Notes to Myself

Exercise Season

Recently I've noticed an increased number of 'walkers' and runners while going home after school. I think this is because of the cooler weather, as a break from running in the heat of summer would be understandable.

What makes me laugh though is the bright track-suits that are worn. I appreciate that safety could be involved here, but it's still funny. Imagine near flourescent yellow and greens... I saw one group of ladies walking together and they all had amazingly brightly coloured outfits on, but they were all in different colours. Soon, I should buy myself a similar track-suit and join in the fun ;)

Open Staffroom

Things are getting blurred; have I talked about this before? No, I think I have only thought about it repeatedly. I was thinking about some of the differences between what I can remember of school staffrooms back home in the UK and the ones in Japan.

As a student, I remember going to the staffroom. The door was always closed, and there was no glass to see through. After knocking, and waiting long enough for one of the teachers to reluctantly answer, the door would open, revealing a dark, smoky, secret room into which we could not enter. We'd have to conduct our conversation at the door.

But, in contrast, the staffrooms of Japan seem to be huge long rooms, with sliding doors that are open for students to enter, usually after an "excuse me, is so and so here?" So, between classes, at lunchtime and after school it is common for students to be roaming around the staffroom. Of course, there is cleaning duty, where the students come to empty the bins. That would never happen at home! Also, there is normally a dedicated relaxation room with a couch - aka the smoking zone. That makes sense.

Two Towers

At the weekend I travelled into Tokyo. During my visit I went to the Twin Observatories - the government buildings in Shinjuku. I wasn't that impressed by their height compared to the Malaysian twin towers, but the view from at the top was incredible.

You can choose either the south or the north tower, and on the 45th floors there are viewing areas complete with coffee shops and gift shops. Looking out across Tokyo is really amazing. It was at night, so the city was lit up as far as the eye could see. Apparently Mount Fuji can be seen on clear days, so I think I'll have to visit again on a clear sunny day.

[Twin observatory photo gallery may also still be on the site]

Keitais

How have I managed to avoid discussing keitais (mobile phones) after being here for so long?! Though my keitai is ageing pretty quickly it was considered a new model a month or two ago. Phones here are light-years ahead of the ones in the UK. You may remember I wrote about the latest Sony-Erikson phone before I left the UK, so it's clear to see the differences.

So, my phone is a J-Phone Toshiba model from a few months back. Of course, like any decent phone here, it has an inbuilt camera - none of these chunky attachments required. In the picture it's the small circle in the top left - next to the mini mirror! Actually, the phone even came with a flash you can plug in! Not only can this phone take and store hundreds of pictures but it can also take video clips - which even impresses Japanese people I show!

The screen has god knows how many pixels and can probably display as many colours as your that old PC monitor in your back room! The menus are bright, colourful and they even overlap when they pop up.

Most phones seem to be of the flip-down variety - apparently the Japanese stopped their obsession ith trying to make phones any smaller a while back and have concentrated on features... personally, I find the size of the flip downs perfectly suitable.

As for phone usage, email is the way to go - similar in the way that sms texts are popular in the UK. Emails have the advantage that you can attach files - such as pictures and maybe even videos. Of course, you can write in English, kana or kanji (one step at a time). All you ever see when you are on a train are: people sleeping, people reading, or people using their keitais. The familiar click of the flip-downs must be heard hundreds of times a day by the average person.

Let's not forget the web functionality. As well as being able to look at web pages, each network provides dedicated information on practically everything. For example, J-Phone's J-Skyweb lets you check train timetables, and I even managed to call up coloured maps of towns I was travelling to! I hear that Docomo's i-mode is the best, but as I don't even know 1/10th of J-Skyweb, I couldn't really tell you - yet...

Squat Failure

Maybe you've already guessed this is about squat loos. Maybe you think I failed horribly and soiled my clothes, causing day-long embarrassment?! Well, it's not that, thank goodness.

When I arrived in Japan, of course I expected to see two things - the hyper deluxe toilets with all the bells and whistles (sound effects and spray at least), and the squat down toilets. I considered challenging myself to go the entire year without using a squat down loo - yes, Americans - loo (my new American teacher friends snigger at this...). Anyway, I failed, and have been using these toilets. The funny thing is that in the next cubicle in the staff toilets, where the door is always closed so that I never quite saw in... there is a sit down toilet! Strangely, I still haven't used it...

