Leilani's Japanese Adventure

Sumi Turns Two!!

2009-05-13T17:26:00.004+09:00

It's been two years since I took home this tiny injured fur ball. Who knew I could love this little guy so much! He has returned to his playful self since arriving here in Hawaii. We are very happy here. I am also including some baby pictures just in case anyone wanted to reminisce with me!

Vienna part one

2009-05-12T15:59:00.005+09:00

My next stop was Vienna. I really love this city. It was so beautiful with amazing Roman and Gothic architecture, tasty chocolate shops, and fancy restaurants. After resting in the hostel for a bit, I walked around the neighborhood to explore. It was chilly again, and I was grateful Georgie lent me a scarf and dad’s ski cap before I left. I had weinerschnitzel a few times in Vienna, and they were all amazing. The first night I also went to an ice cream shop where they had a variety of parfaits and sundaes. I had the pistachio one. It had loads of whipped cream over ice cream, lots of pistachios, all covered in a pistachio sauce puree. It was delicious.
The next day, I went to Schloss Schonbrun. It is the summer palace for the Habsburgs. One famous daughter of Maria Theresa, was Marie Antoinette. I took a tour through the home with an audio guide. It was really interesting, and quite beautiful. There was a huge ballroom where Mozart played a concert for Maria Theresa when he was just 6 years old. The grounds were quite beautiful, but since it was the tail end of winter, not much was in bloom. I imagine in spring it is gorgeous. There were many fountains and trails all in the “backyard.” I encountered some friendly squirrels that were absolutely adorable with their large pointy ears. I think they are used to being fed, because they came right up to you. But, I was smart and didn’t pick any up for fear of being quarantined with rabies.
In the front of the summer home was a small Easter Market. Lots of school groups were visiting that day, and they were just as excited about the oversized Easter eggs, giant pretzels, and chocolates as I was. I really like looking at all the painted eggs as well. They reminded me of the ones mom made for Christmas. She is such a good artist! So is dad. What happened with me? Anyways, it was a fun trip to the summer residence. After that, I took the underground to the main part of the city.

Budapest part three

2009-04-21T17:25:00.006+09:00

For my last full day in Budapest, I did some more walking around town. I saw St. Steven's Basillica, which was very beautiful. Then I went to the Terror Museum, which is the former headquarters for the secret police of both the Nazi and Communist governments right in the middle of Budapest. It was an interesting place. I don't know if it is categorized as a concentration camp, but it certainly was a place where Jews were exterminated. They had many videos of survivors, and one in particular struck me. It was of a group of women who were held prisoner for no apparent reason. Years later, they confronted the one woman who was their supervisor, and quite harsh to them. She kept saying that she didn't know why they were so afraid of her. She just didn't get it.
Then I walked to Heroes Square. At the square are statues of past Hungarian leaders, and some others that I found interesting. It was a Sunday, and there was some sort of ceremony going on where everyone was singing, and holding crosses. I'm not exactly sure what was going on, but it was fun to watch.

So I had to take a picture of the flushing mechanism for the toilet at the hostel. Yes, it is a pencil. And it wasn't just that one toilet, there were 2 with pencil flushers! What piece could have possibly been missing from the toilet? Was it too expensive to replace? Anyways, I thought it was funny.
The last picture was my breakfast at a McCafe by the train station. It was really good. The donut was filled with really creamy chocolate. Yum!

Budapest part two

2009-04-20T16:40:00.005+09:00

On my second day in Budapest, I visited the castle district. It is up on a hill. It is a large area, but it is easily walked. I saw Mathias church, the castle looking parts, had lunch (chicken paprika with dumplings) and dessert (somoli galuska -a traditional Hungarian dessert). I also tried to go into the Castle Labyrinth. It is series of underground caves made naturally from hot springs. It was really dark and drippy. I was able to see a little, then I got too scared and had to leave.
The views from the castle were very nice. There was also a small market area where I bought a Hungarian funnel cake. It was pretty good, and freshly made.

Budapest part one

2009-04-14T16:48:00.004+09:00

Next is Budapest, Hungary. My favorite builiding is the Parliament. As my students said, "It's really pointy."
Budapest is divided into two areas by the river. The west bank is Buda, and the east bank is Pest. I stayed on the Pest side, right next to the Parliament building. I walked down south a bit and went to a market. The bottom floor was filled with vegetable, meat, and expensive food stands. The upper floor had souvenirs and food. It was so much fun to browse through.

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-11T11:58:00.003+09:00

Even though this isn’t remotely about Japan, I wanted to share about my spring break trip to Germany, Hungary, and Austria. Overall, I had a great trip and saw a lot of cool things.
Oh, and I have also decided to resign from my position in San Diego and hang out for a while longer in Hawaii.
So I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany to snow! I’m pretty sure I was the only one in the country wearing ¾ pants. My German is awful, but when I heard the flight attendants say minus 1 degree Celsius, I was shocked.
I spent about 3 days total at the beginning and end of my trip in Frankfurt. I didn’t find too much to do there. I visited the old town area, walked along the river, and did some shopping. There were a few nice sights, but overall, I enjoyed the other cities much more.

New job!

2009-01-21T14:50:00.007+09:00

Sorry it's been a while! Some important things going on are that I finished up the job teaching 5th grade at Pearl Ridge, and now I am teaching 6th grade at Pearl Harbor Kai. It is located right outside of the fence enclosing Pearl Harbpr. It has been quite a change for me. They run the 6th grade like a middle school. So I have a homeroom class, then we rotate the classes through 3 periods. I teach science and social studies. Then in the afternoon, the kids have an elective class, and I teach debate. Each class has about 30 kids, so that is over 90 total. The first day was a bit overwhelming. But I am settling in, and I am feeling more comfortable.

Well, I don't have any pictures of the class, so I will post kitty pictures! You can see the difference between my old tv and new one. Old tv - smaller than Sakura. New tv - bigger than Sakura.

Cinnamon's

2008-11-25T15:53:00.002+09:00

I had the best breakfast a few weekends ago. My mom and Aunty both had heard of a restaurant called Cinnamon's in Kailua, on the other side of the island. I checked out the menu online, and all of us were convinced with "guava chiffon pancakes." So after church, we all headed over the Pali to get some breakfast. With the maps application on my iphone, we found the restaurant even though none of us are familiar with the area.
We were seated outside, and started with great coffee. I was all set to get my guava chiffon pancakes, but I spotted the pumpkin pancakes on the specials board, and immediately knew that was it. I also wanted something salty, so I ordered the homefries with cheese. Luckily, mom ordered the guava, so I shared a bite. Wow! All the food was amazing. The potatoes were the best I've ever had, and the pancakes were fantastic. The pumpkin pancakes were rolled and filled with a cream cheese filling and topped with cream. The sweetness was perfectly balanced with the salty potatoes.
I can't wait to go back!

Meow meows!!

2008-11-12T16:52:00.003+09:00

David really loves the kitties. Every time he sees me or talks to me on the phone, he asks me about the "meow meows." He loves to give them hugs and kisses. He also loves it when Sakura licks his hand. David unfortunately discovered her claws while trying to join her in the kitty tent, but that hasn't deterred his affection for them. Both kitties are very patient with him. And even though he has tried to share their food and play in their "sandbox," it has been fun to watch them interact.

Kitties Halloween!

2008-11-08T16:35:00.004+09:00

Okay, I am kinda cheating on the pictures in this one. I dressed the kitties up in their Halloween costumes when I was back in Japan, and didn't out them on again here, so I am using the old pictures of their costumes. Anyhow, I tried to stick with a Japanese theme for the kitty costume and David's (which I'll post once dad gives me pictures).

My room

2008-11-02T17:30:00.005+09:00

I keep forgetting to post pictures of my room here at grandpa's. The first ones are the "before" pictures with dad and I hard at work.
Starting with the armoire with the kitties on top, they are the "after" pictures. It really is so comfortable and nice here. Grandpa and I get along pretty well. I also bought a little fold-out futon for anyone who wants to visit!
The little attack kitties also did their job by corning a small roach for me while I was asleep and keeping it there until I got up and killed it.
They both really like this green chair, and look how close they are!

Sand Bath

2008-10-19T08:02:00.004+09:00

I'm in Hawaii!!

2008-10-19T06:58:00.009+09:00

Well, my Japanese Adventure is over, but I have new adventures beginning in Hawaii.
I started vacationing in California in August for three weeks. I had a great time celebrating my birthday with Beth and Shelley in LA, seeing friends in San Diego, and family up north. I even ran into a friend from Wakayama in Santa Cruz! It’s such a small world.
My mom and Aunty Trish, Christina, and Uncle Rich all shared in the responsibility of taking care of Sumi and Sakura until they were ready to join me in Hawaii. The kitties came on October 4th, and are doing great! No quarantine, so all the hard work was worth it.
So I arrived in Hawaii on August 25th, stayed with dad and Georgie, and got to meet my new brother! David is such an amazing boy. He turned three in May, but looks about 2 years old. Because of his cleft palate, he cannot speak very well, but he is always chatting away and singing in his own way. We have taught him some signs in order to communicate, and he picks up fast and loves to use them. There are so many things I love about him, I can’t possibly write them all here.
Here are some pictures of David and me. He loves helping us with everything from cooking, to cleaning, building things, and making sure I have enough sand in my hair. I have such a great time with him. He also loves the kitties. Sumi is pretty patient and puts up with the hugs, kisses, and tail pulls (I’ve trained him well). Sakura, however, isn’t quite as patient and swiped him in his face. But to her defense, it was after he pushed her all over the living room in her cage, then stuck his face in to say hello. I think she just felt cornered. Anyways, he still loves them and all animals. And he has turned out to be a pretty good roach smasher.
I also got a job working at Pearl Ridge Elementary in 5th grade. I am only there until December. Too bad, because it is such an amazing school with great teachers and wonderful students. I will certainly enjoy my time there.
I am not sure how much I will be traveling now, but if I see some interesting things, I will add them to this blog. Next will be my new living space, and of course the kitties.

Last night in Japan

2008-08-04T02:46:00.002+09:00

Wow. Two years goes by so fast. I have had such an amazing experience here. It is almost 3am now, and I leave in about 14 hours. Sumi is sitting on the floor by me, and Sakura is running around. I'm staying with Theo and Shogo for my last night. I have been out of my apt since the 30th, and I had been staying with one of the English teacher's and his family. It was my first home stay, and they are a wonderful family.
I will write a few more posts about Japan because I didn't have enough time in the last few weeks.
I don't think I've ever had to say goodbye to so many people before. All the students, teachers, and friends I have made here. Even the owner of my favorite restaurant, Kaya, made me pinky swear I would come back and visit.
There are many things I will miss here. People keep asking what I liked the best. It is a hard thing to answer because I don't think I have just one thing. But the main thing is how I have grown as a person. I feel more confident and comfortable with myself. I feel all the experiences of living, traveling, and teaching abroad have had such a positive effect on me.
I am sad to leave here, but excited for what will come next.

Mt. Fuji - part 一

2008-07-30T09:59:00.005+09:00

Well, I think enough time has passed and my muscles have healed that I can finally write a more positive review of my climb up Mt. Fuji. Overall, it was the most physically and mentally exhausting thing I have ever done. But looking back at the pictures, I can appreciate how beautiful it was. For days, I claimed it was the worst thing I have ever done, but now, I’m glad I went. And climbing with my two friends, Kate and Tristan, made it really fun. Kate kept my spirits up on the way up the mountain, and Tristan kept me from giving up on the way down. I couldn’t have done it by myself.
I started from Wakayama at about 7pm on Friday, July 18th. It was the last day of school, and super hot. I wasn’t feeling very well, so I took a nap before I got on the train to Kyoto, but the nausea stayed with me. At about 9:30, our group left Kyoto station on an overnight bus to Mt. Fuji. I went with a group of JET’s from various places around the Kansai area, and there were three of us from Wakayama. The bus had no leg room, so I didn’t sleep very well at all. I also threw up at the first rest stop. So my climb didn’t start out with me at 100%.
We arrived near Mt. Fuji very early, so Kate, Tristan, and I sat around, ate, and chatted at a restaurant for a few hours. We took a bus to the 5th station on the mountain. There were many souvenir shops, restaurants, and even horses to ride up the mountain. Kate and I had bought small stuffed Fuji-chans as a souvenir, and decided to take pictures of their climb up Fuji too.

