Schools in Japan

I don't have kids yet and I think it will still be a little while before I have kids.  Still, recently I have been thinking a lot about what I will do if and when they come along as far as their education.  Part of this is due to other blogs I have been reading about foreign women married to Japanese men, and also due to things like buying a house and now actually knowing where my kids will go to school.  It may seem a little premature, but it is something that I take seriously.  

I would say that probably the one thing that could make me move from Japan is the Japanese school system. This was definitely something I considered when my husband and I were house hunting. I teach at the five elementary schools in town and while all of them have their ups and downs, I definitely have my favorites and know which ones I would like my kids to attend. Some are as small as only having 18 kids in the whole school and some are as big as having two sections of about 38 kids in a class.   Though there are good and bad things in both, I definitely prefer the small ones.  This is partially due to the fact that I myself went to a small school (85 kids in my graduating class) and because of a cultural difference in education.

One of the biggest cultural differences for me is the fact that in Japan they really don’t like to separate kids when it comes to different learning ability. There are great things to be said about, “everyone learning together, etc” but I just worry that slow kids fall behind and become shy and that smart kids get bored and act out. Where I am from, starting as young as elementary 1st grade we were split for reading and then in about 3rd grade we were split for math. My school had three homerooms so one teacher would take a high group, one a middle, and one a low group.  Even then we were sometimes split up even more for reading.    The groups were determined by a test at the beginning of terms and you were allowed to retake the test in the middle of the term.   I didn't have glasses for the first two years of school and this affected my ability to read.  But then when I got them and fell in love with reading, I was able to speed through the middle reading group's lessons in a "fast tracked course" and join the highest group.  When I did that, there were three other kids who did it with me.  

However, I think this was more due to our teacher seeing that we had the ability to move up as opposed to us really caring which group we were in.  No one seemed to care which group they were put in as they made friends with the kids in their group. Thus, we all learned at our own pace and had a fair mix of being challenged and yet comfortable.   The really slow kids went to a special teacher for special help, and some advanced kids got to go to a club called tag where they could pursue personal interests (ie while the rest of us were reading picture books they had moved on to chapter books).

In Jr high we were split even further and had a chance to challenge ourselves by joining more advanced classes.  By the time we were in high school we would be with kids of different years.  Again, no one really cared (as far as I know) about what class they were in.

Because they don’t do this in Japan I worry that my future children will either be too ahead or too behind the group to be successful. For example, even though my children will hopefully have a good grasp of the English language, when they get to the first year of Jr High they will be put in the class with students learning the ABCs.  I asked my husband if there was the possibility in Japan for our children to do something like go to the teachers' room and read English books on their own (so they wouldn't be wasting their time), but he said that was very unlikely.  One could say that maybe he doesn't know, but I actually see this at work.  Kids who have done home-stays abroad or who have lived in foreign countries are in the same group as kids who can't say their name or what they had for lunch.

I like the idea of my children going to school in Japan because they will be able to learn Japanese language and culture.  But the whole idea of there "not being exceptions" in the curriculum scares me.  This is where I look to school size for a way "around the system."  I know that the system won’t change but that in small schools with fewer students there is more of a chance that the teacher can cater to each students personal needs. 

I don’t mean to generalize- this is only what I have seen in my own town. And I also don’t mean to preach- each parent can feel however they want.   Actually if you are a parent in Japan I would love to hear your thoughts about how you feel or what you are planning on doing as far as sending your kids to school in Japan.  And even if you are not a parent, I would love to hear about your kids schooling.

Words for Wednesday: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Again, just about the whole world has read this book by now or they have seen the movie, but I am just getting to it.  Actually, I have seen the movie...in Swedish.  I rented it at the video store and it didn't have English subtitles so I tried with Japanese subtitles.   I didn't get too far, and ended up not finishing it.  Not a total waste, though, as Motoaki watched it.  Still, my interest was sparked and I was really excited to see that they would be making an English version (although Roger Ebert tells me that I need to see the first ones).  But being the good reader that I am, I decided to read before watching the movie (in reality, the movie isn't in Japan yet anyway).

