Sensei and Sensibility
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Millipedes Halt Local Train
KOBE — A mass of young millipedes on the railway tracks brought a local train in western Japan to a halt early Sunday, causing the train to skid as it ran over the insects.
None of the two passengers on the one-car train traveling through Okawachi, Hyogo Prefecture, was hurt from the incident but the halt delayed train operations for up to an hour and 40 minutes and affected some 80 passengers, according to West Japan Railway Co (JR West). (Kyodo News)
Source: JapanToday.com
Heh, heh - yes, folks, this is how deep I am in the countryside - that train was less than two stops south of Ikuno, and it was on its way up here.
Note the phrase "two passengers on the one car train"
heh heh!!!! I`ve only ever had the train stop for deer before! That is why it is a manually driven, diesel train!!!
:)
 Sabine . 4:25 PM . Comments
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
You Know the Fall Festival is coming when....
The electrical crews are blocking the streets.
Why does this signify that the fall festival is coming?
Because they are pinning up the wires so they don`t get caught on the portable shrines.
You see, the first thing we do on festival day is drink copious amounts of warm sake. Then we parade around town carrying the 10 foot tall shrine. When someone donates money (every 5-10 minutes) we sing our area of town`s song, and lift the shrine waay up into the air (did I mention that it weighs 3 tonnes?) and shake it around.
And the streets are barely wide enough for the shrine, let alone the 30 people carrying it! So many times last year we bashed the darn thing into the second storey of a house!!!!!
This goes on for one night and one day, and Ikuno has about 20 -30 of these shrines - all parading around carryied by really drunk people.
I`ll be carrying with the Shinmachi team, which is known for being the most vivacious and energetic (and loud and aggressive ) team (they all gather in the school grounds and run the shrines at each other, stopping only millimetres away). Two of my friends are joining me (yes, the town has bought them special insurance for that in case they get crushed).
We have the coolest outfits - black pants, tucked into black two toed fabric boots called tabi, with black shirts and a forest green festival coat. Other than the coat, I must admit that I feel like a ninja in my outfit!!!
Wish me luck - this sunday!!!!!
:)
Sabine
Sabine . 10:54 PM . Comments
Friday, October 03, 2003
I`m a Real Teacher Now!
You see, I even have the teacher uniform - bought it last week - a polyester work-out jacket. I swear, I was the last teacher in Ikuno to get one.
...only 700Yen too!
In other news...
Yuko passed her exams and so she is now a Certified Teacher! Omedetou!
I taught at elementary school and screwwed my thumb up again, but by the time I finished work, the Emergency Room was closed...so I have to wait till monday to find out if I rebroke it!
... My b-day party was a success - I`ll post some pictures so you can meet the two crazy German guys who somehow ended up being placed in jobs in the nursing home here in Ikuno. They are insane!
:)
sabine
Sabine . 11:47 PM . Comments
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Tofu Tanjoubi
Or, Tofu birthday.
Yep, today is my birthday. October 2nd here in Japan, but the first still in N.America.
"WHY," You may ask, "Am I calling it a Tofu birhtday?"
You see, there are two ways to say 10 in Japanese - the first is "ju", but another way is the prefix "to" (like to say the 10th day of the month is isn`t "ju-nichi" - tenth day, but "tokka") Confusing, but it is just another way of reading the Kanji.
"ni" means "two", but another reading of that kanji is "fu" - for example, the second day of the month is "futsuka"
So if 10 is "to" and 2 is "fu", the tenth month and second day could be called "tofu"
So my b-day: 10/02 is tofu! I was so excited about that that I baked a tofu cheesecake to celebrate!
Yuko is 01/05 which is "ichigo" (or strawberry). Another freind is 07/10 which would be "natto".
All right, now whose birthday is 09/01 - cause that is "kutsu" - shoe!
Fun, huh???
:)
RG
Sabine . 6:55 PM . Comments
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