Monday, January 11, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Going home so soon?
Today was my 5th day of being at my desk all day. Luckily, they have been scattered over 3 calendar weeks. At this point, I can't even image how interminable summer break would be without taking vacation days. 5 WEEKS of sitting at your desk? I'd gnaw off my hands by the third week, just for something to do...
The Japanese take beginnings and endings very seriously. I was glad I was warned that a formal bow and greeting would be forthcoming from every member of the staff as a way of acknowledging the new year, or I would have been mightily confused as to why all the staff had simultaneously decided to show me extra respect today. I also started to wonder why the bowing didn't happen yesterday, before realizing that we were all too busy shoveling snow to observe the formal ritual. With 95% of the staff back to school today, bows were happening all over the place...
After finishing lesson plans for the remainder of the school year for the 7th grade yesterday, I manage to finish lesson planning for both the 8th AND 9th grades today. So, yes, in 5 days I have planned 3 months of lessons for 3 grades. I'm a first year teacher, mind you. This is my first go-'round with all of these texts. Every time I have a successful lesson, I file it away for next year. For the life of me, I can't figure out what keeps my teachers at school until 9pm every night. Except for not wanting to go home, that is...
Like every day of the "break," I take the opportunity to follow my contract literally and leave at 4pm. Most of my colleagues in my position at other schools do that all the time. In the interest of solidarity, etc etc, I usually stay at school until 5pm, even when I have little to do, and often I am actually working much later than that. Despite the fact that I stay late all the time, and that I am one of about 5 teachers who has been at school every day over the break, I still feel the stink-eye when I go home at 4pm. Feels just like the days of working in the movie biz... I half expect someone to make the crack about working "bankers' hours" that I used to get when putting in less than a 12-hour day when doing payroll (never mind if I had worked 18-hours the day before)...
To think that I moved countries and careers to get AWAY from that unhealthy attitude... oh well.
The Japanese take beginnings and endings very seriously. I was glad I was warned that a formal bow and greeting would be forthcoming from every member of the staff as a way of acknowledging the new year, or I would have been mightily confused as to why all the staff had simultaneously decided to show me extra respect today. I also started to wonder why the bowing didn't happen yesterday, before realizing that we were all too busy shoveling snow to observe the formal ritual. With 95% of the staff back to school today, bows were happening all over the place...
After finishing lesson plans for the remainder of the school year for the 7th grade yesterday, I manage to finish lesson planning for both the 8th AND 9th grades today. So, yes, in 5 days I have planned 3 months of lessons for 3 grades. I'm a first year teacher, mind you. This is my first go-'round with all of these texts. Every time I have a successful lesson, I file it away for next year. For the life of me, I can't figure out what keeps my teachers at school until 9pm every night. Except for not wanting to go home, that is...
Like every day of the "break," I take the opportunity to follow my contract literally and leave at 4pm. Most of my colleagues in my position at other schools do that all the time. In the interest of solidarity, etc etc, I usually stay at school until 5pm, even when I have little to do, and often I am actually working much later than that. Despite the fact that I stay late all the time, and that I am one of about 5 teachers who has been at school every day over the break, I still feel the stink-eye when I go home at 4pm. Feels just like the days of working in the movie biz... I half expect someone to make the crack about working "bankers' hours" that I used to get when putting in less than a 12-hour day when doing payroll (never mind if I had worked 18-hours the day before)...
To think that I moved countries and careers to get AWAY from that unhealthy attitude... oh well.
Monday, January 4, 2010
From the gray desk...
All too soon, winter vacation is over.
My nasty little alarm starts to trill and it is disappointingly dark and much too cold to be waking up for anything, much less an entire day of desk duty (although teachers must report, the kids don't come back until Friday). It's gonna be a loooong day in the staff room.
I get ready and break the hermetic seal on the front door to discover 5cm of new-fallen snow. Since I think snow always makes everything look nicer, I don't mind, and I'm even more relieved to find that it's not slippery as I begin my ride to work.
As usual, I roll into the parking lot at school sweaty and snotty. Unlike usual, about a half dozen teachers are outside, diligently clearing the lot of snow with garden shovels and push brooms. Although I'd much rather go inside and blow my nose and clean myself up (my normal ritual upon arriving at school), since the principal himself is out there sweeping away, I grab a traditional broom (basically, a bundle of sticks) and celebrate my return to work by industriously pushing snow around.
I don't think I've accomplished much, but the teachers all decide we have succeeded in our task, so we head indoors.
I hadn't realized it while outside, but the teachers shoveling away were ALL of the teachers reporting to school today. I take a look at the weekly schedule and I have an AHA! moment: all those weird kanji with the 8s and the 4s next to them? Of course. A listing of the teachers who are taking half and full-days off. All in all, 19 of the 32 or so staff members have taken off. Even the tea lady is out.
