I live about 15 minutes by car from the in-laws. I get along with them pretty well (as well as we can with the language difference) and yet I hardly ever see them. This is because my husband works with his father, mother, and sister almost every day. His father started the company he works (an NPO that works with special needs adults including two centers where they can come everyday) for and, though he is retired, he has a lot of say in what goes on. His mother retired as a care taker and now helps at the center doing a lot of odd jobs. And his sister, a nurse, comes to help with the people who have special physical needs. Thus he doesn't feel the need to go over to their house after work or to invite them around to ours. And I feel a bit weird just going to see them by myself.
But, seeing as we have been living in a new house since last September, I decided to invite them around for dinner last Sunday night. It was his sister's birthday so I thought it would be something to do. I say this with all due respect, but she doesn't have a lot of friends. Or she does, but she doesn't get to see them often due to the fact that they are at that age where they are married with kids. The other friends are all nurses so their hours are long/random.
At first I said I would make chili as it is something that is easy, delicious, and foreign (if it's their first time to try it, they can't compare it to anything else). Motoaki said that just chili wouldn't be enough (even after I said that of course we would have bread and salad as well) so it was decided that I would make baked chicken with asparagus and yuzu dressing (a yuzu is like a lemon and I started using it when I wanted to try and make lemon chicken). And, for good measure, he decided we had better heat up one of the pizzas we had gotten from Costco. If you know Motoaki like I do, you would agree that he was probably just worried that HE wouldn't get enough to eat.
The day of the dinner I woke up late (after being out at trivia and drinking WAY too much beer) but wasn't pressured. They wouldn't arrive until five and Motoaki didn't have work that day. Our house is never messy, but it would need dusting, vacuuming, and a bit of sorting out in the living room. We had time, but I wanted to get it done and then relaxed so I started urging Motoaki to help clean up at least he stuff. He argued that it was Sunday and that we had plenty of time so he wanted to read the paper and eat first. Fair enough, I thought and decided to take a bath and read a book.
He popped his head in to say he needed to go to another town but would gone for just an hour.
Why do men do this? I have extremely clear memories of my father doing this exact thing. Waiting until the day of whatever housework needs to be done and then remembering some errand that needed to be done.
I wasn't worried though- it was only 11am and an hour wouldn't be the end of the world. I went about the day getting stuff ready and clean but not rushing because I knew Motoaki would be back to help out.
1pm came, then 2pm. At 3pm I was a little miffed but nothing major. But at 4 pm when Motoaki called to say not only was he still in the other town but that he would be late to dinner, I got angry. I didn't yell at him but it made me mad that he said "an hour" and it turned into a day. Fair enough, if the tables were turned I wouldn't be too worried about my dad and sister coming over for a meal (well, if they lived in the same town). But for me I was of course super nervous about Motoaki's family seeing the house for the first time, eating my food for the first time, seeing how well Finn behaves, etc. They aren't the judging type (well, they never say anything to my face- and they always get me nice things and complement me), but still I want to impress them.
But, rock star that I am I got everything cleaned/ready and Motoaki beat his parents home by about 10 minutes. Dinner went ok. I hadn't taste tested the chili before serving (rookie mistake) and it didn't have nearly enough spice to it. It tasted like oily water. But they loved the other food and Motoaki had gotten cake for dessert.
His father was unusually quiet and insisted on going home right after we had finished cake, but he is like that everywhere he goes. I think, too, he was bored as we spent a lot of time talking about Motoaki's mom and sister's recent trip to Paris. He hadn't been invited (he never is- they don't really get along). And I think he wasn't interested in what we had on the TV. But he complemented us on our choice of couch (we have a big one from Ikea that is extremely comfy) and ate quite a bit.
Finn was the real surprise as he turned on the charm. He is an ok little dog but he is STILL a puppy and can be quite annoying, especially when guests arrive. He'll nip at their clothing and jump around like a mad man. And he has taken to "exposing himself" to certain people that come over. But for Motoaki's family he was quite calm. Of course, part of it was due to the fact that they have 3 cats and no doubt smell strongly of them. He was too busy sniffing to really be too crazy.. They even said that if their older cats passed away they would think about getting a little dog for the house. The only dog they've had has been a big one that stayed in the yard. Of course the minute they left he took his cue to jump on top of the coffee table, run off with Motoaki's slipper, and start chewing on the living room curtain.
I'm lucky that Motoaki's family is not phased at all that I am a foreigner and that they seem generally to like me. Like I always say, though, I think the relationship will change if/when any grandchildren show up on the scene, seeing as the west and east have different ways of child rearing...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Trivia Night
On Saturday we had our second Tsuyama Trivia night. The pressure was on since last time I (and my partners) won. Of course last time one of the bonus questions was to write in all of the US states and the final round was to sing a song at Karaoke (really, no contest). This time was a lot more difficult. Despite being paired up with two very intelligent guys, we came in third. For those in the know, I was with Sean and Ben and our team name was, "We knew Lenny when..." (Sean, Ben, and I have been in Japan for a long time now and we there for Lenny's, the host of the Trivia Night, big entrance into Japan). We would like to say that part of it was due to our team being the only one without a Japanese member, but really the other groups did well.
Anyway, here are the questions. I won't put in the answers since they can be found online and so you can have a chance to guess for yourself. They are out of order and I might have gotten them slightly wrong... I also don't remember all of them...
*Music Category*
1. What is Freddie Mercury's real name?
2. What musician supposedly bit the head off of a bat?
3. What is the top selling album of all time?
4. Name a subgroup of the band, Morning Musume?
5. What studio did the Beatles record most of their albums at?
6. Who sang, "My Humps?"
7. Who created AKB 48?
8.
9.
10.
Bonus Name as many Johnny's groups as you can. (again, needed a Japanese person for that)
*Japan Category*
1. What is the original name of Tokyo?
2. What is the kanji for apple?
3. When was the Meiji Restoration?
4. Who was the last shogun?
5. What is the language of Okinawa called?
6. What is a Kendo sword called?
7. What is the current emperor's name?
8.
9.
10.
Bonus Name the prefectures of Kyushuu.
*Movies/TV Category*
1. What was Tom Cruise's call name in Top Gun?
2. In Back to the Future, what is Doc's real name?
3. Who played the lead character in Bridget Jone's Diary?
4. Who is older, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt?
5. Who directed The Seven Samurai?
6. Who composed the music for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc?
7. What was the flight in Lost?
8. What is the longest running Japanese anime?
9. What is Bart Simpson's middle name?
10.
Bonus Name all 8 Harry Potter films.
*Sports/Olympics Category*
1. What country got the most medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
2. How many medals has New Zealand won in the Winter Olympics?
3. What was the 1992 American Basketball Team's nickname?
4. Where were the first winter Olympics?
5. By 2020, which city will have hosted the Olympics 3 times?
6. Which Japanese male figure skater got some medal?
7. "Japnese Name" got medals for which event?
8.
9.
20.
Bonus: What 7 countries have won the most medals ever?
Will try to add the other questions if I remember them.
Anyway, here are the questions. I won't put in the answers since they can be found online and so you can have a chance to guess for yourself. They are out of order and I might have gotten them slightly wrong... I also don't remember all of them...
*Music Category*
1. What is Freddie Mercury's real name?
2. What musician supposedly bit the head off of a bat?
3. What is the top selling album of all time?
4. Name a subgroup of the band, Morning Musume?
5. What studio did the Beatles record most of their albums at?
6. Who sang, "My Humps?"
7. Who created AKB 48?
8.
9.
10.
Bonus Name as many Johnny's groups as you can. (again, needed a Japanese person for that)
*Japan Category*
1. What is the original name of Tokyo?
2. What is the kanji for apple?
3. When was the Meiji Restoration?
4. Who was the last shogun?
5. What is the language of Okinawa called?
6. What is a Kendo sword called?
7. What is the current emperor's name?
8.
9.
10.
Bonus Name the prefectures of Kyushuu.
*Movies/TV Category*
1. What was Tom Cruise's call name in Top Gun?
2. In Back to the Future, what is Doc's real name?
3. Who played the lead character in Bridget Jone's Diary?
4. Who is older, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt?
5. Who directed The Seven Samurai?
6. Who composed the music for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc?
7. What was the flight in Lost?
8. What is the longest running Japanese anime?
9. What is Bart Simpson's middle name?
10.
Bonus Name all 8 Harry Potter films.
*Sports/Olympics Category*
1. What country got the most medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
2. How many medals has New Zealand won in the Winter Olympics?
3. What was the 1992 American Basketball Team's nickname?
4. Where were the first winter Olympics?
5. By 2020, which city will have hosted the Olympics 3 times?
6. Which Japanese male figure skater got some medal?
7. "Japnese Name" got medals for which event?
8.
9.
20.
Bonus: What 7 countries have won the most medals ever?
Will try to add the other questions if I remember them.
A New Friend
So now that I have been in Japan for awhile I have seen my fair share of other foreigners getting married and having kids. Definitely at that "age." I must say that I am not a baby person so I have kept my distance from the little cuties, but that I look forward to watching them grow up. I also am super curious as to how they will navigate their way through life being "half" (no offence intended) and worry about any struggles they might endure. Last Friday, though, I met a little girl who made me think that things are going to be ok.
