Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Falling into Fall

Hello! Tonight I returned from a two-day conference in Akita City for all the ALT (assistant lang. teachers = people like me) and JLT (Japanese lang. teachers = the English teachers we work with). It was a loooong two days of lectures and workshops on how to improve workplace relations, resolve conflicts, and, of course, improving our English teaching methods! While there were definitely some boring points (like the two hour lecture on recognizing cultural communication difference - i.e. body language is different between Japanese and "Western" cultures, etc.), overall, I learned some pretty useful stuff I hope to take back and incorporate into my classes.

Also, I learned Akita Prefecture's junior high students have the highest average scores on national English tests, which means we all do a pretty good job! In addition, in all of Japan, only 9.6% of high school English teachers actually SPEAK English in class, whereas in Akita, it's up to 35%. Another yay for us! But, on the downside, 65% of high school English teachers in Akita use little or NO English in class! That is crazy bad! Better than the nation as a whole, but, still, 65%?? Wow!

Other stats (I quickly googled them, so I think they're legit): Akita has the fastest decreasing population in Japan, and the highest suicide rate!
[Though, there should be a disclaimer on the suicide rate, because, though we have the highest rate, the NUMBER of suicides is way less than major urban areas - For example, in Akita, the total number was 412, compared to Tokyo's 2,502, and Osaka's 1,965.]
On the plus, I read somewhere that Akita has the highest number of beauty salons per capita!

As proud as I am of our smart students, and our better than average use of English in the classroom, it makes me sad to read and hear all these things about my adopted home. It is such a beautiful place, and the people are so great! It's economic depression is... well, depressing! At least, on paper.

But I want to show you something else. I want to show you the Akita I'm lucky enough to see and experience everyday.

These are photos from Friday's visit to Moritake Nursery School and Shimoiwakawa Elementary's International Club Halloween Party, followed by photos from my koiyo "leaf-viewing" excursion.




Apparently I'm the only one that go the memo that this was supposed to be a funny picture...



The 5-year olds brushing their teeth after lunch -- it lasted literally 8 minutes!
The International Club carving their first ever Jack-o-Lantern!

They don't celebrate Halloween here, so the kids don't really know much about it.
But don't worry, I taught them to Trick-or-Treat, and even gave them "American" candy (Snickers!)

This is at a mountain temple I saw while I was driving along. I just pulled over, left my car and climbed up.


Can you see the flame-colored hill in the background???

These pictures are of the Shirakami Mountains, a World Heritage Site thanks to its magnificently well-preserved old growth beech forest. Supposedly it looks exactly like it did just after The Ice Age.
Using my car for a tri-pod.

I wasn't lying when I said it was beautiful here.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Do Something

I just donated $50 to the San Diego County American Red Cross.
You can, too:
San Diego Red Cross

I also just donated $50 to the Los Angeles County American Red Cross.
You can, too:
Los Angeles Red Cross

Hoping for rain

I had lunch with the first graders today, and while I was eating my mikan (mandarin)and listening to the kids talk excitedly about Tokyo Disneyland, all I could think about was oranges, (*real*) Disneyland, and Southern California.

These fires have come to a magnitude I can't even comprehend, nor truly know how to respond to. Lately, everyone from fellow teachers and my supervisor to my hair dresser and the attendant at the gas station have been asking me about the fires. Mostly they ask if my family, my home is okay, and thankfully, I can tell them my home is a safe, happy 500 miles away. But the fact that people in my tiny town in Japan know about the fires and are concerned about their intensity, scares me more than I probably would be if I was back home. Also, this stupid time difference makes it really hard to get a hold of people, and without a TV or newspaper I feel really disconnected, which totally stresses me out. As far as I know, my friends (and their families) are safe, but I know some have houses in danger and some have been evacuated. It's scary, and, I'm worried.

I wish there was something I could do... I wish I wasn't so far away (because I feel like being closer, I *could* do something - whether or not that's true is a different story).

Take care of yourselves, friends. I hope you/your friends/family/property stay safe.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

It's really not that bad here - bad publicity!

Akita to brush up its depressing image

10/19/2007
BY SAWA OKABAYASHI, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Life in Akita Prefecture isn't much fun, if current labels are true.

Home to 1.14 million people, the northern Honshu prefecture faces problems like these:

・Its minimum wage is the lowest in the country;

・Its suicide rate has been the highest in the nation for past 12 years;

・Its birthrate is the lowest in Japan; and

・Its younger residents are fleeing in droves.

Hoping to reverse this trend, the General Policy Making Division of the Akita prefectural government began looking closely in the mirror.

The officials concluded Akita's poor self-image has done much to hinder development.

The division now wants to transform that negative image.

"We agreed that reinventing the prefectural character may bring positive results," a member of the division's 40-person task force on the issue, including residents, said. "We are afraid that we may get left behind in this time of rapid change."

The group has met on three occasions since July to sound out ideas. They took a long, hard look at the Akita image.

It wasn't flattering:

"People here don't speak up unless they have a drink first."

"Akita people are always getting in each other's way."

"People around here don't like change."

Some panel members suggested that the best way to change those traits was to set a good example.

