So after 22 long hours I have finally arrived. I think I might actually like traveling sick because after taking some meds I was able to sleep for 7 of the 11 hours on my way to Tokyo.
This past week I spent some time in Seattle with Timmy. I was sick, so we didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, but we had a good time. I got to see my uncle Will for the first time in like 5 years. We also went and played some golf at this nice local course. I actually didn't do half bad, but it was wet and rainy, which didn't help my cold.
I'm sitting in a house right now that belongs to someone else because my apartment won't be ready until next week. It is a nice little house and I've just been sleeping off my jet lag. It has been delightful to sit here and do absolutely nothing! It has been a while since I've been able to simply relax.
The next week will be a bit hectic. I have to go obtain my alien registration card and jump through a couple more hoops before I am officially a Gaijin (outsider) again. I feel a little strange being back here, but I think once I get settled and get back into the swing of things it will be nice.
Not much else going on as of right now, but I'll keep you posted.
JB
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
I'm going going back back to JAPAN
So I decided to return to Japan. When I left last July I wasn't quite ready to leave, I was homesick, but I was really getting into a groove over there. I was spending whole weekends without speaking English. I really miss that feeling, so I had thoughts about returning about in late August. I contacted my friend Cian, who runs the English School and told him that I would be interested in returning to Japan if he had anything available. He said, great I'll contact you in January. He didn't contact me right away in January and I was content with the fact of being in MN, I just got a new car, I was loving coaching hockey, I was hanging out with my best friends everyday. But on January 26th he emailed me and said that he would love to have me work for him and teach at a Junior High School near Mt. Daisen. This was exactly what I was looking for because I wanted to be close to Tottori, so I could reconnect with my friends and my Japanese tutor/mother Mitsue. Cian and I skyped a few times and he offered me the position. I was on the fence for a while because no matter what, family and friends can't be replaced. However, I kept hearing, this is the time when you can do stuff like this. I kept thinking that in 10 years I would look back and be happy that I took one more run in Japan. I also miss being close the ocean, jogging along the beach, surfing and climbing mountains. I also love speaking Japanese, it's such a great feeling when you go out and have conversations in a foreign language. One of the best moments I had in Japan the last time is when my buddy Hiroki heard me speaking English and said to me, "waaaaa, I forgot you speak English." Another thing I miss is the traveling, venturing into the unknown. Those are experiences that I can't have here, so I figured I might as well go out and discover some more crazy places this planet has to offer. When I was wandering the ghettos of Bangkok by myself I felt so alive, I miss that feeling.
I've been getting a lot of shit for leaving again, people saying, "you already did that" well to them I say, yes, I did it and it was amazing, so why not go again and ride out this economic downturn. I also want to go back and perfect my Japanese, I didn't do much studying previously, so I'm going to force myself to study like a Japanese student. I'm also going to have a car there, which will open up a plethora of opportunities, to surf more, travel and be independent.
I'm leaving for Seattle on the 18th to hang with my bro for a couple days before I go to Japan. I bought my tickets and now it is real.....
I'm thinking a lot about where I want to go, if anyone has any ideas please leave a comment. I really like the idea of Beijing and Indonesia or the Phillipines. Let me know what you think.
I'll miss you all, but know that I am doing what I love to do and that is, traveling and becoming a wannabe surfer.
Wish me luck.
JB
I've been getting a lot of shit for leaving again, people saying, "you already did that" well to them I say, yes, I did it and it was amazing, so why not go again and ride out this economic downturn. I also want to go back and perfect my Japanese, I didn't do much studying previously, so I'm going to force myself to study like a Japanese student. I'm also going to have a car there, which will open up a plethora of opportunities, to surf more, travel and be independent.
I'm leaving for Seattle on the 18th to hang with my bro for a couple days before I go to Japan. I bought my tickets and now it is real.....
I'm thinking a lot about where I want to go, if anyone has any ideas please leave a comment. I really like the idea of Beijing and Indonesia or the Phillipines. Let me know what you think.
I'll miss you all, but know that I am doing what I love to do and that is, traveling and becoming a wannabe surfer.
Wish me luck.
JB
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Hokkaido
I went to Hokkaido last weekend with my co-workers for an Amity convention. This is a gathering of the best Amity schools in Japan and because we were rated number 1 of course we got to go. The vice president even asked that I give a speech and use Japanese....I was a bit shocked when I heard this, but I thought it would be fun to speak Japanese in front of 300 people...!
