My first real kimono

Today was the graduation ceremony for the 6th graders. It was quite a boring ceremony, but I was still so sad to say goodbye to some of my students.
My teachers dressed me in kimono & hakama (special skirt worn w/ kimono on graduation). The kimono belt (obi) is tied SOOOOOOO tight, you can barely breath or walk or eat or do anything. And it makes you sit up really straight. There are 2 robes you wear, one underneath the actual kimono and then the kimono. They fasten it all together with these elastic belts that clip all the robes in place. Its quite a difficult process and it took a while to dress me but I had an expert! One of my teachers does tea ceremonies and so she wears kimonos all the time. She strapped me all together. I joked with the other teachers that I felt that at any moment all those elastic belts would come unclasped and POING POING POING!! My kimono would be on the floor at my feet and I would be running out of there butt naked!! HAHAHA!! But it looked awesome and I felt all pretty pretty princess! Then when they undressed me and undid the obi, I felt like i had just given birth or something! It was such a relief to take it off!! I got some full body shots on my camera, but I thought I would just post this one on my phone for now. I got to wear the little socks and sandals and everything! It was fun.

Why?

Why do Japanese people sit through all the credits at the movies!!??? It is so annoying! The movie is over...get up! Every time I go to the movies I am amazed that no one gets up at the end of the film, literally EVERYONE sits in the dark theater staring at the credits until the very last name graces the screen, and then and only then, does everyone get up!! Whats with that? Every time I go to the movies and I get up to leave at the end of the film everyone looks at me as if I am walking out in the middle of the movie or something. Like I am disturbing their credit watching AND the credits are all in ENGLISH anyway (or they always are for the films I go see) so its not like anyone is really reading them or anyway!!

Its all very silly.

A sad day and happy day

I just had a good cry.
The 6th graders threw a farewell party for all the teachers this afternoon. I have never fully appreciated the Japanese fondness for sentimentality until now. The children, about 50 6th graders, who are going off to Junior High school in a little under a month, threw us the best farewell party ever! They gave us each invitations to the party yesterday. A student I am very fond of, Keita, delivered mine. Then this afternoon after all the other students had left school, a group of 6th graders filed into the staffroom. They each called out the name of the teacher they would be escorting into the party. We all marched out of the staffroom and into the gym. Waiting for us there, applauding were the rest of the 6th graders sitting around a cluster of tables. I was taken to sit at a table with the principal and a 4th grade teacher and about 5 students. At our seats were little bags or treats. The party began and we chatted briefly with the kids and ate our sweets. Then the children got up onto the stage in groups and presented a PowerPoint of their classes threw the years accompanied by a little skit corresponding to each school year. It was like a self roast about their time in elementary school. Trips they took, things that happened, their visit to the zoo in third grade, their trip to Mt. Tsukuba in 4th grade and so on. The first picture put up on the screen was one of the students in first grade at the opening ceremony. There they all were as little first graders in their best dresses and suits. I began to cry then and didn't stop until it was all over. But the real tears came when the students all gathered at the front of the auditorium to sing to us, the words were simply, "Good bye teachers, thank you" Then as the pianist continued to play the melody of the song, various students from the chorus shouted out each teachers name and then thanked them for something. This really made me and everyone cry. A very shy sixth grade boy called my name, I had to do my best not to break down! HAHAHA. Then when all the teachers had been thanked the students left the front of the stage and we teachers took the stage and sang a song for them. Thank goodness I have been practicing this song with the other teachers for the past 2 months, so I got a chance to really participate. Unfortunately I left my song book in the staff room so I didn't have my English translation of the song and clung to Aida sensei for help and he shared his and I had to make do with the hiragana version. Unfortunately Aida sensei was not the person to rely on and I should have know it. He sang all the wrong words and lead me totally in the wrong direction! Then we both started to laugh which made it worse.
After singing for the kids we all sat back down and where given gifts by the students. We all got flowers and a hand made picture frame. Mine is really cute. Inside all the packages was a card or letter thanking us.

Anyway I am just really happy and sad and emotionally exhausted right now. I keep thinking about all those kids moving on and growing up. It has reminded me how special my job is. I need to take care of these kids and do my best for them. Its really important.

