In attempts to keep this blog a little more current, a quick note about one of my weeknight hightlights each week. My English conversation group!!
It's made up of 4 ladies from Neo and area that come to my house each week for a few hours of food, tea and english practice in some of the most random topics ever!
This week was pretty tame, but exile, political asylum, pedophiles, and Oshiri Kajiri Moushi did come up (the Butt Biting Bug Song) and that was quite interesting and comical! Japanese people really do have a whole different perception and attitude towards the human body than most North Americans I think. First example: onsens and feeling comfortable being naked around each other. Second, the butt biting bug song-- it's not that we wouldn't have a song like that at home or anything, but it's hard to explain just how it is different here. Third, interactions between people-- ie) in class today I had grade 9 boys fixing each other's hair and clothes in the middle of class, my teacher gave one of the grade nine boys a nice little football style smack on the butt folloed by a friendly butt squeeze (I wouldn't even want to think of the overblown reprucussions back home that would follow that one!).
One of the things I've found interesting lately in convo class, is the random idioms and expressions that come up that are so similar across different languages. Last week we were talking about proverbs and "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" came up, but in the Japanese version it is something counting your racoon skin before you have it. (Torranu tanuki no kawazanyo for those who speak Japanese).
These ladies have taught me so much over the past few months that really give me a better inside look into the lives of ordinary Japanese well at least Neo'jin people. They have taught me so many things about Japanese culture (traditional like the tea ceremony, and popculture icons too) and language as well. Even with my ridiculously miniscule usage ability in the Japanese language, I know so much about the linguistic points now-- and a little about regional dialects, syntax and speech patterns as well.
They also surprise me each week such as tonight when our most senior member (age ~73) was talking about the transition that she remembers when she was in elementary and English was absolutely prohibited because it was seen as the enemy lanuage (at time of WWIIish) to her Junior High days when there were many Americans in Japan and there was a strong push to learn as much English as possible. By the time she was in high school, they were reading and memorizing Shakespeare (which she still remembers and quoted some to me!). Yikes I thought old English was difficult enough to translate for a natural speaker of English. They also have similar old-Japanese-- I couldn't imagine even trying to decipher that!
Ooh and other randomness from my world-- my grade 7 students now know really do know why we celebrate Christmas and that Santa Claus IS NOT Jesus' father! Ooh and my low-temperature, intense burn on my stomache (uhhh from my chemical shakey handwarmer thing (which I still love despite my injury)) is finally scarring over and has stopped giving me too much grief. I held off on going to the doctor, which was potentially not a wise decision but saved me some embarassment and even more paperwork. However, I found out today that in the new year I have to undergo a Japanese mandatory physical exam-- I have been fortunate enough so far to by-pass all medical institutions but what I;ve been told there are less clearly laid out lines of 'personal space' and even less confidentiality).
In any case, the countdown to going home is still on 9 sleeps until I go home for Christmas!! This is the first time ever my countdown isn't going all the way to Christmas Eve, because I think my arrival at the airport in Edmonton is going to be even more exciting for me! Whooo can't wait to see everyone!!!!
Hope all is well wherever you may be found in the world.
~Julz
P.S. Sorry I am still having troubles putting pictures on blogger since my computer and I still are having issues with each other, but please add me to facebook to see all my latest pictures! : )
Random Japanese thoughts of the Day
do: as in ju-do, ken-do, being the study/practice of a skill by taking time at it
kani: crab
sutra: special book like bible
magi: slang for 'really?''
turtle necks are called babshirts (grandma shirts) and t shirts can be Yshirts
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Random Thoughts from Julz in Japan
So I was realizing I only usually blog about big events but not the daily events and occurrences that now seem common place to me. In the future I'll try to include more of that stuff too! Wow I didn't realise how long it's been since I've written much other than Korea; Ok, I guess I lied, a little bit about some recent trips because they really are the interesting stuff I’d say anyways.
Halloween was a blast! I taught Halloween stuff to my elementary kids for 2 straight weeks! It was awesome! Lots of fun games, songs, dances and more! I also had a party with my Eikaiwa (which also was a belated welcome party for me), and another one with my teachers, and then I went to a Nagoya International Friends Party with some of my friends from around Gifu. It was quite the party as all Japanese ones seem to be Nomihodai---= all you can drink. I dressed up as Hello Kitty and went with my friends Superman, My Melody, the Wayne’s world crew, pacman, Cinderella, a bumble bee and new found friends Winnie the Pooh and Salary man. Good times had by all! Especially trying to find our way back to the hotel room which would somehow hold all of us!
