And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging… May 11, 2010
Posted by Earthdragonette in Apologies, Culinary Pursuits, Cultural Exchange, Just Bizarre, Student Moments.Tags: Apologies, dj ozma jr2, first years jhs, golden week, Japan, jet, kanemoto, Mary Sunshine, my #1 fan, rice planting, shark fin soup, shopping, soup recipes, taue, The Japanese Best Friend, tokyo, yoshi
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Honestly!
So my brief trip to Tokyo turned into a long break from productivity in most ways, shapes, and forms. With the exception of cleaning my apartment and reading about probability, I have been lazy and sloth-like. Although glorious while it lasted, my vacation has left me scrambling throughout the beginning part of this week. I am now spectacularly behind on work. This just goes to show that I never do ~anything~ by halves.
So, according to my calculations, the last post I made was on April 29th. Wow. Am I that far behind?
Okay. Enough with the chitchat. It appears that I am in memory debt and it’s time to pay up.
Julie’s Incredible May 11th List: “12 Days, 12 Memories!”
1) April 30th: Taue (Also known as Rice Planting)
So, in addition to marking the splendid and festive occasion known as My Father’s Birthday, April 30th was noteworthy because I found myself knee-deep in rice fields surrounded by elementary school students. This is a somewhat ironic memory for me. Although I’ve lived here for almost four years and I’ve joked about the rice fields, I’ve never actually stepped into one. At least, not until April 30th.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Japanese people frequent (or have ever in their lives gone into) rice fields. In fact, The Japanese Best Friend told me that she’s never planted rice before. It’s very much a country custom, and it’s only in a few areas that children are allowed to try their hand at it. By all accounts, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to participate.
That is, of course, if you believe someone is lucky when they are given the opportunity to stand in mud while surrounded by insects and children who would rather throw the mud instead of plant things in it. By some classic bit of chance, I was right in the middle of the first and second years (arguably the least productive of the whole bunch) and so I spent two hours dodging fistfuls of mud while trying to finish our row. The process of planting rice is kind of difficult to describe, but here’s all you really have to know:
a) It involves standing in cold, muddy water that may or may not be home to the following: frogs, snakes, insects, and the ghosts of former, less successful Assistant Language Teachers.
b) Oh, yes. All of us were barefoot.
c) Planting rice is absolute murder on the lower back.
d) Getting mud in the face is not as much fun as the cartoons would have us believe.
e) Without a doubt: I am from peasant stock. There is no blue blood in my veins. Not a drop. I say this because I can think of no other explanation as to why I find such inexplicable joy in working with soil. Much like the day I cooked potatoes Gypsy Style, I felt very grounded and happy after my sojourn with the Natural Elements.
When one considers what I did the following day, I guess my life is put into a rather odd perspective. The first of May found me in:
2) Ginza: Tokyo’s Luxury District
The Japanese Best Friend and I left her house at about 3 in the morning and by 1 o’clock that afternoon we were deep in the heart of Tokyo. Goodbye rice fields, giant centipedes, and roadside vegetable stands. Hello Chanel, COACH, Kitamura, (and my personal favorite) Longchamp.
Shopping with one of my favorite people is fun. Shopping with one of my favorite people and eating at the Tokyo Branch of a famous French cafe? That, my faithful readers, is a slice of paradise.
3) Eating My Weight in Chinese Food in Yokohama’s Chinatown
Paradise continued on Sunday when The Japanese Best Friend and I met up with a friend of hers for more shopping and fooding. The Japanese Best Friend met him when they were both at the same language course in the States a number of years ago. He’s an 80ish year-old man who speaks great English and knows the city of Yokohama like the back of his hand.
With him by our side, we wandered the shops of Motomachi (a famous shopping district) and investigated the wonders of Chinatown. He was our host for an incredibly expensive eight course Chinese meal at a famous restaurant (the name escapes me but the Chef is widely known throughout Japan). I got to try a number of new dishes (many of which are on PETA’s List of Evil Things People Eat but, well, when in Rome…) and it was at this point in the trip that my credit card may or may not have melted.
I foresee a lot of home cooking in my future for the next two months or so. Still, because we didn’t take the train, the trip was not nearly as expensive as it could have been.
What? Did I neglect to mention that:
4) I drove to Tokyo
The Japanese Best Friend and I switched off on the driving, and I think that we both did about half of the trip. It wasn’t nearly as frightening as the time that I drove to Osaka. (That’s a story for another time.) It only took about six hours each way, and we passed the time by talking, listening to/watching videos, stopping at famous (and not-so-famous) rest stops, and planning future excursions to outlet malls in the prefecture and Tokyo Disneyland. I may only have less than 11 months’ time left here, but I have a feeling that she is going to keep me very busy.
5) Dinner with Old Friends
I spent most of Tuesday relaxing, but I did have the opportunity to go to dinner at a friend’s house in the evening. She’s a lovely woman who lives in a town to the south of me. I met her through Jyona33, and I think I may have mentioned her before. At any rate, she’s a fantastic cook, so I had a lovely evening with her and her family. She lived in New York for a number of years; her English is fantastic and her grasp on American life is quite keen and insightful. She loves to gossip about movie stars and politics. Her husband likes to talk about how she only married him for his money and how Japan is the greatest country in the world. With hosts like this, how could the evening go wrong?
The following day, I spent time with a not-so-old friend, in an event I like to think of as:
6) The Return of Mary Sunshine
She’s back! At least, she was back for about seven hours last Wednesday. I picked her up at a convenience store near her house around noon and didn’t return her until almost seven in the evening. We spent the afternoon making pizza, making brownies, and just generally catching up. I feel bad because a variety of circumstances have forced her to give up table tennis for the school year. I hope that things change for the better; she has an amazing skill and she deserves every opportunity to cultivate it.
I parted ways with her in the evening with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was terribly glad to see her. On the other hand, her life and her road are so difficult right now; I wish that there were more things that I could do for her.
7) Back to school . . . but not.
Thursday was the end of Golden Week, but I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon (to finish off a tiny bit of work on The Evil Tooth), so it was only a half-day for me. I like to think that I used my time wisely. Once the dental business was taken care of, I found a Seattle’s Best coffee shop and huddled down with a book on music theory for a few hours. It was very reminiscent of my college days, and for a while I was able to pretend that I was a student once again. I enjoy my position as a teacher and mentor, but some days (such as the previous day with Mary Sunshine) the role can become overwhelming. It’s nice to take a break from time to time.
