Hello everyone!
I have received many (deserved) complaints of late that I have not updated my blog. I am guilty as charged- I think it's been about three months- so here is a quick explanation of what I've been up to, and why I haven't been updating my blog. Basically I've been pretty sick.
(Note: I'm making a conscious decision in what I write here concerning my health. I don't mind sharing the facts of my infirmity as they could have been inflicted upon anyone and aren't especially embarrassing.)
Starting in mid-January I started to notice some signs that maybe something was wrong with my health. I waited about a week, and then finally told my supervisor that I needed to see a doctor. After about three weeks of testing and head-scratching I was diagnosed with "ulcerative colitis." Basically an auto-immune disorder where certain triggers (stress, chemicals, diet, etc.) cause the body to attack the intestines causing ulcers and inflammation. Finally, mid-February the doctors found a medication that seemed to be working and suggested I take at least two weeks off work to heal.
From start to "finish" (this disease will probably flare up again over the course of my life) this entire process of getting rid of the worst symptoms took about five weeks, give or take a week. During that time I missed about two weeks of work. Once I had recovered from the exhaustion that often accompanies a flare-up I felt pretty bad-ass about it. I had just dealt with a fairly scary illness, and worked through quite a lot of it. Unfortunately, despite being privy to the details, my employer was not especially understanding that I had missed so much work.
So, after some thinking, I made the final call that it would be best for me to return to the States after completing my one year in Japan. Illness was a big factor in this, but there were some other considerations as well. I'll do my best to give periodic updates from here on out- I've got four months left here and I want to make the most of them! Finally, if anyone wants more details they can feel free to contact me though any method available at their disposal (carrier pigeon, email, smoke-signal, etc.)
-Andrew
P.S. A big thanks to Maisha who send me the best prehistoric/dark-humored valentine ever! It made me smile when it was otherwise difficult to do so!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
A little bit of this and that.
I haven't updated my blog lately, although rather than being a symptom of not having anything to write about I have instead been too busy. Most recently this involved going to the hospital to get some testing done (I feel fine, don't worry!). Being right after work on a Friday, I had all of my school accoutrements with me including Alistair. He stayed in my backpack most of the time, but during a long consultation with a nurse he ended up peering out of my bag at all the goings on. At the end of the meeting I asked my supervisor (who's been wonderful and my interpreter) to explain why there was a stuffed alligator wearing a tie in my backpack.
When I'm not sharing immaculately dressed alligators with Japanese health professionals, I am learning how to live by myself. I've been self-sufficient for a while, but sometimes I really need a second opinion on daily house activities. This has led to some mistakes, the most recent one being an especially pronounced “bachelor moment”. Consider the following:
(The tray used to be the size of this wrapper...also, this picture really doesn't do justice to the burn marks on it. ^^; )
In addition to frozen pizzas I've been sampling other traditional Japanese foods such as M&M's trail mix. This is an especially good example of how much fun it can be to have a basic grasp of two different languages, because it can provide endless entertainment. This particular bag of snacks had the clever phrase “いろいろMIX おいしいMAX”. In stilted English this might translate into: “A mix of various things, it is delicious to the maximum.”
I'll leave you all on a happy...er, jolly, note.
-Andrew
When I'm not sharing immaculately dressed alligators with Japanese health professionals, I am learning how to live by myself. I've been self-sufficient for a while, but sometimes I really need a second opinion on daily house activities. This has led to some mistakes, the most recent one being an especially pronounced “bachelor moment”. Consider the following:
- Andrew buys a frozen pizza. He adorns it with additional toppings and feels pretty clever about his culinary smarts.
- The pizza comes on a Styrofoam tray. It says on the wrapping not to microwave the Styrofoam, however Andrew plans to bake the pizza.
- Andrew recalls that Styrofoam seems to be resistant to heat, as we drink hot beverages from cups made of the material.
- Andrew assumes that the Styrofoam tray is for baking on. He puts both pizza and Styrofoam try into the hot oven and turns to making a salad.
