IN A NUTSHELL: Sakugi Village's Last New Year (sniff)
Have an Akemashite! Today was the day all the staff met at the
Town Hall for a Photo (unlike that day in December when I came in by accident.) I came in slightly before 8:30am and
hung around one of the kerosene heaters chatting with the ladies, which was actually pretty fun. I've never
bowed nor seen so much bowing in my life (and that's saying something in Japan.) Everyone had to say
Happy New Year to everyone else, repeatedly. The routine goes like this: Bow. Say "Akemashite Omedetou
Gozaimasu" (a very polite "Happy New Year"). Bow Again. Again, if Desired. After the other person
has returned the greeting, say "Kotoshi-mo Yoroshiku Onegai Shimasu" (something like, 'Good wishes for the
new year,' or 'Please continue your good will this year, too') and bow some more. Find a new person. Repeat.
I think the Japanese must have better back muscles than westerners.
The Secret Kotatsu Room We were told we actually did not need to be there
until 9am so lots of people went back home / work. Me and Maruyama-san hung around and she got permission
to use the secret kotatsu room, which was actually the night security guard's room, complete with heated table
and television. Sitting under the little kotatsu, we had kind of a sad conversation about the End of Sakugi. In four months, Sakugi Village will
just become the Sakugi section of Miyoshi. There will no longer be a Sakugi town hall or Sakugi board of education.
Maruyama-san will retire (though told me she would continue volunteering - my god, this sixtysomething
woman has way too much energy; she works far more than 40 hours a week already while I am a major free time freak) and
a lot of people will be transferred or presumably out of work, though about half the staff will remain,
doing various work.
A Somber Ceremony At 9am, we gathered in the main gathering room and
stood in straight lines as the mayor gave his speech (which is
exactly how and where they stood when I gave MY speech almost five months ago) but this time there was a lot
less smiles and laughter. The atmosphere was very serious and sad because everyone knew that this was the
last time he would ever be giving a New Year's Welcoming Speech as the Mayor. At the end, we took a Memorial
Photo and everyone returned to their posts.
Useful Information After we had returned to the culture center,
I was asked to take part in the beginning of the
Board of Education's meeting. To their credit, they were really helpful. They gave me as much information
as they had, but did not make me participate in the entire meeting, most of which was unrelated to me.
They told me that my duties would not change much until the end of my contract in July. I would probably
be sitting at my Jr. High desk a lot more, but other than that, my situation would not change. He was confident
my job would remain intact, even if I re-contracted. He was very nice, but, again, there was a melancholy mood
about it all. He told me how the building use would be changing and that they would have to send a lot of machinery
back, especially if they no longer received a building subsidy. (He had to look up subsidy in the dictionary.)
I wondered
who my supervisor would become and whether or not all my mail that normally goes to the board of education would
now end up in Miyoshi. I reminded them that my deadline for re-contracting was Feb 6th (just in case they received
forms that I had not) and that was it. How much everything will change on April 1st? How much
after the end of July? I have a feeling it will not be changing for the better...
Lunch Party We all went back to the Town Hall for a lunch party. What was for lunch?
Do I even have to tell you? Fish and beer! A fellow was at the door of the room we were eating in,
holding a bucket out for me to pick a number out of. I recognized him as the slow-dancing sentimental guy
during the staff retreat, though I have to
say that he was very jovial and mood-setting and the happiest person in the room by far. I chose a number
and it turned out that it was my seat number. I was sitting next to the mayor! We joked whether this was
a lucky number or a very, very unlucky number. I think others were just relieved it wasn't them having to sit
next to the mayor. The mayor tried to talk to me, but I barely understood him. Maybe he was depressed? Or had
started the drinking a little early? Takata-san gave a toast and, although I did not understand all of it, I
kept hearing "three more months" and "for three months" and how we would have to keep our spirits up despite
the changes. Then we drank and ate. The fish bento actually wasn't bad; there were sushi rolls and sweet egg, my
favorite. People kept almost refilling my tea glass with beer, but forgetting to get me tea. Someone was walking
around with a tea kettle full of heated sake.
I was about to head out, as many had done already, when an older fellow sat down, smelling of sake. I did
not understand everything he said, but I caught that he was inviting me to some big festival this Sunday (Monday is
a holiday.) at the elementary school. He grabbed one of the cute guys in glasses to speak in slower
Japanese. The older fellow then offered to pick me up from my house (which was sort of squirm-inducing) and
I was glad when Maruyama-san stopped by so I could confirm about this festival thing. She invited me
to come to her house afterward, so I was saved the trouble of answering this guy's invitation, though he
said I would get to meet his wife and mother. He wanted me to call him, "Yo-chan" which further chilled me.
I Would Have Loved To Tape Record This I had no idea what to do with my bento
box in this garbage-separating-obsessed country. People kept telling me to put it in the next room, but
I did not see any other bento boxes in there. I finally just left it on a table. A somewhat tipsy member
of the board of education
came up and talked my ear off for about 10 minutes straight. I think she said she was pleased that I was really
getting involved in the Japanese lifestyle because
she thought it was important that people, when in Japan, do as the Japanese do. She mentioned my predecessor a couple
times and mentioned something about serving coffee. I think she said my predecessor served tea and coffee, but I have
not reached the level of Japaneseness to force drinks on people at will, teatime or not.
She also told me how amazed she
was when the principal told her I cleaned the garbage pails at the Jr. High. That story has really gotten around!
I mean, the principal asked me twice to clean, so I picked something dirty to clean, end of story, but I've gotten
a lot of comments about it. She seemed to think it was part of my desire to become more Japanese. She, again,
invited me to come over and, again, listed off all the family members that live at her house.
More Greetings Jicho-san suggested I give an aisatsu ("greeting") to the Elementary
and Jr. High. I did, but the only people there in both places were the principal, vice-principal, and administration
assistants. Every time someone came into the culture center, we had to stop what we were doing to stand and bow.
It was polite, but irritating. I don't mind bowing to strangers, but I don't like begin constantly interrupted
to do so. Hopefully, soon, I will have said Happy New Year to the population of Japan and I'll be set and clear until
2005.
