On Tuesday my school held a graduation ceremony for the san-nensei (third year students) who are moving on to high school. It was a very elaborate ceremony, complete with speeches, diploma presentation, and singing. Everyone wore their finest black dress suites with a corsage pinned to the jacket. After the ceremony, we all went outside and formed a path. The school band started to play and then the san-nensei walked down the path, waving goodbye to everyone. Some students were hugging, others crying... I could not help but think, this is only junior high school graduation. What's the big deal? But it was very sweet.
Following the graduation, all the teachers including myself celebrated the day with an enkai (party). First we went to a restaurant for a traditional Japanese meal. My memorable quote of the evening, "what is this pink thing? It has eyes." Then we went to karaoke for two and a half hours. I was going crazy by the end. The karaoke bars here are so amusing. They sell cans of helium at the front desk and the monitor tells you how many calories you burned after each song.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Friday, March 09, 2007
Japanese version of the Backstreet Boys
Yesterday an assembly was held at the junior high school where I work. The assembly was in honour of the third year students who will soon be graduating and moving on to high school. I was standing at the back of the gym, near the wall, when Kado-sensei (a fellow teacher) motioned me to come sit down in the teacher's section. I sat down directly behind the principle. Soon after, he was called up to the stage to give a speech. After the speech, the principle was walking back to his chair when he realized I was sitting right behind his seat. I saw panic flash through his eyes. For some reason, Japanese people are uncomfortable around me. Maybe its because I'm a gaijin (foreigner) or maybe its because I'm weird. Who knows? The principle sat down stiffly in his chair. Then he started shifting around. I can just imagine what he was thinking: Oh my god, the gaijin is right behind me. She's looking at the back of my head. She's too close! He abruptly stood up. It was at this moment that I noticed the principle had placed a special cushion on top of the seat cushion. When he stood up, the cushion fell to the floor. I thought to myself, I should probably say something. Forget it, he doesn't understand English and I don't speak Japanese. He took a step forward and tripped violently over the cushion, almost falling to the floor. Now, in Japan, whenever something like this happens, everybody is just supposed to pretend that they didn't see anything, that it didn't happen. And that's what everyone did, except me. You see, this is the kind of thing I find absolutely hilarious. I tried desperately to keep the laughter in, but it threatened to escape. I started laughing and coughed to cover up the laughter. It was pretty damn funny.
The assembly continued and the special guests arrived. It was a Japanese boy band. In Canada, we consider the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, and all those other boy bands an embarrassing remnant of the 90's. It was a lapse in judgement. Let us never support such terrible music again. But in Japan, boy bands are alive and well (ie SMAP). When they entered the gym, all the junior high school girls screamed with joy. The band was composed of four guys, all impeccably dressed in matching black suits. Their hair was meticulously styled down to the last strand. But their dress shirts were untucked and their ties were loosened to give them that "cool" look. They started singing a sappy love song and I cringed inside. Its okay. This is very cute for junior high school kids, I thought. But then they did a Backstreet Boys cover. If there's anything worse than a Backstreet Boys song, its English-illiterate Japanese guys doing a cover version. You can imagine what it was like. They even had special dance moves which they performed in unison. I sighed. At least the performance was entertaining, in an amusing sort of way.
