Plum Blossoms

 A while ago, I was surprised to see a bunch of white fluffy things stuck to two of the trees in main field here. It wasn't snow or cotton, but it was still so cold out. I asked around and found out that these are the campus' plum blossoms which are notorious for blooming in late winter. They are so cute and they all cover the trees! They are such great flowers, I wish I could keep some. I couldn't get over the contrast between these soft little buds and the stark branches all around them. Hopefully some of these came out well, but I'm going to try and snag more photos later on.

The next exciting flower blooming time will be in April when all the cherry trees start up. ICU's main road is lined with cherry blossom trees, so I won't even have to travel very far to see some. Rumor has it, though, that everyone and their brother swarms our campus in the spring time to look at the flowers, so I might have to fight off an army of hanami (flower viewing) enthusiasts to get some good pictures when the time comes.

Zelkova Family Tree, the Basics

Just to warn you, this is a huge post with a lot of information! If you can't finish it all in one sitting, don't worry; this took me a few days to write.

Zelkova House is mostly for underclassmen here at ICU. That would explain the rather high security, strict regulations, and all the kids here under 20. But, for some reason, ICU decided that it would be a good idea to also open up the dorm to third year foreign students. Ummmm, lots of 21-something, party-loving, loud and proud, American students in a super-conservative, Japanese dorm? You really thought that was going to work? Hahahahaha!! It makes me laugh because it is numerous!

While I love my roommate and many of the other April students, it really has been a relief to have the other foreigners around. At first, I must admit, I wasn't too sure if I'd like anyone else here (my track record for making friends in my dorms has been pretty low), but during the fall term, a little group developed and started hanging out, eating out, talking, and doing a lot together. Most of the students are from Middlebury University, a language school in Vermont that I was interested in going to, but that was too, too expensive for me to think about for long. Then there is myself and a boy from Taiwan/New Zealand, but he's just here avoiding the mandatory army service for a while. The other students are 4 year regulars; most of them freshmen who grew up outside of Japan and now returned for college.

One of our members starting saying that we were like a family; something I normally find too clique, but it seemed to work here maybe due to some of the hostility from the Japanese students to our group. Pretty soon, we even started assigning family roles (mommy, uncle, sons) to the different people. I wanted to make a little family tree, but luckily enough one of the girls with more artistic talent than I beat me to it. (Note: I didn't draw it this way, but only the white or mixed kids have round eyes, but all the full-blooded Asians -Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean- have slanted/closed eyes. The one that says "Me!" is Mika, the artist.)

The relationships are all self explanatory, so let me introduce you to the family!

A baffled Matthew helping Yuta with English 

First, we have Grandfather Gan-san. His real name is Matthew, but Gan (or cancer) is just his nickname because he complained about getting too much sun on his unnaturally pale skin. He's rather tall, quiet, and timid, but a wiz at kanji! This boy knows words and kanji in Japanese that I haven't thought about in English for years. He is a huge Arashi fan, too (no, like you don't even know!) so I still get a frequent dose of boy-band banter with him.

Next is Lia, the mommy in the group. She is absolutely gorgeous, very responsible, a model student, and a grammar fiend! She'll make sure you speak good (I mean, well) if it kills you.  She's a great dancer and really fun in arguments because she never backs down. I love her fashion sense and she's always making sure we stay on task.

Elliott is smart-mouthed and cocky, but well informed and good to have on your side of an argument. You can't force this kid to do anything he doesn't want to. He's chill and usually practicing some new dance moves during class. His main interests seem to be his girlfriend, current events, and mocking/insulting his friends, mostly Kaze.

Kaze, Ellie, and Lia (left to right)

Kaze (really name is Tony?) is super quiet, Taiwanese film major whose studied and lived almost everywhere! We used to laugh at him a lot in Japanese class, but he's gotten much better now. He's also really sporty, swims, runs, and plays basketball. He usually takes care of everyone else at parties, and all the girls agree that he's such a gentleman and too sweet for words.

Ellie is so young and genki (really, I don't know where it all comes from), but this tall and thin Hong Kong model is such a good student and always has such nice things to say about other people. She dresses so well all  the time and is so curious about everything the group does or talks about. I am so jealous of her skin, hair, height, heart, everything! I'm so glad I met her!

 According to our family tree, Ellie's twin sister is Mika, who is sassy and surprising. I don't know when she's going to be quiet and when she's going to play music really loud! She did my mermaid-bubble make-up and is great with fashion, too. She has a way of making other people feel better and can calm down the boys after they get too rilled up.

Sho is the classic cool, no other way of saying it. He plays lacrosse, cuts class, is always in a constant "chill" mode, wears name brands, etc.; it continually surprises me that he and I are in the same circle. Elliott likes to rag on Sho for not being serious enough and partying too much, but that is just what he does. We've come up with a lot of nicknames for him, but my favorites have got to be "Shosuke" (a play off of "Ryosuke", a typical Japanese boy's name), "Feather Now Spring" (the direct translation of his name), and "Fo' Sho!"