I take advantage of the quiet to redo my English Bulletin Board and to finish planning lessons for the 7th graders through the end of the year. Considering school isn't out until the end of March, I feel fairly on-top of things.
Around 3:30, the principal takes pity on me and chases me home. Either that, or he felt like going home early too and didn't want any witnesses.
I stop by Don Quixote for the first time in two weeks or so to load up on corn flakes and organic soy milk. I am somewhat surprised that the little ditties playing on endless loops in each aisle are no longer weird or annoying. In fact, I had kind of missed them. Especially the "Genki for Natto" song... that one's my favorite... (for those of you not in Japan, natto is fermented soybeans that have a consistency somewhat like chunky snot and a smell not unlike dirty feet. Genki is a word that translates as "healthy", but also has connotations of being energetic and peppy. It's not really the first food you'd think of that would have it's own poppy theme song, but at Don Quixote's it does...)
I go to the gym, which has just reopened today after a 2-week remodel. Everything is moved around: I feel like a little kid whose mom has moved all of his toys. The biggest change is that the weight room is now hidden in a corner of the 4th floor. As I lift and look around me at the usual bunch of dudes, I have a realization as to why they have moved Testosteroneville to a new zipcode.
I turn to T, the only regular who speaks English: "You know why they put us back here, don't you?"
He looks at me quizzically.
"So you can't stare at the women on the bikes and the treadmills anymore. You were making them uncomfortable."
He looks around, as the new reality dawns on him. You see, T spends hours in the weight room, but doesn't lift very much. He's mostly there to hang out, practice English, and ogle the pretty ladies. The old weight room had a large window that looked onto the main floor. T would sit there and watch the ladies' butts on the treadmills like it was his own, live widescreen TV.
Within moments, he is gone. I find him later using the relocated machines (I've never seen him do anything other than free weights before), now conveniently located directly in front of the new glass-front yoga room (with a class in session, of course).
"C'mon T, we should sign up for yoga!" I offer.
He shakes his head and continues to stare...
My nasty little alarm starts to trill and it is disappointingly dark and much too cold to be waking up for anything, much less an entire day of desk duty (although teachers must report, the kids don't come back until Friday). It's gonna be a loooong day in the staff room.
I get ready and break the hermetic seal on the front door to discover 5cm of new-fallen snow. Since I think snow always makes everything look nicer, I don't mind, and I'm even more relieved to find that it's not slippery as I begin my ride to work.
As usual, I roll into the parking lot at school sweaty and snotty. Unlike usual, about a half dozen teachers are outside, diligently clearing the lot of snow with garden shovels and push brooms. Although I'd much rather go inside and blow my nose and clean myself up (my normal ritual upon arriving at school), since the principal himself is out there sweeping away, I grab a traditional broom (basically, a bundle of sticks) and celebrate my return to work by industriously pushing snow around.
I don't think I've accomplished much, but the teachers all decide we have succeeded in our task, so we head indoors.
I hadn't realized it while outside, but the teachers shoveling away were ALL of the teachers reporting to school today. I take a look at the weekly schedule and I have an AHA! moment: all those weird kanji with the 8s and the 4s next to them? Of course. A listing of the teachers who are taking half and full-days off. All in all, 19 of the 32 or so staff members have taken off. Even the tea lady is out.
I take advantage of the quiet to redo my English Bulletin Board and to finish planning lessons for the 7th graders through the end of the year. Considering school isn't out until the end of March, I feel fairly on-top of things.
Around 3:30, the principal takes pity on me and chases me home. Either that, or he felt like going home early too and didn't want any witnesses.
I stop by Don Quixote for the first time in two weeks or so to load up on corn flakes and organic soy milk. I am somewhat surprised that the little ditties playing on endless loops in each aisle are no longer weird or annoying. In fact, I had kind of missed them. Especially the "Genki for Natto" song... that one's my favorite... (for those of you not in Japan, natto is fermented soybeans that have a consistency somewhat like chunky snot and a smell not unlike dirty feet. Genki is a word that translates as "healthy", but also has connotations of being energetic and peppy. It's not really the first food you'd think of that would have it's own poppy theme song, but at Don Quixote's it does...)
I go to the gym, which has just reopened today after a 2-week remodel. Everything is moved around: I feel like a little kid whose mom has moved all of his toys. The biggest change is that the weight room is now hidden in a corner of the 4th floor. As I lift and look around me at the usual bunch of dudes, I have a realization as to why they have moved Testosteroneville to a new zipcode.
I turn to T, the only regular who speaks English: "You know why they put us back here, don't you?"
He looks at me quizzically.
"So you can't stare at the women on the bikes and the treadmills anymore. You were making them uncomfortable."
