Today marks the end of my first delegation visit to Chiba City! To celebrate the 40th sister-city anniversary, three city officials from Quezon City came to Chiba for a few days, and it was my job to accompany them and interpret during their stay. It's been a little crazy, but I think all in all it was a great experience!
So on Monday we headed to Narita to pick up the delegation from the airport. On the way back, we made a very, very brief stop at Narita-san Shinshoji, which is one of the most popular temples in Japan. Because it was starting to get dark and also raining really hard, we really just took a few pictures at the entrance, but I would really love to go back and actually take a look around sometime - one of my friends was there the same day and she said it was one of the most beautiful places she'd seen.
After that we headed to the hotel so they could check-in, then had a brief break before dinner. Dinner was at a place where they actually made the tempura right in front of us, which was pretty awesome, not to mention delicious! It was just the delegation and a few of us from the International Relations Section plus the Director of the Office of the Mayor, but I think everybody had a good time - I think for two of the Quezon delegates it was their first time having sake, and they seemed to enjoy it a lot, haha. Interpreting while eating was a little bit of a challenge at times, but luckily everybody there spoke at least a little English so it wasn't too bad!
Tuesday, on the other hand, was a different story - since it was the day full of official stuff, we knew it was going to be the hardest, and while I don't think it was a total disaster, I also wouldn't really call it a success. -.-' It definitely made me realize that my Japanese still has a long way to go before I can really call myself fluent and that interpreting is really hard (though I knew that already, haha)!
Anyway, it started off with a courtesy visit to the mayor. We arrived at city hall, where the delegation was greeted with lots of applause. Even Chiba-kun, the prefecture mascot, was there, which really surprised me! And then it was time for the courtesy visit - courtesy visits to the mayor always make me nervous because the mayor not only skips around
and improvises in his speeches, but he also talks really fast! Still, it went relatively well, despite a few times where the mayor had to correct me or repeat what he said.
Next was a luncheon with the members of the Chiba City Assembly who had gone to Quezon City last month, which was kind of a disaster (for me at least). I am incredibly grateful to the professional interpreter that we hired for the day (he was there for the courtesy visit too), who was really nice and also super super competent. Whenever I couldn't understand what somebody said, which was probably most of the time (in my defense, they were talking about really complicated things like taxes, advancement of women, and the technical aspects of garbage disposal), he was kind enough to help me out. I guess having 2 interpreters for a table of 12 people all eating lunch and talking to both each other and the guests all at once is just a tough situation in general, too!
After that we went on a study tour of some waste treatment facilities (which I left entirely up to the pro interpreter, haha), which was actually pretty cool! We got to see things like trucks dumping garbage, cranes moving it around, garbage being pressed into blocks, etc. Part of the facilities was a system that created biogas (mostly methane, I think?) from burning garbage, which is then used by a nearby steel factory for energy. Pretty cool, I think, especially considering this is the kind of thing I would probably never see otherwise!
Next we made an unplanned stop at the Fukuda Denshi Arena, aka the soccer stadium that is home to our soccer team, JEF United Chiba. Thanks to the assembly member who was with us, we got to go on a quick tour around and saw things like the control room, locker rooms, the drug testing room (complete with bathrooms with glass doors!), and the VIP room. We also got to go on the field, which was pretty cool. I think it'd be super cool to play frisbee sometime there, though that will probably never happen (though we do practice next door once a month)!
That was the end of my job for the day, since dinner for the delegates was hosted by the assembly members (I heard it was pretty lively, though!). This morning our first stop was the Chiba City Museum of Art, to see the exhibit I went to a few weeks ago. After that we walked over and got on the monorail, so our guests could experience it. Thanks to Satou-san's careful planning, we managed to transfer onto the Urban Flier (the new monorail car), which made it the third time in two days I got to ride it (which is a lot considering it's only come when I was riding the monorail once in the four months since I've been here)!
After that we went to the World Business Garden in Makuhari for lunch. We went all the way to the top of the building (to the 35th floor!), where there was a really great view of Tokyo Bay and Makuhari. Next was a tour of Makuhari Messe, which I've been to before but was still pretty interesting. I learned that the main 8 exhibition halls were built to look like the mountains of Chiba Prefecture, while the newer 3 were designed to look like waves from Chiba's coast, which I'd never realized before. When we walked around, there was a huge line of people stretching across the 8 exhibition halls (which I learned span 530m), who were there for Best Artist 2012, a concert that was broadcast live at 7pm tonight! I was just watching it on TV, and knowing that everybody I saw was actually in Makuhari Messe at that moment was pretty cool.
Next we went to Don Quijote (sic), which is a discount store that sells all sort of things, including some things from abroad (like snacks), and which I think was what the delegates were most excited for, haha. After spending some time there finding lots of souvenirs, we got on the bus and drove to Tokyo, where they'll be spending a day by themselves before heading back to the Philippines.
It's been a long and busy three days, but it's definitely also been super interesting and pretty fun! I am definitely ready to just sit at my desk all day for once (though I doubt it will be any less busy, if Sato-san's ominous comments about translation requests he's hidden from me are any indication). Hopefully by the next time a delegations comes to Chiba, I'll have improved both my Japanese and my interpreting skills!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
chiba ajet thanksgiving and more
Friday was a holiday (something like Labor Day, I think), which Chiba AJET took advantage of to properly celebrate Thanksgiving a day late! I've been helping the guy in charge plan and get ready for the event, so on Friday I got up early to help get things started!
Since I had brought one of the turkeys home from Costco, I got on the train with the 14-pound turkey in my backpack (which will probably never stop feeling weird, haha) and headed to Soga. The rest of the day was spent cooking and hanging out with lots of both familiar Chiba AJET friends and new people, which was really fun! We had about 30 people show up altogether, but there was plenty of food (in fact we even had leftovers that we had to practically beg people to take home - I still have a lot in my fridge), and it was all delicious. It was definitely a traditional Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and more!), and it was really great to still be able to eat all that in Japan, surrounded by lots of good company, even far away from home. :)
Afterward (since we had eaten around 3 and it was still early) a big group of us went back to a bar in Chiba City, which was a nice and chill way to end the busy day - all in all I think the event was a great success, which always feels great when you help plan it!
