How to Get Away with Halloween Costumes at Work

Sadly, I have no personal pictures for this post. Time got away from me...as did finances! However, tomorrow is the actual day and I am definitely going to do one of these in honor of the occasion. 

As a teacher in Japan, there's a standard of professionalism I'm expected to maintain. But this is me, we're talking about. I wore clogs when a clogging group came to my elementary school. I was the kid wearing green underwear every St. Patrick's day. My costumes have been notoriously non-mainstream, often requiring long-winded explanations (in college, I once dressed as a goth fairy, but I wasn't just a goth fairy. I was Experiment 666: a captured fairy that used her magic to destroy the lab where she was tortured, but ended up killing herself in the process). 

So who am I to turn my back on a cherished holiday? In America, it's commonplace to wear costumes to work on the big day, especially in schools of every level! It's as traditional as a banana hammock or Slutty Red Riding Hood. But in some lines of work as a contracted representative with standards to uphold, certain things are expected.

And these certain things need to be ignored come Halloween. However, if you don't want to lose your job or receive a stern dressing-down (whichever is worse for you), I've devised a little list of clever ways to celebrate your favorite holiday in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

1. Mia Wallace from "Pulp Fiction." The before, not the after. This one's easy. Just a white shirt and black pants and black flat shoes. Dudes can pull this off seamlessly. Feel free to break into a little dance contest of one at any time.

2. Grandpa from "Princess Bride." Speaking of cross-dressing, another easy get up for either men or women! A lot of brown tweed, a grey sweater vest and you're in business! For bonus points, print a cover of "The Princess Bride" and cover a book...or just buy the real book. Once in a while, quote the movie including "As you wish" and "Yes, you're very smart. Shut up."

3. A superhero in disguise. I just wore my reading glasses! But if you have one, wear a hero t-shirt under your work shirt for quick and discreet phone booth changes!

4. "Supernatural" Trickster. This one was fun. Just go about your normal life, eat candy all day and be all too enthusiastic about shenanigans. But be careful! Don't go over the top or those Winchester boys will be on your ass!

5. Lumbergh from "Office Space." I really wanted to do this but could not find the red suspenders. All you need is a blue striped shirt, khaki pants, damned red suspenders, yellow tie and glasses. Carry around your mug, ask for favors and don't forget the trademarked "Yyyyyeaaahhhh....that'd be grrrreaaat."

6. A free elf. Fellow Harry Potter followers can appreciate this and the next costume. As a freed house elf, yes, you're working, but the ratty sock you keep in your pocket means you're only working because you want to!The paycheck means you can just flaunt your freedom by buying more single socks!


7. A death eater. Be discreet and hide your dark mark under a long sleeve. You're tracking Potter, after all, and there are auror spies everywhere!

 

8. VFD. If you're at all familiar with Lemony Snickett's "A Series of Unfortunate Events," all you need to apply is a tattoo to your ankle. Who knows who you really are, who knows where you come from or which side of the schism has your allegiance. Are you even in a costume? You're a mystery shrouded in an enigma like a mysterious enigma pita.  

9. Onigiri are Japanese rice balls wrapped in seaweed. They're delicious and now they're couture! 




















10. Pocky is about as easy as it gets. Khaki pants and a colored shirt or sweater! And you can come in a variety flavors including chocolate and strawberry!

Happy Halloween boils and ghouls!

Nomu Nomu Nomu

This weekend, I got the opportunity to experience two Japanese traditions: bunkasai and nomikai. In Japan, schools have a "festival" where the schools are open for parents to come and check out what their students have been producing for the first half of the year. For about a month, students rehearse singing the school song, the bands put together a show, and some schools put together a variety show depending on the education level. In high school, bunkasai are more casual and fun but junior high schools are a bit more formal.

And students display a wide variety of material for parents and family to inspect. In every room, their work is show-cased. Every grade works on general projects like essays about their school trip, work experience, a class newspaper (which is already very different from American school papers because Japanese newspapers are written vertically, not horizontally!). But then, each school and each class has different projects for the students to work on. Art projects include making motivational posters, drawing their own hands, etc. The industrial arts and home economics classes make aprons, pencil cases, book/DVD/game shelves and more! Then there are traditional Japanese art styles like calligraphy done with ink and bamboo brushes, and beautiful origami!

