Wednesday, January 31
NOVA Students Say The Stupidest Things #38
A student walks in listening to her iPod. She takes the headphones out to say hi.
Student: Hi
Phil: Hi, what are you listening to?
Student: My iPod.
Posted by phil-san at 3:21 pm 1 comments
Blogs On A Scandal
Big news today - seven NOVA teachers were arrested this week for possession of cocaine. Their school is quite a way across Japan from where I am, and that's all I know. However, it's been on the news here and all the students have been asking. We've been informed - duh - not to discuss it.
It reinforces a point that I've been meaning to explain for a while now. NOVA is a huge business here - with a branch next to nearly every train station in urban Japan.
One rather appropriate anecdote is when I was in central Tokyo one night and went up a building to see the skyline. From one particular window, I could see thousands upon thousands of buildings but the only billboard lit up was of NOVA.
It almost becomes impossible to escape the logo as wherever I travel, I spot it. I guess kind of like those check-list travelling books you have when you're a kid. I'm sure Dad and Barbara will back me up on this point.
Anyway, NOVA is extremely prominent within Japan - the name has a 100% recognition rate with the general population - and a story like this will leave a very sour aftertaste.
Posted by phil-san at 1:22 pm 4 comments
Advance Warning
Get some beans ready for Saturday. Soy beans are preferable, but any dry/roasted beans will suffice.
An explanation will follow.
Posted by phil-san at 3:27 am 0 comments
Monday, January 29
I Won!
You may remember the postcard I was sent from the gym for New Year. Each one has a serial number printed on the back, and a draw takes place mid January.
This year's numbers were:
157788 or 457190 for the biggest prizes (holidays etc)
5161 or 7093 or 7485 or 9614 for the middle prize (massage chairs)
64 or 79 for the most common prize (two stamps).
As you can see, I won some stamps. I know it's not much, but about 1 in 20 win, and this was the only card I received.
Posted by phil-san at 3:09 am 3 comments
Saturday, January 27
For Me?
Apart from the huge bag of chocolates I was given from a student on X-mas day, I also received many other presents. As I'll reiterate, it's these five-or-so percent of students that obviously care and make the job worthwhile.
The nicest present I received were these good luck charms. ダルマ (Dar-ma) are shrine charms that are typically given around New Years, but also at any time during the year for good luck. The eyes are blank, so that when you make a wish you paint a black dot on one of the eyeballs. Should the wish come true, you fill the other eye in. The sizes range from very small to as big as a room. It's quite a nice idea, and can be seen on an extravagant scale in government elections.
A further gift were a pair of small scale Edo-style kites, as can be seen in my photos of the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.
One of my favourite students gave me this shiny patterned card.
Edamame are usually green soy beans covered in salt and served as bar food. However, Gifu prefecture has a black soy sauce delicacy. I received a pack of these. Not to my taste, but the thought was lovely.
(A pic off the web)
Posted by phil-san at 12:46 pm 1 comments
NOVA Students Say The Stupidest Things #37
A rather long post, but worth it.
While discussing how to tell anecdotes:
Phil: I'd like you to tell me about a time you had an accident. Remember to 'set-the-scene', to have a clear middle, climax and end.
(Try to guess what the accident will be and where in the story it will happen)
Student: It was about 10 years ago, and I was working at at a famous company. The President was very old and sadly he died. As one of the managers, I had to deal with the press. So I met them, and answered their questions. Later that night I attended his wake, but it was dark and stormy and I forgot my umbrella. I got really wet from the rain but I made it inside and gave a speech. Afterwards in the toilet I noticed my, what do you call them?
(He points at his crotch, I hope he hadn't meant to)
Phil: Umm, what do you call what?
Student: You know, under your pe-nis*.
(He draws a quick sketch in his text-book)
Phil: Umm... your testicles.
Student: Yeah, i noticed they were large.
Phil: Ok...?
Student: I found out that my bowel had fallen into my testicles.
(I can't help but laugh at this point)
Phil: Really? What did you do? Go to the hospital?
Student: Yes, but I pushed it back up first.
Ok, firstly, why would he tell me this? Secondly, how random was the rest of that story. And thirdly, how big did they have to be to realise?!
I can't help myself. Fourthly, he pushed his bowel back up!!!
*pronounced peh-niss. They all call it that, I don't know why.
Posted by phil-san at 12:20 pm 1 comments
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
My hair has been growing noticeably lighter. So much so that even many students - who normally show the observational capability of a dodo - have asked whether I have had highlights. It's pretty cool, I should add. Unfortunately, I must also admit that I found three white hairs in the last few months. Only 3 I say with my fingers crossed.
