Tropical Island Paradise (Part II)

I woke up feeling marvellous. While I enjoyed the great outdoors in Miyajima, I have to admit that a real bed beats all. We discovered a marvellous little restaurant that had great meals (& steak) for super reasonable price. We boarded the ferry... it was paradise already. As we moved out of the harbor, I couldn't get over the deep, dark blue of the ocean, and the pale blue shades of the sky. The shades and hues of blue that I could see were infinite and indescribable. Gorgeous.

We arrived on Zanami island, and found our way to renting 50cc mopeds, then took off to explore the island! I cannot do the beauty of the scenery, or the feeling of freedom justice in words, but I'll try to describe it a bit!

The sun was hot - super sweaty hot. We put sunscreen on every couple hours, but it just melted off right away. Even the breeze was warm. The mountain roads wound back and forth, on cliff edges and through trees. From the edges, we could see ocean, sky, and small islands for miles and miles. The blues and greens were unlike anything man-made, and beyond what a photograph can capture. Riding on the little moped, with the hot sun on my skin and the wind in my hair, surrounded by the most incredible beauty, I felt freedom like I've never felt; joy like I would burst; and as content as I could ever imagine feeling.



Alex and I were moving faster, so we eventually split up into two groups. We made our way up the mountain, on the windy roads. The roads were not that steep, but on our little mopeds, all we could do was open 'em wide and...... chug along slowly. But that gave us lots of time to enjoy the scenery. We came around one bend and saw the most beautiful panoramic view - I hit my brakes, and called to Alex to stop for pictures. I decided to turn my bike around, so I leaned over and turned the front wheel, hit the gas and...drove right into the drainage chute beside the road. Alex found it amusing. I thought of my Dad - and realized that I really should listen to him more often. I could just picture him shaking his head at me and laughing and saying, "Stephanie Ellen, you do everything too fast!" Hehe. He's right. But I wasn't hurt and quickly dragged my bike out to take some pictures. I'll stop trying to describe our tropical paradise, and let the pictures speak for themselves...
















After our short two hours was up, Alex and I returned the mopeds, and headed for the beach. We chose a part of the beach that had few people, and wasn't very sandy - instead, it was covered in coral and shell bits! They were all broken and rounded from rolling around in the ocean for so long. We spent the rest of our Zamami time laying in the water, collecting pretty shells, and being washed back and forth with the waves. We had no cares, no problems...just shells, ocean swells, and freedom. I've blogged about some happy places and moments of joy before...but none of them came close to the contentedness I felt on Zamami.





All too soon, we had to head for the ferry - Alex and I made it with only a minute to spare. We met up with Keith and Thomas again, and spent the ferry ride relaxing, napping, and talking on the top deck of the ferry. The ferry ride was much too short, except that we were starving (skipped lunch), and craving steak and ice cream. After a shower and some supper, we explored Kokusaidori a bit more, then headed back to the hostel. We hung out, played some guitar, and had a jolly old time.

Thomas and Keith fell asleep, but Alex and I decided to have an adventure at 1am. We grabbed the guitar, and snuck out of the hostel....sort of quietly, and with some laughter. We spent the next 5 super fun hours hanging out - infinite awesome memories, and a general good time. After a (sort of quiet) sneaking back in, and a few hours of sleep, we were up and to the airport...back to Osaka! But that wasn't the end of the weekend's adventures.

Oh yes - I forgot the ATM saga. I forgot to get money from the ATM before we left Osaka....and I could not find an ATM in Okinawa that would give me money! It was very strange - the Family Mart ATMs wouln't service my card (even though I know I've used my card at Family Mart's before) - and neither would other ATMs! Fortunately for me, Alex had brought extra money, and lent me money for the weekend. Basically, by the end of the weekend, he practically owned me and my empty wallet. Once back in Osaka, I was finally able to find at ATM that worked, and repayed my debt. Extra thanks to Alex....the weekend would have been much less fun if he hadn't rescued me!

Tropical Paradise (Okinawa Part I)

I love planes. You could put me on a plane and just fly me in a circle and I would be thrilled. But - put a tropical island on the other end of that flight...and you get my weekend vacation.

