God, I’ve been slacking! It’s been over two weeks since I last wrote! It’s not like things haven’t been happening here. On the contrary, it’s been an interesting time.

Hey, folks. It’s May 1^st! That means I have been here exactly five months. Time is going quickly by. My Japanese is noticeably better; several people have commented on it. I still can’t understand most full-speed conversations, but I can say what I like and use a bunch of useful adjectives. I also read what “look out!” is in Japanese (“Abunai!”). Handy. Seiji says it’s because I spend so much time with Japanese people. It’s true. More than some foreign teachers, I talk to a lot of people. I’m curious; I want to know people here. Why would you come to a foreign country and just spend time with Westerners?

School Days

Work has been challenging. The week before last, five of my classes were observed by Mayumi-sensei and Ryoko-san, the branch manager. I was much more nervous than I expected to be when Mayumi-sensei watched my grammar class, and it was a rough class (one of my worst, I think). Mayumi-sensei took notes and gave them to me afterwards. In her hyper-organized manner, she had written notes in four colours (black for parts of the lesson, pink for positive feedback, blue for areas needing improvement, and green for general suggestions). I don’t know how she did it with only two hands! I was pretty depressed and stressed over those days, but Mayumi-sensei said that I did a good job. My biggest problems are that I still talk way too fast, and I don’t explain exercises very well (my explanations are too long and complicated). Taeko, the new teacher, and I have made a pact to talk more slowly to each other, for practice. Ryoko-san is happy with me, except that I still seem shy and nervous when I’m talking to new or potential students in the lobby. I groan inwardly whenever she asks me to practice with her. She and Mayumi sat me down in a classroom and gave me a lesson on how to talk and give praise to students, especially low-level students who need a lot of positive reinforcement. I felt like an idiot, but they were pleased, and I know how important it is to make a good first impression.

The feedback Mayumi-sensei and Ryoko-san gave me, however stressful it was to hear, has already been immensely helpful. I analysed my classes this past week with their comments in mind, and I made some changes and plan to make more. I feel that I made huge strides this week as a teacher. And I reluctantly admit that my lobby talk has improved, although part of that is that I’m getting more comfortable with everyone. It’s still strange when I get pushed out to talk to prospective students, because often they’re very nervous about talking to a real live Westerner. Some days I feel like a rock star; other days, I feel like a verbal bully, trying to force them to make small talk. People from Matsue tend to be very quiet and retiring anyway, until you get to know them, so drawing them out can be difficult.

In my group lessons, which are all about fluency and conversation, I’ve discovered that you can’t go wrong with throwing in a Godzilla or killer robot reference. The students get a good laugh and the class energy improves. This may only work with the particular mix of personalities that I have now, but I’ll keep doing it.

Trying to simplify my language is a challenge. Some days I have to fight the rebellious urge to use words like “smorgasbord” in class. The only thing that stops me is the long, painful explanation that would surely follow. And I just Googled (sorry, I hate to verb like that) the phrase “What the Sam Hill?” for a girl taking an English literature class at Shimane University, who found it in To Kill a Mockingbird. Turns out it’s just a nice way to say “What the hell?” In the same class, they also have to study and completely translate Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Now, pretend you are just learning English. Then grab a copy of A Christmas Carol and read the first page (in which, gentle reader, the narrator asks why a doornail is used in the phrase “dead as a doornail”, when a coffin-nail would be deader, in chatty Victorian language) and tell me how easy it would be…

I love, love, love it when students ask me questions because then I get to tell people what I know, which is always one of my favourite things to do. I had a little problem when a student asked me about “in the corner of the room” and “on the corner of the table”, which I could explain, but then she asked about “in the middle of the table”. I was stumped. WHY is it “on the corner of the table”, but “in the middle of the table”? These are the kinds of questions I get to field.

This past Friday, I got offered a contract renewal for next year. I have to decide by May 11^th if I will stay in Matsue, and for how long. I can renew for three, six, nine or twelve months. If I stay another full year, I will get a sizable bonus as well as my plane ticket home or the cash equivalent. I consulted with Tim, my trainer from Okayama, via email, about transferring to another city, but it sounds kind of difficult and the score I got from Mayumi-sensei and Ryoko-san after my week of observation isn’t really high enough for a transfer.

Mayumi-sensei’s Phonics classes are going well. The students tend to come out of class very excited and spouting random one-syllable words at me to check if they’re saying them right. It’s very entertaining.

