Days 1880 - 1886
Sunday, May 12 - May 18, 2013
Sunday, May 12 - May 18, 2013
Day 1880 ( African Festival - Yokohama )
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Ok continuing from my last post..... My toilet is not flushing properly for the first time while living in Japan. My freaking toilet guys!!!! So I went on a mission to go find a plunger (which by the way, not one Japanese person can give me the exact translation of) at any home store or wherever. Before I went out, my good friend Vivianna said she is heading out to an African Festival with another friend of ours. So I decided to go along and probably ask them to follow me to a home store.
Haha... We went to the African Festival, stayed for a while, took some random pictures, ate some African cuisine etc. I ate this Nigerian, peppered goat soup. Of course it was spicy/peppery but it was pretty good. It's similar to a soup we make in Jamaica call manish water.
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| Big up yuh self I -Marcus aka Joe |
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| Nigeria |
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| Mali |
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| Burkina Faso - I've never heard of this country before |
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| Mauritania |
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| Ghana |
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| Tanzania |
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| Hey the black dog is laughing too |
Then we took more pictures, with more dogs. All this time I was still thinking about my toilet issue!!!
But instead of following me to a home store, I had to follow these girls to a CLOTHES STORE!!! I kind of knew by then that my toilet issue would't be solved today. So I followed them and yeah as expected, they took a while searching and trying on stuff and what not. What did I gain from this again? Oh yeah the company of good friends :))) .... Then to top it off, after they shopped to their heart's content, Richel's (The Asian chick) phone battery was dying and she wanted to charge it. So she brought us to a restaurant to get her phone charged while, we ate some food there. She told us a veeery interesting story about herself and our branch of the company we work for.... I'm not privy to share this information via my blog however. Those working for my company would definitely find this story quite interesting...NO doubt!!!
So we left the restaurant at about say 9pm... Everywhere was closed by that time on a Sunday. I did manage to go to the home/bathroom section of 2 electronic stores, but unfortunately, none of them had plungers :( . All they had was the heated toilet thingy. So one more night without a working toilet.... What I had to do was to stop by the toilets in the train station. Tomorrow early, I will be going on a "plunger searching" mission.
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Day 1881 ( Got The Plunger....... Toilet Fixed )
Monday, May 13, 2013
I sent an email to my apartment agency last night, telling them that my toilet was having issues. So this morning someone called me from the agency, speaking in very fast Japanese. I basically understood what she was saying though. They said they would try to get someone to fix the toilet for me, but mentioned that I may have to pay some money. I told them to ask approximately how much it would cost. It seem though that she was a bit hesitant to ask them. So eventually the apartment operators themselves called me saying that they will send someone to look at the toilet this evening.
Any how, I still went on my plunger searching trip at the station next to mine name Nokendai. While I was looking in a pharmacy, I saw a lady that helped me teach while I was with the elementary school children. What a blessed day!!! So first she helped me to buy this toilet tablet thing that should help to break the toilet stoppage. Then we went upstairs to get a plunger. Still, none of them knows how to say plunger in Japanese. Some saying suppongu, others saying rubber cup, but they are still not certain. Do the test, ask a Japanese how to translate plunger....tell me their answer.
I tried using the toilet cleaner/tablet thing, but it didn't work. I then tried the plunger..... That too didn't work. It was then time for my YMCA class. So I went there, taught a slightly naughty class, then I was back home. The toilet fixer dude came shortly afterwards.
He tried flushing the toilet and saw that the water kept rising. He then asked me in Japanese "Did you throw some garbage in there?????" ...... Of course not bredrin.....Why on earth would I throw garbage in the toilet??? ..... He then went for a huge plunging device, then proceeded to plunge away. Nothing happened. So he disappeared for about 10 minutes and went for a strange looking, very heavy machinery. With this, he finally solved the problem. You know what was clogging up the toilet? Hair and toilet tissue together. I am unsure if it's Japanese hair, my hair, dog hair or puss hair. I am also uncertain as to when this started accumulating.
He tried flushing the toilet and saw that the water kept rising. He then asked me in Japanese "Did you throw some garbage in there?????" ...... Of course not bredrin.....Why on earth would I throw garbage in the toilet??? ..... He then went for a huge plunging device, then proceeded to plunge away. Nothing happened. So he disappeared for about 10 minutes and went for a strange looking, very heavy machinery. With this, he finally solved the problem. You know what was clogging up the toilet? Hair and toilet tissue together. I am unsure if it's Japanese hair, my hair, dog hair or puss hair. I am also uncertain as to when this started accumulating.
Well at least now it is fixed. So I am back to normal.
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Day 1882 ( Eat Bugs For Protein !! )
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Went to my other school today and did 1 class. Only 1 teacher allow me to do my own lesson at this school.... The others either give me 25 mins or tell me to use the school book.
Afterwards I went to Komatsu to teach the usual 2 groups. I start to give them a new word for each class. I realized that I misspelled hippopotamus. It was when I got home I found out. Next week I will tell them of my mistake.
