A Day in Takachiho

Hooray for three day weekends! I wanted to do something really exciting for my birthday, so a bunch of my friends hopped into my car on Sunday to visit the Takachiho Gorge, Miyazaki's most beautiful tourist destination!

Only an hour away from Kadogawa, Takachiho is home to many incredible shrines and cultural activities, but my favorite part by far was boating through the gorge, near waterfalls and volcanic rock formations galore!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of our day: 

たかちほ Gorge! Notice the incredible waterfall, which apparently is among the 100 most beautiful waterfalls in Japan!

Here was a tiny spring towash your hands and (according to a lovely ice cream shop keeper) apparently get a cool drink of water! I'm still not sure if he was just messing with me or if I misinterpreted, but I drank the water anyway! I haven't died yet so I guess all's well that ends well!

Another shot of the gorge. We had to wait four and a half hours to use one of the boats, so there was lots of time for photos.

There was a tiny little tourist area with restaurants, snack booths and a freshwater aquarium near the gorge. Shuttles took the tourists from the boats to their cars (though we just walked because we're young and strong). ちからもち！！！

A shot of our day trip gang! We're the cutest!

While we waited for our boat, we ate at this amazing restaurant! The chef would send Somen noodles down these chutes, and we would catch them with chopsticks and dip them into a delectable sauce! It was a really difficult way to eat, but what a fun experience!

おいしい！！！ Delicious!

Then, it was time for the boats! We managed to paddle all the way through the gorge and I took tons of pictures with my new Polaroid camera. It was heaps of fun, even if all the boaters seemed to run into each other at every turn!

Afterwards, we visited the Ama-no-iwato shrine and Celestial Rock cave, where the Japanese goddess, Amaterasu, was said to have hid for days and days until another god did an obscene dance outside and made Amaterasu curious. Obscene dances make me pretty curious too, so I feel like I really get her.

Everyone leaves little rock towers in this cave. It's beautiful and strangely haunting.

Afterwards, we enjoyed dinner at an amazing noodle shop called Marason-tei (マラソンー亭) and saw a traditional Japanese dance that is performed at  Takachiho shrine every night from 8pm-9.   I really enjoyed seeing it since we had spent the day learning different myths and legends about the gods and goddesses of Japan, and then got to see those myths reenacted on stage!

Takachiho is totally worth a visit, and I had been wanting to come here since I had first googled Miyazaki. The gorge is even more beautiful in real life than on the internet, so if you get a chance, make sure to come on over! 

Thank you so much to Takachiho ALT Ellen for the lovely recommendations on things to do in town! It was an amazing day and I couldn't have been happier!

On Turning Twenty Two in Japan

So I know I haven't posted things in awhile (forgive me!) but last week I finally got internet so I'll definitely be more on top of things now. Still, I wanted to post a little something since yesterday was my 22nd birthday and it felt important (and a little bit crazy). I wrote this yesterday while I was at the town hall (in between studying Japanese and planning lessons). I promise I'll go back to travel stuff soon but until then...

It’s definitely exciting being twenty two. I’ve now reached the point in my life where I’ve graduated college (and have some AWESOME student debt), moved to Japan and I bought a hamster. Every young adult’s dream.

 Yet it’s difficult to express how it feels to turn twenty two in Japan. I thought that no one would care, since no one really knows me that well yet. I had also heard through the grapevine that Japanese people don't really care that much about birthdays. I was looking forward to a disappointing day, to say the least.

How wrong I was! My friends in town made me cards, gave me gifts (like candied fruits and a sweet t-shirt) and the students in my classes sang for me in almost every period. I also went to dinner at my favorite restaurant with my other JET friends from the next town over, which was wonderful. I was worried that I would feel left out and homesick, but instead I felt very loved. I shouldn't be surprised, since I have only been treated with kindness since arriving to Kadogawa, but there's still a tiny homesick part of me that I think is still really scared of being all alone.

Lately I’m so busy living here and trying new things, the fact that I’m not in California anymore still hasn’t actually sunk in. I miss my friends and my family dearly, but overall, I've just been so enamoured with my new life that when I realised I'm actually living by myself I didn't know how to cope with it. I actually don’t think I’ve ever had a birthday where I didn’t have a little barbecue in the backyard of my parent’s home to celebrate. So I guess the biggest gift I received this year is INDEPENDENCE! 

