Good evening,
How are you? "I'm fine, thank you, and you." That is the response you are cultivated to say if you are a Japanese elementary school student. Other acceptable answers might include "I'm sleepy, I'm hungry, or, I'm happy" depending on if you are the smart kid or not.
What a week. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a great post for you tonight. In my post, I'll write a little bit about Japan, a little bit about the things I've been doing, and, of course, your favorite tidbits about anything I have to comment about. We'll also talk about the newest Of Montreal album, Skeletal Lamping. I tried to book them for a live show, but they were busy touring in Tokyo. Yes, I'm serious, they are actually in Tokyo next week touring, while I am going to Tokyo the day after they leave. Ah, such luck, but, before I ramble too much, let's get on the with show.
As an English teacher in Japan, we get some interesting questions. Some deal with your gastronomic tendencies (what food do you like/hate?), others with the way things are in America (what food in America do you like/hate?), and some things about your physical appearance (why is your nose so large?). Today, I got, perhaps, the most, um, interesting one. I was asked why my eyes weren't blue. For this one, the teacher had to jump in and explain that people from all over the world get married in the US, so not everyone has blue eyes. Also today, what is your favorite vehicle?
What have I been doing lately? Well, aside from the regular routine, I collected on a snowball fight with my friends in Goshagawara. After buying a snowball fight with hot cocoa and dinner at the service auction earlier in the year, we decided it was time to collect before all of the snow melted away. A 3 hour drive on Saturday (after my enkai friday night with a principal and his favorite teacher), got us to Gosh.
Now, I specifically sent blueprints for a two-turret snowfort, with a small, but stable, perimeter made of ice walls. For some reason, our hosts weren't able to make this in time, so we had to make due. We went to a park in Gosh that was full of snow and ice, and we just jumped around and had a great time.
That night, we had a nabe (japanese soupish food) party, and then we crashed at Katie's place.
The next morning, we went to Ajigasawa mountain for some snowboarding, woohoo. 3rd time in, and I was really loving it, a lot. The snow was so nice and powdery, it didn't really hurt. That was until I fell off the snow lift on my way down and caused the Japanese guy on my left to crash into me. Sumimasen, gomen nasai.
After that, it was time to go back home and sleep. The end of a great weekend. That Friday before Saturday (but really, when else does Friday night come?), I had an enkai with those two previously aforementioned teachers. It was really fun, regardless of the language barrier. We got to the izakaaya, and they just ordered a ton of random food and drinks while I watched and my stomach was happy. Afterwards, I met up with Paul and we went to karaoke with his visiting friend. It was a good time.
I'm starting to get tired of my music now. Not good. I have crested over my need to hear Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping. And, speaking of that, here's the quick review.
Skeletal Lamping. Wow. This CD surely isn't for everyone, even the previous die-hard Of Montreal fans. From 60's rock and roll sound to melodic, synth rock-pop that sometimes diverges into light funk, this band has evolved by leaps and bounds. Their cd is quite ambitious, and it takes the so-called "ivory tower" upon which indie bands have typically rested upon, and at once levels and extends it. Listening to the tunes are enjoyable, but actually hearing the lyrics ups your enjoyment by at least 80%. The lyrics range from normal-yet slightly weird, to full-blown "you won't understand me without a dictionary and a book on Greek/Nordic/British Literature." What makes it even more intriguing, at least to me, is that the lead singer (who actually is the band and writes all the music) references himself and his life in the music. The more you know about his life, the more the lyrics will make sense to you (even the ones that seem meaningless or put in there just for the *shock* effect).
Now, the real polarizing effect of this album isn't the lyrics, it's the abrupt song changes every 30-60 seconds. Some people cannot handle this. They see potential in a melody he introduces, in a great chord progression he puts forth, and they just can't understand why he would ruin it after only 45 seconds of playing it. If you can't stray from conventional music standards, don't bother with this album. The opening song, along with one or two other songs, are fairly standard, but aside from those, it's full-blown craziness. I happen to really enjoy this new take, and I think it's a great idea that works very well with this album.
I must rescind one of my previous comments though. Sometimes the lyrics are meaningless, only put in there for effect and not for meaning, especially as compared to Of Montreal's previous records, which heap up on the polysyllabic spelling-contest words. But, much of it is not.
