Preparations for New Students and Opening Week

*Due to Interac policy, I am not at liberty to mention the names of schools, teachers, or students at my work locations on social network sites or blogs. Instead, I will try to think of a nickname system, but I have 3 middle and 3 elementary schools, so things might get a little confusing. To keep things sorted, I'll try to also keep the stories well sorted, but please bear with me.*

Interac gave us a week to situate our basic needs and gather items for our apartments. We were also taken to all of our middle schools and met with the principals and English teachers the Friday before school started. This was helpful in feeling more comfortable with the lunch plans for the first week and also ensured that we had been to the school at least once (don't want to get lost and be late on the first day). During my first working week here, I was not actually "working". No classes, no lesson plans, and no worksheets. Instead, I spoke with the teachers, organized my desk, and.....well, was pretty bored! I wanted to explore the school more, so I made a point of asking for a map, but the vice principal or another teacher usually offered to escort me around and explain the kanji written above each classroom. Besides that, though, I was left to sit in the teachers' room and help myself to the all-you-can-drink-coffee/tea corner. Soooooo bored!!

Why couldn't I teach or go into the classes? Because there were no classes. The older students at the middle schools were getting prepared for the new students! The 6th graders had just graduated elementary school and were coming for the entrance ceremony soon (now as big and important 1st years). There were halls and rooms to clean, boards to decorate, signs to paint, and the gym to ready for the ceremony. Students were busy getting ready for their new friends.

Most schools had planters full of flowers in the entrance area to protect them from the stormy winds that were coming that week. There were also special flower arrangements brought in to decorate the gym (later we used those flowers in the school entrance and teachers' room). Helping with some of the decorating was a good way for me to get out from behind the desk, but the teachers insisted that I sit back and relax and have more tea. So much tea (>.<)

Opening Ceremony!!

For the actual opening ceremony, I was scheduled to be at my largest and most serious middle school. Pomp and circumstance might bore some people, but I love the organization and precision of it all. When it comes to kids in ceremonies, few people understand how difficult that sort of event is to pull off. The Japanese are even more strict about proper decorum at these sort of functions, so I was excited to see how the students would do. I was told before going to Japan not to wear black because it was too formal and serious, but I brought a few black things just in case. Lucky thing that I did because this school asked that I wear ALL black to the ceremony. They also asked that I prepare a brief self introduction in English and Japanese as all the teachers would be introducing themselves to the first years and their parents at that time. It all went over well, and people were relieved when I got to the Japanese portion of my intro. Most of the students think that I had just memorized it for that day, but some started to think that maybe I knew more than I was letting on. I think that the first years were so preoccupied with knowing when to stand, when to bow, how to walk, and when to respond that they weren't paying much attention to us. They were so nervous that it was adorable! Some of them had to make special speeches at the microphone, and you could see them talking themselves through the steps on how to properly walk up to the microphone and whom to bow to before beginning. One of the boys received a present on behalf of his class from the PTA president, but he was so nervous about leaving that he forgot it under his chair! One of the other boys grabbed it for him, though. Nice teamwork, first years!

The rest of the day was spent getting to know the other members of their class and their homeroom teachers. We all had special bento lunch boxes, too! They were delicious, but contained some particularly Japanese food. The other teachers kept watching to see if I could use chopsticks (but I had brought my own, so that put them at ease) and if I could eat all the different foods (I polished off everything except the pickled plum seed). Surprising as it may seem, finishing one's lunch is actually a point of concern in elementary schools. During parent-teacher conferences, teachers will report on whether a student was able to eat everything. Elementary children take pride in saying things like 「好きじゃないものがない」 or "There isn't anything that I don't like."

One of the teachers made three different cakes for us. I loved the
chocolate one the most. It was almost like American cake!

Double negative. Take a minute to think if you need to, but try not to hurt yourself.

So after I finished my lunch, the teachers spent about 40 minutes praising my ability to finish it in enough time and to eat so many types of food. A little much? Maybe, but they were trying to make conversation and make me feel special, so I happily but modestly accepted their compliments.

For the rest of the week after the entrance ceremony, there were many announcements and assemblies so that everyone could learn or be reminded of school policy and club activities, and have meet-and-greets. My smallest middle school assembled all 49 of their students in the gym so that the sport teams could introduce themselves to the 10 new students. There were 4 clubs at that school (as compared to the nearly 10 clubs at my largest school) and the table tennis club only had 2 members. So cute :) But even though there were so few people, they were still nervous to speak in front of the crowd. Afterwords, they organized a dodgeball match to welcome the new kids. The entire school split into two teams, with different grades on both teams. They reviewed the rules, set up boundaries  and then commenced the most organized and polite game of dodgeball that I have ever witnessed. It was quite the spectacle, but they seemed to love it, so mission accomplished. The only time the rules were broken was when the first year special ed boy was hit. To keep him from getting upset and let him still throw the ball (his favorite thing), the third year boys told him to stay in the game and they went out instead. AAAWWWWW!!! So sweet!!

