Yakushima monkeys ya'll

Today, an elementary school student at Toriyama shou gakko asked me if I had a baby in my stomach.  This is normal in Japan.  However,  this was the biggest girl in the whole school and she was asking me this.. I wanted to be like.. yo.. do you have 4 babies?  Unfortunately she's only about 7 years old and the Japanese also have a hard time understanding sarcasm and rude comebacks.  Eh.. I've lost weight here.. it's whatevs.

This past weekend we had a 3 day holiday because Monday was some day they justified as having off.  Soooo awesome!  I went to Yakushima with my friends Al-lee, Cassie, Topher, Allen, Cody, and Chris.  We took this hydraulic  ferry boat called "Toppy (or i)"  from Kagoshima City to the island on Saturday morning hella early.  After waiting at the ferry terminal searching for our rental car, we soon realized that we may have told them the wrong port.  Pretty sweet.. so we waited for the fun men to drive over to our port then take us to a car dealership that was literally a few minutes walk.  Yay Japan :)  

Throughout the day, we drove around the island on the west side where the road curves and traps you into this one lane road that looks like it was meant for bicycles... when in all actuality it's the main road.  I wanted to see some freakin' monkeys.. seriously.. and as soon as I said this.. the road was blockaded with a band of wild monkeys defleaing themselves and lounging for a mid-morning sunbathe.  It was sooo perfect..  I proceeded to make friends with one particular monkey that let me get really close to him/her.  I wish he would've sat on my shoulder eating a banana just hangin' out - so I could take more pictures of him/her.  

Yakushima is also famous for deer .. and the deer on the island are different from the deer anywhere else.. they special.  These animals are held on a pedestal and are known for being sacred beings of earth... I forget what they symbolize.  It was just a normal deer to me though.. I mean.. pretty.. but it's nothing I haven't seen.  

That night we scampered around to find a campsite, finally settling on one in the south western part of the island.  It was pretty sweet and right next to the beach.. we saw this amazing sunset too OMG woah.   We also wanted to try one of the famous onsens where you can only go into the hotspring when the tide goes out.. because when the tide is in.. it is overtop of the pools.  It was slightly strange - this process - as are many in Japan.. but even a little more difficult to maneuver seeing as though it was nighttime making our adventure a bit more dysfunctional.  Nonetheless, we dropped hyaku-en into the trustworthy box and ventured down to the incoming tide with only a short time to spare before the pools overflowed with colder sea water.  It took no more than 2 seconds to realize that this was a co-ed onsen where we'd all be naked together.. and having been put into a slew of awkward situations already in these past couple of months.. we all stripped down and jumped in.  After relaxing for a bit, my good friend Cody held up his foot to Topher and says "hey man can you get this thing off?"  Turns out it was a crazy sea urchin attached to Cody's foot.  He threw it off with his hand, scaring all of us out of the hotspring.  So that was the end of our onsen adventure.  However cool it may be to bathe in ocean-hotsprings.. the incoming tide can bring unexpected predators.  That's right.. Kyotsukete!! - Be careful!   

The next day we got up super early to do the beautiful hike that took about 6 hours.. I think there was a 3 or 4 day hike too but we obviously didn't have that much time so instead, we decided to embark on a journey through the enchanted forest.  And enchanted it was.. It was literally one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.  I mean, the entire 6 hours was fantastically incredible.  I can't describe it in words but there is a movie made from this forest with "Princess Mononoke"  it's a Miyazaki film so everyone should look it up and watch it.  Totally awesome.

Flying fish is a specialty on Yakushima which the majority of our group decided to indulge in for the evening.  Awesome food.  We then retired to the same campsite after about an hour of waiting in the rain. 

So that was pretty much my weekend in a nutshell.. 

