Imagine, if you will, the school gym. All of the students are here, sitting on the floor in rows according to grade, class, and gender, and all of the teachers are standing beside or behind them. Everyone has just finished singing the school song before sitting down, and the principal has gone up onto the stage to address everyone for the closing of the school year. You look around and are impressed by the seriousness of it, the students all in their uniforms, and the teachers garbed in their finest business attire.
Until you look down and realize that all of the teachers have basketball shoes on.
This is something that never fails to make me smile. People don't generally have "nice" inside shoes to go along with their normal casual ones, and they certainly don't generally have two pairs of gym shoes (which are different), which leads to all sorts of interesting footware combinations when circumstances dictate that a higher level of dress is required. I have seen special exception taken only once, for the graduation ceremony that just recently happened, but that is it.
While the suit + basketball style brings a smile to my face and I wish that it would catch on more in the US, it didn't really serve to change the mood from a solemn one this past Wednesday for the closing ceremony, because it was also the farewell ceremony for the teachers that would be leaving.
The school year in Japan runs from April to March, and generally teachers are moved between schools every three or four years. Teachers that graduate with their teaching degree but have yet to pass the wicked hard prefectural exams have a maximum of one year to work at each school, after which they have to wait to see if any openings appear.
Between those two factors, Oshima Junior High said farewell to 11 teachers on Monday, almost half of our total staff. Included in that group is Kita-sensei, one of the English teachers that I work with, and our vice-principal, who is just pretty great. Umino-sensei, Nagao-sensei, and Matsuo-sensei, three out of five of the third grade teachers that I sit and have become really close to, are leaving as well.
It was pretty easy then to relate to the students who were crying as all of the teachers made their farewell speaches. Afterwards each teacher was presented with a bouquet of flowers by one of the students that they had developed a close relationship too. It was a really nice moment, but really sad too.
You might think that having to rotate so often would make it just another part of the job, but it's just not like that. Almost everyone up on that stage had tears in their eyes, even the guy who is always joking. There were a few dry eyes I guess, but they were not the majority.
It is hypocritical to not want them to leave, because I will eventually do the same, especially since it is not their choice. I do it anyway. Apparently the new teachers are all announced, and the new office manager was even in today to learn how everything works. I've heard that the new English teacher really loves ping pong. We shall see.
Meanwhile everyone helps the old teachers with the moving out process: cleaning, carrying, stuff like that. One of the good things about the rotation being a regular part of the Japanese school system is that there is an established process for it, much like the rest of Japanese culture, and everyone knows what is going to happen and what they are supposed to do.
Unless, of course, you've never done it before and miss the first day of move-out help because of a miscommunication. Dammit! Sorry Nagao-sensei.
frustrated love from the future,
-greg.
ps: i recently got some more new (old) pictures up. old cause they are from when i went to Nara with Alice... in november. i will catch up eventually. (flickr)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
a precursor [2008.03.19]
The third year junior high school students graduated yesterday, but I'm not going to talk about that really right now, or rather I am not going to talk about the whole of it.
You see, the mother of one of my students was waiting at the entrance of school yesterday to give all of the teachers a little piece of cake that she had made, nicely wrapped in individual little bags. This in itself is really sweet, but the way she wrapped it carried with it the typical Japanese attention to detail, especially when it comes to presents.
Now, there is a whole subset of humor devoted to making fun of the Japanese use of English (aka "Engrish"), often with pretty good reason. English is used because it's different, and exotic, and often gets pretty butchered in the process. This was not one of those instances.
flickr
Maybe it had to do with the overall tone and character of the day, but it just struck me as simple and beautiful.
proud, happy, sad, but mostly full of (future) love,
-greg.
ps: the cake was also yummy, which is a nice bonus.
You see, the mother of one of my students was waiting at the entrance of school yesterday to give all of the teachers a little piece of cake that she had made, nicely wrapped in individual little bags. This in itself is really sweet, but the way she wrapped it carried with it the typical Japanese attention to detail, especially when it comes to presents.
Now, there is a whole subset of humor devoted to making fun of the Japanese use of English (aka "Engrish"), often with pretty good reason. English is used because it's different, and exotic, and often gets pretty butchered in the process. This was not one of those instances.
flickr
Maybe it had to do with the overall tone and character of the day, but it just struck me as simple and beautiful.
proud, happy, sad, but mostly full of (future) love,
-greg.
ps: the cake was also yummy, which is a nice bonus.
Monday, March 17, 2008
the stage is set, the green flag drops! [2008.03.13]
All right, basically only my brother will get that subject line reference (and even he might have forgotten by now), but I figure by this point I have made enough obscure references that it's pretty much par for the course, so I hope that I can be excused.