I slept in - it was marvellous. I rarely sleep in, really. Then I met Keith and Alex at Osaka Station for some ice cream, before heading to Kansai Airport. We got some more icecream (mmm Black Sesame), met up with Thomas, and boarded the plane... Keith, Alex and I were in one row, and Thomas was a bit further up in the plane. The 2 hour flight passed quickly...at one point, the left window was completely dark, and the right window seemed perfectly light. I turned my head left-and-right-and-left-and-right until my neck started to hurt. Thomas captured a beautiful picture of the approaching night...

Then there the spoon episode. Alex decided to see if flicking me with a spoon would hurt. It did. A lot. Imprint-of-a-spoon-on-my-arm-a-lot. This was followed by me trying to flick him back and inflict an equal amount of pain, and him flicking himself with the same intent. Needless to say, this entertained us for a portion of the flight. But I did have an imprint of a spoon on my arm.

We arrived in Naha, Okinawa at around 9pm. The bus we thought we were going to take didn't exist, so we took a taxi. Keith had made reservations at the City Front Harumi Hostel, so we checked in and found our rooms. Ojisan (as we came to call him; meaning Grandpa or a respectful title for an older man) was very friendly and helpful in getting us settled and oriented in Naha.



The guys shared a room, and I (being a female and all) was in a different room. My room was shared with an older lady and a younger Down's Syndrome lady. They were very friendly and I had a short conversation with them before meeting the guys to go find some dinner. This proved more difficult than we thought, as most places were closed. But we wandered the busy highway a bit and found a family-style restaurant for some good eats. By that time, it was late, and we hit the bunkbeds for some sleep.

The next morning, I woke up feeling wonderful. I did enjoy my night at Miyajima, but I have to admit that sleeping in a real bed does top the great outdoors. The older lady in my room gave me some pretty little flowers, which I promptly put in my hair - they made me feel very tropical. We picked up some breakfast at the convenience store, and waited for our bus. A taxi driver offered to drive us up to our destination, for 1000Yen each. The bus was going to be about 900Yen each, so we took him up on his offer. And I'm so glad we did...

He was hilarious. He talked (loudly and animatedly) in broken English, for the majority of the ride. He told us about his family, and his 104 year old Mother and 108 year old Father (apparently the oldest couple in Japan), his large family, and his capabilities. He informed us that he had 8 licenses (later it was 9), and could build houses, drive cranes, scuba drive, drive motorbikes.... an all-around handy guy to know. When we asked him questions, he often paused and then went off on a tangent about something completely unrelated. My questions, he just ignored (I think he just didn't hear me...). We spent most of the trip giggling and keeping him talking - to our great amusement. When we disembarked the taxi, I asked him for a picture - he was definitely a character to remember!



When we got to our destination (a bit early), we explored a bit. We saw a sign for a steakhouse, and went 'a wandering to see if we could find it (which we couldn't).

Our destination? Snorkelling! We dressed in wetsuits and flippers and snorkelling gear, and crammed into a mini-minivan (not a Canadian sized mini-van), for a hot drive to the beach. When I say hot, I do not mean warm. I mean hot, hot, HOT! Sweat-dripping-down-your-face hot. We got stuck in traffic for a bit, and I had a short nap - that was all I could do; I couldn't move, and I was much too hot. But we finally arrived! It was a fun adventure, following our guide around the reef and the cave. We were even given some fish food and got to feed them!



After our snorkelling adventure, we decided that it was essential to find the steakhouse. It turned out to be a Movie House Steakhouse! The exterior and interior were decorated with movie posters of all genres. It was great fun to wander and look at the posters, and the steak was delicious!




In finding the steak house, we had found a small resort area, and explored it after lunch. Feeling extra tropical, I added to my hair bouquet some larger (okay, huge) flowers that I had found.



We wandered up the highway, trying to find a nice beach. We didn't find a beach, but we did find ice cream!



It was hot (did I mention that?), so we finally went back to the sort-of beach near the steakhouse. We tiptoed our way our towards the water, through the warm puddles, sharp shells, and broken coral. Getting to the water was difficult enough. Swimming in it proved even harder.

