"That Thing You Do" Week 5-October 5th-11th

Week 5 begins with me on a mission for a new and improved bike.  While my orange bike was a welcome gift from the outgoing NET what I neglected to mention is the condition of the bike itself.  From a dented front fender to the worn out treads the bike had seen better days, add to it that it appeared to be a mere 24 inches when one much larger would be better for me I decided to purchase a new one after a tire incident in which the tread cracked and began slowly releasing air from the back tire.  I spent most of Sunday checking prices at a few of the stores in Kasugai before settling on a full service bike shop right near the school.  As I had mentioned before bikes in Japan are merely for getting place to place so the prices are significantly lower than the bike market is in the States.  For about 17,500 yen ($160) I picked up a brand new sea foam green 27-inch bike.  Oddly enough in Japanese random fashion the model stenciled across the frame is FROMAGE, which being the French word for cheese left me scratching my head.  After paying an extra 300-yen to have it registered with the shop it appears I now am able to have minor issues repaired for free at the shop for a few weeks.  I took advantage of this right away the following day by having the seat and handle bars raised to their max height as well as having an extra large basket fitted on the back for errands requiring the ferrying of larger bags i.e. grocery store, dry cleaning pickups etc.  I spent the remainder of Sunday doing some grocery shopping before heading home for the Sunday movie at 9PM on Channel 61.  As great as DVD’s and Internet related content can be I still like the feeling of watching something on my TV as rare as that may be due to the language barrier.   The movie of the week are almost always American movies so they are broadcast in dual language tracks allowing me to switch over to English and watch them on my small flat screen TV just as if I were back in the States.  Although this weeks movie, Poseidon starring Kurt Russell was not my favorite it still feels good to watch a movie on TV like you used to at home.  I am already getting excited for Mission Impossible 2, which according to the commercials is next week’s movie.

     Monday I slept in and then got dressed for a day out as I headed to Nagoya around 11AM to use the free WIFI at Dotour Coffee Shop near the station.  From there I took my first trip out of the Nagoya area on the local JR train to a town roughly 30 miles north of Kasugai called Gifu City.  Unfortunately for me I did not arrive in Gifu until almost 4PM so I was now not going to be able to see both items on my list, namely the large golden Buddha statue and shrine the town has as well as all the sites in Gifu Park like Gifu Castle which sits atop one of the large mountains in town.  The castle can be reached by taking the Kinkazan Ropeway cable car to the top of the mountain.  Since the Buddha shrine was closing in less than an hour I decided to head to Gifu Park which was open until 6:30PM aboard a local Gifu city bus.  After taking a few photos at the park I boarded the cable car and reached the top leaving me about 40 minutes to take some photos of the city below before heading down on the last car at 6:30PM.  It seems there are many more things to see in Gifu and as it is only about 10 dollars round trip on the train I hope to make several trips back to the city in the future.  After leaving the park I strolled across the street to a Chinese chain restaurant called Bamiyan for some friend rice and gyoza before beginning my trip back to Kasugai.  The only real story of note was I attempting to ask some passerby’s which route I needed to take via the bus to return me to the Gifu JR station.  Thus far buses seem to be the most difficult to maneuver in Japan since all the signage both on the bus and at all the stops is in Kata Kana and Hiragana.  When taking either the JR (local) train, the subway or certainly the Shinkansen (Japan’s version of Amtrak) you will almost always see English translations both when boarding, riding or exiting both the train and the stations.  As I crossed the street I spied a middle age woman making her way down the dark street across from Gifu Park.  As soon as she caught sight of me standing in the bus shelter she immediately edged closer to the rail on the other side of the sidewalk and began looking down at the ground her gait slowly increasing as she approached.  Realizing she was a little freaked out by me on this desolate stretch of road I thought about letting her pass without trying to ask her which way to “Gifu eki” but since the street was so quiet I feared I might not get another opportunity.  As she neared I summoned a Sumimasen (Excuse Me) only from the look on her face when I spoke it seemed her worst fears were confirmed that this foreigner was going to try to talk to her as she attempted to pass by.  With a wave of her hand she sped up as if in an Olympic Speed Walking event and began heading down the street as if a pack of wolves were close on her heels.  I am sure only her Japanese politeness stopped her from altogether shrieking with terror and running in the opposite direction.  Fortunately for me not more than 2 minutes later another slightly younger woman approached and when asked she was only too happy to explain that yes this was the place to wait for the bus and confirmed that it would stop at the Gifu train station.  Also fortunately she seemed to have some mothering instinct as she sat next to me on the bus, explained when the station was approaching and since she was also going there too walked me into the departure area even though I was already clear where to go from there.  As I headed for the platform for Nagoya she gave a smile and a wave before setting out on her own train.  Once again my travels in Japan prove that you can never be sure what you will find, one person thinks you are a foreigner bent on attack while another takes you almost by the hand to help you.

     Another week at school passed with little change, more long hours at school with much planning as we have a week of supplemental lessons to teach for Halloween.  The only thing that has become more apparent is how stringent the life of Japanese children especially teens seem to be in Japan.  On many nights at school often I have private lessons with students that begin as late as 8 o’clock in the evening and while I had the luxury of not beginning work until noon my students were up as early as 5 or 6 and have had an entire day of school before coming to Amity for their English class.  In many cases students depending on how rigid their particular school curriculum is attend regular classes on Saturday or at the very least go to school to meet with study groups, attend school club meetings or have sports practice.  When attending these things at school it is not done in casual weekend wear as all students are expected to be in full uniform when at school even during the weekend.  It is not strange for me to see children out on the streets even on a Sunday in their full school uniform.  Japan as far as I can tell seems to be an extremely tired and overworked population though that it what is expected.  You only need to take one trip on any sort of public transit to see children, teens and businessmen and woman slumped down dead asleep regardless of the time of day to realize they seem not to be getting proper rest.  In talking to one of my 15 year old female students she explained how often she does not go to bed until 2 or 3 AM after dinner and hours of study and homework only to rise at 6 or 6:30AM to begin it all again.  Early on in my teaching I made the mistake of explaining how American students leave school usually no later than 3PM.  When explaining this to a group of Japanese high school students they looked at my like I was kidding them with the prospect of what for them would be a half-day.  Even at Amity there are groups of students who come every Saturday for 3 or 4 classes on what most would consider their “day off from real school”.

