So, I've gone to the doctor a third time. This time, the doctor I usually go to was closed on that day, so we went to a new doctor. Probably good to get another opinion anyway, right?
After walking in and changing into the slippers at the entrance (of course, you'd never wear your street shoes inside), our boss commented that this must be the reason Japanese people always wear socks, even with heels and sandals--they don't want to get athlete's foot from having to always change into the vinyl slippers at the entrance.
I got an X-ray, which the doctor said didn't reveal anything to be worried about. The white spot that the other doctor thought was pneumonia was actually quite common. He also did blood work, which showed my white blood cell count wasn't up--which means, no infection. So, I'm cleared.
But I was still coughing like crazy, getting crazy chest pains from coughing, and overall, going crazy.
The doctor said he was 80% sure it was my asthma acting up. He changed some of my medicines and that was that. The pain in my chest, was from coughing so much, which I had already figured. I was given a breathing treatment, which threw me off because the nebulizer machine in Japan is a bit different from the ones I'm used to in America. The mouth piece was all glass and the nurse kept telling me not to put my mouth around it. Just hold my mouth open with the piece in there and inhale. I felt a bit awkward.
At the pharmacy, I was given a run-down on how to work the new inhaler I was given. That was also a different experience. It looks like a tube and I have to twist it everytime I use it.
That night, however, the pain in my chest suddenly got worse. It was right when we got home, I was in our driveway speaking with our boss when I noticed that the pain was very bad. I didn't say anything as I really just wanted to get inside and take the medicine I had been given for the pain.
The medicine didn't do anything for relief. I found I couldn't cough correctly--which is torture when you feel yourself about to have a coughing fit. Sneezing is also incredibly painful and laughing was also a no-go. I thought, perhaps, I had pulled a muscle. A few nights later, I was still having problems sleeping because if I lie down, the pressure hurts too much. It's hard to pick up things with my left hand and the area is tender. At one point, there looked like there was a small, light bruise.
So, I think I somehow cracked a rib or tore a muscle. I don't know how; Chris thinks maybe from coughing so hard. ? But somewhere between the pharmacy and getting home, I had more pain. There's really nothing doctors can do about it, even if I had broken something, so I've just been taking it easy and using heating pads. I do wish I had a stronger pain reliever, though. Also, I think with all the coughing, it's just going to make healing take that much longer. I think the pain has gone down slightly, so it seems to be healing. Nothing seems out of place, so I don't think there's risk of damaging an organ or something extreme like that.
If it's still painful after this week, I plan to go back to the doctor for some stronger pain medicine. For now, I'm getting through...
On a more positive note, yesterday I was going through some Japanese commercials because I find them to be hilarious, strange, or ridiculously cute. Here are some of my favorites, going from least funny to awesomely funny:
Third place goes to this cute ad for Nintendo DS. I like her exclamation of, "Ah! It ate me!" Other times, neither Chris nor I could figure out what she was saying, but it sounded cute. At the beginning, she's making jumping noices. And of course, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" is pretty obvious.
Click here if you can't see the video.
Second, is another Nintendo DS commerical which advertises that you can play with foreign players (I think they say something like "gaijin no pureya" at the end). Don't you love how Luigi is in Japan? And of course, the "American" saying, "Oh, no! Come on!" All with heavy accents, of course.
If you can't see the video, click here.
Third, and my favorite, is these set of Fanta commercials. Chris and I both cracked up laughing at these...and with a little searching, I managed to find a video with decent subtitles. You can also get a glimpse of the school life through these commercials. They label some of the classes as "Third year" or "3A" which is, "Third year, junior high" or ninth grade to us. Note: A "thieving cat" is a women who chases after a married man. I read that in the description of the YouTube video.
If you can't see the video, you should click here. You don't wanna miss it!
This series totally left out our favorite, Invisible Sensei:
The students comment the teacher is late, but the teacher makes himself known through excessive yelling. With the part with the boy and girl, the boy says "suki da," "I like you a lot" or "I love you." The teacher jumps in with "Ore mo suki da!" "I love you, too!" Creepy... The last scene where the boy throws what I'm assuming is a plum, he asks "Did that hurt?" and the teacher replies, "It hurt!" There should be a full translation in the description of the YouTube video. I can't keep up with how fast the teacher is speaking...
