I wanted to weigh in on the 'controversy' momentarily.
1. Bowing is a sign of respect, but in addition it is in many ways the 'Japanese handshake'. To bow to someone isn't to lessen your authority or power. Obama was probably just trying to be polite, and to participate in a Japanese cultural act as a symbol of cultural understanding.
2. While the angle of the bow can indicate subservience or submission, I think the reason Obama bowed as low as he did has more to do with the height difference.
I mean, the emperor is pretty short. Obama is pretty tall. The pictures I've seen of it make Obama look like a giant next to a midget, even though I think the height difference is less pronounced.
It just struck me as such a silly thing to get worked up over.
Thursday, November 19
Thursday, October 29
Kamemushi War!!!! カメムシ戦争
The cooler days are bringing an end to the spider and bee reign of terror on my life, but an unfortunate side effect of the shift in temperature is the rise of that foe unbeatable by conventional warfare, the kamemushi.
While bees and spiders are easily killed without remorse and with little hassle (unless you like to keep the soles of your shoes clean, freak), death is the ultimate weapon of the kamemushi. While living he is menacing, like a suicide bomber but instead of dynamite that produces an explosion, he has glands in his thorax between the first and second pair of legs which produce foul smelling liquid.* He taunts you, daring you to smush him with a rolled up newspaper, slowly crawling around, or falling on the ground legs up and writhing pitifully. Daring you to make your move. Daring you to be your own undoing.
The kamemushi protests he only attacks when he himself is threatened, but there is nothing passive about the full-on assault the kamemushi is waging upon this fair hillside country school. In one classroom yesterday, intrepid students counted 200 of the kamemushi which had invaded.
That's what this is. An invasion.
Kamemushi King, if there is such a thing, I beg of you. Please leave. Take your army and go elsewhere. While you are easy to kill, doing so only harms ourselves in turn... NO, please give us peace. We want peace. Give us your demands.
*Thanks wikipedia!
I found this on google images. Work of a kamemushi sympathizer.
While bees and spiders are easily killed without remorse and with little hassle (unless you like to keep the soles of your shoes clean, freak), death is the ultimate weapon of the kamemushi. While living he is menacing, like a suicide bomber but instead of dynamite that produces an explosion, he has glands in his thorax between the first and second pair of legs which produce foul smelling liquid.* He taunts you, daring you to smush him with a rolled up newspaper, slowly crawling around, or falling on the ground legs up and writhing pitifully. Daring you to make your move. Daring you to be your own undoing.
The kamemushi protests he only attacks when he himself is threatened, but there is nothing passive about the full-on assault the kamemushi is waging upon this fair hillside country school. In one classroom yesterday, intrepid students counted 200 of the kamemushi which had invaded.
That's what this is. An invasion.
Kamemushi King, if there is such a thing, I beg of you. Please leave. Take your army and go elsewhere. While you are easy to kill, doing so only harms ourselves in turn... NO, please give us peace. We want peace. Give us your demands.
*Thanks wikipedia!
I found this on google images. Work of a kamemushi sympathizer.
Tuesday, October 27
NO joke...
How many workers does it take to perform maintenance on a single Japanese pine tree at area Japanese junior high school? (Bonus question: How long do they spend on the tree?)
Answer: 14. 7 to work hands-on, removing and manipulating individual needles. 7 to watch and make sure the other 7 don't muck it up.
Bonus answer: about 1 hour per tree.
Trees look nice though.
Answer: 14. 7 to work hands-on, removing and manipulating individual needles. 7 to watch and make sure the other 7 don't muck it up.
Bonus answer: about 1 hour per tree.
Trees look nice though.
Wednesday, October 14
ノーメーク、ノーライフ No make, no life.
Yesterday during the 3rd year classes, the students were given much of the period to study for their midterms today on their own. In one class, I happened to spend most of the class just chatting with one of the girls Rio, as well as a few other students, but mostly Rio.
The conversation started when I asked Rio if she was going to study. She said no, and then started staring at me. After a few moments...
'Jessie-sensei...no make??' ('no make' is kind of Japanese-English (和製英語) which means 'no make-up')
'Right, I have no make-up on.'
'kirei! Very Beautiful!'
Warm fuzzies. Awww.
The conversation lasted a while, and we discussed all sorts of things, like cooking and eye color and gyaru and the ideal kind of boy.
Rio is good at cooking, and doesn't want a guy who does 'girly things' like cooking. Nearby student Rina would prefer a guy who can cook and clean, because she can't do those things herself. I stated my preference for cooking-enabled men.
The conversation started when I asked Rio if she was going to study. She said no, and then started staring at me. After a few moments...
'Jessie-sensei...no make??' ('no make' is kind of Japanese-English (和製英語) which means 'no make-up')
'Right, I have no make-up on.'
'kirei! Very Beautiful!'
Warm fuzzies. Awww.
The conversation lasted a while, and we discussed all sorts of things, like cooking and eye color and gyaru and the ideal kind of boy.
Rio is good at cooking, and doesn't want a guy who does 'girly things' like cooking. Nearby student Rina would prefer a guy who can cook and clean, because she can't do those things herself. I stated my preference for cooking-enabled men.
Japanese names (Real ones)
This morning it's test day at work, so I have been hunting out interesting reading materials in the meantime.
This trio of articles from The Japan Times cover some of the interesting history of names in Japan.
What's in a (Japanese) name? This article touches on the naming conventions of the pre-modern era as well as the taboo/'neuroses' surrounding personal names in that era.
The long road to identity This article details the origins of some of the most common names in Japan, such as 'Tanaka' (in the rice field). Of the three articles, I recommend this one the most.
Fake names were to the fore in many a rise from humblest to highest This article describes how people in Japan, in particular Toyotomi Hideyoshi, changed their names in a reflection of their rising status.
Tangentially related, I found this editorial by activist and naturalized Amerian-born Japanese citizen Debito Arudou about the case of the international custody dispute between a divorced Japanese woman and American man. The article's brief summary:
But what really shocked me about the article was the fact that in Japan, even for a divorced Japanese couple, there is no way to have joint custody of children. A child can only legally be connected to one family, so when the family splits into two, they are no longer connected to one parent by law... Many children in divorced families lose contact with one parent (usually dad) until adulthood, or forever.
I guess if the father wants to lose all contact with their children, it works out for them. But in cases where the non-custodial parent would want to be a part of their children's lives, there is no legal recourse for them if the custodial parent refuses to capitulate.
This trio of articles from The Japan Times cover some of the interesting history of names in Japan.
What's in a (Japanese) name? This article touches on the naming conventions of the pre-modern era as well as the taboo/'neuroses' surrounding personal names in that era.
The long road to identity This article details the origins of some of the most common names in Japan, such as 'Tanaka' (in the rice field). Of the three articles, I recommend this one the most.
Fake names were to the fore in many a rise from humblest to highest This article describes how people in Japan, in particular Toyotomi Hideyoshi, changed their names in a reflection of their rising status.
Tangentially related, I found this editorial by activist and naturalized Amerian-born Japanese citizen Debito Arudou about the case of the international custody dispute between a divorced Japanese woman and American man. The article's brief summary:
After a couple divorced in America, ex-wife Noriko Savoie absconded with their children to Japan. Then ex-husband Christopher, who had been awarded custody in the U.S., came to Japan to take the kids back. On Sept. 28 he tried to get the children into the American Consulate in Fukuoka, but was barred entry and arrested by the Japanese police for kidnapping.
But what really shocked me about the article was the fact that in Japan, even for a divorced Japanese couple, there is no way to have joint custody of children. A child can only legally be connected to one family, so when the family splits into two, they are no longer connected to one parent by law... Many children in divorced families lose contact with one parent (usually dad) until adulthood, or forever.
I guess if the father wants to lose all contact with their children, it works out for them. But in cases where the non-custodial parent would want to be a part of their children's lives, there is no legal recourse for them if the custodial parent refuses to capitulate.
Thursday, October 8
漢字で名前 Writing your name in Japanese
For official documents and the like, I write my name as ジェシカ パーカー. This comes out in English as something like 'Jeshika Paakaa' with long vowel sounds in the 'parker' bit.
However, most foreign people who come here at some point choose some kanji to represent their name.
Kanji, the complex characters imported long ago from China, are used predominantly for names in Japan. Kanji for names tend to be very complex and can have many readings. For example, the kanji for 'west' 西 can be read nishi, sai, and sei. Anyone who has sent me snail mail before might be interested that the 'Sai' in 'Saihaku' means 'west.' Many kanji have far more readings than this.
Following current naming trends in Japan, one could go the route of ateji and choose kanji based on meaning and arbitrarily assign readings to them. An example here is the word 'Tobacco', which came to Japan many years ago. Tobacco is usually written in hiragana like this: たばこ (tabako). However, in the Meiji era (1868-1912), this was commonly written in kanji as 煙草. If you used the typical readings of these kanji it would come out 'ensou' or 'kemurikusa' or something like that, but these kanji were read as 'tabako' regardless of their true meanings.
However, most parents in Japan still use traditional readings when they choose kanji for names, and most foreigners who choose kanji for their names do the same.
Ideally, one can find kanji for ones name which both have the appropriate sounds as well as a good meaning. For my first name, I need 4 kanji. One to represent 'Ji' 'E' 'Shi' and 'Ka'.
Here are some 'funny' examples I've come up with:
児枝鹿 - Newborn, Branch, Deer
時餌死蚊 - Time, Animal feed, Death, Mosquito
As you can see, choosing based on sound alone could leave one with a ridiculous name.
In English, as per my 'name meaning' mug that currently resides at my parent's house in Florida, my name means 'Grace of God' in Hebrew. Therefore, I wanted to have a name that had the meaning of Grace or something similar in it.
Here are some kanji I like for my name: 慈恵紫花
慈 - Ji - mercy
恵 - E - blessing, grace
紫 - Shi - purple
花 - Ka - flower
I found a keychain with the first character on it. :)
For my last name, I like to use 公園人 (public recreational) park-er or 駐車人 - (car) park-er. The first corresponds to the name's origin in English. The second is for laughs (hur hur, Parker...do you park cars for a living? hurhur.) But both have different readings, kouenjin and chuushajin respectively. Really, they are both for laughs...
What kanji would you choose for your name? If you are interested, let me know in the comments and I will help you pick some out.
However, most foreign people who come here at some point choose some kanji to represent their name.
Kanji, the complex characters imported long ago from China, are used predominantly for names in Japan. Kanji for names tend to be very complex and can have many readings. For example, the kanji for 'west' 西 can be read nishi, sai, and sei. Anyone who has sent me snail mail before might be interested that the 'Sai' in 'Saihaku' means 'west.' Many kanji have far more readings than this.
Following current naming trends in Japan, one could go the route of ateji and choose kanji based on meaning and arbitrarily assign readings to them. An example here is the word 'Tobacco', which came to Japan many years ago. Tobacco is usually written in hiragana like this: たばこ (tabako). However, in the Meiji era (1868-1912), this was commonly written in kanji as 煙草. If you used the typical readings of these kanji it would come out 'ensou' or 'kemurikusa' or something like that, but these kanji were read as 'tabako' regardless of their true meanings.
However, most parents in Japan still use traditional readings when they choose kanji for names, and most foreigners who choose kanji for their names do the same.
Ideally, one can find kanji for ones name which both have the appropriate sounds as well as a good meaning. For my first name, I need 4 kanji. One to represent 'Ji' 'E' 'Shi' and 'Ka'.
Here are some 'funny' examples I've come up with:
児枝鹿 - Newborn, Branch, Deer
時餌死蚊 - Time, Animal feed, Death, Mosquito
As you can see, choosing based on sound alone could leave one with a ridiculous name.
In English, as per my 'name meaning' mug that currently resides at my parent's house in Florida, my name means 'Grace of God' in Hebrew. Therefore, I wanted to have a name that had the meaning of Grace or something similar in it.
Here are some kanji I like for my name: 慈恵紫花
慈 - Ji - mercy
恵 - E - blessing, grace
紫 - Shi - purple
花 - Ka - flower
I found a keychain with the first character on it. :)
For my last name, I like to use 公園人 (public recreational) park-er or 駐車人 - (car) park-er. The first corresponds to the name's origin in English. The second is for laughs (hur hur, Parker...do you park cars for a living? hurhur.) But both have different readings, kouenjin and chuushajin respectively. Really, they are both for laughs...
What kanji would you choose for your name? If you are interested, let me know in the comments and I will help you pick some out.
