Sunday trip...

Hey, I went with Nakamura-san and his family all over the place on Sunday. We went to Nagasaki-ken (my first time) and saw Mt. Unzen and Shimabara. We ate freshly barbequed oysters (they are cheap here and there are these little shacks that back built in bbqs. We had some good food together and hung out. It was a generally swell time.

Other than that I kinda have to go soon so I can't write much. But I can write that despite my extreme isolation for most of the week I have very little free time. I guess this 8-4 job takes it out of me pretty well. Then there are all the parties. But I have confidence that I will have more free time to just write and reflect soon enough. In about ten minutes I am leaving to go hang out with some women for whom I lead a conversation class every week in the nearest "city." They are throwing a little new year's party and it should be good times had by all.

in Ubuyama today the snow melted again

These are all pictuers taken around my front door and near my parking lot after I went on a jog to enjoy the higher than freezing temperatures. I like the roofs here and I feel like I could take pictures all the time and it wouldn't get boring. It's just usually pretty cold to do that and I am needed in the office. Today I realized again how cool the people I work with are. They are full of laughs, smiles, nicenesses, amusing awkwardnesses. Before too long I'll try to put some more photos of them up.

identity, here and there

As I strolled down the street of Kumamoto City this morning after a night out with friends and some good Indian tea for breakfast I realized something that I had realized before, but more pressingly this time. I realized that my identity here on the streets of this Japanese city is almost absolutely affected by the fact that I am caucasian. Many of the things I see as making me who I am don't appear on the radar screen of most of the people here. They see the generic things about me (and maybe they also notice my keen sense of style and my handsome swagger). They certainly notice my glasses. So here I become to the society something very much smaller and different than the person I am used to seeing myself as.

On the other hand the identity perceived by self as opposed to the identity perceived by others (particularly if those others are not close to you) is almost always substantially different, even if you are in your home town. But a much greater degree of the subtleties of your personality and uniqueness are lost to people who don't know your culture. The upside is that I get to be a really cool, special, foreign teacher to a bunch of awesome, happy kids. And that I get to be so different is also pretty interesting (you never go unnoticed, that is for sure).

My first week back of teaching is officially over. It was a good time, mostly. The fifth graders were my last class. I split them up into two groups and made them to "paintings" with colored chalk on the board as a sort of contest. They were very enthusiastic and one team actually made a pretty beautiful picture.

It's interesting how some classes naturally just work and some don't. I do believe it has something to do with the specific groups of personality types and individuals, although I suppose if I were an excellently trained and experienced teacher like my mom I could do well with any class. But even she might have trouble with the grades that have some growing pain problems (puberty, yes, puberty).

I forgot to mention that a few months ago one of my predecessors showed up. He is this congenial bloke from England who stayed in this town for three years and ended up marrying a girl who was from the city of my prefecture.

I also forgot to mention that my flight from Osaka to Kumamoto contained about 100+ US troops on their way to Iraq. I overheard one the the many, who all flew in from different parts of the USA, say "I just realized that I really don't want to go to Iraq." I asked one guy how long they would be in Japan and he said "just a day to have a look around." I told him that I was teaching English in the countryside and he said "so you get to learn some of the language," and I said "sorta." I'm trying though.

It's snowing a lot now. Very cold. Good thing my hot water was fixed!

I just handed out the little Hawaiian gifts that I got for my co-workers here in Ubuyama. One office down, three more to go. I never knew how fun it is to give gifts, even meaningless little ones I got at the ABC store in Kihei.

What else to say? Last night I went to a $60 enkai where I was served like ten different kinds of meats, including horse (which I refused), sea snail, venison, beef, pork, chicken, tuna, squid, etc. Then I was shown into a private ofuro (an onsen bath). I needed that bath... The hot water in my house is broken (which means I may be moving out of my house into a nice newer one).

Let's see here. Teaching is going better. I am starting an English club every Monday from 4-5 in the library. I bought the Star Wars trilogy (the old ones, of course) and I think the kids are gonna love them. How do these kids here do it? They are so darned nice and obedient! I was never like that. Well, there is this one disobedient kid named Hideaki--I was kinda like him, but a little less ostentatious. I have to say, he's pretty funny.

Umm umm, it's getting colder again; I think it may snow soon. It's 5 degrees Celsius in my house right now.

I'll see about taking some photos this weekend and then I can show them to ya'll.

I'm just going to keep on partying and enjoying my inaka life while I still can. I'm even going to enjoy the snow and indoor ice. You betcha. Oh and my friend Gabe and I decided that you'd better just do what you want to do in life, if you can. That's my advice for the day. Do what you really want to do (as long as it doesn't hurt others*). *Extra bonus if it helps others.

Alright, peace.

I'm back in my little home in the countryside. I am content to be back. It was an extremely easy transition. I got home at around 11pm and was at work around 7:55am. Everyone in my office smiled and said welcome back and then they continued their jobs and I studied some Japanese.

People always ask me how it is over here and it's really difficult to say. Usually I just emphasize the fact that I am so isolated and sometimes I'll complain about some aspect of the educational system here, perhaps regarding my lack of real work (teaching five or six hours of every forty hours per week). But for almost every complaint there is something very good to be said about the life here. The food, the customs, the people, the students, the pay, the countryside (including mountains, streams, spas, trees, and old buildings). Not to mention the autumn leaves and flowers.

In the last couple of months I was lucky enough to meet this wonderful family that lives just 7 minutes down the road. Now, as often as I can (hopefully once per week), I go to their house for lunch or dinner and we discuss places in the world, Japan and Japanese culture, America and American culture. They are well traveled and have two adorable kids. They eat brown rice exclusively and I think that almost all of their food is both organic and farmed by themselves. They made a conscious decision to leave the city and move to the countryside. They chose Aso-gun, the region where I am located, because to them it was one of the three best regions in Japan for living in the countryside. It is really nice to have their friendship.

When I was a kid I became infatuated with things country. I loved hand-made wooden furniture and playing in the trees and being outside, picking berries wherver I went (if in season). If I am lucky I can engender some of these aspects of life into my future and then I'll be very content.

I am very tired even though it's 8:14am and I've been up for more than two hours. Soon it'll be time to go to the Kindergarten and hang out with the little ones. That'll be cool.

My Way Back

As I prepare to fly back many feelings rush through me. I must take leave of my family, including one brother that I didn't get to see (but he may be visiting in June). I also must come to terms with the temperature change I will soon experience. 25C will soon turn into -10C.

But I assume that once I have made the dive back into my life there things will pick right back up and I will make the best of my time in a beautiful, hidden, strange countryside of mysteries and friendliness, unreadable stories and so many generations of life.

I will do my best to fulfill my duty as a JET, as a teacher, and as an international representative. I will also maintain my individual life in my little home.

I send my wishes to you all.