Lost in Translation

What is it like living abroad in a new culture with a new language?

I'll tell you: it's fascinating, daunting, challenging, ego-leveling, spiritual, and frightening all at the same time. During the last 7 months, I have witnessed several things that I have made me question my own cultural values, helped me to understand Japan better, and even allowed me to appreciate my own background and culture even more.

Lesson #1: Driving

Japanese people are very polite in all aspects of life, including driving. It is funny for me to drive around and not be honked at for cutting people off or pulling a "US" commuter move. People here honk instead for thanking others and use their emergency flashers as a special thank you to other drivers. I really do appreciate the quiet calmness that descends upon the city despite heavy Takasaki commuter traffic in the downtown areas. It certainly makes me think twice before honking out of western frustration to be somewhere faster! ;)

Lesson #2: Family life vs. Work life

As I have learned, many Japanese people value the work place as number one priority, putting work above the personal/private matters such as family and personal holidays. It is a new idea for me to value work before family, an idea that was difficult at first to fully understand.

As I have witnessed on a daily basis in both schools, teachers will come to work, despite being sick and teach all day without complaint (first of all let me add: there really aren't substitute teachers in Japan, so if a teacher is sick, the class doesn't get taught). This idea of no back-ups for teachers was also amazing to me! Teachers should get more support here, but instead, they are left to teach even when they are feeling their lowest. The only exception I have seen is when teachers are out with the flu, since this is highly contagious. Recently, my classes at the elementary school were cancelled because half of the classes were calling in sick with influenza.

As a teacher back home, I really do appreciate the substitute program that we have for teachers. I really wish that the Japanese would integrate this into the school system so that they can have a "break"--not because they are lazy, but because this would help everyone in the long run.

Also, working in a Japanese school has been challenging. I am the only westerner in the whole school and only the other English teachers can communicate with me. After a few months, some of the other teachers worked up enough courage to say more than just "Hello" to me in english. I am also trying to learn Japanese this year, so I try to communicate on a basic level with several teachers, whether it's in the copy room, getting coffee, or during lunch break. I think it's really important to create strong connections with my colleagues; however, the language barrier at work is my main hurdle. A little goes a long way in Japan--so I will continue to speak in broken Japanese with the hope that my efforts will not go unnoticed.

Lesson #3: Anti-conflict

Working in a country that doesn't like conflict has also certainly been a true test! I am integrated into a society that doesn't believe in saying 100% of what you mean, but rather leaving out sometimes important pieces of information. This has proven challenging for me since I am from a country that values honesty and polite bluntness (meaning--get to the point and don't go in circles!) Many Japanese people prefer to keep a public face of calmness, rather than embarrass themselves in public with unnecessary emotions. I can see the validity of this approach; however, sometimes I also feel that people need to assert themselves more if they truly believe in something.

My experiences in Japan so far have been extremely rewarding and exciting, as well as challenging and eye-opening. I look forward to seeing what else comes my way!

Happy Reading! :)

Music in Japan

Dear Readers,

During my year overseas in Takasaki, Japan, I have decided to explore the world of music, both traditional and modern types. Since my arrival last August, I have experimented with various types of instruments, including: the taiko drums (played frequently at cultural festivals), I am currently learning and taking lessons from a koto master, and I have also joined the local community orchestra in Takasaki. Each music experience has allowed me to meet new people, make Japanese friends, and learn something new about music through the Japanese perspective.

The first time I attended a koto concert in August, I was mesmerized and drawn to the beautiful melodies produced by this 13 stringed instrument. If you are interested to learn more about the koto, here is some more detailed information below:

The koto (箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng. The koto is the national instrument of Japan.^[1] Koto are about 180 centimetres (71 in) width, and made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). They have 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument.

Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, index finger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings.

The ancestor of the koto originated in its earliest form in the 5th century and was first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th century. The first known version had five strings, which eventually increased to seven strings. (It had twelve strings when it was introduced to Japan in the early Nara Period (710–784) and increased to thirteen strings). This particular instrument is known throughout Asia but in different forms: the Japanese so or koto which is a distant relative to the qin, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamesedan tranh. This variety of instrument came in two basic forms, a type that had bridges and those types without bridges. The type that was most known in China was the qin, similar in design to many other instruments in Asia.

Originally, when the so, or koto, was imported to Japan, the word koto was a generic term for any and all Japanese stringed instruments. Over time the definition of koto could not describe the wide variety of these stringed instruments and the names were changed. The Azuma goto or yamatogoto became the wagon, the kin no koto became the kin, and the sau no koto was changed to the so or koto.

