THE GIRL FROM DUMFRIES

"Is That Really Hair?"

2012-02-10T02:51:00.000-08:00

voices of my students talking behind me in Japanese when I was writing on the board

In winter I keep my hair in twists so it was their first time to see it in any other style. I smiled and kept on writing. When they ask in English then we will talk about it. I am just highlighting how again my keeping my hair natural is widening their knowledge. yep.

Lives Touch

2012-02-06T04:21:00.000-08:00

This evening I hung out in Starbucks with a new teacher to the school who I am in charge of for the next month. This is a system our school has whereby an 'older' teacher here will take a new teacher under his/her wing for a month to help him/her get settled.

Through our interactions so far I find that I am learning much about her culture.

This is an awesome opportunity to share cultures and gain a better understanding of each other.

One aspect of my experience working in an 'international school' is the opportunity to meet people form all over the world.

This is a rich reward that no amount of money can give. The chance to just sit and talk and learn is invaluable.

This experience is also helping me professionally. I get evaluations of my classes from people who have studied and taught all over the world. When I get positive and other feedback, they help me to see how blessed I am to grow and learn while experiencing life abroad.

I am enjoying this new chapter in my life and look forward to the revelations on each page.

FYI: If You want to teach in Japan

2012-02-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

The school year starts in April. So interviews are in full swing both overseas and here on the ground for assistant language teachers. If you are interested in teaching here now is the time to act. Check the links I will list below. I am not endorsing any company merely sharing information. Do the necessary research and be alert. No I am not getting paid to do this just putting it out there because I know if you are not in Japan it's hard to know where to look.

https://jobs.gaijinpot.com/?utm_campaign=jobmail&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jobmail_2012-01-31

http://www.ohayosensei.com/current.html

http://www.jobsinjapan.com/?loc=JJA_EFL_Teaching

https://www.interacnetwork.com/recruit/

http://recruiting.ecc.co.jp/

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/

http://www.berlitz.com/Contact/Welcome-to-Berlitz/85/countryid--72/

http://genkienglish.net/altiacentral.htm

http://www.borderlink.co.jp/en/index.html

I am sure there are other sites but these are the ones off the top of my head.

If you are interested in http://www.jetprogramme.org/ make sure to check it out for July 2013 since applications for this yr are done.

Oh For the Luv of Fashion

2012-01-31T02:57:00.000-08:00

micro mini skirts blowing in the cold Gunma wind
while biking on these frigid, icicle like mornings we now have here in
Gunma, Japan.

It's not only the howling winds
and thermal weather that reminds me of winter in Fukushima.

The blistery red legs of the high school girls pedaling on their way to school, were very much a part of the scenery on a brutal winter morn...

I don't know how they do it, sometimes the legs turned purple too.

I asked my Japanese friend why these girls do it. She said, " fashion. "

Teachers Set For Life

2012-01-30T02:10:00.000-08:00

Here on the wintery isle of Japan teachers have no reason to study further after completing a first degree and passing the teacher certification examinations.

Since you don't necessarily get paid for having a graduate degree. You get paid for experience first and foremost. Hence the older you get the more your salary rises until it caps off after your 20th yr. (disclaimer I don't know about every teaching institution here)

So... when I found out about this, I kinda got to understand why the average teacher has only a 1st degree. I guess the powers that be think after that there aint nothing else to learn, hence the lack of compensation for higher degrees.

So I went to Costco.

2012-01-24T04:27:00.000-08:00

I went a little crazy there.
It's awesome that the company stays true to its 'brand'.
I heard many comments about how humungous everything was from the Japanese people all around me.
Yes I agree with them but finally I feel like I got value for my money here.
Cetaphil lotion check. Tortilla chips check. 2 gallons of mango juice check. 5 lbs of Quaker oats check (this will last forever).The list goes on and on...
I will definitely be checking into Costco every so often to stock up.
The hefty rotissiere chicken is delicious, well seasoned and I still have many servings left in my freezer.

