That's What Wives Are For...

My friend just sent me an amusing article about gender roles and the un-PC ads of the past. Wow...goes to show how much things have changed!

Check out these sample ads:

Not even Japan is this bad. Take a gander if you have time: http://jezebel.com/gossip/oldies-%28but-not-so%29-goodies/vintage-ads-women-cant-drive-and-other-misogynistic-messages-327363.php

(Special thanks to Kristine for the articles♥)

Studying to Fail the JLPT (only kidding!!...)

So I went to Japanese class last night and did some Level 3 JLPT practice tests. I am really slow at the reading section and don’t know all of the vocabulary, but I got all the questions right (after working with my teacher on the words I didn’t know). I am not sure I can pass this thing, but the test has become so standardized (or maybe it is in Japanese fashion) that you could probably pass it if you devoted a long time to it and started really early. Actually, I know people who are studying now for next year’s test now.
I still want to learn as much Japanese as I can, find it very interesting and I am studying the practice books, but I have to admit that I don’t get the same stimulation from this language that I have from other languages. I love Japan, but maybe Japanese is just not my “thing.” I know a lot of people who go gaga about all-things-Japanese (including the language). I can relate, but not to the full extent with Japanese. I know I will leave here having learnt a LOT and really have gained a different worldview compared to where I was before I came (gaining more perspective on the everyday lifestyles of people in different areas of the world, not just my own culture and Scandinavia). I am happy with that. Just wondering if I should have signed up for Level 4.

Oh well. Just gonna take the higher Level and see what happens. Just don’t be surprised if you never see my score posted, tho ;)

By the way, testing period has begun. I finally broke rank with the Japan Inc. dress code and brought a winter coat to wear in school today. I almost froze my arse off doing interview tests in the hallway yesterday. It's colder inside than outside, dude... might bring mittons tomorrow.

Getting Stuck

Why does weird stuff always happen to me? Seriously. Here is a good story about a little situation I got into last night.... Beware the perils of a stray towel!

It all started when I decided to take a quick bath before bedtime after talking to a friend on the phone for a while. Normal enough routine, especially as it’s a Japanese custom to take baths at night.

Now, if you have ever seen pics of my lovely, little abode, my “bathroom” really consists of two little stalls attached to the main entryway/kitchen. The bath (a Japanese お風呂/ little cube-shaped tub) is in one stall and the toilet is in the other. Fro the outside, it strongly resembles a ship’s deck, with rounded, metal frame doors and a fake-wood material on the outside. The two rooms do have a dividing wall, but share a window (facing Ito Yokado and the main street) so there is a thin opening between them near the wall.

As I was finishing my conversaton, I went into the shower room/area to stir the water and check the bath temperature. Then I set my cordless on the windowsill and hopped then.

I live alone and the bath/shower area is pretty small, so I will often just leave the door to the kitchen open while I am in the bathtub. The kitchen can get freezing cold in the winter, however, so I sometimes have to shut the door or it gets too cold. Therefore, when I started feeling the cold draft from the kitchen from the tub (despite the warm water), I flung the door shut and just stayed in the room until I was finished with my bath.

OK, let me preface the next part by admitting that I do have a reputation for taking long baths (was a problem in my last house when all three girls had an affinity in this dept), but it was getting really late and I needed to get to bed, so I cut mine short. It was late at this point, but not too bad yet. I had left my towel lying in front of the door and went to open the door to grab it, but when I went to pull the handle, it didn't move. I simply couldn’t get the door open.

I pulled harder, but the door didn’t move. The toilet-room door has a similar handle with a little lock, so I fumbled around for a bit, trying to see if there was any way a lock could have gotten stuck, but it didn’t lock. The door itself was simply just s-t-u-c-k (or, rather, my towel had gotten stuck in the door).

I tried kicking the door and prying it open for while before the naked (no pun intended) reality of the situation started to sink in. I thought about yelling for someone, but it was now past midnight so most people were asleep. I looked around the room for tools I could use to pry the door open and found a little stick-shaped thing. I wrapped it in a washcloth and tried to push the towel out from under the door, but no use. The frame was metal and was too hard to pull. My fingernails hurt from trying.

It was late. I did ironically still have the cordless phone, but I didn’t know anyone’s numbers off-hand. I started to seriously consider my options. I could wait until morning and yell down to someone on the street (yup, and become the naked foreigner on the 4th floor) or try to catch Miwa, my neighbor, when she left her apartment for school, but that meant either staying awake all night or hoping I got up in time to catch her. I contemplated calling the police, too, but again, wasn’t sure I should use the emergency line and was a bit embarrassed about the prospect of squad cars coming to rescue me in the middle of the night. Then I got an idea...

I called up a friend in Minnesota (numbers I actually do have memorized) and had them email Kelly’s phone. We use email instead of text messaging on our cell phones here, and Kelly is a light sleeper so the message woke her up immediately. I told my friend to tell her it was an emergency, so I promptly received a worried call on my house line. Bingo! I had made contact.

Kelly lives a town away and Miwa is the only person with a spare key to the front door, so I talked to Kelly and kkept trying to get the door open while she tried to ring Miwa. She probably tried three or four times without getting an answer, so we called Tu, another friend who lives in the same complex. Luckily, he was still up and swiftly came over.

When Tu arrived, I could hear and talk to him through the bathroom and front door (basically next to each other), but he couldn’t even get in to try to help without a key. He rang Miwa’s doorbell over and over until she finally woke up and they used the spare key to get in. With annoyingly simple ease, they were able to push the shower-room door open. And I was FREE.

Whew. It turns out that it really was the stupid towel jamming the door. Anyways, I promptly made myself decent and we talked for a little while realizing we all had to get up in a number of hours and said our goodnights. Yay for the Jutaku (residence) rescue line, but what a seriously ridiculous situation...that was close.

In hindsight, I guess the moral of the story is to make sure the door area is clear before you slam it shut. It’s just ironic because I am one of the luckiest AND unluckiest people I know. I think the reason why I love television shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld and Arrested Development so much is because I can relate! It's close to home.

Shopping Adventures in J-Land

Japan is famous for many things, including sumo, karate and samurai, but one thing you may or may not be familiar with (depending on if you have been here or know someone who has) is the concept of 100 Yen Shops. We do have Dollar Stores in America, yes, but they don't even compare to these "housewives' wonderlands." You can seriously buy ANYTHING at these places and I know many-an-expat that has gotten pretty far in furnishing their apartments through these places. I mean, at 100 Yen (about 95 cents) a pop, how can you go wrong? I personally get a lot of small necessities at these stores (especially great for class materials), but I sometimes just wander around them to take in all the eye candy and check out the wacky stuff you can't find in America. And, lucky me, one of the biggest and best chains, DAISO, just happens to have a branch in Takasago, near my school.

