Life in Japan

[Erk]

Please never say you have something in common with me ever again.

Some pictures of a largish buddhist temple in Sendai!

Spoiler: Mandatory pagoda

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/pagoda.jpg[/img]

Spoiler: Hand wash fountain

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/fountain.jpg[/img]for purification before supplication

Spoiler: pond

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/autumnpond.jpg[/img]this temple had an amazing garden.

 

[Balore]

Must....hold...back.....envy.

Lucky...

 

[arcthemonkey]

I thought Nova had REALLY flexible schedules? I guess I've been LIED TO. :D

Hey Erk, you'd aught to export me some Daifuku Mochi.

I tried to make it myself, but I failed and people died.

 

[Erk]

Spoiler: A really cute picture of some of my students:

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/students.jpg[/img]

Spoiler: My parking lot in the snow the other day

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/backyard.jpg[/img]

Spoiler: Arriving at school

http://www.rmxp.org/erk/photos/ohayo.jpg[/img]

 

[Jstreet]

Erk I thought you were a high school people? Either I was mistaken or Japanese people ARE short.

Anyway, it looks like your having quite the good time over there. I'd love to pay that area a visit when I have money like that.

 

[Tox Garou]

A few questions...

1. Have you experienced the really stupid kids who try to kancho you yet?
2. Have you experienced a Gaijin smash yet?
3. Have your students said something really stupid in english like "I do you school bus." yet?
4. ???
5. PROFIT

...yes, I have been reading too much I am a Japanese school teacher mixed with 4chan meme.

 

[Erk]

the guy that wrote "I am a Japanese school teacher" exaggerated like hell, and I suspect made a lot of it up. I've never been kanchoed at school (I almost was outside of school at a party, but I successfully defended myself), and although most of my students are pretty well behaved I have a few that act up. If one tried it I would turn around and yell "Yamero" loud enough to make him pass out. Trust me, that would work; I have made a tough baseball player kid cry once already with that. The gaijin smash guy most likely kinda whined "stop it" and tried to block them... then they think you are playing along and continue to try.

As for gaijin smash, it's not something you "experience" and it's really not something you should use when in my line of work. It gives the impression you don't give a shit about japanese manners and politeness. I've never done it on purpose.

My students say stupid things all the time. It wears off a bit, but sometimes it is still funny. "I need a cell phones. Because it makes me happy." That one was cute, for example, and that was just yesterday.

Jstreet: my students are junior high school, 12-15 years old. Some are very tall. There is a girl in 3rd year here who is over 6 feet, easily.

 

[Granas3 REMIXED]

I find it hard to believ that such young children are learning english(i don't doubt that they are though). I know in France they learn it from preschool, but not only is it a pretty complex langugae, what with all the dialogues(uk, us, australia etc) and the fact that just about every word can be changed for another and still make sense, but it's a whole other alphabet.

 

[arcthemonkey]

A quick flip through my Japanese-English dictionary reveals that Kancho is japanese for enema.

What the flip?

And what's a gaijin smash? Isn't that a book or something?

And where's my mochi!?

Forgive me my ignorance.

 

[Erk]

Granas, why is that hard to believe? I learned Japanese and French when I was 13. Junior high school is a normal time to start language classes.

Arc, Kancho means enema and it is slang for, essentially, poking someone in the butt really hard through their clothes, using your two index fingers. It's mostly a preschooler prank but that doesn't stop the occasional elementary or early jr. high boy from seeing if they can get away with degrading the foreigner.

Gaijin smash is using the Japanese fear of foreigners and assumption that you know nothing about the culture to force them to do what you want, by acting incredibly foreign and scaring the pants off people.

Your mochi are at the yokubenimaru.

 

[Roman Candle]

Granas, it takes all of about a week to learn a new alphabet :D

Pictures of Japan and snow make me extremely want to go How much money do you think there is to be made as a busker with little-to-no grasp of the language in Japan?

 

[Erk]

well, language doesn't matter that much but you need a bachelor's degree to live here and I have never seen a busker take money in Japan. I think it is illegal.

