After we were full, we listened to Aki play Christmas music on the piano while enjoying coffee and hot chocolate. She is quite talented! Thank you, Aki!!!!!
pictures of Dim Sum and Aki on piano...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Dim Sum and music
Our wonderful FIS music teacher and friend, Aki, plays the piano at the beautiful Hyatt in Canal City on the weekends. She invited us (Ali, Dayle, Hisako, Lori, Tim, and me) to join her for Dim Sum and music early in December. Lori and Tim were unable to join us. Tim still had H1N1. :( I had never been to Dim Sum and wanted to for a while. It was scrumptious!!! Can't wait to take Tim back!
After we were full, we listened to Aki play Christmas music on the piano while enjoying coffee and hot chocolate. She is quite talented! Thank you, Aki!!!!!
After we were full, we listened to Aki play Christmas music on the piano while enjoying coffee and hot chocolate. She is quite talented! Thank you, Aki!!!!!
Geishas in December
One of the men in my school business office generously gave out free tickets (Y7,000...little more than $70) to a performance of Geisha dancing. Tim didn't want to go so he got H1N1 instead! :( Dayle was my date and Etsuko (my aide) and her friend sat close to us. This was the end of the year dance for the geishas. They begin their year in January and end in December. There were four different dances with intermissions in between each one...just my amount of sitting! The theater was really nice. The geishas were beautiful. So glad I had the opportunity to see this as many people in Japan have not experienced this!
The only thing that annoyed me was the NO PHOTOGRAPHY rule, but for those of you who know me, it won't shock you that I snuck in a few photos and a video!
Afterwards, a group of us went to an all tofu restaurant and then shopping. I was a bit apprehensive as tofu is not one of my favorites but I ending up LOVING every bit of dinner!!! YUM!
The only thing that annoyed me was the NO PHOTOGRAPHY rule, but for those of you who know me, it won't shock you that I snuck in a few photos and a video!
Afterwards, a group of us went to an all tofu restaurant and then shopping. I was a bit apprehensive as tofu is not one of my favorites but I ending up LOVING every bit of dinner!!! YUM!
More pictures from our cultural afternoon and evening...
Sunday, January 10, 2010
FIS Christmas Concert 2009
Our wonderful music teacher, Aki, organized a great Christmas Concert involving all of the children in Pre-K through middle school. There was also a band representing high school. My children in Kindergarten sang Rudolph and Jingle Bells. They looked like pros!
Poor Tim came down with H1N1 that day and could not attend! :-( Thankfully, he has fully recovered now!
Poor Tim came down with H1N1 that day and could not attend! :-( Thankfully, he has fully recovered now!
VIDEOS from the concert
(Quality is not good! Don't know what was wrong with the video camera. Now it is dead...washed in the washing machine...squeaky clean but doesn't work!)...
(Quality is not good! Don't know what was wrong with the video camera. Now it is dead...washed in the washing machine...squeaky clean but doesn't work!)...
PHOTOS from the concert...
Sumo Practice and Karatsu with Max
from Tim...
It was a very early start to the day at 7am with roughly a 30 min drive to the Sumo "stables". A "stable" is the name given to the Sumo club workout facility. Stacked next to the the entry was the daily/weekly recycling which included at least 10 cases of empty 500mL bottles of Asahi beer. Inside they have a little viewing area next to the Sumo ring. The wrestlers started off with warmups which involved a balance exercise where they lift one leg sideways and hold it in the air for several seconds. Then they practiced lunging at a wooden post in a move similar to what you see at football practices. The real fun started when they started wrestling. It was a lot better than watching the official competition because they don't do all of the ceremonial stuff in practice. Another highlight was when one of the other visitors asked Max if he was a retired sumo wrestler...Max got a good laugh out of that!
After the sumo practice, we swapped the car for the motorbike and Max and I took off for a ride to Karatsu. It was overcast, but the rain never came (fortunately). We took a tour of the pine forest that lies between Karatsu and the sea (as a breakwater). Tucked into the forest is a famous burger joint called Karatsu burger. The "specialty burger" is a hamburger patty, fried egg, and slice of ham topped with lettuce, tomato, and bbq sauce on a toasted bun. It was a very good burger. Then we rode past the Karatsu Castle and went to a "famous" noodle shop. I'm not sure what made it famous, but the noodle dish was good and stacked very high with fresh veggies. I liked the burger over the noodles though. We then rode up to the top of the mountain where they had a good look-out spot to see the entire city. It was a fun-filled day.
