Jenny-In-Wonderland

Vietnam 2010

2010-09-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

So, I've been meaning to get this up here for a while. I'm a bit worried I've waited too long and the memories have gone a bit hazy, but here goes anyways:

Day one: Saturday morning, get up early and head for the LOOOOONG train ride into Narita. It's 2 hours by bullet train, a.k.a The shinkansen, or just "the Shink" followed by another hour on the Narita Express. We've given ourselves lots of time, as heaven forbid we should hit some kind of delay and miss our flight. Our flight is at 6:30. We leave around noon. Luckily there are no delays, so we roll into Narita around 4ish after a couple of stops for "refreshments" along the way. Lots of time to sit and stew in the airport while we wait for our flight. T and I are not good fliers, so we drink beer and smoke and try not to think about being thousand of feet in the air.
We get on the plane and get our seats. We've both opted for aisle seats across from one another. I sit next to what may the the oldest Vietnamese man on earth. I have visions of having to let him out for bathroom breaks every 15 minutes, but actually he goes right to sleep and doesn't get up for the whole flight. At some point I start hoping he'll wake up when we arrive (he does though, so no worries). T, on the other hand, get's seated next to some crazy ojisan (that's middle aged Japanese guy, in English) who, also nervous and bonding with us over our drink-to-combat-nervousness technique, decides to open his bottle of duty-free whisky in-flight and feed us shorts of it for the next 5 hours.
We arrive in Ho Chi Minh in one piece, though a little the worse for wear. Now it's time to visit immigration. We wait for an our in our whisky-induced fog in order to pick up our visa-on-arrival stamps that we have applied for about a month before our trip. The immigration officer tells T he smells like beer. They still let us into the country though. Phew!
Thankfully, we had the forsight to arrange a hotel pick-up, especially since we've arrived around midnight and we've been at immi for an hour. Our friendly driver takes us through the very noisy and congested streets of Saigon to our hotel.
Seems like a good time to call it and night and rest up for the next day, right? Ha! Our hotel is right smack in the middle of the backpackers district, across the street from several patio bars playing loud music and advertising cheap drinks. We decide to venture out and mingle.
We end up across the street haggling with street kids for cigarettes. I am heartbroken to see kids as young as 5 or 6 out peddling gum and tissues, the older ones marching around with wooden cases filled with smokes, trying to get us to pay 5 times the price as you'd pay at a convenience store, if we had known where to find one. There is also a bit of an altercation with a recent acquaintace from Vancouver. At some point T makes the mistake of forgetting she told us she was from Canada, and asks her what part of the states she is from. She decides this is the most offensive thing anyone has ever said to her and yells at T. Her friend tells us she is very drunk and to ignore her, at which point I buy her and drink and assure her we meant no offence, and we talk about what a scumbag she is behind her back. We stick around for 2 drinks, at which point T suddenly can't remember where the hotel is. I reassure him that it's across the street, and we stumble back and settle in for the night.

The Crazy Buffalo!

Day 2: Bikini wax time! For those of you who don't know, the Japanese are apparently anti-grooming, at least when it comes to your intimate places, so the first stop for me on our beach vacation is a salon, to get swimsuit ready. Unfortunately, because of the crazy (mis)adventure getting here, it's a slow start morning. We manage to get to the salon, and in my fragile hungover state it is one of the most embarrassing moments of my trip. Lying in a table sweating, having your private parts worked on by 2 people who are speaking a language you can only say "thank you" in is a bit disconcerting to say the least.

With that taken care of, the only thing on our agenda for the day is Ben Thanh Market. We decide now is a good time (after a bit of hair of the dog) to try out a cyclo ride. A cyclo is like a rickshaw, only propelled by a bicycle, and the driver is behind you , not in front. What we didn't really take into account is that the traffic in Saigon is ABSOLUTELY INSANE! Traffic lights are few and far between and from what I can gather, whoever gets there first, in any traffic situation, has the right of way. You can see the video on Facebook for yourself, though it doesn't really do it justice.

T on the cyclo

We arrive, thankfully in one piece, at Ben Thanh Market. Not much to report about it except it was a big market, and you have to bargain like you mean it or you'll get completely hosed. I pick up a souvenir for my boss though, wondering if I've paid more than twice what it's worth (though later at the airport I will see the same thing for 4 times the price I paid and feel reassured).

As we leave the market, we get a taste of the rainy season as it starts torentially pouring rain. Street urchins are still coming up to us asking us to buy their tissues and gum while we hide under awnings waiting for the rain to stop. I have a big sob over that as it's my first experience in a developing country and I wasn't prepared for the kids. We hop in a taxi and get back to the hotel to warm up and dry off as we've got a long train ride the next day.

Day 3: Off to Nha Trang

We show up at the train station entirely too early and sit around at a cafe at the station for what seems like ages while we wait for the train to board. We realise pretty quickly that "first class a/c" does not have the same meaning in Vietnam as it does in Canada or Japan. I'll not go into much detail about it however we do meet a nice couple from Manchester on the train and spend a lot of the 7 hour train ride in the dining car with them having a few beers. I wonder why we didn't decide to fly for one hour instead of being trapped in this horrible train for 7, however we make it there, me not much the worse for wear, T unfortunately feeling less than fresh...he decided to make friends with some old guys on the train who, in a gesture of friendship, offered him some of their homebrew, which T refers to as "fish juice", which he of course, to be polite, decides to drink. This will prove to be a horrible mistake as he will suffer with a stomachache for the next 3 days.

We arrive in Nha Trang and are ushered into a taxi by a friendly-seeming man at the station. We quickly realise that we've fallen into a taxi scam. The driver, arriving at our hotel, advises us the fare is 100000 dong (about 5 bucks) however, it was a 5 minute taxi ride. The hotel staff advises us that the fare should be about 20000 dong. The driver has "forgotten" to turn on the meter. An argument ensues, mostly between the driver and the hotel security. The security man tells up to give the driver what we feel is fair and then go inside, as he will not follow us in. We give him 40000 dong, twice the recommendation of the hotel staff, and go inside. Travellers beware, this is apparently a pretty common scam. To his credit, the hotel guy seems very much unamused.

Upon entering our room, we find that we have a lovely view. After about an hour, we also find that we have some uninvited guests. As we head out for dinner, we ask the cleaning staff to please spray our room as there are 3 or 4 cockroaches under our TV. She apologizes profusefly. We go out for a lovely dinner, and return home to find there is now a cockroach on the bed and some on the chair as well. We call downstairs and are immediately relocated to a new room, this one cockroach free. Day 3 was not the best day.

View from cockroachland

Day 4: R & R in the hotel and at the beach, complete with pedicure.

Day 5: off to Nha Trang hotel # 2- Diamond Bay Resort

After cheking out, we head to a beachside restaurant for a lovely lunch of spring rolls and sesame pork, with mango smoothies, and of course, Heineken. Diamond Bay is about 15 km from the main beach area, so we get a taxi there and check in. We spend this part of the vacation basically eating and drinking and playing in the lovely GIANT pool and the private beach. The beach is accessible by tuk-tuk, which will come and pick you up and drop you off at designated times. We enjoy many tropical cocktails poolside, as well and a buffet dinner and breakfast, and finish off the night with an amazing night's sleep. In the morning it's more pool time, and time to check out and head back in to the city for our last night at the beach.

Yummy food at the beachside restaurant

The Diamond Bay pool

Day 6: Novotel

We've saved the best hotel for the last day. We check in and are advised we've been upgraded and will now be getting a superior room, which has it's own balcony and if you lie on the bed, it looks like you are floating on the ocean. Bliss.

We head our for a pizza lunch at a local restaurant called "the Sailing Club" which boasts a poll inside the restaurant. We don't swim in it though as it is filled with little kids (probably full of pee, ew!).

We decide to make it an early night but do head out for a couple of drinks at a local bar, Guava, where there is techno music and drink specials on vodka and redbull. Knowing it's another long say on the train the next day, we call it a night around midnight and top off the night with a caesar salad from room service and another amazing sleep.

On the balcony at the Novotel

The view

The private terrace :)

Day 7: Back to Saigon

Dreading this day, I am in the worst possible mood for train travel. I would have liked to have cancelled the tickets and just take the flight back, however the decision is made that since we already have train tickets, we ought to use them. We arrive at the station to find that, to add insult to injury, the train is 2 hours late. It's a very long day getting back to Saigon.

Once there, we check back into the same hotel, The Beautiful Saigon, which I highly recommend. Ms. Y and Mr. Phee are awesome and make us feel very much at home. After checking in and freshening up, we head out for one last night on the town, at a rooftop bar across the street. The highlight of the evening in that a giant rat was apparently hanging out in a planter next on the balcony and it decides to mosy across the bar while we're enjoying our cocktails. Thankfully, it doesn't decide to return.

Ms. Y was the best!

Day 8: Lasto!

Seeing as how we didn't do much sightseeing the first 2 days, we decide to get everything done on the last day. We head out to Ben Thanh again to do our last minute souvenir shopping, again traveling my cyclo. We decide to double this time, in hindsight not the best idea, but still manage to make it there unscathed.

