Flake in order to Sense

O Saka!!!

2006-08-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Kristen and I took a trip to Osaka one weekend to see a Coldplay concert, but took in the sights during the day. We went shopping at a huge a mall there and bought matching skirts. We also went on the Ferris wheel they had on the top of the mall to see the whole city. We then headed off of Osaka Jo (castle), one of the most famous castles in Japan. It was beautiful. It was extremely hot that day though with a record high of 35 degrees celcius. It was fun to go to Osaka though and add that to our list of fun places we have visited in Japan. Yeah for Osaka!!

Happy Hiking!!

2006-08-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am going to try and update you on the last month that has happened in my life. I know it is a lot, so bear with me. This blog was a day off, where Jonas, Kristen and I took a nice little hike through the jungle down to the coast. It was a nice hike and I even did a little rock climbing (okay. so just climbing down rocks with no ropes isn't really rock climbing, but I did climb down rocks). The view was beautiful and it was lovely day. Enjoy the great pics.

Fukuoka Fotos

2006-07-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes blog won't let me post all the pictures I want to, so here are the other pictures that wouldn't go on my other blog. Enjoy.

A couple of cool temple enterances!!

Another one of those peeing boys. Only this time it is a fountain!! What is it with Japanese people and peeing boys?!

A random sign we saw in the subway!!! For those who can't decide where they want to go!!

Fantastic Fukuoka

2006-07-10T04:16:00.000-07:00

The day after Kristen and I went to Tokuyama, we decided that since we were almost to the island of Kyushu, we should just hop on a train and go to Fukuoka, especially since Kristen has never been there. It was soo fun!! They are having a big festival on the 15th of July, where they parade all these floats around town. We of course weren't there for the actual festival, but they had a bunch of the cool floats just sitting on street corners for us to see. They were HUGE and soo beautiful!! They have all these intricate designs and paper mache people and buildings on them, and like everything else they have in Japan, they were BRIGHT!! It was amazing. We also went to a few really cool temples. There were all these men dressed in Jimbes (a traditional mens outfit) at this one temple. It was really cool to see. I don't know why. At another temple there was this cute old man that was soo excited that we were there and kept trying to take us around the temple and tell us things in his broken English. We also made it to the temple with the largest wooden Buddha in Japan. We of course couldn't take pictures, but we bought cool postcards to commemorate. We then headed to the local Asian Art Museum for the benefit of Kristen, who loves art. Before we got there we had the best Tangarine ice cream drink thing I have ever had. The museum was pretty cool. My favorite art were the wooden carvings that looked like those pictures you make as a kid where you color a bunch of colors on a piece of paper and then color over it in black and then take a pin and draw a picture so the colors underneath show. It was beautiful. The only thing I didn't like was the body/performing art stuff. It was weird and most of it was pornographic. Not my idea of art. Kristen didn't even understand it. It was fun to go to an art museum again though. It was a great day and lots of fun to get out and see somethings we don't get to see on a regular basis.

Fourth of July Pictures!!

2006-07-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest!!

Oh Say can you see?!

2006-07-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!!!! Celebrating Independence day in Japan is a little different since they don't have the holiday here. I did try to wear red and white and blue all day to celebrate. Then that night Kristen and I had bought fireworks and invited Jonas and Jason over to do them. In Japan it is illegal to do fireworks anywhere, but on the beach, so at 10 pm we traveled to ichinomiya park to light off fireworks. Too bad it started to rain so we had to hold our umbrellas over out head in order to light the fireworks. It was also like 10:30 at night, so it was really dark and hard to see. The fireworks ended up all being kind of stupid. They were all the same color and type. We did have fun with all the sparklers though and even wrote our names with them. I have fun videos of the whole thing and a few cute pictures. I did make a Fourth of July cake with my kids in Homestay the next day as well as Fourth of July hats. They called it the birthday of America. I guess that is the easiest way to explain it to them. We also did sparklers with them at a local park. The kids loved it and I got some really cool pictures. So I guess I figured out a way to celebrate in my own way!! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Tripping in Tokuyama