Well, that's it for the mini-review. And also that's it for the 1st half of the show. Hope you enjoyed it, come back next week for more.
-Greg
Showing posts with label enkai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enkai. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dracula, Bowling, the Surprise Enkai (Beef), and Okonomiyaki
So I taught with flamboyant Dracula today. Aside from the fact that his English sounded like Dracula, he carried himself in a vaguely vampiric and effeminate way. He also had shaved the hair off his hands, I could tell from the hand-stubble. Japanese people are really hairy, so I could understand his desire to do such a thing...but don't let the stubble grow out. I think it's a common feeling that a 5 o'clock shadow should only be on your face.
The funny thing about Dracula is that he's a great teacher. He was extremely energetic, and it was so infectious that the kids were rapt with attention. They actually enjoyed learning English. Hell, I would too if my teachers were like him.
Sidenote: There’s a woman who came in to speak with one of the administrators in my office, and her 1 year old child is wearing a pair of pants that say “relish” on the butt.
Now I’ll recount what I did last weekend, both for my own record-keeping and also for your enjoyment.
Friday night I went with a friend to buy heating things for my apartment. Right now the inside of my apartment is pretty cold, and it will only get colder. I’ve already broken out the electric blanket for my bed, but now it’s time for more drastic measures. I already own a heating carpet, and soon I’ll be buying a kotatsu heater. A kotatsu is a table with an electric heater underneath it. You put a blanket or futon on top, and then climb on underneath. Even though it only heats the bottom half of your body, it is a great, low-cost way to stay warm in under-insulated apartments. Friday night I bought some plastic wrap made to cover your windows, adding another layer of insulation. Since there are 2 huge windows above my bed, I really needed the insulation.
Ok, enough about me being cold and trying to protect myself. After buying winter things, we went to a Ramen shop for dinner, and then bowling down in Downtown Hach. At the bowling arena, Tina, Wade, Paul, Erin, and I had a battle of fate! The strikes and spares were flying, the points were climbing higher and higher. But alas, at the last frame, only two remained, me vs. Tina.
Now, I’ll give you an insider’s look at my strategy. See, when things get close, such as in this baseball game, I sell my soul to the devil (or any other pagan god/demi-god that pops into my mind) in order to secure my victory.
Funny thing about the devil and his sense of humour*, I lost by 3 pins! Game 2 was a little better and I won by a good margin.
*Please note my British spelling of humour, which is about a million times better than your pitiful spelling of “humor.”
After the epic bowling, we were at a loss of what to do. Where shall we go? What should we do with all of our spare time? Karaoke? Nah. Izakaaya? I can’t drink because I’m driving. Arcade attached to the bowling alley? Sweet as*. I only played the best game ever, the Taiko drum game. There was a 4 player shooting game that we tried as well, with huge fake assault rifles and a terribly stereotyped American Army backdrop, but Taiko was the best. Oh, and also the purikura.
*Please note my use of kiwi slang “sweet as.” In the words of my flatmate from New Zealand, who happens to be kiwi as: “It’s not `sweet,` it’s `sweet-as.`”
Unfortunately, the building was shutting down, and it was time for us to go home. I dropped everyone off and slept very well that night.
Saturday I had a surprise enkai (office-party). The head-boss is leaving, and this lunch was a good-bye party for him. Why was it a surprise? They didn’t tell my until Friday afternoon. Thanks guys, I guess brevity’s your thing (10 yen to anyone who guesses the movie that’s spun off from). Not quite proper use of brevity, but I wanted to include it anyways.
So, at 12 we got into 2 cars and drove to Takko town, famous for it’s garlic and beef (check my earlier post of the garlic and beef festival I went to). We went to a yakiniku restaurant (you grill your own slices of meat with your pals) and began to drink our beer, wine, sake, all while eating some of the best, tenderest meet I’ve ever had. There was also some surprise meat there too, like the cow-tongue and something from “the inside of the body, like the stomach.”
