Week 14: Mom and Aunt Trace's Visit

View from Uonuma no Sato 

A coupe of weeks ago my Mom and Aunt Trace traveled to Japan! It was great timing, both because of the pleasant Fall weather and me finally feeling somewhat comfortable in my surroundings. The two of them flew into to Tokyo, and immediately boarded the Shinkansen the following day to spend some time in Urasa. 

Uonuma no Sato

Although there isn't too much to do in Inaka, there are a few hidden gems in this area. One of them being Uonuma No Sato, located in Itsukamachi, which is just a town over from mine. Fairly new and modern for Inaka, this is a complex of gourmet shops and restaurants tucked away from the main drag. Mom and Aunt Trace went to town shopping for Omiyage, but I am happy they were able to find local foods and items to bring back to their friends, family and co-workers!

Crafts at Uonuma No Sato

All of the shops have their specialties, this one has a great assortment of gorgeous fabrics and special handmade cards and money envelops for special occassions, such as weddings and birthdays. Both Mom and Aunt Trace spent a long time deliberating which cloths to buy, but I'm happy they were able to buy new things for their home and others successfully!

View from Royal Park Shiodome Hotel

Aunt Trace left shortly after our shopping expedition to head off to work. The remainder of the week, I did my best to entertain my Mom with random excursions (admittedly most of which were also shopping related in preparation for the winter time) post-work and stay warm in the chilly autumn evenings. 

We finished off the trip with a weekend getaway to Tokyo, where we stayed at a magnificent hotel. The photos of Tokyo Tower were taken from our hotel windows!

Meal at Pignon

Mom and I got into Tokyo late Friday afternoon, before Aunt Trace. Earlier in the week we made reservations at a fabulous French Bistro called Pignon. Notably, I successfully asked the woman over the phone in Japanese if she spoke English and the conversation went smoothly (for once!). Upon my request to eat at some non-Japanese restaurants while we were in Tokyo, Mom did her research well and read about Pignon in the Japan Times. A Japanese chef, trained in France, my stomach and I were equally pleased. 

Chef Rimpei Yoshikawa's dishes were unlike any French restaurant I have ever been too. Like the article says, his menu items feature dishes from other cultures which was even more exciting for my foodie self. We followed the recommended specials and indulged in Yoshikawa's signature guacamole and merguez sausages with homemade harissa (the latter is not pictured because it was consumed too fast) which were both unbelievable. The guacamole was silky and tangy paired with delicious toasted bread, and the sausages melted in your mouth with a slight kick from the harissa. The meal's momentum continued, as what seemed like a simple eggplant and carrot salad turned out to be jam-packed with flavor, Mom and I kept "mmmm-ing," after each bite. Followed by a bacon-potato quiche, with a side of Japanese mushrooms was surprisingly light and not heavy despite its size. Last, we concluded with a cheese board. Even though I was tempted by desserts that had the words, "chocolate and pumpkin," in them, Mom and I were set on the cheese plate even before we ordered our main dishes. Simply because we both love cheese, and I also haven't had "real," cheese for the past three months. Needless to say, there were five cheeses, dried figs and even more delicious bread to conclude our meal. 

This place was stellar and the best non-Japanese restaurant I've been to in Japan. In turn, the servers were extremely patient and kind to us, and took the time to make sure they were translating the menu for us in English. Even if the food hadn't been amazing, their service and kind attitude to us foreigners would be enough to make me want to come back, luckily the restaurant had both. It is a must in Tokyo, and definitely worth another visit in my book! 

Shopping in Kagurazaka

The following day was filled with more shopping and food. A fun highlight was walking around Kagurazaka in Tokyo. This area looks like Kyoto and has a lot of great shops. We all appreciated this senbei shop, for its variety and fun packaging.

Obviously, we did a lot more than what is photographed in this post. Unfortunately, I was either too focused on what we were doing or didn't feel that everything needed to be photographed. Overall, it was great to see and spend time with family in a different part of the world. I think it was really important that my Mom see where I live now and have the chance to view my work place too. Not only do I think it will make it easier to explain stuff in the future, but now folks from home can ask her questions and she can relay a more accurate picture on my behalf. :)

I am expecting another visitor in less than two days, my boyfriend Patrick, and am equally as excited. I suspect the next blog post will be after his visit, so hold tight for the next two weeks for the next update!

Week 14: "5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout"



Hi All! I know many of you are anxious to see photos and read descriptions of my Mom nad Aunt Trace's Visit. I will do my best to have that up by this weekend.