The next day we took a very very long train ride to Nara. Nara is gorgeous!! It was the perfect season to visit as the leaves were red and orange and yellow.. Nara was the ancient capital of Japan between 710-784Ad before it was moved to Kyoto (and then Tokyo).Nara flourished under the influence of Buddhism, leading to the creation of an enormous number of cultural assets, buildings and books, many of which are preserved today. Nara has the largest number of buildings designated National Treasures in Japan. It also has many deer wandering around the city who love to harass tourists for food. They are pretty adorable when they bow though—and uber tame! My highlight was Todaiiji Temple with it’s massive wooden Buddha statue and wooden post that promises enlightenment to anyone who can fit through the hole in the side of it (by the way you now know a truly enlightened person right here!)
Another trip was hiking with some friends and my Eikaiwa up a mountain a few hours away. It was a great hike with stunning leaves that offered us a chance to meet new friends, practice some Japanese and English combinations, and also was a challenge for us not so avid hikers.
Daily Life:
Call me a wuss, but it’s darn cold living without central heating—even if it’s still above 0 outside. It just seems wrong to be able to see your breathe inside your own house! I’ve been drinking more tea than ever before and just hope I will not poison myself from the Kerosene heaters too! School is probably the worst because we have a rule where if the temperature is above 8 degrees--- no heat. If it’s under 8, we are allowed to turn them on just until it goes back over 8. eeks. It really is chilly. Luckily hand warmers are cheap. I bought a pack of 30 shake and use handwamers, 10 feet warmers and 30 sticky ones. They last forever and have been my best friend in the last few weeks! I use them everyday!! Yesterday however…. I had a nice little incident where I left one on all day stuck to my rib cage--- and when I took it off last night, I realized I had burned myself on it!!! I had a full few layers of skin ripped off and it was painful as!! Seriously, who does that?? Oh well, lesson learned—don’t enjoy the heat too much! Take it off after 10 hours, and don’t apply directly to my skin!
In other reports about the climate--- Neo is absolutely gorgeous right now. I am told Spring is the time to come here, but the leaves on the trees are still on and so all the mountains around me have yellow and orange patches. Gorgeous!!! Although, the one mountain has snow already—I’m told after the 3rd time it snows on the mountain, it will snow in town… today is the second time it’s snowing on it—but really I can’t complain, it’s already a week into December and not a flake of snow yet! Just rain rain rain. Canadians really do enjoy talking about the weather don’t we? Random.
Anyways, onto other things, I am really getting on well with my teachers now. I’m living in the teachers only apartments and we have parties once a month altogether for the 12 of us or so that live there. They are heaps of fun and the random thing is that they usually occur on a school day and involve lots of drinking and bring out a whole different side of your staff! The next morning seeing each other at work is also quite interesting! I really do like living there. It’s great to know your neighbors (most of the time) and it’s super close to both my schools.
Other news regarding daily life…
School is going really well minus the cold. I really do enjoy spending time with my students! I can’t wait until I am a teacher back home though and can have more in depth conversations with them! Teaching Christmas is pretty fun and I even bought a Santa costume and got my teacher from the JHS to come to the Elem and team teach in it with me for a day. Lots of fun! The kids were adorable!! And so impressed that Santa knew Japanese!!! ZZNow I’m his best buddy and he comes up to me all the time and hugs me and is just awesome. He was the one kid that took me a long time to crack but also it is the most gratifying to have made contact with. Yippeee!!!
I’ve got 10 days from today left in Japan before I go home for Christmas break. Life truly is sweet right now!- although a little stressful as it always is around holiday time. We have lots of Bonenkais (year end party) going on which always makes for a great time though. Yesterday I went to my friend Rika’s house for a Sukiyaki dinner party. I love cooking on the hot plate at the table—and then with Sukiyaki you dip the meat/cabbage/udon/seaweed etc into a mixed up raw egg. It was actually really good! Her family is so incredibly kind to me!! This time Narin and Kiri came as well, and also her uncles, aunts and cousins were there. They are definitely the closest I’ve got to a Japanese family over here—I love the Devon-Neo ike enshi (I don’t think that’s the right word, but it is something close—meaning connections and friendly relationships).
I can’t believe how attatched I’ve gotten to my little village town. I am actually really excited to see Usuzumi Sakura in the Spring now (our famous cherry blossom tree) and I am going to all the town parties, trying to make it out to more school events, and I get all defensive of my town too now when people dis it. It really is adorable and beautiful!
Wow I just realized how long it has been since I last wrote! So much has happened! By far the biggest thing from home that has happened while I’ve been gone lately is one of my best friends, Heather, getting ENGAGED! It is still unfathomable to me that we are actually at the age of getting engaged and married and all of that! I still feel like such a little kid—even like I am just one of my elementary students some days! But I am super happy for her and Jason. They truly are a great couple! Speaking of great couples—hehe Duane and I are still doing well and have been dating now for 1 year! Wow how fast time flies.
