外国人【がいこくじん】 (gai/koku/jin) foreigner
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Japanese Trail Mix, Friends Back Home
外国人【がいこくじん】 (gai/koku/jin) foreigner
Friday, October 12, 2012
Speech Contest, Headway with Students, School Lunch
Just realized I haven't reported on the speech contest results! So this year all my students won something at the Motoyoshi speech contest which was cool. For the recitation my students got 2nd and 4th, and for the composition my students got 2nd and 3rd (two students got exactly the same number of points so there were two 3rd places here). The student who got 2nd in composition got to go to the Sendai prefectural speech contest, but she didn't win anything there, sadly. I'm pretty pleased with my speech contest results actually!
Over 2 years:
8 students competed
7 students won prizes
2 students went to the prefectural contest
1 student won a 3rd place prize
The prefectural contest this year I think was a bit below the level of talent that appeared last year. Some student from Sendai usually wins the top prizes and it was no exception this year. But of course, like I mentioned last year, some students have a "limit" to their abilities, and it's mostly the ALT's job to bring out that limit. I felt we were able to bring out that limit in my student, and even if she didn't win anything, we should be proud because we achieved her limit, which is really what is important I think.
Despite my lack of things to say to students I'm trying to force myself to say random things and I think it's been working a little so far. The 1st years in one of my schools are finally warming up a little more to me which is good. Same with the 3rd years in my other school. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new first years will be like, but that's some months away still.
Every Thursday they put bread in place of the rice for school lunch. I don't really like bread to begin with so it's tough when I like the rice paired with the soup as much as I do. When they don't put fish stuff in the food I like it pretty much all the time. Sometimes they put natto in which I do eat to try and get used to it, but I doubt I'll ever come to like it.
There's a BBQ tonight with 2 girls in nursing school. It needs to go well. I am still single and it sucks.
英語弁論大会 (eigo/benron/taikai) English speech contest
Over 2 years:
8 students competed
7 students won prizes
2 students went to the prefectural contest
1 student won a 3rd place prize
The prefectural contest this year I think was a bit below the level of talent that appeared last year. Some student from Sendai usually wins the top prizes and it was no exception this year. But of course, like I mentioned last year, some students have a "limit" to their abilities, and it's mostly the ALT's job to bring out that limit. I felt we were able to bring out that limit in my student, and even if she didn't win anything, we should be proud because we achieved her limit, which is really what is important I think.
Despite my lack of things to say to students I'm trying to force myself to say random things and I think it's been working a little so far. The 1st years in one of my schools are finally warming up a little more to me which is good. Same with the 3rd years in my other school. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new first years will be like, but that's some months away still.
Every Thursday they put bread in place of the rice for school lunch. I don't really like bread to begin with so it's tough when I like the rice paired with the soup as much as I do. When they don't put fish stuff in the food I like it pretty much all the time. Sometimes they put natto in which I do eat to try and get used to it, but I doubt I'll ever come to like it.
There's a BBQ tonight with 2 girls in nursing school. It needs to go well. I am still single and it sucks.
英語弁論大会 (eigo/benron/taikai) English speech contest
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Jazz Festival and Way Underage Alcohol Servers
It's been an interesting weekend. First on Friday we went to see half a Pokemon movie and all of District 9, after which I don't really remember except I'm pretty sure we were drinking somewhere. Then on Saturday we went around and looked at a T-shirt festival they had going on in various places in Kesennuma. It was poorly advertised I think so not many people were around, but it was still cool. They hung shirts out that people had designed and we got to design our own shirt and keep it for free. Then on Sunday it was a BBQ in Oshima followed by beer pong and A's American Darts Bar. Monday was a Jazz Music Festival where we punked some white people into believing I was Japanese. Good times all in all.
I had two of my 6th graders run up to me and offer me sake (Japanese rice) from a big sake bottle. It's a little amazing. They don't think anything of it here! Unfortunately I couldn't drink it because I had to drive in a couple minutes and the legal level here is 0.00%. That's right, not even a sip!
