Well, okay!
Mhm.
So, I have a lot to talk about from music to history to thoughts to bots to chicken pots.
That is one example of how my train of thought works.
First, since I happen to be listening to them, Abe Vigoda. One, I miss their shows a little bit, for they are quite fun and inspire a dancing spirit in your center. (This might end up being a weird post...). I was just watching these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS6KDcD32SI&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Mcj4UXIyY&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dU0e4Rfflo&feature=related
Yes, the last one is full of ridiculously ridiculous hipsters, but it really brings back feelings from seeing them live so I like it.
And yes, the lead singer now seems to care a lot about the way he looks (and actually it's kind of weird that he's the "lead singer," I remember both guitarists singing a lot before), but really, really, really really...they have gotten a lot better I think. Their newest songs seem to be way more developed, full, and on the edge than their stuff from before. They seem to be moving toward a trance-ish, ambient kind of noise-rock, which is really interesting and different from the thrashier stuff from before, which could be taken as become fuller or just being drawn into the inclination of a lot of experimental rock artists toward more enveloping, droney music...which would mean they might not actually be moving into new ground? (Damn, this sounds pretentious. Try to imagine me actually saying it in a nice, humble voice, as I might say it if I was talking to you. :)) But anyways, their newer stuff seems really cool to me. I always thought it was a joke before when their myspace description included "tropical," but now they really do sound like that, haha. Maybe they were going for that this whole time and finally achieved it? Or maybe I just noticed it late, haha. In any case, thinking of their live shows is nostalgic, and it's pretty cool to see their style change and develop (I'm thinkin' of the super fast delayed guitar and simply rhythmic drums especially
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs1vTrt8AX0&NR=1
.). It's crazy how suddenly they got to where they're at. Haha, they were the final act at the very first Smell show I went to.
Hm...Japan, that's where I'm at, that's right. Well, now I'm all in my music mood so let's see what I can get out about other topics. Uh...what did I want to write about?
Oh yeah, one thing that's been on my mind a lot this week is race, racism, nationalism and conceptions of all of those. Hm...I suppose this post is looking to be one of those really in-depth ones. So, like I said before, I was re-reading Race and Politics in the Dominican Republic by Ernesto Sagas, and finished it again this week. Man, I got so many more ideas out of it this time. I really wished I had read it again before writing my thesis, but I'm glad I've read it again now and my urge to sharpen and improve my thesis has resurfaced more strongly. So I've had that in my mind, plus I had an interesting experience with racial mis-identification yesterday, which added to my preoccupation with the topic. Conceptions of race that I run into with Japanese people and government continue to awe, irritate, and just confound me, and this latest encounter pretty much followed that pattern.
I've been mistaken for Japanese, in Japan, by Japanese people, probably about four or five times, and everytime it's pretty surprising and interesting. My first response was, whoa I've lived here for about 5 months, but have I really gotten that used to the mannerisms and social behavior to be mistaken for Japanese? Then, I began thinking about the fact that not all societies in the world go by the rigid racial system of the U.S. and that it's definately possible that Japanese, who generally don't see much of Latinos compared to other racial or ethnic groups, could just kind of fit one into another category. I mean, I've been mistaken for Italian, Iranian, Greek, Indian, Filipino, and part Chinese I don't even know how many times before in the U.S. and abroad. I mean, we know race is a social construction, and every society crafts their definition of race differently. It gets trickier when we think about how societies confuse race and nationality (This is also where that extra bit I got out of that book comes into play.).
So yesterday I was talking to someone from the center that prepares the lunches for all the area's schools and she asked me where I was from. I said the United States of America, and her response was, "America?? Really?" I was used to this because I get it pretty often, lots of times followed by, "I couldn't see you as anything but Japanese" or "Are you half-Japanese?" This time the woman said, "You don't look like an American," then the usual, "You look Japanese." Thinking back, I think I've actually been told I don't look American before, hm...but for some reason I hit me a lot harder this time. I thought back to those other times and realized (I think) that all those times a Japanese person told me I looked Japanese instead of American they weren't actually telling me I looked Japanese; they were telling me I don't look white, which to them was the equivalent of American.
It's almost as if people fit into a few categories here: Japanese, foreigners (white or black), or one of those other Asians. Japanese are one race, one nationality, and all that fabricated nationalistic identity. Foreigners are the obviously different and directly connected to nations by their racial appearance. In other words, Americans, Europeans, and Australians are white; all blacks are African or from the United States (and automatically connected to hip-hop, possibly the main medium through which people in Japan encounter images of black people ). When people speak about Chinese and Koreans in Japan, they almost never refer to them as foreigners, but they definitely do not consider them Japanese, even if they were born in Japan. From what I gather from conversations, whites and blacks are definately not mistakable for Japanese, whereas people of Asian descent have a "Japanese face." I've even talked to Japanese people who've been mistaken by other Japanese for Filipinos just because they were dark or suntanned, which is pretty out there because a LOT of Japanese are pretty damn dark, despite the media images of content, light-skinned Japanese.
To me, this seems like a complete confusion of race and nation, possibly stemming from government or who knows where else...it's pretty confusing. But that is where things get to a new level. Because then we start to hear talk about how the nation of Japan is naturally superior to other nations because it is one race, one family, one soul, and culturally ascendent (nihonjin ron). And then we can see how this isn't just Japan. The Dominican Republic, despite how much the primarily mulatto and black population there believes it, does not have a cultural or racial heritage that is Hispanic with some Indigenous blood mixed in, nor does it have natural superiority over a supposedly threatening, hateful, voodoo-worshipping, African Haiti next door. And Mexicans can't rightly claim they are one nation made up of one Mestizo race while purely Indigenous and African-descended populations are part of the country. In the cases of those two countries, the myth of national/racial unity serves to confuse and divide lower and working classes while elites, usually white (not as in W.A.S.P.), continue to exploit the country, among other things. So what does this mean for Japan?
Despite rhetoric in and outside of Japan, the country is not a paradise of egalitarian society, where there is no racism, there are no homeless, and everybody is in the same middle class. Compared to the U.S., yes, people don't usually kill each other here in cold blood for being a different race (as far as I know), the condition and number of homeless people does not seem to be as bad, and class disparities are not as extreme. But Japan's history is full of subjugation justified by racist theories - the colonization of the Ryukyu island (Okinawa) which continues to this day, the subjugation of the Ainu people in what is now northern Japan, and imperialism in East Asia driven by the idea that Japanese were to be the leaders of a submissive Asia under their control that was to resist Western empire. This history, in addition to the post-war course of development (oriented toward providing the United States with a window into prohibiting Communism in Asia, expanding its own military reach, etc.), has to have resulted in an unfair society in which "other Asians," Okinawans, and Ainu fill the lower end of the economic and social statification, the latter two of which have had to undergoe extremely intense, government-driven attempts at cultural assimiliation (including attempts at the extermination of their languages). So is it possible that the dominant, unrealistic conception of race and nation here serves to keep this system in place?
