Japanese Enkai: All you can eat and drink party!

On November 26, I experienced my first enkai event in Japan. These enkai parties are famous for being fun, loud, and full of food and alcohol. Since people drink at these parties for several hours, people need to first figure out how they are going to get to and from the party (Japan has a zero tolerance for alcohol consumption when driving). So--I took the good ol' bus to and from the Chinese restaurant.

Upon arriving to the private room, you remove your shoes, take off your jacket, and enter the room by saying "Konbanwa!" , which means "good evening". After sitting and having your drink filled to the brim with beer, everyone shouts "Kanpai!", which means "cheers" and the official way to start the party. At these events, you never pour your own drinks, always pouring for others. As the guest and newbie to the event, I made sure to keep pouring everyone's drink all night. Our principal and vice principal were also there...this party was a celebration of our recent observation day when many people from the board of education came to watch our lesson. The teachers were hilarious as the evening went on...getting more and more tipsy. ;)

Enkai's have the same policy as Las Vegas: What happens at the enkai, stays at the enkai. I didn't stay until the end because I had to catch my bus, but I could tell the party was definitely a success. Throughout the night, I drank two cocktails called "Ringo Sour" or Apple sour, and some wine from Australia, which was all included in the price. You pay one price and you get all you can eat/drink for the night. Each dish was brought out separately and beautifully presented.

We ate: dumplings, spicy tofu with rice, chicken and vegetables, fish (not for me ;), yummy coffee cakes for dessert etc...

I am so happy I got to experience this very "Japanese" event where everyone miraculously can speak better English when they are sort of drunk and have a good time. I expect the office to be "normal" when I return next week...but, I'm secretly glad that I got to see my colleagues relax and have fun outside of the normally busy and stressful school environment.

Autumn in Japan

Since leaving California in August, I have experienced extreme weather changes in Takasaki. When I first arrived, the weather was hot, sticky, and unpleasant to walk outside because temperatures were around 40C! But now, the weather has cooled down and during the day, it is about 13-15C and colder at night. As I was on my way to school today, I saw my first snow peak in the distance...it must have snowed up there 2 days ago when we had a big rain shower.

Autumn in Japan has been really gorgeous...the leaves change into bright yellow, orange, and reds...these colors are not really seen back in California. It is exciting to experience four real seasons in Japan. The pictures I have posted today are from the Gunma Flower Park, where I spent the afternoon last weekend wandering around the zen garden, looking at leaves, and eating delicious udon noodle soup.

I also recently celebrated my 25th birthday at a delicious Indian restaurant with other JETs and ran in a local 10K race, which was fun at quite humbling at the same time. I ran with many other high school track teams who certainly ran 10x faster than me! But, I made it to the end in one piece and I even received a commemorative towel as my reward for finishing!

Apparently the weather will be the coldest in January and February, so I'm looking to layer up during those months. The one advantage to having the mini-sized apartment that I live in is you don't have to really heat it...it insulates itself! My apartment is compact and stays warm enough during these colder months. Please enjoy the photos!

On a side note, school has been going well. Today, I had an intense observation from the Takasaki Board of Education. During our co-taught lesson, the JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) and I taught the students about occupations/job, while twenty people (all in black suits!) took notes on clipboards...!! Luckily, this was not a "surprise" lesson and we were able to plan ahead, but the nerves were definitely there with so many eyes watching us. Luckily, the lesson went smoothly and the kids seemed to have fun, despite the tension with having been observed by so many people. We were able to incorporate several minutes of dialogue, activities, and fun games to keep the students interacting with one another, speaking English, and staying engaged and energetic. I was even able to deliver with 3 lines of Japanese I need to say as part of a demonstration without messing up...whew! ;)

Working at the elementary school once a week is such a nice change and the most exciting part of my week. I go to Seibu School once a week and get to play games and teach English all day in a welcoming and fun environment...the kids are so excited to see me and interact in English. They have no boundaries or fear when it comes to talking to me...unlike the junior high students who often get nervous or fear saying the wrong thing in class. I am really enjoying my teaching life here in Japan...I am constantly thinking about the similarities and differences between teaching in Japan and California. Both have their pros/cons...

What I've noticed in Japan:

1. Students remain in the same classroom all day

2. All students wear uniforms

3. After school, students are assigned different rooms to clean in the school

4. Students must stand at the beginning and end of each class

5. Most of the time, students are expected to listen and not ask questions. Although, I think with the JET program and ALT's presence in school, students are encouraged to speak out more/interact in English etc...

6. The textbook seems to dictate the direction of the lesson

7. Genders rarely mix in conversation/activities (unless required by the teacher)

8. Students eat their lunch in the classroom along with the assigned homeroom teacher

9. Japanese teachers/students brush their teeth immediately after eating the lunch meal ;)

10. Students and teachers must wear "indoor" shoes inside the school...i.e. shoes that have never been worn outside...to keep the school clean

11. Creativity doesn't seem to be praised as much as accuracy

I am taking notes during my time in Japan and I hope to come up with an interesting research topic for future studies. I think the education systems between countries is a fascinating place to begin! Thanks for reading :)