Wow. I'm in America!

It doesn't feel like I've been away a year, but I have.

Before I came back here, I said more than once that I didn't have a home in America, because technically I don't. However, as soon as I saw my mom, I felt like I was home.

Maybe life taught me a little lesson there. Not having a house here is one thing, but seeing my family feels like home! I'm excited to see my dad and my brother and my grandparents soon.

By the way, I'm eating pumpkin pie as I write this.

Lucky me!

Kerosene

I am so tired of the smell of kerosene.
However, I am in love with warm heat blowing on me.
Despite its nasty smell, I am in love with my kerosene heater at my apartment, which blows the warm winds of happiness across my cold, cold body.

The kerosene heaters at my school are another story. They're the old school kind that just glow and emit copious amounts of noxious fumes. I get trapped in the teachers' room for hours at a time, no windows open, breathing in all that nastiness! It does nothing for my chronic headaches. Argh.

There's no point to all this, really. I just wanted to vent.

Detroit and Hamtramck




I was really excited about going back to Michigan over the holidays.
Then I was sad, because news of my planned return was not greeted with happiness as I expected.
Then I worked that problem out, but was still feeling cautious and nervous.
Now I am feeling excited, but the nervousness still lingers! I haven't been in the US in a year! It's going to be a whole lot of weird rolled into a two week trip!
As much as I miss friends and family, I also miss places, Detroit and Hamtramck, in particular! So, here's a little photo album of things I hope to see again...

Sweet, old, run-down Hamtramck. How I miss thee! I really want to eat some yummy, ridiculously cheap, Bangladeshi "fast food" again!


Wig shops! Is it weird to miss wig shops and Korean-owned, black beauty supply stores?


Hamtramck has the best mannequins ever! EVER!






And the coolest place in Hamtramck (which used to be right down the alley from my house... The inimitable Hamtramck Disneyland!!!!!






And then there's the Heidelberg Project-Detroit's own neighborhood Disneyland! It's always changing, so I might not see these things, but I'm sure that there will be something else waiting for me!

A couple of weeks ago, two of my elementary school students rang my doorbell. When I answered the door they said, "Meigan-sensei, yasai wa tabemasu ka?" Which means, "Miss Megan, do you eat vegetables?"

I told them that I loved vegetables! Then they explained that they were taking vegetable orders. I couldn't really figure out who was growing the vegetables, or why they were selling them, but I signed myself up for 1 kg of several different types.

Today I was home sick from school and had just lay down for a nap when my doorbell rang again. I didn't want to answer it, but then it occured to me that it might be my little vegetable peddlers.

I looked through the peephole and saw that it was, indeed, my students. So, I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my bedhead and answered the door. My students gave me a bag of lovely, dirt-covered potatoes. I told them that they looked delicious. I asked where the potatoes were from, but I couldn't understand the answer. O, well!

My students didn't comment on my sick, disheveled appearance, but the younger one said something along the lines of "Look! She's not wearing her glasses!" It's very funny the things kids notice.

Perhaps I'll make some mashed potatoes tonight. I love mashed potatoes. They are the ultimate comfort food for me, and when I make them myself I can use as much butter as I want!

Well, the kimono contest was yesterday!
I got 2nd place in the foreigner division! I was so surprised, but so excited! I really didn't think I was going to win a prize! Dave got 3rd place! Go, Mie ALTs!!
I'll post more pictures after I get back from Kyoto!

Back in September, Stan and I went to a reenactment of a traditional Tsukimi (Moon viewing) ceremony at Saiku/Itsukinomiya in Meiwa. Thanks to Dave for getting us tickets!
Saiku was the home of the Saio, a high priestess who worshipped the Sun Goddess on behlf of the emperor, from the 7th century through the 14th century. The Saio wore beautiful 12-layer kimonos, which were modeled by the women in this ceremony.
In addition to seeing the Saio and her court make autumn offerings to Shinto gods, we also saw dancing and music from the Heian period. The Tsukimi ceremony was amazing- one of the most beautiful things I've been able to see in Japan!





The two pictures above are of the woman who was playing Saio.



The two pictures above are the women who played Saio's attendants.

Well, I've continued studying kitsuke (kimono dressing), and I've gotten better!
This picture was taken Saturday. I put on my kimono and tied my obi in about 7 minutes and 30 seconds that day. The contest is this week, so I am relieved that I am able to put it on so fast and have it look so nice. Both the sensei were very happy with the way it looked!

