Discrimination? In Japan?

The longer I'm here the more I recognize the discrimination all around me. This radio broadcast brings up some very interesting issues, because if you ask the average Japanese person (and I guess anyone, in any country) they will deny being racist. But then they will also tell you how Koreans are naturally inferior people. And Chinese people are rude and unrefined. Japanese people don't see these views as being racist, they actually BELIEVE them as the truth.

My friend Eleanor, a completely harmless looking English girl, was pulled over by the police while driving with her family. Her crime? Being white, and driving. Once she showed her Alien Registration card the police left them alone. I'm sure the police justified the stop because surely foreigners driving around the countryside MUST be up to no good.

My ESS girls are the best

3rd graders have stopped coming to clubs now, they need more time to study. As a result, my ESS has been reduced to only 4 students!! So now we can go places instead of staying at school.

We were talking about having a summer pizza party at a local restaurant and I said I would drive everyone. This is what Yurie drew on the board.

She didn't think three students could fit in the back of a Minica. I once shoved three ALTs back there.

No problem!

Nothing like it

There is nothing like eating a tomato you've grown yourself, on your tiny balcony. I love the smell of a fresh tomato, even before you cut into it. Smells divine!

Are YOU on my fridge?

Only a select few may grace the gallery that is....
My fridge

This is Shimane

I'm at #7.

A fun picture

Taken by Ben at a recent soccer tournament.

Loving Japan

My bipolar relationship with Japan is currently in the "manic" stage. Life is busy, life is good.

I went to Tokyo to learn how to be an orientation assistant and had a great time! I went early and stayed in a capsule hotel. I've never traveled alone before (purposely) so I was a little bit worried about being lonely. But it was good. I arrived at 8 in the morning and then sat in McD's for a few hours planning out my day and trying to wake up.

I stashed my stuff in a locker and then took the train to Harajuku. This is a very famous shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo. I went to a park and slept on a bench for about an hour and then went shopping. While trying to find the Mexican restaurant in the Lonely Planet I found a Greek restaurant!!! Real Greek salad with real feta cheese!! I was in heaven. After trying on a tonne of clothes in the Gap I gave up and returned to Shinjuku to shop there.


Shinjuku is something everyone needs to experience once in their lives. I didn't get any night pictures because I didn't want to carry around my camera, but I will when I return in a few weeks. Shinjuku is everything people who have never been to Japan THINK Japan is like. Very high-tech and fashionable.

I shopped in a few department stores with no luck. I found a few gifts to send to people back home but no clothes for me (my MISSION). I decided to quit and start looking for my capsule hotel.

Capsule hotels tend to be men-only domains. I had a map with 2 hotels that accepted women so I decided to look for the closest one. I took a subway to an area called Akasaka and started exploring. Like almost everything on this trip I found it quite easily and checked in around 5pm.

start rant/
The women at the check-in counter were the most unfriendly useless bitches I have ever met! They asked me if it was my first time to a capsule hotel and I said yes, it was. They then proceeded to tell me NOTHING and just handed me my key, towels, and PJs. So then I did a bunch of things wrong, things that they could have easily told me about (I knew they spoke some English). I entered the capsule room using the wrong door, I couldn't find the lockers (despite having a floor map in my capsule -- it was wrong!), I didn't know where to put my used towels, I didn't know to leave my key when I went out, and other stupid little things. How easy would it have been to tell me a few simple instructions?? Or even have them written down, in English, to give to the gaijin? Fuckers.
/end rant


That night I ate at The Outback Steak House. Yummmmmmm! I went to bed pretty early because the overnight bus the night before, and the English camp the night before that, had wiped me out. It was a slow night on the ladies floor of the capsule hotel. Only about 8 capsules were occupied.

At around 6am I started hearing the cell phone alarms. My only complaint about my capsule experience was hearing all the stupid cell phones in the morning. I checked out at 10 and went for breakfast.


I then made my way back to Shinjuku to check into the Keio Plaza Hotel for the Tokyo orientation assistants meeting. There were about 100 JETs from all over Japan. It was great to meet new people and work together. Along with 6 other people I'm going to present a workshop on "Thriving in the Inaka". I actually remember going to this workshop way back when I first arrived in Tokyo. Should be fun.

