just a little ちょっと

Signs it's summer in Osaka

2009-06-28T12:08:00.005+09:00

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

2009-06-12T23:36:00.011+09:00

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

2009-06-10T21:28:00.007+09:00

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!

Kyoto, maiko, fish, a temple and a shrine

2009-06-07T21:32:00.012+09:00

In the past seven days, I've visited Kyoto twice: took a day off Tuesday last week since there were no classes, and then again today, Sunday. The weather was quite nice both days, and I've been trying to make good time of my free time while the weather remains pleasant, cool, and breezy - I'm talking about before the rainy season really begins, and the dreaded inferno many Kansaites come to know as summer humidity.

Let's start off with Tuesday. An ALT I work with has a nifty camera called the Digital Harinezumi (harinezumi means "hedgehog") and the Japanese company that makes it, Superheadz, is pretty popular for making toy cameras. This was their first digital camera, and after seeing a few shots of it posted and the kinds of videos it takes, I just had to get one, and found one (mind you, it took forever to find, because currently, they're sold out all over Japan!) in a bookstore called Village Vanguard located at the top floor of the Loft in Umeda. Needless to say, I've fallen in love with the camera, and "toy digital cameras" have now found a way to my heart. I decided to take it for a test drive in Kyoto that Tuesday and revisit places in Kyoto I've been to previously, but didn't have a camera on hand at the time.

Tuesday's Kyoto Trip

First off, I visited Sanjusangendo Temple in Higashiyama, famous for having one thousand "one-thousand armed" statues of Kannon, a Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Photography of the statues inside is prohibited, but take my word for it - the place is amazing, and mysteriously beautiful. Each statue had quite a few arms and was life-sized, many of them containing crystals in their eyes to make them seem realistic. You can also see statues of Fujin and Raijin, the respective Japanese gods of wind, thunder, and lightning. From what I've read and remember in the statues' exhibit interpretation, Fujin and Raijin were the only Japanese-made gods in the building?

Afterward, I bused back to Kyoto Station to grab some lunch, and bused out again - but this time to wander one of my favorite districts of Kyoto: Gion. Yasaka Shrine, long ago known as Gion Shrine, was nearby, so I decided to take another visit now armed with the Digital Harinezumi:

Despite the shrine being close to a busy street and crosswalks, once you walk into the shrine grounds toward Maruyama Park, it's surprisingly rather quiet, and you can hear the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees.

Sunday's Kyoto Trip
In the Kansai Scene, there was an event called Hojoe that advertised of 2,000 carp being thrown into the Shirakawa River and maiko (apprentice geisha) also being present. I decided to to bunch up three mini-exploration trips, and made a route to go through Gion, Tatsumi-bashi (where the event was held) and Heian Jingu armed with the Digital Harinezumi and my main camera.

The place was kind of confusing to find, and as many police officers and store keepers I asked, they told me that the river I was looking for, Shirakawa, didn't exist. I was beginning to become flustered at people telling me the Kamo River was the only river - until finally, a clerk at Family Mart got out a map for me, and pointed out the right way, and I finally found my way.

There were quite a few people there, and the maiko were already sitting and relaxing, waiting for the event to start. A few Buddhist monks were playing flutes to entertain the crowd while waiting, and the real happenings didn't start until 12:20pm. Until then, the audience listened to Buddhist chants and prayers, while tourists and residents alike whipped out their cameras, and began to photo the stars of the event: the maiko.

Under a canopy, in a tent close to the audience, everyone waited near a tank of 2,000 baby carp with buckets ready at the waiting to carry the fish to their new home: the Shirakawa River.

After the maiko had the chance to throw their carp over the river in wooden buckets, they clapped their hands together and prayed with the Buddhist monks. As they made their exit/escape, much of the crowd began to disperse, but I made my way to the tanks since there were still more fish in them.

A monk saw me, and handed me a bucket. I was stunned. I had the honor of participating in Hojoe, an event in a ceremony that thanks nature! Many photographers were waiting as people approached Tatsumi-bridge to dump (more like, pour, to put it gracefully) their fish into the Shirakawa.

After some more exploring of Gion, I walked back to Kawaramachi for a late lunch, then bused over to Heian Jingu. I had visited before during my birthday last year, but the gardens at the time were quite barren. This time, I had a chance to see what it was like in the summer.

The garden was peaceful, quiet, and gorgeous. Many of the flowers were in full bloom, including some lotuses and purple irises (as seen at the top of this post). Weather-wise, it couldn't have been better, as there was a light breeze that kept everyone cool.

The day ended with another chance to see a maiko in Takayashimaya, a well-known department store in Japan. She was bidding on an auction of an insect photograph, in this picture.

Recently, I've tried to avoid visiting Kyoto mainly because of the amount of tourists and how crowded it becomes to the point of frustration sometimes. But that Sunday, it was actually pleasant and nice to see Gion and Kawaramachi not full of people - making the trip quite enjoyable. (And to top it off, having the chance to see three maiko!)

UFO Catcher Machines 1: Bread and breath

2009-06-05T18:24:00.002+09:00

One of the things I was always looking forward to when I moved to Japan, was checking out its UFO catcher machines. You know, the claw catchers - my English has become so terrible, I had to Wiki the appropriate name we actually call them. Ah, here we go: claw vending machine, plush crane machine, UFO catcher, candy crane, claw crane, arcade claw, crane game, grabber machine, skill crane, and skill tester. Whew.

Well, whatever you decide to call it, the prizes of course are always the most sought for, and I remember countless times in my childhood spent at the Mall of America arcades or Circus Pizza (now turned into a Chuck E. Cheese) to get an awesome prize.

Of course, I always thought that it was just plush toys, figures, or electronic toys that you could win in said machines. Upon arriving, my goodness, how wrong I was.

This is the start of a new series of blog posts, to find the interesting, cute, and amazing world and set-ups, of UFO Catcher Machines in Japan.

First up, we've got some Miruku Pan, or "Milk Bread." Of course it's not really milk inside, but typically milk in cream form, or whipped cream. Bread with cream inside is pretty popular in Japan, but I never thought I'd find it in toy form so you can enjoy.. not.. eating it every day? (On the poster and claw of course, it says it looks like bread, but this isn't something you can eat!)

Once I saw the poster for this, I just had to come over. This is Hitashi Pan. I don't really know a lot about it, but literally translate it as "Dipped Milk Bread." You can also have a slice of bread dipped in milk and honey. Mmm, fake dipped in milk and honey bread that you can enjoy every day without consuming. But I guess the poster shows one way you can enjoy it..

After trying to grab for some bread, you might want to nab some tubes of Breath Palette, a product that I'm assuming lets your breath smell as the posted flavors we see in the poster behind. Let's take a closer look..

Some interesting flavors include: rose, cafe au lait, curry, Kyushu plums (I think), Darjeeling tea, espresso, pumpkin custard pudding (that actually sounds pretty interesting), and cola.

Of course, it might be a bit hard to do this one since you're not sure which one you can really get, but that's the fun of it, right?

Osaka Candle Night

2009-06-04T22:52:00.000+09:00

This lovely display was in front of the Hilton in Osaka.

In front of luxious hotels on street level, but free to the public, thousands of candles were displayed across Nishi-Umeda in Osaka. The event, "Osaka Candle Night" began at 6:00pm, but the lights at various locations were turned off for two hours from 8:00pm-10:00pm, to provide a better atmosphere for appreciation.

What I really love about Osaka - or even Kansai, perhaps Japan in general - are that there are tons of events you can enjoy at little to no cost. Even though this event was absolutely free, it obviously took quite a bit of work to put together. Thousands of candles being set up all over Nishi-Umeda, and lots of artistic pieces giving artists chances to show off their work in candlelight was really fun to witness, along with seeing people smiling (which was what the Candle Night was intending to promote) and just enjoying candlelit views.

A young girl enjoying the gift of light.

People could buy candle jars and write their own message.

