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Published: August 27th 2006
Japan has now been home for a month. Thus far, I have passed along stories of interesting predicaments and travels. Perhaps it is time that I give you a glimpse into my daily Japanese world. I will begin with a now familiar topic.
Shopping. This has become a staple in my weekly routine. Since my last account of my shopping endeavours, I have learned a few more important lessons as a consumer in Japan. The first made me very happy. As was mentioned previously, I am big in Japan. Fortunately, this goes for bra sizes as well. I was elated to recently purchase a bra that was TWO cup sizes bigger than I wear in Canada! As I proudly carried my new merchandise away from the counter, I thought back to an embarrassing moment in my past when a La Senza saleswoman told me that they didn't carry bras small enough for me and that I would be better off shopping at SAAN. I laughed at the unfortunate memory... not in Japan!
I've also had the opportunity now to do some shopping in the city, as opposed to confining myself to the selection in this small town. I didn't
venture out too far in Nagoya. In fact, I stayed in the train station for my entire day of shopping where the twin 15 story towers house the great Takashimaya mall. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. The entire first floor - cosmetics. Second floor - purses. Third floor - shoes. Then three floors dedicated to womens clothing - everything designer fashions. I was like a kid in a candy shop. I was welling up... tears of joy. These soon turned to tears of sorrow as I came to realize that half the dresses in the place would cost me the amount of my plane ticket home. None the less, I took it all in, hoping for sale prices and knowing that this experience would update me on which knock-offs to buy once I reached an affordable store. Then it happened. I found the store with a sale, and a big sale at that. 1000￥ racks! (For those of you unsure of the exchange, take off two zeros and you get the amount in Canadian dollars.) I searched and I searched and I tried on clothes and I made a purchase. The one English speaking clerk
seemed very nice. As I payed her for my new sweater, she told me that I would probably like the selection on the tenth floor. Appreciative of the clerk's interest in my fashion sense, I climbed the escalator with great anticipation. Then, there it was. There on the tenth floor... discount clothing. As I looked down at my $7 Walmart sandals and $10 Winners tanktop, I couldn't help but to laugh at myself as I realized how Pretty Woman the whole situation was. Except that I didn't have the john with the unlimited credit card access to aid in my revenge. Oh well.
Another purchase recently made was postage stamps. This was an unfortunate adventure. The kind that had me questioning why I'm in Japan. Knowing that my lack of language skill could pose a problem in a convenience store, I opted to go straight to the top - the post office. For some reason, the clerk there didn't seem to understand that a person would want to buy postage stamps. Twenty minutes of waving, gesturing, pointing, counting. Eventually I got the stamps, leaving behind me a line-up out the door. Next time, I'll look up the translation for
the simple phrase, "May I buy twenty stamps please?".
Of course there is much more to life than shopping. I do work here too. I teach at an English school. English lessons, to be more specifc. Because lessons are not really "school", my hours are late in the day, after regular school and business hours are over. Each day, I start any time from about 1:00 to 5:00pm, teaching small classes of all ages until 9:00 or 10:00pm. This adds up to only about 30 hours a week, prep included! Earlier in the day are the younger classes. The kids are very cute and extremely energetic. I like these young classes, but I'm not as accustomed to them. Three days ago a young boy peed his pants. Urine, all over his clothes and the carpet. Though I could empathize with the boy, having recently had a few unfortunate incidents with the squatting toilets myself, I was not thrilled to have to clean up someone else's pee. I much prefer the older classes. Junior high, high school, and adult classes are definitely more my cup of tea. There is a lot of conversation and I find it's a nice way
Over the overpass
As you can see, this is a very industrial area, but I think it's pretty none-the-less.to learn more about modern Japanese culture. The adult students all try really hard too and it's motivating to see their effort and drive to learn.
So in working only 30 hours a week, what the heck do I do with all my time? Well, on TV, there is little that I can watch and actually comprehend. I've taken in a few late night televised Japanese women's volleyball games. By day though, the best option is usually cooking shows. And they are a plenty! They're funny too. The audience oohs and aahs and even shrieks and laughs in delight as the cooks do their thing. Like they're winning the friggin lottery! Hilarious! My attraction to the cooking shows though is rooted in the fact that I can usually understand and follow just by watching, aside from the seasonings and perhaps a few odd looking ingredients. The humour is just an added bonus.
