Cultural quickie: cartoons/comics

Ok, I'm not about to delve into the ridiculous debate of what "anime" really mean means in the symbollic, literal, and spiritual translations. Nor am I going to once and for all end the arguement of which is the superior or purest art form. Nope, you may rest at ease now. Just wanted to briefly describe the love the Japanese seem to have with comic images in use in various public documents such as street signs, flyers, warnings, etc. The Japanese are very visual with their written PSAs, and almost always they are accompanied by a cartoon of some sort. And let me tell you, nothing sells home the dangers of fire safety than a chibi character with a fire-based aura running with arms raised and eyes bulging. It's hard to accurately describe their fondess for the style, and I certainly don't care to cover the deep-rooted cultural reasons for such. But it just gives off a weird impression, to the part where at any time I expect to ask a question to have some comic character pop out and and in a joyful/informative voice uttter: "That's a great question, and could be best explained in comic form!" Then he claps his hands and the surroundings shift into a manga-verse of bright colors and rounded shapes.

On the awesome side.

When you're constantly reading literary works that exist on the truly profound and awesome, it's difficult to write something yourself and be able to deem it worthy of popular consumption. I prefer to write articles more on the interesting side rather than just publish a day to day journal. Both because I think I take into consideration the probable readers of this blog and the wanting to not give a bland summary of routine events. However, the likely result of striving for such is that my posts focus on either the subjects that irritate me to no end, or the truly awesome occurrences that just happen. Thus far, I feel the former make up a majority of this blog so I think this post should be dedicated to the later.

While being an ALT in Japan is by no means on easy occupation in terms of mental health, there are certainly times where it's truly gratifying. I'd have to be insane or at least completely anal to expect every one of the students I taught to be perfectly on par with their desired skill at English. Fortunately, I don't expect any such thing so long as they learn something of my lessons. One such case, a middle school student of unfortunately little aptitude in English at this stage, but has an awesome personality and ability to recognize a further purpose beyond school teachings. During a lesson, I see him and another more English-gifted student conversing and motioning in my direction during a pair project. Eventually, he waves me over. The gist of it is that using a combination jap-eng dictionary, his partner`s skills, and his own natural cunning, he had written "I have reached the limit of my strength, vacation please? Yes/No."　This made me happier than an ALT probably should be in this situation. Unfortunately, remembering my responsibilities as an educator and role model, I had to circle "No" but with much apology and understanding. He gave an exaggerated slump and bit of mock despair and I walked off chuckling. He did ask me again after the class had ended and I gave him a very enthusiastic `yes` and smiles all around.

I`ve never expected any of my students to have a solid grasp of English based on nothing but bad textbooks and my own shoddy teachings. Problem is, it`s hard to convey this to the students when you don`t know enough Japanese to do so and explaining in English kinda defeats the purpose, it seems.

Summer in a nutshell

So my nice long 5-week summer vacation comes to a close this weekend and I now reflect on everything I've accomplished over the past month or so. Sadly enough, the sum of that is exactly '0'. I basically squandered the entire time and got nothing accomplished, either on the 'for kicks' or the productive side. With the exception of one very enjoyable trip to Sendai with a few other ALTs, I basically sat in my little corner and did pretty much what I would if I were back in the States. At the beginning there were plans of visiting other places all around, but those fell short as being either 'too expensive' or 'too much work.' Not that I'm making excuses, mind you. No, there's no forgiveness and only the promise to do better in the next round. With the new crop of folks showing up very soon or already here, I shall endeavor to be more sociable and adventurous. When in a new place, one would be remiss to not try as many new things as possible. Hopefully I'll be able to slip from my rut and be able to try more outside venues. I'm proud of myself for discovering and making the movie theater a regular thing. However, they can be as expensive as the rumors state at almost $20 a pop during prime time showings. Going before 5pm can cut the price in half, assuming there's even a showing then. That done with and put aside, now for a more general overview of the Japanese countryside in the summer.

IT'S FLIPPING HOT.

Now, being from Florida I should be well used to this as the temperatures and humidity were about the same if not slightly lower. What I was not used to, however, was the lack of Air Conditioning. Most going to Japan and even north Japan will probably have an AC unit. My apartment is somewhat old style so the idea is generally to suffer the heat for a month or two, then go back freezing. Regardless, it still is not fun when merely wearing clothes causes you to sweat.

