Adventures in Plying, part two

So, I'm back from Japan, and back from a 5-week backpacking trip through Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia) that occurred afterward, and I find myself unemployed and subsequently spinning/knitting again! Well, I always make time for those things, but at present the time I have for hobbies is seemingly boundless. So. I have pictures and fun things to share.

First up...remember that makeshift lazy kate I created that had 3 spools for my first experiment in plying? No, of course you don't, that was a long ass time ago...anyway, this is the result. The white, which ran out about 1/3 of the way through, is mohair, and the rest is wool, all of which are recycled from mill-end rovings. It's really nice! Plying my first skein was a lot easier than I thought it would be, so I think I'm going to try and always ply the yarns to sell in the Etsy shop (which, btw, is back up and running).

Craft-related news #2: Although I currently have like, 6 WIPs going right now, I decided to start up another one last night. See, there's this 2-ply black and white alpaca that I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in 2009 that I've been dying to do something with. Thing is, my choices were somewhat limited as the yarn is sport weight and I only have 200 yds of it. So, I landed on a pair of fingerless mitts for the upcoming winter. Knitting up really quick and lovely so far.
See those lovely yarn over holes? That's another reason why I started this project - I have no lace knitting WIPs currently, and I wanted one. Bam, done. It's the most simple pattern in the world, but as my knitting has been on a bit of a hiatus over the past 13-14 months, I felt simple was better.

I also have some really nice Noro that I bought in Japan to share, but it's still packed up at the moment. I'll also post a few pics of my SE Asia trip on here once I get around to editing them. Basically, this past 13 months has been the best of my life. I missed my people back home, but I grew so much and learned so much about culture. Now I'm 51 lbs thinner than when I left, almost conversational in Japanese (still studying!), and although totally broke, it's good to be back in DC with Blake and the kitties. And, before I returned to the east coast, I spent 2.5 weeks in KY with friends and family. It's been magical.

I'm gonna start updating this piece on the regular again. Ya heard.

Badger tickling: proceed with caution

So I'm going to start drawing again. I used to draw all the time but I kinda of stopped doing it after I graduated college...that's the thing about art school. When you're done you feel like every creative atom in you is gone, because there was so much forced creativity happening. But! No more! The thing is, I'm definitely out of practice. I need to find my style and my point of view again, and I think the best way to go about getting that back is to find inspiration in other artists. I'm thinking that constantly sketching will open the door for me to begin painting again (particularly with watercolors) and so on. And I'm surrounded by so much beauty all of the time, so, I'm going to get on it. A couple of inspirations to me:

- Igor + Andre : especially the 10 minute sketches. I am really drawn (pun!) to his use of lines and color. And when he uses watercolors as his medium. duh.
- Animal Sleep Stories: These sketches are so much fun. Tons of detail, and definitely very Yellow Submarine-esque. Which I like.
- Hayao Miyazaki, both films and sketches: Easily my favorite animator of all time, Miyazaki will many times sketch out watercolors for storyboarding and concept development and such...and the animation in the actual films is very inspiring also. I love the art. It's beautiful and magical.

Maybe I should pick up a Japanese sumi-e class since I'm here? hmmm. lots to ponder. Also, I have a Tumblr, which I've been updating a lot. Check it out: ceciliajane.tumblr.com

Merri Kurisumasu

Christmas Day for me is usually a busy day. Hell, Christmas week is always a really busy week. I've been lucky enough to have usually about a week off work or school during Christmas/New Year's for the most part. The fact that it's busy doesn't make it stressful...even though there's usually drama of some sort. Here's the thing about Christmas: I am someone who is always surrounded by a lot of people during the holidays. I have a big, tightly-knit family, and some really excellent friends. I am comfortable with solitude, but honestly, I have never been truly alone. Even when I have felt alone in the past, I have never been without people. Even thousands of miles away I don't feel alone. I've made some really great friends here and I have fairly good contact with my people back home thanks to the interwebs. I am thankful for all of my people. I am also thankful for my ability to be a good friend, sister, daughter, and girlfriend to my people.

It's been kind of weird being away for Christmas, because like I said, I'm usually in Kentucky juggling my time with friends and family. But I'm glad to be here, and I'm really glad I get to see my sister in a few days.

You'd think that being in Japan for Christmas might decrease the Christmas spirit somewhat, as this is not a Christian country and they don't even really consider it a holiday here. In fact, most people go to work on Christmas because of that reason. So I was expecting some commercial decorations and maybe a few Christmas songs in the konbini and retail shops, but not much more. On the contrary, Christmas here is actually kind of magical. I think that either Vaughn or Nathalie once said, "If there's one thing Japan knows how to do, it's lights." So totally the truth. The lights here are magnificent. Even in my small town the trees lining the main street are covered in little blue lights. And on the streets of my town, and of course in Tokyo, there are blaring renditions of American Christmas songs...you can't really help but feel like it's atleast a little magical.

