Don't you just wish you could stay up all the time and never sleep? I do. Think how much you could get done. Think about all the cool stuff you could do all night long and never have to think about how you're missing out on the slipping-into-unconsciousness-for-several-hours state, and that you'll be paying for it the next day at work.
Why do I have to be tempted with a second wind at 10 pm? This is the time I have to be in bed if I want 8 hours...
As it is, it's 10:01 and I'm just logging on. I spent around 45 min. dabbling in one of the books I bought today- one of the 6 random books I bought on a whim at a book store in Shiz City. Shizuoka-shi really is the "shiz." I love it. I am enamored every time I step off the train. I think it's the people, and the style. Here people aren't afraid to break the conformity spell, at least on the surface. I see girls with tattoos and boys with earrings. I see shades of the rainbow and blonde hair. It fills me with satisfaction that people are choosing a life on the fringe.
I met some of Ruth's friends from last summer today outside of a Starbucks. I couldn't tell you their names (except the one girl, her name was "ai" which means love, but it could have been different kanji) but I can describe their clothing. One girl was wearing a green and black striped dress with a thin sweater jacket, another was wearing a spaghetti strap baggy summer shirt over a body-hugging, black long-sleeved T. Japanese fashion is totally cool; it makes American college co-eds look base.
I have so much I want to write, and so much I want to read. I truly feel that reading is fuel for writing. It's fuel for my thinking too. I have a lot I want to write here about my reactions to The God Delusion. I think I'll start a multi-part series of posts about my reactions.
For now I want to leave you with something I wrote down that was the result of some reflection on this past year's thoughts about love and relationships:
"Dating and courting - it's not a game. It's not a formula. She's a human being in all her glorious humanness and uniqueness and you cannot put that in a box or in a 5 page handout. There are obviously guidelines for Godly behavior and correct action - but in the end it's her you should be responding to, it's her you should be cherishing. The Lord will be your center and you will be a reflection of his incredible love for and pursuit of the church. Remember this as you love."
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thoughts
Ok- I have to make a correction to the last post (I can't figure out how to edit at the moment, all the headers and instructions are in Japanese because I'm connected to the internet in Japan).
In the last couple lines it should read "Instant Messages" like on AIM or Skype.
Which is a good lead in to the next post I want to write here. It's about writing. Or the reproduction of previously written material. Yesterday I had decided to publish some of my journal entries. Yes, I've been adulturating myself with another medium. And that's the way it should be.
You see, I've been keeping a journal now for almost 10 years. I have about 10 notebooks back home filled with my spontaneous and unbridled writings. I have no structure, no agenda, no commitment or duty to my journal. The very point is that it will never be published and thus I can have no ulterior motive in my method or progress as I meander through subject and thought-stream.
My journal is a place where I dialogue with myself. It's a place where I dialogue with God. I do not censor myself and I have no expectations. It's really more of a way to direct my thought process than to record anything.
So I will not be publishing any journal entries. There are places and times for all kinds of writing: some I will do in songs, some in my blog, some in e-mails or messages or speeches. And of course, my journal. I'll leave it up to future historians to collect my writings and anthologize them for posterity... :-P
Luther
In the last couple lines it should read "Instant Messages" like on AIM or Skype.
Which is a good lead in to the next post I want to write here. It's about writing. Or the reproduction of previously written material. Yesterday I had decided to publish some of my journal entries. Yes, I've been adulturating myself with another medium. And that's the way it should be.
You see, I've been keeping a journal now for almost 10 years. I have about 10 notebooks back home filled with my spontaneous and unbridled writings. I have no structure, no agenda, no commitment or duty to my journal. The very point is that it will never be published and thus I can have no ulterior motive in my method or progress as I meander through subject and thought-stream.
My journal is a place where I dialogue with myself. It's a place where I dialogue with God. I do not censor myself and I have no expectations. It's really more of a way to direct my thought process than to record anything.
So I will not be publishing any journal entries. There are places and times for all kinds of writing: some I will do in songs, some in my blog, some in e-mails or messages or speeches. And of course, my journal. I'll leave it up to future historians to collect my writings and anthologize them for posterity... :-P
Luther
E-mail Excerpts
This post is comprised of selections from e-mails I've sent people over the past many weeks. A lot of true things are evoked from spontaneous writing and provoked from the questions that people ask me.
In response to the question, How's Japan?:
Yeah, it's crazy. Okashii (crazy)! I really wish I could sum up how I feel in an e-mail, but I can't. My expressions of how I feel usually end up in the portrayal of a few anecdotes. It's hard to be reflective when the thoughts I have are entirely knew. I don't have the words or phrases yet to tell you how I feel.
My friend Steve asked me to rank on a scale of 1-10 my experience so far and I said it's a 10. That's still true. It's so awesome to be in an entirely new country with an entirely new culture, entirely new language, entirely new consciousness.
My school had sports day on Thursday. All day long kids competed against each other in different events. They had been divided up into 2 teams so points were kept and half the kids technically won, but I don't think there were any group prizes. The top kid in each game got a certificate.
I've been meeting all kinds of people from all over the western world. Since the JET Program employs English speakers from most English speaking countries, I've met people from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, all over the US... It's been so so so cool. I don't know how long I'll stay, but I've already decided on 2 years for sure, and maybe 3 or longer...
In response to information about a book club from a fellow ALT:
Thanks Elaine, I will definitely check it out. I did visit my local library and it has 5 English books. 5. The nearest library with English books is about a 500 yen one way trip, so using the library would hardly be free. Or maybe I'll sell my soul to the digital world and go electronic...
Another comment on my well-being:
I'm doing well, but I really haven't had anytime to think about much, so maybe I'll someday suddenly realize I'm living 10,000 kilometers from home.
In response to a general question from a friend interested in the JET Program:
If you're applying for JET for this next year, the deadline for the application will be somewhere around the end of November or the beginning of December, and believe me, it's a loooong application. Took me a full 2 days to fill it out. Plus you need references, and need things notarized, etc. etc. Start applying the beginning of October and you should be alright. Then there's an interview in some big city around the middle of February (I did mine in Chicago). Maybe there's one in Hawaii, I'm not sure. Actually, I know another ALT (Assistant Language Teacher, what most of the people who apply through JET become) who is from Hawaii originally. His name is Micah. I could ask him if he wants to talk with you if you have any Hawaii specific questions. You won't find out if you're accepted into the program until the beginning of April at the earliest.
Some basics about the JET Program:
Rule #1: Every situation is different. ESID. They pound this into you over and over. Some people end up in Okinawa, some in Hokkaido, some in Tokyo, some in a tiny mountain village, some on an even tiny-er island. Every apartment situation is different. Some are 18 feet by 15 feet big (total, kitchen, bathroom, etc.). Some have 2 bedrooms, and a living room. You may or may not have a western style toilet. You may not have airconditioning. You may have to pay a lot of money to buy things for your apartment ($1000). The school that you'll be teaching at may pay for it all.
2. You may be teaching at elementary schools or junior highs or 1 high school. You may travel and teach at 25 different schools per year. You may have to buy a car, or your school might not let you buy a car. Your Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) may or may not know English well enough to converse with you.
Hmmm, #2 was a lot like #1.
You may be surrounded by other ALTs, or you may be 2 hours from the nearest "western" person.
I say western because I now have friends from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, England, South Africa, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago... never thought I would be spending this much time with other ALTs, but it's possible to because of where I live.
Gosh, there's way too much stuff to write about to just write about everything. Your situation could end up being entirely different than mine anyway. But I will definitely try to answer any specific questions you may have. As for me, Japan was such an unknown before I left (and still is) that I didn't even know what questions to ask. So I just applied and waited to see what things would be like once I got here.
Haven't been too many frustrations. Just been taking everything as it comes. New country = totally new things to think about, uncover, discover... got to be studying Japanese...
I have a blog if you want to check it out: http://lutherflagstad.blogspot.com
It's kind of random, but has some more interesting musings, I think anyway.
Yeah, shoot me some more e-mails with specific questions.This really is the cush job. I get paid $2600 US a month to do a little bit of teaching and spend my free time being in a different country!
My own initiated e-mail to a friend back home:
Teaching has been going alright, don't really know what I'm doing, so lesson planning has been hard, but the execution has been fun. It's all around a pretty easy job, so quite a bit of free time to get out into my surroundings and explore. We're not paid to just teach- we're expected to learn about Japanese culture, learn the language, get to know our neighbors, get involved in the community, be friendly, and to give people here access to our own cultures in very direct ways.
Having said that, I have spent quite a bit of time with English speaking ALTs from all over the world- I now have friends from New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, All over the US, Ireland, England, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia... it's crazy.
I have my first Japanese language class tonight...
I'm also helping out every other week at a English/Ministry outreach class. We teach English and then share a Bible message. Had the first one this past Friday, so looking forward to see where that goes. There really are hardly any Christians here, less than 1% of Japanese natives are Christian, and probably less than 5% of the ALTs (people in my position) if that. But I've had some really good conversations people and got to give away one of my Bibles the other day- I exchanged literature with one of my new friends Mike from Australia. I gave him the Bible and Blue Like Jazz and he gave me "The God Dillusion." I read the first 60 pages last night, pretty interesting. I actually agree with the author on a lot of his points, but disagree with the conclusions he draws from them. Basically so far he's been saying religion (all religion and all supernatural belief) is bad because look at all the horrible things that religious people have done in the name of religion. My first reaction to that book has been shame for my self and my fellow Christians whose behaviors have hurt Christianity and God's image grievously. He keeps bringing up quotations from "Christians" which state things that are very unbiblical. It's often said that the worst thing going for Christianity today is Christians. Uff Da.
But the best thing going in the world for Christianity (outside of the Holy Spirits work himself!) is Christians too. We can really show God's love through the way we treat people. I am responsible to know my faith and to know God, to know the Bible and to talk about it with other people. Building on that base I have decided I will do only 3 things: Pray, Listen and Love. Pray because only the Holy Spirit can do any of the convincing, listen because it is the best way you can show someone you care about them, and love- to love people tangibly.
Alright, this e-mail got longer than I thought it would, I guess I was thinking outloud...out-type? Anyway, I have to get to class pretty soon.
Writing to another friend back home:
I had a CRAZY weekend- rode the train about 2 hours away Sat. afternoon to go to this Australian bar where I met a bunch of other ALTs to have a few brewskies and watch the international rugby championships. Only ended up watching 1 game before having a really long conversation with one of my new friends about Christianity and Buddhism and Evolution and Creationism. I definitely have found that these conversations are usually not fruitful, and this one was no different. There were no hard feelings, but it's just that neither side is ever going to win the argument- if anything the worldly view is going to win more often because we're living in the world which is controlled by the prince of the air, Satan, and he's going to do what he can to make sure secular ideas are the most popular. A common saying goes, "Rarely are people argued into the kingdom- It is more often love that brings them there." Also Romans 2:3-4 talk about how it's the Lord's kindness that leads us to repentance.
