Merry Christmas!

I hope you all are having a great holiday season! I am a little sad that I am not home for the holidays, but I am still having a great time over here. I took off work on Christmas day to celebrate with other ALTs who stayed around for the holidays. There are light displays everywhere, and I have seen various "Santa-sans" riding around. The "feeling" of Christmas is not the same, it feels more artificial and neon then it does back home, but I am thankful I have friends to celebrate with.

On another note, my supervisor had asked me to turn in my recontracting decision in by the end of the year. Although I have a bit of the "winter blues" right now, all things considered, I am having a great time here in Japan and I do not regret my decision to come at all. So I decided to stay for another year. I went to school on Christmas day specifically to turn my papers in as a "Christmas present". Recontracting another year means saving the school tons of money (by not having to pay for my flight home plus having to pay for my replacement's flight out here). So at the very least, I expected my supervisor to appear happy with my decision. Instead, when I handed him the papers, he looked at me and asked, "are you sure?" Confused, I nodded, and all he said was, "good luck." Not even a smile! I felt badly about this for a while, but I refused to let it get to me. I love being at this school, I love the kids here, and I hope they feel the same about me. If they'll have me, I would love to continue on this journey next year!

Q and A (Part Three)

How much does eating out cost? (McD's, cooking in, a nice meal)?

McD's is pretty much the same price as in the US. Maybe a tad more expensive. Groceries here seem more expensive. Fruits are expensive, cheese is expensive. The fruit has to be of excellent quality. Way better quality than we see in the US. Many restaurants are very fairly priced, so sometimes it is cheaper to eat out. Expiration dates are more strict in Japan, food is usually good for a few more days after the expiry date. Grocery stores tend to mark down prices of items that are getting close to their expiration date.


Do you think getting the car was worth it? How often do you drive?

Absolutely. I drive pretty much everyday. The drive to school takes about 10 minutes. It would be an hour to walk. So if nothing else, I save a lot of time on the commute. I live in a decent sized city (comparable to Aurora) but I live on the outskirts, so it's nice to be able to drive in to town and meet up with the other ALTs near me. Plus, when it rains here, it POURS. It's nice to have a car for those occasions. (Which I hear is pretty much everyday in March-May.)


Do you know all your student's names? Do you have a favorite? Is there one student that is more annoying to you than the others?

Heck no. I have 124 students, and their names all sound foreign to me. So in addition to putting a name with a face, I have to remember the names to begin with. No Mike, Ann, Bobby, etc. I REALLY hate to say "everyone looks the same". Because in reality, they don't. HOWEVER. In Japanese public high schools, all the students wear the same uniform. They also have to have their hair cut a certain way, and it is not allowed to be colored. Their ears can't be pierced. So there aren't a lot of distinguishing factors when students are in school. I do know some names and have gotten to know some students better because they make more of an effort to talk to me. I guess you could say they are my favorites. I don't really have a least favorite student, however I definitely have a least favorite class.


What has been the most surprising thing about Japan that you have encountered so far?

I absolutely love ancient Japanese culture. Watching old samurai movies, oragami, the architecture, just how everything looked and felt. So I had the naive impression that this is how I would find Japan. Well, Japan is one of the most modern countries on earth. (Also one of the least modern, but I'll get to that in a second.) There is a touch of ancient Japan in everyday life, however Japan is very...cutesy. The girls are ridiculously girly. The guys...are ridiculously girly. When I first got here, I was very careful not to wear anything that revealed too much skin. Then I saw what the youth of Sasebo was wearing. And I blushed. Japan is a very interesting mix of old and new.


In what regard do you wish the US was more like Japan and/or vice versa?

Japan's customer service is superb. They are very patient, kind, friendly, and go out of their way to help you. Here's an example. One of my friends, a JET from Ireland, left her bank book in a izakaya (bar/pub) in Kyoto. Kyoto is to Sasebo as LA is to Denver. The pub mailed her bank book back to her. No charge. I wish we had the same customer service in the US. Japan also has a ridiculously low crime rate. But, Japan has a process for everything. It was a real pain when I first got here. First, I need to get this paper, apply for my car, get another paper, etc. If any of these steps is missed, or out of place, everyone freaks out, and calls a supervisor. Who calls their supervisor. It seems like no one here likes to think for themselves. Even if something makes logical sense to you or I, if it's different from standard procedure, forget it. The thing is, every company's standard procedure is different. Things are much easier in the US.

These skis have been here since I arrived at my apartment. They are still chilling outside today. Japan, the land of very little crime.

Q and A (Part Two)

Do guys in Japan try to talk to you?

Ha. Do Japanese guys try to talk to me? Largely...no. Japanese men appear very reserved, and are very "well behaved" in public. No whistling, cat calls, or weird comments. Which is saying something, because the clothes some Japanese ladies wear...or don't wear...well you get the picture. I have heard from a few people that in Japanese culture, the man is the dominant person in the relationship. A Japanese woman even told me that while she cares for her husband's parents (feeds, clothes, bathes, etc), she needs to ask her husband's permission to visit her own parents. While this is not the norm any more, it still happens. Consequently, I've heard that Japanese men tend to avoid us "independent" Western Women. Also, most Japanese people are afraid to attempt speaking English. At enkais (work drinking parties), that sort of behavior comes out a little. But the next day, it's an unspoken rule that no one speaks about what happened at the enkai. It's basically Fight Club. Now, the city I am in has an American Navy base. Do those men try to talk to me? Same American men, different location.


Do you see any tourists in Nagasaki?

I live about 1 1/2 hours away from Nagasaki City, but when I have traveled there, I have seen a few tourists. Japan is extremely homogenous, so it's easy to spot gaijin (foreigners). When I visited the Atomic bomb hypocenter and museum, I saw a fair amount of tourists. But on the whole, most foreign tourists stick around Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. On a separate note, I see many Japanese tourists around my town. Interestingly enough, my town is host to a Dutch village-themed park. People from all over Japan go to see a part of Europe without leaving Japan.


What are the winters like in your region?

From what I've seen and heard so far, not too bad. Right now, while Colorado is struggling to break out of below freezing, Sasebo is a balmy 60 degrees. It only snows a few times, and I don't believe it will drop below freezing. HOWEVER. Japanese homes do not have central heating. Nor are they insulated like American homes. So basically, the temperature outside is the temperature inside. I use my AC heater during the night, and section off rooms to keep the one I'm using warm. It's actually quite energy efficient. Also, I have a wonderful appliance called a kotatsu. Picture a table. The top of the table is removable, and there is a heater under the table. I place a blanket in the middle of the table, put the table top back on, then snuggle under the blanket. It's actually very addicting.