Welcome to the Jungle

Hi everyone -

Summer is over here in Maki!

Yes, it's true. The kid is back in school. Only this time I'm the one GIVING detention as opposed to the one getti...you get the idea.

Today was quite a thrill, as I was caught up in a whirlwind of last minute lesson plans and Japanese lunchroom etiquette. Plus there was the minor setback of having to give a speech in front of the entire school in both English and Japanese.

Here's my impression of how THAT went (I would be the gent on the left):

(^ ^)

Actually, aside from the speech, today went very nicely...

I hopped on my bike at 7:45 AM and pedaled off towards Maki Higashi JHS amidst a drizzle which kept the daily heat mercifully at bay; the nearby mountain range was quite picturesque, dusted with a light cloud coating and delicate pin holes of morning sunlight. But the drizzle became a bit more steady, causing me to focus on the here and now (or at this point in the evening, the 'there and then'). "How to keep dry?" I pondered. But dealing with such situations is not always cut and dry (heh heh heh)...

To avoid an international incident I had to think of some alternatives to using an umbrella in keeping my books and extra shoes dry during the ride to school; using an umbrella while riding a bicycle is frowned on in Japan. The mere mention that I had an umbrella in my bag for emergency use brought out the 'sucked in air' response from normally docile and unexpressive faces -- a mental note was made.

So my Uoroku bags did the trick and books and shoes were saved!

A few girls I normally see on the road were not in their normal blue shorts and white t-shirts, rather more formal long skirts and blouses. Around the bend some boys from the other direction rolled up in dark pants and buttoned down shirts. Before I knew it, I was engulfed in what seemed like a giant school of fish in formal wear accompanied by bicycles and a sea of white helmets, if you can picture THAT one. Note the nautical theme...it WAS raining.

I had long since learned that iPods should not be used while being in these types of situations given the frequency of 'Hi!' and 'Good morning! How are you?'s I attract. But these greetings are far more enjoyable than listening to tunes repeated on some playlist, albeit a tad more dangerous when I'm trying to maneuver around tricky terrain on my bike -- like a pebble or something. Hey! I'm still getting used to the roads here!

Anyway, once we reached the school, the kids ditched their rides and scrambled up into the student's entrance, most of them running to change into less formal clothing. Even though it was the first day, they were still responsible for working as a group to clean the hallways, classrooms, and bathrooms after homeroom. And I complain about cleaning the drain in the sink...

I continued acknowledging (and encouraging in some cases) 'Good morning!'s as I put on my indoor shoes and headed up to the teacher's room. On my way I noticed that a few students had filled in some questionnaires I had pinned to the English Corner wall. "He shoots, he scores!" cried the announcer. One day and I've already got them developing prose! Ok, I just asked them to fill out their names, grades, and favorite hobbies. Gotta start somewhere.

The air in the office was even more energized with teachers running about, making last minute copies in between hurried sips of green tea. So as to not cause a fright, I whispered a slight 'good morning' to Kuwabara sensei (oh Lady of Limitless Patience -- it's a bit of a lengthy nickname, but I'm working on it), one of MH's English teachers. She and I had an 1 nensei class (1st grade in Japanese JHS, 7th grade in the States) together, where I presented a 'Brendan Bingo' game I had crafted the night before. She replied in the like but assured me that she was not that busy. Something in her step suggested otherwise.

It was at that point where I started wondering why I didn't look as if I was being chased by some monster like the other folks in the room. "Ah," inner me felt, "there we go." The nerves took their cue and settled in nicely.

I mentioned above that the speech was slightly...awkward. You get a bit stressed when all foreign language ability flies out of the window the second the mic gets tested -- the peak came when I looked up and noticed that the school of fish with whom I had traveled not 30 minutes before were staring up at me...and they brought friends. Thankfully I recovered mid-gasp and started speaking V_E_R_Y S_L_O_W_L_Y in English. This approach, however, even had some of the 1 nenseis looking like there was something seriously wrong with me. The rest was a blur... But since no one asked for my letter of resignation after the fact, I went on determined to make up for it during class.

My very first 3 nensei (9th grade) class at Maki Higashi included several of the girls who have welcomed me every morning as I ride up to the front entrance and struggle to get my indoor shoes on -- remember the band members from an earlier post? Right!

So we were old friends...

