Today was a whirlwind adventure...

Just the way I like it!

Bangkok has been amazing. We've been staying in an area called Banglamphu. I recommend it...pretty touristy, but cheap enough, central (to the big sites) and full of energy... easy to find a place to stay if you don't have one yet, too.
We started the day by wandering through a garden close to our hotel (part of a temple, actually) and discovered that we are situated close to the water, main streets and big attractions. We stopped at an internet place for lunch which turned out to be an Israeli center (israelis get a big lump sum after their 3 years in the military service so a lot of people travel with it and this is a big destination). the people were super friendly and we got pretty cheap, but reliable, bus tickets to go south for new years. we were going to walk to the royal palace, but ended up just taking a tuk tuk (pretty much a cart motorbike - reminds me of a modern day rickshaw, but very common and an extremely effecient mode of transportation) to see two big buddah sites the driver recommended. the driver tried to make us go to a local store with him, too (where he undoubtedly would get commision for our visit) and do a boat tour to the floating market (which was expensive by American standards), but we finally got him to take us to the taxi boat site. The water is really polluted, but it was really beautiful riding the big, open barge as we passed long boats (banana-shaped) and enjoyed the scenic backdrop of the temples and waterfront businesses.
When we reached the temple we wanted to see, it was closing, but we did get to see Wat Po with HUGE golden budda statue and georgous surrounding area. Wandered around looking for bank, before realizing most of the exchange places are in backpackers alley (where we are staying) so we headed that way, shopped for a bit and went for our first massage.
I got a manicure, pedicure and Swedish (oil) massage. They were SO cheap! The woman doing the message literally hopped on my back, and at one point wrapped herself around my body so she could twist me, but I am so relaxed, I am almost a little shocked I have the capacity to type.

Excellent day and very relaxing way to cap it off.

We're heading south to an island called Ko Samui tomorrow. I guess they do have a train system, but it is slower than the bus, and apparently less comfortable yet more expensive. Needless to say, we are taking the bus. We leave at 6pm and arrive at 10am (after a boat ride as well) and I don't know exactly what the situation will be once we get there but I am sure there will be tourist places with internet and stuff abound. Checking out the big sites here tomorrow; more soon!

Sawatdee!!

Or 'Hello' in Thai!!

We made it alive... and Thailand is AMAZING! The weather is beautiful (a barely-humid and sunny 90d today), the people are friendly, the food is to-die-for, and -not to scare you, but- I think I may be in grave danger... the shopping is fantastic, too.
Today is out first full day in Bangkok. I am here with my friend Kelly from Trinidad, and I think I was right about Thailand being the cure to the lackluster holiday I was experiencing. It was definately an adventure getting here, though.

Ok, I will admit I have gained a little reputation for being fashionably late at times, but I swear missing the flight yesterday was not our fault! Kelly and I met at the station at 6am to make our way to Kansai Intl airport by 10 (usually an hour trip). We switched trains at Akashi, as usual, and arrived at Osaka Umeda Sta. with extra time under our belts. We didn't want to waste time, though, so we followed the signs leading to the airport train and embarked upon our journey...or so we thought. I have taken the Osaka loop line train before and have never noticed a stop for the airport, but we figured that we could trust the signs (despite the Engrish, 'airprrt') and there would be a stop somewhere. When we arrived at Osaka station (again!), an hour after getting on the packed train, however, this was not such a funny mistake. We hopped off the train
and followed a family with suitcases to the right section of the platform (again - so not obvious), but it was too late... we missed check-in. It cost us a bit, but we were able to re-route through Taiwan and Hong Kong and finally made it to Bangkok around 9pm. The airport staff were not always the friendliest on our trip, but the Cathay Pacific flight crew itself made it one of the best economy trips I have taken. They have little side,head-rests on the comfy seats (which I really need to sleep), ample leg room, amazing meals and personal screens for in-flight entertainment. I remember being impressed by the Asian carrier, Air China, but I have to say Hong Kong-based Cathay can also hold it's ground.
Once we got to BKK, we did not have a concrete plan so we caved in and talked to several of the harrassing travel agents that basically jump you as you walk out of customs. It was good to get a feel for what the options where and benchmark prices on hotels, but-with my beloved Lonely Planet in hand-we decided to bus it to the city center and scout out a place on our own. Much better idea. We had no problem getting into the hotel we wanted. Bangkok isn't really dirt cheap, anymore, but it is definately more than affordable for a 'shoe-string' traveler and the area we landed in was bustling even late at night, offering plenty of eye candy for a first-timer in south-east Asia. We rested for a bit and then walked around. We stumbled across a large dance club and followed the music inside. Turns out we were the only foreigners in the place, but we joined the chanting crowds (singing along with the live band) and danced to the Thai pop music (which both Kelly and I are completely in love with!!) until the place closed at 1am. We made a few new temporary friends (a group of girls came up to dance with us and some boys stopped to chat), so it was a good introduction and a good way to cap off the evening and get out the last bit of energy before crashing to bed.
On the whole, there are a lot of European tourists around (hear a lot of French & Hebrew), we get asked if we need a taxi or cart-ride every 15 feet, and I am surprised by all the propoganda on the streets (pictures and statues of the prime minister EVERYWHERE...currently exciled in England but rumored to be returning soon). Again, we are grounded in the backpacker alley known as Banglamphu, so you can expect tourists, but the big culture shock for me was definately the hoards of other westerners.
The plan for today is to hit up the big temples in our area, the royal palace, the shopping/market district and maybe another Budha. We are going to take a bus to some southern islands tomorrow (were the book The Beach was based), and prob stay in the area for the big New Years Party next week (rumored to hit 12,000 people strong...yikes!!). We wanted to go north to ChengMai, but 10 days really is not enough in this country (esp with no trains... so the buses force a lot of travel time), so I think that will have to be the next trip. Ko Chang was another top destination on our list (beautiful beaches, elephant safaris, national parks... with pythons, tho...yikes), but it will take too long to travel East and then back to go south again. Cheap as it may be, sitting on a bus and then a ferry for 12 hours is a big sacrifice when you have a limited amount of time in Paradise!


