Mr. Sparkle's Japanese Adventure

QUEST FOR CHRISTMAS

2006-12-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Seasons greetings from the other side of the world!

"So it's Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun."
- John Lennon

Well let's see, John, what have I done...

...nothing to save the world, that's for sure, but I have definitely worked hard creating art to inspire some positive change.

Anyway, I'll skip the yearly recap and cut right to the good stuff...Christmas in Japan!

As you know, everything is a little more compact and efficient over here. Even the Christmas trees!

It's just not the same when you only have 10 short branches to work with. But my dog, Mitsu, and I found some joy in decorating even the saddest of ity-bity trees.

That picture may or may not have been taken after 2 bottles of Sake and the tiniest Japanese Beer, Asahi.

One beer for every mile away from Canada...drunk and sad. I was discouraged by the lack of Christmas spirit...and so begun my quest for Christmas.

I sought out advice from the greatest Christmas advocate and icon of all time...Colonel Sanders!

Oddly enough, he didn't have much to say. When I asked him how to promote Christmas in a non-Christian country he simply replied, "follow your shiny red nose down the path of commercialism & exploitation of children." So after some serious soul searching and a trip to the dollar store, I came up with the answer.

Santa suit! It only cost me 100 yen to celebrate the season in style and ultimately discover the true spirit of Christmas. Unfortunately Santa's pants were tailored for a Japanese man.

Here in Japan most people don't celebrate Christmas as a whole family affair. It's more of a gift giving for children and one hell of a drunkin' party...I suppose some things are very similar to the Western celebration.

Japan is the "shiny stuff" capital of the world, and in true Japanese fashion they put on a fantastic display of Christmas lights and other festivities. I passed about 30 school kids dressed in little Elf costumes on the way home from work yesterday. They were crowded in the town square preparing to put on a Christmas play...I'm assuming it didn't involve Mother Mary or the rest of the gang.

Here's a giant Christmas tree in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. At the base of the tree there's a stage for Christmas plays and festive karaoke.

If you look hard enough, you'll find the true spirit of Christmas in Japan. It just may be hiding at the bottom of a tall glass of Whiskey.

Merry Christmas!
Mr. Sparkle

SCENERY DREAM

2006-11-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Aisha and I visited the old capital for two full days of exploration. KYOTO is home to Japan's most important cultural properties, including Kiyomizu Temple (potentially one of the next Wonders of the World), Nijo Castle (official residence of the original Shogun), and Kinkakuji / Ginkakuji (the gold and silver pavilions).

A plethora of national treasures fills the city, creating a tourist tragedy with too much to see in two short days. We had to pick three attractions from a lengthy list of equally amazing places to go. Join me on our journey through a scenery dream.

GINKAKUJI

Established in 1482, this temple known as the "Silver Pavilion" was built as the resting place for a rich man's retired life. Now a national treasure, it's open to the public so that all may enjoy its splendor and beauty.

This was my favourite part of our trip to Kyoto. At certain times I had to stop and gather myself. The garden panorama is absolutely breathtaking. In fact, the entire pavilion could be described as the landscape of a heavenly dream. Have a look at Ginkakuji, but keep in mind this is one place that can not be captured by a man made device. Only a personal experience can accurately describe it.

The entrance way to the pavilion.

The first thing you see as you round the corner of the entrance.

The second thing you see...

The garden path.

Special species of moss cover the garden floor.

A small stream along the way. The leaves of the Japanese maple tree have turned red in the fall season. Many visitors of the garden were collecting the red leaves for keepsake...I scored a few myself, oh ya.

Towards the back of the garden is a wishing pond and waterfall.

Behind Aisha, just below the surface of the water, is a rock that people toss coins at and make wishes. If the coin lands on top of the rock your wish is supposed to come true.

Berry bushes are scattered throughout the garden.

NIJO-JO

The castle was originally built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa Shogun. A Shogun is the equivalent of an army general. The term "Shogun" or "Sei-i taishogun" literally means great general who subdues the eastern barbarians.

Ninomaru palace, the castle's main building, has 10 chambers. The innermost chamber served as the Shogun's living quarters. Only female servants were allowed in this 10th and final chamber to ensure the safety of the Shogun warlord. In addition to this safety measure, the hallways surrounding each chamber were constructed so that every footstep could be heard. A special flooring known as "Uguisu-Bari," or Nightingale Floor, made noise when pressure was applied to it. Metal joints underneath the floorboards moved up and down creating a sound similar to a Nightingale's song. This safety feature prevented enemies from sneaking around the palace. Several of the chambers leading up to the Shogun's quarters housed the palace bodyguards. They would wait behind sliding doors, ready to silence any threat to their ruler. Assassins would have to endure many chambers of bloody battle before reaching the deadliest warrior in the castle, the Shogun.

Here are some pictures of the castle grounds. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed inside the palace.

Just inside the entrance of the castle.

Aisha in front of the castle gate.

