Japan_Bound
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Make the Madness Stop!! . . .
Well, here we are, just 2 days before our departure from what has come to feel like home. To say that I'm excited to see all of you would be a HUGE understatement, but to say I'm excited about leaving would be a lie. Yours truly, rarely at a loss for words, has been trying so hard to think of an eloquent, final blog entry and can come up with nothing. Right now I'm a jumble of emotions, just as I was when I left to come here. Only this time there's such an air of finality that something inside me hurts. And I feel so guilty saying that; as if you'll think that I don't love you with all of my heart. I never thought leaving here would be so hard.
That's enough of that. Here's what we've been up to:
Friday I met an old friend in Osaka and she took me to an amazing Balinese restaurant. That was my first time to try Balinese food and it was really good - not as good as Thai or Indonesian, in my opinion, but still really good. And it was so nice to see Saeko again after so long; we used to spend so much time together but both got transferred to opposite ends of Kansai, so seeing eachother has been next to impossible - I'm greatful she was able to meet with me. But again, so sad to say yet another goodbye.
Saturday . . . I can't remember, for the life of me, what we did.
Sunday I met Ami, another Japanese friend/Nova staff, for coffee in Ibaraki. She had to work an hour after closing so I waited for her in the staff room which was really strange. Nothing had changed, obviously (apart from some new, hideous pink carpet and my things no longer being on the walls) but it definitely didn't feel familiar. Which is strange, because I only stopped working there a week and a half ago. It just didn't feel like my place anymore. God, it's been a strange couple of weeks . . . Anyway, after we parted, I met Jesse, his boss and a Japanese couple they're friends with, in Kyoto for yet another crazy all-nighter. We spent time at two different bars then went to karaoke (so glad I got to do that one last time before leaving). It was really, really fun and I only regret not having hung out with them sooner - I now see why Jesse sang their praises so profusely, and I know it was really hard for him to say goodbye to his friends. We ended up cabbing it home and hit the hay at around 6 this morning.
This morning we only slept until just after 10 (neither of us is sleeping well AT ALL). Today consisted mainly of suffering through hangovers while trying to organize/pack/clean the house in this godforsaken heat. Strangely enough, I think we're going to fit everything into our suitcases and STILL manage to come in under the weight limit. When we'd had enough of that we took our videos back and then headed over to Jusco to buy headphones - I checked the United Airlines website and the movies on our flight really suck, so we downloaded the first season of Friends to watch on the plane. But we needed an adapter that you can use for 2 sets of headphones, and now that's one more errand out of the way. When we got back Jesse washed all the dishes (don't even want to admit how big the pile was this time around) and we both agreed that we're not going to cook or dirty anymore dishes before leaving. We're just drained and want as little to think about/do as humanly possible these next 2 days.
Speaking of which, all we've got on the roster is closing our bank accounts and cancelling our phones. We're cancelling our phones at about 4 P.M. on Wednesday afternoon, which is midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for you - if you want to call us before we depart, that'll be your last chance. We decided against recharging our phone card - since we'll only be here for 2 more days, the $70 didn't really seem necessary. But we will have internet right up until the last minute, as the next tenant took over our contract - so feel free to email with any last minute advice/support/words of wisdom - just don't say anything too sappy to make me cry as I'd probably snap and, once and for all, completely lose it.
That's all for now. Will blog again one last time just before leaving. Take care!!
Well, here we are, just 2 days before our departure from what has come to feel like home. To say that I'm excited to see all of you would be a HUGE understatement, but to say I'm excited about leaving would be a lie. Yours truly, rarely at a loss for words, has been trying so hard to think of an eloquent, final blog entry and can come up with nothing. Right now I'm a jumble of emotions, just as I was when I left to come here. Only this time there's such an air of finality that something inside me hurts. And I feel so guilty saying that; as if you'll think that I don't love you with all of my heart. I never thought leaving here would be so hard.
