miffy rabbit

shoes

2005-06-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

Now i knew begore i came to japan that shoes were a no no in the house, that inside the front door you look them off before walking around the house. that idea was fine by me, i knew of many people back in NZ that had the same rule...but they didnt produce a pair of slippers for you to wear!...i dont actually wear the slippers around the house, unless i go to the bathroom, which has its own slippers just inside the door -then i must put them on, having rather big feet[not just compared to the japanese] i find them rather uncomfortable, its even worse if its hot, and im not wearing any socks -they cant be frustratingly sweaty.

Tofu

2005-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

I used to hate Tofu when my brothers dad used to make it[he would fry it]. But I have come to love Tofu -especially in Miso soup[which is a breakfast meal in Japan].
Here is something I didnt know[till now] about Tofu: it has the best source of vegitable preotein and full of vitamins and minerals-I knew it was healthy, but these Japanese foods are so mysterious.

Shimanami Bridge with my host family

2005-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

yesterday morning i brought up the fact Akiko had aggreed to cycle the biggest bridge on the Shimanami cycle road...its 5 kilometres. so we all set out, including Yuji, to cycle from the Imabari side over the 5K bridge to the first island. The day wasnt looking too promising at first, very misty[actually it satyed like that untill we got back to Imabari -which was when i got sun burnt]. We all hired a bike each, Risa had a little one with trainer wheels. but only 2 minutes up the road Yuji took his back because it was obvious Risa would need help on the climb onto the bridge, and her speed was not exactly the same as the rest of us. It was actually a really good ride, Akiko told me[out of ear shot of Risa] that maybe we could come back without her sometime, and even cycle the some of the islands. The three of us took turns walking with Risa, while the other two cycled of and back again and swapping. but remarkably Risa cycled the whole thing by her self. we got off the bridge on the first island and made our way to a resteraunt to have lunch -udon[not sure of spelling]. Akiko and Yuji desided it was too far[for Risa] to go back across the bridge, so we left the bikes and caught a ferry back to Imabari. It only took 20 minutes. and the sky became much clearer, and the sun finally came out as we docked at the port. because we had left the car at the begining of the bridge we had to walk back to the house, which was fine by me[though it was becoming hotter by the moment], but Yuji called a cab, Risa was too exhausted.

an update on my life

2005-05-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

The other day I crossed out six weeks in my journal, im finally at the half way mark. and luckily for me its been mostly a possitive experience. true ive had my ups and downs with the job. but im happy to say that yesterday [sunday -the longest working day during the week for me! which was about 10 hours] was one of the best so far. we spent the day doing crafts, and we even made `pois`[used in traditional Maori song and dance]. travelling overseas i feel compelled to share parts of my country and culture with the people i meet, but it can also be diffilcult to explaine to them the significance it holds for me. although my working week is kind of lonely, i seem to manage to do something at least once a week that is fun or memorable -like climbing mt. Ishizuchi, cycling the Shimanami bridge road, visiting Kyushu, Matsuyama, and meeting all the people -who have made my time in Japan so memorable, and most importantly a reason for coming back to visit. now its too early to say sayonara just yet, i still have another six weeks to go, i need to wait alittle before i can get all sentimental.
Dew Mata...

really i need to learn how to make links!

2005-05-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
The books I will someday writeBy THOMAS DILLON