 

[Tohsaka]

Living in Japan would be fun, yet there is so much you cannot do. A lot of Japan still blocks out foreigners. You get get blocked out of an event or place?

 

[Erk]

I am an english teacher, which gives me a giant door into the culture. If I was not, I suspect it would be hard to fit in at all. Even as it is, being an outsider is part of my life. Then again, it always is! Also, I live in a pretty international place with a major exchange student population from Russia, so it is not too bad. Some of my friends in the countryside have it much worse.

 

[Tana]

I find it hard to believ that such young children are learning english...but it's a whole other alphabet.

Actually, almost japanese people know "romanji" or the Roman Alphabet... even if they only pronounce it as katakana.

As for kids, Erk's kids are actually old for those learning english. At Nova we have considerably more kids programs, my youngest student is 3 years old. And she's been at Nova taking classes for at least a year.


Concerning the Gaijin Smash, its something that a lot of Nova Instructors do on a regular basis, and it dissapoints me, because as Erk says, all it does is create a bad image for other foreigners.

I thought Nova had REALLY flexible schedules? I guess I've been LIED TO. :grin02:

Well, in that you can work late hours and wont have Saturday and Sunday as your days off sure... problem is you can't request a schedule, and changing your schedule is near impossible. The hours would be as bad if it weren't for trying to coordinate with Erk for times to go and do things.

 

[Oblivion3794]

Is it fun teaching in japan...? I want to move there when i grow up and become a game disigner^_^

 

[ArtBane]

No offense but that isn't likely to happen. Working for a Japanese company as an American is hard enough as it is. Although they are beginning to understand the importance of a Western perspective on their games I never heard of an American becoming a game designer over there. You should aim for working for a game company here first if you really want that coveted position.

 

[Erk]

Teaching in Japan is a blast, but I think I would like teaching anywhere. The fact that it is Japan is not particularly special, and I don't recommend that anyone totally in love with Japan try to get a job like mine. You will be horribly let down. Japan is just like anywhere else, in good ways and bad. It is not a magical place where everyone has heard of some obscure anime you love; if you're obsessed with video games or anime or manga you are going to be every bit as much a freak here as anywhere else... probably moreso in fact. Don't get me wrong. I love my job and my students and my coworkers and the friends I have made, both foreign and native. It is not anywhere near as difficult to get to know a few Japanese people and be good friends as I was warned, and it has been really enriching to come here... but I think most people who want to come to Japan don't have a clue what it's like. Nothing magic, just another place with its problems and advantages.

Even the food, while delicious, is a mixed bag. Pizza with mayonnaise and squid and seaweed and corn? Come on! (it's totally irrelevant that I am actually growing to like mayo pizza)

 

[Tana]

Yay, went to Atagojinja (a nearby temple) for a bonfire. Erk may shed more light on this cause he went to one at Tatekoshijinja.
Anyway, my favorite pics from tonight:

Spoiler

http://www.alisachristopher.us/photos/steps.jpg[/img]
http://www.alisachristopher.us/photos/entrance.jpg[/img]
http://www.alisachristopher.us/photos/lantern.jpg[/img]
http://www.alisachristopher.us/photos/fire.jpg[/img]
http://www.alisachristopher.us/photos/tree-fire.jpg[/img]

The last two are especially my favorite.

 

[Erk]

Argh, had a big reply written but my laptop has a "convenient" browser-back/browser-forward shortcut by the arrow keys. I bumped it and lost the post. Haaaaandy.

This is part of a festival only found in this prefecture of Japan. It's called Dontosai: they are burning the new years decorations. Another part of Dontosai is a special pilgrimage, where a procession of pilgrims carrying bells and paper lanterns walk a few km through town to the shrine, are blessed by the priestess, and then throw some decorations on the fire themselves to bring good luck to the community.

Did I mention that this is a nude pilgrimage? Not literally; the pilgrims wear traditional japanese underpants... a belly-wrap and a pair of short-shorts. Needless to say, I went on the nude pilgrimage. It was great fun! A little chilly though. I will post pictures as soon as I have some.