8) The Day I Did Nothing
Friday, my elementary school was closed and so I decided to take the day off and do nothing. Now, this is not to be interpreted as “The Day I Didn’t Do Anything.” I’m a big believer in the concept of exerting effort for the sake of “nothingness.” There is, in fact, an art to being perfectly unoccupied, and I spent Friday in pursuit of this state. After the rice planting, the trip to Tokyo, the internationalizing, the mentoring, and the dental business, I was ready to perceive life on a less intense level. I started out the day intending to update this blog, but settled for brewing and drinking eight different kinds of tea throughout the course of the day. You will be happy to know that there is a discernible difference between caffeine free and regular chai.
9) Saturday, I felt guilty, and so I did things.
My Type A/OCD nature often relinquishes the Reins of Life to the less ambitious and laid back part of my personality. (The existence of which is a genetic mutation if ever there was one.) (If you have ever met my parents, then you understand why I say this.) So, Saturday I cleaned. And cleaned. And cleaned some more. Then I drove to a nice little Italian store so that I can make a Fantastic Minestrone sometime this week or next week. Then I cleaned some more.
Oh, my father and I also made a wondrous Red Lentil and Mustard Green soup. This isn’t exactly the recipe that we used, but it’s close enough. Try it! You’ll like it!
10) But Sunday, I told myself I should be relaxing…
Therefore, I spent much of last Sunday researching how Ugly Betty ended and revisiting my old anger that they got rid of one of my favorite characters back in Season 3. Jyona33 laughs at me when I describe how involved I become with characters of movies, television shows, books, or Japanese comics. But then again, I laugh at Jyona33 when he sings Britney Spears songs when we sing karaoke. So, you see, the relationship is balanced.
I also: made more soup (a Curry Cauliflower number) and read more about music theory. I did not update the blog. :(
Not surprisingly …
11) Monday was really busy…
… and that’s all I really have for it. The day went by quickly. My students are incredibly enthusiastic and my first years (in particular My #1 Fan, Kanemoto, Yoshi, and DJ Ozma Jr2) are very, very loud. They do not know the meaning of “Let’s talk later,” and I am running out of Julie Money faster than I can make it.
Am I really complaining? No. I’m thrilled that they enjoy English so much. Well, I’m thrilled that they enjoy speaking English so much. There is, however, a slight problem:
12) On Tuesday, most of my first years failed their first spelling test
I guess you could say that Tuesday came after me like the boulder in Indiana Jones: unexpectedly, loudly, and nearly fatally. From the moment I ran out the door until the moment I stumbled home, it’s been … hectic. In the middle of all this running, jumping, and dodging, there was that Rock of Disappointment. Out of 46 students, only 6 of the first years were able to pass today’s spelling test.
To be fair, this was the first spelling test they’ve ever had and I think that they didn’t quite understand how much they were going to need to study. Reading words and recalling how they are created are very different things; today was a wake-up call for them. On one hand, it’s difficult not to blame myself for this Spectacular Failure. On the other hand, my students are very, very good at: speaking, reading, and pronouncing words without an incredibly awkward and thick Japanese accent. I suppose I should count my blessings; they may be bordering on illiteracy, but at least they’re good conversationalists.
And … I think that brings us up to date. Once again, I’m sorry that I let this blog go so long without an update. I know that you’re used to the occasional hiatus, but I really would like to offer you thoughtful, concise, and daily glimpses into my world.
Well, I suppose like my first years, I too have much to learn about writing.
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
Fall Term Top 10 December 19, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Dance Troupe, Enkai Aftermath, Julie Gets Philosophical, Lessons Learned, Student Moments, Taking Initiative, Time to Party, Top Ten.Tags: Characters, Dance Troupe, dancing, elementary students, enkai, fall term, fievel, Japan, Mary Sunshine, my little monkey, pride, shopping, The Japanese Best Friend, The JTE, The Mentor, The Savant
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At the moment (which would be Sunday morning in Japan), I have one day left of honest to goodness work ahead of me. Today’s plan is to make cookies for my coworkers at the elementary schools and to write replies to all of the letters that I got last week from my students. Once that’s done, then this week is all about preparing for my trip on Wednesday.
(And also making Christmas cookies for my middle school students on Tuesday, but that’s more fun and less work.)
I thought about writing memories from Thursday through Saturday as I usually would, but I think that this is a good time for me to take a step back and do a Fall Term Top 10 Memory Countdown. The week is going to be a little hectic and I’m not sure what my posting schedule will be like.
So, let’s get to it!
10) Jiman (自慢)
Last Friday, I went to a Bon Enkai, or an “End of the Year Party” with my coworkers from the middle school. I really enjoy these parties because it’s a chance for us all to relax and talk about the variety of things that have happened during the year. We also play games. One game that we played this year involved choosing a card out of a deck that one of the teachers had made, and then talking about whatever was written on that card. My card had jiman (自慢) written on it. It means “pride,” and so my task was to talk about something that I was proud of.
It took me a few minutes to decide what to talk about – I had a lot of memories to go through. Ultimately, I chose to talk about the feelings that I always have right before our school does the cultural festival. Everyone always works so hard and does their best to get everything ready for the students and parents. I remember my first culture festival three years ago, and how inspired I was by what the teachers were doing. I was proud to be considered even a partial member of the faculty, and I wanted to do my best to become an active member of the team.
Every year when the culture festival comes around, I remember this feeling and renew my resolution. I’m proud to be considered a teacher at my middle school, and I’m proud of the relationships and associations that I have with the other faculty members.
Incidentally, this party was also fun because they surprised me with a birthday cake. There are definitely some perks to being born near the holiday season. ^___^
9) Inspired By Halloween
Looking back at the different lessons that I’ve done over the course of the term, I think that my best ones were around the end of October. Some noteworthy activities included: assigning my JHS students to memorize parts of Thriller, and dressing up like a witch and turning my elementary students into animals. I had a lot of fun with my students and I think that they learned a lot. Trying to find a balance between those two elements is perhaps the perpetual tightrope walk that defines my job.
8) The Japanese Best Friend and I Help The Japanese Economy
The time between September and Now was a busy time of me as far as shopping was concerned. I made several trips to Nagoya and then The Japanese Best Friend and I certainly paid our dues in Yokkaichi and Suzuka.
To some degree, I have always enjoyed shopping. I like interacting with store clerks, talking about merchandise, and considering deals and bargains. I also like buying things for other people; some of my best memories in Japan are from sitting in department store coffee shops while going over gift lists. In this vein, I suspect that my interest in shopping has increased over the last few years; it’s pretty difficult to live in Japan for an extended period of time and not become fond of shopping. Quite simply, it’s a national pastime. Every Sunday, in lieu of the religious festivities that tend to characterize the American Sunday atmosphere, Japan embarks on Commercial Celebrations of all sorts. It’s the one day of the week that most people are guaranteed a day off (unless they work in retail), and so most families go out in force.
