was planning on changing money at one of the airports, but there was no time between delayed flights and lost bags. Everything was closed and I found myself running between meeting places just to stay on top of things. Rumor has it that the exchange got more money later in the night, but I was out getting dinner and when I returned, they were closed. Even the front desk closed! Of course, this being Japan, we do have super-high-speed FREE Internet access in the hotel. Unfortunately, since everything I own is still in New York, and I have no Yen, I am working off of what little battery life I have left (the adapter is in the other bag).

Luckily, Signe, who is a JET in the neighboring town to Tonbara, is here at the orientation. She didn't have a lot of money, but I was able to borrow enough to buy a pair of boxers at the local convenience store (weird, but lucky!)

For tonight, I am done writing. Tomorrow will be better because I will change my money to Yen, buy a power adapter, maybe buy a razor, and hopefully receive my bags at the end of the day. All in all, though, today was a good day. I met lots of great people and I just took all of these obstacles in stride. I'm not stressed out, nor am I upset. It's just one of those things that can happen when you travel. Actually, it makes things a little bit more interesting.

Sayonara and Good Night,
Michael-san
:-)