While being there, I couldn't help but feel that it was so festive and much like Christmas. To be honest, I've never seen such a display like this (even Nara's candle night was done a bit differently, as far as I remember) in my life. Seeing candles set up in a park compared to a city is rather different, I think - whereas this evening, it was interesting to see that, even if only for two hours, the source of light was relied on through candles than powered city lights.

Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park and kids' outdoor games in Japan

2009-05-31T13:08:00.004+09:00

Yesterday a friend invited me to a BBQ held by her friends at 鶴見緑地公園 Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. You can reach it via the Osaka City Subway on the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi line (lime green) and getting off at Tsurumi-ryokuchi Station, but I took the Imazatosuji line (orange) to Shimmori-Furuiichi station. The Imazatosuji line is also the latest installment to the Osaka City Subway line family, and the trains are much newer, sleeker, and clean. (Next time I'll have to nab a photo.)

When I entered the park, I noticed some decorations on the path on the way to the park that said something like, "Expo '90" and thought that perhaps the park was made for the World Expo in Osaka, but then remembered that that was in 1970. I did some research today and the park was actually the location for Expo '90, or the Flower Expo. Other cool things about this park is that it was built on old garbage dumps and abandoned factories.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to explore the entirety of the park, but for those who are looking for a get away from the urban jungles of Osaka while still in Osaka City, then this place should definitely be on your must-visit list. If you've lived in Osaka for awhile, you would never think a place like this park would ever exist in a city so covered in concrete and buildings.

The BBQ consisted of my friend's Japanese friends and their neighbors, many of whom had children under the age of 10. Food was mostly yakiniku, or grilled meat - strips of beef, and corn, cabbage, bell peppers, salmon with lemons, onions, and my favorite: shiitake mushrooms. It was such a fun atmosphere and the food was great, including some lovely prepared onigiri by the kind hosts, and of course merry drinking.

After the adults were getting into conversations, as you do, the children were starting to show the typical symptoms of adolescent boredom. I decided to excuse myself from the adults and make acquaintance with the children, which consisted of a game of "What's my name?" and them switching themselves around to confuse my friend and I.

It didn't matter that there was a language barrier between us either, as they quickly accepted us into their ring of playmates! We sang an English song per request of the parents (Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes) quite a few times, some fast-forward, and requesting to go even faster. "Simon Says" was the classic game to follow, although we switched the rules around a bit and said that you need to respond to "Touch your nose/eyes/mouth/ears/toes" and whatever (since "Simon Says" is confusing sometimes).

Afterward, we continued to encourage English usage in the games, and played a game called "Iro, iro, nan iro?" (Color, color, what color? or it could be.. There are many colors, what color [will you pick]?) The person who was "it" had to call out a color in English, while everyone would scramble around trying to find that color and touch it before being tagged, and the next one would be it.

We also played Red Light, Green Light, a classic game that again we encouraged the kids to use English in, and worked quite well with the kids. Although I would imagine in the states kids would run rather than sneaking up quietly to the streetlight.

It then started to rain, so we had to take shelter underneath a gazebo. The kids were looking pretty bored again, and wanted to keep on playing, so we played a hand clapping rhythm game I was taught in elementary school:

Bo-bo ski watten totten,
Ah-ah-ah ah-ah, boom boom boom
Itty bitty wotten totten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski wotten tatten
One, two, three, for, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

The game turned out to be an instant hit, and the kids wanted to play over and over again. Even though it was gibberish, and there wasn't really a point to the whole game, the kids loved the thrill of counting to ten quickly - actually, the game does test reflex, but explaining how to play is a bit difficult here.

Once the rain stopped, I was surprised that the kids wanted to play even more games; the final playground game of the day was cops and robbers, which, by then, had completely tired my friend and I out, as we watched them play, truly curious where kids get all this genki energy from.

Kids in Japan are always so active, full of life, and seriously energetic! How do they manage?!

"Auld Lang Syne" in Japan

2009-05-29T22:52:00.003+09:00

The song "Auld Lang Syne" that, in America, is commonly heard or sung merrily during New Years celebrations (I don't know too much about how it's used in British culture, although I do know the song is Scottish) can be heard quite frequently in Japan. In fact, if you're a shopper who prefers shopping at night when things quiet down, you'll hear it frequently.

Many grocery stores, electronics stores, shopping centers and most especially department stores, especially the big names in Kansai such as Hankyu and Hanshin play "Auld Lang Syne" a few minutes before the store is scheduled to close. (As I've witnessed when I had to buy a quick thing at Jusco, a department store similar to Target, K-mart, or Walmart and didn't know they closed at 10:00pm!)

I started to wonder why they used this theme, and so far all I could find was this on Wikipedia:

In Japan, the Japanese students' song Hotaru no hikari ("Glow of a Firefly") uses the "Auld Lang Syne" tune. The words are a series of images of hardships that the industrious student endures in his relentless quest for knowledge, starting with the firefly’s light, which the student uses to keep studying when he has no other light sources. It is commonly heard in graduation ceremonies and at the end of the school day. Many stores and restaurants play it to usher customers out at the end of a business day.

You know, I completely forgot about that. It's true, I've heard it in every graduation ceremony I've attended, but wondered what students were singing about and what they called the tune.

I guess the reason they use it in department stores and other shops is to wish everyone shopping and working there a good old-fashioned "Otsukaresama-deshita!" or "Thanks for all your hard work!" or perhaps a kind of "Thanks for your patronage even though you came all the way to our business and we're closing in five minutes! But thanks so much!"

Then again, I guess I can see why you'd associate a theme that you sing celebrating a new year after an old year of all the work you had to go through to get to that new year and putting it on the same level as customers who went through their entire day and made the time to stick around a store until closing (despite being there quite late.)

It's interesting about how lots of things in Japan need a theme. Below is a YouTube video of 蛍の光 Hotaru no Hikari or "Glow of the Firefly."

Student-written speeches as mid-term exam

2009-05-28T23:09:00.005+09:00

Since midterm exams were canceled last week, some were moved to this week, and the second-year students at my English-intensive senior high school had to present their memorized speech as their midterm. I forgot to explain that at this school, classes are much smaller (consisting of ten students) and one ALT and JTE per ten students - so students receive more attention and communication is the emphasis of these classes. (Err, forgot to mention the class is called "English Communication" or "ecomm" for short.)

Students were allowed to write their speech on any given topic, and of course many chose ones that interested them or were a bit broad, like their family, music, or memories from studying abroad in Australia, America, etc.

A few students wrote on some topics I'd never expect: one male student wrote about how Japan should never have to experience another atomic bomb, or even nuclear bomb ever again, such as how it happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For questions, one asked the speaker for his opinion about the current situation regarding North Korea and nuclear testing. His response of course was that it was terrible, and when asked by another student for his opinion on what if Japan were to ever possess nuclear weapons, his prompt reply was, "I don't think Japan should make (I think he meant "have") the same mistake twice!"

On a quick side note, the peace clock in Hiroshima was also reset today after the news from North Korea, and is the 12th reset since 2001.

One female student wrote on the harvest of shiitake mushrooms (which I learned apparently takes two years, if I understood her right), another student from another classroom wrote about how Japan is losing their cultural identity by "dyeing our hair blonde and eating foreign foods like McDonald's and KFC" while another referred to the "doggie bag" (a common term used for leftover food to take home from a restaurant) as an excellent idea that needs to be adopted to help the environment and reduce food waste.

Although I understand a big cultural difference here is that maintenance of eye contact with your listener(s) doesn't seem to be that big of a deal, I couldn't help but notice that fidgeting, lots of head-tilting, and frantic hand waving are parts of the norm when presenting speeches. The ceiling was a popular choice as the audience for students, however.

Lunch at my special needs SHS

2009-05-26T20:21:00.003+09:00

Since I first came on the JET Programme, I've taught at five different special needs schools at senior and junior high levels in Osaka City - and I must say, teaching English to and spending time with these kids is such an amazing experience.

