Pseudo free week!

Well, it's our last official week of teaching for the semester and boy am I feeling lazy! We have a few writing assignments for work but otherwise we are completely free! Not even giving written feedback to our classes. I guess that means we should take pictures with them!

Below are my adorable ladies from a Saturday class. They brought snacks which was a total plus! I don't know how these students are so cheerful on Saturdays..... These girls probably got my worst teaching performance out of the week (for Friday night related reasons) but they were complete troopers!

There was some wish granting festival the other weekend and people tied their wishes to trees (like you do...) Kinda pretty...

In other news, I moved to a slightly bigger room in my share house!

Now I can spread my arms all the way out and not touch the opposite walls!

 

So, summer break is coming and I am confirming plans. You might see me at some Japanese beaches or even at some (gasp) Seattle ones! It's getting into the 90s  (or mid 30s as most people here call it) with OPPRESSIVE humidity, so I'm returning to the lush green scenery from whence I came! (At least until the 15th of Sept.)

 

 

 

 Here's me at a Japanese beach, to be repeated many times!

 

I am wrapping up school, travelling, taking Japanese classes, meeting other foreigners and waxing poetic as usual!

 

Ciao ciao for now! See you in Sea-town!

Business as Usual (?)

Well, well, well, guess who hasn't been keeping a regular blog.... ME, it's me, you don't really have to guess, do you?!

Time HAS gone by and things have happened... at this very moment I am recovering from swimming 1700 yards in open sea water AND getting burned by the sneaky overcast Tokyo sun!

BUT, as the title of this post might suggest, I want to talk about "business as usual". Or, rather, how things are becoming "business as usual".

Case in point, I no longer walk around every Tokyo subway station, running into people and things, while craning my neck in order to take in every single neon ad. It seems that the intense Tokyo, light-bright, nightlife is starting to become commonplace to my previously forest accustomed, hippy-dippy mind.

Likewise, when someone rams into me from behind on the metro, or practically runs me over on the street with their multi basket/children laden bicycle, I no longer see flashes of angry red. I instead, simply feel the blow as a zombie would, without emotion but with the slightest twinge of hunger...Perhaps the drone mentality is beginning to catch on...


Business NOT as Usual

Here's the giant group I got hooked up with to do the swimming portion of a triathlon. My coworker, Hiro, is a BEAST at it and asked me to help out the older ladies by being a mediocre swimmer. ALSO not "business as usual" getting gulps of briny sea water when I'm meant to be breathing and brushing JELLYFISH while kicking!

My coworker is the shirtless dude.... I'm the white girl

Area of industrial runoff or site for athletic competition? It's an AND world here in Japan!

Also, my cousin Chris (bless his heart) had a wedding in Hawaii and it was the absolute best! I feel truly grateful for the friends, family, and opportunities I've been afforded so far in my life!

My mom and I in Maui!

Me and my cousin's beautiful new wife, Payton Jay Balph!

What else? What else? It's definitely BUSINESS AS USUAL at work now, however, test week and some kind of grading... It's loads of fun though and my coworkers are delightful.

Also went to see Sumo wrestling and they picked me up!

Possible upcoming events: staying out until the first train, a visit from the sister, and moving to a slightly larger room in my shared house!

Thinking of you all at home!

Jenn

Fun and Other Topics!

Hi - O! or I should say konbanwa! (good evening)

It's Sunday night and I am at home resting my liver once again (the metro stops running around midnight, so if you're out and about, that time is "Do or Die" for "waiting" until the first train at 5 am. Maybe it's more "Do AND Die" for me, however...)

A fantastic Golden Week (a week of national holidays, no school/no work!) has passed us by and left me reveling in what can only be described as the "Honeymoon Period" of the Culture Shock that I will surely endure while living here in Japan.

In studying SLA, culture shock came up a lot, and, for those of you who don't know, it works a little something like this...

Not everyone experiences culture shock in the same way, so, hopefully I will skip the worst parts and move right into feeling "at home". However, for the time being, I am running around being delighted by everyone and everything...

Case in point...

Mount Takao (Takaosan) day trip!

A few friends I walked up a moderately tall hillside and looked out over Tokyo and the surrounding verdant hills. Along the way their were plenty of vending machines, so not to worry! I was completely safe and well provided for the entire 1.5 hour walk. Also there was a beer garden at the top which was a great motivator! 

"Fresh fish...We catch them, you buy them!"(Name that Disney movie... Jaclyn ...) You can't get much fresher than eating from the tank of fish located directly next to the BBQ!

My travel buddies at the top of the mountain, aren't they cute with their eyes closed?

Other fun I've been having includes....

...Tutoring adorable children in exchange for Japanese lessons! 

Found on craigslist!.... the language exchange... not the children... 

...Standing under Japanese flags at 2 in the morning!

...Eating delicious Osaka food (Okonomiaki)

...Checking out "old Tokyo" which wasn't bombed during WWII (Kawagoe)

...and sitting near koi ponds!

So, overall it's been a FANTASTIC week. My coworkers and housemates are proving delightful travel buddies and friends. We even encountered a Cinco de Mayo party in Yoyogi park which made my heart SING for the nearness of pseudo Mexican food and beer. There were even beer crafters from OREGON who gave me the "Seattle deal" as I called it, which was two for one pints! 

Work is going well but it was nice to have a few days off for exploring. My next post will include my upcoming  trip to HAWAII for my cousin's wedding! Excitement every which way!

Love you all, feel free to post comments. Juh-neh (see you!). 

Jenn

Continuing the adventure...

Hello again!

 Blog Post #3 so... have I been here 3 weeks?  I am losing track. I just returned home from the ongoing adventure I like to call "Jenn's Attempts at Staying In Shape" Given my ominous track record of gaining weight while living abroad (too many cervezas in Mexico / too many dumplings in Prague) I've decided to get back on track RIGHT AWAY here in Japan.

