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Monday, October 12th, 2009
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1:45 am - Oops.
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I...never got around to signing up for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, one of the things I'd verbally planned on doing while living at home after "the Japan time." The deadline was September 25th. I knew what the deadline was somewhere inside me, and I never got around to looking up what I needed to do officially to begin and complete the application process. I just looked it up for sure on Saturday night. How lazy and lacksadasical is that? I'll tell you another thing, too: I never got around to cracking one book to study for the JLPT. Over the last month or so, I've gathered most of my old unwritten kanji workbooks from Hatakeyama-sensei and purchased textbooks and study guides and put them neatly in the bottom right drawer of my desk in my room...but they've yet to see the light of day for more than five minutes. I feel bad for not following through, and that's mostly because I'll have to wait until next September to apply for the December test. If for some reaso I'm visiting Japan next July, I'd have a chance to take Level 1 or 2 there, but that doesn't seem very likely right now. I am not a dilligent student. It's hard to work on weak points. I guess this means that I really didn't care to take the test this year.
I kind of realized that when I found it difficult to care about moulding myself for a career as a localization writer. It's still a dream, but it seems like too much work for me to care too much about strengthening those weak points (*cough, cough*writing and reading *cough, cough*) in order to appear a worthy potential candidate. And, you know, if I really want to be focused on my intermediate- to advanced- Japanese studies, I can always take some Japanese classes. Classes where I walk on campus and sit in a desk with other learners and listen to our professor. That's the best way for me to start to care about this stuff. I'll have to look up how many study hours the many levels of the JLPT equate to. Gotta get to goal setting in the worst way.
Oh! Here's how a goal should be determined, according to Dave Ramsey and whomever he borrowed these from:
- Goals need to be specific.
- Goals need to be measurable.
- Goals need to be your goals. Otherwise there's no joy, creativity or passion in them. ..they just won't work for you. Your goal should make you smile when you think of it.
- Goals need to have a time limit. (ex. "...in three months."/"...by December of this year."
- Goals need to be in writing. Break it down; what do you need to do and when in order to meet your planned deadline.
It's best to share goals with someone who'll encourage you--someone who's a winner, by gosh. Don't bother telling a negative Nancy another darn thing about your goal if they scoff at you. Slap them to the curb, sharing wise!
Okay, I'm totally finished with this and off to bed like a good girl.
Night night!
current mood:  sleepy
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| Monday, July 20th, 2009
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10:10 am - Very well loved.
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I started this entry on Wednesday, July 15, and finished it today, July 20th...So the times in the entry are a little off. Gomen!
Man, I'm having a totally good day today. And I had a pretty good day yesterday, especially after lunch. The third graders at Yutaka ES yesterday were really darling. One cutie, Honoka, whose the grand daughter of my adult eikaiwa student Omachi Sanae-san, even cried for me because I was leaving. And even though I was pissed to be asked to play on Tuesday the morning before, I somehow managed to make it through three pieces without floundering too much. And after lunch they did my owakare-kai and I was presented with a bouquet of pink roses and baby's breath and other flowers whose names I don't know, and a set of letters written by the students and teachers in the school. That was really touching. It was also really touching when kids (mostly Mrs. Shinmoto's third graders) presented me with drawings of Janitha-sensei.
Three of the third and fourth grade girls brought bits of "getting to know you" stationery for me to fill out. (Oh, yes. It's called a "profile". Yes.) I had to write my star sign, blood type, favorite food, sport and book, as well as answer some probing questions about whether I had ever confessed my love to someone, or been confessed to (actually, I have been confessed to: Kanda Tomomi-chan in the sixth grade put "I Love You" on the back of her letter to me. Last week, I'd told the fifth and sixth graders than anyone who wanted to confess to me had better do it by next week. ^__^ And I got a confession from one of the girls! lol I also got some "I love you's" and "daisuki's" from the third grade girls, as well as some nice hugs. That made me really happy. And I found myself shaking all the fifth and sixth graders hands before class fifth period. They seemed really happy about that. What, no hug? I can still hug on Junpei, Kimoto Kenta's little brother next week if I see him in the neighborhood. I did tell Junpei that I loved him. I hope it made him feel good. lol
So, yeah. Other than the first and second grade's class, and the second half of the fourth grade's class, it was a pretty good day at elementary.
Last night, I ate dinner with Jean and Kaneko Kenji and Etsuko (yes, the Etsuko) and this slightly new resident from Osaka, Takahashi-san. I played my violin and sang last year's "I Wanna Know" hit for them, and they really praised me. I'm just glad that "Ashokan Farewell" went all right.
Mmm...I got a really nice Japanese print from Etsuko and Kenji. It was awesome. It looks awesome. I should take a picture of it.
And then, this morning, I got to school a couple of minutes after the morning meeting at Yutaka Junior High had started, which while it doesn't happen too often, is not unusual. At the end of the meeting, I had to say something about my time in Japan and Yutaka, so I mentioned how I'd felt I'd grown as a person and how I'd learned the best way to teach my younger students and peak their interest in the language. And then, I got this awesome present from the teachers! It was a Japanese-syle, handmade stoneware teapot and two matching cups. Apparently, when the school nurse Hata-sensei was asking me for my opinion on a good birthday gift for a friend of hers, she meant me! And everyone in the teacher's room was in on it. lol And I had nooo idea. It was really surprising, and really sweet.
And, oh my goodness. The o-wakarekai at school today (Wednesday) was just beautiful. I can't describe how it made me feel. I'm not really one to cry "happy tears", but I was really, really close today. I'm glad that I held it in, even though Uekiyo-sensei specifically sought to make me cry through the kids' remembrances of stuff I'd done for them and how they felt about me. It was sooo awesome. Oh, my gosh. I don't know where to start. I'll try at the beginning. At first, the principal Mr. Tatsuta made a speech about me and all that I'd done over the years at Yutaka (participated in various festivals, tried out a couple of sessions of tea ceremony and flower arranging (though that was actually in Hiroshima ^^;) and played taiko and did eikaiwa nearly every week of my time here. Then Mr. Tatsuta told us all some words he associated with me "bright (akarui), cheerful (genki na), positive (sekkyoku no--I had to look that one up), serious and dedicated (majime na--I didn't agree with that one, but you can't change what people think of you)..." It was nice to hear what people thought of me. I hope I'll be able to live up to their surprisingly positive impressions of me in the future.
Okay, the next event was a true/false game about me that all the kids and teachers in the gym played. "Janitha-sensei plays the guitar: True or False?" And we played that for about fifteen minutes, with me giving my reasons for the true answers at Kazuma and Toshihiro's (ninth grade student council peeps) request. Good times. There was always a fifty-fifty chance of being right, so good on that.
The next part was sadder/more heartfelt. Three students, one from each grade, came up and gave a speech about their feelings for me and what I'd done for them over the years and such. That was very touching. And they gave me a collection of letters and message boards(these thick bits of square paper that people use to write messages for someone at graduation or another special occasion) from each grade.
After that was the real clencher: Uekiyo-sensei had arranged for the students to sit in a row of twenty-six, and hold a leaf of papers. On his signal, the students turned a page and revealed a letter. Ultimately the twenty-six sheets of papers spelled out various sentences, all about me! It was soo beautiful. I think some of the sentences were like, "Thank you for everything./You are so special./We like your class. /We like your smile./Never forget us. We won't forget you." Something like that. I was so touched. I'm so thankful to Uekiyo-sensei for arranging all of that and taking so much time to make it go well. I'll never forget it.
