Did I just see a....??

[Sakutama]

When I lived in Japan (( US Army, Hokkaido )) I inherited a German Shepherd, no one knew how he got into the country but he was passed every couple of years from one GI living in town to another. The neighbor kids would come over and play with him and he loved it - gentle when they were small but rough and tumble with the bigger (let's say 10 - 12 yo) kids. Someone, at some point, had trained him well. I would go walking around the neighborhood without a leash because he stayed at heel, if I stopped to let someone oo and aw over him, or kids to play with him, we'd relax a little but most of the time he was the perfect walking companion. If I went into the downtown section of Chitose I had to have him on leash, not for our protection and not really to protect anyone else - just for the nerves. And yeh I heard a lot of ookina inu!!!

It always amazed me that the Ainu (native to Hokkaido) with their bear god were afraid of almost any dog that wasn't one of their own.

Eventually, I'm going to get brash enough to ask how it is that you're living in Japan and speak no (or little) Japanese? But I won't get that brazen yet. You're learning, is it difficult for you or easy? I found it one of the easiest languages to learn ... others couldn't hear it right, but then I'd take off weekends or short leaves and spend all my time "on the economy".

The problem is me and hubby get comfortable (lazy) speaking English together, and I have only been living here about a year and a half. The class is helping tremendously, it's breaking the language down for me and it's just now starting to make a whole lot more sense. My only opportunities to use Japanese are when I visit his parents or the odd situation at the store for example. I'm making an effort to use my Japanese everyday, but because I am at a beginner level, it's kind of a strange forced mix of English and Japanese. "Watashi wa...resturan...want to go...onigaishimasu!" but it's better then just using English! I don't consider Japanese a difficult language either, truthfully, but it is A LOT of work and memorizing and while I can often recognize words very quickly in romaji, my hiragana/katakana reading needs a lot of improvement and I draw blanks a lot when thrown into conversational situations. I think I just get nervous, it'll get better though. Doing the bow gets you though most awkward situations I find. lol

Back on topic. Hokkaido! Wow! I wish we lived up there sometimes, we are such nature nuts and it would be the perfect place for having snow dogs...literately! Did you ever go to the snow festivals? It's sad you got the "ooki inu!" remarks as well, but ah well...Japan is an every changing country so I try not to get too upset over things like that when it could turn around and change just as fast. I find the cities update faster then the countryside. Like you said about the Ainu, what also gets me is they love their Akita dogs so much here with the story of "Hachiko" and all, and Akita are big dogs. A little ironic, isn't it?

[Removed #5]

I saw pictures of the area I was in during the Olympics and knew I could recognize some landmarks but it was so different. I had hiked up the mountain that the ski run was on and only recognized it from the map of the area surrounding it. Time passes, things change ...

The Snow Festival, yes, I got there each of the three years I was on the Island and it was fantastic. One I remember was a life sized train station (circa 1875?) and you just kept feeling like a train should pull into the station any time now.

I think I viewed the "big dog" comments more as an observation rather than fear, of course they'd give me plenty of room but it wasn't like they were afraid of it - if that makes sense.

[Sakutama]

*nods* makes complete sense.

Wow...a snow train station! I would have LOVED to see something like that in person! One of these days i'll plan a trip to Hokkaido, but I think i'll wait for the Husky and we can let the Husky enjoy some REAL snow. I haven't lived here long enough to say 100%, but my 2 winter observations down here in Saitama (near Tokyo) have been hardly any snow, not even enough to stick.

Oops sorry, getting off-topic now!

[Removed #5]

*nods* makes complete sense.

Wow...a snow train station! I would have LOVED to see something like that in person! One of these days i'll plan a trip to Hokkaido, but I think i'll wait for the Husky and we can let the Husky enjoy some REAL snow. I haven't lived here long enough to say 100%, but my 2 winter observations down here in Saitama (near Tokyo) have been hardly any snow, not even enough to stick.

Oops sorry, getting off-topic now!

It had it's good sides, but 6 months of below zero temps were a bit much. Then walking up four step in the summer and down four steps in the winter was a bit much (( yes, 3 - 4 feet or more of snow on the ground all winter! ))

My love, favourite vacation stop was Kitakamakura - I went there 5-6-7 different times.

And it's your thread, how can we gt off topic??

[Sakutama]

It had it's good sides, but 6 months of below zero temps were a bit much. Then walking up four step in the summer and down four steps in the winter was a bit much (( yes, 3 - 4 feet or more of snow on the ground all winter! ))

My love, favourite vacation stop was Kitakamakura - I went there 5-6-7 different times.

And it's your thread, how can we gt off topic??

Good point! I guess I don't mind if it's about Japan. I always find it interesting talking about Japan. Besides the temperatures and heavy snowfall, I would probably miss some of the neat things down here near Tokyo as well. What keeps me tied to Saitama is the fact that I already left my family back in Missouri, seems backwards to leave my Japanese family as well and completely isolate ourselves up in Hokkaido. I think i'll happily compromise with a house on the outskirts of our little city, we are actually on a convenient train line to visit many places. I think I have a better chance of meeting other Husky people down here as well, hopefully one of these days...please let there be a Tokyo Husky meet up I can go to one of these days!

[shockinblue]

A really fat and pampered husky. There's a youtube channel featuring 3 huskies. Each one of them are fat. And eat well. Weller than I do. /dies.

[mydiamond]

I forgot to add, if I see that man again i'll try to be brave and use my baby-level Japanese to ask permission to take a photo...and ask " Shiberian Hasuki? Maramiyu-to?" - I was there almost 2 hours early accidentally because it was my first time going to the community center, because I had to change to the night class. So looks like I had better find something to do without looking like a creeper to try to spot him again.

if you think your Japanese is really not that good enough, here's a lifesaving sentence that you should memorize: "gomen,ne.. Atashi nihongo wa sukoshi dake hanasu.." you might already know what does it mean but I'll write it anyways. It means "Sorry.. I only speak a little Japanese.." so at the very least the mistakes you might made afterwards would be acceptable

[Sakutama]

Aww thanks! I do use a sentence similar to that sometimes. I also use "ano...nihongo wakarunai....gomen nasai..." and that usually works fine. I feel bad, but I am just not there yet. I can't wait to be able to chat freely in Japanese someday.

[mydiamond]

Aww thanks! I do use a sentence similar to that sometimes. I also use "ano...nihongo wakarunai....gomen nasai..." and that usually works fine. I feel bad, but I am just not there yet. I can't wait to be able to chat freely in Japanese someday.

and then you can teach me