Sayonara Nihon {Goodbye Japan}

Well, the day finally arrived, the day we had to say a final farewell to our new friends and head back to the Land of Oz.

Jono and I shared pancakes for breakfast with Katie, Joe and Taube before doing the final touches and moving our stuff out of our apartment. We hope Rob and Lyn enjoy living there as much as we did.

At 1pm the Japanese entourage arrived...Toshi, Mayumi, Naomi, Tomoko, Yumiko, Eiko and Chiaki all came to take us to the bus terminal to see us off. It was a very teary goodbye for me, as I have made some special friends in Japan.

We feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to come to Japan, let alone have all the wonderful experiences, meet fabulous people and arrive home safe to our families again.

So this is it...Jono and Jodi signing off on the blog which was a story of our life in Japan in 2007, what a FANTASTIC year! Japan, forever in our hearts!

"The Last [Japanese] Supper"

After being very well looked after in our last week in Japanese (dinner cooked by Taube and Julian on Sunday, out for Chris' birthday on Monday, Miyuki cooked for us Tuesday, Merry and Mitch on Wednesday and Katie and Joe on Thursday) we decided to have out "Last Supper" at the local "Beatles" ramen restaurant.

This little ramen restaurant was a quiet little spot to enjoy a meal, that was until 8 of us rocked in after a few drinks! It is affectionately called the "Beatles" ramen restaurant because that's the music they always play. We asked the cook to turn up the music and very soon we were all singing to the words at the tops of our lungs! Not surprisingly, the music was slowly turned back down again! haha. At least we made the other patrons laugh! Crazy Westerners! I had a sesame ramen which was delicious and Jono had a garlic one.

We then went out to the local Irish pub, had a few more beers and had a few games of darts. It was a great way to farewell the city that's been our home for the last 11 months.

Saying Goodbye...Shiroyama JHS

Shiroyama sent me off in style. My last day at this Jr High was close to my best!

Throughout the day I had massive lines of students at my desk for the last opportunity to speak to me and have a box on their communication card signed off. They were both really excited and sad, so was I. They are such great kids. I had 3 lessons during the day in which the classes presented goodbye cards and gifts. Very sweet.

After the last lesson for the day there was a special goodbye assembly held for me. Once again I had to make my bilingual speech to the school, this time standing on top of their podium on the track. Once I was finished, the school captain gave a speech to me in English and then gave me a present. I felt a bit special! The present included a cloth with the 7 Japanese Gods printed on it, a pretty clip for my hair to wear with a kimono and a New Year's decorative display.

After school I was invited to the traditional Japanese room for a tea ceremony. The girls in this club were very cute, playing junken to see who got to make the tea for me! I had the most yummy bean cake I've had all year and the tea was good too. After I finished we had a few photos taken and then I was offered another tea. With only 5 mins til I had to catch my bus, I said I'd eat and drink quickly!

Soon I was off...and for the last time I walked out of the staff room, all staff giving their farewell wishes and accompanied me to the front door. I changed my shoes for the last time, closed my shoe locker, and said goodbye. As I walked out of the school grounds I had my last "Goodbye Jodi"s from the track and field, volleyball and baseball teams and then it was all over. Another chapter of my Japanese life closed forever, and what a fantastic chapter it was.

Overt Your Eyes....

Onsen ... a.k.a. "Lets go together into a public bath, naked with a whole bunch of other naked strangers!"

This experience was one that had to be done...sooner or later (we preferred later). The whole concept is quite strange to the regular westerners and we're certainly no exception. But we finally plucked up the courage and got naked! (and no, sorry. No photos of this one!)

Jodi's recount:

"I must admit I was pretty nervous, but going with Taube and Katie made me feel better. It was Katie's first time too, but Taube is an expert and is a huge fan of onsen. So, we headed to the Egret building, put our shoes in a locker, got our little towel, the girls said goodbye to Jono and Julian and headed for the locker room.