For anyone who thinks the Japanese don't have a sense of humor, see the following anecdote:

I asked one teacher how the students made the connected cranes and he laughed and said "I don't know! I asked them and they said it's an old Japanese secret. They wouldn't tell me!"

While I walked around the school, shuffling around in the plastic guest slippers, students were eager to say hello and show their parents they can talk to an American in English. The parents were impressed or at least a little thrown to see a Westerner in their child's school. I think a few parents were even a little confused. But the students were happy to show off and see that I was there supporting them. And of course I wanted to be there! They've worked so hard in the past months to make a good impression and to put together a good bunkasai for their parents.

In Japan, the school is just as responsible for the upbringing of students as the parents. The school is responsible for education and moral guidance: two aspects that we carry with ourselves and which determine our futures. So each child is given a well-rounded education with a hand in the arts, sports and cultural tradition.

My favorite part of the day was the brass band. I'm not sure why the Japanese love brass bands in their schools-- my theory is it has something to do with the popularity of jazz and brass music during the Occupation in the 1940s-- but it means a lot of pride and effort goes into brass band club, and a lot of support as well. The band played a mix of anime themes and classical music including some Dixie!

But my day didn't end there. I was invited to a nomikai with the staff afterwards! Believe it or not, after 6 months in Japan, this was my first drinking party with fellow teachers! I was excited and a little nervous. I had no idea what to expect, but as with the Japanese family dinner last week, I learned it's better to just go with the flow and not worry about what to expect. This is the main objective of any adventure.

So at 6:15 I was picked up at the Hanamaki station by one of the teachers and together we drove into town, parked and walked to the bar. We entered a Japanese style bar with a second level of tatami rooms specifically for parties. A nomikai works like this: everyone meets at an arranged time and for about two or three thousand yen, you have a decent traditional Japanese meal and all the drinks you can swallow.

I walked into the tatami room with the long, low table and large floor cushions (shoeless, of course) and opened the night by joking with one of the other English teachers. With my nerves well-settled, we sat down and chatted while everyone filtered in. Servers came and went, bringing in pitchers of beer and plates of beautiful sashimi, garlic fried rice, tempura, katsu and tsukemono.

I sat next to one of the English teachers and a few of the other male teachers as well as one staff member. I learned over the course of the night and through the speeches that she was only a temporary worker, a haken, contracted to work for just a couple months. But because she loves to teach, she wanted to use her position at this school to get a longer contract so she could stay and pursue a teaching license. Unfortunately, she didn't do well enough and her company was pulling her again for another job.

The male teachers know very little English, but the man sitting across from me, actually the "boiler man/groundskeeper" was very enthusiastic about talking. In fact, after a few beers when he found I like red wine, he ordered a glass for each of us and introduced his own invention: the concept of the nomu-incation (nomu, meaning "to drink" and communication) as a method of having a reason to talk to me! It's actually pretty clever, and everyone enjoyed the joke.

Once everyone had a few drinks, the principal and vice principal gave their short speeches and thanked everyone for attending...and then I found out that this party wasn't only about celebrating the bunkasai, but also to welcome the newest teacher. Oh sorry, "newest teachers!" Since they hadn't had a formal party to welcome me, they wanted to include me on the schedule! After the newest teacher gave her speech, they asked me to do the same.

I stood (a real feat, since my legs had fallen dead asleep) and in Japanese managed to apologize for my poor Japanese, ask for their forgiveness and then thank them for being so kind and interesting and teaching me much about Japan. That done, we applauded and got back to the business at hand: eating and drinking!

There were many more speeches about the day and they sang the school song. After a few hours, people started to leave but I stayed and had another few drinks with everyone else. It was entertaining to see how a normally buttoned-down teacher (or vice principal) might loosen up and be rolling on the tatami floor!

Towards the end of the night, the male English teacher came down to talk to my end of the table. He and I chatted with the other teachers and then the topic turned to why I'm in Japan. I told him very truthfully it's to learn about my own family history but also to bridge two cultures and show the students that America isn't so very far away, that Americans can be open-minded and open-hearted and that communication is the best way to see the world through another person's eyes. He nodded and enthusiastically said "Yes, the students are always so happy to see us working together. Let's be that example together!"

