tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46670098322721811712024-03-14T08:32:12.110-07:00Jeneko in JapanJenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-21198119382596528952013-07-26T01:04:00.001-07:002013-07-26T01:09:53.326-07:00Haikyo #1: Pachinko Parlor<b>*Warning: entering abandoned areas can be dangerous. Please be wary of squatters, unstable structures, and hazardous materials<i>. ALWAYS </i>have your phone, and if you are alone, make sure someone knows what area you are in*</b> <br />
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A favorite hobby of mine, ever since childhood, has been exploring abandoned places. Something about going through forgotten places has always filled me with a sense of curiosity and wonder. I think it is because I know that I am walking through a discarded piece of the past, a slice of history simply left to rot.<br />
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The biggest thing that still strikes me, even after doing this dozens of times, is what people decide to leave behind. Sometimes there's barely anything, the place is merely a shell, but other times, I quite honestly cannot believe what was forgotten. From simple things like clothes and toys, to things that I would never think to leave, like negatives from your wedding day. <br />
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Every time that I enter an abandoned place, which in Japan is called a Haikyo (<span class="st">廃墟), I find myself wondering what happened here? What lead this place to becoming forgotten? Because of this, my favorite part of exploring these ruins is trying to find clues as to who the people behind it were and what happened, and I hope that through my photos and stories, I can distill that feeling in a few of you as well. </span><br />
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<span class="st">So without further ado, here is my first of hopefully many haikyo entries.</span><br />
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<span class="st">For my first entry I am going to start with a small exploration, a closed pachinko parlor. </span><br />
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<span class="st">I noticed this particular place during my routine drives down Rt 49 from Iwaki to Koriyama, every time I drove by, I wanted to check it out, but every time it somehow happened to be raining. </span><br />
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<span class="st">This place consists of 3 buildings, the pachinko parlor, managers house and a combo kitchen / apartment. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pachinko parlor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kitchen/workshop and apartment</td></tr>
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I began my exploration by, fittingly enough, walking through the houses front door.<br />
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The indoor shoes were still waiting patiently for their owners to return and use them again. <br />
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The house appeared to be a pretty nice home, but completely empty of important belongings. So I quickly moved onwards to the connecting pachinko lounge. <br />
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Believe it or not, I have lived in Japan for 2.5 years, but this was my first time stepping into one of these places... <br />
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Everything seemed pretty run of the mill when it comes to haikyos, until I came to the other side of the gaming center and was confronted with a scene I was not too happy to see. A squatter had been here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he likes Hello Kitty</td></tr>
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I checked the piles of cans lying around, and everything was long expired, so I figured I was safe, but sped up my time in this building just to be safe. You never know what kind of person could be in one of these places, and it is something I try to never discover firsthand.<br />
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The last thing that really struck me while going through the parlor was the many dead birds, I spent a long time searching for any opening to help keep it from happening again, but to no avail.<br />
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In the next building, I found that this location had also been home to a small restaurant.<br />
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It became clear very quickly that whomever had been doing their laundry in the parlor, had been sleeping next door in the bar area. Again though, after checking the dates on the magazines beside the bed, it appeared that whomever this person was, they had moved on a long time ago. <br />
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The documents I found lying around both the parlor and bar suggest that this place closed back around 1997/98, and from the stack of unpaid bills that were in the office, I'd say it was because the owners went bankrupt. A true shame.<br />
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Please, let me know what you thought of this entry, if there's something it is lacking or if there are too many / too few photos. Any advice and tips are quite welcome. <br />
<span class="st"></span>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-39017735340787744172013-05-13T08:04:00.001-07:002013-05-13T09:42:05.901-07:00A Glimpse Into Me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to take a moment to talk about something that I tend
to be fairly quiet about, but is probably the biggest part of who I am today, I
have Aspergers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Aspergers is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_spectrum" title="Autism spectrum">autism
spectrum</a> disorder (ASD) that is characterized primarily with difficulties
in social interaction, as well as repetitive patterns of behavior and
interests. It’s a bit different from the rest of ASD though due to the lack of
cognitive and linguistic difficulties. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people these days think of Sheldon from the Big Bang
Theory when they hear mention of Aspergers, and I hate him for that. So many
people I’ve talked to think we’re all weird social outcasts and walking punch
lines thanks to that show, for the best representation I have seen on
television, I recommend Community’s Ahbed. But I digress. Which is actually one
of the parts of Aspergers, we tend to get sidetracked easily and just say
whatever we think of, but I’ve decided this time to just keep in whatever comes
to mind, hoping that it will help show how my train of thought works. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways, back to what I really wanted to talk about. I have
Aspergers, and because of that, I see the world a little different from others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For starters, it’s
usually quite hard for me to read into what other people mean or what their intentions
are, because of this I often either mislead people or hurt them. On the reverse
side, I often get hurt and taken advantage of due to my misunderstanding of the
situation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This issue is most prevalent for me personally when it comes
to guys. I rarely realize when someone is flirting with me until they make a
move to kiss me or ask me out, which has lead to many instances of both me
hurting people by ‘suddenly’ turning them down, and me just being taken
advantage of because I do not often know how to detach myself from the
situation. It has gotten much better over the years, but once during high
school I was “dating” four guys at once simply because I could not seem to say
no. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not being able to read into what other people mean has also
lead to incredibly awkward situations where I don’t know what to say or do in
response to something very emotional, especially grief and anger. I quite often
cannot fully understand why the person is saying and doing things and simply
get incredibly frustrated and lash out at those near me. The biggest cause of
fights with me and my loved ones seems to be that when they show a great deal
of emotions towards me, I don’t know how to handle them and as such, I react
inappropriately. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next up, sounds. Anyone who has spent a great deal of time
with me knows what my biggest pet peeves are: crunching, slurping and
sniffling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I literally cannot be near
those sounds for very long without either becoming angry or so frustrated that
I begin to cry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obviously (especially since moving to Japan) I have to put
up with it in silence most of the time, but I do have a lot of tricks to avoid
it as much as possible. Not surprisingly, I avoid noodle shops as much as I
can, don’t use the trains without headphones and while traveling I always have
earplugs. Every night I even have a white noise machine playing to help me
drown out any potential noise. The worst though is going to hang out with
friends or going to a party, because you just know that there’s going to be a
bunch of crunchy snacks and people chewing on ice. It’s become such a big deal
that a few close friends actually avoid chips and ice when I’m around them
(thank you. I love you.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
David, amazing, sweet David, even went as far as to buy a
non-clicking mouse for his computer and asked his gaming friends not to eat
loud things while they skype and I’m around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m really not sure how I would continue functioning without
people like him in my life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This particular issue, I have noticed really rubs off on
people. Namely, my mother and David. I hear at least once a week “I’d never
noticed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~~ sound before” or “I just
knew, Jen would hate this!” Now that isn’t to say that they’re now annoyed by
these things too, but my issues have made them so acutely aware of
these things that they notice sounds they had never known existed before (sorry).
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last thing I want to talk about is why I have been so
quiet lately. Those of us with Aspergers know we’re different; we know we don’t
quite fit in, and knowing that, often leads to depression. Ever since I quit my
job to begin volunteering and traveling, I have also had far too much free time
to reflect upon my life and how outside from everyone else I am, and that led
me to a very dark place. Now, obviously I KNOW people love me, I KNOW I’m a
smart and talented woman who has lots to offer the world, and I KNOW that I
will have an amazing life, normal or not. But that doesn’t stop depression.
Depression is impervious to logical reasoning. You can’t just wish it away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, to close, I may get down a lot in these coming
months while I have loads of time to ponder, so please help me to remember that
it’s ok. It’s ok to be different from the norm. It’s ok to be ME. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-8234555723612717852013-04-29T05:53:00.000-07:002013-04-29T05:53:27.992-07:00Jumping Through HoopsA few weeks ago I moved out of my house in Iwaki, Fukushima and loaded the car with every earthly possession I have in this country to start my life as a volunteer and traveler (aka a vagabond). At first things seemed to be going quite well, the new building had been chosen for the shelter, designs were being made on how to convert the place into an amazing animal sanctuary, and the final date had been chosen. Then came the realization that buying property in Japan as a foreigner is no easy task, and is made even worse when trying to do so for a pet shelter.<br />
<br />
First we were turned down by our top choice because they did not want to sell to foreigners, then at the next place the local farmers said they were worried the cats would pee in the lake (what?), and lastly, the homeowner decided to ignore us and the agent about finalizing anything. So the move in date came and went, and we are still stuck paying rent every week when we should have been settling in our rescues as I speak.<br />
<br />
Sometimes being a foreigner in Japan is just terrible, no one listens to you and every now and then, locals are scared of you. It's as if they think we are some sort of alien life form. <br />
<br />
Anyone have any tips on how to raise money for our next few rents and/or how to speed up the contract process in Japan? I am getting sick of mostly living out of my car. Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-53725295431669332722013-03-15T04:21:00.001-07:002013-03-15T04:21:47.015-07:00Moving OnI have been quite terrible at keeping this blog running, and really only have myself to blame for that, but felt the need to comment about the life changes that are about to happen for me.<br />
