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I’m still here, Chief. September 13, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Apologies, Hear Ye.
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First and foremost, although logically troublesome, Frequency is an astoundingly fun movie.

So, my slow climb towards Blogger Redemption was sidetracked by my shenanigans in Tokyo with The Japanese Best Friend. Then, after returning from that little adventure I melted into a Puddle of Summer. Then there was the trip to Osaka with My Japanese Sister and her children. That was soon followed by a day in Nagoya. Last weekend I went out clubbing with a group of friends that I made at the gym, and now we’re into the Sports Festival Season. Between these trips, dance practices, band practices, and hitting the gym at least four times a week, I really haven’t been home all that much.

To be honest, in addition to the way that my schedule has exploded, I suppose part of me has been reluctant to blog over the last few months because I’ve been steadfastly avoiding the phenomenon of Deep Reflection. Analysis I’ve partaken of in spades, and goodness knows where I’d be without the almost 24/7 availability of Jyona33 and his counseling services. Still, for a variety of reasons, I’ve been unable/unwilling to sit down and write about what I’ve been doing. As I said, the reasons for this are various, but I think the most compelling explanation has to do with us rapidly approaching the 6 month mark in our countdown. In a similar vein, I made a lot of progress on my graduate school applications over the summer and some of my social groups are starting to plan farewell parties. These events are alarming to say the least; I had a small mental breakdown when I realized that I would be watching the end of the current soccer season from my father’s apartment in Maryland (or, providing that I can find one, a German pub in D.C. ).

At this point, I’m not questioning the need to leave Japan and return to the United States. Although my social life has literally increased by 500% in the last four months, there are still ways in which I feel limited in my current circumstances. When I think of my longterm plans and goals, I don’t see them happening here. I really want the opportunity to work with American children. I want to run my own classroom and do so with the resources available in the Washington D.C. area. I miss Latin American culture, coffee shops, organic foods, and not being stared at when I walk into stores. Not to mention that I yearn to see my family and friends, and I’d relish the opportunity to sincerely and faithfully practice some form of my actual religion. (This isn’t to say that I am fantastically religious, but I do like going to early Sunday masses and listening to choirs sing beautiful hymns. )

I’ve talked about this double-life syndrome before, and it’s not a burden that gets easier with the passage of time.  In fact, it’s only become more difficult lately because it seems as though every week brings a new level of comfort in my Celebrity Role, a new depth of understanding about my circumstances, or a new sign of acknowledgement and acceptance from those around me. Since I went out with my gym friends that night a couple of weeks ago, I’ve had nights where I’ve spent more time at the gym talking to people than actually working out. Several of the families from my schools have also opened up lines of communication recently, and I feel as though there are days when I do nothing but run around in cycles of dialogue focused on my students and their personal lives.

I suppose that, given how busy things are inside of my head, I’ve chosen to dive into my circumstances and not look back at the size of the splash. Although I’m still planning my move back to the States in a logical, calculated fashion, there are ways in which I have chosen simply to embrace each day as it comes and to do what I feel will make me happy in the here and now. I’m giving all my activities everything I’ve got, if only because I really don’t have that much time left to do them. I don’t want to linger overmuch on my departure, because I think it will restrict what I feel comfortable doing in the present.

So, that’s more or less where I am now. The question then becomes, how do I continue to make use of this blog, which is something that I’ve already put a lot of work into and that I feel can help me stay balanced over the next six months and seventeen days. I shouldn’t be afraid to stop and take stock of what I’m doing, and I think that since there are so many things happening now, this is still a great opportunity for me to share some of my experiences with all of you.

To that end, my intention is to go back to the original premise of this blog. I’d like to stay a little away from the philosophizing, and instead focus on collecting significant memories from now until March 30th. I think you can expect a tremendous increase in our number of Characters, especially once I start to explain more about the Gym Community and the people who have come to play more prominent roles in my life. We also have some pretty interesting events on the horizon, including a school-wide Halloween activity at Friday’s elementary school, Thanksgiving with The Japanese Best Friend and … The Mentor (!!!), and of course a trip back to the States for Christmas break. Hopefully along the way, I’ll have memories to share of getting into Graduate School (let’s all send positive energy for that) and another few nights out with the Gym Folk.

