Hokkaido

Well, here we are, over a week later and I'm finally getting around to writing about it.  Lazy much?  Yeah, I know.  Also, if you want, email/facebook me and I can send you the link to the school's website where they have more pics and stuff.  Important cause I was mostly too busy/didn't think about taking pics until the last day.  Anyway.

Day 1: left the house around 6:30.  At the airport, teachers had to direct students, cause they apparently couldn't find their own was to our meeting place across the road.  Flight left around nine and surprisingly only took and hour.  Surprising cause that's how long a flight is to Tokyo, and Hokkaido's a lot further away.

Then, we went to the Northern Horse Park (http://www.northern-horsepark.co.jp/language/eng/) to have lunch.  I do not know what it was called, but we got to grill our own food and it was tasty.  Saw horses and cows, which made my country heart very happy (on a slightly related note, I had one of my classes watch and write about cowboys in Argentina.  Some of the students referred to the cows as sheep.  Don't know if they have a really bad dictionary or they really don't know the difference between cows and horses.  Either way, I'm a little scared.)

Then we drove several hours through Sapporo (which is pretty and has actual FLAT areas.  I miss KS) and a bunch of mountains in order to get to Furano (http://www.furano-kankou.com/english/home.htm) and our first hotel (http://www.furano-kankou.com/english/hyperlinks/Accom/Accom-H-NFPH.html).  Both of our hotels were fancy resort-type places out in the middle of nowhere.  I'm half convinced that this was to keep the students from sneaking out at night.

They have amazing food in Hokkaido.  We had giant buffets every breakfast and supper.  Sooooo many fresh fruits and veggies!  Also real milk and yogurt.  I'm totally jealous of my friend who lives there and gets to eat this kind of food everyday.

The first night we had a lecture about the indigenous people of Hokkiado that included dancing and music.  In the evening, the teachers took turns doing stakeouts in the lounges and other public areas to make sure the students weren't getting into any trouble.  Then we had to make sure they were all in their rooms for the night and have a teacher's meeting for an hour before finally going to bed after midnight and getting up by 6 am.

Day 2: the theme for the day was "Hokkaido learning experience" (more or less) everyone did various activities such as making bread, rafting, nature walks, and horseback riding.  I was with the group that made jam and icecream in the morning, which was pretty fun, even if I did spend a large portion of the time reminding myself not to judge the students for never having made jam or ice cream before.  Before lunch we visited a flower farm (flowers/lavender being another thing that Furano is famous for) (http://www.furano-kankou.com/english/hyperlinks/FF-Tomita.htm).  Then in the afternoon my group went fishing.  It was a bit chilly and we only got baby fish that were maybe as long as my hand.  But I caught two :)

Back at the hotel we had the same room checking, stakeout, meeting routine, but I did find time to visit the onsen!  It was kind of fun and super relaxing.

Day 3: Spent way too much time on the bus.  We went to Asahiyama Zoo (http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/asahiyamazoo/zoo/English/top.html)  which was quite chilly and the tiny enclosures for most of the animals made me really sad.  But we got to see some seals, which was first for me.  They were super cute!

After more time on the bus we went to a historical village for 45 min (http://www.kaitaku.or.jp/info/Historical%20Village%20of%20Hokkaido.pdf).  I was sad cause I love historical villages and I didn't think that was nearly enough time to see the entire thing.  We should have just skipped the zoo and spent a couple hours here :)  The students, like most HS students, really weren't that impressed, so I guess it would have not been a good idea to stay longer.

Then we drove for another 4-5 hours to our next hotel. (Btw, we had a tour guide with us on the bus who spent a lot of time talking and I felt really bad cause I had no idea what she was saying so I was reading and listening to music.  I consoled myself by knowing that most of the kids were probably sleeping).   This hotel was even more out of the way than the first one.  It was another fancy place (more fancy, actually), but we spent so little time there that it we didn't really get to enjoy it very much.  If you're going to pay lots of money to stay at a nice hotel you should at least get to enjoy it a bit.  (http://www.japanican.com/hotels/shisetsudetail.aspx?st=1586002)

Day 3: spent the morning shopping for souvenirs in some random town.  (http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/hokkaido/otaru.html)  k, it wasn't actually as bad as I make it sound.  But I think one should acquire meaningful souvenirs as they go along, instead of running around buying chocolate and candy just for the purpose of buying chocolate and candy.  Also, we could have stayed in a hotel in town, thus eliminating an hour of driving the night before and an hour of driving in the morning, meaning we would have had more time to explore the town and shop for souvenirs.  (But we didn't want to tempt the kids into sneaking out and getting in trouble. *sarcastic*)

So here's a few pics from shopping:

Ocean!!!

First law mower I've seen in the past 3 mo:

Then we stopped at the ski jump from when Sapporo hosted the winter Olympics in the 70's.  Apparently some of the girls had a fear of heights, went up to the top anyway and them broke down in tears.  If you're that scared, why'd you do it anyway?

