Fashion is really just like beauty...it's in the eye of the beholder. What one person thinks is fashionable and interesting another may find boring or ugly and vice versa. Ever since arriving in Japan I've been observing its people, culture, mannerisms, language, and fashion. Since I live in a small town I haven't seen any fashion forward people yet. The ones that think they're being fashionable, really are just following an old trend which I'd like to call the "skank" trend. It's when the woman wears short shorts or short skirts (and when I say short I mean the fabric stops right at the point where the butt and the thigh meet), has on some type of boots, and has the option to wear colored tights if the mood streaks her. She thinks she looks cute but really she just looks cheap.
I wish many women could understand the difference between sexy and skanky. Examples: Britney Spears - skanky; Charlize Theron - sexy; Paris Hilton - skanky; Halle Berry - sexy; Tila Tequila - skanky; Salma Hayek - sexy. There's nothing more sexy than a woman who isn't afraid of her sexuality and choices outfits that show off just the right amount of skin and hugs her curves in just the right way. The clothes should stir up people's imagination and create a sense of allure. But most importantly the difference between a sexy woman and a skanky woman is a sexy woman wears certain clothes because she finds herself attractive and wants to show herself to the world in the best way possible (self-love) compared to a skanky woman who wear certain clothes because she thinks it's what men find attractive and basically just wants their attention (self-rejection).
I didn't start this post to go off about my issues with skanky dressed women (even though it does relate to fashion) but how I have newfound respect for Japanese fashion. So the last few months I'd been a little worried that the Japanese fashion was mainly based on dressing like a skank. Like I said earlier, there aren't any fashion forward people in my town and when I went to Osaka and Kyoto I didn't really see any fashion forward people either. I mean there were women who were dressed pretty cute but fashion forward is something different. It's taking the old and adding a little twist. Well I finally found the fashion forward people, and it's true that they reside in the Harajuku district.
When I decided to join my friends in Tokyo on our 3 day mini-break from work, I at first didn't know where I wanted to go. Tokyo is so big and you can't possibly see all of it in 1 and a half days. So one night while I'm listening to Gwen Stefani, I thought "why don't we go to Harajuku and see what Stefani's been ravin' about" and it did not disappoint. So many different styles and fashions reside in this one area. I'm not even a shoe person but I could help but LOVE some of their designs and found myself wishing I could find at least ONE pair that came in my size (sadly I didn't). My friend and I found (and even bought some) great accessories from scarfs, necklaces, bracelets, hats, and more. As we walked the streets I found myself overwhelmed by how amazing some of the women looked (yes there were still the skanks but I just ignored them or kept thinking in my head "why?!"). My friend and I even popped into the H&M store and loved how some of the clothes were very much influenced by the 1940s. I soooo wanted to buy a top that my friend said reminded her of the fashion in the movie "Atonement" but even though the store was entitled H&M, it did NOT have H&M prices! I've never been in a more expensive H&M in my LIFE! And I've been to the ones in London, NYC, Dublin, Minneapolis and I think Florence (can't remember for sure) but none of them had prices like these. The top that I wanted cost 6950 yen (that's about $77 USD) and the cheapest items they had in the store were around 2000 yen (and were accessories). So I walked out of H&M empty handed.
Next my friend and I ended up chillin' in a department store for a while. We popped a squat in a random corner, talked, and people watched, This was the moment when I finally realized my appreciation for the Japanese fashion. As we're people watching, I noticed how many women would take on old fashion idea from the 80s (i.e. leg warmers) and add a twist. Instead of wearing the leg warmers the traditional 80s way (no tights, no socks, no heels) they added color tights and heels and they made sure to wear the leg warmers high enough so the color tights can peek out down by the shoes. Fashion like that I like because there are only a limited amount new designs people can come up with, but for a creative people there are endless amounts of ways they can adjust a few things then make it their own. It's great!
Being in Harajuku was wonderful; it gave me some fun new ideas for fashion that I'd like to adapt into my wardrobe. Now if only I can find out where Japan's hiding all the second hand shops I'll be set...