     As the week was drawing to a close I made my stop to the Backbeat after work Friday to check in on Kazuhiko and Mikka this time I was joined by my friend Ryan, my co net as well as one of the female Japanese teachers from my school.  Kazuhiko was excited I was bringing some other friends along as the four of us plus the 4 or 5 regulars made for the largest group I had seen at the place since I started going there.  After 3 or 4 beers we headed home around midnight with Kazuhiko making sure I would be back next Friday as one of Mikka’s Japanese friends who lived for a time in Australia would be stopping by.  I am still not clear but Mikka’s slight smile as he told me of her visit made me think my new Japanese friends might be eyeing a “set up” but I can not be sure.  More to follow on this topic.  After work Saturday I quickly rode back to my apartment, changed and headed out to the station so as to get the earliest train I could to meet up with Ryan in Nagoya.  After a change to the subway I arrived in Sakae at about 9PM and headed over to a bar called the Hub.  For the first time since I arrived in Japan I encountered a packed bar loaded with mostly foreigners and had a couple of pints until Ryan arrived with some friends.  Adam the basketball player from California I met two weeks ago was also with them as he was back from an away game the Dolphins had played in Osaka.  Although I was convinced I was going to take the last train back to Kasugai at around midnight as Ryan planned to I was having a little too much fun and ended up heading out with a new friend, Darren to a club a few blocks away called JB’s where Darren knew some DJ’s who were going to be playing that night.  Whether due to the loud music, crowded location Darren and I got separated after 1AM and I lost track of him completely by 2.  Fortunately I met some English guys and a group of Japanese girls for the remaining time and as it approached 4AM I figured I was ready to go.  Two interesting things were it was the first time I have ever seen a beer vending machine in a bar.  It actually is a great idea, if the bar was too crowded just pop 500 yen into the machine for a cold Coors can right there.  Also the music at clubs is hilarious, never do the Japanese feel the need to be too cool for school when spinning music, while at JB’s not only did the club go nuts for Oasis’s Don’t Look Back in Anger (not exactly a club anthem) but even more funny, That Thing You Do by the Wonders from the Tom Hank’s movie from a few years back.  I stumbled out in the early Japanese morning before settling in a booth at where else Denny’s (just like home) and ordered a meat and rice dish called Doria (I think) as well as a cup of coffee.  In more Japanese politeness related news the waitress did not even wake me when I fell asleep for about thirty minutes my coffee cup still in hand.  After scanning the place to see who was laughing it appeared half the people in there were doing the same thing so I paid the bill and headed out to wait for the 6:08AM train home to Kasugai.

Why do several of my stories involve me sleeping in more and more public of places?

Catch up with Week 6 of the blog for all the details, will I make it home safely, are my new friends really playing matchmaker, why are the Japanese determined to feed me so much, will I attempt to again “eat outside” and why are cormorants such darn good fisherman.

"Eating Outdoors is not Done Here" Week 4 September 28th-October 4th

Week 4 has me being jarred awake by the sound of a vacuum cleaner running as well as people loudly talking.  As I awoke it was not entirely clear where I was but then it quickly came back to me, after hailing a cab for my co-net and sending her back to Kasugai at 3:30AM I returned to Manboo Internet only to find it full.  After a brief walk around Nagoya Station I hailed a cab and asked the driver if he knew of a nearby “capsule hotel”.  The driver after discussing it with a fellow driver drove me down some narrow side streets and dropped me off in front of a building made it seemed of just glass and neon.  After forgetting to remove my shoes again and being admonished by the desk clerk I paid my 3100-yen (29 dollars) and was handed a complimentary pair of blue boxer shorts to put on.  Not wanting to appear rude while not yet down with wearing hotel boxer shorts I took off my jeans in the locker area just off the lobby and pulled the boxers over my own.  From there I removed my golf shirt, stored my shoes and was then led by the desk clerk up the stairs to a large room where roughly 50 men slept in a large conference room in separate recliners.  After being shown to my recliner at the front of the room I then got into my chair just as a man came by with a blanket for which to cover myself with.  As I sat in my chair reclined it back into a sleeping position I actually started laughing at the strange night and how it had just gotten even stranger.  Being as it was now after 4AM I quickly fell asleep only to be woken at 8:30AM in the way described earlier.  At 8:30 the place was immediately turned over as men headed for the bathrooms and then back to their lockers to change.  The most interesting thing was the small breakfast area off the main room where several men sat at low tables by the floor eating breakfast and interestingly enough drinking draft beer.  I am all for “hair of the dog” but the thought of a beer at this hour with my head pounding from the Kirin I drank last night was out of the question.  As I tumbled out into the bright streets of the Nagoya morning I headed immediately for the station to find something to eat as well as something to deal with my now pounding headache.  An hour later after an Egg McMuffin, a bottle of water as well as a local energy drink called oddly enough Pocari Sweat and some Japanese Tylenol I was feeling more myself and spent the next few hours at a local Internet café catching up on email.  I spent the remainder of the day heading off to the Ozone station to a local mall before returning to Kasugai at around 8PM and my earliest night asleep since I arrived in Japan.  I spent Monday close to home running a few errands and then meeting my Co-net and Manager for the remainder of the day.  I was able to obtain my new Softbank Cell Phone as well as hit the hyaku yen store (100 Yen store) for some needed school and home supplies.  My final stop was dinner at Denny’s in Kasugai with both of them.  I initially laughed when I saw the Denny’s standing next to my school when I arrived but was immediately warned it was not like Denny’s from home and they were right.  We chose the place because my manager thought it would be funny to see if we recognized the food and we certainly didn’t.  I have spent several nights or make that early mornings in a Denny’s but never did I see octopus or squid on the menu, I settled on a bowl of tomato pasta and some fries and called it an evening.

