We did a photowalk today in Miyazaki City...and being me, I decided to shoot using something I don't normally take with me...extreme macro.

The following pictures were all taken with a 100mm macro lens with a 25mm extension tube. Most of them 12/14 were taken using all 3 of my magnification filters on top of that. At F/8, we were looking at an in-focus range of about 1-2mm. Oh, and I handheld all of these. I am a God!

For a size perspective, the ring in 6283 is my wedding ring, and it one of the two taken *without* the mag filters.



Extreme Macro Photography

I went along with the first graders today on their field trip of the local area. We went to Kitaura Fishing Port, Shiroyama Park (Shiro means castle, so literally, "Castle Mountain Park", site of the ruins of the samurai castle in Nobeoka), and to a Shochu (alcohol, kinda like Vodka) plant.

Lots of pictures of happy smiling students, mostly taken for them and for my teachers, not sure how interesting it will be to anyone else, but these are my kids, bless them all :) I only have them for another week, then they move up a grade and I get a new batch. They've been awesome, and I will really miss them.

Nobetaka Field Trip 08-03-12

So I was the official photographer for the wedding, 'cause he didn't want to spend $4000 on one ;) It was actually a lot of fun, the hotel he was married at took care of the posed boring stuff, so I just got to shoot like I wanted to :)

Hidaki's Wedding

It was a very Western wedding, which was ironic, 'cause people kept asking V and I what we thought of the "Japanese" style...we were like, "What, the Swiss Minister, the tuxes or the French food at the reception?"

*grin*

Remember, if it happens *in* Japan, it *is* Japanese.

Japanese people can't fucking park.

Behold, on our entry into the grocery store:



Now, on our EXIT from the same grocery store, 10 minutes later:



I would like to point out that neither car had a handicapped tag. I laugh at those who think that Japanese people follow the rules!

Ok, since everyone thinks all I do in this country is complain, I'll start this off with "I had a great weekend."

Saturday I went down to Hyuga to practice for the Hyottoko, which is a dance festival on August 4th that we gaikokujin are entering a team for. There are about 12 of us in our team, and I'm dancing the role of the kitsune, or fox-spirit. I was pretty psyched, that was the role I wanted, but I wasn't going to be a bitch and whine for it...instead, everyone else got nervous and pretty much thrust it on me...darn, throw me into that briar patch. We practiced for about 3 hours, then went to the Onsen (ah, sweet baths with views of the ocean, how I love thee) and hung out in a cabin until the wee hours watching the greatest Arnold movie ever made, "Commando". Good times, good times.

V and genki_sakka came and picked me up on Sunday about 11:00, and we drove down to Aoshima Beach, a bit south of Miyazaki City. We hooked up with lovely_fatima and iceaffinity, walked in perfectly calm ocean water the temperature of bathwater, and chilled. Post-beach was the trip to "Animate" (aka, the geek store) for anime squealing by the girls, and then dinner was Indian. Even the drive back to Nobeoka didn't totally suck, although my neck and legs were not made for long trips in a K-car.

genki_sakka split yesterday morning, and I spent a day sitting in my office reading Artemis Fowl while my students took exams. V caught a cold and took the day off work.

Today is more exams at school, so it's a slow day for me...and slow days mean....

RENDERS!

Here are 4 recent picts...without internet at home, it's been a pain to upload, so they got a bit backed up.

Officer of the Law...this guy looks a lot like my old friend Seb from college...

Scavenger I'm really happy with this one, please look at it full size to see the details of the ruined city below her.

Breakfast in the Ruins

Do You Apes Wanna Live Forever?

Anyway, lemme know what you think :)

One of the players in my Scion game just emailed me to say that she's not really into gaming, and doesn't want to play anymore.

*sigh* I'm not at all upset with her, gaming really isn't her background at all, and I can understand why she feels the way she does...but...she was one of 3 players, so there pretty much ends my gaming in Nobeoka.

Its hard to be here sometimes. I'm allergic to the trees that are all around, so being here literally makes me sick. I've had 4 sinus infections this year alone. There are very few people who have anything at all in common with me, and I often feel very alone.

I think back to this time last year, and well...I was much happier than I am now, and felt much more fulfilled in my life. Maybe that's not a bad thing - It could be argued that I'm growing and learning in the face of adversity...but it doesn't make it any easier in the short run.

I know you think that I've forgotten the meaning of the word photography, but here are some scans from my trip to Hewadai Park with my father last month.

Hewadai Park Statues

So today, the first of the new Miyazaki ALTs joined the mailing list. I admin the list, so I know all the newbies when they start. Anyway, he posted asking for the usual info.

God help him, he's in Shiiba Village. Keep in mind that the Japanese call where I live a "city", and I think of it as a small town. Shiiba is in the ass-crack of nowhere, nestled deep between the butt-cheeks of obscurity and miniscuity. There is no train, and no other JET for about 40km in any direction.

