So Much To Do...So Little Time
I spent Monday and Tuesday teaching at an English camp that was hosted by Katie's school in Ise. They put us up in a hotel in Meotoiwa, which is technically part of Ise, but it lies between Toba and the downtown area of Ise where Katie and Pam live. I really like teaching at English camps. It takes the kids out of the school environment and causes them to open up a little more. It's also a great way to see Japan and get paid without going into the office. On Monday night all of the teachers and the students went to the ocean front for fireworks. When I heard that there were going to be fireworks, I figured that one or two of the teachers would take care of the firework show and the other teachers would sit with the students and watch.
Wrong-o...when we had picked an appropriate place on the boardwalk, the teachers tossed five bags of fireworks into the middle of the group of students, handed out some lighters and then took a few steps back to watch the show. All the of JETs stood watching in disbelief...and then we stepped back to avoid being blown to bits. I was geniunely surprised by what happened during the firework display. The students were cautious, courteous and cleaned up every last bit of firework casing. After about 45 minutes of explosions we left the beach the exact same way that we found it. Incredible... Here are some of the students lighting up the boardwalk...
A portion of the arsenal...
Check out the video on YouTube...I think it captures the events a little more accurately.
After the fireworks were done, everyone headed to bed. However, Tom (a fellow JET) and I decided to walk to the Meotoiwa Married Rocks. The married rocks are a place of worship for members of the Shinto religion. They're also a fairly large tourist attaction. I asked about the history of the rocks, but those questions tend to be fruitless in Japan. I was told that the rocks had been found tied together over 2000 years ago and that they have been ceremonially retied using new ropes twice a year, every year since then.
When I asked WHY the rocks were tied together, I got a series of blank stares...some people even laughed at the question. People just don't ask those sorts of questions here. For most people that I've talked to, the thought never even crossed their mind. Those are the married rocks, they're tied together because that's what makes them the married rocks...and they're married because they're tied together. The philosoper in me dies a little each time I ask a “why” question in Japan. When I asked my supervisor about the rocks, I tried to clarify my question by making it situational. I said to her, “okay, imagine that you're walking down the beach and you see two rocks near each other about 15 feet off the shore...what compels you to jump in the water and tie them together with a huge rope??” She laughed at me and replied, “you ask too many questions for Japan. In Japan we have a saying that means 'that is the way things are.'” So, that's ultimately the answer I received...they're tied together because they are...that's it. Regardless of the “whys,” the rocks are very picturesque. I got some great shots of them during the evening and then woke up at 6:00 am to get some morning shots of them before the camp started on Tuesday morning at 7:00.
Married rocks at night...
Married rocks in the morning...
After the camp ended, I headed back to Toba and spent the rest of the evening hiking the mountains of Toba and Asama. Here are some of pictures from my hike...I'll also post some videos on YouTube. It is incredibly peaceful in the mountains...the pictures don't even do it justice.
The next few days were spent at school. At the time my schedule was pretty empty so I studied Japanese and got to know some of the teachers and students from my school. On Thursday I had to make a speech in front of all of the students and teachers. As I entered the gym with my speech in hand, I realized that I hadn't read it over for about a week. That might not have been such a problem if the speech was in English...but I was supposed to be speaking in Japanese. I quickly pulled the speech out of my pocket and began to rehearse. At this point I realized that I KNEW the words...but I couldn't SAY some of the words. My hands started to shake as they called me to the podium on the stage. So there I am. Standing alone on a stage in front of 500 students. Before I begin, I take a look around the gym at the adolescent faces that are studying me in return. Most of the students have an inquisitive smile on their faces...this is good...they're not going to lynch me yet. Okay.....let's go.
Ohayo gozaimasu
(Good morning)....
(Scattered laughter ripples accross the gym)
(I laugh and pause...am I doing okay so far?)
Mina san hajimemashite
(How is everyone today?)