酒【さけ】 (sake) (n) alcohol; sake
I had two of my 6th graders run up to me and offer me sake (Japanese rice) from a big sake bottle. It's a little amazing. They don't think anything of it here! Unfortunately I couldn't drink it because I had to drive in a couple minutes and the legal level here is 0.00%. That's right, not even a sip!
酒【さけ】 (sake) (n) alcohol; sake
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Culture Differences
I've gotten pretty used to it because for a big part of my life I've
been around people who grew up with cultures not so similar to my own,
but if I think about it, trying to accept, understand, appreciate and
live in a different culture is next to impossible.
For instance, living in Japan has presented a lot of these challenges up close and personal. There are the easy things that most foreigners even enjoy, such as getting used to eating with chopsticks and bowing when you meet someone new. People are pretty excited at doing things like this because they feel they are getting into the spirit of living away from home and experiencing a different culture. They're right, but then come the more difficult things to accept and appreciate.
It doesn't take people from the Western world long to figure out what annoys them about Japan. A few examples are as follows:
1. The Japanese education system. Of course, the main gripes I hear about are the English education system, since that's what we have the most experience in. They don't teach creativity, they don't teach communication, English is broken into hard formulas that don't resemble everyday communication, and the list goes on.
2. People take turns while driving at 1/4th the speed people do in the Western world, maybe slower. Many other things about driving in general. I could, and probably will, eventually write an entire entry about the differences of Japanese and Western driving.
3. Foods from back home, sold in Japan, aren't exact replicas. The pizza is different. They add fish to this, they don't add enough spices to that, and it never really stops.
4. Squat toilets. Look it up in Google images and you'll know what I'm talking about.
5. Flattery. One word in Japanese is all it takes for Japanese people to shower you in "Your Japanese is good/fluent!" People are amazed when you can use chopsticks and will comment on it. They are also super amazed if you can sing a Japanese song, even though they can get through all the Lady Gaga songs. Again the list goes on.
6. The Japanese and foreigner line is thick and never erodes over time. No matter how long you've been here, how good your Japanese is, if your knowledge of Japanese culture is deeper than theirs is, you will always be one of them, an outsider. You can even marry a Japanese and you'll still make only a dent.
7. The directness, or rather, the lack of it. The word "difficult" in Japanese is used to mean "no," and the way of turning you down is that people will say to your face that they want to do something, but will always be "busy" when you actually invite them out.
Despite only being here a little over a year and not talking to all that many foreigners outside of my own circle, I've heard encyclopedias worth of complaints from foreigners about things that Japan does wrong. I don't mean to say that things won't be frustrating at times. That would be stupid. There's things people think are wrong with their own countries and cultures as well. The main thing is that they complain in a way that belittles Japan and puts their own culture and ideas on a pedestal. I've done it too. Er... I do it too.
Just for fun, I'm going to make categories of people dealing with a foreign culture, mainly because I'm bored at work and don't want to fall asleep.
1. The Beginner- Sorry for my lack of creative naming, but I'm lazy. Anyway this person just decided to come over without caring to research the country they were going to live in for some amount of time. It gets bad when they still don't know what's going on after some months. Ignorant lazy people these are.
2. Sour Grape- These people get here and think it's going to be fun and roses, but they just can't get over the differences of their home country and the one they chose to live in. They don't want to make any attempt to integrate into their new culture, they just want all the people to adapt to the sour grape's customs. They don't stay long, and if they do, they whine the entire time.
3. Expiring Grape- These people know a lot about the culture. You can tell because they're always complaining about it. They're in the country, and even entertain the culture and its ideas a lot of the time, but in front of other foreigners they can't wait to blow off steam about the "strange" ways of the "backwards culture" that they are in.
4. The Conceded- There are different aspects between home and the new culture. These people realize this and try to integrate as much as possible, even if there are aspects they "don't get" or are frustrated by. For the most part it's ok, but they still feel like blowing off steam every once in a while. I feel like this most accurately describes me.
5. The Accepting- These people thrive in trying to know, understand and appreciate all aspects of the culture. They are like the natives. Things are the way they are just because they are, and are accepted as normal. The things they complain about are the type of things a native might complain about, like government and such.
