Today was graduation. It snowed and was very cold inside the large, virtually unheated gym. But for over an hour we showed our passion and celebrated the students' victory. These are two of the fifteen students that graduated. Above is Yurina and next is Ayumi. They are all really nice kids.

Then after we all went and had a dinner party. They made me sing some stupid songs in front of everyone but I managed to stay alive and not drink too much.

The details were glorious but I cannot share them here and now since it is late and cold.

Hope you are well, Ted

Amazing, Deceptively Complex Japan

Today coming back from the city after spending a full weekend there enjoying the castle, time with friends, and the sometimes bizarre nightlife, I saw some things that reminded me of what I often forget during the weekdays in my tiny village.

These things I saw were details. Like the k-truck that had been fitted with neon lights (k-trucks are 3-cylinder trucks that are about 2/3 the size of small pickups in the USA). I also saw this oldman with wispy facial hair sitting by the road by the aqueduct who looked stoic and rugged while smoking his cigarette except that he had a perfectly groomed lap dog decorated with ribbons sitting inside his jacket. I said "konnichiwa" to him, he said "konnichiwa" back and then whispered to his dog, after I had passed him, something along the lines of "who don't you say 'konnichiwa' as well?" in a cute, loving voice. I turned around then, smiled, and nodded and he said "konnichiwa" yet again. If I had had a camera with me the man and his dog would have been the most memorable subjects I could ever capture here in Japan. Instead I have my memory and words.

And last night I was at a crazy little Japanese restaurant where my new friend Wada-san, a 35 year old dude who works in the gym I workout at, ordered a couple hundred dollars worth of the most wacked out seafood you could imagine. Fish guts, sea slug, whale, and plenty of octopus (which by now I have gotten absolutely used to eating). Oh yeah, and don't forget the lower intestines of horse. I unfortunately tried all of the above meats. I truly wish that I had known the whale was whale before eating it so I could've avoided eating it. (In case you're curious, it tastes like chicken.)

Why deceptive? Because the schools and mass media feed the people so much propaganda that seems to make everyone the same but there is actually a whole lot of different kinds of diversity here (and I am part of it). But the culture of homogenization here is incredibly powerful. It makes you and many Japanese people think that Japanese people really all are the same. When people start reinforcing the stereotypes you see on the tele then you start to think that the steretypes are representative of reality. They are not. But they sure have a way of making you think they aren't just stereotypes.

There are some things that seem pretty universal here. I have a first-hand view into the most powerful cultural mover in Japan--the education system. I can tell you that it at least seems to be true that kids are, from a very young age, taught to conform to strict rules and behaviors and to not challenge the system either by rebellion or by asking questions. So critical thinking is not promoted. Actually it is stunted very forcefully; though that doesn't mean that some people don't break the mold. They are very heroic people and they often seem to suffer for their digressions. I am very impressed with those few and I encourage it as much as I can, yet I still have a lot of respect for the ways things are done here. They do do wonders.

Education. Health. Security.

Why can't this be the DNC's new slogan?

It's another cold one. We just had a pre-graduation celebration for the JHS third years in the cold gym. Many speeches, even I did a little one.

I've heard from smart sources that the key to happiness is doing work that you're good at doing and having people who you love around. That's not quite as simple as "love and work," but it's still a simplification.

I look forward to seeing you all again. I can't wait to get out there and live a more exciting, involved life but I can still enjoy my simple, quiet life here a little longer. As the days get warmer I will surely spend more time outside. And April will be full of traveling and seeing great people, so I am excited.

Later, Teo

(not so) random acts of kindness

Today two random acts of kindness reminded me that I am a part of the Ubuyama family. At lunch time the strangest thing happened. As usual two students and two teachers had rationed out the teachers' lunches in their bowls on their trays but Tedo-sensei had been forgotten :( But then a miracle happened. One teacher started a "Help Tedo-sensei" benefit drive and immediately there gathered around three or four teachers who reportioned their lunch trays to give Tedo-sensei a lunch. The Udon noodles were good too. Then, later, my suibokuga (india ink/monochrome painting) teacher stopped by after a class (that I had missed) to give me my very own bag with a stand and a bamboo paintbrush supporter. What kindness--I do have fam here.