Speaking of surprise beef, I was turning over some slices of beef (with my chopsticks, of course) and flame spat up, which caused my to fling the slice (keep in mind these are all bite-sized, chopstick friendly slices) into the air. Where else does it land but my vice-principal’s lap. Despite the shock and horror on my face, my vice-principal only looked at it through his beer goggles, and in a big voice said “BIKURI GYUUNIKU!” (SURPRISE BEEF!). If only he ate it, then it would’ve been the single most hilarious thing I’ve seen in Japan.
After the enkai, we daiko’d it back to Hachinohe, and I walked to my apartment. At this point, I just collapsed on the bed. I woke up an hour later, just in time to meet up with Seth and drive to Ariel’s birthday dinner. At this point, I felt sort of sick from stuffing myself with the beer and beef, but I went ahead anyways.
Dinner was at the one and only Bon. Only four of us were able to go that night, so Seth, Erin, Ariel, and I were there. We even got the comfy kotatsu table on the first floor, which I’ve been eyeing ever since I’ve been to Bon. We had a lot of cool conversation, and I’m really glad I decided to go, because after awhile, I began to feel a lot better. Just in time for Kappa’s delicious seafood everything stew.
Afterwards, we went to a café, hung out for awhile more, and then returned to my apartment to eat Seth’s home-made pumpkin pie. It was really fun, and the heating carpet came in really handy for keeping us warm.
Sunday there was a big lunch at an Okonomiyaki place called Teppei. Now, I have an unhappy past with okonomiyaki. I hate mayonnaise, and I also hate the brown sauce they put on top of the okonomiyaki. Why did I go? Because at this place you can make your own okonomiyaki (that’s a bitch to type, by the way), sans mayonnaise and brown sauce. For once it was actually tasty! Afterwards, we also played a party game that Jin-sensei just happened to have in her purse. You have to use lacquered chopsticks to move 10 beans from one bowl to another.
Our get-together was only supposed to be lunch, but it ended up turning into an all-day affair. After lunch, we got dessert at the food-court in Pia Do. We were there just talking for a long while, and when we realized it turned to dinner time, we all decided to go together since we happened to be together. Gusto, which was right around the corner, was our target. By this time, the huge group was pared down to only Erin, Ai, Jin-sensei, Nick, Oliver, and Ai’s friend. It was really fun, we got tables next to each other and continued on talking and hanging out. Finally, 8 hours after the start of our lunch, we all headed home. I cleaned the apartment a little bit, played a little piano, and went to bed, not even thinking about the fun I’d have teaching with Dracula this week.
Yesterday, I was a few minutes late to my school in Negishi. I felt really bad about it! I know, it was only a few minutes, but still. Usually on the schedule I get, the put on the time I should arrive at the school in order to go over the lesson plan. I guess this school put the time that the classes started, so I had to jump in while the class was already moving! Ack. It ended up being ok though, the students were wonderful, the teachers were understanding (at least, to my face, I’ve heard that they way they are to your face versus what they actually think are very different things, but since I never get to saying anything but what they present to my face, I suppose that doesn’t matter so much), and the principal and I talked for a good hour (in English!) after I was officially done at the school. I felt much better
Remember last week when I was telling you about the sweet potatoes? Well, I guess my role as a farmhand has spread out to other schools too. I have officially learned how to thrash soba seeds and harvest rice after it has been cut (this was at Herai, the best school). It was really fun, I learned something new and I got a chance to bond with my students.
Well, that’s about it for the highlights of the past week. Have a great week yourself, and I’ll update you soon.
The funny thing about Dracula is that he's a great teacher. He was extremely energetic, and it was so infectious that the kids were rapt with attention. They actually enjoyed learning English. Hell, I would too if my teachers were like him.
Sidenote: There’s a woman who came in to speak with one of the administrators in my office, and her 1 year old child is wearing a pair of pants that say “relish” on the butt.
Now I’ll recount what I did last weekend, both for my own record-keeping and also for your enjoyment.
Friday night I went with a friend to buy heating things for my apartment. Right now the inside of my apartment is pretty cold, and it will only get colder. I’ve already broken out the electric blanket for my bed, but now it’s time for more drastic measures. I already own a heating carpet, and soon I’ll be buying a kotatsu heater. A kotatsu is a table with an electric heater underneath it. You put a blanket or futon on top, and then climb on underneath. Even though it only heats the bottom half of your body, it is a great, low-cost way to stay warm in under-insulated apartments. Friday night I bought some plastic wrap made to cover your windows, adding another layer of insulation. Since there are 2 huge windows above my bed, I really needed the insulation.
