Sweets

I went to work one day to find that the wife of the top boss, at the Education Centre, had bought me some sweets. Now I am used to been given sweets, and I always deal with them the same way. I smile, say thank you and then give them away to our Japanese teacher or Andy's students.

These sweets were different though! She had obviously thought a lot about what sweets to get me. The first box I opened revealed 3 different sweets, which are supposed to represent different plants in Autumn. The second contained some very pretty packages. Sadly though these beautiful sweets went to the same place they always do.

This is supposed to be a leaf and a bit of wood.

I think is supposed to a Maple leaf, a seed from a plant and some mushrooms.

I can't remember what this is supposed to be but I do know the yellow thing isn't a snake.

This pretty box housed my second gift.

They look pretty but don't taste so good to the foreign palette.

Lee (Amanda's brother) comes to visit

In June Lee decided to come and visit us for a five week holiday. June and July tend to be rainy season here in Japan, but being in the army Lee doesn't get to pick his holidays.

It was raining the first day Lee arrived and he refused to use an umbrella as it isn't what men do, however by the end of the holiday he had bought himself a small compact one so he could put in his bag!

Andy and I knew we wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with Lee during the day as we get so few holidays (Andy gets 10 days and I get 20). To combat this problem I placed adverts in the local paper and on the web requesting girls to show him round. I got quite a few responses so that made Lee happy.

To ease Lee into Japanese life he spent his first day here at work with Andy. He helped Andy blow things up in the bomb (a piece of equipment Andy uses) and looked at porn with Andy's students. After a weekend with us he came to work with me and met some of my students. They nicknamed him Midori Sensei (green teacher) as he was wearing a green t-shirt. By the end of the day Lee knew what it was like being a celebrity, the kids just loved him! That was the end of him spending his days with us though as he had girls to meet.

One girl took Lee to Karatsu and left him there

Lee had so different girls to meet on different days. I got quite cross with him in the end as he started to stand them up, and I had them calling me at work! I tell you he has never been so popular!

Lee also went to stay with my friend's parents. He stayed really spolit Lee They live in Yamaguchi and offered to take Lee to Hiroshima and anywhere else he fancied.

If you squint you can just make out Lee and his (g)hosts.

Lee disgused as a tree in Deer Island

Some Koi carp in Ohori Koen (park)

This chimp really wanted the banana I was eating.


Cute penguin at Fukuoka zoo

The charmer broke a girl's heart as his holiday drew to a close. He had found a different girl he liked, and spent his the rest of his time posing for photographs with her!

Lee decided he liked Mina (the girl on the left) and ensured

nobody else was in the frame.

Golden Week

In the first week of May Japan has 3 bank holidays (3rd, 4th and 5th), which means you can sneak away for a mini holiday. This year we decided to go to Beppu and Aso for 5 days.


Beppu is famous for hot springs and Aso (situated in a volcanic crater) has an active volcano. We decided to hire a car and drive to Beppu for 2 nights and then drive the couple of hours to Aso and spend 2 nights there.


We decided to set off early but we still got stuck in bank holiday traffic! We shared the driving, which Andy loved but I was a little bit nervous driving on unknown motorways! Thank god for automatic cars!

Whilst driving Andy spotted this crazy man! He had about 20 toy dogs in the back of his car, as well as 6 real rat dogs who took it in turn popping their heads of out the window.

A nice view to have when you are driving.

Another nice view to have when you are driving.

When we got to our resort in Beppu we were pleased with ourselves for not getting lost. Our hotel has seen better days but in Golden Week it is difficult to get a room so we couldn't grumble! However, the morning after we arrived Andy woke up with a terrible cold which kept him in bed for 2 days! He did perk up enough to carry on to Aso, but only if I did all of the driving :o(

The view from our bedroom window.

Next we travelled to Aso. It took us around 4 hours to get between the two places, but we didn't mind so much as we got to see views like this:

Aren't the cows cute!

Our pension took some finding, but when we did find it we were both really happy as it looked so good! A pension is basically a hotel, actually maybe more like a B&B but you get dinner included too (we didn't know this at the time).