Once we've spent most of our dong, we head over to the War Remnants Museum. This is the second time I'll have a big cry as it was very graphic but something that I felt it was important to see. We spend about and hour and a half but still don't see half of what there is to see. You'd need half a day to see it all.

By this time it's pouring rain again. We has intended to go to Reunification Palace however as the weather was not cooperating, we decide to call it a day. We head back to the hotel, complete our check out, and leave our bags in the lobby so we can head out for lunch. The water level has risen an alarming amount and we start to worry about our plane being able to leave that night. Eventually, the rain tapers off though. We head back and pick up our stuff and head to Hard Rock for our last meal in Saigon.

We meet our second Canadian of the trip. The manager of the Hard Rock happens to be from Montreal and a pretty cool guy. He buys us a drink and we enjoy a great dinner and some pretty cool entertainment in the form of a band from the Phillipines. We also chance into dry duds, and then get ready for the trip back.

The trip back is uneventful though the turbulence is constant, which means neither of us sleep a wink. We get off the plane, a couple of Zombies, and are barely able to make it to the Shink before dozing off for an hour or so on the way back. I've never been so happy to be on a Japanese train before. Ahh, bathrooms with seats...and tp...and soap!

It's good to be back...and yet...I can't wait for the next adventure..

Traveling, running, looking for the next big thing

2010-09-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in the last few months. It's a good thing my mother prompts me for new entries or I'd never update this blog, ha!

Of course the biggest news is that we've been to Vietnam recently. I'll devote an entirely separate blog entry to that adventure. I've been meaning to give an update about that but have been abysmally lazy recently. No excuses.

It recently feels like working out is taking up all of my free time. It's sad that one day I'll be back in Canada, working a regular 8 hour day like everyone else, not a 4 hour day like here, and I'll wonder how it is I didn't get more done when I had the chance. I can't believe all the things I used to accomplish back home working a 9-5 with a 3 hour round-trip commute! I used to be so much more bad-ass!

But nonetheless, the Niigata Marathon is coming up, October 10th. I'll be running the 10K, what I am now thinking will be my last one. The truth is, I hate running, and I always sign up for these things for the challenge aspect, but really, running sucks. I'd rather do 5 back to back Zumba classes than run for 30 minutes. Really. Anyways, I'm up to about 7 with 2 more practice Sundays to go to get up to 8 and then 9, so that I should be ready to churn out 10K by race day. Hopefully.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about what the future holds. Japan has begun to lose some of it's lustre. It happened pretty suddenly for me. I was content in this new life in Niigata City, until I went away and ended up in a REAL city, and realised just how mundane life has become here. Don't get me wrong, my work situation is great, I am happy with T, but we're just not feeling as though we've found our niche here. We've not made a whole lot of like-minded friends, and we are as far from the action as one can get in Japan, barring say, Hokkaido. It's remote, traveling is expensive as well as troublesome as you have to tack on nearly 300 bucks and almost 4 hours of travel time to get down to Narita and back. The winds of change have started up again. Thailand is calling.

We've started to really consider spring and a new location. Looks like a CELTA course is in the cards. Having a CELTA basically gives us the freedom to look for employment teaching English in any country, including Canada. The big question for us now is when, and where. Thailand and Vietnam both offer the courses at various times of the year. We should hopefully have a working plan in the next couple of weeks. I find myself feeling unfocused without a solid plan months in advance from making any big changes, so the sooner we get this hashed out, the happier a Jenny I will be.

Speaking of Thailand, the girls vacation is just over a month away. Bangkok for 1 day, Koh Samui for 4, Siem Reap for 2, and back to Bangkok for 1 more. My girl L from Canada is meeting me in Bangkok, coming all the way from Oz, her current stomping grounds. Should be one hell of a trip, one I plan to document on a day my day basis this time...no more lazy Jenny! I am hoping this will give me a good taste of what Thailand is all about and I will be able to see for myself if it's a place I can see myself staying for a little more extended period of time.

Imagine, life on the beaches of Thailand for a few months...life could be worse...

Shop shock

2010-04-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

Normally, I love shopping, as anyone who has known me for more than a minute can attest to. However, the shopping experience leaves something to be desired in these parts. Here is why:

Number 1, Dear Japan, a size 10 is NOT a plus size. Get over yourselves, you skinny bitches.

Number 2, may I please buy a bra that does not contain 8 inches of padding and does not squish my boobs so close together that they become 1. Uniboob is never cute. Never. p.s. Anyone wearing a C and up probably does not need ANY padding. Thank you.

Number 3, Japan, is it really necessary to make all the cute jeans up to size 25 only, and then all the other jeans in completely unflatterings cuts and colors? Zurui!!! (unfair)

Number 4, 29 - 4 is NOT a size...that's just a size 25! Where the hell are the actual size 29's? Oh, that's right...in the plus size section, my mistake...

Number 5, dear stalkerazzi sales lady, get away from the door of the changeroom...I'm not going to ask you for another size since apparently you don't HAVE any bigger sizes.

Number 6, I have not been an extra large for some time now. How is it that an M in Canada becomes a LL in Japan? No wonder plastic surgery is so rampant here.

Okay, rant over, I feel a bit better. I CAN'T WAIT to go shopping when I get home...Bluenotes, here I come!

New Life in Japan, Chapter 3

2010-04-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me, I just got the internet back 3 weeks earlier than expected. Finally, I can reconnect with the people around me. Funny how we just got the internet what, 15 years ago or so...hard to believe people ever got by without it. How else can I chat with friends, look up menus and maps, or prepare lessons for my classes without actually having to write them all from scratch?

T and I have recently moved to the "big" city, Niigata, Japan. For those who've never heard of it (ie: everyone) it's a little city of about a million on the northern coast of Japan. This is where we've decided to call home, at least for the next 12 months. I hate moving myself, and though the weather is the pits and it's a 2 hour shinkansen ride to the nearest international airport, I am hopeful that my moving days will be over a while. I am ready to be in one stable place for as long as my itchy feet hold out.

It was a long and arduous process to get us here. Months of meetings and appointments trying to figure out our work situation and apartment. That plus the unexpected instance of our first apartment not being able to get hot water for at least a week and our spur of the moment move to a different one in the building so as to avoid having to go out for showers. Lucky for us there was another vacancy upstairs.

With all of that out of the way now I am on to my next project...me. Time for me to get back in shape, start being more organized with my everyday life, eating better, and last but not least, planning my trip home in August. Ahhhhh....vacation! Hard to believe it will have been 2 years since I have set foot on Canadian soil. Get ready party people, I am going to need a serious dose of Canadian reality and friends that have known me for more than 5 minutes...I need some time with my fam and my girls. S, get your dancin' shoes on girl!

Spring seems to finally have arrived here and am looking forward to cherry blossom viewing parties next week. This is the very best time of year in Japan. And with that, I'm off to enjoy some of it...xoxox

Back by popular demand

2010-02-02T20:25:00.001-08:00

Has it really been 5 months since my last post? Really? Boy have I been lazy keeping in touch!

So here we are, another year older and hopefully wiser. Life has been going full-tilt lately, I feel like I have barely had time to myself to think and reflect on the last year, and am really concentrating on the year ahead.

So, with that said, here are my goals for the next 11 months:

1) Get out of DEBT! And get myself in the black for the first time in 11 years!
1) Keep growing my relationship with T and make it as strong as possible..I love you baby and am looking forward to our happy future together...April can't get here soon enough!
2) Quit smoking...day one, fist time on the patch...let's hope this time it's for good!
3) Travel more- The Phillipines, I hope, and home for a visit before too much time passes.

And let's not forget the things I'm grateful for...though I could fill up a whole page of these, I'll narrow it down to 10, in no particular order:

1) My wonderful family and friends
2) My partner in crime, and in all other aspects of life
3) Sundays
4) Skype
5) Chicken sandwiches
6) Employability
7) Flexibility
8) Onsens (when I don't get kicked out of them)
9) Turbo Jam
10) Comforters...2 on each bed!

Wish me luck on my path to make 2010 the year I actually fulfill all the promises I have made to myself! See you soon!

Accidentally awesome

2009-09-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday night and T and I are hanging at a local place with some of my students, my boss, and a friend of his from France. We're chatting about our past travel experiences, and Monsieur Francophone tells us a story about a misadventure that ended up being one of the best experiences of his trip. We all agree that it's often the unplanned adventures that end up being the most rewarding ones.

11:00 comes and it's time for us to catch the last train home. We get to the station with 5 minutes to spare and hurry to catch the train leaving at 11, but in our drunken haste, neglect to check the kanji to make sure we have the right platform. I mean, how many trains can be leaving at the exact same time, right?

In our current state of inebriation, we begin to have a heated discussion about some trivial thing, and do not notice the stops go by. About a half an hour passes, and I suddenly realise that the stop we've just passed is not one of the 11 or 12 stops I pass twice a day going back and forth to work. Panic sets in.

I spy another foreigner sitting across the way, who has not doubt been overhearing our ridiculous conversation since leaving the station. Embarrassed, but understanding the dire nature of our situation, I go to her for help.

