Monday, April 27, 2009

star light, star bright, first... firefly I see tonight?

Jon and I decided to walk to the grocery store tonight, and on the way back we saw a flicker of a green light on the ground to our right. We stopped, asked each other if we had seen what we had seen, and upon confirmation, waited to see it again. It was a little pulsing, intense green light. I took a picture with the flash, but could barely make out the little guy. I looked up "glowing bugs" when we got back to find out that it was indeed a firefly. How cool is that? Too bad it wasn't flying, like the ones I saw on Tokashiki, but, there will be other days to see those again!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Funny Songs at Funny Times

So the Japanese love The Carpenters. They especially love the song "Top of the World". They love it so much that I heard a version of it recently at the entrance ceremony for the incoming 1st graders at Chinen Elementary. Now that's funny.

When I mentioned it to Jon, he said that one of the tunes on a cuckoo clock at his work is Mr. Lonely. That's funny too.

Also, whenever it's about closing time (maybe the last half hour) stores will play Auld Lang Syne.

This place is a crack-up, I tell ya!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Deliciousness Indeed!

This doesn't have so much to do with living in Japan as it does me just wanting to brag about doing something right in the kitchen for once! I just made the most delicious oatmeal cookies from scratch! Can you believe it? The girl who used to mess up brownies from a mix! Anyhow, I made two batches, one from a recipe which called them "healthy" but still called for 3 tablespoons of butter, and another from a recipe that was vegan, and called for applesauce. The problem only being that there is no applesauce readily available for purchase here in Japan, so I had to make my own from scratch. All in all, everything was pretty easy and the cookies came out fantastic. The so called healthy batch is better of course (doesn't butter make everything better?) and the vegan batch is still pretty good. Probably because I added a little peanut butter and just a tiny bit of olive oil so they'd have a more cookie-like consistency. The recipe consisted only of mashed banana, applesauce, crushed nuts, and oats, so I spiffed it up with raisins, about a teaspoon of peanut butter, and topped it off with healthy black sesame seeds. I love that I can taste just a tad of each of those flavors with every bite!

Needless to say, I'm very happy with my endeavor!

Here are the recipes if anyone wants to give it a try :)

healthy oatmeal cookies

vegan oatmeal cookies

If you do try these on your own, let me know what you think!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Japan is funny, America is funny too

Disclaimer: Now I realize I've only seen parts of the Japanese culture and have maximized some of the shortcomings of American culture here for comedic effect, so please just consider that this is my small, meaningless opinion with what may not be the full picture and sprinkled with humor before you attack me :)


Reason #1- Japan is a place where important ceremonies happen in sock feet. You see, you can't wear shoes inside, even in the workplace. Even if you have indoor shoes, graduation and entrance ceremonies take place in the gym which is a separate building, so people are given a bag for their outdoor shoes which they place under their seats. It's kind of funny to think that of important commencements, such as new students, teachers, and students leaving for the next step in their education, all taking place in sock feet.... Something Americans save only for pajama parties or at least the comfort of their own homes.

Reason #2- Japanese people I have encountered and heard about, do things Americans would be appalled at. Case in point, the other day Jon and I were grocery shopping. We were looking for applesauce so Jon went to find a clerk to help us find it. I was standing with the cart, when I realized a woman staring at me. I tried smiling at her, but she persisted in starting at me and then came over. She was an older woman, with her daughter. The mother said hello to me and I replied, after which she started rummaging through our cart! She proceeded to ask me questions, in Japanese of course, to which I pleaded with her that I didn't understand her. The conversation went on way too long while I was just trying do some innocent grocery shopping. She eventually told me she wanted me to teach her English, but I'm not interested in a student who is so nosy. There was another man in the grocery store that night who hassled us about the contents of our cart. Jon and I would never imagine doing that to another person, Japanese or other. I've heard from another ALT (from NZ) who lives on a smaller island who gets old grandmothers rummaging through his cart. It got to the point where he started doing it right back to them. Good for him, but I can't do that! Imagine your reaction if while at your local supermarket and some foreigner came up to you and started making comments about the contents of your cart.

