I attended my first Japanese funeral last night, my first in adulthood. I never imagined I would experience attending a funeral while living abroad, but it happened. Not that I was looking forward to the experience.
Tragedy struck the famiy of one the 5th graders, a cool little girl named Sayaka, when her father accidently slipped and fell from a 30-foot tower at his job, a local steel plant in town. Especially considering Japan's high safety standards, the news came as a shock to all, enough to make the newspaper. According to the article, he wasn't wearing any safety harnesses, which I'm guessing is typical safety gear worn in that situation, however, he was wearing a hard helmet which obviously wasn't enough but it wasn't enough to prevent his death. He was 52.
I wasn't aware of any of this until the day of the funeral, which was the day following the accident. 10 minutes before I was due to go home, Kanie-Sensei approached me and asked was I going to the funeral that evening. I was like, "Funeral?! What funeral?!! Who died?!"
Learning the news put a downer on an otherwise fine day. Ten minutes before I walk out the door, I'm being asked to go to a funeral. I didn't particularly feel up to going to somebody's funeral on a moment's notice, though after a minute or two of contemplation, I decided I would attend to show support for one of my students. I wasn't exactly dressed to attend a funeral service (though some might disagree. har!) so after school, Kanie-Sensei ofered to take me by his whouse to pick up some clothes for us to wear. We got the gear and came back to the school. He had a spare black suit, actually, it was his old man's suit which he let me wear. The pants legs and arms on the jacket were flooding like crazy, but there was nothing we could do about it. Afterall, this wasn't a fashion show. After we changed, he gave me some ceremonial Buddhist prayer beads and a quick tutorial on what to do at the funeral (there were a couple of rites that visitors performed to show respect for the dead, one involving the manipulation of wooden ashes).
We hopped back in his van and headed to ceremony, which was right down the street from the school, but not before stopping at the nearest convenience store to grab a quick bite. Kanie-Sensei paid for my meal, which consisted of a microwaveable bento plate with a standard small portion of spaghetti, rice and chicken kara-age (Japanese-style fried chicken chunks), plus an onigiri (rice ball wrapped in seaweed) and a small bottle of hot tea. We scarfed that down in his car in the store parking lot, before making the 3-minute drive down to the appropriately-named "ceremony hall" (I'd always wondered exactly what kind of ceremonies were held in Japanese ceremony halls, since weddings are typically held in churches. Yes, a Buddhist nation which holds a great majority of its wedding ceremonies in Christian churches. Figure that one out).
I learned alot about Japanese funerals that evening. I was particularly impressed by the turnout. There were at least a couple hundred people who showed just within the 20-minutes we were there. The whole community: besides family members, classmates, parents, teachers, friends, co-workers were all in attendance, waiting in two long lines to enter the very Western-styled hall. Being the only foreigner there, many a head turned when I walked in the place dressed in black; a lot of the folks there from the school community knew who I was so it was all good. Amongst the crowd, I think I saw the high school punk whom I suspect vandalized my bike way back when. When I see him on the street, he usually tries to mean-mug me, to no avail, but on this night he avoided eye contact completely. I'm sure he was more surprised to see me there than I was him.
The atmosphere of the funeral wasn't particulary somber at all. The hall was mostly quiet and the inner hall where the family and some guests were seated was well-lit. When the prayer ceremony started Kanie motioned me to follow him into the inner hall. I trailed him to empty seats and just basically mimicked what he did. He pulled out the beads and clasped them around his hands then put them together in prayer. I did the same. At the front was a wooden altar with a framed picture of the deceased. Then a clergyman at the front opened a book and began reciting a prayer, which actually was more of a chant. Everyone else broke out in unison with the chanting but none of them had any literature to recite from--they were coming straight off the head; that was when I noticed that all the visitors weren't participating in the prayer. I realized then that "Oh, the folks praying must be the HARDCORE Buddhists," real practicing Buddhists, as opposed to most Japanese people who are not. (Just like folks in the U.S. claim they're Christian yet don't go to church or mass, it's kinda the same in Japan with Buddhism). What was amazing was how everyone including Kanie was reciting the mono-syllabic utterances flawlessly, straight from the head, for about 10 minutes straight. Meanwhile, I sat there with hands together wondering if they were repeating the same phrases or reciting one mega-long passage.
During the prayer, I was peeking up, watching the clergyman and reading the family names scripted on the big flower bouquets for the family, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed two people stand up and walk to the middle of the room and start bowing incessantly. I then spotted Sayaka in the front row on the other side of the room. She was sitting alone, sobbing uncontrollably holding a small towel over her eyes to soak up her tears. Sadder than her crying, was that not one person was consoling her or even had their arm on her shoulder. I mean this kid is only 10 and just lost her father for the rest of her life. I felt for her and just wanted to go over and give the kid a hug. Where were her folks? I realized then the people who'd gotten up were her mother and older brother. They had to stand together to bow and pay respects to EVERY ONE of the dozens of visitors. There was nothing they could do to console Sayaka at that point. I looked up and saw Sayaka's mom bowing, herself in tears. The brother was holding himself together and did his duty. He only looked about high school-aged. Kanie-Sensei and I got up and joined the line to pay respects. When we got to the front of the line, we performed some ritual which involved moving small ashes by hand from one box to another, three times. We then bowed to the family and left.
More surprising was the fact we received parting gifts on our way out the door. In our gift bags were: small packets of salt (used to wash the hands of bad spirits) and a box of household white sugar. That had me imagining what American funerals would change if they had to give gifts away to visitors.
I don't know if I fear death, however it's been on my mind more than I'd like as of late. I don't worry about my own death so much, rather I think I have some buried anxieties about my family and friends. Now I know 3 people who've lost parents within the span of the last two months--something I've been sympathetic to, yet can't relate to. What I have learned from witnessing these people, is that death and loss and painful but not unbearable. These people have continued carrying on their lives for the future. But then, of course they would. What the hell am I fretting about anyway?