So today was one of those days when I stopped at the grocery store to grab a quick dinner before catching my train home and decided to pop into DAISO to grab something for my mom. I wandered around for a little while... and then this caught my eye:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is a drag queen mask. I know these weren't around for Halloween a few weeks ago, but they now have a full display full of different clear masks with 'facial accessories' painted on them. If you zoom in on the packaging... it really does read, "You can be a Drag Queen!"

This was my other favorite:


Random. Thought about getting a couple to bring to my friends doing November (see previous post about Movember, the mustache-growing fundraiser), but this is basically what keeps me entertained. Notice they got the vocab wrong (there's one word for 'stash and beard here and they used the latter), but not bad.

After playing around for a little while, I decided I really did need to get home, so I hopped a train back to my little village of Nishi Futami on the outskirts of Akashi. As usual, I cut through the beast of a "supermarket" (really a small mall and also my next door neighbor) and noticed a few funky things along my path....

First of all, this next shop is one of my favorite stores in Japan. It's sort of like Urban Outfitters style-wise, but doesn't carry aparrel or books. It's called FRANC FRANC:

Pretty stylish. You think they've got it down, right?

So I am still lazily trying to get to the other door and back to my apartment, but decide to make a detour through the bath and candles sections to see if there is anything I could get my secret santa.... and I found this:
Read it again. UREA. Yes, the stuff Urine is made of. I actually smelled the tester to see what it was like, and the bath salts seriously reeked of bathroom cleaner (maybe that is where the "deep forest" part comes in??). I don' t know. I just thought I would share since finding the UREA bath salts at this place was pretty much like finding it at the Gap.

Moving on...

I made my way past the makeup departments and as I was about to pass the grocery story (see, Ito Yokado is like a little mall....), I noticed all the holiday displays and gift boxes were out, so i walked over to take a peek. And what did I see?

CHRISTMAS CAKE IS BACK!

For only $45 or so, you can buy your sweetheart the cutest little romantic cake ever! Ugh. My students still don't believe that we don't celebrate Christmas with Christmas Cake in the US. I am glad we don't, but I'm probably biased because I'm almost over 25, and well.... yeah.

I only spent a few minutes on the cakes and then decided to go over and peek at the boxes. I have, however, noticed that my reaction to the cake is tamer than last year... so maybe it shouldn't be that surprising that I have also become softer and less sticker-shocked to see that people are still readily willing to pay $5 or more per apple or pear (heck, maybe even a banana) because it comes in a pretty box. Some of these boxes of pears were like $80.

And if you want to talk about fruit being pricey... check out the beer selection for gifts:

Doesn't $45 seem like a lot for a case of local beer (and this is the cheap stuff you can get at the konbini for $1.20 a can)?! Heck, I would rather just buy 24 cans (or better yet, bottles) put them in a box or basket myself, throw a bow on it and call it Christmas. It was the marketing same story with both Asahi and Kirin, the two major brewing companies, so I seriously bet this is the benchmark price on these sorts of gifts this year. You could get a better deal with foreign lagers doing it yourself... oh, Japan. Why are presents and packaging so important?!

Before I make too big of a fuss about this stuff, though, I should mention Ito Yokado did carry 'normal' gift boxes too:

I just hope I never get one of these as a gift for Christmas. I don't appreciate it enough to not think it silly to spend 200% or more of the actual cost of this stuff for a box. But anyways, on that note, I am going to conclude our little shopping adventure for the day. I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into the Japanese retail world and Happy Holidays ya'll... goes to show the season is officially upon us!


PS - Happy "Cyber Monday" otherwise known as the busiest (online) shopping day of the year! In contrast to "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving), it seems the pop culture powers that be have recently identified this phenomenon and decided to brand it with a name. The cyber holiday might be a Monday... but at least you can do all your shopping in your PJs!

Hieizan

I spent last Friday (a holiday in Japan) hiking Mount Hiei near Kyoto. I met a group of about 10 other foreigners in 居橋 (Osaka area) around 10am and we started our long trip to the holy mountain. It was great!

The mountain, called 比叡山 or Hieizan in Japan, is famous for the temple of Enryaku-ji. There is a rather large temple complex at the top (reminded me a lot of Koyasan), but the whole mountain is actually considered part of the temple. This was the first Japanese outpost of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, founded in 788, and the temple complex was built in 1571. They chose this site as part of a military strategy because it was the highest point in the Kyoto area (it lies on the boundary of Kyoto and Shiga... I think the Shiga peaks are higher). The warrior monks of the time would carry building materials to the top wearing full armor. Even today, they hold a marathon on the mountain to celebrate the practice of running and excercising as part of the process of training to be a monk. The temple also remains the Tendai headquarters today.

Here you can see the mt. peak in the distance and changing leaves, a glimpse of Kyoto over the tree tops toward the beginning of the hike, and a little bit of what I saw for the first hour or so...








At the first resting point, we met a group of old women, stopping to have lunch. Here is one of our new friends pointing out the famous Arashiyama to us (you can also see the cable car lines going up). We also ran into some pretty serious mountain bikers... looked like fun! We didn't stop too many times (it was too cold once the sweat set in), but here is a sign that we encountered along the way ("Warning, do not stray off the path or we will rain down fire upon you".... umm, or something like that...).









The first part of the hike only takes about an hour, and we stopped at the cable car station to have lunch (bought beforehand), including my head-sized apple. A little further up from the station, the trees open up and the views become spectacular. You can see all of Lake Biwa (the largest lake in Japan) and snow-capped mountains in Shiga from the top. Before reaching the main temple complex, we also passed many small shrines and cemetaries (?) along the way...

Here is a view of the first temple we saw (there are a lot of buildings as part of the complex, including a watch-tower with great views of Biwa and newly-built hotels, staffed by monks). You will often see statues, especially of foxes, at temples and shrines, but I thought there was something charming about this ox. It was a bit different (you can't tell here, but it is actually to scale). Finally, this is us on the cable car on the way down. It was a pricey ride (about ￥840 each way), but we had to get back to the station somehow and it was impossible to hike all the way back down when the sun sets at 5pm.

Doors in Japan

Man, it is cold. If you need proof, just come visit me sometime... saying "it's cold, isn't it?!" is a more common greeeting than "hello!"these days. It may be only 57 degrees (F) outside right now (pretty high for a girl from the midwest), but it feels a lot colder when you don't have heat inside! Between no insulation, not having heat outside the staff room (and the kerosine heaters only get installed and turned on after December 3rd... no matter how cold it gets!) and the fact that it gets dark at an ungodly hour (well, ok...around 5:30, but they turn off al the lights in the school when the kids leave, so it's really creepy walking down black hallways if you are still around), I don't think I could ever completely adjust to this work setting to a point where I find it normal. Although I do have to admit the brisk air keeps me a little more awake.

Off the topic of freezing fingers, though... I just wanted to share a little tidbit that I learned in class today and thought was kind of interesting. First of all, without looking over at the door, can you tell me which way it opens? Inward, outwards, or sliding (for all of you in Japan)?

