30 Observations about Japan...Part 1!

Last weekend, I turned thirty! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined - if you had asked me a few years ago - that I would be welcoming in a new decade of my life from Japan! I mean, maybe celebrating my birthday while vacationing somewhere abroad...but definitely not living abroad. And yet, here I am...writing this post from my apartment in Japan! I suppose this just goes to show you that you never really know what's coming down the pike for you in life! 

I celebrated my birthday by feeling the love of family and friends near and far - through emails, Facebooks posts, texts, cards, care packages, and even an amazing video collection of messages that Kaz surprised me with! You all are amazing - and have no idea how lucky and grateful I am that each and every one of you are in my life! I also enjoyed a beer tour at the Nagoya Kirin Beer Factory, some yummy meals cooked by my hubby, and an evening of bowling! Since it's rainy season - we weren't able to travel - however, I really enjoyed a more low-key and relaxed birthday weekend.

I have been thinking about what to write - related to turning thirty - and I realized that reflecting on my twenties and/or making some predictions about my thirties may require a bit more processing/reflecting. So I thought in celebration of turning thirty, it might be fun to list thirty realizations that I've made/things I've learned about Japan over the last six months.  

So, here are the first 15 (I'll break this up into two posts since I tend to be long-winded)...

In no particular order...

1. The word - sumimasen (すみません) - is probably the most commonly used word in Japan. And, it has numerous meanings - "excuse me," "I'm sorry," "thank you," etc. As a foreigner - I have learned that when in doubt - it's best to say "すみません" and bow/nod. It does get tricky though when you are trying to figure out what another person means when they are using it! 

2. There are more than 24 hours in a day in Japan! Sometimes you will see signs that indicate that a restaurant is open until 24:30 or even later!  :)

3. Google Translate really struggles to translate anything longer than a single word. You have to proceed with caution...or you may believe that you are only allowed into a restaurant if you are an "adult monkey high school student" and if you are willing to eat squirrel. 

4. English words (those written in katakana) are almost never pronounced the same as they are in English. So chances are - if you say "McDonalds" instead of "Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do" - people will have no idea what you are referring to. I can't even begin to tell you how hard it is to "unlearn" the way you have said an English word for the last thirty years. Learning Japanese words is often way easier - since you don't have any "unlearning" to do. 

5. Convenience stores ("combinis") in Japan are the best! They literally have everything...from home food for quick meals...to hot drinks in a can...to nylons or shirts just in case you ruin the one you are wearing. 

Yep - they have clothes...just in case! 

6. Life runs more effectively/there are less headaches when things are on time! In Japan - everything is on time...all the time! If the train says it will arrive at 8:01am - it will arrive at 8:01am. If the delivery person gives you a window of 9-11am, your doorbell will ring at 8:59am. Waiting around doesn't really happen.

When I looked up information about Japanese transit, I read that Japanese trains are the most punctual in the world - with an average delay of only 18 seconds.

7. Japanese people do not like the sunlight...at least on their skin. And, they will work hard to keep their skin as white as possible...whether wearing lots of clothes in the summer, carrying UV-blocking umbrellas, or using "whitening" or "bleaching" creams on their skins.

http://www.marufuku.ne.jp/yakenu/interview_athlete.html

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/k222/328109.html

8. Appliances may be more "advanced"...however, as a foreigner...this can mean they are much more difficult to use. At least a first! And, you may set off an alarm...or two...and burn some cookies! 

9. Most streets do not have names...unless they are main roads (and the road names are not always in English). So, this can make finding places (even using Google Maps) or giving someone your address/directions to you home quite challenging. Especially if you are already directionally-challenged like me! 

10. If it looks like it contains chocolate - it most likely contains red bean! You would think that you'd only make this mistake once...until you make it over and over and over! If you know you're eating something with red bean paste - then it's not a big deal. But, when you are expecting (and hoping for chocolate), it can be tragic!