Angelica Pension

(http://www.pensionangelica.com/index.php they have some great photos on their website)

So we arrive at our pension and when we check in the manager says to us make sure you are down at 7pm for dinner. Now Andy and I didn't realise that dinner was included in the price we'd paid so we just thought this guy was a bit ahead of himself! We didn't want to be rude though so we hatched a plan of going into the restaurant, and if we didn't like the menu then we would get a drink and then go into town. However we didn't get a chance!

When we arrived the dining room was full (each room has a table), and as soon as we sat down food was brought to us. Then as soon as we finished that course another plate of food was brought to us and this went on until we'd had 7 courses. After we left the table we were thinking 'oh, my god we are going to explode, how much are they going to charge us for that meal?!?!' We were so full but worried about how much 7 courses of food who cost us. It was only after a chat Andy remember that dinner was included in the price!

A sample of the 7 courses they serve!

The next morning after a 4 course breakfast we decided to go and view the sights. The area has an active volcano (Nake Dake), a dormant volcano and and an extinct volcano so we went volcano viewing! First stop was Nake Dake (active volcano).

Aso is set in a crater left over from an eruption and most of it is lush and green.

At the top of the volcano though everything suddenly becomes very dead! It makes you feel like an extra in a sci-fi movie

All dead in that direction too!

Inside the volcano. Is that green?!?!

Andy and I were really shocked that inside the volcano there was green liquid. We thought it would be red or orange. Answers on a postcard please.

It was a little bit windy the day we went.

After our visit to Nake Dake we walked up a big hill and then it started to rain. We decided to use this as an opportunity to go back to the pension and use their onsen, which are filled with volcanic water. I love onsen!

hjkfdsfkdfk

One of the onsen rooms they have at the pension.

dhjfdkshfdshkfhjds

After relaxing it was time for dinner again! This time focused on eating we arrived at the dining room. We soon realised we were the only people who had stayed for a second night, and that the newbies were being served the same as we had eaten the night before. Now that wouldn't have great eating another seven courses of the same stuff, but what we got was worse!

glfdjgkfd

The food was great, but the stares we got from the 20 Japanese people also sitting in the dining room were horrible! They watched everything being brought to us, then they looked at their plates and then at ours. Times that by seven courses and it gets tiring! It was made worse when the next morning our hosts treated us to a more western breakfast!! Still the food was good! You could tell they were thinking 'why do the westerners get different food! Why are they allowed to have what they want'.

After breakfast we decided to set off early to miss the traffic back home. We did take in some sights on the way back though:

This extinct volcano is commonly known as the Rice Bowl.

Aso is just gorgeous!

Amanda goes to Niimi

In April I had to go to a city called Niimi for 6 weeks for work. When I was first told that I would have go away we/I didn't realise that Niimi almost 4 hours away (1 hour 30 mins by Shinkansen (Bullet train) and 2 hours by express train). Still you have to see these things as an adventure!

I became a frequent user of the Shinkansen

My upbeat attitude about staying in Niimi quickly disappeared once I actually arrived, and discovered that there wasn't even a Macdonalds! This 'city' only actually had 2 supermarkets and a couple of shops selling stock from the early 90s. It also only had 2 hotels and they hadn't been decorated since the 1970s (I think that was when the last visitors went to Niimi). Still I had a car so I could get around!

Niimi from my cell

I had to cover a Spanish guys schools. These schools turned out to be great and although I didn't enjoy being alone in such a naff place they made the experience worthwhile! In Fukuoka some of my elementary schools have over a thousand students with the average being 700ish. In Niimi the biggest school boasted 107 students whilst the smallest had just 11 students!

Every school made me feel welcome if not a little nervous (they all told me what a great teacher the Spanish guy was! No pressure then!). Many of the children had never seen an actually western women in the flesh before so they spent a lot of time touching my hair, my skin and marvelling at my blue eyes. Although a little unnerving the children were so sweet you couldn't get cross.

Being in such small schools was a real experience! I got to eat with all of the children in a canteen, which is odd as in all other schools students eat in their own classrooms. It did mean though that I had lots of 6 year old getting exciting with every mouthful of food I ate. I could hear whispers of "Amanda sensei", "oh, Amanda sensei".

