Modes of Transport

Friday morning I verntured out to try my shots at transportaion in Japan! My IC gave me maps and such to my 5 different school (3 of which I have met already). I didn't get so much lost as just ended up spending most of the day waiting for trains because I would either miss my train or get off at the wrong stop. However I did better today and made all the correct stop-offs at the right time. Yesterday stunk!

Although I received a schedule it was all in Japanese. After trying it on my own, I decided to ask for help. This didn't take much effort as the man (Tsubame train station ticket man) realised quickly that I didn't speak Japanese, nor did I know where I was going. He pulled out a schedule and wrote in English the stops I needed to get to (wrote over the Japanese)He wrote over the Japanese which columns where departure and arrivals and everything I needed to know. We didn't actually speak much at all. The Japanese aren't always really bold with speaking English although many of them are familiar with it, but they do really well writing English. And wasn't that a wonderful thing! So I got my way around today! YAY!

I'm really glad there's such good public transportation here, other wise I'd be stuck not getting out too far.

All kinds of mode are used here. Everything from vehicles to vespas and bike to buses and my personal favorite, trains!!!

The cute thing about bikes is that they all have baskets, either on the front or on the back or both!!! Where there is a bike there is a basket!



Cars are very small...I guess so they can fit in those really small streets! They are built more up than out and for someone from the US they may look a little un proportional than what we are accustomed.







Here's the train! I send many a minutes of the day here. Bring a book! Bring a sketchpad and pencil!





If you are wondering about the different color license plate.

White-standard size
Yellow-compact
Green-taxi

Tabe-te

Since you all got the gran tour of Tsubame and a little bit of Sanjo, I thought I'd continue with a little info about food. Keep in mind this is only based off the little I know or have come to know. I'm sure in time I'll be able to expand this section as I am also interested in the culinary arts of Japan.

Food in Japan is really expensive, (everything is, and not just in Tokyo). I wish I could tell you that I eat sushi all day. But it's actually more pricey here in Japan than in the states. So all of you still in the states: Eat SUSHI!!!! Here's a little glimpse of the eating out prices.

At the Udon house a bowl will run you from 700-900 yen for a relativley simple dish(noodles and broth, probably a fish cake or chunk of tofu)($7.50-9.50ish US dollars)

If you go to a resturant an actual meal will cost you anywhere from 2100-25/2700, and that's usually a bowl of rice some meat and veggies of this or that combination and maybe a small bowl of miso soup....and a wet-nap for your hands. Each pack comes with a toothpick. (Seemingly they are big on toothpicks here.) ($21.00-25.00/27.00 US dollars)

Eating out is a little pricey. However it doesn't always have to be. Some of the best food comes from the this and that of creative findings. I have to say that I believe I am developing a knack for the food scoping.
Like Robyn can hunt a good deal I know where to find the good food, especially if it's a treat!



THIS is my favorite meal, yes even in Japan you can find a meal for 180 yen. (about $2.00 US dollars)Toward Sanjo is a busy bakery called "The Little Mermaid". Prior to my visiting Japan I never thought much about the connection of bread to Japan. Japanese MAKE GOOOOOOOD BREAD and pastries! The one that you see above I call the 'carb pod', when my Japanese gets better I'll ask about what it is and what it's called etc. I call it the 'carb pod' though because it's a long hoagie-esque roll, itallian bread style (like a Bolio but with a tougher crust) it's cut open and has potato stuffed inside (this potato is kinda like a potato salad but without the egg and such...and kinda like mashed potatoes with herbs, yeah, it's a breed of that)THEN, it's topped with three little pieces of ham and a drizzle of mayo!IT's sooo good!

Here's what makes it the best! Take it home and put it in the micro for 10 sec. Now that is realllly yummy! The bread gets all warm and squishy. They make alot of yummy things there. I thought I'd try a few others and show you how pretty their breads are.



The one on the left is a sweet bean bread (not my fav.) and the other is a sweet bean paste bread swirled around in the dough so it turned kinda green (VERY tasty!)