I hadn't thought about it much before, but I recently realized that all of the doors in Japan open outward, while the doors in Western countries open inward. The reason is that when Western-style doors were introduced in Japan (old Japanese houses have sliding front doors), they could not have the doors open inward because of the old Japanese custom of taking off your shoes when you enter a building. In Western countries, we open the door outward so you don't have to move out of the way, but this was simply not practical for the Japanese lifestyle. This... inward-opening doors were introduced.
It's not a big deal, but kind of interesting to see how the culture affects everyday life when you wouldn't think about it. Hmm... wonder if the insulation thing is responsible for the heated toilet seats?

JLPT Update, 電子辞書s & Speech Contest Results

Well, Japanese class kicked my butt last night. I worked with a new teacher, Yuki, on practice tests while Fujita Sensei helped Tam and the new Korean guy on the other side of the room. Yuki is about my age and I really like her teaching style. She knows a lot of English, too, which can be helpful, but we try to only use Japanese. I think we really click and she might start tutoring my outside of class (which I need).
Anyways, I took a Level 4 test and got 100%, which is a good sign... except that I am taking level 3 this weekend. I did part of a Level 3 test and I am still waaay too slow (especially at reading) and there was a lot of vocabulary (including kanji) I didn't know. It shows that I am taking the right level if I can ace the Level 4 stuff (reading, listening and kanji are fine on that one), but not quite up to the standard I need to be at for Level 3. I am going to spend more time studying this week... we'll see how it goes. At least I made the decision not to bail.

On a more random note, I also realized last night that most electronic dictionaries are pretty cool. They will translate kanji readings for you (so you can skip around from character to character and they will tell you how to pronounce them). Sounds pretty simple, but mine doesn't do it. Wow would life would be easier if I could do that, and I now know a bit better what people mean when they say they just follow the kanji reading for a while to pick up new sentences. Shoot... My dictionary is definately still handy, but I wish I had been a little more informed before I dropped the cash for it.
Since I got the message a bit late... let me pass this tip on to you in the event I can catch anyone before buying a 電子辞書 without the best functions: in the least, make sure your new dictionary has the Super Jump function before you buy!

Another little update (on the subject of langauges)... last weekend was the Hyogo Prefecture Speech Contest. Kelly's student came in 5th, but I didn't know who was working at any of the other schools that placed. The kids were apparently practically native speakers, though, and my coworker said my student gave the best performance of any so far... so I was happy. I think we are going to try again next year, which is exciting. I want to get more students involved! Hmmm... I don't think my current ESS members would love the idea of having to do speech contests... but it might not be a bad idea to try it out with them at least once.

Back with a Blast - the Weekend Review

I know I’ve been missing for a bit, but things have been good.

Last week was another three-day weekend (holiday on Friday). I decided to stay in town to study for the upcoming Japanese test, even though I have pretty much given up any serious application to passing that thing... but yeah. That and applications for next year are the two big things on my plate right now.

Update on Apps and My Silly Mistake (otherwise known as
signing up for the JLPT)
Speaking of apps.... wow is time flying. Things are going well and I have two submissions out, but I just went back and re-read my first essay. Hated it. Millions of changes (from me, not the proof-readers), but the essay is at least now far better for whoever reads it at the schools I apply to here on out. I just hope the first one wasn’t too low-grade (quality-wise) to get me into where I want to go. Whatever I “lost” earlier that prohibited me from doing my best on those suckers is back, but it is hopefully not too late. I just contacted a professor at Boston College that I really want to work for (I read one recently published article by this guy and he sounds amazing.... In addition to the academic prowess, he just released a CD of Bob Dylan covers... is that a sign or what?). Waiting to hear back from him, but excited about future prospects.
The studying for the JLPT is in the gutter. I might be able to pass the test, but I am not going to blow it out of the water, which kind of bothers me. I should have studied more... but now that I haven't... I am just kind wafting. I was considering skipping town next week to use this free bus ticket I have to go to Toks (Tokyo), thereby missing the test and any hoopla surrounding it... but I have come to my senses and am just going to sit it and do the best I can.
If anything, I can use it as a benchmark... and hey, maybe it will be better than I thought. The listening is OK (probably because I listen to Japanese all day at work, but don’t practice it much), but my writing (and kanji) are awful. I went for a walk with a friend this weekend and he was reading the signs in the park. Yeah, I knew some of the kanji, but the friend knew all of them. Shows what happens when you study more... think I am going to get on that when the apps are completely in and the test is over... better late then never. I also think I found a one-on-one tutor, which will help.

On the subject of why Japanese is important, though... I am not sure if I should admit to this, but I am sort of toying with the idea of staying here longer. Not sure if that is a dangerous direction to go in... but yeah. Hmm.

Birthday Bash in Osaka, Kyoto Hike and Temple Books... Hoorah
So besides lamenting over how much better my Japanese could be (which you can always do... but at least I don't lose any sleep over) I did do some cool stuff over the long weekend to take advantage of the extra day off.
On Thursday night, I stayed late at school to help Okubo practice for the upcoming speech contest (he did really well, but no cigar...) and then accompanied Kelly to a "house party" in 大国所, Osaka. Remember that house parties, cocktail parties, etc. are sort of a rarity in Japan with such limited space... so I was stoked (even though I was wiped). Kel and I have a pretty great group of friends, both expat and Japanese, that live in Osaka but we definately don't see them enough. They are mostly people we met through Jane, who met them through a friend named Evan, who went to uni with them in Osaka, so it's a pretty big group and a lot of fun. We had only just met the guy hosting the party at Rumiko’s birthday a few weeks ago, but he had an awesome apartment and was really fun. The crowd was mostly foreigners or very internationally-minded Japanese folks, many of which worked at the different going-out spots I have frequented. I talked to a Canadian girl for a while and then to a German boy about German music (unfortunately for him practicing my awful German skills... ich habe alles vergessen!). Anyways, the convos made for some stories; those peeps are definitely living a different lifestyle than us out here in the 'burbs... but I wouldn't mind spending even more time in their 'hood. More of an artsy, music crowd; reminded me of our old house parties at the Hvite Slottet in Minneapolis. It was just a little more packed than it would be at home for the reason listed above.
On Friday, I also took advantage of some of the time off by heading to Kyoto with about ten other people to hike Mt. Hiei (or Hieizan), one of the holy mountains in the this area. The weather was perfect, it was a good hike and there was a large temple at the top (the whole mountain is considered a temple, actually, known as Hieizan Enryakuji, and was used as a military point during the Hiei Period). I’ll put more info in a separate post (with pics). I will, however, tell you about something I discovered (somehow incredibly late in the game) the concept of temple books while I was at the top of the mountain and got my very first stamp. A temple book is sort of like an autograph book, but with stamps from the monks at all the temples you go to. Man, had I only known about these earlier... oh well, I guess it’s good that I got one now. It will make a good conversation piece when I have to “explain Japan” to people at home someday. Oh, and the all-you-can-eat Indian restaraunt discovery afterwards was possibly the best way ever to cap it off.
Saturday was pretty low key; just went for a nice walk in Amagasaki to see the leaves (and discovered a rose garden like the one near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis!!) and then met the girls and Shag in Kobe at night. Went running on Sunday (back to training after a long lapse while I was sick) and to an amazing chicken and ribs party at Shags house in Motomachi. It can be tough at times to live in another country, but I really am grateful for all the great things and people in this country. And omg the food was good this weekend!