Then yesterday I went to frisbee practice for the first time in weeks, which was awesome. I thought it would be really cold so I went dressed super warmly, but by the end I was in shorts and a t-shirt, which made them all think I was crazy, haha. It was perfect fall frisbee weather, though! Definitely worth feeling sore all day today (which is probably a sad sign of how long it's been since I exercised, haha). And then after that I met up with Hirata-san and a friend to go on a night cruise of the factory scenery in Chiba Harbor, which you can read about here! After that I went to dinner with Hirata-san at a seafood place relatively close to my apartment, which was really delicious.
Today I spent a relaxing morning just doing chores and rewatching one of my favorite Japanese movies (Kamome Diner), before meeting up with a friend from Carleton who actually used to be my Japanese tutor! He's been in China apparently but is spending a month traveling around Japan, and though he'd wanted to meet earlier it was exactly when my family was visiting, so it was nice to actually get to see him today. We met and had some coffee before just wandering around downtown Chiba for a while and then getting dinner. It was great to catch up (I don't think we've really been in touch since he graduated the year before me) and also nice to have somebody to explore more of the city with! I feel like now I've seen a lot more of the area around the station than I've ventured to before, which is pretty cool.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the three-day visit by the delegation from Quezon City, which is sure to be super busy and super challenging for me, since I'll be accompanying them and interpreting for them the whole time! I'm already feeling pretty nervous and super unprepared, but I'm sure it'll be a new and interesting experience. Wish me luck! :)
Since I had brought one of the turkeys home from Costco, I got on the train with the 14-pound turkey in my backpack (which will probably never stop feeling weird, haha) and headed to Soga. The rest of the day was spent cooking and hanging out with lots of both familiar Chiba AJET friends and new people, which was really fun! We had about 30 people show up altogether, but there was plenty of food (in fact we even had leftovers that we had to practically beg people to take home - I still have a lot in my fridge), and it was all delicious. It was definitely a traditional Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and more!), and it was really great to still be able to eat all that in Japan, surrounded by lots of good company, even far away from home. :)
Afterward (since we had eaten around 3 and it was still early) a big group of us went back to a bar in Chiba City, which was a nice and chill way to end the busy day - all in all I think the event was a great success, which always feels great when you help plan it!
Then yesterday I went to frisbee practice for the first time in weeks, which was awesome. I thought it would be really cold so I went dressed super warmly, but by the end I was in shorts and a t-shirt, which made them all think I was crazy, haha. It was perfect fall frisbee weather, though! Definitely worth feeling sore all day today (which is probably a sad sign of how long it's been since I exercised, haha). And then after that I met up with Hirata-san and a friend to go on a night cruise of the factory scenery in Chiba Harbor, which you can read about here! After that I went to dinner with Hirata-san at a seafood place relatively close to my apartment, which was really delicious.
Today I spent a relaxing morning just doing chores and rewatching one of my favorite Japanese movies (Kamome Diner), before meeting up with a friend from Carleton who actually used to be my Japanese tutor! He's been in China apparently but is spending a month traveling around Japan, and though he'd wanted to meet earlier it was exactly when my family was visiting, so it was nice to actually get to see him today. We met and had some coffee before just wandering around downtown Chiba for a while and then getting dinner. It was great to catch up (I don't think we've really been in touch since he graduated the year before me) and also nice to have somebody to explore more of the city with! I feel like now I've seen a lot more of the area around the station than I've ventured to before, which is pretty cool.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the three-day visit by the delegation from Quezon City, which is sure to be super busy and super challenging for me, since I'll be accompanying them and interpreting for them the whole time! I'm already feeling pretty nervous and super unprepared, but I'm sure it'll be a new and interesting experience. Wish me luck! :)
chiba factory scenery night cruise
This Saturday I got to go on an evening cruise of the nighttime factory scenery in Chiba Port! This is actually only the second time that this has happened here (I believe the last one was in February), but I've heard this sort of cruise is actually getting pretty popular around the country, and depending on interest it could become a more regular thing here in Chiba, too!
I met up with one of my coworkers and a friend at the station before walking over to the port together. After checking in we waited a little bit before getting on the boat, which was very sleek and fancy-looking, with cool blue lights along the sides. The cruise included a free drink, which was a choice between what I think was a sort of fruit cocktail (tasty) or juice. After getting our drinks, we decided to go up to the top of the boat for a better view, even though I'm sure the downstairs was much warmer, haha.
After a little bit, we were off! I was surprised to discover that there was actually a guide on the cruise to explain what we were looking at and give us some background. It was only in Japanese and I didn't understand all of it, especially when he was explaining more about the factories, but I was glad that he was there to explain things to us.
As we were heading out, we got a really nice view of Port Tower, which is currently doing a nighttime Christmas-themed illumination starting at 5 every day. It's basically a Christmas tree shape and lots of colorful twinkling lights, which is actually quite pretty. From the boat we could see the whole Christmas tree design, which for whatever reason you can't see from shore, so that was pretty awesome.
As the cruise went on, we heard explanations of what factories we were passing by (what they were, what they did, etc), and we also got to see things like the Makuhari New City District in Chiba (where Makuhari Messe is) and Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree across Tokyo Bay, which was really cool.
We slowed down and got close to factories at two points, one at JFE Steel and another whose name I didn't catch (oops). There was actually something surprisingly pretty about all the lights from the factories, which you don't really associate with factories, and it was really cool to be able to see them up (relatively) close. They even brought the boat closer once upon somebody's request and told us what settings to use on our cameras for the best pictures, which I thought was really nice of them.
Near the end they also let us go through the captain's cabin at the front, where we saw all the navigation stuff, which I thought was really cool. I also noticed that a lot of the switches were labeled in English instead of Japanese, which I found interesting.
All in all, I think it was super interesting and I'm glad I got the chance to go! It got pretty chilly on the boat with the wind blowing the whole time, but I was relatively prepared and also I love boats, so I enjoyed it. :D Someday I'll have to go on one of the regular sightseeing cruises they offer in Chiba Port, because I'm sure those are also awesome.
I met up with one of my coworkers and a friend at the station before walking over to the port together. After checking in we waited a little bit before getting on the boat, which was very sleek and fancy-looking, with cool blue lights along the sides. The cruise included a free drink, which was a choice between what I think was a sort of fruit cocktail (tasty) or juice. After getting our drinks, we decided to go up to the top of the boat for a better view, even though I'm sure the downstairs was much warmer, haha.