Watashi wa Kurisu Janca desu
(My name is Chris Janca)
But you can call me Chris...okkkkkkk
(No reaction whatsoever)
Watashi wa Eigo no kyoshi desu
(I am an English teacher)
Kanada no Toronto kara kimashita
(I come from Toronto in Canada)
Nihon wa hajimete desu
(It is my first time in Japan)
Ima watashi wa Nihon-go no benkyou o...(there's something about saying “shit” in front of 500 people that just doesn't seem right...so I stutter) shit...shitei...shiteimasu
(I am learning Japanese)
Nihon-go ni narerumade (couldn't pronounce this word...so I said it really quickly...) yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
(Please speak to me slowly in Japanese)
Eigo demo itsudemo ha-na-shi-ka-ke-te (the kids love it when I talk syllable by syllable)...kudasaine
(Please try to speak English with me).
Mina san to issho ni oshigoto ga dekiru koto o koei (THREE VOWELS IN A ROW?!?!? What am I supposed to do with this??)...ni omoimasu. Oku no katagata to oshiriai ni nareru koto o tanoshimi ni shite orimasu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
(I am proud to be working with you and I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can. I hope that our relationship will be a happy one).
When I finished speaking all the kids clapped for me. I was shocked. When the other teachers spoke, the students merely scowled...but for me they clapped. It definately made me feel a little more comfortable at Toba Highschool. After that speech, everytime I see a student, either at school or on the street, they shout out, “Clis, Clis, Clis” (which is how they say my name) and wave to me. It's a great feeling to walk down the street in a foreign country and to have people recognize you and say hello. It's not just the students either. Sometimes random people will just stare at me as though they are looking at an alien and then when I look them in the eyes and smile, you see the wheels turning very quickly...a smile creeps across there face...and then they say, “hellllo” very quickly and bashfully. It's a truly charming experience.
Friday was my first day of classes. Most people think of Japanese students as obedient and motivated students who silently soak up information as you present it to them. In my experience, this is not the case...not even close (but keep in mind, this is only a reflection of the school that I work at...I have no idea what other schools are like). Before I started teaching classes the teachers had warned me that the students don't speak very much English, they're shy and some of them will sleep during my class. I had my doubts...it couldn't be THAT bad right?...right? Wrong. It could be...and it was.
When I walked in with the Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) the students didn't even notice that we had entered the room. While Okuyama sensei got the class' attention I handed out the worksheet for my presentation. Some of the students were ALREADY asleep on their desks, so I had to put the worksheet on their heads. When I began my introduction the students simply conversed as though I wasn't there. So I stopped and waited until they were finished. At first they didn't notice...but the JTE did. His eyes bugged out of his head with every second of silence. He stared at me with a look that said, “What ARE you doing?!?!” Eventually, most likely out of sheer curiosity, the classroom quieted down. Then for about 10 glorious minutes I had their attention...but that ended when I asked the students where they had travelled to. When they didn't volunteer an answer I chose one of them. I pointed at a young girl in the front, left of the class. She froze...absolutely petrified that she had to use English. I tried to encourage her...but while my attention was on her, the rest of the class grew unruly...and stayed that way for the remainder of the class.
Over the course of the following week and a half I have taught many more times, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes the students are interested in what I'm saying, other times they sleep or just converse amongst themselves while I'm talking. However, in the past week or so I feel as though I have made a breakthrough with the students. My predecessor, Mark, left me some very valuable advice: the key to teaching is motivation. Exceptionally true. At first I was simply a stranger who didn't speak the same language as the students. They needed to put great effort into understanding what I was saying and responding. Now, I have met numerous students through practicing with the baseball team, working out with the baseball team, talking to students in the hall, etc. I try to show them that I am interested in THEM and they respond by showing an interest in me...and English.