2008年12月24日水曜日
2008年12月10日水曜日
Ryoanji in Black and White
There's only a few. I took more but they are in color and I'll post them later. These 5 were about nuturing my artistic side and of course, my love of black and white film. Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73903&l=0114b&id=615202714
P.s. If you haven't read the blog entitled "What It's All About" please do. It's more important than these pictures.
2008年12月9日火曜日
What It's All About
So the last few days (maybe even a week now) I've started to feel blue about the upcoming holiday and not being around my family for the first Christmas EVER. I've been trying to live in the moment here in Japan and not forget about the past but not take the present for granted either. It's been working for the most part (it's helped me in those very sad seconds when I think of my cats and remember that unconditional love that was waiting for me everyday when I came home). Today I had a break through on what I can do to beat this onset of depression into submission. As some of you may know I'm going through a transformation while in Japan. I'm changing (or baking) into the best version of myself. I have the book "The Four Agreements" to guide me down this road of self discovery and it's liberating it feel the false misguided beliefs I once held onto so dearly crumble away. It's important to understand this about me because it will give light to what I'm about to say.
Today at work we had to put on a U2 concert video because the movie I rented (Gremlins, the perfect Christmas movie) was all scratched and not watchable. Sometimes I forget how much I like U2 because I don't listen to them often but I love that their music is about love, spirituality, politics, and changing the world for the better. I enjoyed listening to them so much at work I decided to pull up Joshua Tree on my iPod and listen to them on the bike ride home. I started to think about my journey to Japan and all the people and places I've seen along the way and that's when the epiphany or inspiration hit me.
(Hold on people...we're gonna go down a slight detour but it will make sense it the end. Please bare with me...) Vancouver has a serious homeless problem. People have always told me how beauty the city is (and it really is quite breathtaking) but it also has a serious homeless problem no one seems to talk about. It's so bad that people where telling me about how the city officials plan to ship off the homeless to Victoria when the Winter Olympics arrive. I wouldn't be too surprised if this is true because countries go CRAZY when the Olympics come. Look at Beijing. Anyway...when I was there for training, every night I saw an overwhelming amount of people sleeping on the cold streets and the distance I had to travel on a typical night was only about a 1.5-2 miles. Many of the homeless people would work "jobs" for money (like holding the door open for you when you walked into the 7-11) and they did it with a smile on their face, kindness in their eyes, and would still wish you a good evening even if you gave them nothing. Now I'm not naive by any means. I understand some people are homeless because they have a drug problem (that was another surprising element to Vancouver, the amount of drug addicts) while others are homeless because of mental illness (undiagnoised mental illness is a major contributor to the homeless problem in America, especially in NYC). But even if we understand the reason it doesn't excuse us from not creating a solution to the problem.
The reason I bring up Vancouver, and my eye opening experience to their homeless problem, is there is something we can do about it this Christmas season (and more importantly ever day of our lives). To all my family and friends, who I love and miss dearly, for the time and money you would have spend on or with me if I was home for the holidays, I humbly ask of you to spend it on those in need. Don't send me any presents or cards. Instead please spend it on a charity. There are so many big and small organizations that could use all the help they can get. If you don't have any money than give your time. Give the time you would have spend hanging out with me on collecting donations or handing out food to the homeless. If you live in Minnesota I can tell you the names of the places I liked to volunteer for if you don't know where to go. Many of you know I've never had much money but I always thought I was doing something worthwhile with my life when I volunteered (even if it was just 2 hours spent on making safe sex kits for the Minnesota AIDS Projecct and talking about how a chocolate flavored condom would go well with a vanilla flavored lube!)
And for my part I'm gonna spend the time and energy I would have spent on being sad because I can't see you for Christmas on finding a charity I can volunteer and donate to here in Japan. They don't have a Toys for Tots and since they don't seem to be a very gay friendly country I doubt I'll find an AIDS organization to work with but I'll ask my JET tomorrow about local charities and see if he can help me in this mission. I know I live in a small town but there has got to be something somewhere. Finally thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it's not the shortest of blogs (and probably my most impassioned) but I've never been one to shy away from emotionally going where a lot of people may not want to go.