Zelkova Family's "golden son" would have to be Rei. This kid can do lay down the law in Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, and cooking. I love listening to what he thinks about everything from the complications of life to the consistency of a pizza crust. He's really talented with films, directing, and impressions. Having him around always leaves me in stitches; either from laughing so hard or bending my brain around so new perspective he's shared with me. What is more, this energetic New Yorker has picked up the yo-yo as a new hobby and watching him practice some of his advanced tricks leaves me hypnotized most of the time.

Takana (not officially in the family), me, Kaze, Elliot, Lia,
Meghan, Jerry, Mikey (left to right)

Mikey acts as the uncle in our group. He's a wonderfully talented musician, who will hopefully be able to study abroad in California at a legitimate music school. The girls (myself included) always force him to play his guitar and sing for us until late into the night, sometimes even after his voice is dead. Sorry, Mikey! His family are professional Outrigger Hawaiian canoe racers and his arms are as big as my legs, I swear! He's usually practicing at the pool when he's not int he library, or trying to stop talking with us and get to either of those places.

Jin plays sister to both Mikey and Elliott in our family tree. She's our Korean beauty, very mature, and a fantastic cook! Sometimes she'll treat the group (well, okay, mostly Elliott who misses his mom's food) to spicy and tasty Korean meals with names I can't remember (I think "thug" was one of them?). She's a great dancer and was even learning Arabic dancing, which made me happy to hear. It is good to just sit and talk with her when I'm feeling stressed or fried  from too much drama. She has even offered to help me learn the Korean alphabet! To think, she's had to learn to speak two languages fluently and is practically fluent in Japanese too. What a smart girl!

Jerry is a great balance to Lia. In the family structure, he is my dad because is the only non-Asian guy we have in the group. He's loud (always) and is not afraid to let you know that you're wrong, so get used to it. He reminds me a lot of my high school friend, Mike; he loves languages, studying cultures, and getting into debates. He is a great source of knowledge for Asian music, especially Korean and Hamasaki Ayumi. Now, I thought that I enjoyed a good stroll, but Jerry loves walking so much, he's refused to buy a bike because he knows he'd rather walk somewhere instead. Power to you, Jerry.

If Jerry is Mike, that would definitely make Meghan Sophie (and Lia would be Rashmi, come to think of it. Would that make me, me? Or is there someone better suited for that position? Regardless.). Meghan and Jerry always go off on Spanish tangents since both of them grew up in Hispanic households, but their arguments look so lopsided since Jerry is so much bigger and taller than Meghan, although she's got enough spunk for both of them!

Then there is same old, same old Zaiton, the oldest cousin in the Zelkova family. Zaiton is the romanization (or latinization) of the Japanese pronunciation of the American version of my family name. I would have done the Arabic pronunciation but Japanese doesn't really have an "tuu" sound and anything close to it wouldn't be close at all. It is better this way, and I'll let you all know when I find the right kanji for it.

Yuta is the newest member to our group. He was always getting help from Matthew and then came over one night. He doesn't talk much, but we try to get him into the conversation From what we've been able to gather, he's wicked tall, plays on (or is the captain of) the volleyball team, and likes (among other artists) Justin Bieber. Hahahahaa, he'll learn. Yuta is one of the only April students who is willing or bold enough, not only to hang out with us at the dorm, but in public, too! He's really laid back, which is good for our group dynamic, but I worry that we might scare him sometimes. In the family system, he got to pick where he wanted to be, and decided to be Ellie and Mika's older brother (he specifically asked to be under Kaze and not Elliott).

That wraps it up for the current family members.Why mention all these characters now? Well, we constantly have family outings, dinners, and parties, so it is all preparatory knowledge for later stories and blogs. Sorry for making this so long, but it needed to be done. お疲れ様でした。Good work for reading all of this! I'll try to make the next ones short, sweet, and interesting.

Bonsai Tree

Since fall term, Mrs. Kaji and I have been meeting for weekly English-Japanese language exchanges, having tea and cookies, and reading books together. She knows that I like traditional culture, so she always gives presents and treats. But this week (starting from St. Valentine’s Day, actually), she and Mr. Kaji had to leave on family business, so I am taking care of….ready for this?....their bonsai plant. That’s right, the tree, I, and Miki are all living together in for this week. I introduced the tree to Miki and everything the first night I got it. Before she left, Mrs. Kaji gave me instructions on how to water it with this little spritz bottle once a day, but I think my room is too dry for the plant. After the first day, I told Miki,*この盆栽は私のこのがあまり好きじゃないと思うよ。もう四枚の葉が落ちたし、かじさんもいないから、盆栽は死にたいそうなぁ。(See, Anna? I use Japanese in daily life – might not be correct, but I use it). All I have to do is make sure this little tree lives until Mrs. Kaji gets back from her trip. She would be so disappointed if it died while she was gone! **今からもよろしくね、盆栽ちゃん。


*"I don't think this bonsai likes me very much. Because 4 leaves have already fallen and Mrs. Kaji isn't here, it seems like it wants to die."
**From now on, be good to me, little bonsai.

Robot Tour!!!