The teacher to student ratio is quite different than the normal Japanese classroom, where many junior high classes have about 40 students, with one JTE and one ALT. But special needs classes tend to be smaller, with three or four teachers for ten students. The teachers also know their students very well, too, and write a journal entry every day about each student so their parents can keep up with what's happening. Because of this relationship, the students are generally very kind and sweet, and from my entire time teaching them, they're always great and genki students!

I have to say, one of my favorite times to spend with students besides teaching is during lunch.

Today I was invited to eat lunch with my JTE's class, and noticed lunch was the same, in the sense that how it's done the same way at special needs schools.

Lunches are delivered to the school, and usually the students and teachers, while donning aprons and hair nets and gloves, go off to retrieve the lunch: most of the time being rice, a side dish, some yogurt or bread, and a glass of milk. Each student has a role to get something, even the silverware. It's a team effort, and the students keep tabs on each other making sure everyone does their part: setting up the lunch mats, putting down the silverware, making sure tables are clean, and so on. And contrary to thought that the lunch may not be that great if it's like cafeteria-style food from an American elementary or high school - it's actually quite tasty. (I'd have to say my favorite is curry rice.)

Portions are served by the students as well, and sometimes if there's extra food or glass of milk, janken is played and the winner gets the extra food prize. At every school I've been, whenever bread was served, there was always a popular request to have it toasted. I really wish I could do that at school at home, to be honest!

Students are called up in a certain order (that I still have no idea how that's done) to get their lunch tray, and no one is expected to eat until every student has their lunch and is seated. Then, a student who is chosen can commence the meal by requesting (in either Japanese, or English if an ALT is in the classroom) everyone to put their hands together, and say, Itadakimasu! Let's eat!

Generally during this time, I try to eat as quickly as possible, since it's also Q&A time for students to ALTs, as many special needs students have never had the opportunity to speak with ALTs before or people from other countries, at all. The conversations are very laid back and relaxed, and the teachers are quite friendly, curious, and anxious to join in the conversation, too. Even if you don't speak Japanese, students are more than happy to help teach you some. It's also a chance for those who were in your class to review what they learned that day.

Once you, your students and teachers finished dining, there's also the strict system of organizing the trays, silverware, trash, and recycling of glass bottles used to drink the milk, and if even one mistake is made, the students call each other out on it. (Makes me wish students who clean their schools would do that too, but that's an entry for another day..) At this point, the students are pretty ecstatic, mainly because of what happens after lunch: recess and free time!

Osaka Trivia Proficiency Test

2009-05-25T17:12:00.002+09:00

Think you know everything about the city of Osaka?

Well, I just received an e-mail from Global E-net Osaka, done by CLAIR in Osaka (and also a nifty newsletter if you want to receive information about stuff to see and do in Osaka City and learn a few things or two about Osaka in English) about a brand new test, all about Osaka called the なにわなんでも大阪検定 or "Naniwa Nandemo Osaka Kentei." (Unfortunately the deadline for registration has already passed, but if you're interested in attempting this test for next year.. read on, dear reader. Read on.)

Yes, that's right. The test is being done for the first time starting this year, and currently there are levels 2 and 3 being offered (level 1 is of course the highest, but won't be given out this year). If you manage to pass with your extreme Osaka knowledge, you'll be offered to take the level 1 test for next year.

What's the aim? To get people to know a bit more about Osaka's history and culture than just okonomiyaki (a food that Osaka is famous for, basically a cabbage pancake/omelet with Worcestershire sauce, very tasty) and manzai (a popular form of comedy originating from Osaka, basically two guys talking jokes really quickly at each other) I'm guessing. It's surprising, too, that I coincidentally began to notice textbooks appearing at major bookstores such as Kinokuniya and Junkudo with books focusing on studying Osaka-ben (Osaka's dialect)! Yes, actual textbooks! I was wondering why they had more books on Osaka-ben out..

This test is very real though, and seems to be backed up by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in joint sponsorship with Osaka prefecture, Osaka City, Sakai City, and other organization.

If you'd like to start studying, there's also an official textbook you can check out for 1,995 yen. The test will be administered on June 21st and is a written exam.

大阪弁めっちゃ好きやねん！

Half-priced karaoke

2009-05-24T20:41:00.003+09:00

Last night I went with some good company to a cafe for dinner, and it was such a nice meal that we wanted to end off the evening with some good old-fashioned karaoke fun.

Amemura, or "American Village" is an interesting area in Osaka, where it seems all the fashionable and stylin' teens gather to see or be seen. We headed for a Super Jankara (a popular karaoke chain) that required walking our way through Amemura. And believe me: I think you see the most interesting characters there when it starts towards midnight.

There were blonde-haired guys with spiked hair, standing with their motorcycles lined up in a row. People skating and sitting in the small concrete island known as Triangle Park. And lots of low riding cars, some so low, that they'd be scratching into the pavement. (And I wondered: If you wanted your low-riding car to be seen, does that mean you'd have to drive around Amemura oh so many times? And the park it there?)

Anyway, after seeing the interesting sights of Amemura, we got to Super Jankara to be greeted by tons upon tons of flyers advertising that an hour would be at half-price, about 355 yen. (That's $3.55!) What a steal! We couldn't pass up singing for two hours.

Of course, since the swine flu hit, and with schools closing and all, lots of students flocked to karaoke clubs to fight boredom. As a precaution, the karaoke club actually sprays your hands with sanitizing spray before you can sing on your merry way.

By the way, I found out that the most sung karaoke song of either 2008 (or was it 2009?), at least from when we were singing it is Coldplay's "Viva la Vida." I'll need to make good use of this awesomely-priced limited time karaoke offer!

My favorite place in Japan

2009-05-22T15:43:00.020+09:00

I'm a first-time entrant to the Japan Blog Matsuri, with this month's theme being "My Favorite Place in Japan" hosted by the Nihon Sun.

I love Kansai as much as the next person: like Japan's national kitchen city of Osaka, the shop 'til you drop cultural capital Kyoto, and free-roaming deer containing historical capital Nara, and the port city of Kobe, you would think that these cities itself would be a reason to be enough to make the entire region of Kansai a favorite.

However, after doing extensive travel in Kansai, I would have to say one place stood out both literally, majestically, and proudly over these cities. That place is Mount Koya, or Koya-san (高野山) in Wakayama Prefecture. A place where you can find everything you probably ever thought of to be Japan, melded together in the small town of Koya.

(Photo at left taken by Flickr user st3f4n.)

The small town of Koya toward dusk, in winter time. Photo taken by myself.

The area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, with part of the reason being that you can see a fusion of both Shinto and Buddhist sites. You can witness this when you see a Shinto shrine standing quietly right in the area that's known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism!

Koya-san also retains its beauty throughout the seasons, but most especially in the spring cherry blossom season and the fall. Trees are no rarity here (there is forest in just about every direction) and many trees look as though they're waiting to prepare to show off their colors for fall or blossoms in spring. But no matter when you decide to go, you'll more than likely have the chance to meet some interesting and friendly people: the pilgrims who make their way through Mount Koya. Seeing, meeting, and talking with them can often give you a feeling of admiration, and maybe even motivation or inspiration to do such a feat. (Perhaps try the 22km trails yourself.. ?)

Walking through Oku-no-in, where you may also be able to spot some pilgrims.
Image credited to Flickr user st3f4n.

But let's not forget to mention Okunoin (奥の院), found a short walk east of Koya, and perhaps considered to the one of the largest (and it truly is massive) graveyards in Japan. Upon entering, you can find hear another rarity that's absent among the urban jungles of Kansai: silence. Tons of moss-covered stone monuments, giant, tall cedar trees and mysterious statues and lanterns are scattered among this forested mausoleum. You'll probably find a lot of interesting-looking gravestones..

Take this rocket ship, for example. Image credited to Flickr user st3f4n.