I have decided that I shall choose to do only 3 things: Pray, listen and love. Praying because only the Holy Spirit can actually do any convincing, listening because it is the most important thing you can do to show someone you care about them, and loving tangably through the things you do.
Getting back to the night, we then went to karaoke where we sang for about 3 hours (until 4 am when they kicked us out of the room) then went to Denny's (yes they have Denny's) where I had spaghetti because their breakfast menu doesn't start until 7am. Then we caught the first train back east at 5:35am. I slept for a bit and also talked with Luke (my friend who I was talking with before) about dating, esp. dating people from foreign countries, which aparently he's had a lot of experience with. (Luke himself is from New Zealand. He's 29).
Alright, that was my weekend. I will sign off for now, but in a few days I'll have internet at my house, woooo!!!!
In response to questions from a friend who is also teaching abroad:
Yeah, it's been a challenge, especially in planning lessons. But in all honesty, this is a easy job and they treat me really well. I put in my 8 hours a day, then I get to go home and think about other things... like how to eat and clean and withdraw cash and ride the trains and where to find friends and how to bike in all the rain and how to use the squat toilets and on and on! Luckily the JET Program is very supportive and there are lots of other foreigners from Australia and England and Scotland and Ireland and South Africa and Canada and New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago even! that have set up a network with each other so I definitely haven't been lonely- actually I have been TOO busy. There's so much to do and see. Last night I was sitting in my room after an all nighter of bar/watching rugby/karaoke/Denny's and thinking that I just want to settle into a normal life here. So hopefully that will pan out somehow in the next couple months! I have a blog if you're interested at all, it's on my profile. Otherwise I post lots of pictures, so they're there too.
My different classes run the gamut from very shy to very genki (excited/active) and from entry level English to high intermediate or low advanced. I've only been teaching 1 week, so we'll see how things continue to go. I live in a teacher housing apartment- slightly old, but lots of space. It's been very hot and humid, and I just recently got airconditioning, so I've been sweating a lot. But that's normal- everyone carries around little sweat towels and dabs at their faces and necks.
Well, I should probably get back to work- right now I'm writing a speech for one of my students who will memorize it for a competition on the 22nd. Let me know how you're doing from time to time too.
Another response:
Things are going well. I am doing my self-introduction lesson plan 10 times this week and into Monday. I lucked out and really only have to plan 3 different lesson plans per week, and then just teach them several times. Lesson planning is definitely the thing I am the least experienced at so therefore enjoy the least. Once in the classroom though, I feel great. The levels of English ability runs the gamut- I have a class of first year, lowest test score kids and third year kids in the special English Course class. But the high school I'm at has a high level in general with well behaved kids, so it will be a pleasure teaching them. I have planned one other lesson for next week, so need to do 2 more before the end of tomorrow!
I have been doing well with God too. I have read about half of Knowing God by J.I.Packer and just finished Blue Like Jazz the other night. I would highly, highly recommend Blue Like Jazz if you haven't read it already. Very honest and very real. I identified with the guy a lot at least... Also I am reading Matthew. I have taken my Bible out to the Sea wall a couple of times and sat there and read while the waves crashed on shore.
There is a typhoon approaching my coast of Japan tonight... high winds, lots of rain and BIG waves...
Same....:
Yah yah, it's going well! I only have internet at school, I won't at my apartment until Sep. 14th at the very earliest- the bureaucracy of getting internet is reDICulous, but oh well. I got my foreigner's card yesterday and a cell phone, which is tiny. Makes the razr look clunky and FAT. I said it- pictures to follow. I liked your comment on the hashbrowns by the way.
It is crazy here and I can see myself getting lonely in a couple of months. I'll be missing life at the Wigwam. But- I've met some cool people here already, and hopefully we'll become friends.
E-mail to my sister Hannah:
I got your letter today! Thanks for the picture. I will put it on top of my tv. And hopefully on top of my new tv when I buy one at a "recycle shop." Basically, Japanese people are really afraid of buying anything used. So if someone uses a TV for even a week and then doesn't want it, you can buy it for a fraction of the price. People even put perfectly fine working electronics out on the curb to throw away if they are moving or something.
One of my first e-mails from Japan, to a friend back home:
Japan is great! I:m still in orientation in Tokyo, and tomorrow I will head off to my prefecture. Check out my blog:http://lutherflagstad.blogspot.com
Thanks for writing- everythings a blur right now and I:m really, really tired. It:s almost midnight now, and I:ve gotten like 4 hours of sleep each night. something crazy just happened on this japanese keyboard, so this post might look weird! Enjoy your summer
Wish I could have included many things written in Instand Messages too. Well, I suppose I have to save some things for Interpersonal Communication, right? Not everything is meant to be shared with the world...
Luther
In response to the question, How's Japan?:
Yeah, it's crazy. Okashii (crazy)! I really wish I could sum up how I feel in an e-mail, but I can't. My expressions of how I feel usually end up in the portrayal of a few anecdotes. It's hard to be reflective when the thoughts I have are entirely knew. I don't have the words or phrases yet to tell you how I feel.
My friend Steve asked me to rank on a scale of 1-10 my experience so far and I said it's a 10. That's still true. It's so awesome to be in an entirely new country with an entirely new culture, entirely new language, entirely new consciousness.
My school had sports day on Thursday. All day long kids competed against each other in different events. They had been divided up into 2 teams so points were kept and half the kids technically won, but I don't think there were any group prizes. The top kid in each game got a certificate.
I've been meeting all kinds of people from all over the western world. Since the JET Program employs English speakers from most English speaking countries, I've met people from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, all over the US... It's been so so so cool. I don't know how long I'll stay, but I've already decided on 2 years for sure, and maybe 3 or longer...
In response to information about a book club from a fellow ALT:
Thanks Elaine, I will definitely check it out. I did visit my local library and it has 5 English books. 5. The nearest library with English books is about a 500 yen one way trip, so using the library would hardly be free. Or maybe I'll sell my soul to the digital world and go electronic...
Another comment on my well-being:
I'm doing well, but I really haven't had anytime to think about much, so maybe I'll someday suddenly realize I'm living 10,000 kilometers from home.
In response to a general question from a friend interested in the JET Program:
If you're applying for JET for this next year, the deadline for the application will be somewhere around the end of November or the beginning of December, and believe me, it's a loooong application. Took me a full 2 days to fill it out. Plus you need references, and need things notarized, etc. etc. Start applying the beginning of October and you should be alright. Then there's an interview in some big city around the middle of February (I did mine in Chicago). Maybe there's one in Hawaii, I'm not sure. Actually, I know another ALT (Assistant Language Teacher, what most of the people who apply through JET become) who is from Hawaii originally. His name is Micah. I could ask him if he wants to talk with you if you have any Hawaii specific questions. You won't find out if you're accepted into the program until the beginning of April at the earliest.
Some basics about the JET Program:
Rule #1: Every situation is different. ESID. They pound this into you over and over. Some people end up in Okinawa, some in Hokkaido, some in Tokyo, some in a tiny mountain village, some on an even tiny-er island. Every apartment situation is different. Some are 18 feet by 15 feet big (total, kitchen, bathroom, etc.). Some have 2 bedrooms, and a living room. You may or may not have a western style toilet. You may not have airconditioning. You may have to pay a lot of money to buy things for your apartment ($1000). The school that you'll be teaching at may pay for it all.
2. You may be teaching at elementary schools or junior highs or 1 high school. You may travel and teach at 25 different schools per year. You may have to buy a car, or your school might not let you buy a car. Your Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) may or may not know English well enough to converse with you.
Hmmm, #2 was a lot like #1.
You may be surrounded by other ALTs, or you may be 2 hours from the nearest "western" person.
I say western because I now have friends from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, England, South Africa, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago... never thought I would be spending this much time with other ALTs, but it's possible to because of where I live.
Gosh, there's way too much stuff to write about to just write about everything. Your situation could end up being entirely different than mine anyway. But I will definitely try to answer any specific questions you may have. As for me, Japan was such an unknown before I left (and still is) that I didn't even know what questions to ask. So I just applied and waited to see what things would be like once I got here.
Haven't been too many frustrations. Just been taking everything as it comes. New country = totally new things to think about, uncover, discover... got to be studying Japanese...
I have a blog if you want to check it out: http://lutherflagstad.blogspot.com
It's kind of random, but has some more interesting musings, I think anyway.
Yeah, shoot me some more e-mails with specific questions.This really is the cush job. I get paid $2600 US a month to do a little bit of teaching and spend my free time being in a different country!
My own initiated e-mail to a friend back home:
Teaching has been going alright, don't really know what I'm doing, so lesson planning has been hard, but the execution has been fun. It's all around a pretty easy job, so quite a bit of free time to get out into my surroundings and explore. We're not paid to just teach- we're expected to learn about Japanese culture, learn the language, get to know our neighbors, get involved in the community, be friendly, and to give people here access to our own cultures in very direct ways.
Having said that, I have spent quite a bit of time with English speaking ALTs from all over the world- I now have friends from New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, All over the US, Ireland, England, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia... it's crazy.
I have my first Japanese language class tonight...
I'm also helping out every other week at a English/Ministry outreach class. We teach English and then share a Bible message. Had the first one this past Friday, so looking forward to see where that goes. There really are hardly any Christians here, less than 1% of Japanese natives are Christian, and probably less than 5% of the ALTs (people in my position) if that. But I've had some really good conversations people and got to give away one of my Bibles the other day- I exchanged literature with one of my new friends Mike from Australia. I gave him the Bible and Blue Like Jazz and he gave me "The God Dillusion." I read the first 60 pages last night, pretty interesting. I actually agree with the author on a lot of his points, but disagree with the conclusions he draws from them. Basically so far he's been saying religion (all religion and all supernatural belief) is bad because look at all the horrible things that religious people have done in the name of religion. My first reaction to that book has been shame for my self and my fellow Christians whose behaviors have hurt Christianity and God's image grievously. He keeps bringing up quotations from "Christians" which state things that are very unbiblical. It's often said that the worst thing going for Christianity today is Christians. Uff Da.
But the best thing going in the world for Christianity (outside of the Holy Spirits work himself!) is Christians too. We can really show God's love through the way we treat people. I am responsible to know my faith and to know God, to know the Bible and to talk about it with other people. Building on that base I have decided I will do only 3 things: Pray, Listen and Love. Pray because only the Holy Spirit can do any of the convincing, listen because it is the best way you can show someone you care about them, and love- to love people tangibly.
Alright, this e-mail got longer than I thought it would, I guess I was thinking outloud...out-type? Anyway, I have to get to class pretty soon.
