Wow. It's been a while since I've written. A lot's gone on. I kept wanting to write about it and then I would be off doing the next thing worthy of writing about and my list kept getting longer and longer. I kept thinking... how am I going to fit all of this into my next blog? Well, let me start off with giving you a source for supplementary information at times like these. Lindsey has a blog also and she's been great at keeping up with it since arriving here. Please go check it out because her stories also coincide with mine and add a different perspective than my own. Often they are different stories since we're not always together. The blog is found by clicking this link: http://lindseyscoop.blogspot.com

Before I start, here is a list of questions that I asked my classes in my self introductions... answers after the post:

1. Which is bigger, California or Japan?
2. Which is bigger, Miyagi Prefecture (where I live) or the state of Iowa?
3. Which has more people, Miyagi or Iowa?
4. Which has more people, NYC or Tokyo?
5. Which U.S. State is about the same size (sq. mile) as the whole of Japan?


From my perspective, these last couple weeks have been a whirlwind... starting with the moment we picked up Lindsey. Everyone here had been VERY excited to meet her. My supervisor and another person brought me to the airport to pick her up. Afterward, they brought us to a restaurant to have her first meal in Japan... shoes off inside the restaurant of course. The next day, we took her around to sign all the necessary paperwork for living in Japan. We also introduced her to many of the people I work with (or for) and also the mayor. The mayor immediately offered her a part-time job at what is the equivalent of an after school program for the elementary school kids in the village. She accepted. Then that same night was the night schedule for my own welcome party with the JHS Teachers. It is not automatically assumed in Japan that your spouse is invited to an event like this, but they were all excited to meet her, so she was invited along as well. It was a really great time.

The next day we played a game called "Park Golf" with all of the Kindy, Elementary, and Junior High School Teachers. It's like a mix between real golf and mini-putt. You hit the ball hard and it's a bigger ball than a golf ball. I'll get pictures on here as soon as possible.

Our town festival was that weekend as well. It was called ManYo Matsuri, which literally means 10,000 leaves Festival, but the 10,000 leaves thing has other significance in Japan in reference to some type of ancient tradition. They use this same word "ManYo" in reference to a type of ancient poetry as well. It was a great festival and I have lots of video that I will edit and give to you.

I feel like we've had back to back celebrations since Lindsey's been here. I feel like there were a lot before she got here even. There was one in Sendai, our region's capital city which is about 25km or 15mi. from Ohira, and at this one Lindsey got to meet a bunch of the other JETs and got to speak some English with someone other than me. We had a welcome party for Lindsey last week with the people from her work and my Supervisor and the Mayor. The Mayor made me drink a lot. After 1 1/2 beers they asked if I wanted more and I said no, that I'm good, so they proceeded to order me more beer... and a bottle of sake (rice wine). Later the Mayor asked how many beers I had. I told him that I was on my 3rd, he said, "No! CHALLENGE 5!"

Last night we had a welcome party for me thrown by my Elementary School Teachers. Lindsey was invited for this one as well. It was a great time. My Vice Principal (which is the guy that is really in charge in Japanese Schools, not the Principal) was a bit toasty and it took him about 15 minutes to find his keys in his man purse... don't worry he's not effeminate, all Japanese guys carry a man purse. I think it has to do with the RIDICULOUS amount of pocket change that we have to carry here. Oh... and don't worry about being toasty and looking for keys... they were his bicycle keys. His bike (like a lot of other bikes here) requires a key before it can start moving. Which, by the way, is still illegal to ride a bicycle while drunk, but when there's no one on the street or sidewalk in a small town or village, no one seems to care. I think the law is more for cities.

I've started work and it's been going great! Lindsey has too, but you can read more about her experience at work on her blog. I've done a bunch of Self-Introduction classes where I tell people about myself, the U.S. and Iowa.

My favorite so far has been the Kindy. I taught the kids the game Simon Says, but switched it from Simon Says to "Please... (insert action" That way instead of learning a useless phrase, they would learn the term "Please" at the same time. They loved it and I interspersed playing it through the whole class period and they loved it. Anytime something was the same as something else, I would make them do it. For example, I would say, "I like pizza. Do you like pizza?" they would then SCREAM their answer in excitement, "I LIKE PIZZA!!!!" I would then say, "The same? We are the same! So... Please... Jump! Please Sit! Please Jump Spin! Please MARIO JUMP!"

What really got them was when I would say, "Please frown." then the next on woul be just, "Smile," and if you remember your Simon Says rules, since I didn't say Simon says (or "Please" in this case) that means you can't smile or you lose! So the kids would all eventually crack under the pressure of not being allowed to smile!

By the end, with all the physical exertion I had put them through, they ended up sweating. I made KINDERGARTENERS sweat! They had a great time, though!

So, it's been a very good time here in Ohira, and I'll keep letting you know how it's going.

Here's the answers from earlier:

1. California
2. Iowa
3. Iowa
4. Tokyo
5. Montana

How'd you do?