Passing the time at school

One year ago

I got to thinking today that one year ago I was in Africa.  Surprisingly, I miss it a lot.  I know life there was hard, but for the most part it was ok.  I feel like my whole world fell apart in Africa.  I am not the same person I was a year ago.  The world has kicked me around a bit and I am still recovering.  I have lost many things in the past year, including my faith, my hopes, my dreams and many of my closest relationships.  I am not sure if I will get any of them back, ever :(  I am fighting for it though, and I think coming back to Japan was a good idea.  I hope I can heal here.

I am attaching a picture I took in Africa.  It is the view from the house I was supposed to live in.  I didn't take any pictures of the village or the actual house because I didn't want to remember how I felt or what was going on around me at that time.  I don't have a hard time looking at this picture though.  

So now there is a new group of volunteers in Ghana, in training while I write this.  Please pray that they won't send another person to the village I was at, I don't want what happened to me to happen to someone else.  However, if they do please pray it will be a male and they have a different supervisor assigned to him.  Thank you.

Passion, pass it on

On Monday I went to Yokosuka and stayed at my friend Junpei (June-pay) house.  While we were eating dinner we got to talking about all the outdoor activities Junpei enjoys.  He said he is so excited for ski season, he can't hardly wait.  He loves to ski and snowboard.  Then he started telling me about a new activity he has taken up in the past year or so, surfing.  Junpei loves surfing.  In fact, he told me about a recent trip he took to Chiba to stay with his wife's family.  He surfed ever day from 5am to 5pm!  Then he told me about another surfing trip he went on, he was so excited the night before he couldn't sleep!

I got to thinking, when was the last time I was so excited about something I couldn't sleep.  I suppose I didn't sleep very well the night before we climbed Mount Tsukuba, but I wasn't that excited.  Junpei seems to found things he is really passionate about and wants to share them.  He told me next time he wants me to bring my swimsuit so I can try surfing.  Me, surfing?  The thought scares me.  For one, I have never been able to pull myself up, ever.  I am not sure surfing would be for me.  Maybe I will try.  

I am not sure if I am passionate about anything.  I want to explore many things and find out what I enjoy doing (ie, something that doesn't scare me to death).  What are you passionate about?  When was the last time you were so excited about something you couldn't sleep?

This weekend I...

Ok, so I know it is almost Wednesday here, but I want to recap my weekend.  It felt long because Tuesday was a holiday, so I had the day off.  So here it goes, this weekend I...

sang Karaoke

went shopping

survived a typhoon

survived an earthquake

met new people

went to Yokosuka

met up with old friends

got to hold baby Anna!!!

cleaned my apartment

rested

played air guitar in my car

danced like no was was watching

DID WHAT I WANTED!!! :)

Japanese schools verses American Schools...

Schools in Japan do things slightly different than schools in the US.  I thought it would be a good post to tell you about them.  The first thing is after junior high school (after grade nine in the US) students have to take a test and that test determines, basically there whole life.  The test places them in high schools.  Japan has different level high schools.  All of mine are low level, except for one which is slightly above low level.  It is a technical school.  Anyway, going to a good high school sets the stage to go to a good university, get a good job, etc.  So, one major difference is the students have to take this test before being placed in high school.  Since my schools are all low level, this comparison will only be low level schools verses US schools.  I am not sure how high level schools in Japan are different than low level schools, but I hear they are more motivated and study more!  

In junior high students often go to a Juku (cram school) to help study for this test.  That means they go to regular school all day, then to club activities (like sports) then to cram school.  Why can't the regular schools teach them what the juku is teaching them?

Ok, so the level of schools is different.  In the US usually gifted students attend the same school as special ed students.  Yes, they take different classes but they are in the same school.  I am not sure if it is better to separate students based in their abilities (like in Japan) or make them go to school with people of all abilities (like in the US).  I am sure there are pros and cons to both ways.  

All students in Japan, no matter what the level, wear uniforms.  I think the US should adopt this policy.  When I was a student I even thought it was a good idea, though I did often express myself through my wardrobe!

Teachers do not have their own classrooms in Japan.  Instead, the students stay in one room all day (except for gym class, home ec, etc) and the teachers come to them.  As a result, no lockers in the hallways (they are in the classroom) and not too many students in the hallways in between classes.  I think this idea would be good at schools with gangs and bullying problems, no students in the hallways equal no problems.  Though I have heard bullying is a problem in Japan.  I suppose if a shy student was being bullied in between classes by a student in their class that could case major problems.  Another bad thing about it is the rooms are decorated cool like in the US, but on the other hand teachers in the US often pay for their decorations out of pocket.  Still I think overall this is a good idea the US should consider.

