In an effort to increase students at our school, we have started having a story-time hour, where Kevin and I will read one of our story books and "act it out" with props and stuff. We get a lot of current as well as prospective students who come in.
Now, as a side note. Japan is a rather homogeneous country. I believe the foreigner rate in Japan is 1%. Add to that the fact that about 70% of the foreigners are from other Asian countries (China and Korea mostly), we're talking .3% of the population are western foreigners. We look different.
So, back to story time. One kid is already whimpering a little and running away from me when he sees me before we even start. We are about to start, so we all move into the room... Another little boy walks in, looks at me, and yells 先生は怖いよ。分かんない。 (Teacher is scary. I don't understand.)
In the beginning, this was upsetting to me. Now I just find it funny. The moms are always really embarrassed. The comedy continued... the first little boy (who was running away from him) found a little tigger stuffed animal, set it on the ground, mounted it, and started humping it like a dog. Now, it's my turn to say: 分かんない I don't understand.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
日本語 Japanese
I'd really like to be able to speak, read, and write Japanese. Naomi tells me that I try harder than any NET she's met. I try because it interests me. To me, Kanji (the Chinese characters used in Japanese) is this big puzzle that I want to solve. It's really interesting when you start to understand it. Like the character for book 本 is a derivative of the character for tree/paper 木. Or look 見 is a derivative of eye 目. I really enjoy 消 which shows up in the words for fire department, gastroenterology, and hand sanitizer. It means "to consume" (in the case of sanitizer, the kanji is something like consume poison). I really enjoy it. So, I see characters around me and I get interested, so I look them up. I REALLY miss my iPod already. There was so much I looked up on it. I just figured out how to work the dictionary on my phone, so I have a replacement, but my iPod was a much better set up. At any rate, I came across this character today: 当. Google says it means "this" and my phone says it means "advisable, expedient, right, well, reasonable." Not quite the same thing. I'm confused...
I am trying, though. Part of the Japanese culture is to really praise others, even for small accomplishments. So, people tell me a lot that my Japanese is really good. It's nice to hear and very encouraging, but maybe all I've said is "no bag, please" to the clerk at the convenience store or something equally simple. I'm at the point that I can do a lot of (simple) practical things like make reservations, order in a restaurant, buy tickets, etc. But, I can't tell you how I'm feeling, or about my day. It was only a few weeks ago that I learned the word for happy and sad. I don't know angry or thirsty or... I know tired (I hear that one A LOT). And I know full... onaka ipai. That one I remember, because I accidentally said onaka pai, which Naomi cracked up and said I just said stomach boobs. Ooops!!
My hair dresser, Haru-san, really wants to learn English. We have a date set up to ge together and talk for a bit. First half in English, second half in Japanese (or vice versa.) Conversations with her are fun, she's super cute and very sweet. But they are a little hard and tiring, because neither of us are at a place with the language where conversation is free and easy. Still, I'm looking forward to it. It should be fun. I'll just bring my phone dictionary and a lot of mental energy :D
I am trying, though. Part of the Japanese culture is to really praise others, even for small accomplishments. So, people tell me a lot that my Japanese is really good. It's nice to hear and very encouraging, but maybe all I've said is "no bag, please" to the clerk at the convenience store or something equally simple. I'm at the point that I can do a lot of (simple) practical things like make reservations, order in a restaurant, buy tickets, etc. But, I can't tell you how I'm feeling, or about my day. It was only a few weeks ago that I learned the word for happy and sad. I don't know angry or thirsty or... I know tired (I hear that one A LOT). And I know full... onaka ipai. That one I remember, because I accidentally said onaka pai, which Naomi cracked up and said I just said stomach boobs. Ooops!!
My hair dresser, Haru-san, really wants to learn English. We have a date set up to ge together and talk for a bit. First half in English, second half in Japanese (or vice versa.) Conversations with her are fun, she's super cute and very sweet. But they are a little hard and tiring, because neither of us are at a place with the language where conversation is free and easy. Still, I'm looking forward to it. It should be fun. I'll just bring my phone dictionary and a lot of mental energy :D
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Yatta!!
I FINALLY finished Reading Lolita in Tehran. Glad to be done with it. Onto A Spy in the House of Love by Anias Nin. Ralph's recommendation.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Still reading Reading Lolita in Tehran in Japan
So, it's been about five months, and I'm still reading Reading Lolita in Tehran. I normally read MUCH faster. This must be a new record for me. It's not my kind of book. I find it incredibly slow and uninteresting. However, I am determined to finish it. I am about ten pages from the end, so I'll get there!