Oh, and I blathered on for seven minutes or so about the things I wanted to tell the kids, and then Uekiyo-sensei had me shake each student's hand on the way out. Of course, I made sure to say a little some about each of them. That worked out nicely.
On Thursday, I had my Toyoshima Elementary event, and I heard some nice speeches from a couple of sixth grade students who cried for me and gave them a really short speech about my time at Toyoshima. I totally forget what I said then. On Friday, I had a class with each grade that, for the second time in two weeks, was filled with questions in English and Japanese for me . The class went quickly that time. Mr. Oue has been doing this weak-ass "shitsumon corner" (question corner) every Friday/alternate Monday since school started in April basically, and I honestly didn't ever think that such a class would be worthwhile. But asking me questions at the end of my time at Toyohama JHS was just right, I think. I'm surprised that they had anything else to ask, since, until now, we had to go through the same excruciating 45 minute drill each week. Thanks, guys!
Many students were getting sad and misty-eyed as I blathered on during class, and I managed to squeeze everyone's hand or shoulders throughout the course of each class. The ceremony we had later that morning was nice, but sad as well. The kids tried really hard and wrote a long letter to me in English. It was nearly perfect. One student, Mana Doho, read it to me in English, and another student Ryohei Kono, read it again in Japanese. A third student, Momoka Nishimiya presented me with several laminated notes from all the students (sometimes, I got more than one letter from a student). It was very touching. I was close to crying at this last ceremony. I really love those kids, and I'm so sorry to see that they're having a tougher time with life than they should be thanks to circumstances beyond their control (tough/estranged family situation, bullying at previous school, or something equally sad).
As per my art teacher Harada-sensei's suggestion, I just took the time at the end of the ceremony to say my thoughts about Toyohama JHS and how the kids loved and supported each other so well. I didn't mention that they didn't have much trust in adults, but I stressed at least three times that as long as they had someone to talk with, to listen to their thoughts and ask for advice, they could overcome any obstacle in their lives. Trusting other people and having "nakama" will cause miracles. I really believe that. I also wanted them to know that their school lives would be over before they knew it, and that worrying about each week as it came and dwelling on the past wasn't good for them. A better method of coping with sadness or disappointment or anger would be to aim for a future goal. To decide what you wanted to do, and set about achieving that dream. And it was just fine if your dreams changed over time. That's normal. So, just go out there and smile and take comfort in your friends and try your best to work hard and live a happy life.
...It was something like that. It was apparently a very long speech. At the end, on my way out of the gym, the kids lined up to clap me down the path. I made sure I shook hands with each student and gave them a little tidbit on what I wanted for them/what I thought of them. And I also told one of the teachers, Mr. Kadowaki, to be careful of his smoking habit. ("Smoking...ki wo tsukete.") That got a few laughs. After school, the teachers presented me with a gift and a message written in a Toyohama mountain drawn by Harada-sensei. He also drew me the "This is Janitha-sensei" pics that I'd first seen for Vanessa's farewell ceremony two years ago, and remained very jealous of. And now, I have my own! I can see myself through Mr. Harada's eyes now. I'm really happy. ^____^
I don't know how to thank Uekiyo-sensei and Harada-sensei and all the teachers and people who've loved me so well these last three years. I'm so glad that I got to meet them and learn about their feelings, though.
All right, this took at least seven days to write. I'm out!
current mood:  calm
current music: Ito Yuna - Faith (a sad song in minor key. I've been listening to mellow stuff.)
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| Monday, July 13th, 2009
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9:47 pm - Exanimate
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Ahh. I have literally two weeks left on the island. I leave here on July 27th. Wow. I can't believe how fast time has flown. I can't believe that my suitcase is still empty. I can understand why I'm slowly freaking out and have a smaller appetite and either want to throw up or cry inexplicably.
I've had eight o-wakare-kais (farewell parties) over the last two weeks, and five more scheduled for this week alone. Ugh. Throw up. Ugh.. No time to myself..no time to pack... Just feeling kind of blah.
I'm looking forward to next week when school's out. This week, it's a farewell ceremony at every school I have starting tomorrow. If I still have my wits about me, I want to write about all the fun I had at the various parties last weekend (three of the eight). But with each day and party that passes, I feel less energetic and much sadder than the day before. I'm not letting all the stuff I have to do cut into my seven-plus hours of sleep much, but it's still really tiring and overwhelming thinking of all I have left to accomplish. :: sigh ::
I'll just try to get some sleep so that I can wake up with a brighter outlook tomorrow. Only until I leave the house and arrive at Yutaka shogakko, perhaps the most bull-shitty of my four schools. :: cue shrieking woman and knife-wielding villain :: Anyway, ganbaru wa!
Night night!
current mood:  exanimate
current music: kind of have some Crystal Kay tune in my head
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| Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
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1:37 pm - Fun times with families and Last Operations Under the Orion
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Oh, what the heck. I'll blast off an entry while I still have memories of the events. At the end of May, I had another day out with the Uekiyo and Fukushima families. The kids have grown a bit since February, but they're still retain their inherent cuteness. I really like Hana and Taro, Mr. Uekiyo's kids. Taro's so much like Uekiyo-sensei that it's uncanny. And I like how nice Mrs. Uekiyo is to me. When I asked her what to call her, she even said, "Call me Yumiko." It was cool that she said that, but I went ahead and called her Yumiko-sensei, since she's a teacher, too. She works at an elementary school in Yoshiura, I think.
Anyway, I felt happy with the two couples and their kids, and we moved around a lot. Even though I don't have a lot in common with the moms, I enjoyed talking to them about Pilates and my future dreams and school life and their children. I was glad to get some exercise in on the weekend. We went to Mt. Noro in Kawajiri (still a part of Kure, just one of the many annexed towns we have), and ate lunch on a picnic bench on a piece of a mountain. We ran around and served a soft volleyball to each other (okay, those events were probably backwards)
Today, the kids are going on a field trip to see a movie called Last Operations Under the Orion, which, from what I can tell, is about an underwater Japanese submarine during the end of World War II in 1945. It's splits between 2009 and 1945, with characters...researching something? Hear a story? I have no clue. The promo folder we all got with the characters and their descriptions looks really cool (more like the starry night sky than an underwater view). Yeah. It looked interesting when I first saw the folder and tried to decipher the Japanese on Monday, but then I heard the phrase "war movie" and I lost a lot of my interest. I guess I knew that it was to be about the war based on the years it covered, but it didn't click for me until then.
...and now four hours have passed, I've reluctantly watched the movie and eaten lunch at the elementary school with the JHS kids, and returned back to my desk. It wasn't what I'd thought it would be. I pictured more action and blowing up of things (and more foreign/American scenes), but there was a lot of waiting in the submarine, a lot of Morse code, and a lot sweat. Even then, people's uniforms on both sides were just too clean. Especially the American side. And there were literally like five American soldiers pictured in the whole movie. The captain, Mike Stewart, did a lot of standing around and staring. His acting was atrocious, as were many of his lines. Several phrases that wouldn't have been said in the heat of under/over-water battle were uttered. A memorable one was the crystal clearly enunciated, "Let's see who has more patience." Arrrgh. There was also, "No. He won't attack us. He has too much honor." Yeah. Cringe-worthy performances on the English-speaking front. And definitely cringe-worthy acting on the 2009 present story front.