On Wednesday I had a super awkward experience.  I signed up to have my office-required health screening on Tuesday.   The Friday before I left for Yakushima I was not in the office and Keith sent me an e-mail late in the afternoon saying "your fecal sample kit for you health exam is on your desk."  WHAT the hell?  Really?  A fecal sample Japan?  Really?  Ok.  So I was already in Kanoya when this email took place; I figured I'd just wait till Monday night when I could go pick it up.  Let me tell you, I never want to do a fecal sample again.. that is gross.  So Tuesday I showed up to the office at 8:15, fecal sample in hand ready to do the health screening.  Then I see this piece of paper on my desk.. all in kanji.. to which I said "uh... Zushi sensei!!! Can you read this for me"  ... "Ok, 1. Did you eat breakfast?"  Me:  "Yes."  Zushi Sensei: "OH NO MEARRRY MAAAGAREEETOO.. no eat breakfast no no !!"  Me: "So... uh... tomorrow.. health test.. ok?"  "Ok."

I think there were like 4 things I wasn't supposed to do: 1. Eat breakfast. 2. Drink alcohol the night before.  3. drink anything the morning of and 4. smoke cigarettes.  Yep.. Hence.. my health screening moved to Wednesday.  

First I went into this huge room with lots of stations.  They asked for my little green bag filled with my fecal sample then some man gave me a number.. 139 .. and grunted for me to move outside the door with my paper.. Next, a woman handed me a cup - to which I looked around me and placed on 3 tables were an exuberant amount of cups containing yellow liquid.  To make it better.. there were 3 people in white lab coats scurrying about with test strips... Really Japan?  In the hallway?  Really?  

So I peed in cup 139 .. handed it to the little woman then proceeded back inside the large room to another testing area.  This, I could tell, was for blood pressure... although I wasn't ready for all the other questions Obaasan (grandma) was about to ask me.  She just giggled at my lack of Japanese speaking and comprehension and resorted to gestures.. poking herself and saying .. OUch ouch.. ok? Then I said "no ouch, daijyobu".  I had my blood pressure taken then was placed by Obaasan in the adjoining station.  I sat for maybe four minutes before I realized this was the station where they take 18 pounds of blood from your body.. or so it seemed.  I HATE needles.. like most people in the world.. and literally SECONDS after realizing what was going on I was being ushered under the needle.  Really Japan?  Needles all wide open so everyone can see you getting your blood done.  Wow.  Without looking and while taking deep breaths the poor woman searched for my vein then before inserting the needle she says "GOMEN (SORRY!) GOMEN GOMEN GOOOooooo...... and in went the needle."  Hah at least she knows that some people don't like needles.. right?

After the blood-rific experience.. They check my eyeballs with some sideways and upside down C's then I moved to the tatami room where, as I entered, I removed my shoes and sat next to a cute little old lady half my size.  We were ushered into individual rooms separated by only sheets.  The Japanese nurse lifted up my shirt and bra then put suction cups all over my chest and said "Chotto matte (Just a minute)" and within a minute or so.. they had my heart on record.  Thats right.

The last phase was a little silly.  I waited in this long line of old women who spoke Kagoshima-ben (slang) to me .. for which I did not understand but thought was super cute.  Then 3 of us moved into the back of a bus parked outside .. for which I was told was the Xray bus.  I climbed in the bus... of course having to put slippers on outside the door first (no shoes - only slippers).  I waited till the other 2 ladies came in and saw them reaching into their shirt and doing something..  Soon after I realized ..oh yeah.. you can't have a bra on for a chest xray.. duh.  The little man ushered me into the 1/2 room of the bus with a tiny xray machine obviously meant for small Japanese people.  "breath in" the xray machine said in Hiragana. .. to which I did and all of my tests were then finished.  

So I poo'ed, I spoke Obaasan Japanese, I was poked in front of lots of other people, I peed in a cup which was displayed for the whole hall to see, my boobs were suction cupped, and I de-bra'ed myself with some old ladies.  Then went to school.  YEAH!  You're jealous your day wasn't as cool as mine.  But seriously, none of this was completely awkward.. just new.. and you can't make something culturally accepted for yourself until you experience it first.. right?  So next time.. this health screening thing.. will be a cinch. 

Goooooooooood times. :)

おどりましょう！Let's Dance! Odorimashou!

Today I went to Uto-chu which is my favorite Jr. high school.. yet again I will emphasize this.  I was really confused teaching the 3rd grade class (equivalent to 9th grade) because in their workbook there was a sentence that said "I like to make a cake."   I will bore whoever reads this with some grammar that I don't understand.  First off:

"I like to make a cake"  Is not completely grammatically wrong right?  I mean it works because you can break it down  as 'I' = subject, 'like'=verb, 'to make' =infinitive verb, but then cake doesn't need the article 'a' or it will mean "I like to make one particular cake," although it still doesn't sound right.  Normally you'd say "I like to make cakes" or "I would like to make a cake."  

