Sorry for the extended period of silence, loved ones. I just haven't been in the update-mood lately. But today I finally decided that it was time I told my peeps back home the 411 on the happenings of my 'hood. For my more, ahem, wisened readers, get a young whipper-snapper to translate that last sentence.
Highlights of this fall:
Still getting along well with the new coworker, Ami. This is not to say that we haven't had our little struggles, but its nothing compared to the tension and strain I felt with a previous coworker. I am so thankful that, in most things, Ami and I are on the same wavelength.
I went to a sumo match in Fukuoka in November. It. Was. Awesome. Probably the most memorable experience I've had in all my time in Japan. For more on this experience please check my previous blog entry.
I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in December. I took the second-lowest level out of four levels. I will find out if I passed in mid-February. I feel pretty good about it, though. I think maybe I did all right.
I finished applying to music theory masters/doctorate programs. I will have to do several phone interviews in January and probably do a little bit more paperwork. I will start to get notifications of acceptance/rejection in March, I think. I will be happy to be accepted to any of the four schools I applied to, though my first choice is the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
Work has been exceedingly frustrating this month. It's been so bad that I reviewed my contract to see if there was any way I could trap the school into agreeing to a list of several demands I have been making in my head, such as translating the school handbook into English, translating our paycheck information into English, translating morning announcements into English, giving us goals and grading policies for our classes, etc. Those are reasonable requests, don't you think?
I am coming home for Christmas! I will be in Des Moines from December 24-January 5, so if you're in that area, please let me know and we can get together!! I am so thankful for the opportunity to get out of Japan for awhile and soak up some familiar culture and food and faces.
Summer is over (technically, though the heat continues into October here) and school is in full swing. My new colleague, Ami, has been here for over a month now, and has been very energetically reorganizing and planning her class curriculum. Her fresh teaching ideas have given me a new energy and imagination with the students as I try to challenge the English-track students more and worry less about how little the basic-track students care about my class (some days I feel like I would rather drive a giant rusty spike through my forearm than teach the high school basic-track students. They are lethargic, have bad attitudes about the class, and can understand less English than several of my junior high school classes).
This week two new Baiko College teachers arrived. Unfortunately, none of the staff at the college (Japanese or American) prepared a welcome pack or got their apartments ready for their arrival. So the next evening I helped them find some essentials at the local grocery store and we had supper at MOS Burger, a Japanese version of In-N-Out Burger. They both seem nice and down-to-earth, though a little overwhelmed by Japan. It brings back memories of when I was first in country. I remember feeling SO FRUSTRATED at little things. Now, when I see the new people frustrated at those same things and I just shrug and say, "Hey, that's [Japan/Baiko] for you," I wonder if they aren't a little irritated. I was when my former colleagues would say that to me.
In other news, I took the GRE in Osaka about two weeks ago. For those of you who haven't been in school for awhile, the GRE is a required test for those applying to graduate schools. The exam tests verbal, quantitative, and writing skills, and is a grueling three hours long. And yes, it was in English, though I took the test in Japan. Because it was computerized, I was able to see my verbal and quantitative scores immediately after finishing my exam. Much to my pleasure, both my scores were higher than they had been on practice tests. There were also two writing portions, and I felt pretty good about them. So that's over with. On to filling out graduate school applications and writing Statement of Purpose essays. I hate those things.
So things are going pretty well, generally. I definitely feel busier at school this term, since there are only two foreign teachers instead of the three there used to be. Wednesdays are my worst days. I actually have a full load of five classes-- just like a real teacher! It's hard to believe I have been here a whole year. One year of my life spent in Japan. Another year to go. Bring it on, Japan.
Japan is a country known for its four distinct seasons, but it should be known for having five distinct seasons: winter, spring, rain, summer, and fall. The change from the rainy season to summer could be clocked with an egg timer. Last Sunday it was drizzly, gray, damp, and relatively cool: just like it had been for weeks. Then Monday morning an oppressive, thick heat, dazzlingly bright sunlight, and the raucous sound of millions of cicadas filled the air. Summer has finally arrived, and shows no signs of slowing until September.
Summer will bring many changes to my life. It will be the closing of the first chapter of my Japan experience and the opening of the second and final chapter. This, as they say, is where the plot thickens. Several main characters will be replaced with new ones: my two American colleagues will be returning to the States, my close friend from Canada (who has been teaching ESL for 6 months here in Shimonoseki) will be going back home, and several members of the local Japan English Teachers (JET) program will be leaving. I am very sad to see these dear friends and confidants go. I'm worried that none of the new arrivals will be friends, and that I will be alone. Will these new characters become protagonists or arch rivals in my Japan story? I know one new character will inevitably become quite important to me: I will be joined here by a new co-worker, a graduate of Northwestern. I'm excited and anxious for her arrival. Will we work well together? Will she be weird? Will she think I'm weird?