After a little bit, we were off! I was surprised to discover that there was actually a guide on the cruise to explain what we were looking at and give us some background. It was only in Japanese and I didn't understand all of it, especially when he was explaining more about the factories, but I was glad that he was there to explain things to us.
As the cruise went on, we heard explanations of what factories we were passing by (what they were, what they did, etc), and we also got to see things like the Makuhari New City District in Chiba (where Makuhari Messe is) and Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree across Tokyo Bay, which was really cool.
We slowed down and got close to factories at two points, one at JFE Steel and another whose name I didn't catch (oops). There was actually something surprisingly pretty about all the lights from the factories, which you don't really associate with factories, and it was really cool to be able to see them up (relatively) close. They even brought the boat closer once upon somebody's request and told us what settings to use on our cameras for the best pictures, which I thought was really nice of them.
Near the end they also let us go through the captain's cabin at the front, where we saw all the navigation stuff, which I thought was really cool. I also noticed that a lot of the switches were labeled in English instead of Japanese, which I found interesting.
All in all, I think it was super interesting and I'm glad I got the chance to go! It got pretty chilly on the boat with the wind blowing the whole time, but I was relatively prepared and also I love boats, so I enjoyed it. :D Someday I'll have to go on one of the regular sightseeing cruises they offer in Chiba Port, because I'm sure those are also awesome.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
cir mid-year
So this Tuesday-Thursday was my first CIR mid-year conference! This is the one time a year when all the JET CIRs are all together in one place, going to various training sessions and exchanging opinions. It was good to see a lot of first-years I'd met at Tokyo Orientation and to meet all the rest too, though actually I don't think I met as many people as I could have; next year I'll try harder!
Anyway, I went to work as usual on Tuesday in the morning (one disadvantage of living in the city where mid-year is held, haha) and then headed to Makuhari at the lunch break to meet up with Laura and Kim, two out of the three other Chiba CIRs, for lunch! Kim got there a little late so we just grabbed Subway (yep, there's Subway in Japan!) in the food court before heading to the hotel for the conference.
The first day was just an opening ceremony and a keynote address-type thing, followed by a dinner reception! The food was pretty tasty, though there wasn't really enough of it (all the dessert disappeared before I even got to see it, haha), and I met a bunch of new people. Afterward I went with a group back to the food court to try the taiyaki parfaits I'd seen before but never gotten (delicious), and we ended up just hanging out there and talking for a few hours before Kim and I went home.
The next morning we got up bright and early (aka didn't get nearly as much sleep as we needed) to catch the bus and train back to Makuhari. I spent the morning in the introductory translation/interpretation seminars, which were pretty helpful, and then got lunch with Laura, Kim, and my predecessor Erica, who was actually presenting a session at the conference. After a few more seminars in the afternoon, we met up with Stephen (the other new CIR from Carleton) and had sushi at a little place nearby. After that we went back to the hotel to try and find some other people to hang out with, and after meeting another 2nd-year CIR we headed to a Spanish bar and just chatted for a while.
The last day was more seminars until the whole conference wrapped up around noon, and Laura and I headed back to work for the afternoon (even though for every other CIR it was the beginning of a 3-day weekend, haha). I grabbed some quick lunch at a little noodle shop in the station and went back to work, where I actually ended up staying for almost 3 hours overtime because there was just so much to prepare for the upcoming Quezon visit! Which I am super nervous for (they're coming tomorrow!), but hopefully it will go well.
On the way home I realized it was actually Thanksgiving! Once I got home, chatting with Cory turned into going to Funabashi for impromptu karaoke, which was super fun, even with only two people. I also discovered that the Keisei bus station near me isn't as far as I thought it was (in fact it feels much closer than Chibaminato, even if only because the way there is more interesting), which is an exciting discovery. Anyway, it was a great way to end a long and busy Thanksgiving day. :D
Anyway, I went to work as usual on Tuesday in the morning (one disadvantage of living in the city where mid-year is held, haha) and then headed to Makuhari at the lunch break to meet up with Laura and Kim, two out of the three other Chiba CIRs, for lunch! Kim got there a little late so we just grabbed Subway (yep, there's Subway in Japan!) in the food court before heading to the hotel for the conference.
The first day was just an opening ceremony and a keynote address-type thing, followed by a dinner reception! The food was pretty tasty, though there wasn't really enough of it (all the dessert disappeared before I even got to see it, haha), and I met a bunch of new people. Afterward I went with a group back to the food court to try the taiyaki parfaits I'd seen before but never gotten (delicious), and we ended up just hanging out there and talking for a few hours before Kim and I went home.
The next morning we got up bright and early (aka didn't get nearly as much sleep as we needed) to catch the bus and train back to Makuhari. I spent the morning in the introductory translation/interpretation seminars, which were pretty helpful, and then got lunch with Laura, Kim, and my predecessor Erica, who was actually presenting a session at the conference. After a few more seminars in the afternoon, we met up with Stephen (the other new CIR from Carleton) and had sushi at a little place nearby. After that we went back to the hotel to try and find some other people to hang out with, and after meeting another 2nd-year CIR we headed to a Spanish bar and just chatted for a while.
The last day was more seminars until the whole conference wrapped up around noon, and Laura and I headed back to work for the afternoon (even though for every other CIR it was the beginning of a 3-day weekend, haha). I grabbed some quick lunch at a little noodle shop in the station and went back to work, where I actually ended up staying for almost 3 hours overtime because there was just so much to prepare for the upcoming Quezon visit! Which I am super nervous for (they're coming tomorrow!), but hopefully it will go well.
On the way home I realized it was actually Thanksgiving! Once I got home, chatting with Cory turned into going to Funabashi for impromptu karaoke, which was super fun, even with only two people. I also discovered that the Keisei bus station near me isn't as far as I thought it was (in fact it feels much closer than Chibaminato, even if only because the way there is more interesting), which is an exciting discovery. Anyway, it was a great way to end a long and busy Thanksgiving day. :D
Monday, November 19, 2012
quiet before the storm
The past few days haven't been too eventful, but after the family visit and with what's coming up soon, I think that's probably for the best!