Then there's the Christmas parties at my work. For a week prior to our holiday vacation, we have Christmas lessons with all of our classes, including the adults. Our school provided snacks and drinks (usually hot or cold green tea), but our adult group classes were encouraged to bring food and drinks (they were even allowed to bring booze if everyone in the class was over 20). So, my last week before the break included a lot of Christmas crafts with my kid classes, sing-a-longs with my really young kids classes, and chatting and food with my adults. I have two adult classes that I'm particularly fond of. One is on Wednesdays at 3 pm with 4 adults that are at an intermediate level. They brought in gifts for me and we chatted throughout the entire class. One of the students in that class grew up in Hiroshima and always brings me these little sweets shaped like maple leaves called "momiji". They have various fillings, the one pictured below is filled with sweet potato, and I have one to give to Melody when she gets here that I believe is filled with sweet bean paste and it's covered in white chocolate. So yummy.

Anyway, there's another adult class that I really like. They're more at a beginner level of English and the class is on Monday nights. They went all out for the Christmas party...they brought fried chicken (a Christmas staple here in lieu of roast turkey), tons of sweets, beer, umeshu, and Christmas cake (another tradition here). We listened to Christmas cds the whole class and stayed at the school an hour after the actual end of the class.

Let's just say I wasn't short of any Christmas spirit this year. And I expect it to only get better. I'm going to Disneyland on Monday with Leslie, and then Melody comes in on Tuesday, and we have a whole slew of stuff planned. There's nothing like a 2 week break from work to make you fall in love with the place you're living again.

And, I know how this might sound, but there's something about my clean and cushion-y tatami mat floors that puts me in a good mood when I'm home. Good lord. I sound like my mother...!

Oh yes, and Nathalie got me a Holga for Christmas. I went to Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara yesterday and bought some b&w and color film for it. I'm curious as to whether or not my local FujiColor store will develop 120 film, but I guess I'll find out. I'm having insane amounts of fun with an analog camera...finally! It makes me wants to do darkroom stuff again, which I messed with in middle school a lot but haven't done any since. So, definitely a goal.

And just for your entertainment, here's a really cool post from Danny Choo about Christmas in Japan: http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/25335/History+of+Christmas+in+Japan.html#twitter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sagoi, ne?

So, now I'm at 3 months in and (although I have been terrible at documenting on this blog as of late) I still love Japan. It stills feels like an adventure, even on weekends like this when I stay in. I have truly fantastic friends, and aside from some "but I don't wannnnnna go to work" - type grumpiness on occasion, I am happy here. It makes me feel like I can be happy anywhere, honestly, and do it independently. It's a great feeling. I've only been here 3 months and I feel like I've grown up so much. My friend and I are always talking about how our attitudes here are best represented by a common Japanese phrase: "shoganai" which roughly translates into "whattya gonna do?" or "it can't be helped". That's kind how I am here. If I fuck up and make a fool of myself, I may have freaked out in the past, but now I just sort of let it roll off of my shoulders. It's really that simple.

So, being inspired by Gail's blog post about growing up in Katsutadai and loving Japan, I've concocted a list of things that anyone can do to ensure a 6 week toughening of the skin. Proven 100% effective:

- fall on your ass the first time you use a traditional Japanese style toilet (TMI, but I've since gotten quite used to the squatty bastards).
- be giggled at by young children who watch you struggle to order something totally simple like yakisoba or edamame (this happened a lot in the past).
- Have yakuza overhear you asking a friend about them in English, only to realize that the words "Japanese Mafia" are words that they are familiar with. Not frightening at all, just embarrassing Especially when they hear you and exclaim "JAPANESE MAFIAAAHH?"
- stumble over your first teaching lessons and hear students direct general derogatory remarks to their fellow classmates (ex: "baka sensei")
- have your t & a groped and referred to constantly by your students (kids are crazy obsessed with "oppai" [boobs] here, especially if you're particularly well-endowed).
- get lost constantly, although the effects of this are minor, as there is ALWAYS a kind and willing Japanese person who will not only point you in the right direction, but walk you there.

All this may sound terrible and embarrassing, but all of these things that happened to me in the first few weeks I was here have completely changed how negative or positive I am towards a situation. It's kind of like a less extreme fight or flight...you either run away with your head held in shame, or you laugh it off move on. Again, who knew being content with yourself was really that simple.

I know I will never be a sharp executive type who works 60 hours a week (I don't really want to be that person, honestly), because I am always seeking change and adventure. When I think of the future, I think of going to grad school for Graphic design, yes, but I also see travelling and backpacking and living abroad as much as possible. I've just let go of all the rules I SHOULD be following to live up to an ideal that isn't me. I'm going on and on about all this change and inspiration, I know, but it's good feeling.