Part of the problem is that I have been either too busy or too tired to do much reading anyway. When I go up to Tokyo or Yokohama by myself, I read on the train. That's about it. Still, I came across a line today that I really liked. Without even being able to identify this myself, I think this was a large fear about coming to Japan. This fear hasn't resolved. In fact, if anything, it may be coming true.
Part of the problem is that I have been either too busy or too tired to do much reading anyway. When I go up to Tokyo or Yokohama by myself, I read on the train. That's about it. Still, I came across a line today that I really liked. Without even being able to identify this myself, I think this was a large fear about coming to Japan. This fear hasn't resolved. In fact, if anything, it may be coming true.
You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place... like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way again.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
omoshiroi (funny)
So, I can finally tell a joke in Japanese and I'm pretty excited about it:
マイケルジャクソンの好きな色は何ですか？青!!
maikeru jyakuson no suki na iro wa nan desu ka? ao!!
Don't worry... this joke is just as bad of humor as my English jokes (more to come on that later.)
So, 青 (ao) means blue in Japanese. So, the joke is, what is Michael Jackson's favorite color? AO! (pronounced slightly more like the Michael Jackson screech.) The joke doesn't work as well when you translate it but I really liked the joke.
I told the joke to my Japanese staff. They all laughed and said it was cute and funny and whatever. Yet, when I was talking to Kotoko, she was talking about seeing some Michael Jackson exhibit with her boyfriend At-chan. I told her she should tell the joke to At-chan, and she basically said he might laugh if I told the joke but not if she did. Basically, she's not willing to repeat my fantastic joke.
My other joke... the punchline of the joke is actually the same word in Spanish and in Japanese, so this will work better in Spanish...
Cuál es la comida preferida de un panda? Pan, duh!!
Ha, ha, ha... these are knee slappers
Still, I'm excited to get to a level of Japanese that I could potentially tell jokes. It was sort of fun having Laura's friend here visiting. As an outside observer, somebody who doesn't even live here, he came in and swore I speak Japanese. I don't, but the encouragement was still nice.
I saw my hairdresser again this weekend. Haru-san is the cutest thing ever. This was the first time seeing Haru-san without Naomi. (Naomi is one of the Japanese teachers I work with. She introduced me to Haru-san and does most of the interpreting when I see Haru-san.) So, this time it was just me and Haru-san. It was actually really fun to try to talk to her. I feel like I get a lot of opportunity to practice ordering food or whatever. I've gotten okay with that functional Japanese. But, nobody ever asks me conversational questions: how was your day? how are you? what do you think? how do you feel? what do you like? It was fun to try to practice that. And, I think Haru-san likes me, which helps. BUT, even more than that, I think she is as eager to practice/learn English as I am to practice/learn Japanese. So, we had this total practice conversation going back and forth between the languages. She was SUPER cute as I sat down, you could see herself prep herself mentally before asking, "would you like something to drink?" Totally adorable. We talked about Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, Madonna and Belinda Carlisle. We practiced for karaoke, discussed Mt. Fuji, swapped drink recommendations. I went in to get a bang trim and was there for about 40-50 minutes. Luckily (for me), it was a really slow day in the salon so we could just sit and talk. Haru-san, Naomi, and I are going to karaoke in a few weeks, so I told Naomi I want to tell her my Michael Jackson joke and see if she gets it. (I practiced on Manager and my Japanese staff tonight.)
I do want to learn Japanese, though- speaking and writing. I have a white board in my "kitchen" where I practice writing some kanji. (Typing is actually way easier, because I just spell it out and the computer does the work. That doesn't mean I recognize it, though, so writing it is helpful.) At any rate, I was trying to write: this is my year in Japan. (the idea, being, you're here for a year... live it up.)
I wrote 私の今年日本にです。Well the kanji for year (年), Naomi told me I didn't write correctly and it looked too much like 牛, which means cow. Basically, I wrote: I am now a cow in Japan for a year. AWESOME!! The sad thing is, I feel like that sums things up pretty well. Both my speaking ability (I'm sure I inadvertently say things like that all the time in Japanese) and my actual life (like having assholes call me heavyweight or even western men saying things here weren't built for western women while pointing at me.) Well, that's life! C'est la vie! and しょうがない
All that's left to say is that I am now a cow in Japan for a year: 私は今牛日本にです
マイケルジャクソンの好きな色は何ですか？青!!
maikeru jyakuson no suki na iro wa nan desu ka? ao!!
Don't worry... this joke is just as bad of humor as my English jokes (more to come on that later.)
So, 青 (ao) means blue in Japanese. So, the joke is, what is Michael Jackson's favorite color? AO! (pronounced slightly more like the Michael Jackson screech.) The joke doesn't work as well when you translate it but I really liked the joke.
