Page 2 — Hyogo Times, December 2008 Hyogo Times, December 2008 — Page 3 Contents On the cover... Messages 4................. From the Editor 5................. From the PR Every Month 6-7.............. Recipe of the Month: Pock-marked Old Woman Cover art by Chip Boles 8................. Wheel Of Jeopardy! For ALTs, December in Japan means cold. Whether uniforms (girls still insanely in skirts!), with polar huddled before a kerosene heater or under your ko- bears and penguins in attendance for pronunciation 14-15.......... Best of the Block tatsu, this is the season for seeing your breath in your practice. 16-17.......... Getting to Know Some Random JETs apartment (or my kinda gross favorite: seeing steam However, I simply couldn’t face it. Ladies and gentle- rise from the toilet as you use it...). men, I just had to go to my Happy Place. And this Hap- 18-19.......... Better Know a Ken: Yamaguchi In this spirit, I considered an image with a class be- py Place is what I drew. Maybe you’d like to spend the 20-21.......... Travel Japan: Overnight Bus Nagano Ski Weekends ing conducted in a frozen wasteland, students in their winter there, too. Plenty of room in the pink castle... 22-23.......... Love & Relationships: Christmas Loving Features Hyogo Times Staff Editor: Ann Chow 9................. Restaurant Review: I Ate Eight — Hakkaku Ramen Design Editor: Jeff Morrice 10............... Lesson Plan of the Month: Alphabend - Forcing Contortion Contributors: Chip Boles, Miyoko Conley, Joy Feddes, Robert Hollands, Brenda McKinney, 11............... Comic: Karaoke with Asimo Dustin North, George Sherriff, Lester Somera, Andrew Tamashiro, Kenroy Taylor, Jeff Weese, 11............... ランドム 日本 Photo of the Month James Williams and Suzie Winterton. 12-13.......... A Hyogo Times Exclusive Short Story: The Feast All JETs in Hyogo are encouraged to send in articles, photos, musings, poetry, 24-25.......... I Love My Inaka Town prose and any ideas to contribute or improve the Hyogo Times for the betterment of the Hyogo JET community. Submit by the 15th of each month to: [email protected] Visit us online at: http://hyogoajet.net appreciated Page 4 — Hyogo Times, December 2008 Hyogo Times, December 2008 — Page 5 From The Editor... And From The PR... rrr... and hello to everyone! Wel- ditional if you ello again all for another shiny month of JET being a white one, which is always a nice touch for those of Bcome to another chilly Decem- ignore all the Hmayhem! It seems that winter has hit us like a us from the southern (and even some parts of the northern) ber where the Christmas decorations Japanese peo- shovel in the face, so I hope you’re all chilling out hemisphere. The snow has other advantages too, includ- have been up since November 1 but ple around you! (haw haw) and, jokes aside, taking care to stay as ing plenty of chances to ski, snowboard, do yuki-gassen or you wonder why the heck there are so Only kidding. warm as you can. There are plenty of bugs and Mr. President, and heaps of other fun activities. many blue-colored lights representing Sort of. It’s the colds floating around so rug up and stay under that Finally, as this is the last edition of this year, I thought Christmas. Are they trying to make us ONE place I’ve kotatsu... as if you could ever get out :D I’d take the opportunity to reflect back over some of the feel S.A.D.? (Seasonal Affective Disor- found candy This edition of the Hyogo Times sees us on the ever- more interesting experiences Japan has offered in the past der, for those of you who don’t know.) canes in this shortening slope down to some chilly weather and, inevita- 12 months. It’s a country where everyone can find some- Hopefully, everyone’s doing okay country even if bly, Christmas. Which is a rather unique experience given thing interesting to do, but I think it really rewards people on that front by going out and social- it’s at 200 yen a that we’re all in Japan, a country that (in theory) doesn’t who are willing to step out of their comfort zone... at least izing a bit, even if you wake up ear- pop! (I haven’t celebrate the holiday. Still, the Christmas lights will be up a little, anyway. Examples that spring (heh ... unintentional lier than the sun does! There was the been to Costco and there will be trees in the department stores, and any- pun WIN!) to mind are onsens (communal nude