still goin'

I'm trying not to lose steam on my blog, but after all this time maybe I feel like my everyday life isn't really worth blogging about? I honestly don't do that much of interest. But I do know some people care, and things that are starting to seem normal to me probably won't be normal at all to you.

My last post was a little on the complainy side, specifically about my job. I can't say that I've turned a new leaf and found myself in my position (if that's possible...) but I did have kind of a fun last week... at elementary school! (usually I work at a junior high school, remember?)
The kids are so damn cute. The first two days were actually kind of stressful because the school seemed to have decided on a new policy of having meetings and deciding lesson plans as a group with the ALT in advance. And at least trying to stick to those plans. This differs enormously from my previous trips to elementary school, where I was given a "syllabus" that read "1st and 2nd graders - 1. colors 2. game 3. song ," a cassette tape, and that's it. Without meeting the teachers beforehand I took over the class for 45ish minutes and hopefully the homeroom teacher would help me out because I speak retarded Japanese and the kids don't know much beyond a few colors and animals. I assumed this time to Nakagawa elementary school would be the same, but I guess they're taking their English program more seriously these days, as they gave me somewhat more specific directions, and actually some resources (picture cards. I believe its the first time I've received specific teaching tools from my schools in Japan). The stressful part was that I had to meet with all the teachers and the coordinator to discuss "my" plan for teaching. It's stressful because this has to be conducted in Japanese with all but one or maybe two of the teachers who somehow can speak some English. Even though my workplace has been pretty much all Japanese for over a year now, my specific space within it has done little to prompt me to buckle down and learn the language. In all official capacities, I just have to be a walking english speaking person. The only reason I would need Japanese normally at work is socializing with other teachers or maybe talking more efficiently with the normal English teachers whose own abilities vary quite largely. But most teachers don't have time to "socialize" and well to be honest I'm not such a social person that I REALLY want to be able to chat with the 58 year old gym teacher who yells a lot across from me and probably hasn't strayed far from Gunma prefecture. And since people like me come and go so most of the staff have only a cursory interest in me I think. So basically I'm saying I speak English with the English teachers most of the time.
BUT this past week I had to speak Japanese as part of my job! Granted telling a teacher I want to sing head shoulders knees and toes and then play a game they all know isn't terribly complicated, I felt nervous telling this to a group of "real" Japanese teachers who were taking notes. And they would ask some questions about what order or how long, which I can kind of handle ok. But a few really wanted to get into broader details about what I'll be teaching the next time I visit, and then the next time, and then the next time (months from now) and how I'll review and what order they should learn things in and so on. I'm not even close to being the right person to talk to about those subjects, even if I were totally fluent in Japanese. I think a handful of them really took their children's education quite seriously though, and I am the kids' English "teacher..." sort of. I was really left with nothing to say, as even though I can ||barely|| follow what they're saying, I don't have the vocabulary to talk about my thoughts on that subject. Even though that's a part of my life on a somewhat regular basis socially, I usually don't deal with that at work, at least not beyond a kid or teacher asking me what a japanese word is in english and me not knowing. Though if a 13 year old kid is asking me that question, I can certainly guess the theme of the word... Some of the things they've already asked me I can't publish here. Oh, kids!
But anyway after my initial shock I did have fun with the kids, which I think is all that really matters. Perhaps there is something to be said about raising a generation that by the end of elementary school would have played a bunch of english language themed games with young adults from a bunch of different countries. Even just one generation ago I bet most Gunma people led their lives with little or even more likely NO contact with foreigners in Japan. Maybe playing fruits basket and the cockroach game won't turn them into english scholars, but maybe having played those games with a funny looking american guy who doesn't really speak japanese and has a big beard will do something for them in the long run. I don't know the answer, but the Japanese government has certainly put their money on that it will do something. At least for now.

Here I am playing with the little ones. They're so little! Not my beard though, that's quite big.

In other news: me and ambs went to the Halloween party in Gunma. I went to the same party last year, which you can actually read about on this blog if you have that much free time. This year I tried to think of what best fits my manly beard, and came up with this:

Some sort of cross between a sea-captain and a civil war general. I had more ideas to go all out, but it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on a Halloween costume.
Here's me and mario!
Here's amber as a fierce ninja! So fierce that this girl keeled over in fright. Not the alcohol, definitely Amber's ferocious demeanor and size.
Here's that same keeled over girl 2-3 hours earlier. Peg from Married with Children. Pretty classic costume, but she shouldn't finished that drink I think. Hope she doesn't read this blog!
Here's the ninja and her sea captain. I've never had a beard long enough to part before. Pretty good eh!

Today (monday) I took a sick day. I'm ok, though I have a sore throat from the dirty little kids and the smoky party. I just needed and wanted another day before starting up my jr high school routine again. But me and ambah enjoyed our time by going to a ridiculous amusement in Gunma: doitsu-mura, or "German-village," a sort of old fashioned German-themed garden/amusent land with sausages, go-karts, sheep dog shows, plays, bands, a 3-d dinosaur show and probably other really weird stuff that Japanese do for some reason. The park was pretty much deserted, as it was a normal monday afternoon in the chilly autumn on the side of a mountain. Pretty much all the standard amusements were closed because of this, though they charged us the same admission price anyway. bullshit!
Anyway, it was still a funny trip and we got some fresh air and sausages.

