I know I haven't blogged in awhile. I just haven't been motivated. At first, I was excited to write about all the strange things in Japan. But after awhile, things just become normal. Corn and mayonnaise on your pizza? Normal. Students running up in the hallway to pet your hair? Normal. People stopping you on a train to ask you where you're from and then telling you that you're beautiful? Normal (and seriously, after awhile, it doesn't even serve as an ego boost anymore).
I guess it truly is time for me to come home. To my mother's intense relief, I declined to recontract for a 4th year (the person who gave me the papers asked me twice if I was absolutely sure. She even gave them to me a week late to give me more time to "think it over". I told her that I eventually want to get married, but I am having no luck even finding a boyfriend in Japan. She reminded me that I still have 6 months, and wouldn't it be a shame if I got a boyfriend in that time and then had to leave? Fun stuff).
So as of August or thereabouts, I will be coming home. I figured that now that the American economy is in the crapper, I should definitely leave my steady, stable, well-paying job and head back to America where I can aspire to be, with patience and dedication, a manager at a fast food restaurant. Or at least marry one.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Okay, so let's take a survey. Hands up if you've ever had a Spaniard, a Frenchman, and 2 Japanese guys talk and flirt with you for several hours over the course of 24 hours (and I have to admit here that I will be a little freaked out if any of you guys out there raise your hands...).
And people wonder why I like my job...
It's been a great weekend of great insights, including the deep insight I had detailing that I could NEVER marry a Spaniard becuase no matter HOW good/unaccented his English is, he could still never open his mouth without me hearing, "Alo. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
And people wonder why I like my job...
It's been a great weekend of great insights, including the deep insight I had detailing that I could NEVER marry a Spaniard becuase no matter HOW good/unaccented his English is, he could still never open his mouth without me hearing, "Alo. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Saturday, October 25, 2008
On Elections
Last Sunday, I went to a Field Day for adult foreigners in Japan. Craziness and fun ensued. The next day, muscle pain ensued. I was planning on having a nice, relaxing day of sleep. And that's when it started.
I know, I know, you're sick of elections already. After all, you've been hearing the campaigning for two years now. But I'll be complaining about Japanese elections, not American ones. The good thing about Japanese elections is that they are almost literally called one week and held the next. The bad thing about Japanese elections is the week between when they're called and when they're held.
The Japanese way of campaigning is quite different from the American one. There aren't a lot of expensive tv ads or the like (with only one week, it's kind of hard to make, schedule, and air them), so in order to get attention, they turn to the airwaves. No, not radio. Actual honest-to-God airwaves. They drive around in cars with gigantic speakers attached to the top and blare out campaign slogans. All day. For 7 days. At maximum volume. And lucky for me, this year, there are 23 candidates up for various elected positions, which means I get to hear 23 different people drive by and say, "Thank you, please vote for me!" All day. From 7:30am to 8pm.
So these 23 candidates all get jackets that are a bright, annoying colors, paint a car with their name and various slogans, then get 4 of their friends to drive around with them, then wave with white gloves (not kidding, they all wear white gloves) at passerby as they drive around the city. With 23 candidates and a small city, they sometimes cross paths, double the noise pollution. Invariably, one candidate will apologize and drive away, which everyone appreciates because by that point, all the china is shaking on the shelves. I always think better of the person who drives away. If I were running a campaign, that would be my strategy. I would drive around until I found another campaign vehicle, then act like the bigger person, apologize, and leave. Everyone would love me because they wouldn't hear from me.
Another annoying thing about these campaign cars is that they drive slow. And we're not talking, "5 or 10 miles under the speed limit" slow. We're talking, "Whoa, did that old lady with the walker just pass me?" slow. And they randomly stop completely so they can wave more vigorously at the old guy on his bike who is doing his best to completely ignore them. This just incites them to wave harder and crank up the volume on their speakers. Eventually, the old guy will acknowledge them just to get them to go away, and then the car will drive off, happily assured of having lost another 10 votes (the old guy plus the 9 cars that are backed up behind them whose drivers are now all angry and late for work). Again, if I was running for election, I'd go speed through the city at 80 miles an hour. Everyone would love me because I wouldn't be backing up traffic AND they could drive just behind me at 78 miles an hour and not have to worry about getting pulled over first!
