Kids, Kimonos, and Krispies

ctober 20, 2009-November 1, 2009
Hope everyone had a great Halloween! It was a thoroughly entertaining experience as Japan does not celebrate the holiday  I’ll explain more a little later, for the sake of chronology.
Wednesday (10/21) was a visit to Hakubai Yochien (Hakubai kindergarten), which was BEAUTIFUL. Three, four, and five year old kind of beautiful. We came in and immediately spread out to different groups/classrooms/ages. There was also a camera crew there, taping our visit (it aired later that evening), and newspaper reporters who published a piece the next day. One class of kids had a carnival-like theme: pick up your wallet prior to entering (made of wrapping paper and streamer), pay about ¥100 (paper coins) to go in the haunted house (cardboard, construction paper, and tape), play a shooting game (shoot rubber bands attached to balled up tape from a large cardboard structure that resembled the Star Wars ‘Return of the Jedi’ I THINK big elephant-like machines at a cardboard/paper/tape “target board” with different areas meaning different points), and/or buy origami faces. All the girls in the class made the games because they weren’t getting along, so the teacher used the projects as a bonding activity.
Another class was creating a mural on the floor and selling ice cream (bits of construction paper in an ACTUAL plastic cup that used to hold pudding-LOVE the recycling!) and donuts (balled up paper and tape). They even put your purchase in a cute paper bag and taped it shut for you. Downstairs, the three year olds were playing outside in the sandbox or running around the playground equipment. Great energy. Great smiles. We all wanted to steal one and take one home. About half the students at Hakubai Yochien are only children, a growing trend in Japan. So part of the “education” they undergo is how to share-toys, turns on the slide, etc.
Then we were taken into a room where we had time scheduled with all students-we all sat in small chairs and faced all the students, who did various choreographed dances for us. Then we sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for them. We could have used an A… Then played “Don Jyan Ken” with the five year old class (whom we ate lunch with later). This game entails the two teams (us vs. them) standing at “x”s taped on the floor on opposite sides of the room. Then they run at each other and try to reach the other team’s “x” before meeting the other person and Jyan-Ken-Poning (rock-paper-scissoring). The winner (sometimes it had to be done more than once) would then progress further to the other team’s “x”. Took a while to get to the other team’s “x”/prevent them from getting to your “x”. They won three times, we won twice.
Lunch was adorable. The four and five year old “students” are served bento lunches (boxed lunches) created by a nutritionist (with the education system guidelines in mind) and made by a private company. We ate separately prepared bentos-pineapple slice, piece of salmon, rice, and two little salads. Three year olds (whom we saw after eating) have bentos made by their mothers (most likely). These mothers have SO MUCH time to devote to cubing apples and cutting carrots into shapes and skewering food on skewers with animals on them. AND the silverware and chopsticks set as well as the bento box as well as the handkerchief/bag that encloses the bento box are all decorated with some kind of cartoon/Disney character, though the three pieces don’t always match. The point is so that three year olds learn how much they can eat and have the chance to see what other students are bringing so that, if they want, they can ask their parents to bring such-and-such a food into the house for them to try (exchanging food at school is not allowed). When they reach four and five years of age and are eating the school lunch, they should be looking to other students who are maybe eating what they themselves don’t want to eat and then TRYING their food (“just try it”), thus expanding their palette. They do not have to finish all their food (unlike the students at Fuzoku Elementary School), but the wasted food is much less than what you would find in American schools of any kind.
Chat time with the principal (a member of Earlham Society; was at the party oh way back in September). Then off to Claire’s host family where we had KIMONO TIME with her host mother. Gosh. So fun. Abhi’s host mother and one of Claire’s host mother’s friends came to help. We females wore unmarried girls’ kimonos and some great pictures exist of us all standing outside in the sun.
Off to dinner at a local hotel, then to a kabuki (Japanese theater) “dance”. Well, the best part was the TAIKO DRUMMING that opened the show (and occurred throughout) done by some VERY strong men who had sleeveless “uniforms”. The main drummer had his back to us and decided to undo his top “shirt” so that his back was exposed. OH MY GOSH. I’m a sucker for backs and shoulders and arms and OH GOODNESS. It kept me awake, let’s say. (Not that it was boring at all. It was from 6:30-9:00pm and we were all pretty tired.)
The next day (Thursday, 10/22), we were off to another school visit: Higashi Matsuzono Elementary School. Arrived, ate lunch with individual classrooms (1 of us big kids with 1 classroom). I was with 4th year, 1st class. We had lunch (soup, sweet and sour chicken-like meat, salad), went outside (played freeze tag), I did a self-introduction, and we did origami in class. Paper airplanes! The whole idea of them being an instructed art form was AWESOME. We then left and went to Sensei’s apartment where we practiced Rice Krispy treat making for the coming Gandai festival (that weekend).