Having only two weeks off for Christmas vacation isn't quite what I'm used to, but I made sure to make that time count this year! With the help of one of my best friends, Gina (we would have brought you with us if we could have, Anna Sophia), I got to backpack across Japan in the "Long-awaited, Cross-country, Pan-Japan, Caffeine-infused, Giant Robot Tour of 冬休み2010". Special featured performances by random bus friends, McDonald's lady, Miki's family, helpful direction givers, Nagoya Hoststay family, and the Japanese train system.

"Was it epic?" you may ponder. "What about Giant Robots is ever un-epic?" I would respond.

The exciting saga is airing on my blog as of March! Stay tuned for more!

Goofy Sailors: Jorren

Have you ever heard news that you thought was so amazing, so fun, and so astounding that you became more excited than the person who told you/it happened to?Haha, well, guess who is feeling that way now!?

My friend Jorren (aka the Pink OYRanger) is a very kind boy from the Netherlands whom I met through Wadaiko Club. He's blonde-haired, blue-eyed, silly, strong, and 6 foot something, which means that the Japanese absolutely LOVE him! I can't get over this kid's accent because it is so soft, but definitely there, and I'm so used to him speaking English, that whenever he speaks in Dutch, it totally knocks me for a loop. I want to keep this kid in my pocket always! He says things like, "I'm sorry: I'm not a native speaker" when he bumps into you accidentally and is always playfully taunting the French girl in our club. Seriously, he is one of the best people on the planet!

Did I mention that this guy has height? And is really cute? So, small wonder why we've been asking him all year to model in Japanese magazines, right? Do you see where this is going? *If not, just check the pictures on either side of this post - it will come to you* .

..........He finally did a modeling shoot! Haha! He had a day free and did a one-time modeling gig for POPEYE the Japanese men's magazine. Jorren, I'm so proud of you!! The topic was called "Goofy Sailors" which fit his personality perfectly. Of course, I bought the magazine (only because he is in it) and I've been showing it off to as many people as I can find! Miki has even agreed that we need to email these photos out to everyone in the club. But I ran out of people here, so I'm showing you all through the power of the Great Internet.

Anyway, I'm just procrastinating a little but, but I do have a slew of stories for you all; I'll post them (or, rather, write them) just as soon as finals are over. Happy St. Valentine's Day, by the way!

The Yakiniku Ojiisan

The other night, I was wondering the neighborhood in search for ice cream and vegetables, when I stumbled upon the mysterious, late night, yakiniku stand! I've seen this stand before, but I was always headed somewhere else or didn't have money at the time. That night, I decided to make a friend.

Allow me to introduce you to my Nashi Obaasan replacement: Yakiniku Ojiisan (Barbecue-Meat Grandpa)! While I was waiting for the chicken to cook, I spoke to my new Ojiisan and found out his life story. He is now retired, but in his younger years he was a chef at various international resorts and hotels. He lived in a variety of places, but one of them was Shizuoka, one of the locations that Gina and I visited in the winter. We were able to chat about that for a bit (fun fact: Shizuoka is famous for tea and quiet, lovely fields, by the way). While his family has always had this house (seen in the back ground) he would stay in apartments and the hotels when he lived in other cities. Even now that he's retired, he loves cooking for other people and he sets up this stand outside his house every night to serve the after work crowds. The menu is pretty cheap for chicken, beef, or vegetables with salt or special sauce.

He was very nice and even posed so I could take this picture. The food was great, and I'll probably go back for another late night snack. No more pears, but I at least can get tasty chicken. :)

A Rumbling

Saturday February 5th, 2010, 10:56 am - ICU campus in Mitaka, Japan

So, there I was, watching a Super Junior music video, doing my Japanese homework, and eating a Snickers my dad sent me, when I started to feel like someone was shacking the couch! Who would be so rude? My friends have all left the dorm for the day, the cleaning ladies don't come near me, and I hadn't seen anyone come into the lobby, so who was shacking the couch?!

Answer: No one.

At first I thought that I was imagining it all: I was dehydrated, tired, something. But then I noticed that the boy in the other room was looking around a little, too. And the lamp was rocking back and forth, too. Why is everything moving around?!

Answer: An earthquake.

I sat and waited through the rest of the tremor, deciding that it was too quiet and calm of a shake to warrant my finely honed Middle School Earthquake Safety skills. Afterwards, I opened up a new tab in Google Chrome (which I love and highly recommend) and found out that I had just experienced a JMA Seismic Intensity 2 earthquake. Here are some other figures I found posted almost immediately after the incident occurred.

Occurred at (JST)	Latitude (degree)	Longitude (degree)	Depth	Magnitude	Region Name
10:56 JST 05 Feb 2011	34.8N	140.7E	70km	5.2	Chiba-ken Nanto-oki

I would be one of the blue dotes on this map.

You know what this means, don't you? This is my second, conscious earthquake in Japan! Horray! I must admit, it wasn't quite the tush massage the last one was, but rather a sea sick sort of feeling. From where I was sitting, the couch was moving, but the world was still, so it was boat-ish, I feel. Still weird, still fun, just thought that you would like to know.