I don't think anything interesting at all happened Thursday or Friday (just getting used to being myself in my apartment again, haha), but on Saturday after finally cleaning my apartment, I went into Chiba to meet my friend James for coffee. That was great, but after that things started to unravel into one of the worst nights I've had in Japan (but really in retrospect it wasn't that bad so I guess I'm still having a pretty good time, haha).
Basically I was supposed to meet my friend Ella in Mobara for dinner, because it's kind of halfway in between us and that way neither one of us had to take a two-hour train ride. Or at least that was the logic behind it. But there was super strong wind/rain in the part of the train line where she was, so the trains there stopped running, and basically I spent three hours waiting in Mobara and poor Ella spent something like 5 or 6 hours on a train before finally just heading back home (after trying to make plans for her to come here so she wouldn't be stranded somewhere else). So we didn't get to meet and that sucked, but we'll make it happen sometime, I'm sure (and for next time I've learned it's probably easiest just to reschedule instead of hoping the weather will get better. Also that maybe checking the weather beforehand is a good idea).
On Sunday I went to Costco again, but this time to get supplies for Chiba AJET Thanksgiving, which is happening on Friday (since it's a national holiday - not Thanksgiving though). I met up with some other Chiba AJET people and we spent a couple of hours trying to find stuff in Costco before having lunch there (of course). I brought one of the turkeys home with me, and I'm happy to report that I discovered that I can in fact fit a 14-pound turkey in my little fridge (though not much else anymore, haha)!
Then today Cory came over to my apartment to hang out, which made him my first guest who isn't a coworker or family (or almost-family, as the case may be), so that was exciting. We went to a little ramen place nearby which I thought was pretty nice (so parents, if you ever come back sometime we can go there) and then just reaffirmed how there's really nothing to do in my apartment other than TV or internet. -.-'
Tomorrow is the first day of the JET CIR mid-year conference, which should be lots of fun! It's actually happening in Makuhari so I'll just be commuting (which is maybe not so exciting but will save me lots of money, so I guess I'm pretty lucky for that), but I'm looking forward to seeing all the other CIRs who I haven't gotten to meet yet! Another Chiba CIR is actually going to be staying in my apartment during the conference so she can save on hotel costs too, so that should also be fun. :)
I don't think anything interesting at all happened Thursday or Friday (just getting used to being myself in my apartment again, haha), but on Saturday after finally cleaning my apartment, I went into Chiba to meet my friend James for coffee. That was great, but after that things started to unravel into one of the worst nights I've had in Japan (but really in retrospect it wasn't that bad so I guess I'm still having a pretty good time, haha).
Basically I was supposed to meet my friend Ella in Mobara for dinner, because it's kind of halfway in between us and that way neither one of us had to take a two-hour train ride. Or at least that was the logic behind it. But there was super strong wind/rain in the part of the train line where she was, so the trains there stopped running, and basically I spent three hours waiting in Mobara and poor Ella spent something like 5 or 6 hours on a train before finally just heading back home (after trying to make plans for her to come here so she wouldn't be stranded somewhere else). So we didn't get to meet and that sucked, but we'll make it happen sometime, I'm sure (and for next time I've learned it's probably easiest just to reschedule instead of hoping the weather will get better. Also that maybe checking the weather beforehand is a good idea).
On Sunday I went to Costco again, but this time to get supplies for Chiba AJET Thanksgiving, which is happening on Friday (since it's a national holiday - not Thanksgiving though). I met up with some other Chiba AJET people and we spent a couple of hours trying to find stuff in Costco before having lunch there (of course). I brought one of the turkeys home with me, and I'm happy to report that I discovered that I can in fact fit a 14-pound turkey in my little fridge (though not much else anymore, haha)!
Then today Cory came over to my apartment to hang out, which made him my first guest who isn't a coworker or family (or almost-family, as the case may be), so that was exciting. We went to a little ramen place nearby which I thought was pretty nice (so parents, if you ever come back sometime we can go there) and then just reaffirmed how there's really nothing to do in my apartment other than TV or internet. -.-'
Tomorrow is the first day of the JET CIR mid-year conference, which should be lots of fun! It's actually happening in Makuhari so I'll just be commuting (which is maybe not so exciting but will save me lots of money, so I guess I'm pretty lucky for that), but I'm looking forward to seeing all the other CIRs who I haven't gotten to meet yet! Another Chiba CIR is actually going to be staying in my apartment during the conference so she can save on hotel costs too, so that should also be fun. :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
mid-november
Wow, how did it get to be mid-November already?! These past two weeks have flown by, but that was because of family vacation! My parents and my sister and her boyfriend all came to visit, and they all just left today. I've written about most of the trip on my travel blog, but for a quick recap, we went to Kyoto and Hiroshima, took a day off in between around Chiba, then headed to Takayama, Shirakawa-go, and Kanazawa, all in a week and a half!
I went back to work on Monday, so they got to explore Tokyo by themselves for a couple of days. On Monday my parents came back to have dinner with me, and we went grocery shopping together, which they seemed to really enjoy - or at least my mom definitely did! She kept saying how she wants to come live with me for a month so she can try everything in the store (which I wouldn't object to, haha). And then on Tuesday we all had a last dinner together of stuff my mom cooked and a variety of Japanese beers that my dad wanted to try. Today I had to leave for work and didn't get to see off my sister and her boyfriend, but Satou-san let me take the afternoon off to send my parents off to the airport, which was really nice of him, considering I had just taken a whole week off. :)
It was definitely sad to say bye to everybody and now my apartment seems strangely quiet (after being crammed with 5 people for two weeks, haha), but hopefully they'll be able to come visit again! From now on it looks like the rest of November will be crazy busy too (including the CIR mid-year conference and a two-day visit by people from one of our sister cities), though, so things should stay exciting for a bit!