I will start by saying that this book has two things going against it for me personally.  The first is that I am reading it on a Kindle ereader.  I have read books online before but am a little against the whole ebook movement for nostalgic, romantic, selfish reasons.  But I got the Kindle for Christmas and I couldn't find Major Pettigrews Last Stand last week for the life of me (it was under a stack of newspapers in the newspaper box- Thank you for cleaning Motoaki, but really, you shouldn't have...).

The second is that I am not a big fan of crime mystery, or mystery in general.  I find the characters to be a little bit aloof and a lot of plot twists try too hard.  Though it may be because I have sort of seen the movie and because the story is famous, I am not in anyway surprised by any of the "surprises" in the book...so far.

But I am liking the book.  I found the first couple of chapters to be a little wordy (too much about financial criminals that I have no interest in) and the Swedish to be a little tricky to keep track of, but other than that it is a smooth read.  Actaully, I will take that back and say that I am surprised that enough people managed to get through the first part to read the rest and make the book a hit.  I am a little surprised that so far I am getting far more of the Mikael Blomkvist character than the Lisbeth character.  I have learned that the original title was actually, Men Who Hate Women, and so that may explain why the "girl with the dragon tattoo" seems to be the secondary character.  But that is also probably to do with the fact that the girl character is so famous on posters, reviews of the movie, etc.

A part from the mystery, I am slowly getting more and more interested in Sweden.  Though they can be jarring, I enjoy that the metaphors are kept in their original Swedish context.  For example (forgive me, I don't have the book on me), at one point someone says something like, "I can't believe you are going to *Swedish town name*" to which another character replies, "That's not so bad.  It's not like it's *some other Swedish town name.*"  So much more refreshing than just the standard use of Timbuktu. to symbolize the middle of nowhere  It makes me realize how much I am limited in that I usually only read books in English by English speaking authors.  As an ex once quoted (or said), "I like books with maps or books that make me want to look at maps."  Sweden isn't a country I have ever been all that interested in, but this book definitely makes me think of it as a future destination.  In a random coincidence, the free song on Itunes the other day was  also by two Swedish girls and they mention Stockholm.  Funny how life connects like that.

Anyway, as with the last few books, if you haven't read it yet, I suggest The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  If you have a kindle, there is supposedly a way for me to lend it to you, but I am not sure how to do that yet.  But feel free to ask.  I bought the other two as well.

And who I am kidding, I suggest anything.  My biggest advise is to read read read.  Movies are great, but I think books have a greater power to crawl inside you and make you think.  Maybe because you usually read a book over a couple of days and so they stick with you (as opposed to a movie that you watch, discuss, and then forget).

涙そうそう Tearful

Today would have been my mother's 62nd birthday and despite the type of emotion that brings up (she passed away last March) I did ok.  This is largely due to the fact that Japanese kids are so freakin cute ( I had elementary today) and that my dog is a pain in the butt (and super cute).  Hard to be sad when you are busy controlling cuteness.

Anyway, tonight I went to choir for the first time since my wild night and I was nervous that things would be weird since the last time I saw a lot of them they were extremely drunk.  I was also nervous because I have missed 3 practices and we are in the middle of getting ready for a BIG concert.  But as usual people were happy to see me.

Our big concert is the 10th anniversary of our choir and so we are doing a "greatest hits show" singing past favorites.  This is fun and yet really hard for me since I am a newbie and don't remember all of the favorites like the others (not to mention I am not Japanese so I get lost in some of the lyrics and directions).  But I am a quick learner and I love to sing.  I had to laugh when I saw that we are singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" in Japanese and I was relieved to see we are singing Johnn Rutter's Magnificant.  It's a difficult song, but I have enough training in singing Latin and John Rutter for it to be pretty easy.