- Andrew checks on the pizza a couple minutes later and find out that He Was Wrong.
In addition to frozen pizzas I've been sampling other traditional Japanese foods such as M&M's trail mix. This is an especially good example of how much fun it can be to have a basic grasp of two different languages, because it can provide endless entertainment. This particular bag of snacks had the clever phrase “いろいろMIX おいしいMAX”. In stilted English this might translate into: “A mix of various things, it is delicious to the maximum.”
I'll leave you all on a happy...er, jolly, note.
-Andrew
Thursday, January 5, 2012
New Year's – Part 2
This is the second part of today's post. Be sure to check out the previous page!
A week and a half ago I was invited to go with a friend to their in-law's house to make mochi. Mochi is a gummy, goey cake made from pounded and kneaded rice. The traditional method of making mochi is to use a mallet and mortar. (I'm talking about a mortar and pestle kind of situation- not an explosive.) However, we used an electric mochi maker. You can mix different ingredients in during the mixing phase, including sesame seeds, powdered shrimp, or something that your host can only vaguely explain as “a sort of dried grass”.
(The electric mochi maker steams the rice and then mixes/breaks it up with a blade at the bottom of the bowl. This means that the mochi bounces around a little as it forms up into a large ball. It almost leaped out a couple times!)
(A large hunk of green mochi fresh from the mixer. We then pulled off smaller pieces and rolled them up with anko, sweetened red bean paste, inside.)
(We literally ground up shrimp for one of the mochi batches. There was something cathartic about pulverizing hundreds of tiny dried crustaceans.)
Anyway, we had a lot of fun making the mochi, though eating it was more of a challenge. Mochi is so difficult to chew and swallow that very young children are not allowed to eat it. The saying also goes that you know you're old when your children start to cut your mochi into small pieces for you. Supposedly a handful of elderly people die each year from choking on mochi. I don't know if this is an urban legend or not, but after eating a few balls of the stuff myself, I'm more inclined to believe.
The purpose of the evening had been to get together and have a cultural experience, but I'm afraid the entertainment of the evening was supplied by my friend's 19-month-old son and his father-in-law's elderly cat.
The cat's name is San-chan after the sandwiches used to gain her trust and affection in her former life as a stray. The toddler's name is Ryu, or “dragon”, based partly on the mess he makes when he rampages. San-chan generally tried to stay away from Ryu while he was up and about, as his attempts to pet her were more or less concussive in force. She was more or less out of sight for most of the evening, which didn't change when we all sat down to have dinner. Ryu was placed in his high-chair and given a bowl of luke-warm clam chowder. In good faith he was also given a spoon, but this didn't see much use.
(Ryu doesn't have much in the way of stranger anxiety yet. During our first meeting he trotted over to me and sat down in my lap without much ceremony.)
About halfway through the meal Ryu-kun suddenly let out a squeal of delight from his perch as he craned his neck over the side of his seat. His grandfather investigated and then asked for a damp towel. As my friend filled me in I learned that San-chan had taken to sitting under Ryu's high-chair in previous visits so that she could eat the tidbits that he dropped. Ryu, being obliging, then started to actively drop food for her to eat. In this particular case the cat had sat in one place just long enough for Ryu-kun to drop a toddler-handful of clam chowder smack on the top of her head.
I now know that the antics of toddlers and cats are a cross-culture experience that we can all enjoy.
-Andrew
A week and a half ago I was invited to go with a friend to their in-law's house to make mochi. Mochi is a gummy, goey cake made from pounded and kneaded rice. The traditional method of making mochi is to use a mallet and mortar. (I'm talking about a mortar and pestle kind of situation- not an explosive.) However, we used an electric mochi maker. You can mix different ingredients in during the mixing phase, including sesame seeds, powdered shrimp, or something that your host can only vaguely explain as “a sort of dried grass”.
