Konbanwa-
Despite what the media may suggest we're still alive, not radioactive, and Nagoya is structurally unchanged after the 9.0 earthquake devastated Japan's northern coast and caused a major tsunami. Needless to say it was a surreal and humbling experience being in Japan during the biggest earthquake of its recorded history (I only felt a little dizzy during the event and Stephen, on a bike at the time, felt nothing) and watching the tragedy unfold across every Japanese TV station and media outlet, as well as those of the international world. Fortunately our Japanese friends, their families, and our fellow English teacher friends are safe. Unfortunately thousands lost their lives and the aftermath is terrible. We hope that the Fukushima situation is resolved as quickly as possible but, stationed hundreds of miles away from the designated "danger zone," we are not too worried about our own safety. Like most Japanese, our earthquake emergency bag is packed but we're presently calm. There were a few small aftershock earthquakes here in the week following March 11th but we haven't felt any since.
Life continues on in Nagoya. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, smearing pink and white along sidewalks and attracting flocks of celebratory Japanese armed with beer to every park in the city. With the sakura (cherry blossom) season comes hanami. These are drinking parties that occur during the blossom's brief and bold appearances. This weekend we walked to Tsurumai park with Mindy and Kendall, our new and awesome ECC neighbor couple (they live in our building) with camping chairs, our grill, beer, wine, and broutwurst. The area was packed with happy Japanese dancing, cheersing, and drinking- all done on huge blue tarps spread across the dirt. We joined right in and made friends fast. One even bought 3,000 yen worth of beer for our expanded party!
Since my last post we've had many adventures and been enjoying life in Japan despite the recent stressful events. Two weekends ago Stephen took me to an onsen in Gifu, a 25 minute train ride westward by train, for a late White Day celebration (I'd been sick with the flu and was finally feeling fully recovered). The spa cost only 1,000 yen a person, roughly ten dollars, and was well worth the short venture. It had beautiful indoor and outdoor hot springs (a variety including mineral and jet-equipped) surrounded by plants and overlooking a small beach. The men and women have segregated spas since nudity is a prerequisite to entering the baths (and that tiny speck of a towel is meant for your hair!) so Stephen and I met back in the lounge after two hours. The nudity caused me hesitation for about two minutes and then I got over it. When EVERYONE is naked you almost forget that you're the pasty white foreigner gleaming in the sun. The spa wasn't what I'd expected, rather it was quiet with very few people and a total of six different baths which created a sense of privacy. I can definitely understand why hot springs are said to hold therapeutic power. After about an hour my body was fully relaxed and mind naturally followed. I nearly fell asleep back in the lounge and felt a high level of circulation in my knees (this caused them to feel a bit funny). Overall it was a rewarding experience. I'm glad we don't have tattoos- they aren't usually allowed in Japanese hot springs.
As always, we've been eating a lot of delicious food and trying out restaurants and izakaya (Japanese-style bars where you eat various side dishes). We've enjoyed plenty of yakisoba (fried egg and soba dish), Okonomiyaki (those amazing cabbage and egg pancakes), ramen, and yakitori (fried chicken popular at lunchtime) at different spots in Nagoya. We also discovered omurice, basically an omelet stuffed with rice and topped with tomato or beef sauce, which seems as popular as "Makudonorudu" (yes, McDonalds) for a quick lunch in Japan. My Japanese friend, Natsuki, recently introduced me to a good Korean restaurant in Kanayama (the station near ECC headquarters) where we had spicy lunch sets of kimchi tofu soup, mixed rice, onion soup, salad, and unlimited tea and coffee (they even had a bottle of wine- we stuck to the tea) for 960 yen.
Stephen and I have discovered a new late dinner solution. On work nights when we're too tired to cook we'll buy marked-down sushi sets from the nearby grocery store. These include an array of eel, red tuna, salmon, squid, mackerel, and fish eggs (roe). Before I came to Japan I was neutral about sushi- now I'm obsessed. Bring on the sashimi! Our friend who recently returned to Australia also gave us her rice cooker and Stephen uses it nearly every day (we actually bought brown rice yesterday so I'll be using it more often, too). We haven't attempted to make sushi after the documentary we watched- did you know they use vinegar and sugar in sushi rice?- leave it to the pros. Along with the amazing food we've also delved into Japan's good but overtaxed beer (I prefer Yebisu and Kirin) culture and tried sakura-flavored sake. It literally smells like flowers. With respect to the coffee realm, Natsuki introduced me to Mister Donut's unlimited coffee refills for 260 yen. This is unheard of in Japan where you typically pay 300-400 yen for a single, tiny cup. Mister Donuts also has green tea donuts among their vast selection (since can now read Katakana we can sound out the flavors, such as "Kuranberi"). The line is perpetually moving yet never-ending.
Japan is full of tasty things. One of the most exciting things you can do here is enter a Kombini, or convenience store. For a curious foreigner they are packed with fun and excitement. The nikuman (pork stuffed dumplings) are served hot and cost about 120 yen a piece depending on where you go; Lawson's, Family Mart, or Circle K. The refrigerated section has single-serving sticks of seasoned squid and fish (Japan's more effective and less processed version of a protein bar) and the bakery section provides the more unhealthy curry, tuna, egg, and soba-filled bread pouches ideal for a hungry train ride home. Then there's the onigiri section with sea-weed wrapped rice balls stuffed with tuna, pork, and other fillings, and of course the pre-made dinner sets of fish, chicken, noodles and rice (we hardly get these but they're surprisingly fresh compared to the convenient store items in the states). Entering a kombini will make you feel like a little kid entering Disney World. They're so exciting!
To finally, a bit regretfully, shift the topic away from food, I love spring. The days are getting warmer and every morning our apartment is doused with sunlight. We recently re-decorated our living room with new pillows, a couch cover and throw blanket and I've been framing more photos against beautiful craft paper. Stephen keeps the place bright with flowers and his beloved and tenderly cared for plants. To enjoy and soak up the vitamin D we've also been riding our bikes nearly every day. My parents are visiting in one week and I think the weather will be perfect for them. I'm so excited for our trip to Kyoto and Nara and to show them around Nagoya. It will be so great to see them!!
Wish us luck as our training period is coming to a close and we begin our new schedules and school year as regular ECC teachers- no more subbing! I'm teaching three regular adult conversation classes which I'm excited about. It will be amazing having a set schedule and some consistency. Stephen has just handed me a hot bowl of homemade donburi, which in this case is brown rice topped with beef and vegetables. The chopsticks are calling!
Thanks for reading and happy cherry blossom season!