Sunday, March 19, 2006

I'm getting a couch!!!
After almost 7 months of sitting on the floor, I'm getting a wonderfully free couch! Yay!!!!! MY back will be so happy!!!
More news to come...

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Hiking to the ocean in Kii Nagashima



Last weekend I went for a hike down to the ocean with Karly and Jonathan in Kii Nagashima. Both the beauty and the challenge far exceeded my expectations.
Kii Nagashima is the town south of me, where Jonathan lives. We walked up to a look-out point first, and then we took a trail that Jonathan had previously found. It was fairly straight forward at first, but then it involved a sharp incline, holding onto a rope, and feet slipping on loose leaves. I started cursing and telling Karly and Jonathan that they had too much faith in my hiking ability! It all turned out to be worth it.
The ocean was gorgeous. We ended up in a spot that most people wouldn't be able to find, or be willing to get to. The rocks were gorgeous. You can see the history in them. They appear to be made of layers pushed together over thousands of years.
The ocean was just beautiful. I love the sound of ocean waves. I climbed down to sit nearer to the water and just enjoyed the feeling of being there. The water was so blue, and so full of power. The ocean always gives me a really unique, intense feeling. Even not being in the water, I felt covered and surrounded by it. It was a cloudy day, which actually looked quite beautiful. The clouds were like a reflection of the waves in the sky.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Rocking a tracksuit- Japanese teacher style



Well, I've gone over to the darkside. I bought myself a tracksuit. Now, I don't see anything wrong with tracksuits, but it's not something I would have considered wearing to work everyday in America. However, in Japan, tracksuits are synonymous with school teachers. Everyday, at least half the staff, if not more, are wearing either track pants, or an entire tracksuit. I have even seen the terribly attractive combo of button-up shirt and tie with track pants on a vice-principal. I would have liked a Puma, Adidas, or Le Coq Sportif tracksuit, but I settled for Reebok, because they were on sale. It's black with a tiny, rainbow pinstripes up the sides.

I finally decided that a tracksuit would be comfy and handy when I want to play outside with the kids, or join in a gym class. Despite my blond hair and blue eyes I felt like a bonafide Japanese teacher when I put on the tracksuit in the dressing room. It reminded me of when I went shopping for a suit in the US before I came to Japan. When I put on a suit, I felt like a grown-up!

In case you were wondering, a large percentage of the elementary school kids wear tracksuits everyday, too. You just can't escape the tracksuit in the Japanese school system.

Here I am with some of my third graders. Sorry you can't see the tracksuit better!

Old School Medicine

I wrote this on March 10, 2006.

I went to see a doctor in Japan last week. I've done that once before, but my boss came with me, which was good in some ways and bad in others. In any case, I went BY MYSELF this time. Scary! Going to the doctor in your home country, speaking your native language can be scary enough, so imagine how much fun it can be in Japan!

Japanese medicine seems to be very old-fashioned in a lot of ways, and not just because the nurses wear dresses, knee socks, and 1950s-style nurse caps. After slaughtering the Japanese language and looking terrified, I was given an old-school, glass thermometer so I could take my own temperature. I am glad that I asked before I stuck it in my mouth, because you actually put it under your armpit and sit in the waiting room for 5 minutes with it there. In such a technologically advanced country, do they not have those handy mouth ones that take your temperature in like 5 seconds? Maybe it's because I was at a small town clinic. It's hard to say.

When the nurses saw me headed for the bathroom, they asked me to pee in a cup- a paper cup that is. So, I took my paper cup into the bathroom, and hoped that I'd filled it up enough (although I was there for vaccinations and allergy advice, so they probably just threw my pee away!). Then I went to wash my hands, but alas, there was no soap or towels. Yeah, no soap or towels in a doctor's office bathroom. I can kind of understand the lack in public restrooms, but this was a doctor's office- a doctor's office in a country where about 20% of the people I see everyday are wearing face masks for health reasons! I felt very sanitary after the ice cold rinse I gave my hands in the smelly bathroom.

My actual time with the doctor went OK. He spoke English very well. I got a tetanus booster, which hurt like hell. He didn't have any hepatitis A vaccine, so I had to go back for that. I also got Malaria pills, with no warnings about the side-effects that can come with them, some nasal spray, because Japanese hay fever had given me a sore throat, and Relpax for migraines. It all turned out to be more affordable than I expected! It cost me around 9000 yen (75$). I have health insurance?but I still thought it would be a lot more.

I went back to the clinic again this week, and faced a few more challenges. My cash card from the bank was broken, and I didn't have my inkan (personal stamp) with me, so the bank wouldn't give me any money. So, although I now knew how to say "I'm here for a vaccination" in Japanese, I also needed to explain that I didn't have enough cash to pay right then! Somehow, I managed to express that! Yay for Megan!

I am happy to say that the hepatitis A vaccine didn't hurt too badly, and I now feel less fearful of catching some dreaded disease in the Philippines. And my Japanese just keeps getting better.......
I have a drinking problem

I wrote this on January 24, 2006.