Side Note: Because of the earthquake in Taiwan yesterday, there is apparently a media issue throughout all of Asia. Internet is EXTREMELY slow (took me 20 minutes to get into Hotmail - and now it won't send!). Might be hard to blog, but I will try to keep this updated!

Christmas Week - 2006

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Wow. Time is flying by. It's amazing to me that Christmas has already come and go.

The week was slow at school. I sang John Lennon's Happy Christmas about 10 times (solo with a guitar in front of 20 students on Monday - whew) and held a christmas party on Wednesday. One of my students invited the Danish hotdog guy and didn't tell me (more on that later - snakker norsk with the Danish guy & recently tapped into the Scandinavian network in town and might be joining monthy meetings on Rokko Island). That was pretty random when he showed up at my classroom, but we had a great time and it was a complete coicidence (but nice) that we happened to be making Danish basket ornaments (for the tree) at the time. We also made two gingerbread houses (I had sugar glue EVERYWHERE for the rest of the day.... my hair!), but the students did a fabulous job of constucting a house to reprsent our school building, which we presented to Kyoto Sensei (vice principal) as a gift. Everyone ate it... went pretty well.
Kelly and I went to Christmas mass in Kobe on Christmas eve. The mass was in Japanese, but it was comfortably familiar and we sang a lot of Christmas carols... in Japanese! I guess I have attended traditional Catholic masses all over the world now (Italy, Norway, US, Japan...) and I have to say there really is something nice about being able to know what to expect. Even with different languages, cultures, customs and nationalities...there is a lot of consistency.
I actually found the church we went to by following a string (online conversation) ona travel site. This guy was looking for the church for his grandfather. Apparently the grandfather had been an American soldier in Kobe after WWII. As he was walking through the bombed ruins of the city, he had come across a statue of the virgin Mary amongst the debris, completely uncathed by the bombs (even though the actual church had been flattened). He took this miraculous preservation as a sign and has carried the picture he took of the statue in his wallet since then. Now, 60 years later, this soldier's grandson wanted to find the actual church and confirm the story and location for his grandfather. I was really moved by this posting (particularly on Christmas) and was a little emotional when we arrived at the church and found the statue of Mary, proudly displayed at the base of the main bell tower. As the bells rang halfway through mass (touching my ears and soul), I definately thought of the story.
Taj, a friend and the owner of a (really decilous) Indian restaraunt in Akashi hosted a traditional Christmas dinner (at no charge!) on Christmas eve. We had turkey (rare in Japan!), mashed potatos, veggies, and gravy -oishii deshite!
I took off Christmas day and joined an Ikebana (flower arrangment) class in the morning. It was a really fun experience, although I am not sure I have talent in this art. We made a really beautiful New Years arrangement, though, and I gave mine to my friend at the IFA (International Friendship Association) as an oseibo (end-of-the-year thank you gift). I got an email telling me it was 'perfect' (asking if I bought it), but I still don't think I have the craft.
Even though Christmas week was low key and I was surrounded by friends and people I care about in Japan, it's definately difficult to be away from family and people at home during this season. Christmas is also the romantic holiday in Japan (almost purely commercial) so I will admit it got a little lonely at times (this was my first Christmas away from home!), but I know Thailand will be a big booster. I definately think I will start a tradition of celebrating the holiday out of the country, tho (at least while I live in Japan).

