the constant nose sniffling

It was more like the throat clear you use when you hock a big lugee. This boy did that every 10 seconds for about 20 minutes until he got off the bus. Thank goodness. It was one of those days. It started when the change machine on the bus ripped me off. How do I say that to the bus driver. So I just ripped it off by paying my fare 100 yen short. I might never get to ride the bus again.
So at school I was asking questions to the kids. Why is it that the teachers always defend the students. "oh he was tired today" "oh he studied hard last night and doesn't know the easy question to 'what are you doing after school'" that was one of their target sentence ALL FREAKING MONTH. So on to bingo. I said the word three times and still get the puzzled look but when the teacher says it, they understand. Maybe because she babies them so much and even points to the answers that they are all going to pass.
I said "imagine, imagine, imagine" i get the puzzled look and the teacher says it the same way and a light bulb turns on. So I ask myself why am I even here, when they don't pay attention to me? I think I am a novelty sometimes that the community can laugh at.

That sure was the case today when the bank wanted to charge me 1 man to send money home. About 100 dollars. I asked if he was sure. Good thing I didn't send money home. Then I went to the post office that could do it for about 25 dollars. Yes, but they didn't understand my banking situation. I was there for 2 hours and left crying after I even got on the computer to translate. They would not send it to my bank. Just a bad day. Come to find out when I called home to my bank, they might not be able to understand where it goes and could be sent back to Japan. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET MONEY HOME. I am tempted to send 1000 dollars or more home in yen so that my bank can change it for me.

Feeling very frazzled today. Enough venting. I WILL HAVE A BETTER NIGHT. maybe dye my hair and be someone new.

done with introductions

So today I can say I am done with introductions. A long time coming, but a pro now. I had a class of 6 today so we just sat on the floor and asked questions. They were so interested in everything I had. They looked at my pictures and looked some more. They really got into it and asked some great questions.
I feel like Milton off of Office Space. You know where his desk gets piled up with other things and then they soon move him into the basement. Yeah so I started with a little on the desk when I came. Now you should see it. I have about a 1/4 of space for me now, and the only reason for that is my books are taking up that space. Oh well, I did get a ride from my Kyoto Sensei neighbor this morning on the way to my bus stop. Before that I ran into a lady I knew who also stopped to talk with me. So I had a traffic jam on my only intersection in my village.
Hey mom and dad, remember how Steffi said village -willage. Yeah I call my village a willage.

Sorry no pictures of today. (yet, the teachers are sure camera happy though)

sunflower day

Yesterday was the first day I worked up a sweat teaching numbers. I did the 10 little monkeys jumping on the bed. Yeah that was a hot one because I really got in the spirit. So today I have only one class of 7th graders, which is alright. She was not at school. I think she feared for my well-being if I was in the 8th and 9th graders. They have no respect and would have eaten me alive. GOOD thing I didn't teach. But I did have my first sunflower class. I had an absolute blast. He was soo funny. We practiced fruits and veggies. I introduced some new ones he didn't know and then played a game where he had to remember the order of the items I said. I got up to 5 with him. I made him close his eyes and put his hands on his head so he couldn't cheat. He was pretty darn good at that. I found out that he likes Simon and Garfunkel. Next week we are going to sing Song of Silence and translate some of the harder words. He likes to sing and I happen to like Simon and G.

I taught the nurse and janitor today of the fruits and veggies. They knew most of the but forgot eggplant. I am cool with hanging out in the teachers room and chatting with the secretary who is my age, nurse, and janitor. I looked over today to see what the nurse and janitor do all day. They fold origami. Man what is worse, being on the internet emailing and posting blogs or origami. Both are pretty fun in my book.

what a difference stickers make

So I was at my junior high today. I thought I would bring along stickers. The students would get stickers if they asked questions. Man, I should have done this at all of my schools. When there are stickers involved, boys jump at the chance for them. I forgot to bring them to my 2nd grade class, but remembered them for both of my first grade classes and the results
2nd grade= no questions
1st grade= What would you do if today was your last day?
What would you do if you had a million yen?

Oh and the ahhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh from the children was that I could drive at 14. Oh and I had my very own car, too.

Takayama, Accident, Hiroshima, Miyajima and the long ride home

So after I posted the last entry, I was off on my way to Hiroshima prefecture. This was the plan: drive to Alex's place, he drives to pick up everyone along the way. Stop off at Amy's place for the night and then drive to Miyajima on Saturday and hangout. Come home on Sunday after we wake up. Be home to do some laundry.