Oh and before I forget...thank you Sarah G for suggesting I donate my old mittens to that homeless man in Vancouver. Where others ignored them you saw them as nothing but human. Liz...I wish I could be there on the streets with you donating your time to bring awareness to the homeless in MN. Don't worry I'm still gonna pay your good deeds forward. And for all the others, who do good things everyday but never tell a soul, I admire you and one day hope to have a soul as beautiful as yours. Take care of each other. We're all we've got!
Today at work we had to put on a U2 concert video because the movie I rented (Gremlins, the perfect Christmas movie) was all scratched and not watchable. Sometimes I forget how much I like U2 because I don't listen to them often but I love that their music is about love, spirituality, politics, and changing the world for the better. I enjoyed listening to them so much at work I decided to pull up Joshua Tree on my iPod and listen to them on the bike ride home. I started to think about my journey to Japan and all the people and places I've seen along the way and that's when the epiphany or inspiration hit me.
(Hold on people...we're gonna go down a slight detour but it will make sense it the end. Please bare with me...) Vancouver has a serious homeless problem. People have always told me how beauty the city is (and it really is quite breathtaking) but it also has a serious homeless problem no one seems to talk about. It's so bad that people where telling me about how the city officials plan to ship off the homeless to Victoria when the Winter Olympics arrive. I wouldn't be too surprised if this is true because countries go CRAZY when the Olympics come. Look at Beijing. Anyway...when I was there for training, every night I saw an overwhelming amount of people sleeping on the cold streets and the distance I had to travel on a typical night was only about a 1.5-2 miles. Many of the homeless people would work "jobs" for money (like holding the door open for you when you walked into the 7-11) and they did it with a smile on their face, kindness in their eyes, and would still wish you a good evening even if you gave them nothing. Now I'm not naive by any means. I understand some people are homeless because they have a drug problem (that was another surprising element to Vancouver, the amount of drug addicts) while others are homeless because of mental illness (undiagnoised mental illness is a major contributor to the homeless problem in America, especially in NYC). But even if we understand the reason it doesn't excuse us from not creating a solution to the problem.
The reason I bring up Vancouver, and my eye opening experience to their homeless problem, is there is something we can do about it this Christmas season (and more importantly ever day of our lives). To all my family and friends, who I love and miss dearly, for the time and money you would have spend on or with me if I was home for the holidays, I humbly ask of you to spend it on those in need. Don't send me any presents or cards. Instead please spend it on a charity. There are so many big and small organizations that could use all the help they can get. If you don't have any money than give your time. Give the time you would have spend hanging out with me on collecting donations or handing out food to the homeless. If you live in Minnesota I can tell you the names of the places I liked to volunteer for if you don't know where to go. Many of you know I've never had much money but I always thought I was doing something worthwhile with my life when I volunteered (even if it was just 2 hours spent on making safe sex kits for the Minnesota AIDS Projecct and talking about how a chocolate flavored condom would go well with a vanilla flavored lube!)
And for my part I'm gonna spend the time and energy I would have spent on being sad because I can't see you for Christmas on finding a charity I can volunteer and donate to here in Japan. They don't have a Toys for Tots and since they don't seem to be a very gay friendly country I doubt I'll find an AIDS organization to work with but I'll ask my JET tomorrow about local charities and see if he can help me in this mission. I know I live in a small town but there has got to be something somewhere. Finally thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it's not the shortest of blogs (and probably my most impassioned) but I've never been one to shy away from emotionally going where a lot of people may not want to go.
Oh and before I forget...thank you Sarah G for suggesting I donate my old mittens to that homeless man in Vancouver. Where others ignored them you saw them as nothing but human. Liz...I wish I could be there on the streets with you donating your time to bring awareness to the homeless in MN. Don't worry I'm still gonna pay your good deeds forward. And for all the others, who do good things everyday but never tell a soul, I admire you and one day hope to have a soul as beautiful as yours. Take care of each other. We're all we've got!
