Friday, September 20, 2002

*... ohh... ahh ...*
Everytime I go into class, we have a section of time where the students can ask me questions. Despite the fact that they are in ENGLISH class, they still proceed to rattle off a Japanese inquiry, and the eigo no sensei (Eng. teacher) translates the kids' questions. Personally, I think that they translate it incorrectly half the time, because I have gotten questions like "What was the first things you learned in Japanese?" or "What's your favorite word in Niigata dialect?". Uhhh... huh? Where I may not be able to always their questions exactly, I have at least figured out my LEAST favorite phrase in Japan... and it's in English. I heard this phrase 3 times today alone. It is:

"Oh, ah, britt-sensei (or miss trozzi, or miss brittan sensei... depending on teacher)... I forgot to tell you, but..."

Upon the utterance of these words, my stomach drops and my throat closes, and I know I am dreading the next couple of words out of their mouth. Usually because it is something along the lines of

* "...but we are teaching a class together in a half hour and I need a 25 minute activity and work sheet on present perfect participles..." ((just because I am a native English speaker DOES NOT mean I know what the heck that is!!))

* "...but we are having a school festival and you must stand on the stage with the rest of the staff and sing this song. Oh, and you are supposed to be at practice for this song during lunchtime today." ((sure, no problem, I will sing a song I don't know in a language I don't know to a tune I don't know in front of a buttload of people I don't know... sounds perfect))

* "...but there is a school assembly afterschool today and you need to be there and give a speech, and I know you said you had to meet a friend today right after school, but you need to show the students your support" ((a speech, hmm... I think a hearty 'GAMBATTE!' should suffice, right??))

So needless to say, I am a little frustrated right now. What's even worse is that the above phrases all came from my supervisor today, and although it may be a communications difference, but he followed each new request with something along the lines of "I think it is impossible for you." Meaning that he understood that it may not be possible for me to do such things, but the use of the word 'impossible' in there to me is like a personal jab. I know he doesn't mean it like that, but it's hard to hear.

So with all that, I am taking a vacation. I am heading down to Ibaraki tomorrow morning (managed to buy a ticket all by myself!). I hope I get there. I am supposed to switch trains 4 times on the way. Yikes. JP and I are going to whoop it up on the West Coast this weekend. Talk to y'all on (my) Tuesday!

5:10 PM

Thursday, September 19, 2002

*... naninani, dokodoko, and other jibberjabber ...*
Well, I am not exactly what we in the States would call "fluent" in any sense of the word, but I am definitely starting to pick up on the little idiosyncracies of the language. The one that will be most annoying to you all once I return is the constant "nnn...nnn" sound that I make when someone is saying something. The Japanese have the tendency to respond with "hai" or "nnn" while someone is talking to them. It's not a sound of approval, more like 'I-hear-that-you-are-speaking-to-me' and I am beginning to even annoy myself I do it so often. Also, instead of saying "whatever" or "wherever", they say "nani nani" or "doko doko", which is funny to listen to in the middle of a sentence ('nani' means what, 'doko' means where).

If the language isn't enough, I have spent the last couple of days quizzing the locals on their strange customs. Like what's up with not being able to walk down the street munching on some pretzels or something. Lord knows they have bakeries every 10 steps. Not being able to walk in and buy half the shop, and then enjoy your newly purchased pastries on your mosey home... well, that's just plain MEAN. I was told that it is considered rude and unsophisticated to walk on the street, and they wouldn't buy my counter argument that it becomes sophisticated if you stick your pinky finger out while eating... curses. Also, when I came to school yesterday, I passed several students wearing gloves and carrying trash bags. Apparently once a month they clean the streets on their way to school. I think they actually get in trouble if they don't have in their possession a significant amount of trash when they reach school grounds. I was kind of bummed, actually, that I wasn't informed of this sooner. After all, since I can only throw out plastics on Mondays, and the last 2 have been holidays, i am getting quite the collection.

I was in a free conversation class yesterday, and we were going around saying our names and what animal we like the best. After the usual fare of dogs, cats, rabbits, and the occassional panda, one girl said "squirrel". I was like "really?! why?" and apparently the Japanese have a great affection for the squirrel. Love those rodents. I was explaining to them that they were not exactly at the top of the list of many people in America, especially my parents. And that people don't necessarily swerve to miss them on the road... things like that. I was then told "ahh, so squirrels in America are like wild monkeys in Japan." HUH?? They said that wild monkeys run around and get into everything in Japan. I have yet to see a monkey here (mostly in the countryside I think) but how cool would that be??