Books play a large part in the life of any foreign resident of Japan. For no matter how pervasive online linkage to the homeland becomes, books have always been, and always will be, a main conduit to the language and culture left behind, especially when socked into riding the trains for hours on end.
Topics on Japan are especially popular, but I often find this genre somewhat lacking. As a person who dabbles in the babble of the literary world, I sometimes muse on the "life in Japan" books that I feel convinced would become best sellers if only I could find the time enough to write them . . . and a publisher drunk enough to fund me.
Here then is a list of titles that with a bit of luck might one day be weighing down your bookshelf. While some may seem a tad scanty on content, in many cases the titles alone speak volumes.
From A to Z . . .
* "Audrey Hepburn's Navel" (If Alan Brown can make a bundle writing about Hepburn's neck, then I can likely double that by focusing on her navel, or elsewhere. Be honest, now. Which book would you rather read?)
* "Breaking the Mobile Phone Habit" (with Chapter One focusing on breaking the damn phone)
* "The Chrysanthemum, the Sword and the Love Hotel"
* "Games to Play With All Those Business Cards"
* "God, the Most Important Job Interview of Your Life and the Meaning of Why the Chuo Line Stalled"
* "How to Japan" (including chapters on everyday matters such as what to do with the noodle in your lap, exactly when to stop bowing, and how to laugh "with" the gentleman who is laughing "at" you . . . until you can step close enough to kick him)
* "How to Pick the Right Train -- Before You Get On" (This might be a board game as well, perhaps with darts.)
* "How to Pretend You Love the Dish You Pretended You Knew the Directions For"
* "Hunting for Underwear in the Forest" (subtitled "The Fateful Difference Between 'Shitagi' and 'Shiitake,' and Similar Pratfalls in Japanese Language." Alternative title: "Hanging Your Mushrooms out to Dry")
* "Impromptu Japanese Design" (subtitled "Ways to Use Your Stamp on Clerks Who Won't Take Your Signature")
* " 'I See Cindy Sitting on the Seat!' and Other Party Drills for Japanese English Learners"
* "Is Hello Kitty Satan?" (including chapters on the correlation between cats and evil, the clever camouflaging of the word "hell" in Kitty's name and "Whatever you do! Don't stare into those eyes!" plus other survival hints)
* "Japanese for Dizzy People" (Far more practical, I believe, than the "busy" AJALT textbook of similar title.)
* "The Japanese Restaurateur's Foolproof Guide to Preventing Secondhand Smoke Inhalation" (excerpt: "And next, to be really, really effective, place a tiny placard between seats, designating one as nonsmoking and the other as smoking.")
* "Japanese Toilets for Ph.D.s" (The dummy market gets competition.)
* "Karate, Sumo, Judo and Other Martial Arts Useful in Japanese Roach Control"
* "Living Each Day on a Japanese Diet . . . But Pigging out on Pizza at Night"
* "Magical Experiences With the Japanese Cost of Living" (subtitled "Making Money Disappear")
* "Making Your Japanese Dreams Come True!" (Like the dream where you're on the train and wearing nothing but your house slippers. This simple primer can help you realize that.)
* "Murphy's Law: The Japanese Corollaries" (including comments on which way the yen/dollar rate will zoom on the day you exchange money, why the yummiest-looking bread in the bakery is bound to be pumped with bean paste, and how you will probably mispronounce the word "shoe" when you mention your itchy footwear during that big presentation)
* "Predicting the Big One: A Year's Study of the Mysterious Canine Habits That Could Save Your Life!" (excerpt: "Jan. 1st. Today Pochi ate, rolled over and slept. Jan. 2nd. Today Pochi ate, rolled over and slept. Jan. 3rd. Today Pochi ate, rolled over and slept. Jan. 4th. Today Pochi . . .")
* "Ranger Tom's Guide to Dealing With Increased Bears in the Japanese Wilderness" (to include chapters on playing dead, screaming out of control, and running like a sonovabitch)
* "Reversing the Decline in Japanese Population" (with chapters focusing on immigration, adoption, cloning and reanimation of the dead)
* "Unfolding Paper Cranes -- Step by Step"
* "What If We Had Sailor Suits Too? -- An Examination of English Teachers and Their Fears"
* "When and When Not to Fill the Other Guy's Glass" (excerpt: "Tanaka lay flat on the floor like a tuna begging for the swift mercy of the meat cleaver. I sloshed through his vomit and lifted his head from the tatami by his necktie. His eyes rolled white. His tongue trailed along the floor like a pink ribbon. 'C'mon now, buddy,' I belched. 'You gotta have one more round for the road!' ")
* "Who Says the Japanese Aren't Creative?" (subtitled "The Various Ways the Emperor Could Wave His Hand If He Wanted To")
* "Why Mickey Mouse Makes Japanese Friends and George Bush Doesn't -- Could It Be the Voice? (Without giving away too much content, my premise here would be that there might be an easy way for the president to increase his support among the Japanese people.)
* "Willing People to Get Off Your Train -- And What Else You Might Do If You Had Telepathy"
* "Zen and the Art of Commuter Wicket Maintenance"
Alas, the only one above that will probably ever be finished is the one on hunting underwear, which I have already written under another title, "Japanese Made Funny" (The East Publications, 2001). The publisher was helpful, not drunk -- though he may have hit the bottle after seeing the sales.
Ah, there's the rub. Writing is fun, but marketing . . . it's always a pain in the shoe.