In Japan, my last month or two has quieted down on the traveling trip taking activities and more into finding places closer to home. It was Narin’s birthday in November and so of course a party was in order and very much in ALT fashion, we made a trip to do Karaoke!! We are really obsessed! Last weekend we went to Little World, a cute little tourist attraction in Inuyama that is a 2.5 km round path showcasing houses, food and clothes from various countries around the world.. It was made to teach Japanese people about foreign cultures—but we also had a really good time there ourselves! Also this weekend I went to Ogaki and helped out with an AJET International Festival. It was also a good time and neat to see so many JETs together again.
A few weeks ago I finally managed to get myself to an English speaking Catholic church (let me tell you, not that easy to find!) I went to Nagoya with my friend from Ireland for the first week of advent. It was really funny at the time to offer each other the sign of peace, Carol and I shook hands, and then turned to the next people (who were actually Portugese anyways) and they looked at us as if we were crazy--- low and behold we forgot that Japan is a culture all about bowing! Even then! Lol. Silly foreigners we are sometimes!
I’ve also been out to Seki a few times for paper doll making classes and hope to make a few more for Christmas this weekend! They are lots of fun and I’m pretty impressed with myself considering my complete and utter lack of any physically artistic bone in my body when it comes to being creative.
As in Japan when Auld Lang Syne starts to play to signal the closing of restaurants and stores, a big Otsukaresamadeshita for reading and keeping in touch!
A few Japanese phrases
Nekokabori= dissembler/ a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Seachicken= tuna
Yukimi daifuku= snow desert—YUM!
Historical background of Japan: Shinto brings Japan its gardens, leaves, torii (gate), and shrines where as Buddhism is the reason for the flower arranging, tea, ceramics, paint, calligraphy, and martial arts.
Sorry if this was a little disjoined but I really will try to keep this updated more in the near future!! : )
Ooh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!!
Halloween was a blast! I taught Halloween stuff to my elementary kids for 2 straight weeks! It was awesome! Lots of fun games, songs, dances and more! I also had a party with my Eikaiwa (which also was a belated welcome party for me), and another one with my teachers, and then I went to a Nagoya International Friends Party with some of my friends from around Gifu. It was quite the party as all Japanese ones seem to be Nomihodai---= all you can drink. I dressed up as Hello Kitty and went with my friends Superman, My Melody, the Wayne’s world crew, pacman, Cinderella, a bumble bee and new found friends Winnie the Pooh and Salary man. Good times had by all! Especially trying to find our way back to the hotel room which would somehow hold all of us!
The next day we took a very very long train ride to Nara. Nara is gorgeous!! It was the perfect season to visit as the leaves were red and orange and yellow.. Nara was the ancient capital of Japan between 710-784Ad before it was moved to Kyoto (and then Tokyo).Nara flourished under the influence of Buddhism, leading to the creation of an enormous number of cultural assets, buildings and books, many of which are preserved today. Nara has the largest number of buildings designated National Treasures in Japan. It also has many deer wandering around the city who love to harass tourists for food. They are pretty adorable when they bow though—and uber tame! My highlight was Todaiiji Temple with it’s massive wooden Buddha statue and wooden post that promises enlightenment to anyone who can fit through the hole in the side of it (by the way you now know a truly enlightened person right here!)
Another trip was hiking with some friends and my Eikaiwa up a mountain a few hours away. It was a great hike with stunning leaves that offered us a chance to meet new friends, practice some Japanese and English combinations, and also was a challenge for us not so avid hikers.
Daily Life:
Call me a wuss, but it’s darn cold living without central heating—even if it’s still above 0 outside. It just seems wrong to be able to see your breathe inside your own house! I’ve been drinking more tea than ever before and just hope I will not poison myself from the Kerosene heaters too! School is probably the worst because we have a rule where if the temperature is above 8 degrees--- no heat. If it’s under 8, we are allowed to turn them on just until it goes back over 8. eeks. It really is chilly. Luckily hand warmers are cheap. I bought a pack of 30 shake and use handwamers, 10 feet warmers and 30 sticky ones. They last forever and have been my best friend in the last few weeks! I use them everyday!! Yesterday however…. I had a nice little incident where I left one on all day stuck to my rib cage--- and when I took it off last night, I realized I had burned myself on it!!! I had a full few layers of skin ripped off and it was painful as!! Seriously, who does that?? Oh well, lesson learned—don’t enjoy the heat too much! Take it off after 10 hours, and don’t apply directly to my skin!