So we arrived and right away we went to the reception. There were a bunch of people who gave speeches before me and none of them used Japanese. So when my turn came I was kinda nervous, but I went up there and gave my 1 minute Japanese speech and I think it went well. In fact I heard the president's table oooing and ahhhing. That gave me an extra boost of confidence and I delivered the English portion of my speech without looking down at my notes. It was a nice experience and I'll never forget that. I took a video, so you can all see it when I get back because I won't be putting it on fbook.
I am winding down here, I'm kind of in that weird state that feels like the end of college or high school. It's kind of exciting, but kind of sad to think that this part of my life is over. I am ready to come home because I am sooo home sick and miss everyone dearly, but I've made a little family over here and it is going to be hard to say goodbye. Sorry to get all dramatic, but I'm listening to the new Bon Iver album as I type and it kind of makes me all emotional. The thing I am going to miss the most is my students, I have some truly amazing students. I'll miss the way the young ones tell me stories about their day in Japanese and I just go WOW or SUGOI! and they get so proud because they impressed me. I have these five 3 yr old students who I have taught since the day I got here every Saturday morning. They are like little angels, they all sit in a perfect semi-circle around me and say all the weather and feeling words perfectly as their parents and other interested parents watch from the window. It is moments like this I am going to miss.
BUT, none of that can compare to the excitement I am feeling from the thought of being able to talk face to face with my family and friends again. It is a lonely life out here. I have friends, but only on the weekends usually. I can't wait to see you all.
I have a couple more adventures planned, so stay tuned and I'll be home very soon.
JB
So we arrived and right away we went to the reception. There were a bunch of people who gave speeches before me and none of them used Japanese. So when my turn came I was kinda nervous, but I went up there and gave my 1 minute Japanese speech and I think it went well. In fact I heard the president's table oooing and ahhhing. That gave me an extra boost of confidence and I delivered the English portion of my speech without looking down at my notes. It was a nice experience and I'll never forget that. I took a video, so you can all see it when I get back because I won't be putting it on fbook.
I am winding down here, I'm kind of in that weird state that feels like the end of college or high school. It's kind of exciting, but kind of sad to think that this part of my life is over. I am ready to come home because I am sooo home sick and miss everyone dearly, but I've made a little family over here and it is going to be hard to say goodbye. Sorry to get all dramatic, but I'm listening to the new Bon Iver album as I type and it kind of makes me all emotional. The thing I am going to miss the most is my students, I have some truly amazing students. I'll miss the way the young ones tell me stories about their day in Japanese and I just go WOW or SUGOI! and they get so proud because they impressed me. I have these five 3 yr old students who I have taught since the day I got here every Saturday morning. They are like little angels, they all sit in a perfect semi-circle around me and say all the weather and feeling words perfectly as their parents and other interested parents watch from the window. It is moments like this I am going to miss.
BUT, none of that can compare to the excitement I am feeling from the thought of being able to talk face to face with my family and friends again. It is a lonely life out here. I have friends, but only on the weekends usually. I can't wait to see you all.
I have a couple more adventures planned, so stay tuned and I'll be home very soon.
JB
Monday, May 9, 2011
BANGKOK AND KOH CHANG
The Thailand trip was a success. I did exactly what I had planned to do which was relax. My previous trips involved a lot of traveling and changing hotels, which is cool, but not very relaxing. In Thailand we stayed in Bangkok for two nights in the same hotel and then we moved on to Koh Chang and stayed in the same Bungalow for four nights. It was the perfect way to spend a vacation.
That is the Giant Gold Buddha in Bangkok. Quite a site. I arrived a day later than my friends because I had to work on Thursday. So I arrived in Bangkok and had about 4 hours to kill before meeting them. I hopped in this Tuk Tuk or motorcycle taxi and he took me to all the major sightseeing spots for like $5!!! Everything was soooo cheap there. It was a good way to kill time and he was a funny guy who kept saying I was a bad boy because I told him I had multiple girlfriends....haha I wish. I then hopped on a boat and it took me all around Bangkok and I got some really nice pics of the river. This picture is of a lady hard at work in the floating market. She was weaving and sellinng fruits at the same time while being blanketed by the extreme heat. I don't know how people do it!
