Exciting news: I found out just the other day that I was selected to be a Chiba-kun Ambassador! Which basically means I'll be part of a group of people using blogs, social media, etc so that people in their home countries can learn about Chiba Prefecture. Because it's a pretty cool place, as far as I can say after being here for 10 months, and I think people should know that there's a lot more to Japan than Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima (though I also think these all do deserve their fame).
Anyway, this really doesn't change too much about the blog - except maybe giving me more exciting things to write about. As a Chiba-kun Ambassador I'll get to go on a few trips around the prefecture, with the first one coming up in June! One of the places we'll be going is the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Museum in Noda, which is actually pretty cool because the group of students who visited the Mayor today got to go there and I had just been thinking about how I wished I could have gone, too. Plus I've heard that if you go on a tour you get a free bottle of soy sauce, which is always a plus!
So I guess I'll find out if it lives up to expectations next month, but I plan to keep posting in between as well. There's a new exhibit at the Chiba City Museum of Art, which I feel like I'm practically a regular visitor to now, which has apparently been getting some attention so I'll be checking it out sometime soon. Until then! :)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
makuhari dokidoki flea market
This Sunday, a few friends and I went to the Makuhari Doki-Doki Flea Market, one of the biggest flea markets in Japan! I'm a big fan of recycle shops and flea markets and anything that involves reusing things instead of throwing them away, so I was excited for this. :D
Sunday was the last day of the market and it opened at 10, so I definitely did not expect to see the giant lines of people waiting to get it when I got there around 9:30. I wonder if there are people who look forward to this every year and get up extra early to get a head start on shopping - actually, I'm sure there are. Evidently, 'one of Japan's biggest flea markets' was no joke - it took up Makuhari Messe's exhibition halls 1-8, which is a looottt of space (to give an idea, I'm pretty sure the time I went to go see a Noh performance there, it only took up one exhibition hall).
That said, there was plenty of stuff to fill up the space with! There were all sorts of booths selling all manner of things (clothes, household goods, typical flea market stuff), but also a handmade art section (ceramics, artwork, arts & crafts - somebody was selling little shoes made out of peanuts!), cars, a stage sponsored by bayfm78 (a radio station in Chiba) with performances, and lots of food stalls all around! I had some Thai chicken and also gelato from 'Samurai Gelato' (where all the staff had cowboy hats), which was all very tasty.
We were at the flea market for probably about three hours or so, and it took us almost all that time just to walk around through everything! I thought about buying a gigantic Pikachu pillow but decided I'd go back for it later, which (as I suppose any seasoned flea market shopper knows), this was not a good choice because when I went back it was gone (and actually I saw the people who bought it walking around with it later, haha). Ah well. I did end up with a Pooh-bear suit though (don't ask).
All in all, it was really cool and I'm glad I went! I'll probably go back next year, too - well worth the 600-yen admission fee, I think. :D
Sunday was the last day of the market and it opened at 10, so I definitely did not expect to see the giant lines of people waiting to get it when I got there around 9:30. I wonder if there are people who look forward to this every year and get up extra early to get a head start on shopping - actually, I'm sure there are. Evidently, 'one of Japan's biggest flea markets' was no joke - it took up Makuhari Messe's exhibition halls 1-8, which is a looottt of space (to give an idea, I'm pretty sure the time I went to go see a Noh performance there, it only took up one exhibition hall).
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| I think this is roughly 1.5 exhibition halls' worth of space? |
We were at the flea market for probably about three hours or so, and it took us almost all that time just to walk around through everything! I thought about buying a gigantic Pikachu pillow but decided I'd go back for it later, which (as I suppose any seasoned flea market shopper knows), this was not a good choice because when I went back it was gone (and actually I saw the people who bought it walking around with it later, haha). Ah well. I did end up with a Pooh-bear suit though (don't ask).
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| It was so crowded when we left we all had to stop and take pictures. |
All in all, it was really cool and I'm glad I went! I'll probably go back next year, too - well worth the 600-yen admission fee, I think. :D
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
ishigaki, part two~
Okay, so picking up where I left off: Saturday, or day 5! Almost all
the interpreting volunteers had the day off, so a few of us started out
by visiting Taketomi Island, which is only about 10 minutes away by
boat. This was also the first day with sunny weather, which was amazing!
