Toride Matsuri

On my way home on Wednesday I spotted a bunch of girls in yukatas getting off at my stop. I knew this meant that there was a festival going on in in Toride (how could I have not known about this!!). So I followed them and the building crowd, down one of the side streets, near the river and found the matsuri!!! Yippie! There where tons of stalls, selling toys and lots of games. One that seems very popular is catching goldfish or koi fish or small turtles. There where stalls selling masks, shaved ice, octopus on a stick, and okonimiyaki.

As I walked along the stalls I spotted a stage on which a group of masked performers where putting on a play, maybe it was Noh theater, I am not sure. They where accompanied by a small group of musicians and it was a wonderful performance. I continued to walk to the end of the block, and much to my delight, I saw a large group of men preparing for a ritual that is performed at many festivals year round. Its the carrying of a small wooden shrine. About a hundred young men (and some women) hoist a small, but obviously heavy shrine onto their shoulders and then into the air while chanting. I am sure you have seen video of this kind of thing on TV. I was so excited to get to see the real thing. It was pretty intense. The group of men slowly make there way down the street with the shrine. Accompanying them in the persuasion are, priests, lantern carriers, the man leading the chants, and a small band of drummers and flute players. The men carry the shrine on there shoulders chanting, and because its so heavy it sways and it is clear they have little control over it, so another group of men are in charge of pushing the shrine and directing the group in the right directing and keeping it from hurtling into the crowned, which is what it almost did a few times!! The men chant and then begin to bunch slightly while walking, then all of a sudden they hoist the shrine into the air, straitening their arms. It looks incredibly painful and difficult, but it was really thrilling and exciting to watch.

It was such a fun thing to stumble upon! I also got to see many of my students, as I work in this city, many of them where there with their families. It was nice to see them.
to veiw more pictures check out my Picsa gallary: http://picasaweb.google.com/Marjoriebyrd/TorideMasturi

Jimbocho

Im on summer vacation!!! Its so awesome to have summer vacation again!! So having August off has given me ime to continue my exploration of tokyo and the suronding areas.

Yesterdasy I went into the city to do some exploring which is something I truly love to do. I just love cities I guess. I used to do the same thing when i lived in London. I would go in on a Sunday and wonder around for hours and hours, never buying anything or doing anything in particular, not going anywhere, just seeking to discover secret places.
Tokyo is so vast and divers, I find I am constantly stumbling accidentally into these new and beautiful areas of the city. I keep having these amazing walks were I find a hidden shrine or a lantern lined night market. Today I explored Jimbocho, an area known for its abundance of used book shops. They have truly ancient books for sale here, costing hundreds of dollars. Aswell as newer used books and a strange number of highly specialized stores only selling things like, play books from musicals, or antique sheet music, or pornographic books from the 50s and 60s. I found one tiny store tucked down an ally, it was so full of old moldy books that the stacks where literally to the celling. I am certain that the shop keeper was actually a toad who had magically dissguised himself as an old grumpy man. This shop specialized in old and beautifully illustrated antique books. Most of the stories seemed to be Japanese folktales, many of the pages covered in ornately and likely hand painted, color illustrations. Some of the books were not books at all, but actual scrolls!!! The books impressed me so much that I have decided to treat myself and purchase one. I had my eye on a small one costing $50 or so. I will probably go back with my mom to pick one out. There where soooo many beautiful ones I could not decide just then. Anyway, the sun was shining and I spent my day leisurely walking down the crocked alleyways of Tokyo's book filled lanes. I sat for a while on a bench on the tree lined bank of a river corsing threw the city. I watched the people bussling past on their way to work on one side of me and one the other side, people in paddleing boats floated along. I have spent many, many days just like this one, and I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be here.

YAMANBA!!!

One of the things that is so fascinating about Japan is the outrageous youth culture. We know about Harajuku girls for instance. But there are tons of other weird subcultures, tribes almost, particularly among girls. They are so noticeable because they seem to adhere so religiously to the fashions prescribed by their "tribe". I really enjoy spotting these groups and classifying them. heehee. Different areas of Tokyo are good for spotting different groups, as is the case in most cities. Though there are tons of subcultures to discuss, today I think we will focus on my personal favorite: the Yamanba.

These are Yamaba.

I saw pics of these girls in magazines around, but I had never seen one up close. Then yesterday, in Shibuya (a yamanba mecca) i saw a real one! You should have seen me when i saw a real yamanba!! The subculture peeked around 2000 and there are supposed to be no more yamanbas, so when i saw one I got really excited! I turned to my Japanese friend as we were passing her, walking threw Hachiko crossing and i said "Jenny look, a Yamanba!! I want my picture with her!" Jenny pushed me forward, hurrying me along without a word. Yamanbas are scary girls I guess.

I did some research online and found out about why they are called yamanbas. Its really interesting. The where giving that name because they resemble a character in Japanese folk lore called "yamauba". Stories about yamauba are a common theme in Noh theater. A Yamauba is a mountain crone often portray with a large moth and an ugly face, she has wild white hair and a tattered old (usually red) kimono. She is often a character in Noh plays (plays performed where the actors where masks) who prays upon travelers. She tricks them in various ways and then eats them. She can change form, often making herself look like a beautiful young girl or a helpless old lady and can animate her hair sometimes using it to grab her victims, pulling them into her nest of hair. She is like a female boogie man sort of.


(This is what a yamauba looks like when she is depicted in a Noh play.)