That's enough of that. Here's what we've been up to:
Friday I met an old friend in Osaka and she took me to an amazing Balinese restaurant. That was my first time to try Balinese food and it was really good - not as good as Thai or Indonesian, in my opinion, but still really good. And it was so nice to see Saeko again after so long; we used to spend so much time together but both got transferred to opposite ends of Kansai, so seeing eachother has been next to impossible - I'm greatful she was able to meet with me. But again, so sad to say yet another goodbye.
Saturday . . . I can't remember, for the life of me, what we did.
Sunday I met Ami, another Japanese friend/Nova staff, for coffee in Ibaraki. She had to work an hour after closing so I waited for her in the staff room which was really strange. Nothing had changed, obviously (apart from some new, hideous pink carpet and my things no longer being on the walls) but it definitely didn't feel familiar. Which is strange, because I only stopped working there a week and a half ago. It just didn't feel like my place anymore. God, it's been a strange couple of weeks . . . Anyway, after we parted, I met Jesse, his boss and a Japanese couple they're friends with, in Kyoto for yet another crazy all-nighter. We spent time at two different bars then went to karaoke (so glad I got to do that one last time before leaving). It was really, really fun and I only regret not having hung out with them sooner - I now see why Jesse sang their praises so profusely, and I know it was really hard for him to say goodbye to his friends. We ended up cabbing it home and hit the hay at around 6 this morning.
This morning we only slept until just after 10 (neither of us is sleeping well AT ALL). Today consisted mainly of suffering through hangovers while trying to organize/pack/clean the house in this godforsaken heat. Strangely enough, I think we're going to fit everything into our suitcases and STILL manage to come in under the weight limit. When we'd had enough of that we took our videos back and then headed over to Jusco to buy headphones - I checked the United Airlines website and the movies on our flight really suck, so we downloaded the first season of Friends to watch on the plane. But we needed an adapter that you can use for 2 sets of headphones, and now that's one more errand out of the way. When we got back Jesse washed all the dishes (don't even want to admit how big the pile was this time around) and we both agreed that we're not going to cook or dirty anymore dishes before leaving. We're just drained and want as little to think about/do as humanly possible these next 2 days.
Speaking of which, all we've got on the roster is closing our bank accounts and cancelling our phones. We're cancelling our phones at about 4 P.M. on Wednesday afternoon, which is midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for you - if you want to call us before we depart, that'll be your last chance. We decided against recharging our phone card - since we'll only be here for 2 more days, the $70 didn't really seem necessary. But we will have internet right up until the last minute, as the next tenant took over our contract - so feel free to email with any last minute advice/support/words of wisdom - just don't say anything too sappy to make me cry as I'd probably snap and, once and for all, completely lose it.
That's all for now. Will blog again one last time just before leaving. Take care!!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Time Keeps on Slipping . . .
My God we are sooo busy. As sad as I am to leave, I can't wait to get on the blessed plane so all the planning, organizing and general stressing out can stop already!!
Sunday evening we went to an izekaya in Ibaraki for my sayonara party - it was really fun and I only cried for about two seconds when everyone made me make a speech. They made a really beautiful speech too and it was wonderful to hear them say such nice things about me (all lies, I'm sure!!). We finished up there at about 12 then Jesse and I caught the train to Osaka with Helen (a great gal who will now be A.T. at my old school), where we danced the night away. At 5, when the bar closed, a big group of us went to "Royal Host" for a
huge pancake scoff; just what the doctor ordered (Jesse and I had started drinking at home at around 6 and didn't stop until 5 when we got kicked out of the bar). The A.T.M. machines were not working so we couldn't get any money out (they're only open from 8 A.M. to 11 P.M. here which is bloody inconvenient, and I don't mind saying!!) and therefore couldn't get our bikes out of the bike park, having spent our last yen on the train ride home. So we had to walk home (I was in heels, not having planned to be out all night dancing and galavanting). We finally got to bed at 8 and only slept until about 2. Then we had to walk, hungover in the stifling heat, all the way back to the bike park, and then ride home. We spent the evening doing absolutely nothing.