Wednesday, October 7
Changing directions
Pardon the following boring blog-related post!
I've started to reconsider my blog. A lot of times I don't know what to write because I'm too worried about audience, topic, etc. I leave a lot unwritten because it doesn't necessarily fit with my ideas of what this blog should be.
So, what I am thinking I will be doing in the coming weeks is moving this blog to a new name and expanding it to a general blog that just happens to be authored by me, a person living in Japan. The focus of Japan and Japan-y things will likely continue, considering many of my observations and thoughts have to do with where I am and what I am doing. But you will probably see an increase in 'videos I found on YouTube and want to share' or 'Books I read' or 'Things I'm thinking about'.
I know I could have been doing that all along here, but for some reason I allowed my perception of what this blog had to be prevent me from sharing a lot I may have shared had I not limited myself artificially in this way.
I also hope to up my post count to at least 5-7 posts a week (not necessarily every day, any maybe not only one post per day.)
I've started to reconsider my blog. A lot of times I don't know what to write because I'm too worried about audience, topic, etc. I leave a lot unwritten because it doesn't necessarily fit with my ideas of what this blog should be.
So, what I am thinking I will be doing in the coming weeks is moving this blog to a new name and expanding it to a general blog that just happens to be authored by me, a person living in Japan. The focus of Japan and Japan-y things will likely continue, considering many of my observations and thoughts have to do with where I am and what I am doing. But you will probably see an increase in 'videos I found on YouTube and want to share' or 'Books I read' or 'Things I'm thinking about'.
I know I could have been doing that all along here, but for some reason I allowed my perception of what this blog had to be prevent me from sharing a lot I may have shared had I not limited myself artificially in this way.
I also hope to up my post count to at least 5-7 posts a week (not necessarily every day, any maybe not only one post per day.)
Friday, September 18
School Refusers
There are a number of school refusers in my current school. A school refuser is one who, for whatever reason, refuses to come to school.
We started the school year with 1. Now we have 5.
We did have one boy who refused to come to school during sports festival and associated practices, but is back now.
I wonder if my other school has many now? I remember we had only one as well last time I was there.
We started the school year with 1. Now we have 5.
We did have one boy who refused to come to school during sports festival and associated practices, but is back now.
I wonder if my other school has many now? I remember we had only one as well last time I was there.
Thursday, September 10
I think I'll pass.
Tokyo is known for its ridiculously high rent prices for small spaces.
I found this article about a new retail business, closet-sized ...apartments? crawlspaces? addresses for hire? way to slowly drive oneself mad by depriving oneself of the comforts of life?
"Cheaper than a regular gaijin (foreigner) house and more comfortable than the couch at an Internet cafe, oshiire (closet) houses provide 1 1/2-tatami-mat-size (2.5-sq. meter), often windowless "rooms" — picture a capsule hotel pod as your home."
Click here for the rest of 'Half a room, without a view'
I found this article about a new retail business, closet-sized ...apartments? crawlspaces? addresses for hire? way to slowly drive oneself mad by depriving oneself of the comforts of life?
"Cheaper than a regular gaijin (foreigner) house and more comfortable than the couch at an Internet cafe, oshiire (closet) houses provide 1 1/2-tatami-mat-size (2.5-sq. meter), often windowless "rooms" — picture a capsule hotel pod as your home."
Click here for the rest of 'Half a room, without a view'
Wednesday, September 9
Kyuushoku Best Ten and Worst Ten
In no particular order, things that pop up and make an impression on my palate or senses.
BEST (Lunch makes me happy!)
1. Grilled fish with a miso sauce. Mmm mmm mmm. Minus points if I have to pick through bones though.
2. Curry. Always good, whether they go for a traditional Japanese curry or mix it up with some dry curry or more Indian style.
3. Salads with Sesame (goma) dressing. I have such a love affair going on with Goma Dressing.
4. Niku-jaga and its relatives. Beef stew and it always has the right flavors and I don't have to deal with anything strange popping up.
5. Anything that claims to be sushi. This includes Temakizushi (you are given the rice, the seaweed, and the fillings, and you do a 'make your own' sushi wrap) or Chirashizushi (stuff thrown on top of sushi rice) I like the way the rice tastes, and the toppings/fillings are usually good. One time the rice was just normal rice though. Other teachers complained loudly, voicing my thoughts for me.
6. Spinach salads. Mom must have done something to me when I was young because I love the taste of spinach. (Also love - mustard greens (小松菜), garlic chives (ニラ), and Mizuna)
7. Fried (anything). Notably delicious are Shrimp and Pumpkin Croquettes.
8. Fruit, when easy to eat. I also tolerate fresh oranges even though they make my hands all sticky.
9. Tofu anything. Especially in a nicely flavored soup with greens and pork.
10. Desert! Today we had Sudachi (kinda like a lime) flavored Jello.
WORST (Lunch makes me CRY)
1. Noodle dishes. The noodles are invariable overdone and mushy. We did have a semi-decent spaghetti once though.
2. Whole Fishes, ESPECIALLY Shishamo (AKA tiny river fish ready to lay some eggs in your stomach). Even if I am not expected to consume it whole, the process of working around the fish bones with my chopsticks is time consuming and annoying.
3. Natto. Mother of all painful lunches. Worst when someone decided it went ok with mayonnaise. I can handle it though...somehow.
4. Bread. The exception is Pineapple Bread, which has enough moisture from the pineapple to be quite tasty, but usually the bread I get is dry and unappetizing.
5. Rubbery, what are they smoking today? salads. Usually tasteless and boring. Eaten quickly so as to use the better parts of the meal to help one forget about their depressing existence. Honorable mention - that potato salad with apples in it.
6. Tasteless Soup. Please add seasoning.
7. Getting the mushy part of the rice. It's like ...eating mushy rice.
8. Most squid. I only like squid two ways -- dried or fried. Keep your grilled, boiled, whatevered squid out of my life.
9. Salt Salmon. Hey what does salmon taste like if you grill it with a ton of salt until it's the consistency of canned salmon? ...mostly just like salt.
10. Frozen Mandarin Oranges. A crime against nature.
Some things I hated a year ago are gone from the 'worst' list. Prime example is 'purple rice'...I've grown to like the taste of the pickled purple...things which give it its flavor. Hooray for assimilation!
BEST (Lunch makes me happy!)
1. Grilled fish with a miso sauce. Mmm mmm mmm. Minus points if I have to pick through bones though.
2. Curry. Always good, whether they go for a traditional Japanese curry or mix it up with some dry curry or more Indian style.
3. Salads with Sesame (goma) dressing. I have such a love affair going on with Goma Dressing.
4. Niku-jaga and its relatives. Beef stew and it always has the right flavors and I don't have to deal with anything strange popping up.
5. Anything that claims to be sushi. This includes Temakizushi (you are given the rice, the seaweed, and the fillings, and you do a 'make your own' sushi wrap) or Chirashizushi (stuff thrown on top of sushi rice) I like the way the rice tastes, and the toppings/fillings are usually good. One time the rice was just normal rice though. Other teachers complained loudly, voicing my thoughts for me.
6. Spinach salads. Mom must have done something to me when I was young because I love the taste of spinach. (Also love - mustard greens (小松菜), garlic chives (ニラ), and Mizuna)
7. Fried (anything). Notably delicious are Shrimp and Pumpkin Croquettes.
8. Fruit, when easy to eat. I also tolerate fresh oranges even though they make my hands all sticky.
9. Tofu anything. Especially in a nicely flavored soup with greens and pork.
10. Desert! Today we had Sudachi (kinda like a lime) flavored Jello.
WORST (Lunch makes me CRY)
1. Noodle dishes. The noodles are invariable overdone and mushy. We did have a semi-decent spaghetti once though.
2. Whole Fishes, ESPECIALLY Shishamo (AKA tiny river fish ready to lay some eggs in your stomach). Even if I am not expected to consume it whole, the process of working around the fish bones with my chopsticks is time consuming and annoying.
3. Natto. Mother of all painful lunches. Worst when someone decided it went ok with mayonnaise. I can handle it though...somehow.
4. Bread. The exception is Pineapple Bread, which has enough moisture from the pineapple to be quite tasty, but usually the bread I get is dry and unappetizing.
5. Rubbery, what are they smoking today? salads. Usually tasteless and boring. Eaten quickly so as to use the better parts of the meal to help one forget about their depressing existence. Honorable mention - that potato salad with apples in it.
6. Tasteless Soup. Please add seasoning.
7. Getting the mushy part of the rice. It's like ...eating mushy rice.
8. Most squid. I only like squid two ways -- dried or fried. Keep your grilled, boiled, whatevered squid out of my life.
9. Salt Salmon. Hey what does salmon taste like if you grill it with a ton of salt until it's the consistency of canned salmon? ...mostly just like salt.
10. Frozen Mandarin Oranges. A crime against nature.
Some things I hated a year ago are gone from the 'worst' list. Prime example is 'purple rice'...I've grown to like the taste of the pickled purple...things which give it its flavor. Hooray for assimilation!
Tuesday, September 8
Tuesday, September 1
空気を読めるように Learning to 'read the air'
I was reading this column, Cultural Conundrums: Can you guess when to guess?, and it made me think of an incident that happened, oh, yesterday.
The column covers the idea of omoiyari, something akin to empathy, which in Japan means you guess or assert knowledge over what another person is thinking, and act according to that assumption. The column further states that this is seen in Japan as 'good' but in the US and many other places would be considered 'arrogant.'
Last week, the school nurse passed out some papers for ordering lunch for the coming sports day this Saturday. She also had some pictures of the food that was being offered. I looked at all of this, decided it was not for me. She brought it up briefly every morning in the meeting, I listened quietly and reaffirmed internally that I would bring my own lunch and save money and eat healthier.
Fast-forward to Monday. I had elementary classes all day, but stopped by the junior high to print something out from my computer for my teacher. As I was leaving, I saw the school nurse in the hall. She greeted me, and I greeted her back. Then she brought up the lunch thing. Uh-oh. I actually had this happen last year at my other school's sports day (in which I was subjected to the eating of two cold hamburgers with cheese on them) and could tell I had made an error this year as well. She told me that since I hadn't ordered anything, and she was worried I wouldn't have any food, she had ordered me a hamburger.
Augh! Frustration hit me (self-directed, at my failure to behave appropriately to avoid this misunderstanding), since the last thing I wanted was another cold hamburger. I quickly stated that I had planned to bring my own lunch, but if there was nothing that could be done about it... The nurse cut me short, praising my ability to prepare my own lunch and apologizing for ordering something for me, and then telling me not to worry about it and to bring my own lunch as I had planned.
All this said, it's just one of those situations where yet again false assumptions were made about me. I suppose sometimes I feel integrated to the point where I expect to be treated like those around me, but people ascribe much different thinking to me on account of my otherness, or their perceived barriers to communication with me. Now, honestly, I like the school nurse. And given this article, I think she only responded how culture conditioned her to. Additionally, if I had stated to her that I planned to bring my own lunch, instead of merely tossing out my order form without comment, she would have been spared the situation of making an incorrect judgement call.
I'd like to think both of us learned something from this exchange however. She may have learned to reevaluate her assumptions of foreigners in general and me in particular, and I remembered that I need to be sensitive to the cultural norms which differ in the US and Japan and respond accordingly.
The column covers the idea of omoiyari, something akin to empathy, which in Japan means you guess or assert knowledge over what another person is thinking, and act according to that assumption. The column further states that this is seen in Japan as 'good' but in the US and many other places would be considered 'arrogant.'
Last week, the school nurse passed out some papers for ordering lunch for the coming sports day this Saturday. She also had some pictures of the food that was being offered. I looked at all of this, decided it was not for me. She brought it up briefly every morning in the meeting, I listened quietly and reaffirmed internally that I would bring my own lunch and save money and eat healthier.
Fast-forward to Monday. I had elementary classes all day, but stopped by the junior high to print something out from my computer for my teacher. As I was leaving, I saw the school nurse in the hall. She greeted me, and I greeted her back. Then she brought up the lunch thing. Uh-oh. I actually had this happen last year at my other school's sports day (in which I was subjected to the eating of two cold hamburgers with cheese on them) and could tell I had made an error this year as well. She told me that since I hadn't ordered anything, and she was worried I wouldn't have any food, she had ordered me a hamburger.
