Motherland Japan

Avoca

2009-06-20T03:16:00.012+09:00

We put on sunscreen and bathing suits and headed to the beach only to turn

around and go right back in after 30 minutes on the cold, windy Wexford shore. I guess an Irish beach vacation was a bit too much to hope for. So instead, we filled our vacation with little daytrips in the countryside. I said, "Avoca" and Aonghus said, "Let's go".

2009-06-20T03:06:00.002+09:00

'Nuff said.

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-06-11T06:22:00.007+09:00

For my 30th birthday Aonghus got me my very own copy of Ulysses and took me out to Sandycove, where we (okay, I) nerded out at the James Joyce museum. The museum is housed in the Martello tower briefly inhabited by Joyce and used as the setting for the opening scene of Ulysses. It was a gorgeous day, so had to make our way through a mass of sunburnt Dubliners piled onto the tiny strip of beach at Sandycove, savoring the only bit of sun they might see for the rest of the year. We had a nice meal at a fancy restaurant and took the train back. It wasn't Paris, but it was perfect.

Americans in Dublin part 2

2009-06-11T01:17:00.007+09:00

Bray was so nice/easy to get to that I decided to take Nasia, another visiting American, later that same week. This time we climbed Bray Head and Nasia fell in love with Irish clouds.

Americans in Dublin part 1

2009-06-08T14:27:00.005+09:00

Trish and Jeff stopped into Dublin on their whirlwind tour of the British Isles. Trish needed the sea, so we took the train out to Bray despite the rain. By the time we got there, the sun had come out and we had a lovely afternoon. And then, of course, by the time we returned to City Centre, the rain was back. Oh, Dublin.

Wolfe Tone part1

2009-05-30T15:03:00.003+09:00

"Shall we be content to remain in our present oppressed and inglorious state, unknown and unheard of in Europe, the prey of England, the laughing stock of the knaves who plunder us? Or shall we temperately and constitutionally exert our power to procure a complete and radical emancipation to our country by a reform in the representation of the people?"
From An Argument on the Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland, August 1791

Sushi Party--Dublin Style

2009-05-16T02:55:00.016+09:00

I went to Eleanor's to help her make sushi for her flatmate's birthday party. It took us a lot longer than expected, but it was worth it. Best sushi in Dublin! Oishikatta, ne! The fancy dress party was class, too. Thanks to Eleanor for being an outstanding hostess (not in the Japanese since of the word) and for the use of some of her photos.

mom's in town

2009-05-10T05:49:00.010+09:00

Cindy came to visit us in Dublin on the way home from Cairo. We didn't have much time, but we somehow managed to cram a whole lot of Ireland into two days. Highlights of our whirlwind tour: Pagans and Guinness.

Little Boxes

2009-05-08T02:22:00.009+09:00

This is what I have been working on. I like to cut and paste.

It's been a long time since I rock and rolled

2009-05-03T19:52:00.002+09:00

I have been super neglectful of my blog. Sorry. I have a lot of excuses, mostly about how crap the internet is in Ireland. But of course it has to do with me being lazy as well. So this is me promising to turn over a new leaf now that I am feeling more settled. I promise to try my best to update Motherland Japan at least once a week if you promise to be patient with me. Ganbaru!

Roma

2009-03-11T01:23:00.007+09:00

We got off the train in Rome and Aonghus directed us immediately to the nearest "Irish" pub to watch the Rugby. He promised we could walk all around the next day. And we did.

Venice(the off-season)

2009-03-10T01:26:00.006+09:00

We got tickets on Aer Lingus for the low low price of 0 Euro. Being unemployed, it was not hard to clear our schedules. Aonghus is still hoping that our impromptu trip to Italy counts as our honeymoon. I'm still holding out for more.

Food Porn

2009-03-08T18:27:00.006+09:00

Aonghus was in his own special heaven at the Rialto Market in Venice.

Doppelganger

2008-12-09T19:49:00.004+09:00

It's sad that my husband shares his fashion sense with an old Japanese man.

