- At our holiday Christmas party, one of the (really cool and about 50) English teachers came to take a picture of us and instead of asking us to say, "Cheese," he goes, "Everyone say, 'Where's the party?'" which was...unexpected. But awesome.
- I was spacing out on the stairs coming home from my last day of work (for 2.5 weeks!) today and all of a sudden, I get a swift punch in my arm. And I'm sure it must be one of the other JETs- cos who else would do that? And it turns out to be one of my fave students- this kid is always smiling! I don't think I know what he looks like without a giant grin on his face! He's the same kid that when I dropped all my stuff at the end of class (I have this basket that I fill with all my class materials), he comes up to me and goes "Pam, I am sorry for you!" Fantastic!
- At the Christmas party, some of the girls were trying to explain the meaning of "betsu gara"- it's really hard to explain idioms! Apparently, it means something like "second stomach"- when you continue to eat, even though you're full, especially with dessert. (It kinda makes sense since "betsu-betsu" is what you say at a restaurant when you want to pay separately, not together. So it's like a "separate stomach."
- In my Advanced Reading class, we're reading part of Fast Food Nation, and the teacher asked me what "taking drugs" meant exactly. He then begins to act out injecting, pill popping and smoking. Trying hard not to laugh, I explain that "taking" is vague and can mean pretty much any of uh...those things!
Wednesday 19 December 2007
Just a few hours away from the boba...
So I leave for Taiwan tomorrow and I won't be able to write for a couple weeks. I wanted to make sure to leave on a high note so, here's a short (but happy) post filled with random things that happened at school:
Thursday 13 December 2007
Sometimes Japan can be a little...scary.
So I was on my way home from dinner with Emi- we went to this AMAZING cafe called Spoon with the best tea and food and atmosphere and waitstaff...it reminded me so much of New York! They don't really do too many cafes here. Anyway, we were talking about random stuff and she goes, "You know what? If the biggest problem in our lives is boy trouble, we are pretty darn lucky. We have enough money and friends and family that care about us and we get to have fun like tonight!"
This ran through my mind later in the evening:
On my way home, I had to transfer trains in one of the larger towns in Shiga. It was late and I managed to catch the last train- the 10:24, so I would be home at about 11:15 pm. The platform was pretty empty so I kinda spaced out as I listened to my headphones. The girl next to me suddenly jumps up and runs to the end of the platform, leaving her bag open next to me. I think that's weird, but I see the train coming so I figure she just really wants to get on it. She comes back to her seat and gets her bag and then walks towards the train, so I thought nothing of it.
But the train stops in the middle of the platform and the doors won't open so people can't get off and on. Then, two station people come and start running up and down the train looking underneath it. I figure someone dropped their wallet or something...or maybe like a suitcase full of cash, I dunno.
But then a whole bunch of people come and they're kind of like freaking out and the people inside the train are looking pretty pissed that they can't get out. Mind you, lots of Japanese is being thrown about and I don't really understand it but I realise that someone is under the train. He's on the other side, so a bunch of cops and train station people and medics jump on the tracks. I hear this woman yell "What's your name?" Over and over and over again, like really loud. It was so weird. Then finally, she says "What-sensei?" or something like that- so you realise the guy's a teacher. Which is super scary. By this time there are a TON of people on the platform, mainly talking on cell phones and trying to see what's going on.
Anyway, so fast forward to about 1.5 hours later. I moved to a different part of the platform to get away from the scene, but as they take the guy away on a stretcher behind us, I can hear him coughing and groaning in pain. It's really scary. The police question the girl and I basically understand that she saw him throw his bag down, scream something, and then jump off the platform, hitting his head on something. I think. It's so weird that I had my headphones on, otherwise I would have heard/seen it too, since there were only three of us on the platform besides the guy. The weird thing is, the girl didn't freak out at all. I would have gone ballistic! And the other guy on the platform was eating a Mickey D's sundae like nothing happened. That's why I figured it must have been a dropped wallet or something.
Suicides on the train happen often here. I've been here for four months and I've been on suicide-delayed trains at least four or five times. And that's only when I've actually been on the train! But it's always been something that seemed really far away that you can complain about- being there...was so weird. What could possibly make so many people want to do that? People work SOOO much here. You should see some of the people on trains in the weekday evenings, they look drunk, they're so tired. It's happened so often, they actually charge people's families for the cost of the delay (millions of yen, I'm sure) so as to deter jumpers.
