A nice little lunch with my aunt

I finally got to see my aunt Shizuko on Sunday. It takes about 2 hours to get from her house to the university and since it's a pretty long and tiring trip, this is the first time I've been able to see her. She's technically my dad's aunt, so does that make her my great aunt? I'm not going to get started with that. My friends know that if you get past grandmother and grandfather, I get lost in all the family ties. The mother's sister who got remarried with the husband's uncle... err, just writing that is confusing to me ; ).

I decided to cook lunch for her. And what better to serve than quiche? I've made some quiches back in Canada and they're relatively simple to make. So I found a recipe online for a crustless spinach quiche. Then, I bought all the necessary ingredients at the supermarket. The day of, things went relatively smooth except when it came to using the oven to bake the quiches. I asked another girl for help and although she had never used it, she explained which buttons she thought I ought to press. So while I waited for my aunt to arrive, I prayed that my quiches would come out edible. And they did! : )

My aunt Shizuko, taking her first bite

The hero of the day

And best of all, compared to two years ago when I first saw Shizuko, I was able to speak Japanese a lot better. We were able to have actual conversations.

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I've just finished the third season of The Mentalist. It's my little guilty pleasure. When I've done my homework and have a little spare time, I catch up on the episodes. Let me just say that I'm very angry with the producers of the series right now. Do they realize how frustrating they're making me (and the rest of The Mentalist fans) feel? From the first episode of the first season, Patrick Jane, a consultant with the CBI, has been looking for the man who killed his wife and daughter, a man who calls himself Red John. And after attempting to track him down through the whole first three seasons, he finally kills the man supposed to be Red John... but it turns out it's not him after all! AHHH!!! I'm going crazy! Producers, stop messing with us!

Student festival, kareoke, and facing the harsh reality of traveling abroad

This past week, a big student festival was held on the campus of the university. There were booths set up everywhere selling food, little souvenirs, etc. For the first part of the week, I took a back road to avoid having to go through the crowds of people. Plus, we weren't allowed to ride our bikes in campus during the festival. But then I finally had some time to go check it out. Here is how the main street on campus looked like that week:

The German booth, which sold German food (All three of us are not German, just in case you're a bit puzzled. My roommate (far right) and her friend were helping out. I was simply there to check it out.)

German food

Supposedly advertising German food... not sure why he's in a Pokemon costume.

One of the delicious treats sold at the festival

With my friend and judo trainer, Natsumi

During the week, I also had the chance to go to a kareoke bar for the first time! And I loved it! At first, I was a bit nervous to sing in front of the others but once I got over it, I just enjoyed myself. And I was so happy they had a big selection of songs in English (I don't know a Japanese song yet... I better get started on that). I was even able to sing a song in French by Céline Dion. Lots of fun, and actually very liberating. I'm sure I'll be going again soon ; )

Lately, I've also been realizing a couple of things. Before I came to Japan, I thought that the easiest thing about my trip to Japan would be leaving it at the end of my stay. I know I'll be excited to go back home and see my family and friends again after such a long time. But I'm also realizing now that the people I meet here will no longer be a part of my life. Of course, thanks to Skype and other social media tools, staying in contact with one another is a lot easier than in the past. But it's not the same as being able to call them up to go out somewhere. I've already gotten attached to the people who are part of my everyday life here in Japan. It's hard for me to imagine that I won't be able to see them when I go back to Canada. I know that when the time for goodbyes comes along, it'll be pretty tough and emotional. :'(

What a day

I have never been so tired in my life.

So this is how my day went: I first did a bit of homework this morning before the judo practice. At practice, we did 6 sets of 4 min newaza randoris. After that, we did 5 sets of 6 min tachiwaza (standup) randoris with no break in between. I was sure we were done after that but I was then told we had to do another 5 sets of 5 min tachiwaza randoris. I was pretty tired after that. I got back to the dorm, made myself a quesadilla and managed to lay down for maybe 15 minutes before it was time for running training. My hair was even still wet from the morning practice as I set out for the mountain, where we'd be doing our running. It's about a 20 min bike ride to get to the bottom of the mountain. From there, you have to climb up the steep path to get to the top of the mountain, which also takes about 20 minutes. Then, the real training starts. We did countless sprints uphill. That mountain is like a paradise for trainers. There are so many steps and paths that can serve for training purposes.

After that, the training was finally over. But then we had to make our way back down the mountain. Let me tell you, even if your legs are not exhausted from both the sprints and the judo practice earlier in the day, getting down the mountain is tiring and dangerous. The steps are very steep and there are branches and leaves everywhere. As I went down, I had to be overly careful so that my legs wouldn't give out under me. Then, another 20 min bike ride to get back to the dorm. Finally I was home!!!