We spent a lot of time marveling at how much difference the sun made.
:)
Since the island isn't very big, we decided to rent bikes, which I think is pretty common. Our first destination was Kaiji Beach, which is known for its star sand! It looks like stars or suns, and to be fair it isn't actually sand, but rather the shells of tiny crustaceans - but it still looks really cool. Naturally the first thing we all did was scoop up some sand to try and find some star bits, with varying degrees of success. Definitely super cool. Then we went to Kondoi Beach, which was gorgeous with surprisingly warm water (though only one of us was smart enough to bring a swimsuit) and then we had the famed soki soba for lunch, which is basically noodles with ribs and spectacularly tasty. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around, eating dragonfruit popsicles and seeing sights like Nagomi Tower, which looks over the whole tiny traditional village.
When we got back, plans were made for us to go see the fireflies at Banna Park, which is one of the sights the mayor recommended to us at our courtesy visit. At first we tried to rent a car but instead the owners of the rental place got a taxi for us at a good deal, with the driver even agreeing to guide us all the way to exactly where the fireflies were (and a good thing too, because we probably wouldn't have found it otherwise). Anyway, it was amazing! There were tons and tons of fireflies everywhere, twinkling like Christmas lights! I've never seen so many fireflies at once before, or flashing so often, either. I didn't even try to take pictures because I knew it wouldn't turn out, but just take my word for it - it was breathtaking. Then we went back and joined some more JET volunteers for food and drinks at an izakaya with performances of Okinawan music!
The next day was the big day: the Sunday of the triathlons! I didn't get there for the start of the Ishigaki Island triathlon, but I did get to see the first person who finished, and also cheer on all the rest. It was super cute to see people run across the finish line with their families or teammates (for those doing it as a relay), especially when they included babies! I did get to see the start of the women's World Cup race, though this was also when it started to rain so I have no pictures whatsoever. I did see the end of both the men and women's races though, and it was pretty cool to realize that these were world-class athletes, in a qualifying race for the Olympics! Super impressive. Then in the evening, there was the award party, which was a chance for the citizens and athletes and volunteers to hang out while eating food from stalls like the ones they have at festivals. Good times.
Monday morning was spent assisting some athletes with check-out at the hotel and making sure they all got on the right shuttle to the airport (which they did). Then my host parents took us to a few places around the island, starting with the marine research center where my host dad used to work, where they had lots and lots of sea turtles! We got to see them in their tanks (including one that was separated from the rest because it was on a diet and another one that apparently had the opposite problem) and I even held a little one! Then we went to the Hirakubo Lighthouse, at the northernmost point of the island, which had the most spectacular view. I couldn't get over how gorgeous the ocean was, with its many different shades of blue, and eating chinsuko (a famous Okinawan treat) ice cream there was pretty much perfect.
The last evening consisted of dinner and karaoke with some other JETs, my host sister and her friend, and more, which was a great way to wrap up the end of the trip. The next day was pretty much just spent going home, but not before my host parents let us each pick a bowl they had made to take home with us! I definitely think staying with a host family was one of the best parts of what was a really awesome trip. I met new people, saw new places, and experienced so many new things. Hopefully I'll be back to Ishigaki someday!
Since the island isn't very big, we decided to rent bikes, which I think is pretty common. Our first destination was Kaiji Beach, which is known for its star sand! It looks like stars or suns, and to be fair it isn't actually sand, but rather the shells of tiny crustaceans - but it still looks really cool. Naturally the first thing we all did was scoop up some sand to try and find some star bits, with varying degrees of success. Definitely super cool. Then we went to Kondoi Beach, which was gorgeous with surprisingly warm water (though only one of us was smart enough to bring a swimsuit) and then we had the famed soki soba for lunch, which is basically noodles with ribs and spectacularly tasty. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around, eating dragonfruit popsicles and seeing sights like Nagomi Tower, which looks over the whole tiny traditional village.
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| Star sand! |
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| Water buffalo here too! |
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| Nagomi Tower - climbing up was an adventure! |
When we got back, plans were made for us to go see the fireflies at Banna Park, which is one of the sights the mayor recommended to us at our courtesy visit. At first we tried to rent a car but instead the owners of the rental place got a taxi for us at a good deal, with the driver even agreeing to guide us all the way to exactly where the fireflies were (and a good thing too, because we probably wouldn't have found it otherwise). Anyway, it was amazing! There were tons and tons of fireflies everywhere, twinkling like Christmas lights! I've never seen so many fireflies at once before, or flashing so often, either. I didn't even try to take pictures because I knew it wouldn't turn out, but just take my word for it - it was breathtaking. Then we went back and joined some more JET volunteers for food and drinks at an izakaya with performances of Okinawan music!