Writing to another friend back home:
I had a CRAZY weekend- rode the train about 2 hours away Sat. afternoon to go to this Australian bar where I met a bunch of other ALTs to have a few brewskies and watch the international rugby championships. Only ended up watching 1 game before having a really long conversation with one of my new friends about Christianity and Buddhism and Evolution and Creationism. I definitely have found that these conversations are usually not fruitful, and this one was no different. There were no hard feelings, but it's just that neither side is ever going to win the argument- if anything the worldly view is going to win more often because we're living in the world which is controlled by the prince of the air, Satan, and he's going to do what he can to make sure secular ideas are the most popular. A common saying goes, "Rarely are people argued into the kingdom- It is more often love that brings them there." Also Romans 2:3-4 talk about how it's the Lord's kindness that leads us to repentance.
I have decided that I shall choose to do only 3 things: Pray, listen and love. Praying because only the Holy Spirit can actually do any convincing, listening because it is the most important thing you can do to show someone you care about them, and loving tangably through the things you do.
Getting back to the night, we then went to karaoke where we sang for about 3 hours (until 4 am when they kicked us out of the room) then went to Denny's (yes they have Denny's) where I had spaghetti because their breakfast menu doesn't start until 7am. Then we caught the first train back east at 5:35am. I slept for a bit and also talked with Luke (my friend who I was talking with before) about dating, esp. dating people from foreign countries, which aparently he's had a lot of experience with. (Luke himself is from New Zealand. He's 29).
Alright, that was my weekend. I will sign off for now, but in a few days I'll have internet at my house, woooo!!!!
In response to questions from a friend who is also teaching abroad:
Yeah, it's been a challenge, especially in planning lessons. But in all honesty, this is a easy job and they treat me really well. I put in my 8 hours a day, then I get to go home and think about other things... like how to eat and clean and withdraw cash and ride the trains and where to find friends and how to bike in all the rain and how to use the squat toilets and on and on! Luckily the JET Program is very supportive and there are lots of other foreigners from Australia and England and Scotland and Ireland and South Africa and Canada and New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago even! that have set up a network with each other so I definitely haven't been lonely- actually I have been TOO busy. There's so much to do and see. Last night I was sitting in my room after an all nighter of bar/watching rugby/karaoke/Denny's and thinking that I just want to settle into a normal life here. So hopefully that will pan out somehow in the next couple months! I have a blog if you're interested at all, it's on my profile. Otherwise I post lots of pictures, so they're there too.
My different classes run the gamut from very shy to very genki (excited/active) and from entry level English to high intermediate or low advanced. I've only been teaching 1 week, so we'll see how things continue to go. I live in a teacher housing apartment- slightly old, but lots of space. It's been very hot and humid, and I just recently got airconditioning, so I've been sweating a lot. But that's normal- everyone carries around little sweat towels and dabs at their faces and necks.
Well, I should probably get back to work- right now I'm writing a speech for one of my students who will memorize it for a competition on the 22nd. Let me know how you're doing from time to time too.
Another response:
Things are going well. I am doing my self-introduction lesson plan 10 times this week and into Monday. I lucked out and really only have to plan 3 different lesson plans per week, and then just teach them several times. Lesson planning is definitely the thing I am the least experienced at so therefore enjoy the least. Once in the classroom though, I feel great. The levels of English ability runs the gamut- I have a class of first year, lowest test score kids and third year kids in the special English Course class. But the high school I'm at has a high level in general with well behaved kids, so it will be a pleasure teaching them. I have planned one other lesson for next week, so need to do 2 more before the end of tomorrow!
I have been doing well with God too. I have read about half of Knowing God by J.I.Packer and just finished Blue Like Jazz the other night. I would highly, highly recommend Blue Like Jazz if you haven't read it already. Very honest and very real. I identified with the guy a lot at least... Also I am reading Matthew. I have taken my Bible out to the Sea wall a couple of times and sat there and read while the waves crashed on shore.
There is a typhoon approaching my coast of Japan tonight... high winds, lots of rain and BIG waves...
Same....:
Yah yah, it's going well! I only have internet at school, I won't at my apartment until Sep. 14th at the very earliest- the bureaucracy of getting internet is reDICulous, but oh well. I got my foreigner's card yesterday and a cell phone, which is tiny. Makes the razr look clunky and FAT. I said it- pictures to follow. I liked your comment on the hashbrowns by the way.
It is crazy here and I can see myself getting lonely in a couple of months. I'll be missing life at the Wigwam. But- I've met some cool people here already, and hopefully we'll become friends.
E-mail to my sister Hannah:
I got your letter today! Thanks for the picture. I will put it on top of my tv. And hopefully on top of my new tv when I buy one at a "recycle shop." Basically, Japanese people are really afraid of buying anything used. So if someone uses a TV for even a week and then doesn't want it, you can buy it for a fraction of the price. People even put perfectly fine working electronics out on the curb to throw away if they are moving or something.
One of my first e-mails from Japan, to a friend back home:
Japan is great! I:m still in orientation in Tokyo, and tomorrow I will head off to my prefecture. Check out my blog:http://lutherflagstad.blogspot.com
Thanks for writing- everythings a blur right now and I:m really, really tired. It:s almost midnight now, and I:ve gotten like 4 hours of sleep each night. something crazy just happened on this japanese keyboard, so this post might look weird! Enjoy your summer
Wish I could have included many things written in Instand Messages too. Well, I suppose I have to save some things for Interpersonal Communication, right? Not everything is meant to be shared with the world...
Luther
Manly Man
This is Bradley Hathaway's poem "Manly Man." I adapted it for myself and memorized it to present at NavoEspresso this past spring. I absolutely love this poem- I don't live up to it all the time, but if there is something to strive for and to enjoy and to show your smiling teeth at, this is it:
I don't want my thinning hair, large lips with (NO! I do not wear LIPstick!) eyeglasses, pretty nails, short khaki shorts, face gets a little too red when I talk confuse anyone. I am a manly man. Within this soft frame, obviously sun-deprived chest lies a heart that beats to the drum of a Native American ritual dancing wildness. It pumps and ever cascading supply of untamadness that a herd of wild mustangs have yet to grasp. If danger lurks about, I will seek it out, if adventure abounds, there I will be found, if a damsel be in distress, I will show her who is best, I, am a manly man.
Because I don't flush, and I leave the lid up. I drive a 1988 Ford Pickup-Truck. (Well, not really cuz I can't afford one, but when I can I will) Girls don't break up with me, I break up with them first. (Except the last couple of times, it didn't...didn't really work out like that). I don't shave the hair on my face because beards are tough. I fart, burp and spit when I want not caring who's nearby. You disrespect my momma and I will punch you in the eye, I am a manly man.
Or am I? I, I tell my guy friends that I love 'em. And sometimes? Sometimes I even hug 'em. No, I'm not gay, I just love 'em. And when I watched Pippy Longstocking, I cried. And when my mema gets mad I still run and hide. Like David I want to be a man after God's own heart, I'm not there yet but I'm past the start and when people talk I try to listen, a spirit of compassion, that's my vision, surely I am a manly man!? I want to be loved, and have love and give love, and not just that romantic kind either. Although I am still looking for that beauty. Not helpless but wants to be rescued. The damsel in distress, man, woman, myth, TRUE! I will fight for her, climb the highest tower for her and love her and share with her. Cherish her, be her warrior, her protector. She will be my crown and I will be hers. My mascuLINity will be passed down and affirmed to my sons and each of my daughters will know they are lovely and derserving of authentic romance.
Society tells me all day long that I've defined manhood completely wrong, but you ask any honest man and he will agree you ask any honest woman and she too will see that I, am a maly man.
I don't want my thinning hair, large lips with (NO! I do not wear LIPstick!) eyeglasses, pretty nails, short khaki shorts, face gets a little too red when I talk confuse anyone. I am a manly man. Within this soft frame, obviously sun-deprived chest lies a heart that beats to the drum of a Native American ritual dancing wildness. It pumps and ever cascading supply of untamadness that a herd of wild mustangs have yet to grasp. If danger lurks about, I will seek it out, if adventure abounds, there I will be found, if a damsel be in distress, I will show her who is best, I, am a manly man.
Because I don't flush, and I leave the lid up. I drive a 1988 Ford Pickup-Truck. (Well, not really cuz I can't afford one, but when I can I will) Girls don't break up with me, I break up with them first. (Except the last couple of times, it didn't...didn't really work out like that). I don't shave the hair on my face because beards are tough. I fart, burp and spit when I want not caring who's nearby. You disrespect my momma and I will punch you in the eye, I am a manly man.
Or am I? I, I tell my guy friends that I love 'em. And sometimes? Sometimes I even hug 'em. No, I'm not gay, I just love 'em. And when I watched Pippy Longstocking, I cried. And when my mema gets mad I still run and hide. Like David I want to be a man after God's own heart, I'm not there yet but I'm past the start and when people talk I try to listen, a spirit of compassion, that's my vision, surely I am a manly man!? I want to be loved, and have love and give love, and not just that romantic kind either. Although I am still looking for that beauty. Not helpless but wants to be rescued. The damsel in distress, man, woman, myth, TRUE! I will fight for her, climb the highest tower for her and love her and share with her. Cherish her, be her warrior, her protector. She will be my crown and I will be hers. My mascuLINity will be passed down and affirmed to my sons and each of my daughters will know they are lovely and derserving of authentic romance.
Society tells me all day long that I've defined manhood completely wrong, but you ask any honest man and he will agree you ask any honest woman and she too will see that I, am a maly man.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Shimoda
To my adoring and potentially disgruntled (long time no write) fans: a blog.
Putting me behind the handlebars of a bicycle without before having a can of coffee is a dangerous proposition. My existence is already in a hazy state due to the fact that I’m not wearing contacts. My glasses broke in half over a month ago so I’ve been relying entirely on my contacts for sight. Unfortunately I’m not a morning person and my eyes reject them if I try to put them in during the first two (waking) hours of my day. And it does take about that long to wake up. However, I have found that if I drink a can of coffee right after waking up, I have at least the superficial faculty of a fully conscious person. It’s a very odd sensation. I realize that I’m really tired, and my brain feels mushy, but somehow my body moves in these fluid and productive motions. By 10am I have even discovered several pages of completed work lying in a stapled pile on my desk.
Here is a brief bit I wrote in the morning hours at my apartment before coming to work:
“I could feel the coffee hit my vanes like sweet meth, icy and smooth. My heart rate increased like the slow turn of a dial until I was nowhere near the floor.”
You may be confused by “can” of coffee. Think can, like the ones Starbucks sometimes is found in at a gas station. These cans are found everywhere in all different brands and blends stacked in vending machines, konbinis (convenience stores), eki (train station) stands and grocery stores. In the summer vending machines dispense icy cold cans of coffee. In the winter they drop boiling hot cans (let me remind you cans are made of metal) that must be passed from hand to hand to prevent scalding. One interesting thing that I’ve discovered about cans here in Japan is that they are heavier than the cans in America which gives the impression that there’s a lot more liquid left than in actuality. Kind of disappointing when I get to the bottom.
