Goodbye and Kampai

This week was the last time I will see the 2nd graders before they become 3rd graders in about a month. The teacher thought it would be a good idea to take a picture. I figured I was game for whatever, so I tried to organize the 7-year-olds for the picture. 

 One of these things is not like the other...

 Cute kids right?

 This group of kids really likes it when I do the money noise and make the faces that go with (I can never do better than my animal English lesson). 

 We had an office drinking party on Friday. I went to the store before the party to restock on supplies. I bet your grocery store doesn't have guys that speak on megaphones, wave flags, and stop traffic when you leave. Mine does. These are the guys. True American Japanese heroes. 

 Flag/loudspeaker guy (he is really into it)

 The store just started stocking produce. They also sell tortillas. TORTILLAS! 

 On my way, I passed a hair salon called "Manish." It is not for men. 

 The place settings for the office party. That table is about 21 inches off the floor. 

 This scroll and teapot are in a little alcove on one end of the room for some reason. 

 This time I took pictures of all the foods so that you can be jealous. Earlier in the week we had a Quadra-kill at lunch. This meal was far more of an affront to the animal kingdom. This picture here is of octopus. Usually I am not a fan of suckers...but I made an exception here. It was outrageously good. It was like delicious ocean chicken. Animal 1.

 Though this looks like a hobo dinner, it is actually fish and tofu and whatnot. It has yellowtail that fell apart when you jabbed at it with chopsticks. Amazingly good. Animal 2.

 I don't know what this is called, but it is like a soup with an egg in it. I am not 100% sure what all was in there, but I did see shrimp. Animal 3. 

 Duck with a potato that was fried and covered with mustard. Animal 4.

 This place is so classy, they don't even bother putting rice with the sushi. Just a plate of raw fish and wasabi. Pictured here is tuna, mystery fish, mystery fish, mystery fish, and mussel. Animal 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The main course is eel. Evidently this restaurant is well known for their eel. It was amazing. It was great the last time, and it was great this time. Animal 10. 

Soup with onions, mushrooms, and mystery white blobs. No animals seemed to be in this soup.

 Japanese picked vegetables (gross).

Last was the palate-cleanser. The most disappointing of the dishes, it was a cube of tasteless jelly with some light accents of fruit-like substance (there may have been fish in this).

Total count is 10 animals in one meal. Afterwards we went for karaoke again. I was conscripted to sing 4 Queen songs. I will say that that is extra taxing on the voice. The songs were: Don't Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, We are the Champions, and Bohemian Rhapsody. In case you were wondering, I can be booked for private karaoke gigs.

P.S. Kampai is what you shout when you toast. We also did "Banzai" which is what you shout when you throw your hands in the air. It is a cheer for 10,000 years, long life, or hooray. We all stood up and did the Banzai cheer for the junior high. 

Valentimes Day

I know it is spelled wrong, I did it on purpose. Valentine is much like Valentime. As you may know, Valentine's if pretty much already over here in Japan. It was a seemingly uneventful day as I started teaching classes, but quickly took a turn. First, the Jazz lost embarrassingly to the New Orleans Hornets. I don't want to talk about it thanks. We had fish for lunch (last year I had Hibachi grill steak, just saying). We did get some chocolate at lunch because in Japan, women give men chocolate and other things on Valentine's Day, not the other day around. My kind of country. 

After the embarrassing loss, I headed to my car to go home. That is when the fun started. It would seem that I had left my headlights on and my car was dead. Yay! I sheepishly went in to visit the other teachers to ask for help in jump starting my car in the snow. They helped me out and we got it started. The battery was almost 6 years old and due for a new one. Another ALT told me that I could get it changed at a gas station, so I went said atarashi (new) battery (battery). I made some complicated gestures with my hands and they seemed to know what I was talking about. I asked how much and they said some numbers I didn't understand. I said OK. I also got an oil change by pointing at a sign on the wall. 

25 minutes later and I was on my way. How much did it cost? Much. I estimate I paid double for a battery that was half the size of batteries back in America...something like 80 dollars. On top of the 20 for the oil change, this has been the most expensive Valentine's Day of my life! Hooray!

I decided to balance out the universe by making a good delicious dinner. I set out in search of hamburgers. Technically, this was the second journey for hamburgers as I tried some awful combination of meat-like substances called a hamburger steak yesterday. I can not find ground beef anywhere in this country. All the ground beef-like things I find have pig and cow...but I would not be deterred. I also found some Chili Taco flavored corn chips. 

 Also, I got donuts. Don't cry for me Argentina...these donuts were semi-passable.

 I got creative and fried an egg to put on top of the burger. Putting an egg on your burger makes it "Aussie Style" I am told. That means that this one is for you Matt and Kate! 

 Despite looking in 2 grocery stores, there were no hamburger buns to be found. I found some last week with no problems, but evidently lots of Japanese people wanted burgers as well. 

Precious frozen bacon from Costco. To me, it is like the fine china. You only use it on special occasions, but it provides peace of mind knowing that you have something special held in reserve. 

To cap it off, I am watching a classic lovey-dovey movie. Braveheart. You may not think it is a love-filled movie but it is. William loves the girl who gets her throat cut, and the future king of England loves that dude who the king throws out a window, and then William impregnates the future queen! You will notice that I didn't put a spoiler alert on that, but if you haven't gotten around to watching Braveheart in the last 16 years...too bad. 

Friday Night and Look-a-like

Tonight was that most auspicious of occasions when I venture into the nearby city to do my laundry. Glamorous right? you think that living abroad is all eating gross things and taking fabulous vacations. I have to do regular person things too! Anyway, I went into Nirasaki to use the dryers at the laundromat. In the meantime, I decided to go to dinner with the only other person in Yamanashi that appreciates country music. Luckily he is a good conversationalist.