Large bell looking statues at the edge of the courtyard. Aisha's ready for a Shogun showdown with two hand guns?...cheater.

A Japanese maple tree just inside the garden gates.

A close up of the fall maple leaves.

Aisha at the edge of the garden pond.

Treading down that cold and lonesome road, en route to the Shogun palace.

Just outside of the palace. No pictures beyond this point. I must brave the 10 chambers of Nijo by myself. May the ancient light of Tokugawa guide my blade to victory.

KIYOMIZU TEMPLE

Supposedly the greatest treasure Kyoto has to offer, I found Kiyomizu to be somewhat disappointing. Perhaps it was the overabundance of tourists in the fall season. Hundreds of people flooded the temple grounds like Piranha to its prey. Enormous walkways were completely jammed with pushy sightseers; a wide open paradise was reduced to the comfort of a jail cell, including the company of a cellmate named Bubba. Telephoto lenses became a health hazard as trigger happy Japanese tourists snapped pictures in an unorthodox whirling dervish style.

I've seen pictures of Kiyomizu clean of the people plague, and it actually looks much more amazing than what I remember. Maybe next time we'll go in the Spring...wait, no, that's cherry blossom season. Anyway, if you can catch this historical landmark when it's not busy, it may just rock your socks off.

Check out some of the Kiyomizu highlights.

A swarm of tourists clutter the ancient temple grounds. I shouldn't complain seeing as I was part of the swarm.

The crowd thins out a bit as we approach the temple.

The support structure for the part of the temple stretching off the mountain.

Smaller temples at the base of the main structure.

The water that runs off three stone pillars, elevated above the frame of this picture, is believed to be blessed and has the power to wash away all of your sins. A line up of at least 100 tourists prevented Aisha and I from drinking the holy water and washing away our sins, not that we have any sins to wash away...

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE NIGHT

A cheaply priced yet quality Inn. Most hotels in Japan charge by the person, not the room. So finding an Inn that charged only 3,500 yen per person was fantastic. The average rate is around 8,000 yen per person (approx. $80 CAD).

ADDITIONAL PICTURES

A Samurai sword from the Kyoto National Museum collection.

Aisha kissing a Japanese male model, "damn them for being so beautiful."

A friendly duck we met by the riverside, near the mean streets of the old Gesha district, Pontocho. I can almost hear the duck's thoughts, "get that f*ckin' camera out of my face!"

Everyone loves ice cream!...even plastic white children in Kyoto.

GION, the Geisha district. Apparently there are only a couple hundred Geisha's left in existence. Probably a good thing considering their virginity is sold to the highest bidder...something very immoral about the whole Geisha thing.

Aisha and some stranger in a cool outfit, perhaps a modern day hero or more likely the mule of a human powered wagon ride for tourists.

Nothing like an enormous cup of coffee to kick start your week.

This is Kyoto's bus, train, and any other form of public transportation station; a horribly busy place with lots of multicoloured Gaijin.

No trip to the old capital of Japan would be complete without...Astro Boy!

TRICKY LETTERS

2006-11-14T21:21:00.001-08:00

stupid; foolish


On reading: CHI
Kun readings: shi, oroka
Number of Strokes: 13
Indicies: O'Neill:1663 Henshall:1575

Japanese symbols gone wrong -

The symbol on your right, meaning stupid, is one of the many Kanji characters that you will see on the apparel and skin of North Americans, a popular fashion fad that began in the mid to late 90's. Unfortunately the fad demanded a strong grasp of the Chinese/Japanese writing system, Kanji, in order to accurately select the appropriate symbol. As a result, there are many excitingly inappropriate Kanji symbols walking around North America that indicate wonderfully derogatory statements about the people who bear them.

I think my favorite example of Japanese symbols gone wrong is when foreigners decide to have their name translated to Katakana (a Japanese writing system used for foreign words) and then permanently tattooed on their body. Few foreign words translate properly!

For example -

This gentleman, named Luis, had his name translated to Katakana...he now has "Ruisu" indelibly stained in his skin.

The differences between the English and Japanese languages are vast and can be overwhelming. First of all, there are 3 writing systems in Japanese: Kanji, Hiragana, & Katakana.

KANJI - acquired from the Chinese in the 4th & 5th century, are unique and detailed characters that can represent a grouping of letters or a whole word, and they usually having more than one meaning/reading. Japanese people can read & write around 2000 Kanji characters by the end of high school, basically equaling the vocabulary of conversational English.

HIRAGANA - represents the sounds of syllables for native Japanese words, basically the equivalent of our alphabet. There are 46 basic characters used in the alphabet, each one representing a phonetic building block of the Japanese language.

KATAKANA - represents the sounds of syllables for foreign words, such as "Luis." Translations are never pretty. Example, "personal computer" becomes "pasokon." The sounds remain the same as Hiragana but the symbols are quite different, allowing the Japanese people to quickly distinguish between native and foreign words.