Kuju-san revisited

Climbed Kuju yesterday. It's the tallest peak on Kyushu at around 1900 meters, believe it or not. There was still a lot of snow and tons of mud on the trail. But the spring wind was a-blowing as I finished the hike.

I met some other hikers. One of them, wearing mostly blue, talked a blue streak for about three hours in some strong dialect. It didn't matter that I could not really understand a full sentence he spoke, he just went on. It was like George Steinbrenner from Seinfeld (Kastanza's boss). Talk talk talk so now I'll walk out of the office backwards, close the door behind myself. Except I got treated to dinner first and "conversed" about world business and other random things. It's really interesting what a foreigner like myself gets exposed to here. Only really attractive girls get treated this way in the US. All I have to be here is white. Ha! That's pretty good.

To clear things up about Saturday: the ice crystals had formed under the glass and they were really cool. There is even a name for them here. Also, one of my predecessors actually worked with the fire brigade here so I may not be the first to light the hills here, but I was told I was. It doesn't really matter, it was awesome anyway.

What else? I am tired today and it's raining outside. I guess spring is here. I finished Seinfeld Season 6 and the first season of Ali G. What else, what else? Hmm maybe I'll think of something later.

to burn hills in Japan

Today I lit fires across the countryside of my town. My supervisor advised it. We hopped over small bumps in the grassy hills where special crystal-like ice had formed and lit fires with a tiny liter in order to ready the hills for new spring grass. Then, with many more townsfolk, we all burned some bigger portions and I got to use this cool water pack. I am honored as the first ALT of Ubuyama to do this (sorry, predecessors). There were flames 10 meters high. After we had a big enkai at the onsen in my town. There I practiced my impeccable Japanese where everyone said how good I was. Damn I must be good.

I'll post some pictures soon.

At the end of the night my supervisor and favorite Ubyaman, Yuusuke, asked me to have a second party at his house but instead I opted out and decided to be driven home by the driver. On the whole way back I felt guilt and regret. I thought about turning the taxi around. I never want to excuse an invitiation like that again. I guess it made me think of the fact that I have to leave this town after becoming part of a family here. So I feel bad now. Perhaps it is the drinks combined with that that makes me feel thus.

But today was awesome to say the least. I've never been able to burn hills like this before. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Perhaps my supervisor feels the same way as I do tonight. Perhaps there will be more chances to have second enkais. Now it is back to my loneliness in my house and some detox.

simplicity

I just had dinner at Mieko and Tomatsu's beautiful wooden home. They served me good, healthy, hearty food. I now feel warm and full.

To eat with them reminded me of a way of living that I forget when living all by myself. A way of enjoying little things and not getting your head mixed up in the unnecessary complications that all too often seem to surround us in the world today.


Not to say that the natural world is not fully complicated, rather, to point out that human life can be less complicated if we only try.

Being 22 years of age, soon to be 23, I've found that there are many ways to imagine my life. There is the one that is anxious to get a move on and become what I am bound to be. Then there is another that says life is not something to be rushed through. Life is not a thing that exists so that we can get it over with, so to speak. It should be something that exists so we can actually experience it and not rush through it.

Life has its way of picking you up and not dropping you; you lose almost all control for many months at a time. You even start to wonder if you are living your life at all or if you are just a ghost in the machine that is your body (and a ghost that has little control of that machine). Creating simplicity seems to be the step that can make you be a little more active in actually living your life. But because of that it can be difficult. Many people around you will also resist your desire for simplicity, especially in the form of peer pressure (both direct and indirect).

I, of course, am no specialist in simplicity, nor am I a specialist in really anything except maybe moving around the world and being a good friend whenever I can. A lot of time though is spent worrying about how and when my focus in life will ensue. Perhaps I should just focus on living a pure and simple life. That seems to be a pretty challenging and worthy quest in this day and age when everyone seems to be racing to reach the next step. It sounds like the same old "live in the now" argument doesn't it? Perhaps I am trying to take it to a new level in suggesting that it is a verifiable and challenging quest simply not to race through life, especially youth.