This is Nate, Tom, me, Tsuji sensei, and Aya sensei. Tsuji sensei and Aya sensei are awesome! They take time out of their busy schedules to meet with us every week and teach us how to wear kimono. Tsuji sensei will also be in the contest this week. Gambatte kudasai!

Below are some pictures of me when I was first learning to tie the obi.

着物


I've started studying kitsuke- how to wear kimono.
I had been wanting to and then the opportunity just fell into my lap (or perhaps I should say, showed up on my cell phone). Nate in Nantou invited me to join some kind of kimono contest, but he wasn't very clear on the details. I thought we were going to be dressed up and prance across a stage- just a one time event. However, it turns out that I'm going to compete in the foreigners division at a big kimono event.
The event I am in sounds pretty crazy to be honest. We will go on stage with our slips and straps and padding, and our kimonos fastened with a basic, velcro belt. Then once they say start, we undo the belt and start arranging our kimono and tying our obi (the decorative belt) from scratch. We are suppsed to accomplish it all in 10 minutes. Perhaps you are thinking that 10 minutes sounds reasonable? Well, then you've definitely never tried to put on a kimono and tie a complicated obi. It's insane! I will be practicing twice a week until the contest at the end of November. I'm feeling ok about the kimono right now, but I just started trying to tie the obi this week, and it's sooo hard.
These pictures are from the first night that we got dressed up by members of a kimono society. I really like the kimono I was wearing, but last week, Yukari sensei brought me another one to try. It's easier to put on, because the length is better suited to me. I'll post a picture of it in the future!



You're not supposed to see the clip and fabric hanging over the collar at the top, but they forgot to put in the collar before they dressed me. This type of obi is worn with a furisode kimono (a long-sleeved kimono worn by young, unmarried women). It is supposed to resemble a swallow's wings.


Jessica, Sarah, and I. I think that I'm the only one who will be in the contest in November, because they don't have time for all the practicing.


Nate and I trying out a cheesy, kimono pose!

Team Kiiouchimatsu


Well, the AJET Pub Quiz has come and gone. Sadly, Team Kiiouchimatsu didn't perform too well. Kiiouchimatsu is a combination of the names of where we live- Kiinagashima, Ouchiyama, and Matsusaka. Julie, Jonathan, Stan, and I all tried our best, but we sucked so bad that we cheered wildly after the round when we got 3 out of 10 questions right! We made ourselves feel better by going to sing karaoke afterwards at Shidax (where Lolly joined in the fun).


Stan and I. Hooray, beer!


Julie and Jonathan- looking confident.


Karaoke at Shidax.

Have you heard?


I love Korea! Love, love, love, love, love it!
I think that one of the main reasons that I had such a wonderful trip, and that Korea left such an impression on me, was the people.
I got to see my friend, Kihoon, whom I've missed very much since he went back to Korea from Japan, as well as Chihye, another missionary who lived in the town north of me. Through both of them I met some wonderful, kind, amazing people!




This is post-Pizza Hut dinner. I had a sweet potato, pineapple pizza. Yummy!
Going clockwise from bottom left is Kihoon, Chihye, the two Mrs. Nishis (they're sisters that I studied Korean with), Miss Choi, Miss Min, Nobuyo (a member of my church who I also studied Korean with), and Miss Park. I hope I am spelling everyone's name right!
Kihoon lived for one year as a missionary at my church Kisei Chapel. He is actually the person who helped me to find my faith in God again. He invited me to come to his Korean class at Kisei Chapel, and to play taiko drums and make Japanese pottery. Then I decided to try going to a church service. Wonders never cease, because then I started going every week!
Chihye lived for 2 years as a missionary in Odai, the town north of mine. I didn't know her very well in Japan, but I got to know her better while I was in Korea. She's so sweet, and I felt very inspired by her faith.
The Nishi sisters both studied Japanese at my church. They are very funny ladies.
I met Nobuyo at church, and we also studied Korean together. She is a junior high school English teacher.
Miss Choi, Miss Min, and Miss Park all lived at Kisei Chapel in the past as missionaries. They all speak Japanese really well.




It was funny hanging out with this group, because although I was in Korea, I got a lot of Japanese practice! The ladies from Japan said it was really funny to watch Koreans and an American speaking Japanese together, instead of one of our native languages!


This is Grace, Esther, and I in the subway station near Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. Chihye introduced me to them and we all went sightseeing together. Grace is a member of Chihye's church. She was sooo sweet. She's 20 years old, and has never been overseas, but she speaks English so well! She was so kind to me, and went out of her way to help me have a great time in Seoul! Esther was a former classmate of Chihye's. She is a school teacher now. She also went out of her way for me, and I am really grateful to have met her!


