One year on

A year ago today I arrived in Japan. Wow...time sure does fly! For once, I am going to write a short blog, and sum up my feelings today in 5 short sentences :

1. I have had the best year of my life
2. I have learnt so much
3. I have no regrets
4. I hope the next year is just as good
5. Coming to Japan was the best decision I have ever made

So, what have I been up to?

Sorry I haven't written in ages and ages. I have been doing lots of nice things actually ; dinners, parties, trips to the beach etc etc...I just haven't had the inclination to sit down and blog!...until now! After a couple of complaints from people who will remains nameless (actually, no what the hell...Paul...Dan!!), I thought I should finally do a quick blog about my summer vacation so far.

Armed with my wonderful 'apartment leave', I have been filling my days with wandering around Yanai, going to Hikari beach, going out for lunch with friends...oh, and staying in my apartment!!!...I have been attempting to give the place a bit of a summer-clean, as well as gathering my bits and pieces together that I will take home...in 9 days!

That's right folks, in 9 days I will be heading home for my lovely summer holiday in England. I am so excited, words can't quite do justice to how much I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends. I think Im going to be spending the whole time just hugging people (friends/family...not random strangers, you understand!)...I have had a whole year now in a country that is not really...tactile...people don't really like to make physical contact. In fact, when I was out shopping the other day, this Japanese lady touched my arm, in a gesture of affection (also she was a bit weird!), and I found myself feeling quite shocked that anyone had touched me. Very strange! So people at home, be prepared with your 'Lauren' hugs!

It's been a strange couple of weeks, as people have been leaving gradually, until this week when the new people have started to arrive. On tuesday night, we said a final farewell to Aaron, with a great meal at his favourite place, Taiwanya. It was really sad to say goodbye to someone, who has been there throughout your time in Japan. I could always rely upon Aaron, to have a good banter with, and to be the voice of authority and wisdom on Japan..and in fact the world! Seriously, that guy is smart! I'll miss his sense of humour and his quirky lil gestures ("i dont know, i dont know!"). Best of luck with AJ back in the States Aaron! Kirk is leaving tomorrow, and of course, he will be missed terribly too. Kirk is one of those guys who is just a really genuine, cool guy...easy to talk to about anything, and always up for a fun night out (he is hilarious when he is drunk!). It's been great hanging out with you Kirk...thanks for your friendship, kindness and advice. You're a star, and you will be missed!

Now the newbies are starting to arrive, and I am officially a second year. That's weird! A year has gone so quickly, and yet I feel like I have lived here a lot longer than a year. When I arrived in Japan, I was not sure if I would stay longer than a year, and yet here I am starting out on my second year, looking forward to more new experiences, more new friends, and more new life lessons. To all of the newbies, arriving in Yamaguchi-ken over these 2 weeks, enjoy yourselves and embrace every new opportunity..it's gonna be a great year!

Stick a fork in me...Im done!

...well for this JET year at least! Today is my last day at school...I have no classes, and I am leaving in exactly 24 minutes! So, I hereby declare my summer vacation...officially...open!!

BUGS!

I was having such a lovely evening. Went to the Yanai English Society meeting, enjoyed a lovely dinner, came home and dozed off while watching the OC on my bed. And then one little intruder spoilt it all, and now I'm traumatised and don't want to go to sleep! I was woken from my doze by a buzzing...and I looked over an saw something black in the corner of my bedroom...crawling all over my waiting suitcase to be precise! I grabbed my spray, and was ready poised, with an urge to kill. I sprayed, it moved...and then IT FLEW STRAIGHT AT ME!! I screamed very loudly, and continued trying to gas the little blighter. Eventually, after a lot of spray and a final hit with a nearby notebook, my nemesis was dead. I've even hoovered my tatami in case any 'bits' of him were left! I think it was some sort of cockroach, but I can't be sure. It was evil, that's for sure! I don't like bugs!

