Wisdom Tooth the First

My Odyssey begins about a year ago, when I first started to get a pain in my lower left tooth area. Chalking it up to sensitive teeth, it turns out that slowly, over the course of months (perhaps years) my rear left wisdom tooth was grinding into my number 7 rear left molar (or the one right in front of the wisdom tooth), causing a cavity to form.

In about March of this year, things came to a head and I either bit down on something hard or otherwise widened the cavity, exposing the nerves there to the air and whatever food was going into my mouth.

Now, I think I've got a pretty high pain threshold. At least enough to be a wuss. But this HURT. It was first a dull pain, but rapidly degenerated into SHARP INTENSE MIND DESTROYING PAIN. Of course, geek that I am, my loyalties were to gaming, so I actually waited a day to play D&D before heading to the nearest dentist I could find using Google Maps.

(In my defense, I'd been pretty desperate to get a real live 4E game going, and this was the first group I had found in almost 3 years of looking.)

But those few nights, I was popping 4 advils every 2 hours, and STILL I couldn't really sleep. The pain was so bad that I was literally moaning in pain, pacing my room, eyes strained shut. During that time I tried every shitty home remedy to no avail.

A trip to the dentist, a few x-rays, and all was revealed. In the end, I had to get a root canal done.

I've heard some say that the old saying "I'd rather get a root canal" isn't really relevant anymore, because getting a root canal isn't supposed to be all that bad.

FUCK. THAT. SHIT.

Getting a root canal was awful. OK, the pain itself wasn't all that bad, but the sheer uncomfortableness of it, while the dentist roots around AFTER drilling out your tooth to SCRAPE out the rest of the nerve endings with a barbed wire, periodically checking with some sort of electric contact to see in there are any nerves left, is downright unpleasant.

Anyway, this has all lead to this moment (and one more in about 2 weeks time when I get my OTHER lower wisdom tooth removed).

All told, it wasn't too bad. I laud the dentist, who despite the problems she was having, didn't one mutter the Japanese equivalent of "goddamn mother-fucking tooth". As I write this, my jaw is no longer paralyze, though I've got noticeable swelling in my jaw and cheek. It's starting to ache pretty badly, so I'll soon make some soup and take my painkillers and antibiotics.

Here are some pics of said tooth.

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

Vacation is here, 3 days early.

OK, it's not vacation. I have been ordered to remain at home and under quarantine because I came into contact with a person testing positive for the H1N1 Influenza virus.

So here I am, 9:40 in the morning, writing my blog and thinking about going back to bed. After all, what else will I do other than sleep while I wait for WoW to come back online.

All kidding aside, there are some rather uncomfortable realities at work here that make this whole affair rather unwelcome.

First is that my laptop is at work. While this isn't in and of itself a problem, there are some files on there that I need to continue work on a powerpoint presentation I'm to give at this years JET orientation.

Next is the fact that my friend Fran is coming on Saturday. I don't suspect there will be any difficulties, but I'm knocking on wood and taking my temperature every few hours just to be sure.

After that is the fact that I have asthma. In the US, I've read that 1 in 3 patients diagnosed with the swine flu has asthma, and that this is a veritable risk factor whose ultimate symptom could be death! YIKES!!

Thankfully, no symptoms yet, and if my asthma starts to get twitchy, my awesome doctor, with ingenious foresight, prescribed me a couple of days worth of Prednisone.

The last thing of course is the possible parallels with the 1918 Spanish Flu. According to Wikipedia, "[i]t was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1" and there were two waves. The first wave started in March, and "the epidemic resembled typical flu epidemics." But there was a second, deadlier wave that occurred in August of that year, where "the virus had mutated to a much more deadly form." This is what infected 500 million people and killed some 50-100 million of them.

Our pandemic started in April, and so if the pattern follows, we'd see a second wave in September. With news of a new Tamiflu-resistant strain, coupled with the fact that September is notorious around the world for being a month in which more people suffer asthma attacks, this whole pandemic thing has gotten me just a little bit worried.

Summer heat...

...in May. Yes, it's a balmy 30 degrees in Fukuoka today, far too warm for my liking. At least the breeze is cooling.

So news. I've been incredibly busy over the last few weeks. Pretty much since the new school year started. Part of this is because my classes are clumped together on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, leaving me with little time during those days to plan. As well, despite being in my 3rd year, I find that every year I still have to make new lessons. Probably this is because most of my lessons suck. But a part of it is because a lot of the classes have changed in terms of curriculum.

Here's an example. My English Expressions class, last year taught solely from the textbook, is now being taught via movies. I'm not personally all too happy with the way it's being taught now; as it stands, we only show parts of the movie, and so for the students the experience is rather disjointed. I'm hoping to use smaller elements (the WKUK "Sniper Business" skit, for example) so that the stories are self-contained, but we'll see how that pans out.