When you go live in a foreign country, you have to think about a multitude of things, from how to eat properly to things like knowing when it's appropriate to clap to celebrate or show appreciation. Of course things are different, but that's usually just it. Things aren't better or worse (sometimes they are), for the most part, they're just different. I need to work on my appreciation of differences more, for sure.
偏見【へんけん】 (hen/ken) (n) prejudice; narrow view
For instance, living in Japan has presented a lot of these challenges up close and personal. There are the easy things that most foreigners even enjoy, such as getting used to eating with chopsticks and bowing when you meet someone new. People are pretty excited at doing things like this because they feel they are getting into the spirit of living away from home and experiencing a different culture. They're right, but then come the more difficult things to accept and appreciate.
It doesn't take people from the Western world long to figure out what annoys them about Japan. A few examples are as follows:
1. The Japanese education system. Of course, the main gripes I hear about are the English education system, since that's what we have the most experience in. They don't teach creativity, they don't teach communication, English is broken into hard formulas that don't resemble everyday communication, and the list goes on.
2. People take turns while driving at 1/4th the speed people do in the Western world, maybe slower. Many other things about driving in general. I could, and probably will, eventually write an entire entry about the differences of Japanese and Western driving.
3. Foods from back home, sold in Japan, aren't exact replicas. The pizza is different. They add fish to this, they don't add enough spices to that, and it never really stops.
4. Squat toilets. Look it up in Google images and you'll know what I'm talking about.
5. Flattery. One word in Japanese is all it takes for Japanese people to shower you in "Your Japanese is good/fluent!" People are amazed when you can use chopsticks and will comment on it. They are also super amazed if you can sing a Japanese song, even though they can get through all the Lady Gaga songs. Again the list goes on.
6. The Japanese and foreigner line is thick and never erodes over time. No matter how long you've been here, how good your Japanese is, if your knowledge of Japanese culture is deeper than theirs is, you will always be one of them, an outsider. You can even marry a Japanese and you'll still make only a dent.
7. The directness, or rather, the lack of it. The word "difficult" in Japanese is used to mean "no," and the way of turning you down is that people will say to your face that they want to do something, but will always be "busy" when you actually invite them out.
Despite only being here a little over a year and not talking to all that many foreigners outside of my own circle, I've heard encyclopedias worth of complaints from foreigners about things that Japan does wrong. I don't mean to say that things won't be frustrating at times. That would be stupid. There's things people think are wrong with their own countries and cultures as well. The main thing is that they complain in a way that belittles Japan and puts their own culture and ideas on a pedestal. I've done it too. Er... I do it too.
Just for fun, I'm going to make categories of people dealing with a foreign culture, mainly because I'm bored at work and don't want to fall asleep.
1. The Beginner- Sorry for my lack of creative naming, but I'm lazy. Anyway this person just decided to come over without caring to research the country they were going to live in for some amount of time. It gets bad when they still don't know what's going on after some months. Ignorant lazy people these are.
2. Sour Grape- These people get here and think it's going to be fun and roses, but they just can't get over the differences of their home country and the one they chose to live in. They don't want to make any attempt to integrate into their new culture, they just want all the people to adapt to the sour grape's customs. They don't stay long, and if they do, they whine the entire time.
3. Expiring Grape- These people know a lot about the culture. You can tell because they're always complaining about it. They're in the country, and even entertain the culture and its ideas a lot of the time, but in front of other foreigners they can't wait to blow off steam about the "strange" ways of the "backwards culture" that they are in.
4. The Conceded- There are different aspects between home and the new culture. These people realize this and try to integrate as much as possible, even if there are aspects they "don't get" or are frustrated by. For the most part it's ok, but they still feel like blowing off steam every once in a while. I feel like this most accurately describes me.
5. The Accepting- These people thrive in trying to know, understand and appreciate all aspects of the culture. They are like the natives. Things are the way they are just because they are, and are accepted as normal. The things they complain about are the type of things a native might complain about, like government and such.
