Squid on a Rock

Aug. 3-Aug. 7

This week at work has actually been slightly more busy, even if some of it was errand running. We’ve practiced driving to our different schools, we’ve met important people (including the mayor), we got cell phones (mine is shiny and green!), and we picked up the final two JET arrivals to Himi from the airport.

Tuesday night Alex and I ate spaghetti in his apartment and then went downstairs to go help Cory celebrate his last night before moving out and forfeiting his apartment to the new CIR. I had a lot of fun and got to meet many of the younger Japanese people that he works with. He also gave Alex and I some of the leftover stuff that he couldn’t take with him. Don’t worry, we left plenty for the new guy!

Wednesday is when we went to go pick up Katie and Joe the new ALT and CIR respectively. It was fun being the one holding the Welcome sign (which is now decorating my wall until I can find some better stuff to personalize with) and pretty crazy that after only a week I’ve already become possessive of Himi. Both seemed exactly the way I felt when I was picked up: nervous, excited, still jet-lagged, and really hot in the business suit every JET was told to wear. So far they both seem really nice (even though we don’t see as much of Joe because ALTs and CIRs have different jobs) and I’m sure everyone will settle into a new routine.

That night we took the newbies (HA, I can relinquish that title after only a week!) out to a sushi place called Manyou. Apparently this is a Wednesday night tradition for the JETs (we didn’t go last week because it was closed) and Masa, the owner, speaks good English and does a lot of stuff with the JETs. For example, he told us that on Mondays he picks up anyone who is interested and drives them to the gym. Since there were so many first timers to his restaurant he made us a very delicious sample platter. I can’t wait to go back next Wednesday!!

Thursday was when we met the mayor. He asked us questions about where we were from (in Japanese) and had us show him on a map. I’m pretty sure I embarrassed myself with my Japanese but it’s the thought that counts. While chatting we were given the local Himi barley tea and told about how research is being done that shows that it can help prevent cancer and make the skin smooth. Then before we left we were given a can of the latest Himi tea product that was supposed to make you a “pale skinned beauty.” I actually really like it and will probably drink it again in the future.

The rest of the day was spent attempting to get phones-a frustrating process that I wasn’t even able to complete in one day. This apparently sets the record. John says the previous longest amount of time was 6 hours. Regardless, I finally got it the next morning!!!

Dinner that night was the Group B Welcome party. While waiting for others to show up at the station we explored the decorations they set up for the tanabata festival. We wrote wishes and tied them to a tree.

These are wishes people wrote down and were then tied up. John snuck into the right hand corner of the photo.

John and I taking a goofy festival photo op.

Me posing with my wish. I was trying to make the same face as the smiley I drew on the paper. Hopefully, even if you see what I wrote my wish will still come true!

For the dinner we went to a different place than for the Group A one but I actually like it better. The restaurant is known for (at least to JETs that had been before) their ika no ishiyaki or squid on a hot rock. The raw squid comes out to you on a large heated stone that you then use to cook the squid with. It was really good!

Ika no ishiyaki! Squid on a hot rock on a salt brick on a cute wooden serving dish.

Friday consisted of another formal meeting, this time with the superintendent. We had a short ceremony where we were officially handed our contracts. That night all the Himi people went to the beach and then out for okonomiyaki. The beach was fun again but Katie got stung by a jellyfish…at least we don’t know what else could have caused the welts on her leg. Luckily she is fine. The food was a lot of fun because you get to cook it yourself. Completely by accident we showed up on the one year anniversary of the restaurant so we each got a free drink and all the toppings for the okonomiyaki were only 100yen (about a dollar…well actually about 83cents but close enough).

Beach photo! No real waves because we are in the bay.

Since I'm already in love with Himi, here is another beach photo but this time with mountains too.

Me, Cody, John, and Katie cooking our delicious okonomiyai at one table...

...and Tamaki (not a JET but she works with the ALTs), Alex, and Joe at the table next to us.

Today we went to the beach again, this time farther away because we met some of our friends from other towns. The bike ride was pretty intense but the water felt good and we all had a good time splashing around and throwing the Frisbee. There was this kind of awkward time when this really drunk guy came up to the group and started trying to get us to go to his company’s party a little further down the beach. We managed to play it off like we didn’t know Japanese but instead he brought a cooler up to us and made us take some drinks. He was harmless but definitely odd. Not one of the better adventures I’ve had by standing out. After that we left and found a spot to eat a late lunch.