So yesterday after work, I went to pick Jin up from the airport. I wasn't exactly sure when he was getting in but I'd brought my book just in case. Well, as it turns out, I wasn't there 3 minutes when he stepped through the gate weighed down with twice as much luggage as when he'd left. (Good thing I'd taken the subway!) As it turns out, about 99% of the luggage was food. There was dried laver, kimchi, kongnamul, baechu kimchi and some ginseng candy. Some of the laver was for souveniers but the rest was all from Jin's mother. According to him, she had loaded him up just before he left saying, 'This one's for you, this one's for Kelly,' for everything. Apparently, he had mentioned my recent experimentation with Korean cooking and his mother was really surprised and happy. I can not believe how much delicious food there was...and how heavy it was on my way home. I couldn't fit everything in my backpack so it will end up taking 2-3 trips but tonight I made some Kimchi macaroni and cheese...the kimchi was great but my macaroni and cheese skills are still lacking. Tomorrow I'm thinking some kimchi soup sounds good.
I have met his mother and sister just twice now. Naturally, the first time I met them I was really, really nervous that they wouldn't like me but was so surprised at the way I was recieved. Even though I didn't speak any Korean, we managed to get along pretty well. After I returned to Japan, they even sent me some Korean text books to help me learn. This time too, his sister sent me a couple of Korean kids' books to read. I can't get over how nice his family is to me. I've been working at my Korean (especially in preparation for my next visit. I can't very well show up not knowing anything after they went through the trouble to help me learn) Anyways, I have to say, I'm not doing too badly-although, I find it difficult to practice because even when I am around Korean friends we are so accustomed to only speaking English or Japanese. Also, everyone makes such a fuss when I say even the simplest things that I get too self-conscious. I suppose I'll get over it. It's funny though, I don't remember having this problem when I started learning Japanese.
This is the message I saw when I opened my email inbox this morning. Everyday I get an average of 5-6 junk mail messages. Some of them are from airline companies (I actually signed up for these over a year ago and am just too lazy to unsubscribe, so I can't complain there.) Some of them are advertisements telling me how to 'Enlarge your penis safely!' Then there all the junk mails I get from this 'joke' site my mother likes to send me things from. Everytime I try to stop them from coming, I get another one. This one actually did a good job of grabbing my attention, though, and I had to restrain myself from clicking on it to find out what 'it' is and how I can say it with poop. I was curious but I was afraid that if I clicked on this one web site, I would be labled a poop-looker throughout the internet and soon my mailbox would be clogged with poop jokes, stories, advice, etc. I just don't need that. I admit, maybe 10 years ago I may have jumped at the chance. Even now, I enjoy a good poop joke here and there but I draw the line at subscribing to any kind of poop website.
OK, I think that I have surpassed this year's quota for saying the word 'poop'. Wait...
poop, poop, poopy, poop, poop
OK, now I'm through. I fear that after this blog, I may lose half of my 4 regular viewers.
Well, today I had a nice, peaceful, restful, boring day. Lately, I rarely have the opportunity to take a whole day and do nothing with it...now I remember why. Even though I look foreward to these days, I HATE spending the entire day inside, not doing anything worthwhile. At the end of the day, I need to feel as though I've accomplished something- anything,no matter how small or trivial. Well, today I rolled out of bed around 12:30. It was raining so I watched a little TV and read a book. I've just started an interesting yet gruesome book about Japanese biological warfare and experimentation durning World War II called Unit 731 Testimony. It is hard to believe some of the things that happened (I won't post them here out of consideration for the squeemish, but if you don't know the story, I recommend checking it out.) I am only a little ways into the book but it has been really making me think about war, the consequences and ethics, etc. Especially with the current situation in America. (I won't get into that here though, I'm sure my opinions are far to naive to be pasting them all over the internet.)
Anyways, my parents called me today, too. According to my mother, "I had some minutes to waste on this phone card so I thought I'd give you a call." It warms the heart. But really, there wasn't much to say. Besides the fact that none of us have terribly exciting lives, I hate talking on the telephone. It was nice talking to them but I don't think she even got to use up all of her minutes before we ran out of things to talk about.
