Summer 2013

Summer 2013 has finally come to a close. The opening ceremony for the new term at Kanazu was today. Even though I’m excited to get back into the classroom and improve as a teacher, I will miss the summer time. Summer has always been my favorite season. I love the warm weather and the relaxed atmosphere.

This summer in particular has been amazing. I stayed in Fukui all summer in an attempt to save money for Anna’s trip to Japan (She’s here now and I’m loving it!). I enjoyed a relaxing summer full of sunsets and trips to the beach. I am so lucky to be living near a ton of great beaches and I took full advantage of that. The closest beach is only 10 minutes from my apartment! Living on the west coast has given me ample time to soak up the last few minutes of sun at the oceans edge!

 
Enjoy the photos.

Summer 2013: The Summer of Sunsets.

Sunset at Tojinbo Cliffs 10 minutes from my house.

Sunset in Kyoto from Fushimi Inari

Sunset Beach with Anna.

More Sunset beach.

Sunrise from Fuji.

The Beach Bar 10 minutes from my apartment

More Tojinbo

Tojinbo

Sunset Beach again

After a long day on the beach with a few friends. 

Photo Credit: Christen

One year Anniversary.

Its been a whole year since I began living in Fukui. It has gone by so fast.

I still feel like a novice everyday in Japan. I don't understand about 70% of what is being said around me. I can only read about 200 Kanji (Chinese characters- there are 2000 total in fluent Japanese). I speak like a caveman. I also make countless cultural and etiquette mistakes.

This past month about 30 new ALTs arrived in Fukui and I have been involved in a lot of their new welcome events and gatherings. Working with them has been super nostalgic. I remember asking the same questions and struggling with chopsticks and soup. I remember falling in my first Gaijin trap and other unfortunate occurrences. Even though I still feel like a novice, working with the new ALTs has shown me how much I have grown.

As I start my second year here in Fukui, everything looks familiar. Students are preparing for their culture and sports festivals. I have been here and done this before. This year is different though. Instead of only observing, I’m participating; Laughing with my students, helping them build giant sculptures and paint banners.  Looking back on what I learned in the last year makes me excited for all the things I will learn this year. Here is to another year of adventures, culture, learning, and teaching. 
楽しみにしています！

Volleyball tournament

Last friday I participated in a volleyball tournament. Yes, a volleyball tournament. Most of my friends know of my lack of athletic ability, other than some skill in basketball, and are probably shaking their heads in confusion. Let me explain.

Teachers in Japan work very very very hard. They never have days off, they work until 8pm at the earliest every night and go to work on saturdays and sundays as well. Teachers also play together. There are a lot of work parties and social trips. This Volleyball tournament was a social trip for the high school female teachers. Every high school supplied a team and they played together as a way to relax and enjoy each others company after a long day of work at the office.

When the school nurse came to me and asked if I wanted to play on our school's volleyball team I responded no automatically. They, however, have learned if you push me enough I usually give in. So after a lot of pushing and prodding I begrudgingly agreed to attend after school practices and the tournament. One of their main reasons for wanting me to play was because they said I was tall. In case you don't remember I am a slightly below average 5 foot 6 inches tall, or 167 cm. I constantly corrected them that I in fact was not tall but I would be willing to play.

Our team was full of young, energetic, competitive players. We were missing only one thing, skill. However, that didn't stop us from doing our absolute best. We had trainings and practices after school and the volleyball club even came to a few of them to help us train. My arms would be covered in bruises for days after practices but I enjoyed getting to play with my teachers outside of the staff room and the work environment.

On the day of the tournament we all showed up and knew we were in big trouble when the other team came over and asked if we would like to practice spiking together. Thats because no one on our team could properly spike... To my amusement I did notice that I was in fact the tallest player on both teams. Japanese people are so tiny and I constantly forget about that. Needless to say we went on to loose all 3 of our games. But we gave our best effort and afterward went to dinner at a korean yaki niku restaurant where we shared food, beers, and laughs. I'm really glad they forced me into playing. I enjoyed trying my best and learning a thing or two about volleyball. These super casual outings with teachers from my school always end up being some of my favorite memories from my time here. Its always so fun to see a different side to my teachers and to get to know them better. I'm so lucky to be placed in a school that wants me to be a  part of their community and actively tries to invite me to things. I've learned that saying yes and being open to new experiences might not always be enjoyable but its almost never wrong. I like being involved and am happy to be a part of the small community in Kanazu High School.

