March 13, 2009... It's Friday the 13th and new activites are popping up

Hey All
Sorry I have not written in here lately. Been stuck to my computer again updating TSSI web site stuff and trying to correspond with many a padrino from Honduras. Seems I run out of time in a day to get all the necessary typing done and then I find I need a break as my shoulders, legs and hands go numb. I am so bad about getting up off this chair. I can sit for 8 hours straight some days and not even eat. I know BAD !! I think it is time for a massage, and perhaps I will go get one this afternoon? I too woke up this AM with my skin just crawling and I am wondering if I might be allergic to something in the air here? CJ has been told by many people that lots of Japanese folks have allergies this time of the year with all the pollen in the air. You know the cherry "sakura" blossoms are to be blooming in a few short weeks and lots of different flowers and trees too..so who knows? All I know is, right now, I feel extremely irritable. :-/ UGH!
We are HOPING the cherry blossoms pop while we are here and not all of it happens when we are in Thailand. Can hardly believe we may actually be gone for the height of the blossom viewing season "hanami" here in Yokohama. :-( IF so, we will have to venture north when we get back and who knows maybe we will go south next weekend to see some down there if it looks like we might miss it here. I surely would be disappointed if we do.
I am thinking I am going to have to limit myself to 2 hours a day on this computer, or it seems I never get off of it, especially if it is rainy weather. When it is nice out I seem to be pulled outdoors, so who knows once the weather gets nicer it may be much easier to walk away. I hope so anyway.
The other day at the grocery store, I ran into a Jenny a lady from one of the Japanese classes I was taking back in the fall. She is a cute, bubbly, very friendly and very unique lady from China who is married to a Japanese man. They have one 10 yr old son. If there were extreme opposites...then Jenny and I would be those. She is short, petite, very girly and into fashion, makeup and then there is me..well you know...anyhoo... We started talking and she suggested I go back to language class and then asked me again to come to the Yokohama International Women's Club and so I am hoping to attend their monthly luncheon next week. After we said hugged and said goodbye on the street corner I went to the market with a renewed enthusiasm to learn and use more of my "Japlish". So when I got to my favorite corner fruits "kudamono" and veggies "yasai" market I asked the lady her name "Yoyuko" and told her she was now going to be my Japanese "Nihongo" teacher "sensei". She chuckled and then proceeded to tell me the names in Japanese of the different food items when I held them up. Cucumber "kyuuri", lettuce "retasu", carrots "ninjin", green onions "naga-negi", yellow onions "tama-negi", potato "jaga-imo", sweet potatoes "satsuma-ima" , garlic "nin'niku", chinese cabbage "hakusai", cabbage "kyabetsu", green pepper "piiman" , eggplant "nasu". The fruit names were strawberry "ichigo', tangerine "mikan", apple "ringo", , grapes "budoo"and banana is the same. It was fun and so I think I will try it again each time I go back.