Other than that there is one big event occurs during the summer vacation: Tanabata. Now I forget most of the details of the story the holiday season celebrates, but basically it's an excuse to shoot of firecrackers for several weeks straight. So that was kinda fun but rather uneventful at the same time. Worst part about being in Japan and not fluent is that it can be fairly. You simply don't know about cool stuff unless someone actually tells you. Been a few times where I've unwittingly stumbled onto a festival or event I had no idea was supposed to take place. But once again, probably half my own fault for not asking or making the effort.

The other great regret I have that can be easily remedied is my total inadequate number of pictures I've taken. I hope to take care of that somewhat this weekend, going around the countryside and snapping shots of whatever strikes my fancy. so hopefully look for those soon.

So after all this time I guess I'm ready to get back to work. Should prove to be an interesting semester at the least. Lot to look forward to and some things to dread over slightly. Nothing to do but keep walking forward and hoping for the best as usual.

Cultural Quickie: Cell Phones and Driving

You cell phone opponents may rejoice, as Japan is one country that has actually gone through with banning, or at least severely limiting, the use of cell phones while driving. And yes, the Japanese are just as attached to their cell phones as Americans and the like tend to be, if not more so. And while most of the time the Japanese will follow the law of not using phones on public transportation, they can't quite seem to let go while in their own private vehicle. This doesn't mean they just drive and talk, but rather in a Japanese-style obedient adherence to the law, they simply pull over to the side of the road when they receive a call. Many a times I'll be on a little town road and see someone pulled over with their emergency flashers on, chatting on a cell phone. Quite often the car won't have quite enough room to pull over fully, so it creates a bit of a hazard for other cars trying to get by. Basically, I wouldn't be surprised if people pulling over to use their cell phones caused more accidents then people talking while driving, though I have no evidence that proves as such. Now I think it may be ok to have a hands-free setup and drive, but that usually means knowing in advance when a call was coming or making a call, so don't that too often.

On Second Thought...

(Post-dated, April 23rd)
Today I had one of those 'proud to be, and able to see myself as a teacher' days. Once again, probably mostly because of the small school unlike the previous Junior High, and going there three days in a row unlike the once every six weeks schedule of an Elementary school. Basically, today I show up only to have the kyoto-sensei(vice-principle) inform me that the Japanese Teacher of English is sick today and won't be coming to school. At first I panic, then rejoice at the thought of possibly going home early to take care of some important chores. However, it was not to be. I get on the phone with the JTE and she apologizes profusely then asks me if I can do maybe a 10-minute drill then have the students write in their workbooks or do their homework. Panic returns. Now, I don't see myself as a skilled or experienced teacher at this point, but my age allows me to remember a few things about being a teen at school. I know that there's no way these kids are going to be able to work for forty minutes on a few pages of work without finishing or just not bothering. So I figure I might expand upon the lesson plans in order to get slightly more time out of them. I pull some general review stuff I did the week before at the other Junior high, and try to run it by the kids.

Now, I know I'm supposed to be able to make lesson plans for Junior High classes just as well as for Elementary, but on short notice and in a situation where you're really by yourself, it's a bit difficult. All in all, however, I think it went pretty well. The first period was a little shaky, just having a lack of material to cover. The next two periods, though, my efforts paid off. Of course the kids had no idea what they were supposed to write for 40 minutes, or where to even start. So I pulled a few ALT tricks from the bad and did a few warm-ups that lasted the period. Third period was even better, with a successful adaption of the lesson incorporating a little piece of home, the kids learned about Campbell stadium and were actually interested and understood. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Now, the heart-warming teacher tales. After third period, I had my first student come to talk to me outside of being forced to, and in English. Having a kid actually initiate a conversation is a pretty big deal from what I understand, so I felt pretty good about it. When I got back to my desk, one of the teachers showed me something a student had written in Japanese. After my rough start, a first grade student for some reason wrote a little note for me, or about me. Basically it said: James-sensei, the teacher's absent, please do your best/good luck”. I have to say, it had a rather heart-warming effect. the teacher made a copy of it and gave it to me, probably wanting to keep the original to put in some scrapbook, maybe. So I got home and tacked it to me wall in the very noble, 'touched' teacherly thing to do. I would wind the post down with some more thoughtful and unnecessary tripe, but this post is already much longer than I hoped it would be. So bye.