Mr. Marko

2008-12-08T21:30:00.008+09:00

It was brilliant seeing Marko again, this time outside of Japan. We explored Bristol and Bath, ate great food, painted a staircase, scaled a wall in order to peek into the Roman baths, made demonic toys and found out that I am shit at skittles. Next time let's go bowling.

Hello Ireland

2008-12-05T23:09:00.012+09:00

The cold weather was a shock to the system, but Ireland is so green and magical. I've never seen such a big sky and so many rainbows. And Leprechauns--they're evil wee fuckers.

MotherlandJapan gets married

2008-12-05T23:03:00.002+09:00

We got married at the Orange County Jail.

I like to be in America...

2008-12-05T22:41:00.012+09:00

Before leaving for Japan I never thought I would say this, but here goes. I heart America. Not our government or our imperialism or our greed or American Idol, but I really appreciate the kindness of people, service at restaurants, hot water, public radio, etc. It was good to see family and friends and it was fun to show Aonghus my big fat American country.

Bai Bai Nihon

2008-12-05T22:28:00.005+09:00

It was crazy, getting ready to leave. At times I felt like we were on LOST, trying to get off the island. Now I feel like Jack on Season 4. "We have to go back, Kate."

Fuji-san

2008-08-28T11:19:00.013+09:00

3776 meters. Since I had been in Japan, I hadn't seen a shooting star. As we made our final ascent to the top in the dark hour before dawn, I must have seen 20 of them. With no city lights to dwarf the light that had traversed enormous time and distance to get to my eyes and from a vantage closer than I had ever been to the stars, it felt like looking into forever. Although, these spiritual revelations can probably best be attributed to sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, and lack of oxygen. Respiratory difficulty tastes like god.

John loves yakiniku.

2008-08-27T15:38:00.002+09:00

Seriously. Meat plus flame. Good eatin'.

Tokyo

2008-08-26T08:40:00.008+09:00

Tokyo is always crazy/awesome/exhausting.

Too many people, too much food, too much heat, just enough weird

Droppin' Science

2008-08-25T21:55:00.007+09:00

On the first day that John was in town, we dorked out in the Natural Science Museum. One of my students gave us a tour. Mmm...Deliciousaurus.

/gion/nachan no tanjyoubi/soap gig/ weekend extravanganza

2008-07-27T23:40:00.008+09:00

Last weekend we were sweating like crazy, running around, trying to fit everything in--which is probably better than laying in bed all weekend, watching bootlegged American TV shows.

hen/stag party

2008-07-17T19:59:00.011+09:00

Hen and stag parties are supposed to be seperate events to celebrate your last moments of freedom before you get married. But in a town as small as Kokura (one million people), our parties inevitably collided. That's when the night got messy.

Iwaya

2008-07-10T07:59:00.005+09:00

After driving around in circles for an hour, we finally made it to the beach. Even though I was forced to play CRICKET(which was actually really fun despite my anti-UK bias), it was a lovely day, almost worth the intense blistering sunburns from which we have all been suffering for the past week.

in(dependence) day

2008-07-09T09:17:00.013+09:00

On July Fourth we hauled it to Shimonoseki to celebrate Rob and Nachan's nuptials and I remembered it was American Independence Day. Congratulations to Rob, Natsuko, and America.

Bangkok

2008-06-29T22:26:00.007+09:00

Cindy was in Bangkok for a conference, and since we were on the same continent for the first time in a year, I flew in for a long weekend.

miyazaki--golden week

2008-06-27T13:37:00.009+09:00

A four hour drive to Miyazaki took us ten. If Miyazaki had been ugly, I would have been really mad.