I know my posts are boring...heres another one

2005-05-26T13:55:00.001-07:00

Scientists oppose Japanese plans to kill more whales

Professor Scott Baker, seen with a catalogue of humpback whale flukes, opposes Japanese plans to kill more whales. File picture / Amos Chapple

26.05.05 4.00pm

New Zealand scientists are joining an international clamour of condemnation against Japanese plans to kill more whales in the name of science. Japan has asked the International Whaling Commission to approve plans to extend its Antarctic whaling programme in the Ross Sea to kill 80 each of humpback and fin whales and increase the number of minke whales killed from 440 to 850. The move has met with strong opposition from the Australian and New Zealand governments. Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Auckland's Faculty of Science Scott Baker, who will be attending the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee meeting in Korea in June, said today Japan would have a fight on its hands. "Humpback whales throughout much of the South Pacific have shown little sign of recovery to their former abundance, despite claims to the contrary by some Japanese scientists," he said. "Nearly 200,000 humpback whales and more than 700,000 fin whales were killed in the southern hemisphere during the 20th century reducing both populations to near extinction. "Now, it seems Japan plans to resume hunting of both species." Phil Clapham, from the United States National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, said Japan's scientific whaling programme had been widely criticised as a cover for a growing commercial hunt. "The quality of the scientific research is extremely poor despite 16 years of operation and thousands of whales killed. "Japan's research exists for one purpose only -- to 'prove' -- no matter what the data actually say, that whales eat too much fish and are thus in competition with Japanese fisheries. "This isn't the case and is not even relevant in the Antarctic, where whales eat krill," Dr Clapham said.

article from intrepid

2005-05-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

"What is it with Asian countries and their love for Karaoke? In thesmallest of towns, out in the main street or hidden away in a dark alley,you are bound to find at least one Karaoke bar. Whether you are inThailand, Vietnam or the home of the singing craze, Japan, you need not gowithout your fix to show the world, or just your nearest and dearest, thatyou have what it takes. Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam has its own open air stage overlooking thewater where you can show the locals how to do it western style. With itsliteral translation meaning "empty orchestra" in Japanese, Karaoke hastaken the world by storm. In Japan, you can quite often find business menenjoying a liquid lunch and a sing-a-long at any of the thousands ofKaraoke bars all over the country, or a bunch of kids on the way home fromschool showing their prowess at learning the words to the latest rap hit. There it would almost rank as a national pastime, second to baseball ofcourse. Unlike Karaoke in Australia, where it is often only offered at the localpub on a specified night, Karaoke bars in Asia are private rooms or boothswhere you can sit on your own to practice or entertain a handful offriends, while a waiter will bring your drink orders. Especially in Japan,a night out for a few rousing renditions of the Beatles greatest hits, canbe quite a costly experience with the bar prices and the room rented by thehour. Some of the more sophisticated places have machines that will score youreffort at hitting the right notes and the right tempo. Of course you don'thave to remember the words, as they are on a video monitor in front you,usually with a cheesy love montage like a couple walking hand in hand onthe beach or frolicking in the daisies. If you are really brave then youcan always attempt a local pop hit, but it's all in good fun and let's faceit - who doesn't like to imagine themselves on stage in front of adoringfans as you belt out Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline'!"I don't think my rendition of "Eye of the Tiger" would have rated highly onthe karaoke score machine - but Intrepid leader Stacey Shine and I had alot of fun doing it and I guess that what it's all about. It's also aboutdoing as the locals do and meeting some fabulous people along the way. Japan is an intriguing land of contradictions and cultural traditions. It's a challenge to blend in and at the same time an absolute privilege toimmediately be absorbed into the ways of this ancient land. * Turning Japanese - Intrepid style!