Mt. Fuji - part 二

2008-07-30T00:16:00.004+09:00

We arrived at the 7th station about 4pm on Sat. There, we had dinner and rested. We each had a “bed” reserved, and we took a three hour nap before climbing again at 10pm Sat in order to watch the sunrise Sunday morning. You can see from the horrible picture of me leaving the hut that I was still a bit sleepy. And despite the uncanny resemblance of our beds to those I saw at Dachau, I slept like a rock those three hours.
Now it was only supposed to take about 3 or 4 hours to make it to the top for sunrise, but we just happened to pick the same three-day weekend that 10,000 other people chose too, so it was quite crowded. My legs didn’t hurt too much on the way up, but the air was quite thin, so it was difficult to breathe. There was so much people traffic that we would take one step up, wait for 3-4 min, then take another step, wait 3-4min. That made it difficult. All of us were so exhausted, that we were almost falling asleep standing, but that would have been awful if we had fallen because we’d take out hundreds below us too. We were climbing in the dark, but we had a beautiful full moon above us, and thousands of headlamps strapped to Japanese (and Kate’s) heads to light our way. I decided not to use my flashlight so I could grab the rocks with my hands to pull myself up.
I am not sure exactly where we were for sunrise, but it wasn’t the top. We stopped to watch it, and then the cold really set in. Tristan and I had a bowl of udon inside a hut to warm up and get out of the chilling wind. I don’t know what the temp was, but it was supposed to be around zero. Kate was feeling nauseous due to the altitude, and I wasn’t feeling to hot either. But Tristan said we have to go up sometime, so we might as well do it now! After the sun rose, we could really see how desolate the mountain is. But it was so beautiful to be above the clouds. I wish I could have bounced and cuddled up in them like in cartoons.
We finally reached the top of Mt. Fuji at 7am Sunday morning. We all collapsed on the ground. Many people were sprawled out sleeping. Actually, the entire way up we saw people curled up fast asleep on the sides of the trail, even on the steep parts!
We checked out the crater, snapped some photos, I picked up a few small rocks for dad, and headed back down.
Now began my own person descent into hell. Apparently we went down the wrong trail, and just happened to choose the longest and most difficult one. Not only was it steep, but it was all black ash and rocks. I inhaled so much dust and dirt! Many people ran down the hill, but I was a bit scared to do a face plant into the rocks. So I went slowly. Really slowly. Too slowly. So slow, that I was passed by a ninety year old man – twice (because he stopped to rest, and passed me again!). Here’s the part where I broke down in tears, upset at myself for being so slow and out of shape. But I had to stop my tears because I couldn’t see where I was going, and the black goo pouring from my nose was gross. Then I finally caught up to the others, had a hissy-fit, and we continued on. My legs were so strained that I couldn't bend them. It was so difficult to go down, but Tristan held his arm out for me when I needed a hand, and kept encouraging me when I wanted to give up and die.
Finally, after walking through a forest, and swearing my revenge on this awful, awful mountain, we made it out.
The best part of the trip was the buffet dinner and onsen after the hike. The hot water felt so good on my sore muscles. And the cold pools made me feel refreshed. The onsen was outdoors, and it was very relaxing to rest looking up at the stars.
After another bus ride back to Kyoto, and a train to Wakayama, I passed out in my apt until the next day. I couldn’t move easily for about two days because my muscles were so sore. But I made it to my last hula lesson on Sat.
I have many funny memories, and others that I’d like to forget. But, overall, I am proud of myself for doing it. Plus, I think it is a good thing for me to realize that I can’t do everything by myself. Help from your friends is a good thing. More memories to treasure from Japan.

Hokkaido and Scott visit

2008-06-23T23:40:00.007+09:00

Last weekend I went up to Hokkaido to visit my friend, Scott. He lived in Wakayama, and moved up to Sapporo a few months ago. It is funny because we met here in Wakayama, but he was born and raised in San Diego. Such a small world! I could embarrass him by saying what an awesome friend he has been to me here, but I know he’d hate that. Anyhow, I have missed him terribly and decided to take one last trip up north before I leave Japan to say hi.
The last time I went to Hokkaido was in winter for the Snow Festival. This time the weather was warmer, and it was a nice respite from the heat and humidity in Wakayama.
I chose to go up that particular weekend because there was a food fair on Friday, and the Flower Festival started on Saturday.
I flew up Thursday night and we had an amazing dinner at a Nepalese restaurant near Scott’s house. It turned out to be mostly Indian food, but it was so delicious. I had Butter Masala and we shared garlic and cheese naan. I also had a mango lassi. Oh, it was so good!
On Friday, Scott had school in the morning, so I slept in. We met up at Hokkaido University (where he is a student), and he showed me around campus. I had been there once before, but it was nice to see it without it’s snowy blanket. After looking around campus, we headed over to the food fair that was being held in front of the former Government Building. It was much smaller than I had imagined. There were only two rows of tents and a Spanish music group playing. The tents had samples of Hokkaido food and some were selling fresh fruits and vegetables. We sampled a few things, but Scott was braver than I and tried the wasabi natto. It looked like rat poop covered in snot. We snacked on a giant bowl of roasted potatoes that was only 200¥. After that, we wandered around the city and did a little shopping. We still had lots of time in the day, so we went to the Sapporo Station to try and find a little trip to take. Scott had heard about a chocolate factory nearby, and although I was a little upset he hadn’t mentioned this earlier, I was super excited to go.
The factory is very famous in Japan for it’s cookies. We looked around the museum and peeked into the factory floor. It was really amazing to see all the cookie machines and employees hard at work. It all was very exciting!
On Saturday, Scott went to work bright and early, while I slept in again. After he came home, we headed off to our next destination, Otaru. If you remember the pictures I posted of the candle festival, that was Otaru. It is a really quaint little town that I just absolutely love. The ride is only about 35-45 minutes depending on the type of train you take. Otaru is a port, so there is a bit of foreign and European influence. We stayed at the same hostel I stayed at when I was there last because it is conveniently located and the owners are nice. So nice in fact, that I apparently had told them we were coming July 21st instead of June 21st, but they prepared a room for us anyway that was very comfortable.
After dropping off our backpacks, we had the ramen famous in Hokkaido – butter and corn. It was delicious! Then we walked around, looked at the ocean, I bought some glass items, and we tried the giant 200 gram, 8cm takoyaki balls. Takoyaki balls are usually a little bigger than bitesize and have squid inside an eggy sort of batter that they make into balls. These, as you can see, are much bigger! Also, I special ordered mine, leaving out about 2/3 of the ingredients. I am not a fan of takoyaki, but I wanted to try it. It was ok. Later, we went to my favorite chocolate shop called Le Tao. We had cake and coffee up on the patio, and of course I bought lots of chocolate to take home for gifts and snacks. Even Scott, who normally doesn’t like chocolate (weird!) liked the rich chocolate at Le Tao.
That night we rode the train one stop to Wing Bay shopping center where we saw “Indiana Jones.” I wasn’t super impressed with the movie, but it was nice to see one on the big screen again.
Sunday, we headed back to Sapporo and had our traditional visit to Mr. Donuts. We wandered through the flower festival at Odori Park, which was also smaller than I imagined, but had some pretty flowers.
I came back to Wakayama on Sunday night.
I am glad I went to Hokkaido again because it is one of my favorite spots in Japan. And visiting with Scott was great. This will probably be the last trip I take on an airplane before I leave Japan. My time is winding down…

mmmmm...catnip

2008-06-18T22:12:00.002+09:00

No not for the cats, this is Japan remember. I bought this drink thinking it was some kind of lemon soda. But, surprise! The ingredients of this relaxing lemon drink include catnip. So, I tried it anyway, and it was not bad. Not good, but not bad.
Surprise food, I will miss it when I go!

Koyasan

2008-06-08T22:07:00.006+09:00

This weekend, I headed up to Koyasan with my friend Aiko. Koyasan is a sacred mountain in Wakayama, about 2 ½ hours away by train. I went up there once before in autumn with my dad and Georgie. I wanted to go up once more before I left. There are many temples and world heritage sites there.
We decided to stay overnight at a temple, where you can get special meals prepared by the monks and attend a service in the morning.
Aiko and I arrived about 1pm, and went to the tourism office where they booked us for that night at a nearby temple called Tentokuin. We left our bags at the temple and explored. The main area we went to is called Okunoin. There is a temple surrounded by a tranquil cedar forest, and a half million tombs. It is a beautiful and very peaceful place.
The town closes down at about 5pm, so we headed back to the temple. A monk showed us to our room and explained the boy/girl rotation for the bath. Our room was a traditional Japanese style, which I really love. It was very simple and when we opened the windows, we discovered a beautiful view of a pond and garden outside! It was such a peaceful and serene place. We had an amazing vegetarian dinner with a beautiful view from our room. After dinner, we took a Japanese style bath that was so relaxing! When we returned, the monks had made our beds up for us, and we went right to sleep, at 9:00!
After a good night’s sleep, we woke up at 6am and got ready for the morning prayer service at 6:30. I sat on my knees for as long as I could, but I had to shift a bit in the middle. It was a really interesting service. The two monks chanted in perfect harmony with each other and it was very beautiful. The service would have been even more tranquil had a giant bee not been present right behind me. I heard it, and turned around and saw a bee about three inches long trying to get out the door behind me. It was clearly agitated, and I was clearly uncomfortable. I turned to the monk sitting at the back of the room and he gestured that there was nothing to worry about. About 5 min later, I heard him jump behind me, as the giant bee had starting buzzing by him. Now he was clearly alarmed, and tried to open the sliding door, but was afraid to get too close. Finally, the bee settled down, and we could all enjoy the service again.
At about 7:30, the monks brought us our breakfast. Another tasty meal comprised of rice, tofu, vegetables, miso, and tea. I forgot to take a picture of that though! I guess we were too hungry.
After our meal, we went back into town and did some shopping. I got some omiyage for the teachers and my adult students. And of course snacks for me. We passed a shop that was making fresh yaki mochi (grilled rice cakes filled with sweet beans). It was warm and fresh, and SO delicious! It was as soft as a toasted marshmallow.
I also got a juzu (prayer beads) for myself.
Koyasan is definitely one of my favorite spots in Japan. I’m happy I made it back there one more time before leaving!

Hula Show

2008-06-05T18:19:00.005+09:00

A few weeks ago, I was in my second hula show here in Japan. I waited a while before writing this post hoping that Mike would send me the pictures he took. But, I’m sure he is just busy (or exhausted) with his adorable little baby girl, so I am forced to show the pictures from my camera. I asked one of my adult students to take pictures for me, and as you can see, I think she may actually be blind judging from these pictures: 70% wall and ceiling, 25% other people, 5% me. So, the first picture, well the first one is Sumi getting into the hula spirit the night before! The second picture shows, with no cropping on my part, the quality of pictures taken. The rest, I fully cropped, ‘till you can almost see each pixel. But, at least I have some pictures of me. Last year, Scott did a great job getting photos of me, but he moved Hokkaido. I will be visiting him in a few weeks.
I was in five dances, including a solo. I chose to do a Tahitian aparima, which looks similar to hula awana. This year, I was much less nervous than I have been in the past. My self-confidence is definitely building. Another song I did is called, Leinani. Of course it being so similar to my name, everyone thought it was actually my namesake. Plus, I was dancing on the floor, with all the other members behind me on stage, so that thoroughly convinced people the song was all about me. And if you look real close, you can see the French whore make-up they painted on me. But, really it was a fun show, and I had a great time.
This, of course was my last show here in Japan. I will continue my hula lessons through July, until I leave for California on August 4th. Unfortunately, I will miss many lessons due to me trying to pack in all the last things I want to do in Japan before I leave. This coming weekend, I will stay at a Buddhist temple in Koyasan. In two weeks, I will go and visit Scott in Hokkaido. The last weekend of June, my friends (and neighbors) Matt and Hitomi are getting married. July seems less busy for now, but I will be packing and preparing for my last big adventure here in Japan – hiking Mt. Fuji! I will go to Fuji-san the weekend of July 19th, hike up during the night on Saturday, and *hopefully* make it to the top for a sunrise Sunday morning.
So if it takes me a little longer to get back to your emails, I apologize. I am quite busy with work (for a change), and getting things (mostly cats) in order to move back.

small & LARGE

2008-06-04T20:43:00.003+09:00

My, how my little fur ball has grown. Mom had a good idea to take a picture of Sumi on the sofa again to see how much bigger he is.
I still can't believe how tiny he was.