In the meantime, I wrote an article for the newly refurbished Niigata AJET website. I read they were requesting articles for the blog portion of the site called, "Niigata Noise," from ALTs and immediatley thought that my personal journaling about fitness, motivation, healthy eating and wellness should be put to use. You can read my article, "5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout," here, on the Niigata AJET site. I hope it inspires others to maintain their fitness goals while abroad. Maybe some of you back home will be motivated to exercise too :) I want to continue practice various writing styles, so I expect ther ewill be more articles for them in the future, as well as more blog posts too.

Week 12: Photo Essay Update

You Never Know Where You'll Be in Four Years Time
UCSD ID circa 2010 - Alien Registration Card circa 2014

Hi Folks! I apologize I have fallen behind on blogging. With few excuses and lots of requests, I owe you all a detailed update. Below I have several series of photo (admittedly, more from my iPhone than my camera) essays that will hopefully make up for this past month.

Outland Welcome Party in Tokamachi - Selfies Credit to Brian Iwama
Fall Inaka Basketball Tournament in Matsunoyama - Bottom Photo Credit to Mallu

Miscellaneous JET Events

New and old ALTs gathered for a few events the past couple weekends. Notably our Welcome Party held at Outland Camp Grounds in the outskirts of Tokamachi. Outland is unlike most campgrounds, since the owner built all of the cabins at an elevated level, and has secluded patches of grass for miscellaneous tents. Additionally, it is probably one of the few places out here where us noisy Gaijin could be as loud and rambunctious as we wanted, without getting scolded by Japanese folk.

The Fall Inaka Basketball Tournment was organized a couple of weekends ago. It was a two day charity basketball tournament to raise money for Eyes for Fukushima. Teams from Fukui and Gunma joined the handful from Niigata for two days of semi-competitive basketball. Although my team lost every game, we probably had the most supporters out cheering for us, "Men in Black," and still had a blast. My highlight was scoring a basket against a really good team on Day Two. Not to mention there was lots of really good Japanese food served. The latter was probably more significant in my books. :)

Adventures in Niigata-Shi - Selfie Credit to Brian Iwama

Murakami Bamboo Light Festival

Excursions Outside of Inaka

Unfortunately (and maybe surprisingly), I have not taken the time to travel much outside of the countryside. Primarily due to time and a limited budget. However, I am starting to make changes in my lifestyle choices, one of which is to follow the philosphy, "That I can always make time for things I want or need to do." One of which is travel. Although extremely delayed, I spent the past three day weekend visiting Brian. We spent part of the weekend in Niigata-Shi where we ran into a large number of ALTs, and then headed up to his neck of the woods in the northern part of the prefecture, in Nakajo/Murakami area where we attended a Bamboo Light festival.

Rice Cooker Chocolate Cake; Yummy Green Tea Gelato; Shoyu Rame; Baked Blueberry Oats

 Indian Food in Nagaoka; Sweet Potato Flavored Haagan Daz Sandwich; Inoya Ramen

Food

With trips and excursions, comes really good Japanese food. In turn, I have spent a large amount of my free time in the kitchen either baking or cooking up new recipes. Recently, I invested in an oven and blender and have produced satisfying results that are both appetizing and helping me maintain a healthy lifestyle. - At least during the weekdays where I am not tempted by delicious fatty Ramen .

Bed!; Photo Collage; Oven; Couch!

Making Changes in Japan

If you have been reading closely, I have openly expressed my distress and feelings of discouragement in Japan. I definitely had a hard first month, and was smacked countless times with culture shock as can be read in my previous post. However, I had a mini-revelation about three weeks ago that has significanlty brought me back to a similar former self. I realize that I control my own happiness. A great quote I read is, "The feeling of control is an essential element of happiness." -Gretchen Rubin. I plan on writing a more detailed post about this topic in the future, but in the meantime you can see at least the materialistic purchases and changes I have made to my home that have helped boost my mood and energy.

The bed, is the winner in change making. Not only do I usually go to sleep at a decent hour (my earliest is 9:30 p.m. but usually 10-10:30 p.m. now!), I sleep well and deeply. My oven is my favorite kitchen appliance and allows me to make healthier meals (as well as yummy desserts for friends). And I am continuing to add more personal decorations of great memories to my new home.

I hope to actually keep my promise and post apartment photos in the future. In the meantime my Mom and Aunt Trace are visiting this weekend! They will get to experience a snapshot of my surroundings and daily life, and I am sure if you are in contact with either of them they will be able to give a live report Stateside in the near future.

Yoi Ichinichi Wo!
(Have a good day!)

Week 8: Cultural Differences Part 1

Five Cultural Differences and Five Ways I Handle Them

I've experienced a hefty dose of culture shock since I've been here in Japan. There are a lot of differences that are taking time to adjust to. I realize these differences come up in conversation a lot, whenever someone from home asks what Japan is like, and somewhere in the conversation I start talking about how I roll off my futon every-night onto my tatami matts. I then realize, that not everyone knows what I am talking about. Below, I list five differences and how I am tackling them. In turn, I hope to continue these posts to better paint a picture of life in Japan.

