1. It's like a snow day... School was closed again yesterday due to influenza. So, I thought that about 5 students had influenza (H1N1 I'm pretty sure) and now about 70 students have it. At our school that's about 1/5 of the students. So, I taught one class (in one of those medical masks, which is not easy when you're teaching a language) and then all of the teachers convened in the staff room for a meeting. I heard "influenza" and "meet outside" or I thought I did, but I didn't understand everything so I asked one of the English teachers who said, "The school will close from now, we will go home." So, I walked back to the office at the Board of Education and spent yet another day pretending to do work.
2. "Halloween!!!" "-it's tomorrow." Last night my Uji friends and I went out to celebrate Halloween, that's right, one day early. Being busy bees in Japan, some of us have things to do on Sunday so Friday was the chosen night for Halloween mayhem i.e. Pubs and lots of karaoke. The night was a huge success as it was a smaller group of our Uji friends and the karaoke wasn't so deafeningly loud as last time. Also our prefectural adviser came out with us as well which was a trip. He's our age but is technically our "higher up." Anyway, we had kabobs as well and ended the night in a Rastafarian "bar" eating sweet potato fries and salad underneath a heavily canopied ceiling that looked like a college dorm room, just waiting to be busted for blatant disregard of fire code.
3. Japanese weather. It's 75 degrees here and sunny... and it's practically November. Just sayin', I don't mind the sun, I don't mind at all...
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Influenza!!!! Panic!!!!
Ok, don't panic. That probably wasn't a smart title, but I'm leaving it.
1. School at the j-high has been closed due to influenza. Maybe 5 students have H1N1. This is good because I was actually beginning to worry about getting sick. School resumes on Friday. I'm not sure if this is an effective means of stopping the flu, but I like to think it helps.
2. I ate lunch with the 1st graders today. Today I got to spend lunch time with the most adorable 1st graders! There's one girl who always comes up to me at school to say hello and it was really fun to get to play with her and her friends out on the playground. Also, I was really impressed with one little boy who sat at the table and already knew how to say, "I like oranges". He is six years old! The 5th graders were working on that same grammar point today in class. It was interesting, though. I asked him where he had gone to preschool and it was a place I had never heard of (so probably a private school outside of Ujitawara) and the girl who was always running after me apparently went to the same preschool. Starting early makes a difference...
3. Curry: my unavoidable savior/foe. I know this is supposed to be only happy things, but this was funny. I absolutely failed at making miso soup tonight. The curry udon was the only thing that turned out. It tasted good, but wasn't what you would call a well-balanced meal. My friend Mamiko makes fun of me for eating curry all the time... I guess I just can't escape it. Oh well. :)
1. School at the j-high has been closed due to influenza. Maybe 5 students have H1N1. This is good because I was actually beginning to worry about getting sick. School resumes on Friday. I'm not sure if this is an effective means of stopping the flu, but I like to think it helps.
2. I ate lunch with the 1st graders today. Today I got to spend lunch time with the most adorable 1st graders! There's one girl who always comes up to me at school to say hello and it was really fun to get to play with her and her friends out on the playground. Also, I was really impressed with one little boy who sat at the table and already knew how to say, "I like oranges". He is six years old! The 5th graders were working on that same grammar point today in class. It was interesting, though. I asked him where he had gone to preschool and it was a place I had never heard of (so probably a private school outside of Ujitawara) and the girl who was always running after me apparently went to the same preschool. Starting early makes a difference...
3. Curry: my unavoidable savior/foe. I know this is supposed to be only happy things, but this was funny. I absolutely failed at making miso soup tonight. The curry udon was the only thing that turned out. It tasted good, but wasn't what you would call a well-balanced meal. My friend Mamiko makes fun of me for eating curry all the time... I guess I just can't escape it. Oh well. :)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Soulmate(s): found
1. Three year olds. Today was my first day in the "bara," or rose, room with the three year-olds at the nursery school. They were the most adorable children I have ever met in my life. They were so tiny, but they could talk fairly well, unlike the two year-olds, and when I spoke English they would fall all around me in piles, giggling. So cute. So, so, so incredibly cute. They were also way less temperamental than the four and five year-olds. I don't think I'll be visiting them very often but I can't wait to see them all again. Oh, and the best part was when I left I stopped outside of one of the other rooms to say goodbye to some of the other kids and I heard a rushing of feet- about ten of the bara-kids had run out of their room and came down the hall yelling, "Sarah-sensei! Sarah-sensei!" My day was made.
