It's butt freezing cold outside but it's beautiful. It's been snowing all day and there's a fluffy layer of snow on the ground.
The good thing about my city is that even though it may be snowing non-stop, there's still sunshine on a daily basis. It makes the walk to school that much better.
Although I'm reveling in the beauty of a winter filled with snow, I can't help but wonder about the few homeless people I met .
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cashing in on love
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day in this country is a whole different ordeal. In Japan, girls give guys candy on Valentine's day. It's kind of like Sadie Hawkins day where you have the chance to profess your love for someone.
However, as in all things in Japan and in love, it's never quite that simple. Valentine's Day is not just a day for couples. There are different kinds of chocolate. And no, I don't mean the amount of cacao the chocolate contains.
Obviously, there's the chocolate you present to your significant other. Then, there are chocolates called tomochoco ("tomo" for friend in Japanese), and last but not least, is my favorite. These chocolates are called girichoco. Giri means obligation. These are the chocolate you're obligated to give to male acquaintances. This includes your boss and other male co-workers, and perhaps male family members.
I was a bit surprised by this Japanese Valentine tradition. It just seems sad that you have to feel obligated to give sweets to people. It's perhaps even more sad for the people receiving it because it becomes a pity gift.
Although I would never turn down a piece of chocolate, I'm sure it doesn't taste as good as it should when the person who gave it to you only did it out of obligation.
On top of all this, I was surprised because I view Japan as a male-dominant society and for females to be the initiators in professing their love seems a bit...out of place. That's why I thought the holiday will be much less celebrated and commercialized as compared to the US.
However, my silly assumption was quickly refuted when my tea lady told me that in Japan, there is a thing called "White Day." White Day is on March 14th. This day is to give the men a chance to give back to the ladies.
If you think Valentine's Day is a very commercial holiday in America, you should come see it in action here. I was at the department store the other day and there were lines and lines of women buying sacks of fancily packaged chocolates. I assume that most of them were buying the girichocos. It's that or maybe they just have many significant others.
All I could think was wow, I'd like to be one of those chocolate manufacturers in Japan right about now.
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Valentine's Day in this country is a whole different ordeal. In Japan, girls give guys candy on Valentine's day. It's kind of like Sadie Hawkins day where you have the chance to profess your love for someone.
However, as in all things in Japan and in love, it's never quite that simple. Valentine's Day is not just a day for couples. There are different kinds of chocolate. And no, I don't mean the amount of cacao the chocolate contains.
Obviously, there's the chocolate you present to your significant other. Then, there are chocolates called tomochoco ("tomo" for friend in Japanese), and last but not least, is my favorite. These chocolates are called girichoco. Giri means obligation. These are the chocolate you're obligated to give to male acquaintances. This includes your boss and other male co-workers, and perhaps male family members.
I was a bit surprised by this Japanese Valentine tradition. It just seems sad that you have to feel obligated to give sweets to people. It's perhaps even more sad for the people receiving it because it becomes a pity gift.
Although I would never turn down a piece of chocolate, I'm sure it doesn't taste as good as it should when the person who gave it to you only did it out of obligation.
On top of all this, I was surprised because I view Japan as a male-dominant society and for females to be the initiators in professing their love seems a bit...out of place. That's why I thought the holiday will be much less celebrated and commercialized as compared to the US.
However, my silly assumption was quickly refuted when my tea lady told me that in Japan, there is a thing called "White Day." White Day is on March 14th. This day is to give the men a chance to give back to the ladies.
If you think Valentine's Day is a very commercial holiday in America, you should come see it in action here. I was at the department store the other day and there were lines and lines of women buying sacks of fancily packaged chocolates. I assume that most of them were buying the girichocos. It's that or maybe they just have many significant others.
All I could think was wow, I'd like to be one of those chocolate manufacturers in Japan right about now.
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Trying for a better understanding
In the last few weeks, I have purposely tried to step out of the routine activities of the typical foreigner in Japan (ie partying every night).
Two recent activities have been especially enlightening.
