Fast Times in the Kobe Exurbs

They say life is an adventure, but I certainly have enough individual experiences to testify to that statement. Today was yet another example.

Taking Advantage of being able to Read for Fun
As usual, I worked in the morning, staying pretty secluded in the Engish room*. I finally finished the first-year notebooks (submitted grades for last term, so the ones I am doing now are for the next term and technically not due for another month or more) and did some reading. I'm finally getting around to reading this fascinating novel that Mike sent me last fall about an American working as a Peace Core volunteer in China. I am going to have to write a separate post about my reactions and impressions of the book, because I have a lot to say, but I'm definately taking advantage of the free time to read and am really enjoying myself. I'll probably take a break for Harry Potter sometime soon (a generally quick read), but in River Town (the book I'm reading now) the author was working as an English teacher at a college in Sichuan and there are an uncanny number of parallels between our situations, especially with regard to his initial iteractions, impressions and encounters in working in the east and in a school setting. He just communicates these experiences better than I can:-)

A short work day and the Open-House at Konami Sports Club
Anyways, after school, I had plans to go to a concert with some friends and to go see my friend Tom's gig in Akashi. 　Tom and I live in the same city, but I see the other Akashi people infrequently, or randomly if I do. Despite this, there is a still a sense of comradery (having established first our lives here and survived a year together), and I've been trying to say all my goodbyes before they leave. Kelly had also invited me to join her and Taoka Sensei (one of her coworkers that I've spent some time with) for an open-house at a large Japanese fitness chain before the concert. The event only lasted about two-and-a-half hours, but included yoga, aerobics and kickboxing classes, free massages (actually did wonders for my shoulders) and a few laps in the swimming pool* I really like going to the gym and briefly considered accepting the limited-time offer to join, but it's really expensive here (about $100/month), the closest branches aren't that close, and I enjoy running outside or going to the local (albeit a lot less glamourous) gym in Harimacho too much. Greatful for the free massage, though:)

Bombay presents... The Nightfillers
Dinner and the show in Akashi were also grand, and I ran into more old, familiar faces that I didn't expect to see. Chris Wang, for example, whom I hadn't seen for quite some time. We reminisced about the time we first met; he essentially did me a huge service at a club in Osaka when we actually caught an older Japanese man drugging my drink (allerting the manager and confronting the guy with me).*** Had it not been for him, who knows what could have happened to me that night. I mean, I actually caught someone drugging my drink! I've thought of the account many times since, and am definately more careful and protective of my belongings when I'm out. A few other guys that'll be sticking around this next year were also there, and I enjoyed the company, conversation and music. Taj, the owner, lets me go behind the bar to pour my own drinks now, which I thought was pretty funny, but it was a generally low-key night.

Learning Lessons about Public Ettiquette
While it's fun to go out, it was still a work night, so Kelly and I headed out a bit early to catch a train back to Tsuchiyama Station. Predictably enough, we also got ourselves into another "situation" before the evening ended. As we were on the Akashi platform, waiting for our train home, we noticed probably one of the most attractive men either of us have enocountered since we arrived in this country a year ago. As we passed the fellow to board the train, Kelly mumbles, "Hi cutie. You're really hot. Too bad you can't speak English." I made some comment about how we should be speaking Japanese anyways and we both grabbed a seat, giggling but dismissing the encounter.**** Suddenly, the guy was sitting next to us, and introduced himself. In English. He was Canadian! Oops. (good work Kelly and Brenda). Needless to say, it was embarrassing, but we made a new friend, who has already text messaged us about getting together. I think we might try to go out next week (prior to the Hiroshima trip), but things are really busy and there are more goodbyes, so we'll see.

What a night!

*I may have been a little too seclusive, actually. I got a call from Nozaki Sensei later in the evening, asking if I had filled out the forms for taking vacation time (she assumed I hadn't been at school since she didn't see me all day). I also tried to find Mori Sensei a few times in the morning, but I wasn't able to and missed the chance to say goodbye to her (and Hayashi Sensei) before the school trip to Australia next week. I guess I'll just see her in August. Wow time is flying.

**I found a few things about the sports club particularly funny:

1. First, while we were doing the Aerobic Kickboxing segment of our class, it was interesting to learn that they use the English terms for many of the moves, as if it has become Japanese. I was part of an aerobic kickboxing club during my freshman year at St. Olaf, so the terms (jab, punch, hook, etc) were familiar.

2. Later, while I was on a bike in the fitness center, it was also funny to me that the "terrain choices" (basically level/course options for the bike) were all for actual geographical locations; all in Japan. I chose to ride the hills in Hokkaido, the northernmost island, passing cows and crabs as I cycled down the coast (t he scenery appearing on the screen in front of me).

3. In the lap pool, the staff didn't ask us to shower before getting in, but did insist that we used the gym's swimming caps and goggles (ended up doing laps just because I looked the part);

4. And when I went to shower afterwards, I discovered the gym did not actually have showers, but rather the typical "spa" situation found in most public facilities here (basically like Japanese public bathhouses). I decided not to go into the large bathtubs (to soak), but rather found a stool, where I could merely do the pre-cleansing routine (common practice before bathing), pouring buckets of water over my head to remove the sweat. It wasn't, in concept, far off from the communal showers at the YMCA or other gyms in America (where everyone showers in the same area), except the room was much larger, you sat on stools to cleanse yourself, and it was essentially the same as a hot spring (with baths instead of showers!).

***We had only been in Japan for about two weeks at the time, and I was chatting with Chris, my drink sitting on the bar nearby, when we unmistakenly saw this guy put powder in my drink (the only thing in that section of the bar - it was still early and the place farely empty). I confronted the man, shoving his shoulder and Chris got the bouncer. The man looked scared and started apologizing, admitting to our suspicions about his intentions, but he slipped away before the manager made it over to talk to us.

****It's really common for foreigners here (mostly native-English speakers) to get in the habit of not censoring their speach in public, assuming nobody can understand them. I try to avoid doing it, but it does happen a lot with people I know. Unfortunately (esp for me as an English teacher and considering how many years people study English for here...), it is true that English really can sometimes be used as a code language in public. You can tell by the lack of reaction to the content of conversations that the majority of people on trains, for example, don't understand. It's a tempting tool to use, even though I think it can be rude.