Life in Japan

It's been a really long time since I've updated my blog. Sorry about that for all of those who are readers. I suppose I've been focusing my "content creation" juices towards my YouTube Channel. I've been having a lot of fun making videos about life in Japan and meeting other Japan-based video bloggers.

Things are going well for me in Japan. The initial few weeks were a little on the bumpy side, but I'm really enjoying myself here. Kobe is a great city and I'm constantly finding new little restaurants, cafes and cool places to shop. Of course, life here is never boring! It's always great to carry a camera in your pocket every time you leave the house since you'll always see something interesting, weird or cool! That is some advice I'll give to anyone living in Korea, Japan, China, etc. Always have a digital camera in your pocket. Especially one with video/audio capabilities, because you're almost guaranteed to encounter something strange everywhere you go.

Here's something I came across recently. A glimpse into the slower side of life in Japan. Normally, when you see documentaries about living here or YouTuber blogs, it's about the fast-paced life in places like Tokyo and Osaka. This is a mini-documentary about an Australian who is a rice farmer in rural Japan (Shikoku).

Japan: The Slow Life




The best Japanese food you won’t easily find outside of Japan

Forbes Magazine has an article about the “Best Japanese Foods You Can’t Get At Home.” The full list of foods is in photo slideshow form, and starts with natto, a food that many foreigners apparently do not like.


Japanese underdog, hot to reclaim NY gluttony title, gets 2 fewer minutes
Mainichi
NEW YORK (AP) -- He's suddenly the hot dog underdog.

World renowned competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi of Japan is aiming to chomp his way back to the top of Friday's annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition on Coney Island after a disappointing three-dog loss last year shattered his six-year winning streak.

And this year it could be even harder -- organizers said two full minutes would be shaved from regulation time after it was recently revealed that the original competition in 1916 was just 10 minutes long, instead of the 12-minute limit used in more recent years.Read More...


Tommy Lee Jones in Japan??

A BusanKevin vid...

Kobe Matusri...pics and vids....

Well...as I mentioned in my previous post, I went to the Kobe Matsuri. It was a cool time. It wasn't the "traditional" matsuri many people may think of with folks running around carrying giant shrines and screaming "bonzai." It was more of an international themed festival with a wide variety of acts and show performing.







Here is a video I put together for my Youtube Channel about the Kobe Matsuri.

It was a beautiful and sunny day, but pretty damn hot. After a few hours of checkin stuff out in the sun, I was spent! See the original...

This was my first festival in Japan so Idefinately thought it was very cool. I'll be off to the Himeji Matsuri in a few weekends. Apparently it will be a more "pure" matsuri. It will be much more traditional without all of the corporate sponsorship and "international" flare.

Golden Week

I realize it`s been awhile since I`ve updated, but I still don`t have internet at home yet.

It` the end of japanese Golden Week and everyone will be forced to go back to work and school tomorrow. it will be my first day at the new job so I`m excited. Yesterday was Children`s Day. I happened to be on the waterfront at Meriken Koen yesterday to see some of the festivities. Check`em out!

Children`s Day in Japan



I was also hiking again a few days ago on Mt. Rokko in Kobe. I came across a little traditional Japanese house in a pretty sweet location.



Once I`m online at home I`ll update more frequently.

I moved to Japan!

Here are my first 3 Vlogs about my move to Japan. I've been here for almost a week.

Vlog20...I'm in Japan


Vlog21 My Sleepy Yet Industrial Japanese Neighborhood


Vlog22 IKEA Madness in Kobe!



Check out my Japan Youtube vids here...

Beer Machines and stuff...

Day 2 and I was feeling great until about 6pm and the jetlag kicked in again. I'm totally exhausted, but things are still fine. I went to my new school in Akashi this afternoon. I just wanted to check things out and find out what time I'm expected there in the morning. I'll observe classes there tomorrow morning and at another branch on Monday morning. Then Golden Week...which means I won't actually start teaching til May 7th. That's going to be a nice break for me to relax, settle into the new apartment (which will be in Kobe) and take in more things Japanese!

For those of you who live in Japan or have done the visa run thing there from Korea; you'll recognize this contraption. For my friends and other watchers from Canada and places "not-Japan", this may be a strange sight. Yes...it is what you may thing. A beer vending machine on the street. They aren't everywhere, but there are some. Reasonable prices compared to convenience stores too! HeHe...I find them amusing...hence the picture.


I can't imagine if these things were in Canada. They'd be torn out of the wall and stolen within minutes!!!

Japan Vlogs and Vacation farewells....

Semester two begins soon. New classes and a few new instructors. I suppose one of the classes that initially caused the most anxiety for me at the beginning of last term was Mathematics. My childhood memories of Math class had left me traumatized....or so I thought. I realized that I really don't dislike Math, I just didn't have teachers who taught it well. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed my Math class last term and really liked teaching it to my 3rd graders for 5 weeks as well.