The Daily Grind

So the first two weeks of the job that will be mine for no less than 50 more have passed. In this time I’ve had the chance to teach in more situations and styles than most ALTs do in their year of assignments. Elementary, Junior High, Special Needs, large classes, tiny classes, all with their own little quirks, good parts, and bad parts. At this point it’s difficult to say which I think I’ll enjoy more. My first school was an large elementary school, so I think this kinda shaped my early style. I took a lot from the training as far as mannerisms and behavior, and it seemed to work fairly well for me. Maybe the kids just knew the routine and what to expect. I hope to start pulling a few tricks of my own out soon, once I get a hang of all the schools. So far, where I’ve been in charge I think most of the students are enjoying themselves and learning at least a little bit, so I guess I’m not doing too bad, then.

Elementary School: One part teacher, two parts clown, two parts activity coordinator. Mix together and add to a class full of little Japanese kids and you have an ALT. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but so far Elementary school has required the most planning for successful lessons. Granted I’ve been able to reuse quite a bit of my material and I like to keep some aspects of the class loose to allow for immediate change. And on-the-fly work is a regular occurrence in these schools. You never know when an activity will fall through for one reason or another or the lesson run through quicker than expected, or the class is either above or below the standard at which you’re teaching. I’ve noticed that I’m actually fairly good at pulling stuff out of nowhere or varying things to make it look fresh and that I had it planned all along.

Big classes are difficult as you have to keep everyone’s attention and make sure you’re not just focusing on just a few students. This is not always easy as school have a tendency to stick my class in the music room where there are plenty of distractions. Although it is nice when I get a music room or playroom as I don’t have to worry about desks getting in the way. The teachers usually stay with the class and help with discipline. So far, I’ve had no problems with teacher participation once they stay, and like to use them for demonstrations if only for the kid’s amusement and comfort. However, most teachers won’t know a bit of English outside what we’re learning and directions can be difficult at times. Usually they’ll catch on and be able to figure out what you want the students to do. Time usually goes by rather quickly with the large groups, but a day of large classes will take a lot out of you.

Small classes are interesting. Getting up in front of the class only to have four or five quizzical faces stare back at you is an awkward situation. My first small school didn’t go so well, mostly due to my own fault. I seriously underestimated how small the numbers I was dealing with was, and figured that lessons meant for middle-sized classes would work fun. Needless to say, I went through the lessons and even my back-up activities with an average of 10-20 minutes left to spare. I ended up using the same stuff way more than I would have liked, and I’m afraid that I may have given the kids way to much information in order to be able to play all the games we went through. It was a little better with the older classes as they already knew most of it. In the future I’ll come in a bit better prepared and take measures to have activities for smaller groups. Also, maybe it was just the one school, but in almost all the classes, the teacher wouldn’t stay for the lesson. This wasn’t a big deal as the kids in small groups were not very rowdy and were easy to keep focused, but this presented a few issues as far as translation and the ever-cherished ‘questions about ALT’ time-killing method. I was tempted to break the ‘no-Japanese in class’ rule a few times for greater ease towards this end. Although, I think that with the right amount of preparation, these classes could be a lot of fun.

Special needs classes, or at least the once I’ve taught, are a bit different than I imagined when I first heard the term. Well, if I learned at least one thing about them, it’s that there’s no uniform way to go about them and that you should leave any pre-conceived notions at the door. One of the Special Needs teachers took the time to sit down with me and plan something together, which I really appreciated. Went into the class of four kids with a lesson meant for first graders, then simplified a bit by the teacher, and the kids just killed it. Did just as good if not better than a lot of the older classes. Here I had to pull out a few extra activities from nowhere which actually went over very well. At the end of the class, everyone seemed to have enjoyed it quite a bit, especially the Special Needs teachers. Everyone of them that saw me afterwards made a point to thank me with a little less formality than I usually get. It was also one of the most fun classes of that week for me.

