Progress in baby words and random day-trips

No pictures in this post, but lots of words!

Today was a great day; yesterday rather, but today for you. I thumbed out a couple of phrases from my multitude of Japanese language resources and wrote them down and studied them: and lo and behold I communicated effectively with the ladies dry cleaners and folks at the Japanese Home Depot (yes, GooDay); I bought medical aloe for the sunburn I earned over the weekend and navigated the grocery store like I own it. After a frustrating three weeks of public silence and pantomiming my life, I am starting to speak and even make jokes! (Mostly the jokes are about my Japanese, but it gives me a good laugh too!)

I really like it here… let me say that differently: I am very comfortable in Japan. My day-to-day is nice though it involves a lot of office time. The teaching starts next week and it will be another step along the path of learning Japanese and living here. And the language is a great new learning experience every single day. I like reading signs and using my limited phrases because they just open the door to a world of more language madness. Even if I were fluent in Japanese, I will never look the part… so the pressure is off and the fun is on! As soon as the teaching bit gets thrown into the mix, my life will be more intricate, complicated and exciting… I look forward to the future frustration, crazy confusion, potential for personal enhancement and the random jaunts that will certainly appear!

I bought two plants. It’s not the same as having a dog (believe me Mr. Tyler, I want a pup!) run to the door to greet me when I come from work. But Charlie only lifted his head to acknowledge me, so the silence is not unfamiliar. My basil baby has really grown; and its leaves really added to the pesto last night. (Yes, I cook Italian food regardless of my location- in Chile, Japan, California). I will learn to cook more intricate Japanese foods soon, but I want to stay on point with my Italian kitchen skills too. I also have a succulent that “really ties the room together,” sort of like a good rug. It brings a still life feeling to my meditation room. Yes, I am dedicating an entire room to silence and learning. Why? Because those things are important… and should be in everyone’s lives… and because, frankly, I have an extra room. Government housing- cheap, dumpy, falling-apart, but spacious!

Last weekend, I went back to the Kora Shrine to buy a protection trinket to send to my dad for his 15th anniversary [no, Dad, I didn’t give away your age, my friends can’t do math]. I have come to celebrate the humidity so the fine film of sweat that coated my body wasn’t bothersome as I rode my bike 30 minutes to the “trailhead.” In fact, it served as a protective layer against the strong bites of the ka (mosquitoes.) I parked my bike at the foot of a huge stone gate… then the climb began… I walked up, up, upwards, through spider webs, over huge and sporadic rock “steps” and around random signs. I met the first sign of success when I asked a descending dude (respectable Japanese man) if I was on the right path. Success is defined as: My ability to properly greet a stranger in Japanese, ask the right, albeit simple, question and understand the part of the answer I needed to hear… and continue along the path towards a goal.

The goal is just a direction-setter and it shouldn’t be confused with the journey, which is perhaps more important. Those words are not original… but they must be reiterated! I was caught-up by Akira-san, a computer programmer who hikes the Kora mountain multiple times per week… we spoke basic English and I even understood some of his responses in Japanese (at least I think I did). We talked baseball and snowboarding. I got his number and we promised to go out for karaoke, but I am a bit nervous- as my Japanese is so limited. So, maybe next week.

As we huffed and puffed through the swarming gnats, more pestering mosquitoes and huge, strong spider webs (big spiders!) he told me that he was going to a natural mineral water source. We passed Kora-san and headed to the water… and it was worth it… beautiful hiking and another gorgeous shrine at the base of the spring. After an offering, a drink and a quick wash, we backtracked towards Kora-san and almost headed back down the hill before I bought the “body-protection” trinket (I simply forgot the name for this special piece of material) for my dad. The return to the start was filled with laughing as he cracked subtle jokes in English. I even let him get away with telling me that the Mariners would win the World Series… impossible… go Halos!

The next day I had nothing planned … to drop off my dry cleaning and perhaps survive the heat with an ice cream and lots of rest. My neighbor Gary, a former JET who decided that Japan is a great place to live and work, rang my bell at ten and gave me five minutes to get ready for the beach… and the adventure began. Two hours to get out there, with Emily and Jamie in the front of the car, Gary and I in back, and a cooler filled with lots (obscene amounts) of meat and a gaggle of beers. We met up with some other JETs and spent a rad afternoon at Keya Beach. Barbecuing, throwing around an American football, and lounging in the water behind jellyfish nets. Yeah, this is jellyfish season… and a few of them even got through the nets. I didn’t get stung like a couple of other people, but I got slightly sunburned… same thing, different form. As the sun set behind a rock outcropping at the far end of the beach, we were still tossing around the pigskin. The background shades of rose, brick, plum, marigold and canary lit up the silhouettes of small palm trees and miniature breaking waves, and the grill continued sizzling up more goodies…

Our ride home was eventful too; we got lost, got found and stopped at a huge mall… I almost fainted from the intensity of the florescent lights- that and I HATE malls. Once inside, the girls twisted our arms (literally) to take purikura, small sticker-photos that are taken in a booth-- super popular here. Fair enough… more experiences to have and more cultural to “do.” (What is the right word to put in right there?)

This has gone on long enough… give your eyes a break… I’ll write more soon…

Mata-nei,