Nothing else compares with that, but here are a few other things that happened today:
2. Taiko practice. Me and the Vietnamese beginners are getting better at our song "Don don bayashi". The best part of practice, though, was getting to see Trang. She's 24 and a mom already! Her baby is 3 years old and still in Vietnam with her husband. She's a really amazing person, I think, and really fun to be around. We play the same drum together so we have time to chat during practice. Also we got to talk to Yui who is one of the practice leaders of taiko. Yui is also really awesome. She's an incredible taiko player and really sweet. I think she wants to be a nursery school teacher, actually...
3. Halloween bingo. And I thought I would never use bingo as a lesson plan... I was wrong, and it's a good thing, too. Today was one of the most fun days at the junior high. I got to tell the class a little bit about Halloween and we had a good time playing Halloween bingo (I made a set of 25 cards for each student with pictures of vampires, werewolves etc.). It took a lot of prep time, but seeing as I had no classes yesterday it all turned out all right. Plus, it made me look really productive. Yes, I know how to wield a copy machine and pair of scissors with the best of them. I also drew some cute pictures... good times.
4. Apples and peanut butter. Thanks to my parents I have delicious peanut butter; thanks to Japan I have delicious apples. The perfect snack before bed...
Nothing else compares with that, but here are a few other things that happened today:
2. Taiko practice. Me and the Vietnamese beginners are getting better at our song "Don don bayashi". The best part of practice, though, was getting to see Trang. She's 24 and a mom already! Her baby is 3 years old and still in Vietnam with her husband. She's a really amazing person, I think, and really fun to be around. We play the same drum together so we have time to chat during practice. Also we got to talk to Yui who is one of the practice leaders of taiko. Yui is also really awesome. She's an incredible taiko player and really sweet. I think she wants to be a nursery school teacher, actually...
3. Halloween bingo. And I thought I would never use bingo as a lesson plan... I was wrong, and it's a good thing, too. Today was one of the most fun days at the junior high. I got to tell the class a little bit about Halloween and we had a good time playing Halloween bingo (I made a set of 25 cards for each student with pictures of vampires, werewolves etc.). It took a lot of prep time, but seeing as I had no classes yesterday it all turned out all right. Plus, it made me look really productive. Yes, I know how to wield a copy machine and pair of scissors with the best of them. I also drew some cute pictures... good times.
4. Apples and peanut butter. Thanks to my parents I have delicious peanut butter; thanks to Japan I have delicious apples. The perfect snack before bed...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Presents
Other fun things happened today, but I think I need to let this one stand on its own:
1. In a brown envelope I received a wonderful letter from a good friend. There was also a neon pink post-it attached to what looked like a small pack of colored paper. The post-it read, "Enjoy these Anarchist posters! The blue one is my favorite."
1. In a brown envelope I received a wonderful letter from a good friend. There was also a neon pink post-it attached to what looked like a small pack of colored paper. The post-it read, "Enjoy these Anarchist posters! The blue one is my favorite."
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Yoi yoi yoi yoi!
1. Omikoshi. Mini (read: rather large) shrines carried on the shoulders of eighty men- two of whom ride on top of the shrine. The scene: Ujitawara, mid-day, lots of families about, I am with my slightly eccentric/fairly shy friend Kimiyo watching three of these portable shrines (omikoshi) be carried back to their homes (respective temples/shrines).
