Trash day

(rain = ame, ant = ari)

Today is our first day of rain. Every day since Gordon and I arrived has been sunny believe it or not. The rain has made the temperature drop about 10 degrees and the air conditioner is off and the windows are open. It’s a nice change from the humidity and hot sun.

I’m beginning to go a little stir-crazy (cabin fever). I can only learn so much Japanese and clean so many nooks and crannies before I start to go a little crazy. I can’t wait until we have Internet. September 1^st spells relief. I keep thinking of all the insignificant things I could be doing on the Internet like going on Facebook, checking email, watching television shows (American shows!) on hulu and checking out random video clips of cute kittens sleeping.

Gordon and I are going this evening to make the first payment on our car so we’re a little closer to independence. We went on a short run this morning and afterwards decided to take out our stinking (literally) trash. The ants were starting to form a bigger colony near our back porch because they had extra provisions. We had to nip their plans to expand in the bud. They were starting to become a nuisance. So, Gordon and I noted a dump area for the trash and decided to take it there. The site is about a two or three blocks from our apartment and I wanted to make it a covert-op because I’m still scared of the Japanese ladies who might hurt me if I didn’t separate the trash correctly, much less if we were actually allowed to dump our trash at this spot. Gordon and I were making our way down to the dump, inconspicuously carrying three trash bags, when, of course, a lady stopped her car beside us. She didn’t start screaming in Japanese like I thought she would, but jabbered something in Japanese, smiled and made quite a bit of hand gestures. Gordon and I assumed the typical response: *smile and give the “oh, I see” face/naïve foreigner look* “Hai, hai, hai” (Yes, yes, yes) signaling that we understood every single word she said. I looked at Gordon.

Me: “What did she say?”

Gordon: “I don’t know. I think she was telling us we could leave the trash on the corner.”

Me: “Oh.”

Gordon: “Do you just want to leave it by that house near their trash?”

Me: “Sure.”

We drop the bags.

Gordon: “You want to run back to the apartment?”

Me: “Sure.”

Covert-op mission successful. Garbage is at the neighbors.

August 18, 2011

I’m forcing myself to learn some Japanese today. I’ve actually learned a little Japanese every day since I’ve been here, but it’s just been words or small phrases. Now I’m attempting to learn the Japanese alphabet so I can read. Unfortunately there are 3 different types of Japanese characters, hiragana, katakana and kanji. It’s kind of like print and cursive except a little more intense. So, I’m starting off with hiragana (considered the best to learn first/most often used). My brain already hurts, but I know my effort will be worth it when I can read my first Japanese word! There are 46 basic syllables so I plan on learning about 5 a day.

I’m also trying to practice playing the guitar. We still don’t have Internet, but when we went over to Fumiko’s to use her internet for a while I wrote down some chords: a, c, d and e. I have no clue if I’m playing them correctly or not, but it’s worth a shot.

August 16, 2011

(cat = neko) 

Gordon and I went on a run this morning. There is a trail that runs along the rice paddies just a short distance from our apartment. The humidity was intense this morning. We left the house a little before 7 am thinking it would be cool, but it warms up fast. While we were running I spotted a kitten (probably 2-3 weeks old) wondering out onto the street. Of course I stopped and I picked it up (at this point it started meowing) and placed it in a cardboard box that was laying on its side in a nearby yard. Gordon joked that having a kitten at the apartment would give me something to do. If I had been in the states I would have kept the kitten and probably given it to a shelter or to a good home after loving on it for a couple days. I just prayed that the kitten would be safe and tried to forget about it.

There are several cats here, just wondering around. Our next-door neighbors have a cat. At least I think it’s their cat (neko). Otherwise it sure enjoys hanging around our apartment complex. I’ve forced myself not to feed the cat because I know as soon as I do it will be at our doorstep 24/7. He’s pretty rough looking although he doesn’t look like he’s starving. He’s got patches of gray fur in random spots. I think that’s from stress. Every so often Gordon and I will hear him meowing at the neighbor’s door. After our run this morning he kept walking past our back door and sat down momentarily on our back porch. He looks like he’d be a “Rufus”. He reminds me of the male version of my cat Chloe in SC. They’d probably get along.