     As I have come to learn thus far in Japan the group is valued above all else and individuality is not something that is either recognized or encouraged.  Today at school I had the odd experience of causing quite a ruckus when as I was readying a lesson I went to the staff room and began heating some water in the school provided kettle.  After the water came to a boil I added it to my Nissan Cup of Noodles grabbed the rest of my lunch (salmon onigiri and a banana) and began to head for the small park across the street in the City Hall area.  Immediately as I gathered my things, food in hand I was met with mostly quiet laughter and odd looks.  Not realizing what the issue was I hurried out the door into the rare sunny weather to eat my lunch during the hour-long period.  Later in the evening after everyone had gone home I asked my Manager with a smile why everyone thought my behavior so odd.  She explained that taking your lunch outside is not something done; you either eat out at a restaurant or eat in the staff room.  When I laughed slightly and repeated, “No one eats their lunch outside on a beautiful day” her tone grew slightly more serious as she responded, “Did you see anyone else eating there” to which I had to reply, no.  This rather innocent story sums up some of my experience in Japan, there is the way you do things and everything else is the way they are not done.  Explaining to her my reasoning, from the fact it was not raining for the first time in 6 days to the fact that the staff room as small as it is with its stacks of papers and toys as well as 4 other people in it leaves a lot to be desired as a proper spot to tear into lunch or the fact that it grows rather expensive to eat every meal out were immaterial, simply put what is done and what is not done is the important point.  And while you are never told not to do anything (the polite nature of their culture forbids it in most cases) you clearly feel what you are doing is quite odd indeed. In Western culture our individuality is what makes us who we are but as I have learned thus far in Japan, “sameness” or the following of long held ways and traditions seem to give them their identity no matter how small or trivial the matter may seem.  It ‘s for these reasons that often Japan can seem so interesting and exhilarating one moment and maddening and isolating the next.  As I have come to learn just when you think you have figured the culture out you experience something else that totally turns what you thought you knew on its head, attempt to pigeonhole the Japanese as somewhat cool and detached automatons as in the experience I had with my Co Teacher two weeks ago yet watch as I did tonight on TV as professional baseball managers thank their fans for a seasons worth of support with tears streaming down their faces.  And with the maddening and strange their are moments that simply make all the difficulty worth it.  As I was enduring the Cup of Noodles incident I was juggling not only setting up a future lesson while speaking and greeting parents at a time when the school lobby can resemble Grand Central Station at rush hour.  As I attempted to manage both tasks before getting out to lunch I saw my new 6-year-old female student walking thru the door for a lesson with one of the Japanese teachers.  This student who looked on the brink of tears her first time in a private lesson with me came running up to me in mid conversation and threw her arms around me screaming “Brian sensei”.  The funny thing about this is due to her small stature she kept throwing her arms around my leg gently pressing her cheek to my knee with a huge smile on her face.  After recognizing her with a hug and a smile she repeated this each and every time I reappeared from the staff room all the while her mother politely pulled her away so I could resume the job I was involved in.  After saying my goodbyes to her before heading out the door and promising to see her Saturday for our weekly lesson I smiled realizing she had made my day more than she probably knew.

     The end of the week passed quietly short for some other interesting items that seem to back up my belief that sometimes things appear one way only to have them turned on their head another.  My first interesting experience occurred when I stopped into my now regular spot the Backbeat for a beer after work on Friday.  Once again as the 3 other times I visited, the place was quiet with a male City Hall employee I had met before as well as Kazuhiko the owner and Mikka his girlfriend/bartender quietly talking.  As has been since I met them they were happy to see me and Kazuhiko even took great pride in showing me the English dictionary he had bought so better to speak to me.  After a beer as I was ready to leave (early school Saturday) Kazuhiko asked me to stay to hear him play some music, before I knew it is was 1:30AM as he played his way thru at least 10 Beatles and John Lennon songs on the small stage.  I was even able to request my two favorites (Don’t Let Me Down and Beautiful Boy).  As much as the culture shock wears me out from time to time, and how sometimes being stared at or having people wanting to say hello to you when all you want is to go home can be tiring there are times here that it feels like my home and that perhaps I am have the opportunity of a lifetime to live here in Japan amongst its people.  Sitting in an empty, tiny bar on the other side of the world listening to my new Japanese friend belt out Beatles tunes in his second language I could not help but smile at my fortune at being here to experience all this. 

