Commuting: Inaka-style

Saru. Monkey. Monkeys. Three words, two languages and it all adds up to confusion when you tell someone that there’s “saru” up ahead. For example, today on my morning walk I was told to “watch out for saru-san,” and I expected that there was a rambunctious, furry fellow up ahead and that I should be careful not to get in Mr. Saru’s way. I did not expect his immediate family and extended relatives.
Truth be told, on the way up I didn’t see another living creature besides myself and the man walking ahead of me. All I could hear was the incredibly genki music accompanied by various Japanese commentators’ expressions of surprise and delight, “ehhh?!?!” “naruhodo…” “sugo~i!!!” rattling out from his headphones.
Half-way up the mountain we were warned by a fellow early morning walker to watch out for “saru-san.” I stayed close to the man with the headphones, who also had a hefty umbrella. ‘Good thing it’s a cloudy day,’ I thought.
We walked on, all the way to the top without a glimpse of Mr. Saru’s tail. I was glad- I certainly did not need a mauling right before school- and after resting for a minute or two, I figured I’d just trot right back down the mountain. No need to bother the old man with the music, who was now washing his face and taking a drink at the village well.
Unfortunately, as I walked back- exactly the way I had come- I turned a corner and there in front of me, where not three minutes ago one could see only a mountain road, some sakura and bamboo, were nearly twenty monkeys. Many were swinging from trees, I saw one little baby run across the grass and across the road. There were monkeys hanging from the net-like retaining wall, and two giant monkeys sitting in the road eating massive bamboo shoots and looking like nothing short of a bulldozer could get them away from their breakfast.
I shot a glance over my shoulder. My protector was no where in sight. Awkward as it is to walk next to an old Japanese guy in silence, I did not want to go it alone; and after a few minutes of waiting I had to make a decision. Should I walk through a pack of monkeys or be late for work? This was not the sort of dilemma I was used to. Bears I had dealt with. Moose and deer I had dealt with. But when those things happened I was dealing with wild animals in the wilderness. This was Wilderness on the Way to Work. Like some terrible game show. Ack, Japan. I decided to go for it.
The only thing that could give me an advantage was a tool. That’s what separates us from the apes, right? I did have an umbrella that day, but it was a retractable one. Too short to give a monkey a proper smack in the head without getting too close- but lo and behold, it made a terrific sound when struck against the guard rail of this lovely mountain road. Even better, this seemed to scare off at least the babies and smaller monkeys as I approached.
Ten meters ahead of me, the monkeys were clearing out- well most of them. As I walked along, banging my umbrella against the rail and probably waking everyone in the tiny mountain village above, monkeys were running left and right, jumping into trees and disappearing into the underbrush. Unfortunately there were still the daddies: two giant monkeys sitting in the middle of the road, completely undisturbed.
Three meters away they still weren’t moving. I was terrified that they would lash out and grab me with their long hairy arms. People have gotten their faces torn off by chimps, who knows what the saru equivalent might me? Luckily, though, I remembered the advice given in the Arashiyama monkey park pamphlet: “Do not stare the monkeys in the eye”. Note taken. I walked within a meter of both giant monkeys, keeping my eyes on the ground and my steps as quiet as possible. I couldn’t tell if they were watching me or not but out of the corner of my eye I could see their long scraggly hair. I could have touched both of them as I passed.
In the end, I guess “not staring them in the eye” was a pretty good idea. I was allowed to pass through their family reunion unharmed, face in tact.
A few minutes later I ran into one of the other old men who often walks that mountain. He told me, “The monkeys are especially scary when you run,” at least, that’s all I could catch from what he was saying. Then he pointed to his umbrella, “that’s why I always bring this.”
A modern, Japanese Roosevelt. Turns out the trick to getting to work on time in rural Japan is simply to speak softly and carry a big stick.

Poetry at the Jr. High: Exerpts

My cats
small. cute. hot.
It is popularer than my dog.
I like cats the best.
My cats.

Bard
small, cute, kokekokko!!!!
bards are prettier than dogs,
I like bards the best
Bards

*birds
*kokekokko is the Japanese "cockadoodledoo"

Just another day in Japan

Today was a lot of fun. I went to one Kenji's house- Kenji is a nursery school teacher. I got to hang out with him, his wife, Emi, and their new baby, Anju! Anju is three months old and she's adorable! We also spent some time walking around the neighborhood and got a chance to play with some of the neighborhood kids. One of them asked me if I was studying English. They all thought since I kind of understood what they were saying that I spoke Japanese and not English. They were very cute but they tired us out! First we played on scooters, racing each other down a small hill and then we just ended up running up and down the hill for I don't know how long. That's one of the great thing about kids, though. They don't get tired of doing the same thing over and over, it's always exciting to them.
After our playtime with the girls we went inside and had an amazing lunch with Kenji's parents. Today was the 100th day of Anju's life so she got to "eat" a special meal- but really her grandfather just held up different kinds of food to her mouth so that Emi could take pictures. I don't think Anju ate the rice or the fish. She's still so tiny! But it was all pretty fancy. Oh, and Kenji's dad made meatloaf! I don't think that's a traditional part of this meal (haha) but it was amazing! I can't say it was like having mom's meatloaf, but it was pretty darn good.
So, I think I'm going to sign off. My apartment is in need of a serious vacuuming and then I might head to the library to say hello to Mamiko and the other library workers and maybe I'll work at getting through all the amazing books I got for Christmas. Sayonara!
xoxo

Jumping for Joy

I went to the nursery school today and the kids were playing telephone in English. There were two rows of five year-olds “competing” against each other, but it was not a race, you just had to get the correct word. Sometime in the middle of our game the word “cherry” was chosen and whispered in the ear of the first person in their respective row. Once “cherry” had made its way to the end of the first line the little boy at the very end jumped up and yelled “YAY!!!” He was just so excited that he got the word. He didn’t even know if it was correct because he still had to wait for the other line to finish, and the game wasn’t timed so he hadn’t won first place or anything. But he was literally jumping for joy. So cute.

