Quite clearly I haven't felt the need to blog much lately. Might get back into, or not, we'll see. Life has been fine, no complaints. Maybe too complacent though (shoot, that counts as a complaint doesn't it).
An excerpt from an email I sent to a friend:
I didn't tell you what he did for my birthday, did I?
He took me out to the nicest restaurant in town. It
was a surprise where, but I had guessed correctly. The
meal was good, and the wine even better ;-).
But you know me; I'm not impressed by expensive
things. It is the thought behind the action that
matters. And this boy put a lot of thought into the
whole evening.
We strolled back to his place, where he said that he
had dessert waiting. When we got in he lit candles in
the bathroom, and drew me a bath scented with a Lush
bath bomb. He remembered that I've complained about
only having a shower stall, and no tub.
So as I soaked he got the dessert ready. The whole
scenario was so amusing, and I couldn't stop giggling.
I heard the microwave open and close, and it beep
several times. After there was the loud buzz of the
blender twice. What dessert could require both heating
and mixing? Then came the unmistakable sound of an
electric drill.
I gave up trying to even remotely figure it out, and
just enjoyed the cacophony. As I was slippery from the
bath bomb, all the laughing made me slide around in
the bath. Which in turn made me chuckle more. What
really sent me over the edge was when he checked in
on me, a meat clever in hand. Chopping required also?
Once dried, and cozy in his sweats, we sat in the
living room. It was with childish delight that I
waited to see what was coming next. Why a DQ ice cream
cake of course! The whole thing had been just an act.
And I loved it. He had also remembered that I
mentioned that I hadn't had ice cream cake since, oh,
maybe a birthday party back in grade 7?
"But the night isn't over yet' he promised. So more
candles were lit in the bedroom. And I got a lovely
massage with a delicious lotion from Saje (Tantra, my
favorite). By far the bestest best birthday evening
ever. What a guy. His thoughtful, selfless nature
never ceases to amaze me.
Christmas has come and gone, and New Year's is just around the corner. Up until 2 days ago I was at work, busy with teaching and Christmas doings. I've surely gained a few kilos in the last month. The office treats were pilled up at the only empty desk in the staffroom, which happens to be next to mine. Add my nonexistent willpower into the mix, and you have a deadly combination. But now I have a week off, yea! Starting January 7th, I'll be back at it again. I'll be getting very full time hours, and I expect I'll be quite busy.
I did get Christmas off, and I spent one night at Mom's. On Christmas eve I made Mom drive me around Abbotsford to look at all the lights. There are always some very extravagant displays to be seen in Abby (most complete with a nativity scene of course). On Christmas morning we had a leisurely pancake making session, using her nifty specialty contraption. In the afternoon it fittingly started to snow. Our first white Christmas since 1998.
Which presents I received has not been a concern for many years now. I get so much more satisfaction out of knowing that I found the prefect gift for someone else. But there was one gift that I got this year that really bothered me. It was from the boy I dated in Japan. It was a handmade scarf. But not just any scarf, a scarf made by a girl he was (is?) dating.
On one hand it was a lovely thought. He saw it, thought of me, and bought it. I appreciate that. But it was also the most inappropriately gift he could have given. When he bought it, he was still trying to see me if/when possible. While also sleeping with her. He didn't tell me all about their relationship until much later. Who knows what he told her. He claims that he doesn't like her anymore, but I put in no stock in those words. I'm just glad that I no longer care. Quite some time ago I made the decision to no longer get involved (beyond a friendship). I was not going to waste any more emotional energy on a frustrating, and futile, situation.
"Why do all Superstores look the same?" An innocent question, asked by a child to her father on the Skytrain. But one that we as adults have stopped questioning, and just accepted as 'the way it is'.
A little background for any non-Canadians out there. Superstore is a
big chain grocery. The prices are very low. Their in house brand name
is called 'No name" (a nice contradiction if there ever was one).
Inside it feels like a warehouse, much less inviting than other big box stores. The stores are also so large, that it apparently helps to have Rollerblades to get around.
It was started on lark. I signed up for the internet dating site partly out of curiosity, mostly to check out a friend's profile. I found the process rather off-putting. Meeting that special someone should be a magical occurrence, not the sending back and forth of electronic smiles. It is just the opposite of romantic.
But the reality of the situation is that this is how it is done these days. Despite the abundant population, it is harder than ever to meet people. For some reason, we are fearful of engaging in a conversation with strangers. It is not socially acceptable to do so. Those who try are seen as slightly off, and the response back is restrained and polite, at best. Vancouverites are an especially reserved bunch. There are only a few places where striking up a conversation with an interesting random person (The Cambie, hello!) is encouraged. This has never been a problem for me anywhere else that I've lived, or visited.