In the meantime, I apologize again for the long break. I’m back for the present, and I will do my best, as always, to try to stay on track. I really feel as though we’re about to enter a very interesting period in this long, 4+ year-long adventure and … you know … I’d really like you guys along for the ride.

No I can’t recall anything at all
Oh baby this blows them all away
It’s got what it takes
So tell me why can’t this be love

My Teaching World / General Update August 4, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Apologies, Cultural Exchange, Student Moments, Summer Vacation.
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Welcome back ~ to both of us!

I’m sorry that this week has gotten off to a slow start. I’ve had some computer issues that I’ve been dealing with and I also may or may not have completely destroyed my sleeping schedule on Sunday/Monday so that I could watch a game between FC Bayern and Schalke 3. In addition, I’m taking a trip to Tokyo this weekend and so my schedule has picked up and grown a bit hectic thanks to those preparations.


Quite possibly the Best Team Song Ever

Now, though, my computer is working and My Beloved Bayern is hard at work training and not playing games that make me get up at 2 o’clock in the morning. Let’s move forward, shall we?

As I mentioned before, it’s summer vacation in Japan now and so my Teaching World has been relatively quiet over the last few weeks. June and July were quite busy, though. I had open lessons at my middle school and a lot of small projects that I had to finish. While all this was going on, I do believe that it was Moments With Students that kept me (relatively) sane. Some highlights include:

Everybody’s Favorite making a triumphant (and hilarious) visit to show off all that he’s learned since leaving middle school. He further declared that middle school is better than high school in every conceivable way and that I am not allowed to return to the States.

The Child continuing to vex me in ways that only he can manage. Still, he’s decided that he actually wants to attempt to go to high school and so he’s become a great deal less snarky and more studious over the last few months. I’m still not sure what his chances of success are; it’s difficult to correct years of intellectual neglect in only about six months. Still, I’m pulling for him and I’m hoping to help him in any way that I can.

The Whistler and I have been playing word games in the hallway over the last two months or so. It’s actually the same word game – a popular little mental exercise called Shiritori. The idea is that you say a word and then another person has to take the last letter of that word and make a new word. “Egg” could lead to “goblin,” which leads to “nest,” which leads to “turtle,” etc. We’ve been playing the same game during cleaning times and 10 minute breaks. A winner is declared when one’s opponent can’t come up with a new word. Considering we have hours in between turns, I think this is probably the Shiritori Game That Will Never End. At present, it’s my turn and the last word was “thought.”

Hermione and I have spent a lot of time together. If it weren’t for her and Hannah Montana, I probably would be significantly more sad and lonely. I made both of them happy right before the break because I arranged for the second year class to watch the new Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. That was probably the most successful movie day I’ve ever done.

Kanemoto and I have also interacted a lot during the first term. He seems to be adjusting to the middle school, and I go out of my way in every way, shape, and form to annoy him. There are just some students that one can’t help trying to frustrate and provoke at every turn, and Kanemoto is that student for me. I can’t begin to describe how much fun it is to see him grow increasingly agitated as I take him to task (for the fortieth time in an hour) for not writing me a letter in English. The best part is that when he finally breaks (which he does every time) and scolds me in ardent, exasperated Japanese, I always look at him blankly and tell him that I don’t speak Japanese so he’ll have to do that once more in English. The magical part of this entire relationship, though, is that these little confrontations actually work. I’ve gotten some absolutely smashing letters from him as a result.

So that’s more or less what’s been happening on the middle school front. The elementary schools have also been busy. The weekly 5th and 6th year lessons are a constant worry, but I’ve seen some real growth and progress in my students so I can’t complain. My Little Monkey has been remarkably scarce, but Fievel and his brother have been my little shadows at every possible moment. In addition, I attracted some new fans after showing my classes a slideshow about England; I’ve had a lot more letters from 3rd through 6th graders newly inspired by all things international. I’m planning on putting together a presentation about the trip I’ll take to the States in December, so I look forward to sharing that with them as well.