I had actually met this girl before but it was back when she was about two years old. Her father was a casual acquaintance- someone I knew because we were both foreigners but not really someone I hung out with. This was due to the fact that, at the time, I was a young single girl going out every night and he was a father. But anyway, we got along well and had a good laugh when we did meet up. Sadly, like so many other good friends, he moved back to his home country and became just one of those people that we sometimes brought up in our "remember when so and so..." conversations.
Flash forward about five years to now. I went to visit my friends liquor shop (which I hadn't been to in years) on account that it was her birthday. She is actually a teacher and has phenomenal English, but spends her nights running the shop that used to be run by her mother-in-law (who is now quite old). When I was single and lived in the same town, I used to bike over there with some of the other guys in town to drink chu-hai's (like a wine cooler or a mikes hard lemonade) and chat up the old men in the shop. To give you an idea of how long it has been, one of the old guys said to me," Wow- you've changed! When you came to Japan 10 years ago you looked like Marilyn Monroe, but now you look...like a Japanese..." and he stretched his arms out to indicate that I was fat. (see my last post....)
Anyway, because it was the owners birthday, a few other people decided to pay a visit and I was excited to see the friend arrive with his now seven year old daughter. I had seen him about once or twice since he had moved back a year ago, but we hadn't had much of a chance to talk. And I hadn't seen his daughter since she was a baby. Her hair has darkened a lot but her eyes are still as big as they were when she was a toddler and you can definitely tell that she is half-non-Japanese. In other words, she is quite pretty.
Because I was the only woman in the shop (besides the owner, who was busy with customers) and because I wasn't drinking (I had to drive and the others were on bikes) I decided to talk to the girl. I started with the basics, "What year are you in school? When's your birthday?" etc Because the only kids I usually meet are my Japanese students, I couldn't help but talk in my slow, ESL teacher voice. And the little girl, being like any child anywhere, answered by nodding her head or saying "mm-hmm" while stuffing her face with the complimentary peanuts.
Her father stopped his conversation with one of the old guys to tell her, "Now, now! Speak up and use your words." and the girl started speaking in the cutest British accent. And,again because she lived in England for the past five years, she was speaking like any little girl you would meet back home.
I said before that I don't really like babies. But I do like and am generally good with kids. Since I do have a lot of experience (baby-sitting, camp counselor, teachers, etc) I have no problem making conversation and telling PG jokes. In no time at all we had become the best of friends. I told her all about Finn and my favorite 100yen store and she told me all about school and her playground in England.
The liquor shop was about to close and I got up to pay for my green tea when the idea of "dinner" was suggested by the little girls father to another "old foreign friend of mine" whom I see quite regularly. They invited me and, though I had told Motoaki I would be coming home, I decided to go along. To tell the truth, if it had just been the two guys I would have said no but the little girl had gotten really excited by the prospect of me tagging along that I couldn't say no.
Since I had never been to the restaurant the father told the girl to ride with me and for her to show me the way. I was quite impressed that she was able to give better directions than most adults. She didn't quite know left from right, but she could say, "We're gonna go this way," and curve her arm in the direction I should turn.
At the restaurant (a whole in the wall place that served okonomiyaki and yaki soba) we had even more fun coloring and reading hiragana/kanji. I taught her "Up high, on the side, down low, too slow," and she taught me the names of the characters in the coloring book (I think it was puricure). Seriously, had a grand time.
Finally it came time to go. The girl was going to ride on the back of her dad's bicycle but seeing as how he was a little drunk (not wasted but feeling it) and seeing as it was dark, I offered to give her a lift back while he followed us. It was only about a five minute drive and I was curious to see where they lived as I had heard they had a nice new house. The night ended with plans to meet up at Hinamatsuri (or Girl's day/the doll festival) since I will be working there with Motoaki, selling tea and sweets.
I was really glad to have met the little girl again and I am excited that she will be around. She is still young and she could change as she gets older, but hopefully she will keep her English up and her sweet nature. I would love to have her as a role model for my children. I am imagining it might be hard to win the "let's use English over Japanese" battle with my kids, but if they have a hip teenager speaking perfect English, it might inspire them to want to speak more. Plus her father is a riot to hang out with and it would be nice to have him as a friend. I am getting to that age where I need to look at long term here in Japan and sadly most of my good friends now are the type that will be around for another year or so before heading back home.
I had actually met this girl before but it was back when she was about two years old. Her father was a casual acquaintance- someone I knew because we were both foreigners but not really someone I hung out with. This was due to the fact that, at the time, I was a young single girl going out every night and he was a father. But anyway, we got along well and had a good laugh when we did meet up. Sadly, like so many other good friends, he moved back to his home country and became just one of those people that we sometimes brought up in our "remember when so and so..." conversations.
Flash forward about five years to now. I went to visit my friends liquor shop (which I hadn't been to in years) on account that it was her birthday. She is actually a teacher and has phenomenal English, but spends her nights running the shop that used to be run by her mother-in-law (who is now quite old). When I was single and lived in the same town, I used to bike over there with some of the other guys in town to drink chu-hai's (like a wine cooler or a mikes hard lemonade) and chat up the old men in the shop. To give you an idea of how long it has been, one of the old guys said to me," Wow- you've changed! When you came to Japan 10 years ago you looked like Marilyn Monroe, but now you look...like a Japanese..." and he stretched his arms out to indicate that I was fat. (see my last post....)
Anyway, because it was the owners birthday, a few other people decided to pay a visit and I was excited to see the friend arrive with his now seven year old daughter. I had seen him about once or twice since he had moved back a year ago, but we hadn't had much of a chance to talk. And I hadn't seen his daughter since she was a baby. Her hair has darkened a lot but her eyes are still as big as they were when she was a toddler and you can definitely tell that she is half-non-Japanese. In other words, she is quite pretty.
Because I was the only woman in the shop (besides the owner, who was busy with customers) and because I wasn't drinking (I had to drive and the others were on bikes) I decided to talk to the girl. I started with the basics, "What year are you in school? When's your birthday?" etc Because the only kids I usually meet are my Japanese students, I couldn't help but talk in my slow, ESL teacher voice. And the little girl, being like any child anywhere, answered by nodding her head or saying "mm-hmm" while stuffing her face with the complimentary peanuts.
Her father stopped his conversation with one of the old guys to tell her, "Now, now! Speak up and use your words." and the girl started speaking in the cutest British accent. And,again because she lived in England for the past five years, she was speaking like any little girl you would meet back home.
I said before that I don't really like babies. But I do like and am generally good with kids. Since I do have a lot of experience (baby-sitting, camp counselor, teachers, etc) I have no problem making conversation and telling PG jokes. In no time at all we had become the best of friends. I told her all about Finn and my favorite 100yen store and she told me all about school and her playground in England.
The liquor shop was about to close and I got up to pay for my green tea when the idea of "dinner" was suggested by the little girls father to another "old foreign friend of mine" whom I see quite regularly. They invited me and, though I had told Motoaki I would be coming home, I decided to go along. To tell the truth, if it had just been the two guys I would have said no but the little girl had gotten really excited by the prospect of me tagging along that I couldn't say no.
Since I had never been to the restaurant the father told the girl to ride with me and for her to show me the way. I was quite impressed that she was able to give better directions than most adults. She didn't quite know left from right, but she could say, "We're gonna go this way," and curve her arm in the direction I should turn.
At the restaurant (a whole in the wall place that served okonomiyaki and yaki soba) we had even more fun coloring and reading hiragana/kanji. I taught her "Up high, on the side, down low, too slow," and she taught me the names of the characters in the coloring book (I think it was puricure). Seriously, had a grand time.
Finally it came time to go. The girl was going to ride on the back of her dad's bicycle but seeing as how he was a little drunk (not wasted but feeling it) and seeing as it was dark, I offered to give her a lift back while he followed us. It was only about a five minute drive and I was curious to see where they lived as I had heard they had a nice new house. The night ended with plans to meet up at Hinamatsuri (or Girl's day/the doll festival) since I will be working there with Motoaki, selling tea and sweets.
I was really glad to have met the little girl again and I am excited that she will be around. She is still young and she could change as she gets older, but hopefully she will keep her English up and her sweet nature. I would love to have her as a role model for my children. I am imagining it might be hard to win the "let's use English over Japanese" battle with my kids, but if they have a hip teenager speaking perfect English, it might inspire them to want to speak more. Plus her father is a riot to hang out with and it would be nice to have him as a friend. I am getting to that age where I need to look at long term here in Japan and sadly most of my good friends now are the type that will be around for another year or so before heading back home.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Getting in Shape... NOW
So this is a little boring but I need to do this for me. Like always I made the new years resolution to lose weight and like always I am lagging behind. I started with good intentions- got a bike for Christmas, was serious about using the oven instead of the fry pan, tried to cut down at coffee at work, etc but soon fell right into old habits. BUT after reading some inspiring blog posts and after realizing that it is already almost March, I have decided that I need to get serious now. I figured if I post about it online, I will feel more motivated (or shamed) to actually do something.
Starting with today I only had one coffee at work (I usually have three and I always add sugar and cream) and drank Jasmine green tea instead. I didn't have cola for breakfast (I usually drink a diet dr pepper in the morning- not bad calorie wise but not very healthy in general.). I got back to using the Android Noom calorie counter/exercise tracker on my phone and have set the goal for 10kg by June. I am currently at 70 kg (154 lbs) which is not the biggest I have ever been but certainly not good. I don't think I need to get down 60kg (132lbs)- 61/63 would make me happy, but would rather aim the bar high.