Here we have a lovely view of Sapporo from the top:

Going down!

Then we had a driving tour of downtown Sapporo, which I'm sure was terribly interesting, but, again, in Japanese and I was pretty sick of being on a bus by that time, so I was kind of like, can we just go already????

In the airport, ready to go home:

Fun stuff about flying in Japan: you don't need to take your shoes off at security!  You also don't need to be there 2 hrs before hand, like they tell you to do in the States.  And, if you fly in country, you apparently don't need an ID (although this was maybe just b/c we were traveling as a group.  It was awesome anyway).

And that was my fun time in Hokkaido.  I seriously want to go back sometime (by myself).  It's gorgeous and they have real, fresh food, and there aren't as many people.

Hiking

Before I begin, I'd just like to mention that baguettes do not keep well.  The one I'm currently trying to eat is hard, like unto a rock.

But anyway, I went hiking on Mt. Rokko on Monday.  I thought it would be nice and easy, just following some beginner type trails behind Shin-Kobe station.  Well, it was.  The paths were all paved and apparently they were even roads that people drive their cars on.  Here's some pictures:

This is a really pretty waterfall, whose name I forget.  Apparently it's a well know spot to go visit.

So, I didn't bring enough water with me on this little excursion.  I had planned to stop at the convenience store and get a giant bottle of water, but I forgot.  Typical.  However, being a person living in Japan, I said to myself "I bet I'll fine a vending machine and I can get water there."  And, since this is Japan, I did indeed find a vending machine to get water from.

 

This is the reservoir where my drinking water comes from.

 Now the problem with just following the paths and not having a clear idea where your going or even an idea of where you want to go, is that sometimes you may end up a bit lost.  And by a bit lost I mean: off the easy walking trails onto an actual hiking trail that apparently stretches from mountain top to mountain top.  Lots of very steep ups and downs.  Mostly up.  It didn't help that all my fellow hikers that I met insisted that  I really needed to go to Mt. Maya.  I thought that sounded fine.  Until I came to a way post that said it was another 3km.  Up hill all the way.  At that point, I turned around and went back, taking another trail that lead me to the Rokko Herb Gardens.  (On a separate note: Does "habu" sound anything like "herb" to you?  Cause it doesn't to me, and I didn't know what I would find at the end of the trail marked "habu" until I got there)

The gardens were really lovely.  Very relaxing.  I had lunch there-herb burger and sparkling grape juice.  Very tasty, and it included this view:

 Now, to get down from the herb garden, you can either walk or take the ropeway.  The ropeway=you, in this little tiny pod, sliding down the mountain on a rope.  Neither of these are very good choices for someone who has been climbing mountains for the last three hours and is terrified of heights.  Eventually my aching feet and knees win and I decide to take the chance of the rope breaking and me falling to my doom.  \

Here's me

As I prepare to go over this ledge

 It was slightly less terrifying than being on a roller-coaster and there were some nice views of the city.

Thus ended my day in the mountains.  During the parts where I wasn't being lost or exhausted, I seriously loved it.   I mean, the waterfall and reservoir were gorgeous and next time I think it'd be fun to take a lunch and have a picnic and then in the mountains you get views like this:

Maybe I should move to the mountains and become a hermit monk.

Next, I'm going on the school trip to Hokkaido (which is not the same as Okinawa, no matter what my mother thinks), where it will be chilly and very interesting.  I'll probably have a post about it next weekend.

Dear Dad, if you come visit me, I will feed you Marie Sharp's

Here it is!

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is a holiday, so lots of different things are going on in the city.  For example, an arts and crafts fair!  The guy in this next picture was making animals out of a kind of taffy-like substance.  I think in this picture he's making a Picachu.  I got a plant and some cards.  Also some pamphlets so I can order stuff online if I want.

Also there's an India festival going on down at Merikan Park that is apparently the biggest one in Japan.  I went both yesterday and today.  Had tasty curry, naan, lassi, and KEBABS!!!!  If I've ever told you about Ireland, you've probably heard about how much I love kebabs.  If this is new info, you should know that I really love kebabs.  I might go back tomorrow for another. 

Also bought some curry mixes.  Considered buying all kinds of spices, but decided I'm probably not going to do that much cooking, and I'll just get them as I need them, instead of buying them and potentially never using them.  Then I got some incense.  Why?  Cause it smells good.  When I got home I realized I have no way of lighting it...  Finally, got two giant containers of Chai mix!  I feel totally prepared for winter now!

Henna tattoo.  Strategically placed so it can be covered with long sleeves when I go in to work on Tues.  Notice how some of the dye has come off already?  Yeah, I'm pretty positive that it's going to be absolutely horrible getting it out of my white shirt. 

Henna after I removed the dye.  I had it on for an hour.  I guess longer would have been better.

My hair is not a greasy mess!  I got a lovely 20 min head massage and they rubbed oil into my hair.  If felt amazing.  I almost fell asleep.