"Excuse Me?" I begin timidly "Can you tell me where this train is headed?". She mentions a place I have never heard of, but tell me we have just passed Niitsu, a place I do recognize as being in the opposite direction of home but also being a place which we can reach home from. I thank her for her help and we leap out at the next stop. Another helpful passer-by informs us that we can get the train back to Niitsu on the other side of the platform, but it's coming in a few minutes and we hardly have time. With superhuman skills, fueled by tequila and shochu, we hop across the tracks and climb up the other side, to receive a scolding from the station master, but with plenty of time to make it to safety, and to what is apparently the last train of the night to Niitsu.

We arrive in Niitsu and find out that there are no trains heading home tonight. Dejected, we head outside to ponder our next move. Not seeing any hotels nearby, we briefly consider the benches outside the station or the karaoke place up the street and wonder what the hell to do. As luck would have it, we are about to be rescued by a very unlikely bunch of heroes.

As we sit in front of the conveni contemplating our fate, up saunter a group of Yankee Boys. "What is a Yankee Boy?", you're probably asking yourself. Yankee Boys are an interesting bunch of characters in Japan, but generally sort of crazy haired, crazy outfitted, punk-like wild boys. They're the young guys you'd see hanging around just generally making noise and checking their hair in the shop windows. Unlikely heroes indeed.

They ask us what we are doing, where we're from, and the usual pleasantries. One of them, seeing my obviously impaired and distressed state offers me his cup noodles, and when I decline, absolutely insists I eat them and will not take them back with any amount of insistence on my part. He may just have saved me from a hangover worse than death with his kind gesture.

After much begging of taxi drivers and some discussion later, we learn that a taxi home is not to be had for the 80 dollars in our pockets, however the Boys have a better idea. They pile up into a taxi, pay the driver 2000 yen (or about 20 bucks) for our safe passage, and send us off to a love hotel. We are so astounded by their generosity and try to give them their money back but they are insistent on helping out the 2 stranded foreigners in need of assistance. We wave goodbye and the taxi takes us off into the night and the unknown.

Next stop, the love motel.

For those of you unfamiliar with the love motel, they are usually cheesy, themed rooms that can be rented by the night, or by the hour. But before you start going "EWWWWWWW, SIIIIIICK DUDE!", Japan is known for it's cleanliness and attention to detail. A love motel is just as clean and well kept as any other place in Japan. They just often also have condoms on the nightstand, and a vending machine with various kinds of "love enhancements".

The hotel is amazing!

King size bed, jacuzzi tub, slot machine, karaoke machine, indoor and outdoor shower, and the coup de gras, our own private outdoor onsen, or rodenburo (outdoor hot tub) on an enclosed terrace and lawn beds for enjoying the sun. It's like a luxury suite. Unbelievable!

We quickly take advantage of a nice soak in the outdoor bath to relieve some of the tension of the last hour or so, and drift into a peaceful sleep in our fabulous new digs. We dream about whether it would be possible to just stay here forever. Suddently Niitsu just got a whole lot better.

We spend the better part of the early afternoon enjoying the sunshine outside in the onsen, on the lawn chairs, sipping a few cold ones to ease out of the previous night's hangover before heading out to get the train home, relaxed, refreshed, and content.

Accidental romantic weekends. Accidentally awesome.

5

2009-07-06T08:33:00.001-07:00

5 days! 5 days!!!

I am crazy busy cleaning like a madwoman and packing and shipping and unloading stuff on other people, and trying to get in all my last minute goodbyes. Add to that that I am PMSing HARD, eating and drinking way too much, have an expired gym membership in the middle of rainy season when it's hard to run outside, and I gave away my scale and am stressing out worrying that I'm going to gain back a bunch of weight this week...I feel like I am going CRAZY. Hurry up Saturday. Please.

Here!

2009-06-15T09:09:00.001-07:00

So I have officially made it to my thirties. I had a great birthday weekend and have received so many good wishes from people over the last few days. Thanks so much to Courtney and Justine for our trip to Yokohama Cosmo World yesterday. It was a lot of fun, despite the short lived rain and pointless poncho purchases, however it did make the Mexican food all the more authentic.

Thanks to Zoe for taking me out for a lovely dinner and Karaoke to ring in the 30th year right. You always make me laugh so much my cheeks hurt. And I'll have hours of fun with my new "piano", lol. Thanks to Jude for the company and sharing of drinks and jerky to bring in the official start of my birthday day.

I have discovered yet again how very lucky I am. I have so many people in my life that make it really special. I have decided to stop worrying about the number of candles on my cake and start measuring my life by the number of blessings in it. This year I have many, both here and back home, in the form of people I have known for months, years, and in some cases, a lifetime. Thank you all for making an indelible mark on me. Thank you for letting me be my sometimes crazy self, for putting up with my insanity, and for helping me make myself a better, stronger person. Thanks especially to my parents who are helping me get the next stage of my life started and who have been nothing but supportive of me these last few years as I slowly figure myself out. And last, but not least, thanks T, for loving me. I want for nothing. I have everything I need.

Reflections

2009-06-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

With my 30th birthday fast approaching (it'll be here on Monday, *sigh*), I have found myself in a very reflective mood lately. I, like most women, fear the aging process and, like most, the prospect of leaving my twenties and entering my thirties is a little bit scary. I have mixed emotions about it. Looking back on my early to mid twenties, those are not years I am particularly proud of, nor were they times that were particularly kind. Some of the toughest things I have had to deal with in life happened in my twenties, you'd think that I'd be all to happy to see them go. But they were also times when I had a LOT of fun, made a LOT of memories, good and bad, and learned an awful lot about myself. I look back on the last few years in particular and I can see how much progress I've made in such a short time, and I can't help but feel good about it.

In that vein, I have been thinking the most about the lessons I have learned along the way. Though I don't have any children yet to impart my knowledge to, I do have a baby sister who will turn 16 this year. This is not the first milestone year we have shared. The year I started university was the year she started kindergarten. I can see so much of my personality at 16 reflected in her at 16, and so I thought, what kind of things do I wish someone had told me on my 16th birthday that would have been useful in getting me through my 20's? And so I have decided that it's time for another list, this one being the 30 most important lessons of the last 30 years. Here goes...

1) Never ever ever be afraid to share your feelings with people. Tell people you love them, that you "like" them, or when they hurt your feelings. Confrontation is a good thing when mixed with tact. Always be honest with yourself and others.
2) Never let fear hold you back. Don't be afraid to do something or try something because you're afraid you'll be embarrassed. Go for it. The things I regret the most are the things I missed out on because I was too shy to try.
3) Take care of your body. Start early establishing good habits. Eat well and exercise. You'll thank yourself for it later. McDonald's is not really food.
4) Boys are not that scary. Plus they're shy too. And if a boy doesn't like you back, find one that does. But don't be afraid to tell them just cause you think they might not like you back. You'll never know if you don't ask. See #1.
5) Don't smoke. It's REALLY hard to quit later.
6) Sex is complicated and best with a person you know cares about you and will take care of you. Sex is not to be used to make you feel better about yourself. Be picky.
7) Don't blame your parents for how you turn out. We are all a product of our environment to some degree, but your parents are just people who make lots of mistakes. You'll understand when you become an adult and realise that you are just making decisions and hoping for the best, without knowing the outcome until later. Which brings me to...
8) You'll never feel like a grown up, no matter how old you get. I still feel as confused as I did at 16. The choices only get harder and more important. Get used to feeling lost.
9) Don't waste your time on people who don't make you feel good. Surround yourself with positive vibes. Don't be afraid to walk away from toxic friends.
10) Travel as much as possible, as early as possible. There is a lot of world out there to see.
11) Make very sure you know what you want to do before investing a lot of time and money into school. It's better to take some time off and be sure than to make a rash decision because you think you're supposed to.
12) On that note, don't do things just because you're "supposed to". Do things because you want to and you think it's the right decision for YOU.
13) You can't make other people happy, you can only make yourself happy. Don't make important decisions about your life because it's what someone else thinks is best.
14) Sometimes it's a good idea to talk to your mom on the phone for 3 hours about nothing. Or everything.
15) You learn a lot of interesting things by talking to strangers. Just don't get in their car ;)
16) Looking stupid can be really fun. The older you get, the less embarrassing it becomes. I make an ass of myself in front of a lot of people every day. It's my job, and that's why I love it.
17) Take care of other people whenever you can. You may think you have it rough, but there is always someone who has it worse than you. Volunteering and donating is good for the soul, and good karma to boot.
18) Sometimes the biggest mistake teaches us the biggest lesson. Find the good.
19) That also holds true to people. There's always a reason some people suck. You don't have to be friends with them, but remember that they are still people too, and treat them with respect, even if they don't deserve it.
20) Forgive easily. Grudges are heavy.
21) Just because you can have it now, doesn't mean you should. Save something for tomorrow. I am still trying to learn this one.
22) If you're in a place your mom would be appalled by, you probably shouldn't be there.
23) The best time to eat chocolate cake is in the morning. With milk.
24) Religion and morality are not necessarily synonymous, however they are supposed to complement each other.
25) It's hard to keep your cool sometimes, but you should still try. My mother tells me that when you lose your cool, you lose control. I am still learning this one too.
26) Take everything anyone tells you with a grain of salt. People are not always what they appear. Be careful who you give your trust to. It's a gift. Don't waste it.
27) Always have a back up plan, in case of worst case scenario.
28) Remember people's birthdays, mother's day, father's day, and Christmas. It reminds people you're thinking about them. Schedule books are priceless.
29) Read as much as you can. Knowledge is power. Even if you're reading brain candy, you're still improving your vocabulary.
30) Learning a few simple phrases in the language of the country your are visiting can make your experience that much better and more fulfilling. Make friends with the locals.

