The Day I became an International Emergency

Anyone who has known me long enough is very aware that I have an extremely hard time of holding on to my property. I have had the "Oh No, I Lost My Glasses" Episode, followed by "Tales of the Missing Camera," "Let's all Search in the Parking Lot for Harp Car" Parts 1, 2, and 3, and "If You Were My IPod, Where Would You Be?" just to name a few of the classics. Well, last week was the first installment of my newest epic "Phone Fun!" It all began a week ago Thursday on an innocent Christmas shopping trip. The last thing I remember was writing a text message while riding the bus and then placing my phone in my purse. Several hours later -- it was gone!!! (the phone, that it is -- though, knowing my track record, I wouldn't be too surprised if I lost a bus or two!) Obviously, the first thing I did was search all my bags and pockets, then I dragged Sarah to the bus station's "Lost and Found" which happened to be closed. Friday not only was a hectic day, but the weather was awful (cold, wet, rainy, windy) and by the end, the last thing I wanted to do was to go splashing through puddles on a quest for the aforementioned missing item. Feeling very depressed, I decided to call (on Sarah's phone) the forces: My LOLs! Saturday found us calling the police, the bus terminal, and taking a wild ride down the streets of Hamamatsu as I attempted to navigate back to every store I had originally visited. At one store, a young man (who was obviously very knowledgeable in all things cellphone) insisted that we shut off the phone. Come to find out, Japanese cellphones have a special bill-paying feature directly connected to one's bank account. So, if someone has the cellphone, they can also get access to one's finances. This information found us scrambling to the closest cellphone store to cut off all power. Come to find out, the feature wasn't on my cellphone, but it scared us enough to put a remote lock on the phone thus blocking all users. That was a week ago.....





Yesterday, when I returned to my school's staff room after teaching, one of the teacher's practically jumped out of his chair to tell me that I had received an "emergency" call from an "Otsuki-san" (one of my LOLs). Someone had returned a cellphone to the police department and it matched my phone's description. However, since it was locked, nobody could check the number to make sure it was my phone. So they wanted to know if I could identify the attached strap. After correctly describing the three monkeys sitting on a bunch of bananas (don't even ask why I have that strap on my phone -- it's a completely different crazy story!) I was informed that, yes, indeed, the phone was mine. However, since the police station is closed on Saturdays and Sundays (I guess one can't commit crimes on the weekends here in Japan) I had to arrive by five! Unfortunately, due to a various events out of either my or my LOLs' control, it was going to be an impossible feat. Therefore, claiming that it was an "International Emergency" my LOLs insisted that the police department remain open till 6 so that I could claim my phone before I leave on Monday for Florida. They must have been very convincing because at the specified time, I was escorted into the police department, with numerous police staring in awe of a blonde walking through their corridors. With much tradition and lots of bowing, my cellphone was returned and soon we were able to easily remove the remote lock. As far as I can tell, nobody used my phone to make any calls during the past week and my bank account is still intact. All in all, it was just one more crazy adventure in the life of the tentmaker (who now just happens to be on the Japanese police's black list!)

Dreams do come true...

Today's School Lunch Menu:

• Broccoli (oh how I love green florets!)
• Potato Sausage soup (no quail eggs, no slimy gray stuff, no seaweed)
• Bunny-shaped apple bread (so cute and so yummy!)
• Chicken leg (Can you believe it!!! A leg for once?????)
• Banana-chocolate crepe (need I say more?)

I'm not sure what exactly possessed the lunch-ladies to serve us a scrumptious menu like this, but I was totally ecstatic (and hope that whatever did, will charm them again). In fact, I wondered for a second if I was actually in Japan (the included hot green tea brought me back into reality!) My kids' opinion, on the other hand.... well, let's just say they said they preferred the day we got unagi (eel) for lunch!

A free unagi (eel) pie to whoever can figure this out!

What is hurenti torst?

Hint: It is one of my student's favorite food.

You know that you are no longer in an individualistic society when...

• the annual medical check is scheduled for you and your peers to attend simultaneously.
• instructions for specimen collection is given to everybody in a group meeting
• you are ushered into a female-only locker room and instructed to change into the medical "pjs" (size LL, I might add) with everyone else
• you are ushered in turn from blood pressure to weight to blood drawing to chest x-ray stations
• you can watch your friends pass out when blood is being drawn
• you wait your turn in the hallway with your pj-decked peers (male and female alike)
• you carry and compare your medical forms from station to station (I'm taller than the boys!!)
• the medical techs. politely refer to you by number (i.e. eighteen-san=Ms. Eighteen) instead of name
• the nurses don't inform you before they lift your shirt and measure your girth (thankfully not in front of your peers!)
• your paperwork states that your medical records WILL be sent to your place of employment

Language Acquisition (AKA: So where are you from?)