Setsubun

(The yummy dried fish snack served with lunch today)

Yesterday it snowed all day. It was so nice. The snow just kept piling up. I wandered around Tokyo a bit and my town taking pictures. I went across the street to a shrine that I can see from my window but have never visited. It is a very small shrine on a hill. Yesterday also happened to be Setsubun.
Setsubun is a Japanese holiday celebrated on February 3rd (yesterday. Families usher good luck in and cast away bad luck. Often someone in the family will dress up as an oni or devil, probably dad gets this job and he tries to sneak into the house. But mom and the kids catch him and they throw beans at him and yell at him and tell him to go away. Then they ask good luck to come in. Also people eat as many dried beans as they are old. I don't know why they do this. Anyway, so yesterday was Setsubun. When I went up to the shrine to take some pictures of the snow, the shrine was busy with preparations for Setsubun. A bunch of old men were stuffing bags full of mochi and mikan and beans. The Shinto presets and other old men were not very welcoming, but one man was very kind to me and he invited me in. I guess they thought I was a tourist, so when I told then I lived across the street and was a teacher they were suddenly very kind and we chatted for a bit. I was very proud because I spoke completely in Japanese!! I did pretty well too. After our visit as I was heading out, they gave me a bag of Setsubun beans, mochi and mikan. So when I got home I decided to do Setsubun properly. I cast the beans outside and (in English) told all the oni to go away and then I asked the good luck to come in. It was pretty hilarious considering I was all alone. Am I sad? Then I ate the mikan, don't think your supposed to. I think you have to put the mochi and mikan in your ancestral alter, but I don't have one so I ate them. I tried to eat 26 dried beans, but they were gross so I ate 15. maybe I will finish the rest tonight, hope it does not make a difference. And anyway it's too late for me to drop dead at 15. HA!
After celebrating Setsubun I went to Tsutaya (video store) and rented Lost, I have only seen season 1, I gotta catch up!
That was my Sunday.

Brief Encounter

I just watched this oldie for the first time a few weeks ago. Apparently everyone already knew it was one of the best films ever made. I don't know how I was not in the loop!! But anyway, I bought it and watched it and it was AMAZING!! I'm not at all familiar with classic British cinema (apart from some early Hitchcock). I need to get more acquainted, so I don't know who the actors are, but they were both unbelievable good. Its a love story about two married people in the middle of their lives who meet accidentally and fall in love. Most of the film takes place in a train station. The main female character did a really impressive job portraying someone who is really torn. She was so believable. She is not a very pretty actress which struck me at once, I must admit I love the beautiful glamorous Hollywood starlets of the 30s and 40s. She is not glamorous or beautiful. She is kinda mousy. She reminded me of the little monsters Ursula the sea witch turns people into for her garden. But I fell in love with this actress after this film. Man she was so amazing.

Anyway rent it or buy it if you have never seen it. It comes on TCM now and then. Its a really amazing film.

Today

Its raining and that sucks. BUT its 3:00 which means the day is almost over. I have taught my last class, and today is Thursday!! Do you know what that means......? Its the day the baker lady comes to school and sells her stuff for cheap. Its the best day of the week!! She makes these chocolate croissant things that are TOOO good. I am so excited about buying like 10!!

Not much else happening. My computer should be up and running again soon so I will be able to post some pictures to go with the last few posts.

later!