I told the joke to my Japanese staff. They all laughed and said it was cute and funny and whatever. Yet, when I was talking to Kotoko, she was talking about seeing some Michael Jackson exhibit with her boyfriend At-chan. I told her she should tell the joke to At-chan, and she basically said he might laugh if I told the joke but not if she did. Basically, she's not willing to repeat my fantastic joke.
My other joke... the punchline of the joke is actually the same word in Spanish and in Japanese, so this will work better in Spanish...
Cuál es la comida preferida de un panda? Pan, duh!!
Ha, ha, ha... these are knee slappers
Still, I'm excited to get to a level of Japanese that I could potentially tell jokes. It was sort of fun having Laura's friend here visiting. As an outside observer, somebody who doesn't even live here, he came in and swore I speak Japanese. I don't, but the encouragement was still nice.
I saw my hairdresser again this weekend. Haru-san is the cutest thing ever. This was the first time seeing Haru-san without Naomi. (Naomi is one of the Japanese teachers I work with. She introduced me to Haru-san and does most of the interpreting when I see Haru-san.) So, this time it was just me and Haru-san. It was actually really fun to try to talk to her. I feel like I get a lot of opportunity to practice ordering food or whatever. I've gotten okay with that functional Japanese. But, nobody ever asks me conversational questions: how was your day? how are you? what do you think? how do you feel? what do you like? It was fun to try to practice that. And, I think Haru-san likes me, which helps. BUT, even more than that, I think she is as eager to practice/learn English as I am to practice/learn Japanese. So, we had this total practice conversation going back and forth between the languages. She was SUPER cute as I sat down, you could see herself prep herself mentally before asking, "would you like something to drink?" Totally adorable. We talked about Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, Madonna and Belinda Carlisle. We practiced for karaoke, discussed Mt. Fuji, swapped drink recommendations. I went in to get a bang trim and was there for about 40-50 minutes. Luckily (for me), it was a really slow day in the salon so we could just sit and talk. Haru-san, Naomi, and I are going to karaoke in a few weeks, so I told Naomi I want to tell her my Michael Jackson joke and see if she gets it. (I practiced on Manager and my Japanese staff tonight.)
I do want to learn Japanese, though- speaking and writing. I have a white board in my "kitchen" where I practice writing some kanji. (Typing is actually way easier, because I just spell it out and the computer does the work. That doesn't mean I recognize it, though, so writing it is helpful.) At any rate, I was trying to write: this is my year in Japan. (the idea, being, you're here for a year... live it up.)
I wrote 私の今年日本にです。Well the kanji for year (年), Naomi told me I didn't write correctly and it looked too much like 牛, which means cow. Basically, I wrote: I am now a cow in Japan for a year. AWESOME!! The sad thing is, I feel like that sums things up pretty well. Both my speaking ability (I'm sure I inadvertently say things like that all the time in Japanese) and my actual life (like having assholes call me heavyweight or even western men saying things here weren't built for western women while pointing at me.) Well, that's life! C'est la vie! and しょうがない
All that's left to say is that I am now a cow in Japan for a year: 私は今牛日本にです
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Recovery Day
So, there have been quite a few ups and downs and emotional roller-coasters since I arrived here in Japan. Still, some homesickness aside, this has been a really fun summer! I think this the last time I had a free weekend was once in June and once in May. It's been quite fun. However, it feels nice not having anything to do this weekend but relax.
Obon break starts on Wednesday for us. (Thank you Amity, we have to show up to work on Tuesday, even though much of Japan is already on vacation.) Obon is a week-long vacation similar to Dia de los Muertos. I'll be going to my coworker's mom's house in Chiba prefecture for a few days. I believe there are plans of relaxing, going to onsen (hot springs), hot stone massages, and steak dinners. She has mentioned we can borrow her mom's car and drive around for a bit. Apart from taxis (and even then not that many) I haven't been in a car for five months. We'll come back to Tokyo in time to go out dancing Friday night. Then, Kevin and I will get on a bullet train and head south to Hiroshima for a few days. We will miss the anniversary of the bombing by about a week, but it should still be really interesting.
Like I said, today is a recovery day. Laura's friend Robert is in Japan on work, so I met with him last night to try to show him a good time. We met up with my friend Maggie and Maggie's boyfriend (who is visiting from home) for some karaoke with all you can drink. We sang a line or two and pretty soon it was time to go home. I missed my last train and Robert told me he didn't have a hotel reservation for the night. I don't really know hotels in Tokyo, since I don't stay in them much. Robert asked me to ask around for a "good hotel." People all kind of just shrugged and didn't have any recommendations. The taxi driver drove us to a small side street with a bunch of hotels (the neon signs maybe should have been a giveaway. Then again, this is Japan- everything is neon.) I asked some guys on the street for a "good hotel" (ii hoteru wa doko desu ka? wakarimasuka?) We must have asked some not good characters... they sent us to Carribean Resort. It's nice. They said. It's a resort. They said...