Unlike Maki Nishi (who want me to come up with my own self introduction), MHJHS had their 3 nenseis prepare questions geared towards my life in the US, as well as statements which would fill me in on some of Maki's local traditions. It was a very welcomed format given all the energy I had expensed up until that point of the day. I brought out some photos of the folks at home, did a little bit of drawing, and gave them a quick memory test at the end of class (3 questions in all) based on some of the information I had shared. All three who gave it a shot (and answered correctly) received Big Apple key chains for their efforts -- it was obvious after the dispensing of the goods that the others in the class made up their minds to take a shot at the bonus round during the next class.

One girl, Rie, who remembered my favorite team and won one of the key chains came running up to me at lunch, thanking me profusely for the gift. I said she should be proud because she earned it by having a good memory. She shook my hand firmly, promising to do her best, and with that gave me one last big smile and disappeared into the jungle of kids heading off to various rooms throughout the school.

Gotta get more of those key chains (^ ^).

Keep surfing!

Brendan

P.S. Here's a shot of some of the kids at this morning's assembly. They were receiving awards for excellence in summer sports -- sorry for the quality of the picture!

Additional 'Sports Day' prep pics as promised...

Hey everyone -

I thought I'd send a few more pictures from yesterday's Sports Day preparations as well as one of the new English Corner board at Maki Higashi Chu (I tried to use Met colors for the EC sign, but they look a little off -- oh well): And here we have members of the yellow team, doing prep on their 'Fighting Eagle" motif (these kids are seriously talented): Finally we have the red team whose artistic intensity matched the ferocity of their mascot: I've heard that the competitions can get pretty serious in these parts, so hopefully I can get a seat in the bleachers. In honor of my Nishi squad, I went out and -- amazingly enough -- found and purchased a 5oo yen mustard yellow shirt at uoroku (one of the competing grocery stores in the area). Who knew?
Anyway, a happy weekend to all!

Keep surfing!
Brendan

It's Official, Folks...I'm an Alien

Hi all -

I was planning on posting a picture of my new Alien Registration (Gaijin Card) Card for all to marvel at, but unfortunately can't get my new scanner to work (> <). Oh, well...

And so it begins! After one month of adjusting to my new life here in Maki, I've finally started to see students. Most recently I've been visiting Maki Higashi (East) Chu where the kids are preparing for the annual Sports Day. The anticipation for the competitions can be felt throughout the town as school kids prepare large banners in support of their team's colors. Each school has a blue, red, and yellow team; I have been assigned to Maki Nishi's yellow team and Maki Higashi's blue team -- what this actually entails concerning my participation is news to me at the moment.

Here is a picture of some of the kids working on the red team's banner:

I decided to split the day in half so I can visit both schools during the competition -- can't play favorites, of course...

JET's lure, depending on how you look at it, is a kind of 'rock star' status for the successful candidate. Up until this week, the benefits of this have been up to interpretation. On several occasions folks have stared at me with jaws agape (yeah, I wrote 'agape'), crossed to the other side of the street to avoid me, and walked/ran away if I ask for help at the train station -- all before 9 this morning!! Just kidding...

But many of these experiences (if not all) have been with older folks who may have never seen a pasty fellow such as myself roaming their chartered streets. At first I decided to buy a lot of food all at once and hibernate, but eventually realized that the stares would continue if I took the weenie route. It was all the more easy to forget those feelings of social awkwardness as soon as I received my first wave and group 'Hi!' from the kids at school, and will no doubt sustain me at least through my next Shimizu experience -- although the folks at Challenger have seriously low prices and a very accommodating staff...but I digress.

This brings me to MHC and the smiling kids who usher music and youthful exuberance through its halls. During my first full (half) day at MHC, I was actually able to do a bit of spot teaching/editing. While many of the kids were at school doing prep for Sports Day, two 3nensei English Club members were taking time out to write thank-you letters to some ALTs whom they had met while attending a recent English Language Camp. It is customary for students to visit the office (which is -- thank God -- ACd!) to seek out advice/extra help from teachers when necessary. Students come to the door, sign their names, write the time, and wait for the next available slot. When appropriate, they would enter the room, announcing their presence with a big 'shitsurei shimasu!' (pardon the interruption) and approach the teacher they wanted to see.