The Japanese Respect Others Possessions

2012-01-15T05:08:00.000-08:00

Can you believe I lost my Movado watch three weeks ago, only to find it put down nicely on a ledge in my apartment building? I am not surprised the person who found it left it there. I am not surprised that others would have seen it and not take it. I hear stories all the time of people finding wallets with money and taking them to the police station.

By and large Japanese do respect people's property except where bicycles and umbrellas are concerned. lol. It's after all not utopia.

Finally Had Okonomiyaki in Osaka

2012-01-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

They were delicious. Okonomiyaki is said to be the Japanese pancake. There are many variations. The best okonomiyakis are said to be found in Osaka and Hiroshima. It usually has egg, flour and some vegetables as a base. You choose whether to ad cheese and/or different kinds of meat, seafood etc.

The ones we had were made with 5 different kinds of cheese:

This what it looks like when it's just put on the grill to cook - yes it is done right before your eyes, by you! lol

This is the finished product with bonito fish shavings, mayonnaise, the special okonomiyaki sauce and bits of nori (seaweed). This makes for a savoury combination. My mouth is starting to water as I type.

First Time Encounter With A Scammer in Japan?

2012-01-12T02:52:00.000-08:00

I was just in the supermarket. A young Japanese woman walked over to me in the vegetable section:

Japanese woman: " Where is Starbucks?"
Me: Go straight until you get to the end of the corridor, turn left and you will see it."
Japanese woman: (holding her belly and spitting on the floor of the supermarket) " I feel sick and need
something to drink. Can we go there together?"
Me: " Sorry but I am just coming from there." (really I had just left after being there an hour with friends,
in retrospect I think she followed me.
Japanese woman: " What's the cost of things in Starbucks"
Me: " 500 yen." ($ 4 US)
Japanese woman: " I really feel sick and need something hot but after taking the train here I have no
money left. Can you give me 500 yen."
Me: " I don't have it just enough to pay for my groceries." (I was about to offer to buy her a hot bottle of
which is only 90 yen right in the supermarket)
Japanese woman: " Let's go to Starbucks, I feel really sick. "
Me: " I am really sorry but I have to go."

Is or isn't she a scammer? My instincts would not allow me to find out.

It is interesting that just the other my friend asked if I notice that only 'strange' Japanese people initiates a conversation. mmmmm.....

Finding JOY in the Simple Things.

2012-01-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

I found Japan a great place to meet people of other cultures. Tonight we shared much about our culture (another Jamaica and I) with some Kenyans. We enjoyed Kenyan food, had stimulating conversation and had the joy of tapping into our inner child with the baby. This was a happy day. I was happy to be around friends, relaxing and enjoying great food.

Discovering Little Tastes of Home... JOY!!

2012-01-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

I discovered several years ago a source where I can get mutton, which I luv luv luv.

I found out over the holidays where I can get oxtail and chicken foot - my cup runneth over - I luv luv these too (even though the oxtail is expensive 20 US a kilo, once a month treat, bought me a pressure cooker :)

I also have pigs tail too. :)

I stepped on into my inconsistent foreign food store today and was pleased to find the nice thick mango juice I like and baking soda in the packaging I am use to.

Also my friends hooked me up with a place that sells malta... mi deh pon dat!

In addition a friend taught me how to make sorrel from the sorrel tea bags. Use as many tea bags you desire, pour enough hot water on it and leave it to seep overnight. Then pour some rum into that, add some sugar, ginger and refrigerate. It was delicious, authentic tasting too.

It just keeps getting better...watch me getting comfy!?

Major Pet Peeve - worthless black men in Japan

2012-01-06T01:19:00.000-08:00

The worthless black men I encounter here really piss me off big time. (for those who don't read with understanding, this means I don't classify all black men here as worthless) They come here and within a few days/months hook up with a Japanese girl, next thing yuh know she is pregnant and they have to marry her. The cultural value system demands it. (yeah some white guys also get caught like this).

Anyway to each his/her own, right?