Augh! Frustration hit me (self-directed, at my failure to behave appropriately to avoid this misunderstanding), since the last thing I wanted was another cold hamburger. I quickly stated that I had planned to bring my own lunch, but if there was nothing that could be done about it... The nurse cut me short, praising my ability to prepare my own lunch and apologizing for ordering something for me, and then telling me not to worry about it and to bring my own lunch as I had planned.
All this said, it's just one of those situations where yet again false assumptions were made about me. I suppose sometimes I feel integrated to the point where I expect to be treated like those around me, but people ascribe much different thinking to me on account of my otherness, or their perceived barriers to communication with me. Now, honestly, I like the school nurse. And given this article, I think she only responded how culture conditioned her to. Additionally, if I had stated to her that I planned to bring my own lunch, instead of merely tossing out my order form without comment, she would have been spared the situation of making an incorrect judgement call.
I'd like to think both of us learned something from this exchange however. She may have learned to reevaluate her assumptions of foreigners in general and me in particular, and I remembered that I need to be sensitive to the cultural norms which differ in the US and Japan and respond accordingly.
Thursday, August 27
Bowing
This is almost another edition of 'You know you've been in Japan too long when...' but today I tackle the complex question of bowing.
Most westerners know that bowing is something like the 'Japanese handshake'
Well, that is true, although the ACTUAL handshake is increasingly used in typical handshake situations, in keeping with the westernization of Japan. However, bowing has a broader scope than 'How Do You Do?', being employed for various situations not limited to introductions.
We had our opening ceremony for the second school semester yesterday (...there's one for each of the three semesters, as well as closing ceremonies, as well as a graduation ceremony in March and an entrance ceremony for new students in April which PRECEDES the opening ceremony, later in April...), and as usual there were a number of bows.
Kore de nigakki no shigyoushiki wo hajimemasu! Ichido, rei! is how these things start out. To translate, 'Henceforth we begin the opening ceremony. Bow once!' ...everyone bows! Yay! There are about 8-10 bows during this ceremony, including bows to any speaker before and after their speech, and a closing bow.
If you want to imagine a graduation ceremony, take this and multiply it by 60.
Another situation I bow in everyday, although it is somewhat similar to the previous, is Morning Meeting. In the morning at 8:30, the bell goes off and everyone rises to their feet. The leader for the day starts us off and says Ohayo gozaimasu! (Good morning!) and we all in unison say, Ohayo gozaimasu with a bow and then sit back down. It's kind of funny because most people are sitting back down mid-bow, and rarely do people actually stand all the way back up before sitting down. Same at the end, but the greeting is changed to Kyou mo ganbarimasho! (Today also we will do our best), with the response of Ganbarimasho!
Another thing about bows is you almost always return them. One case I can think of where people tend not to though is the service industry. The cashier, the receptionist, the fast food employee, all will do a perfunctory bow after they hand you your change or answer your questions or finish your order. There is also an epidemic of 'phone bowing', similar to the 'phone nod' wherein one bows on the telephone because in a normal situation one would be bowing, but since it is on the telephone it is meaningless except as an indicator of how ingrained ones bow reflex is in.
And I have definitely picked up the reflex. This morning, an old man pulled to the size of the 1-car-sized road that leads to my house to allow me to pass by him. I bowed as I passed by, he bowed back. Common courtesy.
Most westerners know that bowing is something like the 'Japanese handshake'
Well, that is true, although the ACTUAL handshake is increasingly used in typical handshake situations, in keeping with the westernization of Japan. However, bowing has a broader scope than 'How Do You Do?', being employed for various situations not limited to introductions.
We had our opening ceremony for the second school semester yesterday (...there's one for each of the three semesters, as well as closing ceremonies, as well as a graduation ceremony in March and an entrance ceremony for new students in April which PRECEDES the opening ceremony, later in April...), and as usual there were a number of bows.
Kore de nigakki no shigyoushiki wo hajimemasu! Ichido, rei! is how these things start out. To translate, 'Henceforth we begin the opening ceremony. Bow once!' ...everyone bows! Yay! There are about 8-10 bows during this ceremony, including bows to any speaker before and after their speech, and a closing bow.
If you want to imagine a graduation ceremony, take this and multiply it by 60.
Another situation I bow in everyday, although it is somewhat similar to the previous, is Morning Meeting. In the morning at 8:30, the bell goes off and everyone rises to their feet. The leader for the day starts us off and says Ohayo gozaimasu! (Good morning!) and we all in unison say, Ohayo gozaimasu with a bow and then sit back down. It's kind of funny because most people are sitting back down mid-bow, and rarely do people actually stand all the way back up before sitting down. Same at the end, but the greeting is changed to Kyou mo ganbarimasho! (Today also we will do our best), with the response of Ganbarimasho!
Another thing about bows is you almost always return them. One case I can think of where people tend not to though is the service industry. The cashier, the receptionist, the fast food employee, all will do a perfunctory bow after they hand you your change or answer your questions or finish your order. There is also an epidemic of 'phone bowing', similar to the 'phone nod' wherein one bows on the telephone because in a normal situation one would be bowing, but since it is on the telephone it is meaningless except as an indicator of how ingrained ones bow reflex is in.
And I have definitely picked up the reflex. This morning, an old man pulled to the size of the 1-car-sized road that leads to my house to allow me to pass by him. I bowed as I passed by, he bowed back. Common courtesy.
Tuesday, August 25
Jiminto wins the Youtube battle.
As a followup to my last blog entry, here are some videos from Youtube. (Apologies in advance for clunky translation, I tried to keep the spirit of the language and be accurate. Accuracy is another thing I may have failed at.)
Both the LDP (Jiminto) and the DPJ (Minshuto) have Youtube presences, but the LDP rules the day when it comes to style. If you forgive their cheesy logo.
Drawn by a four year old! (probably)
But I question the logic of the commercials, which prominently feature current PM Aso glaring at us. I suppose his glare conveys his sense of responsibility and ability to protect us from terrorists.
Narrator: Who can really protect your life and this country's future? Jiminto.
Highlights - Lion King worthy soundtrack, Taro Aso glaring into my soul.
This is another Jiminto add
Woman: Oh! It's you.
Man: Welcome, it's been a while. It's not just lip service, we're now making policies like this.
Woman: All right then, why don't you show me?
Man: This store's 'Manifesto-men', our best Ramen. We'll win or lose based on it.
Customer 1(American): There's not enough oil!
Man: Ok, we'll supply more.
Customer 2(Resembles Shakaito president Fukushima): Wait, weren't you going to stop supplying oil?
Man: Ending supply.
Customer 3: There's not enough local ingredients...
Man: That's silly. Look, here's some more.
Customer 4: There's no growth here, is there?
Man: Nonono, Look, here's some.
Child: Treat children well too!
Man: Yes, yes, yes. I'm sprinkling on 26,000 yen's worth of furikake!
Woman: Isn't this totally different than what you made in the beginning?
Man: No,no. It was this from the beginning.
Woman: Huh?
'Just by trying to please everyone, you can't make everyone happy. Unwavering policies, Jiminto'
This commercial is on the offensive, with the man running the ramen shop bearing a resemblance to DPJ party president Hatoyama. It paints the DPJ as a bunch of 'flip-floppers' who will give everyone a handout or lip service and have no principles.
Checking in over at DPJ headquarters, the youtube action is much more subdued. The LDP channel had tons of snappy, quick commercials, but the DPJ's channel is more focused on (long, boring) speeches by DPJ politicians. I do give them props for their main video, which features subtitling and sign-language so anyone can follow along with what is being said. Also, Hatoyama comes across as a good public speaker and he never glared at me.
There were only a few actual commercials I could find, all very similar in style. Here is one:
Narrator: You're feeling anxious about the problems of healthcare and pension. For the sake of your way of life, the government must change.
Hatoyama: First, change political power!
Narrator: We are the DPJ.
However, lest you think that the LDPs style wins them the substance war, you have to remember that the LDP has been in power almost continuously since the end of WW2 and therefore are held accountable for wasteful government spending, pension and healthcare issues, and the myriad other things that the DPJ is calling them out on constantly with the battle cry of Seiken Koutai!
The election takes place on August 30th.
Both the LDP (Jiminto) and the DPJ (Minshuto) have Youtube presences, but the LDP rules the day when it comes to style. If you forgive their cheesy logo.
Drawn by a four year old! (probably)
But I question the logic of the commercials, which prominently feature current PM Aso glaring at us. I suppose his glare conveys his sense of responsibility and ability to protect us from terrorists.
Narrator: Who can really protect your life and this country's future? Jiminto.
Highlights - Lion King worthy soundtrack, Taro Aso glaring into my soul.
This is another Jiminto add
Woman: Oh! It's you.
Man: Welcome, it's been a while. It's not just lip service, we're now making policies like this.
Woman: All right then, why don't you show me?
Man: This store's 'Manifesto-men', our best Ramen. We'll win or lose based on it.
Customer 1(American): There's not enough oil!
Man: Ok, we'll supply more.
Customer 2(Resembles Shakaito president Fukushima): Wait, weren't you going to stop supplying oil?
Man: Ending supply.
Customer 3: There's not enough local ingredients...
Man: That's silly. Look, here's some more.
Customer 4: There's no growth here, is there?
Man: Nonono, Look, here's some.
Child: Treat children well too!
Man: Yes, yes, yes. I'm sprinkling on 26,000 yen's worth of furikake!
Woman: Isn't this totally different than what you made in the beginning?
Man: No,no. It was this from the beginning.
Woman: Huh?
'Just by trying to please everyone, you can't make everyone happy. Unwavering policies, Jiminto'
This commercial is on the offensive, with the man running the ramen shop bearing a resemblance to DPJ party president Hatoyama. It paints the DPJ as a bunch of 'flip-floppers' who will give everyone a handout or lip service and have no principles.
Checking in over at DPJ headquarters, the youtube action is much more subdued. The LDP channel had tons of snappy, quick commercials, but the DPJ's channel is more focused on (long, boring) speeches by DPJ politicians. I do give them props for their main video, which features subtitling and sign-language so anyone can follow along with what is being said. Also, Hatoyama comes across as a good public speaker and he never glared at me.
There were only a few actual commercials I could find, all very similar in style. Here is one:
Narrator: You're feeling anxious about the problems of healthcare and pension. For the sake of your way of life, the government must change.
Hatoyama: First, change political power!
Narrator: We are the DPJ.
However, lest you think that the LDPs style wins them the substance war, you have to remember that the LDP has been in power almost continuously since the end of WW2 and therefore are held accountable for wasteful government spending, pension and healthcare issues, and the myriad other things that the DPJ is calling them out on constantly with the battle cry of Seiken Koutai!
The election takes place on August 30th.
Friday, August 21
There's Politics in the air..
Here in Japan, terminally unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso called an election for August 30th last month. Japan's system is greatly different from the US, with elections being called only a month in advance and campaigning done in large part by people shouting from speakers mounted on the top of cars.
Japan's Political Parties:
Jiminto, full name Jiyu-Minshuto, usually translated into English as the 'Liberal Democratic Party' or the 'LDP' has dominated Japanese politics for basically the entire post-war era. However, the LDP has run into problems in recent years. Following the retirement of Junichiro Koizumi, the popular and stylin' Prime Minister from 2001-2006, the LDP has been led by three different men with abysmal approval ratings: Shinzo Abe, Yasuo Fukuda, and Taro Aso. While not controlling a majority of seats on their own, the LDP controls the Japanese Diet through a coalition government with the New Komeito party. Not one to go quietly into the night, the party is waging an aggressive campaign and standing behind its leader Taro Aso. It is the 'center-right' party and is running on a platform of Nihon o mamoru, sekininryoku, which roughly translates as 'Protecting Japan, the power of responsibility.'
They are expected to lose big-time...
Minshuto, translated into English as the Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ, is currently the second-largest party and led by Yukio Hatoyama (according the Wikipedia, a Baptist??). It is a relatively new party, established in 1999 as a a combination of several smaller parties. The DPJ is expected to win the election on August 30th. Their slogan Seiken Koutai, 'Change political power', is straightforward and clearly appeals to Japan's frustration with the ineffective Jiminto of the last few years. However, the DPJ has its own problems, such as a lack of unity and a number of publicly popular but possibly wrong-headed policy proposals, such as dropping the tolls on Japanese highways (clear why this is popular, but without concurrent cuts in spending this would increase Japan's already ridiculous public debt.) They are considered a 'centrist' party.
