Awe sweet Engrish.

Torture

...all day I dream about : Deep fried Mochi and cheese.

DAMN YOU MARY MAGRANE!

Last day of School, lets clean!

Well, yesterday was the last day of school. March 24th. Yes, March. That is new to me. So they have spring break and then start the new year. I guess in a way that makes perfect sense. When they have spring break all the club activities have practice and games (which is like the states except EVERY student is involved in a club activity).

At 9:00 we had our closing ceremony which was ... in Japanese so F if I knew what was being said. Assemblies always sound fun to me. But then I get there and realize I have no idea, nor will I ever, know what they are saying. Although some words started to pop out in my brain which was good but I can hardly deduce what the message is from "walk to school" and "sometimes". Right?

Also, for one hour I got to stand there. That's what the assembly was for me. An exercise to stand still for 1 hour. After about 3o minutes I realized I was fidgeting to the point of annoyance - to myself. It was getting ridiculous. Then I remembered that there are British Soldiers that don't move ALL DAY. And I thought it's possible. So I was channeling my inner British Soldier and trying to convince myself that my legs were actually made to support my body weight. It worked for about 10 minutes. Then I sat down (well, Japanese style with my legs folded underneath me). There were 3 other teachers sitting so I thought it would be ok.

side note : you never want to be the first person to do something in this country...there is this strange feeling in the air that prevents you from just doing what you want.... very strange but very true.

Okay so I was going to try to sit like that for 5 minutes but the assembly ended 2 minutes in. (Of course - right as soon as my will power crumbled it was over).

The assembly ended at 9:45 and back to the office we went. We ate Bento and watched Japan kill Korea in baseball and then it was time to clean. These people don't mess around. School is out...cleaning time.

My job was to clean the women's locker room. We opened the windows so that our body temperatures dropped to their usual Shiga temperature of 87 degrees and began to wipe everything down with...water. Yup...just water. Everything is wiped down with water. Even the mirrors...just water. The sinks had a special cleaner but everything else, floors, lockers, window...a quick wipe with water. Fine.

When the locker room was finished I moved upstairs to the extra storage room filled with globes. It also housed several of the giant pull screen maps etc that schools used to use back when I was in elementary school. Those of course have all been replaced with projectors and computers. I wanted to take them home and hang them as wall hangings. I digress... more water to wipe everything down. Finished.

It was 3:00 and I was done with my chores. I walked back to the office and noticed 2 of the teachers on the ground cutting up umbrellas. 'HUH' I thought. You don't see that everyday. They had several umbrellas next to them, all on the chopping block as I assumed so what could I do...Walk to my desk, grab my scissors and get ready to do some cutting.

In Japan, they recycle EVERYTHING. It is quite ingenious. As I sat there cutting the fabric away from the metal so it could go into the burnable pile, I thought...what do we do to get rid of old umbrellas? Throw the WHOLE thing away? Give it to the goodwill? And then it occurred to me how much we don't recycle and how much goes into a landfill and it was sickening. After about 5 umbrellas we had 2 more teachers helping and even some students who had dropped by. So naturally, not knowing how to speak Japanese, my only real means of interaction is in a little friendly competition. So I suggested a RACE. Immediately I was not confident in my cutting skills but I thought, what the hell it will be fun! And so we raced. I took second the first time and then was minutes off the second. But it was fun and I got to interact with teachers who I don't usually get the opportunity to. It was a good day.

Before I headed home, my Vice Principle stopped me at the door and offered me a piece of cake. A piece of cake that everyone would be eating at 4:00 when my day was done. I thought it was extremely nice of him and I could tell that he was appreciative of all my help. It felt good to be a part of the school. Even if it was the last day (of this school year).

daily deduction/reduction/deduciment/humiliation/life lesson.

It's really not funny anymore. Its just frustrating. Ok, so, maybe it is a little funny. Today I was quite proud of myself for not asking how to "eat" my school lunch. When they serve a shallow bowl full of rice, its typically for some sort of curry or indicates a sauce will be poured on. The sauce or curry is usually in the actual bowl next to the shallow bowl of rice. So, I grab this bowl full of soup looking egg and tofu and pour merrily atop my rice. I don't even look around to see if anyone else is eating it this way. I have learned over the last 7 months that some people like it separate, some people put the rice in the bowl or vice versa, I have committed to eating it poured over the rice in the shallow bowl. I am pleased with my new found confidence. My confidence quickly escapes when I look over and my supervisor has scraped the meat and veggies from our plate onto the rice and has left the "soup" (and that it was) in the soup bowl.

What is worse: The ignorant pride of pouring my soup over my rice or that fact that my supervisor didn't even lean over the 12" she sits next to me and say, "oh, this is how we do it"?

No one says anything in this country. Its almost worse that they let it slide. It feels like unnecessary shame. Please, please, please tell me when I have just poured soup over the rice so we can laugh about this together. Otherwise it feels so embarrassing with a twinge of stupidity and shame.

As soon as I noticed the appropriate food preparations, I scraped the meat and veggies over the soup on top of the rice and thought, "fuck it. I like it with the soup. It all goes to the same place anyway." That was the best I could do to convince myself not to let my emotional disappointment seethe out. I finished my lunch and the day goes on.

But I know that they know that I didn't know and who knows if they know that I know now?

And yes, it matters.

Humility. Ouch.

while looking into someone's eyes

You have to have the balls and then you have to say it, while looking into someones eyes.  You have to bare your soul to make it the truth and God willing let it be the truth.  This is the basis of our human existance.

Daily Office Shananagins

Our office lady was talking on the phone, making a succession of short moaning noises (which in actuality are short conversational acknowledgements to whomever she is speaking to). But, with my back to her, she sounds like a remake of the cafe scene of when Harry met Sally...and just when I begin to accept that it will not stop until the phone is placed back on its dock, someones cell phone ring tone begins to hum the Darth Vader anthem. And I smile.

Valentines 2009 - Gion with the Geisha

I see you!

Yes...paparazzi!  There were 3 taxis full of these Geisha (or they are called Maiko if they are not full Geisha).  Forgot my camera was on zoom from the last sighting...

The first Geisha we spotted.  Apparently they DO NOT like you to take their picture.  Woops!

Dinner!  Pizza...with real cheese.  Mine is a mushroom pizza....with Japanese mushrooms.

Me and Fionna...ready to chase the Geisha.  (Happy Birthday Kara)