Workshop, Graduate Readings, and Sushi

Today was a very long day of classes. The day had finally come for my workshop session and it went really well. I am so happy to have such a great group of writers to work with. Each person really thought about their comments. Leaving workshop makes me want to continue writing which is something it should always make me feel. I couldn't be more grateful to my YA tribe.

Besides my workshop piece, I attended lectures on nonhuman characters, elements of setting, picture books, and choosing words. The graduating students read from their work and did a great job.

Lunch was uneventful. We went to a crepe shop. I got tuna and lettuce in a crepe. It was pretty good, simple, light and fast.


For dinner, the YA tribe went to conveyor belt sushi, some of us, like me, for the first time. We weren't able to sit together as a group, but our couplings were still nice. Conveyor belt sushi is an experience that I'm glad I was able to have.

It's pretty simple. You wait until you like the look of something and pick up the plate. Luckily, there wasn't any guess work. They had signs telling us what was what. I tried the boiled eel, tempura shrimp, fried rice and bean paste, and wasabi laced cucumber roll. It was all very good. The boiled eel was my favorite. Everything was nicely complimented by green tea Edie stumbled upon.

While the others went to go see a stair light show, I had to go back to the hotel. My legs and feet had become super swollen. I had no ankles. I soaked my feet in the bath and then put them up hoping the swelling would go down.

On the docket today is a full day trip to Hiroshima.

Two for One: Classes and the Tale of Genji

This blog entry will cover the past two days since I was unable to update you this morning (my time) about my day yesterday.

July 16th
I had a wonderful breakfast with my fb writing group. It was nice to have a group to talk about writing with, and to meet everyone in person rather than communicating over fb.

After breakfast, it was off to the hotel for morning classes. We had a lecture and another poetry assignment. Then, we had workshop where we worked on one piece and then were given a lesson on characters which I found very helpful.

We went to Starbucks for lunch plus more souvenir cups. I thought I was getting a spinach and cheese sandwich but it turned out to also have meat in it. And it was the kind of meet that I couldn't easily scrap off. Luckily, I had also stopped at the grocery market and picked up some watermelon which was amazing and some Gatorade type water for the afternoon tour.

The tour was connected with the Tale of Genji. We first stopped at the museum which didn't have enough audio guides for us, so our tour guide told us about a few of the things in each room. It was a pretty sparse museum, but we did get free stickers. Because we had so much extra time we went and visited an old Shinto shrine with an original roof. It was a beautiful sight and the Tori gate just beyond was everything I had imagined. The only problem was the weather. It was sooooo hot that it was almost too unbearable to find anything enjoyable. I had my paper fan and my hand fan going at the same time.

After the museum and Shinto shrine, we went to the Byodoin Temple. This was the type of architecture I had been expecting since arriving in Japan. It was big and beautiful. The color of the buildings and architecture was just breathtaking. Inside the temple is a 9 ft Buddha, but I wasn't going to pay extra to see it up close. We were able to walk all around the temple and pond before entering the air conditioned museum. I was pretty much ready to pass out by the time we got into the cool air. I had overheated. Luckily, I managed to keep it together and cooled own even more. This museum, also with no audioguides, was easier to understand what as going on there. They had more artifacts that were cool to look at.

We stayed in the gift shop a little too long, but we didn't want to leave the AC. Down the street from the bus however, was an ice cream shop selling macha which I have been wanting to try. We got there just in time before they closed and it was worth it. Macha is green tea which seems to be used in a lot. At first bite, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but the more I ate the more I liked it. It grows on you if you allow it.

After getting back to the hotel, Mary and I ate dinner at the Irish pub and then went to the lounge to write. It didn't last long before my eyes started to droop.

July17th

I woke up in the middle of the night from a dream that was a complete short story which I'm not eager to write. It maybe super hot here and I'm not big on the food, but it is inspiring. I made sure I wrote everything down before going back to sleep.

In the morning, we tried a different breakfast place today, I know, so out of my comfort zone. They had both Japanese and western food. I still ate the same things I ate at the other place. The only difference for me was a few waffles. It was really quite when we first got there, but it soon became crowded and the line through the buffet was going both ways which made it confusing.