The next day was the big day: the Sunday of the triathlons! I didn't get there for the start of the Ishigaki Island triathlon, but I did get to see the first person who finished, and also cheer on all the rest. It was super cute to see people run across the finish line with their families or teammates (for those doing it as a relay), especially when they included babies! I did get to see the start of the women's World Cup race, though this was also when it started to rain so I have no pictures whatsoever. I did see the end of both the men and women's races though, and it was pretty cool to realize that these were world-class athletes, in a qualifying race for the Olympics! Super impressive. Then in the evening, there was the award party, which was a chance for the citizens and athletes and volunteers to hang out while eating food from stalls like the ones they have at festivals. Good times.
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| The first amateur finisher! |
Monday morning was spent assisting some athletes with check-out at the hotel and making sure they all got on the right shuttle to the airport (which they did). Then my host parents took us to a few places around the island, starting with the marine research center where my host dad used to work, where they had lots and lots of sea turtles! We got to see them in their tanks (including one that was separated from the rest because it was on a diet and another one that apparently had the opposite problem) and I even held a little one! Then we went to the Hirakubo Lighthouse, at the northernmost point of the island, which had the most spectacular view. I couldn't get over how gorgeous the ocean was, with its many different shades of blue, and eating chinsuko (a famous Okinawan treat) ice cream there was pretty much perfect.
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| Apparently when they are resting they put their fins on their backs! |
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| Northernmost point of Ishigaki Island! |
The last evening consisted of dinner and karaoke with some other JETs, my host sister and her friend, and more, which was a great way to wrap up the end of the trip. The next day was pretty much just spent going home, but not before my host parents let us each pick a bowl they had made to take home with us! I definitely think staying with a host family was one of the best parts of what was a really awesome trip. I met new people, saw new places, and experienced so many new things. Hopefully I'll be back to Ishigaki someday!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
ishigaki triathlons, part one!
So two weeks ago, I boarded my first (Japanese) domestic flight and headed off to Ishigaki, Okinawa! I went there as a volunteer interpreter for the not one, but two triathlons that were happening there that weekend: the Ishigaki Island Triathlon and the Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup. It was my first time going to Okinawa (though hopefully not my last) and my second time volunteering at a triathlon (which I only remembered after I got there, haha. Oops) and basically a super fun time. :D (I'm also splitting the post into two parts because I think otherwise it will be ridiculously long.)
The first day was mostly spent traveling and then meeting my host family and fellow JET volunteer who was also staying with them. It turns out my host sister lived in Georgia for 9 years, which is a crazy coincidence because she was also in a place super close to my house, my host parents do ceramics, just like my mom, and my fellow JET house buddy was somebody I met at our mid-year conference! What a small world.
The next day we had our volunteer training with the resident Ishigaki CIR and a courtesy visit to the mayor! It was kind of cool to be on the guest side rather than the interpreting end, though it was also very short. Then all the (visiting) interpreting volunteers went out for yakiniku (of the famed Ishigaki beef) - we were all JETs from basically all over Japan, so it was great to meet everybody and get to know them a little better. The afternoon was just spent wandering around Ishigaki City, where we discovered the Shinei Park World Peace Bell and learned that Taiwan is only 270km away, among other things. I thought it was amazing how different it felt to be in Okinawa though - you could definitely tell that we were on an island (even though the weather was not ideal). And then I went to the airport to welcome some triathletes from South Africa!
I had all of Wednesday free, so a couple of volunteers and I went to the nearby Iriomote Island! It's the only Yaeyama Islands I'd heard of besides Ishigaki before coming, because it's the home of the Iriomote cat, which is a wild cat (not much bigger than a housecat) that's only found there. Apparently there are less than a hundred of them left and some people live there their whole lives without seeing one, though our bus guide had seen them 5 times! Anyway, our day in Iriomote consisted of a short cruise around the mangroves and a short ride across to Yubu Island via water buffalo (ours was named Yumi-chan), where we had lunch and saw things like a butterfly house. And then we went back to Ishigaki for a welcome party with all the interpreting volunteers, including Ishigaki residents!