Don't worry, you'll also find your fill of Jizo statues.
Image credited to Flickr user st3f4n.

Koya-san is about a two-hour commute from Osaka or Kyoto via the Nankai line, but the journey there itself is also breathtaking, as the train line has some spectacular views along the mountain range. But because of the long commute, it's recommended to stay for a night: what better way than to do so through a temple stay, or shukubou? Many temples in Koya offer pilgrims and other guests lodging, and allow guests to participate in Buddhist morning prayer services (oinori) and join in chants. If you're lucky, you'll find that your temple has the view of an incredibly beautiful garden.

Food-wise, many temples serve vegetarian dishes (shojin-ryori) that are surprisingly delicious and a select few cafes and restaurants also serve majority vegetarian cuisine. (But you'll come to find a few shops and restaurants will also have bento boxes, if you're looking for some cheap eats.)

If you manage to explore the depths of Okunoin, you can also take a look at Garan (伽藍) or the Sacred Precinct found west of Koya, that has the Konpon Dai-tou (根本大塔), a large pagoda and said to be the center of an eight-petal lotus formed by the mountains that surround Koya-san that. How cool is that?

Konpon Dai-tou. Image credited to Flickr user st3f4n.

Japanese festivals also take place in Koya, including the Rosoku Matsuri, or "Candle Festival" on August 13th where thousands of candles are lit in Okunoin. Definitely worth a see. If you thought the area looked amazing in the day, just imagine what it must look like while lit by candlelight!

Koya-san Rosoku Matsuri. Image credited to Flickr user kunishi.

So, if you're looking for a place that covers a lot of things you have in mind as Japan, including temples, shrines, nature, history, mystery, interesting sights, atmosphere, being picturesque, cultural enrichment (that can be done through a temple stay or just walking around Koya and its many, many temples), or even just a short day trip away from the usual Kansai spots with peace, quiet, and relaxation and fantastic views, take a look at Mount Koya, and you may just find your own new image, or even favorite place, too, of Japan.

This is my favorite place, because Koya-san was the first place I could experience and enjoy a new and mysterious Japan with all of the above with tranquility and serenity, and most especially while surrounded by nature; a rare thing to come by as a city dweller.

Daimon, the main gate and entrance to Koya-san, found west of town.
Image credited to Flickr user fotopakismo.

IMAGE CREDITS:
many from image set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/sets/72157606647312595/
for "Candle Festival": http://www.flickr.com/photos/kunishi/370972856/
for "Daimon": http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotopakismo/570002049/
Used under Creative Commons license.

Cell phone picture post parade 1

2009-05-21T23:56:00.011+09:00

Sometimes I tend to take some pics on my cell phone without really doing anything with them, so from time to time, I'll have some "cell phone pic post parades" to go over some random things that catch my eye in Japan.

In spite of the increased case numbers of swine flu (the number is at around 279 infected now), Osaka has still not regained its crowds that once roamed the areas of Hep 5, Umeda, Shinsaibashi, and Namba. To escape, no wait, enjoy the temporary desertion of such areas, I popped on over to Kinokuniya in Hankyu Osaka Station to check out some books.

Then, this title caught my eye in the "Elementary School Children's English Books" section:

On the title in the blue squares, it says, Barack Obama Notebook. But what exactly is in a Barack Obama Notebook, you may wonder? Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to snap a shot of what's inside, but its contents had some excerpts from a few of Obama's speeches translated into Japanese, then some vocabulary for ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS translated into Japanese.

That wasn't all. After the speech were some lines for elementary school students to copy and write the speech in. Some of the speeches were a paragraph long!

Now, don't get me wrong, I know Obama's pretty cool and all, but I'm not exactly sure how I'd get one of my elementary kids to copy down his speech, nor what exactly.. for.

If you'd like YOUR kids to be Obama-fied English speech writers, you can nab this book bargain for a mere 500 yen. (What I really love is the caricature with "I [heart] OBAMA")

Next up:

Just what do you think this is? No, seriously, what do you think the prize of this UFO catcher is? Take a close look at the posters in the back.

That's right. Fish. You can get a real, live, pet fish from this UFO catcher machine. At first you think it's cool, because it's something you've never seen before. "Hey! Check it out! There are REAL FISH inside those containers inside this UFO catcher machine!" Until you realize that once you grab the tiny little candy colored canisters with your claw, it drops the poor defenseless creature right smack into the bottom of the machine.

Despite how cool this idea might be, I think they need to have a shorter drop than a regular UFO catcher machine.. this was from an arcade somewhere in Namba.

The last just reminds me of home, and made me think about how I never knew Minnesota was known as the state of bread and butter?

Ahh, Minnesota, how I miss thee. Never did I expect to find your name emblazened on t-shirt dresses in a cheap Target-like store such as Jusco.

Oh, Japan.

Hyogo and Osaka school closures

2009-05-19T17:07:00.003+09:00

As of this post, around 176 cases of swine flu have been reported and I'm more than sure that number is steadily climbing, even after actions taken by the Hyogo and Osaka Board of Education's decisions to shut down schools for a week. Teachers are still required to go to work, while students have been taking the news (especially during midterm season) rather well, flocking to karaoke clubs instead of staying home as advised. Others are flocking to Universal Studios Japan, which is also in Osaka.

I had to go through Umeda/JR Osaka Station, the main and major train station in Osaka, just to get home today and it was like walking through a ghost town. Usually the place is filled with life to the brim, crowded, dense, and noisy; where walking through crowds of people in a straight line is impossible without having the navigational systems of a buzzing bee, weaving in and out to avoid bumping into someone. That most certainly was not the case today. Hankyu Station, especially in front of Big Man (a giant TV screen) was practically empty.

Osaka's reaction included train staff and many restaurant, cafe, and health workers to don masks. Announcements could be heard while riding the train and subway stations. In front of a few movie theaters, (if they were still open today, but I'm not sure since talks were made considering closing down movie theaters for the week as well) you could find hand sanitizer or alcohol spray, asking patrons to sanitize their hands before entering the theater. Flu masks are sold out everywhere, and at times I felt awkward being on the train or subway not wearing a mask.

We'll just have to see how things play out over here.

Swine flu in Osaka and Hyogo

2009-05-17T18:24:00.003+09:00

The a cappella group that I'm in had a welcoming/farewell party for some members, and while riding the subway on my way to Shinsaibashi, it felt like it was just going to be an exciting, normal, and fun afternoon. Just a regular and quiet ride with regular and quiet passengers on the subway.

But while riding it on the way back home, instead of regular and quiet passengers, it was more like regular and quiet-practically-70%-of-the-passengers-inside-the-car-was-wearing-a-flu-mask ride back.

One of the girls in the a cappella group who is a JET for Hyogo-ken had informed me that many schools in Kobe were closing down for a week or so to prevent further spread of the swine flu, and I had also read elsewhere that Kobe Matsuri, which was originally supposed to take place today, had also been cancelled. She went on further to explain that two wards in Kobe had completely sold out of flu masks.

Upon returning home, I popped online to check the news and found out over 1,000 schools and kindergartens all over Osaka and Hyogo will suspend classes for awhile due to the flu and that JR West workers will all be required to wear flu masks, that is, after making sure that they always smile at customers at 70% capacity, of course. (And yes, perhaps underneath their masks.)

Just a Little ちょっと (Chotto) Welcome Post

2009-05-16T15:26:00.005+09:00

Welcome!

If you'd like to skip to the short run-down of this intro post, just scroll on down to where it says "in summary" .. haha, hope that saves you some time!

Although past posts have been made to this blog that are dated prior to this post - this blog actually was a project that I've neglected to do.. sadly, since I arrived in Japan. So, many of the posts on this blog will be from its predecessors.

