Snow! In Tokyo. Amazing. It's created a landscape both beautiful and peaceful -- words I would never have thought to couple when describing anything about this hectic city. Two days ago there was a wet and sloppy snowfall/downpour that dripped heavily from the trees and buildings all night. Even better -- today we already have at least two or three densely falling light and fluffy inches with no sign of letting up. I've never appreciated snow so much, somehow, watching it wreathe the factory across the street with an almost pleasant aura.



Happy New Year!
Elizabeth

I finally finished my 10 day work stint. Never again. I managed eight days with an unforced smile, and that took me straight through black russains in the staff room and an impulsive James-Brown-sings-Christmas-carols* Voice room discussion on the 25th. Post-Christmas, however, the veneer was cracked and I lost my will to be a good NOVA representative. Most of my fellow staffers are long gone to their respective English-speaking corners of the world, so it's been just me and a few die hards, plus some help teachers (teachers from other schools) teaching mostly full classes and splitting work between 3 that should be shared by at least 5 or 6. I teach eight lessons a day, which means that by yesterday evening I was on my 80th lesson in ten days. Mind-numbing, I tell you. Lesson quality deteriorated rapidly between the hours of 1:20 and 9:00 pm, but spirits were high as I had lots of fun students and was sleepily giddy for most of my lessons.

After work I had my first hands on experience of the Japanese singing sensation Karaoke. Hilarious. It's funny -- here there's no mincing of words. My staff decided we should have a "drinking party," to celebrate "Happy End This Year," so those of us who were around (three Japanese staffers, three German teachers, three English teachers and one wife) embraced said non-euphemized drinking and had quite the evening. The Germans dominated the Karaoke entertainment in the best way possible. Highlights included a few amazing Frank Sinatra impressions, and a fabulous rendition of some foreign 70's metal tune (in German), which had us all peeing our pants with glee. Karaoke here is done without shoes in private rooms where the tables are sunken into the floor and the price is a package all-you-can-eat-all-you-can-drink deal. Fun, yes.

On a sobering note, a moment of silence for that awful Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Holy crap.

And, lastly, did anybody else get Buns of Steel for Christmas? I know I did, and I appreciate it, but this is one frightening glute. Yikes.

Take care and Happy End This Year,
Elizabeth

*Yes, I really bought a CD with James Brown's disembodied head floating in the middle of a wreath. And yes, it does have a song entitled Santa Claus go Straight to the Ghetto.

My world expands and contracts with each breath and with every hour. It's very weird. Being in the gaijin bubble of Tokyo is an interesting experience. So, some days I get excited about the smallest things, and other days I feel above everything.

That said, the other day I become completely extatic upon discovering that one of the French teachers at my school is fully tapped into the wonders of ZOOLANDER. He even has a tight black shirt with Zoolander written across the front (or so he claims, anyway. I haven't seen it. But who would make that up?). I didn't know French people could be so cool. I did know, however, that the way they say "Elizabeth" is completely endearing (even if they are not so endearing in other respects). Next time you come across a citizen of France or Quebec, ask them to say it. A small smile will cross your lips and you will feel happy for at least 17 seconds.

Happy Emperor's Birthday. And Christmas! I taught in Kunitachi today and was wooed by a musical ensemble of adults playing Beatles covers outside the local Starbucks. It was very festive, really.

Apologies for the neglect, but there has been little but same-old to report. The weather is stunningly non-wintry, the hills of Takao are luminous in the slanting solstice sunlight, and I've already packed off one smiling roommate to Thailand after quasi-celebrating quasi-Christmas at a newly discovered and pretty awesome restaurant in Takao. Our pitiful reliance on its one English speaking staffer, however, was a slap in our Japaneseless mouths. Owch. So I have been spurred into action and am currently (right right now) trying to find a language exchange partner. Wish me luck.

Things here in this bustling metropolis will be interesting over break. Yikes. Travel time! Still trying to decide what to do . . . I don't imagine anyone ever got anything done by endlessly pondering options, but I'm hoping that maybe that's the case.

Enjoy for a funny and accurate account of the good old Tokyo subway system. The picture on this site features a car that looks exactly like the ones on the Chuo line (the one I ride each day). Telltale turqoise seats would seal the deal, but I can't see any. Kudos to this soul for so accurately expressing the joys of riding the subway Tokyo-style. Reading brings to mind a funny subway story. Yesterday I was crammed in on the Special Rapid so tightly that my left arm was pinned to my side. Directly in front of me was a businessman diligently reading a book with his left arm similarly pinned. Each time he got to the end of a page he would try to turn to the next using a combination of his chin, shoulder and thumb. I finally grew frustrated with this routine, so the next time he came to the end of a page I reached over and turned it for him with my free right hand. My fleeting satisfaction was ended by the oppressive ackwardness that ensued. Awesome.

