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Posted by Emarrific at 08:41 PM
Posted by Emarrific at 07:53 AM
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Posted by Emarrific at 07:47 AM
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Posted by Emarrific at 09:39 AM
Posted by Emarrific at 07:38 AM
Posted by Emarrific at 09:53 AM
今週の木曜日（７月２７日）に四国へ出発します。一ヶ月間多分インターネットは使えないので、九月まで待てられない連絡は私の携帯かＰＣメールに送ってください。
This week Thursday (July 27), I will be starting a pilgrimage in Shikoku which will take one month. If you have something to tell me that can't wait until September, please write to me at my cell phone email or my PC email address.
実は今回は春に始まった巡礼の続きです。
I'm actually continuing and hopefully finishing the pilgrimage which I started in the spring.
あまり準備は出来ておりません。弘法大師と四国の優しい人人々に負かすしかありませんね。頑張ります。もしお寺で祈って欲しいことがあれば私に伝えても良いですよ。まあ、お坊さんじゃないから一番効果的じゃないかも知りませんが、よろしければ。。。
I haven't really prepared much. I guess I will have to rely upon Kobo Daishi (the patron saint of the pilgrimage) and the kind Shikoku people to make it through. I will do my best. If you have something you'd like me to prey about for you at the temples, let me know. I might not get as effective results as a bona fide monk but... You know what I mean.
携帯から写真とブログをこっちに送れるように設定しました。なぜか暇があったら写真と短文を送ります。自分のＰＣから離れてる間、コメントは出来ません。すみません。（残念ながらスパムコメントが少し多くなりました。）
I have set it up so I can post cell phone pictures and short blogs from my cell phone. If I take a cool cell phone picture or have lots of free time for some reason, I will post something up. I won't have comments on while I'm gone so I don't have to deal with spammy comments.
Take care!
Posted by Emarrific at 03:41 PM
This is my third and last summer living in Japan, and lucky for me, 梅雨 tsuyu, the 70% humidity rainy monsoon season, has decided to make a comeback after a two year hiatus. It has rained at least two days a week for the last two months... and the tempurature hovers around the high 20s and low 30s on the celsuis scale. (In farenheit we would say 80 to 90 degree weather) This week has been particularly fierce... the rain started a few days ago, and has just been getting heavier and more dreary with each passing day. Rain and clouds are predicted for up to another week.
Luckily, though, the tempurater has finally taken a little plunge today.. the first time in weeks. So I took a very nice 30 minute nap on the small green couch in the ladies locker room while most of the teachers met to talk about grades. I slept with this little furry white stuffed dog that I pet every time I pass through the locker room, and pose with in the mirror. (Stuffed animals are real people!)
Anyway, getting back to the nap: I normally really try hard not to sleep at work, but today is a special exception:
1. It's my last day of work at this school
2. There are no students and teachers around that I need to talk to, help out, or interact with
3. I ate way too much for lunch (OK, maybe that's not an exceptional situation, but still... thought I'd add that in)
4. I had a pretty intense week.
What happened?
On Saturday, I went down to the Enoshima beach to sweat profusely in the hot humid weather, watch my Australian friends burn to a crisp in the span of a few hours, coo over a very cute black kitten (Moon-chan), wait for an hour while some guy from Africa took his sweet donkey-ed time making barbequed beef that didn't even taste that great and was over-priced, and swim in the dirty dirty Enoshima ocean with glasses only to have them blasted away from me by a mean giant wave that came along and washed over me. Let's not comment on the stupidity of that decision shall we? Anyway, after that, as blind as an impressionist bat, I went down to Yokohama, where I went to the same chain store where I had just bought glasses two months ago, and got the exact same pair. Well, the prescription was a little bit off and I had to go back a few days later to get a completely new one because it was too weak!
I spent all of Sunday, doing extensive sorting of and stuffing all sorts of useful and nice things in clear plastic bags and/or tying it up with nylon string for dumping. I think I've already complained before about the needless complexity of sorting garbage in my city. What a brioche! And the fact that no donation system seems to be set up here to facilitate the redistribution of used but usable goods to those who can't afford them, or for sale to go towards charity. Ah, the waste!