Summer is also the high travel season in Japan. So, in true Japanese style, I'm taking a long vacation abroad-- to CHINA!!!! I am bouncing-off-the-walls-excited about this trip. As many of you know, two summers ago I lived in China for a month, studying the music of a minority group there, living with a host family, learning Chinese language and culture, and doing some missions work. That experience was one of the defining periods of my life. It forever changed my view of the world, music, culture, people-- pretty much everything. I also fell in love with Chinese culture. I am very excited to go back into this culture and see it from a new angle: coming from life in Japan. I'm sure China will seem much dirtier, more confusing, and louder than Japan. I'm looking forward to comparing notes on these two very different cultures. I'll be traveling with Rachel, my American colleague, to Qingdao by ferry to visit a mutual friend. Then we'll travel by overnight train (hopefully) to Beijing to see the Great Wall (one of the new 7 wonders of the world!!!), Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City, etc. Then Rachel and I will part ways: she'll go back to Japan, then promptly turn round and go back to the States. Meanwhile, I'll travel by plane to Southern China to hang out with people I met on my missions trip 2 years ago. Then I'll come back to Japan to recuperate from my vacation and wait for school to start up again.
So that's what's new with me. What's new with you? Please update me on life in the States! What's the hot news? Has Paris Hilton really reformed?! (Just kidding. Please don't mention Paris Hilton.)
Yes, it's rainy season in Japan. My colleagues tell me to expect dreary, wet, humid weather for about two months. When I heard that I thought about what my hair looks like in humid weather: double its normal volume, Diana Ross-esque frizz, generally unmanageable. My hair was to the length that it didn't curl very well because of the weight of the hair, but it wouldn't stay totally straight, either. In short, it was in a wave limbo. At that point in the growth of my hair I can only effectively style it one way: in a ponytail, with the cowlicks clipped to the sides of my head. So I decided it was high time for a haircut. I asked several foreigners where they usually go to get their hair cut, but I wasn't too thrilled with their advice, so I decided one afternoon to just walk around downtown until I saw a salon that looked reputable. A little risky, but I ended up at a place in Green Mall: the Korean section of town. The hairdresser's name was Kimura, and she didn't speak any English. So I explained in broken Japanese and body language that I wanted a short haircut because my hair was curly and in the coming weather short hair would be better. We communicated fairly well and in the end I got a really short, layered bob. After she styled it I stood up and checked it out in the mirror. An older lady materialized from the back of the shop and said I looked like a mannequin, so I posed accordingly and they laughed. They kept using the Japanese word for "cool," which boosted my ego. I got home and showed my coworker. She said, "You'll be the talk of the school tomorrow." And indeed, as soon as the students saw me and my obvious lack of hair, most of them gaped at me with their mouths open and promptly squealed, "Cute!!!!" Some of the teachers said they thought I looked like a mod 1950s American swinger or something. In all, I got quite a favorable (and pretty funny) reaction to my new 'do.
Another new adventure recently was my first broken tooth. Monday morning I was polishing off my English muffin--searching my mouth with my tongue for any residual crumbs stuck in those hard-to-reach places-- when I felt a rather hard crumb toward the front of my mouth. I bit down. It was crunchy--not "Rice Crispie Treat" crunchy, but "I had a picnic at the park and accidentally got a rock in my bologna sandwich" crunchy. It was a piece of tooth from one of my mandibular central incisors (I looked that up on Wikipedia). Naturally, I spat it out, inspected it, then proceeded to almost hyperventilate. I've never had a serious problem with my teeth, let alone gone to a dentist IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, so I was pretty freaked out. Luckily, my friend Joe recently broke a tooth on some toast and had to go to the dentist, so he helped me find the office and told me what to do. It turns out that Japanese dentists are very gentle: no pulling the mouth open or stretching the skin to see every cranny with a mirror or pushing down on the teeth. It wasn't too bad. And now my tooth is back to normal!
Also this month I made a trip to Tokyo to see some friends from Northwestern College. The Drama Ministries Ensemble came to the Tokyo area to perform Bible stories, do workshops, do some sightseeing, etc. I figured if they're in Japan and I'm in Japan, I should try to see them. So I flew up for a weekend to hang out. It was great to see some old friends, meet some new people, and see the big city for the first time! I only had time for a little sightseeing in Tokyo: I saw a bit of the imperial gardens and a famous shrine called Asakusa, but spent the bulk of my time on public transportation trying to find these places. I still have many things on my list to see in the Tokyo area.