I had really interesting conversations in two of my private lessons these last two weeks. Sachie, the fiftyish housewife/obsessive piano player, takes a conversation class where I give her a news article one week and the next we discuss the topic. Last week we talked about how Japanese culture was changing. She told me a lot about butsudan (spelling?), or Buddhist altars kept in people’s houses, where prayers are offered for deceased relatives. Basically the altars provide a home for the ‘souls’ of the dead. I’m also reading about ancestor-worship right now in a Lafcadio Hearn book called Kokoro (“Heart”): Hints and Echoes of Japanese Inner Life. I am not qualified to discuss the concept in any way, but as I understand it, the traditional Japanese believe that their ancestors exist as spirits, kind of like ghosts, but they are regarded with love and respect, not fear. They can be prayed to for help, and a duty is owed to them to pray for their souls. (Talking about this is a nice change from listening to Sachie’s frequent litanies of ill-health and teaching her terms like “itchy”, “polyp” and “rash”.)

I also had interesting classes with Masaki, the tennis coach. We had a class discussing Japanese etiquette, which was quite illuminating. We talked about eating customs and about wedding receptions. Although he looks very dour and reticent, he does like to talk, and he is teaching me a lot (I hope I’m teaching him something, too). I’m quite fond of him.

cover girl

I am on the cover of WINK, the local glossy events magazine. I’m sure you all remember the photo shoot I did in early April. The issue came out on April 25. My students are all very excited about it, and I guess they’ve been out buying the issue, but I haven’t noticed a change in the broader community; they don’t stare any more than they already did. I’m on six pages entitled “I Love Matsue” or “I (Heart) Matsue”, poking around in shops, tasting sake, making sweets, drinking green tea and bote-bote cha (they even have me singing my bote-bote cha song, which I made up while we waited at the shop – hey, I was really tired…). It’s nice; some of the English teachers from other schools think it’s pretty cool. I’ve done stuff many of the Matsue locals have never tried. I’m mailing your copy this week, Mum.

everything else

It’s a misty, coolish night here and I can hear spring peepers and the occasional hack of a heron (really not a pretty noise) from the river. I’ve got my version of miso soup, with big chunks of tofu and daikon, simmering on the stove, and some fresh salmon.

Except for today’s rain, it has been stunningly nice here. The sakura blossoms have given way to fresh green leaves, and the parks and gardens are glowing with colour. I haven’t been running a lot, but I’ve been on some nice long bike rides. I went through an old neighbourhood near the castle and saw an old woman who could have stepped out of Japanese history. She had a weathered face and a bent back, and was pushing a loaded cart and carrying a large bundle wrapped in cloth on her back. (The hunched postures of some of the older folks here are a good advertisement for drinking lots of milk. The Japanese diet, while otherwise generally healthy, doesn’t include much calcium). I circled through the old Ishiboshi neighbourhood, one of the oldest areas of town, where the weather-stained dark wood planks of the houses pressed close together and the windows revealed nothing. The narrow roads zigzagged past homes hidden by hedges. It was time-worn and simple, but beautiful.

They are slowly wearing away my childhood affection for the Beatles by a process of attrition. First it was just the office, where they played the all-Beatles satellite station for a few weeks in a row. Now the Beatles, or covers of their songs, are playing everywhere I go, whether by some crazy fluke or a more sinister reason I don’t know. I will go ballistic the next time I hear “Octopus’ Garden” or “Baby You Can Drive My Car”. I really will.

I went to SATY last weekend to buy supplies for my lunch party and to see the drummers I had seen practicing the week before. They were set up before the main entrance; two sets of taiko drums, each protected by a roof, its architecture emulating the shape of Shinto shrines. The drummers were in full costume. My team, as I called them, were in red, black and white. The backs of their long cotton jackets (happi) were emblazoned with the town crest; from a distance, the pattern looked like a stylised skeleton. There was a stunningly cute guy among them who looked like trouble. They were playfully competing with another township, and the drumming was amazing. After their performance had finished, they invited people to play and I had another go at it. So much fun! I gave the mallets up after a while to give other people a chance to play.

I spent too much money on home decoration that day. The following Monday, I was having a lunch at my place, so I picked up some floor cushions and lamps for my place. Also, I needed some more forks and knives. I made spaghetti and Caesar salad (using our family recipe – tons o’ garlic!) and fudge for dessert. It was a good time. Ryoko-san, the branch manger, had the day off, so she came. And Yuko brought her baby boy, Aki-chan, and Miki also came. The teacher I replaced, Neal, was in town for a wedding so he also came. I didn’t get a lot of time to sit down, but it was nice to finally have some guests. I was exhausted by the end of the day, though.