Hanami 2008

2008-06-27T08:29:00.004+09:00

pusan(busan)

2008-06-26T15:35:00.005+09:00

What I like about Korea:
The spicy food, the Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and the everyday low prices. The close proximity to everyone's favorite wacky dictator with nuclear capabilities is also a huge plus.
What I don't like about Korea:
The women on the train who literally shrieked and ran away from us after Aonghus gave himself an insulin injection. That, and the spitting.

dazaifu/kyoto ume season

2008-06-25T08:46:00.006+09:00

kumamoto

2008-04-28T23:35:00.014+09:00

My aunt and obaachan came to visit. On the way to the castle in Kumamoto, Obaachan told us the story about how Kato Kiyomasa had worked for the Tokugawa shogunate, and they had given him the land and made him a daimyo. She said she had seen the castle before. Really? Had she been to Kumamoto before? No. Read about it in history class? No. She had seen a cheesy samurai movie about it once. It soon became clear that all of her knowledge of Japanese history was based on these ridiculous melodramas.

I think her favorite part of the trip was sitting in my apartment, watching channel 37, which shows nothing but Edo period samurai movies. It reminded me of being at her house when I was younger. We would watch bootleg copies of these movies that had been recorded off the TV by someone's relatives in Japan, and then widely circulated among the Japanese ladies of Fayetteville, North Carolina. These tapes were well worn, with white lines flickering across the screen in waves proving the love of a community that treasured and clung to them as a reminder of a place that, though now alien, would always be, in some way, home. "Emily, you no have VCR?" No. Why? "Maybe I can make some tapes and take back, you know?"

rainydayinmyneighborhood

2008-04-28T22:03:00.003+09:00

There is some weird shit in my neighborhood. Lots of yaks, lots of crazies, lots of yankis. But this might be the strangest.

National Foundation Day

2008-02-18T13:18:00.007+09:00

Public Holiday. Fukuoka. Asian Art Museum. Woo Hoo.
Aonghus + Bat Chair=Good Times

And they're off...

2008-02-13T10:54:00.000+09:00

After some kickin' and screamin', Aonghus put on his tie and we spent our Sunday at the races. Fuckin' kick you big beautiful beast, you!

Aonghus is a nerd

2008-02-07T07:56:00.000+09:00

Christmas Eve, 11pm, hotel room; why i shouldn't drink

2008-02-06T12:36:00.000+09:00

Cambodia

2008-01-31T11:42:00.000+09:00

While it was snowing in Japan, Aonghus and I were sweating and drinking mango shakes on the beach. I HEART Cambodia.

Taipei

2008-01-30T11:02:00.000+09:00

Irish Paul was on our flight to Taipei! He took us to eat at the night market. Beyond the fruit and and pig parts, Taipei was way lame. How can Taipei have the capacity to build the tallest building in the world, but not have the insight to build a single bar. They don't sell booze anywhere except the convenient store. This was okay for me as I quit drinking, but it made for 2 grumpy Irishmen. Taipei--Worst.City.Ever.

my backyard

2007-12-15T15:27:00.000+09:00

Although I live right next to the ocean, I rarely see it. Mostly I see boring buildings and concrete with the obligatory temple or shrine scattered about. I also see Mount Adachi, quietly guarding KitaKyushu. We climbed it as we needed our nature fix and as we had not yet gone momiji (Japanese maple leaves) viewing, as is our autumnal duty as residents of Japan. From Adachi we could see the ocean, the city, and the autumn leaves.

fukusai-ji

2007-12-06T21:43:00.000+09:00

Fukusai-ji, in Nagasaki, might win the award for the coolest thing I've seen in Japan. It's a crazy space age Zen temple that was orginally built in 1628, destroyed on August 9th, 1945, and then rebuilt in 1979. It houses the world's third largest Foucault pendulum that starts in the goddess Kannon's head and ends in the temple basement. Everything about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy as we (the temple and I) are about the same age. It has a cool nerdy scientist meets the cast of Free to Be You and Me kind of vibe. Plus, the woman that looks after it is totally crazy in two languages, which is rad. She is def my new fave.

