Thursday, September 10, 2009
♥ Enkai
enkai = welcome/leaving/celebratory party usually involving namihode (all you can drink) and some sort of amusing event.
And the above definition is true, never mind that I wrote that definition. Suck it.
Forgive me, I am writing this after drinking 7 drinks... not entirely sure what... I like 4 ume-shous, 1 lime... thing... 2 apricot liquer things... I don't know. But I have warned you and thus I may continue.
So I had my welcome enkai with the English teachers (well 7 of the 9 of them anyways, the other 2 were busy with something), and what at first started as incredibly awkward ended with me laughing my ass off and everyone clapping and having a good time. I'm genuinely surprised, but in a good way. Turns out it was one of the second-year teachers who planned this whole thing to me, and we hadn't talked that much... though she did help me find the 100 Yen store and I gave her omiyage for it... maybe that had something to do with it. Anywho. So I got to the restaurant (Bali Hai... which was SO good and the atmosphere was amazing and omg it was so freaking awesome) early, because I'm like that, and after awhile one of the second-year teachers walks up... she is now known as Savvy-sensei for reasons I just explained. She's the one who organized it, and she looks savvy. She's friend with Stilleto-sensei... was that her nick-name? The thoroughly modern lady who is just so damn cool. She has the British accent? (omg side story: she brought an article to me the other day about Japanese "herbivores" and i proceeded to read it after inquiring if it meant vegetarians and she freaked out and was like NOOO! NO no no no no no... apparently it was about metrosexuals... which are called herbivores in Japan. I don't understand this connection. I'm sure many metrosexuals enjoy a nice filet mignon...)
... errrrr where was I? Anywho, so she shows up and we go instead and after like 5 minutes of awkwardly talking and me looking around the restaurant she leaves and then returns with Smiley-sensei, Coldplay-sensei, and another teacher, a third-year teacher whom is dubbed Car-sensei... since he gave me an impromptu ride home my first day. Candy-sensei, Blueberry-sensei, and another first year teacher who is now dubbed Bakery-sensei (since she brought me to a delicious bakery!) will be late because they aren't done lesson planning or helping students. That's cool I guess, I was a little worried, but then I was being hounded about what drink I wanted so that occupied my mind. Damn I need to learn katakana. I pointed to something and wah lah.
I've come to the conclusion that the Japanese have horrid alcohol tolerance. As a precursor.
Food started to arrive and I WOWed and AMAZEDed the teachers by flipping my chopsticks around and using the OPPOSITE END to grab food with as not to contaminate it. Immediately Coldplay-sensei was like "EEEEEEHHH?!?! SUUUUGOOOOI! You can use chopsticks that way?!" And then we had a 10-minute discussion about how beginners hold their chopsticks near the bottom and pros at the top. I was in the middle near the top, but they were so impressed, and when the other teachers showed up (and apologized profusely for being late... no big really to me but yeah, they're Japanese) I was commended on knowing Japanese etiquette that a lot of young Japanese don't even follow. Major brownie points to the gaijin, allll riiiight. So the drinks and food keep coming, we're chatting about all sorts of things (and apparently Silver Week is a gaijin invention, most likely an ALT invention as known of them have ever heard of it, haha) ... fuck, I lost my train of though. Sorry, I was thinking about gum.
Anyways.
I now seem to be connected to the home economics, tea ceremony, and ikebana clubs on campus, as well as some sort of Japanese craft festival/place that Bakery-sensei is going to be taking me to. I mean this is all very exciting, but dear lord that is a lot... not to mention earlier today I expressed an interest in Japanese archery (kyudo?) to the Deputy Principle, which he'll probably mention to our star player.
haha. Oy. I think my life is about to get very busy. Though at least Bakery-sensei said for tea ceremony and ikebana I could "watch" or "try it" not "join" like I wanted to with the home economics club. She was going to look up cooking lessons for me in Yaizu, but this is more convenient, and it's free! We both agreed it was a better arrangement. This all came about because I said I loved Japanese tradition (since America doesn't really have that deeply entrenched of one) and we just all got to talking and they were impressed about how much I knew (which isn't a lot, but a little goes a LONG way here).
