Sunday, May 31, 2009
Behold the Ushiku Daibutsu
Today we visited the world's tallest statue, which is of Buddha, in Ushiku (wiki Ushiku Daibutsu). It wasn't too far away from where we live, maybe an hour and twenty five minutes. It was pretty great, I gotta say, the highlight of our trip to Japan so far, I think. The thing is about 120 meters tall and was built in 1993. In person it's kind of ominous and imposing. I half expected it to come to life and start walking around like the Statue of Liberty in Ghostbusters 2. "Buddha SMASH!" Seriously though, it was a great experience. We got to go up inside it, where there is a museum and gift shop, among other spiritual rooms and artifacts. There was a room that housed hundreds of golden buddha statues that lined the walls like wallpaper. Outside the Buddha, there is a sort of park with flowers, craft and food shops, and a pond with some humongous fish (carp, I think) clamoring on the edge of the water for people to throw them some food pellets that you can purchase nearby. When we left the Daibutsu (Buddha in Japanese) we discovered that it was pouring down rain. Although we got soaked, that wasn't the lowlight of the day. On our way out we saw a crowd of people out of the rain under a tarp in front of a stage, so we decided to investigate. The "show" that was going on was a woman inducing two very sad looking monkeys on leashes into doing tricks for the amusement of the crowd. They were wearing shirts and looked very depressed, especially when one of the monkeys was forced to bow after he had jumped over a very high obstacle. The worst part was when one of the monkeys was sitting on a block off to the side waiting his turn. He turned his back to the audience as if he was too ashamed to look at them. The woman, seeing this, turned his block around so he would be forced to look at the audience, but still he tried to just look down. As depressing as that was, it didn't put a damper on the entire day, and we have now returned to our home area tired and hungry. Check out the pictures below!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tokyo
Tessa and I went to Tokyo for the first time on Sunday. We rode a bus, which which only took 1:20 or so. The purpose of the trip was mainly to find the American Embassy so that when I actually do have to go there on a week day sometime soon, I won't get lost. That said we got a little lost looking for it which s a little surprising, considering its size. In Tokyo, almost all the embassies are in the same area, we passed by Spain's, Switzerland's, and other countries' until we eventually found America's, which was humongous, taking up an entire city corner with guards posted at the many entrances. After finding the Embassy, we took the subway to Shibuya (in Tokyo) to try to buy a cell phone. We wanted to buy one in Tokyo because there would be someone who spoke English there, which there was, but they were all out of the cheap phones we wanted, so we didn't get one. We walked around a crazy busy shopping district, where there is an intersection so big that hundreds of people cross it when the lights are red. We saw all manner of people there, very different from the ones in the quiet little hamlet we live in. It was also raining, but we had fun anyway.
I wanted to thank Aunt Debra for her suggestion of David Sedaris' "When You Are Engulfed in Flames". I downloaded an audiobook of it, read by Mr. Sedaris himself, and it was thouroughly entertaining. The bits about his stay in Tokyo were particularly amusing, as I can relate to all of his observations.
I have so much more t write about, but I'm tired and the library is about to close, so for now, sayonara!
I wanted to thank Aunt Debra for her suggestion of David Sedaris' "When You Are Engulfed in Flames". I downloaded an audiobook of it, read by Mr. Sedaris himself, and it was thouroughly entertaining. The bits about his stay in Tokyo were particularly amusing, as I can relate to all of his observations.
I have so much more t write about, but I'm tired and the library is about to close, so for now, sayonara!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Day in the Life. . .
Ok, here's a typical Tessa day from start to finish:
6:15-7am: Waking up, but trying to ignore Chris' alarm as he hits snooze at least 2 or 3 times
7am-8:15am: Getting ready for work; this sometimes includes a Japanese shower (scrubbing down and rinsing outside of the tub - there's a big drain the floor - then if there's time a soak in the actual tub). And breakfast of course, which usually consists of corn flakes, instant coffee and an apple.