Today some of my friends in the Teacher Education department will get together for a "Hello, how was your New Year/Let's have a fewpints before it begins again" party. Good chance to catch up on everyone's holidays. These things are usually pot-luck style and Mai usually makes some killer food to bring. Think she's making gyoza (Japanese dumplings) to bring today....yummy!!!

Mai and I have been talking about my upcoming move to Japan (after graduation of course) and I've been watching a lot of vlogs of foreigners living in Japan on YouTube. While watching some, I came across this funny Australian tv commercial...check it out.

Ad - When a Japanese Baby is Born

"Holy Stereotypes Batman!!"...made me giggle though.

So, back on the topic of cool vlogs about Life in Japan....here are a few I've been watching a lot of.

TokyoCooney...this guy is an aspiring comedian and writer living in ...well...Tokyo. He's from the States. I've been following his vlogs for more than a year now...good stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/tokyocooney

Softypapa...is a foreigner married to a Japanese woman living in the countryside of Japan. His videos are a very different take on life in japan. Most vlogs I see are from foreigners living in the heart of big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Softypapa's vids are a refreshing change.
http://www.youtube.com/softypapa

Zenhill...is an Australian living outside of Osaka. His wife is Japanese and has a newborn son in Osaka. His vlogs have a mix of humour, practical knowledge and other cool elements.
http://www.youtube.com/zenhill

There are lots of other interesting vlogs about Life in Japan and I'll post some more sometime later on.

Okonomiyaki....Can I do it????

Tonight was a night of firsts. Well, honestly, only one first. It was the first time I attempted to make Japanese food...all by myself...with no Japanese people in the room...or even the same building. I decided to make one of my all time favorite things to eat, OKONOMIYAKI!!! This was quite risky because I don't want to put myself off anything that I normally enjoy when others prepare it.

So....what is Okonomiyaki???? According to Wikipedia, okonomiyaki is "is a pan-fried Japanese dish cooked with various ingredients. Okonomi means "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki means "grilled" or "cooked" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba); thus, the name of this dish means "cook what you like, the way you like". In Japan, okonomiyaki is usually associated with the Kansai or Hiroshima areas. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region."

Why would I make such a dish?? Well, it is a specialty of the Kansai region of Japan and more specifically, Osaka. My better half is from Osaka and she cooks a "mean" okonomiyaki. I've watched her make it and happily consumed it on many an occasion....now was the time to make it. Unfortunately it's not so easy to get all the proper ingrdients in a small Canadian town, but I got most of the things I needed!

Hmmm...the batter, cabbage, eggs, green onions and garlic all waiting to meet "Mr. Pan."

Sizzle my pretties...usually you put thinly sliced beef or pork on top...I figured bacon would do just fine!

Oh No!!!! Will it work out????

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Yes!!! Flipping them was a success. None of the bacon fell off!

All right! Not bad. Things worked out as well as I could manage....noting the lack of proper ingredients, know-how and skill!

Will I try to make okonomiyaki again??? I dunno...maybe I should wait for the experts to do it justice. BUT....it did work out ok...no one died in the process of preparing the meal or consuming it.

Am I Still A Tourist???

Ok Ok....here we go. Sooo...the trip to Japan was great, even though it was something of a whirlwind. Osaka was the base of operations since it is Mai's hometown. From Osaka we first went to Himeji. Himeji has, argueably, the most splendid castle in all of Japan...it's all original...not remade like Osaka-jo. It was great. From there we ended up in Tokyo for a few days. It was a harrowing and somewhat stressful trip, but we came out the other end relatively unscathed! I have no idea how people can successfully navigate that city on a daily basis. Al I can say is one thing...SHINJUKU STATION is EVIL!!!!!! From there we went back to Osaka and the Kyoto. Kyoto is AMAZING!!!! I loved it there. it is such a gorgeous city that needs at least a dedicated week of your time to do it justice (I was a wimpy cry-baby for this leg of the journey...tired and with sore feet).

Oh yeah...we also went to Nara which was soooo great. The fact that they have 1200, mildly aggressive deer as national treasures is a treat. Don't eat anything in public cause you're liable to be mauled by a pack of roving fawns!!!

Ok...I left Asia after my wonderful trip with Mai. Last weekend I landed in Vancouver and met up with Greg and Arin. They work at CDI's emmersion school in Vancouver called CSI. EEEEK....I got there just in time for their class pageant (Wizard of Oz) and graduation ceremony. One of my old students from Busan was even there. We both almost had heart-attacks when we saw each other. A few days in Vancouver and then I was off to Ontario.

Jeez...I feel like a tourist in my own country. I've been away for so long that I still have yet to feel like this is home. I suppose it isn't. I may be a citizen of Canada, but Korea has been home for years and still feels that way. Soon I'll be back in the game though. Timmy Ho's has been tasting pretty good and sooooo cheap compared to the coffee I'm used too! The Sens may be out this year, but I'll be in Ottawa this Fall to cheer'em on...oh yeah....and Canadian beer does taste GREAT!



In Vancouver with Greg and Arin...


Golden Temple in Kyoto with Mai...


Granville Island in Vancouver...


I am the keeper of the fire...ugh!