In a little over a week, my job as a kindergarten teacher will come to an end, it breaks my heart to leave these kids, because they've really become <i>my </i>kids over the last 12 months, but I must. The next chapter of my life is waiting to begin, and that chapter is looking to be amazing.<br />
<br />You see, after this I will finally have enough money saved up to volunteer full time in Japan and to also travel the world a little bit. So while I have to leave my children behind, I will finally give the disaster animals the time they deserve and the look at the world I've been dreaming of. <br />
<br />
<br />
I promise that this blog will be becoming far more active as this new chapter starts.Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-26499997333755518922012-09-24T05:46:00.002-07:002012-09-24T05:47:20.194-07:00StridesI deeply apologize for being absent for so long, as those who know me personally are most likely aware, there has been some rather terrible drama in my life as of late, and due to that, I vanished. I was raised to not bad mouth those around me, so instead of writing and possibly doing so, I simply stopped. <br />
<br />
But in doing so, I also regrettably did not properly document the kitten from the previous posts socialization process, nor did anyone who reads this get introduced to her 3 siblings and mother who have since joined my household. <br />
<br />
So, I give you "1st cat" then and now: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGovZGJs_KqlGpZt_K3BHCNczExUzKpg5vS1bXl-ZVZCVCDPwhtJzUeeJoDe45Yn6vreXmzPCV9erdr3rrc2jTqphPl3ffRiOvugDj2XG17QwbBbOcpu6L4OuBodQ4qIKyKIsQcjJOrc/s1600/1st+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGovZGJs_KqlGpZt_K3BHCNczExUzKpg5vS1bXl-ZVZCVCDPwhtJzUeeJoDe45Yn6vreXmzPCV9erdr3rrc2jTqphPl3ffRiOvugDj2XG17QwbBbOcpu6L4OuBodQ4qIKyKIsQcjJOrc/s640/1st+cat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
In 2 months, this beautiful girl went from having matted fur, a constant wide eyed terror and fleas, to a calm and loving lady who enjoys laying in your lap and is not shy around people or other animals. She is still unnamed though, as we are waiting till their vet trip next week to 100% confirm everyone's gender before the naming begins. So far, all we have decided is that the food theme shall be continued in honor of our other two fosters, Ham and Egg.Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-63250285839163760632012-07-14T03:36:00.000-07:002012-07-14T07:37:33.985-07:00Change of PlansThis weekend I had been torn between finally taking a vacation and helping out at the shelter. After a lot of talking, David and I decided that we deserved a trip to Disneyland to clear our minds and just have a good time, but once again, fate had other plans.<br />
We've had a kitten trap set up outside our house for a few weeks now to try and catch the litter that lives here and to socialize them, then adopt them out (or at least do vaccines and TNR), and we have never had any luck with it, so of course luck decided the weekend we were finally going to go on an adventure would be when a kitten would wander in before I could take down the trap.<br />
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To make things even more exciting, I had just stepped out of the house to buy some things for tomorrow's trip, so while out shopping, I got a call from David saying "hey, there's a kitten in our bathroom. What should I do?" Well, I quickly went and bought all the supplies we needed, came home and was met with a tiny wet ball of cuteness hiding behind our toilet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9ufFvCLSRdiWI4KoRfctCGNQWT7BiopqT1Gvw58vw7p6lCyK4OzBafZAUwm4xOh4jlyTjSBwfN4CnvpqftUxhLqXegImrklVhLPlBbpxubXpvtTjPb9TvRO6tuk32zzvwrLGQ8Y4mfY/s1600/528143_10100691683328116_1121779465_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9ufFvCLSRdiWI4KoRfctCGNQWT7BiopqT1Gvw58vw7p6lCyK4OzBafZAUwm4xOh4jlyTjSBwfN4CnvpqftUxhLqXegImrklVhLPlBbpxubXpvtTjPb9TvRO6tuk32zzvwrLGQ8Y4mfY/s400/528143_10100691683328116_1121779465_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Poor little thing was quite scared and we could hear it's siblings outside the bathroom window crying to him, and while it was sad to see, we knew we couldn't just release him again, because street cats in this country are often killed, so we know this is his best shot at life.<br />
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While setting up the new cage, our new little friend found a strange place to hide, which was nice for us because it made transporting him to the cage quite easy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXElmSuBSukmAmtxDCPhx_BVVhc1Ef6hu_txMiML3WqLV_mn144_lObGPJwepxcAwpEOoLZjXVikrkDquN7TmOyn-c3twp5HMJicyQxc2Xs_Sn5MlwAUWMrBWWnuQfyWVPsTk-Snu-myU/s1600/DSC01467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXElmSuBSukmAmtxDCPhx_BVVhc1Ef6hu_txMiML3WqLV_mn144_lObGPJwepxcAwpEOoLZjXVikrkDquN7TmOyn-c3twp5HMJicyQxc2Xs_Sn5MlwAUWMrBWWnuQfyWVPsTk-Snu-myU/s320/DSC01467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they'll never find me here!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz9l9NC4GAdfzjzXw5xbgDIURYgjfM9OWMTucTacDgJVlX9R2P5e-oaeTxWTtbCaqiTHXOqtclxm2ceSq-QNaP0n6RVJ8lZVPR6BsGwrWGoUOKbTIpKFyeozKyJDQVCfgs6dxewsSXHo/s1600/plung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz9l9NC4GAdfzjzXw5xbgDIURYgjfM9OWMTucTacDgJVlX9R2P5e-oaeTxWTtbCaqiTHXOqtclxm2ceSq-QNaP0n6RVJ8lZVPR6BsGwrWGoUOKbTIpKFyeozKyJDQVCfgs6dxewsSXHo/s400/plung.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">well this is new</td></tr>
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Needless to say, now we have no clue when Disneyland will be happening, as we are going to try and socialize this cutie and hopefully capture it's litter mates as well.<br />
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Bye bye vacation. Hello cute new roommate.<br />
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*Better pictures to follow as soon as he settles in* <br />
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<br />Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com1Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan37.0504195 140.887681736.847657999999996 140.5718247 37.253181 141.2035387tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-27623140784050832732012-07-11T00:01:00.004-07:002012-07-11T00:04:19.918-07:00New arrival<br />
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I am still in no mood to write, but the days keep passing
by, and things need to be recorded. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lA4TURE5mm3Ta9HRHlgGhahMhbkmjhmhpINyXE06KzOGjL45rAMhkWqEogeOJDAhql2e_YLgHft0yxytns562zgIUYmwu9F1zDvpQ4mbbzswumQMZkNEzeNdQRaYs23YK-2YaUP4L_s/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lA4TURE5mm3Ta9HRHlgGhahMhbkmjhmhpINyXE06KzOGjL45rAMhkWqEogeOJDAhql2e_YLgHft0yxytns562zgIUYmwu9F1zDvpQ4mbbzswumQMZkNEzeNdQRaYs23YK-2YaUP4L_s/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">heading out to feed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VFyDI6xin4HFmPw2g0IGwrG908Rb8_4G1YMe6CBuRDwZx4hbx9oc_xYhk845DxCXzks6JqtgXTSqGjiX42nm19DoyYSnDXOI8S1FaiLPJQl_nq5NfDRKXKLFqV_6_b03UsWbTSyXrrk/s1600/DSC01226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VFyDI6xin4HFmPw2g0IGwrG908Rb8_4G1YMe6CBuRDwZx4hbx9oc_xYhk845DxCXzks6JqtgXTSqGjiX42nm19DoyYSnDXOI8S1FaiLPJQl_nq5NfDRKXKLFqV_6_b03UsWbTSyXrrk/s320/DSC01226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local dog enjoying a treat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On July 1<sup>st</sup> I went with JCN into Namie again, and
while there we filled 34 feeding bins with food, which took an entire van
filled with bags to manage, and also made some side stops to check on local
animals that owners don’t want taken out, but still need some good food and
love.<br />
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We also added a new bin that was created by a wonderful volunteer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2ITlN-Py8fACpoCEO_ppxDYe9HUUnOTLpjqPOAnNWyUXjk2XJqvv-QN7J20CeiyOiCJba-lIV7HrGAxVoTuY1jvwIaHANrIFUDz0SoE-2fX_xzv6wLuDS-ii4yXytMqUopxfFBq5hqs/s1600/DSC01159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2ITlN-Py8fACpoCEO_ppxDYe9HUUnOTLpjqPOAnNWyUXjk2XJqvv-QN7J20CeiyOiCJba-lIV7HrGAxVoTuY1jvwIaHANrIFUDz0SoE-2fX_xzv6wLuDS-ii4yXytMqUopxfFBq5hqs/s320/DSC01159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4pGBB9K_Zeht3cYWDc9ZGD3ilOyjDmEjZs5kYMsmlzNvyJIA1l9xVFu6YEVpNpUL5SoUeZ2rlw84JEuPgdw8ExfXIdF6SMdJCMvrOzajqdgRuLcJjysb5wjJY_8noDu8ZN2GfzDsmXc/s1600/DSC01382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4pGBB9K_Zeht3cYWDc9ZGD3ilOyjDmEjZs5kYMsmlzNvyJIA1l9xVFu6YEVpNpUL5SoUeZ2rlw84JEuPgdw8ExfXIdF6SMdJCMvrOzajqdgRuLcJjysb5wjJY_8noDu8ZN2GfzDsmXc/s320/DSC01382.JPG" width="213" /></a>We had just gotten a phone call that morning about one of the locals JCN helps, saying his dog had had puppies and we wanted to make sure they were
alright and once again try and convince him to get his dogs fixed. Instead, it
turned out to just be a rumor, which I personally think he started to get us to
come visit him since he had a huge amount of prepared home cooked food and
treats from Sendai already waiting when we arrived… if that is true, I
certainly cannot blame him, he lives alone in an otherwise empty town, with no
one to talk to besides his dogs, it must be a very lonely life. After a 2 hour
long chat with him, and me getting tricked into eating fish, my least favorite
food, we finally headed out around 8pm, which was great since it was still a
90min trip back to the shelter and then another 2 hours home and I had work in
the morning, but fate had other plans for us that night. Instead of heading
straight back, we stopped to feed a tiny kitten alongside the road, it became
clear very quickly that she was not feral, so we trapped her. She turned out to
be incredibly friendly, and not a kitten at all, but instead a recent mother. We
have no idea where she had been living though, because where she was found
there were no houses or feeding bins in the area. She currently has no name, but all of my students have suggested Yuki (snow).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNiJf5jlg1dVVFbEfLzdD7QGbxrCQYa4Z4Q3ONDcMtMRRQEAGbKVFVixKy_vKTBSvrbd4KPRD_1u47aSnLkvP5ZoJoG8RSvv35KWgMfnP5WPsSv2wfgztkCPHHwWQyd2AsUswuk7VdlY/s1600/DSC01326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNiJf5jlg1dVVFbEfLzdD7QGbxrCQYa4Z4Q3ONDcMtMRRQEAGbKVFVixKy_vKTBSvrbd4KPRD_1u47aSnLkvP5ZoJoG8RSvv35KWgMfnP5WPsSv2wfgztkCPHHwWQyd2AsUswuk7VdlY/s320/DSC01326.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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I also got to check on the cat I trapped last month, who I named Kocha (tea) after myself and because he has a big "T" on his forehead. It's still unclear if he's going to be friendly, but Kocha at least seems to be settling in and fattening up a bit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNerb-OaJpBS8eOKeuZ_8TKVoc9pHeZY11h3MvW_sLAO4xzm5ZsyDzva86l1LtXflFJ9pcINpy_-odaVDGP_vbASetsN2YiwxJh0z8dW3bnaWgrv_Hz704BSyn2qbsLtyx7V4uh4-iguY/s1600/DSC01073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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The following week I stopped by for just a day to say
goodbye to Kuma, who was leaving for his new foster home in Iwate. I will miss
that dog dearly, he is just one of the kindest souls imaginable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskjZCalV9aJBmh-zFw0nHkS4xopHdqh36Gl5qPABJnVklS8D37QmQa-408b_Ci0DlmbU_K_UyPCUSR5CCogPj98tKF6YXRPmwi9HfpKBfNDO47kP_0tbRyGjVJihpEV9-H1gdX5d7bC4/s1600/DSC00349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskjZCalV9aJBmh-zFw0nHkS4xopHdqh36Gl5qPABJnVklS8D37QmQa-408b_Ci0DlmbU_K_UyPCUSR5CCogPj98tKF6YXRPmwi9HfpKBfNDO47kP_0tbRyGjVJihpEV9-H1gdX5d7bC4/s320/DSC00349.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-50738584485422217742012-07-10T02:11:00.000-07:002012-07-10T02:11:33.174-07:00I simply wanted to apologize for not updating about my last 2 trips to the shelter, honestly I have been in a strange depression as of late, and when I am depressed, the motivation to write just does not come. <br />
For some reason I have had this terrible irrational fear that when I eventually return to the United States, all of my loved ones will have moved on and won't have a place for me in their lives anymore. Irrational, I know, but that does not stop it from creeping up.Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-59722120463582127722012-06-20T05:58:00.000-07:002012-06-20T06:31:06.145-07:00No Go<br />
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Between working full time, fostering, and volunteering, it’s
sometimes hard for me to even find time to sleep, let alone do posts, so I
apologize for taking a few days. </div>
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I was so happy to get a chance to return into the No Go Zone
this weekend, since often we reserve the spaces for volunteers that will only
be visiting one time, it’s common for me to stay behind at the shelter instead.