The story centered around a piece of music composed about Orion, and a prayer that the stars light the way home for the composer's loved one, so that he wouldn't lose his way. There was only one copy made because it was supposed to be a good luck charm for Shizuko Arizawa's fiance/childhood friend (Kuwamoto, I think), who turns out to be the captain of the submarine I-77. Her brother is stationed in another submarine and doesn't make it to the end, but he does manage to get a message to his friend through Morse code as the sonar guy and the captain listen to his last message aboard his damaged and nearly airless submarine. Good thing that they were nearby to hear it, though they were minutes from being attacked from above. ...Lots of tension aboard the submarine as the crew waited for orders. It definitely takes a very strong mind and spirit to be a soldier. After three years of living abroad, I'm more thankful that I ever have been before that I was born an American. I think living away from your motherland helps you appreciate it more. Hopefully it helps you appreciate other countries cultural norms and traditions as well. Oops. I went on a tangent there.
Okay, let me finish this up before I forget. There were several things in the movie that I didn't understand vocabulary/situation-wise, but Uekiyo-sensei cleared up a main one on the way back to Yutaka JHS. There were four men in different uniforms that came aboard the submarine near the beginning of the film. Their role was to be the "kaiten", men who manually steered a torpedo into a target, giving up their lives in the process. The captain of I-77 didn't believe in that method, and Uekiyo-sensei said that "kaiten" is the most shameful weapon engineered to the Japanese. It was only used a few (dozen??) times, according to his knowledge, but it was a sad and shameful method, according to Captain Stewart. I'm sure other countries' military were appalled at the idea of people being educated to die for their country, and not to live. So, the four guys in brown suits were tired of waiting to die, and one in particular tried and tried to get the captain to let him go and do his duty. It was pretty tough, now that I know what he was going through and crying about at the end when he didn't fulfill his duty and die for his country. In his mind (according to what he'd been taught), if he didn't die, Japan would be destroyed and everyone he met would be like, "Hey! Why didn't you die? If you'd have died, everything would go back to the way it used to be and life would be rosy."
After the movie, which ended when report came in that the war was over and the two ship captains respectfully saluted each other, the too-genki reporter/hostess took questions from the audience. Non of the junior high schools students were brave enough to raise their hands at the beginning, but elementary school first grader Maki was great and asked the two actors who came to talk to us [actor Yoshida Eisuke (last name, first name) and Dochin Yoshikuni from R&B duo Chemistry (!!!!)]. Another elementary school first grader, Rintaro, asked a question, but I have no idea what he said. I think he forgot what he was going to ask. ^_^' Was there a third question? Oh, yeah. Kazuma, a JHS eighth grader asked something. And then, I asked my question.
I knew that I'd get to go up, because I had the "foreigner" angle. What I asked Mr. Yoshida and Dochin-san was if they carried any kind of personal item while they were aboard the submarine, and what if anything the soldiers usually carried (Yoshida-san tacked that on for me when he answered my question.) He was cool. I thought he carried himself well when he and Yoshikuni Dochin came out after the movie. Sorry to say, I had no idea which roles they played in the film until I matched their faces with the ones on the movie poster. lol It turns out that Yoshida-san lived in Los Angeles for three or four years. He once had a conversation about the war with his friends (I assume) and they all marveled at the fact that, depending on the timing of their birth and the world events around them, they might have both been fighting one another instead of hanging out together. So we should cherish these peaceful times we have in our countries now. He talks a good talk, Mr. Yoshida does. I'm glad that I got to ask my question. Maybe someone I know will see the broadcast. Yutaka-machi is the only place in the country that this film was shown early to the public. So Yutaka Elementary and Yutaka Junior High are super lucky. ^__^ Or so we were told. I think the movie comes out in theaters this Saturday, the 13th. It was a little too "pretty" and "clean" and "lucky" to be seen as a completely accurate portrayal of events, but it was based on a true story. So that was cool to know.
All right, I'm losing focus. I'll sign off here. Toodles!
current music: humming in my mind
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| Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
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6:35 pm - A dash of flavor in an otherwise bland bean soup
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So. Golden Week came and went. I'm not in detail-mode at the moment, but I will say that I got to visit my host mom's hometown in Kyushu (gosh, I'm so bad with names; who's-knows-where-town), and that I really enjoyed myself. I'm glad the trip was extremely short, though. There were a lot of undercurrents flowing that kept tension high, and kept me making expressions like this: o_O. Yeah. Later!
I wanted to say that I got two new students at Yutaka Elementary today! I think they came at the beginning of May, but I guess that means that they've only been in school for less than a week. Last week only had class on Thursday and Friday, and they started on May 1st, I believe. The students are American born Marika (1-nen) and Reika (3-nen). I actually taught Reika when she was a first grader for about a month when I first arrived in 2006, and after that the family was off to Russia. Marika was four and in nursery school/pre-school at the time, so I didn't meet her. I think Reika is fourth-grade age wise but she's in third grade here. Probably due to what they're studying in fourth grade, or how much kanji she knows or something similar. Well, anyway, they're back from Russia, and they'll be here for the semester. According to Marika (who got it from her mom), the Kobachichi family will be heading to America next. Mr. Kobachichi was a ALT a few years ago, and he fell in love with Mrs. Kobachichi (who lived in Kubi) and they got married and had little baby Kobachichis. (Gosh, I love that name. ^__^)
I haven't actually ever met Mr. or Mrs. Kobachichi, but I kind of feel connected to them through their children. The girls have learned a whole lot about living in other countries and learning the languages the last few years, but one things I've noticed in both girls (besides their cuteness and wonderful American English accents) is that they're incredibly lonely. Granted, I only saw them for one day for about two-and-a-half hours total, but that's the feeling I got from both of them. I was happy to hear that they were happy that I was there to speak English to, though. I want to do something special for them to make them smile, but I'm not sure what that'll be just yet.
I don't know how to react to kids who speak English. I'm just so surprised to hear such clear English come out of their mouths, I don't immediately think about the fact that to the homeroom teacher and the other kids in the class, Reika and Marika are staying things that can't be understood. Well the first grade teacher, Nakano-sensei, understands what's being said, but she's not really bonding with her student, Marika. Nakano-sensei's been getting the cold shoulder from what I could see at lunch. I think that Marika understands more than she seems like she does, but she doesn't want to try..? I also think that she's really young and that it's hard to adjust to a bunch or changes for just three months. She's also probably not used to all the responsibility kids here have compared to what might be happening at home. She says she thinks she was four when she was here the first time, so that would explain why she doesn't know what state or city in America her family lived in before they began their grand tour.
I know that this is a great and wonderfully enriching cultural opportunity for the Kobachichi girls, but I don't know if I could subject my kids to all the moving around they've been dealing with. If they were planning on staying in Japan longer than three months, it would probably be easier, but...eh. I don't know. Maybe this is the last leg of their travels for a while. Maybe the kids can be settled in one place sooner or later. Probably it's easier for Reika to adjust because she remembers her time here better (being nine years old or so now). My spouse and I would really have to think through any globetrotting with a family. I'm just more of a homebody, though. But thanks to all their moving around, the kids have English and Japanese (both spoken at home) and a little Russian under their belts to make up for all the moving and shaking. And perceived loneliness.