How, in Japan, I Began 2010

1.“くつを忘れた” (I forgot my shoes!)
Said to me by a five year-old boy who forgot his shoes at the entrance to the school. I walked with him downstairs to get his shoes. I don’t know why but this struck me as particularly cute.

2. Ending telephone conversations with, “Hello!”
One of the five year-old girls at the nursery school and I were playing house and calling each other on the “telephone” (two pieces of cardboard). In Japanese getting off of the phone is like a competition to see who can make the most noise before the receiver clicks. You say something like, “hai~ wakarimashita~, sayonara~, hai~” and continue to hold the last syllable until the other person has hung up. It’s polite...? Anyway, this little girl decided to end her conversation with, “hai wakarimashita, Hello~”. I may not understand Japanese telephone etiquette, but I know that was adorable.

3.Christmas #2!
Since I surprised my parents for Christmas, all of my presents were shipped to Japan. This means that they are currently sitting on my sofa, waiting to be opened. Tomorrow, I’m calling my parents and opening the presents over Skype. First of all: the times we live in: wow. Secondly: it’s like Christmas Eve all over again!!! I can’t wait for second Christmas!!! :)

Kimono and Crack-pipes: A Very Japanese Day

1. Crack pipes. Ok, we're starting from the end, but I feel I should explain this one first. Ok, I did not see, nor have I ever seen a crack pipe in Japan. I don't even know what they looked like, but tonight my new friends/second or third set of surrogate Japanese parents/grandparents decided to introduce me to "brandy tea". First of all, they turned the lights down really low. Then Noriko, the mother, poured a cup of tea. Her husband, Ichiro, poured brandy over a sugar cube that he had in a tea spoon and proceeded to light it on fire. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how much this seemed like we were doing some kind of hard core drugs. Of course, though, it was nothing of the sort and the brandy tea tasted very good.

2. Kimono. Today was the first time I have ever worn a real kimono for winter. I have pictures, but I don't think I'll be able to load them any time soon. This week is getting really busy!!! However, I will say that it really was an experience in itself. There are a ridiculous number of ties and pieces of padding and sashes you have to put on. It's almost like if a tuxedo were a dress and twice as complicated.

3. Gingerbread cookies. I got to make gingerbread cookies today in Uji for a cooking class. It was really great! They weren't really like our gingerbread cookies, but it was close enough, especially considering I won't be able to actually have gingerbread cookies next year. :(

4. Kyoto play-time. Last night was spent out on the town in Kyoto with my friends from Uji celebrating Katherine's birthday. We actually ended up eating at TGI Friday's but we had a great time and did karaoke afterwards. Despite the fact that I'm feeling rather homesick for Christmas, I also can't help still feeling incredibly lucky to be where I am. Kyoto is a wonderful city.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has sent me emails and post cards lately. As the Christmas season sets in I want to let you all know that I am thinking of you. (Also if you don't remember having given me your address, please do so now. I very well may send a gift your way.)
Love love love to you all!
Sarah xoxo

Color Me Qualified

1. Practically a certified teacher. What are the necessary skills required to run a third grade classroom in Japan? Well, whatever they are, two teachers this week have decided that I have them. Yes, twice now I have been left in a room alone with twenty-something nine year-olds and somehow the classes managed to not somehow completely implode. It was a miracle. In the one class I taught shapes via Christmas tree/ornament display and lead a card game afterwards. The second class was much easier, I was just giving a little talk about Christmas and letting the kids ask questions. So, I don't know whether I'm angry or thankful at/for these teachers. On the one hand, I think it's ridiculous that they think I could handle a major conflict in the classroom, should one arise; but on the other hand I'm flattered that they trust me enough to take charge of the class. Either way, I think it was really good for me to realize that I can do something like that. In the future I think I'll be all the more brave for it.

2. Manabi salon is OVER. I had a special class today called "Manabi Salon" (don't ask me why, but in Japan "salon" is synonymous with "classroom" sometimes...). For the class we basically sang songs and played some games. Unfortunately, since Japanese students tend to be shy, the songs were pretty low energy. On the other hand, there were 90 students, so it wasn't that quiet. Overall, the lesson went pretty well and I think the kids had fun. I'm just so glad that it's over, I was worrying about it all week. Yikes!

3. The bus lady. Today I got a present from a woman in town who I met on the bus. It's a Christmas CD of Elvis' "duets" with modern singers. Kind of funny, but I really can't get over how sweet of her it was for her to think of me. As the holidays are drawing near, it's hard to think that I won't be home for Christmas this year. There are even Christmas decorations in downtown Kyoto... Well, before this entry gets too sad, I'll just conclude by saying it is thanks to Japanese people like Yoshimi-san (who gave me the CD) and Erina (whose house I'll be going to for Christmas) that I will be able to make it through the Christmas season with a smile on my face. Really, I'll send pictures.

Thinking of you all, and missing you all very much,
Sarah xoxo