Ok, enough about me being cold and trying to protect myself. After buying winter things, we went to a Ramen shop for dinner, and then bowling down in Downtown Hach. At the bowling arena, Tina, Wade, Paul, Erin, and I had a battle of fate! The strikes and spares were flying, the points were climbing higher and higher. But alas, at the last frame, only two remained, me vs. Tina.
Now, I’ll give you an insider’s look at my strategy. See, when things get close, such as in this baseball game, I sell my soul to the devil (or any other pagan god/demi-god that pops into my mind) in order to secure my victory.
Funny thing about the devil and his sense of humour*, I lost by 3 pins! Game 2 was a little better and I won by a good margin.
*Please note my British spelling of humour, which is about a million times better than your pitiful spelling of “humor.”
After the epic bowling, we were at a loss of what to do. Where shall we go? What should we do with all of our spare time? Karaoke? Nah. Izakaaya? I can’t drink because I’m driving. Arcade attached to the bowling alley? Sweet as*. I only played the best game ever, the Taiko drum game. There was a 4 player shooting game that we tried as well, with huge fake assault rifles and a terribly stereotyped American Army backdrop, but Taiko was the best. Oh, and also the purikura.
*Please note my use of kiwi slang “sweet as.” In the words of my flatmate from New Zealand, who happens to be kiwi as: “It’s not `sweet,` it’s `sweet-as.`”
Unfortunately, the building was shutting down, and it was time for us to go home. I dropped everyone off and slept very well that night.
Saturday I had a surprise enkai (office-party). The head-boss is leaving, and this lunch was a good-bye party for him. Why was it a surprise? They didn’t tell my until Friday afternoon. Thanks guys, I guess brevity’s your thing (10 yen to anyone who guesses the movie that’s spun off from). Not quite proper use of brevity, but I wanted to include it anyways.
So, at 12 we got into 2 cars and drove to Takko town, famous for it’s garlic and beef (check my earlier post of the garlic and beef festival I went to). We went to a yakiniku restaurant (you grill your own slices of meat with your pals) and began to drink our beer, wine, sake, all while eating some of the best, tenderest meet I’ve ever had. There was also some surprise meat there too, like the cow-tongue and something from “the inside of the body, like the stomach.”
Speaking of surprise beef, I was turning over some slices of beef (with my chopsticks, of course) and flame spat up, which caused my to fling the slice (keep in mind these are all bite-sized, chopstick friendly slices) into the air. Where else does it land but my vice-principal’s lap. Despite the shock and horror on my face, my vice-principal only looked at it through his beer goggles, and in a big voice said “BIKURI GYUUNIKU!” (SURPRISE BEEF!). If only he ate it, then it would’ve been the single most hilarious thing I’ve seen in Japan.
After the enkai, we daiko’d it back to Hachinohe, and I walked to my apartment. At this point, I just collapsed on the bed. I woke up an hour later, just in time to meet up with Seth and drive to Ariel’s birthday dinner. At this point, I felt sort of sick from stuffing myself with the beer and beef, but I went ahead anyways.
Dinner was at the one and only Bon. Only four of us were able to go that night, so Seth, Erin, Ariel, and I were there. We even got the comfy kotatsu table on the first floor, which I’ve been eyeing ever since I’ve been to Bon. We had a lot of cool conversation, and I’m really glad I decided to go, because after awhile, I began to feel a lot better. Just in time for Kappa’s delicious seafood everything stew.
Afterwards, we went to a café, hung out for awhile more, and then returned to my apartment to eat Seth’s home-made pumpkin pie. It was really fun, and the heating carpet came in really handy for keeping us warm.
