BONSAI-MANIA

Three times a year in my wee town of Uguisuzawa there are bonsai exhibitions hosting local trees. With so many old people living in Japan I guess it makes a popular hobby. I had always thought bonsai to be cool and even received one as a Christmas present from our Dave a couple of years ago. But last spring, when I saw the bonsai trees in full bloom, I was blown away. I had never imagined bonsai trees with flowers, let alone berries. And now it's autumn so theres even trees growing (rather small) fruit. Here's a few snaps I took on Sunday.

Leaning bonsai.

This baby is only ten years old.
A Japanese Maple in full autumn colours.Standing next to my favourite. It's over 120 years old.
They come in all shapes and shades. More autumn colours.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Today we made Jack O'Lanterns.

The English Teacher at my JHS always like to do fun stuff with the elective class. Although they don't celebrate Halloween over here, we made some Jack O'Lanterns anyway. I, being the resident Westerner, was automatically labelled 'Pumpkin Expert'. Despites my protests of, 'but I've only ever used a turnip, we didn't have pumpkins in belfast', I still had to supervise and 'advise' ("don't cut your finger off") the proceedings. The kids loved it and they turned out really well.

Happy halloween everyone.

TEA CEREMONY

For the last couple of months I've been in training. Training to pour tea. Prior to the Culture Festival at my Junior High School, friday afternoons have been devoted to club activities. These range from traditional dances, playing Japanese drums, making pottery, etc. This left me with free time to study, prepare for classes, or, more likely, write on my blog. But I decided to be a student. So I went along with my students to learn how to perform Tea Ceremony. Having always been a big fan of anything tea-related; tea, tea-pots, tea-cozies, tea-bags, tea-spoons, tea-time, tea-bone steaks, etc. Basically anything but tea-totalling. So I guess it's only natural that I should also want to learn about Japanese tea. Some people might think it's kind of girly to serve people tea whilst kneeling down and being all polite and whatever. But if you look at my current hairstyle, or even my face, you'll see I have no problems with being girly. But as it happens, tea ceremony used to be widely practiced among the Samurai. Before going into battle it was traditional to perform the ceremony. The Samurai considered it both cleansing and calming, and it was taken pretty seriously. So if you see me pouring some tea, you better watch out, I might just be getting in the zone for some head chopping.

Learning Tea Ceremony has brought me more pain than both my kendo classes and last winters snowboarding put together. Learning to sit in the 'seiza' position (kneeling with your feet tucked under you) is almost unbearable if you haven't been brought up practicing it. Even the kids I was training with fell over on occassion and whimpered once in a while when their circulation was completely cut off (at least I think it was them whimpering).

I had agreed to perform in front of the parents and students during the Culture Festival. This had me genuinely scared. No one would really care if I messed up, but there's just so much to remember. I bought a book with English instruction and in it there are over 140 steps to one serving of tea. My actual instruction was all in Japanese, and thus I didn't understand anything but the body language. I'd also missed some of the classes because of meetings, etc. And it wasn't until the night before that I was finally studying the Japanese phrases I had to say whilst serving the tea and sweets. So, of course, I was a bit nervous before the event.

On the day over one hundred people came for tea during the festival lunch break. Students, parents, teachers, principal, BOE employees and what not. My head was spinning, '5 steps at the start, 3 at the end', 'rotate the chawan twice towards you, then twice away at the end. Or is it the other way around?' 'wipe the chashaku 3 times before pouring and twice after. 3 times? 3 times? what??' And everyone was so busy with everything else I couldn't hassle them with my last minute questions.

But, of course, it went fine. I'd been practicing seiza in my apartment in the evenings and could now bear the pair a lot longer. My first serving was aided by Sensei discreetly whispering directions, albeit in Japanese, as I tried my best to look like a natural Japanese. Second time round I was fine, and ready for the calls of 'Encore' that never came. It was a good experience, but I'm glad it's over.

To be brutally honest I don't find Tea Ceremony cleansing or calming. I find it painful and frustrating, but I'm glad I learned it. And I certainly understand why the Samurai wanted to kill people after spending half an hour just to make a cup of tea.

PRETTY FLOWERS

It's raining today. It rained yesterday and the day before and the day before. But this is Japan, not Ireland, so I know that the rain will go away soon. And when the weather forecast says it will be sunny tomorrow, I know it will be sunny tomorrow. Even with the gray sky today I'm surrounded by colour. Just outside the staff-room windows are a bunch of bright Chrysanthemun's. Every year at this time I get to witness these beautiful flowers come in to bloom. Each year the third year students plant seedlings in May. They have two plants each in case one dies. In october, at the height of the rice harvest, my town holds a small culture festival. And at this festival the student's Chrysanthenum's are proudly displayed.