Anyway, we had a lot of fun making the mochi, though eating it was more of a challenge. Mochi is so difficult to chew and swallow that very young children are not allowed to eat it. The saying also goes that you know you're old when your children start to cut your mochi into small pieces for you. Supposedly a handful of elderly people die each year from choking on mochi. I don't know if this is an urban legend or not, but after eating a few balls of the stuff myself, I'm more inclined to believe.
The purpose of the evening had been to get together and have a cultural experience, but I'm afraid the entertainment of the evening was supplied by my friend's 19-month-old son and his father-in-law's elderly cat.
(The duo, asleep on the heated carpet.)
The cat's name is San-chan after the sandwiches used to gain her trust and affection in her former life as a stray. The toddler's name is Ryu, or “dragon”, based partly on the mess he makes when he rampages. San-chan generally tried to stay away from Ryu while he was up and about, as his attempts to pet her were more or less concussive in force. She was more or less out of sight for most of the evening, which didn't change when we all sat down to have dinner. Ryu was placed in his high-chair and given a bowl of luke-warm clam chowder. In good faith he was also given a spoon, but this didn't see much use.
About halfway through the meal Ryu-kun suddenly let out a squeal of delight from his perch as he craned his neck over the side of his seat. His grandfather investigated and then asked for a damp towel. As my friend filled me in I learned that San-chan had taken to sitting under Ryu's high-chair in previous visits so that she could eat the tidbits that he dropped. Ryu, being obliging, then started to actively drop food for her to eat. In this particular case the cat had sat in one place just long enough for Ryu-kun to drop a toddler-handful of clam chowder smack on the top of her head.
I now know that the antics of toddlers and cats are a cross-culture experience that we can all enjoy.
-Andrew
New Year's - Intermission
Sergeant Alistair's Log, 1-5-2012, 18:29
The badgers are at the very gates even now. All the outposts have fallen to their savage claws. I fear the Captain has gone mad. I privately begged him last night to update his blog to avert the slaughter of our men, but with a savage grin he replied “Let them come.”
This will be my last blog update for a little while (though it will be a double post)- I'm back at school now preparing for when the students return to classes on the 10th. I have also been putting the finishing touches on the New Year's cards I was making. In Japan, New Year's cards are about as popular as Christmas/New Year's cards in America combined. Most Japanese buy fancy post-cards for the occasion, but based on the number of Dragon themed stamps and stickers at the stationary store, others choose to make their own. I was in the latter camp; being a dragon enthusiast I needed an excuse to buy themed crafts supplies. In the end I made about 28 cards and mailed them off/passed them around at school.
(Here's the stamp I used. It was difficult choosing one out of the 15 different designs!)
(A few of the finished cards. The Japanese translates roughly to “Congratulations on the opening of a New Year. Please tolerate me again this year.”)
It snowed most of yesterday and last night, and while its just slightly too warm for it to stick on the ground I got this picture this morning right before the sun came up.
Also, as a quick culinary update, I tried cooking and eating tofu for the first time last night. As I mentioned on facebook it was a lot like trying to pan fry jello. I'm afraid the Mabodofu I made didn't really turn out, but my life is richer for the experience. ^^;
-Andrew
The badgers are at the very gates even now. All the outposts have fallen to their savage claws. I fear the Captain has gone mad. I privately begged him last night to update his blog to avert the slaughter of our men, but with a savage grin he replied “Let them come.”
This will be my last blog update for a little while (though it will be a double post)- I'm back at school now preparing for when the students return to classes on the 10th. I have also been putting the finishing touches on the New Year's cards I was making. In Japan, New Year's cards are about as popular as Christmas/New Year's cards in America combined. Most Japanese buy fancy post-cards for the occasion, but based on the number of Dragon themed stamps and stickers at the stationary store, others choose to make their own. I was in the latter camp; being a dragon enthusiast I needed an excuse to buy themed crafts supplies. In the end I made about 28 cards and mailed them off/passed them around at school.