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This trip we were lucky enough to have a vet tech who was
visiting from Tokyo named Monica. She was very knowledgeable about just about
everything you could think to talk about and quite a joy to work with.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpEIZ1hVzYqRMp40WTQ6T66s3tzKvHcLX4tQDACMoGrnyhmUpXEMYMkRW__erEWk4XqjMxhMLQ8F1HqfNgMlutt2G-cuDLVxGp9CdPHzRpUfEkkoH9PttyZ9I0_vs1HDibwDMV0GGh90/s1600/DSC00691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpEIZ1hVzYqRMp40WTQ6T66s3tzKvHcLX4tQDACMoGrnyhmUpXEMYMkRW__erEWk4XqjMxhMLQ8F1HqfNgMlutt2G-cuDLVxGp9CdPHzRpUfEkkoH9PttyZ9I0_vs1HDibwDMV0GGh90/s200/DSC00691.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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With our trusty driver, Takumi, behind the wheel, we headed
into the 20-30km area of Namie to refill bins and check on animals in
neighborhoods. Every single bin that we
checked that day was empty, or nearly empty (forgot to count, but believe we
hit about 20), and it was amazing how quickly we went through an entire van
full of food to replenish the many feeding stations in the area. And at almost
every single stop, there were animals, waiting for their food to get there. It
was not hard to tell that these cats were counting on JCN and the other local
helpers for their survival.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqXkHO11AUgxm2n7Sfs1ouZHYp50DpE7ugUdJnrKcu360RmnY93gR0aAivhfTfwkLnRhOT9CI4VhYiTxwJx1FriyRnnzA-MOnY1pSaSv08pCtiY9Dq7iF07RNpbtbQli4NcaDC8Ooz5Q/s1600/DSC00681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqXkHO11AUgxm2n7Sfs1ouZHYp50DpE7ugUdJnrKcu360RmnY93gR0aAivhfTfwkLnRhOT9CI4VhYiTxwJx1FriyRnnzA-MOnY1pSaSv08pCtiY9Dq7iF07RNpbtbQli4NcaDC8Ooz5Q/s320/DSC00681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that black cat actually lived there before</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-V91k1qdWnyL_xVtqabKbjDjsgvDfuRm9R7JcJhI62r_UTkaIzqEyUZo4tVTr_reGjodhyphenhyphenq2GjIeanOsLCWeB5X8hq2OcbeSE7psLoJppiEy-XDa0J3oMa7BMfvuD98qaeUyYxnlryI/s1600/DSC00743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">paw prints</td></tr>
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While we were checking the stations and making sure a few owners’
animals were alright, it was sad to see all of the fresh marks that had been
left behind, like paw prints in dust, or recent excrement. They were all signs
of animals that had been forced to suffer for far too long, animals that were
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On that note, it’s always important to keep searching the
whole time you are in the area, because although it often looks barren, there
is commonly an animal hiding very nearby in the overgrown vegetation. There
were many times when we would catch a glimpse of an animal, just to see it
vanish again, not daring to get too near. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIFFZXafm1Z6065yaQLjTDf0W9AhrluSSfpqg_Zgvg85oKqPXBFMKroUMGfpwylx-l5lTNQlKXQ6caErkrqqFzKFJy_yLkuhJpuBWnELWunB7g0g_t41aRCaZMvuR_DhTKyx8WVzafVw/s1600/DSC00787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIFFZXafm1Z6065yaQLjTDf0W9AhrluSSfpqg_Zgvg85oKqPXBFMKroUMGfpwylx-l5lTNQlKXQ6caErkrqqFzKFJy_yLkuhJpuBWnELWunB7g0g_t41aRCaZMvuR_DhTKyx8WVzafVw/s320/DSC00787.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one such cat waiting for us to leave</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHS1YkMPo7oePzdA92HS36ms-1jMyAIkfjudZhetz6vp1ja_-fq8JkxIkoqYrqdiHiLKzzFohm8daoLA5nu6vScvzaharylKZ5PrcR8mbfBdbdQfsMHLfX1GD7kCZ02vOmDSIrR8C0vk/s1600/DSC00686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHS1YkMPo7oePzdA92HS36ms-1jMyAIkfjudZhetz6vp1ja_-fq8JkxIkoqYrqdiHiLKzzFohm8daoLA5nu6vScvzaharylKZ5PrcR8mbfBdbdQfsMHLfX1GD7kCZ02vOmDSIrR8C0vk/s320/DSC00686.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While we were out feeding, there was one cat that caught us
all, it was this gorgeous creature just sitting beside the road, very clearly
waiting for food. When we stopped, instead of running, it waited patiently for
food to be put down and then approached, this was such an encouraging sign that
I asked if we could try and trap it. Within 3 minutes of putting the cage down,
this baby was in, and during the rest of our trip, it let me pet it and even
gave a kiss. By the time we left though, I did not know if it was a boy or
girl, because we want it to get acclimated to the shelter a bit more before we
start freaking it out a whole lot more, so the poor thing is still without a
name. I am thinking Kocha though, since
it has a giant T on its head.<br />
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Video of his/her capture http://youtu.be/Pd_nw_8Ldac </div>
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The last stop we made was to visit a group of dogs that the
owner refuses to let anyone take or fix, he believes that things are not bad
enough yet, and it is illegal for us to go against him. They were all lovely,
and while it was clear their owner frequently returned to give them food, it
still broke my heart since they all clearly wanted much more affection in
their lives and missed people greatly. </div>
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Update on Nala, our FIV+ baby: She is regaining her strength
steadily, and this weekend she had enough in her to hiss at David. While
hissing might seem like a bad sign to some, Nala was not a fan of people when
she got here and only let us touch her once she got very ill, so it’s actually
sort of comforting to see her feeling strong enough to put up some sort of fight.</div>
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<b>Bonus photos from the weekend:</b></div>
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This buddy tried to hide as a cup noodles to keep from getting her medicine, didn't work too well<br />
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A sign from a family thanking TEPCO for giving them all this extra time to sit around and play pachinko away from home</div>
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<u><b>Warning: Last part includes graphic photos and is
depressing. </b></u></div>
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I wanted to do this part last since I try to keep things as
upbeat as possible and as such thought it might be a good idea to write the
terrible stuff separate so that people could skip it if they so desired. </div>
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Anyways, within the No Go Zone, there are still many animals
waiting to be rescued, but there are thousands more that it is too late for.
During every trip I have made into the zone, there has been at least one body
waiting along our routes, and this trip
was no different. While visiting where the group of 80 chickens we used to feed
last year was, we decided to walk over to where some locals had freed baby
boars at a farm, and then someone pointed out the small cage to the side,
partially hidden. Inside, was a corpse that was nearly only bones by now of a
small monkey, a creature that never even had a chance after the disaster. While
the boars were released, his cage probably went unnoticed over in that corner,
leaving him to waste away, terrified, alone, and in immense pain. </div>
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<br /></div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-39760154309976345402012-06-09T07:03:00.000-07:002012-06-09T17:51:52.536-07:00From Death Row to House PetThis is the story of Hank, who is not only a Fukushima survivor, but also a hokenjo (public animal shelter) survivor.<br />
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Hank was found by Japan Cat Network right before the hokenjo was going to gas him and a group of other animals, most of whom had collars still on, all of whom did nothing to deserve it.<br />
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He was a very shy boy, who made a best friend at the shelter while they fought for their lives against a terrible disease known as Parvo. Nearly 70% of cats their age who get it, die, but against all odds, they both pulled through it and became inseparable.Their close nature led us to later rename them Hank and Dean, after the Venture Brothers<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTnTKg8LfiAlydhGhWdvQmBdn56nV_w7iwcQqUGgAx0gEpALNufKXxsw7wLxARuOls0gl7De6MPJCTF3cWyr5j1U07sHJwLr05X26RnSAfiZTgpJvy3xLf7qH8i4EE8qCjP6vPE5CCPk/s1600/cats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTnTKg8LfiAlydhGhWdvQmBdn56nV_w7iwcQqUGgAx0gEpALNufKXxsw7wLxARuOls0gl7De6MPJCTF3cWyr5j1U07sHJwLr05X26RnSAfiZTgpJvy3xLf7qH8i4EE8qCjP6vPE5CCPk/s200/cats.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hank is orange, Dean is gray</td></tr>
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But neither of them trusted people, and why should they? First they were both left to die on the streets, and one was almost killed in a gas chamber, what had people ever done for them?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCP3jPyfr9wWMd06iv81ocP38ZxJMhOd3GY8Z7OiY-xlv_2CbFq1GgJbrFxXmZ4LTgYpJRbhaAaoyE5DjsQsn8KrWvpq5j2C3TcjJr7FzwUMlY25XdbgGt_pzuo4VrXiZM0AwW19HPY4/s1600/IMG_5438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCP3jPyfr9wWMd06iv81ocP38ZxJMhOd3GY8Z7OiY-xlv_2CbFq1GgJbrFxXmZ4LTgYpJRbhaAaoyE5DjsQsn8KrWvpq5j2C3TcjJr7FzwUMlY25XdbgGt_pzuo4VrXiZM0AwW19HPY4/s200/IMG_5438.JPG" width="150" /></a><b>Enter my house: </b><br />
We decided that we were up to the challenge of socializing them, and took them on the 7hr trip home at the end of our visit in October.<br />
It took some getting used to for them, and around a week for them to even emerge from under the couch, but over the course of the 3 months they lived with us, they not only learned to trust people, but both of them would beg and cry for you to scoop them into your arms. <br />
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Every night they were curled up in bed with us, and when we got home from work, they were right at the door, waiting. This was great, but they were still just our fosters, not our pets. We both knew our apartment could never be their forever home, and they could never be ours, and worst of all, we knew come winter break, we would have to return them to JCN.<br />
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<b>Enter an old friend in the USA:</b><br />
Every now and then, I would take a photo of them, and post it to facebook to share with everyone, never thinking anything else of it. Just wanted to share their cuteness.<br />
Then, out of nowhere I get a sort of joking message from a friend back in the states claiming she has simply fallen in love with the boys and wants them for Christmas. We begin to talk in depth, and it becomes more and more obvious to both of us that this isn't really a joke, she has honestly fallen in love with them through the power of those photos.<br />
As luck would have it, we were heading to Virginia for winter vacation, so we talked it over with the shelter and it was agreed, Hank and Dean would go to America! The only catch, ANA, whom we had already purchased tickets through, are terrible with pets, and wanted to charge us 60,000Y ($650) to get them to DC, and my friend simply did not have that kind of money.<br />
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<b>Enter, the kindness of strangers:</b><br />
On a whim, I began a ChipIn page and spread it amongst all our friends and shelter groups, and before even one day had passed, the money was all there. With messages saying things like "Merry Christmas" and "gambate," there it was.<br />
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So come December 22nd 2011, Hank and Dean went with us, from Yamanashi-ken to Narita airport, and then to the other side of the world, Washington DC<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bathroom break at Narita</td></tr>
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They endured a 4hr bus ride, a vet checkup to be deemed quarantine ready, and a 16hr flight without any food, water or a litter box. But you could never tell by looking at them, the whole time they only cried whenever they couldn't see each other. <br />
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At the end of the journey, there was my friend, waiting to pick them up and love them for the rest of their lives. And while it was so wonderful, I could not help but cry, because these two magnificent creatures had not only endured so much their entire lives while waiting for this day to come, but they had done so without either one ever complaining.<br />
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If you would like to help animals like Hank and Dean, please go to: http://japancatnet.com/Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-5007453202572409392012-06-08T23:41:00.000-07:002012-06-08T23:41:04.551-07:00AbuseIt has taken me a week to decide whether I should talk about this or not, but as it has been a week and it is still bothering me, here goes.<br />
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David and I went to the shelter last weekend to volunteer and gather some supplies for a fundraiser we will be doing later in Iwaki, while we were there, I spotted a man kicking his dog. At first I simply assumed that it was my eyes playing tricks on me, as it had already been a long weekend, and who in their right mind would abuse an animal across the street from a shelter? But that's when it happened... this man threw his dog as hard as he could into the ground, in front of his 2 small children.<br />
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Without even thinking I just ran over and began shouting at him, I do not know a lot of Japanese so it was mostly English with a bit of me calling him a monster. I scooped up the small poodle to check it for injuries while the man shouted obscenities in Japanese at me and told his children not to worry as I was just a moronic foreigner. <br />
David and a Japanese volunteer came over to talk with him, but he spent his entire time denying it and saying that I had tried to steal his dog and attacked him, our Japanese volunteer even apologized to him for my actions, while I just sobbed. <br />
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We were told later that while it was sad, we could do nothing to stop this man since there were no visible wounds on the animal and since I had "attacked" him. In Japan, the foreigner always looses against the native.<br />
I spent much of the rest of my time that day closed up with some of ours animals, crying.<br />
<br />During the nearly 3 years that I worked with the SPCA back in the US, I saw lots of animals come through that had been badly abused, some had terrible physical scars, others only had mental ones, but all of them had been noticeably effected. I just kept thinking of my time with those cowering animals and how much it had pained me to know they had been hurt by some heartless bastard, and how utterly wrong it was that this man got to walk away with an animal that he will most likely abuse for the rest of its life, or until he gets sick of it and throws it away, like so many other animals in this nation. This incident especially struck me, because while I have worked with abused animals for a long time, I had actually somehow never seen it happen first hand, so seeing someone do it so calmly, and right across the street from our shelter no less, shook me to the core.<br />
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Anyways, it still replays through my head over and over again, and I find myself praying for that poor small dog. Now, enough sadness, here is a picture of Chachamaru, who was found over a year into the disaster, covered in parasites, very underweight, with dislocated legs, and a big smile. Animals like him are what keep us going.<br />
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Fun fact: We personally spend around $200/month in travel costs to volunteer and rescue.Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-68231928025787982022012-05-29T01:46:00.003-07:002012-06-08T23:41:42.246-07:00Sheltered life<br />
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This weekend I got to take a fellow Iwakian to visit the
shelter with me, I met her by mentioning JCN in a facebook group for locals to
try and grab some new people. So far I’ve nabbed Wesley (the vet tech from 2
weeks ago) and now Kimberly. Oh, the wonders of the internet. </div>
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First we got to meet the new puppies that just came in from
the 30km area, Kim fully admitted to not being a dog person, but really, no one
can deny the cuteness of tiny puppies; even ones that seem to manage to have
poop on themselves at all times. The white girl was my favorite, but she seemed
to be a bit of a bully to the others. Either way, all of them were quite
adorable and surprisingly patient when it came time to clean their fur, these guys seem like they will be very easy to train in the coming weeks.</div>
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Later in the day, Takumi took us to see the
kittens that are in a local foster home. No matter how many times I work with
babies of any species, it still amazes me how fast they grow, just two weeks
ago one of these cuties would fit in the palm of my hand, now it takes 2 hands.
