All year long,
we took tiny photos with our cell phones (keitais) whenever
we were out and about and saw something we didn't want
to forget. Unfortunately, our keitais were some of the
oldest on the market when we got here, and the cameras
aren't exactly top-notch. The pictures below are full
size! |
| Angie's Photos |
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Speech
to the Superintendent
Shortly after we arrived, I had to make a speech to the
school superintendent of Yamagata Prefecture. Part of
it was broadcast on TV, and they interviewed me as well.
I was away from home that night attending the local orientation
for new JETs, so Chris snapped this photo of the TV and
sent it to me so I could see. (08.21.03) |
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Speech
to the Superintendent, Part 2
Another photo from the same news program, showing fellow
high school JETs Christina, Karl, and Melissa. (08.21.03) |
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Crazy
for Chrysanthemums
The teacher who sat next to me at Yamanobe High School,
Maemori-sensei, was always giving me new foods to try.
This day for lunch, she gave me boiled chrysanthemums
in soy sauce (the boiled petals are in that little dish).
They were pretty good, actually. I snuck this photo when
she wasn't looking. (09.17.03) |
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The
Botched Dye Job
My mom sent me a do-it-yourself highlight kit that I'd
never used before. I managed to streak half my hair nicely,
but the other side was a disaster. In desperation, I went
up the street to the Japanese beauty salon, and they had
to lighten me up all over to "fix" the problem.
The Japanese dye was a little stronger than I expected.
I sent this photo to my brother Josh to show him the frightening
result. (11.02.03) |
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 Flower
Arranging Class
We attended a Japanese flower arranging class taught by
our friend Echigo-sensei. This was my best effort at an
interesting arrangement. (11.08.03) |
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Flower
Arranging Class, Part 2
Chris's arrangement. He's a natural, don't you think?
We were all given the same number of flowers (one big
white stalk, two smaller daisies, two very long green
leaves), a pot and a pair of scissors to work with. (11.08.03) |
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Vocational
High School Has Its Perks
Yamanobe High School has a cooking track, and the head
cooking teacher made me this fabulous lunch of handmade
soba noodles and tempura one day just because he felt
like it. (We had bonded by singing "Let It Be"
together at the school's year-end party.) It took me almost
an hour to eat it all. I had to keep fighting off the
other teachers. (12.08.03) |
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 Yamanobe
Class Match
Once a year, all the homeroom classes compete in a variety
of events. In this event, the entire class had to jump
rope together as many times as possible. Each class made
their own coordinating T-shirts. (12.17.03) |
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New
Year's Day Shrine Hopping
On our way back to Yamagata after our Christmas trip to
Korea, we took a day trip from Tokyo to the small town
of Kamakura, known as "little Kyoto" because
of all its shrines and temples. This was the crowd waiting
to get in to the most famous shrine to pray for a good
year. We waited 90 minutes to get in. I sent this picture
to my family so they could see what I was up to. (01.01.04) |
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A Time
Machine to Yesterday's Tomorrowland
At Tokyo Disneyland, we were surprised and pleased to
see that Tomorrowland hadn't been remade into the awful
robotic-themed version that now exists at Disneyland in
California and Walt Disney World in Orlando. Seeing the
old Tomorrowland was like suddenly being 8 years old again.
I wished my brother Josh could have seen it, so I sent
him this picture. (01.02.04) |
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I'm
on My Way!
In the dead of winter, I had to travel overnight to a
seminar about three hours away by train. On the way home,
I decided to splurge and take the more expensive bullet
train so I'd get home faster. I sent Chris this picture
to tell him I was coming, knowing he'd recognize the green
bullet train seats. (01.23.04) |
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Is
This Place For Real?
When we traveled north to Hokkaido for the Sapporo Snow
Festival, we took a one-day trip to the small town of
Otaru on the coast. Our train took us right along the
shoreline, with snow piled up above the water's edge.
