Nicole's Adventures in Japan

This weekend was amazing. It was great to get out of the city and enjoy the great outdoors. Aaron took us on a hike in the a gorge on Saturday. It was beautiful, it was like being home it was so green.

Then off to a BBQ on Sunday, in a beautiful park. However I could have done with out the bug bites.

This weekend was good. Friday instead of having our regular classes, the whole school went down to Sakae to see Kabuki theater. I was told it wasn't traditional Kabuki, but super Kabuki. Traditional Kabuki is like going to see a shakespearean play with out reading the cliff notes first. Some of the students were not excited. I on the other hand having no real idea what it was, was excited to go. Plus the not having to teach on a Friday was a plus.
The Kabuki theater, was very nice about the size of the Schnitzer concert hall back in Portland. The theater was a nice size and as teachers we got good seats and being the international teachers we probably had some of the best seats in the house. When we got there at around 9 am there was a morning meeting like normal, I understood none of it. However I was given a time schedule for the play and a very nice book, probably like the books you can buy when you go to concerts and plays back home. My first thought was how can I take it a part and use it in a scrape book, but I have since re thought that and will probably leave it whole. The costumes were amazing and very elaborate, the story was a bit hard to follow since there was lot of talking scenes and if my students thought it was hard to follow, well then you can imagine how hard it was for me. The play had some amazing scenes. One Fight scene the choreography was amazing, and as the scene went on the practically knocked down the whole set. knocking out back wall, throwing barrels. It was terrific. Then later there was a boat scene where the ocean came up and there was a storm. It was done very well an the ship it self the way it moved around the stage was very realistic. At the end the main character turns into a bird/angel, I am not really sure, but any ways he flies out over the crowd. That got some of the girls out of there seats.

Then on Saturday I went to a Barbeque in Kaiyra park with a friend from church. She invited a bunch of her friends to come and really it was only Theresa and I who spoke English. However it was still a lot of fun to get out of the city. There were some kids at the BBQ, they were really cute, and thought it was great fun when I got out my camera and took pictures. Plus one of the couples who came had a dog named Nana. She was really cute and friendly. I had a great day just hanging out and eating good food!!

Last weekend was a weekend of flowers. Saturday I went to see the irises and then on Sunday, I ventured out of Nagoya to find a the hydrangea festival. It was an adventure, and now I am feel more confident about my ability to get around by train, subway, and bus. It took two trains and a bus to get to the festival. It was well worth all the trouble. The trains weren't hard to figure out, I am getting much better at figuring out which one I want and which direction I want to go. So getting out to the town of Gamagori, wasn't hard, but then I had to figure out where to catch the bus and which bus to take and what time it was coming. Since it was a small town, not many people around and even fewer who looked like they might know enough english to help me. However about that time a bus arrived, so I got brave and asked. The driver was very kind, and showed me that I wanted but number 3 not 1 or 2. So then bus 3 arrived, however apparently it wasn't the right bus # 3. So then that driver was kind enough to point to a sign with the times for the #3 bus that I wanted. Except even then it was a little confusing. So finally the next #3 bus arrives and I ask the driver if this the bus to Katahara Onsen Mae, and I am in luck. However, all the way out there I worried that I would not know the stop, which was silly since that was the only place the bus was going. So finally I had arrived, they had a big sign welcoming us to the gardens. There were several venders there selling food and since I was a Hydrangea festival they were also selling hydrangeas. I paid my 300 yen and went into the garden. It was amazing, The whole hill side was covered in Hydrangeas of every shade of purple, blue, pink, cream and white imaginable.

I am just kicking myself because I should have taken more pictures. However I was brave enough to ask someone to take my picture. Okay I know I keep saying I am being brave. Well I tend to be shy about asking strangers for help. The fact that I still know very little Japanese makes asking for help even harder. At the irises I figured it was safe to hand my camera over to gentleman whose camera was even nicer then mine. At the hydrangeas, I found asked a women and then she made her daughter get up and take the picture. Both seemed happy to do it. Did I mention I was the only white person out at the festival. In the two hours I was out in Gamagori I did not see another white person. In Nagoya wondering around or even going to and from work I see other white people on a daily basis, and no I am not counting Mike and Justin. Anyway back to the festival, the hillside where the Hydrangea garden was is beautiful. I hiked up the hill and took a couple pictures. Both Grandpa's would have loved it. They were beautiful.

After the gardens I caught the bus, and headed back to Gamagori Station. The station is near the wharf on the ocean. I could smell the salt of the ocean in the air so I wondered closer to the wharf. I was hoping for a beach to walk towards, but no mostly an industrial area. Lots of ships and buildings. Eventually I wandered back to the station and headed home. It was a good day!!

Over the past couple weeks I have seen many beautiful flowers in bloom in peoples yards, and in the parks around town. Today I went and explored one of the parks the flowers were absolutely gorgeous. This park was celebrating irises, but it had a rose garden and many Hydragena

Many people were in the park today enjoying the nice weather and the beautiful flowers. I went to enjoy the flowers and to people watch. I had visited the park briefly before at night. I did not realize in the darkness how beautiful and green it was. Nagoya is a beautiful city and there are many parks. However it doesn't even come close to the greenness of Portland. So I am always on the hunt to find my quota of green. Tsuruma Park is definitely one of those places.

On Tuesday on my way home from school, I was hit by a taxi. I was headed across the street and he was coming up the street and neither of us saw each other in time to stop. He did hit me with the Taxi, but mostly he knocked me over so my right side is a bit sore. I have a lot of bruises but no broken bones, which I am very thankful for. After getting hit I think I was in a bit of shock, but then I slowly got better and nothing was broken the Taxi driver was very helpful. No English so I called the company who hired me so that I could figure out what he was talking about. Then his boss came and I tried to explain. Shortly after a police officer came and took down information from me and the taxi driver. It was about this time Crystal was coming past, she works at the Jr. High stopped by, and while she doesn't speak a lot of Japanese she speaks way more then me. She was very helpful. Shortly after that 2 more police officers came to look at the scene take pictures, and inspect the scene. About then it was determined that I should go to the hospital. I don't think I have ever scene a doctor more quickly. Their system is very efficient. The Taxi driver drove Crystal and I to the hospital and then talked to the staff there. With- in five minutes they cleaned the lovely scrape on my arm and bandaged it, which I will take a picture of as soon as the bandage can come off. Then they took x-rays and in like five minutes later they showed my the x-rays. Nothing was broken!!! Good news, but I am still hurting some. Then I was done and they were sending me home. Except the Taxi Driver showed us where the closest drug store was so I could get a prescription for these magic pads that make my shoulder stop hurting. I don't know what is on them but they are nice. Then the taxi drove me and Crystal home. And then I ate a little dinner and fell asleep.
Oh as a side note, my bike was fine and Crystal was kind enough to put both are bikes at the Jr. High since we were not to far from the Jr. High. So I had to walk to school this morning, which should be proof to any Grandmother or Grandfathers who maybe worried about me. I am going to the hospital again so they can change the bandage this afternoon. Cause it was a scrape but it was pretty deep, but it will be good in couple weeks. Truly I am fine and will be better in couple days.