In other news: After much scrambling, I've got a weekly gaming group! A long sought after goal, myself and three other JETs are currently workout through the Scales of War Adventure Path offered by D&D Insider. A total blast. I'm actually saddened that we're skipping a week. It's odd how some skills, like being an effective DM, actually start to rust without use. But I'm getting back into the hang of things.

I guess that's more or less it. I'm just here enjoying a semi-day off. I have some work, but it's not too pressing...

Heisei 24

or 3 years from now. That, as it turns out, is when the old Fukuma teacher's housing (or juutaku for those in the know) is destined to be demolished. Which is why they didn't bother to tell me. Cause, you know, it's 3 YEARS from now.

There's a lesson in all this somewhere, about loose lips or the dangers of second hand rumors etc.

I eagerly await the day that I am the SOLE resident of the entire apartment complex.

Bye-bye Fukuma?

How odd things work out the way they do. There was some talk about me moving to Hakata, an idea which is seeming more and more remote, due in part to some real estate laws where I would have to live (at least on paper) with my grandmother for a year, or some such. More complicated than it's worth, plus I get the feeling I'd get sucked into some sort of family stuff, which I have scrupulously avoided these last 3 years. Not that I don't like my family. But I enjoy my semi-hikikomori/hermit status.

So here I was, ready to live here another year (and possibly another after that). But I just heard that this place, this dear old, decrepit apartment, is on the chopping block (or wrecking ball, as the case may be). I had heard rumors to that effect, but today was the first semi-confirmation I got.

It's all second-hand knowledge. My co-ALT, who is moving, had to go with some school office people to see what needed to be tossed due to years of ALTs leaving their crap for their successors. It was there that the office people mentioned the impending destruction of the apartment, and consequent move to...

Kasuya! Though the geography means nothing to those unfamiliar to this neck of Japan, it would mean an hour commute by train/bike to and from school.

Allow me to make a big hrrrmm....

OK, so the travel time doesn't really bother me, even though it will mean having to wake up and leave an hour earlier. And to be honest, it will free me up from a bunch of things here which eat away at my beloved me-time, so that's a bonus.

But it's likely that I will have to foot the bill for the move.

Honestly, I don't know how to feel about it, but as a person who has a bad tendency to nest, I think I'm looking forward to the forced change.

To move or not to move...

That is indeed the question that has occupied my mind for the last little while. Some history.

Many moons ago, my grandmother owned a house near Hakata Station. That house was torn down to make room for an apartment building, and in compensation, my grandmother got 4 apartments in perpetuity, whose rent would be substantially lower than similar places in the area.

Those 4 apartments have stayed in my family for a good many years. Last year, my cousin and his family moved out of one of them, and the apartment has remained unoccupied since then. Earlier on this year, specifically when my dad came for his early-March visit, the idea was brought up that I should take that apartment.

So I've been weighing the pros and cons:

PROs: Downtown location. Proximity to relatives.

CONs: Smaller. Higher rent. Higher transportation costs. Longer commute time.

So far, the cons outweigh the pros right? But the first pro, location is weighted significantly higher in my opinion. Life would really be a LOT more convenient living there, despite the overall higher cost of living. But really, that's to be expected considering that I'd be moving from the burbs to the city. People who came to visit me would not have to "enjoy" an additional 35-40 minute trip AFTER they've completed a grueling flight over the Pacific. Staying late in town would be a viable possibility as I could WALK home from Tenjin and environs.

This would also set me up in the near run for a place to live after my JET contract expires. I still intend, as of now, to renew for a 5th, but it'll be good to know that I'll not have to look for a place afterward.

Of course, there would be some associated hazards as well. McDonald's, KFC, Mr. Donuts, Yodobashi, all dangerous temptations to me.

Still, this is something I must consider very carefully...

Tooth Redux

So, sadly, my pain continues, albeit in very diminished form. It now constitutes a minor irritation, to the point where I don't really even need any pain killers.

I went to the dentist yesterday, only to find they had double booked my appointment. Well, the other person was an old lady, so I wasn't going to say anything. Even so, I only waited about 30 minutes before they saw me.

In the chair, the dentist poked around and explained that 1) he couldn't extract the nerve today because the area was still swollen, which meant that the anesthetic would be less effective and cause me severe distress, and 2) I should really consider getting my impacted tooth removed because it will end up causing the same problem.

On the plus side, they did a thorough cleaning of the lower teeth, removing some pretty hardened plaque build-up that had formed in the harder to reach parts of my mouth.

So I go again next week...

Drilling my teeth

Over the last 3 days, I have endured what I can only describe as constant, throbbing, jabbing pain. This pain comes from my teeth, specifically my 2nd and 3rd lower left molars (or lower left wisdom tooth, and the tooth right in front of it if you're too lazy to Google it).

