Keeping spirits up...

Since receiving the new schedule, I don`t feel quite right. I`ve been a skittish bag of nerves rather than my usual self. I am really starting to feel jealous of people who have a normal life and don`t have these constant upheavals to deal with all the time. Tom and I have been doing our best not to let it get to us too badly. This has involved avoiding the topic of schedules (or ECC generally) in conversation, and indulging in healthy diversions whenever possible.

Tomorrow we are planning to go to the sumo:
Sumo Tournament Homepage (English)

Last Thursday we went for a walk over a mountain in Nara:
Kasuga Yama

On Friday, our neighbourhood got a bit kookier than usual, which is saying something, because kooky is our neighourhood`s bag:
Den-Den Town Street Festival

In other news, we have booked our honeymoon. Phuket in Golden Week! I`m so excited. I will have to purchase swimwear... I have nothing suitable to wear for a beach/lounging affair like this! I may also need to do a few sit ups to tone up prior to attempting such stomach revealing activities.

The marriage paperwork will be done on the 21st or 22nd of April (depending on the availability of our translator, the lovely, gracious, June Iwatsuki Tanaka) and Krista will be helping out as our Best Man/witness. I`m really looking forward to having everything sorted, formalised... all marriage-ified.

The road trip with Krista before she goes back to The States... we still haven`t decided where we are going... we might be off to Hiroshima, or Wakayama/Mie, or perhaps even Kamakura... we`re going to decide when we`re at the sumo.

Lots of diversions, lots of keeping busy, lots of working on the music projects, and hopefully we will have lots of wonderful news and lots to show for our troubles.

New photos...

Here are some recent photos I have taken:

My Neighbourhood (a very nerdy affair indeed)




Nara & Kasugayama Primeval Forest (Deer, trees, fungi and more...)



(Please see links in the above post)

More spanners, less works...

Another unhappy update.

Suffice to say that I didn't get the trainers or the assistant trainers job. The official reason was "you haven't been with the company for long enough" - to which I wonder why they even bothered interviewing me. I mean, that reason was there before the interview.

Reading between the lines, I have come to my own conclusions about that one.

Whatever.

Soon after receiving the bad news about the job, I then received the first draft of my schedule for next year.

The good news:
I got Tuesday and Wednesday off, which means that I will be able to have the occasional long weekend, given the smattering of Monday public holidays in Japan.
The shifts I had been given weren't too late.

The bad news:
My draft schedule had precisely zero of the schools that I had requested on it.
AND
I had two substitute teaching days on my schedule in my second contract - unfixed hours, unfixed locations, unknown classes.

We were back to where we started with the company. Subbing indefinitely. I don't sleep well the night before a sub-shift. I don't enjoy any element of it what-so-ever. I find it demeaning, particularly considering that I work very hard to be a good teacher, and then the company chooses to use me as spac filler, junk mail distributor, paper folder, envelope stamper, monkey extraordinaire. It takes a toll on the spirit when you work as hard as you can, get "Outstanding" teacher evaluations, get requested by schools to return, request the schools yourself, and then have someone in HQ just whisk it all out from under your feet. And just when I was beginning to feel settled in the new house and my job.

The schedule they had proposed to me only had one kids class when I had asked for little kiddies but "not too many" (I figured they'd give me about 4-6 classes if I asked for "not too many," not one!)- I had only one group class when I had asked for "as many as possible" - I had no private kids when I had asked for "as many as possible." I was absolutely dumb founded. I got none of the locations I asked for. I was devastated. I cried flat out for every moment I wasn't teaching for two days. I was losing my Komyoike shift, which if I haven't mentioned before, is where I teach the Mini Kids (18 month to 3 year olds) and BW's (7 year olds). I have rapport with the kids, the school, the students, I do all my shopping out there. I knew I would be losing Tennoji Station Plaza, I knew that I probably wouldn't get Kuzuha on Sundays, but to lose Komyoike - I was gutted.