Ms. Kuwabara, whose conversational English skills were the Tylenol for the Japanese language headache I've been stricken with, was there to help the kids out. However, as soon as they produced the letters for editing, she defaulted to my curiosity and pointed the way to my desk. I felt so official! If only Paul Sheehey could see me now...(BG, did I get the spelling right on that one?)

Mere mention of the camp the kids had visited sends tingles through the spines of ALTs who have been "asked" to attend as soon as they reach their host prefectures after Tokyo Orientation -- never seeing their apartments. But the smiles on the kids' faces would surely act as the handkerchief to wipe away sleep dust from jetlagged eyes. The girls took a few moments to describe the camp, sounding very satisfied with the experience.

It had been quite a while since I had done any actual teaching, so I was glad for the opportunity. Do you think Barry Bonds would have been able to hit so many homeruns without hours and hours of hard wo... Wait, scratch that...

So after a few suggestions and words of encouragement they walked away smiling, bowing their thanks, while I was completely happy in finally getting a chance to do some work.

In an effort to continue the 'teaching high' I took to the halls and decided to "Share" a bit of myself (pun intended, chortle, chortle) on the English language board which was set up by my predecessor, Melissa. She had posted a picture of me and one of my students from JALC up on the wall opposite the auditorium. Thankfully I had thrown a few photos into my back pack which ended up coming in quite handy (pictures to follow).

All in all it has been a fun week, especially since I was able to sneak out of the office and mingle in the halls. When it was time to go, I was approached at the teachers exit by a group of giggling students who gave me another big, "Hello!" After the delivery, one of the girls stepped up to the front and, in her best speech contest English exclaimed, "You are handsome!"

The immediate blush that had lost me several games of poker in the past provided the kids with a big laugh. As I waved off the sentiment and proclaimed my obvious dopey looks in Japanese, they laughed again and began informing me of there status as members of the school band. My immediate interest caused more giggles, so I interviewed each, asking for their grade and what instrument they had mastered, then listened intently to their answers. They all seemed to be as happy answering my questions as I was asking them. THIS was the type of interaction that I had been greatly anticipating before arriving in Japan. Chalk up another success.

Before riding off on my bike, I applauded their abilities in English and promised to cheer very loudly during Sports Day. In turn, they promised to do their best -- I thought to myself that it was time to do some shopping.

Keep surfing!
Brendan

P.S. All the kids are great, but gotta support the team! Let's go BLUE!:

ooooops

Edit to yesterday's post:

On 8/17, Teikyo was defeated in the 9th by Wakayama -- NOT Waseda. Waseda played today, and I am not sure of the outcome of that game...

I could blame the heat or, more accurately, my attention span.

All apologies!



The lightning storm I mentioned yesterday knocked out my Internet service until about 10 minutes ago, otherwise I would have made the edit sooner...

Keep surfing!
Brendan

The Boys of Summer

Hi everyone,

Throughout Japan there is an excitement in the air stirred up by the National High School Baseball Championship (or zenkoku koutou gakkou yakyuu senshuken taikai -- Ok, Americans! Say that 10 times fast!). This annual event captures the nation's attention, offering a brief reprieve from the infamous summer heat and humidity which normally has folks clamouring for shade or a spot directly under their ACs.

Fortunately, my TV is located in said spot so I have been able to enjoy the games in a nice cool room. I've been lending my support to Waseda Jitsugyo as one of its former players provided me with a very special autograph; Sadaharu Oh (thanks, Dad).

As I write this, another game which featured Teikyo and Waseda high schools has just ended. Teikyo high school's squad is standing behind the lines with mud on their uniforms and tears in their eyes. They are bravely watching their competition, Wakayama, run wildly across the field towards the home fans, sceaming jubilantly because of an almost insurmountable run deficit they were somehow able to make up.

I feel like I can relate to the pain these Teikyo kids are feeling only because the Mets have gotten smacked around a heck of a lot recently... The orange and blue are not exactly in the basement, but any true fan has to be a bit concerned with Petey going on the DL and bench guys in the outfield.

So let's focus on what's here and now (^ ^)

At school today, where most teachers are on vacation because of Obon, I met a few of Maki Nishi's fly shaggers; three kids, bronze because of long hours in the sun, were lounging in the genkan (entrance) of the school after a rigorous 3 hour practice. They pepped up immediately as I walked down the stairs, blushing because of what was, potentially, an on the spot 'English conversation' quiz. I noted their angst and tried not to throw them any curveballs (ha ha ha....sorry).

