IrishOboe

Sorry I haven’t written in a while. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed. I left off last Thursday, so I’ll begin with Friday. I think school went fairly well and I left ½ hour early because I’d been doing overtime all week. It was nice to have the little extra time because at 6:30 Naito sensei picked me up for my welcome party. I’m glad she did, because I never would have been able to find the place on my own! The entrance was an unmarked door that even the short Japanese people had to stoop down to go through. It was a nice place, though, and I had a good time with the seven English teachers who were able to make it. We got a course of many various dishes that everyone shared. They kept coming and coming and coming. Mostly they were some kind of chicken: Chicken breast, chicken salad, chicken skin, chicken cartilage on a stick, fried chicken cartilage, and much more. We also had liver.

Now, I don’t think I’d ever tried liver because my parents don’t like it. Since I’ve been here I’ve been trying all kinds of strange substances, so there was nothing stopping me from trying the liver, only that I grew up knowing liver was something I didn’t eat. Well, the only thing I didn’t try that evening was the raw chicken. That seemed too dangerous. I tried the liver, and I loved it! I think the sauce also helped, but they were big chunks and the sauce wore off and whatever was inside tasted good! I didn’t care for the sand liver (whatever that is exactly, I’m not sure), but there you have it. I’m a closet liver lover.

After we stuffed ourselves (and some drank a bit) and had conversation (in Japanese and English. I just pretended to listen to the Japanese. I really don’t understand much still) and enjoyed ourselves for a few hours (close to three, I think) we left, but then the girls were going out for coffee and I figured since it was my welcome party I should join. It was also nice, though I don’t understand why they got more food! I had enough in that evening for the whole weekend. It was a fun time, though. I wouldn’t want to do it regularly – it was tiring not to mention expensive, though since it was my welcome party they treated me to everything. The Japanese are very generous! Naito sensei even paid for my taxi back. We went home in the same cab and she dropped me off at my apartment before going to her place. Yes, even in the small, forgotten prefecture of Yamanashi the streets are so crowded and the parking so bad that people bike or take taxis to and from the city!

I got in fairly late but I was still awake so I called some friends with whom I hadn’t spoken in a while. It was lovely until the phone went out on me . . .

Saturday (Sept. 10) I finally had a day at home. I did laundry, cleaned house, hung my futon (for six sunny hours!), and finally entered in all my expenses since coming to Japan. It’s amazing how much money you spend when you’re supporting yourself. I cannot imagine trying to deal with debt from college as well. My parents have given me a great gift, indeed!

Again I was able to talk with friends for a bit, and the folks. Then in the evening I took the train into Sakauri (one stop past Kofu, where the SETY conference was) for church! On the train I saw my group leader from SETY and as I guessed, she was going to church, too. She introduced me to her friend, Bonnie, and we were picked up at the train station by the pastor, Danny. Danny and his wife Suzie are from Texas, and even though I didn’t grow up around the southern accent, it still made me feel so at home to listen to two good hearted people speak in southern accents. That’s something that is distinctly American, and it brought me back across the ocean.

The service was held in a University lecture hall, but they decorate with banners and it was a contemporary service so it worked. It’s a nondenominational church and I don’t know too much about it, but it’s fairly small and tight-knit. There were only about 20 people there and they said half the people were missing. It was about 50/50 Japanese and foreign faces. Once of the faces was the girl I’d met in Fujiyoshida who had offered me a ride back to Kofu!!!!!! Turns out she’d left her keys at a restaurant and did eventually find them, but I assured her that the bus ride home was fine.

Anyway, the service was very moving. I don’t think I’ve ever gone so long without church. I’ve used the two months to do a fair amount of work on my own, but there really something special about being in a room full of believers and worshiping together. The service was simple, just singing with the worship band for a while then a sermon and a closing prayer. I didn’t recognize any of the songs, but they were all modal and dark sounding, which I loved. There was only one song I had problems with and that was only because of all the I’s and me’s and not because the theology was messed up. Of course, it’s great practice for my Japanese, too, since the Japanese songs were written in hiragana and romanji. The sermon was very simple. It was on Matthew 7:1-2. Don’t judge others. It was simple (and long compared with Episcopal standards), but somehow he was able to make it relevant and deep for everyone. Afterwards there were a number of conversations about the sermon. Even when we all went out to dinner (which they usually do) afterwards the subject came up again. I had a lovely dinner and it was wonderful to meet other believers. I knew Japan wouldn’t be full of churches, but the number of Christian JETs is even smaller than I’d hoped. I think I’ll be going back! Oh, and it turns out that Suzie homeschools her kids! They have two older boys and one adopted Japanese 8 year-old who, btw, weighs half as much as Jonathan does . . .

Bonnie and her husband took me to the Ryuo station where my bike was, which was greatly appreciated. Praise God for a wonderful evening!

