End of the rain
Posted by: elephantdreams on: October 2, 2009
Today is the first non-rainy day this week! (what the heck am I doing online?!)
Oh yeah, I’m listening to Mumford and Sons!!!
(contains a four-letter word, you are warned, darlings)
“Little Lion Man”
“White Blank Page” (Live)
Oh my goodness yes!!
Anyway…
Last week was Silver Week, a big chunk of holidays, all lined up in a row! In the middle of that five-day weekend, my dear friends Dianne and Adrianne joined me in a trip to Osaka and Wakayama prefecture. The main aim of our destination was Koya-san, the big holy mountain in the middle of Wakayama prefecture.
See their Official Website for comprehensive information!
The basic thing to know is that Koya-san has over 200 temples crammed in a tiny space, and is absolutely oozing with religious history, as it is the home/holy place for a sect of Japanese Buddhism.
For us, that meant staying in a temple with very friendly monks, enjoying the peaceful scenery (and the huge crowds) and taking long walks through the woods, surrounded by graves and giant trees and beautiful buildings.
Amusing was the company graves, decorated with giant stone carvings (UCC Coffee had a giant coffee cup. We were disappointed that Sony and Panasonic didn’t have a giant stone television or camera). We were reverent of course at the monuments to the 47 samurai, but it’s difficult to maintain that sort of spirit when you’re participating in this giant zen tourism, and children are pointing at you and saying (with great surprise) “Oh, gaijin!”
But Dianne-gaijin-san and Adrianne-gaijin-san and I did manage to find and appreciate genuine moments. Maybe I’m not Buddhist, but I prayed none the less. And listened to the old women chanting with their prayer books in front of the sand-bowls of billowing incense. Admired the ancient paintings and the zen stone garden, and just let my thoughts wander.
That, I think, is the best that you can and should do.
And now, pictures.
Our first temple
Don’t worry, I was appropriately reverent inside, but you have to start any trip off properly. With jumping.
On the way to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. I managed to pick up the giant magic rock by using the basic principles of physics. The deal is, you reach in with one arm into this wooden cage, and try and pick up this rock that’s about the size of half a loaf of bread. It’s amazingly heavy, and while it has grippy bits in its shape, the only way to actually pick it up (that I managed) was to lean over, wedge in my arm, and pick it up like a baby or a set of weights. Ha! I guess I’m lucky now.
And there was a field. A proper one, with real grasses. It was amazing.
And a huge stupa! This is in the “middle” of the mountain top. Koya-san has 8 peaks in its range that surround a central point (where the stupa is) in such a way that it looks like the stupa is in the middle of a (holy) lotus flower. You can’t see the mountain “petals” because of the trees and all, but that’s what they say anyway. It was an amazing building. Going inside reminded me a lot of a temple I visited in Kanchipuram: a giant Buddha and four (compartively) smaller onces, surrounded by pillars with fabulous paintings.
By the end, we were completely Buddha’d-out.
Tuesday
Posted by: elephantdreams on: September 15, 2009
- In: Japan
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Today at Rogakko, I taught the students the story of Dreamcatchers, and we did arts and crafts. Later, we had a Ballet workshop with the entire school.
Lieutenant, please file today under “Super Special Awesome”.
Other great stuff:
I climbed the Bizan in the dark, and was not eaten by wild dogs.
I learned how to play a song from “The Little Mermaid” on the ukulele.
The weekly home-cooked meals and ladies-only movie nights have begun again at the Shogakko Queen’s house. Viva! The Queen, the Fashionista, the Kiwi, and myself gather for delightful evenings. Ho har har.
Daniel Radcliffe is apparently going to star as Dan Eldon in the movie about Dan Eldon’s life.
The Wizard of New Zealand has a great wikipedia page.
I get enough sleep every night despite crazy dreams, because I am not up till all hours of the night worrying about things.
In a sudden burst of creativity, I started scrapbooking and making collages again (see: Dan Eldon).
The new JETs came, I realized how much more capable I’ve become as a person, and, aspiring after the archetypal French Girl, to realize that I can only improve and grow.
In other words, it can only get more fabulous!
Awa Odori this week!!! (And other bits)
Posted by: elephantdreams on: August 10, 2009
- In: Japan
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Oh my God oh my Gawwwwwwd, Awa Odori starts this Wednesday!! I’m so nervous!!!
o________O;;;;;
Our last practice was tonight.
I’ve been practicing really really hard!
So hard, that I pulled something… my right leg is all screwed up, as is my lower back. I have to stretch really well every day just to be able to do normal stuff. Ow ow ow. いたいいいい
But oh my goodness is it ever exciting! I can’t wait to wear my purple kimono and my giant taco-shaped hat and dance like nuts! Every day now I wear geta when I’m not at school.