Rufus walking outside our sliding glass door.

 

Gordon and I are going to a cooking class today. It’s at 1:00 pm and Gordon’s work is letting him go with me. Supposedly we’re going to learn how to make fried eggplant with curry. Yum.

5:30 (eggplant = nasu, pumpkin = kabocha)

Gordon and I just came back from the cooking class at town hall. We’re exhausted. There was a group of about 20 women and 3 men at the cooking class. We learned how to make curry with eggplant and beef or chicken, small, steamed sea clams and pumpkin custard. 

Gordon and I didn’t know what to expect. I thought we might be sitting and watching someone cook, taking notes and sampling what they made. This was not the case. The class was completely hands-on. Each group of about 3-4 people got their own cooking station and made each of the recipes. Luckily, we met a nice young woman who knew English, Takako. She is originally from Japan, but lived in England for 12 years and met her husband there. She even had a British accent. She helped guide us through the lesson. There was also a young man in our group, a student from Chiba University.

The pace of the cooking class was fast and furious. The cooking instructor was spunky and was scurrying around making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing. Every once in a while she’d shout “Sumimasen!” (excuse me) and wave everyone over to gather round to see what she was doing so we could imitate her every move. We cooked for about 2 1/2 hours. Then we set the table and sat down to eat. The curry was delicious. I just had the pieces of eggplant, but I’m looking forward to making it with tofu instead of meat. I also really enjoyed the pumpkin custard. It was almost like a pumpkin flan. It had caramel on top and tasted excellent with vanilla ice cream. Hideki gave Gordon and I a pumpkin, among other things, from his garden the other day, so I have an excuse to make the custard soon.

The members of the cooking club.

Takako watching me get the pumpkin custard out.

Our cooking class group! Gordon contributing by cutting the custard.

Making a speech before we eat our meal.

Recipe for Japanese curry:

(Japanese curry is a sweeter curry than Thai curries)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 head of garlic (minced)

3 tablespoons minced ginger

2 onions (diced)

2 tomatoes (diced)

2 tablespoons curry powder (premixed, you can find it in the grocery store)

1 bullion cube

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

ground beef/chicken or tofu (your choice of protein)

6 Japanese (small) eggplants (sliced 1/2 inch thick and placed in water – this prevents discoloration)

olive oil (for frying)

Curry base:

1. Put diced onions in a glass bowl covered with cling wrap and microwave for 12 minutes.

2. Put butter in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for 10 seconds.

3. Add garlic, ginger, onion and curry powder to the pan.

4. Add 1/2 cup water and the bullion cube to the saucepan. Keep stirring to incorporate.

5. Add the tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and ketchup to the pan.

At this point you can add whatever protein and veggies you want. This is the basic foundation for the curry.

Fried eggplant:

6. Heat up (medium-medium/high heat) enough olive oil in a separate pan to shallow fry the eggplant.

7. Remove the eggplant from the water and gently pat dry.

8. Place the eggplant in the pan and fry until cooked through. Add to the curry base.

9. Cook for about 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Curry is best when served over rice.

Recipe for pumpkin custard:

1/2 pumpkin (seeds taken out) -- (Japanese pumpkins are a little bigger than a softball…adjust accordingly)

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of water

1 tablespoon of butter

3 eggs

small carton of heavy/whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Take a round baking pan (about 9 inches across and 2 inches deep) and smear butter all around the inside of the pan.

2. Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a glass bowl and add the water. Stir the mixture until blended. Place the bowl in the microwave for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. This will make caramel. If necessary, microwave for a couple more seconds until deep brown.

3. Pour the caramel into the buttered baking pan making sure it covers the bottom.

4. Cut the pumpkin into large cubes (rough chop). Place the cubes into a plastic bag (produce bag) and microwave for 5 minutes. This will steam the pumpkin.

5. Take the pumpkin cubes out of the bag and cut off the outer skin.

6. Using a blender, place the pumpkin, eggs, remaining sugar (1/2 cup), the carton of cream and vanilla extract into the blender. Blend the ingredients until smooth.

7. Slowly pour the pumpkin mixture into the baking pan with the caramel. You want the caramel to stay on the bottom, not blend in with the pumpkin mixture.