bathing!), Himeji Thanksgiving event at the end to check, so if one looking for some romantic (or other) times should be Hadaka Matsuri (communal, mostly-nude, running through of last month at Blue Plate, which I you see them sure to head down to Sannomiya to check out the famous freezing cold water and generally fighting other mostly- sorely missed but hope you made it there, let me Luminarie. Christmas in Japan also has a decent chance of nude men), various crazy local festivals (communal nudi to. And also from this year’s Thanks- know!) ... err, I mean things like post-new year fes- giving in Kobe, some of the Kobe JETs I’m sure tivals where people risk their eyebrows to decided to have a Thanksgiving erotic some of you throw New Year decorations on enormous story competition night (“A what?” you will be return- 6-metre-tall bonfires and then dodge blocks say?) and a Mr. Dustin North won the ing home for of mochi thrown by priests!) and all of those competition. Reader beware. It might the holidays so tiny little restaurants and bars (they’re there get (your) juices flowing. let me just say in your town, no matter how small it is!) with Other things to get you feeling hot, happy packing no windows that could be anything from a not the least of which, is a recipe from and have a safe fantastic little ramen shop to a Yakuza-run Bob for spicy mapo tofu that doesn’t trip! For those snack bar. involve a pre-mixed package of mapo of you not going What I’m saying is that there is so much as well as an article on how to impress home but are headed elsewhere for Weese’s advice on heading to Nagano opportunity in Japan to get out there and find members of the opposite (or same) the break, take care not to get into too for some cheap but good, clean, snow- new and amazing things behind every door sex! Just in time for lovey-dovey Christ- much trouble (like, say the current situ- filled fun! and around every street corner. Go and ex- mas in Japan! ation in Thailand). But if you’re “stuck” On that note, I’d like to say a big perience that local festival, walk into that lit- That’s only the beginning! This in good ol’ Nippon for the winter festivi- THANK YOU to Jeff for writing the tle local bar you’ve always been too afraid to month, you probably won’t miss any ties, don’t hesitate to go to your local travel reviews for the Hyogo Times for enter, and plan a trip to somewhere totally off chances to see Christmas lights strung KFC and get some Xmas dinner! Only nearly three years. It’s not difficult to the map. You’ll find things you never thought up here, there — everywhere — along kidding. No, I really am. Please don’t write something short for a publication possible, have experiences you’ll never for- with the cute, yet insufferable couples, go to KFC for dinner. Unless you want once a month but it’s very easy to for- get, and no doubt be enormously satisfied but there are some good displays to to, that is. get or be lazy about it (which I’m sure when your time on JET finally comes to an check out. The biggest one is probably If you are staying here for the holi- the previous editors agree with), so end. And if you haven’t managed to really the annual Luminarie in Kobe, which days but need ideas on what to do, take thank you Jeff! I hope you do well with get out there yet, don’t worry! Take my ad- commemorates the victims of the 1995 a look at Brenda’s Best of the Block for your new project! Our new travel writer vice — it’s worth doing, and there’s plenty Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It isn’t re- Xmas/New Year’s, which is a bit Kyoto- will be Clay Eaton, currently in Kasai. of time left in the New Year for all kinds of ally up for Christmas but since it is centric this month but still worth check- That’s it for now. As we say in New adventures. around for the time of Christmas, you ing out. I did hatsumode last year and York, Happy Chrismakwanukkah! Have And with that, I wish everyone who cel- should check it out. you won’t believe the amount of people a great holiday doing whatever you’re ebrates it a very happy and safe Christmas, There’s also the German Christ- who make their shrine visits at 4 a.m. doing, and I hope you have a merry, and to everyone, a wonderful and exciting mas market in Osaka at the Umeda on New Year’s Day! And if you are itch- wonderful New Year! See you in ’09! New Year.