Anyways, I got I should get going. It’s Monday and I have a lot to do (tests to write, apps to send, Japanese to study... that sort of thing). Hope you are doing well, and more soon! xo, bren

ps – I have internet at home again now (yes, three-and-a-half weeks later!). It turned out to be my computer, not the modem, that was the issue. Thankfully, AppleCare fixed it fast enough once I had identified the prob. I still stand by my MacBook, but I have the worst luck sometimes. I have definately been through a lot of issues with that thing. At least AppleCare rocks (and they will pick up and drop off your computer, free of charge, anywhere in Japan so it’s easy to fix). Aurgh... oh well. Yay for internet!

The Spitting Story

This past week I had dinner with another expat in the town I work in. She is the middle school teacher who replaced my friend Adrienne. We had a nice dinner at the little okonomiyaki place by the station, but she told me a story that completely shocks me. Have to share....

So Adrienne was pretty good at Japanese and had lived in Japan before. She is a pretty tall girl (especially here) with white-blonde hair. She’s not exactly the quiet type, either, which was probably a positive trait for the schools she had to work at and helped her deal with some of the students. I have heard a lot of stories from those schools and it can be a rough environment (the downside of zoning). Moreover, a lot of the kids don’t go onto high school (not compulsory in Japan) and because they know they are not going to use English later, they don’t care much about it, or English class at all for that matter. Given those factors, it might make sense that when Adrienne was replaced by Ann, a tiny, Chinese-American girl from New York who doesn’t speak much Japanese (but can read a lot of the kanji meanings from her Chinese abilities) there were some adjustments, if not just for the fact that they each carry such a different presence. Apparently not all of the adjustments were all that smooth, either... based on this story Ann just told me at dinner.

So we met outside the restaurant and cute, little Ann was looking a little haggard when I saw her. I asked her how she was and she said it was a bad week. Um, ok... expand?

It seems that earlier in that same day, she was just walking down the hall when a student passing her spit in her face. There was nobody else around, but this kid actually (and purposefully) SPIT in her face! She was intitally just shocked, but understandably furious (in all her New York City-upbringing glory), but the kicker is that the kid didn’t even get in trouble!?! He was forced to bow once or twice in a forced, apologetic manner, but Ann said the little brat's homeroom teacher bowed lower and more times than the kid did. The boy is still at school, too.

The kid that spit in Ann's face is a third grader, so he's at the end of his tenure (year ends in March), and the rest of the teachers know he’s not going to go to high school, so they basically just let him get away with it. I find that ridiculous. I am sure that kid would have been suspended in America and it really teaches him nothing to let him treat other people in that way. Furthermore, Ann is a staff member and it is beyond me that they would not deem this an important issues of authority and respect, especially in Japan. I am pretty certain that the behaviour stemmed from the fact that Ann is Chinese, too, so let's not even get into the racial issues here (there's a lot of prejiduce between China and Japan which is a long way from complete resolution).

Ann is switching to another school soon (she does half-year rotations), so I think the thing that sent her over the edge for the day was that her school also informed her (on the same day, mind you) that she would need to start writing her "thank you speech" to the student body to be given at an assembly before switching schools next month. Ann is coming back to the same school next year, so she has to do it and pretend to mean it... but can you imagine? What a day for them to ask for her gratitude.

I often talk about cultural differences and the pros and cons (or surprises) of not being able to blend-in in this country, but I guess it really is a diferent experience for the foreigners of Asian descent who come to work here. Growing up in the midwest, we didn't have much Asian influence and I don't think people always realize how many different and very distinct cultures there are in Asia. There is a long history of conflict between some of those cultures, including China and Japan, that still leaves a nasty residue on present-day foreign relations. I was abolutely horrified by the school's response (or lack-thereof) to the spitting incident and a little shocked by the story itself... but it's a good example of how racial conflicts (or misunderstandings of cultures and where the history comes from among the common population) can have a very negative affect that taints views for generations.

The Weekend Review - Thanksgiving

The weekend was good. Was still sick at the end of the week (same stupid cough, but starting to hit me during classes), so I went back to the doc on Friday. He tried to give me 4 days of medicine, but I argued my way to a 10-day supply and am actually feeling better (and should kick it soon).

We also had our big American Thanksgiving celebration (a few days early), officially organized and hosted by Tam. The table was also furnished with amazing and delectible dishes from the 30-something other folks that came, BYOB. We were originally going to do a din at Tam and Clayton's place, but the size of our group has grown considerably in the last year (there were maybe 10 at last year's dinner) and we didn't have an oven to cook the turkey (22lbs of gobblicious goodness!), so we ended up renting out the kitchen at the Nambu community center. I think this is the first Thanksgiving I have celebrated outside of the states where we were actually able to get our hands on real turkey (not chicken)... and a full bird at that.

I actually stayed in on Friday, baking of all things. My neighbor, Miwa, who...gasp!... owns an oven (a truly and strangely rare thing in this country...but sure to be taken advantage of again!) helped. We made a pumpkin pie from scratch (happy I brought over the American measuring cups for the recipe), muffins (got an awesome new silicone tin at IY), jello (although the Minnesota-shaped Jigglers melted into a mushy blob before I got them to the meal) and some other small things. The pie was delicious and it was fun to spend some quality time at the 住宅。

Not much else going on. Got a haircut on Saturday. Not a big change...slowly working out the Posh Spice cut. Went for a nice walk on Sunday. Not doing very well with finishing the apps and studying Japanese (no internet at home is taking a toll in the submission process and Japanese is interesting, but don't have the zest for studying kanji that I have had with other languages in the past... still have to push myself for drive), but it's going. Still no running, either (lungs can't handle it), but hopefully soon... I feel like my body is begging for it (and so is my mind... it is seriously great meditation).

Anyways, I'm gonna head out, but I hope all of you at home have a very
HAPPY THANKSGIVING this week. I am thankful for all of you:)

I'll leave you with a little collage Tu made from the dinner (and karaoke after)... Cheers!

On the topic of fashion...

My friend Lena recently decided that she was going to take advantage of the fashion freedom in this country and rock out the Japanese style for a while. Her outfits have been cute, but it's also kind of funny because she is Korean-American (similar ethnic heritage as Japanese) and plays this little game where she tries to blend into a crowd (with her outfits) and see if we spot her. I am sure I could still find her, but our friend Jim was baffled by the change... so funny.

