Tuesday, November 10, 2009
♥ The fascinating world that is Japan
Yesterday I wandered around Shizuoka City for no reason other than to explore and perhaps just do a bit of "me" time. I carried around a little notebook and would randomly start writing on a bench or in a cafe (I went to two Starbucks for the lone reason I didn't know when I'd see one again, haha). So here is what I wrote...
I'm sitting on a bench in front of a French jewelry shop drinking a gingerbread latte, and am next to the two bags full of Mexican and INdian food supplies.
I live in Japan?
yes, Japan is still very Japanese and incredibly traditional, but in its sprint to technological and cultural advancement, I swear it has become more "western" than America.
I understand the importance to be worldly, I advocate it myself. Internalization is crucial to worldwide well being, but if one does not retain some sense of personal identity, we shall all become alike and there will be no more discovery.
Japan, a country of exceptionally little Christians has Christmas lights, trees, and music up everywhere, ahead of even those countries who celebrate it as a national holiday. I understand they use only the commercial values and aspects of it, but I am sad to not see paper lanterns and wind chimes. I understand the glitz and glamor of the appeal of Christmas decorations, but I, being an American, do not celebrate Culture Day or matsuris. Why do the Japanese "celebrate" Christmas?
A few thoughts is all. It is both enchanting and perplexing to me, but perhaps that is the motive. Be drawn to the warping culture of Japan and pay $8 for a tall gingerbread latte just because it is there. And you know what? I did, and I went into Parco, lit up in all its Christmas glory, and I bought something. Fascinating.
A random Japanese lady just gave me a mikan.
I smiled when she sat down next to me, and as she left she handed it to me, telling me what it was. I acknowledge the fact I knew it was a mikan and say asked me if I had eaten one, I smiled and nodded and she went on her way.
It is things like this that are so singularly Japanese. Earlier I passed an old man collapsed on a bench becoming sick, and all people did was stare and crowd about him. A worker of the shop directly in front of the bench was only hesitantly asking for help as he continued to sink to his side. I was terrified i was watching someone die, but as my Japanese is poor, I, myself wasn't able to do anything. I couldn't even remember the number for the police, and so I walked away. Both very angry at myself for doing that, but furious everyone was just STARING. That general disregard is horrific. Kids won't get up for the elderly on buses or trains, but speak about honor constantly. As much as I enjoy Japan, it is a country of many contradictions. On the other hand, I also experience unabridged kindness. I later went back to the palce where the old man was and found him sitting up, blankets around him and drnking water. I do not know what was wrong with him, but I wonder if he is another victim of the salaryman way of life who perhaps never made it home last night because all the trains stop at midnight. I'm not sure, btu I am veyr glad he is okay.
Every day is an experience I shall find seldom anywhere else.
I'm sitting on a bench in front of a French jewelry shop drinking a gingerbread latte, and am next to the two bags full of Mexican and INdian food supplies.
I live in Japan?
yes, Japan is still very Japanese and incredibly traditional, but in its sprint to technological and cultural advancement, I swear it has become more "western" than America.
I understand the importance to be worldly, I advocate it myself. Internalization is crucial to worldwide well being, but if one does not retain some sense of personal identity, we shall all become alike and there will be no more discovery.
Japan, a country of exceptionally little Christians has Christmas lights, trees, and music up everywhere, ahead of even those countries who celebrate it as a national holiday. I understand they use only the commercial values and aspects of it, but I am sad to not see paper lanterns and wind chimes. I understand the glitz and glamor of the appeal of Christmas decorations, but I, being an American, do not celebrate Culture Day or matsuris. Why do the Japanese "celebrate" Christmas?
A few thoughts is all. It is both enchanting and perplexing to me, but perhaps that is the motive. Be drawn to the warping culture of Japan and pay $8 for a tall gingerbread latte just because it is there. And you know what? I did, and I went into Parco, lit up in all its Christmas glory, and I bought something. Fascinating.
A random Japanese lady just gave me a mikan.