Today was a day of classes. We listened to a few lectures, workshopped a piece, learned about the process of writing Road to Tate Hill, and had student readings.

Mary had convinced me to do the play instead of my YA novel and I'm happy I did. We ran out of time which sucked especially because it was a mystery and they were left not knowing who the killer was. I had several people come up at the end to ask the ending. It had a good response and I think I'll keep working on it. So far for each residency, I've read something from a different genre. Italy I read poetry, Scotland I read YA, and now Japan I read a play. Next year I'll have to do CNF or fiction. ;)

We went to this nice French deli for lunch to grab a quick sandwich and then went two shops down and got ice cream from Basksin-Robbins where I got more matcha ice cream with a raspberry cheesecake. It was yum.

After classes were complete, we ended the day walking through the train station because we misheard another group going to a toy shop and as YA writers we got excited. However, along the way we saw a pizza place that looked like a great place for dinner. So, instead of continuing to follow the group to the store that Alisha had already gone to, we went back to the pizza place for dinner and did a little shopping in the station. When we finally got back to the hotel we did more writing in the lounge until I wasn't able to keep my eyes open anymore. I crashed hard.

On the docket for today is more classes where I'm going to be workshopped!!!!!! Finally, it's my turn. :) Plus, were going to have a discussion about picture books which will be very helpful. There are also more lectures and the graduate readings. It will be a good day.

Classes with an Irish pub lunch and pancake dinner

I went to my usual breakfast place before heading off to a full day of classes. As a group, we walked through the maze of Kyoto station to our meeting spot about 10 minutes away. Luckily, because we go through the station, it's a bit cooler than if we were to be on the surface streets. I'm thankful for that but my little necklace fan has been a lifesaver.

I always enjoy the welcome home lecture because I do feel like I've come home. The faculty readings are all so interesting. Our interrelatedness of the arts assignment was assigned. I'm both annoyed and looking forward to it.

With our morning classes concluded, a group of us went to lunch at an Irish pub across from our hotel. It's a place I had wanted to try. I got the fish and chips and although they were a little different they were still good. If I wasn't so hot, I would have gotten a Guinness because they had it on tap. I maybe visiting that place later. They had all these dollar bills that people had signed and put on the walls and ceiling, so we did that as well. We left a little piece of Spalding behind.



We were shown a cool little lounge place in the hotel in view of the wedding chapel. Weddings here are a big thing. I've seen advertisements all over the place.

Afternoon classes included one of my small group discussion sections and two hours of workshop. I forgot how much I enjoyed workshop. The room we were in was super cold, had no windows, and had what felt like a bank vault door closing us in. It made me really focus on the task at hand and forget I was in Japan. I was in the writing world.

Emerging from the dome of writing we headed back to the hotel to drop stuff off before going to dinner. We went to a place where they made Japanese pancakes which are a specialty in this region. We walked downstairs and had to take off our shoes, the first time I've had to do that. They had lockers to put your shoes in and you got a wooden key to hold on to. They than led us to our table. It seemed like a normal set up, just underground. You had to walk on the bench, sit down, and put your legs under the table. It took a little maneuvering. There are doors on either side of the table creating a 'private' little room for you and your dinner guests. We ordered via ipad. In the middle of the table was a griddle that they turned on and heated up the room, but is necessary so they can put your food on it and cook it some more. We had turned ours off because it was so hot in the room, but we had to turn it back on when the food came back. Nothing like eating in a sauna.

The food itself was really good. I got a pancake that's made of potato and cabbage (maybe) with cheese and leeks. It arrived covered in a giant heap of leeks. They give you a little paddle and that's how you cut up your food and put it on your plate. I wish I could have eaten more, but with this heat, I just can't eat that much. Of course, the giant beetle on the wall at the end of dinner kind of turned me off as well.

Back at the hotel, I knew I couldn't lay down because I needed to finish my poetry assignment, so I decided I could work on that and soak my poor tired feet at the same time. I was trying to sit on the edge of the tub, which is a precarious position. In trying to turn off the tub, I turned on the shower and prayed myself, so the only logical thing to do was to get into bath in my clothes. I got my poem done, so maybe that's a new trick to try.

