宇治金時
It's the thick of summer here now and what better way to tackle the unrelenting heat than to down a bowl of this delightfully refreshing iced shavings dessert or kakikori (かき氷). Initially, I couldn't really comprehend the Japanese obsession with it, I mean it's just ice-kacang isn't it. I was quite taken aback that many would happily fork out a couple of dollars just for a bowl of syrupy flavored ice. Through the many conversations I had with people, quite a handful of them even seem to think that ice-kacang is unique to Japan and that it must be fascinating for the uninitiated foreigners. So when they found out that we can eat this stuff ALL year round, it was their turn to be surprised. And then it dawned upon me that the reason why kakikori is being devoured in such a celebrated manner is because you only get to eat it in the few hot months before the cooling air signals the coming of autumn and ice-kacang is out of favor once again.
Recently though I've developed a craving for this particularly Japanese style ice-kacang called (Ujikintoki). Instead of the usual fruity and sweet flavor, this one uses green tea syrup and has chunks of red bean paste hidden beneath the pile of ice. Eaten with drizzles of condense milk, the wonderful combination of red bean and green tea is simply heavenly! Given the fact that I wasn't much of an ice-kacang fan back home, I amazed myself when I was able to finish the entire bowl of this icy summer treat just on my own. Somehow I can't remember enjoying ice-kacang this much before. Or maybe I'm just bias because ujikintoki puts together 2 of my favorite distinctively Japanese ingredients to create something this delectable.
Perhaps it's time to pay more attention to ice-kacang when I am home again. But if anyone does come to Japan during summer time, please do give my favorite Japanese ice-kacang a try. If you are like me and really enjoy traditional Japanese sweets, I promise you will like ujikintoki too.
A house is made of wood and beams; a home is built from love and dreams
I was writing some cards at the desk last night when the screen saver mode of my laptop came on and the pictures slideshow started. As images after images streamed across the screen, some of earlier days when I just arrived, others of places I've been to, people whom I've met and activities participated in, it felt as if my entire one year in Japan had just flashed right across my eyes that instant. And as the iTunes continued to sing the familiar Kobukuro song that is always playing in Tamami sensei's car as we go swimming, tears just welled up unknowingly and before I realised it I was sitting on my tatami floor bawling my eyes out.
I know I am a strong girl and I can handle life's many things. I am more thankful than anything to have the opportunity to experience all that I had so far, for all the unbelievably kind people that I have the good fortune to meet and become friends with and I feel extremely blessed at the knowledge that all this while I have my family and boyfriend's unflinching love and support.
Just that anyone who had experienced being abroad for sometime will be able to understand. Like a friend pointed out exactly, parting is never easy, especially when you're saying goodbye to a life you've built for yourself by yourself in a foreign land.
This is my favorite corner in the entire apartment. As of now, it is still sitting like this at home. I have yet to have the heart to take it down, not quite yet. For when the day comes, it is REALLY time to go.
Happy Birthday Baby!
I am sorry this is the 2nd time in 3 years that we haven't been spending both our birthdays together. But I promise I will make it up ok :)
And before we forget, here is the list of things to do together when I'm back!
1. Exercise together (go to gym & swim at my pool...)
2. Walk to Botanic Gardens from my place & share a piece of the huge double chocolate cake at Dempsey Road's PS cafe
3. Cycle from East Coast to Changi Village and back (you better train up for this, I've been paddling around Narao so it's gonna be a breeze...:P)
4. Picnic at West Coast Park (I'll be in charge of all the food of course :D)
5. Watch movies and have Starbucks Coffee after
6.Hang out at bookstores on some lazy afternoons (how many book vouchers do you still have left by the way?)
7. Read a book or flip magazine at your favourite cafe in town
8. Go clubbing once, just you & me!
9. Weekend trip to Bintan
10. Stay over at my place and just do nothing in particular like always
11. Visit Rywene and Ryan
12.Shopping, strolling, dining at Vivo city and some other new places that I have yet been to
13.You'll take leave on a weekday and we'll have nice and quiet afternoon tea at a hotel
14.Check out wedding venue and attend wedding events together (kinda exciting!)
