Reflecting on One Year in Japan

I know everyone says this thing, but it's true! I really cannot believe we've been in Japan for a whole year. An entire 12 months. 365 days.

And you know what? I am super proud of myself. In a way, coming here was my high school exchange re-do. I know that sounds kind of bad, but this experience, while completely separate and different in nearly all ways, has been hugely important to me. After I returned early from Japan in 2008, I had a daily battle with what ifs. Now I feel like less of a failure and even though this isn't me in high school, I feel like I've been able to experience things that I missed out on before.

That's not to say things are always sunshine and rainbows here. It can be tough. Culture shock is a real thing - sometimes disabilitatingly so. I have a lot of frustrations with my job. Sometimes I wish I hadn't signed on for another year.

On the other hand, there are tons of things we have yet to see and do. I know that I want this second year. One year really is too short. And it's gone by so quickly, I know I might even feel the same after two.

This has been an amazing experience for Yana, and I almost wish we could stay forever just for her. Chizu especially is such a safe environment. And she seems to be doing great with the language, she's made some amazing friends, and she enjoys school. Everyone loves her here and she gets almost too much attention! I'm really impressed with how she's adapted.

Chizu is a gorgeous town and overall I really enjoy life here in Tottori. I love being able to see these mountains every day. Although living in a small town can sometimes be stifling, I love the friendliness here in Chizu. People are so kind. I've come to enjoy the small town life. I do love the city too, but I find it refreshing to be back home in Chizu, where life is a less stressful.

At this point, we're thinking of leaving next summer. Although life here is pretty good, I'm not sure I could endure another year of ALTing. This is a bit of a dead-end career, and I don't think being an ALT is something I could be happy with long-term. This has been a great experience, but I feel ready to start my real life. I also think it's probably best for Yana to start 1st grade in Canada. I think the transition for her would be far more difficult if she attended 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade here in Japan and then suddenly had to switch to Canadian school. I think it would be difficult for her to catch up. (On the other hand, I sometimes think she would have a great experience in Japanese elementary school; there are a lot of nice things about it, especially for the younger grades). Another factor is the weather. Without central heating or air conditioning, it's freezing in winter and blistering hot and humid in summer. Food is another frustration. There isn't much available in our small town and since we don't eat a lot of Japanese food, it's tough sometimes. These are little problems, but after a while they really become grating. Anyway, I feel like I'd rather leave on a positive note. I'm afraid that if we stay for 3 years, life will become a daily struggle and I'll come to hate this place. That's something I don't want. That's how I left Japan before, and it had a hugely negative impact on me.

Sometimes a whole other year seems like such a long time. I complain that I don't want to be here for a whole year. But this past year has seemed like a blur. The days really fly by. So I'm looking forward to this next year. This is a reminder to myself to savour every moment.

Yana's Language Progress: June 2015

On the parent-child field trip

Recently I've noticed a big leap in Yana's confidence and vocabulary when speaking Japanese. When she first started school, she spoke to the other kids in English only and was confused and frustrated. Now she speaks Japanese with them. She also understands that Japanese is different from English. She doesn't always use the right Japanese (often its wrong or very infantile), but the fact that she's using the foreign language is a great step.

One day we were out shopping. A lady who spoke English very well was helping us, and even though we were speaking English, Yana announced, "oshiko!" when she had to use the toilet.

Later that same day, we were at the grocery store, standing near the tills. Yana shouted, "kochi!" and ran to the till of her choice. The cashier had a good chuckle.

She also recently memorized a cute little song at school, which she sang for me at home. She often sings Japanese songs. A lot of the words are slurred, but I can definitely make out a few correct words and it sounds like Japanese.

A recent trend is her use of "kochi", "korera", "datta", and "misete". She tends to use these words very frequently. Usually not correctly, though.

On a school field trip, she asked her teacher "tabete ii yo?", so it's great to see her trying to put words together to make sentences.

She's also started teaching me words that I don't know and instructing me: "say 'ippai' because it means there's lots" and "you say it KA-TA-TSU-MU-RI".

Her teacher remarked on how polite she is too. She always says "dou itashimashite", but most of the other kids don't bother. I didn't even teach her that one!

New vocabulary I've noticed:

• oshiri [bum]
• neko [cat]
• hanbunko [usually means half of something, but she learned it to mean fold in half]
• datta [non-polite form of desu]
• yamete [stop]
• kochi [here, come here]
• oshiko [pee]
• tengu-geta kutsu [tengu geta shoes, a special type of Japanese shoe she is learning to wear for sports day]
• tatte [stand]
• suwaru [sit]
• kashite [give]
• ii yo [good, okay]
• taberu [eat]
• asobu [play]
• ikou [go]
• koko [here]
• korera [these]
• yatta [yay!]
• dou itashimashite [you're welcome]
• ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, jyu [counting up to 10]
• dekita! [did it!]
• ippai [full, many]
• katatsumuri [snail]

Overall, I'm very impressed with how she's been doing these last few months!