Time Magazine's Person of the Year

I was reading the news this morning, and was a little curious about one of the less serious top stories. It seems that Time Magazine chose, "citizens of the new digital democracy", anyone using or creating content on the world wide web, as the Person of the Year. Apparently President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran was the likely choice, but the magazine cited the shift institutions to individuals (eh, even though the President would still qualify as an indivual) as a reason. In any case, I am pretty sure this announcement means that we (yes, me writing this and you reading this) have just been announced winners, as well. Right?
Weird. At least they added a 26-person list of People Who Mattered (this year).

Kobe

I just learned something interesting. I guess the reason Kobe is so busy this time of year is not just the seasonal Luminarie, but a huge draw for dates in general. Kobe is considered the dating city. With Osaka and Kyoto so nearby, I was really surprised to hear this, but apparently people from all over Kansai deem my darling little Kobe as one of the most romantic date spots around.
This little fact made me think of a Magnetic Fields song I like. Can’t repeat the lyrics here, but it’s stuck in my head now. I need to stop singing about dancing bears ;)

It's Beginning to Feel a lot like Christmas

This weekend flew by. I didn’t really do anything special, but it was nice to stay in the area. On Friday, I went to Kobe to pick up my new electronic dictionary (yay!) and met some friends in Sannomiya (the main area of the city). ]
Ikuta Shrine and Kobe Luminarie
I am by no means an expert on Japan yet, and there is a lot I have to see, but I go to Kobe a lot and was previously pretty confident that I knew the city well. Until my friends and I decided to walk to the city mosque (in search of good middle eastern food) and subsequently passed through the Ikuta Shrine. How I have thus far failed to visit this immaculate structure, one of the oldest shrines in Japan and quite centrally locally located, I have no idea. Set in an urban neighborhood, the white and orange-colored classic design is peacefully surrounded by lanterns and a backdrop of a small pine forest. I need time to go back and explore in detail, but I have pegged it my new escape from the energy of the city (if I ever need it).
While the city is usually pretty calm, it is just so crowded this time of year; worthy of Toyko. I think the crowds are just people coming into the city for the holidays, but I know the Luminarie has a lot to do with it.
The Kobe Luminarie is a massive light festival that was founded in 1995 to raise moral after the Hanshin Earthquake destroyed the city. It consists of massive structures (mostly paths of gateways) decked with thousands of sparkling Christmas lights. They play classical music over loudspeakers, almost giving the scene an angelic quality. Actually, if it weren’t so chilly these days, I could see one of the large corridors as an interpretation of the pearly gates in some movie. The eve takes place in a park in the city of the city, and the whole area is surrounded by food stands.
After dinner my friends and I walked around the structures, enjoying the atmosphere and taking some pictures with the hoards of smiling tourists, although we didn’t make it to everything. Learned the hard way that everything (light, music, the whole shebang!) shuts down promptly at 10pm. Nonetheless, it was great fun. A very peaceful experience and definitely in the holiday spirit (a reminder I appreciate with the complete lack of snow here).
Marathon Update
Takiko and I went for our first slightly longer run. We did an hour and a half this time. I like running by time rather than distance, and it truly does help to have a friend instead of music. Takiko is really nice and I like talking to her anyways, so it makes the time fly. I needed to keep working if we are going to do the 3 hour trip to downtown Akashi and back next month, but I am now determined. With Thailand only a week away, I think my biggest obstacle will be keeping up the routine when on vacation. Running is a great way to explore, though (presuming I can get myself out of bed to go) and it would be a great workout (and a gorgeous view) if I can run on the beach.

Pictures of IkutaJinga (Shrine): http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/kobe/ikutajingaindex.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikuta_Shrine
Hanshin Earthquake:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_earthquake
Kobe Luminarie: http://www.kobe-luminarie.jp/

