Nipponder

Blogging elsewhere

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:04:00 +0000

Just a heads up to anyone who reads this, I've moved old posts and have started blogging exclusively (about Japan and anything else that comes to mind) at Omoni.org.

Long-distance Longhorn Fan?

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:23:00 +0000

As if rooting my Alma Mater on today's game, I spotted this dude rocking a Longhorn cap in a store today:

It seemed out of place for Kuji City, but who knows, maybe he's really just a long-distance Longhorn fan.

Mexican Food in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:16:00 +0000

This is what I'm used to getting when I order a burrito in the states:

So naturally, that's what I was expecting when I ordered one here for 420 Yen ($4.75). Instead I got this:

That's a 1 yen coin--about the size of a US Penny-- next to it for reference.

*sigh*

More Onsen Mishaps

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:45:00 +0000

nother day, another onsen misadventure.

But whereas last time I was walked in on by 2 little girls, this time I walked in on an older lady.

In my defense, I had been to this onsen before but they switched the rooms' genders in between visits. Had I paid attention to the signs, I would've realized that something was amiss, but instead, I figured my experience was as good an indicator as any. Boy was I wrong.

Fortunately, I didn't see nor show anything. I first went into the (un)dressing room's bathroom and then came out to to see an elderly lady just before she started stripping. Thank God.

We stared at each other, jaws dropped from the shock, for what felt like an eternity before I started profusely apologizing. I swear that hentai was at the tip of her tongue but my confusion must've looked authentic because she regained her composure and then pointed me in the direction of the men's onsen.

Close call.

Japanese Honesty

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:21:00 +0000

This unmanned produce stand sits on the side of a busy road about 20km from where I live. The owners keep it stocked with fresh crops and depend on the honesty of passerby's to pay for whatever they take and not steal whatever money has accumulated.

I'm not sure how long this would last in most parts of the world. But bless Japan for it being able to survive here.

Surprise, we can sing!

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:05:00 +0000

Sometimes things just catch you by surprise. Yesterday, during the school culture festival, I was walking near a boy's bathroom when I caught the faint sound of singing. Investigating further, I opened the door to find 5 ninensei (11th grade) members of the baseball team standing in a semi-circle.

They looked up at me, startled, and slightly frightened.

I looked at each of them and then asked "Did I just hear singing in here?"

Silence.

"Were you singing?"

One of them started grinning.

"Ah! Please, continue! dozo!"

They looked at each other, said some things in Japanese, and then began on what was one of the best acapella performances I have ever heard! They some minor bass, altos, sopranos and the pitcher was even doing a little beat-boxing. They killed it!

As I picked my jaw off the ground and regretted not being able to record it, I was reminded of this Lean on Me moment.

No doubt, I was just as surprised as Morgan Freeman was. But sometimes--especially in cases like these--I really like surprises.

Morikaze Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Morikaze is a famous nature school especially known for its ecological and environmental education programmes. Located in Kuzumaki, they've been featured in magazines and people have come from all over Japan and the world to visit. In addition to the school, they also have a cafe that stays open to the public. A friend took me there for lunch this past weekend.

Morikaze Cafe - Homegrown food in a homegrown building

Furniture built from scratch

Outdoor barbecue area

The whole place was cool but this was my favorite part

Ballroom Dancing with Old(er) Japanese People

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:03:00 +0000

I joined a friend at a local "dance party" on Monday without really knowing what was going on. As it turns out, it was an annual social dance party and had enthusiasts from as far as Sapporo. Even though I was about 25 years younger than the average party-goer, it still ended up being a ton of fun:

Morning mist in Kuzumaki, Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:22:00 +0000

It looked a lot better in person than through my cell phone's digital camera

Sendai Dancers

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:24:00 +0000

One of my most awkward moments in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Fact Number 1: Most people don't directly stare at foreigners here. But there are 2 exceptions: old people and little kids.

Fact Number 2: Onsens can be unisex or gender-specific. However, it's generally accepted that in gender-specific onsen, little kids can go with their parents, regardless of gender. So, there are sometimes little boys with their moms and little girls with their dads.

Fact 1 + Fact 2 = My most awkward moment in Japan

I was at an onsen a few days ago when Fact 1 and Fact 2 collided. I had just stepped out of the water when in walks a man and his 2 daughters. They had been playing with one another but after catching me in their peripheral vision, they turned my way and start staring.

Now, I'm pretty sure the fixation was due solely to my being black. That happens a lot and doesn't really bother me.

But this time, it was different. This time, it was incredibly awkward. Because this time, I was naked.

I hopped back in the water and then headed out once their dad interrupted their gazing. The whole ordeal lasted for under a minute, but I can definitely say that to date, this has been one the most awkward things to happen to me here.