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Eating insects could help fight world hunger
Afterwards I went to Komatsu to teach the usual 2 groups. I start to give them a new word for each class. I realized that I misspelled hippopotamus. It was when I got home I found out. Next week I will tell them of my mistake.
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Eating insects could help fight world hunger
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| Please stop "bugging" me |
The U.N. has new weapons to fight hunger, boost nutrition and reduce pollution, and they might be crawling or flying near you right now: edible insects.
The Food and Agriculture Organization on Monday hailed the likes of grasshoppers, ants and other members of the insect world as an underutilized food for people, livestock and pets.
A 200-page report, released at a news conference at the U.N. agency’s Rome headquarters, says 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diets with insects, which are high in protein and minerals, and have environmental benefits.
Insects are “extremely efficient” in converting feed into edible meat, the agency said. On average, they can convert 2 kg of feed into 1 kg of insect mass. In comparison, cattle require 8 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of meat.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/15/world/eating-insects-could-help-fight-world-hunger/#.UZsL0aJTBrN
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Day 1883 ( #4 Bad Luck in Japan...And It's Taken Very Literal )
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Did 3 classes at my main High School today, then 2 classes at YMCA, then spoke to my private student. We spoke about Jamaicans in Japan. I think probably 80% or more of us are teachers.
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I knew that the number 4 and 9 are known as "Bad luck numbers" in Japan. But 4, which is shi or yon is taken very literal... Talk about hyper superstitious. Four (4) or Shi also can mean shinu - which means death. But the teachers at my school today taught me something new. I learnt that the 4 or shi thing is taken so literal that the number 4 is not written in almost every hotel in Japan, and some hospitals as well. A teacher then showed me a hotel pamphlet with the room numbers. And there were nooo 4s. There is 1, 2, 3, 5... Room 10, 11, 12, 13...15 also 21, 22, 23, 25... nooo 4s what so ever. Next time you visit a hotel in Japan, check it out for yourself.
Actually I just researched it, and it seem to be a thing in a couple Asian countries....Its known as Tetraphobia ....
Tetraphobia is a practice to avoid instances of the number 4. It is a superstition most common in East Asian andSoutheast Asian regions such as China,Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea andVietnam.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraphobia
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Day 1884 ( North Korea Again!!! Seeking Attention )
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Stayed in for most of the day. But also met with a former supporter who helped me to teach with the elementary school children. Then I met with a Jamaican to give her some of my T-shirts so people can model in them as well as get them sold at the One Love Jamaica Festival.
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North Korea test-fires another short-range missile
North Korea Sunday test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days, despite pleas from South Korea and the U.N. chief to halt the launches at a time of high tensions.
The guided missile was fired into the Sea of Japan on Sunday afternoon, a defense ministry spokesman said without elaborating.
On Saturday the North fired three short-range missiles off its east coast, apparently as part of a military drill.
The North’s launches of short-range missiles are not unusual but come at a time of heightened alert on the peninsula, following Pyongyang’s February nuclear test, which sparked tougher U.N. sanctions.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/20/asia-pacific/north-korea-test-fires-another-short-range-missile/#.UZsL-aJTBrM
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Day 1885 ( YMCA Article on me )
Friday, May 17, 2013
Had 2 classes at my main school, went home, then to the YMCA. They are doing an article on me, that will be circulated throughout the YMCAs in this area. These are some of the pictures they had of me, that I didn't even know or remember about.
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Day 1887 ( One Love Festival 2013 Part 1 )
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Taught 3 classes at YMCA today. The 1-4 year olds, some 4th - 6th graders, then some rotten 2nd - 6th graders. I ended at 12:30 then rushed to Yoyogi park for the annual One love Festival in Yoyogi park, Harajuku, Tokyo.
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Met up with many old and new friends. And this time my T-shirts were being modeled and sold.... Thanks Francine and the models/dancers!!! All the T-Shirts got sold out.... SELL OFFF!!!
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| Brother and sister dance off.. Stole this pic from facebook. Knew them both from I was in Jamaica |
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| Easy Baba |
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| Guh deh Francine |
Sorry fi put unnu up pon mi blog.... If unnu want it kum dung den unnu tell mi.
My friend took this photo of me with his camera.... I like it!!! My mom and aunt hate to see me with alcohol for reasons unknown to me. But Jesus turned the water into wine didn't He? Well this is beer not wine however. And I don't indulge too much :)
There was also a dance competition (JCDC World Reggae Dance Eliminations) that I think the winner of it will be heading to Jamaica for the finals or semi finals...... 12 groups competed... Only 1 group had a Jamaican... Boom Squad that my friend Simone was a member of. I think they did well.
Here is the Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrTl0KdVxfs
Sorry I can't get some of my videos to go in blogger again for reasons beyond me.
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| Is that girl on the right a teacher??? My goodness |
More pictures with Jamaicans in Japan.
