How fortunate I am to be in Japan this autumn, my favorite time of year! The hills surrounding Toyama are resplendent with red Japanese maple and yellow ginkgo leaves, a brilliant reminder that the heavy heat and humidity of summer have packed up and moved south. The drop in temperature has been like a life-force to Peter and I, granting us the long-forgotten energy, of which summer had sapped us dry. Afternoon naps due to heat exhaustion have given way to ultimate Frisbee games in the park or yoga sessions in our apartment, cool breezes from the balcony wafting in. Instead of freezing chunks of ripe fruit for ice cold smoothies, I am now baking apple pies to accompany soba or chai tea. And at night, hugging a duvet cover closer is so much more enjoyable then kicking it off for fear of hyperventilation!
The fall harvest in Japan has exposed new, culinary delights. Persimmons, sweet potatoes, taro (still don’t know quite what to do with this one), Asian pears, crisp Fuji apples, and newly harvested rice! I am proud to say that Peter and I have finally found a balanced diet where East meets West, where we are able to throw together, for example, rice and natto (fermented soy beans) for breakfast, leftover home-made pizza for lunch and gyoza for dinner. Or, another example, pancakes for breakie, sushi for lunch and pumpkin stew with a baguette for dinner. It’s been fun discovering the methods of use for unknown market ingredients and simultaneously figuring out ways to create food reminiscent of home.
School has been going loads better since its commencement after summer break. I feel I am being utilized more both inside and outside the classroom. My lessons are more fluid now that I am more relaxed and have come to know the “mood” of each class. And with the Toyama prefecture English Speech Contest coming up in November, I have been working with a handful of students to perfect their speeches, grammatically and phonetically. Some of the vocabulary words are hum-dingers for these kids to master! Imagine being a Japanese middle school student and rolling “socially,” “physically,” “industrially,” and “beneficently” off your tongue! But I’ve been so impressed with their commitment to practice. Their accents are getting better and better as we approach contest day. You can often find me in the school’s ad-hoc recording room, making tapes of the students’ speeches so they can continue their practice sessions at home. It is always an odd feeling hearing your own voice bellowing so slowly and clearly from a stereo, as if explaining something very complicated to a small child. However, I have realized that, without condescending, speaking in this manner is the most efficient way to communicate… even with the Japanese teachers! I only fear that I will adopt this habit even after my time here and native, English speakers will wonder if I am recovering from a case of linguistic amnesia.
This year’s October weekends have been unforgettable thus far. A few weeks ago, Peter and I returned to visit our friends on their vineyard about an hour outside the city in the foothills. A sunny Sunday afternoon, the air smelled of burnt rice husks and over-ripe grapes. Within minutes of arriving, Mr. Yamafuji, owner and operator of the vineyard, pushed his co-owned helicopter out of a small shed on the edge of the property. I assumed he had maintenance work to attend to and thought nothing of it. That is until he waved me over. Again assuming that he simply felt like showing off the aircraft, I was more than surprised when he said I’d be flying in it! Within 10 minutes, we locked the doors, strapped on the security belts, hovered briefly above the ground and then zoomed off over the lush contours of land. The helicopter, very small and agile, buzzed over field after field of scorched earth, where only a week before rice stalks had hung low, bent by the weight of the rice grains. We flew over Takaoka’s Suiryuji temple, a beautiful square of green, black and white. The clear day presented views of the Sea of Japan, as well as the Japanese Alps. What perspective! Strange as it may seem, I thought to myself, “How random it is that I live in Toyama, Japan.” Japan is a small island in the Pacific, smaller than California, and Toyama is a spot on the map that someone picked for me. A cluster of mountains, rivers, farms and small cities positioned in a hamlet on the bay. If you picture someone curling their arm to accentuate their muscles; I live where the bicep ends before the crease of the elbow!” Though not quite as adventurous as a ‘copter ride, the afternoon proceeded with grape-eating, listening to this family (a.k.a. The Von Trapp family) play any musical instrument lying around the place and then eating a mountain of gyoza surrounded by rivers of salad, chestnut rice and vegetable soup.
The next weekend, we had the chance to visit Lindsay and Sune in their new apartment in Oshima ward, Niigata prefecture. They live in this adorable little community tucked among lush forests, farm stands and all the hot springs you can imagine! We spent the three-day weekend drinking tea, doing a big hike up Togakushi mountain in Nagano, eating soba noodles with tempura in the LAND OF SOBA, playing monopoly and eating Lindsay and Sune’s impeccable cuisine! They recently bought this incredibly-logical kotatsu table. Imagine sitting on the floor with your legs resting under a low table. The belly of the table contains a heater and under the table top is a blanket that cascades out on all sides, covering your legs from the waist down. Now imagine that you live in a country where no one uses central heating during the winter and this is the primary way to keep warm when not sleeping. Ok, so you’re now in Japan. And Peter and I are about to freeze our buns off this winter if we don’t find a kotatsu on sale!
This past weekend was time to celebrate Peter’s 24th Birthday! On Friday, after school, we packed light bags and drove to Kanazawa with Dave and Yui. (If you don’t already know, Dave is a friend from college and Yui is his adorable girlfriend with whom we’ve grown close.) Yui works for a hotel in Toyama and was able to get us this incredible deal for one night’s stay at a swanky hotel next to the train station. So after sitting goggle-eyed in our luxurious rooms for a while, we headed to this cozy Spanish restaurant called Casa de Live. Glasses full of rich-purple Sangria chinked along with flamenco rhythms. We ordered paella, tortilla de gambas, home-made bread with anchovy butter and Peter indulged in steak. It turned out to be the chef’s birthday, as well, who came to sit down with us for a picture and a quick “kampai!” It was a stimulating environment with all the food, laughter, Spanish ambience, Japanese wafting from the kitchen and the satisfaction of having made it here after a very busy week at school. The next day was spent wandering the city; from temples to shopping, from gardens to meeting an adorable Persian cat named Tom. J In the evening, Dave and Yui headed back to Toyama while Peter and I changed our clothes into something more elegant in anticipation for our special dinner with a geisha.
A teacher at my school told me about Ryokan Matsumoto (ryokan = traditional Japanese inn) in Kanazawa that hosts elaborate dinners including geisha performances. Normally, these dinner parties are horrendously expensive but the Kanazawa ryokan association is trying to offer this unique opportunity to foreigners while also gaining insight into how to better serve the tourist population. This is an important endeavor for a city that attracts millions of tourists each year for it’s historical chaya district (tea district), modern museum of art, one of the top three gardens in Japan, shopping, food, markets, etc. In addition, witnessing an authentic geisha performance is quite a unique experience, rarely viewed by foreigners. Long story short, my teacher hooked me up royally.
The ryokan employees welcomed us with open arms at 6 p.m. on Saturday night. As thunder clouds rolled in over head, the tatami mat room in which we were seated came to life with chatter, laughter, glasses clinking and pots boiling. We were served a seafood nabe (like a chowder but a vegetable broth instead of cream) loaded with everything you can imagine from Kanazawa’s local waters! The only undesirable item was the cold squid in a “special” sauce, which I think included the said animal’s own ink but I just put the cover back on the small dish and that was that! Everything else was delicious. At one point, one of the geishas came over to our table to pour Peter and I sake. Her name was Aki (Autumn), it was her birthday the next day and she was delightful company. Despite a strong language barrier, the conversation was fluid and cheery. She was one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever met. Peter and I talked afterwards about how although we know that geishas are trained to do just that—socialize and flatter, jest and even flirt—Aki seemed unbelievably natural and sincere. She played her role well! After dinner was served, the lights dimmed and the thunder outside began to roar. One geisha began playing the shamisen while the head woman of the ryokan sat beside her and sang. Aki, kneeling on the ground with her forehead towards the floor, began to rise and opened her paper fan with one flick of the wrist. She moved with such composure and grace. Her head and neck remained stoically upright, at times rotating ever so slightly to emphasize a note of the shamisen. She made eye contact with everyone in the room and held her mouth in a straight line with just the hint of a smile. Her elaborate hair (a wig since the real procedure destroys your hair) curved dramatically on all sides, and shimmered like lacquer in the dim spot light. She was wearing a 12-layered susohiki kimono (particularly long as to trail along the floor), which had been hand-painted. After several dancers and a boisterous speech by the inn keeper, it was time to try our hand at Taiko (Japanese drumming). Peter was instantly chosen to play with the geisha, in light of his birthday. Blushing and smiling nervously, he made his way to the stage to try his hand at the drums. His rhythm was dead on, though he couldn’t wipe the nervousness from his face, which the crown seemed to adore as they clapped enthusiastically. We caught the 9:45 train back to Toyama and walked back to our apartment in the drizzling rain with beautiful images of the weekend dancing in our heads.
