On starting my 4th year in Japan.

Once again, August flew by as it normally does.  It's the month of summer vacation in Japan, and I took some nenkyu (paid vacation) days to relax and spend time with my boys and my friends, some of who left to return to their home countries.

August also marked the third year we've lived in Japan.  I can't even believe it.  Who would have ever thought we'd stay here this long?  I certainly didn't.  But here we are, starting our fourth year in Sapporo.

My first school, three years ago.

Since moving here:
Nathan ran 110K and became a teacher at HIS.
I took the JLPT (3 times) and started singing for an audience again.
Ethan started Japanese calligraphy classes and became a high schooler..

Among other things.

 I would never trade my experience I've had living and teaching here.  It's stretched me in ways that have made me a better person and a better teacher.  As an American from a small town, I think it's easy to become insular and to not want to explore beyond the world in which you're familiar.  But once you move to another country, it completely changes your view of the world that I think so many of us create for ourselves by what we see on the internet or on TV.

I cannot wait to see what in store for us this fourth year!!

My Balcony Garden, Year 3

Another summer, another balcony garden.  I planted my usuals, and some more flowers this year, which did really nice.  I still had to battle the aphids this year, so I made a concoction of dish soap, tabasco, and vegetable oil which seemed to do the trick.

I love my little garden, and it's so nice to be able to go out there and pick some things to use in dinner that night.  But what I wouldn't give to have a nice, big garden, where I could grow lots of veggies, herbs, and flowers.

Perhaps someday...

Silver and Gold

"Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other's gold."

As a child, I didn't really have any close friends.  School and neighborhood friends, sure, but I think my childhood shyness kept me from having a best friend - the kind you tell all your closest secrets, and are joined at the hip.  I had trouble really opening up to anyone, and eventually, they all moved on to other groups in time.

But there's something special about living abroad with another group of people who are sharing the same experience as you.  When all your loved ones are thousands of miles away and you have only each other.  Since moving to Japan, I've been lucky enough to have made some really close friends.

These four girls in particular were my family away from home, and my sisters when my real one wasn't around.  We had dinner parties, late night talks with lots of wine, karaoke sessions and movie nights.  Did I mention wine?  

Scarlett, me, and Kelly

When I found out my mom had cancer last year, it was these girls who took me out for dinner and karaoke to help me take my mind off things.  They'd watch Ethan for us when Nathan and I wanted a night out (he's too old for a baby-sitter now).  We'd talk about work, and love, and boys, and whatnot.

Adrienne, Tim, and Kele.  All these wonderful people are gone now.

Me and Scarlett. 

I've never felt closer with a group of girls ever.  But all good things must come to an end, especially in this kind of job.  You know eventually someone's gonna leave, but it doesn't make it easier.

Kelly's living in New York City now with her husband.  Scarlett's living it up in London.  Adrienne's in Portland.  They all went this time last year, and it was hard to see them go.  But I still had Maggie.  Now, Maggie's on her way to America and I'm the last one left.

Me and Maggie

And here I am.  I didn't think I'd be the last one here, but well, these girls have got lives to live, and there's lots of world to see.  I miss them all terribly, but I'm so excited to see what the future has in store for them.  With skype and facebook, they don't feel too terribly far away, but what I wouldn't give sit in a room with them, drink some wine, and talk the night away.  And if they ever want to come visit Japan again, I've got a couch waiting for them!!

Sarah and Takuya Tour, Summer 2013

I'm taking some days off work for the next few weeks, but that doesn't mean I've been lounging about.  Much to the contrary - music has been filling most of my days.

On Saturday, Takuya and I played at the Bare Bear Beer Festival, hosted by Hokkaido International School.  It was a three-day beer fest, used as a charity event to raise money for scholarships for HIS students (like Ethan).  It was fun, and we had a really good time.  Also, I had a watermelon wheat beer that was so good!

The day after the Beer Festival, we played at a street festival in the Shiroishi neighborhood.  A guy who often comes to our Mellow shows got us this gig, and wanted us to wear yukata (summer kimono), as many people do for festivals.  So my Japanese teacher was kind enough to let me borrow a yukata and put it on me, since it can be a bit difficult.

I mean, look at that bow.  That ain't easy to do!