15.Go flat viewing together (kinda worrying)
16.Learn driving together (let's see who will get our license first!)
17.Holiday in Taiwan in April 2008
Slightly more than 3 weeks, 22 days to be exact till we meet again. One year felt like such a short but yet long time. Can't wait to be back once more!
Have a Happy Birthday today!
Get well soon
Less than 2 more weeks on this island and I have to fall sick at this time. Nothing too serious, just a bad bout of summer flu, a spinning head, runny nose and lack of appetite.
Blame it on the extremely hot weather, the countless parties late into the night this entire week and just lack of rest in general. Whatever it is, I just want to get well fast!
I want to enjoy this weekend's fireworks and summer festival with the folks here, go swimming with Tamami sensei one last time at the pool before leaving,be able to eat tons at the BBQ by the beach this Sunday, ride my bike everyday and enjoy my final trip to Hokkaido.
Get well soon!
永遠と共に
A song that best befits how I am feeling now.
心が今とても穏やかなのはこの日を迎えられた意味を
何よりも尊く感じているから
特別な事など何もないただいつもより少し
シャンとした服を着てるだけ君はとても綺麗だよ
何かといつも忙しくまだまだ想いでは多くないけど
やっとここから踏み出せる未来
始まりの鐘が今この街に響き渡る
共に歩き共に探し共に笑い共に誓い
共に感じ共に選び共に選び共に背負い
共に抱き共に迷い共に筑き共に願い
そんな日々を描きながら
気づかぬ間に二人似たもの同士仕草も笑い顔も
そこに生まれくる命には何よりも尊い二つの光を
ぶつかり合う時も来るさ綺麗な事ばかりじゃないだろうから
全て君と超えてゆくと決めた
始まりの鐘の音をいつまでも忘れない
共に歩き共に探し共に笑い共に誓い
共に感じ共に選び共に選び共に背負い
共に抱き共に迷い共に筑き共に願い
そんな日々を描きながら
Mindfulness
Everytime I re-read this seemingly straightforward teaching, I am totally amazed yet again by all that is said. Such simple truth but yet so hard to put into practice in our daily lives. I remember earlier days, whenever I feel a little down or lonely, or whatever small and insignificant matters that were able to affect my mood, going through this inevitably lifted my spirits and brought new perspectives.
DHAMMAVADAKARemember always that you are just a visitor here,
a traveler passing through.
Your stay is but short, and the moment of your departure unknown.
None can live without toil,
and a craft that provides your needs is a blessing indeed.
But if you toil without rest, fatigue and weariness will overtake you,
and you will be denied the joy that comes from labour's end.
Speak quietly and kindly and be not forward with either opinions or advice.
If you talk much, this will make you deaf to what others say,
and you should know that there are few so wise
that they cannot learn from others.
Be near when help is needed,
but far when praise and thanks are being offered.
Take small account of might, wealth and fame,
for they soon pass and are forgotten.
Instead, nurture love within you and strive to be a friend to all.
Truly, compassion is the balm for many wounds.
Treasure silence when you find it, and while being mindful of your duties,
set time aside, to be alone with yourself.
Cast off pretense and self-deception and see yourself as you really are.
Despite appearances, no one is really evil.
They are led astray by ignorance.
If you ponder this truth always you will offer more light,
rather than blame and condemnation.
You, no less than all beings, have Buddha Nature within.
Your essential Mind is pure.
Therefore, when defilements cause you to stumble and fall,
let not remorse and dark foreboding cast you down.
Be of good cheer and with this understanding, summon strength and walk on.
Faith is like, a lamp, and wisdom makes the flame burn bright.
Carry this lamp always,
and in good time the darkness will yield and you will abide in the Light.
AUGUST 19th!
It's been confirmed. I am coming home on August 19th. On SQ 637 departing from Narita at 11:30 and scheduled to arrive at Changi at 17:35 Singapore time! Despite all the mixed feelings I've been having for the past few weeks, I am certainly looking forward to going home too. Though I still find it hard to believe that I will be leaving Japan in less than a month time now. Hmm...anyway!