The assembly continued and the special guests arrived. It was a Japanese boy band. In Canada, we consider the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, and all those other boy bands an embarrassing remnant of the 90's. It was a lapse in judgement. Let us never support such terrible music again. But in Japan, boy bands are alive and well (ie SMAP). When they entered the gym, all the junior high school girls screamed with joy. The band was composed of four guys, all impeccably dressed in matching black suits. Their hair was meticulously styled down to the last strand. But their dress shirts were untucked and their ties were loosened to give them that "cool" look. They started singing a sappy love song and I cringed inside. Its okay. This is very cute for junior high school kids, I thought. But then they did a Backstreet Boys cover. If there's anything worse than a Backstreet Boys song, its English-illiterate Japanese guys doing a cover version. You can imagine what it was like. They even had special dance moves which they performed in unison. I sighed. At least the performance was entertaining, in an amusing sort of way.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Different from everyone else
When comparing myself to others, I find that I'm quite different in many respects. I'm usually the opposite of what everyone else is. For instance, I'm an introvert. I'm left-handed. I'm unusually tall for a female (5'9"). I have always been skinny, underweight. While most people try to loose weight, I try to gain. I breath through my mouth instead of my nose. And for those of you familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality classification, I'm an INTJ . This personality type is rare, represented by only about 2% of the population. Yes, I often wonder why I'm so different compared to others. It makes life difficult at times.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Britney's shaved head
Britney Spears recently shaved her head and for the first time, I actually respect her. Its a message of "fuck you world. I don't care what you think" to everyone who is judging her. Let's be honest, hair is something we hide behind. A nice head of hair is a sign of youth and vitality. We colour and shape it to influence how we are perceived by others. So many times I've been tempted to shave my own head, with the message "here I am world, take me as I am." As much as I'd like to shave my head, I don't have the guts to actually go through with it. For starters, I really like my hair and consider it one of my best features. And if I shaved my head, everyone would stare at me and make me feel uncomfortable. Yes, I'm going to say something I never thought I'd say, I really admire Britney Spears right now.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Today I turn 24
Today is that day I dread every year, my birthday. Some people like to celebrate their birthday; I'm not one of them. For me, its always a depressing day. Its a reminder that one more year has passed. Hence, I have one year less to live. Its also a day when I ask myself what I have to show for this precious year of life. I always fall short of expectations of what I think I should have achieved.
The social obligations that go along with one's birthday also make this a crappy day. The awkward happy birthday phone calls from distant family and friends, the need to give a present, the necessity of recognizing this day as special. All of these things make me uncomfortable. I'm an introvert and dislike anything that draws attention to myself. Yes, today is a dark day and I'll be happy when its over.
The social obligations that go along with one's birthday also make this a crappy day. The awkward happy birthday phone calls from distant family and friends, the need to give a present, the necessity of recognizing this day as special. All of these things make me uncomfortable. I'm an introvert and dislike anything that draws attention to myself. Yes, today is a dark day and I'll be happy when its over.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Wrinkles at 23
Its been a while since I wrote an entry, but I am once again committed to writing in this blog.
The other day I was riding my bike to the grocery store. It was a warm, windy day and some of my sunscreen moisturizer got into my eyes. You know how it feels getting sunscreen in your eyes; it burns like hell. My eyes became all red and tears started streaming down my face. I arrived at the grocery store and went immediately to the bathroom to clean up. My eyes were of course irritated, but there was another change. My right eyelid had developed another crease. I now had a triple eyelid! It looked absolutely demented. I did a quick grocery shopping wearing sunglasses to cover the anomaly and then rushed home to try to fix the eyelid. It looked so strange. Who has ever heard of somebody developing a second eyelid crease? This could only happen to me. I researched the condition online and found that it is common among Asians, particularly those who are messing around with their eyelids, trying to create that first crease. Sometimes they end up with multiple creases. I stayed in my apartment for the rest of the day, no one was going to see me looking like this. Thankfully, by the next morning the eyelid was back to normal.
Speaking of eye creases, I suddenly have a wrinkle under each eye. They literally appeared overnight. How can I have wrinkles? I'm only 23!!! Every time I look in the mirror now its the first thing I see. I'm trying out different eye creams to see if any of them can get rid of these horrendous lines. I told a friend about this and he wasn't surprised. He said foreigners don't age well here in Japan. I would have to agree. Looking closely at the foreigners who have been here for a while, most are aging prematurely. Why this is, I don't know. But I have become more diligent in my skin care routine. I just pray there will be no more new wrinkles popping up. It really bothers me.
The other day I was riding my bike to the grocery store. It was a warm, windy day and some of my sunscreen moisturizer got into my eyes. You know how it feels getting sunscreen in your eyes; it burns like hell. My eyes became all red and tears started streaming down my face. I arrived at the grocery store and went immediately to the bathroom to clean up. My eyes were of course irritated, but there was another change. My right eyelid had developed another crease. I now had a triple eyelid! It looked absolutely demented. I did a quick grocery shopping wearing sunglasses to cover the anomaly and then rushed home to try to fix the eyelid. It looked so strange. Who has ever heard of somebody developing a second eyelid crease? This could only happen to me. I researched the condition online and found that it is common among Asians, particularly those who are messing around with their eyelids, trying to create that first crease. Sometimes they end up with multiple creases. I stayed in my apartment for the rest of the day, no one was going to see me looking like this. Thankfully, by the next morning the eyelid was back to normal.