Luckily, today was really warm so I hope that I can actually start biking to work (didn7t wake up early enough to do it today- will be about a 40 minute ride). I only have been able to do it once so far because of rain/snow/negative temperatures but am hoping to start doing it daily.
This weekend will be tough as tonight we are going out for dinner, Saturday I am going to an all you can eat/all you can drink Trivia night followed by karaoke, and Sunday I am hosting a dinner party for Motoaki's sister's birthday. But at least Valentine's is over.
I hope to post good a good report next Friday and might even put up a picture of myself in workout gear. We shall see... I want to get in shape for obvious reasons, but another factor is that I am going to Vietnam in March with two SUPER skinny girls and then in August it will be my brother's wedding. Have to look at least as fit as my younger sister who runs marathons all the time now. Damn her and her running!!! (secretly kidding- she has gone down about 8 dress sizes and looks AMAZING)
Starting with today I only had one coffee at work (I usually have three and I always add sugar and cream) and drank Jasmine green tea instead. I didn't have cola for breakfast (I usually drink a diet dr pepper in the morning- not bad calorie wise but not very healthy in general.). I got back to using the Android Noom calorie counter/exercise tracker on my phone and have set the goal for 10kg by June. I am currently at 70 kg (154 lbs) which is not the biggest I have ever been but certainly not good. I don't think I need to get down 60kg (132lbs)- 61/63 would make me happy, but would rather aim the bar high.
Luckily, today was really warm so I hope that I can actually start biking to work (didn7t wake up early enough to do it today- will be about a 40 minute ride). I only have been able to do it once so far because of rain/snow/negative temperatures but am hoping to start doing it daily.
This weekend will be tough as tonight we are going out for dinner, Saturday I am going to an all you can eat/all you can drink Trivia night followed by karaoke, and Sunday I am hosting a dinner party for Motoaki's sister's birthday. But at least Valentine's is over.
I hope to post good a good report next Friday and might even put up a picture of myself in workout gear. We shall see... I want to get in shape for obvious reasons, but another factor is that I am going to Vietnam in March with two SUPER skinny girls and then in August it will be my brother's wedding. Have to look at least as fit as my younger sister who runs marathons all the time now. Damn her and her running!!! (secretly kidding- she has gone down about 8 dress sizes and looks AMAZING)
Maggie in 2006
Running a Marathon as Peter Pan in 2011
On the beach in 2010
Stitchin-Addiction
So every year or so I fall for a new craft form. Two years ago it was Applique (which I will resume once my nights are a bit more free) and last year it was card art. I think it might have something to do with the weather and being lazy but still feeling like I should "do something." This year it looks like I've fallen for cross stitch.
Actually, last summer when I went to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home near DC) with my dad and sister I bought a small cross stitch kit that had T. J's famous quote, "I cannot live without books." At first I was just going to buy a postcard with the quote (because it absolutely fits me) but then I decided to try the cross stitch. In the excitement of summer, though, I put it in my suitcase and forgot about it. Then after getting back to Japan and having the exhausting chore of unpacking and washing/putting things away (not to mention moving, getting an intern, hosting a friend from the states), it got put in a corner and forgotten about again. But last weekend while doing a bit of cleaning/organizing I found it and decided to give it a go. And it has been love ever since.
OK, OK, puppy love- it has only been a week. BUT I have been thinking about it non-stop and have expanded to new projects. The TJ sampler was pretty easy and I was sad when it finished so quickly. It took me the length of the first three Twilight films that were on TV last week (another plus- I can do it while watching TV!). So the next day at work decided to search around for some "hip" cross stitch that I could do for myself and as possible gifts (warning to all of you who I normally give stuff to), and I found "Subversive Cross Stitch," or basically the punk version of the granny art form. Here are some examples of what they do..
Actually, last summer when I went to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home near DC) with my dad and sister I bought a small cross stitch kit that had T. J's famous quote, "I cannot live without books." At first I was just going to buy a postcard with the quote (because it absolutely fits me) but then I decided to try the cross stitch. In the excitement of summer, though, I put it in my suitcase and forgot about it. Then after getting back to Japan and having the exhausting chore of unpacking and washing/putting things away (not to mention moving, getting an intern, hosting a friend from the states), it got put in a corner and forgotten about again. But last weekend while doing a bit of cleaning/organizing I found it and decided to give it a go. And it has been love ever since.
OK, OK, puppy love- it has only been a week. BUT I have been thinking about it non-stop and have expanded to new projects. The TJ sampler was pretty easy and I was sad when it finished so quickly. It took me the length of the first three Twilight films that were on TV last week (another plus- I can do it while watching TV!). So the next day at work decided to search around for some "hip" cross stitch that I could do for myself and as possible gifts (warning to all of you who I normally give stuff to), and I found "Subversive Cross Stitch," or basically the punk version of the granny art form. Here are some examples of what they do..
Love it love it love it!! I have always been a huge fan of quotes (does that even make sense? doesn't everyone like quotes?) and love the clash of traditional stitching with blunt comments- "Don't make me cut you" is hilarious. And the great thing about cross stitch, for simple things like words it is pretty easy to DIY without a pattern. Because you are working with making x'es in little boxes, it is pretty easy to just count the boxes and make your own pattern based on images you find on Google (again, I said for simple things like words, hearts, zig-zags, etc- for pictures and stuff you need a pattern). Not that I wouldn't mind buying the book that these sayings came from, but I don't want to spend a lot of money before I really decide that this is what I like doing (again, comment about every new year brings a new craft).
The actual fabric and cloth was really cheap at the local craft store, and I like the fact that the fabric is the canvas so I can cut it up and use it for several projects. There are two that I want to do for upcoming birthdays, but I bought a Wizard of Oz kit to practice on first. It has some trickier techniques than the TJ quote so I am glad that I am doing it first. I don't want to spoil the surprise about what I am making for birthdays, but here is an example of the Wiz of Oz sampler (will try to put up real pictures this weekend).
I'm thinking I'll leave the mouths off since I think it makes the tin-man look like a pig, and will have to figure out how to put Toto* in there somewhere. GOOD LORD I'M A DORK! Watch out Judy Gardner*! Your competition has arrived!
*Notes:
*Toto, the dog from the Wiz of Oz, is a cairn terrier and my family loves cairn terriers. We have two and the black one is just like Toto, only mean. And the Wiz of Oz is one of my parents favorite movies. We have a Wiz of Oz tree every Christmas and they sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at my mom's funeral. So I figured with the above sampler, I can always give it to someone in the family.
*Judy Gardner is my friend Ashley's grandmother. She did a copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night in cross stitch. It is unreal!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Random Teaching Moments
I have had a lot of "on the spot" questions from Japanese teachers about various things. Though they are not supposed to do this, it really can't be helped and sometimes I feel a bit like an idiot when I don't know the answers off the top of my head (like, What does am pm stand for? What day is Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday? What is the history of Friday the 13th being an unlucky number?). Luckily this week I was in my element when the teacher asked, Do you know about science fair in the US?
To back up, we are studying October Sky, or the story about some American teenagers who made rockets and later worked for NASA. In the story (or I guess in real life) the boys go to the National Science Fair. In Japan they might have such a thing, but it is not something done where I teach at. In fact, there is very little time spent towards projects/presentations of any kind. There is a shop/computer club that enters a robot competition, but only about 10 students in the whole school (we have about 400 kids I think) are involved and they are NERDY.
So when asked about science fair I was like, "Why yes, yes I do know science fair. In fact, you have asked exactly the right person." This is because not only did I do science fair, but so did my whole school. And not only that, my parents were science fair teachers. My mom was actually the teacher whose job it was to introduce the whole science fair idea to kids in 4th grade so that they could go on to do it on their own in Jr high and high school. In other words, every year in February/March I lived science fair.
For those of you non-Americans (or I guess I could say non-Iowans), science fair where I'm from is not like in the movies. You don't make a volcano or a model of the solar system. You start with a question and then find an answer which you then present to a judge/class. As in, "Does ice melt faster in regular or diet cola?" Or "Which window treatment works the best?" You do tests/experiments to get your answer.
Where I am from we do science fair from 4th grade up on into high school and while the project is important, the main point is to learn scientific reasoning. We learn words like, "question, hypothesis, procedure, results, conclusion" and have to work on presenting something scientifically. It's a way for us to realize that we can discover an answer on our own.
Anyway, in talking about this in class the first thing that came to mind are the year that a girl named Kim in my high school researched "Which feminine douche works the best?" She did this by growing bacteria in petri dishes and then using different douhces to kill the bacteria.
The second thing that came to mind was the kid who "supposedly" did his project on "Which is hotter, microwave popcorn or the devil?" His hypothesis was "I don't think Mr. Broman will like this project." I say, "supposedly" because I never saw the project. I stood next to Kim for judging, though, so I know that she in fact did do a project on douches.
Of course, I didn't tell the Japanese students about this. I merely told them about my lame projects...
*Will a banana stay freshest in a paper bag, a plastic bag, or a tupperware container?
*Does colored glass heat a room better than regular glass?
*Does bread mold grow faster on white or wheat bread?
I'm a little sad that my kids won't do science fair as it is something that builds character. As much as we dreaded it and laughed about it in school, it did give us some real world skills.
