hey all,
Got another busy week here. Job applications, maybe teaching as a substitute on Thursday, and the rest of the time just teaching. I've even got a special lesson this Sunday: a special lesson so parents can come and see their kids' classes.
The weekend was nice and relaxing though. Michi, her father, and I went to her family's second house near Karuizawa. The place has a lot of interesting history. Several hundred years ago, a nearby volcano erupted, and the area is still strewn about with lots of rocks, boulders, and solidified lava. More recently, John Lennon took a liking to the place as a good getaway from the heat and crowds of Tokyo.
So Michi and I got to do a little bouldering, but the rock was really weak: maybe half the hand holds would start to crumble or just break away completely when you tried to put your body weight on them. We also ate some incredible duck soba, and did a little gardening. Can't say the gardening was too exciting, but I did get to climb a tree and hack off some branches that had been creating unwanted shade in their yard. (Of course, I got to use my rock climbing harness and some slings to make sure I was safe while in the tree, too.)
I'm still on a tight budget: I have 25 days until my next pay day. But there is light at the end of the tunnel: my next several paychecks should be good, plus this past weekend I hardly spent any money at all. It is hard to refuse when your girlfriend's dad (who is built like a football player, and actually reminds me of a lot of my late grandfather) insists on paying for everything.
Something of a culture note. When you first come here and start to ride the buses, trains, subways, and what have you, you might notice that the Japanese announcement seems to last a lot longer than the English announcement. This is because they are telling you things that have apparently been deemed not important to tell foreigners. They tell you to watch your step when you get off the train, sometimes they tell you what side of the train the exit will be on at the next stop. On my bus, they tell you all about the shops and sights close to each stop, none of which would be interesting to foreigners, of course. We hate shopping and seeing things in the countries we're visiting/living in.
Also, as you start to become a little better at the local language, you'll start to wonder what people are talking about. They'll sound so upset, or excited, or it'll just seem like a really fun conversation, and you wish you could understand what they were saying. And then one day, on your morning commute, you'll find yourself wishing that the two school girls behind you would stop talking about how there are no cool, handsome, fun, sensitive guys at their school, and how so-and-so is so lame, or such-and-such is nice but lives too far away. And you'll realize that these are the same conversations that people are having in English in the US, it's just that you understand English perfectly, and so they're boring and even annoying to you, while the foreign language around you is just that: foreign, with different sounds, a different writing system, and a vastly different grammar, used by people coming from a wildly different history than your own country. And yet the school girls are still talking about how there are no cool, blah blah blah blah BLAH.
Anyway, I need to shower, brush my teeth, and shut my brain down for the evening.
Cheers,
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Alphabet Woes
hey all,
So I've had my first taste of the leash today. Previously, the vice principal at one of my schools had told me that one of my activities wasn't appropriate: the activity was drawing a face with an expression on it (happy, hungry, fine, sleepy), and then writing "I'm _________" below it. The face was fine, but this whole writing thing was apparently too hard for my 5th grade students. The students themselves didn't seem to mind, and the homeroom teachers' were mostly pleased about it.
Well, today, while she was talking to my coordinator about a different topic, it seems she brought this up. So, I was talked to by my coordinator about it as well.
I have no problem with making a fun lesson: most of my teachers and students come away from them smiling, so clearly I'm doing something right. But I refuse to do a lesson that is all fluff and no content: learning English can be fun, but learning the alphabet is part of English. There are only 26 letters, and I have plenty of songs, games, and coloring activities to go along with them. Japanese people learn kanji for 9 years (about 222 characters per year).
Besides which, they didn't have to know the alphabet to do this activity. I wrote "I'm ____________" on the board, and told the students to copy it, and write one of the feelings in the blank. The feelings are also written on the flashcards, so the students can just copy them. The students have already made name tags with their own names written in the alphabet, so what is the big deal here?
