Our trip to Nikko was great!  We left home Tuesday morning with everything we’d need for four days on our backs.  Some  38 years after hitchhiking from Vancouver to Edmonton with a duffle bag over my shoulder, this girl had rejoined the backpacker generation!   The train from Tokyo took us inland past newly flooded rice paddies and into the mountains of central Japan.  It was fascinating to see the rice plants being transplanted, some by hand and others by machine.

After arriving in Nikko and checking into our inn, we took a walk along the nearby Daiya River through an area known as the Gamman-Ga-Fuchi abyss.  There we walked a wooded riverside path lined with statues of Jizo, the patron saint of the souls of departed children.  Legend has it that the statues are uncountable; that each time you count you get a different number.  We didn’t try.

The next morning, we walked for miles looking for a western breakfast finally learning that such a thing isn’t available in Nikko before 10:00 a.m!  While we enjoy Japanese food, we can’t quite get our heads around rice, fish or miso soup for breakfast.  Waiting and wandering finally paid off with a full breakfast of eggs, bacon or sausage, salad (a western breakfast in Japan includes salad instead of hash browns), toast, juice and coffee for approximately $5 each!  Considering the fact that a single cup of coffee can cost almost that much, that was an amazing bargain and we returned to that restaurant for breakfast each morning.

After breakfast on Wednesday, we caught the bus to Chuzenji-ko, ten kilometres west of Nikko.  Little did we know that the bus was going to climb a mountain!  Up a series of tight narrow switchbacks we went.  It looked like the world dropped off at the edge of the road.  Roads like that usually terrify me but the view was fantastic and I actually found myself enjoying the ride!  At Chuzenji, we took in the 97 metre Kegon Falls including an elevator ride down through the bedrock to viewing platforms where we could observe the full force of the plunging water.  We walked a bit along the lakefront then decided it was time to visit a public onsen (hot spring bath).  We didn’t really need to do this as our inn back in Nikko had two private hot spring fed baths, one a single and the other family sized, but we want to experience all that Japan has to offer so we stopped at the tourist information centre and were directed to a nearby onsen on the grounds of a lovely hotel.  In spite of having to get naked with strangers, it was a very relaxing and serene experience.  The segregated baths were sheltered in a wooden building with wide open sliding windows on one side overlooking the lake.  The water was very hot and soothing after all the walking we’d been doing.

An added bonus to the onsen experience was the fact that there were bathroom scales in the changing rooms.  We knew we’d both lost weight since arriving in Japan but this was the first opportunity we’d had to weigh ourselves.  Assuming that the scales were accurate and our conversion of kilograms to pounds correct, I’ve lost about 10 pounds and Richard close to 15.  No wonder he’s always hungry!  This weight loss is neither a surprise nor a sign that we’re not in good health.  It’s simply due to the amount of walking and stair climbing we do as well as the change in diet.

We spent most of Thursday seeing the spectacular temples and shrines of Nikko.  The entire temple area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was truly hard to take it all in.  The intricate detailed carving on everything, the colour, the gold overlay…  Wow!  The manmade beauty seems to be enhanced by the fact that the buildings are set on a hillside amongst stately cedar trees.  While the area is largely a tourist attraction now, a visit to the temples and shrines clearly has great religious significance for some as well.

Yesterday began with the exciting phone call shortly after we awoke informing us that we had become grandparents!  That will serve to make our visit to Nikko even more memorable than it already would have been.  We checked out of the inn but left our bags there to be picked up later and headed off to tour the Tamozawa Imperial Villa, a 106 room wooden structure built over a long period of time as an emperor’s retreat and crown prince’s residence.  Japan’s present emperor was sent there as a young evacuee in 1943 and stayed there for about a year.  While strolling through the beautiful garden surrounding the villa, it was interesting to see entrances to air raid shelters, a reminder of Japan’s role in the last great war.  Early in the afternoon, we picked up our bags at the inn, headed for the train station and were home by supper time.

