So I have a bit of catching up to do. Last week was graduation. Wow. I can't really describe it now (actaully, I could, I just don't feel like it though), so you'll have to wait. Well, maybe I'll write a little. Basically, all the men in black suits with white shirts and white ties (western men should definetly pick up on this cusom - as usual, they look great!) The 3-nen teachers wore traditional Japanese kimono, had their hair all done up, looked really cool. Graduation ceremony wasn't too eventful. Lots of standing, sitting, standing, bowing, bowing, sitting, bowing. And like usual, the principal spoke for a long time (maybe 45 minutes?) while I daydreamed.

Last week was full of ceremony. Tuesday I went to an elementary school graduation, which was essnetially the same thing. More impressive, though, to sit through a 2 hour formal ceremony at an elementary school where grades 1-5 are sitting silently in rows with their hands neatly folded on their laps. I really don't know how they do it. (both the discipliners and the students!)

I think there was another ceremony Wednesday, but I forgot why. Thursday there was something for student government. And today, the students came to school for the morning to sit through a 'closing ceremony'. It's definetly a different system - students only have 2 weeks break before the new school year, and there are a ton of 1/2 days where nothing seems to happen. Why not give them a month? Japanese are definetly in school more days out of the year (a lot), but their time in class is probably about the same considering how many holidays, half days, and random ceremonies/assemblies they have. This is all just speculation.

I wonder if that goes along with the Japanese notion of time -- Victoria and I read an article last week about how westerners (Americans in particular) view time as a posession - let's get out of work so I can go home and live my life, people 'taking' someone's time with a long question, mistake, long line at a store, traffic, etc. The article points out that since Japan is such a group-oriented society, time here has more to do with group harmony - people will stay late at work, even if they're not busy. They'll work slowly so they can stay late. And many things in Japanese culture have to do with a patient, slow life. Onsens - first spending 15-20 minutes scrubbing every inch of your body, then soaking in different tubs. Ceremonies - things that really don't get anything done from my perspective are -so- important. even greetings and goodbyes take about a half-hour. Really. When leaving Japanese friends, we have to stand around, talk about how much fun we had, talk about doing it again. make little comments, and it's really hard to get out the door. Another example is that snowboarding trip to Nagano - really slow pace, lots of hanging around, talking, drinking, a little snowboarding, sleeping, bathing, etc. I would post a link to the article, but it's not well-written, and I think I've made its point, however incoherently.

I had a very Japanese weekend, both in sense of time and activity. Thursday night was a sento with Becca. After doing various tubs (the whirlpool-thereputic massage, the really hot tub, the green-apple medicated tub, the outdoor tub, and rotating the sauna and the ice cold tub), we hung out in the living room for an hour or so. This sento (public bath) is really close to Sunshine, maybe 5-10 minute walk. Doing a sento on a week night has a really local feeling, and it's lounge really was a community living room. A really cool thing. It's pretty small (maybe 10 feet wide, 20 feet long) and has a couch, television, tables, drink machine, massage chair, and a ton of manga (japanese comics) and other Japanese magazines. And people would just hang out. Some after bathing, some waiting for their friends. We read magazines, painted our nails, and watched a 3-year old girl play with some toys (we tried to talk to her, but she was having none of it). There was an old man in his pajamas in the massage chair the whole time, and some junior high - age kids reading comics, waiting for their friends. The sento itself is a bit different from an onsen; rather than luxery spa feeling it is a 'public bath', and stripping down in a small, brightly lit room with 20 old Japanese woman is a bit different. But still good.

Friday was also relaxed - it was a holiday. I can't even remember it very well. I know I went shopping. Oh yes, I spent the day in Toyama. Went around some stores with various people, had lunch, did a few more stores, went to a bar, went back to the indian restaurant for dinner (I couldn't eat again though), met up with Brian and Victoria there (I was with Justin/Becca in varrying combination all day), then went for kareoke - a great time.

Saturday was also slow. Went to kanazawa, walked around shops, coffee shop, becca got her hair cut, I found a great pair of summer jeans (baggy and just above the ankle), bought a CD at the store I loved from my last trip, ate italian, back to toyama for more kareoke, a movie, and soba sunday morning. somehow saturday and sunday just run into each other. Then more errands sunday (spent 1.5 hours with the travel agent working on my parents trip), pizza and salad for dinner, and a movie last night.

I can't really discribe it, just very spur of the moment, didn't do anything, but really busy the whole time.

Alright, I should get off the school computer - other teachers are busy.

Woo hoo! So the teachers have had their private meetings with the principal, and my two permanant English teachers an Nanbu, whom I love, are both staying! This is pretty surprising - everyone thought my supervisor, a 3-nensei teacher in her 5th year at this school, would be switched. Teachers here are usually only at a school for 4-8 years, and since they move in progression with each grade, when they finish the 3rd years it is an easy time for them to leave. But she will stay! The 2-nen teacher wasn't a full time teacher (she hasn't gotten her certification yet- passed the test) so she only stays for 1 year at each school. Brian told me one of his male teachers will be coming to Nanbu. He apparantly has pretty bad English, but is goofy and from Osaka. That works. Brian also told me that his favorite teacher, the teacher with whom he travels, has dinner, etc., is being transfered to Oizumi. Yay!