Tom's schedule was painfully similar, and he was similarly disappointed. We've contacted HQ, and they've said that they'll "do their best" to fill our schedules - which at this point in time could mean anything. I've been told that they'd "do their best" before, and I have peers who are subbing 10 months after starting teaching (nay, Tom is one of these peers who is still subbing), when everyone has been "doing their best." So, maybe I am becoming tad cynical.

Now, we are just trying to wait and see. I have been tearful, Tom has been rattled and angry... it feels like a death or a break up, constantly questioning, why, why, why... why me? Why now? So many questions, so many compromises... we suffered Brisbane, and suffered temping for 2 years to get here... are we destined to suffer Osaka, and suffer sub-teaching now that we are here?

Please tell me no.



In other news, I have survived the salmonella. I had to go to hospital on day 4 of the diarrhea and vomiting, and be re-hydrated (intravenous drip, no less). I had no sick leave left, and so I had to work when I was sick - the students were very kind in letting me run off occasionally for a quick toilet break when necessary. I am back to eating normal food now after almost two weeks of bananas, rice, apples (stewed) and toast (the BRAT diet, no less). I have been cooking at home again far more, and being very picky about what I will eat when I eat out now. I never want to feel that sick again.

We've done most of the paperwork for our marriage - and we'll be formalising the arrangement fairly soon. We haven't set a date. It's not going to be one of those kind of affairs. Probably in the next three months, with a honeymoon fairly soon afterward.

I found driving in Japan to be quite easy, and so I will be having another drive soon for a road trip with Krista before she leaves to return to Indiana. We were thinking of heading down to Hiroshima/Miwa Jima... I am really excited by the prospect of getting into Chugoku area. If it turns out that Miwa Jima is too far, maybe we could go to Tottori - I'll have to ask Krista a bit more about what she'd like to do before we come up with our final plan.



Now, it comes time once more to study our options... suffice to say, it would be nice to have a few less spanners in the works every time we start trying to formulate a plan.

Either way, we haven't been idle. We're continuing to get out and about from time to time:

Sanjusangen-do

Chishaku In

Iga Ueno Ninja Town

Hopefully the photos will keep you entertained until I have some good news to post.

Food poisoning

No more Yoshinoya. EVER.

Sitting between the past and the future...

Isn't that what everyone is always doing? Looking at how we got here and where we want to go? Pulling desires into being and trying to visualise the bridge between the how and the now. I've got a lot of pots on the stove, and I'm cooking up something wonderful... but at the moment it all looks like gruel.

As we continue to hurtle voidwards, and looking at Australia with increasing distain, I wonder if there is any way we can get off that island and live elsewhere... and I don't mean Japan. Japan is a project that has met it's half way point almost, and as each day passes I begin to realise that I'll never be here for this time again, and this is my last time doing this, I get a sense of reverse nostalgia before I've even finished what I'm feeling nostalgic about. I'm feeling myself imagining looking back, and wondering how to make the sweetest moments to think back upon.

I don't know if either of us would be content with living in an Australian suburb, in a mouldy rental house, working a dead end contract job (wondering if my aunt was right and I don't have a full-time job because I'm an unpleasant person to be around), wondering when we're gonna end up on welfare, never secure enough to have kids or buy a house because everything is so transitory. I just don't know if I can face that life anymore. I think I want something more. And I don't know if Australia can deliver it. I don't know, I've got that feeling like my home can not give me what I want, and no where else is my home...

...thoughts come and go...

Boring, Bomb, Bambi...

A beer and some okonomiyaki (Osakan style savoury Japanese pancake) by the Dotomobori River. Life is kind.

Welcome to another relatively dull blog. Apologies in advance. What is there to tell you? I'm struggling for ideas. When you're not angsty, it just doesn't flow the same way as when you're raging.

