Wrapping up 2013

The last couple days of the year were celebrated with many bonenkais! On the Sunday before New years Asia and I met up with Yama-chan for another wonderful road trip! This time we went to Odawara Castle and visited a couple little stops along the way.

This is proof that I have seen snow this year! Plus I really like this story I wonder if there is an anime about it. Either way remember May 5th!

Asia and I just goofing around!

Nabe!!

We had a wonderful dinner with some very wonderful people! I really love the idea of bonenkais since it is such a better way of ending year and a good reason for a get together!

Top it off with some Sashimi!

PART 2: The following day it was another work party, I guess this is benefit of working so many jobs!

This isn't just astroboy being really random and angry, he was at the izakaya!

Christmas in Tokyo

Heather  and I at a Christmas party!

Here in Tokyo or should I say Japan they don't celebrate Christmas like we do at home. Everyone needs to go to work and it really a special day for kids and couples. They buy Christmas cake and eat KFC (instead of turkey?) I had to work on Christmas day and Boxing day as well so it really didn't feel like Christmas to me.

There was even a gingerbread house. A real one!

The 'gingerbread' house we made after Thanksgiving.

Heather picked up this Christmas cake for the party, I still have the ax.  Such a yummy cake.

A group picture that I nicked off of facebook.

I am really thankful that I was invited to the party since I met some really amazing people, ate a lot of food and felt like I had a real Christmas so far away from home.

Asia made candy grams for everyone!

Tsukiji Market

I thought it was time to write a post,'Sashi buri' (means long time, no see)  I have been extermely busy trying to keep up with Japanese life. Working many jobs trying to fit in time to hang out with friends and make plans for the upcoming time off. Tis the season.

I have been meaning to write about Tsukiji market (the infamous fish market in Tokyo), I had gone once before but admittedly forgot to write anything about it. So get ready.

A friend and I had made plans to go there for early in the morning about 5:30am since that is when we can get there going aboard the first train. From there we pushed it back until 9am since that when they let 'Gaijin' in (outsiders). We arrived shortly after 9:30am and everything was already set up, there are two markets and the fish market itself. We went straight to the market to grab some dashiyaki tamago and we were off to take pictures of the fish being sold.

The market itself is vast in size and to walk all of it without stopping would take a good hour, I think. From there we were amazed with the variety of sea life being sold here. I wondered to myself how soon the ocean would be emptied by Japanese fish culture let alone the rest of the worlds consumption. 

Here is a picture of me taken by Misaki- I was feeling bad for a crab bubbling from the mouth.

There were so many things being sold here that I couldn't even comprehend how this whole place gets it stock into such a sight spaced area. then again there are fishermen and chefs all around with trucks moving from the smallest to the largest of fish around. Piles and buckets of ice were everywhere keeping the fish fresh as possible. 

In the morning from 3-4am there is an auction that takes place for the best and most expensive fish sold. It seems unlikely that I will will ever see it. Just last Friday I went there again catching the first train in hopes to witness the auction but sadly missed it arriving at 5am. 

Yes I ate Dango there since the market kind of put me off of fish for the day.

When we were walking through the market we even got stopped by a lady telling us that foreigners were not allowed inside the market until 9am. Very inadvertently told us to vacate, we just took a couple lefts and rights until we were out of her sight. 

Nama Basashi and Ungai (Raw horse meat and eel)

Our last stop was a sushi restaurant, a man which seemed very angry to serve us made us some of the most delicious sushi I have ever had the chance to experience. The individual pieces ranged from $150-$500, but it was well worth it since we got to see the man prepare it in front of us. 

All in all it was quite the experience, give it a go. If you don't like the smell of fish I wouldn't recommend it :P

Bonenkai - Forget the year gathering

It is an end of year party usually with colleges and friends, I have been invited to three this year but have only attended one. The one I missed was one free drink at a pub in Shinjuku, sounded quite pricey from what I heard.

This one that I attended was the best one, we were able to make requests for food and all got free drinks since it was held at the izakaya that I work at part time.

There was no shortage of food since there were three tables that looked like this. 

This is a party for everyone to drink and not worry about being so polite unlike other work gatherings, where people don't have to dress up and just be themselves. In this case we were no different just a little bit more drunk. I really love the people I work with and we were able to invite close friends to the party as well. Damn I have a wonderful boss.

On top of that we wrote Kanji the proper way with ink and the fancy calligraphy brush, learning how to use this was pain in the butt but it was tonnes of fun. We are suppose to write something that we wanted for the upcoming year on these papers. I don't know what happened to them but there were many written this evening.

I would have posted my two Kanji that I wrote but they were horrific in comparison to the more professional calligraphy writers.   Yushii = wanderer, traveler It is terrible but I thought I would share my dream for my year. I also wrote Friendship Yujo

Kris showing off his skills : A picture of Hanya

Asia's picture of the newspaper neko found while were drawing. This is by far the best one.

I had so much fun, I don't know about the other ones but this one is definitely a memorable end of year party.

Thanksgiving Potato Party

A picture that I nicked of all of us off of facebook. 

