2ヶ月評価

もう二ヶ月が過ぎました。日本語と山形にだんだん慣れてるけどアメリカの冗談とか話し合う人がいないから時々寂しい。だが、新しい日本人の友達が出来て、こっちの生活は楽しくてそういう訳でアメリカから引っ越したんでしょ？　それで、車を買ったらこの辺をもっとよく知るようになると思ってます。じゃあ、考えられないから英語にかわる。。。
So, been here for two months now.... other than family and friends of course, I haven't really missed anything from home. Until today. I was taking a shower and was struck with the thought that I haven't used any sarcasm since my arrival. I think that's an inherently English-language thing... They don't really use it here, and those that know me, my entire conversational repertoire depends upon it. So most of my conversations here, while the majority being in Japanese, is mostly to-the-point factual dribble that sometimes even bores myself. Yet taking one's second language to the next level is a very difficult task. We take it for granted speaking English so fluently that our brains no longer need to think about the intricate ebb and flows, social variables and sways of meaning. For example, I just finished watching the third season of Deadwood (fucking awesome by the way) and could not imagine being a learner of English and trying to understand the dialogue. Sometimes thats how it feels here... I get the gist of most of what's said, at least when they're addressing me, but trying to grasp everything in detail seems fathoms away. Something that would take years of living away from English and communicating solely with native speakers. Even study has gotten to a point where there's not much more I can do. Well, except for studying kanji and trying to expand my vocabulary.
......Oh yeah, not to break the flow, but I've gotten a few questions about how to leave comments on my blog, and I guess if you just click the "holla backs" link you can do it there.....
anyway, thats all I got for nows. I hope everyone is doin their thing and can get the chance to come here and check it out!
peace all, and much love

芋煮会。。。ラウンド・スリー！　うまっ！！！　焼き肉、芋煮、野菜をすごくいいとこでBBQしました。ロッグキャビンっぽい家で自然が本当にすばらしいだった。その後ゲーム・センターに行ってボクシングゲームで弱かった！さらに野球のとこも苦手。。。；P
ともかく、今すごく眠くて、明日にBBQの写真を添付するよ〜　とりあえずビデオだけ。。。

High Touch

Well, finished my first week of elementary school. It was pretty exciting, intimidating, tiring, and all other adjectives. Basically the day goes like this.... I show up at the school around 8:30 in the morning, and since no one really knows who the heck is this tall white guy I had to give a little speech (in Japanese) to the entire school. About six hundred kids. After that it was back to back classes of about 20mins. being as cheerful as possible and doing my best at songs I haven't even heard or sung since my days at elementary. You know, your basic Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and Hokey Pokey. The classics. Anyway, the kids are super psyched to just sing and play games that its not too hard to be enthusiastic. Next comes lunch at around 12:30-ish and I eat with the students. Its pretty amazing actually. Students do all of the serving, setting up and announcements and once the meal commences, everyone is practically dead silent. I couldn't believe it the first time. I thought no way in hell would this happen in the States...
Anyway, being one of the few foreigners, and more specifically white foreigner, its an understatement to say that I stand out. This "celebrity" status generates some weird interactions. So right before lunch I get surrounded by students wanting me too sign things. At first it was a book here or a hankerchief there, but then students ran out of things to sign so I started signing their individual cheese slices, they also brought up their bread for me sign and also lots of hands...
After lunch is usually cleaning and I will just walk around the school and talk to students or play in the gym. School's done at 3:30 and then its back home....
Its a pretty intense day, but the kids are so fun it doesn't really feel like work. But we'll see when junior high starts.......
that it for now. Oh yeah, in case anyone was wondering, 'high touch' is what they say here in stead of 'high five'. go figure.

蔵王dragon rock/芋煮会

写真/Pictures

週末っすな、土曜日の夜蔵王のフェスティバルに見に行って,　最近は雨だったから、土がすごく深い泥になった。それで着いたら、フェスティバルを楽しんでるみんなはゴム長入ってる。。。へぇぇ〜　shitって思って普通のくつだけだから。それで愛靴の保存のために匍匐のように泥に歩いてもやっぱり。。。泥靴だ。オレの友達も同じ。。。次の日、山形市の芋煮会という有名なフェスティバルに行ってみてそこで６Mの鍋で牛肉、しょうゆ、みず、酒、ねぎ、芋を煮る。
おいしかったが、行列がながかったから待ち時間は二時間ぐらい。そして待ちながらちょっとモスバーガーを食べた。ついに一時半ごろ芋煮をもらえた！　そのひ、実は一日中食べてばかりいた。これから、学校が始まるから、仕事で頑張る！！
This weekend was kinda crazy. there always seems to be something goin on around here no matter how busy people are. Fri-Sun was the Dragon Rock festival at Zao mountain. An all nighter rock jam fest thing. I went Sat. night with a couple of friends, but it had raid hard the day before and the ground was a complete mud pit all around. Of course everyone but us was rockin the rubber boots and so I did my best to pussyfoot about the muck but it was no use. My favorite pair of kicks were caked in thick sludge up to the laces. I couldn't help but think of the scene from Fear and Loathing... "Order some golf shoes! Otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. Impossible to walk in this muck, no footing at all......" Yet, we did manage to make it. The next day I checked out a famous festival here called imonikai, imo meaning potato or taro, ni as in to boil, and kai meaning meeting or gathering. So potato boiling festival i guess is a crude way to translate it. Pretty much the have a huge six meter wide pot in which they make a stew of beef, soy sauce, potato, green onion, sake etc. and use backhoes to portion out to smaller troughs. The crazy part is that the backhoes are lubed with vegetable oil. Its all pretty ridiculous but there were tons of people and aside from the two-hour wait it was pretty fun and the stew was bomb.
Well, school is starting tomorrow so I gotta get some rest. I have a feeling these elementary school kids are gonna zap a lot of energy. Anywayz click the link at the beginning to checkout the pics!
peace!

get my ish together

So last night I was invited out by a bunch of people from the office, and as usual I forgot my camera.... It's getting pretty ridiculous how often I forget to bring it or bring it and take no pictures. I guess I just like living in the moment at hand. When I take pictures I feel so removed from the events taking place, like I might as well be watching them on TV. That's a little extreme I realize, but its my excuse for being such a slacker with the pics. So it goes to say that I have nothing to show from last night, but I still remember everyone's name which is a big step for me. maybe it has something to do with leaving the camera behind and being in the moment??? Dont worry, I'm not plotting to abandon photography while I'm here. I gotta have something to remember this experience with and show my kids and family right? Some sort of proof that I was here and that I existed on the planet.
K, anyways, I'll promise to work hard at taking more pics, but I hope you've all been able to see the others I posted.
Late