If you can't see the video, click here.
I hope you enjoy...
05 July 2009
28 June 2009
Doctor's Visit
I've been sick, and it hasn't been fun. I feel like I'm constantly coughing, I couldn't breath well at night (making it very hard to sleep), and I'm too tired to get anything done or go out and have fun.
I went to the doctor last week due to a fever of 39.8C (103.64F) last Friday. It was my first visit to the doctor since I had gotten the flu shot. Apparently there's been a bacterial infection going around that's been causing a bad cough, and as there's been a cough going around at one of the junior high schools I work at, that was the doctor's first guess.
To be safe, he took an X-ray to rule out pneumonia (hey, I actually spelled that right without using spell check!). The X-ray showed I could have "slight pneumonia." As I'm allergic to penicillin (had to use spell check for that one), there was a debate on which antibiotic I would be on. Finally, one was decided upon and we left the doctor's office having paid around $12 total for the visit and X-ray. Not bad, eh?
Oh, but there's a down side. Doctor's here don't want to overdo it when prescribing antibiotics, so they tend to do it in very low doses. This means, you could have to go to the doctor two or three times before getting enough antibiotics to clear it up.
Sure enough, one week later, I was feeling horrible again. So, again, I went to the doctor, this time without our boss, who acted as a translator for us. Through broken English on his part, broken Japanese on our part, and our combined knowledge of asthma terms (the doctor was surprised to learn that I knew what Singulair was) we got through alright. When the doctor was having trouble explaining what certain medicines were for, I was able to take a guess at it, and usually was right (you can tell I've been through the pneumonia/asthma thing before, right?), and the nurses were impressed with Chris' ability to give symptoms in Japanese.
Chris was also checked just to be sure I wasn't passing the infection on to him. Luckily, he just has the common cold.
So we left, armed with new prescriptions. I was given another two days of antibiotics, along with some medicine to help give me a more productive cough, clear my sinuses, some Singulair to help with allergies and asthma, and some sort of patch to open the bronchial (no idea if that's spelled right) passages so I can sleep at night--all in low doses, of course.
Combined with Chris' cold medication, the medicine bill was less than $22--a week of Singulair alone would have cost more than that in the U.S.
The patch is something completely new to me. It's very thin (thinner than a sheet of paper), so I don't see how there's any medicine in there. At night, I'm supposed to stick it on my arm, chest, or back and it will help me sleep. I can keep it on throughout the day, as well, but I have to change it at night. If it irritates the area it's on, I can switch it to a different spot. Both the doctor and pharmacist warned me that if I get shaky, or my heart begins to race, I am to discontinue use. Also, I cannot use my inhaler at all while on this patch, as the patch is a B2 stimulant (which the doctor is guessing is what Albuterol/Preventil is).
I used it last night and got much better sleep. Finally! My guess is that it's a combination of the Singulair and patch that helped me sleep. So far, no irritation or shakiness either. So thankful for it!
I went to the doctor last week due to a fever of 39.8C (103.64F) last Friday. It was my first visit to the doctor since I had gotten the flu shot. Apparently there's been a bacterial infection going around that's been causing a bad cough, and as there's been a cough going around at one of the junior high schools I work at, that was the doctor's first guess.
To be safe, he took an X-ray to rule out pneumonia (hey, I actually spelled that right without using spell check!). The X-ray showed I could have "slight pneumonia." As I'm allergic to penicillin (had to use spell check for that one), there was a debate on which antibiotic I would be on. Finally, one was decided upon and we left the doctor's office having paid around $12 total for the visit and X-ray. Not bad, eh?
Oh, but there's a down side. Doctor's here don't want to overdo it when prescribing antibiotics, so they tend to do it in very low doses. This means, you could have to go to the doctor two or three times before getting enough antibiotics to clear it up.