Other than those exciting stories it's been pretty normal here in Shimonoseki. The first year students are still quite curious about the weird-looking foreign teachers, so they stop by the English Lounge to try to communicate once in awhile. I have seen some progress in my more advanced students, which brings me great joy. Recently I talked to a student who graduated last year. She studies English in college now and she said that she taught a friend the word "bummer." Apparently her current English teacher uses the word frequently, and she remembered it from my English class. I was so glad to hear that she remembered a word I taught her, even if it was just "bummer."
Coming later this summer are a few items that are starting to cause me some stress: a friend and I will be going to China for a week or so for a vacation, my two American coworkers will be returning to the States, a new coworker will be arriving, and I'll take the GRE in preparation for graduate school applications. So if you're in a praying mood please pray that I will have patience that everything will work itself out whether or not I worry my head off.
Last week was Golden Week-- a "week" (every day but Tuesday and Wednesday) of straight holidays. Japan even has a law that if two holidays are separated by a non-holiday, that day is automatically a holiday as well. The holidays last week were Green Day (used to be an Emperor's birthday or death day, but it was changed to a sort of Arbor Day), Children's Day (a Shinto holiday that actually only celebrates boys), and a few other "holidays." If you're interested, there's a pretty good Wikipedia article on it.
Since there was a "week" of holidays I made a few travel plans. April 28th I went to Fukuoka with a two colleagues to Costco, an economy big box like Sam's Club. Since Costco carries a ton of imported food, I was able to buy food there that I can't get anywhere else in my area. I bought tortilla chips, refried beans, a huge bag of chocolate chips, bagels, a big block of cheddar cheese, and some garlic powder. Not only did I have a great day of shopping; I got to get to know two of the Japanese English teachers better.
Tuesday and Wednesday were regular school days. Thursday I went to a little town a half hour outside of the city to see a few friends do a concert. My friend Takeshi's band, Gentlemen for Cutie, played first; they performed covers of a Japanese band called Jude (or was it Jute? Takeshi's pronunciation wasn't so clear). The second band, New Leaves, performed all Beatles hits. My friend Jenn and I acted like typical Westerners-- dancing, shouting and yelling after songs were finished, calling for encores, yelling over the music to talk to each other. The only problem was that the Japanese don't do this kind of thing. Needless to say, we were stared at a lot and branded weirdos by most of the crowd. But the band said they loved our enthusiasm.
Friday Rachel and I had an adventure in another little town a half hour outside of the city. We went to a shrine, a little park, and the beach! I collected many shells, saw some beached jellyfish, took a bunch of pictures, got a little sunburn on my nose, and had a great time relaxing with Rachel.
Saturday I bummed around the apartment and cleaned. Sunday I went to Hagi with three older ladies from a Bible study I attend. Hagi is known in Japan for being a very historic city. We saw some castle ruins from the 1600s, two samurai houses, and a famous shrine. We also had tea in a traditional tea-house, took a lift to the highest point in the city, had a fancy buffet for lunch, and went for a dip in a natural hot spring. Hot springs, called onsen, are very popular in Japan (Here's another Wikipedia article to pique your interest). The only catch for foreigners is that you have to go in to most onsen naked. I was a little leery about walking around a bunch of strangers in my birthday suit, but I quickly found that it was no big deal because everyone around me was naked (keep in mind that this was not a coed affair; all onsen have separated women's and men's pools). Apparently this onsen was pretty fancy, as there were at least seven different pools, all with different features. One was about 120cm deep, so you could walk around in it. One had special jets for your back. One was outdoors, complete with bamboo and rock fountains. It was so relaxing and, ultimately, I was very glad I went.
Tomorrow I go back to work. So far this semester has been good, though I am a bit worried about a few of my classes. The new English majors are so quiet and I don't know what to do to help them talk more. My intensive reading class was VERY rowdy last week, so I'm worried their behavior problems will get worse, although last class I got so angry I yelled at them. :( Other classes seem to be going pretty well. So wish me luck as I get out of vacation mode and back into work mode. I doubt it will be an easy transition, but I think I can handle it. ;)
After a long period of silence I finally got enough complaints that I haven't sent an update email in awhile, and since I have had a very eventful month I figured I had enough pithy stories to satisfy my update email expectations. So here goes.