Happy Birthday Jody...Happy Birthday me....

May flowers

2009-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Japan, and I am here, inside, sitting in front of the computer, trying to convince myself to get out and run. Don't worry folks, I will get out there as soon as my breakfast settles. Today I have 10K on my agenda, and I intend to get 'er done.
Lately I have been feeling like I am always waiting for something. Waiting for my life to start. Since T's arrival in March, everything has been a waiting game until the next visit. It's become harder and harder to be away from him the closer that he is. I guess I had gotten used to him being so far away in Canada. Now that he is close enough to see him in just a few hours, it's harder for me to be away. I am less than 2 months from the end of my contract, as I recently gave my 60 days notice, so it won't be long and we will be able to see each other every day. I found a job nearby and am anxiously counting down the days.
That's not to say that I am not busy with my own life. I am still doing the crazy gym schedule, however I have recently decided to give up my Japanese lessons. I will have to be more dedicated to studying at home, but I just feel with all the gym stuff, plus now getting ready to move that I am just too busy and I have to give up something. I have recently had a cold and have just been feeling more tired than usual. It's time for me to start giving myself a break.
On a happier note, my birthday is coming up next month so I should have lots of adventures to report soon. I have a night out clubbing in Tokyo planned (not for my b-day but just as my last hurrah in the Tokyo club scene before blasting off to Niigata) as well as a trip to Yokohama Cosmoworld to celebrate my birthday. I am bringing back the tradition of amusement park birthday celebrations abandoned since I left Canada. It's no Wonderland but it looks pretty cool from their website so I am looking forward to it.
In other news, my weight loss continues, albeit slowly, however I have been getting rid of, and replacing, a whole lot of clothes so look forward to some "after" pictures soon enough.
It sure is easy to be happy these days :D

Here are my 2 favourite pics from my last trip:

And here is just a taste of what my new home looks like...Niigata is all about beautiful snow-capped mountains...heaven!

Time warp

2009-04-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how so much time seems to pass so quickly. I check in here and realise that it's been more than 3 weeks with no post. Shame! Truthfully, I feel like I don't have a whole lot to say most days. I am back into a routine like back before I left for Korea, work, school, Japanese lessons, the gym and running seem to take up almost all of my time. Throw in an occasional night out at karaoke and that pretty much sums me up these days. It's good to feel the focused though, like I have found some kind of balance to my life. It's funny, but lots of people are always waiting for the next fabulous adventure story, when the truth of it is that when you live abroad, the adventurous bits are just as few and far between as when you're at home. The only difference is I get a lot more holidays here to enjoy. The next one is about a week from now when I'll be on my way up north to get in some quality time with my sorely missed monsieur. The 29th can't come soon enough.

I am also happy to say that with one goal accomplished, I have decide on the next one. I will be running 10K #2 on May 10th, in Susono, which is near Mt. Fuji. I am hoping my girl Courtney will be able to join me to enjoy the hot spring action afterward. Nothing like a good hot soak to soothe the sore muscles after a hard run. I am very much looking forward to that.

On the weight loss front, I was happy to break a 3 week plateau this week with a 2 kilogram weight loss. I have been feeling kind of down on myself lately. Though I know I've come a long way, I can see I may never get into bikini shape, and that makes me feel discouraged. I am working on being kinder and more forgiving to myself though. I have worked very hard to get here and I have to stop expecting perfection. It's hard. I am my own worst critic, and this is the area where I give myself the most grief.

Otherwise, I am happy that spring has finally sprung and am looking forward to getting outside more and enjoying more of what Japan has to offer. I will check in with some more interesting updates (hopefully) after my vacation up north. Until then, I will leave you with some pictures of the gorgeous cherry blossoms. They are only here for a short time, but they are absolutely incredible to see. Mata Ne!

My bike ride to work...awesome!

At the park

Close up...the camera doesn't so them justice really...it's no wonder the Japanese go crazy for them.

Mission Accomplished

2009-03-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Lots of happenings lately on this side of the world, and as such it has been a while since my last post. Two very important events have come to fruition after many months of waiting, planning, and training (all of these do not apply to both situations, however). To begin with, I completed my first 10K today, that being my own personal accomplishment. I also tried on, and ALMOST fit into a pair of size 10 jeans today...one of the largest sizes in Japan mind you, but nonetheless, a huge accomplishment in my current battle with my weight. 5 more pounds and those babies are MINE!
But the biggest news of late is that the final countdown is over and T has finally set foot on Japanese soil for a new adventure. I have to say he was a sight for sore eyes after 8 months of separation. I guess you never really know how much someone means to you until you have to say goodbye to them, and then you realise how much you missed them while they (or you, as the case may be) were gone. Though it was a short visit this time, we packed a lot into a few days, including a trip to Disney Sea and to check out some geekness in Akihabara, but mostly just relaxing and enjoying each others company. Though he is off and running on his own adventure up North, it won't be long til our next visit...much less than 8 months to be sure!
Also of note, the new term has begun and I finally have a 2 day (in a row) weekend to enjoy. Finally the freedom to be able to pick up and take off for the weekend. Bliss!
I feel like I have so much to be grateful for these days. Cherry blossom season is just around the corner and I seem to be making lots of plans with friends for get togethers over the next few weeks. This month is sure to fly by. Spring, they say in Japan, is a time for new beginnings and farewells. I am experiencing plenty of both as old teachers leave, and new ones arrive. Though I am sad to see people I have come to know and admire leave, I am happy in the knowledge that I am busy making my own new beginnings...the future looks brighter than ever...:)

I'll leave you with a few pics of the latest adventures, below.

Monsieur, waiting in line to the Indiana Jones ride at Disney Sea

Saying goodbye to some of my students

Taking a Peruvian cooking class with the Narashino International Association

Karaoke in Katsutadai

Sadly, all the pictures of T and I were taken by our friend as well as by T's camera and I haven't received any of these yet. I will update those on Facebook as I receive them, but in the meantime, here is a quick video of our group of friends inside Disney Sea :)

Busy busy bee

2009-02-25T05:54:00.000-08:00

My life has been feeling a wee bit chaotic lately. As some people know, I recently joined a gym, trying to fight off the last of the excess weight that I have been hauling around for far too long. In addition to this I am also training for my first 10K, and in addition to THAT, I have been scheduled to work the past 2 Sundays. Once was a voluntary sub/overtime day, the the second was a colossal "whoopsie" made by the management in accidentally scheduling me to work a mandatory "working holiday (read: unpaid working day) the very next week. And just to top it all off, it seems tons of friends are leaving at the end of this month, and my students all want to have parties at the same time, plus I am preparing for T to FINALLY get here in a few weeks. I am starting to freak out, just a little.

Trying to make time for work, gym, running, students, friends, Japanese lessons and stuff I want to do myself, like going out dancing next week, is causing some serious schedule crammage. Don't get me wrong. Suddenly I am feeling a little bit like Ms. Popular, which is always nice, and I love being busy as it makes time pass quickly when one is anticipating something one has been waiting for for what seems like an eternity. It just seems that everything has just all piled in at one to make for one incredibly wonderful, confusing, exciting, and crazy-busy month!

That being said, I have some pretty awesome events ahead of me in the next few weeks:

Dinner at my students house, complete with the whole class.
Drinks with another of my adult classes (the day before the previous event, oh boy!).
Lunch with my volunteer Japanese teacher.
Drinks at my place with a coworker (tomorrow!) that is leaving to move to Wakayama (FAR!).
Clubbing in Shibuya.
Lunch date and phone shopping with Eunjeong.
Possibly a party at my place for some friends, depending all schedules can coincide.
Hanging out with Matt and Beth before their departure at the end of March.
Dinner with Natasha before she heads out.
Justine's b-day.
Must see Zoe soon, as have been neglecting that friendship as of late. Bad friend! :(
And then, the big event!....Picking up my sweetheart at the airport, trip to Disney, cherry blossom parties, 10K run, checking out Tokyo, etc etc etc.

All this in addition to logging 7.5 hours in the gym and 2 runs, plus of course my regular class work. EEEK!

By the time Golden week get's here and I get another week off to relax, it will be high time, to be sure! But I sure do love the excitement!

Gratitude

2009-02-18T06:05:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this with "I stole this from Gail". I saw here list of things she was grateful for this year, adn started my own. Unfortunately I could not think of a hundred all at one time, so I kind of forgot about it for a month or so, it was supposed to be a new year thing. Regardless, here are 100 things I am grateful for, in no particular order (though it should be noted that the PEOPLE mentioned would be at the top of the list, were it in order of importance).