Friday (10/23) was workbook grading at Senboku. Tsukie left early that morning to go to Sendai for training in her, I think, summer job, as a park guide (she would return Saturday evening). I came home, took a nap, and then went to volleyball practice where it was a game! So much fun, as always, and there’s such an inborne order that things just FLOW. When I was waiting in the center to throw to the setter for a chance to practice hitting, I KNEW the line to hit from outside would go before me. That’s how it FELT.
Gandai Festival (Sat 10/24 and Sun 10/25), as a whole, was quite a haul. There from 8am on Saturday, making sure we knew where our tent was. But it was a little confusing as our location and materials were not blatantly labeled/stated. We were directed to the tent and set-up pipes pick-up area, but were not told that ryuugakusei (exchange student) tents #s1-8 were labeled with numbers so that all pieces could be conveniently picked up together. Guess we were supposed to know that. It is logical, which I respect.
Once we set-up, it was great fun yelling at passersby attempting to attract them to buy our ¥100 Rice Krispy treats. Red food coloring made them strawberry, blue made them blueberry. Our hours together in close quarters also gave us all a chance to learn more about each other, which is always fun in my opinion. Throughout the two days, we browsed other tents (other clubs/campus groups) for snacks and lunch-yakisoba, yakitori (skewered bits of chicken), aisu tempura (like deep-fried ice cream), crepes (France WAS right next to us ), takoyaki (octopus in balls of batter? I’m really not sure…), soba, gyoza… Saturday night, I helped Hanako with some English sentences via email since she was taking the TOEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) test the next day.
We made, the two days combined, ¥61700 total. Profit of about ¥43000. After clean-up on Sunday, (which was also confusing because no signs told us where specific parts of the tent went, BUT we followed the crowds of knowing Gandai-ites), we all went to Sensei’s apartment for our own uchiage (celebration party) of pizza. Then six of us headed back to Gandai, met up with some students, and headed to a previously planned uchiage planned by members of the planning committee of sorts. About 22 of us altogether, Japanese, American (and an Indian!), French, Italian, and Russian people chowing down and drinking.
With Monday (10/26), came more review in the Japanese class, but ALWAYS feels good to know an answer. (Hearing Pachelbel’s Canon on a TV ad during breakfast also perked me up, partly because it always reminds me of you, Mike.) In the textbook, we were doing giving/receiving and one example was from me to my roommate, a t-shirt with “London” written on it. Yup, that’s you, Liz, and you, CE. We had all planned to do spring registration that afternoon, but it wasn’t up yet SO what did we do? Yes, Facebook and email. We’re addicted.
Culture shock/“Homesickness”/Dissatisfaction came today with a vengeance (was bemoaning with Ethan) in the form of wanting familiarity, the freedom to watch movies on couches with friends, to stay out late and come home late, to HUG FRIENDS. MY GOD. But am still enjoying. Never question that.
Twas drying out from typhoon #2, which blew through Monday night. At school on Tuesday (10/27), the only thing to do was a take-home test for Literacy in Japanese (part of the reason why we were able to do Facebook and email on Monday-Sensei gave us the test and then set us free to register for spring classes, but we couldn’t). I was FREEZING at school because I thought, Hannah, don’t take another layer. You always take it and it’s just more weight/a burden. BUT Mom and Dad, let’s hear it: it’s better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. Precisely. So I felt a little sicky sicky after school: cold, achy, sniffly. Hoped it wasn’t the swine, so I took a little nap. HA. Can you EVER take a “little” nap? It’s a learned art, that’s for sure. Lied down at 4:45 and oh, two and a half hours later I woke up. Slept through the alarm I had set for 6pm. But man, was it GREAT.
We were at our host schools on Wednesday (10/28) until 3rd period, then we all met at Gandai and taxied to Shirayuri, a private, conservative, Catholic, all girls school (elementary, junior high, and high). It’s on a HILL no less. Observed second and third year English classes. Very advanced speaking abilities. There’s something to be said for the focus that comes with single sex education. One girl approached me and presented me with a letter and her email address and we have been emailing. She is BRILLIANT at English and plays the violin 3 hours a day. She actually, in another example of small worldliness, takes lessons from the same teacher as Yuki’s (our program coordinator) daughter.
We taxied back to Gandai and then some of us embarked on Halloween costume shopping at a store Tamara and I had found way back in September (then to various hyakuen/dollar stores, including Daiso). Didn’t quite know what I wanted to be yet (as is typical me), but conjured a general idea. At home, Tsukie had me CLEAN THE BATH!!!!!!!        That was something I had thought before that maybe if I were asked to do it, it would symbolize closeness between me and my family. It felt good. 