This week, I discovered Argo, a brand-new clothing store/bar owned and operated by Cleve, an ex-teacher who is now living here permanently. His fiancée is from Matsue. Cleve is about thirty, with a fresh face and wavy blonde hair. His place is nice. He has a huge television that fills the back wall, and he likes to play Bollywood music videos on it, waiting for “moments of zen” when the actions on the video match the music he is playing. Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” created some great moments of zen. Strange how the women are so hot in Bollywood movies, but the men so – nah.

Cleve also introduced a game called “Beer Pong” to me, but I just watched as other people played. (Which was probably wise.) Ideally beer pong is played on a ping pong table, but they made do with bar tables. Each time has five glasses of beer on their end of the table. The other team tries to lob a ping pong ball into the glass. If they succeed, the losing team has to drink.

I met some interesting people at Argo. Although it’s only three weeks old, the place already has its regulars, including an incredibly open s & m prostitute who zips in for coffee between clients (though to be honest, I’ve only heard about her; I haven’t met her yet). I met Cat, an ALT (assistant language teacher) with the JET program. She’s from Australia, and we got along like a house on fire. I think she’ll be a bad influence on me, though. She’s promised to do my eyes and hair for the Eighties party at the beginning of June; we’re thinking Pat Benatar (I’ll get pictures, don’t worry…)

I’ve finally been back at aikido, and it’s so nice. But hard. But nice. I wish I could get there for the warm-up, though; I think I would improve a lot, instead of just maintaining. Tomi-san, the older man I first saw teaching back in January, has replaced Sato-sensei, and Kobata-san, a retired schoolteacher, taught this week in Tomi-san’s absence. She’s tough. Between she and Chie-san, I get gently clobbered every week by the tough older women of my aikido class. I also get to practice my Japanese there every week. There’s also a tiny young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, who makes me feel like a bully every time I practice with her.

I looked into kyudo, or Japanese archery, this week, but ultimately think I need more Japanese language before I can try it…

So I’m three days into my Golden Week holiday. Sweet, blessed time off…Tomorrow I’m going to sleep as much as I can before I go shopping for work clothes. Hiroshima is the plan for Sunday and Monday. I’ll take pictures.

I just drove to Yonago with Seiji today. The countryside is so beautiful right now. The rice fields have been seeded and flooded, and the hills and fields are soft and green. Clusters of farmhouses with terracotta clay roofs, and grapevines, gently guided by poles and netting, sprout on rolling hills. It reminds me of parts of the Annapolis Valley and some of northern England. We stopped at a small beach and I dangled my fingers in the warm, green Sea of Japan. Compared to the gentle hills of the countryside, the beach was surprisingly sharp and jagged with dark, bubbled volcanic rock. Weathered ryokan, or traditional Japanese inns, lined the shore, but it is the off-season, so it felt strangely empty and abandoned except for the fishermen working in their boats in the sheltered harbour.

We also went to see Spiderman 3 way earlier than anybody at home (ha-ha). It’s really good! I liked it a lot. For a superhero movie, it has a lot of heart (like the earlier ones). And the movie is essentially optimistic; it suggests that almost everybody is basically good, given the chance to be. There are, of course, some cheeseball moments and a few really outrageous coincidences, but Bruce Campbell returns in a new comic role, and J. Jonah Jamieson is very funny. At risk of spoiling a second or two of the movie, I will pass along two of the most valuable lessons I learned from Spiderman 3:

1) Do not hide from the police in a particle physics test facility, and…

2) It’s f**kin’ hard to fight sand.

Watching a movie in Japan is really strange, though, because the Japanese audience is almost totally silent. Once the lights went out, I could have been sitting alone in the theatre. Seiji said other foreigners he’s been to movies with have commented on the same thing. It was very weird. I also missed sitting between Sam and Gordon, muttering my constant voiceover to them (gee, when I write it down like that, it sure sounds annoying). It’s not the same watching a superhero movie without them. It was the first movie I’ve seen in a theatre in Japan, and I was overstimulated and talking too fast for Seiji to understand as we drove home.

So I feel like I’m leaving a lot out, but that’s my two weeks in a nutshell. I’ll write again after Hiroshima. Love to you all…

Sarah