FRISBEE? DODGEBALL?

The Grade 4 Dodge/Frisbee Team. World, watch out!

It's Thursday so I'm working at the Elementary School. It takes a lot of energy, but it's always my favourite day of the week. The kids are awesome and I always feel like a celebrity as they beg for autographs after class and climb up me like the monkeys they are. At lunch times I sometimes hit the playground with them to practice Japanese and play games. The Japanese practice never quite works out, as ten of them scream in my ear at once, but I always get to play games :o)
Today some of the fourth graders dragged me over to play Frisbee/Dodgeball or whatever it's called. I'd never played it before, but being no stranger to a Frisbee or to throwing things at people, I quickly caught on. My first shot took out two kids (including a girl) and won me instant star status. So to all you people at home who said I'd never get famous, ha, you were wrong.

Yuki, just chillin' on the steps.

Kazuki, he de man!

Grade 5 Ladies

I COULD EAT A HORSE

It's official, I am a savage.

On Saturday night I had dinner in a nearby town with some other English teachers. We were trying out a restaurant in Wakayanagi (the town) for the first time. Being crap at Japanese always brings up problems when in Japanese restaurants. Not so much in regards to conversation, but more because of the menu. If they have photo menus, which many do, it's no problem. But if it's all in Chinese characters, it's a nightmare for me. This restaurant had no photos, so we had to torment the lovely waitress with our primitive Japanese. We'd point at an item on the list and say 'What?'. When we didn't understand the answer, we'd use our best local accent and spit out the words 'Meat? Fish? Vegatables?' This was working well. If the answer was meat, we'd ask 'What animal?', just to be sure. When we got the answer 'horse', we were surprised. It turns out that they had horse sashimi on the menu (raw horse). Everyone at the table wanted to try it so we ordered a serving of raw horse. Surprisingly, it was delicious, and not at all tough. I know, I know, I'm a savage. But when you're in Asia you HAVE to eat these things. The pigeon in Malaysia, the scorpions, worms, beetles, etc in Thailand, the kangaroo and wallabie in Australia (oh hang on, that's not Asia). Anyway, you have to! If you don't it's very, very rude. So don't hate me. I just hope I haven't upset all my horse-loving friends (and little sister). If it's any consolation, please be assured that I also am a horse-lover. Mmmmm horse!

MY OWN PRIVATE GYM

Living in the sticks certainly has it downsides. Especially if you’re young and single with an inclination to party once in a while. However, being the only foreigner in a tiny place like Uguisuzawa also has many benefits. I cannot count how many times people have went out of there way to make my life easier here. And I've received more special treatment than anyone I know. Of course this puts me under pressure to be a good boy and respectable resident, but luckily I'm naturally inclined towards being that type of person anyway and thus have no problems. In fact neither the local police, fire brigade, or any other emergengy services, not to mention my neighbours, have ever had to reprimand me (in Englsih) for anything.

A recent example of the generousity of my superiors is shown above and below. I now have my own gym. Following my bout with Bronchitis I lost a bit of weight. I want to put it back on before winter comes. However, the nearest gym is in the next town and the opening hours are not great. I recently seen some old wieights in one of the halls at the Community Centre during a Bonsai tree exhibition. Asking about these weights I soon found I had been granted access to my own gym with weight bench, training machines, and even a full size gym (with stage) if I fancy some one-man basketball (or performing a one-man play). No one else uses this equipment, it's been left from a time when this town was busier. So from now on I can hit MY GYM after work for half an hour or so. And even if I choose to never go, I can still rest in the knowledge that I truly am special :o)

THE VIEW FROM MY APARTMENT

Here's a picture I took out my window the other day. I've become a real papparazi with this new digi-camera. In the distance is Kurikoma Mountain (the big one). And below are my neighbours houses with fresh vegatables growing in the garden. I'll take a picture from the bathroom window soon too. But you're not getting one from the front (where they're building a new road), as it would ruin the idealistic image I'm trying to create.

MY FAVOURITE MOUNTAIN

My favourite mountain here is called Kurikoma San. On a clear day it's visible from my apartment window. It's only forty minutes away by car so I've climbed it several times. Saturday past I took a couple of the new teachers in my area to climb Kurikoma-san and see the pretty autumn leaves. I also took them to my favorite onsen (hot spring) after we climbed to the summit and back. I've been yacking a lot lately about hiking and I'm sure everyones bored so I'm just posting a few pictures. Enjoy.