Reason #3- Japanese people are more dependent and more independent than Americans. Americans like to think they are independent. We make our own decisions. For the most part, we have ourselves in mind before others when deciding how we want to live our lives: the jobs we choose, the relationships we make or keep, even the schools we go to. Japanese people, on the other hand, keep their families and their culture before themselves. When making decisions, they consult their families and evaluate the strain it would put on them if the individual makes a choice that might not be in the best interest of the family. However, it is not to say that these individuals are unhappy. I think most Japanese people have learned how to be content in the lives they feel they must lead. That's something Americans could learn. How many Americans do you know that are miserable because they feel like they have to live "their" lives a certain way. Who decides the ownership of a life anyway? Maybe we have it all wrong in America. Shouldn't the families who have helped raise a child from birth have some say in what that child does with their life? Maybe I've just been here too long. Anyhow, back to my point. American children have it made (in my area at least). Their parents pay for these children to have the best extracurriculars, daycare/maids, education, clothes and cars. Those children typically grow up resenting those very same parents for something else that wasn't provided. American children don't always grow up learning about how to be responsible for themselves, let alone their own families. I don't think Japanese people even have a word for resentment. These children clean their own schools, get themselves home from school on their own (first graders ride the bus home alone after a few trial runs with a parent, and it's not unusual to see school children walking home as late as 9pm on weeknights after their sports clubs or cram schools), care for themselves when they get home (unless Mom doesn't work, their parents work much longer hours), manage to do their own homework driven by their own self will, and just seem less helpless than American children. Japanese society depends on the individuals within it. Schools won't get cleaned if children decide they shouldn't have to clean them, the education system would fail if students stopped doing their homework, and the system would fail if adults decided to only work 8 hour days here. Therefore Japanese people are more dependent on each other than Americans who have designed their individual lives. Past the nuclear family, Americans don't really depend on each other though, they have set up their lives as independently as they can so they can feel... maybe, in control? I haven't seen any struggles for control in Japan. Not in the workplace, not in parking lots, not on streets, not anywhere. These people are ok with the fact that much of their lives have been decided for them. They do what they can with what they have and make the most of their situations, whatever the situation may be. They don't seem to be riddled with debt. They don't take vacations all the time to escape their realities. They seem to live complete, full lives and seem pretty happy in these lives. Americans have full lives, but seem pretty stressed out about these lives they lead. Just look at how many people are on meds for mental issues or pain, and how many people are suing their old friends for wrong doings. You won't find that in Japan. Doctors won't even give you painkillers in the hospital when you ask for them. Both times I asked, I was given acetaminophen (and left thinking, are you serious?).

Japanese people drive slowly, but they work quickly. Americans drive fast and work slow. I hope I take away from this place just enough to stay sane when I return to the US.

The price of our independence in America comes with a large price tag for therapy.


Reason #4- Japanese people seem to change their clothes at least once during their work day. Take my vice principal at Hyakuna for example. He is the crossing guard before school, so he wheres a suit, with a windbreaker on top. As soon as the morning bell rings he typically changes into his track suit, which he will wear in the office. Then after he eats lunch, he changes into grubby work clothes and work boots so he can work in the garden. After that he changes again, either into a business suit or a track suit again. I don't think Americans would ever change so many times in one work day.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I ♥ Japan

Japanese people (at least in social settings and on TV) are so jovial and happy. I love to laugh and am so happy to be amused by their silly antics on tv. It's like when I was in high school watching Mtv's The State and laughing hysterically at the skits. Even the commercials are hilarious. I wonder if, after I leave here, I will find myself watching the Japanese channel just to catch a laugh.

I forgot to say the other day that I also got an assigned parking place at Chinen sho this year... Which means there were assigned parking places last year too, but nobody told me. Which means I was stealing someone's spot for 9 months... And nobody told me. I'm telling you, foreigners will never completely assimilate. I will never know as much as someone who was born and raised here, no matter how long I stay. Which is fine. I just have to keep that in mind.

However, I was announced as a new teacher at Chinen chu, and given a welcome gift (potted flowers). So that made me quite happy. It's nice to feel appreciated in a place where so few things I do seem appreciated. Yesterday the principal and vice-principal told me they wanted me to stay at Chinen chu full time. Unfortuntely for them, it's my visiting school. I'm only there one day a week and I think the only reason I have to go there at all is because they just don't have enough ALTs in our district. The vice-principal there is really nice, so I enjoy my time there. I also like the idea of working with older kids, because I get to teach them to read in English. It seems weird, but they can't read English when they enter middle school. They have just learned the English alphabet and sounds at the end of 6th grade. I only hope my 6th graders from last year straighten up and settle down so we can actually accomplish some real learning. It's really a challenge trying to teach them phonics, in a language they don't know. Think about phonics worksheets.... Naming pictures, finding middle sounds with pictures, rhyming words... These all require a basic vocabulary in the language... It's a new challenge that I'm learning how to work around or at least work with!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

