Mentally Unprepared

It still hasn't hit me yet, despite all the goodbye speeches and farewell parties, I still feel as if I am staying in Japan for an indefinite period of time. I can't imagine being at home in California and eating those delicious In N Out burgers that I've been craving. I can't picture what it will be like to see all of my best friends and family face-to-face rather than as a pixelated version on Skype or Gchat. I'm cleaning my desk at work now. It will probably take a few days because I haven't convinced myself that I have only 4 days of work left.

Today, I took a mini two hour nap in the nurse's office because my benadryl didn't wear off in the morning and I was still groggy. I had one of those dreams where I couldn't tell if I had woken up or not. (This will teach me to avoid taking allergy meds if I plan to wake up after 6 hours!)

Anyway, I have a feeling that's what it's going to feel like when I get back to the States. I'll be unsure of whether or not things were real. All the amazing times with friends on the weekends and holidays traveling in and outside of Japan; All the events in Ishikawa; joking with co-workers in English and Japanese; The cheerful students who will always greet you when they see you; All the things in Japan will feel like a dream.

I will miss it all. Well, I have to get back to reality and tackle this mess on my desk. Here's a little story my friend Craig wrote:

It was all a dream. Megan woke up and looked at her bedside clock. The time read 5:45am. It was tuesday. She had slept for two days straight following a wild fondue party with friends. She had dreamt of days, no, months spent in japan, living life as one of the locals in a small town in ishikawa prefecture.

"I can't believe it wasn't real," she muttered under her breath as she began to get out of bed. She had to get ready for work. It was early, but she had a long commute to Anaheim. She was a character in the disneyland theme park. Some kind of blue alien. It went by the name of Stitch.

Goodbyes are hard to say in any language...

My body is an ocean of tears
and my skin is just the dam
When my heart quakes, the dam just breaks
and all pours out without fail
mini-poem by moi :P

The past few weeks have included a string of good bye lessons, good byes to the students I don't teach (method is to bother them at lunch when they can't move) and finally today will be my goodbye speech in front of all 800 people in Meiho.

It should be about 6 minutes long, including both English and Japanese. Hopefully, I can finish it without breaking down into tears for longer than 10 seconds. I think the best way to go is smiling and with a positive attitude, but that's probably not going to happen on stage. Imagining all those hopeful faces staring back at me, I can't help but cry. LOL Taken out of context this sounds horrible.

In any case...頑張る I'll do my best.

Time to practice my speech. Paper in front of me, tissue box to the side and a huge smile on my face.

Golden Week

My last Golden Week is over. I can't really imagine myself moving back to Japan and living here, so it was my last Golden Week holiday period.

What a packed GW it was. This year Golden Week holidays fell on Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I had classes on Monday, so I was unable to take the Monday off.

The weekend started off early for me as I took two hours off on Thursday to head over to the highway bus. The highway bus to Nagoya took about 4 hours and I arrived around 7:30PM. I met up with Kazuki and we went to grab dinner at a nearby izakaya.

We had to get up early the next morning to take the 7AM bus to Fuji-go-ko (Fuji Five Lakes), which is an area with five different lakes all surrounding Mount Fuji and giving optimal viewing pleasure of the monstrous peak. With the holiday traffic, we made it to Kawaguchi Lake around 1:30PM. Our late lunch was the local udon dish, but it was disappointing and had an unpleasant fishy taste to it. Where lunch failed to meet expectation, the lake itself and the Japanese inn we stayed at made up for the disappointment.

Kawaguchi Lake is vast and offers a beautiful view of Mount Fuji--on a good day. That first afternoon was cloudy, but the mountain was fairly visible. With few people walking around, mild temperatures and scenic views, our day was pleasantly spent pedaling a swan boat, taking a stroll around the lake and riding the ropeway up for high altitude sightings of Fuji Q Highland (the theme park we would visit the next day). The Japanese inn was a bit far from the Kawaguchi Lake train station, but our room had an amazing view of Mt. Fuji and a wonderful indoor & outdoor onsen. I took advantage of the onsen, hotspring bath, three times in the 16 hours we were there.