Unfortunately, I can't even vote in Japan, let alone run for office. Ah, well. Fortunately, the elections are tomorrow, so I don't have to listen to this noise polution that much longer. I just have to worry about the motorcycle gang that's started to hang out near my train station. Most annoying thing in the world. I was tired on Sunday because of the exercise Saturday and the nonstop campaigning. I was finally ready to go to sleep Sunday night when the biker gang started to get feisty. I think they must not like the elections, either. I never thought I'd have anything in common with a biker gang, but there you go.
I know, I know, you're sick of elections already. After all, you've been hearing the campaigning for two years now. But I'll be complaining about Japanese elections, not American ones. The good thing about Japanese elections is that they are almost literally called one week and held the next. The bad thing about Japanese elections is the week between when they're called and when they're held.
The Japanese way of campaigning is quite different from the American one. There aren't a lot of expensive tv ads or the like (with only one week, it's kind of hard to make, schedule, and air them), so in order to get attention, they turn to the airwaves. No, not radio. Actual honest-to-God airwaves. They drive around in cars with gigantic speakers attached to the top and blare out campaign slogans. All day. For 7 days. At maximum volume. And lucky for me, this year, there are 23 candidates up for various elected positions, which means I get to hear 23 different people drive by and say, "Thank you, please vote for me!" All day. From 7:30am to 8pm.
So these 23 candidates all get jackets that are a bright, annoying colors, paint a car with their name and various slogans, then get 4 of their friends to drive around with them, then wave with white gloves (not kidding, they all wear white gloves) at passerby as they drive around the city. With 23 candidates and a small city, they sometimes cross paths, double the noise pollution. Invariably, one candidate will apologize and drive away, which everyone appreciates because by that point, all the china is shaking on the shelves. I always think better of the person who drives away. If I were running a campaign, that would be my strategy. I would drive around until I found another campaign vehicle, then act like the bigger person, apologize, and leave. Everyone would love me because they wouldn't hear from me.
Another annoying thing about these campaign cars is that they drive slow. And we're not talking, "5 or 10 miles under the speed limit" slow. We're talking, "Whoa, did that old lady with the walker just pass me?" slow. And they randomly stop completely so they can wave more vigorously at the old guy on his bike who is doing his best to completely ignore them. This just incites them to wave harder and crank up the volume on their speakers. Eventually, the old guy will acknowledge them just to get them to go away, and then the car will drive off, happily assured of having lost another 10 votes (the old guy plus the 9 cars that are backed up behind them whose drivers are now all angry and late for work). Again, if I was running for election, I'd go speed through the city at 80 miles an hour. Everyone would love me because I wouldn't be backing up traffic AND they could drive just behind me at 78 miles an hour and not have to worry about getting pulled over first!
Unfortunately, I can't even vote in Japan, let alone run for office. Ah, well. Fortunately, the elections are tomorrow, so I don't have to listen to this noise polution that much longer. I just have to worry about the motorcycle gang that's started to hang out near my train station. Most annoying thing in the world. I was tired on Sunday because of the exercise Saturday and the nonstop campaigning. I was finally ready to go to sleep Sunday night when the biker gang started to get feisty. I think they must not like the elections, either. I never thought I'd have anything in common with a biker gang, but there you go.
In the Headlines
I'm typing up another post as we speak, but for now I thought I'd post 2 articles detailing why I fear Japanese medical services.
Todai hospital also turned new mom away
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A pregnant woman who died of a brain hemorrhage after being refused emergency care by seven Tokyo hospitals also was refused admittance to Tokyo University Hospital, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The woman, 36, died three days after giving birth by emergency cesarean section and undergoing surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage at Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, earlier this month.
Despite Tokyo University Hospital, in the capital's Bunkyo Ward, being designated as equivalent to a tertiary emergency medical facility for the treatment for critical patients, it said it refused to admit the woman because all the beds in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were occupied.
Observers have noted that this situation again shows up insufficiencies in the nation's emergency care system.
The woman's regular doctor at the Gonohashi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, a clinic in Koto Ward the woman visited regularly during her pregnancy, called seven hospitals on the evening of Oct. 4 to request they admit her. They all turned down the request.
The reasons cited included: "All the intensive care beds are full," and "The obstetrician is busy handling the delivery of a child."