I have to agree with one of the people I interviewed with several weeks ago: the Japanese Education system doesn't want, and is not prepared to handle students who are good at English. Thus, my present situation.
Cheers,
So I've had my first taste of the leash today. Previously, the vice principal at one of my schools had told me that one of my activities wasn't appropriate: the activity was drawing a face with an expression on it (happy, hungry, fine, sleepy), and then writing "I'm _________" below it. The face was fine, but this whole writing thing was apparently too hard for my 5th grade students. The students themselves didn't seem to mind, and the homeroom teachers' were mostly pleased about it.
Well, today, while she was talking to my coordinator about a different topic, it seems she brought this up. So, I was talked to by my coordinator about it as well.
I have no problem with making a fun lesson: most of my teachers and students come away from them smiling, so clearly I'm doing something right. But I refuse to do a lesson that is all fluff and no content: learning English can be fun, but learning the alphabet is part of English. There are only 26 letters, and I have plenty of songs, games, and coloring activities to go along with them. Japanese people learn kanji for 9 years (about 222 characters per year).
Besides which, they didn't have to know the alphabet to do this activity. I wrote "I'm ____________" on the board, and told the students to copy it, and write one of the feelings in the blank. The feelings are also written on the flashcards, so the students can just copy them. The students have already made name tags with their own names written in the alphabet, so what is the big deal here?
I have to agree with one of the people I interviewed with several weeks ago: the Japanese Education system doesn't want, and is not prepared to handle students who are good at English. Thus, my present situation.
Cheers,
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Rainy Season
hey all,
This weekend was full of surprises. Friday, Michi and I suddenly decided to go rock climbing at our favorite outdoor spot, Yugawara, on Sunday. On Saturday, we were going to make gyoza, but her parents invited us over for dinner, and all of a sudden I was meeting her parents for the first time. I was really nervous, but they were really nice and dinner was good: barbecued eel with rice and vegetables, with a side dish of sea urchin (pretty sour, with an aftertaste that is similar to a vegetable or spice that I can't quite remember the name of).
One of her younger brothers all came to dinner (the one who cooked us dinner several months ago), but he wasn't too talkative: it looks like he and his wife might be getting divorced.
After dinner, we talked about movies and rock climbing, and finally Michi and I left and did a final check on the weather, only to find that the forecast had changed from cloudy to 100% rain. So we stayed indoors today: lunch at Jonathan's (a kind of Denny's or Howard Johnson's or similar family-themed restaurant), then we watched Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which was surprisingly good.
To top it off, on Saturday before meeting Michi, I received a call from the company that I interviewed with last weekend. I thought they would reply by email, and since I didn't receive a reply for a week, I thought they had decided not to continue the interviewing process. But now I will be doing a demonstration lesson for them this Thursday. I still have lots of questions about benefits, vacations, etc, but it's also just good to know that they are still interested.
Cheers,
This weekend was full of surprises. Friday, Michi and I suddenly decided to go rock climbing at our favorite outdoor spot, Yugawara, on Sunday. On Saturday, we were going to make gyoza, but her parents invited us over for dinner, and all of a sudden I was meeting her parents for the first time. I was really nervous, but they were really nice and dinner was good: barbecued eel with rice and vegetables, with a side dish of sea urchin (pretty sour, with an aftertaste that is similar to a vegetable or spice that I can't quite remember the name of).
One of her younger brothers all came to dinner (the one who cooked us dinner several months ago), but he wasn't too talkative: it looks like he and his wife might be getting divorced.
After dinner, we talked about movies and rock climbing, and finally Michi and I left and did a final check on the weather, only to find that the forecast had changed from cloudy to 100% rain. So we stayed indoors today: lunch at Jonathan's (a kind of Denny's or Howard Johnson's or similar family-themed restaurant), then we watched Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which was surprisingly good.
