Obon and an announcement

I'm going to keep this short and sweet or else it will become another item on my To-Do list.

I'm sorry for the quality of the audio.  I'm not sure if it made that scratchy sounds because of my a/c running, my computer running out of memory, or having the volume up high.  Hopefully you can still enjoy it.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

So many pictures!!!

I have hundreds if not a few thousand photos and videos over my 3.5+ years of traveling.  A mix of ones I've taken and others I've received from friends or been tagged by mutual friends.  My old computer was great for storing them (a chromebook) because I could put them on Google Drive and access them anywhere.

But then my computer started to die.  My Drive started to reach capacity.  Aww, crap!!  What am I gonna do now?  The old answer used to be burning data on discs, but not only does that become cumbersome to carry around, I don't even have a disc reader let alone a disc burner.  And so I have resorted to USB drives (which I have always called "jump drives".  Why?  No clue.)  Some Daiso shop tags later and I've got backed up photos and even slightly organized ones at that!

Now ideally all the drives would stay in the nifty little fox bag...

Of course now instead of a bunch of cds I now have a bunch of USB drives, but it gives me some semblance of order especially after I started dating them.  Although to be fair, the first one is called "Everything before Japan".  Even then it's still relatively easy to find pictures as I organized them first by country and then by city. 

I'm sometimes terrified I'll lose a drive or my camera will magically delete a bunch of photos.  A legitimate concern as my old camera did it once during my first trip abroad.  I paid the ultimate price for an amazing photo of the Sistene Chapel.  I try to balance this fear by not taking many photos.  I find I remember a place or event better if I have fewer photos.  Sometimes I just take 1-2 pictures to represent something that happened...and then write about it.  We don't make photo albums like we used to so even after taking a bunch of photos, sometimes they are never seen again anyway.

One solution to preserving memories would be to print copies of the pictures.  That way if I ever lost the drive, the file became corrupted, or the drive broke, I'd still have a paper copy.  But that would mean carrying around tons of paper or mailing them back to my parents and having them sit in a box for an indeterminate amount of time.  Instead I find other ways to preserve memories such as writing in my journal, making a post, or keeping a memento I then put in my journal (and hopefully make some sort of note about).

This little journal is bursting at the seams!

An idea of what some of my journaling as morphed into

It's an imperfect system as sometimes my self-discipline is lacking, but Hey!  It's a work in progress!  And this post came about because I was bored and wanted to see some old pictures of my first time petting a kangaroo.  So I will also leave you with this.....

You know...chilling at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with a kangaroo

**Please Note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Not for re-use without prior consent and approval

And this is why I teach

We have less than 2 weeks until our school year ends.  My little four-year-olds are getting ready to move up a level and we've been talking about all the new responsibilities they will be undertaking.  We've reminisced about how far they have come this year.  This is my first year at the school and for some, their first year of schooling.  These kids have kept me on my toes as we learned to find a common language to understand each other as well as just being their little three-year-old selves.  ::grin::  There have been tears and laughter a plenty and I don't think I'd trade more of one for less of the other as it's all a part of growing up and coming together.  Words can't describe how bittersweet it is to see this school year end.  I am so incredibly proud of how our class has grown both on an individual level and as a whole.  They are curious, animated, boundary-pushing, sweet-hearted students who challenge me to learn something new everyday.  I'm so excited to see them getting ready to step up while at the same time I just want to keep them in my class just as they are.

We asked them today who they would like to have as their teacher next year.  Teachers can change grades from year to year and students don't know until just before the new school year.  I named different teachers in the school, but this is what I heard from one student. 

      "Teacher Kira, I want Teacher Kira for (their grade level) next year."  

That short sentence said it all.  The positive impact I hoped to have on these children.  To share my love of learning and exploring.  To teach them the independence in making their own choices and accepting the consequences.  To support them as they learned to stand on their own.  In that moment, I felt like we'd reached these goals together.