On the docket today is breakfast with my fb writing group, morning classes, and then the afternoon tour of the Tale of Genji. I might use my proper camera today.  :)

Samurai for a Day

I went to breakfast with the western food which for me was a good choice. There were eggs, hash browns, chocolate croissants, and fruit. You definitely realize how large you are in comparison to the Japanese and not just because you almost have to duck in the bathroom to see yourself in the mirror. The beverage glasses are super small. I drank three glasses of water which seemed like the equivalent of just one glass of water back home. Like I am perpetually sitting at the kids' table.  

After breakfast, Melissa and I walked through Kyoto station to find the ever present Starbucks. Then we meandered through the station a little more as we headed back to our hotel, so we could get ready for our Samurai experience. 

We caught a taxi at the hotel which took us to where we needed to go. I was a little nervous at the beginning as the driver didn't seem to know where we were going, but he got us there. The experience was in this tiny shop. We walked down a set of steps and was greeted by the instructor Hishyo. Our shoes came off and we filled out paperwork before being able to choose our outfits for the day. We were the first to arrive but were soon followed by a couple from Africa and a family. Entering the classroom, we were given socks to put on. I deemed them mittens for feet. They are more comfortable than toe socks but still a little strange.

We watched a short video on the history of the Samurai before taking the floor. We were given belts to tie around our waist that would later be used to hold the Katana in place, but we didn't know that at the time. The belt's center is placed at your center at the waist. You pull it behind you and cross both ends then you pull hard. Similar to a corset. Pulling the ends back to the front you tie it to the original center twice to make sure it stayed. Thankfully, they are used to larger bodies and found a belt that fit. Two times the charm. 

We all had to wash our hands with some kind of spray Hishyo put in our hands before he handed us each a katana. He went over the basics of the Katana: grip, guard, edge, back edge, and scabbard. Melissa was amazed we were given a Katana straight off the bat. I was amazed the eight of us were all wielding swords in such a small space on no one was injured. 

This first move is unsheathing the sword. Normally, as the Katana is in your belt you have to hold the guard with your thumb so in case you bow to someone, your sword doesn't fall out. Once you are ready to pull it out, you turn the sword in your belt to the left, take your right hand all the way down the grip, and pull it out to the side. 

The next moves were strikes and cuts. You know, the important ones. You hold the sword above your head with two hands, take a step forward, and bring it down in front of you trying to get a swooshing noise. I heard a faint one a few times. And of course, you are suppose to be fierce and yell when you come down. Striking fear in your enemy. In this case, the mirror. We learned to turn and strike and jump and strike. 

The next important move comes after all the striking and cutting. Basically, after you have killed all your enemies, your sword is now covered in blood and you need that off before you can put it back. You hold the sword in one hand and slash to the right, again wanting to hear the swooshing noise. Now you are ready to put your Katana back in the scabbard. Holding the scabbard with your left hand, you bring the sword up back side edge facing you and pinch it between your thumb and forefinger of your left hand. You slide down the end of the sword until you are able to put it back in the scabbard. 

After learning all these moves, we were dressed in traditional clothes and were shown and performed the first minute of a Kembu sword dance. The last thing we were shown was some fan work. Mainly how to open and close a fan with one or two hands. Overall, the experience was amazing and I'm really glad I got to go. 

Because I don't like to have downtime, I headed back to the hotel with barely enough time to eat a few pieces of a salad I had bought earlier before heading with the group to the Nishimi Market. We took the subway which was kind of crazy but not as crazy as Indian trains.

The market itself is around 400 meters. There's a canopy making it a little less hot. Most of the stores were for food and included a wide variety of seafood, beans, spices, vegetables, and tea. They had baby octopus on a stick! There was also a snoopy store. It was a fun little market, but my feet had had enough and it was a little too hot to really enjoy. Plus there were soooo many people. Mary, Alisha, and I ended up walking around the department store that had AC and was the meeting spot. It was filled with tons of high end shops. I finally had to just sit on the stairs to rest. 