Thank you for reading all of this. I have been a poor blogger since July, though, as this was so fun to write and relive, I will hopefully be writing more often this fall and winter… at least monthly!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Well into July already, it’s time to jot down some notes from this corner of the globe. If I was big on Twitter, as it seems most of the world is becoming, you’d have received daily, short-length updates of my Japanese life’s trivialities. Though, my view on this job, learning Japanese, and whether or not I hope to stay here for more than a year is a constantly-changing climate. Daily updates would put me on the more random, and even uncomprehensible side of things. Best to keep this blog monthly.
My “weathering moods,” not surprisingly, seem to parallel Toyama’s sporadic weather patterns. When humidity levels reach 100% and the temp reaches 95 degrees, sleep consists of sweaty fits of strange dreams that leave me groggy and grumpy the following day. When the clouds plump, the wind surges up and the sky finally bursts open in torrents, I feel refreshed and restored, similar to the plants on my window sill who grow wilted from the heat. Though, just as I’ve realized how important it is to maintain a sense of humor at school, all you can do is laugh at Toyama's weather and embrace it! I was walking to school this morning as sheets of rain came UP at me, changing angles with the gusts of wind. I did everything I could to keep my umbrella from breaking, from holding it like a shield out in front to crouching down as I walked. I looked like a cat performing acrobatics to avoid getting wet.
The monsoon rains are intense and unpredictable, but what you really can't control is the heat. It is not to be toyed with; you need to allow yourself cat naps, drink like a camel, take ice cold showers and embrace the “wet mop” look. At school, teachers carry small towels with them everywhere, in order to wipe the sweat from their brow that inevitably forms just two minutes after class begins! Beauty is not a priority this season!
Haha I look up from this very letter to see a teacher asleep at his desk. He has his hands on the keyboard in front if him (you know, “work-style”), though his head just drooped and he’s starting to sway a little! Jeez, these poor teachers are still pumping out 12-hour days on top of this heat. What’s more, with summer vacation just 2 weeks away, I am turning into a kid awaiting Christmas. Not so for the teachers. Although they’ll get a break from teaching classes, they still must come to work every day of August! Doing what? Trying to restore their sanity? Yoga classes? Workshops on finding balance in life!? I put this question to one teacher and she replied, “We have many many meetings.” Er, ok… Imagine taking summer vacation away from teachers in the States because they must attend meetings every day. My mother would have retired long before this year!
Thankfully, I work for a private company so I don’t adhere to this schedule, though I know English teachers who work for JET who follow the same norms as the Japanese teachers. This means sitting at their desk all day for 6 weeks straight with NOTHING to do. If you are motivated, you’ll read all the books you’ve ever wanted to read, you’ll discover your passions and pursue them as best you can from a junior high teacher’s room. But I mean really! People need to get outside, wander into the mountains, take their kids to the beach, and enjoy BBQ’s among friends! Put me in a vinyl chair for 6 weeks and I would start bringing iced sake in a flask and take up smoking just for a break every hour! Aaah, what was I saying? Right, summer vacation is just 2 weeks away! Yahoooooo!
Peter’s parents, Robyn and Greg, are visiting Lindsay, Sune, Peter and I beginning July 28th. We’re to spend 2 weeks traveling around Nagano, Gifu, Toyama and Niigata prefectures, escaping into the mountains (and therefore, from the heat) most of the time. Japanese-style bed and breakfasts, hiking, tea houses, temples and shrines, an abundance of verdure and solid family time…. It’s gonna be great!
Peter and I have met some really nice people in Toyama city. The more I figure this place out, the more I like it. At first glance (if the guide books are generous enough to even recommend a glance), Toyama city is a small, industrial “town” by the sea. Unfortunately, its buildings are not very old because it was heavily bombed during the war and it’s not quite close enough to the mountains to feel like you’re really “one with nature.” So it doesn’t have the history of Kyoto or the savageness of Hokkaido. Though it does have its own charm, definitely its own eyebrow-raising dialect and its people are humble and sincere. I have learned that one of my great passions – coffee and tea houses in any shape or form – is a key to meeting the local people and establishing a network. After receiving a bike from my predecessor, which I have tagged “granny wheels” due to its one gear, comfy seat, front basket, chipper bell and upright handle bars, I spent weeks cruising the tiny side streets in my area. I wanted to figure out where the cafes and tea houses of character lived, not the bars and sleezy restaurants many foreigners talk about here. The nice thing about Toyama is its “small world” effect; once you’ve befriended one person, you get introduced to another person who knows a teacher from your school (or used to be a student at your school!), then this person introduces you to yet another individual who has lived in Portland, Oregon or San Francisco and this goes on and on. A network begins to form in a seemingly effortless fashion and you begin to feel a sense of community that branches out in unexpected directions. I wondered into a quaint café last month where I was swept up in conversation with two women who liked speaking English but enjoyed laughing even more. I told them their place reminded me of cafes I used to frequent in Portland… you know, that goooood vibe feel. As I was leaving, one of the women handed me a business card and said, “If you like here, you will like there, too.”
This is how I discovered Koffe, an old garage transformed into a sweet café. It was opened 2 months ago by two wonderful individuals, Koji and Sai. They recently returned from 2 years in NYC learning about the process of owning a coffee house and roasting beans. And appropriately enough, Koffe’s beans are roasted on site by Koji (after whom the cafe is named) and all of the cakes and other delicate pastries are made by his wife Sai in the tiny kitchen upstairs that overlooks the garden. The interior decorating is reminiscent of Scandinavia with dark wood floors and white-washed walls. It's an especially nice place to grab an iced coffee and cool down. Situated along the canal, there's always a breeze stirring through the wide open doors and jazz is the common background music.
Not only is the interior inviting, but Koji and Sai’s warm smiles and broken English are enough to sit you down to enjoy their company for hours. They invited Peter and I to a memorable dinner party at their friend’s house a few weeks ago and last weekend we spent some time at the monthly flee market with Sai, perusing the local goods and edibles. That same Sunday, Peter baked a whole-wheat, walnut loaf (biggest loaf I’ve ever seen come out of our rice cooker!) and brought them half. They were impressed by Peter’s skills as a baker and hurriedly sat us down and offered assam iced tea. We were then introduced to two other English teachers who had also recently discovered this haven. Turns out they’re real nice folk and told us about a vegetarian banquet/fundraiser being held this weekend followed by an evening of jazz.
Listening to the notes of a saxophone, our voices tumbled out of the café’s glow into the cooling air and onto the canal just across the street. A memory to hold on to. This image highlights why people love places like Koffe: it offers a venue for conversation and an exchange of ideas, a venue that forgets about time and schedules, one that gives you a moment of peace and reflection. For this reason exactly, I seek these places out. It is in this environment that the most real conversations are had.
Sending you all lots of love. Happy Summer summer summer time!
My “weathering moods,” not surprisingly, seem to parallel Toyama’s sporadic weather patterns. When humidity levels reach 100% and the temp reaches 95 degrees, sleep consists of sweaty fits of strange dreams that leave me groggy and grumpy the following day. When the clouds plump, the wind surges up and the sky finally bursts open in torrents, I feel refreshed and restored, similar to the plants on my window sill who grow wilted from the heat. Though, just as I’ve realized how important it is to maintain a sense of humor at school, all you can do is laugh at Toyama's weather and embrace it! I was walking to school this morning as sheets of rain came UP at me, changing angles with the gusts of wind. I did everything I could to keep my umbrella from breaking, from holding it like a shield out in front to crouching down as I walked. I looked like a cat performing acrobatics to avoid getting wet.
The monsoon rains are intense and unpredictable, but what you really can't control is the heat. It is not to be toyed with; you need to allow yourself cat naps, drink like a camel, take ice cold showers and embrace the “wet mop” look. At school, teachers carry small towels with them everywhere, in order to wipe the sweat from their brow that inevitably forms just two minutes after class begins! Beauty is not a priority this season!