My safty drill story

Today my experience with Japanese school safety drills was greatly expanded. Today we had a fire drill. Or at least that's how it was listed on my schedule. But it was far more than any fire drill I had experienced in Elementary schools, the bell ringing and all the children having to leave school out the fire exists in "single file" lines.
To begin with the Japanese don't seem to do single file. There system is based around a double line and a "mainarai" were the kids stretch their arms out in front of them causing all the children to spread out and the line to move backwards. Its quite ingenious really. ANYWAY, At exactly 9:43, simulated earthquake sounds could be heard over the intercom. The principal scurried past my desk looked down at me with a smile and said "escape." So I got my coat on and followed him out of the staffroom. We converged with a steady stream of children also "escaping" all with seat cushions strapped to their heads.
****I must make a side note about these seat cushions. These chair pillows serve many many purposes. The primary one is that they simply make the classroom chairs more comfortable. They are strapped either to the seat or the back of the chair. But they are often removed and used as floor cushions when the children are attending an assembly in the gym, as there are no chairs for them to sit on in there and they always sit on the floor. Today the cushions were being used to protect their little heads from the falling debris of a fire or earthquake. Considering the Japanese talent for finding multiple uses for every day objects, I would not be surprised if these pillows were not also life vests and parachutes!****
Anyway, the kids looked adorable with their seat cushions strapped to their heads squatting on the playground in front of the school. (were is my camera!)
Safety vehicles of all kinds were parked around the school grounds, ambulances, fire trucks and a truck with a large later on the back could be seen. Our attention was directed to the 4th floor, left side corner of the building. A 6th grade teacher and 2 of his students could be see waving down on us from the balcony. The uttered a feeble and comical "taskete!" (help). Then the fireman's latter attached to one of the trucks rose up and loaded them into the small bucket attached to the top of the ladder and they were brought to the ground.
By now a crowd was building of parents (mostly mothers) neighbors, and emergency volunteers. The the swelling crowd and children were moved to the far end of the play ground, to face the front of the building. Our attention was directed to the roof and waving down on us was a 1st grade and a 2nd grade teacher. Then we heard a humming in the distance. Suddenly a helicopter was in view. It was speeding towards us. It made a few low and dramatic laps around the school grounds and then hovered over the main school building. Two men jumped out attached to zip lines. Soon both teachers were "rescued" from the roof. They were strapped to the emergency workers and hoisted up into the hovering helicopter. It was such an exciting show!!! It was like an emergency circus, an rescue fair! After the helicopter each class in groups went around to different stations set up all over the school grounds, to see more safety stuff. There was a van with a set of chairs and a table and the students were invited to come into the van and sit at the table. Then an earthquake was simulated within the van and the chairs and table and children slid about and shook as the earthquakes classification grew higher and higher. There was a tent filled with smoke which the students all had to run threw. There were other "attractions" too. The kids got to inspect the helicopter and the fire truck more closely and they got to use a chair saw? I though this particular event belonged in the 'unsafely fair' as opposed to the 'safety fair', but that's just me. 4th graders operating a chain saw sounds pretty dangerous. Anyway for the finally 3 large toffs were laid out, filled with gasoline and set on fire. Then some of the mothers came forward and were given fire extinguisher and the had to put the fires out. It looked really fun. I wanted to do it.
Anyway THIS was the "fire drill". It was the most intense and interesting fire drill I have ever witnessed.

The G-String Murders

So as you all know I love collecting classic films on DVD. I recently watched a pretty funny one. it was called, The Lady of Burlesque. Though it was based on a book "the g-string murders"!!! HAHAHAH (which is rumored to a fictional tale who's main character is modeled after Gypsy Rose Lee, famous strip tease artist of the time)
Released in 1943, it stars Barbara Stanwyck. its about a burlesque troop who are plagued by a series of murders within their theater were the female victims are strangles by their own g-strings.
Man what a great plot. I had not thought g-strings had been around that long!! But when you see there see through costume's you realise they MUST have been wearing them.

The film was OK. Barbara Stanwyck, I thought was cute in it and she did a really cute song and dance number. It had some great lines and was very funny, but there was nothing amazing about it. What is amazing though is just the overall idea of the film AND its theme song. "Take it of the e-string, play it on the g-string" HILARIOUS!

Rent it if you can. Its funny.

Random happenings

There is this kid in one of my classes who when he knows an answer and has his hand raised, if I dont call on him immediately he begins to wine, squeel and howl as if he is being beaten. It is so unbelievable and annoying. The other kids get so mad at him. Its really strange.

I saw my first pair of braces yesterday. One of my 3 grade students (That seemed a little young for braces to me. You still have a lot of growing to do at 8.) As you probably know the Japanese typically have terrible teeth. Even models and actresses and its very rare to see a big brace face around. but maybe its catching on. I think if I was in orthodontics I would move out here and set up shop, I bet you could make a million.

So today the two first grade teachers where away from school for the day. Im not sure why. So they scheduled me to teach a joint English lesson with both 1st grade classes....in the gym. at first I was excited and then when I thought about it a little more I was like, 'OH man this could suck.' All those tiny kids running around the gym while I try to teach them "How are you?". Anyway, I made a kick ass lesson and when to the gym armed to the teeth with my best games and distractions. When the assistant teacher Tamura sensei let the kids loose on the gym they immediately swarmed in like bees and made a few laps around the perimeter, screaming with glee. The lesson went OK. But it was hard to keep their attention and they were all very excited. Half way threw I looked down at the first row and saw two kids fighting. The kids often play fight so I didnt notice really. But then I realized it was real. Tamera sensei swooped in just as one of the little boys made contact with the other's face. It was like in slow motion for me. The little boy that took the punch was fine for a minute he stared back at his assaulter, hatred in his eyes. And then I suppose he realized it hurt and he began to cry. Tamura sensei whisked them both away to a corner of the gym to talk to them both. I carried on with my lesson, all the while watching them from the corner of my right eye. Later they emerged the little boy who had taken the punch was sufficiently humiliated. He sulked there the next few games, but the won the last game "Money Janken" as I call it. I was so happy for him.