In many of my schools they had lots of animals to make up for the lack of children. In my smallest school they had 2 huge pigs who roamed the playground and a goat who the children took for walks on a lead. It was really good fun at this school especially as we had to stop the pigs breaking into school. In my couple of days there I had a pig snout up my bum on more than one occasion.

Andy came to visit me one weekend and we ventured to the local tourist attraction - a cave. We also travelling 2 hours to the nearest city Okayama.

Amanda pulling a stupid face is Niimi's biggest tourist attraction.

Andy wanted to make it look like the water was falling on my head! However it turned out not to be water

Andy holding up a "cave in"

After my 6 weeks was up I was very glad to come home. After I left my schools they told my company I was the best English teacher they'd ever had! There is no chance that I'm going back though.

Kyoto

Whilst Kevin and Christine were here we decided to take a trip to Kyoto together. They went a couple of days ahead of us with us joining them for the weekend.

Kevin and Christine stayed in the very swanky Hotel Granvia (I really don't think they wanted to leave). Andy and I managed to get a package deal so we also stayed in the Granvia but only for one night (we spent the other nights in a traditional sleep on the floor cheap hotel).

It comes with everything you'd expect from an expensive hotel including the Americans!

We wondered around some of the many shrines in Kyoto in the rain! Kevin almost ruined an expensive, new suede jacket on our walks as the BBC website said that Kyoto would be cold but without rain! It couldn't have been more wrong! I had however, passed this information on to Kevin who then in turn decided not to take an anorak! Oops!

They say when Kyoto is cold it's very cold and when it is hot it is very hot (Kyoto is in a valley). We can all confirm they are not wrong about the cold bit!

Andy trying out the complimentary nightwear in the Hotel Granvia. He may well kill me when he sees this picture!

Amanda trying her hand at being Japanese

Kevin trying to avoid getting wet

Shrine no.1 of about 250

Kevin and Christine in a very nice Japanese park (you can't see much of it though)

This is a monument to commemorate all of the foreign soldiers who died in WWII. Inside there are Buddhist monks praying.

Another shrine

A pretty Japanese park

Andy and his parents stayed on for a couple days long than me (I had to go to work). They spent those extra days taking a walk around Kyoto with Johnny Hill Walker. He took them to watch people making fans and other traditional Japanese things. He also took them to see more shrines!

Johnny Hill Walker

Some geishas

A paper fan being made.

They don't like the Iraq war in Kyoto either!

A flea market prompted a shopping frenzy! Andy used his Japanese language skills to negotiate prices.

Christine enjoying some well deserved lunch!

Andy and I are planning to visit Kyoto again in '07 as there is so much more to see.

Andy's parents come to visit

In March Andy's parents Christine and Kevin came for a holiday. They were here for 3 weeks in total, but spent some of that time in Kyoto and Nagasaki.

Christine and Andy pose with some Japanese ladies talking a Saturday afternoon stroll.

Andy and I aren't weren't able to spend anytime showing them around the city during the week, but that didn't hinder them. Everyday they came home with stories of different people who they had met. Many of these people had spent a couple of hours helping them when they had gotten lost. This left Kevin and Christine with a positive image of Japanese people.

Some of Kevin and Christine's friends. These boys/men had just had their graduation ceremony from university.

Some more of Kevin and Christine's friends. Again these young men and women had just had their graduation ceremony from university.

Christine and Kevin sadly didn't take to Japanese food as much as they did the Japanese people. They did try quite a lot Japanese food but it wasn't for them. Kevin did become quite enamoured with the raisin bread in Max Value (our local supermarket) though and was know to jog their most days to get his and our daily fix.

On one of Christine and Kevin's finally nights we went to a very expensive sushi restaurant. We didn't realise it was a sushi restaurant and had only gone there as Andy's boss had recommended it. Our Japanese friends were very impressed though!

What's not too get excited about?? Raw prawns, squid, tuna, salmon and some other fish! yum, yum!

Kevin and Christine were a bit confused by the peas!

Kevin using his very unique chopstick skills to give me the food he couldn't stomach!

A very tired Andy and Amanda showing off their master chopstick skills.


After three weeks though it was time for Christine and Kevin to go home, but hopefully they will be coming back :o)