Can someone give a better explanation as to why this is awkward?  Is it correct?  God this is boring stuff sorry.

So in the midst of my grammatical exploration I was told that 12 students from the 3rd grade are having to perform a hyaena dance from The Lion King.  WHAAAA!  Crazy!!  I watched this stuff today and I swear like half of the dance majors I know would be like "Really?  Jr high school kids with no dance experience are going to do this?"  but my friends... this is Japan and they are all super crazy strong kids ironically.  I offered to video interpret this one minute long dance so I stayed after school and worked with three boys and my JTE to get through the first 24 counts they will be teaching tomorrow.  Tomorrow is also on of my elementary school days where I get out early so I also offered to come again.  I love dance and if this is the exposure I get to it then.. go with the flow.. right?  It's pretty awesome and the kids did 2.5 pirouettes with spotting.  I know.. I was impressed too.  They also have incredible musicality.  What is wrong with American school systems.  Will someone please tell Americans to come over here and look at how amazing this is.  

I talked to my Papa and my mom yesterday.  The answer to American's failed school system lies in Standardized Testing.  I mean fo shizz.  I hated those things and every 5 minutes students are learning stuff they need to know for the SOL's.. not learning crazy hyaena dances and preparing one month for a one day long sports festival.   

I have no idea when they will be performing their lion king dance.. but I did hear they're putting on some part of the play in Japanese.  It's also sweet they take time out of their school day to do this.   Ya know, just free periods to do really fun things.  

Today I had to call Zushi sensei to find out if I could skip office time tomorrow and go to Uto-chu.  So I pulled out of the parking lot, looked at my phone, only to realize my great super amazing wonderful supervisor had read my mind.  I called him and said "Zushi sensei.. my man.. how are you today?!"  "Good Meary Maagareto, How are you? Are you tired?"  "No, Zushi sensei I am super genki today!"  "OOOOOoooooOOOohhhhh goooooood!!!!  uuhh... Meaaarry Maaagareeeto welcome party uhhhh... jyu-gatsu... uuhh..October.. sanjyu... Ok?"

"Another welcome party.. yes that day is OK!" "Zushi-sensei, tomorrow Nogami shou, 2:00.. finish.  Next... Uto-chu ikimas.  Daijyobu desuka?"  "OHhhh HAI Meary Maaagaareeto. Hai, daijyobu desu."  "Okie dokie." "okie DOKIE!"  "ok byebye!"

I heart that man alot.

So he was calling to see if the date for my welcome party on October 30th would be ok.  Weird, I thought I already had a welcome party but BRING IT ON!!! I love parties with my bosses.   Then he said it was ok for me to go to Uto tomorrow.  YAY! Life is good.

Yay! Elementary school tomorrow!

Story of my life :)

Yay for the 2 months in Jay-pan mark (well last Friday but who's counting).  This is by far the coolest place ever.  It may or may not be cooler than France.. and by may or may not.. I mean it sure is the coolest place ever.  It's nice because I'm living on my own this time and not in an international residence with awkward hall bathrooms always containing lots of vomit on the weekends.  The showers had buttons you'd push to turn the water on for a good 10sec but you had to push it 4 times first in order to get warm water... which sucked in the wintertime cuz they'd leave the hall windows open for everyone to freeze.  

