Pumba at Hirono JHS

So I'm in the teacher's room, minding my own business, when the secretary runs into the room, starts yelling something in Japanese, and all the teachers run out.  Naturally, I followed them because they never tell me anything and for all I knew the building could have been on fire.  But instead I see two wild boar ambling across the parking lot in front of the school!!  Big, scary inoshishi!  The teachers were speaking lightening fast Nihongo and taking pictures.  I guess it's really rare to see them, especially this big, and even more so in town.  I have no clue how they would even get to the middle school!  Seeing how we are top of a hill and you have to take stairs to get to the front entrance.  But they seemed to handle stairs fine because that's the way they left.


It must have also been the way they came back because everyone rushed out again during lunch time to stare and point.  At first I was astonished because I've never seen a wild boar before.  But after hearing that they are quite dangerous and realizing their chosen spot to hang out was my path home, I didn't think they were so fascinating anymore.  I ended up having to walk the long way home in the freezing sleet.  Soaking my uggs, breaking another umbrella, and further ruining my mood.  

Why I love Japan...

Because when you're lost in an unfamiliar city and too drunk to speak Japanese, the taxi driver will turn off the meter and drive you around until something looks familiar.  Thank you Japan!

Where? Oh, where have my obentos gone?

They are closing the only conbini (convenience store) within bike riding distance from my house!  Ahhhh!!  What will I do without 7eleven!?

Be Mine?

In America around February 14th, we are used to being bombarded with the overcommercialization of Valentine's Day.  So my expectations of V-day in Japan were more than slightly overrated.  Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan but due to a typo of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns, the custom is that only women give chocolates to men.  Lame.  Unlike other Western countries, gifts, flowers, cards, and dates usually aren't expected.  There are three different kinds of chocolate given: giri-choco, honmei-choco, and tomo-choco.

Many women feel obliged to give chocolate to male coworkers.  This chocolate is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from giri ("obligation") and choko, ("chocolate").  This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ, favorite chocolate), chocolate given to a loved one.  And lastly, friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ); from tomo meaning "friend".

Thankfully, a marshmallow manufacturer tried to popularize "White Day", a reply day on March 14th, where men are expected to return the favor to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day.  However, marshmallows aren't very tasty and white chocolate became more popular to give.  Originally only chocolate was given but now other gifts such as jewelry, clothing, and lingerie are acceptable.  Men are expected to return gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts received on Valentine's Day (nice!).  Not returning the gift is perceived as the man placing himself in a position of superiority.  Returning a present of equal value is considered a way to say that you are breaking off the relationship.  However, I'm pretty sure these rules only apply to couples, not your coworkers - because that could get awkward...

Still no history of date nights, which is where I think Japanese girls are getting the short straw.  In my opinion, going on a romantic date on Valentine's day is the best part!  I will have to celebrate this holiday again when I get home since most of my coworkers and students didn't even realize that it was V-day.  And it's an excuse to get Kirby to take me out. ;)

The Festival of Fire and Ice

Yuki Matsuri.  Translated it means "snow festival".  And when you say it in Japan, it only means one means one thing: Sapporo's biggest festival of the year.  The festival is one of Japan's largest and most distinctive winter events.  Every winter, about two million people come to Sapporo to see the hundreds of beautiful snow statues and ice sculptures which line Odori Park and the main street in Susukino.  For seven days in February, these sculptures (both large and small) turn Sapporo into a winter dreamland of crystal ice and white snow.  I had the privilege of going to Yuki Matsuri and witnessing these amazing winter wonders for myself.


Our voyage began on Wednesday evening in Sendai as 35 genki (energetic) Assistant Language Teachers boarded our overnight ferry to Hokkaido.  I had never been on a ferry before, but I'd been on a cruise ship and from the outside, they looked about the same.  So wrong.  I wasn't expecting the glitz and glam that I had readily received on my cruise to the Mexican Rivera, but I wasn't expecting such drastic swaying motion, that left me feeling as if I perpetually had the drunk spins.


We arrived in Hokkaido about eleven and my cranky attitude didn't improve when we had to take a hot, sweaty two hour bus ride to Sapporo.  Thankfully when we arrived our hotel was spectacular!  With a quick shower and a cup of art coffee with Bailey's (art coffee is when the barista makes pictures in the foam), my mood had dramatically improved and we were out wandering in the snow.  Japan's snow is beautiful.  There really is no other way to say it.  The snow flakes are so big that you can see the individual crystalline structures with your naked eye.