Today on my way to get a iron (which is was very blessed to find in my price range) I saw a really cute store with sakura all over it and cute and fancy and decorative, naturally I was drawn in! (Plus this is how I find everything in Japan since I can't read the signs, I go in and investigate). Of course...it was a bakery and tea house that specialize it beautiful desserts! Didn't I tell you I was good at this or what? So at first I thought I'd just take a quick peek around and leave on my way but a cute little lady came out bowing and very polite and served me REEEEEEAaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllyyyyy good tea (the best I've had in Japan yet)I think it was fig or something. I didn't really know but it was oishi (delicious)and it was served with a little snack. I'm not sure what that was either but it was tasty, and something of the figish flavor but not really powerful and seedy like a Newton. WOW, so I couldn't just walk out now. Oh ok, twist me arm I had to buy a piece of beautiful cake!



There where soooo many different kinds and they where all sooo fancy. I chose this one. The cake part of the dessert is kinda like mom's pepper biscotti (in flavor) but was a soft cake. The frothy stuff the cake is wrapped in is kinda like mousse. It's really light and fluffy (airy)it was mostly creme-y with a a very delicate chocolate flavor. It might look a little funny in the picture because I accidently droped it on the way home. However the woman packed it so nicley to go for me that there wasn't any big damage done to the cake.

Those are a few of the goodies I've scoped out and I'm sure there will be more to come. However...I have been doing some cooking of my own...




Since it's pricey to eat here I've also scoped out the deals at the grocery stores. Within the three grocery stores around my house I already know which ones have better what and for which price. One of my favorite deals are bean sprout!!! I throw them into everything! For a honkin' huge bag at the price of 55 yen, it's a no brainer. I toss it into what ever I'm making and add a crunch, it's good with egg, or rice or other veggies and tasty on top of salads. Now that I look at the picture I see that they are in both of the dishes I have made. So I figure with the money I save in that area I can trot on over to Sanjo and hunt out something new and tasty to try every now and again.

Getting to know the Niigata Prefecture and Tsubame/Sanjo

This is Tsubame Station! This is where I'll be going everymorning during the week to get to work and different schools. YAY! Doesn't it look fun. I like trains!

Enjoy your cyber tour of Tsubame area!




Here are a few pictures of houses (and mee-mee in a phone booth). The houses vary quite a bit but for the most part thy still have those cool Japanese arch. roofing. The neighborhoods here are really cute, tight-knit and friendly feeling. Biking is also very popular here.











Here's a few shots form the bridge! Check out the mountains in the wayyyy background!







A few shots of the city. As you can see some of the streets are realllly small. The main roads are ok but outside those they get really narrow.







I love the old little streets full of flowers anywhere they fit! In the city where there isn't alot of land for flowers and growing, there are alot of little potted plants everywhere. I even found a cumquat plant!







Getting out of the city toward where I live everyone has little gardens! The Japanese are very handy/industrious and busy people. Even if the land is 3 feet by 4 they've made something beautiful out of it. There are these beautiful little Japanese landscaped gardens all over the neighborhood. I love going on walks to see them! Plus there is alot of (food)gardening here as well. Further out of the city the people may have a little more land and they really get into the gardening. I mean green houses and all. It's really cool, everyone gardens! And they garden anywhere they can too. I've seen some pretty creative ones.

Well it's been a couple days. Thanks are going well. I've gotten settled in and learned a little more about Japan and the necessary navigations.

Banking is kinda cool and different here. Most peole bank at their local post office. Which sounds wierd to most of us who usually bank at a bank. But you can do all of your banking at the post office as well as pay bills there. You can also do that at 711 (You can't swing a cat without hitting a 711 here)It's also kinda cool because when you set up your account you get a little record book to which acts like a bank card as well and when you insert it into an atm and make a transaction the transaction is directly recorded to your little book by machine so that you don't have to go back and do it your self later, or pile up transaction reciepts. It's cool. Plus you can deposit or take out any amount of money. Yesterday I deposited 300yen and took out 61 yen (which is mere change in coins)Usually in the states you can't take out a lower amount than $20.

Well I've been checking out the maps, stations and busses. I actually bought a map yesterday. It's in Japanese of course but I recognise the areas based on their relative location. It's good though because I have another that matches up the same areas with transportaion. So now when I look up online things to do and what events are comming up I know where the town/city is and can easily look up how to get there. It's exciting. I took a look at some event comming up here.