This past weekend I traveled to Shimoda on the southern tip of the Izu peninsula. I really had no idea what I was getting into- I simply responded to the call of a fellow ALT to visit the beach and spend a night tenting on the sand. We got going at about 1pm Saturday afternoon, a little later than expected, but I figured we’d still have plenty of daylight, and this way I wouldn’t get so burned. Remember now that I live 40 meters from the ocean, so I was thinking about a 30 min. drive and we’d be there. Four and a half hours later we pull onto the beach in Shimoda. This was an excursion. It was a very beautiful drive and we had quite interesting conversation along the way, it was just getting there almost at sundown set me up for an entire day of sun on (fitting) Sunday that I simply wasn’t prepared for. I got burned like a cooked lobster. Not quite as bad as last year when I went tubing down a river in Wisconsin for 4 ½ hours without suntan lotion and received one week later a new layer of skin. But enough to be taught the word hiyake (sunburn) by several different teachers and students upon my return to classes.
The two guys I traveled down with were John and Ben. John’s in his third year as an ALT and Ben is John’s good friend from back in the states who is (not actually, long story so will simplify it to…) just visiting for the next 3 weeks. They’re both from Tennessee. Ben has a very Type A Southern personality – Loud, brazen and unabashed, with the accent and waving arms and everything. He basically talked non-stop for our 4 hour ride lingering mostly on politics and popular music. One of my favorite quotes from him (it made my pocket planner) came during his overly-animated conversation with two Canadian ALTs we met up with at the beach. Describing Americans he exclaimed, “We are loud and boisterous and mean and we are exactly like the Australians. And we are proud of it.” Ok, it was mostly in the way he said it with his arms all out of control.
That quotation subtly tells more about the typical westerner I’ve met here than it does about southerners. It’s in the comparison of cultures Ben made. I’ve found that most people I’ve met here have an extreme awareness of world politics and global issues. Everyone is different and unique, but we’re all tied together by our knowledge of, or awareness of things beyond our daily perspectives in our respective cultures. Not only have I learned a lot of things; Entire worlds of possibility have been opened to me through my interaction with these people. I find myself moving down alleyways and side streets, over winding trails and mountain passes, blocked by the occasional dense forest along the way. This is the result of my mind stretching and growing, making new connections and wielding the machete that forges these paths.
Breathe deeply, Luther, for you are alive.
Putting me behind the handlebars of a bicycle without before having a can of coffee is a dangerous proposition. My existence is already in a hazy state due to the fact that I’m not wearing contacts. My glasses broke in half over a month ago so I’ve been relying entirely on my contacts for sight. Unfortunately I’m not a morning person and my eyes reject them if I try to put them in during the first two (waking) hours of my day. And it does take about that long to wake up. However, I have found that if I drink a can of coffee right after waking up, I have at least the superficial faculty of a fully conscious person. It’s a very odd sensation. I realize that I’m really tired, and my brain feels mushy, but somehow my body moves in these fluid and productive motions. By 10am I have even discovered several pages of completed work lying in a stapled pile on my desk.
Here is a brief bit I wrote in the morning hours at my apartment before coming to work:
“I could feel the coffee hit my vanes like sweet meth, icy and smooth. My heart rate increased like the slow turn of a dial until I was nowhere near the floor.”
You may be confused by “can” of coffee. Think can, like the ones Starbucks sometimes is found in at a gas station. These cans are found everywhere in all different brands and blends stacked in vending machines, konbinis (convenience stores), eki (train station) stands and grocery stores. In the summer vending machines dispense icy cold cans of coffee. In the winter they drop boiling hot cans (let me remind you cans are made of metal) that must be passed from hand to hand to prevent scalding. One interesting thing that I’ve discovered about cans here in Japan is that they are heavier than the cans in America which gives the impression that there’s a lot more liquid left than in actuality. Kind of disappointing when I get to the bottom.
This past weekend I traveled to Shimoda on the southern tip of the Izu peninsula. I really had no idea what I was getting into- I simply responded to the call of a fellow ALT to visit the beach and spend a night tenting on the sand. We got going at about 1pm Saturday afternoon, a little later than expected, but I figured we’d still have plenty of daylight, and this way I wouldn’t get so burned. Remember now that I live 40 meters from the ocean, so I was thinking about a 30 min. drive and we’d be there. Four and a half hours later we pull onto the beach in Shimoda. This was an excursion. It was a very beautiful drive and we had quite interesting conversation along the way, it was just getting there almost at sundown set me up for an entire day of sun on (fitting) Sunday that I simply wasn’t prepared for. I got burned like a cooked lobster. Not quite as bad as last year when I went tubing down a river in Wisconsin for 4 ½ hours without suntan lotion and received one week later a new layer of skin. But enough to be taught the word hiyake (sunburn) by several different teachers and students upon my return to classes.
The two guys I traveled down with were John and Ben. John’s in his third year as an ALT and Ben is John’s good friend from back in the states who is (not actually, long story so will simplify it to…) just visiting for the next 3 weeks. They’re both from Tennessee. Ben has a very Type A Southern personality – Loud, brazen and unabashed, with the accent and waving arms and everything. He basically talked non-stop for our 4 hour ride lingering mostly on politics and popular music. One of my favorite quotes from him (it made my pocket planner) came during his overly-animated conversation with two Canadian ALTs we met up with at the beach. Describing Americans he exclaimed, “We are loud and boisterous and mean and we are exactly like the Australians. And we are proud of it.” Ok, it was mostly in the way he said it with his arms all out of control.
That quotation subtly tells more about the typical westerner I’ve met here than it does about southerners. It’s in the comparison of cultures Ben made. I’ve found that most people I’ve met here have an extreme awareness of world politics and global issues. Everyone is different and unique, but we’re all tied together by our knowledge of, or awareness of things beyond our daily perspectives in our respective cultures. Not only have I learned a lot of things; Entire worlds of possibility have been opened to me through my interaction with these people. I find myself moving down alleyways and side streets, over winding trails and mountain passes, blocked by the occasional dense forest along the way. This is the result of my mind stretching and growing, making new connections and wielding the machete that forges these paths.
Breathe deeply, Luther, for you are alive.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Shizuoka-shi
Where do I begin?
So I live in Japan. Not a good place to start a piece of writing, but a good way to get started. I went to Shizuoka City yesterday. I liked it a lot. I had to be there to buy a plane ticket back home for the Christmas season, so I decided to make an evening of it and explore a bit. Exploring meant hiking through drizzle in my suit, silk tie and a 15 kilogram backpack (about 35# for you imperialists). I really liked Shizuoka. There were people dressed in colorful clothing, and some even had piercings or a tattoo. In fact, I even saw a tattoo parlor! T3 Tattoos. On the 2nd floor of a business complex. But before I even left the station I knew I would like this place. In my brief dealings with the local citizenry I found that most had a rudimentary understanding of English- I could say something and somebody would understand me!
I saw a lot of westerners too. This happens to me on occasion and it’s always a surreal experience. My first reaction is “UGH! What’s that hideous beast with the piece of flesh between its eyes?” And then, “Oh, that’s a westerner.” And I want to say “American” but I don’t because I now know people from England, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand and they look like they speak English and do but they aren’t from America. They each grew up in a totally different place across oceans and time zones. I suppose Canada is pretty much America, but I’ll only say that with a smile to show my Canadian friends that I’m making a joke.
The next inevitable thing that happens is quite peculiar and difficult to describe, even to myself inside of my own head without using words. It’s that moment where we both notice each other and at the same instant know that neither of us has any idea what we are doing here. It’s the moment of eye contact, when a slight smirk begins and continues to grow into a ridiculous grin. If we’re in Hall’s public spectrum, a simple quick head nod communicates all understanding across our distance. Passing on the street; however, is even more exciting because I suddenly remember that this person walking toward me could potentially be from Germany. Or Norway or France or Russia or Brazil and maybe they don’t speak any Japanese OR English! I get tense and begin to wonder if I’m going silly. Then a noise comes out from behind the ridiculous grin and it sounds a lot like “Hi” or even better, “Hey.” Then I let go of my breath and laugh to myself because I again think about how neither of us has any idea what we’re doing here.
After wandering for almost an hour, all I managed to find was the tattoo parlor, a denny’s and a vending machine that sold Mountain Dew (of course I bought one). I then decided to have a plan so my evening wasn’t wasted and so I could put down my backpack at some point. My first thought was to find a case of Mountain Dew and purchase it right away. That eroded into finding a bookstore that had an English section. I decided against that in a moment because they’re expensive, but then noticed a book store so I crossed the street. The man working there didn’t have English books, but he pointed me in the general direction of a store that did so I hopped back on the trail. I didn’t make it far before being drawn into a used clothing store called “Grandpa’s Closet” by the trucker hats in the window. Again I found a couple from Wisconsin as well as a T-shirt and an Old Milwaukee patch. I talked to the interesting people working there in mixed Japanese and English until I decided to ask where I could find a Mexican restaurant. Not sure what drove the genesis of that question, but it kind of popped out and afterwards seemed like a really great idea. The people working there were so kind- they printed me off a google map and an information sheet about “pojito” with its phone number in case I got lost. I did get lost while passing underground because there weren’t any crosswalks so I had to walk back to Grandpa’s Closet and start over. Arriving at my destination I discovered the place was called “Pollito”- the double l in Spanish gets changed to a “gee” sound in Japanese. The restaurant was tiny and it was worked by 2 Japanese guys cooking and taking the orders, but the atmosphere was wonderful. I enjoyed Corona, Sol and Sauza adds while listening to “La Cucaracha.” The beans in the burrito were a little dry, but the jalapeño I ordered was so delicious that I could really think of no better place to be at that moment than in my little Mexican cave sipping a “nama bi-ru.”
That phrase above means “draft beer.” I didn’t want to upset the flow of the paragraph, and I figured I’d let you work at it for a bit. By the time I was done relaxing with my second beer it was after 10 o’clock. I got back to my apartment around 10:45, read for a bit and went to sleep. It was truly a perfect evening.
So I live in Japan. Not a good place to start a piece of writing, but a good way to get started. I went to Shizuoka City yesterday. I liked it a lot. I had to be there to buy a plane ticket back home for the Christmas season, so I decided to make an evening of it and explore a bit. Exploring meant hiking through drizzle in my suit, silk tie and a 15 kilogram backpack (about 35# for you imperialists). I really liked Shizuoka. There were people dressed in colorful clothing, and some even had piercings or a tattoo. In fact, I even saw a tattoo parlor! T3 Tattoos. On the 2nd floor of a business complex. But before I even left the station I knew I would like this place. In my brief dealings with the local citizenry I found that most had a rudimentary understanding of English- I could say something and somebody would understand me!