2008年12月1日月曜日
Kyoto
Ok so I've FINALLY put up my pictures of Kyoto. I went for the first time about a month ago and the link to the photos are posted below. Kyoto is a beautiful city rich with Japanese culture. It's really pretty there now with the leaves changing colors and will be even more breathtaking in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
The one strong memory I still have of my first trip to Kyoto was the smell of incenses at the top of a temple and hearing the cries of crows and the low hum of a gong in the distance. A woman silently prays to the left of me and to the right of me is a cemetery the stretches endlessly beyond the view of my naked eye.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71912&l=efca6&id=615202714
2008年11月30日日曜日
Christmas in Japan
Ok so Christmas never really starts for me until AFTER Thanksgiving. I don't care that the advertisements for toys and gifts starts at the end of October/beginning of November. I believe in giving Thanksgiving its props and not even DISCUSSING Christmas until we thank all the people that we love for the blessings that we have. Now that that's been said, Christmas season has finally begun for me. I'm not a huge Christmas person. It was a massive holiday for me as a child but now I'm just glad to spend the time with friends who are home for the holidays and coming up with quality gift ideas for the ones I love. Now that I find myself far away from home, I've come to realize this holiday means more to me than I ever really knew. The relevation came to me yesterday.
So the other day my co-worker and I decided to put up a Christmas in the office after our last class (actually it was more like me directing him on correct ornament placement and how neon pink is a very tacky color for Christmas decorations and will be NOT be put up around or in our office). But I couldn't decorate the tree without Christmas music playing or more specifically without the music of "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It's a tradition my family has and I can't dare to break. So I pulled up youtube on the work computer (which is a big no-no but I didn't care) found a clip from the beginning of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with the song "Christmastime is Here" and played it as loud as our crappy speakers would go (which in reality was just a whisper) but it was enough for me. I only let it play once before I put on my headphones and listened to "Christmas Remixed" (a compilation of old Christmas songs with people like Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Louis Armstrong singing but remixed) on my iPod. I knew I hadn't let the family Christmas tradition of always decorating the tree with Charlie Brown music being played die and I was happy. I even gave my co-worker my iPod and had him listen to some Christmas music for a bit while we decorated. It felt like Christmas had truly begun.
So in my excitment (or pleasure) of decorating the tree I went on to the decorate more of the office. I did the staircase, put a wreath on the outside door, and told my co-worker there is a checklist of things we need to buy. First we need a star for the tree (alas the teacher that came before me didn't leave one), mistletoe, a tree skirt, and a Santa hat. It was fun explaining to my co-worker what a mistletoe was for (kissing) and the purpose of a tree skirt (to keep the presents clean). He's never had an American co-worker before and from what I've learned, Japanese people don't really have a holiday comparable to Christmas. Christmas is about eating some of your favorite meals you only get maybe once or twice a year (I know I LIVE just to savor my mother's macaroni and cheese), the anticipation (and appreciation) of great gifts and taking time off to spend with your loved ones. But my co-worker told me a big difference between Americans and the Japanese (and maybe the reason why don't really have a holiday like Christmas) is that the Japanese live to work whereas we work to live. Hmmm....
Anyway...while my co-worker and I were decorating I came up with a wonderful plan. On Wednesday he and I are gonna go to the 100 yen shop and buy little gifts for the children at our school and put "From Santa" on them. Throughout the week we're gonna point out the gifts to the children but tell them they can't open them until the week of Christmas (which they'll hate). My overall plan is to teach the children about the RIDICULOUS amounts of anticipation us American children had to experience every year because we couldn't WAIT to see what Santa brought us. In the end they'll finally understand the true torment of good American Christmas. :-)
2008年11月21日金曜日
Hosed
I have loved the expression "hosed" ever since I first saw the Mountain Dew commercial with Davey and Goliath - Tommy: "What just happened here?" Davey: "We got hosed Tommy. We got hosed." Goliath: "Oh Davey." (to watch it the link is below)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU_W30kMm4
This information I'm about to share I'm not supposed to know about it until next week when I see my Native English Teacher (NET) trainer in Day One/Day Two training in Osaka. What he's going to tell me is my ONLY co-worker and the ONLY Japanese English Teacher (JET) has just quit and I will be the ONLY teacher at my school indefinitely. I will have to take over all of his classes and students and the JET is supposed to miraculously create a work schedule where I'm NOT working over 29.5 hrs a week (good luck with THAT!) Plus we don't even have a manager at our school right now. Technically every school should have one manager, one NET, and one JET; that's the minimum. But in my case it's just me and the JET. And now that the JET is leaving, it just ME. Oh the company SAYS they will send us a manager but they will not be replacing the JET. So the JET and I have no idea when or if a manager will show up. And if the manager DOES show up, s/he will be a new manager so they will know LESS than I do. So I only have the month of December to train myself to take over the JET's classes and any manager duties I may need to know about; like sending in Daily Teaching Reports (DTR) to Head Office, ordering books and paying for students' classes online, payroll, etc.
