The beauty of the JET Program, especially for newly college graduates such as myself and Ron, is that it's a babystep towards adulthood. After being in the college mindset, being in Japan makes it a nice middle ground instead of being immediately thrown into adulthood. We have work, bills, and if we want... savings. Yet, we don't have to worry about insurance, large costs, and othe problems that come with adulthood. We can relax in that "happy medium" while we try to think of our next step into true adulthood.
However, I think we are starting to take a faster approach to adulthood. Recently, we've been very busy. Within this month, we are struggling to get internet, working the mounds of paperwork to get a car, getting ready to pay for car insurance, calling to make doctor's appointments, et...cet...e...ra...
I guess it's silly to say that this stuff is overwhelming and sometimes I want to pull out my hair. But I'm starting to realize just how much comes along after graduating college. There is no parental financial support anymore and all those little things that were taken for granted are now things that are building up to be a pain in the butt. Just yesterday I had to cancel my phone mail function because I was getting so much junk mail and being charged for it. To save $20 a month, it had to be cancelled. Ron and I have started to see where we spend our money and how to save more money in other places. It's kind of our own reality show. "This couple is given $100, how long can they go before it's gone? DUN DUN DUN!!!
Before it was a pain and I went in a state of depression so strong that even my favorite PURIN (pudding) dessert couldn't shake me out of it. Then, I started to figure that we aren't in a bad place and the things we have are things that are needed. I'm a saver by nature so the idea that my money is going somewhere else kills me. Having to pay half of the car last week was like taking a piece of my soul. But now, I've come to a different mentality. One that isn't gauged by how much we save in a month, or what things we CAN'T afford. Now, I've come to enjoy coming home, shopping for dinner, and study nights. So much so that the trip to Mr. Donuts that I won't be taking doesn't bother me anymore. FYI, I've lost 6 pounds because of it.
This is by no means a sad story, I think that I've grown up a little more and thanks to the JET Program I can take my time to realize these things. I think the "mature" sprout on top of my head just grew another inch (or 2.54 cm... YAY metric!) Hooray, I'm growing!
Thank you mom and dad for paying my phone bill. I recall it being quite high.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Coolest Thing I have ever seen
I am a lucky ALT.
First, I get placed in Tohoku, where the traditional spirit of Japan still lives without being tainted with too much modernity. Then I am put in one of their largest cities that saves me the sanity of having to go tens of kilometers just to get face cream or avocados. Then, I am based in the highest academic school in the city, nay, the entire prefecture. These students are motivated and have a purpose for themselves. I can speak in a slower, but still natural way and these kids are smart enough to catch on and understand what I'm trying to get at.
Now I'm almost done with my boasting.
In the schools in Japan they have what's called an Undoukai (運動会）which is a competition day. A day of various relays with different teams. There are tug of wars, class jumproping, a "Capture the Flag" sort of thing, and running relays. It's a day where students can stop thinking about their studies and just enjoy themselves. Well, this in itself is a great event to watch, but my school, Ichi-ko takes it one hilarious step forward.
Since the beginning of the new school year, the first year students have gone through an intensive month long initiation. Since Ichi-ko is the oldest school in the area and is killer hard to get it, they are allowed to do this. So, since the first day, the first years have after school activities of learning the 10 school songs overnight and then singing to the top of their lungs in a group while the second and third years taunt them like Boot Camp. Students are losing their voices, getting sick, throwing up. It's a bit ruthless. After the two weeks of memorizing the songs, they then learn a dance to prepare for the Undokai. Girls and boys learn separate dances. Then a couple days before the festival, I noticed that many of the boys started to wear school scarves on their heads. I figure it was a part of school spirit. Apparently, the senior students take a hair razor to the boy students. Zing! Zing! Zing! With only patches of hair gone. The day before the festival, I go outside of the school and my boy students are painted up in red and blue paint with grass skirts on. The girls are wearing decorated smocks to look like Japanese Kindergardeners. On this day, they have to walk 10 km around the city and do their dance for anyone who will watch. I tagged along. It was crazy. Not only did the first years have to dance, but the second and third years also dressed up, but in cuter outfits. There was crazy cross-dressing goin on.
Then the day of the festival, the games were ruthless, but everyone's spirit shone crazy bright. I myself dressed up like a Kindergardener and another teacher and I crashed the girls dance and started to dance along with them in front of the school. Once my students realized it was me, there was an insane roar of cheering. I felt so proud and popular. I guess they do like me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC2PacfQqL8
By the end of the day, I was completely bubbling up with joy. Apparently, no other school goes to the lengths of Ichi-ko for their Undokai. I felt so blessed to be a part of this school and enjoy their activities. I'm so glad I'm staying longer.