     As if Friday wasn’t good enough Saturday was probably my best day here in Japan thus far.  After a busy day teaching at the school the staff took myself, our new Japanese teacher and my co-net out for a welcome dinner.  Although the Amity staff had cautioned us prior to departure that the Japanese staff would be quiet and business like during work hours I still was taken aback when I joined the group at the restaurant.  The all female staff at the school though friendly and helpful take work very seriously, little small talk or laughing during the day is a stark contrast to the normal “gallows humor” most Americans share at work.  Complaining lightly about work, sharing personal stories and the like are common in America but not Japan.  I immediately noticed the difference they had talked about when arriving.  As the last to arrive at dinner they began yelling “Kawaii” or “cute”, gently ribbing me as I entered the restaurant seeing me out of my work clothes and in my jeans and my bright blue Lacoste shirt.  As we gathered to go in two teachers wanted to take pictures standing next to me with me holding my hands over their heads showing how much taller I was than them.  From there on out the night was great as we laughed and talked like friends over dinner.  They had tears in their eyes from laughter as my manager implored me to tell them the many funny and ridiculous things I had done since arriving in Japan.  From my story of sleeping in Nagoya, my penchant for eating outdoors or of Kazuhiko calling me “Kasugai Mafia Man” when he saw me in my black suit and sunglasses everyone enjoyed themselves and ate like friends rather than just co-workers.  And while there is still much to learn I feel like I learned more about my new peers over sesame chicken and cold oolong tea than any book or manual could have ever taught me.  After the restaurant finally kicked us out well past closing we parted ways in the darkness of the parking lot and a reserved bow of thanks to the staff before setting off for home seemed like it fit for the first time.

Sayonara

 

“Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans”

                                                                                          John Lennon                                                                                                                                               Beautiful Boy

 

     Camera Update:  I swear I am close to rectifying my lack of pictures on the blog.  I have a package enroute from the states that I believe contains my camera plug.  I would have never thought it would be this difficult.  Since I purchased a new Sony camera for the trip I honestly thought I was taking the camera to its homeland so I give little thought when I could not locate the USB plug before departure.  Since being in Japan I have checked various Electronics Megastores all the while unable to locate the necessary plug.  Once I receive the plug look for corresponding albums for each week of the blog.

"Sleeping in a Recliner is Random" Week 3-September 21rst-September 27th

Week 3 begins with my enjoying my new (not purchased new but new to me) bike here in Kasugai.  As my outgoing teacher has now departed Kasugai I have become the default owner of the hand me down NET bright orange bike.  I started out this morning taking full advantage of the freedom by riding through the rainy remnants of the typhoon that passed over Japan last week by riding to the coffee shop in the shopping district of Kasugai.  As I said last week I previously had to walk to most of the stores and restaurants so the bike allows me to reach there in 10 minutes or less.  I spend the remainder of my first day off taking my first ride into Nagoya in another desperate but fruitless search for free WIFI.  An interesting find in Nagoya was something that had been explained to me many times but I had never been able to visualize, namely the Japanese Internet Café.  Since the trains to my town much like those that serve the Philadelphia suburbs stop running at just after midnight I was wondering how I could enjoy a night out in the big city without suffering thru a $60 dollar one way cab ride.  One option certainly is the capsule hotel, which is little more a grouping of super small pods in which you climb into and sleep for the night.  These hotels which run about 30 dollars a night have showers, coin lockers and are popular for the “salary men” who miss trains back to their towns.  The second option is the internet café in which you pay by the hour, are taken to a small private changing room size room which has a large recliner, ottoman, computer with WIFI as well as a TV and DVD.  These small rooms, which even boast slippers, headphones, locks on the doors as well as a hangar for your coat, are real tiny sleeping quarters.  For roughly 400 yen (3.85) an hour you are even given a cup for which to use the ample drink bar, which is stocked with soda, coffee etc.  With showers, clean bathrooms as well as vending machines serving hot Nissan cup of Noodles, sandwiches etc. many Japanese stay till the bars close at 3PM then head to the internet café to sleep and hang out until the trains begin running around 6AM.  So for fewer than 15 bucks it is a safe option should you decide to take Japan up on some of its nightlife.  After checking out the Internet café I spent the remainder of my first night in Nagoya walking the city, trying Mos Burger (Japanese hamburger chain, good!) and having a Guinness at the Elephant’s Nest English Pub in Nagoya.  The Guinness, which was a welcome taste of home, was the first thing I found in Japan that was quite inflated in price, my pint cost me 1000 yen or roughly $9.50.  After returning that night I was back on the train to Nagoya the following morning to meet my friend, Garnett from my Amity training group.  The 1-mile bike ride from my apartment to the station was without incident other than the scare I put into an elderly woman who was unloading a van on the sidewalk near the station.  To explain all people in Japan ride on the sidewalks exclusively on their bikes, while this makes for easy biking ones must watch always when walking the streets.  One of the first skills you need to master is when exiting a store or restaurant you almost need to look both ways when stepping onto the sidewalk so as to see if any bikes are approaching.  And while there are many more bikes to concern yourself with say during rush hour in Nagoya then 11AM on a weekend in Kasugai you need to keep an eye out.  The fright I put in to this poor woman was compounded by the fact that most of the trip to the Kasugai station and the JR train to Nagoya is downhill so once I get rolling with the help of some good traffic lights I can usually give one good pedal and coast a good portion of the way rather easily.  As I neared the station before it flattens out slightly I saw this woman unloading something from a van not realizing I was flying towards her.  Realizing she was not to see me I began slowing up, the problem is she walked unknowingly from sort of in my way to right in my path just as I was decelerating, which I did not expect.  As she still unknowingly moved into my path I hit the brakes hard making a loud squealing sound.  As she heard the sound she tore around in my direction and immediately let out a shriek that I feared would raise the policeman from the small office they maintain near the station.  Not only that she went into a modified fetal crouch position right on the sidewalk as if a runaway locomotive when heading right for her.  I was so surprised I could not even summon an “Excuse me” to calm her down instead I just tore off towards the station.  I did laugh as I thought of her relating that story to like her grandkids later that day.  I am sure it was like a tall tale type story, “He was a mile high and a mile wide if he was a foot, he had red eyes and smoke pouring from his nostrils, and he nearly killed me”.  After having a less exciting train trip I again made it to Nagoya for Day 2 of my three-day weekend and met up with my friend, at the Hilton Hotel.  From there we decided we were looking for some more “gaijins” like ourselves and we headed to the Hard Rock Café across the street for some lunch.  I know this sounds lame but the food was really good and cheap, a burger platter with fries, soda, soup and a salad set me back only 10 bucks and as I have grown to love no tipping in Japan.   After eating we headed out into Nagoya and decided to walk the 2 miles to the Atsuta Jingu Shrine in Nagoya as unexpectedly most of the other attractions in town are closed on Mondays (Aquarium, Toyota Museum etc.).  The shrine, which is one of the most revered in Japan, is the final resting place of the Kusanagi-no Tsurugi what is known as “The Grass Mowing Sword”.  The sword, which is said to be over 2000 years old was used by Prince Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto in his fight against the rebels.  The prince became trapped in a field after the rebels had lit fire to it.  The prince then used his sword to cut through the field and thus quell the fire and save the day.  Atsuta actually translates to “hot field” in Japanese.  The unfortunate part is the sword is never shown to the public because of its age and value.  Either way the shrine was said to be nice respite from city life as the shrine is covered with trees and sounded like a nice way to spend the afternoon which it was.  After leaving the shrine we headed via the train back to Ozone to watch the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows at Nagoya Dome.  After the game Garnett headed for home as did I before stopping in to grab a beer at the bar named Backbeat I spoke of in the last post.  This time I ended up speaking to the owner and his girlfriend, Mina for over 2 hours over 2 Ashai's and a glass of Shochu.  We seemed to hit it off and it felt good to make two new Japanese friends.  They even agreed to introduce me to their Kiwi friend, Dean who they said speaks English as well as Japanese so we could talk better next time.  It is funny how in Japan you will meet people here who will say they know other white people like you and then offer to introduce you as if obviously you have to meet someone who looks like you.  Having just read On the Road by Kerouac I couldn't help wonder if I was living like the title character, Sal Paradise and his friendship with the crazy and wild Dean Moriarity.  

