Tanabata and Strawberry Camp

I spent the weekend in Pippu (the next town over), being genki and teaching English. Sunday was the Tanabata Matsuri (star-crossed lovers festival). The festival involves strange Japanese "sports" like team jump rope and "throwing bean bags into a bird cage atop a very long pole". So me and Team Assistant English Teachers (AET) did our best, but were no match for the natives, who apparently practice these sports. One of the Japanese guys from a town famous for this beanbag tossing game tried to give us pointers, but we still came last place in everything. Nevertheless, it was a fun festival. The remainder of the events were eating yakiniku (bbq meat on a stick) and mochi, drinking beer (to drown our shame at losing) and of course, singing karaoke in the talent competition.

Monday and Tuesday were Strawberry Camp. Thirteen kids from grades five to seven and four AETs. We spent the weekend doing fun games, that tended to involve English, and generally just hanging out with the kids. We also did a play on Tuesday. "The great Japanese Radish". You know, the one where the farmer finds a huge turnip, and needs the help of everyone (in our case, animals) to pull it out.

The kids were great, and I was exhausted by the end of it. So much so that I managed to leave my purse with house and car keys in Pippu-cho. The office rents the building to me, so they had a master key, but I definitely feel stupid. We had to drive back today to pick them up.

Today was all about errands. I finally got my gaijin card, so I can do all those fun things like set up a bank account, and get a cell phone. Of course, the cell phone won't be in for a few days, and the first bank account I opened didn't allow direct deposit from my employer, the town, but after running around all day with my ever patient super-supervisor, I think we got everything done. Maybe.

I'm definitely getting busier. School starts next week already, so I'm starting to worry about teaching my introduction lesson. This evening I helped my shodo/Japanese teacher with an English conversation class, and tomorrow I'm going to Asahikawa with her to pick up calligraphy supplies. And in the evening, I've been invited to the Rotary club dinner. One of their members, Watanabe-san, is an incredibly nice guy who speaks great English. He dropped a huge bag of vegetables on my doorstep this afternoon.

Now all I need to do is hunt down the kendo teacher!

"Youkoso" to Kamikawa-cho

Yes, I have finally made it to my new home in Japan. After a nine hour flight, a two hour bus ride, a few days of orientation in Tokyo, another hour on a plane and three hours in a car, I made it!

My contract started the day after I arrived in Japan, so bright and early after arriving in Kamikawa (tired and jetlagged) I started work. Conveniently, school is on summer break at the moment, so work consists mostly of studying Japanese, and making my co-workers laugh when I say "bless you" after someone sneezes. I'm trying to plan some kind of introductory lesson, but I was never very good at lesson planning, and I don't really know what is expected of me. I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough.

The town is small, but the people are incredibly warmhearted. I already have a shodo (calligraphy) teacher, and a line on someone who can get me involved with kendo. I've been taken out for dinner, drinks, and karaoke; to festivals and to an onsen (Japanese hot springs); been given gifts and had vegetables dropped at my door; and I've only been here a week.

My apartment is bigger than the one I had in Victoria, and I'll get around to posting some pictures soon.

Tomorrow I head off to the neighboring town of Pippu for Tanabata (literally the star crossed lovers) festival, where I am volunteering to help run a sports day and then two days of a kids summer camp. Should be fun! I just hope the forecast for 31C turns out to be wrong...

Crunch Time

I can't believe I'm leaving in less than a week! I even called the consulate to make sure. I hadn't received any information about when and where I would be picking up my passport, visa and plane tickets. Apparently, it got sent to my address in Victoria. I knew I should have triple checked that they changed my address! But no problem there. I pick it all up on Friday, and spend the day orientating. What else they want us to know the day before we go I can't imagine. Probably how to avoid jetlag, and what kind of orientation we do in Tokyo. I'm in the midst of packing all of the stuff that I want for a year in Japan. Luckily I'm too busy here to get nervous. Mostly. Talk to me after I start trying to get stuff into suitcases.

Cowboys at the gates

Cowboys at the gates
Originally uploaded by anyram.

Yes, I have been to the Stampede.

Dad treated us to an evening of Chuckwagon races, grandstand show, and mini donuts. Mmmm... mini donuts...
It was lots of fun, but I'm ready for everyone in town to return to wearing normal clothing, and for hearing music in public places that is NOT bad country music.

Yahoo!

I made the drive across the rockies without incident last week. We reserved a place on the ferry so we didn't get caught in the extra traffic generated by the accident at Horseshoe Bay.

The highway was only really busy from Vancouver to about the Coquihala toll booth. Driving was an interesting way to spend Canada Day. We even caught some fireworks on our way through Canmore, unlike people in Calgary where fireworks were on the 30th. The cat was very quiet and well behaved for the long, long drive. He was very relieved to get to mom and dad's place, even if there is a dog there.

So now I am relaxing in Calgary, enjoying time with my family and friends here. I'll be heading up to Edmonton at some point too! And I guess I will hit the Stampede grounds once or twice, if only for taking pictures of the cultural experience that is the Calgary Stampede for my Japanese students. After all, I think it was my excellent demonstration of calf roping that clinched my position with the JET program.

Operation: Secret Brother and Sister-in-law Visit successfully initiated.
Operation: Sister Visit remains on indefinite hold.

I should really start thinking about packing, because I leave in about two weeks! Scary stuff kiddies!