I still don't get Japan...

But I won't have to! At least not for the next 2 weeks. Then I'll just have to worry about not understanding another Asian country. This one happens to be in the news a lot more often than Japan, and I think lately incites more discussion and opinion. How could it not though? 1.3 billion people? Even MORE carbon emissions than America (maybe)? Double digit economic growth year after year? A 1-party state with practically no modern labor or environmental standards? I'm of course talking about China. In just one day I fly to Beijing, where I'll be staying 3 nights and meeting up with one of Amber's friends and doing a handful of the fun things tourists do. And then its off to Taiyuan to visit my good good friend Sigma!! Huurrray! 3 more nights there, and then hoppin a short flight to Xi'an, the tourist hot spot everyone might know as being near the Tera Cota Warriors (You know, all those statues an emperor had placed in his tomb to guard him in his afterlife). 3 nights there and the next morning is off to Lanzhou, where I meet again with Sigma and her friends for new years fun. 1 party night, 1 recovery night, and then back to Beijing. 2 nights to relax and see the last few sights we can and then back to safe cute little Japan.
If you do a New York Times search for Taiyuan and Lanzhou, you'll probably find a reference to an article published today profiling a city south of Beijing that houses an enormous complex of Steel production factories. Its recent increase in steel producing activity has made it incredibly dirty and polluted, as you might expect. And the article cites that it has grown dirty to the point that it is "almost" as polluted as the cities of Taiyuan and Lanzhou, two urban centers with lots of dirty coal mining apparently. And two urban centers I'll be visiting! Hurrah!
Why China? Well my friend Sigma is there, and its so close! I would feel bad spending all this time in Japan without exploring its enormous neighbor. Even if just a little tiny bit. The original plan, a few months back, was to go to Australia and do the holidays with Amber's family. We were put off by the $1,200 plus tickets though. We know Australia will be a destination soon enough, so we thought it more practical to wait until prices were more reasonable . So pieces fit together, and now we're off to China! My only regret is that some of my other friends are going to China just a few weeks after I leave. My school's vacation isn't flexible of course though, so not much I can do. Zannen (too bad)!

to prove my devotion to visiting Australia sometime: here's amber's best koala impersonation. She's not wearing a hat, that's just how her head looks when she's homesick.

I haven't blogged in a while. I'm sorry. I guess I get in a routine here, and it's not so interesting to write about a routine. I'll try to distill some highlights though:
Hannukah came and went with almost no notice here... except that I subjected my students once again to Hannukah lessons! I couldn't do much with my regular classes because they have an agenda to follow, and the class size of 37 makes activities like dreidel difficult. However, I teach the "special" classes a few times a week and their class size of 2-6 kids is perfect. Why exactly they have me teach these classes so often lately I don't know, though I suspect that the "special" kid duty is considered quite the chore, and the ALT (me - assistant language teacher) is an easy enough person to pass it on to. The standard method in Japan is lecture, reading, memorize, test. These kids can't do any of these though, undoubtedly baffling a lot of teachers about what to do. This is where Aaron and his Hannukah lessons come in. Last year I spent two periods making menorahs and stars of David and little candles with them. It was really cute, though I'm sure they had no idea what was going on. Anyway this year I had them spend a period making dreidels with them, and then another one playing the game. Before we played the game, the special class teacher remembered my hannukah lesson last year and went through a closet of old stuff and brought out the menorahs the students made last year. The kids got kind of excited, and we played dreidel next to the menorahs we made last year. I wish wish wish i had my camera that day. It was like a Hebrew school teacher's dream.

As for that OTHER holiday around this time... Here I am at a little Christmas party hosted by my friend up in the mountains. She's a Quebecois and a fantastic cook and I don't know if most Christmas parties have paella and Japanese pot-cooking but I thought it was a pretty great combo. And I had eggnog for what I guess is the first time. Everyone thought this picture was really funny, and I think they had it arranged as well. I'm glad that if I don't feel like enough of a funny toy to Japanese people, there's always western gentiles to laugh at the Jew with Christmas decorations.
Here's me and my baby, Shyoma. After much deliberation, mostly with my sister, me and Amber decided to have a Japanese baby together. And isn't it cute? It has it's daddy's eyes.

Ok so its not my baby but look at how cute it is! I was at yet another Christmas party, and happened upon a friend of my predecessor's: Tomomi. Since my predecessor left, Tomomi got pregnant and had little Shoyma, who is now only a few months old. I ended up talking to Tomomi and playing with the baby for quite a while. I still secretly plan on stealing it before I leave Japan. I'll give it back when it starts talking though.

I'll have to write more after I come back. Or if i have time in China even. But its late and I of course still have some packing to do. So happy birthday to my wonderful little sister, baby Shmoofoo. I don't care how old she's turning, because she's still baby shmoofoo. And also poo on her for not answer her phone when I call. But happy birthday!

Love,
Aaron