I feel like I've entered into a new level of my professional relationship with these teachers. I've been given a chance to show them I'm happy here and I appreciate everything they say and teach me. It opens the door just another inch and helps me toe my way into their world.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Japanese Style!

 Since I started working at いい中学校 the fuku kocho sensei, vice principal, has been planning to invite me to his home to meet his family and eat dinner. I've been apprehensive but excited too because it's a real honor to be invited to someone's home in Japan: in a professional relationship like this, employer and employee, it's even more of a big deal! But that was back in April. Between sports festivals, seasonal holidays and personal obligations, the dinner has been pushed up and up. Finally, this past Monday was the dinner.

While I was sitting at my desk last week, the F.K. came to me and said, "We would like you to join our dinner on Monday. Is this OK?" Of course it was! And thus, the apprehensive weekend began. No, I'm just kidding. Of course I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what to expect or how the evening would go. I mean, my Japanese is still pretty shoddy in my opinion, but F.K's English is very good, so I hoped for the best.

Oh Monday afternoon, I picked up a bottle of wine for the family, a customary gift for a dinner invitation. We had arranged to meet at the Sakurano department store at 7pm when F.K and his wife would pick me up. I sat in the lobby of the store until the F.K. came in and escorted me out to the car where his wife was waiting behind the wheel. She opened the car window and leaned out to wave at me as we walked over. Super sweet! Inside, I learned her name is Emiko and her English is pretty OK. On par with my Japanese. It was a good start.

After they had me, we continued on to their nephew's home. Apparently, the nephew, Shoki, didn't know I was going to be at the weekly family dinner. F.K. had told me his nephew is in high school and wants to be an English teacher, so he's hoping talking to me will be good practice. I felt a little bad for the kid: most of student lives revolve around academia, so being at their family dinner, I worried what the poor kid would think. 

While F.K. went in the house to collect him, Emiko and I chatted about her fancy new car. She's very proud of it. 

When Shoki got in the front seat and looked back to see me, he seemed surprised, but very easily slid into his standard English greeting of "Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Shoki." After that, he became very quiet. He answered questions but that was it. 

We arrived at the house at about 7:30, in time for a standard Japanese dinner. I presented Emiko with the wine, excusing it as "just nothing, but this is for you," and slipping on some guest house slippers. The home is three stories and narrow, with wood floors and paneling and tatami rooms towards the back. The dining table is between a typical western dinner table's height and a low Japanese coffee table. So sitting at the table, drinking tea while the mother and youngest daughter (21) moved around the kitchen, I felt like I was hovering literally between east and west. F.K. then brought attention to Shoki's quietness. 

"Shoki, usually you are talking. Tonight you are very quiet." 

Shoki and I talked about his school activities: he plays volleyball, likes to cook and wants to be an English teacher. Much to his relief, dinner was then put on the table: nabe! What's nabe, you ask? What isn't nabe? You get a large ceramic pot, fill the bottom with broth of your choice then anything and everything you love! Tofu, carrots, potato, any noodle you like, leeks, chicken, mushrooms...literally, anything! You can add beef, pork or even fish! It all just poaches together and then you help yourself from the pot.

Before we began, everyone sat down and instead of the lunch time "いただきます" F.K. looked up and said to me "We are a Christian family so we will pray but I'm sorry, I don't know the English for this prayer, but please..." I said it was OK and everyone folded their hands and bowed their heads. While they prayed, I got a quick course in Japanese listening 101. I got "thank you for your family, our home...the meal...Marta sensei,...something something...Marta sensei...something something..." 

When that was done, F.K. took up my little bowl and served me the first helping of nabe. Emiko asked if I was OK eating with hashi and I assured her that yes, I'm OK with chopsticks. She was delighted. She seemed very excited to talk to me whether in English or Japanese and I was just as thrilled to talk to her! She then offered me another test: a bottle of kimchi sauce. I happily took it and poured some on the nabe. In some cultures, it might be rude to season a dish after it's been served but Japanese people are usually very excited about food and take special care to make the experience of eating as awesome and delightful as possible.