8. Cover the baking pan and steam the custard (in a pan used for steaming with lid on top) for 40 minutes or until the custard sets up. You know its done when you stick it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

9. Place the baking pan in a shallow dish of ice water (to stop the baking) and place the dish in the fridge.

10. When the custard is cooled completely its ready to eat. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosing the custard from the edges. Cover the pan with a dish and invert the custard onto the dish. You might need to use a little force to get it onto the plate.

11. Slice and serve with more caramel drizzled on top, ice cream and/or whipped cream.

August 10, 2011

(trash = garakuta, party = enkai)

I am so completely exhausted! I’m taking a break from attempting to separate the trash (garakuta). This is a big deal in Japan. I’ve read and heard horror stories of the friendly Japanese neighbor coming over and wagging a finger if the trash is not separated correctly. There are a couple of factors that have made this job slightly more difficult than it should be. 1) The instructions for separating trash are in Japanese. 2) At the moment I don’t know how to read Japanese characters. 3) I’m slightly nauseous after the enkai last night. 4) The trash has been piling up since Gordon and I arrived…its not pretty. Lets just say I’ve been exposed to more mold in the past half hour than I have been in my entire life thus far :(. 

So much trash, so little time.

Trash instructions. I'm not a rocket scientist, but I think you have to be one to understand this.

Gordon and I did end up finding a car the other day. However, the car dealer had to make some exceptions for the broke and naïve Americans. They expected us to have all the money for the car then and there. We were supposed to drop 300,000 yen. That wasn’t going to happen especially when Gordon and I were under the impression that the BOE (Board of Education) was going to purchase the car and we would pay that back in monthly installments. SO, with a little negotiating and some help from Endo, her sister and her sister’s Australian husband (our translator/mate) we are going to be paying off the car in 3 installments.

I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of car we got? Well, we went expecting to hopefully get a four-door car with four seats (in hopes we’d have friends/visitors to transport around). So we looked at a Honda for a while that was a three-door and then “IT” happened. Endo and her sister zeroed in on the car they wanted for us. They obviously got excited when they saw it because their eyes lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. It was the van to beat all “mom” vans. A Nissan Largo. With racing or, as I learned, “highway stripes”. Hawt. Now at first I was skeptical. I couldn’t picture Gordon and I (well mainly Gordon, I’m too scared to drive here) navigating the tiny streets in Tonosho in a Texas sized van. But one look inside and I was sold. The van can fit a total of 7 people. There are four sky windows (yes, four. I counted.) and the seats look rather comfortable. Plus we got it for the same price we were going to get the Honda. Why not get a bigger (and nicer car) if you’re going to pay the same price? So, we will drive the car off the lot (hopefully) before Gordon starts teaching, at the end of August. FREEDOM! Watch out Tonosho! The mommy van is gonna get ya! If the people of Tonosho don’t know Gordon and I by now, they will when they see us cruising around town in our new ride. One other thing, the van has a cassette player. How old school is that?! But because of our American charm (or maybe it was the begging and pleading done by Endo) we’re getting a CD player installed at no extra cost.

Last night, Gordon and I got to experience our first Japanese enkai (party). Traditionally there is lots of food, drinks and socializing. This is the chance for Japanese people to let their guards down and have a good time. A Choshi Plaza Hotel bus picked up the aomugikai group (a social club Gordon and I now belong to) at the Tonosho Town Hall at 6:00 pm. Choshi is about 30 minutes away from Tonosho and is the eastern most city in Japan. Choshi is famous for its fish market. We arrived at the Choshi Hotel around 7ish. Hideki Ito, the aogmugikai clerk/organizer, speaks a fair amount of English and was our translator for the night.

We ate at a long table (there were about 20-30 people in total) on the rooftop of the Choshi Hotel. It was a beautiful evening and the weather was perfect for eating outside. There were three cooking stations at the table and several plates of food for us to cook. There was cabbage, eggplant, bean sprouts, pork and beef. We could also order off a menu and they would bring food out to us.