What can you say to someone like that, "Well, the scenery is really nice. You'll have to drive for 45 minutes to get to a grocery store, and you're going to freeze your ass off in the winter. Oh, there's probably a pig farm or two nearby as well!"

It brought back memories of this time last year, when I was in the same boat...what is this place called "Nobeoka"?

*laugh*

I wanted to reassure him that it wasn't going to be horrible, but I hate lying to people. I told my supervisor about the placement, and even HE (a Japanese person, and thus biologically incapable of saying bad things about his country), winced for the poor boy.

Worst of all, he's replacing the one cute redhead in our entire prefecture! *evil grin*

I am now the proud owner of a Japanese Drivers License. No more international permit for me baby, I've proven I can turn like a Granny and accelerate like a New York cabbie. The driving test has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever taken part in, and I failed it the first time I took it a week ago, but 2nd time's the charm, and I'm 100% legal :)

Americans will have no understanding of what a pain in the ass this process was, but take my word for it.

This last weekend, my English Department had their annual teacher trip. We went to Yufuin in Oita, which is one of the top 3 most famous onsen (hot bath) spots in Japan. Oita is the prefecture just north of us, and Yufuin is about a 2.5 hour drive. All 8 of us climbed into a van and drove up on Saturday afternoon.

Picts taken with my point and shoot digital

I took two rolls of B&W film as well, but I've got to get that developed first.

Impressions: Yufuin is nice, but it's hardly the "must see" spot of Japan. It strikes me as a place that has hyped it's own reputation to ensure it stays in business...which I can understand, but regardless...

The landscape is very interesting, it looks more like mountainous California than most of Japan, some places almost look like the Serrengetti.

The baths were awesome, I'll definitely say that much.

Saturday night, I hopped a train with my male co-teachers and we went into Oita city for debauchery...how much, I didn't really know at the time, but it did give me a chance to come face to face with the "beautiful culture" they have here in Japan...which is to say, the rampant racism and xenophobia. Yes friends, I was refused entry into a bar because I wasn't Japanese....Now, as it turns out, it looked a lot like a house of ill repute, and I'm not really into that sort of thing, so I wasn't too upset to not have to make excuses for my teachers, but nonetheless, when we walked up to the door, the guy at the front stated firmly, "Nihonjin-dake!" (Japanese people only).

My teachers at least had the grace to look embarrassed, but they still tried to pass it off as no big deal (this is after they tried to tell me that it wasn't my fault, to which I told them that I understood the guy at the door, so I knew it *was* my fault.) This sort of thing happens ALL THE TIME, and it's one of the reasons why I get pissed with ignorant Americans who say how great Japan is without ever being here. You're talking about a country where it is legal, accepted and commonplace to refuse to rent to someone because they are foreigners - and we haven't started talking about their job hiring practices yet. Behavior that went out of fashion in America in the 60s and 70s are alive and well in the land of the rising sun. If you've ever really wondered what it feels like to be viewed as sub-human, let me just say that it's not all it's cracked up to be.

On the positive, we left there and went to a kick-ass yakitori joint, so hey, minus one hooker blowjob, plus one plate of grilled chicken on a stick...I think I came out ahead in the long run.

Sunday we did the whirlwind tour of Kojima, the amusement park nearby - rode two rollercosters, visited the gift shop, and were outta there in less than an hour. Lunch was an amazing steak place in Beppu, then we hit the sulfur outdoor onsen in Beppu (where I was glared at for being foreign once again), and then hit the road for home. By the time we were back @ Nobetaka, I was wore the fuck out. You might not realize just how tiring it is to focus on listening to Japanese and trying to understand for 2 days straight. Even though I don't know that much, I can follow conversations pretty well, as long as I'm concentrating...but damn, it wears you out!

Went home, watched a CSI with V, and was in bed by 10:30. This week at school is the entrance test for middle schoolers, so no classes until Thursday or Friday...long, slow week ahead of me.

Anyways, that's the update!

First off, I *heart* demonoid.com.

Classes start back today, even though I only have 10 between now and April...that's right, *TEN* classes to teach in the next month...jeez, this is definitely not the place to be if you want to work hard.

Classes mean that judo starts again today as well...oh, the pain.

Went to the gym last night, stacked the calve machine...So I may only be able to bench 95kgs, but I can do calve raises with the best of them. Even the owner of the gym was impressed. Rode my bike to school this morning, and I definitely felt it a bit. Tonight, no gym :)

My render is coming along, but slowly. After 70+ hours, I'm at about 23%! I'm hoping that it speeds up when it gets to the top of the image. It seems that rendering inside a cloud takes a *long* time. From what I see though, it's going to look cool, even if it isn't done until next week. I'd guess the other problem is bit torrent, I think I'm draining a fair amount of CPU off towards downloading files...

Tim and Michelle are coming out to visit in two weeks, then two weeks after that, we're headed to Tokyo to see genkisakka, and then my Dad is coming for 3 weeks, and then we're headed to Raleigh for Andy's wedding! Busy two months...