Speaking of eye creases, I suddenly have a wrinkle under each eye. They literally appeared overnight. How can I have wrinkles? I'm only 23!!! Every time I look in the mirror now its the first thing I see. I'm trying out different eye creams to see if any of them can get rid of these horrendous lines. I told a friend about this and he wasn't surprised. He said foreigners don't age well here in Japan. I would have to agree. Looking closely at the foreigners who have been here for a while, most are aging prematurely. Why this is, I don't know. But I have become more diligent in my skin care routine. I just pray there will be no more new wrinkles popping up. It really bothers me.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Alone in Kobe
After work ends, I do my errands and then return to my apartment. Hours of boredom soon follow. I was initially downloading TV shows/movies, but that no longer interests me. That's exactly what I was doing in Canada, and the thought of watching old TV shows on my computer while living in a country like Japan is too depressing for words.
So yesterday I headed straight to the train station after work and went to Kobe. What followed was a night of deep contemplation.
It was already getting dark by the time I arrived at the Sannomiya train station. I began wandering the streets of Kobe, going into the occasional shop. Kobe is a city of bright lights and throngs of people. Initially, I was quite happy exploring the maze of streets and alleys, but then I started to feel lonely. I shouldn't be doing this alone. I should be here with someone. I realized I needed to start meeting people, making new friends. I headed over to Tit Park (vulgar name, I know), a central meeting point located just outside Sannomiya station. And then I just sat down and watched the people pass by. There were many interesting people around me, both Japanese and foreigners. I looked at them and they looked at me. Please someone come talk to me. The first person to approach me was a homeless man who reeked of alcohol and wore old, dirty clothes. He said he was from Hawaii and had been living in Japan for 14 years. He started telling a rambling story of his life, probably filled with as much fiction as fact. I ended the conversation quickly and dejectedly moved to another part of the square. It was both incredibly depressing and funny, in a bitter sort of way, that the only person interested in talking to me was a bum. I continued people-watching and gradually started to enjoy the experience. There were people everywhere, from every walk of life, from all over the world, and we were all in Kobe together. I sat there under the demented gaze of a giant Meg Ryan Nescafe billboard poster and just soaked it all in. And finally, a young, normal looking Japanese guy came over.
"You want to go to bar or karaoke?" he asked. Not the most classy opening line, but it felt so good that somebody decent was interested in talking to me. I said no, I couldn't because I was meeting a friend (he was okay-looking but he had bad teeth). Bottom line, he was young and he was normal looking. I felt a renewed sense of self-esteem and hope. A street band started playing nearby and they were actually pretty good. The music further uplifted my spirits. I walked over and watched them for a little while, until I had to leave to catch the last train home.
Overall, I enjoyed my night in Kobe and I plan on going into the city more often. I sort of liked being alone out there, because it reminded me of why I came to Japan: to explore strange places, to meet interesting people, to be independent.
So yesterday I headed straight to the train station after work and went to Kobe. What followed was a night of deep contemplation.
It was already getting dark by the time I arrived at the Sannomiya train station. I began wandering the streets of Kobe, going into the occasional shop. Kobe is a city of bright lights and throngs of people. Initially, I was quite happy exploring the maze of streets and alleys, but then I started to feel lonely. I shouldn't be doing this alone. I should be here with someone. I realized I needed to start meeting people, making new friends. I headed over to Tit Park (vulgar name, I know), a central meeting point located just outside Sannomiya station. And then I just sat down and watched the people pass by. There were many interesting people around me, both Japanese and foreigners. I looked at them and they looked at me. Please someone come talk to me. The first person to approach me was a homeless man who reeked of alcohol and wore old, dirty clothes. He said he was from Hawaii and had been living in Japan for 14 years. He started telling a rambling story of his life, probably filled with as much fiction as fact. I ended the conversation quickly and dejectedly moved to another part of the square. It was both incredibly depressing and funny, in a bitter sort of way, that the only person interested in talking to me was a bum. I continued people-watching and gradually started to enjoy the experience. There were people everywhere, from every walk of life, from all over the world, and we were all in Kobe together. I sat there under the demented gaze of a giant Meg Ryan Nescafe billboard poster and just soaked it all in. And finally, a young, normal looking Japanese guy came over.
