Satuday School in Japan

No, I don't mean the kind of Saturday school that you see on The Breakfast Club (though they could use that here).  I have been hearing from random people on Facebook and the Internet that the current prime minister wants to add a 6th day (Saturday) to the school week in Japan to increase teaching hours.  You can read more about that here.  Especially read the comments.

Anyway, I am pretty mellow when it comes to "cultural differences" in Japan.  Sure I may vent about certain things on Facebook/my blog/around the dinner table but for the most part I respect that this is not America and I have to play by the rules.  For example- the whole Robin can't have a middle name on her Japanese birth certificate.  STUPID- but I respect that and just put it on her American forms/IDs.  But when it comes to the education system I really do think that other countries have some "better" ideas.  Not the best ideas, but better.

I don't think going to school an extra day a week is going to make a difference.  A) the kids go to school seven days a week as it is for club and B) when they are in the classroom they aren't learning as much as they could be learning due to several factors.  After working in the school system for four years and working with K-9th grades, here is what I would suggest.  (And I know that I have mentioned this probably 100 times already, but it is current again).

1 Minimize break time for the days that they are in school.
Right now the students get 10 minutes between every class as well as a 20/30 minute break after lunch.  And this is for JHS kids, too.  They say it is to give the students a chance to relax so that they will better be able to focus in class, but really it is a time for teachers to take a break and for the students to run around screaming and wrestling.  I do think there needs to be some sort of break, but 10 minutes is too long.  If you cut down the break time you could add one more class a day, increasing the school day from 6 classes to 7. 

In elementary I think they could cut down the break time (or allow no break time) and extend the morning recess.  Rather than give them twenty minutes, give them thirty minutes with only five minute breaks elsewhere.  The problem with the ten minute break between classes in ES is that the students just get into a game when it is time to pack it up and go back to class.  This usually results in them taking a longer time to become focused because they are still thinking about the game they didn't finish over the break.

2 Introduce/increase discipline in the classroom to better maximize learning time.
One of the biggest culture shocks for every foreigner coming to Japan is how there is a lack of discipline in the classrooms.  So many of us come to Japan expecting this rigid school system and yet it is in many ways much more relaxed than what we are used to in our own countries.   There are some teachers who are able to "lay down the law" when it comes to keeping students on task, but so many are unable to due to a system that doesn't support them.  Students are free to make rude comments, walk out of the classroom, sleep, "forget" their learning materials, etc  Because it is impossible to fail or be held behind, and because most of them come to school/stay after school for club seven days a week anyway, there isn't really away to punish the students who are out of line other than to scream at them. 

And because the students are to be treated fairly, their isn't a way to reward them either.  Since they have this freedom it is really hard to keep them on task or to motivate them.  You either get students who won't shut up so we learn nothing or you get students who refuse to speak up so we learn nothing.  For example, when I was in school your grade was comprised of class participation, homework, and tests.  So you could earn or lose points by how you acted in the classroom.  I think that Japanese teachers keep track of this, but because they can't hold a student back there is really nothing they can do to the students who are disruptive or put forth no effort.  Even if they go an extra day they won't learn if students continue talking over the teacher, walking around the classroom, coloring, coming to class without books, etc

3 Split students into ability, not age.
OK, so I know that there are some bad things that come with dividing students up by ability, but there can be a lot of good.  ESPECIALLY for students who have a higher ability than the others.  For example, the first year of JHS all English students spend the first month or so learning the alphabet without exception.  Never mind if the student can write/read paragraphs.  This year we had a student in the 1st year of JHS that I taught privately in Tsuyama.  I started teaching her in 2005 and every week we read and wrote the ABCs.  As she moved up we went from the ABCs to words and later to books.  This year she was put with every other student and made to repeat, "A,A,A  B,B,B  C,C,C" for a full class period.  Talk about a waste of her time.  I could understand leaving her be if she was the only kid in the class who had been taking private English lessons.  But there were a dozen in each class who could do this (and more).

On the flip side you get the kid who has never seen the alphabet before forced to catch up with the rest of his class despite needing help.  They do split the classes up sometimes by level, but the rule is that they all have to take the same test.  So even if you wanted to go slower with the lower level group, you can't go at an actual pace that they need because they have to keep up with the regular test.  Never mind if they have learning disabilities, were absent for an extended period of time, etc

Now Japanese people aren't stupid.  They realize that there is a lot of gaps in what the students learn at school.  So they send their kids to cram schools to be privately tutored so that they can either advance at a higher level or catch up to the level they are supposed to be at.  This means that so many kids are already going to school on Saturday.  Surely that should show Abe that introducing another day to the school week isn't the answer.