So... I love Japan.  They have massive Huntersman (I think that's the kind) spiders that end up inappropriately on my wall thus having to meet their death by body board impalement.  They have rice with every meal - but it's ok because right now it's rice harvesting season and the sticky rice is SOOOO amazing.  Most places don't know how to make good bread.. but coincidentally the grocery store by my house is rock awesome and has so many great loaves of bread.  My Japanese "keitai denwa" (cell phone) is slow.  Japanese technology does not surpass American in that category or many others.. but some things they do have they are super rad.   The language is hard to learn because it sounds like everything starts with a K but after you get used to it you can start to pick out words.  One of my students names is "Kazuko" and the word for family is "kazoku".. AHHH.  right?  My kitchen doesn't have an oven, but it does have a toaster oven, a boiler oven, a microwave, and 2 oven eyes (I forget what they're called - eyes right?).  My apartment is on the beach... wait.. yea I can hear the waves now.  Every Izakaya (Japanese restaurant where you share all in big dishes) I've been to has the most scrumptious food.  My fav was the one time my friends and I ordered corn and we got scallops freshly cooked.. then put back in the shells with lightly browned corn and some sauce.. the best food ever.  I love how there's a Denny's-like restaurant here in Shibushi called 'Joyfull'.  Yes, 2 L's.   Great for cheap food and hangover food.  THe other day I went because that's the only place that serves french fries and pizza and I was seriously craving some.  The french fries came with a little packet labeled "tomato sauce" and the pizza came with 4 pepperonis, corn, and green peppers.  They put corn on everything.  I think when I come back to the US I won't know what to do if there isn't corn plastered on every dish.  It's a good thing I love corn.. it stays in its entirety throughout the bodily digestion process which creeps me out a little though.

This weekend I went to the beach 3 times.  Recently, Al-lee showed me this super beautiful beach that is literally 15 minutes from my house.  Yeah my beach outside my apt is awesome but you can't swim bc the ships come through and you may or may not ingest engine fuel.  Needless to say, I've been a little scared.  My beach is perfect to run on though.  I've been a slacker and I haven't been running for a couple weeks because of vacation and laziness, but today I finally ran again.  So awesome.  I forget why I like it until I do it again.  I guess I've been a slacker my whole life due to the fact I was never a runner before Jay-pan.  Whatevs.. I danced more I guess.  

Today was the first cold day since I've been here.  Every other day has been dripping sweat hot.. but I like that too.. although I have to change clothes during the day because none of my schools are air-conditioned or heated.  I'm always the awkward foreigner sweating through her clothes.  Eh.. it's life.. I just wear more undershirts to avoid that situation.  The weather is soo totally humid here.  They call it "beta beta" meaning sticky.  But if you want to say it in Kagoshima-ben (Kagoshima dialect) then you say "EEE Kyoo waze nukii ne!"  Which means pretty much "Daaaaaamn yo it's freakin hot."  I love it.  

I bought a surf board and have been surfing up in Aoshima, Miyazaki.  It's the prefecture to the north of Kagoshima which has AMAZING surfing!  Aoshima is the surfers hot spot where people line the beach everyday, parking their cars on the sand.. waxing up their boards, and hitting the waves.  My surf board is SCHWEEEEET!  It's a Roxy board .. 6'8".... and it's a fun board.  Soooo pretty.  It's poxy (I think that's what the material is called) but it's lighter weight and more buoyant than other kinds.  It came with a board cover and a foot strap for only 25,000円 which is only about $250.  PERFECT!  I got a great deal.  Normally the board will go for about $400 by itself so heeellllllllzzzz yeah! 

About a month ago I did a homestay only for the weekend in a city called Kanoya that's about 30 minutes from where I live.  I ended up getting to stay with the best couple in the whole world!   Everyone should be jealous of the new friend I've made.  I stayed Miki  みき　and her husband Katsushi　かつし.　A quick rundown of everything we did... I took a Japanese cooking class and an Ikebana (flower arranging) class with Miki and then went to an amazing waterfall, then a Japanese bbq on the beach at sunset with Katsushi's family who didn't speak any English and they were sooooo great and supper genki.  :)  I'm so lucky to have met such happy people.  The next day (Sunday) we took a road trip to Kirishima and saw the famous Kirishima shrine and then went to a farm where Miki milked her first cow.  We ate the ice cream which was super yummy.  After we went to a little stream where you dip your feet in flowing hot springs and watch the sun set over Sakurajima.  Soooo beautiful!  It was the best weekend for sure!  Now, Miki and I meet to have fun gossip time and study lots of Japanese and English.  She's taking the hardest English test you can take .. this month .. so we're preparing for it :)  Miki can speak such GREAT English! I'm soooo proud of her.  Most elementary school teachers hardly speak any - or maybe that's just all of mine.