The fashion yamanbas of today are a spin off of the ganguro girl. Ganguro girls have tans and bleach their hair, they were bright clothes and platform shoes and crazy fake nails. The yamamba wear all of this stuff tooo, but they have crazy messed up hair usually and awful make-up (what is referred to as "panda" make-up) and intense tans.They are known to be dangerous girls who would maybe pull a knife on you or something, and they are also supposed to have bad hygiene (whatever that means, we can only guess).


Well there is my lil japanese culture lesson of the day. Out comes the sociologist in me.

Crying

My heart is broken.

My closest friend here is going back to London cause she was offered a much better job.
I am so depressed.

She was someone i really grew close to.
I have other friends out here, but most of them live far away, or in Tokyo. I can see them on the weekends, but it was so nice to have someone close by to meet up with when I had a bad day and needed a drink, or when I was lonely. We always had such a good time hanging out and going sightseeing and had planned to do a lot more traveling in Japan.

It can be hard out here cause I dont have friends at work or family or any other friends in my area. So I spend a lot of time on my own. Sophie was my family out here. Now she is going and I am going to miss her so much!!

I would always say "what would i do if you were not hear?". Well now she is going! What will I do????

poo poo

More purinkuro fun! This time with Jenny. We hung out this weekend. I crashed at her place she lives one stop from Shibuya, which must be so awesome!!!!

(and yes, in case you are wondering that poop has a moustache)

midori or chairo

Today was fun. My Principal brought in his Japanese sword for me to see. First thing this morning I was swinging a samurai sword around the principals office. It was really heavy and looked REALLY sharp. Then I sat in on a second grade class to observe their home room teacher. It was really interesting. This particular teacher is really nice and we get along well so she sat me down next to 2 other kids in the back row, I had my own text book and my own little desk. It was a kanji lesson and I learned how to write: wing, face, home, black, and sugar. The teacher told the class at the end of the lesson that I had good penmen ship so all the kids ran over to see my work. They were very funny critiquing my kanji.
I spent recess hanging out with these two 1st grade girls. They recruited me to help them collect grass hoppers in a field on the side of the school. So we chased after grasshoppers for what must have been half an hour. It seemed to make a difference whether they were brown (chairo) or green (midori) and I dont know why we collected them all in the end.
I like to play with the younger kids cause the speak a lot of Japanese to me. Even though I dont understand most of it, I per tend to so they will keep talking. I learn the most Japanese this way and I get to try out new words. I dont feel as apprehensive trying out new words with a first grader as I would say, in the teachers lounge. So its really good practice for me.
2 new words I learned today:
zembun -everyone, everything, all of it
and
owari - finished

Well now I am headed out to meet up with a friend for drinks, talk to you guys later.

Marjorie

She means business

(This is a picture of the entrance to one of my schools, this is where guests and teachers remove their outdoor shoes and put on their indoor ones.)

Today, I received a business card from a 2nd grader.
I also attended ping pong club and discovered that I am AWESOME at ping pong (again this is against 10year olds, but still, I am pretty awesome at it.

Kashiwa

"Limu sawa."
"Limu sawa futatsu?"
"Soo desu, futatsu desu, onegaishimasu."



Sake

SAFE!

While playing "Duck Duck Goose" (which I modified slightly "goodnight, goodnight, good morning!) today with my first graders a little boy did not make it into the spot in time. He did a proper home run slide and held there for a minute. The other kids laughed and while reclining he pretended to smoke a cigarette. I am all about a first graders sense of humor! I love this kid.

Also today on my schedule, a fire drill was listed during 3rd period. When I asked the other teachers about it they said "No fire drill" They spoke amongst themselves trying to figure out how to say it in English. "Earthquake drill?" I guessed. "No" and then the Secretary pretended to shoot me. They all laughed and then one of them drew a picture of a man holding a knife. I was confused so she looked it up in the dictionary. "Take shelter training." she said. Take shelter from a crazy man who runs into the school with a knife, training??" I asked. She nodded.So this afternoon the students where prepared for this possible occurrence. I was told to wait in the teachers lounge while the kids rushed about quietly with there teachers. WEIRD!! What where they doing?? I hope they dont tell me to wait in the teachers lounge if that really happens. And why on earth are they rehearsing something like that?? I know things like that happen in the stats, but in Japan???

Lately I have noticed the Japanese using English words like "Safe!" They yell this randomly when they have just avoided something bad. Or "Lucky" again used when you have avoided something bad. And then there is adding "desu" to everything. Desu is a verb, it means to be.
"OK desu." "How are you desu?" "Hello desu."

See you tomorrow desu,

Majo

Janken

The Japanese love "purinkuro" or "print club". The "purinkuro" here are amazing! You can draw all over them and put clip art on them and you can make them for only a $. The girls here have these tiny photo albums FULL of "purinkuro" pictures.

Forgot to tell you about the Japanese obsession with "rock, scissors, paper" or "Janken Po" as it is known here.

"Janken po aiko deshou" is what the kids chant. They are really obsessed. If it's a tie during one of my games in class or if the kids are arguing about who gets to drink my milk at lunch (I always put it back, which I am not supposed to do) I simply say "janken" and they go to it. Hey make this huge display of it, as if they are battling for their life. It's hilarious. And they never argue over the issue after "janken" has settled it, it's done, over. I probably preside over 10 "janken" matches a day.

It all reminds me of a video game I played as a kid, what was it?? At the end of each stage you had to have a rock, scissors, paper, match with an evil gigantic hand person. Darcy do you remember which game it was? Was it Alex Kid?? Well it all makes sense now, clearly it was a Japanese game originally and of course they had to have "janken" it.