Speaking of wildlife, yesterday I was hit by a bat. Not like a run-the-bases, baseball, hey batta batta kind of bat. But a fuzzy, flying, vampire on the weekends, "my sonar must be a little off" kind. Maybe I surprised it by my bike bell sounding an awful lot like an insect...?? Either way, I was run in to in the side of the head by a bat.

2 other interesting things of note: 1) I cook and eat way better here than I ever did at home. First off, no microwave. Second, I have a garlic press. I love garlic. And now I love pressed garlic... in everything. (homemade) spaghetti sauce, mashed potatoes (no sour cream, curses.), and pretty much anything else that makes it to my stove. Had great basil garlic (handmade) tortillas the other night... man, don't I sound culinary...! 2) the kids here are insane about school. They get here at 7 or so in the morning, and they are here until about 6 at night. I ran into a bunch o' kids going home last night when I was on the hunt for tomato sauce (truth be told I had to make my spaghetti sauce b/c there ain't no such thing as bottled 'round these parts. I could get canned, but rumor has it it tastes like ketchup... uhh, not so much, thanks.) Yeah, so I don't know what these kids are on, but they're crazy to be cleaning everything and at school for 11 hours a day... I mean more crazy than the "scream when I walk down the hallway" and "randomly groping me" stories imply, of course.

11:35 AM

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

*... pretty much naked boys, Rocky, and motion sickness ...*
Yeah, that pretty much sums up the weekend.

Because of "Respect for the Aged Day", Monday was a national holiday off, so I decided to see what I could see on Sado Island. Sado is the next land west in the Sea of Japan, and is a 2 hour ferry ride from Niigata port. Not too bad, although the ferry is an interesting concept. It has a game room and cafeteria, and in the main passenger areas there are no chairs. You have to kick off your shoes (of course) and lay or sit on this green carpet. There are people everywhere, and most just roll right into you. Or right over you if you happen to be near their shoes.

I had called Kelly Saturday night to find out how the heck to get to Sado (she had a JET friend there she met in Tokyo) and she told me what bus to get to the landing, etc. Sunday morning I trekked out to the bus center in Bandai and was about 15 minutes early for the bus. I bought a disposable camera, and heard my name. Kelly came waltzing up and it turns out she decided to go to Sado too. we saw probably 8 or 9 other JETs on the ferry. Turns out there was this amateur sumo tourney on Sado on Sunday, and Mariana and her husband Brian were taking us there. Brian and 6 other JET guys donned the mawashi belt of the sumo and took on the locals to compete for prizes like tissue and clothes detergent and a really big bucket of miso. It was funny but got kind of sickening after awhile. I took limited pictures. There was one guy who came with his knuckles taped and was shadow-boxing and psyching himself up with music. He was a JET who got the nickname Rocky, b/c we didn't know his real name. He was VICIOUS and was seriously hurting people, doing chokeholds and elbow drops. Not cool, Rocky my man.

I had only planned on exploring for the day, but I was taken in by Mariana and Brian, along with Kelly, and ended up staying the night. The next day we went on a tour led by the cutest couple who own a restaurant in town. One of the other JETs mom was in town, so this little couple took everyone who wanted to go sightseeing. Since it was raining we couldn't really go to the super-cool places like the gold mine, but next time I have to get out there for that. It seems they were taking us on the scenic route for everything, b/c mostly we were driving in circles, I think, up and down winding mountainous narrow roads, and my stomach and head were NOT big fans of that. We went to a sake brewery where you can sample all sorts of sake and wines, and Kelly ended up getting a kiwi wine that was absolutely delicious, we kept going back for more 'samples'. Afterwards, the couple took us back to their restaurant and made this huge lunch for us that was sooooo good. Kelly and I soon got back on the ferry, along with the other people who had stayed, and headed back to Niigata on rougher waters than before. With all the road traveling and bumpy boat ride, I was happy to get back to my apartment and not feel motion sick.

Altogether a tiring weekend. I got home and realized I had no food for breakfast, but I also discovered a fascinating ability to set a timer on my rice cooker, so I had freshly cooked rice waiting for me when I woke up. Got to school today, in the rain again, and found out I had to teach a lesson in about an hour, but I have no idea what the heck I am teaching... hmm, I will wing it! By the way, Darius, I was doing a quiz show type game, and America was one of the categories, and the 50point clue was *they are 5 guys who sing in a group, they are American but are not the Backstreet Boys, they sing this song (and I played "pop")*

No one got it. They were quite confused. Sad for you. Oh, and the GDSMFCSBP is still that, yo ; )

11:38 AM