But then, another challenge awaited me. I had to cook supper. Boy, was I tired. The last thing I wanted to do was cook. But I cooked up some ground beef with garlic and onions and some eggplant, green peppers and mushrooms, cooked some pasta and added some tomato sauce, and voilà, a delicious spaghetti! : )

The dishes I cook don't usually taste exactly the way I expect them too. There's still a lot I need to learn. But anyhow, there's a certain satisfaction you get from cooking something on your own. I love being able to create something new. Afterwards I enjoy eating it : ) And experimenting is fun, you never know exactly what you're going to get : p

This week is going to be tough. I'm so glad we don't have school so I can get to rest a bit between practices. But it's because we don't have classes that the practices are longer and more intense. It's exhausting but I'm glad to be training. After such hard trainings, I always get such a great feeling of accomplishment. Yes, just about every muscle in my body hurts, but I know that my body is strong and can take it. Whatever kind of stress is thrown at it, it's able to perform. And a certain confidence comes from that. To know that during a match, I don't have to worry about my body giving out on me. I also have to thank one of my coaches, Alim, for my performance at today's running in the mountain. Last summer, when my brother Vincent and me spent two weeks at his house to train, he made us run this little trail. The trail consists of about 15 minutes worth of steep stairs going up and down. So I was ready for today's training. I had already done this kind of training and I knew my body wouldn't let me down. Running is a great mental training. Because you have to push yourself. And only you have that power to decide to keep on going. That's the kind of spirit you need in a judo match. No matter how tired your body is or how little energy you think you have left, you have to stay strong and keep on fighting.

Tomorrow, we only have judo in the morning. Then I have the afternoon off. I'm planning to go check out the booths that have been installed for the student festival. Right now, I only have one plan for tonight: SLEEP!!!

Oyasumi! (Good night ; )

A few old pictures

Just a few old pictures I thought I'd upload:

If you look very closely, you can make out Mount Fuji

On our way to the city office
From left: Naushad, Mari and Zara

Naushad comes from Sri Lanka and has lived in Japan for about four years now I think. He accompanied us to the city office to help us retrieve our alien registration cards. I'm lucky to have met people like him who are willing to help foreigners. Because like I said before, you're pretty much left to figure things out on your own here. People like Naushad also gives me hope that I'll be able to speak fluently very soon. When he first came to Japan, he only knew how to say Thank you and Hello in Japanese. But after four months he says, he was already feeling comfortable speaking in Japanese. It  reassures me that soon, I'll understand most of what is being said to me. And I won't be so tired at the end of the day. Because each time I open my mouth to say something, my brain is working at full speed to help me communicate what I'm trying to say.

Some delicious curry I made (and will soon be making again ; )

Team competition in Amagasaki

This weekend, I went to Amagasaki with the other judo athletes. By bus, it took us about 5 and a half hours. Roads and highways in Japan are not straight like in the Canadian prairies, so it makes for a rather bumpy ride. So I maybe managed to get two hours of sleep at most.
The competition (both Saturday and Sunday) was a team competition. It was very interesting for me because in Canada, apart from the small team competition in which I participated at the Canada Winter Games, we never have team competitions. Team competitions have a bit more strategy involved. For example, you have two athletes per each weight category. Depending on the opposing team's player, you can choose which athlete you think has a better chance of winning. And in team competition, you are allowed to have a draw. Normally, a match can only end once a winner has been declared. But in team competition, hikiwake (a draw) only means that no points are accorded to either team. And it gets quite heated sometimes. Because sometimes, both teams will have the same number of wins and all the presure is on the last fighter of the team.

How did Tokai do? The women's team made it into the 3rd round, just coming short of the finals. They beat two universities but then lost to the same team they lost to last year, which put them in third place. The men's team won first place, defeating four universities to do so. They were spectacular. I have to admit, the men were are lot more interesting to watch. Their throws are more powerful and unlike the women's matches, their fights will almost always end with a perfect throw. Womens have more of a tendency to drag out the match and win by points. And, the men usually take bigger risks during a match which is what makes it more exciting to watch.

The athletes warming up

Teams all lined up: almost look like stacks of dominoes : p

A few pictures of the judo girls (all doing the signature Japanese pose lol)


Yuki and Kimiko

 

Miyu and Yutaka



Eri (left) and Ayaka

The womens team (facing front)

If you ever want to see what nice cauliflower ears look like, come to a judo tournament in Japan. There are some of the nicest ones here. Here's a picture for those who aren't familiar with what it is.

This is a milder case of cauliflower ear (Note: I do not own this picture)

 Both the women and men have it here. I've seen some in Canada but definitely not as many as in Japan. So it's pretty easy to determine who does judo, or was a judo player when they were younger.

 After the tournament on Saturday, I went to Kimiko's home to stay for the night. Before arriving to her house, we took the train to Motomachi station, which I was told is one of the most popular stations in Kobe. We walked around the station. There are so many little shops and restaurants. You could spend the day there, just walking from one boutique to the next, tasting something here and there. We also visited the China town.