I just got hosed Tommy. I just got hosed.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU_W30kMm4
This information I'm about to share I'm not supposed to know about it until next week when I see my Native English Teacher (NET) trainer in Day One/Day Two training in Osaka. What he's going to tell me is my ONLY co-worker and the ONLY Japanese English Teacher (JET) has just quit and I will be the ONLY teacher at my school indefinitely. I will have to take over all of his classes and students and the JET is supposed to miraculously create a work schedule where I'm NOT working over 29.5 hrs a week (good luck with THAT!) Plus we don't even have a manager at our school right now. Technically every school should have one manager, one NET, and one JET; that's the minimum. But in my case it's just me and the JET. And now that the JET is leaving, it just ME. Oh the company SAYS they will send us a manager but they will not be replacing the JET. So the JET and I have no idea when or if a manager will show up. And if the manager DOES show up, s/he will be a new manager so they will know LESS than I do. So I only have the month of December to train myself to take over the JET's classes and any manager duties I may need to know about; like sending in Daily Teaching Reports (DTR) to Head Office, ordering books and paying for students' classes online, payroll, etc.
I just got hosed Tommy. I just got hosed.
2008年11月9日日曜日
Cemeteries in Japan
Here's a link to more pictures I took within the first 2 weeks of arriving in Japan. I think cemeteries can be beautiful and serene. It's a place where life can stand still (no pun intended) and you can find some peace and reflection within yourself and for this precious temporary life we are given. Call me strange but I like them.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67559&l=750c3&id=615202714
2008年11月8日土曜日
Tony, Takeshi, and John Woo
So I've just gotten back from seeing a great movie directed by John Woo. It's entitled "Red Cliff". Unfortunately it will not be coming to the States anytime soon (if at all) but I think American audiences would love it. It's got plenty of action, clever fight scenes and a lovable underdog. Americans can't help but cheer on David everything he battles Goliath.
But the real reason why I'm endorsing this movie is because of Tony Leung. Some of you may know him from "Lust, Caution", "Hero", or "2046". He is a great actor. And how do I know this...because I just spend 2 hours watching a movie in Chinese with Japanese subtitles (I don't understand either language) and I could comprehend EVERYTHING Tony's character was thinking or saying just by his facial expressions and subtle looks. This man can emote SO MUCH with his eyes! It's amazing! I can't say enough about him... Rent one of his movies as soon as you can.
Also I must recognize Takeshi Kaneshiro. Takeshi has been a crush of mine for a while (he is beautiful beyond words and I can stare at him for hours) and thankfully Takeshi has been in a couple of movies with Tony Leung; first "Chungking Express" and now "Red Cliff". Takeshi is the reason I spent $18 to go see the movie (I've never paid that much for a movie in my life! Even the movies at IMAX are cheaper. Also I was worried that I wouldn't get the chance to see this movie outside of Asia) but Tony is the reason why I'm gonna spend another $18 to see the 2nd part. Oh did I forget to tell you that...yeah this movie is has TWO parts with the second half not coming out till April. Thankfully I'll still be in Japan and I'll have something to look forward to in the spring; that and the cherry blossoms of course. :-)
2008年11月5日水曜日
A New Day
I`ve always had hope for America and the citizens of it. Today my hopes materialized when Barack Obama was elected our new president. Not because he is the first Black President but because he brings with him the change and determination needed to heal this country back to the inspirational and empowering place it was always meant to be. Have a great and BEAUTIFUL Wednesday!!!
2008年10月27日月曜日
Yes!!!