The water wasn't very shallow, but it was filled with all kinds of sea anemones and cucumbers and other mysterious sea creatures. We tiptoed and floated our way to slightly deeper water, and decided (for safety reasons) not to try and go further. I laid out like a starfish and floated...the blue sky and the clouds, the warm salty water...it was definitely a tropical paradise. Until I tried to stop floating, and stepped on a sea anemone. Ouch. But my foot didn't go numb and my head didn't explode, so I figured I would survive. After quite a while, we realized that the tide was coming in...right towards our shoes. So we started heading back - Thomas got back first, and discovered that Keith's hiking boots were floating, and my sandal had lost it's hubby. That made for an interesting trip back to the sand - tip toeing and jumping up when I stepped on sharp points. But we made it. I ventured to a beach house and purchased a new set of flipflops, and we headed for the bus top. A taxi stopped again and offered us the same deal. Unfortunately, this driver was not near as entertaining as the last one, and we mostly kept the conversation to ourselves.

After a cool shower to rid ourselves of the sweat, sand, and salt of the day, hung out for a few minutes in the hostel's common room. Alex played the guitar a bit (as he did anytime we were around the common room), and we enjoyed the AC for a bit. I borrowed a needle from Ojisan to remove the leftover sea anemone from my still-painful foot. The piece left in me was actually quite large and painful to get out, and brought a lot of blood with it! Ojisan's wife (Obasan) gave me a bit of cleaner and a bandaid to fix it up, and we took off for another evening of adventure...to Kokusaidori - Naha's international street.

We explored the shops, had some Okinawan-style Udon, and found a guitar shop (which entertained Alex for quite a while). Alex and I shared some dragonfruit and passionfruit - neither of which I had ever eaten (yummy!). There may have been some ice cream in there too...hehe.



Temples & Shrines all over Japan are often guarded by Shishi - lionlike protectors that are said to have magical powers to ward off evil. They guard in pairs; one female, one male; one open-mouthed, one closed; one symbolizing the beginning of time, the other the end. We also found them all over Okinawa - and they are a popular tourist souvenir. Every souvenir shop has them in all kinds of colors and styles, some funny, some scary. My favorite shop was filled with these - in every shape, size, and color - but they were handmade. (The other shops were mass manufactured.) The man who made them was selling them, and was midway through painting one when we were there. I bought two gorgeous statues - quite large, actually - for only $40! I was thrilled (still am) with my purchase... a reasonable price, authentically culturally Japanese, and not made in China!

When the street and shops started to close down, we visited a Canadian-run place for some snacks and a drink. We also tried Okinawa's snake wine.


It tasted surprisingly good, but it was still a little strange to drink... after some laughs and relaxation, we headed back to the hostel for the night.

More Pictures...
A Friend's Flckr Pictures...

Part Two coming soon...

My Canada Day 2008

I've realized how proud I am to be Canadian; to be from this country that I have never appreciated like I should. This Canada Day, I was fortunate to be able to celebrate with many people who appreciate Canada, and some of the people that make our country so awesome.

I was invited to a Canada Day dinner, put on by the Kansai Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Takemori-San and I were invited as guests of Peter MacArthur, Senior Trade Commissioner to Japan. I assumed that the invitation was a standard, "So-and-so invites you to such-and-such...", so I was a bit surprised (but delighted) when Mr. MacArthur not only met us at the door, but spent the majority of his evening engaging us in conversation, inviting us to enjoy the delicious meal, and introducting us to various people.

The dinner itself (and dessert, for that matter!) was delicious. Amazing food, both in taste and presentation. There was a wide variety of salads - pasta salads, lettuce salads, fruit salads, seafood salads. Infinite meat and seafood dishes - prawns, roast beef, chicken. Potatoes, roasted vegetables, buns, bread. Dessert was pies and cheesecake and fruit salad and miniature fruity brownies. There was red wine, white wine, and the most delicious Ice Wine. I'm not sure I've had Ice Wine before - or if I have, it wasn't that great because I don't remember! But this Ice Wine was wonderful.

The evening began with introductory comments by the MC's; Carlos Ramirez (Kansai Governor Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan) and Yumiko Nagoshi (Assistant Manager, International Division, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Remarks followed by Mr. Joseph Caron (Canadian Ambassador to Japan), Mr. Ryuichiro Yamazaki (Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Osaka Office), and Mr. Iwao Takai (President, The Canada Japan Society of the Kansai) - followed by a toast by Ms. Patricia Bader-Johnston (President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan). The majority of the speeches were made in both Japanese and English (with the speakers translating themselves), but Mr. Takai began his speech with Canada Day congratulations in French! His few words in French elicted smiles and laughs from everyone, and I was impressed both by his small bit of French, and my ability to understand it! (I studied French for 6 years, but haven't used it for 3!)