Kimiko, Eri, and me

After that, we went together with Kimiko's family to an onsen. An onsen is a public bath. Very popular here in Japan and everyone who's Japanese has visited  an onsen at one point in their life. You have to remove all clothing. Then you have to shower and wash yourself. Only after can you enter the bath, which is like a hot tub really. So I can now say that I went to an onsen. And I'm sure I'll go again many times during my stay. Great for relaxing tight muscles and aching body parts.

Later, we went to one of their friends' house where we shared a meal outside. Kind of like a barbecue, except instead of hamburger patties and hotdogs, we had soba noodles and grilled meat.

The next day, after the tournament ended, we took the bus back home. I arrived at midnight. At 11 o'clock, the north gates are closed so I had to ride all the way to the south gate to be able to enter the campus. Then the dorm's doors also close at 11 o'clock so I had to open the kitchen window, throw my bags inside and jump in (a well known trick here). I felt like a burglar lol. Anyhow, all that that counts is that I made it inside. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to enter and have to spend the night outside.

Now I have the rest of the week off from school. And judo only restarts Tuesday evening. So I can rest a bit.... not really lol. Today I'm off to retrieve a box of clothes and books that my mother sent not long after my departure. It finally arrived in Japan at my host family's house so I'm going to get it today. I'll be taking the train alone for the first time so wish me good luck! ; )

Please be patient...

To my faithful readers, I know I haven't been updating as regularly as in the beginning. For my defense, I'll tell you that I have very little time between classes, judo, and studying. I'm living a busy life! And if I have a bit of free time, I try to catch up on some ZZZs (sleep) or get a headstart on the next chapter in my Japanese textbook. Furthermore, things are starting to feel like routine now so I don't feel the need to update as often. It's incredible how quickly we adapt to a new environment or way of life.

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Yasuhiro Yamashita (note: I do not own this picture)

I saw Yasuhiro Yamashita yesterday. For those who are not familiar with him, he's probably the most famous name in the history of judo, aside from Jigoro Kano (the one who created judo). He took the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles as well as numerous other gold medals at World Championships. He also went undefeated for almost 8 years, with 203 consecutive victories.

He is still an imposing man but he looks like he could be 30 years old or probably even less! (according to Wikipedia, he's 54 years old now). I think it's mostly due to his facial traits that make him appear much younger than he really is. Anyhow, it was amazing to just be in the same room as him and to finally get the chance to see him with my very own eyes after seeing his face numerous times on video clips or the Internet.

A few more interesting things about judo at Tokai University:

- there are special days for blue guis. If you grip left-handed, you're allowed to wear a blue judogi on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you're right-handed, you can wear a blue gui on Mondays and Fridays. They're very conscious about gripping stances here and so different colored guis are worn to help fighters pick their opponents according to their gripping style.

- they don't stop... even if you're almost off the floor, or leaning against the wall, they will almost never stop trying to throw you until someone has landed on the mat.

- there is a clear separation between the male and female athletes. In Canada, I'm used to training with boys and following the same training regiment. But here, the two teams have their own training schedules. A few boys will sometimes come down to the girls' practice to be partners for the bigger or more experienced girls but that's about it.

- there is a clear hierarchy in the judo club, what they call sempai and kohai. If you are a first-year university student, you're at the bottom of the chain. If something needs to be done, the first-years are responsible. Before practice, they have to sweep the mats, bring out the ice, hand out the belts, etc. And they always have to be very respectful with the older girls. It's a new concept for me. Back at the U of M, the younger athletes are expected to show respect for the older and more experienced fighters. But that's all. No need for bowing or using more polite language. But in Japan, it's very important, and not just in the sports clubs. In all situations, if someone is superior to you (in age or rank within the company for example), you must use a more polite form of speaking and be very careful of not being disrespectful in any way.


Coming up:

- Tomorrow (Friday), I'm taking the night bus to Amagasaki along with the other judo girls. There is a big team competition in which both the men's and women's teams are competing. I'll be staying with one of the athletes' family. I'm also told that I'll have the chance to visit an onsen, which is a hot spring. They're very popular here and I've heard a lot about them so I'm curious to see what they're like.

- There is a student festival next week, which means no school for a whole week!!! Judo doesn't stop of course but having that one week break is something I've been waiting impatiently for since we first learned about it. Apparently, there are supposed to be little tents and shops set up around campus that sell little souvenirs or delicious food. Pictures guaranteed! : )

Morning rush

For the first time, I was late to practice. This morning we had a skills practice at 7:00 AM. I set my alarm clock for 6:00. But occasionally, it happens that I'll shut the alarm off (still half-asleep and not yet thinking rationally). Many of you have probably had the same experience. So that's what happened this morning. I shut the alarm off and went back to sleep... only to wake up at 6:55!!! Ahh!!! I have never gotten dressed and ready for judo so fast in my life. Thankfully the dojo is only a 5 min walk away from my dorm (this morning, it was more like a 2 min sprint). So I was only 5 minutes late. Still, being on time is important for me and especially important in the Japanese culture. And perhaps even more so when it comes to a sports club. So I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again.