In other reports about the climate--- Neo is absolutely gorgeous right now. I am told Spring is the time to come here, but the leaves on the trees are still on and so all the mountains around me have yellow and orange patches. Gorgeous!!! Although, the one mountain has snow already—I’m told after the 3rd time it snows on the mountain, it will snow in town… today is the second time it’s snowing on it—but really I can’t complain, it’s already a week into December and not a flake of snow yet! Just rain rain rain. Canadians really do enjoy talking about the weather don’t we? Random.
Anyways, onto other things, I am really getting on well with my teachers now. I’m living in the teachers only apartments and we have parties once a month altogether for the 12 of us or so that live there. They are heaps of fun and the random thing is that they usually occur on a school day and involve lots of drinking and bring out a whole different side of your staff! The next morning seeing each other at work is also quite interesting! I really do like living there. It’s great to know your neighbors (most of the time) and it’s super close to both my schools.
Other news regarding daily life…
School is going really well minus the cold. I really do enjoy spending time with my students! I can’t wait until I am a teacher back home though and can have more in depth conversations with them! Teaching Christmas is pretty fun and I even bought a Santa costume and got my teacher from the JHS to come to the Elem and team teach in it with me for a day. Lots of fun! The kids were adorable!! And so impressed that Santa knew Japanese!!! ZZNow I’m his best buddy and he comes up to me all the time and hugs me and is just awesome. He was the one kid that took me a long time to crack but also it is the most gratifying to have made contact with. Yippeee!!!
I’ve got 10 days from today left in Japan before I go home for Christmas break. Life truly is sweet right now!- although a little stressful as it always is around holiday time. We have lots of Bonenkais (year end party) going on which always makes for a great time though. Yesterday I went to my friend Rika’s house for a Sukiyaki dinner party. I love cooking on the hot plate at the table—and then with Sukiyaki you dip the meat/cabbage/udon/seaweed etc into a mixed up raw egg. It was actually really good! Her family is so incredibly kind to me!! This time Narin and Kiri came as well, and also her uncles, aunts and cousins were there. They are definitely the closest I’ve got to a Japanese family over here—I love the Devon-Neo ike enshi (I don’t think that’s the right word, but it is something close—meaning connections and friendly relationships).
I can’t believe how attatched I’ve gotten to my little village town. I am actually really excited to see Usuzumi Sakura in the Spring now (our famous cherry blossom tree) and I am going to all the town parties, trying to make it out to more school events, and I get all defensive of my town too now when people dis it. It really is adorable and beautiful!
Wow I just realized how long it has been since I last wrote! So much has happened! By far the biggest thing from home that has happened while I’ve been gone lately is one of my best friends, Heather, getting ENGAGED! It is still unfathomable to me that we are actually at the age of getting engaged and married and all of that! I still feel like such a little kid—even like I am just one of my elementary students some days! But I am super happy for her and Jason. They truly are a great couple! Speaking of great couples—hehe Duane and I are still doing well and have been dating now for 1 year! Wow how fast time flies.
In Japan, my last month or two has quieted down on the traveling trip taking activities and more into finding places closer to home. It was Narin’s birthday in November and so of course a party was in order and very much in ALT fashion, we made a trip to do Karaoke!! We are really obsessed! Last weekend we went to Little World, a cute little tourist attraction in Inuyama that is a 2.5 km round path showcasing houses, food and clothes from various countries around the world.. It was made to teach Japanese people about foreign cultures—but we also had a really good time there ourselves! Also this weekend I went to Ogaki and helped out with an AJET International Festival. It was also a good time and neat to see so many JETs together again.
A few weeks ago I finally managed to get myself to an English speaking Catholic church (let me tell you, not that easy to find!) I went to Nagoya with my friend from Ireland for the first week of advent. It was really funny at the time to offer each other the sign of peace, Carol and I shook hands, and then turned to the next people (who were actually Portugese anyways) and they looked at us as if we were crazy--- low and behold we forgot that Japan is a culture all about bowing! Even then! Lol. Silly foreigners we are sometimes!
I’ve also been out to Seki a few times for paper doll making classes and hope to make a few more for Christmas this weekend! They are lots of fun and I’m pretty impressed with myself considering my complete and utter lack of any physically artistic bone in my body when it comes to being creative.
As in Japan when Auld Lang Syne starts to play to signal the closing of restaurants and stores, a big Otsukaresamadeshita for reading and keeping in touch!
A few Japanese phrases
Nekokabori= dissembler/ a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Seachicken= tuna
Yukimi daifuku= snow desert—YUM!
Historical background of Japan: Shinto brings Japan its gardens, leaves, torii (gate), and shrines where as Buddhism is the reason for the flower arranging, tea, ceramics, paint, calligraphy, and martial arts.
Sorry if this was a little disjoined but I really will try to keep this updated more in the near future!! : )
Ooh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!!
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