This blog is in its fourth reincarnation (the third still exists, but instead of a regular blog, has become more of a photoblog only), and this time I'm going to try and force myself to make updates, mainly to help friends and family see what I've been up to without me having to e-mail them countless times with updates, a record for myself, and to serve as a perhaps possible reference to future applicants of the JET Programme or those wanting to teach in Japan in general, and of course any audience who's willing to read and listen! Seriously, welcome.

Updates will not come daily, and will be rather sporadic, as there is much to catch up on and that I'd like to write about. The topics will be varied, but I will more than likely hone in on things that catch my interest and try to stick to something as to keep consistency with posts. ^_^

In summary, as of this post, I'm a second-year ALT working for Osaka City teaching English here through the JET Programme. I applied through the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, Illinois, USA and was accepted in April 2007. This blog will hope to cover the following:

- life as a city JET
- the Japanese school year in overview, and what happens in each month
- recommended sights in Osaka, that aren't super touristy but are worth a visit
- special needs education at JHS and SHS level in Osaka
- teaching English to hospitalized students
- typical day at an English-intensive senior high school
- typical day at a commercial senior high school
- typical day at a special needs school
- typical day at a junior high school
- typical day at an elementary school
- typical day teaching at a hospital
- transportation culture shock on subways, trains, ropeways, monorails, and trams (there will probably be a culture shock series of some sort)
- Osaka's role as Japan's kitchen
- interesting desserts in Osaka
- tourism in Kyoto
- crowded-ness and dense population
- "shortened Japanese" and the usage of Osaka-ben (Osaka dialect)
- being a Filipino-American JET
- being a Midwestern JET
- using games and role play for teaching English
- going to your workplace on your first day
- Japanese school ceremonies: Sports Day, bunkasai, opening and closing ceremonies, graduation, etc.
- school speech contests
- English Speaking Society (ESS) and other English clubs
- geeky cultural stuff I like, such as: shodo (Japanese calligraphy), the koto, and kyudo (Japanese archery)

You can also expect random, quirky, odds and ends posts such as on:

- UFO catcher machines
- drinks (as in, weird drinks.. .. example: Purin (Custard Pudding) Soda)
- cell phone picture post parades of random photos
- occasional YouTube video in Kansai
- ... any interesting Japan stuff!

Well, these are a few topics I'd like to cover that I can remember so far.. but I hope to complete a bunch of entries, maybe essays even, on these. I look forward to your readership, and to getting into the kick of writing about adventures and learning experiences again.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. I'd like to note, that some posts may be past-marked.. mainly because I like to have things in order as they happened. I'm not quite sure if blog posts are posted in chronological order or as they're written.. so if you see even more posts prior to this one, don't be afraid to have a read or feel that it's outdated: it was probably written a lot more recently than you think. Thanks a bunch!

One year on the JET Programme: A reflection from Osaka, Japan

2008-08-31T10:22:00.001+09:00

Wow.

Its been a really long time since I really wrote anything - let alone, my experience in Japan and on the JET Program(me) itself. I used to have a blog from before I started applying for JET, detailing every single experience I went through from applying for the program, to passing the initial application process, the interviews, the acceptance, the placement wait, and to hearing from my contracting organization.

For a long time, it felt like I was experiencing everything just so I could say I did something interesting in my life, or to write about it in a blog (which is no longer up) and post photos of it to update everyone that I'm actually alive, surviving, and doing pretty well for myself straight out of university.

But later on, I began to realize that.. most of what I was doing, indeed, I was just doing for that. And I hated it. It made me feel like I was living and experiencing Japan simply through my digital camera's viewfinder, and traveling to other places just so I could write about where I went, instead of reflecting on any meaning or significance that place I traveled to held, or what I could possibly enjoy doing, eating, seeing, or experiencing there.

From when I arrived up until November, it was probably like that. Living through every day just so I could talk about my experiences, take photos, act like a tourist-who-was-staying-fo

r-a-year-in-Japan, and simply to post and show. I also was having a hard time due to the fact that: a. I never lived on my own before, b. I never lived ABROAD on my own before, and c. I didn't really have that much self-confidence, which I still kind of think so as true through today.

Then it hit me. When most of us had departed from the Chicago consulate, we were asked to write our goals that we'd hope to accomplish while we were over in Japan. I gave it a thought. 1. Improve my Japanese. Did I do that? Yes and no. I studied, but not as hard or as seriously as I did during uni, when I could've. But I have to admit - I learned some great Osaka-ben, which is originally why I wanted to come to Osaka. I talked to many of my special needs kids, JTEs, new friends I had come across by chance, and even spoke in front of a room full of JTEs, school principals, and my supervisor and the staff of my BOE entirely in Japanese.. So in a sense, I fulfilled that. Now I just gotta pass 2-kyuu and remember NOT to climb Inari-yama again before doing so.

2. Participate in at least one Japanese festival or parade. Nope. Not yet. I've been to several, though. I've been to so many festivals.. Gion Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri, local festivals held by my school, ones that are in shotengai.. but I need to find one to actually become part of. What an honor it would be, to be a part of one, representing your cultures and country in a parade in Japan, while embracing it as well.. unless Doguyasuji Matsuri counts, but it didn't seem like something I quite had in mind..

3. Gain more self-confidence and improve upon it. Hmm. This is difficult to tell, because I can't of course be a judge of it for myself. I feel like I should say no, because I didn't have the self-confidence to travel on my own outside of the Kansai region. But in a sense, I would say yes, because I've managed to live on my own for an entire year.. abroad, no less. However, I guess it depends on what kind of self-confidence we're talking about here:

[ BRANCHES OF SELF-CONFIDENCE CINDY HAS (SUPPOSEDLY) IMPROVED]
- social ability: A little bit. Could use improvement. I'm starting to talk more with other people, and taking initiative, rather than waiting for people to talk to me. I'm still not used to it, though, and sometimes could use a boost from other people who like to talk. :) I still feel withdrawn and incredibly shy a lot, but it's getting there.. it's getting there..

- independence: Tremendously, I feel. I've learned to discipline myself and manage my time a bit more (well, more on certain days than others of course) but I've also manage to hone my skills a bit better that I didn't have as much time for in the past to learn: like cooking, sewing, cleaning, mending, fixing..

- presentation and public speaking: I'm not so sure - most days I'm able to get out there and think of a speech or something to say right then and there, but I do still finish classes off with the occasional "um, err, uhh, ehh, I think so.. I'm pretty sure.." and still sounding hesitant. But being a quiet speaker so much when I was back in Minnesota, it doesn't feel as weird now when I project my voice to be louder for the class, or even as much as raise my voice to students who're being disruptive.

Anyhow.. there's probably so much more I've thought about but simply forgot to put in here, so I guess all I can do is update this note from time-to-time to make it more of an accurate personal reflection.

| ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM 2007-2008 |
* Made new and awesome Japanese friends, and friends from all over the world. :)
* Improvement on self-confidence is up 40%!
* Traveled in ALL prefectures of Kansai!
* Taught over probably 200+ classes in English!
* Made games, artwork, puzzles, and did a bunch of other stuff like preparing lesson plans.. that I thought I'd never be able to do in my lifetime. XD
* Learned a teensy little bit about photography and photo layouts and stuffies. New camera!
* Took up the koto and began koto lessons, and also tried out the shamisen a couple of times. :D
* Learned some sumi-e (Japanese calligraphy) from the incredibly wonderful and spirited teacher over at Nishi!
* Joined Osakapella, an a cappella singing group with lots of fun.. and wrote my first musical composition for a cappella. Ever. :o Getting to sing again is awesome!
* Experienced several performing arts: Bunraku, Takarazuka, Rakugo, and Kabuki.. soon Shin-Kabuki.. Noh thank you!
* Visited more UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites than I can count on my own two hands.
* Participated in a flash mob, something I thought I'd never do. :)
* Became a liaison for the 'Gisu (kind of like a PA) O_o Something that I thought would never happen.. (<3 to my goslings)
* Made one of my dreams come true: seeing as many cherry blossoms as possible and experiencing the magic of hanami~
* Finally starting to work again on my story that I began three years ago~
* It's about time I began utilizing this major of mine..