8:15am: Leave for work, although every day I'm at a different school and the leave time depends on the distance I have to go. Mondays I walk to a school a few minutes away, but Fridays I have to drive 35-40 minutes.
The drive: I usually turn on the radio, and if I'm not still too sleepy I listen to the lovely classical music they play.
8:45-9am: I arrive at my AM school (although Mondays and Thursdays I am just at one school all day because they have more classes for me). I park the car, gather my bulging bag of supplies - this week it included fly swatters, laminated Feelings cards, bingo sheets, and more! - and enter the building, putting my outdoor shoes into my assigned cubby, and putting on my indoor shoes.
9am: My work day officially starts. I enter the "shokoin shitsu", or teacher's room, and say "ohaiyo gozaimasu" (the u is silent). This signifies that I am ready to work. Now I sit and prep for my first lesson, or just make smalltalk with the office people (kocho sensei - principal, kyoto sensei - vice principal, #3 (head teacher, subs in for any sick teacher), secretary, and tea lady (she brings green tea and coffee to everyone at various times of the day, cleans bathrooms, weeds and waters the grounds, and smiles a lot).
9:25-12:10pm or so: Anywhere from 1-3 lessons. I always see the 5th and 6th graders, but sometimes a school wants me to do a special lesson with another class. I've seen all ages, and they always love getting the special lesson from the Eigo Sensei.
(From around 10:15-10:30am the kids have recess and teachers have teatime/prep/meeting)
12:15ish: Kyushoku! (Lunch). I usually eat with a 5th or 6th grade class, but sometimes the schools have me eat with a different grade each week. The food is delivered to each school, where the tea lady usually warms it up or divvies it up by class. Each class rotates kids to bring the food and trays to the rooms, to serve it, and to lead the lunchtime blessing of sorts. (as one teacher pointed out, they make praying hands but "no one really believe in Buddha"). The kids all say "itadakimase" and that means we can now eat. I bring my own chopsticks and a small handkerchief, because napkins basically don't exist in Japan. Lunch usually consists of soup (miso, chowder, or a surprise), rice, veggies, and some kind of piece of fish or meat. Today we had spaghetti, a croissant, ham and spinach w/mayo dressing, and a kind of egg casserole or something.
The schools all play music during lunch, too. I've heard everything from gentle classical tracks to an instrumental medley from The Little Mermaid, to the Rocky theme music, to the Star Wars theme, to J-Pop, to mall muzak. It's kids' choice, I think.
1:00-1:35: (If I have a PM school I drive there between 1-1:15pm). Recess! I usually hang out on the playground, and say hello to the droves of 1st-4th graders that flock to me. If they don't have a class with me, my mystique remains more intact apparently. Sometimes I play dodgeball, volleyball or soccer with the kids.
1:35-1:45ish: Souji, or cleaning time. Chris already touched on this. Some of my schools seem surprised that I would want to help, as fewer teachers pitch in. But I help when I can.
1:50pm-3:30: More lessons, or if I only have one class in the PM I sit in the teacher's room and make notes on the lesson, plan games, and do busy work.
3:30-4:45: More busy work, I check email if I can, and generally just chat with teachers. My lessons are planned by the Board of Education, so I don't have a ton to do outside of the classroom. Now that C and I are doing the Japanese conversation club I can read the textbook and do homework during the lulls.
4:45: After getting my timesheet stamped, I say "osaki ni shitsurei shimasu" - this means "I'm sorry to leave before you" and it lets everyone know I'm going home.
4:45-5:15: Drive home. Radio stations play a bizarre mix of Western songs at this time. I heard Lenny Kravitz, U2, and a really trippy Peter, Paul and Mary song in one 15 min. stretch once.
5:15-7pm: Rest at home, swap day reports with Chris, make dinner. Usually stir fried chicken with rice, or grilled fish and ramen. The "just add water" ramen in Japan is worlds better than any Cup o' Noodle in the US.
7-9:30: Listen to a few podcasts, play cards, iron our work clothes for the next day, etc.