This particular missive does not concern automobile racing (as the subject may or may not suggest); no the meat of the matter lies in a far different sort of competition, one that I am a bit overdue in elaborating on. I am of course talking about the Saikai City 3rd Annual Table Tennis Tournament. I would also like to note that Saikai City has only existed for about three years.
So it was that the Oshima Club piled into three cars rolled out at 8am on a Sunday morning to make our way to the hallowed battleground that would bear witness to this, Saikai's Day of Reckoning. We arrived at Seihi Town's Tulip Arena a short time later and surveyed the field.
I don't know about everyone else, but I was certainly impressed by the set-up. There were a dozen tables set up inside of what looked like a basketball gym, although for the life of me I couldn't find where the hoops had gone too. They certainly weren't hanging from the ceiling. We warmed up a little, and then everyone started to get ready for the main event. I knew that my comrades were serious, but even I was surprised when many of them pulled off their windbreakers to reveal jersey's with either complementary or matching colors. It was on like Voltron baby.
Obviously I lost my first match.
Oh, my second one too, knocking me out in the first round and pretty out of any ping pong until after lunch, though I didn't realize that I would have more opportunities to play later. That doesn't mean that I had nothing to do though, as the loser keeps score for the next match, and I had plenty of my friends' matches to watch.
Unfortunately they all pretty much lost too, even the crazy old sensei who is wicked good. Eh?! Two of our guys did redeem our club though, making it through the first round, with one even going on to finish third overall. Still though, it was kind of nuts.
It gets even better when one takes into account our opponents. While there were a few local clubs in attendance, as well as maybe one or two high school and college teams, the vast majority of competitors there were junior high school students. Let me tell you, these kids were freaking wicked. You'd have to practice two or three hours a day for at least a year or two to get that good, preferably with a coach. Oh, well, I guess they do, which maybe explains it a little, but still, just wicked good.
The only thing that kind of got to me were a few of the kids that were just bad sports yelling "yes" or "good" in Japanese after every point and stuff like that. There was one girl in particular who had possibly the most annoyingly high-pitched voice that I have yet heard, so that no matter where I was it reached me. Even more unfortunately, she used it to say yell "lucky" or "don't mind" any time her opponent, or her friends' opponents, got a point. Oh man.
That was a minor thing though, and overall the day was glorious, even though my random junior high partner and I lost in the first doubles round and I got whomped by all the old man in the "large ball" round robin tournament. When I started the day I set two goals: win a game and no shutouts. Well, in doubles we did win our first game of the match, but let's just say it was pretty tough going keeping up with that second goal in large ball.
Of course afterwards Oshima Club all got together for a big dinner party. I love my Oshima Club. Rock!
On (another) completely unrelated note (this is becoming an odd habit), you should go watch this little video that my Aunt Kirsten sent me. It's about this group of guys that drove this crappy little plastic Eastern European communist-era cars across half the world to raise money for orphans in Cambodia. Check it out:
trabant trek on cnn
still full of ping pong love for the foreseeable future,
-greg.
ps: holy craaaap that was long, sorry.
This particular missive does not concern automobile racing (as the subject may or may not suggest); no the meat of the matter lies in a far different sort of competition, one that I am a bit overdue in elaborating on. I am of course talking about the Saikai City 3rd Annual Table Tennis Tournament. I would also like to note that Saikai City has only existed for about three years.
So it was that the Oshima Club piled into three cars rolled out at 8am on a Sunday morning to make our way to the hallowed battleground that would bear witness to this, Saikai's Day of Reckoning. We arrived at Seihi Town's Tulip Arena a short time later and surveyed the field.
I don't know about everyone else, but I was certainly impressed by the set-up. There were a dozen tables set up inside of what looked like a basketball gym, although for the life of me I couldn't find where the hoops had gone too. They certainly weren't hanging from the ceiling. We warmed up a little, and then everyone started to get ready for the main event. I knew that my comrades were serious, but even I was surprised when many of them pulled off their windbreakers to reveal jersey's with either complementary or matching colors. It was on like Voltron baby.
Obviously I lost my first match.
Oh, my second one too, knocking me out in the first round and pretty out of any ping pong until after lunch, though I didn't realize that I would have more opportunities to play later. That doesn't mean that I had nothing to do though, as the loser keeps score for the next match, and I had plenty of my friends' matches to watch.
Unfortunately they all pretty much lost too, even the crazy old sensei who is wicked good. Eh?! Two of our guys did redeem our club though, making it through the first round, with one even going on to finish third overall. Still though, it was kind of nuts.