I spent my spring break in Iowa. I decided to come back to the States on a whim a week before break started. I was talking to my coworker, Rachel, about how homesick I was and how drained I felt and how I just wanted to forget about school for awhile. As we talked we both figured that a trip home would be just what I needed. So we hopped on the internet and found a reasonable ticket for me. Then I realized how much crap I had to get done before I left. I had to go to a city office to get a multiple re-entry visa that cost about USD $60. I had to tie up some loose ends at school (which proved to be difficult. Apparently I needed permission to go home during my vacation time. I was more than a little annoyed). I had to pack. I had to figure out how to get to the Fukuoka airport, then how to switch from one airport to another in Tokyo. Most of all, I wanted to surprise my family and just show up in Des Moines on Saturday. Well, that didn't work out so well. The airline had to call my listed emergency contact number, which happened to be my family's home number. The conversation between my father and an airline representative a few days before my flight probably went something like this:
"Hello, Mr. Oooompthum?" "Yes?" "This is Northwest Airlines. I'd like to speak to Ruthann Oooompthum regarding her flight from Fukuoka, Japan on March 24th." "Oh really. This is the first I've heard of it. If she's flying from Japan, why are you calling the United States to find her?" "....."
From that phone call my dad figured out (wily fox that he is) that I was coming home for a vacation. So he told everyone. Well, ALMOST everyone. He kept it a secret from my grandma Wood and the dog, he said. Although, that didn't stop my mother from trying to pretend like she didn't know I was coming when I called. She tried so hard to convince me she was clueless. It was cute.
So I came home. And the first meal I had in the States was...... takeout Chinese food. How hilarious is that? I surprised my grandmother at her retirement home and I was afraid for a moment that the shock was going to kill her. It was great. I also got to surprise her friends there. My grandma was the proudest lady in the joint that evening. She was showing me off like a prize-winning poodle. "Look who came all the way from Japan to visit me?!" she said, her face glowing. She was kidding, of course.
Here are some things that surprised me as I re-acquainted myself with the United States:
Americans are rude. Seriously. The difference in decorum between the flight attendants on my Japan flight and the international flight was STAGGERING. The Japanese flight attendants are the epitome of grace. They always look like they're in control. They are always smiling. Their body language is fluid and calming to watch. In contrast, American flight attendants often look busy and annoyed. Sometimes they don't even use polite language. For example, instead of, "Excuse me, could you please put your seat back up for the landing?" I often heard "Sir, could you put your seat up? Just put it up." In the Minneapolis airport the difference in the attitude of the store clerks and restaurant workers was glaring as well. At Subway the two workers I encountered weren't paying attention to what I asked for, talking with their friends, didn't use "please" or "thank you," didn't smile. Before I went to Japan this stuff bothered me a little, since I've worked in the service industry and I know what I like to see in a clerk. But after living in Japan for nine months their behavior seemed so rude.
We have a lot of space in America. I don't think people realize how good they have it to have a huge front and back lawn, let alone a huge house. Most Japanese houses have a tiny walled-in garden that may or may not contain a small patch of grass. If you have any kind of grass in front or behind your house that resembles a lawn, you are sitting pretty. Seriously.
Americans hug a lot. This is one thing I noticed that I really missed while living in Japan. Americans are just more touchy-feely. When I went up to Northwestern I was hugging twenty people a day or more. People I hardly knew were coming up to me for a hug. It was great. In Japan the personal bubble is not necessarily bigger than in the US, but it is definitely kept personal for most people.
Since being to Japan and China and Eastern Europe I have grown to dread international travel. I'll tell you why: it is a headache and a half. Here's the schedule I had on my journey back to Japan:
10:00 AM depart from Des Moines Airport. (1 hour time change) 1:00 arrive in Detroit Airport. Go through customs and baggage check and eat lunch. 2:20 PM depart from Detroit Airport. Don't sleep on the plane at all (because for some reason you are physically unable). Watch three movies and read a little for 13 hours. (14 hour time change) 4:00 PM Arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport. Go through customs and baggage claim and buy snacks for a very unhealthy supper. 4:45 PM take a bus from Tokyo Narita Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. Be forced to listen to American Navy guys talk about all the Japanese women they want to have sex with. Ugh. 6:00 PM arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport. Go through customs and baggage check. Sit in the airport for two hours watching Japanese TV ads that loop over and over again. 8:00 PM depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport. Actually sleep a little! 9:50 PM arrive at Fukuoka Airport. Go through baggage claim. 10:05 PM board a subway for Nakasukawabata. 10:18 PM frantically run from the subway to the bus stop, because if you don't make this bus, you're probably stuck on this island until morning. Hail a taxi and make him drive you a block and a half because your bag is too heavy to pull behind you. 10:28 PM board a bus from Shimonoseki. Sit, relax, and wipe all the sweat off your face. 11:54 PM finally arrive in Shimonoseki. Hail a cab to take you to your apartment, because you're just too tired to walk 10 minutes from the bus station to your apartment. 12:00 AM Collapse. But remember to set your alarm for 6:30 AM because you have to go to school tomorrow.
