Graduation, Small Town Life

So the end of the Japanese school year is upon us and a little excitement around the town and school is a welcome change. I’ve been sticking around more locally and discovering and rediscovering the local life. (and for a change I’m not even talking much about Malera! We’ve even branched out from there to quaint little restaurants, and Riverside Mall!)

So I always consider myself somewhat of a small town girl. The Devo born and raised, small schools close friends type. Lately though, I’m realizing even being a townie, this village life can be quite a whole different experience. So I’ve gotten used to the peculiarly limited bank and post office hours (although I think this is a pan Japanese thing), even the ‘the ATM needs a rest too’ type attitude. Living without a conbini and other amenities I have also managed to adapt to. The one thing that still sometimes shocks me though, is just how much the people in the town know about your life.. or think they know… lately, I have had comments if I come home late or leave my house early, what types of food they see me eating or buying, and just about every weekend someone manages to spot me at Malera; although rarely they come up and say hi, rather, they wait until later during the week to talk to me about it. I’ve also been picked up by strangers while I was walking in the rain, and although I still don’t know who they are, they knew exactly where I lived and wouldn’t take no for an answer. The sounds of village life can be quite appealing- especially after a busy weekend in a city. But, the smells at times..eeks. Out in the inaka anything goes it seems- and burning garbage smells (illegally but everyone does it) as well as animals, rotting trees and kamimoushis (stink bugs) are quite intense. (ooh and I had my first cockroach—in my house, two days after the first one in my school! Yes, I screamed btw!) However, I don’t forget the perks of small town life—it really is so beautiful here and you can’t beat gifts of food and flowers from people’s gardens.

School has been great the last few weeks! Lots of emotions and year end activity, including national holidays like Girl’s Day. In Japan school starts in April and ends in March, with different summer and winter holidays in between. The kids have been busy with tests, and getting everything ready for grad (which was today- March 11th for the grade 9s.) Test time was interesting because all my grade 9s are going to different schools so high school entrance exams were a huge thing. The grade 7 and 8s were also (somewhat less) stressed out and studying a lot. It was crazy cuz the kids would tell me they liked school days better than weekends because they had too much studying to do. YUCK! Craziness I say. Still, students would get test scores between about 15% and 80% (even distribution too.) Eeks. I still wonder about the merits of each school system… my friend always says it makes him question how good regular public school really is if 90% of the students need/ or make themselves go to Juku school (cram study school) at least once or twice a week. They stress structure and order here. Students appear to critique things and run the class, but sometimes I wonder how much they are actually ever using independent thought and how often it is just following orders and not disrupting the pattern. It’s strange sometimes, since the order makes it seem like their lives are so controlled sometimes, but in other aspects I wonder if my kids are brought up not to be rebellious, because we were talking in class about family rules and the kids said they didn’t have any--ever--- like no bed time, no need to make their beds or clean their rooms ever etc, yikes!!! I was quite shocked. They never clean at home, yet at school they have become expert janitors!