Haha I look up from this very letter to see a teacher asleep at his desk. He has his hands on the keyboard in front if him (you know, “work-style”), though his head just drooped and he’s starting to sway a little! Jeez, these poor teachers are still pumping out 12-hour days on top of this heat. What’s more, with summer vacation just 2 weeks away, I am turning into a kid awaiting Christmas. Not so for the teachers. Although they’ll get a break from teaching classes, they still must come to work every day of August! Doing what? Trying to restore their sanity? Yoga classes? Workshops on finding balance in life!? I put this question to one teacher and she replied, “We have many many meetings.” Er, ok… Imagine taking summer vacation away from teachers in the States because they must attend meetings every day. My mother would have retired long before this year!
Thankfully, I work for a private company so I don’t adhere to this schedule, though I know English teachers who work for JET who follow the same norms as the Japanese teachers. This means sitting at their desk all day for 6 weeks straight with NOTHING to do. If you are motivated, you’ll read all the books you’ve ever wanted to read, you’ll discover your passions and pursue them as best you can from a junior high teacher’s room. But I mean really! People need to get outside, wander into the mountains, take their kids to the beach, and enjoy BBQ’s among friends! Put me in a vinyl chair for 6 weeks and I would start bringing iced sake in a flask and take up smoking just for a break every hour! Aaah, what was I saying? Right, summer vacation is just 2 weeks away! Yahoooooo!
Peter’s parents, Robyn and Greg, are visiting Lindsay, Sune, Peter and I beginning July 28th. We’re to spend 2 weeks traveling around Nagano, Gifu, Toyama and Niigata prefectures, escaping into the mountains (and therefore, from the heat) most of the time. Japanese-style bed and breakfasts, hiking, tea houses, temples and shrines, an abundance of verdure and solid family time…. It’s gonna be great!
Peter and I have met some really nice people in Toyama city. The more I figure this place out, the more I like it. At first glance (if the guide books are generous enough to even recommend a glance), Toyama city is a small, industrial “town” by the sea. Unfortunately, its buildings are not very old because it was heavily bombed during the war and it’s not quite close enough to the mountains to feel like you’re really “one with nature.” So it doesn’t have the history of Kyoto or the savageness of Hokkaido. Though it does have its own charm, definitely its own eyebrow-raising dialect and its people are humble and sincere. I have learned that one of my great passions – coffee and tea houses in any shape or form – is a key to meeting the local people and establishing a network. After receiving a bike from my predecessor, which I have tagged “granny wheels” due to its one gear, comfy seat, front basket, chipper bell and upright handle bars, I spent weeks cruising the tiny side streets in my area. I wanted to figure out where the cafes and tea houses of character lived, not the bars and sleezy restaurants many foreigners talk about here. The nice thing about Toyama is its “small world” effect; once you’ve befriended one person, you get introduced to another person who knows a teacher from your school (or used to be a student at your school!), then this person introduces you to yet another individual who has lived in Portland, Oregon or San Francisco and this goes on and on. A network begins to form in a seemingly effortless fashion and you begin to feel a sense of community that branches out in unexpected directions. I wondered into a quaint café last month where I was swept up in conversation with two women who liked speaking English but enjoyed laughing even more. I told them their place reminded me of cafes I used to frequent in Portland… you know, that goooood vibe feel. As I was leaving, one of the women handed me a business card and said, “If you like here, you will like there, too.”
This is how I discovered Koffe, an old garage transformed into a sweet café. It was opened 2 months ago by two wonderful individuals, Koji and Sai. They recently returned from 2 years in NYC learning about the process of owning a coffee house and roasting beans. And appropriately enough, Koffe’s beans are roasted on site by Koji (after whom the cafe is named) and all of the cakes and other delicate pastries are made by his wife Sai in the tiny kitchen upstairs that overlooks the garden. The interior decorating is reminiscent of Scandinavia with dark wood floors and white-washed walls. It's an especially nice place to grab an iced coffee and cool down. Situated along the canal, there's always a breeze stirring through the wide open doors and jazz is the common background music.
Not only is the interior inviting, but Koji and Sai’s warm smiles and broken English are enough to sit you down to enjoy their company for hours. They invited Peter and I to a memorable dinner party at their friend’s house a few weeks ago and last weekend we spent some time at the monthly flee market with Sai, perusing the local goods and edibles. That same Sunday, Peter baked a whole-wheat, walnut loaf (biggest loaf I’ve ever seen come out of our rice cooker!) and brought them half. They were impressed by Peter’s skills as a baker and hurriedly sat us down and offered assam iced tea. We were then introduced to two other English teachers who had also recently discovered this haven. Turns out they’re real nice folk and told us about a vegetarian banquet/fundraiser being held this weekend followed by an evening of jazz.
Listening to the notes of a saxophone, our voices tumbled out of the café’s glow into the cooling air and onto the canal just across the street. A memory to hold on to. This image highlights why people love places like Koffe: it offers a venue for conversation and an exchange of ideas, a venue that forgets about time and schedules, one that gives you a moment of peace and reflection. For this reason exactly, I seek these places out. It is in this environment that the most real conversations are had.
Sending you all lots of love. Happy Summer summer summer time!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Although it sometimes seems that there are few differences between Japanese students and American students (both love to get silly, both eat like bears preparing for hibernation, both love to find out the juicy details of their teachers’ personal lives), there are some key differences in the way these students go about their daily routines.
In Japanese schools, there are somewhere between two and six adults (depending on school size) who take care of photocopying materials for teachers, preparing endless pots of tea and coffee, sprucing up the gardens and fixing any plumbing or electrical problems that arise. However, there are no janitors who clean the school every afternoon, nor any lunch crew to serve hot lunch in the cafeteria. In fact, there is no cafeteria at all.
Every day at 12:40 the bell rings, sounding the call of lunchtime to the delight of famished students. Then comes the clatter of desks and chairs being arranged in each classroom since students have lunch there, grouped into clusters of six. Next, a handful of students from each class, donning white lab coats and hats (picture adorable scientists in the lab) hurry downstairs to the back of the school where school lunch gets dropped off each day. The food is brought in by truck, prepared by a company that is in charge of school lunches for this area. (Peter and I usually ask each other after school, “What did you think about yakisoba with shrimp today?” since we’re eating the exact same lunch.) Students haul big pots of soup, rice, noodles and salads, bread, milk, chopsticks, trays and straws up the stairs to their respective class rooms where they then serve lunch to fellow classmates. There is even a table at the front of the classroom that folds out to reveal a stainless steel top with wide openings in which to place the pots of soup, noodles, etc. The “mad scientists” dish up the same amount in every bowl and pass out all necessary accessories for that day. While this is happening, the rest of the students sit at their desks or hang out on the balcony, chatting happily and waiting until lunch has been served to every desk. Only then, once the “scientists” have removed their outfits and sat down, does one student stand at the front of the classroom calling everyone’s attention and finally saying, “Itadakimasu,” which means “we are grateful for this meal.” Then the chow down begins and those who need a larger caloric intake head to the serving table where there’s always some extra grub left. The homeroom teacher eats at the head of the class on top of a raised platform. There is rarely any misbehaving; the kids are so hungry by this point that all they care about is eating! When lunch wraps up, everyone brings their tray and dishes to the front and stacks them in neat piles. Then a group (not sure if these are the same “scientists” or not) carry everything back downstairs for the truck to pick up and bring back to company headquarters. It’s so systematic that it makes lunch sound unappealing, but the food itself is decent and the efficiency offered by this system could really help out the ailing school budgets in the States! No cafeteria or cafeteria staff, plus a hands-on way of teaching students about generosity, patience, hygiene and respect.
Lunch consists of a salad or vegetable of sort, the protein portion, rice or bread, a miso soup, a serving of fruit and milk. Some intriguing alterations to this standard have been chocolate spread or jam with the bread, seaweed and salt mixture to top the rice and frozen fruit. This is perhaps more information than you care to know, however, because I eat school lunch every day, any “special addition” they throw at me is greatly appreciated.
I have started making it a routine to eat lunch with the students since it’s far more interesting than sitting in the teachers room, unless I’m feeling lethargic and just want to read The New York Times. Eating with them enables open conversation in which they usually ask about my “kare” (boyfriend) and I get to practice a little Japanese.
The other major difference between the daily routines of America and Japan is school cleaning. Japanese kids clean their own classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and teacher’s room! No joke. Every afternoon, once classes have ended and before club sports begin, someone runs to the “recording studio” (as I like to call it) and puts on their music of choice. On any given day, I hear the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Bach, Jpop, The Beatles, Mariah Carrey or Christmas tunes blast through the halls. It’s hilarious! The school becomes a temporary free-for-all as the jams pump and kids wash toilets, sweep floors, take out trash and polish the floors. My favorite is the floor polishing. The boys run across the floor on all fours, their hands pushing a cloth out in front of them, making squeaking noises every time their trainers hit the linoleum. During cleaning time, teachers assume positions across the school, checking to see that everyone is doing his/her chore. When a group finishes an area the teacher will check to see that it’s sufficiently clean and then thank these students for their hard work, at which point everyone bows in unison offering more thanks.