I know it's kind of silly to sit and contemplate the ramifications of death and loss of loved ones while people are still walking around live and well, but it's something that I know I'll inevitably have to face, including my own. Everyone has to have their turn, as morbid and immature as that sounds. As the saying goes: "The only things certain in life are death and taxes," but I wonder, is there anyway I can be prepared for it or deal with it when it happens?
Jan 13, 2005
Jan 7, 2005
IN THE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER...
Hi. Happy 2000-frickin-5! Wow. One more year and we'll be halfway through the doggone decade already. They weren't bee-essing when they said time flies as you get older, whoever "they" is.
Wrapping up my annual holiday home visit. I enjoyed my break markedly more than last year's, primarliy because it was about a WEEK longer. Yeah. I rested fairly well, ate fairly well, and caught up with fam and friends fairly well. This year, I gave up trying to track down every single human I know, and just get on with the ones who were accessible. I must say, there's a lot less anxiety in doing it that way.
Not news, my family is a trip. Good people, love them to death, but at the ripe age of 27, I'm really beginning to understand why my girlfriend accused me of speaking "too aggressively" to her to the point where she felt upset and like I was belittling and demeaning her--which was SO not true. I've never displayed true anger towards Sa, and was befuddled and annoyed she could accuse me of behaviour I clearly felt I wasn't displaying towards her. I tried to explain to her that "Baby, this is just the way I speak. I'm not actually mad at you." In my defense, I even chalked it up to our cultural differences. But upon winter re-immersion amongst kinfolk, after laying back and soaking in oh-so-many familial dialogues, it hit me: just about everyone in my family has the ability, rather, the inclination to chew each other out, even during the most loving of moments. Non-violent people we are, yet it seems everyone in our clan posesses the rhythmic skills of nagging, debating, contesting and chiding, to varying degrees. And the Smart Alec gene is woven tightly into our DNA, without a shadow of a doubt, and kicks in like clockwork to jocular and/or aggravating effect, situation dependent. I realize now, I also possess these oral behaviour patterns and they've become engrained in me as well. Though a quiet-type of individual, apparently I've acquired the craft of verbal jousting, merely by necessity of survival in my family caucus. And, at least to one Japanese young lady, a craft which seems domineering. Wow, what a revelation.
Hmm. On one hand, being a smart-ass can be quite useful, and debate skills are admirable, but alas, the last thing I want to be is a nag. Argh. I hope I haven't been a nag. Note to self: apologize to Sa just in case.
On a Mis Cleo-esque note, I have a few predictions to make for 2005. Coming into this year, my feelings are pretty neutral, anticipating nothing in particular--which leads me to believe that 2005 will be an interesting, and bigger-than-expected year. I get the sense that this will be a year of life-altering transition, growth, and development. In the same breath, I suspect '05 may also be a bittersweet year on personal, national, and even global levels. It'll be a year of surprises, some good, some bad. I think it'll be one of those years where one individual can experience personal tragedy and personal triumph. Whereas 2004 seemed like a "hold steady, maintain" type of year, I think 2005 will be a year marked by CHANGE. Don't ask me why--I'm not feigning clairvoyance--this is just my gut I'm working with here.
Unfortunately, the new year came in the wake of monumental global disaster with the tsunami deaths of South Asia. Even to learn of the many casualties in Thailand, on the same isle I vacated to just months ago, didn't really hit home for me. I felt so detached, I guess being so far away from it all, safe within the domestic confines of the good l' US of A. Gosh, how American of me. I'm just glad I went there in the summer and not for winter break. Amen.
Contrary to popular belief, all the effects of our lives are not subject to our individual wills alone. By the way, I don't exactly believe that everything that happens is pre-destined to happen exactly as it happens, if you know what I mean. However, I am a firm believer in Karma. What we put out in the world, we WILL get back, please believe it!
Happy '05!
Wrapping up my annual holiday home visit. I enjoyed my break markedly more than last year's, primarliy because it was about a WEEK longer. Yeah. I rested fairly well, ate fairly well, and caught up with fam and friends fairly well. This year, I gave up trying to track down every single human I know, and just get on with the ones who were accessible. I must say, there's a lot less anxiety in doing it that way.
Not news, my family is a trip. Good people, love them to death, but at the ripe age of 27, I'm really beginning to understand why my girlfriend accused me of speaking "too aggressively" to her to the point where she felt upset and like I was belittling and demeaning her--which was SO not true. I've never displayed true anger towards Sa, and was befuddled and annoyed she could accuse me of behaviour I clearly felt I wasn't displaying towards her. I tried to explain to her that "Baby, this is just the way I speak. I'm not actually mad at you." In my defense, I even chalked it up to our cultural differences. But upon winter re-immersion amongst kinfolk, after laying back and soaking in oh-so-many familial dialogues, it hit me: just about everyone in my family has the ability, rather, the inclination to chew each other out, even during the most loving of moments. Non-violent people we are, yet it seems everyone in our clan posesses the rhythmic skills of nagging, debating, contesting and chiding, to varying degrees. And the Smart Alec gene is woven tightly into our DNA, without a shadow of a doubt, and kicks in like clockwork to jocular and/or aggravating effect, situation dependent. I realize now, I also possess these oral behaviour patterns and they've become engrained in me as well. Though a quiet-type of individual, apparently I've acquired the craft of verbal jousting, merely by necessity of survival in my family caucus. And, at least to one Japanese young lady, a craft which seems domineering. Wow, what a revelation.
Hmm. On one hand, being a smart-ass can be quite useful, and debate skills are admirable, but alas, the last thing I want to be is a nag. Argh. I hope I haven't been a nag. Note to self: apologize to Sa just in case.