My Junior High kids are still helping me learn Japanese, which is always fun. I’m finally getting better I think! Lol maybe. I am getting some of their humor now, as well as still learning a lot about English in the mean time! (Nan desu ka? Indian nan chips) We made graduation cards and had fun learning each other’s similar proverbs and such. Also the elementary kids have been quite fun lately, trying to quote English they learn from commercials and songs that is way beyond their understanding. Too funny sometimes! English vowels still are driving some kids crazy and “I want to sleep/I went to sleep” comes up often. Also f/v/th/l/r is a daily headache—but they are still adorable!
At elem, they loved our random snow days and the vice principal built an elephant snow slide which even the counselor and I couldn’t resist! There too, we’ve been having game/grad days (which I still seem to be finding out about last minute—always drives me nuts but I’ve learned to adapt more easily than at first). We also have changed our lunch tables so for those who have heard me complain about some of my little ‘angels’ at lunch… finally I’ve got a temporary escape until April anyways!
At the JHS club activities are back up and running, also I’ve been running with the kids in the morning, in preparation for the big Usuzumi Walk from Motosu to Neo next weekend. I signed up for the 18km one after chickening out on the idea of running 28km like some of the students are doing. The longest option is 68km but not even our Phys Ed teacher is taking that one on.
So as I mentioned earlier, today was grad. Everything the past week or two has been leading up to this morning. Last week we had the official days of the grade 9 (senpei) mentors passing on knowledge to the grade 8s with lots of official ceremonies, meals, and even ocarina scrutinizing practices. One of my highlights was a mixed lunch day where we watched videos from the grade 9s trip to Canada that year. We watched them sing and dance at my parents’ Elementary school (where I happened to be that day) and the kids had a blast finding me (with dark hair- gasp shock!) and learning that my mom and dad were in the video too! (with Dad dancing too! Hehe) It’s so much cooler to watch now since I know all of the people from Devon AND Neo now! : )
Yesterday afternoon was spent going above and beyond cleaning the school and prepping for grad. We spent 2 hours Friday and 2 hours Monday with whole school grad rehearsals (sit- stand- sit-stand- bow- again!) eeks. Painful! Then we had our usual 30 minute Friday clean and additional 3 hour Monday clean and set up. It sure is a lot of work when you have such a small number of students but such a large school to clean! Everything had to be perfect, and desks were wrapped in sheets at least 5 different times to make sure they looked just so. Don’t even get me started about the green floor mats. It took us half an hour to lay them out perfectly straight, then we swept them, got on our hands and knees and scrubbed them with facecloths, swept again (since we scrubbed so hard they started to pell), followed by putting up chairs on top and them spot checking scrubbing the floors again! I wish I could tell you all that it was worth it in the end… but I’m not sure I could really tell a difference! Lol. Still, everything looked pretty nice today I have to say. In Japan everyone wears black suits on grad with white ties.(From Elem to High School). We also all have corsages (which I just found out today and had to borrow a fake one from a fellow teacher-oops!) Everything was very formal (although I’m told less so than some places because we are a small inaka school—and we all needed kairos to stay warm!) The principal was even in tails! It was all very formal and systematic, yet quite different from grad ceremonies back home. Students were in their usual school uniforms and each of the 12 graduating students brought one parent (all moms no dads). There were also many people representing the Board of Education and PTA who were in attendance. Like I said earlier, it was also very systematic and rehearsed. Surprisingly, I found out yesterday that I was to give a speech on behalf of the town of Devon (my home town and Neo’s sister city in Canada). Pressure was on to do all the correct bows and such properly! The highlights for me, were watching the kids sing and play the ocarinas. Some of the songs I had somehow never even heard them practicing. It was all very lovely and half of the students (boys included) and all of the parents started to cry. I think I even had a tear or two. They really are great kids! The concert portion and end when the grads walked down the row of 1st and 2nd grade ocarina players playing Auld Lang Syne was really beautiful. So, I guess all the excessive cleaning and practice paid off.