Japanese students, eat, sleep, talk on their mobile phones (or too each other), whatever, in class!  I have heard this is a low level school thing, and I think they are disiplined later, but I am not sure.  For the most part students are good, but I have learned not to get offended if they are sleeping. 

Students clean the school!  Yes, there is no janitor the students do it all.  I think this is a good idea except for the fact they don't really do a good job.  I think basic things like taking out the trash, cleaning the chalk board is good.  But I see a lot of things at my school that need to be cleaned up.  I think the schools should be like the US and hire a full-time Janitor.

No cafeteria, students eat in their class room.  They do have a place that sells lunch food, but students eat outside, or with friends, or where ever.  There is no classroom.  In high school I could go out to lunch, so I didn't eat very healthy.  Students here bring lunch or buy it at school.  It is usually pretty healthy.

Students have to only get a 30% to pass.  From what I have heard, everyone passes anyway.  I am not sure if this is a low level thing or not, but they sure make it easy to get through school.  Overall, I have heard US education is way better.  So I think the Japanese need to crack down on their education.

Homeroom teachers have full responsibility over their students.  It is not uncommon, if a student gets in trouble and the police are called, for the police to call the student's teacher before they call the parents.  This shocks me to no end.  The teachers feel stressed because the of the responsibility,  I had a teacher tell me a student wanted her to come with her to get an abortion.  She didn't go because she didn't want to be responsible for the child.  I don't blame her.  Bottom line, the parents chose to have the child, they should be responsible for it!  I should point out that Japan has way less crime.  Also, way less drug and drinking problems.  So, it is unusual a student to get into that much trouble.  Still, the parents need to step up.  

Well, that is all I can think of for now.  I hope this gives you some insight into how Japan is different from the US.  Some things are good, some are bad.  Overall, I think the system here is ok, but I would never want to send a child to school here unless it was high level.  I know the teachers at my school really care for their students, but I am proud that I was educated in the good ole USA.

The best weekend ever!

Ok, so I went to Yokosuka this weekend and I finally got to see my old coworkers from Outdoor Rec.  I had so much fun!  I met my friend Tetsuya at the JR station.  We walked to base and he had someone from the Marina get me in.  Tetsuya, being Japanese can not bring guests on base.  Anyway, so we went to the Marina and rented a speed boat and took it out in Tokyo bay.  It was AMAZING!  How many people can say they spent the day boating in Tokyo Bay?  Plus it was such a nice day outside.  It was perfect.

Later we went to the mountain shop (just a small outdoor gear store that has a small bar in it) and had drinks.  I used to shop there all the time.  Tetsuya is friends with the owner and we always talked about going there when I was here before, but we never had time.  Now was our time.  We had some local beer and ate a really good smoked oyster salad.  It was so fun.  I also got to see my old co-worker Jumpei.  He had a baby about three months ago and he named her.......are you ready for this?..................Anna!  I am not saying that she is named after me, but I am so happy about it.  He said when I come to Yokosuka I can stay with him, his wife and Anna.  I am so grateful to have yet another place to stay in Yokosuka.  

Monday was a national holiday in Japan, so I didn't have school.  Me and some other ALT's in the area decided to climb Mount Tsukuba.  It is only about 2,800 feet, but it was a pretty good hike.  I went with Kevin from Scotland, Tracey from South Africa and Amber, a transplant to Australia from Taiwan.  It was a pretty diverse group and we had a pretty good time.  We made it to the top in about two and a half hours and for time reasons took the cable car down.  Mount Tsukuba actually had two "tops" for lack of a better word.  One is masculine and one is feminine.  The man side is a little higher and the trail is steep to get up.  The woman side the incline is more gradual.  On the top they are not that far apart from each other, but we only climbed to the top of the man side for time reasons.  Kevin said going to the top of the man side is "really climbing Mount Tsukuba" (verses just going to the top of the woman side) and he would vouch for us in saying we climbed to the top.  I am happy I did it, though next time I am climbing both sides.

