Month 11 in Review

And like that...it's December. The end of Month 11 in Japan. It's crazy to think at this time last year, I had just left my job at CCHMC, we were packing up our belongings to ship to Japan, and we were gearing up for the holidays and lots of "see you laters" with family and friends. I know I say this just about every month and it still rings true...time is a funny thing...some days it seems like we've been in Japan way less than 11 months and other days it seems like we've been in Japan way more than 11 months. 

Month 11 brought with it Fall in Japan. And, it was beautiful!! People often ask me what the weather is like here...and it's not drastically different than the weather in the Midwest. The summer is hotter and way more humid (ok, that part did feel drastically different...and miserable), there are "rainy seasons," and Fall seems to begin and end about a month later. So instead of wondering whether we'd get snow flurries at the end of November, we were enjoying foliage. Which I have to admit feels a bit strange. 

In the past week, the wind has picked up big time, the temperatures have dropped, and the sun is now setting at 4:30pm (I'm not exaggerating either). My runs are beginning to require more and more layers of clothing, and I am finding myself having to work a bit harder to get out from under the blankets in the morning (or out from under the blankets at most times of the day...since most of you know that I tend to walk around the house wrapped in a blanket from sun up to sun down). Thanksgiving came and went...bringing with it a sense of "weirdness" as Kaz and I both worked and ate a regular meal. Keeping up with family and friends via phone, text, email, and Facebook helped us to feel a bit more connected...however, it definitely wasn't the same. I've got a gut feeling that the next month and another holiday away from family and friends may bring with a whole slew of mixed emotions. More about that later, I'm sure...

This month (as part of the Autumn celebrations), Kaz and I went to Korankei (a valley near Nagoya) to see the foliage illuminated at night! Like any Japan festival/event - there was also tons of food...much of which you could only get at this event during this time of year. One of the "must have" foods was the Chinese noodle - Toshomen (which means "sword grinding noodle"). The chefs take a ball of dough and shave the noodles into a pot of boiling hot water (see the video below). And, the festival we attended actually invited Chinese chefs from Nanjing to make the noodles! They were steaming hot, delicious, and definitely worthy of being Month 11's "featured food!"  

And without further ado...here is Month 11! 

Places Visited and Activities

-Higashiyama Koen Botanical Gardens: Since the botanical gardens are only about a 10-minute walk from our house, we try to visit at least once or twice every season. On this visit, we were able to enjoy lots of fall flowers. I can't believe how many flowers are still blooming! And, a few of the sakura (cherry blossom) trees even had some fall buds. I feel like it's Japan's way of letting us know that we will survive the winter - and spring will be here before we know it! 

-Trip to Koya-san - see previous blog post!

-Korankei in Toyota City: The foliage in Japan has been absolutely beautiful...though I don't think it's quite as beautiful as Michigan foliage. I am probably a bit biased!! The Japanese Maple trees (which have the most amazing leaves) are turning shades of yellow, orange, and red...often with all the colors in one tree. Giving the trees a rainbow-like appearance. Two of Kaz's coworkers invited us to join them in enjoying the foliage in Korankei (which is just outside of Toyota City and actually known as one of the best places to view foliage in all of Japan). On weekends, people literally wait hours just to get a parking spot. Luckily, by going on a Thursday night, we were able to beat the crowds. 

One thing I have learned about Japan is that they really like to have evening/night festivals in which they illuminate things. Illuminating the sakuara in the spring is probably an even bigger deal than the fall foliage. We have that on our list for next year! 

-Toyota Automobile Museum: Nagoya is known for its automotive industry (hence the reason that we are living here). And, Toyota has two museums (Toyota Automobile Museum; Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology) in Nagoya. So, on a rainy Sunday, we spent time exploring the automobile museum. The museum had a really impressive collection of old cars (that's what Kaz said at least...cars are not really my thing) and helped visitors to understand the ways in which cars have evolved...in both Japan and the rest of the world. I found it quite interesting to see the differences between cars in America and cars in Japan over the years...especially since nowadays they are basically the same. 