Nagasaki

2007-12-03T06:42:00.000+09:00

Aonghus and I spent the public holiday in Nagasaki which was well known as Japan's port of entry for all things foreign, a vibrant cultural crossroads, until um, you know. Way to go America.
The first night we ate champon in Chinatown and wandered aimlessly around the hostess lined streets. The next day we put on our sneakers like all good foreign tourists and, as the Japanese say, "went to sightseeing." God bless Aonghus for sharing my love of museums as well as my exhaustion-fueled indifference to ever seeing another piece of Nagasaki porcelain.

happy b-day, lou

2007-12-01T08:41:00.000+09:00

In the end, Lou's J-boy turned out to be a bit of a flake, but he was good fun to celebrate with, if a little overwhelmed by our gaijin presence, outnumbering the Japanese contingent by 4 to 3. He might be a flake, but we still love you, dear. Happy Birthday, Lou!

halloween

2007-11-30T17:26:00.001+09:00

My monkeys had too much fun and had to go home at the end of the night. And I learned a valuable lesson: Don't ever trust Aonghus to hold your camera while you pee.

Yufu-dake

2007-11-16T16:13:00.000+09:00

Yufu-dake almost owned us, but in the end, with the encouragement of fellow climbers("mo sukoshi ganbatte!" "FITO!") and the embarassment we felt when we saw an old lady scaling the peak, we triumphed. Yatta!

Friday Night Lights

2007-11-12T18:06:00.000+09:00

Every Friday night, Aonghus meets me outside my office, waiting patiently on his bicycle, listening to techno or something else I would roll my eyes at on his iPod. I can always hear him from my second floor classroom, and I know that it is time to wrap up my class. I get my bike and we ride for a few minutes before we realize that we don't know where we're going yet.

yanagawa

2007-11-03T08:24:00.000+09:00

In order to distract Lou from a broken heart, we took a train to Yanagawa, famous for its canal boat rides. We brought along a little friend.

2007-10-25T15:47:00.000+09:00

All that glitters...

2007-10-25T15:36:00.000+09:00

Kikumi's event was a great success. A glam-rockin' good time was had by all.

Welcome to Nature

2007-10-14T10:23:00.000+09:00

We spent the public holiday on the hunt for nature in KitaKyushu. At first we found a theme park with someone dressed up like a dog, dancing and singing over a loud speaker. Then we searched harder.

Bring in the noise...

2007-10-07T19:53:00.000+09:00

We went to an old railroad warehouse in Mojiko to meet Rob and Na-chan at a noise festival. Artsy. Fartsy.

Tawarayama

2007-10-02T22:29:00.000+09:00

Louise and the Mitsukos and I went to Tawarayama, a small onsen town in Yamaguchi-ken, to say Bon Voyage to Mitsuko number 2. Mitsuko number 1 had a great time leading her yukata clad pet gaijin through the streets of Tawarayama, up the hill to our secret destination. It turned out to be a penis shrine which delighted us and Mitsuko seemed very pleased with our reaction. It should not have surprised us though as Mitsuko number 1, despite her age (65), has possibly the filthiest mouth in all of Japan. Check out the video below. God bless her!

Otsu kare-chan!

2007-10-02T16:32:00.000+09:00

Waka-chan and Lou took me to an onsen in Yahata to celebrate my departure from AEON. We almost didn't make it in as the original onsen we wanted to go to was closed, and the second one tried to kick us out because of my tatoos. The compromise we made was for me to cover the tatoo on my wrist with band-aids. Good thing the front desk lady couldn't see my other 3 tatoos. Otsu kare sama deshita! Sayounara suckers!

how i spent my summer vacation

2007-10-02T11:49:00.000+09:00

Upon my arrival in America, I experienced a little reverse culture shock which included speaking Japanese to anyone in a uniform, crying when I couldn't figure out how to use a pay phone, proclaiming loudly on the phone to my mother that "I hate America because everyone is big and fat", and a perpetual state of annoyance at the fact that I could understand every inane conversation taking place around me. After a few days, however, I was back in the swing of things, with the exception of a few occasional right hand turns into the wrong side of the road. It was good to be back in a world where I could find shoes that fit my feet.