I ended up making it home a little after 2 am. It was a pretty surreal experience.
This ran through my mind later in the evening:
On my way home, I had to transfer trains in one of the larger towns in Shiga. It was late and I managed to catch the last train- the 10:24, so I would be home at about 11:15 pm. The platform was pretty empty so I kinda spaced out as I listened to my headphones. The girl next to me suddenly jumps up and runs to the end of the platform, leaving her bag open next to me. I think that's weird, but I see the train coming so I figure she just really wants to get on it. She comes back to her seat and gets her bag and then walks towards the train, so I thought nothing of it.
But the train stops in the middle of the platform and the doors won't open so people can't get off and on. Then, two station people come and start running up and down the train looking underneath it. I figure someone dropped their wallet or something...or maybe like a suitcase full of cash, I dunno.
But then a whole bunch of people come and they're kind of like freaking out and the people inside the train are looking pretty pissed that they can't get out. Mind you, lots of Japanese is being thrown about and I don't really understand it but I realise that someone is under the train. He's on the other side, so a bunch of cops and train station people and medics jump on the tracks. I hear this woman yell "What's your name?" Over and over and over again, like really loud. It was so weird. Then finally, she says "What-sensei?" or something like that- so you realise the guy's a teacher. Which is super scary. By this time there are a TON of people on the platform, mainly talking on cell phones and trying to see what's going on.
Anyway, so fast forward to about 1.5 hours later. I moved to a different part of the platform to get away from the scene, but as they take the guy away on a stretcher behind us, I can hear him coughing and groaning in pain. It's really scary. The police question the girl and I basically understand that she saw him throw his bag down, scream something, and then jump off the platform, hitting his head on something. I think. It's so weird that I had my headphones on, otherwise I would have heard/seen it too, since there were only three of us on the platform besides the guy. The weird thing is, the girl didn't freak out at all. I would have gone ballistic! And the other guy on the platform was eating a Mickey D's sundae like nothing happened. That's why I figured it must have been a dropped wallet or something.
Suicides on the train happen often here. I've been here for four months and I've been on suicide-delayed trains at least four or five times. And that's only when I've actually been on the train! But it's always been something that seemed really far away that you can complain about- being there...was so weird. What could possibly make so many people want to do that? People work SOOO much here. You should see some of the people on trains in the weekday evenings, they look drunk, they're so tired. It's happened so often, they actually charge people's families for the cost of the delay (millions of yen, I'm sure) so as to deter jumpers.
I ended up making it home a little after 2 am. It was a pretty surreal experience.
Wednesday 5 December 2007
This is a tribute...to Good Ole Red, White and Blue
No, I'm not getting patriotic. But I am thinking of our favorite old thrift store back in the Jerz. So Kat (and Tessy poo, if you're reading this and any other thrifty aficionados), here are some pics of a super cool thrift store in Kyoto. I wish I had taken more pictures- but as you can tell it was pretty kick-ass!
A bathtub as planter? Ingenious!
A bathtub as random pool of water with shizz in it? Who woulda thunk it!!!? This is (from L-R): Kaori who is super cool and moving to Vegas very soon, my ichidachi Emi about to wash her face in some murkiness, and Rie looking sex-ay in her boots!
All I do is shop here, it's sick. The clothes here are awesome (I'm the 2nd largest size, woo hoo!) and you can get so many cool/cheap/random things for your apartment. e.g. Bathroom paraphernalia- my t.p. has a cute little bear cover!
A bathtub as planter? Ingenious!
A bathtub as random pool of water with shizz in it? Who woulda thunk it!!!? This is (from L-R): Kaori who is super cool and moving to Vegas very soon, my ichidachi Emi about to wash her face in some murkiness, and Rie looking sex-ay in her boots!All I do is shop here, it's sick. The clothes here are awesome (I'm the 2nd largest size, woo hoo!) and you can get so many cool/cheap/random things for your apartment. e.g. Bathroom paraphernalia- my t.p. has a cute little bear cover!
Tuesday 4 December 2007
Japanese Slang!
So I know I haven't written in ages, I keep writing stuff in my head and taking pictures of "funny shizz" but I keep putting off actually getting it on here. I guess procrastination doesn't end with school!