Beijing

2008-05-14T17:11:00.004+09:00

Aiko went back to Japan on Saturday morning, so I spent my last two days in Beijing on my own. There were still a few spots I wanted to see, but I also wanted to relax a bit. First I went to the Temple of Heaven. The temple is surrounded by a huge park. There are many places to sit and relax, listen to live music, watch artists performing, or buy some trinkets. I found the paddle ball players interesting. They would catch the ball on their paddle, then spin, swoop, and dance around keeping the ball there the whole time. Then gracefully toss it to their partner, who would do more elaborate movements. The Temple itself was beautiful, but there weren’t too many things to see. I did like the tiles on the roofs and trim. The corners had dragons of cobalt blue and a deep emerald green. The weather was a bit cloudy, but that was fine with me as I walked quite a bit.
After the Temple, I crossed the street to the Pearl Market. This is a multi-level building with just about anything you could possibly want. One level had souvenirs and jewelry. Another couple floors were clothes, one had shoes, and one was purses, bags, and luggage. Of course you bargain for everything, which I am getting a bit more used to. I didn’t care for the shop ladies calling out to me incessantly as I walked by, but when a girl grabbed my arm to direct my attention to a pair of shoes, I wanted to clock her. I ended up getting a good deal on some makeup, and then I was happy to leave.
By then, I was getting pretty good at using the bus (and now I knew how to pay for my trip), so I took it to a mall I passed earlier. It is a really beautiful shopping center called The Oriental Mall. I window shopped for a while, and then I saw an advertisement for a massage in the building next door. I went in and had a body massage, but the place was so beautiful and relaxing, that I ended up getting a facial and foot massage too. The massage was probably one of the best I have ever had because it used only light pressure, which I prefer. The facial was great, but the simultaneous foot massage had some problems. Now I know that I can be a bit overly sensitive when it comes to pain, but the water and towels that the guy used on my feet and legs were at least 100 degrees Celsius and left second degree burns on my knees and feet. Well, not really, but it was super hot and my skin was all red for hours! It was the strangest sensation to put my feet in to the pool of water (which I’m sure was boiling, but since it was dark, I couldn’t see) because it felt as though I had plunged them into ice, but after about 5 sec, the burning set in, and I yanked my feet out and yelped. I’m sure I scared the masseuses. Later when he put the scalding towels on my knees and I had the same reaction, the girl doing my facial yelled at him. But really, it was an amazing afternoon. I felt quite relaxed.
That night I had dinner at Outback (I’ve been now in 5 countries) and saw a movie. When I got out of the movie it was about 10pm, and I didn’t realize that the buses stop running at 10. I was pouting and standing there trying to think of how to get back to the hostel, when at 10:15, the bus I needed pulled up! I was so happy and surprised. I didn’t like feeling stranded, but now I was safe and sound on the bus. Since it was dark, I showed the lady the name of my stop so she could warn me. On the buses there is a driver, and by the back door, the person who takes the bus fare. The fare collectors were always very helpful and nice to me, making sure I was at the right places.
My last day, I woke up early to get bread from the awesome place down the street that I had been to 3 times in four days. The bread was so fresh and hot, and there was a line of people buying the bread straight out of the oven. I bought 2 pieces, and I had to wait a while for them to cool down so I could eat them. I even had to hold the bag by the top plastic handles so I wouldn’t get burns on my hands! On the way back to the hostel, I helped a mother and daughter from Edinburgh get to the hostel. Man they had heavy luggage! I had my last delicious lunch there at the hostel. As I said before the owners Rick and Rachel were so kind and helpful. They wrote notes for me in Chinese for all my destinations. So with my note in hand, I caught a cab to the airport. And just as I stepped in, it started to rain for the first time the entire trip.
There are many awesome things in China, and I am so happy I made it there. A few things were a bit challenging like the language and the toilets, but it was all in all really great.
For the Olympics, they have tried to clean up some things and fix their English signs. I saw this one sign on a moving sidewalk, and thought how polite “oldster” is, and so cute. An investment in janitors in the restrooms would make a positive impact on visitors, as would spit guards and diapers. Chubby little butt cheeks poking out of split pants are cute, until you see them being used – straight onto the sidewalk. Yuck.

Sumi Turns One!!

2008-05-12T07:31:00.005+09:00

Today is Sumi's birthday! I can't believe that it has been a whole year since I got the little screaming ball of fur. He started out at 3.5 oz and now he is 10 lbs! He is so big! He has really enlightened my life.
In these pictures is a few of his favorite sleeping spots, places to hide, and a hug from his sister.
Notice how he eats out of a doggie bowl because it's the only bowl I found heavy enough so he doesn't flip it over.
In the picture of us, I look horrible, but I love the look on his face!
And no I didn't have a party for him. He just gets a special dinner tonight. Maybe I'll give him some broccoli, his favorite.

... But I did sing Happy Birthday :)

The Great Wall

2008-04-28T22:14:00.010+09:00

Now, for my favorite part of the entire trip, the Great Wall. I knew this was something I wanted to see because it is so famous, but I was completely blown away by the beauty and grandness of this structure. There are 4 parts of the wall that are open to tourists. The first two, Badaling and Mutianyu are close to the city, and therefore nicely restored and packed full of tourists. But for more of an adventure, we decided to go to the two farther parts, Simatai and Jinshanling, which are much less traveled, unrestored, and therefore, more historic. The bus ride was about 3 hours. I was pretty sure the bus driver got lost a few times, because he kept making U-turns, but we made it by 11am. From the parking lot up to the wall was an estimated hour walk, so Aiko and I decided to take the cable car up. The first glimpse of the wall just takes your breath away. How can it be so big, and it just seems to extend forever in each direction. I thought how it would feel to be an invading army long ago coming across such a magnificent structure. No way around and not easy to get over. Would they just give up and go home? Stepping onto the Wall, I felt special, and once again, so lucky to experience this.
These part of the Wall run through two provinces. The one in Beijing is restored, and you can really tell the difference walking on the two. The part on the surrounding province has not been restored, so it is crumbling, but it feels real and authentic. The weather could not have been better that day, sunny with a breeze. The Wall is quite steep in some places, so it was nice to rest in the shade of the turrets. Our guide told us some turrets were to send smoke signals when enemies were approaching, while others were used as General’s sleeping quarters. The section we walked was 10km, about 6 miles, but it was steep in many parts, plus with all the picture taking, it took us about 4 hours to complete. When you reach the end of the section, there are two ways to get back down. The boring way is to walk, and the exciting way is a ropeway where you are harnessed in, hold on, and glide over a river to the opposite side. Guess which one I chose! I was a bit scared, and almost didn’t do it, but I told myself there is really no reason to be scared, and just do it. Aiko chose to walk, so I gave her my camera, and she got a great picture as I whizzed by. She was disappointed that I didn’t scream. And I was surprised I didn’t either, but it wasn’t scary. I was actually really relaxed. It was a beautiful view, and a nice, smooth little ride.
Our reward at the end for finishing the hike was a great buffet lunch. As I said before, the food was absolutely delicious!
We arrived back at the hostel a little after 8pm, and we decided to walk around a bit in our area. We were very close to the Hou Hai Lake area, which is filled with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. All the restaurants and bars were filled with people, and the dance floors too. At the entrance to this area, there was an outdoor dance party with dozens of couples tangoing. We noticed in Xian too many elderly people dancing outside in random parts of the city. Music would start up, and people got in lines to strut their stuff. It was great.
After doing a little shopping, we had dinner at an outdoor restaurant where we had our first taste of real Peking Duck. It was smoky, and quite good. We also had dumplings and a special fried rice. To drink, I had a Boba milk tea that was warm, and absolutely perfect because I was freezing without a jacket, and wrapping the tablecloth around my arms wasn’t doing much.
The menus in this area were quite entertaining. Since there are many tourists, they were translated into English. I am glad they were, because if they were only in Chinese, and I just pointed to something, I would have been very hungry after dinner. There were of course, beaks, feet, intestines, testicles, and pretty much anything found in or on the animals, but the funniest food we saw was “wikipedia.” I am so upset that it is blurry, but the menu says: “Stir-fried wikipedia,” “steamed eggs with wikipedia,” and “fried special wikipedia.” If anyone has any insights about what that could possible be I’d love to hear it!

Terracotta Warriors

2008-04-26T20:56:00.006+09:00

The main reason I wanted to go to Xian, was to check out the Terracotta Warriors. These statues were built before 210 BC and buried with the Emperor of Quin. We saw a short movie of how he was the first Emperor to “unify” China. Obviously, not everyone was happy about that, and about 5 years after Emperor’s death, the tomb was raided, set afire, and looted. In 1974, some farmers digging a well discovered the Terracotta Army again. The statues were all in pieces, save one, and it was a great find.
The statues are quite amazing, not only the sheer number of them, but their uniqueness. Each statue is life-size and has unique facial features, uniforms, and hairstyles. No two statues are alike. They were originally painted with bright colors, but they have faded since being unearthed. One soldier still has a bit of yellow in his scarf, but that is all I could see. They also held real weapons, but those were all stolen in the raid.
I was quite amazed to see how well they were reconstructed. Tourists can only look at them from afar, but you can still appreciate the great detail and effort that went into making these figures. There are over 7,000 figures including soldiers of various ranks, horses, and chariots.
The mausoleum holding the First Quin Emperor and the Terracotta Army were buried and sealed in 210 BC, and were never meant to be found. I felt almost a little guilty walking around this place that was meant to stay buried. But at the same time, I was so pleased to be able to see in person what great things people can accomplish, and so long ago. The information at the museum talked many times of unification, but I imagine it was more like conquering rather than agreed upon joining of forces. I was thinking about the forced labor used to build this colossal tribute to this Emperor. I still want to see other monuments like the pyramids and the Taj Majal. The statues are amazing, and I feel fortunate to have been able to see them for myself.
The tour we went on also made two other stops. First we went to the Banpo Village. It is the first evidence of civilization that has been found in China. We saw the remnants of two kinds of huts, kilns, and graves. The place was small, but interesting.
The second stop was a fake mausoleum for the Emperor of Quin. If I had done the proper research beforehand, then I would have discovered that his tomb has not been opened. Our first clue that this place was bogus was the fake flowers wrapped around the tree branches. Inside looked like the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland, but without the cool flying ship. They even had fake concubines, men and women, lying in the stucco underground passageways. Oh well, live and learn.

Hua Mountain

2008-04-22T18:36:00.007+09:00

The next full day in Xian, we headed up to Hua Mountian. It is about a 3-hour bus ride, that I slept most of the way through. I was a bit worried about this hike because of the online descriptions as “dangerous” and the pictures of people gripping the heavy metal chains as they make their way around the cliff edges that we saw on the internet. Plus the only tour was in Chinese. But then I guess we wouldn’t hear all the warnings and such to fuel the fire for my growing anxiety. The drive, lunch, and a short stop at some voodoo “medical” clinic took up the morning, and after switching buses a few times, we arrived at the base of the mountain. We were super lucky because although it rained the previous evening, the weather was now clear and beautiful.
There are two ways to get to the starting point of the hike: 1. Walk up the Soldier’s Path, which consists of about a bazillion steps straight up the mountain, or 2. Take the cable car. We opted for #2. As I went through my pictures, I was surprised to find myself a little dizzy looking at some of them. At the time, I was interested in looking around, but wow, we were really high up!
The mountain was very beautiful, and had an amazing view. The higher up we went to the different peaks, we saw snow on the ground. Along with the cherry blossom trees, it was quite picturesque. The hike was a bit difficult because it is all stairs. Very steep stairs. There were some points where we needed to use the chains to pull ourselves up, but I didn’t feel in danger at all. We went to the North Peak, Dragon's Trail, Fish Ridge, and finally the Peak in the Clouds.
The views were amazing, the weather was perfect, and everything was absolutely beautiful. I had heard of this place, but it was Aiko’s idea to go there. It was a great idea and I’m glad we got to see this beautiful part of China.

Xian

2008-04-17T21:53:00.010+09:00

After my cousin’s visit, I headed to China for the rest of my spring holiday. After a short flight, I met up with my friend, Aiko, in Beijing. Aiko lives here in Japan and is in the JET Program. Coincidentally, she is also from California, went to UCSD, is a teacher, and is half Japanese. Small world huh?
We met up at the train station to catch an overnight train to Xian. We had a few obstacles in buying the train tickets, so the only seats left we the “hard seats” for the 12 hour journey. I guess the seats wouldn’t have been so bad if they reclined, weren’t facing a stupid girl who put her luggage at our feet blocking any leg room, people weren’t hitting their tables during a rowdy card game, playing music, watching movies on their computer, and generally shouting. But we survived with a few hours sleep. And I can’t even explain how disgusting the train station bathrooms were because the stench eminating from them hit me as we walked nearby, and my bladder went into hibernation for the following 20 hours. Horray for teacher bladders!
The hostel we stayed in was absolutely beautiful, and after cleaning up a bit, and using the bathroom (yay!), we headed into the city. The hostel is in an excellent location, next to the South Wall. It is a short walk to the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Muslim Street, and lots of shopping. First, we went to the Bell Tower. It is beautiful structure in the center of the inner wall. We had good timing and watched a bell performance. The group played a variety of instruments which sounded absolutely beautiful, and a girl danced wearing a dress with super long sleeves that she would throw into the air, twirl and catch. It was a very nice performance.
Then we walked past the Drum Tower on our way to Muslim Street. Now, Muslim street was probably my favorite part of the city. There is a side street with souvenirs that you bargain for, small shops, and the best street food! There are various carts and small restaurants that line the streets and alleys with food. Some were a little sketchy, like the ones with roasted duck beaks, but many had a variety of baked, grilled, and fried breads that were out of this world! I wish I taken a picture of my favorites, but they were so hot and tasty that they immediately disappeared into my tummy. I also had some great peanut and sesame candies and cookies.
We also went to see the mosque in the same area. It is tucked away right in the middle of the bustling city, and has very beautiful and peaceful grounds to explore. I noticed the flowering trees were so different in China and amazingly beautiful.
We finished off our day by trying to walk to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, but it after an hour, we decided it was too far, and the water show we wanted to see had already started, so we headed back. We stopped at a great little restaurant that, like almost all the ones we ate at, had neither English menus nor any English speaking staff. But this place had a few pictures on the walls, so we pointed at those, which worked well. So we had another wonderful meal that I wish I could eat again right now!
We noticed that many people immediately shut down when we tried to speak to them. They would put their hand up, and wave us away, or simply turn around. A few were a bit rude about it, like the idiot guy in the bus, but overall they just seemed shy. As in Japan, the young girls are usually the most willing to play “food” charades with us and put up with our inability to communicate in their native language.
To top off day one, we got a wonderful in-room foot massage to prepare us for our hike the next day to Hua Mountain. I was lucky and got the more gentle of the two masseuses. I felt pretty relaxed, while Aiko’s kept asking questions and almost ripped her legs off. As we started to relax, he would say random things like, “Do you know Amway?” What? Why are you asking this during the massage?! Anyways, it was good, and necessary after our horrendous train trip and long day of sightseeing.

