Guns and Roses: LOL Style

About two weeks ago while waiting for the bus, I heard a pebble bounce across the road. I didn't think too much about it until a second one flew near my eye and hit the wall of the building behind me. I looked up from my Japanese textbook thinking that maybe a sand truck had gone by, but instead of seeing a dump truck, I saw one of my 3rd grade elementary school students pointing a BB gun in my direction. What I thought were pebbles were actually pellets that he had been shooting at the passing cars and bikers. His inaccurate aim found him staring open-mouthed at me for split second before he ran and hid behind a trash can. From his new hideout, he proceeded to shoot thinking he wasn't to be caught. Of course I told him to stop, but yelling in a foreign language across a busy street is probably not the most effective method of instructing a student. It wasn't until a LOL from the school's neighborhood joined me at the bus stop that he retreated completely out of sight...

When the LOL approached the bus stop she proceeded to ask me what time the bus arrived. Thankfully, I had just been reviewing telling time in Japanese, so I successfully answered her question, which led her to believe that I was fluent in Japanese. As she proceeded to chatter away to my blank stares, nods, and Japanese exclamations (that I hoped I could successfully place in the midst of her monologue), I couldn't help but consider the craziness of the current adventure. She then asked me where I was going (or was it where was I from? Or, maybe it was where did I live?) I figured answering Hamamatsu City sounded like an appropriate response because it answered two of the three possible questions and only a little logic would show that I actually wasn't from the city. Whatever the question, she seemed satisfied by my answer and proceeded to present me with two tickets to a regional ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arranging) show that was taking place that weekend. I was totally flabbergasted and proceeded to say thank you many times until the bus arrived (In Japan you can never say thank you or I'm sorry too many times!) I then started contemplating who I should take with me.

The answer to that question was quite easy -- Mrs. Takeyama. She was the first lady in my church to invite me over. Being quite quiet and reserved, I find that sometimes she seems almost a bit intimidated when Mihoko and Kuniko are around so she quietly slips away whenever they interrupt our conversations. I knew that she liked flowers and since her husband Dr. Takeyama had recently agreed to teach me Japanese (with the understanding that I wouldn't hold him accountable for any bad teaching skills since I was his first-ever language student or, as he fondly calls me, his guinea pig) inviting her along wasn't hard at all.

Early Saturday morning we met in front of the exhibition hall, and together enjoyed the many flower arrangements. I learned many things that day about Mrs. Takeyama and flower arranging. For example, I never knew that she liked flower arranging, that she attended a traditional school for summer courses every year, and that she was one of five ladies in the church who make the weekly arrangements on a rotating basis. It is amazing the things you can learn about people by just spending a little time with them!


I also learned a lot about ikebana such as you can use kiwi fruit (and not kiwis --there is a big difference I have learned from New Zealand's Sarah Moffatt) in arrangements and they can still look neat....

...that ikebana does not have to be in a vase and can be a wall hanging instead. (And that there is some crazy whitish globe-shaped flower that looks like a puffer fish)...

...that although it is a very mathematical art form, it is still very creative...

...that it can be both traditional and modern...

...and that Japanese people like to share their experiences with others for I was invited to join a "Let's Ikebana Experience" for free since I was a foreigner! For the next hour after browsing the beautiful arrangements, I strained my brain to understand the class -- "Don't touch the pincushion in the water (or was the word poisonous frog? Either way, its bite did hurt!) "Cut the garadiora one and a half times the width of the water bowl" ("What's a garadiora? The only flowers in front of me are gerbera daisies and gladiolas! Oh wait, the r/l combination! Gets them every time!) "Move the flower forwards." "Move the flower back." "Move the flower to the right." "Move the flower to the left." "Forward" "Back" "Right" "Left" -- As I sat there feeling like my flower was a pawn piece on a chessboard, I realized that although ikebana is a traditional art form, it isn't an exact science and personal preference does play an important role.