The rest of my long long week

I've just realised that I forgot to blog about the 2nd day of the school festival, and of course, the Leavers Party. So, only a few days late, here goes ;

Saturday was the 2nd day of the school festival, and although not as fun and varied as the first, it was still enjoyable. The day was all about the music! The school orchestra (with some impressive tunes; inc Copacabana, and a J-pop fave of mine 'No More Cry'), and the legendary school chorus competition. In the competition, every class in the school had to go on the stage and perfom a song together that they had been practising for weeks and weeks. I had been asked to be a judge for the competition, and so I had a front row seat for the performances. They were really great. I enjoyed listening to most, if not all, of the songs, and felt like I had my own personal concert! However, I actually got a bit stressed as I looked over the complicated marking system. Aaaaarrrghhh..the responsibility and the pressure! In the end the classes that I had wanted to win, were indeed the winners...and so at least I know the other judges had the same thoughts as me!

As soon as the festival had finished, I dashed to the toilets, changed into my party gear, and jumped in a taxi to Yanai station. I was off to the Yamaguchi AJET Sayonara Party 2005!..(just rolls off the tongue doesn't it!!) The first part of the night was 3 hours of all-you-can eat/drink at Kenko Park in Kudamatsu. The food really wasn't great, but alcohol was unlimited, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was really nice to wander around everyone, chatting, taking photos, and taking in the atmosphere. After Kenko, we headed off to Susie Wongs, a new snazzy bar in Tokuyama, where we held the first ever Zenny Awards. The Zenny Awards were devised by Jo (thanks for all your hard work Jo!), and were given out for categories such as 'JET most likely to end up in rehab', 'JET most most likely to never leave Japan', and 'First year JET most likely to become a weird third year' (won by Tori, Patrick, and Tom respectively). This was a really nice part of the evening, as everyone was sitting around together, cheering for their favourite nominees, and heckling both winners and losers alike! After the awards, the last Zenzen magazines of the JET year were given out, along with Yearbooks (thanks Jo and Tori!) As soon as the awards had finished, me, Sarah, Rosie, and Ellen ran off to Tikita to get the place ready for the final portion of the night....the party! After putting up pictures of leavers around the walls (thanks girls!), and hastily blowing up balloons, the others began to arrive. After collecting money, and giving out tickets for the first hour (oh the joys of AJET!), most people had arrived, and so Gillian, Sarah and I could start to relax and just enjoy the party. It was great to have a night of dancing, and maybe even better for not having drunk a lot (as my dancing was more co-ordinated!!!) Kat and Neal shared the DJing with Jimmy (our Tikita regular!), and they both did a stirling job! Kat you were great, and the wig....perfect! I lasted until about 1.30, and then retreated to my Tikita hotel room upstairs. After the busy week, and day I had, I feel I did quite well to last until then!!!

I really enjoyed the night...as far as AJET was concerned, it ran smoothly, and everyone had a good time, so mission accomplished.....as far as I was concerned, it was a good party, good fun, and great to be with everyone for one last time before half the ken leaves. To all of you who are leaving, best of luck with everything, and know that Yamaguchi-ken will miss you all!

Festival frenzy

Today was the first day of Yanai High School's (my base school) culture festival. The preparations and practices have been going on for weeks, and the amount of effort and time that both students and teachers have put into these 2 days has been remarkable. Even I (the lowly ALT who normally leaves bang on 4.15) have been staying late every night this week in order to film English Club's puppet show of fairy stories. On Wednesday night I left school at 8.20...and I was back in on Thursday morning at 7.15! You see even I've been dedicated to the festival cause!

