A Very Happy New Year

Happy 2014 from Japan...

Some friends and I decided to stay warm and away from the crowds, so we cooked traditional soba noodles and drank hot spiced wine and gave back massages and rang in the new year in the comfort of our apartment.

Keiko, me, Kelly, Katy and Yuka

 *Turns out that police barricades were up all over downtown Tokyo, so the famous Shibuya crossing (the Japanese equivalent to Times Square) was completely blocked off. (I'm glad to have missed that mess!)

On New Year's day, Katy and I enjoyed the upper 50s weather and joined in with the traditional shrine visit

A short line of people waiting to give their offering for their 2014 wish.

Some things in December

I returned to Japan on Dec. 1st- started a new 6-month contract with my same job and was welcomed back by coworkers, apartment-mates and friends. Japan is just familiar enough to navigate and to make it feel like I have built something that feels safe and comfortable.
I got right back into the swing of work- taking on more responsibilities, continuing to see the same students and getting recognized from those students that they really enjoy my lessons. I like knowing that I can handle the problems that arise at work, and if I'm not sure, I know who I can turn to.

Life sometimes feels like an extended weekend. I have Tuesday-Wednesday off from work, but then hanging out with friends on Friday-Saturday-Sunday night makes the work week seem extra short.

Although the temperature continues to drop day by day, the weather is still in mild-winter mode. I took advantage of this and found the last remnants of fall color in Shinjuku Gyoen- one of the largest gardens in downtown Tokyo.

Then of course there is bowling with friends- new and old! (yes, we are wearing mustaches!)

And finding new local hikes! Mt Nabewari- 1,273 metres in height.

A whole lot of TLC in California

It felt good to go home for two weeks. Seeing the people I love, spending time with them and reaffirming how important they are in my life.

Drinks in Monterey with America

Hiking in Point Lobos with Teresa and Heather

Shopping and eating out with Dzeda and Baboo

Cookie baking with Dans, Lex and Nels

Lunch and coffee date with Mare and Levi

Mnt. Diablo hike with Laurie and the parents 

Thanksgiving with the family

Salsa dancing in The City with Stefany and Ingrid

*Not pictured (but near and dear to my heart)- Auntie Leza, Oma, Opa, Alison, and John.

Yet, I came back to Japan with a smile. I'm still finding myself! But to the people at home: I love you so much :) Thank you for caring, thank you for letting me explore, thank you for welcoming me back too.

Halloween in Japan

All October, shops around Tokyo and my neighborhood have had Halloween decorations. The bakery by the train station sells special mini-pumpkin pies only during this month. And my school went all out with decorations and life-sized monsters lining the hallways and sitting in the classrooms.
I incorporated a few 'halloween-themed' activities in my lessons. Since Halloween fell on a Thursday, parties in Tokyo started last weekend, and continued on all week. Costumes were wild and parties were crazy!
Halloween has no meaning in Japan, aside from what has been borrowed from the US- and just a great excuse to dress up as risque, crazy, horrifying, and wild as you can!

Photo-booth with co-workers. Nerd, cat, Tigger, Michael Jackson and a bat

The delicious mini-pumpkin pies that would go on sale for 1/2 price after nine pm!

"Dear Lani, Happy Halloween!! From Honoka" A Halloween card from my 4-year-old student.

Dancing on Halloween night! Alice, Batgirl, Minnie Mouse.

Decorations at the front lobby of our school

"Moldy Mother" she lived in one of the classrooms all month, and freaked out nearly everyone!

Now that November has started, October has disappeared, and been replaced by Christmas lights and colors.

富士山語子 Mount Fuji Five-Lakes (Fuji-San Go Ko)

It's the start of autumn season in Japan. My friend Katy and I took an extended 4-day weekend in search of autumn sights and smells. We headed up to the Mount Fuji area- the five lakes and surrounding foothills. Two of the four days- we had rain and heavy fog/cloud cover, but on the other two days, we had some incredible views of mount Fuji- basically from everywhere you looked!







So, here are the photos to show our successful discovery of Mount Fuji views and autumn leaf color :)


Day one was rainy and cold- so we decided to find an onsen in the woods, where we treated ourselves to a 60-min full body massage! Totally painful, and totally worth it.

Day two: walking around the main lake: Kawaguchiko 河口湖 The fall color was just starting, and Fuji-san was visible from all around!

We even decided to give it a 30-min paddle boat, for more great views.

Day 3: A 14-km Mitsutoge-yama hike (1,768 meter ascent). For more incredible fall color and some neat scenic views...

Probably my favorite fall photo of Fuji san...

On night three there was a autumn leaf viewing festival with a line of trees along the lake-side all lit up! We even caught enough light at dusk to see the fog-covered Fuji.

 Day 4: rain again! From this temple, you are supposed to see Mount Fuji sitting majestically in the background- alas, this day was not to be today!!

Lunch Date

To my left is my student, Tsuneko, and to my right, her husband.

One of my favorite students surprised me with an invitation to have lunch with her and her family. We chatted about logistics in our most recently class session- she carefully wrote out directions and then explained them to me: which train station to get off at, which bus number to take, and then which stop to get off at too. Then I was to call her and she would pick me up. I also asked about the family. I would be meeting her husband, Takuso, her son, Takeshi, his wife, Yumiko and their kids, (her grandchildren), Kazusa (boy, 7) and Tamami (girl, 4).

We planned the lunch date for Monday, the 14th- a holiday for everyone. At the train station, I found a fancy cake topped with exotic fruits. All the travel pieces worked out smoothly. Right at noon, I was in Tsuneko-san's car with her and her granddaughter on our way to her house. She lives in a really lovely neighborhood, she has a two-story house, with a front garden, which she enjoyed showing me. Inside was a large entryway, living room and dining room. We all sat down for a multi-course meal that kept on going! Tsuneko-san outdid her self and continued to bring dish after dish. It was all delicious! The conversation ebbed and flowed, haltingly at times. My Japanese is next to zero, but I am getting better and better at guessing and interpreting ideas by stringing together individual words that I understand. All the adults' English levels were about elementary and rusty, at best, but we did our best and enjoyed each other's company. Later on they brought out photo albums to show me and we were able to talk about topics like: family, jobs, holidays, travel... Kazusa worked on a craft project during lunch, and gave me one of his paper cutting creations.
Lunch included: potato salad, cabbage salad, persimmon with cream cheese and prosciutto, stewed beef wrapped in cabbage leaves, lasagna, and yakitori (fried chicken skewers). Itadakimasu! *bon apetit.

Dessert included coffee, freshly sliced pear, the cake I brought, and jello/pudding topped with azuki beans and pineapple.

We all took a walk around the neighborhood, and then Tsuneko-san dropped me back off at the train station.

We are standing in front of their house. 

4 Seasons...

Summer Gardens

Autumn color near a temple

My neighborhood on a wintery walk to work

Spring cherry blossoms in a park