Signs it's summer in Osaka

First of all, I apologize for the lack of posts - things have been busy at my senior high school with their sports festival, a school speech contest and end of term exams. There are also the farewell parties for JETs returning to their home countries, and just trying to organize my summer holiday altogether. I should have some posts on the way - they're written and stored, just not yet finished. ^_^; (The photo above is of my koto teacher's dog Haku, by the way, taken on the newest addition to my toy digital camera family: the VistaQuest VQ1015 Entry! Which are sold out just about everywhere in Japan and REALLY hard to find!)

For some reason it feels as if we've skipped over 梅雨（つゆ）tsuyu, or rainy season. I can only recall a few days of rain in May and June, and it's almost as if Kansai decided to fast-forward to the dreaded summer heat. It's come to the point that if you were to take a shower here, you step out and just start sweating again.

But there are also more sure [warning] signs that you can tell that it's summer. Here's a list I made below - feel free to add or comment.

You know it's summer in Osaka when..

• You start seeing many of the women carrying parasols to protect themselves from the sun - even on cloudy days.
• Women's wardrobe changes as well, including (but certainly not limited to) arm covers, giant sun hats, a coverall of some sort (such as a sweater or long sleeved cover-up), and even towels that cover over the face tucked underneath a sun hat.
• You hear the joyous sound of that lovely and favorite bug of the season (not to mention the absolute noisiest) the cicada.
• Everyone carries around a 扇子（せんす）sensu, a folding fan and a small hand-sized towel (a sweat towel).
• People start passing out 団扇（うちわ）uchiwa, another kind of fan that looks like a giant lollipop in fan form, as a form of advertisement.
  
• The air conditioners inside the subways, private railway trains and JR trains are turned on at full blast. Same goes for in subway stations.
• You can start to hear wind chimes outside of your apartment or house.
• Food stands start to sell かき氷（かきこおり）kakikoori, a tasty summer dessert consisting of shaved ice and flavored syrup, just like snow cones. Other summer foods include そうめん somen, white noodles served cold with a tasty sauce for dipping.
• Girls start wearing 浴衣（ゆかた）yukata (summer kimono) to events.
• You can see fireflies at night.
• Festivals start! (Which I always look forward to the most!)
  

I've also started up a list of the top ten festivals in Kansai (not limited to summer, but still) and hope to get that up next time. Until then, for those of you sticking it out in Osaka for the summer - good luck!

ALT Adventures: Sports Day

Yesterday, my English-intensive senior high school had its Sports Festival (or "Sports Day" as it's also called - and sometimes on the same national holiday date as Sports Day in September) and it was actually the first one I've ever attended. My former schools had practices for sports festivals, but I never had the opportunity to visit one during the working week.

But, being that majority of my students are girls, I'd imagine that the events are much different from what you would see at other sports festivals. Even still, the students put a lot of hard work into the day, and spend what seems like months preparing. The day is also amazing where you see your students go through complete transformations as if you've never seen them before, forming competitive rivalries and a kind of class unity that would make an American pep rally cry, and where the once shy and quiet students get out there and do their best, cheering on and screaming for their sempai while the outgoing and chatty students become silent and focused in concentration on winning.

Radio Taiso
The morning started off with something called Radio Taiso or "radio exercise." This program was originally made by NHK and has been promoting daily exercise since the 1920s. I had seen it in Japanese movies before and plenty times while I was at other schools where it was played in the morning for students to work out. I was surprised that just about everybody knows how to do this! The other ALTs and I tried to do it in front of all the students.. to our embarrassment, there are still a few things we have to memorize to do the exercise properly, haha.

Here's a video:


Group Dancing
Since the classes were divided into groups (A, B, C and D), these were their teams, and each had one first, second, and third-year class. Each class had to do a dance that the students choreographed themselves, and it was quite amusing to see the students dancing in sync. It was like watching synchronized swimming, but on ground, and with 80 people. One of the songs was "Barbie Girl" which drove me crazy at school sometimes, since it was played every day for a good month prior to today. But all in all, it was good fun. (One of the other ALTs seemed to notice that the better dancers were placed toward the front, while the not-so-gracefuls were toward the back.. but even so, they all looked like they were having fun! Even the boys were getting into it!)

This was Class D's flag.. is that Michael Jackson? (Class C's had DragonBall Z characters, while Class A's flag had Care Bears. Class B's had all of the students' names written in Japanese.)