2006-07-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

I have to write in a fun color to let you know how fun my trip to Tokuyama was. I went to Tokuyama, in Yamaguchi-ken, last Friday because one the missionaries that used to be in my branch here in Marugame, called me and asked me to come teach a discussion in Spanish out there!! I was way excited to go. So I was a bad girl and called in sick with my roommate to go out to see him and teach a discussion. We didn't feel bad about missing work since we were just recording that day, so we took a 4 hour train trip out there!! It was soo fun to see our friend again and meet his ever so cool companion. Their names are Elder Wengel and Elder Warner. We hung out with them all afternoon and even got to see them in action, contacting people on the street. The discussion went really well, although I was nervous beyond belief beacause it has been such a long time since I taught a lesson and I was the only one talking for like an hour and half!! But it was still good to be speaking in Spanish and teaching the gospel as well. Also, I was the spotlight at the Young Men's activity that night as they had me tell all about my mission in Argentina and about Argenintian people. We spent the night with an English teacher in Wengel and Warner's branch. She was really nice. We didn't sleep well as we were on the floor, but it was still fun to be there. We then left the next morning to go to Fukuoka. It was a short trip, but well worth it to travel there. It was way, way, WAY fun!!

Konquering Konpirasan

2006-06-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

So I know that I have already climbed up Konpirasan, but little did I know that I had only made it like half way!!! Louise and I decided to go to Konpirasan (mainly so I could buy soveigners for my family, which I didn't get by the way!!! Poop), and we decided to go all the way to the top!! So beyond the intial 5,000 steps, there are like 10,000 more after that!! So, after about dying from lack of oxygen, and collapsing from muscles giving out, we made it to the ever so unimpressive top!!! The middle area is 2 times cooler than the top!! All there is at the top is a little orange shrine, a book to sign saying you made it to the top, and a little better view than the middle area, but really not that well worth it!! There was this cool little tractor thing on the top, connected to track, that looked like it would collapse at any moment, but it did take a little Japanese man down to the bottom!! It was fun to spend the day with Louise and we even went out to eat at Yakiniku afterwards and we got to know each other really well!!! She is way awesome and an amazing person!! It was a good exercise day though and boy did I have sore calf muscles for 2 days straight!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2006-06-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday dear ME!! Happy Birthday to me!! Okay. Do you think I am a little excited about it being my birthday last Tuesday!!! I am now officially 26 years old! Wow!! I remember when my sisters were 26. It makes me feel soo old!! I did having fun in my classes aksing my students how old I am!! They just got used to saying I was 25. I love teasing them and having them looked confused when I tell them I am now 26!!! It's great!!! My roommate was the cutest!! She decorated the house for me and everything!! Then she talked to Meme (the best person ever to work at GEM School) and they got me some cake that night and invited everyone over!!! It sure made for a lot of fun!!! And of course who could forget the ever famous seiance picture!!! It was a great birthday!!!! (Do you think I could have used any more exclamation points in this blog. If you can count them and tell me how many there are you win a prize. I am not sure what yet, but it will be great!!!)!!!!

Bowling for Soup

2006-06-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so just bowling for fun!!! Kristen and I ended up stuck in our house for 2 days straight due to schedules that left us with no car. So when we got one back on Saturday night, we were more than ready to get out of the house. We went out for Okonomiyaki again and then hit up the local bowling alley. They have great things there like an auto shoeser, where you put money in a slot and shoes come spitting out the bottom. The shoes are way cuter than in America being pink and purple and velcro. No strings attached. We had fun bowling next to a group of drunk guys that said "YEAH!!" everytime we did something good. I won with 111, but Kristen came in a close second with 67. We really enjoyed the cute pirate dude they had everywhere and what he would tell us when we did bad!! It was way fun and well worth it!!

Hungry Hungry Hippo

2006-06-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of fun food that I get to eat here in Japan.

Okonomiayaki, my favorite japanese food, before it is cooked. It is a japanese style pancake, but so much better.Our okonomiyaki cooking.
The finished product!! It's oishi, as Callan (the son of another couple in our branch who teach English at another school), would say!!

And of course you can't forget the japanese version of American pizza complete with tuna fish and corn. Yumi!!

Stupid Blog!! Pictures are for posting!!

2006-06-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

So here are the rest of the pictures that my last blog would not let me put on.

