Autumn in Japan
• Mandy Mand
..cute little Japanese girls running around with their Louis Vuitton bags, high heeled shoes and a pair of bat wings just to look the part.

---

Hey everyone! October has been pretty packed - from tears, tricks and treats of the Halloween variety - theres been a liddle bit of everything. One of the biggest changes that has happened this month is the weather - everyone`s favourite subject! Summer has finally gone (well it IS November) and it’s time to dig out the old woollies and rainbow styley scarf. Yes this is Mandy Mand!

Last night I said goodbye to my beloved fan as I put it away into storage before dragging out the old trusty heater. What`s actually pretty freaky is the fact that we're only hours away from November - hmmmmmm...seemed to have lost Autumn somewhere! Actually, Autumn in Japan is a beautiful season. The leaves on the trees turn into beautiful shades of red gold and brown. There`s even a special 'tree' viewing day which I believe is the 10th and enjoyed by everyone. It’s become yet another national holiday - so that everyone can go see the leaves - any excuse to nick off work I tell you! Am hoping to go to a few of my fave places such as Kyoto and Arashiyama in order to see the leaves - will send you some pics and keep you posted on this tree-mendous sight! ho ho. Autumn also brings Halloween yay! The Japanese haven't really got a clue of what Halloween is all about but they get into the spirit of things anyway - bless them!

Imagine cute little Japanese girls running around with their Louis Vuitton bags, high heeled shoes and a pair of bat wings just to look the part. I went to a Halloween party a couple of weeks back which was fantastic fun! It took place at our usual venue - the hairdressers - and the host came dressed as Elvis - hairy chest, sideburns and all - it was pretty scary stuff!

The majority of people who went were, as per usual, Nova teachers, and costumes ranged from vampires, mummies wrapped in toilet tissue, bats, puddy cats and Santa claus - yayyyyy!! The few Japanese who attended the party were sadly not dressed up, except for Elvis and a psychotic nurse who still managed to look cute! - I think the party was just an excuse to laugh at the foreigners but we are the entertainment show after all and most people laugh at me anyway with or without a naughty fairy costume!

Needless to say I was a very naughty fairy! Woke up the next morning still wearing naughty fairy clothes with an onigiri (rice triangle) in one hand, bottle of wine (empty) in the other- classy lady that I am and somehow managed to struggle my way through work! oops. The worst thing is that I lost my wand! Devastation is just not the word!! - mortified maybe - One thing they have managed to successfully adapt from this old old tradition however are candy treats.
Plastic Jack-o-lanterns are on sale everywhere and are filled with candy and cute kitsch tastic hello kitty treats.

We`ve been trick or treating with the kids at work - as well as making scary masks! Two members of staff have been on their hols for the past couple of weeks and so it’s been me running the kids classes which has been kid of fun as all I`ve been doing lately is make masks - colouring and cutting out tastic!
Other little things;
I've taken up calligraphy lessons which is great fun especially as I'm in a class with 10 seven year old kids who all, once again, laugh at me! Am having a great time and they're helping me to master this beautiful art - I can draw a tree! yay! My Japanese teacher held a special 'English' day for her Japanese students recently who are all trying to learn English and there was a special guest of honour - now I wonder who that was??!! Yay, of course! It was meeeeeee!!
Pretty bizarre - had the whole Japanese kneeling at the table lunch type ceremony thing but was great fun and drank loads of tea. Tea is everything in Japan. If you have a sore throat or a cold - try gargling black tea - it does wonders!

Have also been eating some strange Japanese food lately - raw fish, rice wrapped in leaves, a hot vegetable type broth caled 'Nabe' and loads of seaweed - all extremely healthy though they`re never gonna take the place of my beloved special K cereal! - yep! am still wading my way through boxes of the stuff! One final thing - October was the month I had to say goodbye to my fab flatmate Michelle who was jetting back to Oz after spending two years teaching English in Japan. It was a pretty sad time for me and the house is pretty lonely without her but have got some fab memories and will be visiting her very soon! - yay. Am off to Australia for a month in December where I will be hooking up with Mich and we are going to visit the Crocodile Hunter - a man we both love.

Have a picture of him in our toilet! Am addicted to his show and can`t wait to meet Graham the mighty croc - in`t he a beauteeeeeee! I`ll also be spending Christmas with my brother and meeting up with some very spesh friends in Sydney who are flying all the way from London!!! am very excited and will report back with all the news in January! Next month will be a special on the men in Japan including top ten tips of Karoke! It's gonna be a corker.
© Mandy Mand November 2002

Mandy Mand in Japan - Summer Hols in Okinawa and Tokyo
Sadly, you're not supposed to stare or even look at the monkeys...

The Girls Of Japan
Mandy Mand
'Get your Louis Vuitton purses at the ready girls - it's handbags at dawn'!

© Mandy Mand is teaching English in Japan

© Mandy Mand 2002
email: mandyib@yahoo.com

World Cup Fever Continues
Japanese soccer hooligans went crazy and threw themselves off the famous Totomi bridge into a river in the middle of Osaka

MANY MAND IN JAPAN
you MUST have at least one Louis Vuitton bag, a Tiffany's necklace
and of course that essential pink sparkly phone!

A JAPANESE DIARY
I realised that wearing a black and white polka dot lace thong was not the best move!

From Hollywood to Dollywood
The Japanese folk looked on in horror - tragic thing was that these weren't actually hooligans but English teachers from Australia

Mandy Mand in Japan - Summer Hols in Okinawa and Tokyo
Sadly, you're not supposed to stare or even look at the monkeys...

Social Life In Japan
Let's Go Bowling!
Mandy Mand in Osaka

More about Japan in Hacktreks

< Back to Index
< Reply to this Article

© Hackwriters 2002