Christmas!

So, I had way too much fun at home during the holidays to think about taking pictures. However, I managed to collect a few from fellow photographers. Here are several of my favorites.

Aren't we cute!!! All five of us!!!

(Yes, there are five. I'm sure Bitty Boo is smiling in Erin's tummy :-)

I'm not sure who had more fun with Clara's Christmas present...

Don't you just love Clara's look of sheer delight??

It was so wonderful having the opportunity to play with her all day every day (even if she did wake me up every morning at 7:15 with "Emmy sleeping? Emmy gonna get you?"!!)

After Christmas I had the wonderful opportunity to fly to Durham, NC to see my dear friend Allie and my newest niece Madeline Ellyse. Don't you just love her middle name?

成人式 Coming of Age Day

Tomorrow Seijin no Hi or "Coming of Age Day" in Japan. It is a celebration for all the youth who had turned twenty in the previous year. They return to their hometown and celebrate with their junior high school peers. In all actuality, the occasion is like a large class reunion since the young adults' former 6th grade elementary school teachers and 3rd grade junior high school teachers are also invited to attend. My vice principal's younger daughter's ceremony was today and so she invited me to come along. Other than the twenty-year-olds, there were only a few mothers and a group of public officials in attendance. Needless to say, I stuck-out. Come to find out, the ceremony really isn't open to lots of people and my vice principal had to get special permission for me to attend. Below are some pictures I snapped. The girls' kimono, known as furisode, are the most formal style since they have long sleeves. They are made from silk, have multiple layers and require a professional dresser to put them on. A nice rental one can cost anywhere from $1000 up so one can only imagine what a new one would cost! Most of the boys wore suits and ties though a few wore hakama the traditional Japanese male dress wear.

The guy in the middle of the picture is wearing a hakama. Like a kimono on top, it has billowy pants on the bottom
The people wearing "western-styled" wear are some of the students former teachers

A close up of some of the gorgeous kimonos and fancy hairstyles

My vice principal and her daughter.

They both have really nice smiles, I guess just not for cameras!

Yep, I'm Back in Japan

So, my plan tonight was to post my Christmas holiday pictures... However, in one of my more brilliant moves, I accidentally left all of my photos at school (which, all things considered, isn't half as bad as calling my Japanese teacher a vegetable to his wife's face). Anywho, you are just going to have to wait for more posts (but since you now have so much free time, maybe you can help me Google polite Japanese expressions of apology :-) Until then, enjoy the below "only in Japan" photo I snapped with my cellphone.

Little bottle of water = 110 yen

Big bottle of water = 110 yen

*Well, you could say it's two for the price of one!*

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!

In the past 24 hours I have...

• ...participated in a relaxation course with my fellow teachers.
• ...woke up in a panic wondering where Jamaica really is
• ...had teachers comparing their leg length with mine
• ...confused the Japanese words for hairdresser and hospital (thankfully it wasn't an emergency)
• ...received a flu shot at school by the only person not wearing a mask (or gloves for that matter!)
• ...been asked what I want for lunch on January 21st, 2010
• ...realized that Japanese yoga is very relaxing
• ...had students petting my hair
• ...carried on a conversation in Japanese with a little old man about Cary Grant
• ...traded my natto for a mikan (I don't like sticky, stinky fermented soybeans, the home economics teacher doesn't like tangerines -- we make a good pair :-)
• ...wondered which would be better in January -- hot dogs or whale
• ...used a sport's clock for the very first time (in my English class no less!)
• ...realized I know just about as much Japanese as Carey Grant info
• ...determined that yoga in Japanese isn't very relaxing
• ...questioned my January lunch choice
• ...eaten steamed bean cakes with sweet red bean paste
• ...once again failed to take a picture of my apartment before hanging my wet laundry
• ...had a normal day!
  
  __________________________________________

So what did you do today?

Afurika wa doko desu ka?: Where is Africa?

Scene 1:

In the hallway at school

Characters:

Tomo (a very, very outgoing third-year student)

Emily (wearing a sweater on a very warm day)

Tomo's Friend (smart, but quiet)

Tomo: Hi Emily. How are you?

Emily: I'm a little hot, and you?

Tomo: I'm hungry.

Emily: Why are you hungry? Did you eat lunch?

Tomo: Yes, I did. Sport [sic] make me hungry. Track and field, hungry.

Emily: Can you eat a snack?

Tomo: No, I can't. I hungry.

Emily (attempting to change the conversation): By the way, you sang very well at the chorus contest.