Anyways, I decided to take a cue from Lena and start playing around with my wardrobe a little more this week. I wore bright blue tights with a short black skirt, black boots, cropped black jacket and matching blue headband to Sannomiya last night. It felt strange wearing the outfit at first, but I soon realized I, too, fit right in (well, relatively speaking... the clothes, anyways). I don't spend a ton of time getting ready in the morning, but when I picked out my outfit this today, I decided to veer in the same direction and chose to wear something pretty Japanesey.

Didn't think much of it on the way to school, but it's only third period right now and so far I've two teachers tell me that I look really good (one yelling across about 20 desks... not embarassing at all...) and I walked into class to a group of girls huddling around, whispering and looking at me. When class started they had the Japanese teacher tell me I looked really good and a lot cuter than usual today. Oh Japan.

I swear I don't look any different other than the fact that I put my outfit together n a more J-esque style for once (straight out of my mostly Gap-esque closet). Another friend got up late earlier in the week so she threw her hair in pigtails (very Japanese style)... was the most popular girl in school for the day. Proof that kawaii reigns supreme in this country and that it's the little things that make the biggest difference. I am sort of finding this hilarious...

My Best Friend's Wedding

I am getting really excited for Kristin's wedding next summer, even though I still haven't quite worked out how I'm going to get back for it or what's going to happen afterwards (ie where in the world I'm going to be living).

My friend Heather (from Japan) is also getting married in August and the rest of the girls are going to the wedding in Hawaii. I'm not sure if I can make it yet (sort of depends on those "plans"), but Heather is getting married on Waikiki Beach, and we talked about how awesome it would be if one of us officiated the wedding (getting certified online). The girls decided that I would be the best for the job, but not sure the Catholic church would be so down with me getting ordained in another religion. Hmmm...

Anyways, we've been looking at a LOT of bridesmaids dresses for Kristin's wedding (online) and I think we're getting close... I've been sworn to secrecy about everything else (but her dress is georgous and the loc will be fun).

Here are some of our options. What do you think? :

http://www.dessy.com/index.cfm?go=dresses&style=2514 (prob this sort of style...)

http://www.dessy.com/index.cfm?go=dresses&style=2509BL (love it...a bit different)

http://www.dessy.com/index.cfm?go=dresses&style=2054 (ooh...flowy skirt!)

Giving Birth In Japan

I went to Sannomiya to meet up with the girls for a girl's night and to celebrate Heather's birthday (she turned 26 last Sunday; glad to have someone else in the same club...). We were going to go to the new Mexican place in the Mint Building, but instead ended up sitting and talking over a good meal and glasses of wine at a steak restaraunt.
Somewhere in the middle of dinner, we got on the topic of visiting doctors and I mentioned something that I had heard the day before about Japanese women traditionally giving birth alone (or at least knowing how). According to my Japanese friend, before the war it was common for Japanese women to give birth by themselves. Instead of being in a bed, they would assume a squating position (like the "asian squat") and hold on to ropes hanging from the ceiling to support themselves while they went through labor. Ok, I asked my friend how they would be able to do this for such a long time ('cause you know labor can last hours), but she said the position was easier to hold because the women had stronger muscles from the squatters (toilets). Hmm. Anyways, the woman giving birth would hold a razor in her mouth, and use it to cut the umbilical cord once the baby had been born... and that was it. They apparently used to do it all the time.
I was pretty shocked to hear this story, but I think there might actually be some truth to it (at least as part of old customs from all around Asia). I haven't read the book (だめ with reading as of late...), but the girls told me they describe the same situation in The Good Earth.

I wanted to find out more about the birth process here, but I wasn't able to find much about giving birth alone and the ropes. I did, however, find the following article about modern procedures in Japan and thought I would share. It has a negative vibe, but I think a lot what the author found disturbing in her experience (with having children in Japan) is pretty typical of all medical experiences in this country. The author might have done more research to help lesson the culture shock, but I would argue it's definately cultural, especially the part about doctors talking over your head and can be a little shocking to westerners at first. I also won't get onto the topic of "women doctors" on here (to spare the few guys that might peek at this thing), but the part about the curtain from the waist down (so they can't see your face) and not having a private room... also true.

Anyways, here's the article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20021020a2.html. I think I'm also going to check out The Good Earth one of these days...

Staff Meeting

Wow, interesting staff meeting today. We only have them once a month, but I guess there was a lot to talk about.

First of all, it was formally announced that they are cutting almost a third of the ALTs (government-sponsored foreign teachers of English) in my prefecture. We knew the numbers were going down, but they finally confirmed the rumors and added an exact number to boot. A few heads whipped over to look at me when our principal read the article, but I wasn’t really surprised to hear the news (just the volume of the cuts). Either way, I’m safe. I think it’s the people who get moved to different schools or have multiple ALTs (um, or are not leaving in the next year) that will be mostly affected... and probably only then when they go to re-contract.

The grading scandal at Kelly’s school also came up and there was some substantial discussion afterwards. The school has one of the best tennis programs in the country, so I guess a lot of people have been worried about what will happen to the tennis program now that the tennis coach (well, and the students involved... tennis players) are being reprimanded. The school has one of the strongest international (or English) programs in the prefecture, but I know it doesn’t get as much money as it should. Maybe they will re-channel funds? I probably shouldn’t be discussing all of the details, but I will say that the principal said this was the first time we’ve had this sort of scandal in the prefecture (the coach changed his players’ scores on university entrance exams) and everyone seemed sincerely shocked.

The last thing I want to mention is Open High School (probably because it was the last thing I was paying full attention to... a lot doesn’t affect me and goes over my head with the Japanese at our big staff meetings so I have started to bring other things to do and only perk up when something pertinent comes up). We got an overview of the Student Questionnaire responses and saw who actually came (from what school)... English came out well on the report cards. I didn’t mention it last week, but I taught a class both days, right? Our first day went well and the second day of “model” classes... oh man, the second day. Not so good. Let’s just say the game we planned bombed and we had to play Simon Says with 27 junior high kids we didn't know for the last 15 minutes. I was pretty sick and very low on energy at the time (actually came in late because I was vomiting in the morning), so I gave them pretty much 150% of what I had, and then got into a fight with my fellow teacher afterwards who was mad about the game. I was upset about the lesson, too, but when we got the student reviews, back... surprise, suprise, we had full points from every student but one. Anyways, the teacher was pretty stern/harsh when we talked after the class (attacking me personally when I was controlling all these kids on zero gas) and we didn’t talk for two days afterwards. She left me a note after going through the student reviews and realizing they were good (saying “all’s well that ends well”), but I wasn't really happy with it until I got a verbal apology this week. I was particularly mad about the fight because I shouldn’t have been at work in the first place, but had only come into work because of Open High School (and my 4 classes in the morning)... but it was good to see positive information (and a good representation of the English department) on paper during today’s meeting. Talk about i-n-t-e-n-s-e. Not the norm, but the teacher and I had a little talk and I hope this is not going to happen again. I swear, it's either no confrontation or head on in this country.