However, the real gem tonight was learning the song 涙そうそう　/ nada sou sou or Tearful.  I recognized the melody but didn't know the song.  However, I instantly fell in love with the melody and, due to this being a sad day, connected with the lyrics as well.  It's actually kind of weird that we sang this song today all things considered...

I have found a million different versions of the translation on the internet, all being fairly similar and yet a little different, but this is the one that fits the best for me.  Normally I don't go in for such sap, but it just captures me mood tonight...

I flip through an old photo album
And whisper, “Thank you”
To the person in my heart
Who is always there to comfort me
On clear days, on rainy days
That smile enters my thoughts
Even though my memories fade into the distance
I’ll look for the traces you left behind
And remember you on a tearful day
I pray to the first star in the night
It’s become a habit of mine
Looking up at the evening sky
And searching for you with all my heart
In sadness, in happiness
That smile enters my thoughts
If you can see me from where you are
Then I’ll live my life
Believing that we’ll meet again someday
On clear days, on rainy days
That smile enters my thoughts
Even though my memories fade into the distance
It’s lonely without you
My emotions for you are tearful
I want to see you, I want to see you
My emotions for you are tearful


Here are two versions of the song, the first by men and the second by a woman...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2hKVBDWw2Y


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76cBt4-1c8A&feature=related

Crazy Old Man Drill

Last night I had a very vivid dream about a tornado coming to the Jr High School.  One of the students pointed it out to me and I started rushing about getting everyone under a desk since we don't have a basement.  I then tried to frantically figure out where to put everyone since every room in the building has windows and to get to the gym you have to go outside and across a parking lot.  No one would listen to me because they were all really curious and wanted to see the tornado since they had never seen one before.  I wasn't panicked in the dream but I remember thinking about how no one knew what to do and that I was therefore in charge and it was up to me to get everyone to safety.

I think I had this dream because this week on Tuesday I took part in a practice earthquake drill at an elementary school.  Though I know the basics of an earthquake drill (get under a desk, stand in a doorway) I wasn't sure if one should go outside after the shaking finished.  The teachers taught me that I should go outside only after the all clear had been given and that I should take something to cover my head in case of falling debris.  I also learned that one shouldn't go back inside for quite awhile because of aftershocks.  Good to know.  We don't really get earthquakes here but they like to practice for obvious reasons.  It just made me think about how my kids won't ever practice Tornado drills unless they got to high school in America.

One other drill that they do here that I think we should do in America (if we don't already) is "Scary Old Man Drill."  I'm not sure if this what you would really call it, but that is how it was explained to me.  I feel like I already blogged about this, but for those who don't know, SOMD is when the kids practice what they would do if a crazy person came in with a knife or something and tried to attack the students/teachers.  They go to safe locations, keep quiet, and wait for the crazy old man to be caught and escorted away by police.  It looks silly when they do it because the guy playing the old man usually looks harmless, but it is a good thing to practice in this day and age.

However, once when we were practicing this drill at an elementary school I was "hiding" in the teacher's office with some first graders when a real scary old man showed up.  Actually, it was someones grandpa who was bringing something a student had forgotten (homework, lunch money, PE clothes, etc).  The old man, not knowing we were having a drill, came and knocked on the window of the office.  The students, not knowing if the drill was real or not, thought he might be the scary old man and started screaming.  I, being a first timer this specific time, really had no idea how I was supposed to react or what I should say.  Luckily a secretary came running over and explained to the guy that we were in a drill and he needed to leave.  As much as the kids were traumatized, it was really funny.

3 Song Party in Hiroshima

I got an invite from a coworker to go to a party in Hiroshima.  She is actually sort of my boss but a very chill person.  Anyway, the party will be held at a pub/dance place but there is a catch.  All of the guests need to bring a CD that has their three favorite dancing songs on it.  Normally I would say that Hiroshima is too far to go for a party (it's about 3 hours away) but this is such a fun idea that I have decided to go (and make a weekend of it- the boss says I can cash with her).