Finally, my arrangement was done. I was so proud of myself. It actually even looked a bit balanced! As I reveled in my success and envisioned marching out of the exhibit hall arrangement in hand while everyone congratulated me on my fine and balanced arrangement, I noticed that everyone else was removing their flowers from the water and wrapping them in brown paper. All our hard work over the past hour -- the cutting, the measuring, the stripping of leaves, the moving the flowers this way and that -- was to be completely destroyed in an instant. The pincushion/poisonous frog contraptions and water bowls were to be reused by the next group of students waiting their turn. As I carried my carefully trimmed flowers outside the exhibit hall, Mrs. Takeyama asked me how I had enjoyed the experience. I told her that it had been so much fun and asked her where I could purchase a poisonous pincushion. Maybe, just maybe, I thought I could recreate my arrangement back in my apartment. "Oh, you don't need one of those!" she exclaimed. "You can put the flowers in any glass or vase. You can just cut them to fit." And that what I did! I'm American after all!!

As for my student with the gun, well, let's just say he got in big trouble the next day when I reported him to my vice principal. I might not speak Japanese, but I am not clueless (that is of course, if I am not expected to carry on a conversation with a LOL :-)

Staring Food

I know I have posted a lot about how much I hate it when my lunch stares back at me. So, I thought it was important to include the most recent lunch-time eyes to document that not all eyeballs are bad. In fact when they are on kumapan (bear bread), they are actually kind of cute! (For those of you curious of the rest of the meal, going clockwise from the bread is cold, sweet scrambled egg "cake" with a ketchup/BBQ kind of sauce on top; yogurt with canned mixed fruit, cold curry noddles sauteed with cabbage, pork, and carrots, vegetable soup with tofu and fu (a croutony thing), and a carton of milk. You may be surprised to know that this is actually a "small portion.")

I'm a published photographer!

Okay, I don't mean to toot my on horn (or pull my own harp strings!) but I am really excited about my most recent photography success and I wanted to share. Last winter, the JET association asked for photography and journal submissions that are published in a yearly book for all JET participants. This book is given to the first-year teachers upon arrival in Japan and it is a good beginning orientation. Anyway, long story short, I decided to submit several pictures (In actuality, I submitted a blank CD case and after realizing my mistake had to resubmit!) and promptly forgot about them. Well, the "old" JETs just received our books and when I looked at the cover I promptly exclaimed, "I know that picture." Sure enough, one of my pictures was on the front page in a collage. A friend of mine was thumbing through the book and said, "Here's another one with your name on it." So for you viewing pleasure I am sharing my snapshots. The first was taken early last fall on the Hamamatsu Castle grounds. The dragon was guarding a random temple I happened to stumble across.

Nagasaki: Day 3

Day three began with another lovely meal in the lodge's dining room...

Then we headed up a mountain in hopes to see the hundreds of mini islands near Nagasaki. On our very windy bus drive, the driver took a sharp turn which I wasn't expecting. I literally went flying over to the seats on the other side of the bus to the absolute suprise and terror of my LOLs (while the other passengers couldn't help but burst into gales oflaughter!) Once we reached the top of the mountain, it was unfortunately really cloudy and overcast, but I did get some nice cloudy shots!

Here are the partners-in-crime!

(Notice that I am attempting not to tower over them)

Madame Butterfly

I then decided to climb up a little higher. Here are the results... While my ladies were snapping pictures and shouting up the mountain to me (and I shouting back down) our fellow bus passengers once again started laughing. I guess we really made a scene!

After lunch we decided to visit the sulfur pools. They weren't particularly spectacular, but incredibly smelly!

Then it was time to say goodbye to the hotel and our wonderful staff.

Before the staff sent us off, they presented us with an "ice cream present" of lemon ice cream.

(I really liked this hotel -- if you haven't noticed! Especially their infatuation with ice cream!)

Here I am really towering over them. No wonder I stick out in Japan!

On our drive back to Nagasaki, we asked the taxi cab driver to pull over so I could take some pictures of the tiered rice paddy fields.

Our last stop was the "Eyeglass bridge." Then, it was back to the airport to start another year in the Japanese schools, and to reminicse another amazing LOL adventure!

