CHANGES at WORK for the new year

Each spring (April 1st), the entire staff changes where they sit. Each grade sits together and teachers usually move grades with their students so they have the same classes for the entire 3 years. I am losing some good friends (and mentors) on staff with the upcoming change and will have a new supervisor (who is awesome!) and Department chair, but there were also some really strange and unexpected changes.

Changes in my Immediate Zone
The first one concerns one of the 1st year English teachers who was held back for another year with the new 1st years. Being a 1st year homeroom teacher is stressful and a lot of work, and all the other gakunen (grade group) homeroom teachers were moved up without her - meaning the students will stay with all the same teachers through high school, except for this teacher. Maybe you have to be in the system here to understand how it was sort of a shocker for some people, but I'm pretty sure it's something the teacher staying behind might not be happy about.

Another 1st year biology teacher also got held back in the same grade, but that one was less unusual as she didn't have a homeroom. The biggest change, however, is probably that they are dropping Oral Communication (a mandatory course that I teach) all together.

This news has apparently been circulating around a very exclusive group of English teachers since last winter, but I just found out about it last week and was pretty surprised - especially since our new classes start in 2 weeks and this means a total change to the system.

Issues with Dropping OC
I think dropping "OC" will equal less in-class time for me at my base school, but I don't particularly agree with the change. The government is currently pushing this "teach English IN English" initiative to get Japanese teachers of English to actually use English in their classrooms, but I almost feel that the initial approach is going to restrict the success of the whole project. It's really unexpected considering the major role Japan plays in the international community and the fact that English is mandatory (and most students take it for at least FIVE years), but there are so many English teachers don't use any English when they teach the subject. They only teach the grammar (but in Japanese)... and now the problem with the initiative is that this change will allow for some schools to drop Oral Communication (the time that focuses on actually speaking English in class) because they assume it'll be done in all classes. But it just doesn't happen.

Long story short, I can understand if authorities don't need there is a need for curriclum to focus on speaking with a native speaker in the classroom, but the reality is that some Japanese teachers (of English) rarely use English in class. Others are just shy to use it - so they don't - and their skills have gotten rusty (and pronunciation is off). I have met trained and licensed public school English teachers in Japan who can't understand me when I speak slowly and ask simple questions, yet who are promoted at their jobs and are very popular/powerful at work because they teach (ie - make the kids memorize) the regimented grammar that is used on entrance exams. I'm not saying that is the case at my workplace, but I have definitely encountered several of these staff members and it's like a big secret that nobody will admit or really wants to change.

Back to the Point
It's crazy to me, but the biggest concern (and point with this whole little rant) is that my school has built a really strong international program and there have been positive results... I just don't want to waste all that opportunity! Even if a kid can pass an English section on an Entrance exam, is it really success if they then turn around and can't have a very simple conversation (literally anything beyond "Fine, thank you, and you?") after over 6 years of studying the language?

The Weekend Review - from Yakiniku to Rokko

We are still on spring break right now, maybe the first one that I've completely stuck around for since I came. Work is very quiet (meaning I have zero responsibilities but still have to go), so I have been spending most of my time on the net, reading 0r else essentially just organizing stuff (like my desk, classroom, etc) for the new and upcoming school year and for the person who replaces me this summer. Even with that, though, it can still get a little boring. Sounds like a dream job to have as much freedom and flexibility, but gets to you after a while when there is literally nothing to do and you still have to be here. I personally think I'm alright at finding projects and things to do (and could always be studying Japanese...), but I now remember why I usually travel during these times... and am counting down the days until classes start :-p

Outside of school, though... just had a pretty awesome weekend. The weather still isn't that nice yet, but spring is coming quickly and it's allowed for us to spend quite a bit of time outside :)

On Thursday evening, I started the weekend festivities early by going to my friend Emerald's house for yakiniku (Korean BBQ) with some other friends. Emerald - who's mom is a famous food critic in Taiwan and who wants to go to cooking school after Japan herself (talent runs in the family)- made a delicious pumpkin soup, tofu & onion salad and several amazing glazes for the chicken, pork and LAMB we roasted on her yakiniku plate (see pic below). We also played Chinese chess and Idiot, my favorite card game, before most of us had to bike home. Great night!