I particularly like shopping with The Japanese Best Friend because we are very good about helping each other Not Feel Guilty for any of the following: expensive purchases, embarrassingly good bargains, afternoon tea, extravagant meals, or clothing that is on the adventurous side. Afternoons with her also inevitably involve great conversation and more than a little social commentary that puts my life into perspective.
7) Connecting With the Elusive and Mysterious 6th Graders
I think that of all the classes that I teach, the 6th grade elementary school students are the most difficult. Personality-wise, they’re at an awkward age where they don’t quite connect with the younger kids at their school, but they’re not ready to become a part of the middle school culture. Each year, this class always turns into some kind of secret society. They don’t go out on to the playground as much, and they are more likely to stay in their classroom during recess, enjoying each other’s company and reveling the various inside jokes crafted over the last six years.
Creating lessons that are both interesting and helpful to these kinds of students is always a challenge. This year has been more challenging than others because the 6th grade home room teachers have also taken on the mantle of English Education and so they’ve been preparing their own classes. So far, we’ve been able to work together, but it’s hard to tell what the students think of all these changes. I’m concerned on their behalf because I want them to feel confident and prepared for English lessons at the middle school. I also want them to look forward to these lessons, and to another year of studying with me.
As such, I’m really happy that over the last term, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with more of my 6th year students. I’ve found a stable and reliable partner in Yoshi, and there are other people who are also coming out of the woodwork. I know that we’ll become even closer when they make the move to the middle school (and I see them three times a week), but I’m happy to see what we’ve already been able to accomplish.
6) New Hobbies and Friends
This fall also saw the introduction of DJ Ozma, his family, and the Dance Troupe. It’s good that I took the initiative to get involved in this group; it’s only been a few months, but they’ve already shared a lot with each other. I know that the winter months will be a little quiet as far as festivals are concerned, but I expect that the pace will pick back up once spring starts. I’m looking forward to having a full summer with them, and to all of the events that we’ll go to together.
5) How To Be a Better Teacher in Ten Easy Steps
Thanks in part to The Mentor and The JTE’s interventions, I’ve had the chance to go to a variety of seminars and open lessons this fall. I didn’t really go to these kinds of training meetings before this year, and so it’s another way that my schedule has changed with the fourth year.
I’m really grateful for this change, though, because I’ve learned a lot from it. Even though the seminars aren’t always focused on English, they have given me some insight into how the Japanese view education: what they think is important, what methods work best, and what the goals are. This helps me to tailor my lessons more to the students and the kinds of lessons that they’re used to, and it also assists me in discussing lesson plans with my coworkers. Even though my teaching style and methods appear to be successful, I think it’s important for me to remember that there are always new things to try and new philosophies to consider. There are still a lot of things that I don’t know.
4) And The Savant’s Ego Shall Have No Dominion*
Ah, The Savant. This fall term was a busy one for him – he’s been quite feisty and active since day one, beginning with a whopper of a lie about how he broke his leg and lasting up to last Wednesday when he and Macho Man wrote each other Christmas Love Notes.
I’ve mentioned this several times, but our interactions this fall honestly have been somewhat novel – he really did ignore me for the first two years of his middle school career. I’m happy about the change, though, because I enjoy our banter. I don’t have many opportunities to be perverse and contrary (as he puts it), because most of my students don’t have the ability to understand that kind of English. I can be silly and playful in Japanese, but I can’t be sarcastic – that’s an English device.
The Savant, though. He gets sarcasm, which means that he is able to understand me more fully than most of the other people that I interact with. I’m going to miss him when he graduates next March – a part of my voice is going to be silenced, at least for a little while.
*Incidentally, since this is now the second time I’ve made a reference to this particular Dylan Thomas poem, you should go check it out if you’re not familiar with it.
3) Lunchtime Dance Sessions
Ah, Mary Sunshine. She’s someone else that I’m going to miss terribly when March 9th (and graduation) comes around. Things were really busy during the first part of the term, and so our regular recess English study sessions were put on hold so that we could attend to other duties. Since November, though, we’ve been able to reconnect through our dance practices.
I’m grateful for these practices for a number of reasons. One reason being that it’s fun to dance with her. She’s got rhythm, and combined with a great attitude it means that she learns quickly and (if I may say so) we look really cool together. It’s also fun to show somebody this part of my culture, and this part of my past. A lot of the dance moves are things that I did when I was in marching band in high school, and it’s rewarding to share them with (and pass them on to) her. In the way that The Savant understands me more fully because he gets my snark, Mary Sunshine understands me more because she gets how I groove.
2) Christmas Cards
So, I mentioned earlier that I’m going to be giving my elementary school coworkers Christmas cookies. What I’ve also arranged this year, is to give each of the home room teachers a Christmas card from their students and me. This was a little tricky to arrange, as I needed to find a contact from each grade and send them out into the world with the Christmas card for a week in the hopes that they would get their classmates to sign it. The icing on the cake of this endeavor was that they were to do it without their home room teacher seeing it.
Many things could have kept this plan from working, including neglect, a general misunderstanding of what exactly it was that we were doing, or just plain forgetfulness. The 1st year classes at both schools had some problems. One class signed it and gave it to their teacher on the very first day (instead of returning it to me a week later so that I could give the teachers their cards and cookies together), and the other class didn’t understand what I wanted and so just copied a number of random English words that they found around the school. We also had some problems with the 5th years at Thursday’s elementary school, because they made the teacher sign his own card and then they gave it to him. I’m not exactly sure what went wrong there.
The rest of the cards, however, didn’t have any problems. The kids were excited about the subterfuge involved in getting the cards signed without their home room teacher’s knowledge, and they were extremely melodramatic enthusiastic about the process. My Little Monkey was my contact for the 2nd years at Thursday’s elementary school, and I think he walked around for the entire week with the card stuffed inside of his shirt.
Still, I now have eight signed cards ready and waiting to be delivered on Monday afternoon. I hope that the teachers enjoy receiving them. I really liked putting this whole project together; I feel that it shows something special about the way that the students and I can interact with each other.
1) Fievel VS My Little Monkey
By far, my favorite memories from this fall semester have revolved around the growing Fievel and My Little Monkey saga. On one hand, you have Fievel. Formerly small, quiet, shy, and introverted, he has blossomed into a very quick, brazen, and vocal young man (at least around me). I think that he wants to become a different person than the person that he was when we first met. When I was arranging for the aforementioned Christmas Card project, I asked him if he’d be willing to help me out with his class. I could tell that he wanted to help me, but he just felt too shy. When I gave it to one of his classmates instead, he turned to me and said: “Next year. Next year I can do it. Next year, I’ll be ready to do it.” If what he says is true, and talking with me is giving him the confidence to talk and interact more directly with the members of his own class, then that’s one of the most fantastic gifts that I could be given.