There are many suggestions for their existence.
1) From all the swimming I'm doing, the chlorine might be involved. Remember, they were white, not gray.
2) They're just a freak anomaly.
3) I'm stressed.
4) I'm going grey.
5) If you look at the Japanese closely, most have a few white hairs. By most, I would guess 80%. Maybe I'm adjusting not just culturally but genetically to the society. Far-fetched, but cool.
Do any of the above sound the most rational, or anything else it could be down to?
Posted by phil-san at 12:14 pm 6 comments
Thursday, January 25
Image Of The Week #23
The candy bra was delicious, and I know you knew this was coming:
My favourite picture. Moral of story, don't play with your food!
Posted by phil-san at 7:31 am 1 comments
Into The Airwaves
It hasn't been the best week. And I'm sorry if I feel so distant sometimes. It's times like these when you realise that as incredible as modern technology is in fast communication, it can't bridge the gap that physical proximity does.
My thoughts are always with everyone, and I'm sending out good wishes.
Posted by phil-san at 7:26 am 1 comments
Oscars Schmoscars
I haven't seen any of the nominated films this year and, following last year's Best Picture travesty, I've kind of given up on it.
Besides that, who needs them when you have this?
That's right, it's of course the Japan Best Jewellery Wearer Awards.
Posted by phil-san at 7:22 am 0 comments
Wednesday, January 17
Big Bother
Things don't sound so peachy in the Big Brother house, from what I hear. Seems to be big news all over the world, and in Parliament.
Yet another reason for me to want to rush back to England!
Posted by phil-san at 1:15 pm 1 comments
Monday, January 15
Image Of The Week #22B
My 60 year old teacher bought me, drum roll please, this:
Why would a 60 year old lady buy this?! It's hilarious and scary. And everytime I think "Could I use it?", she pops into my head.
To top it off, on the back, it wonderfully says: "One size fits most".Posted by phil-san at 2:07 pm 2 comments
Sunday, January 14
Happy Birthday Mum!
A Multi-lingual Birthday Wish:
Happy Birthday!
誕生日におめでとうございます!
Joyeux Anniversaire!
Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday Dear Mum
Happy Birthday To You!!
Knowing as you like tea so much, I thought I'd give you some 'useful' advice.
Can't wait to see you xx
Posted by phil-san at 12:29 am 1 comments
Friday, January 12
Sendai - A Homestay/New Year Holiday
On the 28th December I met Keiko in Tokyo station and boarded a Shinkansen bound for Sendai. There was so much I was uncertain about – meeting her parents who spoke no English, what I would be doing over the next few days, how Japanese families spend New Year, when I would be returning home – that it was almost too overwhelming not to worry about. I’ve been in so many alien situations this year that I’ve realised it’s better to not think about it and just see what happens.
With everyone returning home for the holidays, the 28th actually turned out to be the busiest day, with 130% ticket sales. Luckily, we found two seats, and after travelling 304km in under two hours, we arrived. Although Tokyo’s temperature had dropped, it still had that city trapped warmth that seems to happen in high density places. Sendai, on the other hand, was freezing being North-East of Tokyo.
Sendai has a population of one million, although spread out over a large area, so that it is vastly different in feel to Tokyo. People there lived in detached houses! It is also home to many delicacies; many of which I tried. The first was 牛タン (gyuu-tan) or cow tongue. In the station is a famous ‘road’ of these restaurants, serving strips or beef with dark sauce. It was Ok, but I wouldn’t rush to eat it again.
Leaving the station, we ascended a huge tower to see the view – it was clear that Sendai was quite well planned out – and much more grid-like than Tokyo. The centre is formed around three main shopping streets, with the outskirts being suburban in the same manner as Britain. However, the surroundings act as a natural barrier – with the sea on one side and mountains encasing the city the rest of the way around.
Keiko’s house is about 20 minutes outside Sendai city, so we took a city train (the most expensive in Japan) and her Mum picked us up from their local station. Tokyo’s train structure is incredible, and without it, daily living would be impossible. However, this was more like Bournemouth – a car is a near must. It was also at this point that I realised I hadn’t been in a car in Japan up until now (except for a few taxis).
At her house, I was officially welcomed by Keiko’s mum and their dog, Taffy – the craziest animal I’ve ever met. A peculiar problem arrived – what did I call her parents? In England, their first name or Mr___/Mrs___ are both acceptable. Here, Terui-San could mean any of the three, and they don’t feel so comfortable using their own first names; although they called me フィルさん (Phil-San).