On Monday (Ocean Day, yet another Japanese national holiday) I called my uncle to come help me dump a bunch of stuff at the three separate garbage stations in my city (recycling, burnable and non-burnable). My mom pointed out that since my uncle is getting nigh on 60 years old and is not in such good physcial shape, I should haul all the garbage down three flights of stairs before my uncle and girlfriend came, so as to avoid them having to run up and down the stairs. So, I did it all by myself, which of course made me sweat right through the blue hawaian handkercheif I was wearing to keep the sweat from wreaking havoc with my eyes. But I felt like a good citizen, yessiree.
Then I headed back down to Enoshima to sit, i mean sprawl, with antje for three hours on the steps by the Sakai river, in the rain, to save seats for a bunch of JETs who ended up showing up just as things were starting or quite late. There were people leering over me and I was trying to look inconspicuous sprawled out on the concrete steps, saving sitting spots. I don't think it worked. The laterns were OK, but the fireworks were awesome... fifteen minutes of fantastic light explosions, sparkles, twisty rockets, whistles, crackles, sky confetti and more. I took some videos and picuters which I will try to put up soon.
Yesterday, I sent off (that's right, count 'em!) seven boxes by international mail back home to America. Seven duck taped, inventoried, customs labeled, re-taped and super heavy boxes (between 15 to 25 kgs or 30 to 55 lbs each). Luckily, the Japanese post office will come to your house, weigh your boxes, charge you and then take them away to the post office for you. For someone without a car and a suck.. boyfriend to take them to the post office, it's just about the most wonderful service on the planet. It almost makes me feel good about the sixty thousand yen (about six hundred USD) that I forked over to send it all. Almost.
I still can't fend off that slow hemorraging feeling I'm getting from it all.
Then I went and got new eyeglass lenses, had me a "Poca a Poca" drink at none other than the most wonderful Tiki Tiki in Yokohama, said my really and truly last goodbye to Franny who will be flying out of Japan today (sniff) and some "possibly this is the last time but maybe not" goodbyes. Then I went with Iain, Francis and Maimi for Fish and Chips and a sip of Maimi's Guiness next to a giant, inflated green sheep.
Anyway, I have pictures that I will be putting up soon, I hope. I will only have broadband internet at home (or just plain a home) for a few more days when I will hand the keys over to my landlord. I must start cleaning and sprucing up the place up for crazy scrutiny a la the Japanese landlord (who I am convinced just wants to find any excuse possible to take all my money away from me). So I am going to clean, spruce and take extensive video/photographic evidence before I leave. You better believe it.
Posted by Emarrific at 03:49 PM | Comments (1)
昨日やっとデラックスエアマットレス(Aerobed Deluxe Pillowtop to you)を修理して、その上に寝ました。なんと言う気持ち良さ！よく寝ました。今日はコーヒー飲まなくっても良いみたい。
Posted by Emarrific at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
Patching air mattresses, sorting garbage, packing, posting on MySpace... these are the ways in which I spend 3:30 in the morning. Can't seem to sleep... coffee, alcohol and sleep debt are duking it out in my head for domination. That means I'm hot, wired, sweaty and exhausted at the same time, and can't sleep. Must.. stop... drinking... coffee.
So, only one week until I leave the apartment which I have called home for the last two years. This apartment has been absolutely fantastic: in a pretty new building, well-maintained, with room to have people come over and watch movies, eat burritos, and spend the night (eh hem.. mom). It has hardwood floors and a gas stove, is near the train station, and is in spitting distance from Vie de France... what more could a girl ask for? Well, actually, a good clothes dryer or more clothes hanging space would have been nice. The deck was puny and I could only properly hang and dry a small load at a time. (This doesn't mean I didn't try to hang huge loads all the time!) Still, I will miss this place and all the memories tied up in it.
