Recently I have been using Yuuri's credit card to send money home and as a result of it being a JAL (Japan Airlines) card we had racked up some air miles. Enough in fact for a cheap trip to Kyoto, the old capital of Japan.
For those who don't know Kyoto it is a major tourist attraction as an example of 'old' Japan. It was spared in WWII and has been preserved well. I don't think anyone could escape the modern architecture of Japan and even Kyoto is a bask of skyscrapers and modern buildings but that is Japan.Yuuri's sister, Arisa, joined Yuuri and myself on the trip and we set out to find some of Kyoto's beauty.
Geographically Kyoto is in southern Japan and I thought it would be warmer than it was, unfortunately I was very wrong. This was early February weather and it was cold and wet, much similar to December in northern England. However, being British I can't let a bit of rain stop me!
The first place we visited was Kiyomizu temple. A fantastic piece of craftsmanship, a huge temple made of wood. It has been preserved well and they say it has been made without the use of nails.
I worked over Christmas as they don't really celebrate it in Japan but I am off for a week during New Years. This is Yuuri's busy season so she's not off until the 5th January when I go back to work.
Yuuri got me some cuff-links for my shirt and a Japanese story book for children to help me practice my Japanese and I got her some dresses.
Yuuri's family have been really nice to me and have helped me with food and clothing. They often cook and buy me food and try to keep me healthy. I think my life has become the same as it was in England except everyone's Japanese!!
Naturally we can't have Christmas without cake and I was asked to cut the cake, although under Yuuri's watchful supervision.
Yuuri's father wanted to test me on my Japanese so we played a game where he would say the character and I had to find the correct card. e.g. Ka = か
Aomori has become really snowy now as I hear England is too. I've changed my heater from electric to paraffin. I use about 5litres of paraffin a in just under a week and I can buy 18L for about £5 or Y1,200 so it works out cheaper. The room heats quicker than electric and I can heat more area too. It does vent some bad gas though.
That's it so far now. In January I have to be evaluated by head office to get promoted for my highest position as a foreign teacher. If I don't get it I will finish in July, if I do then I get a pay increase.
If you haven't heard, Yuuri and I are married now!
We went to the city hall on the 6th December 2009 but they didn't really understand the procedure for a foreign marriage. When we did get it sorted they got Yuuri's name wrong, despite having her ID card details. They also had difficulty understanding where I was from UK/Great Britain or England. Finally though we got it sorted and here is my Japanese marriage certificate.
I need to submit that to the British embassy now to register my marriage in England.
Yuuri has changed her name to Mitchell now too.
Although Mitchell is pronounced Me-che-ru in Japan which I hate but I guess it's better than nothing. Now we just wait for the ceremony in May.
Alright I don't know if I can marry yet I get my results tomorrow, but I went to a wedding yesterday.
Actually this wedding is at the same place as I will marry Yuuri so in essence this was a kind of reconnaissance wedding.
Check out the authenticity, alright so it's a bit 'Disney Land' but it's all about the show. I don't really care if the church was built in the 1600s by the pope or erected in the 1980s by Imagine(c). And I'll tell you what, the heating system works well in this modern building and you wont find that in your damp Gothic churches.
This is the old 'chucking the petals' routine, I like that picture cause the petals are caught mid-flight and check out the guy with the pink phone, no it's not his girlfriends its his and that's Japan.
A nice shot of the couple though, Kenji and Megumi Kato.
They met at my welcome party when I came to Aeon, I remember sitting next to them and talking with Kenji. He was to become one of my students and Megumi is the Kids head teacher. They are two very lovely people and two of my favourite people at Aeon.
After some photos we all bustle up to the party room where we enjoy lots of food and booze. This is where we also pay the lean 17,000Y/ $191 / £115 but this is the way of all weddings in Japan, indeed I hear in Tokyo the prices are much much higher.
Here is a nice group of the current Aeon workforce with the lady on the left in the white jacket working at the Morioka branch and the rest of us stuck in the Arctic tundra Aomori.
Japanese weddings always seem to include at least one costume change which gives the whole thing a little personality. I like it and I really like this outfit!
Ah and who could forget, the flaming sword, a key part to any wedding where ever you are in the world. On this day of love Kenji unites the Japanese old love of samurai warriors with the modern Japanese love of smoking in public. Very beautifully done though.
No pictures of Yuuri I hear you cry? Well no she was working but she came to the second party in her brand new dress I bought for her. I chose a very western style which I think she needed time to get used to but here she is in her fluffy bear slippers...
Last weekend (2nd November 09) I went to Tokyo with Yuuri to visit Disney Sea. Disney in Japan is a lot like Disney in America. A lot of hype and a lot of waiting around.
I'm a bit cynical when it comes to Disney. I hate how all the advertisements show Disney as this magical place and usually depict a young family freely enjoying the park, and it looks like a dream. However they don't show the hoards of people clambering to get a look at plastic mountain or the never ending wait for a 2 minute ride.
Having said that Yuuri really enjoys Disney and it is a good day out. The rides are pretty good and I really liked the Tower of Terror. Yuuri always gets very scared when she goes on rides, her palms become sweaty and she becomes noticeably more nervous. She loves it though!
We were in the park for about 10hrs and we were so tired afterwards. Our hotel was nice but our key didn't work so our room got upgraded.
The main reason we came to Tokyo was to visit the British embassy to get our marriage ready for approval. When Americans do this I heard they must take blood tests but at the British embassy I only had to fill in a form and pay some money, Yuuri didn't have to be there. The form cost £63/Y9,700 and I have to wait until the 24th November 09 for approval.
My information goes on a public notice board for anyone to object against. We had a look at some of the current ones and we were among the youngest but there were some couples younger than us. Most seemed to be British men to Japanese women though.
A lot of people tell me western men often prefer Japanese women and that Japanese women like western men. I'm not so sure that's completely true as a man and knowing other men I'd say men like Italian women, French women, South American women, Asian women in fact I'd say men just like women and if something sounds unattainable and exotic then all the more appeal.
As for Japanese women preferring western men well I think that's just from exposure. If your only exposure to westerners is Hugh Grant, George Clooney, Brad Pitt etc then you're going to find them more appealing. I don't know any Japanese girls who fancy Gordon Brown.
I am a British guy but I moved to Aomori in 2008 to work with Aeon.
I finished Aeon in 2010 and moved to Taiwan.
From 2011 I am working James English School in Tendo, Yamagata