11. The Japanese language has a sound that is a mix of both "r" and "l"...this often makes English signs quite entertaining...and Japanese words quite difficult to pronounce correctly. Interestingly, Ronald McDonald is actually called Donald McDonald in Japan due to difficulty with pronunciation of "r."

12. Even though you are fluent in English...you will begin to question your ability to interpret and understand Japanese signs (or shirts) which have been written in English. And sometimes the grammar will confuse you more than the spelling! We have fondly begun to call this language - "Janglish." Thanks to my friend Nicole for contributing some of her awesome pics too! 

13. Hand wipes are the best! You never have to think about washing your hands before you eat - because you are always given a wet wipe (or steamy towel, if you are lucky) called an "oshibori." Yay for less germs! 

14. You don't ask "why" - and if you do...chances are no one actually knows why. It's also highly possible - that there is no reason...it just is!! Here's an example...the word "blue" in Japanese is au (あう) and "green" is mitori (みとり). However, when referring to a green traffic light - you label it "au" (blue)...even though it's green. Why?! No one knows! 

www.financetwitter.com

15. Sleeping in public happens all the time! And, no one really does anything about it. On the trains, I would say that at least 70% of the people are snoozing...with at least one person unknowingly resting his head on another person's shoulder. 

You may also see people who've had a bit too much to drink - sleeping it off in public. Usually they are left alone until they wake up - which says a lot about how safe Japan really is!

And, culturally, falling asleep in public is viewed as exhaustion from working hard...so it is deemed socially acceptable.

Hope you learned a bit about Japan...stay turned for the next 15 coming later this week!


Sunny Moments: Sharing some of Japan with you!
Cloudy Moments: A little too much red bean! ;)

Running in Japan

Running is something that has been part of my life in one way or another for about twenty years. Wow, that makes me feel old! Through running, I can explore new places, spend time outside, relieve stress, focus on my health, and just be. As someone who is not very competitive (at least with other people), I have always enjoyed the fact that running is an individual sport and yet it connects and brings so many people together. A smile, a nod, or a "hello" (konnichiwa, in Japan) says so much more...the presence of others running around you can keep you going...and hearing your friends/family members talk about their runs can motivate you to lace up your shoes as well. This last one has been especially true while in Japan. 

After just about 5 months of running in Japan (which includes 7 weeks off due to an ankle injury, a team road race, and a 1/2 marathon), I have realized that there are a few differences when it comes to running in Japan. I thought it would be fun to share a few of them with you. 

1. Runners wear A LOT of clothes (even when it's hot)

I didn't notice as much in the winter because it's rather typical to be bundled up; however, runners here wear a lot of clothes when they are running! Winter gear usually includes coordinated track suits with hats, gloves, scarves, and sometimes even face masks. And, summer gear often includes long tights, long-sleeve shirts, hats, and sometimes even gloves. Most of the clothes are dry fit material - and yet I am not sure how the runners don't pass out from overheating! At our race a few weeks back - it was sunny and about 80 degrees. I was probably one of maybe 50 people (out of about 10,000) who was wearing shorts. In Cincinnati - this is shirtless running weather! For the men anyway! 

When I asked my sensei her thoughts on this - she mentioned that it probably has more to do with people not wanting to get a suntan (pure white skin with no tan lines is desired here) than the actual heat. Runners know they are going to sweat anyway - so they might as well protect their skin too! I am sure they are also way more used to running in the heat and humidity here than I am! 

2. Tents and tarps at road races

If you ran track or cross country in school, you probably remember getting to the location of the race early - staking out your team's spot and setting up camp. The tents, blue tarps, coolers with snacks, etc. It's often an all-day activity! Races in Japan are like that as well...even marathons and half marathons! Usually there is some type of school, park, or the like near the starting line and people get to the races early to claim their spot. In addition to tarps, I saw tents and even portable changing rooms! And, because of how safe it is in Japan - people just leave their belongings on the tarps/in their tents while they run...not even thinking twice about whether their wallet or car keys will be there when they return. No need for bag check!