Myself, Mr. MacArthur, & Takemori-San

I hadn't realized that Canadians were so active in Japan or specifically in the Kansai region! I learned that there are just over 2000 Canadians living in the Kansai region - I never would have guessed that there were so many. There is much business and interaction between the Kansai region and Canada, and there are great relationship and plans in place to build on it. (I also learned that unfortunately, due to fuel costs, Air Canada will be cancelling it's Vancouver-Osaka route.)

Near the end of the evening, there were several draw prizes up to be won. To my surprise, as I was being introduced to Ambassador Caron, my name was called! I won some 100% Organic Maple Syrup. Let me tell you - I will never buy any other form of syrup again. I was planning on giving it to Takemori-San, as he had mentioned earlier how happy his wife would be if he won some - but he won some as well! After the majority of the prizes, there was one left - a BBQ set; complete with a BBQ, gas, lawn chairs, torches, cup coolers, a big blue and white cooler, and some other things. I said to Takemori-San, "Wouldn't it be cool if you won it?" And he just laughed. Guess what. Yep, he won it. The look on his face was priceless.

I was fortunate enough to meet many important and influential people that evening - all of whom were very kind, friendly, and interesting! Aside from Mr. MacArthur, to whom I was privileged to spend a large part of the evening talking to, I also met (among others): Ambassador Caron, Ms. Bader-Johnston, and Mr. Allan Edwards (Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner). Mr. Edwards was a delight to talk to - he was very animated and excited; extremely charismatic! He was from Cranbrook (I worked near Cranbrook last year) and has visited Kelowna; so we found a few points in common. I found myself wishing I had gotten more time to speak with him - I'm sure he has many interesting stories and would be an infinite source of knowledge of many things. He did poke fun at the Kelowna Rockets, but as I left, he called it a tie between the Kooteney Ice and the Rockets. Ambassador Caron was friendly as well, and interested in the coop program and strengthening ties between Canada and Kansai businesses, such as Osaka Gas. He was a pleasure to talk to, although I missed a bit of the conversation in picking up my Maple Syrup prize!


Myself, Takemori-San, and Ambassador Caron

Ms. Bader-Johnston was also wonderful to talk to - we discussed school, Engineering, and the coop program. Her niece is in Chemical Engineering and just started working; between these topics and Japan, we had a lovely conversation. She was quick to tell me that if I ever needed a place to stay in Tokyo, I should let her know! I would have loved to have a chance to speak with her more, as well, and I hope to meet her again one day! Amidst playing host, Mr. MacArthur was also very interesting to talk to, and a big supporter of the coop program. It was neat to hear his perspective and to find him so supportive of the program; I also learned that they are very interested in expanding and increasing the program and it's scope - which I think is great! He also won a prize - the grand price: an iPod Touch! However, he was deep in conversation when they called his name, and it took a few moments of several people yelling his name across the room to get him to claim his prize. He told me afterwards that he thought he had won some CDs, before realizing what it was! He was a wonderful host, and I was glad to meet him, as well as appreciative of the introductions and conversation.


Myself, Mr. Edwards, & Takemori-San

The night was a lot of fun, and it was encouraging to see the connections between Kansai and Japan, and become more aware of how important they are to each other, and how many people are supporting and building on that! It was a pleasure to meet so many people; both Canadians and Japanese. It also encouraged me to find out more about Canada and the role we play in world economics, and the role other countries play in our economy! They say that the more you learn, the less you know - - I can't agree more!

Canada Day 2008 was a success - and a great memory. :)

I Am Canadian!

Happy Canada Day! I've always appreciated Canada Day for the holiday and the chance to hang out with friends, watch some fireworks, and have some fun! This year, I really appreciate Canada Day as a celebration of Canada - because, let's be honest...I miss it! Being in Japan, I've come to appreciate Canada and Canadian ways and things a lot more. I'll never view Canada Day the same way - I wish I was back home to celebrate, but instead I'll celebrate here (I've been invited to a Canada Day Dinner put on by the Kansai Chamber of Commerce). Here's just a few things I miss!