Okay, that's enough for now. The Kobachichi girls sure do speak out in class more than I'm used to. Or, rather, it's startling because it's in English. Random comments abound in elementary school classes in general. And I think one of my resident goofy fifth-graders, Masaya-kun, might be developing feelings for Reika. He said her name three or four times before class this afternoon, and he was probably staring at her and her little sister at lunch, just like the rest of the kids were. They're so exotic to the Yutaka kids, that it's like they're movie stars. I told Marika at lunch today that everybody loves her hair and her skin and her eyes, and they just think she and her sister are really cool, so they want to look at her all day long. Marika giggled at that, but I'm thinking it's the truth. I had a mini-light flash in my head at that. Even though I complain about the kids probably not adjusting well at first, I'm glad the Kobachichis came back to Yutaka-machi.
current mood: full
current music: stomach digestion sounds, probably
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| Friday, May 1st, 2009
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9:05 pm - Detective Conan Movie 13: The Raven Chaser
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Okay. Yes. I'd better write out my thoughts on this movie before I'm tempted to read the numerous reviews already circling the 'Net. I went to see Movie 13 last Saturday, the 25th. I hadn't felt inclined to see any the other two Conan movies that premiered in theaters since I came here in late 2006, but for some reason, The Raven Chaser pulled me in from the get-go. I'm usually really disappointed in the DC movies and don't mind waiting for rental. Why, you ask? Well, because no matter how much you want what happened in the movie to be "real", everything resets at the end after the credits roll so as not to disrupt the Conan space-time continuum. Uh, the continuity of the running anime series. So, even though I didn't know if this film would/could be considered canon, the highlighting of the Black Organization (the wonderful philanthropic group whose members shrunk Kudo Shinichi into the Conan we know and love today and go around "loving" the people of the world in their own unique way) would surely make whatever happened in the movie worthwhile. And boy, did they.
So, on to my notes. I'm just gonna go with whatever I wrote down the day of the show and tweak as I venture forth. Possible spoilers for people who can piece together random puzzles that don't really say much about the plot.
Movie 13 is the best Conan feature film that I've seen by far. Why? Because the BO was finally in it, and in it good. Possibly the closest to canon the movies will ever get, I think.
Cool/Oh, shit! points:
- Conan having a chat with Vermouth that was un-enhanced by violence.
- all of the keiji/keibu/cool and kick-ass inspectors showcased in the series gathering to solve a series of murders. (Even Mr. Scarface! - I don't know his name, but he appeared in episodes 516 and 517, and was in some of the latest manga case files [686, 687 or so]. I can't remember his name, but he's great!)
- Said inspectors talking about their experiences with Conan, and how when he's around "the case always seems to get solved"; Conan got to sweat some bullets, then.
- Ran having bad premonitions/gut feelings about Conan and Shinichi's safety.
- Final battle with the Black Org bad guy, Irish.
- Ran's OMG/"Oh, shi-at!" fight; hand-to-hand combat was never so gripping.
- Conan's duck and dodge scene, and the counterattack.
- The Detective Boys being useful even without Conan (rare and special)
- Sato-keiji looking underneath the underneath and being the only inspector to do so.
- Way less Kudo-kun than usual, but we had some Heiji (and Kazuha) detective work to make up for it. Okay, it was really all Heiji.
- Conan being one step ahead of the inspectors as usual. He's like a cat with all those lives he has. Comes from thinking five steps ahead, I guess.
- Conan/Shinichi gaining another convert for the "I Love Our Silver Bullet" Club.
- Finally, kudos to me for understanding about 80% of what was going on. Hot stuff, that!
Okay, I'm tired of bulleting items. Other stuff that I noted includes: Gin and his policy of forgetfulness. Three (?) different people have asked him if he remembers Kudo Shinichi, to whom everyone in the organization knows that he gave the APTX4869 drug. Each time he's always like, "I never remember the names of the people I've killed..." There was one time where he asked another member if they knew anything about Kudo, but thanks to that person, the scent died so he didn't pursue it. My guess that the crazy "Oh, shi-at!" scene from the trailer was a you-know-what. Yes, another dimension where everything goes to seed and evil triumphs. Man, Gin's gonna be so angry when/if this one mystery is revealed. Anyone who finds out the Kudo/Edogawa secret are all like, "Nyah, nyah, nyah!" to Gin and leave him in the dark because he's already so powerful. And because some people want good to win. Or at least have a chance to try to win. And it's always good to know more than your enemies, even when you work for the same Evil Boss.
I left the movie feel like I wouldn't mind if Conan/Shinichi kept chaing the Black Org well until I was into my thirties, and that means a lot coming from a romantic girl who likes tidily-wrapped endings. I hope I didn't spoil much, if anything. It was well worth the $10. I'm glad I got a discount at the movie theater, regardless. Okay, now that I've typed up my notes I can read what other people have written about the Raven Chaser. I wonder how many drink named-people in the Black Organization exist. The possibilities for code-names are endless, I'm sure.
Next week, I'll be visiting my host mom's hometown and her sister(s) in Kyushu. Where in Kyushu? I don't know. I'll just be along for the ride, since I'm not trusted on the interstate. You'd think it would be similar to country road where we zip along like speed demons, but better safe than sorry!
current mood: sleepy
current music: ~ nashi! ~
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| Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
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2:38 pm - People and money and people again.
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Phew. It's been a busy few weeks. First, I went to Tokyo and back for four days. I had a walking tour of Akihabara, some places in Shibuya and Shinjuku and Tokyo Dome. Lilly, Jarrod and I also visited two different Karaoke Kans on two different evenings. I enjoyed those times in our little room. I liked singing songs that my companions also recognized. And, of course, I like the sound of my deep, alto voice through the speakers. There's a reason why I only care to sing certain songs. I only want to sound "good" for the most part. lol Songs I don't really know are for me alone to practice. ^_^
Mmm...The hotel was great! The people working the front desk were also great. I'm glad that I got to meet Mr. Kaneko whom I'd talked with a couple of months ago when Lilly and I booked the rooms. I generally felt comfortable interacting with people in Tokyo. I always felt proud when I asked someone a question and had a problem solved. It was also fun to see how much energy (sweetness?) it took to make the usual "employee mask" crack. People who work in service here have a real tough skin, I think. I think it's because they have to work with human trash for a large part of the day. Mr. Hoshino, the great guy who invited me to sing with him on Itsukijima (his island) last summer, once told me his views on service and gratitude and money. He said that people pay money for someone else to provide them with a service that they can't or won't do themselves. The same goes for goods, too. You pay a carpenter to make you a new dresser because you either can't do it yourself, or you don't want to. You pay for a meal at a restaurant because you don't want to make lunch yourself. Something like that. Anyway, Hoshino-san said that people nowadays (meaning the last thirty years or so, probably) have forgotten that money is one way of showing your gratitude for receiving a good or service, but it's not enough. His words really had a lasting effect on me. I started paying more attention to why I do some of the things I do when out and about in town.
