Countdown: 20 Days of School

 

Life is getting busy. The year is coming to an end and I am just 20 school days from finishing my first teaching contract. 

Where did the time go?

Even though I plan on teaching again and extending my time here in Japan, I'm still sad about this year ending. I'm one of the lucky ALT's --- I love my schools, the people I work with, the students I teach, the place where I live ... I love EVERYTHING,  This year & this position have been more than good to me. I've experienced so much and enjoyed the whole process.

I'm a firm believer of life is what you make of it, but I can't say that I'm not nervous about how this next year will go. Regardless of what happens I know I'll make the best of it. That's my personality. But, since this year has been better than I could have imagined, how can next year compete?  I'm sure these are just my nerves talking. I always get this way when change is about to take place.

These next weeks are going to fly by. I have projects to finish and an extra long To Do list to get through before the goodbyes start. 

Highlight of the Week - Some of my students asked me, 

"Mickey, have you heard the new Taylor Swift song? It's I Don't Wanna Live Forever."

Focus on Being Present

Unplugging --- something I need to do more often. Freakonomics, NPR's TED Radio Hour, and a handful of articles I've read this week all have mentioned this concept. It seems easy enough, until you actually put it into practice.

I made a conscious effort this week to ditch my earbuds. Normally, I have them in when I'm commuting to work, riding the train, or walking around town. I haven't always done that though. When I first moved here I was too focused on trying to 'survive' that I didn't even think of listening to music or podcasts while I was moving from place to place. But for the past few months, I've plugged in. And I probably would have stayed this way if it wasn't for these media outlets bringing it to my attention.

I'm glad they did, because I realized that I've been missing out on a vital part of my whole experience. I haven't been fully present. I've been distracting myself with comforts. I know it's been a way for me to combat minor homesickness, but I want to grow out of it.

Need inspiration to unplug? 

Click here to listen to the episode "Simply Happy" from NPR's TED Radio Hour.

Yes, it's true, sometimes (actually, quite often) I think about my family, friends, and everything that is continuing to happen stateside. I've missed a lot - birthday's, holiday's, engagements, special events, ... etc. That's all part of what I signed up for though. I chose to come here and I'm choosing to (fingers crossed) stay a little longer. But what I don't want to be doing, is spending so much time thinking about everything I left behind and not allowing myself to be present. Because eventually my time in Japan will come to an end and I'll find myself 'homesick' and missing exactly what I have right now.

So this week I ditched my earbuds and here's what happened ...

Work Week

It was the 1st week back to school. I had a great time hearing about my students winter vacations. Even though most of them studied every single day, we still had a lot to talk about!

Friday Night

To celebrate our first week back to school, C and I decided to try the TeppanGyoza restaurant near our apartment. We ordered two pots of gyoza and whiskey high balls. We tried our best to use our Japanese and were semi-successful. Our waitress was great. She actually spoke English and had studied abroad for a couple of months in Seattle, Washington. We learned her work schedule and said we'd be back to visit again. The food was unbelievable. Oishii desu!

Saturday

I spent the afternoon in Kokura. B's boyfriend R came all the way from Europe to visit! I met them for lunch. We tried a new Japanese restaurant. Kokura has so many choices. The streets are literally lined on both sides with options. We all liked the place we picked. I was happy to try it because I always pass it, but never have had a reason to go in.

After lunch we walked around for a bit and then went out separate ways. It was really great to meet up with them. B & I were able to show him around. We enjoyed feeling more like locals for once.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking around Kokura. I ventured over to the River Walk area and explored more of Kokura Castle.

Heading to Kokura Station

Kokura Station

Whiskey High Ball -- my new drink of choice. 

B - sashimi set, R - fried pork set, M - karage (fried chicken) set

Kokura River Walk 

Kokura Castle Temple Entrance

Kokura Castle Garden

Kokura Castle Temple Gardens

In case you've been wondering what a Japanese style toilet looks like.

When a western toilet is not available, this is your next option.

Kokura Station

Sunday

I woke up before my alarm and couldn't get back to sleep because I was so cold. I know it's terrible for my skin, but I was desperate. I turned my shower into a steam room and stayed in there longer than I should have. It was so warm though. Today, it snowed in parts of Kyushu. I have ALT friends who live north of me in the mountains, and they took video of the snow falling. I was so happy to see it! Maybe snow will fall in my area before the school year ends. Fingers crossed.

In the afternoon I headed to Kurosaki for my Japanese class. Today went to so well. Since I actually studied this week and practiced writing the hiragana characters, we moved through conversations much faster. We were also able to talk about a lot more. I left the class feeling happy instead of traumatized like I normally do. My teacher, Shoko-san is truly the best. She's patient with me and pushes me out of my comfort zone.

