Yup, life..

So, I realize that it has been forever since I posted. I have had a lot going on in my life. Most of you have seen this through facebook.

One thing that is really awesome at the moment is the fact that I got a new keyboard to pair with my iPhone or Ipad, so I can blog on the go pretty easily. It doesnt mean that I will be blogging regularly, heck this post might be the first of not so many, but I wanted to do it and give you guys a small update even though most of you already know.

I am married. I couldnt be happier. I am content, full of joy, at peace and still continuing to grow. I love my wife and I love my life and I love her because she lets me be me. She loves me for who I am and I love her for who she is. Everyday will be a chance to grow, understand, listen, and strengthen our relationship.

I am excited.

Furthermore, I have a new job (again) and I'm stoked about it. I'm driving again, and its not too bad driving in Japan, at least the little bit that I've done. It is extremely different from America, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Am I right? ...no really am I right?

Anyway, its late, and I just want to let you all know that there is a possibility that I could be coming back to this regularly to blog, but here is the thing.

This blog started as a way to share my experiences with you for a limited time. A year, maybe 2, but no one could have imagined 3+ with a wife and an actual life over here. So its no longer just a "oohh wonderful experience" this is actually a part of my life now indefinitely. I say that not to scare anyone (especially my wonderful family), but it has become more than just an adventure (even though I seem to have one every day). Its a job, its errands, its responsibilities and it is continuous learning (the language is enough to keep me busy).

So now that I have a job with normal hours, I plan to experience the culture MORE than I have been in the past. And maybe I'll start blogging about that, or maybe I'll update other things like facebook or twitter or instagram. Whatever it is, there will be a record somewhere even if this particular place is barren for a while. No promises.

Remember.

Smile!

UFO MADNESS!!!

Well Spring has officially sprung, and I just want to let you guys know that I am indeed still alive. Although I have been really really really lazy when it comes to this blog. I guess part of it is that I have been in Japan for a couple of years now and there are not so many mind blowing things to talk about. The other part of it is, well, I have been really taking it easy for a long time now.

Let's see, something quick to talk about. I had a new obsession the past couple months that I am trying to quit cold turkey. It is UFO catchers. So you know how in America you pay a quarter, or 50 cents to try and win a prize? You never do. Well, in Japan there is a strategy (and sometimes the people will even move things for you and TELL you how to win, how awesome is that?!) And I won so much stuff. SO much stuff, a big box full of stuff. But, alas, where am I going to put all of these things? How am I going to get them back to America? What exactly are they doing in my apartment other than sitting there? I had to stop. So, faithful readers (who may not be so faithful because I have not put anything new up here since last year), I am trying to stop. And I will show you some pictures and that shall be the end of my post.

It has been a wonderful, relaxing two years, and for all of you that are wondering, I will be out here for at least another 10 months (for those that can't do math, thats March 2012). Teaching adults is great, and I still teach the kids. Enjoy the pictures, and if you think "wow, this boy is crazy!" think this instead "at least he wasnt addicted to drugs"

-Jeremy

What Japan has helped confirm

I get to teach this child next month, its a baby girl and I'm in my costume. Great week. (No I wasn't hitting her, I was trying to get her to touch the key)

So, I figured I would write on this blog since, I know, I know, I havent written in ages.

Quick update, I just got finished with some follow up training for my kids classes. And man that was actually a pretty wild day now that I think about it. I had to do a demo lesson right on the LAST hour (of 4 slots). But it was ok because all the teachers loved my energy and two of the Japanese women who pretended to be my students were totally caught off guard by how crazy fun crazy fun crazy my lesson was. Good times.

Let's see, what else, I recently went to see a concert where a guy was playing a violin in a band. One of my friends has a friend who is part of a band and the guy was in the band and he played the violin beautifully. Its always moments like these where I wish I would have kept going with my trumpet, or had developed myself in another instrument. Hope is not lost, I'm still young...even though I'm getting older...good gracious it was my half birthday last Friday...less than six months and I'll be a quarter of a century old. *runs away screaming*

*comes back*

There are times, readers, where I'm in class and I think, "How perfect is this? I get to be paid to do what I've done for free, much to my dads dismay sometimes, talk." And to follow up with that, people, remember when I said things are just going to keep getting better even though they are better than anything I've ever experienced ever? Yeah, let the good times roll.