Can't figure it out? I am talking about myself. I got talking about country music last week with some other ALTs which got me curious as to who in the prefecture likes the like of Garth, Tim, Alan, and George. I asked on the forums and the answer came back...no one. I am alone here. I knew I stood apart being the only Mormon, Utahan, and Jazz fan, but I didn't think I would be the only one with a fine appreciation for songs that tell the stories of my people. Oh well. I may have mentioned it before, but I feel like I go through double culture shock here in Japan. I have the culture shock of being around other international and different foreigners as well as the Japanese. As to country music, I love it and I think I can help explain why...actually, Jeff Foxworthy does it well in this video: 

I like this video. It is a little high-minded about how great country music, but I think it helps grab some of the essence of how I feel about it. I can't say that I have always been a fan because I haven't. Luckily I dated a girl who liked country music. The girl is long gone, but the music remains. 

While I was waiting for my laundry to dry, I took myself out for a nice dinner at Coco's Restaurant. I went there once with a friend and was super impressed. Here is the think that helps make Coco's so amazing: it has pebbled ice and Coke Zero with all you can drink! That is huge in this country! Also they have some of the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. I tried my best to drink my weight in it while I was there. Not bad for 189 yen. 

Here you can see the delicious sampler of (surprisingly) delicious sausages, fried chicken, and possibly the best french fries I have had in Japan thusfar. In the picture you can see my hot chocolate and Coke Zero...that is just how I roll.

While I was getting a refill on my sweet Coke Zero, a couple of high schoolers passed by me and said a bunch of things I couldn't understand. One thing I did understand though, suteeben sugaru. I am now an expert at recognizing western words through the Japanese filter and I can tell you with assurity that he was saying Steven Seagal. Yep. I thought to myself, "that is a weird thing to say." The two of them then continued to stare at me as I walked away. They thought I look like Steven Seagal. Cool?

After perusing pictures of Steven Seagal, I should have knocked that kid out with a Steven Seagal karate chop for saying such a slanderous comment.

After my meal and the comment on my look-a-like, I guessed that old Steven Seagal deserved a delicious banana crepe. What Steven Seagal wants, Steven Seagal gets...

I can say this about the night. The conversation was good, and at the end I didn't regret spending money on the activity (which is more than I can say for many dates I have been on...HIYO!). Now I am capping it off by watching the Two Towers. Jealous?

I Saw the Deer on Christmas Day

I saw the deer on Christmas day, 

One bit me while I was on my way, 

I fed it a snack

but it only bit me back

and that's the story of the Christmas deer attack.

 Christmas day we went to Nara to visit the deer and the giant budda. They have a park that has 'tame' deer. 

 Here is a man and a child being accosted by the deer for having something delicious for them to eat. 

 Fun right? Notice the one on the left headbutting the man.

 A temple with a 5 story pagoda

 Go go pagoda!

 Entryway to a room with a bunch of statues.

 This is one of two super sneaky pictures I took despite the signs clearly telling me not to. I rebel on Christmas. 

A statue with 1,000 arms. The buildings have been long lost, but this is still in the same place. The whole exhibition hall was really interesting. 

Another secret video that I took inside another building. Lots of neat statues. 

 Octagon building

 More mangy deer

 Another shrine

 I went ahead and did a prayer and rubbed the budda. The story is that if you rub the budda and then rub the corresponding part of your body, it will be healed. I think it is going to backfire because I was hoping to get rid of my budda belly. 

 Ring the bell!

 I look like a cat burglar,

 The budda is inside, and you can rub the budda through the specially patented buddah holes!

 I laughed a lot at this. One of the funniest things things ever to happen to me with wild animals. 

 I passed them off to Brad

Oh deer...

A big walk down toward the big budda. The deer are even more bold in this part of the park. 

 It looks like a painting, but this is one of two statues that guard the entrance.

 The other statue.

 Entrance into the big budda building.

 Guess what is in there?!

 BUDDA

 Lighting incense

 An awesome sculpted lantern out in the middle of the walkway.

 This is a scale of one of the leaves at the base of the big budda.

 You can see the leaf there in the front. This budda was MASSIVE!

 There are smaller (relatively) statues on the left and right.

 The original plans of how the temple looked back in the way back when. 

 Mini light up budda!

 Some replicas of the pieces that used to be in the hall.

 Kids were climbing through the posts in the main hall. Like the redwood tunnel in California.

 This dude knows what is going on.

 I think I should try out for a live budda exhibition sometime. I can sit and look serene.

 The story behind this budda is that it took about 4 years to build, and was really expensive. As a matter of fact, it was so expensive that it ruined the economy and the lower classes revolted and tore some of the buildings down. I found this really hilarious. 

 Leaving the budda building.

 Who is this guy? That's right! Colonel Claus!

 We tried to catch the Imperial grounds being open. A whole giant promenade in the middle of Kyoto.

 It would be really pretty in the springtime.

 Entrance into the grounds. We ended up being a little too late, but oh well. I have a feeling of how it might look.

 In Kyoto, there was a night shrine with a flea market. Naturally we decided to check it out. 

 Banana on a stick.

 We didn't try the cooked octopus balls, but we did eat some more Christmas chicken.

 I don't actually know what they were selling...

 This is the shrine all lit up for the night. 

 People lining up to ring the bell.

 We got some candied fruits. This is a candied mikan (which is like a tangerine).

 Brad got a disappointing candied apple.

Tasty...

 We were waiting to catch a bus, so we killed some time near the Kyoto tower which was lit up. 

We went where all people go to kill time, the mall! We had several hours to kill, and were so tired from walking around that we decided to go see a movie. Final verdict: It was expensive, the movie was terrible, but it was nice to sit down for a while in a warm dark place.