This is all going over my head, but I feel like I'm onto something. I'd like to pick this up again later. But I'm glad I got this out; these thoughts have been whirling inside my head for a long time now. The other day I thought, you know what, I could actually see myself going to grad school to study this kind of stuff. I would love to live some years of my life studying this kind of stuff in depth, living my life as an adventure centered around grappling with these issues based in real life situations. Actually, another thought I had recently, which came about because certain things which I thought I had gotten over already kept coming back and bugging me, was that it would be interesting to study the history, role, and effect of the "envidioso" in Latina/o/Chicana/o organizations (actually it would be interesting to see if other ethnically and racially centered organizations undergo the same sort of problem), try to better understand it, and help find a way to deal with its negativity. So, I've found topics - or I guess it would be more accurate to say that the topics came to me, and then really frustrated me haha - that could really make a positive difference if investigated. Hmm, I believe it is time for me to do some research.
I have a bunch of pictures of delicious food I've been eating for the past few days and I'm SUPER excited because I'm actually developing a dish I 1) really like, 2) can repeatedly call upon (like a Pokemon in the heat of battle!), 3) and can take special satisfaction in because I've been altering it little by little to have its own unique flavor and ingredients! I'm really excited about it and really want to talk to you about it and show you pictures of it but I'm really tired now after writing that huge thing and besides its late plus I worked a lot today on lesson plans and with kindergartners (which was awesome! if taxing). So, I will tell you about those things at another time.
Tomorrow's a moon watching party, which I can't wait for! There might by koto music, which would be awesome. Even if there's not though, it's a big festival in my own tiny, middle-of-nowhere town and I think it's going to be a lot of fun.
I want to get an electric guitar and scream and kick and hop around in a poisonous cloud of feedback with drums that keep pushing everyone toward the wall that we have no hope of clearing or breaking through but then we have to because there is no other way.
(Bipolar-Blonde Redhead)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Next Time, Now Time
Oh my gosh, I have so much to write about.
But I'm tired and just got back from English conversation class, so I'll write about it tomorrow or something.
For now I'll just say:
Andrew's post + the book I've been reading add up to a lot of thoughts on how people and government construct race, nationalism, and their own history. Uh-oh, this sounds like my thesis again and pretty much everything I studied for the last two years of college. Oh History, we were meant for each other :*)
Taiikusai reminds me so much of video games.
I'm getting a lot more used to living here and think I'm going to start enjoying this experience much more from here on out.
I ate goya for dinner the past three nights in a row and it was awesome.
I'm excited to learn more languages.
I'm excited to start learning koto if I could finally find a teacher around here!
I'm excited to get an electric guitar here.
I'm excited to try cooking with another main ingredient now that I ate all my goya. Hm, I didn't even realize that up to now tofu has been my main ingredient. In these past meals, it's taken a backseat to the goyammmmm.
Oh yeah, today I surprisingly got a sudden insight (I think?) into the mysterious cases of Japanese people telling me I look Japanese, or actually mistaking me for Japanese and asking me for directions, which train is the fastest, etc.
I didn't realize it, but before I didn't have any of the stereotypical encounters with Japanese school children such as them reaching for my crotch, giving me kancho (look that one up yourselves), etc., but today I was greeting by a 6th grade class in which the boys seemed to enjoy saying, "big penis" repeatedly. That ended pretty soon though, so that was good.
OH! Today, we were doing "How many..." sentences, so I was reading a bunch of model sentences I had writtenHow many books do you have? I have seven books.and the like, then the students had to make their own sentences. Still just a normal class, blah blah blah, How many bats do you have? Okay, hai, Shimizu kun go ahead, How many cats do you see? Okay, hai, hai nantoka kun go ahead, How many...gh...ghosts do you see?
What? "Ohhh," the teacher said in humoring surprise. I was so excited though.
GHOSTS?! How many ghosts do you see??! Freaking genious!! Awesome!! So cool! I just kept smiling and nodding, "Yes, that's very good. That's a good one! Good job!" Then he started smiling really widely and laughing a bit, probably more at the fact that I was so thrilled about his ghosts than his own sense of pride. That made my day.
I tell you, it puts me in such a better mood to go to an elementary school in the morning and then teach middle school in the afternoon. I just come back with such a good feeling (is that weird English? I don't know anymore...) and excitement to interact with the students and teach.
Well, THAT turned into an actually fairly long post. I guess I'll go to bed pretty soon. See you all in radio dream land.
But I'm tired and just got back from English conversation class, so I'll write about it tomorrow or something.
For now I'll just say:
Andrew's post + the book I've been reading add up to a lot of thoughts on how people and government construct race, nationalism, and their own history. Uh-oh, this sounds like my thesis again and pretty much everything I studied for the last two years of college. Oh History, we were meant for each other :*)
Taiikusai reminds me so much of video games.
I'm getting a lot more used to living here and think I'm going to start enjoying this experience much more from here on out.
I ate goya for dinner the past three nights in a row and it was awesome.
I'm excited to learn more languages.
I'm excited to start learning koto if I could finally find a teacher around here!
I'm excited to get an electric guitar here.
I'm excited to try cooking with another main ingredient now that I ate all my goya. Hm, I didn't even realize that up to now tofu has been my main ingredient. In these past meals, it's taken a backseat to the goyammmmm.
Oh yeah, today I surprisingly got a sudden insight (I think?) into the mysterious cases of Japanese people telling me I look Japanese, or actually mistaking me for Japanese and asking me for directions, which train is the fastest, etc.
I didn't realize it, but before I didn't have any of the stereotypical encounters with Japanese school children such as them reaching for my crotch, giving me kancho (look that one up yourselves), etc., but today I was greeting by a 6th grade class in which the boys seemed to enjoy saying, "big penis" repeatedly. That ended pretty soon though, so that was good.
OH! Today, we were doing "How many..." sentences, so I was reading a bunch of model sentences I had writtenHow many books do you have? I have seven books.and the like, then the students had to make their own sentences. Still just a normal class, blah blah blah, How many bats do you have? Okay, hai, Shimizu kun go ahead, How many cats do you see? Okay, hai, hai nantoka kun go ahead, How many...gh...ghosts do you see?
What? "Ohhh," the teacher said in humoring surprise. I was so excited though.
GHOSTS?! How many ghosts do you see??! Freaking genious!! Awesome!! So cool! I just kept smiling and nodding, "Yes, that's very good. That's a good one! Good job!" Then he started smiling really widely and laughing a bit, probably more at the fact that I was so thrilled about his ghosts than his own sense of pride. That made my day.
I tell you, it puts me in such a better mood to go to an elementary school in the morning and then teach middle school in the afternoon. I just come back with such a good feeling (is that weird English? I don't know anymore...) and excitement to interact with the students and teach.
Well, THAT turned into an actually fairly long post. I guess I'll go to bed pretty soon. See you all in radio dream land.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Ho
Who got a three-day weekend from Monday to Wednesday which means he only has two days of work this week and actually only one more because he already finished one day today??
I'm not even going to answer that.
This weekend was basically awesome. And also exceedingly awesome. And also awesome in some kind of middle way too.
On Monday, I met up with our good friend Andrew at Osaka station, where we engaged in long-distance walking which included a huge loop (hah, I typed luge at first) which wound us back at the station, a winding road to the Osaka branch of the national museum (I think it's called), and then essentially from the station through the canals of Nanba to the outskirts where we encountered our sought out destination: BEARS.
