AN ADMISSION

(I can say this now, since my admission is the negation of possibility itself)

You know, if God wants to close some doors, he will make them bloody obvious that even I cannae miss it. Ive just been told that one my Reason-of-being-in-Japan (well, one of the many reasons ...) has gotten engaged since I last saw him in Sydney. And I am meeting up with him tomorrow and he is taking me around his stomping ground. I didnt hear this from the horses mouth but news like that cannot be made up. We will see if the news comes up tomorrow.

Sigh. Okay. I wasnt set on him, just that I kinda fancied him... oh bugger. Thanks a lot God, thats one less make believe fantasy for me in Japan. On the other hand, it could Gods way of saying - "I sent you here for some other reason. Look elsewhere, there are plenty of sights to see!" HAHAHA.

10 FLOORS OF MY WILDEST ELECTRONIC DESIRES COME TRUE!

I really ought not to be here cause I should soon have to catch a train back and recuperate for tomorrows lessons. Tuesdays first half of classes are the worst of my lot. Terror first graders right out of Kidergartencop. Complete with hiding themselves under the tables, throwing themselves against the wall and climbing on windows. Just today I had one child scratch me, another punch me like a bag and one try to stick his finger where it didnt belong. Sigh. I really need patience and perserverance with this group. Days like this, I wonder if I did the right thing in coming here and doing this.

But this is not to say that I dont enjoy teaching other classes. I like the 8 year olds and upward. Im really honestly all about having fun in the classroom and at that age, they have a little more mental capacity to understand why and how to play games and have fun while learning. And when they do, we sit around playing Jenga, snap, cards, snakes and ladders, listen to some music (All I could find today was some R&B...) and have a little bit of conversation (each turn you have to say "I like...." or " I live in...." or "I play...." you get the idea?) Im currently looking for an Uno set.....

Also, youd be amazed that in such a traditionally asian society, the acceptance and concession for handicapped. Perhaps its a consequence for the war veterans. The blind especially. The walkways are paved with a single strips of bumps (like those for cars and cattles) that work a little like braille for the blind on the road! Just sunday past, I headed into the big smoke Osaka, off to find a church of English-speakers (please!) suddenly I hear loudspeakers putting on some funky tune. As I was trying to stop myself from moving with the groove, it dawned on me that I was right in the middle of a traffic crossroad in Osaka Minami! My face made like one of those japanese manga girls - big eyed at my bewilderment - when i was told that the music was yet another concession for the blind. Imagine that! Music in the middle of the street light crossing.

Osaka, is quite cool. I have been there three times now and have still zero comprehension of my orientation. But, I have heard buskers playing some waayyy cool jap music like u have never heard before (or understood either) on pedestrian crossings, seen original artwork anime on postcards (if you send me something in the mail, Ill send you one too!) and, beat this, I bought a pair of speakers in a 10 floor department store dedicated to electronics. Thats ONE floor dedicted to a different type Television, Audio, Camera, PDAs were all the floors I even managed to see. And this is not even the infamous Osaka Den Den or Tokyo Shinjuku. Electronic heaven hello! And how can I forget the sights! sometimes, I cant help BUT look and stare. ;-) The boys here CAN look quite swish - especially the bloke behind the drums. Not sure about adopting the ladies choices of fashion around here though.

Here in Japan, St. Valentines day (yes. here in Japan, hes attained proper sainthood) is when girls give guys choccies and there is another day, White day (March 14th) where guys give girls presents (not choccies. Bad for the figure.) Bizarre and totally in reverse. What can I say. Either way, I have no valentine. In fact, for all the relationships that I have been involved in, I have managed to no choice of my own to not celebrate it, either because of single-hood or because my partner would be in America, Australia, Singapore.... And this time around, for all the concession I have to give away my undying love and affection, I have none to give to here. YET. I am still hopeful. Even against the language barrier!

With all the coping and settling into I have had to do, V-day came and went without much ado. As for settling and coping, honestly speaking, culture shock has hit me... in fact, possibly run me over. Just last week for five minutes sitting in the station waiting for the train, I just wish I were back in Sydney sipping a coffee in Badde Manors with one of my girls or in Singapore having lunch after church. At that time, its just seemed that the japanese loved to talk talk talk. Couldnt they just shut up for five minutes please!

I miss being back home a lot because of this language problem. A lot of thigns do seem inaccessible, even simple things like taking the train into the city is such a feat considering all the stations in kanji (chinese characters) that I dont understand or even if I did, don:t sound like what they are supposed to... (its differently pronounced here.) In fact most things take patience and perserverance because of this language problem. But, I endeavour to begin my japanese lessons by the start of the new term in april. i made my inquiries last weekend and hopefully i:ll start in four weeks.

