Busy!

I realize I haven't updated the 'ole blog in a while. Trust me, it's not from lack of stories or pictures, but rather that I've become stupid busy. That's right, "stupid busy", It's right, I should know, I'm an English teacher.

However, I will post something sooner or later! See you for now.

Btw it's Summer Now.

I remember my first weeks in Japan. Our bedroom was the cozy recluse from the cold, boasting blankets and, foremost, a heater. I remember having to put on my coat to go downstairs at night just to use the washroom, and I remember my first experiences with Canadian stereotyping:

Me: "Boy it's cold today!"
Non-Canadian: "Woah, but aren't you from CANADA?" (i.e. the coldest place on earth where the people are immune to such things as "the cold")

And then we had spring, when there were comfortable temperatures and much rain. But not anymore.

Quite suddenly, it's summer now, and I'm wondering how I ever felt cold here. The heat is a blanket of stifling air and humidity, and once again our heater -- now an air conditioner -- is allowing only one room of our apartment to be comfortable.

This worries me.

I dealt with the cold, though it was frustrating at times, but heat is a strange new creature for me. To perpetuate stereotypes, I, as a person who has really never left Newfoundland, is not used to consistent 30 degree weather. This might end me. I remember the rare day in Newfoundland when the temperature would approach 30, and I would not leave the house for fear of heat stoke and sunburn. I can't imagine how Adam survived his first summer here without the air conditioner!

In any case, there are worse things. I may decide that I love the heat, who knows? I'm not complaining, I'm just... worried. I'll keep you posted :)

Why They Rioted. I have a... Theory.

-- And just a theory at that. But I think it's interesting enough to make public. I'll let it be known that I have no sources for the following, as I'm not making any concrete claims. It's just a theory. By no means do I boast knowledge or experience in the ways of social interaction (apart from that Social Anthro minor I did, but hey), but I can make educated opinions, and I know how to argue them, so here goes.

I propose that the recent Vancouver rioting over the loss of Vancouver's grasp of the Stanley Cup is an outburst of social frustration stemming from our... interesting... recent political -- well -- mess. For the past several years, Canada has been in a state of passive political turmoil in which each forced election brought us closer and closer to apathy and a sense of futility with regards to this so-called democracy. Now of course, I really can't speak for the nation, but taking a look at the nosedive the voting turnouts took has to show some sense of a collective (and, excuse me, Mom) "Fuck this!". Combined with political party members themselves fluctuating their opinions based predominately on the changing power dynamic (or so I've heard) it's easy to see why the country is apathetic, pissed off, and frustrated as hell.

Ah, but what is the one thing we can all agree on? What's the one thing Canada (in general, of course) has consistently come together and bonded over? -- Hockey! (And Tim Hortons' coffee, but we won't be bothered with that here!). And so, I bring you to present day when our political situation is no longer change-able for the next four years, people are generally annoyed with how things went and how things are, and, OH HEY! Vancouver might take the cup this year!

So, you might see where I'm going with this. After a string of political situations where no one is sure who to trust or depend on, no one wants to get up in arms over something they think is a struggle with futility -- after all this, something comes along that they-- we-- granted, I know it's not all of us-- think we can control. Everyone loves hockey! Canada loves it when Canada beats the U.S., and having done it many times before, why shouldn't we be able to do it this time, and shove a metaphorical hockey stick up the ass of an obvious symbol of conservative pressure (Oh, snap!)

To put it bluntly, I think Canadians rioted over a hockey game because they felt like it was finally their chance to do something about this bullshit. Now of course, I don't mean that if one was to ask one of the rioters why he/she set a car on fire, that they would give you a speech about how this was their chance to stick it to the government. Of course not. This particular riot was not politically charged (on the surface) and I'm sure once the mob mentality got going, no one knew why exactly they were doing anything apart from the fact that they were just pissed the hell off. I just think that tensions and anger grew until a large group of people had gotten damn sick of losing. Because, really, whether or not you're conservative-minded doesn't matter anymore. The recent awkward political struggle has made most of Canada frustrated (has it not?) and what better way to further that frustration than to take away our potential moments of happy National bonding?

By no means do I think the rioters were in the right here. I think rioting over a hockey game is petty and immature, and the guilty parties should be justly punished. But under the skin I had to ask myself... Is it just the hockey game? And I would hope you would ask yourself the same question.

Fish and Brewis in Japan

I've been feeling a bit homesick recently, so I decided to embark on a journey to find a way to make fish and brewis in Japan. This quest helped me do something new and fun, as well as re-connect with home, in a way, both of which toned down my feelings of longing.