Hideki told us we would have to make a short speech that was customary at these types of gatherings. Gordon told everyone he was excited to be there and thanked everyone for letting us be a part of their group. I said about the same thing. At first everyone was shy and just talked to the person next to them. Hideki kept saying that Japanese people are extremely shy. I thought this was weird given that fact that Gordon and I were the new faces and the ones that needed to be accepted. After a few drinks and once everyone got some food in them, people started to open up. Everyone was very interested in why Gordon and I were together (what characteristics we liked about each other, how we met, etc.). As the night went on everyone was laughing and there was a big circle of people around Gordon and I. We talked about the differences between America and Japan, the presidential campaign in the U.S. and what types of sports/activities we liked. Gordon and I had an amazing time getting to know everyone and really enjoyed our first enkai.

Gordon and Tako (aka "Bruce Willis") at the Choshi Plaza Hotel.

Gordon and Hideki.

Having way too much fun...and making new friends :)

August 6, 2011

(summer = natsu, festival = matsuri, city = shi)

Today is the summer (natsu) festival in Omigawa and Tonosho. Gordon and I got up this morning, ate breakfast and decided to walk around Tonosho. We walked past the park where the sumo wrestlers practice and walked to the train station near us. We can walk to most of the necessary places in Tonosho: the dry cleaners, convenience stores, gas stations and the grocery store. We stopped in Family Mart and bought a Coke to drink while we walked around. It was hot, humid and there were a couple of rain clouds in the sky. It’s a little difficult walking from place to place because there aren’t really sidewalks. There’s just a narrow area of the road that’s technically a drainage area for water (cement blocks with holes every so often). We stopped in the local grocery store before heading home. There were lots of people doing their shopping. We decided to pick up a few things. We bought creamer (in the little disposable containers), cereal (coco crispy type things) and chips that taste and look like French fries (Gordon’s nephews told us about these things, there’s a giraffe on the container :). 

Yummy!

2:30 pm

We are currently getting ready to leave the house and head to Omigawa where the festival (matsuri) is taking place. Gordon is writing in his journal, trying to write down all the things that have happened here thus far. We’ve been talking about some of the weekend trips we might be making. Sometime in September we want to go to Chiba City (shi) to visit Gordon’s predecessor, Patrick. Chiba is probably one of the closest bigger cities to Tonosho. They have a Starbucks (need I say more?) Tomorrow we are going car (kuruma) shopping! There are two types of cars in Japan, yellow tag and white tag cars. Yellow tags are smaller, more gas efficient and are used for driving around town. White tags are usually bigger (or nicer), less gas efficient and you can make road trips with them. Obviously we want a nice car and even though the yellow tags are more common (and very compact and cute) a white tag car might be better for us. However the car we get depends on the price and because of the earthquake/tsunami there is a shortage of cars. That means prices for new AND used cars have gone up. We might end up with a moped, hahaha!

Endo-san conned Gordon into dressing up as a Kabuki theater character at the festival.

AHHH!

Real Kabuki characters.

Gordon (still in character) eating cold bean soup with sticky rice balls.

Gordon and Endo-san walking down the hill from the festival (they are both eating cucumbers on a stick).

August 5, 2011

(chopsticks = hashi, salad = sarada)

This morning Gordon and I woke up around 5:00 am and decided to go on a morning walk. We walked around Tonosho and down some side streets where we could see some of the beautiful Japanese homes here. The bushes, plants and gardens surrounding each home are well manicured and are amazing to look at. It was humid out and a little foggy, but it was nice to get some exercise.

Beautiful flowers are everywhere. These remind me of my mom.

Standing beside one of the many rice paddies in Tonosho.

Gordon looking out over an expansive field of rice paddies.

 We came back to the apartment and ate ramen for breakfast and had coffee. Gordon was reading the Japan Times (he’s getting a free trial) and I decided to search the apartment for a Japanese-English dictionary. You would think in an apartment previously occupied by former JETs/ALTs that there would be several dictionaries lying around. Well, I didn’t find one, BUT I did find two guitars. Let me explain. Because the apartment has had several other occupants, stuff/junk/wonderful treasures have accumulated over time. There are several closets upstairs that can hold quite a bit of stuff. I haven’t gotten the chance to go through the closets yet, mainly because the air conditioner isn’t working upstairs :(. It gets REALLY hot during the day. 