On the other hand, poised against this rising star, you have My Little Monkey. It’s been funny to see them interact, because although Fievel is older than the Monkey, the Monkey is, well… the Monkey. He is loud, hilarious, incorrigible, and never, ever knows when to back down. If you could call their interactions “encounters” or “battles,” then I would say that Fievel tends to be the victor because he stays long after the Monkey has lost interest and has gone to conquer other parts of the school. Still, the Monkey always comes back, and is kind of oblivious to Fievel‘s designs for Total Julie Dominion.
It’s quite funny.
I like having them both in my elementary school life because it gives me the opportunity to cater to two very different kinds of students. Typically, I work best with the loud students because they give me more material to work with. The quiet ones are more difficult for me to reach because I have to go after the content and pull the material out of them. That can be time-consuming and very tricky; I’m still not very good at it. Working with Fievel, though, I think I’ve learned more about how the process works, and I understand the Quiet Student Mentality a lot more than I used to. With the Monkey, well, he keeps my skills honed and my wit sharp – I need it to counter his brain and all of the havoc that it wreaks.
Looking back at the many events have transpired in the fall term, it appears that somehow, someway, I am managing to stay at the top of my game (whatever that may be). These top ten memories are perhaps the most vivid and expressive ways I can think to sum up the one particularly important thought I have about this fall semester: I survived.
And soon, it will be time for a well-deserved break in the Homeland.
Listen to the bells as they ring
Listen to the message they bring
Listen to the sound
As they sing as one voice in the night
Otsukaresama deshita. December 14, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Julie Gets Philosophical, Me Time.Tags: fall term, Japan, Japanese, Jyona33, pride, shopping, teachers, the cashier
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The title of today’s post is a phrase that the Japanese typically use to praise each other for a job well done. It’s a set phrase, and so you hear it a lot at the end of the work day or after someone finishes a particularly noteworthy task. If I understand it correctly, then it more or less translates to, “I see you as somebody who must be tired (because of the work that you did).” It’s also a phrase that one typically says to someone that they see (even if only for the moment) as superior to them; there are other phrases for those who you regard as socially below you.
(***A note to people who are searching blogs to find a way to respond when someone says “otsukaresama deshita” to you.***
I typically respond by thanking the person who said this to me. If they were also involved in whatever it was that I just finished, then I will often say it back to them (if they’re my equal or above me socially), or “gokurousama deshita” if they’re below me. I’m not sure if this is 100% what you should do, but it’s always worked for me and I don’t think that my coworkers find it strange.)
I’ve had it said to me before, but because of my social position relative to those around me (which is to say it’s pretty low), I tend to receive those other phrases. Today though, one of the cashiers at my local grocery store said it to me.
This cashier is an interesting individual for me to interact with. Jyona33 met him last summer when we went shopping together, and as since referred to him as “Julie’s Jailbait” in conversation. He says this because the cashier is a young man who has been known to go out of his way to help me while I shop (getting things off of high shelves for me, carrying my bags to my car, and so forth). Ergo, Jyona33 thinks that I’m the fanciful and distanced object of this young man’s affections. To add to the humor (as far as Jyona33 is concerned), the cashier is probably no more than eighteen years old. So, there you go. Jailbait.
I, however, prefer to think of him as simply being polite. I like this interpretation because it means that his treatment of me suggests that he doesn’t see me as being different from the other customers. That’s one thing that I’ve always enjoyed about interacting with him – he has never commented on my ethnicity and has never assumed that I can’t understand what he says to me. This isn’t to say that we chat at length (we don’t), but we do exchange the occasional pleasantry. And, in the act of doing so, it’s always just been that: pleasant. Friendly.
Normal.
Today, when I went to check out at the end of the day, he greeted with me with “Otsukaresama deshita.” The past few weeks have been so hectic and overwhelming, that hearing an acknowledgement of my efforts meant a lot to me.
I know you must be thinking, “Wait, Julie, how was his comment meaningful? He doesn’t know anything about your job, and he certainly hasn’t seen anything that you’ve produced over the last two weeks.” Indeed, you have a good point. How was this not just a meaningless greeting?
My thought process here is a little difficult to explain, but I’m going to try.
When I came to Japan, I think one of the most difficult things I had to deal with were the vast and steadfast stereotypes about my job and those who do it. There are good ALTs and bad ALTs, just as there are good teachers and bad teachers, good doctors and bad doctors, good bankers and bad bankers. Traditionally, though, I think that ALTs tend to be people who are looking to take time off from their regular lives in exchange for adventure and self discovery. I certainly don’t criticize this desire, or the need to fulfill it. It’s part of why I myself came here, afterall.
The difficulty with this, however, is that engaging in that kind of lifestyle isn’t always conducive to becoming a good teacher. (It’s hard to go to school festivals if you leave your town every weekend.) Additionally, this lifestyle creates certain perceptions that Japanese schools have of foreigners – perceptions are very difficult to change, especially if they are neutral to negative in tone. When I first came here, my schools were very polite, and to some degree welcoming, but they didn’t really expect much from me. They wanted me to show up for work, of course, and to fill in the hours productively, but they didn’t have hopes about me going to extra festivals or events, and they certainly didn’t envision me staying past 4:15 on weekdays. This isn’t to speak ill of the ALTs who came before me. My town has always enjoyed working with foreigners and I was welcomed under very positive circumstances.
But, when I started to do these things (like staying late after school), I feel that I was praised to an unnecessary degree. Things that I should have been doing because I felt they were part of my job, were seen as going above and beyond the call of duty by those around me. It was difficult, because all I wanted was to be seen as a part of the workforce – somebody who was here with a purpose, just as the other teachers were. Instead, it seemed as though The Celebrity was getting in the way of that, and my efforts to be a team player were still separating me from the rest of the members.
Over time, this has changed. Being here for almost four years and showing that I don’t expect praise or extra compensation for my efforts has ultimately given me the social position and lifestyle that I’ve wanted. When I ask to go to extra seminars or meetings, now, they don’t look at me as if I’m doing some kind of ALT-encore. They understand that I just want to learn more about how to be a good teacher. They understand this desire, they accept it, and they’re willing to support it. In the end, I don’t want to be special. I want to be helpful.
So, when the cashier (sorry Jyona33, I refuse to call him “My Jailbait”) greeted me with “Otsukaresame deshita,” it made me happy. I know I’ve been working hard, and so I’m free to say to myself, “Otsukaresama” whenever I want. It’s really not about specific validation. When I hear this phrase from him, I see it as a simple statement of acceptance.
It’s the end of the day, and to him I’m someone who must be tired (because of the work that I did). It’s a set phrase – a signal from him to me that acknowledges that I’m part of the rhythms of the day.