I decided to that I need to get serious about my application to graduate school. I have always been a procrastinator and work best under pressure but this time, I really feel that I should get it in just so I can stop thinking about it. In the past, anytime I have applied to a program like this I have sent the application in at the last minute, never even giving it too much effort. I always figured that if I was accepted, I was accepted. If not, no big deal. Even the first time I came to Japan, I had mixed feelings. Did I really want to come here or was I being silly? Whatever was decided, it would have been ok with me since I really didn't have any feelings either way. (although, I did want to study abroad, it's just that Japan was not my first choice.) The second time I came to Japan, I wanted to come but if I wasn't accepted, I could have easily gone on with my life. This time, for some reason, things are different. I find that I really want this opportunity and, to be honest, that scares me. I have always been pretty easygoing. Even if plans don't work out the way I want, I get over it pretty quickly and, in most cases, I end up thinking that the alternate route was better than the original. I have come to realize this so I tend not to worry too much about things. For instance, this last time I came to Japan, I had no worries. I figured things would work out one way or another, if by some chance they didn't, I'd just ended up back at home a month or so later after an experience, no worse for wear. This time I cannot stop imagining myself in grad. school, in Sweden, learning something that I am really interested in. I wrote my resume for the application today and it took the better part of the day. I tried to start on the 'Motivation Essay' but nothing would come to me. Well, actually, too much came to me that I couldn't organize my thoughts and put them on paper. Everytime I wrote something, I tired to imagine my interviewer reading it and saying, "What an idiot!" I have managed to sqeeze out a paragraph (most of which I'm sure I will delete the next time I read it). The application isn't due for 2 months but I think that if I don't get it in soon, I may go crazy thinking about it. After I get it in things are out of my hands so I will feel much better...I hope.
Anyways, as a nice end to the day, I got to talk to some of my long-lost friends on the computer tonight. Vincent, Mieke, Hideo, and Atsu. Though it was nice talking to them, I sure wish they were all here so we could head out to the club (Club Yonkkai) Good times....
O.K. As those of you who have been to this site more than once may have noticed, the title has been changed once again. While, to be fair, it was done in response to my previous comments, I don't know how much better 'Smelly Kelly, likes cherry pies, rolls her eyes, then she cries' is than 'Keldog in the house.' I am still not completely satisfied. Call me hard to please.
In any case, I've decided to ask for your help to name my site. Feel free to make as many suggestions as you'd like and I'll choose the winner (although, I suspect that my brother will also have a hand in the matter). What's in it for you? Well, you will get your name posted on my web site for all to see and you will have the honor of knowing that I liked your idea and creativeness. Give it your best shot!
Well, I havn't written anything for a long while because nothing much has happened. I've actually been doing a pretty good job of keeping up the jogging...when I say 'pretty good job' I mean that I've done it more than twice in the past week. I would have run again tonight but I've been feeling a little under the weather.
Today was a holiday for me. I don't have any idea why, but I decided not to ask questions in case my boss decided to take it back--something he would be very likely to do. It wasn't the relaxing, refreshing break I was hoping for. I ended up riding my bicycle all over Fukuoka. First to Jin's to take him to the airport. He is headed back to Korea for a couple days to attend his best friend's wedding. I found myself really jealous and I'm not sure why. Was it because he gets to go on a mini-vacation to a different country? Was it because I would have liked to have been able to go, too, and been able to eat all the delicious food and have the experience of attending a Korean wedding? Was it because he doesn't have to go to work/school for a few days? Or, maybe it was because I wished I could be going home where I could drive a car, bake cookies, buy clothes that actually fit me. I don't know. I guess I'm over it now, after all, he missed all the snow, sleet, and rain we had here today.
Anyways, after I dropped him off, I did a little shopping, tutored English, and finally went to my pottery class. Today I made a couple of mugs. I thought they would be relatively easy but they turned out to be the hardest thing I've made so far. Who knew that making a straight edge would be so difficult? But, I've been getting better. My apartment is filling up with pottery and I can't decide if it's a good thing or not. Before I began using the bowls and cups I've made, dishes would sit in the sink until I had no choice but to wash them. Now I am so protective of my pottery, I have become obsessive compulsive about washing the dishes immediatly after eating dinner...and sometimes even before I'm finished! Which is better? By the way, I'm taking orders. It will take a while because I'm kind of booked for a month or so. I can make almost anything (the rounder the better...I am especially good at bowls) One of these days I'll put some pictures of my work up on the site.
