蒜山 - Hiruzen

This is a really beautiful area. Coming from a place in England that is flat as a pan-cake, I've always loved mountains and hills. It adds interest to the scenery and Okayama in general has this in spades.

We left early and drove up using the highway for the first time as you have to pay to use this, but it saved us a load of time and during Golden Week, places get pretty busy.

  

Hiruzen has some amazing view spots and is famous for having Jersey cows. Those who know me well, will know I love my milk and the milk here is amazing.  I know an ALT who works in Hiruzen and she gets the local milk as part of her local school lunch. Lucky.

We also tried some local Udon (I didn't know at the time but Hiruzen is actually famous for its Soba noodles) and those Udon aficionados and Japanese among you might be surprise to know that they serve Udon with cheese on top, made from the local Jersey cow's milk. It was nice and similar to Italian Carbonara, but there was way too much and it soon felt like a chore.

Golden Week

Golden Week in Japan is a national holiday, that doesn't actually run a week. It's a week where you have 2-3 national holiday days. I would have like to plan something special, but I've been so busy we had to just plan as we went along. But I've had a really good time as it gave me time to spend with Maki. Japanese people get very excited about Golden Week as they don't really get much time off, although some use it to finish jobs they wouldn't normally have time to do.

We got a change to drive up to Hiruzen, an area of 3 large mountains with some great views; as well as visit the local farmers market here in Shoo and take a trip to Yubara onsen and a very pretty waterfall with some Interac ALTs I've met locally. More posts to come on those soon.

For All You Japanese Food Lovers

Here is cheese, sandwiched between a layer of cheese. Cheesy.

A processed seafood block with an image running all the way through it. Think crab stick meets British seaside rock candy.

Whole Again

Maki has finally arrived! I picked her up from the airport yesterday and it's felt like forever since we've seen each other. It's a good feeling, but also a very strange one as it's hard to connect this life and my life in London. It's like she's been cut and paste into my life here, my two worlds have collided, making it all seem evermore more real. Maki is adjusting to life here too and I know she feels like she's just here on Holiday, as I did when I first arrive. It's good to have her here though and I think she'll be welcome of the break from all the stress of organisation before leaving (Thanks to all those who helped her out). Although she's currently as I'm typing stressed about what rubbish goes in which bin, cursing the confusing Japanese recycling system. Welcome home honey. But we have stuffed our selves with wonderful Japanese food today, so there are ups and there are downs.  

Okayama City Castle

It's a local Izakaya for local people...

Went back to my friendly local Izakaya for nomukai (Work drinks) with some of my teachers. It was rather surreal to see some of them in relaxed mode. One teacher was knocking back the sake like water and was rolling around within an hour. I found this rather odd as people seemed to ignore him. I think in the UK people would try and get them to slow down or at the very least make fun of them. Another one of the teachers seemed very much the life and soul of the party and a lot tried their best to speak English to include me! A good night had by all.

Stuff that wouldn't happen in England

Leaving my laptop on my desk and it still being there when I come back.

Getting school kids to clean the school at the end of the day.

Me putting a large poster about London in the school hallway with a picture of myself on it and no one drawing on a moustache (Although it's still early days).

Getting people to not only separate all their recycling, but to allow only certain types of recycling rubbish once a week and make people to take their rubbish to a centre place away from their homes.

Getting schools kids to fetch their food from the canteen, serve it out and clean it all aways afterwards with no throwing of food, leaving of plates and without apparently moaning!

Getting students to eat the healthy food they have carried and served without sneeking in chocolates or crisps.

Having different shoes for inside, outside, the gym and the toilet, and getting everyone to use them.

Saying “Ok, ok, ok.” When you've really no idea what I'm tell you! Grrrr!


Allowing very small children to make there way by themselves to and from school.