Merry Christmas,
Heart,
Eliz

Just recently, Chet sent me an email inquiring about the Japanese social taboo of blowing one’s nose in public. Yes, Chet, it truly is frowned upon. That and sticking one’s chopsticks vertically into rice (a funeral ritual of sorts, apparently) are some of the most clearly stated faux paus here. Instead of blowing, there’s a lot of dabbing, wiping, picking and sniffing. Funny, isn’t it, that these actions are considered more socially acceptable than a nice trumpeting, satisfying expellation of snot (just try to click on East Asia)? Oh Japan, you and your cultural anomalies never cease to amaze.

Other than the tacit continuation of 11/15's Death to Chivalry, things have been good. I won’t let these unpleasantries skew my whole experience, but I they do bother me sometimes. Yarr.

I finally hung out with some guys from work, which was a lot of fun, minus the evening's aftereffects. There was a gathering at “the HUB,” an English-style pub in Kichi, where I ordered a house beer upon enterting. A few minutes later a coworker commented, “Notre Dame, eh? Be glad you didn’t order a bigger beer . . the stuff here gives you the runs.” Thanks, Ken. I promptly switched to G&T’s, but even my single pithy pint had an effect. Ew.

LASTLY, I had the funniest student in voice the other day -- an old man who had a thousand questions about Michigan and the USA (I am getting really good at drawing freehand maps of the midwest). He told me that the Sapporo beer brewery (Sapporo is standard Japanese house beer) is on the same latitude as Milwaukee, WI, thereby making 43.05 and 43.04 degrees North, respectively, some sort of a Zion or Mecca or whatever for beer production. In Michigan-speak, then, I guess that makes Flint the next hot spot for all those home-brewing pilgrims out there. Check it out!

I went crazy yesterday (since payday is coming up) and stayed in Takao like woah. It was actually an awesome day of painting my tonails, mopping the floors, cleaning the toilet (ventilation in our apt. is tricky to come by, so things get dusty and moldy quickly. Ew, yes), and enjoying the view of the bowling alley across from our front balcony.

The best part of the day, though, was a four-item trip to the 100 yen store that yielded a Christmas tree and three strands of lights. Christmas bargain! The tree, while maybe 35 centimeters tall on a good day, actually warms up our living/dining/kitchen area quite nicely. The lights are shaped like stars, and though they are likely fire hazards (much like our windpants-melting space heater), they should hopefully keep us cheered at least until the 25th, at which point they will probably combust and take the tree with them. But until that sordid day, it’s amazing what a few well spent yen can do for the mood.

Additionally, I used one strand of lights in my room to take some of the edge off the halogen lighting that has been burning my brains for the past months. My housemates immediately began to covet my soothing new setup. Well done, Eliz.

Wednesday I had my first NOVA training session in Shinjuku and met Krista and her friend Jee (who I’d met once before) at a 300 coin bar in Shibuya. We ended up NomiHodai-ing and met some fun University students who kept us entertained and taught us some clutch Japanese phrases. Additionally, Jee showed me a fun place in Kichijoji on the way home where we ate something called “idaho pizza” -- I think its toppings included potato chunks and mayonnaise. Having never been to Idaho, I'm not sure if this is an accurate representation of the state. Hmm. Also, the staff were all wearing santa outfits. Tis the season!

*Courtesy of MicVat, read and laugh. Ha. Well, if you're going to make a statement, I suppose, might as well go all the way, eh? But still . . . yikes!

What time is it in Japan? FUNTIME!>

A haiku:

icy folding chairs
solely. bar infinite love
'twixt us, Corega

Other news is that the weather is super bipolar here. Sunday's temperatures soared to 25 degrees (the rest of the world uses centigrade) which was absolutely baffling. Even moreso was that everybody still pretended it was winter and wore coats and hats and scarves and mufflers, whatever mufflers are. It was like we were all doing a fashion shoot for Gap's December Campaign in July.

Wednesday night brought clubbing in Rappongi. I had a good, but not a great, time. Rappongi is a place for people enjoy being propositioned by foreigners and locals alike, and clubbing is for people who like clubbing, I guess. Needless to say, I'd much rather be shakin' the proverbial thang to Hey Ya than to trance. Unless, of course, I'm wearing a tinfoil skirt*, in which case anything goes. Regardless of the sometime unpleasantries of clubbing, the train ride home provided mid-morning views of snowyMt. Fuji, which was a nice suprise.

Christmas break is proving more and more of a daunting hurdle, as my plans are nil. New Year's in Tokyo might be interesting, but only with the right folks around. We'll see, we'll see. There will be a lot to do here, but getting out and doing will be the task. Ohhh, Takao.

No other news, I'm just tired. Today was a good day of work, but two coworkers called in sick which meant I worked the last 4 hrs (of Saturday night, mind you) alone, which made for a dull evening.

So it goes, Happy December for those who miss my thinkpad as much as I do.

*Mind you, this guy's tinfoil skirt is NOTHING like my getup from Techno 2002. He is clearly an engineering dork of sorts, as evidenced by the jean-shorts-and-sneaker clad gentleman in the background. Also, he could use some tips as to the clever employment of duct tape.