It's a love hotel! It was my first experience with a love hotel. It was really funny. They had a welcome drink bar with soda and stuff. Next to that is a selection of bath salts that you can take up to your room. (How sad is this... I took bath salts from the hotel to use at home by myself.) The rooms had condoms in a nice packaging next to the bed... as well as play station and karaoke. The bathroom was huge! There was even a vending machine in the room. ahem... I'll leave the vending machine up to your imagination. You select your room from a big panel with pictures and buttons and stuff. Then, you go up to your room. You pay on the way out, so they lock the door so you can't leave without paying.
We did leave, though, to get a drink. We went to a bar in Shibuya where we ran into my friend Pace and his friends. We joined their crowd and hung out for a bit before going to an izakaya to finish off the night. We left the izakaya after sunrise. (And I was hoping to make it an early night- maybe even stay in and watch a movie.) At that point, I was able to catch a train home and left Robert to have a peaceful morning sleep by himself in the Love Hotel. Ahh... and so ends (or begins?) another day in Japan.
Obon break starts on Wednesday for us. (Thank you Amity, we have to show up to work on Tuesday, even though much of Japan is already on vacation.) Obon is a week-long vacation similar to Dia de los Muertos. I'll be going to my coworker's mom's house in Chiba prefecture for a few days. I believe there are plans of relaxing, going to onsen (hot springs), hot stone massages, and steak dinners. She has mentioned we can borrow her mom's car and drive around for a bit. Apart from taxis (and even then not that many) I haven't been in a car for five months. We'll come back to Tokyo in time to go out dancing Friday night. Then, Kevin and I will get on a bullet train and head south to Hiroshima for a few days. We will miss the anniversary of the bombing by about a week, but it should still be really interesting.
Like I said, today is a recovery day. Laura's friend Robert is in Japan on work, so I met with him last night to try to show him a good time. We met up with my friend Maggie and Maggie's boyfriend (who is visiting from home) for some karaoke with all you can drink. We sang a line or two and pretty soon it was time to go home. I missed my last train and Robert told me he didn't have a hotel reservation for the night. I don't really know hotels in Tokyo, since I don't stay in them much. Robert asked me to ask around for a "good hotel." People all kind of just shrugged and didn't have any recommendations. The taxi driver drove us to a small side street with a bunch of hotels (the neon signs maybe should have been a giveaway. Then again, this is Japan- everything is neon.) I asked some guys on the street for a "good hotel" (ii hoteru wa doko desu ka? wakarimasuka?) We must have asked some not good characters... they sent us to Carribean Resort. It's nice. They said. It's a resort. They said...
It's a love hotel! It was my first experience with a love hotel. It was really funny. They had a welcome drink bar with soda and stuff. Next to that is a selection of bath salts that you can take up to your room. (How sad is this... I took bath salts from the hotel to use at home by myself.) The rooms had condoms in a nice packaging next to the bed... as well as play station and karaoke. The bathroom was huge! There was even a vending machine in the room. ahem... I'll leave the vending machine up to your imagination. You select your room from a big panel with pictures and buttons and stuff. Then, you go up to your room. You pay on the way out, so they lock the door so you can't leave without paying.
We did leave, though, to get a drink. We went to a bar in Shibuya where we ran into my friend Pace and his friends. We joined their crowd and hung out for a bit before going to an izakaya to finish off the night. We left the izakaya after sunrise. (And I was hoping to make it an early night- maybe even stay in and watch a movie.) At that point, I was able to catch a train home and left Robert to have a peaceful morning sleep by himself in the Love Hotel. Ahh... and so ends (or begins?) another day in Japan.
Monday, July 5, 2010
変態 （へんたい）
So, I'm teaching a class the other day, feeling totally exhausted and not wanting to actually teach. Kids love to sing this song "walking walking, walking walking, hop hop hop, hop hop hop, running running running, running running running, now let's stop!" Yeah, this is how I spend my days. Pretty exciting! At any rate, we're walking around and the kids all start holding hands and running in odd directions. So, I'm having flash backs to being at the roller skating rink when everyone holds hands and walks in a circle, but half the people face a different way, so nobody goes backwards. I'm not sure if I'm describing this well. BUT... I thought it would be fun. So, I start saying "Kotoe, hold Yuki's hand." "Masumane, hold Kokoro's hand." All of a sudden I hear my kids start saying "hentai, hentai!" In case you're not up on your Japanese, that means "pervert" Awesome! My children are calling me perverts. That's what every teacher hopes for.
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