HIRAGANA CHARACTERS (basic alphabet) - for native Japanese words.

KATAKANA CHARACTERS (basic alphabet) - for foreign/"loan" words.

If reading & writing Japanese is not your thing, you can always focus on learning how to speak the language, another difficult obstacle to hurdle. This is where the term "tricky letters" takes on a concrete meaning.

In my experience, native English speakers adapting to the pronunciation of Japanese syllables is not as challenging as the opposite. The English language requires the pronunciation ability of a wide array of sounds, making it easier to adapt to other languages such as Japanese. Conversely, the Japanese language requires only the pronunciation of limited consonants and words ending in vowels or "n." That is why you hear English words pronounced jacketo (jacket), pinkku (pink), biiru (beer), etc.

My lower level Japanese students just can't seem to grasp certain consonants. This can make for awkward moments. For example, I had a class last week with the topic of describing electronic devices. One of my more energetic students was trying to describe the television of his dreams; incidentally television becomes "terebi" in Katakana. As he spoke of the ultimate "terebi," he uttered an innocently inappropriate sentence, "My terebi favourite is big...really big!, and QUEER!" he shouted. As my jaw slacked open, eyes widened and head cocked to the side, he stopped describing the television of his dreams, but then proceeded to correct his word misuse over and over again, until everybody could hear my student shouting "QUEER!" He was trying to pronounce "clear," but I figured that out far too late. After a minute of dead-end exchange, "clear...queer!, cleeaaar....queer!, cl-cl-cleeaaar...QUEER! I finally gave up and moved on. Those letters can be quite tricky sometimes.

The hardest letters for the Japanese to pronounce are L, R and TH. L becomes R, R becomes D, and TH becomes S. This last mispronunciation makes it difficult to utter my name to Japanese people. You see, Nathan becomes "Nesan," which unfortunately for me, means "older sister" in Japanese. I'm sure you can imagine the confusion and laughter this may cause. So, take it from your older sister when I say tricky letters can be quite awkward and sometimes even embarrassing.

Remember, that nice Japanese man down the hall from you is probably not calling you a queer, in fact, he just may be trying to describe the "terebi" of his dreams.

Peace,
Mr. Sparkle

THE NOVA EXPERIENCE

2006-11-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

Around 1973 a small private school by the name of Nova opened for business. Located in the heart of Tokyo, Nova made its mark on Japan by offering inexpensive ESL (English as a second language) classes. Its incredible popularity demanded an overwhelming need for English speaking teachers, and thus dawned the birth of corporate Nova; now one of the largest chain schools in Japan.

So, "what's it like teaching for Nova?" Many people have asked me this question and it still remains difficult to answer. My opinion changes from week to week, month to month. Here's a series of pictures to facilitate your understanding.

These teacher photos were taken periodically throughout the one year contract offered by Nova.

MONTH 1

- Happy to be teaching English at Nova, despite whispered death threats from two seemingly innocent students.

MONTH 3

- Fear from daily death threats gets worse as students begin to bring weapons to class.

- This particular teacher has a knife digging into her back, "smile and wave, Gaijin!"

MONTH 6

- Teachers fight back.

- Colourful transparent balls filled with acid keep the students in check.

- Death threats decrease while hostility and bitterness skyrocket.

MONTH 9

- Several sleepless weeks after killing her first student.

- "Acid balls always win in a knife fight!," she was noted screaming after the incident.

- Haunting memories result in a downward spiral of depression.

MONTH 12

- No picture available.

- Self destructive overload.

- 5 out of 10 teachers do not survive.

- Few ever fully recover.

All joking aside, teaching for Nova has been an enjoyable experience. The students are fantastic and full of energy, Nova makes no false promises, and the working environment is pretty great with teachers from all around the world. Seriously, there is no student holding a knife to my back, I swear...she's not looking, call for help!...AH!

Teaching for Nova in Japan is such a standardized process that prospective teachers really have nothing to worry about. In all honesty, if you want to teach ESL in Japan I would recommend Nova. That comes from my limited experience of course. Just make sure to check for weapons before allowing students to enter the classroom (ha, ha).

Educationally yours,
Mr. Sparkle

87 TO GO

2006-11-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

What you are seeing to the right is a picture of my traditional pilgrim clothing. This particular outfit was highly sought after and cost me a tremendous amount of yen. The only drawback to this sacred garment is that its made out of really heavy wood; poking your head through it while carrying it in front of you makes it hard to travel more than 10 feet at a time. Many pilgrims pass out after 50-60 feet, and most die after 1 km, but they say the journey is well worth the pain and suffering.

The Sohonzan Zentsuji Temple is known as the 75th temple of Japan's famed 88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku. Aisha and I headed up to Zenstuji to begin our grand pilgrimage of all 88 temples in Shikoku. Unfortunately, we got hungry around dinner time and decided to call off the pilgrimage...perhaps next year.