The other day I was walking to class and as I walked down the hall students tried to coax me into their classrooms (while their classes were going on) by yelling "Clis! Clis! Clis!" and waving. They do this with such genuiness that it's hard not to walk down the halls with a beaming smile. I have come to love my job because of the kindness and friendliness of all of the students and teachers that I work with.
On Thursday night, one of my co-workers arranged to stop by my apartment to help me figure out how to upload music onto my cellphone. I'm sure I've mentioned him before. His name is Kenichi, or Ken, he's a year older than me, sits next to me at school and pretty much translates everything for me. Without his help, my stay would have been much more difficult up to this point. When I arrived home after school on Thursday, I realized that something in my apartment smelled pretty bad...I had forgotten to take out my food garbage. I ran it outside and then sprayed my apartment with a women's bodyspray that had been left in my apartment. I know...it sounds weird...but I found the stuff on the shelf...I have no use for it, but it smelled pretty good, so I decided to use it as a room spray.
Anyways, seconds after I had coated my apartment in women's bodyspray Ken rang my doorbell. He stood in the doorway and said to me, “I came with a few friends and we are going to go for dinner after...can we come in...and do you want to join us for dinner.” I promptly invited them in and told him that I would love to grab some dinner. So Ken runs back to the car and gets his two friends...who turn out to be two teachers from my school. In fact, one of them is the fencing instructor who I speculate is trying to kill me. His name is Onokota. The other teacher, Nakaou, is a math teacher. Just great...I feel like I'm going to be the butt end of every joke at school now...
After we discover that it's impossible to figure out the cellphone upload program, we call up another teacher and head for kappa sushi (which is sushi that goes around a long island/median on a conveyor belt...when you see something you want, you grab it! It's really cheap...about a dollar a plate). I had a blast! It was nice to socialize with Japanese people. When I needed a translation, Ken was more than willing to explain to me what had happened, but for the most part I simply listened and tried to understand what was going on. They also made me try everything under the sun...including natto, which is slimy rotted soybeans. Check out the pictures! (They're actually from my second natto experience, but they give you an idea of what it's like).
Of course, I ate EVERYTHING they put in front of me. It was a really comfortable environment for learning because the guys are really casual, so I didn't feel the pressure of strict Japanese eating and socializing etiquette. Altogether we at over 70 plates of sushi with two pieces of sushi on each plate. We also had a bowl of soup each AND desert. It was the first time in my life that I was completely full on sushi. It would have only cost me $10 but they covered my bill since it was the first time that I had eaten kappa sushi. We kicked around the restaurant for a little while after we had eaten, discussing plans for Friday night and resolved that we should get together for drinks at my place.
When Friday night rolled around, I stopped by the store to pick up a few snack foods and some booze. Pam and Katie arrived at about 8:00 and Ken, Nakau and Onokota arrived seconds after. Ken, Nakau and Onokota brought about six bottles of sake and a wide variety of Japanese foods. We spent the evening chatting, playing drinking games (which were utterly hilarious) and eating chips with chopsticks. Hahahaa
On Saturday, I wandered around Toba for a while before heading to Ise to have some pizza with Pam and Katie. As I wandered I came across a Buddhist shrine and cemetary. I took some photographs in an attempt to show everyone back home how picturesque my new hometown is.
On Sunday Katie, Pam and I went to the visitor centre on the Shima Akasaki Skyline (a private road that connects Ise and Toba). I love spending my time in the mountains...and of course I photographed pretty much everything so that you can get an idea of what it is like!
Below is a landscape shot of Ise (where Katie and Pam live) and a shot of Katie and Pam in front of Ise.
Katie in front of the Shima Skyline and the nature trail winding through the visitor centre.
Katie and I posing with the guardians of the temple...obviously they aren't doing a good enough job because they didn't keep us out!
Below is a huge bell that was located at the Buddhist temple.
Here is an absurdly constructed bridge that crosses a pond at the Buddhist monastary (no way you could walk across it), and a dragon fountain.