And speaking of not being at school…
Today I woke up, and it was typhooning. We were getting hit by the edge of tropical storm Etau, and it was amazing!!! So much rain, so much lightening and thunder!!! Nature is really really powerful!
I thought to myself, “Oh, I can’t be bothered to go through this storm just to sit pointlessly at my desk”. So I mailed my supervisor to ask for holiday leave. Stupid! I should have said “Oh no, a typhoon! Abunai!”
But now I have to take one of my holiday days. Mottainai! What a waste!!
Although, it did clear up and I could have gone in for half a day, but I am a lazy bum and couldn’t be bothered.
Yesterday I saw an amazing musical play put on by a local musical theater group. One of my students was in it, surprisingly.
The (original) story was about three girls who meet two girls who may or may not be magical, and for some reason, they decide to go back in time on a flying broom (one of the girls is a janitor, one is a makeup artist, and one just likes history for some reason?). So they go back and meet somebody who may or may not be Genghis Khan, and help some people get a scroll and a princess, and then there was a huge song and dance number.
Then, they went to America to try and stop Kennedy from being assassinated. For this half the play, almost everyone spoke a ton of English, and they were all pretty dang good with their accents and so on. The girls made a jazz group, and performed for Jackie O, and tried to warn her. Jackie O said she would tell Kennedy, but she lied! (for some reason, she was a complete bitch, and she couldn’t see the two magical girls. Who knew?)
Undaunted, the girls use their showbiz connections (3 more extremely tall girls in sparkly Supreme’s style dresses) to get an audience with Kennedy. They warn him about getting shot, but he says that danger is part of being President, and the people of Texas are his people too, so he can’t avoid the trip. Realizing they can’t stop him from taking his path, the cast sings “Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory” in a very moving style, giving Kennedy one last performance.
In the audience, we had already looked at each other several times to say “No way”
But wait, there was more to come. John and Jackie got on their car and were on the motorcade, and the girls came and stopped time, to try and save him again. They told JFK that they were from the future, and that we had a black President, and that there was a bullet in his future. But JFK said that he was the President of the United States of America, and he was going to do his job.
Then he was shot. (In the audience, we looked at each other and said “No Way” again).
Then the janitor girl held up a flag in a spotlight against the curtain, and the Supremes stood in the balcony and sang something along the lines of “Where have you gone, JFK”. (I’ve been unable to figure out what song they actually sang).
Then they went back to the present time, accidentally inspiring young Steven Spielberg to invent E.T. THE END.
Like I said. It was amaaaaaaazing. Not often am I really weirded out and very moved at the same time.
File that under “Oh, Japan”.
Odori Aho
Posted by: elephantdreams on: July 19, 2009
- In: Japan
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I am, indeed a dancing fool.
It’s ok. I can live with that!
So, as I said, I went to Komatsushima Matsuri. At first I was in a bit of a mood because it was very hot, and humid, and the people I was to meet didn’t show for an hour. I don’t like being made to wait, and once I DO start waiting, I don’t like to break my solitude when everyone else shows up! It’s a silly cycle.
My friends appeared and we got down to the business of watching the thing that were going on. I had already seen 40 minutes of hula dancing, so while we listened to a bunch of speeches from dignitaries and navy guys, my friend (The Fashionista) and her Japanese guy friend (City Boy) went to look at some of the booths. I stayed in the shade and waited for the next attraction, which was going to be the gaijin (foreigner) Awa Odori dance competition.
I knew there was trouble when I saw the Fashionista talking and gesturing with some guy wearing a fair badge. City Boy walked back and told me that the Fashionista was now entered in the contest. Then they all started gesturing at me, and suddenly I realized that I was entered in the contest too.
Oh boy.
Only for a minute did I think “Oh heck no”.
Then I thought “Oh heck yes, I am going to kick ass and dance hard. And I am all out of ass. Let’s do this!”
We danced round and round a stage, lots of college students from China, Mongolia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Colombia. And two chicks from America. We danced Otoko Odori (men’s dance) which was newish to me, and what the heck, I danced HARD CORE.
And I won the whole dang thing!! 7 prizes, and I got the top one!!! Which was an ice-cream maker / blender. HECK YEAH!!
The trick to winning? Putting all your gumption into it, grinning like a dancing fool, and just being totally willing to dance in front of an entire town / video cameras. Hopefully it will end up on the news or something har har har.
My only regret is not shoving my camera in someone’s hands before I climbed up on the stage. Boo!
Chalk it up to another “Oh Japan, you so awesome” moments.
(I love dancing Awa Odori!)
People people people
Posted by: elephantdreams on: July 19, 2009
Man oh man, it’s all new kinds of hot now.
I did turn on my air-con because I’ve been at home during the day and really do need it. Ah well. It had to happen sometime.