On a Mis Cleo-esque note, I have a few predictions to make for 2005. Coming into this year, my feelings are pretty neutral, anticipating nothing in particular--which leads me to believe that 2005 will be an interesting, and bigger-than-expected year. I get the sense that this will be a year of life-altering transition, growth, and development. In the same breath, I suspect '05 may also be a bittersweet year on personal, national, and even global levels. It'll be a year of surprises, some good, some bad. I think it'll be one of those years where one individual can experience personal tragedy and personal triumph. Whereas 2004 seemed like a "hold steady, maintain" type of year, I think 2005 will be a year marked by CHANGE. Don't ask me why--I'm not feigning clairvoyance--this is just my gut I'm working with here.
Unfortunately, the new year came in the wake of monumental global disaster with the tsunami deaths of South Asia. Even to learn of the many casualties in Thailand, on the same isle I vacated to just months ago, didn't really hit home for me. I felt so detached, I guess being so far away from it all, safe within the domestic confines of the good l' US of A. Gosh, how American of me. I'm just glad I went there in the summer and not for winter break. Amen.
Contrary to popular belief, all the effects of our lives are not subject to our individual wills alone. By the way, I don't exactly believe that everything that happens is pre-destined to happen exactly as it happens, if you know what I mean. However, I am a firm believer in Karma. What we put out in the world, we WILL get back, please believe it!
Happy '05!
Dec 16, 2004
MATA RAINEN (SEE YOU NEXT YEAR)
Today marks my last day of work for the year 2004. Feels good. I enjoyed an easy-breezy week at Elementary school and had a good time. Today I had a special class with one of the first grade classes. Class 1-2 held a little Christmas party, and when I arrived they adroened me with a handmade paper necklace and crown, and started calling me king. No, seriously. I got a stack full of handmade Xmas cards with thank-you messages and pictures attached. Without trying to be mushy about things, I'd have to say they were in fact adorable.
After that, we took a few group pictures and then we headed off to the freezing-cold school gym to play an earnest match of Dodgeball. Dodgeball is a serious sport in Japan, and I respect that. I was drafted to the white team, and was elected to play the tip-off to my slight height advantage over the 5-6 year-old field. Surprisingly, I did meet their expectations and managed to tip the super-malleable turqoise dodgeball to my teammates. The game ensued, in which I got popped and sent to the supporting sidelines twice, but was able to redeem my draft value by taking out countless opposing players, including Ms. Yoshida, the young homeroom teacher who played for the red team. In the vein of a Terrell Owens, and to the dismay of the whites at least, I tauntingly moonwalked across the mid-court line unscathed.
We won.
After that, we took a few group pictures and then we headed off to the freezing-cold school gym to play an earnest match of Dodgeball. Dodgeball is a serious sport in Japan, and I respect that. I was drafted to the white team, and was elected to play the tip-off to my slight height advantage over the 5-6 year-old field. Surprisingly, I did meet their expectations and managed to tip the super-malleable turqoise dodgeball to my teammates. The game ensued, in which I got popped and sent to the supporting sidelines twice, but was able to redeem my draft value by taking out countless opposing players, including Ms. Yoshida, the young homeroom teacher who played for the red team. In the vein of a Terrell Owens, and to the dismay of the whites at least, I tauntingly moonwalked across the mid-court line unscathed.
We won.
Dec 5, 2004
BAMBOO SHOOTS & LOTUS ROOTS
That's what I had for Thanksgiving. While you all were stuffing your big, fat heads with juicy fowl, bubbling mac'n'cheese, butter-laden homemade rolls and the coronary-clogging like, I had my basic school lunch fare packed with highly fibrous, near-flavorless domestic vegetables. I'm not crying though.
So maintaining recent tradition, I enjoyed yet another turkey-less T-day. This year officially brings me to a whopping ONE Thanksgiving spent with my hometown kinfolk in the last ten years. Wow. Turkey in my life has gone the way of the dodo. Fast.
Alas, it's December (already?). With 2 more weeks until the great 13-hour trans-Pacific voyage. Kinda looking forward to the crapload of shopping I need to do, plus all types of eating to catch up on. Just hope I can get it all done this time.
Speaking of eats, I freaked a new flavor of curry this weekend: pumpkin. Yeah. I got the idea from a conversation I had with one of my JHS girl students. Actually, I'd had the idea before, but never quite summoned the moxie to actually purchase one of the 1/3rd cut little green-skinned Japanese pumpkin chunks that have been on sale at the local grocery store since the fall produce debuted. Once my fantasy recipe was affirmed by a 14-year old, I promptly picked up a pumpkin chunk for a mere 100+ yen (about US $1). The price was a plus, considering how obscenely expensive produce is in this country. For example, the other day, bags of 6 red Fuji apples were "on sale" for 398 yen (just barely under US $4). On Sale. 6. ...Yeah, so getting about half a pumpkin (albeit a small one) for a buck was a STEAL, basically.
More importantly, what I did with that pumpkin was groundbreaking for my culinary repertoire. I found out from Sa that you don't even have to peel the skin off--just cook and eat the whole thing. And she was right; I diced the fruit up, and it it melted right into my curry, peel and all. The consistency was nice, much creamier than normal curry, purée-like even. A very subdued pumpkin flavor with all the usual goodies i put in but yummy nonetheless. Along with the standard sticky white rice, I'll be feeding on this stuff 'til winter break, easily.
So maintaining recent tradition, I enjoyed yet another turkey-less T-day. This year officially brings me to a whopping ONE Thanksgiving spent with my hometown kinfolk in the last ten years. Wow. Turkey in my life has gone the way of the dodo. Fast.
Alas, it's December (already?). With 2 more weeks until the great 13-hour trans-Pacific voyage. Kinda looking forward to the crapload of shopping I need to do, plus all types of eating to catch up on. Just hope I can get it all done this time.
Speaking of eats, I freaked a new flavor of curry this weekend: pumpkin. Yeah. I got the idea from a conversation I had with one of my JHS girl students. Actually, I'd had the idea before, but never quite summoned the moxie to actually purchase one of the 1/3rd cut little green-skinned Japanese pumpkin chunks that have been on sale at the local grocery store since the fall produce debuted. Once my fantasy recipe was affirmed by a 14-year old, I promptly picked up a pumpkin chunk for a mere 100+ yen (about US $1). The price was a plus, considering how obscenely expensive produce is in this country. For example, the other day, bags of 6 red Fuji apples were "on sale" for 398 yen (just barely under US $4). On Sale. 6. ...Yeah, so getting about half a pumpkin (albeit a small one) for a buck was a STEAL, basically.