In the last month we have been saving like mad, working our arses off, moving house, trying to make back the losses we sustained on the dead computer/moving house/Hakuba trip in December/January. It doesn't make for pretty pictures, or enlivening banter to publish. It makes for quiet moments of contentment though, satisfied that you're slowly reaching the places you want to get to. I've had a few of them recently (between the annoyance at having a lot of stuff to do and no time to arrange the house properly.) I am very, very, VERY happy to be OUT of Apollo Properties clutches. I really disliked being misled about the condition of the apartment before we arrived, and I have not been impressed with the cut of their jib ever since. They are disorganised, tardy, and unhelpful. The new agent is cheerful, efficient and kind. She helped us get a futon for free. And every time she comes to collect the rent, she brings me omiyage (a compolsary gift, Japanese style - usually dry biscuits from holiday destinations). Kawaii? Honto ne.

What there is to report:

- I have made friends with a couple of my students, and I've given a them a link to this page (hello Eishi, hello Yai, hello Kayoko).

- I have saved enough money to secure my computer on 12 February, and boy, am I happy about it. Wikipedia project Hobart Music 1995-2002 will be back in the swing soon. Looking forward to writing all your bios...

- Tom and I have purchased curtains, a shelf, a kitchen cabinet, a table, some chairs, a couch, a rug, a vacuum cleaner, a futon, a washing machine, a fridge, and a stove. The total sum of 30 000 yen ($390 AU) was paid for the lot. How good is that?

- I will be picking up a (huge) van (!) and driving for the first time in 7 months on 27 February to pick up the furniture from a "Sayonara Sale" in Osaka. For all of ye in Osaka "STAY OFF THE SIDEWALKS!" because that's where I intend on driving.

- We had a nice time at an Australia Day barbecue, drank too much, and revelled a bit hard. True blue, Aussie over indulging. I love it. First time to get three sails to the wind this year. I'm such a mild mannered reformed type these days...

- Our friend Richard stayed with us for a couple of days before he went back to Australia. We ate ramen with him to see him off. When the new computer arrives, I will start posting in the ramen diary again.

- Tom and I have been jamming with the intention of bringing Thrall to a live version again soon, but with me playing drums this time. I am rusty and shit at drumming at the moment, and will need to put in some serious training time before I will be up to the task of playing to anyone else. Loving making music again. It's the best thing about the new house. It's on the same street as the rehearsal studios we've been using. It's awesome.

- I went for a job as a trainer/assistant trainer. I'm hoping I get the assistant trainer job, because the trainer job might be a bit much for me - Tom has told me that he is seriously unhappy with the idea of me putting in more hours at the office. But hey, we'll see how the cookie crumbles before we start making any plans based on that one. I think I went well in the interview, I'm beginning to feel a lot more confident in interviews these days, and I don`t go to pieces like I used to when I was younger.

There you go. That`s about all I can think of at the moment. I'd love to hear from you if you're reading this. I have been doing my best to send the odd card, but if you don't send cards back, I will give up on you. After all, two way streets are only useful if more than one person is traveling on them.

A Fresh Start

Ah, relaxing at home... it's a good feeling. Outside it's cold and wild, but in here, it's toasty warm. Tom's been working on some new songs for his second album. I've been knitting. I finally made something for myself, a nice blue scarf with a bit of a fancy knit in it. It's really pretty, and not itchy in the slightest. I'm going to unravel the alpaca scarf that was such a mistake, and turn it into something else. It's nice to amuse ourselves with little homely tasks, and after our big trip to Hakuba, we're enjoying being home more than usual.

We finished work on Christmas Eve at 11:10, and did nothing in particular for most of the day on Christmas. I made a couple of phone calls, and we went and had a couple of glasses of wine and nibbles with our lovely friends Kate and Adamo. The next morning we were on the train by 8:30am. We took the local and rapid trains up to Hakuba. It took 10 hours there and 8 hours back. The train rides were beautiful, particularly in the snow storms around Lake Biwa/Hikone, and across the mountain plains of Nagano toward Matsumoto. But it was too long to be on the train for three days of being there, and we were very tired, stiff and cranky for most of the time. It was sad to admit, but I can't take up snowboarding seriously. I just don't have the perseverance, patience or physical resilience to take up that kind of sport. I'm too old. Not really such an uplifting thought for most, but I'm not phased by it. I'm not too old for most things. Just too old to throw myself gleefully down mountains. It's too much like hard work, and I'd rather just go for a walk, look at some cultural properties, or eat some nice food. It's fair enough. I'm not only too old. I'm old enough. Old enough to know when to give up! So, after two days of snowboarding, I gave it a rest on the third day.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to go up the snow. I realise that not many people from the kind of socio-economic background we're from get to go up the snow. It's really expensive, and it takes a lot of practice to get to be a good skier or snowboarder. I enjoyed being out amongst the trees, and looking at the mountains. When it gets below zero, the moisture comes out of the air, and it doesn't seem to penetrate the clothes the same way. It's nice, and it's conducive to getting a bit of exercise. If I was a toff, I'd be totally into it.