Christina's Visit

2008-04-11T23:26:00.006+09:00

For her spring break, my cousin Christina decided to head out to Japan for a visit. This was her first international trip, so it was my job to show her around and keep her safe. We had a really nice visit and saw lots of stuff!
After a brief visit to my school, we visited my hairdresser and Christina got her hair straightened. It was a lot of work for the two ladies, but the result was beautiful. Notice the ear caps!
Our first spot was to Kyoto. We stayed overnight one night at my favorite ryokan near Kiyomizu. The first day we saw the Golden Temple and Heian shrine. The next day we went to Kiyomizudera, then headed off to Tokyo on the shinkansen.
We spent most of our time in Tokyo shopping and wandering around checking out the different areas and people watching. We did see the Heian shrine and one of its’ gardens.
Then we took the overnight bus back to Wakayama. We went to Wakayama castle and took pictures of the cherry blossoms that had just started to bloom.
On our last day, we went to my hula class. Christina practiced a little, then watched while we practiced for our upcoming show. We had lunch at Kappazushi, which is a sushi restaurant with the little plates of sushi that rotate around on a conveyer belt. But the fun thing about this place is that if you would like to order something specific, you place your order on the computer, and a little shinkansen brings it out to your table. And all this for 100￥ a plate!
Christina was kind enough to take a box of stuff back to California for me to get my move started.
It is always nice to have family visit, so I had a great time. Christina is a good traveler, and I’m sure she will have many more trips in her future. Don’t worry Aunty!
Christina – Did I forget anything? Please feel free to add more!

Head, shoulders, knees, and crap

2008-03-21T20:41:00.002+09:00

Since the school year is ending here in Japan, I have very few classes and luckily I was sent to the nearby Elementary school for 3 days last week. The previous Friday, I received some lesson plans from the teachers at the school. It was very kind of the teachers to make these plans, but of course the errors are surely worth some recognition.
As I read, I giggled over funny little spelling mistakes, until I came to the song I was supposed to sing with the 1st and 3rd graders. I grew up with the version “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” so I was thoroughly confused at what could have possible been mistaken with “crap.” As with all lessons to elementary students, you use lots of gestures and visuals. I was scared. I even asked a few friends what else it could have possible meant. Maybe it was a cruel joke by a previous ALT? But, oh I couldn’t wait for class Monday morning!
So after my self-introduction, their introductions, an ABC song (which also wasn’t the version I learned, so all the kids looked at me as if I was stupid when I couldn’t sing my ABC’s – rightfully so!), and reviewing the body parts, we got to sing “Head, shoulders, knees, and crap.” And then I realized – oh, clap! Hee hee! Probably the funniest l-r mistake I have ever seen. And if you don’t have “Head, shoulders, knees, and crap” stuck in your head for the next 3 days, you are missing out!
But, seriously, I had the best time at the elementary school. The teachers, staff, and especially the students were so friendly and happy. And oddly enough, my favorite classes were the 1st graders. I had so much fun with them. They were the cutest kids ever! Maybe I can be a tad more open about teaching positions I’m willing to take at my next school. Wherever that may be!
The pictures are with the 3rd graders. I figured they would be ok to post since they are all wearing masks. At the elementary schools, the students put on smocks, bonnets, and face masks to serve lunch to their classmates. I was lucky enough to join them, and this lunch was my favorite! If anyone can tell me how to make those beans, I would love the recipe. They had a crunchy and sweet coating and were delicious. I wish I could’ve had a little more.

Hinamatsuri

2008-03-20T14:18:00.004+09:00

On their way to pick up their son in China, my dad and Georgie had a short layover in Japan, which they extended for a few days. They happened to be here on March 3rd, which in Japan is Girl’s Day. It is called Hinamatsuri, which means doll’s festival. Near one on my schools in Kada, there is a famous shrine dedicated to dolls and figurines (I had a post about it a while ago). Many people come to this shrine, Awashimajinja, to pray for the health of their children and watch the ceremony. It is believed that when girls play with their dolls, their soul is connected to it, so you can’t just throw it away. So many people give their childhood dolls to this shrine for the ceremony. There is also a ceremony for used sewing needles, but on a different day.
The priest started off by saying a prayer and swishing a horse-hair-looking thing about his head. Then some young women who work at the shrine held up individual dolls for all of us to admire before they loaded each one into a small wooden boat. The boats were then carried, by women only, to the ocean nearby. The boats were set down on the dock and the priest said another swishy prayer. The shrine ladies scattered paper cranes into the ocean where the water touched the dock, and the boats were set afloat. A group of pre-school girls sang a song and waved goodbye to the dolls as they floated away on the tiny boats.
When I first heard of this ceremony last year, I imagined the sea floor full of sunken boats surrounded by millions of dolls. Quite scary. But we were told that the boats are led out toward one of the islands off the coast, collected, and the dolls burned.
My friend, Akemi, came out with us, and even though she is older than me, she had never been to this festival. We all enjoyed being together on this special day. And for everybody who has visited me, Kada has been their favorite city in Japan. I guess because of it’s quaintness and personality. It seems like what “old” Japan would have been like. On our walk back to the train station, we passed a small shop selling agepan (fried bread). It was like a malasada (Portuguese donut) filled with anko (azuki beans). I must have been in Japan too long because it was delicious! I usually don’t care for azuki beans. But I guess everything tastes better deep-fried right?

Next Year

2008-03-17T21:02:00.000+09:00

My how quickly your life changes sometimes! A few weeks ago, I was ready to head back to San Diego and resume my teaching career. But right before my trip to Taiwan, I received an email offering me the chance to take another year off and returning for the school year ‘09/’10. With lots of thinking and not much planning, I have decided to take a 3rd year leave of absence. During this year, I have decided to live in Hawaii. I will be close to lots of family, including my aging grandparents and my new brother. What I hope to get from this year is some valuable family time together. I want to help out with my grandparents, teach my brother English, and live in the place I’ve always considered my second home.
There are still many hurdles with finding an apartment, a job, and getting my kitties through quarantine, but I think it will be a good move for me. I am very excited, but also very busy planning. It will take a lot of work to move again. Wish me luck!

New Brother

2008-03-17T20:50:00.001+09:00

About a year ago, my dad and step-mom made the big decision to adopt a child. After looking into many different program in both international and domestic adoption, they decided on “The Waiting Child” program in China. Because of their age, their options were limited, but they seem to have found a great match in a little boy from China. His name is Silei. When he comes to the US, his full name will be David Silei Frazier. He will be three years old in May. Now, dad and Georgie are in China picking him up and getting his paperwork all ready for him to move to Hawaii. He has a cleft lip and cleft palate, which will both need surgery. He seems a bit small in pictures, but they will have to wait and see when he gets to the US, how his health is. I am very excited to have a brother for the very first time! Now, I’m old enough to appreciate him, and not just try to beat him up. I look forward to meeting him soon and having him a part of our family.

Dynaland

2008-03-12T21:07:00.003+09:00

Wow, I am really behind on my blogs! So back in February, I went to Dynaland Ski Resort with one of my adult English students and her husband. We took an overnight bus and arrived early Sunday morning. It was snowing quite a bit, and was very beautiful. I tried to snowboard. I mostly sat in the snow after falling. And they were kind enough to lend me their snowboard, which I promptly broke two of the straps on. They said it is an old board, but of course I felt horrible!
My student, Sachiko, wasn’t too sure on the snowboard either, but she did well. Her husband has been skiing since he was 7 years old, so he did great. He would go up and down the slopes and would help pick me up as he passed. So I usually sat around waiting for him to ski by. The board is slippery!
Snowboarding is really fun, but difficult. Luckily no one was nearby listening to me as I would start to go faster and get scared. Or if they did, they would wonder who I kept telling “no” to. I guess I was talking to the snowboard, telling it not to go so fast. When it didn’t listen, I would just fall down. Maybe not the best strategy, but it worked.
The season is pretty much finished, so I am glad I got to go one more time before leaving Japan.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

2008-03-01T22:54:00.006+09:00

We had a 3-day weekend a few weeks ago, so I asked a few friends, Akemi and Chise, if they wanted to go anywhere for a short trip. We decided to go to Kyoto for the day and explore some places I hadn’t been yet. First, we went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is famous for it’s thousands and thousands of torii’s (the tall red things). Here, the torii’s form long walkways and each one has a name carved into it. Akemi said that people or companies make a wish, and if it comes true, they place a torii there. The entire hike to go through them all is a bit long, so we went through the ones at the beginning and prayed at a few small shrines. The area is very peaceful and beautiful. A bamboo forest surrounds the walkways and trails, so it is shaded and quite cool. Plus on Saturday, we had snow (even in Wakayama!), so there were still small patches on the ground and roofs. I enjoyed the walk.
After a delicious Japanese lunch, we headed to the Ginkakuji, the Silver Temple. Unlike the Golden Temple, it is not made of silver. The small temple is not much to look at, but the surrounding grounds are beautiful.
Nearby is the Philosopher’s walk, which during spring, is under a canopy of cherry blossoms. It takes about one hour to walk the entire trail, so we just saw part of it. But I can imagine how beautiful it would be in full bloom.
Although the crowds are a hassle, it was a beautiful day.

Cats love boxes!

2008-02-15T07:13:00.007+09:00

I thought I was the lucky one when mom sends me care packages from home (thank you!), but it turns out I’m not the only one getting something. After I unload all my goodies, the kitties fight for sitting rights in the box. As it turns out, they only get a few minutes of peace before the other pounces on them and tries to kick them out. A few times, I’ve heard a loud thud, only to find a stunned Sonoko shuffle away after a ride in the box from the table to the floor.
Sumi is much bigger (and heavier) than Sonoko, so he defends the cardboard stronghold armed with huge claws and a fang. Since he is so big, he gets into some funny positions while squeezing himself into the box.
But usually, it is Sonoko doing all the swatting and biting. She is quite aggressive, and Sumi is gentler, at least most of the time. Sumi has been very accommodating, letting Sonoko finish his food for him, and letting her chase him all over the apartment. He has been very patient.
So it looks as though Sonoko is here to stay. They are making friends with each other and I think are happier to have someone to play with all day and night. Sonoko has taught Sumi to sleep on the bed next to me, and Sumi has taught Sonoko the fun of climbing the curtains. They both have their funny quirks, but don’t we all. Now, it looks like it will be the three of us heading to San Diego in summer!
And you all thought I’d come back with a boyfriend! Ha! Proved you all wrong! *sigh*

Wrap-up

2008-02-13T23:20:00.001+09:00

For my last day in Thailand, I flew back to Bangkok, had lunch, and watched a movie. I did a little window shopping, but my bags were pretty stuffed already. That night, I flew back to Japan.
When I look back at the pictures, and recall all the things I got to do, I am still amazed. I feel like I didn’t appreciate it enough when I was there. I must go back to Cambodia someday. There are more temples to see, and I’d love to revisit some again. The people in Cambodia were some of the happiest I have ever met. To foreigners, it is hard to imagine living in a place with such poverty, and danger as part of everyday life. Cambodia is such a beautiful country with a striking culture but tumultuous past. I hope they continue to build up their communities, maybe not relying so much on tourism like in Thailand, but improving the lives of it’s people through education and hard work.
This is a trip that has shaped my outlook on the world and influenced me in very positive ways. I met some really amazing people on this journey, and I hope to keep in touch with them. I hope you enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures. If you are interested in taking a similar trip, the PEPY program is wonderful, and a very different type of vacation. But different in only the best, most positive way.
Here are some websites of key things I participated in on this trip.
http://www.pepyride.org/
http://cambodianchildrensfund.org/
http://rdic.org/
http://www.elephantnaturefoundation.org/

Elephants!