Juku Kids

I have been slacking with the blog lately, I know. But whenever I wanna write I am at school and I can't just hop on the computer and start typing a way. Let see, what's going on…..

I love the tea lady at one of my schools. She is like my grandmother! She has this sweet face and she helps me study kanji when I have time in between classes. She even brought in a kanji work book for me to study out of! What a sweet lady. She is always teasing me and talking to me. She speaks no English and I don't speak Japanese so I just listen to her and throw in the "uhh hu" and the "really" when I think they are appropriate. She is lovely.

OK so sometimes when the kids are acting up and playing around and not focusing on the lesson, it makes me mad. As you can imagine. I don't yell at them or anything, but I get frustrated. Well today I was on the platform waiting for my train to go home after school. I always see these kids with different backpacks (blue) from the standard ones the kids in the public schools use. I always thought they went to privet school that's why their bags were different. But I was looking at this one little boy also waiting on the platform and I realized he went to my school and is one of the kids I have a hard time with always acting up during my lessons. I realized that those kids don't go to a different privet school at all, but are attending "juku" or cram school after school gets out.

For those of you not familiar with Japanese society, juku is a privet school that kids attend for often several hours, for advanced study. Seeing him made me think about the whole juku situation and his situation in particular. He has just been at school from 8 – 3:30 or something and now at 5:00 is going back to school and will probably be there till 9 or 10 at night. I have seen kids riding home on the subway at 11 at night with juku backpacks on. So what happens is that kids play during school hours. They don't pay attention, they sleep and mess around during lessons because they are attending class at night. It's a really messed up system. But it has taught me not take it personally when the kids screw off in my class because, like that 4^th grader, they are probably going to have to be in class all evening while I am at home watching TV. Poor kids!

I don't know what the deal is with all that. But the Japanese really do work hard! I see kids in their school uniforms on Sat and Sun. and on holidays all the time. Obviously they are still going into school for club or sports even on weekends and holidays. It makes me realize how lazy we are. I could not handle all of that. A Japanese friend of mine said when she was new to her job at a Japanese marketing firm she would have to be there at 7am and would catch the last train home sometimes at 12:00 at night!!! That is standard! WOW.

Well I will try to be better at posting on here, don't give up on me! I love writing in this blog.

See you tomorrow desu.

Marjorie

I wore the mask!

I have been gardening with my principal lately. In the afternoon, when I don't have class and have done all my lesson planning, he is outside planting away and I ask to join him. Japanese schools often have rows and rows of flower boxes and they require a tremendous amount of work. So my principal is outside a lot caring for the plants (this is the case at my other schools too!! Seems to be what you do, when you are the principle). I have been offering to help lately cause the weather is nice and I get bored sitting around. My principal at this school is a really funny character. He is really into traditional Japanese art and culture. He carves No masks as a hobby. No is a form of Japanese theater, where the actors wear masks and the stories it seems often center on the same characters. I mentioned him in one of my previous posts. He also Plays kendo (Japanese sword fighting) He performed in front of the school last month with another kendo expert. They did a routine of sorts, it was amazing! But anyway my principal is really funny. He is always saying to me 'I play Kendo" "You like kendo?" "Very Beautiful" "I make mask" "You like mask" "Very beautiful" "I plant flower" "You like plant flower?" "Very beautiful" And he kind of yells these questions and statements at me. He makes these same statements about 3 times a week. He is obviously a very proud man and very showy. He likes his ego stroked and he always want to hear you say "Yes kendo is very beautiful!!" But the questions never END! No matter what I am doing, he comes over to me all day long and asks. "You eat lunch?" "You eat Japanese food?" "Which you like bread or rice?" "You like konyaku?" "You like natto?" "You like book?" "You like teaching?" "You like Japan?" "You like Kendo?" "I play kendo." "Very beautiful." "Yes, your masks are very beautiful" He wants a certain answer from you. You can tell. He is funny. I hope he does not hit on me!!!

I got to go to a regular class and observe one of the teachers teaching their lessons today. I have many of these scheduled throughout next week. I have really wanted to do this! I wanted to see how the kids are with their home room teachers and how the teachers handle them. The class I sat in on was 1^st grade, music. OH My Goodness these kids where so precious. I love this class in particular. They are a very obedient class but they are also really relaxed and fun to be around, they have a great sense of humor and get all my jokes! They are very genki (a word the Japanese use a lot, there is no good English equivalent, but it kind of means lively or spirited) Anyway I love this class. They sang all there little Japanese songs beautifully. One about Mickey mouse (set to the tune of the Mickey Mouse club theme song!!) One called Zoou San or Mr. Elephant, that one was my favorite, one about a snail, one about a flower and one about shaking hands. During the last song I almost lost it though. I really almost cried when they sang "I believe in myself" It was in Japanese but the chorus was in English and the children had learned how to sign the words in sign language. It sounds really cheesy, but they were so cute!! It makes total sense that the Japanese love karaoke, they spend most of their childhood singing. The kids must have music class 4 times a week!

They were also playing these piano horns (they were weird; don't think I could have figured it out!)

