Koriyama Bound!

I'll be out of contact for the next day as I will be on the train to Koriyama. I'm well prepared for it with a full iPod and a good book. BB

These pictures have other meanings

New Years Holidays Count Down

This is going to have to be a speed posting because the office is about to get very busy. In less than an hour the town basically shuts down for New Year's. In a welcome change, the office bought everyone soba for lunch. Also, a New Year's display sprang up in Chomin Hall where I work over the course of the afternoon.

My special plans for New Years

In response to queries about my New Year's plans - or perhaps my over-hyping of them - I thought I'd outline my trip to Koriyama. I leave Sunday on the overnight journey by train to Fukushima. Why train? I love trains. No lines. Lots of room. If you have the time, an overnight train might be the best way to go. I say "might" because I've never taken an overnight train before, just the normal kind. I get to sweep under the ocean in the tunnel between Aomori-ken and Hokkaido that preceded the English-French Chunnel. It's also cheaper than flying, though once all is said and done, only by $30. Hopefully it will be light as I travel through the snow encrusted peaks and valleys of Northern Japan in the early morning hours before arriving in Koriyama. In Koriyama I will spend a week with my old host family the Tsuchiya's, a connection that might possibly be stronger than when I was living there in 1999-2000. A lot has changed since I was hosted there 7 years ago that I won't get into here but I feel very fortunate to be invited back for my 5th visit in 3 years. The good news is that all of Kumama's and Yukipapa's university age sons will be coming home for the New year's holiday. Making a total of 4 over-sized loafing boys. (There's also a rumor someone got a Wii for Christmas.) Reminding me a lot of my own mother, Kumama feigns hestiation at all that eating and laundry, but deep down I know she is happy to have all her boys is one place.

Where did the snow go?

Terrifying from the front, these mysteriously moved to the front of the building yesterday, meaning only one thing: snow. In the end, however, they were unneeded as the predicted snow never came. It's a balmy 0C today and such a small amount melted by afternoon. Recognizing the scarcity of this topic, I'm sure this post will be ranked high on Japanese snowblower searches but I have no information to offer except that knowing Japanese engineering, these robotic-looking self-propelled units are probably only a couple of generations away from self-awareness. Be very afraid.

File under "Inter-cultural Office Humor": every morning we have a formal greeting with the superintendent at the start of work (and at the end of work). Something happened during this rock solid ritual this morning that offers a subtle insight into Japanese culture; the far side of the room was engaged in something, I didn't notice, and ignored the greeting completely, no one seemed to noticed until it was over and our dutiful side turned and asked if everything was okay, then one of their guys responded innocently, oh has work started, and everyone laughed. Maybe you had to be there?

Boxing Day Round up Part Two

Being a normal Wednesday, waking up early was the only thing different I did for Boxing Day. I was expecting calls from both my younger brother on west coast and my parents in Calgary. I have considered it at length, and well I can't necessarily explain it, I enjoy talking to my folks on their Christmas more than on mine. It makes me feel more apart of their Christmas. As luck would have it, with the price of international calls falling from year to year, we can fortunately talk on both Christmases. I was in Sapporo yesterday doing some shopping but came home will cash. Nothing I really needed. Nothing to buy. That's a good feeling. One important obersevation from around the station yesterday: I saw Nintendo Wii Fit's everywhere. I guess we know how the Japanese will be getting their excerise next year. (No more Billy's Boot Camp! <--- internal Japanese reference.) Of course I ate my fill of sushi. I have included a picture of me looking gluttonous and guilty. The sushiya-san wasn't busy as expected. In another stroke of good luck - a Christmas miracle if you will - I was able to pick up Radiohead's new In Rainbows. Amazon Japan and Wikipedia both listed the Japanese release date as Dec 26th. Initially I was disappointed being so close to a record store on the 25th but so far from the new album. To my surprise upon entering Tower Records I was greeted by a big display. I might have pushed a child, a clown or Santa out of the way in a rush to get a copy. It's all kind of a blur. I don't want to reopen the debate on digital rights management, but even though I took advantage and downloaded it for free when offered it was offered for free, I still did the completely illogical thing and paid for the CD (and not just for it's audiophile qualities) showing the music industry is still rocking and rolling despite people's worst predictions. (For people who love music or pointless facts, I have included an image of the Japanese cover because it differs from the North American version which isn't even out yet. Double cool.)

