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December 28th 2007

Published: December 28th 2007

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Jennie T

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my record of my fond memories of the Santa costume

Happy Holidays Everyone!
Like all good hardworking Japanese folks, I worked on Christmas day and through the rest of the week. However, I still managed to celebrate Christmas in many ways.

About a month ago the head teacher at the preschool asked me if I would play my violin at their winter performance. Of course there was a catch. She requested that I do it dressed in a female Santa Claus costume. You can imagine that I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the Santa costume part, but of course I agreed. I accompanied my oldest preschool students on the tune “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” which to their parents’ surprise, they sang entirely in English. I also played solos of “Silent Night” (more like a nightmare) and to redeem myself, a traditional old time tune that went quite well. You’d probably think a little preschool performance is nothing to get nervous about, but if you could have seen how many parents, camera flashes, video cameras, and of course the local newsletter and TV reporters there, you would be nervous too!

After the preschool performance was finished, I was invited to make traditional New Year’s decorations, called shimekazari, at the

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nervous preschoolers before their performance

community center. They are made by twisting rice straw and are traditionally displayed at the entrance of a house to bring in good luck for the New Year. Twisting the three sections of straw together requires two people to make sure it is tight enough.

The last week of classes before the students’ break I made gingerbread houses (actually graham crackers) with my third year students at the junior high school. I was a little worried because I bought all the materials and my parents sent me graham crackers from the U.S., and then I realized I’ve never actually made a gingerbread house before, so I don’t really know how to teach it. But, how hard could it be? And actually, it turned out that Eri, the teacher I teach with, had made one once when she was studying abroad in the U.S. Still it took most of the class period just for the students to get the walls of the houses to stick together. But, in the end, their houses turned out better than expected, and they all had a good time, which is what matters the most.

And, as I did last year, I took my

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Fish Head

adult English conversation class Christmas caroling around Yuge Island. We had many more people join us this year than last year. I think everyone was a little too embarrassed to just go up to peoples houses and sing last year. But everyone had a good time last year, so I think more people wanted to join this year. We sang at many people’s houses, including my junior high school principal who came to the door in his pajamas. We even went to the mayor’s house, but only his wife was home. Many people gave us gifts for singing to them. After we finished caroling, we had a gift exchange, and I received an eco-friendly gift of a hot water bottle to keep me warm and a reusable grocery shopping bag.

Finally, Christmas is not Christmas without my dad’s fruit cake recipe. So, I bought the supermarket’s entire stock of dried fruits and whipped up some delicious fruit cake to divide into 35 pieces for all my coworkers! I think they all liked it too!

And, to make up for the past week of cold grey days in the office and under my kotatsu at home, I’m treating myself

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singing and dancing at the preschool performance

to a New Year’s vacation to the subtropics of Japan, Okinawa! I leave on a plane tomorrow morning. Woohoo! I will be sure to post all the photos and stories from my trip when I return. But, until then…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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