1. My fabulous life
2. My parents
3. My siblings
4. Susan and Heather
5. Trevor
6. Having a job during an economic crisis
7. Having the education that allows me to be here
8. Making new friends
9. Keeping in touch with old ones
10. Facebook, Skype, MSN and email for making that easier
11. Not having killed myself by accident in June
12. Bike rides
13. Being able to run
14. Avocadoes
15. Cheap and easily available produce
16. Paying off student loans
17. 20 hour work weeks
18. My super cute apartment
19. One snow fall so far this year, and it didn’t even stay on the ground
20. Thinking minus 5 is frigging freezing
21. Travel
22. Knowing the person I love will soon be a couple of hours away, and not a full day plane ride
23. Discount airline tickets
24. My guitar
25. Friends that make music
26. Dinner parties at Gail’s and Matt and Beth’s
27. Kyoto trip with Justine
28. Coffee chats at Lisa’s
29. Karaoke nights with Sarah
30. Sharing
31. People who help me when I can’t speak enough Japanese to get by
32. My volunteer Japanese teacher
33. Ikegami Sensei
34. My kind and generous students
35. Izakayas
36. Coco Curry
37. Not starting work until 4 some days
38. Legwarmers
39. Heat Tech undershirts
40. Sunshine
41. Walking to work
42. Keitai
43. The Daily Show
44. Diet beer & Chu-His
45. Riding my bike to the gym
46. Body Pump
47. Step Aerobics
48. Body Combat
49. Oatmeal
50. Cool receptionists
51. Hanging out with Eun Jeong
52. Puri-kura
53. My electric blanket
54. REALLY fast internet
55. EZTV
56. The Nike outlet
57. Flashcards
58. Pimsler
59. Club nights in Shibuya
60. The Dart Bar
61. Sex and the City on DVD
62. Having a plan to be debt free by the end of next year
63. Thursdays with Aaron and Shanny
64. Wednesdays with Jude and Eun Jeong
65. Saturdays with David and Sarah
66. Etsuko!
67. Travel reimbursement
68. Plane ticket home bought and paid for
69. U of A hospital
70. My ultra-responsible brother
71. Quitting smoking
72. Never having to go to the laundromat
73. Cheap sushi and sashimi
74. Shanti Indian restaurant
75. Starbucks (the only place with decent coffee, I am ashamed to say)
76. Aeon
77. Cuteness
78. 5 minutes to get to work 2 days of the week
79. Less than 30 minutes commute EVER
80. The Taeko game
81. Egg McMuffins (shut up, when I have no time!)
82. Sweet potatoes
83. Yukyu days
84. Sheila
85. Lisa
86. Jacklynn
87. Hanging out at Mie’s house
88. Legally drinking in public
89. Cheap shopping
90. Sending home half my paycheck anyways
91. Excellent exchange rate
92. Cheap health insurance
93. Low crime rate
94. Free tissues
95. Dictionaries
96. Body language
97. Taxes included
98. Duty free (T, I have a list, lol)
99. Subtitles
100. sparkpeople.com

Daddy's Girl

2009-02-12T04:52:00.000-08:00

Actually, I never really thought of myself as a Daddy's girl. My father and I have never had the world's greatest relationship. We never seem to see eye to eye on anything, and, especially in my teenage years, I rebelled a lot against what he thought was best for me, or how he thought it best to raise me. Words were exchanged and feelings hurt on both sides on more than one occasion. However, I do feel that over the last few years we have come to a mutual understanding and respect for one another.
One thing I am sure of, and have never doubted, is that my father loves me very much. And despite all of our differences, I love him very much too, I always have, and I always will. My father raised me pretty much by himself for a large part of my childhood. He was the one who kissed me goodnight every night, who made me say my prayers before I went to sleep, and who always told me, at the end of every day, that he loved me. I credit him as being a very significant contributor in the fact that I grew up always knowing that no matter where in the world I was, someone out there loved me.
I have so many happy childhood memories of days spent at the cabin, rides on the skidoo, him taking us out in the woods or fishing. My father is an outdoorsman at heart and I am convinced he could survive indefinitely in the woods with nothing but a tin can and some wire. He's the McGyver of outdoor living. I believe that over the years we have resolved any of the differences we may have had in the past, and now the things I remember most about my childhood are all the fun things we used to do with Daddy when we were small. I also credit him with my appreciation of music, especially the classics, and by that I mean the Beatles, the Stones, Simon and Garfunkle, and CCR, among others. I clearly remember having to do a music project on a "classical" musician (Handel, I believe) in elementary school, and my father claiming that I should be able to do my project on a "real" classical musician, like John Lennon, for instance.

That is why, when I received word this weekend that my father suffered a small stoke last Friday, my heart skipped a beat. Though we live far apart, and we don't speak often (he hates talking on the phone and is computer illiterate, lol) I think of him often, and I can't imagine what my life would be like without him in it. He's a young man, only 54 years old. I am not ready to lose him.

Yet when I spoke to him today, after he was released from the hospital, he was the same as ever, making jokes, making light of the situation, most likely to keep me calm. (I remember he always used to joke that I was "getting his shirt all wet" when I would cry as a child, to try to get me to laugh and cheer me up.) However, I am happy to report that his tune has changed. This has been enough of a scare for him to realise that it's time to change his ways, and start living a healthier life so that he can be around to enjoy more of it. There is lots more good stuff around the corner, and like I told him today, I want him to be around and healthy enough to enjoy his grandchildren one of these days.

So here's to my father, the first man in my life. The first man to hold me, and dry my tears, and tell me everything is going to be ok. To the man who put food in my belly, a roof over my head and clothes on my back for the first 18 years of my life. Thank you for being the best daddy you could be. I know I was a willful child at times. I know that you probably would have had an easier time raising a less girly girl. Thank you so much for being the person that you are. I hope that I have many more years to listen to your corny jokes, tease you about your fashion sense, and tell you many many many times how much I love you. You mean the world to me. Please get well soon. I can't wait to see you.

Dad and Aunt Sharon, 2006

love/life

2009-02-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

So much is going on these days I hardly know where to begin. I just received the wonderful news that the love of my life will be coming here for a visit on his way to his new gig in Niigata. I am glad he finally came around to my point of view that 9 months has been far too long and that it will surely be nice to see a smiling face at the end of such a long and arduous trek across the pacific, and most of the North American continent. Now I still have about 7 weeks to count down but I am very glad to know that the wait is almost over. I miss you T.

In other happenings, I have embarked yet again on a quest for self improvement. With a 10K race coming up at the end of March (the 29th to be exact) I am training my butt off as we speak. I have decided that this last 20 pounds I have been struggling with for years have had their time and I will be fiercely battling them until I WIN! I have joined a gym and have been going regularly, and did my longest run yet yesterday, at 6K. I should be in top fighting form by the time the Sakura Asahi Health Marathon begins at the end of next month.

On the subject of the gym however, I did experience yet another instance of discrimination when I was denied membership at my number one choice gym on the basis that I have a tattoo. Apparently just having one is grounds for denial, and even the offer to cover up all tattoos while on the premises did nothing to persuade them to allow me access. I was forced to go to gym number 2, with less of what I was looking for, but at least closer to home. There I was told that I must keep all tattoos covered at all times, and that even one lapse detected by the staff would result in my immediate expulsion without refund. All I can say is, LAME. I can neither shower nor use the pool, and am reduced to wearing very un-stylish turtlenecks to my aerobics classes. Nevertheless I am grateful to at least have a gym to call my own, after 3 previous failed attempts. (The first 2 I was denied on the basis that I don't speak Japanese) This really shocked me. Though I was prepared for the fact that tattoos would be banned, I was not expecting to be asked outright and then denied for simply HAVING them, and I thought that my willingness to be sensitive to my new culture would be sufficient. Apparently not. It amazes me that a person who has the drive and determination, who has made the step, which is often challenging for many people, to decide to improve themselves, their health, and overall quality of life, could be denied from doing so over something as insignificant as a few flowers on the back of one's neck. Oh Japan, please get with the times.

This month I also embarked on my second journey into the Tokyo underworld, with out most recent all-night club outing in Shibuya last weekend. We ended up again at Camelot, where we danced the night away and left at the crack of dawn, all danced out, exhausted, but happy and satisfied that we had indeed kicked Camelot's butt. We then proceeded to fall asleep on the train on the way home. Special thanks to Jude for making sure I got up and off the train at my stop and did not end up in Katsutadai, or worse, on the way back to Tokyo. I will include some of the pictures of the festivities here for you to enjoy.

Until next time folks, stay warm! Here's hoping for an early spring! :)

The "before" shots: Jude and Yuko

Sarah and I

I never knew Jude was such a wild man!

The "after" shot...oh dear!

Firsts

2009-01-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

I have had a theme stuck in my head for the last few days. It's now been more than 18 months since I left for Korea, and I have been thinking about all the things I have experienced, most for the first time, since I left Canada in 2007. Some of them are awesome, and some of them decidedly less so. I have compiled a list of the ones that have popped into my head. Regardless of their awesomeness factor, I am grateful for all of them, good and bad, as they have all taught me something, about the world, about other people, and about myself.