Though I also bought myself a sweet Polaroid camera, and my mom sent me a package with a bunch of great stuff in it from the whole family (Thanks family! I love you!).

Since I graduated, everything has been such a blur. From the frantic shuffling to move away to my home country, to the psycho craziness that was Tokyo orientation, to actually arriving in Kadogawa and just figuring everything out, I haven’t had time to really stop and think about my life in quite awhile.

Of course, work keeps me really busy too. I work at the Kadogawa Town Hall, as well as four elementary schools, and two junior high schools, which each have their own teachers, dress codes, and expectations. It may sound like a lot, but somehow, it’s totally manageable so far. It helps that, like I said, everyone is insanely friendly and kind.

For instance, today I went to Kadogawa Junior High School where I was expected to deliver a short introduction speech to an assembly of around two hundred students. I was pacing around the teacher’s room all morning, nervously practicing a Japanese phrase I had prepared for my big day. 

Suddenly, one of the teachers I work with came over to me and asked, “Lauren, do you know Katy Perry?”

“Yes!” I responded. I tried to be cool, but it was difficult because I actually love Katy Perry. My friends back home make fun of me for this pretty regularly.

“Oh. Good,” she said, nodding as she walked away.

Twenty minutes later I was dancing through a gymnasium filled with Japanese junior high school students as Katy Perry’s “California Gurls ft. Snoop Dogg” blared over the loudspeaker.

It was surreal and hilarious. I’ll bet the kids think I’m taking crazy pills. They sang me happy birthday during school lunch though, so I assume that means they think I’m at least sort of neat.

All in all, I’m so grateful to be in Japan having this incredible experience, even if it is a bit lonely once in awhile. I’m the only foreigner in my town and there are some days where my brain just can’t translate one more word of Japanese. Those are the days where I have to remind myself that this is my first time living alone, my first time in Japan, my first time working full-time. This is my first time doing any of this stuff, and I’m doing a pretty okay job. 

Besides, those are the days when I can go home after work and watch lots of American romance movies. You’re never really alone if you have Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

A First Glimpse of Kadogawa

Hello dear friends and readers and lovely wonderful people! I'm sorry for the lack of updates but I still don't have wifi in my new home in Kadogawa, and updating a blog on my smartphone just feels sac religious! I mean, how can I sip my iced latte while writing posts if I have to use both hands for the keyboard?! Am I a caveman? 

I guess the answer is yes because here I am, writing a post from my iPhone in my tatami room. There's a first time for everything.

So much has happened in the past two weeks! I've moved into my home in Kadogawa town, an awesome little burg on Kyushu island! It's between two larger cities, Nobeoka and Hyuga, and I spend a lot of time going back and forth between them. 

Monday through Friday I ride my bicycle to work at the Kadogawa town hall, where I get paid to sit at my desk and make lesson plans, study Japanese, or just converse with all the other government employees. The actual classes I'll teach don't start until September, so for now I'm just spending my days preparing for school visits. I'm little nervous, but so excited!

I have a desk at the Board of Education, which is a wonderful spot because everyone loves to talk and laugh and chat with me about all sorts of things! Most people don't have a ton of English skills here, but everyone knows just enough to get their point across. We all are learning together and everyone is so easy going, the lack of Japanese skills on  my end doesn't seem to be too much of a problem at all.

The Kadogawa Town Hall - a good looking building!

We had a slow day at work so we all watched my supervisor's wife cooking on local television! It was awesome!

Regardless, I study Japanese everyday. I'm not sure when I'll have as much free time as I do at this point again, so I'm just trying to stuff as much knowledge into brain as possible. I've gotten to lesson eight in my workbook and I'm so close to finishing the whole thing! I can't wait to be get to the intermediate lessons. I need to be able to say "I do this" and other important verbs! 

Otherwise I've done nothing but sightsee and eat at cute cafés with my new friends! I've been drinking iced coffee in excess and eating lots of noodles. It seems like so far Japan really gets me. I think we have a good thing going here.