Sorry, but I don't use my camera much outside of the teacher's room, so I don't have photos of the school or students. Just use your imagination! Or come visit me :)

The Kaji-sans of Keyaki Ryo

At first, I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be having a host family like some students who go abroad, but not only did I have a wonderful roommate, dorm mates, and friends, but I also had the Kaji-sans!! When I went back to visit ICU in March, two of my need to see people were the Kaji's, and this is why.

Momma Kaji-san hasn't changed a bit since I last saw her. Rei and Mr. Kaji took
pictures of us, and we seem to be looking up for her photo here.

Every dorm, to my knowledge, at ICU had dorm parents who monitored who came into and left the dorm, spruced up the garden and lobby's, manned the dorm phones, received packages on behalf of the students, and helped anyone who became sick in the infirmary room. It took me a long time to decide just how to address my dorm parents, but Japanese has so many evasive tendencies that the issue never really came up. In my old blog, I called Mrs. Kaji "House Mom" and helped her with English and watched over her bonsai tree. She was like a Kanga and we were her Roos, but you could see sometimes that we were disappointing her by being too noisy after hours or if we left our things all about the lobby. However, her English was rather good, and she would always give me treats, presents, and smiles. Mr. Kaji, on the other hand was like Mr. Miyagi to me. He looked really similar to the famous karate film teacher, but he also spoke very little (at least very little to me), so there was that element of aloofness and mystery. I would see him behind the front desk at almost all times, unless he was working in the garden or trying to fix something in one of the kitchens. When I found the gecko in our kitchen, I learned the word so that I could tell him about it, but after I informed him of the critter, I got nervous and left. Mr. Kaji's English wasn't so great, and he mutters when he speaks, so my Japanese wasn't ready to fully understand him.

However, the first day I went back to visit ICU in March 2013, he was still there behind the desk and recognized me! We spent the next hour talking in Japanese; I informed him of everything I had been up to and he invited me to try and come back tomorrow to the open house so that I could roam the halls of the dorm again. However, that open house day was the Wadaiko concert, so I had to decline. Then, he tried to think of all of the students who were still in the dorms that I would know and call them up so we could spend time together. I had already seen Mika and Rei, and the Wadaiko kids would be the next day, so he ran out of friends for me, but I thought ti was great that he tried to reunite me with them!  In my entire time at ICU, I don't think I talked as much to him as I did on that day. I told him that I would come back sometime that weekend to see his wife and he thanked me with lots of polite bows!! He is so very good at bowing!

When I did come back on Sunday, I was headed toward Keyaki, when I hear a "Zaitooonnn!" from across the street. It was the Kaji-sans out for a stroll! I was so flustered that I forgot everything I wanted to say. They looked so similar that it was like I hadn't left. For some reason I could speak Japanese with Mrs. Kaji because I was so used to being her English buddy that none of my words could help me. Rei and Mr. Kaji came in for the save, since I had already told them everything I was up too. She gave me a big smile and wished us a pleasant hanami as she and Mr. Kaji finished their walk.

I wonder if I return to Keiyaki in another 8 years for the 10-year reunion if they will still be guarding the dorm. I'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I have their email now, so I can keep in touch from all the way in Mie!

My Friend Rei

Before coming back to Tokyo, I needed to find a place to stay, and my friend Rei was very gracious in letting me stay with him. 

We met back at ICU because he was still living in the dorms at that time. The Keyaki OYRs for that year were loud and proud (perhaps -no, definitely- a little too much of each). The four year foreign students understood where we were coming from, though, and weren't afraid to join us in feast-making, clubbing, and late night "study" sessions in the main lobby. I swear, we actually did get work done at school, but all work and no play makes for a dull time abroad, no? One of the four year foreigners to join our group was Rei, the playful-yet-chill, movie-making, super-confident, Aikido-flipping, gourme-food-sampling, yo-yo-spinning New Yorker. Rei was not to be confused with Rei-chan or the Soul Run Rei. Those were different people.

When I spoke of the boys protecting the girls when we went out dancing, Rei was in that group of guys. Even if they didn't realize it, their presence did a lot to repel unwanted attention for our smaller girls. Having Rei around during down time at Keyaki was also great for conversation. He is witty and a deep thinker, who was willing to try and find all sides of an argument. As a four year student, he also had inside knowledge about the school, teachers, program, and life in Japan that we OYRs didn't have or were developing. He is part of the reason I tried Aikido; his personal testimonies and knowledge of the art made it sound so appealing, I needed to give it a shot! Sadly, my time was already stretched too thin as it was, so I couldn't keep it up. But he has! And was even able to show me how to fold hakuma, although I need quite a lot more practice.