9:30-10:00 - Bedtime! Another day in the can.
Ok, that's all for this installment. Hope all is well on the Western Front.
6:15-7am: Waking up, but trying to ignore Chris' alarm as he hits snooze at least 2 or 3 times
7am-8:15am: Getting ready for work; this sometimes includes a Japanese shower (scrubbing down and rinsing outside of the tub - there's a big drain the floor - then if there's time a soak in the actual tub). And breakfast of course, which usually consists of corn flakes, instant coffee and an apple.
8:15am: Leave for work, although every day I'm at a different school and the leave time depends on the distance I have to go. Mondays I walk to a school a few minutes away, but Fridays I have to drive 35-40 minutes.
The drive: I usually turn on the radio, and if I'm not still too sleepy I listen to the lovely classical music they play.
8:45-9am: I arrive at my AM school (although Mondays and Thursdays I am just at one school all day because they have more classes for me). I park the car, gather my bulging bag of supplies - this week it included fly swatters, laminated Feelings cards, bingo sheets, and more! - and enter the building, putting my outdoor shoes into my assigned cubby, and putting on my indoor shoes.
9am: My work day officially starts. I enter the "shokoin shitsu", or teacher's room, and say "ohaiyo gozaimasu" (the u is silent). This signifies that I am ready to work. Now I sit and prep for my first lesson, or just make smalltalk with the office people (kocho sensei - principal, kyoto sensei - vice principal, #3 (head teacher, subs in for any sick teacher), secretary, and tea lady (she brings green tea and coffee to everyone at various times of the day, cleans bathrooms, weeds and waters the grounds, and smiles a lot).
9:25-12:10pm or so: Anywhere from 1-3 lessons. I always see the 5th and 6th graders, but sometimes a school wants me to do a special lesson with another class. I've seen all ages, and they always love getting the special lesson from the Eigo Sensei.
(From around 10:15-10:30am the kids have recess and teachers have teatime/prep/meeting)
12:15ish: Kyushoku! (Lunch). I usually eat with a 5th or 6th grade class, but sometimes the schools have me eat with a different grade each week. The food is delivered to each school, where the tea lady usually warms it up or divvies it up by class. Each class rotates kids to bring the food and trays to the rooms, to serve it, and to lead the lunchtime blessing of sorts. (as one teacher pointed out, they make praying hands but "no one really believe in Buddha"). The kids all say "itadakimase" and that means we can now eat. I bring my own chopsticks and a small handkerchief, because napkins basically don't exist in Japan. Lunch usually consists of soup (miso, chowder, or a surprise), rice, veggies, and some kind of piece of fish or meat. Today we had spaghetti, a croissant, ham and spinach w/mayo dressing, and a kind of egg casserole or something.
The schools all play music during lunch, too. I've heard everything from gentle classical tracks to an instrumental medley from The Little Mermaid, to the Rocky theme music, to the Star Wars theme, to J-Pop, to mall muzak. It's kids' choice, I think.
1:00-1:35: (If I have a PM school I drive there between 1-1:15pm). Recess! I usually hang out on the playground, and say hello to the droves of 1st-4th graders that flock to me. If they don't have a class with me, my mystique remains more intact apparently. Sometimes I play dodgeball, volleyball or soccer with the kids.
1:35-1:45ish: Souji, or cleaning time. Chris already touched on this. Some of my schools seem surprised that I would want to help, as fewer teachers pitch in. But I help when I can.
1:50pm-3:30: More lessons, or if I only have one class in the PM I sit in the teacher's room and make notes on the lesson, plan games, and do busy work.
3:30-4:45: More busy work, I check email if I can, and generally just chat with teachers. My lessons are planned by the Board of Education, so I don't have a ton to do outside of the classroom. Now that C and I are doing the Japanese conversation club I can read the textbook and do homework during the lulls.
4:45: After getting my timesheet stamped, I say "osaki ni shitsurei shimasu" - this means "I'm sorry to leave before you" and it lets everyone know I'm going home.
