November 11-17 (Mon-Sun) - Autumn Delicacies

Monday: I had a fun TKD class — my first ever at the new facility!! Well, sort of ‘at’, whatever. Then that company where I went for the informal-interview for called me in like they'd threatened — I mean, offered, and I taught a class of adults that evening. So I was tired before the week even started....

Tuesday: You know I never went to school, right? New experiences every day.

Wednesday: 

That evening after my classes, my business students — well, former students — took me out to dinner at a really lovely little restaurant, where Japanese dishes were served in set courses. 

Here is the first one. Isn’t it cute?

The theme is autumn. (They change their menu every month.) The leaf on top is a gingko leaf — that is, the leaf of the maidenhair tree. Because there’s not time enough in the world to research everything, I humbly guess that the name comes from the Chinese name, as I believe the trees grow mainly in China. The Japanese name is ‘ichou’. Although I think they do call the nuts ‘ginnan’. 

Here is the dish opened.

The left thing is some sort of fish pudding that was good. The right was a sweet tofu thing with wasabi on top that was good.

Here’s the sashimi:

We have our friendly ebi up top, with some other kind of fish, and the wasabi flower, as well as some sort of leaf I can’t remember. Down below, topped by momiji (autumn colors; maple leaves — in this case both), are several kinds of sashimi. The white stuff was weird but the others were tasty.

This is the kind of place where you could eat just about anything and it would taste good. Really.

Here’s the cutest dish.

And uncovered.

From the egg, clockwise, we have salmon, probably-gingko-nuts, and mini satsumaimo (sweet potato); kaki (persimmon) with sweet tofu, in a kaki jar; some sort of leaf with tororo (grated Chinese yam); and that chewy thing I never remember the name. (Actually I did! Konnyaku.)

There was also nabe (stew) which was really really good. Couldn’t tell you what was in it. There was also miso soup, mixed rice, the best tempura, then dessert was kuri (chestnut) ice cream (!!) and a pudding with a honey-caramel sauce. Yum.

In addition to this beautiful meal, they gave me presents. I don’t deserve such nice students!

Thursday: During my quick walk in the morning, I made a new friend. 

And found a pink suzuki. 

Later that day:

Friday: Here are some pictures of walls at Miyazaki Elementary School. 

Saturday: Walk, laundry, vacuum, talk with sisters, class, lesson planning, class, shopping, study Japanese, writing, ijou desu.

Sunday: It’s Sunday! Morning activities (with Mako and Kaori) were a walk, yoga, and taichi. After a gourmet lunch, Kaori and I walked to the store, then studied-sunbathed-snacked. It was really warm today.

In the afternoon our 4-person Team Sunday went shopping, rented movies, made soup, then sat with the kotatsu and didn’t move for many hours.

Recent Japanese:

keizokuteki (継続的) = continuous

shichouritsu (視聴率) = ratings (tv)

hanauta (鼻歌) = humming (lit. singing through the nose)

inga (因果) = cause and effect; karma

kamakiri (蟷螂) = praying mantis; kama = scythe

kiseichuu (寄生虫) = parasite

sengan (洗顔) = face washing

yoyuu (余裕) = surpluss; enough (yoyuu ga aru)

taiho (逮捕) = arrest

taikyokuken (太極拳) = Tai Chi

November 4-10 (Mon-Sun) - A few misty mornings

Monday: Holiday! Kaori and I met up with Kaori’s Spanish teacher and some other Spanish students. It was fun to hear them switching between Spanish and Japanese. 

We went to Kiku Ningyou, which I had never heard of before, but apparently it’s a tradition to have dolls dressed up in chrysanthemums.

They change the theme every year. This year was a story of some woman warrior, I didn't quite catch it.

It was quite beautiful, even though it rained.

There were displays other than the dolls. Look at these huge kiku.

And a kiku zoo:

We saw an interesting (rather funny) dance performance, then taiko drums, which is fun. See the video here. 

I like how it’s not only the sound but a highly visual performance. 

Tuesday: I took a walk in the misty morning. 

My third class was actually better than the first two. I’m learning! Evening classes went well. Some days are good.

Wednesday: I did a lot of cleaning in the morning. There goes my time! At Kawada the teacher was absent. I’m not sure why. Luckily I planned the lesson and only managed to confuse them mostly (not all the way) with the grammar explanation.