I smiled when she sat down next to me, and as she left she handed it to me, telling me what it was. I acknowledge the fact I knew it was a mikan and say asked me if I had eaten one, I smiled and nodded and she went on her way.
It is things like this that are so singularly Japanese. Earlier I passed an old man collapsed on a bench becoming sick, and all people did was stare and crowd about him. A worker of the shop directly in front of the bench was only hesitantly asking for help as he continued to sink to his side. I was terrified i was watching someone die, but as my Japanese is poor, I, myself wasn't able to do anything. I couldn't even remember the number for the police, and so I walked away. Both very angry at myself for doing that, but furious everyone was just STARING. That general disregard is horrific. Kids won't get up for the elderly on buses or trains, but speak about honor constantly. As much as I enjoy Japan, it is a country of many contradictions. On the other hand, I also experience unabridged kindness. I later went back to the palce where the old man was and found him sitting up, blankets around him and drnking water. I do not know what was wrong with him, but I wonder if he is another victim of the salaryman way of life who perhaps never made it home last night because all the trains stop at midnight. I'm not sure, btu I am veyr glad he is okay.
Every day is an experience I shall find seldom anywhere else.
Labels: musings
9:03 AM
Sunday, November 8, 2009
♥ My Apartment
3:46 PM
Saturday, November 7, 2009
♥ The Random Life of Living in Japan
Blueberry-sensei just came by my desk and played "It's a Small World" on a bright red ukelele.
Yes, I believe this event merited its own entry.
Yes, I believe this event merited its own entry.
12:43 PM
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
♥ Epic fail at the updatingness
Holy crap I'm horrible. This has taken forever, and I have no excuse other than I'm a lazy bum. Errrgh, instead of flooding you with needless information I'll try and make this a concise and entertaining summary of the past two weeks.
-- Mikkabi Camp --
I got the chance to run around with 9-year-olds for two days for some extra cash and a free night's stay at a gorgeous ryokan. Not a bad deal at all. I was already insanely excited for this, so I'm glad it was so well. I had four girls in my group, all of which were very shy. I don't know Japanese so it was really hard communicating with them, even though they did know a little English. However, after dinner on the first night it was this GIANT game of tag... there were 120ish kids and 32 ALTs and it was mayhem, haha, but that's when they really broke out of their shell and I wounded up with one of them on my lap and the other hugging my arm like crazy. It was rather sweet and I quickly became attached to them. It was a Halloween Camp so we carved pumpkins, went trick-or-treating, all that jazz... and then randomly had a turkey dinner. Nice.
The ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) was just so gorgeous, and it was a massive sleepover, haha. There were 18 of us in one long long tatami room and it was just so cool. I loved it, I had a blast. I really love little kids, their energy and curiosity is just so great. I wish I had gotten to teach them, not that I don't love my kids, I do, but little ones are just... oh I love it, so so much.
-- Halloween Week --
I dressed up as Captain Hook for my classes for the week leading up to Halloween. It was probably the most hysterical thing ever. Teachers I never talk to were laughing and cheering me on, and the students were just priceless. Most screamed or jumped or went "SUGOOOOOIIIII" aka "cool". A lot of just shocked looks. It was amazing. The ALTs before me have been from Australia, so they don't do Halloween like Americans do (after all it is a holiday that involves copious amounts of food), so it was their first time seeing someone dressed up, especially as elaborately as I did.
I was even plugged in the prefecture newsletter for it... amusing to say the least.
I just got a text message...
Oh. ok.
Anywho.
So yeah, that was amusing. I gave away a lot of candy... but those damn kids, decided they'd be all cool and shove a bunch of red hots and atomic fireballs in their mouths.
Yeah, they ran out of the class screaming.
Idiots.
Anywho, we did a funny mummy wrap game, some pictures you can see of here . It was incredibly amusing, but maybe not as much as the sheets I asked them to fill out about what they learned about Halloween. Here are some gems...
"Children wears special costum in Halloween. They are very happy I think their happiness will shine in Halloween."
"I became Ms. Kris fun. Ms. Kris is very interesting. I want to talk wit Ms. Kris someday."