Westernization of Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:02:00 +0000

So maybe Japan is getting just a little westernized. We came across this monstrosity at a festival last night:

Yes, those are Lamborghini doors and 30 inch rims on an imported Buick. And who was driving this westernized western car? This young fella here:

Yes, that is a grill in his mouth. And if memory serves correct, he was also wearing Jordans.

I read the news today, oh boy

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:51:00 +0000

And where I live, foreigners partaking in chaji, a a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, constitutes news:

The pictures were taken at English Night, a cross-cultural event for English speakers and practitioners of all ages. It's just interesting that the pictures that ended up in the paper all contain foreigners.

A Priceless Summer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:10:00 +0000

20 blank CD's: 750 Yen.

4 full tanks of gas: 12,000 Yen.

Taking a solo, multi-day road trip with only a vague idea of where you're going while blasting your favorite tunes, exploring Northern Tohuku, peeping Nebuta, sessioning with the Akita Lockers, doing all public hygiene in convinis and onsens, sleeping on the beach, blindly pointing at menus and eating whatever comes out, talking to strangers and otherwise putting 4 months of Japanese study to the test: PRICELESS

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Church

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:26:00 +0000

Sometimes life can keep you down, with your face all in the dirt
Now if you feel that left behind, need to get up and go to church

Church by Outkast

It had been over 3 months since I had set foot in a church. Then one day, one of the English Teachers whom I had recently met casually mentioned a local one during a conversation.

"Whoa, hold on, what was that? There's a church around here?"

Indeed there is. 40 minutes away, in the beach hugging city of Kuji, resides Allen Church. And as if trying to prove a point, it even rests on top of a hill.

Despite not stepping inside one for a while, the church had an instantly familiar feel. Some call it an aura while others the Presence of God. Regardless of what you call it, the impression was undeniable to me.

After sitting down in the back row, glances in every which way immediately took me down memory lane. With it's beautifully stained glass windows, jumbo church bible and perfectly aligned pews, this building fit the church archetype. I could've been in Kuji City or the Bible Belt.

Stepping outside, I took a moment to stare at it's steeple, the epitome of the common church blueprint. Towering and cross-adorned, it unapologetically stood out for every passerby to see.

I had found a church.

...but that was the easy part. Attending was another story completely. Though the building is familiar, the service is not. It's very traditional and conservative, unlike the one's I attended in San Francisco and Austin. And though they have a monthly English service, the Japanese one is hard to endure.

However, all of that was put to rest, recently, when we sung Jesus Loves Me. I hadn't realized how common that song was but any one spent more than a few years going to church in their childhood knows it. I had learned it in English and Spanish (at some point; I've since forgotten it) but now I know it in Japanese. It reminded me that despite the language differences, the same core message is being taught. Here's the romaji:

Shu ware o ai su
Shu wa tsuyokereba
Ware yowaku to mo
Osore wa araji
Wa ga shu iesu
Wa ga shu iesu
Wa ga shu iesu
Ware o ai su

I learned it when I was a kid and this church also teaches it to their children.

The same building, the same songs and of course, the same message. I left America but felt at home singing familiar hymns in this building. And likewise, the youth of Allen Church may one day leave Japan. But even if they initially feel out of place, they'll also be able to find comfort singing familiar hymns in a recognizable church.

I don't make the stereotypes, I only see them

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:03:00 +0000

What do many U.S. universities, America's Best Dance Crew and The Debut all have in common? They all push the image that Filipino's are good dancers and love to dance.

It's a generalization I never really paid any mind to until recently. I currently teach some 250 students and offered to teach breaking to all of them. Many wanted to learn but only 2 showed continual interest.

One was a boy who had already been breaking for a while but the other was a half Filipino girl(a large number of men in rural Japan take Filipino and Chinese wives). Of all my students, one of the 2 who was not only interested in breaking, but also a fast learner and very good at breaking, just happened to have Filipino blood running through her veins.

I don't make the stereotypes, I only see them.

Japanese Catalog or the Mark of the Beast?

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:41:00 +0000

There's a Japanese e-commerce website at http://www.666-666.jp/. I saw an advertisement for it on TV in a restaurant in Akita. I didn't write it down or make any special effort to remember it, but 2 weeks later, I still do.

It's easy to remember but you would never see such a number in the U.S. for a a general e-commerce site or even a phone number because 666 is associated with the Beast. The site would get lots of hits but even more protests.

Funny how things differ from country to country.

Why are you apologizing?

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Apologizing is a fundamental part of Japanese Culture but I think it can sometimes go too far. I was in a museum a couple of weeks ago and, while getting lost in translation, one of the curators apologized to me for their inability to speak English.

Come again? I came to your country so it is my responsibility to learn your language.

There was absolutely no reason why apologizing should have even entered her thought process. I was actually kind of offended for her.

It happened multiple times. Each time I tried to tell her that she shouldn't apologize and that I was sorry I didn't speak Japanese better. Unfortunately, this just put a puzzled look on her face and made her start apologizing more.

