Dartboard

[I wrote this, but fell asleep and forgot to post it. Here it is now, anyway.]

I worked for 10 days straight, and now I really need a day off. I have a caught a bug and have a sore throat, but luckily have none of the accompanying head cold symptoms. Today the students are practicing for Sports Day, which is being held on Sunday, so I am resting at home. I slept for a long time, but now I’m up and trying to drink lots of water.

I just saw the end of a U.S. TV program called “Disaster’s Masters” which was about a company that “intervenes” into homes with families who collect junk, shop obsessive-compulsively and/or never clean. There were lots of shots of homes full of crap and disgustingly dirty, then the “after” shot when it’s been sorted and cleaned by the Disaster Masters. Then the families come back (because they are pack rats they can’t stand to watch their stuff being donated or thrown out) and are surprised and excited about the chance to start over.

I imagine many of the people who live like this must have a mental disability of some kind. One woman, who was showing the TV crew around her kitchen, refused to let them open her microwave. She’d only opened it once since she bought it and “it was empty inside.” Her kitchen cupboards were full of shampoo and conditioner she found on sale and dishes had been sitting around for years because she was afraid to turn on the water. I feel sad they were exploiting her neurosis for television. While the company probably does a good thing for many people—allows them the chance to break free of old habits and start over—why does it have to be exploited on TV? I suppose because it gets good ratings, but I wonder what kind of image this gives Japanese people. Many of the real life TV shows that reach other countries are embarrassing like this one. Blaine told me he just saw a special “Fat Camp for Obese Kids in New York.” America’s always had her problems, but it’s weird and unfortunate to see them on TV in Japan. This was like Jerry Springer being presented as a news story.

I finally did my taxes yesterday. Although I had an extension for living abroad, and I was required to wait until I’d been in Japan a full 330 days before I could file, it feels weird to be doing taxes this late in the year. I loved being able to claim Foreign Earned Income Exclusion! If anyone doesn’t know about my sweet little deal—I don’t have to pay Japanese or American tax on my income earned in Japan. My tax for the 2004 year reached the grand total of $4 (for my part time catering job last spring) and yet I’ve earned more this year than ever before. Even though I know I’m not breaking any laws, I feel like it must be illegal.

Yesterday I went to karate for the first time in about a month. It was exhausting, but it felt so good to go. There were only three kids, another man and myself there, besides the four teachers. That’s nearly a 1:1 student teacher ratio, and while I like the individual attention during kata, I also like taking a break to socialize with other students. At least I'm getting to know the three kids really well. They were very shy around me for a long time, but now they constantly play with me. Their favorite question is "How do you say ~ in English?" while swinging from my arms and legs.

There used to be so many people at karate and it seems many of them have either moved away or stopped coming. Now that Hatakeyama-sensei doesn’t come anymore, it’s the one place where no one speaks any English and I feel completely confident using Japanese. I don’t care about making mistakes or fumbling through sentences to get myself understood. Unlike a visit to the post office or grocery store, the conversation lasts for two hours or more and I am invited to talk about my summer vacation, my love life, what I eat for dinner everyday, etc. It’s really good practice.

Recently I’ve really started to like this one teacher in particular. He’s an old fisherman with these great big hands that tell a lifetime of hard labor. He’s really sweet and has big hardy laughs. I like to work with him because he pays great attention to detail. My arms, hands, feet and legs are always repositioned right away so I don’t get in the habit of doing it wrong. I feel like he takes the karate very seriously, but at the same time, doesn’t mind stopping to have a chat about my bicycle riding, or mention that he saw me running in Kiri last week.

That reminds me, I rode my bicycle to school a couple times in the summer and I decided to ride it yesterday too. I arrived at school with a red face and very sweaty, but I cooled off in the teacher’s room as much as possible before changing into my work clothes. I couldn’t ride today because I went to the hospital after the morning meeting—in fact, I'm at the hospital right now, waiting for my number to be called. The doctor started seeing patients at 9:30 and it’s already 11 a.m. but they’re only on number 21 and I’m number 40. I feel I may be here all day.

Okay, I’m posting a few random pictures I still have from the beach, Obon Festival and Dragon Boat Racing in Urakuwa.

Me, Masaharu and Joelle at Takaitabi. We went wave jumping/swimming for as long as I thought my white skin could handle the hot sun. It was very fun!

A bee started chasing us and we could only escape by laying in the water. Steven managed to get a picture of us and we look so silly-everyone watching for the bee!

Their last night in Japan, we had dinner with Asagami-sensei. Dinner's always accompanied by several pints of beer!!

Asagami called me last night and told me he was officially signing me up for the Triathlon in October. I was already asleep when he called though so I can’t remember the date. [October 2nd, I just called him back.] It’s a 700M swim, 20K bike and 5K run, and a relay, but every person does the whole course-probably because everyone wouldn't fit in the pool at the start. Again, I won’t know my team members until the day of the race because Asagami is finding them for me. He's also paying for my hotel in Fukuoka and the before and after parties! He's such a generous man! I’m excited to see my triathlete friends again!!

