Kitsuke: The Art of Kimono

The kimono is likely one of the first things you think of when you hear the word "Japan," and Kitsuke is the art of putting on and wearing kimonos. The fact that getting dressed is considered an art should give you some clue about how complicated wearing a traditional kimono can be.

Last semester, I bought a beautiful orange and gold kimono at the second hand store. It was everything I ever thought a kimono should be - orange of the Shinto shrine gates, with golden embroidery and long draped sleeves, covered in Japanese motifs like cranes, pines, bamboo, and plum and cherry blossoms. At the second hand price, I couldn't say no to something that made me feel like a queen.

Little did I know that actually wearing it wouldn't be that simple. About a month ago, I saw an ad for free entry to arguably the oldest castle in Japan for those wearing kimono. I talked my friends, Miyoko and Yui, into going with me, and thus, began my month long research project into the art of kitsuke. I don't want to bore you with too many details, but I do hope to give a glimpse into the complicated process that is wearing a kimono.

First of all, there are about 9 different kinds of kimonos, depending on how you count the subcategories. To choose which type, you must consider the woman's age and marital status, as well as the occasion and season. Luckily, the kimono I had bought months ago was for young (under 30, whew barely made it) and unmarried women. Traditionally, the bright colors and long sleeves were meant to help a woman attract a man. Nowadays, the showier kimonos are usually worn for coming of age ceremonies, but they can be worn to other formal events such as weddings or tea ceremonies.

After you choose your style of kimono (for me, "chuu-furisode", with sleeves that fall at or a little below the knees), you must choose the "obi". This is the part that's tied around the waist and fixed with a special knot at the back. There are 11 types of obis, as well as around 6 kinds of obi accessories. Again, the obi must be matched to the wearer's age and marital status, to the occasion, and now, to the type and color of the kimono it will be worn with. If that isn't enough, there are at least 10 different types of knots, with variations of those 10 all over the place. The knot (called "musubi") coordinates with the type of obi you've chosen, and some musubi can only be tied with certain kinds of obis for specific occasions worn by limited demographic. Whew! No wonder it took me a month to wade through so much information!

I was finally able to get a bilingal glossary together that would aide me in my trip back to the second hand kimono store. I would need around 15 pieces to (attempt to) wear my kimono correctly. The woman at the store was excellent at her job and so helpful, and I walked out of that shop a little poorer, but really excited to try out my new art form.

All 14 pieces (minus the hairpieces, which made 15...). The dark orange kimono is the "underwear" and the thin strips of cloth on the top left are for tying and holding up all the kimonos while you sort out all the other pieces you'll be wearing. The oval shaped pad at the top is a stiff board that goes over the kimono, but under the obi, so that the obi doesn't wrinkle at your waste. Kitsuke is all about no wrinkles and crisp lines! The black and gold fabric is the obi, which is super stiff and thick in order to hold the shape of the knot well. As you're tying that elaborate musubi knot, the little white pillow goes under to give the bow more volume. The purple and blue silk "obiage" (original price tag still on it said $300!!!) covers the little pillow in the back under the bow, and it makes a cute sash at the front of the outfit.  The little white and gold cord with tassles at the end is the "obijime", used to tie down the tail of the obi, and to secure the obi all in place. Lastly, are the oh-so-stylish toe socks ("tabi") and fancy flip flops, called "zori," which the sales lady informed me were stylishly and appropriately too small. Wouldn't want the hem of my kimono getting stuck in back of my shoes! Thank goodness I found it all at the very cheap second hand store...a friend told me a story of a kimono that costs upwards of $50,000!!!

After watching countless YouTube videos and practicing my Tateya ("standing arrow" meant to look like an arrow quiver) musubi at home around 4-5 times, I was ready! I woke up two hours before we needed to leave the house on Saturday morning, and between hair, makeup, and kitsuke, I used up those full two hours! 

Yikes! What am I doing?!

Ready to go! 

After all this work, I was still not sure how I would be received as a foreigner wearing a formal kimono in public. Young Japanese women usually have somone else dress them, so kitsuke is a dying art form, but of course, I leave the house and see only old ladies!! Surely they could see all the ways I was wearing it incorrectly! I was relieved when one elderly woman on the bus told me I looked beautiful, and several others stopped to do double takes or wave on the train. Two other women came over to help me tweak little things while I was riding the train, and this all helped boost my confidence. Despite the younger generation being unphased, at least the older women were showing either neutral or positive reactions so far...but the real test was yet to come. 