More importantly, what I did with that pumpkin was groundbreaking for my culinary repertoire. I found out from Sa that you don't even have to peel the skin off--just cook and eat the whole thing. And she was right; I diced the fruit up, and it it melted right into my curry, peel and all. The consistency was nice, much creamier than normal curry, purée-like even. A very subdued pumpkin flavor with all the usual goodies i put in but yummy nonetheless. Along with the standard sticky white rice, I'll be feeding on this stuff 'til winter break, easily.
Nov 19, 2004
SCHOOLED-OUT
TGIF. Had a helluva week this week. Yesterday and today we had citywide school observations and presentations to thousands of visitors, mostly teachers from other prefectures and from within the local board of education. It was quite a monumental affair, as they'd been planning for this event all year long. I had a couple of observed English classes which went pretty well. I think there was more pressure on the kids than on myself as they had to do most of the work in class. They did a good job though, which made myself, my co-teachers and my school look good, at least as far as English education goes anyway.
The most grueling part of the two day event was the lecture and panel discussion series all teachers had to sit through. Between both days, I had to sit through a whopping 7 hours of lectures in unheated gymnasiums. Absolutely senseless. We were freezing our butts off, and most of the audience was asleep at least through half of the lectures. At least the first big presentation I sat through yesterday involved a panel discussion about English education, which was of some relevance and interest, and although it was entirely in Japanese. I stayed awake and tried to follow as much as I could. But today, i had to attend another school's big presentation about math education. It made no sense why I had to be there, and I didn't understand a damn thing they were talking about, so I made an effort to sleep as much of the boring, freezing 3.5 hours away as I could. Even Yamada-sensei, who was sitting next to me, nodded off a good 2 hours worth. Afterwards he asked me was he snoring.
Not to mention my elementary and junior high schools had a joint drinking party last night. Schoolteachers getting drunk on the Thursday night when they have to be up early for work the next day doesn't make much sense, but hey, it's a Japanese thing--you wouldn't understand. And I still don't. Anyway, I went only because it was a special occasion, and it was the first time my 2 schools had a joint party--which was roughly 50 people. I already knew going in I wasn't going to get the 5,000 yen's (about $50 US) worth of food or drink which I had to pay to attend the 2.5 hour affair, but I didn't want to disappoint the elementary folks, plus, I kinda wanted to show off to the JHS teachers how well I got along with the elementary teachers.
As I expected, the food fare was meager, small servings of sushi and assorted delicacies--oh, everybody was served ONE crab leg. But outside of the beer, the sumtotal of all the food didn't put a dent in my appetite. Speaking of beer, there were plenty red-faced teachers that night. The designated drivers drank tall glasses of bland iced oolong tea, while everyone else cut loose on the beer. People kept refilling my glass, but I don't think I even got a good buzz. The principal of my JHS came over to my table all rowdy, slapping me on the back trying to challenge me to beer shots. Dude is like 65 yo. telling me he can down 10 bottles on his own. He filled my glass, we did a "Kanpai," then we knocked one back together, but not before he dribbled beer on his expensive suit. He had me cracking up. And not breaking the tradition of Japanese punctuality, that party ended precisely at 9pm.
Alas, it's Friday and I can finally relax. One more month til vacation!
The most grueling part of the two day event was the lecture and panel discussion series all teachers had to sit through. Between both days, I had to sit through a whopping 7 hours of lectures in unheated gymnasiums. Absolutely senseless. We were freezing our butts off, and most of the audience was asleep at least through half of the lectures. At least the first big presentation I sat through yesterday involved a panel discussion about English education, which was of some relevance and interest, and although it was entirely in Japanese. I stayed awake and tried to follow as much as I could. But today, i had to attend another school's big presentation about math education. It made no sense why I had to be there, and I didn't understand a damn thing they were talking about, so I made an effort to sleep as much of the boring, freezing 3.5 hours away as I could. Even Yamada-sensei, who was sitting next to me, nodded off a good 2 hours worth. Afterwards he asked me was he snoring.
Not to mention my elementary and junior high schools had a joint drinking party last night. Schoolteachers getting drunk on the Thursday night when they have to be up early for work the next day doesn't make much sense, but hey, it's a Japanese thing--you wouldn't understand. And I still don't. Anyway, I went only because it was a special occasion, and it was the first time my 2 schools had a joint party--which was roughly 50 people. I already knew going in I wasn't going to get the 5,000 yen's (about $50 US) worth of food or drink which I had to pay to attend the 2.5 hour affair, but I didn't want to disappoint the elementary folks, plus, I kinda wanted to show off to the JHS teachers how well I got along with the elementary teachers.
As I expected, the food fare was meager, small servings of sushi and assorted delicacies--oh, everybody was served ONE crab leg. But outside of the beer, the sumtotal of all the food didn't put a dent in my appetite. Speaking of beer, there were plenty red-faced teachers that night. The designated drivers drank tall glasses of bland iced oolong tea, while everyone else cut loose on the beer. People kept refilling my glass, but I don't think I even got a good buzz. The principal of my JHS came over to my table all rowdy, slapping me on the back trying to challenge me to beer shots. Dude is like 65 yo. telling me he can down 10 bottles on his own. He filled my glass, we did a "Kanpai," then we knocked one back together, but not before he dribbled beer on his expensive suit. He had me cracking up. And not breaking the tradition of Japanese punctuality, that party ended precisely at 9pm.
Alas, it's Friday and I can finally relax. One more month til vacation!