Tomo (to friend in Japanese): ehh?

Tomo's Friend (in Japanese): You were the best singer.

Emily: Listen again. You sang very well at the chorus contest.

Tomo (to friend in Japanese): ehh?

Tomo's Friend (in Japanese): You sang very well.

Tomo: Thank you.

Emily: You're welcome.

Tomo: I like "We are the World." I like Africa.

Emily: Oh, really? Have you ever been to Africa.

Tomo: Yes.

Emily (realizing this is a joke): Really?? Sugoii (amazing) Where have you been in Africa?

Tomo: Jamaica

Emily: Really??? Jamaica is in Africa????? Really???

Tomo's Friend (to Tomo): baka (you're a dunce)

Emily (to herself): When I was in middle school, I would have probably said the same thing!

THE END

___________________________________

Lillis, you live in Africa. Have you ever been to Jamaica?

I Love English in Japan (Flu Version)

文化祭: Cultural Festival Vignettes

Every year, junior high schools across Japan have a bunkansai or "Cultural Festival." Each school has different traditions and practices, but in each, the students work diligently as a group to perform for their peers. At my school, the bunkansai is separated into several sections. First and foremost, each class prepares a special choral work, which they will sing in front of a panel of (teacher) judges. This is especially important for the third year students as it is their last large group project.

Some third-year students practicing on the steps of the school's gym.

(Let me know if you want a video clip of the performance)

The first and second year students watching the older students' performances. Notice each student is not only wearing their required dress uniform but a surgical mask as well. All students, teachers, and parents were required to take influenza safety precautions. So, I was once again bedecked in my own personal glasses-fogger!




If you look closely behind the students, you will see a huge poster that they created out of tiny (approx. 1in x 1in) squares of paper. Each class was given a huge strip of paper and a mini "map." This team-building exercise required the students to work together for several weeks to cut out the paper squares, determine their correct locations and glue them accordingly. The finished panels were connected and the banner was unveiled during the bunkasai.



Another aspect of Shinohara JHS's bunkai is a presentation of personal accomplishments in various subjects. Exceptional students' work was on display for their peers, parents, and others from the community to view.



Some third-year students viewing a poster display of the second and third-year classes "life experience days" ("Life Experience" post for further info).

Beautiful Japanese calligraphy

(I have no idea what it means! I couldn't find it in my dictionary!)

A stone inkan (personal seal) and wooden carrying case made in Industrial Arts class.

One of my personal favorite displays: Japanese characters incorporated into 3D pictures to represent what they mean. For example, the top left one is the character cha which means tea.

Not all of the presentations were visual. During the concert, one student, Emi, presented an English speech. She had competed in a city-wide English speech contest earlier in the year. Although, she didn't win, I was so proud of her. She is an amazing student -- she has so many talents, but beyond that she is sweet, caring, and has a beautiful smile (when I can get it out of her!) Please enjoy her speech (and my very horrible video skills). Yes, I realize its not perfect and a little strange at times, but she improved so much over the weeks that I can only be proud of her strides and her attempt to move from a monotone orator to one with more emotion. I can't imagine being in her shoes and presenting a five minute speech in Japanese! It was such a joy to coach her.

Two very talented piano students also performed. I couldn't help but remember the many piano recitals I used to play in as a student!
Not to be outdone by the girls, several boys wrote and acted in a couple of hilarious skits including one that required two boys to dress up as girls (above picture -- the "girl" in red is actually one of my best boy students) and another about two new Assistant Language Teachers (ALTS -- i.e. my job title) from Peru and Mexico, respectively that came to teach the students English.

Then there was one of the most anticipated acts of the day -- the really, really popular boys singing "We are the World" by Michael Jackson. The main third-year English teacher taught the entire grade level the song and showed them the movie of the making of it. The boys were really inspired by Michael Jackson's supposed desire to assist Africa and decided to make their own version. Frankly, I am not a Michael Jackson fan and don't idolize him as the Japanese do, but when I first saw the boys perform I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. The mere fact that they had the guts to get up in front of their peers and sing a song in English shows a lot of determination (plus, it shows the huge trust that they have in one another -- they still remained "cool" after this performance). You can tell that they spent much time practicing, studying actions, and vocal tendencies of the performers they were emulating. Before you watch this clip (the entire file was to huge too download) please remember that these are fourteen and fifteen-year old boys (who are going through hormone changes and cracking voices). Only one (the second singer-- who is actually our principal flutist) is a musician. All the rest are the school's star athletes (track and field, soccer, volleyball, and basketball). The entire song is actually sung in English. Enjoy and merrily laugh with me! Oh, how I love my kids!!!