I was even more nervous to walk into the kimono store where my friends Miyoko and Yui were getting dressed. These ladies would be professionals, and they would surely know that I was a complete beginner! I was convinced they would easily see through my YouTube facade. To my surprise, they were excited I was wearing a kimono, and when my friends told them I had gotten dressed by myself, the shop ladies were super impressed! Ah what a sigh of relief for me!!! Of course they helped me tweak a few things (the nape of my neck was too covered, gasp!), but they were so kind, and they seemed excited I had tried kitsuke, even if it wasn't perfect. 

Then it was time to hit the town! Miyoko and Yui looked beautiful in their kimonos, and Paco was a lucky guy to hang out with three lovely ladies all day! ;) We visited Inuyama Castle, one of Japan's original wooden castles, and we enjoyed street snacks and autumn colors. 

Our accidental "Visit Japan Brochure" pose!

In the end, it was a wonderful day! I was proud that I had worked hard to learn something new and interesting, and I was relieved to find that Japanese people were generally very excited to see a foreigner appreciating traditional culture. Now, I just need to find another excuse to wear it again! 

More pictures here on my Flickr! 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/134658886@N08/9MFMC4 

Ramen, Rantin' and Ravin'

salty fishy sweet,
succulent sashimi treats,
dashi, uu-mami!

As I slide open the door to Butanchu, the rich meaty smell of pork marrow that's been simmering for hours is the first thing that permeates the senses.  Only then do I register the jingle of the yobirin (doorbell), and manage to collect myself and vaguely respond a konnichiwa to the chef who welcomes me back with a knowing smile.  This time I've brought along Jessica to try my favorite tonkotsu (pork) ramen shop.  The first thing she comments on is the two vats of pork broth simmering away, as they have been for over 20 hours.  The chef uses a full-size shovel to stir it every now and then.  Our orders have already been taken as we waited for a seat outside of the restaurant.

There is not much foreplay or pillow-talk involved in the ramen experience, you often get started standing up, and as soon as you're finished, you leave; however, the love, dedication, and obsession  for ramen is stronger than ever.  The slurping technique that I have yet to master allows the experienced ramen eater to devour a nearly-boiling-hot bowl in under 5 minutes.  There are well over 100 types of ramen in Japan and every Japanese person has a favorite, and only one Japanese person has ever told me they don't like ramen.

Butanchu's tonkotsu ramen

When our bowls of ramen arrive, Jessica is quick to point out how viscous the broth is--from the all the pork fat no doubt, which only adds to the deep, rich flavor.  The dragon noodles, slightly ridged and perfectly al dente, pick up the rich, garlicky broth as we conspicuously and haplessly attempt the slurping technique.  The two slices of pork are roasted to perfection and the marbled fat just melts in your mouth.  As I finish my third bowl of ramen in as many days, I begin to dread the six weeks in the states where I will either have to not eat ramen or pay twice as much for a bowl not half as good as this one.

Another honorable mention for my favorite ramen experience so far goes to Mugen, which makes shirunashi tan tan men (broth-less spicy ramen).  They make a luscious, thick sesame sauce which they serve with a bit of broth, a sprinkling of ground pork, and a heaping pile of noodles.  The spice comes from some cracked szechuan peppers which round out the nutty, spicy, rich meal.  It reminds me a lot of a Thai noodle dish: a bit sweet, bright, spicy, nutty, and of course, salty.  I discovered this spot thanks to my students' recommendation.  It's amazing how much my students were in tune with good quality food even though only a few of them could cook--maybe the US will get to that level some day.  That's not to say they didn't like snacks and junk food, but that comprised a small part of their diet instead of being a mainstay.

Shirunashi tan tan men

Karooshi (working yourself to death)

That's enough foodie fantasizing; the main inspiration for this post was an increasing recognition that I don't fit into this place--mostly culturally but sometimes physically.  There are a few things that, if I lived here long term,  I would never be able to accept.  The biggest thing is the work culture.  To be fair, after living in Australia, where I had the best life-work balance I've ever experienced, the US seems like a super-toxic working culture.  Yet compared to Japan, it seems like a paradise.  As foreigners and English teachers, we are largely insulated from the Japanese working culture but it is a reflection of a communal society that has had to haphazardly incorporate global capitalism.