I gotta say, if you are running around all day, worried about every little thing, why not do the opposite. Slow down a bit and instead of worrying about the little things, appreciate the little things. One person I met out here put it the best. She told me when she prays, she didnt just thank God for the good things in her life, she also thanked Him for the bad things also while recognizing that what will be will be. Good things happen to people and more good things result from good things. But people, bad things happen to people also, and good things result from that as well. What seemed terrible for me a couple of years ago has now turned into one of the best things that could have ever happened. And no, I'm not saying that bad things are all based on perception, there are some REALLY EVIL BAD things out there, but think about it, what has made you angry today? Could it have been avoided simply by you choosing to either (A) Not make it such a big deal, (B) Ignore it or (C) smile and try to move on to something that will make you smile? Did you try any of those things? The next time something happens really, literally if you have to, take a step back and say "Will this even matter in a few days/weeks/months/years?" And if the resounding answer is no, then you know what, find a reason to smile. Dont try to find a reason to say "Today is terrible", take someone else's version of "terrible" and make it to your version of, "eh, its ok, I'm alive, I'm loved, and I appreciate everything, even if it makes me uncomfortable, I'm going to try to focus on the positive."

Yeah I know that had nothing to do with Japan, but actually it had everything to do with it. My positivity started with my mom and dad when I was younger, but it is carrying on because I'm not only changing my mindset, but my actions as well. You'll find that things aren't so hard to be happy about when you consistently wake up and say, "Today is going to be a good day."

Love you guys.

-Jeremy

A Japan Wedding

Yesterday I experienced something remarkable. Two people, in front of witnesses, professing their love for one another and letting their families know that they can now fully let go because they have found their souls counterpoint in another (thank you Wedding Crashers).

My co-worker from Amity (who finished before I did) finally got married to her boyfriend after 5 years of being together. She is such a wonderful person and I was so happy for her yesterday. As she was reading a letter she wrote to her parents, about 50% of it that I understood, I felt myself almost starting to weep because she was basically saying "I will always remember everything you both have done for me, but today Yousuke (her husband) is going to take care of me and you should not worry".

The ceremony itself was quite different from American ceremonies. No lie, the bride and groom together probably changed into over 8 different outfits throughout the course of the wedding. There was now "you may now kiss the bride" it was actually more befitting of 2 wedding receptions. The first, more serious one with speeches, congratulations, dinner, and thank you's and the next at a restaurant where people were mingling. I found it fantastic, but that wasn't nearly the most surprising part. The most surprising part of the wedding was that the bride, whom I love, asked me to sing at her wedding.

Apparently everyone was expecting me to be silly, and instead I surprised everyone with Brian Mcknight's "Still in love". I tried to post a video on this blog but it would NOT load up for some reason. Sorry everyone, but enjoy the post and the above picture :-D

All in all, my first Japanese wedding couldn't have gone any better unless I met my own future wife there...whiicchhhh mayyybee...nah..prolly not, but I did get a number ;)

-Jeremy

Miyajima!

So, I bought a new bag (yup..I guess it's a man bag..satchel..gay "anyone who has that is gay bag", whatever you want to call it, but I like it and it's handy so get off it!), and I put all my stuff in and headed to Miyajima, "One of the three most scenic spots in all of Japan (really)". It was gorgeous. Not only was the boat ride over there, which lasted all of about 10 minutes, awesome, but walking around the place was awesome too!!

And, I had an added surprise. There were deer just roaming about. Yup, not a care in the world. I actually ran into a deer who was chasing a little girl, it was hilarious (video below). I took pictures of the deer (and some with them too) and I gotta say, it was pretty mind boggling that these animals, who were not in a zoo whatsoever, were so chill around human beings. I imagine that's how it used to be at one point and time, animals and humanity living side by side in peace. Peace..what a concept.

Oh, speaking of peace, off the subject really quickly: I went to the Peace Museum last weekend. And I must say, I do not have any desire to go back unless absolutely necessary. I've been to the Holocaust museum (in Israel) and I do not wish to go back there either. Seeing the Holocaust victims captured in photo was insightful and yet overwhelming, and yet, seeing the burn victims, the victims of a catastrophic man made disaster up close and personal in photos of the city where I now reside was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my whole life (please believe I am not comparing these two events, I am simply saying that being in the actual spot where it happened while looking at history is quite the feeling). How was the museum? Halfway through I thought it was over and I was about to cry from the images I had seen, and that was just of the city and reading about the people, I hadn't gotten to the actual overwhelming photos and intimate stories of survivors or witnesses yet. I saw burn victims, I learned about the lasting effects of radiation, I heard a story of a young boy on his tricycle who died during the blast. I heard stories of children who were evacuated way before their parents because Japan was in constant terror of air raids (let alone an atomic bomb) and something around the number of 20,000 children were orphaned because of the A-bomb. I felt shame, misery, guilt, sadness, and a resounding question of "Why?" Why did this even happen? "Pearl Harbor!! The Holocaust!! We were protecting ourselves!! They hit us so we hit them! We had to show our power!!" These were some of the answers dancing around in my head. What those ideas didnt know is that it was 2AM and time to go home from the disco. I didn't care for them. Not that I didnt care about ANY answers, but at this time, standing in THIS city seeing THESE photos understanding, or at least trying to understand, THESE people's pain especially since it was the first and only nuclear weapon used in the history of the world..yeah..those answers could get the **** out as far as I was concerned. These were people, innocent people. Chinese, Korean and Japanese people, all innocent. And while they were begging for water, looking for their children, searching for their parents, trying to survive, wondering if the blur between life and death would just clear up and choose, they were asking the same question...Why?