To my pleasant surprise, the blushes turned to beaming smiles as they were somehow able to converse with this immensely pale foreigner, with minimal mistakes. The absolute best was when the pitcher introduced himself and his catcher as, "The Battery!" Big smiles and laughter ensued.

So I will visit a shrine soon with best wishes in my heart for those young chaps and their dreams of one day entering the tournament, representing Niigata.

But as my Mets are struggling (and I'm not there to cheer them on), I'll lend my support to the other gents who don the orange and blue: Niigata's J League (soccer) representatives, The Niigata Albirex!

Here's a shot of their stadium, which is nicknamed, "The Swan":



The two folks in the shot are Naomi and Tsuyoshi from the B.O.E. who were kind (and patient) enough to act as tour guides in my adoptive home. We visited Niigata on Sunday and strolled around the shop-filled streets of the Furumachi district and traversed Bandai Bridge over the Shinano River. This city reminds me so much of Boston and the Charles River.

Sorry for the limited amount of pics recently. For some reason they don't want to upload as much as in the past. I'll try to figure it out and add some city shots soon.

Unfortunately there's a pretty big lightning storm at the moment, so I'll have to finish this at another time.

Keep surfing!
Brendan

There and Back Again

Greetings all -

I just got back from my first trip to Niigata shi, the Big City. My guides were Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Naomi Tanabe -- two fellow office workers at Maki's Educational Board Office, who happen to have a lot of patience for a fellow with a very limited grasp of the local language. I spent last evening gathering some potentially useful phrases in hopes that they might save the day if I was in trouble. But my ability to see the future device ran out of batteries early on and I was cast into the abyss...

Anyway, we met across the street from my apartment at Old Faithful, a.k.a. '7-11.' Tsuyoshi drives a peppy little Mini Cooper -- it had a navigational system equipped with a television signal and DVD capabilities -- RIGHT NEXT TO THE STEERING WHEEL. I'll give him a large amount of credit for being able to handle that thing very well. Being able to drive in this country aside, if the Mets were on TV, I would be in a heap of trouble -- but I digress...

We headed off to Niigata promptly at 10 AM. It's pretty much a straight shoot from Maki on the 116 -- remember that if you're ever driving locally, OK? (^ ^).

After 30 minutes or so, I looked up from my trusty electric dictionary and noticed we had left the seemingly endless rice fields of Maki and entered Niigata, with its high rises and golf ranges. Moments later we had parked the car and ventured towards the train station -- I should have no problems navigating the schedule...
Well... Maybe just a few...

Thankfully, Naomi secured a schedule for me which was pretty detail-oriented. So after a few more beads of sweat, we ventured onward in search of an acoustic guitar -- a much needed tool for the classroom.

But first we had to traverse Bandai Bridge, the site of many summer festivals filled with dancers and bearers of lanterns. My two guides were kind enough to pose for the following shot:

Ok, so we're back on the roads...

I spent a hot Maki morning on my bike, touring the back streets with my surpervisor, Mr. Tanabe. Thankfully, the actual riding experience is getting a bit better. Except for an obaachan (little old lady) I almost ran over...

Our task was tri-fold; the first being a trip to Maki Higashi (East) JHS:













Pretty good action shot of my guide, right? I didn't even fall off the bike while taking the shot! The ride to Maki Higashi is completely flat, unlike Maki Nishi which boasts some of the steepest climbs in Maki (extreme exaggeration), not exactly the same as the Rocky Mountains, but some that may prove challenging during the colder months when the ice settles.

We were at the school for about 20 minutes or so where I was introduced to the vice-principal (Kyoutou sensei), some random staff, and Suzuki sensei, an English teacher I will be working with in September. At first I was quite shocked to be addressed by her in English, but my abilities to use the language came back like flood water -- thank the Heavens... Almost fit myself in a limbo suit for a moment there.

Maki Higashi differs from Maki Nishi layout-wise in that it boasts a giant cathedral ceiling auditorium in the front of the school with large windows that provide a huge amount of natural light in the early morning hours. From the second floor, I was able to see the field outside where a group of boys were practicing field hockey (or 'Hokkeh Guroundo' as Mr. Tanabe put it) while the brass band provided mood music on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised at their abilities to bring such energy and skill to the instruments at such young ages -- kudos to the lot!