So now I'm at school. I don't really feel so tired yet. It'll probably hit me tonight. I dunno. But I'm back safe in Japan. I made all my flights and subways and buses. And I can't take credit for that. It was all a God-thing. In fact, it always has been, hasn't it?
The subject line means, "It's been awhile. Sorry." Since I've been here for over half a year, my life doesn't seem so exciting anymore, so I decided to downsize to an update email every other month. Does that greatly disappoint anyone?
So, in light of my life here being boring, please allow me to bore you to sleep by giving you an account of a normal day: a Tuesday.
6:30AM My alarm goes off. I hit the snooze every five minutes for a half hour.
7:00AM I finally decide to pull myself off of my futon and get ready for school. I eat breakfast (usually toast with something sweet and unhealthy on top and a cup of instant cafe au lait), make lunch (usually a sandwich, a mikan [mandarin orange], and some Pocky [cracker sticks dipped in chocolate]), get dressed, and take out the trash (Tuesday is a red bag day-- that's burnables).
7:35AM I start walking to the bus station, about a five-minute walk from my apartment building.
7:50AM The bus arrives, five minutes off-schedule, usually.
8:05AM The bus takes me to 丸山町(Maruyama-cho), and I walk to the school from there-- about three minutes. I change into my "inside shoes" at the shoe locker, then go to my coat locker in the building to drop off my coat, hat, scarf, and sometimes umbrella, then to the teacher's office.
8:20AM Teacher devotions. One of the higher-ups reads a section of one of the Gospels (right now we're reading Luke), then prays. Then any announcements teachers have are made.
8:35AM Nick, Rachel, and I go to chapel. We sing the Baiko chapel chant, then bow. Then we sing a hymn, read a section of Scripture, listen to the message, pray, recite the memory verse, bow again, and leave.
9:00AM First period begins. On Tuesdays I have 1E Writing class. 1E basically means "first year high-schooler English concentration." Right now they are writing a scary story. Its a really fun, but challening, project for them.
9:50AM Writing class ends and I go downstairs to the English Lounge, where I will check my email, plan classes, eat chocolate, take a nap, read a book, or study Japanese until lunch time.
12:50PM Lunch hour begins.
1:30PM Lunch hour ends. Cleaning time begins. The students and teachers clean the school and take out garbage. Although, my American colleagues and I are doubtful that any serious cleaning gets done.
2:50PM sixth period-- Basic English Conversation class with 1A students. 1A basically means "normal first year high-schooler." This also means that they don't care if they learn English. This is the class in which I have the most discipline problems.
3:40PM sixth period ends, hopefully without me having to confiscate any personal effects from the students (I have had to take away post-its and scissors before).
3:50PM Seventh period-- 2E Writing class begins. I think this is my favorite class to teach. The 2E students are motivated, kind, and they love English. And they're quite fond of me, if I do say so myself. ;) Right now they are writing an argument paper-- they respond to a topic I assigned them by giving their opinion and giving arguments for and against that opinion. Its pretty challenging for them, but they are doing well.
4:40PM 2E Writing class ends. I go back to the English Lounge to wait until 5:00 rolls around.
5:00PM FREEDOM! Nick, Rachel and I walk home. Sometimes I stop at the grocery store on the way.
5:40PM I make it home, put my groceries away, turn on my computer, and decompress for awhile by reading, listening to music, or watching junk on YouTube. The rest of the night is spent making supper, showering, writing emails or letters or postcards, tinkering around on the internet, generally being lazy. Sometimes I watch a movie with friends.
With three classes, Tuesday is my busiest day of the week. Its pretty pathetic, really. Most of my time at work is not spent on work-related stuff because I just don't have enough to fill my time. Maybe next fall when there are only two English teachers I will have some more classes to teach... I don't know... \n Speaking of which, my high school is currently looking for someone from NWC to fill a soon-to-be-vacant English-teaching position. So if any of you NWC graduates (or soon-to-be graduates) are interested in teaching English in Japan, please let me know!
