Saturday, April 15, 2006
Fireworks alcohol and small children, climbing a mountain in clown shoes, mortification and cold tea : Osaka 1 (August 2003)
HOMESTAY, or I CLIMB A MOUNTAIN IN CLOWN SHOES
I had a great homestay with a Japanese family for two days when I first got here. I lived with a fantastic family who took me to varous historical sites in Osaka, and also took me to Nara, site of famous temples, a giant Buddha statue, and tame-ish deer that bow to you when you feed them. Since only the wife spoke English, I spent most of the time communicating with hand signals and animated facial expressions. As a result, I wasn't really prepared when we got to Nara for climbing the mountain. They told me that we needed good shoes for walking, and since I had only brought rather uncomfortable black leather ones, I borrowed the husband's "sport sandals", basically aqua socks, that were about 5 sizes too big for me. So I tromped around in a skirt and gigantic pink clown feet. We saw some temples, had some ice cream, and then they took me to the base of what looked like a very large green hill. "Here it is, do you want to try?" they said. OK, I'm game. We started climbing. Once we reach what I though was the top, another peak appears. This kept happening. About an hour, and about a gallon of sweat later (did I mention it was 95 degrees?) we reach the top. The boys are running along ahead like rabbits, the husband and I are climbing steadily, and the wife is bringing up the rear and dabbing herself with the hand towel that every japanese person carries with them at all times. Believe me, I am beginning to see how it can come in handy. Anyway, it was a great view when we finally got to the top. Also I found it kind of fitting that I was able to start off my Japan experience in the same way that I started off my Ecuador experience: looking down from the top of a peak that I had not been fully prepared to climb. The two boys in my host family (Takahiro, age 5 and Yukihiro, age 9) were so cute, and once I showed them how I could make my tongue into the shape of a "W" they were my best friends for life. Their parents were also awesome, they treated me to everything, including a great sushi dinner that we made at home, followed by endless glasses of sake and chuhai (japanese vodka made from sweet potatoes). Followed by fireworks in the front yard. Yes! I love this country. (Note: I learned later that Japanese people will ALWAYS try to get you drunk and blow things up. It's in the Constitution.)
I leave tomorrow for "summer English camp." All the ALT's (my job title, not even sure what it stands for: assistant language teacher?) from Osaka are being sent away to help out at the summer camps. [Time out here: I am pretty sure that most of you know that I am in Japan teachin English for the JET program, which is run by the Japanese government and brings over hundreds of english-speakers to Japan each year to help improve the english education in the public schools. But for those of you who didn't know... that's what I am doing. I expect to be here for a year, but I may decide to stay a longer.] Anyway, tomorrow I am going with 6 other ALT's to a camp about three hours from Osaka, it's in the mountains, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful and cool. The ALT's suppsedly get our own villa for the duration of the camp (two days). I'm really looking forward to it. We had the "opening ceremony" today where we had to turn up in suits and stand up and wave during the principal's speech. We also got to help the kids with the puppet plays they are preparing for a contest.
THE MOST MORTIFYING THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN TWO YEARS (EVEN WORSE THAN WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY CALLED THE VICE PRINCIPAL AN IDIOT (I MEANT TO CALL HIM A PERVRT)):
This country is really big on ceremonies. When I went for the homestay, we were supposed to arrive at 10:00am to meet our host families. Another ALT and I, Mark, went together taking the "JR Osaka Loop Line" which is run by a private company. The loop line is pretty easy as it just makes a circle of Osaka, unless of course you get on one of the trains that do not do this. Which naturally we did. We were going along fine, when suddly the train took an unexpected spur and deposited us at Universal Studios Osaka. Whoops. So we arrived 40 minutes late. We were really stressed and felt really bad, but we figured, not such a big deal, right? Wrong. Instead of just having us meet up with our host familes at the school, they had planned a whole "homestay program" which included, naturally, an opening ceremony. We arrived to see the two groups, ALTs and host families, sitting and staring at each other in complete silence from two opposing rows of desks. There were two empty desks with our nametages on them. Not good. With us there, the opening ceremony, which lasted all of 10 minutes, was allowed to start. We all stood up, said our names and where we were from, and then we were dismissed to leave with our respective families. Probably one of the worst experiences of my life... I wanted to curl up and die right there in my socks.
