Class Trips

This week, both the second and third graders are away on class trips. The third graders went to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nara for the week, and the second graders went somewhere in Yamanashi for a couple days. Most of the staff left to accompany the students. So, Kae is gone, along with the principal, and pretty much everyone else. I wanted to go too, but there probably would have been several meetings if they had taken my request seriously. Plus, it would have cost me something like a thousand dollars. Before they left, I asked the kids to bring me back omiyage (gifts that you bring back when you go somewhere). Most of them thought it was funny. Yuka flipped out (as she is prone to do) and screamed/whined to Kae asking if I was serious. Anyway, I have no classes this week. It’s more boring than usual…

[Side not about Yuka: Once a week (per my request) Kae and I have the students write a “journal” entry. It’s the only real opportunity they have to practice writing in English (writing original thoughts in English is completely absent from the official English curriculum). Each week we give them a topic to give them some ideas. One week’s topic was “If you could have a robot in your house, what would you do with it” – or something to that effect. Yuka wrote that, if she had a robot, she would have a Gundam. (Gundam’s are giant, heavily-armed, flying, pilot-able robots from the popular anime series Gundam). I saw her writing this, and I asked her what she would do with the Gundam – like, would she fly it to the moon, fight bad guys, blow up a city, etc? She told me that if she had a Gundam, she wouldn’t do any of those things. She wouldn’t want to get it messed up and dirty. She would just want to look at it. “Madness,” I thought. I asked her, what if the world was in peril, and we needed Yuka to step into her Gundam and save the day? She said she would not want to do this. She would rather the attractive (animated) protagonist from the series step into the Gundam and save the world. Is this not crazy? She would prefer to watch an animated character (one she is unabashedly attracted to, by the way) fly around in a Gundam than do so herself. That seems crazy to me. What would you do if you had a giant, heavily-armed, flying, pilot-able robot in your possession? Would you use it? If I had one, I would be in that thing so fast…]

The new principal really likes me. He told me as such when he was drunk at the enkai we had recently. He is also not as good as the old principal was at hiding the fact that he has nothing to do. The old principal would disappear into his office and stay there, with the door closed, all day. The new principal, I think, gets antsy. He can only be in his office for short periods of time. When he gets bored, he starts walking around the staff room blatantly wasting time (no papers in his hand, no trips to the paper shredder or the copy machine, nothing). He used to work at an elementary school, so I don’t think he’s quite used to the middle school routine. While walking around, he invariably makes his way to my desk where I always look busy – either studying Japanese, doing actual work (rare), or writing these blogs. The other day I was grading a stack of “journal” entries – I started and worked through the pile. It doesn’t take all that long if you just sit down and do it. Well, he was so impressed at how hard I work, that he suggested that I take a break. I mean, there were about fifty papers, but they each only take about forty-five seconds to correct… He can’t sit down for forty minutes and do work uninterrupted? I guess not…

No Boys in Brass Band

So, I was studying Japanese today - because I had nothing else to do - no classes or anything... I study out of a book that I get from the JET program. It covers a lot of ground really quickly. So, I'm past the point of "Hi, my name is...". While reading a sample dialogue (in Japanese), my principal comes up to me, sees what I'm reading, and decides that he's going to give me a Japanese lesson. So, he reads the first sentence of the dialogue and has me repeat after him, which I do with no problem (like that helps me with the meaning...). But then he decides to take it back a step - by teaching me the alphabet. I learned the alphabet before I came to Japan. It was the one thing I knew. But, he writes it all down and has me repeat after him - like reading along with the ABC's. We do this several times. Thanks for the Japanese lesson...

Also today, the new 7th graders went around to all the different club activities so they could decide which one they wanted to choose. I was hanging out in the band room, trying to recruit kids. It was really funny. The kids come in, they walk over to one of the 8th or 9th graders, who hands them an instrument and gives them brief instructions on how to play it. Then they kids blow away until they make a sound. My job was to make brass band look cool (its a sad state of affairs when I, of all people, am the authority on what is cool). I really want some boys to join. There hasn't been a male member of the Nakatomi Junior High School Brass Band in over 5 years.

Tomorrow, we'll give a little performance to further persuade the new kids. Before the performance we all stand up and give a little speech about how great band is. The speech ends with the whole band saying something like "lets enjoy brass band together" in unison. We were rehearsing this. After everyone yelled this phrase, they sort of just stood there awkwardly. I jokingly suggested that all give a thumbs up at the end. Unfortunately my suggestion was regarded as a good idea. It looks really nerdy. I don't think any boys are going to be joining brass band this year...