When you go live in a foreign country, you have to think about a multitude of things, from how to eat properly to things like knowing when it's appropriate to clap to celebrate or show appreciation. Of course things are different, but that's usually just it. Things aren't better or worse (sometimes they are), for the most part, they're just different. I need to work on my appreciation of differences more, for sure.
偏見【へんけん】 (hen/ken) (n) prejudice; narrow view
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Miley Cyrus Look-a-like
双子【ふたご】 (futago) (n) twins
Monday, September 10, 2012
Speech Contest Coming Up
Just like last year, this year there is a speech contest. I'm staying after until usually around 5:30 to 6 to help out the kids with their speeches. I've even gone in a few weekends. One of my kids is doing a story about a mountain and a bird where the bird goes to the mountain every year to see if it's a suitable place to raise a family or not. Another is doing a story about her name. At Niitsuki one is doing a story on global warming effectively, and the other is doing the speech on organic fertilizer. The students, not surprisingly, all have the same pronunciation problems. They can't pronounce R, L, F, and TH. Some other problems they run into are S on the ends of words and trying to put vowels on the ends of words where they don't belong. Last year my kids did good, getting 1st in recitation, and 2nd and 3rd in composition. Hoping they do good again this year, that they all get some prize of sorts. They give prizes to the first 6 in recitation, and first 3 in composition. The top 2 in recitation and the top spot in composition get to go on to the prefectural competition. Go Jonan and Niitsuki!
Still trying to get a girlfriend, and still failing. It's hard to match up to the white guys here who are better looking and more interesting than I am. Don't really feel like giving up though. Even if I do become invisible to girls when I go hunting with the 2 white guys who really know how to kill it in that department, my friend said it best, "I only need one." Unfortunately that "one" is hard to come by.
彼女【かのじょ】 (kanojo) she; her; her; girl friend; girlfriend; sweetheart
Still trying to get a girlfriend, and still failing. It's hard to match up to the white guys here who are better looking and more interesting than I am. Don't really feel like giving up though. Even if I do become invisible to girls when I go hunting with the 2 white guys who really know how to kill it in that department, my friend said it best, "I only need one." Unfortunately that "one" is hard to come by.
彼女【かのじょ】 (kanojo) she; her; her; girl friend; girlfriend; sweetheart
Monday, August 27, 2012
Back to School, Dance Crew
It's freaking hot. Not as hot as Taiwan was, but still hot. I hate it when people say stuff like "that isn't ____, ____ is much _____er." Like the winter here. It gets down to -10C or so, and some people say that's not cold because they used to live in -30C winters. Ok well go outside in shorts and a t-shirt during -10C weather then. Or like when people say "English isn't hard, _____ is harder." Sigh... the self-righteousness of people sometimes.
Anyway so it's back to school today. In the morning we had an opening ceremony which I almost fell asleep through. No classes today because the kids are having tests. They have summer homework here and freak out when I tell them we don't have summer homework. Also, tests right when you come back? Killer! The students always comment on how long the American summer vacation is. It's pretty nice I tell you. For those who say it's too long, you just don't know what to do with your free time. Watching TV isn't such a bad choice!
I met some dancers over the past week. They are very cool. Hoping to hang out with them more in the future. These people are the kind I was hoping to meet ever since I got to Japan. I saw a dance performance they did on Saturday and they rocked it. They do popping and locking, most have done it for a few years now. I miss breakdancing so I'm hoping to get into dancing with these guys. My body coordination has fallen by the wayside though, hoping for a comeback!
始業式【しぎょうしき】 (shi/gyou/shiki) opening ceremony (of the school term)
Anyway so it's back to school today. In the morning we had an opening ceremony which I almost fell asleep through. No classes today because the kids are having tests. They have summer homework here and freak out when I tell them we don't have summer homework. Also, tests right when you come back? Killer! The students always comment on how long the American summer vacation is. It's pretty nice I tell you. For those who say it's too long, you just don't know what to do with your free time. Watching TV isn't such a bad choice!
始業式【しぎょうしき】 (shi/gyou/shiki) opening ceremony (of the school term)
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