Surprise snow storm, day 1

8 am Leave for school. Notice the snow has started early, but there’s not enough to take a picture. Use neighbor’s car for contrast.

8時　学校へ行く。雪は早い始まった。少ないから、写真に見えないから、近所の黒い車の前に写真を撮る。

8:40 On the way to 1st period, stop for a picture of the gorgeous tree in the tiny amount of snow.

8時40分　1時間目へ行く。雪が見えるから、写真を撮る。

10:30 After 2nd period. First years, you have the best view of this gorgeous tree. Also, look at all that snow.

10時半　2時間目が終わった。1年生は一番いい眺めがある。この木はとてもきれい。そして、雪が積もっています。

12:40 pm Electricity goes out again, comes back on quickly.

12時40分　2回目の停電、はやい終わり。

2 pm Electricity goes out

14時　停電

2:30 pm Class started 20 minutes ago, teacher wasn’t paying any attention, with no bells to remind her, she didn’t notice.

14時半　授業は20分前に始まったけど、先生は時計が見えなかった。チャイムがなかった。

3 pm Busses and trains are cancelled, how are we getting the students home?

15時　バスと電車は中止した。生徒と富良野に住んでいる先生はどう帰る？

3:45 pm Bus has snow tires now, kids can go home.

15時45分　バスのタイヤが変わった。生徒は帰る。

4 pm Teachers go home. My car is covered in snow, I’m not wearing snow clothes. I-sensei, can I get a ride to the convenience store? (It’s close to my house).

16時　先生は帰る。　私の車で雪積もるし、冬の服を着ないし、I先生はコンビニまで運転する。

4:15 pm Arrive at I-sensei’s house. He forgot about me. Can I help with changing the tires? No, go inside and play with the kids.

16時15分　I先生の家に着いた。　I先生は私が忘れちゃった。男の先生たちはタイヤの変わるの始まる。手伝える事が聞いたけど、子供たちと家で遊ぶ。

4:55 pm The tires are changed.

16時55分　タイヤが変わった。

5:05 pm Arrive home. Find a flashlight and light a candle. Remember the large, camping flashlight that I spotted this morning.

17時05分　家は着いた。　懐中電灯と蝋燭が探す。　朝に見たの大きいキャンプの懐中電灯が思い出す。

6 pm Pull dinner out of the refrigerator. Luckily, one of my choir friends made me dinner yesterday and it’s still cold. Thankfully, it doesn’t require any heat.

18時　冷蔵庫から夕食を食べる。昨日合唱の友達から夕食がもらった。コンロが要らないけど、寒い。

6:30 pm Finish my cold dinner and wish I had a way to make hot tea. Then, remember the hand warmers I have for winter.

18時半　寒い夕食が終わった。　お茶を飲みたいから、お湯が欲しい。　カイロがあった事思い出す。

7 pm Find out school is cancelled tomorrow.

19時　明日に学校が中止と聞いた。

7:10 pm Find out school is cancelled for the students.

19時10分　生徒だけ明日に学校が中止と聞いた。

Golden Week day 13 mobile

I just got home and I have work tomorrow, so this is going to be short and sweet.

今日帰った。そして、明日仕事があるから、今日のブログは短い。

Today I explored Narita a bit. I asked the woman at the Travel Information office what she recommended for a couple of hours in Narita and she pointed me toward one of the most beautiful temples I’ve been to – it had a gorgeous park!

今日成田に行った。　観光案内の人のおすすめは駅の近い寺。　とてもきれいの。　そして、大きい公園があった。

After I came back to the airport, I had lunch and then found the observation deck. I was very happy to spend more time in the warm sunshine before heading back to Hokkaido.

空港へ戻ったの後昼ご飯を食べた。送迎デッキへ行って 陽光にいた。とてもうれしかった！

Then it was time to go. Goodbye Tokyo!

その後、帰った。　さよなら東京！

After I got back, I had about an hour and a half before my train left, so I had dinner with a friend and her mom, who is visiting. This is us on the train before splitting up.

空港で電車の待つ時間は１時間半ぐらいから、友達と旅行お母さんと晩ご飯を食べた。離れたの前に電車でこの写真を撮った。

Golden Week day 7 mobile

Yesterday four of us were headed to the train station in Kamakura, so I wondered if a taxi or a bus would be cheaper. When I asked, one of the other guests at the hostel volunteered to drive us.
昨日4人友達は鎌倉駅へ行くつもりだったから、「バスとタクシーはどちの方が安い」と言った。他の友達はそれ聞いたの後、私たちが送れた。

Here are the four of us in the car. Oskar, Chicco (our long lost Italian cousin), Mandie and I.
この写真は私たち車で。オスカーとチコと妹と私。

Because of the holiday it was a long drive and a fun chance to chat.
祝日だから、長い話す時があった。楽しかった。

Update

Woke up to really bad neck pain, nothing else still hurt from snowboarding, so I knew it wasn't related. On a happy note - it's the fastest I've bounced back so far! 

Got the email just before second period that, as I thought, my insurance didn't cover my car. Sadly, I've had it less than 6 months. I spent most of second period trying not to cry (the neck thing really didn't help). 

After my last class, my supervisor and I went to the hospital in the big town. They took x-rays and everything in  my neck is fine. He basically gave me a prescription version of what I had been doing - Salonopas patches of amazing and pain reliever. 

Then we headed out to my car to collect my stuff. The minute I saw it I had to hold back the tears again. More than anything it's frustrating. And the whole pile of "what if I had . . ." questions wanted to jump back in. 

Thankfully my supervisor was then willing to head back into town to give a friend a box for an upcoming ALT meet, so I don't have to try to get it on the train (or in a car with friends). 

Now I'm back and feeling loads better with just the patch on my neck . . . kinda wishing I had refused the pain meds and only taken these.

Dear Car

Dear Car,

It really wasn’t very nice of you to decide to quit working before a typhoon came to Hokkaido. Every time I go out, I get sopping wet, when I could have been driving you. I wish you had decided to quit working after the typhoon, so I could have enjoyed your warm, comfortable interior during these rain storms.

Love,

Becky

A rainy, grouchy day.

Goodbye my car!

On Saturday, with the intention of driving to Noboribetsu for the Welcome Party and Hell Festival, my car decided it was finished driving.

I got off the expressway in a town not too far away and it started smoking and making a weird noise.

The nearby mechanic couldn’t do anything, so I had to drive back into town to the dealer.

Turns out that between the cost to repair those problems and my shaken (bi-yearly car tax) it’s going to be around $3500. I could buy a new car for that.

And so, goodbye my car. Goodbye my house-on-wheels. Goodbye my Ipsum. Goodbye convenience.

(Above: my car on an incredibly foggy day – I just wanted to capture the crazy fog)