-Tokugawa-en: More foliage at a local park!

-Ise - more to come in a future blog post. 

-Cirque de Soleil - Totem: Cirque de Soleil is in Nagoya for the next couple of months. So, we spent a Friday evening enjoying "Totem" under the Big Top. Totem's theme is the evolution of humanity and the acrobatics had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire show. 

-Kyoto: Kaz's mom has been in Nagoya visiting for the past few weeks. We took advantage of a super sunny Saturday to spend the day wandering around Kyoto. Although, it was technically "past peak" when it came to the foliage - we still enjoyed some pretty stunning views! We even got to visit Eikan-do Zenrin-ji, which was a new spot for me...and we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy watching the sun set over the city from atop the pagoda. 

Cafes Enjoyed
-Komi Coffee (Koya-san)
-Beatnik Cafe (Nagoya)

Kit Kat Flavors Tasted

-None this month.

However, I just picked up a new flavor - Butter Cookie - which appears to be the seasonal flavor.

Victories

-Japan Support Network Learning Conference (Tokyo) - About a month ago, I received an email from a fellow American SLP in the Tokyo area asking me if I would be interested in giving a short presentation at an upcoming conference for professionals working in the international community/school systems. I was both excited and nervous at the idea...and, accepted the offer. On November 11, I gave a short one-hour presentation on implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with students and parents in the international community to a group of about 50 teachers, therapists, and professionals. And, I think it went rather well. I enjoyed the challenge of helping others to understand ACT (in a very short period of time) and helping them to think about how they could use some of the principles with their students/families. I also enjoyed the opportunity to talk with and learn from other professionals...especially since Nagoya has a much smaller international community than Tokyo. My colleague, Kim, also attended the conference...so we headed to Tokyo the day before. We were able to meet with an organization that provides psychological/counseling services to expat families...and we were also able to explore the area just a bit! 

-JLPT N5 Test - As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have been preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 5) for the past two months. I took the test on Sunday...and I think it went "okay." I'll get the scores in January - so time will tell. I have to say I am very glad that I was familiar with the setup and structure of the test before I took it. Everything was in Japanese (since it was the universal language between the individuals present) and I didn't really understand anything that was said. Luckily, everyone in the room seemed to be relying on each other to know when to begin/when time was up. There were at least 100 people in my room (including 6 or 7 young children) and there was one other classroom of people taking N5. The other levels of the test were held in the building next door and seemed to have even more people than the N5. 

-Finished up a 10-week free online course called "The Science of Happiness" through UC Berkley. It was my first online course...ever...and I enjoyed it! 

-School has been picking up - and getting busier. I have just hit a point where I am actually working with more students than I was last year. I have also been meeting even more staff members and teachers this year...and in general, feeling more familiar and comfortable with the school and what I am doing! 

Goals

-With the anniversary of our first year in Japan quickly approaching - I am hoping to take some time to reflect on the past year...and also think about my goals for the next year in Japan.

-Get back into yoga. I've been doing some yoga on my own since coming to Japan - but it doesn't quite feel the same. So, I am hoping to find a studio and begin attending more regular classes starting in January. 

-Survive the "homesickness" that may arise from spending the Christmas and New Year's holidays away from family.  

Sun and Clouds

-This month - I decided to combine my "sun" and "clouds" sections...because this month was filled with days in which both seemed to exist simultaneously.  On November 17th, it was the nine-year anniversary since my mom passed away. For me, the day brought a whole slew of emotions. There's something about being in Japan...and having more alone time to think and process which has been bringing various thoughts and emotions to the surface. (I'm working on that blog post...as I type). Some of the sunny moments included my wonderful friends from the US surprising me by having flowers delivered to me; the beautiful sunset that I was able to enjoy; spending the evening enjoying the fall foliage - just like my mom loved to do; and, reading various people's message and memories they posted. The cloudy moments obviously centered around the intense "missing" I feel on a daily basis...and especially on days like anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, etc. 

Sun, clouds, and lots of love!
~Jaime