Packing

It's getting late, and I'm going through a going through a very special old box in my apartment: a box of letters. I spent some time sitting on my couch re-reading them, some sent almost 2 years ago. I'm glad I did. I wasn't sure what I should keep, but I know I must keep them all.

At the impersonal level, if someone should ever care to write something about me, they would be an invaluable source. Far more informative than any e-mail, many of them have that feeling of intimacy that only a pen scratching into paper can reveal.

At the personal level, they are gateways to memories of old emotions. Emotions felt again, fleetingly, as I'm transported back to their time. I don't forget what happened after, or how those emotions changed, but that does not stop me from enjoying them for that moment. And so, I shall keep them all, adding to their box as the years pass, and reading them again when I'm feeling forgetful.

Operatic Seisiún

Yesterday, Takeshi and Veronique told me of a Japanese Opera singer who would be jamming with them today after work. I arrived a little late, and could hear a note held aloft for longer than I thought possible, as I approached.

Not 4m away from a flawless soprano, the power of her voice felt like a blast wave about to throw me out onto the street; striking the head and ear drums like beautiful cascading brick walls.

The others accompanied her with Indian string instruments, falling swimming goggles, Werthers Originals dancing around inside a spinning hat, a two year old speaking Fra-panese, and an An-pan-man guitar.

Booked

Just two months left now. My employer has to provide me with a one-way ticket home. They are going to to that, and then I am going to cash it in with their knowledge. They are not concerend, so long as they can point to a flight number in their records and say that they fulfilled their contractual obligations.

My real flight is booked, and that's for Malaysia. And yes, the American lady will be accompanying me there. She'll then be returningto Japan for another year of work at the end of August while I start travelling home slowly. Actually, she was staying with me for a week, all last week. There's loads of hiking and other things to do around here so there was plenty to do if she ever got bored while I was working. And I learned how to play Scrabble.

278 points the first time playing. Apparently that makes me an expert. I won't say what she got except that, clearly, so is she...

Morrisons in Japan

The second week of the school Holidays were even better than the first. I never thought I would get the opportunity because of the distance, but my parents managed to get a 5 day stop over in Kansai, on the way home from a boxing tournament in Australia that my Dad brought a team to.

Hanging out with them was wonderful! I had forgotten how at ase I could feel. Wonderful! I got to show them around my town, and even have them stay in a Temple. Oh, and coming from Oz, they were not impressed with the snow that greeted them.

"Don't look at he camera!"

Brought them by bullet train to Hiroshima and then to the holy island of Miyajima to hunt down some Monkeys. Then on to Kyoto so my Mom could some more of her own Huinting: geisha. It took a while, and then Success!

As usual, you can see more pictures here

Wasabi, our saviour

Last night, Taheshi, Veronique and I ate some not very fresh smelling Sashimi (Raw Fish) for dinner, along with the Green Wasabi that I love so much. This morning, I woke up, not dead. I am now convinced that as well as being a fantastic substance for clearing out the sinuses (Try it! It will blow your feckin' head off!) Wasabi also grants the diner super-human powers of Buddhist Bullet Bending, as well as protection from anything nasty that may lurk in ones meal.

Quote of the Day

Me: "Mayana-chan, Viens ici onegaishimasu"

Destroying both the French and Japanese languages. Luckily the two-year-old is being brought up in both.

Setsubon

With no other plans, I spent the day hiking around Koya in the snow. On my way back through the town, I heard some chanting, and was gestured into a small side Temple by an old lady exiting.

It was the Setsubon, the Bean throwing, Holiday, and I had completely forgotten. One monk was offering prayers while another beat out a rhythm, as the fathful looked on.

Tapping away in the Shogakko

Here's what I'm up to if you're bored today.

I'm just finishing up in Koyasan's Primary School, and I've got to say, these kids are probably solely responsible for me being in anyway fit. They are ALL little Ninjas. I said a long while back about the transformation during cleaning time from cute little kids to Sweeping-Brush-Samaurai's. Today was just us "playing" a game wherein I battle them off with swirls from my scarf and they come in with flying kicks. Dodge ball on crack perhaps.