Nov 11, 2004
U.S. CIVICS 101
I was at JHS half of this week, and I did a U.S./Japan culture trivia quiz with the 9th graders. I asked questions that pointed out some differences between the two that Japanese kids might not know like driving on opposite sides of the road, and other assorted pop trivia. At the end of the class, we talked about the U.S. presidential election and I asked their opinions.
I also asked who they would've voted for if they were able. Almost unanimously, the kids said Kerry was the better pick. Reasons cited were the desire for "world peace" and because "Bush loves war." In one class, I was surprised by the opionated response of one girl who said she supports Bush. I asked why, and she said something to the effect that "war in Iraq was good, because terrorists killed a Japanese person." She was referring to Shosei Koda, the young Japanese man who was held hostage and beheaded by Islamic militants in Iraq last month. She was like "It's good that Bush made war in Iraq...for the sake of revenge." I didn't bother trying to counter her flawed, misinformed young point of view due to time and language constraints. I told them that I'd voted in the election as an absentee, then someone asked me who I'd voted for. I told them Kerry. My young co-teacher, Sayako, said she was surprised and impressed that I'd voted in the U.S. election from overseas. I don't know why.
I proceeded to attempt to explain the U.S. electoral system. Sayako graciously supported my lecture with Japanese translation. We had a super-sized image of a U.S. electoral map I'd dug up off the net as a visual aid. The students seemed quite interested and listened attentively. Even the kids who usually chatterbox and zone out paid close attention to my lecture. I basically tried to make a point that the system was imbalanced and that a great deal of Americans felt they'd been cheated by the electoral college system. I didn't go into divulging the dirty antics of race-based voter intimidation, shady electronic voting machines and the like. For junior high schoolers, just trying to digest a complex voting system of foreign country was more than enough education for a day. Perhaps we'll save neo-fascism and corporate hegemony for another day.
And who said I was just an English teacher?
I also asked who they would've voted for if they were able. Almost unanimously, the kids said Kerry was the better pick. Reasons cited were the desire for "world peace" and because "Bush loves war." In one class, I was surprised by the opionated response of one girl who said she supports Bush. I asked why, and she said something to the effect that "war in Iraq was good, because terrorists killed a Japanese person." She was referring to Shosei Koda, the young Japanese man who was held hostage and beheaded by Islamic militants in Iraq last month. She was like "It's good that Bush made war in Iraq...for the sake of revenge." I didn't bother trying to counter her flawed, misinformed young point of view due to time and language constraints. I told them that I'd voted in the election as an absentee, then someone asked me who I'd voted for. I told them Kerry. My young co-teacher, Sayako, said she was surprised and impressed that I'd voted in the U.S. election from overseas. I don't know why.
I proceeded to attempt to explain the U.S. electoral system. Sayako graciously supported my lecture with Japanese translation. We had a super-sized image of a U.S. electoral map I'd dug up off the net as a visual aid. The students seemed quite interested and listened attentively. Even the kids who usually chatterbox and zone out paid close attention to my lecture. I basically tried to make a point that the system was imbalanced and that a great deal of Americans felt they'd been cheated by the electoral college system. I didn't go into divulging the dirty antics of race-based voter intimidation, shady electronic voting machines and the like. For junior high schoolers, just trying to digest a complex voting system of foreign country was more than enough education for a day. Perhaps we'll save neo-fascism and corporate hegemony for another day.
And who said I was just an English teacher?
Nov 3, 2004
"SHOCKED" AND "AWED"
"America, you are an ASS." --comic/commentator Marc Maron, Air America Radio
In a nutshell.
To the 55 million who voted against Bush, props. But thanks to the disproportionate inbred population of the Bible-thumping Cracker Belt, we have gift-wrapped our country and tossed it to the sharks. From here on out, any fundamental Islamic zealots who slam airliners and whatever other incendiary devices into our offices, schools and homes will be vindicated, and the rest of the world won’t give a gerbil’s turd. America’s name is not John Q. Public, it’s I. Hate Fear. The “I.” standing for Ignorance.
The pieces are set, and the Empire has been assembled. America, kiss your sweet civil freedoms goodbye, cuz there’s no turning back now. Supreme Court balance—Peace out. Social Security—Kick rocks. A fair economy where most Americans don’t have to “scratch and survive” like Florida and JJ Evans—as we say over this way, Sayonara.
And all this time I’d been giving my fellow countrymen the benefit of the doubt, defending them even when criticized by my international counterparts.
Non-American friend: “What the $&%@ is wrong with Americans? Americans are some #%$ed up, crazy #%#%#s!”
Me: “Au contraire, mon frere/ma soeur. All Americans aren’t so bad. Hey, we DID NOT elect the Bushies in 2000—they stole the election. STOLE it. Besides, most of us are decent, hard-working, peace-loving, common sense-having individuals just like you and yours. C’mon, Bush is an idiot... Americans don’t think like him!”
What can I say now? There’s no defense. Now, I don’t doubt for a second that the Red party, by myriad means, lied, cheated, and stole their way back into Washington, but the bottom line is that, any way you flip it, America is a divided state, and the country is still about as split apart as it was during the Civil War. Social progress? Ha! We might be headed back towards the 60’s, except next time it won’t just be Black folk getting hosed down, clubbed, bitten and shot in the streets. It’ll be the entire “broke” class, including whites.
I’ve been hearing talk about people fleeing the States, becoming expats—I guess people like me would be the objects of envy in that respect. But I’m not ready to give up my citizenship just yet.
Sigh. If this is Star Wars, then Bush might be Darth Sidius, Cheney might be Vader. I might be Lando Calrissian, and Japan might be my Cloud City.
Meanwhile, I’ll be chilling…waiting for Luke…and the Rebel Alliance to make their move.
In a nutshell.
To the 55 million who voted against Bush, props. But thanks to the disproportionate inbred population of the Bible-thumping Cracker Belt, we have gift-wrapped our country and tossed it to the sharks. From here on out, any fundamental Islamic zealots who slam airliners and whatever other incendiary devices into our offices, schools and homes will be vindicated, and the rest of the world won’t give a gerbil’s turd. America’s name is not John Q. Public, it’s I. Hate Fear. The “I.” standing for Ignorance.
