久しぶり - That time my famjam came to Japan!

My parents came for the two week spring vacation here. Teachers in Japan work during holidays, so I would have been stuck in the office but I took some of my paid leave and enjoyed travelling around my prefecture and in Kyoto and Tokyo with them. My older brother Kyle was able to join us in Tokyo and then came back to Tottori with me for a few days after my parents had left. So that was a really great transition back to reality too! It was lovely to be with family for over two weeks. I am so thankful that even an ocean away I have people that love me and are continually praying for me. It is awesome. 
The trip was really long but I will highlight a few of the best moments. 
On the first Saturday I went to the airport to pick up the parentals. It was so exciting! My heart was bursting, I really missed them. We came back to my flat so I could show them around and then headed out to a nearby castle. Kawaharajo was built only about 15 years ago but it is pretty beautiful and boasts a stunning view. It is one of my favorite spots in Tottori because it is so relaxing and beautiful, it may be modern but it still feels like traditional Japan. 
That weekend we took in quite a few other lovely sights. In Tottori we have a very cool "tourist taxi" which is basically a taxi that takes you anywhere you want to go for 1000Yen. That is 10$ for 3 hours! It is a ridiculous price and the cabbies always make a point of getting out at the different spots and taking pictures for you! It is a lovely thing the prefecture offers and I have used it for a ton of guests!

 

We used the taxi to see the Tottori Sand Dunes as well as to take a boat ride along the Uradame coast. It was lovely! In Tottori we spent a lot of time just relaxing and catching up. Eating out at funky cafes, visiting the local cat cafe and shopping at my favorite store, Jupiter!
On one of the days in Tottori two of my friends from church took my parents out for the day. We drove to the crab museum and fish market that is on the other side of the city. Afterwards we visited the Kanon in gardens and enjoyed some green tea and sweets. It was a really amazing day. I am so thankful to have met such lovely friends through my church.
One night my parents also went out for dinner with my tutor. She is the sweetest little lady and it was fun for my parents to see me interact with my Japanese teacher!
One of our funniest dinners out was when we went to a Mexican place. I was craving Mexican food and had spotted what I thought was a Spanish place, so we managed (after much confusion) to get a cab to the place I pictured. It was not Spanish at all, but rather Italian. We stayed anyways and ordered some weird food that showed up in German beer mugs. It was a bizarre experience that left us laughing hysterically. The poor staff must have though we were out of our minds but when you get bread sticks in German beer mugs and pasta with what looks like witches fingers sticking out it is too funny not to enjoy!

After Tottori we had the fun of travelling through Kyoto and Tokyo. We took the shinkansen to Kyoto and checked into our hotel. Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, was in full swing and we took full chance to walk through the Philosophers walk, which is a long path along a river that hits a bunch of fabulous temples and shrines in Kyoto. We also had the fun of meeting up with my Mom's cousin who lives between Osaka and Kobe. She took us to a three pillared tori shrine. For Japan that is amazing! A three pillar shrine is very rare, and it was built back in the 16th century as a Christian monument. Veronica know a lot about the Christian roots in Japan and it was fun to share that with my parents. 

 Finally we finished up our two weeks with a long weekend in Tokyo - and Kyle joined us! Nothing compares to the excitement of Tokyo and it was a great end to the visit. The rain was in full force on one or two of the days which really sucked, but when the sun was shining we really enjoyed all that the city had to offer. Our hotel was gorgeous and overlooked the Shibuya scramble, but we were up quite high so the noise and lights were totally dulled at night. We enjoyed drinks in teeny tiny bars, including one British pub! We saw the Tokyo SkyTree but didn't bother waiting the 3-4 hours to ride it. We even went to go see "Frozen" which has now become one of the most successful movies in Japan, ever.  One of the funniest memories was when my dad and I decided to order parfaits. Japan does sweets pretty well and they love crazy parfaits. I ordered a strawberry parfait, straightforward and guaranteed to be normal(well, with cornflakes, but that is normal here!) but dad decided that he wanted the green tea one. Right away I warned him that it would have anko (red bean paste) but he didn't believe me and said he wanted it anyway. We laughed so hard when it arrived and he was utterly shocked at the red beans sitting on top of his parfait!! I have definietly grown accustomed to this odd 'dessert' but it is weird for most foreigners the first time. He was a good sport though and I think he enjoyed the parfait! 