4 Cut down on the Mickey Mouse time spent "in school" but "out of the classroom."
OK- so Japanese kids go to school year round, but they aren't actually in the classroom year round.  For example, the week before the sports festival Mon-Wed are half days (half in the classroom and half out on the sports field) and Thurs-Sat are full days (fully on the sports field).  Though I agree that their needs to be some practice for the sports day, I don't understand why it can't be done in PE or kept to one day.  Especially when the kids have been doing these sports days since nursery school.  But oh no, we need a full day to practice lining up for races, marching around a track, etc

They also "get out early" or have shortened class periods an awful lot for unexplained reasons.  I actually asked a teacher once, just because I was curious, why the classes were shortened that day and why they were missing sixth period, and she literally said,"I don't know."

Another thing is that, in the name of equality, the teachers will  not let a class move forward if a small amount of students are missing.  For example, one weekend there was a baseball tournament that didn't finish so on Monday all of the baseball students were missing from class (about 40 boys in a school of about 400 hundred students).  So the teacher gave the class free time to catch up on homework, work ahead, etc because heaven forbid we move along without the 3 baseball boys.  When I went to State Drill Team with the other girls on my team, our classes moved ahead without us and we were expected to make up the work on our own time.  Which is only fair to all of the kids not on the drill team.





I hate to be so preachy, but there are so many things that could be fixed with the school system without adding another day to the school week.  Teachers and students live busy enough lives as it is!  I know America isn't perfect, but I do think the Japanese could learn some things from us.  JUST as we could learn some things from Japan.  Such as having students clean the schools, having strong classroom bonding, etc  I know I am a hypocrite because I am sending my daughter to Japanese schools, but it is mostly so that she will have a strong base in Japanese culture and life.  We fully intend to send her to the states for high school and possibly university (although that will be up to her).  I think so many students are just getting an "average" education at school and getting everything else in private lessons when they could be getting a great education at school and getting life experience on their freetime.

Baby's First Surgery

So on January 7th we went for Robin's one month check-up and all seemed well.  She was gaining weight, responding and reacting like she is supposed to, yadda yadda yadda.  The Drs said everything was on track and that we were doing fine as parents.  How ever, after pressing down on her abdomen he found that she had a small lump that he thought might be a hernia.  This was news to us as she had never made any sign of discomfort in that area during diaper changes or bathing.  The Dr assured us that it was nothing we could have known and that while she wasn't hurting right now, we needed to check to see what the lump was since it could do permanent damage.

So later that week we packed up and went to the main hospital in Okayama City.  I say pack up because when you are traveling with a one month old you have no idea what you are going to need.  On a side note, if you are ever going on a day trip with a friend with a baby, show up their house early.  That may seem rude, but you will be a big help if you offer to watch said baby for a few minutes so the parents can finish eating breakfast, packing the diaper bag, brushing their teeth, getting themselves dressed, etc.

Anyway, at the hospital the Dr confirmed that it was indeed an inaugural hernia and that she would need surgery (read more on that here- http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Inguinal+Hernia+Repair+Surgery).  He told us that this was a common procedure and that it would be quick with a quick recovery as well.  Still, we were a little worried about her having surgery so small.

The following week we checked into the hospital.  As much as I was worried about the surgery, it was interesting to be in a Japanese hospital.  First off, we were given a bed, not a crib and a chair as I assumed we would get, and told to co-sleep with Robin.  The bed had large sides that slid up and down to make an adult size crib.  This was just weird as both co-sleeping and these types of beds are frowned upon for babies in the US.  We were also given a pillow and a comforter for Robin- another no-no for safety in the US.

Because only one parent could stay and because Motoaki had work, it was decided that I would stay with Robin.  I was a little nervous about my lack of Japanese, but luckily I had the experience of staying in the hospital after her birth to go off of.  The main difference this time is that we had a roommate.  And we were quite close.  The beds were actually pushed up against one another with a curtain drawn between them.  But we could hear everything the others were doing and vice versa.

I don't mean to talk ill of a baby, but I was so impressed at how well Robin behaved compared to this other baby.  While it screamed through the day and night, she just stayed calmly in the bed while I read aloud from my kindle.  And it didn't seem to be screaming due to whatever it was in the hospital for because the mother just kept asking it, "What's wrong?" rather than say, "Oh I know your such and such hurts," or "I know you don't like the medicine but you have to drink it."

Actually, it wasn't the kid that so much annoyed me but it was the other mother.  The few times that Robin was fussy at night, I took her to the hall and to the common room, walking and rocking her so that she became calm again so that she wouldn't wake the other baby.  The same thing with the lights and whatnot- I kept the lamps on our side soft at night so as not to disturb the roommates, but she would turn the lights on super bright at all hours.  To be fair, she had a curtain around the bed so I don't know what she was doing (she might have needed a bright light) but I still think she could have been considerate.  During the day too she kept leaving the baby in the crib to go out into the hallway alone.  She also only had one song that she sang, a counting one that I pretty much memorized in the first five minutes.