The view on the way up

A river

Lunch near the top

Posing by the river

Natural hot springs

No much of a view at the summit

ANOTHER BIG MOUNTAIN

Autumn in Japan is beautiful. The temperature and humidity finally ease up, and the mountains give up their mixed greens (colours, not salad) for beautiful deep browns, reds and yellows. I love the light golden colours of autumn in Ireland, but here with so many Japanese maples turning a deep deep red it almost seems like a fifth season.

This week I had no school on monday. Another public holiday leaving me with a long weekend for some camping. On Sunday night four of us took the highway up north to attempt climbing a big mountain called Iwate san. Our plan was to camp sunday night and get up at the crack of dawn monday for the long hike. But with all my messing around we didn't get to the campground until very late.I think it was near 2 o'clock by the time we'd the tents set up and a hot whisky in our bellies. With a planned 6:00am rise it looked set to be a tired climb. Despite the typhoon winds and heavy downpour over the weekend, the weather was looking great as we finally set off on our hike at 8 o'clock. According to my vice-principal, who had told me about hiking here, it was a full ten hours to the summit and back. With sunset well before 6pm the pressure was on right from the start. But with hot coffee and bananas fueling us were ready to go. Twenty minutes into the hike I realised I was in for a long day. I guess I'm still miles from being 100% after my recent bout of bronchitis. I knew I'd lost a bit of weight and strength, but the last few days before the hike I'd been feeling good and thought I was grand again. But judging from the ease with which the other three were marching ahead, and the fact that I could here my heart in my ears seemed to contradict my initial confidence.
The day turned out to be almost as beautiful as the hike. Starting off deep in the forest, the terrain soon changed to reveal vast sweeping mountains all around us. We went from clambering up rocks and muddy gorges, to walking on flat stretches surrounded by beautiful vegatation and wisps of steam coming through the ground from the hot springs. It was bright and clear most of the way and the views changed dramatically. Short sections of the course we took were almost like rock climbing, and more than once we had to stop and have a good look around before figuring out where the path had disappeared to. And with time being precious and my three climbing partners apparently in excellent shape, we hardly stopped to catch our breath.

Climbing Iwate san isn't like climbing up a single mountain (Fuji, for example), we were climbing through forests and over other peaks, up and down and up again, before you could even see the summit. When it finally did come into view, not only was it still far away and draped in snow, there was a huge climb down before you could even begin to climb for the top. 'Oh bollocks' I remember thinking when I seen how far away it was. Time was really tight and we didn't want it to get dark on the return, as the hardest, slippiest part was the final section through the woods. Hesitating before clambering down to the ascending point for the summit, we discussed the possibilty of attempting to reach the summit. After deciding to try, we checked out the path. Then decided not to bother and just relax here where there was no snow and we could have a nice lunch. Then another change of mind and two of us decided to do what stupid people do. We went for it. God it hurt. The wind was howling, I was slipping in the snow, heart pounding, lungs about to quit, and my hair becoming really really messy. Nightmare!
However we made it to the top. Quick photos at the summit and a couple of bites of chocolate. We put on another layer and started the descent. With no time to spare we were overtaking the other climbers descending who had (wisely) chosen to do shorter trails that day. Just as I was about to make it to the bottom incident free, woops, out came my feet from beneath me. The hiking boots having been dumped after the Fuji Disaster, I was now in a pair of trainers. With not much grip on the snow, the downward climb was just too much. Bamm! Landed on my arse whilst at the same time cracking my elbow on a rock. Then went whizzing down the last few metres of snow before the rocks stopped me, to the 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' of some Japanese spectators. 'Wipe out' I casually said in my best tough snowboarder voice, hoping my elbow wasn't visibly dripping blood.
So now the two of us were back to the bottom of the top. We had to clamber back up to where the others waited, then begin our return hike, which unfortunately wasn't all downhill.
The return was fine though. The sun was a little lower and the scenery everywhere was stunning. Being tired from the summit section it was easy to zone out and just enjoy being outside in the sunshine.
We made it back about 5:30pm, not a minute too soon, tired, battered, and sunburnt, but with a great feeling of accomplishment. A total of nine and half hours hiking with barely a fifteen minute lunch break. Certainly the longest hike I've ever done, and ever will do :o)

IWATE-SAN PHOTOS

Kaori, Me and Akiko

Still a long way to the top

Not a very friendly looking summit

My first snowball of the year

Turning Japanese. Hot noodles for lunch

Me, Kaori and Mike

ENGLISH POEM CONTEST

Sky
Sun, rain, thunder
Laugh, cry, angry
Weather is my heart
Mirror.