So that's a day in the life of ルーシー先生、梅光女学院の英語教師。Pretty boring, I think. But I'm used to this life by now. ;)
Christmas in Japan came and went. Here's a brief synopsis of the events of my first Christmas in Japan: Saturday (the 23rd) there was a special service at my church, including Christmas carols (in Japanese, of course), a short message, candle lighting, and Christmas cake (a Japanese Christmas tradition, possibly borrowed from European tradition). There I was surprised to receive a gift from one of my students-- a beautiful necklace that is just my style! I said to her, "Wow, my student gave me a gift!" She responded, "No, I'm not just your student. You are my sister, because we are both in God's family." Sunday there was the normal church service, in which we sang "Happy Birthday Jesus," then a potluck lunch, then a Christmas "party" of sorts: there was a puppet show of the Christmas story and many musical numbers, including the Hallelujah Chorus, which I conducted!! Christmas day I went to another church to help prepare an American/Australian style Christmas dinner (my friend Katie from Australia was the "director/head chef" for the event, so we used her recipes. Some of Australia's food traditions are a little different from America's, as you can imagine). Then that evening the American teachers from my high school and its affiliated college got together for a small party/gift exchange. We all did a little talent and brought something to eat. My talent was singing (surprise surprise) and I made macaroni and cheese to share with the group (I thought something distinctly American would be appreciated, and it was).
This Christmas was not only my first in Japan, but my first away from my family. The homesickness was more acute than usual, but I am so fortunate to have many friends here to spend the holidays with. They are my new "family away from family," not replacing anyone, mind you, just another family to add to my collection. With the end of Christmas comes the beginning of my first school break. I have two weeks to bum around Shimonoseki with the other "losers" who aren't traveling during the break. Two of my friends and I plan to go to nearby Yamaguchi City to a Mexican restaurant (how strange does that sound!) and to Fukuoka to go shopping and see the sights. I also plan to borrow a lot of DVDs from my neighbors and thoroughly clean my apartment.
I continue to change and add to my apartment. Its funny how long it has taken me to "settle in," as far as decorating and accumulating necessary furniture is concerned. But the new sumo wrestler calendar I acquired is hanging prominently in my living room. A few friends and I went to a special restaurant that sumo wrestlers eat at, and the owner came out to talk to us after our meal and gave all of us these 2007 wall calendars. As you can imagine, each page features enormous men battling each other in giant thongs. I love it.
On the faith front: I'm still a skeptic, but I hold on to the tiny bit of hope I have that God is who he says he is and that he will reveal himself in due time. I am waiting on him to grow my faith and I'm trying to "help" it along by doing some reading. This week's book is The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, a fellow skeptic and former atheist. I welcome and appreciate your prayers and advice and encouragement, as this struggle is certainly more difficult for me being miles away from the people who usually encourage me in this area.
A Short Lesson on Japanese Culture that Pertains Directly to My Life Here:
Yes, the Japanese celebrate Christmas--- by eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Its true-- several years ago KFC aired a commercial in Japan that depicted a white family eating together at KFC on Christmas and from that the Japanese concluded that "American Christmas=KFC." So if a Japanese family wants to eat at KFC on Christmas, they have to make reservations far in advance, and it is the busiest day of the year for the restaurant. The statue of Colonel Sanders outside the restaurant is currently in a Santa suit.
Christmas here is largely a commercial holiday. Stores go ALL OUT with decorations, and people decorate their homes a little, too. But they don't really exchange gifts. And they don't have a big meal that day. The stores are all open on the 25th, and people go to work that day. Its all commercial-- similar to the U.S., but at least many Americans still have some traditions they stick to, like being with family or something. Not the Japanese. No Jesus involved.
Which is typical of most of Japanese life. Less than 1% of Japanese are Christians. Many Japanese don't really believe anything. They may ascribe to Shinto beliefs-- they'll go to shrines on special holidays, have Shinto funerals, buy lucky charms, etc.-- but there is no real conviction. Some people also claim to be Buddhist, but even then it is not a deeply-held conviction. Maybe they just like Buddhist teachings, think they're a good idea for living, but that's it. The Japanese ideas of morals are different too. Its not: "This is wrong, I shouldn't do it," but "I can't do this because I can't get away with it." Many Japanese are consumed with materialism. They have strong ties to their family, but that's about all the deep conviction a typical Japanese has.
Granted, there are exceptions. I have gotten to know many Japanese in the Christian community here. These people are definitely outside the box for Japanese culture, because they are deeply commited to Christ and to their church and their Christian communities. Most of the churches in Shimonoseki will do things with other chruches and they're all kind of networked together. For example, I was invited to a Christmas celebration at Yamanota church, but I don't normally attend that church: I attend at different church which is loosely connected to the Yamanota church. I also attend some Bible studies or get-togethers that are put on by other churches in the area, as do other Christians in town. So the Christian community here is pretty tight. It's really neat to see how much they love each other. Despite all of my questions and skepticism about other Christian beliefs, that is maybe the one thing that keeps me holding on to Christianity -- the community of believers and how fiercely they love each other. Maybe that love is a reflection of God's love for me.....