Love Patrol

Today was a half day at school. After lunch the students went home because there was a big regional teachers union meeting happening at our school in the afternoon. Kae and the Vice Principal had told me that I could go home after lunch.

So, I went up to ask the Principal if I could leave, but before I could say anything, he handed me a bright neon jacket and an orange flag and told me to go outside to be a parking attendant for all the teachers who were arriving. Great...

Soon, Kae came out, also in a jacket. Apparently suckered into doing the same thing. She told me that on the back of the jacket, it said "love patrol". I think she was kidding, but she insisted. So, there I was, waving the cars in, in my neon jacket - the love patrol.


This has nothing to do with the love patrol. Yesterday we had opening ceremonies. Typical ceremony - speeches and bowing. I wanted to make particular note of the amount of bowing that went on at this ceremony. Example - the Vice Principal opens the ceremony: he stands up from his chair, takes a couple steps, bows to the board of education people who nod back, he approaches the stage, bows to the stage, climbs the stairs to the podium, stands behind the podium, bows to everyone, everyone bows back, he says the date and that we are starting the ceremony, takes a step back, bows to everyone, everyone bows back, he gets of the stage, turns around to face the stage, bows to the stage, walks to his chair, turns around to face the BOE people, bows to the BOE people, BOE people nod back, Vice Principal sits down. And that's just how it started. Every single person who made a speech (and there were a lot of them) had to go through the exact same procedure. Sometimes everyone had to stand, then bow, and sit down. It was excruciating.

New School Year

The new school year just started. The new teachers are here. They seem pretty nice, but I think I preferred the teachers that just left…

The new principal is cool. He was the principal at one of the elementary schools I teach at, and he would assist me with the fifth grade classes. The new vice-principal seems a little weird. He could be nice though. The jury’s still out on him. The new secretary is really shy – painfully so. The new Japanese teacher seems like a real goofball. He bows really deeply and has a weird smile. He’s a young guy, so I’m not sure why he’s so uptight. When he introduced himself to the students he told a story (a fable, I think) that seemed really rehearsed.

Anyway… I was sitting in the staff room this morning, minding my own business – doing some research on where I should travel during the Golden Week holiday – when I notice that most of the teachers in the staff room are gone. This is not so strange – I frequently find myself alone in the staff room. But, the only teachers there were the new teachers. As soon as I realized this, a buzz came through on the intercom, and everyone got up to leave. They motioned that I should come with them. I followed them to the gym where the rest of the school was waiting to welcome them. Awkward. I should have been in the gym when they arrived, but no one told me about this ceremony. I did a quick social-awkwardness calculation. If I jumped ahead of them, and entered first, it would look weird – as everyone would start clapping when the door opened, and then it would only be me. If I entered last, right after the last new teacher, it would look equally weird. So, I waited a couple seconds after the last teacher went in, and then I quickly went in and took my place among the other, not new, teachers. It’d be nice if someone had given me a heads up…

So now, I am, once again, alone in the staff room. I was helping the music teacher out with preparations for the new students’ arrival (it was great, someone actually asked me for help, and I had a task to do) while the students where cleaning. When I finished, I looked up, and realized that the staff room had emptied. I walked around the school thinking that the students were in homeroom. No one was around. I think everyone’s in the gym, but the vice principal is hosing off the stairs that lead down there, and I really don’t want to a.) get hosed b.) get asked to help hose, or c.) slip and fall down the wet stairs.

Haru ni narimasu

Spring is coming. Flowers are blooming.


Japanese people are very proud of their four seasons. Some think that Japan is the only country that has four distinct seasons, and I sometimes get asked if there are seasons in America. They are very impressed when I tell them that South Jersey has the same climate as Japan.

Many people are enamored with the beauty of the seasons, especially the cherry blossoms in the spring and the falling leaves in autumn. But, I think the main reason that the seasons feature so prominently in Japanese culture is the change in temperature. In America, we completely control our indoor climate – buildings and houses stay virtually the same temperature year-round (68 in winter, 72 in summer). But, the Japanese allow the weather into their houses (and many other buildings). Most houses are not insulated. It gets cold inside in the winter and unbelievably hot in the summer. In the winter, families gather around kotatsus (little tables with heaters on the underside) and in the summer they open all the windows. The seasons really affect their state of mind.

I know that many people in America are also affected by the seasons. But, imagine that it was 40 degrees in your house in the winter. When spring came, yes the days would get longer and the flowers would bloom, but you’d be pretty thrilled that your house was getting warmer and you could come out from under your little heated table.