Enough of that- back to Robin.  So we had an uneventful first day and then the next day was surgery.  She was cut off from eating for four hours before the surgery which got a little difficult as time passed, but thankfully we had a soothie.  I was against pacifiers since my mother had always been against them, but this thing was a life saver.  An hour before the surgery they brought her a light robe (see picture) to change into and asked if I wanted to be present for the operation.  I said no because I figured I would just be upset.  Plus, she wouldn't know I was there anyway.

When it finally came time for the operation the nurse came to get me and we went together up to the entrance of the operating room.  I handed her over to the Dr and then was told to wait back in my room.  I got some lunch and started to write my Jaken article for the next month.  It was just under an hour when the same nurse came to get me to go pick Robin up.  I assumed that she would be passed out when we got her but she came out of the surgery room awake and crying.  She wasn't wailing but you could tell she was not happy.  I was really nervous to hold her but they encouraged it and promised I wouldn't hurt her.  I took her back to our room and since she couldn't eat for another four hours, I gave her the soothie to her and sang to her.  I am sure that the Japanese woman who was my roommate is writing her blog about how annoying my songs were, especially when I forgot second verses and repeated the first verses over and over.

Finally after four hours she got to eat and after that she was pretty much back to being the baby we were used to, just slightly more alert and a lighter sleeper.  She got upset when they took the IV out but otherwise didn't seem too put out by the pain she had.  This amazed me as I know that if I had gotten stitches I would be moaning about it for at least a day after.  In a way it was nice that she had surgery this young as it doesn't really mean anything to her.

On a side note, you see in the picture that they attached the IV with a big pad taped around the baby's arm.  I am so stupid- the day before when I saw the kids with these I was like, "Wow, a lot of kids getting arm/hand surgery!"

Motoaki came that night and helped comfort her while I stole away for food.  Though the small hospital where I gave birth was great, it was so nice to be in this big hospital that had a major coffee shop, a bakery, and a convenience store.  She didn't sleep through the night but she wasn't fussy either.  Again, just sitting there while I read to her.

The next morning Motoaki came and we got ready to go home.  The Dr did one last check, changing her bandage and giving us some simple instructions on caring for it.  We joked later about her big crush on him as she was so focused on his face when he was talking.  She's getting better at focusing but will go in and out as far as looking at one object or person, but this guy captivated her.  Actually, I will note that all of the staff at the big hospital seemed good looking and young.  You watch shows like ER and Greys Anatomy and you think, yeah this is good but you never find Dr.s and Nurses quite so attractive in real life, but they were there in the children's ward in Okayama.  But I think I heard somewhere that the hospital has an association with the university, so that would explain the drama-like staff.

The rest of the week she would wake up crying a lot more, but I wasn't sure if that was due to a growth spurt or an operation.  We went back the following week to get the bandage taken off and the Dr said she was good to go.  I guess I would just like to end by saying that if you have anyone you know that has to go through this, it really isn't that bad.

Books...

So it's been awhile and it is not Wednesday but I thought I would mention a few books I have been reading.

I

I was reading The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai right up until my due date and unfortunately I haven't finished it just yet.  I was stupid not to take it to the hospital with me. Again, this was a book that I picked up on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble and didn't really think about it apart from the fact that it was cheap.  I was so lucky to pick it up because it is amazing.  

It tells the story of a man in Shanghai who is caught in an explosion at a hotel.  When he wakes up he can no longer speak Chinese.  He can read it and understand it, but he can't say it or write it.  However, he can speak some English due to the fact that he spent his childhood in the states.

Obviously this is a problem as his wife and son are Chinese.  The same with his company.  His family, desperate to cure him, hire a young female Dr from the states to work with him.  However, rather than regain his Chinese, his English becomes stronger which creates tension between all of the characters.  A lot of people have given it bad reviews due to the melodramatic love story in the book, but I enjoyed it and am fascinated by the whole bilingual aspect and the expat aspect.

 

Mister Pip is a book that a friend gave to me to read when I first started maternity leave.  Again, a great find that I might have missed (there are just too many good books in this world).

It tells the story of a young girl living on an island and the only white man on that island, Mr. Watts.  Mr. Watts becomes the school teacher and he teaches the class of students by reading them Great Expectations.  Though it is a struggle due to the fact that the island children have never heard about 70% of the words in the book (nor do they have any real concept of England), the students soon become captivated by the story.

Meanwhile in the background there is a civil war going on and the small village that started out as a sort of paradise soon faces the reality of violence and oppression.  Still, the children have Great Expectations as a distraction.

Though I have read Great Expectations several times, this book made me want to read it again as the story is intertwined into this novel.  But even if you know nothing of the Dickens novel, I think this book is still a good read.  The main character is a young female, but I think men and women would find this book fascinating.  Though it would make a great high school book, I think parts might be too violent for some younger audiences.