Dog Fight Anyone?

2005-05-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

Dog fighting is a popular sport in parts of Japan -so says my guide book. Among aficonados, top daogs and their owners can achieve the same status as star sumo wrestlers. Winning dogs are even paraded are the ring in miniture sumo style aprons.
Fights take place on a caged circular stage, surrounded by tiers of seats.
The dogs, which unexpectantly do not bark, weigh in at around 150Kg; they jockey for a grip on the others shoulders and then try and throw the other dog down. the fight ends when one dog stays down.
A judge punishes illegal moves such as nose or testical-biting by spraying the offender with stinging liquid.

Christchurch man auctions 'comfort hug'

2005-05-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

By KERI WELHAMA.
29-year-old "supportive and caring male" from Christchurch,New Zealand is auctioning a non-sexual, human-to-human, 60-second or less Comfort Hug on internet trading site TradeMe.
"Whether you are having a bad day or need a little affection, this professionally delivered hug will help you get through your day," the trader's sales pitch reads.
So far, the comforts of this stranger's bosom have failed to attract the reserve price of $2.
Two bids have been placed in three days – the highest, $1.50.
The Christchurch hug-trader is listed online as Midsta. He did not return requests to make contact with The Press yesterday.
However, online details show Hamish, as he is known to his friends, is a TradeMe veteran of one year who has sold a motorcycle, a balloon ride and a fridge-freezer, and bought two Oroton handbags.
He includes in his online blurb a reference to the support of his partner in his hug-giving endeavour, saying she understands the powerful healing qualities of one of his hugs.
Midsta says he is more "Andrew Mehrtens hot than Carlos Spencer hot", but stresses he is trading a non-sexual hug.
Midsta will hug men or women. Anyone outside Christchurch will provide return flights.
A potential buyer, dubbed Bellalicious, said she was interested in bidding, but first wanted to know if Midsta had a mental history.
He said he did not.
Midsta says the hug is non-transferable, and the recipient must be genuine: "No covering themselves with Marmite, jelly, etc."

Yame, Kyushu

2005-05-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

we just got back. akikos parents actually live in Yame, which is near Kurume, and south of Fukuoka. Her father is also a docter[aswell as her two brothers], he has a private hospital in front of their house and a rest home next door. we got into Yame on mon night around 8:30pm, akikos mum is very cute and funny. her dad is very sweet and kind, he also likes to paint -water colour. they have both travelled alot -europe, scandinavia, indonesia, america, canada etc...and have lots of photos from all their trips. their english was limited, but i could understand perfectly what they could say. on tuesday we all set off[all five of us] to see some japanese cultural sites from the region, eg. crafts, temples, shrines, etc...then lunch at a resteraunt, where we had to sit japanese style on the floor[i managed to scam my way out of sitting in that painful way though]. we ate curry, salad and cake with kohee[coffee]. then back to the house to escape the heat -about 32 degrees. Wednesday we set off early for a beach north of Fukuoka. akikos parents own this holiday home there and we spent the intire day lounging about, walking the beach, painting with her fathers water colours and cleaning[dusting, because the place haddnt been used in a while]. on the way home we stopped off to eat at a japanese resteraunt, it wasnt sushi, but tofu, chicken, squid, peas and really it was a an asortment of food to pick and choose what you liked. something which i certainly did not touch was horse meat, yes you heard right, the japanese also eat cows tongues, and whale[very controversial]. when we arrived back there was two cockroches waiting for us, but not for long because grandma killed them as quick as she could. thursday up early agian to catch the train back[JR -same as the one which crashed last week].so thats my golden week almost done. dewa mata xxx