I did go to a calligraphy class YIWC offered yesterday and met 2 very nice ladies. The teacher Setsuko is from Japan and we had a very nice conversation when I first got there. She has been to Mpls and Canada and her hubby is a lawyer here in Yokohama. She has two kids and a beagle dog. Terri the other student was from Dallas TX and she just moved here in August. We had a nice visit while working and we wrote the word Spring "haru" in Kanji characters with black "kuroi" ink "inki" that I made myself. For those of you that don't know calligraphy. We have a felt mat that you lay the very thin rice paper "kami" on. Then you have a weight that holds your paper in place. Setsuko had a cute green cucumber weight "omosa". We also had an ink tray and 2 brushes "fude" (which I heard and wrote huday when she pronounced it) 1 large and 1 small and a chopstick holder to rest them on. The rectangle black ink stone reminded of a long domino. It had Japanese writing on one side and a carving of a landscape on the other. So she poured some water in my rectangle, sloped paint tray and then told me to take the ink stone and move it back and forth pulling some water out of the sea section and up on to the land section to mix and make my ink. As soon as I started rubbing the stone I smelled incense like fragrance. I said what is that smell...and she said, "Oh, that's the ink stone". Terri never even realized it before. Me of course the odor queen picked it up right away. It smelled so good. Then when she said to go slowly and gently...I suddenly realized this might be more of a therapeutic meditative kind of activity. It was like we were getting in the zone to do our painting or art work. Cool! Of course, I do everything with force so I found I had to ease up on the scraping and try to not talk and ask ?? I think you are supposed to me more quiet and sedate and I promised I would try to talk less next time. Heck it was the first people I have really talked to in months and you know me, I so wanted to learn all the terminology, names of the supplies in Japanese... I was trying to write it all down on my notepad,but it just seemed to be too difficult and took away from what I assumed was to be a more tranquil, quiet kind of activity. I did pretty good on my first try, but seemed to get worse as I started to concentrate more on the pressure, go, pull, stop movements of the brush, holding it in the vertical position, how to move your body with the brush strokes...I need to lighten up with the pressure. So, I think I need to research calligraphy a bit more and find the information out on my own, and then just go and enjoy the class when I am there. Perhaps, I also need to know the calligraphic etiquette if there is such a thing...it felt like there might be some? Oh boy..I do have allot to learn :-)
So after the class Setsuko and I talked some more..She has a son and daughter as well and a beagle pup named "Ars". At least that's what it sounded like. Remember they have a hard time saying their R's and L's...so unless I see it written by them who knows what the word really looks like. I write it how it sounds to be in our English alphabet. She then explained how she named it that as art goes on forever and life is short...so it gave her good luck and hope for a long life. At least that is how I interrupted it. Interesting and a good name for an art teachers dog I thought.
As we left our room we poked our head in a minute to watch the 10 little girls or so that gathered in the room next door to do their ballet class. Oh man I so wanted to go in and shoot a bunch of photos, but I held myself back. They were so darn cute and I did get to talk with a few who spoke some English before hand, while their teacher was setting up the room by pulling the partions across the larger room. I asked if they could do pliats-no, if they did tap dance too-no, or could they stand on their tip toes and immediately all 3 with their fluffy pink tutus, white tights and little pink slippers raised their heels up off the floor and put their hands up above their heads and turned in a circle. TOO CUTE!! I told them I had a big girl that used to dance like them when she was their age. How Fun! Ahhhhh little kids...YEA!!! I hope to get some photos next month perhaps?
Setsuko and I then left together and walked down the slope to the Yamate station area. On the way, I noticed she had red shoes on and said she had ruby red slippers just like Dorothy. I asked her if she knew the Wizard of Oz story and she did. She went on to tell me then how she got them to dress up and add color to her black and white wardrobe. When she was shopping the lady told her she would give her a good deal on them since no one would buy them. So she paid half price yen8000 instead of yen16,000. YIKES...I have never and am sure I never will pay $160.00 for a pair of shoes. Another reason I am not even going into these stores to shop. I told her I am very CHEAP and couldn't spend that much for shoes. She said life is too short and should be enjoyed so she gets the things she likes. Good for her. They were actually very interesting looking, were waterproof yet elegant in design. I just hope, I will have the appropriate attire to wear for their functions. I have already discussed that with both Jenny and Setsuko...as I don't have/nor like to wear really dressy clothes and they said don't worry. So we shall see just how bad I may stand out in a crowd...(pun intended)next week.
Further down the long steep slope we then ran into a bunch of school girls she knew and so we stood on the side of the street for a minute and I tried to do a few moves with the Cats and the Cradle yarn game they all had strung on their hands and fingers. I got 2 moves down and then missed a loop.Darn! :-( Just that few minutes of interaction with the kids was delightful. She told me they are students from the school where she assists in the English classes. Fun!
We then stopped to chat at the bottom of the hill in front of the train station, which was a hub of activity with kids coming and going after school just let out. While we were talking there, another lady came by that I met when interviewing for the volunteer job at the Motomachi School back before my dad got sick in October. She said they were just talking about me the other day at Motomachi, so who knows, maybe I might still have a chance to work there next year? I need to call them I guess, as they have not called me.