Today is a matsuri down in Komatsushima, “Harbor Festival”. I don’t know if I want to go, but I think I’m gonna anyway… the issue is the heat, and the fact that I’m not so excited to be around a bunch of people. I’m not even that excited to be around my friends, to tell God’s honest truth.
The other night I went with the Kiwi to a charity music concert at P’s (a bar). We were two of maybe 6 foreigners there, and we wound up sitting and chatting up this Japanese woman for over 2 hours. It’s fun, and really cool to be able to sit and chat in another language but oh my gosh is it exhausting after a while!!
…and I’m starting to feel that exhaustion around people who speak English. Sometimes, when people just aren’t traveling down the same mental or linguistic or intellectual or emotional line that you are, it’s very tiring to hang out with them, and to keep things going.
Maybe I’ve mentioned this before, maybe not, but the thing they really don’t explain here is the loneliness that comes about. Sure, I have a good number of friends, and even more acquaintances, but… there is such a loneliness none the less. It’s more base, and can be covered up with activity, parties, coffee dates, and so on.
Note that I say “covered up”, not “dealt with”.
I mean, it’s fine. It’s all totally fine, and I’m not going to crash and burn, but going along like that is like running and engine, eventually it’ll run down and can’t go anymore until it gets a tune-up and the (immediate) issue is addressed (or at least the fan belt is replaced, or the gas replenished) and then it goes again.
Like I said, I’m fine.
And I’m going to the festival, I’m not wussing out and staying inside all day (much as that is sort of appealing, it’s also a completely revolting idea).
Conversations
Posted by: elephantdreams on: July 15, 2009
- In: Japan
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Tonight at Awa Odori practice, I wore my geta for the first time.
Remember when you buy a new pair or a poorly made pair of sandals, and the bit that goes between your big and second toe chafes from here to Dixie?
Yes, well it’s like that, except you are putting all our weight on that chafe, and also dancing in time and waving your arms.
A whole new kind of pain.
Tonight’s practice was endurance mode, just dancing up and down and up and down the park pavement. I made it as far as I could, and then decided that since I was sucking so bad because the pain was so distracting, I should probably just change back to my sneakers.
I danced maybe 15 steps in my sneakers before practice ended. I didn’t have a watch or phone, so I didn’t know the time.
All in all, I’m pleased with myself for making it that far.
At the rest point in the middle, one of the really genki men’s dancers came up to me and told me all about how my rhythm was ok, but my power sucked, actually, no, my power was making my rhythm suck, and so I should kick my knees up higher.
I wanted to say “Yes, you put the geta on and see how much genki YOU have!!” but what I really did was agree with everything he said, say “Ossu” (“push / I’m gonna fight hard!”) and try my best. After all, he was right. My rhythm and power were sucking big time.
My old-lady friend chatted me up at break time too. We talked about the weather, and where Supervisor-teacher was, and how dancing was fun. Maybe 75% of the stuff she says to me I don’t understand, but dammit… if I’ve learned anything in a year, it’s that smiling, nodding, and applying the old ganbare (do your best) spirit will get you far.
At the end of practice, I talked with the kids. They wanted to know where Supervisor-teacher was, and to tell me what a good dancing gaijin I am, and to basically joke around. I told them I was going home to eat, and they told me if I ate after 8 pm, I would get fat.
I said “Ah, metabo desu ne” (“Yeah, I’ll get metabo”) and they busted a nut laughing at me, then said “kyotsukete” (“Be careful!”) and sent me on my way.
Thanks, kids, You’re the most awesome.
Now I have to run to the grocery store and sort some dinner. I rearranged most of my furniture today in a brief fit of industry, but now all the bits and bobs of moving are all over the floor and bed and table… I don’t really have a place to eat or sleep. Yet. And I need a shower.
Ahhh.
I enjoy being busy!
Awa Odori
Posted by: elephantdreams on: July 6, 2009
- In: Japan
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As I may or may not have mentioned to various folks, I joined Awa Odori!
More specifically, I joined a ren, Kabuki ren, and practice three nights a week in the park. It’s freaky to think that Awa Odori is only a month and a week away.
For your enjoyment, here are some nice A.O. clips:
This clip is a short street dancing clip from Tokushima. Whee!!
This one is longer, and much more interesting. It’s from the Awa Odori Kaikan (cultural center) in Tokushima, and in it you can
a. hear the music better
b. see men’s dancing!
I’ll be doing the women’s dance (onna odori), as seen at the beginning, and around the 5 minute mark. But man, I want to do the men’s dance! It looks so cool!! The leaders showed me how to do the steps last Saturday, and man, it’s HARD. It takes a lot of leg strength (whereas the women’s takes arm strength, and the ability to keep going despite having your ribs all wrapped up in a kimono).