Pole Tug of War
During one of the English Communication classes, I asked one of the students, "What was your favorite memory from last year's sports festival?" She replied with "tug of war" and I asked if they would do it again this year, but apparently due to an injury, they no longer can do tug of war with a rope, but rather, this year they would use a five foot long pole.

How does this work, you may wonder. Well, about 15 poles are put in the middle of the event grounds, with one class on each side of the poles. At the sound of the starting shot, students run to the poles and try to bring them back to their side. Some are lucky and are the only ones to grab a pole and bring it back for their team, but, others are not so lucky, and have to fight with other students through a "stick tug of war" trying to drag the pole to their side. Is this really all that much safer than using a rope?

Giant Bamboo Stick Run
I don't quite know what you would call this, but.. do you notice a stick/pole theme, here?

A group of students stand in about 8 rows, with the front row of students having a long pole made of bamboo at their feet (even thicker and sturdier than the poles in the previous event). A row of about 6 students grab the stick and have to run forward, around a cone, and back.. but make sure their group jumps OVER the stick, then they have to bring it all the way to the end, over the students' heads and back, where they repeat the process all over again. A dangerous, but fun to watch the game.

Beach Flag Grab
This event wasn't as exciting, but three students would compete against each other and run to a pile of cushions that had a small flag, then grab the flag and bring it back.

Seven-legged Race
Six boys, tied at the legs, and running down a track and back. Very amusing when you don't have a set way of walking. The poor boys looked like penguins.

Third-years Girls' Yoga Dance
Really cool and organized by one of the PE teachers. My favorite move was when they joined at the shoulders and created this funky wave effect.

Boys' Dance
I'm not really sure how to feel about this dance, but it was quite memorable, at the least. Since it's an English-intensive school, there aren't a whole lot of boys that attend (give or take about 30-40 out of around 360 students). So a lot of the girls were rather excited and screaming their lungs out when they saw their favorite guys duking it out on the dance field - some dressed with hoods of various animals (dog hoods, frog hoods, cat hoods) and others in junior high school uniforms - only to strip those off and reveal .. .. silver dresses.

The end of the act had the boys standing in a pyramid, with about five people tall. Kudos, boys. (I was going to have a heart attack as I thought the top boy would fall off!)

Scavenger Hunt Relay
A simple relay, where students had to find random things in order to pass the clue, instead of a baton, onto the next runner. Things included: a person wearing a heart, the principal, an ALT, and so on.

School Relay and Final Relay
This was probably one of the most exciting, as ALTs and teachers could also participate. Of course you'd have the usual - pass the baton to the next student, take a bat and place your forehead on it while spinning three times, potato sack races, and this interesting part pictured above - the old cardboard box crawling tank. My favorite. (Out of the four or five teams that competed in the relay, the teachers took third place. At least we weren't last - woohoo!)

Final Event: Irete! Irete! Don!
This one I was curious about and wondering why two tall poles were dragged into the middle of the stadium.. and later on it was because all four classes had to compete against each other and throw Nerf-like foam balls into these small nets. The classes performed well, landing over 100 balls in each net (except for one class, which had about only 50-something) and then had to count out each ball in Japanese, which took quite some time. But overall, an exciting and fun way to end the Sports Day.

The final scores. Class D was the underdog, starting out poorly but in the end dominating especially in the relay races and beach flag grab. Class C was struggling throughout, but did their best. Class A and B have Japanese-intensive students, while C and D are the English-intensive students.

By the way, I was also happier to know that background music was played throughout the entire day, including Yui's "Again" which is the first opening song for Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, the anime I'm into at the moment. ^__^

Packing list for Japan on the JET Programme

A friend of mine who was recently accepted to the JET Programme e-mailed me and asked for advice in terms of what to bring to Japan, and I'll share it here. For the short-version just see below, but if you'd like some cultural notes, read on, dearest reader:

What to bring:

• Anything that JET or your contracting organization has sent you - such as your General Information Handbook, Japanese for JETs (ALTs), and any other information like copies of your contract or anything your CO has given you.
  
• Passport photos - These may be needed by your CO, and are also needed for when you apply for a re-entry visa (if you leave Japan and need to come back). The Japanese Language Profiency Test (JLPT) administered in July and December also requires a passport-sized photo for when you sign up, so it doesn't hurt to get them done before arriving. (There are passport photo booths here, but for convenience sake, it's just better to get them done before coming.) Three or four should be enough.
  