3. Communal stretching

Before we moved to Japan, Kaz had mentioned that each morning at Toyota a bell will ring, everyone will stand up, and then a voice over loudspeaker will lead the employees in a morning stretching exercise. I learned that this also happens at road races too! Sometimes a team will get together and one person will lead them through stretches...and other times...a  large group will form lines and someone will lead over loudspeaker. At our 1/2 marathon in May, I heard a lot of talking over loudspeaker before the race. By the time I was able to piece together what was happening...I had missed the stretching! Next time I'll know...and be able to participate too! :)

4. Port-O-Squatty-Potties?! 

In an earlier post, I mentioned that you often come across a "squatty potty" in Japan. Well, guess what - the port-o-potties at Japanese races are also squatty potties...I guess that makes them port-o-squatty-potties! I have to say - sore legs make squatting a tad more difficult...that's for sure! And, knowing that these are the only potties available also makes you not want to drink a lot of water before the race. Which is a problem when it's hot! 

Oh, and the potties were also "manned" by workers who would check each potty after it was used to make sure it was clean (at least, I think that's what they were doing). If it was not clean - they would spray it out with a hose before letting the next person use it. That was definitely an added bonus...and the potties flushed too!

5. Signing up/Registration

When we first arrived in Japan and began to look into signing up for a half marathon - we were surprised to see that most races were already "closed." Meaning that the registration date had passed...even though a race might not be for another 6-8 months. In January, the first race we could find that still had not "closed" was in November. 

After talking to Kaz's coworker, we realized that many races have a very short sign-up window. For example, registration opens on June 1st and closes on June 4th. So, people will plan to sign up first thing in the morning on the first day...almost like buying concert tickets. Other races won't post their signup dates until right before registration starts - so you may have to check the website often to figure it out. And, other races are becoming lotteries - so you sign up during a certain time and then they let you know several weeks later whether you have been accepted into the race. Obviously every race is different - and depends on the size and popularity...I think we're finally starting to get the process down...now if I could only read the websites a bit more (Google Translate helps...and also leaves a lot to problem solving and imagination). 

6. Later start times 

One of the norms for the races I've done is EARLY starts, which also mean that you are often done running and showered by 9am. Early start times often help to control the heat and I am sure make traffic easier to manage. I have realized that races in Japan tend to start much later - a 9am start time versus a 7am start time. Later start times in late fall/winter are wonderful as a few more degrees often helps; however, for late spring/summer races...they can be a bit more challenging! I definitely wasn't expecting the heat at our race in May...sunny skies and the sun at high-noon even though it was only 9:30am (the sun rises around 4:30am here - so it was already really high in the sky)...made it a bit toasty! I'll be even more hydrated...and perhaps wearing even less clothes next time! A tank top may open a whole new can of worms! 

7. Post-race snacks

Those who have run with me know that eating is the last thing I can even think about when I cross the finish line. Usually I am doing what I can to not throw up - which often involves attempting to disguise my gagging. It doesn't work quite as well anymore!  However, I usually fill my bag up with bananas, bagels, pretzels, and other snacks to enjoy about 2-3 hours later. As I finished the race in May, I was greeted by the strong smell of pork miso soup...and the sights of many runners slurping away at their soup. I have to say my stomach was churning more that normal given the smell! Luckily, they also had sports drinks too! 

Even though this post is about the differences I've noticed in the world of running in Japan...there are obviously way more similarities than differences. I am enjoying getting to see the ways that people do the things I love in other parts of the world. We have some more races on the horizon...so I am sure I will be able to compare and contrast even more.

For now...I am going to work on figuring out how to run in the heat and humidity...and try to decide whether to sign up for a full marathon while I'm here. I'll have to decide rather soon!

Sunny Moments: New running experiences!

Cloudy Moments: Sore legs, squatty potties, and smelly soup! ;)

Month 5 in Review...and FOOD!

It's hard to believe that it's June already! Today marks one month until our first round of visitors arrive in Japan and two months until we head back to the US for our first home leave. I am enjoying Japan and also REALLY looking forward to seeing family and friends!!