Yesterday, Tuesday, I woke up at 5 A.M. to a huge thunderstorm raging outside. Ofcourse I had to get up and watch it, but couldn't get back to sleep afterward. So I got about 4 hours of sleep that night. Yesterday afternoon I met two Japanese friends in Kyoto for lunch and then we spent the day wandering around. Saw another maiko in Gion, had a great pasta lunch, did a lot of window shopping, and balled when I had to say goodbye to them. That's become a habit now. Then I caught a train home and Jesse and I went to our favorite yakitori restaurant for the last time. We rented some movies but he ended up going out and didn't roll in until 7 this morning.
I couldn't get to sleep after he came back (4 hours that night) but had to get up at 9 anyway because a guy from the recycle shop came to haul away all of the stuff we haven't been able to sell in our sayonara sale. We got financially raped (maybe 1% of what we paid) but whatever; now it's gone and I don't have to stress out about it anymore or throw it all out. Then we got ready and caught a train to Shinsaibashi where we met 3 of my ex-students for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. (Do you see a pattern? No sleep, too much drinking, and too much eating - but Jesse says we should live it up because who knows when we'll be back, which is true). We had a great time - Jesse was a hit, as usual. Then I cried some more when I had to say goodbye to them, and Jess and I went and each bought a Japanese C.D. to bring home as we haven't bought any music while we've been here. Jess slept on the train for about 30 minutes then had to go to work. So he's had about 2 hours of sleep yet and I've had 4, but he has to work and is planning on going out drinking tonight. How does he do it? . . .
Tomorrow we are getting up early (or rather, I suspect I'll be getting up early ALONE) to go to the gym - all this eating and drinking is worrying me as I'm terrified of putting on some of the weight I've worked SO hard to lose. Don't know if it's age or the medication I was on, but it is not as easy to lose as it once was. Anyway, after the gym we're schlepping about 60+ books to a bookstore in Kyoto that buys used English books - I don't care how much we get for them, it's just one less thing to worry about and I could never in good conscience throw them out. And since I just spent $400 shipping 4 big boxes home last week, I don't think I'll be shipping home a bunch of books.
That's about all for now - sorry I haven't been more informative or descriptive. I'm just exhausted. But with all the nerves and anticipation, I honestly don't think either of us will get a decent sleep until we're on the plane.
Chow for now!!!
My God we are sooo busy. As sad as I am to leave, I can't wait to get on the blessed plane so all the planning, organizing and general stressing out can stop already!!
Sunday evening we went to an izekaya in Ibaraki for my sayonara party - it was really fun and I only cried for about two seconds when everyone made me make a speech. They made a really beautiful speech too and it was wonderful to hear them say such nice things about me (all lies, I'm sure!!). We finished up there at about 12 then Jesse and I caught the train to Osaka with Helen (a great gal who will now be A.T. at my old school), where we danced the night away. At 5, when the bar closed, a big group of us went to "Royal Host" for a
huge pancake scoff; just what the doctor ordered (Jesse and I had started drinking at home at around 6 and didn't stop until 5 when we got kicked out of the bar). The A.T.M. machines were not working so we couldn't get any money out (they're only open from 8 A.M. to 11 P.M. here which is bloody inconvenient, and I don't mind saying!!) and therefore couldn't get our bikes out of the bike park, having spent our last yen on the train ride home. So we had to walk home (I was in heels, not having planned to be out all night dancing and galavanting). We finally got to bed at 8 and only slept until about 2. Then we had to walk, hungover in the stifling heat, all the way back to the bike park, and then ride home. We spent the evening doing absolutely nothing.Yesterday, Tuesday, I woke up at 5 A.M. to a huge thunderstorm raging outside. Ofcourse I had to get up and watch it, but couldn't get back to sleep afterward. So I got about 4 hours of sleep that night. Yesterday afternoon I met two Japanese friends in Kyoto for lunch and then we spent the day wandering around. Saw another maiko in Gion, had a great pasta lunch, did a lot of window shopping, and balled when I had to say goodbye to them. That's become a habit now. Then I caught a train home and Jesse and I went to our favorite yakitori restaurant for the last time. We rented some movies but he ended up going out and didn't roll in until 7 this morning.