Just before we left for Nikko, I discovered that nikko means sunshine in Japanese and it most certainly lived up to its name.  The weather was absolutely lovely.  Now we’re back home and it’s raining again so this may be a quiet day at home!

Shinkyo Sacred Bridge, Nikko

Andrew David Richard Graham, son of Melaina and Aaron Graham, arrived at 4:21 a.m. Thursday, May 1 making me a grandmother for the first time!  Thanks to free internet access here at the inn in Nikko, nestled in the mountains of central Japan, I’ve already seen pictures of the wee chap.  He weighed in at 8 pounds 1/2 ounce and 20 inches long.  Not bad for two weeks early!  Way to go, Melaina! 

In the two months that we’ve been in Japan we’ve probably seen as much rain as we normally get in a year in Alberta and the rainy season hasn’t even started yet!  In our school mailboxes yesterday we received two pages of hints and tips for coping with this annual occurrence.  Apparently, we need to prepare ahead in order to minimize mold, mildew, moths and yes, cockroaches!

Our first task will be a trip to the store in search of anti-moth products, desiccants which are used for dehumidifying, and roach traps.  Next, we’re advised to make sure that winter clothing, particularly anything wool, is thoroughly cleaned and stored in bags with anti-moth stuff and desiccant.  I’ve already packed our winter coats away but will have to add the products to protect them once we purchase them.  We’re also advised to put anti-moth product and desiccant in all our drawers and in the corners of our closet.  Apparently, if we don’t, we run the risk of finding mold on pretty much anything.

Apparently, even if we run our fans and use the dehumidifying feature on the air conditioner, everything will become damp during rainy season.  As often as possible, assuming that the sun does shine occasionally during the rainy season, we should sun dry our futons to keep them from becoming musty.   I don’t have any difficulty believing that this will become necessary as I already took the towels from the bathroom and hung them outside for awhile this morning because they simply wouldn’t dry in there.

In order to avoid run ins with the “little livestock”, as our handout calls the cockroaches, we must NEVER leave any food out for them, should wash all dishes immediately, should wipe our sink and counters (what counters?) with bleach and should keep all garbage bags closed and sealed.  Also, I now know why there’s a trap in the kitchen sink.  It’s not to keep food stuff from going down the drain.  It’s to keep roaches from coming up!  Eew!

We can do all of the above but I’m not sure how much it will help.  There’s an open space under our bathtub where the water from the sink and tub drain.  I hate to think how gross and wet it probably is under there and I don’t know of anything we can do to close it off or prevent it from attracting nasties.  It’s been suggested that we pour some bleach in there to try to kill off anything that might be growing there so we’ll probably do that and hope for the best.  We’ll also decorate the apartment with roach traps.  Apparently, these are much like the little ant traps that we use in the basement back home.  The insect carries the poison back to the nest to share with it’s roommates, thus killing them off.  Gross, but hopefully effective!

The final suggestion on our handout is to always look for the beauty in the season!  Apparently Japanese iris and hydrangea are at their prime at that time of year.  I’ll try to remember that when I encounter my first cockroach!

The one downside of our Japan adventure is the fact that we’ll be so far away when our first grandchild is born and we’ll miss out on being nearby during most of his first year of life.  Our kids have always known of our desire to teach overseas after retirement so, even though she was pregnant when we left, Melaina encouraged us to continue with our plans.  We so appreciate that.

Peanut, as he was fondly dubbed by Melaina’s dear friend, Tanya, when she saw the first ultrasound pictures, was due to be born in the middle of May.  It doesn’t look like he’s planning to wait that long, however.  In fact, he’s been threatening to arrive for the past 48 hours!  That’s when the contractions first began.  Poor Melaina’s been experiencing what her doctor calls the longest latent stage of labour in history!   Unfortunately for her, the doctors are unable to do anything to hasten the process because she’s still technically pre-term.

