I have been slow perhaps. Sorry everyone. Much of the past month and a half were quite slow with quarantine. Now, however, I have begun teaching and several other new factors have given me some things to write about which you might find interesting. I have begun classes with students. I've done the "Introduce Yourself" class 7 times so far. Students seem to enjoy the pictures I have of moose the most. I also had a great reaction from a group of 3rd year students today when I stated "I lived in Africa for two years." Then followed by saying 住んでいました sundemashita, which means 'lived'. They all went "ooooooooohhhh" because I used Japanese. Made me smile.
Well the state of emergency has lifted and I can finally explore some things other than mountains and the ocean. Don't presume I dislike either of those things, but I do want to visit restaurants and other things as well. Last weekend I visited two restaurants. I researched some basics about how to read pieces of menus and things before leaving my apt to walk to a nearby restaurant. I saw none of what I had researched and ended up with a bowl of ramen. It was quite good. The next day I sat my sights on sushi, which I do adore. The chef kindly wrote the prices out and I was able to read both the numbers and several of the things written on the menu. Many signs are handwritten which is quite difficult for me considering I don't know many kanji in the first place. But I elected a plate of sushi and was elated by it. The nori seaweed wrap around the outside of some sushi was of exquisite quality and toasted. The wrap was still crunchy brought a new heightened level to an experience I already greatly enjoy. My new objective is to find good tea. I have been buying tea from grocery stores but it isn't quite the level of quality I'm seeking. I queried a fellow English speaking teacher who has been living in the area for 30 years and was given some information. Information I hope to make great use of this weekend. Here are some photos of my recent adventures and I will describe them with the photos.
I didn't get many pictures of the cherry blossoms. The sides of this river were all pink earlier.
I found this place while looking for some coastline to explore.
Playing around down near the water was where I told myself "now be careful and don't hurt yourself because no one else is around or has any idea where you are" and then IMMEDIATELY proceeded to make a very short and easy jump and land squarely on my ankle spraining the crap out of it. I sat there holding it in pain for a good 5 minutes. Then continued to limp around exploring.
Some young oysters, the white things.
A good chunk of the Kesennuma fishing boat fleet.
So Japan likes to abbreviate and so sandwich has become just sand... Which is like... yeah I understand... but sand is another thing so this sounds real weird. This was two pieces of good sweet bread with like blueberry whipped cream in them.
How many arms is too many arms?
I kinda love bamboo. I already liked plants but this stuff grows so fast and is so hard and can be used to build things, it's SO FUNCTIONAL! I love plants and I love functionality. So bamboo. Love it. This picture is on my walk to and from school some mornings and I think its a nice representation of parts of Japan.
A lot of these azaleas, rhododendrons? I don't know they are so closely related. But planted everywhere and you can see the white ones behind. Lovely and smell nice.
Yeah so I bought a bag of squid, because squid is pretty tasty. I though the red indicated they would be a little spicy. No, they were pickled. It's an ok flavor, I think you aren't supposed to snack on them, eating one is kinda rough. I have eaten like 4 of these things...
This mountain is right behind the center of Kesennuma and was recommended to me. So last weekend I brought lunch and a book to the top. Excellent use of my time.
A semi-frequent sight in Japan are these standing stones with writing on them. Fairly certain I read they were Buddhist things?
Lunch at the top. Chicken cutlet in sauce sando(sandwich).
Kesennuma. I live over to the right of the picture somewhere.
The peak straight ahead is Oshima Island which I have pictures from on an earlier visit.
山 is the kanji for mountain. You can see it on this post partway up the mountain.
So after my lunch on the mountain I wanted to go to the ocean at low tide. Not sure I was actually allowed in this area but I tried to park out of the way. This dog came over and was pretty cute, then as it started going back I saw this wild goat chilling there. They looked at one another for a little bit and then the dog chased the thing into the woods. The goats make some weird noise that sounds like a blowing growl.