In Japan, the whole comes before the individual and the individual's job is to prop up and help improve the society.  This attitude has been extended to working in for-profit companies and mean that complaining about things such as long hours, extra work, or unfair treatment is socially unacceptable.  Many companies expect around six months' notice when a worker wants to quit and they will even ask the departing employee to find an adequate replacement.  Employers have also been known to sit leaving employees down with management and try to convince them to stay until they give in or they manage to withstand many hours of such pressure.  And yet, Japanese labor laws are actually quite progressive; only one-week's notice is required by law.  However, societal pressure and expectation trump the law.

Nonchalantly making 64 okonomiyakis at once at a festival stand

Ojo-san (women, literally "someone else's daughter")

Another shocking discovery here was the level of gender inequality.  On some level, I was aware of how entrenched and well-defined gender roles were here because of my Japanese students in Australia.  That being said, it's astounding how if you ask a young Japanese person if they think there is gender equality in Japan, they will almost unanimously say yes.  There are exceptions, especially those who have spent a good deal of time abroad but it still surprises me that most are blind to how gendered their society is.

It is still largely unacceptable for a women to be unmarried and without children at age 30.  Most of my female university students say their aspiration is to become a housewife.  Take my student "Isa" (this is not her real name), for example.  She is brilliant, engaging, funny, questioning, open-minded, irreverent, and unafraid to make mistakes (a rare trait among Japanese students).  She has no qualms about speaking up or correcting her male counterparts or even the teacher if it's deemed necessary.  Personally, I don't think there is any way she would be fulfilled by becoming a housewife.  She would be an invaluable asset to many different organizations.

Some of my students

In almost any establishment I've been to, any women are subordinates and the bosses are men.  There are certainly more women in the workplace than ever before which gives women more freedom to choose to get married or not but there don't seem to be many options for upward mobility.  Men who are married to university-educated women have an advantage when being considered for getting a promotion, though--even if she is a housewife.  There is a lot more to why gender roles are so entrenched here than I know or can hope to cover but while the male-breadwinner and female-housewife roles are intact here, fewer and fewer Japanese are choosing to have kids or even get married.  Women here are supposed to be passive and they are often looked down upon if they act differently; it was very hard for me to learn of any professional ambitions from my female students which really disappointed me.

As with any place I've lived, it makes me appreciate how great of a country and family I come from.  It helps me see what the US lacks: efficiency, cooperation, infrastructure, and an ancient food tradition and culture to list a few but also what we have: creativity, spontaneity, multiculturalism, empathy for the individual, a questioning of the status quo.  Living in Japan has made me realize that the US is a young country with more flexibility to define what it is which gives me a lot of hope for the future.  Most of all, though, it's made me realize that I miss home; I look forward to being back on my home turf in just over three weeks!



-Paco

Intrigue in the Mundane

Before living abroad, I never stopped to consider how we understand unspoken social rules. For example, when you meet someone head-on, walking on the sidewalk, which way do you dodge to pass? Or how much personal space is appropriate in public situations? Which side of the escalator do you pass on?

For all the things I love about Japan (helpful people, fresh salmon, an in-the-closet obsession with flowers and plants, and more types of ramen than letters in the alphabet) there is one thing that makes me increasingly jaded and maybe judgemental: right-side-of-the-escalator-STANDERS (or LEFT-side-standers for you Osakans!). The escalator (エスカレーター in katakana, pronounced esu-ka-re-ta) is a common sight here as most train stations, shopping malls, and restaurants are multi-story, but for some infuriating reason, there are some people who still go through life, failing to notice that lines on the left stand, and lines on the right climb. Everyone in front of you is walking up the escalator, and everyone beside you is standing!!!! Don't you SEE there is a functional and useful social construct at play here!?!?! Of all the orderliness of this country, how can you miss this?!?!

Over the span of weeks now, I have timed my morning commute that includes one long and steep escalator in particular, the one that also (coincidentally?) has the most offenders. Research says that if I take the stairs, I miss my connecting train. If people are STANDING on the right side (and therefore both sides) of the escalator, I miss my connecting train. But if everyone cooperates, I can reach my connection in perfect timing. Therefore, if you are one of these people, prepare to be given the eye and mentally marked as "one of THOSE people" in my mental cache of other useless things I'll never actually use.