| NEW GOALS FOR 2008-2009 |
- Travel more. At least go to one other country outside Japan (*cough* China, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, perhaps Singapore? XD) that's in [Southeast] Asia either alone (or with friends, preferably ;_;)
- Talk more. I need. To talk. More. And not seem so shy and hesitant or freaked out like I appear to most people..
- Practice more. I only have "two" more years in Japan, and koto teachers aren't that easy to find in the US..
- Use more Japanese. I learned it for a reason. And I'm so ashamed to admit that I hardly spoke it during my first year, because for awhile I thought it wouldn't be as encouraged. Now I understand when it's appropriate to use it, and when I HAVE to use it.
- Study more. A given, of course.
- Sign up with a kyudo dojo.
- Find a parade or festival for me to participate.
- Write more songs!
- Keep in touch. I feel bad, I've written postcards, but I need to get into the kick of that again..
- Involve myself in events and social gatherings more often. I'm still feeling shy and not as sociable, but I guess that'll open up more this year than last since I'm a bit more settled in, I think..
- Do a few more touristy things that I doubt I'll have the guts to do: dress as a geisha (AHAHA yeah right), run around in ninja theme park things, dress in a kimono and walk around town (but a concert is enough, so I think that'll do XD)
- ... cook? XD

Hooray! I'll think of more things to post here or something. But I think that's a fair reflection.. I feel like I've learned a lot about myself in terms of what I'm capable of and what my limits are while living here. I just wonder what it'll be like once I go back to Minnesota..

I was accepted to go to Tokyo!

2008-05-27T06:22:00.001+09:00

Things have really been picking up lately! I've been so happy.

I found out that I was accepted to be a Tokyo Orientation Assistant by CLAIR. WOOOO! What this means: I get to go to Tokyo from Osaka via Shinkansen (WHICH IS PAID FOR AWESOME OMG) and greet the new JETs who are coming in with Group B (the second group of JET peoples. WOOHOO!) Finally, I can visit other spots in Tokyo since I still.. have never been (why go when I live in Osaka? XD) Akihabara, Shinjuku, imperial palace, Tokyo Tower, here I come! It's about time!

In addition to that, my koto teacher has requested that I start singing with my koto pieces. I have a feeling my debut is coming up soon. Well, crap. >_> Osakapella's first debut will be in June. If anyone's familiar with the song, we'll be performing something called "Hana Mizuki"

I bought my own yukata that FITS ME. A lot of it is a color everyone knows I worship and love. Finally, something to wear during summer events!

DSLFkrejkerj!

JUNE
Osakapella concert
Koto teacher's second concert event
Hanshin Tigers game in Koshien
(possible trip to the Philippines or Hokkaido?)

JULY
First Term ends
Returning JETs return to their home countries
Tokyo Orientation (Group A)
Takarazuka's "Singin' in the Rain"
Temjin Matsuri
Gion Matsuri (I think?)
Tanabata
Principal's Meeting
(possible trip to Hiroshima?)

AUGUST
Hanabi
Tokyo Orientation (Group B)
Osaka City JET Orientation
English Intensive Summer Camp Orientation
(possible trip to Okinawa?)

SEPTEMBER
Start of the new term

The other night, I was out a bit late and ended up biking along a shopping arcade in my home ward, when I noticed a bunch of tables lined along in front of random stores, with ordinary people seemingly talking about ordinary stuff.

Or so I thought.

They were fortune tellers, dressed like you or me, who looked like any other normal person and were using sheets that had circles and numbers and symbols and what have you, telling people about whatever. As I got off my bike and walked with it, some fortune tellers were trying to get me to come over them to tell me my future..

Too excited to continue this, maybe later. XD

"Miss Cindy-teachaaa, are you gay?"

2008-05-22T21:09:00.001+09:00

Ha. And that's what I was greeted by when I came in during the last 15 minutes of class by the ichi-nensei at my JHS.

They weren't as obnoxious as the other gumi ("gumi" means class section; in Japan, classes are divided into "gumi" so for example, 1-1 is first year, 1st section, 1-2 is first year, 2nd section, etc. it doesn't divide them by level or ability anything, it's just how they divide classes, so "1-1" would be read as "ichi-nen ichi-gumi"). I think this class was 1-1.

In fact, they were actually quite pleasant. And although they were asking the same questions as any avid-language learner would want to, questions about how to say swear words in English, how to say the words "die" and "gay" and using my name oh-so-skillfully to say "die" (in Japanese, the command form of "die" is said as "Shinde" but my name is romanized in Japanese is read as "Shindei/Shindi" so they sound pretty close, oh how clever these kids are; not like I haven't heard this a million times) they actually couldn't stop talking.

Especially when they learned the word, "Pardon?" They were like parrots. But really trying their best to use English parrots.

I actually felt good to be there. The third period I spent with 3-1 playing a pronunciation tree "game" (actually, it was listening practice) decorated with minimal pairs I had come up with that were appropriate to the vocabulary of the chapter they were learning, and words that students should already know up to this point (Pronunciation Tree 1 I made was based on 1-nen vocabulary from the first chapter, that I gave out as a warm-up).

So in essence, it would sort of look like this:

START
/ \
cap cup
/ \ / \
bug bag bug
/ \ / \ / \
bed bad bed bad
/ \ / \ / \ / \
grad glad grad glad grad
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \
had have had have had have
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

My classroom English was something like:
"Okay! This is a sound tree with words. You know many words on this tree. Can you hear the sounds change? Please listen carefully! I will say one word two times. Please choose your way with a pencil. I will start slowly. This is practice. At the finish, let's check your number. Start!" and then say the words twice, as students were literally gritting their teeth trying to figure out my pronunciation and the differences between the minimal pair of glad/grad.

It was insane. Not only were my two JTEs also participating in the practice and concentrating with all their being, but the students wanted to do it. Again. The end of the practice round (I chose path 3) ended up half and half over 2 and 4, with only about three students correctly having selected path 3.

New round, this time for real - I'd say the word one time only, and would go a bit faster, giving students less time to make a decision and just choose something. It got REALLY competitive this time, as the classroom got intensely quiet as pencils were looming over their paper pronunciation trees, in anticipation for the next word that I would say - hopefully being the one they already knew.

It was divided again (I chose path 5) with majority of the students somehow ending up at path 1.

"Why?!" they kept saying as they'd freak out and ask their classmates, "How come English sounds have to be so hard?!"

It's funny (well okay, maybe not, but I meant from upon my own observation), because as native speakers, what comes as natural to us and so incredibly easy can be considered the absolute number one difficult task for non-native speakers. And we just end up taking it for granted or become completely unaware of it for the rest of our lives, going on communicating, life goes on, the world keeps on turning, and you can still read and, chances are, pronounce every word in this entry.

But my students were just brimming with motivation, potential, and determination (enough for me to seriously shed a tear from the corner of my eye) as I passed out Pronunciation Tree 2, which contained vocabulary from their current lesson - also received quite well, with fierce competition between students, and poking fun at everyone's listening: because now they realize that everyone can make mistakes, now they realize they can be more comfortable in the classroom because even for students who can excel at things at understanding and writing, it all goes downhill and becomes a free-for-all during the pronunciation trees!

Yes. I feel like a good ALT again. This is exactly what I want to promote in the classroom and want the students to feel: to not feel bad about making mistakes, and that everyone makes them, even the teachers, and that it's okay.
________________________________

Still feeling a bit sore from yesterday (at my special needs school) teaching three classes, with the after lunch consisting of a basketball game with some of my students while playing Cultural Ambassador and teaching students how to play the game "Horse" to which students began to choose the most absurd places to throw from, and yet were having so much fun that I seriously didn't want to leave the gym (although I had to wear slippers inside, which I think is just STRANGE considering you'd probably want tennis shoes in there.. but nope, there were shoe cubbies..)

