Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Thursday, August 28, 2008
okay so here i am one year later. I can't believe its been a full year since I packed up and headed over here. Yet here I am starting year number 2.
I had such a great visit home it was so nice to see everyone and to catch up with what's going on back home. I had a fantastic time in Chicago enjoying the 3-day Lollapolozza concert in Grant park. And I had a blast up in Maine, hanging out and shopping. It was a nice relaxing trip filled with fun people and great food. So thanks to everyone who came up for the party and who made the trip home great. Sorry to those I missed seeing.
I'm getting settled again and getting ready for school to start. We just finished opening ceremony, and now my students have tests. A great way to start the school year. Tomorrow is the first real day of classes. So there isn't much new happening on the work front.
In other news however, I feel really busy. I'm currently planning my next set of travels. With a possible trip to Korea in the fall and then a definite trip to India in December. I'm buying my India ticket today. I am so!! excited. I'm going to be going to Bombay for 2 weeks to visit a college friend and her family. She's super excited and I can't wait to explore Bombay with her and get to do some excellent shopping.
I'm also trying to plan a trip to either China or Okinawa for the spring. And finally capping off my overseas experience with a trip to Australia next August before I head back to the states.
whew a whirl wind tour.
The other exciting happenings are my participation in a Kimono Exhibition. Every 5 years this exhibition comes to Toyama, it's a chance for famous kimono designers to show off their latest designs. A part of the Exhibition is a Kimono wearing competition. There is a category for foreigners so some friends and I are entering the contest. We have to study how to properly put on a kimono, all the tying and belting, folding and lining up of lines. we will be judged on how we put it on and what it looks like once we are done. We will get to wear kimonos by famous Japanese designers!
I never realized that there was so much to just putting on a kimono. Its not just slapping it on and saying done. We are judged on how we move, and follow the cultural traditions of putting one on. Apparently there are schools that Japanese women attend to study the art of kimono.
I am taking lessons from one of these schools teachers. She only speaks Japanese and is very strict. She is going to tell me how to do it in Japanese, and I'm going to do it correctly whether I understand what's going on or not. Luckily a great friend is helping me out, she understands and speaks Japanese so we are taking classes together. Once a week on Sundays until November when the contest is held. Lets hope I can remember all the details.
I'll post some pictures of me in kimono soon.
Well thats it for me, hope everything back home is going great.
Lots of love
-L
I had such a great visit home it was so nice to see everyone and to catch up with what's going on back home. I had a fantastic time in Chicago enjoying the 3-day Lollapolozza concert in Grant park. And I had a blast up in Maine, hanging out and shopping. It was a nice relaxing trip filled with fun people and great food. So thanks to everyone who came up for the party and who made the trip home great. Sorry to those I missed seeing.
I'm getting settled again and getting ready for school to start. We just finished opening ceremony, and now my students have tests. A great way to start the school year. Tomorrow is the first real day of classes. So there isn't much new happening on the work front.
In other news however, I feel really busy. I'm currently planning my next set of travels. With a possible trip to Korea in the fall and then a definite trip to India in December. I'm buying my India ticket today. I am so!! excited. I'm going to be going to Bombay for 2 weeks to visit a college friend and her family. She's super excited and I can't wait to explore Bombay with her and get to do some excellent shopping.
I'm also trying to plan a trip to either China or Okinawa for the spring. And finally capping off my overseas experience with a trip to Australia next August before I head back to the states.
whew a whirl wind tour.
The other exciting happenings are my participation in a Kimono Exhibition. Every 5 years this exhibition comes to Toyama, it's a chance for famous kimono designers to show off their latest designs. A part of the Exhibition is a Kimono wearing competition. There is a category for foreigners so some friends and I are entering the contest. We have to study how to properly put on a kimono, all the tying and belting, folding and lining up of lines. we will be judged on how we put it on and what it looks like once we are done. We will get to wear kimonos by famous Japanese designers!
I never realized that there was so much to just putting on a kimono. Its not just slapping it on and saying done. We are judged on how we move, and follow the cultural traditions of putting one on. Apparently there are schools that Japanese women attend to study the art of kimono.
I am taking lessons from one of these schools teachers. She only speaks Japanese and is very strict. She is going to tell me how to do it in Japanese, and I'm going to do it correctly whether I understand what's going on or not. Luckily a great friend is helping me out, she understands and speaks Japanese so we are taking classes together. Once a week on Sundays until November when the contest is held. Lets hope I can remember all the details.