It’s a small way to let me know that he thinks I have a role here.
All my fears just fall away
When you are all I see
Let’s Try Version 2.0 November 28, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Julie Gets Philosophical, Student Moments.Tags: elementary students, fall term, fievel, Japan, Japanese, letters, shopping, The Japanese Best Friend, The Mentor
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Okay, and here we are!
I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday. I was fortunate enough to speak with some of you and I’m looking forward to catching up even more when I visit the States next month! (Only twenty-four days to go!)
I’ve done a little bit of thinking since I last posted, and I’ve made a few decisions regarding this blog. Since I already have a few months behind me (and a group of people who seem to enjoy reading my posts), it seems silly to stop production now only to then pick up again in April.
Still, the old theme of “365 Days, 365 memories” is no longer applicable. Faced with Writers Block and a Thematic Drought of sorts, I have turned to the wisdom of Douglas Adams and found this remarkable little quote:
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”
I think that this sums up the last three and a half years quite nicely. People often ask me about the ideas that I had about Japan before I came here, and how they’ve changed since then. That is a very difficult question (with a long and windy answer), but the shortest response I have is, well, more or less that very quote. Did I intend to work 60+ hour work weeks? Did I intend to find a family? Did I intend to get into designer purses? Did I intend to switch careers in a drastic way not once but twice? Did I intend to love, worry, angst, and fawn over my students?
No, not really. But I do. I do, and the kind of experience I’m having as a result is, I think, the kind of experience that I really wanted to have when I got on that airplane three and a half years ago.
And, as I said last August, the time has come to share it. Granted, my days aren’t always interesting, always positive, always funny, or always immediately insightful or obviously meaningful. Still, you’re all welcome to take a deeper look into what it is that I do and the world that I have created/been invited to live in. Consider this an invitation for the next seventeen months. I suspect at the end of this, we’ll all find ourselves having gone places we didn’t intend to go yet having ended up where we wanted to be.
All off that being said, what memories do I have from the last few days?
Thursday
Thursday was interesting because the elementary school was still out of sorts thanks to the flu. The third and sixth grade classes were suspended until Friday, and both the third and sixth grade home room teachers were sick and at home (this includes The Mentor, who hasn’t been sick a single day in the entire time I’ve known him). I’m not sure why the flu is so bad this year; it really is having its way with the people of my town. Every year the season is kind of intense, and it’s not unusual for a grade or two to be sent home for a few days. This year, though, we’ve had several school-wide shutdowns and major meetings and festivals have had to be cancelled.
I’m also not sure why I am still healthy. I thought about this a lot on Thursday. Out of all the teachers in town, because I visit so many schools and encounter so many different sets of germs (and am usually a Magnet for Hugs, Piggyback Rides, and Hand Holding) I’ve long been of the opinion that illness is inevitable. Yet, as of November 28th, I appear to be fine.
The only reasons I can think of for my good fortune are a) I’ve already had this strain of influenza (or one close enough to it so that my body has managed to defend itself), b) my diet/lifestyle is somehow helping me combat this or c) I have been blessed by an unseen and unknown divine entity who will eventually become upset at my lack of gratitude and rain pneumonia and primordial fire down on me.
Anyway, with the third years out on Thursday, this meant that Fievel was absent from the day’s activities. His older brother, however, was at school and he gleefully spent every spare moment he had with me in the attempt to collect as many stickers as possible. (I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this or not, but my students get stickers for talking to me in English. They put the stickers on their card and then redeem the card for prizes. Anyway.) Fievel is currently in the middle of his 9th sticker card, while the brother is just finishing his 8th. The competition between the two is fierce, but as long as Fievel keeps writing me letters, his lead is pretty much guaranteed. Watching his old brother’s efforts to try and catch up (however futile they may be) was pretty entertaining.
Friday
After last week’s Lesson Marathon, it was nice to have a relatively relaxed day at Friday’s Elementary School. This is the school where the students really like to write me letters, and my memory from Friday is related to this, and involves a new character.
Yoshi
Yoshi is a sixth grade student and has only recently become a major figure. Towards the end of the first term, he decided that he was really interested in English after all, and he began to write letters to me. Yoshi’s overall enthusiasm is fairly constant, and he always comes to talk to me during breaks. He has also become more forceful and outgoing in class. I mentioned that last month I had to do two classes by myself, and he was a big help to me in explaining the activities and organizing the kids for the games that we did.
Anyway, his recent letters have become slightly lackluster since his responses to my questions haven’t been much more than one-word blurbs (usually in Japanese). So when I wrote my most recent response to him, I kind of prodded him for a longer, more proper letter. I also included a blank sheet of paper so that he could use that for writing to me (he’s been writing his responses on the letters that I’ve written to him).
After I gave him the letter, though, I started to worry that I’d been too strict, and that he would blow me off. So, I was really happy when he showed up after school with the kind of letter that I’d been hoping for. A full page of English and Japanese with actual answers to the questions that I’d asked.
My position here is strange because although I’m a teacher, I don’t always carry authority. Many of my students probably see me more as an older sister figure. As such, it was nice to see him do something because I’d asked it of him.
Saturday
-_-;; I have a really busy week coming up. So, I more or less used Saturday to catch up on work. I spent a lot of time working on letters to my elementary school students. I know that I talk about these letters a lot (they are a huge part of the work I do for the elementary schools), so I’ve decided to copy one of them for your enjoyment. This one is from a fourth year student – she’s the best letter writer that I have. ^__^ If the words are in bold, it means that she actually wrote that part in English. Anything else was, of course, in Japanese. ^_^
(The letter may seem a little spastic, but it’s because she was responding to things that I wrote my last letter to her.)
Dear Julie,
Thank you for always writing me letters!
By any chance, is Dostoyevsky the author of the book that you’re reading now?
If that’s the case, then we have a book called “The Brothers Karamazov” at my house.
I think the cover looks really scary.
If you’re talking about fall foods, then I really like tangerines!
I eat one a day.
It sounds like you really like them, too!
In fall, I like chestnuts, yams, apples, and persimmons.
My future dream is to speak English fluently.
I also want to be a really good piano player.
(By the way, your letter set is really cute!)
Your Japanese is really good!
You study it a lot, don’t you?
I want to go to America when I grow up.
Where do you think I should go?
You want to study Polish?
When do you think you’ll do that?
How many people are in your family?
I have four people in my family.
I have a mother, father, and little brother.
See you!
A lot of the letters that I get are along those lines. Although, obviously, not all of them reference Russian literature. (Incidentally, I’m actually reading Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.)