I started going to a cooking class once a month put on by the Muslim Culture Association of the well-known local university. Each month, they cook Halal food from different countries with a sizable Muslim population. The first month I went, it was Indonesian food, the second Japanese food (not that there is a huge Muslim population in Japan, but I think it was to educate us about what Muslims can eat in the country), and this past weekend, it was Bangladeshi food. The next month will highlight food from Turkmenistan.
I've also started volunteering. There's a group who helps the homeless in the city. I've only been twice and I've already started to doubt the effectiveness of my presence, but it has definitely exposed me to a piece of Japan that I don't think many people here want any foreigners to see.
Two recent activities have been especially enlightening.
I started going to a cooking class once a month put on by the Muslim Culture Association of the well-known local university. Each month, they cook Halal food from different countries with a sizable Muslim population. The first month I went, it was Indonesian food, the second Japanese food (not that there is a huge Muslim population in Japan, but I think it was to educate us about what Muslims can eat in the country), and this past weekend, it was Bangladeshi food. The next month will highlight food from Turkmenistan.
I've also started volunteering. There's a group who helps the homeless in the city. I've only been twice and I've already started to doubt the effectiveness of my presence, but it has definitely exposed me to a piece of Japan that I don't think many people here want any foreigners to see.
Poisonous Gyozas
I finally got a second hand TV! I usually leave it on the background hoping it'll help with my Japanese skills or lack thereof.
However, the big news around all of Japan has been the poisonous gyoza (potstickers) that were sold in the big supermarket chain in Japan called COOP (pronounced "cope" although the origin of the name came from Co-op).
These poisonous gyoza are from...China. There are some people here who suspect that somebody in China intentionally put in the poison. A couple of Japanese people who ate the gyoza were hospitalize and they're recalling all the gyozas of a certain brand sold plus 8 other frozen products from that same line.
From my point of view, this incident (whether or not it's true) further fuels the Japanese's distrust of the Chinese. It's sad.
About a month ago, I had to go teach at the local elementary school. That day, I taught all of the 5th graders in the school. The teacher there wanted me to teach the line, "Where are you from?" and use different countries as examples. I used the US, Canada, Italy, France, China, Japan, and Korea as my examples.
The activity I had the students do involved them each having one card of the above mentioned countries. Then, asking each other, "Where are you from?" Their response will be, obviously, "I am from..." and then the name of the country of the card they were holding. After this exchange, they would exchange cards with each other.
I was walking around and participating in the activity when I observed one pair working together. One had the Canada card and one had the China card. After they exchanged their words, the kid holding the Canada made a big fuss because he was going to receive the China card. He moaned as if he was being given the last pick of the candy from a gigantic jar. I think it bothered me a little bit considering I'm Chinese American. Aside from being annoyed by a 10 year old kid, I was also a little intrigued by what his image of China really is.
The entire world has their eyes on China, watching its every move. I think it is a mixture of amazement, doubt, fear, and curiosity. For me, I also feel a bit of pride. I'm not sure what to make of all this, but inevitably, I know that it affects the way people see me.
However, the big news around all of Japan has been the poisonous gyoza (potstickers) that were sold in the big supermarket chain in Japan called COOP (pronounced "cope" although the origin of the name came from Co-op).
These poisonous gyoza are from...China. There are some people here who suspect that somebody in China intentionally put in the poison. A couple of Japanese people who ate the gyoza were hospitalize and they're recalling all the gyozas of a certain brand sold plus 8 other frozen products from that same line.
From my point of view, this incident (whether or not it's true) further fuels the Japanese's distrust of the Chinese. It's sad.
About a month ago, I had to go teach at the local elementary school. That day, I taught all of the 5th graders in the school. The teacher there wanted me to teach the line, "Where are you from?" and use different countries as examples. I used the US, Canada, Italy, France, China, Japan, and Korea as my examples.
The activity I had the students do involved them each having one card of the above mentioned countries. Then, asking each other, "Where are you from?" Their response will be, obviously, "I am from..." and then the name of the country of the card they were holding. After this exchange, they would exchange cards with each other.
