Monday, May 11, 2009
The Golden Week That Was
And just like that, another Golden Week has come and gone. I never thought it would end, honestly. We all say "time flies when you're having fun" but somehow last week was a roller-coaster of laughs and chills that seemed to take forever. I'm sitting in school right now for what feels like the first time in years.
Unfortunately, I'm at work while my close friend The Trout is still in Japan. He timed his vacation to overlap the string of holidays last week which I then extended by taking Thursday and Friday off, but that was the last of my annual leave so I had no choice but to report for work this morning. Thankfully, I went to the tiny mountain school today so it was a very low-impact day of teaching. No shouting, no frantic gestures, just me and a couple of kids in a classroom. Good news for me, because I am experiencing what can only be described as a Golden Week Hangover.
No, I'm not tipsy nor do I have a headache, but I spend the better part of last week (and the last three nights in a row) out with my buddy on the town and I imbibed a fair amount of alcohol, so I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a while now. Earlier in the week I had nothing but free time but when we started going out every night, I just couldn't cut it. I started going home earlier and earlier each night in an attempt to get some sleep and keep myself for overindulging. But by the end of the week, we reached a balance of quiet time and drinking time which worked out quite well.
Life has a funny way of making things turn out completely different than you expect. I thought this week would be one of constant exploration and introducing my friend to Japan through a mix of sightseeing, a wild variety of cuisine and the occasional all-nighter. What happened was more of a week-long hangout session that just happened to be in Japan. No, we didn't spend all our time in bars or playing video games in my apartment, but we never really went out and saw the country like I thought we would.
This is not to say the vacation was a disappointment; far from it! While I cannot speak for my friend I can say that once we overcame the initial awkwardness where my imagined vacation failed to take shape, we ended up having a terrific time as we always have in the past. While we didn't necessarily see that many new places (we only spent one afternoon in Kyoto and Kobe respectively, and never made it to Nara or Himeji) I was able to show him around and let him explore Osaka in his own way. Likewise, we never managed to eat all of the food I thought we could/should, but I'm happy to say that everything I recommended, cuisine-wise, was warmly received. We even managed to make a few new discoveries along the way, as we sat down in a few restaurants I never tried myself. Alex recommended an all-you-can-eat & drink Brazilian barbecue spot which offered great food as well as a magnificent view of Kobe.
So what did I learn from this experience? I think first and foremost is that I need to remind myself that when I play host to visitors from home, I am not really "on vacation." This is where I live now. The guests must ultimately take the lead on choosing what to see or eat or do while they are here, because this is THEIR TRIP. However, this does not mean that I am a tour guide or a hanger-on. I thought I had to keep pace with the Trout earlier in the week and drink when he drank, eat when he ate, et cetera. My role is more that of a facilitator. I can recommend stuff that I know is cool and I can do my best to keep my guests from getting lost or into trouble, but I don't have to sit next to them and hold their hand 24 hours a day. When I figured that out, that's when the fun really began for me last week. Once that happened, the last three days flew by in an instant for I truly was having fun...incredibly so, if I may be honest about it.
What does this mean for the future? On the immediate horizon, I hope it makes me a better "facilitator" for the guests I am expecting later this month and perhaps later this summer. In the long term, I'd like to think that I was able to show my friend how fun Japan can be and possibly plant a seed that convinces him to come back again for another try.
つづく...(Click here to read more)
Unfortunately, I'm at work while my close friend The Trout is still in Japan. He timed his vacation to overlap the string of holidays last week which I then extended by taking Thursday and Friday off, but that was the last of my annual leave so I had no choice but to report for work this morning. Thankfully, I went to the tiny mountain school today so it was a very low-impact day of teaching. No shouting, no frantic gestures, just me and a couple of kids in a classroom. Good news for me, because I am experiencing what can only be described as a Golden Week Hangover.
No, I'm not tipsy nor do I have a headache, but I spend the better part of last week (and the last three nights in a row) out with my buddy on the town and I imbibed a fair amount of alcohol, so I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a while now. Earlier in the week I had nothing but free time but when we started going out every night, I just couldn't cut it. I started going home earlier and earlier each night in an attempt to get some sleep and keep myself for overindulging. But by the end of the week, we reached a balance of quiet time and drinking time which worked out quite well.
Life has a funny way of making things turn out completely different than you expect. I thought this week would be one of constant exploration and introducing my friend to Japan through a mix of sightseeing, a wild variety of cuisine and the occasional all-nighter. What happened was more of a week-long hangout session that just happened to be in Japan. No, we didn't spend all our time in bars or playing video games in my apartment, but we never really went out and saw the country like I thought we would.
