A Two Entries in One Day Shocker!

I promised pictures of my apartment so here there are. Although several months down the line it is a lot more cluttered and San-like...







So yeah, that's it- my two and a half room home- not a traditional sliding paper doors, mat flooring and bamboo affair, but it's in a nice neighbourhood and it's all mine so it's all good.

Secret Pop Tart

My name is Sanyu and I am a secret poptart.
Ok- not so secret to people who know my surprising tendency to every-so-often like really tacky sugary pop music, even though I am aware that it isn't a taste to be proud of.

In Japan, the poptart in me is being indulged. Japanese pop music is sugary sweet happy stuff- all bubbles and parades and life is one great party, or it's dramatic emotional ballads of heartache- at least that's what I have access to on my cableless and sateliteless terrestial Japanese TV. I know there is rocky stuff out there too- and obviously a whole wealth of underground music that I am currently unaware of, but I don't know how to get hold of it.

The sugary stuff is always accompanied by subtitles (that I still can't read quick enough) and by overly cute female singers or heavily coiffiered boy bands who smile and dimple their way through their latest track with bubbles, glitter, and cute animal animations. All a little sickening, and yet I'm finding it harder to resist..

This isn't the latest Top 10 but a taster- enjoy.



And this song just makes me smile- we always do it at kareoke even though most of us only know the one English line in it...

Kinyobi des...*

Entry taken from my paper diary...

Another dull wet school morning. Ruddy rainy season. It smells like damp clothing you forgot about and left in the washing machine too long.
The lights in the staffroom are slightly too bright, and my eyes are burning like I've been up all night with a last minute essay.
My timetable today is light- too light- 3 classes which means solid chunks of time spent twiddling my thumbs in the staffroom.
I feel heavy- not physically, but of mood. Sluggish and not entirely ready for another day of performing in the classroom, of being the perky gaijin (foreigner) ambassador.

And I itch. Bugs have been feasting on me and I can't resist the urge to scratch.
And my hayfever's still plaguing me -- I drip snot like a leaky tap.
I'm tired, but this weekend is Maria's birthday so no Saturday morning lie-in.

Whine, whine, whine. Ignore me. It's Friday -- I'm in another country doing a job that I like at least 90 - 95% of the time and I know how lucky I am. I'm just moaning because I hate when it rains, I'm PMS-ing slightly and I'm somewhat moany by nature. On with the pics...

*'It's Friday' in Japanese.


A picture taken back in March at my first tea ceremony.


Yes, it's a Japanese toliet, no, the pee on the floor isn't mine...


Rice fields

Pics galore

I have just started at a new junior high school and even though it's early days yet- I love my new school. Everyone really makes an effort to speak to me in English- the teachers and children are much friendlier and it just seems a nicer atmosphere all round- so that's good.

In other news I roadtripped to another Japanese island in order to get my braids done. Afro hair is a bitch- don't let anyone tell you otherwise! I dislike my hair so much I was willing to take a 6 hour journey to and fro to Oita which is a whole other island- just to get it done. Ignore people who rant about corporations like Starbucks and McDonalds taking over the world- it's very reassuring to step off a train in another place where you don't speak the language and know that just around the corner there will probably be a McDonalds where you know what you'll be eating.
I'm very tempted to save myself the 12 hour + journey and the bother next time and just do a Britney and shave it off...


Oku sensai from my previous school


Hashimoto sensai also from my first school


The reasurring reflection of McDonald's trademark 'Golden Arches'


The Mormons strike their 'Super Morman' pose...


My boys and a random Japanese passerby


And no, we weren't drunk on anything other than soda.