Our November book for book club was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.  This was a book that I had read before but long ago (maybe in university...) so I didn't remember much other than a few key points.  The book is about a young autistic boy investigating the murder of a dog (my hero- the boy, not the dog) and how in doing so he uncovers all sorts of secrets about his family and neighborhood.  The story might not be the most fantastic but the style of writing is really great as the author tries really hard (and succeeds at) putting us in the mind of an autistic person.  At one point I was dreaming about math equations (and my inability to do them) as a result of the way the young man thinks.  This is a great read and also a quick read (I think I read it in a day and a half at work), especially good for travel.

Our December book for book club was Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.  I had read this book before (and had it already in my library) but didn't remember it as it isn't my favorite David Sedaris book (I can read Me Talk Pretty One Day over and over).  And because Robin was born and I wasn't sure I would make it to the meeting, I didn't actually finish it this time around.  But then again, David Sedaris is funny and he writes family so well so it is still worth a read.  It is also a good book for travel as the stories are short and easily picked up and set down (actually, I always take short story books when I travel as back up).

In this book I especially liked the story, "Let It Snow," when their mother locks David and his sisters outside during a snow storm.  She is used to having the house to herself during the day and can't handle having them home due to the snow.  To get their mom's attention the older kids try to convince their youngest sister to lie down in the middle of the road and get hit by a car.  It sounds horrible and sick and twisted, but Sedaris makes it endearing (as he always does).  It makes me think of my family (especially my mother's side) and how we aren't that weird (horrible/sick/twisted) after all.

Euro 2012

 I joined a Euro 2012 sweepstakes with some people in town.  Though I don't mind watching football, I am not the biggest fan of sports in general and only joined this as something to do with Motoaki.  And there is money involved which is always fun.  I drew the Czech Republic and Motoaki got Croatia.  Not good teams, but one can dream, right?

But that is not what I really want to talk about.  Two weekends ago Motoaki and I were spending a lazy morning in front of the TV and in an effort to watch something we could both understand, we started watching a BBC documentary about racism in Football in Poland and the Ukraine.  Recently there have been a lot of reports about racism surrounding the Euro games, and I don't think I would have cared if I had not watched this documentary.

Though I am not a watchdog for racism, I do tend to get a little heated when the subject comes up.  Though America isn't perfect and I am not perfect, I like to think that I was raised with a general respect for people who are different from me.  My parents never expressed a difference or hatred for people that were a different religion, race, nationality, or sexual orientation from us.  We had friends that were from all over and hosted home-stay students.  Though my mom was upset that I would be moving to Japan, she never had a problem with the fact that my husband is Japanese.  My parents don't love everyone, but their dislike for someone was always based on poor character.

So anyway, I was quite shocked to see that, in 2012, it is quite common to see racist violence being allowed at professional soccer matches.  When I say allowed, I am not talking about the racial slurs you hear pro players make on the field. I am talking about the fact that fans hang banners that spout slogans such as, "Dirty Jewish Whores" or "Death to Jews."  They also make monkey sounds when black players take the field. 

I know that fans from opposing teams can get into heated arguments, but what shocked me about this was that sometimes the fans would attack other fans that were supporting the same team.  For example, at one game in the Ukraine a group of Indian students had come to support the local team.  They knew that there were some dangers of being assaulted due to their race, but they thought they were safe by sitting in the family section.  Sadly they were wrong.  In the video shot by the BBC you can see the Indian men just sitting quietly.  Suddenly fans supporting the same team as the Indian men come running down the stairs and, pardon my language, start kicking the shit out of the Indian men for no apparent reason.  And the next thing you know a dozen people are up and beating on the Indian men.  Finally (and it was a long time) some police some and break it up, but no arrests are made.  In fact, no attempt is made to help the Indian men out of the stadium.  As they make their way out other fans stand up to kick and hit the men.  It was one of the sickest things I have ever seen.

Here is a video with the footage...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18192375


Now I know racism happens in America and in Japan.  It also happens in the UK, Australia, and pretty much any country you go to.  But I cannot fathom that this would happen in one of those countries without it being made into a big deal.

I liked this quote at the end of the video footage in the link above...
I agree with many comments stating that racism exists in all countries...but the massive difference is that countries such as the UK are very visibly working hard to try and stamp it out, while countries such as Poland and the Ukraine do little or nothing...they even deny they have a problem.

And what really irks me is that this is all centered around a game.  I don't care how you feel about football or soccer, IT IS A GAME!  GROW THE F%&# UP!  I know there are tensions in these countries behind these games, but to attack someone purely because they are enjoying a match and doing nothing is insane.  And scary!

If you can find the whole documentary, it is worth watching.  It paints a whole new light on the games in Europe.

In the News

Had a bit of time at work and wanted to talk about some American news.  Two stories to be specific. This might be old, but just some stuff that I was annoyed by. 