I was walking around and participating in the activity when I observed one pair working together. One had the Canada card and one had the China card. After they exchanged their words, the kid holding the Canada made a big fuss because he was going to receive the China card. He moaned as if he was being given the last pick of the candy from a gigantic jar. I think it bothered me a little bit considering I'm Chinese American. Aside from being annoyed by a 10 year old kid, I was also a little intrigued by what his image of China really is.
The entire world has their eyes on China, watching its every move. I think it is a mixture of amazement, doubt, fear, and curiosity. For me, I also feel a bit of pride. I'm not sure what to make of all this, but inevitably, I know that it affects the way people see me.
Dodgy Internet Services
So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been getting really dodgy internet services. It comes and goes and usually when I need it for anything, it goes.
I think the guy I'm smooching internet off of is on to me and has had enough. Or maybe because two new families moved into the newly built house across the street and they're also smooching internet.
Who knows?
Who cares, really?
I just want reliable internet in the comforts of my own home....for free.
I think the guy I'm smooching internet off of is on to me and has had enough. Or maybe because two new families moved into the newly built house across the street and they're also smooching internet.
Who knows?
Who cares, really?
I just want reliable internet in the comforts of my own home....for free.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Tragic Accident
I found out yesterday that a friend, a fellow English teacher here, felt dizzy while waiting for the subway over the weekend. She fainted and then fell down on the tracks. She was hit by an oncoming train and her right leg was severed while her left one was injured severely. Thankfully, she's alive.
When I first got the news through an email, I was really shocked. My hands went cold and I started shaking. I can't stop thinking about how her life will be changed by all this. I feel really sad and frustrated that I have no power to reverse what has happened.
Since hearing the news, I've been in a daze (as are other teachers) and I keep hoping that when I open my eyes the next morning, this'd all just be a bad dream.
Sigh...other than that I'm ok though, so no need to worry about me.
When I first got the news through an email, I was really shocked. My hands went cold and I started shaking. I can't stop thinking about how her life will be changed by all this. I feel really sad and frustrated that I have no power to reverse what has happened.
Since hearing the news, I've been in a daze (as are other teachers) and I keep hoping that when I open my eyes the next morning, this'd all just be a bad dream.
Sigh...other than that I'm ok though, so no need to worry about me.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Back in Action
Happy New Year!
For those who may not know, I spent two weeks away from Japan during winter break. I went to Hong Kong to visit my mom's side of the family and also skipped to Taiwan for a couple of days.
Initially, when I told my mom that I was gonna be in Hong Kong for the holidays, she and my dad also bought a ticket so that they could join me there. So, needless to say, it was a pretty sweet vacation. I got to get away to a warm place, I got to see my family, and got to go on a side trip to Taiwan! Life couldn't have been any better...which is perhaps the reason why I'm feeling a bit like crap now that I'm back in Japan.
Maybe it's the culture shock finally setting in. Aside from being constantly "almost sick" from the cold weather, I also feel a physical fatigue from not being able to communicate with people and always having to explain to people why an Asian looking person like myself cannot speak Japanese in Japan.
And on days like today where I don't have any classes, it gets extra boring. I sit in the staff room with my brain rotting away and trying desperately not to fall asleep at my desk. I realized that the thing that keeps me excited about going to school is the students and not having classes just suck. Big time.
To top it off, tomorrow will be yet another dreadful day because it's Tuesday. On Tuesdays, I teach 4 classes. Three of them are 3rd grade junior high classes. When I ask the English teacher how I should prepare for those classes, she tells me that "anything is ok."
For most other ALTs (assistant language teachers), hearing that is like winning lottery. Most ALTs complain about being used as a "human tape recorder" to read excerpts from the text book and never getting any freedom to do anything creative. So, being told "anything is ok" by an English teacher is considered the ultimate prize.
However, I feel lost. I want to know how my lessons contribute to the overall English curriculum. I want to provide some sort of coherent lesson to the students where one class is related to the one before it and the one after. I want these students to leave the class feeling like they've learned something and that their time was not wasted. These classes feel like such an experiment on my part and I feel bad when I think students walk away not learning a thing. Sigh.