2008-02-12T20:34:00.000+09:00

The next morning, I woke up bright and early, ready to go and play with elephants! I never really wanted to ride on one, so this was perfect. Feed, bathe, and play with them. I was picked up at my hostel, and we went to the food market first. We loaded up a truck with food for the elephants: watermelon, bananas, corn, and pumpkins. The drive was about an hour. We arrived at the park and saw elephants walking around freely. A few came right up to the van because they knew food was coming soon too. At the Elephant Nature Park there are 32 Asian elephants. The oldest is 70 something, and the youngest is 2 years. There are many volunteer opportunities at the park, I was doing the day trip, but there were many other people there staying at the park from 1 week, to several months. The woman who runs the park, Lek, is quite passionate about saving elephants. When logging in Thailand was banned, it left many elephants without work. The only thing the owners could do with them was to use them as a tourist attraction. The taming of the elephants amounts to torture in many cases. Baby elephants walk the busy streets of Bangkok begging for money for their owners. They are very distressed and it is not the proper life for an elephant. So at the Elephant Nature Park, elephants roam freely through the many acres of the park. They do not give rides to tourists. Volunteers come to care for the elephants and get to interact with them in a positive way.
The first thing we did was feed the elephants. I started with the baby. She was bout 4 years old. I had to lean way over the balcony, and he stretched out his trunk to grab the food. They each have a basket of food catered to their personal tastes. She really loved the pumpkins. I gave her a watermelon that she took at first, but then gave it back. I held out my hands, and she gently dropped the unwanted watermelon in them. Adorable!! So I stuck with the bananas and pumpkins.
The second elephant I fed was about 40 years old. She happily took everything I handed her. I was surprised by the dexterity and gentleness of her trunk. And when I gave her a pumpkin with the stem still on, she popped the whole thing in her mouth, crushed the pumpkin, and spit out the stem. I got to pat her on the head. It was so much fun!
Then we took them to the river for a bath. It was still quite hot, and the elephants enjoyed cooling off in the river. The elephants lay down in the river, and we had buckets and brushes to wash their backs. I had my camera, and was so busy taking pictures, that I didn’t get a chance to wash them! Luckily, we did it all over again after lunch. The second time, I jumped right in and started scrubbing. The water was icy, and the relaxed elephants looked like small mountains in the river. Softball sized dung floated past (and hit) my legs, but I didn’t mind too much. It is all part of the experience. The funny thing was that as soon as we finished scrubbing their backs and getting them all squeaky clean, they went over to the dirt and coated themselves with dust again! Actually, it helps to keep them cool, so I understood. We had a nice vegetarian lunch with a nice view of the elephants. Then we watched a documentary about the torture of elephants in Thailand during their training, breaking them in order to have them entertain tourists with rides or painting pictures. I heard from some other people who rode on elephants in Thailand that the elephant seemed nervous, scared, and rocked back and forth on his feet. These are obvious signs that the elephant is distressed. There really shouldn’t be more than one rider on the back of each elephant. The seats they use can dig into their back. The mahouts, trainers, sometimes use a stick with a hook at the end to guide the elephant. This hook is dug in and poked behind the ear to get the elephant to do something. This is obviously painful to the animal. The park I went to has very happy elephants. Their big eyes showed no fear, they have a large valley to roam, and their mahouts do not use the hooked sticks. I did see one elephant get spanked, but he is a very naughty elephant named Hope, and many times throughout the day, I would see Hope take off running with his mahout trailing behind yelling at him. I found it hilarious. Hope wears a bell, so he is easy to spot. He is a baby of about 4 or 5 years and still is a little troublemaker. There is also a blind elephant who was rescued from a mahout who poked her eyes with a stick to discipline her and caused her blindness. Another elephant walked with a very severe limp because she had broken her leg and it never healed properly. This elephant was a logging elephant, and was forced to carry logs uphill even while she was pregnant. One day she fell, broke her leg and lost the baby. Many elephants are abandoned because they cost so much to feed and care for. They are much happier here at the Nature Park than being kept as a pet.
As you can see by this long post, I really enjoyed my time at the Elephant Nature Park. If you head to Thailand, it is a must see for animal lovers. You are able to interact with them in a positive way. If you’re lucky, you may even get a kiss!

Chiang Mai

2008-02-10T21:57:00.000+09:00

On New Year’s Day, I flew by myself up to Chiang Mai. It is a famous city in the northern part of Thailand. The hostel I stayed in was not as nice as the one in Bangkok, but I met some really nice people there. The location was really good, quite close to the University, with some cute shops and restaurants. On my first full day in Chiang Mai, I went up to Wat Doi Suthep, a temple on top of a mountain. It is a temple dedicated to the white elephant. It has a nice view of the entire city, but it was a bit overcast that morning. Since it is located at the top of the mountain, I hopped in a “taxi” to the base of the temple, then walked up many, many steps. It was a very beautiful temple.
After looking at the temple, I went to the downtown area to try to reserve a spot to the Elephant Nature Park for the following day. On my trip to Cambodia, I met an American girl who was living in Chiang Mai. She told me about this elephant park where you get to spend the day taking care of elephants. I knew I had to do this. I tried to book online, but it was fully booked for the entire month of January. So I went to their office to ask if they could squeeze one more person in for tomorrow. They said yes, and I was quite happy.
That afternoon, I got another massage (#5!), then walked around the Night Market. The Night Market in Chiang Mai was really nice, lots of interesting things. I am just so bad at haggling. I was shooed away from one booth because I was squishing the merchandise. I had American food for dinner, which I enjoyed even though it made me a little sick.

Floating Market and Tiger Temple

2008-02-07T15:06:00.001+09:00

For our second day in Bangkok, we decided to take a guided tour to the floating market and Tiger Temple. The drive was about 2-3 hours each way, so we hired a guide and a van with a driver. We left bright and early with not much time for breakfast. We learned quickly that our guide, Katie, was not the most patient person in the world. Our first stop was the floating market. We got into small speed-canoes and wound through some canals with houses right on the edge of the water. The market itself was quite chaotic. There was a traffic jam of boats at the entrance/exit, so we opted to just walk alongside the canal and look at the goods. Plus, in the traffic jam I saw someone trying to maneuver their boat around by swinging the propeller up and over the back of another boat, and smacked some lady right in the head. Luckily it was off. So, I was happy to walk. It was about this time that Stacy got yelled at for the second time by our tour guide. The first time was for asking to stop for coffee when Katie had already asked us earlier and we said no. Now, she needed a bathroom, and in classic Katie style, she barked, “Why you no tell me before! I already ask you if you need toilet, and you say no! Why you do this!” We all kinda laughed it off. It’s always funnier when someone else is getting in trouble.
After the market, we headed out to the Tiger Temple. This is a tiger sanctuary that is run by monks. One of my friends, Sachiko, told me about it before I left, and when I looked it up on the internet, I knew I had to go. There are 18 tigers here, and for a few hours each afternoon, the tigers are out for tourists to pet and hold. Now, I know what you are thinking: “Gee Leilani, isn’t touching a wild tiger dangerous?” Well, yes. But as I saw, the tigers are drugged out of their minds (you can see one drooling into a water bowl), so the danger is dramatically less then you would think. Plus, I have ALWAYS wanted to touch a lion’s paw, and this is close enough. I love to squish kitty paws!! As we waited in line, I saw that for an extra “donation” I could have my picture taken holding the tigers. So of course that’s exactly what I did. All the tigers here are alive, but very, very sleepy. I had a young man lead me around by the hand and tell me exactly where I could sit and place my hands. It was all very mechanical: walk, sit, click, walk, sit, click, but it was so surreal being surrounded by all those tigers. All in all, it was a good experience, and I have pictures with me and tigers!
On the ride home, we were all sleepy. This was New Year’s Eve by the way. We looked forward to going back to the hostel and resting for a little bit before heading out to celebrate the new year. So we were quite surprised when Katie had other plans for us. We all needed to use the restroom quite badly, and she decided to take us to a wholesale gem shop to use the bathroom. We had to take a tour and look at the all the gems. Then we hopped back in the van, and our next stop was to a tailor. Now, earlier in the day, Katie mentioned that she knew a tailor who could make cheap suits, I said that I thought that was interesting. She took that as, “Please take us to your tailor friend!” We were exhausted and just wanted to go back to the hostel. I told her that we did not want to shop here. That’s when Katie exploded. “Why you tell me you want to shop then! I no understand your culture! I ask you one thing, then you change your mind! Now, my friend thinks I made you come here. I look bad. You break my face!” Well, I’m sure you all who know me, know that this was not an acceptable reaction towards me. I told her that I didn’t appreciate being yelled at. I did not tell her that I wanted to shop there. Yes, we definitely are having communication trouble. Her yelling is making me uncomfortable, and that we want to go back to the hostel now. The rest of the ride home was in silence. Apparently this happens to many people who go on tours in Thailand. The guides take you on small side trips to places where they get some type of commission if you buy something. We all knew this going in, but of course didn’t expect it to happen to us. Of course I have heard of worse experiences, and 5 min after we left her, we were joking about it. Stacy does a great Katie impression.
New Year’s Eve wasn’t a big deal. We had a nice dinner, then watched a concert and the countdown. We tried to find a nearby bar, but they were a bit sketchy, and we were tired, so we called it an early night.

Muay Thai

2008-01-31T23:03:00.000+09:00

That night we had the best Thai food at a restaurant called Rakk. I had fried cheeses wontons, Beef Panang curry, and Pad See Ew noodles. Then as if we were not full enough, we hopped next door to have chocolate cake and coffee for dessert.
Then, we decided to take in some local culture at a Muay Thai, kickboxing, match. I had never been to anything like that before, so I was excited to see what it was all about. I was a bit disappointed to see such young boys fighting. They looked about 10, but I hope they were older. Each pair that came out to fight did a ceremonial little dance around the ring. They were accompanied by a small band of musicians playing music, which continued while they were fighting. We watched 6 matches. One guy won by knocking out his opponent, and I felt so worried about the guy being carried out on a stretcher. I guess watching young boys beat each other up isn’t my idea of entertainment. But it was an interesting experience. And that was day one in Bangkok.

Reclining Buddha and Temple of the Dawn

2008-01-31T22:51:00.000+09:00

On the same day as The Emerald Buddha, we visited Wat Pho (The Reclining Buddha). Inside a large building is a giant gold Buddha lying on his side. In some of the corners of the picture you can see
some people for perspective.
After that, we took short ferry ride across the river to Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). We saw the temple at sunset. It was no where near as beautiful as the one at Phnom Bakheng, but it was nice.

Emerald Buddha

2008-01-24T20:18:00.000+09:00

Now, for the Thailand part of my trip. I continued on the next part of my trip to Bangkok with two JET’s from Wakayama, Stacy and Susanne. We were all on the PEPY trip as well, and decided to have a 6-day layover in Thailand instead of a few hours. We arrived late on the 30th, so we headed straight to the, crappy, hotel and went to sleep. The next day we went to see the temples of Thailand. They are very different from the Cambodian temples. The temples in Cambodia are made of stone and some in ruins – exactly what I like to see. The Thailand temples, on the other hand, were all sparking with gold and gems. You could blind yourself if you weren’t careful. They were very pretty, but I prefer the Cambodian style.
The first temple we went to is called Wat Phra Kaeo, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha.” It had lots of gleaming gold buildings, and others encrusted with millions of little gems. It must have taken forever to stick them all on. In the same complex as the Emerald Buddha is the Royal Palace. It looked like quite a large residence, but who wants a whole bunch of strangers traipsing through your front yard on a daily basis.
These days were jam packed as well, so I will post pictures of each of the three temples we saw that day separately.

Last Cambodia Post

2008-01-24T10:56:00.000+09:00

This is the last part of my Cambodia blog. We saw so many things, but hopefully, these past few posts have given you an idea of Cambodia’s beauty and charm. Here I have posted some random pictures that I picked up from Kate and Parry. Some funny or interesting signs, pigs on motos, the bar with a pit full of 15 crocodiles, and the kindness of the PEPY group hanging stockings for us at Christmas.
Cambodia is absolutely my favorite country I have visited so far. There are so many things I still want to see, or to see again. I highly recommend the PEPY tour group for anyone interested in not only travel, but helping the environment as well. I think of it as responsible traveling. I am so happy to have had this wonderful opportunity and to be able to share it with you all.
Next I will post pictures about Thailand.

Flooded Forest

2008-01-19T00:57:00.000+09:00

In the middle of our tour through the floating village, we went to one of my favorite parts of the trip, the flooded forest. We switched from our larger boat to small canoes. There were two passengers, and a person rowing at the front and a small child (about 6-8 years old) steering and paddling at the back. The canoe with it’s visible holes through the wood, made me a bit nervous at first, but after freaking out (see pic) when we first got on, I relaxed and had a very pleasant journey. We were taken through the flooded forest in a line of canoes. It seemed like a ride at Disneyland, but it was better because it was real. I kept having visions of hippos popping their heads out of the water trying to capsize our boats or snakes dangling down from the treetops, but no such luck. I saw a few birds and that was about it. Since the water level was low, we weren’t eye to eye with the topmost branches, but it was still very beautiful. There were many plants growing in the water, I don’t know their names, but I think they eat them. At one point, all the canoes circled up and we sat there floating. It was so beautiful and peaceful. Then one of the boat drivers started singing a song. It was all so quiet while the melody crept around us and seemed sad but beautiful at the same time. Hopefully the video will play. When she finished, someone had the bright idea of following that up with a few verses of “Row, Row Your Boat.” Totally spoiled the moment for me, although I guess the kids and people on the boats enjoyed watching the foreigners sing.
Going through this flooded forest was one of the highlights of the trip.