 The tittle tiny bowls empty quickly, so between discussion, everyone constantly dipped in for more delicous nabe. We talked about everything: we talked about my name, my grandmother, Shoki's English speech recitation performance, his club activities with the volleyball team and their family. They showed me pictures of the newest baby who is turning one next month! 

Then, another daughter came home. The middle child of F.K., she's also 23 and had spent the day job hunting. She came in with the good news that she has been offered a job as an acupuncturist! She just needs to get her license then she will start work in the spring! Everyone was so happy because she was having a hard time getting motivated to find work. I got the opportunity to see the personal side of their family life, and it was somewhat moving to see that they deal with the same trials American families have (especially of late). 

 Up until this point, Shoki had been pretty quiet, mostly eating and texting on his phone. F.K. at one point even got up and casually took the phone away. But as the conversation turned back to hobbies and I asked Shoki what he likes to do in his free time, he immediately opened up: video games! He retrieved his phone and launched into a very good English demonstration of his favorite cell phone game. We ate ice cream desserts as Shoki explained the  puzzle game to me. Everyone but F.K. actually gathered around us, watching Shoki, very interested. F.K. just sat back and chilled for a while. 

With the demonstration over, they asked me what music I listen to. I told them I like rock, punk, a few things. Shoki and the youngest daughter perked up. ABBA? The Carpenters? Beatles? Queen? Avril? The daughter and I both love Avril. We gushed for a few minutes until she took me up to her room. She showed me her small room on the third floor of the house where we also found she and I both love Ghibli as well as Avril Lavigne! She may be an adult legally, but she and her sister still live at home and they will until they get married. Very old fashioned, maybe, but economically speaking, I can't say it's ridiculous! We talked a bit more about music, Ghibli and Snoopy before we started back downstairs again. 

On our way down, she walked into a large closet full of boxes and baby toys and books. She walked back out and handed me two Princess Mononoke books: they're screen shot picture books of the movie but written like a book in Japanese so I can study! The kanji has hiragana written by it for easy reading! Now I have new study material and a bad ass story to motivate me to keep learning!

By then, it was time to call it a night. I excused myself for being in the way and thanked them all. For my first formal Japanese dinner invitation, I feel like it was very successful. I got a real Japanese experience but didn't feel at all stressed the entire time I was there. The atmosphere was very comfortable and the fact that everyone seemed legitimately happy to see this exotic little American oddity eating nabe and mochi ice cream with them really helped me relax. The only problem? The next day, F.K. said he forgot to take pictures of me with his family.

So another dinner is officially in the works.

A Handful of Confessions

You know that feeling you get when you're alone at home in the dark and you're afraid of sticking your hand over the edge of the sofa because you think something is going to reach out and touch you? That's kind of the feeling I'm having right now with everything that's going on in my life.

I have to file for Japanese taxes, I'm still struggling to get my documents together for my Japanese driver's license, the economy and politics in America are causing me some personal strife, and I'm finding that I feel like a majority of the time, I'm throwing lessons at the wall hoping they'll stick, all the while thinking "What the hell am I doing?"

I'm reaching into the darkness trying to convince myself that there's nothing there, I'm safe. I'm OK. There's nothing to be afraid of.

So in an attempt to console myself and be my own cheerleader, I want to confess a few things: shout my "dirty little secrets" into the darkness and scare off the uncertainty and fear.

1. I'm a "hippie." I went to "art school." I've marched in protests. I've attended rallies. I believe in love, tolerance, and the power of people's personalities/energies/influence of presence. If that makes me a "hippie," well, if the Havanas fit...

2. I hope there is life on other planets, but even if there's not, I hope people realize that the fact we are here is a mind-blowing miracle of nature.

3. I think everyone looks better in late afternoon lighting, including myself!

4. Guns are awful. Guns are awful. Guns are awful.

5. I don't pray.

Yeah, take that, Uncertainty. Just flashed you a little glimpse of my naked soul. Get some! Now, kindly back off so I can make it through the next couple of months before I can recharge over Winter Break.

