Global warming deniers...

Take a hike! Yeah, I'm talking to YOU Mr. Bush. Should the sky look like like this in late November???

Autumn in Kokura

Autumn has officially come to visit Kokura, and it is seriously about time, too. The leaves look brilliant. I felt it from the first few weeks I arrived here, and I stick by my initial impressions-the colous in Japan are noticably more vivid than in Britain. Same goes for sunsets, about 1000 times over.

I took these photos as a memory of a typical Tuesday for me so I can pine over them when I'm home and complaining about life being munadane and missing Japan. Note to self in 2009...It wasn't easy here, so don't forget that. Wherever you are, you'll always resent some part of your situation. You did your best with what you had and you always will....

(now shut it, you git).

Japan VS Australia baseball at the Yahoo Dome.

My trip to the baseball yesterday was brilliant. The Yahoo Dome is really impressive from the outside but even moreso once you get yourself in there. We walked through one of the gates and the first thing that hits ouis the space-it's absolutely huge! There was a great atmosphere too, which I really enjoyed, especially as this was my first ever live sport event. I would like to try a football match back hom next, I think.

I glanced up at the roof, which is retractable, but in a dome shape, and thought how good it would have been to have seen it's movement as it opens-very futuristic! The Dome is also home to the WORLDS LONGEST BAR, which my other partner teacher, Michiyo, told me was CLOSED on that day! Boo hoo!! But that was OK, as it meant more baseball action.

The players were all announced (not all of them, funnily enough-just the good ones!) before trotting onto the pitch and standing for the anthems. then the game sarted, and after a bit of rule explantion from my partner teacher, Junko (cheers dear!) I kind of followed the game while getting progressively more drunk (thanks wandering guys with beer tanks on backs!) and everything was impressive-especially how well those guys can catch a ball.

Japan was losing at first, but then absolutely thrashed Australia by winning almost every round.

There were loads of kids making noise and bashing inflatable sticks together, and I somehow ended up with this photo of me and an unknown little boy who looks rather dubious about the whole situation (no wonder).

After the baseball, the folk who had to work today went back home and the rest of us went into Tenjin to Fubar, where Nat's fancy dress win as MC Hammer last Friday got most of us in for free,(thanks Nat!!).

After a quick dash over the road to the Craic and Porter for a cheeky pint of Guinness an a "hellooo" to Mike, the landlord, the rest of the evening went quite swimmingly (and drunkenly) in Fubar. I had a nice sleep in Double C's, we got up and about at one O'clock and then went to Doutour coffee shop for a hangover-happy coffee. Before I came ack to Kokura on the shinkansen, we went to Yodobashi and ogled at the toys for ages. I'm hoping to take my faulty camera back on Monday, lets see how that one pans out......exchanges in Japan??? EEEk!!

A precious day off spent rather well, I think.

CONJOINED JAPANESE SALARYMEN!!!

It has to be seen to be believed...

Adam And Joe

Adam and Joe podcasts have become the new friends I cannot live without. They are all on itunes and bcause they stopped making them about a year ago, I save them for the journeys to and from work. They also quell my yearning for good old English sarcasm and left-of-centre culture. I love people giving me that lightning flash disapproving 'It's a foreigner doing something outlandish!' look at 9am Monday morning on the train platform, giggling to myself with a song about kicking someone in the balls blasting through my headphones. Hehe. Adam and Joe, highly Recomended!

Shrines, squid, spuds and sunsets.

Today I went to meet The Doc' (See my 'Old Japnese guys and young foreign girls' post for details). My mate, although she had been working the night before and we missed our morning meet up, made it to the hotel just as I approached the corner of the street, which I was AMAZINGLY relieved by, or I probably would'nt have met up with the doc at all.

I get the feeling that to him, even the thought of me worrying about his intentions being anything less than honorable would be really offensive and surprising. I'm sure he genuinely just wants to show people around his town and probably feel like he is relating some knowledge to some foreign 'tards.

But, from my point of view, and of people reading this back home, going into a hotel lobby to meet a gentleman, albeit, a very elderly one, alone, going to his "den"to read through a medical paper before driving into the countryside for an hour's journey seems more than a little bit weird, not to mention risky. But, in Japan, it seems to be a different story.