The weather has been beautiful lately - temperatures in the mid-70s/low-80s and a mix of sun and clouds. And from what I've heard from almost everyone I talk to - it's best to enjoy the weather now as rainy season looms in the near future. The Japanese meteorological association announced today that rainy season is expected to start in the next week and then last into mid-July. I've never experienced rainy season before...so it should be interesting. I've noticed that the store shelves are now stocked FULL of mold remover and "creature" killer (mosquitoes and cockroaches). 

I've decided to add a new feature to my "monthly reviews" in an effort to share more information about Japanese food. I have started to film short video clips featuring a traditional Japanese food. This month's feature food is...OKONOMIYAKI! 

Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake that contains a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi which means "what you like" and yaki which means "grilled." Some of the most common ingredients include: the batter (flour, grated nagaimo (a type of yam), water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage) and then it usually contains other ingredients like green onion, meat (generally thin pork belly), octopus, squid, shrimp, and vegetables. At some restaurants, you actually get to grill your own "pancake" right on your table! 

And here's Month Five! :)

Places Visited (and Activities)

-Singapore (see "Travel" blogpost)

-Takayama (see "Travel" blogpost)

-Yamanakako Half Marathon/Mt. Fuji (Kaz and I ran our first half marathon in Japan last weekend. The race was in a town called Yamanakako and was at the base of Mt. Fuji. The race was around a beautiful lake, which provided wonderful views of Mt. Fuji. We lucked out because we were able to see Mt. Fuji in both cloudy and sunny weather! Truly stunning! The race also allowed us to experience how half marathons in Japan differ from those in the States. More on that topic soon!). 

Cafes Enjoyed

-The Fabulous Baker Boy (Singapore)

-Chemistry (Singapore)

-Costa Coffee (Singapore)

-Coffee & Toast (Singapore)

-Nylon (Singapore)

-Coffee Don  (Takayama)

-Metsa (Nagoya - Higashiyama Koen)

Kit Kat Flavors Tasted

-Strawberry

-Mint 

Victories

-Adding TWO new countries to my "Places Visited!" 

-Checking a few more items off of our "Bucket List" (and including some pictures!)

-Completing my first INTERNATIONAL half marathon (and the training that went along with it). We've signed up for another half in October. And, I have to decide if I am going to run the Nagoya Women's FULL Marathon next March by August (sign up is SO early here).

-Putting myself out there a bit more. This month, I've had some friends over to our place for a Friday afternoon "hang out," I've coordinated meeting up with some new Toyota families who will arrive in the next few months, and I've gone to a picnic at Meijo Koen with some new girls (a few of which who were fellow Michiganders!). 

-Continuing the language journey! During my lessons, I am beginning to make simple sentences about my day. I have added about 30 verbs to my vocabulary and am now starting to learn a bit about adjectives. When Kaz talks to me (slowly and in simple sentences), I am able to understand more than I thought I would. The other night at dinner, I was able to tell him about my day (in simple and repetitive sentences) with only a little bit of help. And, I still have no clue what anyone says to me in public! ;)

-Baked my first baked goods since arriving in Japan. A fruit cobbler that did not turn out that well...mostly due to the recipe and not the oven. And chocolate chip cookies...in which I substituted white sugar for brown sugar...and they still tasted yummy! I have learned that just because sugar is brown in color does not actually make it brown sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses - and GoogleTranslate is not that helpful in determining whether that's the case or not! :) 

-Reconnecting with family and friends even more over texting and Skype/Facetime! 

Goals

-Wrap up the school year! Get clients situated for the summer...and begin to brainstorm for next school year. This summer, I am hoping to read and learn more about working with multi-language learners, so that I have more ideas going into next school year. In August, I will start a full school year at NIS...and I am hoping to expand my roles there. Perhaps add some therapy groups and learn even more about how to better support the students in the classroom. 