The next morning was free for me too, so I took the opportunity to have my first scuba diving experience! The weather wasn't the greatest (cloudy and not quite warm) and the water was a little cold even with a wetsuit, but it was definitely worth it. After stopping to snorkel a little, it was time to try scuba diving! I'd never done it before so I was a little nervous (especially since I'd always thought you needed to go through proper training before scuba diving), but they explained everything clearly and I didn't run into any problems (other than occasionally tipping over from the weight of the tank being imbalanced), which was awesome. We saw a bunch of fish and also a group of cuttlefish (I think), which was really cool.
Then I went back to Ishigaki City Hall to prep for my next volunteer job: interpreting at the World Cup welcome party! The three of us were originally supposed to use the time to translate prepared speeches, but we found out that one of them didn't have a written copy, and because one of the other volunteers wasn't a native English speaker and the other had never interpreted before, I agreed to do it on-the-fly (which is always terrifying). But it actually went pretty well (he kept it short and sweet), so I got to enjoy just being at the welcome party. I didn't actually talk to any of the athletes, but I watched some performances of traditional dances/music by local high schoolers and ate some yummy food!
And that's all I'll recount for now - stay tuned for part two (hopefully shortly)! :)
The first day was mostly spent traveling and then meeting my host family and fellow JET volunteer who was also staying with them. It turns out my host sister lived in Georgia for 9 years, which is a crazy coincidence because she was also in a place super close to my house, my host parents do ceramics, just like my mom, and my fellow JET house buddy was somebody I met at our mid-year conference! What a small world.
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| Ishigaki's brand new airport! |
The next day we had our volunteer training with the resident Ishigaki CIR and a courtesy visit to the mayor! It was kind of cool to be on the guest side rather than the interpreting end, though it was also very short. Then all the (visiting) interpreting volunteers went out for yakiniku (of the famed Ishigaki beef) - we were all JETs from basically all over Japan, so it was great to meet everybody and get to know them a little better. The afternoon was just spent wandering around Ishigaki City, where we discovered the Shinei Park World Peace Bell and learned that Taiwan is only 270km away, among other things. I thought it was amazing how different it felt to be in Okinawa though - you could definitely tell that we were on an island (even though the weather was not ideal). And then I went to the airport to welcome some triathletes from South Africa!
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| The World Peace Bell |
I had all of Wednesday free, so a couple of volunteers and I went to the nearby Iriomote Island! It's the only Yaeyama Islands I'd heard of besides Ishigaki before coming, because it's the home of the Iriomote cat, which is a wild cat (not much bigger than a housecat) that's only found there. Apparently there are less than a hundred of them left and some people live there their whole lives without seeing one, though our bus guide had seen them 5 times! Anyway, our day in Iriomote consisted of a short cruise around the mangroves and a short ride across to Yubu Island via water buffalo (ours was named Yumi-chan), where we had lunch and saw things like a butterfly house. And then we went back to Ishigaki for a welcome party with all the interpreting volunteers, including Ishigaki residents!
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| An Iriomote cat! |
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| A very cool tree |
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| Yumi-chan! |
The next morning was free for me too, so I took the opportunity to have my first scuba diving experience! The weather wasn't the greatest (cloudy and not quite warm) and the water was a little cold even with a wetsuit, but it was definitely worth it. After stopping to snorkel a little, it was time to try scuba diving! I'd never done it before so I was a little nervous (especially since I'd always thought you needed to go through proper training before scuba diving), but they explained everything clearly and I didn't run into any problems (other than occasionally tipping over from the weight of the tank being imbalanced), which was awesome. We saw a bunch of fish and also a group of cuttlefish (I think), which was really cool.
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| Trying hard to breathe properly |
Then I went back to Ishigaki City Hall to prep for my next volunteer job: interpreting at the World Cup welcome party! The three of us were originally supposed to use the time to translate prepared speeches, but we found out that one of them didn't have a written copy, and because one of the other volunteers wasn't a native English speaker and the other had never interpreted before, I agreed to do it on-the-fly (which is always terrifying). But it actually went pretty well (he kept it short and sweet), so I got to enjoy just being at the welcome party. I didn't actually talk to any of the athletes, but I watched some performances of traditional dances/music by local high schoolers and ate some yummy food!