After class on Thursday (10/29), we all were invited to go to Sensei’s apartment to register for classes. Elizabeth and I stopped at a cool-looking dessert place on the way there (SO awesome to just walk down the street and stop-it frees you from the “woulda-coulda-shoulda” blues). After pseudo-registering (as I did not bring my Four Year Plan with me, along with pajamas), I lined up a few things (mostly Japanese classes, surprisingly) to maybe take next semester. And I emailed my advisor, so I’ll be all set soon. Went to ANOTHER Daiso on the way home and completed my costume. Yessssssss….
On Friday (10/30), I unveiled my “bad angel” costume to the students and staff of Senboku junior high school. It was a simple costume-black pants and black long sleeve top with small white wings and tinsel “halo” and black eyeliner-but it was new and different to the Japanese, so the school went wild. It was a great way to connect with students and staff alike and it helped lighten an already happy Friday.
Came home to Tea Time with Tsukie, which has probably been the most fun I’ve had this whole semester. If not THE most, then in the top three along with my failing to swallow sushi in Kyoto and looking at BEYOND ATTRACTIVE taiko drummers on stage. It was just us, sitting in the tatami room, with the kotatsu, a Japanese room heater covered with a quilt that you stick your feet under, a fashion shopping magazine, and sweets. Loads of new vocab. Great fun. Aunt Maya (piano extraordinaire), her husband, and Obaasan (grandmother) came over for dinner. Ko came back from a two day badminton game. What was interesting was the family members came over, bringing bentos and their dog and ate quickly with no real conversation (the television was on the whole time). Otoosan and Tsukie worked harder than usual, churning out three batches of gyoza while the guests and Ko sat and ate. I would be irate. It was so unequal. And no one acknowledged the inequality, which just made it more so.
Have come to realize, as we close in on the last few weeks, (back in Seattle December 6th), that it doesn’t matter if you’re prepared at the start of the school year or the start of the semester. It’s never about how many assignments you finish or your attendance record. It’s can you pull it out for the second half. Do you have the stamina? When the going gets tough, what do you do? I can do this.
Saturday, oh Saturday. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!! Woke up naturally at 7:15am NOT hating the world. Otoosan filled my bike tires with air after breakfast (made a HUGE difference MY GOODNESS). Skyped with a friend-which brings me to another point. I took voice for granted before, along with so many other things, but sometimes voice is SO vital. It really does make your day. I mean, when you think about it, the tone of someone’s voice really makes or breaks a comment of theirs. It can lift you up or drop you down. I can’t wait to hear so many of your voices. 
To Ueda Kominkan (where the Opening Ceremony is WAY BACK IN AUGUST) to help set-up for our Halloween party  Table of candy, treat bags, glowsticks, and face paint. Two tables for food (twas a potluck)-one for real food, one for desserts. Pumpkin carving and drawing in one corner. Walls covered with “Happy Halloween!” banners and paper decals of black cats, witches, and skeletons. Ghosts, glow-in-the-dark spiders and bats and spiderwebs, and pumpkin streamers hung from the ceiling. Plastic spiders and bats as well as Disney Halloween toys covered the tables.
From 4:45-7:15pm, we ate and played games with host family members with great music playing in the background. A Halloween mix had been made, but it ended up being a lot of Michael Jackson.  Pictionary/telephone was played (the first person is given a word and then draws, showing the next person, who must draw and show the next person, etc.). Pumpkins were carved. Doughnuts were dangled to blindfolded children who attempted to bite them. Abhi’s host brother kept taking my halo and running away with it.
After clean-up, which was a collective effort (WONDERFUL), seven of us headed to Wara-Wara for a nomikai (drinking party) with a friend from Gandai (who also happens to be the boyfriend of a SICE participant from last year) as well as two guys Mitchell and Ethan met at a music festival earlier in the semester. Lots of fun and good to be in a small group. They went to karaoke afterwards, but I headed home.
Sunday (11/1) was very similar to a typical college day-laundry and homework. However, did have some good conversation with Otoosan and Tsukie. Tsukie is going to visit Hanako the second weekend of November (and I want to go se Yoko again before I head back to the U.S.) and Hanako will be coming to visit the third weekend in November (she, Tsukie, and I will probably go to an onsen (hot springs)). Watched Japanese drama for new vocab, read some Japanese folktales for even MORE vocab. GREAT FUN. All in all, its going well. Learning a great deal just like I set out to do-about the culture, the language, and myself. This trip has fundamentally changed me. Hope you’re having the same experiences if those experiences are what you want. If not, then I hope each day is a gift. 
Love love love, Hannah