This is what really happened. I took off at 3 to drive to his place which was the most beautiful drive. I loved the little town Takayama. Means tall mountains. I could see for miles in each direction. I was going to take this highway 9 over to Yuki so I didn:t have to back track. Great idea until I hit the border of Hiroshima and Okayama. It turned into a bike path with no signs. I CAN'T READ KANJI. So I guessed and kept driving. I didn't want to turn around because I was in a dense forest, one lane with mirrors to see if anyone is coming in the other direction. Yes they call this a highway. Britt calls this a bike path. I could tell it wasn't travelled much because there was lots of debris on the road and with my little wheel barrow tires, I just blazed through all of that. To my luck, I was on highway 9 the whole time. I ended up in Yuki, but I didnt know how to get to Alex's house. I stopped on the road and saw some high school boys. I was on the phone with Alex who was 10 minutes away. No place to park a car and wait. The boys led me to the high school to wait. The actually ran me to the high school as I raced next to them in my go-cart of a car. I pulled in and started to look at my map. I could feel eyes looking at me. Of course I had 7 girls just staring at me in a line. Next the Kocho sensei (head) of the school came out and I was telling them I was waiting for the other ALT. I am going to be news at that school. A girl was in their town. A small town, not as bad as Yoshikawa.

So we were off to Fukayama which is a big city to the south to meet a girl on the train. Oh my ride down was white knuckled because the roads are curvy and Alex is the speediest driver and scared the living day lights out of me. Made it with time to spare. Checked out the castle- good. Picked up a Canadian Gen. Off to meet another girl Amy. Got there and had Yakiniku. Great grilling of raw meat done to your own likings. Yum. Stayed at Amy's place and listened to her crazy stories of Spain.

Up early to drive to Hiroshima City. On the way (about 10 mintues into the drive) Alex attempted to kill us by almost running off the road into a side rail. I screamed and he slammed on his breaks. Phew. So back on the road and next just a HUGE slam on the brakes and he hits a Japanese family. Great. So I sat outside by some vending machines for about 2 hours. He didn:t have his license on him. He had to go back to Yuki to get it before he could do anything. Amy drove him there and Gen and I went on to the city. Got to Hiroshima City about 4. Amy calls and says she is coming and will be there in an hour. Sweet. Met up with some more people for dinner. Call from Alex. He is going to take the bus too. He got there at 830. Random. We hit up a karoake bar with a newlywed couple from Manchester England. They had never experienced that before, so we took them under our wing and showed them how to sing awfully to some really limited English songs.
We had to catch the last train to another girls house Natasha. Stayed the night there. I passed out on a small small couch. Nice though. After I got addicted to the prize machine with rubberband bracelets. I got an orange one first. I didn:t like the color. I was hoping for pink. I got a bright electric green next. Still not good enough. Next was white. Now I didn:t have anymore coins. So on them is written: Germanium, Love, Hope. They came with rings too. Why Germanium?

We woke up and decided to still go to Miyajima. We did. I said I couldn:t stay the whole day because it was going to take me 6 hours to get home since we didn:t have a car anymore to take direct routes.
Miyajima was great beautiful and all of that. Gate, pagodas, and deer. (pictures to come on my new camera!)



Modes of transport that day: Ferry, train, tram, bus, car. Too bad I didn't have to go to the post office so I could ride my bike. Oh wait, the post office isn't open at 11 AT NIGHT ON A SUNDAY. Yeah that's what time I got home. We left Miyajima at 4 when I was told we would leave by noon. Just a little off. Oh and Alex got lost on the way to his house too. That set us back 20 minutes and the tightest road ever. I mean tight as in a building on each side with 2 inches to spare even with the side mirrors folded in. All I can say is Idiot. Good thing I wasn't driving. Maybe I should have because we wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place.
oh and I found this along the way. Random

Today is coffee coffee coffee. Super tired. Oh and made some new friends. LONG WEEKEND but good.
The group photo. Me, Alex, Greg, Amy, Natasha, Genn
Again in front of the Tori Gate.
I can't explain this random one.
And this is what my camera can do.

hiroshima maybe?

So at the last minute I got an email from a friend in Hiroshima that wants to go to Miyajima. Supposedly a famous place. I thought "maybe I could get there cheap and stay with some other JETs and have an alright weekend" Yes I think I might. Random, no planning, just riding in a car with people I really don't know. Maybe some cool new friends will come of this.

questions from the kids

So I start today with a picture of my first day in Kibichuo in the newsletter. My supervisor asked me to write something for it. Of course I said. I wrote out and added some things thinking she was going to type it up all nice and neat for me. Oh no. She just photocopied it with all of the little additions in it that really don't make sense until you write it nicely. Japanese people are never going to get it. Once again- sunflower.