Attempt at being active #1: Jogging
This is going well, given my weak-ass leg condition, but I can only go about a mile before being wobbly legged! Plus, is my hip supposed to clack like that? Maybe I'll just do push ups in the park....

Attempt at being active #2: Working out in the park
Well, this is going well, I'm creepily doing push ups and sit ups in a remote corner of the park which turns out to be where everyone grabs a quick smoke on their way home. That's right children, cower in fear of the weird white lady breathing heavily next to the swings.

Where was that cheap gym I keep hearing about?

Attempt at being active #3: Finding the gym
HORRAY after 3 days of google searching and painstakingly translating street names, I have located my local gym! Only 400 yen per use (around 4 dollars). I'll just stroll on in and start pumping iron. What's that you say? You speak zero English and I have to take a "free class" in order to work out??? Maybe I'll just do group volleyball....

Attempt at being active #4: Volleyball
OMG, are all Japanese people training for the Olympics in volleyball?? I forgot I suck at this. Maybe I'll pick a different night to suck at 2 out of 3 things that I attempt ( 1 out of 3 being breathing and circulating oxygen through my blood stream. WIN 1 for Jenn in Tokyo, normal body function!)

BUT I am not deterred, I refuse to show up in Maui a complete beach ball (although I doubt I will go near another volleyball again while here).

Silver lining... I will be beginning my Japanese classes soon, so look out Tokyo! Jenn's about to communicate with you using something other then frantic nodding and hand gestures!

Other silver linings...

Japanese porter, thank you decent beer Gods! (but no thank you for the 1000 Yen price)

Delightful house luncheon, these asian chicks really know how to cook!

Famous 5 way intersection at Shibuya (and even crazier at night) taken from the windows looking out at the world's busiest Starbucks!

Adorable and kind housemates, made me delicious fish soup!

Stay classy everyone and also stay in touch!!

In the Land of My Students!

I have been here a week and many things have happened (although officially teaching isn't one of them). I am happily cruising around Tokyo, spending way too much money and trying to cram everything in while I have the time. When I travel, I am always more exuberant about my experiences in the beginning, so we'll see how "interesting" this blog will remain as the months role by!

I saw a shrine at Asakusa, went to karaoke and have been indulging in Izakaya (Japanese delicious and cheep bar food) See pictures below for more details! The weather has also been crazy, it's sunny and windy today while last night we had a typhoon warning!

Here's my buddy Yiphan and I at the Asakusa Temple in Tokyo. Yiphan is from China but learned English in Philadelphia. He teaches at Rikkyo with me. 

Here's me pretending to wear a Kimono. Can you tell I'm just pretending?? This was in a crazy foreigner friendly shopping center at Asakusa.

Some pretty coy at the temple. 

Yiphan and Francois. Fancois is French Canadian and teaches with us as well. There are MANY Canadians on staff, I often have to watch who I'm talking to lest I offend them with my Canadian mockery. The same goes for using my fake British accents(s) when I'm near our British staff : )

Here's my "team" at an Izakaya restaurant. Izakaya is a restaurant that has  cheap Japanese tapas. You sit around and eat and drink for long periods of time. There are four teams of teachers who basically support each other and work in the same office throughout the year. We're the "red team".  

Kampai (cheers)! At least I've found BIG beers, even if I have yet to find dark ones : (

A pretty view at my school. Rikkyo is a university and all freshman HAVE to take our English conversation classes. So, I am like a real professor at a university here... .muahaha!

I hope everyone is doing well back home and elsewhere! I am slowly getting adapted to life here. Next steps: obtaining a cell phone, gym membership, and Japanese classes.

To be continued....

Tokyo is CRAZY, but it's starting to grow on me!

Konbanwa (good evening) all!

I am here in Tokyo and just writing that seems crazy to me! I will try to update interested folks at home of happenings here half way around the world in the next year. So far, I have been sleepy and excited to be here in Japan! I start orientation April 1st for my new job (English teacher at Rikkyo University http://english.rikkyo.ac.jp ) so I am just chilling / freaking out until then!

I've seen many things and met some people so please see the below pictures for more detail! Over all, I have found Tokyo to be overwhelming but surprisingly clean and safe! I am in awe of the advertisements on seemingly every surface available in Tokyo as well as the sheer pace of life (especially in the metros) but everyone has been extremely helpful and I can't wait to explore more!

 My view for the 10+ hours on the way over here. That beer was Tiger beer and it was BAD, hoping to make up for it in the months to come : )

A sculpture at Ikebukuro station, otherwise known (by me) as "bat-shit-crazy station"

 Side street at Ikebukuro, doesn't it just make you want to explore?!

Shopping here becomes even more interesting if you go DOWNSTAIRS into the basements of the shopping centers. These looked delicious! 

 My first vending machine purchase! Piping hot canned coffee... it was ok.

 It advertised on the side that "real technology" helped to make the coffee better!  

Also downstairs, fresh sticky buns! I bought a brown one, the one I pointed at, it tasted like sweet beans! I have found that where verbal communication fails, pointing, smiling, and nodding my head vigorously are my best friends (why didn't I  remain obsessed with Japanese culture like when I was in 8th grade?! Note to future Asia travelers: keep watching that Anime!)  

 Me and some "Sakura" or Cherry Blossom trees. (My face looks weird / why didn't anyone ever tell me my face looked weird?) Sakura viewing is a big deal in Japan. They track the blossoms opening across Japan on the news! I will go with my work next week to a "Sakura viewing party" where we will drink alcohol and look at them together. I could think of worse things to do with my future coworkers : )

Pretty Sakura in a park with anatomically correct sculptures!

Love you all and don't forget to save up for your visit : )