Instead of going to Tully's after class, I jumped on a train for Nishi-Kokura and treated myself to Starbucks. I re-wrote my notes and enjoyed a tall latte. My days of ordering grande and venti sizes are long gone --- at least for my time here in Japan. It's hard to say, but even a tall feels like a lot. Portion sizes are smaller here and I've adjusted. Honestly, I'm looking forward to ordering a venti latte in the states just so I can shock myself.

So my language goal for this week is to write out all of the hiragana characters every day. I think that by this time next Sunday, I'll be able to recognize and write hiragana. That's my goal anyway.

I'm starting to prepare for a Japanese Language Proficiency Test. There are 5 different levels, with 5 being the lowest. That's where I want to start. I want to challenge myself to sit for the N5 JLPT. Before I can even begin to study the prep material, I need to be able to read & write hiragana and katakana. The test is offered two times a year, once in July and once in December. I haven't officially decided on which one I want to sign up for.

Here's what the sample questions look like ... [click here]  

Ganbareru - がんばられる- I am able to do my best!

Kurosaki Station

Kurosaki Station

Kurosaki Station

Kurosaki Station

Kokura River Walk Starbucks

Smiling, because I realized that my father and the Moussalli's from Huntingdon College have always been right. There's an opportunity cost for everything we do in life.

This week I put my headphones away and enjoyed myself. Now, I'm looking to eliminate mindless scrolling through social media. I'm going to stay present. Join me if you're up for it! 

Xoxo, 

M

1st Japanese Class of 2017

Today was the first Japanese Class of 2017. I was nervous to say the least. Coming to class is difficult because every time I know I am walking into a challenge. My teacher (Shoko-san) and classmates are all kind, encouraging, and extremely patient with me. Seriously, Shoko-san is the best! I am making a conscious effort to study more because I have a goal of learning hiragana and katakana this year. 

In today's class I practiced asking questions with my fellow classmate. He's preparing for the speech contest at the end of this month. I can't wait to see how he does! He speaks fluent Japanese and has been studying since junior high school. We're the same age. So the simple questions he helped me practice were ones like:

Where did you go?

Anata wa doko ni ikimashita ka?

When did you go?

Itsu ikimashita ka?

Who did you go with?

Anata wa dare to issho ni ikimashita ka?

Why did you go?

Dōshite itta no?

What did you do?

Anata wa naniwoshita?

What did you eat?

Nani o tabemashita ka?

I also worked on writing a summary of my trip to Tokyo. That's what I wanted to share today. Below I have included my summary in simple English, romaji (English alphabet characters), and the translation in Japanese.  Thanks to the help of Google translator, I was able to put this graphic together. 

I may not be able to write my summary without help from my text book, but I can recite it out loud in Japanese and am very happy about that!

Enjoy!

P.S. I also met a fellow English teacher today. They're from Canada. We had coffee at Tully's and shared our experiences in English. It was totemo tanoshikatta desu. 

Trip to Tokyo

I started this new year with a trip to Tokyo. This was a big deal for me. It was my first solo vacation. There was no one waiting for me in Tokyo and no one that was accompanying me along the way. It was just me. 

I won't lie,  I felt uncomfortable about doing this by myself and at times a little crazy.  I was scared. I was scared that I would actually like it.

When people asked me about the trip they were always excited, but shocked when they found out I was going by myself. I kept telling them that I had purposefully planned it that way. That I wanted to go by myself. I think some people believed me, but others didn't seem convinced. Which made me question myself and my intentions a little. 

None the less, I went. 

And here's what happened. I went for myself and by myself and loved every single second of it. At times is was tiring, awkward, and a little difficult. But I found it all wildly rewarding. I was able to take my time. I stayed for as little or as long as I wanted and I didn't feel like I was inconveniencing anyone. I talked to people and practiced my Japanese. I walked with crowds and saw the city from 53 stories up. I did Tokyo on my own terms and fell in love with it.

Even though I am now a proponent of solo travel, I recognize how enjoyable it is to travel with people. To be able to turn to the person next to you and say, "Did you see that? Can we go there? Let's try that!", is something special. 

I will take many more solo trips in my lifetime. I have no doubt about that. In fact, I have a long list that I'm excited about.  But, I'm also looking forward to the times when my family and friends are traveling alongside me. 

Until those trips happen, I'm choosing myself and solo travel. I have a whole world to see and I'm just getting started.

THE CULTURE-IST compiled a list of 24 quotes that will make you want to travel the globe. These are the three quotes that describe my reasons for traveling to Tokyo. Click here to see full article and find out which ones inspire you.

