まるです。

The tub is the most favorite bed now

I just found the equivalent of lolcats in Japan. Its a blog centered around this adorable cat named Maru. Not only that, but there is Engrish. I think I can count this as studying Japanese, don't you?
Check it out.

まるです。

Ehhhhhhh? Moments

One of my favorite Japanese TV shows used to be the ヘ？ehhhhh game show. On this singular program, a group of panelists would be shown an assortment of very odd things, and they would press a button labeled "ヘ？" as many times as they thought the object strange. The oddity that incurred the most ehhhs won. I have been seeing so many things here that would do great on an American spin off of this TV show so I think I will dedicate several blogs to its noble purpose. My awesome friend Sarah Richcreek gave me this idea- so this blog is for you, girl!



I thinks Japan`s advertising motto should be "If there is a need we will fill it. If there is no need we will make one and make it cuter". I mean seriously. Chair socks? With daisies on them? I had a sudden and irrational urge to buy these for my chairs, lest their tiny wooden feet get cold in the harsh winter. Luckily, I resisted.

For emphasis, the sign for this museum literally says "Abacus and Craft Museum". I had heard that abacus were popular in this part of Japan, but I didn't really believe it. Until I saw this museum. What? What is an abacus museum? Why are there crafts involved? I think that metal diamond is actually supposed to be an abacus block- classy touch. I am not joking when I say I must go to this museum

Although the most unassuming of the three pictures, this product actually has the funniest story behind it. Since coming to Japan I've been drinking mostly green tea, water, and a Diet Coke once a day. In the States I like to drink a lot of different things so I thought I would expand my repertoire of Japanese beverages. "I know Japanese" I thought to myself. "I will use my skillz to obtain a tasty tasty treat." I really enjoyed all those powdered drinks you could put in water bottles from back home, so these guys caught my eye. I knew the kanji on here too- the one that looks like 梅 means plum and the one that looks like 茶 means tea. Plum tea?! Delicious! Perfect! Unfortunately I overlooked the stuff in the middle of those two characters because I didn't know what they meant. Turns out it was a contraction for Konbu- a particularly odious kind of black seaweed. So when I took a swig of my new drink it tasted like plum flavored salt water with seaweed. I almost choked. Just goes to show you the pursuit of tasty treats in Japan is not for the weak of stomach.

Yesterday I went to the Yokota preschool to play with the kids. We had so much fun. One of their favorite games was one where a gaggle of girls would lead my by the hands over to the shoe cupboard, which they reassured me did NOT, in fact, have any ghosts. Then the boys would jump out and yell and I would run away for my life from the "scary" ghosts. This continued for a good hour, at which time we were all sweating like crazy and laughing so hard our sides hurt. Then decided to turn into a dinosaur, and walked around "chasing" the kids. They just ran around the place thunderously- I didn't even have to really chase them. Those genki genki kids.

"Cultural Experiences"

This Saturday I got to attend a Bon-Odori　盆踊り at Shimoai Elementary School. There is a Buddhist tradition called the Obon 御盆　which is kind of like a day for the dead. People believe that the spirits of those departed from us return to family alters on this day. The Bon-odori is a dance for this festival. A singer calls out a song telling an ancient story, and people dance slowly in a large circle around him. It is believed that spirits of the dead join in the dance as well. (For a better explanation click this Wiki article: Obon) I was glad to go because this really is something unique to Japan and very embedded in their history- not some Anime convention or Hot Dog eating contest.

The man in the Yukata next to the huge drum was the main singer. I told him afterwards I really liked his song and he corrected me: It's not really a song, it's a story. Ooops. That other guy on the stage helps sing when the main caller's voice gets tired, and he rythmically pounds the huge drum throughout the dance.

The cute, tiny lady in the middle is Fukuda-san, my supervisor and general gaijin wrangler. She's been so kind to me- bringing me more rice and eggplant than I can eat and fussing about things I would never think to lift a finger for. The lady on the left used to be the JET supervisor- she was the best dancer- and the two guys are the other JETS Litha and Ian.


Here is a section of video from the dance. Our town danced around in a circle until we ended up generally where we began and then had a rest for a bit. We did four revolutions throughout the night. You can almost make out Fukuda-san on the left in the beginning of the dance. It really warmed my heart to see all ages- from tiny girls in cool summer Yukata to ninety plus year old men and women in their traditional blue jinbei still a-dancin' the night away.
The festival really ended too early.


Today we went to the Yokota Community center to join in the Tea Club's Tea Ceremony performance. The tea ceremony- sadou or 茶道 is epically Japanese. It's beautiful, understated, steeped in tradition, and there's an anally retentive way of doing every single motion. Here I am learning how to fold the cloth. Yes, there is a certain and complicated way of folding even the cloth.

We all took turns making the tea- even I got to have a chance!

I would have to say that every minute every day here is a cultural experience. You can really get through the overlay of a culture by seeing what happens during times usually considered mundane or boring. However the Bon-Odori and the Sadou really stand out it my mind as what would be considered traditionally Japanese.

I fear in the future I will have much less time to blog and much more interesting things to blog about. Ironic.

I can has interwebz!

I finally got the internet in my apartment! Woohoo! So now I will put on all the pictures of my town and such.