 

First off, the track coach that went to prom with a student. Here is one of the numerous articles about it.  I know nothing happened, but this is a little creepy to me all the same.  Maybe it is because my parents are/were coaches and teachers and because I myself am a teacher, but it just feels wrong.  I don't see why she couldn't help the boy find a date rather than be his date.  He looks like a good-looking kid and if he is out for an extra-curricular he can't be that much of a loser.  I remember when one of the Japanese home stay students in town (not at our house) couldn't go to prom because her host family insisted she needed a date.  My brother, being a nice guy (and probably bribed by my parents) came back from college for the weekend and took her.  It was never made out to be a real date, but I think they had a good time.  He would have only been about 19 at the time so though he was older, it wasn't weird or creepy. 

 

What else disturbed me was the mention that she had never been to prom and that that was one of the reasons the boy asked her.  It doesn't mention it in the article I posted above but I saw it somewhere else.  That's where I felt that maybe she had ulterior motives.  And then when I saw her dress I really became suspicious.  

 

 

I don't care what your intentions, if you are 41 and dress like that I think you might be kidding yourself.  I am not sure if she deserved to lose her position, but she as just a volunteer and can still go to the meets and cheer on the team.  I don't know... maybe I am a prude? 

 

And what makes me mad is everyone saying how she helped this boy feel better about himself.  If she really wanted to build his self-esteem, why didn't she encourage him to go stag?  I know a lot of people who went to prom with "just friends" in large groups.  Maybe they got teased because of it, but I don't really think so.  She should have sent the message that he was young and he didn't need to be tied down to some chick to have a good time. 

 

Second, Phillip Phillips wins American Idol.   This was probably the first time I had ever watched American Idol consecutively.  I have watched random episodes before, but this year we have cable and I am too tired/lazy to get out much.  I started watching and really liked a lot of the contestants.  Though I didn't have a clear favorite, I really enjoyed Heejun (more for his personality than his singing), Skylar (for her energy and attitude), Jessica (for her voice power and her sweet personality), Hollie (same as Jessica), and Joshua (for his all around showmanship- the guy can entertain, though the screaming was a bit much at times). 

 

What's funny is that I should have been in love with Phillip.  I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan and like acoustic bluegrass takes on pop (one of my all-time favorite artists is Paul Simon).  His singing was decent and he chose nice songs.  But, first of all, I couldn't get over his exact impersonation of Dave Matthews.  When the other contestants were teasing about his crazy dancing that seemed to come from nowhere, I was thinking, that no, it came from somewhere and that somewhere is Dave Matthews.  I know most artists copy other artists, but this was exactly and it didn't seem to change during the season.  Phillip Phillips is Dave Matthews on Youtube. And the fact that he would always be saying, "I just do me." 

 

I might have been able to forgive him that, but what really made me hate the guy was his smug attitude.  He seemed to always act like he was above it all and that he wasn't on Idol to be changed or to conform to anyone else's standards.  The problem with that is, auditioning for American Idol is in itself kind of a sell-out thing to do.  Don't be on the show if you don't like the way it works.  Go on X-Factor or the Voice.  The thing I loved about Skylar and Joshua in particular was that they had incredible attitude and yet showed incredible humbleness and gratitude.  Skylar was a little rebellious in her farewell song (I'm goin' home, gonna load my shotgun / Wait by the door and light a cigarette / He wants a fight, well now he's got one / He ain't seen me crazy yet) but it fit the mood and was well done.

 

And speaking of the voice real quick, have also been watching that for the first time and love it.  Although I was really sad when I heard Jamie Lono didn't make it too far.  This is Jamie Lono's audition. Here is a guy who does have a bit of Dave in him but who makes it his own.  And his personality is so sweet.  I hope he makes albums and does shows- I'd go watch him in a heartbeat.  In first looking at him I was thinking he looked kind of nerdy and a little out of his league, but his audition blew me out of the water.  So good, so sweet.  Just a nice kid with great talent.

Words for Wednesday: The Sisters, The Saga of the Mitford Family

The Sisters, The Saga of the Mitford Family is one of those books that is opening me up to a whole new world of further reading.  I am finding it hard to believe that I have not heard about this family before or that my mother never mentioned them.  I feel really sad that she is not around to read this as I know she would fall in love with it.  Although I suspect that when I search her shelves at home I will find at least something about or by one of the family members.

I normally don't read non-fiction but stumbled upon this book last summer when I was in my "must stock up" phase at Barnes & Nobel.  As nice and novel as the Kindles/Nooks are, I can't help but be sad that in the future I won't be able to spend hours wandering through the bookstore randomly picking up anything that catches my eye.

