Kitami

This photo has nothing to do with today's post. We had lunch today in one of the traditional style rooms at the hotel. The occasion was the visit of Midori, whom I mention at the very end of this post. We were all given bento lunches, and the boys have a kid's version. Ridge actually ate most of his, including some of that huge fried shrimp you see. He also used his chopsticks!

It’s been a super busy week for me. Unfortunately, that means Aaron has really had his fill of the kids for the past several days. I’m hoping things slow down soon, but I never know.

On Monday, Kurata and I took our student, Issei, to a contest in Kitami city. This contest was for English Recitation. What this means is that twenty students in second and third grade (of middle school) took turns reciting a chosen passage from their English textbooks. They are judged on things such as poise, gestures, pronunciation, memorization, eye contact, and general delivery.

It was nice to leave the village for a little while and go somewhere completely different. Of course, it was made even nicer by the fact that I didn’t have to worry about communication, since I was traveling with two Japanese people. After finishing my classes on Monday, we piled into my car (technically, it’s the village’s car), and headed out. I had to give my keys to Kurata. Mr. Kamaya didn’t want me to drive. I guess he’s worried about how good of a driver I am. Laws are strict here. I found out that if a teacher were caught driving more than 30kmp over the speed limit, they would loose their job!

We arrived in Kitami well after dark and Kurata found a restaurant for us to go to. It was a steak house style place, called Victoria Station. I’m certain the theme was aimed at something vaguely Australian. The food was nice, and everyone ate with a knife and fork – a treat for me! Everyone here is always complementing my use of chopsticks, so I decided to turn the tables and kept complimenting Kurata on his use of a knife and fork. As I began to eat, I happened to notice out of the corner of my eye that Issei (he’s 15, by the way) was watching me use my fork. He ate with his just fine, but I think it doesn’t come naturally.

I felt a bit self-conscious sitting there with these two Japanese guys. After all, I’m so pale and my hair is so curly that I stick out like a neon sign. Usually, I don’t think about being one of the only white people around, but for a little while, people’s stares reminded me. Kitami is a much, much bigger city than even Nayoro and Monbetsu, but white people are still not a dime a dozen.

After eating, we went to the hotel. A machine that stacks the cars into very small slots parked our car, I think. I saw it loaded on to a lift, with no one sitting in it, so that is my assumption. My room was tiny, but well laid out and comfortable. (Photo of my room) The hotel provided a nightshirt, slippers, and various small toiletries, including two individually wrapped Q-tips. Who would have thought of such a thing? Many signs were in English, as you can see from this example, but the English is often quite humorous to me. Sign about slippers


The following morning we met down in the lobby for my first Japanese-style breakfast. Just like at a Holiday Inn that serves a free continental breakfast, there were small tables and a bar set up with food. However, instead of cereal, milk, pastries and juice, I had a choice of four different kids of onigiri (triangular rice balls). Next to the onigiri were small bowls with different kinds of pickled veggies, such as cucumber and daikon. The onigiri all had things mixed in with the rice – small bits of seaweed, sesame seed, black sesame seed, small bits of fish, and so on. Next to the onigiri were stacks of bowls. Inside the bowls had been sprinkled bits of dried seaweed and green onions. The goal is to grab a bowl and fill it with miso soup base. Presto – instant miso soup, complete with tofu. Then you could choose coffee or tea. That completed breakfast. Of course, if it hadn’t been eight in the morning, I might have thought I was eating lunch! Sometimes it’s hard to tell around here!

Finally, after getting lost twice, we made our way to the building housing the contest. About twenty schools from the area (called a prefecture – like a county) were represented. The students sat up front in numbered chairs, waiting their turn. He rest of the room was full of Japanese Language Teachers (JLT) and about eight Assistant Language Teachers (ALT). That’s what I am. So, of course, I’m surveying the room, checking out the other English speakers. As we filed downstairs for a “Souvenir Photograph” (this happens all the time), one of the white guys who was an ALT approached me. His, “how’s it goin’?” was like music to my ears. Nobody in Japan says that. It’s always more formal: “Good morning. How are you?” We chatted and turns out – believe it or not – he is from Palmer, Alaska!! For those of you reading this in Texas, that is close to Anchorage. Turns out Palmer is sister cities with his Japanese town and they have a similar exchange program. He and I are considered “private” ALT’s, as opposed to JETs (Japanese English Teacher), who are hired by the JET program from all over the world. I also met the other ALTs who had come with their students and their JLTs. In all, there were about eight of us. Interestingly, only three people were from the U.S. Two others were from Australia, two were from England, and one was French-Canadian. He had an unusual accent.