Perhaps the most significant and entertaining activity on the elementary front were the two-day long summer camps that I went to at the end of July. Wednesday/Thursday saw me cooking, singing, and otherwise frolicking with Thursday’s elementary school, and then Thursday/Friday focused on Friday’s school. It was a busy three days for me, but I was able to take a lot of great pictures and I think that I connected with some students in a way that I hadn’t been able to before.

And… I think that’s a pretty fair overview of My Teaching Word, which will continue to be on hold until September 1st. I’m using my summer vacation as best as I can, and look forward to trips with my friends, afternoons at the gym, visits to the movie theater, and days at The Beach.

I’ll leave you with some pictures from the summer.

Making curry and rice.

I enjoy taking pictures of fire.

This would be more fire.

Fire in Flower Form

FC Bayern Deutschermeister ja so heißt er mein Verein,
Ja so war es und so ist es und so wird es immer sein

My Gym World July 29, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Gym Adventures.
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So, we seem to be moving along at a merry pace.  It’s kind of amazing what effect summer vacation (and the absence of lesson planning) has on my ability to consistently update this blog. It’s also kind of amazing how listening to the Brobdingnagian Bards in fact has the opposite effect.  I think it’s because all of their songs are more like little stories and I can’t listen to stories and write at the same time.

So … let’s talk about the gym. Because now that it’s summer I go there four nights a week.

First, I feel that we need to update our character list. If you recall, these are the individuals that I introduced to you last June:

The Girl Who Helped Me Sign Up, The Girl Who Showed Me the Ropes, The Guy I Don’t Like, The Guy That I Like A Lot, The Amazing Purple Pants Guy, and The Lady Who Will Hurt You.

I have a few changes/extra bits of information to share about a few of these individuals.

First, The Guy I Don’t Like is now more like The Guy That I Don’t NOT Like but I Don’t Like Him Either (TGTIDNLBIDLHE for short). He moved into a better state of grace with me when I saw him directing an aerobics class about a month ago. I was impressed with how well he taught and how he did a lot to support the people in his class. So, even though our own interactions are frigid, I can’t look upon him with complete disdain since it seems as though he has some empathic ability. It’s just never directed towards me.

Secondly, The Guy That I Like A Lot will still keep this title but I almost want to amend it to The Guy That I Adore. He’s continued to be incredibly helpful and focused on my training.  We often meet at the end of my workout sessions and he gives me advice, teaches me new stretches, or just offers me a few words of encouragement. Thank God for people like him.

Thirdly, The Amazing Purple Pants Guy is still wearing these amazing purple pants.

MC Hammer wants these pants.

And fourthly, I joined the gym’s hip hop class about a month ago and so I’ve had the opportunity to interact with The Lady Who Will Hurt You. She is actually very nice and, having accepted me into the gym community, has become incredibly interested in my workout schedule, if and when I’m going to a particular class, and whether I prefer Japanese men or American men. This just goes to show that in the countryside of Japan, the topic will always, without fail, return to one’s love life.

To this list of Usual Suspects, I’d like to add The Super Young Guy and The Guy Who Looks Like Hugh Jackman. I should probably add that the following descriptions are more or less lifted from an email that I sent to Jyona33. Why rewrite something that was done well enough the first time around? ^__^

The Super Young Guy
I wouldn’t say that he’s as young as my supermarket clerk, but I would guess that he’s 25 or younger. Up until last week, I didn’t really have that much contact with him. He would always say hello to me, and then he’d occasionally stop by and give me some advice. Generally speaking though, that was about it. A little over a week ago, as I was stretching out at the end of my workout, I noticed that he was circling me. It got to be kind of distracting so the next time he did a flyby I turned off my iPod and looked at him expectantly. It was funny, because he didn’t say anything for about ten seconds and seemed to be debating with himself. Then, rather abruptly, he started a conversation in English.

