Monday 30 July 2007

Your Japanese word of the week is....

"Uso". It means "really?" in Japanese. You could say "Honto" or even do the rather popular "ehhhHHHH?!?!?", but "Uso" works fine haha........ just make sure you don't confuse it with "kuso", which means shit. Who's bright idea it was to make two such different words sound so similar, I have no idea.

But speaking of "kuso", I got rather beat up at the kumite session in last saturday's training. Years of fighting rather forgivingly and with people who are smaller than me means I'm not really ready to fight like the Japanese do. The rules that govern JKF (Japan Karatedo Federation) sparring are also different than some that I've seen in Canada, so that makes a difference, although I won't use that as an excuse.

At any rate, it was a good learning experience akin to being thrown in the deep end of the pool and then actually drowning. But I'm not one to give up. Although I did split open a blister on my foot which meant I rest all weekend because walking was a bit of a chore.

Which was fine anyway, since it was massive thundershowers all weekend. The kind of rain even Vancouver doesn't normally see. And seeing as rain in Japan is acidic, it was rather wise to not go outside.

But this week will be chock full of fun. On sunday I'm going to watch a high level tournament as well as train at Takagi sensei's dojo. Takagi sensei is Arakawa sensei's master, which should give you an idea of how big of a deal this will be........... so excitement abounds but in the mean time, I'm alternately being fried by UV and then soaked by acid rain. Clean air isn't Japan's strong suit heh........

Friday 27 July 2007

My English job taught me some new English...

It's a bit embarassing to admit, but it did. For example, I learned that a quoit is a ring or hoop-like object. I didn't know that. It's one of those things where somebody wrote a dictionary using direct translations from another dictionary that no one has ever used before. I'm guessing it's some "ye olde english" type word from medieval England because it's certainly not Canadian English. Nor, as I was told, Australian or British English. And although this is just a hunch, it seems to fancy a word for Americans heh......

But other than that, it's been lots of training. I received my new karate dogi (uniform) though and the quality of it is amazing. It has my name on it too haha.......

On wednesday we had a going away party for Paul which was a great chance to warm up to all the people I'll be with for the year. And I got to try natto for the first time. It's basically fermented beans that come in a sort of sealed tofu-esque container. You mix in the pre-packaged soy sauce and mustard and eat it. It's not exactly the best tasting thing in the world, but that makes it really good for you, as the stereotype goes. And it's super sticky. Like a-dog-eating-peanut-butter sticky. At least it doesn't smell as bad as durian heh.......

Oh, and I wore my Domokun t-shirt and that was a hit (thanks Jeanne!!). Surprisingly, he's not as well known as you would think, but mention the TV channel (NHK) and it jogs everyone's memory. So that's a rather good ice breaker heh..... The kids like to punch his mouth though, which is good for strength training I guess haha.....

On friday I got a chance to help with the Shirayuri kindergarten karate class. 25-30 five year olds in mini-dogi's doing punches?? If it's possible to die of kawaii-ness, you probably would at that kindergarten. So obviously I had lots of fun helping those kids with the karate heh......

So, now that Paul's headed back to Canada, I'm on my own. Richard's been very helpful and is always going out of his way to make sure I'm on the right track so I really appreciate that.

One thing that is rather bothersome is that in Japan, the women are women but some men are too. Slowly parting their hair so that every strand is perfectly in place or cowboy boots with jeans tucked in. It's just all too............... man-princess-y some times. Of course, the majority aren't but there's more than there should be. Super tight rainbow t-shirts just plain do not look manly..........

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Harro, my name is Rowrance...

At least, that's how Paul's girlfriend spelled it when she texted him. It's pretty funny because everytime I introduce myself, I say "Lawrence". After they blankly stare at me and try a few times, I say it again as "Rorensu" (ローレンス for those of you who read katakana) and they all understand it. I may look slightly Japanese, but with a name rife with W's and L's and R's, it's as foreign as it gets heh. So, all things considering, Rowrance is a rather good stab at it haha..... In case you're wondering, which you probably aren't, "Liang" translates into リアン. Assuming it even shows up as such on your computer heh =P.....

So, since I last posted, I haven't done much. I tried to go training at Richard sensei's dojo at the Seiritsu high school in Akebane, but miscommunication meant it didn't happen, which is bad since it furthered the stereotype that foreigners aren't reliable. But such is life and hopefully there'll be more chances for me to go and prove my worth there.