In no particular order:

1. Gotten a passport
2. Received my first working visa
3. Taken my first trans-pacific flight
4. Moved to Korea
5. Crossed 13 hours worth of time zones
6. Completely changed my internal clock
7. Gone through teacher training boot camp
8. Gone through ESL boot camp for over a year!
9. Experienced a norae baeng.
10. Discovered how delicious 4 a.m. kimbap can be
11. Learned how to order food and say a few other useful phrases in Korean
12. Ridden a bullet train
13. Made new friends from Canada, America, Korea, Japan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Scotland
14. Taken Tae Kwon Do lessons
15. Sprained my ankle taking Tae Kwon Do lessons
16. Traveled to Jeju, twice
17. Visited a sexual theme park
18. Climbed the highest mountain in Korea (on said busted ankle)
19. Gone parasailing
20. Visited Japan and decided I would like to try living here
21. Visited the 2nd largest aquarium in the world
22. Seen manatees
23. Gotten lost
24. Eaten “live” octopus, and silk worm pupae
25. Learned to hula hoop
26. Learned to read hangul, hiragana and katakana
27. Learned to be by myself, a LOT
28. Fallen in love
29. Fallen out of love
30. Fallen out of the sky (well, jumped off a mountain really)
31. Had my heart broken
32. Fixed it up again to discover it came back stronger than before
33. Gone paragliding
34. Hit a fence
35. Dislocated my foot
36. Ridden in an ambulance
37. Had surgery in a foreign hospital
38. Gotten a cast
39. Learned to use crutches
40. Realized what it’s really like to miss your family and friends, and how good it is to see them again
41. Been to Iceland (for a few hours, anyways)
42. Gone to a “café” in Amsterdam
43. Stood under the Eiffel Tower
44. Taken a boat ride on the Seine
45. Gone to the Louvre (sadly, closed that day)
46. Taken a train through the Chunnel
47. Discovered that soju is a toxic substance that will melt off taste buds and give you the worst hangover imaginable
48. Found out how much it sucks to not have health insurance, if only for a couple of weeks
49. Moved to Japan
50. Moved away from the person I love
51. Seen just about every old and/or reconstructed structure in Kyoto
52. Seen cherry blossom trees for the first time
53. Partied all night in Tokyo
54. Watched the sun rise over Ginza
55. Seen a Maiko (Geisha in training)
56. Studied Japanese
57. Been to a sumo tournament
58. Worn a kimono
59. “Slept” on a bus
60. Experienced an (several) earthquake(s)

Here's hoping the next 18 months give me lots more learning experiences to be grateful for (though more awesomeness, and less not-so-awesome would definitely be the preferable option) ;)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T00:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are! It's hard to believe that it's 2009 already. Remember Y2K? That was almost 10 YEARS AGO! It's amazing to me that we will be beginning another decade next year.

I just got back from Kyoto yesterday. It was an amazing trip, but I must say I am happy to be back in my home sweet home. Justine and I logged a lot of miles on our shoes this past week. We figured it must have been about 10K of walking every day that we were there. I am pretty much templed out at this point, as I have seen more temples in the past week than I can count. All the pictures are there for viewing on Facebook. I was very happy to have been able to also get in a day trip to Nara, and of course Osaka, monsieur's old stomping grounds. It was unfortunate that we were unable to visit the infamous reggae bar though, due to it being closed. That was the one thing on my list that I didn't get to cross off this time, however I am assured that a visit is in the cards for us in the future, after T gets here this spring. (Only 3 more months to go, yay!)

I did manage to get in an onsen visit this trip too, which was surprising. They don't normally allow us tattooed folks in. It was a little bit embarrassing though. The place we wanted to go to was closed for the holidays and we ended up having to go to a small neighborhood place. Unfortunately we didn't realise that you are expected to bring all your own gear, towels, soap and the like...we were informed of this by a sweet old lady on the way in who graciously gave us some towels. Luckily we remembered to bring shampoo which also served as body wash so that we would be clean enough to go in. As foreigners in this country, we realise that people are expecting us to do things wrong, however Justine and I both agree that we really like being able to do things right, thereby allowing us to be smug in our superior knowledge of Japanese culture. We HATE when we do it wrong! How embarrassing!

Humiliation aside, it was a fantastic trip. We managed to stalk some geisha. Literally. We actually stalked this girl we spotted on our first night in Gion, hurried past her and then "realised we were going the wrong way", then turned around so we could get a good look. Justine is an excellent partner in crime, very sneaky! We also scoped out an Irish pub where they did a lovely Christmas dinner, complete with turkey, all the fixings, wine, and flaming rum pudding for desert. It took us an hour to find the place, as Justine and I both have horrible sense of direction, but it was well worth it. I was happy that I got to walk some of it off before the meal, in fact. It was a feast!

For New Year's eve, we went to a nearby shrine and waited for the countdown. It was a bit anticlimactic this year, no hoopla, no big celebration. This is the first time in recent memory I wasn't nursing a hangover all day New Year's Day, which was a blessing in itself. We headed home after that and shared some sparkling wine and went to bed early, and got up for a temple visit the next day. Pretty much just as the Japanese folks do.

So, as we have now entered the New Year, it is the time of year for reflection, resolutions, time to think of the things we wish we'd done better, or the successes we've had over the last year that we would like to continue to see more of in the coming year. This is also the first year that "quit smoking" was not on my resolution list, as I have recently kicked the habit, I just have to make sure not to have any "slip ups" from now on. So I have decided my goals for the year as are follows:

1) Have more fun and see more things than last year
2) Deal better with everyday annoyances (i.e. not lose my cool)
3) Practice French more and study hard to learn Japanese
4) Run 10K on March 29th
5) Lose that last very annoying 20 pounds by doing what I know has worked in the past (i.e. stop being lazy about it and just DO IT!)
6) Waste less (money, time, stuff in general)
7) Send more letters, postcards, keep in touch more with the people I love
8) Be more grateful for my fabulous life, and stop wishing for what other people have...just be happy with me, and my life. This includes being nicer to myself, and not comparing myself to others.

That's quite a list but I think it's doable. Some of these are things I'm already doing, and just need to step up my game a bit. Others I really need to make a conscious effort to do.

I hope you all have a safe and happy new year, and that you are able to keep your own resolutions. Lots of love.

~J

P.S Here are a few pics of our lovely vaca...sorry, no pics from the onsen ;)

On the bus on the way to Kyoto, so excited!

Day 1, tired but happy.

Trying out a kimono

In front of the Osaka skyline, Umeda Sky Tower

I hear those sleigh bells jingling...

2008-12-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

So here I am with Christmas fast approaching, another Christmas away from home. This makes 2 in a row, and only the second time I have ever been without at least part of my family around to share love and joy with over the holidays. Last year was made at least a little brighter being able to share it with mon amour, though unfortunately that is not in the cards for us this year. However, don't start feeling sorry for me just yet. Though I would much rather be at home spending time with loved ones, I have decided to do the next best thing and do some traveling around Japan. More about that in a second though.

I realise that I have been neglecting my once-a-month resolution these days. Things have gotten a lot busier and I have gotten a bit lazier in writing this thing. I have recently been hearing folks asking about how they can access my blog, so it seems to me I will have to be a bit more diligent in future in keeping everyone regularly updated.

That being said, I will proceed with an update on happenings since October. Since I am now on the road to recovery since my last incident of fumbleitis (it's now been 6 months since what is now only referred to as "the incident in Korea"), I have gotten the ok from the doctor to start running again. With the air being much more clean and fresh here in Japan than it was in Korea (this may have something to do with being in a much smaller and less densely populated city) I am happily back to running OUTSIDE again, after more than a year of running in one place on the evil torture machine commonly called a "treadmill". I am 3 weeks into an 8 week 5K training program, after which I will be moving on to an 8 week 10K program. My goal is to run the 10K in the Sakura Asahi Health Marathon on March 29th. People that know me well know that I need to have a goal in mind to keep me motivated, so my friend Gail and I will be running this together. Now I have a commitment and zero excuse not to get my butt out the door and run 3 days a week.

I had my first Japanese lesson last week. I have been studying on my own, both with a textbook and some audio lessons. So far I am probably at the level of a 3 year old, which is fine for now, since I can at least ask where the washroom is, order a drink, ask how much something is, and a few other bits of polite conversation. Le monsieur is my current motivation for this project, as he considers himself quite accomplished at the nihongo (Japanese), and I must admit he showed pretty well on our last trip to Japan, so I would like to be able to keep up with him by the end of the year. I am hoping once the International Centre finds me a teacher that I will be able to take 2 lessons a week, as well as studying on my own, so I should be able to make good progress in a short time. I am also planning to start my TESOL course in the new year, so my already busy schedule is about to get a whole lot busier in 2009.

On the social end, things have been getting interesting. I had my first all-nighter in Tokyo a few weeks ago. One of my coworkers, Natasha, quite possibly the funniest person ever, is a comedian and takes part in an improv show in Tokyo. We decided to take in the show and head out for a night of dancing afterward. We ended up making some friends along the way and took our little party to karaoke to round out the evening, and finished up the night watching the sun rise over the empty *gasp* streets of Ginza on our way home (Ginza is normally wall to wall people, people who walk reeeeeaaaalllllly slowly and block the whole sidewalk, I might add...grrrr!).