Thanks to modern technology and the fact that yesterday was my day off, Melaina and I have been in pretty constant contact throughout the past two days of waiting.  Due to the 15 hour time difference between Alberta and Japan, her nighttime hours are my day and vice versa.  Throughout yesterday afternoon, I checked Facebook every hour or so and when she didn’t post any messages for several hours, I knew she was getting some much needed sleep.  I’ve been leaving the computer on at night the past two nights and when I’ve had to get up for one of those inevitable bathroom visits that happen at this age, I’ve checked in to see how she’s doing.  The phone has been waiting at the foot of our bed in case there’s a call in the wee hours to tell us that Peanut has indeed put in his appearance.  Richard and I are amongst the few people in Japan who don’t carry cell phones, however, so we can only be reached at home.  Fortunately, today is Rich’s day off so he’ll be around much of the time.

Please don’t keep us waiting too much longer, baby boy!  Even at a distance, Gram and Grandpa are anxiously waiting to know you!

I’ve never been a morning person. I like my days to begin gradually. Perhaps that’s why our present work schedule agrees so well with me. Not having to leave for work until noon or later most days is great! I guess it’s good that I feel this way as another class was added to my schedule yesterday and from now on I’ll be working until 9:00 p.m. on Mondays instead of 7:00. I now have the dubious honour of being the MIL teacher with the highest number of regularly scheduled teaching minutes per week.

I’m also a person who loves light. Getting up in the morning is so much easier if it’s light outside. On the other hand, I hate knowing that daylight hours are wasting away while I’m asleep. For this reason, I really think that Japan should adopt Daylight Savings Time! Right now, the sun is coming up a couple of minutes after 5:00 a.m. What a waste, especially since I don’t intend to get up for another three hours! It would seem that many of my neighbours wouldn’t agree, however. They appear to be early risers. Some of them had their first load of laundry hanging out to dry before mine made it into the washing machine this morning and since today is pick up day for cans and bottles, they started depositing those in the sacks below our window shortly after 6:00 this morning! Believe me, this is not a quiet activity!

Of course, it might be easier to get up with the neighbours if we went to bed earlier but we’re often eating dinner at 10:00 p.m. and somehow, going to bed as soon as the dishes are done just doesn’t work for me! I need some down time to relax after the day’s work. If I happen to be reading a compelling book, putting it down and going to bed is even more difficult. At the moment, on the good advice of my friend Tess, I’m reading The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It took awhile to get into but now I’m having trouble putting it down!

I teach a total of 25 classes a week at 4 different schools. Most classes are 45 to 55 minutes long though there are a few as short as 25 minutes or as long as 85. My largest class has 8 students!

My adult classes include 5 group lessons and 5 private students. Their interests and ability levels vary widely. Some are studying English because their employers require it while for others, it’s simply a hobby. My students include school teachers, a librarian, a computer programmer, an accountant, retired people and several housewives.

My 15 children’s classes include my Saturday morning playgroup with 4 preschoolers. They learn basic English vocabulary through games, songs and stories. Our first lessons have been focused on learning the colours. I’ve learned red (akai), green (midori) and white (shiroi) in Japanese through listening to them! Fortunately, their absorbent little minds are picking up more than that from me! Another interesting children’s class is my returnees. Returnees are students who have lived in an English speaking country for a period of time and who are trying to maintain the English that they’ve already learned. My class is made up of 3 eight and nine year old girls. It includes one student who technically isn’t a returnee. Arisa is a new student at MIL and is perhaps our most unusual. She was taught English at home by her mother who has also never lived outside Japan. At eight years old, this little girl speaks the language fluently and has read all the Harry Potter books! Her English is better than either of her classmates and she wouldn’t fit into any other children’s class at our school. Some of those kids are still learning the alphabet while others are learning basic reading and conversational skills.