To back up, we are studying October Sky, or the story about some American teenagers who made rockets and later worked for NASA. In the story (or I guess in real life) the boys go to the National Science Fair. In Japan they might have such a thing, but it is not something done where I teach at. In fact, there is very little time spent towards projects/presentations of any kind. There is a shop/computer club that enters a robot competition, but only about 10 students in the whole school (we have about 400 kids I think) are involved and they are NERDY.
So when asked about science fair I was like, "Why yes, yes I do know science fair. In fact, you have asked exactly the right person." This is because not only did I do science fair, but so did my whole school. And not only that, my parents were science fair teachers. My mom was actually the teacher whose job it was to introduce the whole science fair idea to kids in 4th grade so that they could go on to do it on their own in Jr high and high school. In other words, every year in February/March I lived science fair.
For those of you non-Americans (or I guess I could say non-Iowans), science fair where I'm from is not like in the movies. You don't make a volcano or a model of the solar system. You start with a question and then find an answer which you then present to a judge/class. As in, "Does ice melt faster in regular or diet cola?" Or "Which window treatment works the best?" You do tests/experiments to get your answer.
Where I am from we do science fair from 4th grade up on into high school and while the project is important, the main point is to learn scientific reasoning. We learn words like, "question, hypothesis, procedure, results, conclusion" and have to work on presenting something scientifically. It's a way for us to realize that we can discover an answer on our own.
Anyway, in talking about this in class the first thing that came to mind are the year that a girl named Kim in my high school researched "Which feminine douche works the best?" She did this by growing bacteria in petri dishes and then using different douhces to kill the bacteria.
The second thing that came to mind was the kid who "supposedly" did his project on "Which is hotter, microwave popcorn or the devil?" His hypothesis was "I don't think Mr. Broman will like this project." I say, "supposedly" because I never saw the project. I stood next to Kim for judging, though, so I know that she in fact did do a project on douches.
Of course, I didn't tell the Japanese students about this. I merely told them about my lame projects...
*Will a banana stay freshest in a paper bag, a plastic bag, or a tupperware container?
*Does colored glass heat a room better than regular glass?
*Does bread mold grow faster on white or wheat bread?
I'm a little sad that my kids won't do science fair as it is something that builds character. As much as we dreaded it and laughed about it in school, it did give us some real world skills.
Monday, February 20, 2012
I Fought the Law...Twice!
OK, not really. Just trying to stir up more drama with the title. But I did have run-ins with the police twice this month which was a first.
On the way to the Three Records Party in Hiroshima I got pulled over for speeding on the toll-road (like an interstate). I was going 109 kph in a 80 kph zone. Dame dame dame! (For you back at home, that would be 67 mph in a 49 mph- and this is a two lane roadway!!! and dame is the Japanese word for forbidden or really bad). I was a little upset because you NEVER see police and everyone else was going just as fast, but what can you do.
At first when the police car showed up, we weren't even sure if it was for us since we didn't seem to be going so fast. And then when pulled over it took awhile for the guy to come to the car as there are no shoulders on the toll-way and we were basically just parked in the lane. When the police officer asked me to step out and get in the police car (safer than having him stand in the middle of the road), I was nervous about the price of the ticket but not really worried about actually getting stopped. I have never been one to cry in these type of situations (except for maybe the first time I got stopped speeding when I was about 17). I guess my friends in the car were more shaken than I was. I was also nervous that there would be trouble as I haven't changed the name and address on my license yet, but figured I could I always play dumb.
In the car the police men (two guys) started asking if I realized I was speeding, did I realize the limit, etc I knew I was in the wrong so I answered politely that yes I understood. They then told me that I would have to pay 18000yen (or $225) and that I was lucky because if I had been going 115 kph, it would have jumped up to 24000yen (or $300). Definitely luckily but still sucked...
And then, as always seems to be the case in Japan, one police man started to write up the paperwork as the other man started asking, "So, a lot of snow in Maniwa (the city where I live)? How about in the US? Do you eat raw fish? Do you use chopsticks? Where are you going? Oh, Hiroshima! Be sure to visit the peace museum!" to which the guy doing the paperwork started in with, "And eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki (like pizza...)! And visit the deer island if you get a chance! They have wonderful sweets!" Seriously took an extra 10 minutes because of all the chit chat.
They didn't notice that the name and address were wrong and my license, and the only really worrisome part was when they asked me to fingerprint next to my name. But I guess that makes sense as a way for me to prove it is me.
They then walked me back to the car and cheerfully wished me a good time in Hiroshima. Not a bad situation at all, despite the fine.
So I went on my way and put the whole ordeal behind me. I had about a week to pay the ticket and could do so at any post office. I was in Hiroshima all weekend and then headed off to Sendai early the next week so I left paying the ticket until the day it was due. A little reckless, but still within my rights.
Unfortunately when I went to the post office after work on the day of the payment, I was informed that yes I could pay it at that post office but that I would have to pay it before 4. I had gotten there at 4:20. In Japan there is a bank part to the post office and this closes at 4, which I knew, but I had assumed you payed at the letter/mail area since the ticket needed to be sent. I pleaded with them but they said that I would just have to wait for a new ticket to come to my house. They said not to worry- there would be a charge, but only about 800yen ($10).
I wasn't worried about the charge but I was worried that the ticket didn't have my real name or my new address. When I explained this to the post office, they told me to go to the local police station and talk to them. I should have just let it go and not paid it, but I didn't want this becoming a big deal later on.
So I went to the police station and got ready for a stern talking to about making sure my papers/licenses were always up to date and on about not speeding. But the two police men couldn't have been nicer. I guess I should mention that when I say police station, I actually mean police box which is actually an "outpost." Police boxes are little one-two room buildings where people can come in to report small crime, ask for directions, etc They are actually one of the reasons Japan seems so safe.
Anyway, if I had been at a big station I might have been greeted with some grumpy officers, but these guys didn't have much to do. So rather than lecture me for being an idiot (because really, all of this is totally my fault and a little ridiculous), they were overly nice. Gave me coffee, called the number and got the address change sorted out, and of course asked the usual, "So, a lot of snow in Maniwa? How about in the US? Do you eat raw fish? Do you use chopsticks? Where were you going when you got the ticket? Oh, Hiroshima! Did you visit the peace museum? Did you eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki? Did you go to the deer island? How about those sweets?"
As much as I was frustrated by the whole idea that 67mph is speeding, I must say Japan is the best in customer service. I doubt Motoaki would be treated as warmly if he was pulled over in the states and spoke only broken English! It's probably because I am in the countryside and probably because they are racist enough to think, "Poor foreigner, she is too dumb to read our signs and read her address!" but I'll take it!
On the way to the Three Records Party in Hiroshima I got pulled over for speeding on the toll-road (like an interstate). I was going 109 kph in a 80 kph zone. Dame dame dame! (For you back at home, that would be 67 mph in a 49 mph- and this is a two lane roadway!!! and dame is the Japanese word for forbidden or really bad). I was a little upset because you NEVER see police and everyone else was going just as fast, but what can you do.
At first when the police car showed up, we weren't even sure if it was for us since we didn't seem to be going so fast. And then when pulled over it took awhile for the guy to come to the car as there are no shoulders on the toll-way and we were basically just parked in the lane. When the police officer asked me to step out and get in the police car (safer than having him stand in the middle of the road), I was nervous about the price of the ticket but not really worried about actually getting stopped. I have never been one to cry in these type of situations (except for maybe the first time I got stopped speeding when I was about 17). I guess my friends in the car were more shaken than I was. I was also nervous that there would be trouble as I haven't changed the name and address on my license yet, but figured I could I always play dumb.
In the car the police men (two guys) started asking if I realized I was speeding, did I realize the limit, etc I knew I was in the wrong so I answered politely that yes I understood. They then told me that I would have to pay 18000yen (or $225) and that I was lucky because if I had been going 115 kph, it would have jumped up to 24000yen (or $300). Definitely luckily but still sucked...
And then, as always seems to be the case in Japan, one police man started to write up the paperwork as the other man started asking, "So, a lot of snow in Maniwa (the city where I live)? How about in the US? Do you eat raw fish? Do you use chopsticks? Where are you going? Oh, Hiroshima! Be sure to visit the peace museum!" to which the guy doing the paperwork started in with, "And eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki (like pizza...)! And visit the deer island if you get a chance! They have wonderful sweets!" Seriously took an extra 10 minutes because of all the chit chat.
They didn't notice that the name and address were wrong and my license, and the only really worrisome part was when they asked me to fingerprint next to my name. But I guess that makes sense as a way for me to prove it is me.
They then walked me back to the car and cheerfully wished me a good time in Hiroshima. Not a bad situation at all, despite the fine.
So I went on my way and put the whole ordeal behind me. I had about a week to pay the ticket and could do so at any post office. I was in Hiroshima all weekend and then headed off to Sendai early the next week so I left paying the ticket until the day it was due. A little reckless, but still within my rights.
Unfortunately when I went to the post office after work on the day of the payment, I was informed that yes I could pay it at that post office but that I would have to pay it before 4. I had gotten there at 4:20. In Japan there is a bank part to the post office and this closes at 4, which I knew, but I had assumed you payed at the letter/mail area since the ticket needed to be sent. I pleaded with them but they said that I would just have to wait for a new ticket to come to my house. They said not to worry- there would be a charge, but only about 800yen ($10).