And that's all I'll recount for now - stay tuned for part two (hopefully shortly)! :)
Thursday, March 28, 2013
delegation from houston!
Last week, a delegation from our sister city in the US, Houston, came to Chiba City! 2012 was the 40th anniversary of our sister-city relationship, but since we count them in fiscal years, having them come in March still totally counted (or that's what I keep telling myself, haha). Getting ready for them took a lot of time and effort (and much, much more on my coworkers' parts), but I think it was a great success! I had a lot of fun with the delegation and hopefully they did, too. :)
They arrived on Sunday, and for their (unofficial) welcome dinner, we went to Sakae Zushi, which is a sushi restaurant run by sushi chef Masayoshi Kazato, who holds all sorts of important positions in the sushi world and actually went to Houston last year to teach about proper sushi hygiene and was made an honorary citizen of the city. So this trip was his chance to return the favor to Houston on his home turf, and I'm glad I got to be there - interpreting for him with sushi terminology was not easy, but the meal was more than worth it! I also learned some new things about making sushi, like how vinegar is important as a disinfectant and not just a seasoning and how it usually takes three years of training before a beginning sushi chef is allowed to actually make it (though Chef Kazato did it after just two).
The next day was full of official/formal events: courtesy visits to the mayor and the chairman of the City Assembly and a welcome luncheon/dinner reception hosted by each, including traditional Japanese koto and American Country Western dance performances. It was a big day of interpreting for me, and while I definitely had some less-than-stellar moments, all in all I felt like things went by better and more easily than the past, which is encouraging (to say the least). The highlight of the day for me, though, was successfully carrying out our flash mob in the city hall lobby, which my coworker and I, along with several of our fellow city hall workers, had been practicing for weeks! It started out with the country dancer from Houston dancing by himself, followed by teachers from the Asian Western Country Dance Association (who came from all over Japan) joining in, and then us! The delegation members (and probably any random passersby) were pretty surprised, so it was a definite success. :) We also went strawberry-picking at a nearby farm (because Chiba City actually has quite a fair amount of farmland and agriculture, too), which was delicious.
With the bulk of the official stuff done, Tuesday was much more relaxed! Though different people had different activities to attend, the group I accompanied went to the Chiba City Folk Museum to try on traditional clothing and armor from the Heian period (which actually anybody can do once a month or so if you sign up in advance - a pretty cool experience, I think). Then we were off to QVC Marine Field to watch part of a pre-season baseball game from one of the VIP rooms! The head of the delegation read a letter from the mayor of Houston aloud and took part of the first pitch ceremony, and the rest of us got to go down on the field with him, too. I also got to see a slideshow I helped make projected on the big screen, which was pretty awesome.
After that, we visited Mihama-en, a traditional Japanese garden in Makuhari, to experience the tea ceremony while admiring the view. Fun fact: Houston also has a Japanese garden in a place called Hermann Park, which is home to a stone lantern sent by Chiba City! I'll definitely stop by there whenever I end up visiting Houston (having decided I should make it a goal to visit all of our sister cities at some point in my life). The last thing scheduled for their visit was a reception hosted by Houston, at a restaurant near Chiba Port called Ocean Table, where food, drinks, and line dancing meant a good time was had by all. :)
On Wednesday we got up bright and early to send the delegation off to Tokyo, but since they had an open spot on the day tour they had reserved and were gracious enough to offer it to me, I ended up spending the day with them as well (since it was also a holiday)! I got to visit some famous parts of Tokyo I hadn't gotten around to seeing yet like Meiji Jingu, the Imperial Palace garden, and Odaiba and take a (very) mini cruise around the bay. They also invited me to have dinner with them and then wouldn't let me pay for it, which was super nice of them.
So that was the visit from the delegation from Houston! It involved a lot of last-minute translation and on-the-fly interpretation, but also new experiences and connections - it's things like this that really make me appreciate how cool my job can be. :)
They arrived on Sunday, and for their (unofficial) welcome dinner, we went to Sakae Zushi, which is a sushi restaurant run by sushi chef Masayoshi Kazato, who holds all sorts of important positions in the sushi world and actually went to Houston last year to teach about proper sushi hygiene and was made an honorary citizen of the city. So this trip was his chance to return the favor to Houston on his home turf, and I'm glad I got to be there - interpreting for him with sushi terminology was not easy, but the meal was more than worth it! I also learned some new things about making sushi, like how vinegar is important as a disinfectant and not just a seasoning and how it usually takes three years of training before a beginning sushi chef is allowed to actually make it (though Chef Kazato did it after just two).