But before I go into that, delicious okonomiyaki
is what we had for dinner. This one is mine...mochi and cheese oh yes oh my it was really really good. I don't think I've ever experienced the kind of anticipation for food as the kind I did when I was watching these two babies cook in front of us.
Mmm, and that's before they were even finished, egged, sauced, katsu bushi (bonito fish flakes?)-ed, and ready to eat. But anyway, that wasn't all we did. Before that we happened to catch a few amazing exhibits at the museum after eating some yums curry.
Modigliani, Chiharu Shiota, and a couple of other awesome Japanese photographers who photographed peoples' scars, dilapidated buildings, and themselves in unsettling positions such as covered in a blood-like substance looking at the camera and submerged almost entirely in something like mud with her head sticking out yet still covered in it. Actually, all the art that day was unsettling in some ways, but all beautiful. One of my favorites was three humongous dresses connected at the arms with the appearance of being spewed upon by some kind of liquid and standing as if to block us from entering some place. Or as if they were about to crush us. In any case, all the art was amazing and I'm really glad we wound up there.
The museum has a cool design.
Next, Nanba journey including best okonomiyaki ever and BEARS!
Oh wait, how could I forget!?
He doesn't know (I think). But he was part of a mobile experimental theatre performance that just happened to going on on a bridge I happened upon.
It had something to do with the body and how it rots but is there (yappari, "go figure"), what the heart is and if it is like air (according to the man in yellow, it is not), and how the man in blue does not want to go over there because there is snow! From the start it really reminded me of Waiting for Godot. They gave us survey cards at the end and I said it was good they were doing this, that they were helping humans to not become boring and emotionless, and thank you. We knew it would have to be a good day when we started it off that way.
And a good day it was! And then it was night! And we had finally found our way to BEARS! And the show had ended a half an hour ago! No! Failed! But no! The people outside! Are hanging out! And, oh, did the show end already? Oh, it was really good, huh? Oh yeah, yesterday was supposed to be really good too. And, oh you all are band members too? Wow, that's cool. Yeah, we're from the U.S. Oh cool, one of the guys who played tonight. Cool. Oh the lead singer of one of the biggest underground freak-out bands in Kansai, cool. Oh, we're having a conversation now and it's really fun. You want to show us the venue before they close up for the night? Okay, cool! Yeah, this place is really cool. Oh you're looking for a place to buy an instrument in Osaka? Yeah, I play guitar and really want to make music. Let's do it then, you can get your guitar at Rock Inn, then let's make some music! Okay cool!
Back at the business hotel afterwards, I enjoyed a good, good night's sleep in a bed. I was so tired that I couldn't go for staying the night in a manga cafe or even a capsule hotel maybe. I felt the tire that needed a bed with a personal room, and indeed that is what I got. The next day brought a delicious breakfast at Vie d' France and a comfortable, nice bus trip home.
Today brought many new vegetables! I finally went on a shopping spree through all the good-lookin' goods at the nearest farmer's market and found this:
First member of the gang, Japanese bell pepper (I forgot what they're called)...
yeah...tough lookin'.
After that was the ever pugnacious kabocha (pumpkin-squash).
Next we have the leader of the gang, Gratuitous Goya, known to have quite the bitter personality, but warms up when you get to know him.
The second in command, carrots.
Look at that rebellious satsuma imo (sweet potatoe) leaning against the curb like that!
Finally, we caught these troublemakers, and a few of their troublesome friends, including onion-head, cut up eggplant, and partial carrot. Tricky ol' satsuma imo managed to escape, but I have a feeling we will catch him again soon enough.
All the gang in jail.
But, in a strange twist of fate!, they were found to be non-guilty! soon after which they escaped! into my stomach in a delicious curry mix with two nashi (Japanese pear) quarters!
Let me just say that the weather was beautiful today.
Also, let me just say it is a little frustrating when you are trying to give your self-introduction to a class of 8th graders and almost everyone is having their own conversations in groups and you have to raise your voice just to be heard by the few people who are listening but oh you start to focus your attention towards them but suddenly they too are now in their own conversations and two different people are now the interested ones and the English teacher
does
not
do
anything.
I will have to get used to this and figure out a good approach.
I will also just say, without any permission, that Beirut is awesome and I love their second album and their weird electronic one too more and more. Really really good. In other news, Beach House is in my mind and does not appear to want to leave but that's okay I kind of like having them in there. Especially after watching the music videos for almost every song on their new album, Devotion. My good friend and bandmate also just finished making an album he's been working on for a while and it's awesome. Just one of the amazing things about it is he made it with a huge focus on production, and using what recording program you might ask? Audacity. Yes, the free program that crashes without warning if you record too many tracks and that almost automatically messes up the rhythm every time you make a recording. Despite this, he made an awesomely ambient, rhythmic, pulsing, emotion-filled (or rather it just is emotions) album that really makes you feel great. I have been happily listening to it for the past week or so. I also started listening to Yo La Tengo's "A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities: 1985-2003" more intently. Awesome stuff. Slowly making my way through their huge reportiore, although I don't have their newest album yet (and their newer stuff is so cool, I saw it live)!!
Hm. Things are alright. Things are okay.
I'm not even going to answer that.
This weekend was basically awesome. And also exceedingly awesome. And also awesome in some kind of middle way too.
On Monday, I met up with our good friend Andrew at Osaka station, where we engaged in long-distance walking which included a huge loop (hah, I typed luge at first) which wound us back at the station, a winding road to the Osaka branch of the national museum (I think it's called), and then essentially from the station through the canals of Nanba to the outskirts where we encountered our sought out destination: BEARS.
But before I go into that, delicious okonomiyaki
is what we had for dinner. This one is mine...mochi and cheese oh yes oh my it was really really good. I don't think I've ever experienced the kind of anticipation for food as the kind I did when I was watching these two babies cook in front of us.
Mmm, and that's before they were even finished, egged, sauced, katsu bushi (bonito fish flakes?)-ed, and ready to eat. But anyway, that wasn't all we did. Before that we happened to catch a few amazing exhibits at the museum after eating some yums curry.
Modigliani, Chiharu Shiota, and a couple of other awesome Japanese photographers who photographed peoples' scars, dilapidated buildings, and themselves in unsettling positions such as covered in a blood-like substance looking at the camera and submerged almost entirely in something like mud with her head sticking out yet still covered in it. Actually, all the art that day was unsettling in some ways, but all beautiful. One of my favorites was three humongous dresses connected at the arms with the appearance of being spewed upon by some kind of liquid and standing as if to block us from entering some place. Or as if they were about to crush us. In any case, all the art was amazing and I'm really glad we wound up there.
The museum has a cool design.
Next, Nanba journey including best okonomiyaki ever and BEARS!
Oh wait, how could I forget!?
He doesn't know (I think). But he was part of a mobile experimental theatre performance that just happened to going on on a bridge I happened upon.
It had something to do with the body and how it rots but is there (yappari, "go figure"), what the heart is and if it is like air (according to the man in yellow, it is not), and how the man in blue does not want to go over there because there is snow! From the start it really reminded me of Waiting for Godot. They gave us survey cards at the end and I said it was good they were doing this, that they were helping humans to not become boring and emotionless, and thank you. We knew it would have to be a good day when we started it off that way.