Mid April-Cherry blossom celebrations and festivities
Endish April-Tulip show (fields and fields worth)
It's either June or July there's a big firework show in Nagaoka (which is pretty close...about 40 min by bus, south westish)Nagaoka is famous all over Japan for it's fireworks!
End of June-There's a huge music, Rock festival in Niigata city (40min North)The Fuji music festival.

I'm really excited to get better aquainted with the area. I'm soooooo lucky there's good transportaion here. Plus with so many close sister cities I can get around all over the prefecture at a pretty good price too. YAY! Plus school will be starting here soon. I get more and more excited as it gets closer. ^___^

My Japanese is makings small improvements. At least I'm starting to recognise the few words I know in a conversation....well sometimes, not everytime. It'll get better too as I practice but even just being here the past couple days and pretty much only listening a few things are starting to click. It's funny though because as I was talking to myself as I always do I said: arways instead of always. Oh no! Oops!

Well it's going great here. The more I meander and explore this area the more beautiful it is. I'll admit that at first I thought it was nice enough. Now that I explore I really am loving it more. It's growing on me fast. I love to look out over the bridges and I love all the little gardens all over the place and little rice fields here and there, and this cute little lady I met at the bakery.It's very nice I'm enjoying it more and more. I'll remember to take my camera next time on my journey so that you all can enjoy some of the views here as well. A gran tour perhaps.

Sanjo

Monday was grocery food guessing game. Just because it has a picture on the package doesn't mean that's what it is...and vice versa...just because there isn't a fish on the package doesn't mean they don't try to slip it in there. I think I did pretty well with the exception of soy sauce. There are too many choices of dark liquids that could be soy sauce. I had to have someone find it for me. Not bad for a gaijin. Then I got home are realised all the instructions are in Japanese as well....Oh crud!

Today was explore the area day. I went eastish. I encountered berry flavored kit kats in celebration of the cherry blossom festivals comming up, bike shops, books stores up the wazooooo, and kitchen/cutlery place, a mall, a grocery store, the drycleaners(always good to know) and a craft store (with uber cute fabric of course) and a 100 yen store and a walmart-ish type place with a little of everything, and the fish market (misc.fish stores). For the record I didn't get lost and managed to do all that with out any knowledge of the Japanese launguage. All you need is arms and a face to get around, but it helps to know "please" and "thank you". ^_____^ My nose got too much sun and now it's pinky.

Yesterday I started my illustrated version of my journal. I know time will be tighter once school starts but it's fun recording the adventure this way...if I ever find a scanner somewhere I'll post a few of the pages. It has been enjoyable. I usually never have time like this to draw and piddle around. Plus, Mom would be proud to know that I got lots of veggies and have actually done some cooking. Last night I made Egg-fu-young...well it was my take and variation on it because I couldn't remember how to make it really. It was good ^____^ I'm also scouting out the best treats of course too.

Before I came to Japan people said that others would stare. I think I stare more at them than them at me. However today while I was looking dumbfounded at the Train station map, two high schooler girls where giggling and taking pictures of me with their cell phones.

The Nalgene bottle story

OH, I have a kinda funny story. I use my nalgene bottle while I'm here because the water cups they give out here in Japan are so small. Water bottles themselves are quite small. If you go to a resturant or any place where they may give water, it is done so in 6oz water glasses. No joke (You can find the same complaint in "Japan-Ai". It really is like that! So there's never enough water, I lug my nalgene.
Ok, so I went to the 'bento' down stairs in the hotel and set the nalgene on the counter while I purchased some batteries. The cashier in oh-so Japanese tone, exclaimed: "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" (the eh sound accends in tone) "waaaaaaaaaaaater"..."eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"..."water to driiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink" (in same 'eh' tone) So of course her reaction cause other curious customers to look wide eyed at my nalegen bottle as well, and several gathered around to see it.
Later on I was taking a drink while seated, waiting for someone in the lobby. I got a lot of stares and head turns to watch me guzzle from the bottle. It made me laugh, they looked at me as if it where alcohol or something. It bewildered them terribly.