Normally, I take pride in my pearly near-whites. Not have a team of Hollywood dentists to keep them bleach white like you see in the movies, I have still managed to get complimented both here and in Canada at the cleanliness of my teeth. It's something I take a bit of pride in, as I'm an obsessive tooth-brusher.

So when, a few months ago, I started getting a sharp pain in my teeth, I thought it was just nerves. I grabbed some Sensodyne and didn't think much about it.

In retrospect, I think I was a little foolish. The pain had, over time, been getting worse and worse. First it was just cold things, but lately it had become hot things too. I didn't think it was a cavity, as I keep good care of my teeth, and hadn't had one in years.

Yeah, that was a stupid assumption.

This morning I went first thing to the dentist. I have no real qualms about going to one. I even don't mind the dreaded dentist's drill. After some exploratory poking, and 2 x-rays, it turned out that I had 2 problems.

First was a massive cavity that was the source of the sharp jabbing pain. Second was my impacted wisdom tooth, get this, pushing INTO my cavity.

Near as I can calculate, I've gotten about 14 hours of sleep over the last 72 hours. Thursday night I got only 3 hours, and last night about 6, most of it because I was just exhausted.

In the dentists chair, the dentists shot some lasers into my teeth, but that didn't seem to work. As I was about to leave, I was called back because my distress was still evident, and they instead embarked on a treatment that involved a grinder and some contact pain medicine.

I swear to God I was almost in tears. This treatment HURT! I was, at times, literally writhing in pain, and twice I spasmed.

The grinding was fine, but there was some other procedure that was incredibly painful. I feel better now, but the pain is still there, though greatly diminished.

Of course, this is Japan, so my follow up treatment will have to happen on Monday, where they will extract the nerves there. I guess this is a root canal? I'm not 100
% sure. They've given me some heavy duty meds to deal with the pain, which I am to liberally supplement with my own stash of pain meds.

I honestly cannot wait until Monday.

Re-upped for another year.

Just wanted to post that my contract has been confirmed for the 2009-2010 year.

w00t!

Looks like it's year 4 for me.

Things I will need to do this year:
Get my visa renewed.
Get my passport renewed.

Things I may do this year:
Get a driver's license.
Grow up.

Ok, that last one is never gonna happen.

I've been...

back in Japan now for a little over two weeks. I haven't blogged in about 6. Not even my standard rant against unprofessionalism at a JET function, or about my trip to Japan, or my semi-whiney posts about how the Japanese school system/JET life/cold/whatever sucks.

So lets do all these in a knock-out post. Well, OK, probably not number 3, though I may be a little self-reflective.

During the second week of December (when my blogging stopped) I attended JIAM's Interpretation course. Now, while I might normally complain about the slovenly nature of JETs in general and ALTs in particular, I was pleasantly surprised that everyone was is jackets and ties. Not a single pair of flip-flops, Hawaiian shirt, or untucked Polo shirt crossed my view. CIRs, of which were the bulk of the participants, must hold to a different standard. That said, by mid-week the seminar had devolved to a summer-camp atmosphere, and as a result we were dressed down by one of the organizers for tardiness. Dress code was casual.

The seminar itself was incredibly informative. I truly haven't felt so challenged in a long while. And the most exciting aspect was that towards the end, I found that I COULD interpret (that is, act as an interpreter, as opposed to an analyzer) much better than I had. While I'm certain my Japanese ability didn't go up in any appreciable amount, the skills I learned allow me to better use that ability.

The only downer (aside from the good, but buffet-serviced food) was the fact that I was fighting a cold all week. This cold would accompany all the way to Canada, though by then it was mostly a non-issue.

Canada itself was...ordinary. By this I mean that, while I enjoyed myself in Canada, I didn't really do much that I couldn't have done here (except perhaps see the truly awful/awesome movie The Spirit). Most days I spent playing WoW on my laptop, or going shopping while my friends worked. At night, I would catch a movie, or go to a pub or have dinner, but even this was impaired by the inclement weather, with frigid temperatures unseen in Toronto for some years.

Perhaps it was the free time. Perhaps it was cabin fever. Perhaps it was my second visit back home, but all of this had me thinking about what I wanted to do post-JET. I recall with some amusement ex-Fukutsu ALT Kathy, who mentioned that while her first trip home elicited only a desire to get back to Japan, her second trip home provoked a deep homesickness in her. I can admit that I felt that to a degree, though a larger part of me was devoted to the idea that I wanted to get back to Japan and routine.

There are some ideas I am considering. Most clearly defined (though not necessarily desired) is a return to school, either to Teacher's College, or to pursue an MA in TESOL. While I know a bit more about Teacher's College than I do about getting an MA, the MA route holds more immediate appeal to me as it would allow me to continue to live in Japan.

Another, far less defined idea is to take the civil servant exam in Canada. This might be something to do in addition to everything else. A shot in the dark for who knows what.