He looks around, as the new reality dawns on him. You see, T spends hours in the weight room, but doesn't lift very much. He's mostly there to hang out, practice English, and ogle the pretty ladies. The old weight room had a large window that looked onto the main floor. T would sit there and watch the ladies' butts on the treadmills like it was his own, live widescreen TV.
Within moments, he is gone. I find him later using the relocated machines (I've never seen him do anything other than free weights before), now conveniently located directly in front of the new glass-front yoga room (with a class in session, of course).
"C'mon T, we should sign up for yoga!" I offer.
He shakes his head and continues to stare...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hermetically sealed hermit
Third day of the new year and the second in which I haven't opened my front door.
Not a very social start to 2010. Oh well, at least the blog is developing nicely...
In positive news, C returned from her travels in Hong Kong and Macau this evening. It's good to have my closest friend in Japan back in the city. It's been a lonely few weeks...
Not a very social start to 2010. Oh well, at least the blog is developing nicely...
In positive news, C returned from her travels in Hong Kong and Macau this evening. It's good to have my closest friend in Japan back in the city. It's been a lonely few weeks...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Another brilliant plan gone awry
I'm an idiot.
Although this is well-established, here's another case for the file...
C&D's house, where I went for New Year's Eve, is WAYYYY down in the southern bit of Sendai, one stop from the end of the line on the subway. In any other city, on a night of revelry, it would have made sense to have taken said subway, right?
Well, this is Japan, and the Western rules of logic Do Not Apply.
See, New Year's Eve is a holiday here, so the subway operates on the Limited Holiday Schedule. Which means that the last train is at 11:49 PM. I kid you not. You'd think that on a holiday famous for Waiting for Midnight, they'd have one last train. Even if it was at like 12:15... I'd sprint for that.
But no, New Year's Eve is clearly a Holiday, therefore the Limited Holiday Schedule is in effect. Not some kind of special holiday schedule. That would be Breaking Tradition, and as we all know, Breaking Tradition is Very Bad. It causes things like, oh I don't know... hairy palms? Goiters? The Emancipation of Oppressed Minorities?
Anyway, here's where I get bold and stupid. I decide I will bike it down to C&D's house... Yeah, it's a 45 minute ride, it's below freezing, and I'll have to ride BACK, but it will give me the freedom to return home whenever I please.
So, on New Year's Eve, I stepped outside... and the first flakes of snow were already falling. Undeterred, in my stubborn-ass way, I started to ride. I'm not 10 minutes from my house when it is clear that this isn't a dusting. It's already starting to accumulate and gust.
But, like I said, I'm a stubborn-ass, so I ride on.
I do make it to C&D's house, sweaty as a teen on his first date and looking just as bad. The party is fun, a good time had by all, but by the time it lets out, the snow is a few inches deep and has grown itself a lovely covering of ice.
D is kind enough to drive home the three of us stranded by the weather and the Limited Holiday Schedule.
That meant that my poor bike spent the first day and a half of the New Year sitting in front of a Family Mart, covered in snow. I figured I had a free pass to leave it there unmolested on the 1st, as everyone was too hung-over to remember where they had left their pants, let alone for cops to impound abandoned vehicles. But by mid-day today I was getting antsy that my bike was being carted off to Where Bad Bikes Go To Be Punished.
So, I hopped on the subway, thankfully no longer on its Limited Holiday Schedule and now full of its normal Saturday contingent of vacant-faced women riding to The Mall (and here, the use of capital letters is neither for emphasis or irony... it really is called The Mall), and rode down too fetch my bike.
There it was, blown over by the high winds, but otherwise just where I left it.
Now all I had to do was ride back the 45-minutes of frequently uphill, and now icy, sidewalks and roads to get back to Sendai proper.
Now that I think about it, I should have pulled "An American" and brought my bike on the subway.
"What's that, officer? What do you mean I can't bring my bike on the train?"
But then they probably would have hauled my bike off to Where Bad Bikes Go To Be Punished and I would have wasted my subway fare, so it's probably best that I cycled back...
Although this is well-established, here's another case for the file...
C&D's house, where I went for New Year's Eve, is WAYYYY down in the southern bit of Sendai, one stop from the end of the line on the subway. In any other city, on a night of revelry, it would have made sense to have taken said subway, right?
Well, this is Japan, and the Western rules of logic Do Not Apply.
See, New Year's Eve is a holiday here, so the subway operates on the Limited Holiday Schedule. Which means that the last train is at 11:49 PM. I kid you not. You'd think that on a holiday famous for Waiting for Midnight, they'd have one last train. Even if it was at like 12:15... I'd sprint for that.
But no, New Year's Eve is clearly a Holiday, therefore the Limited Holiday Schedule is in effect. Not some kind of special holiday schedule. That would be Breaking Tradition, and as we all know, Breaking Tradition is Very Bad. It causes things like, oh I don't know... hairy palms? Goiters? The Emancipation of Oppressed Minorities?
