Keeping clean

In class today, I shared pieces of my trip to Thailand with my students. I impressed them with wild tales of elephants, photos of Muai Thai boxing and the allure of delicious curry. When I was finished with the presentation part and moving towards the Q and A, I told my students that I had a lot of fun and asked, “Would you like to go to Thailand?” I got a lot of blank stares and asked again, knowing that we had just recently covered the section on “want” in English.  After continued blank stares, I asked my Japanese team teacher to translate the question.  Still, no students raised their hand.  I had to ask, “Why?!” The teacher explained that they thought Thailand was dirty.  That’s right.  A whole classroom full of young Japanese teenagers had no interest in traveling to Thailand because they think it’s a filthy pit.

It’s funny to me because so many Japanese people have told me that they’re really envious of my trip.  They just wish they had the time or money to go.  At the same time, I hear of teachers at my schools that paid the same amount that I paid for my Thailand trip to go on a vacation to Tokyo Disneyland. There’s a part of people here that seems to enjoy the “outside world” but it’s not a place that many  want to actively explore. I realize how generalized that comment is but if you think about the very nature of my job, I’m here to “internationalize” my students.  The definitions of that word are varied but basically, I’m supposed to open little minds to the glory of the greater world.  So much for that lesson.

Aside from that, I figured you’d want an update on the chill factor here.  It was about 35 degrees here today and I was freezing.  Now, I’m sure my lovely Duluthian heroes are thinking “blah blah WIND CHILL blah blah blah” but my discomfort was based on the fact that in the 35 degree sunny day, I was teaching in a class that had the windows wide open.  Luckily, they sell little heater packs to shove underneath your clothes and I promptly run home after work and tuck under my heated kotatsu table.  I keep mentioning the elements but I am still baffled at the level of endurance that these kids have to go through just to overcome one day of school.

I have had a bit of a change of heart since coming back from my winter vacation.  Japan is feeling a little isolated and stiff for me at the moment. I may shake the feeling but it’s very possible that I’ll decide to just do one year.  The decision has to be made by February 10th so I may just flip a yen and see what it decides for me.  I will say, however, that if I’d known this was my last year, I would have gone to a whole lot more of those naked men festivals I keep hearing about.

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Naked Men or Martial Arts

Instead of going to the “Naked Man Festival” today, I decided to go to aikido.  Bad decision.  Let me explain what these things are and some of my rationale.

The Naked Man Festival has been going on in Japan for about 850 years.  Basically, men strip down to a type of sumo-like undergarment and try to grapple for a bit of hay while having ice cold water thrown on them.  Add taiko drumming, beer, fried meats and you’ve got yourself a party.

Since coming to Japan almost six months ago, I’ve been to so many drunken festivals that I decided to let this one be.  Instead, I chose to stay in, read some books and wait for an evening aikido class.

I’ve been looking for the perfect Japan-specific hobby.  I like to be active and so I thought I’d try some martial arts.  There is a kyudo range by my house and a man in my office that’s willing to teach, however, the art of the bow isn’t too interesting to me.  You spend months just learning how to draw your bow before you can even shoot something.

I spent most of my time in aikido tonight hoping that it would end soon.  The majority of the class was spent in seiza, which is a sitting technique practiced in many traditional situations in Japan.  Basically, it’s where you sit on your feet in the kneeling position.  It doesn’t sound too bad until you do it for an entire minute.  After two minutes pass, you wonder how your dead legs might unravel and support you for the following lunge and chop moves.

Most of aikido was spent on my knees and tumbling down to the ground.  The goal is to take your opponent down without using the physical strength of your body but, rather, the energy of your own force counterbalanced by your opponents force. Instead of working off those holiday pounds, I feel that that I just gained a lot of painful bruises and tender spots.

Well, I tried. Not sure if I’ll go back.   There seems to be something very determined and sacrificing about martial arts here.  I’m not sure of the end goals but there is a lot of suffering along the way! The head teacher asked me to come back next week but maybe I’ll find an excuse in order to get out of it.  Anyone know of some drunk fest I can attend?

 

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Back in the swing of things

Today felt like a fairly normal day.  I taught a few classes, graded a few exams and then came the end-o-day fire drill.  That is what it was called on my schedule, at least.  I shuffled off to the gym with the rest of the school and sat in the cold gym waiting for the speaker.  What ensued was a presentation of how to hold off a crazy person with a chair if they happen to be coming at you with a knife.  Apparently, there is a phenomenon of crazed former students coming to attack the school and this preparation was supposed to ensure the safety of current students, should the situation arise.