Originally built in 807 with few restorations along the way, the Zentsuji temple still looks amazing! Rich coloured wood and polished brass cover the interior, creating the appearance of a pristine dwelling. A small staircase in the corner of the temple leads down to an underground tunnel below the temple. The tunnel is pitch black, a place where monks and pilgrims can wash away their sins through prayers and by touching the left wall with their fingers as they walk down the tunnel. During my trip through the tunnel I found my eyes staining for a low level exposure, but the complete darkness made it impossible. In fact, the harder I tried to see what was coming next the more my eyes would play tricks on me by presenting spots and blotches of colour, which were most likely my ocular rods and cones trying to negotiate the darkness.

The temple grounds are also stunning. Bonsai and Chrysanthemum displays line the pathways leading up to the temple. Many statues in the form of Buddhist monks surround the main building, seemingly acting as a large Dream Catcher, perhaps warding off evil energy.

Anyway, enough said, words so poorly describe what pictures can express.

A moat just outside the temple grounds.

Aisha stands on the bridge leading up to the temple.

The bridge gate.

The temple gates.

A covered walk way leads to the doors of the temple.

Flower displays line the walk way.

Temple in the distance.

Striking a pose inside an ancient tomb.

A monk statue stands on top of the tomb. Supposedly most monks were well endowed (yeeowza!).

There's something very sexy about this picture, I can't quite wrap my hands around it.

A small reservoir of water for cleansing your hands before entering the temple.

The walkway around the temple.

Chanting monks make their way into the temple.

No photos allowed inside the temple, you'll have to check it out for yourself.

Peace,
Mr. Sparkle

PEACOCK PALACE!

2006-10-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

"What are you looking at?!" was the vibe I got from most of the peacocks in the petting zoo. Petting was only permitted with a valid Gaijin license of course. In fact, I think my license must have expired because the zoo caretaker kept getting closer to me every time I tried to touch the pretty birds.

Yesterday, Aisha and I took a trip to the mysterious island of Shodoshima, just off the north coast of Shikoku. The island is said to be home to many exotic species of monkey and peacock. Unfortunately the monkeys dwell at the top of the island, and we missed the last bus up there. So we had to settle for peacocks...yeah.

The island was absolutely gorgeous, like some secluded getaway you read about in a romance novel; correction, a romance novel that some woman reads and then tells her manly boyfriend about it. Ya, that's better. Anyway, the island was awesome! As soon as we stepped off the ferry we were surrounded by a vast forest of exotic palms sprinkled with hints of civilization. The locals were few and far between, and the people who we did run into were employees of the tourist industry.

Around 2pm we took a rickety old bus to the peacock "palace," home of the disgruntled cocks with no tail feathers. For some reason the caretakers clip their beautiful feathers. Perhaps to up the excitement factor of a zoo that only has two flamingos, a couple of ugly chickens, and a bunch of pissed off peacocks. Oh well, we still had fun.

Next time, I'm hanging out with the Shodoshima monkeys all day! I'm not leaving until one accidentally falls in my backpack and I haphazardly zip it up and run for the bus that I'm late for. Coming soon, my next blog, "My Pet Monkey: Adventures with Mr. Clawface." They say you can't tame a wild monkey, but Aisha's been dating me for two years now, and I haven't once pooped on the bed or tried to bite her face while she's sleeping. Trust me; you can tame a wild monkey!

Take care,
Mr. Sparkle

Aisha and I aboard the ferry to Shodoshima.

The island...

A white peacock, one of the two species at the zoo.

Surrounded by cocks...run for your life, woman!

A chicken wonders what life would be like without a hunk of red crap on his face.

BEYOND THE GRAVE

2006-10-29T02:54:00.000-08:00

On the top floor of my apartment building, right outside the front door, there's a perfect view of a cemetery. I live one property length beyond the graveyard.

When Aisha and I first arrived in Marugame the hour was late. We took a taxi from the train station to our new apartment. When we arrived, the cover of darkness had concealed everything. The ominous silhouette of our apartment building stood before us, its lobby dimly lit by two flickering light fixtures. The taxi pulled away, leaving us alone but fully armed with several suitcases packed tightly and ready to explode.

Just inside the lobby an elevator waited for us, its windows illuminated from the inside like two glowing eyes, its doors a rusty mess of faded paint and crusted filth. A small sign behind some cobwebs read, "Out of Service," in Japanese characters.

New plan, we ascended the stairs flight by flight, each one growing darker and little more foul. When we reached the top, a horrible smell filled the air. It must have blown over from the property next door, something was burning.

Aisha continued walking down the front balcony to our apartment while I stayed back to investigate. I watched her as she disappeared into the darkness, then refocused across the way. All I could see was a miniature, fiery blaze in the distance, shedding light on several surrounding pillars. Nothing happened at first...but then I saw something very strange, something I shouldn't be writing about while I'm still in Japan.