Back in the teacher's area I sipped tea with Mr. Tanabe and Kyoutou sensei (which was not the man's name, but his title of 'vice-principal' as mentioned above). In many office-type settings such as these, people are referred to by title rather than name. I suppose it makes things easier for an ALT who is charged with remembering huge amounts of names when they first reach the host prefectures. If it's possible to identify the principal, vice-principal, etc. then remember the appropriate titles, you should be golden.

We spent some time discussing the high levels of humidity in the region; both men suggesting that the summer torture had reached it's peak, destined to break soon. I was then asked how NY faired in comparison to which I mentioned the recent heat wave that you folks have been experiencing (as per AOL weather). They immediately dispensed with the pleasantries and got down to business -- will this new foreigner be allowed to drive to school when the weather does a 180 later on in the year...

This drew the traditional 'sucked in air' response, which did not bode well for my cause. I sat there, smiled, and contemplated complimenting Kyoutou sensei on the tea -- a very refreshing genmai cha but thought better of it... There was no actual resolution to the question, but I did get the opportunity to see my future desk, adorned with welcome notes and files from my predecessor. It felt like a treasure hunt, actually, as I found a note from Melissa detailing the contents of the folders I would find within the desk. Apparently, this signified the end of our meeting.

We said our thanks and headed off to leg #2 of the mornings' journey -- the Panya (bakery). There is not one local to my area of Maki, so this was going to be a treat. And after another trek through rice paddies, we reached a small bakery with some truly wonderful goodies, such as anpan, kareepan, melon pan, and even some in the shape of Doraemon! As we left the sweet smelling shop, I made a mental note to come back and pick up a few things. I didn't want to embarrass my self by buying the store on my first visit.

The final leg involved more of a cultural tour of Maki -- earlier on I had asked Mr. Tanabe if there was a local shrine that I might visit some day. He quickly announced that he would take me to see one of the oldest shrines in Maki after the visit to MH. True to his word, we went straight from the panya to Maki Jinja (pictures coming later), a beautiful old three story structure smack dab in the middle of some bland looking buildings. After a few moments of opened mouth staring, we crossed over from concrete to perfectly manicured gravel pathways which led up to the classic looking structure. At the top of the steps we offered 10 yen, bowed twice, clapped twice, then repeated...

It was very special for me to share in this ritual with Mr. Tanabe -- during my first visit I was left to my own devices on most occasions, so I felt quite fortunate to have had this type of experience with someone leading the way this time around rather than using a guidebook.

No offense to those at Lonely Planet, of course...

And all of this before 10 AM. I've got tomorrow off but plans on Sunday to go into Niigata for an acoustic guitar search. Two folks from the B.O.E. have been nice enough to offer to take me on my first tour of the city. It'll be a nice precursor to the Prefectural Orientation which will also be held in Niigata on the following morning -- lights out at 11 PM! Ah, dorm life...

Keep surfing!
Brendan

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't NEED roads..."

Hello all -

(For those who might have been wondering, there is additional information connected to all text that's highlighted. Feel free to check 'em out!)

I mentioned that Maki Nishi JHS was smack dab in the middle of a rice paddy...

The lad lieth not, me thinks.

The challenge of getting to the school was nothing in comparison to getting this beast to work:

Yes, there was rice in a previously posted picture, and, yes, it came from this rice cooker. But, I confess, it was the result of some seriously random button pushing. I have since consulted several outside sources who, to their credit, did not laugh directly AT me, but I could sense some muffled guffaws. So I dedicate the following pictured food items to them -- because without their help, I would still be buying lunch at 7-11 (not that there's anything wrong with that):

Ok. I realize it's strange to take pictures of food. But you have no idea what you might end up doing, working half days, and having finished all of the reading materials brought into the country. So rather than going Jack Nicholson during his 'swooning' all over Shelly Duvall phase, I put all energy in reserve into creating my own version of bento. Results may vary.

After getting a tip from a coworker at the B.O.E., I made my way over to a place called 'Challenger,' a Hyaku-en (dollar store) shop a short way down the street from my digs. I ended up getting supplies for school, MUCH NEEDED undershirts, and the bento box you see pictured above. This box is a modified version where the food is stacked on two levels and small chopsticks are set in a compartment on the top. Way cool.