The good news is, the rest of my morning commute is...well, as I mentioned, orderly. I've read about Japanese train systems before, and I was aware before coming to Japan that trains here are world-renowned for their puncuality and reliability. I also read that Japanese people are not at all pushy, even when it comes to transportation. While this is all true, I am still amazed. Trains are indeed on time, to the exact minute, and the conductors and platform attendants make sure no one gets slammed in doors or left behind. Yet they still run on time. Wow. On even the most crowded days, where people's faces are almost literally up against the glass of the doors, everyone manages to fit just one more person on the car. There are days when I've come running down the stairs to see toes hanging over the edge of the traincar. I've often thought to myself - there is no way I'll fit in there, especially before the door closes. But I'll tell you, I've NEVER been refused space on the train. People flow and squish and always make room. Yes, you may end up being the one with your face up against the glass of the door, but you made it.

Another mundane task I've taken on recently is going to the dentist. I admit I haven't been for a cleaning in a couple of years due to lack of healthcare that covered dental checkups, so when I found out it's covered under my Japanese health care, I decided to take advantage. While I was unpleasantly surprised to find out I had a couple small cavities (not a usual thing for me!), it was an easy and painless fix, without needles, and done in under 30 minutes. I went back a week later for the cleaning and my first ever gum massage! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a gum massage is included to cap off your cleaning experience. Honestly, I'm having a hard time explaining the kind of weird and maybe invasive that it was, but I found it strangely relaxing and refreshing.

I was conversely pleasantly surprised at the checkout counter. For two visits that included two fillings and a cleaning (and the complimentary gum massage!) I paid around $45 USD. The cleaning itself was only $13! That might be worth it for just another gum massage!

Another bargain is my second-hand kimono! What beautiful stitching and only $50. I feel like a queen everytime I wear it (around the house only so far haha)! 

Another thing I've tried to take advantage of while I'm here is Japan's "throw away culture." There is actually somewhat of a taboo on second hand goods, maybe that they are dirty or that only lower class people need used things. Whatever the reason is, I really truly extra-specially hate the wastefulness of it all. It's almost as bad as oranges or limes individually wrapped in plastic at the grocery store or just-purchased reusable bags being put into a plastic carry bag at checkout. WHY is there so much environmental waste?!?!

So you're probably wondering why I say I am taking advantage then. Well, one man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure! I have had some amazing roadside (or bin-side) opportunities. I have found some delight in scavenging in the past, but last night was the luckiest yet.

First let's be clear of the nature of my collecting, as it is not traditional dumpster diving. In Japan, they don't really have dumpters. Apartment complexes have a sort of concrete gutter space with a net over it where people put color-coded trash bags out on collection days. I pass said collection site on my way to and from my apartment, so I am usually well aware of the day's inventory. This means that whenever good things are thrown away, I know about it.

On my walk home yesterday, an entire (clear) bag of kitchen appliances had been places at the curb, next to a perfectly good looking mini-apartment couch. Jackpot! We've needed a place to chill out besides our two metal chairs and loft bed, and kitchen appliances are among my favorite kind of finds. So, naturally, I drag it all into my apartment like a lioness bringing her neweset prize back to the den. The couch doesn't smell, and it still has the tag. Check, that's a keeper. Upon sorting the contents of the plastic bag, I come out with a (like-new and yes, functioning) rice cooker, electric kettle, iron (with steam function!), mini-ironing board, high powered ion hairdryer, and some batteries. But the greatest surprise lay at the bottom of the plastic bag treasure trove. In surprise, I pulled out not one, but two iPhones! Normally, I'd assume they didn't work, but my phone had just broken completely the week before, and I was desperate. This was Japan after all, and I HAD just pulled out several funtioning kitchen appliances....Yes, the iPhones, too, worked. The iPhone 6 barely had a scratch due to it's case, but I couldn't crack the passcode. The iPhone 5 had a cracked screen, but I was happy to see "Swipe to unlock" displayed (in Japanese of course) at the bottom of the home screen! WHAT LUCK.

The spoils! Yes, even the little couch thing and the plastic bins! 