As far as an update; I have just been working during the week and then going into Tokyo on the weekends. Going out in the city shopping and sightseeing with my friends and all that. I got a cold this week and yes, YES, I wore the mask. HAAHHAHAHA I did. I felt like such a jerk the first day I was sick, not wearing a mask and spreading my sickness all around, so the next day I donned the mask. It was weird, they are very hot. But definitely a must. I need to take a pic of me in it! It was a cute mask too, had to be!!! On it was a picture of a donut and a candy bar who are friends. HAHHAAHHAHA

The kids were so sweet about it too. They kept coming up to me and asking if I had a cold "Kaze?" One little 2^nd grader ask "Do you have a cold?" Me: Yes" him: "Is majori sense OK?"

Well I am off to bed, going into Tokyo tomorrow to meet up with friends, I hope we do karaoke!

Oyasuminasai

Marjorie

Little Letter

I got a letter from one of my students today, a 4^th grader!

It was a little note (in Japanese) about how she loves to study English.

In the envelope was the letter, some drawings and some pressed flowers. It was so sweet!

But I felt so bad because I had her in class today and she was just so eager to speak in English it was almost disruptive. She kept on jumping up to answer questions and the other kids were getting annoyed. So another little girl told her to cut it out and she teared up a little. I felt so bad cause I had to keep going on with the lesson. Poor kid.

Kurejito Karudo…….SUWAIPU!

Kurejito Karudo…… SUWAIPU!!!

Well for those of you who are not familiar with this "adorable" little trick Japanese children like to play on each other and TEACHERS such as myself, I will tell you about it.

The kids put their hands together, like in prayer, and run up to you, wedging it in your rear. Sometimes a cute little phrase accompanies the act. "kurejito karudo…SWAIPU" (credit card….swipe). Sometimes no phrase is necessary; the act is funny enough on its own. Anyway, I had my first experience with this the other day.

A very enterprising little boy set out a carefully planned trap and caught me hook line and sinker. I was outside waving goodbye to the kids and they gathered together in there walking groups(the kids don't take buses, but gather in groups of students walking in the same direction and a parent comes and picks up the group and walks them both to and from school) So I was waving goodbye and a little boy stopped. He turned around and removed a notebook from his bag. Smiling slyly, he chucked it in my direction and it slide just past me. I bent down to get it for him I should have been suspicious) just as I bent down he CHARGED for my butt, hands clasped. I stud up just in time and did not get it too bad, but yeah. MAN it was weird. They told us about it at the orientation and I knew about it from before. But for some reason, I never thought it would happen to ME! That little boy was SMART! I got it from a little girl a day later!!!! EEEK! And I have heard that boys have it a lot worse. The kids grab them in another place as well!!!! Not Joking!

Welcome to Japan, where the kids molest there teachers!

Another variation is the kanchyo. This one is carried out slightly differently. The fingers form a gun.

Sleepin in the Park with 200 Japanese in yukatas

Lately Sophie and I have been having some pretty crazy adventures together exploring Tokyo.

Yesterday we set out for Odaiba and the Tsukiji fish market. In the afternoon I found out the fish market would be closed because it's a holiday, so we decided to just go into Odaiba and come back.

Odaiba is a manmade island in Tokyo bay built in the mid 1800s. It was used as a military fort for some time until the early 80s when privet developers began to convert the island for recreational, residential and commercial use. But the project never really go of the ground because not long after they got started the bubble burst and the Japanese economy experienced a rather severe recession. But in the late 90s they again began to work towards recreating Odaiba. Now it's quite the place to be seen. It has nice views of the bay and the Rainbow Bridge at night, there are tons of shops and restaurants and other sites like a massive ferris wheel, museums, so on. Well we traveled out there mainly to visit the Oedo Onsen. I read about this place ages ago and had to visit. It is an onsen (Japanese hot springs) theme park of sorts. It is themed in the Edo period (the height of Japanese culture)

Sophie and I wondered around the many impressive (and themed) shopping areas, and board walk. The weather has been beautiful here and it was the perfect day to be outside window shopping and sitting at a café on a board walk looking out at the Tokyo bay. We had an awesome time we did not want to leave and ended up wandering around for longer than we had intended. After shopping around we sat out on the board walk looking at the Tokyo sky line all light up, drinking wine from a can and eatin cheeseburgers.

At around 10pm we decided to head over to the onsen and because it was getting late we decided to stay for the night there. For about 15 more dollars you can sleep at the spa, I was not really sure what that meant, or what kind of facilities there would be, but we just went anyway.

You enter the onsen (the building is really cool looking) and immediately remove your shoes and pay about $15.00. You are taken to a room were you select a yukata (Japanese robe) to wear. Everyone is in these robes, it really adds to the atmosphere!!! Then the men and women separate into changing rooms. You get a locker and you take off your clothes and change into your yukata. Then you enter the main building which houses many different shops, restaurants and games themed around the Edo period. I must admit I found this part a bit cheesy and staged, but it was really fun anyway (*also, we were the ONLY foreigners!!). It feels like being on a movie set. Everyone is in themes costume it's kind of cool, but also really corny, but the Japanese LOVE themed stuff, so it's no surprise. Anyway, you can enter the baths from here. Men and women bath in different complexes. The bath houses were amazing. Really amazing! Sophie and I got a bit freaked out by the nakedness of it all, but you get over it really quickly. There is a whole set of rituals you perform before entering the bath. First you bath yourself at these vanities were you sit on a stool in your own lil stall and shower off, clean yourself thoroughly (even brush your teeth!) All of the products are provided (towels, toothbrush, soap, face wash, shampoo, EVERYTHING) after that you may enter the bath. There were a series of different baths (not sure what they all did, the signs were in Japanese) some had jets, others tiny bubbles, some water was yellow, some pools white. We bathed in all of them and then we went to the outside baths, which are set in a Japanese garden. It was so awesome!!! Then we hit the sauna, and steam rooms. In-between baths you can take a dip in an icy cold bath to cool off (otherwise it all just gets too hot and it's hard to enjoy it), after that you shower off AGAIN. There were also tons of massages and other treatments you can get done for an extra charge. After that we went into the locker room where all the women were drying their hair putting on makeup, whatever. Again lotion, hair products blow-dryers were all provided.