ANYWAY, the Mitford sisters are/were a group of real life sisters growing up in England in the 10s,20s,30s and who were young women in the 40s.  Though the book is fact it reads like fiction as we find out how involved they were on the world stage.  As the back cover reads, "Jessica was a communist; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; beautiful Diana married the fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley; and Unity, a close friend of Hitler, shot herself in the head when England and Germany declared war."  What  the back cover doesn't say is that Unity practically dated Hitler and that both her sister and mother were his close friends.  It also doesn't say that the girls were distant cousins with Winston Churchill and saw him regularly.  In fact, at one point in the book Jessica receives $500 from him only to turn around and donate it to an American Communist fund.  Also in the story is Jessica's brother-in-law who marries JFK's older sister, Evelyn Waugh (who wrote Brideshead Revisited), Gaston Palewski (a man who was Charles de Gaulle's right hand man), and so on.

As I have been reading along I often find myself thinking, "No way!  This can't all be true."  It's definitely one of those books that has me constantly looking up history on Wiki.  Even if the book wasn't full of "name dropping" it would still be fascinating as the women were all intelligent, talented, and beautiful and full of creativity.  As young children two of the girls created their own language in order to communicate in secret.  One daughter wrote several novels.  All were quite passionate about the politics of the time and as teens it is written that two of the sisters that shared a room divided it down the middle with chalk with one half being decorated with posters of Hitler and Nazi symbols while the other half had pictures of Lenin and Marx.  This all about when they were 12 and 13.  Even if you don't care about history the love lives of the girls is quite shocking and interesting considering the times they lived in.

I don't want to tell you everything but I do encourage you to at least look this family up online.  Absolutely intriguing.  

Opinions of a Japanese Jr High School Student Pt 2:Anne Frank

This might have to become a running theme.  Not that I mean to make fun of my students, but seriously this is hilarious.  Over the past couple of weeks we have been studying excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank.  The excerpts are pretty edited down to make the language as simple as possible, but still it is a hard topic to cover.  Mostly the excerpts are about the Anti-Jewish Laws put in place by the Nazis and then about how this effected the lives of the people.  There is mention of yellow stars, families being taken away in the middle of the night, and parent-less children freezing and starving on the streets.

In keeping with the way that we have been studying the book all year the teacher has asked the students to write their "thoughts" on Anti-Jewish Laws and the suffering caused by them.  There are too many "good lines" to choose from, but here are some highlights.  Keep in mind that a lot of this is due to the students not knowing how to form sentences in English.  They aren't really racist...I think.

1.The Jews were pitiful.
Talked to this student and it turned out that she meant to say that the situation for the Jewish people, not the actual people, was very sad or horrible.

2. I don't permit Anti-Jewish Laws.
Good for you!  If only they would have had you around during the Holocaust.

3. I think wear yellow star is good idea.
Obviously has no clue what is going on in the book.

4. I like soccer.  I don't like Hitora (Hitler).
Good to know.  I like ice cream.  I don't like terrorists.

5. I am sorry that I think.
Ummm... Don't be too hard on yourself.  Thinking isn't a bad thing and can be quite good.

6. Why anti-Jewish laws begin?  Did Jewish do something bad?
No, although at the time it was advertised that they were evil.

7. I like children.
Really?  Me too!.

8. I can't eat old carrots.
Oh, well you are lucky you weren't born during the second world war when, "The children on the streets were so hungry that they even ate old carrots."

9.  I feel sorry that there were many Jewish people.
Umm... Are you a Nazi?

10.  I hope the war ends as soon as possible.
And are you also hoping that Japan wins?  Hate to spoil the surprise, but it's over and the US won.

11.  German is I'm afraid.
You should be.

Again, there were a lot more good ones in the bunch.  To be serious, it makes me a little angry that we even have this in the textbooks in the first place.  Not that I think we shouldn't study the Holocaust, but I don't see the point in teaching such a serious topic to 15 year old ESL students.  Or the point of teaching only a small bit.  As you can see in number 6, the students really don't know any of the history of this so it is really hard for them to understand why this would happen.  They have history at school, but I am pretty sure they are still in the middle of learning Japanese history.

Two months ago we were discussing Martin Luther King Jr and I was asked on the spot to explain race relations in America.  This would be hard for the students to respond to even if we were speaking in their own language, let alone having to work in English.  I really don't know why the books don't just stick to "life at school" "life at home" "life as a home stay student."  Especially when they are only in Jr High.  It is no wonder they don't want to speak in English when the book is filled with phrases like Anti-Jewish Laws, Apartheid, "In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr was killed for working to end discrimination of non-whites."  Surely the kids would open up if we were to say, "Today we are going to read about pop stars around the world.  Who is your favorite pop star?  Do you know any songs in English?"  We do a bit of that, but a lot of the stuff is pretty heavy.

Cultural Differences in Pets

Last weekend we went to the new super mall/outlet mall in Kurashiki with our friend Alexi.  We found amazing deals at Adidas, Banana Republic, and UniQlo.   We passed up the chance for Krispy Kreme, though, when we saw the hour long line.