Cheers to you Kanazu teacher's volleyball team! Ostukare sama deshita!

Fukui Kar Rally 2013

This past month there was a huge event in Fukui called the Kar Rally. The purpose of the event is to bring everyone to the southern part of the prefecture to explore the many exciting and wonderful things there. Because Fukui is a long thin prefecture on the coast, driving from the north to the south can take multiple hours even on the expressway. The Southern area of Fukui, while full of natural beauty and history, is less populated than the north. Therefore, there are fewer schools and fewer ALTs who live there. The Kar Rally is a photo scavenger hunt game that encourage ALTs from northern Fukui and other areas of Japan to come and explore the rural south of Fukui.

Here are the rules:

1. You must complete the Kar Rally in teams of 3-5 people. You must all travel in the car together.
2. You must wear costumes that fit into the theme of the overall Kar Rally.
3. You must complete the photo challenges on the official list of challenges.
4. You must go to the checkpoints and complete the challenges there.
5. The quicker you complete the Kar Rally the more points you can achieve.
6. You must finish at the campsite in Takahama.
7. Your team must have a mascot (stuffed animal)
8. Your mascot must be in every photo
9. You must use paper maps and written directions only. NO iPHONES.

It is quite a challenge but also a ton of fun. This year’s theme was time travel. I was on team Madonna. Our concept was that we were all Madonna from different eras or decades of her career. Yes, we even had a team member in the cone bra (party hats!). Way to be bold Ashley! I was “Vogue Madonna” and wore a black suit. Our team won best costume and came in fifth place out of eleven teams. It was a blast and I am definitely looking forward to doing this again next year! Thanks to Nigel and Rachel for organizing this epic event. It was a ton of work but a great time for everyone involved. Also, thanks to all the volunteers stationed throughout Fukui to help us complete the scavenger hunt.

Here is a video of the event to help you get an idea of the pictures that people creatively came up with. Be warned it isn’t all PC or appropriate for younger viewers but it is hysterical.

Here are some non Kar rally photos of the south of Fukui courtesy of my instagram. (@erineltawil)

Our campsite in Takahama

More of our campsite

Mihama. Gorgeous porch by a deserted lake.

5 lakes of Mikata and a lavender milkshake. It tasted amazing.

My bags are packed. Leaving for Osaka. I'm coming home.

2 months. neglect.

Sorry y'all. I am very aware that It has been two months since I last posted something and it was a bit of a serious topic... I have been neglectful. sorry.

In the last few months I experienced the long anticipated and hyped season of spring. I must say, It truly was a sight to behold. Literally everywhere you look there are cherry trees in this country. When they all bloomed it was like the whole earth was dusted pink. There were falling petals all over the ground, floating through the breeze, and some still on their trees. In Japan, sakura, or cherry blossoms, are treasured and much appreciated and admired. "Hanami" events are everywhere. Hanami literally means flower (hana) viewing (mi). At hanami events you sit under the sakura with friends and have a picnic to appreciate the season of spring while it lasts. Sakura season is very short. Only about 2 weeks if your lucky and there aren't any rain storms. Maybe thats why the Japanese treat it with such reverence and appreciation...

Usually in the Kansai/Hokuriku region, where I am, sakura are in bloom around mid april. Sadly, my parents were scheduled to come for about a week at the end of March beginning of April. They would be leaving the country right before the most beautiful time in Japan and they weren't going to experience sakura at the height of their beauty. They would probably see lots of buds and a few flowers in bloom at most.

As the weeks grew closer to my parents arrival and the weather grew warmer, almost too warm. Many of my teachers began to talk about how quickly the summer was arriving and how that would affect the blooming of the cherry trees. When one teacher told me that the sakura would be in bloom a few weeks early, I tried not to get my hopes up. But once it was officially all over the internet and I saw my first buds a week and a half before my parents were due to touch down... I knew we had gotten very very very lucky.