By Ryu and Tomoko


Hope
Whats this
Dream, mirage, future
We are thinking
Possible

By Junya and Natsuki


The above poems are by my students.
At my Junior High School we just had a poetry contest for the third years. They could write about anything they wanted and I was to judge them today. I really enjoyed reading them and wanted to share a couple.

MY SUMMER

Sapporo

A lot of foreigner teachers here in Japan take trips to other countries over the summer break. Whether it be back home or to another country in Asia for island fun, shopping, temples or partying. This year I opted not to. One reason was that I wanted to save my holiday days for a big Christmas trip and for my folks visiting next spring (Hi Mum, Hi Dad!), and the other reason was that I felt my Japanese was miserably bad despite my (best) efforts to study by myself. So I went to school in Sapporo.

Sapporo is an awesome city up north on the island of Hokkaido. This place was my first choice of location when I came to Japan, and also where I went for the snow festival and snowboarding last February. I received study leave from school and my BOE and enrolled for a 2 week intensive course at the SIL Sapporo Nihongo Gakko. The plan was:
Week 1- stay with a host family and study, study, study.
Week 2- stay in a boarding house and party, party, party.
Of course these plans always go wrong and some important reason comes along forcing the partying to start prematurely.

My host family was amazing. A granny, a mother and two daughters in their 20's. The Mum was great and very patient as I stuttered along and kindergarten style Japanese. Despite my heavy load of homework every night, she somehow always convinced me into having a beer or two with her. 'Homework schmomework!" she'd mock me, and, of course, as an Embassador for Ireland I couldn't exactly be beaten by a middle aged Japanese mother. So every morning started with a sore head and homework being scribbled on the subway. Some evenings we played table tennis, went out for rotating sushi (my favorite), watched dvds or went to a festival. During the first week, my supposed "study study study" week, there was a beer festival. They turn all of Odori Park into a huge beer garden, with each brand having it's own area. This is done over the best two weeks of summer. In winter Hokkaido has a Siberian climate, so obviously the people come out en masse to drink while it's pleasant. Unfortunately the timing of my study course meant that the festival was only on for the first 4 days of my trip, FORCING me to rethink my silly 'study study study' idea.As you may guess, I didn't get a lot of work done outside of school. But in school was great. A small class of only 6 and great teachers meant we did learn a lot. The teachers only taught us in Japanese and if we had a question we had to try asking in Japanese. So it certainly was intensive. I don't know how much I learned, but I certainly practiced a lot and it got my confidence up a wee bit.The second week in the boarding house, I actually done some work believe it or not. Without the host family distractions at night it was easy to do my homework. I even caught up on the last weeks and got started on my projects. We had to carry out a questionnaire on locals and also do a speech (in Japanese of course). I'd hit a cafe after school for homework, and after dinner at the boarding house there were always other lads from school studying so I could copy them / I mean ask them for help.

The weekends were a lot of fun. An Irish girl I know teaches up in Sapporo. So we met up a couple of times and I went drinking with the Sapporo English teachers. I also met some great Japanese folks who took me to some cool places. My main man Kentaro took me to some great bars and Ramen restaurants. Through him I got to meet some cool Japanese people and go to the places they go, rather than just hanging with the tourist crowd.
I came back after two weeks exhausted. But it was a great study leave/hoilday combination. I made some friends for life and now have a second family with a Mum that drinks more than me. I love Sapporo and definitely want to get back again soon.
Oh yeah, and I learnt a little Japanese.

WAKEBOARDING

I went wakeboarding at Matsushima last week. I know summer's over and it's not exactly 'hot' outside but it was my only chance this year. A Scottish friend Keiran has a boat license so a couple of times last year we rented a boat and some gear for the day. Last year we went twice. We were pretty clueless and spent most of our time swallowing mouthfulls of (delicious) Japanese seawater and swimming to the point were the board had been ripped off our feet. However, it's not too different to snowboarding (once you figure out how to get up on your feet) so by my third time (this year) it had become a lot of fun.Below are a few photos. The pink hat was an attempt to prevent my acute bronchitis getting any worse. I wasn't just 'tryin to be cool'. Honestly :o) And my lame attempt at 'big' air.

Giving two fingers to the Bronchitis with the security of my pink hat. (NB. Please note colour co-ordination of the shorts, hat and nail polish).
Below I am sporting the classic Japanese hairstyle. Don't know what it's called but it's a must for all wakeboarders this season (or so Wakeboard Japan Magazine says, okay). Here's me 'givin it the welly' in the boat whilst Yamauichi does his stuff.

And here's Mike cruising to the backdrop of Matsushima's oyster farms.