Hard to say goodbye
The past few days had been a whirlwind of activities, packed to the brim with classes, being the last week of school before summer vacation begins and the ALT's impending return to her home country. In the midst of all these were numerous farewell gatherings both at schools and outside and I've since lost count of the number of times I've given my farewell-cum-appreciation speech. Reading through the numerous farewell letters and notes I've received from students invariably brought tears to the eyes. I can hardly imagine the day when I step on the ferry one last time to leave this island.
It had been a particularly hard week indeed filled with jumbled thoughts and a heavy heart. The last lesson,the last time traveling this road, the last school lunch. Emotionally it was one hell of a roller coaster ride. The relief at having completed my one year duty without any major complaints or unhappiness; the tinge of regret from the fact that perhaps I could have done something more for my students; the anticipation of returning home to loved ones; the longing for just that bit more time on this island and the realisation that this is really the end.
Of course I've come onto this program being mentally prepared and aware of the transient nature of our stay here. Parting is part and parcel of the whole experience and unavoidable. Just that when the time comes, it's really hard to say goodbye.
Down Memory Lane IV: Creepy Crawlies
This is an entry dedicated to all the scary and yucky things that I never imagined existed but had all made their grand appearance in my apartment, YIKES! Thanks to them though I would like to think that I've become a braver person than I was compared to when I first arrived.
Do you have any idea what this stuff is???
Our first friend here appeared on the tatami floor a few inches from where I was sitting one midsummer evening last year, shortly after moving in. There was totally no sound and no warning at all and I am positively sure that it wasn't there when i left the spot to get a drink at the kitchen. You bet I was freaked out when I returned to find this black gooey thing on the floor! You'd be too won't you? There were no eyes, no whiskers and legs, just this long piece of slimy black body.
I know it's hilarious but it took me humongous effort to get rid it. The sight of it just made me convulsed with fear. There was no one to turn to, no brave mommy on standby and so i just left the gruesome creature where it was for almost half an hour before gathering enough courage to confront (and take a picture of) it. I finally let it inched its way slowly onto some papers, opened my front door and flung it off as far as I could! I later learnt that it was a leech and was bewildered cos the leeches I've heard of are those that thrive in marshes and swaps but who was to know that there is also the mountain species kind!
The funny thing is when I recounted my encounter to the locals most of them were said that they had never seen a leech around before and were surprised that I've seen them not once but twice! Yes, a week ago I found another one glued to my kitchen floor and though equally spooked it took me just a few seconds before I sent another piece of paper flying out of my garden!
When i first arrived, I found little jumpy spiders in my apartment and remember being really afraid of them. The first few unfortunate ones even met their fate as I whacked them with thick wads of magazine papers. It wasn't until I met this fellow that I decided that I've been killing the innocent. I didn't have the heart and honestly the COURAGE to settle this one though it always sent me clambering whenever it decided to come out for a walk.
A year passed and I've since learnt that they too are equally afraid of you as you are of them. These days I just stomp my feet hard whenever I spot one lurking in the shadows somewhere and that alone is enough to send our friend scuttling away.
But wait till you meet Norman the resident spider at Carrie's house! Have you seen spiders the size of these??? At least the spidey at my place has the courtesy of excusing itself. Apparently Carrie tried chasing it away many times but it just kept returning and so her theory is that it's better to have Norman stick around than to have other meaner and scarier visitors like the one below...
The centipede or mukade is no doubt the most evil and most feared of them all. I heard of horror stories of poisonous centipedes in southern Japan but you've got to really see one for yourself to believe it. It has a really menacing presence and I was lucky that Alvin and Sharon were here when my first(and I hope only) centipede appeared in my spare bedroom. The mukade story was an anecdote on its own really but it wasn't that amusing when we (actually only Alvin and Sharon did, I was just hiding behind and screaming my head off during the entire process) were trying to kill the centipede which just wouldn't die easy and fast enough! They managed to get rid of it eventually but not before putting up a tough fight with the unrelenting and spiteful creature!
While I still love my countryside a lot, I certainly can do without all these creepy crawlies around! It won't be another few weeks more before I'll return to the comfort of my own home. And only then can I really say that I survive it all!