4:45-5:15: Drive home. Radio stations play a bizarre mix of Western songs at this time. I heard Lenny Kravitz, U2, and a really trippy Peter, Paul and Mary song in one 15 min. stretch once.
5:15-7pm: Rest at home, swap day reports with Chris, make dinner. Usually stir fried chicken with rice, or grilled fish and ramen. The "just add water" ramen in Japan is worlds better than any Cup o' Noodle in the US.
7-9:30: Listen to a few podcasts, play cards, iron our work clothes for the next day, etc.
9:30-10:00 - Bedtime! Another day in the can.
Ok, that's all for this installment. Hope all is well on the Western Front.
What you can and can't find...
So far, off the top of my head, here is a list of items I have been able to get, or not, in the farming area of Japan.
CAN
Milk (only really sold in 1-quart size or smaller though)
Bread -- Basically just white. Their loaves of bread are about 50-75 % an American loaf, and have only 6-8 really thick slices.
Peanut butter -- or should I say, peanut cream? Like a cross between peanut butter and caramel, this stuff has got to be even worse for you than regular peanut butter, which we were able to find eventually.
Tequila -- Jose Cuervo, over-priced but oh so nice. The Japanese liquor of choice is whiskey by far (remember Bill Murray in Lost in Translation -- "Suntory time..." ?)
A newspaper in English. -- Thank you The Japan Times
Cheese -- In very small quantities and over-priced, but not bad.
Pizza fixin's -- I can make pizza! Expect more on that in a later update.
CAN'T
Good beer -- Seriously, the stuff readily available here is terrible.
Wheat-free options -- Much to Tessa's chagrin.
Rice Noodles -- You'd think, right? They gotta be around here somewhere, I says.
That's what I can think of off the top of my head. In other news, we are getting paid for the first time on Saturday (yay!) and possibly taking our first trip t Tokyo on Sunday.
We also are now enrolled in a once a week "Japanese Conversation Club" to help us learn to better read, write, and speak Japanese. Just a little insight into the Japanese language, it is fairly easy to speak, when you know what to say, but can be very difficult to read and write. They have three different alphabets. First, is Kanji, nigh on impossible for a foreigner to learn in a short amount of time because it is very complicated and has over 30,000 different characters, almost 2,000 of which are essential for daily use. It is based on the Chinese alphabet. People and place names are always in Kanji, as well as most other things. We're not touching that one. We're working on Hiragana, Japan's own script, and Katakana, the alphabet they use for foreign and loan words. Their characters are comprised mainly of syllable sounds and 5 vowels. This is of course on top of "Romaji" (what they call roman characters) which has recently became wide-spread in use. It would look like the teacher has indeed become the student. OK, time to give Tessa the computer now. Sayonara!
CAN
Milk (only really sold in 1-quart size or smaller though)
Bread -- Basically just white. Their loaves of bread are about 50-75 % an American loaf, and have only 6-8 really thick slices.
Peanut butter -- or should I say, peanut cream? Like a cross between peanut butter and caramel, this stuff has got to be even worse for you than regular peanut butter, which we were able to find eventually.
Tequila -- Jose Cuervo, over-priced but oh so nice. The Japanese liquor of choice is whiskey by far (remember Bill Murray in Lost in Translation -- "Suntory time..." ?)
A newspaper in English. -- Thank you The Japan Times
Cheese -- In very small quantities and over-priced, but not bad.
Pizza fixin's -- I can make pizza! Expect more on that in a later update.
CAN'T
Good beer -- Seriously, the stuff readily available here is terrible.
Wheat-free options -- Much to Tessa's chagrin.
Rice Noodles -- You'd think, right? They gotta be around here somewhere, I says.
That's what I can think of off the top of my head. In other news, we are getting paid for the first time on Saturday (yay!) and possibly taking our first trip t Tokyo on Sunday.