During my first week here, I was getting accustomed to so many new things that when I initially experienced school cleaning, I was like, “Check, kids clean school in the afternoon.” Although now, I am in awe that with such a simple addition to the daily schedule, Japanese schools have eliminated the need for janitors and are teaching kids to clean up after themselves… and after their teachers!
Today’s theme music? Harry Potter soundtrack. Oh yeah! J
Although it sometimes seems that there are few differences between Japanese students and American students (both love to get silly, both eat like bears preparing for hibernation, both love to find out the juicy details of their teachers’ personal lives), there are some key differences in the way these students go about their daily routines.
In Japanese schools, there are somewhere between two and six adults (depending on school size) who take care of photocopying materials for teachers, preparing endless pots of tea and coffee, sprucing up the gardens and fixing any plumbing or electrical problems that arise. However, there are no janitors who clean the school every afternoon, nor any lunch crew to serve hot lunch in the cafeteria. In fact, there is no cafeteria at all.
Every day at 12:40 the bell rings, sounding the call of lunchtime to the delight of famished students. Then comes the clatter of desks and chairs being arranged in each classroom since students have lunch there, grouped into clusters of six. Next, a handful of students from each class, donning white lab coats and hats (picture adorable scientists in the lab) hurry downstairs to the back of the school where school lunch gets dropped off each day. The food is brought in by truck, prepared by a company that is in charge of school lunches for this area. (Peter and I usually ask each other after school, “What did you think about yakisoba with shrimp today?” since we’re eating the exact same lunch.) Students haul big pots of soup, rice, noodles and salads, bread, milk, chopsticks, trays and straws up the stairs to their respective class rooms where they then serve lunch to fellow classmates. There is even a table at the front of the classroom that folds out to reveal a stainless steel top with wide openings in which to place the pots of soup, noodles, etc. The “mad scientists” dish up the same amount in every bowl and pass out all necessary accessories for that day. While this is happening, the rest of the students sit at their desks or hang out on the balcony, chatting happily and waiting until lunch has been served to every desk. Only then, once the “scientists” have removed their outfits and sat down, does one student stand at the front of the classroom calling everyone’s attention and finally saying, “Itadakimasu,” which means “we are grateful for this meal.” Then the chow down begins and those who need a larger caloric intake head to the serving table where there’s always some extra grub left. The homeroom teacher eats at the head of the class on top of a raised platform. There is rarely any misbehaving; the kids are so hungry by this point that all they care about is eating! When lunch wraps up, everyone brings their tray and dishes to the front and stacks them in neat piles. Then a group (not sure if these are the same “scientists” or not) carry everything back downstairs for the truck to pick up and bring back to company headquarters. It’s so systematic that it makes lunch sound unappealing, but the food itself is decent and the efficiency offered by this system could really help out the ailing school budgets in the States! No cafeteria or cafeteria staff, plus a hands-on way of teaching students about generosity, patience, hygiene and respect.
Lunch consists of a salad or vegetable of sort, the protein portion, rice or bread, a miso soup, a serving of fruit and milk. Some intriguing alterations to this standard have been chocolate spread or jam with the bread, seaweed and salt mixture to top the rice and frozen fruit. This is perhaps more information than you care to know, however, because I eat school lunch every day, any “special addition” they throw at me is greatly appreciated.
I have started making it a routine to eat lunch with the students since it’s far more interesting than sitting in the teachers room, unless I’m feeling lethargic and just want to read The New York Times. Eating with them enables open conversation in which they usually ask about my “kare” (boyfriend) and I get to practice a little Japanese.
The other major difference between the daily routines of America and Japan is school cleaning. Japanese kids clean their own classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and teacher’s room! No joke. Every afternoon, once classes have ended and before club sports begin, someone runs to the “recording studio” (as I like to call it) and puts on their music of choice. On any given day, I hear the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Bach, Jpop, The Beatles, Mariah Carrey or Christmas tunes blast through the halls. It’s hilarious! The school becomes a temporary free-for-all as the jams pump and kids wash toilets, sweep floors, take out trash and polish the floors. My favorite is the floor polishing. The boys run across the floor on all fours, their hands pushing a cloth out in front of them, making squeaking noises every time their trainers hit the linoleum. During cleaning time, teachers assume positions across the school, checking to see that everyone is doing his/her chore. When a group finishes an area the teacher will check to see that it’s sufficiently clean and then thank these students for their hard work, at which point everyone bows in unison offering more thanks.
During my first week here, I was getting accustomed to so many new things that when I initially experienced school cleaning, I was like, “Check, kids clean school in the afternoon.” Although now, I am in awe that with such a simple addition to the daily schedule, Japanese schools have eliminated the need for janitors and are teaching kids to clean up after themselves… and after their teachers!
Today’s theme music? Harry Potter soundtrack. Oh yeah! J
In Japanese schools, there are somewhere between two and six adults (depending on school size) who take care of photocopying materials for teachers, preparing endless pots of tea and coffee, sprucing up the gardens and fixing any plumbing or electrical problems that arise. However, there are no janitors who clean the school every afternoon, nor any lunch crew to serve hot lunch in the cafeteria. In fact, there is no cafeteria at all.
Every day at 12:40 the bell rings, sounding the call of lunchtime to the delight of famished students. Then comes the clatter of desks and chairs being arranged in each classroom since students have lunch there, grouped into clusters of six. Next, a handful of students from each class, donning white lab coats and hats (picture adorable scientists in the lab) hurry downstairs to the back of the school where school lunch gets dropped off each day. The food is brought in by truck, prepared by a company that is in charge of school lunches for this area. (Peter and I usually ask each other after school, “What did you think about yakisoba with shrimp today?” since we’re eating the exact same lunch.) Students haul big pots of soup, rice, noodles and salads, bread, milk, chopsticks, trays and straws up the stairs to their respective class rooms where they then serve lunch to fellow classmates. There is even a table at the front of the classroom that folds out to reveal a stainless steel top with wide openings in which to place the pots of soup, noodles, etc. The “mad scientists” dish up the same amount in every bowl and pass out all necessary accessories for that day. While this is happening, the rest of the students sit at their desks or hang out on the balcony, chatting happily and waiting until lunch has been served to every desk. Only then, once the “scientists” have removed their outfits and sat down, does one student stand at the front of the classroom calling everyone’s attention and finally saying, “Itadakimasu,” which means “we are grateful for this meal.” Then the chow down begins and those who need a larger caloric intake head to the serving table where there’s always some extra grub left. The homeroom teacher eats at the head of the class on top of a raised platform. There is rarely any misbehaving; the kids are so hungry by this point that all they care about is eating! When lunch wraps up, everyone brings their tray and dishes to the front and stacks them in neat piles. Then a group (not sure if these are the same “scientists” or not) carry everything back downstairs for the truck to pick up and bring back to company headquarters. It’s so systematic that it makes lunch sound unappealing, but the food itself is decent and the efficiency offered by this system could really help out the ailing school budgets in the States! No cafeteria or cafeteria staff, plus a hands-on way of teaching students about generosity, patience, hygiene and respect.
Lunch consists of a salad or vegetable of sort, the protein portion, rice or bread, a miso soup, a serving of fruit and milk. Some intriguing alterations to this standard have been chocolate spread or jam with the bread, seaweed and salt mixture to top the rice and frozen fruit. This is perhaps more information than you care to know, however, because I eat school lunch every day, any “special addition” they throw at me is greatly appreciated.
I have started making it a routine to eat lunch with the students since it’s far more interesting than sitting in the teachers room, unless I’m feeling lethargic and just want to read The New York Times. Eating with them enables open conversation in which they usually ask about my “kare” (boyfriend) and I get to practice a little Japanese.