At one point we were talking about my trip to Kyoto and they were saying I needed to go to Nara and there was a temple/place/thing there I needed to go to... but it was pronounced nearly identical to a place in Kyoto and like 15 minutes was spent on them all trying to decide which was which. My face must have been priceless because they just kept laughing at how lost I was. I taught them the difference in pronouncing desert and dessert... and I told them all what a sake bomb was. We talked a lot about sake actually. I had the same convo like three times. lol.
Savvy-sensei... oh man she was red. Haha, she kept being like "KRIS! Your next drink?!" And I would pick one and so would she. We were the champions. Everyone else had to drive so they had very little or not alcohol. The men were very interested in Shirley Temples, which I thought was freaking adorable, but I couldn't really explain why it was called one. "It's er... well the syrup is sweet and Shirley Temple was cute... uhm... no, I have no idea."
On a totally unrelated note, I confessed that I didn't like Old Bay, which Bakery-sensei thought was very amusing. lol. Her and Candy-sensei said that their students said today that they really liked me and can't wait for the next team-teaching classes. Candy-sensei also divulged that the students, especially the boys, think I am very cute. And the girls think my eyes are beautiful. I get the eye comment a lot (I like my eyes!) so that was adorable. D'aw widdle high schoolers. Dey sho cute. But they like me! And even some of the older teachers said they've heard I was very good. Yaaaay!
Okay, back on track.
I think the most amusing part was when Smiley-sensei asked Candy-sensei (the youngest teacher) and I a.. question? I don't know, it made no sense and I still don't understand what happened.
"Kris-san and Candy-sensei.. please tell us about human relations..."
Wait whut?
"... making human relations..."
And this is the point that my blank stare turns to hysterical laughter and suddenly everyone understands why I'm confused (someone shouted "About teaching of course!) and/or embarrassed. Smiley-sensei just starts clapping and laughing, saying "Happy! Happy! Happy!" and then we're all clapping and suddenly everyone is thanking ME for the enkai when it was really Savvy-sensei's doing. So I thank her and she's all pleased and then we're getting up and leaving and Smiley-sensei is pointing out all the staues to me and making very traditionally cryptic jokes and I'm like.. hmm I like stairs. So we start to go our separate ways when a teacher makes sure I can get home (I live behind the place practically) and after assuring her I was fine I ended up back here really needing to pee... and still trying to figure out what Simley-sensei meant about Candy-sensi and I telling them about human relations...
And the above definition is true, never mind that I wrote that definition. Suck it.
Forgive me, I am writing this after drinking 7 drinks... not entirely sure what... I like 4 ume-shous, 1 lime... thing... 2 apricot liquer things... I don't know. But I have warned you and thus I may continue.
So I had my welcome enkai with the English teachers (well 7 of the 9 of them anyways, the other 2 were busy with something), and what at first started as incredibly awkward ended with me laughing my ass off and everyone clapping and having a good time. I'm genuinely surprised, but in a good way. Turns out it was one of the second-year teachers who planned this whole thing to me, and we hadn't talked that much... though she did help me find the 100 Yen store and I gave her omiyage for it... maybe that had something to do with it. Anywho. So I got to the restaurant (Bali Hai... which was SO good and the atmosphere was amazing and omg it was so freaking awesome) early, because I'm like that, and after awhile one of the second-year teachers walks up... she is now known as Savvy-sensei for reasons I just explained. She's the one who organized it, and she looks savvy. She's friend with Stilleto-sensei... was that her nick-name? The thoroughly modern lady who is just so damn cool. She has the British accent? (omg side story: she brought an article to me the other day about Japanese "herbivores" and i proceeded to read it after inquiring if it meant vegetarians and she freaked out and was like NOOO! NO no no no no no... apparently it was about metrosexuals... which are called herbivores in Japan. I don't understand this connection. I'm sure many metrosexuals enjoy a nice filet mignon...)
... errrrr where was I? Anywho, so she shows up and we go instead and after like 5 minutes of awkwardly talking and me looking around the restaurant she leaves and then returns with Smiley-sensei, Coldplay-sensei, and another teacher, a third-year teacher whom is dubbed Car-sensei... since he gave me an impromptu ride home my first day. Candy-sensei, Blueberry-sensei, and another first year teacher who is now dubbed Bakery-sensei (since she brought me to a delicious bakery!) will be late because they aren't done lesson planning or helping students. That's cool I guess, I was a little worried, but then I was being hounded about what drink I wanted so that occupied my mind. Damn I need to learn katakana. I pointed to something and wah lah.