Christmas Cake: Gender Equality in Japan

Sometimes I feel like Japan has a gender culture I often feel mirrors 1950’s America. My comment might seem harsh, but I have specifically observed an issue of gender equality surrounding the workplace and dating scene. And today I picked up a few pointers on why things are the way they are.
The Christmas Present
It all started with a present I gave a coworker. In one of my classes this morning, I had the students exchange “gifts” via a game where they randomly selected slips of paper with compliments written on them and then chose other students to give those compliments to (using the To:/From: format).
Anyways, I brought all the extra slips back to my desk after class and decided to give out a few little “gifts” to some colleagues. One of the women I work with is truly a mentor figure to me and other coworkers and spends countless hours preparing materials to support the team or studying for self-betterment (not just because of the culture but because she takes on the role). She is an extremely hard worker, and has the drive and personality that I could definitely see in a leadership role (like a CEO) in America (or as hopefully as a principal in Japan in a few years). Anyways, I gave this woman a slip of paper telling her 'she was a leader'. I think we are close and candid enough to by frank, but to my surprise, the woman reacted with embarrassment, thinking I did not like her, when she read the note.
Sometimes I feel that many Japanese people are not always candid with me (saving face instead of telling me I am doing something wrong), but thank goodness this coworker decided to confront me about the message. I explained the class activity and that it was a positive attribute. But the thing is, in Japan, it is is the opposite: being a female leader is not. I have a lot of respect for this woman and am grateful she took the time to explain why it is embarrassing, of all things, for a woman to be considered a leader. In short, what I learned is that women are supposed to have less ability than men. By calling someone a leader, you are saying they are bossy and do not understand their place. It is insulting.
Lucky for me, opening this door led to further conversation about the status of women and the dating culture in Japan.
At one point during the conversation, we were discussing the potential for two young Japanese teachers we know to date (now know better than to use 'abunei kankei'...). The teacher told me that even though a woman has a boyfriend, unless she is married, she is still considered single. I don’t think it was a personal opinion, either (this seemed cultural).
Um, woah. Ring the Alarm. We do not exactly adhere to the same concept in my culture (at least in my opinion), and this not what I would call a good notion of commitment. I have heard other foreigners complain about the lack of love or true emotion in some relationships here, which I don’t know that I agree with, but I just refuse to believe that everyone would display such lack of respect for their partner(s). Yes, cheating happens all over the world, especially in my culture, but it is not necessarily accepted the way it seems to be here. We discussed the adultery culture a bit (a lot of do things happen in Japan, but definitely discreetly, behind firmly closed doors), but all in all, I was surprised and impressed by the honesty.
Christmas Cake
This post is long, as usual, but I have one last thing worth mentioning. On the topic of gender, I finally got a solid explanation of the Christmas Cake phenomenon! So in Japan, there is a tradition for boys to give their girlfriend a really decorative cake at Christmastime. It is called a Christmas Cake (they use English) and they are sold all over at an average of $15-40. Anyways, there is a lot of pressure in this culture to settle down early and they call 'older' (meaning 26) women Christmas Cakes if they are single. While it seems like a small thing, you would be suprised how this Bridget Jones attitude really does affect a lot of women.
Anyways, the reason behind the Christmas Cake nickname is pretty simple: Everyone wants a Christmas Cake until the 25th of the month. They're in high demand. After the 25th, though, nobody wants it anymore. The season is over. And just like Christmas Cake, nobody wants to girl after she has passed 25. Her time has expired.

I have to get going, but this was a very interesting lesson for me. For some reason, I think I have changed my mind about ordering a Christmas Cake this year, too. Sad.

Funeral

When I rushed out the door yesterday morning, little did I know that I would be attending a Buddhist funeral ceremony that evening and not be returning home until late. We found out on Monday that one of my colleagues, someone who has been extremely kind and supportive to me, lost his father on Monday. I wanted to attend the funeral and pay my respects to the family, but I was not sure when it would be. I found out during our morning staff meeting on Wednesday that it was the same day. It was pure luck that I was wearing a black suit, but I probably would not have worn black little tennis shoes had I realized I would be going to the event. Actually, I was stunned by how everyone was dressed at the ceremony and don't think it would have been appropriate if I was not foreign. The only funerals I have ever attended have been Christian ceremonies, so I was not sure what to expect going in, but the women were ALL wearing black suits with black heels white pearls and the men your standard black suit and tie. I was really the only exception. We arrived at the building early, and checked in. We needed to borrow yazu (Buddhist prayer beads - look like the ones the men in Greece & the Middle East use to relax and induce thought) and register our gift for the family (an envelope with money in it). Nozaki sensei gave about $50 between the two of us, which is apparently standard, and received a ticket for our thank you gift bag (for coming - worth about half the amount of the standard gift; in this case either cookies or a towel).
The room the ceremony was held in was quite large, maybe the size of a small Midwestern church. It also reminded me of a conference room, with the solid gray carpeting and hundreds of plastic, black chairs lined up in rows. The family greeted us as we walked in the door, with the four sons and their wives greeting guests. I followed Nozaki sensei’s lead and bowed to each brother as I walked by, stopping to give my condolences to Hayashi sensei. The family was seated on the right side and we sat with other teachers on the left.
The front of the room was crazy – unlike anything I have seen. The front wall was covered with a large, light blue screen with digital pictures of clouds floating across it. In front of that was a sort of shrine, honoring the deceased. A large portrait sat in the middle of golden alters, while large fruit baskets (probably reaching 4 feet high) sat on either side of the 'alter' as offerings. I was told the body was present, although I did not actually see it. Apparently, there is a ceremony on the afternoon following the funeral quite similar to a wake or viewing.
After everyone was seated, a short monk entered the room, walked down the central aisle and took his place at the front of the room. Before the screen and small shrine was a table with three sets of rock-decorations of a sort. The family walked around the table and we watched as they each moved the sand or rocks from the right to the left (with a pinch of the hand) three times, bowing to the portrait. Then the family formed a line at the end of the table as guests filed into lines to also pray, moving the rocks three times. I basically watched what everyone else did, followed Nozaki's lead, bowed to the family, and sat down. Meanwhile, the monk continued to chant an old form of Japanese prayer. When everyone had finished, the family gave a final prayer and commented. I was brought to tears by the eldest brothers' moving speech and found that this truly was a celebration of life, not a mourning of death (also indicated by the red and white colored balls of sugar we were given).
After the funeral last night, the teacher that drove me home asked me to come over. I thought she meant sometime, not right then (I was literally lost in [the] translation), so it was a surprise when I ended up at her house. She lives close to me, though, and we had fun. Got home late and checked my messages and email this morning before talking to Amy (we’re arranging her visit in May – I am so excited). Interesting, but moving day.