I'm sorry--ごめん、ね。

2007-09-24T07:35:00.000+09:00

It's been a long time since any posts. I am really good at putting my internet bill in my purse and heading to the conbini to pay it and then upon returing home discovering that I have bought a pack of smokes and some ice cream but have completely forgotten to pay the bill. I was about 4 months behind when Yahoo shut me down. Then I moved to Kokura and had to switch my account to my new apartment, which, as it involves official forms and inkans and Japanese people, is a huge ordeal. So, I won't have internet until October. I never thought I would miss it this much. Gonna get myself, I'm gonna get myself, I'm gonna get myself connected. (I don't wanna go blind)

Watashi no haha

2007-08-06T23:51:00.000+09:00

I met Cindy in Osaka, then we went to Kyoto...

and then to Nara...

and then to Kokura for some swing dancing.

GionDaikoMatsuri

2007-08-05T08:31:00.000+09:00

Despite the occassional drizzle, Kokura's Gion Daiko Festival was ace!

Hai chiizu! (Say cheese!)

2007-08-04T00:34:00.000+09:00

I wasn't quick enough with my camera to photograph Aonghus's street fight with an angry Taiko gang that night. Posed photos were the best I could do. Can you feel the love?

Taifu

2007-07-20T05:57:00.000+09:00

I got sent home from work because of the typhoon, so I went to see Aonghus in Kokura. We went with Rob and Tom to Wakamatsu to go swimming, although Aonghus was a little reluctant ("The beach? The beach? Yis do know there's a typhoon comin."). The wind was strong, but the day was beautiful, the waves were big and the beach was empty. We stopped for pizza on the way back and told every Irish joke we could think of.

Later we met the Shimonoseki crew at Megahertz because LeeAnne was spinning. I usually can't handle techno, but Aonghus plied me with booze and I had fun dancing.

Eventually we made our way down to Ben's bar to celebrate the typhoon. Luckily, this part of the evening is largely undocumented as the night quickly degenerated into a shameful display. A summary of what I can piece together: dancing crazy with Mike and Aonghus, trying (and failing) to do the worm(second attempt of the night), shamelessly making out with Aonghus in front of everyone, a Canadian shoving his tongue down my throat in the hall, Aonghus and I yelling at each other maybe about the way he hugged me???(we are still unclear on this point), pretending to be Louise's girlfriend in order to rescue her from some sukebe, the night culminating with me trying to fight a J-girl who, by all accounts, had it coming("I know she did not just give me the stink eye. I'ma have to fight a bitch. Oh hell no...")and being dragged out of the club by Louise and Aonghus proper Jerry Springer style. Shameful. I blame the typhoon. Aonghus blames "The O.C." As a result, I'm on "The O.C." probation.

Beppu Sex Museum

2007-07-20T05:26:00.000+09:00

We stopped by the Beppu Sex museum expecting to see a lot of old erotic ukiyo-e prints. Instead we found a lot of really strange animal displays and some frightening wax figures. Clearly the museum curators have a thing for Walt Disney.

Oiran

2007-07-17T23:43:00.000+09:00

Su-chan, her co-worker Miho, and I drove to Beppu to play dress up.

Tanabata

2007-07-12T00:40:00.000+09:00

My school had a Tanabata party so I donned my brand new yukata and had a few drinks with my students before meeting Marko for our last night out together in Kokura.

The Irishman

2007-07-11T22:55:00.000+09:00

This is Aonghus. He is great because he talks funny, he calls me "love", and when he was in big trouble with me, he downloaded the second season of the O.C. for me to make amends. He says "hello" to other foreigners that he doesn't know, he's not afraid to kiss on the train or on the street or anywhere in public (i am super afraid), and he took me hungover to the dinosaur museum in Yahata. He cooks and reads and thinks. Plus, he speaks English fluently.

The Sev

2007-07-06T09:40:00.000+09:00

With our men away in other Japanese cities, Lou and I braved the rain and met up at the 7-11 to find booze and sweets to console us.

Hmm... Chuhai...

