March 24-30 (Mon-Sun) - The Best Blog Post Ever Written*

*On the subject of traveling in a Daihatsu car through Fukui provence in March with an old iPod and a new iPhone after being in Japan for one year.

Monday: I spent the morning planning a sightseeing trip, then I left for it. I had to mail a package, which took longer than it should have, and I was, er, parked on the side of the road (there is no side of the road), so I took the freeway. 

My first destination was a strange ghost attraction. Yoshizaki Gobo Temple. 

It was strange it was so ghostly. It looked like it was supposed to be some sort of temple complex, with lots and lots of museum-like rooms/buildings, but there was nobody there. I wanted to go inside a couple of places, but I couldn’t decipher the signs that had something to do with paying to get in (but no prices were posted), so I didn’t. It was disappointing. However, unexpectedly, it was right by a lake, which was lovely.

And I found the creepiest children's park game.

I think it's supposed to be Pokemon.

My next stop was Takidanji, lit. ‘waterfall valley temple’. Sounds gorgeous, right? It was kind of pretty.

But this was the only waterfall. 

How sad!

But the flowers were pretty.

There was a service going on when I got there, and a camera crew taking up space, so my favorite part was this bird. Cute, isn’t he?

Next stop was my accommodations, a hot springs in the middle of rice fields. 

That’s kind of weird. The place was actually very nice-looking. I loved the foot-bath area,

and the hot springs were really pretty,

and the room was nice.

It was so nice it weirded me out just a little, because it wasn’t that expensive. The meal was half really tasty and half sadly cheap. 

There was one couple eating in the room, so it was a little awkward. But later we were both at the foot bath together, and I said ‘oyasumi nasai’ and it was like we bonded for one moment… 

It was rather a strange place.

Tuesday: I left the onsen and went to further sightseeing. First agenda: the daibutsu, big buddha, that is bigger than the one at Nara. In a temple bigger than the one at Nara. Nearby a 5-story pagoda that is taller than the one at Nara. 

Nevermind this Echizen Daibutsu and temple complex were built in the 1980s, whereas the ones at Nara are much, much older, this complex can take pride in the fact it’s bigger and taller than the one at Nara. 

That is very, very Japanese. Or maybe just much like tourist-attractions everywhere. There may be nothing to see, but darnnit, there IS something to see.

Actually I really liked the Echizen Daibutsu. After parking in the deserted parking lot, I walked up the deserted stores (or rather, not open because there were only about 5 tourists there today), 

and encountered the biggest lantern-things,

and the biggest gate I’d ever seen. Climbing up the walkway (also the biggest), which said ‘it’s dangerous because of snow’ — and there was snow, but it’s long past being dangerous — I came to the largest housing

 of the largest daibutsu (according to the pamphlet) I’d ever seen. 

It was, actually, really impressive. 

Although there is the sense of it being ‘fake’ in that it’s all modern, we have modern temples/churches so why shouldn’t Japan have modern buddhist temples? It was very large.

And the daibutsu was large. Although the pamphlet says there is something written on his palms, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t see it. Can you?

He is surrounded by hundreds of smaller buddhist statues, and it is an impressive room. 

They play a monk-chant soundtrack in the background and it is really a cool place to visit. Although empty. That comes from traveling before the travel time.

Other than the building and the Buddha, there was a 5-story pagoda

 that had absolutely nothing (although it is the tallest in Japan) but a view;

a really cool long wall depicting dragons playing with balls/gems (a copy of something in China);

and there was a garden not yet in bloom. 

Darn the timing. This was my last week with the car and it’s just before all the flowers are going to bloom. 

I enjoyed the Echizen Daibutsu, then went to find a small temple on the ‘things to see in Fukui list. 

However.

I couldn’t find it.

I tried. I really did. I circles the location 3 times in the car. I parked in the parking lot and looked for a map. But nothing pointed to the actual location. I can only surmise that it’s the kind of spot they bring people on tours where a guide knows the right place. 

But I got ice cream… then set off back home.

It was a strange adventure, but I had to see what was left of the Fukui sights.

And that night, I bid farewell to my Tuesday students.

Wednesday: I cleaned all day, and said goodbye to my kids. I’ll really miss these guys.

And I ate hinamatsuri (early March celebration) rice snacks. With ice-cream.