So, yes, Saturday was spent answering letters like that. And Sunday … Sunday will be for more work. I have a lot to do as far as getting ready for this week of chaos. Lessons, meetings, seminars, and Thanksgiving dinner await.
Still, as I said, I think it’s right where I intended to be.
金土日月 Recap: November 23rd November 23, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Weekend Recap.Tags: elementary students, fall term, friday elementary school, Japan, Japanese, Jyona33, Nagoya, shopping, Tetsuya, thanksgiving, The Japanese Best Friend
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In Japan, today is the national Labor Thanksgiving holiday, so it’s without a sense of irony (or perhaps it’s with a sense of irony but without a sense of sarcasm?) that I can wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Week. Due to some scheduling issues, I won’t be having my Turkey Fest ’09 until December 5th, but my time will come…
So, how is everyone? I appreciate the comments that I’ve been getting (usually through Facebook). It’s nice to know that other people are enjoying reading about what my life is like here. As I’ve said before, it’s pretty routine, but maybe you’ll find some elements of it to be interesting and/or entertaining. ^___^
In particular:
Friday was memorable because I woke up running and didn’t stop until about 7:30 that evening, which was the time I went to bed. I had six classes at a row at my Friday Elementary School, and that was definitely more than my usual load. The method to this madness was that the students’ parents had been invited to observe classes throughout the day and a lot of the parents are curious about my English lessons. Things went well overall, though various Gods of Mischief tossed some curve balls my way. Among the more memorable ones were:
- The sixth grade home room teacher was out with the flu, leaving me with having to do the class not only by myself, but with a lesson that I had approximately ten minutes to plan (it was supposed to be his day to run class). That was fun. And by “fun” I mean “it almost gave me a heart attack but I made it through and I think the students still like English and me.”
- The Macarena wasn’t quite as popular as it was with The First Years, and so that made me a little sad.
- I got my lessons plan really mixed up at one point, but the home room teacher saved me.
What was really memorable for me, though, was what happened after lunch. Usually I eat with the students and then return to my classroom for twenty-five minutes of intense English conversing-sticker giving-eraser distributing-letter getting-CD giving-madness. On Friday, though, I really had to go to the bank and I didn’t have any free periods. My solution was to eat very quickly in the teacher’s room and then drive to the bank afterwards. I’d hoped to get back to school by the time that recess started so that I could talk with the kids like I usually do, but I was about ten minutes late. I went straight to my classroom when I returned, but I expected to find it empty, figuring that the students would have lost interest and gone off to do something else. Imagine my surprise when I found a line of 45 students (some with their parents) waiting for me. Loudly. I really wasn’t expecting them to wait for me for such a long time, but the display of trust (and, yes, indignation that I was so tardy), made me happy.
Saturday found me taking my monthly trip to Nagoya for a visit to the hair stylist and some shopping. I’ve been going to the same guy for years, and at this point we know each other fairly well. He (we’ll call him Tetsuya) has a lot of opinions about my hair (“it should be long, straight, and sexy,”) so he tends to decide what it is that we do with it. Tetsuya’s also lived all around the world and done all sorts of crazy things. He supported himself as a waiter and professional boxer in Mexico, studied in salons in Seattle, London, and Paris, and he also plays guitar in a rock band. He has been known to gather his entire staff around my chair whenever we talk about my love life, in the hopes that the collective advice will make me successful in my ventures. In short, Tetsuya’s pretty awesome.
Sunday was a day out with The Japanese Best Friend. I haven’t seen her in *ages,* and once we got together, we talked for about fourteen hours straight (well, with the exception of the two hours that we were watching the new Christmas Carol at the movie theater). We had lunch and did some shopping in Yokkaichi, and then drove down to the biggest mall in the prefecture for some more shopping (can we say The Body Shop?) and to see the aforementioned movie. She is, without a doubt, one of the best things about being in Japan. Whenever we spend time together, I can always count on great conversation, great food, and great shopping. \(^___^)/
Monday has been a slower, catch-up sort of day, which is a good thing. The weather was gorgeous, and so I had the chance to air out my apartment, get some cleaning done, and talk to some friends (Jyona33 and I clocked in 3.5 hours on Skype). I have to go to a meeting tomorrow, so my morning schedule is a little free, although I have some errands to run. I am particularly excited about the meeting (okay, I am ONLY excited about this meeting) because it means I get to go to Starbucks and that is enough to make me happy at any time, any place. HELLO SEASONAL LATTES.
And as for now, I have some lessons to plan, some soup to make, and hopefully a relatively relaxing night ahead of me. It’s going to be kind of a busy week (when is it ever not?), and I’m going to need to stay on my toes if I want to Avoid The Flu and Have Successful Lessons.
You know, the important stuff.
Never seen you, I don’t even know your name
But still I believe, that you are gonna save me
木金土日月火…水曜日 Recap September 23, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Apologies, Me Time, sports festival, Student Moments, Weekend Recap.Tags: convenience store, dinner party, dj ozma jr, elementary students, fall term, Japan, my japanese sister, my little monkey, Nagoya, shopping, sports festival, the hippie, The Mentor, the Other ALT, The Supervisor
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*cough*
Since this is more or less going to be an “一週間 Recap” (“Isshukan Recap,” or “One Week Recap”), I can only offer my sincerest apologies for falling off of the Blogging Wagon. Things have been more hectic than usual. I can only promise that I will strive against the forces that keep me from sharing the juicy tidbits of The Last Year. I continue to ask for your patience while I figure out how to be both a writer and one of my town’s Foreigners in Residence.
Now, groveling aside, let’s get on with it, shall we? \(^o^)/
Thursday ~ 木曜日
So, this was an elementary school day. I taught the first, second, third, and fourth grades, and so things were a little more frantic than they usually are at that school. The hectic pace was in part due to the Sports Festival preparations, which was really what was occupying everybody at the school.
My school-related memory from this day happened during recess, when the first year teacher (The Hippie) wanted me to stay and watch her class practice one of the events that they were going to do at the sports festival. Unfortunately, she hadn’t cleared this request with the rest of the student body, and the practice got completely disrupted by students rushing the first year classroom in the interest of:
a) talking to me in English
b) talking to me in English and getting stickers
c) redeeming puzzles and/or newsletters for stickers
d) sitting on my lap and generally antagonizing anybody who tried to do a, b, or c
(This was My Little Monkey’s one and only goal.)
This was all complicated by the fact that the student from Wednesday’s dance practice (I shall henceforth call him DJ Ozma Jr.) was completely beside himself the entire day with wanting to talk to me about dancing and wanting to practice the dance together. He made me promise that from here on out, we will always practice the dance at least once during recess on the days that I’m at the school. My Little Monkey is, as always, my little monkey, and so he insisted on clinging to me as I tried to do this dance. What’s funny about this situation (aside from the visual) is that My Little Money understands the nickname “My Little Monkey” (at least to some degree), and he likes it. So he walks around calling himself “Little Monkey” and he uses it to justify why it’s okay for him to latch himself onto my back whenever the whim strikes him.