The recitations themselves were funny to watch. Last year, according to the rumor mill, the judges awarded high points for lots of gestures, even if they didn’t look very natural. So, this year, many students over-emphasized their gestures. What you have to understand, though, is that Japanese people don’t usually gesture. They can talk for hours without moving their hands OR their faces. I don’t know how. If I couldn’t move, I think I would become mute! So, trying to get someone to sound and look surprised takes a lot of work. Issei’s recitation included a bit where he had to recite a little boy’s answer to a question: “well, you asked me.” It was completely unnatural for him to shrug his shoulders as if in resignation. He just couldn’t do it. I think memorizing the readings was the easy part for all the students. Learning to use English intonation, emphasis, gestures, and facial expressions is extremely difficult. The overall effect was that some students overcompensated to the extreme. I’m sure they all worked very hard, though.

After we broke for lunch, all the ALTs introduced ourselves and gave short comments regarding the recitations. One of the ALTs then lead the rest of us in a few demonstration games with all the students. It was awfully nice to be around so many other English speakers, even if only for a short time.

Awards were presented (Issei came in sixth, which I think is not too shabby) and the closing remarks were made. I changed out of my dressy clothes and got ready for the trip home. Kurata, however, had other ideas. Behind the building housing the competition were several very large greenhouses, where, apparently, there was a flower festival taking place. After assuring me that it wouldn’t take long (I was anxious to get home), we paid our 600-yen each and took a look. I’m glad we went, because it was really beautiful. The first green house we were shuffled through was full of potted flowers, many of which were enormous mums. Then, in the next building, there were about half a dozen “scenes” similar to what you might find in a wax museum. Except, here, the clothing was all made of flowers! It was beautiful. Whole flowers, gathered and arranged in a variety of ways to look like different clothing. I’m very sorry I didn’t take the camera. What was just as interesting was how much Issei was enjoying the whole thing. When we walked through the bonsai display, he was very excited. He and Kurata spent many a minute commenting on and studying the bonsai. Kurata asked me, “What do you think when you see bonsai? What do you feel?” I answered him, and returned the question. “Nothing,” he said. “Good nothing, or bad nothing?” I asked. Nodding, he said, “Good.” Guessing that there was more to his answer than meets the eye, I asked him what the Japanese concept/word/kanji was. “Mu,” he replied. It is interesting to me that there are entire ideas and concepts that Japanese people can communicate to one another with one word. I can’t explain, “Mu”. It’s too deep for me. Aaron, who has read a lot about Eastern philosophies tried, but I think even his understanding of it is limited by the fact that his is not Japanese. It’s like…well, the Japanese think that when you have lots on your mind and are busy, you are “full”. If you are not – which is the goal- it is Mu. Yet, it doesn’t mean peaceful. It is a kind of empty. Complicated, eh? Yet, how amazingly precise they can be. If I talk to Kurata about the Japanese “Wa”, he knows exactly what I mean. “Wa” is all about group relationships, and harmony. I think, to the Japanese, group relationships equal harmony. It is a way of living. Very complicated. If I think about it too much, I will hurt my head, I think!

So, anyway, let’s just say the flower festival was a really interesting cultural experience, and sparked some interesting, if not somewhat frustrating, conversations with Kurata. Though is English is good, it’s difficult to talk about complex thoughts when you are using a language that is not your primary one.

This post is getting really long, so I will mention just a few words on the Kamiokoppe harvest festival and then be finished. Most schools around here have a school garden. The past few weeks have been serious harvest time for all gardeners. Strings of vegetables hung out to dry dot the eves of houses. Stores are selling huge containers for storing root vegetables and other goodies. Outside of grocery stores, local growers have set up booths where they sell enormous bags of shallots, cabbage, potatoes, and daikon.

To celebrate the harvest, Kamiokoppe students harvested their own garden and, with the help of many mothers, cooked a few different dishes with their homegrown vegetables. They set up tables in the gym and served up a pumpkin dish made with adzuki beans, curry and rice (with potatoes and carrots grown in the garden), and another dish that I can’t describe because I’m not sure I know what it was. After eating, the kids, dressed in their festival jackets, sang a traditional song and a more contemporary song. (Short video of song) The walls of the gym were lined with butcher paper illustrating all their projects. At the end, to echo a real village festival, the students had invented a few games for people to take turns playing. This is a picture of Ridge standing next to a couple of the kids as he tries to throw a ball into a basket. Ridge and Masataka


That’s all for now. The week continues to be busy and full of commitments for me. A woman from Juneau is here visiting for the first time in twelve years. She is a Japanese person who has lived in Juneau for many, many years and she was instrumental in setting up the Juneau/Nishiokoppe teacher exchange. Needles to say, there was a party last night, a lunch today, both to welcome here, and she is due to come over to our house for “tea time” at 4:00 today. Mr. Kamaya wants to make sure we have ample opportunities to hang out with someone who speaks English. Then, one Saturday, I have yet another party to attend – this one is for pre-school moms. Ridge begins pre-school on Tuesday next week. On Monday I will conduct a Halloween party for Nishiokoppe Elementary, and on Tuesday, one for Kamiokoppe. I have a lot of cookies and cupcakes to make this weekend! Busy, busy, busy!

I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures of the Halloween parties!