Saturday morning, Kazuki and I woke up early again to catch a ride from the Green Lake Inn staff. They dropped us off at the Kawaguchi Lake station and we took the first train over to Fuji Q Highland. We picked up our passes, which were included in our bus trip package, and headed to our first ride: Eejanaika. The coaster reminds me of Riddler's Revenge from Six Flags--you get strapped in to a seat, then the body vest and your feet dangle as you are flung in different directions. The second coaster took two hours to wait for, but definitely worth the wait! Fujiyama is a coaster that has a deep plunge about 2 or 3 times. There are few loops, but the fast pace of the ride for three minutes is 100x more fun than waiting for a cup of ramen. Then we checked out Evangelion World. If you are a fan, this place has life sized figurines, cut outs, mini shows and lots of photo ops. The last thing we were able to see before our 5PM bus was the haunted hospital. The obake yashiki in Fuji Q is supposed to be the scariest in Japan. It was an extra 500 yen to go in and about 20-30 minutes to walk through with only a pen light in hand. The long corridors echoed our nervous footsteps and chatter as we passed by blood smeared walls and several dressed up staff members. Longest 20 minutes of my life.

Although we wanted to go on more rides, such as Do-Don-Pa, the long lines didn't permit it. We headed back to Nagoya in the evening and the Sunday was spent in the city seeing a random J-Pop performance and an art exhibit by a Californian artist.

--------------------------

The second half of Golden Week was spent closer to home. Tuesday afternoon I picked up Kazuki from the bus stop and we went straight to the Tonami Tulip Faire. The Toyama festival has been experienced in growing beautiful tulips of every variety and displaying them for the past 60 years. The entrance fee was a big steep, at 1000yen per person, but it's a cute festival to visit at least once. We met up with Allison, Misty and Katie at the faire and we all drove to Nanao for the Seihakusai festival.

The local Ishikawa festival features three huge wooden floats, called dekayama, that are human-powered. Anyone is welcome to pull the huge 20 ton floats around the city and on the third day of the festival all the floats converge at the station. We only stayed the first night, but it was fun to meet with everyone for drinks and conversation at Damo's house.

Wednesday morning was more relaxed. Some of us who visited Nanao headed over to an onsen in Notojima. Our plans to visit the Notojima Aquarium was deserted after seeing the long line of cars headed to the tourist attraction. We grabbed a late lunch and headed back to southern Ishikawa. After finally cleaning my apartment, I was able to have company over for dinner and served "Mexican food" on Quatro De Mayo. :) We had salad, tacos, quesadillas and cake.

The last day of Golden Week was spent at another local festival. The Kutani Chawan Matsuri in Nomi city features the famous pottery of the area. Lots of pottery is sold at great prices. Of course, there are also the food stalls and performances, such as taiko. I had some match and sweets with some friends and then ended my day at the onsen and more quesadillas.

After so much traveling, I fell asleep last night at nine p.m.

Spring Sakura and New Adventures

The sakura are finally blossoming and it marks a time of changes in Japan. Spring is when the new academic year starts and new teachers come in to the school.

Last Friday, I attended the welcome party for the incoming teachers at a local hotel banquet room. We had several courses and unlimited beer. It felt great knowing 80% of the teachers there and introducing myself to new teachers. I was much more confident being there than I was a year ago. I got down a bit thinking about how I will be leaving Japan and this cheerful work environment in only four months. But that means I still have three months to leave a lasting impression. During the dinner I invited a lot of the younger teachers out to do karaoke. When the event was over, we headed over to the local karaoke venue for 2 hours of singing. Then I took two of the teachers to chat at our wine bar by the train station. I can tell this is going to be a great bunch to work with and be friends with.

The rest of the weekend was spent with good company checking out the sights of Kanazawa and chilling in a park near tons of cherry blossom trees. I'm hoping the good times keep coming. Looking forward to new adventures in the next few months left in Japan.

Stubborn, Naive, Insensitive Me

Last week I was frustrated about how my friends' family and friends were demanding them to leave Japan, so I decided to contact some press. Here was my plea:

Dear Michael,

How are you? Are things well in San Diego?I am currently in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher of English through the JET Programme. My friend and I would like to explain our situation in Ishikawa prefecture, the west coast of Japan, and ask your help.

In the past few days, the nuclear threat has grown and with it fear and anxiety all over the world. Many of our friends and family members in the U.S. have been constantly following the news and worried that the radiation will spread all over Japan. However, currently there are no reports specifically concerning the west coast and the greater area of Japan.The reports that are being published and broadcast in the U.S. and Japan vary and this is disconcerting. Many of the foreigners in Japan feel as if the American press are sensationalizing events in Tohoku area to the point where it seems applicable to the entire nation. Or at least, this is what friends and family back home seem to think. It's hard to know what to believe and who to trust when family members and friends are relying on American press, which doesn't cover the rest of Japan. Because of this, there has been a lot of personal pressure to return home, while most of the foreigners here feel safe. However, we have been under a lot of stress due to the uncertainty and lack of information pertaining to areas outside of the Tohoku region.

