2012/07/31

it's too hot and this is how I deal with it

yes... too hot. too, too hot.

but this is normal for japan in july! I sometimes ask my students if it's humid today... they always say "no, it's pretty dry today. just really hot." well dang, it feels humid to me. still nothing compared to june/july humidity, I suppose...
whatever.

I don't care because I found a fun and economical way to cool off (fun and economical ways are the best ways). there is a river in Kanaya (still in Aridagawa town but 30 minutes by bike inland) which is fun to go swimming in.

and I recently got a GoPro (an underwater sports camera), so I made the following video for you.
just so you can see exactly how awesome this river is!
enjoy.

2012/07/09

tanabata, shirahama (a deja-vu moment)

Tanabata
the Japanese summer wish-making festival, based on a japanese folk tale.
Make a wish by writing it on a coloured piece of paper, and tie it to a bamboo stalk on or before July 7th. on the evening of the 7th, we burn these bamboo stalks in the hopes that the smoke will carry the wishes to the stars. my wish was to live permanently in japan, but days later I wanted take it back and wish not to sweat so much. do you have any idea how hot it is here? when I walk out of an air conditioned room, it is like walking into a sauna. anyhow... my wish is made and that's that :) I guess I'm doomed to be sweaty forever in japan!
at the classroom we did wishes in english with the kids. for the younger ones we had them write what they wanted to be when they grow up.

this little boy wants to be a dinosaur.
(I do, too.)


the finished wish tree

after that, I had to burn the wishes. gladly... I will burn these wishes... hee hee




As a certain N. Furtado would croon, fire to ashes, all good things come to an end, amiright?

the next day (july 8) we went to shirahama and I got my swim on.







we did some sightseeing! shirahama is a delightful little summery town

this is where I had a deja-vu moment. exactly 3 years and 11 months ago I came to this spot with Machiko and some others. there was a shop there giving out kombucha samples. I drank the same kombucha given to me by the same man as 3 years and 11 months ago. it was a complete trip. my only regret is not wearing the exact same outfit (pants and t-shirt, which would have been too hot anyhow)







by the way, this is Tatsuya--he used to teach at the JEC in van.
he's staying at our classroom for 1 month to help out and learn how to be an english teacher.


2012/07/05

It's humid here. (HOW HUMID IS IT?)

Wow. Really humid. The rainy season isn't quite letting up yet. I'd give it another week or so..
Today i was in Wakayama city for my chat box lessons, and it rained until about 3, and then stopped. In the office we had the air conditioner on "dry" setting, so it felt very, well... Vancouver. And when I noticed it had stopped raining (even the streets and sidewalks had dried up), I decided to open the window and stick my hand out... you know, for science.
I stuck my hand out and it was like being sprayed by a water mister! I withdrew my hand and was like holy bejeebus, my hand is practically wet... It was weird though. Probably on account of the rain, it wasn't that hot today, maybe 21-23℃. It was just... clammy. Yeah, that's the word for it. I'll have to write that down.
Right now I'm going home by train, which is obviously air conditioned, but after that I will ride my bike through the lukewarm, clammy sauna and back home.