I wasn't worried about the charge but I was worried that the ticket didn't have my real name or my new address. When I explained this to the post office, they told me to go to the local police station and talk to them. I should have just let it go and not paid it, but I didn't want this becoming a big deal later on.
So I went to the police station and got ready for a stern talking to about making sure my papers/licenses were always up to date and on about not speeding. But the two police men couldn't have been nicer. I guess I should mention that when I say police station, I actually mean police box which is actually an "outpost." Police boxes are little one-two room buildings where people can come in to report small crime, ask for directions, etc They are actually one of the reasons Japan seems so safe.
Anyway, if I had been at a big station I might have been greeted with some grumpy officers, but these guys didn't have much to do. So rather than lecture me for being an idiot (because really, all of this is totally my fault and a little ridiculous), they were overly nice. Gave me coffee, called the number and got the address change sorted out, and of course asked the usual, "So, a lot of snow in Maniwa? How about in the US? Do you eat raw fish? Do you use chopsticks? Where were you going when you got the ticket? Oh, Hiroshima! Did you visit the peace museum? Did you eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki? Did you go to the deer island? How about those sweets?"
As much as I was frustrated by the whole idea that 67mph is speeding, I must say Japan is the best in customer service. I doubt Motoaki would be treated as warmly if he was pulled over in the states and spoke only broken English! It's probably because I am in the countryside and probably because they are racist enough to think, "Poor foreigner, she is too dumb to read our signs and read her address!" but I'll take it!
Drama
I wish I could be more open on this blog. Right now I don't know who exactly reads what so I can't exactly name names or even refer to specific events as I don't want to get in the middle of anything. I really just need to make a password so that only people who don't know me would be able to read my venting and juicy gossip.
But seriously, what is it with this time of year and the drama? Not only in Japan, but I have also been hearing things about home as well. I personally think it is the season. First off, everyone is sick of winter and sick of being cooped up inside. Second, there's not much to look forward too. Sure we had V-day and some random festivals, but really there's not much when you compare it to summer and the lead-up to Christmas/New Year's.
I think as far as Japan goes, it is the time of the year when people are faced with the choice of whether to stay or to go, and with that choice comes a lot of stress. The school year ends at the end of March so February is when you have to make the real decision about what you are going to do, and that can be scary. Also, for those of us who do decide to move on there is the thought that, well it doesn't matter what I do now because I am leaving soon enough anyway and going far away. The old, What happens in Japan...can't be translated. I went through that stage, but then decided to stay, making it a bit awkward in some areas of my life.
But anyway, drama drama drama and not a thing I can do about it but sit back, laugh, and silently hope that the newbies coming in will be a lot less dramatic. That's the (somewhat sad) thing about staying in Japan long term- you don't care as much about people because you know they are probably just drifting through anyway. You have fun, you go out, you offer support, but you don't invest any true feelings or try to get too involved with any drama.
Or maybe that is just me getting older???
But seriously, what is it with this time of year and the drama? Not only in Japan, but I have also been hearing things about home as well. I personally think it is the season. First off, everyone is sick of winter and sick of being cooped up inside. Second, there's not much to look forward too. Sure we had V-day and some random festivals, but really there's not much when you compare it to summer and the lead-up to Christmas/New Year's.
I think as far as Japan goes, it is the time of the year when people are faced with the choice of whether to stay or to go, and with that choice comes a lot of stress. The school year ends at the end of March so February is when you have to make the real decision about what you are going to do, and that can be scary. Also, for those of us who do decide to move on there is the thought that, well it doesn't matter what I do now because I am leaving soon enough anyway and going far away. The old, What happens in Japan...can't be translated. I went through that stage, but then decided to stay, making it a bit awkward in some areas of my life.
But anyway, drama drama drama and not a thing I can do about it but sit back, laugh, and silently hope that the newbies coming in will be a lot less dramatic. That's the (somewhat sad) thing about staying in Japan long term- you don't care as much about people because you know they are probably just drifting through anyway. You have fun, you go out, you offer support, but you don't invest any true feelings or try to get too involved with any drama.
Or maybe that is just me getting older???
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Words for Wednesday: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire
I finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and it was quite good. I also went to see the English version of the movie and highly approved of both Danial Craig and Rooney Mara as the main characters. There seemed to be a lot of one-liners added to Salander's part that I don't remember from the book but that were very funny. It was obviously very graphic but in a good way- after all, the women characters kick ass.
I didn't like that the film version took out relationship with Cecilia and took out Anita all together. I also hated (spoiler alert) that they changed the hiding location of Harriet from Australia to England. It was much more believeable that she had "disappeared" when she was on a different continent/hemisphere. I also thought that someone would have put "two and two together" when Anita and her husband died.
Something that I didn't like in the book and the movie was the whole money transfer and Wennerstrom take-down at the end. While it was great to see Salander become "get the money," it felt like the story was finished when Harriet was found. The mystery in Hedestad felt original but the money transfer just felt like another heist film. And to have time for the money transferring, they cut out a lot of the island mystery. We got hardly any history of the Vanger family.
But enough of that, on to the sequel. When I started reading, The Girl Who Played with Fire, I was a little disappointed that it first started out slow and, like the first novel, was talking a lot about math and day to day drivel that seemed to drag. Then I became discouraged by the fact that the story seemed to be trying too hard to bring Blomkvist and Salander into similar ground. But then the whole new murder mystery kicks in and all of a sudden the book is gripping and interesting. Haven't gotten too far, but it is turning into a great read. I am not a fan of crime/thrillers at all but love this series.
I didn't like that the film version took out relationship with Cecilia and took out Anita all together. I also hated (spoiler alert) that they changed the hiding location of Harriet from Australia to England. It was much more believeable that she had "disappeared" when she was on a different continent/hemisphere. I also thought that someone would have put "two and two together" when Anita and her husband died.
Something that I didn't like in the book and the movie was the whole money transfer and Wennerstrom take-down at the end. While it was great to see Salander become "get the money," it felt like the story was finished when Harriet was found. The mystery in Hedestad felt original but the money transfer just felt like another heist film. And to have time for the money transferring, they cut out a lot of the island mystery. We got hardly any history of the Vanger family.
But enough of that, on to the sequel. When I started reading, The Girl Who Played with Fire, I was a little disappointed that it first started out slow and, like the first novel, was talking a lot about math and day to day drivel that seemed to drag. Then I became discouraged by the fact that the story seemed to be trying too hard to bring Blomkvist and Salander into similar ground. But then the whole new murder mystery kicks in and all of a sudden the book is gripping and interesting. Haven't gotten too far, but it is turning into a great read. I am not a fan of crime/thrillers at all but love this series.
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 3: Presentations
So as I said before the main focus of the English Camp (apart from speaking English) was to polish and present an 8 minute presentation about Japan that they will present to students in Singapore. The presentations were judged by the English teachers (hard to not be biased when judging your own group) and were open to Q&A from students.
Though I believe that they were given the option to do anything, the presentations fit into 3 categories: Life at Nikka School, The Tohoku Disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear crisis), and Japanese food and culture. It was hard to judge them against each other since those topics have very different overtones. For example, the school one and food/culture ones had a lot of humor which the disaster ones didn't (obviously). But the disaster ones had a lot of "What we can do now..." while the other ones were purely informational.
The first three groups about school were fairly straightforward but interesting for the judges since we had met the kids but knew nothing about the school. Also, the school is a mix of Japanese and foreign curriculum so that was interesting in itself since I think a lot of us (non-Japanese teachers) feel torn between western and eastern ideas on schooling. One group did, A Day in the Life of Nikka, and did it like a classroom setting. The "teacher" asked kids to talk about each subject of the day and their was a lot of banter as there would be in a regular class. I think I liked this presentation because the kids acted the most natural and talked the most like regular teens from home.
Again, because the school presentations were straightforward, the Q&A was pretty tame, "What is your favorite part of school? Which teacher do you like? etc" The hardest question was, "I like P.E. Why didn't you discuss P.E. in your presentation?"
The second three groups were about the disaster and were obviously more sensitive and more open to criticism. I thought all were well done (I am literally not one to judge as I don't know about the disaster like the students do) and could only comment on the fact that one group had too much information and another had too much silence (they did some acting).
The first group had a detailed description of how a tsunami works, of how the Japan tsunami compared to other past tsunamis (as far as casualties, destruction, etc), what aid was given to Japan from what country, and what the students could do themselves to help rebuild Miyagi. First question was "Why did you not discuss the Fukushima nuclear crisis?" The judges were all a little shocked and a bit nervous about this because we had been avoiding the subject all week, but the team handled it well. They simply answered, "We didn't feel we had enough time to address all of the effects of the earthquake last year."
The second group had way too much detail and talked a mile-a-minute to finish under 8 minutes. They were hit right off the bat with, "What do you really think about the Fukushima disaster?" They answered, "It is scary but it is a man made problem and man needs to fix it." Again, these seem like average Q&A but considering all of this is being done in the students second language, it was quite good.
The third group ditched the fact route and went the drama route by showing us, "A Family on the Day of the Disaster." They showed where each person would have been and how the events of the day effected them. It started out great, but slowly lost focus and didn't have a clear point.