We also learned some great news from Takumi, not only have all 3 caught up in
their weight, but there are now potential adopters for all of them! The foster
parents want the orange and gray tabbies, and an international volunteer wants
the black one, which is just superb. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so shiny</td></tr>
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Upon coming back to the shelter, which has Club Lohas as its
bottom floor, we were shocked to see 3 shiny guests, a 1984 Lotus, 1973 Lotus
and a 2010 Alfa Romeo! For whatever reason the Japanese men who drove them
requested that Kim and I pose with their cars, but I won’t complain since it
meant I got to admire the cars for awhile longer. These guys stuck around for a
long time, and were pretty entertaining guests.</div>
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For dinner, I made chili for everyone, and Maaya joined us.
Sweet little Maaya was found in some debris over a year after the disaster, and
she had gotten so used to eating trash to survive that she still often prefers
human food and plastic over cat food. While finishing dinner, Yuuko, who runs
Club Lohas, invited all of us out to karaoke in town. Was a superb way to end
the day, just relaxing with everyone (Kim, Howard, Yuuko, Takumi and Aki), also
got to learn that Takumi is an incredible singer and that Cobra Starship is
available on machines out in the boonies. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maaya sleeping</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">love you too Joni</td></tr>
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Susan, who is the founder of Japan Cat Network, is away in
Shiga at the moment handling things at the main shelter with her husband, so I
slept in her bed and discovered just how starved for attention the cats in that
room have been without Susan there. Around 5am Joni and Dylan woke me up by
biting and suckling the blanket I was under, and then Joni decided to sit on my
face to make sure I was alive. </div>
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Sunday: </div>
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After walking the dogs for the morning (Kim’s first time
walking a dog by the way!), we took a trip over to Comya, the coffee shop across the street to get some breakfast. Both their baked goods and drinks
were divine, and we made the startling discovery that this small town coffee
shop was the origin of all things hipster. Seriously, all things. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">also, they have Gremlins on record.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at that face!</td></tr>
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Once the coffee kicked in, Kim and I took Michitaro, who is
quite regal until he gets excited, on a nice trip to a local park. A lot of
children proclaimed that he was scary, but there were a few brave little ones
that came over to give him love, which was also nice because it gave us a
chance to tell people about the shelter. It is really a shame how few people in
the area know about our existence, so it’s very helpful to take the animals on
trips like this to get them some much needed exposure and hopefully get more
adopters coming in, because all of them really deserve a forever home, not just
a shelter.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nala <3</td></tr>
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Update on Nala, our FIV+ girl: she is still nearly a
skeleton, but she has been gaining weight and is becoming a lot more interested
in cuddling. My current fear about her is that I think she may be losing her
fur, but that has not seemed to stop her from enjoying being stroked and
brushed all day. Nala is just the sweetest thing, and I seriously wish there
was a forever home for her so that she could get the full devotion she
deserves. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan loving life</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ah, I nearly forgot! The catillion that Caroline had started
for the cats 2 weeks ago has now been finished and everyone just adores the
chance to get fresh air. There is no way I can properly thank Caroline for dreaming up and creating this great spot, it’s fantastic. </div>
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I will close this entry out with with one more photo of some of the guys waiting for dinner </div>
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</div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com1Inawashiro, Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan37.5577684 140.104760537.3563689 139.7889035 37.7591679 140.4206175tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-53812329001103208572012-05-21T05:04:00.002-07:002012-05-21T05:05:14.527-07:00Does not computePeople often ask me why I tend to choose animal companionship over other humans, and today here in Iwaki I was given a good example of just why that is.<br />
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There is a colony of cats near one of the preschools I teach English at, so every Monday they get a visit, along with lots of food and attention. This week, while they were all running over to get some food, one of the cats appearances made my jaw simply drop...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe021ua1O_TZA1SCdw6mhtMXzLK89GVGBueCRCVerZqgD7ughQKr8cY4NuHhu3OBSBGclspZoN_7t8dNkx4lb4oaIIUvMAIOcRtIFivYEKCrO9DNzwhEW3bKhoJFQ_BT4W7BYb6WGNNkY/s1600/579323_10100619937572186_25501787_47350639_1844761343_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe021ua1O_TZA1SCdw6mhtMXzLK89GVGBueCRCVerZqgD7ughQKr8cY4NuHhu3OBSBGclspZoN_7t8dNkx4lb4oaIIUvMAIOcRtIFivYEKCrO9DNzwhEW3bKhoJFQ_BT4W7BYb6WGNNkY/s320/579323_10100619937572186_25501787_47350639_1844761343_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not Photoshopped</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Someone took one of the cats and painted them! At first I thought he maybe just landed in some wet paint somewhere, but then I noticed this guy also had new injuries since last week, and even though he had been the most friendly before, today he was very timid. <br />
It simply boggles my mind why anyone would want to do this to an animal. Any animal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the colony last week</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My goal is to save up some money and trap these guys so they can get fixed and vaccinated, plus a few of them have eye gunk that I want to treat with lysine, and if I can get them trusting people enough, it'd be awesome to treat them to a grooming session.<br />
<br />Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-88400032114094070502012-05-14T04:50:00.002-07:002012-06-09T07:18:19.802-07:00JCN Fukushima shelter<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">My writing skills are terrible, but I suppose that something
is better than nothing at all, so here is my first attempt at doing volunteer
notes about this last weekend at the Inawashiro shelter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">First, let me give everyone a quick overview of the general
structure of a day:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Morning routine begins at 8am, this includes feeding all the
animals, cleaning all the rooms, walking the dogs and giving our sick tenants their
medications (whether they want it or not)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">If there is only one person there, the routine takes from
8am till around lunch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">If there are 2+ people, it is typically over by 10:30am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After the morning routines are finished with, and if it is
not a zone day, volunteers are free to do whatever they please. Be it cleaning,
organizing, cuddling animals, sightseeing or simply taking a nap. I personally
tend to take the route of keeping busy with cleaning and petting the cuties,
but to each their own. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Evening routine begins at 5pm and consists of feeding
everyone, cleaning the cages again, walking the dogs and then putting them in
their kennels for the night (there are foxes, tanuki and bears in the area, so
our boys aren’t allowed to have nights outside), and ensuring everyone has had
their medications.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Again, if there is only one person, this takes forever, and depending
on how willing the special needs babies are with taking their meds, it can also
sometimes end with a few tears. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">With 2+ people, it feels like a breeze since you have good
conversations and helping hands to burrito kitties and trick animals into
swallowing pills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On a zone day, we typically load up the van with food, cages
and emergency equipment the night before and head out around 10am, and return
whenever things are done, be that 5pm, or 2am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">While out there, duties consist of refilling feeding
stations, scouting for animals, checking on our feral colonies (JCN does TNR as
well), talking with locals, and inevitably getting stopped by the police a
million times to check our papers. It is immensely hard work and sometimes can
be utterly heartbreaking, but every animal out there that is still in need
makes it more than worth it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anyways, that is a basic run down of the daily happenings at
the Japan Cat Network Fukushima shelter, now on to what specifically happened
this particular weekend.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQEWOXj5P86KVzFHIm5V0Hr8IG7hzk5prHwUJDrNlq7N8FGjoamSSEaxHQzcqV2boPWuvAzvbFVV6_4JLgoMqRCrh3q354vs1tRPz4A4gPwFeCUvraA4SkF1xdoVTC-uOZkCTEw1YJbc/s1600/nala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQEWOXj5P86KVzFHIm5V0Hr8IG7hzk5prHwUJDrNlq7N8FGjoamSSEaxHQzcqV2boPWuvAzvbFVV6_4JLgoMqRCrh3q354vs1tRPz4A4gPwFeCUvraA4SkF1xdoVTC-uOZkCTEw1YJbc/s200/nala.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nala <3</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Nala, who was quite recently diagnosed with FIV (Feline
AIDS), was being a lot friendlier then the last time I got to visit 2 weeks
ago. Last time Nala would try to struggle and do her pathetic growls during
medicine time, this trip she actually cuddled with Caroline and I on several
occasions. She is still practically a walking skeleton and it pains me every
time I see this poor little one in such a state, but with the IV drips, high
calorie foods and diligent care by our volunteers, she has an infinitely higher
chance then she did a month ago when she was still in the 30km. There’s no
doubt in my mind that if JCN had not found her, Nala would not be alive today. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_4T12gQFCbEjqLVEeHP7ONrWehLWxSAOZerdQBEkHSA7FfolZRjvLqp-6YkpaCIFgoWaYtehLyAIl3dEfU9QH-qGBGF45UA6c2a2kAu0qYFgEQ0w79-UXLHARztyAX9ZDmblKOSsD-Y/s1600/579392_3927570397778_1535230200_3171978_1557315292_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_4T12gQFCbEjqLVEeHP7ONrWehLWxSAOZerdQBEkHSA7FfolZRjvLqp-6YkpaCIFgoWaYtehLyAIl3dEfU9QH-qGBGF45UA6c2a2kAu0qYFgEQ0w79-UXLHARztyAX9ZDmblKOSsD-Y/s320/579392_3927570397778_1535230200_3171978_1557315292_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wesley weighing Sam</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This weekend was quite busy medically speaking, JCN got a
great new volunteer vet tech for the weekend named Wesley, and she gave every
cat eye drops several times a day to help them with the cold that spread
through C room. Wesley also gave deworming and parasite treatments to all of
our dogs, and managed to weigh even our huge Sam on a small bathroom scale.