After going there and watching Avatar I was pretty anti-war that day. Every one of you, if you ever get a chance, should check out some of the history and photos of the people of Japan when they got hit with the blast. Whether it's through google or you get a chance to go to a memorial museum yourself, get informed, it will overwhelm you.

So back to Miyajima. GORGEOUS!!! I had a great day and throughly enjoyed my second real weekend in Hiroshima. Wow, it's only week 4.

-Jeremy

SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 AND A WHOLE LOTTA WORLD CUP ACTION!!

These guys thought I was so cool, read on to find out why?

So I know it has been a very very very long time since I have written in this blog. But I figured that since something so memorable happened last night I had to write about it.

As you all know, I am in Hiroshima. I have officially been here for a week and I have to say what most of you already knew before it even happened (you dog on psychics you), I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I live a bit on the outskirts of the city. Only about a 15 minute cab ride, or about a 25 minute train/tram ride. It is fricking fantastic!!!

Anyway. I am not a big fan of soccer. It's not that I don't have respect for the sport, it's just not my cup of green tea. But last night will forever be etched in my memory. My new co-worker, Tim, is a huge soccer fan. He is from South Carolina. Very funny dude. He asked me if I wanted to go downtown to watch Japan vs. Paraguay. I wasn't up for it three days before he asked me, but the day of I decided what the heck. On the way to the bar that was showing the game it hit me, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am in Japan, during the World Cup and Japan is in the final 16. I may not be in Japan in four years, and even if I am, there is no guarantee that they will be back. So I am getting extremely excited.

As I get to the bar, there are already a fair amount of people present. More and more people begin to squeeze into a bar that can safely hold about 75, maybe less, and yet there had to be well over 100 people crammed into that place. Before the game I just decide to start yelling, because hey, it's World Cup and I'm the only black foreigner there, so I'm standing out easily. I just stand up on my bar stool a bit and yell "YEAHHHH!!!" and people look at me, and slowly everything just starts yelling, "YEAHHHH!!!" By the end of the game, every time ANYONE would yell something, EVERYONE in the bar was looking toward me. Fantastic times.

After everything was said and done, Japan lost after overtime due to place kicks. I have never been a part of something that massive before. The entire COUNTRY, not just fans in a bar rooting for a football team, or a basketball, or baseball team; but fans from the entire COUNTRY are pulling for their team, their pride, their place of origin like nothing I've ever experienced or witnessed before in my life. I have to say it was probably the single greatest moments in sports that I have ever been a part of, and yes, I love that the Packers won Super Bowl 31 and that my dad got to be a part of that and that I was there, but to be in a NATION that is pulling for the same team that hardcore...you could feel it in the air when something great happened and the loss itself was devastating, even to me, a non-soccer fan.

I have my Wii and my PS3 and my TV back that I bought here in Japan, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Street Fighter IV are wonderful. New Super Mario Brothers is fantastic and Tim likes to come play with me. And I still have 2 more games I haven't opened that I bought from the States for these two systems.

Life is grand, no complaints, work is WONDERFUL my co-workers are awesome, and the feeling I am getting is amazing. All of you thought I was joyful and content last year? Pssstt..here's a secret...it's gonna be better than that!!

Have a good one!!

Two twins Three triplets Infinite realization

Because this post is so serious, I figured I'd give you a funny photo

This is me pretending I found out I have a 2 year old daughter in Japan

Not one of my students, girl's daughter of whom I met a couple of weeks ago

The weeks have been going by faster than they have seemed to in the past. My articulation, ability to understand Japanese, ability to understand broken English, and just feeling like I actually belong (more-so than I have) in Japan amongst such a great group of people is setting in with my thoughts shifting from my current home to my new home. But, even though I was so excited to receive my new job in Hiroshima, excited to meet new people, excited for new experiences and even more ecstatic about more learning, I had a realization yesterday that was even more confirmed today, I'm going to miss my kids.

The greatest aspect about starting a new adventure is that it is simply new. The worst thing about starting a new adventure is, at some point and time it is going to change. New relationships become stronger ties, meeting new people becomes easier, but at some point and time people must say goodbye.