There it is, the entrance to majestic Kronenberg German village.

This is the main courtyard, and Amber!

The stage was empty (and decrepit, actually) so me and Amber put on our own German play. With only handheld digital cameras and modest memory cards, the play was pretty limited. But please enjoy!
Here I am as a leetle German boi!
And now here's amber as a leetle german boy, and me a leetle gurl. We got in the correct spots originally, but a friend of the person taking the picture insisted we switch spots because it would be funnier. I guess he was right. Thank you oddly persistent man.
And lastly, a cute little sheep. Aww!
I think even before coming to Japan my masculinity was in danger from my love of cute little things. Especially rabbits. But coming to Japan, the land of cute little tiny things (including rabbits) has made that problem 10 times worse. As long as I don't leave this place wearing pointy leather buckle shoes, skin tight faded/ripped low cut jeans, 7 different thinly layered tops, plucked eyebrows, and enormous poofy dyed hair, then I'll have escaped the worse of what Japan seems to do to its men.

Phew I'm getting a little excited here. I better lay off for now. Hopefully next time I post I'll have some future oriented details, like what I'm doing this winter vacation and so on. I'm looking to spread these little wings of mine if i can though! So watch out.

Aaron

What happened?

I've been asked this question a fair amount lately, along with the Japanese equivalent, "doushitan no?" I suppose it's not an exact translation, but it generally conveys the surprise expressed at my lengthy beard. I let my beard grow out in America, and just never really got around to shaving it off again, so it remains attached to my face like a beautiful forest. Or a prickly pear in human form, or a dead rat with sticky tape, however you want to look at it.
I took this picture of myself at the Louis Vuitton Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Those sunglasses were selling for around 500 dollars I believe? I told Amber for my birthday that I wanted a Louis Vuitton wallet, one that half hangs out of my back pocket, spilling over with cash, just like so many Japanese guys. If that ever really happens, then I'll know I've been in Japan too long. Even people out in Gunma all own Vuitton crap, with the lame brand markings plastered over every inch of their lame products. But its an easy way to show you dropped a lot of money on something pointless and pretty, which must be a big plus in at least some peoples eyes. Else why would every single damned Japanese person buy this stuff?

But my beard is going pretty well, eh? I told Amber I'm going to grow it until someone at work tells me that it's inappropriate and I should cut it. I bet my workplace is nonconfrontational enough to wait till it gets PRETTY big. This worries and upsets Amber a lot, so I won't let it get that big. But at least until a halloween party so I can do something silly.
After telling Amber this, I wondered if maybe this was a bad sign about my feelings toward work. I have to admit I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it's getting easier to plan lessons and stand in front of the students and make worksheets and picture cards and all that other crap that language teachers have to do. I can read the silly school schedules so I'm not totally surprised when I show up to school and instead of classes everyone is playing volleyball for 7 hours. I'm genuinely friends with my co-worker Mika.
But the same frustrations I wrote about many months ago still apply for the most part. I teach an "international understanding" class, which has no curriculum or sylabus, no tests and no grades. But I'm the teacher and I'm supposed to teach in all English, with a Japanese teacher. Last year, the Japanese teacher was my friend and although a little over-the-top emotional she controlled the class. It was her class, and I just helped. The new teacher is a tiny mousey woman seemingly afraid of every student, and spends the classes in the corner or trying to control a problem student by lightly whispering at them. This class, which I spend almost 5 hours a week teaching has slowly descended into nothing, as the number of students who don't care (why should they?) outnumber, or at least out-voices the ones who do. In a class of 36 or more 14yr olds from a slightly backwoodsy area in mountainy japan, what can you do?

But even I can only complain for so long, so lets continue.

Since my last post, at least a few things have happened. I think the best of these things was Amber's birthday, which we celebrated in the mountains of a nearby prefecture, and the uber famouse attraction/city/world heritage, Nikko. There are pictures on facebook, Amber's flickr, and my computer. As soon as I update my flickr (with a fancy pro account even?) I'll consolidate. Individually uploading pictures onto this blog is a little time-consuming...

More recently, Amber and I went into Tokyo to watch her friend's band, "The Basics" play at a small venue. We did this about a month ago as well, though it was even more fun this time. Funny enough, the first time I met Amber I asked if she had heard of the band "Gotye," because I had just downloaded a few of their tracks and heard they were getting big in Australia. Her response was "Wally?" I said, "no, Gotye." But she meant Wally, the man behind "Gotye," who was an acquaintence of hers. He's also the drummer and a singer in the Basics. They had a pretty tight sound, and you can find stuff of theirs on the web. I still preferred Gotye to be honest though. Amber has all the pictures from this night, so check out her flickr page, (her username is shesamurai). I had so much fun, but felt a little out place among those rockabillies, who had their uniform down to the tee. The greased hair, leather jackets, tight jeans, vintage bowler shoes, and lots of twist moves. My standard neutral color comfy clothes are not rockabilly material I've decided. I'll have to totaly redo my wardrobe before the next trip.

I've got more to say and show of course, but I'll publish this now to appease a few impatient people :) Look for more though. I will update sooner this time. I promise.

Az