I'll post some pictures of me in kimono soon.
Well thats it for me, hope everything back home is going great.
Lots of love
-L
Sunday, July 20, 2008
woefully out of date
according to mum this thing is a sad mess.. but then again only she really reads it.. but hey what the heck.. i'll try a fresh start when i'm back from vacation.
as most people know i'm headed home on vacation for 3 weeks!! i get home July 25th and leave August 16th I am so excited its really hard to wait.
I really can't believe that I've been in japan for a whole year!! i've never gone this long without being home.
anyway on my trip home i'll be hitting up VT, Chicago, Boston, Maine, and hopefully NYC. I won't actually be home home for that long, but i really want to see as many people as possible.
I'm bringing home tons of pictures and fun souveniers from Japan so hopefully people can check them out. I'll be having a welcome home party on July 26th. a big Benoit burning so feel free to come on up and join us!
okay well there you go mum i updated.
i promise that when i'm back in August I'll start new and update more often.
take care all and see you soon!
as most people know i'm headed home on vacation for 3 weeks!! i get home July 25th and leave August 16th I am so excited its really hard to wait.
I really can't believe that I've been in japan for a whole year!! i've never gone this long without being home.
anyway on my trip home i'll be hitting up VT, Chicago, Boston, Maine, and hopefully NYC. I won't actually be home home for that long, but i really want to see as many people as possible.
I'm bringing home tons of pictures and fun souveniers from Japan so hopefully people can check them out. I'll be having a welcome home party on July 26th. a big Benoit burning so feel free to come on up and join us!
okay well there you go mum i updated.
i promise that when i'm back in August I'll start new and update more often.
take care all and see you soon!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
yup i'm a slacker its true.. i think ive started to think of life in Japan as normal and thus day to day life so theres not as much exciting to post up here.
but lets see... recently i went with a group of friends to kyoto, and we had geisha makeovers!! this was so cool.. to start with you get to pick out a kimono, and from there you get the make up done, and then you get dressed in all the 1300 layers involved in the kimono, and then you get a wig.. and really you look like a geisha.. its so cool. you get professional photos taken plus all that you want taken with your own camera. you can even walk around outside and show off your fabulous look.. (the tourists love it)
anyway it was quite the experience.. i can't wait for my professional photos to show up. If you want to see the crap load of pics i took with my own camera make sure to check out my flickr site (the link to it is on this page)
whats next.. well i did just buy my plane ticket home for this summer.. i'm so excited that i will get to visit with everyone and see people.. and eat food from home. I'll be state side from July 26th until august 16th.. i've plans to hit, boston, chicago, maine, and possibly NYC so hope fully i will see people on one of my stops.
other than that not much new.. i've started to look at vacations for christmas.. i really want to go somewhere fantastic.. Fiji anyone http://www.tuitai.com/Fiji_Vacation.cfm this looks so cool!! i would do it in a second!
(in fact i just might do it)
any way hope everyone is doing great and that spring is starting.
love ya miss ya!!
me
but lets see... recently i went with a group of friends to kyoto, and we had geisha makeovers!! this was so cool.. to start with you get to pick out a kimono, and from there you get the make up done, and then you get dressed in all the 1300 layers involved in the kimono, and then you get a wig.. and really you look like a geisha.. its so cool. you get professional photos taken plus all that you want taken with your own camera. you can even walk around outside and show off your fabulous look.. (the tourists love it)
anyway it was quite the experience.. i can't wait for my professional photos to show up. If you want to see the crap load of pics i took with my own camera make sure to check out my flickr site (the link to it is on this page)
whats next.. well i did just buy my plane ticket home for this summer.. i'm so excited that i will get to visit with everyone and see people.. and eat food from home. I'll be state side from July 26th until august 16th.. i've plans to hit, boston, chicago, maine, and possibly NYC so hope fully i will see people on one of my stops.
other than that not much new.. i've started to look at vacations for christmas.. i really want to go somewhere fantastic.. Fiji anyone http://www.tuitai.com/Fiji_Vacation.cfm this looks so cool!! i would do it in a second!
(in fact i just might do it)
any way hope everyone is doing great and that spring is starting.
love ya miss ya!!
me
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
bleh
Well I knew mom would have to leave and that I would have to head back to work, but I didn't particularly want either one to happen.
mom and I had sooo much fun, we walked until our feet felt like falling off, we ate some really interesting foods, and I found a food even mom won't try. And we saw some awesome sights. Mom took way more photos than I so hopefully she will post them on her flickr soon, I will get mine up sometime this week when i figure out stuff at work.