• Money - What I didn't know or realize was that Japan is a cash-based society. Credit cards will work at larger retailers in big cities, but aren't commonly used. The same goes for personal checks. Travelers checks/cheques are also accepted, but again, it seems to be only at large retailers. They can be changed into Japanese yen at major Japanese banks, provided you have your passport. It's also possible to withdraw money from foreign bank accounts if you have a debit card marked with an acceptable credit card symbol (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus) from Japanese post office ATMs.
• International Driver's License - If you know how to drive, get this. I've heard horror stories about how hard the Japanese driving test is. Also, it's best to know how to drive manual transmission. (Remember: Japan drives on the LEFT side of the road!)
  
• Toothpaste - This is probably the number one item that appears on every Japan expatriate's list, and it's true. Toothpaste here doesn't contain fluoride, and unless you live in a big city (the Tokyu Hands in Osaka is said to carry Colgate toothpaste) you'll have a hard time finding it. Try to bring a supply to last you awhile or have family or friends ship some over to you.
• Deodorant - Aerosol cans of deodorant are sold here, but they are not as strong as you will find in Western countries. For some reason, even on crowded trains (at least in the morning) body odor and sweating doesn't seem to be much of a problem for Japanese people. (I could be wrong, and it could also be due to AC on trains, but hey, when you're in a car with lots of people, you should be able to smell what's wrong.) But if you're worried about your own, erm, odors, you might want to invest in a good supply of deodorant sticks as solids, liquids, and/or gels, as you won't find them here.
• Medication - Medicine in Japan is a lot weaker than its Western counterparts, either that, or you might not even find an equivalent to the medicine you're currently taking. Patients here tend to be prescribed medicines that aren't used a lot in the West, many which are of the herbal variety. I'm from the U.S., and when it comes to cold medicine, many rely on medications such as Sudafed. However, pseudoephedrine-containing products aren't allowed into Japan. So you'll want to find other options, or make sure your doctor can prescribe you well for a year. Some medications I've been able to bring were: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Claritin. Consult with your General Information Handbook or check with your embassy or consulate for what's okay to bring. If you're prone to motion sickness (like I am; I don't do well with buses or long car trips) then you might want to bring your own supply of motion sickness tablets.
  
• Summer clothes - It will be really hot when you arrive. Extremely hot. Bring any summer clothes you need. Majority of new JETs arrive in the summer, so you won't need to worry about winter clothes for awhile (read below for items to ship later). As you'll probably know, clothes tend to be smaller here, but you can order off of online catalogs like Nissen or Rakuten for larger-sized clothing. They tend to be a bit pricier, but as the year goes by they do have sales and discounts to get rid of extra stock. There are a few used-clothing shops, but tend to be in the big cities. If you're on the, as my friends say "fluffy" or "big boned" side, you might want to consider packing extra clothing. Same goes for underwear. A rain jacket may also be useful (it rained for two days when I arrived in Tokyo). Others: swimwear, beach towel, sports wear.
  
• Any weather accessories you'll need - I brought with me two umbrellas because in Japan, many people prefer to use the giant handle umbrellas and carry them around (they tend to be more preferred, too). But I prefer compactness and convenience.
  
• Business attire - You will be attending an orientation in Tokyo for a few days, and will be having a few more orientations and/or seminars in your prefecture or city, so it's best to look professional. I'd say at the very least one suit/business outfit should be fine, but keep in mind it will be very very hot when you arrive, and packing an extra, just in case, never hurts (just in case the other one happens to become drenched in sweat and in that same case, not have a chance to visit a laundromat).
  
• Shoes - Before coming to Japan, I already knew I'd have to take off my shoes more frequently than I was used to, but I didn't realize just how much I'd be doing it. Many schools have you put on slippers or bring a pair of clean shoes to be worn indoors only. You can either bring your own indoor shoes, or find a nice pair of 100 yen (about US$1) slippers or cheap shoes here if you don't want to bring your own. Many schools are becoming more relaxed and allowing you to wear your own shoes inside: just check with your school first. Bring extra pairs or have them shipped in advance if you're over a size US7 for women or US9 for men.
  
• Socks - Clean, or relatively nice-looking socks are also advisable, for when you remove your shoes (you don't have to show off your holey, torn, dirty, mismatched pairs of socks indoors). Of course you can get them here, but for your first few moments in Japan, you'll probably want to be prepared. (For some reason, I can never find plain socks - they're always with a pattern or an embroidered cutesie thing of some sort.)
  