My guess is that he’s wanted to talk to me in English for awhile, but feeling shy about it he’d taken to circling me while trying to gather his nerves.  I find this both funny and very cute. Anyway, we ended up talking for about a half an hour or so. His English is slow, although grammatically correct (if quite simple). It reminds me of talking to one of my JHS students. Still, he understands a lot of what I say, and I can always use Japanese if it looks like he’s confused. When we parted ways, it was obvious that he was proud of himself for coming over and talking to me. I’ve seen him about three times since this event, and each time he’s come right up to me and started a conversation in English. There are some circumstances under which I would find this kind of behavior troublesome, but he’s so nice and sweet about the way he interacts with me that this is one instance where I don’t mind at all.


The Guy Who Looks like Hugh Jackman
So, this is one of the muscle heads nice young gentlemen that I like to ogle draw inspiration from when I work out. He’s significantly older than I am (I would guess somewhere around 45), and I swear that he looks like Hugh Jackman. He’s super muscled and super tanned and he spends hours lifting heavy things.

Anyway, I was at a coffee shop the other day and I saw him come in, order something, and leave. I think he saw me, too, but we didn’t acknowledge each other or anything. I didn’t think much of it, but fast forward to about a day later when I ran into him on the stairway in the gym. He stopped in front of me and asked in remarkably clear and fluid English, “Excuse me, are you an American?” I said that I was and we had a bit of a chat. It turns out that he lived in Texas for five years, and his wife was from there as well. Anyway, he asked for my name, gave me his own, and said it was nice to meet me.

I found the encounter to be entertaining because he’s one of the last people in the world that I would’ve pegged as having fluency in the English language. This just goes to show that one really can’t judge others based on appearances. One would think that I should have learned this lesson by now. Oh, irony.

And this pretty much brings us up to date on the atmosphere and events surrounding the gym. I tend to see one of my favorite trainers whenever I go, and so I have plenty of people keeping an eye on me and encouraging me. It’s nice that it’s becoming a place that I feel comfortable going to, and I have a feeling that we’ll all be better for the association when all is said and done. In this way, it’s a shame that I only have eight months left here.

Before I wrap this post up, here’s a video for you. It’s Avril Lavigne covering Greenday’s Basket Case, and the new song that the band and I are working on. They’re happy because the instruments are fast, loud, and bombastic. I’m happy because the vocals aren’t difficult. So we’re all very, very happy.

Just with a dream
Just with a dream and with a song

The Dancing World July 28, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange, Dance Troupe, Julie Gets Philosophical.
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I’m running a little behind this morning (I’m blaming it on the misty, rainy summer morning), so this will be a shorter post. Since this is theoretically supposed to be about Wednesday, and I have dance practice on Wednesday nights … you can see the thought process.

So, what’s going on with the Dance Troupe?

Not a whole lot, actually. We’re having some issues with keeping our member numbers at a decent level. This problem has more or less arisen because two of the regular members [a husband and wife] just had a baby not too long ago and so they haven’t had time for practices or festivals. Also, the remaining members (myself included) have had really hectic schedules lately and so we’ve had to cancel a lot of events.

Something else that’s making this time a year a little less active than normal is that we’re working on a new dance. DJ Ozma has become obsessed with Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend, and after viewing hundreds of hours of video from her concerts, he’s put together a  dance for the troupe to do when I sing the song. This is more or less what we’ve been working on, but we’re still not ready to perform it. I think that we might have it together by the beginning of October, if everything goes well and we can keep up with our practices. Until then, if we do go to festivals, it will be good old Macchibo:

I’m not exactly sure how the Dance Troupe feels about spending so much time practicing so that they can be my backup dancers. I know how I feel about the situation: uncomfortable. Thoroughly and extremely uncomfortable. When I joined the dance troupe, my intention was to stay in the background, keep my mouth shut, and learn how to do traditional (and not so traditional) Japanese dances. I did not expect to hook up with a rock band and then have both the band and the Dance Troupe mold their shows around my performance.