...or sake?

tanuki by day

2007-07-05T22:10:00.000+09:00

My obsession with these magical creatures began when I saw some real ones on holiday in Shikoku. Since then I've decided that the best way to stay in Japan visa-wise is to catch a tanuki, have it shape shift into a J-boy that will fall madly in love with me and marry me, thus securing my position in Japan and guaranteeing that I will never have to work again. That or I could keep teaching English.

tanuki at night

2007-06-22T11:11:00.000+09:00

Little Plastic Emily Band

2007-06-21T00:01:00.000+09:00

I left my apartment at midnight in search of Tanuki, but all I found were these guys. They're pretty much rad. We had some beers and decided to start a band.

My neighborhood, 7am, 3 hours of sleep, Hangover

2007-06-20T23:17:00.000+09:00

It's nice that I like Karato because I'm no good at sleeping, but fucking ace at walking around slightly dazed.

Japanniversery

2007-06-11T23:29:00.000+09:00

Saturday was my one year Japanniversary. Traditionally(in Western tradition at least), the first year anniversary is marked by a gift of some type of paper good. Japan and I decided that we will honor this tradition, but we will exchange washi and origami. My gift to myself will be a new tatoo. Which year is the "skin" anniversary?

wide island

2007-06-07T03:53:00.000+09:00

Even though there was a huge festival with thousands of people in yukata(summer kimono), I returned from my weekend in Hiroshima with only pictures of the three of us. And we were definitely feeling the love for each other, thanks in a part to some initial ground rules (no techno, no talking about Ken, no being bossy, etc.)and an impromptu game of "Who Can Complain the Least."

Feelin' the love is easy with cocktails on tatami mats...

...or on the dance floor.

Marko and I returned to our seedy love hotel to find Lou passed out with the light on. So we played art fags in the bathroom, documenting the removal of my eyeliner.

Happy and hungover in front of the A-bomb memorial. It is an odd feeling when there is really no right way to be in a place.

We rode with Marko to Iwakuni and delighted in our first Tex-Mex experience in Japan. (Get your gob 'round that, Marko!) With bellies full, Lou and I said "bai-bai" to Marko and skipped local trains back home to Shimonoseki.

I'm a quitter

2007-06-04T11:37:00.000+09:00

Having just quit smoking, these "Smoking Manners" posters, which can be found all over JR trains and stations, seem especially poignant.

http://www.jti.co.jp/sstyle/manners/ad/change/gallery/index.html

happy birthday to me

2007-06-04T11:31:00.000+09:00

vodka plus marko equals rad

2007-06-01T01:29:00.000+09:00

Marko really doesn't have a colon.

Japanese people love Aerosmith, seriously

2007-05-30T04:31:00.000+09:00

Lou emailed my keitai: "I'm at the Latin Quarter." My reply:
"Why?"
The Latin Quarter is a pretty typical Japanese bar where salary-men go to get tanked after work. I always roll my eyes at the notion of going there, but I inevitably end up having a good time. Small doses. And truthfully, the Latin Quarter is somewhat of an oasis in the sea of snack and hostess bars that line the streets of Karato. Plus the bartender will never forget your name, even after a nine month absence.
Even though it was a school night, I decided to go as it is just downstairs and around the corner and no one ever partys in Shimono-sucky. As soon as I walked in I was told that Stirling, decked out in his new jinbe, had just won ice cream for everyone in a fierce janken (rock, scissors, paper) battle with some dude that he had just met and among whose friends he was now ingratiated. Determined not to make new friends myself, I sat at the bar and gossiped with Wakako. But then that thing that always happens happens, despite one's best efforts to be cool. Once the karaoke gets fired up, its pretty hard not to get a little crazy, and the next thing you know, you're singing Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" with everyone in the bar.

Kuma-chan

2007-05-26T08:49:00.000+09:00

I can't believe Tom, the Kuma, is actually leaving. He was my first friend in Japan, making his way into my heart with his choreographed karaoke rendition of "Bye, Bye, Bye". I'm gonna miss you, Kuma. Love, Dubs.