I went back to work on Monday, so they got to explore Tokyo by themselves for a couple of days. On Monday my parents came back to have dinner with me, and we went grocery shopping together, which they seemed to really enjoy - or at least my mom definitely did! She kept saying how she wants to come live with me for a month so she can try everything in the store (which I wouldn't object to, haha). And then on Tuesday we all had a last dinner together of stuff my mom cooked and a variety of Japanese beers that my dad wanted to try. Today I had to leave for work and didn't get to see off my sister and her boyfriend, but Satou-san let me take the afternoon off to send my parents off to the airport, which was really nice of him, considering I had just taken a whole week off. :)
It was definitely sad to say bye to everybody and now my apartment seems strangely quiet (after being crammed with 5 people for two weeks, haha), but hopefully they'll be able to come visit again! From now on it looks like the rest of November will be crazy busy too (including the CIR mid-year conference and a two-day visit by people from one of our sister cities), though, so things should stay exciting for a bit!
family vacation, part two
So after a day of relaxing in Chiba, the family adventures continued! On Thursday morning we got up bright and early (like, really early) to catch the shinkansen to Nagoya, on our way to Takayama. In Nagoya we met up with my host mom (from when I studied abroad in Nagoya) and had a little breakfast at a cafe before wandering around and shopping a little before our train. It was really great to see my host mom again (it's been two years) and introduce her to my family, since I don't know if they'll all be in the same place at once again!
After that we got on the train to Takayama! We rode the 'Wide View Hida', which is so named because it has really big windows, which were great - as we got closer to the mountains we could see all the autumn colors of the trees (which we didn't get to see as much of in Kyoto) and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. When we got there it was late afternoon, so we went to our ryokan (who picked us up from the station even though we forgot to ask them in advance!) and dropped our stuff off before getting bus tickets for the next few days and wandering around town. As it was getting dark and most things seemed to be closing (I guess it was a weekday after all), we decided to get dinner at a place called Kyouya that was in a restaurant guide. It was a very Japanese-style place and we got to try the famous Hida beef, cooked with miso and served on a magnolia leaf and a little stove! (It was delicious.) After dinner we went back to the ryokan and took baths, which felt awesome. They even had a bath outdoors, which was perfect with the cool autumn weather.
The next morning we got up early to do a walking tour around the many temples/shrines in the area. Apparently we came at one of the best times for autumn leaves in Takayama, and we got to see lots of really beautiful places. From there we headed to the weekday market, where I bought a sarubobo (or monkey baby) keychain for my phone! They seem to be a very popular souvenir in the Hida area (they are adorable and don't look like monkeys at all, despite their name) and are also supposed to bring good luck. Then we were finally able to wander around the old historic streets, which were full of little shops and had a very quaint ancient feel to them.
Then after a quick ramen lunch, it was time to get on the bus to our next destination! Our real goal was Shirakawa-go, yet another World Heritage Site, but I had unwittingly booked us a place that was about 20 minutes away, so we just decided to take it easy that night and just relax there. It was at Hirase Onsen (onsen = hot springs), and we had made a reservation to get dinner and breakfast there, too. So after we got there we decided to go into the onsen (there was a bath right in our ryokan) and soaked a little bit before being called to dinner. When we got there all the food was beautifully arranged at our table (unfortunately I don't have any pictures though), and even though there was already a lot there, over the course of the meal they kept bringing us more! It was all very traditional Japanese food (I think) and really delicious - we even managed to eat it all, even though it took us almost two hours, haha. After dinner we went back up to our room and had a little beer that my parents bought for the sake of the bottle it came in, before going to bed in our futons.
Breakfast the next morning was almost as elaborate but just as tasty - I think having Japanese dinner/breakfast at a ryokan is definitely an experience everybody should try at least once! Then we got on the bus to the historic villages of Shirakawa-go, which are famous for their distinct Gassho-style houses, which (supposedly) look like hands in prayer. First we went to the Gassho Folk Museum, which is an outdoor museum with many Gassho-style buildings set up to look the way the did in the past. It was really cool and also very picturesque, with lots of little ponds and gardens - I think it was one of my favorite places this trip. Then we wandered around the actual village, where people still live today - since most of the houses are private property we just walked along the streets and little shops before getting lunch and then getting on the next bus to Kanazawa!
When we got to Kanazawa, which is mostly a pretty modern city, we went to the Museum of Traditional Arts & Crafts, which had displays of things like Kanazawa's gold lacquer and a collection of obis owned by the citizens, and also the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. My favorite piece there was an exhibit with almost 300 light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, each flashing at the rate of somebody's heartbeat. You could get in line and have your heartbeat measured too, and the furthest lightbulb in the corner would start flashing in time with it! Super cool. Then we got dinner (okonomiyaki) and some crepes with gelato (very yummy) and went to bed.
The next morning we got up for a tour of Myouryuji, which is also sometimes known as the Ninja Temple (though it has nothing to do with ninjas, actually). The reason it's called that, though, is because it's a place full of secret passages, hidden staircases, etc! There was even a room specifically built for the purposes of committing seppuku (or hara-kiri, as most Americans know it) and burning the place down, if an attack happened (they assured us it hadn't been used though, haha). You have to make a reservation in advance for a tour, which is also only in Japanese, but they do have English pamphlets to follow along with and I highly recommend it!
Then we wandered around the old samurai district (stopping in a place that sold ceramics and a historic samurai family house) and got lunch before heading to Kenrokuen, which is a very famous garden that's said to be one of the most beautiful in Japan and containing all 6 attributes of a perfect garden: "spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas" (according to Wikipedia). Unfortunately it was raining so I don't think we saw it in all of its glory, but it was still very pretty.
After that we had some extra time before our train, which we spent shopping, and then we got on the train to Maibara (whose station was unexpectedly devoid of eating establishments and anything really, to our dismay) and then took the shinkansen from there back to Tokyo and the train back to Chiba! There weren't any taxis at the station so we walked back to my apartment (in the rain) and finally got home around 1am - tired and wet, but happy to have had such a good trip! Or that's how I felt anyway, even though I had work the next day. :D
After that we got on the train to Takayama! We rode the 'Wide View Hida', which is so named because it has really big windows, which were great - as we got closer to the mountains we could see all the autumn colors of the trees (which we didn't get to see as much of in Kyoto) and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. When we got there it was late afternoon, so we went to our ryokan (who picked us up from the station even though we forgot to ask them in advance!) and dropped our stuff off before getting bus tickets for the next few days and wandering around town. As it was getting dark and most things seemed to be closing (I guess it was a weekday after all), we decided to get dinner at a place called Kyouya that was in a restaurant guide. It was a very Japanese-style place and we got to try the famous Hida beef, cooked with miso and served on a magnolia leaf and a little stove! (It was delicious.) After dinner we went back to the ryokan and took baths, which felt awesome. They even had a bath outdoors, which was perfect with the cool autumn weather.
 |
| Don't worry, it got properly cooked after this! |
Then after a quick ramen lunch, it was time to get on the bus to our next destination! Our real goal was Shirakawa-go, yet another World Heritage Site, but I had unwittingly booked us a place that was about 20 minutes away, so we just decided to take it easy that night and just relax there. It was at Hirase Onsen (onsen = hot springs), and we had made a reservation to get dinner and breakfast there, too. So after we got there we decided to go into the onsen (there was a bath right in our ryokan) and soaked a little bit before being called to dinner. When we got there all the food was beautifully arranged at our table (unfortunately I don't have any pictures though), and even though there was already a lot there, over the course of the meal they kept bringing us more! It was all very traditional Japanese food (I think) and really delicious - we even managed to eat it all, even though it took us almost two hours, haha. After dinner we went back up to our room and had a little beer that my parents bought for the sake of the bottle it came in, before going to bed in our futons.