Elementary schools in Japan and I would bet all other public schools, do not have central heating or AC. They cool with standing fans and heat with the most horrible contraptions. The stove, as they call it, is a humongous old, dusty, rusty thing. Its powered by kerosene and the fums make you ill, literally. Its cold in the winter here!! It snows and many of the boys are dressed in SHORTS and there is no heating. Its crazy.

Poor Kid

Today has been strange. First, I woke up early this morning and was running around trying to get laundry done before work. I ran out of the house a little later than usual and looked around and realized that a thin coat of snow lay over everything. It was so bright and beautiful. It the first snow I have seen in Japan. In fact it has been years since I have seen snow I think. so I rode to work in a jolly mood. I was sure that today was off to a good start. As I sat on the train waiting for it to leave the station, I noticed a man of about 50 sitting across from me. He was concealing some thing behind his briefcase and he was acting strangely. Then I saw him take a sip of his secret beverage, SAKE! it was 7:45am. I also noticed the young boy next to me talking softly to himself. Once I got to school the day continued to be strange. An alarm of some kind kept going off all morning causing the staff to run about and fret as the phone range and they attempted to figure out why it continued to sound. I tried to find out what sort of alarm it was, but never did. All day long there seemed to be something wrong. One of the teachers was absent from my class. And all the others seemed on edge. Then at lunch I spoke to the principal and asked her what was going on. She told me that one of the students was in trouble. His name is Akira and he is in 5th grade. She told me last night he ran away from home and spent the night outside in the cold (Its snowed last night too) finally he was caught this morning by his step mother and when he was brought home his father hit him. She told me that when Akira was in 2nd grade his Father walked out on his mother and there 3 children. His father returned 2 years later with a new wife and baby, and kicked his previous wife out of the house. So now he lives with his father and step mother. You can imagine that this kid is going threw stuff. He no longer wants to live at home with his father. He has told the principal that and requested that he be brought back to like a foster care home, were he was a few years back.

Its very sad. Poor kid. I think all of this must be so shameful for him, ESPECIALLY here in Japan, where instances like this are far more uncommon. Well i am in the middle of my day so lets see what else happens. I hope nothing else bad or shocking!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

I had a really good New Years. I met up with friends and we went out to a bar/restaurant and ate soba which the Japanese eat for longevity on New Years Eve. Then we all went to a club for the countdown and to dance tha night away. I found a 10,000 yen (almost $100.00) note on the floor, so that was awesome, I owed J 5,000 so i gave that to her, I bought some drinks for friends and then pocketed the remaining 3,000. But when I checked my pocket later, it was gone, HA! So someone else found that and was glad, I guess you got to share the wealth. I met some new people. I had so much fun.

Then we all headed home around 5am. I came back to my flat, slept for 4 hours, showered got ready and my principal S sensei came and picked me up. She had invited me over to her house for a New Years day lunch with her family. Her brother his wife and their 2 kids where there. Her daughter and her husband and her son and his wife and baby where all there also. I have met S sensei's son and his wife before, im very fond of them. But it was nice to met the rest of the family, almost everyone spoke English, even the kids. But they where all shy to speak to me at first. But after some beers and food they warmed up to me. Well the men did, but most of the women were still deathly afraid to talk to me. Oh well. We had a lot of very interesting traditional Japanese food. I ate herrings eggs which were gross and I ate the biggest shrimp I have ever seen, that was very tasty, it was almost as big as a lobster. Traditionally over the new years holiday people eat preserved foods, like picked things, the Japanese love pickles like no other people on this earth, they are called tsukemono, and they pickle all kinds of things. S sensei also served sashimi and salads. Things that dont have to be cooked, so that more time can be spent socializing with the family (This is so different from the western holiday tradition, where we all spend ALL our time cooking food that is particularly time consuming and difficult) Also each preserved food has a special meaning. The herrings eggs are supposed to give you lots of babies, YIKES!! There where about 20 different little foods, I cant remember all the meanings and the family did not know many of them, but im gonna look them up. It was really really fun. I had the best of both worlds this New Years, the only thing i didnt do is visit the shrine, but their is still time. There is a shrine across the street from my apartment, maybe I will pop over their tomorrow and get some praying time in.

First meal of the New Years : Ducky Duck (Its an Italian food chain out here) I had karubonara with a raw egg on top. Man they love their raw eggs, but im beginning too as well. Im surprised it didnt make me sick though considering it was 5am when I ate it and I had been drinking a fair amount. Maybe im getting used to it.
OK well I hope you had a good New Years.