Grindstone

Well it's back to it ... The holidays seem forever away and Christmas plans might as well be an eternity away.

Having said that we did have a fun old weekend. Went on a hike up a mountain for three hours, across rocks and rivers, really fun. Got to the top and couldn't see more than 5 metres in front of us... ah well!!

Had these photos for a while, since I tidied my apartment in fact, that one day back in July sometime. But in case any of you were worried about me rotting away in my 2x2 metre apartment ....

More photos? Yes Please!

Nara Ra Ra Ra

So when the family came to visit, Dave, Brian, Mel and myself went to visit Nara, the oldest capital of Japan.

Now it's known for it's Deer and it's giant Buddha, and that's pretty much what we saw. In fact if you look at our photos, 50% are of Deer, 40% are of a Giant Buddha, or his house (Todaji) and the rest are of ... well .... other stuff you take photos of.

Having said that, the Deer were cool, super tame and some of them bowed when they wanted food. And yes the Buddha was frigging huge!!! Like ridiculously big! In fact people could fit through his nostril! Its a story that if you can fit through the hole in the pillar in the temple (the size of the Buddha's nostril) you can get into Nirvana! Dave considered but was too damn chicken!!

So that was Nara.

Cheeseu

So on the last night with Dave's family we experienced the ultimate in Japanese Culture.

Kimonos?
Sushi?
Origami?

Nope ... photo booths!

These things are big enough to all four of us into comfortably. They have six or seven different backgrounds and tons of 'Themes'. After a bit of confused button pressing and lots of posing, we emerged to do the fun part. You get three minutes to 'photoshop' as you see fit. And the results .... (these are photos of the photos, since I don't have a scanner)

Blisters

So got back from Tokyo at 12 this morning, due in work at 4. But to be honest it was a hectic end to a crazy hectic (but fun) week. Daves family were over and we played super tour guides.

First evening I headed into meet them we headed to a sushi resteraunt, where Dave and I with our impecibble Japanese skills managed to order almost 40 plates of sushi. The waiters were pissing themselves laughing with each new plate we tried to squeeze onto the table. But we're troopers and managed to eat about ... 50%.

First day out we headed to Inuyama to see the castle, and the tea gardens. It was damn hot so the fans we'd bought the family came in useful. After that we headed for a slap up best darned chinese meal we'd ever eaten at Dave's friend resteraunt, Osunara. It was happy in your belly food and we could hardly move afterward.

Next on the agenda was Kyoto, so we hopped on the shinkansen, got there in 40 minutes and then stood waiting for a bus for an hour! But first stop was Sanjusangendo, the temple with 1001 buddhas, and then onto Kiyomizu, where we saw a Geisha! After all that, all we were fit for was a shower and an Outback meal.


Next couple of days were rest days, while I went to the festival with Aiko. Filled with shopping and comfort food.

Monday, Dave, Mel, Brian and myself headed to Nara, which was amazing. So much so that it'll get its own post when I get me finger out.

To celebrate their last night in Nagoya, we headed to karaoke. And we were treated to, without a doubt, the best, rendition of YMCA ever. Don't think I've ever laughed so damn hard.


On Tuesday we hopped on the train to big scary wet your pants Tokyo, which in reality is just as managable as any other big poo off city. Dave and I headed to Odaiba, crazy tourist shopping island with statue of liberty replicas and Gap and Next stores. The others didn't miss much bar some interesting sake.


Next day, Mel, Pete and Luann headed on a bus tour while Dave, Brian and I did our best to stalk the bus to all the same places. We did a walking tour of stereotypical japanese shopping district. Big advertising screens, crazy traffic, tons of people, a billion stores. As much of a culture shock as the quiet serene temples. Dave and Brian took a well deserved break (5 minutes into the walk) in an arcade and played a good hour of zombie shooting games. A guy was so impressed/bored/drunk that he gave em 1000 yen for their trouble!


Then headed to the kitchen supply district with tons of pottery shops and all the plastic food you'll even need. Looking at all that plastic food (that and the 5 hours of walking) put a rumble in our stomach that was nicely cured by an amazing Indian lunch meal. Mmmmm my tail is still wagging thinking about it.

Our last evening was spent eating YakiNiku, Korean BBQ where you cook your own food on a grill at the table. A splendid success followed by numerous bottles of wine and photo slide shows. This morning, nursing tenderheads, Dave and I jumped on the Shinkansen home, while the others packed and waited for their flight home.


Crazy hectic but a whole lot of damn fun.

Awaiting

So those of you who got to experience me in a sari, either in pictures or in person and had a good ole giggle, get ready for a fun post.