Down Memory Lane III: Marathon Madness
This is me being featured in the Nagasaki papers shortly after arriving on the island(think it's about 2 weeks if I remember correctly). Roughly it said that 'the newly arrived ALT at Narao Junior High School, Ms. Teresa Yoong from Singapore, participated in the run after receiving a call from the organiser, Mr. Asagami only a day before the event. When interviewed about how she felt about the run, a panting Ms. Yoong commented that this was her first time running a 5 kilometers course surrounded by such vast nature and though exhausted it was also very fun'.
What the reporter failed to include though was the fact that Ms. Yoong was under the impression that the marathon was a town event attended by her students at school and hence felt an obligation to be a good sport. At least that was what she understood from Mr. Asagami the town dentist and marathon enthusiast who said that 'this is a town event and EVERYONE runs together!' And so Ms. Yoong turned up at the event only to realise that while there were indeed students from schools participating in the run, it wasn't compulsory for her to turn up and the best part was she had to pay ￥3000 sign up fees to torture herself with a mainly 5 kilometer uphill course!
Looking back now it was a really amusing case of miscommunication but it was certainly not funny when I was trudging up the hill wondering if I could make it to the finishing line in one piece. I was never quite the runner and the much dreaded 2.4km run back in those days had always been my chink in the armour and this was 2 times the distance and on such short notice! The 'unfortunate' incident did had the impact of making the new ALT an instant celebrity in town not to mention being the perfect ice breakers for several weeks to come.
Down Memory Lane II: Onarao Matsuri
This was the scene at Narao shrine during last year's fall festival. It's just your ordinary town shrine, nothing too outlandish. The festival itself was a small and cosy Narao affair and displayed none of the grandiosity of other big and famous festivals held throughout Japan. While anyone can travel all the way to participate in large scale festivals whereby one of the main aim is to attract tourists, not anyone get to have a taste of the real local way of celebration. There is more to these festivals than dancing and merry making. It is a day where folks pray for good fortune, health and in this case also safety on the sea (there is still quite a sizeable fishing population on this part of the island you see). I appreciate the simplicity of Narao's festival for it offered me a peek of the Japanese mind and spirit.
One way to give thanks was through dancing and this picture shows my elegant dance teacher parading with kids on the streets. I bet you can't tell that she's fast approaching her 80s!
That's me in a beautiful furisode (long-sleeved kimono worn only by unmarried girls) on the left! The dance teacher had kindly lent me her daughter's kimono for the performance at night. Yes, this was the dance pictures I've promised to put online but never did for such a long time. Next, I am going to share with you my ghostly face too! Please don't be too taken aback by what you see and promise not to laugh!
Me and my dance partner Ayaka and double Tsuyoshis. If you think this looks alright, that's because of the lighting in this photo and that I've not shown you the really hideous ones!
It was really sweet of the other ALTs (from left Melissa, Carrie and Joe)who had came to give support to my 初舞台 or what they called maiden performance.
And finally a few pictures of some dance items. All these little kids look absolutely adorable don't they? They were also very good dancers too!
Down Memory Lane I: ABC Cooking
The next few entries are a brief account of some of my earlier experiences when i first arrived on this island, activities, events and incidents that took place almost a year ago now. Way overdue I know but nevertheless cherished memories that will remain so for a long time to come.
Maho, Noe and Chiho chan, all daughters of teachers at the schools that i taught at.They live just down the street and had came by my place to say hi when I first moved in. Very sweet and eager to make friends with the new teacher.
Then I still wasn't that acquainted with my kitchen, the fire, frying pan, splattering oil and what not. I had no idea what possessed me to invite the kids to my place to cook lunch together but that's exactly what I did! And so they came knocking on my doors one Saturday afternoon, adorned in cute little aprons with worried looking mothers in tow. They must be thinking that I was nuts to think that I could handle 4 kids while cooking at the same time and I can't really blame them. Looking back I really didn't know what I was thinking then when I invited my little friends...
It was a lucky thing that everything turned out fine that day! The kids were well-behaved, we had nice curry rice and you've got to agree the potato croquettes looked its kind didn't it?