-Talk MORE! I know, I know...this is a goal that I include every month...and will probably continue to include throughout my entire time here. It's getting easier to just "get by" with limited language...and so what I am learning in my lessons is not carrying over to everyday life. In my head - I recognize that I'm not talking - and so my plan is to...start talking!

-Read - OH, the list of books I have!

-Survive rainy season. I'm not sure what this will entail - however, I want to make sure that I don't just "stay in" due to the rain. 

-Start doing yoga and meditating on a more regular basis! 

Sunny Moments
In addition to the ones mentioned above...

-Sunny skies
-Remembering to enjoy the "little" moments
-Yummy foods!
-SINGING karaoke for the first time ever...thank you Luci!!  (This is for you Liz!)
-Planning some upcoming travel trips
-HUGS and SMILES from my students! (One of them kissed my hand the other day and told me "I like you Ms. Jaime).
-Root beer! (Found A&W Root Beer at a restaurant last night - YUM!)

Cloudy Moments
In addition to the ones mentioned above...

-Feeling far away
-Overanalyzing!

Sun, clouds, and lots of love to all!
~Jaime

Travel Entry - Kaz's Birthday Weekend in Takayama

For Kaz's birthday weekend, we took an overnight trip to the city of Takayama. Takayama is located in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture (about a two-hour train ride from Nagoya). The city is nestled in the heart of the Japanese Alps and retains a traditional touch (unlike most other Japanese cities). Much of the town has been preserved, which allows guests to experience what a rural Japanese town may have been like long ago. 

Views from the train...

Views from the train...

We started out our trip with a very scenic train ride that wound us up into the mountains. The sun was shining and it was so neat to be able to relax and take in the beauty. Public transit in Japan is wonderful! 

Once we arrived in Takayama, we decided to take a walk through Shiroyama Park. The weather was beautiful and we were able to explore the ruins of Takayama Castle. It was quite a steep climb with lots of stairs as we made our way to about 2,200 feet above sea level. Construction began on the castle in 1588 and it was completed in 1600. The castle was demolished in 1695 - though nothing I have read has been able to give me a clear reason as to why or how the castle was demolished. 

View from the top

Standing in the main room of the castle

About to climb the front steps of the castle

Panoramic Shot!  

Brown sugidama - sake is ready! 

After walking through the park, we made our way into Old Town - which is the part of Takayama that has been preserved. The streets are lined with shops, restaurants, and sake breweries. Sugidama, which are special balls made of cedar branches, hang over the entrances of the sake breweries (so you can identify them quickly). The color of the sugidama is also an indication of how the sake is maturing - a green sugidama indicates that the sake has just been pressed and a brown sugidama indicates that the sake has matured and is ready to be consumed. All the breweries we passed had brown sugidama! 

Kaz with his sake! 

We couldn't walk past all the sake breweries without doing a tasting. I've only had sake once in my life - and that was when it was mixed with a very sugary juice...so I couldn't even taste it. The breweries had a wide selection of sakes - and you could taste whichever ones you liked for 100-200JPY (about $1-$2). Kaz tried more "traditional" flavors of sake - while I tried the more "fruity" flavors (plum and yuzu - a Japanese lemon-like fruit). While my tastings were served in small glasses - Kaz's tastings were served in a more traditional way...in a wooden box (called a masu - which used to be a measuring cup). The masu is placed on a small saucer and then the sake is poured into it - until it overflows just a little bit onto the saucer. I was intrigued as to why the server allowed the sake to overflow (since it made a bit of a mess). Kaz told me that sake is served that way so that people don't feel like they are being cheated out of "not getting a full serving" of sake. 

Yummy lunch! 

With our bellies full of sake, we decided that lunch was needed before more sightseeing. Like most areas in Japan, Takayama is known for its local foods. Some of them include sansai (mountain vegetables - usually pickled); soba; miso; and, Hida-gyu (Hida-beef). We enjoyed a delicious lunch of cold soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) and vegetable tempura (lightly-fried vegetables in a crispy panko batter) before heading across town to explore Takayama Jinya. 