For example, my friend's family has explicitly demanded for her return even after she has explained why she feels Ishikawa is safe from the radiation--distance of over 200 miles, current wind conditions, trust in the Japanese government and radiation detectors, trust in the JET Programme, everything is going about in the town as usual. There have also been reactions such as this blog entry: http://ishikawajet.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/unreliable-news/

Would it possible to do a report on the risks of radiation on other parts of Japan or could you refer us to someone? We think this would benefit many people as it would alleviate anxiety for those living in and out of Japan. This is not a request to take away the focus from the real crisis in Tohoku, but to ask for more information about Japan.

Thank you for your time and for reading this.

Unfortunately, the article became more of a human interest piece where I feel I came off as stubborn, naive and a bit insensitive. Here's the piece: http://www.10news.com/news/27245686/detail.html

Just a few notes on what was left out because I forgot to say it or because it was cut:

• If something were to happen and it was certain it would affect my side of Japan, I would definitely consider leaving. But all the reports focused on Tohoku / Kanto region. The U.S. embassy has asked people living on eastern Japan to consider returning to the States.
• In my city, there's a radiation detector (check previous post), an airport for quick escape and a Japanese Self Defense Force base.
• I was asked whether or not my area was affected by the shortages. My response was along the lines of, "No. We're not a part of the rotating power outages, we're not seeing a lack of food or water supplies. Actually, our prefecture is sending food, water and supplies over to affected areas."
• I was asked how my parents had reacted initially. And right when I commented on my mother's reaction, "She said she's had a lot of trouble sleeping. When she called, she was crying. That's really tough to see," I knew they were going to use that. I sort of smiled because I felt like I trapped myself. :O However, after I spoke with my parents early last week (days before the interview) I had already convinced them I was safe.
• My biggest concern had been about the lack of information outside of the Tohoku/Kanto area and that people don't understand that the crisis has not physically affected all of Japan (although mentally, we are heart broken to see the news as much as anyone else). This was only mentioned briefly towards the bottom of the article:

Nuclear experts 10News spoke to say the danger -- even under the worst-case scenario -- remains small because Lam is far enough away.

Lam said for many that message has gotten lost as the U.S. media has focused on the reactor site, sparking fears among loved ones at home.



Please remember to read the full articles, not only the headlines. Also, pay attention to where the news is concerning. Is it all of Japan or just one part?

There IS a crisis going on in parts of Japan, especially a humanitarian crisis. Please remember that there are thousands of people whose lives have been taken or who are still missing. I'd like to ask everyone to focus their prayers on those in those affected areas. They are still homeless, lacking food, lacking water and lacking supplies. Many of us
in Ishikawa have been doing our best to help those in need by donating blood, donating money, donating goods and offering our homes to those involved in the disasters:

http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=39703

I am extremely grateful that Michael Chen agreed to pitch the story and that he interviewed me. I just wanted to clarify some points that may have been buried or mising in the article. I hope people can understand the perspective I was trying to show.

[Update] Read this article to see other opinions on sensationalized news:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110321f1.html

Who Do You Believe?

According to Newstabulous, the "Oldest Hotel in the World Still Standing Strong." Well, of course it is. Ishikawa prefecture was physically unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami. The article makes it seem as if the Japanese inn, Hoshi, had amazingly come out of the disaster unscathed by some miracle. And you know what, I am truly fortunate in Komatsu to have only felt the ripple of the earthquake, had a minor tsunami warning and to be so far from the nuclear power plants. My heart goes out to all of those who were more than mentally affected by the disasters. My thoughts and prayers go out to those in the Tohoku area and surrounding prefectures who are now also struggling to survive on limited supplies, food and utilities.

The reason I'm writing this entry is because there have been so many differing opinions on the situation in Fukushima and it's hard to know who to believe anymore. Articles like the one above don't seem to be helping since it's embellishing on what's going on in other parts of Japan. News should be focused on the current crisis in Japan--it IS bad, it IS going to take a long time to recover and the outcome of everything IS uncertain.

