Peter's Japanese July

I'm still alive

Kyoto Station

NABEATSU!

That's the name of the Japanese tv personality I met. He's known for counting then screaming out in a Tourette's Syndrome like manner whenever he reaches certain numbers or multiples of numbers. You'd think doing slight variations of this gimmick would get old quick, but he's still around and people seem to continue to giggle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KslVPf_Hpg

I finally have a few consistent students and classrooms. We've been understaffed in our area since I arrived to Japan, but with new trainees and employees coming each month, I'm slowly being assigned my permanent classrooms. It's a great feeling being able to recognize and remember my students names, faces, and personalities. I strive to make them laugh or have more fun each lesson. I'm glad I naturally feel that way; it makes me feel mature to realize I'm here for more than just the Yen and Japanese adventure. Although, teaching in this environment where there seem to be no taboos (from time to time) is an adventure in its own. -_- I've had more than the occasional attempt on my life by students trying to jam fingers up my butt X_X while screaming "kancho!" or punch me in the "chin chin" and, sadly, a fresher Peter fell victim to a couple of these unexpected assaults. There is much less personal space when working with students in Japan, and much more flies. Half the things I see that pass in this country would be instant law suits in America, haha..."I swear that's how we shook hands in Japan, officer ;)"

The rough copy of me profile hanging at each of my schools for parents and students to see. This version is one of the rough drafts. The final copy has translations in Japanese.

So since I last spoke to you, I was overcome by the plague. A co-worker and myself simultaneously fell to an unknown month+ long ailment. Constant cough, congestion, chest problems, headaches, and chain smoker voice. I like to say I'm over it now but TINY aspects of it linger still, although it is clearing up every week, just at tortoise like speeds. We both went to doctors for it and pretty much had the same diagnosis and mystery medicines, powders, and scorpion stinger prescriptions.

Paul and Peter...trouble

Pedo-Paul came to visit me in Japan! We had a merry frolic, though short lived. Pretty much the day after he arrived, we ventured forth to a co-workers Sayonara (going away) party in Kyoto. It was in a beer garden atop Kyoto Tower. It was sahweet. At this beer garden, which was a rooftop event, we had all you can drink beer and all you could eat buffet for a set price (30-40 dollars maybe?). It was quite a bargain considering typical bar prices and the hours/amount consumed. The place was quite crowded.

Awesome fireworks festival with Sarah. They shot fireworks that made numbers when they exploded, count down from 10 and then kaboom big show

 We karaoke'd all night long to Gaga, Blink 182, Brit Brit, Avril Lavigne, and several other painful artists. The karaoke room was huge and easily fit 20 of us. I made a few new friends and Paul got a sweet punch in the face by Japanese night life. The rest of the week I had to work, but Paul adventured out to Hiroshima, Kyushu, Nara, only to get attacked by deer and snakes...good times.

I've been so busy with work and random events. I'm scheduled to climb mount Fuji in mid-August. Other than that, I hope to have a quiet month. I want to work out and stay grounded for a bit, maybe drink less and save more...we'll see if it lasts.

Couple random things:

I saw a bird slap a 4 year old in the face...was awesome

I don't think friendship here is the same as in America...random people, although mainly girls, have met me and say "let's be friends" or want to exchange phone information after what seems like a one or two minute convo with them. I don't trust em...doesn't sit right I tell ya, doesn't sit right at all...

If life were a video game, moving to Japan gives all Americans + stat points to looks or attractiveness. I assure everyone here that I'm average, in terms of apperance, AT BEST back home. My apparently super attractive high school friends back home can vouch for it as girls flocked to them on every outing with me and simply gave me the hello or nod XD. I've had a Japanese teacher at one of my schools tell me that mothers have commented on how attractive I am. The other day I had to cover for another teacher and the Japanese teacher told me that the students were saying how much more handsome I am than the other teachers they've had :> yay point for Peter! ...shut up

Routine: Teaching, Martial Arts, and Japanese Celebrities

Greetings Citizens...Okay it's been a few minutes so I'll give one long post on random stupidity:

I love the neon seas I occasionally drift into on pieces of floating trains 

Let's start with some mundane and boring news :D

SLOW DOWN life! You're moving wayyyy too fast. All I want to do is buy a playstation portable game or sit down at a local theater for something classy and cultural like Harry Potter...is he joking?