Floating Village

2008-01-17T22:34:00.000+09:00

For our last full day in Siem Reap, we visited Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia. The Tonle Sap Lake connects with the Tonle Sap River, which connects to the Mekong River. When you are on the water, it is hard to believe that you are on a lake because it is so big. It feels more like an ocean. I was a bit alarmed when I first saw the boat. I was tempted to put the lifejacket on immediately, but decided to not to be a whiny girl about it.
When the boat first went out, we passed some houses built on sticks (not sure if I can call them stilts). Cambodia gets quite a bit of rain during the rainy season and the already large lake floods to about 5 times the level we saw it at. Houses that are 10 meters in the air now in the dry season, will be only 1-2 meters from the water level in the wet season. So there are many floating villages on the lake. This means that not only the houses float, but the schools (including the basketball court), churches, and pig pens. It is probably difficult to have a garden on the water, so there are boats filled with fruits and vegetables that come right up to your boat. For the thirsty tourist, there is a parent-child team that brings drinks to you by pulling along side the boat. The small child (about 5 or 6 years old) leaps onto the tourist boat walks through the aisle, then beacons the parent to pull up again and leaps back onto their little motor boat and speeds away looking for the next boatload of customers. As you can imagine, this is quite dangerous, though very entertaining. The picture of the boy in the blue T-shirt and white cap is one who jumped onto our boat.
Motorboats and canoes are not the only way to travel on the Tonle Sap. We saw many boys floating and paddling around in metal washbasins. It was the funniest thing to see these boys floating around the lake in a large bowl.
Pork seems like one of the common meats in Cambodia, so at the floating village, the piggies have their own floating pig pens. We also saw a cage filled with heaps of crocodiles or alligators (I can’t tell the difference).
Sanitation is an issue here with the place to bathe, wash clothes and dishes, and the toilet all being in very close proximity on the water. They were all so interesting to see. Such a different way of life!
This is getting to be a large post, so I will put the next part in a separate post. Oh and I want to give credit to Kate for many of these pictures. She got some really good ones, so I am happy I can share them with you all. Thanks!

Phnom Bakheng

2008-01-16T23:03:00.000+09:00

The last temple we saw that day (yes I’m still on the Angkor Wat day!) was Phnom Bakheng. We went there only for a short time just to see the sunset. It is a popular place for people to go to climb up and watch the sunrise or sunset. We left right after the sun crossed the horizon for two reasons: One – there were lots of people who wanted to go down the steep staircase at the same time, and two – we were warned at Ta Phrom that if you stay past sunset, that's when the snakes come out. Plus I guess there are no lights so it would be difficult to see. But it is too bad because after we got in the car and started driving, the sky became a beautiful orange and red color. But it was fun to watch anyway.

Ta Phrom

2008-01-16T22:47:00.000+09:00

The next temple we visited was Ta Phrom. This temple is famous for all the trees that cover and entwine themselves around the temple. The trees are silk cottonwood and fig strangler. The roots are amazingly creepy. This temple was built in 1189, and has not been restored. I liked the jungle feel with the fallen walls and strangler trees. Unfortunately, at this temple I felt extremely sick, so I could not full take in all it's beauty. I guess I just need to go back!

Me pictures!

2008-01-15T23:07:00.000+09:00

One great thing about traveling with friends, is that they take pictures of you! So I got my "Indiana Jones being chased by a boulder aftermath" picture!! Thanks Kate!
The first two pics are at Baeng Maelia my favorite!)
The third are of Kate and me at Bayon.
4th is volunteering at the school. We painted the fence and gate.
Last one is one of the team leaders, Tim, Parry (taking the photo), and I enjoying bubble tea on a hot Cambodian Winter's day!

Sonoko's back

2008-01-15T22:59:00.000+09:00

Well, my apt has been quite interesting these past few days. Theo and Shogo aren't keeping Sonoko, so I was hoping that she and Sumi would make friends and keep each other company. They have been chasing each other around the apt, so I guess they are making friends. Sonoko is still a bit of a bully though.
So Sonoko was hiding under the floor boards of my shower when I was refilling my body soap and showering, so she got covered in some soap. I just tried to wash it off, and I got my butt kicked. She crawled up on my back and dug her claws in, so she was stuck on my back and I couldn't get her off. Both of us were screaming. It sounded like a murder was being committed. The soap still isn't off, but I think I have shead enough blood for one night. And boy is Sonoko pissed! I tried to put some antiseptic on the cuts, but it's difficult because they're on my back and it's too late at night to call someone to help. Ouch.
Thanks Theo!!

Bayon

2008-01-15T09:13:00.000+09:00

The next temple we visited was Bayon. This temple is famous for the many faces carved into the rock. There are four faces on each tower, one facing each direction. There are over 200 faces on the 54 towers. Our guide told us that this was originally a Buddhist temple based on carvings in the walls. I wish I could remember all the interesting things he told us.
I really liked this temple. It’s my second favorite. Looking at it from afar, I was hoping to see the faces closer up, and once again I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we could walk right up and stand nose to nose with them.
After visiting Bayon, we met up with our buddies again. We were given separate tours so we could listen in our own languages. Before we said goodbye, we played a game. It was very similar to Duck Duck Goose, but funnier and more brutal. One person walks around the circle (not touching anyone’s head because that’s a no-no in the Cambodian culture) and drops a rolled up scarf behind one person. The person to the right must stand up and run, while the person who now has the scarf chases them and tries to hit them mercilessly with the rolled up scarf. Some people were beaten repeatedly while running. One little girl wailed on the person she was chasing. It was all very amusing to watch.
For almost all the students this was their first time visiting the Angkor Temples. We didn’t do too much with our buddies other than meet up and have lunch, but it was nice to meet them. Some people got along really well with their buddies. As for me, I wish I could have communicated with her better. But we did have fun playing Thumb War.

Angkor Wat

2008-01-13T13:56:00.000+09:00

The day after Christmas, I taught another lesson to a fifth grade class. Kate taught with me, and we had a translator. That afternoon, we all met our buddies for the field trip to Angkor Wat the following day. My buddy is named Sa Meuy. It was a bit of a challenge because neither of us could speak the other’s language. But she is a cute girl, and seemed nice. I won’t put her picture on the internet, but I’d be happy to send it to you if you’d like to see her.
So early the next morning, we headed out to see Angkor Wat. It is the most famous temple in Cambodia, and therefore the most crowded. It is very beautiful, but not my most favorite. But on my entire trip, the scariest thing happened to me there. As we walked through the corridors, a small crowd of people gathered through one of the doorways. We peeked through and saw a cute little monkey. I was a little worried because he was eating a small straw. I thought he might swallow it and choke or something. But then this sweet adorable monkey popped the plastic straw part off to reveal a huge syringe! This monkey now had a three-inch needle sticking out of his mouth! Everyone immediately backed away, except one stupid American guy who tried to take it away from him. I don’t know what happened after that because I quickly vacated the area. I had no desire to get stabbed by a rabid monkey wielding a syringe.
The rest of the temple was pretty uneventful. Beautiful, though.

Landmines

2008-01-12T00:38:00.000+09:00

After visiting Baeng Maelia, we stopped at the Land Mine museum. It is a very small museum especially considering the problem is so huge. I really did not know much about Cambodia before I went there, so I learned some very important things as I walked around. Now everywhere I went was safe, but Cambodia is the world’s 3rd most land mined country. It costs about $3 to make a landmine, and about $1,000 to remove one. Landmines are made to maim, not kill. It costs more to keep a wounded soldier alive than to bury one. Different people like the Khmer Rouge, planted landmines during times of war. There are also unexploded bombs dropped by countries, like the US, during the war against the Khmer Rouge. From 1992 to November 2007 the CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Center) has found and destroyed 1,623,933 mines and UXO’s. There are still millions left in Cambodia. I read that between 4-10 million mines were originally planted. The government hopes to have Cambodia cleared by 2020.
Here is a quote explaining how these injuries are occurring: “Those who are still being injured know that the areas where they travel and work are mined. The leading cause of landmine injuries, according to the NGO forum report is poverty. Thirty-eight percent of injuries result from people tampering with ordinance, usually to try to get the scrap metal to sell. Fifty-six percent of injuries occur when people are trying to earn a living; farming, carrying water, collecting wood, collecting forest products, and so on.” http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/Landmines.htm
Since 1979, landmines have maimed about 40,000 people. This has created a large disabled population. Many amputees are seen begging in the streets. Many children are injured by playing with land mines or by not recognizing the hazard signs. The US is still one of the major manufacturers of landmines. This is a topic I would like to read more about since I do not know very much about it. I also need to look into the Ottawa Treaty, which is an international landmine ban.

Here is the museum’s website: http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/home.html

Baeng Maelia

2008-01-10T14:45:00.000+09:00

On Christmas day, we got the day off, so some friends and I decided to check out one of the temples. We chose Baeng Maelia based on some suggestions from the Pepy staff. It is a bit far, about one and a half to two hours away from Siem Reap. We hired a driver with a minivan to take us out. He was very friendly and showed us a nice place for lunch. Now for my Cambodia trip, I wanted to go to a temple that would remind me of Indiana Jones. Or as I actually said, “I better be chased by a boulder at a temple on this trip or I’ll be pissed!” Well, I almost got my wish. No boulder, but this temple was as close to Indiana Jones as I could get. Looking at my photographs, I am disappointed because I just don’t feel that any one of them captures the feel of the temple. But it was the most amazing place I have ever been to. The entire complex is very large, and almost completely in ruins. One of the best things about this temple is that no one is there. We were there for over an hour, and I saw one family, a group of boys, and a few other tourists. There were many points where I was completely alone wandering through the temple. At first, there is a wooden walkway that takes you over the rubble. I saw a doorway opening about 15 feet away and through it I could see more rubble, pillars, and trees. I said to myself, “Wow, I really wish I could go through there.” But it looked blocked off, so I kept walking. After walking for a while I met up with Kate. The wooden walkway ended, and there was a not very stable looking wooden ladder leading up to a higher level, so we thought we would just turn around and go back the way we came. Then another girl we were with, Stephanie, climbed down that ladder, and said it was ok to go up there. She had a guide with her. He beckoned us to follow him. At the top of the ladder I could see that they were still building the walkway, so the only way to on was to climb over and through the fallen temple blocks. He led us through dark hallways, up and down stone blocks, and through carved doorways. We walked around the interior part of the temple, but still inside the exterior wall. After stooping under stone blocks and edging our way on low ledges, we popped out the very same doorway that I looked at earlier wondering what was inside. Now, I can imagine that in a few years, there will be only certain parts you can walk through and hundreds of people will accompany you wherever you go, but for now, this temple is barely touched by man and it is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. But like I said, my pictures don’t do it justice. You’ll have to go and see it for yourself.

The Pepy School

2008-01-09T16:05:00.000+09:00

On Dec 23rd, we had a bumpy 6-hour bus ride up to Siem Reap. And the following day, we took an even bumpier road to the Pepy school. So a few years ago, a JET named Daniela, raised money to build and additional building to this school in Siem Reap. Now, they take volunteers there to teach lessons and do work, which is where we come in. The first day at the school we passed out new uniforms to the students, sanded, washed, and painted the front gate and fence, and taught. I taught a lesson on Christmas cards. Alexandra, whom I met on the trip, helped me with the lesson. The school is an elementary school, but there is a seventh grade class there, which is the class we taught. It was a lot of fun. The beginning of class is very structured with the formal greeting by the teacher and students, and when I said they could sit down they chanted, “Thank you teacher.” The level of respect of the students was very high. Although I am sure they were on their best behavior for the foreign teachers, I can imagine that it was pretty much the norm for them. Students begin to learn English in 4th grade, so by the 7th they could understand us pretty well, which is lucky because we had neither translator, nor teacher in the classroom. But we did have one amazing student named Chun Ly. He is super friendly, and is English is amazing. He was a great help to us.
The school itself had about 12 rooms. One was a small library, another the English classroom, and maybe one computer room. Before the additional building was built, all the students shared about 5 classrooms, and there are about 500 students total. The school day is about 4 hours, and the students come to school either in the morning or afternoon, but the truancy rate is very high. There is no electricity in the classrooms, except for maybe the computer room. I taught in the afternoon, and you could see the shadows being cast on the walls as the sun lowered in the sky. They must pump the water from a well. Some students are lent a bike so they can come to school. There was a bike ceremony that day handing out bikes to some new students.
There is some sort of fee that the families must pay for the children to go to school. So of course that means that some kids can’t enroll. But that doesn’t stop them. All day, there were small groups of children gathered by the windows of the classrooms listening to the lessons. For my Christmas card lesson, one of the kids outside even answered a question I was asking to the class. I thanked him even though I could barely see him outside. Once again, the level of poverty I was surrounded by struck me. There were no frills in these classrooms. Thinking back, I feel guilty for all the things that we have in classrooms in the US. It is so unequal. In Cambodia, they use US dollars, and the teachers make an average of $30 per month. Even in Japan, the teachers make the equivalent of about $25,000 per year. What an eye opening experience.
But universally, the students are the same in many ways. As they made their cards and drew pictures, I would give them words of encouragement, and the biggest smiles spread across their faces. That is one of the best parts of teaching.
These kids want to learn. Their families need them at home, but they want to come to school so they can have an education and make their lives and their families lives better. Boy are those spoiled American kids going to hear it when I get back: “Did you know that there are kids in Cambodia who want to learn so badly that they stand outside the classrooms listening to the lessons because they can’t afford to enroll in school!”
Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox.