I saw a lot of westerners too. This happens to me on occasion and it’s always a surreal experience. My first reaction is “UGH! What’s that hideous beast with the piece of flesh between its eyes?” And then, “Oh, that’s a westerner.” And I want to say “American” but I don’t because I now know people from England, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand and they look like they speak English and do but they aren’t from America. They each grew up in a totally different place across oceans and time zones. I suppose Canada is pretty much America, but I’ll only say that with a smile to show my Canadian friends that I’m making a joke.
The next inevitable thing that happens is quite peculiar and difficult to describe, even to myself inside of my own head without using words. It’s that moment where we both notice each other and at the same instant know that neither of us has any idea what we are doing here. It’s the moment of eye contact, when a slight smirk begins and continues to grow into a ridiculous grin. If we’re in Hall’s public spectrum, a simple quick head nod communicates all understanding across our distance. Passing on the street; however, is even more exciting because I suddenly remember that this person walking toward me could potentially be from Germany. Or Norway or France or Russia or Brazil and maybe they don’t speak any Japanese OR English! I get tense and begin to wonder if I’m going silly. Then a noise comes out from behind the ridiculous grin and it sounds a lot like “Hi” or even better, “Hey.” Then I let go of my breath and laugh to myself because I again think about how neither of us has any idea what we’re doing here.
After wandering for almost an hour, all I managed to find was the tattoo parlor, a denny’s and a vending machine that sold Mountain Dew (of course I bought one). I then decided to have a plan so my evening wasn’t wasted and so I could put down my backpack at some point. My first thought was to find a case of Mountain Dew and purchase it right away. That eroded into finding a bookstore that had an English section. I decided against that in a moment because they’re expensive, but then noticed a book store so I crossed the street. The man working there didn’t have English books, but he pointed me in the general direction of a store that did so I hopped back on the trail. I didn’t make it far before being drawn into a used clothing store called “Grandpa’s Closet” by the trucker hats in the window. Again I found a couple from Wisconsin as well as a T-shirt and an Old Milwaukee patch. I talked to the interesting people working there in mixed Japanese and English until I decided to ask where I could find a Mexican restaurant. Not sure what drove the genesis of that question, but it kind of popped out and afterwards seemed like a really great idea. The people working there were so kind- they printed me off a google map and an information sheet about “pojito” with its phone number in case I got lost. I did get lost while passing underground because there weren’t any crosswalks so I had to walk back to Grandpa’s Closet and start over. Arriving at my destination I discovered the place was called “Pollito”- the double l in Spanish gets changed to a “gee” sound in Japanese. The restaurant was tiny and it was worked by 2 Japanese guys cooking and taking the orders, but the atmosphere was wonderful. I enjoyed Corona, Sol and Sauza adds while listening to “La Cucaracha.” The beans in the burrito were a little dry, but the jalapeño I ordered was so delicious that I could really think of no better place to be at that moment than in my little Mexican cave sipping a “nama bi-ru.”
That phrase above means “draft beer.” I didn’t want to upset the flow of the paragraph, and I figured I’d let you work at it for a bit. By the time I was done relaxing with my second beer it was after 10 o’clock. I got back to my apartment around 10:45, read for a bit and went to sleep. It was truly a perfect evening.
Monday, September 17, 2007
People
More pics from my life:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100616&l=e000d&id=59501063
And pics from my biking and apartment:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100617&l=ac7cd&id=59501063
I’ve never doubted God’s existence before. I’ve ignored him though. Ignoring God led to the best, and subsequently, worst year of my life.
I’m actually here to write about people. Specifically, the people I’ve met in Japan. These people are mostly gaijin or foreigners, because admittedly, these are the people I’ve been spending the most time with.
Who should I begin with? (Or is it With whom should I begin? I really have no idea why I’m a teacher…)
Ruth- Ruth is from Scotland. I met her right away the first morning of orientation in Tokyo. We introduced ourselves to each other, I was Luther and she was “Rth.” “What?” I said. “Rth,” she answered. “What?” I said again. “Ru-uth,” she emphasized this time. You see, “Ruth” is from Scotland. They speak and entirely different form of English over there, only about 65% compatible to Midwestern English, or at least I could only understand about 65% of what she said that initial conversation. Now it’s much better. Today I’m about 19 out of 20 words compatible.
Ruth is a great girl, very honest very real. The kind of girl who goes to church on a Sunday morning and within minutes of stepping back into her house has a gin and tonic in her hand. (This is actually a self-admitted true story.) During our initial conversation she said to me, “I’ve been told to look out for you.” I at first thought this was a warning “Look out for that Luther guy…” but what she meant was to look for me in Japan. Ruth had done the Navigators summer missions BEST program last year, the same one I had signed on for this summer. I obviously pulled out because I was accepted to JET, but they still knew who I was and that I would be here. It was a blessing to meet another Christian right away. There aren’t very many of us here in Japan. Less than 1% of the Japanese population identify themselves as Christian, and I’ve only met 4 other Christian ALTs.
Ruth keeps inviting me to go to Church with her and some people she knows from last summer, but I keep being out of town or wanting to sleep. I’ve been having so many crazy adventures that I’m just ready to have some normalcy for awhile. I’ve been exhausted and up and around all over the place. I haven’t wanted to turn anything down. Like today’s excursion to the Izu peninsula with Ruth and Liz for onsen (basically a day spa, but not as expensive and very popular among most Japanese).
That brings me to Liz. Her real name is Elizabeth Trevathan which gives her the same initials as E.T. This was immortalized by her portrayal of the character in her small group’s skit at the English Retreat. They rode in her bicycle and she even delivered 75% of E.T.’s vocabulary: “E.T. phone home.” (I believe the only other word he knows is ‘friend,’ but correct me if I’m wrong. Does a loud shriek count as a vocab word?)
Liz is from New Zealand and is desperately cute. She lives right around the corner from Ruth, but her living situation is nowhere near as cush. Poor girl just wants to sleep and cook and bathe without rubbing up against grime and mold. And her teachers haven’t been the most helpful either. New Zealand English is easier to understand than Scottish, but I still have to concentrate. Why do I have to have to start with the most neutral accent as my basis for English? I wish I knew some fancy form and then got the privilege of listening to my smooth, sensual, deep sexy voice all the time.
Luke is from New Zealand too. He’s a bit older than I am, but still in his 20s. Luke taught English in Korea for 4 ½ years. He has his master’s degree in Linguistics and wants to get his doctorate so he can teach English at a University in Japan. He’s going to have to learn Japanese first though! Luke is a chain smoking, staggering drunk. No, that’s too harsh. I have seen him take an extra couple of steps while under the influence, so that’s where the title comes from. He says cigarettes are too damn cheap here. Luke is honestly a great guy too. He has made my time here much more enjoyable. He likes to use his hands to gesture while talking, especially this one where he pinches his fingers and his thumbs of each hand and then points them at about eye level while squinting his eyes slightly. He then begins to unwrap a tiny invisible gift in mid air while still talking about whatever it is he’s talking about. Possibly reciting the lyrics to some New Zealand parody band’s song. Luke and I are going to sit out on the sea wall and smoke cigarettes some evening this week.
More on the people I’ve met coming up in future posts. Right now I have to do some ironing because my washing machine doesn’t have an agitator, leaving me the agitated one. (Wow, that was a dad joke…notice the visual and aural similarities between “dad joke” and “bad joke.”)
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100616&l=e000d&id=59501063
And pics from my biking and apartment:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100617&l=ac7cd&id=59501063
I’ve never doubted God’s existence before. I’ve ignored him though. Ignoring God led to the best, and subsequently, worst year of my life.
I’m actually here to write about people. Specifically, the people I’ve met in Japan. These people are mostly gaijin or foreigners, because admittedly, these are the people I’ve been spending the most time with.
Who should I begin with? (Or is it With whom should I begin? I really have no idea why I’m a teacher…)
Ruth- Ruth is from Scotland. I met her right away the first morning of orientation in Tokyo. We introduced ourselves to each other, I was Luther and she was “Rth.” “What?” I said. “Rth,” she answered. “What?” I said again. “Ru-uth,” she emphasized this time. You see, “Ruth” is from Scotland. They speak and entirely different form of English over there, only about 65% compatible to Midwestern English, or at least I could only understand about 65% of what she said that initial conversation. Now it’s much better. Today I’m about 19 out of 20 words compatible.
Ruth is a great girl, very honest very real. The kind of girl who goes to church on a Sunday morning and within minutes of stepping back into her house has a gin and tonic in her hand. (This is actually a self-admitted true story.) During our initial conversation she said to me, “I’ve been told to look out for you.” I at first thought this was a warning “Look out for that Luther guy…” but what she meant was to look for me in Japan. Ruth had done the Navigators summer missions BEST program last year, the same one I had signed on for this summer. I obviously pulled out because I was accepted to JET, but they still knew who I was and that I would be here. It was a blessing to meet another Christian right away. There aren’t very many of us here in Japan. Less than 1% of the Japanese population identify themselves as Christian, and I’ve only met 4 other Christian ALTs.
Ruth keeps inviting me to go to Church with her and some people she knows from last summer, but I keep being out of town or wanting to sleep. I’ve been having so many crazy adventures that I’m just ready to have some normalcy for awhile. I’ve been exhausted and up and around all over the place. I haven’t wanted to turn anything down. Like today’s excursion to the Izu peninsula with Ruth and Liz for onsen (basically a day spa, but not as expensive and very popular among most Japanese).
That brings me to Liz. Her real name is Elizabeth Trevathan which gives her the same initials as E.T. This was immortalized by her portrayal of the character in her small group’s skit at the English Retreat. They rode in her bicycle and she even delivered 75% of E.T.’s vocabulary: “E.T. phone home.” (I believe the only other word he knows is ‘friend,’ but correct me if I’m wrong. Does a loud shriek count as a vocab word?)
Liz is from New Zealand and is desperately cute. She lives right around the corner from Ruth, but her living situation is nowhere near as cush. Poor girl just wants to sleep and cook and bathe without rubbing up against grime and mold. And her teachers haven’t been the most helpful either. New Zealand English is easier to understand than Scottish, but I still have to concentrate. Why do I have to have to start with the most neutral accent as my basis for English? I wish I knew some fancy form and then got the privilege of listening to my smooth, sensual, deep sexy voice all the time.
Luke is from New Zealand too. He’s a bit older than I am, but still in his 20s. Luke taught English in Korea for 4 ½ years. He has his master’s degree in Linguistics and wants to get his doctorate so he can teach English at a University in Japan. He’s going to have to learn Japanese first though! Luke is a chain smoking, staggering drunk. No, that’s too harsh. I have seen him take an extra couple of steps while under the influence, so that’s where the title comes from. He says cigarettes are too damn cheap here. Luke is honestly a great guy too. He has made my time here much more enjoyable. He likes to use his hands to gesture while talking, especially this one where he pinches his fingers and his thumbs of each hand and then points them at about eye level while squinting his eyes slightly. He then begins to unwrap a tiny invisible gift in mid air while still talking about whatever it is he’s talking about. Possibly reciting the lyrics to some New Zealand parody band’s song. Luke and I are going to sit out on the sea wall and smoke cigarettes some evening this week.