To top it off, on Saturday before meeting Michi, I received a call from the company that I interviewed with last weekend. I thought they would reply by email, and since I didn't receive a reply for a week, I thought they had decided not to continue the interviewing process. But now I will be doing a demonstration lesson for them this Thursday. I still have lots of questions about benefits, vacations, etc, but it's also just good to know that they are still interested.
Cheers,
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Knowing Nothing
hey all,
Earlier this week, I taught 3 classes to some first graders, who know absolutely nothing. They're really cute and all that, but man, they barely even understand Japanese.
It does take me back though. I remember going on a couple hour car trip to visit my great grandparents, and asking "What country are we in now?" I couldn't have been much older than those first graders I taught. Still, I asked them, in Japanese, for ways to say goodbye in English. And I got "Hello" about five times. This was after teaching that "Hello" is how you say "Konnichiwa" in English, and after pointing out, in Japanese, that Hello and Goodbye don't mean the same thing but actually the opposite. Even the 1st year teachers were cringing because their students couldn't understand that "Konnichiwa" and "Sayounara" are different.
I taught at one of my favorite schools today. I have two that I really like: one I teach at the most, where the teachers are friendly and the students are pretty diligent, and one where the principal lets me leave once classes are done. I guess that's a pretty crappy reason for liking a school, but they have me teaching using an electronic blackboard, and they really want me to use it (as I'm sure it cost a fortune). But that means teaching as much as possible from the book, which has some really nice parts, and also some really crappy parts. The songs in particular are so lame that I'd only attempt them with 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year students, not with the 5th and 6th year students (11 and 12 year olds) they're aimed at. At the other schools, I've been able to get away with using the book as little as possible as long as my lessons cover the same subject and I actually do a couple of the more fun activities from the book.
My other school not in my favorite list...well, the teachers are pretty nice, and the students other than the 6th graders are really good. But the 6th graders have some real attitude problems. When I see how they interact with the homeroom teacher, I can see that the teachers haven't done a good job of setting boundaries, so the students walk all over them. As a foreigner, it is a little difficult to come into that situation and get the students to listen, pay attention, and learn. For most classes, I can get by with saying Quiet (or "Shizukani" in Japanese), going Shhh, and doing my Quiet Coyote hand signal, which the younger kids love...But I've had to literally shout "Urusai!" (Loud, or Shut Up!, depending on context) at least once.
Tomorrow is my last day of work this week, and I've only got 3 days of work next week. I have one interview setup for Tuesday, and I'd like to fill Thursday with another if possible, but I also need to get a health check as my company said my current one expired.
This weekend, I might be meeting Michi's parents, but her dad might have to work on Saturday, in which case it'll get put off for a while. We'll see.
Cheers,
Earlier this week, I taught 3 classes to some first graders, who know absolutely nothing. They're really cute and all that, but man, they barely even understand Japanese.
It does take me back though. I remember going on a couple hour car trip to visit my great grandparents, and asking "What country are we in now?" I couldn't have been much older than those first graders I taught. Still, I asked them, in Japanese, for ways to say goodbye in English. And I got "Hello" about five times. This was after teaching that "Hello" is how you say "Konnichiwa" in English, and after pointing out, in Japanese, that Hello and Goodbye don't mean the same thing but actually the opposite. Even the 1st year teachers were cringing because their students couldn't understand that "Konnichiwa" and "Sayounara" are different.
I taught at one of my favorite schools today. I have two that I really like: one I teach at the most, where the teachers are friendly and the students are pretty diligent, and one where the principal lets me leave once classes are done. I guess that's a pretty crappy reason for liking a school, but they have me teaching using an electronic blackboard, and they really want me to use it (as I'm sure it cost a fortune). But that means teaching as much as possible from the book, which has some really nice parts, and also some really crappy parts. The songs in particular are so lame that I'd only attempt them with 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year students, not with the 5th and 6th year students (11 and 12 year olds) they're aimed at. At the other schools, I've been able to get away with using the book as little as possible as long as my lessons cover the same subject and I actually do a couple of the more fun activities from the book.