There's also the possibility of staying in Japan despite it all and seeing what I can do. This is perhaps the least defined of my options, at least in terms of hard facts/numbers. There are some realities I would have to deal with: Visa issues (a work-about may exist in this area, but alters my career options), racism (still an issue, even for me), language (again, still a problem in the non-verbal forum). What can I do as a native speaker of English coupled with a conversationally fluent Japanese speaker? Possibly anything and possibly nothing. This option for me is still "Answer hazy. Try again later."

In the end, I'm not sure where my life is headed. I have submitted my papers for recontract, so assuming I get picked up again I can delay my decision for another year. While the decision came pretty easily this year, the growing doubts in my mind mean that next year's decision will be difficult.

Of course unless I decide to delay my decision again. There seems something poetically pathetic in that...

Tennis Circle: The Gasshuku

During the first two years of my JET life in Japan, there were oft-talked about plans to travel to Mt. Aso. Yet somehow these plans never materialized. In my dim recollections from earlier childhood travels, I recalled a barren landscape, full of noxious smelling gas, which at the time served only to aggravate my asthma. (In retrospect, I have high suspicions that this was merely a result of my poor physical fitness. I was after all a lazy lad).

Thus this year, and specifically these last 6 months, it is amusing to me that I have visited this region no less than 3 times.

The morning was gray, and threatened to rain; bad news for people who were to play tennis later. Despite the morning chill, by the time we reached the Fukuma City Hall parking lot it had warmed considerably to a balmy 19 degrees C. I was definitely feeling over-dressed in my boots, vest, and wind-breaker jacket.

We were to travel south in a 3-vehicle convoy. All had navigation equipped, and each car had someone in charge, with a folder containing maps, contact information, schedule, and an envelope with gas/toll money. This was no last-minute jaunt out to the wilds, but a carefully orchestrated operation.

The drive out to the Aso region was enjoyable, but as the sole male passenger in the car, I was soon lost by conversation of the latest happenings in J-Dramaland. Lunch was at a yakiniku restaurant called Aka-Ushi (Red Cow), and at the associated gift shop I purchased a box of Aso-Jersey Milk Caramels. While the lunch was forgettable, the view was breath-taking. Despite living in and around mountains in Fukutsu City, there is something entirely different about the mountains that surround the Aso farming region. The mountains form a ring, and each is inspiring and beautiful. I felt somehow more alive for seeing them.

Soon we arrived at our tennis grounds. In mountain-country it was definitely chillier, and the rain that had threatened us earlier started to fall. Despite this, our mini-tournament would not be postponed, so we gathered our gear and headed to the courts. After a quick warm-up, teams were decided and off we went. The results of my not having practiced for the last 6 weeks were quickly evidenced, and out of 6 teams, we placed last. The tournament is more for fun, but the rain, which alternated from a light sprinkle to a shower, kept me distracted. Prizes were awarded, and though we had an hour left on the courts, we decided to pack up and head for our ryokan.

It's worth noting that I had forgotten my ankle socks at home, so I ended up buying a pair from a convenience store. It was that or play in my hiking socks.　　Thus it is especially fitting that my prize was a pair of Adidas ankle socks.

Soon we were at our ryokan, and once checked it my room-mates and I quickly changed to our yukatas, and it was off to the baths. Well not quite for me. Given my recent bout with eczema, I had lingering doubts as to whether I ought to partake or not. So instead, I decided to get a massage. There are quite new to me, but are worth every yen.

Dinner was standard ryokan fare: seafood and a variety of Japanese vegetables and tubers. However, this being Kumamoto, I was treated to my first ever basashi. Basashi is raw horse. I am game to try most meats raw, and so I had no qualms about eating this. That said, it seemed a bit gamey for me, and there was a strange aftertaste. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't particularly like it either. I'll have to hold off judgment until I try to quality basashi. Also surprisingly delicious was the salted-backed yamame (or mountain-woman salmon). No doubt some distant salmon cousin, it was 100% salty goodness.

Afterward, we retired to our rooms, but in the meanwhile I decided that I would go and bath. Upon returning I found most of the circle had gathered in my room, and beers and snacks fueled deep conversations about the decline in leadership skills displayed by Japanese people.

That night was uncomfortably passed on futon mattresses, and I woke up with a crick in my neck. After a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, rice, bread, and a large salad, I wandered down to the massage chairs for a quick 10 minutes. While they are no replacement for the real deal, it nevertheless worked out the crick and I was back to being a happy camper.

The second day of our trip involved a trip to a water tunnel converted to a community art gallery, the fountainhead of the Shirakawa River, the Aso Farmland Resort, and a visit to the Kikuchi Gorge. Of these, I had visited Kikuchi Ravine before, and it was interesting to compare the place between my visit during the summer and now. I'll say that Kikuchi Glen reminded me a lot of camping in the Algonquin, and I again felt a measure of peace while there. Also notable is that the literature on the various signs, pamphlets, and maps cannot decide on whether it should be called a gorge, ravine, or gully. I did not see any signs for Kikuchi Canyon though.