The other major difference between the daily routines of America and Japan is school cleaning. Japanese kids clean their own classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and teacher’s room! No joke. Every afternoon, once classes have ended and before club sports begin, someone runs to the “recording studio” (as I like to call it) and puts on their music of choice. On any given day, I hear the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Bach, Jpop, The Beatles, Mariah Carrey or Christmas tunes blast through the halls. It’s hilarious! The school becomes a temporary free-for-all as the jams pump and kids wash toilets, sweep floors, take out trash and polish the floors. My favorite is the floor polishing. The boys run across the floor on all fours, their hands pushing a cloth out in front of them, making squeaking noises every time their trainers hit the linoleum. During cleaning time, teachers assume positions across the school, checking to see that everyone is doing his/her chore. When a group finishes an area the teacher will check to see that it’s sufficiently clean and then thank these students for their hard work, at which point everyone bows in unison offering more thanks.
During my first week here, I was getting accustomed to so many new things that when I initially experienced school cleaning, I was like, “Check, kids clean school in the afternoon.” Although now, I am in awe that with such a simple addition to the daily schedule, Japanese schools have eliminated the need for janitors and are teaching kids to clean up after themselves… and after their teachers!
Today’s theme music? Harry Potter soundtrack. Oh yeah! J
Monday, May 25, 2009
２００９年５月２５日
All I can say is, “Sorry I’m late.” I don’t remember the last time I wrote anything substantial about my time here, let alone the last time I actually posted a blog! My apologies for those of you die-hard fans who have been drooling by the computer just… erh, well, ok that’s an exaggeration. Back to reality: if you actually read this blog than you are a dear friend (or one of my parents) and hopefully I have sent you a personalized message since April 29th (last blog)!
It’s a well-known fact that when you settle into a routine (and cherish the time outside of that routine), you hardly notice the time passing by at an ever-increasing rate. I’ve been in Japan now (quick look at the calendar) 2 months and a week now. There is a side to this fact that screams, “Man, I am happy THAT part is over!” and another side that doesn’t understand how summer could possibly be approaching! Isn’t it still the end of winter? Peter and I have concluded that our days at school can seem like an eternity (if we don’t have many classes that day) while the weeks simply fly.
The degree to which I enjoy Toyama, this job and my overall lifestyle here has varied greatly over the past 10 weeks. Here’s a slice of that “mille-feuille” for you:
Stage One – Japan! Japan! Japan! I’m dreaming this, right?
Stage Two – Toyama! Toyama! Toyama! I really get to live by the sea AND the mountains?! This Leo palace isn’t THAT small. Peter, we have our own place! Wow, you can get around pretty easy here for not speaking a word of Japanese!
Stage Three – Toyama… why exactly do people live in Toyama? Because they have no other choice? Kanazawa is much more interesting. Peter, you’re hogging the pillow AND our one sheet! Japanese will be impossible to learn. At least we have one friend here, Mr. Dave Meyers!
Stage Four – We get to live by the canal in downtown Toyama! The stale smell of smoke at the Leo Palace was a gift after all! (For those wondering what the heck is a “Leo Palace,” it’s a tiny apartment often rented out to transient Japanese or clueless foreigners. They are very compact, quite efficient really, but lack any charm. They also apparently inspire people to take up chain-smoking.) School is both nerve-racking and BORING!!! No internet connection means little contact with family L Oh the luxury of speaking Japanese. I’m feeling jealous of my co-workers for the ease with which they can speak to one another.
Stage Five – Still love our apartment (bare floors, walls and all); classes have started at school; feeling less like a small animal at the bottom of a large food-chain.
Stage Six – Apartment is as sweet as ever (we bought a coffee table and floor cushions!) and classes are going well. Our social circle is expanding with Dave’s help; we host a dinner party at our place. (Number of invites tops 8!) I hope Yui (Dave’s girlfriend) becomes my best friend. Peter looks skinny from eating only rice and barley. Feeling ever-more strapped for cash, we stick it to the man and buy ourselves a vegetable garden for the balcony. haHA!
Stage Seven – Peter and I begin discovering how to use products here to make delicious meals. Chinese shop across the street offers the spices we were missing, new rice cooker from 2nd hand store solves the lack-of-good-bread-dilemma and Lindsay inspires us to get creative with Japanese ingredients! Can you say “miso chutney?” A trip with Lindsay and Sune for Golden Week reminds me of WHY I wanted to come to Japan in the first place. Nothing like camping and rock-climbing with good friends to grant you some perspective. Peter begins to look healthier!
Stage Eight – I’m happy I live in Toyama. It’s doesn’t boast any major tourist attraction and it’s local specialty is firefly squid, which is foul, but it’s where I live now! I start to recognize Toyama’s small charms and appreciate the fact that it’s NOT a tourist trap. Peter and I begin Japanese lessons with our friend, Kuboshita! She likes our dry humor, offers us a Tupperware of her own “rolled cabbage” dish, hates air conditioning and has the cutest shoes! Internet connection found and long-awaited chats with family had! Major downer: our building is covered with scaffolding (blocking fresh air and sunlight sources for our garden!) and workers begin chipping away at the grout early one Saturday morning (to be repeated the next Saturday, as well). What’s the flippin’ idea?! Sunday Japanese lessons have commenced at the International building downtown. Peter and I arrive soggy, late and empty-handed to our first lesson and some Chinese guy in the class is a jerk. He likes to repeat after the teacher just slightly before the rest of us to show us he’s better. Jerk.
Stage Nine – No vacations in the near future, which is a bit disconcerting, though school weeks are now racing by and I feel mostly happy when at school. Most of my students are great, though some make my teeth hurt. It’s amazing, however, to be supporting myself financially… in Japan! Hey, I can read Hiragana (one of the 3 Japanese writing systems) now! A Japanese woman who teaches private lessons invites me to help out with English parties at her house… she is also my new tutor and we make plans for next week! Peter and I spend our dinners watching David Attenborough’s State of the Planet series. We are going for runs more often and occasionally play badminton in the nearby park. Dave stops by and we head to The Golden Bowl (our local bowling alley) just next door. Nothing like sipping sake and hitting a few strikes to get you giggling J
Stage Ten – Discovery! Peter and I can run just 20 minutes from our apartment and end up at a beautiful ridge, lined with bamboo forests! The park also boasts 500 Buddha statues, a tea house, several museums and a jankey-looking Victorian home that advertises “Wine, beer, steak & ice cream”… sounds rough. Most of the other English teachers we meet (mostly from U.S. and Australia) are weird or offensive…or both. However, Dave is becoming a dear friend and we have plans to throw Yui a grand birthday party next week. I will prepare her favorite dessert – chocolate pudding! Peter and I get paid for the first time (hallelujah!) at the end of this week! (A.k.a. no more stressing over the $1.89 soy milk that looks gross or the $1.99 one that is definitely more delicious!)
Wow, yeah, so there you go. I guess each “stage” really just represents one week (something I figured out as I kept adding stages). These can be viewed as both segments of time and segments of emotion as time inevitably eases you into a niche, wherever that new “niche” may be.
Now that you’re bum has fallen asleep and my work day is over, it’s about time I head out. And if you have arrived all the way here, then you really are a die-hard fan and I commend you. J
All I can say is, “Sorry I’m late.” I don’t remember the last time I wrote anything substantial about my time here, let alone the last time I actually posted a blog! My apologies for those of you die-hard fans who have been drooling by the computer just… erh, well, ok that’s an exaggeration. Back to reality: if you actually read this blog than you are a dear friend (or one of my parents) and hopefully I have sent you a personalized message since April 29th (last blog)!
It’s a well-known fact that when you settle into a routine (and cherish the time outside of that routine), you hardly notice the time passing by at an ever-increasing rate. I’ve been in Japan now (quick look at the calendar) 2 months and a week now. There is a side to this fact that screams, “Man, I am happy THAT part is over!” and another side that doesn’t understand how summer could possibly be approaching! Isn’t it still the end of winter? Peter and I have concluded that our days at school can seem like an eternity (if we don’t have many classes that day) while the weeks simply fly.
The degree to which I enjoy Toyama, this job and my overall lifestyle here has varied greatly over the past 10 weeks. Here’s a slice of that “mille-feuille” for you:
Stage One – Japan! Japan! Japan! I’m dreaming this, right?
Stage Two – Toyama! Toyama! Toyama! I really get to live by the sea AND the mountains?! This Leo palace isn’t THAT small. Peter, we have our own place! Wow, you can get around pretty easy here for not speaking a word of Japanese!
Stage Three – Toyama… why exactly do people live in Toyama? Because they have no other choice? Kanazawa is much more interesting. Peter, you’re hogging the pillow AND our one sheet! Japanese will be impossible to learn. At least we have one friend here, Mr. Dave Meyers!