Anyway, here's where I get bold and stupid. I decide I will bike it down to C&D's house... Yeah, it's a 45 minute ride, it's below freezing, and I'll have to ride BACK, but it will give me the freedom to return home whenever I please.
So, on New Year's Eve, I stepped outside... and the first flakes of snow were already falling. Undeterred, in my stubborn-ass way, I started to ride. I'm not 10 minutes from my house when it is clear that this isn't a dusting. It's already starting to accumulate and gust.
But, like I said, I'm a stubborn-ass, so I ride on.
I do make it to C&D's house, sweaty as a teen on his first date and looking just as bad. The party is fun, a good time had by all, but by the time it lets out, the snow is a few inches deep and has grown itself a lovely covering of ice.
D is kind enough to drive home the three of us stranded by the weather and the Limited Holiday Schedule.
That meant that my poor bike spent the first day and a half of the New Year sitting in front of a Family Mart, covered in snow. I figured I had a free pass to leave it there unmolested on the 1st, as everyone was too hung-over to remember where they had left their pants, let alone for cops to impound abandoned vehicles. But by mid-day today I was getting antsy that my bike was being carted off to Where Bad Bikes Go To Be Punished.
So, I hopped on the subway, thankfully no longer on its Limited Holiday Schedule and now full of its normal Saturday contingent of vacant-faced women riding to The Mall (and here, the use of capital letters is neither for emphasis or irony... it really is called The Mall), and rode down too fetch my bike.
There it was, blown over by the high winds, but otherwise just where I left it.
Now all I had to do was ride back the 45-minutes of frequently uphill, and now icy, sidewalks and roads to get back to Sendai proper.
Now that I think about it, I should have pulled "An American" and brought my bike on the subway.
"What's that, officer? What do you mean I can't bring my bike on the train?"
But then they probably would have hauled my bike off to Where Bad Bikes Go To Be Punished and I would have wasted my subway fare, so it's probably best that I cycled back...
Friday, January 1, 2010
How'd it get to be the future already?
Here's a quirk of geography that had my head spinning: For 14 to 17 hours, I was living in a different year than my loved ones back home. Weird.
After last night's late night, I slept through the first half of the first day of the new year (which is as much of a New Year's tradition as champagne and fireworks, now that I think about it...), rousing myself just in time to call the US and wish folks there a Happy New Year. It was nice to be able to report from the future that 2010 was thus far uneventful.
By mid-afternoon, I was sufficiently awake to begin this blog, part of my resolution for the new year. Begin, you ask? Aren't there entries going all the way back to August?? All written after-the-fact: although I left the US on September 1st, I began this blog on January 1st...
It's amazing how fast these four months have gone by and my memories are already getting hazy and begin to bleed together. I kept a journal for every day I was in the Peace Corps. I'm glad I did... This being the 21st century, I figured I should take advantage of technology... Besides, if I blog about my experiences, that's fewer photos and notebooks that I need to lug around when I inevitably move again!
I still don't intend to join Myspace or Facebook, but I do want to make it easier for loved ones to keep tabs on me... I know I can be elusive. As the months progress, and as my photos pile up and intended emails to loved ones go unwritten, I finally had to admit to myself that a blog was the easiest way to share all my thoughts and images of living here in Japan.
And if anyone else stops by? Hello! Hope you read a thing or two that you like.
Happy New Year to all. 2009 was a little too full of Fear for my taste... Let's work for a little more joy.
After last night's late night, I slept through the first half of the first day of the new year (which is as much of a New Year's tradition as champagne and fireworks, now that I think about it...), rousing myself just in time to call the US and wish folks there a Happy New Year. It was nice to be able to report from the future that 2010 was thus far uneventful.
By mid-afternoon, I was sufficiently awake to begin this blog, part of my resolution for the new year. Begin, you ask? Aren't there entries going all the way back to August?? All written after-the-fact: although I left the US on September 1st, I began this blog on January 1st...
It's amazing how fast these four months have gone by and my memories are already getting hazy and begin to bleed together. I kept a journal for every day I was in the Peace Corps. I'm glad I did... This being the 21st century, I figured I should take advantage of technology... Besides, if I blog about my experiences, that's fewer photos and notebooks that I need to lug around when I inevitably move again!
I still don't intend to join Myspace or Facebook, but I do want to make it easier for loved ones to keep tabs on me... I know I can be elusive. As the months progress, and as my photos pile up and intended emails to loved ones go unwritten, I finally had to admit to myself that a blog was the easiest way to share all my thoughts and images of living here in Japan.
And if anyone else stops by? Hello! Hope you read a thing or two that you like.
Happy New Year to all. 2009 was a little too full of Fear for my taste... Let's work for a little more joy.
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