If you ask me what happened when I get back to Canada, I will tell you to have a Happy Halloween, and our apartment building is really quite nice...I had ya goin' for a minute...ya?...no ...oh well.

Regardless...have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Eat some candy for me! For some reason they don't celebrate Halloween over here. I think it's because the first and only time they tried celebrating Halloween everybody dressed up like a samurai warrior. All of the kids got mixed up and many parents lost their children forever. However, most of the parents did end up with lots of candy, but they ultimately decided that a pillowcase full of chocolate and chips can not replace a child...weird.

TRICK OR TREAT!
Mr. Sparkle
PS Below are some pictures of the temple next door.

The main entrance to the temple.

The graveyard behind the temple.

A sheltered Buddha statue rests in the center of the graveyard.

Buckets and large ladles are used to clean the grave stones and water the flowers in front of the graves.

POCARI SWEAT

2006-10-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

URGENT NEWS - The Japanese have finally done it. They've found a way to profit off the largest by-product of the human body...SWEAT!

POCARI SWEAT is the latest sport drink made from 100% human sweat.

"Half the waste, all the sweaty taste!"

The world's most efficient race have raised the bar once again by recycling their own perspiration.

Takashi Yuri boasts, "the true genius of our revolutionary beverage is found in the free refills after a long jog...affordable and long lasting!"

POCARI SWEAT - "Now with 10% less salt"

Coming Soon - PURE PIT: The Genuine Sweat

TEACHER'S PET

2006-10-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

Every teacher has their favourite student. Someone who is excited to learn, attentive, has a positive attitude and interesting personality. Perhaps that student is thoughtful enough to make an offer of appreciation, like a shiny red apple. Conversely, there is a student out there that every teacher hates. You'll recognize this student by the large, ornate crown of shit they wear atop their head, complimented by a large spikey tail and sharp teeth. This student may show up to class 10 minutes late every single day, then fall asleep for the next five minutes, just to wake up even more bored and disinterested. In fact, this student may refuse to answer questions and then begin to cry because she can't fall asleep while I'm trying to teach her!

Asui, we'll call her, is a difficult student to say the least, yet quite entertaining to watch as she falls asleep on her hand and then her elbow slowly slides towards the edge of the table, inch by inch...I've thought about not waking her before she topples over the edge, but something deep down, way down, tells me Asui is a teenager with problems beyond her control, and she doesn't need another adult figure writing her off and throwing her away. I'm going to have to dig deep and try a little harder with this one.

I suppose every student can't be the teacher's pet. Besides, who would eat all those apples?

Later,
Mr. Sparkle

THE CASTLE

2006-10-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

I visited one of Japan's national treasures for the second time yesterday, along with Aisha and some friends of ours.

Marugame Castle is the city's main landmark. The castle was built in 1649, 50 years after the mountain was converted into a fortified battle ground. An enormous stone wall surrounds the perimeter of the mountain. Directly outside lies a moat, several meters deep and spanning 40 feet across. According to the legend, archers were stationed all along the perimeter, armed with long range bows and protected by the stone wall. The archer's arrows projected from small triangular openings in the wall.

Once inside, the attacking army had to scale the mountain via a narrow path. Troops were thinned out and picked off easily. If one wanted to stray from the path, they would have to climb a succession of stone walls, each rising 100 feet to next plateau of the mountain; a treacherous invasion for an army of any magnitude.

The trip up the mountain this time proved to be quite surreal for me. As we reached the second plateau, the grunts and barks of Japanese military men became all too loud. No, not my imagination taking me back to the days of battle, but rather a training day in Marugame Castle for the modern Japanese military. We watched as groups of two grunts, plus a man in a stretcher, repelled down the 100 foot walls at frightening speeds.

Later, we found the castle well, located near the top of the mountain. It was buried under a collage of multicoloured leaves and thick vines. A plaque near by, engraved with kanji, spoke of honored warriors and royalty using the underground tunnels at the bottom of the well as a last means of escape from a falling kingdom. According to the engravings, the architect who designed the well and system of underground tunnels was killed so he could never inform the enemy of an alternate and essentially unprotected way into the castle.

The main temple at the very top of the mountain is an original, unlike many other castles in Japan that were completely burned to the ground and then restored many years later, after the war era. The main temple housed royalty and samurai elite. Relics of the samurai warrior are now on display there. If you quiet your mind, you can almost hear the cries of battle as you look over the war torn armor. In fact, I could actually hear battle cries yesterday...coming from the Japanese officers of course, training in the distance. It was a surreal moment to say the least.

...an experience well worth climbing a mountain for.

Out and about,
Mr. Sparkle

Aisha and I near the top of the castle. I'm looking delightfully sweaty.

Aisha at the base of the 100 foot wall.

The look out point has a nice view of Marugame.

The samurai armor in the main temple.

An intense showdown at the edge of the moat.

Japanese soldiers hustling up the mountain.