We also are now enrolled in a once a week "Japanese Conversation Club" to help us learn to better read, write, and speak Japanese. Just a little insight into the Japanese language, it is fairly easy to speak, when you know what to say, but can be very difficult to read and write. They have three different alphabets. First, is Kanji, nigh on impossible for a foreigner to learn in a short amount of time because it is very complicated and has over 30,000 different characters, almost 2,000 of which are essential for daily use. It is based on the Chinese alphabet. People and place names are always in Kanji, as well as most other things. We're not touching that one. We're working on Hiragana, Japan's own script, and Katakana, the alphabet they use for foreign and loan words. Their characters are comprised mainly of syllable sounds and 5 vowels. This is of course on top of "Romaji" (what they call roman characters) which has recently became wide-spread in use. It would look like the teacher has indeed become the student. OK, time to give Tessa the computer now. Sayonara!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Japanese School Life
One thing that has surprised me is Japanese students' liberal use of the "rock, paper, scissors" game, or "janken" as they call it. They use it as a catalyst for many other games, or to decide who out of a group has to do an undesirable task. Every JH student jankens at least once a day, I'm certain.
Once a day, at every Japanese school they have cleaning time called "souji". This is usually about 15-20 minutes of quiet, methodical manual labor. The purpose of this (according to the schools) is not so much to clean the school (although it certainly does the trick, they don't have any janitors as far as I can see) but to instill a sense of responsibility on the students. At the very least it teaches them to be the neat freaks that most Japanese have grown into. The cleaning tasks have a wide range from sweeping, to wiping tables, to weeding the grass fields, to cleaning chalkboard erasers. The teachers are of course expected to help, and everyone from the principal on down does their part. At Sakuragawa I usually sweep the classroom floors, and at Edosaki I help out the other ALT sweeping debris from behind the school.
As many of you know if you know me well, I am a picky eater. You may wonder then, how I am faring in Japan, a country whose cuisine I never really cared for while living in the US. There are mixed results. At the schools, you are pretty much required to eat the school lunch with the students in their classroom (there are no cafeterias) and there are no options. Whatever the meal of the day is, that is what we ALL get served, no one is allowed to bring their lunch, unless perhaps they have specific allergies or dietary concerns, but I have never seen that happen. They do publish the schedule of lunch a month beforehand, but of course it is in Japanese, so every day is like Russian roulette for me. Sometimes the entree is a nice slice of fish or a bowl of curry (which I have discovered in Japan that I really, really like) and sometimes the dish comes with miso soup with plenty of tofu and/or seaweed or a hard boiled egg saturated in soy sauce. One thing it always has though is a salad, usually chock full of pickles and/or slathered in mayo or vinegar, things I absolutely detest. The Japanese sure do love their mayo. I am expected to set a good example for the students and clean my plate, though that certainly doesn't always happen. I usually choke down the things I don't like and savor the bits I kinda sorta like. At least the school lunch is really cheap (less than $2.50 each), and I AM eating healthier as a result.
OK, done with that long-winded post, hope it wasn't too boring. Also, if anyone has any specific questions, please ask! We would be more than happy to answer them for you. Remember, ANYONE can leave a comment here. Later!
Once a day, at every Japanese school they have cleaning time called "souji". This is usually about 15-20 minutes of quiet, methodical manual labor. The purpose of this (according to the schools) is not so much to clean the school (although it certainly does the trick, they don't have any janitors as far as I can see) but to instill a sense of responsibility on the students. At the very least it teaches them to be the neat freaks that most Japanese have grown into. The cleaning tasks have a wide range from sweeping, to wiping tables, to weeding the grass fields, to cleaning chalkboard erasers. The teachers are of course expected to help, and everyone from the principal on down does their part. At Sakuragawa I usually sweep the classroom floors, and at Edosaki I help out the other ALT sweeping debris from behind the school.