And Now for Something Completely Different (about my life, that is):
I've been in Japan for three months now. While my Japanese level is definitely lower than I like, many people comment that I speak Japanese so well for only being here for three months! I knew before coming here that I wanted to be very ambitious about learning Japanese, and that ambition seems to have paid off. I can have basic chit-chatty conversations with people, ask store clerks any questions I have, order food without worrying about what I'll end up eating, etc. And I'm starting to learn some more complex grammatical structures, though practicing these can be a bit painful for the Japanese listener, as it takes me awhile to first process the sentence in my mind, then to say it out loud correctly.
Teaching is going well also. Finals are next week, so this week is a lot of reviewing and test-writing for the English teachers. Most of my students are very bright and attentive in class. However, I have one very naughty class. You can read about them here. Other than this one class, my students are a joy to teach. I receive journals for two writing classes. The students can write about anything they want-- as long as it is English and a page long. I love reading these journals and writing back to the students. Sometimes their thoughts or hopes really surprise me. Sometimes they tell things to us English teachers that they wouldn't feel free to tell even their parents. So in that way, the journals are a form of therapy for the students-- a kind of free-writing for them. It is a non-threatening way for them to communicate any ideas they want in English.
As a few of you are aware, I have been dating a Japanese guy for about a month and a half now. His name is Gou. He is my age, and an economics student at a local university (the college system works a little differently here, which sort-of explains why he is my age and still has two years of school left). Gou and I met at the local train station. He asked me if I wanted to take some Japanese lessons, and I gladly accepted. We met once a week for awhile, just studying Japanese and getting to know each other, but now we are officially a couple. So I'm happy. Its nice to once again have a companion I can share my life with. Granted, communication is sometimes a problem, but Gou's English is quite good and is constantly improving, as is my Japanese. We try to communicate in both English and Japanese, but usually if we want to have a deeper conversation we have to use English. In any case, I am very grateful for his support and his prescence in my life right now.
The following update is taken from a recent update email. If you want to receive these emails, leave me a comment and I'll add you to my list.
Things I now love about Japan:
Music: Japanese pop music is a lot of fun. Many songs are interspersed with random English words. It’s surreal and often hilarious to listen to them. The band names are also a lot of fun, especially when they are in English. I especially like the music of Mr. Children, YUKI, Judy and Mary, L’arc en Ciel, Porno Graffiti and Love Psychedelico.
Drinks: Melon soda is the bomb dot com. KFC and MOS Burger have it at the fountain here, along with Coca Cola products. I’ve also had pineapple soda and a drink called “Calpis,” which reminds me a little of horchata. Also, the Japanese have a fondness for cold coffee, especially café au lait. So almost every morning I have a pastry or a piece of toast with a nice cup of cold café au lait.
Seaweed: I love seaweed. I love seaweed in soup, I love seaweed wrapped around rice, I love dried seaweed in snacks, I love seaweed flakes on my okonomiyaki-- I just plain love seaweed. Nuf said.
Written Japanese has three forms: hiragana and katakana (the alphabets) and kanji (characters borrowed from Chinese). I am now quite competent with hiragana-- to the point where I can read the Japanese text in church hymns and sing along, and I can read children’s stories at a good pace (although I don’t understand what I’m reading). Kanji is the more difficult task. When Japanese children are taught Kanji, they are given fifty or so characters at a time, split into six grades. I now know a good bit of the Grade 1 kanji. In order to read a Japanese newspaper, I must know about 1,000 kanji. I now know that I will not progress to that level in two years.
I just gave my first chapel speech at school the 28th. Chapel is one of the only opportunities I have to share my faith and to speak Japanese to the students. I wanted the students to understand me, so I decided I would try to give my speech entirely in Japanese. It was a very difficult task, and many times I thought I was being too ambitious, as I have only been in Japan two months. But I knew that if my speech was in English, only the American teachers and a few of the Japanese teachers and students would be able to understand the majority of it. So I wrote the speech in English first and then gave sections of it to several people to translate. One of the Japanese teachers helped me with my pronunciation. There were also a lot of people praying for me as I prepared for the speech. So I did it. And I was really nervous. But after the speech many Japanese teachers came to me and told me that it was a good speech and that they understood my Japanese pronunciation. I was very encouraged my this. My next speech is in a month, so this week I must start writing the English draft to be translated. No rest for the weary.