Komeito, known in English as the New Komeito Party to distinguish it from one of its fore running parties, is currently the third largest party and forms the majority coalition with the LDP. The party was founded by members of the Buddhist sect/cult Soka Gakkai
Shakai-Minshuto, the Social Democratic Party of Japan, used to be the major opposition party in Japan but is a very small and uninfluential party at present. They currently are members of the minority coalition with the DPJ, and are ideologically center-left.
Kokumin Shinto, the People's New Party, is a party formed very recently in 2005 by members of the LDP who objected to former Prime Minister Koizumi's politics. It is one of the more right-leaning political parties, but is currently a member of the DPJ's coalition, for whatever reason.
Nihon Kyosan-to, the Japanese Communist Party, is a Leninist party, but advocates turning Japan into a communist state through Democratic power rather than revolution. The party is extremely active, especially in Nambu-cho, where I see their signs scattered around all over town. Ima koso, Nihon Kyosan-to!, 'Especially now, Japanese Communist Party!' They don't belong to either the minority or majority coalitions.
I hope you enjoyed your primer on Japanese Political Parties. I'll try to update with more interesting stuff as I find it on the elections.
Japan's Political Parties:
Jiminto, full name Jiyu-Minshuto, usually translated into English as the 'Liberal Democratic Party' or the 'LDP' has dominated Japanese politics for basically the entire post-war era. However, the LDP has run into problems in recent years. Following the retirement of Junichiro Koizumi, the popular and stylin' Prime Minister from 2001-2006, the LDP has been led by three different men with abysmal approval ratings: Shinzo Abe, Yasuo Fukuda, and Taro Aso. While not controlling a majority of seats on their own, the LDP controls the Japanese Diet through a coalition government with the New Komeito party. Not one to go quietly into the night, the party is waging an aggressive campaign and standing behind its leader Taro Aso. It is the 'center-right' party and is running on a platform of Nihon o mamoru, sekininryoku, which roughly translates as 'Protecting Japan, the power of responsibility.'
They are expected to lose big-time...
Minshuto, translated into English as the Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ, is currently the second-largest party and led by Yukio Hatoyama (according the Wikipedia, a Baptist??). It is a relatively new party, established in 1999 as a a combination of several smaller parties. The DPJ is expected to win the election on August 30th. Their slogan Seiken Koutai, 'Change political power', is straightforward and clearly appeals to Japan's frustration with the ineffective Jiminto of the last few years. However, the DPJ has its own problems, such as a lack of unity and a number of publicly popular but possibly wrong-headed policy proposals, such as dropping the tolls on Japanese highways (clear why this is popular, but without concurrent cuts in spending this would increase Japan's already ridiculous public debt.) They are considered a 'centrist' party.
Komeito, known in English as the New Komeito Party to distinguish it from one of its fore running parties, is currently the third largest party and forms the majority coalition with the LDP. The party was founded by members of the Buddhist sect/cult Soka Gakkai
Shakai-Minshuto, the Social Democratic Party of Japan, used to be the major opposition party in Japan but is a very small and uninfluential party at present. They currently are members of the minority coalition with the DPJ, and are ideologically center-left.
Kokumin Shinto, the People's New Party, is a party formed very recently in 2005 by members of the LDP who objected to former Prime Minister Koizumi's politics. It is one of the more right-leaning political parties, but is currently a member of the DPJ's coalition, for whatever reason.
Nihon Kyosan-to, the Japanese Communist Party, is a Leninist party, but advocates turning Japan into a communist state through Democratic power rather than revolution. The party is extremely active, especially in Nambu-cho, where I see their signs scattered around all over town. Ima koso, Nihon Kyosan-to!, 'Especially now, Japanese Communist Party!' They don't belong to either the minority or majority coalitions.
I hope you enjoyed your primer on Japanese Political Parties. I'll try to update with more interesting stuff as I find it on the elections.
Tuesday, July 14
You know you've been in Japan too long when...
You know you've been in Japan too long when...
...a teacher remarks to the students that 'You should have no problem finishing your rice today, because there's seaweed! So eat up!' and you not only find absolutely nothing strange with this comment, you agree with it.
...you keep your AC on 28, and it feels cool to you because you spend the entire day in an office with an average temperature of 30 with only your handheld fan to keep you company.
...you really really want to eat cold noodles for dinner. Zaru Soba YUM.
...a teacher remarks to the students that 'You should have no problem finishing your rice today, because there's seaweed! So eat up!' and you not only find absolutely nothing strange with this comment, you agree with it.
...you keep your AC on 28, and it feels cool to you because you spend the entire day in an office with an average temperature of 30 with only your handheld fan to keep you company.
...you really really want to eat cold noodles for dinner. Zaru Soba YUM.
Wednesday, July 8
How I passed my Japanese driving test on the first try...
Yesterday I drove to the not-so-near town of Yurihama (about 1.5 hours by car) for the second time to continue my license-getting process.
The Crank.
I have until now been driving under the auspices of an international driving permit, which was acquired through my neighborhood AAA and valid for one year. OH LOOK, I've been in Japan for over 11 months. In reality, I should have taken care of all this license mess weeks, nay months, ago. But in the end I was doing it the way I do everything, close to the deadline with moments to spare.
Changing an American drivers license (or a South African one, or a few other countries) to a Japanese license is for many a lengthy and painful process, but easier than getting a Japanese license from scratch. First, you have to get JAF (the Japanese equivalent of AAA) to translate your license from English to Japanese. Then, you have to make an appointment at the prefectural (state) driver's license center. Then, you go in (1.5 hours each way), and give them your paperwork (including the translation, your American license, etc) and have a short interview (in my case, they spent about 15 minutes asking me about my driving history in Japanese).
Then you wait for 1-2 weeks while they check through your paperwork. Then they call you and set up an appointment for you to come in and do your test. Your first test.
My appointment was yesterday. I waffled between confidence and panic. Would my preternatural ability to pass stupid tests come through, or fail me? I read through some materials provided by our prefectural advisor and hoped for the best. On the way to the driving center (1.5 hours drive), I practiced the skills that I knew would be tested.
Turn while braking and don't accelerate through the turn.
Check every mirror and your blind spots before completing a turn.
Drive very close to the left side of the road.
Stop fully and completely behind the stop line.
Once I got to the testing center (1 hour early), I again read through my materials in between reading google news and facebook on my phone. Once it was time for my appointment, I went through the paces. First, fill out an application (and shock my application advisor with my ability to write Japanese). Then, eye test. Then, written test. Then, watching a video about the practical driving test. Finally, the moment of truth, the driving test.
I watched the video really carefully, mimicking and practicing with thin air what the people in the video were doing. But I was still extremely nervous. My application advisor and a test administrator came out with me to the old taxi that would be my testing vehicle. I was still very nervous. I was then told to check out the car and familiarize myself with it, then we would have a 'practice', then the real test would begin. I sat down and adjusted the seat and took stock of where all the controls were. The test would begin when I got into the car, and finish when I exited the car and closed the door.
I got back out of the car, and my advisor got in the back seat while the test administrator was in the passenger seat. I followed the steps prescribed in the materials and the video. Look around the car to make sure there are no obstacles. Open the door, sit down, close the door, and lock it. I went for my seatbelt but remembered that comes later. Check the seat position, and the mirrors, adjust accordingly. Seatbelt. Check to see if the parking break is engaged. Press down on the brake. Check the gear (park, good.). Turn on the engine. Put the car in drive. Check in all directions to make sure it's clear. Drive forward.
OH WAIT. The parking brake is still engaged. At this point I'm sure I've failed. But I mutter a quick 'Sumimasen' (I'm sorry) and continue, this time with the brake disengaged.
Now is our 'training time'. The test admin tells me to make a circle. I do so, and worry the whole time I am doing it wrong. I check the mirrors constantly since the course is so small I'm basically turning constantly. My signal won't stay engaged because I'm turning so much. I hold it down and hope for the best. We make the round and he tells me to pull out onto the 'road' part of the course, and that my test will begin now. I'm ridiculously nervous and pull into the wrong side of the road. He corrects me, I apologize and fix myself. Then he says 'Your test begins now.' No harm no foul perhaps? But I still think I've already failed.
From here on it's a blur. I'm turning a lot. The only thing I am vividly aware of is my head checking my mirrors and blind spots at least once every 10 seconds. I fail to get to 50 km/h on the straightaway as prescribed in the pre-test prep, but I do manage 40... When I pull into the narrow 's-curve' and 'crank' portions of the test, I'm almost happy because they seem way easier than trying to turn at the test admin's every whim. I keep up the best I can but I'm STILL sure I am screwing up royally. I feel peace with this and hope that my post-test critique will give me information I can use to pass next time.
The S-curve.
We make the rounds for what feels like an eternity and no time at all, and return to the starting point. I complete the final steps. Brake. Engage parking brake. Turn off engine. Unbuckle seatbelt. Check out the window to make sure no one will be hit when I open the door. Open the door, step out, close the door.
Test administrator gets out of the car and says 'ok!'
I don't understand that this means I've passed until my advisor gets out and says 'ok! Passed! You pass!'. huh? I passed? Are you serious?
On the walk back to the center, I get asked where I went to driving school. I get asked who helped me pass the test. It's all very amusing to me and I say some stuff about 'friends' helping me out. I had no formal training! I get no critique whatsoever...despite the errors I am sure I made.
Oh well! No use in complaining. I've won! I beat the test! I wait, get my picture snapped, get my license, and head on my merry way home. Success!
And I can still barely believe it.
The Crank.
I have until now been driving under the auspices of an international driving permit, which was acquired through my neighborhood AAA and valid for one year. OH LOOK, I've been in Japan for over 11 months. In reality, I should have taken care of all this license mess weeks, nay months, ago. But in the end I was doing it the way I do everything, close to the deadline with moments to spare.
Changing an American drivers license (or a South African one, or a few other countries) to a Japanese license is for many a lengthy and painful process, but easier than getting a Japanese license from scratch. First, you have to get JAF (the Japanese equivalent of AAA) to translate your license from English to Japanese. Then, you have to make an appointment at the prefectural (state) driver's license center. Then, you go in (1.5 hours each way), and give them your paperwork (including the translation, your American license, etc) and have a short interview (in my case, they spent about 15 minutes asking me about my driving history in Japanese).
Then you wait for 1-2 weeks while they check through your paperwork. Then they call you and set up an appointment for you to come in and do your test. Your first test.
My appointment was yesterday. I waffled between confidence and panic. Would my preternatural ability to pass stupid tests come through, or fail me? I read through some materials provided by our prefectural advisor and hoped for the best. On the way to the driving center (1.5 hours drive), I practiced the skills that I knew would be tested.
Turn while braking and don't accelerate through the turn.
Check every mirror and your blind spots before completing a turn.
Drive very close to the left side of the road.
Stop fully and completely behind the stop line.
Once I got to the testing center (1 hour early), I again read through my materials in between reading google news and facebook on my phone. Once it was time for my appointment, I went through the paces. First, fill out an application (and shock my application advisor with my ability to write Japanese). Then, eye test. Then, written test. Then, watching a video about the practical driving test. Finally, the moment of truth, the driving test.
I watched the video really carefully, mimicking and practicing with thin air what the people in the video were doing. But I was still extremely nervous. My application advisor and a test administrator came out with me to the old taxi that would be my testing vehicle. I was still very nervous. I was then told to check out the car and familiarize myself with it, then we would have a 'practice', then the real test would begin. I sat down and adjusted the seat and took stock of where all the controls were. The test would begin when I got into the car, and finish when I exited the car and closed the door.
I got back out of the car, and my advisor got in the back seat while the test administrator was in the passenger seat. I followed the steps prescribed in the materials and the video. Look around the car to make sure there are no obstacles. Open the door, sit down, close the door, and lock it. I went for my seatbelt but remembered that comes later. Check the seat position, and the mirrors, adjust accordingly. Seatbelt. Check to see if the parking break is engaged. Press down on the brake. Check the gear (park, good.). Turn on the engine. Put the car in drive. Check in all directions to make sure it's clear. Drive forward.
OH WAIT. The parking brake is still engaged. At this point I'm sure I've failed. But I mutter a quick 'Sumimasen' (I'm sorry) and continue, this time with the brake disengaged.
Now is our 'training time'. The test admin tells me to make a circle. I do so, and worry the whole time I am doing it wrong. I check the mirrors constantly since the course is so small I'm basically turning constantly. My signal won't stay engaged because I'm turning so much. I hold it down and hope for the best. We make the round and he tells me to pull out onto the 'road' part of the course, and that my test will begin now. I'm ridiculously nervous and pull into the wrong side of the road. He corrects me, I apologize and fix myself. Then he says 'Your test begins now.' No harm no foul perhaps? But I still think I've already failed.