Despite the drama (and notices at the staff meeting), still love my school and it’s strange to hear about things going on at other schools. Kelly's school is one issue in itself, but the school that had the problems with bricks last week opened to TWELVE more broken windows today, for example. The only big changes at my school recently have been new flowers in the garden (which was dually noted by me when the gardener gave me a bouquet of the ones being replaced to take home... so sweet!). There are also little things, like I got another confession from a male student telling me he loved me in journals today (don't take it personally, but it's cute when that happens and I'm definately back in the thick of notebooks... only about 150 to go before the next assignment is due...). Another teacher also told me today that one of my I.S. students raised her hand in a class to answer a question today. She just did it by instinct, but it’s not a tyical Japanese reaction, so it came off as strange in the class (and the girl was embarrased)... but it’s a sign that we are having an effect on these kids (yay!).

Anyways, I have to get out of here and get to the stupid impound lot to pick up my bike before it closes (and then to the doc...grr), but for some reason I am feeling better walking out of here than I did walking in.

Pastor John Bucka

Katherine asked me to pass on the message about her dad to people who she might not be able to reach but know the Bucka family. I know our email addresses have been changing a lot since school and whatnot, and also know that some of you that know Matt or Katherine read this thing... so I thought I should post a note here.

Please keep Mr. Bucka and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they face the battle against cancer. The address to his caring bridge website is below. Kat and the family and are grateful for your prayers and support.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbucka

Katherine also passed on the following passage (John 14:27 ), which I thought was appropriate: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Please continue to pray for a complete recovery. -Bren

ヤッタ！

We called the police and my bike was towed... not stolen. Whew. I'm gonna pick it up at the impound lot after school. I have to pay ￥2,000, which sort of sucks, but it is much better than a new bike.

Taiwanese Students and Figuring Stuff Out.

I was running a little late this morning, so I threw on a suit (quick, easy and looks professional - probably the easiest and fastest when you're in a rush... especially for Japan). Anyways, I just sat down at my desk and suddenly, the smell of cigarette smoke sort of wafted over in my direction. I was looking around to figure out who it was coming from (we have a "secret" smoking room at school and all of the men that sit around me use it)... and then I realized... "omg, it's totally me. I am wearing the suit from Halloween!" I was outside or on a packed train on the way to work this morning and in a rush, so I somehow didn't notice it until I got here, but I totally forgot to get the jacket I am wearing dry cleaned after the Halloween party(Scully's FBI attire) and grabbed it in my half-woken state. You can't smell it unless you're really close - like wearing the jacket- and I have another blazer in my locker here which I am just going to throw on (mostly so I don't gag at the smell and the kids don't ask too many questions)... but yeah, pretty nast. Probably shouldn't post stuff like this on my blog, either, but I found it kind of funny. Just not my week.
Taiwanese Students
Today is already Wednesday. Time is flying... Things have taken a turn for the busy although I still sort of feel like everything is out of whack. I sort of function better going 100 mph (as Megs would put it... I know you feel, girl), so it's probably for the better.
As I mentioned before, we had a group of students visiting from Taiwan on Monday, so the week began with a running start. I didn't have too many responsibilities for the guests this time around, but was busy with classes all day and then went out to dinner with the Taiwanese kids and a few members of our staff on Monday night. It was kind of funny when I first met the kids, actually (although maybe not-so-funny for being an English teacher at this school). Our school had assigned a group of third-years to escort the visiting students around, and I went to watch them play basketball after school, during club activities (ie sports practice).
Well, I barely stuck my head in the gym when the designated "escorts" (my seniors) came charging at me. They were apparently having trouble communicating (the Taiwanese kids spoke English and Chinese, of course, but not Japanese) and wanted me to translate. I have had some of those boys in class and I know they would be fine with English if they tried, but I think it was a shyness factor. I told them to try, but ended up translating for them (sigh...), then got bombarded with picture requests from the guests for the next 10 minutes (it's still really strange when that happens) and showed the kids the kendo and ping-pong clubs before we had to leave for dinner.
The plan was to go to dinner at the Fish Market at Harborland (in Kobe) since the Taiwanese students were staying nearby, so I arranged to meet someone in the city after dinner (since I was going to be there and wanted to go discuss an upcoming charity event with a venue in Sannomiya, anyways). Well, I was pretty surprised when we all boarded the bus... and then pulled up at a yakiniku place near where I live. I realized the plans had been changed and noone had told me! I had totally changed my plans around based on the fact we were going to Kobe (including skipping J-class...), so I was a little annoyed, but in the end, though, dinner was fun. The Taiwanese group ended up letting me hitch a ride to the city on their bus, so I got in pretty easily and had a little more time with the visiting students, too. I swear, though... why does this stuff always happen to me? My life is like Seinfeld.
When It Rains...
So I arrived in Sanno, got the big details for the January event worked out with the bar manager and waited for my friend. I talked to the manager and then made friends with the two other guys at the bar while I was waiting, one from France, teaching French, and the other from Italy, teaching Italian. They had really interesting stories and sort of looked more like gangsters more than teachers, so it kept me occupied.
When my friend showed up, he was pretty upset so we left right away. I was really sort of startled and worried at first, and then he told me his father had had a heart attack the same day (and he had found out about 2 hours earlier). I still can't believe he came out to Sannomiya on the same day he got that news from home, but I am glad he did when he probably needed someone to talk to and just get a hug (since there is a definate lack that in this country... and yes, his dad will be ok, btw... whew).
Makes You Think...
There have actually been a lot of things going on lately that have put family and the fragileness of life into perspective. I got an email from Katherine (who is truly like a sister to me) last week, saying that her dad (who has also been like a father to me) was going in for some tests to explore a suspicious lump. There was a 30% chance it wasn't cancer, but the tests came back with bad news, and I got another email from Kat on Monday asking for prayers and support as her father was facing cancer. That one hit me hard. Another good friend's dad was diagnosed this year, but he was pretty quiet about it and the treatment is going well... but Katherine's parents... that is a little too close to home. I grew up with that family. Anyways, a coworker reminded me that you CAN fight cancer, so I am just praying and staying updated. The Bucka family is in my thoughts, but I also sent my parents a message... it makes you realize how much you have to appreciate and I think I am going to try to start showing that more. If you haven't in a while, hope this inspires you to call up those you love, too.
My bike
Anyways, I left my bike at the express station since I was meeting the kids and returned home yesterday to find bike was gone. Japan is a safe, safe place, but bikes do get stolen a lot here. I got a few dudes from the okonomiyaki place next to the station to help me look and give me information on the impound lot (in case it got towed... there's no official bike park at this particular station), but I had to get home to meet a delivery and didn't make it back to the station in time to talk to them about where the bikes might have been taken. Crossing my fingers it wasn't stolen, but not freaking out yet.... just sort of a long week. Sigh.
Even with these big things happening and a 'bout of bad luck recently, though, I have definately been out of it for the last few weeks. So I am under the general belief that you can truly do whatever you set your mind to. And I think people think I am a little crazy sometimes because I am willing to bet on that fact, but lately... I don't know... it's all about motivation and drive... and mine has just been uncharacteristically lacking. (mostly referring to the Japanese test...). When I got back from America, I was pretty upset about all the expat drama that goes on here, but now... it's like I don't even care about that either. I am not sure how much has to do with stress or being mentally preoccupied by applications and this Japanese test, but I really think it might be from being sick and, thus, not being bale to run (basically my stress-reliever and meditation). Hmm. Maybe it's only being busy? Maybe I'm getting more mature? Maybe I'm just tired? I don't know... but it definately just feels like a funk and I'm ready to be done with it. I think India will be good medicine for this (climbing in Nepal, too), but wish me luck on kickin' whatever this is and getting at least a little quality time in with the textbooks before the test... not a complete slacker here... yet.