Sure enough, one week later, I was feeling horrible again. So, again, I went to the doctor, this time without our boss, who acted as a translator for us. Through broken English on his part, broken Japanese on our part, and our combined knowledge of asthma terms (the doctor was surprised to learn that I knew what Singulair was) we got through alright. When the doctor was having trouble explaining what certain medicines were for, I was able to take a guess at it, and usually was right (you can tell I've been through the pneumonia/asthma thing before, right?), and the nurses were impressed with Chris' ability to give symptoms in Japanese.
Chris was also checked just to be sure I wasn't passing the infection on to him. Luckily, he just has the common cold.
So we left, armed with new prescriptions. I was given another two days of antibiotics, along with some medicine to help give me a more productive cough, clear my sinuses, some Singulair to help with allergies and asthma, and some sort of patch to open the bronchial (no idea if that's spelled right) passages so I can sleep at night--all in low doses, of course.
Combined with Chris' cold medication, the medicine bill was less than $22--a week of Singulair alone would have cost more than that in the U.S.
The patch is something completely new to me. It's very thin (thinner than a sheet of paper), so I don't see how there's any medicine in there. At night, I'm supposed to stick it on my arm, chest, or back and it will help me sleep. I can keep it on throughout the day, as well, but I have to change it at night. If it irritates the area it's on, I can switch it to a different spot. Both the doctor and pharmacist warned me that if I get shaky, or my heart begins to race, I am to discontinue use. Also, I cannot use my inhaler at all while on this patch, as the patch is a B2 stimulant (which the doctor is guessing is what Albuterol/Preventil is).
I used it last night and got much better sleep. Finally! My guess is that it's a combination of the Singulair and patch that helped me sleep. So far, no irritation or shakiness either. So thankful for it!
14 June 2009
Bubble Baths
I've already spoken about some of the rules for the onsens (hot springs) and public baths in Japan in my Hokkaido post, so I'd like to extend on that a bit by talking about the private bath at home.
First off, the toilette is in a separate room from the rest of the bathroom most of the time. When I tell students that the toilette is usually in the same room as the bathtub and sink in America, I receive strange expressions as this is often viewed as being unsanitary in Japan (though, you can find more and more of the western style bathrooms in hotels nowadays).
The shower area is actually like a room in itself. Usually, there's a low mirror with a small bench in front of it to sit down on when you shower. You don't shower in the bathtub--again this is unsanitary, though the bathtub is in the shower room.
The private bathtub shares many of the same rules as the public bath. You shower and get clean before stepping into the bathtub. You soak a while, usually with salts after completing your shower.
However, there are no bubble baths! Soap in the bathtub is a big no-no. Again, you must be clean before taking your bath.
So for all you ladies out there who enjoy a warm, relaxing bubble bath--you won't find it here in Japan. You will find an abundance of beautifully scented bath salts that make your skin oh-so-soft. The bath salts are an effort to recreate an onsen in your own home.
First off, the toilette is in a separate room from the rest of the bathroom most of the time. When I tell students that the toilette is usually in the same room as the bathtub and sink in America, I receive strange expressions as this is often viewed as being unsanitary in Japan (though, you can find more and more of the western style bathrooms in hotels nowadays).
The shower area is actually like a room in itself. Usually, there's a low mirror with a small bench in front of it to sit down on when you shower. You don't shower in the bathtub--again this is unsanitary, though the bathtub is in the shower room.
The private bathtub shares many of the same rules as the public bath. You shower and get clean before stepping into the bathtub. You soak a while, usually with salts after completing your shower.
However, there are no bubble baths! Soap in the bathtub is a big no-no. Again, you must be clean before taking your bath.
So for all you ladies out there who enjoy a warm, relaxing bubble bath--you won't find it here in Japan. You will find an abundance of beautifully scented bath salts that make your skin oh-so-soft. The bath salts are an effort to recreate an onsen in your own home.
06 June 2009
Education
There's been lots of talk about how to improve the education in America. Obama has been saying how things need improved (but I've yet to see any definite, detailed plans). In discussion, educators have brought up that in American businesses, when you work harder, you get paid more (in theory), so why doesn't it work this way for teachers? Some do the minimal work, yet get paid just as much as those who go well beyond their contracted hours to make sure students get the education they need.