As many of you know if you know me well, I am a picky eater. You may wonder then, how I am faring in Japan, a country whose cuisine I never really cared for while living in the US. There are mixed results. At the schools, you are pretty much required to eat the school lunch with the students in their classroom (there are no cafeterias) and there are no options. Whatever the meal of the day is, that is what we ALL get served, no one is allowed to bring their lunch, unless perhaps they have specific allergies or dietary concerns, but I have never seen that happen. They do publish the schedule of lunch a month beforehand, but of course it is in Japanese, so every day is like Russian roulette for me. Sometimes the entree is a nice slice of fish or a bowl of curry (which I have discovered in Japan that I really, really like) and sometimes the dish comes with miso soup with plenty of tofu and/or seaweed or a hard boiled egg saturated in soy sauce. One thing it always has though is a salad, usually chock full of pickles and/or slathered in mayo or vinegar, things I absolutely detest. The Japanese sure do love their mayo. I am expected to set a good example for the students and clean my plate, though that certainly doesn't always happen. I usually choke down the things I don't like and savor the bits I kinda sorta like. At least the school lunch is really cheap (less than $2.50 each), and I AM eating healthier as a result.
OK, done with that long-winded post, hope it wasn't too boring. Also, if anyone has any specific questions, please ask! We would be more than happy to answer them for you. Remember, ANYONE can leave a comment here. Later!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
It's not the heat that gets you...
Crazy weather lately. Friday morning we were awoken by a loud rainy and windy storm. Friday evening was a torrential downpour, just crazy, with thunder and lightning to go with it. Then Saturday and Sunday was hot and sunny. Today (Sunday) was about 90 degrees F and close to 100 percent humidity. It's a good thing our apartment has an air conditioner...if only we could figure out how to properly use it, because of course, the controls are all in Japanese. I think I got it working though...One of the tougher things lately is trying to stave off boredom. There really is nothing to do in our town, even on the weekends, and right now we are a little too strapped for cash to do much traveling. We have played many games of Rummy, Uno, Mille Bornes, San Juan, and Yahtzee, they're starting to wear a little thin.
One interesting development is that we are seriously considering climbing Mt. Fuji (or as the Japanese call it, Fuji-san) this August when we have no school. I never would have thought it to be very possible before coming here, but the more research I do, the more plausible it sounds. Will keep you updated on that as the info comes.
That's it for now. Later!
One interesting development is that we are seriously considering climbing Mt. Fuji (or as the Japanese call it, Fuji-san) this August when we have no school. I never would have thought it to be very possible before coming here, but the more research I do, the more plausible it sounds. Will keep you updated on that as the info comes.
That's it for now. Later!
Friday, May 8, 2009
We found Mexican food for our 3 year anniversary! Margaritas, tacos, and cheese - but no beans anywhere!
Just one of the funny named stores in Tsukuba.
Anyone want to buy a chicken for dinner?
A local traditional dance troupe for kids, we think. Part of a festival for Golden Week in our town.
Look Ma, no dryers in Japan!!!
Chris' impressive cooking skills - documented for the first time!
Chris posing at the ocean off the Eastern coast of Japan, near the city of Kashima.
Another little friend.
Our cozy little kitchen.
Our apartment building is the tan one seen just over the bushes, with the white window shutters. Our unit is on the 2nd floor, furthest to the right.
A small shrine/cemetery just up the hill from our apartment building.
Sue, this is for you. From the pet aisle in a local drugstore.
Our lovely Western toilet! When you flush, water comes out of the little faucet spout and re-fills the tank.
Our first night in the apt - the only kitchenware we possessed was a cup, a very small pot, and like one fork. Resourcefulness was definitely called for.
Cherry blossoms just blooming in Mito during our first week in Japan.
The building in the center of the river (off in the distance) was our hotel in Mito.
Part of the Mito Station shopping center and downtown skyline.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Pictures!