Thursday: We had our meeting a day early, since there isn’t much going on, and we got together to put a tarp out in the parking lot but it was too windy so, after finding Mr. Kame, 

we gave up. 

And apparently I walked a lot but I can’t remember where or why x.X 

Also, my co-worked, the new teacher Alice got dani, or tatami bugs in her apartment. So after some frustration with the landlord, it was decided she would just move in with me, then take over my apartment after I left. So we spent some time moving stuff although we wouldn’t finish for another couple weeks! 

Friday: There was one more place I had to visit before I could be satisfied, and that was the Asakura clan site, a huge expanse of land where the Asakura clan once inhabited. I wasn’t sure where the entry was or anything, so I found the parking lot and entered the reconstructed housing.

It was a lot like the Sapporo Historic Village although less cool, but they had few visitors so I guess they enjoyed talking with me.

My favorite view was this.

It’s just very cool, the earth wall and the gate. I was told the castle once stood at the top of the mountain, and I imagine, with the ~2 kilometer expanse and 10,000 retainers it was an impressive situation. I thought it was a shame I was visiting about a week or two too early, before the trees and gardens were in bloom, but I really liked the location and it’s a place I would go back to.

After that it was shopping, car errands, errands with Alice, shopping, and for my Fukui class Hugh came and we did a party with card games, snacks, and candy. I like these kids and I’m glad we were able to play games.

Saturday: Work, cleaning work work dinner yup.

Sunday: Kaori and I did yoga, made granola, and watched movies. 

There’s just a little time left.

Recent Japanese:

jikokisei (自己規制) = self-regulation

kodawari (拘り) = obsession, determination

toyakakuiu (とやかく言う) = to say all kinds of things, to complain, to criticize

yamai zewashii (病忙しい) = hypochondriac; lit. busy with illness

moujin (盲人) = blind person

March 17-23 (Mon-Sun) - “Rar” says the Dreadful Dragon

Wait, it’s been more than a year!!

Monday: Today was a grand adventure into the land of the dinosaurs! Nathan, Alice, and I went to the Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama. Having an archaeologist in the group is a very good idea.

Before you reach the museum, you can experience what it might be like to have a T-rex coming after you under the open sky. It may be unnerving, especially seeing as he appears taller than the mountains.

Guarding the parking lot is this mosaic dinosaur, who looks a little old.

The museum is a silver dino-egg dome,

so the inside is, naturally, round. From the second floor.

I liked the fossils, 

and the moving dinosaurs.

I faced off against this one. We came to a mutual understanding.

Apparently many bones have been found in the Katsuyama area (perhaps the largest fossil site in Japan), and since they’ve discovered 3, possibly 4 new dinosaurs, these dinosaurs get named Fukui~. Here we have the Fukuisaurus,

 the Fukuiraptor,

and what may be the Fukuititan but since these are all the pieces they’ve found they may be jumping the gun:

There were lots of pretty rocks,

some skulls to climb through,

an old fish from the USA,

and possibly the best dino timeline ever created in 3D. 

Then there were fossils with wings,

and a beautiful rendition.

For lunch we ate real high-class hamburgers I forgot to photograph, then we dropped by Fukui for Alice’s classes. I got to meet a student who actually speaks English (or tries) and studies every day. Nathan and I walked the neighborhood while we waited. We didn’t find anything exciting but the weather was really nice.

It’s spring!! Almost.

Tuesday: It rained. I went to the post office and mailed a heavy package. I went shopping. I made food.

Wednesday: I walked to the post office for errands, did tkd, and in evening classes I had Jonathan take the floor for part of it. He seems to be getting used to the job.

After that we both went to Miki’s class. It was nice having another person there for when I couldn’t think of a word, but it was kind of sad realizing it was the end of weekly chats with Miki.

Thursday: I went to karaoke. Then we had the teacher’s meeting and demo lesson. The demo lesson was hilarious although, and we all admitted, thoroughly mean to Jonathan. Actually we were not the worst class. Each of us did a pretty good job of imitating several of our most annoying students and making Jonathan’s demo lesson as difficult as possible (without running around or chatting with each other or yelling or hitting things or spitting or drawing pictures or—). Luckily it was funny enough not to be too mean. I think he forgave us. It was… really… funny….

In a vengeful sort of way.

I had lunch twice because I went to okonomiyaki with people.