But one problem I see is this: how do you measure a good teacher? Certainly if teachers begin getting paid more for more efforts, then there would be those who would give appearances of working harder and more hours without actually getting more results from the students.
So how do you measure a good teacher and who measures this?
A teacher at one of the junior high schools I teach at showed me a discussion at this topic in which many good arguments were made for this plan of teachers getting paid according to how well they teach. Out of curiosity I asked his opinion: how would he feel about Japan paying teachers according to how hard they work rather than by seniority?
I found his response interesting. He basically said that such a system wouldn't be useful in Japan. All the teachers need to be at the same level. This is why there's a "teachers' room" where all the teachers go to between their classes. (In Japan, students don't go to different classrooms for different subjects; they have a classroom they stay in for all classes--it's the teachers who go from class to class. Their desks are located in the "teachers' room," which is where students can find them if they have questions.)
If there's a problem in the school with some of the students or with anything, the teachers all work together to fix it. It's not one teacher's problem--it's all of theirs. So if there's a problem in one class, all the teachers work to fix it. All the teachers divide duties up for club activities, keeping track of records, or other duties that need taken care of in the schools. Students are also given more responsibilities--they're responsible for their classroom and make sure the school stays clean (there are no janitors).
So it's not an individual teacher's responsibility if there's a problem with the class. All the teachers take responsibility for all the students. Everyone works together for the whole.
Also, a teacher can't stay at the same schools for more than seven years. The Board of Education moves them around. It keeps teachers on their toes and forces them to be flexible in their teaching rather than fall into a pattern in which they use for their entire career.
I find this philosophy interesting, and I often think it'd be an interesting experiment to have an American school adopt the Japanese system. I don't think it could fully work, though, as America is a very individualized society. There are also many flaws to the way the Japanese education system works (but that's another post).
Still, it'd be interesting...
But one problem I see is this: how do you measure a good teacher? Certainly if teachers begin getting paid more for more efforts, then there would be those who would give appearances of working harder and more hours without actually getting more results from the students.
So how do you measure a good teacher and who measures this?
A teacher at one of the junior high schools I teach at showed me a discussion at this topic in which many good arguments were made for this plan of teachers getting paid according to how well they teach. Out of curiosity I asked his opinion: how would he feel about Japan paying teachers according to how hard they work rather than by seniority?
I found his response interesting. He basically said that such a system wouldn't be useful in Japan. All the teachers need to be at the same level. This is why there's a "teachers' room" where all the teachers go to between their classes. (In Japan, students don't go to different classrooms for different subjects; they have a classroom they stay in for all classes--it's the teachers who go from class to class. Their desks are located in the "teachers' room," which is where students can find them if they have questions.)
If there's a problem in the school with some of the students or with anything, the teachers all work together to fix it. It's not one teacher's problem--it's all of theirs. So if there's a problem in one class, all the teachers work to fix it. All the teachers divide duties up for club activities, keeping track of records, or other duties that need taken care of in the schools. Students are also given more responsibilities--they're responsible for their classroom and make sure the school stays clean (there are no janitors).
So it's not an individual teacher's responsibility if there's a problem with the class. All the teachers take responsibility for all the students. Everyone works together for the whole.
Also, a teacher can't stay at the same schools for more than seven years. The Board of Education moves them around. It keeps teachers on their toes and forces them to be flexible in their teaching rather than fall into a pattern in which they use for their entire career.
I find this philosophy interesting, and I often think it'd be an interesting experiment to have an American school adopt the Japanese system. I don't think it could fully work, though, as America is a very individualized society. There are also many flaws to the way the Japanese education system works (but that's another post).
Still, it'd be interesting...
01 June 2009
Sports Day and Rare Foods
So the rice fields are planted, now, and they look beautiful. The header picture here was taken just across the street from our apartment--isn't it gorgeous? The fields are flooded before planted. Mountains in the backgrounds with a nicely placed sunset, together paint a picture of romance. Isn't it amazing how much you see views like this in movies and wonder if it's played up for us foreigners? Imagine our amazement to find that this is everyday life for the people in our small town. Many don't notice these views because it's what they've grown up with.