Side note: I was talking to the vice-principal about the cherry blossoms. Last week he told me that they wouldn’t be in bloom by the time I got to Kyoto. But, he was wrong. They’ve already started blooming. (Not such an expert now, are you?) Anyway, we started talking about some of the other flowering plants – like the hakumokuren tree with the white flowers that is directly outside the window. I commented that it was beautiful, but the flowers have already started to fall off. He compared it to a woman who is very very beautiful, but who has very dirty behavior.

But, he’ll be leaving. The teachers all found out if they’re staying or going. The Vice Principal is going, which is a shame, because I enjoyed talking with him. Other notables: Dai Sensei is leaving. He’s, like, the nicest person ever. And he loves practicing his English with me. A couple weeks ago, I helped him prepare for an English proficiency test by doing a mock-interview. I’m sad to see him go. The staff room won’t be as genki without him. Who will belt out the tenor part of the school song? Also leaving is the secretary – Yoshihiko Sensei – another extremely nice person. She wants to get lunch again sometime. Oh, and Fukasawa Sensei – the really cute teacher who played flute in brass band – is leaving too. She’ll be teaching at elementary school from now on.

After Graduation

So, last week was graduation. The ninth graders are out of here – they all got into their high schools of choice, which is good. The school is pretty quiet without them. Why am I still at school, you ask? Graduation apparently does not mean the end of the year.

For two weeks after the ninth graders graduate, the 7th and 8th graders still have classes. This makes no sense. Then there’s a week off, and then its back to school. Weird. I don’t like it. School years should not be separated by a mere week. There’s something brilliant about a summer vacation. Done in June – return in September. Each year feels distinct – with a clear ending and a true beginning. Can you imagine if, when you graduated from elementary or middle school, you only had a week before you had to go to your new school? Welcome to the Asian school system.

Oh, there’s a summer break. But it’s hardly a vacation. The kids still come into school everyday, but instead of classes they do their club activities. No one ever gets a long break. The longest is a week at a time. The kids are never out of school for very long – even during the day. They get here at 7:30, and, now that the days are getting longer, they stay until six. Six! The system is designed so that the kids have no lives outside of school. They even come in on Saturdays for club activities. In the West, you go to school, do your schoolwork, then go home. The process is streamlined. School just feels like one part of your life – not the whole thing.

I don’t know why anyone would want to be a teacher in this country. The pay is relatively low and the hours are insane. The kids are frequently in school for over ten hours but the teachers stay even longer. Many times it ends up being a twelve-hour day. Do they have so much work? No. But the culture dictates that everyone come in and look busy for the better part of the day. Oh, I forgot to mention that there’s no such thing as tenure, and teachers are moved from school to school approximately every 3 or 4 years. These changes are made during spring break. This year, spring break starts on Wednesday the 26th. The teachers will be told by the Board of Education if they are being moved on the 25th. Then, they will have the week of spring break to move themselves to a new school. What if you get moved across the prefecture, a one-and-a-half hour’s drive away? Sometimes this requires uprooting your family. Other times it requires getting an apartment near your new school and living there six days out of the week (if you’re at school for 12 hours a day, you can’t afford another 3 hours of commuting time). The whole thing is crazy.

Ugh, the teachers are about to have a meeting. Who knows when they’ll be done? I think, last time, the meeting lasted until 7 (its 3:30 now). Why do they have these meetings? Many of the teachers have admitted to me that the meetings are pointless – just a forum for the vice principal to ramble endlessly. I mean, he’s an expert on so many diverse topics (photography, astronomy, carpentry, the dangers of the yakuza, the city of Miami, big-band jazz, coffee, etc.). Why wouldn’t you want to listen to him for hours?

Graduation Practice

I had to get out of there. Graduation practice is so boring. Practice walking in, practice clapping while the graduates walk in, practice sitting down, practice standing up, practice bowing… Everything has to be so meticulously choreographed. “When I take the first step up to the podium, everyone stands up. Now lets practice that a couple times…. Ok, when I sit down, everyone sits down. Now lets practice that a couple times… Ok, when I bow everyone bows… When I put this paper over here, everyone sits down. Now lets practice that a couple times…” I was ready to go crazy.

They even practiced getting their diplomas – step up, bow, principal reads what’s on the diploma, student receives the diploma (left hand, then right hand), bows and exits, all set to music – for all the graduates. Why bother having a graduation ceremony? We just did the whole thing.

Update: The teachers just came into the teachers’ room to have a meeting about how graduation practice is going. I assume the students are still in the gym, practicing. They discussed what needed to be worked on, and then left to go do more practice. How much longer is this thing going on? Isn’t it time for lunch yet?


ps - Wow. Today was the first day we haven’t had milk for lunch. Instead, we had liquid strawberry yoghurt to drink. Chigaimasu – chotto hen desu ne.