If you are still reading up until this point, perhaps you like to hear me sulk because that's not the worst of it. Aside from having three experimentational classes, I also teach English to a special education class.
There are only three male students in that class, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
The oldest of the three is grumpy all the time and likes to throw tantrums. He constantly reminds me how many minutes of class is left. He's really good at puzzles and seems to enjoy them. It's that or he's hoping that it'll make class go by faster.
The second kid is lost in space for the majority of the class. It's really difficult trying to get him to participate in any activity. Sometimes he replies in a high pitched shrilly voice and I wonder if he's simply just trying to mock me.
The third student doesn't even seem to "special ed" to me. He likes to mumble to himself every so often, but overall, he's the most engaged one of the three. Initially, I tried my hardest to teach them useful English like days of the week, names of the months, and etc. But that all fell to pieces by the time I got to "March." They decided it was useless to remember any of that and put their heads down on the table. How else do you learn these things aside from memorization?
Anyway, it's too much complaining. All in all, I still enjoy my time here very much. Just wish I had a bit more professional guidance.
For those who may not know, I spent two weeks away from Japan during winter break. I went to Hong Kong to visit my mom's side of the family and also skipped to Taiwan for a couple of days.
Initially, when I told my mom that I was gonna be in Hong Kong for the holidays, she and my dad also bought a ticket so that they could join me there. So, needless to say, it was a pretty sweet vacation. I got to get away to a warm place, I got to see my family, and got to go on a side trip to Taiwan! Life couldn't have been any better...which is perhaps the reason why I'm feeling a bit like crap now that I'm back in Japan.
Maybe it's the culture shock finally setting in. Aside from being constantly "almost sick" from the cold weather, I also feel a physical fatigue from not being able to communicate with people and always having to explain to people why an Asian looking person like myself cannot speak Japanese in Japan.
And on days like today where I don't have any classes, it gets extra boring. I sit in the staff room with my brain rotting away and trying desperately not to fall asleep at my desk. I realized that the thing that keeps me excited about going to school is the students and not having classes just suck. Big time.
To top it off, tomorrow will be yet another dreadful day because it's Tuesday. On Tuesdays, I teach 4 classes. Three of them are 3rd grade junior high classes. When I ask the English teacher how I should prepare for those classes, she tells me that "anything is ok."
For most other ALTs (assistant language teachers), hearing that is like winning lottery. Most ALTs complain about being used as a "human tape recorder" to read excerpts from the text book and never getting any freedom to do anything creative. So, being told "anything is ok" by an English teacher is considered the ultimate prize.
However, I feel lost. I want to know how my lessons contribute to the overall English curriculum. I want to provide some sort of coherent lesson to the students where one class is related to the one before it and the one after. I want these students to leave the class feeling like they've learned something and that their time was not wasted. These classes feel like such an experiment on my part and I feel bad when I think students walk away not learning a thing. Sigh.
If you are still reading up until this point, perhaps you like to hear me sulk because that's not the worst of it. Aside from having three experimentational classes, I also teach English to a special education class.
There are only three male students in that class, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
The oldest of the three is grumpy all the time and likes to throw tantrums. He constantly reminds me how many minutes of class is left. He's really good at puzzles and seems to enjoy them. It's that or he's hoping that it'll make class go by faster.
The second kid is lost in space for the majority of the class. It's really difficult trying to get him to participate in any activity. Sometimes he replies in a high pitched shrilly voice and I wonder if he's simply just trying to mock me.
The third student doesn't even seem to "special ed" to me. He likes to mumble to himself every so often, but overall, he's the most engaged one of the three. Initially, I tried my hardest to teach them useful English like days of the week, names of the months, and etc. But that all fell to pieces by the time I got to "March." They decided it was useless to remember any of that and put their heads down on the table. How else do you learn these things aside from memorization?
Anyway, it's too much complaining. All in all, I still enjoy my time here very much. Just wish I had a bit more professional guidance.
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