Cherry Blossom Adventures

I was having a great weekend. My cold was over, I was feeling good. Met up with my new work friends, Cat and some others for some drinks and karaoke in Shinjuku on Saturday night. Came home with this…

I want to point out, before I had six staples in my head I had a great night!!! It all just went a big wrong.

Basically a friend of a friend got really drunk. At Karaoke he was all over the shop and when one of his female friends tried to take away his beer he pushed her a little. She was next to me so I put out my hand to grab the beer and push it away to help her. Well at was faster I guess cos he grabbed the beer glass with his other hand pulled it away and hit me on the head with it. I didn`t really see it coming.

The rest is a bit of a blur. I remember Trevor, Stefanie`s (who I work with) husband holding paper towel after paper towel to my head and blood all over the place and reassuring me I would be fine. One girl crying and saying sorry (She was the one he pushed)….This all happened while two others were singing Under the Sea from the little mermaid….strange that I remember something like that really. I remember security, lots of staff, lots of paper towels. Then ambulance people arrived and that was when I got really scared since there were at least 15 ambulance staff ( NO JOKE!) and 6 or 7 cops. And while I was been told I would be fine…it is not very reassuring to have that many people fuss over you…it makes you think your are dying and that all those people telling you that you will be fine are lying.

I didn`t file charges although was urged that I should. Wasn`t really in the mood to talk to police men though. The police said something about maybe ringing me sometime in the next 2 weeks in case I change my mind. I won`t. I think because it happened in a public place if they decide to they can file charges and sue him anyway.

The guy came to Kichijoji today to apologize and give me money for medical expenses. He doesn`t remember anything he says. Was very Japanese about the whole thing. Money in an envelope, almost got on the ground to bow and say sorry. I thought he was going to cry….

Personally I hope I never see him again. I hope nothing bad happens to him either though. I know he was drunk. I shouldn’t`t have done anything but I did and now I got six staples in my head. Trust me when I say that getting staples in your head too, is just what it sounds like. Actual staples. Feels like that too.

Luckily, after another visit to the doctor today I could take off the bandage and wash my hair. Staples will be in for another week though. There was beer in the glass that he hit me with (Thing giant heavy German style beer glass) so I was really happy to be able to wash my hair today since It smelt like blood and 48 hour old beer. Not pleasant.

Ps: I really need to thank Trevor, Catherine and Sumi for everything. Cat and Sumi for taking good care of me in the ambulance and coming to the hospital and waiting. Sumi for taking care of all the Japanese stuff and answering questions about my name address etc etc. And to Trevor, because of his quick thinking I didn`t lose nearly as much blood as I should of. He kept me calm.

Pps: Sorry about the white head band Jen!!! It got a lot of great use before this incident!

Ppps: Sorry to any of you that get queasy over blood.

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Well, this is my pinboard. I love pinboards. And while I have lots and lots of photos, and postcards, and paintings, and subway maps, and more postcards, and venetian masks, and other photos, and garbage explanation sheet all over my walls, the pinboard holds the most ecclectic range of things. (well despite the garbage explanation sheets…garbage here is complicated!). The pinboard includes some of my favourite photos (and definitely my favourite highland cow!) and while it doesn`t change that often, sometimes things are stuck over other things or out to the side making other things overlap. I was going to change it at the beggining of the year but I think I will leave it like this for a bit longer. Featured on other walls of the apartment are a family section, a europe section, a japan 2004 section plus other stuff like an aussie flag, some tinsel that really needs to come down and a mix of other things. I hate having blank walls!!

Like I said, I love pinboards, and I hope this will encourage others to post up their own!!

Ps: If you click on the photo it will take you to Flickr where you can see notes on everything that is on my pinboard!!! Explanations galore!

PPS: Yes, recently nothing that interesting has happened, except work and watching new season 24 and another cool drama called Men in Trees. So I didn`t want to bore you all with that so instead I decided to bore you with my piboard!!

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Train travel is a big part of most people`s lives for those living in Tokyo. We don`t have a car, nor do we need one so if we need to leave Kichijoji there really is only one way. Train. I had gotten used to them. I can catch the train in rush hour and not have too much of a problem. I used to get mild claustrophobia, (inherited from my mama), but I got used to been jammed into carriages against people I didn`t know…or getting shoved around when the doors opened. It became a part of my life….something that couldn`t be avoided.

Now, because my job is in Kichijoji, I hardly ever catch trains. And it is nice. It has been 8 days since my last train trip. And I won`t be going anywhere this week so it will become at least 2 weeks between train rides. And it is fantastic. I think one of the reasons I don`t mind getting up for work each day is because I know I don`t have to catch the train. I love walking to work!!! I think not getting jammed into trains is making me a happier person and it is probably better for my health (Despite the recent cold!!!)

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I forgot how easy it is to catch colds and bugs off children….It has been almost six months since I have worked with kids. Yesterday I had a bit of a sore throat in the morning but I dosed up on cold tablets, vitamin C and panadol last night thinking that would be the end of it.