So, armed with the fine company of a savvy lass (cheers double C), today I sampled the delights of having an older and wiser acquaintance who has the local insight and language skills to show a foreign face around Kyushu. Afterall, I only have four months left, so, for once in my life, I abandoned my doubts and went for it.

And what a bizarre day it turned out to be. They guy's favourite catchphrases are "Ok, lets go", (said in a very abrupt manner as he has already turned to leave) and "I dont know that!"

I'll elaborate more another time, but for now, here are the big bits of the day while they're still fresh in my memory...

We went to the Doc's "den" in Tenjin, his second apartment, where he chills out every now and then. His lived-in apartment is close to his surgery in Hakata, I believe. He met us in the lobby of Hotel Nikko (swanky, and I don't know why there?!!?!) and led us to a big blue Mercedes Benz, which, he said he'd been drivng for 10 years. A very smooth ride, I have to say! Great springs for the bumpy road-but not when you are slightly desperate for the toilet, unfortunately.

Then, we went to his "den" where he gave us a massive dissertation each and explained his theories about the faults of medern medicine. He wants us to read it so he can ensure the lay person can follow it. Nice! As Double C said, bedtime reading...

After some coffee and chocs, we got back in the Merc' and drove for about an hour through some lovely countryside to Munakata Shrine, where there was a chrysanthenum festival and lots of people and families dressed in traditional costumes.

We fed some coy carp, saw lots and lots of trees and flowers, and bought a little slip of paper with a fortune on and a lucky charm attached. Then, walking through the little wooden buildings in the grounds (which were beautiful and really old) we saw someone selling fresh food from a stall, along with....BOXES OF DYSON VACCUM CLEANERS!!! What?!

After the shrine, the Doc took us to a squid restaurant on the roadside on the way back to the city. It was a humble place, with old, cracked, overflowing fish tanks balancing on one another, all perched on a damp, buckling wooden plank over a big concrete pool in the middle of the room. The tanks had big sea snails, lobstery-looking crustaceans and a fish swimming upside down in. The pool, below, was full of irridescent, carefree squid. We were shown to a low table, and settled down cross-legged in our socks on the tatami mat while the Doc did the "science bit" and set the ordering in motion.

First of all, the waitress delivered us each a small brown bowl of what looked like, as Double C said, porridge oats. Howeverrrr, it was, unfortunately "kneaded potato". "Aah, made from trusty potatoes!" I thought, "What can be bad about a spud?" and attempted to eat it, despite it's dubious, sloppy appearance.

However, after a few seconds in the mouth, I felt the urge to retch and sent it down swiftly with a mouthful of green tea. Then, watching Double C soldiering on with hers like a real trouper, despite having a rough night the previous evening, I went for another mouthful.

This time, I unfortunately did retch, which was, surely, bad form. To make things worse, the Doc then said "this dish is very good for the men, helps potency", which did my imagery no favours as I stared at the mulch. I discreetly pushed the bowl aside as another waitress approached.

We had two squid delivered to the table, still breathing and flexing their tentacles, their eyes moving around as they changed colour and flailed on the plate. Their recently dismembered lower body was lying around them, cut into small bite-sized chunks, and for the last ten minutes of their lives their miserable dying heads had to stare as we ate their bodies from the same plate. I felt a bit bad about that.

However, the urge to be polite and grateful was kind of more immediate at the time. We are in Japan, you know, Mr.Kelp..settle down and die honorably, wont you?

Every time I extended my chopsticks for neatly cut rectangle of raw squid, one of them moved it's tentacles into the air. In the end, I gave it a poke with my chopsticks and it seemed to settle down. The sashimi was nice, but very fibrous and difficult to chew, and I swear you can hear a certain sound in your mouth as you bite through the rubbery skin.

Though I really do appreciate the effort the Doc went to to pull off the whole day-the nice drive, the conversation about his job, the shrine and the flowers, feeding the carp, etc etc, the whole meal was quite hard work, and I think the raw squid platter is definetely more ceremonious and for spectacle rather than relaxing.

But then, just as we got back in the 'Merc and the sky darkened, we drove through the country and a vivid, brilliant sunset emerged from behind the mountains. The drive was so silent and peaceful, one of those moments where talking would have been completely useless.