I have also done a couple of crazy long bike rides along the river with Gail, who with her extra long legs puts me through my paces the entire way. The scenery is gorgeous though, and the weather continues to be pretty mild, at least in the daytime, and we have been treated to some beautiful sunny days here lately, making for good biking weather. Our first trip out was to attend a fall festival, which was a lot of fun, as we got to take in some traditional Japanese drumming, and enjoy checking out the "petting zoo" which consisted of some baby chicks and bunnies, and some other fauna, including a peacock, and turkey, which Gail briefly considered coming back for being as it was just before American Thanksgiving, and not a turkey in sight in the grocery store ;) The second time we decided to check out the "city" of Sakura, only to find out we were way out in the sticks, with not much to see or do. We walked around for a good 20 minutes or so just trying to find a ramen shop to grab a quick lunch. When we finally did find one, it was obvious the locals were not used to seeing many gaijin (foreigners) around, as everyone stopped what they were doing to have a good gawk at us...AWKWARD! Looks like we will be looking for a new destination for future excursions!

My next adventure took me to Narita-san, one of the biggest and most beautiful temples around in this area. I happened to go on a day where there was some kind of service going on so I decided to go in and watch. I am interested in learning more about Buddhism while I am here and I am told that there are temples stays available in some areas so I am looking into finding one to go to sometime in the new year. The grounds around the temple were really lovely too, lots of nice walking trails. Unfortunately for me it started to rain on my trip there, and I ended up getting soaked before I decided I had enough pictures and headed home. It was definitely worth the trip though, in spite of the rain.

So back to Christmas. This year I will be spending the holidays in Kyoto. Kyoto is one of the most traditional areas in Japan, so I am really looking forward to it. There should be lots of exciting things to see, temples, shrines, and maybe even a geisha or 2. I found out after making the decision to go that my coworker and friend, Justine had also planned on going, so we decided to go together. She had found a lovely ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) so we will be doing it up in old school Japanese style for the week that we are there. Luckily I have already become used to sleeping on a futon, which is not like a western futon, but more like a pad you put on the floor to sleep on, so this won't be an adjustment for me. That's right folks, I sleep on the floor, just like the Japanese folks do. A year of sleepover style bedding. Gotta love it. We are hoping to take in a kabuki show while we are there (this is a type of traditional Japanese theatre where all the parts are played by men, even the parts of women, kind of like in the old days in Shakespearean England when women were not allowed to perform in the theatre)and hopefully spend a day or 2 in Osaka, T's old stomping grounds, just to see what they have to offer. So stay tuned for plenty of new photos on Facebook coming in the near future.

The new year has lots in store too as some friends and I recently purchased tickets to go see a Sumo match. Though I am not a big sumo fan myself, I thought since this is an only-in-Japan experience, I ought to check it out at least once while I am here. Should be interesting! I am more interested to see the reaction of the crowd than the match itself. Sometimes it's the most unexpected things that you see that end up being the most interesting.

Well, that's about it for now. I will sign off here with a few pictures. I will try to get back on here for another installment before the holidays begin and then again once I get back. Much love,

~Jenny

Ginza, on a regular evening.

Unexpected windmill on the way to Sakura

Taeko drumming at the fall festival

The reason I have a job...Engrish...

The main temple building at Narita-san

The rainy courtyard...and me without my umbrella!

1 + month in

2008-10-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

So in keeping with my resolution, I am trying to write at least once or twice a month here. I am not even sure if anyone is reading the latest updates, but it's good for me to practice my writing skills and just document my experience of living abroad and learning a new culture. I have now been in this country for 6 weeks and am finally starting to enjoy my life here. After the crazy schedule of last year as a teacher in Korea, I have to say that so far the Japanese experience has been a lot more pleasant job-wise. Last year it was a grueling schedule of 9 classes a day and a less than supportive environment. This year I am actually starting to feel like a real teacher, as I have a great schedule with plenty of time for preparation. I feel like an actual professional, as opposed to a slave. My current gig of about 5 classes a day, working out to about 4 actual hours of teaching is making me feel a lot more relaxed and like I am actually doing something that makes me happy and causes me virtually no stress. Who knew?
Additionally, I am starting to make some friends and have some semblance of a social life. I love my apartment, my students, and life in general is starting to become normal again. That homesick feeling is starting to recede and I am really starting to believe that this is doable. It was touch and go there for a while!
Not only has my work life started to bring me joy, but I have recently had a spiritual experience as well. My new friend Lisa was kind enough to invite me along to a temple service she was going to this week. I was raised in a Christian household but have long since stopped practicing and this has left me with an empty place in my heart as I have often felt I was searching for something in my life. Being brought up with a firm belief system, being without one for the most part for the last few years has caused a feeling of lostness, for lack of a better word. (Note, this is not an actual word...sometimes I just make them up...and yes, I am an English teacher.) I have been interested in learning more about Buddhism for some time now, but I have never quite known how to go about it. Luckily for me, this week I got my first introduction to a Buddhist service. Japan is primarily Buddhist and Shinto, with about one third each of the population practicing one or the other. The service I attended has certainly piqued my interest and I am excited to learn more during my stay here. I was informed by our hostess that learning about Japanese religion is a great way to learn about Japanese culture. Whether this is something I will eventually practice or not remains to be seen, but I am glad to be able to learn a little more about it if it brings me closer to understanding more about the culture I am currently living in.
I am also starting to pick up some Japanese as my friend Gail was kind enough to lend me her flashcards. So far I have a pretty good grasp of the Hiragana characters, and am hoping to master the Katakana next week. It is a humbling experience to be an educated person and be basically illiterate when moving to a new country. I am at least on my way to fixing that. I have also signed up for Japanese lessons and am hoping to start with that as soon as a teacher can be found. In the meantime I am committing to putting in more time with my teach-yourself textbook in hopes of at least mastering some "survival Japanese".
Being that I have so much more time on my hands these days, I am learning a lot about myself too. So far I have learned a few valuable lessons about myself, and life in general. I have learned that I can be by myself, that I am learning to be comfortable with only my own company. I am learning that keeping your cool is paramount and that being calm is much more effective than freaking out (thanks Mom, for the help with that one). I have learned that saying goodbye to someone you love is the hardest thing to do, but that sometimes it is necessary in order for people to grow. I have learned the importance of telling someone you love them every time you talk to them, as you never know if it will be the last time you speak to them. Nothing is promised except for this moment, so you must make sure to make every moment count. A difference in language need not be a barrier, as actions speak louder than words. I have learned that you can find anything on YouTube, even instructions on how to use a rice cooker. I have learned that I like pumpkin and have become a bit of a junkie. I have learned how to book it for the bathroom in case of an earthquake. Ok, so some of these lessons have been practical, and others have been in the self-development vein, however the point is that I am learning, and that I am growing as a person...and after all, wasn't that kind of the point of this adventure?
Until next time...remember...all I know of love is love is all there is...much love to all folks!

Settling In

2008-09-21T09:53:00.001-07:00

So far another week has passed, fairly uneventfully. My bike retrieval mission was successful and I am settling in to my classes nicely and starting to make some friends. The homesickness is slowly but surely easing. There are still a few adjustments that I am still getting used to however. Today I experienced not one, but 2 earthquakes. The second of which was quite minor, only a 1 on the Shindo scale
(hardly noticeable, except that I was sitting in front of my computer not doing a whole lot, so I noticed! The first one of the day was enough to wake me up, this one being a 3, however due to a night out of, ahem, socializing and getting to bed rather late, I lay in bed and thought, when stuff starts falling off the walls, I'll get up. Until then, I'll just lie here next to this load bearing beam and enjoy the ride. Does this mean I am becoming Japanese?
Gail, my new awesome friend from Philly, and I awoke hungry for pizza, however as neither of us has mastered the pizza-ordering lingo yet, and it was too late in Canada to call my usual coach in such matters (you know who you are) we decided that a trip to the grocery store was in order. Unfortunately it was also raining cats and dogs all day today, so Gail decided to brave the elements with the one umbrella we had between the 2 of us (hers). What a sweetie! Sadly we weren't able to make it out for our planned bike ride to Tokyo bay, however both our sore heads were probably thanking the uncooperative weather for sparing us having to do any physical activity today.
All in all it was well worth it as I also met a nice couple of England, Beth and Matt, who are quite lovely and I hope to get to see more of in future.
As usual, I am never good with getting out the camera, but here are a few pics of us out enjoying a relaxing evening of delicious Japanese food and beers :)

The funny key thingy I used to lock up my shoes

Gail, Beth and our MANY empty glasses

Lovely new friends

Gail and I after enjoying a few cold ones

Next Leg-Adventure: Japan!

2008-09-14T06:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been about 9 months since my last post. You'd almost think I had fallen off the planet or something! Let's just say that I have been busy and distracted by a) a cute boy, b) a dislocated foot requiring a week-long hospital stay and 6 week recovery and c) a 2 month long vacation. Seeing as I am now on this adventure by myself with plenty of time on my hands, I should be able to post a little more regularly for this leg of the journey.

I have now been in Japan for about 3 weeks and am just starting to settle in. Though I am finding the homesickness a bit harder this time around, I know that since I am starting to make friends here and becoming busy with work that this will likely pass soon enough. Missing aforementioned boy is making things a bit harder this time but even that will (hopefully) become easier with time.