It was especially fun walking around and getting on the subway in yukata, as I felt like I was even more noticeable than I usually am.  Little girls kept looking at me like I was a princess.

Anyway, we played two times that day, and I was a little nervous about it since we were the only group singing English songs, and these people had no idea who we were.  When we play at bars, the people who come are there to see us.  So this was a little nerve-racking.  But a few friends came out and I felt less nervous!  And singing outside is always an adventure!

then of course on Friday we had our usual Mellow Live.  Honestly, I didn't think anyone was really gonna come - lots of people are on vacation, and others have left Japan and I don't know many of the newbies yet.  But sure enough, lots of people came and it was such a wonderful night.  It's funny - one month the audience is nothing but Japanese, and the next month it'll be nothing but foreigners.  This month, it was lots of ALT's and some English-speaking friends, so that meant I did most of the talking.

I know I say this every time, but it just makes me so happy that people still come out and want to hear us sing.  What started on a whim two years ago is still going strong, thanks to the support of all our wonderful friends.  Life doesn't get much better!

Taxi Cab Confessions

I love talking to Sapporo taxi drivers.

Perhaps it's the anonymity of it all, or the fact that I usually take a taxi because I've missed the last train after having an awesome night out with friends and I'm in a talkative mood.  Either way, when I step into that taxi, all inhibitions about my terrible Japanese fly out the window and I just start talking.

It's never incredibly deep conversations.  They ask me where I'm from and how long I've been here, and I ask them how long they've been a taxi driver.  We talk about family and Sapporo.  My most favorite conversations are when I ask them what they did before they were taxi drivers.  I've had construction workers, jieitai (Japan self-defense force), and - my most favorite of all - enka singer.

I guess being a taxi driver can be kind of a lonely life - always driving around people you don't know and meeting hundreds of people a night for just a brief moment.  When the 20-minute ride from Susukino to Sumikawa is over, and we pull up in front of my apartment, they always tell me that they enjoyed talking with me.  We shared a brief destination together, and then they drive off into the night.

Nathan ran 110 K, and we went to prison

How's that for a title?

Earlier in the year, Nathan signed up for his very first ultra-marathon, or trail running marathon, or ultra trail running super marathon.

I don't know really know what it's called, but it was two days, 110 K, and he ran over  several mountains.

Oh, there's the name.

Our friend Kazunari was kind enough to borrow his friends' camper, and we made the 3 hour trip to the Taisetsu Mountain range and National Park, the largest National Park in Japan.

Nathan's race started at 4am on Sunday morning, and we braved the mosquitos to wish him good luck.

Yes, this is Japan at 4am.  The sun comes up ridiculously early here.
While Nathan was running/hiking his little heart out, we decided to drive 2 hours east to Abashiri.  There, we went to the Abashiri Prison Museum, where 100 or so years ago, prisoners were used to build a highway connecting Abashiri with Asahikawa.  Using the down-trodden to tame the frontier - sounds like another country I know (cough cough, America, cough cough)

Afterwards, we went to the sight of where Nathan was going to finish, and while waiting, I made him a daisy chain.  He was thrilled, obviously.

On Sunday night, we stayed at a hotel in Sounkyou, which Ethan and I have decided to rename Rivendell.  Seriously beautiful place.

Nathan started at 6am the next morning, and we decided to take a Ropeway up Mount Kuro, because we are not trail runners and we didn't bring hiking shoes.

While we were coming down, I got a call from Nathan - he'd finished the race two hours earlier than we had anticipated!  That guy, I'm tellin' ya, is Super Man!  I was a little bummed we didn't get to see him cross the finish line, but I was just so glad he was feeling ok.

And that was that.  Traveling in the Hokkaido countryside was amazing, and definitely something I'd like to do more of.  And Nathan's already planning his next run!  You just can't stop this guy!!

Keihoku School Festival

School Festival:  Two school days of singing, dancing, and fun before summer vacation starts.  It's brilliant, actually - this is the time of year when no one wants to be in the classroom.  So for a couple days, everything stops and we just go a little crazy.  I love it.

This year, the teachers had to dance in front of the students.  I did yosakoi dancing with a group of teachers.   Good times.

Another really cool thing about School Festival is the class t-shirts.  There were some particularly good ones this year, I think.

LOVE that Bart Simpson one!!