So, I would love to show you pictures of my weekend adventures, but I regret to inform you that I LOST MY CAMERA.  Yeah, when hiking up Tsukuba we sat down for a rest.  I put my camera behind me while I sat on a tree trunk.  We got up and starting walking.  It wasn't even five minutes later when I noticed I had left my camera.  Kevin was nice and went down to see if it was still there.  (Trust me, when you are climbing up a mountain the last thing you want to do is turn around and walk down when you have spent all of your energy walking up, even if it was only for five minutes).  Needless to say it wasn't.  Later we checked at the cable car station to see if anyone had turned it in.  It was not there.  They took my name and phone number and will call me if I get it back.  It is Japan, so I won't be surprised if I do get it back.  In reality, I will probably never see it again.  So, my blog will be boring for a while.  I am sorry you guys.  In the meantime I think I might post pictures from when I was in Japan before.  Maybe for Christmas I will get a new camera *hint...hint*.  

Later!

This year I want to...

I was reading my friend Annie's blog the other day and she did something interesting for her birthday on her blog.  She posted a list of things she wants to do this year.  So, I am doing that too.  Thank you for the idea Annie ;)  Here are 27 things I want to do in my 27th year in no particular order.

1.  Learn to speak and read Japanese.

2.  Make new friends

3.  Keep the friendships I have that are good.

4.  Heal from the past year.

5.  Visit my PC friends in Ghana.

6. Forgive people who hurt me.

7.  Learn to play an instrument.

8.  Paint and do other artistic things more often.

9.  Visit a new country (or two or three!).

10.  Climb Mount Fuji.

11.  Plan for life after Japan.

12.  Eat healthier.

13.  Exercise three or four times a week.

14.  Grow out my hair.

15.  Save money.

16.  Study the bible.

17.  Get a pet (if I can).

18.  Look into graduate school.

19.  Study for the GRE.

20.  Learn to take good photographs.

21.  Study for the Japanese drivers license.

22.  Go to the beach as much as I can.

23.  Find a place to volunteer in Japan

24.  Floss daily.

25.  Keep my apartment clean.

26.  Read more books.

27.  Have fun!

I will keep you posted on how well I am doing with my goals for the year.

Random thought of the day

Be wary of people who say they are Godly, but then hurt you. God would never hurt you, nor would He ever put anyone into your life that would hurt you. Maybe those people aren't so Godly after all...

My Birthday

My birthday this year was good. I went out to eat with some teachers from my school, then they took me bowling. It was fun, but the bowling was expensive. For dinner I went out with another ATL JET Kevin, who lives close to me. He is so nice and we had a good time. Yay teachers! Yay Kevin! Without them I would have been all alone on my birthday! Everyone else flaked out on me.

Birthday alone...

Well, I guess this year I will be spending my birthday alone :( Originally, I have two good options but they both fell through :( So, this year it's just me :(

Good Samaritan

When I first came to Japan it was important for me to visit the JET nearest to me.  My supervisor helped me find a bus schedule that would take me to Mitsikaito (not spelled correctly) where Emily lives.  I walked to the bus station and waited for the bus to come.  While I was waiting a girl wearing a tennis uniform came.  I showed her the bus schedule, basically asking her if I was in the right place.  She nodded her head yes.  The time for the bus to come came and went with no bus in site.  For me, that was unusual because the Japanese are notorious for being on time.  The trains are always on time, in fact if a train breaks down or has an accident the train company will give you a note to give to your boss if you are late.  Otherwise your boss will not believe you if you say the train made you late!  

Anyway, so I was waiting for the bus when two buses came.  I was about to get on when the young girl said, no!  So the two buses left.  Finally another bus came and she got on.  She told me to sit and somehow communicated to me that she would show me where I need to go.  About 15 minutes later she pushed the button for the bus to stop and pointed that this was my stop.  She left the bus too.  I thanked her and we went opposite directions.  Without her I would have gotten on the wrong bus, and I probably would have gotten off at the wrong stop.  

Today I was at a new school and I was introducing myself to the students in class.  After my introduction, a young girl told the teacher she knew me.  I remembered it was the girl from the bus!  I told the teacher that she helped me ride the bus my first weekend in Japan.  I told all the English teachers she helped me.  I am very happy that one of my students is such a good person.

More Nikko

Nikko

Just a few shots from Nikko.  We had a great time!

Oh happy days are here again!

Hey Everyone.  I have good news, my internet is back.......for now.  I have no idea how long it will last, but today it is working.  I did sign up for my own internet, but it will take three to six weeks.  

I had my first classes today.  It went.....ok.  I do not think I am a good teacher but oh well, I am here.  I went to Nikko this past weekend and had a great time.  I will post pictures.

I am still not sure what I am going to do for my birthday.  I kind of don't feel like going to Tokyo with the gays and the trannie.  I just don't want to share my birthday ;)  

I am going to start uploading pictures, enjoy!