Me in the cool seat carriage they used to carry the royals in.
If you think I was turning Japanese before, what do you think of this picture?!
Beautiful Korakuen Garden!!! You can tell why it is one of the 3 most beautiful gardens in Japan!
And we can't forget my animal friend, the crane!!

Okayama the Beautiful

2006-06-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Since Kristen and I have off both Monday and Saturday this week we decided we would head out to Okayama on the island of Honshu today. It is only a one hour train ride from Kanonji on the express train so it was easy getting there and back. There isn't a ton to see there, but what there is sooo Beautiful. We went to the castle there which is nicknamed the Crow castle because of the black weathering boards they put on the outside. It was very large and beautiful, but our favorite part was being able to dress up in the Kimonos they have there head dress and all. It was cool, but I have officially decided that black hair does not suit me. We even got to climb in the box that they used to carry the royals in . And I know all the boys in my family wish they had a Samurai sword as cool as this one.
The next stop was Korakuen Garden across the street from the castle. It is supposed to be one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan and I can't disagree. It was very beautiful and quiet and there was actual grass (granted it was crab grass, but it was real grass). We enjoyed walking around and enjoying nature, and to satisfy my animal urge, the cranes. It was a fulfilling day.
And not to leave out one of the funnest parts of the day, but we ran into one of the elders that used to be in our branch a little while ago and who is a really good friend of ours. It was soo good to see him. we took Puri Curas together, but I forgot to take a picture with him. It was fun to talk for a little bit and catch up on news. We definitely miss him here.

Random, Random, and more Random

2006-06-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is a taste of things we get to see on a regular basis. This was a note posted outside our elevator for like a month. It had something to do with the 31st of May, but as we couldn't read it, it didn't help us much.

These are little stress balls they had in Shodoshima and which they have all over the place. We think it is funny becuase the words on top that you can't read are "hmmmm....that feels soo good." That's Japan for ya.

I have had the opportunity to find signs with at least 3 of my family members names on them. I can't find anything close to mine, but this drink was called Ambasa which is close enough to Amber-san (which is what some people call me), so I decided to take a photo op.

This isn't a normal occurance, but we did see some cool noodles outside drying at Shodoshima, so had to take the opportunity and take a pictures. Hungry anyone?!

Ichimomiya Itai (OUCH)

2006-06-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Kristen took few days off to go to Okinawa, so I took the opportunity to hit up the beach. Beaches here are not like they are in the states. They are smaller and actually don't have very many attractions (stores, amusement parks ect.). It think this may be due to the fact that the whole country is an island and I live on one of the smaller ones. Maybe in bigger cities they have have things like that. But nonetheless, it was still enjoyable to spend a day there (or about 3 hours). I even got brave and went into the water, which was really warm. It felt good to be swimming again and the water is pretty clear so you can see the bottom if it is about 4 feet down, no more. The only problem is I forgot to take pictures. And I forgot the sunscreen.

Itai means ouch in Japanese and that is exactly how this feels. This, believe it or not, is 3 days later and looking 2 times better. I keep myself pretty stocked up on ib profen and finally bought some aloe vera. I think for the the 3 time in my life I got sun poisoing, as Monday night I was physically sick and couldn't even walk or move. I am a smart one. But if anyone tries to tell me that I didn't go, here is the proof. So, the moral of the story is, DON'T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK!!!

The Olive Garden

2006-05-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

The coolest part of the island of Shodoshima (off the coast of Takamatsu, the biggest city in Kagawa prefecture) is the actual olive garden they have there (not the resteraunt). They tried to introduce olive trees in four different parts of Japan, but they only took and grew in Shodoshima. We had fun seeing all the greecian art and a little bit of Holland too. We went to a cool greenhouse where I bought myself a mint plant. We made a cool craft too (that felt kind of like being at girl's camp again) where I glued herbs and flowers from the area on a piece of an olive trunk. But by far the coolest was going to the onsen there. An onsen is a public bath, more like public hot tubs (usually they are natural hot springs, but the one here wasn't). By bath, I mean everyone is completely naked. Luckily, it is only girls with girls and guys with guys, so no co-ed stuff. It is a little weird at first, until you realize that everyone is just walking around naked. It was actually really nice. You take a real shower before you get in and they have all different ones. Some outside, one with rosemary in it, and one that was kind of like a massaging chair. I loved it. I wouldn't mind going back. It was a great trip there.