 





Credit Google Images

A Classic Row of Shoe Lockers found at all Schools

 

1. Shoes

In Japan, it is customary to take your shoes off before entering most major facilities. I.e. schools, restaurants, homes, and basically anywhere that has tatami matts (woven bamboo matts). The prevalence of indoor shoes is abundant and was an awkward adjustment for me. Most places have their public stock of indoor shoes, usually rubber or leather slippers that are too small or too large to properly fit on your foot. However much I wanted to resist wearing shoes others have worn too, I have come up with ways to deal.

How I deal...

1. I bring socks everywhere I go. Definitely during the weekdays, and I usually have a clean pair in my purse or car just in case for weekends. Especially during the first few weeks, I had no choice to adorn the communal slipper wearing population. Therefore, socks are necessary to avoid any odd foot fungus, and also makes me feel more clean. 

2. I bought a pair of cheap indoor shoes. They look like a Japanese pair of ugly Toms, and I lug them around with me between schools so I don't have to wear the slippers that tend to fall off my feet or make me trip as I walk up stairs. 

3. Lastly, if you know me, I love shoes and clothes. To my great sadness, most of my shoes are either inconvenient or remain on my shoe shelf. All of my cute shoes that I would love to wear to work to match my outfits usually are untouched since I have to take them off upon entering the building. Realization that came up fast is having cute footwear is not necessary since most people wear boring indoor shoes that are designed for comfort and accessibility rather than appearances. The only positive is all of my shoes I brought will at least be in mint condition when I come back to the States!
 

Credit Google Images

When you aren't conservative enough, Japanese people will ask, "Are you cold?" a.k.a. put more clothes on!

2. Conservative Wear

Japan is a conservative society. For women, we have to be aware of not adorning clothes that make us look "sexy." The defintion of sexy here in comparison to America is very different. Showing off your shoulders is unacceptable, particularly in the work place. Same with "short," skirts or dresses as well as super tight clothing. Jewelry, excessive makeup, and  nail polish is also frowned down upon in some situations.

How I deal...

1. I bring a cardigan to work if I am going to wear anything that shows off too much shoulder. Regardless if I am covered up everywhere else, the shoulder area is still taboo. Therefore, even when it was particularly hot I grudgingly wore a cardigan out of respect.

2. Jewelry, makeup and nail polish. I have an obsession with all three things. Especially jewelry. I started off being very conservative here and wearing just earrings and a watch. However, the only way to find out whether your school approves or disapproves is to wear something and see if they comment on it. I've decided that it is important to dress in what makes me feel comfortable, and also in a way that I am used to. Therefore, I've ignored the taboos that come with these items and wear statement necklaces, paint my nails and also put on some makeup. So far the only comment I have recieved is from one student, "You're necklace is so pretty, how much was it? Was it expensive? Are you rich?" I laughed and told him my necklace was at most $20 (2,000 Yen) and that recent university graduates are not rich. 

Morever, I refuse to compromise my entire style, and I think it is important to dress in a way that makes me feel like myself. 

My Kei Car, I call him "Moe."

Discretion: I did NOT choose the color, but pink Kei Cars are popular in Japan.

3. Driving

This was not a shock, but more of an adjustment. In Japan they drive on the left side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. Most people give me a shocked expression when I say I have a car and drive. Ironically, it may be the case that I have driven longer than some of my younger teachers since in Japan they can't get their license until they are 18 years old.

How I deal...
1. Chant, "Left, left, left..." over and over again until I got the hang of it.
2. Be fine with mixing up the window wipers and blinkers.
3. Execute common sense and gain familiraity with the rules of the road, and when in doubt I drive slower. For the most part I much prefer driving in Japan because there are fewer cars on the road, never any traffic, everyone drives slower and there is no tolerance for drinking and driving so I feel safer.



Credit Google Images

With Greetings you must bow too!

 



4. Greetings, Good-Byes and Language Barriers
First, I came into Japan with almost zero knowledge of Japanese. In Japan, whether a store, work place, restaurant or any establishment there are always a series of greetings and good-byes that will be said your way (or yelled). Additionally, the individuals at cash registers will always ask you a series of questions in rapid-fire Japanese that is somewhat useful to know. Overall, finding Romanji (romanized spelling of Japanese words) on products is scarce, especially in the countryside. Especially in this first month, I had almost zero idea of what was happening around me.