A typical school day begins with a 15 minute walk to Kita Narashino school, the main school closest to our home. The school has a reception area, a teachers’ work area and 4 small classrooms. It’s located on the 3rd floor of a building in a busy commercial area and accessing the school involves climbing an incredibly steep set of stairs. I can judge my improving fitness level by how much easier it’s getting to climb those stairs!

Once at Kita, we sign in, check our mailboxes, check to see if there’s anything that needs to be delivered to whichever school we’re going to that day and check the schedule to see if there have been any changes. Changes usually involve the addition of a trial lesson or a ticket private student. Trial lessons are short sample lessons given to prospective students who want to know more about our school before deciding whether or not to sign up and ticket privates are students who pay for a certain number of lessons then schedule them whenever works best for them. This means that they don’t have a regularly scheduled lesson at the same time each week and aren’t guaranteed the same teacher for each lesson. I won’t have many trial lessons or ticket privates this term as my schedule is already quite full. Rich’s schedule is a little lighter so he’ll probably have several of these.

We each stay and teach at Kita once a week. On the other four days, after our quick check-in at Kita, we head off to the train station about a block away and depart for whichever school we’re at that day. Rich and I teach at the same school on Tuesdays but the rest of the week we’re off in different directions. Our days don’t necessarily begin or end at the same time either so keeping track of our schedules can be quite a challenge!

My earliest class is the Saturday morning playgroup at 11:30 but most days, I don’t start teaching until between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m. My days end between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. Breaks between classes can vary from 5 minutes to a couple of hours though mine are pretty tightly scheduled this term. My longest break is about an hour. Breaks are generally used for lesson planning. Unlike at home in Canada, we don’t do any homework. Lesson planning is all done before, between and after classes. Saturday is my most grueling day with 7 classes between 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. so I try to fit in planning for that day earlier in the week. Now that we’ve become more familiar with the various textbooks and teaching resources that are available to us, planning is generally fairly quick. Of course, that’s never been our favourite part of teaching. For both of us, when we enter the classroom and are face to face with the students, the teacher in us comes alive and the fun really begins!

We were supposed to go on a church picnic this afternoon but it was canceled because it poured rain overnight and was still very chilly and wet this morning.   Since many people had packed picnic lunches, even more than usual stayed and ate together after this morning’s service.  Once again, we took advantage of this opportunity to spend time getting to know people.

Afterward, we headed off to Lalaport.  We’ve been told that it’s Asia’s largest mall and it’s right here in Funabashi!  Though it has over 500 stores, it isn’t as big as West Edmonton Mall and doesn’t have all the entertainment facilities found there.  I found the layout much more confusing, however.  Of course, I’ve been shopping West Ed since Phase One opened over 25 years ago so I’ve kind of grown with it.  Even so, I tend to prefer smaller malls and, if I ever have any serious shopping to do, I’ll probably return to one of the two smaller ones that we’ve already explored.  Of course, a cool wet Sunday afternoon might not have been the best time to visit a major mall!  Everyone in the Greater Tokyo area seemed to have the same idea and the crowds probably rivaled West Ed at Christmas time!  Since we were only browsing, however, the large number of people and the line ups at the tills didn’t really bother us.

We’ve sort of fallen into the habit of going out for supper on Sunday evenings.  After a day of exploring, it beats coming home and making a meal!  Since there are many restaurants to choose from within walking distance of home, we usually come back to our area to eat.  Tonight we decided to try an Indian restaurant that had been recommended by one of our fellow teachers.  I was a little worried about how the spicy food would affect my stomach, which has been bothering me again lately, but I think I must have shocked it into submission!  The curry was definitely hot but that was several hours ago now and I haven’t suffered any ill effects so far.  Touch wood!