Moving Forward: Great Quote

"The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool; the truest heroism is, to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when to be obeyed." – Nathaniel Hawthorne (from The Blithedale Romance)

I think one of the hardest lessons to learn when learning a second language is that it is OK to make mistakes. Building confidence is huge, and making mistakes is part of the process. I remember trying not to speak Norwegian with my friend Morten when I was at folkehogskole (something I probably hid well until now) because I was so embarrassed at how bad I probably sounded. However, I slowly learned to get over that personal hurdle. In hindsight, it was actually friends like Morten who taught me most of what I know and gave me some of my best memories.
Being a hero and learning a language are definitely not the same thing, but there are parallels here. They say every journey begins with a single step. You’re not going anywhere unless you get out there. You’re never going to accomplish anything (and who knows if that something might be heroic in some way?) if you don’t have enough faith in yourself to get both feet wet. Granted, trusting your gut is not always a bad thing, but it truly is knowing when you really need to be quiet and not - and being willing to get out there when you don't - that makes the difference. Having the courage to get out there, make mistakes, and practice your language skills is truly the best way to buff them up!

Dreary Tuesday

Today has been a gloomy day, both outside and inside. Despite the slew of social issues cropping up amongst us as of late, it seems there have also been a string of smallish tragedies and/or at least punches to the soul today.
Grades are due this afternoon, so I am basically just lesson planning (I hope these kids like ‘War Is Over’ by Lennon; they are about to get a lot of it!) and entering grades for submission... Which gives me a lot of time to think.
I talked to Mike last night (Monday morning his time) and his dad had just gotten into a really serious car accident. There is a lot of ice on the road in Minnesota in the winter, and his car swerved into a ditch and rolled a few times. Mike said he looked pretty beaten up and they were doing tests to see if his back was broken, but from an email I got this morning, it sounded like he will be ok. My prayers and thoughts are definitely with them.
Then this morning, the teacher I sit next to, whom I would say I am close to, told me about the recent death of a former teacher/mentor who she recently reconnected with. The man was now a principal in the area. He was 60.
Shortly after that, my vice principal came over this morning to tell us that Hayashi sensei’s father had just passed away. Hayashi has definitely been there for me and has served as both a mentor and friend in the short time since I arrived in Japan. He has a daughter my age, so I sometimes feel like he takes on a fatherly role, but he definitely treats me as a contemporary. He is extremely good at English, very intelligent and I enjoy our candid conversations. It made me sad to hear about his father, especially since I know it was really hard on his kids when their family dog died last month. I plan to attend the funeral with my coworkers.
With all of this dreariness surrounding us today, it does make me think about how lucky I am and how much I have to give thanks for in this holiday season. We take a lot for granted. Even though I was not always happy with my situation in Minneapolis, for example, I was so blessed with all of the wonderful people surrounding me. I have my own cute little apartment (in Japan!), more than enough food, experiences to keep my challenged and let me grow and access to enough food, heat and water. I wish I had spent more time with my family while I was living so close to them, but even though I cannot see them, I know I am really lucky to have them. My parents being only children, it has always been just the four of us for holidays, and this will be my first Christmas without them, actually.
Anyways, I guess I just have to keep my head up and keep running (literally) for my sanity in all of this. It’s hitting home a bit, but everything happening today (and people’s negative attitudes lately) just reminds me again how lucky I am.

Friday - Finals Week... and the weekend!