More on the people I’ve met coming up in future posts. Right now I have to do some ironing because my washing machine doesn’t have an agitator, leaving me the agitated one. (Wow, that was a dad joke…notice the visual and aural similarities between “dad joke” and “bad joke.”)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Okay
An admission:
These blogs are fun, but they're not the full experience- I don't write the entirety of my thoughts and feelings, nor do I write about the entirety of my experiences. There simply isn't enough time or space, and I censor some things for the sake of the young-eyes out there ;-). Having said that, if anyone is interested in specific information, or what I feel at any particular moment (because it sure changes) e-mail or skype is the best way to talk. I'm getting the internet at my house tomorrow!!!! (WOOO!) After 7 weeks of waiting. (I have to take a half day off of work too to meet the guys at the apartment). So Skype is going to be an easy and free way to talk via computer. My skype address is luther.flagstad
One comment before I run out the door to mail a package before 5pm-
Like I mentioned before, currency paper bills less than 1000 yen are rare (I haven't come across any yet.) So there are $5 coins, $1 coins, 50 cent (yen) coins, 10, 5, and 1. 1s are pretty useless and feel weightless. My wallet has a tendency to collect much weight from metal currency, and to prove my point, I counted them this afternoon. (I bought a special wallet with a giant coin pocket on the inside).
8 - $1 coins
1 - 50 cent coins
23 - 10 cent coins
3 - 5 cent coins
10 - 1 cent coins
And this is actually kind of low for the average number of coins I have in my back pocket. I keep thinking my computer screen is tilted while sitting at my desk. And my lower back hurts for some reason.
These blogs are fun, but they're not the full experience- I don't write the entirety of my thoughts and feelings, nor do I write about the entirety of my experiences. There simply isn't enough time or space, and I censor some things for the sake of the young-eyes out there ;-). Having said that, if anyone is interested in specific information, or what I feel at any particular moment (because it sure changes) e-mail or skype is the best way to talk. I'm getting the internet at my house tomorrow!!!! (WOOO!) After 7 weeks of waiting. (I have to take a half day off of work too to meet the guys at the apartment). So Skype is going to be an easy and free way to talk via computer. My skype address is luther.flagstad
One comment before I run out the door to mail a package before 5pm-
Like I mentioned before, currency paper bills less than 1000 yen are rare (I haven't come across any yet.) So there are $5 coins, $1 coins, 50 cent (yen) coins, 10, 5, and 1. 1s are pretty useless and feel weightless. My wallet has a tendency to collect much weight from metal currency, and to prove my point, I counted them this afternoon. (I bought a special wallet with a giant coin pocket on the inside).
8 - $1 coins
1 - 50 cent coins
23 - 10 cent coins
3 - 5 cent coins
10 - 1 cent coins
And this is actually kind of low for the average number of coins I have in my back pocket. I keep thinking my computer screen is tilted while sitting at my desk. And my lower back hurts for some reason.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Typhoon
Biking in a typhoon. Not recommended. Not recommended whilst wearing work clothes. In my defense, I had taken my shirt and tie off before I left my house and wrapped them up in my backpack instead. But I left the pants on. Oh, I had full rain gear on. Good rain gear too, left by my predecessor. This rain gear is really rain proof. It's just not submergable proof.
I made it about four-fifths of the way before feeling an odd sensation in my crotchile area. Almost like I was slowly peeing my pants except it wasn't warm. And then the inevitable "oh, no..." There really wasn't anything I could do other than continue on to the high school and do a damage assessment upon arrival.
Luckily I had hopped back inside my house after taking a step outside to fetch an extra pair of socks. I figured I may need them. I wish my foresight had continued up my legs. I gingerly stepped into the school and began to undress in the entrance way. Peeling my rain pants from my body, I revealed the largest fake pee stain I have ever seen on a pair of pants still attached to one's habit. What happend was that while biking my lap was open and susceptible to collecting a small pool of water. This obviously happened almost immediately and remained that way for the entire bike ride. Lying at the bottom of this pool was the zipper to my rainpants. Most zippers are not watertight, and this one was no exception.
One of the office ladies walked by at about this point and saw my predicament. She asked if I had a towel, I said no, and she literally ran into the office to search for an extra one. This was quite kind, but I think my pants were a little past the dabbing dry point. I used the towel on my feet before I put on my extra socks. Getting to the teachers locker room I undressed and hung my pants over one of the barriers. I just stood there awhile in my soaked boxers wishing there was more time between me and standing in front of my first class for the day. I put my wet clothes back on and headed for the teachers room.
Luckily I was there early enough so most of the other teachers weren't there yet. Sitting at my desk I could hide "the spot." The heavy rain and loud thunder continued while several teachers crawled in late from a long commute. I noticed that there weren't many students around either.
A few minutes later Kyoto-sensei stood up to give the morning announcements. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but afterwards one of the JTEs explained that morning classes had been canceled! I put down the lesson plan I was working on (titled "the difference between 'pee' and 'rain'") and relaxed. I had 4 more hours to sit at my desk, play on the internet and let 'er dry.
Thus proves the saying, "every (typhoon) cloud has a silver lining!"
I made it about four-fifths of the way before feeling an odd sensation in my crotchile area. Almost like I was slowly peeing my pants except it wasn't warm. And then the inevitable "oh, no..." There really wasn't anything I could do other than continue on to the high school and do a damage assessment upon arrival.
Luckily I had hopped back inside my house after taking a step outside to fetch an extra pair of socks. I figured I may need them. I wish my foresight had continued up my legs. I gingerly stepped into the school and began to undress in the entrance way. Peeling my rain pants from my body, I revealed the largest fake pee stain I have ever seen on a pair of pants still attached to one's habit. What happend was that while biking my lap was open and susceptible to collecting a small pool of water. This obviously happened almost immediately and remained that way for the entire bike ride. Lying at the bottom of this pool was the zipper to my rainpants. Most zippers are not watertight, and this one was no exception.
One of the office ladies walked by at about this point and saw my predicament. She asked if I had a towel, I said no, and she literally ran into the office to search for an extra one. This was quite kind, but I think my pants were a little past the dabbing dry point. I used the towel on my feet before I put on my extra socks. Getting to the teachers locker room I undressed and hung my pants over one of the barriers. I just stood there awhile in my soaked boxers wishing there was more time between me and standing in front of my first class for the day. I put my wet clothes back on and headed for the teachers room.
Luckily I was there early enough so most of the other teachers weren't there yet. Sitting at my desk I could hide "the spot." The heavy rain and loud thunder continued while several teachers crawled in late from a long commute. I noticed that there weren't many students around either.
A few minutes later Kyoto-sensei stood up to give the morning announcements. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but afterwards one of the JTEs explained that morning classes had been canceled! I put down the lesson plan I was working on (titled "the difference between 'pee' and 'rain'") and relaxed. I had 4 more hours to sit at my desk, play on the internet and let 'er dry.
Thus proves the saying, "every (typhoon) cloud has a silver lining!"
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Better
The next 2 days of teaching went Soooo much better than my first day. Yesterday I had 3 lessons and today I had 2, all 5 of them being my self-introduction. I guess I just needed that first day to figure out timing, sentences and order. I had a ton of fun and the kids enjoyed it too. My self presentation was more of a lecture style than future classes will be, but that's the way I wanted it because this is their chance to learn (or at least hear) the things that make up me, Luther Flagstad. We practiced and practiced saying my name. Mostly just the "th." Even with demonstration, most students were very hesitant to stick their tongues out beyond their teeth! This to me seems a very simple thing to do. I don't know if they didn't want to stick out their tongues (being polite?), or if it was physically difficult to do because they've never had to do it speaking Japanese. Anyway, several of them did very well and I encouraged them to come say my name to me in the hallways to practice. The kids really liked me using Google Maps to zoom in on the US, Minnesota, Roseville and finally, my house! (Ah, Sugoi! Oh, Cool!) You can even see one of our cars on the driveway quite clearly. Then I panned over to Japan talking about my flight and my arrival in Shizuoka. I got the idea from another ALT named Michael who lives in Florida.
I had my first "teaching moment" during today's second lesson. There have been warnings of a typhoon headed our way into Shizuoka, Japan. Typhoons are fairly common on this part of the east coast. There was one about 6 weeks ago, and now another one is underway. Typhoons are similar to hurricanes with thunderstorms, high winds and huge waves. Last night I walked out along the sea wall to watch the waves. They were crashing against the cement and sending 6-7 meter plumes of water into the air. It was quite scary and fantastic. My kyoto-sensei showed me today a map of the typhoon's predicted path. It should hit us full force tonight at about 11pm- the center of it is supposed to pass pretty much directly over Kambara at 3 am, and it will have moved on by 9 am tomorrow morning. Because of this many shops and restaurants and events have been cancelled. With about 5 min. left in my second lesson, Kyotosensei came over the loudspeaker and announced that class for the rest of the day was cancelled as well. There were loud cheers and all the kids started talking at once (this was about 10:30am!). I was given a couple of more min. to wrap up my lesson so I taught the kids the phrase "Good News!" They liked it and I could hear a few of them saying it as they were leaving the class.
Even though the kids went home, we teachers need to stay. Like I said before, a teacher's job never ends here in Japan. A few of the teachers took nenkyu (paid leave or paid vacation) this afternoon to pick up their children, secure their houses, etc. I packed my rain gear today, so I'm going to tough it out and bick back to the station. I can hear the winds picking up outside now. Let's hope the trains are still running when I get there- otherwise it's going to be an interesting bike all the way back to my house...
I had my first "teaching moment" during today's second lesson. There have been warnings of a typhoon headed our way into Shizuoka, Japan. Typhoons are fairly common on this part of the east coast. There was one about 6 weeks ago, and now another one is underway. Typhoons are similar to hurricanes with thunderstorms, high winds and huge waves. Last night I walked out along the sea wall to watch the waves. They were crashing against the cement and sending 6-7 meter plumes of water into the air. It was quite scary and fantastic. My kyoto-sensei showed me today a map of the typhoon's predicted path. It should hit us full force tonight at about 11pm- the center of it is supposed to pass pretty much directly over Kambara at 3 am, and it will have moved on by 9 am tomorrow morning. Because of this many shops and restaurants and events have been cancelled. With about 5 min. left in my second lesson, Kyotosensei came over the loudspeaker and announced that class for the rest of the day was cancelled as well. There were loud cheers and all the kids started talking at once (this was about 10:30am!). I was given a couple of more min. to wrap up my lesson so I taught the kids the phrase "Good News!" They liked it and I could hear a few of them saying it as they were leaving the class.