In other news, the Sports Festivals are over now. All the schools have a day of, well, you guessed it, sports. All students participate, but they're given the following Monday off in order to make up for the Saturday they had to spend at school. Sports Day is a major deal here--everyone shows up, and I was told by many teachers that I should experience it. So, Chris and I went to several of them.
There were races, tug of wars, unicycling, hula hoops, bands, dances, and obstacle courses. One of the elementary schools even had me helping pass out ribbons, and I got to judge a cheering contest, and even participated in a golf event that involved the teachers. It was definitely a great experience. Everyone was into it.
Then, at lunch, the students go to their families, who have packed huge bentos (boxed lunches) in order to have a nice picnic. Everyone eats, then, there's more sports! Lunch is where Chris and I would sneak out to visit another school's festival, as we teach at various schools in the Oshu area.
We did this for two weekends and had a blast!
Last weekend, we were going to go camping, but it rained and rained--the temperature also dropped quite a bit. So...camping trip has been postponed.
Instead, we had a fabulous, fantastic Fiesta! All the teachers from Active brought different contributions. This was a delicious treat as it is so hard to find Mexican food in Japan and when you do, it's so expensive. We were all going nuts when we found a Yamaya (an international food/liquor store) that had flour tortillas. Seriously, it was a major deal to us. We immediately decided that a fiesta was in order. Not to mention, one of the teachers returned from America with taco seasoning. Yes, a fiesta was in order.
We couldn't really get cheddar cheese, so we had to do with mixed cheese, which was totally fine with us. Sour cream is incredibly expensive (and tastes a little strange), but we managed to find some at JUSCO. Our local supermarket doesn't carry it, unfortunately.
At the Fiesta, someone brought up Ranch dressing, and our boss' daughter asked, "What's Ranch dressing?" and all the teachers replied together with great enthusiasm, "Only the greatest thing on Earth!" And, yet, it's nowhere to be found in Japan. It's not even at any Yamayas--if it was, they'd make some major money off foreign teachers. Whenever we speak of food we miss, Ranch dressing always comes up, usually followed by a dreamy sigh as we dream of the good 'ol days of ranch on salad, pizza, and bacon burgers. Usually, Caesar Dressing replaces Ranch, and it's a very strong Caesar. Not the same.
So, when you have Ranch on your salad, think of us and know that we long to be at home...
In other news, the Sports Festivals are over now. All the schools have a day of, well, you guessed it, sports. All students participate, but they're given the following Monday off in order to make up for the Saturday they had to spend at school. Sports Day is a major deal here--everyone shows up, and I was told by many teachers that I should experience it. So, Chris and I went to several of them.
There were races, tug of wars, unicycling, hula hoops, bands, dances, and obstacle courses. One of the elementary schools even had me helping pass out ribbons, and I got to judge a cheering contest, and even participated in a golf event that involved the teachers. It was definitely a great experience. Everyone was into it.
Then, at lunch, the students go to their families, who have packed huge bentos (boxed lunches) in order to have a nice picnic. Everyone eats, then, there's more sports! Lunch is where Chris and I would sneak out to visit another school's festival, as we teach at various schools in the Oshu area.
We did this for two weekends and had a blast!
Last weekend, we were going to go camping, but it rained and rained--the temperature also dropped quite a bit. So...camping trip has been postponed.
Instead, we had a fabulous, fantastic Fiesta! All the teachers from Active brought different contributions. This was a delicious treat as it is so hard to find Mexican food in Japan and when you do, it's so expensive. We were all going nuts when we found a Yamaya (an international food/liquor store) that had flour tortillas. Seriously, it was a major deal to us. We immediately decided that a fiesta was in order. Not to mention, one of the teachers returned from America with taco seasoning. Yes, a fiesta was in order.
We couldn't really get cheddar cheese, so we had to do with mixed cheese, which was totally fine with us. Sour cream is incredibly expensive (and tastes a little strange), but we managed to find some at JUSCO. Our local supermarket doesn't carry it, unfortunately.