I wish I had had my video camera today. I'm not sure how well it would have gone over, but it was really intense in here for the hour when the principal was giving the assignments. Some of the teachers had really funny reactions/expressions coming out of his office. So tense! Everyone (but my supervisor) is acting really busy. My supervisor just sat at her desk all day, wringing her hands, holding her stomach, and giving me worried looks.

Hi all. Graduation is approaching, and we spent the day today preparing for the ceremony. In addition to the key points of yesterday's rehearsal (standing in unison, sitting in unison, and bowing in unison - with both feet and hands just so), today they sang the songs and practiced walking across the stage. After lunch, the 3rd years were let go early and the 1st and 2nd years spent the afternoon cleaning the school - scrubbing every corner, decorating, etc. I spent the day walking around, trying to have conversations with people. At one point, I looked out the window and saw someone about to throw away a U of M frisbee. What a find! I rescued it from the garbage, to the disgust of my supervisor. But now I have a frisbee, and a U of M frisbee, at my school in Japan!

This morning the 3-nensei's came into the teacher's room and presented us with flowers and books of thank-you messages. I also biked over to Oizumi for a similar thank-you ceremony. It was the last time to see the Oizumi 3rd years, since I won't be there for graduation Monday. They're my favorite kids! Very cute and genki, always trying to talk to me. I hope the 2-nen's at oizumi become more charming and less obnoxious (I really like them- they're a bit raunchy and fun, but they're just too much to handle now), and same with 1-nen there, or else I'm going to go crazy. But it's always a good change from the shy, more formal atmosphere at Nanbu.

My computer was fixed Wednesday. I haven't had time yet to try to restore my old software - cooked dinner and saw the Pianist Wednesday night, and cooked again and went to Aikido last night. But I have enjoyed having the DVD player back already. But going back to Wednesday, I loved the Pianist. Loved it. And it was 'ladies night', so the film was only 1000 yen (8.50 - a bargain from the 1800 yen, or 15 dollar standard). But, since it was after 8 it also qualified as a 'late show' for justin - late show price is 1200 (10 dollars).

The teacher's room is so quiet right now. I feel kind of guilty for being in here on the internet, but I don't have anything to do and I'm exhausted (well, actually bored) from walking around the school in circles.

So quiet.

Can you tell I'm bored?

I have plenty of things I could do - study Japanese, write letters (I've got some great stationary, and have been planning some letters, it's just taken me a while, sorry...), I even have a book I could probably get away reading. Maybe I'll plan my parents trip some more. That's a good idea!

So. They fly in Friday May 2, arrive in Tokyo at 4:20. They're scheduled for a 6:30 bus to Haneda (Tokyo's domestic airport), where they'll catch a free shuttle to their hotel and collapse after many many hours of traveling. Then they'll take an 8am domestic flight to Toyama Saturday morning. This won't be early at all, I'm thinking. When I flew in to Tokyo I was ready to collapse by 8-9pm, and woke up by 5 am. Plus, when we flew from Haneda, we were late because one of the JET's accidentally switched passports with her roomate, going to a different prefecture, but didn't realize it till the roomate had left and we were about to take off... got to the airport about 15 minutes before our plane left.

They'll take a very rickety, scarry small plane (with a live camera from the front window and one from the bottom of the plane - so they can see how scary and it really is) over the mountains and land in Toyama by 9am Saturday. I will be there to meet them, either by bus, taxi, or with a teacher. Then we'll hang out a bit. I'll show them my apartment, APA (the shopping mall across the street - the most essential stop on the Toyama tour I think), maybe Toyama castle, the cherry blossoms, etc. Dinner that night - yakiniku horse meat restaurant down the block (but we'll just get cow, I'm sure), maybe with friends.

Sunday is Kanazawa - a cool city about an hour's train away. Monday is more local Toyama things (small town of Himi, maybe the Tonami tulip festival, the Uozu glow-in-the-dark squi|d), and Aikido Monday night. Tuesday, Wednesday - Kyoto. Thursday - Tateyma-kurobe Alpen route. Thursday night/friday night ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel - tatami rooms, including really good meals, onsens, etc.) Sat-Sun-Mon - Tokyo.

Sounds fun, right? I'm very willing and able to plan more exciting trips around Japan - geared towards your interests!

The principal (the strict one!) just gave me a present. Today's white day, the reverse of Valentine's day. Valentine's day, only girls give boys chocolate. White day, boys give girls boxes of cookies. How nice! Today's been a big present day with the various flowers, cookies, and book things.

Sayonara for now,
Sarah

Good news!