However, many people outside of Japan only see these images and apply the facts to Japan as a whole. It has created more panic and anxiety than what the situation may actually call for--or is it called for?!

For example, in Toyama, the prefecture north of Ishikawa, supermarkets and convenience stores are running low on many food items because people have been stocking up for emergencies. This is 200 miles outside of the nuclear plant in Daiichi. Is this necessary? Some locals in Ishikawa say it is ridiculous. But maybe Toyamans have heard news that we haven't yet? For the record, there have not been any statements in the news specifically addressing the Hokuriku area (which includes Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui).

I'd like to say that I trust in the government and the JET programme to tell me if there's an immediate danger. I also believe that I am in a good location because of the distance, the airport in my city and also the fact that we have a Japanese Self Defense Force base in Komatsu.

[Update] My prefecture actually has a webpage dedicated to radiation readings: http://atom.pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/monitoring/Pages/Radiation/FormRadiationMap.aspx

But there is a lack of international news coverage concerning the risks to the other areas of Japan. It's hard to prove to friends or family members that we are safe and that we don't need to fly out of the country. Some people have said that the government is lying or withholding information...

I feel super safe and know that I want to stay, but there's this growing pressure from concerned loved ones. I wish there was more coverage to alleviate the stress the news is creating for those outside of Tohoku area. We all want to know the truth and are trying not to act on emotion.

That being said, I am not writing this because I want to take away from the real crisis 250 miles away. There are REAL problems over there and I think people should really think about how many people have been affected that need help.

I was speaking with a Japanese co-worker today about her friend in Yamagata. Several people have evacuated Fukushima and moved to Yamagata prefecture. Although Yamagata is presently out of the radiation zone, they are feeling the affects through the limited supplies and food available. Delivery trucks aren't dropping off shipments there anymore--or maybe it's limited. There is still a shortage in electricity. The friend is actually driving over to Ishikawa this weekend for personal reasons, but driving back to her Yamagata home with supplies for the people she is hosting.

I encourage everyone to keep these people in mind and find ways to help them through these difficult times. Check your areas for blood banks, drop-off sites for supplies/food and donate monetarily.

What do you all think?? Are your loved ones asking you to return home? Do you feel safe? Are you unsure?

Stay informed, Stay prepared, Stay calm

It was an off period at 2:45PM JST when I was messaging a friend about the teacher next to me clipping his nails at his desk. We joked about nail clippings cutting wires could be the cause of my intermittent internet connection. Our banter was interrupted by the unexpected earthquake.

The first one was barely noticeable. I live in Ishikawa prefecture, which is off the Sea of Japan on the west coast of Honshu.

I thought I had been staring at the computer screen for too long. It was as if I were lightheaded and dizzy. Standing up slowly, I looked over at the only two teachers in the room. The Nail Clipper looked at me and I looked at him expectedly without speaking. I lost my Japanese for that second. The quake had stopped. The female teacher next to him said, "oh, that was an earthquake." Nail Clipper calmly agreed.

Then the next quake made the building sway slightly for a good 20 seconds. I would learn a couple hours later that it was only a ripple off the epicentre on the east coast. Our quake was listed as a 3.0. Half the teachers in the school were unaware of anything happening.



We have been unbelievably fortunate in Ishikawa prefecture. It wasn't until I got home around 5:00PM that I understood how severe the situation in Tohoku and Kansai was. Immediately, I texted or called all the friends I could think of who were living in the affected areas. My friends are fine, but many are still unnerved by the recent events.

When I signed in to Facebook and Twitter I was overwhelmed by the number of concerned messages I received from friends--many of whom I haven't spoken with in years. I was very grateful for the concern and I appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers. THANK YOU.

Again, I am 100% OKAY です.

Actually, aside from watching the news and messages on the social networking sites, everything seems normal in my area. We are probably experiencing the same thing that everyone else in the world is experiencing. A little bit of awe mixed with frustration and helplessness. All we know and see is in the news. Many people want to help but don't know how or are not sure if it is possible.

Over the weekend, I became obsessed with finding ways to relieve those feelings by researching the different ways that people can help. This is what I've found works for me:

Stay Informed
With so many sites forming, it's hard to know what is real anymore. Obviously, major news networks are your best bet. Don't listen to all the hype of impending doom unless it's credited.

For the latest earthquake information: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singen_index.html

How you can help: While my area is not suffering any physical damage, the other side of the island is going through an extremely rough time. Thousands of people are homeless or have limited daily necessities.