I took this picture at a tiny train station. That's the
ocean in the distance. (02.09.04) |
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A Valentine's
Day Stowaway
Valentine's Day was a Saturday this year, but I had to
work at an out-of-town English daycamp. That morning on
the train, I was surprised to discover a small package
in my backpack. I sent this picture of me and my new friend
to Chris to say thank you. (02.14.04) |
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A Crazy
Frozen Pipe!
Shortly after that, we went to Yonezawa for the snow lantern
festival. While I was walking down the street, I saw this
pipe that had broken, and yet was held together by an
icicle! (02.19.04) |
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Yamanobe
High School Graduation
Maemori-sensei secretly arranged for me to wear a kimono
to the graduation ceremony as a surprise for the students.
She had her friend come in to school early to help me
get dressed. In this picture, they had left the room for
just a moment before they started strapping me into the
kimono. I felt just like Scarlett O'Hara. (03.02.04) |
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Aye,
Aye, Cap'n!
I ran into a girl I knew on the train. She couldn't remember
whether she had met Chris or not, so he sent me this to
show her. (03.13.04) |
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Josh's
Favorite Mr. Donut
In March when we traveled all around Japan with our friend
Amy, Josh frequently helped us by e-mailing directions
or train schedules to my cell phone. At one point, he
directed us to this Mr. Donut in Tenri for snacks, and
I sent him a picture for his efforts. (03.24.04) |
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Rabu-rabu!
All my students say Chris and I are very rabu-rabu,
which is the Japanese pronunciation of love-love.
(03.24.04) |
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Fushimi
Inari
Just outside Kyoto is one of the most famous shrines in
Japan, Fushimi Inari, known for its pathway of red torii.
(03.25.04) |
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Kyoto's
Golden Pavilion
The must-see sight in Kyoto if you are a Japanese tourist.
Interesting for us non-Japanese tourists as well. I took
this picture to show my co-workers when I got back. (03.26.04)
|
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My
Morning Programs
Chris bought me this little portable gadget that you can
watch videos or listen to music with, and most mornings,
he puts things on it for me to watch or listen to on the
train. I sent him a picture of me with the gadget (made
by Sharp!) to say thanks. (04.05.04) |
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Hanami
Party
I can't believe Chris forgot our camera in the car on
the day the cherry blossoms bloomed in Kajo Park. I just
managed to get this one picture of the sakura trees over
the moat. (04.15.04) |
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A Mysterious
Monkey
I found this picture in my phone. I didn't take it. Chris
has no clue what it is. It was taken when Josh was here
visiting us in May. Josh, any ideas? (05.15.04) |
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The
Fish That Came Back to Life
This fish, which had been cut into bits of sashimi for
us, came back to life on its plate and started gasping
and thrashing around, despite most of its muscle tissue
having been removed... oh, and the fact that it had been
OUT OF WATER for 20 minutes! (06.09.04) |
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Thanks,
Josh!
Josh sent me this change purse as a present when he went
to Osaka in May. When I use it I always think about him,
so I sent him this picture from the Yamanobe town train
station. (06.23.04) |
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Just Like Liverpool
We just recently discovered that a local bar called Louisiana
Hurricane is themed like a British pub. The walls are
covered with Beatles photos, and sometimes they even have
a live Beatles cover band. John Lennon saw us in the crowd
and came over to talk to us. We hit it off so well that
a week later, we had him over for dinner! (06.25.04) |
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I Spy
with My BIG EYE...
Sometimes I get distracted at work, heh heh. No, really,
I just wanted Chris to know that I was keeping an eye
on him to make sure he really was packing the apartment
instead of playing Space Empires. (07.13.04) |
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Cherryland
Hello Kitty
I've been buying these tiny plastic Hello Kitties that
are themed for each local region. Chris had asked me if
I had Cherryland Kitty (Yamagata is famous for its cherries),
and this was my response. (07.13.04) |