Now to pick my three favorite songs...  What would you pick??  This is hard because you don't want your choice to be too obvious (in case someone else picks it) but you also don't want to pick something obscure that no one will dance to (so maybe no Bjork...).  If I knew the guest list (like for my wedding) I would easily be able to imagine what songs would go over well, but not knowing who will turn up makes it harder to guess the mood for the night.

Here is what I have narrowed it down to and why...

1. Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida http://youtu.be/SgM3r8xKfGE
First off this is my current favorite dance song and it always goes over in the clubs.  It is a bit risky in that someone else might pick it, but I wouldn't mind dancing to it twice in one night.  I love the lyrics to the song (in a dance sense- not something I would quote in conversation) and the beat is good.  Very uplifting music in a "I'm out and I want to have a good time."

2. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon Five http://youtu.be/iEPTlhBmwRg
This one is overplayed in America but you don't really hear it in Japan.  I was at a birthday party in Osaka and requested it at a club.  The DJ had it, played it, and a lot of people got up and danced.  It has fun lyrics and isn't too fast.

3.Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes http://youtu.be/rjFaenf1T-Y
This would be a gamble in that it is very quirky and probably unknown.  However, the boss who is throwing the party is from Scotland and it has a bit of a jig feel to it (come to think of it, I should do Brigadoon- jk) so her friends might be up for it.  I just love this song and didn't get a chance to play it at my wedding (I learned about it after) and would LOVE to be in a room full of people dancing to it...

4. Ray of Light by Madonna http://youtu.be/x3ov9USxVxY
This one is an old one and not one of my favorites, BUT I did dance to it on my high school drill team (that's dance team to a lot of you) and it is fun.  You can't really go wrong with Madonna and especially with the age of the crowd that is likely to turn up, it will take people back to when they were in middle school, high school, college, etc  My only worry is that it is a little fast.

5. The Beautiful People by Christina Aguilera http://youtu.be/SsRltCivI4s
This is a cover so it might appeal to the people who don't like pop music per say and yet also appeal to people who live for pop music.  It is more of a song for a dance team but it could work for the party.  Again, part of me just wants to be in a room full of people to dance to this since it doesn't get played at clubs.

6. Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford & Sons http://youtu.be/3eEobPFhpws
This is also a song that would appeal to the people at the party who aren't really dancers.  I'm thinking US/UK guys who came with Japanese girls.  I can dance to ANY M&S song but I figure this one would be the biggest crowd pleaser.

7 September by Earth Wind and Fire http://youtu.be/nfLEc09tTjI
This is just a fun old song that others probably wouldn't think of but that a lot of people would know.  Classic disco seems to beat pop at every wedding/school dance/etc you go to.

8. Wake Me Up by Wham http://youtu.be/pIgZ7gMze7A
George Michael has one of the best singing voices ever and this song is pure 80's bubblegum fun.  I imagine a lot of people going "OMG- I LOVE THIS" especially if it came up after they were well warmed up and had been drinking for awhile.

9. Folding Chair by Regina Spektor http://youtu.be/uCvgXmg0m1g
If I want to be "all cool" and go for "obscure" music I would definitely play this song.  I put it on at my wedding and I don't think many people danced, but you can dance to it and it is really sweet.  And I guess it would provide an opportunity for people to go and refresh their drinks...

10. I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters http://youtu.be/4H5I6y1Qvz0
Contrary to the title, this is a fun dance song that doesn't get played in clubs but that would probably move people to get up and boogie.  And, though I am not positive, I think we might be playing to a "gay crowd" at this party, so this song would be a winner.  Not to stereotype...




So that is the list I am thinking of but I need to get it down to three...  Any thoughts?  Or what would you pick??

Words for Wednesday: One Day and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

So if you live in America (or the west) you are probably thinking, "well duh!  These books have only been advertised all over town from B&N to Target and in theaters..."  But if you are like me and don't get out much they are new and fresh.  Either way they are good books so if you haven't read them, get to it.