After the teachers and 1st and 2nd grade students cleaned up (ooh and the green mats--- just as much fun to put away if you were wondering: It took Meri and I 4 times to get our matt wrapped properly… 25 minutes later another teacher took it from us cuz he decided we were hopeless). We then took a Grad, parent and teacher picture (while the grade 7’s and 8’s entertained us with their rendition of the Exile train dance); walked the grads outside and said goodbye through a walking arch, and then sent the other students home. The teachers finished cleaning up and had a massive and awkwardly quiet bento lunch and now we’re all chilling in the staff room doing what everyone seems to do best here—pretending to look busy. We now have 2 weeks of school with no grade 9s so things should really be quiet around here with only 20 students in the school! Graduation has got me thinking about Jess’ anthropology lesson the other day, and the idea that every celebration in every culture is a transformation of people’s identity and stages in life. Including stripping of old identity and leaving being somewhat changed. It's pretty interesting see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liminality for more details. Graduation is undoubtedly one, and her full analysis fits quite well.
Well enough about school! Things I have learned from convo class lately--- there are so many superstitions here! Rika bought a new purse- because you should always buy them in spring and not fall because fall is empty, and spring is full. So now you know!
On the idea of superstitions and such, did you know that people don’t cross their fingers, or recognize this symbol in Japan (and most Muslim and Buddhist cultures (http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/fingers-crossed.html for more info). This week we also talked about Miso factories and Toyota in Aichi (which Rika and I then visited on Saturday). We also talked about nationalism versus regionalism since Canada is quite patriotic as a whole (flags, anthems and such) but in Japan they are more so at the local level (schools, towns, prefectural pride-food-songs). I also learned random things like that the Neo river decides which towns are part of Motosu and which are not in the new amalgamation of Motosu city and why I am part of a city which is 45 minutes away from me but the other few town in between us aren’t considered to be Motosu. Other randomness, we talked about different knocks in Japan- 4 is polite, 3 is friendly, you should always have secret knocks with friends and boyfriends, and then it’s entirely different for washroom knocks. I also learned how rare doorbells are here.
Sometimes things here seem so different and (in my culturally biased opinion) behind. They talk about how Japan had no problems before the bad gaijin came and brought trouble and crime (I am considered good-English- gaijin btw). It’s a scary mindset though. Also how women still have such different roles than men here. Today I served tea to my principal and his guests for the first time ever—it’s a rite of passage in the school for women I guess. We also talked about health care differences and expectations and roles of women versus men. Again, for now I’ll just say quite different mindset. But they involve occupations, cooking, cleaning, parenting, quitting jobs when finding a mate etc. The ladies also taught me some new onomatopoeias in Japanese and how to write seasonal greetings (as they received cards from Kaki this week and were quite excited—although didn’t recognize pictures of the Eiffel Tower, which made me giggle). Finally we talked about club outings which are very popular here, and eating “Viking style” which is buffet style- but how in Japan they don’t gorge themselves like others do because of again a different outlook on life.
I’m still loving my weekend life with my regular crew. We went to the game centre at Malera (where we obsessed about Oshiri kajiri moushi once again and did print club of course!), snowboarding, karaoke and Sega world two weeks ago. Last weekend we headed to Aichi-ken for all you can eat strawberries and an interesting buying food type trip. Rika, her friend, Jess, Narin and I went on a Japanese bus tour into Aichi where we visited many food shops and an island shrine. We also went to Orange Park where we enjoyed all you can eat strawberries (with me winning the competition by eating 101 strawberries in 40 minutes and not getting sick : ) It was quite a different tour than I’m used to, but we had fun and we practiced lots of Japanese too! The next day, Narin, Jess and I went to the Ume (plum blossom) festival in Gifu city and then met up with Jordan to go to Natural Café (the place with the live tortoise wandering and the official gaijin café of Gifu-shi I say!). The plum blossom festival was cool mainly because we saw people who were not overly pretty or even dressed up, but who were paid to stand near the trees where no one else is allowed to go. It’s quite random really! We enjoyed taking mock pictures of us with all the photographers in the background, until some of them came over and started to take pictures of us while we stood outside the ropes by the trees. Geez who needs professionals!? Hehe. Now I’m getting obsessed with Sakura and am planning on decorating my apartment, buying a sakura tofu pillow and maybe even a dress to wear during the hanami festivals! Look out, I’m really getting converted now! : )
More from the randomness which I call my life… I’m getting to be an omurice connoisseur since it seems to be our latest addiction. Hiccups in Japanese is “shakkurei”. I am a ‘Mars Minus’ in Japanese fortunes for this year—which means I am supposed to have a very bad luck year and be lonely at work- lol hopefully just the latter (which is already pretty true). I’m still addicted to Amazing Race (yah Duane and Narin already know, totally a sucker and sap when it comes to that show—although am still angry Canadians cannot apply).