I’ve spoken before about the general anxiety I feel in this “pop star” role. About how my singing has been limited to the occasional classical performance or private karaoke boxes with my friends. Admittedly, I’m used to dancing in public but I’m not used to being front and center. Heaven help me now that I’m trying to do both at the same time (not as easy as I thought it would be). I am constantly plagued by the thought: “Are you guys absolutely sure you think I should be doing this??“

I suppose for the present the answer they’re giving me is “Yes.” I certainly can’t fathom it, although DJ Ozma told me last night that The Band likes having me around because I’ve given them a breath of fresh air. I’m new, and unpredictable, and I guess they like the challenge of putting it all together.

If this is truly the case, then I can rest a little easier at night. Unpredictable and challenging I can definitely do. Polished, on key, and confident … those traits are a little trickier.

And … that’s about it as far as the Dancing World goes. I’ll leave you with a video from a live performance of Girlfriend. We’re not using all of the dancing in this, but it’s given DJ Ozma about 80% of his routine.

I know that you like me
You know it’s not a secret

Soccer World July 27, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Cultural Exchange.
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Admittedly, this wasn’t among the other worlds that I listed in yesterday’s post, but since I’ve just finished reading a lengthy analysis about the possible transfers taking place in Germany’s Bayern Munich soccer club, I’m afraid it’s where my thoughts are at present. So, I beg you to indulge me in my soccer fangirl shenanigans.

My interest in soccer goes back to about a year ago, when I found Tobias Sammet’s feed on Twitter. For those who don’t remember, he’s the lead singer for Edguy, arguably the best heavy metal band in the entire universe and one of the reasons that I have maintained my sanity to the degree that I have. But, this is digressing.

These are a few of my favorite things.

Anyway, so I found his Twitter feed and through his tweets slowly became acquainted with the European soccer stage. He’s a fan of Bayern Munich, and so he often comments about the club and its players. It soon got to a point where it was only natural for me to do some of my own research on the team, and so in this way I grew familiar with the likes of Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Müller.

We call him Schweini!

Fast forward to the 2010 World Cup, where I finally had the opportunity to see some of the Bayern team in action. The World Cup was a little tricky for me. Although I certainly felt a certain loyalty to the American team, I didn’t actually know any of the players. The German team, however, was full of superstars that I’d been following for a while. As time went on, I became more vocal about my support for the Deutsch (a loyalty easier to express once the U.S. got knocked out of the semifinals). I sacrificed sleep on three occasions to watch the last matches between Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay.

I also grew to hate Paul the Octopus.

Evil.

There is a reason why humans eat these creatures.

Since the World Cup, I suppose my fandom has  solidified. Although my personal connection to Germany is at the ancestral level at best, at least I can identify with it because it’s the home of my favorite band and my favorite soccer team. This is new territory for me, because there are a lot of things about this part of the world that I don’t know. Still, I’m learning, and I’m indebted to the technology we have today that gives me the opportunity to follow something that’s so far away.

I think that this interest in Germany has also been helpful because it’s given me another way to focus my energies outward and away from Japan. I know that moving away from this country, moving away from my town and my friends and colleagues, will be very difficult. There isn’t a lot that I can do to change that. Yet at the same time, I’m hoping to create more of a “transitional” atmosphere in the present. Don’t mistake me – I very much want to stay engaged and committed to what I’m doing now. At the same time, though, I don’t want my departure next March to be an unexpected jolt that resonates in every conceivable part of my life. Let the jolt be expected and let me have some areas that are unaffected by my move back to the States. Then perhaps I’ll better withstand the pangs of reverse culture shock.

Also, in looking beyond my move and into the time when I’ve settled in the States, I think that this interest in Germany will keep me focused on international issues. We have a highly praised Goethe Institute in Washington D.C., and this seems as good a place as any to pick up my next language. After I’ve reviewed and come to terms with my Spanish that is …

Me gusta Español y quiero hablarlo. Pero yo no tengo muchas oportunidades para practicar. El frijole está cantando.