Alright, I'm gonna try to get some notebooks and stuff done, but more later. We're doing the second part of a class on immigration with the I.S. kids today so that should be good, too. Mori Sensei brought in a lot of pictures from visiting the immigrant tenements in New York City and stuff.

This is slightly random, but I'll leave you with two quotes from one of our handouts from that class, actually, one from a young immigrant boy coming to America via Ellis Island. I can sort of relate, but also shows how easy we have it (as expats) compared to people who struggled for so many things that I now take for granted (like langauge ability and support in a new country) for their survival. I love that my kids are affected by and love this stuff. Anyways, enjoy:

"I was the one who always went to the gas company to complain about the bill. And I was the one who dealt with the landlords, the real estate agents. i coudl read the contract or the lease and speak English. I became in a sense a sort of junior father of the family." -Immigrant Boy

"Ellis Island -- you got thousands of people marching in, a little bit excited, a little bit scared. Just imagine you're 14 1/2 years old and you're in a strange country and you don't know what's going to happen." - Albert Mardirossian, Armenian immigrant

The Weekend Review: Rumiko's Birthday Party

Good (albight slightly insane) weekend.

So the skating rink closed early and I had to help my kids with a project and then talk to Yahoo BB about my internet issue, so skating never happened on Friday. No worries, though. I ended up checking out a new area of the 'hood instead, the famous (kidding) Mukonoso on Friday night. Nice area, fun time and how can I complain with italian for dinner (hey, I'm easy to please...).
Saturday
Saturday and Sunday, on the other hand, were a bit of a whirlwind (or maybe more of a kamikaze... in the original “divine wind" sense... since I didn’t really see it coming). Started early by meeting my fellow apartment-mates for "group gardening" (yup, bonding over cutting grass by hand) at 8am on Saturday morning. Talked to Tu and Miwa for a littel while before running to meet my ladies for discussion group afterwards, went home for about 10 minutes before Japanese class (conversation only with some test practice...) in the afternoon, and then finally got home again to sleep for a bit before heading back out to Osaka. I had a good time at each thing, but talk about being on the go.
I thought it was kind of funny that two of my ladies brought in the Kobe Shimbun article about Halloween, but neither of them realized that I was the witch in the picture. They wanted to know if it was a wig, too... ha! I told them all about the party and the fire (they didn't ask, probably because they were being polite, but knew about it when I brought it up...). Depending on the next event, it might be fun to invite them to come.
Osaka
Saturday night was my friend Rumiko’s birthday in Osaka (along with four other people celebrating) so Kel and I went in on a gift (cute green bracelet/necklace/earring set purchased on the way) and met the group at the Sony Tower around 8pm. We did the usual nomihodai/tabehodai thing at a cute restaurant in Shinsaibashi and I met-up with some old friends and some great new people. Might actually go to a music festival with one in a few weeks and meet up with another, this girl from Chicago who works with my friend Serene's brother at the Kyoto International School, when I go hiking in Kyoto...random.
Anyways, I realized it’s been too long since I’ve seen that group... or been IN THE CITY... so I'm going to try to get out more once life cools down. Granted, I love where I live and can’t handle not having access to nature and outdoor sports, but it was seriously a breath of fresh air to get out and into an actual city environment again. There's just something about the energy of all the movement and people that I get a high off of...
After dinner, Kelly and I stopped by to visit a friend who was bartending in Shinsaibashi and - surprise, surprise - we changed our plans to go home at the last minute and ended up staying out all night. The night actually turned out to be more low-key than other birthdays I have experienced, and besides losing (and then finding) my wallet on the street (yes, had cash, credit cards, license and my green card inside... let's not talk about how bad that could have been!), it was fun. This time, the big group sort of split up and we went to a little place in Umeda called Oasis. Daisuke recommended it, and I can now defnately see why he hates the clubs we have made him go to in the past. They were playing a lot more mellow electronica, but it was probably somewhere I would have gone in America, too. We danced and hung out for a while, but I started passing out on the couches around 2 or 3am (was with friends so it was OK). After a few cat-naps, we finally left around 4am, grabbed some noodles, and then Kel and I hit up a karaoke joint until our train at 5 (they have private rooms here and you rent by the hour – ideal for napping or killing time before a train).

Sunday Sushi Party

Sunday was a sushi party with some of "my ladies" at one of their houses in Ouzumi (pics to be posted when I get internet at home this week) and lasted from about 11am - 4pm.  

The party was really informal, just three of us making sushi, but these women just rock my socks off.  We started off at the grocery store to pick out what kind of fish we wanted to use, and they kept asking me what type/size/ grade I liked.  I had to tell them it wasn't just for me a few times.  We ended up getting a pre-packaged little sashimi (raw fish) set for one kind of sushi and they showed me some of the stuff you can buy for shortcuts on other kinds (like buying pre-made tofu wraps for my VERY favorite, inarizushi).

Once we got back to the ladies apartments, the first thing we made was the rice.  I think I am remembering this correctly... but you basically add 4 cups of water for 1 cup of rice (warning: Japanese Cups are smaller than American ones... but should be OK if the proportions are the same).  Then mix in a vinegar/sugar combo and stir it all in a big, wooden bowl (you can buy them anywhere here - it should be wood though to absorb the extra moisture from the rice).  You use a special rice spoon to stir the mixture, too; using a "cutting" motion more than stirring. That's pretty much the base of it all (since most sushi has rice) and the basic 

ingredient for teimakizushi (or the kind you make yourself by just rolling the rice in your hand and then adding a topping, wasabi and/or using nori, or seaweed paper).  Pretty easy!

My other favorite dish of the day was the saradezushi (basically "salad sushi") which is cut-up ham and cucumber mixed with sushi rice and layered with thinly-sliced cooked eggs.  The ham is obviously not traditional, but you can use crab instead, and it's supposed to be a good dish for the summer.  I am definitely going to be using that recipe for sure!  Between that, greek salad and smorbroed (from Norway), I would be a happy camper as far as summer cuisine is concerned.