From here on it's a blur. I'm turning a lot. The only thing I am vividly aware of is my head checking my mirrors and blind spots at least once every 10 seconds. I fail to get to 50 km/h on the straightaway as prescribed in the pre-test prep, but I do manage 40... When I pull into the narrow 's-curve' and 'crank' portions of the test, I'm almost happy because they seem way easier than trying to turn at the test admin's every whim. I keep up the best I can but I'm STILL sure I am screwing up royally. I feel peace with this and hope that my post-test critique will give me information I can use to pass next time.
The S-curve.
We make the rounds for what feels like an eternity and no time at all, and return to the starting point. I complete the final steps. Brake. Engage parking brake. Turn off engine. Unbuckle seatbelt. Check out the window to make sure no one will be hit when I open the door. Open the door, step out, close the door.
Test administrator gets out of the car and says 'ok!'
I don't understand that this means I've passed until my advisor gets out and says 'ok! Passed! You pass!'. huh? I passed? Are you serious?
On the walk back to the center, I get asked where I went to driving school. I get asked who helped me pass the test. It's all very amusing to me and I say some stuff about 'friends' helping me out. I had no formal training! I get no critique whatsoever...despite the errors I am sure I made.
Oh well! No use in complaining. I've won! I beat the test! I wait, get my picture snapped, get my license, and head on my merry way home. Success!
And I can still barely believe it.
Monday, June 15
Curses!
The year thusfar has netted me three minor sports injuries...
In February, I banged my shin on a metal rail while snowboarding.
In May, I threw out my back while running and spent 2 days in constant pain hardly able to move, and about a week severely impaired, and it's still not 100%.
And, this weekend, I fell off a skateboard and hit my hand on the ground, spraining it minorly in the process.
Who knows what else the year has in store for me!
Maybe bad luck comes in threes...and I'm done with it.
In February, I banged my shin on a metal rail while snowboarding.
In May, I threw out my back while running and spent 2 days in constant pain hardly able to move, and about a week severely impaired, and it's still not 100%.
And, this weekend, I fell off a skateboard and hit my hand on the ground, spraining it minorly in the process.
Who knows what else the year has in store for me!
Maybe bad luck comes in threes...and I'm done with it.
Monday, June 1
Picspam
I've set up a flickr, and am dumping copious photos there for your perusal and enjoyment.
I can't be bothered to actually write entries...PSH.
Maybe tomorrow.
Here's the link: go for it!
I can't be bothered to actually write entries...PSH.
Maybe tomorrow.
Here's the link: go for it!
Friday, May 8
ひさしぶりね It's been a while
I haven't felt like blogging much lately. However, I have a free period at work (rarer these days) and some half-hearted motivation at the moment so here we go.
May 2nd through 6th I was off work in what is known in Japan as Golden Week. Golden Week is a series of national holidays in April (29 - Showa Day, the birthday of the emperor sometimes known as Hirohito) and May (3 - Constitution Day, 4 - Greenery Day, 5 - Children's Day). Since this year's Constitution Day fell on a Sunday, a 'make-up' holiday was given on Wednesday.
I celebrated with some light travel. Many people expect me to travel a lot, but really I don't. I came to live in Japan I guess, and I am not currently itching to go to Taiwan or Hong Kong or Australia or anything. I mean it would be nice to go to those places, but at the same time it's a lot cheaper for me to go places within Japan and I still have tons of fun.
Back to vacay. Vacation was great. I spend Saturday shopping at an outlet mall in Osaka, then Sunday visiting an ancient temple complex built into Mt. Hiei in Kyoto with my good friend from college Adrianne. Following that, me an 5 other friends booked it to Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture for 3 days, 2 nights of...whatever we would find there.
The weather was not so wonderful, rained on and off, but we really made the most of it. Monday we got to Shirahama and after scoring some ramen, hung out on the beach for a while. For dinner, we ate some surprisingly tastey Japanese cuisine prepared in a hole in the wall by a lone Japanese man with a collection of tacky animal figurines on his shelves. Four of us then settled in for the night at our inn, and two of us...slept outside. In the rain.
The next morning, we had some Lawson's (a popular convenience store) for breakfast and then hung out at the beach some more. The weather was pretty awful, raining hardcore all morning, so we decided to check out some 温泉(onsen), hot springs, since that is the other thing Shirahama is famous for. We went to the nicest Onsen I have ever been to. There were multiple baths, and a few outdoor options. I think we spent nearly 4 hours there, with our schedule something like bathe, walk to a different tub and bathe some more, eat lunch, chill, bathe, rinse off, go home. It was great!! Of course, Japanese baths require you to be totally naked, so the girl portion of our crew (Raz and I) went one way, and the boys (Satoshi, Joe, Karl, and Dan) went the other.
After the onsen, Karl and Dan (the outdoor sleepers) decided that with all the rain we'd been having, they would head back early to Osaka. That left 4 of us on the beach, relaxing and enjoying the few moments of rainless cloudcover. Satoshi and I sampled the local microbrew (He got the Pale Ale, said it tasted like Sam Adams from the states. I tried the American Wheat, thought it resembled Shiner. We were both pretty happy since it tasted different from the many somewhat indistiguishable Japanese lagers.)
There was some fear of the rain starting up again, so we grabbed more convenience store food and went to eat dinner at the hotel. The next morning we got up fairly leisurely, made our travel plans back, and with 2 hours to spare decided to jump into the ocean despite the weather. I will say it was cold. But, I was also the only person who didn't shiver in the water. Joe ascribed it to me having extra padding. Oh Joe. Don't you understand women at all? I kid, I kid.
Back to work now. Tomorrow I get a cat!
May 2nd through 6th I was off work in what is known in Japan as Golden Week. Golden Week is a series of national holidays in April (29 - Showa Day, the birthday of the emperor sometimes known as Hirohito) and May (3 - Constitution Day, 4 - Greenery Day, 5 - Children's Day). Since this year's Constitution Day fell on a Sunday, a 'make-up' holiday was given on Wednesday.
I celebrated with some light travel. Many people expect me to travel a lot, but really I don't. I came to live in Japan I guess, and I am not currently itching to go to Taiwan or Hong Kong or Australia or anything. I mean it would be nice to go to those places, but at the same time it's a lot cheaper for me to go places within Japan and I still have tons of fun.
Back to vacay. Vacation was great. I spend Saturday shopping at an outlet mall in Osaka, then Sunday visiting an ancient temple complex built into Mt. Hiei in Kyoto with my good friend from college Adrianne. Following that, me an 5 other friends booked it to Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture for 3 days, 2 nights of...whatever we would find there.
The weather was not so wonderful, rained on and off, but we really made the most of it. Monday we got to Shirahama and after scoring some ramen, hung out on the beach for a while. For dinner, we ate some surprisingly tastey Japanese cuisine prepared in a hole in the wall by a lone Japanese man with a collection of tacky animal figurines on his shelves. Four of us then settled in for the night at our inn, and two of us...slept outside. In the rain.
The next morning, we had some Lawson's (a popular convenience store) for breakfast and then hung out at the beach some more. The weather was pretty awful, raining hardcore all morning, so we decided to check out some 温泉(onsen), hot springs, since that is the other thing Shirahama is famous for. We went to the nicest Onsen I have ever been to. There were multiple baths, and a few outdoor options. I think we spent nearly 4 hours there, with our schedule something like bathe, walk to a different tub and bathe some more, eat lunch, chill, bathe, rinse off, go home. It was great!! Of course, Japanese baths require you to be totally naked, so the girl portion of our crew (Raz and I) went one way, and the boys (Satoshi, Joe, Karl, and Dan) went the other.
After the onsen, Karl and Dan (the outdoor sleepers) decided that with all the rain we'd been having, they would head back early to Osaka. That left 4 of us on the beach, relaxing and enjoying the few moments of rainless cloudcover. Satoshi and I sampled the local microbrew (He got the Pale Ale, said it tasted like Sam Adams from the states. I tried the American Wheat, thought it resembled Shiner. We were both pretty happy since it tasted different from the many somewhat indistiguishable Japanese lagers.)
There was some fear of the rain starting up again, so we grabbed more convenience store food and went to eat dinner at the hotel. The next morning we got up fairly leisurely, made our travel plans back, and with 2 hours to spare decided to jump into the ocean despite the weather. I will say it was cold. But, I was also the only person who didn't shiver in the water. Joe ascribed it to me having extra padding. Oh Joe. Don't you understand women at all? I kid, I kid.
Back to work now. Tomorrow I get a cat!
Monday, April 6
Hanami Barbecue! 桜より焼肉
Hanami - combination of two Chinese characters, 花 ('hana') meaning flowers, and 見 ('mi') meaning look, see, watch. Sometimes translated as 'flower/cherry blossom viewing,' my preferred translation here would be 'Going to see the cherry blossoms with eating and drinking in large groups.' But I do admit the shorter version has its merits.
We planned to have a nice Hanami picnic last Saturday, until the rain came and washed the barbecue plans out the window with it. So that plan was scrapped, changed to dinner at Pentola Mamma Italian restaurant, and we changed the date to Sunday.
Sunday, I trucked out one of the barbecue grills left to me by my predecessor to Minatoyama Park. Satoshi prepared some veggies for barbecuing (onions, bell pepper, kabocha squash, and shiitake mushrooms), and I iced the pants off a Japan-sized cake. (unfortunately I forgot to take a picture, so hopefully someone else got one)
Once at the park, we set up our tarp, table and chairs, grill, and started to get going (around 6 PM). Took us a while to get the grill going, had to get one of the Japanese girlfriends to go ask for some firestarter. Also I didn't bring the top to the grill so we mac-guyver'ed a solution by using a smaller one and propping it up with chopsticks.
It started getting kinda colder but around the grill it was warm enough. People trickled in and by then end there were about 12-14 people there. We ate kilo after kilo of pork and beef. Yummay. The sake got pulled out and passed around, but I was the safety driver! and didn't have any paint thinner this time.
I left the park around 10:30 PM smelling of smoke and beef. YUM.
昨日花見のバーベーキューをした。めちゃ楽しかった！私と智志はケーキと焼く野菜を持っていった。友達たくさん居た。たくさん焼肉を食べちゃったぁ。湊山公園は本当にいい場所やな。パーティーのあとに焼肉のせいで臭かったけど、次のバーベーキューを楽しみぃ。
We planned to have a nice Hanami picnic last Saturday, until the rain came and washed the barbecue plans out the window with it. So that plan was scrapped, changed to dinner at Pentola Mamma Italian restaurant, and we changed the date to Sunday.
Sunday, I trucked out one of the barbecue grills left to me by my predecessor to Minatoyama Park. Satoshi prepared some veggies for barbecuing (onions, bell pepper, kabocha squash, and shiitake mushrooms), and I iced the pants off a Japan-sized cake. (unfortunately I forgot to take a picture, so hopefully someone else got one)
Once at the park, we set up our tarp, table and chairs, grill, and started to get going (around 6 PM). Took us a while to get the grill going, had to get one of the Japanese girlfriends to go ask for some firestarter. Also I didn't bring the top to the grill so we mac-guyver'ed a solution by using a smaller one and propping it up with chopsticks.
It started getting kinda colder but around the grill it was warm enough. People trickled in and by then end there were about 12-14 people there. We ate kilo after kilo of pork and beef. Yummay. The sake got pulled out and passed around, but I was the safety driver! and didn't have any paint thinner this time.
I left the park around 10:30 PM smelling of smoke and beef. YUM.
昨日花見のバーベーキューをした。めちゃ楽しかった！私と智志はケーキと焼く野菜を持っていった。友達たくさん居た。たくさん焼肉を食べちゃったぁ。湊山公園は本当にいい場所やな。パーティーのあとに焼肉のせいで臭かったけど、次のバーベーキューを楽しみぃ。
Tuesday, March 17
YES WE CAN.
Sales man(everything translated from the Japanese except YES WE CAN): Why don't you come in? YES WE CAN! I designed these t-shirts. Yes we CAN! Aren't they nice? There's a pink and white one. Maybe the lady needs a cute new bag? Over here! Yes we can! Dickies brand, it's popular in the US right? Yes we can!"
Tuesday, March 10
I'd only just begun to know them...