Niwaz, I need lots of prayer for patience, perserverance (need plenty of that for everything) and to know Gods plan and purpose for me to be here. Okay, aside from all this, my current contemplation is a mountain bike on which to take rides to and down the mountains which my front door loooks toward.

I really should go. But days do go by when I dont even have a single decent conversation .... honestly.

Love you all lots and missing each one of you dearly, The Chilibuddy.

GAIJIN @ GOIDO

Konbanwa.

Yes, there is no exclamat!on to that line cause its the end of my second day of teaching. And, ack. Yesterday was a total nightmare. After three weeks of movin - mobile isnt so much the idea as is frustrating - I finally moved into my apartment yesterday AFTER my FIRST full day of teaching, and teaching with a cough and cold.

I live on the third floor of a very pre-fab block of apartments. Japan, you see, is a very disposable society. Not a lot is made to last or expected to at least. From the mobile phone that go for 100yen (1. cause they are cheap and 2. cause newer fangled ones come out every other week. No wonder.) to their houses (cause, if you remember, Japan is in earthquake hotzone. In fact, they/we are expecting the BIG one. They have been expecting it for the last 14years in fact...). WE are so advanced, that I don:t even have a phone line and the nearest public phone is a good ten minute away. Wireless is everything here.

In Kansai area, THEY walk on the right side of the road and on escalators too. Just because everyone (meaning their Big Brother Tokyo) else walks on the left. Meanwhile, I get in everyones way keeping by the international (??) code of keeping left. This thought was going somewhere but I don:t know where its gone to on its own.

Ive had the craziest week and cultural shock is doing its work. I dont even know my address in English. So, ja ne.

HELLO Kitties!

Konnichiwaaa!

Hello my kitties! Japan, the land of extremes. Computer technology and internet telephony in Japan is SO wayyy advanced, everyone has the web and email on the phone that its so hard to find an internet computer terminal - there is simply no need for them! Once again, I find myself having to wait a whole week to read my lovelies and send my emails...

My first week of "work": Lesson observation and a little bit of teaching. OHMYGAWD. Kids will be kids. Have heard/seen lots of interesting things in the classroom, none of which I have even had the opportunity to consolidate in my head let alone share with you. To the little infant children... .we sing so many kiddy songs that I sing it in my sleep... Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes... A, B, C.... now I know my ABCs!

Tomorrow I move to a tellytubby land far far away, a town of 50,000-60,000 people. Yes, you read right. Kashiba is provincial! Kashiba is on the border of Osaka/Nara. And Minami is like.... the entertainment district of Osaka. So fear not my friends, it is only but 45 minutes away from Osaka Minami and that's hardly very much time at all! But it is cold. Yesterday's weather forecast for Nara was a lot of -2 degrees!!!

Yes, I have also acquired my first bicycle here. In fact, I cycled to the city today. It's a yellow "ladies" bike, you know the kind.... basket in front with lots of little shiny heart shaped stickers on it. And No, I didn't put them there. Its a third-hand bike that I've been having for the week to get me around the town. Comes in useful sometimes if I remember to pump the punctured flat rear tire before I cycle out....

Of cool and young people, the japanese boys are quite cute. The young kids from highschool who wait on us at the family restuarants look like they stepped straight out of some japanese cartoon character. I have nothing to note for my male friends regarding the japanese young ladies except this little ditty: they cycle around with short skirts, no stockings and swhite schrunchy socks. How do they keep themselves warm? They're behinds are warmly protected by thermal knickers that come in various colours and prints. The big favourite, i hear, is the Hello Kitty. Brings new meaning to HELLO kitty!

The cute-cartoon character types and the cute hotties. The cute cartoon character types are "Ka-waii" for cute. And the cute hotties are "iketeru" aka cool to the max. The kanji equivalent for that, is "handsamu|" self explanatory. So, I asked one of the japanese staff, what the japanese equivalent for pretty and beautiful would be. And check this out. There is not equivalent the way we know it. In fact, the reason for the observation of most japanese women, looking like a girl aged eight might be this. A good looking girl is "kawaii-", that is, Cute. there is no room for pretty or beautiful so forget stunning and drop dead gorgeous. Looks like there is no chance for me to catch an "iketeru" japanese chap over here. There's just no way I'm going to go the "kawaii-" look.

Loving you from Japan, The Chilibuddy.