In two weeks, I will also be leaving friends, co-workers, students and relatives to finish the pilgrimage in Shikoku and then go back to my furusato (home town) across the ocean where Steve, my mom and a few friends are awaiting.
It really hasn't struck me with the finality of 13 o'clock that this is absolutely it... I won't be able to call my great friends up anymore for a quick meal, coffee, a day on the beach, a clubbing night, a movie night, a trip to a sumo basho, a hike in Tanzawa, a trip to the exorbitant Japanese movie theaters, a stroll around Tokyo, a picnic in Yoyogi, a bitch session, a surprise birthday party and so forth. I will miss (in alpha order and not comprehensive, I'll just have to add later as I remember and as time allows):
Althea with her c-mails and phone calls, crazy social, volunteer, working and traveling schedule (does this woman NOT do anything?!), can-o-whoop-ass, kind ear, sage advice and super high powered networking skills.
Andrew, my partner in crime at work and as PAs, who graciously let me invade his social/clubbing life, listened to me babble endlessly, never failed to point out my oddities or English failures in hilarious fashion, one of the most punctual people (until recently) and super blog writer extraordinaire who updates frequently with the best content. Not to mention funky, fashionable, most photographed for a magazine randomly on the street, generous, practical, no-nonsense, professional and diplomatic.
Antje, with her excellent vignettes, conversation topics, dedication to MySpace, hiking skillz and cool news items. Not to mention her on-top-of-it-ness. Who is going to be my piece of East Berlin back home? I ask you!
Daisuke, with his super booty poppin' and dancing skills, Mariah Carey imitation skills, caring (if easily bruised) nature, energetic/sleepy, never a dull moment, not afraid to show how he feels, I'm gonna miss ya!
Frances, with her sassy manner, hugs, boob poking, and sharp tongue (can slice right through a tomato!) Also quite "on top" of things as well. :P Keep that healthy yoga glow and good luck with your future teaching career! You'll be a great addition to public ed.
Francis, with his unique Quebecois humor and well-meaning-ness (is that a word?)
Iain, the most genuinely nice guy who has a way of listening and pay attention to each person so lovingly it's quite amazing.
Ingrid and Chris, because they really go to the beat of their own drummer and will make a most radical married couple. They put on great pot-lucks and one-yen-poker nights, and I am sad I couldn't make more of their events.
Maimi, with her funky and brightly colored fashion and music, gourmet/gourmand and social traits, awesome video editing capabilities, sass and super human neighbor powers. (Just to name a few awesome things about her.)
Noel, always toting a computer and several other gismos, with his biting humor and fun victim attitude which no party is complete without!
Paul and Mika, because they are just they cutest couple... Paul the rough Irishman always down for a dirty joke and sharing his Jameson. Mika being probably the only super cute person I have met who wasn't putting on an act but was genuinely cute and sweet. Wish I could be here next year to meet their new baby and see their wedding.
Shauna, my most {exercise/martial arts/manga/starbucks mocha frappachino/pearl tea/movie popcorn with butter/davis} addicted friend who was always down for a movie and any of the things mentioned above. (Luckily she doesn't live too far from my hometown, so I'll get to see her after I go back!) Also, she's got mad "getting hit by a truck in Japan" skillz.
And many more... I'm sure I'm forgetting important people!
In addition, I won't get to see my carefully disinterested, unmotivated, yet surprisingly restless high school kids, who despite their fear/hatred of English, encouraged me and went along with my half-baked ideas. I won't get to see my awesome relatives anymore (who have helped me out a ton and treated me to lots of dinners) and my co-workers, who have tried their absolute best, given their limited schedules, to talk to me, help me out, and explain what I often found to be a baffling and utterly alien education system/schedule. The Japanese schools system was probably my biggest culture shock living in Japan!
Well, I think it's time to post this and either get some more winks or do some more packing. It's been a blur of going away parties and social events, so I haven't gotten as much done as I should! Shocking, I know.
Posted by Emarrific at 04:40 AM | Comments (2)