We didn't get to head up to the monkey forest or see the many peacocks, but we did get to see a cool peace statue and the narrowest strait in the world (it is even in the Guiness Book of World Records). It is called the strait of Dofuchu. Look it up. It was a great day and very relaxing.

A more Different Temple

2006-05-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

On our drive home from church every week, we always pass these pagodas that are jutting out of the trees on our left. We have always wanted to visit them, so today we did. It is just another temple in Japan, but up kind of on the mountain overlooking the ocean so it is very peaceful and beautiful. It makes you realize you are in another country, because it is just right there in the middle of houses and next to one of the busiest roads around that area. The train even goes right by it. It is smack dab in the middle of the trees, so it is way gorgeous. We had a fun little jaunt there today and got some great pictures. Gotta love Japan!!

You know you are in Japan when...

2006-05-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

You see these random things. Who would have guessed that Japanse people are into such riskay things. If you can't tell what these lions in this statue are doing, don't even bother to ask. It is on our drive home from Toyohama every time we drive it. Candace, my friend, got these pudding snacks as a present from one of her students who went to Osaka. Thus again, if you can't tell what is being portrayed, you are a much more innocent person than me. Finally, you can get all kinds of kit kats here. Banana, fruit parfait, super white cream chocolate, cherry, anything you want. I don't understand why, but I guess Japanese people like them. Go figure. Anyway, I thought I would give you a little more taste of what living here is like. It always keeps you on your toes and guessing what you might see next.

Mother I love you!!

2006-05-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

To use the line from a popular primary song seems very fitting for this wonderful holiday. How can you look at these pictures and not love my mom. She is my best friend and my best support. I love her so much. How can I express in words what my mother means to me. I can't really, but I will try. She is the one person I know that loves me unconditionally and that knows me probably better than I know myself. I don't know what I did to be sent to such a loving mother, but it must have been something great. She has always made our home a safe haven from the bombardments of the world around us, not only for her children, but anyone her children brought home with them. She loves all and is the planner, organizer, computer, and glue of this family. It takes a lot to keep a family of 11 together and functioning and she did it with such love and finess. I can't fathom how. I love her soo much. I would be lost in this world without her. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Swans Anyone?!

2006-05-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

I took a two day trip to Fukuoka to go to the temple and do a little sightseeing. It was great. We had a week vacation here called Golden week. Basically there is a national Holiday on April 29th for the last Emperor's birthday, then a holiday on May 3rd for Constitution day, and then another one on May 5th for Children's day. Because the 3rd and 5th are national holidays, they mad eth 4th one too, but for no good reason. It is a fake holiday. Then on top of that, becuase of the 29th, they basically let people off of work for a week. No complaints on my part!! I loved it. These pictures were taken at a park near my hotel. I got to go to the Art Museum there as well and see some Monet and Renoir. A bit small compared to The National Museum of Art in Washington D.C. that I am used to going to. Anyway, the best part was getting to ride in a little swan paddle boat. I have never taken one before and since these ones were cute swans I couldn't resist. I must have looked pretty funny all by myself and being a gaijin (foriegner). But I am sure I looked even funnier when I got bored and started paddling backwards. It was a fun day and I got a lot of sun. What more could you ask for than swan paddle boats?!

Risturin Rade

2006-05-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to the big garden/park in Takamatsu that is pretty famous. It is called Ritsurin Park.Everyone has been telling me to go, but I never seem to have time. So this last Saturday, since I had off school and was in Takamatsu to watch my student's archery tournament anyway, I decided to visit there. It is very beautiful and peaceful. There are tons of pathways and things to explore. They have a cool folk art museum as well where they make traditional pottery and sell it. It is pretty expensive though. I found a tiny raft tied up with no one around. I was really tempted to untie it and take it for a ride. But I was a good girl. They have tons of turtles and coy in all the ponds they have (Alicia, I thought of you when I saw the turtles). It was just beautiful and relaxing.