Tired but satisfied, we returned home to Fukutsu around 7pm. The two days were enjoyable to say the least, and I hope that I am around next year to do it all again.

Pics here, or you can click on the slideshow in the sidebar.

Random ranting before 8am

Watching the news this morning, I just saw a story of a high school, whose principal, in order to ensure that good hard working students got into his school, denied entry to some examinees despite passing the entrance exam. The reasons were due to bad manners and untidy dress.

Alright, so I do believe that no student should be denied an education, and in an era where Japan is starting to feel the population decline (3 schools near mine are reducing their class numbers from 8 to 6, and the elementary school near my aunt's apartment had a mere 28 1st graders), a school needs to get as many students as possible, for school revenue and possibly government bonuses. From an economic stand point, and an idealistic stand point, the principal's actions don't make sense.

But am I wrong in wondering why the principal is being punished for trying establish standards at his school? Yes, while it is very probable that the students who dressed untidily and had bad manners would grow out of that awkward and rebellious 14th year of life, for many students high school is simply a continuation of junior high school, where they are spoon-fed information without deeper/critical analysis, to be regurgitated during their college/university exams. For many of these students, there will be no noticeable change in environment, save that the subject matter is a little harder.

I remember my entrance into high school. I worried about bullies and being shoved into lockers, but also of getting to choose my courses, and having to manage my own workload. In other words, it was my first steps into the world of adulthood. There was a definite difference is atmosphere from JHS to HS. And with the chance of failure real (and in my case performed in practice), suddenly my own efforts were truly required to ensure I passed.

OK, so that may be a little more ideal than I remember, but the sentiment is true nevertheless. In Japan, smarter students attended higher academic schools. Their chance of failure is real. But the students always have a back up, and it is rare that a student serious about attending high school will fail their back up. So a student is almost guaranteed to progress. So is failure to get into a school of choice truly a roadblock?

Students should be helped. That is indeed one of a teacher's many duties. But it's also a duty to teach students that failure has real consequences. A slacker, extra-academic issues notwithstanding, should not be allowed to pass into the following grade year with an academic history of all failures. Yet due to Japan's obsessive compulsion for group unity, such students are dragged along.

The fundamental problem is this: there is no real penalty for failure in the Japanese education system. A student who fails a test (for which, I will add, the passing grade is 40%) receives no academic penalty other than a stern talking to. Come hell or high water, that student WILL go on to the next grade level with all of his or her schoolmates.

So I personally applaud that principal, who tried to establish standards in his school. A principal who tried to send a message to the parents of the students who passed the paper test but failed the attitude test, that their shoddy and ineffective parenting is not to be tolerated. A principal that said that there both student must be held responsible for not only academic standards, but for social standards as well, and that a parent cannot simply hand a student to a school and expect a teacher to be a surrogate parent.

Sadly, I'm in the minority opinion here.

Days 56-58

This weekend was a busy one for me, and until about 7pm or so, I was feeling pretty shitty and angry. The reason was my semi-annual shopping trip for my mother, to give to my father to bring back home to Canada. But in all honesty, it's a grind I'm used to. I think I was cranky because of hunger or general tiredness.

Or, I was still in a sort of hungover state.

So lets begin on Saturday.

Day 56
10/25 (1106+????) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Bowl of granola cereal with milk, banana, coffee x2
1200-1700: Diced steak lunch (steak, salad, soup, rice
1700-2400: Oh god...too much fucking alcohol.

Knowing I was going on a family trip to Nagasaki the next day, I postponed my freeday to Sunday. Spending a somewhat lazy morning, I had a successful JHS demo class for the kids that visited Genkai for open campus. This was a lot of fun, and kids got into it. A bonus was the 4 kids from the demo class I did at Shingu JHS who were in my class then and again on Saturday. I'm hoping that at least one of them will show up next April.

That night Jon, Jon's friend Ryoko (or Kyoko?), and I went to Bagus for dinner. It wasn't my cheat day, but whatever. Nice conversation, good eats. I hadn't planned on drinking much, but I was pretty nicely toasted by the time we settled our bill.

Afterwards, we went to karaoke with Julie, Rochelle, and another ALT Brad. There, I continued to drink. And drink. And drink.

I don't know what caused me (for the first time in my entire drinking history) to be violently ill. I suspect that it was the really bad gin, or the mixing of different kinds of drinks. What I DO know is that I ended up emptying the contents of that evenings meal on parts of the floor, the urinal, and the toilet of the men's room at the karaoke. My hand got caught in the initial spray, causing some spatter to hit my shirt and pants, as well as my chin. Of course, I felt immediately better thereafter, and feebly attempted to clean up the toilet. I was then sober enough to realize what a mess I had made, and shamefully told the karaoke employees. They seemed resigned. I guess it's something that happens with some degree of frequency.