Today I woke up, can hardly move my neck and head because I get dizzy and it aches. I still have a sore throat, glands are swollen and I have sore ears and a stuffy nose. I had also forgotten that when a kid has a stuffy nose and sore throat that adults end up with all of the above!!! Why is that??

The difference was, despite feeling like crap this morning, I still got up and wanted to go to work. I haven`t had that feeling in a long time….I really am enjoying my job!

I hope my immunity builds up soon. By the time I finished my last kindergarten job I had a pretty fab immunity system. Come back!!!

Ps:

When I started at the school, they had told the parents a new teacher was starting and they told their children that I was replacing the last teacher. They said my name was `Laura` but most of the kids got mixed up and thought `Dora` was coming to school. Suffice to say at first they were slightly disappointed that I wasn`t the English/Spanish speaking explorer girl named Dora but they have gradually gotten used to calling me Laura. Some of the younger children still say Dora (so does one of the mums!!) but I think it is because it is easier for them to say.

Today one of my students said ` I like Laura` and then giggled and said ` I like Laura and Dora…but I like you more` Ohhhhhhh……How cute!

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Us, Almost two years ago.

I met Shumpei two years ago today. So that makes today our 2nd anniversary…basically! After a nice dinner of pasta and wine we settled down to watch some of the new 24 season. Great way to spend the night if you ask me.

Despite some strained times in the last two years we are still together and going strong. I love him to peices. And I hope he feels the same way!!

We met one month before I returned to Australia ( I went home Feb 15th 2005) and Shumpei visited two times last year, before I returned to Japan early February 2006. We have been living together since May 2006 and things are really good between us. Like most we have some minor fights (A lot less than most from what I can gather) and we have difficult times as I am sure most multi-cultural/multi-lingual couples have (Let`s face it, all couples have difficult times!!!). I know a lot of people thought we were crazy, but I also know that some of those people now can not imagine us apart. I know I certainly can`t. A lot of people that we were crazy because after only one month together we entered a long distance relationship as I had to return home to finish my degree. Nobody what anyone says long distance relationships CAN work. We have proved that!!! Sure things might have been easier in the beggining if we had been together but I think it also made us both realize that we really were serious. And that being together was what we really wanted.

He is definitely a keeper!!!! Here is to the next year, and the year after that, and the years and years after that!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Shun! I love you!

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High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Folks in a town that was quite remote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Lusty and clear from the goatherd’s throat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Know this song? Sound of Music? When Maria and the children are putting on a puppet show. Well today during craft when we were making mobiles of winter clothing in which their were two paddle pop sticks crossed over at the top and glued in a cross pattern. Each child hung four pictures, one off each point.

Next thing we hear one of our four year old boys humming that above song. At first we were like…`Mmm, what a weird song for a child to know, especially a Japanese child, but whatever` and then it hit us…he had his mobile above the desk and was moving it like the traditional puppets in sound of music during the scene in which that song is played.

Strange how a child`s mind works!!! Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo…………………..

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I couldn`t think of a title. But I made home-made pizza for dinner cos it is easy so I guess it is all relative!

Quick update…New job is good!!! I also have an extra 3 hours of private lessons lined up a week (on top of 2 hours I already do) so that means extra cash!! YAY! Had a private lesson with the school owners daughter tonight and she is learning to read. She can actually read Ok already, but I think she only reads in English once or twice a week so it seems she forgets words from one week to the next. I have never taught anybody to read before (We focus on speaking more so in the preschool class because the children age from 2-6….they can all recognize the alphabet letters but can not write. The six year old can read basic words but not books.) I have tried to go back to when I was learning to read but I don`t remember much. A lot of games that I did when I was a kid come back to me though….all of which are easy to adapt to younger children who speak English as a second language!

The level of English is amazing. I can not beleive there is a little girl who is still 2 that can speak English and Japanese already. All the children in the preschool speak really well. One little girl though speaks with English words in Japanese sentences (for example all the nouns are English but the verbs and pattern in Japanese) I think it is because she wants to talk to much that she can not think of it fast enough to keep up with her mouth!!

One of the best things about the new job is that the boss (well owner) is never at the school really(apparently sometimes she stops in for half an hour in the morning…otherwise we just speak to her on the phone!). So as long as we stick to basic curriculum we can try all sorts of things with the children and change things around depending on their mood and our mood!! The other two teachers are great and we all work together.

The other great thing is that the preschool class (9:30 til 2:30) has 10 different children and we have up to 10 children a day, sometimes we only have 5 or 6. So it is good because I have already started to develop relationships with the children because the class size is small and some of the children come every day. Kids are so cute!!!

I thought I would be a lot more exhausted but it isn`t so bad. Then again it is only 9:30 and I could climb into bed now and sleep for at least a day!! Can`t think of anything interesting to write so I guess I will call it a night!

