Wouldn’t you know, my boss takes us on a trip to one of my favorite places, Goshikinuma, and my camera breaks.
Here is my favorite time of year in one of the most beautiful places in Japan and I can’t take a single picture. In all fairness, my little Sony Cybershot has been the most faithful camera in its 5 years of compact existence. Despite the extreme temperature changes, climates, modes of transportation, being thrown, dropped, laid on rough surfaces, and even submerged underwater in a plastic bag, it still works. All I need is to replace the battery that no longer holds a charge. But hey, I’m a product of the “if it breaks don’t fix it” generation and I just want to buy a new camera! I’m upgrading too, so it’s a dual purpose. If you’re still skeptical I was considering buying a more capable camera before I went to Japan so I’m actually overdue. Anyways, I bought a new camera.
Guess what else I bought? Tickets to New Zealand! Or rather, a ticket since it’s one way. March 29th is my last day in Japan and the gap is closing rather steadily. This term is so busy that it’s going by at the speed of day. Every weekend from now until Christmas is already booked with something or someone. Fun times, but I am also enjoying these last few months I have in beautiful Japan.
The team of teachers got dressed up and went into the city for a night out together. The new restaurant gave us a room to ourselves, enclosed in glass, situated outside the main building and sided by gardens. Too bad it was dark outside. The food was delicious and the company unparalleled. Second annual Funehiki Formal was a success!
Thanksgiving weekend was also a wonderful time, though I had to work on the actual Thursday holiday. Since my running has been suspended I took a Thanksgiving Day swim at the pool instead of a brisk run per my tradition. Gotta get exercising to start the metabolic process! Friday was a Japanese Labor Day of sorts so most of us spent it baking pies and thawing turkeys for the big Saturday feast. 11 teachers plus 5 other friends snugly fit into Linsey’s apartment around three tables fit end to end. Several pans of green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing were eaten quickly between bites of juicy turkey and swigs of punch. The turkeys and some hard to find ingredients were purchased at Costco, two prefectures away! Eric and I hitched a ride with a friend from Koriyama and went team shopping, spending around $500 dollars on things like mozzarella cheese, butter, pretzels, bagels, pizza, muffins, and tortillas. You just can’t get those things here…or they’re super expensive/not legit. It’s why I found myself paying $50 for a honey ham. Yep, it’s been 1.5 years since I’ve tasted one and I thought it was worth it. Eric ended up splitting it with me so we’re happily enjoying the expensive holiday meat.
Like I said before, every weekend is full. December 1st was the yochien Christmas pageant for the 3-4 yr. olds. The English teachers did a few musical numbers, acting out Sleigh Ride, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel, and partying to Feliz Navidad. Next week the 3 Wakakusa girls and Hope will sing Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and 12 Days of Christmas. The 1st is also when I completed my Christmas Cards, started making cookies, and played in the first snow of the season!
On the 2nd I drove up to Fukushima City with my new friend Naomi and we met other Deaf and Hearing people for an International Sign Language workshop. For $25 we got a 2 hr. class and the lessons on DVD. It was such an amazing experience! The presenter was a Deaf Japanese lady, presenting in JSL (Japanese Sign Language). I don't know that language. So two ladies volunteered to voice interpret for me from JSL to Japanese. Oh great, another language I don’t know! But actually, between the visual cues from JSL and the spoken Japanese I understood about 90% of the material, which I thought was pretty great! The presenter understood and signed ASL pretty well, so if I had a question I just asked her directly and she interpreted ME to the rest of the group. I’M A MINORITY EVERYWHERE. Since I was already an outside-outsider and getting more attention than I wanted due to the voice interpreters I lived it up, asked as many questions as I could, volunteered to practice the new dialogues in front of everyone, and introduced myself to people. A bunch of Koriyama attendees went out to lunch so I joined them and the presenter for a bowl of udon and some lively multi-lingual signing. I made new friends. Great, now I kind of don’t want to leave…
The first batches of cookie dough are chilling in the fridge, the first rounds of Christmas movies have been watched and the tunes are playing all day long. I still have a lot to do this month but I’m counting the days until I see my brother and cousins in Germany. Yay!!!!
Like I said before, every weekend is full. December 1st was the yochien Christmas pageant for the 3-4 yr. olds. The English teachers did a few musical numbers, acting out Sleigh Ride, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel, and partying to Feliz Navidad. Next week the 3 Wakakusa girls and Hope will sing Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and 12 Days of Christmas. The 1st is also when I completed my Christmas Cards, started making cookies, and played in the first snow of the season!
On the 2nd I drove up to Fukushima City with my new friend Naomi and we met other Deaf and Hearing people for an International Sign Language workshop. For $25 we got a 2 hr. class and the lessons on DVD. It was such an amazing experience! The presenter was a Deaf Japanese lady, presenting in JSL (Japanese Sign Language). I don't know that language. So two ladies volunteered to voice interpret for me from JSL to Japanese. Oh great, another language I don’t know! But actually, between the visual cues from JSL and the spoken Japanese I understood about 90% of the material, which I thought was pretty great! The presenter understood and signed ASL pretty well, so if I had a question I just asked her directly and she interpreted ME to the rest of the group. I’M A MINORITY EVERYWHERE. Since I was already an outside-outsider and getting more attention than I wanted due to the voice interpreters I lived it up, asked as many questions as I could, volunteered to practice the new dialogues in front of everyone, and introduced myself to people. A bunch of Koriyama attendees went out to lunch so I joined them and the presenter for a bowl of udon and some lively multi-lingual signing. I made new friends. Great, now I kind of don’t want to leave…
The first batches of cookie dough are chilling in the fridge, the first rounds of Christmas movies have been watched and the tunes are playing all day long. I still have a lot to do this month but I’m counting the days until I see my brother and cousins in Germany. Yay!!!!
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