So why not throw in a little product placement, right?

Honestly, the name might throw you, but Pocari Sweat is a really good drink that I found out about during my first trip to Japan. Take Fresca and thicken it up JUUUUUUUUUST a little bit...

I like it...

Anyway, after several hours of organizing important papers/documents that I can barely comprehend, I'm ready for bed. Good grief! I've been burning the 3 hours before before midnight oil!

It's official. I have become my parents...

Good night, all.

Keep surfinzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (-_-)
Brendan

P.S. Sorry for the recycling, BG... But you follow...

Repose

Another afternoon at the B.O.E.

The morning started off with a radio announcement, one I did not completely understand at first. As I looked up from my textbook, I began noticing that some folks were standing, heads lowered, and eyes closed in what seemed to be a group prayer. Then it dawned on me that this was in remembrance of the nearly 70,000 people who died in Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945.

I was offered no directives during this silent period, so I decided to rise in support of my peers. As we stood in silence, I began putting myself through the ringer, imagining that it might not be wise to join the group in the same manner during this time. Perhaps there were ill feelings about my presence given my nationality… Would people be offended? Should I leave them in peace as Japanese people remembering a Japanese tragedy?

As I debated over the most politically correct way to proceed, it became obvious that no one was concentrating on me or how I was presenting myself. I decided to forget what separates us as westerners and Japanese and embrace our commonalities as human beings.

The silence, which seemed at first to last for an excruciatingly long period of time, developed into a meaningful moment of reflection and ultimate repose. At its conclusion, a simple group nod was enough to signify that life is a precious gift, one to be cherished.

The Tour Continues

Hey all -

Thanks to everyone who made picture requests. I was able to take care of a couple of them today, but was too chicken to stay out in the humidity for too long -- better luck next time, right?

Anyway, here's the outside of the apartment (mine is the one on the top left hand corner -- the blue shirt is my flag):













The apartment shot is nice, but without a doubt, this next one was the most important discovery I have made to date. Not 50 yards from my apartment...the ultimate in fast food...

Yes. It's true!

MOS BURGER!!. Anyone who has ever been here before knows how much the food rocks (^ ^).

Sniff...(happy tears).

And there's ice cold beer in the joint on the other side of the street.

It's like...fate.

I can only imagine what the locals were thinking when they saw me take this one:

Well, it's nice for me to know where I am (^ ^).

I visited Maki Nishi JHS for the first time today via bicycle, following my supervisor, Mr. Tanabe, along the back streets of Maki. His ability to sense oncoming vehicular dangers is not limited to the motorized vehicles in which he drives -- me? I was thrown back, for some reason, to a time when I was comforted by the presence of my helmet and trusty training wheels; a happy place, indeed. (It was difficult for me to resist the temptation to start yelling, "Auntie Em! Auntie Em! We're not in Kansas anymore!" This would be funny if you, dear reader, were able to see the bike I've been issued -- it would be charitable to refer to it as a 'classic.'

In an attempt to bolster my confidence, I was about to refer to, "That which doesn't kill me...," but I'm not interested in dabbling in irony. Give me a few weeks.

So...back to Maki Nishi. Nishi, as mentioned in earlier posts, means 'west.' From what I've been told, this is the school where I will spend most of my time. The geography of the school is very interesting, as it is located in the middle of a rice paddy field; it's protectors being two large mountains a stones throw away. I enjoyed the opportunity to gaze at the postcard-esque view -- that was until I almost got side-swiped by an over anxious Toyota pick up. I could have taken 'im.

It was not until we pulled into the parking area when I realized I had made an error of biblical proportions -- I mean, the kind that would incur real Wrath of God type stuff: I forgot my indoor shoes.

Folks, cover the kids' ears...

5,4,3,2,1...

Ok...let 'em go.

Mr. Tanabe assured me that it was no problem and that the school had slippers that I could use for the morning. I would just need to bring a pair for tomorrow.

After I realized the crisis had been averted, Mr. Tanabe ushered me into the building and up to the teacher’s room where I met 37 staff members. Ah yes, simple -- just like the B.O.E. The head dude will ramble off a few lines about me, I bow a few times, and then we move on. Aces.

Then I heard the principal utter that one sucker-punching word to me, “Hai, shoukai….” To the lay-person, you would say, 'introduction.'