The temple had many beautiful statues. Below is the Buddha riding a bull (brush up on your Buddhist philosophy or check out this link for an explanation: http://www.exeas.org/resources/oxherding.html#intro). I have no idea what the relevance of the tiger statue is.
A tree full of wishes and the Buddhist temple on the Asama mountain range.
Wrong-o...when we had picked an appropriate place on the boardwalk, the teachers tossed five bags of fireworks into the middle of the group of students, handed out some lighters and then took a few steps back to watch the show. All the of JETs stood watching in disbelief...and then we stepped back to avoid being blown to bits. I was geniunely surprised by what happened during the firework display. The students were cautious, courteous and cleaned up every last bit of firework casing. After about 45 minutes of explosions we left the beach the exact same way that we found it. Incredible... Here are some of the students lighting up the boardwalk...
A portion of the arsenal...
Check out the video on YouTube...I think it captures the events a little more accurately.
After the fireworks were done, everyone headed to bed. However, Tom (a fellow JET) and I decided to walk to the Meotoiwa Married Rocks. The married rocks are a place of worship for members of the Shinto religion. They're also a fairly large tourist attaction. I asked about the history of the rocks, but those questions tend to be fruitless in Japan. I was told that the rocks had been found tied together over 2000 years ago and that they have been ceremonially retied using new ropes twice a year, every year since then.
When I asked WHY the rocks were tied together, I got a series of blank stares...some people even laughed at the question. People just don't ask those sorts of questions here. For most people that I've talked to, the thought never even crossed their mind. Those are the married rocks, they're tied together because that's what makes them the married rocks...and they're married because they're tied together. The philosoper in me dies a little each time I ask a “why” question in Japan. When I asked my supervisor about the rocks, I tried to clarify my question by making it situational. I said to her, “okay, imagine that you're walking down the beach and you see two rocks near each other about 15 feet off the shore...what compels you to jump in the water and tie them together with a huge rope??” She laughed at me and replied, “you ask too many questions for Japan. In Japan we have a saying that means 'that is the way things are.'” So, that's ultimately the answer I received...they're tied together because they are...that's it. Regardless of the “whys,” the rocks are very picturesque. I got some great shots of them during the evening and then woke up at 6:00 am to get some morning shots of them before the camp started on Tuesday morning at 7:00.
Married rocks at night...
Married rocks in the morning...
After the camp ended, I headed back to Toba and spent the rest of the evening hiking the mountains of Toba and Asama. Here are some of pictures from my hike...I'll also post some videos on YouTube. It is incredibly peaceful in the mountains...the pictures don't even do it justice.
The next few days were spent at school. At the time my schedule was pretty empty so I studied Japanese and got to know some of the teachers and students from my school. On Thursday I had to make a speech in front of all of the students and teachers. As I entered the gym with my speech in hand, I realized that I hadn't read it over for about a week. That might not have been such a problem if the speech was in English...but I was supposed to be speaking in Japanese. I quickly pulled the speech out of my pocket and began to rehearse. At this point I realized that I KNEW the words...but I couldn't SAY some of the words. My hands started to shake as they called me to the podium on the stage. So there I am. Standing alone on a stage in front of 500 students. Before I begin, I take a look around the gym at the adolescent faces that are studying me in return. Most of the students have an inquisitive smile on their faces...this is good...they're not going to lynch me yet. Okay.....let's go.
Ohayo gozaimasu
(Good morning)....
(Scattered laughter ripples accross the gym)
(I laugh and pause...am I doing okay so far?)
Mina san hajimemashite
(How is everyone today?)