These shows have inspired me to a few of my taste tests too. A few times a week I go to the grocery store. Each time, I try to pick up one new thing that I haven't tried before. This week, one of those things was
octopus. Excitedly, I brought home my new food and showed it to Miyoko. She laughed a little as she explained that in fact I had bought squid, and not octopus. It all looks the same to me! None the less, I would venture to prepare a new food. I began by boiling the squid. While I was putting the asparagus in the oven, the squid boiled over, putting out the gas flame. I tried to lift the pot in time, but I failed. Setting the pot back down, I lifted the lid, or rather, I tried to lift the lid. It seemed that something was sticking this lid on. I set the whole pot in the sink and tried again with more force. Nothing. I used cold water and ice to cool the pot, so that I could touch it and apply a little more force, essentially reefing on the damn thing. Still nothing. Then I thought, if it boiled over once, it'll do it again. So I put the pot back on the flame with the intention of popping the lid off with heat energy, all the while priding myself on my scientific hypothesizing. Over the heat, the pot
The gym2
Doesn't really look like a gym, does it? began to move a little. Fearing that the lid "popping" off may now look more like blowing off into a scalding mess, I decided to watch from the dining room, peaking out ever so slightly from behind the protective wall. As the pot went from moving to bouncing and jumping around on the burner, I decided this just wasn't worth it. I crept back into the kitchen, carefully turner off the gas burner, set the pot in the sink, and left the room in hopes that time would simply fix my problem. Strangely enough, a half hour later, a fresh attempt at removing the lid proved successful. I coated and fried the squid, and with little more than a grease burn as a war wound, I feasted on a tasty squid meal.
Another interesting, but completely unrelated mishap also began at the grocery store. While leaving the store a few weeks ago in anticipation of going home to partake in my sushi and Bailey's (which only costs 1600￥ for a 26!), I passed a young man. The man glanced my way, so I politely turned up the corners of my mouth, then continued outside (where, as always, my glasses
The gym3
Old timers croquet or something... it was cute to watch. fogged up from the humidity and heat). As I was unlocking my bike, the young man who had just been walking into the store, came out and began talking to me in English. He was from Syria. He wanted to know if I'd sit down for a cup of coffee with him. I wanted to know if it was custom in Syria to prey on girls you see in passing and ask them out. I didn't ask him though. He seemed intent on getting my name and number. I was intent on getting that stupid lock to open to allow for my escape. As I realized that the guy would not let up, I gave him the only fake name that came to mind. Sara. I told him I would not give out my number. He asked for my email. Wanting nothing more than to go home to my feast, I scanned my brain for a fake email address. katramfalcon@hotmail.com. (This is an inside joke that will only be appreciated by some.) With that, I biked away fast enough to topple my poor sushi. The Bailey's was greatly appreciated once I was home.
Another of my new favourite passtimes
The gym4
This entire space, dedicated to table tennis. I took this picture from the spectators gallery above... That's right, a spectators gallery for table tennis... This country never ceases to amaze. is biking. I bike to almost everywhere I need to go and I enjoy just going out for a ride sometimes. Being that I am getting used to the usual streets and buildings in Hekinan, I've made it a mission to find parks, trees and wooded areas, paths, and other new sights to beautify my rides. Some of the pictures will show you the things I have found. Among them, some beautiful paths, with trees full of cicadas emitting sounds that I am surprised to say I am beginning to appreciate. I also found an area with many different temples to take in. Nearby, there is a small harbour with fishing boats and a small fish market. And I also found the gym. It's a huge building that I don't think looks anything like a gym. I plan to start frequenting it in November with a few other staff members. Why not until November, you ask? Well that's how long we have to wait to take the orientation on how to use the facility. Yeah... even the Japanese people thought that was strange, so maybe it's just Hekinan. Anyway, the biking has helped me to find and appreciate the beauty
of this small city and for that I am grateful.
As the majority of my free time is during the day and the day is always hot, I do spend a fair bit of time in the comfort of my air conditioned home. In that time, I get a lot done. Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry on a regular basis (I know Chris, you're likely shocked.). I've also been happy to finally have the time to keep up on my correspondence. I can email and MSN and it's wonderful to have time to do that without feeling rushed. I have also become a bit of a sudoku nut... thanks Dad and Cheryl. Wouldn't you know, I've conquered the easy puzzles, then the tricky, the tough and I'm even tackling the diabolical ones with success. Mostly though, my free time is spent reading. I know, this is likely shocking to most as I usually don't read more than a book or two a year. I've always wanted to read more though, and now that I have both the time and the eliminated option of television, I'm really enjoying becoming an avid reader. In the month that I've been here, I have
finished five books: "Tokyo, My Everest: A Canadian Woman in Japan" (which I promise to return to you, Cam, as soon as I return to Canada... it was a great read, thanks), "La deuxieme vie", "La chambre d'Eden: Tome I", "The Five People You Meet in Heaven", and "The DaVinci Code". I've picked up a few more books and I am looking forward to them all. A little difficult to find French books so far though, so if anyone's planning on sending a care package, I've got a few titles in mind. Just FYI.
As my time off is in the day time and I work late at night, I have yet to experience a lot of the night life scene. There have been a few nights worth noting though. I went to an "izakaya" with Miyoko and her friend the evening I got dressed up in the yukata for the Obon festival. An "izakaya" is kind of like a pub, specializing in drinks and appetizers or small meals. Going out with Miyoko is always great because she knows I'll try anything, so she orders all kinds of foods. This particular evening I tried a few tasty tofu and
meat dishes, including fried chicken skin on a stick. I know it sounds a little gross, but I also know that I'm not the only one who likes to indulge in picking at the skin of a roast chicken. It was actually quite tasty, but of course it is the kind of food in which to partake in moderation.