But, like I said, despite the rocky start, the homestay was great. I was one of only 8 people who signed up to do it, and I'm so glad I did. I am hoping to keep in touch with this family, I invited them for dinner next weekend where I will cook American food. Not sure yet what to make, but I'm thinking pasta with chicken. I wish I could make cookies, but it may be hard with our gas stove (no oven! I am really sad about that, I guess I won't be baking any bread this year.) Apart from the lack of an oven, I am really excited about my apartment. This is my first-ever real apartment, and I couldn't really think of a better place to have it. It's sort of like an efficiency, but there is a sliding door between the living/sleeping room and the kitchen. The kitchen is huge and also functions as a study room, I have my computer set up in here at the table. I also have a little entry way (very Japanese) where you remove your shoes and put on slippers. Also there's a bathroom, a shower room, and a washing machiene. I actually don't have a bed, I sleep on a futon which I keep in a special closet. It's really comfortable actually. I also have a couch I bought that I am really proud of, it converts into a bed as well, but its not as comfy as the floor. I have a little balconly, which doesn't have much of a view (people on higher floors have a spectacular view of the city and the river, but I can see it just by taking the elevator up to the top). It is still really nice to have a balcony and to get some fresh air. The front door opens on the outside too, so I get a good cross-breeze. I have both doors open now, and both fans going, and it's still hot as hell, but I am resisting turning on the AC because I'm trying to keep power costs down and also save the environment. I went a little decorating-crazy, and also am cleaning like a fiend, so I've got the place looking pretty nice. I spent an entire day scrubbing the walls (but they look so nice and white now!). I still have a lot of work to do, but I am really happy here so far. As to the other people I work with, there are seven other JETs living in my apartment complex. There are about 10 others living at a place about 15 minutes down the road by bike, and there are two other apartment complexes spread out around the city. All told there are 28 Osaka-Shi (Osaka City) JETs, and a bunch more in Osaka-fu, who naturally are called the "foos", and who live in the surrounding areas (sort of like the relationship between Menlo Park and San Francisco). Everyone is pretty much in agreement that the Osaka-shi JETs are some of the luckiest in the country. We live right in the city, we have our rent and travel subsidized so we don't actually pay more to live here than other people pay to live where they are. We also get great ammounts of leave time, and since we are employed by the Board of Education and not a particular school, we move around a lot to varous elementary, junior highs, and high schools. So we have lots of variety and are not stuck with one school and one class. Classes start in another two weeks, so I don't really know what my job is like yet. I'll have to keep you updated when I actually start. Well, I can't think of anything else to write right now. I guess I could describe the food (really really good! And cheap! I swear!) or the nightlife, but I'll save that for another time. Oh, I'll try to send a picture of my apartment as well in a separate email, I can take great picutres from my cell phone (and video..... and it only cost me $40). But I can only send the more low-resolution pictures because the files are so big. Still I'll give it a shot, though the operating manual reads like a Faulkner novel translated into Japanese, run over by a train, set on fire, and then translated back into English by a native speaker of Swahili.
I have been been here in Japan for just over two weeks. I have to keep reminding myself of this, because it feels like way longer. I have spent the past two weeks getting semi-oriented: I now know how to get to the Borad of Education, where to go grocery shopping, how to use subway (well sort of, there are about five different subway and train systems in this city including numerous private rail companies that compete wtih the state-run trains. This is sort of a telling illustration of what its like to live in Osaka: you have WAY more options that you could ever need, and this is both a good and a bad thing.) I also already have an apartment, a cell phone (called a keitai), and starting today, I have broadband internet connection at my house. I actually get free calls to the US for the all of August and September as part of a promotion by Yahoo, but since I did not bring my US cellphone with me I don't have many people's phone numbers. So send me your number please. I'll try not to call at 4 in the morning.
HOMESTAY, or I CLIMB A MOUNTAIN IN CLOWN SHOES
I had a great homestay with a Japanese family for two days when I first got here. I lived with a fantastic family who took me to varous historical sites in Osaka, and also took me to Nara, site of famous temples, a giant Buddha statue, and tame-ish deer that bow to you when you feed them. Since only the wife spoke English, I spent most of the time communicating with hand signals and animated facial expressions. As a result, I wasn't really prepared when we got to Nara for climbing the mountain. They told me that we needed good shoes for walking, and since I had only brought rather uncomfortable black leather ones, I borrowed the husband's "sport sandals", basically aqua socks, that were about 5 sizes too big for me. So I tromped around in a skirt and gigantic pink clown feet. We saw some temples, had some ice cream, and then they took me to the base of what looked like a very large green hill. "Here it is, do you want to try?" they said. OK, I'm game. We started climbing. Once we reach what I though was the top, another peak appears. This kept happening. About an hour, and about a gallon of sweat later (did I mention it was 95 degrees?) we reach the top. The boys are running along ahead like rabbits, the husband and I are climbing steadily, and the wife is bringing up the rear and dabbing herself with the hand towel that every japanese person carries with them at all times. Believe me, I am beginning to see how it can come in handy. Anyway, it was a great view when we finally got to the top. Also I found it kind of fitting that I was able to start off my Japan experience in the same way that I started off my Ecuador experience: looking down from the top of a peak that I had not been fully prepared to climb. The two boys in my host family (Takahiro, age 5 and Yukihiro, age 9) were so cute, and once I showed them how I could make my tongue into the shape of a "W" they were my best friends for life. Their parents were also awesome, they treated me to everything, including a great sushi dinner that we made at home, followed by endless glasses of sake and chuhai (japanese vodka made from sweet potatoes). Followed by fireworks in the front yard. Yes! I love this country. (Note: I learned later that Japanese people will ALWAYS try to get you drunk and blow things up. It's in the Constitution.)
