My 肉ジャガ

This dish took me a long time as I had to wait for the potatoes to be cooked until they're soft. It's not as good as the one I ate in school. But considering it's my first attempt and had no proper recipe to follow, thumbs up for myself! :) I'm going to show this picture to the principal and see what he says! And I would shake my head at him if he talks about gooddo Japanese boys again. Haha.

I made an onigiri today

My Japanese tutor taught me how to make an onigiri (rice ball) after our lesson. It's really simple and tastes good with only a little salt to taste. But the difficult part was making it into a perfect triangle with my fingers.

So I learnt how to make another Japanese dish. I love my current Japanese tutor! I've never had a private Japanese tutor and thanks to Janet, I found 中村先生. I would go to her house every week in 蓮田, the neighbouring city for my lesson. Knowing about my ambition to become a translator/simultaneous interpreter, she suggested that I first have to read lots of books in Japanese. She has introduced quite a few interesting Japanese literature to me and I would always have a good time reading and discussing them during our lessons. I would do some reading at home as well for my homework. Currently, I'm also reading Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban in Japanese. Phew, it's thick! I'm still slow at reading in Japanese but my understanding is improving. It's really fun and insightful to learn a language this way as I gain other knowledge by reading. But it's only a natural progression from my previous formal language training as it's time I start challenging myself to read seriously.

And 中村先生 always has so many interesting stories to share. She's so kind and generous too. Always giving me different Japanese snacks to bring home! And she also often teaches Janet how to make Japanese dishes, like she taught me how to make an onigiri just now.

The story behind 肉ジャガ, Meat potato stew

I had 肉ジャガ for the first time during school lunch today. It's probably a home cooked dish because I've never had it in any Japanese restaurants. It was so delicious!! I was praising the dish to the other school staff when the principal told me the "story" behind this dish. To qualify as a Japanese wife, every woman has to know how to make a good 肉ジャガ. Haha....I knew what he was implying again and I cheekily shook my head as he was advising me to learn how to make it. The principal is always trying to psycho me into marrying a Japanese man! He always tells me, "Japanese boy....very good (beri gooddo)!" and would recommend to me the Japanese language teacher (who looks like a married man to me), the math or the social studies teacher. He doesn't even spare my male students! He once caught hold of one 3年生 and said, "He....gooddo Japanese boy!" To his offers, I would always reject them by shaking my head solemnly. He's so baffled with me and always asks, "why, why?"

Anyway, I asked Morita-san how to cook 肉ジャガ and I'm going to make it at home one day. But that's only because I like it and have too many potatoes left!! But that would make the principal so happy! Hehe.

秋 Autumn

Brrrr....it was a little cold as I cycled home from my tutor's place. It has really turned autumn. Not the false signs of autumn last week when it was cool one day and hot the next. Yesterday, as I was cycling past the paddy fields to go to school, I saw many many many dragonflies! I had to duck as I rode past them. Pity it wasn't at night. I asked a teacher at school why are there suddenly so many dragonflies. She said when autumn comes the dragonflies will fly down from the mountains. Another interesting aspect of nature. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to ask her why they had to come down in autumn. Next time.....

I love the weather in the fall! Except in the morning when I have to wake up and shower. I wish I can freeze this moment and forever stay in this season. Or skip winter and just go straight to 春！

Salsa in 六本木 (Roppongi)

I'm addicted to salsa! Have to check out the salsa scene whichever country I'm in. Did salsa for about 1/2 a year in Singapore but had to stop because of overseas studies. Did do a little salsa in Melbourne but it wasn't regular. And the steps I learnt in Melb isn't the cuban style that I learnt and preferred.

Unfortunately can't find any schools that do salsa in Saitama. Only latin dance schools with mostly middle aged women. Went for one class, which was good exercise but it lacked the energy and electrifying vibes of a salsa class! But glad that I found it in Roppongi, although it's far from my place!!! Almost 2 hrs one way by train... :( Heard that Roppongi has a vibrant salsa culture..lots of salsa clubs. Ooohh. Anyway, went to check out this school on Fri as they have a trial salsa class for 30 mins. Salsa class just has a different atmosphere from other dance classes. I've been to funk, jazz, and latin classes. People are more serious there and it's intimidating especially when I'm a slow learner! In salsa, people look so happy and more relaxed. Perhaps it's the music or the dance moves that does that to people. Please try salsa at least once if u haven't tried! It's just incredibly fun! Guess I may have to spend my weekends travelling to Roppongi for classes. The commuting sucks but I'll forget about it once I start dancing.

Oops...mistake!

Realised that u can't view the pictures just by clicking on the link. U have to receive a proper invitation from me so email me if u're interested.

Fuji Q Highland in 山梨県

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=29325731/t_=24355195

Pls go to the URL above if u want to view my photos. U have to sign up for snapfish before u can view it though. Sorry!

Took a trip during the recent long weekend. Booked the hotel and bus to Fuji Q myself. Not as difficult as I thought. And luckily everything went smoothly. It was fun....my first trip out of Tokyo and Saitama since I came in Aug! If not for my friends forcing me, I would probably not have gone on the 2 coasters (Fujiyama King of coasters and ドドンパ　－ really fast one like a bullet!) and also the Red tower that brings you up and drops u down!!! Ahhhhh.......I was screaming and screaming the whole time. Was laughing hysterically too from fear. The feelings on those rides were wooosshhhhhhh and as if I were falling to my death. Experienced a different feeling while taking the King of Coasters coz it was already dark when we rode on it and the temperature dropped to about 18 degree celcius. Kept my eyes open the whole time even when going down. Amazing....