Thursday was also significant because I went out to dinner with The Supervisor, The Other ALT, and The Other ALT’s mother. TOALT’s mother is a really sweet lady, and it was a great time. The Supervisor was also particularly entertaining, and it was just a great dinner.
Friday ~金曜日
Friday was, of course, the day for Friday’s elementary school – also known as The Insane Asylum. How crazy was it? I’ll tell you. It was so crazy that by the end of the day I was sick of hearing people say my name. In fact, I started to dislike the sound of my name so much, that I began to resent my parents for giving it to me. I became convinced that it was too easy to say, and that this is why the children kept using it. I began to pine for a longer, more ridiculous name that would make the children pause long enough in contemplating its pronunciation for me to escape and do things like, oh, I don’t know, use the restroom. Or swim to New Zealand – any place where there would not be rooms full of children demanding rewards for making efforts in a foreign language.
I love my job. But sometimes, it’s a little intense.
One thing that was entertaining about the day, though, happened when I first arrived. I was walking into the school when one of my sixth graders ran up to me and asked if I could spare a few minutes to play dodge ball with him and his friends. I had some free time, so I told him I’d be right out.
The thing about dodge ball, is that (generally speaking) Japanese children love it. Julie, however, does not. My aim is pretty good, but I’m just not very quick and so I’m a pretty easy target. [Although in my defense, part of the reason that I’m not so quick is that I’m a lot bigger than the children, and so I’m constantly worried about falling on them (they tend to crowd around me when we play)].
My lack of skill is pretty legendary at this point, although I didn’t realize how well known it was until I was on the court and noticed that the skilled players were actually positioning themselves to protect me from the ball. Luckily, they quickly realized that it was better for me to be out and trying to hit the other team’s members from the sidelines, and so I was soon able to contribute to the greater good of the team. Still, I’ll never forget that moment when I saw the students lining up to cover me, and how much it touched (and amused) me.
This day was also noteworthy because I think I managed to make peace with a teacher that I’ve had, not a bad relationship with, but a very odd relationship with for the past few months. We had a really good class together and shared numerous jokes throughout, so I think that things may be back on track. Hooray for keeping the peace at work. (*.*)
Oh, yes, and I almost forgot. In the evening, I went back to my middle school and did a two and a half hour class on relaxation techniques with the other female teachers and some of my students’ mothers. Part of this class involved giving each other foot massages, which was both surreal and a bit difficult. It was surreal, because I never thought I’d find myself laying on the floor of the gym while the science teacher rubbed my feet. It was difficult because I am an extremely ticklish person, and the effort of trying not to laugh (or kick the science teacher) did not exactly help to create a calming atmosphere. Still, I did learn a few things and it was great Japanese practice if nothing else.
Saturday ~ 土曜日
This was my Nagoya day! The morning started out with a lovely train ride, a trip to Starbucks, some shopping at Gap, and then a trip to my hair stylist (who has recently been voted one of the best stylists in Nagoya). Since moving to Japan, I’ve been to see him 13 times. This means that not only does he know me (and my hair) quite well, but it also means that I’m two appointments away from being a VIP member! (I have no idea what this will actually get me, but hey, it’s VIP!). After the appointment, I did some shopping and then eventually headed back home.
I always like going to Nagoya because it’s nice to have a day away from my town and, really, the entire prefecture of Mie. In Nagoya, although I’m foreign, I’m not the only foreigner and so it’s nice to be able to blend into the crowds for once. I can just go and do my thing; I don’t have to worry about my behavior or my purchases getting back to the parents, or my Board of Education, or my school’s principals. This means that running away from people who want to practice English or buying alcohol = OK!
I think this feeling may be the general effect of The City, and I enjoy it. I enjoy the sense of freedom, independence, and general well-being. It’s something that is most definitely present at the salon, too, which is one of the reasons that I keep going year after year. (Well, that, and the fact that my stylist is one of the most awesome. people. ever. He’s lived all over the world, is a semi-professional boxer, has his own band, and is the father of one of the CUTEST KIDS that I’ve ever seen in my life.)
Sunday ~ 日曜日
My second sports day of the year! This one was held at my Thursday elementary school. I got up early and made rice balls for the staff, and then arrived at the school around 6:45. On the way to the school, I stopped off at the convenience store to buy my usual bottle of water. When I went to pay for it, one of the nicest things happened.
I tend to frequent this store at about the same time every day, and so more often than not I encounter this one particular clerk. He’s always struck me as being a stoic sort of gentleman. He’s polite, but he rarely deviates from the Official Clerk Script, and always says the exact same thing to me when I enter the store, when I pay, and when I leave. A couple of weeks ago, I made him laugh because I bought iced coffee instead of water (he couldn’t help but comment), and then once I didn’t go into the store for two weeks and he asked me about it when I finally returned.
When I went to pay for my water on Sunday, though, he looked me right in the and said (with the most amazing, natural accent) “May I help you?” and then after the transaction he followed up with: “Have a nice day!” The effect that this had on me is almost impossible to describe. I was elated. Overjoyed. Touched. Tickled. Enchanted. I’m not sure what his motivation was for doing it. He could have always had an interest in English, he could have been trying to cater his services to my particular demographic, or he could have just been in the mood to do something different. Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, I found it to be a thoughtful and lovely gesture. As I was driving away, I thought to myself: “You know, even if I go to the sports festival and get shot, I’m still going to say that this was a good day.”
Luckily, I did not get shot at the sports festival. There was a mild instance of embarrassment in the afternoon, but since it actually caused me physical pain (long story, I’ll recap it some other time), my school was quick to apologize and help me out. So, in the end, I was right – it was a good day.
Monday ~ 月曜日
That injury that I mentioned from Tuesday? Yes, I spent the day on the couch resting and watching The Colbert Report recovering. Thank goodness for days off.
Tuesday ~ 火曜日
This was the day of the second dinner party that I’ve hosted in Japan, and this time it was for My Japanese Sister and her family. It was a slightly more toned down affair than the previous dinner, but it still took me most of the day to get my act together. We had a couple of frightening culinary moments, but things turned out remarkably well and I now know how to make an apple pie with a shortening-free crust. No transfats ~ hooray! Also, my apartment is now clean and I appreciate that.