Water, Stampy, and Cambodia's Ray Charles

2008-01-08T16:05:00.000+09:00

For our last day in Phnom Penh, we first visited a company that makes water filters. A worker told us how contaminated the water is in Cambodia with arsenic, pollution, sewage, etc. On the entire trip I drank bottled water and used bottled water to brush my teeth. Water is such a scarce resource and one that I think many of us take for granted as we turn on a faucet. Their company also tests the soil for the best places to put wells. To pump the water, they have these bicycle-like contraptions to make it easy for anyone to pull water from the well. They also had pigs there, which were cute.
That afternoon, we visited the nearby temple. This is where the elephant I saw walking the first day spends his days. We call him Stampy. My friend Kate fed him a bunch of bananas. There were also monkeys running around. Each temple seems to have the seven-headed Naga leading up the stairs to the temple. Even the temples in Thailand had it.
Then we went to visit a blind Khmer musician and his son, and listened to them play music and sing. As they played, some people from the community gathered around, so I snapped some pictures of them too. I was struck by many things here. First of all, the artist is very well known in Phnom Penh, yet the area he lived in is probably the poorest place I have ever been in. I do not mean to make fun of him or be disrespectful of the people, but I was really surprised at the level of poverty. The streets were surrounded on each side by heaps of garbage and the houses were simple tin roofs held up by a few pieces of plywood. As in the rest of Cambodia, the baby boys go bottomless, and the baby girls go topless. As we watched the men’s performance, a woman who was holding her young son, turned him so that he faced away from her just as a small stream spouted out of him. I saw the ease of no pants. The music was very beautiful. The man’s voice soulful. As I thought countless times on this trip, I felt so lucky to be there, doing things like listening to this private concert. I never imagined myself traveling like this and that it could be so rewarding.

Royal Palace and The Killing Fields

2008-01-07T18:42:00.000+09:00

On our first day in Phnom Penh, we went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. Throughout the trip, we ate at many NGO run restaurants, and my favorite was Friends. I bought their cookbook, which is really beautiful. I can find the ingredients when I go home, but not here in Japan.
The next day, we went to Cheoung Ek, the Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum at the prison known as s21. Our guide had lived through the rule of the Khmer Rouge, so he told us about the places we visited, plus his personal account. One thing that really struck me was that he was such a nice man who was able to smile even after retelling the horrible tragedies that occurred. But when he spoke about the leaders, he wished the same torture upon them that all the people endured. It is very sad to see how no one is taking responsibility for this tragedy. They all say what they did was on someone else’s orders. The pictures here show just a fraction of the amount of skulls found here including babies. I can’t believe how recently all of this occurred. I was a baby at the time. Another thing about this trip is that I am learning about the history Cambodia, which without this, I would not have known.
That night, we visited an orphanage for children rescued from a garbage dump near the city. They did a variety show for us that included dancing, karate, and a short skit. It was really amazing. The kids were adorable. I wish I could post pictures, but they asked us not to. After dinner, we went to a bar that is on a boat on the Mekong River. It was Midori night, and I won a T-shirt. It was really fun.

Roads of Cambodia

2008-01-06T23:53:00.000+09:00

After my long, but great, trip I am home resting in Japan. I have talked to a few people already, and trying to summarize my trip has been difficult because there are so many things I did and saw that are worth telling about. So I will try to show here what I did, and hopefully stick a few good stories in too.
I decided to write the first blog about the roads of Cambodia. We spent a lot of time traveling around on the roads, mostly in tuk-tuks (a covered cabin pulled by a moto) and buses. Tuk-tuks are the way most foreigner goups of people travel around in Cambodia. There are a lot of them and are pretty cheap. I think the record number we fit into one was 7 people. Boy are we cheap! Anyways, they were fun to ride in for the first 5 or so minutes, then as I felt the gritty dirt in my mouth and on my face, it became less fun. To go to the school and between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap we used buses on the bumpiest roads I have ever been on. We saw many interesting things as we drove through the cities and small villages in Cambodia. Here are some of the memorable moments: cow traffic jams, water buffalo chilling in peoples front yards, families riding on motos, lots of dirt, potholes, playing chicken with oncoming vehicles, no sense of which side of the road Cambodians actually drive on, kids peeing in the open fields, tons of durian fruit for sale, and finally, pigs and chickens drugged and hanging off the backs of motos going to market. The roads in the citiy of Phnom Penh were busy, and I think I saw only one traffic light in the whole city, but it was like organized chaos. The cars, motos, tuk-tuks, bikes, and people moved fluidly around each other. We saw a few accidents, but luckily we were never involved in one.

Almost finished!

2008-01-03T21:42:00.000+09:00

Well, I am spending my last night in Thailand(Chiang Mai)tonight and fly back to Bangkok tomorrow morning, then leave for Japan tomorrow night and arrive in the morning on Sat. Sorry I have not been able to respond to any emails, I have just been very busy! I wish I had time to upload some photos and stuff, but I will do all that when I get home. This has been such an awesome trip. To give you some highlights, in Cambodia, The temples of Baeng Maleia and Bayon were my favorites, and canoeing through the mangrove forest was so cool. Here in Thailand, I visited Tiger Temple and had my picture taken with a full grown tiger resting his head in my lap. But today was amazing because I went to the Elephant Nature Park and fed and bathed elephants. It was fantastic! (I'm running out of adjectives!) They were so gentle taking the pumpkins, bananas, and watermelons out of my hands and enjoyed getting their backs scrubbed in the river. I had so much fun, I barely noticed the huge elephant poop that floated by and knocked into my leg while I bathed the big guy.
Of course I will go into much more detail when I can get my pictures uploaded, but I am so happy about this trip. I met the best people during my travels. And for the worried family, I have been safe and sound the whole time. I saw a few things that I wish I hadn't, and a woman tried to take 20 Baht from me, but overall it has been great. Oh, and lucky me has been sick pretty much the entire trip, but I didn't let that stop me from doing (or eating) anything! I bet most people didn't even know I was sick!
So get ready for lots of pictures and more of me babbling about how awesome everything was!
I hope you all had a great new year celebration!!
Love you!!

Greetings from Cambodia!

2007-12-22T20:01:00.000+09:00

HI everyone! I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that I made it safely into Cambodia. This is an absolutely amazing country and the things I am getting to do are fantastic! Of course I will post more later with pictures, but so far I have visited some great restaurants, the Royal Palace, the Silver Temple, an orphanage, a center where thay make filters for water, a music school, and a nearby wat (temple) with an elephant and monkeys. I was so surprised on the first day when we were having coffee in a cafe, and I looked out the window. I said "Is someone walking an ... elephant?" And sure enough everyday at 5pm, the elephant from the temple walks home. The favorite part of the trip so far was visiting the orphanage. The kids are rescued from a dump where they collect trash all day. At the orphange, they did a talent show full of dancing and a small skit. It was great. Then we could talk to all the kids afterwards. They were so amazing.
Well, I will write more later, but I am having an amazing trip so far.
Take care!
Love, Leilani

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-19T16:24:00.000+09:00

Unfortunately, Sumi and I will not spend our first Christmas and New Year’s together this year. So I have to dress him up and open presents early! He has been really good about not eating my Christmas tree ornaments, and he even is starting to give in when it comes to wearing outfits. Although I wish he wouldn’t look so defeated in all the pictures.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

Decision

2007-12-16T19:36:00.001+09:00

Well, I have given this a lot of thought, and I have decided to move back to San Diego this summer. My contract ends in July, so I will be back in San Diego by early August. I will fly into Los Angeles, then I need to somehow get my car from San Jose, then go to San Diego and get ready for school, which starts in mid-August. I am hoping to go back to Palmer Way, but that depends on if there are any openings. Of course I will be homeless, so if anyone is willing to help me (and Sumi) out, I would appreciate it. It will be a big adjustment to go back to the US, but I think it the right decision for me. I have really enjoyed this experience. I have learned a lot about myself, this culture, and had the chance to travel to many other countries. In the process of learning Japanese, I have learned a lot about how to teach English. I think I will be a better teacher for this experience.
This is an emotional time for me, thinking about all the upcoming choices and changes. I hope that I can continue to travel, teach in other places, and have new life experiences. I am not ready to settle in any one place. San Diego is my next stop, but hopefully not my last.

More Sumi...

2007-12-14T22:50:00.000+09:00

Of course like any cat, Sumi likes to sleep in funny places. Sometimes I catch him with his tongue sticking out, and I giggle and laugh for hours after poking it with my finger. His fault for leaving it out! He likes high places as well. And apparently can sleep in high places too.
Mom wondered how much could fit in the flat rate boxes to Japan, well looks like one cat, and maybe you could squeeze in some snacks too :)