Aiko, a teacher at my school, had invited myself and Shiori (one of my students and her friend) to a festival at her Aunt's home town in Gifu. We were staying at her aunts parents home, a real traditional japanese house. There was no furniture except a low table. Every one just flopped out on the floor. All the rooms were seperated by paper screens. Despite the nasty heat and humidity, the wind seemed to know where to blow to make it just perfect. In the afternoon we just chilled out, went for a walk, saw a waterfall and ate an obscene amount of Kobe beef.

And then the fun started!

Aiko had brought three of her mam's yukata (summer kimono) for me to pick from and they'd chosen a pretty white one with blue and yellow flowers. But the freaky gaijin was too tall so we borrowed some from her aunts family who were closer to my size. So her aunt twirled me around and ....

Then we headed out to the festival. Its a dance festival and takes place almost every night for a couple of months, every so often being an all nighter! Last night wasn't an all nighter but we got there at 9 and at midnight when we left the were still going strong.

Think line dancing in a circle. Think live traditional japanese music. Think synchronicity. Think grace. Think beautiful elegant yukatas. Now imagine a clumsy red head in the mix! I'm surprised they didn't revoke my visa.


I'm not sure my hair has forgiven me for the amount of gel they put in, and I don't think my feet will ever forgive me for wearing wooden blocks about 3 sizes too small for dancing. But to be honest it was all worth it, a real experience and a good giggle for you lot too.

Boom

So this weekend was the weekend o' festivals, in Kanie and Inuyama.

Saturday night after work we headed to the Kanie festival with Mieko and Satoshi, the two nicest damn people you'll ever meet. They were having a party at their house but took the time to walk us to the river to see the festival, the centerpiece of which was a cool tall ship decorated with lanterns. It was sooooo cool to see and the photos just don't do it justice. There were guys on board throwing out sweets and gifts and then it just sailed away.

Then we walked throught the carnival part, heard a tiny bit of Teiko drumming which is sooooo cool, I rang the temple bell and then headed back for barbeque and beer. Met some super nice people.


Thats the thing here ... the people are just 'drop dead fall over themselves make you want to marry them' nice. So so so so damn nice. And we just keep meeting em.

Sunday we did a bit of shopping, a bit of eating, a bit of hanging around in 5 star hotels enjoying the view and the air conditioning and then headed back here to see the Inuyama Dance Festival. It was a mix of local groups, amateur groups and this cool drum trio from Okinawa that were just amazing. Didn't stay long, because This Life and some imported tortillas awaited us at home.


Today is a day of cleaning, planning, scrubbing, shopping, preparing for the families arrival tomorrow (well for Dave anyway, I'm here eating icecream, having a beer and reading). We're so excitied to see em and show em round. While at times it might sound like all we do is work, the coolest things about our life here, are still the little things like convenience stores, shopping and eating!

More photos are here in the Festivals set.

Stary

So some of you may already know but ...

I'm famous!!!

Well in my own little world anyway. One day a couple of months ago, I was cycling to work in the metropolis that is Inuyama, when I see an AEON poster. Nothing unusual there. AEON and it's rival NOVA carpet bomb Japan with adverts. They're everywhere.

But this particular poster made me do a double take. There smiling back at me ... was me! Yup me! On a poster. And in big letters - Blah blah blah blah Joanne blah blah blah. Its always so disconcerting to see your name but have no idea what they're saying.

So for the conversation schools, their biggest assets are their foreign teachers. And they let the world and his wife know it.

And this includes, but is not limited to crazy posters in the center of town, pictures of you on the windows, your face on a flyer being handed out at the train station with a complementary pack of tissues. (and yes, all the gross jokes to be made about this have been made, mostly by my family!)

Now I know most of you that know me, would assume that all this would send people running and screaming to Nova. But Goldarnit, they keep on doing it.

Point in case - The website! You should have a fun old browse through this in order to see cringeworthy posed photos of me but also some cool ones of my students.

And yes I know it's in Japanese, but click below for the different options - Main page, Staff, Students, Kids Main Page.

And within the Kids section you'll see some live action photos of the Sunglasses class a couple of weekends ago.

For the more daring of you check out the crazy Google automatic translation of my adult Bio and my kids Bio (which is WAY cuter!). Your guess is as good as mine.

Dave of course is a superstar in his own right, but its a lot more understandable since he's so darned cute!

Bloomin Ell

On Monday headed out with some of the guys we trained with. First stop was Starbucks, and then onto the Orchid Garden.

It's just a nice small cool quiet relaxing garden in the centre of Nagoya, that just happens to have tons and tons of orchids. Some ridiculously nice women showed us around and told us what they could with their english and X's japanese.

This one doesn't need soil, it just lives on the moisture in the air! How insane is that!

Couple of pictures below, but more here if you're horticulturally inclined! Topped off the day with a slap-up, to die for, darn good mexican meal. Mmmmmmm Mmmmm!