My parents landed in Osaka and when I went to pick them up there was laughter and tears. We jetted off to Kyoto by train. As we rode on the train and the sun was setting we were all glued to the windows watching the countless seas of pink trees with amazement. We were lucky. For a few days in Kyoto we marveled at the sight of the old temples and shrines during spring... Then we travelled down to Hiroshima via shinkansen where we reflected on the atomic bomb domb and memorial park. Miyajima was next, where we enjoyed the beautiful ocean and ran away from the aggressive and frightening looking deer. Finally, we arrived in Fukui where my parents got to enjoy the prefecture that has been my home for the last 9 months. Taking them to school and having them meet my teachers and students was the most special experience that I had with my parents in Japan. I am so happy to be living and working here in such a unique country but its truly the people who make it extraordinary.

Enjoy some of the photos.

Maruoka Castle, Fukui Japan

Miyajima Island Sakura, Hiroshima Japan

Fushimi Inari Tori, Kyoto Japan

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kyoto Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Japan

Miyajima Tori, Hiroshima Japan

Katsuyama Dinosaur Museum, Fukui Japan

Maruoka Castle, Fukui Japan

Okonomiyaki and Dad, Hiroshima Japan

Maruyama Park, Kyoto Japan

Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Japan

Airport Tears and Smiles at Arrival Gate, Osaka KIX airport Japan

Shinkansen (bullet train), Osaka to Hiroshima

Sakura from a hill on Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Japan

Echizen Coast on a stormy day, Fukui Japan

As I look back on my parents visit I realize how much has changed since I came here. The ability to speak the basics of a new language, eating strange and unusual foods, navigating a foreign culture's etiquette etc... It has all become so normal that I had forgotten what it was like to be new. Teaching my parents the train/bus system, the money, and other everyday things has made me realize how much I've learned and grown. As I look forward to my trip home in 3 weeks I wonder what else I will learn has changed about myself and about Texas.

Lets get Serious.

I feel like writing about something a bit more serious today.

I debated all morning wether publishing this post was a good idea. At first I felt a little nervous exposing myself and my thoughts in such a public place but then I remembered that vulnerability is a good thing. Vulnerability produces understanding between people and advances relationships into deeper more meaningful ones. On the other hand, vulnerability can be quite dangerous because the more you share of yourself the larger the opportunity that people have of hurting you. In the end, I realized that if I walk through life afraid of sharing myself because I might be hurt than all my relationships and interactions with people will become plastically fake and whats the point of preserving a perfectly plastic and fake life?
So here goes nothing.

Most people in my life know that I have been an avid journaler since I was seventeen years old. Writing down thoughts, prayers, quotes, and making little doodles helps me to understand myself and the world around me. If I go a week without journaling, I start to feel restless.

In my journal lately, I have noticed this reoccurring pattern of giant mood swings. I have a really really really GREAT morning and in the afternoon I am terribly sad. My mood changes quicker than normal even for me and the littlest things can be the catalyst. Things like weather or unexpected changes in my schedule. Any one who has lived abroad will recognize this as normal when adjusting to living in a foreign culture. I was warned before coming that this would happen.

These mood swings have had me reflecting on joy, sadness, and happiness. What do these words mean and how can I have less of the sadness and more of that joy stuff? My faith teaches me to be joyful in all things (1st Thessalonians 5:16) and I want to pursue the teachings of my faith. But, how am I to EVER possibly achieve being joyful always!??! It seems impossible. Upon reexamining my own understanding of what it means to have joy, I realized it was possible. So, lets forget what your own personal definition of joy is and open your mind to this way of thinking. Disclaimer, I am not a psychological or biblical expert and this is only what I have gathered in my (soon to be) 24 years of life...

Firstly, Joy and sadness are not opposites. They do not contradict each other  Rather, happiness is the direct opposite of sadness and joy is something entirely different. Joy doesn't replace pain and sadness. Instead, having joy brings purpose and understanding to our lives and our feelings. Joy is the freedom from the paralysis that sadness can create in our lives. Therefore, being sad and joyful at the same time is entirely possible. Furthermore, its possible to feel happiness and have no joy. If you are entirely happy but it has no context and the understanding, your life is lacking, it is empty. Without joy.

If we use these definitions I think being joyful always is achievable. I also think being sad and joyful has more value and worth than empty happiness.

I have some really fantastic days here where I literally can't believe how lucky I am to be living this life. However, for every 10 days like that there is always that one that is the extreme opposite. On those days, joy gets me through. Whenever people ask me, "how are you doing?" the short answer is, "fine." or "good." And while those answers are true, they aren't the whole story. I have happy joyful days and every once and awhile I have a different kind of day. But they are all filled with joy!  I chose to share this post because its the long answer. The complete answer. The one I cant always bring myself to share. This is how I am doing. This is how I feel.