This morning started with a nice student-led opening ceremony, in which some video clips were shown, featuring skits and parodies with some of the good-sport teachers. Even though I didn't understand all of the Japanese, it was still funny to see some of my English dept colleagues dressed up and being stupid! Next on the agenda was a 30 minutes drama (a suspense rom-com!!)....i really didn't have a clue what was happening, and almost nodded off on more than one occasion!! I was relieved when the 'free-time' segment of the day arrived. Between 11 and 2, we could just wander around school, looking at the displays and presentations that each class and club had made. Seriously, Japanese kids really seem to have a lot of creative flair and talent, and the displays ranged from a huge mosaic picture of a football player (maybe supposed to be Beckham??), Mickey Mouse made from balloons, origami displays, ikebana, a classroom turned into a Japanese style cafe, complete with tatami floor, a bamboo room (!), and of course, the English Club room. Mana and Yuka (the 2 leaders of the club) had done themselves proud, and the room looked great. There were lots of posters about England, photographs, Union Jacks, and the centre-piece....the puppet show movie!! The story was of the 2 English Club characters, Mr Morry, and Miss Kitty, and their adventure around 3 different countries, where they witness 3 different stories/fairy tales ; Momotaro, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella. The students made the puppets from scratch, made the scenery, wrote the English scripts, and directed the movie. It was great...not technically polished or anything (to say the least!)...but just fun...and funny! I was very proud of them, and what they had achieved. I even met Yuka and Mana's parents (who had come to wander around the festival for a few hours), and I told them their daughters' English was great. They positively beamed!

I enjoyed a delicious lunch of yakisoba, yakitori, chips, and other bits (all made at festival-like stalls by the third year students), and enjoyed watching a range of dances, performances, and music in the quad. The atmosphere was wonderful, as all the students clapped along to whatever music was being played, and enthusiastically heckled (in a nice way) their friends who were performing. The sun was shining and everyone was having a great day.

All day I talked to loads of my students (old and current), and enjoyed chatting to them outside of the English classroom. Some of the boys from my current 'noisy' class, came over to tell me that I was "first, first, number 1, number 1." What did they mean, I wondered. I soon found out, when the school Principal also congratulated me, and pointed to a number of posters adorning the walls of a classroom. It turns out the posters were a result of a big student poll, and I was voted in first place for 'most interesting teacher' and 'favourite teacher' in the female teacher section. Cool! Number 1 baby!! I was well chuffed, and of course took a photo of the results poster!


In the afternoon we went back to the gym for the final hour of the festival day. After a game of 'numa numa' (yep, the Moldovian song!) bingo with the entire school and their festival fans, the students announced that some awards would be given out. And guess what..I won again! Each year had to vote for their 'Ms' and "Mr' Yanai High School (i.e their favourite teacher). I won Ms Yanai High School from my first year students!! Whoohoo! Two other English teachers won for the 2nd and 3rd year students, and so in the 'Ms' Yanai High School section, English swept the board! The 3 of us, along with the 'Mr' Yanai High School winners had to go on stage, to receive a Hawaiian flower thingy round our necks, and a prezzie which included a chalk set (god, Im really a teacher now!). We were awarded in year order, and so I went first, and was also passed the mic to say some words. I thanked everyone (in Japanese), and received so much applause, and shouts of 'hey Lauren' from some of the baseball boys. It was great, and I truly felt a part of the school. A great afternoon for the teaching ego, and just a really comforting feeling of belonging, and knowing that you are being treated like every teacher in the school. Sometimes, as an ALT, we are under-utilised, ignored, misinformed, and generally treated like a 'guest' at school...not an actual full-time member of staff. And maybe this is fair enough...I am only at my base school twice a week ; I am not expected to work late like the other teachers ; I can stay at home in vacations ; and I don't have any of the admin that the other teachers have. It's difficult, and maybe impossible, to be treated as an equal member of staff. However, I feel this afternoon showed me that the students, at least, view me as 'one of their teachers', and have truly welcomed me into the school community. 10 months ago I was on that stage making my welcome/introduction speech in very nervous Japanese, and having no clue of how my JET year would go. And now I have almost finished my first year of teaching in Japan, and I stood on the stage today, being applauded by kids I love, for a job that is sometimes frustrating, but ultimately fulfilling and great fun. Somehow I still have passion for my work here in Japan, and am looking forward to my next JET year where I hope I can develop my teaching skills and get to know my students even more.....Oh yeah, and I wanna win the award again next year, so I can't drop my game!!