It was a very early start to the day at 7am with roughly a 30 min drive to the Sumo "stables". A "stable" is the name given to the Sumo club workout facility. Stacked next to the the entry was the daily/weekly recycling which included at least 10 cases of empty 500mL bottles of Asahi beer. Inside they have a little viewing area next to the Sumo ring. The wrestlers started off with warmups which involved a balance exercise where they lift one leg sideways and hold it in the air for several seconds. Then they practiced lunging at a wooden post in a move similar to what you see at football practices. The real fun started when they started wrestling. It was a lot better than watching the official competition because they don't do all of the ceremonial stuff in practice. Another highlight was when one of the other visitors asked Max if he was a retired sumo wrestler...Max got a good laugh out of that!
After the sumo practice, we swapped the car for the motorbike and Max and I took off for a ride to Karatsu. It was overcast, but the rain never came (fortunately). We took a tour of the pine forest that lies between Karatsu and the sea (as a breakwater). Tucked into the forest is a famous burger joint called Karatsu burger. The "specialty burger" is a hamburger patty, fried egg, and slice of ham topped with lettuce, tomato, and bbq sauce on a toasted bun. It was a very good burger. Then we rode past the Karatsu Castle and went to a "famous" noodle shop. I'm not sure what made it famous, but the noodle dish was good and stacked very high with fresh veggies. I liked the burger over the noodles though. We then rode up to the top of the mountain where they had a good look-out spot to see the entire city. It was a fun-filled day.
Photos from Sumo Practice and Karatsu...
Sumo Wrestling on Thanksgiving
Most people in America watch football on Thanksgiving. Since that's not really possible in Japan, we went to a Sumo Wrestling Tournament on Thanksgiving Day with a group of friends from FIS!
We had "nosebleed" seats but the arena was fairly small so we thought they were good seats for 3,100 yen (a little more than $31.00). Plus I had my close-up lens on the camera so I was able to get some up close and personal shots.
I thought I might be really bored watching a bunch of fat, almost naked men wrestle. However, most of what we watched was ceremonial. Two guys get in the ring and stretch and throw salt and stretch and stretch and throw some more salt...and finally wrestle each other for a few seconds until one is knocked out of the ring.
We had "nosebleed" seats but the arena was fairly small so we thought they were good seats for 3,100 yen (a little more than $31.00). Plus I had my close-up lens on the camera so I was able to get some up close and personal shots.
I thought I might be really bored watching a bunch of fat, almost naked men wrestle. However, most of what we watched was ceremonial. Two guys get in the ring and stretch and throw salt and stretch and stretch and throw some more salt...and finally wrestle each other for a few seconds until one is knocked out of the ring.
Tim's run-down on Sumo...
The rule that most people know is that the wrestler pushed (or thrown) outside of the circle loses. I was surprised to learn that if they touch the ground inside the circle with any part of their body (besides their feet of course) then they also lose. This allowed a few wrestlers to literally side step their way to victory. In one match the highly favored Sumo lunged forward and only caught "air" and belly-flopped onto the ground because his opponent simply faked him out and stepped to the side. Agility is the key to victory and those fat guys move FAST! The wrestling was definitely fun to watch. It is like watching linebackers hit each other without pads while wearing only their "jockeys". Each wrestler only has one match during each day of the 2 week tournament. At the end of the tourney, a new set of rankings is published with the top 30 earning $10,000 per month. If you fail to make the cut, you only get $700/mo. There are experience rankings, but everyone is in the same weight class. The more you can eat, the better you'll be at Sumo!VIDEO of Sumo
PHOTOS of Sumo
(fun to go through them quickly...looks like they're actually wrestling!)
First Thanksgiving in Our Home Away From Home
We were able to eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day...well, the day after! We are so fortunate to have the Barkley family at FIS. Gary Barkley is the president of Seinan Gakuin University and arranged for FIS staff and their families to have Thanksgiving dinner in the banquet hall. Heather decorated. We enjoyed a feast of turkey (almost impossible to find in Japan), sushi (yes, only in Japan!), dressing, mashed potato balls (so we could use chopsticks), the most delicious sweet potato casserole and cranberry dressing, (courtesy of Carolyn Barkley), and pumpkin pie! It was a most wonderful evening visiting with friends and eating delicious food. Yes, we still experienced the Thanksgiving food coma!
First Thanksgiving in Japan! First Thanksgiving with sushi! First Thanksgiving eaten with chopsticks! Oh! Our First Thanksgiving as a married couple!
Only thing missing...our family...and my mom's home-cooked meal! We did get to Skype with family on Thanksgiving, though!
Thank you, Carolyn, Gary, and Heather for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/ThanksgivingInJapan09?authkey=Gv1sRgCMLm7abV87_ASA&feat=directlink
First Thanksgiving in Japan! First Thanksgiving with sushi! First Thanksgiving eaten with chopsticks! Oh! Our First Thanksgiving as a married couple!
Only thing missing...our family...and my mom's home-cooked meal! We did get to Skype with family on Thanksgiving, though!