I love the ichi-nensei (1st year students) at that school. I adore them. Then again, actually, I love all the students at that school. Yesterday during 3rd period I played Twister (after teaching colors) with the 2nd and 3rd years, and "Color Touch" a game I invented where I taped colored origami paper throughout various places in the classroom and would watch as I called out a color and students would run toward it. Fun fun fun was all they had.

With the first years, I taught clothing AND colors; and ended up making my own giant kami-ningyou (paper doll) complete with colored clothing accessories. Posted the doll on the board, and would put three clothing accessories on a table in front of me with the students facing me, as I'd say something like..

Classroom English:
"My doll wants new clothes! Please help her. She wants something that is red. She wants a dress."

The student would then pick up the clothing she needed then help me dress her - and we had some weird combinations, like a green sweater with a red cap, black shoes (high heels actually) with shorts, but they wanted to keep going and dress her up, over and over and over again. XD

Since these were first years who have not had so much experience with English before, I had to be really slow and warm with them - but they wouldn't stop talking. I'd hold up a colored piece of clothing, and instantly hear something like "Green! Sweater! Green! Sweater! Sweater!" Ah, it warms my heart. So. Much. "Volunteers?" I'd ask, and half of the class' hands would shoot up, wanting to dress my paper doll.

It's awesome to be an ALT. Seriously. Awesome.

めっちゃしんどい！

2008-05-10T23:36:00.000+09:00

so. tired.

This week has been just as hectic as the last, where this week I'm actually doing more teaching, but slacked off during most of Golden Week (kind of) just cleaning and not doing any traveling. So although I was slacking, still tired. Osakapella was really crazy this Thursday, too. I finally joined the group! I'm now a member of Osakapella! Hooray! ^_^

Today I went to my koto teacher's concert where she, some of her students, and other instrumentalists were playing the koto, shamisen, shakuhachi, kokyu, and a creepy but awesome instrument, the sho. Seeing so many koto players at once.. it really encouraged me to continue my koto studies - hell, maybe it'll even ease the current regret I have for giving up the violin. It's been such a joy to play, and to see it played so beautifully by so many people has truly inspired me.. I'm going to do my darndest to learn the koto.

At the end of the concert I got to witness some awesome nihon-buyo (traditional Japanese dancing) complete with entirely darkened stage, falling sakura petals with light shining on them, and great dancers. I also had a chance to spot some Takarazuka students that sat in the row in front of me, mustered up a TON OF COURAGE, and approached them to talk with them and asked them if they were really from the school, what life was like, and .. actually had a pretty great convo with them. The way Takarazuka students compose themselves, even while sitting in an audience, talking with friends, even.. walking, is just really something.

Am I a dork for feeling giddy just having the chance to talk with them?

In July, my JTE from my special needs school from last term, another JET, and another JTE of his and I are going to see the Takarazuka version of Singin' in the Rain.

Takarazuka Singin' in the Rain. That's going to be SWEET. AND IT'S IN OSAKA, not all the way in Takarazuka! And it's going to be done by the same troupe who I saw my first Takarazuka show with, the Cosmos troupe. Rockin'!

sleep time is now. I went through the whole "I miss my family, friends, boyfriend, and home" phase all week. Gotta keep busy so I don't think about it as much..

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN TAKARAZUKA SO EXCITED OMG.

Koto's first album

2008-02-25T14:34:00.010+09:00

Finally got around to taking some photos of my brand new koto:

The usual koto layout, in hira-choushi tuning scale. I don't have a stand for it to play while sitting yet (as they're quite expensive) so for right now I usually set it on top of two chairs while practicing on my couch.

These are my tsume, or picks. The case is just a regular chocolate box that I keep my picks in. Put them together, and you've got a box of beauty right there, I think.

The music is all entirely in Japanese, read from right to left. (!) You can also occasionally see some katakana or hiragana next to the bold, number kanji.. these are the lyrics, since playing the koto will also call for you to sing songs. (Talk about multitasking: reading, translating, processing, then transferring that information to picking the right note, while reading the katakana/hiragana at the same time to sing..)

The koto-ji, used to raise the strings. You probably see these a lot more often than you think: they take the common shape of lanterns across Japan as well!

And there you have it: my koto, and its gorgeous yutan cover. I've seen other covers in department stores, but run for insane prices (many over 6000 yen, that's around $60!) so for the time being, I think I'll stick with this cover.

This instrument is amazing.

So sick of getting sick..

2008-02-22T20:51:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was my last day at my English-intensive senior high school, and most of it I spent the day dazed as a zombie, but trying to keep an upbeat and happy attitude for the students, since I have no idea whether or not I'll be at that school again.. we had a little farewell party that consisted of us singing a song (I chose "Walking On Sunshine" thanks to some great suggestions), and my 2nd period class wasn't as into it, and sounded really bored.. while the class that sung it during 3rd period totally got into it. In fact, we even had some incredible choreography going on!

After two 2-nensei farewell parties, the other ALTs and I went to an Italian restaurant that we go to every Wednesday but since it was Thursday we didn't have 3-nensei classes in the afternoon, and my JTE had invited me to learn how to take care of and play the koto during 5th and 6th period.

I have way too much information swimming in my head now.. but I managed to get more information about the koto. Yay!

More information:

- The set up of the koto is this. The koto is visualized for some reason to be the shape of a dragon. (In a way I can see that, because I think of fireworks shaped like that..) with the cover for it being where the mouth is, and the circly stringy part being the tail.

- To set it up, the mouth should be on the right side, with the tail on the left.

- The koto-ji, the little thingies that hold the string up, you must put them one by one starting from the top.

- I keep forgetting this, but changes in pitch as you would usually see in instruments (as you go higher on the scale, the string is furthest away from you) well, in fact like almost everything else in Japan, that's backwards. The highest pitch is closest to you.

- The special koto-ji (it has a little groove that distinguishes it from the other koto-ji) that holds up the highest note (named "kin") is closest to the player.

- The standard tuning is called hira joshi in the key of D major, and, starting with the string furthest away from the player is as follows: D - G - A - A# - D - D# - G - A - A# - D - D# - G - A

- Octaves are five strings away from each other.

- Koto can have tuned schemes to be transcribed accordingly, with other special scales (for example: when a song is too high to be sung, it can be brought down to a lower pitch.)

- The last three strings are called to (11), ji (12), and kin (13).

- The left side actually IS used, but to make sharps (half step) and double sharps (whole step). You must press on these strings with your left forefinger, middle finger, and fourth finger down towards the koto.

- To play the koto, the tsume are placed on your right hand, with one for the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. The ivory part will be facing into your palm. To strum with your thumb, pluck a string, then stop it at the next string. Do not push with your fingers, but rather, with your wrist - that's where all the power is. Your shoulder should also be held upwards a bit, but not looking stiff and angular, and not looking lazy and slouched - it should be a relaxing, yet string playing experience.

- The right pinky and fourth finger can be rested on the bridge thingy on the right. As you move your hand upwards, those fingers move, too.

- The yutan can be draped in a lasagna-like fashion on the left side of the koto while being played.

- In the case that two strings need to be plucked at the same time, but are more than two strings apart, the thumb and middle finger are used. When strings ichi and ni need to be plucked at the same time, quickly use the forefinger and stop it at san to achieve this sound. (As of right now, I don't know any other times when you use the right forefinger.)

- There are also many markings: maru = rest, dotted maru = stay in position (basically like a half note or whole note), weird Korean/Hangeul-like ku thing means turn it into a double sharp, another marking means make it a sharp and I can't remember, two numbers combined means pluck those strings twice, and another weird symbol means repeat the same note. These are the only notations I know so far, being as.. well, I'm a total beginner. XD

- To put the koto away, lift up strings, take out koto-ji beginning with the one closest to you, and store them properly. Put on the yutan, and tie it into a ribbon, and lift up the koto with the tail facing the ceiling. Place it in an angular fashion against the wall, with the mouth against the bottom of the floor, and hope that there aren't any earthquakes.