And a good day it was! And then it was night! And we had finally found our way to BEARS! And the show had ended a half an hour ago! No! Failed! But no! The people outside! Are hanging out! And, oh, did the show end already? Oh, it was really good, huh? Oh yeah, yesterday was supposed to be really good too. And, oh you all are band members too? Wow, that's cool. Yeah, we're from the U.S. Oh cool, one of the guys who played tonight. Cool. Oh the lead singer of one of the biggest underground freak-out bands in Kansai, cool. Oh, we're having a conversation now and it's really fun. You want to show us the venue before they close up for the night? Okay, cool! Yeah, this place is really cool. Oh you're looking for a place to buy an instrument in Osaka? Yeah, I play guitar and really want to make music. Let's do it then, you can get your guitar at Rock Inn, then let's make some music! Okay cool!
Back at the business hotel afterwards, I enjoyed a good, good night's sleep in a bed. I was so tired that I couldn't go for staying the night in a manga cafe or even a capsule hotel maybe. I felt the tire that needed a bed with a personal room, and indeed that is what I got. The next day brought a delicious breakfast at Vie d' France and a comfortable, nice bus trip home.
Today brought many new vegetables! I finally went on a shopping spree through all the good-lookin' goods at the nearest farmer's market and found this:
First member of the gang, Japanese bell pepper (I forgot what they're called)...
yeah...tough lookin'.
After that was the ever pugnacious kabocha (pumpkin-squash).
Next we have the leader of the gang, Gratuitous Goya, known to have quite the bitter personality, but warms up when you get to know him.
The second in command, carrots.
Look at that rebellious satsuma imo (sweet potatoe) leaning against the curb like that!
Finally, we caught these troublemakers, and a few of their troublesome friends, including onion-head, cut up eggplant, and partial carrot. Tricky ol' satsuma imo managed to escape, but I have a feeling we will catch him again soon enough.
All the gang in jail.
But, in a strange twist of fate!, they were found to be non-guilty! soon after which they escaped! into my stomach in a delicious curry mix with two nashi (Japanese pear) quarters!
Let me just say that the weather was beautiful today.
Also, let me just say it is a little frustrating when you are trying to give your self-introduction to a class of 8th graders and almost everyone is having their own conversations in groups and you have to raise your voice just to be heard by the few people who are listening but oh you start to focus your attention towards them but suddenly they too are now in their own conversations and two different people are now the interested ones and the English teacher
does
not
do
anything.
I will have to get used to this and figure out a good approach.
I will also just say, without any permission, that Beirut is awesome and I love their second album and their weird electronic one too more and more. Really really good. In other news, Beach House is in my mind and does not appear to want to leave but that's okay I kind of like having them in there. Especially after watching the music videos for almost every song on their new album, Devotion. My good friend and bandmate also just finished making an album he's been working on for a while and it's awesome. Just one of the amazing things about it is he made it with a huge focus on production, and using what recording program you might ask? Audacity. Yes, the free program that crashes without warning if you record too many tracks and that almost automatically messes up the rhythm every time you make a recording. Despite this, he made an awesomely ambient, rhythmic, pulsing, emotion-filled (or rather it just is emotions) album that really makes you feel great. I have been happily listening to it for the past week or so. I also started listening to Yo La Tengo's "A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities: 1985-2003" more intently. Awesome stuff. Slowly making my way through their huge reportiore, although I don't have their newest album yet (and their newer stuff is so cool, I saw it live)!!
Hm. Things are alright. Things are okay.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Taiiku Sai!
Oh my gosh, today was so freaking sweet. First of all, awesome taiiku sai (physical education festival, or sports day) events that were even cooler than they were during practice all week. Add to that an awesome bento (Japanese pack-away meal) for lunch. Plus, one of the English teachers bought me not one, but TWO different kind of tako-yaki (octopus dough balls) makers, electric AND griddleYES! Then I paid him back the 100 yen (less than one dollar) it cost! He had got them at the festival bazaar, or I guess flea market, which is this really cool thing for which the students go around the city's houses and ask people if they have anything to donate,
which they then sell for really cheap and then the school uses the money for school activities and clubs. Sweet, right?! So, after that, I bought some towels for my natural face, upon which I then
received like 6 more towels for free since the bazaar was closing up and they were trying to get rid of things. Then, I asked if I could buy a Swiss Army knife and the woman just said she'd give it to me. MORE THAN ANYTHING!, I finally got to really help out and do a lot at my school. I helped organize all the goods for the bazaar yesterday which took a lot of time but was really cool, and I got to know the school accountant with whom I did all the organizing. Then today, I was able to get down to work and help take down tents and move a huge (like...pretty a lot...yeah that much) from the excercise grounds all the way around the school, then inside the school building, then up to the second story into some random classroom. So I felt happy and energized to be doing some actual work finally. It was great.Oh yeah, and I also received these today.
The two food booths at the festival today, one for tai-yaki (red bean in gold fish-shaped dough) and the other for tako-yaki, had too much left at the end of the day, even though the tai-yaki place had already given a pack to the teachers room. And so THIS was the result.
No, unfortunately we did not receive trophies from the tai-yaki people. Instead, we got over 100 delicious, little doughy fish completely empty of organs (but maybe not a soul?) and full of mushery, tasty red bean. Ahhhhh. One bag went home with me it did.
I like being young, because you're still kind of a kid, especially to adults working at school, and I can excuse myself for being indulgent and taking a lot of food home after only being told twice. :)
As I write this, the tako-yaki you now see on the top of that pile is gone, now in my stomachmmm.
My electric Tako Dome!
Griddle Style!
Smiling students
(yeah, green hachimaki)
(i think their class, maybe second year group 2...seventh grade group 2 that is, got second or third place in the festival out of 6 classes.)
Dancing students
Marching students
Fighting in a traditional game that recalls battling horsemen students
Massive jump-roping students
Also, holy shnikes...Beach House
is
incred
ible.
I love them.
So much.
All you have to do is watch this video and you will become completely obsessed with them. That's what I did at least. It's like there's some kind of spell in the recording that enters through your vision and lives in a room inside your brain.
http://pitchfork.tv/videos/beach-house-gila
Watching this made me (re-)realize that I really do want to spend a significant part of my life devoting myself completely to art and music, and that I've really been missing that, especially in Japan...which is weird because this is time I've set aside to just make a living and spend the rest of my time thinking of, working on, and experiencing music and art. So maybe I should just get into it and do what I want to do. I'm probably getting used to being in a different society with different norms. However, I just recently (re-)realized that I follow almost no social norms in the U.S., which explains a bit why I was feeling a bit frustrated at trying to follow social norms here in Japan. I don't live that way; I think it's more fun to twist or do away with social norms, adhering to a few things, like just being a good person to others (which actually isn't really that much the norm, is it?).
Really, I miss being weird and living obviously separate from most of the normal world, which I realized when I was talking to a really good friend and bandmate last night. So, I'm going to try to bring that side of me out more again. It's just weird when I'm in an environment I don't know as intimately as home. And maybe there's not as much a satisfaction with shunning it, haha. It's also weird being constantly separated from the people with whom I feel the most comfortable, and enjoy the most, being insanely weird and outside normal behavioral and communication patterns (...?...okay...).