And the different views of 富士山 were simply wonderful. It's never the same when you look at it. And u can never see it clearly like other mountains I've seen before. It looks like a ghost mountain. Sometimes there and sometimes not. And it's hard to capture it on pictures when u're in it.

My girl and boy fans

From the left, 山田、湯口、森永 in 3年4組. They're so friendly and would always talk to me when they come to clean the staff room in the morning.

Sports Day ー Class photo with ３年３組

十五夜

今日は十五夜だ。でも月はそんなに丸くない。今日も涼しいだ。すごくいい感じ。やっと秋のように感じられた。

Why is that student's hair coloured??

Students aren't allowed to dye their hair but there's one who obviously flouted that rule. Can u find her? U may find her familiar! Heh. The principal decided I should participate in the 竹ダンス (bamboo dance) with all the other female students on their Sports Day on Sat. So there I was...unprepared with only 3 times of very brief and fuzzy practice! Errrr...... My eyes were following the students' every move and I was a good 1/2 steps slower than them. It showed in the photos too! I'm keeping the really bad ones in a secret folder - hidden to the eyes of others!! But it was really fun and I got to wear a Japanese school uniform. The other girls were all exclaiming when they saw me in it. It was embarrassing. I also joined in the teachers' race and folk dance with the students. Haha...the teachers said I ran very fast (only 50m). keke. Some of the boys looked so bashingly shy when it was their turn to dance with me. They were blushing. Ahhh....teenage years. 懐かしい！

No more prepaid for me

Prepaid sucks! I thought I can save some money with prepaid if I don't use my phone much. But I text a lot on my keitai n I had to restrict myself so much for fear of finishing my credits too soon. So I decided to go for a plan instead which is also not cheap but at least I won't have to control how I use my keitai. So here's my new AU phone! Yeah...I can finally choose something I like - a sleek n white keitai with cool features! Japanese phone don't have sim cards so if u want to switch to a new number or to a plan, you have to buy a new keitai. But as this is a plan, I got this for 0 yen.

Why am I so excited over just a phone here?? It's not only coz Japanese mobile phones are cool, it's because I could never bear to spend money on the latest phones back home. So finally, I get to own a cool phone!

Back to earth

Ok, let's make this clear....not all the students are interested in me. Apparently one of the 2 nensei(2nd graders) class didn't seem very interested in my self-introduction class and kept on talking and arguing with the JTE over the rules of my quiz. Luckily I had some experience of teaching Japanese students n I know how they can be like. Teachers are not so much authority figures but friends to them. So students are very relaxed in class, which may seem rude to Singaporeans. But I'm kinda used to it and don't make it a big deal. Anway, I rather let the JTE handle the class's behaviour.

Getting close with Moca!

Up close n personal with a local band here! Janet and I got to know them at a festival where they were performing. And we were invited to go watch their live performance in Hasuda. We even got VIP fan treatment coz the drummer/pianist came to the station to pick us up! Only the 2 of us. Ahaha. Their CD were out so we bought them as a show of support. They're really really good and quite cute too! Plus they're only 25! :p Well, the drummer will look cuter if he smiled in the photo with me! He's really cool both on the piano and the drums. If they ever become famous in Japan, I have their CD with their signature and message! Hehehe.

Celebrity Status

I feel like a mini celebrity in my town! First, I get to appear in the local newsletter. My first time on print! Had my picture taken and wrote a short Japanese text about myself and my feelings of this town. Any new AETs in this town will be introduced to the people here in this way and I happen to be the only new AET this year.

And I feel like a celebrity in school too coz the students are so interested in the new AET! If I were a teacher back home, I wouldn't get so much attention. They would smile and greet me and make comments like "kawaii", "kirei", "nihonjin mitai", "hosoi", "ashi ga nagai" (hmm...but I don't agree with that). I'm not going to translate coz it makes me sound narcissistic! :p The boys are really cute as they would come into the staff room to see me and just shyly say, "Hi, Hello!" and greet me goodbye when I leave the school.

My career has finally started!

Naw, I can't really call this a career. The job here is really too easy to call it a career. But anyway....the first day of school began for me at S****** Junior High School - my first school. 3 more schools to go for the rest of my contract year. Had to be earlier than usual today 8.10 a.m and I was cycling as fast as I could. Trust me, it's hard for me to be punctual for anything! I'm in big trouble especially when I'm a teacher and in JAPAN. Anyway, I wasn't late.

The first day of each school term would begin with an opening ceremony. Pretty long and formal. So many speeches and announcements plus the singing of the national anthem and school song. And of course, my self introduction - the new AET (Assistant English Teacher). So I made a short speech in English first (got no response when I said "Good morning" and had to say it again) and a longer one in Japanese. Think no one was expecting me to make a long speech in Japanese so one of the Japanese Teachers of English (JTE) hurried to explain after my speech that I majored in Japanese studies and mindfully warned the students ONLY to speak to me in English during class.

No classes for me to teach today so I spent the day preparing for my self introduction classes, talking and joking with the other Japanese teachers and the principal. He's so cute n funny! The first time he saw me, he came up to ask," U....American Chinese??". All in all it was a pleasant day. But I really have to know how to keep myself entertained coz there will be long periods when I don't have much to do. The lesson plans are all done by the JTEs.