Nothing too big happening on the weekend. Spent Friday night celebrating a friend's birthday at a Turkish/Greek restaraunt in Kobe. It was the opening day for Kobe Luminarie (more on that soon), so the city was packed, but the restaraunt was a cute little joint, quietly tucked into a back alley. They offer periodic belly dancing sessions, and the interior ris reminescent of one of the small, family-run establishments you would find on Nicollet Ave (Eat Street) or Dinkytown back home in Minneapolis. As we were leaving, the Greek-born owner gave me his card and asked me to come back. I would say this was normal, except he only gave it to me. I just find this funny because, even though I hadn't spoken to him much, I think he could tell there was something Greek about me. I got the same reaction in Greece; people would stop me and say, 'there is something Greek about you." I guess it would be obvious if you saw my mother (black, curly hair), but my grandfather was born in Greece and, as for me, it's the eyes. My mother, brother, and cousins in Greece have the same ones. Random.

After the birthday party, my friends and I headed over to Akashi for another Christmas party, which has already moved to an Irish pub. Fun to see people I met when I first arrived but haven't seen in a while. Fun and relaxing week. So far, I would say finals are a little different from this side of the fence!

Thursday - Finals Week

On Thursday, I actually spent most of the morning studying Japanese, something I am trying to get into the habit of doing. Don’t get me wrong, I am still horrible, but the puzzle is slowly starting to materialize as I put the pieces together. Something clicked about 3 weeks ago, and I am finally able to communicate a bit more. I have heard you normally hit that stage between 3 and 6 months in, so I am on track but really need to be a little more diligent about hitting the books on my own.
One of my coworkers (who lives very close) invited me to come to her house for lunch after school. I learned the last time I had lunch with teachers, that ‘lunch’ with friends or coworkers (especially at their house) is usually an all-day or afternoon event. It is not a bad thing, but I don’t think it is very American (at least in the midwest) to spend 7 hours at someone’s house if you are coming over for lunch. Maybe we could learn to slow down and enjoy the time more in my culture, though.
Another thing that I find really cute and have learned to expect is that my host is very careful to warn me about the size of Japanese houses before I arrive. Coming to Japan, I expected my lodging to be nothing more than a shoebox. My place is not big, but it was better than expected, and I have found myself surprised at just how spacious most homes are. They are sometimes deceiving from the outside, but the wooden interior and traditional atmosphere is so charming and there is more than enough space. This house was no exception, and the washitsu (traditional Japanese) room (with a hole in the floor to put our feet in under the heated table!) was elegant and comfortable. I think they just anticipate disappointment if it is not 'American Size' (to quote Tone); although it is practically an average size for America, too.
The woman I was visiting, Miyake Sensei, is very kind and one of my favorite teachers. Her 27-year-old daughter, a piano teacher, joined us until her first lessons started. It was the second time I have had temakizushi (basically, make-your-own sushi), and lunch was absolutely wonderful. I actuallyed learned the proper ettiquete for serving this type of sushi, so I want to try it on my own (if I can lure some guests over to my little box for dinner) and Miyake Sensei let me sample some of her homemade yogurt and a cake that someone had given her as a gift. After a few hours of chatting, Miyake suprised me by bringing out her yukata and kimono to show me all the different pieces. Several weeks ago, we had a 45 minute conversation after class one day where she was telling me about her daughter's kimono (for the upcoming deubant ceremony, of sorts) and we ended up discussing the art of kimono for most of the time. I learned that only unmarried woman wear the long sleeves, for example, and it was fun to learn more about some subtleties of this form of art (which seem even more drastic and regimented than those surrounding the Norwegian bunader).

All in all, it was a fabulous afternoon and really fun girl time. I am not sure if it is because I think Miyake reminds me of my mother in some ways (maybe her reactions, movements or speech?) but I feel really comfortable around her. She is such a kind person, a good friend and definately someone I can learn a lot from, not just because of the cultural differences or because she is Japanese, but deeper life lessons as well.

Wednesday - Finals Week

Slept all afternoon (slowly recovering from my stubborn cold*) and then went to dinner at an extremely nice restaurant in Kitano, a trendy area in the hills of Kobe. The club we went to was members only until about 5 years ago, but one of the people in my party was a friend of the manager and a longtime patron. The food was impressive and a nice change from the normal Japanese palette I have become accustomed to. The food here is wonderful, but I appreciate mixing it up a bit once in a while. We enjoyed the ambiance over a glass of wine and good conversation. I am really greatful for some of the wonderful people I have met so far. While I independantly only understand about 7.2% of what is going on most of the time (pushing the Japanese, here, folks!), I am really lucky to have been shown so many sides of both Japanese life and of the different cultures in my area. All in all... Great night!