Jitensha

2007-05-25T00:13:00.000+09:00

I just got my third bike in Japan. It's a rusted out piece of shit that LeeAnne's ex-boyfriend left behind. The lock is permanently rusted open and the breaks scream but don't really brake. Considering my last two decent bikes were stolen, I figure that a beat up old mamachari (old lady bike) will keep the thieves at bay. Japan is supposed to be all crime-free and shit, but people will steal the hell out of some bicycles and umbrellas. The adults blame the jr. high school students, but I have definitely seen some drunk salary-men riding home on bikes that weren't theirs. Everyone blames the foreigners and perhaps not without some just cause (you know who you are). Some lessons I've learned from my various bike ordeals:

1. Never leave your bike at Seamall after dark. Same goes for in front of the station, outside the office (anytime of day), at the grocery store, in front of any izakaya or bar or really anywhere other than inside your apartment. No one in Japan steals from people's apartments.

2. Never buy a new bike. You'll have to do the same thing the very next week.

3. Never get drunk and take a taxi home thinking, "I'll come back and get my bike tomorrow." It won't be there. Promise.

4. Never ride your bike to the station if you are going on an overnight trip. Or if you do, expect to take a bus back to your apartment.

5. Use multiple locks. It sounds paranoid, but the built in tire locks don't work for shit.

6. Walk. It takes longer, but in the end it is a whole lot cheaper.

Doumo Arigatou Mr. Roboto (Himistu, Himitsu, Watashi wa himitsu o aru)

2007-05-16T01:45:00.000+09:00

Today, while on a smoke break, a saw a guy I know. He said "Damn Emily, you look like shit!" Awesome. I've had a rough week and a half and it shows. Just take a good look at my face, you'll see my smile looks out of place, if you look closer it's easy to trace...

But some other friends took me out for yakitori and shochu which made me feel much better. We had fun sharing secrets and Yoriko taught me that the Japanese kanji for secret("himitsu" in romanji) literally means "secret sweet honey". However, Yoriko was yoparata and, upon futher inquiry it seems, totally wrong about this fact. On the plus side, we didn't puke after the shochu.

Sanctuary

2007-05-12T16:58:00.000+09:00

Dear Billy,

I just finished The Mansion. It took me three months to finish. I kept stopping, picking up new books, trading written words for radio--anything to distract me from it. I didn't want to reach the end of the trilogy, as if there would be nothing left for me afterward. Your books feed my romanticized image of the South, my home. I felt like if I finished the story, let go of the characters, I would be letting go of my sense of place, of home. And now that I have finished, I am feeling mournful.

But there is another fear that I must confront. It is that perhaps my love for you is waning. Of course I will always love you, but something is different now, maybe I'm different now. I find myself looking at other writers, being easily seduced by lines that would not have ever caught my eye before. I must admit to having had several crushes lately(Haruki Murakami, Tamaki Daido, etc). It just seems that they get me in a way that you don't anymore. Or maybe it's that I get them in a way that I didn't before.

But it's not you, it's me, seriously. My whole sense of place, of proportion has changed since moving to Japan. I guess I don't know what is true anymore.

As I write this I am convinced that my love for you is intense and enduring, if slightly changed. But I think that I just need some space from you so that I can see who else I might be, what else I might need. I have no doubt, however, that I will come back to you soon, if you'll still have me.

All my love,

Emily

Tsurugi-san, Matsuyama

2007-05-11T08:38:00.000+09:00

We got to the top of Tsurugi-san and had a beer. I hitchhiked back to the car with three obasan who were hilarious. Actually, I think that they were hilarious, but my Japanese was seriously impaired after three days in the woods with my lovely foreign friends. Anyway, they were sweet for picking me up.

That night we drove to Matsuyama so we could catch the ferry back the next day. After a good night's sleep in a real bed at a dirty hotel, we played the tourists visiting the castle(I was even wearing running shoes). The ferry was lovely. Getting back to Shimonoseki was lovely.