"I want Japanese to celebrate Halloween more splendidly."
"We have to give children. It is not in Japan. Game is exciting. Do you like Japanese food? Do you like soccer? I like soccer!"
"Do you know what jack-o-lantern is made of pumpkin? Please give me cakes"
Oh Japan and your failed compulsory English education. I shouldn't be so hard on them, those kids know more English then anyone in America knows another language.
-- Tokyo --
I went to Tokyo for Halloween weekend, and boy was that an experience. First off, on Halloween I went with a bunch of other ALTs to a rugby game (Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand). It's a big deal. I have never seen a rugby game before, but this definitely won't be my last. There is something quite enchanting about buff men in short shorts grabbing and throwing each other around like rag dolls.
Not to mention it was probably my only chance to see the haka, a traditional maori dance (the indigenous people of New Zealand). It's intense man.
But yeah, the All Blacks of New Zealand won (yaaay!) and it was a crazy ass time. Now, since most of us had been traveling, we were dead tired ,but we went out anyways to this delicious thai place. Haha, I was part of a group that ordered a set and everyone else was done with their meal but we kept getting food... it was so good though. I got their card, I am so going back if I can find it. Shibuya I believe. We went out and got Krispy Kreme (why the hell not?!) and got a drink at this tiny bar playing the Devil Wears Prada before heading in just as most people were going out. It was the calmest Halloween I've ever had (especially considering a lot of gaijins were running around climbing light poles and humping traffic cones), but that's all good.
Wanna know why?
BECAUSE THEN WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD BITCH!
Tokyo Disney Sea as a matter of fact, and man it was fucking crazy awesome. I haven't been since I was 9 so it was like experiencing it all over again. I don't care how dorky I sound writing so excitedly about this, it was awesome. Fuck yeah. I screamed, I laughed, I cried (from the screaming and laughing) and had an impromptu dance party complete with glowsticks in the line for Journey to the Center of the Earth. We entertained the Japanese. We should have charged. We all had out iPod touches and iPhones out with music and strobe lights. It was insanely epic. Should make that a routine thing.
Tokyo is awesome. I love it. I may like it better than Kyoto, but I need to experience them both more. We shall see.
-- And now... --
My lights keep flickering because I plugged in my electric heater. Its getting chilly and there is no insulation in Japanese housing, so it may very well be colder inside than it is outside.
So I'm sitting here typing up my novel for NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) and drinking some tea. I'm off to Shizuoka City tomorrow for a meeting about the prefecture's newspaper, that'll be fun, and then off to Shimada to meet with my old people conversation class. Friday is a NaNo writing party and Saturday I have to teach some sort of lesson for JHS... I only teach 30minutes but get all of Monday off. Sweet.
Oh, btw, going to China. Whoot.
And a spider fell on me this morning. Not whoot.
-- Mikkabi Camp --
I got the chance to run around with 9-year-olds for two days for some extra cash and a free night's stay at a gorgeous ryokan. Not a bad deal at all. I was already insanely excited for this, so I'm glad it was so well. I had four girls in my group, all of which were very shy. I don't know Japanese so it was really hard communicating with them, even though they did know a little English. However, after dinner on the first night it was this GIANT game of tag... there were 120ish kids and 32 ALTs and it was mayhem, haha, but that's when they really broke out of their shell and I wounded up with one of them on my lap and the other hugging my arm like crazy. It was rather sweet and I quickly became attached to them. It was a Halloween Camp so we carved pumpkins, went trick-or-treating, all that jazz... and then randomly had a turkey dinner. Nice.
The ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) was just so gorgeous, and it was a massive sleepover, haha. There were 18 of us in one long long tatami room and it was just so cool. I loved it, I had a blast. I really love little kids, their energy and curiosity is just so great. I wish I had gotten to teach them, not that I don't love my kids, I do, but little ones are just... oh I love it, so so much.