Feeling lonely and restless today at work..it's one of the biggest things that sucks about being in Japan - the time difference. Even if I was in southernmost Argentina, I could spend time online talking with friends, 'cause they'd be up and about. In Japan, the 14 (soon to be 13 again) hour difference makes that very difficult.

I'm at work, it's almost noon on Monday, but for everyone I know, it's 9:30 on Sunday night.

Ironically, I think it might have been easier before the Internet, because no one was used to being able to communicate real time whenever they wanted.

*shrug*

Oh, so weekend update: I went to the Art Festival in Miyazaki, my nine B&W picts won "Most Miyazaki-esque", which was flattering. I've posted them before, but here's the link if you want to see: Festivals in B&W.

I had to leave the city right after the "Meet the Artists" session, as I had to give my speech on Ijime to the Rotary Club. It went really well, my Japanese sounded fine, and I think I got some people to think a bit about the problem, and more importantly, the *cause* of the problem. It's long, so it's behind a cut, but if you want to read it....

( Ijime Speech in English and Japanese )

It's definitely the most Japanese I've ever spoken at one time, it took about 8 minutes to get through the whole thing. I have to say though, it was a lot of fun, and I'd happily do something like that again :)

Sunday I pretty much napped most of the day, then ran my Exalted game...we're in the bridge section between the first and second story acts, but it's going to pick up again soon. I wish I had *one* more player, but 3 is better than none :)

Today is exams at Nobetaka, so no classes for me....lots of Internet, followed by reading some more of the Garrett Files books by Glen Cook on my iPaQ.

Went up into the mountains this weekend to a little town called "Gokase" to go skiing/snowboarding with some other JETs. The Gokase ski slope is pretty tiny, there's one hill and two lifts, but for my level of snowboarding experience, I don't yet need Whistler ;) Had a great time, boarded for about 4 hours and really cemented the lessons I took 2 years ago in Canada. By the end of the day, I was going down the slope relatively gracefully, even if I don't know how to turn yet ;>

I didn't take my camera on the trip, but there were plenty of others, and here's me:

Here are the 9 pictures I sent in for the "International Art Show 2006" that they hold in Miyazaki city in Feb.

Combination of film and digital, the film was shot with 1600 B&W pushed to 3200, then scanned and cleaned up slightly (removed dust and that sort of thing)

http://www.pinatagod.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=727

There was a festival in Miyazaki City last night, and I took some picts. I did two rolls of B&W 1600 shot at 3200, but that'll take a week to get back. In the meantime, here are some with the Olympus 720.

http://www.pinatagod.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4224

Word.

Well, despite the fact that I went out drinking until 6:00am this morning, I got up, road my bike up Atagoyama, went to a festival downtown, and explored down by the ocean.

http://www.pinatagod.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4162

Here's some stuff from around Nobeoka this last week....most of it today, when I went out on a bike ride up into the mountains.

http://www.pinatagod.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4097

Here are some picts from yesterday's sea kayaking expedition.

Kayaking in Nango Town

I'll be teaching at Nobeoka Koko (called Nobetaka for short)...they are an extremely academic school, with consistently the highest English test scores in the prefecture...which means none of them can speak English for shit.

The Japanese education system is built around taking tests. People study for tests, they memorize for tests, and classes are setup to help you pass tests....so, my students can read and write English...but speak it? No way. This is why an entire HS only has 6 classes a week where I will be able to help them speak...and why only first years do any oral work at all, the higher ups are preparing for college entrance exams.

I think I'm going to spend much of my time in the gym with PE classes...and hopefully there is a photography club.

Maybe I'll get around to writing my novel.

Vickie and I got our final placements today!!!

I will be at Nobeoka Koko, teaching 16 year olds. I have a single school placement, and my pred tells me that I'll teach 6-10 classes a week. I'd actually talked to my pred online last week without knowing she had my placement.

...and Vickie got her husband's job. She's going to be working for the actual BOE (board of education.) I have one school, she has 12, with somewhere around 3000 students! This also means that V will probably be driving me to work and then doing the rounds (ah, sweet karma comes back around.)

Apartment-wise, we'll have a large place with 3 main rooms + a bathroom, washroom, kitchen and patio. To quote V's pred: "It is a very chill place and the neighborhood is great! There is a supermarket right around the corner and a nood shop next to it that's awesome." When you add the fact that they pay about $150 a month in rent, I think I can handle that.

Nobeoka doesn't sound too bad actually. It's about 2.5 hours north of Miyazaki-city, so yes, to come visit, you'll fly 13 hours to Tokyo, 1.5 hours to Miyazaki city, and then drive for 3 hours to see us...basically, a LONG trip ;) That being said, there are about 120,000 people in Nobeoka, and it has the basic necessities of a city (good indian food!) plus surfing, hiking, clubs for martial arts and a real gym. Score! (Or, it being world cup time, "GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!")

So, we know where we're going, and we're ready to do it. Now it's just waiting for July 29th. Sweet :)