By all that's holy the last time I published a post was after my journey to Nagasaki several weeks ago. In other words that was too long ago. I won't even bother recounting the past few weeks because that would be laborious for me and even more laborious for you, the reader: sifting through a tangled mess of memories meshed together in an essay lacking cohesion. No, I wouldn't wish that fate on my greatest opponents. We have reached that point of no return anyways.
It was the busiest of times, it was the slowest of times; it was a time of great change and a time of utter boredom. There: that's an ok summary (one of the shortest I have ever typed)!
HMPH. I am struggling to articulate what I want to say, which is a RARITY for me. I want to say I feel like an observer.
A Yen For My Thoughts
Schools here recently wrapped up the school year (the school year begins in April in Japan). There were graduation ceremonies and celebratory parties. Then teachers received their new assignments: ceremonies and parties again were offered. New teachers recently arrived and today and tomorrow special ceremonies are held to welcome new students. And through all of this I feel more like a spectator, an oversized fly on the wall. Maybe a gorilla. Ok, I am content to be classified as a furry foreigner.
I'm not complaining--just observing. I do what I can to be involved and it works up to a point. Ultimately I hit the wall that all foreigners encounter: the reality of being culturally different which is substantially more important for your average Japanese person compared to the average American. That I am here for such a short period of time adds to the difficulty in addition to the fact that I lost some of my co-workers to new school assignments.
It's a reality I have accepted and that helps with the challenge. Once you accept you will never fit in it decreases the pressure. Every day a teacher remarks that I am wearing a short sleeve shirt; I apply in the affirmative, "Yep! Every day." I am confident that this is passive aggressive instruction for me to wear a long-sleeved shirt but I am too stubborn to change. It's one of the few compromises I won't make.
Most Japanese seem eager to compare the differences between Japan and other countries; it reaffirms their cultural identity to know that they are uniquely different from everyone else. They are thus surprised if you can speak even a few words of Japanese, can use chopsticks, or eat raw fish: it is as if they believe no one else can do these things. It pricks the bubble of that which is uniquely Japanese.
It's so interesting. If a foreigner speaks English to me I accept it at face value praising them only if they express self-doubt in their abilities. I have never congratulated someone for using a fork and knife well nor am I astonished if someone successfully eats and enjoys American cuisine. These conversational tidbits would never occur to me but in almost every conversation I have had with a Japanese person, one, two, or all three of these topics have come up.
Living here is so much different from being a tourist or studying abroad, which I may have mentioned in my last blog post. It allows one to get fully immersed in the culture. Even if your language ability is poor like mine, you can pick up on the cultural subtleties if you observe closely. Living here allowed me to develop a more realistic understanding of Japan than I had when I studied abroad. This isn't to suggest I'm jaded--just balanced. Well, that's the goal at least.
Highlights
I am looking forward to classes starting because otherwise I feel useless, which makes me sad. Classes should start next week and I intend to take it to the max. That should offset my glum reflections.
Apparently I found a German map by accident.
In other news I recently went to Hirado and Kumamoto. That doesn't sound as impressive as it actually unless you are familiar with Kyushu. Hirado is about two hours of Nagasaki by car (not accessible by train). It's another island! I drove to and from Hirado in one day; I spent the night in Nagasaki and then took a train north to Shin-Tosu where I transferred to the shinkansen or bullet train and rode it to Kumamoto. Going to Hirado was my first time driving on Japanese freeways (with tolls). While I did not spend enough time in Hirado, I enjoyed the time I did spend there and might go back...we'll see. I drove there to see the grave of William Adams or Anjin Miura. He was the first foreign samurai who served the famed shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu; Adams' life inspired the character of Pilot Major John Blackthorne in James Clavell's "Shogun", which is my favorite book. In truth it is a mystery where Adams' remains are (he has two gravesites one in Hirado the other in Yokosuka, Kanagawa). Nevertheless it was profound to see this tombstone and walk on a island where Adams lived before he died.
In Kumamoto I met up with ALTs to have a cherry blossom viewing party, a popular spring activity here in Japan. People basically bring drinks and food and enjoy nature and each other's company. Unfortunately the blossoms were not yet blooming but it was still a fun day of socializing. I even got sun-burned which is proof that I simply do not get enough light in winter. I also had the opportunity to meet my friend Kohaku, who I hadn't seen since my days at Gonzaga 4-5 years ago! It was a delightful reunion and we saw a beautiful waterfall outside of Kumamoto; none of my teachers are familiar with it. That's all for now. Let's see if I can be more prompt in the future.