Friday was also pretty laid back. I watched 'Road to Perdition' (good movie) for the first time while I was decorating my classroom and then I biked home from work and caught a train to Himeji for the opening of Emerald's photo exhibition at Treehouse, a cute little cafe/gallery in the main shopping arcade. Dave met me at the station and had planned to go with, but he was still pretty sick from a bad bug he caught and had to go home to get to bed early. I stayed for a while longer, however, to chat with some of Emerald's friends from Osaka and listen to her friend Doug play some of the music he composed for the Biwa (a traditional Japanese instrument). It was pretty cool!

I tried to upload a video of the Biwa performance, but for some reason it's not working (security issues on the work computer perhaps)? I'll either upload later or put on Facebook. I had never heard of the Biwa before Emerald told me about Doug's music a few weeks ago, but I really liked it!

On Saturday morning, I was up respectable early and met the old ladies for our session. Afterwards, I grabbed some Subway (only chance I get to have turkey around here!) and biked home so I could get to Amagasaki for the first HANAMI of the season! Hanami literally means 'flower-viewing' and is a cherry blossom party (usually picnic under the trees), but I would call it a national pastime or sub-culture in Japan rather than just a definition. Actually, Hanami is one of the best things about Japan!

A group of us went to Nishimuko Park, and it was pretty fun just sitting and chatting. It's unfortunately a little too cold to stay out for too long yet, but we ended the night with a BBQ at Dave's house. Makes me really excited for summer!

And that was about it! On Sunday, I went for a shorter hike around Mt. Rokko with Dave and Chris. We just did a little loop this time, but the walk included amazing off-trail exploration. 

We all got kind of muddy (Chris fell into the river, I almost missed when I jumped from one bank to another & Dave slid down a hill), but we did it in pursuit of finding the perfect picnic spots... and I think we might have been successful :) 

After the hike, we headed straight for Umeda (Osaka), dirt and all, to meet up with the rest of the group to celebrate our friend Emi - who not only just finished the TOEFL that morning... but also got engaged to Chris this week! Hurrah :) As usual, we went to Himalaya (the all-you-can-eat-Indian place) and left almost unable to walk after filling our bellies with much naan and several a mango lassi. What bliss!

Tokyo Marathon 2009!

I have been biking to school everyday (about 50 min each way) since the marathon so I at least get a little exercise and time outside into my daily routine, but I've been putting off the big "get back into it" day. Today was supposed to be that day, but I've been sitting at home reading the net: blogs, news and grad school forums (I should probably start an account on some of them - I feel like a stalker for how much I check in on some of them recently). I had the best intentions to start today, but it was pretty much over when I went outside to hang up some laundry hit the cold.

So speaking of the last week and running... big news: I finished the Tokyo Marathon!!

Tokyo Marathon

In the end, my finish time was about 5 hours and 13 min with a chip time (ie - real time or time from when I actually passed the start line) of about 5 hours and one min. My pace was way slower than I had expected or hoped, but I am happy with the result.

I did all the training - maybe five 35k-ish runs and one 41k long run - and have gotten used to running on my own, but my running shoes (which I LOVED and planned to keep for Tokyo and replace after this race) hit the final tipping point the WEEK of the race and I had to get a new pair 3 days before. Anyone who runs races will tell you that replacing your shoes within two weeks of a marathon is a major sin in the religion of running, but I think my regular shoes would have done more damage (ie- potential injury) than the new ones so I took the risk and hunted down the same brand, style and size that I had before. Finding the shoes themselves was not an easy task (even though they were Asics and are made in Kobe), but I was pretty lucky that the marathon went alright! I had some problems walking down stairs the first day after the race, but no blisters this time and I kept all the toenails for once. The weather forecast was also pretty crappy the day of the run and this was also my first long run in the rain, but it didn't start pouring until after I finished. Lucky!