My other school not in my favorite list...well, the teachers are pretty nice, and the students other than the 6th graders are really good. But the 6th graders have some real attitude problems. When I see how they interact with the homeroom teacher, I can see that the teachers haven't done a good job of setting boundaries, so the students walk all over them. As a foreigner, it is a little difficult to come into that situation and get the students to listen, pay attention, and learn. For most classes, I can get by with saying Quiet (or "Shizukani" in Japanese), going Shhh, and doing my Quiet Coyote hand signal, which the younger kids love...But I've had to literally shout "Urusai!" (Loud, or Shut Up!, depending on context) at least once.
Tomorrow is my last day of work this week, and I've only got 3 days of work next week. I have one interview setup for Tuesday, and I'd like to fill Thursday with another if possible, but I also need to get a health check as my company said my current one expired.
This weekend, I might be meeting Michi's parents, but her dad might have to work on Saturday, in which case it'll get put off for a while. We'll see.
Cheers,
Monday, May 17, 2010
Spontaneous Delicious Food
hey all,
This weekend went pretty well. I did an interview Saturday morning, which was interesting and might lead to a full time job.
After that, Michi and I met up and hung out in a cafe for a bit, and then we made dinner. I've been thinking about food that I used to make in Holland and specifically about food that you can make with peanut butter. This lead to a spontaneous attempt to make my own version of satay, chicken with vegetables covered in a peanut butter-based sauce. It turned out really well, so well that I can't believe I didn't follow a recipe, which is something I almost never do.
After dinner, we watched a movie about a Japanese climbing couple who lost most of their toes and fingers after being trapped on a mountain in the Himalayas. Five years later, they successfully achieved a first ascent on a 1000m mountain in Greenland. Pretty inspiring, but also a little weird. I love rock climbing, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to come back (or if I'd want to) after losing half of my fingers.
Sunday was just hanging out in a park: cheap, but really great. we got to talk a lot, and the weather was sunny and warm, plus the park was bright green with all the trees. Money-wise, I've canceled my yoga classes, don't intend to buy any video games, or go to the rock climbing gym, until I get paid in June or unless I get a part time job or change to a full time job. The next 33 days will be pretty tight, but I'm shopping pretty smart, and I'm still eating well and having fun, so I'm not incredibly worried.
Cheers,
This weekend went pretty well. I did an interview Saturday morning, which was interesting and might lead to a full time job.
After that, Michi and I met up and hung out in a cafe for a bit, and then we made dinner. I've been thinking about food that I used to make in Holland and specifically about food that you can make with peanut butter. This lead to a spontaneous attempt to make my own version of satay, chicken with vegetables covered in a peanut butter-based sauce. It turned out really well, so well that I can't believe I didn't follow a recipe, which is something I almost never do.
- 100g peanuts
- peanut oil to taste
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons yuzu liquor (a Japanese citrus fruit)
- chili powder
- black pepper
After dinner, we watched a movie about a Japanese climbing couple who lost most of their toes and fingers after being trapped on a mountain in the Himalayas. Five years later, they successfully achieved a first ascent on a 1000m mountain in Greenland. Pretty inspiring, but also a little weird. I love rock climbing, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to come back (or if I'd want to) after losing half of my fingers.
Sunday was just hanging out in a park: cheap, but really great. we got to talk a lot, and the weather was sunny and warm, plus the park was bright green with all the trees. Money-wise, I've canceled my yoga classes, don't intend to buy any video games, or go to the rock climbing gym, until I get paid in June or unless I get a part time job or change to a full time job. The next 33 days will be pretty tight, but I'm shopping pretty smart, and I'm still eating well and having fun, so I'm not incredibly worried.