"You want to go to bar or karaoke?" he asked. Not the most classy opening line, but it felt so good that somebody decent was interested in talking to me. I said no, I couldn't because I was meeting a friend (he was okay-looking but he had bad teeth). Bottom line, he was young and he was normal looking. I felt a renewed sense of self-esteem and hope. A street band started playing nearby and they were actually pretty good. The music further uplifted my spirits. I walked over and watched them for a little while, until I had to leave to catch the last train home.
Overall, I enjoyed my night in Kobe and I plan on going into the city more often. I sort of liked being alone out there, because it reminded me of why I came to Japan: to explore strange places, to meet interesting people, to be independent.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Taking the train in Japan
I was coming home on the train from Himeji and started looking at the random assortment of people in my train car. To the right of me were two young girls wearing matching Playboy Bunny sweat suites. To the left of me was a woman wearing an elaborate yukata complete with the traditional socks and sandals. There was a scattering of school-age students in their uniforms and businessmen and women in formal suites. There were young Japanese men and women dressed in trendy, up-the-minute fashion outfits. And then there were just a bunch of people dressed in casual, everyday clothes. Only in Japan can you see such a wide variety of dressing habits. I was dressed as I normally do, in jeans and sneakers.
Friday, October 13, 2006
The first post
So I've finally decided to start writing a blog. I'm still not sure why I'm doing this, but I'm going to try to be as honest as possible and hope that nobody I know actually reads the entries.
Where am I right now? I'm in the Kansai region of Japan teaching English at a junior high school.
Why am I in Japan? I'm a lost soul. I don't know what to do with my life. While I'm figuring that out, I might as well live somewhere interesting like Japan. I wanted to live somewhere as different as possible from Canada. Somewhere so foreign, it would feel like I had left the planet. While Japan is not as different as I was hoping it would be, I'm still happy here.
Some things you should know about me: I'm socially awkward, an extreme introvert, quiet, intelligent, and I have a somewhat twisted sense of humour.
My life sometimes seems like a series of bad jokes. It began when my parents named me "Suzanne." That may seem like a perfectly acceptable name to you, but it has resulted in a great deal of annoyance for me. I get called everything: Susan, Suzy, Sue, Suz, Suzannah, and the dreaded Suzy-Q. People spell my name wrong too, ie "Susanne."
I'm very tall and very thin (5'9", 125 lbs); I tend to stick out wherever I go. I've accepted this fact. If I'm going to stick out, I might as well do it full out in Japan where I tower over all of the women and most of the men.
This is my life. Its far from glamorous but there are a lot of funny moments. I'm sure there will be many memorable incidents here in Japan, which I will try to post on this blog.
Where am I right now? I'm in the Kansai region of Japan teaching English at a junior high school.
Why am I in Japan? I'm a lost soul. I don't know what to do with my life. While I'm figuring that out, I might as well live somewhere interesting like Japan. I wanted to live somewhere as different as possible from Canada. Somewhere so foreign, it would feel like I had left the planet. While Japan is not as different as I was hoping it would be, I'm still happy here.
Some things you should know about me: I'm socially awkward, an extreme introvert, quiet, intelligent, and I have a somewhat twisted sense of humour.
My life sometimes seems like a series of bad jokes. It began when my parents named me "Suzanne." That may seem like a perfectly acceptable name to you, but it has resulted in a great deal of annoyance for me. I get called everything: Susan, Suzy, Sue, Suz, Suzannah, and the dreaded Suzy-Q. People spell my name wrong too, ie "Susanne."
I'm very tall and very thin (5'9", 125 lbs); I tend to stick out wherever I go. I've accepted this fact. If I'm going to stick out, I might as well do it full out in Japan where I tower over all of the women and most of the men.
This is my life. Its far from glamorous but there are a lot of funny moments. I'm sure there will be many memorable incidents here in Japan, which I will try to post on this blog.
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