I left my home for my home just under 2 weeks ago. I am over my jet-lag and settling back into my old routines of more or less isolated weeks and busy weekends. It was strange at first because I was so used to having people constantly around, but I'm adjusting and appreciating my situation for what it is again.
It feels a bit strange to be here for a second year, but also exciting. I am working on making concrete goals for my school and for my social life to make the most of my time here. While a part of me wouldn't mind going back to Canada for good now, I feel like my time in Japan is unfinished, and I don't want that feeling at the end of my contract next summer.
At school, summer vacation is nearing it's end, which means the end of half days at school and a trip to Shikoku this weekend with Gabrielle while I can take days off without cutting into my classes. However, while the opening ceremony is on September 1st, classes won't really get going until mid-month because the students will be preparing for the very elaborate Sports Day. So it will be full days of school, with not much to do, alas.
Photos of home and adventures are pending my buying a reader for my memory chip, as the one I was using before I left at home, the other one.
2008年8月26日火曜日
2008年8月7日木曜日
Canada is:
-delicious
-the opposite of Japan
-the home of 2 babies I coo at
-home to an adorable dog and 2 very soft, very loud purring cats
-where I drive, and want to drive faster
-lovely
-the opposite of Japan
-the home of 2 babies I coo at
-home to an adorable dog and 2 very soft, very loud purring cats
-where I drive, and want to drive faster
-lovely
2008年7月25日金曜日
3 Things About Bathrooms in Japan
1. Good Idea:
Fresh flowers, everywhere. In the bathroom, at the corner of desks, on wall mountings, at entrance ways, anywhere. My schools constantly have fresh flowers out. I love it. I don’t know if it comes from educating generations of girls in the art of ikebana, or a “let’s enjoying nature” mentality, but it’s a lovely touch to have fresh flowers looking at you while you wash your hands
2. Bad Idea:
99% of bathroom taps don’t have hot water options. Hot water helps kill germs Japan, it’s true. Also, in the winter when your fingers feel like they might fall off from the cold, because the room you’re in doesn’t have an actual heating system, there is no hot water available to warm them up to regain feeling.
3. Interesting idea:
Toilet slippers. You take off your own shoes and slide on a pair of (in my case) usually too small plastic slippers. You go to the bathroom, you change your shoes back, you leave. It’s a dilemma. On one hand—wearing your own shoes puts you at risk to both peeing on your own shoes and standing in someone else’s pee (when using a squat, not everyone has great aim). On the other hand, you have to put on slippers that someone else may have peed on. In the summer, that means putting your bare feet in these slippers.
The bathroom slippers at Kanzaki Junior High. Teachers, girls, and boy's bathrooms from left to right. Note that girls and boys are colour coded.
Fresh flowers, everywhere. In the bathroom, at the corner of desks, on wall mountings, at entrance ways, anywhere. My schools constantly have fresh flowers out. I love it. I don’t know if it comes from educating generations of girls in the art of ikebana, or a “let’s enjoying nature” mentality, but it’s a lovely touch to have fresh flowers looking at you while you wash your hands
2. Bad Idea:
99% of bathroom taps don’t have hot water options. Hot water helps kill germs Japan, it’s true. Also, in the winter when your fingers feel like they might fall off from the cold, because the room you’re in doesn’t have an actual heating system, there is no hot water available to warm them up to regain feeling.
3. Interesting idea:
Toilet slippers. You take off your own shoes and slide on a pair of (in my case) usually too small plastic slippers. You go to the bathroom, you change your shoes back, you leave. It’s a dilemma. On one hand—wearing your own shoes puts you at risk to both peeing on your own shoes and standing in someone else’s pee (when using a squat, not everyone has great aim). On the other hand, you have to put on slippers that someone else may have peed on. In the summer, that means putting your bare feet in these slippers.
The bathroom slippers at Kanzaki Junior High. Teachers, girls, and boy's bathrooms from left to right. Note that girls and boys are colour coded.
2008年7月24日木曜日
Gossip
My (male) friend Sami came to visit last night, to check out what it’s like to live in the countryside. (I think he mostly just realized that living in the countryside means longer train times.) Anyway, this morning we went to the train station together so he could get back to civilization.
On our way, a woman from my Board of Education (BoE) drives up behind us. I gesture for her to pass us, thinking that she's stopping because we are in the way. As she slowly passes us she says one thing. What was it? Was it "ohayogozaimasu" (good morning) or "hello”? No. It was "boyfurendo?". That’s all. She just wanted to see if the male foreigner I was with was my boyfriend. I responded with "Iie, tomodachi" (no, friend) and she finally drove away.
I understand that a person’s relationship status is interesting, but in Japan there is this strange rule, that while this woman, who likely knows the rules of politeness inside and out and is in her mid-late 50s, can call out into the street to see if I’m with my boyfriend. This would NEVER happen to a Japanese person. I have staff members that I’ve known for a year and see weekly, but don’t know if they are married and would never consider asking if they were because it’s considered rude. From my teenage students, this wouldn’t bother me as much, but this woman should know better.