The Annual Health Check

Here in Japan, many people are getting their annual health checks done.
I believe the rule is that all government employees must get an annual check, and since teachers are hired by the government, that includes me.

It all started a few weeks ago, when I came into work with an envelope on my desk. Upon opening it, I could tell it was a series of questionnaires, but I couldn't tell what it was for. The vice principal explained that it was for the annual health check, and that my appointment was on May 21st. From then on I spent a lot of free time painstakingly translating the forms so that I could fill them out.

My appointment was for 8:30am and I wasn't supposed to eat anything after dinner the day before. So I was already pretty hungry when I woke up the morning of the 21st. Instead of going to work, I went directly to the hospital, which is conveniently located right beside my apartment. I wandered into the hospital, but I wasn't sure where to go, so I enlisted the help of an employee who was observing me with a look of mild concern. He was super helpful and walked me down to the center where they do the checks. I think I must teach his kid(s), because at one point he asked my job and then started thanking me.

When I walked into the health check center, the two administrative ladies greeted me with, "Ah, Anje!", which kind of caught me off guard, but I was glad they knew who I was because it really helped me during the process. I gave them my somewhat completed questionnaires and my insurance card. Then I took a seat in the center (which was pretty much a room with exercise equipment jammed into the corners and along the walls with tables and chairs set up for waiting). After a minute or so I was called into a consultation room, where a lady basically told me we were going to start the tests and gave me a quick rundown of what the tests were.

The first stop was a urine test. Thankfully one of the admin ladies showed me where to go and then waited outside to take me to the next stop. One thing that was interesting is that they use paper cups (not plastic jars with lids) and the bathroom actually had an opening like a window which connected to the lab...but there was no door or glass or anything, so I could see and hear perfectly what was going on in there.

Next I had to get my blood taken. Not my favorite thing, and it made me feel a bit queasy, especially after not eating. They took 3 vials. The lady who took my blood brought me to the next station, which was an EKG. I always feel like some mad science experiment when I'm hooked up with wires and suction cups.

After that the EKG lady took me to wait for my X-ray. I was a little nervous because I had to hold my breath and I wasn't sure if I would understand when to do it, but it turned out fine. It was my last stop before I went back to the center. I had to wait for a while and then I had my blood pressure, eyesight, height, and weight checked.

One of the admin ladies told me I had to wait about half an hour before the doctor could see me, so I was able to walk home and finally eat something. I came back at 10:00, but it was another 30 minutes before I was able to see the doctor. Naturally, the doctor visit was quite short. She showed me all my test results, including the X-ray, and told me they were all good. The only thing was that apparently my triglyceride levels were a little high, but still okay. She checked my heart with a stethoscope and then sent me on my way.

So in all, it was about 2 and a half hours. I think it was a bit unusual though, as many schools seem to have the school nurse do most of the check or have a medical team come in and do it at the school or community center. It's also common for X-rays to be done in a big white van which travels from school to school. But in my case I went to the hospital and was able to have everything done there. I guess since its a small town and we have the hospital right here its easiest to just do it there.

Hopefully I won't have to see the inside of the hospital for another year!

Edit: A week or so later, I got another letter from them with my results. It's really great because you can see everything that was tested and get all hypochondriac about the amount of red blood cells you have and stuff. Anyway, I also got a recommendation, so it told me to take care of my diet and to get my blood checked again in 6 months (because of the triglycerides) and to go and get my eyes checked by an actual eye doctor. I ended up needing glasses! So that's been a huge adjustment for me, but I'm really glad I was able to have this check.

Things You Should Bring With You to Japan as an ALT

A 6th grade student tries on a Canadian hockey jersey.

Packing for a year (or more) is difficult. There are tons of things to bring and little space to bring them in. I know the last thing new JETs need is a list of MORE things to pack, but here are some things I brought or wished I had.



Yearbooks
Useful during self introductions or for talking about school in your country, yearbooks will surely intrigue your students. I didn't bring any, but I really wish I had! I know suitcase space is precious, but one yearbook wouldn't take up a lot of space.

Photos
Digital or hard copy, photos are a great thing to bring! These will be most useful during your self introduction lessons, but also for lessons about your country, holiday lessons, or lessons about school life in your country. Document your daily life - the students will be interested to see what your hobbies are or what you have for meals. I have some, but I really wish I had brought more, especially of me during my school days.

