IN A NUTSHELL: Wireless Internet, the $50 Ramen, and the Man with Pink Socks
Don't These People Communicate? I was late to work (i.e. came in
after 8:15) AGAIN this morning. I can't seem to get my butt out the door. More to the point,
I can't move out from under my kotatsu in time. Anyway, I brought
the information about the JET Midterm Conference (is it midterms already?) to Nosohara-sensei and
Tomomi-sensei. Neither of them had known about it even though A: the Board of Education knew since they
gave me the schedule and made a hotel reservation B: my predecessor must have done this twice and C: Tomomi-sensei is going
to Hiroshima on the same day to the same place for a conference (is it the same conference or just
a coincidence?) Anyway, my information was in Japanese, too, luckily, so they soon understood what was
happening.
Still, I think they should have known earlier. Actually, it is not as bad for me as it is for the girl in the
next town. Her Board of Education ALSO failed to tell the Japanese English teacher and the conference coincides
with the day of
inspections! Her JTE panicked at the information because they have BIG plans for the Friday she is supposed to
be at the conference.
I Still Don't Know Exactly What A Blower Is But... I showed Tomomi-sensei the receipt
that said Blower. He said he did not know what a Blower is either, BUT he explained that the receipt had to
do with people who came over and cleaned out my septic tank. At least, I think that is what he meant when he
talked about 'city' people having plumbing that takes waste somewhere else and 'country' people having a tank
instead. I've heard of septic tanks, but don't really know exactly what the function of one is. Hopefully,
having one does not mean I have to do anything icky. It seems like these people clean it out (?) regularly and
will only
charge me if there is something wrong (which there was not.) If this is right, then I think that the blower must be
related to this. Oh, wait! I wonder if those disgusting fumes I catch every so often (not recently, though)
in my bathroom
are from the tank? That would explain a lot. Maybe the blower blows the bad fumes away? Or airs something out?
Hmmm. Someone must know for sure, but how far do I really want to investigate?
All I Had To Do Was Ask! Tomomi-sensei is the best! I very casually
asked if there was any way I could hook up my laptop to the internet from my desk (so I could, you know,
use the printer. Actually, to be honest, it isn't so I can surf, but so I don't LOOK like I'm surfing
when I'm doing my Newsletter and am looking up pop icons and clip art.) He immediately
brought over a wireless card and software! It wasn't hassle free and he did make a phone call, but within a
quarter hour, I was online! I didn't need any ISP numbers or anything - I was on! Yay! I knew all I had
to do was ask.
Yo-chan and Seatbelts I didn't have much time to change clothes between work
and the staff dinner party tonight and so ended up wearing my nice silk shirt again despite that it would
no doubt smell of smoke when I came home. I walked with Odagawa-san to the post office (despite that I
was told I would be picked up from my house) and Kodama-sensei, the vice principal of the elementary school
was waiting with a mini van. We got in. I overheard Odagawa-san make some reference to Yo-chan. I asked
her about it and told her about my experience with the sake-smelling older fellow. She laughed when I said
how surprised I was at being asked to call him "Yo-chan" (his real name is Yosashiro or something) and told me
that EVERYONE calls him Yo-chan. That made me feel a little better. The three of us set off for Miyoshi and
for the first time since I've been here, I was actually IN THE MOOD for a party (!!!) and was all set to drink
and have a good time. Kodama-sensei was buckling his seatbelt and I
was looking around for mine for about five minutes. Odagawa-san turned to me and, instead of saying, "I'm
sorry, we don't have any back here," she said, "You don't need to wear them in the back" as if I was
worried about the law.
For some reason, I was bothered by that. I told her "If we're in an accident, I'll need it!"
(I mean, what kind of idiot would I feel like if
we DID get in an accident and I had to report, "But I didn't want to be rude and force the issue.")
She said not to worry, that Kodama-san was a good driver.
I said "Of course he is, it's the other drivers I'm worried about." Odagawa-san said, "Are you
really worried about the other drivers?" She then said I could sit
in the front and I shook my head since it was more the attitude that offended me not the actual
lack of a seatbelt. She eventually found me a seatbelt
to wear (she was sitting on it) and I put it on. I'm not sure why I was so offended by their behavior, but it felt
like they were brushing away my legitimate worries. It felt like they were saying it was okay for me
to get hurt because we weren't breaking the law. They should be apologizing for not having a seatbelt (if
that were the case) instead of assuring me that it was okay. I suppose it was
me and my over-zealous seatbelt-wearing (for which I blame my driver's ed class) that caused my overreaction,
but I didn't like feeling like I was the one being
offensive. At the end, I explained that I always wore my seatbelt. Just to add insult to injury,
I was using the plain form the whole time, thinking we were
in 'informal non-work mode.' I started listening afterward and realized the other two were still using the
polite form. So, I was extra rude. As the ride went on, we talked about other things and I (having switched
back to the polite form now) felt a little less tense about the matter. What I eat for dinner at my
house seems to be a topic of major interest. I was asked it a lot in Tokyo, too. People are
very curious what I eat and if I cook my own food. I can't say that I've ever been interested in anyone
else's cooking habits. Maybe it's their equivalent of, "How 'bout them Giants?"