No matter who is on the receiving end of the cash, he or she wants to hear a sincere "Thank you" for their efforts. The cashier wants to feel appreciated for processing your order. The father wants to feel that his family is grateful for his sacrifice in working hard hours at the plant to help provide for the family's needs. It's really important to show how grateful you are to others. I think it really lifts people's spirits. You treating the lady handing out fliers in the shopping district like a real person and asking for her help might be the highlight of her day. You never know how much the people you're interacting with might need a little sunshine in their day. I learned from my mom to always tip our waiters and waitresses because they usually make so little. I also see it as another sign of gratitude for a job (well?) done, a service rendered. I'm glad that I've got that little spark in me, even though I rarely recognize it. There's not so much a "happy face!" switch that I turn on when during encounters with store/restaurant employees: it just happens automatically. I hope that part of my personality never diminishes.
Mm, was I planning on saying anything else in this post? Oh. Yes. Mr. Uekiyo's at utaka now, and he's working hard. I'm so happy to come to Yutaka now, it's not even funny. Sadly, the new teacher at Toyohama is nowhere near as wonderful and creative as Mr. Uekiyo (biased much, Janitha?). Oh, well. I do feel like if Uekiyo-sensei's teaching style helped kids who've learned not to trust adults slowly blossom from seeds to flower buds gradually opening a the top, the new teacher Mr. Oue will cause their confidence in their English ability and desire to talk to me in English to shrink, and these little flowers with slowly and painfully shrivel and wilt. I feel like the door of the new ninth graders' heart had once been cracked open, and is now closed and steadily being deadlocked, chain-locked, and bolted from the inside. Class is boring and not challenging at all, and Mr. Oue, while not completely as clueless as Mrs. Sakimori, isn't adjusting his teaching style to fit the students needs. If he notices that a lesson is too hard for the students, he doesn't acknowledge it, even when I say something like, "That was really difficult for the students." So that's really scary. I don't want to see these beautifully blossoming kids retreat back into their shells again, but I know that this is where this school year is leading. Now I know how the kids felt after the teacher before Mrs. Sakimori left. (I heard about her--Etsuko-sensei, I think--from Arthur, an ex-JET who came for a visit three years ago.) So this is want happens when excellent eachers are replaced by the status quo. Though I was already biased against any teacher that was Uekiyo-sensei, I've got some experiences to back up my sadness and disappointment in Mr. Oue's/Mrs. Sakimori's teaching style now. Pah.
Okay, I think I've got enough stuff out of my system now. Time to flush! :;whoosh::
current mood: a little salty
current music: no music, just the sounds of the teachers' office
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| Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
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5:36 pm - Deflated...
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Oops. I was wrong about the "stimulus" shot I thought I'd received. It wasn't for me! It was for the government, gosh darn it. So, the fifteen hundred dollars extra I got is for the residency tax we have to pay in June. Shoot. But thanks to the exchange rate, I did make some money off of what I sent over. I guess I'll save up whatever extra comes in my paycheck for that bill in June. The real stimulus check came in the mail this week. We have to fill it out and send it back in. We'll get our (ahem) $120 stimulus money a month or so after filing for it. Sooo wrong. But oh, well. I won't have to put anything in my US savings account until May or so. I'll be putting in about two months worth earlier than usual, thanks to my fake extra money. >__< ::sigh:: I really thought good things were coming my way, too. Stupid jumping to conclusions. Stupid residency tax. :( Eh. Shrug it off, Janitha!
Saturday the 21st was graduation at all the Kure elementary schools. I enjoyed the pomp and circumstance, and all the individual lines each student (all thirty-seven or so of the student body at Toyoshima Elementary) or so memorized and said. I told my principal that it was like watching the ending of a Japanese drama. You know, where all the kids say meaningful things to the graduating class/teacher who's done so much for them?
I had a good time at my host family's on Monday and Tuesday. I went to karaoke on Monday and practiced some oldies and a few new tunes (woo-hoo, "Bink's Sake"! I'm gonna nail that song sometime soon.). On Tuesday, I went with my mom to get her a belated birthday gift. I thought she might want to pick out a new, expensive teapot since she'd confiscated the one at her husband's office in the meantime, but Okaasan ultimately decided that she wanted a somewhat fancy frying pan instead. My mom loves gifts that are uber-useful or consumable, and the frying pan fit the bill. I'd gotten her one for her birthday two years ago as well, and she's used it nearly everyday since then. So, cool. ^_^ I've come to love practical gifts, too. I looove that alarm clock I chose for my birthday. And I love the green froggy sheet I bought for my futon/mattress.
Today, Wednesday, was the ever-wonderful BOE meeting. It literally lasted thirty minutes, and half of that was Mr. Sakata checking the newspaper for the names of our new teachers.. Short meetings equal an early lunch, so that's what most of us did. Five or six of us gathered at the local Indian restaurant for a bite and some talk. After that, I went to my friend Maggie's apartment for an hour to have a cuppa and surf her internet for Tokyo spots to seek out. The milk tea was good. I'm glad I managed to turn down her numerous offers of ice cream. I've won one battle with sweets this day, and that makes me feel somewhat good.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Tokyo to see Lilly and Jarrod. I want to wipe down my kitchen floor before I leave, and I want my freaking package to be delivered this evening like the people at the post office said they'd do. I'll just..make dinner while I wait for my stuff.
current mood:  a little chilly
current music: Listening to a Rabbi Daniel Lapin podcast on obscenities.
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| Friday, March 20th, 2009
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7:51 pm - MIracle? Miracle.
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Man, I can't believe it. Mr. Uekiyo's moving to Yutaka JHS! Woo-hoo!! I'll get to hang out with him for a few more months. I have dreamed the impossible dream, and it has come true! Crazy stuff, this BOE teacher shuffle.
current mood: cheerful
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| Thursday, March 19th, 2009
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8:01 pm - Ch-ch-ch-changes?
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Oooh, I'm on pins and needles. Today is the day that my teachers find out if they'll be shuffled around or if they'll be around another year. I was at Toyoshima Elementary today, and didn't really feel the pressure, since the school's preparing for Saturday's graduation (tomorrow is a national holiday). But I stopped by Toyohama to pick up a CD that Mr. Uekiyo was lending me (actually, he's given me beautiful copies of two of his 80s favorites (Huey Lewis and the News and Bruce Springsteen--he wanted me to decipher the lyrics for "Dancing in the Dark". Turns out that they were a bit..sexual. I can't believe I was using that word with my teacher! I had to wait for Uekiyo-sensei to say it first, though. lol Then I felt free to use it. The whole song could have been about fighting, though. Either way, passions were high in "Dancing in the Dark.")
Where was I? Oh, yes. High tension in the teachers' office. I decided not to stay once I got my CD (and returned Friends' DVDs) and the lunch schedule I have to fill out for next month. But I'm worried. One of the many reasons I decided not to re-contract was because Uekiyo-sensei was probably gonna be gone from Toyohama come April. He's been real sweet about saying, "If the students are good, will you re-contract?" or "If I get moved to Yutaka, you have to re-contract." If only wishes came true. If only dreams came true. I'd always respond with, "If it was just your school, I'd be cool with it." Not that I could change my decision at the late date even if I wanted to. I do feel bad about figuratively leaving Uekiyo-sensei in the lurch at the end of my contract. Good thing I only mentioned my doubts about staying after I'd turned in the form. I have a feeling that Mr. Uekiyo would have been slowly turning me to his side. ^_^
I really enjoy working with Mr. Uekiyo. I don't know what the verdict is, but I'm glad I got a chance to work at Toyohama and have a cool, awesome teacher to befriend. You see? Good things do happen in this world.
current mood:  curious
current music: for some reason, I have Mr. 2 Bon Clay's "Okama Way" song stuck in my head.