This month has included me eating fugu at school lunch, drinking sakura tea, and going to hours of PTA meetings and the following enkai. I’ve also grown to really appreciate the Neo-Devon connection, have fallen in love with my kids ocarina playing and singing, and have finally managed to be in the staff room after the principal, vice principal and some teachers! Can it be Julie actually has work to do?
Life’s still pretty isolating and my frustrations from never knowing what is going on have not yet ceased. My complaint of the month, which I can’t actually say to anyone here, is to be able to express how frustrating it is to always have to ask about everything and never warned/told in advance. Believe it or not, this is not natural to foreigners! You have to tell us things! Especially when we are only at your school every second day at best. Sometimes I love being at two different schools- you get to know so many kids, and get to interact with such different levels. On the other hand, it sucks because sometimes you see kids working towards things, like school concerts and plays- but don’t get to see the end result. On grad, I insisted that I attended even though it was a day I was supposed to be at the Elementary school. Luckily they understood. Unfortunately I missed the big elementary school concert/play last week though since I was never told the exact date until some of the other Junior high teachers left school wearing suits to go to the Elem, and at that time I had a class. Other isolation times are when your week gets messed up by snow. I was only snowed in a few times this winter, and nothing as bad as I had been warned before. Still, the really bad days always seemed to occur on days where I had plans for Japanese lessons or to go out with friends. Unfortunately, if you have ever seen the roads leading out of Neo, they are very typical Japanese inaka roads- narrow and curvy. Not exactly the best to drive on at night, in winter, even with my awesome new winter tires!
Luckily I have combated the isolation with some young teacher bonding time!! Some of the Shogakko teachers went out for dinner last week for Chinese—it was awesome!! Although I strained to understand much of the conversation, I did catch some parts when I was concentrating. Even some where I am not sure they wanted me to understand : ) It was a great evening to gossip about school life and really feel like part of the inner circle, when I am so often on the fringe. I drove there with one of my favorite teachers, the one who is closest to me, and I just found out is turning 30 (everyone looks sooo young to me though!) and leaving my apartment block next month! Boo- back to being the only female in the place! Anyways, our drive was great and we sang our hearts out in the car the whole way! Fun times indeed. At dinner I also observed how so many little etiquette things are different here compared with at home—like both hands should always be above the table here, and you should drink from your bowl and lift it when you eat.
In addition to learning Japanese, I am also trying to learn other random things with some of my spare time here—I’m reading lots- lately even trying to get into Shakespeare again. Also thanks to Duane’s persistence, I’m learning about inspirational money stuff through Robert Kiyosaki’s ‘Choose to be Rich- Rich Dad/Poor Dad.’ It’s pretty interesting, although definitely a different take than I am used to.
So as you may be able to tell with this entry, I am all over the cultural curve right now. So many highs, but then quickly followed by lows. Overall I’m still really glad I came here, but also am content with my decision not to recontract still. Although, apparently the best time in Japan is coming soon… hanami season!!!! Bring on the Cherry blossoms!!! And hopefully an end to my eternal winter colds!

Well my kids are getting excited about their trip to Canada, and I am getting excited for Mom and Dad to come, as well as Thailand afterwards! The next few months are going to fly by!! Here’s to hoping that the monkeys on the road and finally melting snow mean that winter is gone and spring is here! Welcome to the start of the prettiest time in Japan! (or so I’m told!)


My favorite new words of the day:
もちろん（Mochiron）- of course
みなさん(Mina-san)- everyone
まいにち(mainichi)- everyday
おやすみなさい。(oyasuminasai)- good night
おめでとうございます (omedetou gozaimasu) -congratulations

Ooh and for more reading from Japan, here’s an essay another Jet wrote about English in Japan and Japanese in England. I can vouch from reading the English on clothing myself that it’s true! It makes me laugh when people have no idea what they are wearing—like old grandma’s and elementary students alike wearing play boy bunny clothing! http://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/pref/s17781/jetset/Paulessay-english.html

That’s all from me for now!
Take Care! Keep in touch! And enjoy spring!
~Julz

P.S. Sorry about the slow reply on emails lately! I'm going to try my best this week to get back to all of you!! Thanks! I love hearing from you always!