Winter Vacation

2007-12-10T16:06:00.000+09:00

It is coming up so quickly! Next Wednesday, December 19th, I'll be on my way to Cambodia and then Thailand. In Cambodia I will be joining a volunteer group called The Pepy Ride to do some volunteer work. Here is their website if you want some info: http://www.pepyride.org/ I will be on the trip called The Rural Experiential Trip and Pre-Trip Phnom Penh Excursion.
They also sent us a detailed itinerary, so for those of you who are interested, I copied it below.
I will also be in Thailand from December 29th to January 4th. I do not have that planned out yet, and I thought I was traveling with someone on that trip, but it looks like I'll be on my own again. So wish me luck!

~~~~~~
Welcome to the PEPY December Rural Experiential Tour!

You made it! Welcome to Phnom Penh! Thank you for all of the hard work you have put into fundraising and promoting PEPY. Now is your chance to experience what we do here at PEPY, learn more about Cambodia, and have an amazing week with interesting people! Here are some of the things we have to look forward to this week!

December 20th
Today our trip officially begins! We will meet up in the lobby of the Indochine at 2:00 to begin our tour of the city. We will spend this afternoon roaming the famed Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda located on the shores of the Mekong. Inside the Palace walls are the Throne Hall, the Chan Chaya Pavilion used for performances of classical dance, the Napoleon III Pavilion, and the King and Queen's residential quarters. Next stop will be the Silver Pagoda, so named as its floor is made up 5,000 silver tiles! The Silver Pagoda is also known as the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha as it houses a glittering array of Buddhist statues, the centre piece being a magnificent 17th century emerald Buddha statue made of baccarat crystal. The walls of the pagoda are lavishly decorated with colorful frescos depicting episodes from the Khmer version of the Ramayana. For dinner tonight we will eat at ‘Friends, a restaurant run by an NGO that trains former street children. Working in the restaurant gives these youngsters the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the hospitality business, serving customers, taking orders, cooking and learning about hygiene in the workplace. Since opening the restaurant has succeeded in becoming wholly self-sufficient and all profits are reinvested into the Training Centre activities.
(D)

December 21st
This morning we will wake up looking forward to our first full day of the trip! Breakfast has been arranged to be served at the Indochine restaurant just on your left as you walk out the hotel doors. After breakfast we will spend the morning learning about the atrocity of the Khmer Rouge regime while visiting significant historical sites. First we will visit Toul Sleng Genocide Museum also known as S21, located in a quiet Phnom Penh suburb. This group of buildings was once a school but was turned into a prison and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge. Post-Khmer Rouge this disturbing site has been transformed into a museum to explain the crimes committed there. Once you have gained an initial understanding of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime you will be driven 15km from Phnom Penh to visit the ‘Killing Fields’ or Cheoung Ek. This is where Toul Sleng prisoners were forcibly marched and then executed; it is now a memorial site located in a tranquil setting. After this difficult morning we will eat lunch together back in Phnom Penh at NYEMO an NGO that assists marginalized women and victims of domestic violence. Their delicious restaurant also serves as a training facility for women to learn skills, giving their families a means of improving their livelihoods.

This afternoon is yours to explore the lively markets of the city, roam the riverside, or try a Khmer massage. Tonight we have the amazing opportunity to visit Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF). CCF is an orphanage, educational centre, vocational training centre and home to many children in Phnom Penh. Most of these children in the past were living and working in a garbage dump just outside of Phnom Penh picking plastics from the garbage all day in squalid conditions. Tonight we will meet these children, the people who work with CCF, and will see a performance by the children. Some of these performances might be traditional dances and music, and others might be reenactments from their own lives written by the performers themselves. Dinner will be on your own tonight. There are numerous options in Phnom Penh, from Italian or Indian to fabulous Thai and one-dollar Chinese dumplings.
(B, L)

December 22nd
This morning we will wake up, eat breakfast at Indochine and head outside of the city to RDIC, where we will meet up with Mickey Sampson and his team for a tour of RDIC’s facility and projects. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn more about RDIC and all the programs and initiatives they support such as water quality research, water pumps and filtration, health education through karaoke and television programs and more!

For lunch we will eat at Phnom Penh’s snazziest riverside location, the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club). In the afternoon we have the opportunity to listen to a private performance by a Khmer music master from Cambodian Living Arts (CLA). CLA supports the revival of Cambodian traditional art forms by providing master teachers – some of the most highly respected musicians in the country – with jobs and a living wage. As well, CLA offers stipends to new students to continue their musical studies, ensuring that the arts community in Cambodia continues to grow. For our last dinner in Phnom Penh we will enjoy the tastes of Cambodia at Khmer Kitchen.
(B, L, D)

December 23rd

This morning is your chance to check out the markets of Phnom Penh. You can head to the Russian Market to bargain over silk scarves, wooden carvings and Angkor paintings or you can head to Central Market to admire its impressive domed ceiling and array of gold and silver jewelry. You can grab lunch to-go lunch at the market or back near the hotel before we meet up to catch the bus to Siem Reap. This afternoon we will be on the bus to Siem Reap with the opportunity to see rural Cambodia passing by. This evening we are checking into Soria Moria in Siem Reap and eating dinner there, where we will meet with the rest of the team.
(B,D)

December 24th
Breakfast will be served at Soria Moria followed by our first day at The PEPY Ride School! You will get to meet Tolors, our incredible English teacher, Sokhoeung our newly hired computer teacher (who will be working with the XOs, aka $100 laptop) and Srey Touh our librarian in addition to the full Cambodian teaching staff. The school will have several work projects for us to get involved in, and you will have the opportunity to share your skills as well, sitting in on an English course, teaching yoga or origami, playing volleyball and practicing English with the kids. You will also have the opportunity to meet your “buddy”, a 4th grade student who will join us on our trip on the 27th to see the Angkor Wat temples.

Tonight we will join the PEPY Ride Team at Warehouse for dinner, and hear PEPY Founder Daniela Papi speak about where PEPY came from, our current accomplishments, our goals, and where YOU fit into the PEPY Picture.
(B,L,D)

December 25th
Merry Christmas! Today is a free day, with many options for you to celebrate the holidays by giving back. We will have a chance to visit to the Angkor Hospital for Children, giving small gifts to those children and families in their care. We can spend the morning at the market purchasing any last items we want to deliver or perhaps wrapping our gifts. In the afternoon you can visit the landmine museum, a compelling experience or perhaps donate blood at the Angkor Children’s Hospital, a very well funded and hygienic hospital near our hotel. Or explore the local markets and take a dip in the pool next door! In the evening we will celebrate Christmas with a group of PEPY volunteers at The Singing Tree restaurant. If you want, you can participate in the environmental gift exchange. Make something, bring something from your home town, write a poem, anything! We will do a “grab bag” type exchange. You can either make your gift or buy something small (about $5 value) that represents something about you. Get creative!
(B,D)

December 26th
Today we will head back to Chanleas Dai for our second day working at the school. We will be handing our new uniforms to all of the students, and continuing with the projects we started two days ago. Tonight, if you would like you have the opportunity to spend the night at the school. This gives you a few extra hours of time with the students, and the chance to sit in on an English class with 7th grade students who recently graduated from the PEPY Ride School.

Rural Cambodia is beautiful by day, but striking by night. Staying at the school gives you a real sense of what most of Cambodians experience on a daily basis….pumping and filtering your own water, listening to the sounds of roosters and pigs outside your door, sleeping with mosquito nets and without fans or air-conditioning and seeing thousands of stars on a clear night.
(B,L,D)

December 27th
You have done quite a lot in Cambodia already…but today we will finally get to see Angkor Wat! After breakfast at Soria Moria (or at the school) we will head to the temples to meet up with class 4A of the PEPY Ride School. Most of these 4th graders have never been to Angkor Wat even though they live less than two hours away and it is free for Cambodians! Today our focus is on making this experience the most powerful and educational possible for these students as well as being blown away by the magnitude and beauty of the temples. Dinner will be on your own tonight, a chance for you to explore the many restaurants and varieties of cuisine the Siem Reap as to offer. Your leaders can help you find the perfect restaurant to suit your tastes.
(B,L)

December 28th
Today we will enjoy a relaxing day on the Tonle Sap. Bring your bathing suit! We will have a chance to swim in the lake, pass floating villages and canoe through a flooded forest with local guides. There will be a few hours in the late afternoon free to make a final trip to the markets, to take a dip in the pool, or to relax with a sweet Khmer coffee. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner at Sala Bai, a hotel and catering school in Siem Reap for disadvantaged young Cambodians. This school gives invaluable training to young men and women so they might benefit from the increases in tourism-related development in Cambodia. After dinner, those wanting to celebrate their last evening can head to Bar Street, for a few drinks and dancing.
(B,L,D)

December 29th
After breakfast at Soria Moria, we will arrange airport transfers, pack your warm fuzzies in your bag and say our goodbyes. Come back and see us again soon!
(B)

Silly Sumi

2007-12-07T21:24:00.000+09:00

This is Sumi wearing a calendar.

This is why I have allergy attacks.

This is the pop-up on my computer.

This is Sumi living dangerously.

This is why Sumi’s nickname is Fang.

　

This is why I wish I had a dryer.

This is why Sumi needs a bath.

This is Sumi telling me he’s had enough pictures. Too bad I don’t listen :)

T-shirts

2007-12-05T07:18:00.000+09:00

I was out shopping one day and came across some funny T-shirts.

Seasonal Kit Kat

2007-12-02T20:45:00.000+09:00

Here are some yummy new flavors: caramel(for Halloween) and chestnut (for Autumn).

Castle in Autumn

2007-11-30T23:30:00.000+09:00

This week has been very quiet at school. I had classes only on Tuesday. The students were testing from Wednesday – Friday, which means I have no classes and sit at my desk bored to death. Luckily on Thursday, my supervisor signed me up to attend a presentation at a nearby elementary school. In the morning, I went to the Wakayama Castle and took pictures of fall leaves. The day was very cloudy, but the leaves still looked beautiful. I enjoy being only a short walk from the castle.
Then I headed over to the elementary school where the 6th graders told us about different things in Wakayama. We sampled some food, they taught us a traditional dance, we learned some Wakayama dialect, and how to properly eat a mikan (Wakayama style). All this was in English, and they did an amazing job! I was so surprised at their level of English. It is much higher than the Jr. high school kids I work with, and they had so much energy and enthusiasm. I really miss working with elementary school kids.

Which brings me to an important decision that I am thinking about. Next year. I have really enjoyed this opportunity to live and work in Japan, and I am so lucky that I still have a job to return to when I go back to San Diego. So, do I end this journey in Japan and head back to teaching in California, or do I stay another year? If I stay another year, some things will be different here. Wakayama City is going to cut the JET Programme, so instead I would work directly for Wakayama City as a private ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). The pay is lower and I may have to move to a different apartment, but I would be able to work with a few elementary schools in addition to the Jr. high schools.
Pluses to living in Japan: I enjoy traveling around and living in a new place. I like my apartment. I meet some nice people. I have a super easy job. I like the funny English. I don’t have much responsibility.
Why I want to leave: Japanese bureaucracy drives me insane. People still stare at my like I don’t belong here. It would nice to feel literate again. I am nervous my managers will find out about Sumi. I don’t know if National City will keep letting me take leaves of absence. I miss my own classroom. I don’t like being an assistant. I miss having a car when it’s either really hot or really cold and/or it rains.
That’s all I can think of for now. I guess I am leaning towards coming home, but I have not decided for sure.
Please send me some comments and tell me what you think!

Momiji

2007-11-26T22:15:00.001+09:00

On Sunday, I went on a “hike” with some friends to Itakiso Shrine and Shikinosato Park. I got to ride on the Strawberry Train again. The shrine was pretty much the same as many others I have seen, but it was nice with the fall colors.

Momiji 2

2007-11-26T22:08:00.001+09:00

The park was really nice. I haven’t seen anything like it in Japan yet, it was like an American park. There were BBQ pits where the group baked sweet potatoes, play area for kids (and Scott), a large slide, picnic benches, and a huge grassy area with a fountain and small stream running through the middle. As you know, Japan has limited space, so this park is unusual. Most of the parks I see here in Wakayama City are the size of a parking space- an American parking space, so that's a tad bigger. I took lots of pictures, bought a cheap bag of mikans (Japanese oranges), had lunch, and a hot sweet potato. It wasn’t much of a hike, as we only walked from the train station to the shrine, to Lawson’s, to the park, and back to the train. It was all flat and on paved streets. But the scenery was nice. Wakayama is not a big city, but it is nice to have a small escape out to the countryside.
Oh, and some of these pictures are from the walk to the park, not at the park.

Scaredy Cat

2007-11-21T16:57:00.000+09:00

poor Sumi!!

More adventures of Sumi and Sonoko

2007-11-19T13:14:00.000+09:00

Sonoko ended up staying with us until Sat night. I thought that Sumi was being pouty and jealous because he stopped playing with us, just sat by himself, and was looking sad. Well, I took him to the vet today, and it turns out he caught a virus, and actually is sick. My brave little boy got two shots and an IV, and will take medicine for the next week. And thanks to a handwritten explanation of him symptoms in Japanese by my neighbor, Hitomi, I didn't have to act out all Sumi's symptoms. The main one of which is him gagging every few minutes. So, hopefully he will start feeling better soon and have enough energy to climb the curtains again in no time.
Of course when Sonoko was here we played a little bit of dress up. Maybe playing is too strong of a word. Endured is probably more appropriate. But she looked so cute!! One step closer to becoming the crazy cat lady. And it’s all documented here on my blog.
You can also see in the pictures, Sonoko and Sumi playing, and Sonoko when her head was caught in the Kleenex box. Sumi was completely innocent of course.

Sumi’s Slumber Party

2007-11-12T19:48:00.000+09:00

This past weekend, my friends Theo and Shogo went on vacation to Tokyo for Theo’s birthday and I kitty-sat for their 2-month old kitten, Sonoko. She is pure white with little pink paws, little pink ears, and a little pink nose. She has one green eye and one blue eye. She is also deaf. They found her about a month ago, and have been taking care of her. She is absolutely adorable!
Before they left her with Sumi and me, they came over for an introductory visit on Tuesday. Sumi, I realize, is pretty calm and well behaved when he needs to be. He sat and looked at her, giving her space, but still really interested. Sonoko on the other hand, hissed and made a long strange meow that said, “back off!” Sumi really wanted to play with this new fuzzy white toy that moved and made so much noise, but was confused because the noises and tiny claws told him to stay away. Why would I give him such an intriguing but dangerous toy? So, in true male-stalker style, he kept a short distance while following her everywhere and watching her every move.
After staying with us since Friday, Sonoko is feeling more comfortable. The strange meowing has stopped, and she lets me pick her up, and she purrs when I pet her. On Sunday, she and Sumi chased each other all over the apartment. I’m sure the downstairs neighbors loved that! And after realizing that I hadn’t heard a peep from them for a while, I went searching and found them sleeping in my closet. They were both exhausted from playing all day.
Sonoko is a little skittish. Probably due to the fact that she can’t hear when we are close to her, and often end up scaring her. So when Sumi creeps up behind her, I can tell him to stop without disturbing her. She is also a really good hider, and the first morning I couldn’t find her at all for about 15 min. I checked all of Sumi’s hiding places, but she found a new one inside the back of the TV stand on top of the DVD player. The only clue was a little toy mouse she left behind the TV set, so I peeked behind and under and found her.
Even though she is about 1/3 the size of Sumi, she is a tough little girl. She takes swipes at him with her paws and puffs herself up as much as she can, and it works because every time, Sumi goes running and hides under the table. What a scaredy cat! And she looks so innocent!
So the boys plan on picking her up on Tuesday. Until then, Sumi and I will enjoy her company very much. She is an adorable kitty, and we are having so much fun with her! We will both be very sad when she goes home. I just might have to hide her myself when they show up. :)

Kishiwada

2007-11-07T21:20:00.001+09:00

At my last school, I went on a field trip up to Kishiwada in Osaka. It is about a 30 min train ride. We visited a museum dedicated to the Danjiri Festival. It is known for being quite dangerous due to the hundreds of participants pulling large wooden carriage-like things called danjiri (I’m standing on a small one in the picture) through tiny streets lined with spectators. Each danjiri also has a man who rides on top who jumps and dances around. At the museum I saw short videos of the festival, “retired” danjiri’s, and wore a happi coat. I helped the teachers who were checking off groups of children who came in by sitting and stating out of the way. After a very delicious “Viking” lunch (long ago there was a buffet chain called Viking, and now all buffets are referred to as Viking), we went to the Natural History Museum where students were able to learn some things about nature and pet some dead animals. I snapped a few pictures of the castle. As you can see, a few leaves are starting to change color, but it has been so warm, they are taking their time changing! Oh, and I highly recommend a children’s book called Freddy the Leaf. It is in the 8th grade English textbook here, but I had never read it before. It uses the seasons to talk about life and death. I found it a very touching story.

Fruity Kit Kat

2007-11-07T21:14:00.001+09:00

Here are some of the fruity flavors of Kit Kats. Mom tried and liked the pineapple.
If any of them look good to you, let me know!

Kanoyas in Kyoto

2007-11-06T19:25:00.001+09:00

The Friday before last, I went up to Kyoto after school to meet up with my Uncle Hajime, Aunty Clare, and cousin Tyson (from Missouri); and my cousin Justin, his wife Sheila and their daughter Marissa (from San Diego). My Uncle Hajime is from Japan, but has lived in the US since he was 18. Marissa was born just a few days before I left for Japan last year, so it was nice to see her. It was a short visit, but I spent the night and headed out Sat morning back to Wakayama. I stopped in Osaka for a little shopping and lunch.
I do plan to go back to Kyoto when the leaves start to change color. This summer was so hot and long, that it seems to have delayed color-changing time. In case you were wondering, the red leaves in the background are fake. Nice though.

Kit Kat 2

2007-11-04T21:52:00.000+09:00

These 2 have been some of my favorites. Of course dark chocolate is my favorite, but this vanilla bean is quite good too!