A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Getting Sick: So there was a period of time where I got really sick and couldn't come in to work. The only reason I want to mention this is because I was surprised at how caring everyone was. One of my JTEs called my house three times in one day to keep checking on me. Admittedly, I was almost kind of annoyed because I wanted to keep sleeping, but at the same time I thought it was really nice. She kept asking me if I needed to go to the hospital (I think she meant doctor’s office due to a translation issue) and if I need her to come over. I kept saying, “No thank you! No thank you! I’m just going to rest, and I’ll be fine.” The third time she called she told me that one of the teachers I’m close with (the one I ride the bus with everyday) wanted to come over and check on me after work. D: I hadn't showered, felt like crap, had been in bed all day in pajamas, no bra, and my hair in a pony. The last thing I wanted was for someone to see me! I insisted that I didn't need any help. Lastly, on the same day, my supervisor also called me to check up on me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a foreigner, and they are worried I need help or if it’s just that Japanese people are really kind, but I was shocked at how concerned everyone was for me!

A New Friend: I've heard you are lucky if you can make a friend at work. Many times, teachers know that you are not a permanent employee so they don’t want to become close to you only to have to say goodbye after a short while. Also, in Japanese culture, it is said that you have friends and you have coworkers, and they don’t really mix. In any case, I am stoked because not only have my relations improved over time with all my coworkers, but I have actually made a friend! She started working at my school a few months ago so she is newer than me. She is 26 and really cool! We have similar personalities so we connected right away! We have hung out outside of work, we text each other, and now she gives me rides home all the time!! I’m happy!!!

Marking Papers: In Japan, there is a very specific way of marking papers. To me, it’s kind of annoying. Apparently, different countries have different ways of marking. I learned that Canada’s way is different than America’s. In America, we just put a check-mark next to it if it’s wrong. Very simple. No clutter of mess or red pen. In Japan, THEY MARK EVERYTHING! If it’s right, they put a circle around it, if it’s wrong, they use a check mark or slash, if it’s only partial credit, they use a triangle, and if it’s left blank, they use an “x.” So when a student is handed his or her paper back, the whole paper is filled with red marks, and to me it seems overwhelming. Why is it necessary to mark something if it’s correct?!

Lunch with Teachers: On a few occasions now, I have gone out to lunch with various teachers on test days when we have more time. These experiences have been very enjoyable for me for two reasons. One, I get to leisurely talk with my teachers about things other than school, and I get to know them better. Two, they always choose the places (places I can’t get to from my home because you must go by car), and they are places I wouldn't normally go. I get to try a lot of different Japanese food. Things that I wouldn't even know what they were if I went by myself. It isn't always delicious, but it’s definitely fun to try and experience new things and places. Also, each time we've gone, someone has always treated me!! So far the thing I've like the best is the “kama-meishi set.” Kama-meishi is where they cook rice and fish or meat together in a kama (iron bowl) over an open flame. Since we each got the set, they brought out like mini courses while you waited for you food to cook. I loved trying all the little things like soup, salad, vegetables, tofu, etc. Usually dessert is included in sets too which is always nice…and delicious!

Kama-meishi.

Another Food Adventure-Shabu-shabu: For Kris’ birthday, he had a gathering of people for dinner at a shabu-shabu place. I had always been interested in trying shabu-shabu because it’s a Japanese staple, but from what I knew, I thought it was mostly meat. In any case, I’m glad he had his birthday there because it turned out to be really delicious! Shabu-shabu is basically a big pot of broth boiling in the middle of the table in which you cook things. Yes, meat is the main thing you cook, but you could also cook tofu, vegetables, and my favorite, udon! After cooking the food, you dip it into various sauces and eat it. It was a very fun experience!

shabu-shabu.

Speaking Tests: One of my greatest fears in college was having to do speaking tests where you go into a room one on one with a teacher, and they grade you on your speaking/comprehension abilities. It was the most nerve wracking thing ever! Of course, in college it was more intense because you had to memorize things, have casual conversation with your teacher, and be asked questions and give answers. Well, I never thought I’d be on the other side of the speaking test! In my first grade class, the students have to come to me one by one and read a page or two out of the textbook. I must give them a grade according to their speed, pronunciation, and whether or not they make mistakes. It definitely is a lot easier and less nerve wracking on the other side! I can tell the students are nervous when they come up to me, and I feel bad because I’ve been in that same situation. Now I know what it’s like to be the teacher, though. You get really tired and bored of student after student coming up to you and saying the exact same things and making the exact same mistakes that after awhile, you aren’t as enthusiastic and could not really care less whether or not they do it perfectly. You still give them a grade accordingly, but if they mistakes, it’s not like you are judging them or think that they suck…which is what I thought when I was the student. So now it’s nice to know that my Japanese teachers in college probably didn’t hate me or think I was terrible when I made mistakes, and that it was probably no big deal to them! Yay!