Of course, it hasn't actually been that easy to USE the phones. Even after factory resetting the iPhone 6, it requires the Apple ID of the original user, as does the half-funtioning iPhone 5. I have contacted the owner (and maybe freaked him out a bit!) about the issue, and he seems to be willing to cooperate. Fingers crossed, these two iPhones will turn out to have a happy ending, saved from the landfill!

So, while my life may not be all the exotic endeavors you may think it is, adventures still find their way into the mundane when you are living abroad, trying to navigate a foreign country and culture.

(P.S. We will be taking an actual adventure soon as we travel to the northern island of Japan, Hokkaido, at the end of this semester. We are still in the planning process, but beware of foodie pics galore and nature nerd stories to come soon!)

しあわせ!

I've been in Japan for just over a month now, and life has been crazy busy for the better part of that month. On top of work and floundering my way through trying to learn Japanese, I've been trying to explore as much as possible. I've made friends with my coworkers, and Paco is finally here. Miyoko (friend and ex-student) is also back home here in Nagoya, so my social calendar has been busier than usual. And, of course, the travel destination list, the food-I-must-try list, and the foods-I-must-learn-to-make-perfectly-because-how-will-I-ever-survive-without-this-after-Japan list are all getting longer and longer by the second.

So let's start with the update on work before I get myself too deep into the tales of adventures. Work is...well...work. My job here couldn't be more different than my job in Australia. I've gone from multicultural, multilingual classrooms filled with students of all ages living in an English speaking country to a class of 18-year old Japanese girls that only use English in my 40-minute class (and that's a generous time estimate as some don't even feel the need to use English in English class ha!) Speaking of 40 minutes, I now live life in 40 minute increments, repeating the same lesson six times per day, whereas previously, I had one 3 hour class and one 2 hour class a day. This may be the most shocking difference actually. I often wonder how the students could possibly soak in anything in 40 minutes. We also don't teach grammar, which baffles me. How do they become independent users of English without any structural knowledge??!! Another big transition for me has been the lack of technology. I've gone from a workplace where there was an emphasis on technology (working TVs in every classroom, laptops for each teacher, WiFi throughout the building) to what feels like the Stone Age. I do have a TV in my room, but there is no way to actually use it, and there are two desktops to share between the four teachers in my department. This isn't actually a big deal though since no one is hogging the computer to make PowerPoints or elaborate online games because oh wait we teach in the Stone Ages where we don't have access to WiFi at work. I am so thankful that I do have two double-sided whiteboards instead of chalk though...Really, it's not all that bad. I enjoy working with my coworkers, and it's pretty easy work. My campus is nice, and the cafeteria serves some pretty tasty (and cheap!) bento lunch too!!!

Speaking of food...I cannot get enough Japanese food!!! There are so many intriguing restaurants to choose from, so many new ingredients to discover and experiment with in the kitchen, and so many dishes and varieties of those dishes to taste test. I'm like a soy sauce marinated slab of tofu, soaked to the max with thoughts of Japanese food. Nagoya gets a bad rap, gets bullied a little by the other cities, but the local foods here are quite delicious! Red miso (as opposed to white miso that is normally found in soups and sauces) transforms regular Japanese food into a Nagoyan specialty. Among these specialties are:

Tebasaki. Sweet soy and sesame glazed wings. 

Baby's-bottom-smooth grilled tofu with red miso glaze

Extra chewy Udon in red miso broth

Miso Katsu. Fried pork cutlet with red miso sauce.

I'm not so sure if I should admit that I'm becoming somewhat of a tebasaki connoisseur...BUT, my favorite specialty so far has got to be Hitsumabushi, grilled eel with that special Nagoyan sauce, served with all the fixings, like dashi, nori seaweed, clear eel broth, shredded green onions, freshly grated wasabi, and veggies pickled in sake. A bit on the expensive side but oh so worth it.

What a great meal and a great day. That's Miyoko on the right, and she graciously played tour guide for Paco and I last weekend. She tooks us around the famous Nagoya castle and it's neighboring park. Luckily, we went to the castle just in time...we were able to go inside the castle to the observation deck and museum on the last day before it closed for renovation. (Although, 'renovation' may not be the correct term because they're actually going to try to make it look older...!)

Touring Nagoya Castle

The view from the top of Nagoya Castle

Paco having a go at throwing Shuriken

Beautiful artwork on sliding doors

The Japanese really love their flowers and gardens!