The modern koto originates from the so, or gakuso, used in Japanese court music. It was a popular instrument among the wealthy; the instrument koto was considered a romantic one. Some literary and historical records solo pieces for koto existed centuries before sokyoku or the music of the solo koto genre was established. According to Japanese literature, the koto was used as imagery and other extra music significance. In one part of "The Tales of Genji (Genji monogatari)", Genji falls deeply in love with a mysterious woman, who he has never seen before, after he hears her playing koto from a distance.

The history of the koto, or so, in Japan, dates back to the 16th Century. At this time a Buddhist priest by the name of Kenjun (1547–1636), who lived in northern Kyūshū, began to compose for the koto, calling the style "tsukushi goto".

Perhaps the most important influence on the development of koto was Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614–1685). He was a gifted blind musician from Kyoto who changed the limited selection of six songs to a brand new style of koto music which he called kumi uta. Yatsuhashi changed the Tsukushi goto tunings, which were based on gagaku ways of tuning; and with this change, a new style of koto was born. Yatsuhashi Kengyo is now known as the "Father of Modern Koto".

Music is transformative and spiritual. As I have witnessed, it can transcend cultural boundaries and bring people together, despite their personal backgrounds. I am excited to live in Takasaki, home of Gunma's beautiful concert hall, the daruma figure, and music (both traditional and western).

Shibukawa Festival: January 29, 2011

Today, I explored the small city of Shibukawa. It is about 25 minutes by JR Train from Takasaki. The thing I love about Japanese trains are that the slower trains are affordable and it is easy to hop from one town to the next. The shinkansen (bullet train) is a whole other story! ;)

After arriving at the station, the five of us were kindly chauffeured to the community center. Our destination was the Shibukawa community center where there would be delicious lunch, Japanese games, and music waiting for us. When we first arrived, we could try out pounding rice mochi with giant wooden gavel-type instruments. It is very heavy and the rice is very sticky, so one must be careful not to get the wooden "stick" stuck into the rice...it very difficult and a great workout! Each foreigner was given five "hits"--this was hilarious to watch and fun to try.

After, we were greeted by the community members and requested to dive into the food. The food was delicious: I ate strawberries, sushi, sandwiches, chocolate cake, and a few other delicious treats. After lunch, we were invited to play Japanese games, including karuta (memory card game) and the Japanese version of "pin the tail on the donkey," which was with a person's face instead. One person is blindfolded while the other person must figure out where the parts of the face go!

After the games, the international music began. There were several groups that performed...music from different countries of the world. There was a group of women singing Philippine love songs, Peruvian music and instruments, and a Japanese pop group that danced to fast-paced music. At the end, all of us foreigners came up to the stage to "improvise" with the music groups...it was hilarious!

It was really great communicating with the locals in English. Everyone was really eager to speak with us in English and get to know us. We even tried out our Japanese with some of the locals. At the end of the festival, we played bingo for prizes!

Enjoy the pictures!! :)

Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo: Jan 15, 2011

This weekend, I witnessed a quintessential Japanese event: sumo! Many JETs flocked to Tokyo this weekend to watch the grand sumo tournament in Tokyo--the best of the best battle it out in not much more than a g-string bathing suit.

Before the battles began, all of the sumo players came into the main ring for a traditional ceremony. They wore colorful traditional robes from the waist down and clapped several times to signal the beginning of the games. A player is not allowed to see their opponent before the match began, so two sets of circles were formed before the matches began to ensure that opponents did not see their opponent before their time came. I am sure this heightens the anticipation and allows for the sumo players to either release their minds or build them up in fear...it is certainly a way to psych your opponent out!

The event was traditional and fun: the stadium is enormous, covered in tiers of seats and thousands of spectators. Instead of a quiet and serene event, the sumo matches are loud opportunities for the crowd to shout out the name of their favorite players followed by munching. It's basically like going to a live movie with popcorn--you can eat, talk freely, and watch the show! A scoreboard at the top of the stadium allowed the audience to see which pair was up next and which sumo players had won the previous matches. It was almost like a basketball game but without the players...instead it was large, muscle/gigantic men clad in skimpy sumo clothes around their loins :)

Much to my surprise, a majority of the best sumo wrestlers in Japan are from Mongolia. There were even 3 or 4 Caucasian sumo players battling it out with Japan's best. It was interesting to witness this traditional event where East really did meet West head on...