The whole thing is SO WONDERFUL and relaxing. I LOVED IT!!!!!! Like I said, we spent quite a long time sightseeing and window shopping around Odaiba, that it was probably 10pm before we got to the onsen. The onsen is open all night, but no one may enter between the hours of 2am and 5am. So Sophie and I decided to stay all night (the onsen is not a hotel though). We had dinner and drinks in one of the restaurants and by 2am we were tired so we went to the resting room. This is where the story gets funny. So there is this HUGE tatame mat room in the complex. They turn out the lights in there after 12, and people sleep there, just on the floor. We did not figure there would be too many people doing this, but by the time we were ready to take a lil nap the place was packed. Image a HUGE tatame mat room full of snoring Japanese people sprawled all over the floor wearing nothing but yukatas. It was HILARIOUS. Well we found a little spot on the floor and joined them. I felt like a refugee or something. It was just so unlike anything I had ever done before. This was a really nice place. Image you visit a nice spa, or mall or something and everyone just decided to crash in one of the back rooms cause they don't wanna go home. Its not like it was just drunk young people out for a bender, there were grandmas and little babies and everyone all sleeping together. It was at least 200 people. It was so weird, but great at the same time. It was hard to fall asleep at first. People were snoring babies crying and the floor was hard. But we managed to get some sleep. Just as I was falling asleep a huge wooden and paper room divider fell on my head! (We were sleeping in the mothers and children section, and some guy in the main area snuggled up to the divider) I could have killed him! Anyway we woke up at about 5:30, and went back into the bath. It was so nice in the morning. A lot less people, and the air was cooler outside. I was so great! We got dressed and headed back into the city.

But our train ride home is quite long (Odaiba is in the south, we live in the north) so we decided to stay in Tokyo for the day. By this time Sophie and I were SO tired. So we decided to go to Ikerubukuro to a park there and take a nap and then walk around the area. So we bought some breakfast and a mat from the $1 store and looked for a park. Tokyo does not have an abundance of green spaces; the best we could find was kind of a dingy courtyard with a bit of grass on the sides. But we pulled up alongside the bums, literally. Some of them came over to talk to us. I my experience homeless people in Japan are VERY different from the States. They tend to be REALLY friendly and jolly; they NEVER ask for money or food and get kinda touchy if you give anything to them. We hung around for a bit, snacking and whatever and then we laid and took a nap!!! HAHAHAHAH We slept for a few hours and woke up and got lunch. We walked around Ikebukuro which is a really neat area; I would like to live there. And now I am home again. I have been away from my apartment for about 30hrs! I had an awesome time.

Masks

The Principal at my current school makes Noh (Japanese theater)masks as a hobby. They are absolutely beautiful. He has made dozens and they are hanging all along the walls at the school. I love them. I have such a thing for masks. He carves them and paints them, I think its so cool. I want to learn about the art from him, he is really into it so maybe he will help me to purchase a set, I would like to buy one or a few, over the course of my stay here. They are going to be expensive, but it is totally worth it.

Below are pictures of my visit to another one of my principles houses. We had a wonderful lunch and her family was so nice and her son and his wife had just had an ADORABLE baby!

gray jelly, GAGGING!

I am hating the school lunch lately. Everyday I dread 12:20. It is my own personal culinary torcher chamber! Oh man, I am shuttering just thinking about it. There is this weird vegetable/mystery that they seem to serve in everything. (dry heaving) You fellow ALTs tell me if you know what it is. Its gray and jelly like and has black speckles. I can not handle it even on my plate let alone ingesting it. (Hold on, I need to take a minute)

I was in the grocery store today and had to leave cause I was getting nauseous at the sight of all the school lunch foods I hate. Like daikon, it does not have any flavor really, but I cannot stand it. Or the soup, every day the same soup, it has this smoky taste, and those weird gray things floating in it, AHHHHHHHHHHH Tofu everything has the worst tasteless tofu in it. I like tofu OK its just every day, its driving me mad! Even rice is making me a bit queasy now a days. I think its cause I must eat it every day and its usually the only thing I can stomach so I make sure to finish the entire portion even though i did not even want it in the first place. Today I just could not do it. I could not force down ANYTHING and as usual the kids at my table all commented on the fact that i had not eaten anything and the teachers giving disapproving looks. One little girl asked "on a diet?" NOoooooo, I'm not on a............yes! YES! I am on a diet! Yes that is it! So now that is going to be what I tell everyone. I think it is easier to understand and except rather that "Your food makes me gag." And the Japanese are ALWAYS asking you "Can you eat Japanese food?" When I first got here I was like "Yeah! I love sushi and udon, ramen, tempura, yakiniku, yakitori, yum yum gimme some! " but those are the Japanese foods that made it to the states and those specific ones made it for a reason. Cause they appeal to our western pallets. Now, everyday I eat things that are so unappealing, my body feels the need to let me know that it will not, not hold that gray jelly down for long, so dont put in in here cause it aint stayin!!

I mean I knew there were things that would gross me out. But honestly I did not realize how much I would grow to hate the food here. Shhhhh...dont tell anyone.