Friday: It’s the first day of Spring! And it’s a holiday in Japan. Mako, Kaori, and I did yoga, then we got together to make burritos.

 Alice joined us later and we made crepes. It was so fun! And delicious! 

Then Kaori freaked Alice out with a picture of a spider, and Alice told us a story of how once she killed a spider by setting it on fire. 

Saturday: I still hate Saturdays. Even though I have two classes I really like. But it’s ok. It’s almost over.

Also the sunset was gorgeous but it’s hard to take a picture while driving.

Sunday: I had a demo lesson in the morning. It was pretty fun because I knew one of the girls from one of my schools. Kaori and I walked by the river, where they have put up the lanterns and koi-nobori again. 

Everything is becoming like it was when I arrived. It’s strange. 

That night we had a welcome/farewell party for Jonathan, me, and Tomoe. It was a karaoke party! So I had a lot of fun. Although I got really thirsty because every time they ordered, I happened to be singing. I sang a lot. And ate a lot. I am satisfied. 

Here’s to one exciting year behind me and another before.

Recent Japanese:

kaseki (化石) = fossil

inseki (隕石) = meteorite

sanjyouki (三畳紀) = Triassic

juraki (ジュラ紀) = Jurrasic

hakuaki (白亜紀) = Cretaceous

shoseidai, chuuseidai, shinseidai (小生代、中生代，新生代) = paleozoic (old life era), mesozoic (middle life), cenozoic (recent life)

tsuno (角) = horn

tairyoku (体力) = endurance

March 10-16 (Mon-Sun) - Checking Stuff Off That To-Do List

Monday: Taekwon-do practice left me sore and tired, but the day was far from over. After koto we tried putting on the kimono again, this time took less time but it’s still very long. Then I explored on my way back, and finding a Book Off I hadn’t been to I popped in to grab a dozen or so cds. Then it was get gas, do grocery shopping, make dinner. I was a little worn out and slept really well.

These are all the puddings I got to try. The custard is the best.
(They are custard, fried, pumpkin, and fried cheese puddings.)

Tuesday: With no schools, I had a full productive day ahead of me. First, since the snow was so beautiful, I finally walked to this nearby shrine.

 It’s red.

It had huge beautiful ropes.

There was the funny-shaped tree.

And on the way back started my Sakura report.

Rest of the day was errands and work. It’s performance i.e. come-watch-the-class week at UFO Academy.

Wednesday: I had my last elementary school class, and last class at Itou Elementary. Itou was probably my favorite school because it was small and in the mountains, and I liked the teachers. They always met with me to let me know what they planned for the lesson. When I left I asked to take a photo and all 3rd, 5th, and 6th-grade students, plus the teachers, were in the photo. Yay!

Evening class performances. Kind of. Nobody really comes to watch. My first class they performed only 1 of the three riddles they wrote, because nobody was there. Poor kids. But they’re good sports about it, they didn’t seem to mind. In the second class there were only 2 kids, bringing the time it took for them to do their reading down by half. So… we played backup games.

I had Miki’s class after, and she brought me a souvenir from Paris and let me see her pictures.

Thursday: In the morning, Alice, Nathan and I went to breakfast at an interesting cafe (the only place open before 10), then we went to karaoke! Yay! After, lunch was okonomiyaki. Then that evening Alice and I went to a neat traditional restaurant,

to meet with Sayuri and some friends to practice English, and we ate delicious soba. 

I didn’t know soba was delicious until now.

But after the meal, they bring you the water used to cook the soba. It's in a tea cup. But it's not tea. It's rather horrible :O

Friday/Saturday: work -- but I saw a rainbow!

Sunday: The day arrived! After spending the morning fretting and trying to do my hair, I went to the Miwa house to prepare for the koto performance. Actually, it was some sort of long and detailed religious service, which was very neat, although it would have been more fun had I not been sitting out of sight in a kimono. Perseverance! 

At the start we organized these rice cakes, which would later be thrown to the waiting crowd — EXACTLY like a piñata!! I’ve never seen adults scramble for ‘candy’ like that. But they are pretty.

I got to meet my teacher’s teacher, who is the daughter of the woman who wrote the music we performed. And one of my (English) students played the Mario theme ^^

Thank you Kaori and Alice who came and watched!

Recent Japanese:

nebusoku (寝不足) = lack of sleep

torizara (取り皿) = individual plate (used to take from the main dish)