Stage Four – We get to live by the canal in downtown Toyama! The stale smell of smoke at the Leo Palace was a gift after all! (For those wondering what the heck is a “Leo Palace,” it’s a tiny apartment often rented out to transient Japanese or clueless foreigners. They are very compact, quite efficient really, but lack any charm. They also apparently inspire people to take up chain-smoking.) School is both nerve-racking and BORING!!! No internet connection means little contact with family L Oh the luxury of speaking Japanese. I’m feeling jealous of my co-workers for the ease with which they can speak to one another.
Stage Five – Still love our apartment (bare floors, walls and all); classes have started at school; feeling less like a small animal at the bottom of a large food-chain.
Stage Six – Apartment is as sweet as ever (we bought a coffee table and floor cushions!) and classes are going well. Our social circle is expanding with Dave’s help; we host a dinner party at our place. (Number of invites tops 8!) I hope Yui (Dave’s girlfriend) becomes my best friend. Peter looks skinny from eating only rice and barley. Feeling ever-more strapped for cash, we stick it to the man and buy ourselves a vegetable garden for the balcony. haHA!
Stage Seven – Peter and I begin discovering how to use products here to make delicious meals. Chinese shop across the street offers the spices we were missing, new rice cooker from 2nd hand store solves the lack-of-good-bread-dilemma and Lindsay inspires us to get creative with Japanese ingredients! Can you say “miso chutney?” A trip with Lindsay and Sune for Golden Week reminds me of WHY I wanted to come to Japan in the first place. Nothing like camping and rock-climbing with good friends to grant you some perspective. Peter begins to look healthier!
Stage Eight – I’m happy I live in Toyama. It’s doesn’t boast any major tourist attraction and it’s local specialty is firefly squid, which is foul, but it’s where I live now! I start to recognize Toyama’s small charms and appreciate the fact that it’s NOT a tourist trap. Peter and I begin Japanese lessons with our friend, Kuboshita! She likes our dry humor, offers us a Tupperware of her own “rolled cabbage” dish, hates air conditioning and has the cutest shoes! Internet connection found and long-awaited chats with family had! Major downer: our building is covered with scaffolding (blocking fresh air and sunlight sources for our garden!) and workers begin chipping away at the grout early one Saturday morning (to be repeated the next Saturday, as well). What’s the flippin’ idea?! Sunday Japanese lessons have commenced at the International building downtown. Peter and I arrive soggy, late and empty-handed to our first lesson and some Chinese guy in the class is a jerk. He likes to repeat after the teacher just slightly before the rest of us to show us he’s better. Jerk.
Stage Nine – No vacations in the near future, which is a bit disconcerting, though school weeks are now racing by and I feel mostly happy when at school. Most of my students are great, though some make my teeth hurt. It’s amazing, however, to be supporting myself financially… in Japan! Hey, I can read Hiragana (one of the 3 Japanese writing systems) now! A Japanese woman who teaches private lessons invites me to help out with English parties at her house… she is also my new tutor and we make plans for next week! Peter and I spend our dinners watching David Attenborough’s State of the Planet series. We are going for runs more often and occasionally play badminton in the nearby park. Dave stops by and we head to The Golden Bowl (our local bowling alley) just next door. Nothing like sipping sake and hitting a few strikes to get you giggling J
Stage Ten – Discovery! Peter and I can run just 20 minutes from our apartment and end up at a beautiful ridge, lined with bamboo forests! The park also boasts 500 Buddha statues, a tea house, several museums and a jankey-looking Victorian home that advertises “Wine, beer, steak & ice cream”… sounds rough. Most of the other English teachers we meet (mostly from U.S. and Australia) are weird or offensive…or both. However, Dave is becoming a dear friend and we have plans to throw Yui a grand birthday party next week. I will prepare her favorite dessert – chocolate pudding! Peter and I get paid for the first time (hallelujah!) at the end of this week! (A.k.a. no more stressing over the $1.89 soy milk that looks gross or the $1.99 one that is definitely more delicious!)
Wow, yeah, so there you go. I guess each “stage” really just represents one week (something I figured out as I kept adding stages). These can be viewed as both segments of time and segments of emotion as time inevitably eases you into a niche, wherever that new “niche” may be.
Now that you’re bum has fallen asleep and my work day is over, it’s about time I head out. And if you have arrived all the way here, then you really are a die-hard fan and I commend you. J
Friday, April 24, 2009
Written on the evening of April 23...
Peter is slicing a daikon radish in order to make our new favorite salad - thinly sliced daikon and cucumber sprinkled with soy sauce and black pepper. Crisp and cold. Simple and delicious.
I was sitting at my desk today correcting a bunch of self-introduction worksheets from the 8th graders when I decided it was time to take note of their names. Some roll off the tongue and some leave you tongue-tied but I find them so uniquely Japanese - adorable and sometimes hard to decipher. Here’s a sampling for you:
I almost separated these between girls’ names and boys’ but then realized that I’m not yet familiar enough to make that call! In fact, last week I was reading a student’s information card and asked the class, “She likes basketball and her birthday in on April 24th. Who is this person?” No one volunteered to tell me that “she” was really a “he” until the Japanese teacher came shuffling up and whispered in my ear, “It’s a HE!”
Let’s start with some first names:
Saki
Hideka
Hiraishi
Ayumi
Natsumi (One of my favorites! It means “picking a spring flower”)
Akihiro
Yuta
Hideto
Shintaro
Shiohara
Katsushi
Daisuke
Now try out these full names:
Maeda Megumi
Yurika Tatsuta
Ayaka Nakajima
Shiori Sado
Yuki Kosugi
Keita Yasuda
Hideki Yamada
Hiroki Ise
Haruto Matsuda
Teaching has been going better. After a rocky start (trying to shout my instructions over a sea of forty raucous students), I feel I’m starting to get the hang of things. I have figured out that if I can capture the students’ attention in the first 5 minutes of class, my life becomes immeasurably easier for the next 45! This means that for my self-introduction class I stated my name and where I was from, then I explained, “Today you have two new teachers. I am one new teacher and the other is outside,” pointing to the door. At this point, the students were confused and a bit intrigued (a good combination). I told them, “My friend from America is here to help me teach today. His name is Eddie and he is very nervous so please be nice and speak only in English to him.” Ok, now they are asking each other, “Who hired this nutcase of an English teacher?” I stepped outside the classroom and motioned for “my friend” to come in. Someone who looks a whole lot like “Ms. Cait,” but now with glasses and a moustache. “Good morning! My name is Eddie,” I said using the distinct “nasal-congested-boy-voice” some of you may know : ) I jumped back and forth in front of the class about 6 times, switching between myself as teacher (“Eddie, don’t be shy! They are very nice and they speak English. It’s alright!”) and this new Eddie character (“Uh, mmmm, ok... Hello everyone. It’s nice to meet you!”) The kids were either silent with open mouths or giggling furiously and asking their neighbor if this was all for real. It was pretty entertaining for everyone, myself included.
I was taken back to the “V-sister Years” (Vix and Victoria) when Jamie and I used to prop up a camera, throw on some ridiculous clothing and speak with British accents as we filmed infomercials, cooking shows and the like. One of my all time favorites was the “Ski Lesson” series when Jamie and I (wearing fake fur and silk skirts) filmed ourselves learning how to ski during a vacation in Russia (Maine in February). I remember that there wasn’t actually very much snow that winter and the camera picked up sounds of us grating over ice and plummeting onto our knees on the frozen ground. Jamie’s little, white legs wobbled about as her lipstick smeared and I almost dropped the camera from laughing so hard! I recall walking away that day with pulled muscles and top-notch footage! Anyways, I’ve been thinking that perhaps all the skits at the family Christmas parties, the talent shows I did in middle school and even big presentations I had to give in college were great skills learned for this job! Interac was not joking when they told us trainees, “You are not here to teach as much as to entertain.” Point taken.
Written on the morning of Saturday April 25... Weekend time!!!