Even though the kids went home, we teachers need to stay. Like I said before, a teacher's job never ends here in Japan. A few of the teachers took nenkyu (paid leave or paid vacation) this afternoon to pick up their children, secure their houses, etc. I packed my rain gear today, so I'm going to tough it out and bick back to the station. I can hear the winds picking up outside now. Let's hope the trains are still running when I get there- otherwise it's going to be an interesting bike all the way back to my house...
Sunday Drive
Here is a picture of me after my first day of classes: harrowed, but hanging on. I think I said earlier that I punted and the kids made a touchdown on their opening drive. That’s not quite true. I punted and they returned it for a touchdown.
Ok, ok, let’s not get too hard on ourselves…
I had one lesson today. And it was with the class that I had the English camp with, so maybe that makes a difference. I know that I think their English level is a lot higher than it actually is. Imagine trying to sit through a 10 or 15 min. presentation of a person entirely in Japanese. At some point you check out and start talking with your neighbor. I just hope the kids don’t treat me too casually this semester because I was their camp “counselor” a few weeks ago. Camp counseling was great. You could wind up the kids, get em all high on sugar, teach them a bunch of annoying songs, keep them up all night, run them silly in the woods and then dump them off on their parents at the end of the week. But here, I’m the parent who has to deal with them if I get them all wound up. So, there has to be many more activities, I have to move more slooooowly, and I have to engage their producing skills as much as possible. Get them in small groups. Get them with a partner. Have them work towards a goal that can only be reached using English. Lecturing is never going to work on this level.
All in all, ok. Tomorrow I will move a little more slowly and cut out a bunch of what I say about myself. I planned an activity where students have to go around and interview each other, so hopefully that will replace my blabbering over their blabbering. Cuz that’s what we sound like to each other. Literally. Except they can’t make the ‘l’ and the ‘r’ sounds, so to me they sound like they’re ‘buraburuingu.’
Let’s leave this lesson on a high note. Two things that worked better in my lesson: teaching my name, and playing the guitar. I will spend a little more time tomorrow teaching my name. Teaching the ‘th.’ I told them it was ok to stick out their tongues at me. I doubt any of them got the joke. But after class and after school many students who saw me were saying my name with a really exaggerated ‘ttthhhhhh’ and it was really great. Also, I did a cloze activity where the students filled in words that were missing in a lyrics sheet of the song I sang. I played and sang “Wouldn’t Have Nothing” from the movie Monsters’ Inc.
This past weekend I went for a lovely Sunday Drive. I was meaning to get up and started about 10am, but decided to get 12 hours of sleep instead, so after getting up and getting something to eat and doing some laundry I got started at 3. Which I thought would have been totally fine given how long I thought my afternoon to do list would take. Basically it consisted of 2 items:
To Do:
1. Bike to Shimizu
2. Buy Hannah a Birthday present
I began my ride off in the direction of Shimizu, not knowing what roads were daijyoubu (alright, or ok) to bike on….excuse the interruption....I just got jumped up because I had rice warming (and thus dehydrating) in my rice cooker. I have no idea how to work the thing, I just press buttons until I think it is going. Oh, so weird to be eating this much rice. I had the fan above the stove going too because I had made ramen (fairly similar to the ramen in the states) going on the stove. The fan leads straight outside through my wall; a little lid opens up when I pull the string to turn it on. Thus, being open to the world, my lovely bug friends try to fly through it into my house. As I was typing this I kept hearing a ‘ting’-ing in the kitchen and went to investigate. Yep. It was Mr. Bug trying to fly through a spinning metal blade. My bowl of ramen was right underneath the fan and I’m pretty sure that this meal was flavored a la Mr. Bug’s innards. Back to the story.
I knew where Shimizu was but I didn’t know specifically what roads to take, so I just started off in the general direction. The road I was on took me into Yui, Kambara’s next door neighbor and only a 20 min. walk away. I had never been farther than the grocery store or konbini (convenience store) so I was pretty excited. Not 2 blocks beyond this I stopped to take my first pictures. There was this little graveyard up on the hill from the road that was absolutely fantastic. Well, as fantastic as a graveyard can be I guess. I am still just awed by the organization of the cities around me. We’re considered “out in the country” yet every flat space is occupied by road or building. It’s the order of buildings that fascinates me. Apartments are propped right up next to gas stations which are flat against houses which are flat against grocery stores which open up to parks and another house then a rice paddy. Then a train station, restaurant, apartment and a graveyard. There really doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason…or city planning. The graves seemed to be little shrines to an entire family, if my understanding of kanji is superb enough. There was even a Japanese man there burning incense at one of the gravestones. Many graves had long, wooden stakes with beautiful kanji brushstrokes placed in front of them. Maybe they were prayers or well wishes. Past the graveyard were another apartment and a string of power lines, but beyond that you could see a view of the ocean and in the distance green hills softened by the haze. I love the contrast of concrete and lush forest.
I fell more in love with Yui the further I biked. I wanted to stop at every shop and every open garage to take in the life each one of these individuals exudes. There were stairs going up through the floors of garages and tiny counters selling vegetables and fish. And banks and posters and children and bicycles. I loved it. My road soon came to the major throughway so I had to turn right up into the hills. The whole area from the foothills of Fuji on the Ocean down to Shizuoka City and beyond is squeezed right up against the ocean by steep, green mountain. In Yui there can’t be more than 200 meters between the ocean and the slope, so the city grows dense and wide. Here is where Shoguns and samurai would pass on their way from the ancient capital Kyoto to the new capital Edo, which would later become Tokyo. Many famous paintings were created by men right here in the Kambara area because of this road. That’s why the south side of Mt. Fuji is so much more famous that the north side.
Going up the steep road I had to get off and walk my bike several times. Even on this incline there were still houses and shops. On the way I stopped by a shrine to look around and take some pictures. It didn’t seem to be widely used because it was in kind of shoddy shape, and the swimming pool nearby was filled with a grass green glop. I continued on, always taking the high road rising higher and higher. Soon there were orange groves on the sides of the road. These orchards became my main companion for the next hour or so of my trip. Every once and a while there would be a rusted metal track and a basket of some sort attached to the top where it could be hauled by motor up and down the hill carrying oranges. I never saw anyone working, but there were a few cars parked along the way, so obviously these fields were still tended to.
I figured out I was on the Satta Pass by the signs that said “Satta Pass.” I was over taken by one car along the way which I ended up seeing at the only rest stop I encountered. Here there were bathrooms, a lookout and what appeared to be a trailhead for hiking. It was cloudy, but had it been clear there would have been a majestic view of Fujisan rising up out of the ocean. I have been told that it is much easier to see him in the winter when the air is not so humid. All the better, for in the winter he will also be robed with his garments of snow.
I never made it to Shimizu (sorry Hannah). I only went as far as the light and my hunger would let me. I spent a some time staring out over the Okitsugawa river watching the Shinkansen fly by overhead while old men fished down below. Another strikingly beautiful contrast- the leisure of fishermen overlaid by the breakneck speed of commuters rushing by. The first time I saw the Shinkansen was from a distance of about 1 kilometer while I myself was riding the local train. It literally took my breath away. I have never seen anything so fantastically death-defying.
I biked back along the edge of the throughway completely in the dark on what I (hope) was a bike path. I only had the tiny wheel powered headlamp that pointed 2 meters in front of me so I had to take it whiteknuckled. It was a solid 50 min. of biking on flat ground to get back to my house.
Well Hannah, I talked to you on Saturday so you know I’ve picked you up a couple of things already, but I’m still looking and asking people where to find one more gift to send in a package home. I should still make it in time for your 21st.
Luther
Ok, ok, let’s not get too hard on ourselves…
I had one lesson today. And it was with the class that I had the English camp with, so maybe that makes a difference. I know that I think their English level is a lot higher than it actually is. Imagine trying to sit through a 10 or 15 min. presentation of a person entirely in Japanese. At some point you check out and start talking with your neighbor. I just hope the kids don’t treat me too casually this semester because I was their camp “counselor” a few weeks ago. Camp counseling was great. You could wind up the kids, get em all high on sugar, teach them a bunch of annoying songs, keep them up all night, run them silly in the woods and then dump them off on their parents at the end of the week. But here, I’m the parent who has to deal with them if I get them all wound up. So, there has to be many more activities, I have to move more slooooowly, and I have to engage their producing skills as much as possible. Get them in small groups. Get them with a partner. Have them work towards a goal that can only be reached using English. Lecturing is never going to work on this level.
All in all, ok. Tomorrow I will move a little more slowly and cut out a bunch of what I say about myself. I planned an activity where students have to go around and interview each other, so hopefully that will replace my blabbering over their blabbering. Cuz that’s what we sound like to each other. Literally. Except they can’t make the ‘l’ and the ‘r’ sounds, so to me they sound like they’re ‘buraburuingu.’
Let’s leave this lesson on a high note. Two things that worked better in my lesson: teaching my name, and playing the guitar. I will spend a little more time tomorrow teaching my name. Teaching the ‘th.’ I told them it was ok to stick out their tongues at me. I doubt any of them got the joke. But after class and after school many students who saw me were saying my name with a really exaggerated ‘ttthhhhhh’ and it was really great. Also, I did a cloze activity where the students filled in words that were missing in a lyrics sheet of the song I sang. I played and sang “Wouldn’t Have Nothing” from the movie Monsters’ Inc.
This past weekend I went for a lovely Sunday Drive. I was meaning to get up and started about 10am, but decided to get 12 hours of sleep instead, so after getting up and getting something to eat and doing some laundry I got started at 3. Which I thought would have been totally fine given how long I thought my afternoon to do list would take. Basically it consisted of 2 items:
To Do:
1. Bike to Shimizu
2. Buy Hannah a Birthday present
I began my ride off in the direction of Shimizu, not knowing what roads were daijyoubu (alright, or ok) to bike on….excuse the interruption....I just got jumped up because I had rice warming (and thus dehydrating) in my rice cooker. I have no idea how to work the thing, I just press buttons until I think it is going. Oh, so weird to be eating this much rice. I had the fan above the stove going too because I had made ramen (fairly similar to the ramen in the states) going on the stove. The fan leads straight outside through my wall; a little lid opens up when I pull the string to turn it on. Thus, being open to the world, my lovely bug friends try to fly through it into my house. As I was typing this I kept hearing a ‘ting’-ing in the kitchen and went to investigate. Yep. It was Mr. Bug trying to fly through a spinning metal blade. My bowl of ramen was right underneath the fan and I’m pretty sure that this meal was flavored a la Mr. Bug’s innards. Back to the story.
