The last entry of 2008! This calls for a list.
Things I have done in 2008:
1. Turned 22
2. Student Taught and learned the struggles and rewards of teaching
3. Swam with a Master`s Team
4. Interviewed for JET
5. Coached swimming for the first time
6. Graduated college
7. Moved away from Fort Collins
8. Got accepted for the JET Program
9. Retired from my job at Foxridge after working there for 10 summers
10. Moved to Japan
11. Made new friends from all over the world
12. Tried to immerse myself in the Japanese culture
13. Lived by myself
14. Showed a friend from home my new life
15. Traveled to another country (well, I will be doing this in 2008)
16. Learned how to teach English as a second language
A milestone of a year, I'd say. I have done so many things I had never done before and I have pushed myself outside of my comfort zone time and time again. I am hoping that kind of thing builds character and that I have the greatest character ever!
Things we are doing in Thailand:
1. Elephant riding
2. Hiking
3. Ox cart riding
4. Biking through the countryside
5. Seeing shrines, temples and museums
6. Bamboo Rafting
7. Spending time in villages
8. Being complete and utter tourists.
We will then be coming back to Japan where we will play the tourist role again. I am assuming that five, big, white foreigners are going to get stared at everywhere we go, so I am going to prepare myself for that now.
Until then I will be finishing up here, going to the gym, saying goodbye to friends and packing! Happy Holidays and catch you in 2009!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Dan's Visit!
Hanging out, Mt. Aso, Suzenji Park, Kumamoto Castle, the city and more with my buddy Dan! 
Friday, December 12, 2008
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! The time when I update my blog. And it is just that--time.
It has been a while, I am aware, but I have valid excuses to which you will read in only a few short words. So hold on to your seats because we are going to time travel back to about three weeks ago.
So I had just finished up the culture fest weekend and was slowly moving into my week of my radio debut and teaching. The days were filled with journal writing, a few scattered classes, some random studying and the nights were filled with dinner with friends, movies, skyping, a little working out and birthday celebrations heading into the weekend. We ventured into the city on that Friday hitting up our favorite Chinese restaurant and that guided me into the rest of the weekend of shopping, movies, festival-ing and social gatherings.
The festival Cassandra and I went to seemed particularly dangerous and watching half naked men run alongside wild horses got a bit old after a while, so we didn't stay the whole time. It was extremely interesting to see how the Japanese love their festivals. Just as I love my festival food. I got a few videos of the chaos I will probably be posting shortly.
That was the dreadful weekend my internet left me and didn't come back for about a week. Needless to say I was pretty devastated and my poor friends got an ear full of complaining from me. On top of being frustrated from not having internet I was having to stay late at school to record for the English listening tests and maybe because of that or it might have just been a coincidence, but I was hit hard that week with another dose of culture shock. It was a frustrating and difficult week for me, but as all bad things do, it ended and I was able to talk to my family on Thanksgiving, go out for my friend's birthday and somehow, miraculously, my internet came back to me Saturday morning. I knew it couldn't stay away for long. The mystery remains though of why it left in the first place. Maybe I was getting too clingy.
At the end of the week I was able to appreciate my time away from the computer and take a step back to realize that not having internet and staying late at school every once in a while weren't really all that bad. I even went on to admit to myself I have things pretty darn good. Aside from being overjoyed that my internet was up and running again, I was getting ready and excited for our Thanksgiving feast and of course for my good buddy Dan to come.
Well Thanksgiving FEAST we did. There is no holding back when it comes to these JET potlucks and I was extremely impressed by the delicious and creative dishes. There was chicken, there were potatoes, there were pizza roll things, there was banana bread (made in a rice cooker), there was chocolate pudding, there was corn, there was pumpkin black bean soup, there was even HOMEMADE pumpkin pie. And mac and cheese. Kraft even. We ate until our hearts content (I think my heart was about to have an attack) and enjoyed each other's company into the night.