*Thought I should mention one thing about the cold here (in case it sounds strange that I keep bringing it up). You see, at first I thought it was really strange that everyone got really, really excited about a common cold. They go to the doctor at the first SIGN of a cold. However, as it has been getting more chilly outside, I am starting to understand why. We have no central heat or insulation in most buildings on the main island. With the drastic changes in temperaure from building to building, a cold can quickly develop into something more serious if you are not careful. I have heard a lot of Japanese medicines just mask the symptoms of an illness, without actually working to fix it as well, so it is important for us to be responsible in maintaining our health. The cotton face masks people wear in public are yet another example of this.

Tuesday - Finals Week

Tuesday went pretty normally. Spent the morning grading tests and hanging out at my desk in the staff room. While a lot of people have recently been complaining about all the free time, I, conversely, have learned to appreciate and value the down time with my colleagues. After the work party last Friday (bonenkai, or “forget the year” party), I have actually been on more friendly terms with some teachers I didn’t know well before and I am enjoying the extra time with them. Even though everyone I sit by seems to be dealing with a lot of discipline issued I don’t have t worry about, there is definitely still a feeling of commrodery among all of us, at least while we are boggled down, correcting finals and answering the questions of students. With these small strides, the language barrier is becoming frustrating, but I guess it is good motivation to study.
After school, I decided to go for a bike ride (I am sick so I can’t get back into the running groove just yet). A friend recently tipped me off about the ‘ancient village’ nearby, so I decided to enjoy the daylight by exploring the area a bit.
I biked over to the village, and was excited to find that it was indeed an actual village! How ironic that just a week earlier I directed Katie to the open air museum in Osaka to see examples of ancient and traditional Japanese architecture, when we have our own little museum so close by. What is better, the historical museum that accompanies Osana, the village, is being expanded. I wandered into the museum and just played around for a while. The most interesting artifacts were the mirror discovered on the site that someone had carried over from China almost 1000 years ago, a painting depicting everyday life in the ancient village, and the relics, pictures and information about Joseph Hinko. Hinko was introduced the newspaper to Japan and was the first Japanese person to be naturalized as an American, after his ship was picked up by an American ship. I went in some of the small, grass huts. The interior strongly resembled that of the Sami huts/houses in northern Scandinavia and Russia (like the one on display at Skoevsen) and I was impressed that they were clever enough to take advantage of the earth’s insulation by digging a foundation, of sorts, for each structure. After a while, I checked out the golf range around the block (where you hit golf balls into a lake, or at floating targets for the price of a bucket of balls (only 400 yen!) and called it a day.

Monday - Finals Week

I was finished with school around 12 on Monday, so I headed into Kobe to meet a friend and show her where the immigration office was. After my friend finished her business, we walked around the old foreign settlement for a while. I know I have gushed about it before, but I really do love Kobe. It is just so charming and I love that while it doesn’t have the huge tourist attractions that Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo have, it has so many hidden characteristics that would take a lifetime to uncover. My friend and I discovered a “big and tall” store, for example, and wandered over to it to check out what they had. What we discovered upon closer inspection was a sign commemorating the site at the first American consulate in Kobe, founded in 1868 (the same year the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo). The building was naturally close to the water, considering Kobe was a port city at the time, and of classic western architecture. I have also seen the old consulate building in Kitano (a trendy area of the city located closer to the mountains), so I was surprised to discover the "big and tall" building and was even more enticed to learn more about my own country’s past relationships with Japan. Commander Perry, for example, was the American who forced Japan to open her ports to the world. Less than two decades later, my countrymen had set up shop around the country and – if you have seen the last Samurai (not a true story, but well researched!) – you know that America was influential in westernizing Japan during the Meiji period (starting in 1868). This discovery was another little peice of that puzzle.
Walking a little further, I came upon a large sculpture of a fish that caught my eye. I suspected the sculpture might be a work by the same artist that created the large, glass fish in the Walker Art Center Sculpture garden in Minneapolis. The materials were different, but the placement, dimensions and effect seemed very familiar, so I took some time just enjoying it before moving down to the pier. My friend and I were hungry and decided to eat in the Harborland area, so we were headed that direction, when we –AGAIN – came across yet another discovery. I knew the city had preserved several destroyed streets from the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake, but I wasn’t sure exactly where they were until we literally stumbled upon one. There was a small dedication and explanation of the tragedy and memorial to the recovery efforts that followed the earthquake. It appeared that the boardwalk had actually crumbled into the sea; what was left of the walkway, railing and lights had been preserved. Again a little frightening to consider the possibility of an earthquake so close to my new home, but also healthy to increase my understanding of it and grow a little more comfortable with the concept in general. We also visited the model, western ship on display at Kobe Port (which even after several unsuccessful internet searches and a lot of questions for my colleagues, I still do not really know the significance of).
A few hours later, we finally made it to the Brazilian restaurant. The waiter, an old man in his 40s or 50s, flirted with us a bit and spoke Spanish (or maybe a dialect pf Portuguese?) with my friend, which was cool to hear. The restaurant is actually on the harbor in a really trendy part of town. It’s an all-you-can-eat joint, where they carve huge slabs of meat off of a spear in front of you at your table. The view is spectacular, it was a lot of fun and that was definitely one of the most delicious meals I have had in the past few months. Mike and I had tried to go once already when he was here on holiday, but we ended up at the German place next door. I will definitely be going back.
I am still fighting a cold and wasn’t feeling well, so I ended up going home and to bed (instead of Japanese class) after dinner. Monday was an excellent day full of small discoveries and unexpected adventure.