Another fun night took place at a bar in Nagoya called Shooters. This particular bar is geared towards the English speaking population of Nagoya, with a similar menu to that of a pub in Canada, written in English, and ordered from English waiters. Now of course I am in Japan to experience Japanese culture, but a little taste of home here and there is really nice. Wednesday nights at Shooters is Ladies Night, where ladies get unlimited drinks from 8:30 to 11:30pm for only 1300￥. As we usually have to work on Wednesday nights, myself and a few other ladies decided to take advantage of our gender perk on our last night of the Obon holiday. And took advantage we did. We tried at least one of every drink on the menu. It was a grand evening that unfortunately had
to end abruptly to allow us to catch the last trains home. Feeling a little drunk and in grave need of a bathroom stop, it was an awkward race through the subway and train stations and a very long train ride home. But a wonderfully fun evening with the ladies.
After a month here in Japan, I am beginning to miss home. Of course, more than anything I miss my family and friends, my cat, my students. We all know what it feels like to miss people and this feeling is with me often. After all, it's the people, not the places, who make home feel like home.
I also miss having some of the food that I'm used to. The milk here is 3.6 or 3.7% milk fat and I just haven't been able to bring myself to ingest it in any other way than as alfredo sauce. Gladly, I've made recent discoveries that will soon lead me to the low-fat milk that I am assured exists.
Another thing I miss is the independence of being able to easily perform daily tasks without the help of a Japanese babysitter. Though my adventures in getting around a
society where I can't understand the language are usually humourous in retrospect, I have to admit that I sometimes long for English signs. I was also relieved to encounter an English speaking pharmacist to help me find cold medication that wouldn't set off my drug allergies. These kinds of things that were so simple in Canada are now daily challenges. I know that challenges are good, but sometimes simplicity is nice too.
I also miss teaching. I was eager to leave behind my work hours as a teacher in Canada, but teaching itself is work that I have always loved. There is a great sense of purpose in teaching that I don't really feel with a job where I only see my students once a week. When I get wrapped up in my teaching and all of the extras that come with it, I am often told that "it's just work". Here, I feel like my job is just work. And I like it, but it's not a passion. My work in Lloydminster was with students and staff that I loved. I was passionate about my work. And as I think of them all going back to school tomorrow,
I am a little sad that I won't be there. It's not just work, it's people. And though I don't miss those hours, I really miss those people a lot.
To finish off, I would like to share a few small personal victories to ensure you that my homesickness is but a small difficulty along this rollercoaster ride with more ups than downs. First, I'm starting to pick up on a few Japanese words in conversation and on TV. I also carry a Winnie the Pooh notepad with me at all times so that I can write down and remember words as I encounter them. Slowly but surely, I'm feeling like my ability to communicate is improving, which is really nice.
Next, I've taken a few train trips now and I'm becoming more and more familiar with the system. This is also a real confidence booster as transportation is kind of key at times and it's great to know I can access it without too much falter.
Also, I've been seeing an orthodontist here who is great. In Alberta, I saw my orthodontist once a month for him to pull on this missing tooth and it cost
me $180 each time. Here, I have an appointment every one or two weeks. He gives the tooth a good yank and I get a full teeth and braces cleaning for only 1000 ￥ each time! Also, his assistant speaks only a little bit of English but she tries really hard so we have short but sweet little conversations, helping her with her English and adding a few new Japanese words to my Pooh pad. I actually really look forward to my appointments!
The other small victories are in my classes. Though I prefer my work in Canada, there have been a few cases here and there where I see breakthrough in my students. Some of my elementary level classes have been pretty rowdy and defiant with past teachers. It didn't take long though for them to get the message that I wouldn't put up with their shit and the classes are showing slow progress in behaviour, which of course leads to their ability to learn. I'm even starting to get a few laughs out of them, which is nice. I also have quite a few adult students who have brought in small gifts and souvenirs after the Obon holiday. All of this gives me the hope that in time, perhaps I will form stronger bonds with my students and feel that sense of purpose that I long for as a teacher.
Anyway, just because I have a lot of free time, doesn't mean everyone else does. Hope this has given everyone a little insight into "Kala Piron's rive in Nippon".
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Aubrey
non-member comment
Try Osukannon for shopping too
Hi Kara. It is so incredible to read all of your great blurbs and what a great walk down memory lane! My favorite places in Nagoya to shop were around Osukannon (sp?) and Central Park area dept stores. Very happy to hear of the bra stories and will bank this one for more jokes upon your return! Yeah, things are starting up tomorrow - I would rather be doing what you are doing though. We think of you lots and Cam. Mark and I eagerly await one more person who can say nasty things about Stew in Japanese with you. Take care!