After finally meeting up with the guys. We couldn't find each other at the first meeting spot, so we got lucky and met at the second more American spot... McDonalds! It was so exciting to see them because for a little bit I thought I might be spending my vacation alone.....We checked into a hotel and headed out for a bite and some beers, which again was ridiculously inexpensive. $10 for a full meal and 4 beers. We then headed to the Muay Thai arena. We were waiting outside for the matches to start when I heard some Japanese being spoken, I got all excited and marched right up to these four cute Japanese girls and began putting on the charm. But they had just finished watching the first round of matches and were leaving which was a shame. So the matches started and I was so excited because we got to sit ringside, which was awesome. You could hear every punch, knee and kick hitting the skin or the bones of the opponents. It was quite the show. Again we had some Japanese guys behind us and we spoke to them the whole time. It is quite a feeling to be speaking a language other than English in a different Asian country. Below is us before the match showcasing our muscles and bad ass faces.
The next day we headed east towards Cambodia to an island called Koh Chang which means Elephant Island. I was so excited to see and ride some elephants. It is on my bucket list to do that and I can safely cross that one off. The bus ride down there and ferry were definitely rough on all of us. It is difficult to go out and party all night and then sit in an uncomfortable bus seat with a disgusting bathroom for 6 hours. But, we made it and it was ecstasy arriving at our Bungalow on the beach. This place was exactly what I wanted. We were on a hill in the jungle and only 30 seconds from the beach. We had an amazing view and there weren't any other tourists around our bungalow. We proceeded to sit and chill on the beach for two days while we rebooted our bodies. Below is a picture from our first night there. SUBLIME!
The third day we decided to rent some scooters and drive around the island. It was my friend's first time riding on scooters and they were a bit shaky and slow at first, but they gained confidence and we were zooming around that island at like 55mph. In Thailand there doesn't appear to be many traffic rules because we kept getting passed on one lane streets and what not, so we said screw it, so we started going fast and passing all the slow drivers too. It was a nice little rush to be driving something that has an engine. It was my first time doing that in over 18 months!! We visited a waterfall and some other picturesque places along the way. It was one of the best days of the trip.
The first night in Koh Chang there was this amazing fire spinner. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so I couldn't get any pictures. But on the last night this man and his child showed up at our hotel and starting fire spinning with these cool sticks. It was an amazing show especially because this kid was like 6 or 7 years old. Below is a picture of him by himself doing his thing.
I left the next day by myself again, because I had to work the next day...so lame. The way back was that bad, I picked up the Red Hot Chili Peppers autobiography by Anthony Kiedis and I couldn't put it down. I must have read 350 pages by the time I got back to Japan. So that was my trip, a lot of relaxing, scootering and swimming.
Until next time.
JB
That is the Giant Gold Buddha in Bangkok. Quite a site. I arrived a day later than my friends because I had to work on Thursday. So I arrived in Bangkok and had about 4 hours to kill before meeting them. I hopped in this Tuk Tuk or motorcycle taxi and he took me to all the major sightseeing spots for like $5!!! Everything was soooo cheap there. It was a good way to kill time and he was a funny guy who kept saying I was a bad boy because I told him I had multiple girlfriends....haha I wish. I then hopped on a boat and it took me all around Bangkok and I got some really nice pics of the river. This picture is of a lady hard at work in the floating market. She was weaving and sellinng fruits at the same time while being blanketed by the extreme heat. I don't know how people do it!
After finally meeting up with the guys. We couldn't find each other at the first meeting spot, so we got lucky and met at the second more American spot... McDonalds! It was so exciting to see them because for a little bit I thought I might be spending my vacation alone.....We checked into a hotel and headed out for a bite and some beers, which again was ridiculously inexpensive. $10 for a full meal and 4 beers. We then headed to the Muay Thai arena. We were waiting outside for the matches to start when I heard some Japanese being spoken, I got all excited and marched right up to these four cute Japanese girls and began putting on the charm. But they had just finished watching the first round of matches and were leaving which was a shame. So the matches started and I was so excited because we got to sit ringside, which was awesome. You could hear every punch, knee and kick hitting the skin or the bones of the opponents. It was quite the show. Again we had some Japanese guys behind us and we spoke to them the whole time. It is quite a feeling to be speaking a language other than English in a different Asian country. Below is us before the match showcasing our muscles and bad ass faces.