This day (Sunday) was one of the best so far here in Ujitwara. I had plenty of children come up to me and say hello, and I got to meet some of Kimiyo's friends. It was also a great chance to catch up with Kimiyo and explore a little bit of my town. We visited one terrific matcha ice cream store, one bakery, and one coffee/cake/ice cream shop... no actual lunch, but I can assure you, it was all delicious. :)
I also got to meet her father and of course, as at any town gathering, some important old men. These particular old men seemed to think that I was English. They then asked if I were Canadian (not the first time I've heard this, actually; I think it's because the first ALT here was from Canada, and Kamloops, BC is Uji(not to be confused with Ujitawara)'s sister city). They were very surprised to hear I was American... I don't know why... I was wearing a scarf? Probably.
Anyway, there were strong looking dads and dads who looked way too young to be dads, and all sorts of other guys carrying these shrines. The most amazing part was when they would lift the 30m pole off of their shoulders and toss the whole shrine from side to side and up and down yelling "yoi yoi yoi yoi!" back and forth with the men on top. There was so much gold ornamtetation on the shrine you could hear it jangling above their yelling. But these things really were incredibly heavy. Even with 80 people carrying one (forty to each of the two poles) they had to rest every 100m or so- and by rest, I mean wander around and drink sake. Awesome. Also, they began carrying these omikoshi at 12:30 and when I was going home at 6:00 I think I heard one of them arrive at the shrine nearest to my house. Oh- they not only had to carry that omikoshi 1/2-1 mile; they had to carry it up a mountain at the end. Talk about a manly festival. Drinking sake+yelling+carrying/shaking large heavy objects = manly Japanese festival. Yup.
2. Engeki. Japanese plays. On Saturday night, all of my friends from Uji came out to Ujitawara and we had a great time at the local Japanese theatrical performance. We saw a traditional Japanese stringed instrument- not shamisen... but something else. We saw a performance of the type of flute used in Noh theatre. The best, though, was a comic play done in a style that was quite plainly, incredibly Japanese. I had seen clips of performances kind of like this before and I always wondered why they used such ridiculous voices. You know the way that kids make fun of the Japanese and Chinese languages? Not going to lie, it sounded a lot like that, even to me. I realized, though, that they weren't just making funny noises. It's like a mock melodramatic style. Like when Americans pretend to be ridiculously English in an attempt to be melodramtic- the overblown pronunciation and exaggerated lilt, the gesturing. It's like that... only in Japanese. Not going to lie, I was a little bit proud of myself for figuring that one out... if I did in fact understand it correctly. You know what, though? I really enjoyed the play. I had someone- well, the mayor, actually- translating some of it for me, but I understood a lot and it was pretty funny. Kind of sexist, but overall very amusing. And, again, when I didn't understand the Japanese, the tone of voice was all I needed to keep me laughing. My friends who don't speak any Japanese thought it was great too. I wish I had a recording of their voices but, alas, I forgot my camera that night... Next time...
3. I got the most amazing care package from my parents today. It looks like I'll have proper Halloween candy after all... thank you mom and dad!!!
4. I had only one lesson today at the middle school, but it went really well. I got to talk to my students a bit and I'm making a little suggestion box where they can write questions in English for me and I will write them back. Looking for ways to become a better English teacher... It's can be hard since I'm really not a born language teacher... little kids I understand very well but outlining grammar and making it fun at the same time... challenging!!!! Oh well, gambarimasu!
This day (Sunday) was one of the best so far here in Ujitwara. I had plenty of children come up to me and say hello, and I got to meet some of Kimiyo's friends. It was also a great chance to catch up with Kimiyo and explore a little bit of my town. We visited one terrific matcha ice cream store, one bakery, and one coffee/cake/ice cream shop... no actual lunch, but I can assure you, it was all delicious. :)
I also got to meet her father and of course, as at any town gathering, some important old men. These particular old men seemed to think that I was English. They then asked if I were Canadian (not the first time I've heard this, actually; I think it's because the first ALT here was from Canada, and Kamloops, BC is Uji(not to be confused with Ujitawara)'s sister city). They were very surprised to hear I was American... I don't know why... I was wearing a scarf? Probably.