Cheers,
Friday, May 14, 2010
First Full Week
hey all,
Today marks the end of my first full Mon.-Fri. work week. I must say I'm beat. Teaching at 3 schools is tough: 3 schools means that I have roughly 72 classes: 3 schools X 6 grades X 4 classrooms. So, I have to do each lesson a lot. Not 72 times, because my lessons are concentrated on the 5th and 6th graders, but still: that's doing each lesson 24 times. Probably the only lesson I will have to do 72 times is my intro lesson where I introduce myself.
I have an interview for a full time job tomorrow, but I have a lot of questions of about the working environment, actual teaching hours, and what sort of compensation I'll get for developing course materials, etc.
Aside from the interview, the plan is to relax. I won't be receiving too much money in my paycheck this month, so I canceled my yoga classes, haven't bought any games (although I have bought several CDs, which I've been using for my classes), or gone traveling where I've needed to stay in a hotel. I think Michi and I might cook some dinner tomorrow, and visit a park on Sunday, but that is about all.
My last note is that this Sunday will mark 1 year and 2 months here in Japan.
Cheers,
Today marks the end of my first full Mon.-Fri. work week. I must say I'm beat. Teaching at 3 schools is tough: 3 schools means that I have roughly 72 classes: 3 schools X 6 grades X 4 classrooms. So, I have to do each lesson a lot. Not 72 times, because my lessons are concentrated on the 5th and 6th graders, but still: that's doing each lesson 24 times. Probably the only lesson I will have to do 72 times is my intro lesson where I introduce myself.
I have an interview for a full time job tomorrow, but I have a lot of questions of about the working environment, actual teaching hours, and what sort of compensation I'll get for developing course materials, etc.
Aside from the interview, the plan is to relax. I won't be receiving too much money in my paycheck this month, so I canceled my yoga classes, haven't bought any games (although I have bought several CDs, which I've been using for my classes), or gone traveling where I've needed to stay in a hotel. I think Michi and I might cook some dinner tomorrow, and visit a park on Sunday, but that is about all.
My last note is that this Sunday will mark 1 year and 2 months here in Japan.
Cheers,
Sunday, May 09, 2010
More Climbing
hey all,
More climbing this weekend. Michi and I went to the climbing gym Friday night after work, and there was hardly a soul there. We got to climb a lot, but they haven't changed any of the routes recently, so I think I have climbed almost all of them several times now. I was actually able to climb a 5.11a, which surprised me. After climbing a few routes, even 5.10c's and 5.10d's become hard if not impossible.
Just relaxed on Saturday and met up with a friend back in Omiya for drinks, but Sunday Michi and I went to Yugawara yet again. The weather was nice, and we arrived a little late, so it was even more crowded than usual. Still, I lead a couple 5.10b's, a 5.10b/c, and top roped a 5.10c. I tried a 5.10d on lead, but I had to come down after three bolts. That was the second time I'd tried that route, and the second time I failed it. At the gym, and outside, I want to start practicing lead climbing 5.10c's and 5.10d's more, so I can eventually climb it. The fact that I successfully climbed an 5.11a makes me think that I might be able to do a 5.12 eventually, which would put me into the "pro" category of climbers.
Tomorrow, I start my first full week of work: until now, I've been working 2 or 3 days a week, so this will mean for next month's paycheck I can finally make some decent cash. Still looking for part time work, or even a full time replacement job, but no luck so far.
My only other news is that I watched part of 300 on Japanese cable today. It was dubbed into Japanese, so I could get a few new words and phrases from it, and also just enjoy the pictures, since 300 is easily one of the most beautifully shot films in recent years. Unfortunately, they cut some of the good parts out, but left some odd ones in: they cut a couple scenes that didn't really further the plot much, cut a bunch of violence out, cut some nude/sex scenes, but then left in some nude scenes latter on, though why I can't really understand.
Cheers,
More climbing this weekend. Michi and I went to the climbing gym Friday night after work, and there was hardly a soul there. We got to climb a lot, but they haven't changed any of the routes recently, so I think I have climbed almost all of them several times now. I was actually able to climb a 5.11a, which surprised me. After climbing a few routes, even 5.10c's and 5.10d's become hard if not impossible.