The final four groups were fun and probably interesting for more students as they dealt with Instant Ramen, Oshougatsu (New Year's similar to Christmas to westerners), Masamune (a historical figure from the area), and my group which did food from the area. Most of the questions were why they picked the topic, which food they liked, etc The Oshougatsu group did get asked why the title was in Japanese instead of English, and they answered brilliantly that they will be teaching Singapore students about Japanese culture so they should use a Japanese word.
My group's was pretty dry (they kind of just read a bunch of recipes) but they made it fun by starting out with a skit about aliens who attack a food festival and the "super food man" who saves the day by throwing food from the region. It didn't quite match with the main topic, but it was funny and earned them a second place for most original. The good thing about them was how well they worked together and how good they were at coming out of their shells to put on a good show. Like I said earlier, my nerd was the best actor as one of the aliens and my negative girl did all of her part with a big voice. Some of the other groups had their best speakers out front and center but my group had a fairly equal division of who said/did what. Event though they dissed each other during the day and at meals, when it came time to putting the presentation together they were really a team.
On that note, I was a little sad as it made me realize the lack of group work I see in my regular Japanese schools. I think that was something we did a lot more of in Iowa and something that really built character.
Again, all of the presentations were very good for Japanese ESL students and I know the people in Singapore will be impressed. It was only 3 days but the camp really touched all of the English teachers. Some were crying at the end (which I thought was a bit much, but then again I am used to Camp Adventure that lasts for 3 months) as were a lot of students. I hope that my company asks me to do a lot more of this kind of thing or, if given the chance, I can do this kind of thing in the area I live in.
Though I believe that they were given the option to do anything, the presentations fit into 3 categories: Life at Nikka School, The Tohoku Disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear crisis), and Japanese food and culture. It was hard to judge them against each other since those topics have very different overtones. For example, the school one and food/culture ones had a lot of humor which the disaster ones didn't (obviously). But the disaster ones had a lot of "What we can do now..." while the other ones were purely informational.
The first three groups about school were fairly straightforward but interesting for the judges since we had met the kids but knew nothing about the school. Also, the school is a mix of Japanese and foreign curriculum so that was interesting in itself since I think a lot of us (non-Japanese teachers) feel torn between western and eastern ideas on schooling. One group did, A Day in the Life of Nikka, and did it like a classroom setting. The "teacher" asked kids to talk about each subject of the day and their was a lot of banter as there would be in a regular class. I think I liked this presentation because the kids acted the most natural and talked the most like regular teens from home.
Again, because the school presentations were straightforward, the Q&A was pretty tame, "What is your favorite part of school? Which teacher do you like? etc" The hardest question was, "I like P.E. Why didn't you discuss P.E. in your presentation?"
The second three groups were about the disaster and were obviously more sensitive and more open to criticism. I thought all were well done (I am literally not one to judge as I don't know about the disaster like the students do) and could only comment on the fact that one group had too much information and another had too much silence (they did some acting).
The first group had a detailed description of how a tsunami works, of how the Japan tsunami compared to other past tsunamis (as far as casualties, destruction, etc), what aid was given to Japan from what country, and what the students could do themselves to help rebuild Miyagi. First question was "Why did you not discuss the Fukushima nuclear crisis?" The judges were all a little shocked and a bit nervous about this because we had been avoiding the subject all week, but the team handled it well. They simply answered, "We didn't feel we had enough time to address all of the effects of the earthquake last year."
The second group had way too much detail and talked a mile-a-minute to finish under 8 minutes. They were hit right off the bat with, "What do you really think about the Fukushima disaster?" They answered, "It is scary but it is a man made problem and man needs to fix it." Again, these seem like average Q&A but considering all of this is being done in the students second language, it was quite good.
The third group ditched the fact route and went the drama route by showing us, "A Family on the Day of the Disaster." They showed where each person would have been and how the events of the day effected them. It started out great, but slowly lost focus and didn't have a clear point.
The final four groups were fun and probably interesting for more students as they dealt with Instant Ramen, Oshougatsu (New Year's similar to Christmas to westerners), Masamune (a historical figure from the area), and my group which did food from the area. Most of the questions were why they picked the topic, which food they liked, etc The Oshougatsu group did get asked why the title was in Japanese instead of English, and they answered brilliantly that they will be teaching Singapore students about Japanese culture so they should use a Japanese word.
My group's was pretty dry (they kind of just read a bunch of recipes) but they made it fun by starting out with a skit about aliens who attack a food festival and the "super food man" who saves the day by throwing food from the region. It didn't quite match with the main topic, but it was funny and earned them a second place for most original. The good thing about them was how well they worked together and how good they were at coming out of their shells to put on a good show. Like I said earlier, my nerd was the best actor as one of the aliens and my negative girl did all of her part with a big voice. Some of the other groups had their best speakers out front and center but my group had a fairly equal division of who said/did what. Event though they dissed each other during the day and at meals, when it came time to putting the presentation together they were really a team.
On that note, I was a little sad as it made me realize the lack of group work I see in my regular Japanese schools. I think that was something we did a lot more of in Iowa and something that really built character.
Again, all of the presentations were very good for Japanese ESL students and I know the people in Singapore will be impressed. It was only 3 days but the camp really touched all of the English teachers. Some were crying at the end (which I thought was a bit much, but then again I am used to Camp Adventure that lasts for 3 months) as were a lot of students. I hope that my company asks me to do a lot more of this kind of thing or, if given the chance, I can do this kind of thing in the area I live in.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 2: My Group
So the post below was an overview of the camp whereas this is more about my specific group. Group 10 had some really smart kids who could speak English but who didn't always want to. They were great about speaking to me but didn't really speak to each other in English unless I asked for no Japanese. I won't write their names here, but I will instead call them by their answers to, "What Anpanman Character are you?"
We had our group leader, Cheese, who also went by Boss. He should have been Anpanman. He fit the role of group leader perfectly and could probably lead a country some day. He was honest, to the point, and held the others accountable for their actions. He could be both polite and stern but also enjoyed himself. I will never forget though, his answer to why he liked the Japanese group AKB48 more than the Korean group Kara. He told me, "Japanese people need to support Japanese artists." He was 13.
Next we had our vice group leader (that wasn't actually his title but he acted like that was his job), Shoko Pan Man, who was one of the sweetest Japanese students I have ever met. He sincerely wanted everyone to do well and was always translating for me when the other students spoke Japanese (even though I understood). He is actually the vice-class president and though the other kids tease him for his fashion sense and his enthusiasm for pop singers, you could tell he is well liked. He was a life saver in that he always kept the conversation going. the first night at dinner, he asked question after question but finally ran out of things to say. He looked at the other group members and pleaded, "Please speak!" The boss replied, "We are busy eating."
After that came Curry Pan Man who, unlike the character, was really laid back and played the role of Mr Cool. He was a good balance between the group leader (who was sometimes too serious) and the vice group leader (who was sometimes too friendly). He had great English and was quite funny. He seemed to be friends with everyone in camp and was considered quite cool by a lot of the girls.
Opposite to him was Bakinman who was very much, er, a nerd. The type of kid who hates sports and would have rather been playing games. He was polite enough but often tuned out in conversation to no doubt replay video games in his head. However, in the presentation he had great comedic timing and was quite a great speaker.
The final boy was Jam Ojiisan who was, like the character, the old man in the group. He was the smallest but also came off as the wisest. He was also the quietest and seemed the shyest, though he spoke a lot to me. He wouldn't contribute to the conversation on his own, but when asked a question, his answers were well thought out.
The girls were lead by Dokinchan who was just your average sweet Jr High Girl. She didn't speak a lot but made up for that by always smiling. She had great English but was slow to talk, mostly because I think she didn't want to overstep the boys.
Dokinchan's sidekick was Kokinchan, who barely said a word and made it clear she didn't really like English. The group actually said at one point, We're sorry. She is negative. Still, I had to give her credit for overcoming her stage fright and really doing well during the group presentation.
Last but not least was Melonpanna. I think she fit her chosen character in that she was one of the girls but also fit in with the boys too. She had great English and was quiet, but spoke the most out of the girls. She also tried the hardest to speak to me and to correct her own English. She was a total sweetheart who got on well with others but could also be by herself.
The group fit me I think in that I didn't pressure them too much. They were at their best when I gave them a game in English, such as I Never or English Uno. I liked that they weren't rude or obnoxious, and that they were pretty independent.
We had our group leader, Cheese, who also went by Boss. He should have been Anpanman. He fit the role of group leader perfectly and could probably lead a country some day. He was honest, to the point, and held the others accountable for their actions. He could be both polite and stern but also enjoyed himself. I will never forget though, his answer to why he liked the Japanese group AKB48 more than the Korean group Kara. He told me, "Japanese people need to support Japanese artists." He was 13.
Next we had our vice group leader (that wasn't actually his title but he acted like that was his job), Shoko Pan Man, who was one of the sweetest Japanese students I have ever met. He sincerely wanted everyone to do well and was always translating for me when the other students spoke Japanese (even though I understood). He is actually the vice-class president and though the other kids tease him for his fashion sense and his enthusiasm for pop singers, you could tell he is well liked. He was a life saver in that he always kept the conversation going. the first night at dinner, he asked question after question but finally ran out of things to say. He looked at the other group members and pleaded, "Please speak!" The boss replied, "We are busy eating."