It was like something straight out of "Road Trip" with naked bodies walking around everywhere. Right about then, then floor was looking pretty good! But with mirrors and bodies everywhere you just didn't know where else to look! We found our lockers and started to disrobe. When I got down to my underwear I considered how I was going to do the rest without exposing too much of myself to my friends!!! But while I was contemplating my next move I got a case of the giggles, and it was contagious as Katie was soon giggling too! Well, I decided to just do it and soon we were all heading to the bathing rooms, or so we thought. We started following Taube (though she'd never been to this one before) but all of a sudden I felt like something wasn't right...as we poked our heads around the corner we spotted the entrance lobby of the onsen! Whoopsy! Wrong way!!! Giggling our heads off we also heard other women laughing too and pointing us in the right direction!

The first thing you have to do before you enter the baths is wash yourself, really well! So, you sat at a stall on tiny plastic seats with shampoo, body wash, a shower hose and a mirror set in front of you. After giving ourselves a wash we headed to the first bath. The room was really huge, tiled to the 2nd floor ceiling with a set of stairs at one end and plants scattered around the place. It was like a shallow pool, only the temperature was really warm. There were single people spa sections, which many women were enjoying. We just sat in the bath chatting and relaxing. After about 15 minutes were a bit too toasty so hopped out of the bath and went up the stairs (we could have caught an elevator) to the second floor. Here there was a sauna (complete with a plasma screen), 2 more shallow baths and 3 single baths overlooking the castle. After more chatting and relaxing we decided we had had enough and went back to the change rooms. It was certainly an experience to remember!"

For Jono's recount, stay tuned...

For those who were really patient, Jono's recount is now here! Onsen was really nice... though a little strange walking through a 2 story building starkers! Was definitely more confident walking around after sitting in a hot bath for about an hour... My highlight was definitely the extremely large plasma in the sauna... the low point was when the cleaning lady waltzed through whilst i was in the sauna... lucky the towel was close by! And I know the question all you girls are asking... and the answer is I don't know... though I can tell you that the towels they use are quite small...

Progressive Farewell Brunch

With the end of our working holiday fast approaching (now only a week left) we had a farewell brunch party with our new friends in Japan. Katie, Joe, Taube and Julian were absolute stars and helped us organise a progressive brunch.

1. Place: Katie and Joe's apartment, #304
Food: Fruit and mimosa.

2. Place: Taube and Julian's apartment, #403
Food: Sausages, breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy.

3. Place: Jodi and Jono's apartment, #302
Food: Pancakes, Pocky and brownies.

We had a wonderful time eating all the delicious food and catching up with everyone. Joe brought out his game "catch Phrase" and we all had a go. It was so funny watching our Japanese friends panic when they couldn't think of the right words! Very cute. Here is a picture of Eiko panicking on her turn! We received our first wedding gift from Eiko as well as some other beautiful parting gifts. We certainly are going to miss all the awesome friends we have made here and hope to meet them again in the future, whether it be America, Australia or Japan.

What The???? LAST EDITION 2007

Last Day at Joyo Elementary

I am still amazed every time I go to this school. They have a brass band which would easily rival the military bands that walk down the streets in city parades. Simple amazing. Remember, these kids are no older than 12 years old. Their band not only plays amazing music, but also does a marching routine while they play! The routine also includes dancers with flags and free dancing! Here they are practising before school.

I had my usual number of 3 classes for the day, nothing out of the ordinary. However, Mr Kosaka planned a Goodbye party for me with his 2nd grade class. This picture is him and written on the board is "Jodi sensei's farewell party". I really enjoyed working with him (he accompanied me to the other classes too), as he speaks really good English and has a great sense of humour. The class party was really cute.

First they all played a song for me on their (creepy) mouth organs. It was great! Then they sang a song for me. Next they had some time to make me a gift (mostly origami which I collected in a big bag!). Some students drew a picture of me. It was super cute. Last of all we had a group photo. It was such a lovely way to end my time at Joyo Elementary...easily my favourite school. Sayonara minasan.

The Last Japanese Cooking Lesson

This was by far the easiest and quickest cooking lesson EVER!

Yumiko brought pre-prepared salads and mixed rice (made by herself of course) and the already cut and beautifully presented vegetable platter ready for the nabe pot, Shabu Shabu style. So all we had to do was turn on the stove, boil some water and then chuck everything in and wait for it to boil.

We had Chinese cabbage, carrot, leek, tofu, 3 kinds of mushrooms and pork. It was really delicious. An although we were only eating small amounts at a time, we were pretty full way before the shabu shabu was finished!