The entire sumo tournament (of the professionals) lasted for two hours. There were about 25-30 opponent teams with two men each battling it out for the win. I took many photos during the event (please see more on my facebook page) of the intense battles, traditional ceremonies, and costumes.

Before each match, the opponents bow, throw salt into the circle for purification, and stare each other down for intimidation. The entire match between two opponents might not last longer than 10 seconds, while others battle it out for 1-2 minutes. The pace is fast and exciting and the event was certainly worth the two hour train ride each way. I am so excited that I got to witness a traditional Japanese event in Tokyo.

The battle were intense to watch. Before the judge calls the match to begin, each opponent balances on one leg to show "balance" and strength. There is also a moment for the crowd to shout their favorite names and for the sumo players to pound their chests hard in excitement and anticipation. The event was certainly exhilarating and intense...enjoy the photos!

Japanese School Life

In Japan, school is no joking manner. Students are expected to arrive on time, in their proper uniforms with no excuses. I was amazed at how strict the uniforms are here. I grew up with uniforms back in California (Catholic high school), but we even had a little bit of wiggle room to be "individuals" with our shoes and jewelry. In Japan, even the girls cannot express themselves through jewelry, hair clips, and other accessories that make a person "unique".

At school, boys are expected to wear the black trousers and black jacket picked out by the school. Girls are expected to wear a long pleated blue skirt, white blouse, and blue jacket picked out by the school. The best part about their uniforms are the color-coded shoes they must wear! Each grade level in the middle school is assigned a "color" to represent their class. This year, the first graders are yellow, the second graders are green, and the third graders are blue. This is so that teachers can easily identify the grade level of each student just by looking at their shoes. I think it is amazing that the students wear these tennis shoes to school with color stripes on the side...very fun for me to observe! At my high school in California, we had the liberty to where the shoes of our choice. Here in Japan, students must remove their individual shoes at the door, place them in shelves, and put on their "school shoes", which cannot be worn outside. The Japanese are very aware of keeping the school clean by only wearing "indoor" shoes inside. This also took some adjustment for me...but eventually all things start to become "normal."

Each student must also wear a name tag on their uniform (written in Kanji) to identify their first and last name to all teachers and staff. Unfortunately I cannot read the name tags, so I have done my best to memorize students' names and with the new year approaching in April, I will ask students to create their own name tags in English!!

After school, the students put on their "P.E." uniforms. For about 2 hours after the school day ends, students take part in after school clubs: sports, art, and other clubs. They all have to wear the same P.E. uniform. A little side note: they wear their P.E. shorts under their uniforms to save time when changing! They quickly change as soon as the last bell rings in their classroom...this was a bit odd for me to witness at first. Boys and girls taking their skirts and pants off right in front of their teachers! But this is normal to them...they want to save the time of having to go change in a locker room...so they wear double layers (shorts under skirts and pants) to save the time! Incredible!

During assemblies, all the students file into the assembly/gym hall and sit on the floor during speeches. They must sit with their legs tucked under their chin. They are not allowed to spread out, but must sit in straight lines according to their homeroom class. The students are always in their homeroom during the day, never moving around to different classrooms (except for science lab and P.E.). The teachers in Japan must move from classroom to classroom, carrying their materials and texts on their own. I find this extremely unpractical and annoying; I am use to having my own classroom where students enter and leave during each period.

In the teacher staff room, ALL teacher desks are located here where teachers work and socialize. This took a while for me to adjust to because I am usually in my own classroom reading and grading, rather than in a large staff room with other teachers from other disciplines. For the most part, the room is quiet enough for teachers to get work done. Occasionally, a teacher will strike up a conversation and socialize near my desk. I try to pick out words I can understand (a game for me) and sometimes I chime in if the Japanese isn't over my head. Now that I have been here for almost 6 months, I am often part of the conversation with some teachers who feel comfortable enough talking to me in English/Japanese.

Each day, we are served a HOT meal that is cooked from the kitchen on the ground floor. The food is very delicious and is very affordable. Usually, the meal includes a hot soup filled with delicious Japanese vegetables, noodles/rice, and a small side salad. I have even eaten spaghetti with meat sauce, curry with rice, and clam chowder! It is fun to see the Japanese eat international cuisine and try new things each day. Every day, the meal is different and only 2-3 times per month, they serve fish (lucky for me!)

The best part of my week is going to the elementary school! They are so adorable and eager to learn English. During recess, all the kids put on baseball caps, color coded for their own class. It is really cute to see a whole flock of kids running outside with green, yellow, and red caps!

More to come! Hope you enjoy reading my blog! :)

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 :)