Videos
If you have any home videos that are relevant to holidays, your life, your country, or your school days, they would be great to bring along. I wish I had some! As it is, I get all that kind of stuff from Youtube, which is fine, but I can tell you the students would be extra thrilled to watch something more personal.

Things That Represent Your Country
I brought a Canadian hockey jersey, a flag, and some money. These were big hits - at elementary school the kids liked to try on the jersey, and everyone was really interested in the plastic money. Later on I also acquired a can of maple syrup. If your school allows it, you could also bring in some food samples.

Student Rewards
Bringing some special stickers, pennies, stationary supplies, or other knick knacks can work well as incentives for students. I brought some Canadian flag stickers to give out during my self introduction lessons.

Books
I brought along a bunch of children's books in English to give to my elementary school. They really appreciated it. I also was able to use them during reading time. I made sure to bring some which represented my country - in this case, books written about Canadian subjects by a famous author from my town.

Makeup and Toiletries
It can be difficult to find makeup that matches your shade. I can't find the brand I use here at all. I brought some with me, but I wish I had brought more. I ended up ordering off of iherb.com and buying the rest at the store. Other things to consider bringing, if you are particular: deodorant, toothpaste, facial cleansers

Food
If you have a favorite food that is safe to bring, I recommend bringing it. I ran out of room, but I had planned to bring peanut butter. They have it here, but its ridiculously expensive. Also, oatmeal, yeast, and chocolate chips, since I like to bake. Of course you can find most things here or order them online, but its expensive and sometimes I can't figure out the Japanese directions. I only recommend bringing food if you have the space available; it should be a low priority.

Medicine and Vitamins
If you have an affinity for particular medicine or vitamins, it may be worth it to bring some along (of course keeping in mind restrictions on amounts and illegal substances). I am fond of Advil as my painkiller of choice, but its impossible to find North American brands here and I feel uncomfortable taking something without being able to read the instructions or ingredients.  I brought along a big bottle and had my mom bring some when she visited. I wish I had brought more. And even though I order vitamins from iherb, I can't get the brand I usually bought back in Canada.

Clothing
If you are anything larger than a North American size M or L, think seriously about bringing a full wardrobe of clothing (including undergarments and shoes if over size 24-28cm!), because choices outside of large cities may be limited. Extremely limited. And while you can buy some clothing online, there's no guarantee that it fits until you try it on. I really wish I had more effectively planned and bought a wardrobe before leaving.

Yana's Language Progress: April 2015

Yana has made a lot of progress lately with her Japanese, so I think its time for a language progress update. Now, she is certainly not fluent and she still has a ways to go. But I think she's probably around a 2 year old equivalent. I also have no idea what her comprehension is like, since I'm not at school with her.

• issha [just a very Japanese sound one makes while doing something, not even sure if I've spelled it correctly]
• happyoukai [recital]
• tabete [eat]
• arigatou gozaimasu [thank you very much]
• sugoi ne [cool, eh?]
• matte! [wait!]
• kore nan deshou? [what's this?]
• gomen nasai [sorry]
• iranai [I don't want it / I don't need it]
• Yana desu [I'm yana]

She has started using some vocabulary in everyday life with me and Justin, too (arigatou, gomen nasai, dame). She even introduces herself now as "[last name] Yana-chan." On a trip to Kyoto, someone offered her a food sample and hilariously she shouted, "Iranai!" at them. She sings a lot in Japanese (although its more of just mumbling random sounds) and she likes to copy short jingles from the TV, too. 

Three Days in Kyoto

With the end of the school year and the students on break for two weeks, I decided it was well past time for a family trip somewhere. Aside from orientation in Tokyo, we had yet to leave Tottori prefecture. So, I planned a trip to Kyoto!

We left on Thursday, April 2nd. We took the 7:08am Super Hakuto, which is a direct train from Chizu to Kyoto, so its pretty handy. The train trip was just under 3 hours. The cherry blossoms have bloomed this past week, so we enjoyed the scenery along the train tracks.

We arrived in Kyoto Station and put our luggage in a coin locker. Then we were back on the train [the first of many uncomfortably packed public transportation rides] for our first stop, Arashiyama! Arashiyama is most famous for the bamboo forest. It was about a 10 or 15 minute walk from the station, but it was easy to find by just following signs and masses of tourists. We strolled through the forest for a little while, but we didn't spend too much time here because we had plenty of other things on the itinerary. We took the train back to Kyoto Station and ate lunch there, at Subway [sorry].

