{And another...}

Today we went to Tsurumai Park to see the sakura trees, which were cool, but these tulips were cooler.

{6th Grade Graduation}

So, apparently as I found out today, 6th grade graduation is a HUGE deal in Japan. Today I attended the graduation at one of my elementary schools I teach at.

Me and the 6th grade teachers I work with, all dressed in ceremonial kimonos for the graduation. And apparently when you attend a graduation, you are supposed to wear black clothes and pearls. Just like funerals here. Luckily, I chose to wear black anyway. And I ALMOST wore my pearls that Jay bought for my (early) birthday present when we were in Toba. So I almost fit in. Except I was the only blonde there.










Me in front of the school entrance...I assume that means graduation in Japanese???









All three classes entered the gym and each student bowed as they came in. Everything was very precise and ritualized...a lot of bowing and turning on their heels. Not anything like the yelling and catcalling you do at graduations in America. It was so quiet in there you could hear my stomach growling.













Students receiving their "diplomas" from the kouchou sensei (principal).






Taking pictures with my students!!


































Signing yearbooks

{Invasion of the Yellow Hats}

I've had a couple questions asked about this picture, so I thought I would give the explanation. I don't have the attention span to sit down and write things on my blog, so I usually just throw pictures up and call it good. But I am pretty proud of this little picture here, so I'll put in my two cents.

After quitting my job working for filthy people at a crappy private school in December, I got a job in the public schools in a town nearby Nagoya. In Japan, the elementary school students have to wear these yellow hats to and from school every single day....so you see them everywhere. Especially if you work at a school. They don't have school buses here...the moms just walk the students to a certain place in the town, and groups of the students walk together to school. I guess the yellow hats make it easier to see the students and dodge them with your car. These are the hats for the boys (just regular baseball caps) and the girls wear sort-of sun hats with brims. Same color, same little emblem of the school district. They also have matching hard-sided backpacks (red for girls, black for boys). Junior high and senior high school students wear full uniforms, so maybe the matching hats are a way to work the kids into it.

My friend, the great Ann Marlowe, reminded me to take pictures of everyday things here in Japan that you take for granted...like the yellow hats. So I took this picture one morning on my way to school...these boys are just a few of the 2,ooo students I teach. I decided to try a little something out on Photoshop, and think this one's a winner. This one's for you, Sister Marlowe...

{Miyajima}

{Spring is here!!}

Spring is nearly here in Japan, and that means...cherry blossoms!!! The sakura trees are starting to bloom, and supposedly the blossoms will be out in full force at the end of March. Hopefully we get to see them before we leave---I have been waiting for this our whole eight months here ;)

On another note, this is a picture I did in the new Photoshop...it's the coolest program EVER, and quite entertaining.

Trip to Seoul, South Korea

For our Christmas vacation from work here in Japan, Jay and I went to Seoul, South Korea this past week. Aside from the freezing weather, it was an awesome place to be for New Year's. We visited the LDS Temple there, some Korean temples/sites, some markets, and the DMZ.


Seoul's Nandaemun Market (above), and the actual Namdaemun (South Gate) of Seoul




We took a tour to the Demilitarized Zone of South Korea, on the border with North Korea. Very cool. We got to climb down into an infiltration tunnel built by the North to try and invade the South, go to an observatory and actually see into North Korea, visit Freedom Bridge, and visit Dorason Station, which was built to connect North and South Korea by rail.



Me and the guards in the Dorasan Station in the DMZ


Me and Jay with North Korea in the background


Jay and a South Korean military-man-boy


The "ghost village" of North Korea, just across the real border of North and South Korea


Hardcore military man


South Korean flags hung at the freedom bridge in support of reunification of North and South Korea




Yes, it really was this cold...


Carrying on the Asian tradition of rock-hugging...


Me and Jay in front of the Seoul, South Korea LDS Temple

New Year's Eve in Seoul was the crown jewel in our vacation to South Korea for our Christmas/New Year's vacation. We rang in the new year with thousands and thousands of Koreans in the very center of Seoul. There were literally millions of Roman candle fireworks set off that night. It was, by far, the coolest New Year's Eve we have had.

Life in Korea--won, hanggeul, subways, and 1,000 km away from Japan

South Korea's Gyeongbokgung (National Palace)

Korea's National Palace in Seoul

Time out for some pictures...

Thanksgiving in Japan

Jay and I were lucky enough to be able to spend Thanksgiving with the Meito ward missionaries at the mission president's home in Nagoya. All the missionaries from Meito ward were there as well as some friends. We had the most amazing dinner...turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing are high on my list anyway, but especially after five months of eating Japanese food. Yeay. PLUS...there were huge plates of sushi, seeing as we are in Japan. Jay was pretty excited about that.

Beijing, China

Jay and I just got back from a week in Beijing, China for vacation. Tons of fun, tons of dirt, tons of bargaining...we're wiped out. Here are just a few pics from the adventure...

Cool Slideshows

Picture Fun

Click on the pic to see it closer...

Saturday Night Dinner Club

Me, Jay, Elder and Sister Marlowe, and Linda in the picturesque restaurant section of the Nagoya Main Station


The Japanese basil "pizza"

Dessert time!!

Kamejima 2-chome Festival

One night I was pulled from my early evening nap by all sorts of people shouting "wa shoi!" and whistling outside my front door. I threw on my kimono and ran out to see. There was a little "parade" going by, and they beckoned for Jay and I to come. Little did we know that we would be sucked into the Fall Festival for our "neighborhood" we live in, Kamejima 2-chome. They thought it was SO great that we were there...there was some photographer there who made us pose with the men carrying the "omikoshi"




But it wasn't over yet...they wanted us to get all dressed up in hapi coats and join them in carrying the omikoshi.




Jay had to do a lot more carrying than I did...as the man behind me kept his hand on my shoulder so the beam didn't sctually touch me. And since I was carrying it, I couldn't get any pictures of me, but I did get quite a few of Jay.


Jay and the omikoshi



Jay readying himself for the hoist



Jay at the head (Check out the dude's fingernails with the pink towel on his head...)


Needless to say, we found an instant family in the Kamejima 2-chome 'hood...and they made sure we were in the family pictures...


Primping for the picture



The whole Kamejima 2 chome family



My favorite whistle-blowing man



Our #1 fans (ha ha...get it?) They followed us when we were carrying the omikoshi and fanned us


The decorations


Lanterns by day



By day...



And by night...