The next day was full of official/formal events: courtesy visits to the mayor and the chairman of the City Assembly and a welcome luncheon/dinner reception hosted by each, including traditional Japanese koto and American Country Western dance performances. It was a big day of interpreting for me, and while I definitely had some less-than-stellar moments, all in all I felt like things went by better and more easily than the past, which is encouraging (to say the least). The highlight of the day for me, though, was successfully carrying out our flash mob in the city hall lobby, which my coworker and I, along with several of our fellow city hall workers, had been practicing for weeks! It started out with the country dancer from Houston dancing by himself, followed by teachers from the Asian Western Country Dance Association (who came from all over Japan) joining in, and then us! The delegation members (and probably any random passersby) were pretty surprised, so it was a definite success. :) We also went strawberry-picking at a nearby farm (because Chiba City actually has quite a fair amount of farmland and agriculture, too), which was delicious.
With the bulk of the official stuff done, Tuesday was much more relaxed! Though different people had different activities to attend, the group I accompanied went to the Chiba City Folk Museum to try on traditional clothing and armor from the Heian period (which actually anybody can do once a month or so if you sign up in advance - a pretty cool experience, I think). Then we were off to QVC Marine Field to watch part of a pre-season baseball game from one of the VIP rooms! The head of the delegation read a letter from the mayor of Houston aloud and took part of the first pitch ceremony, and the rest of us got to go down on the field with him, too. I also got to see a slideshow I helped make projected on the big screen, which was pretty awesome.
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On Wednesday we got up bright and early to send the delegation off to Tokyo, but since they had an open spot on the day tour they had reserved and were gracious enough to offer it to me, I ended up spending the day with them as well (since it was also a holiday)! I got to visit some famous parts of Tokyo I hadn't gotten around to seeing yet like Meiji Jingu, the Imperial Palace garden, and Odaiba and take a (very) mini cruise around the bay. They also invited me to have dinner with them and then wouldn't let me pay for it, which was super nice of them.
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| A couple getting married at Meiji Jingu, on the first day of spring! |
Saturday, March 16, 2013
kimono trip to tokyo
For last week's kimono class, we took a trip to Tokyo! It was supposed to give us a chance to actually do stuff in a kimono for (most of) a day to see if we had managed to put them on properly and to get used to doing more than just standing around in them for a few minutes, which is usually what happens in class. It was certainly an experience, though to be honest I'm not sure it's one I want to repeat any time soon - moving around in a kimono and zori (traditional footwear that is basically a fancy, uncomfortable, and very pretty version of flip-flop) all day is no joke!
After putting on kimonos at the classroom, we headed off to the station! Even though it's less than a 10-minute walk away, we managed to hop on a bus there, which my feet (in brand-new zori) really appreciated. Then we got on a train to Tokyo! Navigating the stairs and the gap between the platform and train was certainly trickier than usual (you can only step so far in a kimono), but about halfway through the 40-minute ride I realized that I could still lean back even with my obi, which was an excellent discovery.
Our destination was another classroom of our school (they're all over the country) in Nihombashi's Ningyocho, which I don't know very much about but is apparently a place with lots of traditional flair. The classroom we visited was right next to a place that dyes the fabric for kimonos, where we stopped first. Originally we were supposed to be able to see the man who owns the shop actually work on dyeing something, but unfortunately he was having medical issues so we just got to look around - it was still pretty cool, though. There was a long table in the center that was exactly half the length of the fabric necessary to make a kimono, and we saw some of the screens they used in the dyeing process (though I didn't have my camera at the time so no pictures, unfortunately).
After that we went into the classroom for some lectures - first they divided us by class level (beginning to advanced) for a short session. In the beginning level, they taught us practical things like the proper ways to sit down in a chair, sit on the floor in seiza position (without your feet falling asleep too fast) and get back up, go up and down stairs, etc. Next we all came together for the main lecture, which was about kimonos and obis made from materials other than silk and cotton, where we had the chance to see and touch (very expensive) examples that they told us normally would be basically impossible to get to see. Since everything was in Japanese and I know basically no vocabulary about nature, I didn't really know what most of anything was made of, but my impression was that the materials were things like thread and fibers from tree bark, grasses, etc - though they weren't stiff or anything at all. All in all, a pretty cool experience.