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| Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
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12:19 pm - I have been stimulated.
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Yes. I have effectively been stimulated by the Japanese government. My pay (as piddly as it was last month), has been boosted by half of my usual salary (so it became my usual salary + [(0.5)my usual salary.]). This is the first time I've ever seen so much money in my account. Wowzers. I was in shock as I walked back from the post office, and my kyoto-sensei commented on it. Other teachers laughed at my expression, but I still can't believe that it's true. I've been stimulated. I keep thinking that they made a mistake and given me the bit of "stimulus" assigned to other ALTs, and I worry that they'll change their minds tomorrow. But I've already taken a bunch of it out. I don't know how I'll divvy it out yet, but I'll take the next period after lunch to think it through. The smart thing to do will be to set all the extra stuff aside and live on my usual spending plan, which is just what I shall do! Money-market savings account, here I come!! You shall be beefed up considerably.
Man, I just finished lunch, and I still feel exuberant. ^_^ Makes me want to sing the jingle from one of those (old) depression-aide prescriptions. It goes something like, "♪I'm so happy, I'm floating on Cloud 9...♪" Blah, blah. I think the next line ends with, "feeling fine." But, yes. That's how I feel. I'm glad to have the extra cash to send home and sock away. I was feeling kind of down because I'm progressing at normal speed towards my savings goals for my emergency fund, and I didn't know how I could beef it up while I'm still in Japan (and still making money). But my prayers have been answered. Thank you, Lord! Thank you so much!!
And my happy humming high continues. ♪ ♫♫ ♪
I'm sorry that I doubted the stimulus moo-lah rumor. But I'm not sorry I got the stimulus. If only every paycheck looked like this one. o(^o^)o Oh, how I jest!
Just hope it doesn't burn me next month. ^__^'
current mood:  ecstatic
current music: "I'm so excited!" song by the Pointer Sisters in my head.
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| Monday, February 23rd, 2009
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5:44 pm - A pleasant visit to my teacher's house.
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So. Several months ago, my lovely English teacher Mr. Uekiyo invited me to come over his house sometime. We decided on a month, but I told him that it was up to his wife to choose the weekend. I didn't want to stress her out. (I've had experience with gatherings here, and there's always more work for the host/hostess. I guess that's obvious, though. ^_^;
Anyway, we decided on February 21st (or, rather, I agreed that that was a good day to come visit the Uekiyos). I didn't know what to think of the upcoming visit, and worried that I would be (ahem) bored as I usually am at visits from people my host mom knows, but I had nothing to fear. It was great. His kids were cute and awesome and smart. Hana is four years old, and their son Taro is ten. He'll be a fifth grader come April. And the kids were also musically inclined, which is totally worth extra points in my book. Mrs. Uekiyo (Yumiko--I couldn't bring myself to call her anything, though. lol) is an elementary school teacher, actually. So I was glad that we'd have the work connection to talk about if need be. Mrs. Uekiyo invited a another couple to come visit as well, the Fukushimas. They brought their two children, Haruka (age ten-ish) and Rino (age four). Haruka has been studying and playing violin about two years, and Hana (Mr. Uekiyo's baby) is learning piano from Mrs. Fukishima. I was asked to bring my violin ("And nothing else!! You've given us enough!"), and I did. I was supposed to play a little something-something, but I hadn't planned on wow-ing anyone with whatever I did. We had a little recital with Mrs. Fukishima, the little ones on percussion, Haruka and me on the violin and Taro on recorder. We did a few Ghibli songs (Laputa's theme, "Kimi wo Nosete"/'Carrying You'; "Ponyo the Fish" or whatever the theme's called, and maybe something in-between those two), and I used my budding accompanying skills learned from Hoshino-san last summer to play below the melody. It was soooo fun. And of course Mr. and Mrs. Uekiyo and Mr. Fukushima clapped for us and said how "sugoi!!!" we were. Good times, good times. Eventually I did a couple of pieces alone, and then sang some songs with Mrs. Fukushima on the piano ("Amazing Grace"--one I had the lyrics to in my violin case, but one that I do not personally favor). Gosh, I really don't dig every English song that the Japanese find great. But one of her piano books had Utada Hikaru's "First Love" in it, and I knew I could hang with that one. So, yay.
Mr. Fukushima has the same birthday as me! (February 10th) He's apparently "several, several years over" my twenty-five, but they didn't look more than thirty-seven to me. ^_^ That was a nice coincidence to have, too. And I'm glad that I didn't get a lot of weird questions from the three grown-ups who didn't know me. As usual, Uekiyo-sensei wasn't much a talker, but he jumped in with some comments about my music career or our daily gripes in English about other teachers and such. I think he enjoys the atmosphere more than he does dominating conversations.
I tried to play this Donkey Kong taiko game on GameCube with the kids, but I really sucked. I only tried a couple of songs, though, so don't count me out!! Man, four-year-old Hana was waaay better than me. Eventually, after watching me struggle for a few minutes, she said, "It's hard, isn't it?" (Gosh, I laughed really hard afterward. ^_^) I couldn't figure out when to hit, and I couldn't remember the sequence (red drums were hit by the right hand, yellow hit by left, pink for both hands beating, and blue meant to clap). It was crazy. I think I could get it if I had a half-an-hour to practice, though. Despite my horrible performance, I watched the kids playing and practiced drumming on my thighs. Taro was apparently really impressed by how fast I could drum. He also thought I was a guy, just from hearing my name from before. So he was of course surprised by the femininity I possessed when I finally met me in person. ^_~
Anyway, the food was good and plentiful. So was the dessert (layered white or chocolate cake brought by the Fukushimas). I told them about my current plans to leave JET, and what I might be able to do after returning to the US. Mr. Uekiyo looked soo sad when I told him about my doubts last week or so, and I brought that up again. Totally understandable, though. Just when you've got the JET at the level of experience where you want her, you end up having to train a new Assistant Language Teacher all over again.
Ahh, I'll finish this later. Or start another entry. It's time to fix a little dinner!
current mood:  hungry
current music: Shimatani Hitomi - Prague no Onna (Very pirate-y song. I enjoy it ever so much.)
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| Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
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4:04 pm - Eh? And oh, yes! It was my birthday!!!
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I knew this day would come. The Kure BOE has done it now. I know that I would always complain about how they pay less and less each pay check (inching down dollar by dollar), but now they've gone and taken about $170 from our paychecks this month. What the hell? I have a feeling that the "stimulus package" people will be getting in a few weeks will be their own money delivered later. Oh, my gosh. I've got to get out of this shitty-shit job. >__< I was actually planning to use that money for good. And now, it may be used for evil instead. Maybe whatever they send to "stimulate" us will be compensation for the money that was never in my paycheck to begin with. :-( I'm going to have to frown about this until the mystery is solved.
My birthday on the tenth was very nice. I had class at Yutaka Elementary, and the kids presented signed cards to me and sang the birthday song every period. Very cute and sweet. I'm so happy that they thought enough of me to do that. It ended up being a half-day and the other teachers had to go to a blah-blah citywide meeting, so I got to hang out on the school computer and on my own computer. I also got to do a little file organizing/listening to podcasts during the afternoon as I tried not to fall asleep before quitting time. I went home and made myself kara-age (boneless fried chicken), and ate something sweet and did my Pilates ab-buster DVD. I probably watched an episode of Columbo, too. The next day, February 11th, was a national holiday as well, so I talked with Lilly for a long time as well. It ended up being a great day.