Nagasaki: Day 2b

That evening, my LOLs decided to treat themselves to an amazing French dinner. Not to be left out, I didn't mind splurging either. Although the dining room was a bit rustic, the table setting sure wasn't. In fact, I have never seen that many forks on one table before (except maybe at Grandma's Thanksgiving dinners for 15, but then each person only gets two!)

After the waitstaff graciously pulled out each of our chairs, the maitre de presented the beverage menu. Our choice? Unzen's "famous" lemon soda. You would have thought that we had ordered an expensive bottle of champagne by the way the entire staff handled the bottles. Whenever our glasses were just slightly empty, they would come, wrap the glass soda bottle in a cloth, and pour ever so gently so that not a bubble of lemony fizz would be spilled.

The maitre de then presented us with the first course -- a bite-sized croissant with an anchovy inside. She described it in Japanese and with the use of the printed menu at each place setting and my handy-dandy dictionary, my ladies translated the best they could. I then took notes because I knew there would be too much to remember in an eight-course dinner!

Course two (requiring the outside-most set of silverware) was fresh conger eel served with lemon, plums, tomatoes, and caviar. Fresh bread made from natural yeast was also served. I'm not sure what the excitement was regarding the natural yeast, I was just delighted to see fresh baked bread!!

Course Three (above) was fresh trout served with trout caviar, black truffle mushrooms, garlic potatoes, and fresh vegetables with cream.

Course 4 (above) was sea urchin, some kind of fish called a sillaginod, and okra on top of a block of okra gelatin. While course 5 was flying fish, shrimp, and artichokes served in a parsley and spinach sauce. Course 6 (below), was the taste bud clarifying course and consisted of the three largest blueberries I have ever seen served on a bed of ice.

Course 7 (below) was filet mignon stuffed with pickles, oranges, scallions, and served with a truffle mushroom sauce. As weird as it might sound, it was absolutely delicious, as was every other course! Each flavor was so light and the fish didn't taste like fish at all.

Dessert with coffee was the final course. Poached figs served with fresh vanilla ice cream, fig sorbet, and garnished with a crisp cream cookie completed the absolutely amazing and 2.5 hour dinner.

After a cool shower and a late night soak in the hot springs it was off to bed.... only to wake up several hours later dreaming I was boiling in a pot of rotten eggs. It was then I learned something else about my LOLs -- air conditioners aren't necessary when windows can be opened!! However, for this Florida girl who has incredibly active midnight dreams, ACs are very important especially when spending the night in a sulfur hot springs resort!

Nagasaki: Day 2a

The second day of our trip began at a children's book museum. Although the museum was small (and the books almost entirely incomprehensible to me), it still was an enjoyable experience. Several "famous" (though I had never heard of them) Japanese authors' works were featured, including the original paintings from a book about a runaway egg. Unfortunately (and a bit bizarrely) the book wasn't sold in the adjoining bookstore. I would have loved a copy as it reminded me of a story that my daddy used to read to me as a child. Another neat aspect of the museum was to find some of my favorite stories including Arthur and the Magic Pebble, Where the Wild Things Are, The Gift of the Magi, and Alexander and the Wind Up Mouse (to name a few) reprinted in Japanese.

the outside of the museum featuring Pooh and Christopher Robbin

One thing that that I love about my LOLs is that on our very first trip, they told me that whenever they travel, they always eat "soft cream" (i.e. soft-serve ice cream). Since our first delicious sakura cherry blossom version in Kyoto when it was freezing cold outside, I have thoroughly enjoyed their tradition (and if they didn't have it, would have most likely started it myself!) I have also discovered that each area in Japan has different flavors according to the season, which cannot be found anywhere else. Nagasaki for example is famous for biwa (see Biwa It May post) and so our flavor of choice was biwa/banira swirl. (The poor Japanese -- the b/v and l/r combinations gets them every time!)