But back to the video! It made me think again about how what I really, really want to do at this point in my life is push the boundaries of what I'm capable of, in art/music, by delving deeper and deeper into the possibilities within myself. Possibilities for freeing my state of mind, or exploring new ones, and going far beyond what is perceived as normal (or not perceived at all because it is so normal) to where that doesn't even matter. I want to live completely differently and channel it into an artform. And now I am really looking forward to being reunited with my two bandmates with whom I definately am able to do this best. Even though that won't be for a while, I can't wait. I'm excited to take this to the next level.
Listening to Beach House, Devotion, into Liars, Drum's Not Dead.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
English Conversation
So, today I had my first English conversation class. It was pretty cool. I'm quickly becoming aware of the fact that my English might be pretty far from standard, which is really interesting to me. I mean, I've always known that even though the way I speak seems normal to me, it is different from the way people speak in other parts of the U.S. and in other countries, but I never had any idea of the degree. Some of the things people've been commenting on are really interesting.
For example, people have been telling me that I speak really fast, and the English teacher with whom I teach said that people on the West Coast of the U.S. tend to speak a lot faster than those on the East Coast, who have more of the remnants of the British English. I don't know how much of that is bull and how much is true, but I have definitely not noticed that before. One of the people in the English conversation class also commented that people on the West Coast use phrases like "gonna" and "wanna" instead of "going to" and "want to." I always thought everybody did that! It's crazy. So I've been learning just how necessary it is to enunciate every syllable, ending, and beginning of each word and to slow down when talking in class. It feels weird now, like I'm always talking down to people, but I'm sure I'll get used to it and figure out just the right combination.
In other news (I say that a lot don't I?), I bought a bunch of groceries today. I finally broke down and bought both cereal and snacks. I was really trying to avoid buying the snacks because I figured I don't really need to eat when I feel that little urge to eat something at night or between meals, and if I don't buy anything, I can't eat anything extra that would probably be unhealthy and I'll save money too. But I've been getting sooo hungry sometimes so I bought some delicious red bean snacks and crackers. As for the cereal, I didn't want to get it because, hey, I can eat cereal all the time at home, and I do. But getting up an hour early just to put the rice in the cooker and have it ready 15 minutes before I have to be at work just isn't worth it anymore. I was actually hoping to get some energy bars cuz those are good and would be awesome for eating a quick breakfast before work, but I couldn't find any!! Blast!! Next time. Well that was an interesting post.
I bought a camera but am disappointed with it because things seem tinted dark or orange. I'll figure it out.
It's weird, I actually felt some kind of pride at having a distinctly Los Angeles accent and imagined myself talking with my friends in our Los Angeles accent, and thought about how it's hard to understand to non-native speakers the same way Kansai-ben (the Japanese dialect in the region I'm living in now, Kansai) is. I've never had that thought process before; it was kind of cool, hehe.
I'm getting to know the kids at my school, which is AWEEEEsome!! So far, our conversations have centered mostly around 1) how I look like Hirai Ken, a Japanese pop star (I have been told this many times.), 2) how my hair is stiff and what I use to make it so, 3) if I think Obama will be assassinated, 4) and me getting tickled, which wasn't really conversation but I used it to teach the kid an English point! - "You like that, don't you?" "...what?" "You like tickling people." "...what?" "You like...(acting out tickling) tickling people." "Haha, yes," then he ran away. I like getting and giving random "Hi"s, "Hello"s, and "Hey"s to middle schoolers, it's fun.
I'm also extremely dark and surnburned from being in the sun all day watching TAIIKUSAI PRACTICE!!! YEAH!! It's awesome! Taiikusai = sports day, except at Haga Middle School that means tug of war with huge, long bamboo poles, boys carrying each other and trying to snatch headbands off each others' heads (like that pool game where you lift up someone else and try to knock over the other person. Today they played it that way. It was really funny and awesome to see some intense toppling of middle schoolers), groups of boys making themselves into different formations at the blows of a whistle, and groups of at least 10 people running with their ankles tied together. Among others. I cannot wait for sports day. It's this Sunday and I hope to take lots of pictures. The end.
For example, people have been telling me that I speak really fast, and the English teacher with whom I teach said that people on the West Coast of the U.S. tend to speak a lot faster than those on the East Coast, who have more of the remnants of the British English. I don't know how much of that is bull and how much is true, but I have definitely not noticed that before. One of the people in the English conversation class also commented that people on the West Coast use phrases like "gonna" and "wanna" instead of "going to" and "want to." I always thought everybody did that! It's crazy. So I've been learning just how necessary it is to enunciate every syllable, ending, and beginning of each word and to slow down when talking in class. It feels weird now, like I'm always talking down to people, but I'm sure I'll get used to it and figure out just the right combination.
In other news (I say that a lot don't I?), I bought a bunch of groceries today. I finally broke down and bought both cereal and snacks. I was really trying to avoid buying the snacks because I figured I don't really need to eat when I feel that little urge to eat something at night or between meals, and if I don't buy anything, I can't eat anything extra that would probably be unhealthy and I'll save money too. But I've been getting sooo hungry sometimes so I bought some delicious red bean snacks and crackers. As for the cereal, I didn't want to get it because, hey, I can eat cereal all the time at home, and I do. But getting up an hour early just to put the rice in the cooker and have it ready 15 minutes before I have to be at work just isn't worth it anymore. I was actually hoping to get some energy bars cuz those are good and would be awesome for eating a quick breakfast before work, but I couldn't find any!! Blast!! Next time. Well that was an interesting post.
I bought a camera but am disappointed with it because things seem tinted dark or orange. I'll figure it out.
It's weird, I actually felt some kind of pride at having a distinctly Los Angeles accent and imagined myself talking with my friends in our Los Angeles accent, and thought about how it's hard to understand to non-native speakers the same way Kansai-ben (the Japanese dialect in the region I'm living in now, Kansai) is. I've never had that thought process before; it was kind of cool, hehe.
I'm getting to know the kids at my school, which is AWEEEEsome!! So far, our conversations have centered mostly around 1) how I look like Hirai Ken, a Japanese pop star (I have been told this many times.), 2) how my hair is stiff and what I use to make it so, 3) if I think Obama will be assassinated, 4) and me getting tickled, which wasn't really conversation but I used it to teach the kid an English point! - "You like that, don't you?" "...what?" "You like tickling people." "...what?" "You like...(acting out tickling) tickling people." "Haha, yes," then he ran away. I like getting and giving random "Hi"s, "Hello"s, and "Hey"s to middle schoolers, it's fun.
I'm also extremely dark and surnburned from being in the sun all day watching TAIIKUSAI PRACTICE!!! YEAH!! It's awesome! Taiikusai = sports day, except at Haga Middle School that means tug of war with huge, long bamboo poles, boys carrying each other and trying to snatch headbands off each others' heads (like that pool game where you lift up someone else and try to knock over the other person. Today they played it that way. It was really funny and awesome to see some intense toppling of middle schoolers), groups of boys making themselves into different formations at the blows of a whistle, and groups of at least 10 people running with their ankles tied together. Among others. I cannot wait for sports day. It's this Sunday and I hope to take lots of pictures. The end.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Bakuto Osaka 3
New peopl, new music, new artists, new place,
lots of thinking, lots of me.