Back at the hotel, we had about an hour to cool down before venturing out once more for our welcome back dinner. My dietary needs included no meat or fish including fish sauce, so I got a huge tray of vegetables and fruit. They had a small pot that they put a fire under to cook the vegetables or in some cases the beef in which was something I had seen on Iron Chef before. I couldn't eat most of my food, but the corn sushi was really good. And I tried some of Mary's tempura shrimp which was good. I even tried a little bit of sake which went down smoothly. 

I basically collapsed when I got back to the hotel. I tried to do some work, but sleep won out. 

On the docket for today, a full day of classes! I feel like I've been here forever and yet we're just getting started. 

Getting to Japan

To say I was abnormally anxious about this trip to Japan is an understatement. Considering that I don't know the language and have not visited Asian countries (excluding India) I have been uncomfortable.

I got to the airport with plenty of time to get check in, through security, and wait. My plane, it turns out, was running late. First it was just 10 minutes late, but then it quickly increased to 25 minutes late. With only an hour stop over in Vancouver, I was worried. I even went up to the front desk to ask if I was going to make my connection and they assured me that I would.

I waited in growing anticipation. When the plane finally did come, I went on and found my seat. Usually, I immediately put on my seat belt, so I can grip the arm rests in anticipation of getting the airplane into the air. My seat belt wouldn't close. I tried and tried. I almost cried. Finally, I got it to click for take off, but had to take it off as soon as we could, so I could breathe. It was a less than pleasant experience. Thankfully, I had taken my anxiety medication and didn't have a complete meltdown. The seat belt never went back on.

The plan itself was one of those really small ones with propellers. The ones that seem most likely yo fall from the sky. It stayed airborne, but didn't make up much time. Landing in Vancouver I had little time to get to my flight. I had to walk off the plane to the tarmac, through a tunnel, up an escalator, stop to get my passport checked, and race to the gate seeing on the way that my flight was in final boarding. I was not wearing my running shoes, but was able to make it onto the plane. Wheezing, heart racing, I found my seat next to Mary and sat down trying to catch my breath. (At least the seat belt fit better on this flight.) This is why I always like long layovers.

I had learned from the first flight that the anxiety medication did wonders for me, and I did not deny myself on this flight. I talked with Mary, listened to my book, and slept. I actually slept on a flight. It was glorious. Towards the end of the flight I wasn't feeling great, but I took out my necklace fan and than helped immensely.

Arriving in Osaka, I survived immigration and customs without too much trouble. I did have to step out of line because I didn't have a telephone number written down. It was just a matter of following the crowd through the maze. Lots of animated characters told you what to do. I liked the Mario Nintendo character's welcome sign the most. A quick shuttle ride to the main terminal and we hooked up with everyone else and were quickly ushered onto a bus.

It's hot here and I have resigned myself to being sweating and gross. Yay for traveling!

We got to our hotel and were welcomed by WorldStrides who already had our keys. I was finally able to breath a sigh of relief. I had made it. Making my way up to my room, I found the room a nice size. The bathroom is a little small and you have to step up into it which is strange, but the shower felt like the best shower in the world.

The toilet has all these buttons for different functions. The beds are hard, but I found a nice squishy pillow in the cupboard that helped. The view from our room is not a brick wall, so that is an improvement from previous years. I have a view of the street and train.

I felt great after my flight and wasn't really ready to go to bed. Nope, I needed dinner first. Mary, her roommate, and I ventured out of the hotel to try this chain curry place. I was really good. I got a tomato and asparagus curry with regular spice. It was just what I needed. I puttered around my room after dinner unpacking and flipping through channels waiting to see if Kasia would arrive before finally turning in.

I woke up early in the morning from a somewhat nice night of sleep. About the same about of sleep I get at home. I finished unpacking/organizing my stuff so it wasn't all over the place for when Kasia arrives.

On the docket for today is breakfast at the hotel, a cab and Samurai for a day experience with Melissa, lunch, walking tour of the Nishiki market, and welcome dinner.

July 14th - First Day Back, The Royal Mile and Haggis

I woke up at 4:22 this morning thinking I had overslept because it was so light outside. I hadn't. I still had to check all available clocks to make sure. Of course, then I was kind of up. I slept for a little bit longer. Kasia got up to go for her run and turned on the main lights on accident. When she left I was able to sleep for an extra 30 minutes before getting ready.