This is not to say the vacation was a disappointment; far from it! While I cannot speak for my friend I can say that once we overcame the initial awkwardness where my imagined vacation failed to take shape, we ended up having a terrific time as we always have in the past. While we didn't necessarily see that many new places (we only spent one afternoon in Kyoto and Kobe respectively, and never made it to Nara or Himeji) I was able to show him around and let him explore Osaka in his own way. Likewise, we never managed to eat all of the food I thought we could/should, but I'm happy to say that everything I recommended, cuisine-wise, was warmly received. We even managed to make a few new discoveries along the way, as we sat down in a few restaurants I never tried myself. Alex recommended an all-you-can-eat & drink Brazilian barbecue spot which offered great food as well as a magnificent view of Kobe.
So what did I learn from this experience? I think first and foremost is that I need to remind myself that when I play host to visitors from home, I am not really "on vacation." This is where I live now. The guests must ultimately take the lead on choosing what to see or eat or do while they are here, because this is THEIR TRIP. However, this does not mean that I am a tour guide or a hanger-on. I thought I had to keep pace with the Trout earlier in the week and drink when he drank, eat when he ate, et cetera. My role is more that of a facilitator. I can recommend stuff that I know is cool and I can do my best to keep my guests from getting lost or into trouble, but I don't have to sit next to them and hold their hand 24 hours a day. When I figured that out, that's when the fun really began for me last week. Once that happened, the last three days flew by in an instant for I truly was having fun...incredibly so, if I may be honest about it.
What does this mean for the future? On the immediate horizon, I hope it makes me a better "facilitator" for the guests I am expecting later this month and perhaps later this summer. In the long term, I'd like to think that I was able to show my friend how fun Japan can be and possibly plant a seed that convinces him to come back again for another try.
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Labels: Alex, food, friends, Japan, tourism, Trout, Write or Die
つづく...(Click here to read more)
Monday, March 02, 2009
May Madness
No, that's not a typo. May is looking to be off the shelf. No, that's not it, rack, off the rack. That is the expression for "unbridled excitement" that I am looking for.
Things are looking pretty good here in March too. Spring is definitely starting to poke its head out and deliver the occasional really nice day. After Saturday's disaster outing I hung around with Alex in Den Den Town, buying myself a joystick for Street Fighter IV (and any other fighting games that may surface this year). I was initially nervous about how to tell Mako given her over-reaction to my video game shopping habits. This is a woman who fretted over my purchase of Noby Noby BOY, a game that costs less than a McDonald's combo meal. In the end, I decided honestly was the best policy and she was not at all concerned by the 4500 Yen expense. Indeed, by framing it as a potential training tool that would make her entry into this world a little easier, she almost seemed excited. Almost.
But this post is about May and the incredible potential it holds for excitement. My uncle* recently told me via Facebook that his son Josh would be coming to "the Orient" in May and would be in Japan at some point. Now I haven't seen Josh in at least six years so I don't know what he's up to or why he would come to Japan or who he is coming with. All I know is he is my cousin and I hope I can be of assistance in some way should he pass through Osaka. I know he likes baseball; perhaps I can score us some Tigers tickets.
*Yes, a surprising number of people in my family are on Facebook, including one uncle, countless cousins, Salena and even my mother! Don't think Dad is going to ever get on board though.
Then, over this weekend, I got an e-mail out of the blue from Michael, a friend of Hyde's who I met a few years ago. Turns out that Michael is getting married soon and has decided to honeymoon here in Japan. It sounds like he is going to see as much of the country as he and his new wife can manage in a week, so I can't be sure how much time he will spend in this area. But I certainly volunteered to show the two of them around should they hit Kansai. At the very least they should see Kyoto; perhaps I can show them around the womb.
But this is all icing on a very, very sweet cake. After years of not-so-quiet encouragement and pleading on my part, The Trout is coming to Japan for the first time! I view this as no mere vacation. It was his (and Scott's) initial interest in Japan and study of Japanese that lured me to take night classes at The Japan Society. This experience led me directly to my initial 2001 visit to Miyagi Prefecture, which in turn planted the seed that eventually grew into a desire to return to college so I could qualify for the JET Programme. This is all in addition to being my friend since elementary school and shaping my personality and sense of humor over the last twenty-plus years. As far as I'm concerned, he is ultimately responsible for who I am today: a happily married man with a steady job teaching English in Japan. Were it not for his interest in Japan, my own buried fascination might never have surfaced.
Now I have no way of knowing how The Trout will react to Japan when he finally sees it with his own eyes. He may be put off by all the noise or the staring (he's 6'5"). He may be underwhelmed by the sights or the people. Whatever his feelings towards Japan are now, they are his own and do not confirm or invalidate mine. But considering the impact he has had on my life, I must admit that I am simultaneously excited beyond all reason and more than a little nervous. I want him to come away from this trip with the best impression possible. Not so he'll feel obliged to come back soon (though he is always welcome), but so he'll see what it is that I love about this country.
In a way (and I know this sounds weird but it's too late to back out now) this is similar to what I felt when my father first came to Japan. He didn't have the same interest in the country, culture or language that I did, but I knew how he loved history, particularly military history, and I felt it was important that I make the trip as interesting for him as I could. I guess I also wanted him to be proud of me for getting by in a foreign country that I had been talking about non-stop for years.