See Kiyo's site for more toilet goodness (hmm?). He had a number of posts a couple of weeks back on the subject!

Bows & Nods

You know the situation when you are walking along in school or perhaps when you are walking along your office, and you see someone you recognise but do not know that well. Often, if I don't say anything, I give a little nod of aknowlegement - don't you?

Well, here, at my Japanese school, sometimes the students give me a mini bow or nod, which is a nice gesture. Then a lot of the time, instinctively, I give a nod back. I just wonder whether the students think I am a bit crazy when I nod back at them? I don't think the other teachers do it... oh well.

Workmen Warmup

It was only for a fleeting moment as the train whizzed by, but through the window I am sure I spotted a group of workmen doing warmup exercises together, just like at a sports club training session! Could this be true? Whatever they were doing, I thought it looked quite funny ;)

Transformers Theme

Ok, I also found the [transformers theme tune 555K] in some of my downloads! Bring back any memories - wow, that was a long time ago now.

There are loads of Transformers websites out there. If you are interested, check out this google category.

Train Appearances

The other morning I got on to a particularly packed train. Ok, not that packed compared to some of the trains I have seen, but fairly. I managed to secure the next to the door position and was satisfied. A lady got on in front of me; so right in front of the doors.

While the train was in motion, surrounded by people, with her face almost touching the window, the lady got out her mirror, curled her eye-lashes, then did her hair! I was quite impressed. Then, she even managed to do her mascara when the train stopped at the following station - what a pro!

Fluctuations

Well, last week was surprisingly warm. Think British Summer's day and you get a rough idea. But this week, or during the last couple of days at least, it has cooled right down.

For the first time I have seen people wearing Autumn jackets. At the bicycle park the caretakers have started asking if I am cold because I arrive in a T-shirt. When I reply "no," they say, "oh because you are young." No, it is because I have been cycling!

Last night I needed not only my heavy cover but my summer cover too. They were right when they said that houses are not well insulated. I woke up and my place was freezing - and this is only Autumn!

Purikura

Print Club, more commonly known in Japan as Purikura is amazingly popular, especially amongst young people - girls in particular. What is it?

You use an eleborate photo machine found in any decent arcade centre - that makes your standard passport photo machine look like an ancient relic - to take photos with your mates and to graffiti whatever you want on them. Using a pen on a touch screen you can write in any colour or pattern you like, as well as add frames, symbols/stamps, backgrounds... practically anything. Typically, purikura costs about 400 yen - about 2 pounds.

In the classroom you are sure to come across purikura. Students have albums full of their little sticky backed photos and you have to wonder how long it takes to make them. Just recently I was looking through a student's purikura collection and said, "oh, would you like to see mine?" Her scissors were out straight away to crop of a few for keeps and within 10 mins half of my pics were gone! However, in return the students gave me quite a few of their purikura too - some of which you can see above - well, that's revenge girls...

English Meeting

I was invited to attend an English meeting to discuss which topics would be taught over the next couple of months. Now, considering that all of the people present are perfectly fluent in English, it was somewhat frustrating that they chose to speak entirely in Japanese.

Now, I am pleased that I was invited, as that would suggest they consider me to be part of the department. So, at least I am not totally left out of the school procedures. However, was I there just so that they didn't feel rude? Well, in that case, English would have been nice. Afterwards I think some of the teachers realised that it was frustrating for me being there and they said they would explain later. I am still waiting...

Wazzup

If you like the game Half-Life and you also like the Budweiser adverts, then I think you will like this - it made me laugh! Again, for a limited time only, here is the [Half-Life version of the Wazzup advert] - I believe you need the DivX codecs for this one. What do you think?

Yukosuka

For a moment there, I thought I was in another country. It was the closest I have come to being in America. I could only see two kanji, and they were on the green exit sign of the bar we were in. The place was filled with military guys and about 3 Japanese girls (including the barmaid). Smoky, loud, and with big gaikokujin everywhere I felt incredibly uneasy - a bit like in London, but magnified by a factor of 10.

In Yokosuka there is some kind of base and the area doesn't even look Japanese - that was my impression before reaching the base area. I think we ended up 'downtown', or something, and on some kind of street filled with uniformed navy types and gangster lookalikes. There were a few Japanese people; mostly girls. Actually, I saw one Japanese couple, but I reckon they were lost ;)

For some reason I feel uneasy when I go into a place where there are other foreigners. Perhaps it is because I feel like I should say hello, or perhaps because I just don't want to be automatically associated with them? Fellow assistant teachers do not seem to feel the same - unless the foreigners in question are behaving inappropriately; I guess I am just a weirdo!