More Fun Facts:
McDonald’s here has ginger ale, several kinds of coffee drinks, and an awesome mango shake. But the fries taste exactly the same.
The trash system here is really different. Trash is separated by category and put into different colored bags. For example, burnable trash goes in the red bag, plastic goes in the blue bag, aluminum and glass go in the yellow bag, etc. There are designated days of the week that these trash bags can go out to the street. If you forget to put it out one week, you have to hang on to the smelly garbage bag for another week. That happened to me once. I put the garbage bag on my porch so the smell wouldn’t asphyxiate me. The next morning I discovered the crows had a feast on my kitchen scraps. Ugh.
Before eating a meal, the Japanese say “itadakimas,” which literally means something like “I receive.” They will even say this when no one else is around. It acts as a kind of prayer before the meal, to mean, “I receive this with humility and thanks.”
Japanese manhole covers are fancy. Really fancy. The Shimonoseki manhole cover features the blowfish, as Shimonoseki is the leading supplier of the poisonous delicacy in Japan. I was told that over 85% of the blowfish eaten in Japan comes from Shimonoseki.
My liquids were confiscated after all. The worst part was actually that they just throw the liquids away; they are not donated, nor can the security people keep them. So the brand new travel toothpaste I bought, the expensive Bath and Body Works lotion, my hand sanitizer, my body spray-- all thrown away. That probably amounted to about $20 worth of liquids. Fortunately my ear drops were not taken, but the elderly black security gentleman inspected the bottle quite suspiciously. He reminded me a little of Morgan Freeman. Very polite and unhurried.
While going through security I was near a very confused Chinese man. He didn’t know what security line he was supposed to be in, and some huge, crass black woman started yelling at him in a thick black accent to get back in line. Of course he didn’t understand her so he started walking toward her, thinking she was telling him to come over to her. She then yelled at him more. Then some Americans and I kindly motioned over to us. Then I talked to him in Chinese a little. It was fun. I think he appreciated hearing someone be nice to him in a little of his own language.
As I predicted I slept only an hour or so on the fourteen-hour flight to Osaka. I even tried taking Dr. Kang's advice of drinking some wine to fall asleep and that only gave me an hour's reprive. Fortunately, Pride and Prejudice was one of the inflight movies. So I watched it two and a half times.
All I could think when I was in Osaka, then in Fukuoka, then in the car with Chieko Higuchi-sense and her boyfriend was: “This is just a bad dream. I didn’t really agree to stay here for two years. I’ll wake up at home in my bed any minute now.” I was suddenly so fconfused and so frightened to be thrust into this foreign world alone. Gladly that feeling wore off after the first day.
I keep comparing everything to China, because it is very similar. The road design and the way people drive (besides the fact that they drive “backwards” here), the noodle shop we went to (the noodles were very much like the Chinese noodles, except that I didn’t end up crying from all the hot peppers), the airport was very similar in construction and level of chaos, the people are dressed similarly, their mannerisms are very similar-- the list can go on. So I fear I will continue to compare this world to the one I grew to love last summer, maybe to my detriment.
The last two days I have been busy making this apartment my own: putting up posters, moving furniture around, figuring out how to use the stove, shower, air conditioner, toaster. Thankfully I have a Western toilet, so I'm not forced into doing squats for daily excercise.
Posted below is a copy of my first Japan mass email. I know I forgot people in this email, so I wanted to post it here also. If you regularly read this blog and would like to recieve email updates, please reply with an email address. I would love to litter your inbox with long, syrupy letters full of my Asian Exploits.
After a lot of thinking, a lot of working at HyVee, and a lot of paperwork, I am going to Japan. I still need to get my visa, but I plan to shove off around August 25. I will be teaching junior high and high school English in Shimonoseki for two years. I will be living in an apartment provided by Baiko Gakuin University, the school I will be teaching at. Here is my address and phone number. Please bug me. Or at least mail me something or call me so I know this address is correct.
37-17-A201, Hatabu-honcho, Shimonoseki, Japan (zip code is 751-0827) telephone: 0832-22-4506
Please pray for me as I go into a job I have no experience in. I didn't really intend to go into English teaching, but I have always wanted to live in another country, and many of you know I love Asian culture! All that to say... I am excited and nervous. Keep me in your thoughts.
Name: Ruthie Home: Japan About Me: I want to know who God is and what his truth is. I love getting lost in beautiful music and cloudless star-filled skies, especially in the fall. I hate being bored. I like big cities. I want to travel the world. read more
Name: Ruthie