I have finally figured out how to change the settings on my blog to English!!!! Oh Yeah Oh Yeah...Go head now...It's your birthday... (ok so I totally went all dork on you but come on...I'm stoked). It was "interesting" for a while trying to read Japanese and solve the puzzle of posting on this site but..., "Now it's time to say good bye...to all our company...M-I-C, see ya real soon, K-E-Y, why because we love you, M-O-U-S-E." {That one was for you Sarah! ;) }
2008年10月23日木曜日
Cars in Japan
This is my short rant...so I got hit by a car today while riding my bike to work. Don't worry, so far all I've got is a bruise on my leg and possibly a sprained knuckle (if that's possible). And no I didn't go to the hospital because I'm a firm believer that unless it's broken or something you can't fix with soap, there is no reason to go to the doctor and pay a lot of money just to hear them say "sorry I can't help you. it will heal naturally on its own." Thank you Captain Obvious. So if my hand gets worse I'll go but if not I'm going to save my time and money for something more worthwhile like a trip to Bali or something.
I'm just a little pissed that this happened in the first place. I've been riding a bike in cities bigger than Maizuru since I was 8 or 9 and I've NEVER gotten hit before. And once the accident happened I kept playing it in my mind like maybe I did something wrong, like I didn't look around at my surroundings. But I did! I was on a main road and at the intersection, where I got hit, there was no light and it was a blind spot for both the driver and the bicyclist. So the driver of the van, who hit me, should have stopped at the big white line before the intersection and LOOKED both ways before entering the crosswalk so s/he can see all the bike riders and pedestrians who have the right of way. But this old man didn't! He just sped right into the intersection and if I hadn't slammed on my brakes I would have gotten hit straight on instead of hitting the side of the car.
In the end I'm ok (I'll know for certain tomorrow when the pain truly sets in) but now I'm a little paranoid about being hit again. It feels strange that I feel safer riding a bike in a big city than I do in a small one. But I've noticed that the drivers here take less caution probably because they think they're the only ones on the road compared to big city drivers who KNOW they're not the only ones on the road (even though they wish they were).
So that's my story...sorry it wasn't a proper four letter word rant but I feel better and in the end that's what a rant is all about, making the person feel better. Well take care and again thanks for reading!
I'm just a little pissed that this happened in the first place. I've been riding a bike in cities bigger than Maizuru since I was 8 or 9 and I've NEVER gotten hit before. And once the accident happened I kept playing it in my mind like maybe I did something wrong, like I didn't look around at my surroundings. But I did! I was on a main road and at the intersection, where I got hit, there was no light and it was a blind spot for both the driver and the bicyclist. So the driver of the van, who hit me, should have stopped at the big white line before the intersection and LOOKED both ways before entering the crosswalk so s/he can see all the bike riders and pedestrians who have the right of way. But this old man didn't! He just sped right into the intersection and if I hadn't slammed on my brakes I would have gotten hit straight on instead of hitting the side of the car.
In the end I'm ok (I'll know for certain tomorrow when the pain truly sets in) but now I'm a little paranoid about being hit again. It feels strange that I feel safer riding a bike in a big city than I do in a small one. But I've noticed that the drivers here take less caution probably because they think they're the only ones on the road compared to big city drivers who KNOW they're not the only ones on the road (even though they wish they were).
So that's my story...sorry it wasn't a proper four letter word rant but I feel better and in the end that's what a rant is all about, making the person feel better. Well take care and again thanks for reading!
2008年10月22日水曜日
My First Buddhist Temple
Here is the link and a teaser! :-)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63872&l=68bf4&id=615202714
Chopsticks and Fries
Two nights ago I ate french fries with chopsticks for the first time. It was the welcome/farewell party for me and the outgoing teacher at a "buffet style" restaurant in Maizuru. How it worked was someone placed a group order for drinks at each table then after drinks were served the wait staff would bring out different types of food all night. There was the raw fish tray (which was excellent), the salad tray, and even the American style tray which had french fries, chicken strips, and fried spring rolls. At one point I had a "Lost in Translation" moment. The wait staff brings out this big metal bowl full of water along with two trays of raw vegetables and raw meat then places the bowl on a gas heater. The students proceed to add in the vegetables and let it come to a boil. While it's boiling one picks up a piece of raw meat and cooks it in the bowl. It takes about 30 seconds to cook. There's a dipping sauce for the meat and once it's all done it tastes really good. I just remember in the movie "Lost in Translation" Bill Murray says to Scarlett Johansson after the staff brings all the materials to make this meal, "if we have to cook the food ourselves, what are we paying them for."