Mums home safe and sound, a long flight; but she was lucky to make it out of Chicago with the weather so its good.
now I'm feeling blah.. it doesn't help to come back to school and have all these beginning of the new school year changes. I hate change. Anyway in Japan you are hired to teach by the board of ed. which oversees all the high schools in the prefecture. So they can reassign your school, so in April the teachers find out that they are changing schools and have basically one day to move. So I came back from vacation to find many teachers gone! one of my english teachers, my vice principal, and principal (among others) this means new teachers.. which is actually fine.
What I have a problem with it that all the teachers at the school switch levels, so if previously you taught 3rd years (seniors) you now could teach first or second years. So I have a whole new set of teachers to get used to, and they changed who my supervisor is. I really don't like that a) because I don't like change, b) cause it happens without anyone actually telling me that it is c) it took me this long to get used to the supervisor i did have and d) i don't like the person who is my supervisor.. grumble grumble grumble..
also I am so not looking forward to the classes I have to teach, or mainly the teachers i have to teach with..
blech,.. maybe once the school year starts it will be fine, but I really have the feeling that this is going to be a long year.
Anyway off to look at the new text books, which i can only hope are better than the old ones.
miss everyone! I'll post photos soon
Me
mom and I had sooo much fun, we walked until our feet felt like falling off, we ate some really interesting foods, and I found a food even mom won't try. And we saw some awesome sights. Mom took way more photos than I so hopefully she will post them on her flickr soon, I will get mine up sometime this week when i figure out stuff at work.
Mums home safe and sound, a long flight; but she was lucky to make it out of Chicago with the weather so its good.
now I'm feeling blah.. it doesn't help to come back to school and have all these beginning of the new school year changes. I hate change. Anyway in Japan you are hired to teach by the board of ed. which oversees all the high schools in the prefecture. So they can reassign your school, so in April the teachers find out that they are changing schools and have basically one day to move. So I came back from vacation to find many teachers gone! one of my english teachers, my vice principal, and principal (among others) this means new teachers.. which is actually fine.
What I have a problem with it that all the teachers at the school switch levels, so if previously you taught 3rd years (seniors) you now could teach first or second years. So I have a whole new set of teachers to get used to, and they changed who my supervisor is. I really don't like that a) because I don't like change, b) cause it happens without anyone actually telling me that it is c) it took me this long to get used to the supervisor i did have and d) i don't like the person who is my supervisor.. grumble grumble grumble..
also I am so not looking forward to the classes I have to teach, or mainly the teachers i have to teach with..
blech,.. maybe once the school year starts it will be fine, but I really have the feeling that this is going to be a long year.
Anyway off to look at the new text books, which i can only hope are better than the old ones.
miss everyone! I'll post photos soon
Me
Sunday, March 23, 2008
MOM
well its been a really quiet and fairly uneventful last few weeks. Sake Festival was great, we tasted over 50 types of Sake in less then 3 hours.. to say the room was spinning is an understatement. but it was so great.
I haven't had any work to do in weeks so school has been boring.. but it will get busy again starting right after my vacation with mom.
Mom gets here this afternoon!!! I'm heading off to Tokyo in a couple of hours so that I can meet her at the airport, where she is bringing me all kinds of goodies- lucky charms, VT maple syrup (thanks Debbie and Gary), and a bunch of other great things that I miss from home. After I pick her up we are going to head back to the hotel in tokyo. We will spend 3 days in Tokyo and then take a train to Kyoto, one of the traditional cities in Japan, its got great buildings and is really traditional Japan. We will be there for 4 days before heading back to Tokyo so mom can fly out on the 31st.
she wants to post photos and updates on here so check back this week for news of our adventures.. which will surely include some getting lost photos, and pictures of the strange foods we end up getting, mostly because i don't know enough japanese to read a menu..
any way I am so excited I can't sleep..
Take care all!
Me
I haven't had any work to do in weeks so school has been boring.. but it will get busy again starting right after my vacation with mom.