American Consul General "attacked"

This is quasi-big news here. Apparently a 43 year old, unemployed (not sure what that has to do with it) man threw hot coffee on the Consul General's feet. He was possibly upset about this, US Navy ships docking in an Okinawan island, Ishigaki, port. It's only a 3 day stay, but the local government openly opposes any military presence on Ishigaki. The US Navy, and Japanese officials, however, say that the Navy does have the right to dock there. The military presence in Okinawa has been in debate for a long time, and I understand both sides of the issue. Prefectural government wants the economy benefit, but Okinawan parents of teenage girls object to the military fraternizing with their kin. I have seen a lot of dumbass military dudes, and also met a lot of nice people in the military here, so it's hard to choose a side in the issue. Anyhow, it's interesting nonetheless. According to this article, this is only the second time US has called port since 1972. However, it does go on to say that it could be for reasons other than the US is declaring at the moment.

Oh yeah, and I have met the Consul, actually, Jon and I had dinner at his home, a very nice house with a great view! He was a nice enough guy, if you like down-home Southerners. I guess his Japanese wife does! He does like to close his eyes when he talks and goes way off topic (both times I met him), but he must do a decent job if Japan is eyes him for the next foreign affairs ministry position.

Anyways, my point once again: I like being a foreigner here. I can observe and not have to get too heated, like I would back in the states.

I want to add that I recently read an interesting article about crime in Japan, Okinawa, and the US Military. The author plays devil's advocate a bit, but the article shows how numbers are skewed to make the military here look a lot worse than they might actually be.

Friday, April 3, 2009

I'm all shook up!

My goodness we have a lot of earthquakes. There was one yesterday down on Miyako Island, and then I woke up this morning at about quarter til 6 to more shaking. This one was only a 4.6, and considered a 1 here, but I don't remember ever feeling a 1 back home. Anyhow here is more info!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

One thing I love...

One thing I definitely love about living here is the ability I have to communicate with some of my co-workers even though we don't speak the same language. Take Rika sensei for example. She is one of my favorite people to work with. The two of use can talk for quite a while, and through gestures and lots of guessing around the subject, we have a blast. Having her by my side in the office is super helpful and hopefully she gets something out of it, too. She is kind and loves to laugh, which is great, because even if we can't get our message across, we sure can have a great laugh about whatever we thought the other was trying to say.
Rika recently moved from Hyakuna, but lucky for me she moved to Chinen Sho, so I will see her just as much. Yay! Other teachers at Hyakuna always watched us talk (at lunch, mostly), and commented on how amazed they were we could have conversations when Rika doesn't speak much English and I don't speak Japanese. Now that the Chinen teachers have seen us (at lunch today) talk, they said the same thing! They would listen and follow along and nod their heads during our conversation. Sometimes, Rika will translate what I've said into Japanese for them. It's really funny and interesting. Personally, I think this sort of situation is exactly why I am here. Not that I don't wish I spoke more Japanese, but this is the next best thing: A fearless co-worker who is willing to try to speak to me. And I think between the two of us we have achieved a friendship.

A trip to America

I have gone twice now with Chinen Elementary School to Zukeran Elementary School, located on an American military base here. It is quite an interesting experience. I think it went better with the 2nd graders than the 6th graders, but that might just have been because the teachers were better organized. The kids always start out shy, but by the end of the day have a new BFF that somehow they’ve acquired by communicating through gestures and a very small amount of verbal conversation (an even smaller amount in the others’ native language). I thought I had more to say about this, but I can’t think of anything, so if you have questions, please post them and I will answer.