According to the Gonohashi doctor and staff at the university hospital, the woman had complained of a headache and nausea while being transported in a Tokyo Fire Department ambulance. Believing she would be admitted by Tokyo University Hospital, her doctor and ambulance crew decided to try to have her accepted there.
When staff at the university hospital heard of the woman's condition, they decided the child would have to be admitted to its NICU following his or her birth. But all nine beds in the unit were reportedly full, so woman was refused admission.
The woman was taken to Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital, one of the facilities that had initially turned her away. She underwent a cesarean section at about 9:30 p.m., and had cerebral hemorrhage surgery at about 10 p.m. The child reportedly remains in good health, but the mother died three days later.
The sad thing is that this is not at all uncommon. I think I wrote this in an earlier post, but I'll write it again for emphasis. I had a friend in Japan who had appendicitis. She was turned away by 2 hospitals before her appendix burst and she was finally admitted by a third hospital.
Here's a new and innovative idea from a newspaper contributor.
Obstetrics, emergency depts must cooperate
Makiko Tatebayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
In order to avoid a situation in which patients in need of emergency care are turned away by a succession of hospitals, improvements to the emergency treatment system must be made to ensure that key hospitals are able to accept patients around-the-clock.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman suffered a brain hemorrhage and died after being refused by seven hospitals. Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, initially refused a request to admit the woman, but later accepted her when it was contacted again, which prompts the question: Why did the hospital fail to swiftly admit the woman the first time?
Two years ago, a pregnant woman in Nara Prefecture died after being refused treatment from 19 hospitals. That woman also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about hospitals in America, but I do know that I've never been worried about being turned away from a hospital there. In America, my home city hospital is willing to admit anyone, and within thirty minutes you can be assured, regardless of age, gender, or sexual preference, of being told that you pregnant. Mind you, it may not be the BEST medical care, but it IS always available. In Japan, there's just no guarantee that you'll even get in the hospital. If you get a horrible, festering wound in Japan, it's probably best just to go to the school nurse, who will sneeze on it and then but a bandaid over it. Seriously, it's no wonder people here live to be 1,000. They either die young or acquire an immunity to everything, including death.
Todai hospital also turned new mom away
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A pregnant woman who died of a brain hemorrhage after being refused emergency care by seven Tokyo hospitals also was refused admittance to Tokyo University Hospital, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The woman, 36, died three days after giving birth by emergency cesarean section and undergoing surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage at Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, earlier this month.
Despite Tokyo University Hospital, in the capital's Bunkyo Ward, being designated as equivalent to a tertiary emergency medical facility for the treatment for critical patients, it said it refused to admit the woman because all the beds in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were occupied.
Observers have noted that this situation again shows up insufficiencies in the nation's emergency care system.
The woman's regular doctor at the Gonohashi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, a clinic in Koto Ward the woman visited regularly during her pregnancy, called seven hospitals on the evening of Oct. 4 to request they admit her. They all turned down the request.
The reasons cited included: "All the intensive care beds are full," and "The obstetrician is busy handling the delivery of a child."
According to the Gonohashi doctor and staff at the university hospital, the woman had complained of a headache and nausea while being transported in a Tokyo Fire Department ambulance. Believing she would be admitted by Tokyo University Hospital, her doctor and ambulance crew decided to try to have her accepted there.
When staff at the university hospital heard of the woman's condition, they decided the child would have to be admitted to its NICU following his or her birth. But all nine beds in the unit were reportedly full, so woman was refused admission.
The woman was taken to Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital, one of the facilities that had initially turned her away. She underwent a cesarean section at about 9:30 p.m., and had cerebral hemorrhage surgery at about 10 p.m. The child reportedly remains in good health, but the mother died three days later.
The sad thing is that this is not at all uncommon. I think I wrote this in an earlier post, but I'll write it again for emphasis. I had a friend in Japan who had appendicitis. She was turned away by 2 hospitals before her appendix burst and she was finally admitted by a third hospital.
Here's a new and innovative idea from a newspaper contributor.