That night...
The next morning...
lots of thinking, lots of me.
That night...
The next morning...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Bakuto Osaka 2
I haven't taken a shower since two days ago.
I have gotten probably 30 minutes of sleep all together over the past 36 hours.
I am sore all over my body.
And I feel amazing.
I have gotten probably 30 minutes of sleep all together over the past 36 hours.
I am sore all over my body.
And I feel amazing.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Bakuto Osaka
Holy shit, I just found the jackpot. Oh. My. Gosh. This weekend. Is going to be awesome.
Exhibit One: yolz in the sky http://www.myspace.com/yolzinthesky
Yes, this weekend is Bakuto Osaka, a huge (?) music and arts festival in, yup, Osaka.
http://www.bakuto-osaka.com/
Originally, I found out about it because Afrirampo and Oshiripenpenzu are going to play at it. Then, I found out another band that I had just found out about, water fai, was going to play, which made me even more excited. But now...oh my...I have stumbled upon a veritable treasure trove, possibly complete with cute little treasure trolls with pointy colorful hair and jewels on their belly buttons (wasn't there some kind of story about that written on the back of the boxes or something?) (I hope!).
Exhibit Two: http://www.myspace.com/paraofficial
Five stages, two days, live painting by over 12 artists, from 11am to 11pm.
40 dollars if you order tickets ahead of time. And ahead of time means the same day but before you get to the door.
This is going to be AWEsome! I cannot wait. There are going to be like 20 bands at this thing, I cannot believe it! I found out about this just in time! I don't even know what I'm going to do there - wait yeah I do, I don't even know why I thought that, haha. I'm going to listen to a bunch of awesome music and see a bunch of awesome art and eat a bunch of awesome food and talk to a bunch of interesting people (maybe).
Exhibit Three: 1 band boshi crew http://www.myspace.com/1bangboshicrew
Okay...I think I've calmed down from that intense excitement I just had. But those bands, plus another chance to see Afrirampo, oh man.
...
In other news, I got to school today to hear the head English teacher say, "Aren't you supposed to be at Doudani Elementary School today?" Uh...no? Yes? I don't think so. No that's the tenth, the vice-principal says. The vice-principal calls Doudani. "No way!" Oh...uh-oh. "Remember, I told you yesterday," the other English teacher tells me. Hm...no...I remember this:
I remember getting a fax from Doudani that was almost to light to read and seeing that the date said August 5th, which was confusing because today was September 4th and August 5th was not for a very long time again. Then I remember the English teacher saying, "Hm, that's wierd, I'll call them." Then I remember him coming back later at the end of the day and saying, "The fax...September 5th..." and walking away while I paused in non-comprehension and called after him asking what that even meant. He did not hear me. When I saw him at the very end of the day, he told me to do the same lesson plan I did that day tomorrow in his next class. Okay.
Man, I wish English teachers would stop trying to talk to me in English ALL THE TIME even when it takes them five minutes to get across an idea they could tell me in Japanese and I would understand in five seconds.
It all worked out. I didn't rush or get frazzled, just got to Doudani when I could and things went well. The kids were SUPER cute and I had the most fun and best connection with them that at any of the other schools. These ones actually listened to me the whole time and did not have to be forced as...forcefully...by the teachers to ask me questions. Then I got to see them practice the school song, some song called Genghis Khan, and a version of that song that goes, "I love you baby, and if it's quite alright..."! It was awesome. All done with melodica leads (they were kind of like the elite of the group), mini keyboards that hung off of marching band straps, a marching bass drum, snare, cymbal, and xylophones! Truly cool. Except I was a little freaked out by the intensity with which the teacher repeatedly pointed out in front of the whole class how certain students had not practiced enough over summer break. She asked one boy, who had come only 9 times, why he had not come? what did he think about that? when you don't practice, you pull everyone else down with you, and these students practiced everyday in the summer. even though they sound good when they all play together, do you think it will sound good when everyone plays together? no, no it won't. So they went into the next song. When it ended - what did you think about that? you thought it was okay? no, aren't there any parts you think were off? It was weird to me how the teacher would reach out and pull down a student's arm if he was making mistakes, but maybe I'm just not used to it. End of practice. Now stand and say what you're goal for the semester is. is there anyone who thought this was better than before the summer? the same? worse? no, of course it wouldn't be worse...but do you think you'll be ready for the performance? we still have to learn the steps in the march? how can you learn that when you haven't learned the song? you have to practice harder.
Not that I'm trying to be negative about it; it was just a lot different from what I'd experienced in schools before, mostly in the tone of the voice and the willingness to single out students and praise them or chastise them in front of everyone. Another way of doing things, I suppose. I'm sure I'll encounter it many, many more times, so hopefully I be able to learn more about it.
In other news, I've been listening to a lot of Beirut and The Fiery Furnaces. I love singing along with Beirut songs, especially after semi-learning how to sing with mariachi. Zach Cordon (?), the guy from Beirut,'s voice is like in the exact same key or whatever as mine is or something, because singing those songs just comes so easily. I love it. And The Fiery Furnaces. I got into them because my sister had one of their albums and was listening to it a lot this summer, when we went to New Mexico and then on our L.A. travels. Good songs - "Benton Harbor Blues," "Nevers," and "Police Sweater Blood Vow," and all the other songs on the album. Bitter Tea.
http://www.myspace.com/guiltyconnector666
hmm kind of retracted from that when i heard it but it's growing on me. could be good live.
I finally ate a good square breakfast this week.
And here's a friendly reminder to everyone!
And here's my dinner from two nights ago.
Close-up on the mushrooms and udonnn.
Close-up on the little onion, cucumber, carrot, tomato, lettuce salad thinggg.
The End. (Or is it just the beginning!?)
Hmmm.
And last night!
This looks weird to me, even though I've seen this on vegetables before and know it's normal. It reminds me of a virus though, and I can imagine this going across human skin in a wonderous way.
Cooking star and stars.
Wee.
My veggies! Onions, cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers with kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) on top! I tried to keep the kabocha flavor without mixing it with the other vegetables, especially that nasty Mr. Onion, but maybe I'll try mixing it in more next time.
I was in the mood for something a little bit simpler with the udon. The clean, refreshing taste was nice.
Man, I think I could just eat tofu out of the pack straight. And I have. But I think I could do it again...if I wanted to.
I will now construct my dinner for tonight! Using mostly the same ingredients, haha! And then I will get some well-needed sleep. I hope everyone out there is doing just fine or better. Ooo, I kind of miss going back to Pomona at this time. I thought of Marston Quad suddenly.
Whoa, lightning just went off in the sky up outside my window. I thought I had heard it thundering but hadn't seen any rain or lightning yet. Cool. Maybe more rain!! Oh wait, I want to go to a festival tomorrow. Maybe more rain until 6pm tomorrow night but it'll still be overcast!