So, let’s see. Edguy reference? Check. Picture of Schweinsteiger? Check. Death threats made to the octopus? Check. Reflections on upcoming major life changes? Check. Singing … pinto … bean?

Check.

I think we’re good to go.

Hope everyone’s having a great week!

When you’re young you always think the sun is gonna shine
There will come a day when you have to say hello to goodbye

How time flies when you’re overly caffeinated and praying for summer vacation! July 26, 2010

Posted by Earthdragonette in Summer Vacation, The Band.
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Which would be the story of my life.

I can’t believe that it’s been over a month since I last wrote an update. All I can say is that my Teaching World, Singing World, Dancing World, Gym World, Friend World, and Sleeping World all collided and the Writing World was left to fall into darkness with Gandalf in the Mines of Moria. Also, I may or may not be rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

There is so much to share with you that it’s taken me a few days to figure out how I can give a proper account of the last five weeks. I think that it would be best to write a post on each of the above mentioned worlds. This will keep my writing focused (to some degree), and will also prevent me from feeling overwhelmed (which is more or less my perpetual state of existence but I digress).

So, because I’ve made many references to this world but haven’t given a proper account of it, let’s begin with the Singing World.

Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado I give you the members of The Band.

Mr. Coke
Most of the time when I give characters names in this blog, the names aren’t used in real life. It’s important for me that my friends and colleagues remain relatively anonymous, since they’ve not exactly given me their explicit permission to write about them on my blog. With Mr. Coke, though, this nickname is the real deal. He got this name a few months ago at a festival where the band was supplying the sound system. During the lunch break, there was a coke drinking contest and we encouraged him to enter (even though he doesn’t actually like cola). He won the first round, but unfortunately didn’t make it through the finals. Still, the memory was vivid enough to inspire a nickname, and we use it to this day.

Mr. Coke , aside from being a good sport and semi-competitive soda drinker, is the founding member and lead singer of the band. He contrasts well with the other four guys, because he’s so soft-spoken and deliberate. He can play the guitar, the drums, and the harmonica in addition to belting out some powerful vocals, and he’s given me a lot of advice over the last few months. He likes to sing in English, and we’ve had a good time working on songs together. More often than not, his quiet personality makes him the punch line in about 85% of the jokes that fly around the practice shed on Thursday evenings. He once dressed up as Spiderman at a festival for a children’s game and the band will not (ever) let him forget this.

Coke Zero
This person is the other lead singer in the band, and he has some great percussion skills as well. His nickname is one that I gave him (and that most of the guys use) because not only did he participate in the notorious Soda Drinking Competition (of Mr. Coke fame), but he actually drinks coke the way that Popeye eats spinach. In fact, with the exception of beer, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him drink anything else.

Anyway, Coke Zero is even more quiet and contemplative than Mr. Coke. I like to watch his face during practices because although he doesn’t often comment on the shenanigans happening around him, his facial reactions are a sight to see. We often look at each other and break out in spontaneous laughter, which confounds the other members because they can’t figure out how we communicate. He’s one of those “gruff on the outside, sentimental on the inside” kinds of guys. I think that the band means a lot to him, and I see him as the glue that holds everything together. He is, I think, the Richie Sambora to Mr. Coke’s Bon Jovi.

The Genius
The Genius was a big surprise for me. When I first met him, I thought that he was … well … okay, I sort of thought he looked like a goblin. He didn’t say anything to me and he always seemed to be off in his own world, legs and arms crossed in profound contemplation. When we had our first practice together, though, I was astonished by how friendly and welcoming he behaved towards me. Not only is his English incredible (especially for somebody who doesn’t use it often), but he’s the only one of the band members to have any experience with the kind of music that I like. I’ve introduced him to some of my favorite European power metal bands and that’s given us even more to talk about.