-- Halloween Week --
I dressed up as Captain Hook for my classes for the week leading up to Halloween. It was probably the most hysterical thing ever. Teachers I never talk to were laughing and cheering me on, and the students were just priceless. Most screamed or jumped or went "SUGOOOOOIIIII" aka "cool". A lot of just shocked looks. It was amazing. The ALTs before me have been from Australia, so they don't do Halloween like Americans do (after all it is a holiday that involves copious amounts of food), so it was their first time seeing someone dressed up, especially as elaborately as I did.
I was even plugged in the prefecture newsletter for it... amusing to say the least.
I just got a text message...
Oh. ok.
Anywho.
So yeah, that was amusing. I gave away a lot of candy... but those damn kids, decided they'd be all cool and shove a bunch of red hots and atomic fireballs in their mouths.
Yeah, they ran out of the class screaming.
Idiots.
Anywho, we did a funny mummy wrap game, some pictures you can see of here . It was incredibly amusing, but maybe not as much as the sheets I asked them to fill out about what they learned about Halloween. Here are some gems...
"Children wears special costum in Halloween. They are very happy I think their happiness will shine in Halloween."
"I became Ms. Kris fun. Ms. Kris is very interesting. I want to talk wit Ms. Kris someday."
"I want Japanese to celebrate Halloween more splendidly."
"We have to give children. It is not in Japan. Game is exciting. Do you like Japanese food? Do you like soccer? I like soccer!"
"Do you know what jack-o-lantern is made of pumpkin? Please give me cakes"
Oh Japan and your failed compulsory English education. I shouldn't be so hard on them, those kids know more English then anyone in America knows another language.
-- Tokyo --
I went to Tokyo for Halloween weekend, and boy was that an experience. First off, on Halloween I went with a bunch of other ALTs to a rugby game (Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand). It's a big deal. I have never seen a rugby game before, but this definitely won't be my last. There is something quite enchanting about buff men in short shorts grabbing and throwing each other around like rag dolls.
Not to mention it was probably my only chance to see the haka, a traditional maori dance (the indigenous people of New Zealand). It's intense man.
But yeah, the All Blacks of New Zealand won (yaaay!) and it was a crazy ass time. Now, since most of us had been traveling, we were dead tired ,but we went out anyways to this delicious thai place. Haha, I was part of a group that ordered a set and everyone else was done with their meal but we kept getting food... it was so good though. I got their card, I am so going back if I can find it. Shibuya I believe. We went out and got Krispy Kreme (why the hell not?!) and got a drink at this tiny bar playing the Devil Wears Prada before heading in just as most people were going out. It was the calmest Halloween I've ever had (especially considering a lot of gaijins were running around climbing light poles and humping traffic cones), but that's all good.
Wanna know why?
BECAUSE THEN WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD BITCH!
Tokyo Disney Sea as a matter of fact, and man it was fucking crazy awesome. I haven't been since I was 9 so it was like experiencing it all over again. I don't care how dorky I sound writing so excitedly about this, it was awesome. Fuck yeah. I screamed, I laughed, I cried (from the screaming and laughing) and had an impromptu dance party complete with glowsticks in the line for Journey to the Center of the Earth. We entertained the Japanese. We should have charged. We all had out iPod touches and iPhones out with music and strobe lights. It was insanely epic. Should make that a routine thing.
Tokyo is awesome. I love it. I may like it better than Kyoto, but I need to experience them both more. We shall see.
-- And now... --
My lights keep flickering because I plugged in my electric heater. Its getting chilly and there is no insulation in Japanese housing, so it may very well be colder inside than it is outside.
So I'm sitting here typing up my novel for NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) and drinking some tea. I'm off to Shizuoka City tomorrow for a meeting about the prefecture's newspaper, that'll be fun, and then off to Shimada to meet with my old people conversation class. Friday is a NaNo writing party and Saturday I have to teach some sort of lesson for JHS... I only teach 30minutes but get all of Monday off. Sweet.
Oh, btw, going to China. Whoot.
And a spider fell on me this morning. Not whoot.
Labels: musings, teaching, tokyo, yaizu chuo
10:17 PM
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