Sunday, February 25, 2007

Fast Times At Noba High, or What I Have Learned In My First Six Months in Japan

Well the oddly much anticipated 6 month milestone has come and gone without fanfare or even finishing my utterly profound milestone comments. I spend my days thinking big thoughts, a constant buzz of relating my 7 years of cross cultural study into the reel of comments in my head about my surroundings. The surface differences have never occurred to me, I am still waiting for the culture shock to arrive or the novelty to wear off. But novelty isn't even the right word, from the first minute in this country there has been no buzz of newness just happy to be in my new home, savouring the slower pace, relieved to be out of australia, soothed by the grey skies and mountains that surround me at every turn.
..Ultimately the only difference between Japan and Australia is the stirring and maintaining of dignity. The sweet and profound dignity I see in every element of this country...the cleaners aware of their important position in cleaning the pavement for the hallowed english teachers, the train guards running to help the blind or wheelchaired....the parental hand holding of adult mentally challenged children despite the sheer social pain they are feeling for being part of such a disruption in public...the humility of my sweet and tortured salarymen students...
..You can't beat living life without any language skills. My low level of shame and embarrasment is suprising, I never expected to not be the slightly ethnocentric westerner in my day to day life. There are restaurants and shops and activities I subconciously avoid which is a strange habit and gives me even more compassion for immigrants everywhere who lack both their own social network and can't understand bus timetables.
The job is still a riot of hilarity and truly insane and surreal moments, days and hours which can't be put into words even to co-workers. The language breakdown is of course always chance for amusement but the absurd stories and sentances that are shared with us under the guise of pseudo priests...venting about wayward teens, workaholic husbands, who they would have married if they hadn't been pregnant...
So here's to my soothing mountains and dickensien outlook from my room in the clouds, my insanely polite behaviour, incurable cuteness and more men with giant hair...


After 7 months...3 students a lesson...40 lessons a week...(you do the math) Here is an incredible accurate dossier

Job: Engineer, English Teacher, Housewife
Hobbies: go to shopping, driving, sleeping, read a book
Reason for learning english: watch movies without subtitles, watch 24 without subtitles, speak to foreigners (about what no one will elaborate)

Quotable Quotes...
'I want to get with Clark Gable'
'I learn english to meet some Hawaiian ladyees'
'I was a juvenille delinquent and could not have opportunity to speak english in junior high'
'When I was in Brussels I could not tell them to not put so much mayonaise on my burger'
'One time there were some foreigners in my hotel and they were using the soap in the wrong way' Ps they were French
'My son is lazy and has no respect for human sympathy'
'I am a lazy housewife so everyday is holiday!'
'I went to Sydney...Homo road, you know it?'


Boring Recap

September...humid beyond all reason...getting used to the shrillness of our fire station neighbours...warm breezes filling our top floor apartment by night...hysterically nervous at work, nearly fainting during first lessons, the (un) comforting conversations with new buddies about how we couldn't get fired because of our extreme debts, accidentally eating things with eyes, first taste of karoke hangover, getting used to teaching and getting slightly better

October...houseparties and subsequent police visits...wednesday night partying gang...little mermaid karaoke with the boys...waiting waiting for the leaves to change..goth club fun and madness

November...finally autumn joy...hysterical laughter in a row boat with my Italian...basking in the golden colors...feeding deer, being tricked into buying a potato...dinner parties

December...misplaced elation over getting off probation...the beautiful lumiere lights display with 10000 of us herded perfectly in a surreal fashion..Christmas at the hilton..salmon and mince pies...teenage punk dating under the glow of neon...the buzz of the 25th and the let down of the 26th...disbelief at getting on a plane again...monsoon rain and joyus american tv in Singapore, lovely Clara...broken suitcase and covered in sticky sprite lost in the cruise terminal...arriving to KL paradise of cheapness and Hsiny angel.

January...seeing the new year crack open over the twin towers...crazy hot markets and cool nights under stars and lights..spending time with my old friend singapore airport...home to gloomy skies and work work work...