As the second video progresses, you hear more and more of the music. Now you can finally understand what I’m talking about. This is what I hear every weeknight between the hours of 7:30 and 9, except it is being played by at least 4 different groups at the same time 200 yards from my door, and is bouncing and echoing off the buildings. It’s fast and furious and powerful music, but man, once at flute tune is in your head, it NEVER GOES AWAY. EVER.
Related to all this; today I bought all the gubbins I’ll need for my kimono.
Tada!
These are all the bits and bobs to tie my kimono on, keep the ends clipped, fill out the obi, secure the obi, soak up the inevitable sweat, etc etc.
So, that’s all for now. Lucky Waving Cat says Goodbye!!
Nyah!
In other news…
Posted by: elephantdreams on: June 23, 2009
So the more I read about the things happening in Iran, the more it was seeming that as a number of countries (read: the US) have some interest in the situation, their fingers were perhaps pulling the strings behind the spontaneous outbreak of a color revolution.
At first, that made me feel crabby, because a revolution of the common folk is again chalked up to sticky fingers manipulating the populous and in turn, the bloggers who have been (therefore) mindlessly spreading the information about the Iranian people. It cheapens honest people’s efforts to get the word out about something they believe in.
Then I thought about it a bit more. A comment from someone here in Tokushima was that “is there any country that could have a revolution now a days that you would not [speculate] was the US covertly overthrowing the government?”
And here it is. I don’t know what’s really going on behind the scenes, as it were. While I think it’s important to know what governments are up to, what we’re forgetting here is that while we marvel or speculate over how and what has happened in terms of turning this revolution into a more global cause across the internet, people die on the ground. Who cares who the players are when the pawns die for them? I don’t need to hear one more conspiracy theory that removes focus from the fact that someone somewhere is standing up for something.
Maybe it’s a masterful work of international politics. Maybe the people are manipulated into wanting what the player wants. Does that invalidate their wants as a people? When we forget about them as a people and see them merely as means to an end, then yes, it does.
And on a different note (because Iran really is difficult to put into good words) today is Tuesday, and I love Tuesday. Tuesday is the day I go to Rogakko. Rogakko is a always a day of small classes, lunch with students, and enjoyable class activities.
Today for example, we used kid’s doctor toys to act out conversations in a hospital (Senior High School 3rd grade). Then (SHS 2nd grade) we played a game about taking a bath that I had drawn up the night before (using my phone bill as a straight edge: take THAT, fiscal responsibility!) Later, (SHS 2nd grade, Academic course) we did one-on-one reading and past participle work. Lunch was curry rice.
I love Tuesdays!
Lastly, a cool thing that happened today was when I sat down to study Japanese. I recently bought two new study books, geared towards Grammar and Reading, and Vocabulary and Kanji for the JLPT Level 3 (which I’ll take in December). And lo, it all just clicked today in my Grammar book.
I really enjoy these particular books because they give you kanji within the readings and examples, but only give you the furigana (telling you how to read each kanji) the first couple of times. After that, you’re expected to remember what you’ve read. So I’m working harder. I’m remember more, because I’m expected too.
The other thing is, the examples and general explanations are all in Japanese. All that my workbook says for a grammar point is “While …ing”, to tell you what the point means.
It’s all because of my reading intensive Japanese lessons, and because I started playing attention to when my JTE would explain English grammar points in Japanese.
That’s about all I have for today. It rained the most amazing ocean-storm style rain last night, and I’d like to go outside today before it rains again.
Global
Posted by: elephantdreams on: June 19, 2009
It’s a beautiful summery day in Tokushima today. My thoughts are elsewhere, specifically, in Iran.
and
Roundabout
Posted by: elephantdreams on: June 11, 2009
- In: Japan
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Current Activity: Cooking dinner (Indian curry and couscous)
As the weather heats up and the Awa Odori practices become regular night time occurrences, a curious thing happens.
Things become familiar.
Hearing the sounds and smelling the smells of this time of year actually triggers memory for me, and that’s amazing. Because I was here 11 months ago, and I have actual memory of things being this way in Tokushima before.
It’s one thing to say “I’ve lived in a place for a year”, and another, more humbling thing, to be physically confronted with evidence of that fact.
And although a year is a long time, it stops me in my tracks to think “from this point on, I’m half way done, and heading for the end”.
The end for now, at least.
Edit: I will bitch and moan about the Awa Odori music in the coming weeks, but let it be known: I absolutely love Awa Odori. Seeing all the people move in unison in the park, singing and chanting and waving lanterns and fans… it really moves me. I want to be a part of it, and at the same time, I want to watch it forever, absorb it all in my skin, yell and chant and stamp my feet and wave my arms.
The dancing fool and the watching fool are equally foolish, so you might as well dance.