Big TV

Wow, I was looking around a huge electronics store yesterday and happened across the TV section. Have you ever seen the likes of a TV like this. For a mere 550,000 yen this baby could be yours - I wonder if that chair comes with it?

[This post is dedicated to Maurice]

Crying Shame

On my way home last night I noticed a girl hunched outside the bike parking area near the train station. I thought to myself that something was up and it was - she was crying her eyes out, on her own, in the dark. I felt really bad as people cycled past her as if she wasn't there, and I didn't want to do the same. I was wondering whether to talk to her and offer her a tissue, but I guessed she wouldn't want to talk to a stranger - a foreign stranger who can't even speak her language. Thankfully, as I got to my bike, she started to walk away, though very slowly and still crying. Hope she made it home safely.

Badminton Honours

Feeling the need for sport I wondered whether I would be welcomed at the badminton club again. When I got there (late) they were into some heavy duty training matches. Some of the second years were there and I swear, some of the girls were playing the sort of quality badminton you see on TV. It was quite scary.

After their practice matches the girls queued up in front of the coach. One by one he served them all advice which they gratefully and respectfully received. Then, separately of course, the same procedure happened with the boys. I stood to the side like the foreign lemon that I am.

Following a quick 20 minutes of practice with some of the girls the club was finished for the day. At the end, after some cooling-down activities, the whole club, minus me, crowded around the coach and one of the students - who seems to be their sempai. With their heads bowed and hands behind their backs the coach gave some group advice. Then, they all bowed and moved over to me!

Now, this was quite amusing. The coach doesn't speak much English, but simply said 'advice please'. I was thinking, this is a joke: I may be your senior, but most of you could beat me at badminton - what advice should I give! I started speaking in English, and they looked confused. So then, I said 'do your best!' which they seemed to understand. They bowed, said 'thanks' and dispersed.

Ok, so if I return to the club some time, what impressive things can I say to them if they ask for advice? English or Japanese... I will try and memorise if it is Japanese :)

Making Decisions

What Japanese blog would be complete without a mentioning janken - or rock-paper-scissors. Well, I think it's been described often, so I will keep this fairly brief. The idea is to make the shape of either rock/paper/scissors with your hand and to beat your opponent's - e.g. rock beats scissors. In Japan you will janken so often and it is interesting that it is used so much to make decisions.

During my first class with a group of students the other day, I asked them to introduce themselves one at a time..."please tell me your first name and your hobbies". When trying to decide between which side of the class to start from, the two boys at either end of the first row started to argue about who should start. Before I knew it janken had been used and the matter was decided.

If you don't know what I am talking about try out this [online version].

Nose Blowing

I had heard before arriving in Japan that the Japanese find the blowing of noses distastful. I'd like to know how bad this action is considered and how much sympathy is given for the situation if you have a cold. This is a current issue as my illness has reached the 'snotty stage' and I have been careful to obey the rules and only blow my nose in private! Help me, I am starting to choke. How rude is spitting?! Well, here is a link to a page I found on Japanese etiquette.

Bank Style Cashiers

Maybe I am imagining things, but I am sure I have noticed something in Japanese shops: when you pay using a number of notes, or you are being given a number of notes as change - 1000 yen notes for example, the cashiers count them in the style of a trained bank worker, flipping the notes and counting them precisely and efficiently. I don't know, it just seems that everyone does it here and it looks pretty impressive!

Going Ape

In the staff toilets I spotted a mosquito flying away from me. I just lost it on the thing; I swear I wasn't in control of myself. I felt guilty for a second, until I realised that I had a new bite on my neck. Still, he didn't enjoy my blood for long.

I am so fed up of being bitten, producing these huge itchy swellings. Last night I was bitten and my arm looks like it has a new bone growing out of it. I just wonder whether I will always be like this, or whether my body will find some kind of immunity after some months. Ah, please... please!

Addicted To Uniform

Japanese girls always seem to be in their school uniforms. At first I was surprised, especially on Saturdays, but I was told that some schools are still open on Saturdays... Later I realised that probably wasn't the reason - even on Sundays I seem to see countless girls in their uniforms.