The Doc pulled up at a little beach beside the road which still had a few surfers and people hanging around on it, despite the bitter wind. He waited in the car and me and C went to the beach to scrawl our undying love in the sand with her new Shakesperian quill (pigeon feather). I got caught by the splashy tide and got my boots covered in sand, not good for the Merc' carpet, so, a bit of leg-shaking later we set off again for the drive back to Fukuoka city.

The ride back reminded me of when I was little in my Dad's car, trying not to fall asleep on the way home because I didnt want the day to end. Except nowadays, I dont want the day to end because tomorrow is Monday and now I'm the adult ordering kids around, which is really sad in a way.

Hey,ho! A Starbucks choco mint Christmas coffee later and all was straightened out, back to Kokura on the shinkansen, a quick browse in a record shop and a cycle home. Sunday done. Happy happy joy joy. I can't believe I forgot my camera-what a day of wasted photo opportunities. Still, it lends the words more significance, I hope.

Beating the bike thieves.

I got a new bike, I got a new bike, shiny shiny shiny shine...

Today I walked down to 'Trial' supermarket, which is kind of like an Asda, but bigger. Maybe it's on a par with 'Makro' back home, as it's pretty much a massive warehouse stacked with cheap stuff in bulk. It took a while to get there, as it's next to the urban expressway and the river, requiring a walk through a little dodgy underpass and constant stopping to wonder if you've gone the right way.

Bikes were cheap as hell, the most expensive being 19,000 Yen (about 100 quid, if that) but mine-the cheapest, as usual...only coast 6,700 Yen. Though it has a wheel ring lock, I got another, just to sock it to the bike robbing gits around here. Haha, you're not getting this one you scum, no way...Fort Knox style!

Sometimes I regret that I've decided to leave-especially when I (occasionally) buy new things for myself, like this. Still, it was a great buy though...

Flat-pack shrines.

Participate in the new phonomena sweeping Japan-the invention of the flat-packed shrine. All you have to do is pop into your local retailer, make your purchase, whack your compacted religious base in the back of a van, find a nice spot which doesn't seem to be taken by anyone else and get out the phillips-head screwdrivers.

With full instructions and nuts and bolts included in an oversized plastic bag, this could be your gateway to good fortune. The DIY connosseur could have the shrine up within 24 hours! Most, honest humble people, however, find it takes around three days before their shrine is up and running. It has room above the doorway for a fun and exciting name, to be painted on with the free plastic pots of oil paint and brush included in the pack.

Only 1,000,000 Yen at all good crappy DIY stores, get your flatpack shrine now....(smallprint too small to read, but Flatpack shrines.inc accepts no responsibilty for government-based arguements arising from the procurement of land...)

******NEWLY ESTABLISHED SHRINE HOLDERS=HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE IDEA OF TEN=MINUTE TREES???*******

Ten minute Trees. Ltd. have released a new phase in landscape gardening-in just ten minutes, you can grow your own tree to accomapny your flat-pack shrine. Choose from a range of traditional Japanese, English, Canadian furs, or even Hawaiian Palms, for that more exotic look! Please call Ten minute trees Ltd. on 002-893-987635354263-92764546 for more details. (Ten minute trees Ltd. do not accept any responsibility for being complete liars, mutant trees and such incidents which should arise from shoots being treated with radioactive materials, etc etc etc...)

Japanese vans

Walking from my apartment today to just about 50 metres down the road, I saw these vans parked outside a tall office building. Later on, when I was walking home, they were gone. It's got to be Batman parking up before a mission. Well, the homosexual version, anyway.

Ah, damn! KARAOKE AGAIN!!!

After aforementioned slamming of Karaoke, here it goes again...why can't I ever stick to my guns?

A day in Fukuoka...

Today I went to Fukuoka for a wander and to see if I could hunt down some Christmas presents for folks back home. I have to think of these things now, with the postage and pitiful amount of time I seem to have free nowadays, plus, I haven't explored Fukuoka enough for my liking yet. I don't know my way around well enough yet, so thanks to the little maps at the back of "Fukuoka Now" magazine, I didn't fare too badly. I got off the subway at Nakatsu Kawabata and walked through (what I thought) was going to be a really busy shopping arcade in Nakatsu.