As to the “genius” part, I’m not kidding. He’s our absolutely stunning lead guitar player; you wouldn’t believe what he can do. I love the story about how he was brought into the band, because it’s something out of fiction. If I understand the tale correctly, The Band met him at a festival about two years ago and more or less stole him from a rival group. I guess he wasn’t feeling creatively fulfilled with where he was, and it only took a few interactions with new band members to convince him to make the change.  I think he’s happy where he is now – he has all of the creative control he wants and everyone acknowledges that he is more fluent in the language of music than most of us could ever hope to be.

I love watching him when he hears something that doesn’t sound right to him. My hearing skills aren’t nearly as good as his, and it’s amazing to see him break down the songs into different parts until he’s found the problem and an appropriate solution. I also like him because he can hear what my problems are when I sing, and he can direct the band to play so that I can hear the key and rhythms clearly.

The All American
This person is the band’s bass player, and he’s the only Japanese man I’ve ever met that dresses like an American guy (baggy jeans, baggy T-shirt) and likes (LOVES, actually) American football. He’s the supreme joker of the group, and so it’s not surprising that he’s the one who came up with the name Mr. Coke. He’s also the one who makes sure we use these various nicknames with regularity. The All American does have a serious side; he’s very supportive and protective of his stepdaughter, who sometimes sings with the band. 95% of the time, however, you can count on him to be the fun-loving, carefree bass player who walks around barefoot, reminds Mr. Coke why wearing the Spiderman suit around children might be construed as sexual harassment, and teases me about scandals rocking the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Heartbeat
Of course I’m talking about the drummer here. The Heartbeat always seems to be in the middle of everything that the band does – both on a musical and an administrative level. Not only does he decide when practices begin, when they end, and when we take breaks, but he also is the one who arranges a lot of the details whenever we go to festivals. I think that out of all the band members, I’ve probably talked with him the most. He’s the one who feels the least inhibited in speaking to me about non-music related topics, and I think that he’s one of my main supporters in the band (and goodness knows I need that).

In terms of personality, The Heartbeat resembles The All American in that he has a powerful sense of humor and loves to pick on the other members (mostly Mr. Coke). Still, there’s something a little less gleeful about him and I’ve noticed that he performs a lot of diplomatic functions in the group. Between you and me, I think he’s probably my favorite.

So, there you have it. The members of The Band, and some of my new friends. We have practices every Thursday night from about 9 to 12 in the evening (which makes Fridays quite long indeed). They have Japanese songs that they do and that I am not involved in, but then there are about five songs that I sing with the lead singers. We do covers of Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend, Ben E. King’s Stand By Me, Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode, and a super-punk version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. We did all of those songs for a concert at one of my town’s beaches on July 10th, and now we’re working on Greenday’s Basketcase for a festival to be held in my village in August.

The festival on the 10th went well overall, but the days leading up to it were very stressful. I was still having some significant problems staying in key and hitting some of the high notes at the end of the song; I found myself constantly plagued by doubts as to my ability to be the pop idol they want(ed) me to be. Luckily, we didn’t make that many mistakes and my debut was well received by the crowd. I’ve made it my habit to practice my vocals at a karaoke booth in a nearby town a couple of times a week. I never thought I’d ever do hours of karaoke on my own but, well, duty calls. ^-^

So that’s more or less what’s been happening in the World of Singing. Over the last five weeks, I think that The Band and I have grown closer, and I’m beginning to feel more comfortable with the role that they’ve given me. I’m trying to believe that they know what they’re doing and that they haven’t made some gross miscalculation in asking me to sing with them. This perspective isn’t always easy to maintain, though, because I still feel like a preschooler who’s been asked to sit on the UN Security Council and offer insightful commentary on the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe. This is to say that I don’t have a lot of experience with rock bands and so I feel that there is a lot for me to learn.

Still, I appear to be enjoying some success and I’m grateful for that. The only thing that I can do from this point on is practice, practice, practice. Psychological angst and mental exhaustion aside, this world has most certainly put a fantastic spin on my last eight months in Japan.

May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you’re far from home