Voyage Junkie

A crane flying over a rice field near a traditional-style home complete with laundry drying outside.

Yesterday (9/20/10) I hiked Mount Kinka, one of the mountains that rises out of the center of Gifu. On top is Gifu Castle. Originally built in 1201 by the Nikaidou clan, the castle was known as Inabayama Castle until its takeover by Oda Nobunaga in 1567, when it was renamed Gifu Castle. Oda Nobunaga was a militaristic leader who dreamed of uniting Japan under one leadership (his own, of course), and worked toward constant expansion of his power. He renovated the castle shortly thereafter, and it remained that way until 1600, when it was demolished by The Battle of Gifu Castle. Apparently it was rebuilt at that time, because eventually it was firebombed in World War II, and rebuilt again in 1950. The climb to the top of Mount Kinka is not the most arduous I've taken but not the easiest, either. We took the Meditation Path up, which is a winding, rocky trail that travels along the side of the mountain to the top. Frequently there are panoramic vistas of Gifu City with...

The first thing to know about Japan is it's quite a lot like America, but in less space. Gifu reminds me of Colorado because of the mountains, Florida because of the humidity, and Ohio because of the fields. The majesty of those three giant states can be found within one city in Japan, and that's just the way it goes. My school is located in what could be called a suburb, and just 10 minutes south of that Matt's school is located in miles of rice fields that gorgeous cranes and herons occupy, such as the one to the left. The second thing to know is Japan makes better soda than America, at least that which I've tried so far. The can to the right is a great Lemon soda that is full of lemons and vitamin C, and not much else. What it says on the can is also a special treat. Oh, and the desserts are fantastic. This is a maccha (green tea) ice cream, red bean, dango (rice dumpling), and vanilla ice cream dessert from DENNY'S. Yes, that's rig...

On 9/17/10 I attended my first undokai , or Sports Day.  It's a day filled with various athletic events that is supposed to build teamwork and camaraderie between the students.  Although there are three teams (at my large school), the message of the day is that they are all part of one large group and as such should treat each other well.  It's inspiring as well as slightly ridiculous and militaristic.  The kids seem to have fun, and that's all that really matters.  One event at my school is the onawa , or a very large group jump-rope.  A whole class (35-40 people) gathers, in two rows, by the same rope.  Two class members "twirl" said rope by using their entire wingspan to make giant circles.  This is unbelievably difficult, yet they manage to jump for long periods of time.  We tried this at our training a few weeks ago and failed miserably.   Kibasen , which means "mounted knight," is a game I particu...

Okay, brief post: I have two kyoto-sensei (vice-principal) at my school, and while both of them are very nice, one is superbly hilarious every day. When I first met him, he insisted on being called the vice PRESIDENT, emphasis on PRESIDENT. Mostly he finds new things to come up to me and say, or to give me. They are always random, and I think they are things he needs to get rid of, so he tries them out on me. He has also clued into the fact that I won't get paid for some time (first real check is end of Nov) so that's part of the offerings. He is truly a funny, funny man. Things I have obtained or been offered: 1. The ability to swim in the school pool. ("But you must wear the bikini.") 2. A fruit jelly cup. 3. A hornet's nest cut from a bush outside the school. When I said no, I don't want that, he asked why not. I said, "what am I supposed to do with it?" And he laughed. For a long time. 4. A sushi bento (lunch box). 5. A...

OK, so it's just got a heated seat, but it still looks more advanced than most American cell phones. Japanese cell phones look more advanced than most American sci-fi movie props. This is Matt, blogging for you as promised. And I must begin by saying, my first week was just about as awesome as Abby's. I can't remember the last time I was so happy to be somewhere, let alone the last time I was doing something so rewarding. Sharing the experience with Abby makes me want to write embarrassingly sappy things on an otherwise perfectly serviceable blog post, so instead I'll cut to the funny. I had to talk about Hiroshima on my first day. The third-year textbook contains a story called "A Mother's Lullaby" about a young boy taking shelter from the flames under a tree and being comforted by a young woman who successfully tricks him into thinking she's his mother long enough for them both to die a little less miserably. "Please," said th...

Nagamori chuugakkou (middle school) is a friendly, clean, and very large place where I now spend my weekdays. I am mid-way through my first week as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), and things are going very well despite my distinct lack of Japanese language skills. I teach full-time at Nagamori, which is different from most of my ALTIA colleagues who teach at two schools (Matt included). I enjoy staying at one school because it is much easier for me to handle the language barrier: I am able to see the same kids and teachers every day, and I am continuously improving my communication skills. Mostly the kids are great. They are, as a whole, interested and engaged. I have been doing a lot of jiko shoukai , which means "self-introduction." Third day in and the kids have got a pretty good handle on me even though I haven't officially been in their class yet. I no longer can ask them if I am from Australia, for example, because they all know I am from America....

One amazing thing about being in Japan is looking at all the architecture. The rooftops are incredible, for one. The home can be exactly what you might expect to see in America, and yet the roof is an ornate affair fit for a James Clavell novel. I almost expect to see ninjas running across the tops. Every house is also huge, and costs way less than anything comparable in America. The beauty of the homes and gardens here almost makes me want to buy a house and stay forever! Almost. Near our house is a Buddhist temple. Actually it is right around the corner at the end of a small block. It's pretty incredible. We walked through the grounds one day accidentally and discove red it. There are strangely aspects to the grounds that are Buddhist and Shinto, not five yards from each other. In American terms, this is like Christian and Pagan elements existing side-by-side. Likely the elements from the Shinto religion are not acknowledged by name at this point even though e...