At the Fiesta, someone brought up Ranch dressing, and our boss' daughter asked, "What's Ranch dressing?" and all the teachers replied together with great enthusiasm, "Only the greatest thing on Earth!" And, yet, it's nowhere to be found in Japan. It's not even at any Yamayas--if it was, they'd make some major money off foreign teachers. Whenever we speak of food we miss, Ranch dressing always comes up, usually followed by a dreamy sigh as we dream of the good 'ol days of ranch on salad, pizza, and bacon burgers. Usually, Caesar Dressing replaces Ranch, and it's a very strong Caesar. Not the same.
So, when you have Ranch on your salad, think of us and know that we long to be at home...
17 May 2009
Hokkaido
So we went to Hokkaido a few weeks back, but I've yet to post anything about how it went...
It was awesome. Chris and I had a wonderful time. It has a very different feeling from the area we're living in. One reason, is that Hokkaido is very young and designed on the grid system, meaning they have blocks and street numbers, much like the roads in America. Sapporo felt like a big American city.
While in Sapporo, we tried the Hokkaido specialty, Soup Curry, and it was delicious. I've been craving it ever since, but it's nowhere else in Japan. We also visited the famous Clock Tower in Sapporo, as well as the Botanical Center, Odori Park, and an Ainu Museum.
Botanical Center, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Clock Tower, Sapporo
Sapporo Station
Odori Park, Sapporo
Sapporo
After exploring Sapporo, we went to an Ainu Center outside of Sapporo. The Ainu people are the indigenous group of Hokkaido. Many have made comparisons of Ainu to the Native Americans, both in clothing, customs, and treatment from the government. Some believe Ainu and Native American groups are from a common ancestry, and after being at the Ainu Center, we could really see the connection. While there, we got to hear some of the Ainu language, see some traditional dancing, and hear songs and instruments. We got to see some "Ainu housing" but it was obviously not authentic. Kind of hyped up for the tourists, but it was worth seeing some of the dances and other aspects of the culture.
Ainu Center
Ainu Center
After the Ainu Center, we went exploring and got quite lost...a few hours from our hotel in Sapporo. We were with Chris' host brother who offered to drive us to the Ainu Center so we wouldn't have to ride the trains. It was definitely a happy accident. We had a great time going up into the mountains, seeing a volcano, and happened to end up at Toya lake around sun set, which was beautiful. Before seeing Toya lake, we pulled into a convenient store and had a nap, which is not at all uncommon in Japan. After stocking up on sugar, we found the lake, then found the direction toward Sapporo (actually, Yuki found the direction toward Sapporo--I was too much in a daze from the long day).
We stopped at a Korean restaurant for dinner before finally making it back to the hotel. It was a crazy, happy adventure.
volcano activity
up in the mountains
Toya Lake
Toya Lake
The next morning, we hopped on the train and made our way to Hakodate. We put our luggage in a storage locker after arriving, then, walked around to explore a bit. After having some lunch, we got our luggage, got on a tram towards our hotel. For our final hotel, we decided we'd go all-out and stay at Yunokawa Onsen. The name of the hotel was Heiseikan. We stayed in a Japanese style room. The view from the room was beautiful.
Hakodate
Hakodate
So we got to walk around in Yukatas (Japanese style robe; sometimes people think they're kimonos, but a kimono is actually made of silk and much more elaborate) and take baths in the red hot springs (onsen). Rules in the onsen can be strict, which they need to be in order to keep the onsen a comfortable and relaxing experience for everyone. We have to shower before getting in, you can't bring towels into the bath (except to put on your head; I guess it's supposed to prevent you from passing out or something), and you're supposed to pull your hair out if it's long. No bathing suits. These rules are basically there to keep the baths clean for everyone. Most onsens have separate bathing areas for men and women.
The hotel we were at had an outdoor bath, which is what I like. Inside, it's just too humid and hot with all that steam--even on a cold day, I can't stand being in for more than five minutes. Outdoor baths, however, are a lot more refreshing to me. This one was especially relaxing as you could see and hear the ocean while soaking in the hot spring. My favorite time was at midnight when the stars were out. It was beautiful, and as people were leaving as I was arriving, I had the outdoor bath to myself. Hakodate is known for its night view, and seeing it from the roof of the hotel in a hot spring was very nice.