Anyways, as I said, nothing too exciting happening here. After I got home, I shucked garlic for an hour and a half until my fingers burned unbearably. It just doesn't get any better then this.
Happy Valentine's Day.
Today is Valentine's Day as everyone knows (well, maybe) Those of you in America celebrate by giving your significant other a gift: chocolate, candy, flowers, a blender, or some other romantic gift. In Japan, things are kind of different. Here the tradition is for girls to give thier boyfriend/husband chocolate. Not candy, not flowers, not anything else but chocolate. I was talking to one of my female students and she told me that her husband HATES chocolate. When I asked her what she was going to give him, she said she bought him some chocolate fondu. There is just no way around it, apparently.
Well, I broke the rules this Valentine's Day. Jin also does not really eat chocolate or sweets, but he DOES likes dried squid and is partial to alcohol so I bought him some Japanese Sake and dried squid, and cooked him his favorite fish for dinner. He seems happy.
Valentine's Day is not the only occasion today. Today also happens to be my 1 year anniversary of being in Japan. Some days it feels like much longer than a year but most, I can't believe how quickly it has gone by.
I'd just like to take this time to thank my creative director, Kevin Cameron for adding the really cool pictures and jazzing up my web site. (Although, I think the title, 'Keldog in the house' could use a little more consideration. Unfortunatly, I can't think of anything much better at this time so...) I meant to write this in the last blog but I'm afraid that I have a very poor short term memory and forgot. Sorry.
Anyways, nothing else going on here. Yesterday I had a free day until I went to work around 4:30. This rarely happens so I was looking forward to relaxing. I ended up cleaning my entire apartment, going for a jog, reading a book, and then studying Korean. I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now.
I was feeling really great this morning. Yesterday I got to play tennis for the first time in months. It was pretty shakey at first, I hit 3 or 4 over the fence but I soon returned to my old self. By my second game, I was kicking butt. Bullet shots, grazing the court just millimeters within the bounds, dead-on serves. Anyway, since this was the first time in months that I've had the opportunity to play tennis, or have done any kind of exercise for that matter, today I'm in pain. It's that wonderful pain that comes with knowing that you've done something good and healthy. My legs are jelly-like and my arm gets shakey when I hold anything heavier than a pencil. So, today I was feeling really good and was inspired to start jogging again...until the accident.
As I was leaving my school at lunch, I was thinking of all the things I had to do and what I should eat. With my mind pre-occupied, I completely fogot that about the flight of stairs I had do go down to get from the second floor to the first. Down I went, screaming, arms flailing, much to the delight of my 2 and 3-year-old students who had just left the school and were being loaded onto their mothers' bicycles. They always seem to get a kick out of hearing me say, "ouch". (I once made little boy cry be refusing to reward him with a cry of pain as he repeatedly punched me just to hear me say it. I know, I'm a wonderful teacher.) So, on the way down I twisted my ankle and bruised my arms trying to stop myself and break my fall. This pain has completely taken the pleasure out of my previous pain. Sigh, I just can't win.
When I was younger and I would think about my future, I had so many dreams. I wanted to be archaeologist, thanks to Indiana Jones. I wanted to be a stunt double, a professional athelete, a professional traveler...and the list goes on. Of course, even when I was young, I realized that these were not acceptable careers to persue, so I settled on being a school teacher. It became my stock answer whenever anybody would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up. This went on until my senior year of high school when, suddenly, I had to actually make the choice. I opted to go to Delta instead of MLC-where 70% of my classmates went on to attend. I've always had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, wondering if I made the wrong decision. (Of course, had I gone straight into MLC, I would not have had the opportunity to come to Japan and to do half of the things that I have been lucky enough to experience, not to mention the people I've met along the way. So, I guess it's not the life choice that's in question but the career choice.) In any case, the wonder is over.