Chiiori

2007-05-06T21:08:00.000+09:00

We camped at a great spot with eerie vine bridges. We built a fire and relaxed a little. But, three people in a one person tent is not so fun. Especially when it is raining buckets. At 3 am, I elected to "sleep" in the car.
The rain postponed our Tsurugi-san hike for a day, so we decided to drive through the valley to Chiiori, an old farm that has become a non-profit organization. We did some bushwacking down a gorge and made up stories about the abandoned stone structures. The nerd that I am kept wishing for a Shikoku wildlife field guide. Mmm...cataloging nature.

Golden Week, Iya Valley, Shikoku

2007-05-05T19:34:00.000+09:00

On the way to Shimonoseki Station my cab driver warned me about the task we were about to undertake. (a rough translation) "Regular mountains are like this," he said, putting his hands together, fingertips touching to make a right angle. "Shikoku mountains are like this," his hands now at 45 degrees. I was hungover and a little bit concerned, but not deterred.

I met Sally and Marko at Shin-Iwakuni, and we set off for Shikoku. We were ill prepared and terrible at reading Japanese maps, but eventually we found our way up to the top of some beautiful mountains.

On the first day, we had a nice walk and we saw a magical woodland creature that we named John. Later, Nori, a lovely guy who runs a guesthouse in the Iya valley, told us that it was a very rare type of deer (he has never seen one) that only lives near Tsurugi-san. We decided that it is still magical.

Furthur

2007-05-05T11:01:00.000+09:00

Driving on the left side of the road is hard/confusing for me. Driving on twisting mountain roads with no guardrails and 1000 meter drops is also a little scary. But the mountain highways in Shikoku are only one lane anyway, so left side right side wasn't my main concern--head on collisions and rolling down the side of a mountain were. The incredible views, however, made the whole driving ordeal worth it.

The mountain roads were lined with old abandonded buses, which spurred reminiscences between me and Marko about the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Carlos Castenada, Magic, Psychedellics, the Grateful Dead, Mania, Jonestown, Mormons, and Gnomes. Sally now thinks we are crazy. And, she's probably right.

Eye of the Tiger

2007-04-17T00:08:00.000+09:00

Exhausted after a night of cross-cultural communication (I was slightly distracted by Ken's new pervie mustache the whole time and my Japanese language skill definitely suffered as a result), we let Tiger entertain us until the sun came up.

Yabusame

2007-04-16T14:18:00.000+09:00

Mourning the departure of our buddy Shouta(he moved to San Francisco, he's not dead), Makoto and I set off to Tsuwano, an old castle town in Shimane-ken, for the Yabusame(horseback archery) festival. The competetion was amazing; the tradition, the clothes, the horses, the skill. After the festival we ate San-sai (mountain vegetable)udon and went for a stroll through the old samurai quarters. The streets of Tsuwano are lined with streams of koi, many of which are over a meter long. Apparently there are more koi in Tsuwano than there are people. Mmm...koi.

Hanami

2007-04-15T23:09:00.000+09:00

Hanami is my favorite Japanese celebration because all it involves is eating and drinking with friends under sakura. The laziest tradition ever!

Kitty-chan

2007-04-12T23:11:00.000+09:00

We took Laird's kitty queen to a shrine to celebrate the beginning of hanami (cherry blossom viewing), my most favorite time of year.

It's the Muppet Show

2007-04-05T22:20:00.000+09:00

How come no one ever told me that I look like a muppet? Seriously. A muppet or a serial killer. I'm about 5 years away from "Crazy Cat Lady" status.

In the Ghetto

2007-04-04T10:20:00.000+09:00

We ended the night at this soul bar called "Ghetto". I have little to no recollection of this part of the night, but based on forensic evidence, I have concluded that it became a dirty dancing make out party. This video that Marko took is by far the most innocent, least embarrassing (although still somewhat embarrassing) documentation of the night.

Vernal Equinox

2007-04-04T09:03:00.000+09:00

The Vernal Equinox is a national holiday in Japan which means no work. We spent the day on Omijima, a small island on the San-In coast that has a whale museum and graveyard, a fish market, a floating restaurant, 16 Buddhas, a trash covered beach, some cold, cold water, and a great view. Sally was a champ and led us bravely into the Sea of Japan to celebrate the first day of spring. Samukatta yo!