What a fine last few days it has been. Last week was something busy, finally getting back into the swing of teaching and commuting to work after the nice-needed rest of winter break. And goodness. Here I sit at the midpoint of this JET experience. A time for reflection and a time for forward-looking, considering that this really is the midpoint after all. I mean up until now I have been working my way into this JET experience and from here am are working onwards and outward from the six-month mid-point. And what a place to find ourselves.
My hopes that the many other JETs and people not only in Hokkaido, but the rest of Japan, too, are finding fulfilling, enriching opportunites and workable days. Goodness knows we all need a few days in a row where things just.. gel.
The coursing of yet another week here on assigment begs me to look ahead to new events and things upcoming. This coming weekend I think I may reward my efforts with some due ‘out-of-town’ time with a little visit to Sapporo. And why not? There will be a film premiering in theaters that I would very much like to see, food that I would very much like to gobble-up, and sights that I have yet to see in the fantastic town spot that is Sapporo. So go, I will go.
Last week had its appointments and classes. No need to say that it is real nice to have a normal day. A day of just teaching, evaluating lessons, and enjoying a few hours here and there between weekly workplace assignments. Last week I saw myself back at taiko practice, too and enjoyed learning into a new song. Well, the song to me is new, but the group is great at introducing so much new taiko information. What fun, what fun.
Last week was also the happening of our elementary school’s final semester before schools here in Japan put the wrap on the academic year come March (or about that). School beginning again in April. On the Wednesday that I found myself at school I took a nice suit in tow and changed from my more comfortable student-rustling track pants and such into a more presentable suit for the opening ceremony. In a matter of minutes, and a few speeches later the whole experience was over. Teachers wearing suits slowly filtered in and out of the staff room, having changed back into work-able clothes (considering that working with hype-able kids all day requires relaxed wear).
Last week also saw me teaching at kindergarten. The odd few times a month that I end up there I have the blessing of developing a basic and interactive English lesson for the kids. I show up early, I play with them, we teach, we eat lunch together, we play, and then I move on to my next posting for the day. The next posting being the buidling beside -the elementary school.
Last week’s English lesson incorporated so much song and dance that the kindergarten students were pooped and splayed out on the floor in the warm classroom. I think that I ran them into the ground with activities. But, kids being kids, all it took was the distribution of some ice-pops and a lunch break and the little kindergartens were back to jumping, climbing, kicking, and playing. What good sport they are. Handfulls, and heartfulls, every last one.
The real highlight of last week was the Saturday event. A few very amicable friends from my workplace here, we piled into cars and drove out to a town few hours south some for a really tasty Korean barbeque. The Korean barbeque restaurant was filled with smoke, both food-cooking smoke, and cigarette-smoking smoke, and we grilled our way slice after sliver of pork, beef, and some other gut-stuffs in between. The food-experience making for a really memorable time and a really full stomach. For me, food always wins. For fear of not having eaten enough I ordered a hefty rice ball stuffed with salty salmon flecks, AND a really spicy bowl of Korean ra-myun (ramen). I tell you, this bowl of noodles, kelp-y bits, and egg was hot enough to add color to your socks by the time you finished slurping up the chili bits and red soup from the beaming bowl. I fell in love that night with Korean noodles, again.
And what a fine time our dinner-out was. After our party survived the meal we moved from shop to shop picking up homestuffs here, and books there, stopping to browse before turning our cars back north for the trip home. I was reminded how nice it is to get out of town once in a while and to be social, with friends.
On the long road home we had made plans to hive-in at a roadside onsen. I have been doing pretty good about visiting the many accessible onsen in my region. This new one did not disappoint. Arriving about an hour’s time before closing the sweet and peppery smell of sulfur swriled about as everyone soaked and filled lungs with hot air in the baths and pools. The scrubbing and cleaning to perfection of oneself and then sitting in defeat in a stony bath is just heavenly. Topping it all off with a sit in the outdoor rotemburo (outdoor bath) and then a bottled yogurt before getting back into the car, the bath was a fine event. I felt fulfilled. I always feel so after an onsen dip.
A few nostalgic English hits warbled over the fm signal of the car radio and a few poppy J-pop hits filled our sitting space before we were dropped off one by one to face the remainder of the day and Sunday to follow. It was a successful weekend, what can I say?
This week is still getting rolling but I have a feeling things will be bright and right as ever.
If you call it satisfied, I will say hey, for now and leave the posting to another week yet again. I will scour my computer for photos and share those with you, too.
We still have plenty of daily snowfall and enough powder to lose your keys in if one is not careful enough about the snow. Do you have agreeable weather where you are? I can bet that some of us here wish we had a beach and a cocunut within reach. Me? Hah, well I’m fine so long as I have a few films, some Japanese studies, say a good tune or two, and a bowl of noodles waiting for me when the time is right.
Hoping that you had a good weekend and are looking brightly upon the week, too.
My best to you, too.
ciao
(These noodles never fail to impress. They sustain me. They love me; and I love them)
The Traveller's Typewriter 