Next there was a long period where everybody could pick out fabric and "try on" different kimonos (since new kimonos are essentially always custom-made this actually mean draping the fabric on in a very complicated way to make it look just like a kimono), though I spent most of the time just looking at all the different patterns and materials instead.
After that, we had lunch together at a French restaurant, which was delicious (though since by then it was like 2pm we were all hungry and not picky at all). I found out that you can get something that's basically a giant bib to put over the front of your kimono while you eat, though those of us who didn't have those just used our napkins instead.
And then it was time for the long trip home! I managed to go the whole day without any wardrobe mishaps and only discomfort from my zori (not the kimono itself), so I would call the outing a success! Here's a picture of my tired but triumphant self on the way back to our classroom in Chiba:
This past week was my last official class, which was a practical and written test of my kimono knowledge! The goal was to be able to put the kimono on from start to finish within 50 minutes (it is beginner level after all) and then answer questions about the types of kimono/obi, names of parts, etc. Though when I say a test, it was very low-pressure, which is good because I definitely would have failed the written part if they actually graded us (oops). I don't think I'll be continuing onto intermediate for now, since with frisbee practice starting up again and the start of spring I think I'll just be getting busier, but who knows? There may still be more kimono adventures in store for the future. :)
After putting on kimonos at the classroom, we headed off to the station! Even though it's less than a 10-minute walk away, we managed to hop on a bus there, which my feet (in brand-new zori) really appreciated. Then we got on a train to Tokyo! Navigating the stairs and the gap between the platform and train was certainly trickier than usual (you can only step so far in a kimono), but about halfway through the 40-minute ride I realized that I could still lean back even with my obi, which was an excellent discovery.
Our destination was another classroom of our school (they're all over the country) in Nihombashi's Ningyocho, which I don't know very much about but is apparently a place with lots of traditional flair. The classroom we visited was right next to a place that dyes the fabric for kimonos, where we stopped first. Originally we were supposed to be able to see the man who owns the shop actually work on dyeing something, but unfortunately he was having medical issues so we just got to look around - it was still pretty cool, though. There was a long table in the center that was exactly half the length of the fabric necessary to make a kimono, and we saw some of the screens they used in the dyeing process (though I didn't have my camera at the time so no pictures, unfortunately).
After that we went into the classroom for some lectures - first they divided us by class level (beginning to advanced) for a short session. In the beginning level, they taught us practical things like the proper ways to sit down in a chair, sit on the floor in seiza position (without your feet falling asleep too fast) and get back up, go up and down stairs, etc. Next we all came together for the main lecture, which was about kimonos and obis made from materials other than silk and cotton, where we had the chance to see and touch (very expensive) examples that they told us normally would be basically impossible to get to see. Since everything was in Japanese and I know basically no vocabulary about nature, I didn't really know what most of anything was made of, but my impression was that the materials were things like thread and fibers from tree bark, grasses, etc - though they weren't stiff or anything at all. All in all, a pretty cool experience.
Next there was a long period where everybody could pick out fabric and "try on" different kimonos (since new kimonos are essentially always custom-made this actually mean draping the fabric on in a very complicated way to make it look just like a kimono), though I spent most of the time just looking at all the different patterns and materials instead.
After that, we had lunch together at a French restaurant, which was delicious (though since by then it was like 2pm we were all hungry and not picky at all). I found out that you can get something that's basically a giant bib to put over the front of your kimono while you eat, though those of us who didn't have those just used our napkins instead.
