Dog Pooh

I'm really enjoying my weekly sessions with one of my English teachers. Each week we do a language exchange where she helps me with reading Japanese and I help her with translating Japanese into English. It's amazing how the later is so much easier for me. During these sessions I'm getting to know her better and I'm also learning a lot about her sense of humor.

This week I had her laughing left and right. I mistakedly mistook a dogs bark (ワンwan) for its poop　(フン hun). She couldn't stop laughing. When she finally told me why, I completly understood. :)

Languages are so much fun I tell ya! ;)

An Unexpected Surprise

Whoa, was I pleasantly shocked last night. When the school I only go to but once a week told me that their kendo teacher (who I had never met) wanted to hold a celebration party for me passing the kendo test, I was a bit taken aback but thought nothing much of it other than ...wow that's a nice gesture (long sentence, I know- sorry! ;) ). But, when I got there last night, it was a whole lot bigger affair than I expected. Not only was the head couch of the Kendo team there, but the other teacher that took the Kendo test (which would be expected since we're at the same school), the head of the Admin department, an English teacher, the next teacher in line for Kyoto (Vice Principal) status, and the Principal! The Kyoto Sensei (Vice Principal) was supposed to come out but something came up I hear. I was so shocked and glad I had gone straight from work so that I felt appropiately dressed. As people seemed dressed for the occasion. Whoa!

The food was soooooooo good. It was at one of those Italian restaurants on the main street in the town bit town closest to me. Man was it good! And they ordered so much food too!!!!! I couldn't help tasting everything. I felt so honored though that they went through all that trouble just for my test. I didn't even think it was that big of a deal, but apparently it is. And I hear they're planning another one for the next test I take (shodan) in Feburary.

unbelievable eh?

I Love Getting Lost- NOT!!!!

Okay, so last wednesday after hitting the gym, I was trying to find a better route to get to my kendo class without being stuck in traffic.

End result? DISASTER! I ended up driving around for over an hour stuck in the dark in the middle of rice patties. Let me tell ya, it wasn't fun. And sometimes, it was even a little dangerous as the roads around patty fields are narrow and elevated. Lending backing up to become a dangerous manuever.

Anyway, I ended being like 30 minutes late for practice. So what did my logical brain propose? A treat to this really good salad I love from Denny's (a totally different set of menu from the States by the way)!!!!!!!! Anyway, as I drove by I thought, "hold up, you want to treat yourself for getting lost and then missing out on practice?" That's a bit backwards now, isn't it?

So, I wisened up and just drove past Denny's. Treating myself for missing practice just didn't seem kosher.

"Evacuation Training": Language Barriers can Kill!

Okay so it's 11:30 am and I'm told in a few minutes we'll have an "evacuation training." When told this I thought cool and told the messenger to just let me know where it's going to be. He replied, "I don't know." Boy I wish I could get him for that one.

Given that he said "evacuation trainig," I thought okay it's probably going to be some lecture on the route that should be taken and what explanation to give to the kids. I had no idea that his "evacuation training" was a translation for something else. Boy was I surprised at what was coming. Not only was it actually a fire drill, but it was a full fledged one. Therefore, when I finally arrived at the location of the "evacuation training" I realized that it would be OUTSIDE!!! I was so unprepared for that. I only had my suit jacket on and I suffered mesierably as they went on and on with the demonstrations. They started off with an opening ceremony (as they always do). Then a sliding off the side of the building demonstration (a bit surreal if you ask me, it resembles what you see on planes, but it actually happened in real life). And then the extinguishing of controlled fire (SEVERAL times, too many times if you ask me). By the end of it all I stopped being amused by the differences in the fire drills between the States and Japan and started thinking about the quickest route back to the teacher's room.

Now I'm sitting in front of the computer with full fledged winter gear on. Everything from the coat to the gloves. I must look ridiculous....

Gettin Ikkyu

Today, I had the Kendo exam for ikkyu. The first title in Kendo (at least in Japan). In the States. I think you can get Nikyu (it goes down to one (ikkyu) in one counting system and then goes up to eight (hati-dan) in another ).

It's amazing how it's taken me this long to take the exam. But you know what? I'm happy that I took it here in Japan rather than the States. It was such a wonderful experience. With the practice I've had in the States I was a little assured of my performance. Yet, when the time came, I think I got a bit nervous. I felt a load of pressure because, of course, I was the only foreigner there and I felt like I was on show. So, for all foreigner's sake as well as that of my Sensei's, I had to do my best or else. ;)

In the end, it turned out well and I'm even pleased with my form which I got see on video soon afterwards. The first time I ever saw myself on video playing Kendo, I thought, boy do I need to work on my form. This time I liked what I saw, so all in all, I'm very happy with the experience.

Although, right after the closing ceremony for the exam was over, Laura and I went to the gym for an hour or so. I thought I would be fine, but after not eating all day and then the extra exercise, my body gave up on me. Now I feel pain all over as if I were coming down with a fever. It's no fun I tell ya. :(