Just as I was thinking of how entirely crazy this was (to the degree that I really wished I had a camera for the fake chair vs. knife fight) I thought of Columbine.  I suppose the availability of guns and school shootings’ of the last few decades are crazy as can be, as well.

Another interesting thing that I have noticed since coming back from break is a particularly dutiful group of girls that come to do favors for a particular teacher.  They are extra polite and profuse with their bows. Still, this teacher gives them the hardest, meanest glare every time they show up to the teachers office.  It goes like this:

Students show up at teachers office and say something along the lines of “Excuse me, we are intruding.  Can we ask for Ms. Sakamoto Sensei, please?”

Sakamoto Sensei:  Continues with her work for a good 30 seconds. Turns towards students. Finally looks at the group of girls. HARD glare and a sideways tilt of the head.  Waits a good minute before giving them a brief response that probably translates to “Yeah, what is it?”

So, I asked another teacher who is younger than I and more interested in beers than teaching.  I can trust her to give me the real answers, which can be a rare thing here.  She says that they are probably part of a sports team or club.  One of the members did something bad so the team all has to repent for this “bad” deed. I am so curious about what this could be but my beer loving friend says that I shouldn’t ask. I would put my life on the line to bet that it doesn’t have to do with a knife fight or even cigarettes.  It could have been something as simple as talking too loud during cleaning time.

After school, my evening was jam packed with English.  I went to a neighbors house to correct an email in English.  Then, I met up with a local woman to have English/Japanese conversation practice.  After that, I led an English group that has been meeting and speaking English once a week for 15 years.  This means that my fridge is packed full of fruits and veggies.  A fair payment for a simple task.  I hate to brag but, I’m pretty much fluent with English so it’s no big thing.

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Monkeys, Snakes and Elephants – Oh my!!!

After being in warm, smiley Thailand for about two weeks, I’m finding it tough to settle back into Japan. I got into my apartment late last night and was welcomed by a sour smell from something that was proliferating in the garbage and the sight of my breath billowing into the darkness.

I got everything that I wanted out of my vacation. It was great to see Nick after having him gallivanting in Thailand for a month before my arrival. We stayed in Bangkok for a few nights at the beginning of the trip and saw the worlds largest open air market, bugs for sale to eat including cockroaches and crickets, many men dressed as beautiful ladies and, of course, plenty of coconuts with straws to ensure that I was truly on vacation.

We spent the next week in Phuket, an island in southern Thailand, with other English teachers from Jamaica that live here in Kumamoto. The thing about traveling is that you have to be careful of recommendations online.  For instance, you may read about a “peaceful beach, packed with fun, also clean and friendly” which actually might translate to, “tourist dump with cheesy beach parties bumping top 40 hits from America.” But all of this is so difficult to figure out until you actually get there.  We spent a day on a boat, which was a nice reprieve from the drunk Aussie-fest on the main island. Here, we snorkeled in jellyfish waters and kayaked to Monkey Beach to spy some primates who came down from the rocks to eat snacks from onlookers.

Chiang Mai, in the northern forests of Thailand, by Burma, was our last and favorite stop.  It was also far cheaper. For instance, an hour Thai massage and a curry dinner total about $15 in southern Thailand, in northern Thailand they are about $7.  On top of that, there are amazing golden temples abound in Chiang Mai.  In fact, over 95% of Thais are Buddhist.  The last two days were packed.  We went to a Muay Thai fight which was absolutely brutal.  I boxed for a couple of years but that was nothing compared to these fights. Muay Thai fights are devoid of headgear and consist of some raw, hard kicks and elbows to the ribs. On our last day, we went whitewater rafting, rode elephants through the forest, and bought crafts from the “longneck” ladies who are refugees from Burma and have tall necks that are stretched with brass rings.

I admit that I found it hard to reserve some of my judgement while in Thailand.  Every slightly balding man over 50 was arm-in-arm with a beautiful, young Thai lady. I assumed that they didn’t share mutual respect and a desire to truly know one another.  Which is wrong of me.  But seriously.  EVERY old white man, I’m not kidding you. Well, I’m back in Japan now, so the old white man/ young Asian woman phenomenon is not gone, but for some reason, is far less prevalent than in Thailand.

Coming from the warm weather and the comfortable openness that can only come from a country full of peaceful monks, it will take a minute to adjust here. I will make my final decision about staying a second year or not in February. I’m leading towards staying but it’s not all thrills and balloons here, people. Nick is here for another three months and is questioning whether he can hop the boarder and come back to Japan for round three in the summer.  Being in the countryside alone sounds like unnecessary torture but the job is still paying me and teaching me new lessons…so this August may be too early to wrap up shop here in Asia.

That’s all for now. Hope you had a roasty toasty holiday time. Photos coming soon : )

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