Encouraged to hear about how online dating has worked for a few friends, I decided to suck it up, and take it more seriously. So up went a few photos, and the messages started. If nothing else I'll have the chance to meet some new faces, have a good dinner, and maybe even make a new friend. Anything more is bonus, but I don't have any expectations.
The interesting part has been seeing all these different people congregating in the same place, with the same goal. From airline pilots, to basement dwelling wannabe rockers, you'll find them there. I met a 37 year-old who could easily pass for 10 years younger (both physically and mentally- in a good way). And there is a 23 year-old who seems like he's 40. Beyond a certain point, age really ceases to matter.
Most of my friends have already heard me go on (and on) about my love for onsens, and how I miss them probably more than anything else from Japan. So I'll spare you any more annoying rambling. Imagine my delight when I discovered the existence of a Korean spa close to Vancouver! And by coincidence, the AAJET group had planned a 'Korean Day'. It was a couple of hours at the spa, followed by dinner at an authentic Korean restaurant.
Now a Korean spa is quite different than a Japanese onsen, but I'll take what I can get. As long as I can get naked in some hot water, I'm happy. JJ Family Spa did indeed have a (small) segregated hot tub that satisfied my needs. But the real treat was the five different sauna rooms. You could sample from the dry, steam, earth, charcoal, or salt room. My favorite experience by far was the salt one; a dimly lit room filled with big chunks of heated salt. In the co-ed areas you are supplied with a not so attractive purple t-shirt and shorts set.
But no pictures from inside the spa, sorry. However, I did promise nudity so here it is. I was offered free tickets to see David Beckham and the LA Galaxy play the Vancouver Whitecaps. The play was rather uninspiring, as it was just an exhibition game. It was amusing to hear the girls scream every time Mr. B. touched the ball. The only real excitement came when a streaker managed to jump onto the field. He made it around nearly twice, with his pants at his ankles, before being taken down by a heap of security.
Ah, the Vancouver rain. I do love to bitch about the 6 months of gloom that it brings to the city. The city becomes a uniform gray, with incessant wetness that ranges from foggy mist to drenching downpour, and a dreary darkness marks the days. But really, I can't complain about it. If I hate it that much, I could move away. And truthfully, I do still enjoy living here. You just have to suck it up, go out anyhow, and revel in the brief moments of sunshine.
Since I've been slow at updating, here some a few things that have kept me occupied.
My Grandma came out for her annual break from the Ontario winter.
Although this year she came much earlier than her standard January
arrival. Quite bad timing really, the Toronto area had a heat wave,
while it pored in B.C. I had one of those moments when I realized that
we do probably grow up to be like our parents. Mom and Grandma came to
pick me up for a day at Granville Island, both clad in black pants and
red jackets. And what did I choose to wear that day? Why my black pants
and red fleecy naturally.
Halloween night I went to party for staff and students at my new work. It was a bit odd to see my students getting drunk, knowing that many of them were underage. I hung out for an hour or so, but then made a furtive escape.
I used to be lukewarm about the Vancouver Art Gallery. My first beef was that it focussed too much on a certain cannon of Canadian artwork, namely of the Emily Carr, and Group of Seven fame. My other, more reccent, complaint was that it tried too hard to get the big blockbuster type of show/artists. The Monet to Dali show from the early fall is a prime example. But I've made peace with this, and became a gallery member. I'm also probably going to be volunteering with Super Sundays, a day designed to introduce children to art.
And here is Sara with a fine example of Roy Arden's work. This was taken at the last Fuse event of the season. Fuse is a late-night event at the VAG that features music, performances, and special talks with themes that relate to the current exhibits. Its a really hot event, and brings out a large crowd.
853 m elevation gain is about 90 minutes. But the record now, that is a blistering 26 minutes. Some people hike down again (why!??), but most opt to pay the $5 for the Gondola ride.
The month of September was spent doing a CELTA course. It is an intensive 1 month ESL teaching certificate. I need it, or something similar, in order to teach at a language school in Vancouver. But it wasn't required in Japan (nor in China, Taiwan, or Korea). So after over three year of English instruction, I finally am a 'real' teacher. Ha! The course was actually quite useful, despite its regimented bootcamp mentality. But the cost, ouch!!! Very expensive cause its administered by Cambridge (insert nose turning up here).
Some of the benefits of the course:
1. It kept me busy, no time to miss Japan.
2. I met some really cool people.
3. Our students were lovely, and gave us great experience. They are all immigrants to Canada, and we provided them with free daily lessons.