Hurry Up and Wait We arrived at the small restaurant on a side street and were
led up to the second floor into a special tatami room with a long table. We were the first ones there. It wasn't
until we were seated that Odagawa-san told me that we would have to wait another half hour for everyone else to show up.
I could have used this half hour at home when I was being rushed out the door, but oh, well. I did have a nice
conversation with Odagawa-san and it was a good transition period before everyone else arrived.
Let's Practice Somewhat later, you will feel the urge to say, "Well, duh!" so I thought
I would let you practice. Ready? One, two, three, "Well, duh!" Good. A little louder. Ready? "WELL, DUH!!"
Very good!
This Feels Like a Presidential Dinner I was very surprised just who was at the
staff dinner: the principals of both schools, the elementary vice principal, four members of the board of education,
the superintendent, the MAYOR and little ol' me. I was really glad Odagawa-san (didn't actually know she worked there)
and Maruyama-san
were there, so I did not feel so overwhelmed by big important people. We all got into "seiza"
(the formal Japanese sitting-on-your-feet posture) then the elementary school vice principal and principal toasted.
I felt mega happy complimented when the elementary school teacher said how great it was that I came and greeted the
elementary school for the new year and gave the staff sweets from Kyoto. She joked that
the Jr. High principal or mayor hadn't even done that yet. After the toast, dinner arrived.
We were served...
...fish and beer! Actually, though, there was also some meat as part of the meal, so it was a little more
satisfying, but I tell you, I had a massive craving for two beef soft tacos from Rio or a chimichanga. BIG
craving. Anyway, Maruyama-san was shocked when I actually wanted the beer she was pouring, especially since
she is usually the one who orders me tea or something else when I don't want it. (I never want beer when
I'm already tired because it tends to make me even more tired. I usually want soda. But tonight I had
some energy, so I was all set for some beer. If that makes sense.) Anyway, Jicho-san asked if I liked
wine and then ordered some! I was like, "Rock! I actually LIKE wine!" As soon as the wine came, I was
finally getting into the drinking, having some nice white wine with my fish. (Do you still remember
your line? "Well, duh." It's coming up after the end of the section.) I even became tipsy, all warm and
babbly, and finally started talking to Arikawa-san. Arikawa-san is a nice guy, but I don't really
talk to him much. He has a quiet voice and so sometimes I kind of ignore him in favor of the louder voices I
know better. Sometimes I forget he's there, poor guy. I figured I would make up for this by asking him all
sorts of personal questions. First off, he was the driver and so not drunk at all and I found out
he actually CAN'T drink. He passes out if he drinks. I suddenly felt massive sympathy for him - it is so hard
to work in Japan and NOT drink, not be a part of the vital informal social counterpart to the
strict formal daily life. I guess this means he's always the driver. It is funny because, as Jicho-san also
pointed out, he LOOKS like a drinker. He has a beer gut! (He's on a diet, though, and I see him a lot in
the exercise room.) Anyway, he snowboards, plays the guitar, and is still single. He was really, really nice
and due to my lack of inhibitions, I was being friendly and outgoing as heck. The wine kept coming and
we even got a sort of dessert thing. It did cost me sixty bucks (they asked me for my share toward
the beginning of the night) but it really was a nice evening.
My conclusion?
Staff parties are a lot more fun when you drink!
And you say: ...
Well done! And thank you for participating. Anyway, the party soon wound down
to a close and, as usual, it felt later than it was. I don't even think it was nine yet, but it felt like eleven.
Lots of us were going to karaoke later, but not the mayor and the superintendent. They came together and
left together. No comment. So Arikawa-san went on a walk while the rest of us that
remained walked to a nearby karaoke bar.
Teachers, Teachers, Everywhere I had stopped drinking (not the norm) and was
sobering a bit (but not that much.) We all sat down and were served munchies and had barely gotten started
looking at the song list when another huge group came in and sat along the couch/tables on the other side.
Turned out, it was a large group of elementary principals and vice principals from Miwa (I think?) who were
also having a staff party. Since several of our group inexplicably left and only a few of us were left,
the bigger group invited us to join. Many were already acquainted due to the constant teacher-shuffling in
Japan and, in fact, one used to work in Sakugi way back when. I obliged and sat at their booth and was surprised how many of them
tried their English on me. They were all in their 50s and wore glasses, it was kind of cute. Apparently,
they did not bring their ALT, Gil, with them, though I don't know if he was invited or not.