Details about the Event
I was honestly pretty impressed by how well organized this event was and definitely had some company along the way. This was only the 3rd anniversary of the Tokyo Marathon but there were 30,000 full marathon participants and 5,000 entries for the 10k. The large participation size also meant that approx. 2 MILLION people came out to cheer us on. I was amazed by the fact that there seemed to be almost zero gaps in the wall of people formed by the lining the course's sidelines. The cheering never seemed to cease for the entire 5 hours I was running.

Something else I was impressed by was how the runners were grouped. I had to submit my estimated time when I applied for the race and was then grouped with people that had submitted about the same time. I am guessing the Marathon winners (professional runners) were in group A, I was in group F and those who just hit the (7 hour) time limit were probably group K or so. This ability-bracket system really works well because by the end of the morning, I realized that I actually had been following the same people ("pink twisted-tanktop girl" and "nike running shirt guy" ) for pretty much the entire course from the whole race and saw even more people I started with when I was waiting in line for my goody bag after the finish.

This was my first marathon in Japan where we weren't allowed to bring our own food and place it at food stations (which I was a little nervous about at first - you gotta put some fuel back into your system as you go!), but they had a really steady supply of water and energy drinks along the way and a ton of food (raisins, bananas that they peeled for you & bread) after about 25 kilometers. I did end up going with the Power Bar strategy in the morning and even drank two gel drinks (yuck, yuck, yuck) along the way, but I almost felt too full and couldn't even take any of the bread by the time I got to it!

My Favorites & The Course

In hindsight, I'm just proud I finished this run and finally did a major city race, but I would say the best part of this marathon was just getting to run around a car-free Tokyo, exploring many of the big sites on foot. If you are familiar with Tokyo, the course basically started in Shinjuku (at the government buildings & near the Keio Plaza Hotel), took us around the Palace, past the Tokyo Tower and had us make a big loop around Shinegawa. Then we headed up through Ginza (again - no cars - wow!) to Asakusa Shrine, ran back down almost parallel to the river and came all the way back down to the Tokyo Bay (the Big Site convention center) for the finish. I was luckily staying at the Washington next to the finish line, which was truly great for just finding Dave (who was there to cheer me on - so sweet!) and getting out of the crazy crowds fast... not to mention being able to get out of my running shoes and into that hot shower quickly!

The worst part of the whole experience had nothing to do with running, but was probably just spending 10 hours on trains getting home from Tokyo! Dave came with me and we used the "Seishun 18 Kippu" pass. It wasn't as bad on the way up because we met my neighbor Deyi & her friend Ken in Hamamatsu for lunch and then stopped in Shizuoka for a night, but - even with my computer (and movies) - it's amazing how wasted those long journeys leave you.

I should go but more soon. Here some pictures from the race for now...

When you entered the race area (restricted for runners only), there were giant signs directing you where to go. The streets were totally packed, not to mention filled with massive lines for the porta potties, and there were a lot of stands offering sports drinks and water.

Once I got in, I headed straight to the medical center (inside one of the buildings) to get my knees taped and was then off to find my baggage truck and starting block.

Here is a picture of one of the baggage trucks. They gave us all bags labeled with our number, so we could leave things at the starting lines and then pick them up at the finish. Excellent idea! I was really happy I didn't need to come back to Shinjuku after the race to find my stuff in a locker or leave stuff with Dave before I was ready to get rid of it...

I took this picture when we were waiting to start the race. Those are the government buildings around us and you can see the big TV screen in the back. It was so packed - we could hardly walk and it took over 10 minutes to even get to the starting line because there were so many people (hence the fact that most race participants had to watch the opening ceremony and start from the giant screens).

Finally approaching the starting line! The race had already started by this point, but we were still moving pretty slowly... there were just a LOT of us crammed into that one little space but everyone seemed pretty jazzed up and ready to go!

Five hours later... I arrived at the finish line! I did it!! I was really surprised when the people sitting in the bleachers that lined the street leading up to the finish line started cheering for me as I picked up the pace and started to sprint the last little leg. Huge rush! I also jumped up and clicked my heels together as I passed the finish line, as is the tradition, but I have since seen a video of that little manuever and it was defnitely far less graceful than I thought it was at the time (then again - I had just run 42k and was a little tired, so whatcha gonna do?).