Honesty or Humility?

Don't you wonder why they aren't?

Hachiko and Me

When I was a young student (I don't remember how old), I first sobbed through the true story of Hachiko ~ a loyal dog who waited for his master, Professor Ueno, everyday at the Shibuya station in Tokyo. One day, the professor suffered from an stroke at school and died never to return home to his faithful friend. However until his death ten years later, Hachiko loyally returned to the train station waiting for his master. Even when others attempted to adopt him, he would escape and stand vigil waiting for his master. It wasn't until I came to Japan, that I actually remembered the story and realized that it had taken place here in Japan. So, a couple of weeks ago, while visiting Tokyo, I decided to visit Hachiko as well!

笑美理: A Reason to Smile

It has been my observation that in Japanese society, only the very drunk or the very young will naturally smile. As children get older their expressions decrease until finally they develop what one of my English teachers has dubbed "a wooden face." As one who has always been very emotional, living in a society without personal expression can be very wearing. In fact, when I first entered my school, I felt as if I had to smile for all 470 students. Daily attempting to provide cheerfulness to a classroom of 39 students can be physically, mentally, and emotionally tiring. This time last year, I found myself completely exhausted and instead of maintaining a positive outlook on life I was succumbing to the Japanese unemotional behavior. My smile was slipping away. Last December, during my first visit to the Kimura's house and church in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to talk to Daisuke and Yukiko about the Japanese nature. Daisuke explained that in an attempt to "keep the peace of the community," Japanese people are encouraged to not express their true feelings. Thus, they often hide both their joy and sorrow behind still masks. Daisuke encouraged me not to "lose my smile" in the Japanese society but instead to maintain my show of joy, for in, fact I have true joy. Now that I have overcome most of my mono, I feel as if my energy has returned and that I can once again truly enjoy what I have been called to do. The desire to once again smile was reiterated recently, after a friend suggested I look up the meaning of my name in Japanese. To my pleasant surprise "emi" means "smile" while "ri/li" means "a reason to." Isn't God creative? Here I am in Japan, trying to live my life differently so that I can be a witness to the Japanese people, and my name unknowingly describes my calling as a covenant daughter of the Kingdom!

Yes, Family, there are masks in Japan!

I'm sure that if you have been following the news you have heard about the "great influenza scare!" Maybe you have even seen pictures of Japanese people wearing masks attempting to combat infection. The pictures are accurate, masks are an accessory these days here in Japan, literally! In fact, you can purchase them in different colors, sizes, and emblazoned with your favorite cartoon characters. The flu keeps on spreading at my school and, in fact, an entire class was put under quarantine and sent home for a week since over 10% of the students were ill. That afternoon, our school nurse went out and purchased bottle after large bottle of hand sanitizer and from what I have heard recently, parts of Japan have actually run out of both masks and sanitizer since they have become so high in demand (no surprise as no matter where you turn, there are bottles and dentist-look-alikes). However, according to most Japanese doctors, the best way to combat the flu is to gargle with plain water (salt is not needed). How this is scientifically accurate, I have no clue, so I will not further comment... (but I do religiously gargle every night and morning!) I, for one, have successfully avoided the masks for most of my time here in the "Land of the Rising Sun." The two times I have come to school sick with a cold (and thus felt the obligation of wearing a mask, I was promptly sent home by my school nurse). However, today was a different story. When I turned in my paperwork to receive a flu shot in November, my school nurse asked me if I had a mask. I replied, "No" because I can say that (versus "No, because I would feel like a doctor ready to perform surgery") in Japanese. My school nurse is very efficient, very kind, and very prepared! Just a few moments later, I found myself with a mask in hand and instructions on how to wear it. After looping it around my ears and covering my mouth and nose, I found out that it required some fancy placement -- too high up my nose, and it fogged up my glasses, too low and it slipped off! When I finally found a "just right" it lasted for only a few minutes until it tickled the bridge of my nose which was promptly followed by a readjustment and return of mask-maneuvering. One of the English teachers found my whole escapade quite humorous and told me that it was a lesson in Japanese culture, and that I needed to send a picture of myself wearing a mask home. He also informed me (while permanently removing his own mask) that I actually didn't have to wear it -- it was his opinion that they couldn't do much good anyway. Well, I lasted exactly for a class period and a half (a total of about 90 minutes). Then I stripped off the mask and entered my next class full of eager faces each carefully covered in....drumroll please....a mask!