Obstetrics, emergency depts must cooperate
Makiko Tatebayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
In order to avoid a situation in which patients in need of emergency care are turned away by a succession of hospitals, improvements to the emergency treatment system must be made to ensure that key hospitals are able to accept patients around-the-clock.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman suffered a brain hemorrhage and died after being refused by seven hospitals. Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, initially refused a request to admit the woman, but later accepted her when it was contacted again, which prompts the question: Why did the hospital fail to swiftly admit the woman the first time?
Two years ago, a pregnant woman in Nara Prefecture died after being refused treatment from 19 hospitals. That woman also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about hospitals in America, but I do know that I've never been worried about being turned away from a hospital there. In America, my home city hospital is willing to admit anyone, and within thirty minutes you can be assured, regardless of age, gender, or sexual preference, of being told that you pregnant. Mind you, it may not be the BEST medical care, but it IS always available. In Japan, there's just no guarantee that you'll even get in the hospital. If you get a horrible, festering wound in Japan, it's probably best just to go to the school nurse, who will sneeze on it and then but a bandaid over it. Seriously, it's no wonder people here live to be 1,000. They either die young or acquire an immunity to everything, including death.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
And more food. I love Italian food. It's simple, it's easy, it tastes good. How could anyone mess it up?
Is it wrong that I laughed at this one?
Pizza. Who can mess up pizza? It's dough with stuff on it.
Is it wrong that I laughed at this one?
Pizza. Who can mess up pizza? It's dough with stuff on it.
Stuff indeed. The upper pizza, as you can see, has broccoli, corn, potato salad, red peppers, and soggy bacon. Yummy.
The pizza here sports mushrooms, soggy bacon, corn, and red and green peppers, all topped with mayonnaise. What's that? You say it looks like there's scrambled eggs on that pizza? Don't be silly. Japanese pizza isn't THAT weird. That's actually egg salad. You silly people. Who would put SCRAMBLED eggs on a pizza? That's just gross.
The next two are from the school lunch Junior high school students and teachers get everyday. In Japanese, it's called "kyushoku", but the ALTs have lovingly renamed it "Spewshoku". Because it rhymes. And we're clever like that. Get it? Yeah, we have too much time on our hands.
Everyday, my kyushoku usually consists of milk, a bread loaf or bowl of rice, a bowl of soup or something, and some kind of meat (or fish - Japanese people classify meat and fish separately) and vegetable. This is a fairly typical school lunch. You will notice the tiny albino hot dogs. Scary, gross, and disgusting. I think they're actually made of fish. The lunch pictured below is second only to the lunch with the pasta, bread, and potato salad with soggy bacon. It's CARBtastic!
Here are the mysterious hot dog things again, tossed in a salad of boiled seaweed, cabbage, and corn. Looks like it's already been eaten, doesn't it?
All I can say is that you people can never call me a picky eater again.
Yea, it's a national holiday! And for once, I have nothing to do. Time to update my blog with pictures of wonderful Japanese foodstuffs.
I almost posted the picture upside down, but I caught myself just in time as I looked at the kanji writing. "Whew, that was a close one. I almost looked pretty stupid," I thought. And then I realized, "how would they know the difference?"
I'm sorry, I'm too American for this to ever, EVER look appetizing. Ever.
I almost posted the picture upside down, but I caught myself just in time as I looked at the kanji writing. "Whew, that was a close one. I almost looked pretty stupid," I thought. And then I realized, "how would they know the difference?"
I'm sorry, I'm too American for this to ever, EVER look appetizing. Ever.
This was in my school provided lunch one day. Kind of looks like moldy little bits of thin steak, doesn't it? But what is it really?
Yup, it's whale. And this helpful chart lets you know what part of the whale you're eating. Yum.
This actually looks quite disgusting to me with all the mushrooms and whatnot, and it's not helped along by the fact that there's a raw egg in a bowl next to it. But this is, by far, my favorite Japanese food. It's called Sukiyaki (okay, everyone my parent's age and older can stop singing that song now), and it's just a bunch of vegetables boiled in a sweet soy sauce. You get 4 or 5 people around a pot like this, and you add the vegetables and meat to the pot. Then everyone just reaches in with their chopsticks and pulls stuff out. Once you get something, you dip it in the raw egg in your bowl to cool it down a little, then eat it. Sounds gross, but my friends who visited 2 years ago can attest to the fact that it's actually really, really good.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
As we all know by now, when I say, "I'll update tonight," that means that the update will be in my head and will appear online in the next few weeks. This again won't be a very big update. I'm currently at work, with nothing to do as the teacher with whom I was supposed to teach today "forgot" me on his way to class. It's okay, though. I'm not bitter. I've been really busy lately, so I enjoy the free time. It's allowed me to get some important stuff done. In fact, I've almost completed my to-do checklist. All that's left is "Figure out if the Macarena starts with the left arm or right." If anyone could help me out with that one, I'd appreciate it.