Anyway, there were strong looking dads and dads who looked way too young to be dads, and all sorts of other guys carrying these shrines. The most amazing part was when they would lift the 30m pole off of their shoulders and toss the whole shrine from side to side and up and down yelling "yoi yoi yoi yoi!" back and forth with the men on top. There was so much gold ornamtetation on the shrine you could hear it jangling above their yelling. But these things really were incredibly heavy. Even with 80 people carrying one (forty to each of the two poles) they had to rest every 100m or so- and by rest, I mean wander around and drink sake. Awesome. Also, they began carrying these omikoshi at 12:30 and when I was going home at 6:00 I think I heard one of them arrive at the shrine nearest to my house. Oh- they not only had to carry that omikoshi 1/2-1 mile; they had to carry it up a mountain at the end. Talk about a manly festival. Drinking sake+yelling+carrying/shaking large heavy objects = manly Japanese festival. Yup.
2. Engeki. Japanese plays. On Saturday night, all of my friends from Uji came out to Ujitawara and we had a great time at the local Japanese theatrical performance. We saw a traditional Japanese stringed instrument- not shamisen... but something else. We saw a performance of the type of flute used in Noh theatre. The best, though, was a comic play done in a style that was quite plainly, incredibly Japanese. I had seen clips of performances kind of like this before and I always wondered why they used such ridiculous voices. You know the way that kids make fun of the Japanese and Chinese languages? Not going to lie, it sounded a lot like that, even to me. I realized, though, that they weren't just making funny noises. It's like a mock melodramatic style. Like when Americans pretend to be ridiculously English in an attempt to be melodramtic- the overblown pronunciation and exaggerated lilt, the gesturing. It's like that... only in Japanese. Not going to lie, I was a little bit proud of myself for figuring that one out... if I did in fact understand it correctly. You know what, though? I really enjoyed the play. I had someone- well, the mayor, actually- translating some of it for me, but I understood a lot and it was pretty funny. Kind of sexist, but overall very amusing. And, again, when I didn't understand the Japanese, the tone of voice was all I needed to keep me laughing. My friends who don't speak any Japanese thought it was great too. I wish I had a recording of their voices but, alas, I forgot my camera that night... Next time...
3. I got the most amazing care package from my parents today. It looks like I'll have proper Halloween candy after all... thank you mom and dad!!!
4. I had only one lesson today at the middle school, but it went really well. I got to talk to my students a bit and I'm making a little suggestion box where they can write questions in English for me and I will write them back. Looking for ways to become a better English teacher... It's can be hard since I'm really not a born language teacher... little kids I understand very well but outlining grammar and making it fun at the same time... challenging!!!! Oh well, gambarimasu!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Tea is a wonderful thing
1. Tea. I had my friend Mamiko over for tea today and we talked until I had taiko. It's really great to have a friend here in Ujitawara.
2. Taiko. We're beginning to learn a new song in taiko and it's pretty fun.
3. Children. The kids at the nursery school today were actually asking me how to say things in English. I think they may have learned something today and if it was even one word that makes me really happy.
2. Taiko. We're beginning to learn a new song in taiko and it's pretty fun.
3. Children. The kids at the nursery school today were actually asking me how to say things in English. I think they may have learned something today and if it was even one word that makes me really happy.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
TYPHOOOOOOOOn!
1. First typhoon experience: check. Survived a typhoon and no, I wasn't all that scared, although for an entire day prior everyone was saying, "heh~ hitoridakarane, kowaiyo!" You're alone, it's going to be so scary! I'm glad everyone is concerned about me... but the wind wasn't that bad and the power didn't go out. I think baseball sized hail is much more frightening.
2. Godzilla appeared in one of the children's books today. Apparently he is alive and well.
3. I am going to bed early. NEMUI! I'm tired!
2. Godzilla appeared in one of the children's books today. Apparently he is alive and well.
3. I am going to bed early. NEMUI! I'm tired!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Barbeque at Minnesotan(esque) Lake and Another Wonderful Elementary Visit
Yesterday I went to Biwa-ko, the biggest lake in Japan. So, overall my weekend was, in the words of Saif Ali Khan, "rocking-hai!" Very exciting.