Hida-gyu Sushi (lightly seared beef over rice)

The streets of Old Town

The entrance of Takayama Jinya

Takayama Jinya is a historic government house that was built by the central government in the 17th century. It is actually the only remaining office of its kind in all of Japan and was really neat to walk through. I was excited that many of the signs were in English - so I was able to read a bit more about the building's history. Each of the rooms had an interesting story and I would recommend a visit if you are ever in the area. On the day that we visited, there were craftsman giving a demonstration and I was able to try my hand at "shaving wood" using a Japanese plane tool. Interestingly, this eliminates the need for sandpaper as it leaves the wood very smooth! 

Attempting to shave wood

Inside Takayama Jinya

Onsen! 

After exploring Takayama Jinya, we headed back to our ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) to enjoy soaking in the onsens. We were lucky enough to have our own private onsen in our room that overlooked the town below. I still haven't experienced the public onsens yet - though I need to just muster up the courage and take that plunge soon! Compared to our ryokan experience in February - we were able to figure out the yukata "putting on" process in about half the time (which was still about twenty minutes). Our server at dinner even commented that I looked "kawaii" (cute) in my yukata. Our meal was delicious - and there were only a few items that looked too questionable for me to eat. I was proud of myself for trying roe (fish eggs), raw shrimp (never again), and eel (okay in small quantities and when mixed with rice). The fish on a stick and mini-crab (which still looked like a crab) were too much! The neat thing about the meals at ryokans is that they specialize in serving food unique to that area - so we had amazing beef, miso, and milk! 

Morning Market 

Blessing...

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast (again featuring local foods) before heading out to enjoy the morning markets. Every morning two farmer's markets are held in Takayama - one along the Miya River and the other in front of Takayama Jinya. We found that the one along the river was much bigger and featured free samples of many local Japanese foods and snacks. There were also many craftsmen selling beautiful wood pieces - as Takayama is known for their carpentry. As we were walking, I was able to see a Shinto priest perform a traditional blessing on food offerings at a small shrine. It was really neat!

We spent our afternoon at the Hida Folk Museum (Minzoku-kan), which is an outdoor museum that displays traditional architecture and thatched roof houses (many of which have been relocated from the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Shirakawa-go). When you first walk in, there is a street full of old Japanese games and toys that you can try our for yourself. We were pretty good at the bamboo water guns - but not so good at the bamboo stilts! Then, following the numbers on the map - you can walk from site to site...and spend as much time as you want enjoying them. It took us about 80 minutes to see all of the sites - but the map had shortened courses that took you to the highlighted sites only, if you were short on time. 

YUM!

From there we headed back to the train station to start our trip home...however, not without making sure we grabbed a gyu-man (beef-filled steamed bun) before we left!

Takayama was a really fun place to visit - and I think it will become one of the "must-visit" places on our lists of places to recommend to visitors. Next time, we will try to plan our visit during the Takayama Festival, which is held every spring and fall, and features intricately-crafted floats said to be a testament to the region’s history (of artistry and craftsmanship). 

Side note... :)

While in Takayama - we saw these "red dolls" EVERYWHERE! I was curious what they were - so we looked them up (before buying a few as souvenirs).  The dolls are called "sarubobos" - which literally means 'baby monkey' in Japanese. Traditionally, sarubobos are made by grandmothers for their grandchildren as dolls, and for their daughters as a charm for good marriage, good children and to ensure a well-rounded couple. The dolls do not have any facial features because they are said to "take on" the emotion that their owner is feeling at any given time. Over time, many other color sarubobos have emerged - each color having their own meaning. (Red: marriage and family; Gold/Yellow: money, success, gambling; Pink: love; Orange: friendship, children, traveling; Blue: study and job; Green: peace and health; Purple: longevity and success; Black: protection from evil).

Sunny Moments: A relaxing and rejuvenating weekend in a quaint town - with beautiful weather! 

Cloudy Moments: None! Except for maybe the fish on a stick and baby crab! ;)