So my questions today were from my elementary school
-Why is your hair brown?
-Why are you tall?
-What is your favorite insect?
-What is your favorite word?
-Why are you teaching in Japan if you don't speak Japanese? I asked myself that same question.
-What is my favorite mode of transportation?
-What are the famous buildings in the US? I had to make sure I was telling them the right geographic location for each of them. My brain was cranking.
-Do you make lots of money?
-Why do you wear all of those rings?
-How much do those rings cost?
-The not so common, favorite fruit, animal, Japanese food, country. Those don't even count.

So at lunchtime today the only thing was fish. I HATE FISH. My lovely Kyoto sensei bought me a bento (box lunch) with one piece of chicken and the rest fish. I tried really hard to eat most of it. I couldn't do the humungus bits of fish on top of my rice. So my analogy is this: Do you ask a fisherman if he eats beef. My dad raises cattle so we had beef almost every meal or chicken or pork. Fish really isn't a big option in Iowa. You won't find an ocean close to Iowa.

To my surprise later in the day I had an earthquake drill. This is the closest thing I have been to an earthquake. The kids lined up out side and a big truck or a miniature semi unfolded its side and had a dining room set up. The kids sit in the chair and when the alarm goes off they quickly get under the table and get shaken around in this earthquake simulation. Did I do it? OF COURSE I DID. I hopped right in there with the children and tried my best to fold myself under the table without taking out the kids. Everything in Japan is small and so was this table. I just hope the helmet I wore will appear out of no where when there is a real earthquake.

Learning from a 7 year old

I went to school yesterday to do introductions. I met a little girl with great English and even better charades. I could completely have a conversation with her as long as you can act it out. She asked me if I wanted to play with her at recess on the swings with the rocking back and forth motion. Yes I said, before I even knew what I was doing. Mainly "yes" because I understood her and was proud.

So I sat with her at lunch and we practiced my Japanese vegetables. I was doing good until I took a bite of my rice. I heard a tiny little voice say "sensei" I looked over to see her motioning that I should put my bowl up to my face and shovel. Good thing I have a 7 year old looking after me.
As I left school that day all I heard was "see you Burrito sensei". Yeah that would be me.

out of commission

As I am writing this entry, I am watching a man play the harp on TV. How does one come to play a harp with so much useless energy of hair waving, arms flailing, and the back bending in all sorts of ways. So to catch you up on the last few days. The adventure starts last Friday taking a bus to the city to meet up with Bernie for grocery store food and a picnic with other homeless people. We fit in quite well with all of our bags too. A group of around 40 JETs made our way on an overnight bus to Mt Fuji. The bus was uncomfortable as always. I haven't been on one yet that screams "comfort". I wake up in the middle of the night looking over to see Sarah in a cat like reverse position on her chair. I don't think I can bend that way. I soon crawled under the seats to stretch out. Not a good idea as the floor was boiling hot like lava. Back into the seat to curl up again to Bernie.
The next stop a rest stop at 5:30AM. It felt like 11. Then off to a museum that I didn't see. Instead a pirate ship occupied my extra 30 minutes and a ball puzzle thing that I shouldn't have even attempted. (it still isn't put together) Next to a gingantic mall of useless shopping. Oh what it would be like to have lots of money to get what ever you wanted. I just had a BLT instead. It was a chance for those to get the last minute essentials for the hike. I got my Dr. Pepper.
Who was the idiot that said she would do the night hike. Yeah that was me. I hadn't had any sleep really and then all my energy was spent cruising around a mall and then the start of a hike at 8:30 at night. Real smart Britt, Real smart. So I started the climb freezing cold. I would like to thank my Ski and Ride School for sponsoring me some pants to climb in. (more like a 5 finger discount). but we will keep that one quiet. I made some friends along the way with a group of Japanese hikers. I chatted with the guide and we gave me a snickers. Now that is nice! I passed out in a hut for about 3 hours to catch up on some much needed sleep. Back down the mountain with the Amazing Racers on Mt Fuji. They were troopers. Blisters on the heels and all.
When I got down I passed out on a picnic table for a few hours. What I didn't notice was my pink stomach. When did I lift my shirt? That must have been a sight to see. Idiot Britt.

Oh but I did enjoy my Dr. Pepper at the bottom. But not the bus ride home.
We stopped at an onsen (public bath). This was a very large one with tons more naked bodies around with all of the foreigners, too. It still felt good, but I couldn't relax without little kids hands tripping over me.

