Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is definitely popular in Japan. As with most things though, Japan adds a twist. On Valentine's Day, it's the girls who give chocolate and sweets to the boys. Girls also give chocolate to their female friends and family. Sounds like the boys get the better end of the deal, right? Wait, it gets better. Not only is it tradition for girls to give chocolates, the girls actually MAKE their goodies. That's right. They don't go to a store and buy their gifts, they spend hours making them in their houses. Talk about a labor of love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some Days....

Most days, living in Japan is great. Just the other day, I reserved plane tickets online, then walked down to the local 7-11 and paid for them there. (7-11 will also mail packages and accept payment for other bills). What a great system. Other times though...

On Friday, I noticed my internet at home wasn't working. I called the company, and after about an hour on the phone, we discovered that the problem wasn't with this company. I was told to call another company. Their business hours are 9-5 Monday - Friday, so with work, I was able to call on 4:45 Tuesday. At which point I was informed my account was canceled. Why? Well, I hadn't paid my bill since October. EH?! My phone line is also through this company. The phone bill is taken out of my bank account automatically (along with all my other bills) so this company sends me letters with "RECEIPT" clearly written on the envelope. I just assumed my internet payment was taken out automatically with the bill. Not so. They told me they sent me letters explaining this. Letters in Japanese. Also, they sent someone to my house when I wasn't there. My name is not written on my mailbox, so they couldn't verify I lived there. Long story short, they canceled my internet. So, not only do I need to reapply again, but I have to pay a $300 early cancellation fee on top of 4 months of payment.

Some days living in Japan is harder than it looks.

Beppu

Happy New Year!

I am at the end of a glorious week off from school. I spent the first half traveling to another prefecture on Kyushu island called Oita. There is a famous city in Oita called Beppu. Beppu is famous for it's natural hot spring areas. It rivals Yellowstone as an area with the most hot water volume in the world. Because of this, Beppu has many onsen, which are extremely popular in Japan. Going to the onsen is a great day to unwind after a day of hard work, and just relax in hot water while all your troubles melt away. When you go to an onsen, you wash yourself first at separate shower stalls. When you are squeaky clean, you are allowed to get in the onsen and relax with everyone else. Oh, and you are naked. The vast majority of onsen are gender separated. I felt a bit self conscious during my first onsen trip, and then I got over myself. Onsen are WONDERFUL. It's a great place to actually get to know people in your community. While in Beppu, another ALT and I visited a famous onsen where we took a hot sand bath. Yes, we literally laid down and had ladies bury everything but our heads in warm sand. My friend enjoyed it, but I thought it was a bit like being burried alive. I'm sad to say that my camera batteries decided to die, so I don't have any pictures.


During this trip, we also visited an aquarium located next to the Pacific Ocean, where we saw everything from jellyfish to sharks to dolphins to rare frogs. Right next to the aquarium was Takasaki Mountain, home to hundreds of macaque monkeys. They are so used to people, that they will come right up to your feet. Literally. It was a great trip and a great way to unwind and say goodbye to 2009!

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.

Q and A (Part One)

What do you eat everyday?

It depends on the day! For breakfast, I'm usually only awake enough to make some cereal. For lunch, I either make a sandwitch and bring it, or bring chicken noodle soup, or order a bento (a box lunch which contains rice, meat, and veggies). There happens to be a McDonalds two-minutes drive from my school, so if I somehow forget about lunch, I just drive on down to get some Shakka Shakka chicken (my favorite, but not sold in the US!) For dinner, I have many options. Eating out costs almost the same as eating in, and there are many delicious restaurants nearby. Of course there are sushi and Japanese restaurants aplenty, but when I'm in the mood for something different, there are numerous burger joints, Indian, Thai, Mexican, etc restaurants. I think the best meal I have had in Japan came from a tofu restaurant of all places. When I cook, I usually make curry and rice, stir-fry chicken, spaghetti, or gyoza (potstickers).

What is your routine?

On school days, I wake up around 7, and leave my apartment by 8. Officially, my school day is from 8:15 to 4. I have 8 classes a week, 5 first year classes (sophomores) with 40 students each, and one second year class (juniors) three times a week with 4 students. I plan each lesson, and I am responsible for leading the class. Officially, I am not allowed to teach without a JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) present, but on a few occasions, I have taught by myself. I don't use any Japanese in class, however sometimes my JTE will have to translate. I am at a lower level academic school, but the kids still understand a good deal when they try. After school, I have Japanese classes two times a week, and the other days I spend with other ALTs nearby, or just catching up with friends back home. On weekends, I do a fair amount of traveling. There's always something to do because everyone here is very social and organizes some sort of event or get together. Hardly ever am I bored, in fact, sometimes I need to schedule some "alone time" to chill for a little.

Are the children well-behaved?

Ha. My school is just like high school back in America. I've heard from other ALTs that have visited my school that they are surprised by how relaxed the atmosphere is. Their schools are much more strict. Because Tosho is a lower level academic school, there's not as much pressure on the kids to get into a good college, or get good grades. So there is the usual talking and sleeping in class. Once a week, I go to a kindergarten. They are harder on the kids there, because those kids are aiming for a high academic track. So even though I am volunteering to teach there, my teaching is under more scrutiny, and I receive LOTS of feedback (you should control the class, you should do this differently, etc). Students in Japan tend to be VERY shy, so when I first got here, getting them to answer was like pulling teeth. Kids in Japan also do not want to stand out, so answering questions in front of the entire class is something they dread. All that aside, most kids try to say hi to me whenever they see me, and are always excited for my class (which is probably the only casual class they have).

How often do you interact with the Japanese teachers at your school? What is your relationship with them like?

Like I said, I teach each class with a JTE. So I work closely with three teachers. They have been very helpful, and one always invites me to events outside of school. It's nice to have those teachers when I don't know what the buttons on the copy machine say. I sit in the last row of the staff room, next to one of my JTEs. We get along just fine there. Nobody can see us, so he plays solitare and dozes off while I catch up with my friends on facebook (after my work is done of course ;-). I don't interact as much with the other teachers, but they have been nothing but helpful to me. Every teacher knows at least a few words in English, but most are afraid to talk to me. The Japanese always strive for perfection, and they hate making mistakes, so they would just rather not try to talk to me using English. We have work drinking parties (enkais) every so often, which is where everyone loosens up. That's when I can talk to most of the other teachers. Their English vastly improves when they are drunk. Well, their confidence at least. ;-)