This is Chihye and I posing beneath what is supposed to represent a typical Korean face. Both of Chihye's parents seemed to think that I looked Korean. No, I don't know what they were talking about. Maybe it's my cheeks. Chihye's mother even asked if I had any Korean relatives or ancestors! Hilarious!


This is Samonim, the pastor's wife at Kihoon's church; me; and Kiyoung, Kihoon's 16 year old cousin. We all ate dinner together at the church and then played ping-pong on my first night back in Busan. Samonim is really, really hilarious. She was one of my very favorite people that I met in Korea. She really likes speaking English, even though she's not very good at it! Kihoon explained to me that she had prayed for God to send her someone to speak English with, and then one day an American woman named Sarah showed up at her church. She became friends with Sarah, but Sarah is living outside of Busan now, so she doesn't get to see her very often. Then she prayed again for God to send her someone to speak English with, and I showed up at her church. She was soooo happy to spend time with me! I love Samonim!


Samonim, Kihoon, and Kiyoung. Kiyoung was so sweet. He studies English in school, and has studied Japanese for fun. So, I was able to speak both English and Japanese with him. I hope that he'll keep studying both, because it's such a wonderful thing to be able to communicate with people from other countries!


Samonim, Kihoon, and I. I miss them.

いろいろ


Today I came home from school, stripped off my sweaty track pants and polo shirt, sat on my couch in my underwear, and watched TV while I ate rice and daikon (a big radish) kimchi. Does that sound strange? The daikon kimchi was so delicious, and it felt so good to be out of my sweaty clothes. I felt perfectly content as I sat there enjoying every crunchy bite. I can't wait to eat the rest of that daikon kimchi, and then buy more. I learned this week that kimchi doesn't work very well as something that you take to school for lunch. It's quite smelly. Even tupperware and a lunch bag couldn't really stifle that fragrant kimchi odor! I felt like there was a little cloud of cabbagey stinkiness around my desk!

Last weekend I called Jonathan and we met up to go for a swim. We drove to a near deserted beach in Kii Nagashima (where Jonathan lives) and floated around in the sea for awhile. It's been nothing but rain around here lately, and that day was no exception. So we swam beneath the clouds. There's a Japanese word for "sea of clouds". I'm quite fond of it. The word is "雲海".

I love that you can float on your back in the sea and not even have to move your arms or legs to keep afloat. There are some really beautiful beaches in this area. I wish I had gone swimming more during the summer! On the way home Jonathan and I saw about 8 monkeys by the road. We stopped to try and take pictures of them, but I was on the wrong side of the car for it, and the monkeys around here don't seem to like having their pictures taken!



I am reading "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami.
I am entirely obsessed. But perhaps obsessed is not the right word.
I am wrapped up in it.
I am filled up by it.
I felt the same way when I was reading "Norwegian Wood" by Murakami. I feel as if my own world is altered as I read about the world that the characters in his books inhabit. Wouldn't you like to read it and tell me if you feel any strange effects?

I feel the need to write a "Japanese countryside appreciation" post.
Lately, I've been very focused on how much I like cities, but the bicycle ride I went on this evening reminded me of how wonderful it is where I live.
Once I turned off the noisy, main route, all I could hear was wind, cicadas, and frogs. In every direction I was surrounded by green mountains and rice fields.
I stopped by a small pond where I had seen some massive koi the last time I took this same route. They were still there, and seemed excited at the prospect of getting some food from me, but sadly I had nothing to give but a smile, and they probably didn't notice that!



Soon after that something caught my eye off to my left side. It was a monkey dropping from a tree branch! Then I realized that there were actually about 5 or 6 monkeys, including a baby hanging onto its mother. Oh, I love monkeys! They're so cute. The monkeys here are Macaques with funny, little, red faces. They all quickly ran away when I stopped my bicycle.
I rode far enough today to find the "Ouchiyama Fureai Bokujou", which is a farm where one can see cows (and possibly other animals), and make butter by hand. It was already closed, but now that I know where it is, I'll have to go back on another weekend.
On my way back towards my house, I saw one of my favorite first graders from Ouchiyama elementary school. His face lit up when he saw me and he yelled "Meigaaaan sensei!" So, I yelled "Hello" and waved. Then he responded with the cutest little "Harrrrrooo". He even rolled his R. It was precious. I had a big smile on my face after that!
My little village here in the Japanese countryside is amazing. I feel very blessed to live in such a beautiful, peaceful place (with a little used car disposal problem)!