So, I opened one of the closets looking for a dictionary and was pleasantly surprised to find an acoustic guitar instead. I was immediately over come with joy and the first thought that popped into my head was, “I can learn how to play the guitar!!!” I grabbed the guitar and hurried downstairs to show Gordon. He thought it was cool and couldn’t believe a random guitar was hiding upstairs (I also would like to think he was a little jealous/impressed that I was/am about to become an amazing guitarist). As if finding one guitar wasn’t enough (upon closer inspection the guitar is a Yamaha) I went upstairs to search for more treasures (a dictionary being the furthest thing from my mind…there’s GOLD in them there hills!). I saw a guitar case/bag and decided to bring that down to show Gordon where I would store my awesome new guitar, but when I went to pick it up it was heavy. Something was in it! HAHA!  Drum roll please…an electric guitar. Now the first thing that came to my mind was, “I’m going to start a Japanese punk band.” I rushed downstairs once more and revealed the treasure to Gordon. Once again, he was amazed and thought I was weird especially when I started to strum the guitar and then started wailing on it (it wasn’t pretty…I can’t play yet). The electric guitar is a brand I’ve never heard of, which isn’t saying much considering I know little about guitars, it’s a Fernandes. That sounds Spanish. Needless-to-say, I now have a new hobby.

Last night, Gordon and I went out with our landlord (who we lovingly refer to as “Mr. Miyagi”…seriously, he has a gray goatee, hair down to his shoulders and wears glasses that flip up and keeps them flipped up) to eat a Japanese meal. He (Mr. Ishi) arrived at our door promptly at 7 pm and motioned us to follow him. He speaks very little English. We got in his van, which was quite spacious, and he proceeded to drive us somewhere. Gordon and I had no idea where we were going. Once again, I felt like I was in a Japanese movie.

We arrived at what looked like a restaurant. Mr. Ishi told us to go inside. It was a small Japanese restaurant with a bar and one table. At the table sat Mr. Ishi’s son and we sat down across from him and Mr. Ishi. There were two plates already on the table loaded with sashimi (tuna, snapper, octopus and other fish). Mr. Ishi ordered Gordon and I beers, Asahi beer, and said, “Dozo” (after you). We picked up our chopsticks (hashi) and Mr. Ishi and his son were very impressed that we knew how to use them. Dinner was amazing. At Japanese restaurants the food comes out plate by plate. The next thing we were served was a long plate with different sections. There was sesame tofu (a block of dark colored tofu), a scallop with cod roe on top, egg salad and a slice of pork. Then we were served a roll with beef stew inside and then boiled spearfish, which was my favorite (it tasted just like the tuna my Granddad makes) and then beef and fried rice. Everything was delicious!

Luckily Mr. Ishi's son studied English at University and could understand most of what we said. There was a tv in the restaurant and the show “Bloody Mary” was on. The show consisted of a panel of Japanese comedians who were watching people get the living daylights scared out of them. They would watch a film of people in scary situations (in a haunted house, etc.) and make comments. It was intriguing and freaky at the same time. Everyone at our table laughed several times especially when something really scary happened because a huge “REPLAY” would appear on the screen so you could watch the madness unfold again.

Our conversation at dinner consisted of baseball, the food we were eating, alcohol and the town of Tonosho. The night ended with Gordon and I presenting Mr. Ishi with a gift, salad (sarada) dressing from home.

While Gordon is at work I’m going to go over to the nursery school to play with the kids. Mr. Ishi and his daughter Aki invited me to come whenever I want to. I’m going to take some stickers and a bag of M&Ms. Those kids are going to love me…even if I have to buy their love!

11:00 am (child = kodomo, a little = sukoshi)

I just got back from playing with the nursery school kids. I was there for 2 hours and had so much fun! At 9:00 am I walked across the street to the school and asked for Aki. Aki showed me around and walked me past each classroom and told me the ages of each of the kids. There was a classroom for infants (only 2 are in that classroom) and a separate classroom for 1 year olds, 2, 3 and 4 year olds and I was placed in the classroom with the 5 year olds. The 5 year olds learn some English twice a month. The teachers at the school probably thought I needed all the help I could get! To say the children were adorable is an understatement. They were too cute!