Nerdy Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:54:00 +0000

I swung by basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball practice recently and realized something. Some sports have more "advanced" students than "regular".

Nearly everyone on both the men and women's basketball teams are "advanced" students and the few that aren't are some of the best students in the "regular" class. The same pretty much goes for volleyball.

But then the opposite is true for both baseball and soccer. Most of the the baseball and soccer players are "regular" students while the few "advanced" students who play are...um...not quite at the same level as their peers.

I haven't a clue as to why this is. Any thoughts on this correlation?

Learning Japanese

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:47:00 +0000

I'm no longer illiterate!
I can read Japanese!
Well, 2 out of 3 at least...

I finally learned how to read kana last month. I had been struggling to learn the alphabet for a while but then took the advice of a friend and fellow English teacher here to use flash cards. I never really used them back in college but am now a huge fan of the learning method because they helped me quickly pick up the 2 alphabets.

They also made it easier to be quizzed. I walked around both of my schools for a couple of days with flashcards and had students quiz me.

I've never seen them laugh so hard.

It really made their day. Here I was, this teacher of the difficult English language, and I couldn't even read simple kana. How could someone confuse 'ぬ' with 'め'? Or 'は' with 'ほ'? Or 'フ' with 'ワ'?

I've often thought the same thing when seeing mistakes between 'b' and 'd', 'i' and 'j' and many other "obviously" distinct pairs. But learning kana has been a humbling experience and I believe I'm more in touch with the plight of my students. Language learning is no joke!

I've been like a kid ever since then, reading everything I see outloud. Sometimes, especially with katakana, I'm able to understand what I'm reading but I'm clueless more often than not.

Next on my plate is basic kanij and verb conjugation..

(Random tidbit: Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of Weezer, has been tweeting in Japanese lately. It's pretty cool to actually have an idea of what he's saying)

Gross Miscalculation

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Things Japan has a lot of:

Lotion
Body Wash
Toothpaste (albeit without fluoride)
Razors

Things Japan does NOT have a lot of:

Deodorant

Things I brought a lot of to Japan

Lotion
Body Wash
Toothpaste (with fluoride)
Razors

Things I did NOT bring a lot of to Japan:

Deodorant

I grossly miscalculated which items to bring and how much of them to bring

Because we didn't win

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:31:00 +0000

Not too long ago, I played volleyball in PE with some of my 2nd year girl students. I had this conversation with one of my students/teammates after one particularly close game that we lost:

Me: "Great game!"
Student: "No."
Me: "No? It was fun. And we had some great vollies. Why wasn't it fun?"
Student: "Because we didn't win"

Japanese ninensei girls are competitive.

Slam Jam!

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:42:00 +0000

I was definitely surprised by the turnout last Sunday at Slam Bar's 2nd Annual "Jam". It was described to me as a flea market and dance showcase but I didn't expect this caliber. There was a dancing double dutch group, a freestyle soccer b-boy, 14 year old dutty winers (had many speechless and confused), a friend and I and much more.

I didn't get all the performances of tape but here's a clip I put together of some:

Comfort Food

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:40:00 +0000

I didn't know I needed comfort food till I found it. I enjoy Japanese food but after accidentally stumbling upon one of my all-time favorite restaurants in a neighboring city, I realized there was a part of me that needed consoling.

Thank you KFC for lending a helping hand.

I hadn't felt that content in a while. I wasn't even hungry but after making eye contact with Colonel Sanders on a billboard, I had to stop by. I was in a trance and thankfully, the directions were intelligible enough for a non-Japanese-reading fried chicken lover such as myself to follow.

I momentarilly considered the implications (The only black guy in the entire city...found in a fried chicken joint) but laughed it away. And the cashiers didn't even seem surprised. People are typically taken aback when they see me in that city but the people at KFC acted as if they were expecting me!

Great, because they'll definitely be seeing more of me. A couple of old roommates and I used to make frequent pilgrimages to KFC and I have decided to continue the tradition here. I'll be going once a month, minimum. It's about a 1 hour drive but worth every minute.

Slightly Asian-a-fied Colonel Sanders

Smaller portions but it still hit the spot. Combine that with melon-flavored Fanta soda (left) and you have a deadly combination.

Japan furnishes KFC the way it should be. Like a nice, restaurant; none of that fast-food styled ambiance. KFC, IMO, is gormet food that just happens to come out fast.

Field Trips

noreply@blogger.com (Ebun) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:58:00 +0000

I must say, for rural Japan, they sure do have some nice field trips. Back when I was in school, we used to go to the zoo. Every year.

But one of my schools here has sent students to England and Germany, not to mention every major city in Japan.

And 2 weeks ago, the entire school went to see John Neptune perform. It was just before 1st term tests so I think it was meant to calm their nerves. Whatever the reason, it was a great show.