I turned a corner and saw this and it was awesome. The beach and ocean down through the trees. Also on my way up this trail another wild goat was on it so I made a weird noise and chased it up the trail for fun.
I love these things. This is a flower growing from a vine that is on trees here and there. The camera doesn't capture the brilliant purple against the green. It's very neat to see these flowers on the edge of the woods and in lonely trees out in fields.
This sponge is super fresh. I chucked it back into the water. Sponges are cool as hell. Look up a video showing you how they move water.
The trail coming down is slightly to the left. There were all those little bell shaped flowers on this ground cover plant too. Really cool.
I don't know if the snake was dead or what. I walked over it apparently since when I turned around it was there and not moving. Didn't try to move when I moved it with a stick either. Unsolved mysteries.
I have watched this show and thought this to be an entertaining Public Service Announcement to stay safe during covid.
Wooden boat.
My bowl of Ramen soup, and the first time I went to a restaurant after covid restrictions were ended.
Near my house.
Edmond(the chalk bag) and I are ecstatic to see the covid restrictions lifted so we can use this rock climbing wall that is A 3 MIN DRIVE FROM MY APT!!!
is... a crab
? don't know what it is.
Sea cave. 1. It ends right behind where I'm sitting. 2. I was afraid being in there and also being in Japan, a country known for frequent earthquakes. Doubly so, because the first time I went in the camera fell over, and the second time the picture wasn't great, so I went in there 3 times.
Some erosion near a sea wall.
Patrick star.
About a month ago I saw an old woman backing up a car and a man (I presume her husband) directing. The woman backed close to the small concrete blocks used as tire stops in many parking spaces in Japan, and then the man said something and began to move away while swatting his hand downward in a "that's fine whatever" motion. I thought "those could be my grandparents" for the mannerisms and interactions so closely paralleled actions my own grandparents might use. I've seen other instances that cause me to feel this way. I watched a teacher erase something from a board in the staff room and then wave their hand in front of themself, look downward and laugh. I would bet strongly if I could have heard what they said, and translated it, it would have been "No that's not what I meant to do, haha." I see younger children in parks on my walk home from work some days, or students in the school now that it has started. The children act exactly as I saw the same age children act back home. The high school students move about the halls and interact with me so similarly it is alarming. I'm on the opposite side of the planet and guess what... people are people. And I love this, I love living here long enough to see things like this, not just doing some touristy things but being a part of it all. People are people y'all, everywhere you go. I think I did poorly explaining this about my time in Africa. People would ask questions and I would say something like "I didn't have electricity" and that was the focus, the things they didn't have. But everyone still did the same things, just without electricity. People is people. People aren't the only great thing in Japan though.
The country is beautiful. I heard someone say that it makes sense Japan is a frontier of camera technology. Which makes so much sense because moving through the country is like moving through an excellent painting that I wish to capture and share. There are mountains and hills densely packed together. When air pushes up a mountain it tends to condense and form mist or clouds near the top. Frequent sights in Japan are wisps of clouds behind one hill but in front of another, slowly moving making each second another new sight. This afternoon was quite warm but the ocean was cold, resulting in fog over the ocean pushing inland and evaporating. The sky was darkened and I expected the temperature to be of a chill evening, but it remained pleasantly warm. Driving to work looking at small valleys leading to the ocean, the green of the trees changes throughout the day depending on the position of the sun. The coast is similarly enthralling. I have been visiting the ocean in my free time looking for ocean critters. Being on the shore with the ocean air and the views and sounds of slowly crashing waves is likely a component to 10% of all humans living near the ocean, and 40% live within 60 miles of an ocean. I will miss the views of this country when it comes time to return home.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to add questions. My mother asked to see a math classroom(she is a math teacher) but I could not oblige. In Japan the students stay with a group of classmates in one room throughout the day, while teachers bring materials to the students and teach in that space. So there are no Japanese Math classrooms!