I spent an absolutely fantastic summer this year which included a trip home to Newfoundland, a whirlwind tour of Europe including Amsterdam, Paris and London (sadly didn't get to see much of London due to having only one night there), some time spent with friends, family, and new acquaintances in Halifax, a few short days in Toronto to see old friends, time spent in Barrie with the folks, and then a week in Edmonton with Dad, 'lil bro and sis. Two months sounds like a long vacation on paper, but the reality is that it was over far too soon and I am looking forward to seeing everyone again in the not too distant future.

So far I have not had too much adventuring since arrival. The first month or two are the hardest starting out as finances are at their least desirable after not working for the last 2 months (eek!) however another month or 2 and I should be back to my old self, soaking up all Japan has to offer. I have managed one short day trip to Tokyo so far, which was a fun filled day of shopping (mostly browsing really), walking and people watching. So far have scratched Harajuku and Shinjuku off my list and am hoping for another trip sometime soon. It is just a short train ride away as we are connected to the Toyko subway system out here in Chiba, though it does take about 40 minutes or so to get in. It's kind of like the Mississauga of Japan, as it were.

I also recently bought a bike and have been doing a little bit of exploring in this area. Made a new friend this week and she has advised me of a lovely biking trail leading to a Dutch style windmill (which I didn't even see in Holland, believe it or not) so I am hoping to check that out in the coming weeks. I had a bit of a misadventure today while out riding...managed to get myself lost and had to park my bike and take the train back as it was getting dark and I could not remember how to retrace my steps. Tomorrow's adventure: Bicycle Retrieval Japan! Argh! On a happier note however my mother would have been proud as I did not panic or lose my cool in usual Jenny style, but managed to hold in all but a very few blinked back tears of frustration when I accidentally got off at the wrong train stop and had to get back on. New mission: find map of Funabashi city-in English! (cue Mission Impossible theme song)

Also in sad news, I am sorry to report that I lost my grandmother a couple of weeks ago to cancer. She had been battling leukemia and the effects of chemo for the last year and a half just about, and was recently diagnosed with another type of cancer. I was very sad to hear of her passing, and even more upset to have not been able to be there for the service and to grieve with my family. She was a fantastic person, very giving, selfless, and had an amazing, unwavering faith that I deeply admired. She was another adventurer like me, and I am proud to know that this is one trait that I have inherited from her. I will miss you Nanny, but I know that you are in a better place, and no one deserves to be in paradise more than you. I love you...God Bless...

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the summer and my first few weeks here...I really must learn to get the camera out more. Until next time...Sayanora!

Me, under the Eiffel Tower-a dream come true!

Avec mon amour

After riding the terrifying Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland

With some of my favourite ladies!

Baby sis at the dinosaur museum in Drumheller

Delicious Coco Curry...I know SOMEONE'S jealous!

Near Shinjuku station, one of the busiest stations in the world, where nearly 4 million people pass through daily.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T04:49:00.000-08:00

Hello all...time for another installment to update on how the holidays were spent here on the other side of the world. Fortunately, it ended up being a much merrier Christmas holiday than I expected. A little extra time off to spend with new friends and "family" that I have made since my arrival in Korea 9 months ago. I am still finding it hard to believe that so much time has passed already and that there are only 3 months left to my contract, and another 3 more after that until my return to my homeland for a much needed rest and catch up session with my "Canada People" :D
I just finished a 3 day weekend, which is a nice change from the usual 1 day off a week. Last week was a bit of a whirlwind, spending time doing some last minute shopping and holiday baking. You would not believe how hard it is to find baking ingredients in this country! It took me a week and 5 stores just to find coconut and rice crispies! Can you believe it!? I will say though that having a lovely boy in my life at this time of year did wonders in making this holiday season much brighter than it would have been under other circumstances. The holiday baking was to make some chocolate mice for his stocking this year..just like granny Squires used to make...well, maybe not just like, but a reasonable Korean facsimile anyways...it was well worth the effort though, as they did turn out edible in the end...after much hassle with the chocolate coating. They just don't do parowax here in Korea. But a burned batch and a few experiments with melting later and they were done...at the very last minute I might add...
The weekend was spent with a romantic and delicious dinner at one of the 2 local Thai restaurants (my favourite :D) and the exchange of lovers tokens, and then it was off to Daejeon for my whirlwind of visiting. Amazing how at the end of a holiday you feel more tired than when you started! However, it was great to see Kerri and Chris, my Korean family, 2 fabulous people from Scotland and Oz respectively. Being as they are so far away, I don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like, but it is always time well spent when we can make the journeys required to enjoy each other's company. We spent the day Monday shopping for secret Santa gifts and then went to a party with the Daejeon teachers crew. Good times were had by all, no small thanks to Chris and his party games, pictures of which can be seen on Facebook. We ended the night at a bar ironically named Santa Claus for some dancing and general reveling in the holiday spirit. Fun times :)
Monday it was back to Busan for Christmas dinner at the Seaman's Club. A rare treat to find a turkey dinner in this country and it was enjoyed by all in attendance (except for the OYSTER stuffing, EW!) Otherwise it was a great meal enjoyed with good friends and a fantastic way to round up the holiday festivities.
Today it is sadly back to the grind, but only for a few days and then it's another 4 day weekend to ring in the New Year. Plans are still not solidified, but the main thing is to spend time with the people you care about so I expect this year's celebrations will be very enjoyable regardless of where the evening takes us.
That's about all the news this week but I will be back with more updates in 2008. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2008! Can't wait to see all the folks from home...the summer is not so very far away. Lots of love from Korea! xo

Here goes...

2007-12-12T06:50:00.001-08:00

After recently receiving a suggestion that I might want to consider a blog for people to keep up to date at home, I have decided to shut down my awful Myspace blog, which consisted mostly of me blathering on about nothing in particular. Friends and family may find this an interesting way to find out all the goings on on this side of the planet. It is my hope that I will be able to keep posting on a regular basis, provided that my life here continues to be a source of new and interesting experiences, which thus far it has proven to be.
Life has been very busy lately. I find myself working very long hours and the future just promises to get busier as the January intensive period is fast approaching. Just when I thought I hardly have a moment to myself, the moments are about to get scarcer. No matter though, thankfully this intensive period is sandwiched in between what are promising to be two very fun-filled vacations...and I am currently t-minus 3 months and 19 days to the end of contract #1. It's hard to believe it will very soon be a full year since I left home. With the hectic schedule at work, the time has literally flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was waving goodbye to Mom as I prepared for my first international flight, passport in hand and tears in my eyes. So far it has been quite the adventure.
So on to the good stuff. For those who have not been kept in the loop, there are 2 vacations approaching. Christmas break will be 3 days followed by 3 days of work and an additional 4 days of play! It has been almost 3 months since the last vacation, in fact the longest stretch of the year without a break to the monotony, so I am really looking forward to some R & R. The weekend of the 21st and 22nd are to be spent with the lovely new man in my life (the subject of the aforementioned gentle prodding that in essence has given life to this new creation I am embarking on today). This followed by a couple of days relaxing in Daejeon with my Korean "family", a bunch of amazing people that I have the privilege of callingthe closest friends that I have met since coming to Korea. Though they are far away, Daejeon and Seoul (2 hours and 3 hours away by train, respectively) we have managed to get in a visit nearly every month since arriving here at the same time. Though I do admit that I am sad to be so far away from my family at this time of the year, I am very happy to have some great people to surround myself with, and I know that having them around for the holidays will help make the season a lot brighter. The New Year vacation is shaping up to be a skiing/snowboarding weekend outside of Seoul followed by....well, not too sure at this point. Plans are still being decided for the big last night of 2007, though I expect decisions will be made in fairly short order.
But it is the second vacation that I am getting really excited about. The lovely aforementioned man has come through in a big way by finding some very-hard-to-come-by tickets to...OKINAWA! It literally took the better part of a week of searching before tickets could be found, being as this break is one of the most popular vacationing seasons of the year for Koreans, and most of the seats to anywhere exotic were sold out two months in advance. For those of you not familiar with Okinawa, it is in the southernmost part of Japan, and is a subtropical destination, boasting white sand beaches and temperatures of around 20 to 25 year round. A welcome change for mid-February. Perfect weather, in fact, for me, since I find temperatures in the 30's to be a little warmer than is comfortable. Here is a little preview of the destination:

Oh yes...be jealous ;)

In other news, the Tae Kwon Do is going well. I have completed by blue belt grading, with my brown belt being next on the itinerary, likely that will be happening sometime in January. Moon Gwan Jang Nim (master) is expecting that I will be doing my black belt grading by the spring...I wish that I had as much confidence in my abilities as he does...but we shall see how I progress over the next few months.

Well, that's just about all the news for now. I will leave you with a few of my favourite images taken from the last few months. Until next time, Annyonghi Kaseyo :)

The sprawling metropolis...just one view...it stretches out in all directions like this..this shot was taken from Busan tower.

My lovely orientation peeps, some of which I will be sharing the holidays with...you know who you are ;)

Orange Class at Halloween...the cutest kindies EVER!

Two adorable Canadians...who might they be?