Well, I would love to see a movie and I certainly wish I had time for a video game! I used to always say, in America, "man, Petah, I bet you would be one productive muppet baby if you gave up even one of your many addictions or slothful habits" (pro gamer, cinema addict, expert nap taker, cigarette lighter repairman, the list goes on...) Now that I've completely given up on ALL of those things, in Japan, life moves at the speed of light.

shopping arcade

I'm in a perpetual state of need. My apartment still requires many little gizmos and gadgets, appliances and tools, decor and what not...as do I, in terms of accessories. I could really use a new watch and a new wallet. You would think, that being American and all, the American dollar would be obese and fat, by comparison to other forms of currency. That is certainly not the case. My Japanese dolla dolla billz, or yen, are always protruding out into the open air from my thin leather wallet, like the bellies of slightly overweight girls or boys while wearing high rise t shirts or...whatever you want to call them...*shivers. Japanese wallets are a few centimeters thicker. So I need to adapt...I-Ching, Nietzsche, Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Collateral. Shopping here can be done in shopping arcades. They are a bit daunting and overwhelming, at times. Masses of locust like Nihon-jin flood them in search of every day desires. I feel like I'm crowd surfing. Once I step into one, I simply have to let the flow of the current of 5 foot 4 bodies carry my through in a lazy river like manner. Heaven forbid I want to actually stop to look at something or else cities might explode. 

suburban block

Hikone, located on Japan's largest lake (Biwa Ko) ...Osaka is about 1.5 hour distance, Kyoto is 40 minutes to an hour (depending on what train I take) and Nagoya is a mere 30 minute bullet train ride away.

It's times like those that make me appreciate the slower pace of things in my semi-rural, semi-tourist, lake town, conveniently located thirty minutes to an hour and a half train ride from 3 of Japan's 4 biggest cities. 

Work has been nuts. It's a roller coaster ride with ups and downs but the downs will continue to decrease in the following month or two, if I can only survive next week >_< It's always darkest before the dawn. I have a thing called the CM which involves demonstrations, work related, and all the staff in our area (Maybe 14 or so Native English speakers and about 50-60+ Japanese employees, 90% female...I guess teaching isn't the cool or macho thing to do for Japanese dudes). Then I have a sweet three day business trip for what might be my last time to Obama...Hiroko Sensei here I come for more merriment. Also, various challenging Kaiko, or super duper young 2-3 year old classes.

Meaningless to you I'm sure XD...couldn't get it to keep posting sideways ><

Step into my office

Okay, so last night I went out...shocker, I know, but first I got together with my performance supervisor and company and dabbled in martial arts :) It has been a long time so it was refreshing, although very little real training was actually done. We played around in a small room so I was intimidated to try to many acrobatics, but my butterfly twist, butterfly, 540 and aerial came off beautifully considering I have not attempted them in almost half a year. I think walking, jogging, sprinting and riding my bike practically everywhere on a daily basis, and with a backpack 80% of the time, has increased my leg strength to super hero levels. No wonder Asians are so good! After some messing around and interesting knife defense/locks/grabs/holds/breaks/ and other tutorials, a sweatier Peter made his way home.

My Japanese teacher has so much prepared for me at my Yasu school ... shout out to Naomi sensei, you rox my sox

Even empty subway trains are not as comfy as the cozy JR seats

Kiyotaka gave me a ring ring while on the train...apparently it's considered kinda rude to talk on the phone on any sort of subway or train here so everyone simply texts or emails, but on empty trains I sneak a convo or two in. He picked me up at my station and we rode off into the sunset on translucent steeds. We went to Yabs sports bar and gut wrenching...something...long name. It's a bar where all the Americans and other University of Michigan study abroad students come to unwind. It was interesting, considering I don't see ANY foreigners in my town ever, yet on this night, like cockroaches scurrying away from the light of education, here they were. Perhaps, seeing a non university student foreigner, or the fact that I rolled in with a local and bar owner friend was intimidating or daunting, iono. People were hesitant to come up to us, but I was fine shooting the breeze with Kiyotaka, Yabs, and a couple other tomodachis. 

As the night went on, and more empty glassed piled on the counter, the bar became absolutely packed. A bartender from yet another bar, Skyjoker, walked on in. Her name is easy for me to remember because I need only think of pokemon. Her name is said phonetically like "I'll catch you". Not too much worth saying but: there were various drinks, more wanderers' stories, more strangers met for temporary convenience, good food, good times. We made our way back to familiar waters sometime in the weeeeeeeeeee hours of the night...I'll never let that Japanese man drive again in that state - _ - ...at least with me in the car. I take my seat at my usual place in the bar and a normal looking man strolls in casually and saddles up beside me. Everyone in the bar gasps and the girls sitting around various tables whisper loudly and stare. Kiyotaka tells me the guy sitting next to me is like "the Jim Carrey" of Japan. I wouldn't have guessed by his half-asleep demeanor and coke framed glasses. I offer to switch seats with my friend. I'm asked by Joe, the owner, and countless people to take about 300 pictures of them with this character. I am now a professional iphone photographer. I knew I'd forget his name so I asked like 10 times so I'd remember...it didn't work -_- but I'll ask again next time I head out with those goofballs and post a picture.

After he bounced, I switched into autopilot with the guys and gals I was introduced to. My Japanese is improving at frightening speeds, but then again I have been here at least 2 months, immersed and forced to study and experience the language on a daily basis. Last night was the first time I caught myself simply asking questions about the people I met that I wanted to know, as opposed to asking the usual few and only questions I knew how to say in Japanese, even if I didn't care. It was like enlightenment...zen...feng shui...good thing I rotated my apartment plant 30 degrees last night...I knew it would make all the difference... ;)