I walked up to the classroom and took off my shoes. One of the kids ran into the classroom and brought me some slippers to wear. Once I was in the classroom kids started coming up to me and trying out their English. They would say, “My name is….” I tried my best to listen to their names and repeat them. They also knew “Good morning” and “hello”. One girl knew quite a bit of English and would point to objects/pictures around the classroom and tell me their names like “egg”, “airplane” and “elephant”.

There were about 16 kids in the classroom, but close to 70 or more children at the nursery school in total. I had a hard time pronouncing the teacher’s name and it came out Toshi-san and she laughed and said that was good enough. She spoke only as much English as the kids, but we could communicate enough to understand each other.

I started playing with building block pieces and most of the kids joined in. They would rattle off Japanese expecting me to understand, but weren’t bothered by whether or not I knew what they were talking about. Toshi-san then called them over to sit down by the piano and sing. Toshi-san played the piano very well and the kids sang two songs, one of them being Bibbity bobbity boo from Cinderella, so I joined in.  The kids also knew the Mickey Mouse song. Toshi-san called role and after she said each kids’ name they would reply, “Hai, genki desu” (Yes, I’m well), so when she called my name I raised my hand and did the same. She then told the kids what I had brought them and let me give each of them a sticker and she gave them each a handful of M&Ms. They held up an M&M and told me in English what color it was. Then I asked what the color was in Japanese and they told me. The only colors I remember are blue, “ao” (pronounced “ah-o") and red, “aka”.

Next, it was time for “Latin Percussion”! The kids gathered around different types of drums. Each child (kodomo) knew his or her place and Toshi-san gave me a tambourine. Toshi-san got on the piano and played a tune and the kids knew exactly what to do. They had better rhythm than I did. They beat the drums to two different songs and I tried my best not to make myself look bad and tried to keep up with the beat.

After that we all went outside to play with all the other kids. Every child put on a cute cap that was a different color and showed what classroom they belonged to. The teachers wore hats also and Toshi-san gave me one to wear. I walked around and played with the kids. We kicked a ball around, played in the sand, played rock, paper, scissors and had thumb wars. Several of the children would follow me around and one girl in particular held my hand most of the time and refused to let go.  Toshi-san let me hold one of the infants. He was the cutest little boy and seemed a little (sukoshi) confused and perplexed by me. 11:00 came quick and it was time for me to leave and time for the kids to take their naps and then eat lunch. I said good-bye to the kids and thanked Toshi-san. The kids waved good-bye to me as I left.

My second trip to the nursery. Everyone was fishing!

Little girls playing house.

 

August 4, 2011

Since arriving in Tonosho it’s been a whirlwind. I started to notice the change when Gordon and I arrived at the airport in Detroit.

At the Detroit airport.

Unlike the airport in Charleston there were a lot more people traveling to other parts of the world. I would glance at a gate, see the destination and then look at the people waiting. If the destination was Shanghi, the people were mostly of Asian descent. This seems pretty obvious, but it was my first introduction to what life was going to be like as the minority. When Gordon and I got to our gate most of the people waiting there were Japanese. I felt even more isolated not having a cell phone and had to use a pay phone to update my mom on my flight and how I was doing. This was my first flight to another country.

We didn’t wait for long before it was time to board the plane. The plane was a two-level plane and could carry many people. We found our seats and settled in for the flight.The flight wasn’t too bad. I knew it was going to be long so I prepared myself. I got to eat airplane food for the first time. It actually wasn’t that bad. I choose the vegetarian selection, which was pasta in tomato sauce, a roll and a salad. I tried to sleep most of the flight especially because I stayed up all night packing and double-checking everything I had packed.

When we started our descent I opened up the window to see Japan for the first time. It was one of the most amazing sights I had ever seen. I had been studying the map of Japan and specifically Tonosho for some time and I automatically knew what part of Japan we were flying over. We flew over the eastern most tip of Japan, over the Tone River and over our new home, the town of Tonosho. It was awesome getting to see where we’d be staying before we even touched the ground. All I could see was tiny groups of houses, the river and miles and miles of rice paddy fields. It wasn’t long after that we touched down at Narita airport.