4. Looks like I've found work (for 2 months) at a good school downtown Vancouver (now if only they would email me back with the contract details. I'm still waiting, and getting worried....)
A photos of my classmates, and some of our students.
A few more photos, these ones sans humaines. All taken with my little digicam. Sadly, the pro DSLR will not be getting fixed, as the repair cost is too high. Looks like I might be reverting back to film for the time being. I'm keeping the descriptions with the photos deliberately short. So far I've mostly avoided reverse culture shock. To prevent it from creeping in, I'd rather not reminisce too long about Japan.
Another gorgeous beach, my last soak in the Japanese (red) sun.
Out of all that Japan has to offer, I think that I will miss onsens the most. There is nothing in world that compares to the feeling of soaking away your worries in a traditional hot spring. They just aren't the same here. Part of it is the ritual involved: the disrobing, the washing up with a bucket and soap first, the sampling of a multitude of pools, the sauna, the little modesty towels, I could go on and on. Just image being toasty in one, while snow is falling on rocks around you. Or tilting your head back to have your view eclipsed by the fluffiest pink cherry blossoms. Yokoso Nippon.
This was my last onsen, a beautiful seaside view of the setting sun.
Things got a bit surreal my last few weeks in the 'Shi. Plenty of crazy stories that I won't be sharing publicly. But it was all good, and all worth it. This sunrise was on my walk back to a train station after a night away from home, the day before I had to move out of my apartment.
The only way to navigate the insanely narrow and twisty Japanese roads is with the aid of these mirrors.
Its unnerving that I already can't remember all that happened my last month in Japan. That will teach me for not documenting things when they were fresh in my mind. Like previously mentioned, it does seem like a different life completely. Or a sweet dream that I awoke from, the taste of it still lingering in my half asleep mind.
I do know that I tried to pack as many 'lasts' as possible into my remaining time. Last visits with friends, last time seeing places that had become dear to me, last time eating certain foods, last time to soak in the easy life that Japan provides us foreigners. Looking though my snapshots jogged my memory a bit, so I chose a few to share.
First up, a random collection of people:
Yuma was one of my most difficult students, but also so adorable. Here he is showing me what he is made of.
Naomi meeting me at the usual spot, Starbucks, with a going away kitty present for me.
This is Masaya, a sweet boy, and by far the most determined person that I've encountered. We met one evening, and in our 5 minutes of conversation he decided that I was the ideal girl. He would send me weekly keitai texts that were almost incomprehensible due to his electronic dictionary translations.They were a source of great amusement. Six months passed before I agreed to meet him again.
Up in Dan's inaka area, at a real find of a restaurant. Rural Japan really is where it's at. Screw Tokyo.
Campai!!! Deliciously frosty beers after a hot day, with Tom and Matt.
The beach volleyball tournament squad. They were the only foreigners, which made them stars with their own cheering squad, despite easily loosing to every team (including some junior high school students).
Never before had I been so desperately waiting for the week to end, and for the weekend to begin. The CELTA course means very long days filled with lectures and teaching, and equally long night due to homework. Not really any time left for friends, exercise, relaxation, or even sleeping. On Tuesday we all had already started to daydream about Friday's planned beer drinking session.
This weekend has somewhat alleviated my concerns about making Vancouver my home again. There is fun to be had in this town (despite being known as the no-fun city). Maybe not as much fun, and certainly not to same degree, that I had in Japan. But still interesting events, experiences, and people do exists.
Its just a matter of finding them. And even more importantly not being afraid to fully engage in them, even if others aren't. This is something I'll have to work on. I say this because Vancouver gives off a chilled out, but also reserved and somewhat what unwelcoming vibe. People here tend to keep to their circle of friends when out. Maybe we think its impolite to bother others by striking up a conversation?
Friday night was spent at the notorious Cambie pub with some classmates. A really fun night of drinks, chess, free food and pitchers, good conversation, pot, and rambunctious bar patrons, were just what the doctor ordered. Saturday was equally fulfilling. Delicious brunch with good friends, some errand, a nice jog, followed by a mellow night out dancing to an Indian-electro fusion set. And now back to the grind of the week.
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Recent Comments
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Parallel Realities said:
So true! It's the 'what ifs' that kill me also. That is actually where my blog name came from. I... read more
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[this is good]I so understand how you feel. Just before I left India, I had pangs of regret even though (unlike you)... read more
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jrfiction said:
[this is good]Wow, looks like you had a great time, sounds like a real adventure. Internet cafes in Japan are great aren't... read more
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ambamarie said:
Beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration, Mariette! I've been going through a bit of the same lately, and you reminded me... read more
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