A yukata is a light cotton kimono.  Unlike the traditional kimono, which is a complicated and very expensive garment, the yukata is inexpensive and easy to wear.  Though they are apparently a common sight on summer evenings, they are more often used for relaxing at home.  Before we came to Japan, I had decided that I wanted one to use mainly as a dressing gown.   I bought it at Hayashi Kimono when we went to Ginza on Sunday.  It’s a tiny shop tucked into a narrow and crowded shopping arcade but is advertised as Tokyo’s largest kimono boutique for foreigners.   The staff speak English and the gentleman who waited on me was incredibly helpful.  In spite of the fact that it was obvious that I didn’t intend to spend a great deal, he encouraged me to try on as many garments as I liked before making a choice.  He graciously showed me a variety of colour choices and tied each one carefully so it would look it’s best on me.  My yukata is brighter and more colourful than many but the more subdued colours made me look completely washed out.

Each yukata comes with a narrow belt made of the same fabric but when the salesman showed me how much better they look with the wider silk sash in a contrasting colour, I decided to buy one of those as well.  The entire ensemble cost me only 5400 yen (about $54).  The fabric is a very fine cotton and is completely washable.

Before we came to Japan, our employer sent us a handy little book entitled “Living  Japanese Style”.  It gives a couple of important tips for wearing the yukata correctly.  Apparently, I need to remember to cross the left side over the right when dressing.  Crossing the right side over the left would be a terrible faux pas as this is done only when dressing a corpse!  Apparently, I would also be laughed at if I wore my yukata with shoes.  Since it would look completely ridiculous with most of my shoes, this won’t likely be a problem.  Special sandals and socks for wearing with kimono are sold here but I doubt I’d ever find any to fit.  If I ever do decide to go out in my yukata, I could probably get away with wearing it with my flip flops.

Today was my day off and I’d decided that finding somewhere to get my hair cut was a priority. I usually have it cut every six weeks and it had been over eight. Thick and unruly at the best of times, it becomes even more curly and unmanageable in humid conditions such as we’re experiencing here. I was desperate!

Finding a salon was no problem at all. There are several within easy walking distance. Choosing one and making an appointment when I don’t speak the language was another matter. I was determined, however. Obviously, I couldn’t live here for a year without having my hair cut so I pulled out my trusty Japanese phrasebook and wrote down “yoyaku o shitai no desu ga” (I’d like to make an appointment) and “heya-kat-to” (haircut). Armed with my note and the phrasebook, which also lists handy things like the days of the week, I set out to conquer the problem.

The only salon that had been recommended to me was Earth Hair. It was also the first salon I saw when I arrived here and I walk by it almost every day. I had pretty much ruled it out, however. Earth Hair is big and it’s all windows, mirrors and stainless steel. Like most Japanese salons, the prices are listed outside and they are significantly higher than the other shops in the area. A cut and blow dry is 3900 yen (approximately $39) and that’s if it’s done by a lowly stylist rather than a managing stylist or one of the many other higher ups such as the artistic director. I had come to the conclusion that it was just a little too posh for the likes of me.

As I was walking walking by some of the other salons this morning, checking their prices and trying to decide which one to venture into, I passed by a girl handing out advertising fliers. This is not at all unusual in Japan. Often, I refuse the offering knowing that it will likely be printed entirely in Japanese and that it will be of absolutely no use to me. For some reason, this morning, however, I reached out and took what was offered and what do you suppose it was? An advertisement for a promotion at Earth Hair! Amongst the Japanese, there were four English words offering a cut and blow dry for 2500 yen, approximately the same price it would be at any of the other shops! Must be a sign, I thought, and headed back to Earth Hair!

As soon as I entered, I was greeted by a girl behind the front counter. I asked if she spoke English but she didn’t. Neither did either of the other two girls behind the counter. I pulled out the flier and pointed to the cut and blow dry ad. The girl asked me something and I must have looked blank so she pointed toward the stylists at work. I nodded not knowing for sure what I was agreeing to and she indicated that I should give her my coat. I didn’t have to make an appointment, I was being offered a haircut on the spot! Bonus! One of the other girls came around the counter and took my purse, hat and umbrella then gestured to the chairs in the waiting area.