Here in Hamamatsu there are 30-some ALTs. What may be surprising to you, is that most are not from the United States. Instead there is quite a random mix of English-speakers. When we all first came here, we enjoyed guessing where each other were from and imitating one-another's accents. I, for one, insisted that I didn't have an accent, but everyone assured me that my "American" accent was really strong. Okay, maybe I am blonde or something, but I had never heard of an "American" accent. Sure I was familiar with the "New York" or the "Southern" or the "Midwestern" accent, but an "American" accent? Realizing that I was outnumbered by Australians, Kiwis, British, and Canadians, I finally resorted to assuming that the American accent must be the one that doesn't sound like anyone else. However, as I have been here longer I have started to pick out the various English accents quite well. Any new person that I meet, I can usually successfully determine what country they are from because of which of my "foreign" friends they sound like. I have also realized that the person on the CD that accompanies my kids' textbooks is American. Words can't describe our accent, but it is becoming quite obvious to me, and, as I recently found out, my students, too. Last week, I showed them video clips I made of 9 different ALTs and asked them to decide which English was the easiest to understand. Hands-down, the one from the US was their top choice, followed by Australia. I guess, they too are slowly starting to decipher the difference between accents. However, on the absolute craziest note, twice this past week I have met some new Americans and both times they have asked me where I am from. Then they stare disbelieving when I say the States. Come to find out, I guess I'm not sounding so American these days! Because most of my contact is with Sarah-kiwi and Scottish-Helen, my speech is changing. Oh, and I have also realized that I am rapidly forgetting English and starting to think in Japlish. So, if you think I talk funny, it's probably true!

Christmas Card Photo-Shoot

What happened next...
Now you will just have to wait to see the what happened first!

****Two weeks and I'm going to be home****

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...

I Love English in Japan (Grocery Store Edition)

At first glance, this might not look like Engrish... ...but what you don't see is the milk, yogurt, cheese, and tofu underneath the sign. (Ah, those pesky l/r mix-ups. It gets them every time!!!)

Karuizawa

Ten years ago, when my dad and I first visited Japan we both stayed with host families. Daddy's host family "Joy" and "Peter" now live in Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture (about 6 hours north by car from Hamamatsu). Karuizawa is a winter ski-haven, summer resort, and home to one of Japan's most well-known missionary language schools. Several weeks ago, I had a chance to visit the area. Here are some of my snapshots. Enjoy!

"Joy" and "Peter" in front of their home

During my trip, "Joy" invited me to join her caroling group (FYI, I'm the tallest, blondest, and only one not wearing the required uniform!)

It was too cold for fall leaves, but too warm for skiing. However, with a bit of strategic snapping, I was able to get a few "fall-looking" photos.

Peter and I in front of a famous waterfall. I have no clue why it's famous!

"Joy" and I eating the world's best ice cream (and I have eaten A LOT of ice cream in my life) in thirty-degree weather! It was delicious and COLD!!!!!!

A local snow-making company's "Illumination" display

I just like this photo!

More strategic photo-snapping

Lunch!

In front of "Crow Castle" -- a four hundred-year-old wooden castle

Thanksgiving

So it looks innocent enough, but it's the stories behind the meal that make it unique.....
Last year my "big" Thanksgiving feast was proceeded by the following direct quote from one of my former elementary school colleagues. "Emily, go to gym. Big fish, cut, cut, cut!" I went to the gym and sure enough there was the largest tuna I have ever seen being sliced, diced, and served raw to the school's staff and students. Needless to say it was a one-in-a-kind "feast" that I didn't ever want to repeat. This year, though, Mommy and Grandma surprised me with a box of Thanksgiving goodies including turkey gravy and cranberry sauce. Well, everyone, I am happy to report that Sarah and I cooked our first Thanksgiving meal. So what if we simmered chicken instead of turkey in the gravy, accidentally hit the "microwave" versus the "oven" button when baking the apple cinnamon muffins, totally forgot about cooking the broccoli, found all the ingredients for a pumpkin pie except pumpkin, and accidentally used "essence of banana" milk in the mashed potatoes. It tasted good!!! (Okay, maybe the potatoes weren't so great, but Sarah maintains that the fruit-flavored spuds were to keep the cranberry sauce from feeling lonely :-)

We were grateful for our food and for the rich blessings of this past year including the new-found ability to read bus maps!