Caroline, who was visiting from Australia, got many cuts from the not so happy
cats while helping with the treatments, but she was quite a trooper and just
laughed off the scratches and moved on to the next task. She is an amazing
woman. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_oXlcjmkAHnGUmYll2YPHVud6TdyoXePoIFl33Z_cOf_gtWhyVbEucM_BFXoQwH33t0rF5Bp57tmycZK7w_RtqAy4S4GYkN4PXcwAvuVSJQRRZ6web-uZWkIssDL50SnkLQMsuj8Ong/s1600/IMG_7213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_oXlcjmkAHnGUmYll2YPHVud6TdyoXePoIFl33Z_cOf_gtWhyVbEucM_BFXoQwH33t0rF5Bp57tmycZK7w_RtqAy4S4GYkN4PXcwAvuVSJQRRZ6web-uZWkIssDL50SnkLQMsuj8Ong/s320/IMG_7213.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">visiting his deity relatives</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Caroline and I also took our newest dog, Chachamaru, on a
great adventure in between morning and evening routines. This poor boy was just
craving love after a year alone and Caroline wanted to see the area, so we took
him to the beach at Lake Inawashiro, a local park and even Aizu castle to run
and get loved by lots of excited children. He ate up every minute of it. He
even temporarily got renamed </span><span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;"><span lang="JA">蝶</span>蝶</span><span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;"><span lang="JA"> </span></span><span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;">(butterfly) because
he was so happy.</span></div>
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<span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;">Caroline also showed off her creative side by designing and beginning to
build an outside catilion so that the cats can get some fresh air now that the
weather is getting nicer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpQ_Z-e-bXQeLkWc41pxe9szo8U_C6j2AksP9IskXoLGN60HSibmXIOpcKAJvvqj4rsPQanzhiPVjEQNsDbFSBQEd_Aump7AWYB9BBID8JEVTIDAzMl1SDBK60XDHSg2y96m3QcL3v0Y/s1600/385687_3927551357302_1535230200_3171935_234666619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpQ_Z-e-bXQeLkWc41pxe9szo8U_C6j2AksP9IskXoLGN60HSibmXIOpcKAJvvqj4rsPQanzhiPVjEQNsDbFSBQEd_Aump7AWYB9BBID8JEVTIDAzMl1SDBK60XDHSg2y96m3QcL3v0Y/s200/385687_3927551357302_1535230200_3171935_234666619_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></span><span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;">Lastly, I finally got to meet the tiny bundles of joy that one of our local
supporters are fostering, these 3 are really active and their foster is
seriously their mama. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx0iEcbZQAUQ3ya_SDMET7VhvgCqCxddP2AvlkB0rHmkQmCuZIy3dVQzKqPpY7I5-UYwXDhMFi1nfp9eA1HZb3yqEQnmsG_9dcIKRtiRgPJrhXWun6AiI40fZOSLuBDjIcQi-_qDjU9k/s1600/550089_3927548877240_1535230200_3171929_717871381_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx0iEcbZQAUQ3ya_SDMET7VhvgCqCxddP2AvlkB0rHmkQmCuZIy3dVQzKqPpY7I5-UYwXDhMFi1nfp9eA1HZb3yqEQnmsG_9dcIKRtiRgPJrhXWun6AiI40fZOSLuBDjIcQi-_qDjU9k/s200/550089_3927548877240_1535230200_3171929_717871381_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">ball of cute</span></td></tr>
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<span class="shorttext" style="font-size: small;">Right before I had to leave Sunday, all of us enjoyed a dinner at Club
Lohas, which is the restaurant right underneath the shelter. The amazing owner,
Yuuko, made me the best ice coco ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b0WQnc2ihmVENBM2aXSEIRKihxDwNQ6nIrkSKm8MJSqdMJbKTq6vuqIfce234x2VEUm7EzkUPy8F2TSbet22FGm9s5clXk4fb9nfKF_KDctNPS99B_ERg5sJRK7PrCi0MvLw41k01qk/s1600/IMG_7254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b0WQnc2ihmVENBM2aXSEIRKihxDwNQ6nIrkSKm8MJSqdMJbKTq6vuqIfce234x2VEUm7EzkUPy8F2TSbet22FGm9s5clXk4fb9nfKF_KDctNPS99B_ERg5sJRK7PrCi0MvLw41k01qk/s320/IMG_7254.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">If you would like to help Japan Cat Network continue their work of helping the animals of the Fukushima exclusion zone, please go here: http://japancatnet.com/donate/</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Every amount counts, as it costs 5,000Y in tolls alone just to make a single trip to all of the areas JCN helps.</span></div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-84029216045110421772012-04-22T03:02:00.000-07:002012-04-22T03:02:05.753-07:00One Year Too LongToday marks the 1 year anniversary of when the Japanese government doomed the animals withing the 20km radius of the Fukushima plant to death. <span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Pets and livestock depended on the people who fed
them. While people were not able to enter the no-go zone, countless
pets and livestock lost their lives in an unimaginable way. This tragedy
is not past but still present.<br /></span>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-47833245188740158572012-04-12T06:04:00.001-07:002012-04-12T06:12:06.009-07:00さようなら 富士山Two weeks ago, David and I moved from Minami Alps, Yamanashi to Iwaki, Fukushima to get a pay raise and be closer to volunteering at Japan Cat Network.<br />
<br />
Things have certainly not gone as expected since arriving.<br />
David's job fell through last minute, so he went from having his dream job to working part time as a preschool teacher, I discovered my job was not what was originally described to me (still seems fun, but rather bummed), and we have so far not been able to volunteer much. <br />
The worst part though is how much I am missing my students. It feels like there is a big void in my heart without them. I miss teaching them, making lesson plans, seeing Fuji from the classroom window, getting harassed during my down time, and I deeply miss being called <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class="">紅茶 </span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class="alt-edited">先生</span></span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnm5MzJv9Eoc4G4iMWHPeZU30cN01u6-mTRYSHQROCZ5NWE5QNFLY_tiOFlfajIOcwtqd4fk5IxqpAqAhRNz2ZSsvBf5QsJuF8wSQzzNRkZiB7WlcklXvC80qIzmIwm0jrRI3ekWZtqw/s1600/DSC02646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnm5MzJv9Eoc4G4iMWHPeZU30cN01u6-mTRYSHQROCZ5NWE5QNFLY_tiOFlfajIOcwtqd4fk5IxqpAqAhRNz2ZSsvBf5QsJuF8wSQzzNRkZiB7WlcklXvC80qIzmIwm0jrRI3ekWZtqw/s400/DSC02646.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ni-Nensei after closing ceremonies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Thank God I thought about giving the kids my e-mail address before leaving, it really makes the day seem infinitely brighter when a message from them pops into the inbox. Especially when they write in broken English or talk about how sad it is to not have me as their teacher. For a year, I called them "my kids," but I didn't realize how true that was until I had to leave them behind.<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S. on the plus side, we are fostering cats named Ham and Egg. They're pretty awesome, and sound like cars when they get excited. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWd1en1Yz0jBtXO9SrHgA-JZrY6_IZ0GpIMo4bmqDX-Jojg8ipQxaRYbvxMytgZjLrCSX2MPWlCvtMHBJ3ta4srHD3S3al6BjpwzufYfGk1CoC2vgAt6z657QklZxO7BuiMUZxsZRL2c/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWd1en1Yz0jBtXO9SrHgA-JZrY6_IZ0GpIMo4bmqDX-Jojg8ipQxaRYbvxMytgZjLrCSX2MPWlCvtMHBJ3ta4srHD3S3al6BjpwzufYfGk1CoC2vgAt6z657QklZxO7BuiMUZxsZRL2c/s320/IMG_6703.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh and Egg sleeps in a TV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan37.0504195 140.8876817000000336.818729999999995 140.66798670000003 37.282109 141.10737670000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-42552965806782959212012-03-01T05:26:00.000-08:002012-03-01T05:26:16.064-08:00Some days I really can't picture myself anywhere but right here<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7JKO_cy76l4DVbvScT7KdQsVwx4gikLi7uqoDE7jbp2IKOm2CMB0Y3Sqh5GM0frRFMAKF-QnX_xAMYjPrh_a-V_iEv-Q1F9gzv_u78DjIucPIdQ9JOygaqvxL8WDWu82BvNWDZZX28s/s1600/IMG_6054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7JKO_cy76l4DVbvScT7KdQsVwx4gikLi7uqoDE7jbp2IKOm2CMB0Y3Sqh5GM0frRFMAKF-QnX_xAMYjPrh_a-V_iEv-Q1F9gzv_u78DjIucPIdQ9JOygaqvxL8WDWu82BvNWDZZX28s/s400/IMG_6054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-92174106606610409042011-12-11T23:46:00.000-08:002011-12-11T23:53:58.567-08:00Down with the Sickness<div class="MsoNormal">I have been rather ill for the last few days, at first I thought it was just because it is so incredibly cold in my school (they do not allow any heaters on unless it is less then 10C outside), but then it continued at home. I would get chills so bad that being under a mountain of blankets just a few inches from a heater felt like being out on the tundra, followed closely with heat waves so bad that even without any blankets on me I was drenching my bed in sweat. </div><div class="MsoNormal">This was uncomfortable, but still tolerable. Then came the horrible waves of pain, I convulsed pathetically even while lying in bed and spent most of my time lying around moaning while David looked on helplessly, he tried to comfort me, but it is hard to make someone feel better when they feel as if their organs are trying to explode through their body (all I could think of when writing that was the stomach scene from Aliens).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then come this morning, I am faced with the decision of if I should go to school or not. I did actually start to get ready, but then doubled over in pain and thought this might not be the best decision. I called my company and the Board of Education, they both told me that that was quite sad but to try and feel better as quickly as possible, which is fine, that’s what you would expect from an employer. Disappointment in the situation, but understanding that you cannot change the current circumstances.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then, I get a call from my school, telling me I should come in anyways. I explained that I have a fever, am in pain, and that blood is literally coming out of multiple orifices (lovely, huh?), they followed this up with, “so are you sure you can’t come in and teach?”</div><div class="MsoNormal">I bit my toungue, said yes it is a rest day for me, and hung up. This was closely followed with a call from someone at my company, asking me the same damn thing, “so are you sure you can’t come in and teach?”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Did these people miss the part where I said the words fever and blood?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know quite well that here in Japan, most people still go to school or work while ill, they just simply “tough it out” and wear a mask, which has always been something that angers me, but I try to ignore it since it is their culture and it is not my place to pass judgment on how they run their nation. It annoys me whenever a teacher comes in quite obviously under the weather, sometimes they have even gone to the hospital and then come in to teach now that they have medicine to get them through the day, but that is not me. That is NOT how we do things in America. If you are sick, you do not pass it on to an entire school filled with children, you fucking stay home. You do not allow yourself pass out in the middle in the middle of class from sickness. And you do not, ever, tell a person who is sick to “suck it up.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">If they want to do that, that is their prerogative, but there is no way in Hell you are going to get me to suffer through a day of work and possibly get 700 people sick. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I apologize in advance if this entry is not entire logical or sounds overly angry, still feeling ill and emotions/logic are a tad bit out of whack. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Example: cried like a baby earlier cause the cats knocked over a glass of tea. Fully know that that is not the normal reaction, but currently my brain seems to be saying “fuck logic.” </div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-69639593820912661702011-10-21T03:53:00.000-07:002011-10-21T03:56:37.828-07:00School Time<b>*Note: this is just my personal experiences at one Junior High, and certainly should not be taken as what happens at every school in the country*</b><br />