So here are a few photos I snapped with my iPhone (about all it's good for here in Japan, sadly). Some are great "Engrish" pics, one of a little "friend" we found outside our apartment (green bug) and one of my fly ride, a green Suzuki Alto (3 cylinders of fury!). Enjoy!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Up (to) date
So yeah. Japan is great! We live in a small rural (and I mean rural) town in the Ibaraki prefecture (like a Japanese state) called Namegata. There are rice fields as far as the eye can see. I'll probably post pictures of them later when we get internet access at home (hopefully at the end of May). Right now I am posting from our local library. I have seen one white person here other than Tessa and I since we have been in Namegata.
It is the start of Golden Week in Japan, which is three seperate holidays conveniently placed at the start of the week, so including the weekend, we get 5 days off in a row. We probably won't be able to do much during this time (money is still a bit tight until we get our first paycheck) but at least we'll be able to relax. There is a really nice aquarium in Oari that we'll have to visit sometime.
In case I hadn't said yet, I work at two Japanese Junior High Schools, one three days a week, and one two days a week. Basically, my job entails planning games and worksheets to be used in the classroom during my planning periods, and providing a native English speaking example in the classroom. Everyone at both schools has been very nice and accomodating. I like both schools for different reasons. Sakuragawa JH (which literally means "Cherry Blossum River") is very small, but very new, clean and high-tech. It's easier to get to know the teachers and the people there because there is less of them to know, and I'm there more often. Edosaki JH on the other hand is HUGE, 2-3 times larger, which is nice because I can blend in a bit better, and there is another ALT there too. His name is Lito and he is from the Phillipines. He's very nice and has a wealth of knowledge about living in Japan, which he has done for 7 years. The children at both schools are great. They are always very excited or embarassed to talk to me, and most of the time very curious. The Japan JHs have 3 grades: first year, second year, and third year, which by American standards would be 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. The fist years have little to no English experience. They are very eager to learn, though. The second years are somewhat eager, and the third years...not so much. Some of the third year students blatantly do no work at all in the class and either sleep or sit there and stare.
That is all for now, hopefully I'll be able to post one more time during the holiday, maybe even some amusing stories and annecdotes! Ja, ne!
It is the start of Golden Week in Japan, which is three seperate holidays conveniently placed at the start of the week, so including the weekend, we get 5 days off in a row. We probably won't be able to do much during this time (money is still a bit tight until we get our first paycheck) but at least we'll be able to relax. There is a really nice aquarium in Oari that we'll have to visit sometime.
In case I hadn't said yet, I work at two Japanese Junior High Schools, one three days a week, and one two days a week. Basically, my job entails planning games and worksheets to be used in the classroom during my planning periods, and providing a native English speaking example in the classroom. Everyone at both schools has been very nice and accomodating. I like both schools for different reasons. Sakuragawa JH (which literally means "Cherry Blossum River") is very small, but very new, clean and high-tech. It's easier to get to know the teachers and the people there because there is less of them to know, and I'm there more often. Edosaki JH on the other hand is HUGE, 2-3 times larger, which is nice because I can blend in a bit better, and there is another ALT there too. His name is Lito and he is from the Phillipines. He's very nice and has a wealth of knowledge about living in Japan, which he has done for 7 years. The children at both schools are great. They are always very excited or embarassed to talk to me, and most of the time very curious. The Japan JHs have 3 grades: first year, second year, and third year, which by American standards would be 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. The fist years have little to no English experience. They are very eager to learn, though. The second years are somewhat eager, and the third years...not so much. Some of the third year students blatantly do no work at all in the class and either sleep or sit there and stare.
That is all for now, hopefully I'll be able to post one more time during the holiday, maybe even some amusing stories and annecdotes! Ja, ne!
Blogging at the Tamatsukuri Library
Hello again! Wow, two blog posts in one week, all this internet access is too much for me to handle!!! Haha...nothing could be further from the truth.
Japan's Golden Week begins tomorrow (although unofficially, people started celebrating last night). It goes from May 3-6, and basically combines several different holidays, including former holidays that have been replaced by new ones. I think (don't quote me on this) that during Golden Week, Japan celebrates the current Emperor's birthday, Greenery Day, Kid's Day (or just Boy's Day in the past), and a few other things. Of course, anything that gives Chris and I 3 days off (plus the preceding weekend) is fine by me!