Close encounters of the eight legged kind, a Marugame monster.

The new cover of "Polish My Rifle," a popular soldier magazine.

Just beyond the castle well.

...and finally, the queen of the castle.

TINY FOREST

2006-10-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

"A dying woman is granted her last wish. She becomes one with nature." >>

Bonsai and Chrysanthemum displays are springing up all around Marugame. Aisha and I visited a small bonsai exhibit just outside of the city. You can see the superior craftsmanship of the art form below.

In Japanese, bonsai is literally translated as "tray planting." However, the art form has far surpassed its original definition, developed over many centuries. It is now the art of miniaturizing trees, and growing them into an aesthetically appealing shape. Bonsai seems to be a method of meditation and expression; at least that's my gaijin assumption.

Have a gander at the tiny trees of mystery.

Oyasuminasai,
Mr. Sparkle

The award winners.

It took decades to achieve the formation of the roots.

One of my personal favourites.

A small villiage recreated with bonsai.

A closer look at the riverside.

1000 STEPS

2006-10-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Aisha and I visited the small town of Kotohira, home of a temple with 1000 steps! The temple and it's never ending stairs were constructed up the side of a mountain. Our trek to the top lasted for about two hours. The journey began in a narrow stream of tourist shops, lining the temple's staircase from the base of the mountain to about one quarter up. The shop keeps were high spirited and full of energy, rightfully so considering the shape their cardiovascular systems must be in after climbing several hundred stairs to work everyday. At the halfway point most tourists stopped at the prayer temple, enjoyed the view, and went back down the mountain. Aisha and I trekked upwards, excited to find out what was at the top.

As we neared the top of the mountain the atmosphere shifted. The air cooled off, becoming fresh and crisp. The path quieted to a silent solitude. You could feel truly alone up there, yet fully embraced by nature. Eventually we reached the top to find a small, bright orange prayer temple. It was boarded up so no one could enter. At first I was disappointed at the anticlimactic ending to our journey. But on second thought it made sense. That strange orange building was a physical representation of a message. As Aerosmith's Steven Tyler once said, "Life's a journey, not a destination."

Peace,
Mr. Sparkle

Aisha looks at the prayer temple half way up the mountain.

An ancient dragon statue guards a water reservoir for cleansing your hands before entering the temple.

A lonely yen sits on a stone fence that surrounds the fisherman shrine.

Aisha gazes upon 1000 coin wishes, one for every step of the temple.

An army of Kanji inscripted pillars line parts of the path.

A shot of the stairs around quarter way.

Moss grows out of the ancient inscription in the stone, nature's "green rust."

Another prayer temple along the way, overlooking miles of Shikoku island...a sight you'll have to see for yourself.

DEEP THOUGHTS

2006-10-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

by Mr. Sparkle -

"The more of the world I discover, the more I can appreciate where I come from. However, the more of the world I experience, the more I know what Toronto's missing...Japanese male models!"

NOTE: Please don't be intimidated by their rugged good looks. It's not their fault they're so masculine and beautiful. Thank you for your cooperation.

Love,
Mr. Sparkle

WE'VE GOT CRABS!

2006-10-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

"The river ran dry today,
the crabs came out to play."

By,
Mr. Sparkle

PICTURES:

1. Thousands of tiny holes cover the riverbed.

2. The Dogi river dried up after weeks of no rainfall.

3. The thousands of tiny holes are home to many crabs who are now wondering, "who drained all the water from my inground pool?"

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

2006-10-11T02:45:00.000-07:00

The new morning routine now involves jogging. Around 8am I get up to run from my apartment to the top of the island, Shikoku. A beautiful path leads the way along the riverside. A set of steps down the path looks like a stairway to heaven, at the right angle of course.

The atmosphere all along the shore is quite serene. The cool river breeze and rhythm of the run always clarify my thoughts, like a magnifying glass held up to the fine details that clutter my mind. Each detail unravels and works itself out; essentially cleansing my head for the new day. It's usually a refreshing experience after the initial 5 minutes of wanting to go back to bed and flushing the nightly gas from my system...yup, the farts.

Clear thoughts during the run bring about plans for the future. I think the act of running taps into one's need for ambition. The movement itself propels the human body forward, possibly triggering a subconscious mechanism in the brain that yearns for the future, for goals, for experience, for success...to simply move forward.

I guess you could say a morning jog is freeing, a form of escape, maybe even a little spiritual. With that in mind, it amazes me that I'm still reluctant to jog every morning, despite its abundance of benefits. That human nature really sneaks up on us, lazy to the core...or maybe I'm just lazy. Oh well, still keepin' up the good fight.

Later,
Mr. Sparkle

WHO'S COUNTING?