Here are a few photos from some of my adventures: 

My second night in town - my predecessor and some of his friends and I went to Fujikatsu, a tonkatsu restaurant! They were all so kind and we had an awesome time! We even took purikura pictures afterwards!

 

Then we had a typhoon! Here's the view from my apartment: 

Not too stormy at this point, but my friends from the town hall had to go set up evacuation rescue centers in the gymnasium at one of the middle schools I work for! Better to be safe than sorry!

That night, some of the current ALTs and I sang karaoke and went to a nice "welcome to Japan" dinner! I busted out some "Let it Go" from Frozen (which actually might be more popular here than in the states!).

So fun!

I also got a great cafe/sights of Hyuga tour from some of the more experienced JETs. There's so much to see here!

Scroll Cafe in Nobeoka had amazing ice coffee and delicious treats! I had a "summer tiramisu" which was like cream on coffee jelly.

Nap Cafe had scrumptious American style hamburgers and amazing iced coffee as well! 

Here were some of my favorite photos from their tour of the natural beauty around Nobeoka:

I'm almost done, but I have to show just a few more photos! My coworker Haruka has been showing me the best noodle places in town and they are incredible. I think udon is my favorite, but I haven't had a single dish I haven't enjoyed!

So far, I am very happy in this new town and I look forward to spending my time here. I've never met such friendly people and there's so much natural beauty! I can't wait to see more!

I'll be sure to update more regularly once I get actual wifi. In the meantime, I hope this barrage of photos will hold you over! Tomorrow I head to Miyazaki Orientation for our prefecture wide convention on being a JET. I'll be sure to take plenty of photos and keep you in the loop!

またね (See you later)!

Yo From Tokyo!

Konban wa (good evening) from Tokyo!

It's my last night here before I head to my new home in Miyazaki prefecture and I must say, it's been a surreal and exhausting few days! The Miyazaki JETs and I are all waking up at 5:00am tomorrow to fly out to Kyushu tomorrow, so I should probably be sleeping. But before passing out tonight, I couldn't resist putting a few pictures of what I've been up to lately! It's just been such an insane journey, I can't believe it's already time to head out.

After our San Francisco Orientation, where we listened to some awesome JET alumni talk about their experiences and attended a reception at the Consulate General of Japan's house/mansion, we shuffled luggage around and boarded the plane to Tokyo. The flight was just under ten hours and the airline food wasn't too bad. It didn't even make me want to vomit! Success!

Our tower of luggage was as tall as Mt. Fuji.

This was my first glimpse of Japan from the plane!

The next morning, we woke up jet lagged and bushy-tailed for the first day of Tokyo Orientation. And might I say, it was quite an ordeal. The speeches were interesting and informative, but all the new ALTs were exhausted, so I'm not sure how much information we actually absorbed.

One of my favorite parts of orientation was getting to meet the other Miyazaki JETs and talk about what we expected life to be like in Miyazaki. Apparently we're having a lot of monsoon rains right now and the heat and humidity are off the charts. Gotta love that tropical weather.

Aren't we a good looking bunch?

After the panels and speeches were finished each day, we were able to do some real Tokyo sightseeing. We mostly stayed in Shinjuku since we knew we'd just have to wake up again early the next morning, but it was still quite a treat to eat, explore, and karaoke our way through the city. One night, we karaoke'd so hard, I actually lost my voice for the whole next day! Damn those power ballads and my incessant need to sing like Steven Tyler!

Debbie and I enjoying karage (deep fried chicken) on our first night in the city. 

My Tokyo Orientation roommates (who also happened to be SF JETs) and I going out for some serious noodles. 

My first Japanese noodle dish, an oily pork noodle bowl. It was out of this world!

I even had an opportunity to meet up my friend from the states, Alisa, during one of our lunch breaks. Her family lives in Tokyo, and luckily, we just happened to be in the same place at the same time. She took me to an amazing observatory right across the street from the hotel and the view of Tokyo was incredible!

You can even see Tokyo tower!

I've loved my time in Tokyo, and so far, I'm enjoying my time in Japan. Though I wish I had studied Japanese a bit more before showing up here. There are so many opportunities to practice and I want to understand people so badly! But I know I'll have more time to learn in Miyazaki, and I'm sure I'll figure things out quickly. 