Food for Thought

2006-05-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

Since so many people are curious if I starve here in Japan, I thought I would include a few pictures of the fun things we get to eat here. The first one has tempura and udon in it. Tempura is basically any type of meat you want (including fish) battered and deep fried. Udon is a type of noddle they have that gets really fat when you cook it and they put it in a soup (usually with a really fishy taste). My meal also came with some pickeled vegetables, rice, and salad (made purely out of cabage). The meal in front of my roommate believe it or not was our breakfast in Hiroshima. It is a soup called mizu soup (kind a herby soup. I don't really like it) and rice balls called onigirui (they are covered with sesame seeds and something else. It kind of tasted like bird seed). Definitely something different for breakfast.

Easter Parade

2006-05-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

Here we are celebrating Easter in our own way in Japan. I was smart, and when I went home in February, I bought an egg dying kit. I did discover though that using the powder food coloring they have here, as well as water and vinegar, works almost as well. My friend Jonas (the one who looks stoned in his picture) found out that chad used to beat us up as little kids until we said "Chad is my master," so he wrote "Jonas is my master" on one of his eggs. At least we can have a sense of humor right?! Anyway, after all was said and done I realized I wasn't in any of the pictures. What a dork!! It was still fun though and good to do something for the holiday in a country that does not celebrate it.

I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so!!

2006-05-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

You know you are turning Japanese when you buy a Kimono and acutally wear it. I wore this one to a tea ceremony (I didn't drink the tea. Don't worry) and then to church. The second picture is of a bunch of people from my branch. They totally accept us as one of them. Even Colonel Sanders (the trademark of KFC) has turned Japanese becoming the first Colonel Samurai ever. These papers were Kira's, Jessica's, Kristen's, and my attempt at Japanese calligraphy. I got pretty good at the end. I am thinking of taking it up for real. How could you go to Japan and not do Karaoke. Kristen and I were rockin' it!! This is a typical Japanese car and one we drive for school. It fits one and a half people. Literally. Japan makes you crazy as I have turned trying to do the pillowcase dance with Japanese supplies. I had the biggest head ever. This is where we get to relieve ourselves. Yes, it is built into the ground. We affectionately call it the squatter. Finally, it wouldn't be Japan if you didn't have anime drawn on everything including your trains. This one happens to be the anime of a man who has a doughnut type head filled with anco (a sweet red bean here) and whenever anyone in the anime is starving, he offers them his head to eat. Strange, but the kids love it. Its called Anpanman. Gotta love Japan.

Parable of the 3 Talents

2006-05-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

There once was an English Teacher in Japan named Amberlyn. She had 3 students by the names of Kasumi, Briar, and Coco. Each student had their own talent. Kasumi was in High School and could play Japanese Archery (which is the coolest by the way), Briar was five and could do Ballet, and Coco was 6 and could play the piano. Each worked hard at increasing their talents. Kasumi practiced hours with a bow that was 2 times as big as she was. She perfected the stance to shoot (legs a little more than shoulder width apart. It looks like they are going to do the splits) and the bow before the match begins. The ceremony and pomp that goes with this kind of tournament was amazing and very difficult to perfect. Briar practiced hours learning how to hop and do whatever the ballet terms are and playing the tamberine as well. Coco as well practiced hard and got her 4 songs down including Old McDonald and Oh When the Saints, which she played with her parents. As time wore on, all 3 students invited their sensai, Amberlyn, to watch them perform and judge who was the best. As Amberlyn attended these various events she concluded that all 3 had great talent and that they could not be compared to one another. Thus we see that we each are given our own gifts and must work to perfect them as best as we can, not comparing ourselves to anyone else. Sorry I don't have a picture of Coco playing the piano. She looked way cute. The picture of the archery does not have Kasumi in it, but I thought it was cool anyway.