Thanks Tokyo!

Those parfaits!!! Hahah

 My parents left that weekend but Kyle stayed for a few more nights with me. We spent one last day and night in Tokyo and we decided to head to Disneyland. Well we were in for a brutal surprise when we got there and the park was full to capacity! That is like 70,000 people in Japan!!! We were super bummed but decided to enjoy our day anyways and headed for Odaiba park and island. It was so awesome! We ate a Hawaiian meal at lunch, wandered the island and shopped a bit. Back in Tottori I had to work but Kyle rented a bike and had fun riding out to the dunes and sandboarding. When I wasn't at work we enjoyed taking purikura, seeing the cat cafe and laughing hysterically watching Silent Library videos. It was an awesome catch up! 

Having my family here was such a blessing and a blast. I could share this experience with them and get that feeling of home that my heart was missing. 

Speech Contest

This past Friday I had the chance to judge the Tottori East Junior High School Speech contest. The winner will head to Tokyo to compete nationally in the next month or so. It was a really fun reprieve from the office life. The speeches themselves were either recitations or self written speeches, so of course the ones that were written by the students touched my heart the most. Some of the kids wrote about being bullied, saving animals or their relationships with their families. It is so hard to choose one winner from a group of really awesome students. To have the courage to stand up in front of your peers and a bunch of foreigners and express yourself in a second language is amazing! I still find forming sentences in Japanese tough, so a speech seems way off! At the end of the day the judges were gifted with some delicious German cake, which was totally unexpected and fun! I will definitely miss these fun random days here in Japan. 

Sarah managed to capture me giving my closing comments. It looks like an empty room but actually those seats had been filled by the contestants but at that point the students had moved back to sit with their teachers. I was actually a bit nervous and shaking voice but it was a good challenge. Gotta stretch myself sometimes :) 

Hokkaido round three

One of the best parts of Japan is the steady stream of bank holidays. Although Japanese people are hesitant to ever leave work early or actually relax on the traditional weekend, they have a ton of long weekends where many people actually take time off to travel within Japan. Last weekend I headed to Kobe, but this weekend I was back in Hokkaido. I have been there in both winter (February) and in early summer(June), but I think that this visit was the best weather wise. すぞし is what they call it in Japan, when the weather is nice but there is a crisp breeze.

Arriving in Sapporo the first thing I checked off my list was to drink a caramel machiatto and go to Costco. Costco in Japan totally beats North American Costco. It is quieter, the prices are good and it is quieter. Although it is  still crowded(it is Japan after all) people are polite and there is less of a sense of urgency then what is often found among shoppers at discount stores at home. I stocked up on bagels, peanut butter and coffee. Well worth it!

After Costco we walked through the park in downtown Sapporo and enjoyed people watching at the Autumn festival. We ate some okonomiyaki in downtown Sapporo before heading back for an early night.

The next day Dan took me to some of the most famous spots in Hokkaido to celebrate our anniversary(yay!). To start we drove to the Furano Lavender fields. Along the way we pulled off to check out a local waterfall, and it was gorgeous! We arrived in Furano after about two hours and although we missed the prime of the lavender the fields were glowing in the sunshine and I was astounded at how beautiful the location was. Japan loves to highlight the features of prefectures, so in Tottori station there is a giant poster of the Lavender Fields, and after seeing it in person I can definitely say it lives up to the poster! Rows upon rows of coloured flowers, and some really cute restaurants and gift shops sprinkled throughout the property. It is free to visit and totally worth the drive. It seems a little out of the way though if you didn't have access to a car.