And then it was time for the long trip home! I managed to go the whole day without any wardrobe mishaps and only discomfort from my zori (not the kimono itself), so I would call the outing a success! Here's a picture of my tired but triumphant self on the way back to our classroom in Chiba:
This past week was my last official class, which was a practical and written test of my kimono knowledge! The goal was to be able to put the kimono on from start to finish within 50 minutes (it is beginner level after all) and then answer questions about the types of kimono/obi, names of parts, etc. Though when I say a test, it was very low-pressure, which is good because I definitely would have failed the written part if they actually graded us (oops). I don't think I'll be continuing onto intermediate for now, since with frisbee practice starting up again and the start of spring I think I'll just be getting busier, but who knows? There may still be more kimono adventures in store for the future. :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
chiba city international fureai festival
This weekend was the Chiba City International Fureai Festival! This is a big annual event hosted by the Chiba City International Association, and this year the International Relations Section also took part for the first time! The downside to this was that I was there in a work capacity so I didn't actually have a chance to look around at all, though this was probably also because I had a couple of other events going on that day - futomaki sushi-making and English storytime at the library! All in all, it was a busy day. :)
I got to Qiball a little bit before the opening of the festival to help set up. The International Relations Section had a little booth next to the stamp rally table (because what's an event in Japan without a stamp rally?! Gotta have one) where we had some posters introducing our sister cities as well as a bunch of commemorative gifts from them, which we gave to anybody who donated money (to be used for international exchange things like youth exchange programs, sister city events, etc). I think at the end of the day we'd managed to fundraise a decent amount of money, which was great!
From our perch on the third floor (the first and second floor were full of booths with food, arts and crafts, and goodies for sale from all sorts of international organizations in the city), I had a good view of the opening ceremony, which included a speech by the mayor, singing of 'It's A Small World After All', the appearance of Chiba-kun and Fuuta (the Zoological Park's mascot red panda), and an African drum performance!
Afterward I popped over to the CCIA to try making futomaki sushi, aka a really fat sushi roll whose insides were shaped to look like a rose! It was run by the Chiba Local Food Study Group, and they had all the ingredients and even aprons prepared for us already (which I think is probably the hardest part, haha). After showing us how to do it once, they helped us to do it ourselves - it was surprisingly simple, and they gave us a recipe to take home, so in theory I could totally do it again! Again though, the hardest part is probably making nice flat sheets of egg to wrap up so I don't know how successful I'd actually be. :P Still, I think mine turned out pretty well, and my coworkers seemed to appreciate them when I went back to the Festival and shared some with them. :)
Then I headed over to the Central Library to read for their English story time! This was my second time doing story time, but my first time in the story time room, which is a really cool round shaped room with a mini planetarium on the ceiling. I read The Snowy Day, which I remember reading when I was a kid, and the English version of two Japanese picture books, Groompa's Kindergarten and Miki's First Errand. All the kids seemed to know the last two books already, so it was pretty cool to watch their reactions to hearing them in English instead of Japanese! We also did Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes together (just like last time), which they seemed to enjoy - and they all actually said the words out loud instead of just doing the motions, which I thought was great.
So it ended up being a long and busy Sunday full of work-related activities, but they were also interesting and fun so I can't complain! :D
I got to Qiball a little bit before the opening of the festival to help set up. The International Relations Section had a little booth next to the stamp rally table (because what's an event in Japan without a stamp rally?! Gotta have one) where we had some posters introducing our sister cities as well as a bunch of commemorative gifts from them, which we gave to anybody who donated money (to be used for international exchange things like youth exchange programs, sister city events, etc). I think at the end of the day we'd managed to fundraise a decent amount of money, which was great!
From our perch on the third floor (the first and second floor were full of booths with food, arts and crafts, and goodies for sale from all sorts of international organizations in the city), I had a good view of the opening ceremony, which included a speech by the mayor, singing of 'It's A Small World After All', the appearance of Chiba-kun and Fuuta (the Zoological Park's mascot red panda), and an African drum performance!
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| The mayor and African drum performers! |
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| Successful futomaki sushi! |
Then I headed over to the Central Library to read for their English story time! This was my second time doing story time, but my first time in the story time room, which is a really cool round shaped room with a mini planetarium on the ceiling. I read The Snowy Day, which I remember reading when I was a kid, and the English version of two Japanese picture books, Groompa's Kindergarten and Miki's First Errand. All the kids seemed to know the last two books already, so it was pretty cool to watch their reactions to hearing them in English instead of Japanese! We also did Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes together (just like last time), which they seemed to enjoy - and they all actually said the words out loud instead of just doing the motions, which I thought was great.
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| Imitating the book; don't worry, I don't actually stand like that! |
So it ended up being a long and busy Sunday full of work-related activities, but they were also interesting and fun so I can't complain! :D
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