Hokkaido

My company has a bi-annual tradition of honoring schools that met their financial goals with a mandatory company trip. This mandatory company trip involves a day of speeches and a day of "free time."

In December we went to DisneySea. This past May we went to Hokkaido.

I'd been dreading this trip since I'd found out about it. Every person I asked about Hokkaido knew alarmingly little about it and didn't have any suggestions as to what a tourist could do there so it already seemed like a wasted weekend. Plus, being around the big bosses makes everyone uneasy.

I woke up early the day of the trip and made my way to Hiroshima airport (which is about an hour from where I live). Our flight was supposed to leave around ten. We got there an hour early. We met up with all of the other Hiroshima schools and the one manager in charge handed out our boarding passes. I never went up to the check-in counter. I got a randomly assigned seat. I didn't have to check in myself nor did I have to show ID. The airline had no idea that I was actually me and not some crazy (ok, I know some of you might think I'm crazy but that's besides the point… haha). They would have no record that I would actually be on this flight.

I was so surprised because all of the other airports I've ever been to around the world have had some level of security but this seemed to be the absence of it.

Even when I passed through the security checkpoint with my shoes on like everyone else and the sensor beeped I got a lot of bowsand apologies as they asked if they could put my shoes through the baggage scanner. They even gave me slippers so I didn't have to go barefoot. And when my shoes cleared I got another apology. I'm not used to airports being so accommodating.

Anyway, when we arrived at the Sapporo airport we had to take a bus to the actual city. Based on the view of dairy cows, trees, and lots of open land I did not have high hopes for Sapporo but once we got into the actual city it was really nice. It was a real city. That night we had our company dinner.

AMAZING seafood and none of it tasted fishy. I've had raw shrimp before and never liked it but that night, the shrimp was probably the best part of the meal.

The next day we went on a bus tour and it was freezing. There was even a little snow coming down on us. Apparently once in 100 years the weather is like that so far into spring. We were just lucky enough to experience that day.

Our first stop was a cookie factory and my first impression was that it was like Disneyland on steroids. Beyond that I'm not really sure how to describe it so let me just show you.

There was even a train.

Hmm… Splash Mountain anyone?

Once you cross over that bridge there's no turning back.

Even the owls get in on the fun!

And there's a show!

How sweet.

We got to decorate cookies :)

Isn't it cute? (I know, I'm really bad at drawing).

Through The Chocolate Time Tunnel? Well, let's go! Actually it wasn't as cool so much as it was educational. I learned about the history of chocolate. No psychedelic journeys here.

On the other end of The Chocolate Time Tunnel we saw the conditions the factory workers have to endure. All day with those obnoxious, colorful characters staring at you. Festive gone too far.

Please don't leave us here!! There was this little mini house complete with a tiny bed, table and chairs. Obviously going inside was a bad idea, haha.

Next was Sapporo beer factory where we tried lots of beer. With our bosses. They take the enjoyment of their days off just as seriously as we do.

Those were pretty much the highlights of the trip. It wasn't as bad as I thought.

On the bus heading to Sapporo.

First meal in Sapporo: curry soup.

We went to a park with this famous statue. Um, boys be ambitious? Girls, you be ambitious too.

Heehee, the toilet wants you to talk to the hand.

This lil bowl of seafood was super expensive but it was soooooooo delicious! Completely worth it. There's the raw shrimp again. Yum!

And that's all for Hokkaido. See you in the next post :).

Update

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time and I just wanted to let you know that I am back in Japan. Actually, I've been back since March 31st. In Hiroshima you wouldn't be able to tell that there had even been an earthquake so I'm still fine over here. I just got back from Korea last week. I visited my friend from Paris there and I'll post more about our adventures and some pictures.

Going Home...

Since the nuclear power plant situation has not improved within the last few days I've decided to go back to California for the time being. Hopefully I'll be able to return to Japan after everything gets under control.

I'm okay!

So as you may know on Friday, March 11, 2011 there was an earthquake near Tokyo. However, I live on the western part of the island so the earthquake didn't reach here. There were tsunami warnings but Hiroshima is blocked by an island so the threat was not very great.

I just wanted to let everyone that I'm okay! Keep everyone who was affected by the earthquake in your thoughts and prayers!

Pictures

Just to let you all know...

I uploaded a TON of pictures onto facebook. Too many to post on this wee little blog. If you'd like to see them but don't have a facebook account send me an email and I'll send you a link so you can look at them without having to create a facebook account.

Ja ne,

Jessica

My Apartment!

So this is incredibly late since I've actually been living in this apartment for almost a year! I hit that milestone in two weeks. Anyway, I think these pictures are actually from July. I can't believe I never posted them. Then again, since it's me and I do not update this blog nearly enough I'm not so surprised. Without further ado... these are for you Aunt PA!

My kitchen. Look! I washed dishes!

My shower room (separate from the toilet room).

My "living area."

The view from the balcony. These pictures are actually so old that the empty lot to the left is actually an apartment building now....

Gems From the Students

So today I had a 6 year old girl in my class learning prepositions. The cards she had were "desk" and "library book" and she was supposed to ask me a question about the location of one in relation to the other.

So she asks, "Is there a library in the desk?"

I start to say, "No..." but she cuts me off and says, "No, no! It's a dream door."

"A dream door?" I ask.

"Yes, a dream desk. But not sleep dream," she says.

Awww, my little student was talking about her imagination. So I tell her, "Well if it's a dream desk then there is a library in it."

When I was a kid I never realized how much adults humored me. I guess nobody really does but it seems important to let the kids have their "kid-ness" for as long as they can

.... or at least until they've made it out of the first grade. ;)

On another note, there's an older elementary school boy who always comes an hour before his lesson starts. Usually he's invading the staff room and taking all of our games and props to entertain himself while he waits which drives me up the wall. I go to get a prop I need for my next class and I have to go hunt down this kid and try to explain to him in a language he doesn't really understand why I'm taking his toys away. But he's a big kid, I reason, he knows better!

Now the past couple of weeks I haven't seen him at all it seems until I stumble around a corner and find him laying on the ground engrossed with his PSP. He's so quiet and doesn't take any of our things anymore but now.... now he looks like a zombie. Not to mention it's impossible to get his attention unless you put your hand over the display screen and then it's more like he just pushes your hand away rather than actually acknowledges you.

For instance, today I opened the door to my classroom which usually is not closed and turned on the lights to find him sprawled out on the floor, catatonic and playing his little game.

I'm torn as to how I should feel about his change in behavior. On the one hand it's nice not having someone wreck havoc in our staff room, stealing our stuff but on the other hand.... well, I can only hope I never looked (okay, look) like that when I play(ed) video games.