The pieces are set, and the Empire has been assembled. America, kiss your sweet civil freedoms goodbye, cuz there’s no turning back now. Supreme Court balance—Peace out. Social Security—Kick rocks. A fair economy where most Americans don’t have to “scratch and survive” like Florida and JJ Evans—as we say over this way, Sayonara.
And all this time I’d been giving my fellow countrymen the benefit of the doubt, defending them even when criticized by my international counterparts.
Non-American friend: “What the $&%@ is wrong with Americans? Americans are some #%$ed up, crazy #%#%#s!”
Me: “Au contraire, mon frere/ma soeur. All Americans aren’t so bad. Hey, we DID NOT elect the Bushies in 2000—they stole the election. STOLE it. Besides, most of us are decent, hard-working, peace-loving, common sense-having individuals just like you and yours. C’mon, Bush is an idiot... Americans don’t think like him!”
What can I say now? There’s no defense. Now, I don’t doubt for a second that the Red party, by myriad means, lied, cheated, and stole their way back into Washington, but the bottom line is that, any way you flip it, America is a divided state, and the country is still about as split apart as it was during the Civil War. Social progress? Ha! We might be headed back towards the 60’s, except next time it won’t just be Black folk getting hosed down, clubbed, bitten and shot in the streets. It’ll be the entire “broke” class, including whites.
I’ve been hearing talk about people fleeing the States, becoming expats—I guess people like me would be the objects of envy in that respect. But I’m not ready to give up my citizenship just yet.
Sigh. If this is Star Wars, then Bush might be Darth Sidius, Cheney might be Vader. I might be Lando Calrissian, and Japan might be my Cloud City.
Meanwhile, I’ll be chilling…waiting for Luke…and the Rebel Alliance to make their move.
Oct 31, 2004
SAPPORO, SCRIMP & SHROOMS
After a 13-day stint of work with no days off, i finally finished on a chilly, rainy Saturday with the elementary school play assembly. All grades 1-6 put on school plays. It was really good, and at the request of several teachers, I ended up making cameo appearances in 3 of the plays, with minor speaking roles. Based off of an English story book, the 2nd graders did a blingual play in Japanese and English. They did an impressive job, and I was proud because I'd coached their pronunciation and helped translate the script.
The assembly let out around 12, then everyone went home, only to reassemble at the principal's home around 6 for the barbecue he was ahaving for all the teachers and staff. He was charging everyone ￥3,000(about US$30) a head, but he told me earlier that I would only have to pay ￥2,000--then he told me the bbq would be free for me. Sweet. I caught the train to his house, with 2 other teachers. It was my second-time to his home, and I was just impressed as the first time. The principal and his family are caretakers of the city's Buddhist shrine built on a low mountainside and their house is a abridged with the shrine. I don't know how they do it, but they're BALLING.
The rain was still pouring down, but we bore the chill under the roof of an open shed in the backyard. Working as a team, it took us about an hour to get a good fire going under the dual grill--we had to battle with the wind. The principal likes to do it up big, so he went all out with the provisions. He brought out a big cooler full of beer, wwine coolers, and wine. He brought some hard liquor and Japanese sake and whiskey. We grilled up veggies, fish, seafood, and meat. The seafood was so fresh, that the shrimp were still moving when they brought the tray out. When we grilled them, they were "dancing." poor things. but they were good.
The highlight(s) of the barbecue were the Matsutake mushrooms. The principal brought out a tray of about a dozen or so giant mushrooms about as big as my hand. Everyone was shocked, because Matsutake mushrooms are one of the most premium Japanese delicacies, and SUPER expensive--at least they are in Japan. The principal told me that, in Japan, just one mushroom costs ￥20,000-￥30,000(about US$200-$300). But the mushrooms he had were a gift he'd received from a friend, which had been brought from Korea. Damn, that was one good friend. Most of the other teachers there were in awe, because they had never eaten them before. I just couldn't believe a piece of overgrown fungus cost $300.
They pulled the 'shrooms apart and grilled those bad boys up--and they were actually kinda tasty--they had a chewy, almost meaty consistency. I couldn't eat most of the meat they cooked, so people kept throwing shrimp and 'shrooms on my plate. I was eating shroom strips like crazy. For the evening, I figure I probably ate a modest $500 worth of grub. And I still wasn't full.
The BBQ kinda wrapped itself up around 9-ish and most of the teachers were quite jovial by then. My principal was kinda smacked off sake, and was half staggering when he gave his goodbyes. It was still raining, and the designated driver folks gave everyone else rides to the train station. And that was a night for the middle-agers.
Of course, my night wasn't over as soon as I got home, I headed right back out to Sakae to go see the freaks come out for all the club Halloween parties. I was tired, but it'd been weeks since I'd gone out, so I had to go big. You know how I do!
The assembly let out around 12, then everyone went home, only to reassemble at the principal's home around 6 for the barbecue he was ahaving for all the teachers and staff. He was charging everyone ￥3,000(about US$30) a head, but he told me earlier that I would only have to pay ￥2,000--then he told me the bbq would be free for me. Sweet. I caught the train to his house, with 2 other teachers. It was my second-time to his home, and I was just impressed as the first time. The principal and his family are caretakers of the city's Buddhist shrine built on a low mountainside and their house is a abridged with the shrine. I don't know how they do it, but they're BALLING.
The rain was still pouring down, but we bore the chill under the roof of an open shed in the backyard. Working as a team, it took us about an hour to get a good fire going under the dual grill--we had to battle with the wind. The principal likes to do it up big, so he went all out with the provisions. He brought out a big cooler full of beer, wwine coolers, and wine. He brought some hard liquor and Japanese sake and whiskey. We grilled up veggies, fish, seafood, and meat. The seafood was so fresh, that the shrimp were still moving when they brought the tray out. When we grilled them, they were "dancing." poor things. but they were good.
