Another Large Update!

I had a big day today.  First, I took the Shinano (limited express) train to Nagoya for a days training, nothing too exciting to add. I did get to go to my favourite department store, Passe! (where I got my bright pink high heels during exchange) I saw the Baby the Stars Shine Bright store...I wish I was rich, I would buy the entire store out and wear sweet lolita style clothes until I get too old for it. The photos below are a little out of order, but this time around I'll put some descriptions in! 

 Chips from a department store in Ina; Japanese potatoes are awful! They don't really have a lot of flavour, and there is no variety. Just the same potatoes everyday. As Kiso is quite a rural area I know that a lot of people grow their own vegetables. I wonder whether theirs taste nicer.  The chips above could've been cooked longer too.

Very yummy gyouza (I love gyouza!), with an interesting sauce. It was sweeter than normal. I still don't know if I liked it or not.

You know I can't go past a nice parfait...I quite like this photo, but my camera-sock ruins it

Syllvanian Families!! (I feel like I spelt that wrong...). I bought A LOT at this department store. Bentou box, drink bottle (need them for Kindergarten days), headbands, stationary, little gifts...this store is amazing for its location. Nothing compared to Nagoya, but I guess you can expect that in a little place. Still, it's bigger than Hobart.

Me playing Tekken 6: Blood Rebellion - my dream, to play Tekken in Japan! Unforunately they don't have Tekken Tag 2 (the newly released game), but I'll go back in a few months and check :)

The game arcade had purikura of course, we couldn't go past that! This one actually looks really nice, but the hug and kiss me part doesn't really fit! Still, it's cute.

Purikura taken at Aeon, with Saki (top left), Nozomi (bottom left) and Brooke.

Last Sunday we went to Kaida-Heights for their famous ice-cream and horses. I had blueberry ice-cream, and it was very very yummy.

Camembert comes in a tin can...it doesn't taste very nice. Cheese has never been particularly popular in Japan, so this probably has a lot of preservatives to make it last, I guess. It just had a funny flavour. Oh, and the Ritz here aren't very melt-in-your-mouth. Not so nice either :( Back to the home brand for me! (They taste a lot better!)

These were just like French Fries, only spicier...yummy. I think Dede would like them a lot.

Presents from Fukushima Junior High. The kids were practicing some game outside (I can't remember the name of it), and the prizes were jam-pan, cream-pan, etc-pan (pan=bread). One of the teachers gave me some jam-pan :) He always calls me Lorelle-teacher, and is trying to be friendly speaking to me but I can't help thinking his face is a little creepy...another nice lady gave me carrot and mixed juice.

The bread was really nice, until the middle, where there was just far too much jam.

The juice was disgusting. But I appreciate the gesture. I am glad I didn't try it in front of the lady, because then she would've seen this face. I couldn't help it!

Last Friday I worked at Kaida Elementary, and the bread lady came! I bought a marble cake, bread, and garlic and bacon bread. When I got home I found that the garlic and bacon bread was extremely light - I ate the whole thing and was still hungry! But it was so so yummy :) The cake was okay. It's sitting in my fridge, and probably will for a while...

During my day at Kaida, I had to teach the Grade 2 kids. Their HRT wasn't there, so I had to teach with the Vice-Principal (he is really kind and I like talking with him. He makes me green tea :)  ). The Vice-Principal's of all the schools are extremely busy, so he wasn't actually in the classroom for most of the lesson. This actually worked to my advantage. Normally, we as ALTs are encouraged to use little, if any, Japanese in class. But since it was only me, I had to use Japanese quite a bit. I decided to teach them vegetables, as well as 'like, love, don't like and hate'. During the flashcard section for the 'like, love' part, I taught them the pronounciation, and then asked the meanings in Japanese. The pictures obviously weren't clear enough for such a young class (about 6-7 years old). When I asked what 'like' means in Japanese they said 'happy?' I realised it wasn't working so I told them the meanings, and then used the vegetables to demonstrate. They picked it up really quickly. I had so much fun though! I wish I could teach on my own with all the younger grades! I think the kids really loved it too, because this is what each of them gave me after class:



 The little note to the left was from a little girl (who picks up English quite quickly for her age), and it says 'Lorelle-sensei, thank you.' The one on the right was from this tiny little boy who I clean the floors with at cleaning time, and it says 'I like Lorelle-sensei' - this could also be translated as love, depending on the context. Because it's just a kid, I have a feeling that's what he meant :)
At High School, kids are getting older, getting into 'groups', peer presure is probably getting tough, and kids are getting shy and afraid to give their own opinions about things. It's a little harder to talk to them, even though they are older and know simple English. But the other day, one girl gave me these origami. I think they are amazing! The shell looks really intricate and impossible, and the squid is just really cool :)

Last night we went to Ina to get mobiles (at last! I'll post photos of my new phone eventually. I like my old one better, but this sim card won't work in an au phone, apparently...) The picture below is from the toilets there. It says Sanity. I think they meant to create a new word from sanitary, as companies do in English-speaking countries too. But yes...

Why am I in the men's toilet? I'm not. It's a lady urinal. I read about these a fews years ago, and I don't understand why they exist. Who would want to stand there out in the open? Why aren't they in cubicles like the other toilets? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Pretty bird I saw at the train station today.

I bought spaghetti bolognese at Nagoya train station. It was okay, but not great. But they had Parmesan! I was missing that when I made my own the other night (that was also not great).

I bought the pasta - cake - drink set. I am constantly amazed by Japan's pretty little yummies; this one tastes as good as it looks.



 All in all I have been okay this week. It wasn't fun being sick, and that dampened my spirits. I've been feeling a bit homesick too. Living in a valley is a little claustrophobic. I'm starting to appreciate Hobart more, being able to be in open spaces and seeing wide expanses of water. It's pretty here, and very scenic, but I miss the water! And being able to go to a nice restaurant and read the menu, and be confident the food will be good! But things are good. It's October now, which means Dede will be here next month :) I am absolutely waiting for that.