Just relaxed on Saturday and met up with a friend back in Omiya for drinks, but Sunday Michi and I went to Yugawara yet again. The weather was nice, and we arrived a little late, so it was even more crowded than usual. Still, I lead a couple 5.10b's, a 5.10b/c, and top roped a 5.10c. I tried a 5.10d on lead, but I had to come down after three bolts. That was the second time I'd tried that route, and the second time I failed it. At the gym, and outside, I want to start practicing lead climbing 5.10c's and 5.10d's more, so I can eventually climb it. The fact that I successfully climbed an 5.11a makes me think that I might be able to do a 5.12 eventually, which would put me into the "pro" category of climbers.
Tomorrow, I start my first full week of work: until now, I've been working 2 or 3 days a week, so this will mean for next month's paycheck I can finally make some decent cash. Still looking for part time work, or even a full time replacement job, but no luck so far.
My only other news is that I watched part of 300 on Japanese cable today. It was dubbed into Japanese, so I could get a few new words and phrases from it, and also just enjoy the pictures, since 300 is easily one of the most beautifully shot films in recent years. Unfortunately, they cut some of the good parts out, but left some odd ones in: they cut a couple scenes that didn't really further the plot much, cut a bunch of violence out, cut some nude/sex scenes, but then left in some nude scenes latter on, though why I can't really understand.
Cheers,
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Schools
hey all,
I realized that I haven't had any recent updates about my schools. Not too much new, actually. My lessons are going well: no incredibly awful lessons, lots of average ones, a few really fun lessons. I'm still doing introductory lessons, actually; since I work at 3 schools, I effectively have 2100 students, about 700 per school.
My main focus is on the 5th and 6th graders: they have a pretty established curriculum already, so my lessons for the younger students tend to be simplified versions of my 5th and 6th grade lessons. Unlike my last elementary school, my schools this year are using Eigo Noto, "English Notebook." It isn't the most amazing set of material or anything, but I can see that it does ensure a certain amount of English is brought to the attention of students, whether or not they actually remember it later, or can make use of it after, say, 1-2 weeks, let alone 1-2 years.
One of the problems with Eigo Noto is that there is already too little English classroom time in elementary school: we don't have extra time to practice a tricky set of vocab. or a difficult grammar point, and we don't have time to review anything later.
I'm still feeling much more like an actual teacher than at my junior high school last year, but a little less like one in some ways too.
Cheers,
I realized that I haven't had any recent updates about my schools. Not too much new, actually. My lessons are going well: no incredibly awful lessons, lots of average ones, a few really fun lessons. I'm still doing introductory lessons, actually; since I work at 3 schools, I effectively have 2100 students, about 700 per school.
My main focus is on the 5th and 6th graders: they have a pretty established curriculum already, so my lessons for the younger students tend to be simplified versions of my 5th and 6th grade lessons. Unlike my last elementary school, my schools this year are using Eigo Noto, "English Notebook." It isn't the most amazing set of material or anything, but I can see that it does ensure a certain amount of English is brought to the attention of students, whether or not they actually remember it later, or can make use of it after, say, 1-2 weeks, let alone 1-2 years.
One of the problems with Eigo Noto is that there is already too little English classroom time in elementary school: we don't have extra time to practice a tricky set of vocab. or a difficult grammar point, and we don't have time to review anything later.
I'm still feeling much more like an actual teacher than at my junior high school last year, but a little less like one in some ways too.
Cheers,
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Joyama Camping/Climbing
hey all,
I just returned today from a 3-day trip to Joyama. I organized the event through the outdoor club, but the first meet up was really a mash-up: I sent everyone an email the night before changing the meeting time, so one member left 2 hours early, while I accidentally showed up even later than I had wanted to. In the end, everyone took separate trains to Mishima, where we all met up. From there, we took a taxi to go grocery shopping, then rode it up to the top of the hiking trail, where we camped.