Overall it was a wonderful evening and it was great to get a chance to talk to my students outside of the classroom. I DEFINITELY left an impress on some of them when at one point of the conversation I had to explain what the word "poop" meant and proceeded to act out the action with me protraying a dog on a walk who makes a stop to poop. Yeah it's a good thing I don't mind making an a** out of myself once in a while.
There are more stories to come but once again the work chimes are ringing so I must run. Take care!
Overall it was a wonderful evening and it was great to get a chance to talk to my students outside of the classroom. I DEFINITELY left an impress on some of them when at one point of the conversation I had to explain what the word "poop" meant and proceeded to act out the action with me protraying a dog on a walk who makes a stop to poop. Yeah it's a good thing I don't mind making an a** out of myself once in a while.
There are more stories to come but once again the work chimes are ringing so I must run. Take care!
2008年10月17日金曜日
First Lady
I just found out the other day that in the 10 years my school has been open, I'm the first female teacher it's ever had. Several years ago the company I work for used to sent both men and women teachers to small cities in Japan but soon some of the female teachers started to complain it was too hard to live there. They said they didn't have any friends and that there wasn't much to do outside of work. Subsequently they quit so the company decided to stop placing women in small towns. Only recently have they changed this policy but still most women are mainly placed in big cities.
I got pissed of when I heard this story, not at the company but at these particular women. Living in a small town is not easy for anyone (unless you like small towns and prefer them over big cities) and it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman the struggles are still the same. But the actions taken by these particular women gave the impression that it's harder for women to survive than men and that women need special treatment which is bullsh*t. When things get hard you just gotta suck it up and deal; find some positive outlets for your frustration but you can't just whine and whine and hope it goes away. Now I don't know these women's complete stories but I'm almost certain they're full of excuses because if the majority of male teachers can find a way to handle living in a small city then female teachers can too.
On a positive note my teaching has been going well so far. I've already taught 3 classes and I've got another 3 to teach today. The departing teacher observes my lessons and says I'm quite good for a first time teacher. I just need to work on reducing my native speak (meaning I need to talk in simple sentences structures, i.e. subject-verb-object.) and I need to work on my timing (my lessons have been either a couple minutes short or a few minutes long) but both speech and timing will come naturally over time. :-)
Well that's all I've got for now. Take care and thank you for reading!
I got pissed of when I heard this story, not at the company but at these particular women. Living in a small town is not easy for anyone (unless you like small towns and prefer them over big cities) and it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman the struggles are still the same. But the actions taken by these particular women gave the impression that it's harder for women to survive than men and that women need special treatment which is bullsh*t. When things get hard you just gotta suck it up and deal; find some positive outlets for your frustration but you can't just whine and whine and hope it goes away. Now I don't know these women's complete stories but I'm almost certain they're full of excuses because if the majority of male teachers can find a way to handle living in a small city then female teachers can too.
On a positive note my teaching has been going well so far. I've already taught 3 classes and I've got another 3 to teach today. The departing teacher observes my lessons and says I'm quite good for a first time teacher. I just need to work on reducing my native speak (meaning I need to talk in simple sentences structures, i.e. subject-verb-object.) and I need to work on my timing (my lessons have been either a couple minutes short or a few minutes long) but both speech and timing will come naturally over time. :-)
Well that's all I've got for now. Take care and thank you for reading!
2008年10月15日水曜日
Signing up in Japanese
WOW!!!! This whole website is in Japanese here in Japan (duh!) so if I do any funky posts it's because I have no idea what the site is trying to tell me. I was so surprised when I filled in the sign up forms correctly. Thank God web sign up sheets almost always ask for the same information.
Anyway...so this is my first blog and I must admit I've never been a fan of them in the first place (seriously who the hell cares what I do on a day to day basis) but since I now live in beautiful Maizuru, Japan (pictures will come as soon as I get my new digital camera) I thought some of my friends and famiy might be interested in reading about the adventures and mishaps I get into here.