It gets even better when one takes into account our opponents. While there were a few local clubs in attendance, as well as maybe one or two high school and college teams, the vast majority of competitors there were junior high school students. Let me tell you, these kids were freaking wicked. You'd have to practice two or three hours a day for at least a year or two to get that good, preferably with a coach. Oh, well, I guess they do, which maybe explains it a little, but still, just wicked good.
The only thing that kind of got to me were a few of the kids that were just bad sports yelling "yes" or "good" in Japanese after every point and stuff like that. There was one girl in particular who had possibly the most annoyingly high-pitched voice that I have yet heard, so that no matter where I was it reached me. Even more unfortunately, she used it to say yell "lucky" or "don't mind" any time her opponent, or her friends' opponents, got a point. Oh man.
That was a minor thing though, and overall the day was glorious, even though my random junior high partner and I lost in the first doubles round and I got whomped by all the old man in the "large ball" round robin tournament. When I started the day I set two goals: win a game and no shutouts. Well, in doubles we did win our first game of the match, but let's just say it was pretty tough going keeping up with that second goal in large ball.
Of course afterwards Oshima Club all got together for a big dinner party. I love my Oshima Club. Rock!
On (another) completely unrelated note (this is becoming an odd habit), you should go watch this little video that my Aunt Kirsten sent me. It's about this group of guys that drove this crappy little plastic Eastern European communist-era cars across half the world to raise money for orphans in Cambodia. Check it out:
trabant trek on cnn
still full of ping pong love for the foreseeable future,
-greg.
ps: holy craaaap that was long, sorry.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
a watershed moment [2008.03.12]
Today I realized just how long I'd been in Japan, and it had nothing to do with the impending end of the school year / graduation craziness.
No, my revelation was prompted by something rather removed from the ceremony and life changes facing my third year junior high students. I found the truth staring up at my from my lunch tray, tiny eyes fixed within the crunchy confines of its miniature body.
Yep, we had the little crunchy fish for lunch today (kozakana / 小魚, literally "little fish"). Our phenomenal school lunch center rotates them in every once in a while, and although that fact in itself does nothing to diminish my praise for them, I still inwardly groaned a little when I saw the kindergarten teacher scooping it onto everyone's rice. Perhaps a visual reminder will help you to remember why I would groan:
She even threw some extra on there for me. Ha. I was not daunted though, having decided pretty much upon arrival that no matter what they put in front of me I would eat it all. Paying for it would be enough of a reason, but I will pretty much try anything at least once and in the case of eating in school I also feel like I should set an example, especially at the kindergarten. So I grabbed my chopsticks, snatched a pile of the little buggers, and went to work.
The damned thing about it though... I liked it. They tasted good to me. I enjoyed it, even.
What is this place doing to me?
Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.
extra crunchy future love,
-greg.
No, my revelation was prompted by something rather removed from the ceremony and life changes facing my third year junior high students. I found the truth staring up at my from my lunch tray, tiny eyes fixed within the crunchy confines of its miniature body.
Yep, we had the little crunchy fish for lunch today (kozakana / 小魚, literally "little fish"). Our phenomenal school lunch center rotates them in every once in a while, and although that fact in itself does nothing to diminish my praise for them, I still inwardly groaned a little when I saw the kindergarten teacher scooping it onto everyone's rice. Perhaps a visual reminder will help you to remember why I would groan:
She even threw some extra on there for me. Ha. I was not daunted though, having decided pretty much upon arrival that no matter what they put in front of me I would eat it all. Paying for it would be enough of a reason, but I will pretty much try anything at least once and in the case of eating in school I also feel like I should set an example, especially at the kindergarten. So I grabbed my chopsticks, snatched a pile of the little buggers, and went to work.
The damned thing about it though... I liked it. They tasted good to me. I enjoyed it, even.
What is this place doing to me?
Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.
extra crunchy future love,
-greg.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
driving miss daisy? [2008.03.08]
Today I drove down to Nagasaki to buy some used books from another JET that had posted them for sale on the email list. You might ask yourself what possessed me to drive nearly an hour and a half to the city, on single lane roads and itty-bitty side streets, just to pick up some books. Well even if the books weren't of the really interesting type (including a Korean phrasebook, woo!), today it would have been worth it for the drive alone.
I'd caught the hint of spring hiding about before, but today was the first day that it actually stepped out and said "hey!" Cool enough to need a light jacket, but with the sun was shining enough for me to be able to roll down the windows and really enjoy it. Trees are beginning to bud everywhere, garden shops and front steps are packed with flowers, and even on my way out of the neighborhood I'm greeted by a long row of clover lining the road with big ole yellow flowers in full bloom.
Of course, the coming of spring is synonymous with the blossoming of the Japanese cherry trees, which has yet to occur. Everyone with a TV should be readily apprised of that event though, as there are forecasts every night on the news, chronicling the northern movements of the "cherry blossom front", the wave of the blossom's first blooms.