Yakushi Nyorai Bless the NS

Monday was a hot mess. I was supposed to go to a taiko concert but due to inattention to detail, I ended up in the wrong city nearly two hours away from the concert. So much to my dismay, I missed the concert. However, after I ceremoniously bashed my head against that mountain of a mole hill, I decided to make the best of the day. I finally went to Hiraizumi.

Here's the ridiculous thing: Hiraizumi is a town only 30 minutes or so south of Kitakami. It's close, it's inexpensive and it's beautiful, I've just been procrastinating. But after going, I'm glad I did and I plan on going back soon to see Ooizumi ike (Ooizumi Pond) and Buddhist grounds known as Kanjizaio-in Ato. On the grounds is the large and beautiful Mostu-ji temple and a famous water feature: a pond that is designed to replicate the Japanese landscape including smooth, stoney beaches and jagged cliffs and mountains.


It was nice to walk around the grounds and just let go. I stopped thinking about my latest screw ups and was able to just focus on the simultaneous simplicity and grandeur of nature and Japanese religion living together. So here we go, that's as deep as I'm getting. Pictures!

Harvest season!

Remember Senso-ji in Tokyo?

 I took a little walk into the woods and found something beautiful.

 Oh and today we had a typhoon in Northern Japan. This is the beautiful aftermath. I followed it all the way home from school!

Yes, the Water is Really Turqoise

I realize I just posted a very long winded entry, but I have pictures of my trip to Geto to buy my season pass! It was a stormy day but an exciting and rewarding adventure.

It's a Wonderful Life if You See it That Way

When I was much younger, I had so many ambitions for my future. I wanted to be a farmer, a wildlife videographer (something I made up because I was somewhat obsessed with "The Wild Thornberries"), president, a nutritionist, spa manager, psychiatrist (or was it psychologist?), veterinarian (until my mother told me I'd have to squeeze anal glands and put animals to sleep), actress, Renaissance Faire character player, ballerina, cook, and children's book author/illustrator. Ironically, any time someone asked me if I was going to be a teacher like my mother, I vehemently denied the possibility!

And look at me now: teaching English of all things. But is this what I intend to do with the rest of my life? Who knows. Not me, that's for sure! I know a lot of people who have known for a long time definitively what they wanted to be including nurses, firefighters, cops, teachers and an anesthesiologist. At times, I've envied these people their sense of direction and purpose. Why couldn't I just figure out what I wanted to do, stick to that path and just go for it? There's something depressing about not having a direction in life and I've often felt like Preston from "Avenue Q."

I mean, really: what do you do with a B.A. in English?

Apparently, anything and everything you might want...but it's going to require at least 2 years of experience which you can't get unless you've had 2 years additional experience. I call this "The Barista Paradox." So until I figure out where I'm best suited, my plan now is to get my two years out of teaching English and twist, morph and mutate it into a career. But again, never having been a "five year plan" girl, who's to say I won't just stay in Japan? I love this country and have so much to learn and discover about it and myself that I can't comfortably say what's going to happen.

On that note, I'd like to make a comment on Japanese work ethic. In particular, their "career" ethic. At the current place in the curriculum, students are learning how to use future tense:

"I want to...I'm going to...I will..."

Easily the best way to teach the students how to express their plans is to ask them "When you're 25, what do you want to be?"  (This is directly from an exercise in the text) Then in the back of each book is a page full of popular careers Japanese students can use for projects in the book. The lists include the following:

musician
carpenter
editor
dentist
nurse
florist
pilot
singer
cook
newscaster
firefighter
conductor
interpreter
lawyer
pharmacist
police officer
vet
soccer player
computer programmer
diplomat
reporter
scientist
designer

These all sound like some serious careers that take years of study and result in some real prestige. These are careers that will earn you a title and sometimes, fame. But the list continues:

barber
farmer
beautician
post office worker
gardener
flight attendent
school groundskeeper
nail artist
florist
gas station attendent
stonecutter
waiter
maid
bank worker
mechanic
air traffic controller
dressmaker
newspaper deliveryman
sailor
typist

My first impression when I read the extended list another teacher typed up for his class, was "This is ridiculous! What junior high school student says 'I want to be cab driver?'" But as I giggled to myself and asked each student in turn what their plans were, I realized something that Japanese students and people realize that hasn't quite occurred to Americans.