However, it was a long, stony cracked floored arcade with a load of traditional shops and a few nice cafe's in, but it was EMPTY! On a Saturday afternoon, which I thought was crazy. I later spoke to my partner teacher who told me that it's because Tenjin, (trendy, massive shopping complex central...) has managed to syphon off all the interest in the older arcades.

I saw a lot of really provoking things today, most of them were unphotographable (is that a word?) as they went by with the blink of an eye-as all the best experiences probably are. A little girl about three years old was walking through the grey, dingy arcade with her parents. She was dressed in full kimono and obi and was holding a little Japanese flag. All of the shopkeepers came from inside and were waving at her and grinning like proud grandparents. Her kimono was yellow, patterend with gold and pink and was a far cry from the grey, stained concrete. I think she may have been dressed like this because the Japanese celebrate girls aged 3, 5 and 7 this year I think.

Then, walking from Nakatsu to Tenjin, I saw a BIG bunch of suited and booted men in their Fifties at least, being shown into a karaoke booth with big grins on their faces, all giggling like schoolgirls. I checked my watch and it was only Four in the afternoon.

I didn't know where I was, so I just followed the line of the street and ended up in a shopping complex called "Tenjin Mina" and found a brilliant guitar shop and a second hand retro shop (the first I've seen in Japan). It was original vintage stuff too, as the clothes were in really great taste, those dresses you see back home, all flimsy nylon, fluffy mohair jumpers with sequins and flowers, not to mention an amazing tie rack. It also had that second hand shop smell of dust and old leather. Mmmmm.

I also found shop which sells all kinds of parephenalia of Japanese celebs (mainly ageing men in suits) which was full of Japanese schoolgirls. They had keyrings of Smap, boyband stickers, walls of postcards of celebrities in different poses, all kinds of things which you would never see back home, because of the lack of a market, probably. Can you imagine a full wall of Ant and Dec postcards, each one in a different outfit and pose? Maybe it's because Japanese schoolgirls love to collect things, and the whole "KAWAIII!" business.

My new (2,ooo Yen Aeon supermarket) boots were starting to irritate me, so I walked to the riverside and went to Canal City. It was starting to get dark, so the food stalls were just coming out to play. That walk was a highlight of the day-I walked past people sitting slurping noodles under paper lanterns, friends raising drinks together, people giggling and picking at fresh food all around them, oysters bubbling away on embers and men arranging fish in their little cooking areas. Watching good friends relaxed, deep in converstaion in a great atmosphere can make you feel incredibly lonely here, sometimes.

Canal City was still busy, though it was getting on for around half seven, and the Christmas lights were amazing. I love the design of Canal City, it's so fluid (like a lot of Japanese architecture) and always looks great with the seasonal features. Summer looked brilliant with it's blue columns of light scattered around the pools, and they've really got the Chrismassy feeling pinned with the plastic dangling snowflakes, orchestras and christmas trees set up around the corridors.

Putting a lid on the day, I walked back to Hakata station, nabbed a cheeky set of gyoza and a can of chu-hi for the shinkansen, and in twenty minutes I was back in Kokura again. It was an interesting day, and I have to make a point of spending a lot more time in Fukuoka before I leave Japan.

Two weeks time, BASEBALL!!! Woohoo!!!

Bliss

After a month of writing class reports, contract deadline decision, seika, observation days and mothers observations, there is only one thing for it.......

Ahhhh.

Dinner Day Five

Ah, something a little more normal. English veggies, some lovely homely spuds and a bit of fish. All I have in my kitchen by way of cooking devices is one medium sized hob and a microwave. For someone who is used to cooking at home for two with a big, hot old oven and four hob rings at her disposal, this was, at first, really annoying. One of the easiest things to cook is a stir fry, throwing in some chicken or prawns with some beansprouts and veg-an easy option after a day at work. BUT then, how the hell do you cook the noodles or rice? Swap the pan on the hob every ten seconds, haha-it has been done, believe me.