Be joyful friends.

Love you.

March 11, 2011

Today is the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. It has been a pretty emotional day around school for everyone. At 2:46pm, the time the earthquake hit, we all stood and had a moment of silence or time of prayer for one minute. This moment was observed nationwide. In Japanese its called 黙祷 (mo-ku-to-u). It literally means silent prayer.

Today, was a half day for students since they had exams all morning. So, during the moment of silence the students were all practicing their club activities. I just happened to be near the window on the third floor overlooking the sports field. It was really amazing to watch everyone outside stop together and pray for one minute. I can only imagine what its like marking exams, studying, and working until late hours on the anniversary of such a tragedy. There is still much recovery to be done. Im not going to presume to tell you what to do or explain what this tragedy means in Japan. Because honestly I dont know much having not been here through the tragedy but if you have free time please read the link below.

Here is an article on the state of Japan today

Many blessings to you friends. Wherever you are.

Graduation.

 In Japan the school year ends in March and begins again in April and last week my school had its high school graduation for my san-nensei students.

In many ways Japanese ceremonies are much more formal but also much more everyday than western graduations. They are more formal because the students practice graduation for about a week before. Including how to stand, sit, and bow together. The entire school attends the graduation ceremony as well as parents family and friends. The ceremony is also a much more serious affair. There are no light hearted jokes, chuckles of laughter, or silly string. I was reminded of Catholic mass at points during the ceremony. However, it also felt much less formal than western graduations. For example, students wear their uniforms and It took place in the school gym.

I'd heard that in Japan graduation ceremonies are quite somber events so I, being someone known for crying at practically nothing, was not looking forward to crying in front of students and teachers. I gave myself a small pep talk before the ceremony started. During the ceremony the student giving the address on behalf of the graduating class did go through some extreme sobbing in the middle of her speech and many of the teachers around me joined her. Luckily, crying ended up not being a problem for me because I couldn't understand enough of what she was saying to feel emotional. I could only catch the topics of what she was talking about and completely missed what she was trying to communicate. The ceremony lasted all morning and after it was over the students were free to go home. The students however hung around and joyfully snapped pictures with their friends and favorite teachers. Many students came to their closest teachers and also gave out little gifts and presents.

It was a bitter sweet day because I, unlike most SHS ALT's, actually teach 2 very small san-nensei classes. I taught them 3 times a week! So I got to know these students better than any of the other students that I taught this year and I'm really going to miss them. especially my 3-2 girls.

Another thing I noticed was that students had definitely taken advantage of the freedom of not being in high school anymore. The dress code for schools here is super strict. Not only do students have to wear their uniform exactly right down to the color of their socks, but they cant wear colored contacts, dye their hair, wear makeup or jewelry, or paint their nails. Before the ceremony all the girls were in the bathroom basically spray painting their hair black before graduation ceremony started. They had all in their month of freedom in between classes and graduation gone out and dyed their hair crazy colors. The bathroom was a mess by friday afternoon.


I'm proud of my students who graduated and I hope nothing but the best for them next year! Right now we have tons of junior high school students running around taking entrance exams to come to Kanazu in April. I cant wait to meet my new ichi-nensei kids. I have some exciting ideas for next year!

Mark one off the list!

Making my own sushi! Cross another off the bucket list!

• 4. Learn to make sushi

It was a success! Thanks to my host family for showing me how to do it! I think the next post will be about Hina Matsuri or Graduation! Our 3rd year students graduate on Friday. Time really does fly!
Stay tuned.

Best Weekend Ever?

Here is how to have the best weekend ever.

First have a half day of work on Friday. In fact, if you can secure a half day on every friday, you should go ahead and do that.

Go home from work and spend friday evening curled up under your kotatsu. watch movies such as....

and

Eat a delicious dinner and fall asleep early (9 o'clock is a good time).

Alone time is a precious thing. Use your Friday evening to relax after the busy week.

On Saturday morning sleep until you naturally wake up. Then take a drive down the coast of Japan. Roll down your windows and blare rocking music.

Meet up with a great friend for a delicious lunch in a cafe with a gorgeous view of the ocean. Talk for a few hours and grow to know each other more.

Explore the rocky beach for an hour or two.

Next, go and observe the seasonal daffodils which Fukui is famous for in the winter time.