Sunday (Sept. 11, we remember) Niko picked Mark and me up for what was supposed to be lunch at her house, but since she’s been working a lot of overtime we went out to a restaurant. As usual, a meal with Niko isn’t just a meal. After refusing to let us help her with the bill she took us to Kiyosato (the opposite side of Yamanashi from Mt. Fuji) to see Eight Peaks Mountain and eat famous ice cream. It wasn’t gelato, but it sure was the best ice-cream-as-we-know-it I’ve ever had! It was just vanilla, but it was creamy and tasty! It was beautiful and cool up in the mountains and I thought how nice it must be for Kasia, who lives very near there. I thought about giving her a ring, but we didn’t have much time since I had to get back for a dinner date . . .

I don’t know when I turned into such a social being, but at 6ish I met Fred (a fellow JET, but not a first year) to get the ironing board he’s giving away and to go out to dinner. We went to a Malaysian restaurant (and he showed me where I can get Thai food!) and had a wonderful time. The food was great and the conversation was better. He has had quite a life and it was inspiring to be reminded of some of the reasons why I want to travel the world. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to bed until late, but that happens sometimes. Coffee in the morning helps, though I really prefer to feel refreshed when I wake up. Is that such a crime? It seems to be so rarely respected . . .

Anyway, Monday’s (Sept. 12) classes went pretty well and I was happy that a lesson plan went well for the first time and didn’t need massive revision. The students got into the exercise I had them do, which was nice to see. I was supposed to go to Rudy’s right after school for dinner but I’d forgotten that I had ICC (English club). The students had requested to watch a movie, and I thought we were going to split it between two Mondays (an hour each), but we started late and watched the whole thing so I didn’t get out until almost 7pm! It was dark! But I get ahead of myself. Originally the students had chosen to watch Beauty and the Beast but they decided to change it to Phantom of the Opera. I was happy for the switch since I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast (and it’s not exactly my favorite) and I haven’t seen Phantom of the Opera, but it was the first music I saw live. I think I’ll devote a separate blog entry to it – my first official review!

Anyway, I decided to go to Rudy’s anyway and I’m glad I did. I got home and to the train station in record time (praying all the time since I – shh - didn’t have a helmet or a light on my bike . . .) and had a nice evening at Rudy’s. He has a nice place and made a good curry dish. We also had pleasant conversation, though I was too embarrassed to reveal the real reason I stayed at work so late. . .

I didn’t get home too terribly late and actually woke up refreshed at 6 the next day. My mistake was to go back to bed until my 6:30 alarm, at which point I felt terrible. Go figure. Anyway, coffee from the predecessor did the trick and I had a wonderful day today (Sept 13). My 3^rd year class did well with my lesson and the three people I’d picked to bring something in for me (as part of my name learning plan) were very creative. One girl dressed me up in a Yukata (summer version of a Kimono) and I taught the first half of the class in it. I think everyone enjoyed that. The girls also appreciated having some time to talk with me, which is what I’d hoped in the first place! (Here’s a brief explanation if you haven’t a clue what I’m talking about. I pick three people from each class every week and they have to bring in something about themselves the next week and teach me a Japanese word or phrase. I then take their picture and learn their names. I’m hoping 33 names a week will be manageable and I’ll know everyone by the end of two months. It’s going well so far.) The best part of the class, however, was when I passed back the letters they’d written to me. I’d had fun writing back to them and I’d hoped they’d enjoy the personal attention. My hopes were right and even those who hadn’t written much at first wrote more this time. Inoue sensei said he was pleased with how it went as well. He didn’t think it would work so well but he was impressed with what the students wrote and with what I wrote back to them. I read a few before I left school today and I can see that they are beginning to want to communicate with a human rather than just write for English class. I even got a relatively complex lesson in Japanese history! Hurray, hurray! It’s so true. These kids are bright, and put that with a reason to communicate and the English will come! I wish I had that kind of time for my first years, but we’ll find a way to get to them. In fact, the other class of the day went well, too. I think the students are beginning to feel comfortable around me and are more willing to talk (though of course not in front of the whole class yet). In the morning I had a scare that I’d be teaching this one alone since Sasaki sensei wasn’t in, but she came in later so I didn’t have to. I think it would have worked, but the classes still need Japanese translation. Oh, another random bit of info, if I can brag. It turns out that I’ve impressed the principal already. He noticed that I was trying to sing the school song at the opening ceremony, and appreciated it very much. Is this another example of always play your best because you never know who’s in the audience? Actually, I couldn’t just sit there while everyone sang, could I?

Anyway, back to class. This class is pretty active, and they’re a bit cheeky as well. At the beginning of class I reviewed how to sign the few words I’d already taught in American Sign Language and as usual I was having a bit of a hard time getting them to sign back to me. So solve this I’ll walk around the room and look people in the eye until they do it for me. I went around the room checking the sign “bad” (as in I’m feeling bad today), which is done by taking the hand to the mouth or chin and pulling it away while turning the hand down (as in smelling something and throwing it down because it smells bad). When I came to one boy he looked me in the eye and casually turned his hand the other way so as to blow me a kiss. Pretty clever if you as me! Let’s hope that’s as far as the advances go. ;)

Tonight I had a quiet dinner while enjoying a relatively clear view of Mt. Fuji in the sunset, and as always, writing to the blog takes much more time than I even account for!

I hope all is well with everyone.

Love,

Janet