Yesterday I had two amazing little children. Not because they are smart, not because they are the cutest, but for some reason, I love them and I understand them. I taught them last year during one of my baby classes for a couple of months, but because it was one mom with two children (twins) she was getting a bit tired every week because she was also bringing her four year old daughter to Amity as well. Did I mention she is about 27 and smaller than my mom? I swear, the woman looks like she could be my age or younger and she is toting around twins and a four year old, and you know what, she loves it. So ever since I met these two children I've always loved them, because I see how much their mom loves them. Quick side note, to all of you people who don't ever want to be parents, I pity you. Trust me, I get where you are coming from now, there's no way I want to be a dad, but that's at this MOMENT...when I get married and have kids, man, that's going to be something. Cause if I feel this way about kids that arent biologically mine, how much more am I going to love my own children. I seem to recall saying this about a year ago for a certain group of youngsters in the states to. Understanding goes a long way toward building relationships, no matter the age.

Yesterday was my second class teaching the twins. They had me last week and the girl cried the entire 40 minutes, the boy on the other hand only cried for about five and then chilled out. This week I had higher expectations, or I expected them to flip with the boy crying the whole time and the girl being calm, hey, they are twins, yin and yang I thought.

What happened yesterday has never happened to me before. I felt a bond with these children. I was there teacher but I felt like their parent. After they calmed down, especially the girl, bless her heart, they were very attentive and they did something that none of my students ever did: they asked questions the entire class. Granted, it was in Japanese, but I was answering them in English. We were learning colors so they kept asking what this Disney characters name was, if this "emotion" face went with this character (I have baby Mario and Luigi faces to demonstrate "I'm happy" ect... and I put them on my actual Mario and Luigi characters, it works like a charm). I sat them down next to me and the entire class we just went through,

"Yes Fuka (FOO-KAH) this is honey (Pooh), and his shirt is red. ""

"Red?"

"Yes red."

"Zoo desu (ZOH-OH DEH-SU)?"

" Yes Fuka, but it's "elephant" in English"

"Eferant"

"Yes good job."

To go from wanting mommy and screaming in my ear to being genuinely interested in everything I was saying, guys, it was an epiphany, I love kids and I love hard. I know I have another couple of months, but they are taking my class next school year (which starts in April) and just thinking of handing them over to another teacher when we connected so much yesterday, part of me doesn't want to.

That realization got confirmed today when I had my triplets. Yes, triplets. Although, instead of the mom darting out immediately to try to get them comfortable with the class on their own (which I totally prefer this and crying to the mother staying and them being ok, sometimes trial by fire is what these children need, at least for 40 minutes, especially since they'll be starting with me soon), she stayed, along with their older sister (whom I also taught last year a couple of times, she's 7, and she's a sweetheart).

There were two girls and one boy and they are also 3. One girl, in Japanese kept saying, "I don't want to be here he's scary!" and the other two were holding their family close. I backed as far away as I could, put on my smile, sat Japanese style (look it up on the internet, I dont feel like explaining it) and slowly brought out Mario and Luigi, along with their "happy, sad, angry etc..." faces. One girl was still hiding and the other two were just as wary even though they weren't crying. I knew not to get close, not to touch them, let them come to me. Suddenly they heard a sound strangely familiar "HEY! HELLLOOO!" and I looked around and said,

"What? Who said that?"

"HEYYYY GUYS! HELLO!"

"Huh, who is that? Who's that?"

"HELLO!"

All of a sudden the voice of Mario and Luigi brought them from out of their shells, just a little bit. They were intrigued, yet, full of pause. They were curious and yet cautious, there was no way they were going to drop their guard for a second, not with this big 6'2 man in the room who probably wanted to take them away from their mother forever. Slowly, I go through and say:

"How are you?" in my Mario voice (for those of you who haven't realized it yet, it was me doing my baby Mario and Luigi voices).

"I'm happy!" said Mario.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the girl who said I was scary smile through her tears and quickly hide behind her mother. Got her...

I went through all of the feelings then I took a chance; I pushed the faces closer to the triplets and said, "touch happy" The boy stepped forward and then thought, "to heck with it" and hit happy, the middle sister followed suit, and finally, the younger sister came out from behind her mothers legs while peeking her nose around her outer thy and inched forward. I said,

"Come on, you can do it, I promise you'll be ok."

*BAM*

SUCCESS!!!

From that point on it got better and better to the point where the mom was able to leave out of the room and I taught the kids the "OK" sign while asking them in English, "Are you ok? It's ok." They nodded their heads in approval. We blew bubbles, played with a squeeky hammer, and learned our colors. We played hide and seek with the color cards and just laughed and laughed and laughed. It got to the point where I said, "Ok it's time to say goodbye" and the boy in Japanese asked me, "Why?!" And I was like "Because it's been 40 minutes we have to go." The girl who was most scared of me spoke the most, they were all smiles and the boy even called me Sensei (teacher).

I am looking forward to starting my new class with all 5 of these children next month, but I am terribly saddened that one day I am going to have to say goodbye.

-Jeremy