Everyone wants to be famous, but not everyone will get there. Sometimes, it's not worth trying because not everyone is destined for greatness -- and here's the revelation -- because not everyone is special.

Think about it: how many reality shows exist in America that are about the average Joe making millions of dollars in 20 minutes, rising to stardom by dancing, singing or spinning plates, marrying a secret billionaire, etc?

What about social media? There are so many outlets for people to share their opinions and events in their lives from the mundane to the extraordinary. Darryl from "The Office" says it best here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCDsZsyMTJY
Too much information in the information age! A lot of the time, it's like who the hell cares? But that doesn't stop us: Everyone wants fame! Everyone wants their name in lights today when once upon a time, it was enough to take over the family business or graduate high school and go to work in town while a couple classmates went to college and became lawyers and scientists.

Remember George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life?" All George wanted was to get out of that one horse town and see the world! All he wished for was a million dollars. Maybe a little contradictory, but listen: he did it in jest! Striking that cigarette lighter wasn't a legitimate wish! It was just a habit he enjoyed and wouldn't think about immediately after. Was his pursuit really getting the cheddar? No, he just wanted to get out and see the world and do something big with his life! The message, however, is that you should appreciate what you have and realize the impact you have in the lives of the people around you and that despite your dreams, you might not realize how wonderful your life truly is.

George didn't go out and become the next Mr. Potter. He stuck to his roots, as much as it sometimes pained him. He stayed in the tiny town and married the little sister of his best friend. (Mary actually had the opportunity to marry a man who moved to New York and became a tycoon, but she stayed in Bedford Falls because she knew what she wanted was truly closer to home and would make her much happier) He developed community living facilities, took over his father's bank and raised a family. It wasn't until the financial burdens took their toll that he found out what he had and how much it really meant, that without him, the world of Bedford Falls would have been the cesspool, Potterville and Mary would have been *gasp* an old maid librarian!

So getting back to Japanese students' career choices. They're really given a whole wide world of opportunities, they can choose anything they want to be, but the fact that so many students I asked said they wanted to be "office workers," "construction workers," "salespeople," and other titles that in America would be considered unremarkable made me think about what we teach American students.

I blame the "I Am Special" self-esteem regime. Having good self-esteem is very important, I know that, believe me. But there's having confidence and dreams and then there's reality. The reality is, not everyone is special. Some people are meant to work in sales, to be gardeners, to be maids and career "baby sitters" and postal workers. The fact is, so few people are going to be famous or rich that the pursuit is a colossal waste of time and in all honesty, it's selfish.

No really, it's selfish to think to yourself that you're going to dedicate your life to being rich and famous, to pay to attend seminars on how to get rich quick, to make audition tapes and strive to be the next Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber (though if those are your role models, I'd suggest therapy instead of readjusting your work ethic). It's selfish to dismiss careers that actually make the world function because you don't think they're worth your time. Who the hell are you?

I talked to a couple of my students after class one day and asked them why they wanted to be "a public official" and a "Yakult saleswoman." (Yakult is a consumable product company that makes things like probiotic yogurts and energy drinks) The future public official said "My mother works in city hall. She helps the city. It's good." The other girl said "I want to make people healthy."

The public official girl could have said "lawyer," "mayor," or "CEO." The Yakult yogurt girl could have said "doctor" or "scientist." But they see a need for these roles in society.

It's also common in Japan to take on a job and then stick with it for pretty much your whole life. Even after they retire from age (not from money, from age), many Japanese people continue working taking on unpaid day labor like waving flags around a construction site because they want to contribute.

Above all, what matters is doing what you can to make your economy and your community work as well as it can and doing it with pride. You want to be noted? Be noted for your enthusiasm. You want to be remembered? Be remembered because your co-workers looked forward to seeing you every day. Do what you can to the best of your ability and you'll find your purpose.

Not the other way around.

It's Getting Psycho in Here

It's starting to look and feel a lot like　秋　or "fall." Unfortunately, that means about 88.9% of the kids are sick and still in school and naturally the teachers are involuntarily jumping on that typhoid-ridden bandwagon. 