(Here's the stamp I used. It was difficult choosing one out of the 15 different designs!)
It snowed most of yesterday and last night, and while its just slightly too warm for it to stick on the ground I got this picture this morning right before the sun came up.
Also, as a quick culinary update, I tried cooking and eating tofu for the first time last night. As I mentioned on facebook it was a lot like trying to pan fry jello. I'm afraid the Mabodofu I made didn't really turn out, but my life is richer for the experience. ^^;
-Andrew
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Years: Part 1
“Forsooth! The badgers of cajoling have been unleashed upon me by my parents. If I do not make it through the night, sweet Alistair, know that I died a brave man.”
Last night, I found myself unexpectedly in the home of my Japanese tutor enjoying year-end soba noodles and good company. I had gotten an email the evening before asking for my attendance, and even if I had something else to do, this sounded like fun. I was the last one to finish eating because I had also been asked to bring pictures of America to show the family. Having only digital copies I brought my computer, but with the help of technology these pictures were soon rendered in all their glory upon their wide-screen T.V.
My tutor's family (her husband and two daughters aged 11 and 14) listened politely while I tried to explain Oregon in halting Japanese. Strangely, the girls were especially enraptured by the pictures of squirrels from the Capital Park in Salem. While they are as common as pigeons in Oregon, I guess they're a bit of a rarity in Japan.
After my photo montage (“- and here is my family sitting on a sofa and watching TV!”) we switched over to real television- NHK's year end music contest program, “Kohaku Uta Gassen” more commonly shortened to "Kohaku". It is a musical war of the sexes, in which male and female music stars compete to win the evening. Most of the artists were from Japan, but there were a few notable pop groups from Korea, as well as a guest appearance from a certain famous American.
(This is the logo for this year's Kohaku. This year was the 62nd year the show has run, the tradition started in 1951 on January 3rd, but was quickly moved to be on New Year's Eve.)
My impression of most of the artists were average. There was the usual assortment of boy bands, female soloists, country singers, and the occasional opera star. What is noticeably different between Western and Asian music entertainment, however, is the advent of large female “idol” groups. I suppose these are bands, although some of them are more rightly called this than others. Smaller idol groups are 6-9 women, while the largest, AKB48 has 48. And now for a quick rant:
I will never tell my students this, but I really don't care for AKB48. For one, I'm told that in Japan cute equals sexy in a woman. This means that while, ostensibly, the group's members are of legal age, this doesn't prevent them from appearing in music videos in school girl's uniforms (with the shortest of skirts) or having pillow fights with teddy bears in lingerie. (Seriously, if you thought Katy's Perry's “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It” had a risque music video, look up “Heavy Rotation”) It makes me a bit uneasy. There's also the practice of having the fans vote every year on who the members of the band get to be, who gets to be in music videos, singles, etc. Finally, the band members are forbidden to have boyfriends, and can be fired if they do decide to fall for someone. In the end this creates a group of scantily clad young women in their early 20's who must constantly vie against each other for popularity, while also creating the illusion that they are all available for lucky fan boys. Ugh. I do not envy them.
But, now that I have indulged in some feminism, back to the Kohaku. There were a couple singers that I really liked. One of them was Sachiko Kobayashi, an Enka, or Japanese country music, singer. Kobayashi is in her 50's now, but is a little like Madonna in terms of maintaining popularity. In her numerous Kohaku appearances she has also garnered a reputation for wearing costumes that would make Elton John jealous. This year, she appeared on stage wearing a sequined gold dress with a matching crested swim cap. Halfway through the song, the head of a Chinese Lion rose up around her, followed soon by it's body. As the dramatic music rose, Kobayashi reappeared on the Lion's head as the body began to dance around in time to the music. It was all very inspiring.
Late in the evening a more familiar face took the stage- Lady Gaga performed two songs, playing the piano for the first and dancing for the second. “You and I” and then “Born this Way”, the second of which is being hailed as being the new GLBT positive anthem of the age. I think it can apply to anyone though, as it tells people to love themselves no matter how strange others might see them.