Kompirasan Krazies

2006-04-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you definitely have to be crazy to hike up the 1,368 steps it takes to get to the top of Kompirasan. It is another one of those temples in Japan, but way fun and really beautiful. It is on the mountainside as well and you can get a great view of the valley from the top. If you don't want to hike up the steps, they have little chair things called palaquinns. Basically it is a miniature house that seats one person (japanese style) with two bamboo poles coming out the sides. You sit in it and let these two guys carry you up. Way cool, but way expensive. We also ran into 2 huge groups of High School students. They were hillarious. One group was sitting all together and got really excited when they saw us, so we took their picture. They totally cheesed it up. In the other group there was a smaller group of about 10 boys that ended up kind of following us around and they decided to be brave and try to talk to us in English. It was way cute. I think the first guy that talked to us was dared to do it. Krazy japanese kids. The temple ground itself is really beautiful and peaceful. Kristen and I were just sitting and talking when a Japanese monk walked by on this little wooden walkway. Kristen turned to me and said "Amberlyn. We just watched a monk walk by." To which I replied, "Yes. And not just any monk. A japanese monk." Sometimes it amazes me that I am here!! It was also cool because they have tons of souvenier shopping outside the temple grounds, but only 5 people inside the temple grounds selling food products. We read in our guide book that these five vendors are the ancestors of the original five vendors that were the only ones allowed to vend inside the temple grounds when it first opened. How amazing!!

Miyajima Madness

2006-04-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

The day after we went to Hiroshima, we took a hop skip and a jump to the nearby island of Miyajima. It is a very famous island for the floating shrine they have there. Okay, so it really isn't floating, but it is built out over the ocean, and at high tide, the water comes up right underneath it. It was another one of those cool orange shrines (we know how I love those orange buildings). It is also famous for its rice scoopers and they have a huge one on display for all to look at. They also have a cool pagoda thing surrounded by cherr blossoms. Soooo beautiful!! There is a cool mountain as well where if you climb to the top you can see the main island of Honshu as well as our island of Shikoku. There were a ton of monkeys up there as well. YOu are advised not to feed them or look them in the eye. HMMM!! That kind of makes you wonder. They are famous for their maple leaf pasteries filled with anco, chocolate, or custard. I had the custard one. It was delicious. There are also a hundred million dear there and I made the mistake of buying food to feed them. I have never been attacked by bambi before, but after being attacked by 20 of them, I never want to do that again. They bite you and head butt you and all sorts of fun stuff. I definitely got a fun video of it and a key chain with a deer on it to remind me of my fun adventure.

Hiroshima or BUST!!

2006-04-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hiroshima has got to be one of the best places I have visited while I have been here in Japan. I went about 2 weeks ago with Kristen, Kira, and Jessica, on a Sunday night. What a spiritual and overwhelming experience. We went to the Peace Park there which is a dedicatory to the remembrance of all those who died in the Hiroshima Atomic bombing. They have a shelled out building there has was one of the few buildings left standing. It stands as a reminder to the world of the disasters that war and nuclear weapons can cause on mankind. They have an eternal flame as well and monument to the thousands of kids uprooted from their homes and brought to Hiroshima to work for the war effort and die for it as well. They have a monument to a girl who was dying of cancer so she folded 1000 paper cranes as a reminder to bring peace to the world. Her name was Sadako. You can even fold your own paper crane and they will put it up at the monument. I think the most overpowering place though was the Atomic bombing museum. It has all the facts behind the war, Hiroshima, and what really happened. It also shows pictures of the city before and after the bombing. They have four walls covered with letters from the Mayor of Hiroshima to countries that are still making and testing nuclear weapons (with the USA and Russia being the leaders), begging them to stop. I took a picture of the letter that was written to the Soviet Union on my actual birthday!! The saddest part was upstairs where they had remains of people, pictures, walls, clothing, accessories, and other things found after the bombing. You could listen to the story about all of them. It was so devastating. I have never felt such an array of feelings all at once. Sadness, happiness, peace, unrest, humility, anger, shame, love, bravery, depression, devastation, admiration, and even more that I cannot name. We even saw the story of one of the survivors. It was such a growing and learning experience. One which I will never forget!!

The most beautiful temple in Japan

2006-03-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

So there are 88 temples on the island of Shikoku right? Anyway, I have visited my fair share of them and enjoyed them all. But yesterday we had a day off (miracle of miracles) and our friend, Jonas, took Kristen and I to the Iyadaniji temple. It is a temple near our house up in the mountains. It is sooooo beautiful. It is actually built right into the mountain. It is literally in the jungle and is so peaceful and serene. I could of spent all day there. Then we stopped by the beach on our way home and couldn't have asked for a more beautiful sunset. It was so picturesque. It was a beautiful day.