As I sat down to wait, I knew that I still had one more hurdle to overcome. I had to communicate to the stylist that I wanted my hair thinned. The phrasebook was no help at all but I quickly grabbed one of the hairstyle books and found a picture of a fairly short textured looking cut. When I showed it to the stylist, he looked a bit dubious but got to work. Noticing that I was holding my glasses, he rushed off and came back with a glasses case for me to put them in. He worked meticulously, cutting my hair dry then wetting it and blowing it dry. When he finished, he handed me my glasses and held up the mirror for me to check the back. A look of great relief crossed his face when I smiled and gave him a thumbs up indicating that I was happy with the results. He handed me a key with the number 12 on it and headed to the front counter. Following him, I wondered what the key was for until I spotted the lockers and realized that my purse and other belongings were safely stowed in locker #12! One of the girls brought me my coat and helped me into it. As soon as I paid the stylist he rushed to the front door, held it open for me while I exited and, in true Japanese style, bowed to me as I left!

For those readers for whom today’s title makes no sense, Katie is my hairdresser back home in Sedgewick.  And no, this isn’t how I dress on a regular basis!  I’ll tell you about the outfit another day.

According to new census data released by Statistics Canada last week, visible minorities have surpassed the five million mark as immigrants from Asia continue to change the face of Canada at a staggering rate.  Visible minorities now comprise more than 16% of the country’s population and should that trend continue, Statistics Canada predicts that one in five Canadians will be a visible minority by 2017, when the country turns 150 years old.

So what is it like to be a visible minority?  In Canada, many face language barriers, discrimination, culture shock and the rejection of foreign credentials.  I completely understand the language barrier.  While we have found Japanese people very helpful, not knowing the language is definitely a handicap to daily living and were we planning to stay longer than a year, we would be making a much bigger effort to learn the language.   Of course, because we’re here to teach English, not knowing the language doesn’t stop us from working but in any other field, we’d be unemployable.

As a visible minority, we really have not experienced discrimination.  In fact, if anything, looking different from those around us is an asset.  People don’t expect us to understand the language or the customs and, though some just ignore us, most are very willing to help in any way they can.  On occasion, there are those who clearly choose not to sit next to us on the train but there are few of them and no one is outwardly rude to us.  That would be so unJapanese!  MIL has on staff, at the moment, several young teachers of Japanese American descent and I think life is actually more difficult for them. Because they look Japanese, people automatically assume that they are and expect them to understand the language and the culture.

For the most part, as I go about my daily life here in Japan, I forget how visibly different I am from those around me!  In fact, once in awhile when I catch my reflection in a train window, I’m surprised at how different I do look!  Japanese women value pale skin, however, so my difference is not looked at as unattractive.  MIL also employs several black teachers and I don’t know what their experience has been.

Perhaps the biggest handicap to immigrants in Canada, visible or otherwise, has been the rejection of their foreign credentials and work experience.  Of course, there need to be checks of some sort to ensure that their qualifications meet Canadian standards.  Obviously, I don’t want a doctor whose medical training has been inadequate operating on me.  On the other hand, we are facing a doctor shortage in Canada while we have medical professionals driving taxi!  Surely, if we’re going to allow or even encourage them to immigrate, something could be done to provide the upgrading that they might need in order to begin to practice.  Instead we have professionals working in low paying service jobs who could be contributing in much more valuable ways and whose lives would be much more fulfilling if they were able to pursue their chosen field.

Fortunately for us, our credentials as teachers are highly valued here in Japan.  In order to teach at a language school such as MIL, one doesn’t have to have a teaching degree, but Japanese law does require a university degree of some sort.  Richard and I are very highly respected, however, especially by the Japanese staff members and the students because we are “professional” teachers and it is clearly a feather in MIL’s cap that they are now able to advertise themselves as a school that employs professional teachers!