Exhibit One: yolz in the sky http://www.myspace.com/yolzinthesky
Yes, this weekend is Bakuto Osaka, a huge (?) music and arts festival in, yup, Osaka.
http://www.bakuto-osaka.com/
Originally, I found out about it because Afrirampo and Oshiripenpenzu are going to play at it. Then, I found out another band that I had just found out about, water fai, was going to play, which made me even more excited. But now...oh my...I have stumbled upon a veritable treasure trove, possibly complete with cute little treasure trolls with pointy colorful hair and jewels on their belly buttons (wasn't there some kind of story about that written on the back of the boxes or something?) (I hope!).
Exhibit Two: http://www.myspace.com/paraofficial
Five stages, two days, live painting by over 12 artists, from 11am to 11pm.
40 dollars if you order tickets ahead of time. And ahead of time means the same day but before you get to the door.
This is going to be AWEsome! I cannot wait. There are going to be like 20 bands at this thing, I cannot believe it! I found out about this just in time! I don't even know what I'm going to do there - wait yeah I do, I don't even know why I thought that, haha. I'm going to listen to a bunch of awesome music and see a bunch of awesome art and eat a bunch of awesome food and talk to a bunch of interesting people (maybe).
Exhibit Three: 1 band boshi crew http://www.myspace.com/1bangboshicrew
Okay...I think I've calmed down from that intense excitement I just had. But those bands, plus another chance to see Afrirampo, oh man.
...
In other news, I got to school today to hear the head English teacher say, "Aren't you supposed to be at Doudani Elementary School today?" Uh...no? Yes? I don't think so. No that's the tenth, the vice-principal says. The vice-principal calls Doudani. "No way!" Oh...uh-oh. "Remember, I told you yesterday," the other English teacher tells me. Hm...no...I remember this:
I remember getting a fax from Doudani that was almost to light to read and seeing that the date said August 5th, which was confusing because today was September 4th and August 5th was not for a very long time again. Then I remember the English teacher saying, "Hm, that's wierd, I'll call them." Then I remember him coming back later at the end of the day and saying, "The fax...September 5th..." and walking away while I paused in non-comprehension and called after him asking what that even meant. He did not hear me. When I saw him at the very end of the day, he told me to do the same lesson plan I did that day tomorrow in his next class. Okay.
Man, I wish English teachers would stop trying to talk to me in English ALL THE TIME even when it takes them five minutes to get across an idea they could tell me in Japanese and I would understand in five seconds.
It all worked out. I didn't rush or get frazzled, just got to Doudani when I could and things went well. The kids were SUPER cute and I had the most fun and best connection with them that at any of the other schools. These ones actually listened to me the whole time and did not have to be forced as...forcefully...by the teachers to ask me questions. Then I got to see them practice the school song, some song called Genghis Khan, and a version of that song that goes, "I love you baby, and if it's quite alright..."! It was awesome. All done with melodica leads (they were kind of like the elite of the group), mini keyboards that hung off of marching band straps, a marching bass drum, snare, cymbal, and xylophones! Truly cool. Except I was a little freaked out by the intensity with which the teacher repeatedly pointed out in front of the whole class how certain students had not practiced enough over summer break. She asked one boy, who had come only 9 times, why he had not come? what did he think about that? when you don't practice, you pull everyone else down with you, and these students practiced everyday in the summer. even though they sound good when they all play together, do you think it will sound good when everyone plays together? no, no it won't. So they went into the next song. When it ended - what did you think about that? you thought it was okay? no, aren't there any parts you think were off? It was weird to me how the teacher would reach out and pull down a student's arm if he was making mistakes, but maybe I'm just not used to it. End of practice. Now stand and say what you're goal for the semester is. is there anyone who thought this was better than before the summer? the same? worse? no, of course it wouldn't be worse...but do you think you'll be ready for the performance? we still have to learn the steps in the march? how can you learn that when you haven't learned the song? you have to practice harder.
Not that I'm trying to be negative about it; it was just a lot different from what I'd experienced in schools before, mostly in the tone of the voice and the willingness to single out students and praise them or chastise them in front of everyone. Another way of doing things, I suppose. I'm sure I'll encounter it many, many more times, so hopefully I be able to learn more about it.
In other news, I've been listening to a lot of Beirut and The Fiery Furnaces. I love singing along with Beirut songs, especially after semi-learning how to sing with mariachi. Zach Cordon (?), the guy from Beirut,'s voice is like in the exact same key or whatever as mine is or something, because singing those songs just comes so easily. I love it. And The Fiery Furnaces. I got into them because my sister had one of their albums and was listening to it a lot this summer, when we went to New Mexico and then on our L.A. travels. Good songs - "Benton Harbor Blues," "Nevers," and "Police Sweater Blood Vow," and all the other songs on the album. Bitter Tea.
http://www.myspace.com/guiltyconnector666
hmm kind of retracted from that when i heard it but it's growing on me. could be good live.
I finally ate a good square breakfast this week.
And here's a friendly reminder to everyone!
And here's my dinner from two nights ago.
Close-up on the mushrooms and udonnn.
Close-up on the little onion, cucumber, carrot, tomato, lettuce salad thinggg.
The End. (Or is it just the beginning!?)
Hmmm.
And last night!
This looks weird to me, even though I've seen this on vegetables before and know it's normal. It reminds me of a virus though, and I can imagine this going across human skin in a wonderous way.
Cooking star and stars.
Wee.
My veggies! Onions, cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers with kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) on top! I tried to keep the kabocha flavor without mixing it with the other vegetables, especially that nasty Mr. Onion, but maybe I'll try mixing it in more next time.
I was in the mood for something a little bit simpler with the udon. The clean, refreshing taste was nice.
Man, I think I could just eat tofu out of the pack straight. And I have. But I think I could do it again...if I wanted to.
I will now construct my dinner for tonight! Using mostly the same ingredients, haha! And then I will get some well-needed sleep. I hope everyone out there is doing just fine or better. Ooo, I kind of miss going back to Pomona at this time. I thought of Marston Quad suddenly.
Whoa, lightning just went off in the sky up outside my window. I thought I had heard it thundering but hadn't seen any rain or lightning yet. Cool. Maybe more rain!! Oh wait, I want to go to a festival tomorrow. Maybe more rain until 6pm tomorrow night but it'll still be overcast!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Music
Oh yeah, and I guess blogger fails at having a "currently reading/listening section" so Imma try to keep that updated on my ooowwn.
Since I've been in Japan I've been listening to a LOT of:
Deerhunter, especially Microcastles, the new albumoohhh my gosh, I love this album, especially "Never Stops" and "Twilight at Lake Carbon."
Mono, mostly "You Are There," apparently their latest album although before I thought that what turned out to be their second album definitely seemed more developed, and "Gone," a collection of singles.
Alejandro, and now Chente, Fernandez - these mountains have now heard most likely their first gritos at high volume while driving home at night.
Some Gellers, but that was more earlier.
I listened to a LOT of Grizzly Bear early on, especially when homesickness and the "why the hell did I decide to let myself be placed in the middle of nowhere" blues were hitting me hard. Deerhunter became my transition-happy music.
I'm also re-reading Race and Politics in the Dominican Republic. I only realized how insanely related that work is to my thesis idea from last year and how I could have used it awesomely as a kind of base. Meh, okay. I'm getting a lot more out of the book this time around.
