Holy Woolen Underwear, Batman!

Get out of here, winter! Nobody wants you!

I'm still studying Japanese every day, and I'm to the point where I can read katakana well, hiragana with ease (as long as I have access to a Japanese-English dictionary) and a few kanji. Practicing speaking is another matter, though. I think it's a confidence thing: I'm confident that I can communicate basic needs, but the difficult part of any language is the sharing of ideas, opinions and experiences. That's what's killing me.

On Friday, I went to Nitori to pick up a winter blanket, but the size and color I wanted wasn't in the store. I stopped a clerk and asked if he had the one I wanted in the back. He checked and returned...but without the blanket. From what I understood, if I came back the next day, there would be one. I went back, but there was no blanket on the shelves. So my nerves took over and self-consciousness crept up my spine: did I really misunderstand that badly? What was the deal? I couldn't think of how to ask for more help because I didn't know how to explain the situation.

English: Yeah, I was here yesterday and I was pretty sure the clerk told me there'd be more blankets on the shelves today. Do you think there's been a mistake?

Japanese: .....??????

That sort of anxiety just shuts my brain down. But one of the greatest things about any small talk in any language is a common interest for everyone: the weather.

If you have the capacity to look outside, make a broad gesture and perform a few charades, you're communicating and maybe the other person will offer a few token phrases to help you out. Hey, start small, right?

One of my favorite things to talk about with Japanese teachers who don't know much English is the weather. I know a few phrases and enjoy having a normal human conversation with them.

Recently, the weather took a rather freaky turn.

On Monday afternoon, it began to snow lightly, but nothing was sticking to the ground, so I didn't think anything of it. The next day, my car was covered in snow and I was scraping ice of the windshield! Once I got to the school, the F.K. asked me how the drive was. I told him it was slippery, but I was ok. Apparently, he'd fish-tailed through a few intersections!

Confidence slightly boosted.

He asked me what my technique was and I told him simply: "Turtle technique. I drive like a turtle." You see, in his wife's new car, the GPS navigation system doesn't have an animated car to track your progress, but a little green turtle. He laughed.

Looking out the window, I realized I had a great conversation starter for the day and I abused the hell out of it! Teachers and students, in English and Japanese, I talked up the weather like a new diet pill!

"Look at the trees! Today is very cold, isn't it! Do you like snow? Are you very cold? Snow is great!"

With the English teachers, I spoke a little more English and came to the conclusion that this is really abnormal weather for this time of year. In Maryland, it's unusual to see legitimate snow accumulation until the new year, so I was freaking out (in their eyes). They seemed stunned that it usually snows so late in Maryland, but they were also a little perturbed that there was white stuff on their cars that day. But we all agreed it's been an unusually cold year, so the recent weather wasn't a complete surprise...just an anomaly.











However, they're plenty prepared. Every home goods and hardware store is stocked to the ceiling with kotatsu (low tables with electric heaters under the top), kerosene heaters, down blankets, nabe stoves and pots, gloves, hats, coats...I feel like everyone around me is going on a Shackleton-inspired tour in a couple weeks!

And yes, believe it or not, I still don't have any gear for snowboarding! My wonderful friend, Harue, is going to try and help me out. And every second hand shop in the prefecture is full of boarding and skiing material. I just have to apply my prudent little penny pinching skills and fast!

In the meantime, schools are going well. The poor kids are freezing their little polyester butts off, but the stoves are moving back into the classrooms like little pot-bellied students, stewing away in the back of the class. And to keep my free time occupied, I'm still running and meeting friends for the occasional onsen or bar rendezvous. And to top it off, I'm undertaking a new project. Always on the hunt for ways to personalize my little apartment, I stumbled across this:

http://imperfectlyimaginable.blogspot.jp/2013/08/diy-paper-mache-deer-head-for-around-20.html

Inspiration switch officially on! This week I'm starting my deer head. I hope to have it done by the end of the month! I've been itching to do something artistic for a long time and this is the telescoping back scratcher I've been jonesing for! Wish me luck!

 Also, this past weekend was the celebration of Shichi-Go-San, where children aged seven, five and three are blessed at local shrines. Cute, huh?