mt. ishizuchi

2005-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

yeah just got back from mt. ishizuchi -the second biggest mountain in japan -1982m and we went right to the top[edge/point actually] three hours up, and by up i mean up, when it was too steep for steps they had chains you had to pull yourself up on. and then two hours down -but we all had jelly legs and it felt like we were walking like chickens going back down. it was hell actually going up. I had to get up at 5am to be able to be outside Rachael and Tiffanys apartment building at 6 for Takashi[karate teacher] to pick us up. Hes funny, and the most energetic adult[hes got to be over 40] i know. the drive took about 40minutes, then we caught a gondola from the bottom to the starting point. up hill to this little village on, where we got our photo taken[many more to come]. everytime we past someone[coming the opposite direction] you Konnichiwa to every single person, and today was a busy day with golden week beginning.
at points i thought i wouldnt be able to make it, there is over a million steps im sure, not that i counted it would have made me crazy. there was this group of 50yish men and women, all very encouraging towards us, and us to them. one woman told me to roll my jeans up[in japanese ofcourse] maybe she thought itd be easier, who knows i made it to the top anyway. the chains were actually easier than the steps, relief i guess on my legs. so we got to the top around or before midday. then we did some risky manouvering to get close to the edge on the highest point. and finally desending with our jelly chicken legs.
what a day, i wonder what rachael comes up with next week? Dewa mata xxx

insight into japan

2005-04-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

Now every Japanese person is different, and reguardless of stereotypes neither do they all look the same. I am, and always will be a Gaijin[a foreigner, translated to mean outside person], so because of this, and also the language barrier I am at a huge disadvantage for truely understanding the Japanese culture and society. However I am able to observe[with a nz eye] certain things. ie. people slurp when they eat, I found this very rude, only to be told sometime later in Japan it means the food is very yummy! another one is sniffing, which is absolutly acceptable here, but blowing your nose is not! -i was surprised at this because as a child i would be told of if i were caught sniffing. little by little im sure i will notice more, and i will share them aswell.
food -well breakfast i probably like more because it is always the same -miso soup and sticky white rice, but with dinner i never no, and sometimes like the other night i tried fish liver soup, i wished i haddnt.

sixty-five dead in Japan Train crash

2005-04-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sixty-five dead in Japan train crashBy David Pilling in Tokyo Published: April 26 2005 03:00 Last updated: April 26 2005 03:00
At least 65 people were killed and more than 400 injured yesterday when a Japanese commuter train jumped the tracks and crashed into a block of flats. Rescue crews worked through the night in a search for survivors.
The accident near Amagasaki, west of Osaka, occurred after the train, carrying about 580 passengers, overshot a station, forcing it to back up to allow commuters off. The train left the station 90 seconds late and, according to passengers, started wobbling strangely as it picked up speed.
Japan runs one of the world's busiest rail networks. Yesterday's accident was the country's worst train crash since 1963 and followed a series of incidents in other industries that call into question Japan's reputation for safety.
Japan Airlines said this month that its commitment to safety was insufficient because it had put excessive focus on keeping flights on schedule. The admission followed a series of serious lapses in which parts fell off aircraft and JAL pilots ignored air traffic controllers' instructions.
A government report last month found that a lack of oversight and "a demise of safety culture" had been behind Japan's worst nuclear-related accident, in which five workers died and six were injured in August 2004.
Hirotada Hirose, a disaster expert at Tokyo Women's University, said: "Japanese people have lowered their tolerance to risk." He said the turning point came in 1995, when public confidence was shaken by what was considered an inadequate response to the Kobe earthquake and a fatal gas attack carried out on the Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult.
Junichiro Koizumi, prime minister, commenting on the rail crash, said measures should be taken to ensure such incidents never recurred. Additional reporting by Maiko Sawada

