The Sinking Ship

The thing about being on the road, is that you never know when you are going to hit a fork.

It`s mind boggling how things can make so much sense one day, and then the next day ones world can be thrown for a loop. Apparently i joined a company which at the moment can only be described as a sinking ship. The instability of my situation in Japan hit me last week. Teachers are not being paid, and schools everywhere are closing. I fear for my job constantly, and don`t know what to do when shit hits the fan. So if i have not responded to e-mails, this is why.
However, i have decided to roll with the punches and take whatever life throws at me right now. I am not ready to accept defeat. I have fallen more in love with Japan than i would have ever expected, and refuse to give up without a fight. So until then, we all all continuing to teach lessons as normally as possible, and live as normally as possible. It`s hard to be in fear of losing ones job though, because then roots can`t be planted. I think i will plant roots anyways, which includes getting a cell phone this week. Yes, that`s right Bailey with a cell phone, i know it`s unheard of.
On the bright side, I have visited some pretty cool places. On our first day off we went to Tojimbo, and Mikuni beach. Tojimbo is famous for its crazy rock formations that jut out of the sea. It was said that a corrupt priest was thrown over the edge a very long time ago. As you can see i don`t memorize dates. And now Tojimbo is famous for the amount of people who commit suicide off of them. I thought they were pretty cool. And we met a Japanese friend named Masiah. With his best English, and my shotty japanese we could barely communicate, but making friends in unlikely places is what travelling is all about. Amber and i proceeded to wade in the Japan sea for the rest of the day, BUT only wade because there are apparently jelly fish, and neither of us were prepared to pee on each other.

Then last week i went to the third largest Shinto Temple in a mountain town called Eiheiji town. And Kelly and i visited Eithiji temple. I will post pictures as soon as possible. My favourite was the ceiling of 230 paintings done in traditional Japanese style. All of them different and uniquely coloured. It reminded me of how badly i need to buy paint, and start painting here. But again, that would be putting down roots. At Eiheiji, monks were running around like it was there job. They are so cute. And Kelly and i of course did all the proper stuff you are supposed to do in temples. You know, pretend to pray, light burning incense, and wonder around spiritually. Good times, minus the fact that i was starving and couldn't wait for a serious bowl of noodles with a raw cracked egg in it.

And of course i cannot leave out the nights of Karaoke. My motto is, that if i`m going down, i might as well go down singing. For $26 at "My Pleasure", it`s all you can sing, and all you can drink. So basically the funnest thing ever, especially when you have about 20 people in the intimate room from all different backgrounds and walks in life.....some Japanese, mostly foreigners, and even a couple Brazilians the other night.

Well i must run to work, but i`ll add more soon!

Planes, Trains and Taxi-Cabs

It has been almost two weeks since the day i arrived in Japan. Verdict? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE....Everything makes sense in Japan. It felt like home from the minuit i walked into my little apartment in Fukui-Shi.
After a very early morning, and a terribly long plane ride i made it to Osaka. We of course immediately went out on the town because our hotel was located in Dontonbori, the club district in Osaka. Crazy lights and tons of people walking around. It did not feel real.

The next day i hopped onto a train for two hours and made my way to my apartment in the city of Fukui. I luckily got a room with a balcony. We are surrounded by mountains as far as the eye can see. When i wake up in the morning, from my bed i can look out my window and see the mountains. I:ve taken to sketching them when i have time, and if the day is clear. We also overlook this quaint zen garden made of small stones and japanese bushes. My roommates are great! We are all very different, but work well together. They are both from the states. One basically studied japanese for four years, loves japanese music and really all things japanese. The other is a party girl from Florida. My apartment is a 2 min walk to the grocery store, and a 10 min bus ride into town. I haven:t explored too much around where i live, except for the time i went for a walk and got completely lost for two hours. Thank buddah i know how to ask in japanese how to get home!

I have met everyone i will be working with for the next year. They are from all over the world, and are so far very fun. We did Karaoke the other night. To sum it up, shit show. Try rapping to luaren hill after about 20 drinks. It's basically all you can drink, and all you can sing for about $35. We also went out for a couple people:s birthdays, don:t ask me whose though...again all you can eat, all you can drink $35.....see what i mean by everything making sense over here! And you can buy any kind of alcohol you want in the grocery store, and drink it anywhere you want.

Well, now that everyone thinks i'm an alcoholic, i'll talk about things not related to drinking!!!
To sum up the training for my job........stressful. But i lived through the three days of hell, and now am officially a Nova teacher. I just finished my forth day of actual teaching, and it:s not bad. Most of the time it:s pretty funny, except when the kids just stare blankly at you. It is fairly stressful planning a 4o min lesson in 5mins, but i:m sure i:ll get used to it.

Well my time is running out on this computer, so i:ll end off for today. But Japan is pretty much awsome, and everything is as it should be.