Well I'm a big city girl so Maizuru is the smallest city I've ever lived in so far (pop. about 90,000 people) and I must say it's comforting to find that most small cities are the same no matter where you go. Starting out with the fact that everyone knows everyone! Even though I've only formally met about a hand full of people, the word has already gotten out that there is a tall 5'9" Black woman wandering the streets. Not too many people stare at me directly (and when they do I smile and continue on my way) but I can tell some are interested in finding out who I am. On my second day here I decided to grab my iPod and take a long walk through the city (occassionally strutting along the way to the music of Rilo Kiley and Seal). It felt nice to get out and confidently not care if people thought I was weird or intriguing but truly enjoy the fact that I was in Japan, a path I never thought I was going to take a year ago. :-)
While on my walk I came across my first Buddhist temple. At first I didn't know I had arrived at a temple because there were these long stone steps (like the ones you see in Kill Bill Vol. 2) that lead straight upwards blocking my view of what ever layed ahead. Of course there were signs at the bottom in Japanese saying "This way to the temple" but because I can't read Japanese (yet) I had no idea where I was going when I decided to take my first step. The steps were high and kind of steep so my thighs really got a workout. And while walking up them I thought of the Steps of Repentance at Mount Sinai. I wondered if the reason they make the steps leading up to temples so physically challenging is because it's an act of repentance people must take before praying to the Buddhist gods. Like you must sacrifice a little of yourself (which in turn causes you to become humble); teaching people the ultimate lesson of how you must first give before you can ever receive. Hmmm....
I didn't stay long once I got to the top because people were praying and I didn't know the proper etiquette on how to present myself at a Buddhist temple. So I decided to leave and will come back later when there is no one around and also take some pictures to show people back home.
Well I think that's enough for now. I of course have more stories to tell (and will!) But for now I'm going to get ready for my first day of teaching (on my first day of work I just did observation) and hopefully all will go well. Thanks for reading and take care!
Anyway...so this is my first blog and I must admit I've never been a fan of them in the first place (seriously who the hell cares what I do on a day to day basis) but since I now live in beautiful Maizuru, Japan (pictures will come as soon as I get my new digital camera) I thought some of my friends and famiy might be interested in reading about the adventures and mishaps I get into here.
Well I'm a big city girl so Maizuru is the smallest city I've ever lived in so far (pop. about 90,000 people) and I must say it's comforting to find that most small cities are the same no matter where you go. Starting out with the fact that everyone knows everyone! Even though I've only formally met about a hand full of people, the word has already gotten out that there is a tall 5'9" Black woman wandering the streets. Not too many people stare at me directly (and when they do I smile and continue on my way) but I can tell some are interested in finding out who I am. On my second day here I decided to grab my iPod and take a long walk through the city (occassionally strutting along the way to the music of Rilo Kiley and Seal). It felt nice to get out and confidently not care if people thought I was weird or intriguing but truly enjoy the fact that I was in Japan, a path I never thought I was going to take a year ago. :-)
While on my walk I came across my first Buddhist temple. At first I didn't know I had arrived at a temple because there were these long stone steps (like the ones you see in Kill Bill Vol. 2) that lead straight upwards blocking my view of what ever layed ahead. Of course there were signs at the bottom in Japanese saying "This way to the temple" but because I can't read Japanese (yet) I had no idea where I was going when I decided to take my first step. The steps were high and kind of steep so my thighs really got a workout. And while walking up them I thought of the Steps of Repentance at Mount Sinai. I wondered if the reason they make the steps leading up to temples so physically challenging is because it's an act of repentance people must take before praying to the Buddhist gods. Like you must sacrifice a little of yourself (which in turn causes you to become humble); teaching people the ultimate lesson of how you must first give before you can ever receive. Hmmm....
I didn't stay long once I got to the top because people were praying and I didn't know the proper etiquette on how to present myself at a Buddhist temple. So I decided to leave and will come back later when there is no one around and also take some pictures to show people back home.
Well I think that's enough for now. I of course have more stories to tell (and will!) But for now I'm going to get ready for my first day of teaching (on my first day of work I just did observation) and hopefully all will go well. Thanks for reading and take care!
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