On monday I went to McDonald's.... which isn't so exciting except for the hilarity of the food sizes. A large drink there is probably the size of a small in Vancouver. A large fries- a Canadian medium. I don't even want to get into how it compares to American supersize. Even the burgers are subtly but noticeably smaller. Just goes to show how much you don't need. Although, I will be honest in saying that in with this heat and this humidity, I certainly wouldn't mind an oversized drink or three.

This morning I resumed training at Arakawa sensei's dojo which was great. Lots of new stuff and all the stuff that I've seen before is being done in way's I never seen. Afterwards, I went with him, another sensei, and Arakawa sensei's son to a nearby ramen shop. $7 for a rather delish bowl of ramen. So take that Kintaro haha......... $2 for 8 gyoza too.......

Sunday 22 July 2007

Yes, my toilet seat is heated......

No really, it is. Kind of disconcerted and not very useful in the middle of July, but who knows, when the winter hits, it might be rather comfortable.

Beyond that, the weekend was rather uneventful. I turned down an offer to go party it up with Paul's surfing friends when I realised that it might be a few weeks before I get a pay cheque. But I'm looking for more work while I'm here to fill in the rather large spot of free time I have early in the week.

On sunday I had dinner with Richard and Rie which was lots of fun. We went for karaoke afterwards and I must say, my first Japanese karaoke experience was great.

Richard and Paul

It's actually a lot like karaoke in Vancouver (well..... Richmond). Y'know, with the pirated English songs set to a background of some random couple walking on the beach playing frisbee. The difference is the attitude where it's not about being good, just about having fun. Loudness is more important and good-ness. Which is different since lots of people in Vancouver would turn down karaoke for fear of embarassing singing talent. And at the end of the song, there's a little counter that tells you how many calories you burnt. One of the songs got up to 12.6 kcal, which seems like a lot for basically yelling.

Overall though, the rush of the first week is over. All the interviews have been done and I got pretty much all the jobs available for me except one I'm waiting to hear back from. And there's tons of work in around town or nearby on the train to do, so money won't be an issue a few months in.

So, it's onward and upward from here.................. except for the bugs. There's lots of bugs. And spiders..... huge spiders that spin huge webs. That's pretty gross. Although we did see these massive 2'' long beetles that fight each other. Apparently you can just buy them and lots of kids use them as toys. I got a picture of those too.

Oh, and yesterday, Paul and I went to Joyful Honda (ridiculous sounding yes, and it has nothing to do with cars) which is essentially like a giant Costco, Superstore, and Home Depot rolled into one. We sat in the massage chairs and tried these mini at-home bucking bronco type things. You're supposed to sit on it and it gyrates like you're riding a horse and is supposedly some sort of work out. They have a Rodeo King, Rodeo Queen, and Rodeo Boy in different sizes. It's pretty fun to put it on the fastest setting and film each other pretending to be on a horse. It's not so fun when all the men in Joyful Honda stare at some 16 year old girl trying it out. That's rather creepy.

Friday 20 July 2007

1 week down, 51 to go.....

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........

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Natural disasters-R-Us....

Hello from Japan!!

It's actually my 4th day here, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to update the blog. But it will probably happen more than once a week once I settle in.

The flight over was pretty good. There was a typhoon when I landed so that was mildly exciting. And the day after the typhoon cleared up, a massive earthquake hit. So maybe Mother Nature's out to get me, but she hasn't been that successful yet. But hey, what a way to experience Japan heh =).

I also met Paul, whom I'm taking over the internship for and we've been working and hanging out together. He's a pretty cool guy, which is good since we'll be doing almost everything together for the next week or so. Except dates with his girlfriend; those he goes alone =P heh....

I saw the Asakusa temple in Tokyo (with one of the largest lanterns in Japan) as well as Tokyo Tower on Monday (today is Wednesday, despite what the title says). That's Paul in front of the Asakusa Temple entrance.

I've also trained at Arakawa sensei's (my sponsor sensei) dojo three times already (M, T, W) and I don't think I've ever worked as hard or had as much fun (Sorry Graeme and Marta haha). I'm trying really hard to gain their respect and build a repore and in some ways it's happening really quickly while in other ways, it's a bit slower. But the training is more intense it seems, even if it's just the way the dojo traps heat and forces you to sweat. My karate notebook is filling up fast though (about a page a day so far), and that's always a good thing.

Aside from that, it's just a lot of wandering around and learning the city. People tend to think I'm Japanese which is fine until they talk to me, at which point the blank stare and English from my mouth garners a look of mixed shock, surprise, and confusion. Yay!