Later that evening we had tabehodai/nomihodai (all you can eat-and-drink) at the Sapporo Beer Factory.  The food was decent, the beer was...well, Japanese (being from Oregon has made me a snob.  But it has its benefits, especially when it comes to microbrews).  It snowed almost half a foot just while we were eating!  Several bottles of warm sake later, we found a foreigner-friendly looking bar that played Top 40's music.  Oh Britney, how I have missed you!  We spent the night bonding with nihonjin (Japanese people) and foreigners alike over the beauty of the snow.

The next day I devoted to exploring Yuki Matsuri.  Me and a fellow JET strolled down Susukino admiring the ice sculptures that led to Odori Park.  It's incredible how thin they can make the ice without it cracking!  Some sculptures looked more like glass than ice.  But the real jaw-dropping masterpieces were on the main drag of Odori.  Snow sculptures the size of temples! A massive jump with snowboarders easily pulling off 720°s!  A free ice skating rink!  And an amazing international feeling, as we saw statues built by many different countries - including good ol' Portland, Oregon, USA.  I had no idea that we were a sister city with Sapporo.  Very cool, and that would explain why so many Portland JETs got shipped up North.  I will be thankful I wasn't one of them.  Enjoying the beauty of the snow falling is one thing, shoveling it out of your doorway when it reaches your chest is another.  We ate grilled crab for lunch (the whole thing, guts and all) which Hokkaido is famous for, grabbed yet another coffee (anything to keep my hands warm), and took a train to Otaru.

Otaru is a quaint little port town about 35-40 minutes from Sapporo by train.  It is known for its freshness of sushi and handblown glass.  But it is probably most famous for the canal that runs through Otaru which is adorned with Victorian-style street lamps.  It does not look like a traditional Japanese town.  

We had sushi for dinner - which was sensational!  The fish just tastes so much better here.  Plus the Japanese sure know how to make good sushi rice.  Afterwards, we walked to the canal to see the sunset.  However, when we got there, the place was bustling with people.  Absolutely packed!  Turns out we just happened to come to Otaru on the night of its Candle Festival (whether that is the actual name of the festival or not, I don't know).  The entire canal was lit up with beautiful blown glass lights.  They had them strung across the canal on wires and people had built snow lamps along the path beside the bank.  Very breathtaking, very romantic.  It was a pleasant surprise for all of us and a good chance to use my new camera.

Our last morning in Sapporo was spent relaxing in a coffee shop, eating delicious quiche, and gossiping over the trip's adventures.  Our ride back to Fukushima was uneventful, other than the horrid rocking of the ship.  I wish I could have had several more days exploring Hokkaido.  The people were so friendly and welcomed international relationships, not to mention the sheer magnificence of the landscape.  One day I hope to go back.

Protect me soy beans!

Today I celebrated "Setsubun".  It is a very traditional Japanese holiday that lands on the day between two seasons.  So, I guess that would be winter and spring.  Although since it hasn't gotten above 10 degrees celsius in weeks, I don't know if you can really call it spring...


Anyways, on the night of Setsubun you throw soy beans!  The bean throwing is called "mamemaki"  ("mame" means bean).  You stand inside your house and throw beans outside the door or window and say, "Oni wa soto", which means "devils outside", then you throw them inside (this would drive my mother crazy) and say "fuku wa uchi", which means "good luck in the house".  Obviously, you want the good stuff in and the bad stuff out.  The Japanese just found a fun way to do it!


It was really entertaining for me since I got to participate with my Japanese friend's three young boys.  Her husband wore an Oni mask and growled at them from outside while the two older boys pelted him with soy beans.  It was the baby's first Setsubun and wasn't quite sure if the monster should be messed with.  So cute!  Afterwards you eat the same number of beans as your age.  This is also supposed to bring you good luck.  Thank goodness for sugar coated soy beans because eating one bland soy bean is enough, let alone 22.  

Ewww...

Japanese men (and my male students) think it is socially acceptable to make that sound when you "hawk a loogie".  I know it's just another cultural difference between Japanese and Americans, but it is gross - always.