First, I get placed in Tohoku, where the traditional spirit of Japan still lives without being tainted with too much modernity. Then I am put in one of their largest cities that saves me the sanity of having to go tens of kilometers just to get face cream or avocados. Then, I am based in the highest academic school in the city, nay, the entire prefecture. These students are motivated and have a purpose for themselves. I can speak in a slower, but still natural way and these kids are smart enough to catch on and understand what I'm trying to get at.
Now I'm almost done with my boasting.
In the schools in Japan they have what's called an Undoukai (運動会）which is a competition day. A day of various relays with different teams. There are tug of wars, class jumproping, a "Capture the Flag" sort of thing, and running relays. It's a day where students can stop thinking about their studies and just enjoy themselves. Well, this in itself is a great event to watch, but my school, Ichi-ko takes it one hilarious step forward.
Since the beginning of the new school year, the first year students have gone through an intensive month long initiation. Since Ichi-ko is the oldest school in the area and is killer hard to get it, they are allowed to do this. So, since the first day, the first years have after school activities of learning the 10 school songs overnight and then singing to the top of their lungs in a group while the second and third years taunt them like Boot Camp. Students are losing their voices, getting sick, throwing up. It's a bit ruthless. After the two weeks of memorizing the songs, they then learn a dance to prepare for the Undokai. Girls and boys learn separate dances. Then a couple days before the festival, I noticed that many of the boys started to wear school scarves on their heads. I figure it was a part of school spirit. Apparently, the senior students take a hair razor to the boy students. Zing! Zing! Zing! With only patches of hair gone. The day before the festival, I go outside of the school and my boy students are painted up in red and blue paint with grass skirts on. The girls are wearing decorated smocks to look like Japanese Kindergardeners. On this day, they have to walk 10 km around the city and do their dance for anyone who will watch. I tagged along. It was crazy. Not only did the first years have to dance, but the second and third years also dressed up, but in cuter outfits. There was crazy cross-dressing goin on.
Then the day of the festival, the games were ruthless, but everyone's spirit shone crazy bright. I myself dressed up like a Kindergardener and another teacher and I crashed the girls dance and started to dance along with them in front of the school. Once my students realized it was me, there was an insane roar of cheering. I felt so proud and popular. I guess they do like me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC2PacfQqL8
By the end of the day, I was completely bubbling up with joy. Apparently, no other school goes to the lengths of Ichi-ko for their Undokai. I felt so blessed to be a part of this school and enjoy their activities. I'm so glad I'm staying longer.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Our Inner American
Bigger is better, right?
After getting our wonderful fabulous new house, we are confronted with the contorted faces of people who don't know why two people need so much space. No children, no family. But we slide it off because for us, it's necessary. For sanity and future fun, it's necessary.
Now, we are forced to give our car back to the owner with the ultimatum of buying the car from him or giving it back, thus being car-less. Now we are thinking of buying a new car. Since our Yamagata expedition, we've realized and enjoyed the perks of traveling road-trip style. The thought led us to a beautiful blue van, one that can easily hold 7 people and can transform into a beautiful bed. Perfect for sleeping in and enjoying a holiday. Now, with the idea of our too-big house and too-big car, I'm hit with the pangs of American greed. Living in the teeny sized nation of Japan, I feel like we've supersized our lives here. I think I'm thinking too much of other people's opinions, but to me, I've never had what I didn't need, so having so much makes me wonder not if we NEED it, but if we should have it. This is my own weird Juni-ness and Ron just smiles and insists that this is the greatest purchase in the world. By the way it will be $3,500 for everything, not bad. So now, it seems like we have to stay for the next two years, to really enjoy not only our new house, but our soon to be new car.
After getting our wonderful fabulous new house, we are confronted with the contorted faces of people who don't know why two people need so much space. No children, no family. But we slide it off because for us, it's necessary. For sanity and future fun, it's necessary.
Now, we are forced to give our car back to the owner with the ultimatum of buying the car from him or giving it back, thus being car-less. Now we are thinking of buying a new car. Since our Yamagata expedition, we've realized and enjoyed the perks of traveling road-trip style. The thought led us to a beautiful blue van, one that can easily hold 7 people and can transform into a beautiful bed. Perfect for sleeping in and enjoying a holiday. Now, with the idea of our too-big house and too-big car, I'm hit with the pangs of American greed. Living in the teeny sized nation of Japan, I feel like we've supersized our lives here. I think I'm thinking too much of other people's opinions, but to me, I've never had what I didn't need, so having so much makes me wonder not if we NEED it, but if we should have it. This is my own weird Juni-ness and Ron just smiles and insists that this is the greatest purchase in the world. By the way it will be $3,500 for everything, not bad. So now, it seems like we have to stay for the next two years, to really enjoy not only our new house, but our soon to be new car.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Golden Week Vacation- Bimbo Ryoko!