• Omiyage (souvenirs or gifts from your home country) - This, I've found to be somewhat disputed, because it really depends on your CO and the whole ESID. My CO is a large city, so I thought I would have to bring lots of omiyage - but the fact was that I changed schools just about every term, so I didn't have a chance (nor much time) to network with JTEs and give out gifts or omiyage as prizes, as I do now. Use your best judgement. If your predecessor gives you the full detail on your school and where you'll be and who people are, I would bring omiyage. If you have no idea what your school placement is, I wouldn't bring that much. Why? Because there's a chance you won't even have the opportunity to give them away. If you do decide to bring omiyage, of course keep them small and light. Some examples: keychains, postcards, stickers, stamps, small change/coins, pencils, pens, erasers, small gift books, small candies, tiny plush toys, pins, and anything else that you can think of. Best thing to do is to ask your predecessor for advice, if you're worried about omiyage.
• Stuff for your self-introduction - Something you'll be doing a lot in class is talking a lot about yourself. If you want to make things interesting for your class, have materials prepared. Some great ideas: maps of your country, magazines, books about random things such as culture, history, holidays, sports, language(s), geography, songs, etc. of your country (Remember: People will ask YOU lots of questions about YOUR country, and you'll be expected or believed to know a lot about it!), something that represents your country (I brought a TY Beanie Baby that says "I Love Minnesota" on it and has snow) When you arrive in Tokyo, you also receive a bunch of goodies from your country's embassy containing a myriad of materials you can use for your self-introduction.
  

Things that can be shipped later

• Winter clothes - These you can have shipped to you at a later date or for when you arrive. But there's one thing I can't stress enough: Bring some sort of overcoat or sweater for you to wear at work. Out of all the schools I've taught at, none of them have central heating, and instead rely on "space heaters" or gas heaters. Unless you live in Okinawa, winters can be very cold, especially if you have to move from room to room or your desk in the staff room isn't next to a heater. (Some schools have walkways, no walls, that connect a building to another school building). A polar fleece jacket to wear while you're teaching should suffice. Turtlenecks also make great additions to add to the extra layer(s) of clothing you may want to wear, if being cold isn't your thing. You can either bring one of your own (nicer quality polar fleece is cheaper outside of Japan) or buy one here. Others: stockings, thermal underwear, heavy coat/parka.
• Cultural clothes or holiday clothes - If you're from another country, perhaps you have some traditional wear you wanted to show to your students (i.e. a sari, hanbok, barong, etc.) or a Halloween costume.
  
• Books, DVDs, game consoles, sports equipment, whatever else - Anything else from home that you can't bring with you on plane.
• Board games - I really wish I would've brought Scrabble with me.
  

My own advice

• Make-up - Make-up here tends to be for more lighter complexions, and unfortunately, I'm on the darker end of the spectrum. If you're of a dark complexion, you will definitely want to bring your own make-up.
• Sunscreen - The sun feels much more intense in Japan, and sunscreen is available here, but in very small quantities for an expensive price. If you're in the States, investing into a bottle of Coppertone or your favorite sunscreen brand to last for a year or two would be beneficial if you plan to be out in the sun a lot. (Otherwise, your other option is to carry a parasol around and wear arm covers as many Japanese women do.)
  
• Comfort foods - Sometimes we have foods at home that we miss so much, but no matter how hard we try - we just can't find them here. Oddly enough I really like Maruchan Ramen, and my parents are sweet to send me some every now and then. I also yearn for things like ranch dressing, macaroni and cheese, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Chocolate chip cookies are a rarity here. I'm serious.
• Your own digital camera and personal electronics - The impression I had was that electronics would be cheaper here since majority of them are made here, but I was so wrong. You can, of course, buy cameras and things here, but they're much more expensive. Best to be prepared when you arrive - plus I'm sure you'll want to take tons of photos in Tokyo instead of spending time buying something to take photos!
  
• Plug adapters - You can get these in Japan too, but if you need to use your laptop as soon as you arrive in Japan, make sure you have the appropriate plug adapter (and that it has a transformer block) so you can instantly plug in any electronics you've brought.

This list of course isn't complete, but comments, suggestions, personal experiences and stories are also welcome. Good luck on packing!