For a special dessert Yumiko baked a coffee cake for Jono's and my farewell. She took cake making classes for 2 years, so the cake tasted pretty good (even if it wasn't chocolate!). So thus ends our Japanese fortnightly, 800 yen cooking classes and dinner. It was a great opportunity and we are thankful for all Yumiko's hard work. We'll certainly think of her every time we use one of her recipes.

Himeji City Book of Records

Category:
" Most bikes stolen from one household within a 7 day period"
Winners: #302 Shirasagi Residence

Jodi Whitfield & Jono Gardner...

RECORD: 3 bikes

So lightning not only struck once, but 3 times! Lucky us! All stolen from the identical spot.

Photos from the archives...
You may well be wondering where the third bike came from? Well, it was one we were borrowing from Katie and Joe!

I don't think i'm ready for that jelly

For cultural reference see Destiny's child... Who would have thought the three song stresses (is that really a word?) who like to shake their butts through pure water (actually... wrong cultural reference, think that was British group All Saints, but I digress) would have written lyrics so profound. Though I would have liked them to be more definite... SO if I looked like Beyonce (and believe me there are plenty of of people that wish I did!) and was rewriting "bootylicious" I would have said "I am definitely not ready for that jelly!"

This blog started in February... When I say February that's when it started in my head... and has taken 11 months to make it this far. Upon visiting a convenience store I was looking for a drink. I didn't really want anything carbonated so went for the "Weider multi-vitamin". I thought it sounded delicious and quite nutritious. So imagine my face when after sucking on the straw I got lumps... I though maybe it was off (for Cultural reference see Wadey drinking milk from Jono's fridge at 3 in the morning)... but no, it was just jelly! At least a little liquefied but only due to the fact that apparently it was a phenomenal multi vitamin did I continue and eventually finish. As a side note I have prepared myself for that Jelly and have decided that I am ready, and in fact willing if it has the possibility of some health benefits.

Fast forward to September. Having spent some time in Kobe with Jodi, Ma, Pa and Verity we headed for the vending machine. For those of you who have been here you will know there is a vending machine on every corner. There is also a grape flavored drink in every vending machine. Jodi loves the sweetness of the grape so immediately headed. When she looked into the can (don't ask me why she was doing this) she realised she could see her reflection... mirror mirror in the can... who's the biggest jelly fan... Not Jodi! It was incredibly sweet.. not nice at all... would it have been nice if she was ready for the jelly... categorically no! In some cases it doesn't matter if you're ready for the jelly!

Fast forward to November... Having finished culture day or something like it a can of coffee appeared on my desk... ripper... until I looked closer and realised it was coffee jelly... So I downed it... kind of screwing my face at times... it certainly was different... Begged me to ask the question does it matter if you're ready for the jelly if it just shouldn't be made in the first place...

So, there is my appraisal on jelly in Japan. You can be ready for the jelly if it tastes alright... You won't ever be ready for that jelly if it tastes awful or is just wrong in principal! For those venturing east... Beware the can... read the labels at all costs... and beware that underneath the lid or ring pull could be a nasty surprise.

In Loving Memory

This is to mourn the death of my bike... Yellow, fast and reliable... taken from the front of Bon Marche by the station... Survived by Jodi's silver bike... May you find happiness with your new owner... continue to be fast and yellow... though i hope you give the sod who took it all the grief in the world... punctures, gear failures and may your bell never ring true again!

Reading Record

29-"In the Company of the Courtesan"

By Sarah Dunant

This is a story about a beautiful courtesan and her sharp-witted dwarf partner who escape Rome in 1527 and go to Venice to start a new life. It was an interesting read.

Only one more book and I'll have reached my GOAL of 30 books....

White Trash College Bash

As a send off party for the Aussies (hmmm?) Katie and Joe threw a "White Trash College Bash". As we don't have quite the same 'college' experience back in Oz, it was a our first glimpse into the college party life!

Everyone made a great effort to dress up and I must admit that I had a lot of fun doing it...though the pictures will no doubt raise a few eyebrows! Katie and I went shopping for our "trashy" outfits and came away with some goodies from the 100yen shop! Where else would you go to get:

• blue eye shadow


• foundation


• stick on nails (complete with diamonds)


• hair rollers


• glitter eye liner


• fake glitter eyelashes?