 

After the fields Dan took me to a Michelin rated restaurant called Ausperges. It was so amazing!! The restaurant was in a modern, white walled, open room. We had the beef course dinner and it was incredible. It started with a vegetable salad using twenty fresh vegetables, followed by a corn soup, broccoli and carrots, mashed potatoes, the main course, a melon soup and then chocolate anko beans and coffee for dessert. It was definitely a 4-star restaurant for the taste and the experience. So cute! A really romantic place, and a nice follow up to the Lavender fields.

        

                Enjoying my 20 vegetable salad!! #delic

restaurant selfie

                   
Next we drove to the famous blue pond, which has been used as an image for Apple.  The pond is in Biei and is a little out of the way, especially without a car. The pond is absolutely stunning! It was a perfect backdrop for some surreal looking pictures and we arrived around 4pm which gave us some perfect lighting. Overall it is an enchanting spot to see.

We finished our night with 100 Yen revolving sushi in Iwamizawa. It was really delicious and there was even a Philly roll on the menu which I have not seen since being home! I will definitely miss the fun (and cheap cost) of revolving sushi when I leave Japan next year.

On Monday we decided to go into Sapporo for a day in the city (since Dan lives in a village with a population of about 20 people). We decided to check out the Sapporo art park and it was fantastic! We arrived and it was raining so we started by eating at the lunch buffet that overlooks the park. The food was delicious (ohmy Hokkaido softcream. much wow) and then we headed into the park. It cost about 700 Yen a person to just wander through the park so we opted out of the upgrade which would have given us access to a small museum. The park itself is a nice leisurly walk with some really cool installations. One in particular featured haunting music that played when you walked through a section of forest, it was both creepy and intriguing. I have been wanting to visit the art island Naoshima for a while but I think that Sapporo art park did the trick for me - it was just enough art, and a shorter trip!
                   
Next we headed into Sapporo but made a stop off at Mt. Moiwa. Although it is possible to hike up, or take a cable car, we parked and walked about 700m to the top. It has a  beautiful view and a spot to 'lock up your love'. Japan loves 'lock up your love' places, and the view at this one was spectacular. 

After soaking up the amazing view of the city and mountains we walked down and headed back into the city. Originally we planned to go to the cinema since Tottori never plays English films, but then because the weather was so nice we decided to just relax downtown instead. We drank coffee, shopped, rode the ferris wheel and then ate dinner at Jacksonville Burger. The feel of the restaurant was completely American and the burger was outstanding. I was shocked to find out an old JET who lived nearby used to eat there so often he had a tab!! It was so delicious though, I would definitely go back to Jacksonville Burger.
 <<- Sooooo good! 

I plan on heading back to Hokkaido again in November when winter is in full force, so I will experience the true Hokkaido winter. I really hope to snow shoe or maybe take on a small hike in a less snowy area. Hokkaido is definitely one of the best travel spots in all of Japan, but it becomes much more difficult to access without a car. If you are OK with staying within the city you are fine, but otherwise it might be a tricky venture to enjoy all the things I got to experience this weekend.

Kobe, Kobe

I travelled to Kobe last weekend. Japan is famous (at least in my mind) for its incredible amount of long weekends. September has two, and this year I decided to take the bus from Tottori to Kobe for a short blip in the major port town. I headed down with three other girls and soaked up the last bits of summer sunshine, even managing to get a slight tan!! After a summer inside a Japanese office the sunshine was a nice finishing touch to the season. We decided to stay at a tiny hostel a few stops away from the main hub in Kobe, which is known as ハバランド. The hostel itself is within 5 minutes of the underground and is also a small café and art gallery. It was absolutely adorable!! Fresh coffee is roasted every day by a cute barista with a twirly moustache, like something out of a quirky film. It was a definite experience considering it only cost about $26 a night! The downside was the cockroach. Yes, cockroach. I was not impressed to say the least, but that is summer in Japan for you.