And this is why I teach.

Tis Time!

Hi everyone!  Yes, I'm still alive.  I haven't been kidnapped, arrested, or become a hermit (mostly).  I had to take a step back from social media for a couple of different reasons and while I've recently been itching to do another video on my vlog, technology has had other plans.  Youtube shut down their video editor and my two sources to the internet AKA my computer and phone are both dying.  ::sigh::  As many of you know, I have a very strong hate-hate relationship with technology so I haven't been particularly keen to jump back into the shopping pool to replace them.

That being said, I also need to acknowledge the human side of my withdrawal.  I remember when I first started regularly posting again and one thing I discussed was how to balance a 9-5 job after having traveled for so long.  Stressing the importance of keeping the good habits I had developed and not falling back into familiar, non-constructive cycles.  I'll admit, I backslid a bit there.  There have been some periods of difficulty in adjusting here in Japan.  This country is different than any other place I've been to and while that's not innately a negative, it can be stressful.  Luckily I have made some wonderful friends who have been able to offer support and advice as I navigate living and working in Japan.

So what the heck have I been up to these last however many months?!

Well, I am now the proud owner of a 5-person tent.  Gotta love those second-hand shops!  I've gone out camping several times with friends to places like Izu, Hakone, and Nikko.  I know you may just shake your head when I say there is video coming for those trips but I really do have pictures and videos to share!!  Look, here's a picture as proof!!  ::chuckle::

our view from our tent at Nikko

I am still hula dancing with my school I discovered.  And yes, there will be another video although I can't share the actual dances due to privacy for the choreography.  But here's a GIF to entertain you...

My school is keeping me busy.  It's hard to believe we're halfway through the school year and only 6 months left with my class.  Time goes by so quickly!  We're gearing up for Halloween and can you guess what my classroom theme is?  HINT: My costume involves a love of cookies!

And of course I have been discovering new and amazing things here in Japan.  Karaoke is of course a crowd favorite.  I've also discovered dessert cafes which I don't even have words to describe at the moment.  Trust me, you want to know more.  I'm also learning how to make yummy Japanese food!

And I shall now leave you with a picture of my attempt at being a ladybug.  Because who wouldn't want to see that?  ::laugh::

If you'd like to check out my vlog on Youtube, you can check it out here.

Monkey with a Backpack VLOG

**Please note: all photos and video are property of Kira Zebroski**

That Time I Wore a Surgical Mask in Japan

Hello everyone!

I know it's been a while since I've posted on my blog.  I'm actually making an effort to try and get more posts up both on my blog and my vlog on Youtube.  I put up a video last week, but as it seemed to say everything, I didn't see the need to write a post about it as well.

You can check out that video about my new direction HERE.

This week's post is about my first experience wearing a surgical mask in Japan.  I had come down with the flu but needed to go out in public.  I didn't want to get kicked off the train, so my solution was to wear a mask and keep my germs to myself.  Yes, I know...sharing is caring.  But there are just some gifts people don't want to receive.

You can check out my experience with masks HERE.

Some displays of masks and "accessories".  

You'll notice they're basically all white.  I've seen some black ones, but very rarely.  The patterned ones were all for little kids.  ::pouting::  I would totally rock Hello Kitty or smiley face masks!!

I also found the solution to my glasses problem!!  These little foam pieces were at a 100 yen shop.  You put them in the top of your mask and somehow it's supposed to keep your glasses from fogging up...or "anti glasses dim" as it's apparently called.

 I also noticed towards the end of the day my mask took on a slightly funky smell.  Maybe I was smelling my own breath?  In which case I need to invest in more tic tacs.  Or I just spray my mask with chemicals and inhale those instead.

And thus ends my first foray into surgical masks in Japan.  I know I have a lot to learn and maybe down the line there will be an update on the culture of masks.  I hope you enjoyed it!