Our hotel room.
Hotel room
View from the room.
view from the room
For obvious reasons, you can't take picture of the actual baths. That would just be creepy...
Dinner that night was very elaborate. Hakodate is known for its crab, and other sea foods, and there was plenty of it. There was also a lot of sushi beautifully laid out. I don't eat much sea food as it makes me sick, but it did look good. I ate a little of the crab to try it out, but didn't dare venture past a few nibbles. Chris was a bit more adventurous with his eating. I stuck with the beef, vegetables, and soups. The desserts were delicious and small, so most people, including me, were trying a little of everything from the dessert table. Many were taking pictures of the beautiful layout, but I didn't bring my camera.
The next day, we checked out and made our way to the Early Morning Market, which consisted of a lot of sea food. Though we weren't planning on buying any, it was a lot of fun to walk through. We even spotted a whale shop...yes, a shop that sells whale meat. Japan hunting whale is a well-known controversy right now.
Early Morning Market
Early Morning Market
Whale Shop (the name says, "Kujira," which means, "whale").
View from the dock
Hakodate Station
Then, we got on the train to make our way back to Iwate. It was a very, very nice trip. I only wished it was longer.
As always, there's more photos in the Web Album.
Oh, and I finally got those Hanami (flower viewing) Pictures up! Enjoy!
It was awesome. Chris and I had a wonderful time. It has a very different feeling from the area we're living in. One reason, is that Hokkaido is very young and designed on the grid system, meaning they have blocks and street numbers, much like the roads in America. Sapporo felt like a big American city.
While in Sapporo, we tried the Hokkaido specialty, Soup Curry, and it was delicious. I've been craving it ever since, but it's nowhere else in Japan. We also visited the famous Clock Tower in Sapporo, as well as the Botanical Center, Odori Park, and an Ainu Museum.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Botanical Center, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Clock Tower, Sapporo
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Sapporo Station
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Odori Park, Sapporo
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Sapporo
After exploring Sapporo, we went to an Ainu Center outside of Sapporo. The Ainu people are the indigenous group of Hokkaido. Many have made comparisons of Ainu to the Native Americans, both in clothing, customs, and treatment from the government. Some believe Ainu and Native American groups are from a common ancestry, and after being at the Ainu Center, we could really see the connection. While there, we got to hear some of the Ainu language, see some traditional dancing, and hear songs and instruments. We got to see some "Ainu housing" but it was obviously not authentic. Kind of hyped up for the tourists, but it was worth seeing some of the dances and other aspects of the culture.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Ainu Center
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Ainu Center
After the Ainu Center, we went exploring and got quite lost...a few hours from our hotel in Sapporo. We were with Chris' host brother who offered to drive us to the Ainu Center so we wouldn't have to ride the trains. It was definitely a happy accident. We had a great time going up into the mountains, seeing a volcano, and happened to end up at Toya lake around sun set, which was beautiful. Before seeing Toya lake, we pulled into a convenient store and had a nap, which is not at all uncommon in Japan. After stocking up on sugar, we found the lake, then found the direction toward Sapporo (actually, Yuki found the direction toward Sapporo--I was too much in a daze from the long day).
We stopped at a Korean restaurant for dinner before finally making it back to the hotel. It was a crazy, happy adventure.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
volcano activity
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
up in the mountains
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Toya Lake
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Toya Lake
The next morning, we hopped on the train and made our way to Hakodate. We put our luggage in a storage locker after arriving, then, walked around to explore a bit. After having some lunch, we got our luggage, got on a tram towards our hotel. For our final hotel, we decided we'd go all-out and stay at Yunokawa Onsen. The name of the hotel was Heiseikan. We stayed in a Japanese style room. The view from the room was beautiful.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Hakodate
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Hakodate
So we got to walk around in Yukatas (Japanese style robe; sometimes people think they're kimonos, but a kimono is actually made of silk and much more elaborate) and take baths in the red hot springs (onsen). Rules in the onsen can be strict, which they need to be in order to keep the onsen a comfortable and relaxing experience for everyone. We have to shower before getting in, you can't bring towels into the bath (except to put on your head; I guess it's supposed to prevent you from passing out or something), and you're supposed to pull your hair out if it's long. No bathing suits. These rules are basically there to keep the baths clean for everyone. Most onsens have separate bathing areas for men and women.