2006-10-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

It isn't cheap, but it isn't expensive either. In fact, life in Japan can cost about the same as life in Canada. A lot of gaijin (foreigner[s] in Japanese) who've been to Japan will tell you otherwise, but they usually don't speak Japanese and can't communicate with the locals to find out where the best deals are at. Contrary to popular belief, Japan has discount clothing stores, inexpensive supermarkets, and homes that are actually quite spacious. Larger cities are expensive
but comparable to
Toronto. Rare foods are also expensive, but that's the same all around the world. Yes, grapes can cost up to $10, but foreign fruit is pricey, and besides most of the grapes for sale here are so plump and juicy they could make any mouth water after just a glance.

Perhaps Japanese life is a little more expensive than other countries, but there's a good reason for that. Japan's workforce is based on the ideal of superior customer service. In turn, employees are paid well and subsequently the price of goods and services increases.

I dropped a yen in the grocery store the other day, the equivalent of one Canadian penny, and something very strange happened. Just as I was exiting the store I turned around to see a till clerk sprinting behind the registers right towards me. She stopped in a huff to say, "Sumimasen (please excuse me/sorry)" and then handed me the yen I dropped at her register...now that's customer service!...or insanity.

For the most part, I have encountered only polite Japanese people. Of course, like any good thing, I can't tell if it's genuine or not. I think being born into a polite society would condition you to naturally and honestly be polite. If you breed any kind of quality through the generations for long enough, doesn't that quality become part of their nature as a pose to something you have to teach during the formative years?...Na! Let's face it, humans are naturally despicable creatures. It's our conditioning that makes us civilized, and the Japanese have mastered the art of manners...except for that one guy I saw peeing in the street last night. I was biking home from work and there he was, lettin' her loose in the middle of the street. Maybe my neighborhood isn't perfect, but it's cheap!

So the next time some gaijin, who probably live beyond their means, tell you how expensive it is to survive in Japan, ask yourself, "Who are these people, and have they seen a man pee in the middle of the street?"

...I have.

Love,
Mr. Sparkle

FINGER FOOD!

2006-10-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

Last night Aisha cut off the tip of her middle finger preparing the delicious Japanese cuisine, Raman. It was a gusher, but no hospital trip was necessary. Beware; small knives purchased at 100 YEN stores in Japan can be deceivingly sharp. I'll spare you the picture of the incident for now, but let's just say one of our Raman dishes almost had a side of finger in it...nasty!

Be Safe,
Sparkle

WHERE'S THE SUSHI?

2006-10-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Been in Japan for 2 weeks and still no sign of good sushi, or maybe I just can't read the sign...ya, that's probably it. Actually, I live in a part of Japan where Udon is the cat's ass...not literally of course. Udon is made of thick noodles derived from some sort of fish stock, I think. They are usually served in hot broth and covered with a topping of choice, such as Tempura (deep fried veggies, shrimp, etc.).

Udon reminds me of spongy shoe soles in the form of slimy fat noodles...my town is in love with these things. In fact, a movie was just released in the theatres around here entitled "Udon." Apparently they shot all around the prefecture (province) I live in, Kagawa. I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD because it costs approx. $20 CAD to see a movie in theatres here, however it's only about .90 cents to rent a film...strange but true.

Finally, I heard about a decent sushi joint in the next town over, Utazu, through some friends at work. Aisha, our buddy Dowa, and I took a trip there last night.

Blue elephants, revolving sushi, expensive ice cream...oh my!

The sushi made its way around the restaurant via a conveyer belt just wide enough for a small dish. You had to grab the sushi plates as it conveyed past your table, but caution was used during selection because certain plate colours denoted very expensive sushi. Overall, the prices were quite reasonable, except for the ice cream. $3 for a small ball of chocolate on a sad little cone. Oh well, the blue elephant promoting the restaurant made up for any short comings...friend's forever.

Thank you blue elephant for making all my sushi dreams come true.

Sincerely,
Mr. Sparkle

OFFICIAL ALIEN!

2006-10-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm officially an alien of Marugame. I received my Alien Registration Card from the city hall, and wouldn't you know it...I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so. Check-eet! I'm also a valued member of the city bank and local video store. Okay, Aisha did all the talking, but I was there for back up every time. If she ever needs me to start miming words she doesn't know in Japanese, I'll be ready!

JUNGLE LOVE

2006-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Washed away 3 intense days of on-the-job training at a Jamaican bar in the heart of a large Japanese city.

My fellow trainees and I stumbled into the Rastafarian watering hole a little after 8pm; the bar, thick with smoke, and owned by a slender Asian lady with 3 foot dreadlocks. My first question, what compels a Japanese woman to grow her hair in nappy locks and open a Rasta bar? Then the answer struck as I watched her make out with a large Jamaican man, her husband; a match made in Takamatsu?...a frozen pot of multiculturalism now serving a side of jungle love. Their children, also dreadlocked, ran giggling and free through the bar, passing large pot leaf patterns on the wall. Hmm, surrounded by pot leaves in a bar in a country where one dube earns you the tall bars for a long time...fascinating.