How to Survive Chirstmas in Japan

This is by no means meant to be a complete guide on how to survive Christmas in Japan. Indeed some may feel no need whatsoever to be saved from Christmas in Japan, however, every year at this time the risk of feeling homesick increases; the foreignness is perhaps a bit more acute and what is missing is more readily apparent. In Japan, Christmas Day is just like any other day. People go to work. Kids go to school. Thus one could say the only part of Christmas to survive in Japan is the rampant consumerism. Take away the traditions and good will towards men and it's kind of depressing. One has to take all their desires for Christmas and put them aside. I have always worked it so that I have the day off as I don't think my gaijin mind could abide working on Christmas. Christmas 1999 in Fukushima was the hardest because it was not a white Christmas per se. Perhaps only a Canadian could understand the shock of a Christmas without snow. There's snow enough in Shikaoi for this not to be a problem. I avoid the Christmas blues two ways; one, I focus on the New Year's celebrations right around the corner which is a highlight of the year and goes on for a week. Secondly, I create my own Christmas traditions, such as eating sushi on Christmas. This leads me to note an interesting Japanese fact: On Christmas, many want to eat KFC. As in lines around the block want to eat. I see the lose connection between chicken and turkey but don't understand how a mob scene at a fast-food restaurant is appetizing. Thus sushi has a practical advantage in that we have the sushi joint pretty much to ourselves.

Kind of Sort of Christmas Dinner

According to the stats, the absolute most popular page on my blog was a post about Japanese school lunches. Since it's inception, people have flocked to it by the hundreds through google. (I really need update it in the new year.) My blogging about school is closely tied to how outside the norm it is; it's very easy to fall into the trap of apathy when routine and familiarity sets in. Today's school lunch was something I had never experienced before so it became perfect fodder for my jaded foreign soul - er, blog. Today was sort of a Japanese-school-lunch-on-a-budget version of Christmas dinner. So it involved the Japanese's mental conception of a western christmas dinner crossed with the cold tasteless food of kyuushoku. At lunch time, instead of the kids eating in their prescribed classrooms, we joined in the gym at low tables on mats to eat our "Christmas Dinner". It consisted of some roasted chicken, broth-based soup, sushi rice (very christmasy my kids stated), cake, mini-tomatoes, and boiled wakeme salad. I found the portions today much bigger than usual. "Cold and tasteless" deserves a wider explanation; I actually ate every scrap. The food gets cold because in Japan there are numerous rituals around meals, those rituals take along time to accomplish because we are working with kids. Thus, we sit there like sad hungry dogs in front of full plates while the food gets cold, waiting for everything to be perfect. Tasteless because school lunches have to be very healthy. Salt, fat, sauces, basically anything delicious, has to be kept to a minimum in the name of health. Everyone being extremely hungry is one of the best things going for it and normally my brain enjoys the food and the company of the kids, whose wondering conversation, curious questions, and innocent blunt comments are great entertainment. I was, of course, in exceptionally high spirits. Most of the past week has been centered around Christmas and in planning for today I was favoring games (Yes, I am an awesome teacher). At first I was overruled but once we saw staying with a normal class would be like teaching monkeys, my suggestions were adopted and we played Canadian dodgeball in the gym, much to the kids' and - reluctantly - the teachers' delight. While the younger ones followed me around like baby chicks while singing the only choral they knew well, "We wish you a Merry Christmas," the older ones rolled their eyes at my carefully chosen Christmas clothing and merry behaviour.

Chocolate Chirstmas

I opened my fridge this morning to a happy sight; chocolate. Lots of Chocolate. December has seen packages of chocolate (among other things) from my Grandma McR, Uncle Rick and Aunt Lori, and also my parents. Perhaps the amount of chocolate is not as stunting as keeping 30 or 40 Wakayama oranges in one's fridge, but it's still blogworthy. I find Japanese chocolate to be waxy in appearance and taste. I have no doubt there exists somewhere in Japan a person who has dedicated their life to chocolate; I would like to find that person. But until then, I will always crave Canadian chocolate over the Japanese variety. My uncle and Aunt also included peanut brittle, something that had escaped my mind for two years. It was more peanuty than I remember and perfectly hit the spot. What am I going to do with all this chocolate? Some of it I plan to share but most of it will be carefully rationed, like it's the world last. (Also included to get this blog into the Christmas spirit, a picture of a beautiful handmade card from my Grandma B.)