The next day we headed east towards Cambodia to an island called Koh Chang which means Elephant Island. I was so excited to see and ride some elephants. It is on my bucket list to do that and I can safely cross that one off. The bus ride down there and ferry were definitely rough on all of us. It is difficult to go out and party all night and then sit in an uncomfortable bus seat with a disgusting bathroom for 6 hours. But, we made it and it was ecstasy arriving at our Bungalow on the beach. This place was exactly what I wanted. We were on a hill in the jungle and only 30 seconds from the beach. We had an amazing view and there weren't any other tourists around our bungalow. We proceeded to sit and chill on the beach for two days while we rebooted our bodies. Below is a picture from our first night there. SUBLIME!
The third day we decided to rent some scooters and drive around the island. It was my friend's first time riding on scooters and they were a bit shaky and slow at first, but they gained confidence and we were zooming around that island at like 55mph. In Thailand there doesn't appear to be many traffic rules because we kept getting passed on one lane streets and what not, so we said screw it, so we started going fast and passing all the slow drivers too. It was a nice little rush to be driving something that has an engine. It was my first time doing that in over 18 months!! We visited a waterfall and some other picturesque places along the way. It was one of the best days of the trip.
The first night in Koh Chang there was this amazing fire spinner. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so I couldn't get any pictures. But on the last night this man and his child showed up at our hotel and starting fire spinning with these cool sticks. It was an amazing show especially because this kid was like 6 or 7 years old. Below is a picture of him by himself doing his thing.
I left the next day by myself again, because I had to work the next day...so lame. The way back was that bad, I picked up the Red Hot Chili Peppers autobiography by Anthony Kiedis and I couldn't put it down. I must have read 350 pages by the time I got back to Japan. So that was my trip, a lot of relaxing, scootering and swimming.
Until next time.
JB
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
THAILAND
I officially bought my tickets to Bangkok tonight! I am flying out of Tottori and going to Tokyo and then it is off to Bangkok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Bangkok
Sooooo, after failing numerous times trying to convince my Amity friends to go on a beach vacation I decided to book it to Thailand. My JET friends are going to Thailand for our Golden Week vacation and I decided to tag along. I just want to visit another country while I'm over in this part of the world and China doesn't seem too attractive, so Thailand it is! I have no idea what I will do once I get there, but the plan goes something like this. Hangout in Bangkok for a day and then book it to a island off the coast. My main goal is to relax on the beach. If god forbid, there is some waterskiing, I'll probably spend all my money doing that. But if not, I'll settle for some snorkeling, elephant rides and some much needed beach time. All I know is that I'm excited for another crazy experience. It should be awesome and hot, also I've been working out like a fiend for 5 months, so I want to showcase the beach bod......haha.
Today was a good day minus the triple double (ice cube anyone?) I woke up at like 10am, and headed to the city. I went to the bank and sent 140,000 Yen to my American Bank and it will come out to like 1,700 DOLLARS!! I need that to buy my expensive plane ticket to Thailand ($1,450).....it will be worth it, I mean it is Thailand. After that I went to the 100 Yen shop and bought 2000 Yen worth of crap...well not crap but some stuff for school mostly. I also bought some $1 ties. Who can tell the difference??? I also got a zip up tie, it reminded of Ron's, the old suit rental place on Penn where me and the homies used to get all of our suits for the dances.
After that I headed back home and put my Nikes on and ran out the door. I recently found this great jogging route. I run past the mall and head to Tottori Port and then past the port there is this great beach that has a wall that is next to the beach and it runs all the way to the end of the beach. Basically the feeling I get when I'm running next to the ocean can't be topped, so I have been running this route twice a week for about a month, since it became warm enough to jog comfortably outside. It is a feeling that I only dreamed of back in MN, that feeling of looking out at the huge waves crashing into the pier is amazing. I also like running in the sand, it makes it more challenging and I feel like Matt Damon in the Bourne Supremacy film. The jog is about 8K or so. I have completely forgotten about miles and pounds...haha.
After that I went to the gym and work on the most important parts of the beach bod, abs and chest. I didn't have a great workout though because I was a little tired and I strained my groin a bit during the jog.
Whale Rock off the coast of Tottori.
So overall a good day.
Everything else is going well, my coworker Jeannie leaves in a couple of weeks which sucks because we have had fun at work joking around. It will be weird to see her go. The next teacher studied Japanese, so it will be fun to practice with her.