Sunday there was a big lunch at an Okonomiyaki place called Teppei. Now, I have an unhappy past with okonomiyaki. I hate mayonnaise, and I also hate the brown sauce they put on top of the okonomiyaki. Why did I go? Because at this place you can make your own okonomiyaki (that’s a bitch to type, by the way), sans mayonnaise and brown sauce. For once it was actually tasty! Afterwards, we also played a party game that Jin-sensei just happened to have in her purse. You have to use lacquered chopsticks to move 10 beans from one bowl to another.
Our get-together was only supposed to be lunch, but it ended up turning into an all-day affair. After lunch, we got dessert at the food-court in Pia Do. We were there just talking for a long while, and when we realized it turned to dinner time, we all decided to go together since we happened to be together. Gusto, which was right around the corner, was our target. By this time, the huge group was pared down to only Erin, Ai, Jin-sensei, Nick, Oliver, and Ai’s friend. It was really fun, we got tables next to each other and continued on talking and hanging out. Finally, 8 hours after the start of our lunch, we all headed home. I cleaned the apartment a little bit, played a little piano, and went to bed, not even thinking about the fun I’d have teaching with Dracula this week.
Yesterday, I was a few minutes late to my school in Negishi. I felt really bad about it! I know, it was only a few minutes, but still. Usually on the schedule I get, the put on the time I should arrive at the school in order to go over the lesson plan. I guess this school put the time that the classes started, so I had to jump in while the class was already moving! Ack. It ended up being ok though, the students were wonderful, the teachers were understanding (at least, to my face, I’ve heard that they way they are to your face versus what they actually think are very different things, but since I never get to saying anything but what they present to my face, I suppose that doesn’t matter so much), and the principal and I talked for a good hour (in English!) after I was officially done at the school. I felt much better
Remember last week when I was telling you about the sweet potatoes? Well, I guess my role as a farmhand has spread out to other schools too. I have officially learned how to thrash soba seeds and harvest rice after it has been cut (this was at Herai, the best school). It was really fun, I learned something new and I got a chance to bond with my students.
Well, that’s about it for the highlights of the past week. Have a great week yourself, and I’ll update you soon.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Enkais and Onsens
Good afternoon everyone. I had an awesome weekend. First was the enkai, which I briefly told you about. I went with two of my coworkers to the restaurant. One of them gave me an energy drink (I think?) to get me ready for the night, the other one was asking me all about my favorite drinks and so on...I was preparing for a great night.
We arrived at the restaurant. Now, I was told not to touch any food or drink until everyone arrives and does a Kampai! They told me wrong. My two coworkers and I got huge mugs of Asahi and began "kampai practice." People started filing in, and then there were speeches. They had a great welcoming speech, the vice-head of the office had a great speech, and then some other coworkers spoke. It was all in Japanese, so they could have said anything, but I prefer to think they were complimenting my hard work, good looks, and mastery of the English Language. Then, the kampai! A few gulps of Asahi, and it's time to dig into my food. I took some pictures on my phone, and I'll find a way to upload them soon enough.
On the menu was raw fish, cold meat that wasn't raw, sea urchin (delicious), prawns, and beer. They also broke out the shoryu, which, as far as I can tell, is some kind of Japanese rice liquor that doesn't taste like much. Luckily, half of my office are lightweights, so there were some great drunken people that I got to talk to. The highlight of the night was one coworker telling me he loved me, then someone telling him what it means in English, and him saying "I love my wife and children, but you're ok." It was really cool to see my coworkers loosened up, and I can't wait for the next enkai. Sadly, we didn't have any nikai's or sankai's (2nd party, 3rd party!) that night, but my supervisor assured me next time.
To get home, my supervisor got a daiko. This is the best idea that I've never heard of before. One man drives your car, because you've had too much of the silly juice to walk straight, and another follows behind to pick up your chauffeur when he drops you and your car off at your home. It's a great idea, and I don't think it's wildly expensive either.
Saturday we were supposed to go camping at the beach. Unfortunately, it had been raining for 8 days straight, and we instead decided to bbq at Misawa (which has an Air Force Base in the town, meaning American food). It was wicked fun. We had some beer, bbq'd with chopsticks, and watched most of ironman (until it got to the part where it skips until the end, thank god I didn't pay to see that in theatres).