Breakfast the next morning was almost as elaborate but just as tasty - I think having Japanese dinner/breakfast at a ryokan is definitely an experience everybody should try at least once! Then we got on the bus to the historic villages of Shirakawa-go, which are famous for their distinct Gassho-style houses, which (supposedly) look like hands in prayer. First we went to the Gassho Folk Museum, which is an outdoor museum with many Gassho-style buildings set up to look the way the did in the past. It was really cool and also very picturesque, with lots of little ponds and gardens - I think it was one of my favorite places this trip. Then we wandered around the actual village, where people still live today - since most of the houses are private property we just walked along the streets and little shops before getting lunch and then getting on the next bus to Kanazawa!
When we got to Kanazawa, which is mostly a pretty modern city, we went to the Museum of Traditional Arts & Crafts, which had displays of things like Kanazawa's gold lacquer and a collection of obis owned by the citizens, and also the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. My favorite piece there was an exhibit with almost 300 light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, each flashing at the rate of somebody's heartbeat. You could get in line and have your heartbeat measured too, and the furthest lightbulb in the corner would start flashing in time with it! Super cool. Then we got dinner (okonomiyaki) and some crepes with gelato (very yummy) and went to bed.
The next morning we got up for a tour of Myouryuji, which is also sometimes known as the Ninja Temple (though it has nothing to do with ninjas, actually). The reason it's called that, though, is because it's a place full of secret passages, hidden staircases, etc! There was even a room specifically built for the purposes of committing seppuku (or hara-kiri, as most Americans know it) and burning the place down, if an attack happened (they assured us it hadn't been used though, haha). You have to make a reservation in advance for a tour, which is also only in Japanese, but they do have English pamphlets to follow along with and I highly recommend it!
Then we wandered around the old samurai district (stopping in a place that sold ceramics and a historic samurai family house) and got lunch before heading to Kenrokuen, which is a very famous garden that's said to be one of the most beautiful in Japan and containing all 6 attributes of a perfect garden: "spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas" (according to Wikipedia). Unfortunately it was raining so I don't think we saw it in all of its glory, but it was still very pretty.
After that we had some extra time before our train, which we spent shopping, and then we got on the train to Maibara (whose station was unexpectedly devoid of eating establishments and anything really, to our dismay) and then took the shinkansen from there back to Tokyo and the train back to Chiba! There weren't any taxis at the station so we walked back to my apartment (in the rain) and finally got home around 1am - tired and wet, but happy to have had such a good trip! Or that's how I felt anyway, even though I had work the next day. :D
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
family vacation, part one!
Well, it certainly has been a while since my last post! In my defense, I haven't really been traveling recently, but this week has certainly made up for it - my family is visiting for two weeks, so we have been wandering the country for the past few days and will be off again tomorrow! In an effort to keep this post from becoming enormous, I'll just give a quick summary of each day up until now.
On Saturday we got up bright and early to take the shinkansen to Kyoto! We had booked a travel package that included two nights in Kyoto, a night in Hiroshima, and transportation in between. I think it was a first shinkansen experience for everybody except me, so that's exciting.
After getting to Kyoto, we checked into our hotel and then got on a bus to Ryouanji, which is a temple famous for its Zen rock garden and also a World Heritage Site (we went to quite a few of those in just a few days, actually!). Before heading into the temple grounds, we stopped to have a late lunch at a tofu restaurant recommended by my sister's boyfriend's teacher. We ate at a little table right next to a very picturesque little pond, and it did not disappoint! After we ate, we went around and saw the temple and the rock garden (the appeal of which, I have to admit, was a little beyond me). We had been planning to go to Kinkakuji as well afterward, but ran out of time and ended up just taking the bus back to near our hotel and wandering/shopping for a little bit before bed.
The next day we got up early to go to Kiyomizudera, another famous temple and World Heritage Site. We got there after a nice scenic walk from the hotel, and the temple was also very pretty. We didn't actually do any of the famous things like walking in between the love stones or drinking from the waterfalls, for the sake of time, but I really enjoyed it anyway. I especially liked all the little shops and streets on the way back down from the temple, which were full of omiyage and free samples!
After that we took a very quick glimpse around Yakasa Shrine (where a wedding ceremony was taking place!) before meeting up with my parents' friends for lunch. I think my sister and her boyfriend enjoyed their first conveyor belt sushi experience a lot, and he even won something in the lottery that you get every 5 plates!
Next our parents' friends took us to Shigaraki, to look at ceramics in the Ceramic Cultural Park and in their museum. I had fun seeing all the tanuki everywhere and was also really impressed by the very very small tea sets that were part of the ceramic exhibit in the museum - they had teapots only about as big as a quarter and cups just bigger than a fingernail! Then we went to a little shop with Shigaraki ceramics, which I gather is pretty famous, before heading to the Hotel Granvia Kyoto to eat at a buffet there. But this was no ordinary buffet - it was super fancy, with gourmet delicacies like Kobe beef and matsutake mushrooms. It was very delicious, and I definitely ate enough to make it worth the price!
The next morning we finally headed to Kinkakuji, or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, which had been one of our goals since the beginning. It was pretty awesome to see the Pavilion, which was actually gold, even though it was pretty crowded with school groups and other visitors, even on a weekday. It was pretty impressive to see how efficiently they guided visitors in and out - we left a lot earlier than we expected and so we decided to go to Nijo Castle as well!