Why am I pissed?
Well these miscreant philanderers think it is ok for me and other black and any other colour woman to give them some on the side. The thing that pisses me off is that saying no once or one hundred times makes no impact.Saying no, causes your ears to come under a barrage of player rubbish: 'I'm tired of these Japanese girls now'; 'black girls are the best and I want to stick to my own' etc. KMT (kiss mi teet)

As if that weren't enough one ole one had the gall to tell me he is going back to Jamaica to impregnate a woman because children back home remember their parents in old age (fool realize that the kids here don't have that on their agenda).

I asked him if he will divorce his Japanese wife of 14 yrs (who get whole heap a bun) to marry a Jamaican. That snake under grass responded: "mi nuh haffi duh dat afta woman dung dere breed an yuh nuh haffi marry dem" (I don't have to marry a her because women in Jamaican get pregnant and marriage isn't required. I saw red and that was the end of me wasting time to converse with him.

Then I got to the train station the other night. I came off the steps to cries of, "sista, sista, African sista". I did not even turn my head. If you have ever seen these time wasters greeting you this way you know to keep walking.

Do I envy any of these Japanese women these men they have married? Hell no. These girls don't begin to understand the terror they have taken on themselves. These worthless black men in Japan giving us all a bad name. get pon mi nerves!!

2012!

2012-01-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

There is so much I want to do and experience here this year. We started off the year really nice with friends, champagne and fireworks. It's the year of the dragon and all that jazz so looking forward to all this new year has to offer.

In Japan this first day until the 3rd, Japanese visit family and have a spread of traditional Japanese foods. It's just nice to be with people and celebrate life, hope, possibilities and dreams to be seen in 2012. All the best to you folks for the yr ahead.

2011-12-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hey folks quick update. I am in Osaka chillin' with friends. We had a big feast with lots of Jamaican food - took lots of energy to make and clean up- including fruit cake, sweet potato pudding and lots more.
There were lots of laughter, games and we drop some foot (danced up a storm). It was phenomenal.

The day started out with church of course and a small party there after, then we came home and put on the pots.

It's like a big extended sleepover - 6 of us in an apartment. It's just so nice to be free and let the Patois rip and buss belly laughs. Good times.

Thanks for reading, commenting and being there for me everyone. I hope you had a great Christmas and will have a blessed 2012. Catch you then.

mata ne (see you)

2011 the trying year

2011-12-21T03:10:00.000-08:00

It started off well enough. I was anticipating leaving Japan as my time on JET would be ending...
The best laid plans often go awry but God never disappoints, he opens mega doors when our pithy dreams fall thru.

The Great East Japan earthquake of March 11 shook us. (yes that is what's it officially called here)

I learned that when everything else around me is in disarray God never changes and the Holy Spirit is really a comforter.
People tap into their goodness in times of disaster etc. but most of us soon forget and go back to our former ways
Family and friends who have never taken the time to drop a word in yrs will flood your inbox when they think you may have transitioned - too little too late?
Sensationalism can make a bad situation horrifying...

This was bad enough then came the nuclear situation which will linger for decades...

At home we say bad things come in 3s.

The third thing, my aunt who I spoke to every Saturday religiously for almost 5yrs went to be with the Lord (yes I am into euphemisms after all I am a teacher of English)

Oh how I miss that lady. I went home for her funeral read her eulogy and still fail to quite believe she is gone...

I felt a sudden urge to go home last December now I realize it was to see her one last time.

The day my dad called to say she died was the day after I heard I had gotten this job - talk about mixed emotions.

2011 has been a trying year. I am still here in Japan not quite living a dream anymore, but living life...

Whatever next year holds I am praying it will not be too much but just enough.

Back to Osaka!

2011-12-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance to visit Japan make sure you visit Osaka. It's like a country within a country. The people there are so open and genuinely friendly. Even other Japanese who don't live there remark about their difference in behaviour. I enjoy going there, it's like a breath of fresh air.

It's a great city with some great activities and it's only a short train ride to Kyoto, Kobe or Nara. it's a great location.