Ok...what's 37 x 2?

So I've got 74 (not including Mr. Tanabe's) inquisitive eyes with matching ears waiting for the brilliant recitation of the speech I had no doubt been preparing for for oh so many months. Now, where was that helmet? How about those training wheels?

From what I remember, the gem boiled down to me being from NY and very happy to be working in Japan; I love Japanese food, culture, etc. The school should be confident (I'm pretty sure I said, "confident") that I will do my best to help the students achieve their goals. Oh, and if I happen to make mistakes while speaking Japanese, please correct me.

I must not have uttered any curse words or anything bad like that because they all cheered at the end. Could have been a mercy killing, though.

Anyway, they plopped me down at my new desk, ironically, next to where the school nurse sits. She greeted me with a warm smile and, yet again, I fought the temptation to make a crack and ask her what round it was.

I spoke with Ms. Shida -- who speaks no English so I muddled along with my limited Japanese -- for about 20 minutes or so. She was pleasant and accommodated my efforts with smiles and encouragement. Her most effective piece of advice was I should take it slow. She was not the first to recommend this, so I took it to heart. It's a bit tough to live with a NY schedule on Maki time...

Misters Satoh and Sugita, two of Maki Nishi's English teachers, took me on a tour of the school, letting me pop into classrooms and observe some student gatherings. I was shown classrooms for special ed., science, music, cooking, shop (metal and wood), and gyms – where girls were practicing volleyball on one side, and the boys were doing basketball exercises on the other.

On the upper level of the gym, there were students practicing ping pong (two floors, pretty swank). Every now and then a group would stop, marvel at me, then say ‘Hello,’ or ‘Good morning,’ collectively – as was the case with the volleyball girls. They rushed over as a group after an impromptu meeting and saluted me with a big, ‘Good morning!’

This made me very happy.

Team based exercises might be the way to go in the beginning. Build them up to monologues...

Afterwards, we went to another gym where it looked like the students had just finished Judo practice. Mr. Sugita (head of the English department) asked if I played sports. I mentioned some of my athletic past, emphasizing an interest in baseball and the martial arts. Mr. Sugita doubles as the baseball coach of the school -- his hard earned tan being proof of his dedication. He was pleasant to speak with and I look forward to working with him in September.

Mr. Sato struggled a bit more with English but was no less accommodating. I put any questions I had for him on the back burner and let him recite some of the ones he had no doubt been preparing for quite some time.

The next stop was the swimming area where students were practicing laps and various dives. I was introduced to the captain, a small girl who looked much younger than her peers. She exclaimed in Japanese that she couldn’t speak English. I tried my best to ask her simple questions. We were able to work out a few words, which was encouraging. Day one: marginal success.

So my first tour of duty took me through the jungles of a public JHS; something I had yet to see from a teacher's perspective. I chuckled about this one on the way back to the faculty office; if these people could have seen ME in JHS...those in the know, keep it to yourselves...

I finished the morning off at my desk, perusing lesson plans left by my predecessor. They were very thorough and informative, and while I scanned the many pages and pictures, I began imagining the classroom and what type of confidence and preparedness I might bring to my students. The mask of concentration I wore did well to cover the inquisitiveness that was growing within; a desire to get in there and start making a difference.

At that point, I remembered Ms. Shida's advice and focused my eyes, soaking it all in -- I'll change the world tomorrow... Tonight, I'm hitting Mos Burger (^ ^)

Keep surfing!
Brendan

The Kid is OK...

Hey all -

Here's the first meal I just whipped up in my new digs. It's nothing close to what I've had in Maki, but not too bad for a maiden voyage!



Keep surfing!

Brendan

Picture this...

Hi folks -

Here's a shot of my living room (can you see Sora Iro?)











The bedroom...


The hallway...


View from the kitchen...





Does anyone have any specific picture requests? Please send me an e-mail or leave a comment...

Keep surfing!
Brendan

Hajimemashite...

Hi everyone -

Well, the Tokyo Orientation finished up on Tuesday night, and we shipped off to our Host Prefectures the following morning, bright and early. Here's a pic of some other folks that are heading to Niigata along with yours truly:



$20 for the best caption to replace the sign over my head (hint: I HATE suits)

The folks at the T.O. were all very friendly, each one eager to establish a supportive alliance in the hopes that strangers might become long awaited friends. (much thanks to Neil Peart).