I would like to take this time to thank Rei for being such a great friend and for giving me a place to stay, good conversation, and new perspectives on life! Good luck in all your future endeavors, Rei!!

If anyone is interested in seeing his take on Japan and life (his "Half Plus Half Does Not Equal One" helped me put into words a lot of my own feelings), I'll leave the link here.

McDonalds in Japan

So, you're an American walking around Japan, and you'd LOVE to try some new foods, but you're broke and running out of time! Or, what if it is late and most of the Japanese places you'd like to go to are closed for the evening?

Strange as this might sound, why not give Japanese McDonalds a try?

"But I don't like McDonalds. Their food is too greasy. There is nothing good there. I can get that back home. *whine whine whine*"

Alright, I see you're point. But I didn't say that you should go to just any McDonalds; I suggested you go to "Japanese" McDonalds. Anyone who has been to a Mickey-D's outside of America, you know that it is a different experience all together. The food actually looks like it was made from other food, they present it to you as if it were the model food in the posters, and eating at McDonald's isn't viewed as trashy or gross, but fashionable and smart (there is even a 100 yen menu for those of us trying to save money). And just as we have different names for our beloved fast food empire:

# Golden Arches (U.S. slang)
# Mickey-D's (U.S. slang)
# Mick-dicks (U.S. slang)
# Macca's (Australian slang)
# Mackey-D's (British slang)
# MakDo (Filipino slang)
# MacDoh (French Canadian slang)
# McDo (French slang)
# Makku or Makudo (Japanese slang)
# McDoof (German slang)
# McD's (Scottish slang)
# Meki (Hungarian slang)
# Mec (Romanian slang)
# Donken, ''Mackid nnkan'' (amongst tweens) (Swedish slang)

So do the Japanese! The Sakura Hostel Staff put these helpful words on their blog:

In East Japan, it's called MAKKU （マック）.
In West Japan, it's called MAKUDO （マクド）.

But recently,
nicknames other than " MAKKU " and " MAKUDO " got infiltrating on the Internet.

What is it ????

Although various nicknames such as MAKUDONA and DANARU are spreading,
the one widely used on the Internet now is MAKUNARU （マクナル）.

Tantalizing names, I know, but you should check out the special offers and sides. The Japanese love to stress how limited these options are and even have calendars to show when they will end. Gotta get there soon if you want to try these tasty treats!

Teritama (teriyaki and egg sandwhich)
Side of corn kernels
Maccha flavored ice cream
Shaka Shaka Chicken strips
And a Shrimp Filet (Fireo) burger

You used to get a side of rice or the wasabi burger, but they fazed those out and put in other specials. They used to have a world tour, which was interesting because the USA was represented by about 5 burgers and every other country just got one.

Breakfast menu for a limited time only! (Ended already. No more AsaMaku anymore.)

And don't think they skimp out on commercials!

For another foreigner's take on this McDonald's comparison, why not read this blog? Or this famous foreigner's help guide?

音巴: The ICU Wadaiko Spring/Graduation Concert of 2013

I really need to write this all down now before I forget!

Right before the Californian's semester aborad was over,
We all gathered fora group picture and presents. The
OYR rangers received color specific watches and towels.
Go, Wadaiko, Go!

Two years ago, when I was here for study abroad, I joined the most intense club in my life: the ICU Wadaiko Club. They held practice all year, 18 hours a week usually, with two major concerts a year, and summer camp. I feel like I wrote a lot about them in my last blog, so feel free to check that out for some background information. At the end of my study abroad time (which wasn't supposed to be the end in reality, but that is how life worked out), our major spring concert was cancelled! There is a whole sob story there, but for the next two years I felt cheated because I never got to perform that final concert and show the seniors that everything they had taught us and worked for could be so wonderful in the end. While I was still in Wyoming, I met up with Shunyo, the club president during my Tokyo time to catch up and apologize and watch the concert dvd from last year (when he was a senior). He says that his arms are a bit smaller now that he doesn't play taiko as much as he used to, but he's still the loud, joyful, courteous Shunyo I knew from before! Seeing him made me really miss the camaraderie that I felt with the Wadaiko group back then.

The poster for the show this year.
The title 音巴 (Otonoha) is an artistic
reference to the sound of the drums.
"Oto" is sound or music and "noha" or
"tomoe" is the large comma pater popular
in Japanese traditional symbols and flags.