School I think ends next week for 2 weeks and then they start a new year on April 1st. They call it the school entrance ceremony or "nyuugaku-shiki". It is also the time young graduates join the work force "shin'nyuu shain". I find that kind of interesting and cool in a way. For example Eric the next door neighbor guy just graduated from college in California, came back home at Christmas time and looked for a job. He was offered one and knew he would not start till April 1st and so he was able to go back to California, travel, look for an apartment in Tokyo....do what ever and now work will begin for him on the 1st. That is kind of nice I'd say and gives you time to do some things before being sucked into the world of work.
So when we were ready to say goodbye Setsuko actually leaned over and hugged me and I was thrilled. I said "We really get to hug, no bowing...YEAH!" We both commented to each other how happy we were to have met each other and it was nice to share and learn about a new person. We are going to meet next week and go shopping for my calligraphy supplies as she let me borrow hers to practice with for a few days. I am wondering how much that will set me back? I hear the cheap brushes are yen3000 and the ink stone is yen2000 but it supposedly lasts for hundreds of years? We shall see. I only speak of the cost of things to give you an idea of how much things cost and how much cash one needs to carry with them as that is how most things here are paid for. Not alot of credit cards are accepted at many places and no check writing at all or at least what I've seen anyway. The class was a reasonable yen500 ($5) for 1 and 1/2 hours. Similar to a class back in the USA. She gave me a supply of paper to take home too, for yen 100 ($1).
The monthly luncheons are yen4000. So all the money I have not spent since I have been here, will now start adding up very quickly. I asked about the luncheon meal for next week as well, as they offered a vegetarian dish and I wanted to know if the meals were all RAW fish. If so, I need the veggie one. Heck I don't want to spend $40on a meal I can't even eat and I surely do not want to sit there gagging trying to get it down. That would NOT be cool:-)
Setsuko told me, she also teaches a black "kuroi" and white "Shiro" painting class and so I may try that next month as well. I asked her what they painted and she said they have been doing panda's and I asked if they do zebras too. She said "Not yet". ha ha! So then, I will probably need painting supplies...so are you getting this? I wonder how excited CJ will be now that I finally got involved in things and he sees his saving accounts dwindle away more and more each month?
The YIWC is also having their 80Th Annual Azalea tea next month April 23rd and that is yen8000($80). I am hoping to go to that too once I see how the luncheon goes next week? They also do welfare work with two orphanages here in Yokohama and will have an outing to the ZOO next month with one and a skating outing with the other. My two gal pals Donna and Michelle are coming to visit from MN on April 10Th and so they will get to join the kids and I for the ZOO day. That should be lots of fun as we all love kids. These are two ladies I actually met and have traveled with on numerous occasions to work with the kids at Tierra Santa in Honduras. So all of a sudden I went from nothing but my computer and wandering the streets to a calendar quickly filling up with classes, lunch dates, travels, visitors,...life is good yet a bit chaotic till I get into a new flow.
This weekend I just found out there is a HUGE St Patty's Day parade "paredo"in Tokyo by Harajuku...so you know where I will be. 50,000 people are supposed to show up for that day which is supposedly the biggest one of 7 in the country. Who would've thought St Patty's day was that BIG here in Japan. I can't wait to see what kinds of outfits will be paraded in the streets that day. It will be a people watching extravaganza don't you think? Then the following week 3/21 we have another St Patty's parade here in our neighborhood on Motomachi Street. My friend Maggie and family are going to join us after Yumi school's graduation "sotsugyoo-shiki" party "pati"and then I have invited them over for supper. She wants me to make spaghetti and show her how to cook American food.
I just looked at my Sankei-en Garden floral "hana" calendar as well, and it looks like April brings with it Wisteria "fuji" blossoms, Iris "shaga" and azaleas "tsutsuji".. so for sure Donna, Michelle and I will have to venture there while their here. Did I tell you too, one of the older gentlemen that retired from Graco KK is a tea master and he and his wife are going to come one day and do a green tea ceremony for us in our tatami room.