Thank you, Carolyn, Gary, and Heather for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Pictures of Thanksgiving in Japan
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/ThanksgivingInJapan09?authkey=Gv1sRgCMLm7abV87_ASA&feat=directlink
Southern Islands of Okinawa...Ishigaki, Iriomote, Taketomi
Hello, there! Yes, I know it's been a LONG time since I've said Hello! I guess my New Year's resolution should be to blog more!
We had a break in November and decided to head down to the southern islands of Okinawa (south of mainland Okinawa). Our friends, Ali, Dayle, and Lori came with us. Tim and I stayed in Ishigaki for 4 nights and Iriomote for 2 nights. We stayed right next to the ferry terminal and had easy access to Iriomote and Taketomi.
It was rainy season in Okinawa and boy, did it rain! I will admit that I was bummed because of the rain because I wanted to lay out on the beach a lot more than I was able to. However, the last day that we were there it was sunny (all day long) and it made up for every other day of rain. It was truly paradise! Wonderful vacation (minus the rain)!!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/Ishigaki?authkey=Gv1sRgCImbjZDBnYbTCA&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay5_IshigakiSun?authkey=Gv1sRgCKO5wvrdh6n1PA&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/Iriomote?authkey=Gv1sRgCPbzm6Xx8saw_AE&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay3Iriomote_RiverExcursion?authkey=Gv1sRgCOKMps7wtOKJdg&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay4_Taketomi?authkey=Gv1sRgCPH81Oja4NjH8gE&feat=directlink
We had a break in November and decided to head down to the southern islands of Okinawa (south of mainland Okinawa). Our friends, Ali, Dayle, and Lori came with us. Tim and I stayed in Ishigaki for 4 nights and Iriomote for 2 nights. We stayed right next to the ferry terminal and had easy access to Iriomote and Taketomi.
It was rainy season in Okinawa and boy, did it rain! I will admit that I was bummed because of the rain because I wanted to lay out on the beach a lot more than I was able to. However, the last day that we were there it was sunny (all day long) and it made up for every other day of rain. It was truly paradise! Wonderful vacation (minus the rain)!!!
Days 1 and 5...Ishigaki
Ishigaki is the main island that people use as a home base while island hopping. It is also known for several really beautiful beaches and Kabira Bay, a protected area where black pearls are cultured. I bought a bracelet with a black pearl and loved it. One day after school I looked down and the pearl was gone. :( My friend went to China for Christmas and found a black pearl at the pearl market and is having it set! I'll pretend it came from Okinawa!Highlights of Ishigaki
rainbow, champeru, exploring Ishigaki (public market), Maesato Beach (closed), chasing hermit crabs, fabulous local restaurant that we went to twice, classy bar, Kabira Bay, glass bottom boat, sun, sand, reading on the beach, walking on the beach, swimming, gorgeous flora...Photos of Ishigaki
(with captions to explain)
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/Ishigaki?authkey=Gv1sRgCImbjZDBnYbTCA&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay5_IshigakiSun?authkey=Gv1sRgCKO5wvrdh6n1PA&feat=directlink
Days 2 and 3...Iriomote
This island was described as Japan's last frontier. I was a bit apprehensive since I knew that it was mostly jungle, had poisonous snakes, was home to a deadly wildcat, and was not very developed. However, it ended up being one of our favorite places! This is the reason I'm open to trying just about anything because I usually end up liking it! Guess that all began when my dad dropped me off for field hockey practice in ninth grade against my will. When he came to pick me up and asked me how it was, I told him I was joining the team! Highlights of Iriomote
mangrove, flora and fauna, ox-cart ride to Yubu Island, beach on Yubu Island, private beach at our hotel, sun, sand, swimming, collecting treasures (seashells) on the beach, hermit crab cities, Italian dinner, boat ride on the river, hike in the jungle to see waterfalls...Photos of Iriomote
(with captions to explain)
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/Iriomote?authkey=Gv1sRgCPbzm6Xx8saw_AE&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay3Iriomote_RiverExcursion?authkey=Gv1sRgCOKMps7wtOKJdg&feat=directlink
Day 4...Taketomi
Taketomi is known for the preservation of the island. It is the only island where you will still find traditional Okinawan style red tiled roofs and the streets are made of crushed coral. Highlights of Taketomi
tour of island on an ox-cart (underwhelming), lookout to see the tile roofs, flora and fauna (especially the butterflies), hunting for star sand, bike ride with friends, sun, sand, swimming, hermit crabs, silly dragons, fu champeru...Photos of Taketomi
(with captions to explain)
http://picasaweb.google.com/srhendricks78/OkinawaSouthernIslandsDay4_Taketomi?authkey=Gv1sRgCPH81Oja4NjH8gE&feat=directlink
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