In church I actually stayed for Sunday School (*gasp!*), and then went to a classical music concert they had.  They didn't run a shuttle to the station after the concert, so we had to walk.  It turns out one of the ladies goes to the same gym that I'm supposed to be going to.  Maybe knowing someone there will motivate me...  Also, this week is midterms, which means half days, which means more time to talk myself into going to the gym.

I feel like there was something else I wanted to talk about...  Not really.  Tomorrow I have big plans to hike Mt. Rokko.  At 5 am.  It'll be fun!

Student loans...

...have a way of getting on my nerves a lot.

The other day  I got an email reminding me of next month's payment.  As I read through it, I realized that this month's payment wasn't yet paid.  In fact, it was overdue!  Now, I had thought I already paid.  As best I can figure, I neglected to push the final submit button.  Not like I forgot, just thought it was taken care of.  So my question for the loan company, "Is there a problem with sending a reminder email about 5 days before a payment?  Or at least a separate email as soon as a payment comes up late?  Also, why do you send payment emails a month before they're due anyway?"

Incidentally, these are the same people that thought I lived in Boston about 3 years ago.  I have never lived in Boston.  I'm probably not living in Boston anytime in the near future.  I certainly did not tell them that I was living in Boston.  Never the less, they some how decide to start sending information to friends-of-friends in Boston.  AND THEN, they send me this tremendously passive-aggressive note saying, "Well, we finally got your address figured out, and next time you should tell us when you move."  At though it was MY fault they were sending my stuff to the wrong state!  Yeah, I'm still a little cheesed about that.

An Amazing Day!

So, all kinds of cool things happened today.

For starters, I switched train lines.  The new one is cheaper and was supposed to be faster (but it isn't really), also, if you can get a seat, it's more comfy.  So that was a fun adventure.

Then, on the way home, at the station, I ran into some tourists who wanted to know how to get to Kobe, of all places, and I was really excited that I could help them out.

Also, there is this really cool grocery store at the station that has all kinds of amazing food, like pasta and thai food and taco kits.

Also, I had another registered package to pick up at the post office, and guess what?  They actually gave it to me!   It made me really happy.

Also!  I made pasta!  See?

It's soooooo tasty!  At the cool new grocery store they had spaghetti sauce w/ chili peppers and these yummy bread chips (like, toasted, lightly flavored bread).  I was really happy. 

Also, it's a beautiful day!  The temp is finally starting to really cool off, I don't think it was over 70 at all today, and it just feels like a lovely fall day.

Good times.

Sleep: one of my favorite things

And I now have a new futon to facilitate a good night's sleep.  The church was kind enough to loan me one of their futons until I could buy me own, but it was a bit old and worn out.  My new one is super amazing, though.  I think my friend who helped me buy it thought I was a bit crazy for not getting something a bit cheaper, but if i'm to sleep on it for any length of time, i want something nice.  So, extra thick, 100% cotton sheets and under futon and a down upper futon.

It was all quite large, so I had it delivered after work one day, and I was terrified that they would get to the apartment before I got home and then would refuse to come back to deliver it.  As it turned out, they had gotten there before I got home, but I called them and they came back. 

Now, I don't know if they were planning to come back anyway, but I was really proud of myself for calling them and communicating in Japanese on the phone (talking on the phone is harder then talking in person in any L2), and being understood.  Go me!

Here's everything as it arrived:

Here we have the under futon.  Note how nice and thick it is.

 This is the over futon/comforter (I don't really know what to call it).  It's actually 2 smaller comforters which can be fastened together in winter or taken apart when it's warmer and you don't need such a big blanket.  which is quite handy.

And here it is all together.  Not that it's usually laid out like this during the day.  Normally it's folded up and put out of the way.

Also, I love sleeping on it!  I can't feel the floor at all!  Makes me very happy.

42

...in addition to being the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, is the approximate number of days it takes for me get completely sick of not being able to cook and living off of convenience store bentos.  Since yesterday was this 42nd day, I decided I really wanted to be able to do stuff like make eggs for Saturday brunch and mix up the occasional stir-fry, so  I went and bought a hot plate.  It looks like this:

  Also got new pans, since the other ones I have are crap.  And they don't work with IH cookers anyway.  But it's super awesome!  It's even got a timer, which is lovely b/c, not even 24 hrs after purchasing it, I have already forgot about some water I was boiling and left it setting for 30 min.  Luckily, I had set the timer and it turned off all by itself!  I was soooooo excited!


So this morning I made myself some eggs and I ate them with tomatoes and bread and it was some wonderful, wonderful food!  


Speaking of good food, for lunch I got a bacon and tomato sandwich at a little shop at the station.  It was pretty standard, EXCEPT!  for the little bit of salsa included!  This was exciting, b/c, with the exception of wasabi (whose only purpose is to crawl into your nose and sit there for the rest of the day), there isn't much by way of hot sauces in Japan.  Now, I would not want to add Tabasco to, say, sushi or anything like that, but I've been missing the lovely burning feeling that a bit of jalapeno brings to my life.


So, I'm definitely going back to this place!