February...overtime...hope for the future fun

posted by japanesetakeout @ 1:01 AM 0 comments

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Snowfall, Springtime, Setsubun


Sunshine!



We welcomed the official start of pseudo springtime with actual snow falling on buildings ...
...and bean throwing.

Pan-heated soybeans (called irimame) are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the throwers chant "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (鬼は外! 福は内!). The literal meaning of the words is something like "Demons (or evil spirits) out! Luck (or blessing) in!" The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them.


Note to the wise, there is a REASON this comes once a year, the bean packet is strategically designed to fall over, spill and disperse beans throughout ones' home. Ahh so many happy memories and bean eating.

However just like in crazy Australia, the weather has gone ape shit and is now bloody freezing once again, a relief to wear new winter clothes from the sales. In other news...there is no news. Febuary, a minorly depressing month working 6.5 days a week and the thrills of the coming few months lying tantalisingly in wait...sumo...chilli peppers...mt fuji...disneyland...mt fuji rock festival...beach trip....taiwan...universal studios...south korea...beijing...tokyo...cherry blossoms...geisha time...birthday season...visits from home...caramello koalas...

sigh!

Peace out,

CLM xx



posted by japanesetakeout @ 3:04 AM 1 comments

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Strange and Beautiful

3.37pm



Spring has begun it's striptease of watery sunshine and clear skies...actual warmth from the sun despite icy winds and bitterly cold nights.


So hard to believe we are a couple of days away from the 5 month mark, nearly as mind boggling as the approaching 6 month milestone. The concepts of 'I live alone in Japan' 'I live in Asia' are still clearly abstract thoughts as they always are, we just live our life with no concept of the bigger reality or proximity. I thought going to other Asian countries and returning would give me a sense of living in Asia but the flights were still long. Not a bad thought, just strange as life always is. We all feel like life flies by here, the curse of the monthly paycheck- you spend too much time wishing away the hours. I came here because I was tired and needed a rest, so theoretically I have been achieving that goal. I have visited two other countries, witnessed heartbreaking autumn beauty, spoken with and taught over 1500 hilarious/odd/sweet Japanese people, enjoyed my first Christmas away from home, and set up a new life in a country where I only speak 20 words. Not bad. But also hard to not beat ourselves up for not doing more, more. It's still a strange feeling after 7 years at uni to have a life without learning and no committments. I still feel the anxiety of getting a parking ticket, my friend still feels like his car could get towed. Phantom feelings from another world, an ended era.


Hard not to dwell on the next phase of my life, a tedious balance between needing to form a plan and enjoying the moment. I crave going back to uni and finishing my MBA, the sweet solitude of more borrowed time before making adult decisions and the delicious success or failure on a daily basis which seems to be my only drive in life. However my confidence in getting a professional job is still shattered. I have been trying to remember my 5 years of german at school and been pleasantly suprised to understand the basic lessons when I look at the material during the work day. My friend joked with my MIB, MBA and speaking some German I could probably get a job. But yet I ridiculously still doubt this. Sigh. 'I used to think I was special, only I have proved me wrong'.....
In other news...surely the most beautiful moment of recent times, discussing 'full house' with a Buddhist priest in full robes and 2 little old ladies in my class. Its a strange and beautiful life most days.


I have been hitting the local punk shows with my favourite hang out buddy, Jesse.
Surely a dream come true to be the only western girl surrounded by shirtless and leatherclad Japanese punk boys all ridiculously sweet with cool tattoos, big hair and giant boots. Any time spent in clubs here, or sitting and drinking a beer from the convienience store in the concrete park in the midst of America town (Ameramura) is too fun and the perfect backdrop for these people. I should bring myself to take photos but I can't, it's the only reason we are accepted, we don't act like tourists and are respected for it.
Until next musings kids,
CLMx
How happy is the blameless Vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.



posted by japanesetakeout @ 12:23 AM 0 comments