As the singing began, I surreptitiously liberated the 3 chocolates from each of the munchie plates along the
table. No one else seemed to want them. Shut up. Anyway, I got up to sing my song and finally got
the proper appreciation that the song's title is my name! Everyone else was singing Enka style music (except for the
one dweeb who sung "Sekai-ni Hitotsu dake no Hana") and I had a nice - and loud - conversation with Jicho-san,
who is really, SUCH a nice guy. I learned about his family (his sisters I think, though my memory was
not recording at SP at that point) and it was quite a pleasant time.
Bar #2 So, the principal, Jicho-san, and I gathered in Arikawa's truck. I thought
we were headed back and so put on my cheesy hat. However, we stopped on a REALLY, REALLY narrow side street
and walked into the most random door ever, and it was a karaoke bar! Small and nice, the place had just one curved bar,
TVs on either side, and two servers. Two older guys were already there when we walked in. One of the ladies
got me and Arikawa-san oolong tea and I wondered if I (the only woman patron) caused the
men to behave respectably toward the women servers... Nah, probably just my
over-inflated sense of womanly presence. ANYWAY,
I had fun karaokeing and practicing a lot of the Japanese songs I knew (though the cigarette
smoke from the two fellows was really thick.) Later, an older fellow walked in with two
teenage boys. I had no clue what their relationship with each other was but the two boys did not look
QUITE old enough to be drinking. However, they cooled off the Enka / J-pop streak by singing J-rap and, unlike
Karaoke Revolution, we cheered them on no matter what they were singing. The funniest thing was when one of
the teenagers (maybe they were exactly 20, the drinking age) started to sing again... and I knew the song! It took
me a moment to realize why I knew it. It is one of the songs the school plays...
School Songs I will now take a break in this overly long journal entry to talk
about school songs. First, the school does have an official school song that they sing during opening and closing ceremonies.
I've heard it about 3 times total since I've been here. Then there's the songs I hear every day.
At 8:20am, they play the same song over the loudspeakers and
I can just make it out from the staff room. It is English (possibly Japanglish) and it
sounds like a hymn if hymns were sung by boy bands. One line sounds like "God above" but it could be "sky above." At 12:30, there is a lunch-preparation
song, but
it sounds more like a fanfare from a classical piece. Then at around 2:30 there's a cleaning song (who would want to associate any
song with cleaning?) and finally, a couple more rock-n-rollish after school songs at about 4:00. Although they do not
play over the staff room loudspeaker, it plays throughout the rest of the school and my subconscious must hear it pretty
well.
Bar #3 Needless to say, I ended up singing along to pretty much the entirety of
these two songs, amazed that I had heard them enough after school to karaoke them. (Jicho-san was impressed as well.)
I still don't know who the band is, though. Anyway, we headed out and I thought we were surely on our way home now
(and donned the cheesy hat again)
but no. I think, like any true Japanese outing, you have to go to at least 2, if not 3 bars to make it real.
This time, it was a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, fairly packed with people. I made a detour to the ladies room.
I went down this back hallway and found the universal symbol for women (pink silhouette of figure in dress)
and walked in the door. The squat toilet had a cover. I took off the cover and realized... it was a drop toilet!
In all other ways, it resembled a Japanese-style toilet. It just did not flush. The hole just kept going down.
I mean, it was very clean, but THIS IS A RESTUARANT FOR GOODNESS SAKE! And, of course, no soap at the sink.
(and if they have a running water for a sink, you would think they could add the extra 3 feet and connect it to the
toilet.) At least they HAD a sink, but I think I will start carrying around personal soap. I got back
to the table and we had already been served appetizers. I was pretty full, but I ate some anyway and as I did,
I found myself glancing around at the other (mostly male) patrons. The tables were on tatami on
a level slightly above that of the main floor, so people took off their shoes before sliding into the table right
next to the step. One fellow in a business suit sitting on the end had one foot still half in
his shoe and on his other foot was... a pink sock! Heehee. We were served ramen shortly after which was fine
except for the whole having-already-eaten thing. Not a WORD about the chocolate, hear? Anyway, I managed
to sneak a look at the bill when the principal took it. $50! Fifty bucks for one appetizer, four bowls of
ramen and two beers.
Is that steep? It seems steep for ramen. Maybe they had more beer than I thought.
Well, there was a phone call on a keitai and it seemed the principal's wife was on his way to pick him up.
We then had this very silly conversation about
how these men had STRONG wives who came to pick them up after a late night of socializing. I stated
my own opinion on that matter. I said I'd tell my husband to take a taxi home and good night with him!
They laughed, but it sounded like they
were thinking, "She just doesn't quite understand."
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