[update] From CNN (3/16/2011)

While agencies are working to raise money, donations have been slow to come. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper covering nonprofit organizations, says donations to nonprofit organizations have reached about $25 million so far. The total is far below the first four-day totals of other recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the crisis in Haiti, it said.

Please consider donating money or supplies through legitimate sources:

1. From the U.S.: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/11/6246445-japans-earthquake-how-to-help
2. From Japan:

• Donating money: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkDkITkG4lE /
• Donating food/supplies: http://www.2hj.org/index.php/news/send_us_food_and_supplies/
• Donate blood, but check if you qualify first: http://www.mutantfrog.com/2011/03/13/who-can-and-can-not-donate-blood-in-japan/
• Volunteering (Read CAREFULLY): http://ajet.net/lang/en/2011/03/16/volunteer-information-for-people-in-japan/

Please remember that for food or supplies, it is better to send the necessary items. Before you purchase anything, please read the list of items.

Also! Don't try to rush into the affected areas now to try to help. Let the professionals sort things out first.

Stay Prepared
How many people actually have an emergency kit? I know I didn't. There is a possibility of another huge quake, up to 7.0, hitting Japan again in the next 48 hours. It's best to keep water stocked, some non-perishable food ready and other essentials. (You'll use the stuff eventually anyway. So why not?)

For JETs, here's a good link to look over: http://ajet.net/lang/en/2011/03/13/emergency-proceduresinformation-evacuation-card/

Being prepared will help you stay calm. Which leads me to the last tip...

Stay Calm
Even with all the disasters shown in the news we all need to stay calm to stay focused. Here's a message from National AJET:

--don’t add to sensationalist rumors. If you are posting information on facebook, twitter and other media outlets, please make sure that you use credible sources. Include your source and as much information as possible.

Personally, I think people in Japan are already on edge, so please don't add to that. Most of us are trying to stay calm while constant messages of impending doom keep popping up.

------------------------------------------

Once again, thank you all for your thoughtful messages and your concern.

My heart goes to all the people in the affected areas and their loved ones.

The End of Another School Year

Graduation took place at the beginning of this month and we held the ceremony in the gym--just like most high schools in Japan. It was another tear-jerking ceremony. They like to turn on the nostalgic ballad music right when the student speeches are given or when the students stand up as their names are called (diplomas/certificates aren't presented to each individual on stage, but rather distributed in their homeroom classroom after the ceremony). It's as if they try to create their own soundtrack!

But despite the overdramatic nature of the whole process, I really did enjoy attending the ceremony. It was much better this year when I actually knew some of the students' names. Coming in much past the half-year mark last winter, I could only recognize a few faces.

The week before the graduation ceremony the school held the final exams for the 1st year and 2nd year students. The 3rd years, who would graduate, had finished their classes/exams early February. We have about three weeks left in this school year, but the English department thought it would be difficult to pack one more team-teaching class, the classes I do jointly with the Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs), within that short period.

Subsequently, I am left with a lot of free time at school. I can't even plan classes until they tell me which books they will be using in the start of the school year this coming April. I suppose I could plan a general introductory lesson...

Well, instead I am planning my spring break trips, doing some writing and studying Japanese. Oh! And I am finishing up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you haven't heard of it already, go check it out. ;)

Now, it's time to go book some hotels in Japanese. I'm killing two birds with one stone...I never really liked that expression...it's disturbing with my overactive imagination.

一石二鳥
isseki nichou
One stone, two birds

Traumatized (Post is a bit TMI)

I've never been probed there before! My nose!

So I went to see an otologist yesterday. I'm not really sure if he specializes in ear medicine...of the modern age. Let me explain my situation first.

Recently, my right ear has been bothering me. There isn't any pain, but it feels as if the pressure is off. It constantly feels as if I'm still at high altitudes. It's only my right ear. Over the weekend I took a short trip to Hokkaido, while I was still recovering from my cold, and I have a feeling that was the cause. On my first flight over, I suddenly heard a loud ringing in my right ear as the plane was landing. Then POP. And there was some immense pain that followed. Unfortunately, the pressure returned immediately.

So after a few days back on land I thought it would go away. It hasn't. I asked the school nurse to recommend an ear doctor in the area and had my supervisor translate my symptoms and story into Japanese. I went after work and checked in on my own. The staff is friendly and patient with me considering my inability to understand some of the medical terms. Although there were several others in the waiting room, I didn't wait long before being called in.

