June: the first half

I was wondering how it could possibly be July already.  I mean, really?  July?  Inconceivable.

So I checked my calendar just to be sure, and it turns out that it is definitely July.  It is the beginning of my last new month in Japan.  After July, it is all old hat for another year.  What my calendar also reminded of was how obscenely busy June was.  Here's a not-so-brief recap of the first half of June.  Up next, Heather and Suzie Visit, SobetsuPROM, and How I Acquired a Kitten.

The first week of June I was visited by Amy and Mike.  Amy is a friend of mine from Warsaw, and Mike is a friend of hers from college.  They were spending a couple of weeks in Japan seeing the sights via friends' couches.  They stayed the 2nd and 3rd before heading back to Tokyo on Friday the 4th.

 on the most photographed street in Japan

Mike, Amy, me, and Loki eating ramen at Ippudo, an important stop on any Japan trip.

As they left for Tokyo, I packed a bag and headed in a different direction: the ALT Soccer Tournament in Nagano, a biannual event in which hundreds of foreigners descend upon the small mountain town of Sugadaira.

 You can't see the snow-capped peaks that surrounded us, but they were there, and it was awe-inspiring.

I had been to the last tournament in November as a spectator (and I brought all of our most creative Macalester cheers with me) because, well, let's face it.... I am not particularly athletically-inclined, nor do I particularly care. My friend Loki likes to make fun of me for flat out refusing to run unless it becomes absolutely necessary. What can I say? To thine own self be true.... I don't run.

See Karen run.  See Maggie stand.

Once upon a time, I did give soccer a go. It was the fall of 8th grade, and we had just moved to Poland. A new country, new friends, a new sport... it seemed like a great idea. In retrospect, I was a tall, uncoordinated Minnesotan girl trying to play soccer for the first time with a bunch of Europeans. I didn't make the team. Fair enough, Mr. Erni. I'm sure I looked an awful lot like a baby giraffe with inner ear problems learning to walk.

But that was then, and this was now, and here I was in a new country with new friends and a new resolution to do new stuff, and they were asking me to play and promising that no one would be cut and that everyone (with a few notable exceptions) would be beginners, and all the cool kids were going to join, and wouldn't you like to play soccer too?

So there I was, baby-giraffing it up and trying to remember why I had thought it was such a brilliant idea to play a sport that required not only that I run, but that I run while simultaneously trying to manipulate a round object in a direction of my choosing, (ummm, what? seriously?), when Stacy (organizer, MVP, and general team-holder-togetherer) came up and asked who wanted to fling themselves in front of hurtling soccer balls, to sacrifice life and limb, to be the last thing standing between the opposing team and our goal.

"Ummm, so, you basically don't have to run, right?"
"Pretty much."
"And you get to catch the ball with your hands instead of your feet?"
"Most of the time."
"Fabulous. I'm in."

And that was how I became the women's goalie for Ishikawa FC.

 Yes, I am defending the goal while wearing gardening gloves.

Turns out there is slightly more to being a goalie than standing around and neatly catching balls that are passed straight to you, but thanks to the patient coaching and question-answering of Stacy and a few of the guys, by the time the tournament rolled around I knew most of the rules and was looking somewhat less giraffe-esque.

We finished the tournament elated to be in third and got a tacky trophy (with a man on it... come on Title IV, where are you when I need you???) and a case of beer for our troubles. Despite the fact that Stacy (our golden ticket) and several other great players are leaving us, I am excited to go back next year and see what we can do.

Next year I will remember to put sunscreen on the backs of my knees. 

(These shots may have been taken during warm-up, but they still look pretty sweet, thanks Bill!)



(Unfortunately, the men's tournament is less a bunch of inexperienced and ragtag  ALT teams and more a league of semi-professional middle-aged men's teams that practice weekly or more... Our Ishikawa men, though greatly improved from November, took last.)

With only 4 days to recover, the next Friday was a joint birthday party/potluck/karaoke/sleepover extravaganza down in Komatsu. We ate, we drank, we sang, we did purikura (my first time! they are now decorating my phone, as they should), and Saturday afternoon we went further south to Kaga to play with some orphans.

 I was in the paper airplane making group, but my job description quickly morphed into "will hold hula hoop over head so that adorable small children can attempt to throw paper airplanes through it (re:at your face)". The orphanage is gorgeous and full of light. I don't know how the social stigma is or the reality of their everyday lives, but at the very least they have great facilities.

The kids were all so sweet. I got hugs from a couple as we were leaving. I wish we could have stayed longer.

*None of the photos in this post were taken by me.  Thank you Amy, Bill, and Caroline!