**Please note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Dipping a toe back in

Hello everyone,
It's been a while since I've been online like this and I'm still not sure how much further down the rabbit hole I want to go.  The week of my birthday was a rough one both personally and for my country.  I basically shutdown my connection online.  I needed to focus on the present moment.  Limit my interactions in the social media world.  There are moments when I feel like I live my life through a cyberworld rather than the real world and I needed to disconnect.

I'm slowly re-emerging, feeling like I can take some of my excess energy and put it into outside activities which feel productive.  I'm still not ready for Facebook.  I've only been on a handful of times over the last month and a half and usually only for a few minutes.  Instead, I'm putting together some video blogs AKA vlogs (although this word always makes me tilt my head.  It's a weird word!) at the suggestion of my friend.  We'll see how they go.  I'm of course going to continue writing regular blogs; there's just going to be another facet to my sharing.

And now for something completely different!

Life has been busy for me.  I finished up my year visa in Australia and am now traveling around Japan.  It's cold but with my years in New York and Wisconsin, I guess I can't really complain.  ::chuckle::  I'm about 3 weeks in and it's been absolutely incredible.  Add on the fact I have a traveling buddy (my first in any of my travels) and it truly is a new adventure.  We've spent a week in Tokyo, splurged for a few days in Hakone, couchsurfed in Nagoya, and now we're meandering through the Kyoto/Nara/Osaka area.

I'm going to keep this short in sharing about all I've experienced thus far, but you can get a taste with two short videos I made while staying in Tokyo.  The first is the Chichibu Night Festival which happens in the mountains north of Tokyo.  Each neighborhood in Chichibu has a float which they push and pull by hand to the shrine at the center of the city.  There is also a huge fireworks display at the end.  You can read more about the festival HERE!

The second is from the light display in Tokyo Midtown.  Winter illuminations are big in Japan and we've been working our way through many of them as we travel.  You can read more about the different popular displays HERE!  There are so many different types of illuminations and some of the smaller cities have lantern displays made by students and local artists.  I have more video coming so keep an eye out.  Until then...

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE!!!! from this Monkey with a backpack.

Chichibu Night Festival

Lightshow at Tokyo Midtown

Voting From Abroad

My ballot has arrived!  My ballot has arrived!!  It is with mixed feelings that I found my absentee ballot waiting for me when I came home today.  This presidential election has been different to say the least and being abroad for the duration of it has given me an interesting perspective.  I’m disconnected from the usual influx of political ads I remember from past elections.  Most of my information comes from foreign correspondents and the trickle of facebook posts from friends back in the States (which often prompts me to do more research on what is actually going on).

I’ve tried a few times to write a post about my thoughts on the election: when Bernie and Clinton were running for the party’s nomination, being torn on where to cast my vote once it became apparent Bernie was out of the running, when Clinton became the Democratic Presidential nominee, and now with seeing the election process come to a head as Clinton and Trump debate over the national budget, social/economic equality, and the suitability of their temperaments to becoming President of the United States.  I could never seem to find the right words to express how I was feeling.  Especially after reading so many posts and articles of others who spouted their opinions so loudly it became more of a shouting match than a debate, I didn’t want to be just another decibel of sound.

As a single female traveler, one of the most oft asked questions I received was some form of “You’re traveling by yourself?”  Now when people find out I’m from the States, they instead ask me what I think about Trump.  I’m not going to get into my opinion of him and if you’re interested, message me and we can have a conversation about the ‘suitability’ of Donald Trump as president.  Watching the media about the US presidential election from Malaysia and then Australia, I saw the outside perspective of how our election process was viewed.  To be honest, it hasn’t been that favorable.  It’s turned into a reality show for politics and taken just as seriously.  That’s not a compliment for our country.

I knew I was going to vote in this election come hell or high water.  I just wasn’t sure how.  Luckily I met up with my friend Todd while in Sydney and he’s an active member of Democrats Abroad.  He directed me to Vote From Abroad, a site which helps those living abroad to register and vote in US elections.  This was especially important as I’d changed states from New York to Wisconsin when leaving and hadn’t been able to register before I’d left.  They gave details for each state on requirements to register and request an absentee ballot as well as deadlines for the election.