Ok, So I Like Food…Sue Me!: When I first came to Japan, I was excited for McDonalds because they have a really good sandwich that isn't available in America. It’s called the chikin tatsuta. It’s basically a fried chicken sandwich but on really good bread with shredded cabbage, mayo (I scrap most of it off), and some sort of soy sauce flavoring in the breading of the chicken. It’s not all slimy and weird like the other chicken sandwiches at McDonalds in Japan where they leave the skin on the chicken breast. So anyway, I knew about this sandwich from when I had traveled in Japan before. However, when I came here to live, I was really sad because they didn't have the sandwich! D: I thought maybe it was a regional thing where it was only up north or something. It turns out that it’s seasonal and comes and goes kind of like the McRib in the U.S. When it came to McDonalds again, I was so excited! I got it, and it was so good haha! However, it came back out just a few days before I went home for Christmas in America so I only got to have it once because by the time I returned to Japan, it was gone. It’s probably for the better otherwise I would've eaten like five of them! I’ll be anxiously awaiting its return…

Chicken tatsuta.

Same Flight: So a weird coincidence happened. I had got my plane ticket to go home for Christmas way in advance. Later, I found out that one of my JTEs was going to Las Vegas for a few days during the break. I asked her what day she was leaving, and it happened to be the same day as me! I was surprised that we were both leaving Japan to go to America on the same day. So, I asked her where she was flying to. She said she was flying to San Francisco first…just like me! Then I asked her what time her flight was, wondering if we’d be at the airport at the same time. It was the same time as mine! Finally, I asked her what airline and flight, and it turned out that we were on the exact same flight! Wow! We sat only a couple rows away from each other too! It was so weird! When we both landed in San Francisco, we help each other get to our different gates. The funny thing was that when we found out we were taking the same flight, she got really freaked out at first because she realized I would see her “travel partner” aka her boyfriend. Haha! She was embarrassed and told me I had to keep it a secret. Like I could care less who she travels with :P It was all good!

My Birthday: I had my first birthday in Japan! Unfortunately, it was during the time I was feeling a bit sick so I couldn't “go all out.” I had a nice time nonetheless. I think there were about 8 or 10 of us and we got burritos at El Zocalo Burrito first. Then, we got frozen yogurt at Partyland. Lastly, we went to Club Joule and danced for a bit. We all caught our last train home though. It was really nice, and I was happy that so many of my friends came! Before that, my teachers surprised me with a cake at work! It was one of those really cute Japanese style cakes with fruit on top…in this case, strawberries! It had my name on it and everything :D It was my first time receiving a “Japanese” cake! I received gifts from home in the mail too which was nice! My boyfriend sent me like 10 DVDs which was awesome! Which reminds me, I broke down and bought a TV so now I can watch Japanese cable! Plus, I had my parents ship me my DVD player. I’m living a lot more comfortably.

Gifts from my boyfriend.

My cake from my coworkers!

Partyland.

Club Joule.

New Friends and Realizations: I've been making more and more friends lately. As I've mentioned before about moments of bliss, I’m have weekly realizations. A few times a week, I stop and think about my life here in Japan. How I’m living a dream and how much I’m enjoying it. Little everyday things like winter food in the supermarket to big things like my new friends in Japan, I’m beginning to realize how much I will miss it when I’m gone. In college, I didn't take that much time to appreciate how wonderful it was. I knew it was great and that I’d miss it, but I didn't take time to appreciate things as I was doing them in college and when I was at home with my family for that matter. Now, every week in Japan, I think about things and how much I’ll miss them when I’m not here. I appreciate the moment or the thing: when I’m hanging laundry on my balcony with the beautiful view of the mountains, when I am dancing downtown with my friends, when I’m drinking a matcha latte from the super market, when I’m standing in a classroom full of Japanese students who are listening to what I’m saying, when I look down at the tatami floor in my room, when I ride the train home after having fun in the city. Sometimes it makes me sad thinking about how much I’ll miss things, but at the same time, I am appreciating things much more and feeling joy about being here. I don’t want to look back and feel like I took this experience for granted.