- Koto-ji must be taken out and stored. Do not leave koto-ji on the koto.

- Your fingers will hurt like heck for awhile! But this is natural! And you're probably going to get calloused skin on three fingers of your left hand! Ouch!

But so yeah, after learning all that, the kyudo teacher came to visit me at my desk and invited me to practice with the Kyudo-bu at the high school again, before recommending me to a dojo. My mind was just swimming with information..

I felt so crap by that time, I went straight home, putzed around in my apartment, took a nap, and suddenly woke up with a horrendous feeling in my head.. and went back to sleep, thinking that's all I needed.

Woke up at stupid 'o clock this morning, only to realize that I had a fever and a horrible cold, but went to work anyway donning a flu mask, equipping myself with cough drops, vitamin C teas, a small bottle of honey, some Vicks Vapo-rub-like stuff, and craploads of packets of instant soup.

Got to work, and my JTE commented immediately on how horrible I looked and asked if I was okay, but I had to be there.. (to give my travel form for it to be approved by the BOE so I could go home during spring break, and also to pay her for the Takarazuka tickets). I don't really remember what happened most of today since I was in a daze, but second period I just remember teaching food, third period another JTE decided to talk to me and I felt bad because I just responded in short answers and kept on coughing, while fourth period I did the same lesson as 2nd period, and all the students and teachers could say was "muzukashii" which made me feel even more terrible, because the JTEs had asked me to teach the lesson. Students are divided by their levels academically, and today -- I wasn't aware until I actually started teaching -- I didn't realize I was teaching a low level class. If only I'd have known, I would've helped to prepare a different lesson..

Came home, talked to some friends on Skype hacking up a storm, showed off the sound of my koto a bit (^_^;) I just can't get enough of it.. and took a long nap and decided, that even though it's nice outside and 55F here now, that I need to turn on the heater because it's still freezing in my apartment on the ninth floor. I planned to do so much this weekend for the first time in awhile - with my very first koto lesson on Saturday, and seeing Takarazuka with my JTE and another ALT on Sunday.. but now that's looking less likely, even though I'd hate to bail out..

Koto: get!

2008-02-19T20:08:00.000+09:00

I have a koto! I had a chance to play it a bit today before finally deciding upon it. It cost an arm and a leg, but I'm so darn into the koto sound that I don't think I'll ever have another opportunity to learn it and have one as my very own ever!

Back story on my koto: The design on it isn't as chaotic as others I've seen, but rather a design that makes one (well, me at least) feel relaxed, serene, calm, and flowing. There are white lines on the design - the cloth part is red with chrysanthemums, leaves, flowers, and other stuff embroidered with gold and white. The koto was made in Tokyo, and it was stringed by a kind fellow from Osaka who also offered to be my teacher because my current teacher lives in Suita, but was also quite funny and.. well, he offered a lot of information about it even when I started just plucking it.

His analysis on my playing: It was too soft, and that I was probably feeling really nervous or anxious about something, and that another koto he was offering was probably better suited for my current ability (I'm an absolute beginner). But, he said that the one I had chose - through time, I would probably progress and improve tremendously during my stay in Japan, and that I would be able to produce a strong and beautiful sound come with practice and dedication, and would sound beautifully once I've become more accomplished. All that, just from me plucking it twice. Hmm. The best thing is also that my koto is appropriate for performances, should I ever be a part of any. ^___^ I'M SO EXCITED!

I never realized there's so much stuff to learn about the koto, honestly. O_o

Some more stuff about the koto:

- there are different schools in koto as well; sometimes accessories can even determine which area or school a student practices with - in the Kansai area, many people carry their koto with handled bags, while in Kanto many people carry their koto with a wrapped cloth.

- yukan = the cloth that covers the koto, makuro = the koto stand

- koto are tuned depending on the string you start with: so the first string's note will determine the sound and tune of the other notes

- provided you don't damage your strings of your koto, it's recommended to re-string koto every 5-10 years

- Yep. It's confirmed. You usually sing while playing your koto. Wait, what? NOOOOO!

Stuff I'm learning right now: shodo (calligraphy), koto (Japanese harp/zither), and kyudo (archery). Yeah, I think that's enough activities for awhile. Shouldn't overdo it while working full-time and being the new liaison.. but I think I already did. Koto lessons on Saturday, seeing Takarazuka on Sunday! Woooo!

Man, that koto shop owner was so nice! I wish he was my teacher because he lives so much closer than the lady who I'm going to see. x_x Plus we kept making jokes about how if I ever needed someone to make a demonstration or presentation about the koto, he'd be the first in line and that he wants foreigners to be recommended to him too to learn the koto. XD Ahaha.. aww, he was so very kind.

note to self: Astoria Coffee (milky type) is really darn good, and isn't.. really like coffee at all, it tastes like. o_o But it's so amazing, I need to buy more bags of it.. now, if only it came in canisters, that'd be perfect..

koto no koto

2008-02-16T17:11:00.000+09:00

Stuff and other notes I'm jotting down here so that I remember about the koto:

- koto have 13 strings

- scores are written in Japanese, with kanji 1-10, and three more kanji that I can't recognize, and are read from right to left. Scores seem to be in 4/4 time (at least from how my JTE explained it) It appears there are lyrics on the right, to be sung while playing the koto - which I was not informed about until just yesterday by my JTE

- koto are taller than me. Probably 6ft tall or 6.2ft tall, or something like that.

- the picks, the tsume are for the thumb, middle finger, and forefinger. You play the koto with your right hand.

- picks are like rings, but put around about half an inch below the tip of your finger. You choose your size, and they can be made out of these ceramic/porcelain/plasticy type material or a leather-like stitched material (either black or white, but black is better because then they're harder to get dirty) and then pair these rings up with the actual pick, which is made of ivory. As my JTE tells me, the shine, flawlessness, and beauty of the ivory that's matched with the koto player and especially for the tsume are also to be considered, as they will also be used for debut concerts and other performances, and determine a player's seriousness in learning the koto (I had no idea!) .. Once I actually receive the koto, I'll definitely take pictures

- the design on the koto is also important. Anything below 4-man (40,000 yen/>USD$400) more than likely is an imported koto, or uses imported materials. This has an effect on the koto's sound and quality and can never be used as a performance koto.

- the type of wood used on the koto also determines sound quality and your ranking while performing. If the design seems to show horizontal patterns shown in the wood, it's said to be a beautiful koto and can be appreciated aesthetically. Cheaper koto have wood with swirls or a pattern that is not aesthetically pleasing as horizontal wood pattern lines.

- on the bridge part, if there is no white lining along the top of the bridge area type thing that I don't know the name of, more than likely it's a cheap or imported koto. The white lining along the bridge also determines the high quality of a koto, and can definitely be used for performance.

- The stand is also a part of the koto set that also needs to be appreciated. It contributes to the beauty of the koto as well - a silver adjustable stand, as seen in orchestras, just won't do for performances. If you perform with a group, you must, or should try to, have the same music stand. (The one I chose was a wooden one for the floor, and has wood carvings of trees in it. ^_^)

- The cloth cover, which I can't remember the name of right now, is also just as beautiful as the koto, and just is.. well, used to cover the koto. (I wanted a purple one, but I couldn't find any spiffy ones that had a nice design.. so the one I chose had ume blossoms and cranes and is a dark, vivid red, which is just as pretty ^___^)

- Koto are really expensive (ranging from $300-$9000) but once you actually purchase the instrument, much like the piano, after you buy it, it's already cheap to start learning

I CAN'T WAIT. MY FIRST LESSON IS NEXT SATURDAY AT 3PM. OH. MY. GOSH. WOOO!

I'm going to participate in as many concerts as I can when my teacher thinks I'm ready! She sounded pretty nice when I first talked to her on the phone, I really hope she likes me!

Oh yeah, and late Happy Valentine's Day.