Wandering Musings

I’m a couple posts behind and pictures are starting to pile up. So let’s jump into it.

Training went really well. It was intense and nerve-wracking and a lot of hard work, but it was also fantastic. The other people in my training group (all twenty of them) were really cool. Omiya is a fun city. There are some great restaurants (the best and cheapest sushi I’ve ever eaten!) and plenty of things to keep you occupied (from game arcades to pubs and karaoke… and also a pretty happenin’ red-light district for those into that sort of thing). We Gaijin definitely get quite a bit of attention (a bit more than I’d have preferred while exploring the red-light side of town), but people are generally really friendly and excited to practice English with you.

So now onto some pictures. These were taken last Saturday when a group of us took a train into the Asakusa region of Tokyo. While there, we stumbled onto a Brazillian samba festival complete with parade and loud upbeat music. It was completely unexpected, but really fun. Click below.

Finally, some pictures! Today was our day off, so a friend and I wandered around Omiya, taking in the sights. It’s a little strange – people either gawk at you or purposefully look away. Omiya has some really beautiful parks and a rather large (according to me, though I have nothing to compare it against) shrine. While exploring the shrine, Suzanne and I followed a crowd into what turned out to be a shinto ceremony. I had no idea what was going on, but it was interesting, nonetheless. According to Suzanne, the purpose of the ceremony involved warding off evil spirits and negative energy. A shinto priest waved what looked like a stick with long strings of paper tied on one end over the group. Another priest opened a scroll and chanted what was written. Several people in the group were given (although they had probably paid for them earlier) good luck charms. Anyway, here are a few pictures from today.

A path through the city leading to the park.

I’m not sure whether this was a park, a public garden, or some very rich person’s yard, but the bamboo grove offered a nice break from the city.

These little dog statues were common throughout the park. This one was sitting just outside a small shrine.

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Tori gates (shinto architecture).

A turtle sunbathing by a large pond filled with enormous carp.

A bridge over serene waters.

The outer gate leading to the shinto shrine.

People can buy wooden plaques on which to write wishes or prayers to hang inside the shrine. Those colorful strips are actually chains of a thousand tiny oragami cranes.

I’m not sure what these hanging papers mean, but they hang above every shrine.

We weren’t sure what this pool of water was for until a person approached it and took a drink from one of the cups. He then took another scoop and poured the water over his hands (into a pool below, not over the drinking water). As paranoid as I am about germs and parasites, I decided to try it anyway. The water tasted very fresh, and felt great considering I was sweaty and gross.

Well, I am now in Japan. It doesn’t quite seem real. I had a few doubts on the flight over (‘WHAT AM I DOING???‘), but now that I’m here I couldn’t be happier. We were met at the airport by an Aeon representative who led us newbies to Omiya. It’s incredibly humid, but almost everything is air-conditioned. I was surprised flying in to Tokyo at how un-urban it appeared. I’m not sure how far Narita airport is from the city, but there were forests and farms and green spaces! The haze blocked out the mountains, so I still haven’t glimpsed Mt. Fuji, but I’m sure I’ll see Fuji-san soon enough.

I’m sorry this is so short, but I’m anxious to get back to my air-conditioned room and curl up on the futon. The training center is really nice. It’s in a residential neighborhood. Houses are compact and densely packed, but bigger than I expected. There’s a convenience store around the corner. The clerks were really nice, but I was too embarassed to actually respond in Japanese. When in doubt, smile and bow. I bought a bottle of something that tasted like Gatorade but better (the label was bright and colorful) and some supplies to get me through training. No pictures yet, but expect some soon. We get Sunday off to explore the area, so my camera will definitely be by my side. Training starts in the morning. It’s only downstairs, yet we still have to dress in full suits. Welcome to the Japanese business world, I guess. Hello Japan. So long comfort zone, English and personal space!

I’ve been giving out this address, so, call me crazy, I do believe I should write something. My flight to Tokyo leaves in two days… or more specifically, about thirty-six hours. Once there, I’ll train for a week in Omiya (one of the cities that makes up the megalopolis that is Tokyo) and then will begin teaching ‘eikaiwa,’ or English conversation, in Akita, a city of about 300,000 located on north-eastern Honshu. In fact, I should be packing right now, but this is much more fun. There aren’t enough hours remaining before takeoff to accomplish what I need to do. Funny how that always seems to be the case.

I have quite a lot to say, but my suitcases with their gaping mouths are calling my name. This blog is still in its infantile stage, so please be patient as I piece things together. Here are a few pictures from the Columbia River Gorge taken yesterday. My dad and I went kayaking on Lost Lake, stopping briefly to snap a few shots of Multnomah Falls. As soon as I find a site to host my photo albums I’ll put up a link to more pictures. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

EDIT (2/7/2007): Now that I have a shutterfly account I’ll start transferring my blog photos there to clear up some space. Click the picture below to see my albums.