I want to thank Marilu, Jen, and Dimple for making my first train ride great. Yes up until then I was virgin to riding the train. Very unusual in a country like this. I think I am the only one who didn't ride a train in the first week. Yeah let alone almost 2 months.
I didn't have a camera at this hike, and hopefully people will be sending me photos to post.

trading food at lunch

I remember trading food at lunch when I was a kid. Elementary brings me back to those days. I have never seen so many boys fight for my chunk of fish and natto (a gross fermented soybean thing). Rock paper scissors. As I had extra rice, I watched on 12 year old boy down 2 bowls of rice, 3 things of natto, a dish of fruit, fish, and cooked veggies. He is a growing boy. Who said there were fat kids in Japan. They are all over, you just have to look hard sometimes.
I learned a new word dango. In the dictionary it says dumpling. Hell if it was a dumpling, it was in with my fruit. I ate it because I was curious. At first it was like a marshmallow. Then the taste got worse and so did the texture. It stuck to the side of my mouth. I had to have another just to confirm it wasn:t that great. Yup, not going to eat that again.
I forgot to add at the school party, I found out the proper way to eat soybeans. NOT THE WHOLE THING OUTSIDE AND ALL. Britt just eat the inside soybeans, not the shell. No wonder I was having troubles chewing. I thought it was a pea at first. I have a feeling I will be wrong a lot.

unusually small shorts

So as I witnessed another sports day practice, I have come to realize that all little boys pull their shorts up way past theirbelly buttons. Most of the boys' boxers are blue with some gree. Today I also witnessed something new: the visible crease. The wrinkle wear your bum meets the leg. When you see shorts in the US above this crease, you know the shorts are short. The girls here don:t mind having their bums hangout in their PE shorts, but wear their school uniforms skirts as long as they can. We need the fashion police to make an announcement about properly wearing shorts. Oh and tappered legs too me will never be appropriate. The seamstress need to take notice and make the crotch shorter and the legs longer to avoid tit over hang in the chubby kids. Some of the teachers need this memo, too.
I am now accustomed to their one size fits all hats that are reversible to distinguish teams for sports day. Red vs. White. Bonsai

I think I am losing my mind. First forgetting my umbrella when leaving school. Second forgetting my inside shoes at home when going to school. Third, leaving my pictures for my introduction at home. ( I even had them by the door... idiot Britt) Now what I am I going to do. That was 20 minutes of information- I will have to wing it now.

as i ride in the taxi

Why do taxi drivers always seem to fart when I get in the car. The only customer they will have all day and they go and fart. As their only customer, they come to work with a perfectly pressed shirt.
I have never seen a big man wear toe socks either. That one I laugh everytime I see one of my teachers with toe socks. Something about it screams wrong. Only in Japan.
So I have weighed the pros and cons of working at 7 schools rather than 1 or 2

Pros of many schools
-if you don:t like the teacher then you don:t have to see them everyday
-less lesson plans you have to make
-even more popularity when you cruise the town
-lots of review time and less thinking for me
-not learning at least 250 kids's names
-I am a movie star everytime I go to elementary schools
-all of the free parties with good food and beer.....so far.
-not really being a part of the cleaning duties...i can just hide at each school until they find me. I will play dumb.

Cons
-lugging your inside shoes to every school. (I don:t want to buy 7 pairs)
-leaving your shoes at home and wearing their tacky inside shoes - which I did today
-kids forgetting everything they learn
-leaving an umbrella at a school and not getting it for 2 and half weeks (which I did also)
-never really learning their name
-have to lug chopsticks around or forget them
-having to buy snacks when I go places for 7 schools... only cheap snacks for all
-all of the self introductions - yes I am 182 cm tall.
-I look like the bag lady on the bus with my bag, books, and shoe bag


all in all I am having a good time. This is the only situation that I know so it needs to be a good one. One thing I don:t like is having the computer room in the smoking room. I am not a fan of that.

Enkai full of great food and beer

At the teachers party after the sports day. My head principal is on the left with the first grade teacher, 5th grade teacher, 3rd grade teacher, secretary, 6th grade teacher and Rachel. I might have that completely messed up but oh well.







The next is the dietician who only serves me chicken, beef, or pork on the days I am teaching there. She wants to be me.






This is my shoe locker at one of my main schools. I think I might have to change that one.










Some pretty scenary. Oh this is another road of death. This is a one lane with many switchbacks. I only had to reverse for cars 3 times. Pretty good for a 10 kilometer stretch. Oh it takes about an hour to drive 35 kms. Do the math. That is less than a 30 mile drive. Most of the roads are 50 km/hr and if it is a 2 lane then it could get up to 60 km/hr.