I'll start with One Day since I have already finished it.  First off I saw the previews for the movie first but thought it would be good to actually read it.  Last summer while crashing on a friends couch I had asked her what she thought about it and she had recommended it.  She works in publishing and seems to be a fairly good reader so I knew she would know what she was talking about.  I normally don't read love stories (or stories falling in the Romance Genre) but I liked the idea of this book having a "thing."

That "thing" is the stories follow the lives of a boy and girl who meet in University.  It follows them by showing one day, the same day- June 15th, every year.  They aren't always together on that day and sometimes they aren't even friends anymore on that day, but they are connected in a way, even if it is just a fleeting thought at the end of the chapter.  You have a feeling that somehow it is leading all to something so you continue reading so the book goes quickly.

The book follows Emma and Dexter, the brain and the cool kid, as they experience adulthood from 1988-2007.  Like most books they struggle with careers, find and lose love, get old and lose sight of their dreams. Unlike most books it is set in a lot of grand locations (Edinburgh, London, Greece, Paris) and reads as part love story, part "blast from the past" as the pages are littered with references to the current year through music, movies, politics, and world events.

A lot of people read things and think, "Oh that is so me!" or "I can totally relate to that," but with this book I can definitely say, "I've been there."  I'm not exactly like the main character, Emma, but I know this situation intimately.  I know what it is like to have that friend "be there" even when they are in fact miles away and when we haven't spoken or exchanged mails in over half of a year.  For me what got me with this book were the little moments.  The one line at the end of the chapter that said something along the lines of, "I wish that friend could see this..." or "If it is any consolation to my embarassment, my friend will get a kick out of the story."

I will say that I felt the story was fairly fresh until the ending which seemed a little stock and aimed at a theater audience, but I will forgive it that.  The book is claimed as being, "Hilarious!" and I will say that it is clever.  I didn't "L O L" like I do with David Sedaris, but I did smile and think about quoting some spots on facebook.  And I will give the male author huge credit for writing a female character so well.  It was interesting to read a love story that showed both the male and female equally and accurately.

Anyway, if you don't know this book I highly suggest it. 

The second book, Major Pettrigrew's Last Stand is one that I just started last night.  I have only read two chapters but I am hooked, hooked, hooked.  It is about the story of a widow getting involved with a widower.  Seems like your average premise for a novel except that the widower is a 68 year old English man and the widow is a Pakistani/English woman who runs the local shop.  The book starts with a death so already there is drama from the get go.  Will write later whether it continues or falters...

Japanese TV

So there is so much to catch up on after being on vacation for 18 days, but I am going to first talk about Japan and not America.  This past weekend (the last of the vacation) was spent being extremely lazy at home and watching my favorite Japanese show.  This was a big deal as my favorite show only comes on once a year.

Really?  you might ask.  My favorite show is something I can only see once a year.  Part of the reason I love it is because it is very unique and very Japanese.  And also, it is easy to understand even if I don't know what is being said.  Also, being busy and fickle I don't have time to make a commitment to a weekly or daily program. But once a year, I can do.

So, to start off with, my FAVORITE Japanese show is called "Hajimete no Otsukai," or "first time errand."  Basically, this is a show where parents send out 3, 4, 5 year olds to run errands by themselves.  This ranges from delivering stuff to neighbors to taking lunch to their dads at work to shopping.  The parents give the children instructions and details, often having them repeat certain words or phrases over and over.  Usually the child is going somewhere where they usually go so they are familiar with the place and people.

I first saw this show in 2006 and have been hooked ever since, though I don't always remember to watch it.  It comes on coming of age day each year which is more famous as a day when 20 year olds go to the town hall to "become adults" in lavish suits, kimono, and formal dress.

Now, now, before you start getting all huffed about danger and child abuse, let me say that the kids who are sent out to do errands are filmed by crew members in plain clothes.  The kids don't know the film crew so they are "alone" and yet the crew will intervene if something really dangerous were to happen.  Though there is a lot of crying involved (and sometimes fighting) most of the kids end the show feeling very proud of themselves.