I have a "drinking problem". No, it's not alcohol. I tend to drink a lot of water, juice, tea and the like. It seems like a good idea- being hydrated, flushing out toxins, that kind of thing. It also comes with drawbacks though. For one thing, I rarely make it through a night's sleep without needing to get up and use the bathroom. That's a cold, cold trip through my unheated apartment.
The worst thing though, in this magical land called Japan, are the trips to the smelly, 40 degree bathrooms with the charming squat toilets.



I have to put on the dirty, toilet slippers (yes, bathrooms have their own special slippers), expose my poor ass to the icy air, and then wash my hands in ice cold water when I'm finished.
Seriously, those of you in the "heated world" just don't understand the misery of these arctic, Japanese bathrooms.
That takes me back to my "drinking problem". I try my hardest to avoid the school bathrooms, but I can't stop peeing! I mean, I'm making 3 to 5 trips during my 8 hour workday. It's miserable. I should lay off the water bottle, and avoid the ladies who bring green tea to my desk. But I can't!! I'm thirsty. My body needs to be hydrated.
Oh, spring, please arrive soon! Please bring warmer temps to the Japanese bathrooms.
Magic Toilet Park

I wrote this on January 19, 2006

So, tonight was a "Girls' Night In" for my neighbor Karly and I. We were both in need of it. Adding alcohol to the equation hadn't occured to me until she showed up at my apaato with a bottle of Australian red wine! It was a stroke of genius!
We chatted and started drinking while I made a homemade sauce for our penne pasta. I tell you, you get half a glass of wine in me, and all that pent up chatter just comes pouring out.
I almost fell on the floor because I was laughing so hard as I told Karly about the creativity of one of my students. The 7th graders has to draw and write about their "ideal park". Rui came up with "Magic Toilet" park (actually "magikku toire park" which I improved upon with my smashing, native English skills). His park is full of toilets. "A big guy uses a toilet. Boys use toilets. This park smells bad, but I like this park." The teacher I work with told me that Rui really likes toilets and likes to sit in the 2nd floor bathrom of the jr. high. Ummm, OK!? The Japanese have a kind of weird national obession with bodily functions and toilets. They are either top of the line, or squat toilets. Usually, in public places, they're squat toilets. The top of the line ones are nice, though! "Warmlets" sent from god with heated seats, bidet, "warm shower", and drying functions. Awesome!
Anyways, our night continued as we continued drinking and chatting through 5 episodes of "Sex and the City". I'm so excited, because Karly got all 6 seasons on DVD as a Christmas gift! It's fun to laugh aloud, and compare ourselves and others to the characters in the show.
Thank heavens for "Girls Night In". We agreed that we should do it more often.
Now I am off to bed for a tipsy night's sleep. Ahhh...
My Journeys

I wrote this on January 15, 2006.

So, I'm back in Japan after spending 2 weeks in Michigan. It feels quite nice to be in my quiet, little apartment.
I went for a walk in the rain yesterday. On one hand I felt a little lonely, but on the other hand it was nice to be breathing fresh air and just letting my thoughts wander.
It is a strange realization that twice in my life I have ended up in a small, mountain village in a foreign land. In September of 1995 I arrived in Rotterode, a village of 500 people in the Thuringian Forest of central Germany. In August of 2005 I arrived in Ouchiyama, a village of 1600 people in the mountains of Mie prefecture, Japan.
My experiences have been quite different though. Both have involved culture shock, feeling out of place, and struggling to make myself understood in a foreign language. However, after 4 months in Germany and Japan I ended up in two very different places emotionally.
By December of 1995 I had cried buckets; written long, desperate letters home; drank myself to sleep inside my closet; chain-smoked cigarettes, because I knew it was self-destructive; considered throwing myself out a window so that they would send me home; moved to a new host family where I was also unhappy; been yelled at and mocked by schoolmates until I ran away from the schoolyard; skipped school, so I could sit crying on park benches; and contemplated hitting old Hausfraus on the head with glass coke bottles, because I had so much pent-up anger. On December 26th, 1995, I returned to Michigan, determined to stay there for a good long time, and leaving my exchange program 6 months early.
By December of 2005 I have been stared at almost everywhere I go; talked about; laughed at; felt like a zoo animal; but I have also met a lot of nice, welcoming people, as well as my elementary and jr. high school students who I am very fond of; I received a "happy birthday" letter from almost all of my students at Nishiki jr. high after my birthday; I have had 3 welcome parties; and I have been visited at home by my village's policeman, who was just checking to make sure that everything was going all right for me. On December 26, 2005 I went back to Michigan, just for a visit, and was ready to return at the end of the two weeks. That's not to say that I'm not full of a lot of emotions, or that I don't miss my family and friends in America. When I was in Michigan, I realized that I don't have a home there. My home is in Japan, at least for the time being. I like my little apartment, and my quiet, slow-paced life. It has been good for me to make a new start; to set off on a new adventure.
Towards the end of my walk yesterday I realized that there was a gorgeous rainbow in the sky. One end started behind a mountain, and the other end landed between 2 more mountains. I felt such a sense of happiness and peace when I saw it. I excitedly called my neighbor to tell her to look outside. She tried, but apparently, it wasn't visible from our apartments. She said, "I guess it's a rainbow just for you." I felt even happier then, as if it really were a rainbow just for me. That rainbow was like a reminder that everything was going to be alright.
Baba Shatsu

I wrote this on November 14, 2005.