I celebrated my birthday with my host family on the fourteenth. My mom took me to DeoDeo to get the alarm clock that I wanted. I originally just wanted a clock that had the bells on the top like the one-legged Disney Princess one I owned already, but I fell under the spell of another alarm clock. This one had it's bells hidden inside and it made two other sounds (assorted bird calls, beeps, and the required bells). It was a high price to me, but my mom considered it cheap. ::shrugs:: My seven dollar alarm clock from Wal-Mart lasted me over four years. I think this one'll stay around for the next ten or so. I hope I can cherish it for that long.
My sister Sayuri said some really nice things to me in the family birthday card everyone signed and in person this weekend. She really touched me. She really loves me. It made me really happy to hear her say she thought of us as sisters and to accept her "proof of sisterhood" present (a special comb). I told her in a message later that I felt like some part of my heart had melted and started moving for the first time. Sayuri said that she was really touched to read my message to her, as well. So it was hugs and good feelings all around this week!
All righty. I'm ready to leave school now. It's been long enough. Ta-ta!
Edit: Okay. In my zealousness and impassioned fury at the time, I (ahem) miscalculated how much had been taken from my check. Only about $70 had been removed/stolen/whatever, but it still hurts!!!
current mood:  good
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| Saturday, February 7th, 2009
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7:28 pm - Triple Whammy
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La, la, la. Today marked the Yutaka Machi Sangyo Culture Festival, and all of my parts of the day went smashingly. For real, it was uncanny. I played the main drum part for the taiko performances, and didn't do anything overly embarrassing. We did a piece called "Thunder" for the opening ceremony at nine, and then did the same three pieces we usually do for the stage performance at eleven: "Thunder" "Hiyaku (yeah, don't know that that means)", and "Matsuri Danshaku", a festival-ish song that was originally performed a few years ago by a group called Orange Range. So we did our three pieces, changing clothes for the last bit, and as soon as they were over I stood alone onstage to sing "I Wanna Know" the song I performed at last year's Hiroshima Flower Festival. It's a song I love, and I didn't feel as stiff as I originally did when I did it last April, or even last May. Thanks for making a great song, AI! Then, an hour or so later, I played my koto-violin duet of "Haru no Umi" ("Sea of Spring") with Sueda-sensei. My host mom even came from the big city and made it to my taiko performance on time. Very, very awesome.
People gave me compliments all day for all the things I did. I was in seventh-heaven. lol
Kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop, though. I hope that I don't run into a bout of bad luck. Ganbaru ze. Anyway, I'll make it through, come what may.
To be continued...
current mood: chipper
current music: tea kettle singing it's song of "Come get me!"
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| Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
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8:19 am - A "Wow!" kinda afternoon
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So, yesterday at Yutaka Elementary I (dare I say it?) "team-taught" with alternately the 5th grade homeroom teacher and sixth grade homeroom teacher during fifth and sixth periods. My ever-useful JHS teacher Mrs. Sakimori also came as our guest teacher. About six other grown-ups came to watch our classes, including the principal and the vice-principle. These two lessons were Kure BOE mandates: everyone in the school system had to team-teach a fifth-grade and sixth-grade lesson from the (stupid and ridiculously hard) English Note textbook that all fifth and sixth graders are supposed to be learning from come the beginning of the school year in April. Boo the Eigo Note.
Anyway, the fifth graders did a shopping lesson where they were split up into pairs and given some colored clothing cards (shorts, skirts, shoes, t-shirts, caps) to sell to one another as Shopkeeper and Customer. Once each pair practiced a bit, with a teacher standing by to help, they presented a skit in front of the class. It worked out really well. My six fifth-graders were awesome. Amazingly, the sixth graders were awesome and energetic as well, an attitude that is vastly different from their usual diffidence. They were chomping at the bit to practice their "asking for directions" lesson. Maybe last week's speech where I channeled a typical Yutaka elementary sixth grade as they worried about being wrong and decided not to answer anything touched them somehow. Regardless, Mr. Fujito and I were totally happy. It was quite a good class.
Then came the meeting where we had to talk about our feeeeelings. Even that went all right. I got a lot of compliments from the other teachers and the principal, even from Mrs. Sakimori (!). Apparently there's usually a big gap between the sixth graders at ES and the seventh graders at JHS, and there wasn't so much of a problem this year. The kids already knew how to write their letters and are good at trying to read the blackboard/textbook on their own. Blah, blah. Mrs. Sakimori said that one can't have "fun" lessons at JHS because you have to stick with the textbook, but I totally disagree. Mr. Uekiyo at Toyohama Junior High is all about communicative activities that usually turn out to keep the students' interests in mind in hopes that the class turns out to be "fun" for them. And good on him!! I didn't agree with Mrs. Sakimori's assessment of how JHS English classes had to be boring. Ugh.
There were more talking about the backwardness of the Kure BOE when it came to some parts of English education, and how Yutaka (and Toyoshima) ES are lucky to have English every week, and how it's so very, very important to meet and talk about upcoming lessons. We all went out of our way to talk about this February 3rd lesson (well, except my JHS teacher), and talked about it a little bit each week since the end of last year. But it really worked out, and I'm happy for that. Toyoshima Elementary's not gonna be so hot, though. The lovely, forward-thinking BOE wants the fifth-and-sixth grade combined class at Toyoshima to be taught two unrelated lessons simultaneously. Yes, in the same class period the fifth graders will be learning about their "feelings" (something they should be able to articulate quite well already) and the sixth graders will be learning about various occupations, which they learned about last May or June. Not looking forward to Toyoshima's lessons, and I wonder what the teachers at ES are thinking will happen. I think they're dreading it as well.
All right, I'm out. Time for class.
current mood:  sore
current music: just my labored breathing
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| Monday, February 2nd, 2009
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2:47 pm - Blah. Time moves ever so slowly when you watch ever second tick by.
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Ugh. I'm feeling the "when will the school year be over?" blues. I'm actually feeling the "when will July come?" blues as well. Arghhh. I am mostly deadened to my softer sensibilities, at least when it comes to going that extra mile for Yutaka JHS. I can do it at Toyohama because the lessons are well done and taken care of by Uekiyo-sensei, but at Yutaka? Let's just say that I'm learning about the benefits of spacing out in class. Shameless ALT I am.
I'm more tired than usual because of all the taiko practices we've been doing in preparation for the town culture festival on Saturday. But it'll all be over soon. I'm not sure if my ennui will disappear so quickly. Apathy at school is something that I'd once abandoned, but have decided to embrace once again. I can't say that I was all that optimistic about JHS before, but now I'm consciously uncaring of whether the students learn or try in Mrs. Sakimori's class. It's kind of sad.
Oh! And I'm currently reading a brain-candy/light mystery series starring a children's dance instructor named Jenny T. Partridge. The first book is a fast read and made me laugh out loud within the first few paragraphs. Really gonna enjoy this series.
Bye for now!
current mood: tired
current music: old Rugrats TV jingle in my head: "Toodles, the Talking Poodle!"
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| Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
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2:18 pm - Hmm, hmm.