For the non-Newfoundlanders who may or may not read this post, fish and brewis is an old Newfoundland meal consisting of salt cod and hard bread, both soaked overnight and then fried up in a big, delicious, lumpy mess. Trust me, it's much better than it sounds and looks, as long as you like fish.

My first step was making hard bread. Japan does actually have forms of hard bread, but it's not readily available, and I think it's often flavoured, like with green tea or strawberry, so It was much easier to make my own.

Tada! Hard bread: mix flour, water and salt, then bake until it approximates the consistency of a brick.

My next trick was to find cod. Originally, I thought cod was a rare fish to find here, so I went through the supermarket trying to find something that looked like cod. I picked up something labelled "madara (somethingsomething)" and hoped for the best. As it turns out, "madara" is the name for pacific cod! Go me, and my apparent cod-radar!

Finally, after mutilating the ingredients by soaking the hard bread in water, and rubbing an ocean's worth of salt on the fish, I was ready to turn it into a tasty brown mush.

Mmm, fish and brewis... . Scrunchions (fried fat back pork) and/or onion would have made this even better, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! It tasted like home, and that's one of the best things I can ask for when feeling homesick in the inaka (Japanese countryside).

The Reasons I Like Japan, 1

I've been told that when I'm feeling down in Japan, missing home, or feeling the culture shock, it's good to have a list of things I like about Japan to keep me going. I haven't actually made such a list yet, so I decided to make it here, and share it with the world! (Don't you feel special?).

Once I leave Japan, I know of many things I'll miss, just from the top of my head. Mochi, curry bread, and awesome dollar stores finds are all things I'll end up craving from time to time in Canada, but I think the things to remember about Japan that will remind that I love it here are the aspects that hit home a little deeper. So that this post isn't overly long, I'm going to break it up, and start with number 1.

1. Emphasis on Community. First and foremost, I love the atmosphere of friendliness and peacefulness. People here always think of the community before themselves, which is why such a large campaign has been set and continues to flourish for the recent earthquake victims (がんばろ日本 ！）And, to a lesser extent, is why the streets are never full of litter and why ad campaigns are full of "let's be friends!"-esque slogans instead of the more "buy this or you'll be sorry you didn't" feel I get from North American advertising.

2. Politeness and Respect. Granted, this point has it's ups and downs. On one hand, it feels great to walk into a convenience store and be treated with the same politeness as in a high-end mall, to have everyone welcome you and look you in the eye with a smile even if it's clear that they're run off their feet. However, I believe that this level of politeness creates distance and even social barriers that I won't get into here. Despite this, I've personally come to like the fact that I'm treated like a respectful person even when I know I look like a crazy foreigner.

That's it for now!

Earthquake

The internet, news media and personal experiences have made sure the world knows about Japan's recent earthquake. Pictures and video of the worst of the worst are ubiquitous. The inherent adrenaline boost from these images and ideas makes everything exciting -- even if it's in that gut-wrenching way that makes you feel pity, or a fear for others.

However, at the end of the day, you keep coming back to the same thoughts: "I'm SO lucky to be living here and not there" or "Thank god we decided not to travel!"

I've seen it before; there have been quite a few natural disasters in the last few years that I know only through external media. Hurricane Igor would be one exception, but even after experiencing Igor, I only saw the worst of the worst when it was all over and the news got hold of the most adrenaline-boosting images.

Thankfully, this hasn't changed for me. I am lucky to be living here, and it is a good thing that we decided not to travel this week. However, the situation has changed. Because I live in Japan now, all my friends and family worry that I might fall into the earth, or get swept out to sea. Because I live in Japan, I worry myself that some day, a ground-breaking earthquake might not spare me or the people here that I care about. Given my circumstances, my sigh of relief this time was much more pronounced than anything I sighed about at home.

But being that I live where I live, experience what I experience, and know who I know, I think my worrying should be pushed to the back. I still wouldn't give up this experience for anything, and I still love Japan for all it's quirkiness and awesome ingenuity, and emphasis on peace. Moving here is still one of the best decisions I've made, and I don't expect that to change for better or for worse.

For now, people much further north than us need thoughts, prayers (and, *ahem* money) much more right now.

Just gonna leave this here for info, interest, and just in case you feel like donating.