Being animal lovers the lot of us we decided to check out the pet store.  Motoaki and I were both relieved to see that we in deed got a fabulous     deal on Finn.  The cheapest dog at this place was about 1200 US $.  Although they were all gorgeous puppies.

Anyway, what I quickly wanted to blog about was the fact that they were selling prairie dogs.  As in the little things you see in the badlands!! Who in the world would get a prairie dog?  How would you keep it?  Don't they need to dig???

I was excited to see guinea pigs.  A few years ago when I first came here they were pretty unknown around the town I live in and when I showed students pictures, they thought they were quite scary.  I don't know if we would be ready for another dog anytime soon, but a guinea pig would be a lovely addition to the family...

In one last side note, really must start taking pictures of these things...

Opinions of a Japanese Jr High Student

This past week or so in the 3rd grade at Jr High (14-15 year olds) we have been practicing debate.  The kids read the example in the text and were then asked to write their own composition about a topic.  The book's example was...


I think beds are more convenient than futon.

I agree because it is easier to make a bed.
I disagree futon don't need so much space.
There were example topics for them to choose from, but they were also allowed to pick something different.  We mostly got summer vs. winter (mostly dealing with cold vs hot, winter sports vs summer sports, winter food vs summer food) and school lunch vs sack lunch (mostly dealing with the difficulty if making your own lunch or having to eat foods you don't like in school lunch- this was a little interesting as kids are not allowed to bring their own lunch).

But some of the kids really surprised me with their opinions.  This is because usually, as with most homework assignments, the children tend to write what they think you want to hear (aka I love school lunch!  I love English class!  Doing homework is important! Uniforms are comfortable and fashionable! Drugs are bad!) or they just copy from a book.  But in this assignment we got some great original thoughts and answers.  So I thought I would share some of the highlights.

First off in reference to school uniforms, one girl wrote,

I think pants are better than skirts.  Pants are warmer and are more comfortable.

That seems pretty reasonable to the average American, but in Japan where girl student uniforms are considered "cute and sexy," I was impressed.  For those that say that the Japanese don't see the uniforms as sexy, go to a costume shop or watch an AKB48 video.

Another girl wrote,

I think plain clothes are better than school uniforms.  With a uniform we can't express our own personality.

Again, might seem obvious to those who grew up wearing what they want to school, but in Japan where "the nail that sticks out will get hammered down," this is an original thought.  For those that say, "It's not what you wear, but what's on the inside that counts," I agree to the point.  But why should girls have to wear skirts and boys wear pants?

In reference to city life vs country life, one boy wrote,

I think living in the country is better than living in the city.  The country has clean air and better fishing.Being from Iowa, I know that all too well.  What was surprising was that a) the 15 year old doesn't have big city dreams and b) he will take fishing over the pro sports, arcades and game stores that the city offers.

One boy wrote that,

I think a PC is better than a cell phone.  You can carry a mini-PC.  A PC has more data.I was surprised as most people in Japan use their cell phone for everything.  When I came to Japan in 2005 my phone could already access gmail, Facebook, etc Things my US cell dreamed of doing.  If you ask someone for their email, they will give you their phone email, not a PC one.  I had to ask, on the kid's paper, "What do you think of smart phones?"

One boy who is a bit of a suck-up (sorry to say...) wrote an original topic by saying,

Some people think now is better than the past.  In that case, we now have TV, cell phones, refrigerators, and so on.  But there are bad things now.  To watch TV is fun.  But we watch TV for a long time.  This is sight fail.  To play video games is fun, but this must take a long time.  Your mother must be angry.  And there is a bad thing.  This is "phone fraud."  So to be frank, the past is better than now.

He makes mistakes but he has some good points.  It was actually a bit longer with a lot more phrases he picked up from the dictionary, but overall he put a lot of thought into it.  I rewarded his work by two paragraphs of counter arguing by saying that cell phones save lives in emergencies and that in the present we have better medicine and communication.  I used big words that are in reality too challenging, but that will give him something to do.

But the winner had to be two boys in 3-D (3rd year D home room) who had this to say about their friend Morishita (his last name)...

I think a kangaroo is better than Morishita.  Because a kangaroo is stronger.

I think a cockroach is better than Morishita.  Because a cockroach is more convenient than Morishita.Yes, yes, fine arguments both of them.

Manners

(July 1st)

While reading BBC News online, I came across the article about the stepmother who wrote a "manner's" email to her future daughter-in-law.  The full email is here.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Mother-In-Law-Email-Carolyn-Bournes-Stern-Etiquette-Message-To-Heidi-Withers-Goes-Viral/Article/201106416021513?f=rss
The future daughter-in-law sent to some friends over email and it got on the internet and is now being read and shared on all sorts of news mediums.  LOL- I bet the stepmother is FUMING!