The next day, they decided to go to the onsen. Why is that bolded? Here's why: the onsen is a natural spring jaquzzi, you get in to relax and clean up. It's just good old naked foreigner you and all of your favorite naked strangers in the equivalent of a hot tub. Before getting in, you have to scrub down with soap and water and really get clean. Once inside, there were a few different temperature pools. We went to the outside one and watched the waterfall, which was really cool. After getting used to the heat, I was able to relax for awhile and close my eyes. I'm sure that once I go to more of them and get used to it, I'll look back at this and laugh at myself and all of that prude American culture, but until then I'll pay the extra 200 yen for the modesty towel.
A few days ago I taught my first elementary school. These kids are the best. They don't have the reservations that middle school students do. They are pure id. It is a great feeling to have 80 of them swarm you at once and pretty much give you the biggest group hug you'll ever have. It's also the only time a student will want you to play dodgeball with them just so they can hold your hand. They have so much energy, and they're not afraid to try and talk to you, get your attention, or play silly games with you.
After some English lessons, it was time for recess. I played dodgeball and tag with them. A few of them jumped on me. It was an awesome 40 minutes. I'm teaching a different elementary school tomorrow, and I can't wait.
This past week, I've also learned how easy and hard it can be to meet random Japanese people. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, and that can be tough. For example, there was a guy walking a golden retriever. I was about to just walk by, but I missed my dogs at home so I asked if I could pet the dog. It turns out, this guys speaks pretty good English and we had a conversation about fish in Alaska and Canada. He's 73 but looks maybe 45. Later in that same day, I was watching a ping pong match, and not only did the people playing offer to let me join in if I had a paddle, but someone came up and asked me if I wanted to sign up for the league (...or something, I couldn't understand). It was really cool, and it makes you realize how easy and hard it can be to meet people in a foreign country.
I've also been driving for the past week and a half. Woohoo. I've got a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer and some kickass tunes to take me to my base schools in Shingo (40 minutes drive). It's only been sunny once on my drive, but it was gorgeous. I drive through mountains and rice fields, it's as picturesque as you can imagine.
This coming weekend I'm doing a scavenger hunt and the AJET (association of JETs) party. It should be a blast.
This week in Random Japan...
There are still many things I don't understand. Our morning meetings and bowing, the quasi-life-determing saisho gu, janken po (rock, paper, scissors...it has determined everything from which student speaks first in class to who is the lunch-room slave for that day), and the obsession with miso soup. Today, I will talk about some cones I saw. These cones were surrounding some small stones on the side of a cliff that leads up to my school. Thing is, three of them were maybe 1 foot apart from each other, I'm assuming protecting cars from the dangerous pebbles in between their triangle. It couldn't have been to warn about falling stones, otherwise they would have blocked the road (considering it's 6 feet wide at the most), and it doesn't really serve as a warning. It's like the road crew has quarantined a few trouble-making pebbles until further notice. Not all that funny, but very confusing.
Also, there's this man, age-indeterminate, who I always pass by on the way to my schools without fail. He's always walking on the side of the road, with his huge sunglasses and six o'clock shadow. And he has this half grin on his face. He reminds of Jack Nicholson, about to either kick ass or flip out. I try not to look into his sunglasses, lest I lose my soul.
Not a strong random Japan this week, but still things you should be aware of, just in case.
We arrived at the restaurant. Now, I was told not to touch any food or drink until everyone arrives and does a Kampai! They told me wrong. My two coworkers and I got huge mugs of Asahi and began "kampai practice." People started filing in, and then there were speeches. They had a great welcoming speech, the vice-head of the office had a great speech, and then some other coworkers spoke. It was all in Japanese, so they could have said anything, but I prefer to think they were complimenting my hard work, good looks, and mastery of the English Language. Then, the kampai! A few gulps of Asahi, and it's time to dig into my food. I took some pictures on my phone, and I'll find a way to upload them soon enough.
On the menu was raw fish, cold meat that wasn't raw, sea urchin (delicious), prawns, and beer. They also broke out the shoryu, which, as far as I can tell, is some kind of Japanese rice liquor that doesn't taste like much. Luckily, half of my office are lightweights, so there were some great drunken people that I got to talk to. The highlight of the night was one coworker telling me he loved me, then someone telling him what it means in English, and him saying "I love my wife and children, but you're ok." It was really cool to see my coworkers loosened up, and I can't wait for the next enkai. Sadly, we didn't have any nikai's or sankai's (2nd party, 3rd party!) that night, but my supervisor assured me next time.