With friends, of course, it's different than with family. I wasn't excited to go drinking with my dad, and I certainly didn't want to facilitate any hook-ups with the natives. Likewise, I don't go out with The Trout hoping he'll be impressed by what I'm up to or proud of what I've accomplished. I just want to have fun with him because that's something we simply don't get to do at all anymore. If I wanted my father to see how far I had come, I want my relationship with my friends to go back to the times when we saw each other constantly rather than once or twice a year. The goals are complete opposites but the anxiety I feel is more or less the same.
So YES, May looks hot. Real hot. So much to consider and plan for. So many questions! Where should we go? What should we eat? How much sleep am I willing to forgo?
つづく...(Click here to read more)
Things are looking pretty good here in March too. Spring is definitely starting to poke its head out and deliver the occasional really nice day. After Saturday's disaster outing I hung around with Alex in Den Den Town, buying myself a joystick for Street Fighter IV (and any other fighting games that may surface this year). I was initially nervous about how to tell Mako given her over-reaction to my video game shopping habits. This is a woman who fretted over my purchase of Noby Noby BOY, a game that costs less than a McDonald's combo meal. In the end, I decided honestly was the best policy and she was not at all concerned by the 4500 Yen expense. Indeed, by framing it as a potential training tool that would make her entry into this world a little easier, she almost seemed excited. Almost.
But this post is about May and the incredible potential it holds for excitement. My uncle* recently told me via Facebook that his son Josh would be coming to "the Orient" in May and would be in Japan at some point. Now I haven't seen Josh in at least six years so I don't know what he's up to or why he would come to Japan or who he is coming with. All I know is he is my cousin and I hope I can be of assistance in some way should he pass through Osaka. I know he likes baseball; perhaps I can score us some Tigers tickets.
*Yes, a surprising number of people in my family are on Facebook, including one uncle, countless cousins, Salena and even my mother! Don't think Dad is going to ever get on board though.
Then, over this weekend, I got an e-mail out of the blue from Michael, a friend of Hyde's who I met a few years ago. Turns out that Michael is getting married soon and has decided to honeymoon here in Japan. It sounds like he is going to see as much of the country as he and his new wife can manage in a week, so I can't be sure how much time he will spend in this area. But I certainly volunteered to show the two of them around should they hit Kansai. At the very least they should see Kyoto; perhaps I can show them around the womb.
But this is all icing on a very, very sweet cake. After years of not-so-quiet encouragement and pleading on my part, The Trout is coming to Japan for the first time! I view this as no mere vacation. It was his (and Scott's) initial interest in Japan and study of Japanese that lured me to take night classes at The Japan Society. This experience led me directly to my initial 2001 visit to Miyagi Prefecture, which in turn planted the seed that eventually grew into a desire to return to college so I could qualify for the JET Programme. This is all in addition to being my friend since elementary school and shaping my personality and sense of humor over the last twenty-plus years. As far as I'm concerned, he is ultimately responsible for who I am today: a happily married man with a steady job teaching English in Japan. Were it not for his interest in Japan, my own buried fascination might never have surfaced.
Now I have no way of knowing how The Trout will react to Japan when he finally sees it with his own eyes. He may be put off by all the noise or the staring (he's 6'5"). He may be underwhelmed by the sights or the people. Whatever his feelings towards Japan are now, they are his own and do not confirm or invalidate mine. But considering the impact he has had on my life, I must admit that I am simultaneously excited beyond all reason and more than a little nervous. I want him to come away from this trip with the best impression possible. Not so he'll feel obliged to come back soon (though he is always welcome), but so he'll see what it is that I love about this country.
In a way (and I know this sounds weird but it's too late to back out now) this is similar to what I felt when my father first came to Japan. He didn't have the same interest in the country, culture or language that I did, but I knew how he loved history, particularly military history, and I felt it was important that I make the trip as interesting for him as I could. I guess I also wanted him to be proud of me for getting by in a foreign country that I had been talking about non-stop for years.
With friends, of course, it's different than with family. I wasn't excited to go drinking with my dad, and I certainly didn't want to facilitate any hook-ups with the natives. Likewise, I don't go out with The Trout hoping he'll be impressed by what I'm up to or proud of what I've accomplished. I just want to have fun with him because that's something we simply don't get to do at all anymore. If I wanted my father to see how far I had come, I want my relationship with my friends to go back to the times when we saw each other constantly rather than once or twice a year. The goals are complete opposites but the anxiety I feel is more or less the same.
So YES, May looks hot. Real hot. So much to consider and plan for. So many questions! Where should we go? What should we eat? How much sleep am I willing to forgo?
Labels: Den Den Town, family, friends, Japan, Osaka, tourism, video games
つづく...(Click here to read more)