The highlight(s) of the barbecue were the Matsutake mushrooms. The principal brought out a tray of about a dozen or so giant mushrooms about as big as my hand. Everyone was shocked, because Matsutake mushrooms are one of the most premium Japanese delicacies, and SUPER expensive--at least they are in Japan. The principal told me that, in Japan, just one mushroom costs ￥20,000-￥30,000(about US$200-$300). But the mushrooms he had were a gift he'd received from a friend, which had been brought from Korea. Damn, that was one good friend. Most of the other teachers there were in awe, because they had never eaten them before. I just couldn't believe a piece of overgrown fungus cost $300.
They pulled the 'shrooms apart and grilled those bad boys up--and they were actually kinda tasty--they had a chewy, almost meaty consistency. I couldn't eat most of the meat they cooked, so people kept throwing shrimp and 'shrooms on my plate. I was eating shroom strips like crazy. For the evening, I figure I probably ate a modest $500 worth of grub. And I still wasn't full.
The BBQ kinda wrapped itself up around 9-ish and most of the teachers were quite jovial by then. My principal was kinda smacked off sake, and was half staggering when he gave his goodbyes. It was still raining, and the designated driver folks gave everyone else rides to the train station. And that was a night for the middle-agers.
Of course, my night wasn't over as soon as I got home, I headed right back out to Sakae to go see the freaks come out for all the club Halloween parties. I was tired, but it'd been weeks since I'd gone out, so I had to go big. You know how I do!
Oct 21, 2004
TIMBER!
I had a hairy moment at junior high school today. I fainted in the school gymnasium and fell and hit my head on the floor. Actually, I fell from standing position straightforward on my face, though, fortunately my hard head broke my fall and made contact with the floor instead of my nose or mouth, which are thankfully fully intact. Save for an invisible little bump above my eyebrow, I'm fine and feel totally normal. I have slight soreness on the surface of my forehead, but I don’t have any headaches or internal head pain, nor dizziness so I don’t think I have a concussion.
“What happened?” That’s what I asked. I was in the jhs gymnasium watching some students practice traditional Japanese dance in prep for this weekend’s school festival. There were some other teachers present besides myself, including the vice-principal who was on the other side of the gym, maybe about 20-25 yards away. Two women teachers from my elementary school were present and were seated on the hardwood floor just several feet to the left of where I was standing. I had been standing for about 10 minutes just watching the kids practice, when I decided to stretch. I did a big stretch bending my back while reaching backwards, almost as if I were going to do a backbend. I returned upright, accompanied by the light-headed sensation that you get sometimes when you stand on your head or do cartwheels. The next thing I remember was something hard slamming into my head, waking me up from sleep. My eyes were closed, and when I opened them, I then realized I was face down on the basketball court. I heard the voices of the teachers next to me as I started to raise myself off the floor; they were asking me if my head was okay. I attempted to rise, but one of them told me to just sit on the floor and chill out for a second--by that time the vice-principal was kneeling to my right. I regained alertness pretty quickly, I was just confused about why I had fallen. I’m not sure that anyone actuallysaw me fall except the two next to me. I asked one of them where my hands were when I fell; she told me straight at my sides. She was surprised when I asked her that--I didn’t remember anything between finishing stretching and hitting the floor.
The kids and teachers were surprised and concerned. I was surprised too, because that was the first time I fainted in life. The vice-principal was the most worried about my condition. He’d only seen me when I was on the floor. I sat for a few minutes then he followed me to the washroom so I could check myself out. One of my 6th grade students, Yurika, ran over, calling my name, asking if I was okay. After that, the vice-principal and I went to the staffroom and he called my company to let them know what had happened. He suggested that I go to a hospital, but I felt okay enough that it wasn’t necessary. He said if I felt worse the next day he would take me to a hospital. In his own speculations, he was making all sorts of insinuations about my health, including the fact that I don’t eat red meat, that I drink orange juice, and possibly have anemia. Admittedly, I’d gone to bed late the previous night and my body may have been tired, but I stopped eating red meat going on 10 years, so that had nothing to do with it--he was overspecualting a bit. I appreciated his concern, though. I eat pretty well and I'm not in bad shape, so I'm pretty sure the crazy stretch is what initiated the blackout.
On the other hand, I’ve done plenty of stretching and upside-down stuff at capoeira and never had that experience. I'm not sure what happened to me, but Just to be on the safe side, I'll try to catch more z's and protein over the next few days.
My mama and nem always said I was hard-headed--guess it finally paid off!
“What happened?” That’s what I asked. I was in the jhs gymnasium watching some students practice traditional Japanese dance in prep for this weekend’s school festival. There were some other teachers present besides myself, including the vice-principal who was on the other side of the gym, maybe about 20-25 yards away. Two women teachers from my elementary school were present and were seated on the hardwood floor just several feet to the left of where I was standing. I had been standing for about 10 minutes just watching the kids practice, when I decided to stretch. I did a big stretch bending my back while reaching backwards, almost as if I were going to do a backbend. I returned upright, accompanied by the light-headed sensation that you get sometimes when you stand on your head or do cartwheels. The next thing I remember was something hard slamming into my head, waking me up from sleep. My eyes were closed, and when I opened them, I then realized I was face down on the basketball court. I heard the voices of the teachers next to me as I started to raise myself off the floor; they were asking me if my head was okay. I attempted to rise, but one of them told me to just sit on the floor and chill out for a second--by that time the vice-principal was kneeling to my right. I regained alertness pretty quickly, I was just confused about why I had fallen. I’m not sure that anyone actuallysaw me fall except the two next to me. I asked one of them where my hands were when I fell; she told me straight at my sides. She was surprised when I asked her that--I didn’t remember anything between finishing stretching and hitting the floor.