25 Things I Miss About Canada:

1. Family & Friends
2. Whole wheat flour
3. Shoes that fit
4. Being able to read packages in the grocery store
5. Seeing Canadian flags
6. Tubs of ice cream
7. Chewy / Gummy candies
8. Cars driving on the right side of the road
9. My bike (dorm bikes...not so cool)
10. Living in a house
11. My big Disneyland mug
12. Oatmeal packages larger than a postit note (okay slight exaggeration - but only slight)
13. Flying across the water on our boat
14. Wakeboarding
15. Freshwater lakes
16. Low humidity
17. Access to (an English) library
18. Magazine subscription capabilities
19. Windows XP in English
20. Coffee shops with wireless internet and comfy chairs
21. My kitchen tools/utensils/pots/pans/etc
22. The ability to get home at any time of night via bus (in Vancouver, at least)
23. My car & driving.
24. Green space in the city.
25. A normal oven.

I'm sure I could come up with many more things...but I'd like to hear some of your favorite things about Canada! Especially if you've travelled to another country...when you returned to Canada, what did you appreciate more than ever!?

PS - This is for my American readers, too! Is there anything you appreciate about Canada?

Moms Visit - Part III

Tuesday - On Tuesday we got up (again) at the crack of dawn (for me, that meant 7:00, for Mom, that meant 5:30ish) and took off for Kyoto. Kyoto is the previous capital of Japan, and the old architecture has been quite well preserved / copied for tourism's sake. Mom and I visited Nijo Castle - a beautiful castle with amazing artwork.



We were required to take off our shoes to walk the old wooden floors through the castle. The original artwork on the doors and walls was breathtaking - unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed. The shogun who built the castle wanted to be quite sure of his safety - and incorporated two over-the-top safety features (the castle was already surrounded by large stone walls and a moat). The castle is famous for it's 'nightingale floors' - floorboards designed to creak, creating a sound like a nightingale. With the special floor, no one could sneak into a room or around the castle without someone knowing. The shogun also had hidden rooms for his bodyguards, marked by large red tassels. We saw the red tassels in several places.


Above - Nijo Jo and it's garden in the background...

After Nijo-Jo, we walked in the hot weather to Imperial Palace Park. We were quite hungry, so we stopped for a Japanese lunch of udon (thick white noodles) and fried rice. After lunch, we discovered that you can only access the Imperial Palace if you request a special permit...so much for that idea! But it was a nice walk through the park, and we had a good lunch there.

We subway'd a ways and walked some more, up to Kyomizu Temple. Since we were pretty tired and it was late in the afternoon, we decided not to go into the temple, and to do some souvenir shopping instead. (Warning: I may rant and ramble in the next paragraph...)

We visited a short but delightful shopping street with all kinds of delightful things...notebooks, art, dishes, incense, dolls, clothing, shoes, umbrellas. I was trying to decide souvenirs I wanted to purchase now to send home with Mom - less stuff for me to bring home in August! I don't remember when it happened - or even how it happened. But near the end of our trip, while I was finally making a decision, we noticed a tag or a label that proudly read, "MADE IN CHINA". Disappointed, we promptly decided that we could not purchase a souvenir from Japan that was made in China. However - this proved more difficult than we thought. Once we started checking, almost everything was made in China! I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was slightly surprised, and disappointed. The shopping street looked so...quaint and realistic. But Kyoto is a tourist district, and let's be honest - it's much cheaper to buy in bulk from China than make it! I was frustrated that I couldn't even buy a true Japanese souvenir. In the end, Mom bought a couple notebooks, and we had some ice cream. Last time I was in Kyoto, I found a beautiful little dolly, and the lady told me she was an antique. She's been on my mind since I first saw her, and I decided that instead of buying several 'Made In China' souvenirs, I would rather have one authentic souvenir. We found the place again, and I bought her. She is handmade with antique fabric - even her face was painted by hand. Purchasing a beautiful and authentic souvenir of my time here took away a bit of my frustration and disappointment in all the China souvenirs.

We left Kyoto with our (few) souvenirs, and went home, with big plans for Wednesday morning.

Wednesday - We got up Wednesday, at the crack of dawn one more time, and had another delicious breakfast. Mom finished packing her (and some of my) stuff up, and we went to the onsen for an early morning soak. We left with plenty of time to get to the airport...

Once we got there, we found out that her flight departure had been delayed by - not 1, not 2, but 4 hours! Didn't need the extra time to get there, after all... So we had a nice lunch, checked her baggage, and then did some airport browsing. We found many of the similar souvenirs we had found before...some seemed more authentic, but you never know. We shopped, then sat, then shopped some more...we explored across the plaza, and into the airport hotel. Sitting in the sunshine on some coin-operated massage chairs, I had a short nap, and Mom had a massage.