Finals week is Over!

After my computer-less hiatus, I am back! As for what is new, finals week has officially come and gone.
THE TEST
It was strange to be on the other side of the fence for the first time. I was responsible for writing the listening test (40% of the first grader’s Term 1 OC grade) and correcting all 280 of those tests. This was my first set of finals, so I definitely learned a lot and am confident there is yet even more.
When I finished going over the tests, I did some simple statistics on the students’ performance by class and at a total level. The average came to a startling 66%. I panicked at first, fearing I was failing half of the first graders (and of course feeling horrible for doing it – still working on that!), but what I quickly learned was that 66% was actually a GOOD score (?!?). I guess teachers aim for a 60% average when writing tests, and the curve is set so that 2/3 of that average is a failing grade. I suppose this is a logical way to justify that the test was really tailored to the ability of the students, but I still feel that the students should have been able to achieve higher scores if they had taken notes or studied. We didn’t include instructions in Japanese for every section, which was a mistake on our part (or a blessing for the students who got points for translation or some sign of comprehension), but I was surprised by how low some of the scores were. After 4 years of English, only ONE student could correctly dictate ‘Please raise your hand’, something I say at least once each class and that they have in their textbook. Oh, boy.
THE WEEK
The highlight of the week, however, was not the actual final, the grading or even getting through the slowly decreasing mountain of notebooks I had yet to read (now that the students have realized I write back, they are writing more… good for them, but omg it takes forever!). Instead, it was everything I was able to do outside of school with the extra time my half-day schedule (during finals) allowed me to do.
In short...
Because this was such a busy week and I have to much to say (and on top of the fact that I am already o-shaberi!), I have chosen to break my recap down by day, and pretend I actually blogged after each one. (Continued in next entry)....

Sunday - Finals Week

The week basically started last Sunday when I went to a Japanese art exhibit with some friends from the next town over. The exhibit featured scrolls from the Edo period (let’s just say 200 years ago) and wood block prints from the same and more recent eras*.
The scrolls and the whole experience were extremely delightful. My friends and I were quieted within the first ten minutes of being there because we were apparently discussing a little too fervently, but I was really inspired to learn more about Japanese history, and especially kanji (Chinese characters) from this visit. We spent a lot of time trying to decipher what the scrolls were about from the kanji explanations. Furthermore, I was really excited about the fact that a lot of the woodblock prints depicted scenes from when Commander Perry arrived in Edo (now Tokyo) in 1953, bringing along with him (and his famous black ships) the dawn of westernization and the end of the closed-society Japan was famous for. I found the old scenes of Japanese women in kimono (traditional dress, now the national costume) mingling with the western women so romantic, and so personal because it is also symbolic of my experiences in this country so far. I just finished reading Kwaidan (or strange stories), a collection of supernatural and old wives tales from Japan (maybe originally from China), and was probably a little too excited to recognize traces of these stories in the supernational paintings. The shoji (or rice-paper sliding door) shadow-puppet drawings were also fun. I think I could do a really cool lesson on them, or at least draw some comparisons between children’s finger puppets in the west and these ancient bemusements.
After the art show, we spent some time enjoying the lovely afternoon weather and joined a pick-up baseball game with some young Japanese boys. It was fun for us, but was probably funnier for them. Instead of going home, we made our way to what turned out to be THE MOST EXPENSIVE karaoke place ever, but belting out some tunes while jumping around on the couches was a good way to end a pleasant afternoon.

*Just a note here: the 'Japanese way' of counting years is via eras, and an era generally begins when a new emperor gains power. So for example, we are currently in the Heisted period, which started in 1989. So instead of saying it is 2006, I actually write 18 for the year on many forms (since it has been 18 years since the current era began). I was born in Showa 56. And yes, it does kind of suck if you are bad at arithmetic (although no one seems to complain…).
*Japanese wood block prints: http://www.asia-art.net/japan_prints.html