I am guessing it is because their uniforms are (considered) cute...well, a top, a short skirt, and mega sized, white socks... you decide. That reminds me of two mini stories: in one of my first classes a student asked what I thought of their socks. Bearing in mind how baking it was at the time, I simply said without thinking carefully, "they look hot." Oops... I am not sure if they saw the double meaning, even the teacher for that matter, but it was embarressing none-the-less, as I started pointing to the sky, and basically continued digging my hole.

The other mini-incident: a different teacher pointed to all the girls in the class and asked me in front of them, "what do you think of all their hair colours?"... "What can I say... what can I say," I thought, but only managed, "um, they are all very nice." Thanks for that, teacher.

At home in England, everyone dashes home to change out of their school uniform before going out, ready to bring out their individuality and to not show so obviously that they are students. While it is true that (some of, not all!) the uniforms here are much cuter than in England, it still seems strange to me to see girls out on Friday nights still in uniform. But hey, whatever floats your boat...

Thunder Cats

For a short while I am offering you the [Thunder Cats Theme Tune]! I remember watching the Thunder Cats a lot as a young'un. Do you remember Liono, Panthro, Tiger, Cheetaro... and the others? And how about their arch rival, Mumrah?! Raaahhhhh... Included are a couple of links to get you started on a voyage into the past:

http://thundercats.vpga.com/cartoon.htm
http://www.geocities.com/mspilker2000/thunder_cats.htm

Chopstick Challenge

Last week I went to a small restaurant near school. Thankfully they serve chicken katsu curry, one of my favourties at the moment! Now, when my food came I was given a spoon and fork only. Thinking that my foreigness had prompted the lack of chopsticks, I asked for some. I have become used to eating rice with chopsticks and prefer them to a spoon or fork - practically Japanese. Ha!

After watching someone else come in and order curry rice, it occured to me that he didn't have chopsticks either - Japanese people eat these foods with a fork and sppon? I guess I was over-compensating, trying not to be a foreigner, and I must apologise for thinking the lady working there doubted my chopstick skills (hey, she probably did!).

Anyway, today I went back and of course, I was given chopsticks this time. Ok, I must try and fit in, so I used just the spoon and fork ;) By the way, it was delicous - I far prefer curry here to the Indian style curry.

After The Storm

As I left school in the afternoon the rain was already quite heavy. I was advised to go home in case the typhoon disrupted the rail services, but the real brunt on the typhoon didn't arrive until later. That was between 8 and 10pm, and I was safely inside my little flat. The hot tropical winds were so strong I could hear things being thrown around outside and the sound of the rain was mostly drowned out. By 11 it was pretty much all over and I was surprised that it ended so quickly. Now the typhoon - number 21 - has moved further north to Hokkaido. Stay safe people!

Waking up this morning, I looked out of the window to one of the most beautiful mornings I have seen in Japan. The sky was pure blue and on the way to school I could see the mountains clearly in the distance. Also, the temperature today feels much more like summer. I asked a teacher about it and he said that it's because of the tropical winds and weather that the typhoon carries with it. I explained how surprised I was by the beautiful day following the typhoon. He told me that there is always good weather after typhoons, and the Japanese call it "Taifuu ikka" - his English is excellent, but he couldn't translate it. I wonder if it will return to being cool again tomorrow.

Typhoon Warning

I've just been told that this afternoon a huge typhoon could hit our area (kanto). Here's a link to a nice map showing the typhoon path and information (scroll down). Hmm, it is heading straight for us...Apparently if it hits, it will be a big one. Current wind speed is 40m/s, which to be honest, means nothing to me but I have been warned that you can't walk in winds of 20m/s. I'll write more if anything interesting happens, and if I live to tell the tale.

Shoe Lockers

When you get to school, there is an area where you change out of your outdoor shoes and into your indoor shoes. So at school there are lots and lots of little shoe lockers with people's names on them. Of course, the idea is to leave your indoor shoes at school when you are not there. But for one reason or another, I didn't leave my indoor shoes at school, and I forgot to bring them in today... so I have to face the day wearing the school 'guest slippers', which are absolutely horrible!

You have to remove your shoes in other places too, such as some restaurants/izakayas (drinking/eating places). There are often little wooden lockers with nice wooden keys that you bring with you to the table. Just make sure you have presentable socks on ;)