We did a little more shopping, and then said our goodbyes. I waited until Mom went through the first security check, and then headed back to the train station. It's difficult to describe what I was thinking and how I felt when I hugged her goodbye.

I felt very small, very alone, and very vulnerable, and somewhat hopeless. I made it this far, by myself - I knew I would survive the rest of my adventure here. But I suppose I had gotten used to spending most of my time alone, and having Mom there for 5 days - someone to talk to, listen to, hug, laugh with, walk with, eat with...I suppose I knew that being alone now would be that much harder than it was a week ago. Part of me wanted to book a flight home for the next day, part of me wanted to go home and curl up and cry myself to sleep, and part of me wanted to not think or feel at all. I chose the latter most one - pulled out a book, and buried my face in it on the train; so no one would ask if I was alright...because I wasn't.

It's been a week since Mom left, now. I've slipped back into my routine, but I still miss having her here. I miss Canada (I never realized how proud I am to be Canadian, but I am!), my family and friends, and the busy and active life that I am used to having. Mom and I talked some about my life here vs my life in Canada, and some of her thoughts, combined with some of my own thinking has helped me understand why I don't feel like myself, and why I am somewhat over-emotional and so up-and-down. It's encouraging to understand some of why I've had a difficult time, but it's still hard to get through those difficult times.

In 86 days, my friend Jo-Anna will come visit for a week, and then I will be home. I'm excited, but I suppose a little nervous. I wonder how much I really have changed, how much the life I had has changed without me, and how everything will fit together in the fall. But - no matter - that's not for 93 days...

Until then, more Japanese adventures to come...

White Day

This morning I woke up to the sound of rain outside my window. I enjoyed relaxing for a few minutes and listening before I got up for the day...I love rain. :)

On the way to work, I got a lovely little surprise! Today is White Day - similar to Valentine's Day. Quick recap - on Valentines Day, typically women give men chocolate; on White Day, it's reversed. There are two kinds of chocolate - obligatory chocolate and chocolate between couples. I gave two of my friends 'giri choco' (obligatory chocolate) because they've been so helpful to me. Today, I got some back! I think that they're expected to reciprocate (didn't know that I was forcing them to give me chocolate when I gave some to them), but it's nice to get a little present, and chocolate, too!

I do love chocolate, so I will have to carefully control my urge to sit down and eat it all at once. :)

Happy White Day!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentines Day in Japan is pretty different from Valentines Day in Canada. There are two types of chocolate that can be given - 'Giri Choko' or 'Honmei Choko'. Giri Choko is an oligatory gift to male supervisors/coworkers. Honmei Choko is a gift to a loved one. Valentine's Day is generally women giving chocolate to men, as well. In March, there is 'White Day', when men give chocolate to women. When in Japan, do as the Japanese do! I purchased Giri Choko for my boss and two male coworkers that I ride the train with in the morning. I made sure to say 'Giri Choko desu', so they didn't think I was trying to startup a relationship...that could definitely make things awkward! They seemed surprised but happy to get it...my boss seemed especially surprised, though (he made the surprised noise)- which made me wonder if I had actually followed the Japanese Valentines Day tradition, or just bought my boss a random present!

There are a couple things that I've noticed Japanese people say very often.

'Ahh - so desu ka...' = Oh...Really...I see...

'So desu ne!' = Yes, that is true... or Yes, isn't it.

'So ka!?' = Really!?

'eh...eh....eh...' = It's more of a noise than word. I'm not really sure what this means...I think it's just a sign that they are listening to whoever's talking.

'eughh!!!???' = This is by far the funniest noise...I had to get used to it and not laugh when I heard it. It seems to be a noise of great surprise and is generally accompanied by leaning back and opening their eyes wide.

'sllll' = I have no idea how to write this. It's more of a slurpring noise accompanied by squinting eyes and a grimace smile - it seems to be when they aren't sure of something or have to think for a minute about the answer.

Some of these are very funny to listen to as part of a conversation, and I'm trying to integrate them into mine to sound more-Japanese-ish (minus the slurping), but I'm sure I just sound ridiculous!

Tomorrow I'm off to the big city - Tokyo! I have to get up early and catch the train then the Shinkansen (bullet train). I will be attending an HVAC&R (Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) trade show. I'm very excited to go - both to Tokyo and the trade show! I'll let you in on my adventures next time!!