That said, I'm almost positive I threw up almost everything I had eaten that night. Or if not, a good portion of it. This is because the urinal I threw up in was clogged, probably from food matter. So I can't really estimate my calories for the day.

Yeah. That's not gonna happen again.

Day 57
10/26 (3252...or there abouts) Freeday
0700-1200: Fried Chicken, Grain bar, Pepsi White, Can Coffee
1200-1700: Takoyaki, Pork Yakitori, Softcreme, Boiled Egg, Skittles, Beer
1700-2400: Sashimi, Steak, Chawanmushi, Chicken Nabe, Rice, Fried Chicken, Spicy Fries, Chou Creme

Well, vacations are about eating, and I did this in spades. Still hung-over from my previous night's indiscretions, I trudged my way to Hakata Station, then to my father's hotel. There, we met up with my cousins, who managed to get a $100 parking ticket. Our trip was to Unzen, an onsen south of Nagasaki City. The occasion was the celebration of my grandmother turning 90, and her two sisters (a belated birthday celebration, though I don't know her age, and the successful recovery of the other from a hospitalizing injury). It's rare to see such a family get together, but I had met a number of them before from my trip to Nagasaki last August.

Unzen was nice, but not being able to have a bath in the onsen, my presence there was more perfunctory than anything else. Still it was nice to met and greet, and family get togethers are never a waste of time in my books.

My calorie count is all over the place because it's hard for me to estimate what i had for dinner. I was pretty full, but that's more a result of my smaller stomach. The sashimi was bream, and the nabe was mostly vegetables, tofu, and chicken meatballs. The steak was 6, small strips (10cm x 1 x 1). In all the rice probably had the most calories, and it was a small bowl. I'd estimate about 750, but that's probably a low-ball figure. I returned home later that night (many had elected to stay the night) and upon returning home I went to Ministop to get the meat and potatoes I was craving. Top it off with a Cream-filled Pastry Puff for desert, and there ended a truly, TRULY, freeday for me.

Day 58
10/27 (2516) Walking (4 hours), Weight Training
0700-1200: Pastry, Chicken, Crackers
1200-1700: Balance Bar, Can Coffee, McHamburger x2, McNuggets, Red Bull, BCAA Drink, Weider Protein Jelly
1700-2000: Protein Meal Replacement Shake

Believe it or not, I was STILL feeling the effects of Friday night. I felt a little nauseous as I headed into town for a day of shopping. While the shopping was routine, my tiredness was catching up with me, and I felt sort of cranky all day. The surprise of the day was when I ended up at one my favorite shops to buy my Halloween costume this year. This year I will once again pretend to be a U.S. serviceman (a modern-day Marine, as all my old WW2 stuff is back in Toronto). I purchased a pair of desert MARPAT BDUs, and to my surprise, I fit into the medium size. Considering a large would have been a snug fit 2 monthes ago, that makes me pretty damned happy.

Houmanzan Redux

Today we climbed Houmanzan, a mountain in Dazaifu City, south of Fukuoka. I did this climb last year, and it almost spelled the end of me. Considering my recent weight loss and new interest in working out, I was stoked to give this another go.

OK, so of the 6 people I went with, I reached the top in 5th position. But a climb that took more than 3 hours to complete last year took me about 100 minutes this year. And having learned from my previous hikes with Patrick Cox, an experienced hiker, I paced myself very well this year and rested a total of about 10 minutes during the climb, mostly in 1-2 minute chunks.

I also sweated like crazy. Almost the entire time up I had hair wet with sweat. The back and shoulder straps of my backpack were soaked. My shirt would have been soaked, but as it's a rock-climbing shirt, it has great sweat-dissipating properties.

But what surprised me even more was the climb down. Going up you mostly just use your thighs and lungs. It's hard, but it's mostly aerobically hard. Going down however, despite having gravity on your side, you use far more of your muscles, as balance is a much greater issue. Rocks at odd angles good steps do not make. And on top of the stabilizing muscles that work themselves to death ensuring you don't fall, there's a lot of wear and tear on your knees, and some degree of mental concentration devoted to not breaking your neck. For me, as well, the constant looking down served only to cramp my shoulders completely.

That said, it was a workout par excellence. I sweated like hell going up, but I sweated much MORE going down. Sweat literally dripped continuously off my nose, or off my forehead only the inside of my glasses. I had deliberately made my backpack a little heavier, toting 1.5 liters of water, my camera bag, sandwich-sized ziploc full of peanuts, 2 small flashlights, and my new Combat Desert Jacket windbreaker. I figure that all in all it weighed about 10 pounds.

According to the various sources I checked, I burned anywhere between 2400-2700 calories today. That made me feel good, because later it was buffet time.