I think that, specifically, the moment from Tuesday that I want to hold on to was the moment when they walked inside of my apartment. It’s the first time that they’ve been here, and I really enjoyed the feeling of welcoming them into my home. I liked having them see the furniture, the artwork on the walls, the dishes that I cook with. I liked talking to them, hearing what they liked about the food, hearing what their plans were for the rest of the week. It was, quite simply, a lovely feeling of being a part of something and bringing together different parts of my life – my Japanese family, and my home in Japan.
And that, generally speaking, is what’s been going on over the last week or so. It’s now Wednesday here, and I have today and Thursday off from work. Today, I have the task of trying to catch up on other bits of correspondence that have fallen by the wayside over the last week, and then there’s dance practice in the evening.
Still, as busy as things have been and as awkward as it is to try to juggle everything the same time, I’m content. I sense that I’m doing what needs to be done, and I’ve been enjoying myself. Even those moments when the children crawl on my back or make me hate the sound of my own name, I know that I’m lucky to be here.
“If I could make these moments endless
If I could stop the winds of change…”
These first steps are always the most difficult… August 5, 2009
Posted by Earthdragonette in Taking Initiative.Tags: Sailor Moon, shopping, summer, The JTE
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(>_<);;
I was so excited earlier this week, because all the news reports were glowing (were cooing, actually) about how the rainy season was over in my area and how we were finally going to get to enjoy the Blessed Life Giving Day Star in All of Its Glory.
Yes, well, that lasted all of TWO days. I woke up this morning and was reminded why this country is So. Damn. Green.
And … I just started today’s post with weather commentary.
Which is just proof of how much I really, really need to see that Day Star.
o(>_<)o
Moving on…
Today was a fairly low key day for me. I was finally able to get caught up on some work, and I enjoyed eight full hours of air conditioning that I did not need to pay for! It’s by far one of the biggest perks of working at a liberal, country school. My vice principal has a very simple philosophy when it comes to the A.C.: if it’s hot, we turn it on. This is not a philosophy shared by much of Japan, though, and I weep for those sweltering souls.
There were two things that happened today that made me smile and gave me a reason to be happy that I’m here. The first is kind of small, but I thought I’d mention it anyway.
I went to the grocery store after work and ran into Sailor Moon and her mother. I was actually carrying my shopping list with me, which, for some random reason, I’d decided to write out in Japanese. After greeting me with enough enthusiasm to ensure that the entire supermarket knew that I was not only in the store, but also standing in the dairy section and also buying soy milk instead of regular milk, they grabbed the list from me to see what else I was going to buy. They were really excited to see the list (especially the Japanese part) and asked me about everything that I wanted to buy – what would I use it for, did they have it in the States, and so forth. Sometimes I get stopped in the store by old women and they hassle me about the contents of my basket and it can be a little frustrating. Today’s encounter was really pleasant, though, and we parted ways happier for having seen each other. Generally speaking, I find my students’ parents to be terrifying, and so it makes me happy to interact with the ones that like me.
Seeing them in the store was nice, but I think that what I’d really like to keep with me about today was something that happened in the staff room shortly before I went to lunch. Yesterday, I wrote about how The JTE also came along on the Kyoto trip, but that we didn’t actually interact with each other. I was thinking about that throughout the morning, and about how difficult the transition into this school has been for her. I think that my knowledge of the school and the students has made things a little awkward for us, and we haven’t had a proper chance to get to know each other. So, after thinking about it for a bit, I turned to her and asked if I could take her out to lunch on Friday.
This was a big deal for me, because it was Taking Initiative in a social context, and this is something that I am not always comfortable doing in Japan (you may have seen evidence of this in yesterday’s entry). The difficulty with me Taking Initiative in social situations here (besides the very real language barrier that still exists despite my efforts to knock it down) is that Japan is a hierarchical society and it’s the hierarchies that determine who should Take Initiative and when they should do it.
But me? Well, I’m in a very strange position where sometimes I’m outside of the hierarchy, sometimes I occupy a rather respectable rung on it (being a teacher and all), and sometimes I am so low on it that I do believe homeless and illiterate Japanese people would be given preference over me. Part of the trick of living here has been to figure out not which hierarchy I belong to, but which hierarchy the person I’m dealing with sees me as belonging to. Once I understand that, I can act accordingly and do my part to maintain the sought-after harmony that is the heart of Japanese social interactions.
This is not always an easy thing to figure out, and it’s been the cause of more than one crisis (identity and otherwise). About 45% of the time, I tend to assume that the people I’m dealing with view me as socially inferior and not very intelligent. As such, I go out of my way not to bother them; I don’t make demands on their time or their resources and I try to figure out things on my own. On a trip home to the States a couple of years ago, I vexed my mother because I wouldn’t ask a clerk at Express for help; she couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t just ask my question. I had to point out to my mother that I live in a country where clerks do whatever they can to avoid me because they fear my language skills (or rather, my lack thereof). You get used to doing a lot of things on your own when you are under the impression that nobody wants to be inconvenienced by helping you.
This isn’t to say that Japan isn’t a friendly country and that I do everything on my own. That would be doing the Japanese people an incredible injustice. Japan’s hospitality and service industry are legendary for a good reason; I firmly believe they are the best in the world. Furthermore, I’ve gotten a great deal of assistance from a variety of sources (many unexpected) since I’ve arrived. I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve been assisted by random strangers. But, the majority of the time, help has had to be earned in some way – usually through action and in many cases through a demonstration of my work ethic. My most effective method of communication here has been the amount of effort and passion that I put into my role as an ALT. As such, my social personality has become more passive; while I have no difficulties Taking Initiative with myself and with my job, I do not always do it with other people. Socially, I tend to let people get used to me and then proceed as they see fit. The exceptions to this are with my students or other foreigners. I KNOW my role when it comes to them and I have no reservations about being pushy, loud, teasing, playful, or demanding. The Japanese adults, however, can be a challenge.
So, when I approached The JTE today about going out on Friday, I was doing something that was against my instincts. I had, in fact, been waiting for her (as the older, more experienced, and more senior member of our teaching team) to initiate some kind of social interaction outside of school. After yesterday’s total breakdown in communication, though, I became convinced that I was going to have to do something to break down the wall that I feel still stands between us and a real friendship. This is probably one of the most wonderful (yet incredibly frustrating) things about internationalization: at some point, you have to break rules in order to make progress. You have to hope that the other side wants to move forward as much as you do, and that they won’t mind the mess that you will make in the name of getting things started.
In this case, my gamble worked, and she was happy to be invited. I was also happy because I was able to do something to fix a situation that was becoming a little awkward.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure if she understood the part where I wanted to take her to lunch, because she then proceeded to invite the rest of the staff room to come with us. o_O
Here’s to hoping she’s not expecting me to treat all 13 teachers to lunch on Friday. -_-;;
“A child can see through the stranger…”
Where I Intended to Be 