Oh, it`s so cold in these Japanese schools! I came to school in kneesocks, jeans, an undershirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt.
After going to one class I drove home during a break and put on long underwear (top and bottom), wool socks, and a handkerchief tied around my neck. I soon realized that even that isn`t enough. So, I put a little heat pad in the front pocket of my sweatshirt to warm up my hands. Even after doing that my bum and my feet were freezing. So, I put two more little heating pads in the back pockets of my jeans. After bringing up the base temperature of my ass, I think I`ll transfer the heating pads to my slippers and try to warm up my feet!
Oh, indoor heating, why have you forsaken me?
The poor female students have to wear skirts! And their socks only come half way up their shins. Brrr. I won`t be envying them this winter!
By the way, I learned yesterday that long underwear are called "baba shatsu" in Japanese. That means "Grandma shirt". Pretty cute, eh?
Note to self: must buy more "baba shatsu".
GAIJIN ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE

I wrote this on October 22, 2005.

I am on the official GAIJIN (foreigner) ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE in Japan.
Please read the below anecdotes for examples of my finest work.

1: I made participation cards for my jr. high students. They have a grid of squares that need to be filled with the stickers I pass out. Once they're full they can get a prize from me. There are various free squares with silly pictures on them. At the bottom, after the final square, is a picture of poop with a face, sitting on a toilet, saying "You did it!" The "You did it!" part was a stroke of brilliance.
No one had noticed my subversive humor until Yuri in the jr. high 3rd grade (9th grade) looked at the paper closely. She asked the teacher what it was. I suddenly realized that I had been found out! I started laughing so hard that tears were running down my face. I was trying to control myself which just made it worse. I really lost it when the teacher asked me "Is this ice cream or...something else?" I could barely choke out the words "something else"! I ended up going in the hallway, because I couldn't get myself under control.
Mind you, this teacher has a little clay squat toilet with clay poop on his desk, so I wasn't too concerned in that sense. It was just so funny that someone kinda figured out what I had put on the paper.


2: My apartment building has outdoor hallways. I tend to go out into the hallway in my pajamas, because my friend Karly lives just next door.
This morning I had beadhead and I was wearing blue pajamas (with a baggy butt) that have a pattern of surfing Xmas penguins on them. I went into the hallway to knock on Karly's door. She wasn't answering, and I suddenly realized that I was being laughed at by the Japanese construction workers across the street. I ran right back into my apartment, feeling kinda sheepish. I suppose I would have laughed at me, too.

3: I also have, at various times, knocked over a number of garbage cans, knocked over hot tea, had a swarm of ants eating stale crackers out of my backpack in the teachers' room, attempted to order food at a drive-thru window (a terrifying experience actually), and stared at waitresses and shop clerks in wide-eyed terror when I haven't understood what they've asked me . I imagine that I have also said a number of inappropriate things in Japanese and offended a number of my coworkers and superiors.
If you visit me in Japan, you can become an honorary member of the the Gaijin Entertainment Committee.
strange/interesting/cool stuff i've noticed in japan...

I wrote this on September 9, 2005.

Postmen ride red scooters (and are very diligent). Schoolkids wear helmets on the way to school- even if they're just walking. At schools and offices, you have to wear a separate pair of slippers when you go into the bathroom (or into the gym). In schools, kids solve all disputes with Janken (rock, papers, scissors). Construction workers do group stretches to funny music before they start working. Some grocery stores have shredded dry ice for your perishables. Some elderly women who have worked in rice fields all their life are permanently bent at a 90 degree angle from the waist (in other words, their faces look down at the ground). They have the best fucking customer service. Really, it's unbelievable. Gas station attendants wear colorful uniforms as they pump your gas and wipe your windows. Most public toilets are squatting style, and I've grown to prefer them. It's easier to squat over the ground, than squat over a higher toilet. School kids clean their schools themselves. School kids wear hats and face masks (like surgeons) when they serve lunch. They look like tiny, cute, neurotic chefs. Most shows on TV are "Variety shows" where a bunch of people sit around, watch videos and discuss them, or laugh at dumb stuff. They grow old really fast. Clothes dryers are exceedingly rare, which is a big pain in such a humid country! Nothing ever gets dry!! Many people (including me) carry around towels of varying sizes to wipe off the sweat that constantly accumulates. Some people just constantly wear them around their necks. My village is famous for milk, and we have delicious ice cream. Some of the streets here are so narrow that only one car can fit down them. There are mirrors at curves and turns, so you can see if someone is coming in the other direction (because someone will have to back-up or pull over). They have fish sausage here. Apples usually cost $4-5 for 2. All fruit seems to be ridiculously expensive. 100 Yen stores are a hundred times better than dollar stores. Shirts written in "Engrish" are everywhere, and I love them!!