I couldn't get to sleep after he came back (4 hours that night) but had to get up at 9 anyway because a guy from the recycle shop came to haul away all of the stuff we haven't been able to sell in our sayonara sale. We got financially raped (maybe 1% of what we paid) but whatever; now it's gone and I don't have to stress out about it anymore or throw it all out. Then we got ready and caught a train to Shinsaibashi where we met 3 of my ex-students for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. (Do you see a pattern? No sleep, too much drinking, and too much eating - but Jesse says we should live it up because who knows when we'll be back, which is true). We had a great time - Jesse was a hit, as usual. Then I cried some more when I had to say goodbye to them, and Jess and I went and each bought a Japanese C.D. to bring home as we haven't bought any music while we've been here. Jess slept on the train for about 30 minutes then had to go to work. So he's had about 2 hours of sleep yet and I've had 4, but he has to work and is planning on going out drinking tonight. How does he do it? . . .
Tomorrow we are getting up early (or rather, I suspect I'll be getting up early ALONE) to go to the gym - all this eating and drinking is worrying me as I'm terrified of putting on some of the weight I've worked SO hard to lose. Don't know if it's age or the medication I was on, but it is not as easy to lose as it once was. Anyway, after the gym we're schlepping about 60+ books to a bookstore in Kyoto that buys used English books - I don't care how much we get for them, it's just one less thing to worry about and I could never in good conscience throw them out. And since I just spent $400 shipping 4 big boxes home last week, I don't think I'll be shipping home a bunch of books.
That's about all for now - sorry I haven't been more informative or descriptive. I'm just exhausted. But with all the nerves and anticipation, I honestly don't think either of us will get a decent sleep until we're on the plane.
Chow for now!!!
Monday, August 15, 2005
All good things . . .
Well I did it - I made it to the last day of work in one piece, but just barely. Yours truly doesn't plan ahead very well, so I planned my last day/sayonara Voice on a day that happened to be one of the most important holidays in Japan - obon. Which means the school was pretty empty today. There would normally be 100+ students on a Monday, but today there were about 20 in total, and 10 of them came to my sayonara Voice (Voice is a room where we have free conversation and no limit on how many students can attend, and every teacher that leaves has a special sayonara Voice as sayonara means goodbye in Japanese). I gave the students a handout with 20 questions about me and they were able to answer most of them perfectly. Most of us were pretty teary at the end and I got 2 really good pictures to cherish for the rest of my life, along with the book they'd made me that staff, students and teachers had signed. As I said in the email I just sent most of you, I finally feel like I've accomplished something real in my life. For the past month I've
been showered with gifts and affection and there have been more tears than I care to count. I hadn't realized how much these people had come to mean to me. And they definitely taught me more than I could have possibly taught them. Jesse and I were talking the other day about how happy we are and how glad we are that we came. Not to be morbid, but I said that I am no longer scared of death. I obviously don't want to die and feel like there's still so much more to do, but at this moment in my life I am completely and utterly content for the first time ever. Happy in my own skin and all that, and feeling like coming here was the best possible decision I ever could have made. When I set out on this crazy adventure of mine I had no idea what it would be like or mean to me in the grand scheme of things. I never really considered myself to be a fatalist, but I can't help but think that coming here was my destiny; someone or something knew I needed these people and these experiences and I am so filled up with gratitude that I can barely find the words to express myself. As I said, I was pretty teary in Voice and all day for that matter, but it still hasn't really hit me that I'm never going to work there again. Perhaps my emotions won't pull out the big guns until I'm home - who knows.
As for what else we've been up to, last week I finally got to go to that river in Arashiyama where Jess always goes with his friends. Arashiyama and Kiyotaki, where the river is, are really beautiful parts of northern Kyoto and I'm really glad I had a chance to go. The river itself is surrounded by forests, trails, waterfalls etc. and I felt so much like I was at home that I actually started to feel excited about coming home. It was 38 degrees C that day so after hiking around the river for an hour we were pretty ready to jump in - it was heaven. 
