Japan: Day 1

An hour after my school Christmas program ended I was on the train headed to a hotel in Taipei.  Then at 4 a.m. on Saturday, I took a free shuttle to the airport to catch my early 6:50 flight to Tokyo.

I was the first flight to leave that day.  It only took five minutes to go through all security.  I was all prepared with wearing my slip-on shoes and no belt so that it would be faster...but they don't even require to take those things off here, so thus it was even faster.

I slept the entire flight (and had no one next to me, bonus!).  Once we got off the plane and into the terminal I could tell it was going to be a freeeezing trip.  It was much more brisk and I could see my breath.  Also, it was dumping rain.

This resulted in a semi-depressed state of mind for a little while thinking that my entire trip was going to be a rainy, cloudy, overcast, not-get-to-see-anything failure.

Sight from the shuttle to hotel.

Sight from the shuttle to the hotel.

This, alas, was not true.  By that afternoon, after a ninety minute shuttle to my hotel the sun was out and shining and the blue sky was visible.

I stayed at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel.

This picture is from online.

It was a very nice hotel.  The room were extremely tiny, as you can probably tell from how close the windows are to each other.  But it was perfect for one person.  Only complaint was they had the heater blasting and I had no control over it.  I was twenty flights up too.

Also, it was a centralized hotel so all the shuttles and tours and whatever had a drop off point directly in front of it.  This made things very easy for me.

After I rested for a little bit it was about 4:00 in the afternoon.  I decided to google "Christmas events in Tokyo" and found that they had a Christmas lights display in Tokyo Midtown.  I asked the staff how to get there and they simply explained the subway system to me and where to go.  It was extremely easy.  Best part was that my hotel was a five minute walk away from the busiest subway station in Tokyo.  So you could go anywhere from there.  Everyone is also so friendly and could speak English pretty well for the most part.  It was also crazy to see tons of white people everywhere again.

Once I got outside I instantly fell in love with the city.  My first impression was that it was very clean and organized.  Everything looked shiny and kept up.  My hotel was in a quieter part of town with less traffic, but just a few minutes away it started to get busy.

Just outside my hotel walking to the subway station.

The subway station was very crowded and the subway was very crowded as well.  Much more than Taiwan trains and subways; at least in my experience.

This wasn't even the most crowded.

Tokyo Midtown ended up being a ginormous shopping center.  I got lost three times in there trying to find a place to eat that I saw on their little map.  I was beyond confused, but any high fashion shopper would have been in heaven.  I am not one of them.

But outside, the grounds were all full of Christmas decorations and lights.

The first of many "Could you please take a photo of me?" photos.

One of the cons of traveling by yourself.

I noticed there was a humongous line that had started to wrap itself around the entire shopping center.  I figured this was for the huge Christmas lights display that I had read about online.  I got in the line and waited about twenty minutes.  The line never stopped  moving, but it went around the building twice, and then down below the shopping center, through the food court, and then to the middle courtyard.

They had a beautiful light show full of millions of mostly blue lights that went along with ethereal music.  It started every four minutes and lasted about two minutes long.  I watched it six times.  It was very cool.

Lots of self-photos as well.

Here is a 90 second video of the light show:

After I was done with the lights I decided to go back to the hotel.  I was pretty tired from traveling and wasn't sure how late subways ran for and had an early morning planned for the next day.  It was a lot of fun going to the lights and doing a small activity for the first day of being there.  It was fun being in the big city during the Christmas season (even though I was mentally done with Christmas).  

I took my time though walking from the subway station to the hotel.  I really enjoyed just walking around and looking at the city.

Here's a short clip of my surroundings near my hotel.  You'll notice how clean it looks. 

The next day is when the real touristy stuff starts.

"Ho Ho Uh-Oh"

I like Christmas as much as anyone else...(actually, that's not true...my friend Kim takes Christmas love to a whole new level)...but this year, I reached my limit about mid-November.  Our Christmas program planning started back even before Halloween...emphasis on before Halloween.  

Dances for each class were created in late October.  School decorations started in early November.  Stage rehearsals by Thanksgiving.  By the time Christmas should be legally celebrated, my hot chocolate cup had runneth over.

But I didn't completely Grinch-out.  I still had to play Santa in the school program on December 21, which went pretty well...except a few minor "uh-oh" moments.  More on that later.

First, I was pleasantly surprised by our schools directions.  They did a good job in the courtyard and arranging everything.

View into the courtyard from outside.

View from standing on the stage.  Bright lights.

You can't tell all that well, but that's Frankenstein's monster's head poking out from the top of the middle tree.  I don't know why...

All ready for the show!

I thought this student-made tree was kinda cool.

Outside decorations:

This is the sleigh I would later sit in after the show and hand out candy.

Parents starting arriving about 45 minutes before the show to get a good seat.

About ten minutes before the show I went and got into my costume.  I had tried the clothes on over normal clothes before and everything seemed ok.  Except now, I noticed that the Santa pants were too big for me, so I clipped the pants tighter using clothespins.  It all seemed pretty legit.