<b></b><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As anyone who is looking at this should know by now, I am an English teacher in Japan (aka ALT), and as the day of classes has been cancelled for me, I thought this would be a good time to write a little bit about what happens here at a Japanese public school.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> An average day for me consists of getting in to school at 8:00am to get settled in for the daily staff meeting that happens at 8:10am, these can last anywhere from a minute, or until almost interfering with first period, which starts at 8:50am. Why exactly I have to be in attendance for these has remained a mystery, because I do not understand much Japanese, so none of it really makes any sense to me, and even if I ask the English speaking teachers afterwards what was covered, they will not tell me. During these meetings I have learned when to say “good morning” and “thanks” on cue, and when to bow at the right time (yes, we bow every morning), but beyond that, I do not understand a single thing that happens during these events. The most annoying part is that sometimes everyone will cheer and clap, and when I ask “what happened?” I typically just get a wave to be quiet or am told “oh it’s nothing,” it has gotten to the point where I do not even ask anymore, I just continue to check my e-mail, say the words on their cues, and just sort of zone out. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next up are classes, I teach a conversation class, so instead of focusing on grammar and such, my classes are mostly games, running around, and trying to get the students to practice as much English as possible. I feel lucky in this regard, because most ALTs I have spoken with simply parrot what the Japanese teacher tells them to and the children do not get to have a lot of fun, also, I am the only ALT I know of in the area that has an actual classroom. It’s pretty awesome to have a private room, especially because it allows me to display students work on the walls and make it feel welcoming with different decorations every month. It takes a lot of time and effort to decorate the place, but the students and teachers all seem to love it, it is fairly common for people to just stop in to admire the walls. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Prior to summer vacation, I had 18 classes a week that I made all the lesson plans, materials for and taught them mostly solo, then, without even warning me, the 1<sup>st</sup> year students stopped getting lessons from me. The teachers have never explained why the classes were suddenly switched to grammar instead of conversation, but now 3 of my classes are parroting and the other 3 the teacher does not even want me there… and with not so much as a word. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The other 12 classes are still completely run by me though, and it can get tough, especially when my JTEs rarely offer me advice on how to tweak lesson plans and, even though I give them plans a week in advance, they often will stop a class to ask questions about what is happening. It is not horrible, but it can get frustrating. The wonderful thing though is that all of these classes have really helped me to get over my fears of speaking in front of groups and I am certainly becoming more confident in my teaching skills as the months progress.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once a day, typically directly following the last class period, all of the students go to designated areas of the school to clean. You see, in Japan, schools do not have janitors, they have a workforce of students to do the chores, they do everything from sweeping the floors and window washing, to scrubbings toilets and picking up leaves. It is nice because it teaches the children a bit about responsibility, and all of them will know that if the school does not look good, they will only have themselves to blame for it, the only problem is that most students, after years of doing it every day, seem to simply not give a damn anymore. At my school, students barely clean anything, and instead tend to have sword battles with the brooms or try to shove dirty washcloths in each others mouths, the end result is a lot of teachers yelling, and my schools floors being slightly sticky and off color. I have been told by other ALTs that my school sounds much worse than theirs though, so perhaps just my students do not give a damn about how their school looks anymore. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It is not all bad here though, I would say that roughly 99% of the 650 students that attend my Junior High School are wonderful, funny and absolutely adorable. It is rare to go through a single day without being told by a few students that I am “kawaii” (cute) or have a boy awkwardly try to hit on me or stare at my boobs. The majority of the kids love to come up to me outside of class and attempt to hold conversations, most of their questions are usually grammar points they recently learned (i.e. “how many ~ do you have?” or “do you like ~?”), but at least they are trying. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The cutest conversation this week was a 1<sup>st</sup> year student who, after being pushed forward by his friends, blushed and told me “tea teacher, you are good English teacher and very cute. I love you.” He then promptly ran away. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Love it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> By the way, the students call me tea teacher, because my last name is Koca, which is pronounced very similarly to “koucha,” or black tea. <span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Throughout the day, there is a woman that all ALTs call “the tea lady,” because, well, she is in charge of tea and snacks for the staff room, I have heard tales of every tea lady ever being sweet old ladies who just love to talk to you, make wonderful snacks and remember everyone’s favorite drinks….. that is not my lady.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My tea lady tends to spend most of her day zoned out on her keitai (phone), only brings in prepackaged snacks and <u>sucks</u> at making tea. Yes, my tea lady cannot make good tea. Every day I cringe a little bit when she smiles and sets the over steeped green brew in front of me and then later try to sneak into the lounge room without her noticing that most days I simply dump it out. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Well, without going into the politics of how the actual school is run, and what they do ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ here, that is pretty much my average day in a quite large nutshell.</div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-9490364086102887512011-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:002011-09-07T03:52:19.264-07:00Summer Vacation – Tokyo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">The day after finally getting a car of our own, it was time for our first road trip, destination: Tokyo. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Another BoderLink worker named Michelle was kind enough to offer her loft as a free place to sleep during our trip, which was doubly fantastic since the cheapest hostel that I had ever seen looking around was 2,500Y a night, and there is no guarantee that your roommates there will be good company.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Michelle unfortunately had some meetings during the first day, so Debu and I headed to Ueno on our own to see visit an Edo period museum that I had heard about. </div><div class="MsoNormal">For just 300Y, this museum was a great treat. It was filled with antiques that the surrounding community had donated to help recreate an entire Edo period neighborhood, and everything is touchable. There was a fantastic English tour guide as well, who spent an equal amount of time explaining the museum and having friendly chit chat with us about life in Japan, he even showed off his skills at the Edo period toys that were set up and cracked a few jokes along the way. This museum was well worth the price and every worker was simply lovely to us. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QkSZ2XR4L8o8b8DookKmGh8tlUKbV2u0DfLQiGfmsDvpcwKcs00TqRpD8-n_i-3O82dmT_0eC4lieKX9AIwLj9erXbiDw_4tal8snj2yUvJzXENXv3qV71o-XVdQER-cIIJ4cEqasAo/s1600/IMG_3309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QkSZ2XR4L8o8b8DookKmGh8tlUKbV2u0DfLQiGfmsDvpcwKcs00TqRpD8-n_i-3O82dmT_0eC4lieKX9AIwLj9erXbiDw_4tal8snj2yUvJzXENXv3qV71o-XVdQER-cIIJ4cEqasAo/s200/IMG_3309.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">WWII poster about the blackouts</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjompPvgcEazk72AKCHwtHGFPV9IP1krUvIxacPJNSKI4LWMl2jD5-z0VuD5O8IHFrAA0yawbchsa1hJfuvFNQ02wgoyADo0mEiWhSaPPIedfmVoNd0MCWM9kuPf7bwBqaXypoBIT-Yui8/s1600/IMG_3302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjompPvgcEazk72AKCHwtHGFPV9IP1krUvIxacPJNSKI4LWMl2jD5-z0VuD5O8IHFrAA0yawbchsa1hJfuvFNQ02wgoyADo0mEiWhSaPPIedfmVoNd0MCWM9kuPf7bwBqaXypoBIT-Yui8/s200/IMG_3302.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">recreated Edo candy shop</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4P5QgeTZrshQL0XecTzVx8JjmIlxI4ttI-qPtv_pIQKg1gjtUWPoywtOKFBNKRRXyTE25qmV4LGqyqRBi25wptoT2EBZuE0LEtdiHeXqsk5CbxPmoALDkbvslNMelY1fURcYzmPXeyg/s1600/IMG_3287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuEfnoHwQG7qI5zt9FIYaWOupY-85mUff-dUg_Mxxr3lYEaFO-JMnfcLs513l1Xq8MtDajR8UnG6y_qKzD9GvT8FdQ_IU4Uusm98PA9X-hA0k-hngHFr5XTrHwXZWrz6wJiyCc4zRGY/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuEfnoHwQG7qI5zt9FIYaWOupY-85mUff-dUg_Mxxr3lYEaFO-JMnfcLs513l1Xq8MtDajR8UnG6y_qKzD9GvT8FdQ_IU4Uusm98PA9X-hA0k-hngHFr5XTrHwXZWrz6wJiyCc4zRGY/s200/IMG_3284.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">common, only 50,000 for a freaking bear!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI2UrNxLVV2Cmi8W_IE6KgTf6NPUZj4lqOr3AwwD2uL3TpaDY8os8umXqagkwbtj9wuDsDh7A4tUKGbm0qZISB4VnbI_cOOm2Kz8SHhgkSk2kmeAZzBNMAd_TNQsRBd9kl9VhozW4IOw/s1600/IMG_3325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI2UrNxLVV2Cmi8W_IE6KgTf6NPUZj4lqOr3AwwD2uL3TpaDY8os8umXqagkwbtj9wuDsDh7A4tUKGbm0qZISB4VnbI_cOOm2Kz8SHhgkSk2kmeAZzBNMAd_TNQsRBd9kl9VhozW4IOw/s200/IMG_3325.JPG" width="166" /></a>The museum was directly across from the Ueno pond, which luckily was in full bloom and breathtaking, add to this luck that there was also a flea market that day, and it makes this pond just about the best place for me to be, as I am a bit crazy for flea markets. This one was exceptionally interesting because most vendors had quite eclectic wears for sale, from scrolls that were over 150 years old, to WWII helmets, to an actual bear! I spent at least an hour just wandering around gawking at everything and forcing myself to not buy anything. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6iIAL4_fLzMkHtAtNV09WIgwcUlC8EPyd3MvefBt9na2W6rsxbkJBAIGYPLSS6MNtuJNfOVMKxKcQjB7gojJ9cIjMJyqaI78D2nqzRsdb-L0Y5AwcquBSOnrNzqa4pq6l0Zk-FdP4lI/s1600/IMG_3249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6iIAL4_fLzMkHtAtNV09WIgwcUlC8EPyd3MvefBt9na2W6rsxbkJBAIGYPLSS6MNtuJNfOVMKxKcQjB7gojJ9cIjMJyqaI78D2nqzRsdb-L0Y5AwcquBSOnrNzqa4pq6l0Zk-FdP4lI/s200/IMG_3249.JPG" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">mmm pineapple</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYprURDTf36JcAVrAn6pHB3EppR1mobTK3g0436X2vEDVAup3RiZDKyoLS-zs1Khg6Udm91WAB1RjJKy5gSpMD2Sgm0s-R7REA2B14MoJOQaoshU8ct-TWHp9KLSmnwiQA_XbZ6UVZUgM/s1600/IMG_3319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYprURDTf36JcAVrAn6pHB3EppR1mobTK3g0436X2vEDVAup3RiZDKyoLS-zs1Khg6Udm91WAB1RjJKy5gSpMD2Sgm0s-R7REA2B14MoJOQaoshU8ct-TWHp9KLSmnwiQA_XbZ6UVZUgM/s200/IMG_3319.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">Probably did not entirely purify</span> me</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">To help combat the heat of Tokyo, we went down into one of the side alleys and bought some frozen pineapple on a stick, and then wandered into a local shrine to purify our souls and get some shade. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The next stop on our trip was the Tokyo University Historical Museum, which a friend had told us had a torture section in it, but after walking the 90mins to get there from Ueno and arriving with no time to spare, it came to our attention that that area is now Edo crafts and that the torture artifacts have been long gone. To quell the sadness in my heart from not getting to see an Iron Maiden, I wandered Akihabara until I found something cute and fluffy to hug. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWb8EmX5K7wRhCGL1XbatqE8-5Y4lgYqciHqDJdTBPlbFEJPBEfx8xlIewsbaYQ14SBOxRVWXMgi_pxeyqWx2nxbtvNS2XXNN58_YRQKl-cSx_69sObYDwWdpl8kkCFaGBToChdPhi0c/s1600/IMG_3346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWb8EmX5K7wRhCGL1XbatqE8-5Y4lgYqciHqDJdTBPlbFEJPBEfx8xlIewsbaYQ14SBOxRVWXMgi_pxeyqWx2nxbtvNS2XXNN58_YRQKl-cSx_69sObYDwWdpl8kkCFaGBToChdPhi0c/s320/IMG_3346.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">Yes, that will do.