Also, much Thee Midniters and Sedillo Bros. Band, although the latter was more earlier on. Wrote my last post listening mostly to Chico. Good stuff.
That sounds about right. I'll say goodbye now listening to Au, The Waltz.
Since I've been in Japan I've been listening to a LOT of:
Deerhunter, especially Microcastles, the new albumoohhh my gosh, I love this album, especially "Never Stops" and "Twilight at Lake Carbon."
Mono, mostly "You Are There," apparently their latest album although before I thought that what turned out to be their second album definitely seemed more developed, and "Gone," a collection of singles.
Alejandro, and now Chente, Fernandez - these mountains have now heard most likely their first gritos at high volume while driving home at night.
Some Gellers, but that was more earlier.
I listened to a LOT of Grizzly Bear early on, especially when homesickness and the "why the hell did I decide to let myself be placed in the middle of nowhere" blues were hitting me hard. Deerhunter became my transition-happy music.
I'm also re-reading Race and Politics in the Dominican Republic. I only realized how insanely related that work is to my thesis idea from last year and how I could have used it awesomely as a kind of base. Meh, okay. I'm getting a lot more out of the book this time around.
Also, much Thee Midniters and Sedillo Bros. Band, although the latter was more earlier on. Wrote my last post listening mostly to Chico. Good stuff.
That sounds about right. I'll say goodbye now listening to Au, The Waltz.
First Day Teaching
Oh man, so today was my first day teaching. I don’t really know how to describe it besides just as that. I got to school to have the main English teacher tell me I was doing my self-introduction to the whole school in less than five minutes (actually only about 40 people max), from which I went into teaching my first of three English classes to groups of elementary school students for that day. I basically talked about myself in English, then showed a slideshow I had prepared describing myself and my life, basically, and narrated it. And to everybody who gave me a picture of themselves, and the person who asked me to get one from facebook, thank you!! The pictures of all my friends was really a great part of the lesson. Pretty cool. Pretty chill actually. When it was question time, I was assaulted by unending questions about my favorite color, animal, bird (?!), food, number, sport, subject, etc. Hehe, then I played guitar to Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes and London Bridge 
A bash of vegetables that I received from my supervisor a couple weeks agoaahhheeeggplaaantt.
Sonic Youth fans? Except it's a department store...-_-?
Absolutely DELICIOUS saba sashimi (mackeral) that the 7th and 8th grade English teacher prepared and then gave completely to me after I liked them. He says he's going to show me how to make it once he gets timeSCORE! Haha, that reminds me, I gotta tell you all about the teachers at my schools.
My dinner last night...ooh, picture quality not so great. But it was good! Udon, saba, and lightly fried (I keep typing "friend.") cucumbers, eggplants, and bell peppers. No, it's not tsukemono (pickled THINGZ), which usually come with these kind of meals, but maybe another time :).
I don't want to end with that picture so how about this super happy-puts-me-in-a-good-mood picture of Deerhood that I used in my presentation today?
In any case, it was sweeeeeet to be eating school lunches again! Yes, milk carton!!
I mailed in my application to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1 today. I figured I might as well go for the highest one since I passed the sample Level 2, but I’m not sure if I’m going to pass. I really just want to study though, so I’ll do my best at that and enjoy it as I go.
In other news, lots of cooking. Everyday. I’ve taken pictures of basically like every meal I’ve eaten since I’ve been here (weird…?), but I can’t figure out how to load them all on my computer without emailing them all individually to myself. So we’ll see about that…
Liking my town more and more. The longer I stay here, the more I think I’m going to end up spending almost all my time here, rather than going out to the cities. There’s a koto class apparently, which is awesome and I definitely want to take. I’m going to take up karate, cuz it’s been way too long since I’ve done any martial arts, and I’d like have a good, consistent workout. That plus the rigorous study schedule I’ve worked out for Japanese…That said, I plan on going to a huge experimental music festival in Osaka this weekend to see some of my favorite bands and newly interested in bands : ). Afrirampo, Oshiripenpenzu, and water fai?? How can I say no? I don't know. I didn't say it, that's for sher. Oh yeah, I had a pretty interesting "growing"/awkward experience at a show a couple of weeks ago, maybe I'll write about that later.
Speaking of music, I’ve been playing a pretty good amount of it and feel like I’m moving into a new direction, or splitting off on a forked path from the style I’ve been working in for the past year or two. It’s really exciting…involves placing a lot of emphasis on every note and their combinations, usually between just one or two notes. Also, I started doing some different finger picking patterns which is really exciting, especially since I feel like I hadn’t strayed from the same ones for a while before.
Well, I have a lot to say, but I’m pretty hungry and haven’t eaten dinner yet. I bought these AWEsome ingredients to make what will hopefully be a delicious udon dinner.
Two NEW kinds of tofu!
Plus, all these exciting goodies to make tomorrow’s rice all the more delicious.
Oh man, I have a lot to write about that I’m not going to get to today – maybe I’ll get around to it another time. Oh yeah, I just remembered – Yura Yura Teikoku – oh my gosh, new favorite band. I am so glad I went to visit the owner of that alternative manga/comics store in Kichijouji back when we were all in
So I had a period free today and I was staring out a window at the school field when the vice-principal comes up to me, So how about I take you on a short tour of the school? Okay! FIRST STOP: MUSIC ROOM. YES. We walk in and to my right, a xylophone!? What is this? And do my eyes deceive me or…are those…accordions lined up in rows on a shelf! At this point I’m like all “Eh!!”s and “Sugoi”s! Then I see the line of melodicas on the shelf below. The vice-principal starts talking about how they all learn recorders and starts showing me those, too. Then, as we walk to the front of the classroom, I see what looks like desks with keyboards in the front for at least 20 students. I open the cover of one – it’s an electric organ! Every student in the class gets their own electric organ! We walk around to the side where I see rows and rows of marching drums and more accordions, and as we leave I realize that xylophone I had seen when I first entered was a marimba! There were at least three marimbas and xylophones all together! This room…it was amazing. Oh man. I am considering, no – I definitely plan on asking the vice-principal if I can practice accordion in here and then work my way toward asking if I can use the room after hours. I hope there are some music clubs; it would be awesome to play music with the children!
Okay, now it’s probably time for me to go, and nothing else is suddenly popping into my head, so here I gooo!
Here're some more goodies for now:
A bash of vegetables that I received from my supervisor a couple weeks agoaahhheeeggplaaantt.
Sonic Youth fans? Except it's a department store...-_-?
Absolutely DELICIOUS saba sashimi (mackeral) that the 7th and 8th grade English teacher prepared and then gave completely to me after I liked them. He says he's going to show me how to make it once he gets timeSCORE! Haha, that reminds me, I gotta tell you all about the teachers at my schools.
My dinner last night...ooh, picture quality not so great. But it was good! Udon, saba, and lightly fried (I keep typing "friend.") cucumbers, eggplants, and bell peppers. No, it's not tsukemono (pickled THINGZ), which usually come with these kind of meals, but maybe another time :).
I don't want to end with that picture so how about this super happy-puts-me-in-a-good-mood picture of Deerhood that I used in my presentation today?
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