Bamboo Forest

After lunch we took the subway to Nijo Castle. "Castle" is a bit of a misnomer, as it actually refers to the grounds inside the fortifications, which include gardens and two palaces. Only one palace, Ninomaru, is open to the public. We walked through a very specific route and were not allowed to take photos. Everything was dark inside, so we could barely make out the wall paintings which were being protected by the lighting. The paintings were pretty incredible, though. Also, the floor squeaks loudly like a bird when walked on, which gives it the name "nightingale floor". It was to protect the palace occupants from any intruders. We also walked around the outside of the other palace, Honmaru, and through some of the gardens.

Nijo Castle

Next, we caught the bus to Kinkaku-ji, a Kyoto must-see. It was ridiculously busy there, and we had to fight our way through hoards of people, just to get a view of the golden pavillion. Near the end, we stopped to get fortunes. Yana got excellent, I got very good, and Justin got fairly good.

Kinkaku-ji

Then we got on a very full bus and endured an excruciatingly long ride back to the station. We actually missed our planned train, so we had to take one with a connection. Our hotel was actually in Nara, about 45-50 minutes away from Kyoto. It was a great location, though - right across from the station! We checked in and then went and ordered some pizzas from Pizza Hut! We haven't had real pizza since we arrived, so it was quite the treat. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I couldn't even finish!


The next day we headed out early, on the 7:39am train. Even though we arrived in Kyoto pretty early, there was already a huge lineup for the bus. Luckily the bus came every 10 minutes, and we ended up getting cut off at the front of the line, meaning we were one of the first ones on the next bus and we actually got a seat this time. We got off when the bus told us to, but it took a bit of blindly wandering around before we found the way to Kiyomizu Temple. We walked up the hill towards the temple, nearly getting hit by cars several times. We spent some time exploring the temple, as well as Jishu Shrine, which is one of many shrines within the temple grounds. Jishu is famous for two rocks, and if you walk from one to the other with your eyes closed, it is said you'll have good luck in love. Also, the shrine is related to the same legend of the white rabbit, which is famous here in Tottori.

Kiyomizu Temple

After walking around the temple grounds, we headed towards Maiko Experience Studio Shiki. I had booked a photoshoot for myself. Unfortunately, due to the rain, I couldn't take photos outside, as I had planned, though. The whole experience took nearly 4 hours. I first had to go upstairs and change into kimono underwear. Then I waited for a while before they were ready to do my makeup. The makeup took maybe 15 or 20 minutes. It began with some kind of sticky wax which was rubbed all over my face (lips included). Then I had the whitewash applied, again, all over - in my nose, over my eyebrows, on my lips. Next, the makeup was smoothed out with a bit of powder. Light pink powder was also applied around the eyes and chin. I had my eyebrows re-drawn on, eyeliner, mascara, and red applied to my eyes, and bright red lipstick painted on. At the end of it, I felt like I was wearing a plastic face. Then I got to choose my kimono. I decided on a red and black one, because I liked the pattern. I had to wait for a while, but next I had my wig fitted. I chose to wear a half wig, so some front parts of my hair were heavily waxed, smoothed over the wig, pinned into place, and literally painted black with ink. Also, the wig was ridiculously heavy. The last step was to wait to get dressed. I was wrapped up in about million layers of underclothes and collars, then finally the kimono and obi [sash] - all of it held together with about 10 strips of fabric. Although the back support was nice, it was definitely hard to breathe, move, and sit down. I had to wait for a few minutes, but then I was taken down to have my photos taken. At this point they also brought in Justin and Yana, who got to watch and also take a photo with me. Lastly, I had to go and have everything taken off. I then went back to the changing area, where I had to use about 1/2 a cup of baby oil to get the whitewash and makeup off my face and wash my hair three times to get the ink and wax out. There was a bit of a wait to get my photos, but in the end we left a bit earlier than was planned, so all was good!

Maiko Experience

Our last stop of the day was Miyako Odori, a famous dance put on every year in April by maiko and geiko. We bought special tickets, which allowed us to see a tea ceremony performed by two maiko before the show. We also got to drink green tea and eat a traditional sweet [mochi filled with red bean]. We weren't allowed to take photos during the show itself, which was too bad, because it was amazing and gorgeous. The dancers were incredible - especially so when you consider they do this show four times a day for an entire month.

Maiko Tea Ceremony

After the dance, we walked to a bus stop and took the bus back to the station. We ate dinner at the station and then took the train back to our hotel.