After that came Curry Pan Man who, unlike the character, was really laid back and played the role of Mr Cool. He was a good balance between the group leader (who was sometimes too serious) and the vice group leader (who was sometimes too friendly). He had great English and was quite funny. He seemed to be friends with everyone in camp and was considered quite cool by a lot of the girls.
Opposite to him was Bakinman who was very much, er, a nerd. The type of kid who hates sports and would have rather been playing games. He was polite enough but often tuned out in conversation to no doubt replay video games in his head. However, in the presentation he had great comedic timing and was quite a great speaker.
The final boy was Jam Ojiisan who was, like the character, the old man in the group. He was the smallest but also came off as the wisest. He was also the quietest and seemed the shyest, though he spoke a lot to me. He wouldn't contribute to the conversation on his own, but when asked a question, his answers were well thought out.
The girls were lead by Dokinchan who was just your average sweet Jr High Girl. She didn't speak a lot but made up for that by always smiling. She had great English but was slow to talk, mostly because I think she didn't want to overstep the boys.
Dokinchan's sidekick was Kokinchan, who barely said a word and made it clear she didn't really like English. The group actually said at one point, We're sorry. She is negative. Still, I had to give her credit for overcoming her stage fright and really doing well during the group presentation.
Last but not least was Melonpanna. I think she fit her chosen character in that she was one of the girls but also fit in with the boys too. She had great English and was quiet, but spoke the most out of the girls. She also tried the hardest to speak to me and to correct her own English. She was a total sweetheart who got on well with others but could also be by herself.
The group fit me I think in that I didn't pressure them too much. They were at their best when I gave them a game in English, such as I Never or English Uno. I liked that they weren't rude or obnoxious, and that they were pretty independent.
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 1: Camp Overview
Last week I got the huge privilage to join in on Nikka Jr High English Camp. This was a camp held at a resort in Sendai which is in the heart of Miyagi prefecture where the tsunami and earthquake happened. I will start by saying that the events of last year were LARGELY downplayed. The camp was to get the students ready for an upcoming trip to Singapore, and we focused on that, the future, rather than the past. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't even have realized what some of these kids have been through over the past year.
Nikka Jr. High is a special school that you have to test to get into to. It has the regular subjects as well as some subjects usually found in western schools. There is an emphasis on the arts with things like a school wide choir contest and talent shows. There are also science fairs, field trips, etc I also got the impression that the school is not cheap and that the kids were kind of rich. Supposedly it is the second jr high school in the nation, although I find that a little hard to believe considering it is not in Tokyo. In other words, these weren't your average jr high school students.
The camp had a simple set up. The students were split up into groups of 8 students. Each foreign teacher got a group and then there were two extra foreign teachers in charge of running the camp. There were ten groups and I was with group number ten. The other teachers were actually all kind of big-wigs from my company. Quite a lot of interesting personalities and big egos, but entertaining people.
The three days consisted of working in groups to go over situations the students would encounter on their trip. We practiced what to do if you got lost, lost something, in customs, etc We had the students act out their own made-up situations and I had a wonderful pair do this dialogue.
a: Excuse me. I'm looking for my car. Have you seen it?
b: Maybe... Please tell me about it.
a: It's red. It's made in Italy.
b: Please tell me more.
a: It is about this size. It has leather seats. It is very cool.
b: Oh yes. I think I have seen it.
a: For real? Where?
b: It was stolen.... BY ME!
a: OH NO!!
For Japanese kids, this was pretty good for only five minutes of brainstorming.
Also during the three days we made a Nikka Book, a paper version of Facebook. The kids went around and interviewed each other and then made profiles for each other. We then displayed all of the pages for everyone to see.
We also had free choice activities where students could choose what they wanted to talk about. I led the music group and we discussed our favorite music groups/singers and what was more important, music or lyrics.
The main part of camp was for each group to polish a presentation they had been working on and then present it at the end of camp. I will talk more about that in another post.
Of course there was free time and meal time where the kids were just kids with the exception that they had to speak English. For some kids, this didn't really work. I had one girl in my group who would only speak if asked a direct question. For others, though, they absolutely made good use of the foreign teachers. Approaching us all the time to chat, ask questions, etc These kids really benefited from the camp and improved a lot in only 3 days. I really wish this opportunity was available to more students in Japan as it was such a natural, fun way to speak English. I wish the kids that didn't want to be there could have been replaced with kids at average schools who would have taken advantage of the situation.
Below are pictures of the hotel, but I am a horrible photographer. Not sure how much it cost, but if you are ever in Matsushima (about an hour from Sendai) I highly recommend the place.
Nikka Jr. High is a special school that you have to test to get into to. It has the regular subjects as well as some subjects usually found in western schools. There is an emphasis on the arts with things like a school wide choir contest and talent shows. There are also science fairs, field trips, etc I also got the impression that the school is not cheap and that the kids were kind of rich. Supposedly it is the second jr high school in the nation, although I find that a little hard to believe considering it is not in Tokyo. In other words, these weren't your average jr high school students.
The camp had a simple set up. The students were split up into groups of 8 students. Each foreign teacher got a group and then there were two extra foreign teachers in charge of running the camp. There were ten groups and I was with group number ten. The other teachers were actually all kind of big-wigs from my company. Quite a lot of interesting personalities and big egos, but entertaining people.
The three days consisted of working in groups to go over situations the students would encounter on their trip. We practiced what to do if you got lost, lost something, in customs, etc We had the students act out their own made-up situations and I had a wonderful pair do this dialogue.
a: Excuse me. I'm looking for my car. Have you seen it?
b: Maybe... Please tell me about it.
a: It's red. It's made in Italy.
b: Please tell me more.
a: It is about this size. It has leather seats. It is very cool.
b: Oh yes. I think I have seen it.
a: For real? Where?
b: It was stolen.... BY ME!
a: OH NO!!
For Japanese kids, this was pretty good for only five minutes of brainstorming.
Also during the three days we made a Nikka Book, a paper version of Facebook. The kids went around and interviewed each other and then made profiles for each other. We then displayed all of the pages for everyone to see.
We also had free choice activities where students could choose what they wanted to talk about. I led the music group and we discussed our favorite music groups/singers and what was more important, music or lyrics.
The main part of camp was for each group to polish a presentation they had been working on and then present it at the end of camp. I will talk more about that in another post.
Of course there was free time and meal time where the kids were just kids with the exception that they had to speak English. For some kids, this didn't really work. I had one girl in my group who would only speak if asked a direct question. For others, though, they absolutely made good use of the foreign teachers. Approaching us all the time to chat, ask questions, etc These kids really benefited from the camp and improved a lot in only 3 days. I really wish this opportunity was available to more students in Japan as it was such a natural, fun way to speak English. I wish the kids that didn't want to be there could have been replaced with kids at average schools who would have taken advantage of the situation.
Below are pictures of the hotel, but I am a horrible photographer. Not sure how much it cost, but if you are ever in Matsushima (about an hour from Sendai) I highly recommend the place.
3 Records Night
I have a lot to catch up on and not even sure if I will get to it all. I guess to catch up on a topic I already posted about, I went to the "3 Records Night" and my three songs were Hey Soul Sister by Train (totally forgot about that until I was in the car one day), Home by Edward Sharper..., and Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida. Everyone danced to them but I was also lucky in that they came on at a time of night when everyone was "feeling it." The night was actually a great idea and went really well. Only awkward moment was when some Scottish guy who was sitting at the bar put on Arms of the Angel by Sarah McLachlan.
I was actually surprised at how nice everyone was. To back up, the party was thrown by my boss in Hiroshima which is about 3 hours from where I live. There was a big birthday bash near where I live on the same weekend so only three of us went to Hiroshima- a British girl named Ellie and a Canadian named Janet. We knew our boss would be at the party, but that was about it. I worried that it would be us three in a corner watching everyone else go crazy. OK- so that is kind of a lie because I tend to take over control on the dance floor, but I was worried that all of the songs played by the Hiroshima people would result in a big scream of, "OMG- It's OUR SONG" followed by choreographed moves. But no, everyone was super friendly and open to including us out-of-towners. I didn't get numbers or emails, but I did feel that I had met quite a few people.
I will say that my only disappointment was in myself. Due to having gone out for a birthday dinner the night before and having driven all morning, I was quite tired and fell asleep at the bar by midnight. They actually had really nice sofas so it wasn't entirely my fault, and one of the girls who drove down with me also fell asleep too. ALSO, because our boss was running it we had turned up to the event early (around 7) and started drinking early, so that didn't help either. Janet took a lot of videos and I ended up missing a lot of good songs.
But in good news due to going to sleep early I woke up the next morning feeling genki genki (energetic) and was up for taking Ellie to Miyajima, the deer island in Japan with the big red gate in the water. Janet and I had gone together last Golden Week (spring break) and I have actually been there a million times, but Ellie had never been and she will be leaving Japan in April. It was a bit overcast but a nice way to come down from the high of the night before. I highly recommend you host your own "3 Records Night" or get some venue to do it. So many old songs that I had forgotten about!!