Take another gorgeous drive along the coast to meet up with friends for a delayed mardi gras party with LEGIT cajun food. Teach some Irish, Brits, South Africans, Nihonjin etc... Mardi Gras traditions like King Cake and Gumbo. Listening to people practicing how to pronounce "Gumbo" will be highly amusing for you.

Photo Courtesy Sophie Walker (check out her awesome blog here!)

Then, when someone asks you if you want to spend the following day on the best ski and snowboarding mountain in the area, re-arrange all your plans to spend the next day snowboarding.

Go to sleep late and set your alarm for an early morning. Arent you glad you are super rested from Friday nights alone time?

Wake up early drive home and prepare for work on Monday. There is no worse way to start the week than not being ready for work when you walk into the office on Monday morning.
Drive to ski-jam successfully in very bad weather.

Snowboard with great friends.

Another Sophie Walker photo!

End the day with Hachiban Ramen and Gyouza.

Delicious.

In bed by 9:30pm.

SUCCESS.

HERE IS A RECIPE FOR YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERFECT WEEKEND AT HOME!

1/2 a day of work on Friday

1 day Beach time

1/2 Day Mountain time

1/2 Day Alone time

1 night Party/Friends Time

Go to sleep early on Sunday Night.

Good luck and happy cooking!

全部白-ぜんぶしろ-zenbu shiro-all white

Monday was Independence Day in Japan and both students and teachers got to enjoy the rare day off from school responsibilities. Naturally the young teachers at my school decided to spend their precious Monday off hanging out together. Their destination was Ski-Jam. Ski-Jam is the largest ski/snowboarding resort on the west coast of Japan, and it happens to be in Fukui about an hour and half drive away from my apartment.

My teachers were kind enough to invite me to go with them and I LOVE hanging out with these teachers. However, I was super hesitant to go because I have NEVER in my life been skiing or snowboarding. I was terrified of the potential pain and embarrassment of looking like a foolish Texas novice in the snow. Especially since my supervisor, the coworker I'm closest with at my school, wasn't going. But, I knew that I wanted to learn to snowboard and having some nihonjin to help me navigate ski-jam for the first time was probably a good idea. Also, most of the teachers going weren't English teachers so it was a good chance to practice my Japanese.

Not wanting to feel completely alone and foreign I asked the teachers If I could bring a friend. They gracefully said it was OK so I brought my friend Sophie with us for company and support. (Thanks Sophie!)

As we were driving up the mountain I was getting more and more nervous. Literally everything was coated in white snow and I felt like a fish out of water in a million different ways. What had I gotten myself into? but I also felt excitement at trying something new that I had always wanted to do.

We got to ski-jam and my teachers helped Sophie and I rent the gear that we needed and put our stuff into lockers. Its always nice to have Japanese people around to help you fill out forms and get everything sorted. It takes twice as long when I struggle through with my caveman japanese!
On our way out to the mountain we ran into a couple groups of our students. The teachers weren't the only ones enjoying the day off in the snow! The whole soccer club and a group of ichi-nensei girls were there as well.

One of my teachers, Wakamatsu-sensei, is super motivated to speak to me in English and kindly volunteered to be my snowboarding coach for the day! She did such a great job teaching me in English and simple Japanese so that I could understand. I found snowboarding difficult, but not as difficult as I expected it to be. I am pretty familiar with wake boarding and found some similarities that worked in my favor and some key differences that made adjusting to snowboarding extremely difficult.

The way you turn and lean on your board is exactly the same and having your feet strapped into a board probably felt more natural to me than other beginners. The biggest difference is where you place your weight on the board. In wake boarding you are leaning back and letting the boat pull you by keeping your weight on your back foot. In snowboarding, however, you put more of your weight on your front foot. I was constantly having to force myself to lean forward or I would end up on my backside.

After a whole day snowboarding I feel comfortable saying that I can fall down the mountain at an effective speed and with more practice I think I will be able to manage snowboarding down the mountain soon. My whole body aches. I can honestly say that I was more sore the day after snowboarding than I was the day after I climbed Fuji. But it hasn't deterred me! I'm going to try and go again this weekend.

The group. I really love this picture!

This is a video I took on the ski lift. The people are all teachers from my school the teacher to my left is Wakamatsu sensei my snowboarding sensei! I love these teachers so much!