Unfortunately spring also heralds the end of the school year here in Japan, which runs from April to March, which means that very shortly I will be saying goodbye all of my third year junior high students. My older kindergarteners will be moving up to elementary school, which means I go from seeing them once a week to maybe once every month or so if I'm lucky.
Japanese teachers rotate every few years or so as well, so that adds even more people to say goodbye to, including some of the teachers that I have grown the closest to.
Basically I can frolic and be merry in the lovely springtime weather I just can't do it with all of the people that I have grown to know and love thus far.
On a completely unrelated note, I was also visited by two guys who wanted wanted to talk to me about Jesus Christ. I feel like that would not happen anywhere else in Japan except for Nagasaki, for historical reasons the only prefecture with Christian influence in its history. Their material also apparently comes from the "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society" out of Pennsylvania. A little touch of home almost?
tired "ephemeral nature of life" cherry blossom cliché from the future,
-greg.
I'd caught the hint of spring hiding about before, but today was the first day that it actually stepped out and said "hey!" Cool enough to need a light jacket, but with the sun was shining enough for me to be able to roll down the windows and really enjoy it. Trees are beginning to bud everywhere, garden shops and front steps are packed with flowers, and even on my way out of the neighborhood I'm greeted by a long row of clover lining the road with big ole yellow flowers in full bloom.
Of course, the coming of spring is synonymous with the blossoming of the Japanese cherry trees, which has yet to occur. Everyone with a TV should be readily apprised of that event though, as there are forecasts every night on the news, chronicling the northern movements of the "cherry blossom front", the wave of the blossom's first blooms.
Unfortunately spring also heralds the end of the school year here in Japan, which runs from April to March, which means that very shortly I will be saying goodbye all of my third year junior high students. My older kindergarteners will be moving up to elementary school, which means I go from seeing them once a week to maybe once every month or so if I'm lucky.
Japanese teachers rotate every few years or so as well, so that adds even more people to say goodbye to, including some of the teachers that I have grown the closest to.
Basically I can frolic and be merry in the lovely springtime weather I just can't do it with all of the people that I have grown to know and love thus far.
On a completely unrelated note, I was also visited by two guys who wanted wanted to talk to me about Jesus Christ. I feel like that would not happen anywhere else in Japan except for Nagasaki, for historical reasons the only prefecture with Christian influence in its history. Their material also apparently comes from the "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society" out of Pennsylvania. A little touch of home almost?
tired "ephemeral nature of life" cherry blossom cliché from the future,
-greg.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
ill tidings born on the breeze [2008.03.04]
Yesterday morning I opened the door to go to work and was greeted by a strange sort of haze, giving the daylight this strange sort of suffused quality. I looked up as I was going down the steps from my apartment and saw the sun trying to shine through but only half-succeeding, to the point that I could look at it without much more discomfort than staring into a normal household incandescent bulb.
This seemed kind of strange to me but I didn't really give it any more thought, not even when I got in my car and found it much dirtier than it normally would be. I park near a tree though, so I figured that was it.
Actually I didn't really know what was going on until after I had been at work for a bit when Nagao-sensei started talking to me about "yellow sand" from China and pointing outside. I was extra confused until he pointed at me and made a coughing sound, which made me realize that the "yellow sand from China" had actually been blown to Oshima from I guess whatever desert in China would make that geographically feasible.
I just thought that was kind of nuts though, that the wind picked up these huge quantities of sand from China, carried it over the East China Sea, and the proceeded to dump it on Oshima, causing the aforementioned strange solar effects. Even worse, poor Nagao-sensei had just washed his car the day before. Damn. It's certainly something I didn't have to think about back in New Jersey, anyway.
eerily filtered future love,
-greg.
This seemed kind of strange to me but I didn't really give it any more thought, not even when I got in my car and found it much dirtier than it normally would be. I park near a tree though, so I figured that was it.
Actually I didn't really know what was going on until after I had been at work for a bit when Nagao-sensei started talking to me about "yellow sand" from China and pointing outside. I was extra confused until he pointed at me and made a coughing sound, which made me realize that the "yellow sand from China" had actually been blown to Oshima from I guess whatever desert in China would make that geographically feasible.
I just thought that was kind of nuts though, that the wind picked up these huge quantities of sand from China, carried it over the East China Sea, and the proceeded to dump it on Oshima, causing the aforementioned strange solar effects. Even worse, poor Nagao-sensei had just washed his car the day before. Damn. It's certainly something I didn't have to think about back in New Jersey, anyway.
eerily filtered future love,
-greg.
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