I'm picking up a lot of Japanese though. I try to practice with my home stay sponsor (Matsuda sensei) as well as all the others I'm in contact with. I hope to be at least fluent conversationally by the time I come back since I'm pretty sure learning the Kanji would take a lot longer.

Lastly, I've only helped teach one English class so far, but it's quite fun with those little kids. They are unbelievably energetic, maybe moreso than Canadian kids. Similar penchant for destruction and random running-around-ness too. Well, the guys anyway. The girls, as you might expect from stereotyped Japanese culture, are mature beyond their years.

The culture shock isn't too bad either, aside from never seeing cars that almost run me over cuz I look the wrong way. A lot of is is politeness, respect, and common sense taken to the max. Paul (a bonafide white guy from Kelowna) thinks it's the best thing in the world. But it's not perfect all the time as work and convenience takes precedence over a lot of things. Running on to the train to grab a seat from an old lady, for instance. So, it's a bit odd. Almost as if it's ok as long as no one is looking. I'll decide for myself in a few months time. Oh, and people still use those nose/mouth SARS masks. I see about one or two a day and I'm temped to call it a fashion statement since you never know what these crazy Japanese will wear heh. Actually, it's probably more for pollution, though being in a small city, the air is pretty clean.

Anyway, since they let me set up an account at the cafe, I can update more regularly. I'll try to find a way to upload pictures too, though it might be a while until I decipher the Japanese.

And there are some wicked cars here. Stuff I've only seen in magazines and videos. They may be an old hat to these people but it's all new to me.Lastly (seriously), I went to lunch today with Paul, Arakawa sensei, and 3 other really nice black belts from his dojo. The skinniest guy there ate two plates of rice, as did one of the girls I think. Yet they're both very slim. Strong from training, but slim. Just goes to show that it's not about WHAT you eat, it's what you do with it.

Take that low-carb diet......... =)

Wednesday 11 July 2007

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG....

Yes, OMG is right. I'm in the midst of packing and it's slowly sinking in.

I mean, I've worked my last day at work, my schedule's packed with people I need to see before I go, my coyote-bashing car's sold, new clothes, new passport, medical insurance.......

At any rate, it's only two days left before I leave. I'm almost done learning hiragana and katakana (thanks Mariko!!) and....... well....... there's not really much else to say. At least the weather's starting to pick up.

So......... check back in a few days to see how my first week in Sugito works out.......

Oh oh....... I also checked the weather in tokyo. And it's a mild and convenient 20-23 degrees and likely to be raining. So it'll be like June in Vancouver except everything will be in Japanese.

Sugito is much the same EXCEPT that the humidity is at 94%!!!!! Well, it's better than 35 degrees and 94% I guess haha......

Oh, and one more thing, I just heard today that a typhoon is expected to hit in the next few days. So I'm gonna arrive with a bang.............. ha ha....... ha............... ok.......

Sunday 1 July 2007

... 13 days... 12 days...

Speaking of days, Happy Canada Day!! Of course, Canada Day also means I'm that much closer to leaving, which is slowly starting to sink in. Mostly in the form of an extremely packed schedule of things to do before I go.

But, on the other hand, I've done pretty much all the things I needed since my last post. Things like my visa, airfare, clothing. Still haven't done presents yet but those don't take as long.

I also met a very kind and generous Mark Taylor who set up Shiramizu internship two years ago and was thus the first one to do it. We chatted for quite a bit and he gave me some suggestions on how to prepare as well as an idea of what to expect. Although at some points, we both agreed that it's more fun to not tell me so I can experience what it's like to jump in the deep end and fend for myself.

He (as well as Richard sensei) mentioned that the third month is the hardest. The first apparently feels much like a vacation since it's so new. The second is when it starts to hit you that, hey wait, I really don't understand anything around me, and that gets a bit overwhelming. And by the third, it's getting pretty rough since you start pining for things at home as the overwhelming-ness becomes over-overwhelming. But, apparently, after the third month, it's easy as I get into the groove of things and make friends and such.

The other thing too is I'm not sure how often I can update this, but keep checking back as I want to maintain a weekly posting schedule. I'll have lots of pictures (unlike this bland past few posts) and lots of stories, so hopefully this'll work out. But please still leave lots of comments. It's rather fun to read and reply to them.

Oh, and one more thing. I hit a coyote last night- it ran out from behind a parked car about 2 feet in front of me. That was exciting in an OMGWTF kind of way... those crazy coyotes and their poor decision making...