Today we had our graduation ceremony at Nambu Junior High. The ceremony itself started at 10 and lasted an hour and a half. I understood what was being said about 40% of the time. I nodded off a little during the speech...but there was another guy who did too sitting almost directly across from me!
I got a wee bit choked up during the ceremony at times, but for the most part, it was a very somber and traditional affair that didn't stir much emotion in me.
But oh man. Then we had the send off in the parking lot. I LOST it and cried a bit. The worst was when the group of boys who always chatted the most with me rode off on their bikes. Hiroshi, Yuta, Kazuki...man I will miss those guys. One of the sweetest girls in the world gave me a hug and said 'Jessie-sensei don't cry.' (ジェシ先生泣かないで) I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to many of the students I loved...truthfully, I loved them all. I knew all their names and my life won't be the same without them.
I hope I see them again.
今日の卒業の後で、駐車場のさよならで、私は泣いた…生徒をこれから会えなくてとても悲しい。
I got a wee bit choked up during the ceremony at times, but for the most part, it was a very somber and traditional affair that didn't stir much emotion in me.
But oh man. Then we had the send off in the parking lot. I LOST it and cried a bit. The worst was when the group of boys who always chatted the most with me rode off on their bikes. Hiroshi, Yuta, Kazuki...man I will miss those guys. One of the sweetest girls in the world gave me a hug and said 'Jessie-sensei don't cry.' (ジェシ先生泣かないで) I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to many of the students I loved...truthfully, I loved them all. I knew all their names and my life won't be the same without them.
I hope I see them again.
今日の卒業の後で、駐車場のさよならで、私は泣いた…生徒をこれから会えなくてとても悲しい。
Monday, March 9
I can cook! うまっ！
Tonight I finally got the chance to go cook dinner with Hara-san, a member of my "old ladies eikaiwa" group.
"Most young women in Japan probably don't know how to cut up the squid. I must teach my daughter how to do it before she gets married."
We're trying to make thin egg sheets in the egg-pan...there was a bit of failure on that part but it still tasted like EGG so, win-win! ちょっと大失敗なんだのに、結局に同じ味があったから、大勝利だったね！
"When you are preparing the tempura batter, don't mix it too well." This is one of my favorite tempura articles - Japanese "pumpkin" called "Kabocha". イカを揚げたときに、怖いほど油が飛んだ。イカは水っぽいだからぜ。
THE FINISHED MEAL! (From upper left, in a clockwise manner: Miso soup with Tofu and Wakame seaweed, Shaved Daikon "oroshi" and soy sauce for dipping the tempura, Chirashi-zushi (sushi rice with simmered carrot and Shiitake mushroom mixed in, topped with shredded egg, shrimp, and some random greenery.), spinach and crushed sesame seed salad, "nagaimo" and seaweed salad (slimy yet satisfying), and finally, tempura.
It was WAY TOO MUCH food and yet if I had to eat it all again, I would. I would eat it all.
I can make all these things now!
原ママは私に教えた料理を作れるようになってきた！これから、お客さんとかあったら、もっとおいしい日本料理を作れるから良かったね。
"Most young women in Japan probably don't know how to cut up the squid. I must teach my daughter how to do it before she gets married."
We're trying to make thin egg sheets in the egg-pan...there was a bit of failure on that part but it still tasted like EGG so, win-win! ちょっと大失敗なんだのに、結局に同じ味があったから、大勝利だったね！
"When you are preparing the tempura batter, don't mix it too well." This is one of my favorite tempura articles - Japanese "pumpkin" called "Kabocha". イカを揚げたときに、怖いほど油が飛んだ。イカは水っぽいだからぜ。
THE FINISHED MEAL! (From upper left, in a clockwise manner: Miso soup with Tofu and Wakame seaweed, Shaved Daikon "oroshi" and soy sauce for dipping the tempura, Chirashi-zushi (sushi rice with simmered carrot and Shiitake mushroom mixed in, topped with shredded egg, shrimp, and some random greenery.), spinach and crushed sesame seed salad, "nagaimo" and seaweed salad (slimy yet satisfying), and finally, tempura.
It was WAY TOO MUCH food and yet if I had to eat it all again, I would. I would eat it all.
I can make all these things now!
原ママは私に教えた料理を作れるようになってきた！これから、お客さんとかあったら、もっとおいしい日本料理を作れるから良かったね。
Thursday, March 5
Studying geography makes my dorky soul happy.
I picked up some Japanese study materials for young Japanese kids and I am loving the geography one. Today I spend about an hour learning the names of various places in Japanese. I learned the word for 'People's Republic'. I learned that Yonaguni is the westernmost island of Japan. I learned that Japan considers the disputed South Kuril islands as theirs enough to put them in their children's books sans 'disputed territory' comment.
I find the name of North Korea in chinese characters kind of strange. 朝鮮民主主義人民共和国 If you can't see it don't worry, but it repeats a character twice in a row.
North Korea in Japanese is 'Chosen Minshu Shugi Jinmin Kyouwa Koku' ...the official name. The more typical name would be 'Kita Chosen', while South Korea is called 'Kankoku' Official name for South Korea is 'Daikan Minkoku'
Scuse me, I finally have some classes to go to so I can't keep geeking about geography.
I find the name of North Korea in chinese characters kind of strange. 朝鮮民主主義人民共和国 If you can't see it don't worry, but it repeats a character twice in a row.
North Korea in Japanese is 'Chosen Minshu Shugi Jinmin Kyouwa Koku' ...the official name. The more typical name would be 'Kita Chosen', while South Korea is called 'Kankoku' Official name for South Korea is 'Daikan Minkoku'
Scuse me, I finally have some classes to go to so I can't keep geeking about geography.
Tuesday, March 3
Thursday, February 26
Could you please tell me the way to the baby store?
There was also one that said something like "SHEAR GLOSSY LIP it takes one to know one" And many others.
Tuesday, February 24
Who care what I accomplish, at least they're having fun.
Today was a really GOOD day of elementary. The past few I've had a number of frustrations but today, really good. Lessons went smoothly, the kids were having fun, I was having fun...it was all good.
I will tell you the story of my 4th grade class today:
In 4th grade, we started learning some new vocabulary last week, places. We practiced the pronunciation and such and played a game using a previous grammar point 'Where do you want to go? I want to go to the ________'
Today I said we'd try a directions game. I didn't really prepare totally since I fly by the seat of my pants as a habit. At the beginning of class we did the usual 'What day is it? How's the weather' song and dance, then started out reviewed the names of all the places. We also introduced some direction-giving vocab like 'turn right/left'. Once that was done, I move the places around on the board a little and drew some lines connecting them.
Then I drew a stick figure at the end of one of my 'roads' and said 'Ok, everyone! This is ME!' and I pointed from myself to the stickman and back again. Then, I said something like 'Can you tell me how to get to the bookstore?' with emphasis on bookstore. Then the kids all together shouted out directions to me 'Go straight! go go! stop! turn right! go up!' etc until I got there.
As the game progressed I started adding more story to the proceedings. All of which I illustrated with chalk-drawn stickmen. I had them lead me to the flower shop and bought some flowers for 'Hada-sensei', then had them take me to school so I could give the flowers to 'Hada-sensei.' Then, feigned epic hunger and asked them to please tell me how to get to the bakery. Once I bought some bread at the bakery, I went to the park for a picnic. However, I drew myself alone, so the kids started saying like 'oh she's all alone!' so I responded by saying 'Oh! I'm all alone! sabishii picnic! LONELY!'
After that I told them that I was really really tired, and I wanted to go home. Along the way there, I kept yawning and falling off the path and going the wrong way which they got a kick out of. Once at home I drew myself in a futon, and then said it was morning and I felt good again! For my finale, I got a package in the mail at home. I opened it up to find a candle from my mom. I lit the candle and put it by the window. I started watching TV. While I was watching TV, the candle set the curtains on fire. I called for help! The kids had to get the firetruck from the station to my house.
The day was saved thanks to my 4th graders and I thanked them profusely first in English then in Japanese for SAVING MY LIFE!
Actually through the magic of acting and using a limited English vocabulary, pretty much all the kids seemed to understand my story (although they wanted my candle to be DYNOMITE...boys will be boys.) and whenever I asked them to tell me what they thought I said back in Japanese, they got it, perfectly. (for example, after I said 'Oh man! I am SOOOO tired! I want to go home and sleep! I asked (in Japanese) 'Do you understand? Tell me in Japanese what I said!' and I got the instant response of 'You're sleepy and want to go home')
So happy elementary was fun today.
今日小学校で（無料？）道案内ゲームをした。九割英語を使ってたのに、みんなだいたいわかったそうだ。授業をしながら話を作って、馬鹿みたいジェシカはエンターテイナーになった。生徒の案内おかげで、まだ生きている。
I will tell you the story of my 4th grade class today:
In 4th grade, we started learning some new vocabulary last week, places. We practiced the pronunciation and such and played a game using a previous grammar point 'Where do you want to go? I want to go to the ________'
Today I said we'd try a directions game. I didn't really prepare totally since I fly by the seat of my pants as a habit. At the beginning of class we did the usual 'What day is it? How's the weather' song and dance, then started out reviewed the names of all the places. We also introduced some direction-giving vocab like 'turn right/left'. Once that was done, I move the places around on the board a little and drew some lines connecting them.
Then I drew a stick figure at the end of one of my 'roads' and said 'Ok, everyone! This is ME!' and I pointed from myself to the stickman and back again. Then, I said something like 'Can you tell me how to get to the bookstore?' with emphasis on bookstore. Then the kids all together shouted out directions to me 'Go straight! go go! stop! turn right! go up!' etc until I got there.
As the game progressed I started adding more story to the proceedings. All of which I illustrated with chalk-drawn stickmen. I had them lead me to the flower shop and bought some flowers for 'Hada-sensei', then had them take me to school so I could give the flowers to 'Hada-sensei.' Then, feigned epic hunger and asked them to please tell me how to get to the bakery. Once I bought some bread at the bakery, I went to the park for a picnic. However, I drew myself alone, so the kids started saying like 'oh she's all alone!' so I responded by saying 'Oh! I'm all alone! sabishii picnic! LONELY!'
After that I told them that I was really really tired, and I wanted to go home. Along the way there, I kept yawning and falling off the path and going the wrong way which they got a kick out of. Once at home I drew myself in a futon, and then said it was morning and I felt good again! For my finale, I got a package in the mail at home. I opened it up to find a candle from my mom. I lit the candle and put it by the window. I started watching TV. While I was watching TV, the candle set the curtains on fire. I called for help! The kids had to get the firetruck from the station to my house.
The day was saved thanks to my 4th graders and I thanked them profusely first in English then in Japanese for SAVING MY LIFE!
Actually through the magic of acting and using a limited English vocabulary, pretty much all the kids seemed to understand my story (although they wanted my candle to be DYNOMITE...boys will be boys.) and whenever I asked them to tell me what they thought I said back in Japanese, they got it, perfectly. (for example, after I said 'Oh man! I am SOOOO tired! I want to go home and sleep! I asked (in Japanese) 'Do you understand? Tell me in Japanese what I said!' and I got the instant response of 'You're sleepy and want to go home')
So happy elementary was fun today.
今日小学校で（無料？）道案内ゲームをした。九割英語を使ってたのに、みんなだいたいわかったそうだ。授業をしながら話を作って、馬鹿みたいジェシカはエンターテイナーになった。生徒の案内おかげで、まだ生きている。
Monday, February 23
大阪・神戸・智史 Escape from Tottori
This weekend I spend Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday in Osaka and Kobe with Satoshi. Much fun was had. Rundown of some of the highlights:
-Spent time surrounded by large buildings and tons of young people instead of barren rice fields and old people.
-Went to The Gap and bought some clothes
-Went to an Izakaya and somehow only spent $10 total on a ton of food, three drinks.
-Went to Kobe for the first time and walked around and saw cool places like Meriken Park, a random shrine, Lotteria.
-Got introduced to the wonderful world of '学習まんが' which is comics for children that teach children things like Japanese proverbs, sayings, famous poems, etc.
-Met Satoshi's awesome mom who did things like make us breakfast, make us dinner, offer me candy.
-Went 'looking for my people' in Amerika-mura which means 'America Village'...but haha there really aren't Americans there it's mostly a place to buy hip-hop fashion clothes and see people dressed up like gyaru-o and other Japanese fashion trends.
-Got to hang out with Satoshi, who is not only super cool, but also speaks English almost fluently and understands my Amerika slang.