I've come to the conclusion that the Japanese have horrid alcohol tolerance. As a precursor.
Food started to arrive and I WOWed and AMAZEDed the teachers by flipping my chopsticks around and using the OPPOSITE END to grab food with as not to contaminate it. Immediately Coldplay-sensei was like "EEEEEEHHH?!?! SUUUUGOOOOI! You can use chopsticks that way?!" And then we had a 10-minute discussion about how beginners hold their chopsticks near the bottom and pros at the top. I was in the middle near the top, but they were so impressed, and when the other teachers showed up (and apologized profusely for being late... no big really to me but yeah, they're Japanese) I was commended on knowing Japanese etiquette that a lot of young Japanese don't even follow. Major brownie points to the gaijin, allll riiiight. So the drinks and food keep coming, we're chatting about all sorts of things (and apparently Silver Week is a gaijin invention, most likely an ALT invention as known of them have ever heard of it, haha) ... fuck, I lost my train of though. Sorry, I was thinking about gum.
Anyways.
I now seem to be connected to the home economics, tea ceremony, and ikebana clubs on campus, as well as some sort of Japanese craft festival/place that Bakery-sensei is going to be taking me to. I mean this is all very exciting, but dear lord that is a lot... not to mention earlier today I expressed an interest in Japanese archery (kyudo?) to the Deputy Principle, which he'll probably mention to our star player.
haha. Oy. I think my life is about to get very busy. Though at least Bakery-sensei said for tea ceremony and ikebana I could "watch" or "try it" not "join" like I wanted to with the home economics club. She was going to look up cooking lessons for me in Yaizu, but this is more convenient, and it's free! We both agreed it was a better arrangement. This all came about because I said I loved Japanese tradition (since America doesn't really have that deeply entrenched of one) and we just all got to talking and they were impressed about how much I knew (which isn't a lot, but a little goes a LONG way here).
At one point we were talking about my trip to Kyoto and they were saying I needed to go to Nara and there was a temple/place/thing there I needed to go to... but it was pronounced nearly identical to a place in Kyoto and like 15 minutes was spent on them all trying to decide which was which. My face must have been priceless because they just kept laughing at how lost I was. I taught them the difference in pronouncing desert and dessert... and I told them all what a sake bomb was. We talked a lot about sake actually. I had the same convo like three times. lol.
Savvy-sensei... oh man she was red. Haha, she kept being like "KRIS! Your next drink?!" And I would pick one and so would she. We were the champions. Everyone else had to drive so they had very little or not alcohol. The men were very interested in Shirley Temples, which I thought was freaking adorable, but I couldn't really explain why it was called one. "It's er... well the syrup is sweet and Shirley Temple was cute... uhm... no, I have no idea."
On a totally unrelated note, I confessed that I didn't like Old Bay, which Bakery-sensei thought was very amusing. lol. Her and Candy-sensei said that their students said today that they really liked me and can't wait for the next team-teaching classes. Candy-sensei also divulged that the students, especially the boys, think I am very cute. And the girls think my eyes are beautiful. I get the eye comment a lot (I like my eyes!) so that was adorable. D'aw widdle high schoolers. Dey sho cute. But they like me! And even some of the older teachers said they've heard I was very good. Yaaaay!
Okay, back on track.
I think the most amusing part was when Smiley-sensei asked Candy-sensei (the youngest teacher) and I a.. question? I don't know, it made no sense and I still don't understand what happened.
"Kris-san and Candy-sensei.. please tell us about human relations..."
Wait whut?
"... making human relations..."
And this is the point that my blank stare turns to hysterical laughter and suddenly everyone understands why I'm confused (someone shouted "About teaching of course!) and/or embarrassed. Smiley-sensei just starts clapping and laughing, saying "Happy! Happy! Happy!" and then we're all clapping and suddenly everyone is thanking ME for the enkai when it was really Savvy-sensei's doing. So I thank her and she's all pleased and then we're getting up and leaving and Smiley-sensei is pointing out all the staues to me and making very traditionally cryptic jokes and I'm like.. hmm I like stairs. So we start to go our separate ways when a teacher makes sure I can get home (I live behind the place practically) and after assuring her I was fine I ended up back here really needing to pee... and still trying to figure out what Simley-sensei meant about Candy-sensi and I telling them about human relations...
Labels: beginning, enkai, musings, yaizu, yaizu chuo
9:41 PM
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