Rain Rain RAIN

As I sat yesterday at school, yes a Sunday, I come to find out at 9AM the famous sports day is postponed. Yet I had to wait till 11:30 to go home. They ordered lunch so we had to sit and wait for that to arrive. Great another bento (box lunch with 30 different types of food in it). All I had in there was fish. I HATE FISH. So rice it was until the little nurse came over to trade food. I traded her my shrimp for her chicken. What I had chicken in there. Where was that hiding. So I traded my sashimi for some egg tofu which was delicious. Now I had a lunch. Right after that I toodled home in my little car in the rain. I have a futon now. What most people call a futon. Ahhh my very own cocoon. I love it. I ordered a dvd player so I wouldn't go stir crazy in the winter. Well the motor in it sounds like it is going to take off and fly around the room. I got that sorted out though. Oh to top things off my camera charger took a poo on me. My camera is fine, but the darn thing won't charge my batteries. What am I to do when Fuji is this weekend. My magic 8 ball says I will be alright.

they let this drive on the road

As I was riding in my taxi home, I spotted a lady driving her motorized cart on the highway with her little yellow flag whipping in the wind. I think she was going mock 2. I sure hope she had her seatbelt on. I shouldn't be making fun of her becasue I secretly want to be her when I am old and can't walk. I will also use the handicapped spot for my scooter, too. Can they tow that? Would they want to? I just laugh saying "Only in Japan".

radioactive green drink

So I am no longer a virgin to the famous Joyful. The equivalent to a Denny's. I got to mix all of my own drinks. I had money, imagination, and balance. Money is Mt. Dew with Sprite. Then Balance is Pepsi with "white water", and Imagination with melon soda and lemon soda. That was the electric green color you won't find anywhere else. We will see how that is later. I now have a saying "only in Japan". It works for lots of things like selling IPods in the 7 11. The girls from Nimii came down Tara, Marilu, and Vicky. Along with Aaron, Danielle, and Rachel. All a good night for cheap food and good talk.

the lone piece of rice

I ate with the first graders today. It doesn:t even phase them that i completely ignore anything they say. They haven:t figured out I don:t speak Japanese. I like it right now because they come up to me with such eagerness. They will soon find out they are just wasting their time and I won:t get any students talking to me besides "hello, how are you?" oh well. I did watch one piece of rice hold on to a kids face the whole lunch. He didn:t know and no one told him to wipe his face. How cute. I then got asked to play at recess. That was a lesson for me to never be repeated. I was the human jungle gym and got by ass slapped by 7 little boys. I got aggressive with them and whipped them off. I yelled NO, but it still went on until they didn:t found out they were going to be late for class. I walked slowly and no one waited for me. That was a good thing. I had sweating little hands all over me. YUCK. not that I am a germ freak but I like semi-clean hands. Not nose-picked hands. Oh i forgot to add that the office lady came to deliver me a note by straddling my legs. That was the definition up close and personal.

Who are those hot girls partying it up in the city. I think I might know 2 or 3.







But I don't know this one. Just kidding Bernie

The famous Aussie Bar. Unlike Skippers that serves a margarita in a martini glass. I could swallow the tequila and glass whole it was so small. 800 Yen - note to self never again.

You always end the night with a quick karaoke. We rocked it in our room. I don't know about the slackers in the other. My room was a dance party. Boone did play the Star Spangled Banner for those Americans, but on the mics were an Aussie Bernie and Canadian Mr. Jones. They were the only ones watching the screen for the words. I don't know if we sang good or we just don't care. I think a little of both because we all know I can't sing to save my life.

Kawakami Manga Festival

My first mullet sighting. Well there are numerous mullets. But this one screamed "Britt take my picture" so on that note, I had to. Stay classy.



Dimple and I at the Kawakami Manga Festival. This is a ginormous lantern made of wax paper with lights under it.

My flower arrangement class: $50. Well worth it because I didn't pay for it.













More of the Manga Festival. I don't even know which is Lilo and which one is stich.

first some pictures

My little Suzuki Alto. Alto means tall in Spanish. I don't think it is anywhere close to being tall. Those gutters on the side of the road fit my little wheel barrow tires in it just great. I haven't done it yet, but there probably will be a time when I am getting run off the road and have to hit the gutters.



My house, in the middle of the street. My house. You know like the song. That road may seem wide. Let me tell you, IT'S NOT. More like a single track.













This is my little kitchen in my house.













My duplex is the third set of windows in.


The infamous room known as the tatami room. It is like a straw mat and makes anything I lay on it stink. Not a bad smell, but not a pretty one either. That's where I sleep and hang out.