Anyway, I decided to break with the random stories to offer up some of the "Cool Japanese" as the BBC would call it (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/cool/index.shtml - This helped me garner some laughs in Berlin!). I have this notebook bought at the hyaku-en (aka the Dollar Store, if dollar stores kicked serious ass) that I keep words in cos they're so hard to remember!
These are courtesy of Emi, my Nihon-jin BFF (see first or second post for a pic of her). I actually call her (and numerous others, ya'll know I'm a friend ho) "ichidachi," which is a shortened version of "ichiban tomodachi" (best friend).
Mata kita yo (mah-tuh kee-tuh yoh): I'm back!
Yoku kimasu (yoh-koo kee-mahs): I come here often. (Not used as a pickup line, I swear...)
Furafura yoitsu bure (foo-ra foo-ra yoy-tsoo boo-ray): sloppy drunk
Yoppairai (yoh-pah-rye): drunk [yoppairai ojisan (oh-jee-sahn)= old drunk dude, according to Emi, "Occasionally, children yell it." Didn't ask any more about that.]
Mata ne (mah-tuh nay): See you later!
Oyasumi (oh-yah-soo-mee): Night!
Yamiteyo (yah-mee-tay-YO): Stop it! [This gem I actually got from Naoya, but I use it often here and it gets people laughing like crazy] You can also say "Dame!" (Dah-may)
Subarashikatta desu yo (soo-bah-ra-shee-kah-ta dess yoh): You were awesome! [Said to punk band members after a good show. Or at least that's how I learned it. Got this one from another JET, Katie P.]
Maji de (mah-jee day): For real! [This is another great one- I've used it on my students and boy does it get their attention! One of my students kept speaking in Japanese during class, so I yelled "Maji de?" and he was so shocked, he started debating in perfect English. It was awesome.]
Homa (ho-muh): Really! (or Really?) Sooooo used here- it's Kansai-ben (Kyoto/Osaka area dialect). In Tokyo dialect, they say "Honto ni"- but it's all about the Homa here.
Eh? (Ehhhhhhh?): Huh? and/or Whoa! Said pretty much constantly by our students- it's awesome and you need to hear it in person to truly understand the power that is the Japanese "Eh"!
That's all for this installment. Pictures, more slang
Anyway, I decided to break with the random stories to offer up some of the "Cool Japanese" as the BBC would call it (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/cool/index.shtml - This helped me garner some laughs in Berlin!). I have this notebook bought at the hyaku-en (aka the Dollar Store, if dollar stores kicked serious ass) that I keep words in cos they're so hard to remember!
These are courtesy of Emi, my Nihon-jin BFF (see first or second post for a pic of her). I actually call her (and numerous others, ya'll know I'm a friend ho) "ichidachi," which is a shortened version of "ichiban tomodachi" (best friend).
Mata kita yo (mah-tuh kee-tuh yoh): I'm back!
Yoku kimasu (yoh-koo kee-mahs): I come here often. (Not used as a pickup line, I swear...)
Furafura yoitsu bure (foo-ra foo-ra yoy-tsoo boo-ray): sloppy drunk
Yoppairai (yoh-pah-rye): drunk [yoppairai ojisan (oh-jee-sahn)= old drunk dude, according to Emi, "Occasionally, children yell it." Didn't ask any more about that.]
Mata ne (mah-tuh nay): See you later!
Oyasumi (oh-yah-soo-mee): Night!
Yamiteyo (yah-mee-tay-YO): Stop it! [This gem I actually got from Naoya, but I use it often here and it gets people laughing like crazy] You can also say "Dame!" (Dah-may)
Subarashikatta desu yo (soo-bah-ra-shee-kah-ta dess yoh): You were awesome! [Said to punk band members after a good show. Or at least that's how I learned it. Got this one from another JET, Katie P.]
Maji de (mah-jee day): For real! [This is another great one- I've used it on my students and boy does it get their attention! One of my students kept speaking in Japanese during class, so I yelled "Maji de?" and he was so shocked, he started debating in perfect English. It was awesome.]
Homa (ho-muh): Really! (or Really?) Sooooo used here- it's Kansai-ben (Kyoto/Osaka area dialect). In Tokyo dialect, they say "Honto ni"- but it's all about the Homa here.
Eh? (Ehhhhhhh?): Huh? and/or Whoa! Said pretty much constantly by our students- it's awesome and you need to hear it in person to truly understand the power that is the Japanese "Eh"!
That's all for this installment. Pictures, more slang
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