We spent the afternoon jumping in and out as needed and sharing a picnic lunch. It was wonderful - until we had to head back that is. By the time we made it back to the bus stop (an hour uphill most of the way) we were sweating like pigs and wanted to die. There was no escape and no relief until the bus driver, who made us wait outside in the sun for half an hour, finally let us on the bus to bask in the air conditioning (we were not impressed or amused).
Tomorrow I'm off to take care of that surprise I've mentioned to you - you'll just have to wait and see what that is - and thank you for the kind and helpful inquiries, but no I am NOT getting a boob job or a sex change operation. After that I've got to go back to the doctor's for a 3rd time - yes, after the terrible serious expiratory disease fiasco the medicine helped for 2 days and then my sore throat came back even worse than before. So I went back, was told that time that I had tonsilitis and a bleeding throat ulcer, got 5 more medications, had to inhale smoke from the medieval torture device and again the medicine helped for a couple of days before crapping out. Now my throat is so sore that I can't even eat popsicles because it's sheer agony. Who in the hell knows what they'll be able to do for me but I'd still like to see a doctor because 6 weeks of this getting worse and worse doesn't seem normal. A bunch of people at work have sore throats right now - due probably to the air conditioners - but they said it's not at all bad and more just irritated. God I can't wait to be in a normal climate with doctors who understand more than every 50th word.
And tomorrow, after those 2 things are taken care of, we're off to Kyoto for a really coo
l festival where they light all the shapes on the mountainsides on fire. Jesse has been excited about this for so long and despite wanting to cut out my tonsils myself, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Not only will it be our last Japanese festival, but apparently people just sort of camp out around the mountains - drinking etc. until the trains start running the next morning. Sounds like it's going to be really fun.
And after that, well who knows really. Jess wants to get a tattoo before we leave, we have so many things to do in preparation for leaving - like calling the shipping company (ahem . . . Meegan has a few odds and ends to send home), change the name on our utilities, find out about Jesse's plane ticket which wasn't sent along with mine, etc. etc. Oh yeah, and eat at all of our favorite restaurants before leaving. Last Friday we spent the day sitting beside the river in Kyoto, drinking beer/chu-hi and watching the birds catch fish, then went to our favorite Indian restaurant for the last time. Man I can't believe I went 26 years without ever having tried Indian food . . . but I'll make up for it now!! ;) This coming Sunday is my sayonara party; as most of my friends have since departed it will mainly be people from work; both my current school and people from other schools I've taught at. Next week Jesse and I are having lunch with 3 of my ex-students - ha ha, I can hang out with them now!!! And in my last couple of days I have plans to meet with some of the Japanese staff from my old schools. It's going to be busy! I'm exhausted already and I know when we leave I'll feel the same way I felt when I left to come here - relieved that all the planning, preparing, and goodbyes are over.
That's about all for now. Will keep you updated! I'm wondering if I should change the name of my blog to Canada_bound?!
Well I did it - I made it to the last day of work in one piece, but just barely. Yours truly doesn't plan ahead very well, so I planned my last day/sayonara Voice on a day that happened to be one of the most important holidays in Japan - obon. Which means the school was pretty empty today. There would normally be 100+ students on a Monday, but today there were about 20 in total, and 10 of them came to my sayonara Voice (Voice is a room where we have free conversation and no limit on how many students can attend, and every teacher that leaves has a special sayonara Voice as sayonara means goodbye in Japanese). I gave the students a handout with 20 questions about me and they were able to answer most of them perfectly. Most of us were pretty teary at the end and I got 2 really good pictures to cherish for the rest of my life, along with the book they'd made me that staff, students and teachers had signed. As I said in the email I just sent most of you, I finally feel like I've accomplished something real in my life. For the past month I've
been showered with gifts and affection and there have been more tears than I care to count. I hadn't realized how much these people had come to mean to me. And they definitely taught me more than I could have possibly taught them. Jesse and I were talking the other day about how happy we are and how glad we are that we came. Not to be morbid, but I said that I am no longer scared of death. I obviously don't want to die and feel like there's still so much more to do, but at this moment in my life I am completely and utterly content for the first time ever. Happy in my own skin and all that, and feeling like coming here was the best possible decision I ever could have made. When I set out on this crazy adventure of mine I had no idea what it would be like or mean to me in the grand scheme of things. I never really considered myself to be a fatalist, but I can't help but think that coming here was my destiny; someone or something knew I needed these people and these experiences and I am so filled up with gratitude that I can barely find the words to express myself. As I said, I was pretty teary in Voice and all day for that matter, but it still hasn't really hit me that I'm never going to work there again. Perhaps my emotions won't pull out the big guns until I'm home - who knows.