It was then time to head for Holland, I mean, Dejima! During Japan's period of isolation, Nagasaki was only open to Dutch and Portuguese traders. However, when Christianity began to seep into the country, the Japanese decided to build an island to keep the Christians (and their religion) from infiltrating the country. Thus, the creation of Dejima. Although, the city was completely destroyed in the war (and the area is, in fact, no longer an island because of recent land reclamation), it is in the process of being rebuilt as a historical museum. Because Dutch traders were the primary residents, the city looks like it should be in Holland (and is supposedly gorgeous in the spring with all of the tulips). I should also mention that it was here in 1877 that Japan's first Protestant Seminary was built. Unfortunately, I learned this after the fact and so failed to take a proper picture of the blue two-story building. Below though is a random picture I snapped of its windows.

Here I am in front of the flagpole. I really wanted to climb it, alas, it was closed to monkeys like me!

From the Dutch district we headed to Chinatown for lunch and then back to the hotel for Portuguese cake and a Nagasaki delicacy castilla. (Are you noticing yet that Nagasaki is very internationalized?)




Then it was time to head for Unzen -- a hot springs resort up in the middle of the mountains. During our 1.5 hour car ride we passed through Obama, Japan (directly translated as "Big Water") Although the city existed way before the current US president, it has now become a pilgrimage site for Obama fans all over the world. I am probably the only American who has ever traveled through Obama (in this current term) without stopping, desiring to stop to snap pictures. In fact, I also probably the only American who slept almost the entire way through the city!

We finally arrived at our amazing hotel. Built in the early 1900s in the style of a Swiss lodge, the hotel was designed to cater to any traveler's desires. I felt like a celebrity stepping out of the taxi into a 1920s Grand Hotel. The staff was so courteous (and so cute in their Swiss bellhop uniforms and gloves!) After a relaxing massage, and a soak in the aforementioned hot springs in true Japanese-style communal bathing (no pictures here let me assure you!), we took an evening stroll before our assigned dinner time.

Our walk lead us by the local fire department where the men were practicing drills. I couldn't help by exclaiming how "cute" their fire trucks were, which my LOLs thought was absolutely hilarious. "Cute," they exclaimed, "why cute?" I then explained that back home our fire trucks are at least 2.5 times bigger. (What I didn't tell them was that the entire entourage reminded me of when I was a student at Stetson and felt a little wary about the "public safety" official's competency when I saw them driving around in golf carts and Segways). My LOLs decided it was important to pass on their new-found knowledge regarding the size of American fire trucks to the Japanese Fire Marshall. I think he might have felt a little defensive because he proudly showed us their "big" fire truck. It probably didn't help his ego when I giggled at the size of this vehicle, too!

Then it was time to head back to the hotel for a dinner I will never forget...

Nagasaki: Day 1

Earlier this spring, two of the LOLs from my church, Mihoko and Kuniko, asked me when my school had summer holidays. A week later, they informed me that they had made plans for us to fly to Nagasaki, the western-most major island in Japan. This past week, four of us embarked on a tour of this multi-faceted historical landmark. Probably most recognized in the United States as the second nuclear bombing target during World War II, Nagasaki has an even greater history than that. During Japan's period of National Isolation (1641-1858), Nagasaki was the only area open to trade. With the tradesmen came Catholic and then later, Christian, missionaries. Thus, Nagasaki is known as the birthplace of Christianity in Japan... But I'm getting ahead of myself... So, let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!)





We arrived in Nagasaki early Monday evening. Since it was pouring when we stepped off the airplane, we decided to go immediately to our hotel and from there find dinner. The meal of choice? Saraudon and champon -- two of Nagasaki's "famous" foods. Both "Chinese-influenced" dishes have all kinds of goodies in them -- shrimp, cabbage, carrots, mussels, fish....(and Emily????)




The next morning began with a typical LOL adventure! As we left the hotel, I couldn't help but take a double glance at what first appeared to be a porcelain statute. When it blinked, I realized that in fact it wasn't a doll after all, but a bride dressed in traditional garb. The LOLs were determined that I should have a picture of the happy couple so they interrupted the professional photo shoot, explained that I was a foreigner who wanted a picture (frankly, I didn't care one way or the other) and would greatly benefit from learning about Japanese culture, posed the bride, told the groom to smile..... You can just imagine the scene! Please relish in their very hard work as directors (and, yes, the groom is smiling!!)