Part of our duties when we welcome the new JETs will be standing all day at the airport to usher the newbies around and then riding on the buses with them. I'm looking forward to the energy and enthusiasm that the new JETs will bring with them. I remember coming out of customs and immigration and the first face I saw was a TOA with a huge smile on her face saying "Welcome to Japan!". Now I get to be that person!!

Are you getting all misty eyed now?

HA! It should be lots of fun.

I finished my Tokyo trip by shopping at Franc Franc for things I didn't need and a very rewarding visit to Eddie Bauer. I don't think I ever walked into an Eddie Bauer store back home. But I had heard that they have western sizes so I decided to give them a try.

It was heaven!!! I can't tell you how refreshing it was to choose any shirt or blouse and have it FIT! The prices were crazy but I didn't care! I spent 2.5 man but it was worth it. Having new clothes is like a drug. Feels gooooood!

I took the Shinkansen back to Hiroshima and then a bus back home. A very quick trip but lots of fun. I can't wait to go back for the orientation. It will be lots of work but the busier I am, the happier I am!

Wanna see something really disturbing?

Go to Baitcar.com and watch the video called "Oncoming".

All the videos are disturbing but this one actually gave me shivers.

Hard to beleive that these assholes are all in Vancouver! Do I really want to go home???

Easy, and doesn't cost anything....

Help the Canadian government do some good.
Sign this petition to help some deserving Vietnamese people start new lives in Canada.

Wee little sketches

The 5 little sketches in the lower right are coming to you from Yongfook.com

I've been reading this JET's blog since I arrived in Japan. His writing is really interesting and recently he added the sketch feature. Anyone can add a sketch and the most recent 5 will be shown on my website. He has it set up so anyone can add the sketches to their sites.

Most of the sketches are of poo and genitalia but I like that there will be something new and very random. So even if I don't post anything there is always something strange to see on Gotsu Girl.

If you want to make a sketch (and see it show up on this blog) go here.

Stolen from PostSecret. I love this one. It just seems like something I would do! 

Still fascinating..

Excellent blog that just gets better and better.

PostSecret

Cameron and Kathy 

Thanks for letting me know

So I just found out today, Wednesday, that I have school on Saturday. Of course I am the only person in the entire universe that didn't know this. I sat down with my supervisor at the beginning of the year, with the school calendar, and wrote down all the special days. Somehow this Saturday was missed. So now I have Monday off. What am I going to do on Monday? No one else has Monday off.

What a pain in the ass.

And it's raining and really muggy today (the worst possible hair day), so obviously God is punishing me for something.

In other news...

Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition has got to be the most tear-inducing show on TV these days. Even before the family is introduced (and their horrible life threatening illness explained), I am all misty eyed and reaching for the tissues.

Thanks Kathy for sending me the tapes.

Feeling Generous?

Why not donate some of that hard-earned money to some worthy causes?? Help my friends Sarah and Kirstin make their fundraising goals. It's really easy to donate online (if you have a credit card).

Go here to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society.

And/Or

Go here to donate to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Come on, it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Horseshoes up yer arse!!

I'm on top of the world today!! A few weeks ago I found out that I was selected to be a workshop presenter at the recontracting conference in Kobe (AKA free transportation, free hotel, giant piss-up in Kobe). I was pretty stoked.

Then today I found out that I was also selected to be an orientation assistant in Tokyo this summer!!!! Whoooooo whooooo!!

So that means two days in Tokyo in June for a meeting, then 4 days in July. All expenses paid for and I get to help out all the newbies. When I return to Shimane I will be coming with the group A newbies. It will be lots of fun! I can freak them out about life in Shimane!

I wonder who else from my ken is going????

The POWER of the peephole

Among other wonderful things, my new apartment has a peephole.

The value of a peephole in this country cannot be stressed enough.

I've only been in my apartment for about a month now but I have successfully ignored the JW's and the NHK lady (twice)!!

The latest was last night. 9pm on a Monday night! She waited outside the door for a good five minutes. Ringing the bell 4 times!! She knew I was home, all my lights were on. I love this POWER!!!

From the acrobat show in Beijing 

Crowded? In Beijing? On a holiday? Nahhhhh 

The Great Wall