Hellooooo......It's been a full week since I've been here and things are pretty good. I'm adjusting to the culture differences and slowly picking up Japanese. I'm a bit afraid that my English will wane a bit because I would almost never be speaking at a "normal" speed and with "normal" words. But I just try to read as much as I can and be as colloquial as I can heh.
On wednesday night, I went to the Kuki Festival where the 7 towns around the Kuki area all make these 2 story tall lantern carts and converge on the centre of the city to show town pride. And they all pull the carts around the bus loop while people inside play music and stuff. They can spin the lantern "building" too, so it's pretty insane. But even more insane than that was the fight that broke out. Apparently one happens every year so that was exciting. I got it on video hahaha.... After that, I went out with Paul and his girlfriend for some food and drinks.
On thursday, I went to Nerima all day for an interview and to help teach the classes there. Same deal for friday as I was in Yoshinohara for another interview and help with the lessons there. I got the jobs for both so work's coming in slowly. The kids are all so great. Rowdy but will get in line when they need to without being asked, so a good mix of good and goof. I won't get the kindergarten morning work since they're restructuring or something, so I can use that time to find more, better paying jobs heh.....
And today is saturday. No training because Arakawa sensei is off at some karate camp til tuesday. But tomorrow I'm meeting Richard sensei, whom I can thank for so graciously helping get this opportunity. And his wife Rie, who's expecting their first child in a month!! That's really exciting.
As for stories, not many (so far) haha...... I got my first taste of the massive pushing and shoving on the trains though, taking one home during rush hour yesterday. And it literally is pushing. They will have no reservations about (subtly) shouldering you in as far as you can go. The up side to that is that you will almost never fall down since you're packed like sardines. The down side is you might get you elbow stuck on some old man's sweaty lower back...... that's not so cool haha........
4 comments:
first. ftw.
Actually... Lawrence...
Elbow in sweaty lower back is better than, say, your face in sweaty lower back, non?
Anyhow, I hope you're showing some ATP pride. What would a Vancouver lantern be like, I wonder?
OOHHHHH well. Do people readily recognize you as a gaijin or do you sort-of semi-blend-in?
lol, that "people talk to me in japanese and i just look shocked" reminds me of russel peters (saw his new tour). no pictures yet?
Geoffrey
Umm.... people tend to think I'm Japanese and I have to explain to my employers that I'm not.
Although I think I'm gonna push the whole "not all foreigns need to look like white people" bit, and just promote the idea of a multicultural Canadian.
As for pics Geoff, I have tons, just haven't uploaded them yet =)
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