When I came to Japan a year ago, I was looking forward to finding a teaching job--dispite my brother's insistence that I did NOT want to be an english teacher. I wanted to give it a shot and see if I am cut out to be a teacher or not. I can safely say now, I made a good choice. It's not that I dislike teaching. There have been many rewarding moments and many students who I really enjoy teaching. However, it is days like today (and EVERY Friday for that matter) that make me wish I could crawl in a hole and die. Not counting the adult classes, I have a kindergarten class, and 2 elementary school classes. The first and most difficult is the kindergarten class which has 4 students. 1 is a sweet, smart, and well mannered child. 1 is...well, she's not the brightest bulb in the bunch. 1 has a sitting disorder--she can't seem to sit for more than 1 minute at a time without getting up and running around the room. The last student is the very face of evil itself. After 55 minutes with them my normally low blood pressure is approaching the danger zone. Actually, the other classes aren't so bad. It's just that this kindergarten class puts me in such a foul mood that I cannot tolerate deviance. In fact, I feel sorry for the students who have the misfortune of following those 5 year-olds. Although I have to admit, there are other kindergarten classes that I actually enjoy, just the odds of having to tolerate kids like that for 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week makes me thank God every day for helping me make the right decision. Now the only problem is...what's the right decision?
So, yesterday I was making the loooong bike ride to Jin's house. As I started out the skies were clear and it was slightly chilly. About 15 minutes later, I could hear deep rolls of thunder and lightning covered the sky. Not the streaky, bolt kind, but the kind that fills the entire sky like a flash from a camera. "Uh-oh, better peddle faster!" I thought to myself. I met Jin half way and by that time it was sleeting.
Then, the temperature suddenly dropped and it began. Snowballs began falling from the sky. Now, I don't mean it started snowing. This was no ordinary snow. And it wasn't hail either. No, these were balls of packed snow, pea-sized & bigger, pelting my already soaked, freezing hands and legs. They were coming so quickly and from every direction, I couldn't look straight ahead without them pelting my face. We finally took refuge under a small archway. By the time it stopped, 5 minutes later, there was about an inch of snow on the ground. Normally, I would have enjoyed all of this but the fact that I was still 20 minutes from his house and my legs were frozed solid, (except for the intense burning sensation) took all the joy out of it. It 'snowballed' the rest of the way, off and on, lightninging and thundering the whole time.
I have never experienced anything like the storm last night, and I hope I never do again...at least not while riding a bike.
What a weekend! Saturday, February 1st, was the Korean New Year. (In case you were wondering, in Korea they go by a lunar calender.) So I went over to Jin's house after work where a few of us celebrated with some delicious kimchi and tuna soup. Of course, in the celebration, there was beer and whiskey a-flowin' and we soon found ourselves at the nearest karaoke bar. (For those of you who have heard me sing, I am sorry if I have rehashed any bad memories) I rarely go to karaoke these days so it was a special treat and I sang myself hoarse. I always WANT to go but Jin claims to hate it...although I notice that anytime we go, I never have to force him to sing but rather, he is usually the first to grab the microphone.
In any case, it was a wild night, or about as wild as they get these days. That made it all the more difficult to wake up early on Sunday morning. Jin and I had to meet one of his friends at the train station before 11am in order to go to Shimonoseki--about 1 1/2 hours north of Fukuoka by train. Normally, it would not be worth taking a special trip to the town but Jin's University has a deal where foreign students can get money for traveling...as long as it is with a Japanese person. It was as good of a place as any for a day trip. Our mission was to eat some good fugu, or blowfish. Shimonoseki supposedly has some of the tastiest blowfish in Japan and Jin had heard about an old-fashioned seaside market where blowfish soup is famous so off we went in search of the deadly delicacy.
To be honest, aside from the thrill of playing 'Russian fish roulette', I didn't find blowfish to be anything special at all. I enjoyed the sushi I ate much more than the blowfish. After we had arrived home, however, Jin decided to tell me that while cooked blowfish is just so-so, raw blowfish is amazing. Why we didn't eat the raw blowfish, I don't know. I guess that will have to wait for the next trip.