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I've been doing the same thing for so long, that the thought of going home for good (and what I'd be doing there once I got back) always seemed nebulous and undefined and scary. I feel like I'm finally winding down from my time as an ALT and that there's something better waiting for me once I return to United States. I'm looking forward to leaving my little island world and docking on a completely different port. Stability (having the same position forever and ever and ever) isn't enough anymore. I can't say that I regret doing a total of three years on JET, but I'll be really glad to move on to something more challenging. It took two and a half years to eke it out, but I've got a clue as to what else I'd like to pursue, and I'm happy to have it. I want to work on localization of Japanese to English translated documents or scripts: that is, customize them into understandable, conversational English. I really enjoyed doing that when I worked on the Conan scripts for the year and half or so that I did that. I was delighted to find out that there was an actual job market for positions like that. I like the creative aspect of editing translated scripts, and I think that's where one of my current goals lies. I read a book called 48 Days to the Work You Love last summer, and I'm ready to craft a kick-ass resume. Or I'm ready to read the book again and actually do the part about crafting the kick-ass resume.
Everything's not crystal clear about what kind of work I'll eventually be looking for during my first year or so back on U.S. soil, but I'm not as scared of the unknown as I was before. So thanks to author Dan Miller (of 48 Days) and to all the nice people who've talked with me over the last year and given me ideas for the future! Go, team!!
current mood: recumbent
current music: Tanaka Mayumi (Luffy) - Wanted!
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| Monday, January 12th, 2009
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9:38 am - The year ends and another begins.
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Arrgh, indeed. Yohoho, indeed. Third semester (probably should be trimester, but oh well) of school has arrived. Sadness. All right, I'm not that sad. And I'm not dreading school starting as much as I probably did this time last year. It's all right. I'll make it through.
I had a really good time at my host family's this past holiday. I thought that every day would be boring and tiresome, and that I'd have a lot of "talks" with my host mom about my future and how she's decided to let the prodigal Kazuma loose to "find his way", and then be hurt by something she inadvertently said...but it didn't really turn out like that. I felt useful. I folded laundry--I never seemed to wake up early enough during the day to help hang stuff out to dry--I washed dishes and vacuumed a bit. I walked the dog each day. It was good. What made my time at the Kaiharas even better was the fact that I did my best not to deviate from what I would have been doing normally during a series of holidays--namely, re-watching old episodes of One Piece. I managed to beat-down CP9 and get Robin back during the first week or so I was there. I came back to my house for the weekend (to rest from "resting"--my host mom kept her promise and gave me her old kotatsu, so that kept me warm for cheaper than using the air conditioner). I also did some laundry and watched some more One Piece. Then I went back to my host family's that following Monday, and stayed until the third. It was actually a pretty good visit, even though there were some family incidents involving my youngest sister Asumi (and, later, Kazuma via a phone call) and my host mom.
I've realized that my host mom is prone to punishing Kazuma for whatever reason she deems him "punishable". This time, it involved a gift I'd left with her to send to Kazuma. Every year, I've taken on the role of big-sister-with-a-paying-job and giving my siblings a traditional New Year's otoshi-dama (that is, a fat wad of money) that they were to spend freely, thus bolstering Japan's consumerism and starting off the year right at the mall. Kazuma didn't come home this year, but I had a little piece of change for him anyway. At first, my host mom said not to give him anything because it was his fault for not coming home--but I didn't think that was right, and Sayuri straight up said that if he found out that his otoshi-dama had been split between the other kids just because he wasn't there to receive it whenever, he would cry. She was somewhat serious about that, I think. I'd have felt really bad about doing something like that, too, since it's completely understandable why he doesn't spend much time in Hiroshima (A) his mother is obsessed with nagging him about perfection or whatever else comes to her mind and B) his girlfriend is up at school with him so he's got way more reason to stay where he is).
That story wasn't even the worst Kazuma-Okaasan incident of the vacation, though. Sayuri and I sent a threatening email telling him to come and get his otoshi-dama if he wanted it, and he sent a message back saying that he did want it, but he wouldn't be able to come home until spring break (which is true, what with his part-time job at Book-Off [used book and media store] and school). So I left my otoshi-dama with Okaasan, who put it with her and Otousan's cash gift for Kazuma and promised to send it with the next package of rice she'd be sending within the next few days. A couple days later, I'm already at home and I get an email from Okaasan saying that she fought with Kazuma on the phone and ended up just sending him the rice. So no otoshi-dama for Kazuma until who knows when. I could only shake my head at the situation and phrase a diplomatic response about how Kazuma would be happy whenever he received his gift, and that since it was the new year not to fight anymore. But I didn't like how it made me feel. I felt bad for Kazuma. It probably was best for him not to be under Okaasan's radar all the time. She can't help but find something to argue about. She's done it with me often enough, and she can't really do it Sayuri, so she turns on thirteen year old Asumi--who's already in that "I don't know if I like my mother anyway; she doesn't seem to like me" stage. Sadly, no one else in the family likes battles (or picks battles) as much as Okaasan, so it's just an irritating quirk I try to avoid responding to. I'm sure the kids are used to it, though... From seeing certain events at the Kaihara house, I've learned how I don't want to act with my children in the future, though. So good life experience there.
Uh, yeah. I was going to write about how we went to this place called Tivoli park (a German fairytale theme park) on New Year's Eve, but I'm tired of all the host mom mess. I'm out.
Happy New Year, everybody!!
current mood:  contemplative
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| Thursday, November 20th, 2008
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5:54 pm - Connected to the outside world.
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The bridge that took three years to make and slightly less time to pave has finally been opened to the public. The last day for the ferries that took people to and from the island to the mainland sailed their last journey on Tuesday the 18th. People have been able to go to work by car for two full days now, and we've had one accident since then. >___< The island cluster where old people walk out in the middle of the street, pause their trucks in the middle of the one lane/two-way roads, and perform careless activities have been warned to look before they cross the street. Because until now, they didn't care if a car was coming. They would lock eyes with the driver and keep a steady pace, walking in the middle of the street. Good times have been had, inching past talking grannies and grandpas. Ugh.
A huge sign of progress (and the opening of the bridge that connects to about seven other islands and the mainland) is the opening of a DEODEO branch store on the island. This is a freaking big deal. Before, there were only two DEODEO branch stores within the space of six or seven town (that make up the population of the two islands I live and work on). Now, there shall be three! What's next, a convenience store?
I was made aware of the possibility of more work now that I don't have the excuse of being far away and inaccessible on the island. Sad, that. One teacher at Toyoshima Elementary said something to the effect of the BOE would probably start making me go to a third island in addition to the two junior high and two elementary schools that I already had. It's a very real fear. One that can be averted by not re-contracting for an ever-loving fourth year. I'm already planning on not re-contracting, and with the possible addition of more work for less or equal pay, another year of thankless servitude is even less appealing. Not at all. And the BOE totally has taken $1.75 more from my paycheck since October. What the piss? Shame on them for scraping the bottom of the barrel.
current mood: cold
current music: Tamia - Stranger in My House
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| Monday, November 10th, 2008
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10:34 pm
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Ever since the election results were broadcast worldwide, people here have been coming up to me and saying, "Obama won!! Isn't that great!!" I'm hearing so many positive reactions from people in other countries, too. It's like this presidential victory was everyone's win. Way cool.
I hope that our new president will keep shining throughout his years in office. Looking forward to watching this roller coaster ride. ^___^
current mood: sleepy
current music: the music of the night - crickets and machines and such
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haibarasan's journal