Anyway Lady Gaga danced around a gothic stage set dressed entirely in black leather and sequins, singing about “being beautiful in my way.” In that moment a strange feeling overtook me...
...I was proud to be American.
-Andrew
Last night, I found myself unexpectedly in the home of my Japanese tutor enjoying year-end soba noodles and good company. I had gotten an email the evening before asking for my attendance, and even if I had something else to do, this sounded like fun. I was the last one to finish eating because I had also been asked to bring pictures of America to show the family. Having only digital copies I brought my computer, but with the help of technology these pictures were soon rendered in all their glory upon their wide-screen T.V.
My tutor's family (her husband and two daughters aged 11 and 14) listened politely while I tried to explain Oregon in halting Japanese. Strangely, the girls were especially enraptured by the pictures of squirrels from the Capital Park in Salem. While they are as common as pigeons in Oregon, I guess they're a bit of a rarity in Japan.
After my photo montage (“- and here is my family sitting on a sofa and watching TV!”) we switched over to real television- NHK's year end music contest program, “Kohaku Uta Gassen” more commonly shortened to "Kohaku". It is a musical war of the sexes, in which male and female music stars compete to win the evening. Most of the artists were from Japan, but there were a few notable pop groups from Korea, as well as a guest appearance from a certain famous American.
My impression of most of the artists were average. There was the usual assortment of boy bands, female soloists, country singers, and the occasional opera star. What is noticeably different between Western and Asian music entertainment, however, is the advent of large female “idol” groups. I suppose these are bands, although some of them are more rightly called this than others. Smaller idol groups are 6-9 women, while the largest, AKB48 has 48. And now for a quick rant:
(AKB48)
I will never tell my students this, but I really don't care for AKB48. For one, I'm told that in Japan cute equals sexy in a woman. This means that while, ostensibly, the group's members are of legal age, this doesn't prevent them from appearing in music videos in school girl's uniforms (with the shortest of skirts) or having pillow fights with teddy bears in lingerie. (Seriously, if you thought Katy's Perry's “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It” had a risque music video, look up “Heavy Rotation”) It makes me a bit uneasy. There's also the practice of having the fans vote every year on who the members of the band get to be, who gets to be in music videos, singles, etc. Finally, the band members are forbidden to have boyfriends, and can be fired if they do decide to fall for someone. In the end this creates a group of scantily clad young women in their early 20's who must constantly vie against each other for popularity, while also creating the illusion that they are all available for lucky fan boys. Ugh. I do not envy them.
But, now that I have indulged in some feminism, back to the Kohaku. There were a couple singers that I really liked. One of them was Sachiko Kobayashi, an Enka, or Japanese country music, singer. Kobayashi is in her 50's now, but is a little like Madonna in terms of maintaining popularity. In her numerous Kohaku appearances she has also garnered a reputation for wearing costumes that would make Elton John jealous. This year, she appeared on stage wearing a sequined gold dress with a matching crested swim cap. Halfway through the song, the head of a Chinese Lion rose up around her, followed soon by it's body. As the dramatic music rose, Kobayashi reappeared on the Lion's head as the body began to dance around in time to the music. It was all very inspiring.
(In China, the lions dance to scare away evil spirits at New Year's. I suspect her dress could have done the same ^^; )
(A previous year, a different dress/giant animal to ride on- I've been finding these photos on Google.)
Late in the evening a more familiar face took the stage- Lady Gaga performed two songs, playing the piano for the first and dancing for the second. “You and I” and then “Born this Way”, the second of which is being hailed as being the new GLBT positive anthem of the age. I think it can apply to anyone though, as it tells people to love themselves no matter how strange others might see them.
Anyway Lady Gaga danced around a gothic stage set dressed entirely in black leather and sequins, singing about “being beautiful in my way.” In that moment a strange feeling overtook me...
...I was proud to be American.
-Andrew
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