Here's the rest

2006-03-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

Here are the rest of the pictures from Tokushima. The other blog wouldn't let me post them. Enjoy.

The Manequin Pee

2006-03-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

If you can't tell what the title is refering to, you obviously can't see the picture of the peeing boy. Yes, they actually have a statue here in Japan of a little boy peeing off the side of the mountain. I have no idea why, but I am in Japan. They do some weird things here. This picture was actually taken in Tokushima, the fourth prefecture on Shikoku island. I only have one more to visit and Iam doing that this weekend. In Tokushima they have some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. We got to see a lot of it because we had to drive on windy back roads through the mountains to get to the places we wanted. We saw whirlpools, the first temple on the pilgrimage to the 88 temples here on Shikoku, a vine bridge, and this very infamous statue. We did see our share of other interesting things, like the fake manequin ninja climbing up the wall of a building. I also got to eat my very first REAL fish stick ever (it was an entire fish on a stick that was bar-b-qued. It was delicious). It was a fun trip and well worth it. The flat tire wasn't though and the little boy looks just like we did when we got the flat. It was an interesting day.

Camping Japanese Style

2006-03-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

Camping Japanese style consists of finding the best cabin available (even better than my apartment), bringing your own Yakinuki table, making sushi, and sleeping on real beds and futonss (no sleeping bags). I went with a GEM School franchise owner, named Toshi, and her daughter Mau, and another one of my students, named Mami, and her mother, and Kristen, Kira, and Jessica. It was really fun, but it seemed like we were staying more at a 4 star hotel than actually camping. We did make s'mores and went to a park the next day with a col water fall, and we did get out into nature and walking around. The cool thing is that nature here also includes bamboo. Its great. It was fun to have a day off and get away from the world. I can at least say I have been "camping" in Japan.

Lem must know Santa Clause

2006-03-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows anyone from my family knows how important holidays are to us. Well, St. Patrick's day is no different. We have a little leprechaun friend named Lem who visits our house every year. His favorite thing to do is to make a MESS. And I don't mean a little one, I mean HUGE one!! Anyway, I was concerned that being all the way here in Japan, Lem might not know where to find me. He must have connections with Santa Clause or something because find me he did and he made a grand mess of things at my house. It was the first time my roommate has experienced Lem and she thought he was great. Lem strikes again!!

Kochi, Kochi, Ku

2006-03-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

So about 2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to Kochi, which is another prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was way beautiful. It is really famous for this samurai guy. I can't rember his name for the life of me. They have a beautiful castle there which is built with black wood. We also got to go to the beach. The water was actually kind of warm and soo beautiful. It was a perfect sea green color. We also went to some caves called Ryugado. If anyone has ever been to the Mt. Timpanogas caves, its kind of like that. There were a few tight squeezes in there, but well worth it. We even saw two bats flying around. I loved the trip although I was extremely tired at the end of the day. It was fun to go to a beach again and I got some cool seashells to prove it. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Aye, Aye, Ee, Aye! I'm your little Samurai

2006-03-13T02:20:00.000-08:00

These hotties are my little Samurai!! Kira, Jessica, Kristen, Louise and I went to Matsuyama last Monday, and while we were shopping at Dogo Onsen, there were a group of like 20 boys that kept following us and saying "Japanese Samurai" and waving around these wooden samurai swords. So finally I asked to take a picture of them and they took off their jackets to show us pictures of a famous japanese samurai. It was really funny. I also video taped them jumping around and pretending to be samurai. It was really funny. We did get to go to the castle again (since I have already been there once) and see real samurai gear. As well we went to Dogo Onsen (an onsen is a public bath built around natural hot springs. The only problem is that you bathe naked. Luckily it is only men with men and women with women. We didn't go in though)and got to go to this really cool shrine near it (it is orange. My favorite color) and put our feet in the foot bath and watch the cool clock that sings and has dancing figurines on the hour every hour. It was an exhausting trip, but well worth it. I love having friends who are leaving Japan soon. You actually get to get out and see things. It's great!!