Dinner Day Five

Hakata night out with the Double C! We rekindled our relationship with a restaurant by the station with a remote control ordering device (nice!). Massive beers, followed by Takoyaki (Octopus dough balls) Salmon sashimi, some green fish stuff, another massive beer, gyoza, then ice cream with maple syrup. THEN (shame on me) a beer on the hour long train ride home with the knackered salary dudes, and two giant cans when I got home. No photo, thank god, It's starting to dawn on me why I have three arses. I'll bag some off the net again...

Dinner Day Four

A bag of soy sauce flavoured crackers and the cheapest beer available in the 7-11. Man, this really isn't giving me a good press. Tasty good, though.

Dinner Day Three

Post Othello, not much will to cook after four hours and a half ten finish. A rare pizza (hardly ever buy them) and a.........blimey!......can of lager! Not again, surely?

Haiku medley for the buddhist idea that "This Is It"

This is it lying
in bed Saturday morn
nothing is finer.

No work I dont have
to go to work you cant
make me I wont go.

kindergartens suck
sesses are down to me
turning up on time.

Tetleys teabags are
running low wont someone
send me some more please.

There's not many things
you cant find in daiso
just forty four pence.

My bike it got nicked
I should not have bought a
forty four pence lock.

Waiting at cash points
she has been ages just
what is she doing?

Please stop staring as
I peruse the shelves of
your small corner shop.

Grumpy conductors
It's not my fault that
I'm not Japanese.

Yodobashi I
have never been any
where better than you.

stop writing crap hai
ku and get dressed and go
out somewhere quickly.

The hills are alive, with the sound of lousy bicycles...

I got up at seven fifteen this morning, pulled a 10 minute clothes and make up job (kept the buring haystack post-bed hairdo) got on my friend`s ridiculous circus-like bicycle and peddled like the wind up to Kokura Station. I parked up the trike, and went around the back to the coach bay and waved off a bunch of schoolchildren on their way to a weekend camp trip. I'm not sure why. Not one of them were my students, so when I turned up, waving at them frantically with my "Big Issue vendor" look, I saw some defated expressions behind the windows.

Then, kids off safely, I payed 100 yen for the 10 minute park-up (BAH!) got back on the old miniature penny farthing and went to the supermarket for milk, but ended up buying flowers and bread with raisins in. I dont even like raisins, either. Then, I came home and sat in my bed with my laptop and a TEAPOT full of tea, where I join you now...I think my self-imposed booze cutdown is adding years on me...teapots? Flowers? Waving children off to camp at ungodly hours? (and taking up crocheting again-true story)...Julie Andrews better watch her back.

What shall I do for the rest of the day? Well, maybe go and buy a new bike after the stealing incident last week. It's sad that I'm discussing this with a non-existent world. I'm going to see Othello tonight, though, which should be good. In Japanese, hehehe. I wonder if they will have a black actor for the part or some Japanese guy with a bit of a mature demeanour...hmmmm. I'll relate all later. Shall I wear my hair up, dress in black and superglue a wine glass to my hand? Yeah! Why else am I going?

Welcome to Japan.

Oh dear! Maybe I shouldn`t post this for fear of backlash from the people who never read this. But I have to share this link-whoever made this video was surely having a bad day, (or a bad year if they are a teacher). I just have to say, I dont necessarily agree with this video, but, sometimes, I relate to it. Besides, it's bloody funny...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312325486942096307&q=do+it+like+you+like&total=107300&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Japanese dinner Day Two

I ate out tonight, in the bowels of Kokura`s Riverwalk shopping mall. Raamen, gyoza and beer in a sweaty kitchenette! All for exactly 1,000 Yen (about 4.50 GBP), A warm treat after a good, hardworking Friday at kindergarten, with around 45 mothers observing me throughout the course of the day. Not as bad as it sounds...I deserved the raamen though! Kampai! No photo, so I'll nick one off the net-I will ensure it has exactly the same proportions, texture, hue and taste as the bowl I had...har har...

Japanese Dinner Day One

In a rather compelling and interesting move, I decided to document my dinner for a full week. This is the kind of stuff which should get me into the Tate Modern/London C list/Playboy Mansion...Or just for me in 10 years when I wonder why I'm 15 stone and I have just thrown up my liver.

Day one (Thursday night) Lawson's salad, sweet egg and some hard, strong STOUT. I usually cook, but, could not be arsed.