My Cute, tiny town

You want your misty mountains? I got your misty mountains.



Forests along the road

The Precocious Rabbit Cafe: We're glad to see you- Feel free to drink without reserve!

There is a curious form of exercise in Japan known as ラジオ体操.　　It's a broadcast put on by the Japanese government that everyone does in the morning involving flailing arm movements and rotation of the midsection. The first time I did it here I found it quite charming. "This is the attitide America needs!" I thought. "The delight in things that are good for you and the constant pursuit of health! Awesome!" Subsequent days of doing this changed my mind however. I could think of a lot better ways to spend that ten minutes of my time, such as sitting at my desk on the computer like the lazy American that I am. Now two days ago the head of the Ai Community Center (which is right next to my apartment building) rang my doorbell at 6:40 am to inform me that every morning some elementary students gather to to exercise at 6:30- I was welcome to join them if I liked. So yesterday I did. Actually, when I left my apt at 6:25 my intent was to go for a run but as soon as the kids spotted me they started waving their arms frantically and shouting "Here! Here! It's here you want to go!" Although they were mistaken- I really wanted to go elsewhere- I ran over anyway and joined them. Much to my chagrin the "exercise" turned out to be- you guessed it!- rajio taisou. However I found out I enjoyed it much better doing it with little enthusiastic kids, and much better while wearing tennis shoes rather than the dress shoes I am forced into at work. Unfortunately then again at 8:20 I had to do it at the office again.

At 10 we went to a day care to play with even more elementary students. At first they were all so shy- no one wanted to ask any questions or come anywhere near us. However within an hour I was giving more piggy back rides than I ever thought possible, and Ian was being used as a human high jump for several lively boys. They also started asking the sort of impertinent questions little kids are great at like "Why are Americans' noses so long? Are you pregnant? Why is your hair blonde?" Darn it, they were cute though. By the end of the day, when they were finally slightly tired out, I had one girl sitting on my lap, a boy sitting next to me with his head on my arm, and two girls behind me playing with my hair.

I love little kids. At least most of the time.

Right now I am resting- this morning we went to all the six elementary/middle schools in Yokota, and this afternoon we went to the seven in Nita (mine.) We also walked around a cool park with huge rocks fallen everywhere apparently caused by some demon's love affair with a neighboring princess. At one of the schools we drank tea from a glass with a sleeping bunny that read:

The Precocious Rabbit Cafe: We're glad to see you- Feel free to drink without reserve!





<------ This is the self-introduction I am giving out to all the schools. Don't I look so official?

Contact me PLEASE! and Yokota/横田

Okuizumo is actually comprised of two smaller towns joined in to one. Yokota is actually where all the action is- it's where the Board of Education where I'm currently working is located, it has the two big department stores, and it has the other English speakers. They banished me to Nita, the other town, so I could live in an all girls apartment. It seems they are pretty strict about gender segregation. Now it is a twenty minute car ride through the mountains to get to Yokota, maybe twelve or thirteen kilometers. "I can bike that" I said to myself. "I've biked farther than that in the states". I failed to take in to account that I was IN THE FREAKING MOUNTAINS! and that eight miles uphill is a lot different than on flat roads. Anyway, an hour and a half later I arrived in Yokota like the Amazon woman I am, sweating and stinky- pleased not to be in Nita. As I was there Fukuda-san, my advisor who worries about me and about everything concerning my safety, called me and wanted to make sure I was ok (my bike was gone from in front of my apt). I assured her I was fine, I just happened to bein Yokota. Now the entire staff at the BOE take much glee in recounting my feat.
There was also a small festival in Yokota in front of the train station this weekend. It was tiny- less than a block big- but cute. There was a Ninja Warrior style stilt walking contest, and someone gave me a cute balloon toy because I had blonde hair. Several local kindergartens put on shows which was ridiculously adorable. Here is the video!


Anyway, for those of you who would like to send me mail (and please please do!) you can send it to:

Shimane-ken　Nita-gun　 Okuizumo-cho Shimoai 335-1
Dainidanchi　Room 313
Natalie Borges 〒699-1622
JAPAN

my cell phone number is 09037446652 (not that this will be much use to most of you but do call me if you can!) and my cell phone email address is nvborges@ezweb.ne.jp (you can send an email on the PC and it will go direct to my phone- fancy!)

Contact me! I LOVE IT

Japanese Toilets

I would classify Japanese toilets into three distinct categories-
1. The Super Awesome Cool Toilet Yay!
This toilet is a Western style seated toilet. It has a built-in seat warmer, a bidet, and will make noises (known as 音姫 or "Princess Sounds) so that while you tinkle other people only hear a rushing river. Now why that sound is preferable to the normal, human sound I'm not totally sure. But there it is. Some even have seats that massage your buttocks.
2. The Normal Toilet
This toilet is also Western style- the only difference between this one and one in the states is that when you flush you can choose between BIG or small flush according to your needs.
3. The Japanese style toilet
This is a "squat" toilet. Now, while my apartment thankfully has style # 2, all the toilets at the Board of Education are Japanese style toilets.So this is what I face everyday. I have learned many things so far in Japan. One is that women can, in fact, aim when they pee. Who knew?
On the plus side, there is a Princess Sound box on the side of the toilets at the BOE too, so at least I'm still civilized.