びんぼ旅行
Bimbo- "poor" Ryoko- "vacation"
Ahh! It feels like college again. Golden Week is one of the largest group of national holidays. So many and so close together that they call that week "Golden Week" and many Japanese families take this opportunity to go north and see the Cherry Blossoms or somewhere south to just rest. Basically, everyone in Japan is on the move during this week. Not to miss in the experience, Ron and I too were planning a trip of our own. With many summer plans in the making, Ron's change of job, and a new house, we've decided that using the minimal amount of money was necessary for future living. So we decided to go to Yamagata, a prefecture where many Moriokans refer to as the "Ohio" of Japan, why go? BECAUSE WE CAN!!
During the three day trip, we slept in the car in sleeping bags, took rest in 24 hour supermarket parking lots and convenient stores, cooked with our little stove in the trunk, and took baths in nearby onsen. Some may say that's barely living, but in that trip, we did more things than I could imagine any Japanese person could do. We saw a brilliant amount of sights and tasted the delicious food. We saw a famous war reenactment festival, tasted their famous cherries, dipped in the most famous onsen, saw "take your breath away" temples and the Pacific Ocean scattered with small islands, and a gigantic crater. In the end, we spent $350 on the whole trip, transportantion costs included. By pinching pennies (yennies) and trying to find the best deals, it felt like our own reality show adventure, minus the drama and the backstabbing.
Yonesawa Festival
Yamadera- A mountain hike lined with temples
Yamagata City- known for it's cherries ($100 for one box of cherries!)
Okama- In Yamagata it means "Gigantic Crater", in Ichi-ko it means "Gay" :( Either way, to me it means " freakin' cool)
Matsushima... This place is one of the three best sights of Japan. This beach area near Sendai is peppered with mini islands. Real pretty, but we came when it was a little overcast. I think the next time we go on a beautiful day, it will show it's true beauty.
Truly unconventional ね?
Bimbo- "poor" Ryoko- "vacation"
Ahh! It feels like college again. Golden Week is one of the largest group of national holidays. So many and so close together that they call that week "Golden Week" and many Japanese families take this opportunity to go north and see the Cherry Blossoms or somewhere south to just rest. Basically, everyone in Japan is on the move during this week. Not to miss in the experience, Ron and I too were planning a trip of our own. With many summer plans in the making, Ron's change of job, and a new house, we've decided that using the minimal amount of money was necessary for future living. So we decided to go to Yamagata, a prefecture where many Moriokans refer to as the "Ohio" of Japan, why go? BECAUSE WE CAN!!
During the three day trip, we slept in the car in sleeping bags, took rest in 24 hour supermarket parking lots and convenient stores, cooked with our little stove in the trunk, and took baths in nearby onsen. Some may say that's barely living, but in that trip, we did more things than I could imagine any Japanese person could do. We saw a brilliant amount of sights and tasted the delicious food. We saw a famous war reenactment festival, tasted their famous cherries, dipped in the most famous onsen, saw "take your breath away" temples and the Pacific Ocean scattered with small islands, and a gigantic crater. In the end, we spent $350 on the whole trip, transportantion costs included. By pinching pennies (yennies) and trying to find the best deals, it felt like our own reality show adventure, minus the drama and the backstabbing.
Yonesawa Festival
Yamadera- A mountain hike lined with temples
Yamagata City- known for it's cherries ($100 for one box of cherries!)
Okama- In Yamagata it means "Gigantic Crater", in Ichi-ko it means "Gay" :( Either way, to me it means " freakin' cool)
Matsushima... This place is one of the three best sights of Japan. This beach area near Sendai is peppered with mini islands. Real pretty, but we came when it was a little overcast. I think the next time we go on a beautiful day, it will show it's true beauty.
Truly unconventional ね?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Happy May Day!
Wow! We have been in Japan for 9 months! That's three-fourths of a year. That's fast math! Well, we now have beautiful weather in Morioka. The birds are chirping and the cicadas are creeking (crap!) We've had a few visitors from the underground to give us a "hello" which is a sure sign of warmer weather. The sleeves are getting rolled up in the school and the paper fans are coming out. UH OH!
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