Curiouser and Curiouser

I realized today, not that I am by any means seasoned as a foreigner here, that no matter how long an outsider spends in this country, they will never feel remotely as comfortable as people born and raised here. Even when I start to feel “in”, something springs up out of left field to grab hold of me and pull me smack down into reality, which is this: I am an outsider here.
I came to school today (Chinen Elementary, my home school) to find my shoe box had been given away (we are assigned a box to put our outside shoes in and keep out inside slippers in when we are not here). No biggie, you might think, but when you already feel like an outsider who can’t possibly know about or understand everything going on around you (even when you try really hard) and enormous changes are happening (at this time of year), something simple like a shoe box that until this very day was “yours” being given away when you weren’t there can make you feel awful. Not that they ever even put my name on it here. But my shoes were inside… At Hyakuna Elem, I got my name on my box within the first week of arriving in Japan. Little things like ease a stranger like me into this new environment. On Kudaka, they gave me a box with my name even though they had built a new school that I only went to twice before changing to another school. Maybe they know something the folks here at Chinen Sho don’t. It’s not that I expect a whole lot. However, Kudaka teachers did blow me off the last few times I went, including “forgetting” to call me about the farewell party after they both told me and I asked to be called about the location of the party. Anyhow, besides my shoe bin leaving my possession, I walked in to find a new vice principal and a second grade teacher had left. Nobody mentioned it to me before now. I would have liked to know I’d likely never see these people again, but I guess that’s too much to ask.
I understand that even though English is held at a high regard, the reality of it is that it just isn’t. And I’m ok with that. I realize I am an afterthought. But throw me a bone, even a small bone, every once in a while. I am constantly thrown into situations and given the sink or swim ultimatum through performance. I am pretty easy going (on the outside) and try to roll with the punches, but it’s tiring being everyone’s punching bag. However, today I did have a breakthrough with a teacher who I thought really didn’t like me. Japanese people are funny like that. She asked me if I was pregnant early on, and proceeded to laugh at me when I said no (quite possibly trying to laugh with me but I didn’t get the joke) and almost every time she saw me afterward. She seemed catty with her remarks to me and others, so I decided to keep my distance from her. Until today; we had our welcome luncheon for our new teachers (all 12 of them, in a school of 30 staff members). On our way to the cars, she asked if she could ride with me. I said sure (surprised she’d ask me, especially when there was room in Takayo’s car), and we talked (as much as we could) on the way there and back. I think I know why she asked if I was pregnant. I asked her if she had a husband to which she replied she did. Then I asked if she had any children. She said that she wanted children but couldn’t have any… Then I asked how old she was. She is 40 (and of course looks my age). She probably just wanted to know if I had any children since she so badly wanted some of her own.
Today was also good in terms of my schedule for this next term, which I have been stressing over ever since I found out my time at Chinen had been cut… I didn’t understand (and wasn’t interested in) how I was to teach 11 classes in 2 days (12 periods). So finally, after talking to Takayo sensei, I found out that there are in fact 12 classes, but that I will teach 5 a day each week on Thursdays and Fridays. I am glad I am not scheduled for 6 classes, and hope that people don’t cancel class or want to have make up classes, because then I will be at 6 classes, which is really unbearable. Sure, days go by fast, but I don’t particularly come out of 6-class days enjoying or liking my job. I am very happy about having 2 whole days at Hyakuna though, I have 12 periods there each week and only have to teach for 6 of them, unless of course making up a class. And, I will teach 3 classes at Chinen JHS. So that makes my total classes for the week 19. The limit is 20. They have changed when I come in and leave as well to 15 minutes later. Personally, I’d rather have the time to prepare in the morning than after my classes end. But I will try it and see how it goes before requesting it be changed.
So, that’s it for new school year stuff. Oh, yeah, 5th an 6th graders now have a textbook, but I don’t think they wrote lessons around it, kind of stupid. And 3rd grade is doing 4 lessons on numbers, adding, and time. Time I understand, but doing math in English, that’s just ridiculous. I suggested we do prepositions like in, on, over, under, etc instead, but Takayo sensei thinks they are too hard… I think these are vital words for children to understand if they are going to have any sort of listening comprehension worth raving about. But that’s just me, what do I know? I’m just…. The outsider. The outsider who was told she was an integral part of English being taught in these schools, the outsider who is a native English speaker and can offer (maybe I’m biased) valuable opinions on what we should teach or how we should teach English, the outsider who also expected (after it was pounded into her head) to talk about holidays we celebrate in the United States but was told, “They don’t know about Easter.” Isn’t that why I’m here? To TEACH??? Sometimes I think I’m just here for their amusement. If so, at least the salary is good.

Peanus Butter?

Yesterday I tried pig ear in… peanut butter! But when Japanese people say peanut butter, they say peanuts butter, and well, it doesn’t sound so innocent. Anyhow, it wasn’t like, a whole ear. More like stringy bits of cartilage-y looking stuff (picture really thin, long slices of bacon) with a small amount of creamy peanut butter mixed in. It came with a bento lunch everyone from Hyakuna was eating yesterday for their welcome party. Apparently it’s an traditional Okinawan food. Personally, I’d skip chewing, and chewing, and chewing on ear again. You can’t really break it down so you just get to the point where you have to swallow it. Yuck!