I eat Japanese food EVERYDAY and I think that is why i have developed such an aversion. Plus I am "encouraged" to finish my meal. (I never do, unless its curry day!) If I was having Japanese food every week or so, things would be different, but well obviously there is a problem because I have now been writing for the past 20min about how horrible the food is!!!

Not like there is something wrong with Japanese food in particular. I am quite curtain I could wipe up a meal full of Southern staples that I would find delicious, but would make the average Japanese person shutter.

Anyway, I just needed to vent about all of that.

OH! And I also hate squat toilets, but I am not going to go into the details about why those suck. You can use your imaginations.

I am having a great week though. Teaching is going really well. Tomorrow is my last day at Togashiranishi. And Tue will be my first day at my third school (Ina). Its a holiday and so will only be working Tuesday and Wednesday next week! So thats awesome!

Below are pics of me getting my fortune at the temple in Asakusa. You put 100yen into a slot, then you pick up that canister and shake it. There is a hole at the bottom and a chopstick comes out. On the end of the chopstick is a number in kanji. You find the corresponding number on the chest of drawers, pull your fortune out of the draw and VIOLA!

I got another good one! Yippie!

It said that I have been traveling since I was a child and that I will continue to do so!! WOW! And some other good stuff, cant remember now.

Well have a good week and be glad you dont have to use a squat toilette, or eat all of your own personal gross out foods everyday for lunch. HAHAHHAHAHAH

Talk to you soon.

The Collective Sleep

Today was my first day at my next school Togashiranish Sho Gakko. I have 3 schools and I rotate between them.

I went to the sneakers and suits convention today! At 1:00 all the teachers in Toride City came together for a meeting. There were about 250–300 teachers all together. A few ALTs (which is what I do) came as well. We all met at one of the local Junior High schools and sat in the FREEZING cold (I don't think Japanese schools are heated!!!) gym for speeches. This is what I observed: It is perfectly acceptable to sleep during assembles and meetings. About 3 minutes into the assembly during the first speaker's speech, about half the auditorium began to nod off. It was hilarious to watch every one's heads bobbing forward as they fell asleep! One guy even started snoring!! HAHAHAH. Apparently this happens in meetings and assemblies like this ALL THE TIME!! As soon as someone starts talking the Japanese start to get sleepy, even if they are not actually tired. I think this comes from when they were in school. They often let kids sleep in class here and so I think this behavior is ingrained in them since childhood. At one point I am sure 80% of the audience was sleeping!

The teachers really pulled out all the stops for today's sneakers and suits convention. One of my principals was wearing this lace turtle neck with a hot pink track suit Jacket, and pencil skirt, white stockings and Nikes!!! It was pretty awesome.

Hot Dog Soup

I eat lunch with the kids every day. I love it. I eat what they eat, which is the school lunch. In Japan, the kids don't eat in a cafeteria, the lunch is brought to their class room and the kids serve the food to the other kids, even the lil ones serve it up! I love the whole thing. I sit at one of their tables and they all talk (in Japanese) about what they should ask me, and how to say it in English. We never talk about much, but it's just fun to hang out with them. The questions they ALWAYS ask me are: Do you have a boyfriend? (I was even asked this in a 2^nd grade class) What is your favorite color? and What is your favorite food? After lunch is teeth brushing time. It is literally a time designated on the schedule. After lunch they play this one song over the P.A. All the kids get out their toothbrushes and off they go. It makes a lot of sense actually; we should do that in the States!!

Sometimes the lunch is great, sometimes it's bad and sometimes it's just strange. Like today for lunch I had cold broccoli covered in a dressing of some kind, hot dog soup????????? (It was soup with tiny cocktail weenies floating around in it!!) and a dough nut. That was my lunch. It was weird. Good but weird.

I love teaching. It's the best when the kids see you coming down the hall towards their class and they run towards you to carry your bag, or some run back to the class and yell "Majori Sensei!!!" and the other kids run out to see. What a stroke to your ego to make an entrance like that every day!!! And sometimes when I walk into the girl's bathroom some of the girls scream when they see me!!! HAHAHAH it's so funny! Or if I say hello to the kids sometimes the shy girls scream.

Also I need to tell you all that the hooky poky has saved my life!! Every time I finish my lesson and there is still 5 minutes of class, I pull out the good ol' hooky poky. The kids freakin LOVE IT!!! I have done the hooky poky more times in the last week than I ever did as a kid. I don't have it on a CD so I sing it. Man I am so glad you guys can't see me jumping around in the middle of a circle of a bunch of 4^th graders, screaming "ya do the hooky pooky and ya turn yourself around" and shaking my butt!! I laugh to myself every time.

 

The Mecca of Cute

This weekend I worshiped at the shrine of Snoopy and hung out with the Harajuku Girls! Me and S went to Harajuku on Sunday.

Sunday is when all the kids come out and dress in crazy cosu-pure at the entrance of Yoyogi Park. We also shopped around; there are a ton of fun stores in Harajuku. Kiddyland is probably the best place on the planet, it is a 7 floor cuteness Mecca! Each floor has different souvenirs from different characters; Disney, Pink Panther, Sanrio, Random Japanese characters, Totoro, My Little Pony and so on. You can buy everything from umbrellas, to toilet paper holders. It's AWESOME!!! We also went to the huge Snoopy store (probably the biggest in the world) then the 5 floor 100 yen shop ($1 store).