The remainder of the week was much like last week, long but enjoyable hours at school trying to become a competent English teacher.  I also met the replacement English teacher who is very well trained and cool so she is helping me quite a bit.  The only big news was while stopped at a vending machine sipping a soda meeting a guy from California named Ryan who I struck up a conversation with.  He is also an English teacher and we exchanged numbers promising to meet up and maybe grab a drink. 

The last night of the week finds myself and my new teacher heading to Nagoya to meet Ryan.  After some trouble getting together we met Ryan in Sakae and headed to a club called Maverick for some drinks.  Since I am a teacher of children now much of my time is spent making games the kids can play in class.  One popular game is a scrambled list, so to best explain my random night unscramble the following to get a sense of what I did:

1. Japanese girls doing a choreographed Rhianna-style dance.

2. Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.

3. a 7 foot tall American basketball player

4. 17 cans of Kirin Beer.

5. 1 Red Bull and Vodka.

6. Sleeping in a recliner in a room with 50 other Japanese guys.

7. "Here is your complimentary pair of boxer shorts".

8. Where is Exit 5 off the Subway?

9. One coin operated locker.

10. The two fingered dance Uma Thurman and Travolta did in Pulp Fiction.

Best Reply to the Blog:  This goes easily to my cousin, Matt who while laughing at my own story of mixing soy sauce and green tea powder related his own story from Asia of sipping a mild lemon soup at a meal only to be told it was a bowl of soap for washing his hands.  Awesome story!

Newest Japanese Thing I Never Thought I Would Try: Saw people eating rice and beef bowl then getting a raw egg and breaking into the bowl.  Actually tried it this week at lunch, not bad!

"Is it Hard Living Your LIfe So BIg"? Week 2 September 14th-September 20th

Well it appears I have made it Week 2 of my Japan adventure though I fear the culture shock is beginning to finally hit me as I begin Week 2.  While Japan has and had its challenges those have become magnified now that I have left the comfort of the Amity training staff as well as my group of 7 other incoming foreign teachers.  If you would have told me a week ago there was going to be genuine sadness at the prospect of leaving these folks behind I would have been surprised but it was true indeed.  Sunday morning myself and the rest of my group headed back to Okayama Train Station to depart for our home school on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train), one teacher stayed in Okayama as that is the location of his home school while 2 went in one direction and myself and 4 others headed out on a different train.  Sitting on the train I got to see by day some of the country of Japan as it rushed by.  The country looks much like at lot of the US would probably look, small to medium size towns dotted with rural enclaves.  Only the people stooping with parasols tending to rice patties might have given away their location.  Their were crowds huddled around little league baseball and soccer matches, large industrial plants, people on bikes as well as curious passer bys watching the train sped by.  Two of the people I was tightest with in my training group were on my train so it was sad dropping one off at Kyoto and leaving the other at my stop in Nagoya.  I had wanted the real Japan experience and was now about to get it without the comfort of a large group of Americans, Canadians, Brits and Aussie’s to buffer it for me.

  When I reached Nagoya I was immediately met by my manager who was waiting for my on the platform.  She seemed very nice (several years younger than me) and proceeded to take us to the local train that was to take me to my new home in Kasugai.  The ride from Nagoya was only about 15 minutes and we chatted on the train about the school, my new responsibilities and about the current foreign teacher who was departing Japan later in the week.  It has been interesting how information is disseminated in a Japanese business culture.  After completing my training in Okayama I was told on my final review that the current NET who was to be my guide in Japan had decided to break his contract and leave Japan after only 6 months.  I am not sure why this was not told to me earlier not that there was anything I could do about it but I found it strange they gave me a welcome letter signed by the staff including the NET explaining how excited he was to meet me and show me around town.