My computer will be fixed by 7pm today, and will only cost me 15,000 yen (around 120 dollars). I'm very happy. I brought it in to school today, and the computer teacher here, a mac fanatic, instantly took it apart and traded the hard drive from his powerbook... checked that it worked, everything was fine, and is going to go buy an identical drive from his friend at some store after school, and I'll pick it up from him at 7. Great. I would have spent at least 5 hours studying the instructions before I even unscrewed the case, and he did it in a matter of minutes. He also took the bottom case, bent it back into shape, (the edge had gotten pulled out), and it fits tightly again. Eventually I might consider replacing it, but I can't wait to have my computer back!

I think my new 6 am habit is killing me, or maybe I'm just a bit stressed... having a hard time sleeping, so if you only get 5 hours a sleep, getting up at 6 isn't going to give me much more energy. But I'll stick with it!

I'm seeing the Pianist tonight.

Hope all is well with the world (well, it's obviously not, but I hope all is well in the personal lives of the people who read this... )
I guess I have to bring this up, now. How are things in America? Are they scary? Is everyone terrified of Bush alienating the US from the rest of the world? Because I am... It's strange to be outside of the US right now. But I guess I'm lucky to be in Japan, maybe the only country whose citizens don't hate America or Americans yet.

Yikes, yikes, yikes.

Sarah

Hello,

Alright, I'm going to be really lazy. Here's my 2 weekends ago, (pasted from the contents of an e-mail, so the context might seem strange)

I had a great time snowboarding last weekend. Sooooo good. It was a little funny, definetly not
what I expected - we got to the departure point at 6:30 not so we could hit the slopes when it
opened, but so we (meaning the 7 Japanese guys) could all drink beer in the car on the way there
and make frequent bathroom stops (5 in a 1.5 hour journey). Then we went to the hotel and changed
before hitting the slopes. The weather was pretty bad Saturday (rain at the bottom of the
mountain, heavy snow on top - no visibility, very wet), and it was crowded, so we got pretty tired
pretty fast. We took the lifts up to the top (there are 4 lifts to get to the top) and did 1.5
runs before lunch.

Okay - good parts. Hotel - bed (an actual bed!!!), heat, an onsen (natural mineral bot) spring
bath in the hotel (open 24 hours), an awesome dinner/breakfast buffet. Skiing - Sunday was great.
Top half of the hill was closed in the morning due to heavy wind, so spent the first half of the
day exploring powder and having snowball fights with the 7 dwarfs (J-guys, also aptly described by
Becca as the Snatch guys - so kooky). Then I spent the afternoon by myself, adreneline running,
very intense Sarah mode, doing the top of the mountain that they opened up - several feet of
powder, steep, sooo fun! The first time was a little rough, so I kept doing it repeatedly, got
into a rhythm - 13 min. to do the lift at the top of the hill and ride back down. But it was
amazing.

Got back to the hotel pretty late - they had all quit earlier. Stopped for tonkatsu (fried pork
cutlets - it really is more Japanese and better than it sounds) which was great.

The bad thing about my weekend was that I didn't have lip protection (ie chapstick) and I got a
huge coldsore. Actually, the coldsore popped out of nowhere Tuesday. Huge. But I got medicine,
and it's no big deal now.

Planning a trip to Taiwan with Rebecca and Victoria for spring break... Becca's ABC (American
born chinese) which means her parents immigrated from Taiwan, and she still has all of her
extended family there. She also speaks mandrin, knows the island. It should be a really great
trip (5 days) - supposed to be a cool city, with beautiful mountains, ocean, etc. Plus good food,
and a real cultural experience, staying with her family.

Alright, the e-mail's over and I'll start writing about this past weekend.

Friday I got my first Japanese haircut - it was a great experience. Japanese attention to detail is wonderful when someone is giving you a 15 minute shampoo, very relaxing. plus a massage, etc. And the haircut was great! It was a pretty funny thing, though. There was my hairdresser (hip, young Japanese guy, what else would you expect?), and his 'aide' (also a hip young J. guy). Basically the aid was at the hairdressers side for everything - to bring him a different stool, to answer his cell phone, to get him necessary supplies, to hold the mirror at the right angle for me to see. the aide was also the one who did the washing and massage, pretty talented!

Sunday I had a 4-hour (no break) Aikido workshop. Fun, a bit sore, especially since I also had aikido last night, and have decided that running every morning at 6am is going to be the only way to give myself energy at school. But i love getting up and having time to drink coffee and listen to music in the am!

School's a bit slow now, classes are finishing and students are graduating soon. such a big deal here! there's been farewell assemblies, posters, dedications, etc., nearly every day. my god!

all for now,
sarah

oh, you can see pictures from toga and the formal if you go to brian's site (they're his pics) The ones that involve me start halfway down the list at Togafestival...

get to his pic. page from the link on his blog: http://brianirwin.blogspot.com