Junior High: One part lesson planner, one part cultural liaison, two parts human tape recorder. Mix evenly with shy Japanese teens weighed down by the education system and serve one ALT. My week of Junior High classes was quite an experience. I went into the job after having taught at several Elementary schools, so I think I was somewhat accustomed to the system I had worked out for myself. It was a bit of a rude awakening for some reason. I did little to no actual planning; having short conferences with the teachers as to what they wanted to do. During class I wasn’t exactly the star of the show, taking a true “Assistant” role. And the funny thing was, it was a bit uncomfortable. All the things I wanted in an ALT position, and the Elementary school warm-up had ruined it. I actually didn’t like not having control. Granted, this isn’t always the case with Junior High, probably just the first week where the teachers know I haven’t done this before. Junior High schools have actual English Teachers, who more or less already know some English. And since they can explain things a lot better than you, instruction falls mostly on them. Classes have been fairly straight-forward, with a lot less emphasis on game and more emphasis on actual English. Some of the students aren’t quite as enthused with these classes, but for the most part are agreeable. There are a few that simply don’t pay attention, but they usually keep to themselves and don’t disrupt the class. At this point, they kinda hesitate to ask me questions or get my help, and my not being able to use Japanese kinda limits what I can tell them to: speaking the parts for them to hear, miming, or giving veiled responses. However, outside of class more often than not they won’t hesitant to wave and say hello or goodbye, knowing it will probably only illicit a short response from me, which is what they’re comfortable with. I have taken time to try talking to a few, and will continue to do as such. It tends to be a bit livelier in the staff room for me as opposed to the elementary schools. I can usually chat with the English teachers and have them translate to talk to the other staff. Perhaps the biggest plus of teaching at Junior High schools for me is the culture experience. In Elementary school they start to learn the foundations but it’s Junior High when the kids really became ingrained in Japanese society, which for me is always nice to be able to experience and study.

So both situations have their advantages and disadvantages and both have their own little fulfilling moments. I’m kinda glad I got to experience both and not just be stuck with the same thing everyday.

Getting Settled

For the sake of my personal time and reader interest, I've decided to condense a few mediocre post into one. For the most part it's been a period of minor adjustment and boredom, followed by anxiety and worry once classes started getter closer.

The apartment is now fully furnished with even a few things I wish I hadn't received, mostly miscellaneous bit of unneeded furniture, but as far as it all goes, I'm probably better off than a lot of ALTs just starting out. I have all the little things you need to take for granted until you don't have them. Heaters, Dishes, pots and pans, a washing machine that actually kinda sucks, and a real bed. I didn't have to buy a whole lot to round it all out. So far, Marumori has been a fairly inexpensive post. On the downside, there's just not a whole lot here. I am able to walk to any of the three grocery stores in town and driving to any only takes me a few minutes. For everything else, there's Kakuda.

Kakuda is the little city a few minutes drive away from me that seems like will act as my lifeline of convenience. While a lot of the good stuff is further away in Shiroishi, Kakuda contains the essentials as well as a nerd Mecca of sorts. On the practical side they have a 100yen store, basically a dollar store except a lot cooler. You can pick up a lot of essentials there for mere dollars. Maybe I just appreciate the concept more that I actually have to buy all the little day-to-day nick-knacks, but the place is still pretty cool. Next to it is a department store of sorts. Not a whole lot there, actually, but as far as the things you can't pick up for dollars, you can still find it fairly cheap here. And the most important part and the biggest drain on my cash flow thus far, the Mecca. A Game slash DVD slash Music slash books slash otaku trinkets store. My first visit, I picked up a cheap DVD player and a copy of Snatch. Since them I've grabbed a few more $6 DVDs (X-men 2, Harry Potter, and Fight Club) and in compliance to my own otaku inner demon, a few little Gundam model kits from the newer series.

Driving in a foreign country is a fairly interesting experience. Add many factors such as driving on the opposite side of the road, speeds judged in kilometers, and an unfamiliar vehicle make it a rather tense experience at times. However, after my first few white-knuckled adventures, I generally got used to it. every now and then, though, my brain reverts back to the original driving instincts and potential un-pleasantries arise. The Japanese road system leaves a lot to be desired. Roads are narrow, specifically in towns, and ill-kept after, especially everywhere else. Many of my schools lie on winding mountain passes with sections that can only fit one vehicle at a time. When winter rolls around, it makes it many times more dangerous.

The food is decent, as long as you like Asian cuisine and seafood, which I do. However, unless you vary your diet by purchasing either unfamiliar or more expensive things, it tends to feel like eating out at the Manchu Wok every meal of the week. I figured I'd be pretty well off but have already started to develop cravings for certain western comfort foods like burgers and fries. At some point in the future, I'd probably commit a felony for some freaking buffalo wings.

Overall, it's been an interesting and mostly fun experience. When classes start up I'll be able to get into a normal routine that doesn't involve me hidden away in my apartment for days on end only venturing out to get food or entertainment. Until then...