So, self-motivational speeches aside, I did some pretty cool things last week. I went to Kyoto for two days, to Nikko on a day trip with Naz and Vaughn, and to Narita on the Emperor's birthday with Naz and Courtney.

Narita-san.

Probably the best moment ever captured. In Nikko (can you believe those leaves? amazing!)

In Higashiyama in Kyoto (you can spot Kiyomizu temple and some lovely mountains in the background).

These trips were magical. And the end of the third trip, my picture taking abilities sort of went to shit because everything was so beautiful, it all just looked like a postcard. Nature here is, well, extraordinarily beautiful and dreamlike. God I will miss it when I leave. Although if I know myself, I'll be back many, many times in my life. Who knows, maybe I'll stay longer or come back with Blake after he gets his degree.

Something cool happened in Kyoto that is worth mentioning. I met a British woman in Kyoto at the Golden Pavilion temple (she was probably 70 or so) who was a retired English teacher taking a 3 week long trip through Japan on her own. She had a son who lived in Shanghai and had taught English in the Southern Himalayas (where the Dalai Lama lives) for 3 years. She had been everywhere. I felt so young and inexperienced whilst talking to her. But it was also really inspiring because she wasn't exactly a spring chicken and was still doing so much, on top of all the cool things she had done already. I wondered how the woman had time to have kids, honestly. I want to be like that woman. Adventuring this piece up until the day I croak. It's gonna happen.

Melody will be here in less than 2 months! So excited!

ななころびやおき。

So yesterday I spent my first day as a bumblebee. This will continue on Monday and throughout the week for our Halloween parties...actually, it was pretty fun. I have this one reallllllly bad class of four boys who act up any chance they get, but with no actual lessons yesterday, we just played games and shot paper airplanes at each other. They definitely won that game. Unless of course you consider winning equivalent to cowering behind the table and attempting to defend myself in vain...in which case, I kicked their asses. It was fun actually...next week I can go back to really disliking that class.

My Japanese is improving, and I can actually read now! wow! I'm no longer totally illiterate! I'm still desperately trying to work on a few other things, such as shedding some pounds (which is happening but it's happening slowly)...and also trying to hone my photography skills. I think about buying manual film cameras a lot...and a DSLR. But enough about that.

My life has been so busy and amazing. Every spare moment off I grab by the horns and do things, with the exception of right now in which I'm enjoying a rare Saturday holiday off from work. When I start to talk about my life I sometimes draw a blank...why is that? Shit is happening all the time, everyday. Life is extraordinary and interesting right now, and I think that sometimes it's hard to put that into the right words. In short, I am becoming more and more myself everyday.

Lots of events coming up in the following week: possibly Kamakura tomorrow, as well as Kyoto on Thursday/Friday I think. And Melody comes to Japan in only 2 short months! I'm thinking I'll take her to Hakone to see Mt. Fuji at some point, and of course my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo, which I should mention....Shimokitazawa, Koenji, and Kichijoji. These areas are not the big and brightly lit areas of Tokyo such as Shinjuku and Shibuya...they have these little vintage shops and pedestrian only streets that really remind you of where you are and how people live. Also, because all these areas are fairly young and trendy, they make for some excellent people watching...even if you're not into fashion, it's hard not to notice how well-dressed people are here.
Kichijoji contains a park which I love dearly, and every time I think of it I want to hop on a train and go there immediately. In fact, maybe I'll do so. Shimokitazawa is the coolest place in Tokyo, I think, and absolutely packed with things to do along narrow and traditional little roads. All of this is so difficult to explain, really. You just need to be here.

I have been thinking about the outdoors a lot and really want to go camping here. On my days off, I mostly just want to walk around a park or be near nature...which is actually quite easy to do, even in Tokyo. I think that is what makes Tokyo such an amazing city: the duality of new and traditional, of industrial and organic. It's all here and in perfect balance.

There are so many places to go and see for me still, and Nathalie got me thinking a bit more of this Trans-Siberian/Mongolian railway adventure that's been in the back of my head for awhile. I mean, when else am I going to do all of this exploring? Carpe diem, I say. A lot to think about there.

It's getting better all the time.

How to plan adventures, part 1

So my Blakeless is on his way to Kentucky. I miss it so much. I haven't been to Louisville in over a year, which is weird to me. I don't think Louisville is the right place for me to live job-wise, but I really miss my people there. And my family and friends nearby as well...and how damn cheap the rent is there.

So! I've been doing some planning this afternoon. After this wondrous stint in Japan, Blake and I have been discussing where we want to relocate to in the near future, depending on school options, how much money we can save, etc. We both really like DC, but we know we won't be there long term. We've mostly entertained the idea of moving to Chicago, as originally planned, but Blake suggested to me that we take a road trip of all the great midwest/east coast cities that we could live in. We'd both love to live in Portland, but know that it's just too far away to live long term. Sure it's a cool city, but I'd like to be somewhere where I not only have some connections, but am within visiting distance of my family and friends. Home is where the heart is, and all that. So, I think a two week road trip is in order shortly after I come back from Japan next August.