On the list for these 5 days:
-tomorrow there is supposed to be a big boat festival on our lake, complete with a really old-fashioned boat being launched and cruising around for awhile
-maybe a trip to Tsuchiura, a city with a pop. of around 150,000 where there are actually things to do! We just want to explore the options.
-On Tuesday C and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary of unmarried couplehood, so we're driving to Tsukuba (pronounced Scuba) to find the only Mexican restaurant in our prefecture. C is really looking forward to beans and cheese and tequila!
-Maybe a drive out to the eastern coast to the town of Oarai, where there is a really neat-sounding aquarium. I'm talking big - they have dolphins! We drove past the town on our way to Mito for training, and it really reminded me of Santa Cruz, CA.
-Rest and Relaxation!!!
In global news, Swine flu has now hit Japan. Our coordinator just emailed us with an official warning from the Japanese Ministry of Health, basically telling us not to travel to Mexico, and if we leave Japan for a trip, when we return we'll have to be tested at the airport. Otherwise, it's not a big deal. We're so used to seeing the face masks everywhere by now, that it wouldn't make any difference seeing more of them. I haven't worn one yet, but if I start getting sick I'll be expected to wear it at work, at least between lessons.
The other day, one of the homeroom teachers I work with asked me how many Japanese words I knew. Doubting myself, I said "uh, maybe 15??". Later, I realized I had completely underestimated my language acquisition during the last month. I actually wrote down all the words and phrases I've learned, and it's near 80! I'm sure I left a few off the list, too. So hurray for me! I'll be fluent in no time, right?
We signed up for home internet service, but it takes a month, apparently, so some time around May 30 I'll actually be able to post pictures! (I don't want to put them on any public computers...)
Over and Out.
Japan's Golden Week begins tomorrow (although unofficially, people started celebrating last night). It goes from May 3-6, and basically combines several different holidays, including former holidays that have been replaced by new ones. I think (don't quote me on this) that during Golden Week, Japan celebrates the current Emperor's birthday, Greenery Day, Kid's Day (or just Boy's Day in the past), and a few other things. Of course, anything that gives Chris and I 3 days off (plus the preceding weekend) is fine by me!
On the list for these 5 days:
-tomorrow there is supposed to be a big boat festival on our lake, complete with a really old-fashioned boat being launched and cruising around for awhile
-maybe a trip to Tsuchiura, a city with a pop. of around 150,000 where there are actually things to do! We just want to explore the options.
-On Tuesday C and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary of unmarried couplehood, so we're driving to Tsukuba (pronounced Scuba) to find the only Mexican restaurant in our prefecture. C is really looking forward to beans and cheese and tequila!
-Maybe a drive out to the eastern coast to the town of Oarai, where there is a really neat-sounding aquarium. I'm talking big - they have dolphins! We drove past the town on our way to Mito for training, and it really reminded me of Santa Cruz, CA.
-Rest and Relaxation!!!
In global news, Swine flu has now hit Japan. Our coordinator just emailed us with an official warning from the Japanese Ministry of Health, basically telling us not to travel to Mexico, and if we leave Japan for a trip, when we return we'll have to be tested at the airport. Otherwise, it's not a big deal. We're so used to seeing the face masks everywhere by now, that it wouldn't make any difference seeing more of them. I haven't worn one yet, but if I start getting sick I'll be expected to wear it at work, at least between lessons.
The other day, one of the homeroom teachers I work with asked me how many Japanese words I knew. Doubting myself, I said "uh, maybe 15??". Later, I realized I had completely underestimated my language acquisition during the last month. I actually wrote down all the words and phrases I've learned, and it's near 80! I'm sure I left a few off the list, too. So hurray for me! I'll be fluent in no time, right?
We signed up for home internet service, but it takes a month, apparently, so some time around May 30 I'll actually be able to post pictures! (I don't want to put them on any public computers...)
Over and Out.
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