But before we get there, a large portion of the downhill climb was done with a calf muscles on the verge of cramping painfully. Added to this was the knocking of my left knee, twice, on different rocks. Needless to say I'm in a little bit of pain, even now.

After the climb, we headed to an onsen in Futsukaichi City, south and west of Dazaifu, but actually on the JR/Nishitetsu rail lines. Famous for some sort of muddle looking back and the panoramic rotenburo outside baths, I had none of this on account of onsens doing strange and unpleasant things to my skin. Instead, I had 15 minutes of massage as the masseuse kneaded away my cramped shoulders.

Dinner was the onsen's also famous buffet. 1800 yen, and worth every damned penny (or yen, as it were). Here, I probably ate all the calories I burned today.

Pics here, for those interested.

Day 40 (Ahem! Thanks Rob!)/Random Stuff

With no tennis yesterday, the damage was a little high, but still within acceptable norms.

Food (1838)
0700-1200: Coffee, Banana, Onigiri, Calorie Mate, Grape Konyaku Drink
1200-1700: Steak Lunch (Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles)
1700-2000: Basil Chicken Sandwich, Soup, Yakult.

Exercise: Bike Commute

Also, I almost (again) got hit by a car. I was watching the woman behind the wheel as I approached. I was biking along a main thoroughfare, and she coming in off a side street. She looked right (normal, as Japan runs on opposite roadsides), but failed to look left. Of course I was coming from the left. She had a very surprised look as I passed her, slamming down on my bell. Julie said she had a bewildered look.

Lazy days of Indian Summer.

It's an odd feeling to be in my 3rd year in Japan. I've been teaching at Genkai for 2 years, and through the magic of the Japanese school year, I'm actually on my 3rd set of students. I suppose there's a certain sense that I'm nesting again, not really going forward, circling for a landing as it where.

I notice this a lot now in the lessons I'm "planning". Gone are the halcyon days where everything was planned head to toe by me, including rules, directions, execution, etc. Instead, I find that these days most of my activities come from outside sources, either the internet or from other ALTs/Teachers.

I think there's a degree of job-familiarity that's involved here. Whereas 2 years ago I didn't know what I was doing, having done this job for a while, I have a good grasp of what works and what doesn't. Of course you still get the occasional flop, but for the most part my lessons are competent.

But that in a sense is leading to boredom. It's harder and harder to come off a class on a high, and as my teaching starts to focus more and more on actual English instruction (versus the staple cultural exposition that our ilk are known for), I find that it's harder and harder to innovate.

Oh still act the jack-ass in class. After all, ALTs should be equal parts teachers and actors. But maybe it's just the heat that does it to me, but I definitely feel lazier.

But NOT when it comes to my diet, so it seems. In another effort to lose weight, I'm while not strictly, but to a degree controlling my evening caloric intake, and watching my meals during lunch and dinner. Dinner is down to about 500 calories, with lunch at about 700. Breakfast is as normal. This, plus a little (and I really do mean a little) more exercise. So far, day 6 today, so we'll see how we do. On a small note, I went from 99.6 kilos to 98 over the course of these few days. That translates into about 3.5 pounds. Not bad for not doing anything other than eating less.

Anyway, not much else to reports, save for my new helmet. Yes, the colour is intentional. I hope to decorate one of the larger surfaces with a big yellow Zeon mark, and a Zeonic Corporation logo somewhere. I love being a geek.

Strange days...

It's been a few weeks since I've posted. Yes, the heat is unbearable, and on Monday Fukuoka had the dubious distinction of being the hottest place in Japan. Walking the 12 minutes from the train station to the school literally drenches me in sweat.

One of the new weather watch-words in Japan is Guerrilla Rain. Like its namesake, this Guerrilla Rain appears out of nowhere, rains HARD as hell, and then just as suddenly disappears. When I say hard, I mean like 70-100 mm of rainfall per hour! It's nuts. I was told that last Saturday, the school track field flooded to about 10cm, with random bits of detritus floating around.

So add to that this:
These are pics of a waterspout that formed in the ocean near my school. I am told that such things are unheard of in tihs area. The first pic is of a waterspout that formed north of our school. That was most definitely in the sea. The second pic was shot to the south of our school. There's no water down that way, and that may explain why it didn't completely form. While the clouds themselve are the main focus of that picture, you can see the initial formation of what I think is a tornado. Look just to the left of the electrical tower, and you'll see the cloud just starting to funnel downwards.

All I can say is freaky.

More pics here.

Farewell...

...and good luck, departing JETs. For those in the JET Programme, the end of July signifies endings and beginnings.

Last night we in Fukuma had out Farewell party for 4 departing JETs. My co-ALT at Genkai, Elaine, who is headed back to school to be a boni fide teacher. Kathy, who's plans are still up in the air but is going home after a long 4 years, Andy, who is staying in Japan and now lives in Nagahama District in Fukuoka City, and Max, a friend of Kathy's from Oita Prefecture, who is also leaving after her 4th year.