And such was my one and only experience of cooking with kids!
あっという間に
This is the scene that greets me when I wait for the bus home after work, 2 scarecrows on the small patch of farmland just opposite the school. If you look closely enough, they are dressed differently in different seasons, what creative farmers!
When I first arrived on this island, it was still the summer holidays and the scarecrows were in swimsuits carrying floats, all ready to hit the beach. When school term started and well into fall, they changed to regular uniforms and during winter, had mufflers and gloves on. Now it is still the rainy season and the farmers must have taken them in to give them a break from the rain I suppose. When the rain stops and the sun is out once more, it will be time for the scarecrows to go swimming again and time for me to go home too...
The Japanese expression 'あっという間に', particularly the sound of it 'attoiumani' has always intrigued me. For the longest time, I can't seem to remember how to use it or what it means. Now there isn't one day that I do not hear or use this phrase. Literally it means 'in the interval that one says 'ah'', roughly it translates into 'in a flash' or 'before one knows it'. Really this one year feels as long as the interval that one takes to say 'ah'. Almost summer again, 4 seasons and 12 months in Japan I've come one full circle. この一年間、本当にあっという間に過ごしちゃったなあ！
Fishy Business
2 weeks ago, all the students of Narao Elementary school went on a field trip to Takaitabi beach where they had a hands on learning experience of the primary industry of this island, fishing!
I was at my Narao Junior High that particular morning actually but as the school is situated right on Takaitabi (yes, this is the sea-facing school remember), the vice-principal had kindly allowed me to join in the activity during my free period. Armed with camera in hand, I was curious to see what the hype was all about and I couldn't really believe what I saw.
A teacher with fish in hand explaining to the wide-eyed students (and me) the various kinds of fishes that were caught...
Just look at these big, fat fishes! In case you are like me and wonder how they were caught, I was told that some fathers of the kids who are fishermen actually cast a huge net in the sea a week before and on the day itself, students and teachers gathered at the edge of the sea and pulled the net together onto the shore. Just check out all the beaming faces below and all the prized possessions in hand!
Teppei on the left and Taro on the right are brothers and son of the principal at my base school. Very endearing boys who readily posed for my camera when asked to have a shot taken. :P
He's carrying the big fish like a baby isn't he? And Misaki was holding a squid dripping with ink! It's simply amazing to see these kids fighting to touch and carry all these sea animals. I really wonder if our Singaporean kids will do likewise...
Saki chan with suspicious worm-like things in hand that are actually yummy seaweed!
And yes, for the observant ones, you might have realised that Saki and me share the same surname, surprise surprise! '熊' is read as 'Kuma' in Japanese. Coincidentally, Saki's mother is also the music teacher at my Narao JHS so that makes 2 Kuma senseis in the school. Before meeting them, I have no idea that this is also a Japanese surname, interesting...
The variety of fishes that were caught that day was quite an opener,at least it was for a city bumpkin like me. I can't even tell the fishes that we eat apart, what do you expect? Look at the spiky, ball-like one!
And you may ask what do they do with all these fishes that were caught?
Well the mothers and grandmothers present were charged with the task of cooking miso soup with fish meat and the rest, in true Japanese style, sashimi of course!
This must be what it's all about living in a fishing village on a remote island in countryside Japan. Too bad I've never been and still isn't a great fan of raw fish...
It's the thick of summer here now and what better way to tackle the unrelenting heat than to down a bowl of this delightfully refreshing iced shavings dessert or kakikori (かき氷). Initially, I couldn't really comprehend the Japanese obsession with it, I mean it's just ice-kacang isn't it. I was quite taken aback that many would happily fork out a couple of dollars just for a bowl of syrupy flavored ice. Through the many conversations I had with people, quite a handful of them even seem to think that ice-kacang is unique to Japan and that it must be fascinating for the uninitiated foreigners. So when they found out that we can eat this stuff ALL year round, it was their turn to be surprised. And then it dawned upon me that the reason why kakikori is being devoured in such a celebrated manner is because you only get to eat it in the few hot months before the cooling air signals the coming of autumn and ice-kacang is out of favor once again. 