We all had different sites we wanted to visit so on our first morning we all split up, and I headed to the giant mall for breakfast at a cute café I had spotted the night before. Sitting right on a little pond and advertising freshly roasted coffee I couldn’t say no. As I perused the menu I noted a Canadian set so I had to have it. Unfortunately the only thing about it that was Canadian was the bacon inside the sandwich (delicious!) but other than that it was a traditional Japanese meal. The kind where they try really to hard to Westernize it but they fail. It was delicious though and that is Japan for you, the land where everything (even the foreign stuff) is Japanese. I walked to the Harbor after and enjoyed reading by the water with the sun warming me. It was so relaxing and the bustle of the harbor made me miss White Rock so much! For lunch we met up at a beautiful and fancy restaurant near China Town. The restaurant featured set dinners with Kobe steak so we had to try it! I got the wagyu steak- which is just a marbled cut of Japanese beef. My meal ran me about $60 Canadian, however Sarah splurged and got the actual Kobe beef with her dinner, making her meal around $140 Canadian!! The restaurant was delicious, the atmosphere was fun and it was definitely a meal to remember. I rarely cook meat for myself so eating a steak every once in a while is a really nice treat! We headed for the Kobe ropeway and cable car after lunch, with the slight uphill walk a good balance after our huge lunch. We arrived around 5pm which, luckily enough, was when the price drops for admission to about 700\ roundtrip. It was a beautiful trip to the top and we were greeted with a German beer market that was set up there. We were too stuffed to drink anything but it was fun atmosphere. There was also a small venue for weddings up there- oh my goodness! It would be such a stunning spot for a wedding ceremony!! We finished our night off with a ride up Kobe tower, where we enjoyed sitting in the revolving restaurant and chatting over beer. It was a great Kobe day.
The rest of the weekend was composed of making new friends (one of whom proposed his love for Sarah with 24 hours), eating a Hawaiian breakfast (So incredible) and shopping…a lot! I am so getting used to the constant stream of long weekends and the easy access I have to affordable travel! I am so thankful I have eleven months left to explore!!

Canadian Breaky...ya just no. 

Japanese steak. Worth it. 

勉強したい

Recently I was inspired to study Japanese. I was staying at a small hostel in Kobe when I met another foreigner. We chatted and he explained that he was also a JET and a CIR. CIR is a position held by a small number of JETs. A CIR works in the local government and therefore has to be fluent in Japanese. I asked him when he started his Japanese studies anticipating he would say elementary school. I was absolutely flummoxed when he told me he learned Japanese in his four years at university. He put his mind to it and made an effort and voila. Well, I’m sure it wasn’t that simple or easy but either way he is a CIR! In the last few months I have made an effort to self-study by using a small dictionary. When I hear a new word I highlight it and put in a sticky tab, and most days I review all the words. Of course I also try to use the words and I also study with my Japanese tutor once a week, but that is only for one hour at a time. I have started to finally make strides and meeting this JET made me decide to push forward with my JLPT. The lowest level is level 5, and the test is in December! I decided that to meet this goal I would need to increase my kanji reading ability. So I just purchased a kanji textbook and have been studying like mad. Level 5 indicates the most basic level of proficiency. Understanding basic sentences, grammar and vocabulary. However it is the stepping stone to fluency. As an applied linguistics major I have always been frustrated at the fact that I only speak one language fluently. I have studied German, Spanish, Illocano and Japanese but have only really made progress with Spanish. I am hoping one day to pursue Spanish to a level of greater understanding but for now I will focus my efforts on日本語. My benchmark will be my parents visit next year. Last year when they visited I managed to get us around but could read zero kanji and was often left confused by conversations. This year I hope to get us around with ease and impress them a little with my Japanese ability ;) I use a myriad of textbooks, but currently I am working through Japanese for Busy People, Japanese made Easy, The Tuttle Concise Japanese Dictionary and Write Now: Beginner Kanji.

Crossing my fingers for the JLPT!　がんばって!