Seeking out a juicy piece of gossip about the foreigner breaks all the rules of politeness. In the words of the ALT on the other side of my town “I’m beginning to think it IS all that matters, what with my girls telling me that I am OBVIOUSLY lying and OBVIOUSLY I have a boyfriend (why this I have no idea) and Mr Yamada’s repeated attempts to convince me that Sakai is a perfectly eligible man at ONLY 18 years my senior. …but in the meantime you can rest assured news of your “friend” will probably be spread through the BoE like wildfire.”
Sigh. Japan, you're great, but you drive me crazy.
On our way, a woman from my Board of Education (BoE) drives up behind us. I gesture for her to pass us, thinking that she's stopping because we are in the way. As she slowly passes us she says one thing. What was it? Was it "ohayogozaimasu" (good morning) or "hello”? No. It was "boyfurendo?". That’s all. She just wanted to see if the male foreigner I was with was my boyfriend. I responded with "Iie, tomodachi" (no, friend) and she finally drove away.
I understand that a person’s relationship status is interesting, but in Japan there is this strange rule, that while this woman, who likely knows the rules of politeness inside and out and is in her mid-late 50s, can call out into the street to see if I’m with my boyfriend. This would NEVER happen to a Japanese person. I have staff members that I’ve known for a year and see weekly, but don’t know if they are married and would never consider asking if they were because it’s considered rude. From my teenage students, this wouldn’t bother me as much, but this woman should know better.
Seeking out a juicy piece of gossip about the foreigner breaks all the rules of politeness. In the words of the ALT on the other side of my town “I’m beginning to think it IS all that matters, what with my girls telling me that I am OBVIOUSLY lying and OBVIOUSLY I have a boyfriend (why this I have no idea) and Mr Yamada’s repeated attempts to convince me that Sakai is a perfectly eligible man at ONLY 18 years my senior. …but in the meantime you can rest assured news of your “friend” will probably be spread through the BoE like wildfire.”
Sigh. Japan, you're great, but you drive me crazy.
2008年7月23日水曜日
Fuji-san thoughts:
On the way to Fuji-san: 9:30pm Friday/2pm Saturday
/Why am I taking a night bus, which I can’t sleep on, to go climb a mountain?/I’m tough, I don’t need to buy oxygen/Wahoo! I’m going to climb Mount Fuji!/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?
Beginning the climb: 2pm-5pm
Hey, this isn’t so bad/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/We’re already half way up, look at us go! /Wahoo! I’m climbing Mount Fuji... along with quite a few others...
Rest period: 5pm-10:30pm
Ok, time for a nap to rest up for the climb that takes us to the summit at sunrise/Why can’t I sleep? I haven’t slept more than 2 hours since Thursday night, I need to sleep. Oh well, I’m a machine, I can make it./Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/ This sunset above the clouds is beautiful/Wahoo, Mount Fuji sunrise at the summit, here I come!
The beginning of the dark time: 10:30pm Saturday- 2am Sunday
I can’t believe there are so many climbers…/If one more person with a walking stick almost hits me in the face, that walking stick is going over the edge of this mountain/I think this is the 8th station?/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/Yes, I will pay twice as much as usual for that chocolate bar and 400Yen for poorly mixed hot chocolate. /I’m liking this cool breeze.
The dark time: 2am-4am
This is worse than the bank or a theme park. I’m in a line to get to the top of a mountain, and I can’t figure out why on earth I’m taking a step, waiting a minute. Taking a step, waiting a minute. /Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/I’m trapped in an Escher painting of Mount Fuji, walking in an never ending loop/This wind is evil/Where did my friends go?/Gahhh! Get out of my way! I just want to sit down at the summit!
Sunrise: 4am-6am
Hey, that sunrise is pretty beautiful/Sophie! Yea! Someone I know!!/Ahh! Have to pee, will pay 200Yen to pee!/Wait, there is more than 1 vending machine?/This place is a zoo/ There is no way I’m walking anywhere uphill from here/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/Holy crap, I’m on top of Mount Fuji.
Preparing for the way down: 6am-8am
Time to mail my letters from the top of Mount Fuji/Must. Write. Faster. Can’t. Feel. Fingers/holy crap, I’m cold in Japan and it’s July!/Where is Myrie? I hope she’s not dead, I haven’t seen her in hours…/Wait, there’s Myrie, she’s not dead! /Oh no, have to pee again, another line, another 200Yen…/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet? /There better not be a line going down the mountain…
Going down: 8am-10:30am
Sweet, no line /Volcanic mountains are desolate/Hmm, maybe I’ll try running…/This is so much fun/Have either of my sisters had their babies yet?/It’s warming up, time to take some layers off my body and add them to my backpack/I can’t believe my body is still functioning, let alone running down a mountain/I’m running down a mountain! /is this the end of the world? Am I trapped in another Escher painting? We’ve been walking in this cloud for ages…
Recovery: 10:30am Sunday/ Monday 5am
Onsen, food, karaoke, a perfect way to end this trip/I keep falling asleep when I blink for too long/Back on the bus.. ugh/One of my sister's had her baby!/Ok, so the trick to sleeping on an overnight bus is to not sleep for a night, climb a mountain and not sleep another night, got it/I climbed Mount Fuji. I actually did it. I didn’t need oxygen! Yatta!
(most photo credit goes to Myrie, my climbing buddy and photographer extraordinare)
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