I was actually surprised at how nice everyone was. To back up, the party was thrown by my boss in Hiroshima which is about 3 hours from where I live. There was a big birthday bash near where I live on the same weekend so only three of us went to Hiroshima- a British girl named Ellie and a Canadian named Janet. We knew our boss would be at the party, but that was about it. I worried that it would be us three in a corner watching everyone else go crazy. OK- so that is kind of a lie because I tend to take over control on the dance floor, but I was worried that all of the songs played by the Hiroshima people would result in a big scream of, "OMG- It's OUR SONG" followed by choreographed moves. But no, everyone was super friendly and open to including us out-of-towners. I didn't get numbers or emails, but I did feel that I had met quite a few people.
I will say that my only disappointment was in myself. Due to having gone out for a birthday dinner the night before and having driven all morning, I was quite tired and fell asleep at the bar by midnight. They actually had really nice sofas so it wasn't entirely my fault, and one of the girls who drove down with me also fell asleep too. ALSO, because our boss was running it we had turned up to the event early (around 7) and started drinking early, so that didn't help either. Janet took a lot of videos and I ended up missing a lot of good songs.
But in good news due to going to sleep early I woke up the next morning feeling genki genki (energetic) and was up for taking Ellie to Miyajima, the deer island in Japan with the big red gate in the water. Janet and I had gone together last Golden Week (spring break) and I have actually been there a million times, but Ellie had never been and she will be leaving Japan in April. It was a bit overcast but a nice way to come down from the high of the night before. I highly recommend you host your own "3 Records Night" or get some venue to do it. So many old songs that I had forgotten about!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
If you're wondering if he'll be a good father, get a dog...
This morning was one of those mornings... We had a massive snowfall last night so I had set my phone alarm(s) to start going off every five minutes starting from 6:30, so that I would eventually be out of bed by 6:45 at the latest. I am a morning person but the houses in Japan are FREEZING in the morning. Literally had frost on the inside of the windows, but more on that in another post.
Added to this was Motoaki's alarm which was also going off every five minutes starting at 6:30. He needed to be up early because he drives far to pick up people for work, but he was ignoring the alarm as usual. Most people would be driven insane by this, but we both just kept hitting the off/snooze buttons. Finn on the other hand was getting a bit restless. He is actually a little angel when he sleeps with us- never barks, doesn't bite us, hasn't wet the bed, etc but he was definitely awake this morning.
Finally at 6:40 I decided I would get up and get a move on. I stood up and went to grab Finn when I noticed he was hunched over and getting ready to throw up. I called out to Motoaki who quickly picked up some kleenex to hold under Finn's mouth so that the puke wouldn't get on the bed. Good dad move. He caught the puke but unfortunately, when I pulled the cover up, we could see that Finn had already been sick earlier.
Motoaki is NOT a morning person. I often have to nag/drag him out of bed. I know he had wanted to sleep in for another 15 minutes, but being a good dad, he got up and helped me clean the bed without complaint. I imagined a lot more swearing or groaning, but he was cheerful enough and even said soothing things to Finn.
So I started commenting on how what a good dad he would be and how this was such good practice for the future. I also said that I was sorry about Finn throwing up, how I shouldn't have given him that greeney (a dog treat) before bed as it was probably what made him so sick.
Motoaki replied by saying, "Hey, it's not your fault. He ate a lot of plastic before you got home last night." To which I was like, "WHAT?? Why didn't you grab it out of his mouth?!?" To which he said, matter of factly, "I don't want to put my hand in his mouth. Gross!"
So much for being a good father...
Added to this was Motoaki's alarm which was also going off every five minutes starting at 6:30. He needed to be up early because he drives far to pick up people for work, but he was ignoring the alarm as usual. Most people would be driven insane by this, but we both just kept hitting the off/snooze buttons. Finn on the other hand was getting a bit restless. He is actually a little angel when he sleeps with us- never barks, doesn't bite us, hasn't wet the bed, etc but he was definitely awake this morning.
Finally at 6:40 I decided I would get up and get a move on. I stood up and went to grab Finn when I noticed he was hunched over and getting ready to throw up. I called out to Motoaki who quickly picked up some kleenex to hold under Finn's mouth so that the puke wouldn't get on the bed. Good dad move. He caught the puke but unfortunately, when I pulled the cover up, we could see that Finn had already been sick earlier.
Motoaki is NOT a morning person. I often have to nag/drag him out of bed. I know he had wanted to sleep in for another 15 minutes, but being a good dad, he got up and helped me clean the bed without complaint. I imagined a lot more swearing or groaning, but he was cheerful enough and even said soothing things to Finn.
So I started commenting on how what a good dad he would be and how this was such good practice for the future. I also said that I was sorry about Finn throwing up, how I shouldn't have given him that greeney (a dog treat) before bed as it was probably what made him so sick.
Motoaki replied by saying, "Hey, it's not your fault. He ate a lot of plastic before you got home last night." To which I was like, "WHAT?? Why didn't you grab it out of his mouth?!?" To which he said, matter of factly, "I don't want to put my hand in his mouth. Gross!"
So much for being a good father...
Disclaimer- Motoaki didn't just sit and let him eat plastic. It was already in his mouth and about to be swallowed when he saw. But still, I would have gone and taken it out. Guess we know who will be bad cop and who will be good cop...
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Words for Wednesday: K-On
I am not a big fan of manga. However, it is impossible not to live in Japan without coming across it- especially when you work with kids.
I first came across K-On in advertisements at a convenience store. I thought it was cute but average (the whole school girl thing is so cliche). But, I started using it in example sentences when teaching (K- On is more popular than Naruto. What comic books does she read? She reads K-On. etc) and the students would get excited.
Next week I am going to help out at an English camp up north. We will being doing workshop/discussion groups with a group of Jr High kids and one of the workshops is manga translated into English. I decided that to be "up with it" I would buy and read the first two volumes of K-On.
I will also say that according to Wiki...
"The first volume of K-On! was the 30th highest-selling manga volume in Japan for the week of April 27 and May 3, 2009, having sold over 26,500 volumes that week. The following week, the first and second manga volumes were the 19th and 20th highest-selling manga volumes in Japan, having sold 23,200 and 22,500 volumes each the week of May 4 and May 10, 2009. As of May 2009, the first two manga volumes each sold about 136,000 copies each. The third volume sold over 120,000 copies the week of December 14–20, 2009, and became the 46th top-selling manga for the first half of 2010 in Japan (ending May 23), selling over 328,000 copies."
I should have remembered that while some adults buy and read manga, the majority of its customer base is in Jr High or lower. I should have remembered Twilight...
K-On is cute. And if you had never read a manga or if you had never been to Japan, it might be interesting. But if you are the average adult, it is crap. I am actually shocked at how crap it is and I hope that I am merely missing something in the translation.
The story does not flow. Side stories and moments are picked up and dropped within a page, as if the book was merely serving as an outline for a book or cliff notes. Also, for a book about a band we barely see any scenes of them performing (as opposed to Nana). We also don't meet any other members besides the band, their club teacher, one other friend and a little sister.
And there seems to be a lot of inappropriate material- like the teacher forcing one girl to cosplay (wear a costume in a sexual way). Seriously has a picture of the student in a bra trying to run away. The teacher is female, but still....
I guess I just warned anyone from buying it, not that you would anyway... I definitely recommend One Piece or Nana over it.
I just hope I can keep my thoughts to myself at the English camp...
Iowa Pride
Motoaki and I got cable TV sometime last year- maybe November?!? It was a mistake in that I spend way too much time in front of the TV, but it is nice to have English.
One thing that bugs me, though, is how pretty much all of the dramas these days are about crime/forensics/etc My friend Mike, who has the same cable, loves it but I can't sit through three episodes of CSI followed by Bones and Dexter. So I more often then not find myself wandering over to the history channel, discovery channel, animal planet, etc
In November I started watching a show about two guys who go around buying antiques from people and then selling them for profit. The show is called Antique Archaeology and is a good mix of education and humor. The two guys often go to the homes of extreme hoarders and climb over all sorts of piles of junk to discover "gold." I think I was originally interested because it reminded me of my parents and grandparents.
So I have been watching this show on and off for the past few months when I finally realize, THEY'RE FROM IOWA!!! NOBODY'S FROM IOWA!! Well, except for me. For people from Sydney, New York, London, etc this is nothing but for me it is a huge deal to see someone from home making it big.
OK, so maybe an "antique hunting" show on the History Channel isn't "making it big," but I am sure as heck proud of them and the positive image they give of Iowans and Iowa!
http://youtu.be/DjIfXVFgkG0
One thing that bugs me, though, is how pretty much all of the dramas these days are about crime/forensics/etc My friend Mike, who has the same cable, loves it but I can't sit through three episodes of CSI followed by Bones and Dexter. So I more often then not find myself wandering over to the history channel, discovery channel, animal planet, etc
In November I started watching a show about two guys who go around buying antiques from people and then selling them for profit. The show is called Antique Archaeology and is a good mix of education and humor. The two guys often go to the homes of extreme hoarders and climb over all sorts of piles of junk to discover "gold." I think I was originally interested because it reminded me of my parents and grandparents.
So I have been watching this show on and off for the past few months when I finally realize, THEY'RE FROM IOWA!!! NOBODY'S FROM IOWA!! Well, except for me. For people from Sydney, New York, London, etc this is nothing but for me it is a huge deal to see someone from home making it big.
OK, so maybe an "antique hunting" show on the History Channel isn't "making it big," but I am sure as heck proud of them and the positive image they give of Iowans and Iowa!
http://youtu.be/DjIfXVFgkG0
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)