No. 2 “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” – Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

No. 8 - “There are several ways to react to being lost. One is to panic. Another is to abandon yourself to lostness, to allow the fact that you’ve misplaced yourself to change the way you experience the world.” – Audrey Niffenegger. Her Fearful Symmetry.

No. 12 -“Traveling outgrows its motives. It soon proves sufficient in itself. You think you are making a trip, but soon it is making you – or unmaking you.” – Nicolas Bouvier. The Way of the World.

TOKYO RECAP

SUNDAY

I rode the Shinkansen train from Kokura Station to Tokyo Station. It took about 4 hours. I had a window seat and couldn't stop staring out of it. By taking the train I was able to see so much more of Japan. It really is beautiful. The Shinkansen is extremely convenient and pleasant. Honestly, I loved it and didn't want to get off when we arrived in Tokyo. It's clean, efficient, roomy, and felt like a better version of a plane ride -- and I love plane rides!

4 days packed into one suitcase

Window seat on the Shinkansen

I arrived to Tokyo Station at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon. Before heading to my hotel I walked around the neighborhood outside the station. Since it was New Year's Day it was extremely quiet outside. A lot of the shops and restaurants were closed or had shortened hours. There were still a lot of people around, but I could tell it wasn't the normal crowd. So I enjoyed the sleepy streets and had a Breakfast at Tiffany's kind of moment. With my coffee and bags in hand I walked down the tiled streets and stared in the windows of stores like Hermes, Burberry, Dior ... etc. When I was planning my trip I had read about this area on Truly Tokyo. They described it as feeling like "Midtown Manhattan". Even though I've never been to New York (it's on my list), I think they were right in their description. I could have stayed there for hours, but I eventually headed to my hotel to check in.

"Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot." - Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

I used booking.com to book my stay at Tokyo Green Palace. The hotel was in a great location. There were plenty of restaurants and convenient stores, as well as subway/train station access points. I would definitely choose to stay there again.

After I settled in and re-charged my phone, I rode the Tokyo Subway to Ginza. Ginza is known for being one the best shopping districts in all of Japan. It seems like every brand imaginable as a store front there. I walked up and down admiring all of the window displays because they were still decorated for the holiday's.  I also met up with an ALT friend of mine and had dinner with them. We ate ramen, gyoza, and drank Kirin beer. It was nice to see a friendly face.

MONDAY

On Monday, my first full day in Tokyo, I set out to explore the area of Roppongi and Roppongi Hills. I walked through the maze of shops; ate dinner at an Italian restaurant where I had lamb chops and Chianti wine; and saw a 360 degree view of Tokyo from 53 stories up. 

Tokyo Subway

Roppongi Gardens

Roppongi Hills

Had a wonderful time practicing my Japanese with a sales associate while I was browsing.

Tokyo City View from the 53rd Floor of the Mori Arts Building

Roppongi Hills -- reminded me of the GALLERIA in Dallas, TX.

TUESDAY

On Tuesday I set out to explore the areas of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. These areas felt like the stereotypical Tokyo that people picture. Neon lights, crowds of people, and anything you could want all in one place. It was controlled chaos. 

Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not particularly enjoy large crowds of people. They make me uncomfortable. But, I did not let that deter me from seeing these areas of the city. Instead, I put my phone away and went with it. I didn't really take any pictures on this day. I just went with the crowd and let myself get swallowed by the mass of people. It was an experience for me, especially when I did Shibuya crossing!

In the morning I stopped by the Domique Ansel Bakery in Shinjuku and waited in line for the coveted CRONUT. The flavor of the month was Lime Yogurt and it was well worth the wait. 

For dinner I had a burger and beer from Shack Shake near Tokyo Station. It was unbelievable. This was my first time to eat at one and I couldn't believe what I had been missing. I ate outside under their patio of lights. It was a little chilly, but I couldn't pass up the scenery. I wasn't cold for long because a worker came by and passed out Shack Shake blankets out to everyone. Seriously, Japan has thought of everything.

I ended the night by walking around the Yurakucho Station and having a glass of wine on the patio of a bistro. And yes, my table came equipped with a personal heater and  blanket.

WEDNESDAY

Since my train didn't leave until the late afternoon, I took the morning to explore a few more areas. I walked through the Imperial Palace gardens; window shopped at the KITTE department store; saw central Tokyo from a rooftop garden; and had a latte at a Starbucks reserve.  My last few hours in Tokyo were probably my favorite. 

KITTE Rooftop Garden, view of central Tokyo

KITTE Rooftop Garden, view of central Tokyo

Imperial Palace Garden, Central Tokyo

Tokyo Subway

Couldn't resist buying a few snacks for the train ride back.

Happy New Year from Tokyo

Seriously wishing that my trip didn't have to end. 

My time in Tokyo was time well spent.

I'll be back again someday.