The kids and teachers were surprised and concerned. I was surprised too, because that was the first time I fainted in life. The vice-principal was the most worried about my condition. He’d only seen me when I was on the floor. I sat for a few minutes then he followed me to the washroom so I could check myself out. One of my 6th grade students, Yurika, ran over, calling my name, asking if I was okay. After that, the vice-principal and I went to the staffroom and he called my company to let them know what had happened. He suggested that I go to a hospital, but I felt okay enough that it wasn’t necessary. He said if I felt worse the next day he would take me to a hospital. In his own speculations, he was making all sorts of insinuations about my health, including the fact that I don’t eat red meat, that I drink orange juice, and possibly have anemia. Admittedly, I’d gone to bed late the previous night and my body may have been tired, but I stopped eating red meat going on 10 years, so that had nothing to do with it--he was overspecualting a bit. I appreciated his concern, though. I eat pretty well and I'm not in bad shape, so I'm pretty sure the crazy stretch is what initiated the blackout.
On the other hand, I’ve done plenty of stretching and upside-down stuff at capoeira and never had that experience. I'm not sure what happened to me, but Just to be on the safe side, I'll try to catch more z's and protein over the next few days.
My mama and nem always said I was hard-headed--guess it finally paid off!
Oct 7, 2004
NARA
I just got back from the overnight 6th grade graduation trip to Nara prefecture. It was a cool trip, I must say. We rode a nice big, comfy tour bus there and back. They even had tv karaoke system on the bus for the kids.
I got to see a lot more than I did when I first went to Nara last year. I saw the oldest Buddha statue in Japan in the area of Asuka, the 2,000 year-old cradle of Buddhist culture in Japan. The scenic slouds, mountains and trees were a sight, a severe contrast to the drab concrete jungle of Nagoya.
We stayed in ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. I first I had reservations about going on the trip because I wasn't too keen on taking a group bath with the boys and teachers, but the principal really wanted me to go. He paid my expenses and they hooked me up with my own little Western-style bedroom in the inn. It had a decent bed plus a tv. I got to use a private shower as well. Our meals at the ryokan were impressive: we had very traditional Japanese meals with like a thousand courses of hardcore Japanese. Lucky for me, I've grown accustomed to traditional Japanese food, although I could only imagine that as a first-timer in that situation I probably would've barfed at the sight of some of the stuff we ate. There were about 7 teachers on the trip, including myself, and we ate in a separate room from the kids, and even had beer with our dinner, courtesy of the principal. After we put the kids to bed in their big tatami rooms, we had a little "after-party" back in our private room. Sitting around in jinbei, traditional Japanese robes, we had more beer and fresh fruit and just chilled out before we hit the sack.
The next day, we went to Nara Park, a national park full of wild deer. Most of the kids spent the day feeding the animals deer crackers and taking pictures of them. Everyone was free for the day to roam the park as they liked and visit various sites, shrines, and temples. I was surprised at how much freedom the teachers gave the students to basically go anywhwere they wanted and take care of themselves away from home. A small group of students and I witnesed some authentice road rage in Nara Park. A driver with a "handicapped" sign sealed to his windshield, cut off another driver who was a in a black sedan. The man in the sedan honked his horn incessantly, as if it wasn't 10:30 in the morning in a historic national park. Even when the other guy quietly moved his car and drove away, the guy in the sedan blared his horn some more, driving after him, cutting him off at the next pass, then jumping out to approach the other driver's car, screaming obscenities all the while. Meanwhile, the other driver didn't fire back a single word, and eventually the angry got back in his vehicle and sped away. The students were just as surprised at the scene as I was. I asked one of them to explain to me what the guy had said, as I couldn't understand his angry Japanese, but one of the boys suggested that he was probably a yakuza, or mafia member. I just think he was drunk and out of his friggin' wig.
But, just when you think you've seen all the zany things Japan has to offer, there's always more.
I got to see a lot more than I did when I first went to Nara last year. I saw the oldest Buddha statue in Japan in the area of Asuka, the 2,000 year-old cradle of Buddhist culture in Japan. The scenic slouds, mountains and trees were a sight, a severe contrast to the drab concrete jungle of Nagoya.
We stayed in ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. I first I had reservations about going on the trip because I wasn't too keen on taking a group bath with the boys and teachers, but the principal really wanted me to go. He paid my expenses and they hooked me up with my own little Western-style bedroom in the inn. It had a decent bed plus a tv. I got to use a private shower as well. Our meals at the ryokan were impressive: we had very traditional Japanese meals with like a thousand courses of hardcore Japanese. Lucky for me, I've grown accustomed to traditional Japanese food, although I could only imagine that as a first-timer in that situation I probably would've barfed at the sight of some of the stuff we ate. There were about 7 teachers on the trip, including myself, and we ate in a separate room from the kids, and even had beer with our dinner, courtesy of the principal. After we put the kids to bed in their big tatami rooms, we had a little "after-party" back in our private room. Sitting around in jinbei, traditional Japanese robes, we had more beer and fresh fruit and just chilled out before we hit the sack.
The next day, we went to Nara Park, a national park full of wild deer. Most of the kids spent the day feeding the animals deer crackers and taking pictures of them. Everyone was free for the day to roam the park as they liked and visit various sites, shrines, and temples. I was surprised at how much freedom the teachers gave the students to basically go anywhwere they wanted and take care of themselves away from home. A small group of students and I witnesed some authentice road rage in Nara Park. A driver with a "handicapped" sign sealed to his windshield, cut off another driver who was a in a black sedan. The man in the sedan honked his horn incessantly, as if it wasn't 10:30 in the morning in a historic national park. Even when the other guy quietly moved his car and drove away, the guy in the sedan blared his horn some more, driving after him, cutting him off at the next pass, then jumping out to approach the other driver's car, screaming obscenities all the while. Meanwhile, the other driver didn't fire back a single word, and eventually the angry got back in his vehicle and sped away. The students were just as surprised at the scene as I was. I asked one of them to explain to me what the guy had said, as I couldn't understand his angry Japanese, but one of the boys suggested that he was probably a yakuza, or mafia member. I just think he was drunk and out of his friggin' wig.
But, just when you think you've seen all the zany things Japan has to offer, there's always more.
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