Me and Asagami-sensei. Asagami is always just getting back from playing tennis when we hang out so he's very sweaty in this picture!

A picture from Narao’s town festival.

Some pictures from Obon in Narao (when the souls of the dead return to their graves and the living offer gifts and food, usually accompanied by lights, lanterns and incense).

The Dragon Boat Racing in Urakuwa.

Masaharu raced with the 浦桑 team, but they came in last.

My friend ちー on my swimming team was there so we watched together. Last week she gave me a friendship anklet and two cell phone straps as well. A very sweet girl who I always look forward to seeing.

What else is new? My burning hatred for my supervisor has died down a bit. I think the summer vacation and not really needing to talk to her for over a month really helped our relationship. I’m taking Michelle’s advice to “kill her with kindness” but it’s really a challenge. She has overactive saliva glands. When she talks the spit will bubble in the corners of her mouth and laughs are a juicy affair. It’s really hard to concentrate on anything but her saliva when she talks. It’d help if she closed her lips every once in a while, but her mouth is always open. “Buuuuuuuu,” is how Koichiro once described her mouth. Someone needs to teach her how to swallow.

I had a headache last night driving home from karate. I mention it because I almost never get headaches—I don’t really know what they feel like, but this one was painful. It hurt to blink and the pain was concentrated in a particular spot in my left brain. Although it was pretty mild, mostly just annoying, I imagine that’s how migraines must feel: concentrated pain where nothing but darkness and silence help. And obviously very painful, not mildy annoying. I don’t know what caused it but when I got home and showered I either forgot about it or it went away.

11:30 and everyone is just staring, facing the hospital window expectantly, and waiting for their numbers to be called. An old man in front of me is discussing how long it took each number to be called and estimating his wait time. He’s number 30 so I have a long way to go still. Appointments would be helpful!!! I would say this is a waste of time, but I’m supposed to be wasting time at work so what’s the difference wasting time in a hospital corridor? I just wish I brought a book…

Alright. I’m going to study Japanese.

Love, Sierra

Catherine and I organized the first Goto Block Event, which I wrote a little about a while ago. Here are some pictures from that night (thanks to Carrie)! My camera didn’t have any batteries otherwise I would have taken some myself.

Dinner with the gaijin! A big otsukaresama to the restaurant for letting us in!! Left to right: Alister, Pippa, George, Ian, Catherine, Vicky, Lori, Kitty, Melissa, Amber, Sierra.

At karaoke, Dawn and I dressing up with what we find in the silly box.

Vicky with a tiny umbrella in case it rains and Catherine in a coiffure.

Vicky and Catherine singing merrily.

The weekend was really fun—it was fast, but I’m glad we were able to get everyone together at one time in the beginning of the year!

Love, Sierra

These pictures are like a month old now, but they are still fun to see. Karaoke with the new ALTs, Joelle, Steven and The Target.

Here’s everyone, from left to right, Catherine’s friend visiting from England, Melissa, Vicky, Catherine, and Carrie.

I was really enjoying singing this song. I think it’s Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract” which was on the second tape I ever owned (the first was Madonna) and I think both tapes were hand-me-downs from my sister.

Vicky—a really great singer, from Wales.

Carrie, from Canada, can sing in Japanese(!), and Steven.

A very close picture of Masaharu.

On the mic, Lori and Melissa.

On the mic, Catherine and Tammy.

Stealing the mic, Lori from Vicky!!

Steve and Lori loved the little clackers.

Joelle and Masaharu.

Steven thoroughly embarrassing Masaharu.

Steve loves karaoke!

Steve can get anyone to sing with him (except Joelle who wouldn’t sing into a mic if it cost her her life!)

The Brits.

Masaharu singing Shima Uta, my all-time favorite Japanese karaoke song! He, of course, did a great job, but I am still learning the song so I can only do the chorus even remotely well.

My J-Boy. It was my first time doing karaoke with Masaharu so I was shocked when I heard his voice and how well he sang. He just doesn’t seem like the singing type, but he did so well! And he was really embarrassed, you can see how red his face is!

Love, Sierra

This post has nothing to do with baking deer, but it’s pictures from the bakery and the Deer Park. “BakeDeer” is my own special way of abbreviating it.

Delicious butter bread.

Me at Good Morning Bakery.

Yummy jam filled pastries.

This is melon bread. It really tastes like melon!

Joelle.

Joelle at the Wakamatsu bridge.

Steven liked this sign. “Exit!”

Bambi

Watering Bambi

It was no surprise Joelle loved the deer!

I have many, many pictures of Joelle and the deer, but I’ll just stop at this one.

Love, Sierra

I was camping. I was at a camp. I was working at a camp. For a week. I'm home now. Will post pictures and stuff later. Sorry I had that negative post on my front page for a full week. Sierra
P.S. A typhoon is coming! I hope it stops by my island. We haven't had one yet this year!