Microwaves, ovens, kanji

2006-03-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

We have this microwave oven right. Well, everything on it's control panel is in Japanese, duh!! Well, usually we just stick something in, turn a nob, and press start and the microwave works. The other day I decided I wanted microwave pizza, but when I did the normal routine, it didn't work. So then I just started pressing buttons which made matters worse. So I pulled out the little japanese phrase book and dictionary and tried to figure out what all the little controls meant. Finally, after about an hour, I gave up and stuck the pizza in our little gas oven. Well the gas oven only cooks the top of the pizza, so I got some really burned pizza on one side, and really frozen on the other. My roommate got some great pictures of it.

The man of my dreams

2006-03-04T04:48:00.000-08:00

So, I got to go to one of the coolest temples on Shikoku island. It was up on top of this mountain right here in Kanonji. It is really old, but right in the middle of the woods. They had cool statues, walk ways, seats,buildings, and other cool things there. My favorite chairs were the ones in shapes of hands that cupped your butt when you sat in them. There were also some pretty scary looking man statues, but I think I found the hottest one to be my hunk. This temple also happens to be near a ski resort, so there were cool ski resort animal plastic statue things. It was really beautiful and worth te $20 to ride the car up to it. I love being in a place with so much culture.
On a side note: I keep dowloading pictures to go with these blogs, but for some reason they won't post with the blog. Anyone got suggestions because there are some pretty dang cool pictures.

Shrimp Ahoy!!

2006-02-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

So life seems to get more and more interesting and more and more busy as time goes on. The title refers to the fact that my roommate got a box of frozen shrimp from one of her students. She didn't even tell him that she liked shrimp or anything. It was weird. When we opened it up we found out that the shrimp wasn't just packed in ice, it was actually in a block of ice. So we actually have to dethaw all of the shrimp before we can eat it. Welcome to Japan. I have also had the opportunity to go to the local park here, called Kotohiki, since I have been back. It is actually really famous because it has a the structure of the 50 yen coin built of pure sand. It's kind of cool. They also have cool shrines and bamboo forests and stuff along the way. I also have been to a garden in Marugame here. It was beautiful although it was raining and dreary all day. I got some cool pictures and they had a few museums there. They had a really freaky doll at one of them that looked exactly like Mac from the movie Mac and Me. I have also included a picture of some of the freaky looking manaquins they have here. I am still trying to get my internet up, but have officially gotten a bed, hot water for our shower, our washer to work, and a microwave oven. All we need now is that blasted internet, a phone, and hot water in our sink. I am loving it here and having a blast though. I will try to make sure it isn't so long before I write again. Enjoy the pictures.

Back in Action

2006-01-09T03:54:00.000-08:00

So, I took a little break for Christmas. Tons has happened since I last posted anything. I have been extremely busy with work especially right before the break we had 4 teachers that go fired so we had to pick up the extra classes they taught until the break. I also had to do christmas parties, write over 200 New Year's cards for my students, became head teacher (I am in charge of all the other teachers. The upside of this is I get my own cell phone that can call anyone), had to fight to get a new apartment (my boss was going to have me living with her 23 year old single son and another single male teache. Not good!!), and get ready to go home for the holidays. My mom and dad and little brother and sister were really surprised to have me home. It was a great break from work and I loved being in the states again. We had tons of late nights with games and movies, ice skating, visiting friends, going to baketball games ect. I think I got less sleep than when I was in Japan and was definitely gone alomost all day everyday. It was fun. I am excited to be back, but don't feel settled as I am not moved into my new apartment yet and am having to sleep with one of the new teachers to not have to sleep in a room upstairs next to the single guy teacher. I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and get to experience more of Japan.

The latest update

2005-10-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the places I have been too since I have been here in Japan. Hopefully pictures of my own will be coming within the next few months. Enjoy. The first one is the castle in Imabari, the second is Daikakuji (a famous buddhist temple in Kyoto), the 3rd is Kinkakoji (or the famous golden temple), the fourth is Matsuyama castle, and the last is Mt. Ishizuchi. I will send more in the future.