Here's some places we're thinking of visiting and potentially moving to:

1. Chicago, Illinois (duh)
2. Brooklyn, NYC - I always wanted to live in NY when I was younger and lately I've been thinking about it again. Expensive and less crime than DC (which isn't all THAT bad, really), and of course there's no shortage of fun things to do and people to meet.
3. Minneapolis, MN - to be honest, it's really too damn cold here for me to consider moving there, but we'll include it in our road trip to see the city and pay a visit to Douglas.
4. Pittsburgh, PA - Philly is also a possible option here. Never been, so we'll just have to see.
5. Baltimore, MD - not too far from where we live now, but seems like a pretty cool city.
6. Milwaukee, WI - close to Chicago, and the more I read about this city, the neater it looks. Worth a gander, anyway.
7. Providence, RI - sort of random, but seems nice
8. Boston, MA - seems like a cool city, but full of assholes. Then again, so is NY and that's #2 on the list. So is DC, and we live there. Again, I've never been there, so maybe that's a hasty judgement.

So I'm still researching and adding to the list. Austin, TX is also a place Blake and I have though of going to, so maybe we'll visit. It's too far away to live though. And despite Austin being a super rad city, I just don't know if I can bring myself to live in Texas. Ug. The Carolinas are an option too, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions? Chicago is really looking the most likely at this point, honestly, but who doesn't love an exploratory road trip?

Anyway, in other news, I've had a pretty lax weekend here in Japan. Probably going to knit a little today, do some cleaning, and walk around Sakura a bit. Tomorrow my classes are being videotaped so my school can observe and comment on how I'm doing. Yikes.

Maybe later I'll have some knitting pics to post for the first time in forever. This blog is called frankenskein, after all. Give me US city suggestions!

the ego has landed

Do you ever get a little wistful for days of yore when you were totally angsty, depressed all the time, and heartbroken? I do. Well, not the feeling I had during those days because well...it wasn't fun. But sometimes I hear a bittersweet song that I used to listen to when I was mopey, and the nostalgia isn't sad, it's happy to me now. Mostly because it reminds me how much I have grown since I was 20 or so (and younger) and it reminds me of my capability to feel, even if it was stupid. Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Satellite of Love" send me into a whirlwind of nostalgic emotion when I hear them. I wonder how I cared so much about dumb boys and dumb situations back then. I'm sure you all can relate on some level.

So I'm totally on a Velvet Underground/ Lou Reed kick again. I used to call them my 2nd favorite band when I was younger, but I haven't really listened to them in awhile. It's been too long. My music tastes as of late have all been older music. Maybe it's because Japan's aesthetic can either seem incredibly old (like, Edo period) or very 1980s. Seriously. The buildings and colors and everything just make me think I'm in the 80s. Sans the power-perms and Jerry-curl, of course. It rules.

Anyway. Just this second, I felt a teensy little earthquake. I've lost count of the ones I've experienced so far, and I've only been here for 5 weeks. I guess there have been about 4-5? I can kinda see how the Japanese get used to them, as they seem to happening atleast every week. Typhoons have been hitting us here recently too. What is this crazy place I'm in?

One of my adult students brought in a gift for me today. It's actually kind of perfect.

I almost teared up when he gave it to me and said "Here is a souvenir from my trip to Osaka." Now, I know it's just a small thing to do, especially in a country when giving small gifts like this is customary, but I still think it's really cool that this 19 year old kid was walking around on his vacay and thought "Hey, I'll get this for my English teacher." Such a nice thing to do. And there's even a cat on it.

As far as events, I've been doing a lot. Last week I hung out with Nathalie a bunch, met a cool dude in Tokyo named Vaughn, and got drunk with Nathalie and my boss at Daruma, my local izakaya. And went to a Brazilian festival in Yoyogi. I'm thinking I'll go back to Yoyogi sometime soon, during the day. This Sunday I actually have to work, as it is one out of the three weeks per year that I have a six day workweek. boo.

With that said, life is still amazing, and I wonder how long my adventure will last. I have no idea what is in my future, and have no concrete plans. It's unlike me, but it's refreshing. I used to live my life in the past, and then in recent years I was always thinking about my future and ignoring the past. Now I'm somewhere in between, living all of it day by day, and it's fantastic.

yes!: I've lost about 11.5 lbs since I've been here. My clothes are starting to feel bigger. I like shrinking.

no!: patiently awaiting September 28th, when I start getting paid on the regular. Going into Tokyo as often as I do dwindles the funds!