 Besides the castle, I've visited three shrines, one at the beach, one of the most important in Japan (Atsuta Shrine), and one in our neighborhood we stumbled upon during am early morning run (yes, I must have lost my mind running in the morning). A coworker and I visited a cat cafe last weekend over the Golden Week holiday, and if you haven't seen my flicker albums of the (literally) breathtaking hike I went on and the wisteria festival I attended, here's the link to my Flickr feed.
Konan Wisteria Festival      https://flic.kr/s/aHsmgX7FJi
Hiking Mt. Kamagatake - Gozaisho Loop     https://flic.kr/s/aHsmizz5ru

Shrine at the beach!

Otherwise, life here in Japan is really good!しあわせ!  I've seen some interesting fashion going on lately, especially with my students, like loose, lace-up denim pants and jackets, layers upon layers of longsleeves even thought it's 75 degrees and there's not space enough for a even one more sesame seed on the train, and lace socks OVER pantyhose with platform sandals. My language abilities aren't progressing as fast as I'd like them to, but I can finally speak enough Japanese to scrape by. I'm still a bumbling gaijin, but I can actually order a particular thing at a restaurant now, even though chef's choice is still a preferred method. I can read the labels on some of the items in the super market, and my Japanese cooking skills are blossoming as a result. On occasion, I can understand what someone has said to me, and I might even be able to reply. I've managed the post office, the koban ("police box" for my lost - and found - wallet, yikes), and the municipal office in Japanese, so definitely an improvement from when I stepped off the plane! Best of all, Paco's here now, so my partner in crime has finally joined my rusty biker gang, ready at a moment's notice for the next adventure.

私のブログを読んでいただきありがとうございます。

A Cat on a Leash and Sideways Menus

Ah...So many new things, so little time. My time in Japan has been a mere four days, yet it feels like I've been here for however long it takes for me to feel like it's been ages but before so long that my Japanese abilities are any good. In fact, my Japanese abilities are literally laughable. 

Beautiful cherry blossoms at my hotel in Tokyo. 

After arriving in Tokyo and spending the night in a hotel that would be considered extraordinarily lavish compared to my new shoebox apartment, I departed for Nagoya aboard the Shinkansen (bullet train, 200mph) feeling highly optimistic and ready to take on the challenges I knew I would face, like reading labels at the grocery store or navigating the city or ordering food in a language in which I could barely count to ten. While I feel I did as well as I could preparing for these things, there is nothing like actually experiencing new things in a new culture. 

For example, there’s nothing quite like seeing a giant Maru look-a-like being walked on a leash, swarmed by tiny old ladies trying to get its attention cooing "Neko-chan!" (the Japanese equivalent to "Here, kitty, kitty." The cat obsession here is excellent by the way.)

There’s nothing quite like self-heating toilet seats on toilets that have more buttons than the TV remote and more features than my iPhone. Nothing quite like the distress one can feel only by imagining how those ladies who are wearing full length panty hose under their jeans feel.

And most importantly, there is nothing like realizing you are "reading" the vertical Japanese menu sideways...Haha! Yes, go ahead and laugh, I warned you!

The Donburi I managed to order after my menu faux pas! Yum!!!

Among these strange surprises, there have also been at least as many pleasurable surprises! My first night in Nagoya, I nearly gave up trying to find a menu with pictures. I was tired, hungry, and beyond frustrated. Instead of giving up, I stubbornly went into the next open restaurant I saw, pictures on the menu or not! Thankfully, I had made my Japanese language survival notes and brought them with me. I walked through the beaded curtains and then the glass front door to realize I was the only female standing in a pub full of 30-something raucous men in work suits. I had made a promise to myself and I was keeping it - this was the next open restaurant and I was going to order dang it! Naturally, there were no pictures on the menu, so I pulled out my handy-dandy notebook and managed to ask for the waiter's recommendation. All I understood was yakitori, which I actually knew, so I ordered it. Great success! Once the waiter found out I was a teacher, we exchanged Japanese words for English words, and I managed to order some “delicious vegetables.” This prompted a lot of head scratching and wild laughter from the waiter, chef, and polled audience about what was considered “delicious vegetables.” I assume this is what was happening anyway…who knows, I could have hilariously misspoken, but alas, delicious vegetables appeared a few minutes later. My first dinner out in a Japanese restaurant, and I left full and content from delicious food and laughter, even if it was at myself!