Some empty glasses later, the night birthed opportunity, mingle with the co-workers; all of us white and drinking Sake at a Jamaican bar in Japan. Their young faces and insatiable urge to party made it clear that 80-90% of Nova's teachers must be fresh out of University and looking for a vacation. Sensibility suggested that most of their earnings will end up at the bottom of the Sake well. Here's hoping their drunkin' wishes come true. Save a coin for school debt.

To bed and rest. Work approaches.

Shiny Love,
Mr. Sparkle

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

2006-10-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Teaching for Nova is rewarding beyond it's lucrative monthly salary for part time teachers.

My schedule consists of 28 lessons per week, each 40 minutes in length. I work 24 hours a week, earning around 190, 000 Yen per month (approx. $1800.00 CAD)...lot's of free time, cash to travel, and some bucks to pay off school debt.

I'm stationed in Sakaide, located at the top of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main Japanese islands. My English classes consist of a two page lesson plan for ages 14 and up, plus kids lessons: Senior Kids (ages 10-12), Junior (7-9), Kinder (4-6), and Chibiko (ages 2-3!)...these ones cry a lot. I would too if a big white monster in a suit started singing "Old MacDonald" to me.

For the most part I teach ages 14 and up. They come in all shapes in sizes with different proficiency levels in English. The two page lesson structure always remains the same, which helps to speed up the preparation time for each lesson...we only have 10 minutes in between each class to mark our previous students and prepare for the next lesson. The structure of each Nova lesson may remain the same, consistent two page format with similar stages, but the content of each stage varies drastically to meet the needs of each level of student. So teaching multiple students at different English proficiency levels all the time makes for a challenging work day. But I enjoy it.

There is a maximum of four students per class, usually only two sign up. The students are tested at the end of each class and the ones who fail kind of break my heart. It is my responsibility to provide them with the appropriate language and tools in order to pass the lesson "aims." On a positive note, my pass : fail ratio has increasingly been weighting towards pass over the first week of teaching.

...and the blind begin to see.

Let's get back to "beyond the salary." The Nova experience is also rewarding because of its students. They fill in the gaps about Japan. Details you can't get being a foreigner who doesn't talk the native tongue. The streets and mountains speak, but not as loud as the people.

A young business man told me during one class that Japan's youth are pressured into sciences and mathematics, and that art classes are rare and unimportant in the Japanese school system. It seems from the look and attitude of the youth around Marugame that art and individuality may evolve for the better as the next generation steps up to bat.

Unfortunately, Japan's lack of art in the educational system has led to a hunger for the ass end of American pop culture, a beast with many asses. Trendy youth from the cities and towns I've been in are sporting the worst in American sheep fashions, such as the "Gangsta" look...Hip Hop gone completely wrong! Hip Hop?...apparently once a celebration of life, now a shitty attitude with a uniform for fakes and phonies. At least the kids feel like they belong. Besides, popularity inevitably destroys the purity in everything. The real fun lies in finding something new. There are so many University graduates teaching English in Japan that it seems my choice to live here for the next year could be a cheapened experience, simply from the sheer popularity of this life endeavor...but only the opposite is true. I believe Japan, or any adventure in life, allows for the explorer to go on a journey of self discovery. That's my favorite part about Japan so far, the self discovery. It's something truly personal, that I don't have to share with anyone.

Well, it's time to do the laundry and discover what the hell all of the funny drawings mean that label the washing machine buttons...God bless the man mentality, "play with the buttons until something turns on...suddenly my love life makes more sense now, too bad she doesn't come with an instruction manual.

All my love,
Mr. Sparkle

THE APARTMENT

2006-10-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is my home for the year. It has a front hall, 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom/laundry room, and water closet. There's also a large balcony for hanging your clothes out to dry.

The apartment came fully furnished, including a washing machine, air conditioner, bedding, table/chairs, TV/VCR, etc.

The washroom is actually a large shower, housed in waterproof material, so you can prewash outside the tub before getting into
the clean water. This allows for several people to bathe in the same bath water...delightful.

WELCOME TO MARUGAME

2006-10-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is my home town in Japan.

Truly Yours,
Mr. Sparkle

PICTURES:

1. The view from my balcony overlooking the Dogi river.

2. A bike path in Marugame...with Palm trees!

3. Rice farm at the edge of Marugame.

4. Downtown Marugame by the City Hall.

5. A Marugame sunset. "The sky seems a little bigger over here." - Mrs. Sparkle

ALMOST READY!

2006-10-08T02:54:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Sparkle and I are gearing up for our trip to the other side of the world. Teaching English for a year in Japan should prove to be a challange, but we are ready to show those Nihonjin dudes & ladies how sexy and dangerous Canada can be...and by sexy and dangerous I mean polite and courteous.

Japan, here we come!

Sincerely,
Mr. Sparkle aka. Nathan Zimmerman & Mrs. Sparkle aka. Aisha Masaoka