So I go on the stage for the first half of the program and have to do 4 dances with 4 different classes.  Somewhere between "Jingle Bells" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" I realized my Santa pants were about near to fall completely off!!! The clothespins had undone.  The thing is the fabric was so light and soft that I hardly noticed!!  UH-OH!  I didn't know what else to do but hold on to the pants with my hands.  Better that then expose myself entirely to a hundred kids AND their parents; not to mention their video cameras. So I danced away the rest of my scenes grasping those pants like there was no tomorrow.  I'm sure the parents all noticed, as it was obvious I wasn't waving my arms around as I should have been.  I'm sure they're all in their homes re-watching the hilarity.  Oh well! 

After my fiasco, for the second half of the program, I got to watch it from the side.

"The Grinch"

After the whole program, I went and sat in the sleigh and kids came to take pictures and I handed out candy.  It was actually a lot of fun (and also great because I didn't have to help clean up!).  The funny thing is all the kids knew exactly who I was.  I knew this because the moment I showed up on stage the first time, little Ray Ray said, "Oh, hi Mr. Craig!"  He didn't even see the Santa-ness on me.  So much for escaping into the role.

Me as Santa.

Kristi as Cindy Loo-Who.

Ryan as "The Grinch" or something.

With fellow native teachers.

The professional photographer took this photo.

After all was said and done I went to change out of my clothes, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a huge gaping hole right in the middle of the Santa pants!!?  Another UH-OH.  I had no idea how long it had been there but I guessed it must have happened from sitting in the sleigh and what not!?  Luckily I had the Santa bag on my lap for most of it so I don't think anyone noticed.  Eek!

Regardless of the minor disasters, the entire program was a success.  When it ended, then officially I was pretty much done with Christmas this year.  An hour after I was on the train headed to Taipei and then early the next morning was off to Japan for four days.  That's all coming up next.

I hope your Christmas was awesome!

Randoms

Hello there.  It appears I've ignored posting for a while.  Actually, not so much ignoring as it is lack-of things to currently write about.  Truth is, I haven't done too much the last few weeks as a result of being rained out or frozen out.  It's getting cold y'all.  And also trying to not spend as much in preparation for going to Japan.  I leave on Saturday and I'll have plenty to post about then.

But here are a few meandering thoughts and events...

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On December 13th my grandpa passed away at 91 years old.  He lived a long and satisfying life.  I will miss him greatly but am really happy getting to have 27.5 years with him and that he gets to move on to the better place now.

Love you Papa!

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It is pretty much a given that the entire world is currently depressed from the terrible incident in Connecticut.  As well, with the children in China who were injured on the same exact day, which has been big news here as well.  As a current teacher of children these ages, the tragedy has haunted my mind for a week (and I'm not even a parent).  So with that, this week I decided to be a little more patient, a little more caring with these students.  The world is unpredictable and can be very unfair and you just never know what is going to happen.  But I've been touched and inspired by the stories that have unfolded in the results from this tragedy.

Much debate has been made over gun control and treatment of the mentally ill, both of which I'm sure can benefit from positive reform, but the most anyone can do right now is be aware of the people and world around them.

So let's learn from this horrific incident and all re-devote ourselves to try a little bit harder to be a little bit nicer, and to keep an eye out for those down-trodden, depressed, or forgotten.

You just never know.

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I was looking through the photographs on the school computer and found these that were taken way back in April.  

These were all the teachers and faculty at the time, half of which don't work here anymore.

And even though some don't look it, everyone is really nice.

I don't understand the "no smiling" thing...I just don't get it.

This was my class from February to August. 

 I still teach half of them who come to my school after their 1st grade public school class gets out.

This picture is actually current.  It's from October and this is the K1A class.  

I'm with them the most.  Just at the beginning of their English studies.

Here's more of K1A.  Also, the 4 kids in the front are the Baby Class.

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Favorite Christmas album 2012 award goes to:

I've liked her since American Idol and even saw her live in college.  Mom, you would love this cd I think.  Very simple and low-key...no over-the-top Christmas hysterics.

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I saw The Hobbit and loved it.  

We had a random hot day last week.  Thus, the shorts.

However, it holds nothing compared to the former three.

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I got a new bike!

Thanks mom and dad. 

Merry Christmas.

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This week (and really the last two months...) all we've been doing at school is rehearsing for our Christmas program on Friday.  I'm Santa, Riaan (my South African 7-foot-tall roommate) is The Grinch, and Kristi is Cindy-Loo-Who.  So, being Santa, means I have to do all the dances for each class on the stage with them.  I had Kristi tape a rehearsal with one of the classes.  This is the one I know the least, as you'll be able to tell.  The kids are funny to watch too.  And yes, I have to use pom-poms.

Click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct9Iy28Woas

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This morning we had the first dress rehearsal (Except for me.  They don't want the kids to know that I'm Santa...even though none of the kids actually celebrate Christmas in real life)...anyways, here are some photos of the dress rehearsal with all the classes different Christmas outfits.  I mean, they go all out here.

She's the youngest at the school.  Barely 2 years old.

Aren't they all hilarious!?

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Well, I've pretty much settled into life here.  I no longer have the tourist mentality.  Of course I still have interest in seeing things and going places, but no longer feel the need to get snapshots of every Buddhist temple I see or family of six on a scooter.  I forget I'm even in Taiwan sometimes and have to remind myself.  Sometimes certain places or smells....especially smells....my goodness, the smells....can bring back the early emotions of first being here.  But those are long-time gone.

Off to Japan in 2 days!