I walked into the room and I was horrified. I'm not exaggerating--I felt my heart start to race a little bit. I was led to a chair, similar to the ones you would see at the dentist's office, and to my left was a metallic table with what I imagined were various scalpels, tubes, and probes. I sat down and clung to my handbag. When I settled down, I took another look at the table. It was everything I thought I saw, minus the scalpels. That provided little relief considering my closer observation showed me how old and rusted everything looked.

The doctor came over. He has a gentle face like a grandfather with eyes I can barely see when he smiles. Then the examination started.

He checked both my ears and from the right he used a long, tweezer-like instrument to extract a huge clump of ear wax. Then he wiped it off and placed it back on the table. I wondered how often they cleaned their tools. The removal had little affect. He explained something in Japanese, but I could only catch pieces of what sounded like "cold" and "ear canal." He pointed to an internal picture of the human ear connected to the nasal passages. His fingers motioned near the throat area. Then he proceeded to take a thin tube, the kind you might see used by a dentist for suction, and he stuck it up my nose. It shot out what felt like air and pain. "kusuri." Medicine. He asked me to stick out my tongue and open wide. Out of no where he takes a cotton ball and shoves it down my throat! I think there was some sort of numbing agent in the medicine. When he threw it away I noticed it was bright red. I hope that was the medicine. "yappari hareteru." My throat was inflammed or swollen.

They tested my hearing and my right ear was weaker at hearing. The doctor showed me a graph of the results. Then the big guns came out. He asked me to place something into my right ear and the other end of the tube went into his ear. Then he stuck something up my right nostril, turned on the air and forced it in. OH MY BUDDHA it hurt to the point where I was whining, "ittai ittai..." It hurts, it hurts. My fingers gripped the arm rests as he moved over to the left.

When they were finished I was prescribed some medicine. Then they pointed to a calendar and said that the medicine would only last a week. I should sign up for another visit within the week. I scruntched my face and told them I would come on the last day if it wasn't better. I definitely want to avoid that procedure by all means.

-----------------

Last night, I felt like I hadn't been able to breathe like that in months. My sinuses were cleared, but my ear didn't feel any different.

My supervisor just called and asked what the procedure was. The simple explanation we got was that my nasal passage was probably inflammed or closed up, which affected the ear. So the procedure was to open it up. My guess is that its from all the times I blew my nose this past month. The good news is that I don't have to go back if that one time was all that it took to help my ears. The bad news is that this morning both my ears feel funny....

Vietnam

Wow its already been over a month since my winter break, but I wanted to write about it before I forget.


In Decemeber 2010 I took a 10-day vacay with a friend to South East Asia. We took 5 days in Vietnam and spent the other 5 days in Thailand. Because of the short length of the trip, we decided to stay in one major city and not travel around too much.


Vietnam

Melanie and I took the overnight bus over to Osaka on Christmas Eve and then the train over to the Kansai Airport on Christmas morning. It was a fairly long flight over to Ho Chi Minh city, because there was an hour layover at the Hong Kong Airport. I enjoyed my flight on Cathay Pacific since I got a meal for both flights, even though I was planning on eating at the HK Airport with some delicious HK food. But I guess free food is always good. I took advantage of the hour to get some HK style milk tea and bought a couple "I <3 Hong Kong" shirts.

The arrival in Saigon was a bit of a mess because we were swindled out of money right away. After grabbing our baggage, we walked out towards the taxi stand. We were only about 50 meters away, but a man came up to us and flashed his "taxi license" persistently. I was a bit skeptical, but we went with him after hearing that it was only "700." When we left the airport, we found that it was 700,000 Vietnamese dong, which is around $35, for the 15 minute ride. I guess during transactions they drop the last three zer0s. It was close to four times the price it should have been! Should have changed our minds when we saw that the vehicle wasn't even a taxi...

The hotel that M booked was great though! Free computers to use in the lobby, free wi-fi, free breakfast and dinner (if you wanted), personal restroom with shower. The only fall back was that we mistakenly booked a double room, so we had to share the bed. Since we arrived so late in the day, I believe it was close to 8PM, we decided to walk around and then grab some pho as our first meal--even though we had dinner on the airplane. Those free meals weren't going to spoil my foodventures! Down a small street near our District 1 hotel there was a restaurant serving pho. I got a small bowl of tendon pho and it was very satisfying. I've yet to find a decent pho restaurant in Japan and this was delicious at a more than reasonable price. All the food from the food stands were around $2 or less.