Photo Property of Kira Zebroski

My own personal experience with an absentee ballot has proven to be a bit frustrating; however, I think it’s finally been sorted so I’ll be able to vote.  ::knock on wood::  I’d sent my request for registration and an absentee ballot but had a moment of difficulty when trying to figure out how to prove I reside in Wisconsin since the best way to prove that is with mail.  Luckily my mom and I figured out I could send a printed copy of my bank statement.  Even though it’s an e-statement, it still has my address printed on it.  Then a few weeks ago I was contacted by the Town Hall of my residence to call them as they needed photo ID from me.  Photocopy of my passport?  Sorted!  

I’ve now received my ballot, been researching the candidates in my State and local election, and almost lost it all in the 11th hour.  Wisconsin needs a “Certification of Witness” which is the signature and address of another US Citizen to prove I am who I say I am and the voting procedure has gone as planned.  SERIOUSLY????!!!!  I’ve been traveling to some remote areas with only a couple hundred residents and they want me to find another American to sign my ballot envelope after I’ve sent them my photo ID, bank statement, and social security number??  In the two years I’ve been traveling, I’ve met less than a dozen other US citizens.  It’s one of the reasons people thought I was so crazy when I said I was going to start traveling.  It just isn’t typically done in the US.  So if I’d still been on TI or the Gili Islands or potentially even Koh Phangan, I would have been shit outta luck.  That is an incredibly frustrating feeling.  To work so hard to get to utilize my right to vote, only to have some unnecessary, redundant, and potentially impossible hoop to jump through be what stops me from voting??  That is completely unacceptable.  Wisconsin, you already disappointed me when I read about how difficult you’re making people who physically live there get a photo ID so they can vote.  This just brought my opinion of your voting process down even lower.  You can and should do better.  There is enough complaint about the lack of voter participation in the United States without needing to make it impossible for those who DO want to vote.  Luckily, I think this particular story will have a happy ending.  My Sydney friend has connected me with the Melbourne group of Democrats Abroad and one of them should be able to sign my envelope.  YEY!!  Crisis averted!!

During my time in Australia, I’ve also gotten to learn more about their election process.  Voting is mandatory.  It always happens on a Saturday and voting booths are at public facilities (typically a school or town hall).  One of my friends told me that school groups would run sausage sizzles (similar to a brat fry in Wisconsin) and people would chat online on who had the best sizzle.  I really liked this as it brought more positive attention to schools as well as promoting a sense of community.  Election campaigns are short.  There was apparently complaining over the most recent election which lasted 2 months as opposed to the typical 4 weeks.  Imagine...only 4 weeks of campaign trails, debates, and political ads.  Now it isn’t all bliss.  They don’t elect their prime minister, but rather vote for their political party and the leader of the majority party at the time becomes prime minister.  They’ve had 4 prime ministers in the last five years.  So consistency and success of long-term planning can be difficult.  If you ever watch Australian politics, the two main parties are Labor and The Liberals (who ironically are conservative) with the Greens getting about 10% of the vote.  And there’s also been a rise of minor parties, sometimes with rather interesting names.  Pirates Party?  Australian Sex Party?  Political party….or theme for the next great get together?  ::chuckle::

So as I prepare to exercise my right to vote in the 2016 Presidential Election, I urge my fellow US citizens to do the same.  Don’t just write about the changes you want to see on social media, share articles, or talk.  DO SOMETHING!  VOTE!!!

And if that isn’t incentive enough, it’s also my birthday that day.  Give me a really good birthday present America.  Please.

Links to Articles and Groups:

Vote From Abroad

Democrats Abroad

Wisconsin Systematically Failing to Provide the Photo IDs Needed to Vote