The only moment of the weekend that utterly failed was when we tried on two different nights to ride back together from the station on Satoshi's one person bike.
This is not a bicycle built for two! EPIC fail!
Oh also I forgot my camera...so I only got a few shots with my cell phone! Oh well...next time I'll remember.
もう智史と会うために関西に戻りたいけど
-Spent time surrounded by large buildings and tons of young people instead of barren rice fields and old people.
-Went to The Gap and bought some clothes
-Went to an Izakaya and somehow only spent $10 total on a ton of food, three drinks.
-Went to Kobe for the first time and walked around and saw cool places like Meriken Park, a random shrine, Lotteria.
-Got introduced to the wonderful world of '学習まんが' which is comics for children that teach children things like Japanese proverbs, sayings, famous poems, etc.
-Met Satoshi's awesome mom who did things like make us breakfast, make us dinner, offer me candy.
-Went 'looking for my people' in Amerika-mura which means 'America Village'...but haha there really aren't Americans there it's mostly a place to buy hip-hop fashion clothes and see people dressed up like gyaru-o and other Japanese fashion trends.
-Got to hang out with Satoshi, who is not only super cool, but also speaks English almost fluently and understands my Amerika slang.
The only moment of the weekend that utterly failed was when we tried on two different nights to ride back together from the station on Satoshi's one person bike.
This is not a bicycle built for two! EPIC fail!
Oh also I forgot my camera...so I only got a few shots with my cell phone! Oh well...next time I'll remember.
もう智史と会うために関西に戻りたいけど
Friday, February 20
Elementary English Education - what, exactly, am I supposed to be doing?
I teach middle school 4 days a week, and elementary 1 day a week.
I work at 3 different elementary schools and all three schools run the English program somewhat differently. At A School, the largest school, I mostly plan the English lessons for lower-level students (1st grade through 4th grade) on my own, and we use a textbook sort of thing for 5th and 6th grade although we deviate from the prescribed activities somewhat.
At B School, I plan all of the lessons on my own. However recently we had a open demo lesson there, and the protocol has been changing to the illusion of other people planning the lessons. By illusion, I mean that instead of me having a meeting where I plan out the lesson with one other person present, we've switched to having a meeting where I plan out the lesson with 5 teachers present. Illusion of cooperative lesson planning. ahem. At C School, a school with roughly 13 students and 9 teachers, they plan everything for me, fax me a lesson outline the day of, and I show up. For the Christmas party they asked me for suggestions and I obliged. I would do anything to help these people but at the same time I'm very relieved at how easy their lessons are for me.
As for WHAT we are to teach, the Ministry of Education has dictated some guidelines which go into place in a few years. English class is to foster interest in English education. Reading/writing activities are to be avoided. Phonics is not to be taught. The focus should be on 'communication'.
I feel like they're shackling English to permanently be this goof-off period where children are taught 800 different animal and vegetable names in English, or set phrases such as 'My birthday is August 14th.' Also the homeroom teachers are supposed to be able to plan the lessons, but they are not English experts, they are untrained to teach English, and they have no idea how to teach a language they themselves have a tenuous grasp on the basics of.
The thing is...my elementary kids know a lot. They learn some English and it does stay with them from week to week. But when we get into junior high, it's like they've never seen an English word and it's right back to square one. Huh?
Let's just teach them phonics and pronunciation for most of the year...
I work at 3 different elementary schools and all three schools run the English program somewhat differently. At A School, the largest school, I mostly plan the English lessons for lower-level students (1st grade through 4th grade) on my own, and we use a textbook sort of thing for 5th and 6th grade although we deviate from the prescribed activities somewhat.
At B School, I plan all of the lessons on my own. However recently we had a open demo lesson there, and the protocol has been changing to the illusion of other people planning the lessons. By illusion, I mean that instead of me having a meeting where I plan out the lesson with one other person present, we've switched to having a meeting where I plan out the lesson with 5 teachers present. Illusion of cooperative lesson planning. ahem. At C School, a school with roughly 13 students and 9 teachers, they plan everything for me, fax me a lesson outline the day of, and I show up. For the Christmas party they asked me for suggestions and I obliged. I would do anything to help these people but at the same time I'm very relieved at how easy their lessons are for me.
As for WHAT we are to teach, the Ministry of Education has dictated some guidelines which go into place in a few years. English class is to foster interest in English education. Reading/writing activities are to be avoided. Phonics is not to be taught. The focus should be on 'communication'.
I feel like they're shackling English to permanently be this goof-off period where children are taught 800 different animal and vegetable names in English, or set phrases such as 'My birthday is August 14th.' Also the homeroom teachers are supposed to be able to plan the lessons, but they are not English experts, they are untrained to teach English, and they have no idea how to teach a language they themselves have a tenuous grasp on the basics of.
The thing is...my elementary kids know a lot. They learn some English and it does stay with them from week to week. But when we get into junior high, it's like they've never seen an English word and it's right back to square one. Huh?
Let's just teach them phonics and pronunciation for most of the year...
Wednesday, February 18
Japanese Language Proficiency Test - 不合格
I've failed my JLPT.
I found out on Monday and I've been sitting on the info, stewing.
It came down to I couldn't pass the reading and grammar portion. That portion you get 70 minutes to read passages in Japanese and answer reading comprehension questions and also choose the appropriate grammar for umpteen sentences. Something I find so easy and instinctual in English but haven't gotten too good at in Japanese yet.
But there will be another test. And I will pass it.
Score rundown:
Kanji/Vocabulary 60/100 (pass!)
Listening 70/100 (good pass!)
Reading/Grammar 76/200 (UTTER FAILURE)
Total 206/400
I would have needed a 240/400 to pass, so it's not all too far out of reach. Even if I never crack 50% on the Reading/Grammar section.
I found out on Monday and I've been sitting on the info, stewing.
It came down to I couldn't pass the reading and grammar portion. That portion you get 70 minutes to read passages in Japanese and answer reading comprehension questions and also choose the appropriate grammar for umpteen sentences. Something I find so easy and instinctual in English but haven't gotten too good at in Japanese yet.
But there will be another test. And I will pass it.
Score rundown:
Kanji/Vocabulary 60/100 (pass!)
Listening 70/100 (good pass!)
Reading/Grammar 76/200 (UTTER FAILURE)
Total 206/400
I would have needed a 240/400 to pass, so it's not all too far out of reach. Even if I never crack 50% on the Reading/Grammar section.
Monday, February 9
Wednesday, February 4
再契約意思確認調書 (translated that means 'signing away the next year of my life')
Today I FINALLY turned in my 'Yes, I'll stay another year' form. AKA my recontracting decision form.
(Side note: the form is due on Friday. Sometime on Monday I thought to myself, hmm, I wonder where that form is? Isn't it due sometime in February? Then I found it. Then I realize, 'oh crap, THIS FRIDAY.' But turning it in was painless, just had to circle the 'Yes' and date it and sign it. But can you imagine if I had forgotten about it? I mean, classic Jessica behavior, but oy that could have been awful.)
At orientation, they told us that we would be facing this decision in February, the dead of winter, and that would make it harder. Harder to sign up for another winter, another February. But I loved January, and February is going pretty swell, at least the first 4 days of it. Silly orientation monkeys. Rather than being in a trough of culture shock, I'm finally adjusting to my surroundings and I LIKE February (It's like winter, but now with more sunlight!) and honestly...I just wish it could stay cold on the mountain so I could snowboard all year.
I feel good about staying two years. I kinda knew I would stay at least two years. I'm finally getting my roots here. It's been hard at times, but I finally have friends at work and friends at home and life is good.
(Side note: the form is due on Friday. Sometime on Monday I thought to myself, hmm, I wonder where that form is? Isn't it due sometime in February? Then I found it. Then I realize, 'oh crap, THIS FRIDAY.' But turning it in was painless, just had to circle the 'Yes' and date it and sign it. But can you imagine if I had forgotten about it? I mean, classic Jessica behavior, but oy that could have been awful.)
At orientation, they told us that we would be facing this decision in February, the dead of winter, and that would make it harder. Harder to sign up for another winter, another February. But I loved January, and February is going pretty swell, at least the first 4 days of it. Silly orientation monkeys. Rather than being in a trough of culture shock, I'm finally adjusting to my surroundings and I LIKE February (It's like winter, but now with more sunlight!) and honestly...I just wish it could stay cold on the mountain so I could snowboard all year.
I feel good about staying two years. I kinda knew I would stay at least two years. I'm finally getting my roots here. It's been hard at times, but I finally have friends at work and friends at home and life is good.
Monday, February 2
Lunch...an exercise in perseverance.
Today for lunch we had whole grilled Shishamo.
Wikipedia entry on Shishamo.
It was the 'full of eggs' kind.
I ate them in their entirety...heads and all...there were two of them...it was awful. I'm suffering from Post-fishhead stress disorder. (PFSD)
At least the soup was delicious...niku-jaga. Niku-jaga is a beef stew, similar to an American-style beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions. But the Japanese one is just a little sweeter and has 'konnyaku' root in it. Konnyaku basically tastes like nothing and has a firm (nearly crunchy?) jello texture.
Wikipedia entry on Shishamo.
It was the 'full of eggs' kind.
I ate them in their entirety...heads and all...there were two of them...it was awful. I'm suffering from Post-fishhead stress disorder. (PFSD)
At least the soup was delicious...niku-jaga. Niku-jaga is a beef stew, similar to an American-style beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions. But the Japanese one is just a little sweeter and has 'konnyaku' root in it. Konnyaku basically tastes like nothing and has a firm (nearly crunchy?) jello texture.
Friday, January 30
They grow up so fast...
Today I had my last lessons with my two classes of 3rd year students at Hosshoji (the equivalent of 9th graders in 'merica) and it was saaaad. I actually choked up and cried in the first one, because they gave me a gift and I wasn't expecting it. I held it together for the second class.
Oh, the 'gift' was a little book of things they wrote about me. Some gems:
"I think Ms. Jessy's voice is very beautiful. I don't like English because it is very difficult for me to study it. But your English class was very happy for me. Thank you." (This guy is one of the 'class clown' types, always made me smile.)
"I think your smile is very cute!! I want to speak with Jessy sensei motto(more)"
"I was glad to talk with Jessy sensei. Thanks to you, I came to love English. You are very kind to us. I think you are nice and a good teacher. I want to be like you. I had a nice time with you. Thank you very much." (From one of my speech competition kids. A great girl. Tears in my eyes when I first read that, for sure.)
"I meet Jessy sensei when I go to school. Then, I said "Good Morning!" to Jessy sensei. Jessy sensei said "Good Monring!" to me. I'm very happy. I like your smile."
"Thank you! Jessy sensei. I hope we meet again soon. I don't want to say goodbye."
"Thank you for Ms. Jessy. I enjoyed English class. I talked to you but I can't speak English well. Sorry..!!" (this girl is adorable.)
"I live in Hosshoji. You live in Hosshoji. I live near your house. English class is a lot of fun. I enjoyed speaking, reading a lot. I want to talk with you more!! If your free let's talk with me in English." (awww...mini stalker! :D )
"I'm very very happy to study English with you. Thank you for your class. Studying English became very fun. I will remember you. Please don't forget me." (This kid is so great...he's the son of the science teacher at my other school. I love my motivated smart kids, probably most of all.)
"We studied English with you. It was a lot of fun and interesting for me. I sometimes talked to you in English. But we couldn't sometimes change words well. But I like talking with you! And you are very cute. I'll never forget you." (My other speech competition girl. This girl has been so wonderful to me. She came and grabbed me and taught me the Sports Festival dance way back in September when I was brand new to Japan and didn't have a clue what to do at school. Love this kid.)
"She speaks Japanese very good." (haha...the secret that couldn't be kept!)
sniff...sniff.
One more totally unrelated thing: I don't like purple rice. Or purple pickles. The only purple things I will happily eat are grapes, and that's not the same kind of purple!
Oh, the 'gift' was a little book of things they wrote about me. Some gems:
"I think Ms. Jessy's voice is very beautiful. I don't like English because it is very difficult for me to study it. But your English class was very happy for me. Thank you." (This guy is one of the 'class clown' types, always made me smile.)
"I think your smile is very cute!! I want to speak with Jessy sensei motto(more)"
"I was glad to talk with Jessy sensei. Thanks to you, I came to love English. You are very kind to us. I think you are nice and a good teacher. I want to be like you. I had a nice time with you. Thank you very much." (From one of my speech competition kids. A great girl. Tears in my eyes when I first read that, for sure.)