There are many things about my school that didn’t surprise me upon arrival, like the long hours teachers put in here, milk every day with lunch initiated by the Americans after the war, the daily clean-up of the school by students and teachers alike, etc. I guess somewhere along getting to Japan, I had read a blurb on these details. However, what no one tells you to expect is the flood of memories you experience once back inside a junior high school, in addition to the web of thoughts attached to those memories. It’s incredible to be somewhere so different than where you grew up and to imagine that this place has always existed. While we ourselves were attending middle school and passing through the awkwardness of adolescence, Japanese kids the same age were experiencing these stages here in Toyama. Very different places and yet, perhaps very similar experiences. So many times now, I have pictured who I was at age 12, 13 and 14. How funny are the changes that age and experience bring! I feel at an advantage being 23 years old in this situation. Even though junior high seems like ages ago, it really was only ten years. Although I wish some of my students would engage themselves in class more, I completely understand that “class with Ms. Cait” is not a priority for them. I don’t take it personally because I know that when I was that age, I meant nothing malicious towards my teachers if I goofed off or closed my eyes during class. I had things on my mind that involved the soccer team, what’s for lunch, the movie I saw last weekend, the boy I had a crush on, the upcoming school dance, etc. In 7th grade, kids have no clue how much time teachers put into lessons plans and correcting papers, nor how much additional energy it takes to teach five classes a day. Being on the other side now makes me appreciate all my past teachers that much more, plus teachers like my Mum or Peter’s mum, Robyn, who work their buns off to make class memorable! It also intrigues me to know how much potential each one of my students holds. If I can make their day more interesting, more fun by playing some crazy game in an English context or if I can boost their confidence an ounce that day by rewarding them with a “high-touch” (high-five), a sticker or just a “Great Job!” then it’s been a good day.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Impressions
Written on April 13...
Since moving into the new apartment Peter and I have had limited access to internet and I’ve not posted a blog in weeks. I’ll write tonight not because I’ve gained an internet connection, but rather, there are too many details of life that deserve commentary before they are forgotten. Who knows when I will actually post this! Here goes nothing...
Brief update on the living situation: Peter and I were able to move into a nice apartment in downtown Toyama just two blocks from the train station and right along the canal. This is an exceptional location for many reasons but most recently, for the cherry blossoms along the canal. Incredible! Outstanding! Trees like I’ve never seen! Like bursts of cotton candy along the spindly branches, only when you get up close can you see each individual flower and how delicate they are. This past weekend was the best. The sun came out, temperatures rose to mid-70’s and everyone and their mother (literally) was outside enjoying the blossoms. Along the canal and in parks there were picnics and gatherings all afternoon and late into the evenings; sushi platters and mini grills, sake and beer, the young and old all outside just socializing and enjoying the flowers. Thanks to our buddy, Dave, who also went to Lewis and Clark and is here teaching English, we were invited to such a picnic on Saturday afternoon. It was great to meet some Japanese people our own age (no offense to the sometimes incredibly boring teachers at school) and watch the festival activities.
I started working at Horikawa Junior High School last week. It is one of the largest schools in the area with roughly 1,000 students. There are ups and downs to this. The downs are: I’m not in a pristine mountain village teaching smaller classes and my students seem to have a bit more “tude.” Ups: I can take the tram to work every day, which runs by the apartment every 10 minutes and I only work at one school. To put this into perspective, Lindsay (Peter’s sister) and Sune (Peter’s brother-in-law) are working at eight and seven schools, respectively. Not to say that one situation is better than the other overall, only that my first few weeks of school will be less hectic.
Most shocking thing today: I was in the middle of an English lesson when a male teacher walked up to the window of the classroom (via the balcony that extends past all the classrooms) and pulled one of my students out the window... with beaucoup de force! This student had ditched out on the first 15 minutes of the lesson and Ms. Omigachi (the Japanese teacher) noticed this and reported his absence to the office. The student had returned to class, took his seat and promptly fell asleep on his desk... until Mr. Muscles came by and ripped him from his chair! Apparently, it is acceptable to use physical force on the students here. Not that the teachers hit students or anything, but they do not hesitate to grab a student’s arm and drag him/her to the principle’s office (or out the window). Although I have seen two such incidents up to this point, it seems to only happen when the student is being extremely difficult and disrespectful.
Written on April 18...
To go off of what I was mentioning before about physical contact in the school, I witnessed some heavy taunting by a group of 2nd-year boys towards another boy as I was leaving class the other day. As soon as this boy stepped out of his classroom, I heard sneering and yelling and turned to see them pull his arms behind his back and begin twisting with force. The Japanese teacher with whom I had just taught stepped in to break it up, though hardly bigger than her students, the boys seemed barely intimidated by her presence. She demanded they stay back and had me walk swiftly to the teacher’s office with the targeted boy. I don’t believe this group of boys would have dared touch me or the JTE but what surprised me was their obvious indifference to a higher authority’s presence. One kid from the group came running down the stairs as the boy and I headed to the office. It was only when I put up my hand and yelled, “Stop!” several times that he retreated. But man oh man was there animosity in his eyes towards the other boy!
I have no idea about the history between these individuals but do feel sympathy towards this one student who I have now seen seek refuge in the teacher’s office almost every day between class periods. You see, the class rotation system keeps students in their home rooms while it’s the teachers who rotate from one class room to another. With ten minutes in between each class and sometimes no teacher supervision during these breaks, this particular student has been avoiding assault by running to the teacher’s office at each break. It seems so ridiculous to me that this can happen every day, even though the teachers are well aware of the situation. But I am realizing that although most students are very well behaved, the trouble-makers are just terrors because they can get away with almost anything. Most teachers are too worn out to do any serious disciplining.
The role of a Japanese teacher extends way beyond the classroom. They must prepare lessons, correct tests and homework, coach a club sport (every afternoon and weekends, too!), eat lunch with their homeroom class, do home visits, monitor students as they clean the school, etc. I have even seen teachers standing by the tram stop near my school as students unload in the morning. Why? They are there to check skirt lengths on the girls, to see that those biking to school obey traffic laws, to make anyone chewing gum spit it out, etc.!!! Teachers here operate within a realm of mentor, parent, coach and advisor to their students. Clearly, it’s an exhausting position to hold and the teachers at Horikawa, after week two, already look haggard! Many I hear coughing and sneezing at their desks as they hurry to finish tasks between classes. (I have been washing my hands furiously any chance I get!)
I was working with one JTE last week who told me as we walked to class that he was feeling feverish and nauseous. I told him I could manage the 50 minutes on my own while he should rest a bit. Towards the end of class, I noticed him leaning against a desk in the back of the room with his head down and arms held close to his chest. “My god, this man is killing himself!” I thought. And the crazy part? (Yeah, there’s more...) It is frowned upon in Japan to miss work due to illness; it is actually highly respectable to show up to work when you’re sick because it demonstrates perseverance! Therefore, even if I take oober-good care of my health, the chronically-sick teachers at work are bound to pass me something to knock me off my feet... Oh but then I’ll just pass it on to the students when I show up to work for my “tough points.” Some things in Japan I love, others I simply don’t understand.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Good Evening to you,
Peter is napping, the neighborhood is quiet outside and I have a steaming cup of green tea to keep me company as I write. It’s hard to believe I have been in Japan now two weeks. It’s even harder to imagine the the flight to Toyama from Tokyo just one week ago. It all just seems an abstract dream...
I must say that in these past two weeks, any lack of confidence in my ability to thrive here has been readily restored by the love and support sent by all of you. I apologize if I haven’t been quick to respond, though please know how meaningful your messages are to me. :)
Well, the first thing to note is the amazing day Peter and I spent in Kanazawa last Saturday for my 23rd birthday. After 3 days of freezing rain (and freezing our buns off) in Toyama, we were ecstatic to find clear skies and a warm breeze as we set off for our first trip outside of the prefecture. We caught the train at Toyama station after decoding the schedule (thank goodness for Peter’s ability to read Kanji!) and arrived in Kanazawa an hour later. Instantly we agreed, “Kanazawa has a lot more money than Toyama.” The station was spacious and luxurious with a heated hall filled with restaurants and boutiques. The entrance to the station is a glass dome 3 stories high, an impressive wooden structure reminiscent of shinto shrine entrances and a beautiful fountain that welcomes you to Kanazawa in water writing! It became instantly clear that this small city has many attractions for tourists, foreign and domestic alike.