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003

Different Country, Different Purse Contents

Now that I've been in Japan for about a month, my general lifestyle has changed in many ways, as was expected. However, one thing in particular I found (and still find) interesting is just how much the contents of my purse has changed. My purse directly reflects my day-to-day life! Since I've been in Japan, many things have found their way into my purse that I would have no use for at home, and several things have come out because I simply don't need them anymore. So, I'd like to share a sneek-peek at (my) Japanese purse.

1. My Wallet. I should first note that the wallet I'm using is the same wallet I used at home, but here I use it differently. My wallet now functions as a coin purse as well as a tissue holder, (as well as a regular wallet) where at home, it did not. If I had a different kind of wallet, or no wallet at all, both a Japanese-style coin purse and a fabric tissue holder would also be in my bag. The coin purse is necessary because it needs to hold the huge amount of coin one inevitably ends up with in a cash-prominent society, and the tissue holder, of course, holds tissue, which I use to clear my sinuses thanks to the constant cold. For some reason, my nose can't handle being taken from a warm room into a cold room several times a day.

2. Facecloth. "Why, Sarah!" One may ask, "Why do you have a facecloth in your purse?" At first, I thought, if I have tissues, why would I also need one of these little cloths as well? As it turns out, most Japanese public toilets do not have paper towels for drying your hands, and few have electric hand dryers. Also, at most shrines, the purification ritual involves washing one's hands. This towel becomes very useful any time I'm out doing anything.

3. Slippers. I originally bought these black fold-able slippers at home, to use as back-up footwear when wearing heels. Here, they have another purpose. Japanese homes require one to wear slippers most of the time. Not only do they make one's feet warm, but it's just polite to wear them as well, especially if one is not wearing socks. Generally, many Japanese homeowners would have a couple of pairs of guest-slippers kicking around, but I like to carry these just in case.

4. Travel Chopsticks. This one might seem obvious, (oh, she's in Japan, she needs to have chopsticks!) however, these have not been particularly useful to me yet. If I usually ate lunch in an office, then they would be more useful, but as it is, when one buys a pre-made lunch, be it at a supermarket or a restaurant, disposable chopsticks come with the food regardless. I might try cutting down on the wastage by simply asking for the chopsticks to be left out in the future so I can use my own.

Apart from those things, my purse hasn't changed too much more. A couple of things I used to keep in my purse at home that I don't keep now include a bulky make-up bag, a smaller wallet that contained important cards, and off and on, I would even carry around an extra shirt or pair of socks. Here, for various reasons, I've found that I just don't need these things like I did at home.

It's amazing the things that will surprise you when you move to a different country. I would never have thought that my purse contents would change so much, but it's been fun picking out new things to carry around!

Why I Fail at Airports

So! I've finally gotten to Japan, after much paperwork, begging for references, and money, and so far, Japan itself is amazing.

However, before setting off on my exciting journey, one of my bigger worries was what to actually do in an airport so that I get where I need to be on time, and without pissing off a security guard and getting myself arrested. Now, up to this point in my life, I've been on a plane exactly once. It was with a large school group, governed by many teachers and volunteers who made sure we all got where we needed to be. It was much like following a line of penguins.

Since I've grown up a little, and airport security has become much more intense due to bomb threats and terrorism and the like, my perception of airports has been molded by the horror stories I've heard. Between stories of tazeings (taserings?), irrational arresets, and guards who would sooner shoot you than look at you, I imagined airports to be full of scary men and scary machines ready to take you down if you sneezed.

Granted, I knew I was being irrational, and everyone's reassurance helped me believe that I was, in fact, being stupid. "It's eeeeasssy... you'll be fiiiine". What these well-meaning people didn't take into consideration is that I am a person who is easily flustered, and that all I've ever known of airports is St. John's International, a very, very small airport when compared to where I was going.

The first leg was easy enough. St. John's International, with its very few gates, is impossible to get lost in. Pair that with the fact that most of my family were there to see me off and helped to show me where to go and what to do, I was lulled into a false sense of confidence. The flight from St. John's to Toronto was easy and I thought that by now, I had mastered airports.

Pearson International was a much different story. I followed everyone off the plane, and I met confusion. Some people turned left, some right, some sat down at the Tim Hortons across from me. I had another flight to Narita, Japan in a couple of hours, and I had no idea if I was supposed to get my luggage before that flight or not, and I had no clue how to even get to the gate where I was supposed to be to meet Adam, so we could go off to Japan together. After a couple of minutes of deliberating, I decided to figure out what happened to my luggage, so I went to try to claim it. I followed the signs, and finally found the conveyor belt luggage thing that coincided with my flight. Since I saw other people from my flight from St. John's picking up their luggage, I assumed that mine would have to be there as well.