Rhapsody in Blue is playing....Actually, check that. It's ended and been replaced with Red Hot Chili Peppers. Huh, I'm just back from the Music room where I was just talking to the 11 year old who is playing DJ now during break. They're his own cds. I can see a lesson involving lyrics here...

Yesterday in Fuki was another Primary School visit. The whole PrimarySchool (so that would be 12 students then, no 1st Class) was playing basketball together and I help Tatsuya, the smallest boy in 3rd class, score by holding him up to the rim to dunk.

He held on.
I pulled.
He held on.
I stopped supporting him.
No change.

I think he's a about half a hobbit in size, and he seemed willing to hold on, with one hand, all day. I had to jump, yank, and pry him off.

Feckin' legend of a kid.

Because the Primary and Middle School (7 students) next door to each other in Fuki are so small now, they've joined together, and you can see some pics of the 1st 2nd and 3rd years last November kicking my ass at Othello here.


http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/davidlmorrison/JapanAug2006toJul2007/TeachingatFuki/

Meanwhile in Hanasaka, the even smaller village I teach at half waydown the mountain, (11 students) there is a slightly different school of martial arts to Koyasan: Cardboard Tube Samaurai. Just as honourable, but with a lot less pain. For me at least. There's some photos from December of 4th, 5th and 6th class here.


http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/davidlmorrison/JapanAug2006toJul2007/TeachingatHanasaka/
Looks like an unidentifiable lunch is up.

Amities

david

40 years old!?!


According to the Japanese Doctor!

They arrived this morning and have been measuring our bone density. The Doctor said I MUST drink more milk, and I already drink more during lunch than all of the staff combined!

40 years old....

And the English teacher I work with is singing "I'm young, I'm young" while she walks through the staff room 'cause her test came back as 20 years old!

Random Snapshot of September

I realised that I haven't emptied the memory card in my phone for and age.

This album is a collection of the random stuff I found on it that I think gives a nice snapshot into life here.

Enjoy!

(Click Enjoy)

A bloody busy week
Part 1.

One of my sisters said something a few days ago about length of e-mails, so I'm going to try something with this overly long one. I'm going to spit it up.

This last weekend, I did nothing

And it was fabulous.

Although not technically true, I did do some grocery shopping, the rest was much needed. The previous week was bloody busy; which, yes, is how I like it.

It started off on the Wednesday of the previous week, with a night parade. The 15th of June marks the Birthday of Kukai, posthumously called Koba Daishi, the founder of my town, Koyasan, and of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism.

He's not dead, but in a state of deep meditation at the end of Okunoin cemetery, where our Birthday celebrations for him begin. He's a great guy all round, and still has monks bringing him
food each morning as well as changing his clothes every few months.

It may sound gross, but think about it: How often would you really need to change if you spent nearly your entire day in deep meditation?

The parades glowing floats glided through the town with the Conan-esque pushing of the local scouts and primary school students.

I followed them to the Great Gate, Daimon, chatting with different friends taking part, or the other JETs who had driven up to see it.

On the way back, I met an interesting young lady who was researching the commercialisation of the Kukai, and we serendipitously came across a friend's cafe that was open late for an impromptu session of freestyle music. We all stayed there until the small hours, and I listened
apprehensively as first Sonia, the Croatian nun, and then Dan, the private English teacher, were asked about their feelings on the commercialisation subject.

If you read his blog you'll already have a good idea of how awkward that could have been.

The next morning, I was tasked with pushing the large float of Kukai from the night before along with my students. The other students from the Junior Secondary School danced down the street, while my Primary school students did what they did best, made musical noise. The "rain" (drizzle at worst) terrified the monks into a phalanx formation of Umbrellas, and we marched through the town, using pikes to move braches away from Kukai's delicate paper-mache head.

It was another great opportunity for us to grab our festival gear and shout at people, and the pre-schoolers loved the chance to take over the road. And, as per usual in this country, the Oba-chan (Grannies) showed up everyone else taking part.

http://www.bebo.com/PhotoAlbum.jsp?PhotoAlbumId=1189188052

amities

david

"Veni, Vidi, Vomiti"