Breakfast was in the hotel and wasn't bad. They have the option of vegetarian sausage, but I didn't ask for it. I went with two pieces of toast, a croissant, a Scottish pancake, and a chocolate croissant with some orange juice. Not the best food or selection, but it did its job. After breakfast, we made our way up to the Hilton hotel for our first day of classes. Surprisingly, everything is rather close together. It wasn't a far walk especially when you're in the company of friends and excited for the day's activities. We walked past the Balmoral hotel where J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter. Then we went across the bridge that had great views of the city.

The Hilton, is a much nicer hotel than the one we are sleeping in. It is more of the standard we had in Rome. It was a nice change in scenery. Our welcome back lecture was good as well as the faculty readings. I'm still a bit jet lagged so I really had to work at not falling asleep a couple of times and not because things were boring.

For lunch, Mary, Alisha, and I set out for the Royal Mile. We ate at a nice place across from St. Giles Cathedral. I had a potato-leek-blue cheese soup and pasta. A nice meal while watching the grim reaper survey the tourists walking by and listening to the street musician. Service really is not the highlight here. And of course I got a bit of a sunburn from the sun which shouldn't be out in Scotland but is. Grrr!

Alisha went back to the hotel for her orientation and Mary and I checked out some tourist shops with the extra hour we had as well as more street performers. It was nice relaxing hour before workshop which I was kind of nervous about.

For all my worry, workshop was amazing. We spent the first bit just getting to know each other. It was really nice to have that time available to us and to be with just a ya group compared to last year's mixed bunch. When we came back after break, Leslea put us through some writing exercises. At first I was a bit hesitant because they had to do with remembering plus the pressure to perform on command. It ended up being really great, especially because I was writing again. It was actually a really good starter and I might just steal it for my students. :)
After class, I set up a time to conference with Leslea (Sunday) about the upcoming independent study. I'll be nervous about that as well, but it'll be nice to actually have met my mentor in person this time around. I had signed up for a group dinner and we met at 6:45. We ate at the Rosehip behind our hotel and down the street. It was a cute little restaurant. I felt adventurous and ordered the veggie haggis. I know it's not the same as traditional haggis, but it is the closet I can get. It wasn't bad. A bit spicy. Then all I had was a walk home in the blessed rain drizzle.

July 13 - Arrival

My flight to Amsterdam was uneventful but long. The entertainment system wasn't working in the seats starting at row 32. I was luckily sitting in row 30. I really dodged a bullet on that one because even with the entertainment system I was going a little stir crazy. There was an empty seat beside a me which allowed me to expand a little which helped, but I still thought I was going to be sick about halfway through.

The lunch on the plane was predictably bad. Eggplant lasagna which might be good at any other time but not so much when you're not cruising at 30,000 feet. I ate bits and pieces of what I could stomach and let them take the rest.

This flight was different than others I've been on. Granted I was flying Delta for the first time when I normally fly United, but I was given warm towels to do what I don't know with and given an eyemask to help you sleep. I promptly lost the eyemask. It sucked. Still, I made do.

I arrived a bit early in Amsterdam and was able to calm my stomach before getting on the next flight where I was squished into the window seat, my least favorite position. It was a short flight back the way I came to land in Edinburgh.

I found my Spalding peeps right away, and we got on the coach to get to the hotel right away. There was a slight argument between the guide and the driver about when he could drive, but we soon made it to our hotel where my room was not ready. I had lunch with a few other Spalding fiction writers while I waited for my room to be ready.

Finally, I made it up to my modest room with a super tiny hallway/doorway. I started to get my barrings when Kasia arrived. We caught up and unpacked. I took a shower to get the airport grim off of me before collapsing in bed.

The welcome back dinner was at the Amber restaurant at the Scotch Whiskey Experience where there were too courses of fish. I was weary of eating the fish but I gave the salmon a go. It wasn't bad. The dessert course was cheese, grapes, oatcakes, and chutney. Not bad, but not exactly dessert.

It was good to talk and catch up with everyone. By the end, I was ready to leave. We strolled through the streets of wet pavement from the recent rain and I smiled to myself. I felt like I had come home.