This was "real" camping: no toilet, no running water, no electricity.
The first day, we just setup camp and then hiked around the mountain looking for climbing spots. After 5 minutes, we realized that my guide book was pathetically inadequate: it lacked most of the climbing areas that we saw signs for, didn't have a detailed map showing where each of the climbing areas could be found, nor any kind of map which just showed the basic paths on the mountain. The terrible thing is that it was not possible to know that before getting on the mountain and trying to navigate using my book: on the page the mountain looks simple, but I've never been on a mountain so crazy: it has winding, wicked steep ravines and gorges, normal forested slopes which suddenly drop off into 70-100m cliffs, and hair-raising rope lined trails and chain ladders which no sane person would ever venture down.
Anyway, that first day we did manage to find at least one probable climbing area, and we also ran into a group a climbers who gave us a photocopy of part of a decent guidebook, which we used throughout the rest of the trip. After cooking dinner, we went to bed early.
The second day was hair-raising, for me at least. I partnered up with Michi and I on-sighted (a climbing term for successfully climbing a route the first try) a pretty easy route. It wasn't shown on either of the guides, so I'm not sure what it is actually rated. Meanwhile, our two other club members decided to climb a wall that was clearly too difficult: there was almost no possibility to get to the top. Stupidly, I switched places with one of them, and helped them get a little higher up this impossible wall, then went back and climbed with Michi for a bit. Again, stupidly, I went back to the impossible wall and got even higher up before getting too tired/scared. At this point, I had a bunch of gear stuck on the wall: at least 2 quickdraws, which is about $40 worth of equipment. After walking around for a bit trying to find a way to the top that didn't involve climbing, we gave up and I preceded to do some really stupid dangerous stuff because I didn't want to lose $40. In the end, nobody was hurt, nobody died, and I only had to leave one 'biner on the wall (which didn't really matter because it was a 'biner I'd found an another rock climbing wall last year), but I was really shaken by it all the same.
After another good dinner and early-to-bed-early-to-rise routine, we went to a different wall which had been recommended to us on the very first day. It turned out to be just perfect, for me at least. Still jittery from the day before, I top roped the first two climbs, then switched to lead climbing, and on-sighted a 5.10a, and two 5.10b's. In the gym, I frequently top rope 5.10a, b, and c's, and have successfully completed some 5.10d's on occasion. but lead climbing outside is a different beast, at least for me. For one, on certain parts of the wall, you can get acute attacks of agoraphobia because suddenly it is just you and the rock, and this gi-normous sky: you've climbed above the trees, and it feels like you could fall off the edge of the world. Second, you've got the wind, the dust, and the fungus and mold that make climbing outside interesting. Last, is just the fact that you're lead climbing: until you clip into the next bolt, if you fall you're going to fall back to the previous bolt. Maybe it is only 1 meter or 2 meters, but it can be dangerous and is definitely scary.
The rest of the day, we spent looking for the next climbing area, and spent at least an hour first going down an incredibly dangerous rope trail, then, after discovering that it ended in a 20m descent straight down a cliff face with only a rickety rope ladder for safety (and everyone carrying a heavy pack of climbing gear), backtracking to the main path.
That night, we were running low on water, gas for our cooking stoves, food, and energy, so me and Michi decided we'd head back after breakfast the next day. Our climbing partners hadn't had quite enough, so they decided to head to the coast to see Jogasaki, which Michi and I went to last November. On our way back to Tokyo, we stopped by an onsen, which was amazing. After sleeping on a mat for 3 nights, constantly carrying 15kg of climbing gear up and down a mountain, and not showering for 3 days, a good shower and a long soak in the hot water just melted the tension and knots from my body.
So, I'm back in Tokyo. Tomorrow we're still on vacation, so Michi and I plan on heading to where else but an outdoor sports shop. She still frequently has to borrow pieces of climbing equipment (and would like her own), needs new hiking shoes, etc, and I'd like to pick up a special brush to clean my rope, and maybe some more slings, and a 'biner or two.