Thursday: Shiawase nara te o tatakou — if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! According to one source this was brought to Japanese from Spanish, and from Japanese it made its way to English. However basic research does not corroborate this so I maintain the right to be wrong.

Friday: Work work work. But it was a beautiful day.

Saturday: Work. I think it went well. I don’t remember. Then I studied.

Sunday: I didn’t get any pictures... but oh well. We taught an English-learning (...kinda) Halloween (...kinda) class (...kinda) with about 50 1st-3rd-graders at Asahi Elementary. I dressed as Pikachu again. 

There was a segment on NHK so if you happen to watch Japanese TV at the right time you’ll see me.

It was super tiring having to work on a Sunday. But I had fun while I was there. Pikachu-costume strikes again.

Kaori and I watched movies that evening, thank goodness.

Recent Japanese:

tayoru (頼る) = to rely on

odokasu (脅かす) = to threaten

sakkyoku (作曲) = composition (music)

komakai (細かい) = small, fine, details

narubeku (成る可く) = as much as possible, if possible

mizudeppou (水鉄砲) = water gun

October 28 - November 3rd (Mon-Sun) - One-man Band, and I Love Autumn

Monday: I spent the day half being stressed and half having a great time being musical. After my koto lesson (first time in a while) I went to karaoke. Alone. Hitori Karaoke is quite common here. I never understood why, until now. I mean, why not? 

It’s cheap during week days. There’s heating. I can sing as loud as I want. And it’s really, really good reading practice. I recommend it. 

Tuesday: I kind of hate Tuesdays. 5 of the same class in a row inevitably means 5 different ways of doing it, ending with the worst. I’m really bad at this sometimes.

On the bright side I got to hear my students sing.

Wednesday: My last Murata class! I was really sad. But I had Miki’s class that night so it was good, though both of us were kind of tired.

Thursday: I had... the day off. Weird.

This was an experiment — Daikon chips. It didn’t really work. Not because daikon doesn’t get crispy in 20 min. but because I put too much salt on it. Thus the ketchup.

That night Kaori and I went to a Halloween party. It was a little awkward, but there was a woman there with her trumpet, and that was the best part.

Friday: Was a beautiful day. Before class we played ball with the kids. After class I took a walk around this familiar scene.

I love autumn.

And I found this bug! I think it may be a praying mantis. Isn’t she pretty?

Saturday: Classes all went really well, which was unusual. Then I tried to break my phone and throw rice all over my apartment. Then I studied... without my phone....

Sunday: Kaori and I walked and did yoga, went shopping, then spent a relaxing evening doing fondue and movies with Hugh and Mako.

Recent Japanese:
ou (追う) = to chase, pursue; usually ‘oikakeru’ (word learned while doing Karaoke)
dekashita = well done, good job
makikomu (巻き込む) = roll up, enfold, engulfed
kitai (期待) = expectation
danzokuteki (断続的) = intermittent, on and off
settei (設定) = settings (I switched my iPhone to Japanese)

October 21-27 (Mon-Sun) - There’s a garden, a bug, and Halloween

Monday: I had to drive to Fukui for — well, I guess it was an interview kind of, but I wasn’t thinking of it that way so... whatever. I don’t actually want more work, but I guess I can help out if they need me.

So anyway, since I was there anyway, I decided to finally check out Yokokan Garden. After a 10 min. detour after Google Maps didn’t understand and took me to some hotel that in no way resembled the name, I found the garden.

This is really pretty.

And that’s it. It’s quite small. And, well, once you’ve seen a Japanese garden (especially something like Kenrokuen), they aren’t that interesting. Because there are no places to sit. Also, it loses a little of its charm when in the background are ugly apartments, and on every tree is a gigantic spider with a messy web.

That’s... kind of like a representation of Japan or something deep, I’m sure.

The Murata guys treated me to dinner and it was fun.

Oh, then later that night I found this bug.

WHAT IS IT????

Tuesday: Work and class and more Halloween posters. In class I had my kids make bats.

Wednesday: A rare break. Then Kawada. Etc. Class with Miki. We talked about the trains and subways. She remarked how it was very inconvenient how early the last trains ran (before midnight), when for example in New York they run all night. We discussed possible differences in public vs private lines. 

Sometimes when people miss their last train, they stay in ‘mangakissa’ (manga kissaten) or manga cafes, because the hourly rate makes it the cheapest place to stay (that’s open all night). 

Thursday: I brought crafts for the kids and it was fun! Then I had the rest of the day off.