</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With day one coming to a close, Debu and I headed back to Michelle’s to relax and prepare for the next journey: Tokyo Pokecenter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, every website that I had read said that the Pokecenter was right beside Tokyo Tower. Awesome. Go see the tower and then run in and see Pokemon, sounds like an easy day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Except things got very complicated, very quickly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For starters, after meeting up with friends, we continued to get lost on the way to the tower a few times, and after a lot of wasted time, finally visited Tokyo Tower, to find it isn’t all that impressive a sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards we asked for directions, because the Pokecenter was nowhere to be seen, we came to discover that it is a few kilometers away from our location. So… walk a few kilometers, the whole while thinking “well maybe that was the closest train station, and that’s why the sites say that.” Nope. There is a train stop just a few blocks from the center, and the center ended up being not nearly as amazing as all the reviews had made it out to be. I mean, it was still neat and fantastically dorky, but was it worth the heinous trip? Hell no.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j9eAUNR7zwFkkQZXF7zUQT40EJWLM0aXcofsCtc0JY2wtgKcfrX5tioWisWgkrqm3FP9R8kG5S2bNN2EzPUgfU8eaV3gKMIeRZNqfpNBYHg3Thrp3fgimY4QmUzVRYXCTtaMVAPMJmQ/s1600/IMG_3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j9eAUNR7zwFkkQZXF7zUQT40EJWLM0aXcofsCtc0JY2wtgKcfrX5tioWisWgkrqm3FP9R8kG5S2bNN2EzPUgfU8eaV3gKMIeRZNqfpNBYHg3Thrp3fgimY4QmUzVRYXCTtaMVAPMJmQ/s320/IMG_3418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">f you Pikachu! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">To make matters more depressing, all our efforts in finding the place had basically wasted our entire day away, resulting in the rest of our plans becoming scrapped for going back to the apartment and moping instead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-n_135yY-eH_4zgGvlEbU0OFGnX1qjb4QhVQeIZDPrPy3FL2GdND2imMFcjR96p0beDlmEEbyF4pP13bHZk4ZD8WqDirOuh9ffloeSbVSFVtus-_0Xvbzm57MDDDDB_5gd-fvC5X1rs/s1600/IMG_3353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-n_135yY-eH_4zgGvlEbU0OFGnX1qjb4QhVQeIZDPrPy3FL2GdND2imMFcjR96p0beDlmEEbyF4pP13bHZk4ZD8WqDirOuh9ffloeSbVSFVtus-_0Xvbzm57MDDDDB_5gd-fvC5X1rs/s320/IMG_3353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">On the plus side, finally found an Women Only train car</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-1949993325161235452011-09-04T04:36:00.000-07:002011-09-04T04:38:45.040-07:00Summer Vacation – Takeda ShrineTo celebrate the beginning of summer, and try to calm my stir craziness, the last weekend before vacation, I talked Debu into taking a trip into Kofu-shi to see the Takeda Shrine. Unfortunately for both of us, that day ended up being one of the hottest and most unforgiving days of the entire year. During the time it took us just to bike to the train station and then walk to Takeda, I was already getting rather red. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg038VYgSPch3p1-zYDy7RRTMl4xbIOkm55clBWQDW3TOiAh9vRV7V2Vna10SP_rJKQ0iU9U_q2Jo5vFGP_eZhZ544iefd1RHi4brkxPVS3-PjIiad2tttOZwdksW9nG9iqe4AXqv7R83M/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg038VYgSPch3p1-zYDy7RRTMl4xbIOkm55clBWQDW3TOiAh9vRV7V2Vna10SP_rJKQ0iU9U_q2Jo5vFGP_eZhZ544iefd1RHi4brkxPVS3-PjIiad2tttOZwdksW9nG9iqe4AXqv7R83M/s200/IMG_3070.JPG" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Kitty is sacred, who knew?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">The shrine was absolutely lovely, filled with many interesting relics, Shinto priests going about their days, and a random Hello Kitty statue </div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJf9Oo8aUBsug_lORX-o4cZiAzdJmLNKpbIebmzRAMwTXxj8z49l_syrdx_x-JixZG66b1I_0ZS0vtq_YZPSQQrJUoHDQUmoa3B7fl3UjALWzq_IuSuvdjRzHWTWoaqsPYvLuaz69USZs/s1600/IMG_3105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJf9Oo8aUBsug_lORX-o4cZiAzdJmLNKpbIebmzRAMwTXxj8z49l_syrdx_x-JixZG66b1I_0ZS0vtq_YZPSQQrJUoHDQUmoa3B7fl3UjALWzq_IuSuvdjRzHWTWoaqsPYvLuaz69USZs/s200/IMG_3105.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blessed tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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The only issue though, was that during the time it took us to walk around the small shrine grounds and start to head to another area, we had already gone through 4L of water and I was starting to get rather dizzy, even when sitting in the shade. It quickly occurred to us that I was having the early symptoms of a heatstroke, so plans were scrapped for instead trying to find a shaded place with water. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zJl6Z3kIp_1SjolerzP_ZCryIXFjalrtAOKAiF6zxyr87DjVb43GoCvBZrM_7zCwqnloDVTILkB0He2AHOS-By9-LXxGkk8GaAlHnCMNo6JuKwH5dtJi0mFfL_hUMTes1TnG_IiPSs4/s1600/IMG_3149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zJl6Z3kIp_1SjolerzP_ZCryIXFjalrtAOKAiF6zxyr87DjVb43GoCvBZrM_7zCwqnloDVTILkB0He2AHOS-By9-LXxGkk8GaAlHnCMNo6JuKwH5dtJi0mFfL_hUMTes1TnG_IiPSs4/s200/IMG_3149.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mmm horse</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">The place ended up being a yakitori shop that for whatever reason had horse on the menu, it turns out that horse does not taste all that great, and also that Debu is great at making me feel bad for dragging him outside into extreme heat. Who would’ve guessed? </div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time we arrived back home, it was becoming pretty clear that I had received more than just a minor sunburn, it ended up being a 2<sup>nd</sup> degree burn that would linger and cause immense pain for nearly two full weeks, all the while making me look like a disfigured burn victim. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The burn was so bad in fact, that multiple days were spent with my shoulders wrapped in gauze and trying to find new ways to do things without the use of much arm movement. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUNBiOjh3tKhnA43riqbKUSCjlc368Om74Xw_jP_PW_H8QkwVuSTgXMVaSgkuPmDY4vcElcfNItK1sn6y3Di5BDYNIaFGJN-h1JWNN0VkkDg8o2zrD78HW_k64USSAvnxD0xTsEPs4r0/s1600/IMG_3209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUNBiOjh3tKhnA43riqbKUSCjlc368Om74Xw_jP_PW_H8QkwVuSTgXMVaSgkuPmDY4vcElcfNItK1sn6y3Di5BDYNIaFGJN-h1JWNN0VkkDg8o2zrD78HW_k64USSAvnxD0xTsEPs4r0/s200/IMG_3209.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 weeks into it</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrMZs_mL9bBuyQFlMlglN9k2EnN3UASJI6GlN6eN_MwVk-rSo-ilNRjkYOcegYAD_RuVwkh0w4-G2ZVFgcrtxZ5xSUtHijrcgIwvWRrDOGYtkR7G25wqzt4tI7pYt0mF78rvwjbwt37I/s1600/IMG_3161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrMZs_mL9bBuyQFlMlglN9k2EnN3UASJI6GlN6eN_MwVk-rSo-ilNRjkYOcegYAD_RuVwkh0w4-G2ZVFgcrtxZ5xSUtHijrcgIwvWRrDOGYtkR7G25wqzt4tI7pYt0mF78rvwjbwt37I/s200/IMG_3161.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yea, those are blisters. Quite painful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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The process of not moving was going fairly well, until the last day of school, which all of the staff celebrated with a massive enkai (drinking party). During the night I was deemed pretty awesome for my drinking prowess and everyone fell in love with Debu because, well, he speaks Japanese. It all came to bite me in the ass though, as at some point during the night I split open my burns again, and spent the entire next day with hurt shoulders and a hangover that threatened to make even leaving bed end with bad results.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7R3S7oBCzVNPFd51xaZp2OhGjbG-Jc0eW-S9zCCZpRgQjKy3slJl2t5lhnPNIa75mqA04RuvNBn4hDM2QOhjs0_6L9IM-sPlMXBjvoebSALkZtohthAOZvUilFQtimJr6nNfZV8Q5Ug/s1600/IMG_3185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7R3S7oBCzVNPFd51xaZp2OhGjbG-Jc0eW-S9zCCZpRgQjKy3slJl2t5lhnPNIa75mqA04RuvNBn4hDM2QOhjs0_6L9IM-sPlMXBjvoebSALkZtohthAOZvUilFQtimJr6nNfZV8Q5Ug/s320/IMG_3185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Totally worth it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-82661890966535838462011-08-24T19:37:00.000-07:002011-08-24T19:37:57.007-07:00Homesickness DieseaseThese 5 months since arriving in Japan have been a strange journey into the inner turmoils that can come about at any moment...<br />
<br />
One moment, there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than right here in Japan, especially when seeing new sides to the culture, exploring a new area, or seeing the looks on the faces of those I have touched since landing here.<br />
Then I start to think about those back home and suddenly Japan goes from being this magical land of wonder, to a sort of prison keeping me from reaching out to my loved ones.<br />
<br />
It is so strange to go from pure joy to misery in an instant. I feel bipolar and insane whenever I start to cry or my heart starts to get that terrible ripping feeling... every ounce of me wants to both run back home and jump into the arms of those I care for, and to continue to fully embracing life here, and it is rather maddening.<br />
<br />
These feelings have been coming to a head the last few days as I have had to start thinking about if I should renew my contract here or go home at the end of the term.<br />
If I go back home, it's back to friends, family, having shoulders to cry on whenever things get hard and to have the comforts from my entire life back in place. Leaving also means that David and I will break up, no matter what, I will have no job and will be living with my parents again.<br />
Staying another year means that I continue having a good paying job, my own apartment/car and continue exploring this country and trying to help with relief efforts whenever possible. Remaining also means another year of inner turmoil and yearning for what is not within grasp. <br />
<br />
Dammit. Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-64686621600807512492011-08-09T07:18:00.001-07:002011-08-09T07:18:34.538-07:00In Fukushima, Japan for the next two weeks. Spent my birthday sleeping to prepare for the drive and am spending my one year anniversary going into the 20km exclusion zone to feed 80 chickens and hopefully rescue a dog.<br />
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Not exactly the most romantic way to spend the days, and I cannot tell if David is actually happy or just putting on a good face, but I wouldn't trade this time for the world. <br />
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I had been going through volunteering withdrawal, so being here, surrounded by animals, gorgeous scenery and getting covered in filth daily for a good cause.... makes me feel complete. <br />
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Do I really have to return to real life at the end of the month?<br />
<br />
Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-86398927127493013682011-07-05T04:15:00.000-07:002011-07-05T04:15:41.420-07:00Adventure Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">I have been rather absent as of late, and as much as I would like to say that it was due to being far too busy having fun and exploring the country, that is not the truth, I have simply been lacking in the motivation department, and for that, I apologize. I know that not many people read this blog, but the few that do are close friends and family members, and I promised all of you upon my departure that I would keep you updated through this venue, and have failed to do so. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am truly sorry. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, with that out of the way, it is now time for me to try and play catch up a bit. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two weekends ago, David and I went camping with another ALT (assistant language teacher) that I met through a forum called YETI (Yamanashi English Teachers International), it was great for both me and the other girl, because we were apparently both going a bit stir crazy with having a lack of things to do. It also helped, that she lived down in Nanbu, which is very close to Mt. Fuji.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to have a weekend outside of the house, and even better to have one with great company in the middle of a gorgeous mountain region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIcXIeHAzXCrwxS2qvXEgtJSQR7MJq4dUcm31f2E2HKADBa_5hYOjZVN6lrti-rOLF5xoioY6_mc_2wOfPDEbFzkeWFmr2or4vIn7pZZdV7A-6EfBLlu5ZivS0fyGzsU2JI0QT7fRWys/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIcXIeHAzXCrwxS2qvXEgtJSQR7MJq4dUcm31f2E2HKADBa_5hYOjZVN6lrti-rOLF5xoioY6_mc_2wOfPDEbFzkeWFmr2or4vIn7pZZdV7A-6EfBLlu5ZivS0fyGzsU2JI0QT7fRWys/s320/IMG_2548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Nanbu</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We started our journey out by going to a small town festival at the top of one of the lower peaks, (which had a lovely view of Nanbu below <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>where we got to meet a very nice old woman who was wearing a crocheted outfit she had made, that featured a bit more skin then I had wanted to see that day. She turned out to be the grandmother of 2 of Tara’s (the other ALT) students, and was kind enough to show us around.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was also kind enough to treat us to a tea ceremony where we got some amazing snacks </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVYqolPNBEFK5G54XisGOf0Jvy0rtNaMfUxh4eMXKVTWcjUdew_H5vFQB5EjnCgNstgduYEdE4PFNn6xgJr0NGa5nyH0HeDBbPoEHBN2-828l7zj2WGLrNS6D11EQZkeoooC9Vq6P6gU/s1600/IMG_2543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHNH4gIiYHxhp0JXF_wfiFk9tVEs86bcxKCT-2-aZjjzVRa19xlF8cRp4f5Dy2_qmlLjUli6-cQ5UakA6rf8enFUKhuNdvK_ELvr72kiC7VMWPCDwFR3_K-HGxFz7hu0rBd_e6TQhRNU/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHNH4gIiYHxhp0JXF_wfiFk9tVEs86bcxKCT-2-aZjjzVRa19xlF8cRp4f5Dy2_qmlLjUli6-cQ5UakA6rf8enFUKhuNdvK_ELvr72kiC7VMWPCDwFR3_K-HGxFz7hu0rBd_e6TQhRNU/s200/IMG_2565.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0ltR2utXA9mG_fCd1ex_vU184WFGiSqbrHag3E2ZTLXs6mKYKVYPG9hN69YWWtjH25JGqmfbBfdxwii67NMsVdxOrjcjAuBnlHUihyWBtvUepSWiMq9K9vdSLUiLF0ESBCrWReoqgB0/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0ltR2utXA9mG_fCd1ex_vU184WFGiSqbrHag3E2ZTLXs6mKYKVYPG9hN69YWWtjH25JGqmfbBfdxwii67NMsVdxOrjcjAuBnlHUihyWBtvUepSWiMq9K9vdSLUiLF0ESBCrWReoqgB0/s200/IMG_2563.JPG" width="200" /></a>On the way back down to Tara’s apartment to get ready for the mountains, we passed many gorgeous flowers, and David informed us about how some bees like to get drunk and violent, he always seems to know the strangest trivial information… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkO9m-CtXjRIu1GDrBfLJsvlGbmogEpyKX2jwZ4hURTCAv9ZuV6IVcFbUEelu8mucrohF573iG9vQocvEMqjr8TUc8NdsE6ooeIVShhZqsxc9xhZmYBxFGsczigh_A5AtgKTkzk0lT2Q/s1600/IMG_2589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkO9m-CtXjRIu1GDrBfLJsvlGbmogEpyKX2jwZ4hURTCAv9ZuV6IVcFbUEelu8mucrohF573iG9vQocvEMqjr8TUc8NdsE6ooeIVShhZqsxc9xhZmYBxFGsczigh_A5AtgKTkzk0lT2Q/s200/IMG_2589.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't help but be amused.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-moR1570kgCpd8plkY3UvWhcCYfql1KPHvtOHfb3Fx213Mkwvuwn56EsLd5ZRFVaAaRbqMTKkbbbfwo843B1pClJ9X4DcgPJLP2uwCZtIDVIT_wBMO8je_Mbvz3qjJ5uR_6LFThHIynY/s1600/IMG_2584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Next we stopped for lunch at a little park that Tara knew of, and on the way up there we saw a freaking monkey! Sadly said monkey was too quick for me to get a photo of him, but it still made me pretty happy since I had heard from a lot of my cowokers that it’s pretty rare to see them in Yamanashi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The park has some great Buddhist statues in it. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The bibs and hats are supposed to help protect children from harm, but to me, they looked a bit silly. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWHIS2vU476jZgWIgX13U6HV3Qf8pgf5qCPXqMIgol1LqEAvyJED68727NPyuKC1koE6HDQb2vUmTVm5G3-DRCDIOp14e-UwY5nClLOoLX3h9eY7UVGtri25no0ab9uRWFuIdv_9w-c0/s1600/IMG_2634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWHIS2vU476jZgWIgX13U6HV3Qf8pgf5qCPXqMIgol1LqEAvyJED68727NPyuKC1koE6HDQb2vUmTVm5G3-DRCDIOp14e-UwY5nClLOoLX3h9eY7UVGtri25no0ab9uRWFuIdv_9w-c0/s320/IMG_2634.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the rapids we played in</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">After a nice meal, we finally headed to our camping destination, high up in the mountains. The location we decided upon was right alongside the stream and added the wonderful melody of rushing water to our entire stay. </div><div class="MsoNormal">We spent much of the remaining sunlight working our way down the stream and climbing down rapids and mini-waterfalls, it was quite a bit of fun, but I still wish that we had managed to find a good spot to really swim. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Once we had our fill of wandering the water, we headed upwards to check out the local onsen. For those of you who do not know, an onsen is a public bath where people bathe in hot sulfur water together in the nude. It was my first time, and I will fully admit, the first few minutes were rather awkward for me, especially since I had just met Tara that day and here we suddenly were chatting naked on top of a mountain with a bunch of old Japanese women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was still a lot of fun though, and supposedly the hot mountain water mixed with sulfur is supposed to do wonders for your skin, and it was also nice because we met a sweet old woman who told us how her son lives in San Francisco and that she loves how beautiful America is. This encounter was made even better when we later found out that David had met her husband on the men’s side and had had almost an identical conversation with him about their son, suppose they are just an outgoing couple. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The rest of the night was spent playing cards, talking, and Tara telling a random conbini worker that I am an alcoholic (which is only partially true…), we had to spend most of the night huddled in our tent since it began raining, but that was fine, especially since the rain left us with a gorgeous fog the next morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqex7dMXOtfJlRVqZRXexrWUtaIQ_gW-i-muPqlAD32IRsn_-NO7XQRPp093tuez3cAWZieq1Ssubelma2N7OiF_D7KanZZGnIJEfuDepVKBRGEX-hxtBBkZ7yCPORRIii5ZYrYZwjUIg/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqex7dMXOtfJlRVqZRXexrWUtaIQ_gW-i-muPqlAD32IRsn_-NO7XQRPp093tuez3cAWZieq1Ssubelma2N7OiF_D7KanZZGnIJEfuDepVKBRGEX-hxtBBkZ7yCPORRIii5ZYrYZwjUIg/s320/IMG_2692.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tEoDlj9fLQNdGPg0Wqg2wOX8qBKAdzJjYB5nrI_DWl3tpewEiU5jjKhmufVjMgpF3LlqGXHqTlT5AIe2PHz7p9s5FfNQXtpNtcbdphcirZWcJycHL5qGykZ4kKRRwONbbpQTx3UCoTk/s1600/IMG_2679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tEoDlj9fLQNdGPg0Wqg2wOX8qBKAdzJjYB5nrI_DWl3tpewEiU5jjKhmufVjMgpF3LlqGXHqTlT5AIe2PHz7p9s5FfNQXtpNtcbdphcirZWcJycHL5qGykZ4kKRRwONbbpQTx3UCoTk/s200/IMG_2679.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWlI9Ghh3FQZW_WMtedYWmNSnYni_yrb1lPMMOjxLi-ZzrBkd8qx7S17dpNJWJK5RbO4MCa6bKyxB-E1LElsPCN9nv_0U2wzwEWezupAexHzecu8JxNrU2PwAFmPe2FVNJ0YkBhRda4M/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWlI9Ghh3FQZW_WMtedYWmNSnYni_yrb1lPMMOjxLi-ZzrBkd8qx7S17dpNJWJK5RbO4MCa6bKyxB-E1LElsPCN9nv_0U2wzwEWezupAexHzecu8JxNrU2PwAFmPe2FVNJ0YkBhRda4M/s200/IMG_2657.JPG" width="200" /></a>We all woke up quite early the next morning to investigate the area away from the stream, and what we found were some amazing spiderwebs that a group of spiders had banded together to create. Some snails moving slowly to, well, somewhere. And a rather creepy empty building covered in rust and broken appliances. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">freaking creepy.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS8bwZbfC4izxdlSTvQ5K_-thJqgBvqussYXye9K9s9PAeb34OWhrHyM7ffL9B4gn4vFsQ1W_wtc2B30WUX-YIL3Nbce4bxwzRDGSqqkyz1K-WUkPuUM3Uvf9ogjKtgBp83eTu7i8tVg/s1600/IMG_2711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS8bwZbfC4izxdlSTvQ5K_-thJqgBvqussYXye9K9s9PAeb34OWhrHyM7ffL9B4gn4vFsQ1W_wtc2B30WUX-YIL3Nbce4bxwzRDGSqqkyz1K-WUkPuUM3Uvf9ogjKtgBp83eTu7i8tVg/s320/IMG_2711.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is where every leech in Japan lives</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">On the way back down, Tara suggested we take a hike to see some gorgeous waterfalls, but we never quite made it to the bottom, because it would appear the trail leading to them is where every leech in Japan lives. During our hour or so on that trail, I personally picked off 22 of the buggers and am not ashamed to admit I was the first one to chicken out and head back up, the leeches just thought I was far too tasty </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFR1HqGpRsqASKO7AADaGBeuHaG3XII3MXvf6I4j9qOafi7ZtOYz1BLSo0fx-3baSFKXxkeipKQDgjgzvpzmgNIkAY8ofp9o634OcjBjSpFogZg1TwATs1zrNTxWIlWgA2p1b2XAbJ5U/s1600/IMG_2731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFR1HqGpRsqASKO7AADaGBeuHaG3XII3MXvf6I4j9qOafi7ZtOYz1BLSo0fx-3baSFKXxkeipKQDgjgzvpzmgNIkAY8ofp9o634OcjBjSpFogZg1TwATs1zrNTxWIlWgA2p1b2XAbJ5U/s200/IMG_2731.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy-fA2DYWc5SJ9BnA6sJwL_GC7RqjQBj2MNn_je0xcHewV1fnOZ-5x4hCkog65wsFnARoeejkU8Av-C9plz7HGh_R7W27wsr0Jk8tfEDCmJu5qdxt-cXfAlOZ1JLKkSjlfQhJ90dps3A/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy-fA2DYWc5SJ9BnA6sJwL_GC7RqjQBj2MNn_je0xcHewV1fnOZ-5x4hCkog65wsFnARoeejkU8Av-C9plz7HGh_R7W27wsr0Jk8tfEDCmJu5qdxt-cXfAlOZ1JLKkSjlfQhJ90dps3A/s200/IMG_2724.JPG" width="175" /></a>While still cringing from our encounter with the leeches, well, except David, who actually thought they were really cool and kept messing with them, we stumbled upon some rather strange remains of… something. We still have no idea what it used to be, but it was certainly odd. I did not get to go in as far as I had hoped though, because David pointed out a weird bug to Tara and she freaked out, proclaiming she had had enough bug encounters for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn4LnxdftSbEru1_aD2H-4jYeftRaF7A1fvOevKztmqmk8yxt5JEaGwbQD-p3ngMUtvgTIlmRpqK0-UoToT67Ad2-XskuajiTertpAFPUnSI8iPmJSlb5m5JsSvBOYcRwdapsJpQ-akQ/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn4LnxdftSbEru1_aD2H-4jYeftRaF7A1fvOevKztmqmk8yxt5JEaGwbQD-p3ngMUtvgTIlmRpqK0-UoToT67Ad2-XskuajiTertpAFPUnSI8iPmJSlb5m5JsSvBOYcRwdapsJpQ-akQ/s320/IMG_2754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Upon calming down from all the bugs, it was decided that we should go to Tara’s favorite organic restaurant in the area, which also happened to be right across the way from Mt. Fuji<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>, it also turned out that I had heard of this place from a documentary about the Jukai (aka suicide forest), so I was quite happy to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was quite tasty, although rather pricy since it was all made on site from their own gardens. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_CMZpWVxvoxpup7NR70rTRz5YKD9kMKBCZA0hMTnSvLgxAHguy_jrfBEw-HUxkMPB5vZv45l2PkVF7TaMrY34GQ0TcgE58M5dYp77_aWWpGtGl_uNrkkk4CY-dmBW367zUYurscClUI/s1600/IMG_2765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_CMZpWVxvoxpup7NR70rTRz5YKD9kMKBCZA0hMTnSvLgxAHguy_jrfBEw-HUxkMPB5vZv45l2PkVF7TaMrY34GQ0TcgE58M5dYp77_aWWpGtGl_uNrkkk4CY-dmBW367zUYurscClUI/s1600/IMG_2765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_CMZpWVxvoxpup7NR70rTRz5YKD9kMKBCZA0hMTnSvLgxAHguy_jrfBEw-HUxkMPB5vZv45l2PkVF7TaMrY34GQ0TcgE58M5dYp77_aWWpGtGl_uNrkkk4CY-dmBW367zUYurscClUI/s200/IMG_2765.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">neat organic cafe</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Overall it was a fantastic weekend, and while we did end up spending more money they we had originally planned, it was worth it to get rid of all my pent up frustrations from being stuck inside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I will close this off with a cute photo of David and I being, well, cute. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHPsbqaK-OI57fTZcheION11DRsBg6wOYqE-D3qkvAHE5ajaBP5fmHbbVXl5D09uW8cilYOZ7Tnar7oOTiRzCCnrqzxqqYTP4SoE_25n5EMQpP_qwm3v1YsdxVKc-82e-ZEleDN-GFfE/s1600/camping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHPsbqaK-OI57fTZcheION11DRsBg6wOYqE-D3qkvAHE5ajaBP5fmHbbVXl5D09uW8cilYOZ7Tnar7oOTiRzCCnrqzxqqYTP4SoE_25n5EMQpP_qwm3v1YsdxVKc-82e-ZEleDN-GFfE/s400/camping.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0Nanbu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan35.2420466 138.4863341000000235.1361786 138.40216060000003 35.3479146 138.5705076tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4667009832272181171.post-497308250528517982011-06-12T05:25:00.000-07:002011-06-12T05:25:25.923-07:00Life goes onI promise to make a much more in depth post sometime soon, but for now, please enjoy these amazing photos of Japan's progress 3 months later<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001984/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-Pictures-recovery-3-months-later.html?fb_ref=LikeButtonTop&fb_source=home_oneline">Ganbare, Nippon!</a>Jenekohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359985572938656791noreply@blogger.com0