I watched that conveyor belt many minutes. I did not see my luggage. Not having dealt with this kind of thing before, I only now began to think that it may be going on to Japan without my receiving it in T.O. A brief discussion with a man behind the desk confirmed this suspicion of mine. He simply looked at the back of my plane ticket, and told me I'd see my luggage in Japan. I felt stupid. Was I supposed to have known this? Why didn't anyone tell me?

I then moved on to try to go back where I came, so I could figure out where I was going. Another brief discussion with a guard pointed me in the direction of an international flights section of the airport. Once I found my way there, I began to realize just how big Pearson is. There are a bajillion gates, and I didn't know where the hell I was supposed to be. The fact that the gate number wasn't printed on my ticket didn't help. I wandered around the section for a good while trying to see if Adam was around, and after a while I began to panic a little. The only place that seemed like it was the place I was supposed to be was beyond another security gate.

Now, somewhere within my discussions of what to do at airports with people at home, I had heard that you're only supposed to go through security once, at one airport, and you won't have to do it again once you've done it the one time. I assumed that since I went through security at St. John's, I wouldn't go through security at Pearson. However, through the security gate was the only place I hadn't looked.

I finally plucked up the courage to ask one of the scary security guards what was going on, and he was severely unhelpful. This was the gist of the conversation:

Me: "I'mreallylostIdon'tknowwhattodo,I'msupposedtomeetsomeone... Help?" (Like I said, I get flustered easily. My obvious panicked state did not help me, I'm sure.)

Guard: "OOkay, let me see your ticket there... whelp, you're at gate (whatever) but your plane doesn't leave, for, like, a long time, so you should come back."

Me: "Um, well, if the gate is past there, I should really go, I'm supposed to meet someone..."

Guard: "Yeah, well the flight doesn't leave, for, like, an hour, so you can meet them later..."

Me: "I'm supposed to meet him soon, and I haven't seen him yet..."

Guard: "Ohhh, you haven't seen him eh? Tell me what he looks like, maybe I know him!!"

I was not impressed. To give the guard a sliver of credit, if I had been working his shift and a flustered girl came up to me who didn't "get" the easiness of airports, I'd want to make fun of her too. But that doesn't take away the fact that he was being a massive douchebag.

He eventually let me through, and I walked until I thought I was lost again, but I finally found Adam. Now that I'd found company who has done the airport thing a few times, I figured I was safe. Another false sense of confidence.

The trip to Japan was incredibly long. I knew going into this that a thirteen hour flight would probably feel like a million years, so I came prepared with a DS and books. However, by the end of the flight -- no, who am I kidding, by about 6 hours into the flight, that plane was the only life I had ever known.

Once we landed, I realized that Narita is another massive airport, and I worried that I wouldn't know where to go again. Thankfully, this airport was much more streamlined. I got off the plane, followed a flow of people, then signs showed me where to go next. Unfortunately, because our visas are different, Adam and I had to split up briefly. I went to one line-up, and he went to a different line-up, decently far away.

I made my way to the front of my line, and eventually found myself in front of a young-looking Japanese man who looked as if working this job made him want to kick puppies and/or stab out his eyes. The conversation that ensued was just as frustrating as the conversation I had with the guard at Pearson.

Japanese Dude: " (japanesejapanesejapanese) "

Me: ? " Wa-kar-i-"

Dude: "Do you speak Japanese?!"

Me: "Uh, no, not really."

Dude: (eye roll) " Heh heh, oookay..."

This reaction was not comforting. Yes, I came to a country where I do not speak the native language. Believe it or not, this happens quite frequently, and does not mean I'll end up dying alone in a Japanese ditch somewhere because of it... I hope.

The rest of the conversation just went downhill from there. I was flustered now, and the dude asked me the address of where I was going to be staying because I didn't have it written on the little card I was supposed to hand him. I, of course, did not know the address offhand, but Adam did, and he was in a different lineup. The dude rolled his eyes again, and kept muttering in Japanese while he did something on his computer, then he finally let me go through.

Now, I understand that to one who's traveled frequently, or who works at an airport, the whole process is stupid-proof, and a hamster could figure it out. And, granted, my problems were very minimal and things worked out pretty quickly. However, I stand by my statement that airports and I do not get along, whether it's because of my flustered stupidity or because I'm pro at picking out people who are having bad days. All I can say is that I did not like the experience, airports are dumb, and the people who work there are asses. Maybe next time will be better? We'll see.