The answer is that you call other peoples’ parents お父さん・お母さん (otousan/okaasan) – literally, ‘Father’ or ‘Mother’. This is culturally accepted in Japan, but made me, and I’m sure many of you, a little uncomfortable in terms of sounding much closer by name than by kinship. Eye contact seemed like my best option.
We didn’t do much that afternoon, as we were both tired from NOVA and the train, but we took Taffy for a walk. Sadly, there is a big market in Japan to dress pets up, and Taffy had his fair share of outfits.
The house was quite high up, and had a good view of the city centre as well as the mountains, some of which looked quite snowy already. Snow was predicted that week although the main skiing season begins in February.
‘Father’ returned home from his last day at work a little drunk. It’s customary to go drinking with your boss at the end of the year, even if you don’t want to.
I had already gained so many insights into Japanese life in such a short time, and realised this really was a great chance for a ‘homestay’, which I advise all my students to go and do. I’d taken my own advice without even knowing it!
We ate sushi for dinner, including some new fish. One, awabi - edible but I wouldn’t eat it out of choice - is famous for looking like a “lady’s tuppence”. It was cut up by this point, so I didn’t have a chance to find out first hand, but this picture seems to do the trick:
We ate so much, and drunk a lot of hot sake, which I’d never tried before. It was much better than when served cold. We also drunk it out these wooden ‘cups’ - a lot easier to drink from than it looks - which are typically presented to staff by their company at the end of the year. I never found out the meaning behind it, so if anyone wants to do some homework, maybe try wikipedia.
Although Takao (‘Father’) tried his best with English, which wasn’t bad, the Mother spoke extremely little for Japanese standards – another difference between Sendai and Tokyo: even if you don’t learn English there’s so much around the capital in adverts/programmes/shops that you pick up a lot anyway compared to smaller cities – that I had to use a lot of the Japanese I picked up with Keiko translating most of the conversation. This was difficult but I found I had enough to keep me going, for example – talking about when I came to Japan, past experiences, family and so on. It was great practice as a teacher as it showed which topics, phrases and vocabulary are actually useful in real situations. And, although still terrible, my Japanese improved dramatically.
It was also funny because, any other situation it’d be rude to almost ignore your friend’s parents or give one word answers, but here it became the norm for people to laugh at a joke, have it translated and then for someone else to laugh. There was a lot of smiling and patience involved, but it wasn’t half as uncomfortable as I expected it can be.
One more difference – the Japanese family is very old-fashioned in terms of each family member’s role and duties. Mrs Terui was definitely treated as cook and cleaner. It took me a while to get my head around the way she was spoken to and how pleasantly she replied, but that was the way Keiko explained things work, and that there wasn’t much animosity about it. She didn’t eat dinner, and Keiko said this was for dietary reasons, but I have a feeling that with all the to-ing and fro-ing she was doing, she probably wouldn’t have had much chance even if she wanted to.
I drifted off well that night, with the warm sake in me; my last thought being how quiet the neighbourhood was.
--
The first whole day in Sendai, Keiko and I actually left the city to travel 40 minutes to an area of coast, known as being one of the “Three Views Of Japan” – Matsushima.* The area is famous, consisting of about 300 small islands erratically spread out over the bay. The most famous Haiku suggests that the poet, Matsuo Bashou, is lost for words:
Matsushima ah, Matsushima!
Ah, Matsushima, ah!
Matsushima, ah!
The area was, as expected, beautiful. And each step along the coast presented a slightly different view of the islands than the one before, so the camera remained firmly in my hand.
We walked over some bridges to the main islands for a view over the water, and then caught a boat which would take a cruise around many of the islands. 松島 (Matsushima) translates as “Pine Islands”, which was evident by a) the number of pine trees covering b) the number of islands.
Unfortunately, as soon as we stepped on the boat huge grey clouds rolled over. Not the greatest weather to be viewing one of Japan’s most scenic areas. Still, it was a nice ride, and one of the attractions was buying packets of shrimp-flavoured crisps and feeding the seagulls. I know seagulls seem to pop up wherever I’ve been recently, but this was in a league of its own – hundreds trailed behind the boat, swooping down each time a crisp was thrown. The pesky birds were fun to watch but made taking photos without a wing or beak featured wasn’t as easy as it may sound.
Posted by phil-san at 12:50 pm 1 comments