Crazy weather and straw floors

I am writing this from the floor in my apartment... one of the three rooms where i can rest and be at peace. I am on the floor, of straw... very well-put-together straw, in the form of mats... they are called Tatami mats. I have tatami mats as the floors of my apartment and they are amazing, they allows me to sleep on the floor comfortably (but the cockroach that just crawled by might be in the back of my head all night... I just hope it's more figuratively than literally!)

My language reflects a guy who is very tired. He left the 100-yen store (dollar store) today with a bag of goodies for his new apartment and heard a thunder crack and a little sprinkle. Turning onto his street, the sky opened up and a monsoon hit him.... in his work clothes and all! (Looks like a new tie for tomorrow!) This is a guy who rode around Kurume City today... in the blazing heat and humidity, in the aforementioned shirt and tie and dockers, to the junior high schools at which he will be teaching... the same guy who then met the principals and fellow teachers of those schools... with sweat dripping down his everything!

(Wendy and I just wanted to run errands on the way home from work and the rain came!)

Gosh, where to start? Well, I already did... so where to continue (I am already so out of chronological order... ahh- this is difficult for a history major!)

I had a first impression at the Board of Education of Kitachiguko... this means north (kita) of the chiguko (river port, maybe) area. I am an civil servant, a public employee for the BoE of Fukuoka prefecture (county), and this particular municipality has "contracted" me out to two junior high schools at which I will be teaching during the year... I spend a week or two at one and then go to the other. Occasionally, they throw me out to a random prefectural (county) elementary school to teach. Anyways, my first impression, which are HUGE in Japan, went as follows: My two co-workers said hello as they were presented to the office. One speaks much Japanese and the other said the customary formalities... not me... I said my name, "nice to meet you" ... and then i froze and stated (in Japanese) "I don't understand Japanese..." I heard someone hit the "awkward button" when I didn't get the same applause that the two others did. I said "thank you," and didn't use the formal tense either. Needless to say, I felt like a schmenderick after messing up one of the most important parts of my job. Great way to start! But I think it's OK; When I introduce sake bombing to the office staff, maybe things will change.

(One shot of the parade and the on-lookers)

wow, that was a long recollection. here is another:

I have friends in Japan, South Korea, the United States, Fiji, New Zealand, China, France, Chile, Argentina, and I am sure to be missing others... the thought came across my mind. Wow, we travel a lot! Some people have never left, but others are speaking different language and driving on left sides of the street in opposite seasons... are you confused? I am too, I am going to end this thought-flow with, "This world is huge and I am happy to know that so many people are spreading peace around it!"

(It wasn't even completely dark when the festivities started)

Another sharing experience. There was a typhoon that hit Japan last week- the day after I arrived in Kurume. I am alright, there was no damage to my area and the typhoon passed over a bit to the east. Did you even know that there was a storm here? Do you even know what a typhoon is? It is the same as a hurricane, but in the Indian ocean/ western pacific region. I have a picture of five of us leaving a restaurant right before the worst of the storm hit us... it is blurry... but you can tell how windy it is, no?

(Me, Allison, Wendy, Kendra, Johnathan bracing against the wind)

On Saturday night I celebrated with the city of Kurume in its annual "Water Festival" I have some pictures of that... it reminded me of "El Gran Poder" in La Paz, Bolivia a couple months ago, but this was clean, organized and in Japanese instead of Spanish... and with Japanese folks in the place of Bolivians... it isn't fair to even contrast or compare these two festivals... but lots of dancing was going on and I ate as much as I could from local stands. Teriyaki (yes, chicken on a stick), fried chicken, missed the squid- maybe next time, shaved ice... you name it, it might have been there.

(another look at the Water Festival)

Japanese food is wonderful. Considering I would eat fried food every second of the day if it were available, (I am in heaven... it is pretty accessible most of the time!). Gyoza (dumplings), ramen (noodles), rice, miso soup, sushi, fried goodies, ohh man, my poor stomach has a lot of work to do... just gotta make sure my arteries can handle the pressure too.

My apartment is wonderful, more to come with that in the next post... with some pix too!

Congrats to my friends Marc and Hedi Wolpoff who were married last weekend. Congrats to Jared and Nicole Hersh who were married a couple weeks back. Congrats to my cousin Sarabeth who just had her second beautiful son. Congrats to Malinda who just got engaged. (Hmm, now, who did I forget?) Congrats to you for making it this far!

On Sunday night I went to the biggest fireworks (hanabi) show in western Japan. Period. The 4th of July in the States is great, but this was an hour and a half of madness... down by the river. Always a superlative, biggest this or best that, but this was impressive.

(ooooh, pretty)

What else? Wow, I have been firing away hundreds of pictures and emails recently and getting my apartment together... i think by this weekend, i will only have a couple of small pieces to place and my puzzle for Japan will be ready to present. And I can focus completely on the language I am trying to learn.

I had the following thought today, as I was getting sunburned, bothered by mosquitoes, riding my bike back to the office in humid, sticky heat: "I am earning money to be here and to teach. I will know very soon if I will be staying here for a while." Coming from the guy with the itch to travel, this is weird...

My office is great, coworkers are cool, schools at which I'll be teaching are friendly, my apartment is a sanctuary of peace... I just have to see about the kids. I met a couple today and they seem awesome. Granted I don't speak Japanese, but after a year, two years, three... five... I might be able to communicate more than my current pantomime.

(From Sunday again!)

Wow, I have to take a shower (yes, its true, i said it, quote me on it!)

If you haven't had a chance to read this to Grandma Lily yet, then I know she'd be happy to hear from you about this, or even the previous one!

More to come...

(Very) Soon,