The celebrations don't last long!

London has been hit by terrorism. This morning, a number of explosions on the Tube, and on a London bus, shook the Capital, and the jubilation of the nation. Only yesterday, I was watching scenes of celebrations in Trafalgar Square on BBC World, as London won their Olympic bid. Tonight, however, I sadly watch as I see the London streets full of police, ambulances, sirens, and confused and shocked Londoners. My heart goes out to anyone who is waiting to hear on the wellbeing of a loved one in London. I am just relieved that my brother and aunt are both ok, and send them both my love from Japan. I hope all my London-based friends are also ok. It's at times like these, and indeed happy times like yesterday's news, that I miss home, and feel so far away from dear old Blighty.

London 2012

Yippeee!! London has won the Olympic bid for 2012!! In the end it was down to us, or Paris, and probably like every other Brit, I was thinking 'oh well, we're not going to win...we'll come second...again.' But, I was extremely pleasantly surprised, when we were announced as the winners. Well good! I'll def be going along, and hope that the 2012 organisers do England proud!!

Tsuyu is here!

Japan's rainy season (Tsuyu) is finally here, and it wants everyone to know about it! There was no nice introduction, no drizzle and then progression of rain, no 'occasional shower'...just one great big downpour that started on Friday, and hasn't really stopped since! Tsuyu is one rude season!! The thunder storms on Saturday night were so noisy and severe, that they kept me awake for most of the night, as the rain clattered on the roof of my apartment, the thunder rumbled ominously, and the lightning flashed through my bedroom window more times than I care to remember. It was not a good night's sleep! Yesterday, the rain was fat, noisy, and constant, and I ventured out only once (to the supermarket) when I saw that it had calmed down a little. The biggest surprise was when Neal called me in the morning, to tell me that most of Yanai was 'under water'....What!!!! You should definitely take a look at Kat's blog to see some amazing pictures of how deep the water was in some parts of town, and to see the ordeal that the poor thing went through, as she tried to walk/wade back to her apartment! My area of town was ok...no floods...just a lot of surface water, which caused many cars to splash me this morning! But yesterday it appears that life in Yanai ground to a halt, as all trains were stopped and parts of town were cut off. Kat said she even saw fish on the street! Today the thunder storms have stopped, but the rain has continued, and I braved the wet walk to school as quickly as I could. However, I have learnt from past mistakes, and so today brought a change of clothes and socks! So it may still be wet outside, but I have no damp socks drying underneath my desk like last time. For now, therefore, I'm happy and dry, but dreading the walk home tonight!

Shodo

Just wanted to post this picture (thanks Ellen!), to show you folks at home my Japanese hobby. Every thursday night, I (along with Kat and Ellen) go to a Shodo class in my town. Shodo is the practice of Japanese calligraphy, using different brushes (we use a fat beginners one at the moment though!), black ink, and a type of thin paper. At the class we all sit on the floor, at low tables, and spend between an hour and 90 minutes, learning the correct way to draw the Japanese characters (kanji in our class). We have been going for a couple of months now, and are gradually getting used to holding the brush correctly, taking our time on each stroke, and coping with sitting cross-legged for such a long time. I am definitely not 'good', as it takes many many many years to even be considered anywhere near 'good', but I enjoy it, and I love to see my collection of kanji characters develop, as my folder fills up with more of my work each week. Last night, we practised the kanjis for 'directions'. On this photo I am attempting to follow my teacher's example of 'higashi' and 'nishi' (east and west). It's a nice hobby, as it helps my Japanese learning, it's actually quite relaxing, and the teachers and other ladies who sometimes come to class, are all so lovely (last night they gave us cucumbers!...random gift, but generous and sweet nonetheless). Maybe when I get 'better' I will put more pictures here of my work...we'll see!