I personally stand in the middle of the debate on who is right in this situation.  I think the mother-in-law's email is extremely nasty, but at the same time she referenced past occurrences so maybe she has been provoked.  Plus some of the points she brings up are obvious and it is shocking that anyone over the age of ten wouldn't know better.  Like the parts about not helping yourself to seconds and not starting before others. We teach that to five your olds.And the part about lowering her sights and having a modest wedding.  So many girls feel so entitled these days and for what?  A wedding is only one night and while it is a night to remember, then the money might be better spent towards a house or honeymoon.  Then again, if the guy is loaded...

I also think that it was bad on the part of the daughter-in-law to let it go online.  I mean, the email is shocking and funny, but doesn't she think of her fiance?  How does he feel about this.  I talk about people behind their back just as much as the next person, but I wouldn't put something online for all of the world to gawk at- the internet is forever.  At the same time the email is unbelievable and too good to be true.  Especially the parts about food when it is later mentioned that the girl has diabetes.  That shouldn't dictate when she starts and stops eating, but saying that there are things she won't be eating and needing more food should be fair game and the mother-in-law is being a female dog by criticizing her on it.

But anyway, what I really want to comment on is the fact that this made me think about what Motoaki's mom must think about my manners and what my mom thought about Motoaki's manners.  One thing that was an absolute fact about my mother was that she was a lady.  I mean, she wasn't uptight- she would wear jeans and stuff and serve chili at holiday parties- but she definitely taught us etiquette. 

As I have made my way into the world I have often been a little shocked by others lack of manners and I always think about what my mom would say.  she could be a little unforgiving at times of others lack of upbringing and would comment on it years after the fact, having the offence forever etched in her mind.  One of her favorite movies was Serial Mom about a mother who kills other people who commit minor offences like not rewinding their tape before returning it to the video store or wearing white shoes after labor day. 

It could sometimes be impossible when it came to convincing my mother that things were different and it wasn't the end of the world if we changed a few rules.  Like how it wasn't the end of the world if I didn't wear hose with a skirt or if I went to prom without a date.  As a child it could be really annoying but as an adult I am glad that my mom raised us to be aware of what is acceptable behavior.  I have gotten comments on it at work or when I have been a guest with someone.  I think I get along well in Japan because I had that rigorous training.

With Motoaki's mom it is a whole other ball game because of the cultural difference and the language barrier.  After all, here you are supposed to slurp the soup.  Part of the problem is that she is fairly nice but very quiet.  I never know what she is really thinking and whether or not she approves.  Not that I need her approval, but I do want her to be proud (and more importantly, I do want to be able to teach my children what is acceptable in both cultures).  Like the time I wore the white shirt to her mother's memorial service.  Motoaki said it wasn't a big deal and that no one cared, but really?  If the roles had been reversed I think my own mother would have minded (and rightly so). 

I also worry about her thinking that I am spoiled.  Motoaki is the type that works too hard sometimes in making me happy and asks for nothing in return.  I sometimes wonder if I am asking for too much and he just doesn't say anything.  He is not a pushover but is extremely easy going and doesn't get worked up over things. 

For example, when looking for houses I expressed that my priorities were somewhere that a) had a yard, b) was close to a good school, and c) had an upstairs.  We found a house that has all three and yet when we took her to look at it, she seemed a little displeased.  Later I heard her mentioning that she thought that Motoaki's aunts house (which we were maybe going to buy but got tired of waiting for) was nice and a real fixer-upper.  But I said that I didn't like the school it is closest too.  The school is nice, but it is overcrowded and they have up to 40 kids in one classroom.  I worry that a child could easily get ignored, bullied, or left behind in that situation.  Especially considering that the child is going to be a mixed-culture child.  The house we looked at is near a school with only 100 kids in the whole building.  AKA plenty of attention from teachers and an "everybody plays with everybody for lack of options" feel to it.  But am I being too demanding?  Motoaki says we are fine money wise (we haven't touched the money we got from our wedding and we each save every month), but is it bad manners in Japan to get something you might not necessarily need?  After all, the four bedrooms will be great for kids and guests, but other families in Japan get by on two.  Motoaki's family got by on three but that was with two kids and grandma in the house.

It might be silly for me to think like this, but just as my mother came from a different generation where girls wore skirts and made hand-written invitations for even small parties, Motoaki's mom is also from another generation.  When she was a young woman she was in an arranged marriage (it is actually common among women her age) and I know that she had little choice as to where she lived or how the house was.  She moved in with her in-laws and no doubt had to do everything her mother-in-law told her.  Of course, times have changed and she has changed with them.  She understands that "kids do it differently these days."  But to her I must seem like a really BIG change from what she new.

I guess what I want to say that, as bad as the email from the mother-in-law was (and as bad as it might get- I would think the media storm might be an engagement breaker), it is nice to have it out in the open.  Not that I think Motoaki's mom would be so harsh on me.  But it might be nice if I knew what she was thinking and if I knew that any faux pas I was committing were something, "any five year old knows."