over the bridge and far away

2005-04-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

On Friday I was invited to cycle the bridges[there are many] and Islands between Honshu and Shikoku Island. we[Rachael and Tiffany and I] were told it would take 8 hours one way. we bused to Honshu and made our way to hire some mountain bikes for the trip. we got there about 1.30pm, and the guy told us we couldnt make it, because the bikes had to be handed in on a certain Island at 5pm. so off we went, first on a ferry across to the first island. then the pattern began -cycle around the island to the bridge, up onto the bridge[very high up, so we had to climb up to get on the bridge. all in all we cycled over three bridges[now these are long bridges, three or four times the size of the Erasmus, or Auckland harbour bridge. and four Islands. the whole journey from Honshu to Imabari is 58 Kilometres, we because of time[ie. we were late getting to the start point] cycled 40 kilometres -and in three hours. so we could have made the whole thing in well under the recomeded 8 hours!

A curfew

2005-04-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I went out with Rachael, Shawna, Tiffany and Chris[another Nova teacher, I think hes English]. We went to this cute little rock n roll bar down this side street. I had a curfew though. yes I have a curfew of Midnight, which I was a little pissed about. Not that I love drinking, but it is an ideal time for socialising with the above people. so Rachael suggested next time I stay over at her and shawnas flat. such a nice offer, i wonder if it works? -ie. if those who shall not be named will mind? I had a crap day yesterday with little demanding queen -if youre interested i will tell you! moving along though, Karate on monday with Rachael, some of the Nova guys and this crazy japanese guy who takes it. also Rachael has another crazy idea[the bridge was hers too] -her words by the way. -to climb some mountain next saturday. Dewa Mata xxx

japnese lesson with ms sera

2005-04-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

this morning had my very first japanese lesson. it was raining so a. drove me. it was in ms sera s apartment. she had a room with desks and a chalk board. firstly i had to fill out a form with my name and why i wanted to learn japanese. then she printed a map of nz and i showed her where i was from and also told her about my family, and some things about nz. she is very sweet, friendly and her english is much better for me to understand than a. and y.s. also she can actually understand my accent. we practised pronouncing some japanese sayings, like dewa mata, ja mata. arigato, konnichiwa, etc... she said my pronounciation was very good, and i sould have confidence she said. we talked and then had tea -english tea. and she invited me tomorrow morning to make some origami with two other foreingers who are english teachers here, a canadian and a english. so thats my morning done. dewa mata, see you later. xxx M.

2005-04-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all, im here, alive i think, i hope. 36hrs from nz to imabari almost killed me -lack of sleep and an almost hell like time trying to sleep at the various air ports.
Imabari has 170,000 people, so it is much bigger than i thought. the family live in a big house, with the grandparents also, so it is a full house. yesterday they took me to this gathering in a park with both japanese and foreigners[like myself]. there i met Meiko and her husdband, so sweet both of them. they invited me out last night with friends to have japanese curry at the beach side, kind of like a picnic at sunset. also there was a canadian english teacher and her japanese partner, another japanese guy and an aussie exchange student called James. i was picked up and told to take a plate and spoon and mug, thats it. it was so much fun, and Meiko and her husdband are so down to earth.

Shikoku pen friends

2005-04-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

I now have a Japanese penfriend from Shikoku Island, Ehime prefecture -which is the same area as Imabari.
Saori is a 23 year old travel and tourism student from near Matsuyama. She wants to introduce me to karaoke, never tried it but it should be fun -if your drunk!
Matanee Myf
ps. Happy Birthday Robbert, and a late birthday wish for Krystyl -cant wait for your 21st this saturday!

a Japanese cannible

2005-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

ugh...scary thought! but it is true. 60 minutes had a documentary about this guy, who I don't even want to think about it...ate this french woman. but the puzzling thing is, is he's walking around japan -free. and he's complete bonkers.

