Burento in Japan

9:09am, Monday, November 13 2006

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So it’s Monday. This past weekend I went to Sukagawa for the 3^rd biggest Fire Festival in Japan. It was to say the least spectacular. Friday I went to Koriyama and got my multiple re-entry permit, so I’m pretty much set for my trip to Thailand. Well, Mo and I still have to figure out exactly where we’re staying…but aside from that we’re good to go. Anyway, Saturday morning I headed out with Shaun from my place. We met up with Will, Paul and Marchelle (Marquelle is how u say it) and his fiancé on the train. Obviously it was pouring down rain on our walk to the station but it kinda cleared up a bit when we got on the train. We headed south from Fukushima to Koriyama and from there changed trains went further south and got off in Sukagawa. A few of us took a taxi to the JET apartments there and dropped most of our stuff.

Oh, I should probably explain the festival. Basically they carry these huge torches (3 metric tones) through the city to a hill and then erect it and light it on fire along with a ton of other torches that have already been put up. So, ya, There were about 20 gaijin guys and 15 or so gaijin girls carrying 2 separate torches. The girl’s torch was obviously smaller than the guys. I chose not to carry just because I wanted to see what I’m getting into first and then I could do it next year. I was immediately kinda upset that I didn’t carry as every other person there was. Before the actual carry started a bunch of people showed up that weren’t carrying, so it was better. I did become the camera guy and walked with 3 people’s cameras…I didn’t use my own camera but I do have a ton of pics. Anyway, the carry was about 1.5 km and did not look too easy to say the least. Loose blocks are placed underneath this huge torch and are picked up by some 70 people. There were stops along the way for sake etc etc. I drank like 4 bottles myself along the way. I stocked up before the carry began. So the girls and guys moved through the streets shouting washoi washoi, with the rain coming down hard and then stopping and then coming down again. Finally the torches were placed beside the other ones. Although erecting the torch took just as long if not longer than the walk through the city. Ladders and poles along with ropes etc were used, but it was all done with man power. They then lit the torches on fire and everyone watched as they burned out. I can’t believe I just summed up that whole thing that quickly. It was really awesome and from over 100 feet away I could feel the heat easily. The pictures kind of sum up the entire ordeal better then I could ever hope to do. As well, some of the Sukagawa JETs got to dress up like samurai which was pretty cool. K, so I also updated the Halloween pics with more that I scammed off of someone else. I’m sorry that I haven’t been keeping up lately but I’m starting to feel the culture shock which is the norm with all the JETs around me. So I’m just not too interested in doing anything right now, which allows me to fit in perfectly at Higashi. I dunno if I posted this but 2 weeks ago I went an entire day saying 8 words. Good Morning (in Japanese 3 times) along with “ahhh” and “ok.” Wicked eh? Anyway, I’m gonna try to figure out where exactly I’m going in Thailand. Oh, one last thing that was really cool. Today on my ride to work I noticed that over the weekend a ton of snow has formed on the mountains around Fukushima. It’s starting to get colder here, like 4 degrees at night and about 10-15 during the day. Anyway, I’m out. Peace Brent

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12:35pm, Monday, October 30, 2006

So, I realize I haven’t written a blog lately. Well, not one that’s detailed or in depth or contains intensely detailed accounts of my happenings in Japan. Not that I’m really going to write one of those now, but I figured I should write something. Remember when I used to write 5 page blogs…back in the day (2 months ago, LOL). Anyway, I think that it’s because I’m just falling into a general routine. Monday, watch NFL at Will’s place and get pizza, Tuesday dinner with Paul in Nihonmatsu at this ramen place, Wednesday, go out with whoever wants to come in Fukushima, generally Will and I plus whoever else is up for it. Thursday, chill out, Friday, Saturday…drink and take it easy.

All of this is most likely because I’m trying to save a bunch of cash, and not traveling helps with that. As well, I have just resigned myself to this job and all that it entails. The other day I had a teacher refer to me as Brent-san, instead of Brent-sensei in front of a class, which really probably doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but if that was done to anyone else they would have LOST it because it’s a blatantly disrespectful act. A few ALTs told me they would have punched him in the face. I didn’t, but as I was leaving the class all pissed off I was like…this is ridiculous. Why do I care? Yes, I’m not getting as much class time as I want and some of these teachers don’t really respect me…but really, what do I care? I mean, I’m making good money and I am teaching a bit. But this is all a means to an end. The end being teacher’s college and a real job that I can do the rest of my life and somehow I think that 3 years being employed by a Japanese Board of Education will get me there. I’ve decided that I’m just going to take the job the way it is because otherwise I’m going to drive myself insane. The superintendent of my building still sucks and that’s a whole other thing that I just can’t put off.

Anyway, I went out for Halloween on Friday night, we had like a party in the city and the parties continue into this weekend coming up. The Japanese know what Halloween is but they don’t celebrate it or anything. Denny’s has pumpkins etc and I’ve seen some Jack O Lanterns, I even carved some out of small gourds in my technical high school last Friday. So, I’m going to a Halloween party this upcoming Thursday, Friday is a holiday…Culture Day apparently. And the weekend after that I’m going to the Fire Festival. So they should be some good pics. I’m about to steal pictures off of some people from the Halloween event. It got a bit crazy and there are some with me and another guy with our shirts off….don’t ask me why we had our shirts off…as I really don’t know. It wasn’t that big of a party for some reason, it was pretty much the JETs from the city with a few others and some Japanese girls.

(K, it’s now Nov 1^st, 10:25 am, see I told you I don’t really have anything to say, nor do I want to put for the effort to type out the non-events that have been going on in my life).

Anyway, so ya, party Friday, did nothing Sat. Sunday I went with Will to his school festival…boring as hell, it was a junior high school and we got their for the “chorus” part. Every class sang a song. 2 and a half hours later we got out of there. Hit an onsen (hot spring) as we were in a city that was outside of Fukushima and known to have onsens on every corner. It was tiny and packed with Japanese men. Oh, I forgot to mention it was Will’s birthday, nothing like spending u’r birthday watching kids sing for 2 hours and then being surrounded in Japanese men. Later we all went out for dinner at this wicked restaurant that I am not giving details about as I am taking mo there and I want it to be a surprise (sorry). This week I’ve pretty much done nothing. I’ve had 5 classes, no classes today as it was supposed to be a marathon day and the marathon was cancelled apparently because the government said that we had missed enough classes as it was. My supervisor didn’t tell me this by the way, she just said something had happened. I got it out of another English teacher. Anyway, I have this Friday off and I’m going to Iwaki on Thursday night for their Halloween party. I’m not doing the one on Friday night and Will, Shaun and I may hit an onsen at the top of a mountain. It should be good. Anyway, I have 6 hours left in this day so I figure I’m going to learn some Japanese. I have been studying and have the 2 alphabets down. I’ve sent some people their names in Japanese. So anyone that’s interested…I can do it…look at me…it’s like I’m Japanese, except for the ostracism from society thing. LOL.

K, peace for now.

B

P.S. One other thing, Japan doesn’t do daylight savings…so I am now 14 hours ahead of everyone. Yes that’s right….i’m coming to u from the future….muwahahaha!!!

oh and halloween pics are up…more will be coming from the iwaki party…beware…a little bit of rear nudity….

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