After eating as much sushi as I could handle, we sat down for coffee and dessert (had to take some of it home...) while one of my ladies showed us her calligraphy brushes and work.  She actually teaches calligraphy (painting chinese characters onto rice paper) in a separate room of her house and she explained what some of the different brushes mean, too.  One of the big ones was worth over $500... it was a pretty nice setup.  The best part was seeing her work.  I was really surprised she didn't have any of it displayed in her house (gorgeous scrolls, including one with sutra on it), but she said it "wasn't fashionable."  In Japan, the scrolls are considered more spiritual than artistic (so they don't hang them as art in their homes), but I know no matter how long I live in Asia, I will always see them as sort of exotic and beautiful.  I think i might try to buy a scroll that my lady painted... but we'll see.

A little complication along the way...

So needless to say, the party was a blast.  Despite not really getting rest the night before, I felt fine during the party itself and don't think I looked too worn down for having gone to bed so insanely late.  I must have been more wiped than I realized at first, though, because I got into a little bike accident on the way over... with a pole.  (:-/)

It's happened to other people before (I swear!), but I was basically just biking a little too fast when I went over a curb and the entire contents of my purse went flying onto the pavement. I was sort of startled to see my camera, phone and wallet (yeah, being more careful with it today after dropping it two days in a row...) come flying out of the granny basket and at me, so I looked back to see the damage. I hadn’t hit the breaks yet and turned back around just fast enough to realize I was rapidly heading straight for a post. I swerved out of the way just in time, but my left pedal still didn't quite make it.  I didn't hit the pole too hard (and got my foot out of the way), but the pedal is now bent.  Oh, I got everything in my purse back, too, by the way.

I still made it to the party a bit early, too, and had a good couple hours before going home to nap, but it was a long day.  With only having taken small naps, it almost felt like Saturday and Sunday ran together. 

Monday Morning.

I’m still feeling good today (was up late after napping last night), but we have students visiting from Taiwan right now, so I am going to dinner with them and some coworkers in Kobe tonight. I'm skipping J-class to do so (again...argh) so I've definately got to make up for it sometime this week. In the meantime, I'm off for a dip in the sea of notebooks while I fight to keep this energy going (at least until tonight).... talk to you later!

Morning Assembly

Morning Assembly

We just had an all-school meeting to give announcements and present recent student achievements and awards (from big sports competitions and such). First of all, I have to comment on an observation from this meeting. I know I have mentioned that my school is conservative and pretty strict, yes, but I don’t think I had ever noticed just how tight some of the regulations are. At these all-schol assemblies, students and staff gather in the gym. It's pretty standard for Japan. The students stand single-file in lines organized by grade, then class and then by student number as the staff walks around the inspect the formations and the students' dress.

I know my coworkers check for makeup and eyebrows (they shave them here, but aren't allowed to groom them during high school – even the guys shave, though!). I only just realized, however, that the girls are not allowed to have hair touching their backs. I think it's ok if the hair is tied tightly, but that really is pretty strict if you ask me. I can't even imagine what would have happened if they tried to regulate those rules at my old high school (we had pep fests completely cancelled one year after a giant ice cream fight broke out at one school function). I looked on from my post at the back of the gym this morning as one girl was scolded because her hair was hanging down her back. She was told to put it to one side, over her shoulder and warned about doing it again. Another girl was given a rubber band to tie hers back. Then I noticed all of the students had pretty uniform hair for the event. I know of one other school where the teaches will shave the kids' hair if it is too long at the sides (for boys), but I am starting to wonder where the boundaries lie for my school, too...
Furthermore, in addition to people-watching, I am understanding more of what is being said than I have been able to in the past. This means the principal’s speech (and really the whole ordeal) is gaining some color. There’s still a lot of vocabulary I just don’t know (and I am lost on the analogies given in Kocho Sensei's inspirational talks), but I can catch the gist a lot more now than I could have even a few months before.
So I mentioned that the assembly was called to hand-out awards, but today’s meeting was especially exciting for me because there was really only one award to give... to my speech contest kid!! I adore this student and was so proud when he walked across the stage and the crowd sort of murmured in surprise at the news that our school had won first place at a speech contest and would be going to the prefectural level. This is seriously what makes it all worth it...just got to remember that when we start practicing the speech again soon. I was happy that the English department was getting recognition, though, as well as the student for his hard work.

Himeji

Other than the meeting this morning, today is a pretty normal day; not too busy. I think I'm going iceskating tonight, so I'm looking forward to the end of the day, but I was also out late last night so I'm moving sort of slow (at least for the morning). That being said, it was totally worth it to go out last night. I met my friend Ryan in Himeji for dinner. It had been a while since I was last in town and Ryan and I hadn’t actually gotten together since last spring, so there was a lot of catching up to do. I had a good time and found it kind of refreshing to talk to a friend here, but out of my normal loop.
Ryan showed me this awesome Thai restaraunt (I will take pictures next time - it's georgous and near the station... so I'll be back) and we hit up a bar where our friend was bartending before heading home. I guess we talked about a lot of stuff, but at one point, we got on the topic of, well, living in Japan. We both agreed we definitely could have learned more Japanese by now, but it really is crazy seeing how new and fresh "new expats" to the area seem, even with their excitement. That was us a year ago, yet so many things that seemed so foreign at this time last year seem so... comfortable... now. Ryan also brought up the irony and many contrasts (between east and west?) that you encounter in everyday life here.

It was an interesting conversation. Japan is, in many ways, just like America. I can't deny with have a comfortable life here, but at the same time, there are so many streaks in the mainstream culture that paint a more eastern and traditional vibe... and maybe even things that we would (in America) have trouble understanding. For example, come to Japan and you will undoubtably meet countless girls walking around in $500 outfits and carrying Louis Vuitton wallets and purses, who still go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground (with no toilet paper) and have grass floors and no heat in their houses. Granted, that could be called a naïve perspective to say squaters are primitive – they really are hygenic and there is a lot of tradition (and eastern influence) behind the factors that make Japan different – but to most of us from "the West", it seems a strange paradox. Ryan and I agreed that sometimes Japan is like a very modern society with streaks of third-world standards. That sounds harsh, but c’mon... I went over a year without running hot water in my house! And while it’s easy to complain about those differences (because they will hit you when you live here), they are honestly part of what makes this place so special (and ironically makes me love it).
It might not always seem like it at first glance, but Japan is much different from the other places I have lived (namely, Norway and America), but I am really happy that I came here. It has changed my views in a lot of ways and I am really grateful for the people I have met (literally from all over the world) that I can share in these perspectives with. You could travel and learn about new places forever, yes... but learning should be a lifelong process. I don't know that I'll gain such an intimate contact with other cultures in the future, but I am definately glad for the opportunities with this one.

The Weekend Ahead...

I digress (once again...). I am going to finish up some worksheets and run an errand, but today is a good day. I'm still coughing a little bit, but I'm generally feeling much better and am excited about the weekend. I have to get on the ball with the Japanese studies and getting the rest of my applications out the door (emphasis on the latter!), but it should be a fun couple of days.

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend, as well, and I'll be back with the Weekend Review next week. I've also been uploading a lot of pics, so watch for new albums. Until then... Cheers!