If you want to see more pictures of me running during the race and the video from the finish line, you can enter my race bib number (51446) on the Tokyo Marathon website :-p I just won't give you the link to get there to save a little face...haha.

These are the lines of runners, trying to leave the area after the finish line! Craziness! After getting our medals, we had to turn in our timing chips, collect our participation towel and goody bag (mostly filled with fuit, water & muscle spray) and were then herded into the baggage pick-up and "family reunification" areas. Like I said - I was really glad my hotel was across the street (you can actually see the tower on the right of this pic!) and I could get out of this area as soon as possible. Whoosh!

Tokyo Marathon 2009 Time Checkpoints (race was 9:10 - 16:10):
Iidabashi Central Plaza / Approx. 5.6km / 10:30 / 10km
Uchisaiwaicho / Approx. 10.5km / 11:04 / 15km
Shinagawa Turning Point (Takanawa 3-23) / Approx. 15.5km / 11:49 / 20km
Uchisaiwaicho Intersection / Approx. 20.4km / 12:33 / 25km
Higashi Nihombashi / Approx. 25.1km / 13:16 / 30km
Asakusabashi / Approx. 30.0km / 14:00 / 35km
Mannenbashi-Nishi / Approx. 34.6km / 14:42 / 38km
Toyosu Station / Approx. 38.1km / 15:31
Finish - Tokyo Big Sight / 42.195km / 16:10

Finally, here is a map of the course:

WBC - Japan vs. Korea

The WBC (World Baseball Championships.... don't worry, 82% of Americans haven't heard of them either...) are on right now and half the staff is crowded around the TV in the middle of the staff room to see the Japan/Korea game.

Even the principal and vice principal are in on the action. Funny afternoon!

Blast from the Past - Korea flashback!

My friend Brianne just sent me this picture she dug up when backing up photos. It's from our trip to Korea two years ago, with our new friends from a temple stay in Gyeongju.

I guess this wasn't that long ago (even if it feels like it), but goes to show you never know who you are going to meet! I still keep in touch with most of these goons ;) Hong, the girl in the middle, even came to visit in Akashi a few times last year after we met at this temple and I hope I get to hang out with her if I ever make it to Cali. Small world!

Drunk Finance Minister Quits

Oh, dear Japan.  I saw this on the news a few weeks ago, but thought I would share in case you missed it. I posted a link to an article below, but there is a lesson to learn here: don't mix cold medicine, drinks... and work! People don't take too kindly to public servants being drunk on the job and/or at press conferences, no less.

* Japan PM hit hard by minister's gaffe * The BBC's Roland Buerk ">looks at how the resignation of his finance minister could be a blow to far for embattled Japanese leader Taro Aso.

Back at Work after a week in Yokohama

I'm at school really early today for our state-wide entrance exams. I luckily don't need to mark them (most teachers will be here from 7am until midnight!!), but it means a full day of sitting in the staff room without much to do. Looks like the Hyogo Times (the newsletter I write for) is going to actually get their article early - and maybe even two! - this month. At least the tests mean we also get really fancy bento (box lunches) provided by school, as well.

Anyways, I know I have a lot of catching up to do on here, but I feel like I can hardly remember last Saturday, let alone what I've been doing the last few weeks. I actually just got back from AJET meetings (National Non-profit I am on the national council for) all day Saturday and Sunday and then a CLAIR conference in Yokohama (near Tokyo) for people returning to America soon. 

Once the AJET stuff was officially over and I finished my last long run on Saturday morning (Tokyo Marathon is next week - ahh!), it was all about the conference.  Met people for meetings all week, random dinner jaunts around Chinatown and finally a night out with an acquaintance from New Zealand who manages a restaurant here and a really awesome friend from college. 

 

I thought the conference was really interesting and offered a lot of good information (resume help, panel discussions with successful and prominant individuals from all over the world, career information, grad school advice, etc), but more than anything, it was really beneficial to pair with people similar to myself who have been living in Japan for a while and are preparing to make the move back to a western country.