Off to see the..

Well, my bags are packed and I'm off to China tomorrow! I'll be heading to Beijing for about a week then taking an overnight train to Shanghai. They'll be lots to see, many places to enjoy and tons of food to eat. じゃ、行ってきます〜

Climbing 可也山

I finally did! I climbed a mountain! Well, actually, it was more like a big "hill" but the Japanese name for it is "Kaya Mountain" so, I'm sticking by it. After spending Saturday night studying Japanese (I know, I'm such a loser.. haha), I welcomed the opportunity to get some exercise. The day was awesome and although we got a little bit lost, after we found the trail (after bumping into some of my students -- as usual), it was a great hike. I got some amazing shots that I'll post later (hopefully before I leave for China). I know it's a cheesy posed-shot but like I said, "I CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN." :)


Beautiful 糸島.


My little 田舎.


I have one rant: This would've been a pretty good photograph except there was a giant TV dish and satellite receiver right in the middle of the shot! This tends to happen a lot in Japan for some reason. Sometimes in the middle of a beautiful waterfall, you'll see a giant piece of computer equipment. In the middle of a serene forest, you'll find a huge electric generator. Strung all across Japan and in every single direction are black, ugly telephone wires. 仕方がない。

... and counting.

I've been fighting a couple of nights of insomnia lately. Ever since I've gotten to Japan I haven't had any trouble whatsoever going to bed -- till now. I think it has something to do with self-induced stress or something. I've had a ton of more work to do and now that my JHS actually "trusts" that I know what I'm doing (or at least I hope!), I've also started taking the lead in the classroom. It's rewarding but very tiring at the same time. I still can't decide if I like it though; I'll have to think about it.

A lot of rumors have been swirling around the office; people to meet, things to plan, having fun (yes, in some cases that's work!).. and in about 3 months many of the JETs and non-JET friends that I've met in my first year here will be heading home. I mailed one of my friends this morning and commented on how windy it was.. Must be the winds of change..

The the two rocks pictured above is called husband-and-wife rock. And, on a totally unrelated note, only 7 more days till I go to China.. I need a break.

動物園 x2

The fun times never stop in Japan and this weekend was certainly no different!

Friday marked the annual get-to-know-each-other new-school-year trip. Having the choice between going either to the zoo (with the first-graders) or a park (with the second-graders), I decided the zoo would probably be a more enjoyable excursion. Boy, was I in for a surprise.


Now, the trip itself was great and I did have a lot of fun. As the students assembled into their little "project groups" and went off by themselves, the teachers (myself included) were supposed to find a spot to eat and then just talk, i,e., the teachers weren't supposed to really explore the zoo! Can you believe that?! Well, I easily played the "I wanna get out of here" card, and quickly ate my bento and went off to do my own thing.


Word of warning, this place is depressing. Now, I'm not a big fan of zoos in the first place but I have never seen so many animals look so depressed and bored. Many of the cages were SO TINY (compared to the ones back in Canada anyways) and they were almost always made of pure cement. It reminded me very much of Tokyo's own concrete-jungle. No greenery, no companionship, no toys, NOTHING. It was so sad.


That's how I look in the office usually -- except with a little bit less hair.

On Saturday was the big Maebaru JET Event of the year (to be honest, there's only really one -- ours. lol). We held a party that spanned 3 apartments (although the bulk of the mess was definitely at my friend's Phil) and was truly a good mix of both foreigners and Japanese people. At one point of the party it got so crowded that there was standing room only! Luckily that didn't last long and everybody seemed to really be enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, I kept forgetting to bring my camera and didn't take as many pictures as I had hoped. Check out my friend James' blog for some photos of the party. Skip and James, おつかれさまでした！


On Sunday, the majority of those that slept-over headed to the beautiful Keya Beach and Sunset Road in Itoshima. For many it was their first time in this area of Fukuoka and we wanted to make sure they got to see the best part. Thankfully the weather was awesome (though a little cold and windy) and it turned out to be a great day to take photos. I can feel Summer is just around the corner and I can't wait to go back again.

Spring's Fall

The end of Sakura has arrived. Now I understand -- at least a little -- why Japanese people every year are so excited about the Sakura season. Not only does it signify the end of the bitter winter months, but it also represents the arrival of spring (albeit a short one) and, with their demise, the start of the hot and humid summer season. My friend Kaori organized a great end-of-season hanami party during the weekend. While the weather wasn't perfect, the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy the sakura blossoms well past dusk.

Through most people would argue that the beauty of the Sakura blossom is during the height of the full-bloom period, another way to enjoy them is during the end-of-the-season. The mildest wind is often enough to loosen the sakura petals from their bud, and caught up in the wind, the petals seem to dance and fill the space between the earth and sky. It really looked and felt like a scene from a [sappy] movie.

物心ついで以来。。

Time じゃない！

It's been awhile since I posted but there just doesn't seem to be enough days in the week here! Life here just never stops. Anyways, some of you have been asking what camera I've been using to take some of my photographs. I'm currently using the Sony DSC-T7 Cybershot. I like the slim-factor and kool-factor of the T7 but the quality isn't that great and the settings aren't that useful (not to mention it's completely in Japanese!). But like my friend said, it doesn't really matter what kind of camera you have, it's how you use it that's important. Thank you James for the photographs!

Sakura / 桜

The sakura blossoms have finally bloomed! Aside from anime, Hello Kitty and Sony, Sakura blossoms are probably one of the most famous exports from Japan. All the weather agencies in Japan were in heated competition to predict when the flowers would blossom and most, I think, got it right. By themselves they look rather ordinary but when one sees an entire park full of them, it is an awesome sight. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't co-operating today and it was another overcast day. The poor weather isn't supposed to let up till Monday so, hopefully I'll be able to grab some better shots then.


I also went to my first (well, actually 2 on the same day) hanami party today. There was lots of food, friends and alcohol! I had a great time and am looking forward to the many more hanami parties to come.


Hanami parties remind me very much of a picnic except people are a lot closer together than the ones back home. Because space is a premium in Japan, everything and everybody just seems to be a lot closer together (subway rides, office space, restaurants, etc). This makes for quite a lively and interacting experience. During one of my hanami parties, I was literally pulled away to another hanami party (by somebody I had just met) and just started talking with the people there. As most of my office mates will tell you, I have terrible spoken-Japanese and I could barely communicate adequately. But, after being here for 8 months, I realize you don't necessarily have to speak the same language to have a good time (although alcohol helps). 楽しかったでした！