Anyway, this year my favorites were...

a) A little girl (3 years old) who was told to take the recycling to the supermarket and to then buy gyoza (potstickers) shells- like mini tortillas.  Anyway, she got to the store and did the recycling perfectly, separating paper and plastic and glass.  She then went into the supermarket and started saying, "Hmm.... what to buy, what to buy."  Rather than get the gyoza shells (liked she had been told a dozen times) she got two cartons of milk, tea, and some random food items.  Her basket was really heavy but when an elderly lady tried to help her lift it onto the checkout counter, she jerked it away as if being robbed.  She payed for it all and then proceeded to drag the plastic bag of groceries out of the store and down the street.  Of course the bag broke and the milk carton ripped open, and she kind of had a little break down.  But luckily a nice woman took her back to the store and she was able to get everything new.  The check out girl then convinced her to put everything in her backpack.  I missed what her mom said about her selection, though, as I had to check on dinner.  she basically failed the mission but tried hard.

b) Another little girl insisted that she could go to the butchers to get meat and to the grocers to get vegetables for lunch. She was also 3 and threw a fit when her older sister offered to go along.  However, as soon as she left the house she started sniffling and by the time she got to the butchers she was hiccup-crying. Still, she managed to explain that she needed "expensive meat" for daddy and "cheap meat" for herself.  LOL  I think he was supposed to say, "steak," for daddy and "pork," for herself.  She did perfectly at the grocers and completed the message, despite crying as soon as she was back home.

c) A little boy (4) was told to take fish to several of his neighbors as there family had received too much in a holiday gift box.  His little sister (2 or 3?) was supposed to go along, but after half a block she turned around.  Her mom kept saying in a sing-song voice, "You can do your best!" to which she would reply in a sing-song voice, "No I can't do my best."  But her big brother didnt need her as he not only passed his test, but passed it with flying colors.  This boy had extremely polite Japanese, and not just rehearsed greetings. As expected, most of the neighbors decided to thank his family by giving him sweets or vegetables to take home.  When one lady was wrapping up food, he kept saying, "Are you sure you can spare all that?  We don't want to take anything you and your husband planned to use."  And at the other house when the lady asked how many sweet potatoes he would like, he insisted "Two is more than enough," despite her offering 6 or 7.  CUTE!

d) Yet another little girl (3) was supposed to get sweets for her family at a temple.  She was supposed to get them to go, but she didn't say so she got them on a plate.  Rather than ask for a box, she took the plate.  This was at a temple on a special day so the girl was wearing a kimono and raised sandals、similar to high heels, so of course she dropped the sweets which were a sticky type of rice cake (like dough balls).  The sweets got covered in gravel but she scooped them up and put them back on the plate.  This happened two or three times and she kept putting them on the plate.  She returns to her family and her mom starts to eat on when the girl exclaims, "NO- they're dirty!!!"  The mom tells her about getting a box and the girl returns, getting the order right and returning for the boxes.  She returns again with the correct thing and keeps exclaiming, "I didn't cry!  I didn't cry!"

So these were the best of this year but I was disappointed as they weren't as good as past years.  My favorite, in the past, was the boy who came back a third time from the store with the wrong thing and, when his mom asked him to go yet again he screamed, "BAKA!!! (You fool!)"  Followed by, "GOMEN, Ne! (I'm  sorry, ok!)" before going back to the store for the correct thing.  And the time two little girls got in a fight over sailor moon shoes (only one pair left at the store) and then bought balloons, a pound of clams and two bags of depends adult diapers (even though they were sent to buy something like sugar and bread).

Anyway, here is some video below of the show.  I hope they work.  They are a little hard to understand but still cute and you get the idea.  The top one is the TV networks website so there are pictures to click on but first you have to watch a gum commercial.  After that there is the show.  The second link is just youtube.  The third is pictures from this year.

http://www.dai2ntv.jp/program/corner.php?corner=000001009c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_lgxi6EcC4&feature=related

http://www.ntv.co.jp/otsukai/