Turkey? Where? In Japan turkey is stupidly expensive and isn't easy to find. I found a smoked turkey thigh in an import market for $21 and that was only one leg. So instead we did a collaborative pot luck in out guest house. I wanted to write about it mostly for myself since most of you reading this didn't get the chance to celebrate it here with me. I just wanted to make sure a couple years down the road I will remember what I did for thanksgiving after I have long gone.

Chicken, roasted potatoes, mash, veggie sticks, homemade hummus. 

After we were all done eating it was Shisha Time! Off to Vang Vieng in Takananobaba  (click link for facebook page) where we all got dressed up and had a blast.

I couldn't think of a better way to unwind and laugh off all the food. <3

Please watch the video Potato day @ vangvieng

Beautiful hookas!!!

Please watch the video of how we made this 'gingerbread' house. Which was more like a poptart with icing. We were going to make this but I didn't know when I bought it that it was from scratch. So this came a couple days later. (Heather I stole this picture cause my ipod died and I didn't get any photos :()

Also FYI: the reason this is was called Potato Day because people just kept bring potatoes to the potluck.

1. Mash Potatoes
2. Roasted Potatoes
3. Chips
4. Potato Salad
5. French Fries
6. I'm sure there was more.....

Happy Thanksgiving.

English camp in Japan

Are you an English teacher? You having a hard time finding work consider working at a camp.  By camp I don't mean camping like we do in Canada, this is just like a get away class in the mountains. Not that I am complaining. I was recruited by a head hunter for a camp at lake sei-ko. All Meals are included, you get your own room and you have access to the hotels amenities. (ie. an in door onsen)

I took the train from shinjuku station  to machida, from there I transferred on to the JR yokohama. At the station the teachers met up and waded towards the bus. The travel time all together was about 3.75 hours.

we showed up a bit behind schedule so we each did a very quick introduction and checked in. A speedy 20 min break before lunch time.

Lunch consisted of salad and tuna, curry rice and ginger.  Another 10 min break and off we go to for our ice breakers. The students were shy but this has always been the case, we all know that by the end of the camp we would all be very chatty towards each other.

After classes and a couple breaks we were able to get some games in before dinner. I had 7 very shy but very wonderful female students. Since they were all about 16 they already have developed quite a bit of characters and it was really fun learning about what they liked and didn't like.

From there it was dinner time a buffet of all varieties. Yakisoba, rice, miso, cabbage rolls, three different kinds of salad, potato wedges, beef paddy, deep fried shrimp, fresh pineapple, fruit salad, bread rolls, cinnamon bread with jam/butter, mini cakes and to top it all off all you can drink coffee, water and tea. I definitely ate my fair share!

Time for an hour if English games and for us teachers signing of certificates. Now it is 9pm time to relax for a full day of English classes. 

Our team name was Dango! I was asking the students about a new types of dango I should try, they were all talking about this edaname dango. When I asked can you show me a picture they all whipped out their phones at the same time and BAM there were three pictures in front of me all at once. lol :P

Breakfast was another buffet style! Chicken nuggets, sausages, eggs, natto, chicken nuggets, miso, salad, tuna, mackerel and rice. I helped myself to many servings of chocolate swirl bread with jam. I cannot stop eating the stuff I wish I wasn't such a pig.

We went right into our lessons with a couple of games in between. From there lunch was had an obento out on the lake, since the students don't get to go outside and walk around this was a treat for them. Leaving the hotel an doing a treasure hunt, this was a lot of fun! 

My full class and Steven the other teacher.

 Back into the classrooms to finish the presentation. From there we were able to finish our projects before dinner and have a couple goes performing it to one of the other classes. 

Obento: three onigris, korokke, ginger and a piece of tempura ebi.

Dinner again was another huge buffet, consisting many items: spaghetti, karaage, fries, wedges, suimai, bamboo shoots, salad, pineapples, bread rolls, miso, rice and more. 

After dinner we had one more practice go before ending the day with a presentation for one of the other classes. Tomorrow we present it for 5 classes and they get their certificates before heading home.  

I started off the day with a light breakfast to keep myself going a little longer. From there I went with simple things that we could tweak before the final presentation. All the performances were wonderful!! You could see the progress and contribution that the students made towards their project. 

The closing ceremony was for all the students individually getting their certificates and the teachers to say final words. Lunch was mediocre but it felt like the class you taught for the last 3 days have really began to feel like extended family. The good byes pre bus was all about taking photos with everyone I am pretty sure that my line has an additional 10 contacts easily. 

Time to board the bus and head back to the station. From there my little notes about the camp all are just about how much time they wanted us to spent with the children, sit with them on their breaks and meal times. I like to read alone but was forced to socialize with the children instead, it isn't a bad thing but by the one I made it back to my room I was tired enough to sleep. Fresh lake/mountain air made it all the better.

Last picture we took together, I told them they had to make silly faces.  They were up to the task.

Here is a blurry photo of all the students and teachers together. See if you can find me!!!

I would definitely do this again!