No regrets! I'm ditching the fear and anxiety and embracing this opportunity! Live in the now!

Though I must say, I do regret the fact that I'm leaving the Keio Plaza Hotel's magical heated toilet seats. That's a Japanese invention I will always think of fondly.

As you can see, I'm very inspired, but also very sleepy. I have to wake up in six hours.

Goodnight! Talk to you soon!

Pack Attack: How I Fit My Life Into My Suitcase

Hey folks! I’m currently blogging from the San Francisco International Airport because today’s the day for the SF JET Pre-Departure Orientation. I’m so excited (and gut wrenchingly nervous) to be here! It’s going to be a fun and informative day, and tomorrow we officially fly to Tokyo for the next stage of orientation. I can’t believe it’s actually happening! 

But believe me, last night I was not in the same great mood that I am now. It took a lot of stressing and freaking out and furious pacing to get here. My brain was rapid firing questions so quickly that I could barely do anything at all!

Do I have all the documents I’m supposed to have?

Am I supposed to have more money than I actually do?

Does Japan have ATMs?

Should I be listening to more J-Pop?

What if I don’t know enough Japanese to even go outside without looking like an idiot?

These are all obviously important (especially the J-Pop question), but the BIGGEST stress factor for the move has been packing! I’m essentially moving to Japan indefinitely, so I have to find some way to fit my entire existence into a suitcase. 

If that wasn’t hard enough, Japan has a much more conservative culture than California, so I can’t even include the myriad of short shorts and fitted dresses that have become a staple in my wardrobe. I had to rethink all my clothes and buy business casual clothes that fancy magical real adults wear, instead of the California college appropriate whatnots I had currently. 

In short, packing is tough stuff.

After going through my clothes and figuring out what’s even wearable, and a few trips to Target and Macy’s for business basics, I finally feel as though I have a wardrobe that’s functional and appropriate for my new home in Kadogawa. My items are versatile and simple so I can mix and match looks, and I don’t feel like I’m totally outside my comfort zone. All in all, it feels like a good mix! But I won’t know how successful I am until I actually arrive.

I made a handy list of questions I asked myself in my packing frenzy for the last night in my hometown. If you’re ever trying to figure out what to pack for your international travel situation, check these out! I thought it was pretty helpful!

• What’s the dress code? What’s appropriate in your home country may not be the same in your host country. For instance, Japan's work attire keeps it modest. It’s important to cover your shoulders, the top of your chest, and shorts and skirts should reach your knees. This is really unlike California’s dress code, so I had to adjust. So long short shorts!

• What size suitcase should you bring? You may be tempted to bring everything you own in two extra large suitcases, and if that works for you, great! But it’s often easier to travel light - buy versatile clothing, bring only what’s absolutely needed, and you can buy anything else you need in your new country! My formula for perfect packing is one large suitcase (to check), a backpacking pack, and a purse (for carry on). That way, when I travel in my new country, I can leave the suitcase at home and use that backpack. The purse can be used for every day wear. Another helpful hint: Roll your clothes military style! It saves tons of space and keeps things from getting wrinkled!

• What’s the weather like? Different fabrics are better for different weather conditions. Is it hot and humid? Try and pack lots of dri-fit material, or light thin clothes that still meet the dress code for your country. Is it cold and rainy? Buy light weight rain gear and lots to layer with! Depending on your destination, you may need to rethink that super cute crop top you were planning to bring.

• What will you be doing? As an Assistant Language Teacher, I knew I’d have to bring some business professional clothes, along with shoes I’d be comfortable standing in all day. I also wanted some active wear, as I plan to play with the kids and bike around town when I get the chance. If your schedule calls for different activities, make sure you pack accordingly. No one wants to be at a business meeting in their #partyallday tank top, or hiking in a pencil skirt!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re getting ready to move, but don’t despair! If you think through your location and activities early, you’ll pack your suitcase like a pro!

...though I did end up overpacking. My suitcase is currently seventeen pounds overweight. 

I'm sure it'll all work out somehow.

What’s your tried and true packing method? If you have any helpful tips, share your wisdom in the comments section! I’d love to hear from you!

Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Japan! Sayoonara!