How I deal...
1. Learn what to say, and when to say it. Just like how we say, "Good-morning, good-afternoon, and good-evening," Japanese people do the same thing. However, there are certain phrases they say for particular departures. For example say, "osakini," when leaving the work place before others. There are lots of formal and informal versions to phrases in Japan, my rule is to try my best and even if I use the wrong tense or mispronounce something it is better than not trying at all. Japanese people take signs of trying as being polite.
2. I found shopping for food and household items to be particularly stressful at first (and still do at  times). Most items come in different packaging, have different labels, and frankly a lot of Western brands are not present in Japan. Therefore, I take extra measures when it comes to shopping: I look up as much as I can online. "Goolge Search: Antibacterial Spray; Greek Yogurt; Low-Sodium Soy Sauce." When it comes to food, I am that person in the aisle touching, and smelling products to make sure that I am buying the correct item. I also rely on graphics that are on the product label to guide me with shopping. If I am buying anything for my house I make sure to know the exact measurements of a product, and no longer have any shame of bringing my tape measure to the store. It is amazing how many different sizes there are for pillow cases and sheets (no...nothing is simply 'standard,' everything is exact.).
3. Build habits. At this point, I know when I talk to someone in a grocery store, they are usually asking me if I have a rewards card, want a bag, and tell me how much my purchase is. With signs in Japanese, I either memorize what they are, or if I am in a new store I will walk around and around the entire place until I find what I want. Moreover, when dealing with language barriers I have come to grudgingly accept everything I do takes extra time here, and transactions and interactions for me are very slow.

Credit Google Images

Classic Tatami Room with Futon Beds

Note: I have yet to master the art of making my futons look this neat!

 



5. Furniture
Japan is a mix of western and traditional decor. Notably, Japanese people sleep on futons. Essentially, these are really fluffy person-size padding that you put on the floor to sleep on. Typically, they are put on top of tatami matts, or bamboo matts. Additionally, most furniture tends to be low to the ground, or even meant for the floor.

How I deal...
1. In my opinion, it is impossible to get used to everything. I have splurged on a couch (not one that is floor-level, but a western style one), and I ordered a bed that should come in the next few days. I am a firm believer that comfort and being able to sleep well are essential, especially when in a new place! Therefore, how I deal in regards to furniture is to respect what I come across in public, but for my home to make it my own. 

Week Four and Five: Earth Celebration and Welcome Party

Tub Boats - taraibune - at Sado Island

The past few weekends have been filled with small excursions to other parts of the Niigata Prefecture. A couple weekends ago, I ventured with five other Yukiguni ALTs and went to Sado Island for Earth Celebration. This festival is hosted by the famous Kodo Taiko group, in honor of celebrating global culture and artists. We met up with a large group of Joetsu and other miscellaneous JETs on the two and a half ferry trip over to the island. Although the travel was extremely long: 4:30 a.m. wake up in Tokamachi --> Joyce drives a sleepy car to Joetsu ferry for a little over an hour --> ALTs who do not get sea sick proceed to sleep the 2.5 long ferry ride --> take a 20 minute bus to the camp area --> set up and take a bus back to finally enjoy the festival by 12 p.m. and stay there for the rest of day - it was well worth the trip. 

Earth Celebration

I regret to say that I did not take many photos during this excursion, primarily due to the extreme heat and lack of hands. I forgot to pack an extra tote bag to carry all of my stuff around during the actual festival. Therefore, I lugged my camera, a small clutch and hung onto the random items I bought throughout the day. This prevented me from having my hands free for taking pictures. 

The night taiko performance by Kodo was what made the trip exceptional. Photography was banned during the performance, but they featured some photos on their website that capture snapshots of the festival: Kodo Website.  A few ALTs are photographed snoozing on the grass :) They also feature this YouTube video that provides a nice picture of the festival vibe: Earth Celebration YouTube Video - then I highly recommend checking out the Taiko Performance links on the side bar! 

This performance was unlike any musical production I have ever seen. Between the energy, physicality and passion, the performers were unbelievable. It was a jaw dropping performance and definitely a part of Japanese culture that is a must-see in Japan. 

Image from Google Images

 Firework Fun at The House of Light

Our wonderful regional advisor Joyce organized a welcome party at The House of Light this past weekend. The House of Light is an architectural piece created by an American light artist named James Turrell. We all spent the night enjoying food (the most international potluck ever!) playing games, setting off fireworks, relaxing in the onsen downstairs and chatting the night away. 

Again, I apologize for the lack of photos. I was pretty careless with my photography during this time, since I was so focused on bonding with my fellow JETs! It was a great way to spend the weekend, and see yet another part of Yukiguni. 

For future posts I plan on finally showcasing my apartment, now that I have some more furniture in it, and reflecting on cultural differences here in Japan!