Friday: Mostly a day off, but I slept in too late then spent about 3 hours making things I probably didn’t need for the Scary Room. After work I helped Kaori clean an old sofa. This was fun.

Saturday: A day of rest turned into a day with Inventory. Then studying.

Sunday: Today was the UFO Halloween party. It should have more to do with aliens. I was in charge of the Scary Room (Obake Yashiki), and did manage to scare a few kids. For some the dark was enough and they wouldn’t even enter.

After two hours of grabbing at ankles, making noises, and spraying people, it was over, and we had to clean up.
Once that was finished, Kaori and I spent the rest of the day watching movies.

Recent Japanese:

akiru (飽きる) = to get tired of, lose interest in (akita) 

minkan (民間) = private (civilian)

kochou (誇張) = exaggeration

nidone (二度寝) = going back to sleep after waking up; lit. second-time sleep (you can also have ‘sandone’ which would be for the third time). 

October 14-20 (Mon-Sun) - Two castles and Glico(TM)

Monday: Was a holiday! Team Sunday gathered. Original plan: Ocean. Revised plan? Well. Drive places. So we saw the Echizen Lacquerware Village (I drive by it almost every week...),

 then went over the mountain. It was beautiful! A dubious road, but as long as there is no traffic, peaceful. 

And we found a lovely water resource. 

(Well, the running water comes from pipes to the left. This is just pretty.)

When we reached Ono, the first thought on our minds was food. So we searched for a cafe of some sort, discovered there’s not much of anything in Ono, then went to a restaurant that stopped serving breakfast hours ago. But they made an exception for us! Isn’t it cute?

Then we hiked up to Ono Castle. I’m beginning to think every city has a castle. Ono is an original castle, which is nice when you think about it, but not so impressive to look at, especially because it’s small. We forewent the visit inside, so it was just a nice location. 

Also, on the way up, we played Guriko. (Actually it’s Glico, the maker of sweets.) Usually played on stairs, the opponents janken (rock-paper-scissors). When a winner (or more) is decided, what they win with determines how many stairs. ‘Gu’ is rock, and this moves you gu-ri-ko (3 stairs). ‘Pa’ is paper, so you move pa-i-na-tsu-pu-ru (6 stairs), and ‘cho’ is scissors and thus chi-yo-ko-re-i-to (6 stairs). 

After Ono Castle, we drove to Katsuyama Castle. Actually the goal was ice cream, I guess famous in that area, but I liked the castle best. It’s a new castle, or a replica if you will, so it’s not ‘authentic’ but it sure is pretty!

I scaled the walls...

We went home. Kaori and I took a walk, and I admired the sasaki. It looks like feathers, doesn’t it? And guess what — it’s soft too! It might be my favorite plant.

For dinner we did home-made ramen. We were going to watch a movie, then we got an unexpected invitation to a nearby festival. (The invitation being a parking-space invitation. Quite nice of them.) So we went to the festival and walked up and down, lamenting just a little how full we were, but Kaori and I tried some fried cheese anyhow. 

And Taiiku no Hi (PE Day) ended. 

Tuesday:-Friday: — The rest of the week is kind of a blur. I was really busy and tired. All I wanted to do after each class was to sleep. The end.

Well, 1. the Spot It game is a miracle, and 2. I had Halloween classes at Kitanakayama. Aren't these cute?

Saturday: 

Hugh and I went to check out a Crafts Fair except not. Industry Festival maybe? Never quite caught the name. Anyway, our purpose was to see the Murata robot:

Murata makes MLCCs, they have 3 sizes; small, smaller, and so tiny they look like sand. These tiny ones go into the iPhone, I can’t remember how many exactly but I think it was 300 (in each phone). 

We also saw this nice carriage,

some interesting fashion,

family shrines,

and I shaved wood. Then one of Hugh’s students we saw bought us sticks of cow tongue. :O

Then I studied lots of grammar with Nathan.

Sunday: Kaori and I did yoga and had a lazy morning, then we went out shopping and to get movies. We made dinner and watched movies. It was quite relaxing.

Also, I found new Kit-Kat flavors.

Passion fruit,

and strawberry.

Recent Japanese:

kouka (硬貨) = coin

umeru = to bury

chokin (貯金) = savings

ihou (違法) = illegal (I keep wanting to ask ‘is it illegal to~’ but I can never remember the word)

tsuukin (通勤) = commute

seiza (星座) = constellation, star/zodiac sign