Tsubame-Sanjo

Wow! Training is done! We cramed classes till Thursday and where given our teaching assignments. We where partnered up to teach a 50 minute lesson. We got our topics Thusrday night and I worked with my partner/co-teacher Dave (from North London)for several hours. We had great ideas. It really helps to be able to bounce around ideas. It seems some of the best come from the passing around of ideas and makeing small tweaks to them. Anyhoo, we crammed and colored, made charades and worksheets. Phew! Then Friday we were split up in groups and gave our lessons. I got some really good, actually alot of really good ideas from everyone and even though I was totaly nervous, I suppose it all played out really well. We did our lesson, got a pretty good critique, and I left near immediatley for the mall to brows 'Book Off' and get a Strawberry Crepe. ^____^ But first I had to have a check in with my trainer Jodi. I love Jodi. Now initially I thought that my weeks training score would not be high and just moderate or average. I thought this mainly because when we got our assessment score back mine wasn't so good. So I was nervous and a little reluctant to go right in and talk to Jodi but I did. I was a little surprised to hear that I had gotten a 'Superior' rating and was only 2 participation points away from making it a 'Master', only 5-6 'Master' ratings where given out to the 250-300 of us. Also on my skills assessment test I got a 100%, a grade that only 4 other people got. I was impressed. Then he told me that I was a good listener. (A compliment I don't hear often...usually I'm not really high in my listening skill). Needless to say I was quite pleased with the out come. ^_____^

My Group: This is about half of us.




After the big lesson I returned to pack and do laundry and get ready for the big day the next day. We where to meet in the lobby at 7:50. I finished packing and brought it down to the front desk where the 'Post' service is. The POST service is fabulous, it's like mail for luggage and other big things you can't easily tote around, you can send it anywhere in Japan uber cheap. (For those of you who have seen Aimee Majors book "Japan Ai" this is the service with the logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten). So wheather you don't want to carry your golf clubs on the bus because it's a nausance, post it. Luggage, post it. It gets there in a day or two. I sent mine off Friday night at about 10 at night. We left for Tokyo at 8 Sat. morning.
At my stop off the bullet train, Ms Komazawa my IC picked me up and took me to my apartment, got gas turned on, and internet set up to work in 24 hours. She also took me around to pick up a few things: Futon, dishes, laundry stuff and a few other odds and ends.

100 yen store is my best friend. (the dollar store)

This morning I got quite a bit of reading done while airing out my apartment. Japanese seem to smoke alot and I kinda knew my apt. would be a smokey one, my hotel room was too. It'w been very nice. It was really nice to sleep in too.

I meandered around for while to check out the area. I didn't want to go too far because I was expecting my luggage from POST to come. So I just went on a little walk, came home, did a little more reading and airing out the place. I decided I would take a little nap for an hour and heard a knock at the door, YES!!!!! My luggage, whooot woot! So, now I'm unpacked and ready to go.

Tomorrow Ms. Komazawa comes to get me to run more errands: immigration cards/bank/and to get a phone so that I can be in contact with interac.

A side note about Interac. At first I have to admit that in my mind it would be some old random guy to come and get me and that this would be kind of an out of the back of a truck buisness, maybe sketchy...I had my nervous thoughts especially because of what happened with the NOVA program here in Japan. But INTERAC is great! Training has been amazing! We've meet a ton of people in the company and they are all super awesome and GENKI like you've never seen a person their age. I am pleased to say that I am really excited about not only being in Japan but working under INTERAC. They have been very thurough in training and proceedure and preparing us for such a different culture. Giving us oppurtunities to teach and learn so much. The leadership in the company is strong and open. I feel comfortable talking to my MC or any of my area schedulers if I need anything and feel confident that they are there for me in quick reaction. This seems like a great company and I'm really excited to be teaching. I still have alot of my nerves about teaching especially High school but I'm sure they will smooth out in time.

Training has also been really neet in the sense of getting to know people from all over I love having classes with the mixed humor from around the world, and faces and accents. I've already made friends from all over. It's really fun.

Well here's a little apartment tour:








It's cute, I sleep in a little loft. ^_____^ I really like it.

I took some pictures of the pretty and festive Japanese food so you all can see what it looks like. Such presentation!