As she was showing me around the apartment, which was bigger than I had anticipated (pictures to follow soon) I did something I was to do another 6 times since I moved in, namely smash my head into the door jam connecting the living area to the kitchen.  Although the apartment is not as small as I thought (about the size of my studio in Northern Liberties) the door jams are clearly “Japanese made” meaning they are not made for the average American above 6 feet to pass thru them.  Learning to duck quickly is a skill I am quickly picking up, so hopefully the many lumps atop my head will soon be a thing of the past.  I am also using it as a learning experience as I get to perfect the art of the Japanese bow every time I enter my bedroom or bathroom.  Another thing I had not anticipated about the apartment is the lack of any furniture other than some shelving and a small computer desk, Japanese do everything on the floor watching TV, eating etc. but I was still surprised to see no couch, chairs or kitchen table in my apartment.  On the positive side my futon bed roll was comfortable as all get out and I slept like a log my first night in my new place.

As for some other new experiences I did my first bit of food shopping this morning and did pretty well.  I was even able to ask the grocery manager where the tamago (eggs) were due to my pre-departure Japanese vocab lessons.  I was even able to find some American products, Ritz, Funions (they are Fun Onions), Heinz ketchup as well as McCain Smiley Face Potatoes which seem to be popular in Japan (I think their popularity is explained by their cuteness, see my sidebar on (The Japanese Addiction to kawaii).  Monday night I checked off one of the things I wanted to do when I took in my first Japanese baseball game at the Nagoya Dome between my new home team the Chunichi Dragons and the very popular Hanshin Tigers from Osaka.  I was proud of myself for even giving the game a try as sometimes the culture shock here wants you to go small so while it would have been easier to stay in my apartment watching DVD’s or working on my apartment I thought I had to go out and take my first train to Nagoya to get it down.  After a short ride bus ride and $2.50 ride on the local train to Nagoya I arrived at the game to find out that of course it was sold out but was able to obtain a ticket from another fan for only 900 yen ($8.50) as the game was already in the 3^rd inning when I arrived.  Although the Dragons got beat soundly by the Tigers and the ticket I obtained was in the top deck of the Dome with all the Hanshin Tigers fans it was fun nonetheless.  As far as experiences go it was pretty similar in many ways to an American baseball game apart from some different food.  I had a hot dog (cabbage and ketchup on it?), fries and a Coke before leaving in the 9^th inning so as to be ready for m first day of work at the school.  The main difference from baseball here and home is the cheering.  At no point during the game is it ever quiet as that team’s cheering squad is leading either group of fans in organized cheers.  Some type of team noisemaker is essential (I got my Dragons noisemaker at the store before entering) and although it is loud in Japanese fashion the other team is never booed or jeered only the home team is supported (loudly!).  When particular players come up there are even special songs, cheers as well as flags, pictures, signs held up for that particular player in the hopes of enticing him to perform well for the home team.

Tuesday was my first day at the school and after the week I can say I am not sure I realized just how difficult the job is going to be.  Most days of this week there is very little to report as I was so whupped from the long day I did little than grab something to eat and immediately head home to go to bed to do it all again the next day.  My first day, my first class and bright and early at 10AM I was to watch my first lesson being taught to 2 toddlers by the outgoing NET. The first girl came in saw me sitting on the floor, stuck out here tongue at me and immediately began crying hysterically so much so that the Manager had to enter the classroom to try and calm her down.  She was inconsolable for the remainder of the 40 minute class and covered her eyes for the entire time so she could not see me all the while the other girl stared at me with a slight smile once in a while glancing over at her distraught classmate.  After the close of the class the interactions with the kids got decidedly better.  Since the outgoing NET is Asian, thin and about 5 foot 6 I seem to be something of a new celebrity at school to most of the kids based on my looks and size.  On several occasions as I planned my classes in the staff room I would look up to see 5 or 6 kids smiling and peering at me thru the window watching me intently.  Any silly faces or movements I make bring about eruptions of laughter from them as in the small town I live someone that looks like I do is something quite rare.  I also need not join a gym since I made the mistake of picking up one of the kids smiling at me early in the week and boosting her towards the ceiling so she could touch it.  After that every kid that enters or leaves the school stops by for me to give them a similar boost as they think it is the most fun thing they have ever done.  Over the week I taught some solo classes, had my other NET sit in on many others but I feel like I am finally finding my stride as far as planning and executing good classes for my students.  In my first week I even had some parents sign their kids up for several weeks of private lessons with me, which hopefully is a good sign.  My first lesson Saturday with the 10 year old who took one such lesson went great as I had my first success a teacher feels when I was able to get him to say the phrase “See you Later, Alligator” which was a little difficult for him.  As I tried to explain it was an American slang phrase he turned his head not understanding the word, alligator.  As I searched the classroom for a picture to show him unsuccessfully I then tried closing my arms together like jaws while repeating “alligator”.  After a few chomps with my arms as the jaws and my fingers as the teeth his face lit up when he realized what an alligator was and then started laughing and repeating the phrase, “See you later, alligator”.  All in all the kids are great and it is the interaction with them that makes the job fun.  The title of this post stems from one of the more interesting interactions I had with the mother of a student after quietly introducing my self as the new ego sensei (English teacher) she stared at me for several seconds before asking me in halting English, "Is it difficult to live you life so big"?  After thinking for a few seconds about the question I answered that I had not given it much thought.