Something I found really strange about Japan is that people wear surgical masks if they are sick. So you will see people in public wearing them ALL the time. Even if they are all dressed up, old, young, EVERYONE. At first I really thought it was weird. But now I totally get it. And if I see someone like sneeze on the train without and mask on, I get all grossed out and upset. Because you are in such close proximity to people all day, especially on train and at rush hour (which is when I travel, there are not pushers on the platform, but it feels like it!!!) it's out of courtesy that you cover your mouth if you are sick. Maybe I will wear one when I get sick!!!!! I will take a picture if I do. I should. I will.

6th graders

Hey guys!!!

WOW I have had the CRAZYEST WEEK!!!! I taught for the first time on Tuesday. I was really nervous, but so excited overall. I had all these fun games planed and I just could not wait. I was teaching the 6^th graders and I had been warned that they were really going to be hard. But, you know, I figured I could handle it. Well my lesson fell on its face. They did not want to participate, they thought it was lame. Their teacher sat at the back and read a book giving me NO help whatsoever. I sped through my lesson and got out of there!!!! Ran straight for the bathroom and cried. I spent the next period in there, and then I had to come out and teach ANOTHER 6^th grade class. I was so upset. But I pulled myself together and went in there. This lesson did not go quite as badly, but it still did not run smoothly. At least I got them to play one of my games. But again the teacher left the room!!!! Could not believe it!! The teachers are never supposed to leave the ALTs alone with the students for a long period of time. I was really frustrated with my situation. I felt like if I had their support it would have made it easier. Anyway, I got to leave school early, (THANK GOD!!) to go pick up my alien registration card. Yes, I am an alien. I got home and just felt really badly about my whole situation. I was feeling like teaching was going to be like that every day. And that would have been unbearable. I went to sleep which is what I do when I can handle what's going on.

I got up the next day and revised my lesson plan. I usually have a few periods off in the morning which is great because it gives me a chance to prepare for the following days lessons and it means I don't really have to do any work when I get home. So I changed my lesson plan a bit. I was armed and ready for the 3^rd graders. I was ready to be humiliated and again and to run out or f there crying. But my lesson went really well. The 3^rd graders were delightful. They participated in all my games they sang along with the corny CD I used to play "my name is.." Hot Potato and they were just generally wonderful and into the whole thing. Plus there teacher was so helpful and supportive!!! She was great she explained what I wanted them to do in Japanese; she organized them and kept them from getting too rowdy. The rest of the day I taught another 3^rd grade class and a 5^th grade class as well. Both went really well. Having the Japanese teacher there to help you and support you makes all the difference!!!

So my week continued on like this. After the first week I have now taught each class once (except for the 1^st and 2^nd graders) and had a really great time doing it!!! Eating lunch with the kids is a blast too. It sucks I don't know more Japanese! They are really cute and funny and ask you the craziest questions.

My day usually goes like this:

Get to school at 8:00.

First class at 10:45

Class

Class

Lunch with one of the classes at 12:30

Then there is recess, I usually go outside and play with the kids

Then it's clean up time, I don't clean up but usually prepare for the final lessons of the day

Then I teach a class
p>Have the last period off

Go home at 5:00

It's a pretty great schedule. I usually teach 3 or 4 lessons a day. Then I have the rest of the day to prepare.

Overall I really love teaching. It is hard, but it can be so much fun. I taught 6^th grade again on Friday and they weren't so bad, so maybe I just need a little experience. I definitely need more experience. The first time I teach a lesson (I usually teach on lesson 4 times) It never goes too well, but the second time I have had a chance to think about what works and what doesn't and make the changes. So when I go in there a second time and give the lesson again things are a lot more organized and planed out. Teaching Elementary School is so wonderful, but it is really exhausting. I get home and crawl right in bed.

Last night was the teacher welcoming party. It was really expensive to go (the Japanese often entertain at restaurants so when you get invited to a party its usually going to coast you the food and drinks and coast of renting the room) It was a lot of fun though. It was one of those traditional Japanese restaurant layouts, long tables, tatame mats, soji screens and chairs on the floor, but the food was Chinese. This kind of saved me because, had it been traditional Japanese food, I might have offended my Principal (who I was sitting next to!!) by not eating the raw egg and seaweed salad. I LOVE lots of Japanese foods, there are just others that would have made me lose my lunch right there on the tatame mats!!

So anyway, it was an all you can eat all you can drink deal. The food was great and so was the beer. Suddenly the door slid open and one of the male teachers walked in dressed as a Geisha!!!! HAHAHAH it was so funny, he did this dance to a pre recorded traditional Japanese song that was about Ino Sho Gakko (my school) it was so funny. Then another teacher came in dressed as a high school girl (kinda sick I know!!) and had a big stick and was yelling at us all about something. It was apparently very funny, but obviously I did not get the jokes. But a middle-aged Japanese man in a sailor suit and a wig is funny enough for me. They also had me and the other 2 new staff, come up front and make speeches. I got a Japanese friend to help me with mine and I read from my lil piece of paper and all the teachers were very impressed. Then they brought in these HUGE flower potted things, and gave them to us, which was very sweet of them!

I got home at around 9:00 at night and crawled straight into bed. I woke up this morning at 6:00 to a slight vibration. Yes that's right folks I felt my first earthquake!!!! It was very miner, but still very exciting. I had heard people describe feeling the earthquake as being thrilling. I thought that was absolutely ridiculous, and was dreading feeling one. But its kinda true. It is very exciting to experience one!! HAHAHA I was very sleepy and stayed in bed because I knew it was a small one.