Watashi wa Kurisu Janca desu
(My name is Chris Janca)
But you can call me Chris...okkkkkkk
(No reaction whatsoever)
Watashi wa Eigo no kyoshi desu
(I am an English teacher)
Kanada no Toronto kara kimashita
(I come from Toronto in Canada)
Nihon wa hajimete desu
(It is my first time in Japan)
Ima watashi wa Nihon-go no benkyou o...(there's something about saying “shit” in front of 500 people that just doesn't seem right...so I stutter) shit...shitei...shiteimasu
(I am learning Japanese)
Nihon-go ni narerumade (couldn't pronounce this word...so I said it really quickly...) yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
(Please speak to me slowly in Japanese)
Eigo demo itsudemo ha-na-shi-ka-ke-te (the kids love it when I talk syllable by syllable)...kudasaine
(Please try to speak English with me).
Mina san to issho ni oshigoto ga dekiru koto o koei (THREE VOWELS IN A ROW?!?!? What am I supposed to do with this??)...ni omoimasu. Oku no katagata to oshiriai ni nareru koto o tanoshimi ni shite orimasu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
(I am proud to be working with you and I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can. I hope that our relationship will be a happy one).
When I finished speaking all the kids clapped for me. I was shocked. When the other teachers spoke, the students merely scowled...but for me they clapped. It definately made me feel a little more comfortable at Toba Highschool. After that speech, everytime I see a student, either at school or on the street, they shout out, “Clis, Clis, Clis” (which is how they say my name) and wave to me. It's a great feeling to walk down the street in a foreign country and to have people recognize you and say hello. It's not just the students either. Sometimes random people will just stare at me as though they are looking at an alien and then when I look them in the eyes and smile, you see the wheels turning very quickly...a smile creeps across there face...and then they say, “hellllo” very quickly and bashfully. It's a truly charming experience.
Friday was my first day of classes. Most people think of Japanese students as obedient and motivated students who silently soak up information as you present it to them. In my experience, this is not the case...not even close (but keep in mind, this is only a reflection of the school that I work at...I have no idea what other schools are like). Before I started teaching classes the teachers had warned me that the students don't speak very much English, they're shy and some of them will sleep during my class. I had my doubts...it couldn't be THAT bad right?...right? Wrong. It could be...and it was.
When I walked in with the Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) the students didn't even notice that we had entered the room. While Okuyama sensei got the class' attention I handed out the worksheet for my presentation. Some of the students were ALREADY asleep on their desks, so I had to put the worksheet on their heads. When I began my introduction the students simply conversed as though I wasn't there. So I stopped and waited until they were finished. At first they didn't notice...but the JTE did. His eyes bugged out of his head with every second of silence. He stared at me with a look that said, “What ARE you doing?!?!” Eventually, most likely out of sheer curiosity, the classroom quieted down. Then for about 10 glorious minutes I had their attention...but that ended when I asked the students where they had travelled to. When they didn't volunteer an answer I chose one of them. I pointed at a young girl in the front, left of the class. She froze...absolutely petrified that she had to use English. I tried to encourage her...but while my attention was on her, the rest of the class grew unruly...and stayed that way for the remainder of the class.
Over the course of the following week and a half I have taught many more times, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes the students are interested in what I'm saying, other times they sleep or just converse amongst themselves while I'm talking. However, in the past week or so I feel as though I have made a breakthrough with the students. My predecessor, Mark, left me some very valuable advice: the key to teaching is motivation. Exceptionally true. At first I was simply a stranger who didn't speak the same language as the students. They needed to put great effort into understanding what I was saying and responding. Now, I have met numerous students through practicing with the baseball team, working out with the baseball team, talking to students in the hall, etc. I try to show them that I am interested in THEM and they respond by showing an interest in me...and English.
The other day I was walking to class and as I walked down the hall students tried to coax me into their classrooms (while their classes were going on) by yelling "Clis! Clis! Clis!" and waving. They do this with such genuiness that it's hard not to walk down the halls with a beaming smile. I have come to love my job because of the kindness and friendliness of all of the students and teachers that I work with.