So going there for Christmas break is a double JOY for me. I get to see my friends and feel the genuine warm hearted nature of the natives in OSAKA!

Osaka Castle March 2011

Paying to watch TV

2011-12-14T06:06:00.000-08:00

is what the public channel or whatever it's called expects us to do. Last weekend I rushed to see who had rung my bell. I was much disappointed and pissed off to see it was the guy from the company coming to collect. It's not like it's cable; the quality of the programmes are so crappy. How do I know? Because when I returned and didn't have internet I tried to watch it. I had to give up and read. They expect people to shell out cash for something that is of a low quality. When the local folks don't pay and tell you not to you know the deal.

Anyway Mr. collector guy - I feel sorry for the poor thing - was there trying to find his English words and I was not gonna let on that my Japanese ability is good enough to understand what he was saying. I just watch him squirm - unfortunately the good suffers for the bad sometimes. I explained that I have a tv only because my employers gave me one and I don't use it. He followed up by asking me if I watch their station on my pc? I was like,no. Next he took out his cell phone to ask if I have one and if I watch tv on it, I was out of patience and said no not so nicely. Seriously, people who watch tv on their phones should pay their phone providers and this guy's company too?

I just don't get this company at all. I can't explain how bad their programs are. I still can't believe after yrs here that they seriously think people will pay for their service, I guess because a few obedient folks do. In all honesty I think people who watch their channels should pay. I wish they would leave me alone. Hence my policy not to answer my door unless I expect something

The Break is coming

2011-12-10T00:37:00.001-08:00

yep, school officially ends next Friday. Typical Japanese style we will have a 'bonenkai' - saying goodbye to the old year- party Friday night. It's great to get a break but it would be nice if us teachers didn't have to take leave days to do this. In Japan teachers don't get holidays that students get. We get 'x' number of days for the year which we can take when the kids are off or we go to school and do desk work.

Anyway I am not griping because the number of leave days are quite satisfactory.

I have plans. Christmas is a time to be around loved ones. So I will be jamming with some friends in Osaka and Nagoya for almost 2 weeks. Gotta luv December in Japan. The Emperor's birthday is a public holiday -Dec. 23- so no leave required. Plus Dec. 29 - Jan.3 is the end of the year holiday for many workers. So I will be off for almost 3 weeks and will use only 7 leave days, yeah!!

I am looking forward to chatting Patois all day, making and eating yummy Jamaican food, bowling, doing karaoke, seeing that cute baby again, freezing my butt off walking around doing stuff outside. It's gonna be nice.

It became so cold here. Yesterday morning it was freezing and it has only improved a wee bit. Yep winter is here and crap found out this morning that my apartment is not wired to take so much. I turned on my ac heater, my portable halogen heater, started the washing machine, turned on my kettle and the breaker chipped out! My refrigerator was on as well and my internet was plugged in. No multitasking for this electricity connection - guess it nah cross it as we say in Jamaica. DWL!

What are you looking forward to this Christmas season?

On the Outside Looking in

2011-12-08T02:30:00.001-08:00

So they have called elections at home for December 29th. To me this is on the verge of being sacrilegious. With our history of violence and mayhem in the time leading up to elections, the timing just plain suck.

If I were at home I would feel hard pressed to muster up the Christmas cheer and all that jazz. Election smack dab in the middle of Christmas and New Year celebrations. I hope it will be peaceful and good sense will prevail.

I am away but this is breaking my heart. When I think about the peaceful way in which elections are carried out here, it really makes me wonder. Anyway let's wait and see.

A Bag of Pills

2011-12-01T01:52:00.001-08:00

is what I got from the doctor on Tuesday. The cold virus has had me under attack for the last 2-3 weeks. It seems as if something I picked up on the plane over here hadn't left my system as I thought. Anyway Tuesday I woke up with a sore throat, headache and runny nose just when I thought I had this thing beaten.

I was poked and prodded and left with 4 pills at breakfast, 3 at lunch and 4 in the evening. They are all different kinds of pills: one to protect the stomach lining, one for the aches, one for the cold and antibiotics. I am on a four day course and can't wait for tomorrow to come to be done with it.