As for what else we've been up to, last week I finally got to go to that river in Arashiyama where Jess always goes with his friends. Arashiyama and Kiyotaki, where the river is, are really beautiful parts of northern Kyoto and I'm really glad I had a chance to go. The river itself is surrounded by forests, trails, waterfalls etc. and I felt so much like I was at home that I actually started to feel excited about coming home. It was 38 degrees C that day so after hiking around the river for an hour we were pretty ready to jump in - it was heaven. 
We spent the afternoon jumping in and out as needed and sharing a picnic lunch. It was wonderful - until we had to head back that is. By the time we made it back to the bus stop (an hour uphill most of the way) we were sweating like pigs and wanted to die. There was no escape and no relief until the bus driver, who made us wait outside in the sun for half an hour, finally let us on the bus to bask in the air conditioning (we were not impressed or amused).Tomorrow I'm off to take care of that surprise I've mentioned to you - you'll just have to wait and see what that is - and thank you for the kind and helpful inquiries, but no I am NOT getting a boob job or a sex change operation. After that I've got to go back to the doctor's for a 3rd time - yes, after the terrible serious expiratory disease fiasco the medicine helped for 2 days and then my sore throat came back even worse than before. So I went back, was told that time that I had tonsilitis and a bleeding throat ulcer, got 5 more medications, had to inhale smoke from the medieval torture device and again the medicine helped for a couple of days before crapping out. Now my throat is so sore that I can't even eat popsicles because it's sheer agony. Who in the hell knows what they'll be able to do for me but I'd still like to see a doctor because 6 weeks of this getting worse and worse doesn't seem normal. A bunch of people at work have sore throats right now - due probably to the air conditioners - but they said it's not at all bad and more just irritated. God I can't wait to be in a normal climate with doctors who understand more than every 50th word.
And tomorrow, after those 2 things are taken care of, we're off to Kyoto for a really coo
l festival where they light all the shapes on the mountainsides on fire. Jesse has been excited about this for so long and despite wanting to cut out my tonsils myself, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Not only will it be our last Japanese festival, but apparently people just sort of camp out around the mountains - drinking etc. until the trains start running the next morning. Sounds like it's going to be really fun.And after that, well who knows really. Jess wants to get a tattoo before we leave, we have so many things to do in preparation for leaving - like calling the shipping company (ahem . . . Meegan has a few odds and ends to send home), change the name on our utilities, find out about Jesse's plane ticket which wasn't sent along with mine, etc. etc. Oh yeah, and eat at all of our favorite restaurants before leaving. Last Friday we spent the day sitting beside the river in Kyoto, drinking beer/chu-hi and watching the birds catch fish, then went to our favorite Indian restaurant for the last time. Man I can't believe I went 26 years without ever having tried Indian food . . . but I'll make up for it now!! ;) This coming Sunday is my sayonara party; as most of my friends have since departed it will mainly be people from work; both my current school and people from other schools I've taught at. Next week Jesse and I are having lunch with 3 of my ex-students - ha ha, I can hang out with them now!!! And in my last couple of days I have plans to meet with some of the Japanese staff from my old schools. It's going to be busy! I'm exhausted already and I know when we leave I'll feel the same way I felt when I left to come here - relieved that all the planning, preparing, and goodbyes are over.
That's about all for now. Will keep you updated! I'm wondering if I should change the name of my blog to Canada_bound?!