That summer feeling

The summer slipped by as quickly as the heat wave(s) hit. Tottori is not joking around with the heat though, that is for sure! I quickly learned the word (あせ)! One of the hardest adjustments for me is honestly the heat, it is truly unbearable in Tottori. I managed to survive with a lot of a/c, and large bills to attest to that fact. However I can’t complain too much because this summer also included four visits from Dan-san. My heart was definitely full this summer and it was so much fun to have a couple unplanned spontaneous romantic weekends in there! It also meant the chance to show Daniel my cool new hometown! Tottori city is definitely small, and with all small town comes a few quirks. The biggest downfall in my eyes is the lack of Starbucks. Tottori really likes to promote small town, home grown everything from rice to coffee shops. So while there are no Starbucks(I want a Tottori mug!) we make up for it by a long shot with our incredible amount of coffee shops, traditional 喫茶店, bars and restaurants. We have it all, including a cute little German bar, complete with a ton of great Deutsch bier und bratwurst! The owner is from Germany which adds that extra fun feeling. I really love that down each winding road there are little hidden gems. Small cafes tucked away in corners where Japanese grandmas serve you lattes and entertain you with their general air of かわい！I think having Dan with me opened my eyes a little bit more to just how beautiful tottori is! 
Recently a new meat and wine restaurant opened up and the minute I saw it I knew I would like it, so Dan and I checked it out for a date night this past weekend. It was a bit overpriced for the portions but it was a fantastic atmosphere. I really felt like I was back in Vancouver. I enjoy being in Japan for the most part, but I really miss the feeling of a true foreign restaurant. Everything here is always 'Japanesed'. Always. always. This place however, was actually for the most part a nice wine bar with no real 'I have been Japanesed' feeling :) Afterwords we were walking towards the German bar for a drink when we came across a huge group of my students! They freaked out and when I confirmed that Dan was my boyfriend they all clapped and took pictures! It was really cute. Sometimes being the foreigner feels like being a celebrity and it is kind of fun:) The other restaurant that we really love is the revolving sushi place. The sushi is good, it comes fast (literally on a conveyor belt) and for every five plates a little game plays on your tables screen and you can win cute prizes! Dan won a little coffee cup charm! Oh, and we also enjoyed going to a fun placed called yama chans. It is basically a huge open room style 'pub' that offers the ever famous 'all you can drink'. Yama's is always a fun atmosphere and for ladies it is all you can drink for 100 minutes for about 11$!! Ya, it is a fun place!

100Yen sushi, aka 1$ a plate!!!

The Vancouver feeling!! Even though we had beer, not wine :) 

When we were not stuffing our faces we went to see some unique Tottori spots! We had the chance to go up to Kawaharajo, which is the castle in Tottori. It is about 20 years old, so it is a newborn as far as castles go, but the view is spectacular. It is one of my all time favorite spots, and a must see for any Tottori visitors!

View from Kawahara Castle

We took some time to check out Kanon-in Gardens and tea house too. This little tea house and buddhist temple is hard to find, but it is well worth it. It has a very peaceful atmosphere and the 300 yen entrance fee includes some mochi and matcha tea, omnomnom.

Exploring the gardens 

AOf course bringing my boyfriend to Tottori meant a few of my teachers wanted to meet him too. This past year I have really forged some awesome friendships with some women at my school. In particular I began teaching an 英会話 at my school and ended up connecting with all the women in the group. It is a good way for me to keep up with my tutoring materials, and it is a great way to learn some Japanese and connect with co workers. For any JET who complains about being bored...a conversation class will change it all! Luckily my school uses me to the full, but having the class also gives me a chance to form fun work relationships. When I told them my boyfriend was heading down for a weekend they immediately suggested we should go for dinner and drinks. I invited a couple from my building and my best friend in the building, Sarah, and we headed out to a gorgeous restaurant called Enya. It is basically an izakaya. So a drinking and dinner place. It has delicious fresh sushi, tons of other food and of course all the kirin beer you want! It was so much fun to introduce Dan and share them with the ladies in my group. Another perk of my conversation classes are the bijiin kai's we have, which means a beautiful lady party. haha, I love Japanese!

Bijin Kai fun!