Here are some pictures from the first day of Nobetaka's Bunkasai (Culture Festival) '08:

Bunkasai '08 Day #1

Well, not really, but close enough.

As I said yesterday, some guy in the house right next to my school killed himself with poison gas. The cops and the fire department came by about 1:45 yesterday afternoon, and they made us close all the windows and doors in our school, which made teaching right uncomfortable (getting hot in Japan at the moment)

Found out a few more details in the news today...the guy was 20 years old, living at home with his parents, who were out when he killed himself. He bought the chemicals to make the gas at a hardware store, and the clerk called the police due to the fact that many people have offed themselves in this manner this year...the police broke into his house, but too late to save him.

I really want to show this sort of thing to the incoming JETs who are starting to post with wide-eyed innocence on all the websites. I feel like saying, "You know, if this is such a *great* country, why do its citizens keep offing themselves in record numbers?" Not only that, but they seem to enjoy killing themselves in ways that cause maximum problems for those around them.

I have no real issue with suicide. Hell, I've recommended it, semi-seriously, to some of my depressed friends on occasion. If you truly feel like your life has nowhere to go, then maybe ending it is the best thing....

But.

Don't fucking bother the rest of us with it. Last week in the neighboring prefecture, 70 people were hospitalized after some asshole pulled the same gas-bullshit. Several weeks ago in Tokyo, it was over 300 people.

You want to end it, end it. If you have the energy for grand statements, make them in person. Dickheads.

Oh yeah, still haven't found out who our successors will be, so we have no idea if they'll buy our stuff, or even if they'll be married and can thus have our apartment. Semi-stressful. I'd almost rather know I wasn't going to get a successor, then I could start dealing with stuff. I don't mind taking care of things, I just like to know when I have to.

In final news, I have to go to work tomorrow to SIT AT MY FUCKING DESK ALL GODDAMN DAY, BECAUSE SOME SHITHEAD [edited but left in so comments make sense] CLUB LEADERS HAVE TO GO TO A BIG SPORTS MEET. See, being Japan, it wouldn't be fair for some teachers to have to work, so the rest of us have to come in and jerk off all day, even though we have nothing to do. I'm going to slip out about noon and hope no one notices - it's not like any of them talk to me anyway. Worst that happens is I fall on my sword on Monday and claim I "forgot" to write down my half day of vacation.

I'm done. I still really enjoy teaching my classes, but that's a maximum of 5 hours a week. The rest of the time at school, I'm just thinking about leaving.

So there's this great waterfall just down the road from us, and I've never actually been....so last Sunday, Corey and I went a'climbin'. Corey decided to play "smack the rock" with his face, and I got pictures of that too :)

Mukabaki Falls

Here are the picts from the Kimono party in Nobeoka today. There are a lot, but these were more for the people involved than to showcase my photography.

Kimono Party

One of our students killed herself this last weekend. She had just graduated, I don't know if she got into her college or not, but either way, it's a sad, sad thing.

It is interesting that almost all suicides do not occur when things are blackest. People wait until after the highest stress moment, and then fall apart. This girl was done...and now she really is.

I don't know which student it was, I never taught her, but she was in 3-5 with several kids I do know, and they have to be feeling it now..along with her parents, friends, home room teacher...the whole things sucks.

All parties this month at my school have been canceled, so no hanami for me this year. Which is fine, I don't drink anyway, but I do like talking to my teachers away from work.

I don't know if it bothers me more than other people or not, but when I was 20, I was more than borderline suicidal myself, and....I dunno...there's an and there somewhere.

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

Just had the first earthquake I've noticed since moving here...there have been 2-3 others, but I either slept through them or just didn't notice. This one shook the building at work. It was magnitude 5.1.

[EDIT] It was 5.1 at the epicenter. In Nobeoka it was 2.xxx (not sure about the decimal)

Last weekend was my school's "Bunkasai", or culture festival. I actually had a really good time, the students are amazingly creative, and I have to wonder where they find time to do things like practice in their bands, when they're at school so damned much.

Saturday was the "Opening Show", the 2nd year "Classroom Exhibitions", and the 3rd year "Student Plays".

Sunday was the 1st year's "Choral Competition", more class plays, and then 5 student bands.

Nobetaka Bunkasai '07

Yeah, that's right, getting the hell out of the Otake-cho ghetto. When I was sick with a sinus infection a week ago for the 5th time since coming to Nobeoka, one of my JTEs mentioned that my pred used to have allergy problems from the mold in my apartment. He then asked me why I didn't move? My response was something like, "You mean, I'm allowed to move?"

Turns out yes, I am. He helped me find an apartment in another set of teacher housing on the other side of Nobeoka. The new place is MUCH newer and nicer...for one thing, it has a water heater...yeah, I know, crazy-luxury, right?

There was a bit of trauma since we will be the first non-Japanese teachers living there (damn foreigners might do crazy things, you never know!), but it's been resolved and we will be moving next Tuesday. Woohoo! (incidentally, one of the biggest reasons given to deny Chinese people apartments is "They use a lot of oil in their cooking, so it would mess up the walls." Japanese people pretty much hate all foreigners equally, it's not an American thing.)

Between that and the bed I'm buying from another departing ALT, and it will almost feel like I have a real life! Maybe if I can quit being sick all the time, my mood will improve too...the damned drugs fuck with me.

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 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.

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

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 :)