Our drive home would have been equally enjoyable if we hadn't been flagged down and forced out of the car by the cops. Ok, so I made it sound worse than it really was. The police were doing routine breathalyzers and after giving our responsible driver one (she was in the clear, don't worry!), they realized that there were five people in the car. After some pointing and some broken and confusing words we finally understood that apparently four people is the limit for these small cars. Luckily our plan was to drop someone off at the station a few miles down the road anyway, so the waiting on the side of the road wasn't that bad. Seeing that we were all foreigners, they didn't fine us (thankfully) and we were eventually able to go on our way.
The next day I had a lot of plans to do something, but it turned into a lot of nothing which, in turn, was the best thing I ever decided to do. Sitting at my computer at about 1 in the afternoon I hear my doorbell ring. Knowing that Dan would be coming anytime my heart jumped a bit, but before I got to the door I convinced myself it was the Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses again. But after opening the door the face I saw looking back at me was one that I had seen a thousand times before and I could not have been more excited to see a tired, but smiling Dan standing on my door step!! Unbelievable! He had made it to my door with nothing but a map, some peanut butter, my address and his thumb all the way from Tokyo. After exchanging hugs and smiles we sat down and I had Dan tell me his story starting from most recent all the way back to July.
Now, not all in one sitting did he shower his experiences on me, but through the next two weeks I would learn more than I ever thought I could about not just traveling, but perception, understanding, culture and just the beauty of the world as well as the strength of a person. He showed me his unbelievable picture collection and told me amazing stories of great people and exciting adventures. His stories and his character are sheer inspiration and I am fortunate to have such a good friend.
Over the next two weeks we traveled around the Kumamoto area from the smoking volcano caldera of Mt. Aso to the bright lights of the city, to the quiet ways of my town and the ones close by. We didn't go on any epic adventures since our funds were low and my old friend was nearing the end of his 5 month trek across southeast Asia, and he was a bit weary, to say the least. He was utterly happy to have free internet, a coffee maker, all the bread he could ever ask for and a few books. He made an appearance at our Christmas party (belting out `Soulja boy` lyrics and dance moves in the karaoke room) where he immediately became a favorite to all of my friends and continued to grace them with his presence at every dinner and social gathering after that. Of course they loved him and of course we all had an amazing time together. One I will not soon forget.
In between eating good food and enjoying the company of the good people around here, we got to spend a lot of time catching up and chatting about life. We relaxed, watched movies and even worked out a few times. Along with his catching up on the net, Dan even managed to come into a few of my classes to teach about his travels. The school was very pleased to see him and the students were ecstatic to have another foreigner in their classroom. It takes a lot of guts to come and teach on the fly to a class you don`t know and a language that you don't speak, so props to him for doing such a great job! I quickly got used to having a roommate and it goes without words that I will be sad to see him go. I am excited for him though, it is time for him spread his story to the people back home and enjoy the comfort of Colorado before the road calls his name again.
Time truly flies. It seemed to be such a long ways away when I would see him again, and I remember watching him ride his bike away on that hot July night thinking December is forever away, yet letting his words of "It will come faster than you think" echo in the back of my mind. And now it is almost over. He leaves tomorrow. Which gives me reason to think that although July seems so far away now, it will once again sneak up on me and I will be overwhelmed with emotion as I have to say goodbye the the people and the country I have fallen in love with. It will always boggle my mind how time seems to pass us by so quietly, yet so intensely. And how it leaves such a powerful, yet invisible mark upon us.
Seeing that I cannot wrap my brain around the intricacies of this abstract concept, I am obviously having trouble putting it into words. All I can say is that I have had more realizations about life and time and the beauty of the confusion than I ever thought I could since I have been here. I know I will be freely welcoming many more in the next few months.
Straying away from my mind's wanderings for a minute I will bring you (the highly focused, or perhaps confused, reader) back to the present, back today. December 12th to be exact. Friday. Good thing because even though I took a day off this week, it was beginning to get a little long. I am getting a little tired of explaining Christmas and singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to high schoolers. At least some of them seem entertained. Sometimes.