I have some super friends here in Shibushi.  Cassie (1st year ALT) and Al-lee (2nd year ALT) work for Shibushi High School.  They're my girls.. we cause lots of trouble together.   Christopher is Cassie's boyfriend who isn't with the JET program but just moved out here cuz he loves her.  Then, Topher (1st year from DC embassy) and Steve (from the UK - 1st year) live up north a bit in Iwagawa and Takarabe.  Lisa (1st year Aussie that I dont see much - :(  ) is in Iwagawa.  Keith and Andy in my office are both 5th year ALT's.  Then there's all the Kanoya kids whom I heart lots - Milica (1st year from New Zealand), Alex (1st year from Australia) and Rob (from lots of places in the Europe but his parents are British) I see the most.  Allen, James, and Koji are all my secret lovers (except not).. they live a bit farther away.  I brought Allen to 3 of my sports festivals last Sunday... He was forced to do a Japanese traditional dance - unannounced with me... then we had to throw beanbags into a large paper basket atop a large pole with all the kids' grandparents.  I think maybe the whole student body from one school asked if he was my lover.  HAH.  hm.   Reason #74 why I love Japan.. every boy is a possible lover.  

I have students ask me everyday if I have a boyfriend.. to which I respond "Yes, I have 5."  Then end it there and see their response.. it's always great.  The kids also love touching my hair and they go EEEEEhhhhhhhh!!!! Mega ga aoi desu! Kami ga kiiroi desu! (You're eyes are blue and your hair is yellow!)  then they go "KAWAII!!!!!!!!" "CUTE!!!"  and run off.  They say everything is KAWAII!!!!!!!  haha.  Cassie says everytime she sneezes they go KAWAII!!!!!  #321.2:  KAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!

Sa-rah came down for Silver week which is a string of Japanese holidays that all happened to fall back-to-back this year.  It was September 19th through the 23rd.  I drove to meet Sarah in Kagoshima city (which is where the Shinkansen (bullet train) takes you to).  We went out and stayed in the city for the night then did some massive accessory shopping the next day.. where I bought these sweet polka-dotted tights.  YEAAAH!   Later, we took the ferry back to Sakurajima (which is the GIGANTIC volcano and also the symbol of Kagoshima - and also where my car was parked).  We did a bit of sight seeing up on the volcano because it mini-erupts really often.   Mainly it just spits out ash but nonetheless it's an active volcano.  It's safe though - people actually live on it.. but they're constantly fighting ash.  Saturday night we stayed at my apartment in Shibushi (where we met the intrusive ginormo spider).  The next morning we stopped by one of my sports festivals then decided to head north on the Kyushu (my island of Japan) Expressway not knowing exactly where we were going.  Eventually on the drive up we decided to go to Nagasaki city for the night.. so we took a ferry a little west and stayed the night, to wake up the next day and go see the sites of the bombing.  It was sad and I don't like sad things so I took some meaningful photos and began driving to Fukuoka.  In Fukuoka, Sarah and I met up with our friend Dave who we had originally met at the Washington, D.C. JET orientation.  He is super fly for a white guy and also a break dancer.  He lives in Oita which is above the Miyazaki prefecture (which I previously explained).  He brought 3 of his friends who are supa-cool and we had a great night of drinking in parks and getting lost in a huge city.  We at the famous Fukuoka ramen close to Canal City (a huge outdoor mall) on the river.  It was sooo great.. if you ever go look for the man with shoulder length hair's ramen shop... it's the best.  I forget what the name was.  Everyone needs to go get Fukuoka ramen.. it's totally to die for - or live for.. whichever.  Anyway.. that night we all crammed into the smallest hotel room ever to sleep.  Then, Dave and his friend Kelsey had to leave early and they accidently hijacked my backpack and took it to Oita.  Dave had a break dancing competition. SCHWING!  So off to Oita we went to retrieve my belongings and watch Japanese men spin on their heads.  WORD!  Amazing.  We stayed at the competition all day then ended up crashing at Dave's.  SOOOoo exhausted but well worth it.  The next morning Dave made us french toast out of this really tasty bread.  Then we traveled to Beppu, Oita to go to this onsen (public bath) where they cover you in really dark wet sand and you sit under it for 20 minutes.  AWESOME!  It's so relaxing!  Next, I drove Sa-rah to Fukuoka so she could take the Shinkansen from there and I embarked on the 5-6 hour trip back to Shibushi.. totally well worth the long weekend! :)