The area we stayed in had tons of bars and restaurants. We grabbed a beer from a small bar and sat outside watching the vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The first thing I noticed about Vietnam was the horrible traffic. While riding in the car/taxi, which was driven by the worst driver ever, we were surrounded by cars and motorbikes. The driver zoomed quickly by all the traffic without much consideration to the motorbikes. It felt as if we were dangerously close to hitting many of the bikers. I remember the honking the most. Everyone honking, cursing, and pushing around each other. Add pedestrians into the picture and lack of pedestrian crosswalks and you have the chaos that is Saigon traffic.

The next bar we went to was busier. It was called Go and its hard to miss with the hundreds of lights on the sign. The most Christmas spirit I saw on the strip of bars--neon signs and Christmas lights wrapping the palm trees. I had hookah, or shisha, for the first time. The flavor we got was apple and I can't say that I enjoyed it too much. It was fun chatting with a couple tourists at our table, a couple of Vietnamese Americans who were with two local Vietnamese girls. We were quite tired after our hookah and headed off to bed.

The first day of sunshine in Vietnam was far warmer than expected given we had come from the Ishikawa winter. We got our free breakfast buffet in the morning--a mix of Western style foods and Asian cuisine that I wouldn't usually consider breakfast. My favorite part of my plate was the fried egg roll. After stuffing ourselves, we flagged a taxi down and headed to the Giac Lam Pagoda. It wasn't the most amazing attraction, but it was nice to do some traditional Buddhist prayer that my family usually does. The rest of the day was full of temple visits--the nearby temple, the temples in the Chinatown area. We had a delicious lunch on the streets and then we headed to the main event--the local waterpark named Dam Sen. With it being my first time at a waterpark and the high degree temperature, the park was a highlight in my Vietnam trip. It was cheap to get in, close to $5 for the day, and 90% of the people were Vietnamese locals.

The evening was more eventful than I expected. We signed up for the hotel's "Family Dinner" and joined an international group of people for the Sunday night meal. We were all given t-shirts with the slogan: We are a family, then encouraged to meet others at the dinner. A free meal, new friends, an awkward dance party and karaoke made the night silly, but fun. M and I left after the round of karaoke and changed for the "Apocalypse" club. We were joined by the Singaporean couple we met at dinner and danced a little less awkwardly to dance/house music.

The second full day followed a scheduled tour from 8AM until 4PM. A van picked us up from the hotel and we sat with other tourists that were picked up along the way to the attractions. The first stop was a factory with handicapped workers--many of them were affected by the Vietnam/American war. The tourguide led us around to the work stations and of course the store. The second stop was the temple, Tay Ninh Holy See, where many people practice Cao Dai. The temple is extremely ornate and colorful with dragons wrapping around the pillars and a sky blue vaulted ceiling. The visitors, and I don't mean the tourists watching from the second level, dorned colored robes that indicated the religion they believe in--Buddhism, Catholocism, Christianity, etc. Unfortunately, I can't remember what each color represented...

After lunch we headed to the Cu Chi Tunnels where the American war had been fought. These then hidden tunnels are surrounded by death traps, which are now safely displayed for the tourists. Sounds of AK47 and machine guns firing can be heard throughout the site because they have an area where you can pay to fire the massive weaponry. Walking underground through the tunnels was an experience I'm glad I tried but would never do again. It's stuffy with poor ventilation, narrow with room only to kneel or crawl and its pitch black most of the time. I must have gotten out after 50 meters.

We were exhausted after the tour and starved so we went to grab some pizza near our hotel. Dessert was fresh coconut juice from a stand in an alley. Then I took some time alone at a cafe and continued to read Norwegian Wood from the page I left off on. On my walk back to the hotel I bumped into a couple friends from Japan and had a beer with them.

The third day was not as eventful but it was probably a good idea to relax. We would be leaving for Thailand the next morning. The first part of the day was spent at the War Time Museum. It is disheartening to see so many images of the people affected by Agent Orange. While I took plenty of videos and images there, I doubt I would ever show these to people because its something a person needs to see on their own volition. The museum soon closed after we got in because there was a midday break.