"I meet Jessy sensei when I go to school. Then, I said "Good Morning!" to Jessy sensei. Jessy sensei said "Good Monring!" to me. I'm very happy. I like your smile."
"Thank you! Jessy sensei. I hope we meet again soon. I don't want to say goodbye."
"Thank you for Ms. Jessy. I enjoyed English class. I talked to you but I can't speak English well. Sorry..!!" (this girl is adorable.)
"I live in Hosshoji. You live in Hosshoji. I live near your house. English class is a lot of fun. I enjoyed speaking, reading a lot. I want to talk with you more!! If your free let's talk with me in English." (awww...mini stalker! :D )
"I'm very very happy to study English with you. Thank you for your class. Studying English became very fun. I will remember you. Please don't forget me." (This kid is so great...he's the son of the science teacher at my other school. I love my motivated smart kids, probably most of all.)
"We studied English with you. It was a lot of fun and interesting for me. I sometimes talked to you in English. But we couldn't sometimes change words well. But I like talking with you! And you are very cute. I'll never forget you." (My other speech competition girl. This girl has been so wonderful to me. She came and grabbed me and taught me the Sports Festival dance way back in September when I was brand new to Japan and didn't have a clue what to do at school. Love this kid.)
"She speaks Japanese very good." (haha...the secret that couldn't be kept!)
sniff...sniff.
One more totally unrelated thing: I don't like purple rice. Or purple pickles. The only purple things I will happily eat are grapes, and that's not the same kind of purple!
Wednesday, January 28
9 down, a billion to go.
I've been snowboarding 9 times this season. NINE. And would you believe that I'm angry at the weather this weekend? It's supposed to rain. I may not be able to go for the 10th time this season...I might have to wait til next weekend! NEXT WEEKEND people.
Honestly, it's probably better for me. I've been since last Wednesday. It's one of those low-grade illnesses that just threatens you with coughing and doesn't really put you out of business. Among my activities this weekend, I slept for 11 hours on Sunday night. It was bliss.
People around here are dropping like flies from the flu. I've personally never had the flu...but all the flu that's spreading around makes me wish I had decided to get a flu shot. I've never bothered to get a flu shot, mostly because I think I'm superwoman and don't get sick like that.
In my illness, I've started watching the series Battlestar Galactica. *first-year-Japanese-student voice* Eetsu Beery Eenturesutingu! (figure that one out)
I haven't been posting much because life is a little lame-o other than snowboarding, and I don't know that anyone wants me to write another 10 paragraph ode to the snowy mountain.
Honestly, it's probably better for me. I've been since last Wednesday. It's one of those low-grade illnesses that just threatens you with coughing and doesn't really put you out of business. Among my activities this weekend, I slept for 11 hours on Sunday night. It was bliss.
People around here are dropping like flies from the flu. I've personally never had the flu...but all the flu that's spreading around makes me wish I had decided to get a flu shot. I've never bothered to get a flu shot, mostly because I think I'm superwoman and don't get sick like that.
In my illness, I've started watching the series Battlestar Galactica. *first-year-Japanese-student voice* Eetsu Beery Eenturesutingu! (figure that one out)
I haven't been posting much because life is a little lame-o other than snowboarding, and I don't know that anyone wants me to write another 10 paragraph ode to the snowy mountain.
Wednesday, January 21
Of all the eye care specialists in Japan...
Yesterday I undertook what I thought would be a herculean task: procuring new contacts for myself. Along the way what I got was an easy ride and good feelings about Japanese service and people.
After hammering out where I COULD go for new contacts with my supervisor (a number of emails tossed back and forth in Japanese), I located a place ('Heart Up') that was open after work and went. Once I got there, I was helped out I found out that I had to go somewhere else for the 'description' (the one mistake in this girl's beautiful English. Even though I was able to communicate what I needed fine in Japanese...she had such great English that we ended up talking in English.)
Which let me to Sako Eye Clinic. OH MY. I was floored. The techs spoke Japanese, which was cool, because any chance to practice my Japanese is great with me. (accompanied by the typical gasps of 'wowow, you can write your address in JAPANESE!) But, then, I had my check-up with the doctor. He starts right out in English. He tells me his daughter is a student at a university in San Francisco, and explains to me about my prescription and everything. Then, we talk about American television. He loves the show LOST. Is it popular in the US? How about 24?
Of all the eye clinics in YONAGO, which is a tiny city with a low foreign population, I happen on the guy who is functionally fluent! It was a great surprise.
Back over to Heart-Up to order my contacts. They didn't have them at the store, which was no surprise (I've always had to order them in the US as well) The guy who handled my order spoke no English to me...just rapid fire super-polite Japanese sales spiel. However, I understood the gist of it. Which is all you really need to understand when it comes to sales spiels, no matter what language they are in.
I think I'll be getting some glasses there too. I owned up to my wonky ears and said to the guy 'My ears are at a different heights so my glasses fit crooked!' and he said that they could adjust my glasses to compensate! Yay!
Weird thing that doesn't make much sense: My prescription is valid for 1 month. However, at Heart-Up, I applied for an 'eye data' card and can order contacts for my prescription for the next 2 years....HUH?
After hammering out where I COULD go for new contacts with my supervisor (a number of emails tossed back and forth in Japanese), I located a place ('Heart Up') that was open after work and went. Once I got there, I was helped out I found out that I had to go somewhere else for the 'description' (the one mistake in this girl's beautiful English. Even though I was able to communicate what I needed fine in Japanese...she had such great English that we ended up talking in English.)
Which let me to Sako Eye Clinic. OH MY. I was floored. The techs spoke Japanese, which was cool, because any chance to practice my Japanese is great with me. (accompanied by the typical gasps of 'wowow, you can write your address in JAPANESE!) But, then, I had my check-up with the doctor. He starts right out in English. He tells me his daughter is a student at a university in San Francisco, and explains to me about my prescription and everything. Then, we talk about American television. He loves the show LOST. Is it popular in the US? How about 24?
Of all the eye clinics in YONAGO, which is a tiny city with a low foreign population, I happen on the guy who is functionally fluent! It was a great surprise.
Back over to Heart-Up to order my contacts. They didn't have them at the store, which was no surprise (I've always had to order them in the US as well) The guy who handled my order spoke no English to me...just rapid fire super-polite Japanese sales spiel. However, I understood the gist of it. Which is all you really need to understand when it comes to sales spiels, no matter what language they are in.
I think I'll be getting some glasses there too. I owned up to my wonky ears and said to the guy 'My ears are at a different heights so my glasses fit crooked!' and he said that they could adjust my glasses to compensate! Yay!
Weird thing that doesn't make much sense: My prescription is valid for 1 month. However, at Heart-Up, I applied for an 'eye data' card and can order contacts for my prescription for the next 2 years....HUH?
Sunday, January 18
I was gonna get a used board...
...but then I went and bought a bunch of nice brand new stuff.
Any money I would have saved this month has been spent on snowboarding.
Tuesday, January 13
Jessica comes to Japan, brings New York snow with her
Today we've got over a foot in accumulated snow and it is AWESOME. I walked to school in it, which was just like old times at college and AWESOME. Came to school and there were cars stuck in it every which way.
I had kinda wanted to drive here, but I don't have a snow shovel and my car was totally buried in it. Also, I would have also gotten stuck in the mess up at school so all things considered it's better I chose to walk, even if I did get temporarily lost going all googly-eyed at the winter wonderland.
The principal came over and told me this was the biggest snow in recent years. I then told him it was pretty much 'normal' for New York, with snow like this happening a few times a year, and worse snow happening a couple. I told him it make me nostalgic, and he laughed.
It's not to cold, only a right at freezing, and the perfect temperature for enjoyable snow shovelling. Here's hoping I can get that activity, since otherwise I'll be sitting here at my desk while the kids do tests all day.
Happy winter, ya'll!
I had kinda wanted to drive here, but I don't have a snow shovel and my car was totally buried in it. Also, I would have also gotten stuck in the mess up at school so all things considered it's better I chose to walk, even if I did get temporarily lost going all googly-eyed at the winter wonderland.
The principal came over and told me this was the biggest snow in recent years. I then told him it was pretty much 'normal' for New York, with snow like this happening a few times a year, and worse snow happening a couple. I told him it make me nostalgic, and he laughed.
It's not to cold, only a right at freezing, and the perfect temperature for enjoyable snow shovelling. Here's hoping I can get that activity, since otherwise I'll be sitting here at my desk while the kids do tests all day.
Happy winter, ya'll!
Sunday, January 11
It just takes a little courage
I'm starting to get a hang of this whole snowboarding thing. I had a great day out on the mountain yesterday. Granted, the weather could have been a lot better. When I wasn't drowning in the loose powder of a less-traveled course, I was being pelted in the face with flecks of snow.
But along the way I learned how to turn. It came down to not someone teaching me, but to me being ready and having the little bit of courage it takes.
In snowboarding you have two "sides" of your board, the heel side and the toe side. When I started, I learned how to slide down the hill on my heel side. From there, it was drifting on my heel side back and forth and down the mountain. With heelside, you lean back. So once I got that down, people tried to teach me to do toe side. It wouldn't happen. I was terrified of falling on my face. I DID fall on my face.
But yesterday, while my friends were off on other courses, it was just me and the mountain. And we made it work. Forgetting the fear of falling, the fear of inadequacy, I did it. I made my first toe side turns, and then going in little circles down the hill. It's not really a trick...but in my mind...it kinda is a trick.
Snowboarding is a lot more fun if you think you're doing tricks!
But along the way I learned how to turn. It came down to not someone teaching me, but to me being ready and having the little bit of courage it takes.
In snowboarding you have two "sides" of your board, the heel side and the toe side. When I started, I learned how to slide down the hill on my heel side. From there, it was drifting on my heel side back and forth and down the mountain. With heelside, you lean back. So once I got that down, people tried to teach me to do toe side. It wouldn't happen. I was terrified of falling on my face. I DID fall on my face.
But yesterday, while my friends were off on other courses, it was just me and the mountain. And we made it work. Forgetting the fear of falling, the fear of inadequacy, I did it. I made my first toe side turns, and then going in little circles down the hill. It's not really a trick...but in my mind...it kinda is a trick.
Snowboarding is a lot more fun if you think you're doing tricks!
Monday, January 5
In between posts...
I haven't written since my first snowboarding adventure, but trust me, I've had plenty to do, with it being a holiday and all...among my activities:
-Teaching a fellow 'merican to crochet!
-Snowboarding - two days, the 3rd and 4th, and I was attacking moguls and going proper way first on the board and getting speedy and then controlling speed. No terrible falls this time, which is probably why I managed two days of it.
-HAPPY NEW YEAR! party in Yonago with Keiko and the gang. Through my elite Japanese skill set I managed to meet and hold conversations with numerous people, and got a new friend out of it.
-Watched TV in Japanese with Japanese people. This is the only way I can stand watching Japanese TV, because so much of it escapes me, but with a Japanese person there I can ask questions when I have them. Also, Japanese commercials are some of the most amusing in the world. (Livin-GUUU)
-Reconnected with the local foreign crowd, and the prefectural one. This was nice, because while I love my Japanese friends, it's not like they want to hang out with me every day and I also enjoy just speaking in English to people who understand me without any difficulty.
-DIDN'T travel at all and feel happier for it. I feel like if I had left, I would have only missed on a bunch of opportunities.
So, how about you? Good holiday?
-Teaching a fellow 'merican to crochet!
-Snowboarding - two days, the 3rd and 4th, and I was attacking moguls and going proper way first on the board and getting speedy and then controlling speed. No terrible falls this time, which is probably why I managed two days of it.
-HAPPY NEW YEAR! party in Yonago with Keiko and the gang. Through my elite Japanese skill set I managed to meet and hold conversations with numerous people, and got a new friend out of it.
-Watched TV in Japanese with Japanese people. This is the only way I can stand watching Japanese TV, because so much of it escapes me, but with a Japanese person there I can ask questions when I have them. Also, Japanese commercials are some of the most amusing in the world. (Livin-GUUU)
-Reconnected with the local foreign crowd, and the prefectural one. This was nice, because while I love my Japanese friends, it's not like they want to hang out with me every day and I also enjoy just speaking in English to people who understand me without any difficulty.
-DIDN'T travel at all and feel happier for it. I feel like if I had left, I would have only missed on a bunch of opportunities.
So, how about you? Good holiday?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