After I was hired with interac, they said that they wanted us to come early to train before going out to our assignments. Luckily, all my paperwork filled nicely and my passport arrived about a week before a week BEFORE training, so I was able to arrive extra early to Tokyo and lurk around my old stomping grounds. Those of you who know about Japan from my blogs may remember that universities tend to have all of March off as Spring Break. If the school was out of session and the students mostly gone on holiday, then my trip might seem worthless. Why arrive so early to Tokyo? To see the Wadaiko kids perform their spring concert of course!! Everyone else may be on break, but not my club members! The students I met as sophomores were seniors now, so this would be their swan song as Wadaiko members! One of the seniors from my time was also playing in the concert because she was unable to do so during her year. I wanted to cheer them on, but ended up crying during the first song....and the second and third song....and the encoure. They were so good! I just wanted to bust seeing how much they had all developed since I was gone. They were leading the pack now.

Surprisingly enough  though, none of them knew I was coming, which helped lend some excitement to my arrival, but I guess because I didn't reserve a ticket ahead of time, they thought I was just liking the event, not committing to it.

Ma-kun, San-chan, Miki, Mao, Myself, and Kai after the
noon concert in Asakusa! Mao still has her bachi sticks
in her apron pocket.

Afterward the concert, I got some surprises, too. I saw big and burly Kai (a student from Wittenberg who told me to come to ICU) out in the lobby, but when I went over to talk to him who else was standing to his left than SATOSHI!! My Spring Concert Leader! My hero and the one who introduced me to Thai fisherman's pants!! The super stoic and ever cool Satoshi! And Kai, too. It might not have been 100% kosher, but I gave Satoshi a massive hug - I owed this guy so much of my Wadaiko training. He was very much the Yoda/Mr. Miyagi of our club at the time, or at least in my mind, and when he was angry or upset with us, I woud silently cry over my car tire during practice. He was that powerful. 

Ma-kun leading the converstion and making jokes?!
He has totally grown up since I saw him last. Besides that,
he will be studying chemical engineering of pastics in university soon!

San-chan (who is in his 30's, but who I will always speak informally with and see as Winnie the Pooh from the club's night out one Halloween) was also tucked away in the crowd, and some of the other OB and OG (Old Boys and Old Girls - former club members)! Miki's mother, aunt, and cousin were there too!! At first, I couldn't exactly remember why, but I pointed out Miki's mom to Rei and said, "Isn't she really familiar? She doesn't belong to ICU, but I swear that I know her from my time here." When we walked back to the front row, I realized it was her; mommas always cheer their kids on from the front! She recognized me right away and we chatted in Japanese, talking about Miki, my job, her visiting from Kamakura just to see the shows (I think she stayed for both performances), and it felt so good to see her there! *Side Note* The night that I left Tokyo, Miki called her mother and told her I was going, and Momma-san told me to be careful and to remember that I could always come visit them. AAAWWWW!!! *End Side Note* Finally, the performers were all out and about, but needed to be rushed off and set up for the next show. As they all scurried away to prepare, Kai and I wondered around the streets of Asakusa, but that can have its own story later.

This was made by Kaoru for the graduating 2013 students in the club.
The top reads "Wadaiko Squadron Otonoha 13!!!"
From left to right: Ocho, Anna, Rieko, Takami, Miki, Eri, Koji, Rei-chan, Hasshi, Ma-kun

Reunited Roommates!

Anna is trying to guess the new boyfriend of
one of the younger girl. She just found out that they were
even dating that night! 

I thought that show would be the end of my time with the Taiko-ers, but as I was sitting at a hanami (familiar word, right?) with Rei, Miki showed up on her bike with Mao (my drumming partner for hanamori two years prior) and invite me to the Wadaiko party that night. How great is that?! Phenomenal! Except, I forgot what time we were supposed to meet. And where. And I didn't have their phone numbers. Or a Japanese phone. So I dashed off to Kichijoji and waited in a Starbucks (free wifi!) and facebooked them until I finally got the info. The food and drink was great, as expected, but the best part was sitting with all of the members again, being filled in on the news ("So and so has a boyfriend?! Rei-chan is going to be a policeman?! You got into grad school?!"), seeing how much they had grown up (especially Ma-kun!!). Looking at their photos was nice, but I felt like a ghost who could see, but never be with, the group. That night I was there! Fully aware of what was going on, as if that was the review party for my concert. The seniors were given photos, notebooks filled with messages, and another present, too, I think. They all gave 10-15 minute speeches during which, (can you guess?) I cried. 三橋先生 laughed at some of the comments; she has watched us all and the club grow over the past 20 years. She makes me think that just like Budo, this could be something that doesn't really end for me. I can come back to it ask long as I keep that same drive to create a powerful, beautiful, meaningful sound.

Sensei with some of the newer girls.

My evening with the Wadaiko Club was cut short, but maybe I wasn't supposed to stay the whole way through. It wasn't my party, it was their's. All the effort that they put forth for this performance, they deserved the time with each other. I'm thankful that they welcomed me back in so quickly and warmly, but after next year, none of them will really know who I am. It won't be my group anymore.

If anyone is interested, here is their Facebook site for the concert this year.