I'll leave the documenting of last night to Rob, who is far more blog-savvy than I.

oh gods...

...the heat! Yes, summertime is finally here. With rainy season (tsuyu) finally over, sunny days are here. It is a true fact that I end up at school drenched every day, and arrive home drenched every day, DESPITE RAINY SEASON BEING OVER!

The merciless heat is compounded by the lack of real air conditioning. Yes, Genkai has air con. Yes, it's on and has been since the beginning of the month. No, it doesn't really make a difference. In another brilliant move, where Japanese bureaucracy (the same bureaucracy that regulates for the most part in all prefectural schools and buildings IN THE PREFECTURE when to turn ON the air con) has decided to pinch pennies in all the wrong places and have the air con running at a balmy 26 degrees.

OK, so the fact that I come from a purportedly "northern" country has something to do with my discomfiture. But 26 degrees + single-pane uninsulated glass + no insulation = a hot fucking room. Why doesn't anyone else see that?

Really, it's not actually all that bad. Instead of sweat poring off of me, I'm relatively dry all day and a simple hand fan moves enough air for me to feel comfortable. But damn it I (and I am not alone in this), would gladly pay into some kind of air con fund and have the air con in the teachers room set to 24 all the time.

Beginnings and Ends

I'm always amazed at the subjectivity of time, and how time can seem to crawl or pass at the blink of an eye based on the situation a person experiences. I'm a sense, I'm going through a sort of time-crisis myself, as I consider the last 2 years.

On one hand, I feel like I've been in Japan forever. So much so that I can hardly remember my daily life in Toronto. Not of course that I've forgotten my friends and family there, but rather that I've so acclimatized myself to my life in Japan that at this point any other seems...impossible.

This is of course a slippery slope, and such delusions can lead to heartbreak later. Already, I am starting to feel the pressure of the ending of my next contract year, even though it hasn't begun. Where will I be once August rolls around. Will I be recontracted? Will I have a new job, here in Japan? Or will I go home, kicking and screaming, to a country where I have no appreciable job skills? In a very real sense, I cannot rely on JET to recontract me another year. Budgetary concerns have already seen a reduction in the number of high schools with JET ALTs, in many cases to be replaced by Interac ALTs, and while I have high confidence that Genkai will continue to use and request JET ALTs (the JET Programme continues despite reduced capacity), whether I am included in that as a 4th year hopeful is still up in the air.

And so I feel the crunch very acutely, of really thinking about getting my house into order. While I am technically just as unskilled here in Japan as I am in Canada, I have my English ability, but perhaps more important my Japanese ability, to fall back on. That said, I don't know if I want to continue teaching, and a happy ending for me would see me working somewhere where my bilingual skills would be put to use. Still, hoping for an ideal situation to come along is risky at best, so I need to consider making myself more ELT-worthy. Going for my TESOL certification is definitely on my to do list. A company from Canada runs a week-long seminar in Yokohama. Eventually, I might even consider going back to school for a BEd. in foreign language teaching, though that is indeed getting well ahead of myself. I have lived my life according to my own set of rules, that those include not getting overly worked up about my own future. I feel that I have an indomitable optimism with regards to this. Whether this turns out to be true, or simply the fantasies of an idle mind, remains to be seen.

I didn't mean this to be a rant, but the last few substance based posts have had a similar tenor, a sure sign that at least on some subconscious level, I am sufficiently worried. So that's good, I think.

But to return to the main point, while I feel I've been here in Japan forever, I feel that I have not much time remaining before some real action on my part must be taken. But as well as feeling long, my time in Japan has also felt very brief. To this I point to my co-ALT, or rather her departure.

Elaine will be going home, in just over a month. In about 3 weeks, she will stop being my co-ALT and will be replaced by a new girl. There is of course a certain anxiety I feel, as is usual when new co-workers enter the office, but as well a certain sense of excitement, as this new ALT learns the "wonders" of the environment she'll be working in. The gist of it is this: I cannot believe that it's been 2 years already. Where did this time fly? It feels almost like yesterday that I checked into the doctor's clinic on the 27th-or-some-odd floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel with an asthma attack, my first and lasting memory of arriving in Japan on the JET Programme. At the same time, that seems like a lifetime ago. I remember my initial growing irritation with Elaine distinctly, but also how our work relation mended itself until we were partner's par-excellence, a veritable teaching team here at Genkai. This too is both a distinct memory, but as well something which seems to be very much in the past.

Perhaps it is my growing senecense. Perhaps it is a form of culture-shock. Perhaps the early July heat is rotting my brain. Regardless, this dichotomy of time will haunt me for some time...

If you can guess, Current Mood: Contemplative