I went to take a look at the back yard for the first time today. Yesterday we bought a rack, I think it was meant for curtains, but as from now on it will serve as a clothes rack inside and a clothes line outside. As I was tieing the ropes to secure the rack I was observing our neighbors' side. The have some broken and unused earthenware flower pots and an old shelf outside, in addition to some rusty junk that I don't recognize. They seem to listen (who would look at TV that many hours??!!) to the TV from early morning (say eightish) to midnight. (Later I came to know that the lady was almost deaf and she was able to sleep while the tv was on - sometimes from 4.30 untill 4AM!! Yes, 12 hours.) As I came in to type, they opend their door-windows and went outside. I think I will wait for a better time to say hello.

I also took some pictures in the back yard. There is a piece of land with grass but also some flowers that look planted on purpose. I don't know if we can use it or not. I would certainly like to grow something. I think I will have to ask the agency. The pictures I took try to convey the size of a grasshopper (or whatever it was) that I first thought was a cockroach (gokiburi) as it was large, brown, and fast. Then I saw a green thin grasshopper, that even I could recognize. There was a big cockroach inside yesterday, and I'm a little jumpy... I realize they won't harm humans, but somehow the pure thought of it... well, we had a good laugh and even tried to take a picture of it, but it was too fast. Lesson number 2: never leave the ofuro (bathroom) window open, not even to remove humidity.

Now I will have to go to the bus stop near the supermarket and then take a ride to the campus. I will have some raamen for lunch, and then I will try to find out about the Internet and/or mobile phones. In the early evening I will try to find the International Lounge, but let's see now.

It seems I had time to find the international lounge and see a glimpse of the city. I took the bus from the University and walked outside the walls of Kenrokuen Park. The international lounge was well marked, so, although the entrance is on a tiny street, it was easy enough to find. The staff was kind and I chose some classes. My first classes are already tomorrow, so I have to make it an early night. I stuffed myself with miso raamen, so I should feel sleepy soon. Unfortunately, I can hear the "TV neighbors" are awake.

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2005

I'm thrilled about the amount of animals I got to see today. In the morning, I saw a crane landing right in front of me in the grass. I sneaked around for a good while while I had a chance to observe it. Then, a little lizzard came to say hello while I was admiring the crane. The hawks were gone when the crane was hunting for insects, but it must have been a coincidence. In the evening the hawks were back. These are supposed to be the last good days in Kanazawa before the winter. I think I burned my face by sitting in the sun and walking downtown.

Friday, Oct 15, 2005

On Wednesday I had my first classes at the International Lounge. They made me feel welcome and especially the first teacher was my kind. The other only spoke Japanese, and the two other students were far better than me, so I was repeating "wakarimasen" over and over. I think I will choose the first lesson, although the book used in the second class would be the same as in Finland. And yesterday, between my classes, one of the two clerks, Susuki-san, shared her lunch with me! I don't even know her! She didn't accept anything in retur, so I will find her some gift I can take to her as a token of gratitude.

The tokens of gratitude ar numerous in this country. As you are supposed to bring a gift to whom ever you're visiting, people end up receiving a multitude of gifts that they really don't need. Okazawa-sensei's wife told us sometimes elderly people, who already have everything, sell the gifts that they receive at the "free market" (=the flea market - the Japanese pronounce "l" as "r") held twice a year. Somehow it strikes me unnecessary to bring totally unnecessary gifts and ending up with the same kind of surplus yourself, but naturally the gifts are not unnecessary, as they serve as a form of politeness.

As the Okazawas had me stay at their house for a night, they nowhave a Finnish hand (self) made woven birch bark basquet and some dried Finnish dark rye bread, which, Okazawa-sensei ate at breakfast. Okazawa-sensei's wife has now a Finnish Aarikka broach. Now there's need for a mail order of birch bark from Finland, in case somebody else sends an invitation. Birch bark is light wight and only costs the time and effort it takes to make something of it. I must admit I sometimes would prefer to use money instead of that much energy, but money is a scarce resource :-) Today I took a class in traditional Japanese dancing. The choreography is simple, but since the movements are so different from ours, I tend to overdo things. But somebody that had practiced for months told me I pick things up quickly, so I guess the years of practice finally pays off. The sensei is pretty tough, though. No consolation rounds for those that do not understand much Japanese. And you're supposed to get it right NOW. :-)

When I came home today, I was thinking that I should take pictures of things we ought to copy and things we certainly don't want to import to Finland. Then I thought it is nice to be able to learn kanji and Japanese in general in action. When the kanji immediately have a useful meaning and they are learned "on demand," I learn them quicly and with little effort. I'm taking kanji lessons anyhow, singce there is always many other meanings, uses, and pronunciations to a kanji than the one I learn on the go. But the connection to real life really helps. I wonder if I will be able to simulate that in my own classes.

Today I had a first try at the electric blanket. It might come in handy - it's only fall, and it's already chilly during the night and in the mornings. I have to get an additional futon mattress though; my back is killing me. And still no pillow! I saw the "pea sack" type pillows in Nitori Interiaa store today. They also had odd geisha type pillows for preserwing the hairdo, and all sorts of neck pillows, tempuras, and pillows made of woven straw. But since I already bought a kimono and a pair of wooden geta shoes at the free maruketto, should I try one of the traditional type pillows, too? I'm already sleeping on the floor, sitting on flat cushions on the tatami at a really low table having tea with dried fish... And naturally there are surippas (slippers) waiting for me at the door (no walking in shoes inside) and another, quarantined pair of surippas should be inside the toiru (toilet), but for now there are none, so no choice but to chage into walking shoes when going to the bathroom. Or no, actually I finally have a separate bathroom called o-furo. There you are supposed to FIRST, outside the bathtub, scrub your self clean, shower etc. and THEN plunge in the tub, in the same water which the entire family then will use. At the Okazawas, not only the family used it, but the guests had the priviledge to bathe first, and the Okazawas bather after that, I suppose. Well, the same kind of behavior as in Finlad when using a public swimming pool, so no problems there.