We’ve been in Tonosho for three days now and the transition has been easier than I thought. Half the time I feel like I’m in a Japanese foreign film walking around in a town I would only normally see in the movies. Nothing is in English except for the occasional word on a sign like “café” or “shop”. The night Gordon and I arrived, his supervisor, Endo-san, her sister and her sister’s husband picked us up from the airport. They were worried about us taking the train home and went out of their way to pick us up. Endo’s brother-in-law is from Australia and has been living in Japan for the past 20 years. He came to Japan to teach English and never left. It was a blessing having him there because he was the only person who spoke English. On the drive to Tonosho, he talked to Gordon and I about the earthquake and tsunami and the towns near us that were affected. Thankfully, Tonosho was barely touched. Miraculously only a few roads were cracked (Gordon and I would later see these roads on a run alongside the rice paddies).

Gordon and I arrived on the night a festival was taking place. Fireworks were being shot off from the Tone River and before we got to Tonosho Endo-san stopped the car and we watched the fireworks from the steps of a local high school. I was still trying to take everything in. I was watching the people around us and saw the cutest little Japanese girl. She was pulling a puppy, a baby dachshund, around on a leash (well, basically dragging it) and the dog lead her over to me and I pet it. Then like a scene from some scary insect movie, the biggest beetle I’ve ever seen fell from the light pole it was buzzing around and down onto the pavement. The little girl, being curious, dragged her puppy over to investigate. The puppy sniffed it and the bug, startled, flew across the pavement on its back and into a nearby bush. I was worried from that point on I’d find some mammoth sized beetle in the apartment and thought immediately about investing in some industrial strength insect killer. Luckily, that’s been my only encounter (so far) with an insect that size.

The fireworks were an amazing start/welcome to life in Japan. When they were finished Endo-san took us to our apartment. Gordon and I thanked her and went inside to unpack and get to bed. The apartment was just as I imagined it and even a little bigger than I expected. There’s a kitchen, living room and bathroom downstairs and upstairs there are two bedrooms and a small balcony. Gordon and I were exhausted so we quickly got ready for bed, set the alarm and went to sleep.

Our first morning in Tonosho, I woke up to a rooster crowing. Yes, a rooster woke me up. That was my signal that Gordon and I were in the Japanese countryside. I went out on the porch to investigate and sure enough, I couldn’t see him, but from the sound of it he lives in the house behind our apartment. It turns out that roosters like to crow at the first sight of daylight, so I ended up waking up around 4:15 am.

Gordon and I had plenty of time to get ready before we had to be at Tonosho town hall at 8:30 am. We searched for some food for breakfast, I made coffee, and we took a shower and got dressed. Lucky for us, town hall is only a 10 minute walk from the apartment. We left the apartment at 8:00 am got turned around, but finally got on the right track. Our landlord also happens to own/run the nursery school right across from our apartment so Gordon and I got to see all the little kids hurrying in with their parents. As we passed people on the street they smiled and greeted us with “Ohayo gozaimasu!” (Good morning) and Gordon and I said the same back. We were officially part of the town. Gordon and I arrived at town hall hot and sweaty from our walk. 

Gordon outside of Tonosho Town Hall.

Unfortunately, town hall wasn’t any cooler than outside due to Japan’s efforts to save energy by reducing the energy they use. But Gordon and I got used to the temperature and were introduced to everyone in the office. I got to meet Fumiko Suzuki, one of the only people in Tonosho who can speak English.

Endo-san took Gordon and I on a tour of the town. We went to the bank first to exchange our American cash for yen. After that we went to the grocery store (keep in mind everything is in Japanese) and Gordon and I shopped for items to carry us through the week. We bought lots of ramen (there is a whole aisle dedicated to ramen) and other essentials such as milk, bread and bottled water. 

YEAH! RAMEN!

It was challenging figuring out what we were buying because some of the items don’t have pictures. 

Gordon wondering down the ramen aisle.

We tried buying half and half for coffee, but ended up with low fat milk because we couldn’t tell the difference! Endo-san knew we were exhausted from traveling and from our first day in Tonosho so she let us go home early (around 3:00 pm).