Walking along in the calm of morning, we stopped briefly to buy a hot coffee out of one of the many vending machines that line almost every street in Japan. Tanzanian, Turkish or Italian roast? Milk? Sugar? Hot green tea? Or do you prefer iced? You decide! It’s all there in one vending machine just beckoning for 100 yen and for you to push a button! These hot drinks also make for excellent hand warmers on colder days! : )
Our first stop was Kenroku-en garden - rated 3rd best in Japan! The guide book recommends you visit the garden early morning or late afternoon because it can get pretty congested otherwise. Arriving about 10 a.m. there was already a fair crowd, although to our delight, they were almost all Japanese tourists. We meandered along the gravel pathways, across stone bridges, up and down bamboo staircases and finally rested our feet in the garden’s very own tea house. This was a special treat! Removing our shoes at the entrance, we proceeded into on open room containing nothing but cloth mats on the floor where we knelt, as directed by a woman wearing a violet kimono. We were presented with bowls of matcha - a powdered green tea that when whisked with hot water in a large bowl, creates a frothy and energizing beverage. Set beside the tea was what looked like a delicately wrapped present and small piece of wood on a blue ceramic plate. The “present” was a dessert made of sweetened bean paste that we ate by slicing off small sections with the wooden stick. The woman bowed to each of us deeply, both hands on the floor and thanked us for coming. We, in return, bowed and thanked her. I enjoyed watching the Japanese visitors across the mat and took my cues from them. Obviously familiar with the tea ceremony, they turned their bowls counter-clockwise three times, drinking from the opposite side than was presented to them and then three turns back to the original position, before returning the bowls to the floor. It all went rather quickly as the women in kimonos rushed about to receive new guests and bowed to parting ones. Outside the tea house was another exquisite garden with a pond and adjacent to the tea-sipping room was a second room, sunny and void of people. In silence we sat kneeling at the window, gazing at the garden, engrossed in that moment.
Alas, the gardens are truly beautiful. Peter and I already have plans to stay a weekend in Kanazawa, in order to be the privileged and premier visitors of the garden that day!
Afterwards, we toured the castle grounds across from the garden and realized how hungry we were. Our energy dropping quickly and a threat of the grumps coming on, we headed back towards town to grab a bight to eat and check the train schedule. On our way, we walked through Kanazawa’s bustling market. Endless stalls selling fish and squid were treats for the eyes, if not a delight to the nose. However, we did cross paths with a vendor selling pancakes in the shape of fish, filled with goma (sweet bean paste) or vanilla custard. Watching the family in front of us purchase an armful of fish pancakes, we pointed towards what they had ordered and gestured “two.” Pretty meager communication skills, indeed, but it got us the snack we were hoping for! At the train station, we ordered a couple of noodle bowls because they are delicious and very easy to order. “Sansai soba, kudasai,” I say. Then the woman at the counter shouts back to the kitchen “Ichi sansai soba!”(Sansai soba = mountain vegetables over soba noodles in a hot, salty broth) I have come to love these little noodle shops. The meals are cheap and the atmosphere inside is warm and welcoming... and there are usually pictures of the meals, which helps me understand what I’ll be eating! Sansai soba normally costs about 600 yen ($6) but Peter and I have discovered that at the City Hall cafeteria, you can get lunch for 350 yen hot tea included!
We spent the afternoon walking along the side streets of Kanazawa, making our way to the samurai neighborhood. This tiny section of the city was once home to samurai worriers and has maintained a sense of “Old Japan.” The cobbled streets can barely accommodate one car, the walls on either side are made of compact, golden earth and the architecture of the houses is from a previous era. Walking back from this quarter, we “took the canal.” The water running through this stone canal is crystal clear and winds its way through the quaint neighborhoods of Kanazawa, which means there are tiny bridges at every turn. People even have mini bridges for their driveways!
Having bought groceries at a local super market for a birthday feast, we headed back to the station and awaited our train over coffee and a baguette at “The German Cafe” - a chain here. An hour later, we boarded. With the heaters under every seat, plus the steady rocking, it is extremely hard not to fall asleep on Japanese trains and everyone seems to do it! Fortunately, Japan is a VERY safe place so being robbed as you doze is the last thing on anyone’s mind.
Anyhow, by now Peter is well awake and has made a smashing dinner of egg sandwiches and home fries so I must be off! Another nice meal in our little “hamster box,” as we are so fondly calling it these days. : )
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Konichiwa!
It’s been one week since my arrival in Japan. I am grinning as I write this since “one week” means nothing to me right now. I have very little concept of time and I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am in Japan. The only way possible is to imagine a world map. See the red dot on the west coast of Japan where Toyama City is located? Voila, me. Now zoom out and throw pins on familiar places. These locations - The North East, Oregon, California, even places that once seemed far away like Switzerland and Ecuador - are all VERY far from that red dot. Not to say that I am shaking in my booties over on this side of Earth. After all, I’m here with Peter while Lindsay & Sune live just an hour away!
It’s been a whirlwind first week! I spent 5 days at a hotel outside of Tokyo for my training with Interac Inc. An educational corporation, their philosophy is “fostering global communication,” as well as a “zest for living!” Their words, not mine. Basically, my role as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) is to create a fun atmosphere in the classroom. My goal is not to TEACH English, but rather, to inspire kids to learn it. I am there to ooze creativity, positive energy and to praise and encourage the students. From this, the hope is that Japanese students will feel less daunted by English and have at least one class during the day that’s FUN! I was surprised (and quite relieved) to learn the details of my position here. Grammar instructor? Nope. Disciplinarian? Not at all. The ALT gets to be the teacher that all the kids actually like! Overall, training was extremely thorough and informative. However, Peter and I were dying to leave behind the stale air of the hotel and see some REAL Japan! Sune, Lindsay, Peter and I did have a nice dinner in Narita Village on our last evening together. Laughing about all the memorable moments of training, we sipped gingerale and munched on rice, miso soup, radishes, carrots and greens covered in various sauces. I spied on an American ALT (fresh off the plane) attempting to have a dinner date with an attractive Japanese woman who looked absolutely confused by all his ramblings, although probably happy with her free meal. : )
The only disappointing thing Peter and I have faced is our housing arrangements.
Apparently, Interac did not get the message that we planned to live together so they assigned us separate places, even though we clearly stated “joint housing” several times before leaving the States. So we are living in what would have been my apartment if I had done this alone. It is small but cute and in a really peaceful neighborhood with rice paddies and mini daikon radish gardens scattered about randomly. We'll probably be moving to a place closer to downtown, which will put us in between Peter's schools (he is teaching at two) and my one. We will both be teaching Junior High school. I am at the largest one in the prefecture and my Vice President (here, the head of school) is also the head of Toyama’s Board of Education! So guess who's gonna be OOBER nervous her first day?!
Otherwise, things are funny here. Quirky in a good way. The doctor’s masks will take some getting used to. People where them driving, at the post office, riding their bike, everywhere! For me, white masks over the mouth signal “surgery, serious, ER” so it’s alarming to see someone stepping off an elevator at a hotel wearing one as to not spread their cold! I do enjoy removing my shoes whenever entering the apartment and the efficiency of the architecture here. I imagine making friends will be challenging since the people are extremely reserved. That said, I can't imagine doing this alone! Peter and I just keep thanking our lucky stars that we are in this together. The sum total of his Japanese skills and mine is so meager that any encounter is just painful. But I am excited to study and learn, proceeding one day at a time. Example? I walked into a grocery store today, greeted the clerk, paid for my snack and said in Japanese "hai hyaku go ju en des" (here is 150 yen) and then and then and then... she repeated what I had said and nodded yes!!! Then I thanked her and she mumbled a huge amount of thank you's and have a good day's in my direction and I left. Nothing groundbreaking but the simple exchange had me skipping out of the store! This transition is simply a humungous puzzle; daunting at first, I just have to keep adding to it piece by piece and maybe (4 months from now? 8 months? 12?) the image will take shape. Haha though in the meantime, I just wander around cluelessly.
Peter and I have now made two great dinners for ourselves after standing in awe among the grocery aisles at all the new products! It's funny not being able to read the labels of anything you buy. I feel like a tiny child just focusing on the colors and textures of things. This is the “soft” tofu (poke) and here is the “firm” tofu (poke poke). We just finished slurping down a miso soup with udon noodles, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, onion & garlic. Delicious! This type of cooking is ultimately my favorite, plus the healthiest, so it's nice to walk into the supermarket and see nothing but rice, noodles, fish, veggies, fruits, bean pastes and soy sauces galore just beckoning to be whipped up into something simple and oishii (delicious).
Alright then, big meeting with the BOE (Board of Education) tomorrow. Sayoonara!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Preparing for departure... T-minus 7 days!
One week remains before I leave for Japan. If we have talked on the phone recently, then you know that I am ecstatic for this trip! Spending time in Maine with family and friends, and more recently 3 months in California, have granted me time to calm my rhythm a bit, to gain some perspective. This week, I feel more energized for Japan than any other trip I've prepared for.
My phone is soon being sent home to its rightful owner but if you get a chance to call during this last week, I'd love to hear from you. Otherwise, electronic messaging will have to do. Now... Packing!
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