I spent a lot of time over the past few days by myself just watching the people around me, observing their reactions to speeches, wondering how they were going to approach this new stage of life. It was nice to take a step back and let the experience sink in a bit deeper.

You might have called me an elder statesman at the Orientation as 98% of those attending were between the ages of 21 and 24. But truthfully, I didn't see it as a disadvantage -- for me, it has worked out perfectly (so far). I am so thankful for the working experience I had in New York and all the people who answered questions and told stories along the way. I've really drawn on a lot of those experiences to help navigate through my first days in Maki with my new coworkers and superiors.

Who cares if I can't handle all night drinking binges anymore like the whelps in Tokyo who then had to wake up for days filled with lectures...

Natsukashii.... (^ ^)

But once the T.O. wrapped up, the shift in energy was glaringly apparent. It was interesting to see how everone's body language changed as soon as we left the lush life offered in Tokyo and entered less densely populated areas. After almost a year of preparing for such a monumental change, one never quite knows how they might react right before the doors finally open. When the train stops and your station name is called, it’s like another birth, because you are the newborn preparing to be thrust into a brand new world; in most cases, something far beyond the limits of the imagination.

Me? I was amazingly fortunate...

I was greeted by four smiling people with a giant sign bearing my name. The first was an English teacher from Maki Nishi (west), Mr. Onozuka, with whom I will be working (he was a very important person for the people at the B.O.E. that day). Then there was Ms. Maruyama, a kindly lady in charge of the basics like utilities in my apartment and various paperwork. Next was Mr. Tanabe, my supervisor, who drove me around Maki many times throughout the day in several different cars. He was quite helpful, pointing out supermarkets and other local stores. Finally, there was Mr. Hiroki, the big boss at the B.O.E., who presented me with my working certificate later on that day.

The look of glee on their faces when I complemented the artistry it must have taken to create such a sign was intoxicating. It was at that moment that I became truly excited about this adventure.

We weaved in and out of the tiny streets of Maki on the way to my introductory meeting -- I marveled at Mr. Tanabe's catlike reflexes as obstacles seemed to fly out of nowhere, leaving little room for error. The beads of sweat on my forehead may or may not have been caused by the foreshadowing of my maiden voyage behind the wheel. But Japan's infamous humidity may have had something to do with it as well.

Note to self: Find a good dry cleaner.

Did I already say that I hate suits?

After a pleasant bento lunch, I went through some formalities with the folks who then took me to my new apartment to inspect the utilities. I was pleasantly surprised at the great condition and size of the place -- there were several horror stories told about former JETs who lived in shoebox style apartments. Everything checked out, but I still can't read the directions on the washing machine. I will also be visiting the local convenience store a great deal. This is because the gas company worker who was at the apartment informed us of several precautions I needed to follow before using the range. I had no clue... At least the people around me will know WHY I blew up if I try to boil some water. Not to worry though. I will be consulting an outside source prior to using the stuff.

After a return trip to the B.O.E., Mr. Tanabe dropped me off and I spent the better part of the evening trying to sort through all of the $*#) I brought from the States. It was obvious from the get go that I would need to send stuff back... But rather than worry about it too much, I settled down with an ice pack on my chest and fell soundly asleep. I woke up two hours before my alarm was to go off and messed around with the computer, trying to find a hotspot for my wireless connection -- thankfully, I succeeded... Since I had no idea how long my 'poaching' priveledges would last, I churned out a few quick e-mails and then got ready for work. Summer vacation has me going from 8:30 to 12 everyday. I could get used to such a schedule (^ ^).

So I just finished my first full (half) day at Maki's Board of Education office where I was introduced to about 150 people. This is the first English I have used in the past 2 days, so please excuse any grammatical or speeellling errors.

The apartment has really turned out to be great, and big from a Japanese perspective with three rooms, measuring about the same size (approximately 6 Jo).

Here's the bedroom:


I've been having some issues uploading multiple pictures to a single post, so the next one will have more shots of the apartment. Something to look forward to, right?

Anyway, the B.O.E. is hosting a welcome party for me tonight so I better carb up. I believe the question my supervisor Mr. Tanabe posed to me was, "Can you drink Sake?"

I replied pleasantly, "Yes, in small amounts."


Keep surfing!

Brendan