So the group wants Akita's business leaders and local government officials to undergo retraining in how to behave in more socially acceptable ways.

Once residents see their leaders reinvent themselves, others will invariably follow suit, according to the plan.

The prefectural government is inviting people from outside Akita to share their experiences and views on the local character until Oct. 21.

The task force is hoping that locals will then become interested in extending the makeover project, and get the ball rolling to re-energize the entire prefecture.

Shinichi Yano, a marketing consultant and author, is a self-proclaimed expert in local characteristics in Japan's 47 prefectures. Yano has praise for Akita's efforts, but he notes they have a long way to go.

"They should make the best of their positive talents, rather than fixing upon shortcomings," he said. "That way, they will see an improvement in consumption behavior, which will bring other benefits."(IHT/Asahi: October 19,2007)

Upward Mobility

I just how to blog from my phone! Cool... updates on the go, go, go! \(^_^)/

Talking About My Generation

The YouTube Generation, that is.

I'm here to announce that I've joined them! I'm now officially an owner of a YouTube account, allowing me to post all kinds of crazy videos for your enjoyment! Of course, I only have like three videos in my collection, but there's plenty of growth potential.

Anyway, as my first act as a YouTube-r, I'm posting these clips that go with the recent posts:

1. McArthur A'Conti, the band we saw in Osaka (really short clip, sorry)


2. Sugitchi Dance (part 1)


3. Sugitchi Dance (part 2) - this is the part I didn't know very well, as you'll see!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Spo-cha!

Last Friday, my Japanese friend Marie (the one I went bowling with a few weeks ago) invited me to "play sport." I agreed before I really knew what that entailed, but let me tell you, it was fabulous!

So we went to this "fun center" building and paid 1400Y (about $14) for three hours of access to three (huge) floors of ever game and sport imaginable. We played a multitude of arcade games (all free-play), basketball, badminton, tennis, did batting cages, archery, pingpong, curling (yes, CURLING!), and finally, an hour of karaoke. Things we could have tried: golfing (like mini driving range), fishing (with LIVE fish!), darts, go-kart racing, rollerblading, bowling... etc. Move over Disneyland, you've got competition for happiest place on earth or whatever - this might be the funnest place on earth! I plan to spend all winter there. haha.

Enjoy some pics! The group was Marie, Keiko, Aiyumi, Maggie, and me.



I said, "Are you ready? I wouldn't want to look stupid in my curling picture!" And then I slipped. hahaha Serves me right!

There we go. I look like a pro!

Dance! Dance! Dance!

Michinoku Yosakoi Matsuri!!!
The 13th-14th I hopped on the bullet train (yep, it's fast and cool!) and headed over to Sendai for this amazing dance festival. It's one of the three largest in Japan, and there were teams competing and performing from all over Japan!

After two solid days of watching dance performances, I've determined the key ingredients for a winning team:
-Crazy/flashy costumes
-At least three costume changes during the dance (usually by turning something inside out, taking off a layer, pulling sleeves out of your sleeves, or just sheer MAGIC)
-GIANT FLAGS (the bigger the better, and the more the fabulous)
-Props (including naruko noisemaker thingys, folding fans, parasols, lanterns, shiny material, smaller flags, etc.)
-No kids or old ladies (unless they're in the back - that's how you tell the serious teams from the cute-sy ones)


I really liked Sendai! I spent the night with my friend Jenny (the girl I sat next to for 10hrs from SF->Tokyo), so I had a free place to stay and insider advice.








On Wally's recommendation, I decided to check out this building called the Sendai Mediatheque. Wally said it's in all the architecture books, so I expected it to be neat, but I was surprised by how much I really really liked it! It contains and a library and a couple of art galleries.





I also went to the top floor of the tallest building in Sendai so I could take this picture at sunset.
I also found where Ginger can go to get some learning...
Before I caught the train home, I stopped for some Mexican food! I was early (like 5:30) so I was the only one in the tiny restaurant and the chef was also my server (until the waitress arrived at 6 haha). I had two enchiladas and two tacos (they were tiny), and they were really good! I want to go back!

Homeward bound! The station looked cool at night, and I got to watch some MORE dancing until my train came.
Looks fast, huh?

Akita Wakasugi Kokutai!

Remember that National Sports Competition I keep mentioning? And Sugitchi, the awesome mascot?
Well... the games came and went! I was able to see karate, tons of basketball, and a bit of wrestling.

Hiromi, from the Board of Ed., drove me and her daughter (age 9) two hours to see the karate competition. It was pretty cool, but I quickly realized that karate is one of those things that's more fun to do than watch!






The adult men and high school girls' basketball tournaments were held in my town, so for "work" for three days, I went to basketball games. The first day I sat with the girls' basketball club from one of my junior highs. The second day, I cheered with the boys' basketball club from my other junior high, and the third day I sat with the teachers (boring and no pictures).





Okay, so the reason I saw a little wrestling was because Christy and I actually danced with the crazy Macarena-group (and cute kids!) at the closing ceremony for wrestling. We did the Sugitchi Dance. It was totally silly, but we had a fun time, and didn't do too badly, either!