Today was my partner NET’s last day and I think it is more emotional for him than he expected it to be.  It is not hard even being here for just a week to see how these children can become a part of you.  An interesting clash of cultures occurred at the end of the day as the Japanese staff presented the NET with a small gift and a card before he departed for the night.  After reading the well wishes of the staff he seemed really moved by their kindness but rather than hugs goodbye and tears there was merely polite bowing and quiet kind words to one another before departing.  Not trying to judge Japanese society but there is something about us as Americans that can make us appear more rude, loud and boisterous in our interactions with one another than that of the Japanese but we are definitely a people who are more apt to hug one another and share emotion as a people more so than the Japanese where all societal interactions are more guarded and polite.  Something about the scene felt strangely unfinished and incomplete.

After leaving work I met him at a cool bar near work called the Backbeat.  The bar so named for the famous club in Liverpool, England, which launched the Beatles, displays tons of Beatle memorabilia and plays Beatles and American music non-stop.   We talked to the owner, a musician himself and the waitress who keep calling us sensei’s (the teachers) and after a couple of Ashai’s and a glass of Shocu we headed home around midnight to close out Week number 2 in Japan.

Due to an unknown Japanese holiday I am the benefactor of a three-day weekend, which is much needed after the stress of my first week.  That is the great thing about being in an unknown country for me, you say to your coworker, “See you Tuesday” only to be told you are off for Japanese Halloween in September or something to that effect.  That is something cool that never happens to you in the US, you never say, “OK, I will email you Monday with that information”, only to be told you are off due to a holiday you did not even know existed.  I asked someone at work why we were off and they told me they were not sure.  So I’m just going with it.

Monday one of my friends from training, Garnet is going to meet me in Nagoya as she lives about 25 minutes by train from here.  Our plan is maybe grab a real American burger at the Hard Rock and then check out another Dragons game at Nagoya Dome.  In also just as exciting news my outgoing NET gave me the keys to my Japanese bike which was handed down to him from the last teacher so my world in Kasugai just got a whole lot larger as I can now get anywhere in town in 5-10 minutes as opposed to having to walk everywhere.   And when I say “the keys” I really got the keys as Japanese bikes actually have a lock on them like a car so it was like getting my license for the first time. As to how the Japanese are going to be with a okii gaijin (big foreigner) on a bike hurling towards them that will have to wait for Week 3

Interesting English Translations #1: Sometimes either the way it’s phrased or maybe the translation here just make me laugh.   It could also be that Americans are so boastful in their advertising slogans, things like “You’ve tried the rest now try the best “ atop pizza boxes come to mind or Coke “The Real Thing”.  While having breakfast I scanned what could be read on my carton of orange juice in English and saw the slogan

“Let’s try and enjoy this juice”!

Wow they don’t sound very confident.

Interesting English Translation #2:  From the balcony of my apartment I saw a large Japanese milk truck with the words ACID MILK stenciled across it.  Acid and milk are not synonymous with dairy deliciousness for me, but hey that’s me.

"Okayama and Training" Week 1 September 6th-September 13th

Sunday started out well but interesting as I began learning quickly that I was definitely in a new place. After explaining my good fortune at getting my own room at the business hotel I was staying I was excited to take them up on their promise of free breakfast. Envisioning not exactly a Denny's Grand Slam spread I was somewhat surprised to find Onigiri and Miso as well as freshly brewed coffee (kohii) as the only items on the menu. Onigiri are triangle shaped rice balls with some salt and bonito (fish) flakes thrown in. I was never really a huge Miso soup fan while at home but I am enjoying it here in Japan although it is strange having such a salty soup early in the morning. While the food was good it is going to be a bit of a change and it seems Le Cochon Dingue in Quebec City will still retain the title of "best foreign breakfast".

M first morning the rest of the group were nice enough to walk over to my hotel to find me so we as a group could take in Okayama Castle as well as the Gardens that surround the castle.  The day which was extremely hot and humid was very enjoyable as the grounds were gorgeous.  After touring the grounds as a group in which we tended to stand out I'm sure a few vendors who were holding an exhibition on the grounds invited us all in for some cold barley tea, figs and ginger cookies which was extremely hospitable of them.  Fortunately as we had some food and drink and very heavy thunderstorm passed over head so it was fortuitous we stopped in when we did.  After some speaking and translating we decided to head back to the annex and hotel for some rest.

After a break I met the group and we walked over to the interestingly named Great Pumpkin Karoke bar a few blocks from where we were staying. After entering and heading to the top floor of the place we began screaming our way through some Spice Girls, Mama Mia and yes even in Japan, Living on a Prayer. On an even funnier note one of my fellow teachers did a spot on Chris Martin while singing to both Vida La Vida and Speed of Sound by Coldplay.  While the rest of the group wanted to call it an evening myself and Chris Martin headed out for some fun in Okayama (gotta rep for the over 30 crowd) .  Although we did not over do it my fellow teacher and I each had two Ashai's and we split a bottle of Shocu, (a traditional Japanese liquor made from grain that is very potent).  Needless to say upon leaving the karaoke bar we were already feeling good.

One thing is certain you should never trust a cartoon cat holding a carafe of Sake.  This was a lesson hard learned that night as we progressed to a small bar/restaurant across from my hotel.  The night progressed as we ran into 3 young guys heading down the street and asked them to show us a good place to go out and then ending up hanging with us for about 2 hours at the bar.  A memorable moment was the 5 of us singing California Love by 2Pac at the top of our lungs over some large mugs of Kirin. I also got some laughs from the crew by calling 2PAC, "Ni-Pac", Ni being the Japanese word from the number 2 (I guess it is only funny in Japan as I write this it sounds decidedly lame). Perhaps the Asahai and Kirin also helped.  Not only did I learn a new Japanese drinking song "Nonde Nonde" (Drink, Drink!) but learned that gestures and a few words can often get you by when needed. For example just shouting out "Super Dry" and holding up your glass was enough to get all at the table to clink glasses immediately as it was a call to drink (Asahai Super Dry is one of the most popular beers (Biru) in Japan).  Finally at 2am we headed back to our respective places to call it a night.