Imabari links

2005-03-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

Here it is so you can see what Imabari city is like!
http://www.japan-photo.de/e-imabari.htm
It's a port, which is about all I know about the 'city'. though it does have about six temples either in or around Imabari. Its kind of scary looking at the photo's...thats where i'm going! It seems kind of surreal.
Desu Mata, Myf

lost in Preparation

2005-03-20T23:12:00.000-08:00

I watched 'Lost In Translation' again, this time trying to concentrate on the Japanese characters and extras in the film. Silly really. I should probably go and hire an actual Japanese film, however good I thought "lost in translation' was it still is a westernised idea of what Japan is. So something made by, for and about the Japanese. -Any idea's?

and here is the Japanese Words and numbers
of the Day:
-------
hai: yes
iie: no
-------
1: ichi
2: ni
3: san
4: yon/shi
5: go
-------

Matanee, dewa mata[see you later] Myf xxx

counting down...

2005-03-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to find something interesting to write about. But because I'm not there yet[Japan that is] I've got very little to mention. but I have been thinking and trying to imagine what life in Japan will be like. I've been told I should go with a open mind, and be prepared to be surprised.

Japan has so many festivals and holidays, my mind is a blur even trying to think about them and what each one is about and the particular traditions and cutoms which go with each.

The idea of regular earth quakes is both scary and exciting[having never felt a large or even mid range one in my life].
I'm hoping that I'm gone by the time typhoon season comes around.the south is generally the most effected!

what surprises me is that Japan is a very simular size to New Zealand. but where we have a mere 4 million, they have 127 million people all crammed in there.

Like I said above an open mind seems like a must. I can't wait...

Matanee, Myf

Konnichiwa, Watashi wa Myf desu

2005-03-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

I borrowed a guide book on Japan, and I've been practising my Japanese.
Also I found out Shinkoku has 88 temples, and people go on a pilgrimage around the island. it takes about one to two months on foot or bike, but it can also be driven, and you are supposed to go clockwise, and no skipping temples[all 88 of them].people have been doing this since the 16th century.
Sayonara, Myf.

FLIGHTS

2005-03-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

I BOOKED MY FLIGHTS YESTERDAY. SO I'M LEAVING NEXT MONTH ON THE 15TH. AKIKO IS GOING TO MEET ME IN OSAKA. AND IN THE MEANTIME I'VE BEEN READING UP ON JAPAN, THE CULTURE AND SOCIETY, BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED BUT ALSO SO THAT I DON'T OFFEND ANYONE, BY BLOWING MY NOSE OR NOT BENDING LOW ENOUGH, ETC... I'M STOPPING IN SINGAPORE ON THE WAY BACK FOR THREE DAYS, WHICH WILL BE FUN.

Summer + R'dam Journal

2005-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

It is mid summer here in New Zealand. It was strange since I skipped it[summer] last year, and I left Europe before their one was in full swing, so really I missed two. I can't wait till spring though, which only means Winter first.
I've been putting together a Journal of my time as an Au Pair in R'dam, NL. It's been lot's of fun, figuring out what to put in it, and what to write about, phto's etc... using lots of colour[british spelling]but trying not to go over top with the design.

Imabari Update

2005-03-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

Latest Update: Yesterday I was offered the job
[In Japan] Tutoring[in English]. I am so excited!
They want me by 15th of next month, so that's quite
soon! And I will be there until the middle of July.
They live on one of the South Islands[Japan is made up of at least Four main Islands], In a small port city called Imabari.I get to choose whether I want to learn some Japanese or do a culture course[arranging flowers, wearing kimono's, drinking tea, sound's bizarre I know!... but fun too].

Japan and Photography

2005-03-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

The whole japan thing is still up in the air, as there is another person who is being considered. But if it doesn't go my way, they have said I can come later in the year. so it is sounding good either way.
In the meantime I am organising how I'm going to put together my portfolio[for when I apply for the photography school/department]and what kind's of photo's I want to take/put in my folio, and also taking a short course with the local newspaper's main photographer[at my local community educational intsitute, ie. evening classes, but they also offer degrees and diploma's].

Japan?

2005-02-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

There is a family in Imabari Japan, which is looking for a live in english tutor for their six year old daughter. Could I be the one?
fingers xxx Myf