All of my schools are amazing and super genki.  I'm playing favorites with my biggest Jr high: Uto Junior High School and Futsuhara Elementary School.  Uto- has the funnest faculty and super outgoing students that talk to me and teach me fun hip Japanese words.  They're also the best at English.  Then Futsuhara Elementary has the greatest vice-principal ever who wrote on the board "Meary is funny and agressive (spelled like that) and happy teacher"  He also writes in all cursive... I'm so proud.  All of the students there LOVE English and are super rowdy.  It's a good thing English isn't a desk class or I'd get in trouble.. those kids 1st-5th grade don't write English - only verbal communication - so we basically have fun and play games the entire class.  I love my life.  I love Japan.

So Zushi Sensei is the coolest boss anyone could ever have.  By ever I mean EVER.  He scared me at first because I think he was afraid to speak English with me but now it's like I think he anticipates fun and no work the 2 times I come into the office every week.  I'm pretty sure when I'm not there he's thinking of something ridiculous to tell me.  Last week we bantered back and forth about how I should send my mother Shibushi air and live ginormo spiders for presents.  I don't think she'd appreciate me.  I also taught Zushi Sensei the word 'okie dokie' because it sounds like the Japanese word for 'sometimes' (tokie dokie).  He uses it RELIGIOUSLY.  It's pretty much the greatest thing ever.  That man.  Hah ..so awesome.  "Zushi Sensei... Where do I go to get a car battery?"  "Okie dokie !!HAHAHAHH!!!"  ... "Alright then."

Tonight I had experimental cooking time. I SUCK at cooking so I'm always super nervous.. I had this meat that I bought 4 days ago .. it looked like hamburger meat but I'm never 100% positive here bc I can't read the Kanji.. So I cooked it tonight with some mystery mushrooms I didn't understand either .. and the meat turned white.. hm. I called my friend and he was like "yeah I don't think it's supposed to do that." and then I looked at the expiration date on it which turned out to be 9/30. ohhhh. no. Needless to say.. that was thrown in the food waste freezer ziplock container. We have to keep all food waste separate.. we can't throw it in the trash like normal Americans. Shibushi (where I live) is like number 1 or 2 for recycling in Japan. They have about 27 different bins to put things in. I have 6 in my apt. It's so confusing but I'm finally figuring it out. Although, when I go to put my trash out I still do it at night on the right day because I've heard horror stories of old ladies bringing your garbage back to you and telling you to fix it. hm.

Anyway, I got super excited bc I remembered I had some variety of noodles and eggplant and green peppers so I chopped them up and put them in a pan... it took like 5 min to cook.. thank god. And it's SUPER good.

Today my entire school board came to watch me teach one class. By school board I mean all the amazing cool people that work in my main office whom I see every Monday and Friday.  I had to wait all day too. So I learned the Kanji for the days of the week, numbers 1-10, 100, 1000, big, small, on top, below, in the middle, hand, foot/leg and a couple more I can't remember right now. It's all elementary Kanji for 1st graders but you have to start somewhere right?! yay!

The school board people said "good job" to me about 100 times and then spoke to the Japanese Teacher of English about something that I didn't understand. They all looked at me and said TANOSHIKATTA! which means it was fun. I assume that's a good thing... I wish I knew the other things they said.

I used my amazing coffee cup this morning. Yesterday in Miyakonojo (a city about 45 min north of Shibushi in Miyazaki prefecture) I bought these cute coffee cups that stack on each other.  My kitchen has zero counter space so I bought it to preserve cabinet space as well.  :)  I didn't eat breakfast today.. which is normal for me so whatevs. I wish for my job I could go drink beer on a beach and nurse my hangover from an amazing night before... I've tried to nurse a hangover in school and that normally isn't such a great idea.

Today one of my students was trying to explain some word in Japanese to me.. and my cell phone translated it as metamorphose (wtf?). I finally found out they were saying 'hentai' which means 'pervert'. Reason number 453.2 why I love Japan :)

btw I went running in the rain today - no one out there to hear my horrible breathing. word.