The laundry newer dries here. If it's sunny, it's still humid, but most of the year it just rains. In the strores they sell combined heater - cloth lines. It has been raining all day, and it is supposed to go on forever. I'm glad I decided to bring a good raincoat, and at the free maket I found a cheap pair of rather new rubber boots / shoes. Then I bought a pair of red hiking boots, cool! The mountains are inviting, and the nature is marvellous. It rains a lot, but the subtropical climate also caters for a plentitude of huge plants and big insects. There is a small "bamboo forest" near the campus. People also grow bamboo to get free shoots. Food is pretty expensive here, about the same as in Finlad with the very noticeable exception of fruits: ONE banana or apple can cost ONE EURO or more, but hey, they are individually packaged to prevent damage... they could sell some less protected fruit to poor students for a lower price!! No fruit eating this year! But what's odd, eating out is almost as cheap / expensive as buying your food at the market and preparing it at home. But I'm taking Japanese cooking, so I will have to find some reasonably cheap rice and fish next week, but I thought I'd ask the teacher for some tips on where and what to buy.

Tomorrow I will need to find cheap plastic toiru surippas and a pillow. Next on the list are 1) mobile phone, 2) kotatsu for the winter, but maybe someone at the Lounge will help 3) my Japanese book and 4) maybe a bicicle would be cheaper than taking the bus: just going pack and forth to the Lounge costs me almost 600 yen. It's a long ride, though, and I will not be enjoying it in the rain... But as a clever person I brought my red HellyHansen's humidity resistant pants, too!

Everything is so American: quilt patterns in kotatsu blankets, big American style flowers in beddings, American electric outlets, the gas stoves, the aluminium hyönteisovet.. OK, there are some new Japanese trends, also: everything is made of plastic: toilet tissue holders, toilets, shelves, everything. The packages in the store look America - but there is one BIG / small difference: the size. If Marshmallows in the States come in a plastic SACK, here they come in a puny little bag.

Monday, Oct 17, 2005

Made contact with a giant grasshopper today at campus. I can see how the noise in the night is SO LOUD. In the morning I also so the crane landing in the grass, but I didn't have the chance to observe it longer. What a pitty!

I went to change my address to the Alien Registration Office. We had an interestin "discussion" about "hte head of household." (not family, huh) I tried to ask, when the clerk told me to decide about the "head," what the practical implications would be for someone whose "the head." I got no answer, since my question was too difficult to answer. So I chose myself to be the head of my household, haha.

I also finally found a centrifuge function the washing machine has. Wow. a) it's outside. (the machine) b) there seems to be no place for the detergent, so I just put it in with the clothes... c) it only uses cold (cold!) water, no 40 degrees C, no 60, not to mention 90...

Oct. 19, 2005

My birthday. Too bad it's already now, since there are only few people, especially Japanese people, that I could invite. I also don't know how to celerbrate a Japanese style birthday. I have my Casio ExWord now, an electronic dictionary, though, since it had arrivedc at Daiwa, a big department store downtown, as they ordered one for me. Now I can write in kanji on a tablet, and I don't have to use the radical lookup.

During the week yakiniku was the name of the new game. It is food you prepare yourself on a gas grill, a fire, and the pertions are so small even I need a few of them. The problem is, they are quite expensive. The most exotic one I encountered this time was the toe of a pig. There's not much to eat, a lot of fat, but whatever there is to eat, is good.

For my birthday only a regular Japanese restaurant near Jusco, a local supermarket, and Yamaya, a "world food and beverage" store. The waiter mixed up the order, so I ended up drinking a lot more wine than I ordered - what a nice way to make up for the error, but I felt a little, hm, tired in the morning.

Oct. 31, 2005. Halloween

Finally a contract for optical fibre internet at home. Too bad it will be connected after 3 weeks. Junko, the tutor, has been a great help. Then a membership of a local gym: wow. And what about the name: AIM Skyship??!! Ok, they have it all, and it's COOL. I don't dare to think about the ones downtown.

Today a store called Daiei closed, and I wanted to go to buy a real silk kimono for only 10 000 yen, but I didn't have the time. And I would have needed some guidance, since I wish to have a traditional and tasteful one with a matching obi belt. Well, maybe I can find a used one later, but probably not, since the Japanese don't seem too interested in used stuff, selling, nor buying. 6 hours at Daiei was cool, though, but not for my feet. So sad it closes.

Tomorrow I will have a Japanese cooking class, and then I'm for my first Japanese aero (bics) class. I happened to see level 5, the highest, through the glass... I might want to think twice about taking that. Even as an instructor.

Sad thet there was no Halloween for me. This is the first time in 18 years that I didn't do anything for Halloween. There might have been a party at the kaikan, but...

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005

National holiday, but all stores seem to be open, and this morning the Internet guys knocked on the door, took some pictures in and outside the house, gave their card, and disappeared. I went to the university. There is a 2-day festival, Thursday and Saturday. All the clubs displayed their activities. I ate some oden, Japanese style veggies simmered in broth, some ika (squid) and other oddities. I enjoyed the calligraphy exhibition and yosakoi, Japanese modernized festival dancing in which they compete, too. I can't but admire the dedication of the small children - who says it is impossible to teach small kids stuff that demands discipline and persistance??

Japanin ruusut...