Anyway, I am going to stay in today even though it is so gorgeous outside, because I need to save my money. I am possibly going into Tokyo tomorrow to do some sightseeing.Im going to take advantage of the good weather and hang out some laundry.

Ja mata!

Pogo sticks and unicycles….why?

(Me and Kika climbing Mt Tsukuba (Sophie came too). Well we did not really climb it, but we ate lunch at the top.)

(YES...that is a Totoro doughnut. He was cream filled and delicious)

So I have had my first two days. They have been interesting. I have not actually taught yet, I have just interacted with the staff and worked in the staff room, but boy has it been something else.

Yesterday, after my first day, I had a meltdown. Yesterday was really heard. I had my first case of sever culture shock and home sickness. It was crazy. I just felt like my school and the people that worked there were really unfriendly. They weren't really that bad, but this was my day.

Yesterdays experience:

I came in and barley got a hello. The entire day I sat at my desk and fiddled around because I did not know what else to do. No one ever told me what I was meant to be doing and really I had no idea. I read over the previous ALTs lesson plans that had been left for me. That was interesting and helpful, but it only took up a few hrs. The rest of the time I farted around. The people at my school don't speak English so they barely spoke to me. I guess no one had been given charge of me because no one looked after me, showed me around the school or introduced me to everyone. I was left on my own all day. And I guess that's just how they do it here (I later found out that is totally normal here for ESL teachers). I was so surprised though!!!! Anyway after spending the day pretending to write lesson plans and being talked over, I was a bit on edge. By the time I arrived home I was so home sick and feeling lonely and lost. I had a tantrum and could not get in touch with anyone. It sucked. But after a time I cooled down with the help of friends and boyfriend.

Today was so much better. I guess I knew what to expect today. And…I brought candy so at least they had to talk to me!!!hahahahahah

Yeah today was so much better. I brought stuff, work to do and I worked on some Japanese phrases to use and I think the teachers felt a little more comfortable so they used the little English they know. That all made it better.

Now….here is my little story: I have read a lot about peoples experience teaching in Japan. They all talk about how the Japanese ask the English teacher to do this really last minute, like pull games and activities and entire lessons out of there ass's. Well I experienced that fist hand today.

I was sitting in the teacher's lounge doing work, when I looked up and all the teachers were gone except for me and the other new teacher (a women who teaches 3^rd grade) she turns to me and says "I so nervous, you too?" hummmmm…..nervous about what I think to myself…?? Suddenly the vice principle runs over and say to me "you make speech now?" What? WHAT?????!!!!!

I get up and he leads me and the other teacher into the gym where everyone…EVERYONE….the students, teachers, staff, moms….everyone is sitting patiently waiting for me. I think OK, this will be OK. Then he leads us onto the stage!!!!A series of bowing ensues with each speaker. The proper hierarchical order is followed with me last (obviously) so I get up and do just as the other teachers have done. Bow to the others on stage, bow to the stage, walk, bow to the podium, walk forward, bow to the students (and almost hit my forehead on the mike, wish I had, it would have been really funny) I stumble through a Japanese introduction of myself (which the Japanese are always impressed with, even if you spit out "hi, I Marjorie. Good days", they think you're a genius). So then I go into this cheesy speach about learning English!!! YEAH!!!! (No one claps, which was weird) then I do the whole bowing ritual again and go back to my seat. (Note: I am a bowing freak now, anytime anyone bows at me, it is like by body takes over and we do this dance of bowing deeply then the bows become smaller and smaller until it's just a nod. I bow a lot in the day.)

The whole thing was pretty hilarious; I wish you all could have seen it. Here is the thing though. How could I have not seen that coming? Like I said I know they do this. I got totally blind sided though. WHY!!!????

Other things about school: Snack time. It's AWESOME! AWESOME I TELL YOU! At about 3:30 all the teachers start to rush around grabbing cups from your desk. (I drink about 8 cups of green tea a day, not by choice mind you!) They start making the rounds, they drop off your tea (they always make mine weak, I don't know if they think I can't handle it, which I can't, or if they just don't like me) Then they start dropping of little individually wrapped snacks. There is always 'osembee' (Japanese rice crackers which I LOVE!!!!) and cookies, and then there is always something really strange and awful which I eat anyway and then spend the rest of the day trying to figure out what on earth it was!!! But it's pretty wonderful; there are usually about 5 different snacks on my desk by 4:00. What a great thing.

OK, all Japanese children can ride a unicycle. What is with THAT?? All day while I am at my desk and I looked up and like little girls in pig tails ride slowly by the window on unicycles followed by a boy or two on a pogo stick. They all look in at me and wave and yell "hellllooooo". Their play grounds here are pretty bleak. It's a gravel field with an ample supply of unicycles and pogo sticks and then this strange jungle gym that goes way too high and looks really dangerous and that is it.

Overall I am loving it all. Even though I don't get to talk to anyone EVER, I rather like just observing all the Japanese behavior and rituals. It's the sociologist in me I guess. Sometimes I even take notes. DORKY! At some point I will either lose my mind or become a mute if I continue to be unable to communicate things like "I am going to the bathroom"

I wish I could send pics but we are not allowed to take pics except for on festival days.

Well wish me luck for my second week. I will be teaching finally. I am so nervous. And on Friday I have my first staff drinking party to attend. I hope we Karaoke. My new favorite to do is Stevie Nicks 'Dreams' HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…………. it is though.

I will write again about my weekend which was also really interesting.

Love you all,

Byeeee