Overall, the people have been very nice to me when I’m trying to do anything in Japanese and struggling. Waiters have always made good recommendations (that’s my tried and true strategy now ha!), and no one has looked at me like I have three eyes when I’m stammering away, saying who knows what in my broken Japanese. And the things they have here are so clever! One of the other teachers mentioned that if you think of something you need in Japan, someone has already thought of it, created it, and made it easily accessible! A string handle to carry your plastic drawers, check. A bibb for when you’re eating ramen and the fresh handmade noodles splatter broth everywhere as you eat, check. Chair socks, check. Flip out coat hooks on the train, check. In Japan, all of your daily gadget worries are taken care of! (Except bike locks! I’ve seen hundreds of bikes and not a single lock being used! That level of trust is pretty amazing!)

Ramen Bibb!                                                                        Chair socks!

My brain is like scrambled eggs these days, between jetlag and the language barrier, but I’ve had some amazing food already, and I’m starting to acclimate. I’m hoping to join a pickup soccer team or yoga class or Japanese speaking lessons soon, and maybe next weekend I can manage to sleep late or go to the markets or attend a festival! I’m here only for a short time, so I’ve got to soak it all in!

We have campus orientation next week, Monday through Wednesday, and classes start on Thursday! I’m already nervous, but I’m looking forward to being back in the classroom! I’ll update again soon, but until then, さようなら(sayonara)!

Flowers on the plaza just outside campus.

It Starts With J....

When I tell people that I have been living abroad and therefore out of a suitcase for the last four years, I usually get a reaction along the lines of "Wow, I could never fit all my stuff into just a few suitcases like that!!" Well yes, it is stressful during the packing process, and my loved ones have seen how real the struggle is. During those times, I think to myself, "What could be more difficult than packing my whole life into two suitcases and a carry-on?!?!" While that is a rhetorical question, I do have an answer. Learning Japanese might be even more difficult.

Why am I learning Japanese, you might ask....Well, because....

WE ARE MOVING TO JAPAN!

(私たちは日本に移住しています!)

(Is that even right??)

(Hint: had to use a translator for that one...)

For those of you who know Paco and/or me, (which probably accounts for everyone reading this, let's be honest), we have been teaching English in Australia for the last 2 years. We absolutely loved our workplace, coworkers, students, and entire life there, but unfortunately, our visas expired in December. During our time teaching there, we got to know students (who often became friends) from literally all over the world. Brazil, Columbia, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were usually represented in every single classroom, while students from other countries were regularly mixed in. This means we are lucky enough to have friends wherever we go, and I am so excited to see our Japanese friends on their home turf. And given my superior lack of Japanese language skills, this is a relief. The teacher has officially become the student!

My awesome students sent me home with this signed Aussie flag 

that is proudly displayed above my favorite reading chair! <3

So you are probably wondering what we will be doing there. Well, I'll be eating ramen and sushi and okonomiyaki and takoyaki and seeing the cherry blossoms and.....Oh, you meant professionally? We are venturing into the university teaching world, I in accredited English and Paco in extracurricular English courses. Honestly, we don't know much about our placement yet, other than it's teaching university in Nagoya city, Aichi province. Our recruitment company has *thoroughly* vetted us (by that, I mean a two-month-long application process...), and we will hear more about our university placements in a few more weeks. Rumor has it, I'll be at an all-women's college in Chikusu ward, but that could change. We will be living in provided housing, and transportation and orientation is sorted for us, so really this should be less stressful than other moves. 

Except for me! I'll be moving April 2nd, but Paco won't join me until the end of April, so that means a month of navigating Japanese culture and language all on my own. Nothing like full-imersion to learn a language with three different alphabets! I'm already nervous about going to the grocery store for the first time...at least when I moved to Costa Rica, I could read the letters on the packages and understand the numbers on the cash register! Needless to say, Duolingo and I have quickly become BFFs. Ha! (Sidenote: shoutout to Miyoko and Saho for already being such patient friends and Japanese teachers!)

So, for now, I hope you enjoy following us on our journey in Japan, the country dubbed "the land of the rising sun," which is depicted on their flag. For now, it will be a one semester placement, but it is sure to be an action-packed one. 

Be on the lookout from co-blogger Paco as we receive updates about our placements! For now, さようなら(Sayōnara). (P.S. No translator needed for that one!)