Mom gets here this afternoon!!! I'm heading off to Tokyo in a couple of hours so that I can meet her at the airport, where she is bringing me all kinds of goodies- lucky charms, VT maple syrup (thanks Debbie and Gary), and a bunch of other great things that I miss from home. After I pick her up we are going to head back to the hotel in tokyo. We will spend 3 days in Tokyo and then take a train to Kyoto, one of the traditional cities in Japan, its got great buildings and is really traditional Japan. We will be there for 4 days before heading back to Tokyo so mom can fly out on the 31st.
she wants to post photos and updates on here so check back this week for news of our adventures.. which will surely include some getting lost photos, and pictures of the strange foods we end up getting, mostly because i don't know enough japanese to read a menu..
any way I am so excited I can't sleep..
Take care all!
Me
Monday, March 10, 2008
so it's been awhile
yeah i guess i fell into the typical JET winter trap. we tend to hibernate, slack at keeping in touch, and much prefer staying at home sitting close to the electric heater trying to stay warm..
But its march and although many of you are still digging out of the snow.. i am enjoying the start of spring! which unfortunately in Toyama means 1 sunny day followed by 5 rainy ones.
Not much new going on really school is really really quiet and boring right now. Graduation was last week so I am done teaching until April! that means i have about 2 weeks of sitting at my desk and doing nothing, (literally nothing), one week of touring my mom around Japan!! yay!! and one week of lesson planing before the school year starts and I am teaching again.
it seems pretty silly that i have to come to school and be here when there is nothing for me to do. but it is totally the japanese way.. oh well plenty of time to read and play online.
I have plenty of weekend plans coming up though!! so i am excited about that.
starting with this weekend (march 15/16) i'll be going to Niigata Prefecture about 3 hours by train, with a group of friends to a Sake festival. I'm really excited.. Niigata is supposed to have really great Sake and all the brands get together for the festival.. for 10$ i get a tasting cup and for 2 days i can drink all types of sake.
It should be fun/interesting. I will definitely post some photos of the weekend.
And of course the best news off all the next weekend Mom comes to Japan!! soo sosososososososo excited that she is coming I can't wait.
We are going to spend the week bopping around Tokyo and Kyoto.. two very opposite cities.. Tokyo being very modern and Kyoto being a very old and traditional city. So we will definitely see some great parts of Japan.
Mums going to keep everyone updated about what's going on from this blog and we will put up plenty of pictures of our adventures.. which will of course include trying to navigate, eat, and travel in a country where there is a huge language barrier. i don't speak much Japanese and I read even less so it will definitely be interesting.
also about 2 weeks after mom comes I'll be going back to Kyoto with friends to get made up as Geisha's and have photos taken.. the whole deal too make up, hair, and kimono.. right down to the strange shoes.. and hopefully a parasol.
Well thats all for the update.. not much going on now.. but definitely alot of future plans!!!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Love
Me
But its march and although many of you are still digging out of the snow.. i am enjoying the start of spring! which unfortunately in Toyama means 1 sunny day followed by 5 rainy ones.
Not much new going on really school is really really quiet and boring right now. Graduation was last week so I am done teaching until April! that means i have about 2 weeks of sitting at my desk and doing nothing, (literally nothing), one week of touring my mom around Japan!! yay!! and one week of lesson planing before the school year starts and I am teaching again.
it seems pretty silly that i have to come to school and be here when there is nothing for me to do. but it is totally the japanese way.. oh well plenty of time to read and play online.
I have plenty of weekend plans coming up though!! so i am excited about that.
starting with this weekend (march 15/16) i'll be going to Niigata Prefecture about 3 hours by train, with a group of friends to a Sake festival. I'm really excited.. Niigata is supposed to have really great Sake and all the brands get together for the festival.. for 10$ i get a tasting cup and for 2 days i can drink all types of sake.
It should be fun/interesting. I will definitely post some photos of the weekend.
And of course the best news off all the next weekend Mom comes to Japan!! soo sosososososososo excited that she is coming I can't wait.
We are going to spend the week bopping around Tokyo and Kyoto.. two very opposite cities.. Tokyo being very modern and Kyoto being a very old and traditional city. So we will definitely see some great parts of Japan.
Mums going to keep everyone updated about what's going on from this blog and we will put up plenty of pictures of our adventures.. which will of course include trying to navigate, eat, and travel in a country where there is a huge language barrier. i don't speak much Japanese and I read even less so it will definitely be interesting.
also about 2 weeks after mom comes I'll be going back to Kyoto with friends to get made up as Geisha's and have photos taken.. the whole deal too make up, hair, and kimono.. right down to the strange shoes.. and hopefully a parasol.
Well thats all for the update.. not much going on now.. but definitely alot of future plans!!!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Love
Me
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