On our last day, we arrived in Kyoto Station in the morning and put our luggage in a coin locker to store for the trip home. We also bought our tickets home and stopped at Starbucks for some breakfast [we don't have any in Tottori yet!]. Then we waited in an even longer line for the bus to Heian Shrine. The entrance to the shrine is marked by one of the largest torii gates in Japan. The shrine itself is based on the architecture of an ancient Kyoto palace. Its also a popular place for weddings, and there was one being held when we arrived. We were a bit short on time, so unfortunately we didn't go into the gardens.

Heian Shrine

We were going to take the bus to Nanzen-ji, but a helpful lady told us that we could walk there faster. It was a stroke of luck, really, as we ended up walking along the most beautiful path of cherry blossom trees. When we got to Nanzen-ji, we paid 500 yen to climb to the top of Sanmon, the big gate, but my fear of heights kicked in, so Justin and Yana went alone. Afterwards, we wandered around the grounds until we found the aqueduct. The aqueduct is pretty neat, but really looks a bit odd in the middle of the temple grounds.

Nanzen-ji Aqueduct

Next we headed from Nanzen-ji along the Philosopher's Walk [with a stop for crepes along the way]. The walk follows a canal lined by tons of cherry blossom trees. It was really gorgeous. We didn't walk the whole path, but instead stopped to visit Honen-in. Honen-in is a very serene temple, hidden away in the woods. It really felt like another world.

Honen-in

After Honen-in, we walked back to a bus stop and rode the bus back to Kyoto Station. We had some time, so we looked through some souvenir shops and ate dinner at a katsu restaurant in the station. And then we took the train back home to Chizu!

Graduation and My First Birthday in Japan

March 10th is my birthday. It also happened to be JHS graduation day. It was also a Tuesday.

I go to the ES every Tuesday, but the JHS made a special arrangement so that I could attend the graduation ceremony. So on the morning of March 10th, I went to the JHS instead of the ES.

At school, everyone was rushing around getting last minute things done. We had the graduation ceremony in our new gym! We had spent the day before getting it ready. The ceremony began at 9:30, but I went in a bit early to watch the last minute practice. Then I took my seat along the side, with all the other teachers.

The ceremony was about an hour and a half long. It began with a short opening speech, and then we jumped right in to giving out the diplomas. Each student had their name called by their homeroom teacher as they went on stage, but the whole process of getting up there was quite the sight! The students walked very slowly and made 90 degree turns. There were different points along the way where the students stopped - at the bottom of the stairs, at the top of the stairs, halfway across the stage, in front of the podium to the right, and finally they would move to the left side of the podium, where they received their diplomas from the principal (who was dressed in a tuxedo, I might add). That part took about 25 minutes, for just under 60 students.

JHS Graduation ceremony (from http://www.torikyo.ed.jp/tizu-j/)

After the diplomas, there were lots of speeches, including from the mayor, someone important from the city hall, and the head of the PTA. The students also gave speeches, praising each other for their attitudes and study habits. One important part of student events here is singing, and indeed there were multiple songs song by both the graduating class and the 1st and 2nd year students.

All the graduating students (from http://www.torikyo.ed.jp/tizu-j/)

At the end of the ceremony, the 3rd years walked out, while everyone applauded. After that I helped clean up the gym with the other students. I don't really know what happened after that, because I had to go over to the ES for the rest of the afternoon.

At the ES, the 6th graders were having their graduation buffet school lunch. I had one already last month with the 3rd years at JHS, so I got 2 buffet lunches! I actually enjoyed the one at the ES better, as there was more food I liked. Some of the food we had: mushroom and sausage pizza, broccoli, noodle and meatball soup, gobo salad, karaage, fried potatoes cut like stars, omelets with chili con carne sauce, shrimp gratin, fruit and jelly salad, and cake.

Since it was the graduation, the staff from the JHS had a party planned for that evening. After school I ran home to quickly get ready, and then I met N-sensei and O-sensei, who gave me a ride to the party. I should add that it was freaking BLIZZARDING, so it was a bit of a tricky drive there.

When we arrived at the party, we drew lots to determine seats, as usual. I was sitting with teachers I don't normally talk to very often, but K-sensei, one of my JTEs, sat across from me. The majority of the night was pretty boring, to be honest. I was tired and it was difficult to follow the conversation and speeches. The food wasn't too bad, but it kind of gave me a stomachache. However, I had mentioned to K-sensei that it was my birthday, so when the dessert course came, so did a huge dessert plate with candles and "Happy Birthday アーニャ" written on the plate in chocolate sauce. Everyone sang happy birthday TWICE and made me blow out the candles twice as well! Then I shared my plate with the teachers sitting near me. O-sensei also gave me a gorgeous chocolate cake to bring home. Funnily enough, Justin had made me a cake while I was out, so in total I got FOUR CAKES on my birthday. It was definitely a good night.

My birthday dessert plate