This weekend will surely prove to be bittersweet with a birthday fiesta tonight, Dan leaving tomorrow, and cleaning, catching up and hopefully getting organized the rest of the time.
Believe it or not I have exactly 10 days until I leave to meet my family in South Korea so we can make our way down to Thailand, so just as I am trying to catch my breath again, it will be taken away shortly. I have a lot to do around the old apartment in order to get ready to go and I have a feeling it will be a busy week at school as well. I don't think I can say it enough, but I can't wait to go! I am excited to see the world beyond what I have come to know here.
So I somewhat glazed over details this time, but since it has been so long (and seeing that this post is already so long) I am sure it is understandable if not welcomed. I will let you get on with your lives now, but I will be back soon! There will always be something that is more or less incredible to share to the world from Nippon, the Land of the Rising Sun.
It has been a while, I am aware, but I have valid excuses to which you will read in only a few short words. So hold on to your seats because we are going to time travel back to about three weeks ago.
So I had just finished up the culture fest weekend and was slowly moving into my week of my radio debut and teaching. The days were filled with journal writing, a few scattered classes, some random studying and the nights were filled with dinner with friends, movies, skyping, a little working out and birthday celebrations heading into the weekend. We ventured into the city on that Friday hitting up our favorite Chinese restaurant and that guided me into the rest of the weekend of shopping, movies, festival-ing and social gatherings.
The festival Cassandra and I went to seemed particularly dangerous and watching half naked men run alongside wild horses got a bit old after a while, so we didn't stay the whole time. It was extremely interesting to see how the Japanese love their festivals. Just as I love my festival food. I got a few videos of the chaos I will probably be posting shortly.
That was the dreadful weekend my internet left me and didn't come back for about a week. Needless to say I was pretty devastated and my poor friends got an ear full of complaining from me. On top of being frustrated from not having internet I was having to stay late at school to record for the English listening tests and maybe because of that or it might have just been a coincidence, but I was hit hard that week with another dose of culture shock. It was a frustrating and difficult week for me, but as all bad things do, it ended and I was able to talk to my family on Thanksgiving, go out for my friend's birthday and somehow, miraculously, my internet came back to me Saturday morning. I knew it couldn't stay away for long. The mystery remains though of why it left in the first place. Maybe I was getting too clingy.
At the end of the week I was able to appreciate my time away from the computer and take a step back to realize that not having internet and staying late at school every once in a while weren't really all that bad. I even went on to admit to myself I have things pretty darn good. Aside from being overjoyed that my internet was up and running again, I was getting ready and excited for our Thanksgiving feast and of course for my good buddy Dan to come.
Well Thanksgiving FEAST we did. There is no holding back when it comes to these JET potlucks and I was extremely impressed by the delicious and creative dishes. There was chicken, there were potatoes, there were pizza roll things, there was banana bread (made in a rice cooker), there was chocolate pudding, there was corn, there was pumpkin black bean soup, there was even HOMEMADE pumpkin pie. And mac and cheese. Kraft even. We ate until our hearts content (I think my heart was about to have an attack) and enjoyed each other's company into the night.
Our drive home would have been equally enjoyable if we hadn't been flagged down and forced out of the car by the cops. Ok, so I made it sound worse than it really was. The police were doing routine breathalyzers and after giving our responsible driver one (she was in the clear, don't worry!), they realized that there were five people in the car. After some pointing and some broken and confusing words we finally understood that apparently four people is the limit for these small cars. Luckily our plan was to drop someone off at the station a few miles down the road anyway, so the waiting on the side of the road wasn't that bad. Seeing that we were all foreigners, they didn't fine us (thankfully) and we were eventually able to go on our way.