On the way back we dropped in on Matsumoto. The castle was nice, but it was closed for the New Year on our way past. I should have gone on the way up, but I didn't know it was going to do that oh-so-Japanese-thing of closing for three days either side of 1 January. The city itself was a sweet little hamlet, and there is a Yayoi Kusama Museum. I think I might try and make it back to Matsumoto when we come over to Eastern Japan at the end of our time in Japan.

Hakuba and Matsumoto

So, over the next few weeks, we'll begin moving into our new house!

It's, as our friend John so eloquently put it, "on the border between nerdy town and sexy town" in Nihonbashi. Nihonbashi has a main street that is known as "Den Den Town" ("Den" being short for "Denki" which means "electricial energy") - other than Akihabara in Tokyo, Den Den Town is the biggest conglomeration of electrical retailers probably anywhere on earth. It is also filled with purveyors of smutty comics, maid cafés, and little record stores. It's a good neighbourhood for us two, I think.

However, we've been paying rent on two houses for the last month, and it's stretched us right to the limit of our finances, between the snow holiday and the new house, I'm extremely poor. The new house isn't furnished, so I am going to have to find about ¥50000 for furniture next pay, unless we can find a few Sayonara Sales that are offering washers, hoovers, and fridges on the cheap. However, I'm still on target to get the new computer in February, and because the new house is cheaper, we will eventually end up saving money. Nice. Also, the new house is going to be much more convenient than this one for work and for play, and so I expect that we will start getting out and about more. I'm very optimistic about it.

Last night, we went down to Sumiyoshi Shrine and celebrated the New Year in Japanese fashion. Rather than the austere gathering of serious worshippers that I was expecting to find, I was surprised by a group of ridiculously dressed youths, ambling about the shrine en masse. There were stalls bunched up down every walk-way, selling okonomiyaki, takoyaki, sweet bean snacks, toy guns (there were about 5 stalls with the toy guns - I didn't understand it), games of skill (like shooting cans or knocking down pins with a baseball), fake jewelry and what-not... it was like being at The Royal Hobart Show!

Laugh! I almost did...

Japan Guide entry regarding Japanese New Years

The idea of Japanese New Years (Oshogatsu) is quite different to the Australian version. In Japan, New Years Eve is spent cleaning your house, eating a special mochi soup called "ozoni" and buckwheat noodles, and visiting either the shrine or the temple (depending on your favourite flavour), and putting energy into prayer for a good year. The old year and the new year are seen as being totally separate, and one should make preparations on the 31st to ensure that the start of the year is free of worry and stress. It's lovely. I prefer it to the home-brain-surgery-drunkenness version back in Australia. And so, here is my moment to look forward and to look back. Last year we achieved a lot. We started the year by being thrown out of Uncle John's house, we spent those lovely couple of months with Emma and Adrian, we drove back to Tassie, stayed with Sal in her lovely house in South Hobart, moved to Japan, adjusted to our new lives, travelled quite extensively (Himeji, Akame Shiju Hattaki, Matsumoto, Hakuba, Tokyo, Nagoya, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Okayama) and we're still in a good position to do some more travelling. We're moving forward with our wedding plans, and I'm sure the end product will suit us just beautifully. We'll soon get our new contract at ECC, 2009 is upon us, and I'm thinking this might be a good year.

Goodbye Year of the Rat. Hello Year of the Oxen. Let's get the good times rolling!