The rest of our time after lunch was spent shopping for gifts. I started conversing with one of the friendliest store clerks I've ever met. I think it might have been because she is young and eager to speak English. She was so talkative! I invited her to go out after she finished work and we ended up getting smoothies somewhere. It was interesting talking to her about various things, but sitting out that night in the outdoor tables was a horrible idea. 10 new mosquito bites! I forgot why I hated the Asian summers until that night. We said we would keep in contact, but I lost her information. :(

That was the last night in Vietnam and then it was off to Bangkok.

Ohisashiburi

It's been a while since I've last posted.

I guess winter is about the only time I have time and desire to post. I have been sick recently with another cold, it's cold out so I don't want to go out and I don't want to get out of my kotatsu.

Here's what's up:

I just returned from a 10-day trip to Vietnam and Thailand. Five days were spent in each country. It was marvelous! More than reasonably priced food, vitamin D from the natural light of the sun, sandy beaches next to crystal clear water, bargain shopping, decorative temples, sexily dressed people dancing to real hip hop music spun by DJ SG...The summer adventure in the midst of Ishikawa winter was worth the mosquito bites!

When I returned from the hot and humid conditions of SE Asia it was chilly, but Osaka was only two-thirds as cold as Ishikawa. I was afraid I would be freezing back in my apartment! Luckily, Ishikawa wasn't snowing or snowed over on the day that I arrived Komatsu. That soon changed and I was happy to leave for a mini-trip to Tsujido--a small city on the other side of the island. Although it wasn't warm enough to wear a t-shirt, Tsujido was warm enough to ride bikes next to the beaches and it was nice just to have the sun on my face. I got to see some friends who I rarely see. I played Just Dance 2 for the first time. It was a much needed transition trip!

Unfortunately, when I returned to Komatsu from this second trip, it was snowing this time. I had no cash on me, so I walked from the station to my apartment through the snow in my worn out shoes. I had no idea it would be snowing and I packed shoes that had worn down soles. It felt like I was walking barefoot on the water that is used to clear the roads. This and probably my sudden exposure to different climates every few days led to my current sickly condition.

I experienced some new things this past week. Some were good and most were bad.

Have you heard of a stye? No? Me, neither! Or at least I hadn't until I got one on my last day in Tsujido. My friends thought it might be pink eye, but it didn't seem likely since it was only red on my right eyelid. Then over the weekend it returned after it seemed to disappear for two days. What was worse was that the left eye also developed a stye which got larger than the one of the right! Ugh...it doesn't feel too bad. It just looks bad.

Before the start of this past weekend, an old woman in my apartment building bought me a can of hot tea from the vending machine. It was a random, sweet gesture. This woman has given me so many things for no reason! The first time I ran into her downstairs she asked me to wait while she ran up and got me some mandarin oranges! Another time she gave me some sesame paste that she made. Every time she gave me something I didn't know how to refuse her, because she has the thickest Ishikawan accent or uses some different dialect and I don't understand what she's saying to me. This time I offered to take her to the store whenever she needed to go since she bikes and that's quite difficult to do in this weather. This weekend was the snowiest I've ever seen Ishikawa! It got to be over a foot of snow in parts of the prefecture--maybe more! Anyway, the woman was happy to get a ride and I took her yesterday. I tried my best not to look interested in anything because I had a feeling she would just pay for anything I even glanced at. She still did it anyway. One voluntary car ride got me raisin bread, some strange egg soup, deep fried rice balls, fish cake rolls and crackers. I'm not trying to get goods out of this lady, who I am now to call "Ishida Okaasan." Ah, well...at least I have a new mother figure.

The last new thing of the week is my announcement to my school. I informed my supervisor, vice principals and principal that I will be leaving at the end of my contract. I decided not to renew for various personal reasons. It was very difficult to tell them. I'm pretty sure I used the words "I think I'm going to leave," which is not true--I know I'm going to leave. I am leaving August 2011. There was probably some stuttering involved as well. Awkward. This is all after hearing, upon returning from my 10-day trip, that they would like me to re-contract. They had submitted request forms to the Board of Education while I was away. Perhaps I should stay? No...that's probably a bad idea. I made my decision and I should stick with it. When I told my principal he seemed so surprised that I would be leaving. He only had good things to say and I was very flattered to hear that he thought I had become a respectable teacher. I told him that I have gained so many experiences at the school, and I love working there(!), but I need to go home for many reasons.

And as I sit under my kotatsu, with a stye in both eyes and five different types of pills for who-knows-what, I'm certain I've made the right choice.