To get home, my supervisor got a daiko. This is the best idea that I've never heard of before. One man drives your car, because you've had too much of the silly juice to walk straight, and another follows behind to pick up your chauffeur when he drops you and your car off at your home. It's a great idea, and I don't think it's wildly expensive either.
Saturday we were supposed to go camping at the beach. Unfortunately, it had been raining for 8 days straight, and we instead decided to bbq at Misawa (which has an Air Force Base in the town, meaning American food). It was wicked fun. We had some beer, bbq'd with chopsticks, and watched most of ironman (until it got to the part where it skips until the end, thank god I didn't pay to see that in theatres).
The next day, they decided to go to the onsen. Why is that bolded? Here's why: the onsen is a natural spring jaquzzi, you get in to relax and clean up. It's just good old naked foreigner you and all of your favorite naked strangers in the equivalent of a hot tub. Before getting in, you have to scrub down with soap and water and really get clean. Once inside, there were a few different temperature pools. We went to the outside one and watched the waterfall, which was really cool. After getting used to the heat, I was able to relax for awhile and close my eyes. I'm sure that once I go to more of them and get used to it, I'll look back at this and laugh at myself and all of that prude American culture, but until then I'll pay the extra 200 yen for the modesty towel.
A few days ago I taught my first elementary school. These kids are the best. They don't have the reservations that middle school students do. They are pure id. It is a great feeling to have 80 of them swarm you at once and pretty much give you the biggest group hug you'll ever have. It's also the only time a student will want you to play dodgeball with them just so they can hold your hand. They have so much energy, and they're not afraid to try and talk to you, get your attention, or play silly games with you.
After some English lessons, it was time for recess. I played dodgeball and tag with them. A few of them jumped on me. It was an awesome 40 minutes. I'm teaching a different elementary school tomorrow, and I can't wait.
This past week, I've also learned how easy and hard it can be to meet random Japanese people. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, and that can be tough. For example, there was a guy walking a golden retriever. I was about to just walk by, but I missed my dogs at home so I asked if I could pet the dog. It turns out, this guys speaks pretty good English and we had a conversation about fish in Alaska and Canada. He's 73 but looks maybe 45. Later in that same day, I was watching a ping pong match, and not only did the people playing offer to let me join in if I had a paddle, but someone came up and asked me if I wanted to sign up for the league (...or something, I couldn't understand). It was really cool, and it makes you realize how easy and hard it can be to meet people in a foreign country.
I've also been driving for the past week and a half. Woohoo. I've got a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer and some kickass tunes to take me to my base schools in Shingo (40 minutes drive). It's only been sunny once on my drive, but it was gorgeous. I drive through mountains and rice fields, it's as picturesque as you can imagine.
This coming weekend I'm doing a scavenger hunt and the AJET (association of JETs) party. It should be a blast.
This week in Random Japan...
There are still many things I don't understand. Our morning meetings and bowing, the quasi-life-determing saisho gu, janken po (rock, paper, scissors...it has determined everything from which student speaks first in class to who is the lunch-room slave for that day), and the obsession with miso soup. Today, I will talk about some cones I saw. These cones were surrounding some small stones on the side of a cliff that leads up to my school. Thing is, three of them were maybe 1 foot apart from each other, I'm assuming protecting cars from the dangerous pebbles in between their triangle. It couldn't have been to warn about falling stones, otherwise they would have blocked the road (considering it's 6 feet wide at the most), and it doesn't really serve as a warning. It's like the road crew has quarantined a few trouble-making pebbles until further notice. Not all that funny, but very confusing.
Also, there's this man, age-indeterminate, who I always pass by on the way to my schools without fail. He's always walking on the side of the road, with his huge sunglasses and six o'clock shadow. And he has this half grin on his face. He reminds of Jack Nicholson, about to either kick ass or flip out. I try not to look into his sunglasses, lest I lose my soul.
Not a strong random Japan this week, but still things you should be aware of, just in case.
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