Breathing Underwater

I would really like to refer to the old phrase `time flies` right now, because wasn't I just leaving for Japan? Wasn't I just graduating college? Wait, wasn't I just starting college? Wasn't it yesterday I graduated high school?! Where has the time gone??

I find it hard to believe that November is almost over and with the way December looks, I might as well prepare myself for it to fly by as well. It`s hard to imagine that in a few short days my 4 month anniversary of living in Japan will be behind me. And in one month from today I will be leaving to meet my family in Thailand. Again, I must say, unbelievable.

Considering I haven`t had a full week this month, it has flown by at alarming rates. I have had limited classes (thank goodness--the kids are getting rowdy for some reason) and a good dose of culture lately, which is always invigorating. I feel that if I don`t do something with the Japanese, around the Japanese or something that is Japanese then I am becoming a flat Stanley. Remember that book? I think he had more character than he looked, but in my case, I feel as though I am not truly soaking in the culture when I hide myself away in my English world. Although, as my last post said, there are just some days where avoiding the outside world is just what I want. It`s an interesting balance and although I have never been an extremely moody person, I sure am a moody culture shocker. One day I am loving it, the next I am mad at every little thing, the next I am thinking I could stay here for longer then just this year only to wake up the next day and think `I can`t wait to go home`. I know--moody. So who knows.

All I know is that I am genuinely excited about life, so that can`t be half bad! The past few weeks have been somewhat of a blur as I have been trying to work out, going to watch movies or have dinner with friends, catching up with people back home, thinking about the future, reading, writing and thinking about things like cleaning and organizing. Notice I said thinking, now if only I could get to doing.

Last weekend was culture fest or bunkasai at both of my schools so I went to Ogawa on Saturday and Mastubase on Sunday. Of course both schools had opening ceremonies which are not as exciting as they sound, and then the festivities began! There was food, there was dancing, there was art, there was music and there was Japanese written all over everything. And because of that things ran smoothly and the schools did an amazing job. I spent the days watching plays (which I didn`t understand, obviously), some embarrassing karaoke, aerobics, choir and band, fashion shows, dancing, and eating all of the great food the students cooked. Although these students are not good at English, they excel in what they love. At Ogawa they build motor cars and race them, they make book shelves, benches, paper models of castles, bamboo structures, crazy blue prints and wonderful art and delicious food. At Mastubase they also make delicious food along with dresses (including a WEDDING dress), Kimonos, more clothes, sculptures, paintings, giant origami, entire classrooms made out of cardboard mazes or tapped completely black for a glow-in-the-dark display. They do lovely calligraphy, put on great shows and make some impressive curry rice. Needless to say I was extremely impressed and I had to keep asking myself `this was made by the students in MY class?` I guess people are motivated to do what they love. Too bad no one loves English :(

Oh yes, and did I mention, aside from watching people sing, I sang as well? Did I mention that it was in font of the entire school? Did I say that all of the students and the teachers and even the parents were there? Well they were and, let me tell you, was quite the display. We were singing the song `Can't take my Eyes off of You`, and so my part was to run onto the stage during the chorus and sing dramatically, "I LOVE YOU BABY!!!" and all of the rest of the chorus BY MYSELF. Of course I couldn't hear the music and I'm sure I was completely off pitch, but no one seemed to care. I heard the crowd yelling my name and cheering like crazy, so I took that to be a good sign. I even wore my sunglasses to up my rock star status a little more. At the end I tossed a bouquet of plastic flowers into the audience and said into the mic "Thank you! I love you Matsubase!" while pumping my fists and bowing. Afterward I was kicking myself for not saying anything in Japanese, but when you are a big star like me, you gotta keep your English status. Can`t have those kids thinking you know any Japanese. So that was fun and embarrassing and totally ridiculous, but I loved it. If I knew what was good for me I would quit right here and now and go into show biz. But I don't, and I have never, so I won't. But I will be signing autographs next Wed. at 6 pm just in case....

So culture fest was great and I enjoyed both days. On Saturday night I ended up going to a teacher's house from my friend's school and we painted watercolor fruit before having a feast. I haven`t painted in years and it was surprisingly relaxing and fun. I thought I would get antsy, but I was definitely 'in the zone', and painted some carrots, peppers and bananas to put up in my kitchen. Lovely!

This week started out with a delicious dinner with friends on Sunday and a fun radio recording on Monday. My friend Dru and I went into the city to record the prefectual English test for all second and third grade students (juniors and seniors) with some of his teachers. I think we did a great job and being there made us want to have our own radio station. It was fun feeling so official and I got to do my very official sounding English voice which I have been practicing for years, but never been able to use. Finally! My chance came! Remember, Wed, 6 pm...After our big debut, Dru and I met up with our friend Lander and we enjoyed some Indian dinner and the wonderful movie `Dumb and Dumber` before I went back home.

The rest of this week has been FREEZING. Unfortunately, there is no central heating here so you rely on a few things:

1. Your electric heater
2. Kerosene heater
3. Lots of blankets
4. Your fleece jacket
5. Your stove
6. Your hot water

I have never been a particularly cold person--I am usually too hot before I am too cold, but this week I have not been able to shake the chills. I would much rather be too cold though! I stand by my statement! Hopefully it will warm up...if not...well then...I will just have to go to heated stores all night. So this week I have experienced a few things. Some of which have been good and some of which have been bad. Let me enlighten my reader:

1. The drop in temperature
2. The drop in motivation to ride my bike places in this temperature
3. They sell HEATED drinks in the vending machine, not just cold. Hot cocoa here I come!
4. They also sell heated soups. Yesterday I had a lovely corn soup, which started out good and ended up making me gag a little
5. I saw sumo practice! They were young boys about 8-11ish standing out in the freezing cold with their little cloths on near a rice field, practicing sumo. It was quite the experience.
6. When I went to pay my gas bill I walked around the Matsubase Shinto shrine and it was beautiful. I don`t know why I haven`t been there yet. But how many times can you say you went to a Shinto shrine after work and before paying your gas bill? Only in Japan.
7. Falling off my bike
8. Falling up the stairs three times in one day (I know--what the heck?)

So it has been a interesting week to say the least. Tonight I am planning on working out with Jess and then having a small dinner/movie gathering at my apartment. The rest of the weekend looked like it was going to be pretty free at first, but it is beginning to fill up quickly. It will be spent celebrating b-day dinners, cleaning, shopping, festival-ing, more b-day celebrating and preparing for good ol Dan to come visit. He will be here late next week. I am ecstatic. My hands are freezing off so I think I am going to make use of those heated beverages in the vending machines and make like cheetah in the grasslands...?

Ha. Signing off from the future and things are looking pretty good (minus global warming and the failing economic state)!