I was expecting it to be like all the other castles I've visited in Japan, which (frankly) are all pretty similar, but it definitely exceeded my expectations! To be fair, it seems like it was in fact a palace where the shogun lived, and so a little different from your typical castle. You could really feel the grandeur and beauty of the place as you walked around, from the beautiful art on the doors/walls to the details on the ceilings and the absolutely gorgeous gardens. I think Nijo Castle was one of my favorite places that we visited, and if I can I'd love to go there again! If I could go once the leaves have all changed color (we were unfortunately a bit too early to see any of the famous Kyoto autumn leaves), I bet it would be stunning (but also super crowded).
Then we had a quick ramen lunch before taking the shinkansen to Hiroshima! Shortly after we got there we decided to take the ferry to Miyajima, to see the famous Itsukushima Shrine (yet another World Heritage site). I love boats, so even though the ride was only 10 minutes I really enjoyed it. We got there just as the sun was setting, and it was already dark and the shrine was closed by the time we walked down to it, but the lights on the iconic torii gate were lit up and it was really beautiful! We spent a while just admiring it and taking (lot and lots of) pictures before wandering down some of the streets with souvenir shops, even though most of them were closing. There we saw the biggest rice paddle in the world and found out that they were invented in Miyajima, which was pretty awesome! After that we had Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for dinner (not gonna lie, I think I like Kansai/Osaka-style better) before heading back to the hotel.
The next morning we got up and got on the streetcar (I think it's so cool that Hiroshima has streetcars!) to the Atomic Dome, which is the only building hit by the atomic bomb that has been allowed to survive, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. We watched part of a documentary about the bomb before going into the museum with a volunteer English guide, who was a Japanese lady and very knowledgeable. Going into the museum and seeing all the effects of the first ever nuclear weapon was definitely an experience; very sobering and sad but definitely something I think everybody should do if they can. Afterward I wandered around the Peace Memorial Park by myself for a little as my parents went back in the museum and the other two went to find food. It was a gorgeous day, which I really appreciated. Then my parents and I had another quick ramen lunch before we all hopped on the shinkansen back to Tokyo and Chiba!
Today was a leisurely day spent back home in Chiba, which was really welcome after four days of travel. In the morning after breakfast we walked to Port Tower, which is a 125-meter tower along the harbor. On clear days you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree and Mt. Fuji, but we weren't that lucky today. After Port Tower we bought bentos and had a picnic outside in Chiba Minato Park, near my work. Then we went to the Chiba City Museum of Art to check out a pretty cool art exhibit involving 3D flowers and plants that you had to take your shoes off and enter small spaces to see, or find hidden in what seemed like an empty display room. After spending some time shopping at Parco, then we came back for a homemade dinner and a night of rest before our next trip starts tomorrow!
On Saturday we got up bright and early to take the shinkansen to Kyoto! We had booked a travel package that included two nights in Kyoto, a night in Hiroshima, and transportation in between. I think it was a first shinkansen experience for everybody except me, so that's exciting.
After getting to Kyoto, we checked into our hotel and then got on a bus to Ryouanji, which is a temple famous for its Zen rock garden and also a World Heritage Site (we went to quite a few of those in just a few days, actually!). Before heading into the temple grounds, we stopped to have a late lunch at a tofu restaurant recommended by my sister's boyfriend's teacher. We ate at a little table right next to a very picturesque little pond, and it did not disappoint! After we ate, we went around and saw the temple and the rock garden (the appeal of which, I have to admit, was a little beyond me). We had been planning to go to Kinkakuji as well afterward, but ran out of time and ended up just taking the bus back to near our hotel and wandering/shopping for a little bit before bed.
 |
| View from our tofu restaurant |
The next day we got up early to go to Kiyomizudera, another famous temple and World Heritage Site. We got there after a nice scenic walk from the hotel, and the temple was also very pretty. We didn't actually do any of the famous things like walking in between the love stones or drinking from the waterfalls, for the sake of time, but I really enjoyed it anyway. I especially liked all the little shops and streets on the way back down from the temple, which were full of omiyage and free samples!
After that we took a very quick glimpse around Yakasa Shrine (where a wedding ceremony was taking place!) before meeting up with my parents' friends for lunch. I think my sister and her boyfriend enjoyed their first conveyor belt sushi experience a lot, and he even won something in the lottery that you get every 5 plates!
Next our parents' friends took us to Shigaraki, to look at ceramics in the Ceramic Cultural Park and in their museum. I had fun seeing all the tanuki everywhere and was also really impressed by the very very small tea sets that were part of the ceramic exhibit in the museum - they had teapots only about as big as a quarter and cups just bigger than a fingernail! Then we went to a little shop with Shigaraki ceramics, which I gather is pretty famous, before heading to the Hotel Granvia Kyoto to eat at a buffet there. But this was no ordinary buffet - it was super fancy, with gourmet delicacies like Kobe beef and matsutake mushrooms. It was very delicious, and I definitely ate enough to make it worth the price!
The next morning we finally headed to Kinkakuji, or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, which had been one of our goals since the beginning. It was pretty awesome to see the Pavilion, which was actually gold, even though it was pretty crowded with school groups and other visitors, even on a weekday. It was pretty impressive to see how efficiently they guided visitors in and out - we left a lot earlier than we expected and so we decided to go to Nijo Castle as well!
 |
| Kinkakuji |
I was expecting it to be like all the other castles I've visited in Japan, which (frankly) are all pretty similar, but it definitely exceeded my expectations! To be fair, it seems like it was in fact a palace where the shogun lived, and so a little different from your typical castle. You could really feel the grandeur and beauty of the place as you walked around, from the beautiful art on the doors/walls to the details on the ceilings and the absolutely gorgeous gardens. I think Nijo Castle was one of my favorite places that we visited, and if I can I'd love to go there again! If I could go once the leaves have all changed color (we were unfortunately a bit too early to see any of the famous Kyoto autumn leaves), I bet it would be stunning (but also super crowded).
Then we had a quick ramen lunch before taking the shinkansen to Hiroshima! Shortly after we got there we decided to take the ferry to Miyajima, to see the famous Itsukushima Shrine (yet another World Heritage site). I love boats, so even though the ride was only 10 minutes I really enjoyed it. We got there just as the sun was setting, and it was already dark and the shrine was closed by the time we walked down to it, but the lights on the iconic torii gate were lit up and it was really beautiful! We spent a while just admiring it and taking (lot and lots of) pictures before wandering down some of the streets with souvenir shops, even though most of them were closing. There we saw the biggest rice paddle in the world and found out that they were invented in Miyajima, which was pretty awesome! After that we had Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for dinner (not gonna lie, I think I like Kansai/Osaka-style better) before heading back to the hotel.