Next Thursday is my B Day and it is strange to be turning 24....it kinda sucks. It seems like yesterday I was going to get my license.. I guess I'm an adult now...haha. I still don't feel like an adult. Maybe at 30 I will.
Until next time, I'm safe, far from all the bad radiation and what not. So don't worry!
Much Love
JB
Today was a good day minus the triple double (ice cube anyone?) I woke up at like 10am, and headed to the city. I went to the bank and sent 140,000 Yen to my American Bank and it will come out to like 1,700 DOLLARS!! I need that to buy my expensive plane ticket to Thailand ($1,450).....it will be worth it, I mean it is Thailand. After that I went to the 100 Yen shop and bought 2000 Yen worth of crap...well not crap but some stuff for school mostly. I also bought some $1 ties. Who can tell the difference??? I also got a zip up tie, it reminded of Ron's, the old suit rental place on Penn where me and the homies used to get all of our suits for the dances.
After that I headed back home and put my Nikes on and ran out the door. I recently found this great jogging route. I run past the mall and head to Tottori Port and then past the port there is this great beach that has a wall that is next to the beach and it runs all the way to the end of the beach. Basically the feeling I get when I'm running next to the ocean can't be topped, so I have been running this route twice a week for about a month, since it became warm enough to jog comfortably outside. It is a feeling that I only dreamed of back in MN, that feeling of looking out at the huge waves crashing into the pier is amazing. I also like running in the sand, it makes it more challenging and I feel like Matt Damon in the Bourne Supremacy film. The jog is about 8K or so. I have completely forgotten about miles and pounds...haha.
After that I went to the gym and work on the most important parts of the beach bod, abs and chest. I didn't have a great workout though because I was a little tired and I strained my groin a bit during the jog.
Whale Rock off the coast of Tottori.
So overall a good day.
Everything else is going well, my coworker Jeannie leaves in a couple of weeks which sucks because we have had fun at work joking around. It will be weird to see her go. The next teacher studied Japanese, so it will be fun to practice with her.
Next Thursday is my B Day and it is strange to be turning 24....it kinda sucks. It seems like yesterday I was going to get my license.. I guess I'm an adult now...haha. I still don't feel like an adult. Maybe at 30 I will.
Until next time, I'm safe, far from all the bad radiation and what not. So don't worry!
Much Love
JB
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tsunami
I am safe everyone. I am so far from the chaos that I would have to drive for 12 hours to get there.
I now know why we use the Japanese word Tsunami in English. This past week has been crazy over here, well at least on the TV. People are going about their lives like nothing has happened. Just a few words here and there about the Quake and then people continue living. I guess that is the best thing to do, but it is hard for me to act like nothing happened. My friends up in Fukushima are living in a friend's apartment outside of the city with ten other people due to the fear of a nuclear meltdown. I am glad that everyone is safe and I hope that the rescue/clean up efforts proceed smoothly. Keep praying for and thinking about the people of Japan.
I am doing well, I am going to Hiroshima next weekend to meet up with Jeremy. Too bad our reunion won't be as crazy and fun as I would like because of the tragedy that has occurred here. I am pumped to see my favorite dude in Japan. He always has so much positive energy, so it will be nice to see him. I am also meeting my friend Catherine there, she goes home at the end of the month so it will be bittersweet. That is all for now.
I am alive and well, so don't worry about me! I love you all.
I now know why we use the Japanese word Tsunami in English. This past week has been crazy over here, well at least on the TV. People are going about their lives like nothing has happened. Just a few words here and there about the Quake and then people continue living. I guess that is the best thing to do, but it is hard for me to act like nothing happened. My friends up in Fukushima are living in a friend's apartment outside of the city with ten other people due to the fear of a nuclear meltdown. I am glad that everyone is safe and I hope that the rescue/clean up efforts proceed smoothly. Keep praying for and thinking about the people of Japan.
I am doing well, I am going to Hiroshima next weekend to meet up with Jeremy. Too bad our reunion won't be as crazy and fun as I would like because of the tragedy that has occurred here. I am pumped to see my favorite dude in Japan. He always has so much positive energy, so it will be nice to see him. I am also meeting my friend Catherine there, she goes home at the end of the month so it will be bittersweet. That is all for now.
I am alive and well, so don't worry about me! I love you all.
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