The next day I had a lot of plans to do something, but it turned into a lot of nothing which, in turn, was the best thing I ever decided to do. Sitting at my computer at about 1 in the afternoon I hear my doorbell ring. Knowing that Dan would be coming anytime my heart jumped a bit, but before I got to the door I convinced myself it was the Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses again. But after opening the door the face I saw looking back at me was one that I had seen a thousand times before and I could not have been more excited to see a tired, but smiling Dan standing on my door step!! Unbelievable! He had made it to my door with nothing but a map, some peanut butter, my address and his thumb all the way from Tokyo. After exchanging hugs and smiles we sat down and I had Dan tell me his story starting from most recent all the way back to July.
Now, not all in one sitting did he shower his experiences on me, but through the next two weeks I would learn more than I ever thought I could about not just traveling, but perception, understanding, culture and just the beauty of the world as well as the strength of a person. He showed me his unbelievable picture collection and told me amazing stories of great people and exciting adventures. His stories and his character are sheer inspiration and I am fortunate to have such a good friend.
Over the next two weeks we traveled around the Kumamoto area from the smoking volcano caldera of Mt. Aso to the bright lights of the city, to the quiet ways of my town and the ones close by. We didn't go on any epic adventures since our funds were low and my old friend was nearing the end of his 5 month trek across southeast Asia, and he was a bit weary, to say the least. He was utterly happy to have free internet, a coffee maker, all the bread he could ever ask for and a few books. He made an appearance at our Christmas party (belting out `Soulja boy` lyrics and dance moves in the karaoke room) where he immediately became a favorite to all of my friends and continued to grace them with his presence at every dinner and social gathering after that. Of course they loved him and of course we all had an amazing time together. One I will not soon forget.
In between eating good food and enjoying the company of the good people around here, we got to spend a lot of time catching up and chatting about life. We relaxed, watched movies and even worked out a few times. Along with his catching up on the net, Dan even managed to come into a few of my classes to teach about his travels. The school was very pleased to see him and the students were ecstatic to have another foreigner in their classroom. It takes a lot of guts to come and teach on the fly to a class you don`t know and a language that you don't speak, so props to him for doing such a great job! I quickly got used to having a roommate and it goes without words that I will be sad to see him go. I am excited for him though, it is time for him spread his story to the people back home and enjoy the comfort of Colorado before the road calls his name again.
Time truly flies. It seemed to be such a long ways away when I would see him again, and I remember watching him ride his bike away on that hot July night thinking December is forever away, yet letting his words of "It will come faster than you think" echo in the back of my mind. And now it is almost over. He leaves tomorrow. Which gives me reason to think that although July seems so far away now, it will once again sneak up on me and I will be overwhelmed with emotion as I have to say goodbye the the people and the country I have fallen in love with. It will always boggle my mind how time seems to pass us by so quietly, yet so intensely. And how it leaves such a powerful, yet invisible mark upon us.
Seeing that I cannot wrap my brain around the intricacies of this abstract concept, I am obviously having trouble putting it into words. All I can say is that I have had more realizations about life and time and the beauty of the confusion than I ever thought I could since I have been here. I know I will be freely welcoming many more in the next few months.
Straying away from my mind's wanderings for a minute I will bring you (the highly focused, or perhaps confused, reader) back to the present, back today. December 12th to be exact. Friday. Good thing because even though I took a day off this week, it was beginning to get a little long. I am getting a little tired of explaining Christmas and singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to high schoolers. At least some of them seem entertained. Sometimes.
This weekend will surely prove to be bittersweet with a birthday fiesta tonight, Dan leaving tomorrow, and cleaning, catching up and hopefully getting organized the rest of the time.
Believe it or not I have exactly 10 days until I leave to meet my family in South Korea so we can make our way down to Thailand, so just as I am trying to catch my breath again, it will be taken away shortly. I have a lot to do around the old apartment in order to get ready to go and I have a feeling it will be a busy week at school as well. I don't think I can say it enough, but I can't wait to go! I am excited to see the world beyond what I have come to know here.
So I somewhat glazed over details this time, but since it has been so long (and seeing that this post is already so long) I am sure it is understandable if not welcomed. I will let you get on with your lives now, but I will be back soon! There will always be something that is more or less incredible to share to the world from Nippon, the Land of the Rising Sun.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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