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Lessons learned from the weekend…

• Too much cheese can you make you feel ill, however lying around all day in your pajamas and watching tv and reading books is surprisingly not boring at all.
• Shumpei should never leave the house without an apartment key.
• Going to a party where I know nobody is actually really fun. Thanks to Deanne for inviting me to her 30th birthday. Had a great time and can not wait to see everyone again (Damn shame I got called away early…see point number 2)
• Pachinko really is as dull (and as noisy and smokey) as I first thought. What a waste of 20 dollars. Stupid game has no point as far as I can see.
• Procrastinating is very very easy.
• I still can not fly.(Neither can poor yo-chan…which is why the boys came back early from their snowboarding trip…silly boys were doing jumps and yo-chan screwed up his knee…ON THE FIRST DAY)
• Saying you are going to blog everyday just does not work (well it doesn`t for me) despite best intentions
• And lastly, never eat anything before actually confirming what it is…Otherwise you eat what you think is scallops with a cream cheese sauce but when saying to the person beside you `this doesn`t taste like scallops or any other shell fish` and they reply `that is because it is not…It is fish balls (yes as the balls of a fish!!)` It is worse when they then pick it up with their chopsticks and show you how much they actually look like balls, veins and all . (I am still gagging)

Tomorrow is the start of the new job! Very excited so hopefully all goes well.

Keep telling myself I must not think of fish balls. YUK!

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Shumpei has just left to go snowboarding with friends for the weekend and won`t be back until Monday night. Everyone is out of Tokyo at the moment pretty much leaving me with time to myself (Although do have a catch up lunch date with Nic, from high school)…I have not yet decided what to do but it will probably be one of the following…

- Learn how to play PS3 so that when he comes back I have become king game otaku (geek) and can whip his ass.

- Drink wine and eat cheese and crackers all weekend while reading a good book or two (or three or four) with the heater on and music playing.

- Write a novel (complete with really bad spelling and grammar)

- Start planning my trip to China (Yes I might be going to China in August to catch up with my mummy!) by reading the guide books I bought today and other related info.

- Use the internet to come up with some super cool lesson plans for my new job which is starting Tuesday at 9am.

- Blog every hour on the hour…

- Go see a guy I know tomorrow night who is DJing at a club near the apartment…

- Practice my flying technique

- Go somewhere exciting myself. Somewhere near Tokyo, and perhaps inside, cos it is getting bloody cold. And take lots of photos.

- Start a proper blogroll, since I am starting to find it hard to keep up with all my favourites and regulars.

- Wash our futon

- Bake a cake in our toaster oven which is about the size of my head and see if it works.

- Sleep all day in between watching movies and eating popcorn (or cheese and crackers…I am a huge fan of cheese and crackers….mainly cos I don`t really like popcorn) and probably wine.

- Make some earrings (I have gotten quite into jewelery making (Thanks to D`Jen) but I can`t really make anything other than earrings…anything too big and I can`t imagine it therefore giving up early on

What do you think? Any other suggestions? My suggestions and ideas all seem kind of boring to me.

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Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Happy New Year, 2007, and welcome to the year of the boar.

That`s right, boar. Sometimes also refereed to as pig. Above is an example of a new years card known as, nengajyou. Most new years cards have pictures of the animal for the year with a new years message and they are supposed to arrive on January 1st….they are sent instead of Christmas cards basically. Japan follows the same lunar calender as China basically so there are twelve animals. Next year is the year of the rat (or mouse) and that is important since it starts the calender over again (every 12 years). Those who will be born this year, in the year of the boar, are considered to be very lucky.

Check below if you wish to find out which animal you are. This is a site explaining the Japanese calender (not the Chinese) so you might find you are a different animal than you thought especially if you are born near the beginning of the year than what you are according to the Chinese system. (For example I am an Ox, but due to the date I was born I would be considered to have been born in the year of the rat in China)

I am a Ox, like I said, and Shumpei is a rooster, and according to another site I looked at we are a really good match. I also match well with those born in the year of the snake. There are lots of sites out their explaining how it all works. I am a little bit confused because while Japan follows a similar calender to China it isn`t exactly the same because the Chinese new year is usually in late January or February (Correct me if I am wrong!!!) So since I live here, I am going with ox for myself.

New Year`s went well for me. The New years holiday started on Friday the 29th and continued until yesterday (So Shun is back at work today). I went out to Chiba to be with Shun and his family and we ate a lot, slept a lot, drank a lot and visited the shrine. I also went to onsen, saw some of his friends, watched Shun play some soccer and had a drinking party. It was a really fun couple of days but I am glad to be back in my apartment in Kichijoji. See flickr for some photos of the shrine and osechi which is the food you eat around New Year. We finished the holiday off with a game of scrabble last night. Me, Shumpei and his friend Kentarou. This was the second time Shumpei had played and a first for Shumpei and they both beat me. Kentarou does not speak English at all except for a couple of words but Shumpei`s vocab is pretty good and I let them both use electronic dictionaries. Big mistake. I LOST. I still can not believe it that I lost a game based entirely in English against two Japanese speakers. I have told Shumpei he has gotten too good and next time he can only use the dictionary to check spelling!!!

I was going to write about resolutions, but to tell you the truth I do not really have any. This year, as always, I want to lose weight and save money. But really I said that only a couple of months ago and so far nothing has happened. Oh well, if I come up with some then I will write them up.

All the best for 2007!!!!

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