I leave tomorrow for "summer English camp." All the ALT's (my job title, not even sure what it stands for: assistant language teacher?) from Osaka are being sent away to help out at the summer camps. [Time out here: I am pretty sure that most of you know that I am in Japan teachin English for the JET program, which is run by the Japanese government and brings over hundreds of english-speakers to Japan each year to help improve the english education in the public schools. But for those of you who didn't know... that's what I am doing. I expect to be here for a year, but I may decide to stay a longer.] Anyway, tomorrow I am going with 6 other ALT's to a camp about three hours from Osaka, it's in the mountains, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful and cool. The ALT's suppsedly get our own villa for the duration of the camp (two days). I'm really looking forward to it. We had the "opening ceremony" today where we had to turn up in suits and stand up and wave during the principal's speech. We also got to help the kids with the puppet plays they are preparing for a contest.
THE MOST MORTIFYING THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN TWO YEARS (EVEN WORSE THAN WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY CALLED THE VICE PRINCIPAL AN IDIOT (I MEANT TO CALL HIM A PERVRT)):
This country is really big on ceremonies. When I went for the homestay, we were supposed to arrive at 10:00am to meet our host families. Another ALT and I, Mark, went together taking the "JR Osaka Loop Line" which is run by a private company. The loop line is pretty easy as it just makes a circle of Osaka, unless of course you get on one of the trains that do not do this. Which naturally we did. We were going along fine, when suddly the train took an unexpected spur and deposited us at Universal Studios Osaka. Whoops. So we arrived 40 minutes late. We were really stressed and felt really bad, but we figured, not such a big deal, right? Wrong. Instead of just having us meet up with our host familes at the school, they had planned a whole "homestay program" which included, naturally, an opening ceremony. We arrived to see the two groups, ALTs and host families, sitting and staring at each other in complete silence from two opposing rows of desks. There were two empty desks with our nametages on them. Not good. With us there, the opening ceremony, which lasted all of 10 minutes, was allowed to start. We all stood up, said our names and where we were from, and then we were dismissed to leave with our respective families. Probably one of the worst experiences of my life... I wanted to curl up and die right there in my socks.
But, like I said, despite the rocky start, the homestay was great. I was one of only 8 people who signed up to do it, and I'm so glad I did. I am hoping to keep in touch with this family, I invited them for dinner next weekend where I will cook American food. Not sure yet what to make, but I'm thinking pasta with chicken. I wish I could make cookies, but it may be hard with our gas stove (no oven! I am really sad about that, I guess I won't be baking any bread this year.) Apart from the lack of an oven, I am really excited about my apartment. This is my first-ever real apartment, and I couldn't really think of a better place to have it. It's sort of like an efficiency, but there is a sliding door between the living/sleeping room and the kitchen. The kitchen is huge and also functions as a study room, I have my computer set up in here at the table. I also have a little entry way (very Japanese) where you remove your shoes and put on slippers. Also there's a bathroom, a shower room, and a washing machiene. I actually don't have a bed, I sleep on a futon which I keep in a special closet. It's really comfortable actually. I also have a couch I bought that I am really proud of, it converts into a bed as well, but its not as comfy as the floor. I have a little balconly, which doesn't have much of a view (people on higher floors have a spectacular view of the city and the river, but I can see it just by taking the elevator up to the top). It is still really nice to have a balcony and to get some fresh air. The front door opens on the outside too, so I get a good cross-breeze. I have both doors open now, and both fans going, and it's still hot as hell, but I am resisting turning on the AC because I'm trying to keep power costs down and also save the environment. I went a little decorating-crazy, and also am cleaning like a fiend, so I've got the place looking pretty nice. I spent an entire day scrubbing the walls (but they look so nice and white now!). I still have a lot of work to do, but I am really happy here so far. As to the other people I work with, there are seven other JETs living in my apartment complex. There are about 10 others living at a place about 15 minutes down the road by bike, and there are two other apartment complexes spread out around the city. All told there are 28 Osaka-Shi (Osaka City) JETs, and a bunch more in Osaka-fu, who naturally are called the "foos", and who live in the surrounding areas (sort of like the relationship between Menlo Park and San Francisco). Everyone is pretty much in agreement that the Osaka-shi JETs are some of the luckiest in the country. We live right in the city, we have our rent and travel subsidized so we don't actually pay more to live here than other people pay to live where they are. We also get great ammounts of leave time, and since we are employed by the Board of Education and not a particular school, we move around a lot to varous elementary, junior highs, and high schools. So we have lots of variety and are not stuck with one school and one class. Classes start in another two weeks, so I don't really know what my job is like yet. I'll have to keep you updated when I actually start. Well, I can't think of anything else to write right now. I guess I could describe the food (really really good! And cheap! I swear!) or the nightlife, but I'll save that for another time. Oh, I'll try to send a picture of my apartment as well in a separate email, I can take great picutres from my cell phone (and video..... and it only cost me $40). But I can only send the more low-resolution pictures because the files are so big. Still I'll give it a shot, though the operating manual reads like a Faulkner novel translated into Japanese, run over by a train, set on fire, and then translated back into English by a native speaker of Swahili.