On the Impending Speech Contests
Every year, there are several English Speech contests for junior high school students all over Japan. It starts in late September with district speech contests. Winners from that move on to the prefectural (state) contests, winners from that either move on to regional or to the national speech contest. Each school is allowed to send a few students to the district contests. Since I have 3 schools, that means I get to coach 6 students. Fun fun! Along with that, since I'm not in my third year in Japan, many nearby districts have asked that I help judge the speech contests for their district. I recently had a meeting with one such district. I'll be listening to and judging 27 speeches and 7 recitations. Since the speeches are judged on content as well as pronunciation, the district sent me all the speeches ahead of time so I could grade them on content.
I've started reading the speeches. Some are good, some are...not so good. In most cases, the students write their speeches in English, and the English teachers translate. The only problem is, many of the teachers don't have a grasp on the natural flow of the English langauge or on how speeches are written in English. Thus, many of the speeches lack a native speakers understanding of nuances and "real" English. I would feel bad for the teachers, but I don't. All of them have access to a native English speaker in the form of an ALT/AET (my job, remember?). Some of these teachers just decide not to ask their ALT for help. And thus you get a speech with the following quote. While the word choice makes sense, and is indeed very "slang" and "natural," using it in a very formal, serious speech contest was perhaps not the best choice.
"He [the speechwriter's dog] sometimes breaks our family rules. When I leave him home alone, he pisses everywhere in my house."
On the Impending Speech Contests
Every year, there are several English Speech contests for junior high school students all over Japan. It starts in late September with district speech contests. Winners from that move on to the prefectural (state) contests, winners from that either move on to regional or to the national speech contest. Each school is allowed to send a few students to the district contests. Since I have 3 schools, that means I get to coach 6 students. Fun fun! Along with that, since I'm not in my third year in Japan, many nearby districts have asked that I help judge the speech contests for their district. I recently had a meeting with one such district. I'll be listening to and judging 27 speeches and 7 recitations. Since the speeches are judged on content as well as pronunciation, the district sent me all the speeches ahead of time so I could grade them on content.
I've started reading the speeches. Some are good, some are...not so good. In most cases, the students write their speeches in English, and the English teachers translate. The only problem is, many of the teachers don't have a grasp on the natural flow of the English langauge or on how speeches are written in English. Thus, many of the speeches lack a native speakers understanding of nuances and "real" English. I would feel bad for the teachers, but I don't. All of them have access to a native English speaker in the form of an ALT/AET (my job, remember?). Some of these teachers just decide not to ask their ALT for help. And thus you get a speech with the following quote. While the word choice makes sense, and is indeed very "slang" and "natural," using it in a very formal, serious speech contest was perhaps not the best choice.
"He [the speechwriter's dog] sometimes breaks our family rules. When I leave him home alone, he pisses everywhere in my house."
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Another new entry
Coming soon to a blog near you. I'll update tonight if I haven't melted into a little pile of goo by then. For now, here's a great quote.
The new ALT in my city was asking some of the office ladies about Japanese life. Talk turned to the section cheifs in our office, all of whom are quite old men. "What do Japanese men do after they retire?" the new ALT asked. After a lengthy pause and some debate in Japanese, one of the ladies replied, "Get divorced."
The new ALT in my city was asking some of the office ladies about Japanese life. Talk turned to the section cheifs in our office, all of whom are quite old men. "What do Japanese men do after they retire?" the new ALT asked. After a lengthy pause and some debate in Japanese, one of the ladies replied, "Get divorced."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I'm not going to post a huge update here - I'm just going to post this video for now.
This is my nephew Kai. He is the most adorable child ever. He's six months old, and he's just discovered a new noise which you'll hear a the beginning of the video (the growling noise which his father then copies back at him). You'll also get to see him try a new food - bananas. He obviously LOVES bananas.
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