Cheers,
I just returned today from a 3-day trip to Joyama. I organized the event through the outdoor club, but the first meet up was really a mash-up: I sent everyone an email the night before changing the meeting time, so one member left 2 hours early, while I accidentally showed up even later than I had wanted to. In the end, everyone took separate trains to Mishima, where we all met up. From there, we took a taxi to go grocery shopping, then rode it up to the top of the hiking trail, where we camped.
This was "real" camping: no toilet, no running water, no electricity.
Anyway, that first day we did manage to find at least one probable climbing area, and we also ran into a group a climbers who gave us a photocopy of part of a decent guidebook, which we used throughout the rest of the trip. After cooking dinner, we went to bed early.
The second day was hair-raising, for me at least. I partnered up with Michi and I on-sighted (a climbing term for successfully climbing a route the first try) a pretty easy route. It wasn't shown on either of the guides, so I'm not sure what it is actually rated. Meanwhile, our two other club members decided to climb a wall that was clearly too difficult: there was almost no possibility to get to the top. Stupidly, I switched places with one of them, and helped them get a little higher up this impossible wall, then went back and climbed with Michi for a bit. Again, stupidly, I went back to the impossible wall and got even higher up before getting too tired/scared. At this point, I had a bunch of gear stuck on the wall: at least 2 quickdraws, which is about $40 worth of equipment. After walking around for a bit trying to find a way to the top that didn't involve climbing, we gave up and I preceded to do some really stupid dangerous stuff because I didn't want to lose $40. In the end, nobody was hurt, nobody died, and I only had to leave one 'biner on the wall (which didn't really matter because it was a 'biner I'd found an another rock climbing wall last year), but I was really shaken by it all the same.
After another good dinner and early-to-bed-early-to-rise routine, we went to a different wall which had been recommended to us on the very first day. It turned out to be just perfect, for me at least. Still jittery from the day before, I top roped the first two climbs, then switched to lead climbing, and on-sighted a 5.10a, and two 5.10b's. In the gym, I frequently top rope 5.10a, b, and c's, and have successfully completed some 5.10d's on occasion. but lead climbing outside is a different beast, at least for me. For one, on certain parts of the wall, you can get acute attacks of agoraphobia because suddenly it is just you and the rock, and this gi-normous sky: you've climbed above the trees, and it feels like you could fall off the edge of the world. Second, you've got the wind, the dust, and the fungus and mold that make climbing outside interesting. Last, is just the fact that you're lead climbing: until you clip into the next bolt, if you fall you're going to fall back to the previous bolt. Maybe it is only 1 meter or 2 meters, but it can be dangerous and is definitely scary.
The rest of the day, we spent looking for the next climbing area, and spent at least an hour first going down an incredibly dangerous rope trail, then, after discovering that it ended in a 20m descent straight down a cliff face with only a rickety rope ladder for safety (and everyone carrying a heavy pack of climbing gear), backtracking to the main path.
That night, we were running low on water, gas for our cooking stoves, food, and energy, so me and Michi decided we'd head back after breakfast the next day. Our climbing partners hadn't had quite enough, so they decided to head to the coast to see Jogasaki, which Michi and I went to last November. On our way back to Tokyo, we stopped by an onsen, which was amazing. After sleeping on a mat for 3 nights, constantly carrying 15kg of climbing gear up and down a mountain, and not showering for 3 days, a good shower and a long soak in the hot water just melted the tension and knots from my body.
So, I'm back in Tokyo. Tomorrow we're still on vacation, so Michi and I plan on heading to where else but an outdoor sports shop. She still frequently has to borrow pieces of climbing equipment (and would like her own), needs new hiking shoes, etc, and I'd like to pick up a special brush to clean my rope, and maybe some more slings, and a 'biner or two.
Cheers,
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