1. Barbeque at Biwa-ko with Kenji-sensei. One of the nursery school teachers took me along with his parents and his wife (who is due to have a baby in about 4 weeks!) to this amazing lake, and we got to enjoy the cool breeze under some pine trees. It was the most Minnesotan atmosphere I have yet encountered in Japan. It was a bit awkward, since I don't know them that well and they were doing so much for me (this often happens in Japan, that foreigners- being all alone- are invited to join family outings and they even plan what they will eat around what you say you like) but I just had to remind myself that this was also an opportunity for them to enjoy an afternoon in the sun. Overall, we had a great time and got along really well; and if the conversation ever dipped, Kenji was always be ready with a joke and plenty of laughter- seriously, if Santa were younger and Japanese, it would be Kenji.
2. Books. I mentioned this before, but it is SO nice to have various materials to read in school, after school, waiting for anything. Hooray for books!
3. I visited Ujitawara Elementary School today (the one that served me hot chocolate) and it was amazing! The teachers there really know what they're doing and the kids are actually surprisingly good at English for their age. It was so cute, they kept coming up to me and telling me their names and I got invited out to recess to play jump rope. It was a great day at elementary school. Oh, I even lead a game or two- not my strong point, but I'm learning. Did I mention how cute they are? So cute.
4. Udon noodles: "Great success!" I made udon today with actual udon sauce instead of cheating and making curry udon. It was really good! That adds a whole new dimension to my diet. Now I can cook two things!
5. This week feels like another vacation because... I'm not going to the Junior High this week! You have no idea how excited I was to see that on my schedule. Those kids are cute and wacky, but sitting at my desk is boring and anticipating what my teachers are going to ask me to do next has been pretty stressful lately. It will get better, but after last week I'm so glad to have a break. Yay.
1. Barbeque at Biwa-ko with Kenji-sensei. One of the nursery school teachers took me along with his parents and his wife (who is due to have a baby in about 4 weeks!) to this amazing lake, and we got to enjoy the cool breeze under some pine trees. It was the most Minnesotan atmosphere I have yet encountered in Japan. It was a bit awkward, since I don't know them that well and they were doing so much for me (this often happens in Japan, that foreigners- being all alone- are invited to join family outings and they even plan what they will eat around what you say you like) but I just had to remind myself that this was also an opportunity for them to enjoy an afternoon in the sun. Overall, we had a great time and got along really well; and if the conversation ever dipped, Kenji was always be ready with a joke and plenty of laughter- seriously, if Santa were younger and Japanese, it would be Kenji.
2. Books. I mentioned this before, but it is SO nice to have various materials to read in school, after school, waiting for anything. Hooray for books!
3. I visited Ujitawara Elementary School today (the one that served me hot chocolate) and it was amazing! The teachers there really know what they're doing and the kids are actually surprisingly good at English for their age. It was so cute, they kept coming up to me and telling me their names and I got invited out to recess to play jump rope. It was a great day at elementary school. Oh, I even lead a game or two- not my strong point, but I'm learning. Did I mention how cute they are? So cute.
4. Udon noodles: "Great success!" I made udon today with actual udon sauce instead of cheating and making curry udon. It was really good! That adds a whole new dimension to my diet. Now I can cook two things!
5. This week feels like another vacation because... I'm not going to the Junior High this week! You have no idea how excited I was to see that on my schedule. Those kids are cute and wacky, but sitting at my desk is boring and anticipating what my teachers are going to ask me to do next has been pretty stressful lately. It will get better, but after last week I'm so glad to have a break. Yay.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Books, Babies and Oodles of Noodles
Today was a great day. I ate well and I got to see my friend Erina. Erina lived with my great aunt and uncle (Caroline and Dutton) for about three years when she was in high school. In fact, she's the one who first taught me Japanese. So, anyway, here's the list:
1. Eating shabushabu with Erina in Kyoto. Shabushabu is basically like fondue but with less cheese, and more tofu and vegetables. Erina and I had a great time chatting during dinner and relaxing after a long week. (Yes, today is Saturday, but I went to the nursery school undoukai, and while it was fun and the kids were cute, today still kind of feels like Friday).
