Back to School - Certificate in Japanese Language Studies

One of the things on my Japan "to-do" list is learn the Japanese language well enough to have small spurts of conversation. About four months after arriving in Japan, John and I signed up for a community center Japanese language course on base. In the first four weeks of class, we learned a lot. Then we advanced to the higher level community center course. Unfortunately, the level of Japanese spoken in this course ranged from barely (me and John) to advanced. The teacher spent most of the time conversing in Japanese with the more advanced Japanese speakers and pausing to tell the rest of the class some vocabulary words. Unfortunately this was information I couldn't use. I was hoping to learn sentence structure, past, present and future tense, formal words vs informal and basically start to grasp the nuances of the language. Listening to someone talk about their weekend in Yokohama for forty-five minutes was not cutting it for me.

So, I learned about a financial aid program for military spouses. It will pay for a certificate course or associate's degree up to $4,000 a year. In order to apply for the financial aid, you have to meet very specific requirements including submitting an education plan to show exactly what courses you will use the money to complete. Included in your education plan, you have to lay out your educational goals. The money can not be used for a certificate or degree in general studies. Actually, if any military spouse out there reading this wants to take advantage of this program, let me know and I'll send you the website. This program has already taken quite a budget hit when they ceased allowing it to be used for bachelor's degrees. It might not be around much longer.

I was approved for the financial aid and will start earning my certificate in Japanese Language Studies in the spring. I will take a total of four college level Japanese language courses, one Japanese politics course and one Japanese literature course. If all goes well, I want to find a way to move into the associate's degree program for the same concentration, unfortunately, the financial aid will not cover an associate's degree for Japanese Language Studies.

I am very excited about this and can't wait to start to really learn the language. I'll be going to the University of Maryland University College - Asia, which has a combination of classroom courses on base and Internet courses.

Had to share, I'm stoked!

No monkeys like snow monkeys!

The whole reason we went on this overnight trip to Nagano was to see the snow monkeys! We woke up on Christmas morning, had breakfast, packed our things and then we were on the bus and off to see the monkeys. Before we arrived at the park, the tour guide told us not to look the monkeys in the eye because they see that as a sign of agression. The monkeys like plastic bags, backpacks and purses and may try to take those things from you thinking there's food inside. Other than those rules you could wander about the monkey park for as long as you wished and take as many pictures as you like.

In order to get to the monkeys we had to hike for a snowy mile and walk several sets of slick stairs. One girl in our tour group was brave enough to wear heeled boots. Other people came very under prepared and wore tennis shoes which promptly became soaked through with snow and ice.

Once you reach the mokey park, you see one hot spring filled with monkeys. The park estimates there are 160 monkeys all from one family unit. The area around the hot spring was crowded with people. When the monkeys become relaxed in the water, their faces droop. The Japanese call this "relaxation face." While you could get as close to the monkeys as you wanted (without touching), fights would often break out amongst the monkeys in the hot spring. This would cause warm (and poop-filled) water to go flying at the people gathered around the hot spring. Everytime this happened, everyone would hold their cameras in the air in an attempt to avoid getting water on their cameras. The monkeys ignored the humnas completely and ran freely amongst the crowd to go between soaking and looking for food.

Enjoy the pictures of our visit with the snow monkeys!



Very close to the monkey park is a  hot spring onsen for humans. Sometimes monkeys wander into these onsens and soak with the humans.



Next to the onsen was a natural steam geyser.

The weird thing about this onsen is that the hot tubs are visible from the monkey park lodge area. Remember what I said earlier...that onsens are done sans clothing.

The first monkeys we encountered on the lodge steps.

You could really get as close as you wanted.

The monkeys don't seem to care about the humans.

Taking a swim in the hot spring.

After a long soak.

He's eyeing John.

A live web cam captures monkey action all the time.

The monkeys spent a good deal of time digging in the snow looking for food. John helped.



Matsumoto Castle

On the last day we had the pleasure of going to Matsumoto castle. This castle has the distinction of being the oldest standing original structure in Japan, clocking in at 400 years old. The area around the castle was made into a city park greatly reducing the size of the original moat. This castle was practically impenetrable during the times of sword and horse warfare. However, once guns and cannons were introduced to Japan through Europe, the castles, built of wood and stone, didn't stand a chance.

Oh, and we weren't allowed to wear shoes in the castle. At the entrance we were given plastic bags in which to place our shoes. There was a bin full of slippers for us to wear to keep our feet warm as we explored the inside of the castle.


The castle from the outside.



This is where they would put their arrows to shoot them from inside the castle.

The grounds.

A wealthy donor gave his entire gun collection to the castle estate because he felt that is where the guns belonged.

Most floors of the castle were open spaces. It was never meant to be a living space. Each floor was dedicated to planning attacks, defending the castle and training the samurai.

The stairs in the castle were a defense in themselves. There was about two to three feet between each stair.

This room was added later in the castle's life and was meant as a place for the Lord to lounge while enjoying a view of the entire castle grounds.

Kimono Dressing!

One of the perks the hotel offered was kimono dressing. A Japanese lady from the town offered her time to dress us girls in a traditional Japanese kimono. Having a Japanese grandmother, I know what it's like to have all of your body parts shake when someone adjusts clothes around your waist by tugging and pulling. As a kimono has several adjustable items that go around various parts of your waist, I was thoroughly being shaken like a rag doll. The obi  (silk sash that goes around your mid-section) and belts underneath the obi have to be extremely tight to get the look of a tiny Japanese woman. After the lady dressed me, she taught me how to walk and sit like a lady in a kimono.

She then told me I was easy to dress because I was small. Now is the time to mention once again that body size and weight is not a taboo subject to the Japanese (and much of Asia, actually). They do not think they're being rude when they say, "No clothes in this store will fit you!" they simply think they're being helpful....and they do say things like that to some of my more curvy American friends. Additionally as you make friends with Japanese people they will start to openly tell you when you look fatter or skinnier. Oh, culture differences....*sigh*

Anyway, enjoy some pictures of me in my kimono!!

Zenko-ji Temple

The first stop on the first day of our trip was the Zenko-ji Temple. The Zenko-ji Temple is unique because it does not belong to any sect of Buddhism. It is non-denominational, so to speak. Every year millions of people make the pilgrimage to this temple to meditate in the large meditation vestibule. Unfortunately, once we were inside the temple proper, we were not allowed to take any pictures. The walls were adorned with the angels of Buddhism, there were old statues everywhere and it was extremely ornate. As a bonus you can go into a tunnel under the vestibule and find the key to enlightenment. The tunnel was pitch black and almost panic inducing if you're claustrophobic. The only way to tell where you were going is to run your hand along the wall. At the end of the tunnel you feel a key If you give the key a shake spiritual enlightenment will be yours.

Enjoy some pictures of this beautiful temple:

The main temple building.

Front view of the main temple.

For 100 yen you could light incense.

And the put the incense in this urn. You then wave the smoke toward you to promote healing and good health.

Buddhas meditating.

Me waving the smoke over my body.

A large bell. This was rung to signify the opening of the Nagano Winter Olympics.

The grounds of the Temple.

Monuments built to those who have died.

A monument built to forgotten graves who have no people left to care for them.

The large gate and entrance to the Temple.