Seriously, teachers and students come to work/ school pretty much regardless of their health: that's why cotton face masks were invented, ne? Well of course, that means I'm starting to feel a little poorly. I'm hoping it's just a passing thing...mostly because I need to get to Geto Resort this weekend and buy by season pass for snowboarding!

Anyway, the arrival of October also means I'm ecstatic about throwing some Halloween-themed activities into my lessons all month! This week, I had a session with my special education class of three first year boys. The teachers just asked me if I'd add the class and "Could you please do something...fun?" 

Immediately, I put pen to paper and came up with a Casper the Friendly...strike that...Casper the Nice Ghost and Wendy story. I wrote a first draft while I was at the school then took it home to type it. It wasn't until then that I realized that what I wrote was vaguely disturbing. I changed it for the kids, but it kind of makes me giggle.

So, in the spirit of Halloween, enjoy!

Casper is a ghost. He is very nice. Casper doesn't like to say "Boo!" He likes cats and sweet apples. Casper also likes to play baseball with his friend, Wendy. Wendy is cute.

One day, Wendy was sad. "I'm sad. I don't have a costume."

Casper thought and thought. He got an idea! Casper got a white blanket and put it on Wendy. It was a ghost costume!

"Look, Casper!" Wendy said. "Now, I'm a ghost too."

Casper laughed and laughed. He was very happy.

It begins.....

Winter is coming...grrrrowl!

Things I'm Looking Forward to This Fall

1. Cooler temperatures
     This summer was reportedly short lived, but it was no less hot! Some days, I woke up with sweaty face, palms, kneecaps, ankles, spirit, sheets. Other days, it was just mushi atsui, muggy and humid. The air felt less like soup and more like a bowl of steaming hot natto. The best part of those days were grabbing some soft ice or a cold drink on the street. Then there were the frigid limestone caverns, trips to the shore, frozen custards at school lunch and seasonal delights like watermelon and eel. Shorts, skirts and sandals are slowly making their way to the back of the cabinet and in a matter of weeks, every day is going to be about sweaters and wool socks.

2. New colors
     Every season in Japan has been a visual orgasm: pink, white and rose colored cherry blossoms in the spring, rich green trees and an abundance of every imaginable flower in summer. Golden rice paddies prelude the other fall colors on their way but so far, I'm seeing a lot more red in the bushes, with wild berries hanging heavy over park pathways and streams. With Japanese maples everywhere, I'm looking forward to seeing deep reds and purples on the hillsides outside of Kitakami. And the ginko trees! Corridors of gold are forthcoming, my friends.

3. Seasonal foods
     So far, chestnut and sweet potato have taken firm root in groceries and school lunches. Chestnuts in particular are wildly popular here! They're not even too hard to come buy. This country is crazy about natural food and wild veg-foraging. But fear not: there's little need to go tramping through the wilderness for some chestnutty goodness. I was picking them off the ground at Hanamaki Onsen last week! They get tossed in sweets, breads, custards, and that's just what I've seen so far. I can't wait to see the savory applications. 

    As for sweet potato, don't get confused: Japanese sweet potatoes are very different from American yams. For one thing, they are much less sweet. I was bitterly disappointed when I tried to make mashed sweet potatoes a few weeks ago and instead of a deep orange bowl of sweet heaven, I found rough, mellow yellow sweet mistake. I have a bit of experimenting to do with sweet potatoes, I think. 

   There are a number of other seasonal Japanese foods including a hot, fermented milk drink, but I'm saving those delights for another post!

4. Festivals
     School festivals, Taiko, Shichigosan (celebration of children aged 7,5 and 3), apple festivals and so much more!

5. The opening of ski season! 
     Geto Ski Resort, just a short drive from Kitakami, is opening for another season! There was some dispute about whether it was happening but it is! Right now, the season pass is on sale, an investment that pays for itself after just 10 visits...and you get a pass into Geto Onsen. I still have to get all my gear besides the board, so it'll be an expensive month, but I call this a worthwhile investment full of promise, adventure and bruised tailbones. Bring it on, I say!

And now for something completely different:

Why? To get to Shika no Mori Park, of course!