2. Shopping with Erina and her cousin AND finding books! First of all, Erina's cousin was really cool. She speaks great English so we had a fairly bilingual conversation going the whole time- she studied abroad in Vancouver. But books: I bought a book by Joyce Carol Oates which I'm really excited to read. I read a short story by her once and it was fantastic. Also, I bought Oliver Twist- the Penguin Classics edition, of course. :) For those who don't know, that was the edition we bought for our Dickens seminar last fall. It was so exciting to see all of the Penguin Classics lined up- an entire shelf!- at the bookstore. Ok, maybe you think I'm a total nerd, but I haven't seen anything like it in several months. I could have hugged that bookshelf.
3. Soba. I ate soba with a woman from the nursery school and some of her coworkers from the town office today in Shiga-ken. Shiga is a prefecture right next to Kyoto. Ujitawara's actually pretty close to it. Anyway, we drove through the mountains (beautiful!) to this tiny little store in the middle of nowhere. It had a giant sign, though, that just said "soba" or, そば, rather. Anyway, the soba was really delicious, and the atmosphere was really nice and really Japanese. We sat on the floor, of course, around a sort of dug out fireplace (which we didn't use, soba is served cold). And we were right next to a large window/door through which we could see bamboo trees waving in the wind. It was the kind of green that reminds me of Minnesota. It was really nice.
4. I got to see the nursery school students jump around today at their sports festival. It was cute, but the funniest was when they would get really confused and start crying. I know this sounds really bad, but it was so adorable. They would be organizing for a race, or an obstacle, then totally space out so that when they finally found their way back to reality everything around them had changed and they were so disoriented they just got really upset. They were fine. It was cute.
5. Mousukoshinareta. I think I'm getting more used to being in Ujitawara. And I love being this close to Kyoto. I am so lucky!
おしまい！The end (for today)
1. Eating shabushabu with Erina in Kyoto. Shabushabu is basically like fondue but with less cheese, and more tofu and vegetables. Erina and I had a great time chatting during dinner and relaxing after a long week. (Yes, today is Saturday, but I went to the nursery school undoukai, and while it was fun and the kids were cute, today still kind of feels like Friday).
2. Shopping with Erina and her cousin AND finding books! First of all, Erina's cousin was really cool. She speaks great English so we had a fairly bilingual conversation going the whole time- she studied abroad in Vancouver. But books: I bought a book by Joyce Carol Oates which I'm really excited to read. I read a short story by her once and it was fantastic. Also, I bought Oliver Twist- the Penguin Classics edition, of course. :) For those who don't know, that was the edition we bought for our Dickens seminar last fall. It was so exciting to see all of the Penguin Classics lined up- an entire shelf!- at the bookstore. Ok, maybe you think I'm a total nerd, but I haven't seen anything like it in several months. I could have hugged that bookshelf.
3. Soba. I ate soba with a woman from the nursery school and some of her coworkers from the town office today in Shiga-ken. Shiga is a prefecture right next to Kyoto. Ujitawara's actually pretty close to it. Anyway, we drove through the mountains (beautiful!) to this tiny little store in the middle of nowhere. It had a giant sign, though, that just said "soba" or, そば, rather. Anyway, the soba was really delicious, and the atmosphere was really nice and really Japanese. We sat on the floor, of course, around a sort of dug out fireplace (which we didn't use, soba is served cold). And we were right next to a large window/door through which we could see bamboo trees waving in the wind. It was the kind of green that reminds me of Minnesota. It was really nice.
4. I got to see the nursery school students jump around today at their sports festival. It was cute, but the funniest was when they would get really confused and start crying. I know this sounds really bad, but it was so adorable. They would be organizing for a race, or an obstacle, then totally space out so that when they finally found their way back to reality everything around them had changed and they were so disoriented they just got really upset. They were fine. It was cute.
5. Mousukoshinareta. I think I'm getting more used to being in Ujitawara. And I love being this close to Kyoto. I am so lucky!
おしまい！The end (for today)
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