Life is good in Japan. Since I have last written I have been on a few more adventures, and sung a bit more karaoke.
I went to Tojinbo and the beach again, this time with Steve. We had a great day scaling rocks and eating squid on a stick. Ummmmm, and lets not forget the green tea vanilla swirl soft serve. Seriously can`t get enough of good old Tojinbo. We also had a fun night at Bears Bar again, sans wax pouring of course.
I also got my very first cell phone last week. All very exciting. It`s silver and black. Although it`s not like i have alot of people to talk to or text. Mainly my roomies, and a few people from work.
Work last week was okay. I taught some good lessons, and some bad ones. I was actually able to share my knowledge on gender politics with one of my students who is in a very high level. It was good actually talking about something important in a lesson for once, instead of what is your name and what do you do.
I had a follow up training in Takaoka on wednesday. I had to travel about two hours on the train to get there though. So i took my sleeping bag with me in the hopes that some kind soul would let me crash on their couch for the night so that i could do some sightseeing the next day. It ending up being a really fun night. It was one of the girls last night in Japan. So myself, and all the teachers from that city went out for Okinomiyaki. (it is a Japanese dish that you cook yourself at the table, it is comprised of cabbage, egg, seafood or meat, and other stuff.....it looks like a pancake). Then we went back to their apartment and went on the roof, lit some fireworks and drank some cheap wine under the stars. Then i crashed on Michael's and Zubaer`s couch. Not too comfortable, but much appreciated.
(picture)
The next day i went to a city called Kanazawa. Minus being a bit tired and hungover, the day was AMAZING! I went to a 15th century garden called Kenrokuen. Kenrokuen means `combined six`, referring to the six attributes for perfection: seclusion, spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views. I walked around and enjoyed the feel of being in old Japan. The waterfalls and fountains were very tranquil. I stopped to rest often.
I went from the garden right to the 21st Century art museum. Going to museums is always a surprise for me. Who knew that there would be this amazing museum so close to where i live in Japan. I went from 15th century Japan, straight to the 21st century all within minutes. The museum was extremely modern. It is a huge round building with geometric gallery spaces all throughout. The facade had a flower instillation on it. Something to do with seeds, it also connected to an instillation project within.
The permanent collection was surprisingly cool, it also had an instillation by Leandro Erlich maybe called pool?. It was a pool with only 10 cent. of water on the top and the rest hollow. You could enter the pool through the bottom and see out the top. You could also look in the top at the people on the bottom. It was in the 2004 Venice biennale, or some other year, can`t remember.
There was also a special exhibition from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in the States. It made me very happy to see some special artists who were featured. Jeff Wall from Vancouver, huge photograph of two guys cutting through a hedge. Also a crazy circular sand pit by Mona Hatoum. Rotating in the centre of it was a rake that would create a design on one side and then the other would clear the sand and make it smooth. I also saw photographs and a video piece by Laurie Simmons. There were also many other exciting artists, Sofie Calle just to name another..... Now that i have bored some of you with my passion for art, and the the museum, i will move on.
I then walked around the city. Went into the main shopping mall called Kroinbo. And to my great surprise found Tim Tams!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! At five dollars a box i could only buy two, but they are all mine and very yummy. I then bought sushi, went to another shrine to eat it in the garden. This garden felt much older than Kenrokuen, and the best part was that it was totally secluded, no one was around. I then walked to this crazy fish market that did not smell good, and people were yelling crazy things. I was dead tired by the time i made it to the train.
Today is my other day off. All i did was relax, go for a run, tan, learn some japanese, and come to the library to use the computer.
Talk soon!!!!!!!!!!!!
"It`s your dream, make it happen"
I went to Tojinbo and the beach again, this time with Steve. We had a great day scaling rocks and eating squid on a stick. Ummmmm, and lets not forget the green tea vanilla swirl soft serve. Seriously can`t get enough of good old Tojinbo. We also had a fun night at Bears Bar again, sans wax pouring of course.
I also got my very first cell phone last week. All very exciting. It`s silver and black. Although it`s not like i have alot of people to talk to or text. Mainly my roomies, and a few people from work.
Work last week was okay. I taught some good lessons, and some bad ones. I was actually able to share my knowledge on gender politics with one of my students who is in a very high level. It was good actually talking about something important in a lesson for once, instead of what is your name and what do you do.
I had a follow up training in Takaoka on wednesday. I had to travel about two hours on the train to get there though. So i took my sleeping bag with me in the hopes that some kind soul would let me crash on their couch for the night so that i could do some sightseeing the next day. It ending up being a really fun night. It was one of the girls last night in Japan. So myself, and all the teachers from that city went out for Okinomiyaki. (it is a Japanese dish that you cook yourself at the table, it is comprised of cabbage, egg, seafood or meat, and other stuff.....it looks like a pancake). Then we went back to their apartment and went on the roof, lit some fireworks and drank some cheap wine under the stars. Then i crashed on Michael's and Zubaer`s couch. Not too comfortable, but much appreciated.
(picture)
The next day i went to a city called Kanazawa. Minus being a bit tired and hungover, the day was AMAZING! I went to a 15th century garden called Kenrokuen. Kenrokuen means `combined six`, referring to the six attributes for perfection: seclusion, spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views. I walked around and enjoyed the feel of being in old Japan. The waterfalls and fountains were very tranquil. I stopped to rest often.
I went from the garden right to the 21st Century art museum. Going to museums is always a surprise for me. Who knew that there would be this amazing museum so close to where i live in Japan. I went from 15th century Japan, straight to the 21st century all within minutes. The museum was extremely modern. It is a huge round building with geometric gallery spaces all throughout. The facade had a flower instillation on it. Something to do with seeds, it also connected to an instillation project within.
The permanent collection was surprisingly cool, it also had an instillation by Leandro Erlich maybe called pool?. It was a pool with only 10 cent. of water on the top and the rest hollow. You could enter the pool through the bottom and see out the top. You could also look in the top at the people on the bottom. It was in the 2004 Venice biennale, or some other year, can`t remember.
There was also a special exhibition from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in the States. It made me very happy to see some special artists who were featured. Jeff Wall from Vancouver, huge photograph of two guys cutting through a hedge. Also a crazy circular sand pit by Mona Hatoum. Rotating in the centre of it was a rake that would create a design on one side and then the other would clear the sand and make it smooth. I also saw photographs and a video piece by Laurie Simmons. There were also many other exciting artists, Sofie Calle just to name another..... Now that i have bored some of you with my passion for art, and the the museum, i will move on.
I then walked around the city. Went into the main shopping mall called Kroinbo. And to my great surprise found Tim Tams!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! At five dollars a box i could only buy two, but they are all mine and very yummy. I then bought sushi, went to another shrine to eat it in the garden. This garden felt much older than Kenrokuen, and the best part was that it was totally secluded, no one was around. I then walked to this crazy fish market that did not smell good, and people were yelling crazy things. I was dead tired by the time i made it to the train.
Today is my other day off. All i did was relax, go for a run, tan, learn some japanese, and come to the library to use the computer.
Talk soon!!!!!!!!!!!!
"It`s your dream, make it happen"
2 comments:
hi bailey , not sure if we can use this to communicate with you so we're just trying it out . dont have your email address . noels, george SA
Well said.
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