When I arrived in Japan the first thing I found out about the country was it appears safe to leave anything anywhere. When my Amity contact met me at the airport terminal she explained that while waiting for others to arrive I could leave my bags in the waiting area and could be free to walk around a bit to some of the stores in the terminal. When I began pushing my luggage to take it with me she explained I could leave it where it was as there was no need to worry about any theft. Although ultimately I took at least my laptop bag which contained my computer, camera, PSP and IPOD she assured me there was no reason to be concerned for its safety. This is the first difference from the US or Philadelphia from Japan. In Philadelphia should you happen to leave a used napkin and a half eaten bag of chips on the seat only to wander 40 yards away from it you can rest assured you would find them both gone in 10 minutes. And then realizing your napkin and chips were history you would glance down to see someone had sneakily stolen your pants while you were looking for those chips. Since the airport I have seen many other examples of this very strange thing called "honesty".

As the week progressed as did training nothing much to report other than long, long hours and much information covered.  All in all I think I did pretty well and the trainers gave me some positive feedback on my final review as well.  After the completion of training, myself, all the trainers as well as the rest of my group headed to a local restaurant in Okayama for a final send off.  The food which was varied was great and even more fun the group had a final night to blow off some steam as we walked to a local Aussie bar called Aussie Bar for some drinks before leaving each other and heading to our respective schools tomorrow.

Some photos from the festivites:

Interesting Japan Fact #1

I know I spoke with some of you about the need for slippers in Japan.  And as some of you may know I had to bring mine with me to Japan since of my freakishly large shoe size, or should I say freakishly large shoe size for Japan (Men are hard pressed to find anything over a 9 at a store).  But since I have been here it has gotten even better, once arriving at my first day of work we were clearly instructed to remove our shoes at the door, stow them in the cubicles you see often in many Japanese establishments and then wear your slippers from then on inside the building.  But the Japanese or my office go one better, when wearing those slippers around the office I made my first trip to the bathroom and walked in only to find a red line on the floor instructing me to remove my slippers and do what......put on a 2nd pair of "restroom" slippers.  The restroom slippers which are tiny are a sick blue color and actually bear a restroom emblem on them (lest you try to take a pair and wear them around town).  So as you can imagine nearly 14 percent of my day revolves around either removing my shoes, tying them or putting them back on.  I am seriously considering seeing if Florsheim makes a pair of wingtips with velcro on them so I can save myself the trouble.

Embarrasing Foreign Behavior #1

After a long day of training myself and 5 of the group headed to a local conveyor belt sushi bar a few blocks from the school for a quick and inexpensive dinner, we all sat down without event and began to choose our meal.  As I normally do I took my small dish filled it with soy sauce and opened the wasabi box only to be confronted with green powder.  Not thinking much of it I put two scoops into the soy unsure how hot and spicy it was to be and begin to stir the two together.  Although I had never seen powdered wasabi before when in Japan you will be confronted with many things you have never seen before so you begin to take a "what will the Japanese think of next" type of approach to things here.  Upon mixing the two though I immediately saw a problem as the powder sat coagulating on top of the soy in a very unappealing way, a dip in it from my chopsticks along with a taste confirmed I had gone wrong as the flavor was horrific.  It was then a kind man next to me with a smile on his face tapped me on the shoulder to show me that the wasabi was on the conveyor belt in ketchup like packets.  He then showed me the empty tea cup I had ignored in the place setting in front of me.  And finally showed me the small faucet on the bar for piping hot water.  From there with an even bigger smile creeping across his face he proceeded to show me how to take two small spoonfuls of "green tea" powder and mix it into the water for a hot cup of green tea with your sushi.

If you take anything from this blog, soy sauce and green tea should never meet, EVER!

Awesome Packaging Experience #1

While heading to school I passed one of the hundreds of vending machines I have seen since arriving here.  This time I excitedly saw a machine that contained a Diet Soda option I had yet not seen since arriving, an American favorite, Sprite Zero.  As I dropped my 100 yen coin into the slot, retrieved my drink and began heading toward Okayama Station I smiled when I looked down and saw the can which was covered in Kata Kana Japanese characters had only one line in English which clearly read "Sprite Zero, Sexier Than Water".

Strange Japanese Observances

• Japanese will never cross the street without the OK TO WALK sign turning green.  There could be 100 people at a crosswalk and not a car for a mile either way and they will still wait for the light to turn before heading across.
• Taxi drivers here wear suit pants, shirts and ties at all times.
• Work here is different, no one leaves early.  If you are to work til 7:00PM (as we are) and you finish early you find something else to do rather than take off early.  It is simply not done in Japan.
• It is so hot and humid here I can not begin to tell you yet you will see Japanese woman wearing Ugs, sweaters and jackets around town, its wild.
  

Well all that is it for Week 1 in Japan from the week I had I can only imagine there is much more to see and do as well as more shame and embarrassment to be brought to my country and family.  Sunday I depart for my home in Kasugai, hope to take in a Japanese baseball game at the Nagoya Dome on my day off Monday as well as begin my new life with my new students.

Also sorry for no pictures yet I hope to resolve my camera plug issue soon and have photos for you.

Talk to you soon.

Sayounara

Duffysan