Soon we found ourselves climbing up a steep hill towards Oura Catholic Church. Don't let the Dutch-inspired buildings fool you, though; it is still Japan. (The vending machine on every corner was one of many indicators that we hadn't been mysteriously teleported to Holland!)

Catholicism was first introduced to Japan in 1549 by St. Francis Xavier. However, when Japan was closed to other religions, the Japanese Christians had to go in hiding. Over a hundred years later, when Japan was once again open to foreigners, Oura Catholic Church, the oldest wooden church in Japan, was built and dedicated in 1865. Soon after, a group of women identified themselves to the priest as Christians who had been passing down their faith from generation to generation.

After visiting the church, my LOL and I passed Japan's first public telephone. (Unfortunately, I didn't get its installation date). They, of course, had to call home -- I on the other hand, couldn't dial out, and so took a picture instead! We then headed to the Glover House -- the residence of the former British merchant Thomas Glover (1838-1911). Being an influential figure in Japan's foreign trade and having a Japanese wife, Glover is often connected to the similar character in Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly.

Although, there is no actual substantiated connection between Glover and Puccini's character, my LOLs referred to the house as the "butterfly" house and, in fact, in the garden, there was a statue of Puccini with a butterfly on his shoulder. And, as in any activity I participate in with my ladies, singing was involved. (Mihoko is an opera singer/teacher and Kuniko is one of her former students so music is especially important to them). Therefore, we sang a rousing version of the opera's most famous aria to the amusement of our fellow visitors!!

From the Glover House we had a great view of Nagasaki's port and lots of big ships!

Our next stop was the "one-legged" torii gate, nicknamed so because its other side was blasted off by the atomic bomb.

From there we moved on to Urakami Cathedral. Which, according to the brochure, was "once the largest church in the Orient." It was originally built in 1925 after 30 years of labor, but then was destroyed in the bomb. It was later rebuilt with the story behind its rebuilding quite controversial. (In fact, my pastor's wife was worried that as an American, I might not want to the hear the Japanese version. My LOLs told her that I was a big girl and could handle it! Umm... I'm not so sure!)

From there we visited a bit more war history at the Nyokodo Hermitage. This tiny residence was built by the Nagasaki's townspeople for the famous Christian radiologist Dr. Takashi Nagai. Although, he was bedridden from leukemia due to improper exposure to x-ray materials he continued to conduct research from his bed regarding radiation poisoning. (And, if you look closely, you can see me in the picture, too!)

After a visit to the Nagasaki War Museum, a very upset stomach (there is only so much drama one can digest in one day especially when you were considered the enemy in the eyes of the Japanese and your grandfather experienced his own suffering in the Japanese prison camps), we headed to the Peace Park to view a very big traffic guard :-)

Smiles and laughter were in order, and, boy, do my LOL's and I know how to produce it!!!! The below picture is my favorite from the entire trip. As a side note, I successfully asked a French person (in Japanese, mind you) if they could speak English and if they could take the picture. They looked at me like I was a total idiot because they had no idea what I was saying.... In this case, English was a more useful language.

From there we headed to the memorial for 26 Japanese and Portuguese (or as my LOLs pronounced it poltergeist) martyrs who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597 for not renouncing their Christian faith. Somehow, in one of my more brilliant camera-user moments, I successfully deleted all pictures pertaining to the memorial. However, I did maintain one of a very unusual church nearby.

As the sun set, we headed up one of the mountains in a cable car to experience Nagasaki's "million dollar view" or as the Japanese like to say "Light up (Nagasaki)". Then it was on to "Light up Omura Church."Dinner ended the day with a really cute origami crew team who had toothpicks as paddles.

Then it was off to bed.... I sadly learned that day, that my LOLs have considerably (and I mean considerably) more energy than I. The next morning I would also learn, that they don't like to sleep in!!!!!