I knew where Shimizu was but I didn’t know specifically what roads to take, so I just started off in the general direction. The road I was on took me into Yui, Kambara’s next door neighbor and only a 20 min. walk away. I had never been farther than the grocery store or konbini (convenience store) so I was pretty excited. Not 2 blocks beyond this I stopped to take my first pictures. There was this little graveyard up on the hill from the road that was absolutely fantastic. Well, as fantastic as a graveyard can be I guess. I am still just awed by the organization of the cities around me. We’re considered “out in the country” yet every flat space is occupied by road or building. It’s the order of buildings that fascinates me. Apartments are propped right up next to gas stations which are flat against houses which are flat against grocery stores which open up to parks and another house then a rice paddy. Then a train station, restaurant, apartment and a graveyard. There really doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason…or city planning. The graves seemed to be little shrines to an entire family, if my understanding of kanji is superb enough. There was even a Japanese man there burning incense at one of the gravestones. Many graves had long, wooden stakes with beautiful kanji brushstrokes placed in front of them. Maybe they were prayers or well wishes. Past the graveyard were another apartment and a string of power lines, but beyond that you could see a view of the ocean and in the distance green hills softened by the haze. I love the contrast of concrete and lush forest.
I fell more in love with Yui the further I biked. I wanted to stop at every shop and every open garage to take in the life each one of these individuals exudes. There were stairs going up through the floors of garages and tiny counters selling vegetables and fish. And banks and posters and children and bicycles. I loved it. My road soon came to the major throughway so I had to turn right up into the hills. The whole area from the foothills of Fuji on the Ocean down to Shizuoka City and beyond is squeezed right up against the ocean by steep, green mountain. In Yui there can’t be more than 200 meters between the ocean and the slope, so the city grows dense and wide. Here is where Shoguns and samurai would pass on their way from the ancient capital Kyoto to the new capital Edo, which would later become Tokyo. Many famous paintings were created by men right here in the Kambara area because of this road. That’s why the south side of Mt. Fuji is so much more famous that the north side.
Going up the steep road I had to get off and walk my bike several times. Even on this incline there were still houses and shops. On the way I stopped by a shrine to look around and take some pictures. It didn’t seem to be widely used because it was in kind of shoddy shape, and the swimming pool nearby was filled with a grass green glop. I continued on, always taking the high road rising higher and higher. Soon there were orange groves on the sides of the road. These orchards became my main companion for the next hour or so of my trip. Every once and a while there would be a rusted metal track and a basket of some sort attached to the top where it could be hauled by motor up and down the hill carrying oranges. I never saw anyone working, but there were a few cars parked along the way, so obviously these fields were still tended to.
I figured out I was on the Satta Pass by the signs that said “Satta Pass.” I was over taken by one car along the way which I ended up seeing at the only rest stop I encountered. Here there were bathrooms, a lookout and what appeared to be a trailhead for hiking. It was cloudy, but had it been clear there would have been a majestic view of Fujisan rising up out of the ocean. I have been told that it is much easier to see him in the winter when the air is not so humid. All the better, for in the winter he will also be robed with his garments of snow.
I never made it to Shimizu (sorry Hannah). I only went as far as the light and my hunger would let me. I spent a some time staring out over the Okitsugawa river watching the Shinkansen fly by overhead while old men fished down below. Another strikingly beautiful contrast- the leisure of fishermen overlaid by the breakneck speed of commuters rushing by. The first time I saw the Shinkansen was from a distance of about 1 kilometer while I myself was riding the local train. It literally took my breath away. I have never seen anything so fantastically death-defying.
I biked back along the edge of the throughway completely in the dark on what I (hope) was a bike path. I only had the tiny wheel powered headlamp that pointed 2 meters in front of me so I had to take it whiteknuckled. It was a solid 50 min. of biking on flat ground to get back to my house.
Well Hannah, I talked to you on Saturday so you know I’ve picked you up a couple of things already, but I’m still looking and asking people where to find one more gift to send in a package home. I should still make it in time for your 21st.
Luther
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Here is a letter I wrote to my grandparents that explains a few things. Written this past Friday.
Hello Grandma and Grandpa from Japan!
Thanks for the message- I got it on my phone this morning. Today is my last day of summer "vacation." I've been coming into work 5 days a week, but it's been pretty lax since the students aren't here. In Japan teachers have to be at school 5 or 6 days a week all year round. I didn't know this at first, but when school starts tomorrow (a Saturday!) and the students and teachers will have school every other Saturday for the entire term. However, since I am an ALT I don't have to come in on Saturdays, just tomorrow. I will be giving a short speech in Japanese that I wrote and had one of the English teachers help me translate. I will be speaking in front of all the teachers and then in front of all the students, about 40 teachers and 450 students in all.
Next week I will be doing a self-introduction lesson 11 times- for most of the classes here at Ihara High School. Then after that I'll be planning about 5 or 6 lessons a week. I'm pretty much in charge- the Japanese Teacher of English may or may not be in the classroom while I'm teaching!
My new refrigerator was delivered yesterday. My old one worked, it was just tiny. So I went grocery shopping last night and biked my groceries home. It is not like shopping in the US. This past year I cooked about 60 meals for me and my roommates so I got fairly good at grocery shopping/knowing what to buy/finding things for low prices. But here they don't even have many of the staples that I would buy for meals back home. Ground chuck is hard to come by, no canned fruit, no baked beans, no pizza! There is a much smaller section of pasta as well. And the cereal shelf is only about 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. Back home there was a whole aisle dedicated to cereal.
I've been pretty busy- been spending most of my free time getting things organized and hanging out with other ALTs from other cities. We have been out to eat at all kinds of restaurants. Two nights ago I was at an Indian restaurant run by an Indian man who spoke Japanese. I had mutton curry. Yaki soba is one of my favorite foods that I've had so far. It is basically noodles that are boiled then fried with little bits of vegetables and a soy/barbeque type sauce. I've made the instant version at my apartment several times. My house is pretty much clean. I spent 6 hours cleaning the kitchen and about 4 hours cleaning the bathroom. Even the walls needed to be scrubbed.
Been riding my bicycle a lot. Today it was raining so I bundled up in the full rain gear my predecessor left me, was glad for that. I think it is illegal to bike and hold an umbrella at the same time. I have aircondition now in the apartment, but it also isn't 90 degrees everyday so sleeping has been better.
I hope grandpa's vision is better- maybe he'll enjoy golfing more if he can see the ball himself. Hunting will be more enjoyable too I would imagine.
What have you been doing lately for fun? Been on any more elder hostels? I got a postcard from Sonja I think... it wasn't signed at the bottom so I'm only guessing...
Love,
Luther
And a letter I wrote today in response to an e-mail from another ALT friend:
Dear Ruth,
The kids might like me, but they sure were rowdy. I think my first lesson went terribly. I started out right away screwing up the order of my lesson plan, so it didn't really work out. How do you keep kids who are divided up into groups on task? How the hell do you teach kids who can't speak English?
Ok, I will do some soul searching to find the answer.
I think my self-introduction plan was difficult because I spend too much time talking about myself. It just goes way over the kids' heads. So I think I'll shorten it quite a bit and add in a different activity. And rearrange so they're doing an activity in groups right away. I sort of started off nervous and then punted and the kids scored a touchdown on me their opening drive.
How have your first lessons gone?
Your Friend,
Luther
That was just a taste of my first day- I’m doing some writing tonight so stay posted.
Hello Grandma and Grandpa from Japan!
Thanks for the message- I got it on my phone this morning. Today is my last day of summer "vacation." I've been coming into work 5 days a week, but it's been pretty lax since the students aren't here. In Japan teachers have to be at school 5 or 6 days a week all year round. I didn't know this at first, but when school starts tomorrow (a Saturday!) and the students and teachers will have school every other Saturday for the entire term. However, since I am an ALT I don't have to come in on Saturdays, just tomorrow. I will be giving a short speech in Japanese that I wrote and had one of the English teachers help me translate. I will be speaking in front of all the teachers and then in front of all the students, about 40 teachers and 450 students in all.
Next week I will be doing a self-introduction lesson 11 times- for most of the classes here at Ihara High School. Then after that I'll be planning about 5 or 6 lessons a week. I'm pretty much in charge- the Japanese Teacher of English may or may not be in the classroom while I'm teaching!
My new refrigerator was delivered yesterday. My old one worked, it was just tiny. So I went grocery shopping last night and biked my groceries home. It is not like shopping in the US. This past year I cooked about 60 meals for me and my roommates so I got fairly good at grocery shopping/knowing what to buy/finding things for low prices. But here they don't even have many of the staples that I would buy for meals back home. Ground chuck is hard to come by, no canned fruit, no baked beans, no pizza! There is a much smaller section of pasta as well. And the cereal shelf is only about 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. Back home there was a whole aisle dedicated to cereal.
I've been pretty busy- been spending most of my free time getting things organized and hanging out with other ALTs from other cities. We have been out to eat at all kinds of restaurants. Two nights ago I was at an Indian restaurant run by an Indian man who spoke Japanese. I had mutton curry. Yaki soba is one of my favorite foods that I've had so far. It is basically noodles that are boiled then fried with little bits of vegetables and a soy/barbeque type sauce. I've made the instant version at my apartment several times. My house is pretty much clean. I spent 6 hours cleaning the kitchen and about 4 hours cleaning the bathroom. Even the walls needed to be scrubbed.
Been riding my bicycle a lot. Today it was raining so I bundled up in the full rain gear my predecessor left me, was glad for that. I think it is illegal to bike and hold an umbrella at the same time. I have aircondition now in the apartment, but it also isn't 90 degrees everyday so sleeping has been better.
I hope grandpa's vision is better- maybe he'll enjoy golfing more if he can see the ball himself. Hunting will be more enjoyable too I would imagine.
What have you been doing lately for fun? Been on any more elder hostels? I got a postcard from Sonja I think... it wasn't signed at the bottom so I'm only guessing...
Love,
Luther
And a letter I wrote today in response to an e-mail from another ALT friend:
Dear Ruth,
The kids might like me, but they sure were rowdy. I think my first lesson went terribly. I started out right away screwing up the order of my lesson plan, so it didn't really work out. How do you keep kids who are divided up into groups on task? How the hell do you teach kids who can't speak English?
Ok, I will do some soul searching to find the answer.
I think my self-introduction plan was difficult because I spend too much time talking about myself. It just goes way over the kids' heads. So I think I'll shorten it quite a bit and add in a different activity. And rearrange so they're doing an activity in groups right away. I sort of started off nervous and then punted and the kids scored a touchdown on me their opening drive.
How have your first lessons gone?
Your Friend,
Luther
That was just a taste of my first day- I’m doing some writing tonight so stay posted.
No title
Sorry, don't have time to write something extensive now. Classes have started- I have my first lesson in 1 1/2 hours, ah! Please check out the pictures- one of the albums has comments under them, the other album I will write an entry about tonight or tomorrow.
Around Shizuoka City and opening ceremony at my high school:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098150&l=dd09e&id=59501063
Sunday Drive:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098154&l=eff83&id=59501063
Luther
Around Shizuoka City and opening ceremony at my high school:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098150&l=dd09e&id=59501063
Sunday Drive:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098154&l=eff83&id=59501063
Luther
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