I find here that the medication strength is weaker than what I was use to at home and I have heard other foreigners saying the same thing. I am off to take 4 pills and go to bed because one of them induces drowsiness, so I have been working in a cloud lol, no wonder I have been calm all week.

Now, this is Service!

2011-11-29T02:12:00.001-08:00

came to find out the reason why I have not gotten a bill form my internet provider after 2 months is because the first 3 months are FREE. Yep, free for not one, not two but three months. I have the same provider as before but since I moved and all that jazz I get to enjoy this 'service' again. This is pretty popular with many providers here. Interestingly when businesses do this kind of thing here it's called 'service'. They couldn't have called it anything else as this is what it is. Yeah for me....

Today I ran

2011-11-25T01:38:00.001-08:00

one leg of the 4x200m relay. I am so tired now especially since we had to walk 40 mins each way to the sports centre. Today was sports day and it was filled with fun activities. I was surprised when I was told I would need to do a leg because there are so few of us ladies here. Anyway we finished the race and we were pleased with that. YEAH! for getting up and trying even when the mind and body says it's just too hard. It's been a lonnnng week of battling this persistent cold virus, marking drafts of essays, practicing for the sports day and so on. I am so happy to see the back of this week! TGIF.

Enjoying the Strong Yen

2011-11-24T03:17:00.001-08:00

I remember when I first came here how high the rate of the US dollar was to the yen. It's been the reverse for a long time much to my delight, let me count the many ways:

paying for flights, hotels and all that jazz when doing it online
shopping at JCPenny (luv it cause their stuff fits me just right)
buying stuff for my hair and skin at my favourite herbal place iherb outta California
building my nest egg
getting more out of my google talk credit
and more

It aint good for the country they say but I am gonna enjoy it while it lasts. I am not the only one either as many Japanese people informed me this is a big motivation for them travelling now because the money stretches...

You are black too and so?

2011-11-20T07:00:00.001-08:00

LOL! met this black guy a few weeks back in the supermarket, he was like, " It's great to meet another black person here..."
I was like to myself ok then, "hey nice to meet you too and there are a few of us around here"

We exchanged numbers and finally met up for a chat today.

I just knew this fellow was on the take his vibes just hollered it, so I jumped into my interrogation mode lol

can u believe he tried to hide the fact that he was married/divorced and has kids with a Japanese lady. He had me laughing at him and he had to give it up. Ladies signs to look for:

if he has permanent residence, a house and have/had a business, he is/was married to a Japanese because it's not easy for a foreigner to do all the above within a few yrs of being here

he is waiting on his Japanese citizenship - by the time he mentioned this I was looking him in the eye asking why he had to lie. Come on if he was even looking a little on the side give the other person a choice eh?

Anyway we ended the convo with him saying ," I can fool all these Japanese girls but not you black girls."

I was like, " Are they that naive?"

We reached an understanding that we would be just friends especially after I set him straight that I am a committed Christian and no man not gonna get 'jiggy' with me until him 'put a ring pon it' lol....

Enjoying Autumn...

2011-11-14T02:59:00.001-08:00

It was a lovely fall day yesterday. I went on a day trip with some of my colleagues and their families. It was so nice to get out and commune with nature. We rode on the shortest locomotive train, picked apples and enjoyed ice cream outdoors in the beautiful sunshine.

shortest locomotive ride - the train went up and down the short line twice. It was hilarious but it was a nice ride.

Lady fall about to ride off into the sunset to make way for old man winter, but she is still beautiful.

That's me trying to look cute - that grease messed up my hand.

beautiful view - love the countryside

Fall colours are so beautiful - rich, vibrant, robust...

delicious, juicy apples - a kind gentleman gave me one and even a wet tissue to clean it up, I had it for lunch today

hanging persimmons out to dry to get the 'stainy' taste out - they become prune like and much too sweet after all this

wrestling with the tree to get two (our allowance) of its few remaining apples...