I spotted a long sleeve denim shirt with some beautiful embroidery on the front (so early 80s. Honestly, do people see these items and think "yes, I love it!"?). I cut the sleeves off and tied the front in a knot under which I wore a flashy red bra! I paired this with my own jeans and a pair of apple slippers. Wallah! Jono had a flannelet shirt with the sleeves cut out, paired with a red long sleeve t-shirt, jeans, a truckie cap and a handle-bar moustache! We won the "trashy couple" award. We are so proud!!! hahaha

There was much entertainment including the notorious beer bong, flippee cup and beer pong. They were a lot of fun...Katie and I were the champion beer pong players!!! Woohoo.

It was a pretty classy night all up (*cough*) and we had an absolute ball!

Our First (and probably only) Thanksgiving

As we are amongst many friends of American nationality, it seemed only natural that we joined them for one of their favourite holidays...Thanksgiving.

We all booked into a local restaurant called The Blue Plate for our Thanksgiving meal. It made life a lot easier not having to cook or clean up afterwards! Though, I'm sure it's all wonderful bonding time! Jono and I joined Katie, Joe and Luci on a small table.

The spread of food at the buffet was magnificent including macaroni and cheese, caramelised potato, green salad, chili con carne, stuffing, chicken stew, mashed potato, pumpkin and no feast is complete without a turkey and cranberry sauce. It was scrumptious. During our meal we went around the table and discussed the things we were all thankful for...such as family, friends and the awesome experiences we've had over the year in Japan. It is a really nice holiday and I wish we had a holiday of our own like this in Australia, a non-commercial holiday and a chance just to hang with family and friends over great food.

Japanese Cooking Lesson #5

Yumiko is certainly keeping the standards high with what she teaches us during our cooking lessons. With fried chicken as the only request, she came with all the goodies to create a magical meal. The menu included caramelised sweet potato chips, pickled vegies, fried chicken, radish and miso salad, soup and of course rice.

Here are the boys of the group getting in on the action. Jono slicing and dicing the various vegies to be pickled and Mitch is using the cooking chopsticks to tend to the fried chicken.

As a special treat Yumiko made some caramelised chips, which were oh so sweet and too good to resist. Yummy, yummy, yummy. And so we dined on fine food and good company until we were ready to pop! Next lesson is going to be our last one...which is unfortunate. But, we have all the recipes so look out everyone...guess what you'll be eating when you come to our place for tea?!!!

Japanese BBQ

Eiko organised a Japanese BBQ and so Katie, Joe, Steve and I went along. Too bad for Jono, he had to work!

We were picked up at 10am by Eiko, Toshi, Mayumi and Naomi and drove 40 mins out of the city to the base of a beautiful mountain which was a popular BBQ spot. On the way we stopped into the supermarket and picked up the food; beef, pork, vegies and snacks.

As always, our Japanese friends came prepared with everything but the kitchen sink... a picnic table, chairs, picnic rugs, coal, utensils and more! The boys started on making the fire for the BBQ, but very soon it was smothered when Toshi loaded more and more coal on top!! So, they moved in under a shelter with some more sturdy BBQs. As Katie and I relaxed on the picnic rugs, everyone searched for twigs and anything that could act as kindling to get the fire going. Then Toshi was banned from adding the coal! They surely got the fire going...it almost touched the shelter roof. Check out the smoke!

Soon the food was cooked and it was a feast including meat, corn on the cob, capsicum, mushrooms, onion and assorted other goodies that Eiko prepared. Just when we were ready to burst they started cooking yakisoba! The food just kept coming. It was great.

Then as some after dinner entertainment I pulled out my frizbee and we played with it. None of the Japanese people had ever thrown one before so they were fascinated and wanted to perfect the art (that doesn't sound Japanese at all!). Here is Eiko giving it a red hot go! It was lots of fun. Joe and Katie also taught us some chant games from back home...also a lot of fun.

We were certainly spoilt with the beautiful scenery...tall thin trees, a moss covered bridge over a creek and some gorgeous Autumn leaves. This tree had red, pink, orange, yellow and green leaves. Just too pretty!