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| Itsukushima Shrine's famous torii at night |
The next morning we got up and got on the streetcar (I think it's so cool that Hiroshima has streetcars!) to the Atomic Dome, which is the only building hit by the atomic bomb that has been allowed to survive, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. We watched part of a documentary about the bomb before going into the museum with a volunteer English guide, who was a Japanese lady and very knowledgeable. Going into the museum and seeing all the effects of the first ever nuclear weapon was definitely an experience; very sobering and sad but definitely something I think everybody should do if they can. Afterward I wandered around the Peace Memorial Park by myself for a little as my parents went back in the museum and the other two went to find food. It was a gorgeous day, which I really appreciated. Then my parents and I had another quick ramen lunch before we all hopped on the shinkansen back to Tokyo and Chiba!
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| Atomic Dome |
Today was a leisurely day spent back home in Chiba, which was really welcome after four days of travel. In the morning after breakfast we walked to Port Tower, which is a 125-meter tower along the harbor. On clear days you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree and Mt. Fuji, but we weren't that lucky today. After Port Tower we bought bentos and had a picnic outside in Chiba Minato Park, near my work. Then we went to the Chiba City Museum of Art to check out a pretty cool art exhibit involving 3D flowers and plants that you had to take your shoes off and enter small spaces to see, or find hidden in what seemed like an empty display room. After spending some time shopping at Parco, then we came back for a homemade dinner and a night of rest before our next trip starts tomorrow!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
happy halloween!
Whoops, it's been a while since my last post. Since then I have passed the three-month mark for being in Japan and now I'm actually preparing to welcome my family for their two-week visit here, starting tomorrow! So things are a little crazy and this post will probably just be a brief summary of stuff I've been up to, even though I may not get a chance to blog for a while after once everybody arrives. (Also the first thing I thought after typing that was 'ご了承ください', which is a super polite semi-apologetic way to inform people of or ask them to understand something and I think is a side-effect of all the formal things I've been translating for work!)
Anyway, so last Wednesday I went to a salsa lesson at Ocean Deep, which was tons of fun. The lesson itself was very basic, but there was free dancing after that and even though I don't actually know much salsa, since I've done lots of other Latin dance it was pretty easy to follow. I got to dance quite a bit and met some new people, so I definitely want to go again! I feel like Wednesday nights may just become dance nights for me, since salsa dancing happens there every week and Tokyo Swing Night is every other week, and both are so much fun. :D
Then on Friday I went out drinking with my supervisor, Satou-san! We went to a little Mexican place in Tsudanuma (which I hadn't been to before) that was very yummy and just spent the evening drinking and chatting. It was super fun and I learned lots of new things about him (like how he reads this blog, haha - よろしくお願いします~), which is always great. :)
The next day I got up and went to Tokyo to watch the All Japan Ultimate Championships with my frisbee team! We watched the women's and open (essentially men's) finals, both of which were some pretty amazing matches. The women's game was really close the whole time (they just kept trading points), and then the men's ended up with the championship team winning for the 14th year in a row! It was pretty cool. And then after that we went out to eat monjayaki, which I'd never had before and is another kind of cook-on-the-table meal (there just isn't a good word for 鉄板料理 in English, is there) like okonomiyaki, except much more liquid (which sounds weird but it is tasty!). First we spent some time in a park tossing frisbees around, partly because watching good frisbee matches makes you want to play and partly because apparently people always do something to work up an appetite before eating monjayaki. Anyway, the food was very tasty and I enjoyed meeting some players from Return, another team that we do a lot with, so I would say my first monjayaki experience was a great success!
Sunday was spent buying some more stuff in preparation for the upcoming family visit, and then on Monday I went out for dinner with some other JETs, even though I probably should have just gone home and kept making travel plans, haha. But I hadn't seen one of them for a while and I had a really good time, so no regrets!
And the past couple of days have just been a rush of trying to get ready for my guests! Can't believe that I'll be picking my parents up tomorrow - these next two weeks are going to be crazy and exciting! :D
Anyway, so last Wednesday I went to a salsa lesson at Ocean Deep, which was tons of fun. The lesson itself was very basic, but there was free dancing after that and even though I don't actually know much salsa, since I've done lots of other Latin dance it was pretty easy to follow. I got to dance quite a bit and met some new people, so I definitely want to go again! I feel like Wednesday nights may just become dance nights for me, since salsa dancing happens there every week and Tokyo Swing Night is every other week, and both are so much fun. :D
Then on Friday I went out drinking with my supervisor, Satou-san! We went to a little Mexican place in Tsudanuma (which I hadn't been to before) that was very yummy and just spent the evening drinking and chatting. It was super fun and I learned lots of new things about him (like how he reads this blog, haha - よろしくお願いします~), which is always great. :)
The next day I got up and went to Tokyo to watch the All Japan Ultimate Championships with my frisbee team! We watched the women's and open (essentially men's) finals, both of which were some pretty amazing matches. The women's game was really close the whole time (they just kept trading points), and then the men's ended up with the championship team winning for the 14th year in a row! It was pretty cool. And then after that we went out to eat monjayaki, which I'd never had before and is another kind of cook-on-the-table meal (there just isn't a good word for 鉄板料理 in English, is there) like okonomiyaki, except much more liquid (which sounds weird but it is tasty!). First we spent some time in a park tossing frisbees around, partly because watching good frisbee matches makes you want to play and partly because apparently people always do something to work up an appetite before eating monjayaki. Anyway, the food was very tasty and I enjoyed meeting some players from Return, another team that we do a lot with, so I would say my first monjayaki experience was a great success!
Sunday was spent buying some more stuff in preparation for the upcoming family visit, and then on Monday I went out for dinner with some other JETs, even though I probably should have just gone home and kept making travel plans, haha. But I hadn't seen one of them for a while and I had a really good time, so no regrets!
And the past couple of days have just been a rush of trying to get ready for my guests! Can't believe that I'll be picking my parents up tomorrow - these next two weeks are going to be crazy and exciting! :D
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