On Thursday night, one of my co-workers arranged to stop by my apartment to help me figure out how to upload music onto my cellphone. I'm sure I've mentioned him before. His name is Kenichi, or Ken, he's a year older than me, sits next to me at school and pretty much translates everything for me. Without his help, my stay would have been much more difficult up to this point. When I arrived home after school on Thursday, I realized that something in my apartment smelled pretty bad...I had forgotten to take out my food garbage. I ran it outside and then sprayed my apartment with a women's bodyspray that had been left in my apartment. I know...it sounds weird...but I found the stuff on the shelf...I have no use for it, but it smelled pretty good, so I decided to use it as a room spray.
Anyways, seconds after I had coated my apartment in women's bodyspray Ken rang my doorbell. He stood in the doorway and said to me, “I came with a few friends and we are going to go for dinner after...can we come in...and do you want to join us for dinner.” I promptly invited them in and told him that I would love to grab some dinner. So Ken runs back to the car and gets his two friends...who turn out to be two teachers from my school. In fact, one of them is the fencing instructor who I speculate is trying to kill me. His name is Onokota. The other teacher, Nakaou, is a math teacher. Just great...I feel like I'm going to be the butt end of every joke at school now...
After we discover that it's impossible to figure out the cellphone upload program, we call up another teacher and head for kappa sushi (which is sushi that goes around a long island/median on a conveyor belt...when you see something you want, you grab it! It's really cheap...about a dollar a plate). I had a blast! It was nice to socialize with Japanese people. When I needed a translation, Ken was more than willing to explain to me what had happened, but for the most part I simply listened and tried to understand what was going on. They also made me try everything under the sun...including natto, which is slimy rotted soybeans. Check out the pictures! (They're actually from my second natto experience, but they give you an idea of what it's like).
Of course, I ate EVERYTHING they put in front of me. It was a really comfortable environment for learning because the guys are really casual, so I didn't feel the pressure of strict Japanese eating and socializing etiquette. Altogether we at over 70 plates of sushi with two pieces of sushi on each plate. We also had a bowl of soup each AND desert. It was the first time in my life that I was completely full on sushi. It would have only cost me $10 but they covered my bill since it was the first time that I had eaten kappa sushi. We kicked around the restaurant for a little while after we had eaten, discussing plans for Friday night and resolved that we should get together for drinks at my place.
When Friday night rolled around, I stopped by the store to pick up a few snack foods and some booze. Pam and Katie arrived at about 8:00 and Ken, Nakau and Onokota arrived seconds after. Ken, Nakau and Onokota brought about six bottles of sake and a wide variety of Japanese foods. We spent the evening chatting, playing drinking games (which were utterly hilarious) and eating chips with chopsticks. Hahahaa
On Saturday, I wandered around Toba for a while before heading to Ise to have some pizza with Pam and Katie. As I wandered I came across a Buddhist shrine and cemetary. I took some photographs in an attempt to show everyone back home how picturesque my new hometown is.
On Sunday Katie, Pam and I went to the visitor centre on the Shima Akasaki Skyline (a private road that connects Ise and Toba). I love spending my time in the mountains...and of course I photographed pretty much everything so that you can get an idea of what it is like!
Below is a landscape shot of Ise (where Katie and Pam live) and a shot of Katie and Pam in front of Ise.
Katie in front of the Shima Skyline and the nature trail winding through the visitor centre.
Katie and I posing with the guardians of the temple...obviously they aren't doing a good enough job because they didn't keep us out!
Below is a huge bell that was located at the Buddhist temple.
Here is an absurdly constructed bridge that crosses a pond at the Buddhist monastary (no way you could walk across it), and a dragon fountain.
The temple had many beautiful statues. Below is the Buddha riding a bull (brush up on your Buddhist philosophy or check out this link for an explanation: http://www.exeas.org/resources/oxherding.html#intro). I have no idea what the relevance of the tiger statue is.
A tree full of wishes and the Buddhist temple on the Asama mountain range.
posted by Christopher Janca at 9:17 p.m.
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