The hotel we were at had an outdoor bath, which is what I like. Inside, it's just too humid and hot with all that steam--even on a cold day, I can't stand being in for more than five minutes. Outdoor baths, however, are a lot more refreshing to me. This one was especially relaxing as you could see and hear the ocean while soaking in the hot spring. My favorite time was at midnight when the stars were out. It was beautiful, and as people were leaving as I was arriving, I had the outdoor bath to myself. Hakodate is known for its night view, and seeing it from the roof of the hotel in a hot spring was very nice.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Our hotel room.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Hotel room
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
View from the room.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
view from the room
For obvious reasons, you can't take picture of the actual baths. That would just be creepy...
Dinner that night was very elaborate. Hakodate is known for its crab, and other sea foods, and there was plenty of it. There was also a lot of sushi beautifully laid out. I don't eat much sea food as it makes me sick, but it did look good. I ate a little of the crab to try it out, but didn't dare venture past a few nibbles. Chris was a bit more adventurous with his eating. I stuck with the beef, vegetables, and soups. The desserts were delicious and small, so most people, including me, were trying a little of everything from the dessert table. Many were taking pictures of the beautiful layout, but I didn't bring my camera.
The next day, we checked out and made our way to the Early Morning Market, which consisted of a lot of sea food. Though we weren't planning on buying any, it was a lot of fun to walk through. We even spotted a whale shop...yes, a shop that sells whale meat. Japan hunting whale is a well-known controversy right now.
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Early Morning Market
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Early Morning Market
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Whale Shop (the name says, "Kujira," which means, "whale").
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
View from the dock
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| From Hokkaido 2009 |
Hakodate Station
Then, we got on the train to make our way back to Iwate. It was a very, very nice trip. I only wished it was longer.
As always, there's more photos in the Web Album.
Oh, and I finally got those Hanami (flower viewing) Pictures up! Enjoy!
10 May 2009
Happy Mother's Day
to all the mommies out there!
There is Mother's Day in Japan (haha-no-hi). It was obvious when we went to JUSCO and the place was full of people and even more full of flowers. Carnations seem to be a popular gift. I guess it's pretty similar to the U.S., then.
Anyhow, we've been trying to buy our tickets home. I was almost done when I discovered my card wasn't working...gotta fix those little details, then I should be getting those tickets. I'm very excited about going home.
Unfortunately, the days we requested off had a glitch, as we have to start teaching at the Jr. High Schools while we were still planning on being on vacation. After discussions of our options with T, who is in charge of scheduling, we found that we could go home earlier instead of staying later. Therefore, we'll be heading back on July 25!
It's coming up fast and I'm super excited. We'll be coming back to Japan around August 14.
Can't wait to see everyone!
Have a nice Mother's Day! Hope the weather is wonderful!
Oh, and enjoy another video...
How cute is that!
There is Mother's Day in Japan (haha-no-hi). It was obvious when we went to JUSCO and the place was full of people and even more full of flowers. Carnations seem to be a popular gift. I guess it's pretty similar to the U.S., then.
Anyhow, we've been trying to buy our tickets home. I was almost done when I discovered my card wasn't working...gotta fix those little details, then I should be getting those tickets. I'm very excited about going home.
Unfortunately, the days we requested off had a glitch, as we have to start teaching at the Jr. High Schools while we were still planning on being on vacation. After discussions of our options with T, who is in charge of scheduling, we found that we could go home earlier instead of staying later. Therefore, we'll be heading back on July 25!
It's coming up fast and I'm super excited. We'll be coming back to Japan around August 14.
Can't wait to see everyone!
Have a nice Mother's Day! Hope the weather is wonderful!
Oh, and enjoy another video...
How cute is that!
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